Hello everyone!
I finally thought it was time to try my hand at using the community feature to put together something that has been on my mind for a while now.
Namely; knights!
Specifically knights of Stormwind.
I’m looking to create a broad consensus of what a knight of Stormwind actually is, how they’re expected to act and create something of a way to police behaviour by consent, not to mention provide a vehicle for people to RP around Stormwind’s regions and beyond, and provide a point of contact for others who want to interact with them.
Here is my vision, based on what we have been given from the lore (some old!) and in the game, including some extrapolations that hopefully will facilitate a solid and workable concept;
- Stormwind Knights are not landholders, nor are they beholden to any noble besides the king or regent. They are a component of the army first and foremost, which, in Stormwind, does not include any sort of levied troops and is entirely under the command of the king or regent, with the nobility neutered and having no control over it as of the current time period.
- In addition to that, Stormwind Knights are not nobility. Nobles can be knights, but not all knights are nobles, in fact, a majority are probably not nobility.
- Specifically, their role in the army is that of elite infantry or cavalry, they operate independently as shock troops or in tandem with regular footmen, acting as force multipliers when they do. Regular knights also have the authority to command lower ranks and may act as leaders of smaller forces.
- Stormwind Knights are highly meritocratic; as they are part of the armed forces, any private joining the Stormwind Army can become a knight. It is not an exclusive position and it is one people rise to based on their actions and their skill, not their birth.
- Stormwind Knights are heroic, idealistic and chivalrous. Though most may not be paladins, they can be very paladin-like in their attitudes and actions. They despise bad actors and especially despise bad actors who are also knights.
- Stormwind Knights act with decorum and respect to every citizen and ally of the kingdom, and they do not wield any special authority to enforce the law unless they are part of or deputised to the Stormwind Guard, which are a seperate component of the Stormwind Army that knights are generally not a part of.
- However, they have broad authority to identify threats to the kingdom and act against them, particularly when they are sent out beyond the capital and into the wider kingdom to protect all it’s citizens from the dangers of this world, wherever or whatever they might be.
To put it simply, I envision Knights of Stormwind to be far more akin to Knights of Dol Amroth (LOTR) or Arthurian Knights, rather than knights from Westeros or real life history. They are an idealised fantasy version of knights that do not have the baggage associated with them. They can have their personal dramas, flaws and foibles but by in large if they act like knights have been known to in real world history, they will quickly find themselves either completely removed from the army or demoted down to the regular infantry, where more variance in morality is tolerated.
I realise this might put me at odds with other people’s views, which is why I’ve chosen to specifically focus on knights of Stormwind, rather than knights of the Alliance more generally. There are of course massive varieties of knights across Azeroth, and I’m keen to represent a portion of that that offers something different; maybe naive, maybe idealistic, but one that has a place in the wider setting.
I’m also happy to discuss ideas and engage in some healthy debate.
However, if you agree with this vision, or at least some of it, and if building something like this interests you, then I have an invite link to the community here:
Here’s a few links to the things I’ve drawn inspiration from and am referencing in my bullet points: