II. Organisation and Ranks

 

As was said, the Knights’ succesful handling of the Leviticus problem and the release of the people and common folk from Whitechappel’s grip, gave the Order large recognition. The Order started growing in numbers rapidly, with both recruits and volunteers, as well as Mercenaries who where hired and served under the Knights’ banner. Soon, the Knights were entrusted with various tasks, from the guarding of social events like those of the Dancing Cavaliers shows to the policing of the old Leviticus territory of Elwynn Forest and the security of Alliance citizents in cross-faction events like that of the “Champion of Azeroth” in the Arena of Stranglethorn Vale. The Order was trusted and was recognised by Alliance and Horde alike for their individuality, their professionalism and their clear judgment in times of crisis. In the meantime, the Knights managed to begin a more systematic war against monsters, bandits and cults that plagued Azeroth, from the Defias Brotherhood and the fanatic Scarlet Crusade to the Cultists of Zul Ghurub and the Sunken Temple. Also, it was at this time of prosperity that the Order slowly begun to follow it’s own agenda, concerning the upholding of Lordaeron’s memory, with the first few raids in the Plaguelands and the destroyed city of Stratholme taking place.

 

The rapid growth of numbers forced the Order to create a more organized hierarchy of ranks. It is impressive how, despite the sudden increase of members, the Order managed to retain it’s unity and strength, a fact that can largely be attributed to Benedict Dalian’s inspiring and leaderly figure and Kate Mollrye’s impressive organizational skills. Dalian, being the man of action that he is, could be seen in every possible front, inspiring civilians and adventurers equally with his skill in combat as well as his rhetorical ability. Mollrye on the other hand, keeping a lower profile and using her practical mind, arranged all matters that concerned the organization of the Order and it’s ranks. Soon, the Order was given solid rank hierarchy, which is still used to today:

 

Mercenary: Swords-for-hire that served under the Knights’ banner. Some of the Mercenaries later managed to advance in hierarchy, even as far as the rank of Master.

Recruit: A rank reserved for those who have only served with the Knights for a short period of time. In a way, this was a testing rank, where recruits were given an opportunity to prove their worth and character before they were given the right to enter the standard military force of the Order.

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Man-at-Arms: Footmen. The lowest rank of the Order’s standard army.

 

Guardsman: With somewhat increased duties and rights, the Guardsmen served as leaders in small units of Men-at-Arms, sometimes forming small scouting units or serving as guards in various occasions.

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Squire: Members of the Cavalry units, Squires served as Corporals in the hierarchy of the Order. They reserved the right to keep a horse and were provided light armor, being the main body of the Order’s cavalry force. They were also appointed heads of standard patrolling forces.

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Knights: The warforged and proven members of the Cavalry unit and usually the head of the spear of the Order’s operations. Serving as Sergeants, the title of the Knight was both an honor and a burden since, while the title provided rights such as the right to retain an individual residence, they were usually assigned to the hardests of tasks and most dangerous operations.

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Grand Knight: The elite of the Order. Only few were ever given the title of Grand Knight as it meant that one had proved oneself not only repeatedly in the field of battle by performing war-saving deeds but also one’s dedication to the Order for a prolonged period of time. Grand Knights were put in charge of battalions and were assigned to special operations, not unusually deep in the enemy lines.

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Champion: A title that was given to any member who had proven his or her superiority in the Order’s jousting competitions. While the title bore great honor, it also ment that the Champion had to defend the Order’s honor at all times.

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Commander: A rank given to individuals trusted with command of specific missions throughout Azeroth and the Outlands against the evil forces of the worlds, due to their experience and organizational skills in this field.

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High Guardian: The Officer rank of the Order. As the title would imply, they bore the weight of always promoting the Order’s interests in every field, with the appropriate rights to do so. Unless the Master(s)’s will being different, they bore the right to initiate orders to all fields and on most matters.

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Master: The Order’s head(s). Benedict Dalian and Kate Mollrye being the first, the title was given to two other members for a time after Dalian’'s disappearance (see next Chapters), until ultimately the title was held by Kate Mollrye alone. Every important action of the Order and every important order came from the Master(s), apart from several specific duties that passed to the Hight Guardians, Grand Knights or Knights.

 

Both Mollrye’'s and Dalian’'s character was forged in battle and in the ranks of their Divisions during the War of the Invasion. They therefore turned to the High Guardians for council about political, financial and social matters. Allyana Dy’Reja, who’s passionate and playfull character brought her closer to the common folk, provided a suitable advisor in social matters. What she lacked in knowledge of military tactics and perhaps obedience, she gained in understanding of the everyday problems of both members and citizents. Appointed as a major patrol officer and contact with the common folk, she rushed to the needs of people with, sometimes too much, passion. While her tactics were questionable, her good intentions and results were not.

 

Lady Aeiira, who replaced High Guardian Omir, was a mercenary at first, who quickly proved her compitance both in the wielding of the Arcane Forces and in the tactical knowledge of battle. She rapidly moved high in the hierarchy until, ultimately, she was appointed Master of the Order together with Mollrye and Dalian. With extreme streetwise knowledge of Azeroth and it’s ways and excellent financial understanding, she helped in leadership through advice and decisions concerning the Order’s set of goals. The Order’s improvement of quality in terms of equipment as well as finance can be largely attributed to her. Her sudden disappearance due to personal problems that were never made public by the Order, led to her demotion, but the leadership never stopped trusting her with matters of organisation and importance.

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Alfos de Lerac. Perhaps because of his age and experience, perhaps because of his devotion to Light and the Code of the Paladins, High Guardian de Lerac came to be considered a sort of spiritual leader of the Order and a leader in the absence of Masters. With a paternal approach to the Knights in general, as well as individually, he offered advise and help openly, throughout the ranks, without that hindrancing his role as an officer in times of war. His diplomatic nature that sought to avoid confrontation unless absolutely necessary, he became the Order’s public face and official representative, bringing support from the Alliance forces, with his highest achievement being the appointement of Hillsbrad Village as the Order’s known Headquarters and base of operations, later on.

The indipendancy that the Order achieved from the Alliance Forces makes tracking of internal affairs difficult. The High Guardian rank saw many names, with Alfos de Lerac to be the only one that upholded the title since the founding of the Order. The formula was always the same though: a small group of individuals, gifted in battle, diplomacy or organizing affairs that provided a wide approach to the matters that concerned the Order, making leadership strong but flexible.

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One of the most importand features of the Order that led to it’s power was the open minded approach of the modern world. No race or specialty was ever denied from entering the Order and that was another reason that made it so popular to the common folk. The Knights of Lordaeron strongly supported the Alliance and all it’s members, with the added factor of Lordaeron’s memory and the principals set by Lord Anduin Lothar. This way, making enemies among the ranks of the Alliance was minimized and inevitably led to their joining the alliance of Orders, Mercenary and Adventuring Bands known as “The Theramore Compact”, a move that strengthened the Order’s standing and power. With Dalian’s initiatives and De Lerac’s diplomacy that avoided the numerous confrontations that occurred inside the Compact, the Knights managed to become a respected member, often thought of as the most impartial and trustworthy Order.

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All these factors played a huge role in the survival of the Order during the difficult times that followed the Leviticus era, as two major problems emerged: The Legion Followers that stirred in the shadows of the Alliance Territories and, later, the Highborne issue within Theramore Compact.