Chivalry and the Blood Knight Order

((Because the original thread is littered with so many comments and bumps that you have to search each of the 11 pages within the thread to find my work, I wanted to compile it all in one place for easy reading. It'll also let me edit it better for C&BKO v2 if I can see it all on the same page...

Though the following ribbon- bound ream of parchment shows up in the post of any ranking member in good standing of the Blood Knight Order, from Knight all the way up to Lady Liadrin herself, a few copies are sent to the close associates of the Order. A copy or three might even be leaked to former Blood Knights, while a couple might have been intercepted before delivery for nefarious purposes. Each page is written in fine calligraphy and bound together with this letter…))

Esteemed members of the Order,

Liars. Thieves. Torturers. Since our inception, we of the Blood Knight Order have been called these things and worse. Our members have alternately been exulted and condemned for their deeds, and why not? We have served the sin’dorei nation faithfully, even as we used the power of another entity to see us through that service. This appropriation of the sacred Light has been viewed questionably along with our other methods, especially in light of the war in Outland. Times have changed, however. M’uru is gone, and our prince is now revealed to the public at large as the power-hungry madman that he is. With this new state of affairs, it is perhaps more important than ever that we establish ourselves firmly in the role of honorable defenders of our people.

To this end, I offer to you this treatise on the chivalric virtues and the Blood Knight Order. The following pages delve into the four core virtues that make one a knight – Loyalty, Valor, Love and Piety – along with their applications both at home and in the course of duty. These papers, composed by my own hand as one who strives every day to embody the chivalric lifestyle, are crafted to serve two purposes. One, it will act as a guide for new knights in how to conduct themselves honorably, something that the Order has thus far lacked in any written form. Two, it will shed light on methods that the public has either overlooked or ignored while focusing on our faults. Too many are quick to latch onto the former word in the Blood Knight title while forgetting the meaning of the latter. I believe it’s time we changed that.

All of this is presented to you, brothers and sisters in arms, for your perusal and opinion. I have tried to cover as many aspects of the virtues as I can, or as many as apply to our Order, but I am not infallible. If there is an aspect that you find lacking or confusing, please weigh in with your own words and views. These papers are not meant as the end-all, be-all of chivalric conduct, but perhaps we can forge it into a foundation for all Blood Knights to operate from.

Selama ashal’anore.

Cynlan Dawnstrider
Blood Knight Master

“Silvermoon City is under attack!”

Cynlan looked away from the lady standing before him with a frown, his eyes drawn to the commotion around Shepherd’s Gate. Sure enough, the sounds of clashing steel and bellowed battlecries echoed down Elder’s Walk, heralding the start of yet another Alliance assault. Already he could see the city guards running to intercept the invaders while terrified citizens ran for cover. He also recognized one of his superiors rushing in to confront overwhelming odds.

This is not how events were supposed to unfold. He had much to do this day, not the least of which was spending some quality time with the lovely young magistrix who had so recently caught his eye and his heart. An invasion was an unwelcome intrusion on the previously peaceful atmosphere of the city as well as his own timetable, not to mention damned inconvenient. Does the Alliance have nothing better to do than to constantly test our defenses?

With the shock of the initial assault fleeing him, Cynlan made his apologies to Sindrael as he drew his sword. “Retreat to the safety of the inner city,” he instructed her, his feet already propelling him toward battle as Silvermoon’s defense began to form up. “I have work to do.”

LOYALTY

Arguably the most important – and undeniably the most problematic – of the four virtues, loyalty is an important aspect to any knight. In the broadest possible sense, this virtue means dutifully serving someone other than yourself. Dedication and obedience are paramount for a knight – without them, he’s just another sword for hire. There’s great honor to be found in faithful service, as selfless conduct is a cornerstone of the chivalrous lifestyle. But what does this mean to our order and its members, especially given certain developments among our people over the past few years?

LOYALTY AND THE BLOOD KNIGHT ORDER

There is a saying commonly heard among our people: “Glory to the sin’dorei.” These simple words encapsulate what it means to serve in the Blood Knight Order. While knights of the Alliance would tie themselves to a single noble, Blood Knights are dedicated to an entire race. This flies in the face of what most erroneously believe – since Kael’thas provided the means of our empowerment, they reason, obviously he has our loyalty. This is far from the truth.

To become a Blood Knight is to become the servant and protector of a people who will alternately love you and hate you. They will scoff at your authority one minute, then expect your aid the next. And when they do approach you out of respect, there’s a good chance it will be for some trivial matter that could easily be handled by one of the Silvermoon Guardians. How, then, is one to maintain loyalty in the face of such fickle wards?

Defending the sin’dorei nation is no doubt similar to defending an incompetent lord. Rather than obeying every fanciful order or contradictory whim, a Blood Knight must act in accordance to our people’s best interests. This frees one from having to spend an entire night searching for a noble’s lost luggage if greater goals are to be met, but it also means that your personal pursuits are secondary to those that will further the well-being of our nation. While the two can and sometimes do coincide with each other, a knight should be prepared to sacrifice spending the evening with his lady if a threat to Silvermoon City rears its ugly head.

LOYALTY IN THE RANKS

How, then, does an entire order retain focus if every knight is left to judge for themselves whether or not a course of action will serve the sin’dorei people? When in doubt, ask a superior officer. Every order has its ranks of leadership, and the Blood Knight Order is no exception.

Lady Liadrin, our founder and matriarch, is the ultimate authority in this regard, as evidenced by her pledge of the order’s time and resources toward the Shattered Sun Offensive. Though the order had already established our focus on the people of Quel’Thalas as opposed to its ruler in a formal gathering, her official renouncement of our power-mad prince in the middle of Shattrath City made it publicly known that the Blood Knights had not only denied loyalty to Kael’thas, but were actively working against him and his plots.

While the Matriarch is away in search of a new power to aid in our fight, Lord Solanar Bloodwrath instructs and directs our order’s actions in her stead. Below him, the Knight-Lords lead our rank and file faithfully. From there, the ranking goes from Master to Knight, down to Adept and ending with the many Initiates who have yet to prove themselves.

