The Knight's Hall

The King’s Knights are an elite group which are considered a direct extension of the Monarch. Any instruction or request made by a knight is considered equal to the King himself. To insult a Knight is to insult the King. These men, and women, are the best equipped and finely trained fighting force in the known world. Their skills with weapons and their swordsmanship are unmatched. The Knights oath and devotion to the King guides their daily lives and actions. While they have tremendous power and responsibility, the Knights consider themselves servants, both to the King and to the common man. They are the arm of the King, defenders of the Kingdom and the justice of the people.

While the Knights lead a life of servitude, they are granted certain rare privileges, one being the Knights Hall. Located in the Castle Crete, the Knights Hall acts as the headquarters and refuge for the Knights. The building is stout, made of interlaced cedar timbers and quarried stones.  The oak plank doors are unadorned, a sign the humility of those who enter. The Hall is restricted to Knights alone. Squires and Pages and not allowed to enter and guest are allowed only rarely and for very special events.

Within the Hall is a banquet hall, kitchen, a well-stocked pantry, library and gymnasium. In the far north west corner there is a small forge where the Knights can repair their equipment or craft new weapons. There are also storage lockers for each Knight as well as a sauna and two large bathes. What is not within the Hall are any servants. No cooks, no maids and no butlers to serve the Knights. All cooking and cleaning within the Hall are the responsibility of the Knights and they take great pride in keeping the Hall immaculate and in good repair.

The centerpiece of the Hall is the great room. Here the Knights can gather to read, share stories or simply relax. The room is quite large, its ceilings rising up to nearly twenty feet. The fireplace covers an entire wall and an assort of swords from around the kingdom adorn the mantle and surrounding wall. Two large leather sofas sit in front of the fireplace, each with a heavy oak table in front and to each side of it. Three small tables fill a portion of the room, each with five chairs. To one side there is another seating area and a pine stand which holds two large kegs of ale. The room sees regular card games and vigorous conversations and debates. The center-piece of the room, and the entire hall for that matter, is the western wall.

The Western wall of the great room is known as the Wall of the Soul. This wall is as close to sacred ground as you will find in the third kingdom. On the wall are artifacts, equipment and weapons of previous Knights. Some belonged to Knights who have long since retired, others to Knights who paid the ultimate price for the King and Kingdom. The most precious of the items are the Swords. When a Knight retires, falls in battle, or dies of natural causes, their sword is placed on the wall. There it will remain until it is awarded to a new Knight. The King and family of the original Knight will present the sword to the new Knight who will normally have some connection to the Knight who once carried the weapon. It is believed by many the sword will take on a part of the Knight’s soul and the new owner can channel this energy, experience and dedication in battle. In this way, a Knight never truly stands alone.

The sword of a Knight is six to eight inches longer than a standard long sword. It is intended to be a single-handed sword and will weight almost exactly two pounds. All of the Knight’s swords for the past centuries have all been forged by the House of Caliburn. It is said that no Knight’s sword forged by the House of Caliburn has ever broken in combat.  A Knight’s sword is easily distinguished from other swords and is a source of great pride. It is of vital importance to all Knights that all swords are accounted for. If a Knight falls in battle their sword must be recovered. Never has an enemy been allowed to escape with a Knight’s sword for any period of time. Knights are assigned duties based on their experience, talents, and years of service to the King. These areas are broken down into four general categories.

·         Royal Protection – assigned to protect the Royal family. The number of knights assigned to this duty depends on the size and nature of the royal family as well as the current threat level.

·         Outpost – Knights are assigned to command or oversee many outposts throughout the kingdom. These assignments are generally selected by knights who have a family and wish to be stationed in the same location for a long period of time.

·         Ravens – is a group of special investigators assigned cases of the King. There can be only twelve Ravens at any time.

·         Patrol – The vast majority of knights fall into this category. Assigned to patrol certain areas or respond to specific threats or problem areas. These knights generally travel with their squires and pages. If the threat or danger is at a higher level, they may also be assigned a small squad of soldiers. In times of severe threat, the knights join forces with the King’s Army.