Sacred Orders

Overview

A Sacred Order is an existing Knightly Order that has entered formal patronage under a player created Faith and then completed a physical consecration ceremony.

The relationship gives religious and political legitimacy. It does not grant automatic damage, armour or other combat bonuses, and Faith leadership does not replace the Order's Grandmaster.

Affiliated and Sacred

There are two distinct states. An Affiliated Order has been accepted under a Faith's patronage but still awaits consecration. A Sacred Order has completed the altar ceremony and is fully recorded as consecrated.

Requesting patronage

The Grandmaster requests a Faith with /knight order faith request <Faith_Name>. Faith authority reviews requests through /faith orders requests and may approve or reject them.

Once approved, the Order is affiliated with that Faith. The Order still keeps its own hierarchy, members, Hall and heraldry.

Consecration

The Grandmaster travels to a valid altar belonging to the patron Faith and begins the ceremony with /knight order faith consecrate.

For a settled Faith this happens at an active Institution altar. For a Nomad Faith it happens at the active Sacred Camp altar. An active Cleric or Waykeeper of the patron Faith then completes the consecration with /faith orders consecrate <Order_Name>.

Both sides must remain at the same valid altar while the ceremony is completed. The finished consecration is recorded in Faith history and the Grandmaster's Knight Chronicle.

Membership and religion

Joining a Sacred Order does not automatically convert a Knight to its patron Faith. By default, Order membership remains open.

The Grandmaster may choose to require future recruits to follow the patron Faith with /knight order faith followers_only on. Turning this rule on does not convert or expel existing members.

Schisms and changing patronage

Sacred Orders do not automatically move when a Faith schisms. The Grandmaster decides whether the Order remains with its current patron or requests the directly related parent or daughter Faith.

If patronage moves to the related branch, the old Sacred consecration is cleared and the Order must be consecrated again at the new Faith's altar.

Ending patronage

The Grandmaster can leave patronage with /knight order faith leave confirm, or Faith authority can release the Order with /faith orders release <Order_Name> confirm.

Ending patronage removes the active religious link and Sacred status, but the Knightly Order, its heraldry and its historical records remain.

Useful commands