Thread:High Prince Imrahil/@comment-26767096-20170418013824/@comment-26295802-20170418020727

Well, ironically I couldn't find the post, but I managed to dig up the original text files I wrote on my computer. Here, I'll throw 'em up here for you. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!

A number of intresting speculations about the Order of the Silver Swan, including the rather humorous assumption that all men belonging to the order are swan knights! Here I have set out the true classes and culture of the Order of the Silver Swan:

The Order originated in Edhellon as a small band of Galadrhim warriors that defended the ports in that city. But after the elves left, the Men of Dol Amroth reformed the order as an elite class of warriors oweing loyalty only to the prince himself, and leading the other troops to battle. All classes of the Order spend their entire lives training and must provide a detailed family tree to prove that they came from pure Numenorean and elven blood. Finally, when they complete vigerous trials supervised by the prince himself, they can take their vows and enter into The Order. There are four main classes: The Swan Knights, The Nimrodel Rangers, The Wardens of Tirith, and The Royal Swan Guard.

THE SWAN KNIGHTS:

The Knights of the Order of the Silver Swan, or Swan Knights, are the entry class through which you must prove yourself for many years before graduating to the other classes. Knights don't tend to go on campaign with the prince, but rather, spend all of their time roaming the North and East alone, looking for brave deeds to complete. These knights write down their deeds in silver books given to them by the prince, and when they believe they have become experienced enough for promotion, they go to a cerimony during the Feast of Herendil in which the prince personally looks over their deeds and tells them whether or not they are sufficiant for promotion. If the prince finds them worthy, they are given the gear of their class and promoted in front of all those present at the feast.

After graduating from the Swan Knights, you choose one of the other three classes:

THE NIMRODEL RANGERS:

These are, in essence, the spies, rangers, and assasins of Dol Amroth all rolled into one. They are masters of stealth, and you are only allowed into this class if your elven blood is at least three-fourths. Their garb can very greatly depending on their mission, but their offical uniform is a sea blue cloak over a leather jerkin that displays the White Swan of Dol Amroth. The history of the rangers is another carry over from Edhellon culture: they were established to hunt through the White Mountains and Dor-en-Ernil in search of Nimrodel, and later to look for her coming. Such words still are in the oath of the Nimrodel Rangers, but the watch for Nimrodel's coming is now purely symalic.

THE WARDENS OF TIRITH AEAR:

These bulky warriors tend to be the more Numenorean and less elven of The Order. They act as personal bodyguards to the prince when he is at home and guard Dol Amroth while he is away, though in rare cases they will go on camapaign with him. They weild huge pikes and large rectangular sheilds that can form a nigh unbreakable shieldwall. Many have said that witnessing these men fight is like seeing the Numenoreans of old in the Battle of the Last Alliance. Their helms are decorated with gaul wings and their armour is forged by the very best dwarven smiths in the White Mountains. The wardens were established by Herendil himself who needed to defend Tirith Aear in the days of Sauron when it was under constant attack.

THE ROYAL SWAN GUARD:

Of all the orders, the Royal Swan Guard are by far the most renown and most powerful. Just like The Wardens act as the prince's bodyguard while he is at home, the Royal Swan Guard act as a mounted bodyguard that accompanies the prince while on capaign. Only those of near-pure elven blood are taken into their ranks, and centuries of experience, added to honor and expensive arms, make these warriors some of the most elite in all Middle-Earth, most being even better then the prince himself. Yet, dispite seeing so many princes come and go, these guards are no less loyal. All would gladly give their lives for their brethren or their lord. They wear the best armour and have the best arms, some of it even being Mithril from the days of Herendil, a friend of Durin. The Swan-Guard were established by Imrazor, and a handful of the original warriors still serve.

THE WHITE KNIGHTS:

Yet during the War of the Ring, it became apparent to Imrahil that only allowing those of elven and Numenorean blood into the Order of the Silver Swan was keeping out many good recruits. Thus he established a "half-class" that was held in equal honor to the other classes and still under the command of The Order, yet did not have the same racial restrictions. Called the White Knights, this battalion is made up of those that have the skill to become a swan knight, but not the nobility: whether they be a Anfalas peasant, a Haradrim turncoat, or a Dalish immigrent, all with sufficiant skill are welcomed into the White Knights. They wear shimmering white armour into battle and fight with longswords and kite shields. RANKS: Dol Amroth's army was divided into regiments called Aergwaiths, consisting of 1000 men. From there, each Aergwaith was divided into a Aerlaew of 100 men, and Aerlaews into Aermaeths of 25 men. Each Aermaeth was led by a sargeant, each Aerlaew led by a commander, and each Aergwaith led by a lord. The lords formed the Swan Council, a body that helped The Prince govern the land, and ruled while the prince was away. For further reading, here's also the Swan Knight Handbook