The New Dusk Conclave's most elite and valorous frame pilots are bestowed the title of Conclave Knight. These individuals exemplify martial prowess, are skilled at commanding others during battle, and conduct themselves as true professionals.

In exchange for the high expectations placed upon them, the title they are granted confers them a high degree of respect among civilians and nobles both. Further, they are allowed to wear an Arming Sword and customize a frame of their choice to better suit their combat and aesthetic tastes.

In YE 43, the NDC began a significant restructure of its society and culture that created a new class of nobility. Identifying the need to secure the loyalty of the NDC's military forces and to provide recognition for exemplary pilots, the faction's leaders decided to establish an honorary title that would set these individuals above their peers. In so doing, they hoped to create a shining example of what excellence looks like for pilots, soldiers, and civilians alike.

As the position was as much about rewarding military accomplishments as it was about spectacle, the faction tapped fashion designers, event committees, and more to create an overall 'experience' that felt like it had been part of the faction's history for far longer than its initial introduction would suggest. This included customized garb, weapons, and accompanying ceremonies to give knighthood the appropriate weight.

Nearly all Knights are Frame pilot Ghosts. Knighthood is something that is earned by acts of great valor, incredible accomplishments, consistent service, and knightly behavior. Many Ghosts aspire to become a Knight, but know that the road to becoming one is challenging and long.

A Ghost looking to be knighted is well served by joining one or more long-running missions¹⁾ of significant importance. Should their deeds be sufficient, the ship's Captain may be given the authority to perform the knighting ceremony themselves.

In roleplay terms, a character may be knighted if they, and their player, have shown themselves to be outstanding examples of what a Knight should be. It is unlikely that all Ghosts will be knighted and certainly never more than one or two at a time. The surest way for a character to earn their knighthood is to post regularly, play your character well, be fun to write with, and make an impact within what is reasonable for your character to achieve.

The Knight's Chivalric Code, below, outlines the gold standard for knightly behaviors. A Conclave Knights is not perfect, nor are they expected to be. They attempt to do what is right and lift those around them up to their level. They may sometimes find themselves at odds with nobles, other pilots, royals, or even members of other factions should they feel that the situation requires it - but they do so with full knowledge of the impact of their actions.

Each Knight is, of course, different. Your character is the same character they were before they were knighted and should enjoy the same things. Knights do not have to be impossible to get along with and they are certainly able to have fun. They are, however, professionals who have devoted themselves to following the Chivalric Code and upholding their Oath.

As most Conclave Knights are Ghosts, you should consider the Ghost's recommended Frame Pilot skills.

To play a Conclave Knight effectively, simply play the character you have been playing and have them try to adhere to the Chivalric Code and their Oath. Knights try to do the right thing as much as possible, but their first priority is to the Crown that they have sworn themselves to. This can be a potential source of turmoil for a Knight, which is fantastic roleplay material.

A Knight is allowed a greater degree of freedom when it comes to the customization of their Frame and is given an Arming Sword. These are both significant status symbols, but Knights should at least appear to be humble.

As Conclave Knights are intended to serve as examples for other pilots and to represent the NDC's military, they are expected to follow a code of conduct known as the Chivalric Code. Sometimes simply called 'The Code', it dictates the core virtues that a true knight should display.

Never announce that you are a knight, simply behave as one. You are better than no one, and no one is better than you.

The only intelligent response to the ongoing gift of life is gratitude. For all that has been, a knight says, “Thank you.” For all that is to come, a knight says, “Yes!”

Anything that gives light must endure burning.

There is only one thing for which a knight has no patience: injustice. Every true knight fights for sentient dignity at all times.

You will hold fast to your words and remain faithful to your promises, no matter how big or small they may be.

You were born owning nothing and with nothing you will pass out of this life. Be frugal and you can be generous.

In the field of battle, as in all things, you will perform as you practice. With practice, you build the road to accomplish your goals. Excellence lives in attention to detail. Give your all, all the time. Don’t save anything for the walk home. The better a knight prepares, the less willing he will be to surrender.

Every knight holds sentient equality as an unwavering truth. A knight is never present when sentients are being degraded or compromised in any way, because if a knight were present, those committing the hurtful acts or words would be made to stop.

Love is the end goal. It is the music of our lives. There is no obstacle that enough love cannot move.

Life is a long series of farewells; only the circumstances should surprise us. A knight concerns himself with gratitude for the life he has been given. He does not fear death, for the work one knight begins, others may finish.

“I will develop my life for the greater good. I will place character above riches, and concern for others above personal wealth, I will never boast, but cherish humility instead, I will speak the truth at all times, and forever keep my word, I will defend those who cannot defend themselves, I will honor and respect all sentients, and refute slavery in all its guises, I will uphold justice by being fair to all, I will be faithful in love and loyal in friendship, I will abhor scandals and gossip-neither partake nor delight in them, I will be generous to the poor and to those who need help, I will forgive when asked, that my own mistakes will be forgiven, I will live my life with courtesy and honor from this day forward.

