The Most Holy Order of the Lance Knights of Nadrik
However not all are content to remain ever vigilant against the forces attacking them. Some of the Knights of the Shield at some point in their progression realize that their strengths, and their hearts lead them to go forth into dark places and therein drive the evil away.
These men are fewer in number but it is of greater glory and strength of arms that these men and women are spoken of. With gentle guidance are the Shield Knights of Siccara to lead in the defense of the pure and the holy. With stern determination and holy righteousness are the Lance Knights of Nadrik commanded to go forth to spread His will, for while Siccara tended the ill, and the weak. Nadrik saw wickedness, and as he did when cutting Devion�s hand from his body, Nadrik saw in the Knighthood not the Shield, but the Lance by which to drive the evil from his presence.
So it was determined that through their actions and through their deeds and reputation, those Knights that achieved success in battling evil and driving forth from the lands and who would petition the Council of the Rose for permission, could go forth from Siccara�s chosen and join instead the ranks of Nadrik�s Lance. Described following is the process of that petitioning and the duties described to Gareth of the deeds and nature of the Most Holy Order of the Knighthood of the Lance.
Those Knights of the Shield who feel their skills and hearts take them into Nadrik�s Knighthood, a Knighthood dedicated to the ideals that by waging honorable war against evil is the only way to defend the innocent, may petition the Council of the Rose to enter the Lance. By taking the battle to the enemy you in turn drive evil forth from the lands and thus further the cause of the Light. If the Knight of the Shield is found by the Council to be worthy of this standard, the Knight of the Shield becomes ranked as a Knight of the Lance, holding the title of Novice of the Lance. Those Knights of the Shield that petition the Council for entry into the Lance who are found wanting still, are maintained in the Order of the Shield at their current rank and title, and allowed to continue service to the Knighthood. These Knights must wait til one Council has passed before being able to petition the Council again for entry into the Lance, thus two full months must pass before the next time the Shield Knight might petition for entry into the Order of the Lance.
Once entitled Novice of the Lance, the Lance Knight begins new with his duties. Having completed the quest to join Nadrik�s Order, these Novices are expected to learn what it is to be truly servants to the God Nadrik. Wearing a simple tunic of white, with only a hem of blue to show their dedication to learning the tenets of Nadrik, and a medallion of their faith to their own patron, these warriors are to live in poverty and humility. Often they find themselves imbued with a holy zeal as Nadrik is the most fervent of the three patron gods of Knighthood. They show outstanding courage and boldness, mitigated only by their piety to their god and the Lord Nadrik. The symbol of their rank is a simple lance portrayed on a badge.
After a period of time as a Novice of the Lance, through which the Knight proves his bravery, courage, and honor, the title of Novice is dropped and the Knight if entitled simply Knight of the Lance. Knights of the Lance are fierce warriors who scour the lands in search for evil. They will travel alone or in small groups offering help to those who suffer injustice and cannot defend themselves. They wear proudly their Coat of Arms and are often the Knights of Lore, seeking adventure and glory in the name of goodness. Their symbol is a simple lance portrayed on a badge, overlaying a gold crescent.
Those Lance Knights who become veteran warriors of the Knighthood are often granted the title Blade Knight. The Blade Knight is the basic member of the Army of the Lance, and serves with four other Lance Blade Knights when summoned to the Army of the Lance. When they are not summoned by the Knighthood, they may reside either at their Keep or in their home towns, being the first rank of Knights allowed to hold residence abroad from Gareth�s Keep. Often these Blade Knights will go forth into the field, leading charges against evil groups in order to gain glory and spread goodness in the name of the Knighthood. The symbol of the Blade Knight is two lances crossed in an X with the handles down.
Those Blade Knights who further prove themselves and their dedication to the Lord of Honor are often times granted the title of Knight Warrior. These fierce warriors and most devout followers of Nadrik go forth into the lands, incessantly searching out evil to destroy it without quarter. Their symbol is that of the lance, superimposed over a great helm.
