Who Are the Knights of the Eternal Flame?
By Mike "Sir Panther" Palumbo
The KoEF recently adopted a mission
statement:
An
organization comprised of Knights that believe in the continued betterment of
the Realms community, and recognizing individuals that embody this.
But who are these knights and what
does this mean? The Knights of the Eternal Flame is an OOC/IC order started
when the creator of the realms identified some outstanding role models who
helped him create the game world we play in. It has withstood the rise and fall
of empires, the ebb and flow of the ever-changing rule systems, and the secession
and subsequent reunification with the Knight of the Realms.
If the EHC is about the rules of the
realms, the KoEF is about its soul. The KoEF was founded to be a collection of
role models. Every other realms organization falls in line with its
commonalities. Event Holders are game masters. Nations are about a shtick,
style, or philosophy. Guilds are about a school of practice. Only the KoEF
collect the best of them all and puts them in the same room despite their differences.
Hell, it celebrates their differences. Nowhere else in the realms is there a
more diverse and varied group of leaders, with a simple common goal: Be the
best role-model.
Keeping true to our one tenet, to thine
own self be true, we've amassed people who bring their A-game to the realms in
ways that are hard to quantify. We have people who are outstanding at certain
character types, bringing richness and style to our game world. We have knights
who have been groundbreakers in female combat and weapon making, serving as role-models
for all women in our game. There are great questers and great fighters; people
who throw events, and people who take whatever time they have and devote it to
marshalling and NPCing. We have people who revolutionized our quality of
fighting and elevated the tournament structure such that old retired fighters
want to come and compete again. And we have people here who have brought
mentoring and recruiting to a level we haven't seen since the days of Queen
Meg. And when we recognize these people, and award them this belt, newer
players see that and they know: this is the path. It's not a clear one, it
never has been, but it's clear to us when we see it in
them. It's about bringing your best to the table.
That's what KoEF is.
So whether a knight recently earned their
belt and looks forward to a future of great contributions, or they earned it
years ago with great contributions that brought us to this moment, their impact
has forever changed the realms for the better. The flame is carried and passed
on, and burns eternally bright.