I promise on my engram that I will in the future be faithful to the Conclave. I shall never cause it harm and will observe my homage to it completely against all persons in good faith and without deceit.”

While the loyalty of all knights is, first and foremost, to the Archdukes/Archduchesses who lead the faction, they can swear an Oath of Fealty to a noble and become their vassal. Such a noble is called the knight's liege Lord/Lady. The liege Lord/Lady is responsible for the knight's well-being and provides support in various ways, in exchange for the knight's military might and service.

With permission from their current Lord or Lady, the Knight can free themselves of their current oath and seek a new Lord or Lady to swear allegiance to.

When a knight wishes to swear their sword to a noble, they use the Oath of Fealty. It is a modified version of their Knightly Oath's pledge. It does not replace their oath to the Conclave and its royal leaders, but rather adds an additional obligation for the knight to uphold.

The Oath:

“I promise on my engram that I will in the future be faithful to (Noble's name). I shall never cause them harm and will observe my fealty to them completely against all persons in good faith and without deceit.”

The ceremony by which an individual, a knight-elect, becomes a Conclave Knight is known as the Accolade. While each Accolade can vary to some extent, the standard format must be upheld for the ceremony to be considered authentic. It is common for the Knight's fellow pilots and closest friends to be present, though the ceremony can be much larger if the circumstances call for it. In some cases, the ceremony might only be held between the person granting the title, known as the sponsor, the knight-elect, and a single witness.

It is possible, but rare, for a knight to bestow the title of knight upon an individual in the midst of battle should the situation be dire enough to call for it. This is mainly done to allow the passage of the knight's Arming Sword to another pilot. This method must still be ratified by an appropriate noble or captain at a later date. When bestowed in this way, the knight-elect must still recite their vows and be dubbed for the Arming Sword to recognize its new owner.

The knight-elect spends one day at rest, contemplating the weight of the vows they will take. They prepare themselves physically and mentally for the ceremony to come to ensure that they conduct themselves in a manner that will bring honor to the knight they will become.

The knight-elect recites the Chivalric Code and the Knightly Oath, swearing to uphold both. The sponsor and the witness both confirm that they have heard and accepted the knight-elects vows.

The sponsor reveals and takes hold of the knight-elect's future Arming Sword. The weapon is unsheathed for all to see. The side of the sword's blade is lightly touched to each of the knight-elect's shoulders, rotating once so that each shoulder is touched by a different edge. This dubbing represents the trust that the knight-elect places in their sponsor.

The person granting the title then announces the new knight, typically by saying, “I dub thee Sir/Dame (surname).”

The new knight is then told to stand. The witness dresses them in the Conclave Knight's Gambeson. The sponsor then turns the blade so that the hilt faces the knight while the blade is adjacent to the sponsor's side. This represents the trust that the sponsor places upon the new knight.

The knight then claims their sword while the witness girds on their scabbard.

With the new Conclave Knight dubbed, all that remains is to celebrate their accomplishment. In contrast to the heavy mood of the preceding ceremonies, the Celebrations are typically jovial and lighthearted. Food is provided in abundance and a friendly tournament may take place to allow the knight and his fellows to demonstrate their skills.

Being a Conclave Knight comes with a few significant perks, especially for someone active in the military. These benefits are intended both as a reward for the knight's accomplishments and as a way to further glorify them in the eyes of the populous, so that others might follow in their footsteps.

Conclave Knights are granted an Arming Sword as part of their Accolade. The sword is primarily a status symbol, but it also serves an important secondary function - it is the key to their own personal frame.

The Conclave Knight Gambeson is a protective coat worn over the military's typical suit, the "Mithril" Military Bodysuit. It offers a modest amount of additional protection and further enhances the impressive presence of the knight.

Each Conclave Knight is granted a personal frame to be used for their purposes, so long as those purposes are aligned with the needs of the NDC. They may customize the frame to their liking, so long as it does not prevent the standard maintenance of the frame by any flight crew that the knight might serve alongside. Most typically, this customization takes the form of a custom paint job and minor embellishments.

Whisper created this article on 2021/01/25 10:38.

Many historical or popular culture sources were used to put this article together in a way that would be exciting and appealing to

• Chivalric code pulled from https://www.faena.com/aleph/10-rules-of-chivalry-everyone-should-consider, which is based on a letter called “Rules of Knighthood”. Changes were made to better fit the faction and setting.
• Oath of fealty pulled from http://m.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-england/knights-oath-of-fealty.htm.
• The Knightly Oath is pulled from the book “King Arthur”, with adaptations.

This article was approved by Andrew in this thread.