As an organized system of rank is necessary for any organization to flourish, the following titles may be granted. The major offices are President (Monarch), Vice President (Regent), and Chancellor. The first term in any of these offices will provide an automatic “bump” up to the next rank of nobility.

Lord/Lady: Granted for service to the Realm. Shall be granted upon vote by the Monarch and Regent.

Baron/Baroness: Granted for service to the Realm. Shall be granted by vote of Monarch and Regent after holding the title of Lord/Lady for a minimum of six months.

Viscount/Viscountess: Granted for service to the Realm. Shall be granted by vote of the Monarch and Regent after holding the title of Baron/Baroness for a minimum of six months.

Count/Countess: Granted for service to the Realm. Shall be granted after by vote of Monarch and Regent after holding the title of Viscount/Viscountess for a minimum of six months.

Marquis/Marquise: Granted for service to the Realm. Shall be granted by vote of the Monarch and Regent after holding the title of Count/Countess for a minimum of one year.

Duke/Duchess: Granted for service to the Realm. Shall be granted by vote of Monarch and Regent after holding the title of Marquis/Marquise for a minimum of one year.

Archduke/ Archduchess: Granted for service to the Realm. Shall be by vote of Monarch and Regent, after holding the title of Duke/Duchess for a minimum of one year.

Grand Duke/ Grand Duchess: Granted for service to the Realm. Shall be granted by vote of Monarch and Regent, after holding the title of Archduke/Archduchess for a minimum of one year.

Defender of the Realm: Granted for showing extreme service and loyalty over a long period of time, the title of Defender of the Realm shall be given by the Monarch only to someone who has been awarded a “Firebrand,” which is a Masterhood level award.

Orders of Knighthood
The honor of Knighthood is not for everyone. To be a Knight, you must be pure of heart, and honorable to all. The Knight has a responsibility of service to the known realms no matter what his/her order is.
There are three orders of Knighthood: Dragon (Combat), Falcon (Service), Hart (Arts and Sciences).

The procedure to be Knighted goes as follows:
A person must first squire to an existing Knight. That Knight may be from another Kingdom, but that is not recommended. It is the Belted Circle of this Kingdom who must approve of the Squire’s ascension to knighthood. Note that in extreme circumstances, the Monarch can chose to directly knight someone with the approval of both the Regent and the Belted Circle.
The Squire must serve as such for a minimum of six months. When his Knight feels the Squire is ready, he brings a vote up in the Belted Circle (list of all Knights). If the vote fails, he is rejected but may remain a Squire and attempt again. If he is accepted, he must undergo a vigil, and then is knighted by the Monarch in a full ceremony.

The vigil is a day-long time of meditation beginning at dawn the day before the ceremony. He is requested (but not required) to fast during this time. During the day, he may attend to whatever duties his Knight addresses him to. At dusk he will begin a time of meditation. He will be restricted to an area and will be observed by no less then one other person of integrity the entire time. He may read, pray, etc., but may have no form of amusement during that time.

The next day he may nap, as his full day of vigil has been completed, but the ceremony is usually not until evening. At the ceremony, he will be brought before the Monarch for the Ceremony of Knighting where he will take an oath of loyalty to the PEOPLE of the Realm and an oath of chivalry. He then receives his White Belt. The White Belt may ONLY be worn by Knights.

The duties of the Knight depend upon the order under which the Knight was selected. The knighting itself is not the end, but the beginning. As Knights, they are expected to serve the Realm as appropriate. For example, a Knight of the Dragon might train new fighters to help them improve faster. The Knight of the Hart might make garb for new members or gifts for the populace to present to foreign royalty when visiting other Realms. Knights of the Falcon would help out in whatever way they could, including but limited to assisting newcomers and visitors to feel welcome in the group, or helping people set up their camps at events. It is important to note that while we should make efforts to assist those in charge of the group like the Monarch, it is just as important that we help others who may not be “important.” The ideals of honor and chivalry extend from the King and Queen down to the lowest of the lowborn.

It is important to note that knighthood is an honor but is also a responsibility. As such, those who may have been deemed worthy of that honor, but do not live up the their responsibility are subject to have their titles revoked. To do so requires a 2/3 vote of the Belted Circle and agreement of the Monarch. The process must be started by the people, however. A group of no less than five people must complain to the Monarch about the behavior of said Knight, citing specific examples of the behavior. The Monarch must warn the Knight of his behavior. If it continues and three complaints are received (no more than three months apart, but within one year of the warning), the Monarch must call the Belted Circle to discuss the matter. The Knight in question should be there, but does not have to be. They may choose to revoke his belt on a temporary basis (no longer than one year) or permanently. Once removed, the Knight must go through the entire process of being a Squire again to regain his/her Knighthood.