In what ways was your concept of knighthood formed both before and after you became a part of the Realms?
I have read a lot of fantasy fiction growing up and of course have continued to do so throughout my adult life. Many times these have included knights, or some reference to knightly codes or honor, or were generally just set in that time period. I have also read numerous informational and historical books on knights and the age of knights. All of this helped me form the basis for my concept of what a knight was and what a knight did. But it was harder to figure out how knighthood related to me as a female, as most of the discussion in these books centered on the male knight, keeping in line with common history.
So it stands to reason that the books that stood out to me the most, simply going by number of times read, would be "The Protector of the Small" quartet and "The Song of the Lioness" quartet by Tamora Pierce. For those of you who may not be familiar with Pierce's writing, almost all of her story series focus on strong female protagonists that go out and kill it in a medieval-based man's world. "Protector" and "Lioness" are both about female knights, though the circumstances are different - "Lioness" comes first and the main character, Alanna, completes her knightly training while hiding her identify and passing as a boy (thus earning the title of "Sir"), whereas "Protector," which comes later, details the main character Keladry's journey to being the first female to openly complete knightly training and earn the title of "Lady Knight," while dealing with the resultant bullying, prejudice, and discrimination that comes along with it. Truth be told, I like the "Protector" series a bit more than "Lioness," though both are very good.
I've always been very interested in knights, knighthood, and knightly code so it makes sense that I would gravitate towards these books. And so when I first joined the Realms and learned that there were in-game knighthoods that people could work towards joining, I was really excited. One of my earliest and dearest goals was to become a squire and work my way towards knighthood. When I joined Rhiassa, my biggest desire was to work to be able to eventually become a Knight of Rhiassa, as the knightly tenets and the requirements of squirehood really resonated with me. And so I think to some extent, I have tried to incorporate the characteristics and ethics of these two strong female knights into the character of Areni, while also trying to stay true to myself.
---Jen “Areni” DeNardis-Rosa
Knighthoods, before and after. What a complicated, and deeply personal question.
I grew up in a time where Ninja Turtles, and Power Rangers were at a peak. With cartoons like King Arthur and the Knights of Justice, Ronin Warriors, and Justice League.
There was an emphasis on small teams that had different virtues, that worked together to make one cohesive unit. They were boy bands, really.
Before I came to the Realms, the idea of a knight to me would have stemmed from those teams and thus would have been the embodiment of heroism. Fearless, honorable, willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.
It's a romantic idea.
It's an idealism that sort of seems unobtainable.
So this might seem like a tangent, but I swear it's related. I wear a lot of Superman stuff. I have tee shirts, sweatshirts, shorts. So on. He’s hardly my favorite comic book character. I think he’s overpowered, and through that a bit unrelatable, and sometimes boring.
But I still wear it. Why? Well he represents an ideal. You might have seen a meme that says something like “always be yourself. Unless you can be batman, then be batman.” Well I say “Always be yourself, but strive to be Superman Even if it's unrealistic.”
That idea is kind of what I would have said about attaining knighthood, before really joining the Realms. And it's still something I live by now.
But my outlook on knighthood has changed a bit. Knighthoods come in all shapes and sizes. They brandish all sorts of ideals, and like it or not, I can't say that I think they all represent the virtue that I believe in. Now I see some politics involved. Some notoriety. In some ways, in our game, being a knight is claiming a name for yourself. Getting people who represent an ideal that you think you can latch onto, to respect you for that ideal.
I kind of like that. It has a lot more depth.
Which is why, now, if you ask me what I think it means to be a Knight, I will tell you that I think it means being effective for the order you are representing. Whatever ideal they cherish.
----Keith “Saegan” Cronyn
That is an interesting question. I didn’t join Realms out of any particular fascination for medieval history or literature, so I hadn’t really considered much of what it meant to be a knight. Most of my perception of what it means to be a knight comes from the Realms itself. From the very beginning of my years as a newbie, I looked to the various knights of the Realms community as role models and even then I instinctively knew that I wanted to be like them one day. To me, being a knight is about serving those around you to the best of your ability, and I try to emulate that example whenever possible.
One thing that has profoundly shaped my vision of knighthood is a poem that Sir Aeston shared with me when I was his squire, “If” by Rudyard Kipling. Although they are not technically my knightly tenets as a Knight of Rhiassa, they are unofficially the code that I personally follow in my vision of what it means to be knightly. I feel like I grow along with that poem, and that no matter the circumstance I can find meaning and comfort in its stanzas. It reminds me to strive to be the best version of myself each and every day. In the end, that’s what knighthood is really about. It's about being willing to grow and never giving up on your quest to be the best version of yourself.
--- Lani "Gwen" Jones