The Kingdom of the Emerald Hills

It was my pleasure to be a knight of the EH, and it was with sadness I surrendered that honor. I have tried to be worthy of it. Much of the time, though, I have found myself on the defensive. It has been a distraction, both for myself and the Kingdom. The subject of my belt has also been a great distraction for the Circle of Knights, who have focused more on the circumstances of my knighting than the alienation between Circle and Monarch. Therefore, I dropped my belt, so as to avoid being a battlefield of resentment. It changes nothing about my commitment to the Kingdom, but I hope it will bring some change to the discussion of knighthood. I hope I have unburdened myself now of any appearance that I am acting for the sake of my own prestige. I did not see ANY GOOD could come of holding an Althing vote which would base knigthood on popularity. Popularity is of benefit to a knight, but it is among the least qualifications. Conscience is what makes a knight.

The Circle of Knights was formed to serve as an advisory body to the Monarch. However, it has to a great degree abandoned this duty, and with it, its legitamacy. Specifically, the Circle first raised the required vote, as it had been for years, from a simple (51%) majority to a 3/4 (75%) majority. In effect, this was a refusal to perform their Corpora-given duty to report to the Monarch whether a majority of knights approved of a candidate. Later, representatives of the Circle successfully lobbied to have the Corpora changed to grant them total independence to set their own criteria and even their own criteria for voting eligibility. For instance, it would be simple for the Circle to rescind the vote from anyone knighted without their approval, or any other criterion they feel like establishing. And there are probably those who, upon reading that statement, think that sounds like a good idea. The Circle has placed themselves above the Monarch, in effect, above the populace. They have insulated themselves from being forced to accept new members, and therefore, new viewpoints.

The results of this experiment have been clear. The Circle has shrunk to a fairly small size, while members of the Circle to continue to maintain many, perhaps most, of the current membership are nonetheless unworthy. The Circle just elected its first consensus choice for GMK in years. The Circle has managed to affront at least two Monarchs and alienate a good deal of the populace. Some believe the business of the Circle is not the populace's business. It is no one else's. Knights exist because of, and for, the populace. Knighthood should be a just reward for good effort and spirit, and serve others by inspiring the populace to good example. Some people apparently feel the job of the Knights' Circle is to denigrate others and make them feel unworthy. Well, I think the best knights are those who help others feel worthy, and thereby, inspire them to aspire to and uphold what is best. I think we need more knights, not less, provided we are able to encourage and assist others in achieving the deeds and wisdom to be ready for that burden.

Dosci is the Monarch, duly elected by the Populace, and if you think he is of no lasting consequence, you are mistaken. No honor, no experience, entitles you to interfere with the Monarch doing his job. That is exactly what you do when you do not simply argue against his ideas, which are certainly open to debate, but try to silence him, to argue his voice does not matter. If you think the Monarch is not Monarch enough, why did you not run? Some of you may wonder what I'm talking about, since a post from a knight criticizing the Monarch has now been deleted. I do not take any issue with any knight calling on the Monarch out of conscience. That is their job, to be the voice will listen to. When our officers fail us in wisdom, when the populace does not know how to act, our knights are supposed lift a light all can see and speak from their maturity, their experience, their judgment, to light the way. When knights turn against each other in anger, some among them are supposed to recognize that they are brothers and sisters. At the end of the day, the Circle stands together or not at all.

As my very last act as a knight, I tried to do something that would matter for the future. I am asking everyone, absolutely everyone, to step up and show they have within them the spark of nobility. I am asking the knights to think before rebelling against the Monarch, and by extension, the people. I am asking the Monarch to pause and consider before lecturing, on matters great and small, the proven few, the knights of the Emerald Hills. Though in the end our knights are only human, nonetheless it is a presumption to know better than they, and they who have come before. The Monarch and knights should meet together, with the Monarch at the head, all banded in mutual respect.

The populace must recognize, also, that this problem cannot be solved without them. Whether or not it is deemed useful to ammend the Corpora, the populace can ask more of its knights. It must also remind them, when time to time it is required, whom they serve. The populace can listen to the Monarch's vision, but also has the power to modify or decline what are, in the end, the ideas of only one person.

I am reluctant to put my voice behind any particular proposal. I don't want to taint the discussion or draw it toward a review of my personal virtues and weaknesses. I have placed my full faith in my monarch, Docsi, and I am expecting others to do the same. Support him, help him, teach him. With every new crown there is a learning process, and like most Monarchs, he comes full of enthusiasm, but lacking in the sheer wealth of experience of the older players, knight or non-knight. And yet there is no populace member, not the rawest newbie, who does not have something to offer. Your voice matters, whoever you are.

I trust the few to rely on their experience. But the many must rely on the few. The new must rely on the old. The wise must rely on the innocent. NONE OF THIS WILL WORK IF WE DO NOT TRUST EACH OTHER. I do not ask anyone to be other than who they are. But I am asking everyone to act from what is best within them. Please, if the surrender of my belt is of any interest to you, recognize that all of the years I have dedicated to knighthood, I now invest in a simple message.

I am not great. Yet you, any among you, might be a knight. Believe it.

May the flame never die,
Darkangel von Kitn

Huzzah! Well spoken....

a post deleted???.........hmmmm.......I wonder what it said? I never saw it.

_________________
Duke, Squire Docsi HardAnvil
aka the Mad Dwarf
GMR of Dreadmoor
Squire to Sir Logan T. Black
Clan Chieftain of the Turtle Clan
Ship's Surgeon, HMS "Turtle's Revenge"
Gaslight Sky Pirate

"Dwarves and mountains have one thing in common: It takes an almighty hammer and a tremendous amount of persistence to overcome them."

Speaking as a Knight who has thrown down his belt in disgust over an action performed by a few knights while we were in a Circle, I can only hope that your sacrifice will not be in vain. I know mine wasn't and while the Circle may be slightly bent at the moment its never been broken.

Kittens opinion is his to have.