Companions of The Noble Heart

[gatalis]

Companions of The Noble Heart
by Jacia Lendetta, Knight Sergeant

Ilmater teaches many things... Mercy, Tolerance, Martyrdom, Perseverance, Freedom... Thus, the Noble Heart is constantly seen as a bit unorthodox by the followers of Ilmater. We are the only military arm within the church of Ilmater, but even so, avoid war whenever possible. It is the Noble Heart, that has been blessed by Ilmater with the freedom to use force against his foes instead of acting as defenders, but with this freedom we take more responsibility than other orders in the Crying God's name.

EDICTS

These edicts are in place to ensure the orderly conduct of the Noble Heart. While others see the world in gray, we are required to look at it in black and white. While we act for the sake of good, we make no bias in the following of our edicts, even if they would conflict with other goodly people.

Vows

The Vows of Ilmater are of the most importance to members of our knightly orders. They define his Clergy and "Paladins" from all others.

Ilmater's Clergy consist of those whom have taken one or more of three vows- The vow of Purity, the vow of Poverty, and the vow of Peace. While a member of the Noble Heart may take the vows of Peace and Poverty if they wish, all members of Ilmater's Companions must take the following two vows:

The Vow of Purity

My body is my temple, and thus it must be clear of impurities. I will not drink, I will not show gluttony, I will not use narcotics or other drugs, I shall not indulge in the temptations of the flesh, but most importantly I shall never hold my love for one above others. By showing unbiased love for all living creations, I prevent myself from committing brash actions.


The Vow of Obedience

I shall not disobey my legitimate superior. Ilmater is my ultimate superior, though I find guidance in his allies, and in his upper clergy and knights. Through this I shall learn and wisen myself.

Oaths

The Oaths of the Noble Heart were defined by those of the Golden Cup, and further changed to reflect our order. While the vows define us as member's of Ilmater's faith, it is our Oaths that define us as a holy order. Vows may never be broken, not even during the Plea of Rest, but Oaths may be ignored during the Plea, and may be broken in dire circumstances if the benefits for the good of others outweigh the costs, but only if a prayer is made before and after the breaking of an oath. These oaths reflect our order.

The Oath of Brotherhood

All Paladins and Knights dedicated to good, no matter their order, are brothers and sisters to the Noble Heart, and shall be helped lest their order or sect be corrupt. Treat all knights and paladins of just orders as your blood siblings, whether they be of the Swords of the Lady, the Eye of Justice, the Order of the Aster, or even even the Eternal Order.

The Oath of Honorable Combat

All members of the Noble Heart are expected to fight honorably against their enemies. One may not use Curses, dirty shots, thug-like moves, or other means of combat that defy an Honorable fight. The use of toxins and poisons taxing on one's strength or speed are allowed in open combat if the purpose is to subdue, but never if the purpose is to kill, or if the match is arranged without informing one's opponent of such things.

The Oath of Fearlessness

One must never show fear in the face of evil nor danger. One may not flee from a one-on-one duel, and may only honorably retreat from battle if outmatched three to one or more. Even when outmatched, one must do everything in their power to ensure the well-being of his or her allies if possible before retreating.

The Oath of Tolerance

Unless the social or governmental structure is obviously of malicious intent, one must always show tolerance with other's actions. While one may not have a certain behavior, or do certain things, one must never impede another's desires unless said desires are physically damaging to those around them. A man who uses the pipe, blue powder, or green herbs may not be stopped from using these things, but may be stopped if he attempts to force them onto others.

The Oath of Heritage

One must denounce any ties to their previous life. Whether a noble or a beggar, one must cut off any inheritance, any family or sentimental belongings, and any responsibilities they held previous to the Noble Heart. One may keep in touch with family and friends, but bonds of blood must never be considered more important than one's bonds to the Noble Heart.

The Oath of Goodly Uncompromising

One may never compromise with evil. To do so is to allow darkness into one's heart. One must never knowingly consort with evil, and must never work alongside evil unless it is imperative to the survival of a very large group of people. One must attempt to turn those of cruel and dark hearts from their ways, and must remove themselves from any family, friends, or spouse who shows evil tendencies.

The Oath of Compassion

Ilmater feels the pain and suffering of all living beings. Paladins, animals, peasants, mages, lizardfolk, fey, druids, even cyricists. Thus, he demands compassion be shown to all living beings, good or evil. Thus, one must be able to show compassion to any being, no matter their background.

The Oath of Courtesy

The Noble Heart demands that all of its knights show courtesy or hold their tongue. Even should the reaction of another be unscrupulous, one must be able to show some level courtesy. One is not allowed to mock, insult, or otherwise devalue another, and must always be the better person in such arguments.

The Oath of Mercy

Ilmater teaches that one can not hold hate for one's enemy. A knight of the Noble Heart is expected to show mercy, allowing their opponent the chance to surrender. One must confide in another's wish for merciful death, and help them achieve this goal no matter their background or reasoning.