Champions fall under a unique designation and thus deserve a moment’s consideration as to where they lie in our order. They can be found anywhere in the ranks, from among the Adepts all the way up to the order’s Masters. This designation, however, is only given to the most exceptional Blood Knights, those who have demonstrated loyalty above and beyond the call of duty. They do not question the orders handed to them, and they give of their time generously without thought of reward. Indeed, you’ll find them dedicating the bulk of their time to training new knights or patrolling parts of the city with vigilance unmatched. As such, they are to be given the utmost respect in whatever rank they fall within.

Obedience in the ranks – whether it be Knights following a Master, or Adepts following a full Knight, or any permutation thereof – is thus an important aspect of the order. It is the duty of the higher ranks to filter the needs of our people to the lower ranks in such a way as to make their goals clear cut and attainable, but still challenging enough as to present the knight with a worthy pursuit. Trust your superiors to do their job well, but do not ignore your instincts. The loyal knight will know in his heart what is right by his people.

LOYALTY TO THE HORDE

Let there be no mistake: We are faithful members of the political faction known as the Horde. As such, there are some who take the broader view of loyalty and define “our people” as anyone in good standing with the Horde. This causes even more problems for a knight than dedication only to the sin’dorei nation, as the knight now has the best interest of several races on his mind, all with their own agenda and methods. This is not to say that such a wide view is impossible, or even that loyalty to the Horde is unimportant. Quite the contrary, we should give our new allies just as much consideration as we did our old allies in the Alliance, if not moreso.

Understand that such a broad view of loyalty may force you into circumstances where you will have to choose between the sin’dorei and the rest of the Horde. In this circumstance, the needs of the sin’dorei will always come before the needs of any other race. Do not mistake this wording, however. We should never abandon our allies as the Alliance abandoned us in the Third War. Offer aid wherever possible to the best of your ability, but be mindful of the task and whether or not it will require you to act against our people in any way, shape or form. There is no honor in betraying your kin.

That being said, aiding any of the Horde’s military forces strengthens our position in the Horde, and is deemed an honorable pursuit. So it goes that the greatest show of loyalty to the Horde is shedding blood with our fellows on the field of battle against shared enemies. Some may incorrectly think this a facet of valor, and while that virtue is certainly important on the battlefield, it concerns itself more with conduct in facing off against the enemy rather than joining the conflict itself. Put another way, a loyal knight is one who arrives at the field of battle. What he does once he’s there is the purview of valor, which will be discussed in greater detail later.

“You’re beaten, Cynlan,” the creature spoke quietly to the heavily injured and increasingly weary Blood Knight. “You’re weakened, and in no condition to offer resistance to my superior power. Surrender to me now. Choose the path of fel willingly, or I’ll end you and take your place in this world by force. I’m sure your beloved will learn to serve me after she sees your corpse fall at my feet.”

Cynlan felt the rage boil up in him like a feral beast clawing itself out of a deep hole, but fought to center himself. No, that’s just what it wants. Think, Dawnstrider, think. This doppelganger of mine is a fel creature. My power may be limited now that the naaru in our care is gone, but I may have just enough left to cripple this thing for my blade’s killing blow. He took a deep breath, even as he swayed on his feet from loss of blood, and sought that luminous core within him. “You want a choice?” With his mind fixed on that small internal beacon of Light, he willed its power to flow through him and to his hands, where he would shape that divine deluge to consume its antithesis before him. “You got it.”

It worked, with spectacular results. His inner Light did spill forth, fueling every devastating power in Cynlan’s arsenal to end demonic threats. In a rush of power that he hadn’t expected, the young Blood Knight brought the full weight of the Light to bear against the Fel Cynlan before him, crushing it with righteousness and purity until the creature’s death cry echoed through the ritual chamber and threatened to deafen its other occupants.

There was another unexpected result that the scion of House Dawnstrider felt within him. As the glow around him faded, Cynlan turned widened eyes to look at Enlind Passagemaker, the warlock who had helped him conquer the corruption within him by literally extracting it from his soul and making it manifest. He had felt an emptiness within him at having a piece of his very soul removed, no matter how demonic, but that feeling was now banished. In its place, the Light rushed in and filled that gulf with its divine presence, healing him from within, even as it grew and strengthened his connection to the luminous power he had grown accustomed to wielding.

Cynlan turned that astonished gaze to Sindrael next, wondering if either of them had any idea what this development could mean. Before he could put voice to it, however, his entire being collapsed under the weight of exhaustion…

PIETY

There is more to a knight than the power of his sword arm, the strength of his loyalty, or the depth of love for his lady. The trinity of body, mind and heart are united in purpose through devotion to a power greater than his own, one which gives strength to his very soul. This belief in a higher power is the core of piety, which guides its followers in ways no liege or love or prowess in battle possibly could. How does this shape our knights, however, especially in light of the faith-crushing events that have befallen us, one after another, over the past few years?

PIETY AND THE BLOOD KNIGHT ORDER

Few would deny that our faith has been broken repeatedly of late, starting with Prince Arthas and his army of Scourge. The Holy Light was disgraced in the wake of this madman, and the carnage he brought to our families shook us to our very foundations. Many of us looked upon the Silver Hand with distrust if not outright hatred for bringing this evil down on us, and just as many turned on its flawed faith. Prince Kael’thas capitalized on this and sought to renew us by migrating those who survived the attack to a promised land where we would be free of the crippling addiction that threatened to break us. With the loss of the Sunwell, many of us were prepared to accept his offer as our salvation, but we were betrayed once again by his mad, self-serving schemes, our faith as a people used and betrayed at every turn.

The sin’dorei need to believe in something again. They need their faith restored and safeguarded, and who better suited to do this than us?

The creation of the Blood Knight Order, therefore, was more than a simple military move to better arm our strongest warriors with the power to destroy our fiercest enemies. The Order holds a symbolic meaning for our people – never will the Burning Legion best us, never will we fall victim to the evils of the world. We will heal, we will rebuild, and we will emerge from our trials all the stronger for it. Each of us who attains the rank of full knight is a living, breathing symbol for the sin’dorei to look up to.

PIETY AND ITS MANY FACETS

To restore the faith of our people, however, we must first carry it ourselves. We must lead by example if we are to expect others to follow suit. This means reinvigorating our own faith, that our beliefs might show our fellows that we can and will put our trust in higher powers.

