What Makes a Knight of Davion
CHIVALRY:
The qualifications or character of the ideal knight of the age of chivalry according to the romantic traditions, as HONOR, PROTECTIVE KINDNESS to the weak, GENEROSITY to foes, and GALLANTRY.
HONOR:
esteem, respect, dignity, value, principle, uprightness, character,
honesty
LOYALTY:
devotion, steadfastness, constancy, faithfulness, patriotism, and
allegiance
“A Knight is
sworn to Valor, His Heart knows only Virtue, His Blade defends the Helpless,
His Might upholds the Weak, His Words speaks only Truth, His Wrath undoes the
Wicked.”
-EXCERPT FROM THE MOVIE - DRAGONHEART
A Knight of Davion includes all the above as traits. More
importantly, though, is the fact that a Knighthood is a State of
Written by Sir Bruiser Kell, Knight Grand Marshal
STORY OF THE KNIGHTS
OF DAVION
Multiplayer Battle Tech 3025 for GameStorm
The Knights Of Davion were formed in Multiplayer Battletech along with the "Gunslingers" about 1992, by then House Leader, Ghostrider. Both organizations were formed for the purpose of fostering loyalty, camaraderie, and to reward service to the House. The existing Knights Of Davion were revised for the AOL game to more properly reflect the Knights as conceived by FASA. This document is to explain the origin of the Order of Davion. The Knights of the Federated Suns, and The Knights of the Realm, as adapted to SVGA MPBT 3025.
How the Order of Davion came into being, as described in the House Davion Resource Book
Many of the common people within the Inner sphere attached a very high regard to the Mechwarriors, seeing them as chivalrous and honorable. The mechwarriors in most cases from the start, being gentlemen and officers fit this idealized role. As in many things power corrupts, and crimes such as extortion of land, money, and personal favors, though scattered at first, soon became common.
Under Prince Joseph Davion II's rule (2892-2931) even those who sought justice through the system were ignored. This lack of accountability lead to the formation of "The Brotherhoods", mechwarrior nobles who banded together for their common good and protection. The first , and probably the worst, was the Royal Order of Mechwarriors and Brotherhood of Honor, ROMBH. This group was formed on New Syrtis.
The Brotherhoods existed in strength until Joseph abdicated to his son, Peter, in 2931. Prince Peter (2931-2961) felt that the Brotherhoods, along with other things had placed the Davion government in disarray. Peter stated in his first Public Address that he intended to restore the Government to its former heights. This was notice to the Brotherhoods that their days were numbered.
Since Peter could not just strip the brotherhood organizations of their holdings and power without causing a civil war, his plan was to raise another faction to serve his needs against the mechwarrior nobles. To this end he instituted The Knights of the Void, within the AeroSpace Fighter arm of the A.F.F.S. During his reign, Prince Peter lavished enormous sums, special military honors, and patents of nobility upon this portion of the armed services.
As the Knights of the Void gain notoriety, more and more mechwarriors who spoke against Prince Peter's reforms found themselves cashiered out of the A.F.F.S. and stripped of the holdings. In 2961, Col. Jeffery Dempsey killed Prince Peter, as the prince approached Dempsey's headquarters to strip him of his titles. Dempsey and his co-conspirators were captured or killed in the ensuring combat by Peter's son Andrew.
The murder of Prince Peter and the apparent mutiny of the cabal warriors allowed, now, Prince Andrew (2961-2999) to strip the remaining Cabal warriors of all power and holding. Andrew was also able to complete most of the reforms his father sought to get in place.
KNIGHTS OF THE
FEDERATED SUNS
The Knights of the Federated Suns was created just before the start of the Succession Wars to honor 100 of the realms best, brightest, and most heroic citizens. The Knights was an obvious Davion imitation of the prestigious Order of the Star, a group of illustrious soldiers and citizens brought together by the Cameron family during the best years of the Star League. The Order of the Star vanished with the League, but the Knights FS have only grown in importance and respect since then.
The Order never has more than 100 Knights FS. Because membership is for life, a Prince only rarely has occasion to choose a candidate for the order. The Royal Court must approve a candidate. If accepted, a candidate is endowed with land and a yearly grant of money. Membership is open to any citizen of the Federated Suns, no matter what his status or occupation. All that matters is that the candidate has shown unquestioned expertise in his profession and an unswerving devotion to the Federated Suns. This is why soldiers; though the most numerous with 71 members, are not alone in the Order. There are poets, artists, economists, politicians, and even a former prostitute currently among the members of the Order.
The official badge of the order is the Federated Sunburst, but with the silhouette of a man (or woman, depending on the recipient) holding up the sword.[Copyright FASA - House Davion Source Book, page 156]
ORDER OF DAVION
The Order of Davion is similar to the Knights of the Federated Suns, but is a more private group. Members of the Order of Davion are people who have shown great loyalty to the Davion family. There are currently just 23 members, all of whom are from some branch of service in the A.F.F.S.. The badge of the order shows the Davion family's crest: the Davion Fox crouched upon a blood-red shield.
The Order of Davion was created in 2965; ten years after the MechWarrior Cabal attempted to mutiny against Prince Peter Davion because he was showing preference to the AeroSpace Fighter Pilots. The Order replaced the older Crucis Legion and the Order of Valor awards, which many felt, tended to create the kind of inter-service rivalries that led to the MechWarrior mutiny. [Copyright FASA - House Davion Source Book, page 156]
KNIGHTS OF THE REALM
The Medal Excalibur is the highest honor the Federated Suns gives to individual soldiers. It is reserved for soldiers whose actions have saved his regiment, a Davion world, or whose actions directly and obviously resulted in some military or social advancement of the Federated Suns. In the centuries since the collapse of the Star League, the Medal Excalibur has been awarded on 30 times.
The medal itself is a simple gold disk with the legendary sword of King Arthur imbedded in its anvil, with the Federated Sunburst glowing behind it. This is one of the few medals that tradition demands be worn on the dress uniform instead of pinned to the Sunburst vest with other medals. The medal also bestows the title of "Knight of the Realm" and the grant of a parcel of land of the recipient's own choosing on his home world. Members of the Davion family are not eligible for this medal.
Active Knights*
Sir Bruiser Kell Knight Grand Marshal
Sir Qin House XO
Sir Gargoyle Draconis March CO
Sir Memnoch
Sir X-men Judge Advocate General(JAG)/RCO 4th Special Operations Group
*The House Davion Command in ISW will always acknowledge and honor anyone who has received the Honor of being a Knight of Davion. We currently only list those who are active within our community and will look to them for guidance and to induct new members into the Knight Hood. – Prince Blacksunshine