Knights of the Realm

If and when a Knight Errant has accomplished his task, he becomes a Knight of the Realm. A Knight of the Realm is a Knight who has proved himself worthy of all the benefits of knighthood. It is honourable for him to accept the feudal dues and tithes of the peasants because he can defend them in return. He is therefore fit to be made lord over a village and its fields and its castle, which in Bretonnia is called a 'domain'.

When new lands are conquered it is better to carve out new domains for Knights Errant than to enlarge an existing domain because it is difficult to defend a domain that becomes too big. The simple fact is that a domain is most easily defended by a single Knight if he can see all of it from the highest tower of his castle and can ride all around its boundary in a single day. It is also good if the neighbouring lord's castle can be seen from the tower of your own castle so that you can signal for reinforcements and give warning of a large force of raiders entering the domain.

A Knight is expected to be able to defend his domain against a monster or a warband of a dozen or so raiders single handed! He may call upon his men-at-arms and bowmen to assist him in his role of commander of the manpower of the village. If the threat cannot be dealt with in open battle, the villagers take refuge within the Knight's castle, where he can defend them. If the domain is attacked by larger forces then the Knight may honourably call upon other Knights to help him. Unless the domain is very isolated, other Knights will already have rushed to fight by his side before he needs to do this!

A Knight of the Realm who manages to hold his domain for many years may end up with a retinue of Knights Errant including his own grown up sons. Since the time of Gilles it has become common practice for a Knight of the Realm to relinquish his castle and domain to a son when he has accomplished his errand of knighthood. The senior Knight then sets out on a grail quest and becomes a Questing Knight.

If there are several sons, the eldest and first to accomplish his errand of knighthood succeeds to the domain. The others on accomplishing their own errands can be given a portion of the domain if it is large enough. This will usually be a tract of wild land on the margins of the domain, perhaps still waiting to be conquered and settled. The errand of knighthood might actually be to conquer the land and hold it long enough to build a castle and settle it with peasants. In this way new domains are constantly being carved out of the wilderness while the Ores and other enemies are kept under pressure.

If there are no suitable lands to be assigned, it is the custom for younger sons to relinquish their claims to a castle on accomplishing the errands of knighthood and either join the retinue of a duke or the king, or set out upon the grail quest straight away.

Questing Knights

Questing Knights are Knights who have relinquished their castles and domains or their claim to these. The Questing Knight is now free from any obligation to defend a domain and may set off on a personal and spiritual quest leading to new adventures and new honours. The quest may take him far beyond his ancestral domain and perhaps even beyond Bretonnia itself.

Sometimes a Knight Errant on accomplishing his errand of knighthood may set out on the grail quest without having been given the lordship of a domain. Although he is entitled to be a Knight of the Realm, he relinquishes his feudal rights to pursue a career in the service of the Lady of the Lake and thus will soon be accorded greater honour as a Questing Knight. This is considered to be a particularly noble gesture. It is common for sons of lords who are not chosen for a lordship to do this and indeed, even for the king's sons, including the heir apparent to the realm. In this way it will often be a Grail Knight who sits upon the throne if Bretonnia!

Questing Knights set out on a quest to find the grail and drink from it. Only a Knight who has overcome many perils and hardships can expect to find the grail. His courage, valour and perseverance will be thoroughly tested. During his long quest he may see the Lady of the Lake in dreams and visions, holding the grail. This leads him ever onward and inspires and encourages him in his quest. Since the first appearance of the Lady of the Lake to Gilles, she has appeared countless times to many Questing Knights in every part of Bretonnia. She is a magical being and the spirit of the land who can appear anywhere at any time. To see her is to know that you have her favour and rewards. Indeed often a Questing Knight will be led by visions of the Lady to find an ancient magical weapon or similar relic. The ultimate favour is of course to sip from her enchanted chalice.

Any Knight who sets out on the grail quest has put all worldly ambitions aside. He is accorded far greater rank, honour and respect than either Knights Errant or Knights of the Realm even if the latter are powerful dukes. Questing Knights soon become superior to either of these lesser ranks of Knights because of the greater tests and hardships they encounter and the rewards of the Lady of the Lake which no Knight can hope to attain without setting out on the grail quest.