Azeroth carries no shortage of religions, from ancestor worship to deity worship. Your belief may be in the Ancients, the Earth Mother, the Titans or their dragon Aspects. It matters not where you place your faith, so long as you believe in something with all your heart and soul. You don’t necessarily need to shout your faith from the mountaintop, either. The power of your faith will be felt in your presence, it will inspire others to walk similar paths, and we will all be the stronger for it. (To be fair, however, worship of the Burning Legion or the Scourge will not serve you or others for very long.)

That said, I would not dare presume to tell my fellows where to place their faith, as to do so would favor one facet above all others. Nor would I take up an unfathomable amount of time delving into each faith here, as there are those more capable of doing so in Orgrimmar alone.

However, I do have a suggestion.

THE INNER LIGHT

Long have we, the sin’dorei nation, looked to external sources to fulfill our needs. For ages, we have depended on the Sunwell and the Alliance to see us through our days, a dependency which nearly led to the extinction of our race. Even the Blood Knight Order, dependent from its inception on the energies of our now missing naaru, has fallen into this trap. It has shaped our lives so much that we have learned to tap into the power of other entities, both pure and impure, to sustain ourselves.

We are capable of so much more.

Forget what you know about the flawed faith of the Holy Light. Forget even what we were first taught in tapping the naaru to serve our whims. Those days are long gone. Consider this instead: We are beings of untold power and arcane might. We have been surrounded by magic all our lives, made it dance to our whims and forged a mighty kingdom with it at our beck and call. Our strength of will and clarity of purpose is such that we have not degenerated into mana-craving addicts like the Wretched, nor given ourselves over to corruption like our one-time prince’s fel-tainted minions. Our knights have turned that same prowess to commanding the Light itself, forging it into a force to be reckoned with that is beyond even the Knights of the Silver Hand’s ken. Our power, our true power, is not found without. It is found within.

At the very core of our soul is a connection to that luminous Light which has made us the grand people that we are today. It has not fled us in the wake of the Scourge, nor has it been banished by the light of fel. This core, this Inner Light, sleeps within us, dormant from lack of use as we have neglected it for too long in favor of external sources. We have but to rouse it, to draw it out of dormancy, and allow it to grow and flourish.

To do so, however, we must nurture that faith in ourselves and our people. We have the ability to be greater than we have ever been but for our crippling belief that we need to seek that greatness from somewhere else. As odd as it may seem, as incomprehensible as it may occur, we do not need the Sunwell. We do not need the naaru. We do not need any of these external distractions, as they serve only to draw us away from our true potential, the one we carry within us every day. If we can train ourselves to focus inwardly, to center ourselves without giving in to outward distraction, we might feel that connection and be able to draw on it. This process will take time, of course, but with discipline and dedication, we can fully embrace our birthright and truly become mighty beings.

Believe in yourself, trust in your own power and strength, and let that Inner Light shine forth.

“Aha, a potential customer! Come in, come in!”

Cynlan smiled politely as he walked into the wooden shack of a store. He had searched far and wide for just the right merchant for a very special item, ending up in Booty Bay at last. Naturally, it would rest in the possession of a goblin. “Are you Kixi… Quixdee…”

“Qixdi Goodstitch,” the goblin corrected in a deep, nasally voice. “And you?”

“Cynlan Dawnstrider, dragonslayer of the Blood Knight Order,” he replied with a bow. Though he won that title through a pursuit of love that ultimately failed, he never did cast it aside. To the contrary, it’s served him well with a beloved who more fully appreciated his love-sworn deeds, so much so that he had slain more of the black dragonflight in her name.

The goblin grinned for a moment, his large green ears twitching as he replied, “Ah, yeah, I think I’ve heard of you. What can I do for an esteemed knight such as yourself?”

When he announced the object of his search, the goblin’s eyes lit up. “Ah, yes! I’ve got exactly what you need!” After picking through his display of goods, he held in his green-skinned fingers a ring of unsurpassed quality, glittering like a star in the dim light of the store. “There’s a reason they call it a Flawless Diamond Solitaire – you’ll find no other ring like it in all Azeroth!”

Cynlan doubted that claim since he could find the same kind of ring closer to home. The only reason he wasn’t purchasing this item from Gelanthis in Silvermoon City was to preserve the element of surprise, but the young knight could not deny on closer inspection that it was indeed flawless. He’d never seen a gem so beautifully cut… outside of sin’dorei lands, of course. He nodded to Qixdi with a satisfied smile. “I’ll take it.”

Once the ring was purchased, placed safely inside a ring box and secured inside his pouch, Cynlan departed with kind words to the merchant. He would have to get it engraved elsewhere, of course, by hands more attuned to crafting beauty as opposed to explosives, but such was a minor concern to the Blood Knight. For the perfect wedding proposal, Sindrael, I would go to the ends of Azeroth and beyond for you…

LOVE

Of all the chivalric virtues, it can be said with no small amount of certainty, love is considered to be the most problematic. It often requires more courage than needed on the battlefield, higher devotion than any deity would ask, and greater loyalty than any lord would demand. Despite all this, or likely because of it, love can be more rewarding than any other virtue. A love tended to with great care and attention can lift any knight to great heights. What influence, then, does this virtue have on an order surrounded by a kingdom of beauty and grace?

LOVE AND THE BLOOD KNIGHT ORDER

From its founding days, Quel’Thalas has been a land of great beauty, inhabited by a people who have raised grace and nobility to an art form. Even after the destruction wrought by Arthas and his Scourge, our kingdom remains the most majestic and the most visually dynamic to be found on this world or any other. It is little surprise, then, that chivalric love – also known as courtly love – is an integral part of the sin’dorei nobility and that it is fostered wherever it may be found.

At least, it used to be. The aforementioned invasion and the dark time that followed cast a long shadow over the passions of our people. Fear and anger took prominence instead – fear for our future, and anger at those who landed us in that predicament. We had no time for joy or love. We were far too busy trying to rebuild what had been destroyed, all while managing a near-crippling addiction as the ink on a peace treaty and alliance with our former Horde adversaries was drying. There was no time for romantic notions, not when our fate was on the line.

Times are changing, however. We are now part of the Horde. We have broken with our traitorous prince, and we are discovering new ways to manage our arcane addiction every day. It is time to dust off our noble pursuits and begin them anew. It’s time to engage in courtly love once more.