Should the High Warrior, known as the General of the Lance, be pleased with the ever growing deeds and reputation of the Lance Knight, they are often promoted past the rank of Knight of the Lance and given opportunity to fulfill their destinies as leaders of men. These men, promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and entitled Lord of Lances, are the basic core of leadership within the Lance and are given command over their own squadrons of Lance Knights. The symbol of these Lords of Lances is the Lance over a Crown. They are held to the responsibility of being the basic unit of leadership on the field and often have the most direct communication with the lance Knights. They themselves command a single squadron of Lance Knights within the Army of the Lance.
Those Lords of Lances who prove themselves adept at leadership duties are on occasion granted further promotion within the Order of the Lance and are ranked to Captaincy. These Captains are granted the title of Master Warrior, and are likewise recognized as a Lord or Lady of Althainia. Granted command of an entire Battallion of Lance Knights, those who are chosen to serve as Master Warriors, are models of chivalric virtue. A warrior whose courage is unbreakable. The symbol of the Master Warrior is a Lance, gripped in the talons of a Silver Dragon.
Of the Master Warriors, often one is chosen who is so virtuous and so noble in battle that he is chosen by the General of the Lance to be trained in and granted opportunity to prove his or her leadership in battle and in court so that one day, pending the death or retirement of the High Warrior, Known as General of the Lance, one would be groomed to take over the position. These select few are known as Lord Warriors, and are granted the rank of Colonel of the Lance as well as granted the title of Baron of Althainia with the duties, rights, and responsibilities pertaining there unto.
The High Warrior, also known as the General of the Lance, is the supreme head of the Order of the Lance Knights of Nadrik. He is, by tradition, appointed as the Commander in Chief of Knighthood�s forces on the Field and is only superceded in command by the Grand Master, a position which has remained vacant since the death of Tesalon Gareth. He is supposed to be the closest living Knight to Nadrik, being of unbreakable faith to the Patron of the Order and of limpid virtue. He is one of the greatest warriors in the Knighthood, but also a symbol of shining sanctity. Along with the High Clerist, and High Justice, he is part of the Council of the Rose and only takes orders from the Grand Master. The symbol of the High Warrior is a silver ring embedded with a star sapphire, upon which is etched the symbol of a Lance. He is by nature granted the title of Duke of Althainia and can command in battle the entire Army of the Lance�some 15,000 Knights strong.
Historical Note:
The Order of the Lance is the military arm of the Knighthood. The strongest warriors of the Keep, and the most faithful followers of Nadrik alike often stay within her ranks. These Knights live up to the highest ideals of courage, heroism, and self-sacrifice. All their lives they strive to embody these ideals, to be the champions not only of their own gods and goddesses, but also of Nadrik should the two differ.
Tesalon Gareth chose the Lance as the symbol of this Knighthood to represent Nadrik�s idea that war is an honorable way to defend good against evil, provided that lance is wielded with courage, goodness, and valor. The strength of the Knights of the Lance is the acceptance of the laws of Honor that are often harder than those the other Knights are held to, the willingness for self-sacrifice, and the rigorous and strict codes that they must live by in order to abide by the precepts of their patron God.
Currently, through the interventions of Nadrik, it becomes apparent that it is the ideals of the Son for the entirety of the Knighthood to be modeled after his own Order of the Lance, and as neither the Lady of Healing nor the Father of Light, Austinian, who is patron of the Crown, has seen fit to make their desires known, currently all three factions of Gareth�s Keep begin to mold themselves more and more after the Order of the Lance. Also historically, it is interesting to note that my own position, as High Warrior, or General of the Lance seems misguided, as Austinian�s chosen Champion, often my own paths differ from those to be walked by the Lance according to the tenets of Nadrik. Circumstances as they�ve been has led for odd fellows to lead odd courses though. According to the Vision, currently, it makes far more sense for the current High Clerist, General Amargein Morna to lead the Lance, and for myself to be charged with leadership of the Shield�but I digress�
One further note of interest, in the writings of the Origins of Knighthood, there is mention of a sword known as the Silver Sword of the High Warrior, often referred to as �Shining Sanctity�. This sword was apparently given to Tesalon Gareth himself and was passed down from High Warrior to High Warrior until disappearing sometime around the first Cataclysm. While the ring of the High Warrior continues to be passed down from General to General, this relic of a weapon appears to have been lost.