Editor's Note: On April 9th, 2015, the final article in this original series wrapped up. The series was meant to not only let the community learn a little bit about the signina on each knights belt, but the knights themselves. The series wrapped up with then, knight commander Dav Hayden's article, it is only fitting that we kick off the revival of this series with the current Knight Commander, Ryan Welch. We encourage you to read all the past articles outlined in this article.
Ryan "King Orion" Welch
1. What year were you awarded your white belt?
2022
2. Who administered "the punch" and-- be honest!!--did it hurt?
My brother Saka punched me. It did hurt, but I think he went a little easy on me at the time.
My brother Saka punched me. It did hurt, but I think he went a little easy on me at the time.
3. Whose belt did you wear until you got your own, and how was this significant for you?
I was knighted with Mathies's belt, which at the time surprised me because I expected to be wearing the belt belonging to a different Matt B. When I asked him about it, Mathies told me that he volunteered his belt because he say a lot of his younger self in me. We had an amazing conversation about that, and I still think back on it often.
4. Please describe your own belt's heraldry.
The heraldry on my belt is a green field split by three bends (blue, white, then blue again) with a Crowned Rowan Branch in black as a charge above the bends, and two black concentric diamonds as a charge below.
The heraldry on my belt is a green field split by three bends (blue, white, then blue again) with a Crowned Rowan Branch in black as a charge above the bends, and two black concentric diamonds as a charge below.
5. Why did you choose that heraldry to represent you?
The green green-blue-white-blue-green of my heraldry are a combination of my home nation (the Azure Guard, blue-white-blue) and the nation I started (the Cerulean Company, green-blue-green). Normally these are displayed as pales, but on my belt they are bends because that seems to be traditional among Chimeronian KoEF.
The crowned rowan branch stands for the Avatars of Chimeron. This charge is used for many things in our Kingdom, though usually in white or silver. Black often associated with the Avatars, which is why it is used here. Nonetheless it is reasonable to read this charge as a representation of many aspects of my relationship with Chimeron.
The two concentric diamonds is the Beast rune for Time, which in the way of this language can also also be interpreted as Cycles. This comes from a ritual I attended while I was Alexander Cecil's mentorship. This ritual called for elements which included the past, the present, and the future. In my boldness (perhaps too bold, perhaps just bold enough) I stood in the position for future, as that seemed most fitting for the relationship between a knight and his squire. The magic of that ritual left a, shall I say, Beastly impression on me, and through that the rune became for me a symbol of the cycles of mentorship, the passing of knowledge from one generation to the next. Perhaps it is worth noting that of all the milestones I represent in my personal heraldry, my adoption of Cycles is predated only by my induction into the Azure Guard.
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6. Who did the artwork on your belt?
I made the design and Pat Bobell painted it onto my belt.
7. What do you remember most about your knighting?
It was a miracle that I was able to attend the event at all. I had just completed my third and final round of chemotherapy only a week prior, which is an ordeal beyond description. Despite all my determination to attend Black and White, we had no idea if I would have the strength to make it through the day. Crystal and my sister kept a close watch on me, to see if I was fading so that they could take me home before I truly crashed. And this was the truth, but not the whole of it. Through a great order of good fortune I sustained myself through the entire event and was suitably surprised to be called up during court. However, I learned afterwards that if things had gone differently and I needed to make an early exit, the entire order--with the blessing of the day's staff--were prepared to leap on a signal from Crystal and stop the entire event in its tracks so that they could conduct my knighting. This demonstration of love from my community shocked me more than the belt itself, and is by far one of the kindest, most touching, most meaningful things that has happened to me. It has inspired me to spend the rest of my lifetime carrying such kindness, not as debt to be repaid but as a legacy and and an emotional heirloom to be passed on to those who succeed me.
8. What does being a KoEF mean to you?
On a personal level, my belt is a celebration of my dedication to both myself and my community in equal measure. My time in the Realms has had a significant positive influence on my growth as a person. Being a Knight of the Eternal Flame means that I channel this influence back into the community by helping others on their own journeys of self-development while continuing my own.
