On the Order- Knights of Rhiassa

What year was your Knighthood formed?

In character, the knightly order is part of the backstory of Sir Duncan (Steve Johnson). Duncan was a knight of the order when Steve first created him as his second character. But the history of the Knights of Rhiassa in

the Realms begins in 1998, when Duncan knighted his first squire, Sir Cedric.

Photo by Jesse Gifford

What does your knighthood stand for?

As a national knightly order, the purpose of the Knights of Rhiassa is to defend and uphold the principles of the Nation of Rhiassa. In our case, this meaning goes a bit deeper than just taking the battlefield in Rhiassa’s name. Rhiassa is a nation based on service to the Realms community. As such, the knights and squires of the order are expected to be leaders in that mission of service. They are expected to hold our yearly events, such as Queen of Hearts and Feast of the Leviathan, and they are expected to set an example when it comes to staffing or supporting other people’s events across the entire Realms.

What are your tenants?

Yours is the claw of the lion: Your might protects the people and the lands of Rhiassa, wield it with a noble hand.

Yours is the gaze of the lion: Your wisdom ensures that these remain just and righteous lands, weigh your decisions well.

Yours is the hide of the lion: Your resolution is an inspiration to those around you, hold fast to your beliefs.

Yours is the shoulder of the lion: Your tasks and burdens benefit the whole of the community, bear them with pride.

Yours is the roar of the lion: Your voice commands the respect of warrior and gentry alike, speak always with sincerity.

What is your symbol?

The knightly order’s symbol is the same as the Nation of Rhiassa’s symbol, a black lion erased on a red field. Upon being knighted, the knights receive a belt with Rhiassa’s symbol engraved into the tip.

Photo by Angela Gray

Photo by Angela Gray

Did you have a traditional Knightly power, if so what was it?

In the years of Knightly Powers, the Knights of Rhiassa did not have the requisite three knights to propose a power. When Duncan’s second squire,Da’oud had been knighted, it was a short while after most knightly powers

were no longer a part of the game, so no official one ever existed. Steve’s original idea for a power was born out of the scene of The Lord of the Rings where Boromir blew the Horn of Gondor as he died at Amon Hen, and also the fact that a Horn was ceremonially used as a part of Queen of Hearts. The Knights of Rhiassa, once per event, would be able to blow a horn upon death as a signal to others, for warning or for aid.

What do you look for when selecting squires?

A squire of Rhiassa is someone who has already set out on a path of service towards the community. We look for an individual who is going above and beyond in their duties towards helping to bring our own projects to fruition, and making a considerable contribution to the rest of the community as well.

What is your squiring process like?

The squiring process is typically three years long. Squires are given a range of tasks that will help them learn the abilities that are needed to be a multifaceted contributor to the community. Tasks that involve crafting skills such as armor making, sewing garb or masks, or crafting large monster outfits make a squire more versatile in their ability to make props for an event. Frequent NPCing gives squires the ability to see how the behind-the-scenes functions from a variety of perspectives. Squires are often given administrative tasks that contribute to the running of Rhiassan events, roles that increase in depth and complexity each year. We also ask our squires to conceive of and implement at least one large-scale project that benefits the entirely of the community.

Who is your current Knight Commander?

The Lord of Rhiassa serves as Knights Commander. Currently it is Lord Sir Aeston.

Who are your currently active Knights?

• Sir Aeston
• Sir Duncan
• Sir Da’oud
• Sir Symir
• Sir Kyntela
• Dame Areni

Our only truly inactive member, in that they haven’t played for several years, is Sir Cedric. Every other knight, even if somewhat distant, is still a part of what we try to accomplish together as a nation.

Do you have any interesting stories from your Knighthoods past?

I suppose if there is one thing that makes the knighting of our squires somewhat unique it is that, in the process of being knighted, the squire is struck with a sword, thus ending their life. Once dead, the sword is tapped to their shoulders, and the pronouncement of knighthood is set upon them. In this way, we symbolize that a person’s life as a squire must end, and that when they are raised, they are no longer that squire. Rather, they are reborn as a new person, an ideal version of themselves, a knight.

Anything else?

The political structure of Rhiassa is wholly based around the knighthood, with knights being the rulers of the country alongside the lord, who, themselves, must be a Knight of Rhiassa for that reason. Squires are a part of that political structure as well, being leaders-in-training, in a sense.

The path to becoming a knight, and the duties that a knight must live up to are of great importance to the people and to the nation of Rhiassa. We ask our squires to work hard for the benefit of their peers and the whole community. We ask our knights to be reflective about what their knighthood means and how they can live on, in pursuit of it, even after they receive their belts.

Photo by Janna Pushee

Photo by Robyn Nielson