The Oath of Truth

The Companions of the Noble Heart demand absolute truth from their knights. A knight must always tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, no matter how the other might take it. One must never attempt to obscure the truth, and must never circumvent the truth. On may, however, request permission to not speak the truth, or to withold information, and may also remain silent should they rather not answer a question.

The Oath of Charity

While one is not required to take the vow of poverty, one is required to take the oath of charity. One must sacrifice any excess material not needed, whether it be food, gold, magical items, or other sundries. One may do so through charity, donations, simply not accepting rewards, or any other means. One may, however, have excess if the purpose is in the building of something in the name of Ilmater or his allies, or if the materials are not claimed as one's own and given away for goodly purposes to whomever needs them. One must never show greed.

The Oath of Blood

While the Noble Heart may spill blood, they must do so knowing that the blood they spill is their enemy's, their own and Ilmater's. Thus one may only spill blood if all other means are forfeit.

Ethos

One's Ethos is a set of personal codes that one takes up above and beyond the Oaths and Vows one must take. For instance, a code stating that one will not harm women or children. These are hand-picked by each and every individual knight, and may be changed if required. That being said, a knight must follow their personal Ethos with the same discipline that they follow their Vows and Oaths.

The Ranking

The Noble Heart is arranged by rank by the following from most experienced and noble members to least.

• Grand Master
  
• Knight Commander
  
• Knight Sergeant
  
• Knight Bannerette
  
• Knight Errant
  
• Squire
  
• Page
  

Pages
The Page is not officially a member of the order, and must be sworn in. A page is one who wishes to join the order and accompanies a knight, and must be of good standing as well as prove themselves capable of taking up our edicts.


Squires ((Child/teen character, or 0 levels in Paladin))
When one is inducted into the order, they are interned to a member of the order and gain the rank of squire. Squires have not taken the vows set in place at the time of their induction, and must undergo trials to ensure their faith and dedication to the order. Upon the completion of these trials, one is sent to the Grand Master for their graduation ceremony. In the case that the Grand Master cannot be reached, one may be inducted in by the highest ranking member of the order currently available. It is the job of squires to train underneath their superiors in both mind and body.


Knight Errant ((1st level of Paladin or one sign of Valor))
Upon the completion of their internship and training, a member of the order is sworn in and becomes a Knight Errant. A Knight Errant is bound by the codes of The job of a Knight Errant is not to seek out evil within the land, but instead to hone their skills, and serve as defenders for knight sergeants and commanders. When one has proven their mettle in combat, and has proven their dedication to the Noble Heart, they may be raised to the position of Bannerette. It should be noted that more knights remove themselves from the order as they cannot take the pressure of their oaths, or die in honorable battle within the rank of Errant than any other rank within the Noble Heart


Knight Bannerette ((4th level of Paladin or two signs of Valor))
When one has proven themselves capable as an Errant, they are risen to the rank of Bannerette. A Bannerette, as the name suggests, have been given the authority to ride under their own banner within the order. Bannerettes are given free reign within the order to act on their own accord, though they are expected to respect the requests of superiors. It is the job of the Bannerette to begin the work of rooting out the Noble Heart's enemies, informing their superiors when the need arises. A Bannerette spends lest time honing their physical prowess, and more time on their cognitive functions and religious aspects.


Knight Sergeant ((7th level of Paladin +1 sign of Valor, or 4 signs of Valor))
When one has honed their tactical mind, and has shown great valor on or off the battlefield, they may be raised to the rank of Sergeant. It is the job of Knight Sergeants to oversee Bannerettes and guide the lower ranks. Knight Sergeants must show wisdom and loyalty unheard of in a Bannerette, and must be prepared to give up their lives for others.


Knight Commander ((10th level of Paladin +3 signs of Valor, or 7 signs of Valor))
It is the job of the knight commander to oversee everything. The commander ensures all the duties of the lower ranks are kept active, records the happenings of the order, and acts as the public head of the order. It is a great responsibility to be a Knight Commander.


Grand Master
There are only two grand masters at any time, the active grand master, and the innactive grand master. It is the job of the active grand master to act as the head of the Knight Commanders and ensure the well-being of the order, as well as decide the new grand master when the other passes away, while it is the job of the inactive grand master to keep track of the order's records and knights, as well as offer words of wisdom to the younger members of the order.

The Pledge

Before being sworn in as a Knight Errant, all members of the Noble Heart must take the following pledge on a religious symbol of Ilmater...

I, _________________, do hereby pledge to honor the strictures of this sacred heritage, and promise by my faith to be loyal to The Companions of the Noble Heart and Ilmater, maintaining my devotion against all persons without deception or forethought. Further, I vow to promote and uphold the principles of fealty, courtesy, honesty, valor, honor, and chastity, and to solemnly and faithfully follow the edicts of my faith, my church, my brothers and sisters in arms, and my just rulers. I take this pledge freely, without coercion or expectation of reward, sworn by my hand on this symbol, and in blessed memory of those who have given their lives to this noble cause.