In all Orders of the knighthood, once someone has
earned enough rank, they have the opportunity to enter into the Order of Lords.
There are a limited number of lord positions, and in order for a person to rise
to the level, a vacancy must already exist within the order the candidate wishes
to enter. Such a vacancy may be created through a formal challenge.
The assignment and mission of a lord knight need
not be constrained to those of his own order, however. Indeed, it is common for
a lord knight magi to be placed in command of a legion of Knights of the Abyss
or so forth.
Because most large military units of the Knights
of Armageddon comprise elements of all three order of knighthood, it is well
conceivable that lord knights might well favor their own order over the others.
Steps to take care of such a problem are as thus: Those who have risen to such
high levels in the ranks have been indoctrinated in the concept of "Power
through Diversity," that a wise leader uses all of the assets available to
ensure victory. Indeed, it is a point of honor among the Knights of Armageddon
that no favoritism is shown, and the accusation of such impropriety is a
challenge to one's honor that never goes unanswered.
When a vacancy in the upper ranks of the
knighthood comes about about as the result of attrition (such as a lord knight
being killed in combat, outside single combat), all applicants must present
themselves before a lord knight tribunal. The tribunal is made up of a majority
of knights in that particular order. It is entirely up to the discretion
of the reviewing tribunal to determine the criteria under which the position
shall be won.
Assassination to open a spot in the Order of
Lords is not an option, this being viewed as an act of cowardice within the
Knighthood.