LOVE AND THE SINGLE SIN’DOREI

Unlike the human knights, who seem to regard chivalric love as an excuse to sleep with as many women as possible, our pursuit of love places emphasis firmly on fidelity and staying true to one special someone, known in the vernacular as the beloved. Humans seem to think that the chase is the end-all, be-all of courtly love, that the climax means one must start again with someone new, which simply isn’t true. The chase is certainly important, and typically involves a great deal of poetry, song, and daring deeds performed in the name of that one true love, but it does not end once the chase is over and your beloved has granted you all of her favor. Quite to the contrary, this is only the beginning.

Though earning the favor of a beloved is certainly an important part of courtly love, the ultimate objective is to enhance your beloved’s status with your own chivalry. Her (or his, as we have many ladies as well as gentlemen in our order) name should be spoken in the same breath as your greatest accomplishments so as to elevate her in everyone’s eyes, just as she is elevated in your own. Your honor is your beloved’s honor, and your renown reflects hers. Act poorly as a knight, and you do a disservice to both you and your beloved. This balancing act is no coincidence – courtly love was never intended to be easy or convenient. In actuality, it is designed to make the best knights even better, that they prove themselves worthy by being as chivalrous as possible. This design is made all the more prominent when two knights compete for the same beloved, demonstrated in the following section.

Once a knight has won his lady’s (or lord’s) favors, the knight is then expected to protect that favor as attentively as his honor. This keeps the knight from growing complacent and ensures that his beloved is not neglected for other pursuits. This often, but not always, includes marriage, a surefire way to display one’s devotion to a beloved. It is not strictly required, so long as the knight has pledged himself to a beloved in some way, but it is without a doubt the best means of doing so. The true mark of chivalrous love is not a tally of how many the knight has called “beloved,” but rather how many years a knight has kept faithfully at his beloved’s side.

LOVE AND WAR

Whenever passions rise, the potential for conflict increases. This is especially true when it comes to chivalric love.

It is not uncommon for a knight to find that he is not the only one pursuing his beloved. After all, the number of sin’dorei in the world is not what it previously was, and candidates for the honor of “beloved” are a rarified breed. There are two approaches to this situation, depending on the status of the distinguished competition.

The first approach is the etiquette of squaring off against another knight for the favor of a beloved. In this instance, the knights engage in a series of chivalrous pursuits to demonstrate how his prowess is greater than the other, with the beloved choosing the most chivalrous to gain her favor. Debates and duels are engaged in frequently, and gifts roll in one after the other as the knights present the beloved with trophies from their valorous conquests. The knights must be careful, of course, not to overwhelm the beloved with their zealous love, lest they both lose her favor. When a knight succeeds in gaining his beloved’s favor, however, the other knight is expected to concede defeat honorably and move on to the next pursuit. There is no honor in stealing a victory from a lost cause.

The second, and greatly simplified, approach is the etiquette of squaring off against one who does not follow the chivalric virtues. In all likelihood, this is a rival who is not honorable and will not respect the formalities of courtly love. This situation, then, is similar to that of valor in the face of a dishonorable opponent – anything goes, so long as the knight does not compromise his own honor.

Cynlan picked himself up off the ground with a groan, his wounds closing as he willed the Light to mend his body. This opponent was a tough one, to be sure, tough enough that the small defensive force around him was starting to diminish as they fell one by one under the assault of Silvermoon City’s latest intruder. He had almost perished, himself, if not for his command of the Light.

As the young Blood Knight struggled to his feet, strength slowly returning to him, he cast a look around. Whoever this mysterious assailant was, she had infiltrated deep into the city, her course taking them almost to the doorstep of the Blood Knight Order, but not quite. No, it looked as though the enemy was heading for the entrance that would take them under the city, to the chamber where the order’s naaru had once been held. Outdated though the attacker’s intel may have been, she was a little too well-informed for Cynlan’s liking.

“Alright, cheater, where are you?” Cynlan slipped a Catseye Elixir from his belt pouch and downed the amber-colored potion in one gulp, his eyes sweeping the courtyard. Though he knew the attacker wasn’t a rogue, she was nonetheless adept at moving stealthily. He might almost declare the invader a mage, except for her display of Light-borne powers. Whoever it was, she wouldn’t get the best of him again, not if he had anything to say about it. Young Dawnstrider bent his aura to afford him more protection and readied a small explosive device of his own creation.

An honorable opponent deserved an honorable battle. For this cowardly, honorless assailant, however, he would offer no mercy.

He found the attacker at last, fending off a few other defenders at the door to the chamber he had feared was her ultimate goal. He advanced on her as best he could before arming and tossing the explosive after the fleeing invader. Stunned and singed, she was helpless to defend against Cynlan as he willed the Light to assault her before pulling mana from the woman with a practiced gesture. She had recovered quickly, however, and jumped down to the corridor below, running swiftly the moment her feet touched ground. The determined Blood Knight gave chase, arming himself with his longsword as he vowed to keep this intruder from reaching her goal…

...Even if it meant the death of him.

VALOR

Perhaps the most iconic image that comes to mind when one thinks of a knight is a figure in plate armor, armed and mounted atop a noble steed, ready to charge into fierce battle against a worthy opponent. This readiness to fight at a moment’s notice speaks highly of a knight’s bravery and conviction, and is the foundation of valor. Every knight is driven to battle at some point, be it for love, loyalty or piety. How does a knight conduct himself once he arrives on the field of battle, though?

VALOR AND THE BLOOD KNIGHT ORDER

The first knights of our order were recruited strictly from those with martial experience and an understanding of when to use it, and members of the Royal Guard still compose much of our upper ranks. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that Blood Knights are trained in a very similar manner. Where adherence to their philosophy weeds out those who are not cut out for the Silver Hand, the ability to ready oneself to fight for our people – and fight well – is what makes the difference between a promising member of the Blood Knight Order and a washout. Indeed, the trials marking a recruit’s journey to the rank of adept focus primarily on how he or she handles having various combat situations thrust upon them.

These trials serve another purpose which is not immediately recognizable to those who have not served on the front lines of late. The assignment of other Blood Knights to attack our initiates with naked blades is not one of cruelty or disregard for our fellow elves. In actuality, we are preparing them for the war they will join against Kael’thas and his misguided followers, many of whom are former colleagues, friends, even family. To win this war, all of us must be prepared to face the inevitability that we will have to strike down a fellow blood elf. Hesitation in this area will be the death of our knights, and so they must be ready to strike down even those who look like a previous member of the Order.

