Lord-Knight
A Lord-Knight (female: Lady-Knight) is the lowest hereditary rank in the Akerlish nobility and the only grade in which every holder is automatically a dubbed Knight. The title passes to all legitimate descendants of a Baronet, thereby expanding cadet branches while still preserving a clear social gap between the lesser gentry and the common orders of knighthood. Although landless, Lord-Knights enjoy the full prerogatives of gentle birth—coat-armour, spurs, and the right to sit at noble assizes—while providing the realm with a standing pool of literate cavalry officers, stewards, and household retainers.
Duties
Duties
Military Service – Primary obligation is mounted arms. Each Lord-Knight keeps war-gear ready for a forty-day campaign and is liable to muster under any superior noble who holds their oath. They frequently command troop-lances (5–6 riders) or serve as adjutants to baronets and barons.
Household Stewardship – Many act as seneschals, castellans, or estate auditors for senior kinsmen, applying their education to book-keeping, logistics, and the supervision of manorial courts in the lord’s absence.
Judicial & Civic Roles – Qualified to sit on juries of noble peers at county assizes; officiate at village dispute panels; witness contracts, knightings, and heraldic registrations.
Ceremonial Attendance – Required presence at local tourneys, ducal diets held within 30 leagues, and any royal progress that touches their residence, adding martial display and reinforcing noble solidarity.
Household Stewardship – Many act as seneschals, castellans, or estate auditors for senior kinsmen, applying their education to book-keeping, logistics, and the supervision of manorial courts in the lord’s absence.
Judicial & Civic Roles – Qualified to sit on juries of noble peers at county assizes; officiate at village dispute panels; witness contracts, knightings, and heraldic registrations.
Ceremonial Attendance – Required presence at local tourneys, ducal diets held within 30 leagues, and any royal progress that touches their residence, adding martial display and reinforcing noble solidarity.
Benefits
Hereditary Arms – Entitled to bear a full coat of arms, differenced by a narrow label of three points indicating cadet status; may display helm-crest and mantle in the tourney lists.
Legal Privilege – Exempt from corporal punishment; tried only in noble courts. May demand compurgation (oath-help) from three peers of equal or higher rank.
Tax Concessions – Pays only half the market tolls and is free of the corvée labour that binds serfs and villagers.
Knightly Stipend – Receives an annual retainer (40–60 silver crowns) from the baronetcy treasury or, failing that, from the county for keeping arms in serviceable order.
Education & Orders – Guaranteed place for one child per generation in a knightly academy or religious commandery; eligible for promotion into royal or ducal guard units and for elevation to Baronet if granted land.
Legal Privilege – Exempt from corporal punishment; tried only in noble courts. May demand compurgation (oath-help) from three peers of equal or higher rank.
Tax Concessions – Pays only half the market tolls and is free of the corvée labour that binds serfs and villagers.
Knightly Stipend – Receives an annual retainer (40–60 silver crowns) from the baronetcy treasury or, failing that, from the county for keeping arms in serviceable order.
Education & Orders – Guaranteed place for one child per generation in a knightly academy or religious commandery; eligible for promotion into royal or ducal guard units and for elevation to Baronet if granted land.
Accoutrements & Equipment
Spurs of Steel – Plain steel spurs mark full knightly status; gilt spurs are reserved for bannerets and above.
Cadet Coronet – Worn only at court: a thin iron circlet blued to a gun-metal sheen, devoid of pearls or leaves.
Mantle – Short half-cloak in family colours lined with undyed lambswool; the outer edge tipped in a simple white braid signifying junior rank.
Signet Ring – Iron or bronze bezel engraved with the holder’s differenced arms; used on wax seals for orders and correspondence.
Field Harness – Brigandine over mail with breast badge of arms; helm plume restricted to one colour (usually white or the tincture of the label).
Lord-Knight’s Sword – Straight single-hand sword bearing the family motto on the fuller; pommel often inset with a base-grade gem or coloured glass.
Pennon – Narrow triangular standard (45 cm) trailing from the lance head, showing the undifferenced family arms in miniature with a white label across the chief.
Warhorse & Tack – Entitled to keep a destrier; saddle and caparisons carry the same cadet label as the armour.
Cadet Coronet – Worn only at court: a thin iron circlet blued to a gun-metal sheen, devoid of pearls or leaves.
Mantle – Short half-cloak in family colours lined with undyed lambswool; the outer edge tipped in a simple white braid signifying junior rank.
Signet Ring – Iron or bronze bezel engraved with the holder’s differenced arms; used on wax seals for orders and correspondence.
Field Harness – Brigandine over mail with breast badge of arms; helm plume restricted to one colour (usually white or the tincture of the label).
Lord-Knight’s Sword – Straight single-hand sword bearing the family motto on the fuller; pommel often inset with a base-grade gem or coloured glass.
Pennon – Narrow triangular standard (45 cm) trailing from the lance head, showing the undifferenced family arms in miniature with a white label across the chief.
Warhorse & Tack – Entitled to keep a destrier; saddle and caparisons carry the same cadet label as the armour.
Type
Nobility, Hereditary
Form of Address
Direct: “Sir [Given Name]” / “Dame [Given Name]”
Written: Sir/Dame N. N., Lord-Knight/Lady-Knight
Third person: “Lord-Knight / Lady-Knight N. N.”
Written: Sir/Dame N. N., Lord-Knight/Lady-Knight
Third person: “Lord-Knight / Lady-Knight N. N.”
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