All of this serves to forge a Blood Knight into a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, ready to fight against overwhelming odds and superior foes to the last breath. To do anything less is to betray the trust of our people and leave them defenseless to our countless enemies.

VALOR IN THE LINE OF DUTY

There are a great many similarities between valor as displayed by Alliance knights and valor displayed by our own. Both sides will not fight while mounted, nor will they attack with traps or stealth, as to do so would give an unfair advantage in the fight. Melee combat between opponents is the norm for both sides of the faction fence. The greatest difference, then, is the use of magic in the course of combat.

Unlike the Alliance knights, who seem to consider the use of arcane powers as dishonorable, we sin’dorei have no compunction against using our natural abilities in the course of duty. This isn’t because we can’t fight without using the arcane – far from it, of course. Just as a knight could choose to fight with one hand bound behind his back, we could just as easily not use magic in the course of battle, but why cripple ourselves in the face of a worthy opponent? Gaining an unfair advantage by disarming an opponent is one thing. Giving that same opponent an advantage by disarming yourself is quite another.

This notable exception aside, the requirements of valorous combat are universal. If a worthy opponent presents itself – one who meets or exceeds your own ability – the knight is expected to meet it head-on. In the case of a vastly superior opponent, the knight is still expected to face it, but is not required to face it alone. And in the case of a worthy opponent who proves to be dishonorable, no quarter is to be offered as none will be given in return. The only concern in the latter event is that the knight takes care to preserve his honor, lest he lower himself to the opponent’s level.

VALOR AND MIXED COMPANY

It may come to pass that, in the course of pursuing a truly valorous deed, you’ll find yourself in company outside of the Order’s ranks. The Farstrider who has agreed to aid you specializes in laying traps and attacking his enemies from afar. His associate, a warlock of no small talent, summons the same creatures you’re sworn to battle and sends them in to battle for her. Her companion, a cunning rogue with a tongue as sharp as his blades, prefers to sneak in behind their ranks to kill them quickly and quietly. How does a knight handle a situation when his company doesn’t respect the chivalric virtues he holds dear?

The greatest of knights will not force his virtues on those who want none of it, nor will he expect them to hold to those same virtues unnecessarily. This sets one up for continuous disappointment and limits your choice of allies when other knights are unavailable. The wise Blood Knight is the one who will let his companions do what they each do best, within reason. Opposition should be voiced, of course, when a plan deviates from the chivalric norm, but to hold others to the same high standard that knights operate from is akin to demanding intellectual discourse from a murloc.

The ideal situation is to have your companions incorporate your strict adherence to virtue into their plans. Let them do what they must, so long as they understand what you will and will not do to aid, and you may find them taking your valor into account when drawing up a plan of attack. For this to happen, communication is of paramount concern, and success here will show when they take care of lesser enemies to give you a clear path to a worthy adversary. Treasure these allies like none other, for they will be the ones who come calling when you sound the cry for aid.

It’s true what they say, the only constant in life is change…

Cynlan swept his gaze around the half-packed flat that had been his home in Silvermoon City since joining the ranks of the Blood Knight Order, a deep sigh slipping from him. So much had happened in that time. He had redeemed himself from his previous choice of loyalty, and made all new errors in judgment at the compulsion of a malevolent fel power within him. His faith had been restored with the removal of that same energy, and he’d proven himself on the field of battle against those who had once been considered allies. And in-between it all, he had found a love so true and pure that he had started to make plans on entering a new stage of life with her… hence the boxes that would be teleported to what will become their new home among the Scryers in Shattrath City.

And through it all, he considered, rising to pace over to the window looking out over the Farstriders Square where the Blood Knights had secured their headquarters, I’ve made a name for myself. Cynlan Dawnstrider, Dragonslayer of the Blood Knight Order. It was a fine deed in the pursuit of love that had earned him that title, but he didn’t want to be known only as a killer of black dragons. Valor and love were fine virtues to display, to be sure, but loyalty was undoubtedly the one that the Order placed more stock in these days.

Movement on the street below caught his attention, and Cynlan watched as a figure in chainmail armor dashed noisily into the Blood Knight headquarters. He chuckled to himself as the figure disappeared inside the grand structure, recognizing the run of one who had just completed one of her trials for what it was. He had overseen his fair share of trials, even offered assistance to particularly promising initiates when it came to gathering the materials for the weapon that would serve as their badge of distinction, marking them as an adept of the Order. If there’s one thing we need, it’s more honorable recruits joining our ranks.

The young Dawnstrider paused to consider those words which touched upon a recent memory. It wasn’t too long ago that he had mentioned compiling a work on chivalry in a conversation with his friend Shias, to help others understand what role it plays in the ranks of the Blood Knight Order. It was something he had put together in his spare time since then, never really intending to have it see the light of day, and hardly a comprehensive work on the subject. But who was he to judge such things? Why not let others make that call?

Cynlan pulled the bound sheaf of papers from an open box and laid it on the table, then took a fresh page of parchment and drafted instructions to have it copied by arcane means and distributed to every ranking member of the Blood Knight Order, from the knights on up to the Matriarch herself, with a dozen extra copies sent directly to him. He would make a new name for himself, adding to his renown as a knight and paving his way into the ranks of the masters by enhancing his entire Order’s reputation.

The instructions completed, Cynlan Dawnstrider pulled another sheet toward him and set quill to page again, a wide smile forming across his face. Such a work being delivered to fine knights deserved an equally fine preface, and so he started to draft the letter of introduction to his work.

“Esteemed members of the Order…”

HONOR & RENOWN

The four chivalric virtues are the code that all knights live by. Great honor is the reward to those who most closely follow their tenants, earning them a favorable reputation among their peers. Likewise, a knight who performs great chivalric deeds will find she is renown far and wide, her name recalled in the same breath as her mighty accomplishments. How does a Blood Knight earn that honor, though, or cultivate that renown?

HONOR AND THE BLOOD KNIGHT ORDER

Honor is a very personal thing. It lies not in the behavior of others, but in the knight’s own word and deed. Thus, it is the duty of every Blood Knight to conduct him- or herself in an honorable fashion. A failure to maintain one’s honor is the mark of a poor knight and indicates that he doesn’t take himself or his role in the Order seriously. This creates an opening for our detractors to weaken our standing as a whole, as too many are eager to judge the worth of the whole based on the actions of the one. A Blood Knight’s honor, therefore, is not to be taken lightly.

Those who follow the virtues are already comporting themselves honorably, but there are certain chivalric guidelines covering not the letter of the virtue but its spirit. This list is moderately sizable and at times contradictory, and is as follows:

Always tell the truth.
Never break a promise.
Always make your identity clear
Never refuse an honorable challenge.
Always keep your armor and weapons clean.
Never use your armor or weapons in a manner to which they were not intended.
Never speak your beloved’s name to dishonorable people.
Never use or lose anything your beloved has gifted you.
Always maintain that every woman is a paragon of virtue.
Never act in a discourteous manner to a woman.
Always defend a woman, in argument and against physical attack.
Never attack a woman.
Never draw your weapon, except for battle and training.
Always mention deference to your deity’s will in conversation.
Never take your deity’s name in vain.
Always keep your deity’s holy symbol with you.
Never allow any other person to touch your primary weapon.
Never criticize a person behind their back.
Never criticize a person to their face.
Perform a pious act at least once a week.


Somewhere in the course of duty, a knight will act contrary to an item on the above list and thus compromise his honor. All is not lost, however. The knight can redeem himself by making amends according to the same virtue that was violated, so long as it doesn’t lead to greater dishonor. For example, a knight who slays a woman for trying to summon a demon army into this world may counter the loss of honor for attacking a woman by treating his beloved to a night on the town. He wouldn’t try to atone for his actions by taking just any woman out to dinner, as that would violate chivalric love.

RENOWN AND THE BLOOD KNIGHT ORDER

If honor is how a knight maintains his personal image, renown is how the world perceives that image. Our Order has a reputation, perhaps undeserving, as an organization that utilizes dubious means to achieve noble ends. So many people mistake our actions and intentions as ignoble because they have, for the most part, been kept hidden or unmentioned to the world. The only way to change that is for our members to pursue great renown.

The first step to gaining renown is to accomplish impressive deeds in the name of one or more of the virtues. Victory in battle is only one such path. A truly impressive deed accomplished in the name of one’s deity or beloved is sure to grant renown, especially if the god or beloved’s name is recounted along with the act. The same can be said of service to the Order itself. Those who go above and beyond the call of duty – and are recognized for it – will find their loyalty rewarded as their exemplary service is recognized.

Of course, word of these deeds need to spread somehow, and not every knight is comfortable with singing their own praises. If the deed reflects well on another person – a superior officer, a priest of your deity, or a beloved, for example – the other party may have a vested interest in spreading the tale themselves, leaving the knight free from having to promote his own chivalry. Another route is through the storytellers and songwriters of the Horde. Bards are always looking for new stories to tell and may be convinced to spread your tale for a fee. Tread carefully down this road, however. A knight who insults a bard through word or coin may find a less than complimentary tale being spread about him, while a bard who is paid too generously may elaborate on the tale, burying the truth underneath so much flattery as to call into question its validity.

SOCIAL OBLIGATIONS OF THE BLOOD KNIGHT ORDER

Finally, there are certain duties expected of the Blood Knight Order that enhance its reputation as a whole, and are viewed as worthy pursuits. The first is generosity –to those he serves, to his deity, and to his beloved. This generosity can be in coin, gifts, even valuable time. The exact avenue of generosity is fluid and changes in accordance to the specific knight and the recipient of his generosity, but is always measured by the knight’s means. A knight is not expected to give so much of himself that he cannot afford to carry out his duty, or run himself ragged from giving so much of his time that he cannot take care of himself. As always, the key is to balance maintaining your honor with avoiding the pitfalls in the course of duty that may violate it.

Hospitality is another obligation the knight is expected to uphold. If a guest drops by to visit at dinnertime unexpectedly, a plate is to be prepared, space at the table cleared, and drink ready to welcome the visitor properly. If the visitor is weary from travel, a bed and bath is to be prepared at once. As with generosity, this is a fine balancing act. While the letter of hospitality implies an indefinite duration of such, the practical application sometimes means that hints of overstaying one’s welcome can be dropped when the guest starts to breach the knight’s means of sufficient hospitality.

While defense has already been covered somewhat by Loyalty and Valor, we are left at last with a specific obligation of the same – law enforcement. While some have mistakenly taken this to mean that we should hunt down criminals, this is not exactly the letter of the obligation. Tracking down lawbreakers and apprehending the same are better suited to the Farstriders who are taught how to track and trap their quarry safely and efficiently. This does not mean we turn our back on crimes committed right in front of us, of course, but it does place our role largely in the judicial end of things. Our command over the Light and its powers of wisdom, leadership and judgment are better suited to a role as arbiters, not enforcers, and thus our services are rendered to the court system whenever the need arises. However, should it become necessary for us to take up arms against especially dangerous criminals, we can be called in to the fight when all other avenues of capture have been explored.

IN CLOSING

This work is a labor of love, of loyalty, of piety and valor. It is composed by my hand in the hopes that it will inspire and enlighten, that our Order’s Light will shine all the brighter for it. Let us be the beacons of hope and justice that our people so richly deserve as we guide our great nation into the promise of tomorrow.

Glory to the sin’dorei.

Sindrael needs to post her "Elves in Paradise" bit here too imo

For anyone interested in digging up the original thread to check out Sentinels server's responses to Chivalry, both IC and OOC, it can be found here. There's some good IC replies peppered throughout the 13-some pages of the thread, to which I'm very grateful.

Also, for those who were eagerly awaiting Revised Chivalry, I recently stumbled across my notes for that ambitious project. I may post them up here later, as well as the alternate Piety chapter I wrote...

Back when I first started working on Revised Chivalry, I considered simply adding to the original text and maybe changing a few of the sections around, keeping the bulk of my original work intact. I later decided that Revised Chivalry should be a completely new rewrite, the virtues adjusted to reflect the status quo as it would be with the events of Wrath of the Lich King taken into account. Prior to that, however, I had reworked a bit of Piety to reverse Cynlan's "Forget the Sunwell" stance in the wake of its recovery at the end of The Burning Crusade.

This, then, is the section that was to replace The Inner Light within the Piety chapter...

*****

THE ARCANE LIGHT

Long have we, the sin’dorei nation, looked to external sources for our every need. For ages, we have depended on the goodwill of the Alliance to see us through our trials, a dependency which nearly led to the extinction of our race. Even the Blood Knight Order, dependent from its inception on the energies of our now missing naaru, has fallen into this trap. It has shaped our lives so much that we have learned to take the inherent power of other entities, both pure and impure, to sustain ourselves.
We are capable of so much more.

Forget what you know about the flawed faith of the Holy Light. Forget even what we were first taught in tapping the naaru to serve our whims. Those days are gone. Consider this instead: We are beings of untold power and arcane might. We have been surrounded by magic all our lives, made it dance to our whims and forged a mighty kingdom with it. Our strength of will and clarity of purpose is such that we have not degenerated into mana-craving addicts like the Wretched, nor given ourselves over to corruption like our one-time prince’s fel-tainted minions. Our knights have turned that same prowess to commanding the Light itself, forging it into a force to be reckoned with that is beyond even the Knights of the Silver Hand’s ken. This is no coincidence. This is where our true power lies.

With the Sunwell saved through the efforts of Lady Liadrin and the Shattered Sun Offensive, we now have a conduit to a power greater than any we’ve felt before. Combining the fount of magic that was previously lost to us with the divine spark of the fallen naaru, this renewed Sunwell is a growing source of both the arcane and the Light. Indeed, it is a fusion of the two energies, the likes of which has never been seen in this world. While it is not yet strong enough to eliminate the entirety of our magical cravings, its power is sufficient to sustain the Light-borne powers we’ve grown accustomed to using.

Our matriarch herself was the first to note the greater connection we share with this Sunwell. This is no coincidence, either. For millennia, we have lived in the power of our old Sunwell, our bodies infused with its energy. For nearly as long, we have been followers of the Light, adherents to its philosophy and believers in its faith. Arthas’ betrayal ruined that faith, but it never extinguished that Light deep within us. In tapping M’uru and its power as we had, however, we forged a connection with that entity’s spark and in the process fed the Light within us all. Just as tapping into fel power had changed us over the years, so too did the naaru’s Light affect us, strengthening our own divine spark. This core sleeps within all of us, dormant from lack of use as we have neglected it in favor of external sources for too long. We have but to rouse it once more, to draw it out of dormancy, and allow it to grow and flourish.

And so we shall. Through this mystical connection to the divine, we can call upon the power of the Sunwell to fuel our greatest powers, benefitting from both the purity of the Light and the force of the arcane. To do so, however, we must nurture faith in ourselves and our people. We have the ability to be greater than we have ever been but for our crippling belief that we need to seek that greatness from somewhere else. As odd as it may seem, as incomprehensible as it may occur, we do not need to drain a naaru or any other creature to see our return to power. We do not need any external distractions, as they serve only to draw us away from our true potential, the one we carry within us every day. If we can train ourselves to focus inwardly, to center ourselves without giving in to outward distraction, we can strengthen that connection to divine magic and draw on it. This process will take time, of course, but with discipline and dedication, we can fully embrace our birthright and truly become mighty beings.

Believe in yourself, trust in your own power and strength, and let that arcane Light shine forth.

As awesome as my original Chivalry and the Blood Knight Order is, I knew that it was very limited in scope. Story-wise, it was limited by Cynlan's experiences and beliefs, and design-wise it was limited by my own relatively new experiences in Horde-side roleplay. By exploring chivalry's themes through Cynlan's RP, though, I found that others followed similar paths, and they in turn revealed new facets of chivalry that I hadn't considered. Major props go out to all those who supported C&tBKO and included its virtues in their own roleplay, as well as those who challenge the virtues as written and their relevance to the Blood Knights.

These, then, are some of the notes that I'd compiled in preparation to write Revised Chivalry. You'll see old ideas mixed in with new ones, expanding and elaborating on the original work. You'll also get to see just how ambitious this project would have been. Be advised, these aren’t complete notes. There was much more I wanted to do with some sections, especially relating to honor and renown, but I just hadn’t gotten there yet.

And now, without further ado, my development notes for Revised Chivalry! Enjoy!

*****

Revised Chivalry and the Blood Knight Order Design Notes

To be compiled in PDF format with OOC "sidebars" to expand on the IC ideas presented, and art to break up chapters and illustrate some of the ideas within.

Each chapter starts with "mini-fiction" intro to show the chapter's topic in play, then moves into a discussion of the topic divided into subsections.

Chapters as follows:

INTRODUCTION

• Discussion, both IC and OOC, of what C&tBKO is about and a brief run-down of the following chapters.
  
• Possible sidebar on theme and why chivalry matters to the BKO.

THE BIRTH OF CHIVALRY AND THE BLOOD KNIGHT ORDER

• History section, detailing the origins of the virtues as well as the creation of the BKO.
  
• Research high elf and highborne history to find any lore basis for the virtues (noble lines, royalty).
  
• Expand on the origins of the BKO (priests, Royal Guard) and the split between the followers of Kael'thas and Liadrin's Order.
  
• Possible sidebar on a proto-BKO based around high elf paladins.

LOYALTY

• Servants of the sin'dorei nation (knights of the people, not of a lord or god)
  
• Discussion of the Order's ranks (Initiate, Adept, Knight, Master, Champion, Knight-Lord, Matriarch)
  
• Duty to the Order (a knight's responsibilities to the sin'dorei)
  
• Duty to the Horde (battlefields, views of the Alliance)
  
• The solitary knight (or Loyalty and the lone wolf)
  
• Disobedience (how the Order deals with those who reject Loyalty completely)
  
• Possible sidebar on how to roleplay loyalty in the Blood Knight community while still being able to do your own thing.

PIETY

• Masters of divine magic (wielding the Light as mages wield the arcane)
  
• Paladins, not Priests (divine warriors, not preachers)
  
• The new Sunwell (source of power, or conduit to the divine?)
  
• The religious knight (rundown of religions and how well they’d mesh with the BKO)
  
• Atheism (those who reject Piety completely and the dangers therein)
  
• The Eternal Sun (blood elves and sun worship)
  
• Possible sidebar on how to incorporate Piety into a character’s beliefs without turning them into a religious nut.

LOVE

• An Order of passion (more than vessels of wrath)
  
• Love and hate (taking the broader approach)
  
• Pursuit of love (courtship, “going all the way,” marriage)
  
• The romantic knight (why Love matters to a knight)
  
• Love and the female knight (how women in the Order approach the virtue)
  
• Apathy (knights who reject Love as a virtue and how it affects their job)
  
• Possible sidebars on how to play up Love for those uncomfortable with public displays of affection, and how to be mature about the virtue.

VALOR

• Sword and shield of the sin’dorei nation (the role of BKs as defenders and Scourge-slayers)
  
• The art of war (honorable combat and dishonorable allies, duels, weapons and armor)
  
• Many battlefields (Quel’Danas, Horde war fronts, Outland, Northrend)
  
• …Better part of Valor (when to fight and when to retreat)
  
• Cowardice (knights who reject Valor and refuse to enter combat)
  
• Tournaments and arenas (Valor off the battlefield)
  
• Possible sidebar on Valor while in PvP, instances, raids, and everyday quests.

FOR HONOR AND RENOWN

• Expanded honor list, broken down by Virtue (add new ones with a WoW flair)
  
• Discussion on primary virtues and paragons (character focus on one or two virtues instead of all 4)
  
• Ways to build renown and develop a reputation (daring deeds and those who tell them)
  
• Views on hospitality, generosity, law enforcement, and death knights who were Blood Knights.
  
• Possible sidebar on how to roleplay a knight and why Blood Knights are more than just belf warriors.

Wow. Your writing just gets better and better, Cynlan: it's all that practice and ingenuity at work! I've got a few points to chime in with here for research. There's not many, 'cus you've done beautifully, as always.

THE BIRTH OF CHIVALRY AND THE BLOOD KNIGHT ORDER:
1. History: I'm sure you've already hit up Wowwikki for background information, but there -may- be something there for high elf paladins. I know that prior to the Third War, there weren't many of them, and the ones that existed were members of the Silver Hand. If you're able to contact Asinity, he might prove very useful to you. I know his own character used to be a member, and he's very knowledgeable about High Elf Lore.

2. Split between Kael'thas' followers and Liandrin's Order: Do you remember the IC perceptions many players had that the Order supported Kael'thas? This is an excellent time to change that perception. The Order, first and foremost, has -always- served the Blood Elves first, and with Kael'thas' betrayal we were the first to pick up arms and lead the charge against him. Liandrin, in her own quest text, along with other NPCs in the game, were enraged and thought nothing of braving the perils of the tainted Sunwell to end the planned summoning of Kil'jaedin. This was the Order at its finest, and it's time other players realized we were never traitors. If we were mistaken, so was every other blood elf.


LOYALTY:
3. We've had so much great RP regarding this, it's sickening. If you want some documented examples for research, look up Melenor's trial on the forums. The results were in Zinnvais' complaint thread, which was taken over for better purposes It's still archived there, but act fast! It hasn't been bumped for a long while, and might be in danger of falling off. If it has, hit up Mariveaux, and ask her if it's archived on the WoW story site she ran. Asinity also posted up some excellent pieces on the forums, as did Telarin and Velliria. All are well worth looking at for research. I know that they all backed their stories up on Mariveaux's site, so again, check there if they've fallen off the forums.

PIETY
4. The Eternal Sun: it's about time someone tackled this! As far as I know, not one person has touched on the High Elven and Blood Elven veneration of the Sun, and it's long past due. For Maelthas, this is something he takes seriously. It would be a great RP tool for others who don't follow the Light, but want some sort of faith.

5. The new Sunwell: no one's touched this one, either, save for rare moments in RP. I'm of the view that it's both a source of power and a conduit to the Light. You notice how we don't have the mana-sucking ability anymore? It's been rolled into one talent, with the negative conutations removed. I attribute that to the Sunwell's return. As you've noted, it's now truly unique, a place where the Arcane has been meshed with the Light. I won't be surprised to see those damn fel crystals vanishing forever when the new Expansion goes live. They aren't needed anymore, and I don't see us keeping reminders of Kael'thas' corruption around.

One last comment, this one on Ranks. There's one you overlooked: Lord. That's the second in command of the Order, instituted in the patch where Kael'thas and his fel elves attacked our HQ and stole Muru away. The NPC with the title is Lord Solanar Bloodwrath, the guy located in the empty chamber below our HQ.

I'm so excited by what I've seen so far.. you have no idea how much I'm looking forward to more of this from you, and I know so are many, many players. Not a day goes by where someone doesn't ask about you, IC or OOC.

Dammit, yes, I missed the Lord rank. I knew something had slipped my mind there, and of course it'd be the one NPC rank that I had hardly any interaction with at all, both in-game and in stories. *sigh* It has since been added to my notes.

Thank you very much for your input! I knew someone would pipe up with something eventually, it was just a matter of time.

The history section would be largely elaboration on the morsels I can glean from WoWwiki with my own homegrown ideas thrown in for creative license. I'd love to have Asinity's input in that regard, but I don't know if I have any way to reach him. If you run into him in-game, hit him up for me? If you can't get his email address, maybe you can direct him to the thread here? And you're absolutely right about public perception in regards to our allegiance (or lack thereof) to Kael. I don't think I handled that very well in the original C&tBKO, so I vowed to make that point clearer in Revised Chivalry.

I remember well Melenor's trial, and it was one of the RP events I kept coming back to when I was searching for IC bits about Loyalty and the BKO. I'll have to go back to WoWfiction.com and see what I can find on that.

Also, I'm glad you liked the mention of the Sunwell and The Eternal Sun! I was never really satisfied by my previous "Inner Light" section of C&tBKO, and the "Arcane Light" was certainly a step in the right direction, but still wasn't quite doing it for me. I knew that if I was going to do a new Piety section in Revised Chivalry, I'd ditch the pseudo-faiths and tackle the one that NPCs always mention but never got much play. (And, of course, the one that features prominently in my forum avatar here.) And due to the time frame that it was written in, the Sunwell hadn't been reclaimed and thus wasn't available for me to use extensively in my work. That's all changed now, so Revised Chivalry would definitely give the Sunwell its due.

And of course, certain story elements introduced throughout WotLK will get mentioned here and there where appropriate. The original work made significant mention of Arthas, and this version would be no different... except now they're in a position to actually do something about him!

Finally, I'd like to state for the record that any and all suggestions are welcome here. If there's something you think got missed, pipe up! If there's something you could elaborate on, fire away! Revised Chivalry isn't just for me, it's for all of us who play Blood Knights, so don't hesitate to step up and make your mark. I'd be doing us all a grave disservice if I didn't pull inspiration from everyone who plays a belf pally.