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Barony of WastekeepSergeantry Introduction and History |
The History of Sergeants begins in the Kingdom of An Tir. Sergeants are those who have presented themselves to a Baroness and been tested in their areas of expertise and found worthy. Sergeants then swear Fealty to the Baroness. The Term "Sergeant" is a rank, as opposed to an honor, an award for past work done, or a personal bond of fealty, as between a Knight and his Squire. This rank exists in the various Baronies in the Kingdom of An Tir. It is a rank because a person must pass all of the qualifications for the rank In An Tir, The Sergeantry of each Barony expresses a unique character that is a reflection of the current Baroness, the founding Baroness and of The People who comprise The Barony at large. After many years the Sergeant Trials in the Barony of Wastekeep have been expanded to include other areas: The Order of the Sergeantry was divided into four categories: Sergeants, the armored fighters The Order of Courtier was divided into two categories: Artisans (excellence in Arts & Sciences) Membership in any of these Orders is not limited to just members of the Barony of Wastekeep. Anyone wishing may attempt the trials, including members from other branches are invited. Also, individuals are not limited to membership in only one Order or area. However, an individual may only compete for one rank at a Trial. Any member in the Order of Chivalry who has held the rank of Sergeant of Wastekeep shall be considered as, and may use the title of, Sergeant Emeritus of Wastekeep. Any member in the Order of the Laurel who has held the rank of Artisan of Wastekeep shall be considered as, and may use the title of, Artisan Alumnus of Wastekeep. Any member in the Order of the Pelican who has held the rank of Steward of Wastekeep shall be considered as, and may use the title of, Steward Alumnus of Wastekeep. They will be welcome to aid the Baroness in testing future Candidates and their advice and comments are always welcome. The Barony of Wastekeep holds only one Sergeants Trial each year. An unsuccessful Candidate may try again the next year. The Baroness of Wastekeep feels strongly that a candidate never fails to become a Sergeant; the candidate just is not quite ready. Not passing a Sergeant trial is not an indication of failure; it is instead an encouragement to work harder and try again the following year. The number of members of each Order is unrestricted, and there is no minimum to the number. If no one proves worthy of the Order, none will be chosen. The Beginning Steps:
Each Candidate should be aware that the Baroness and, the Order of Sergeantry and the Order of Courtier of the Barony will be the principal graders for the Trials. However members of the populace will be invited to speak in reference to the Candidates and others may be asked to grade the Candidates as well. The Trials: The night before the Trials, get a good meal and get some sleep. Testing for the two orders is done by; the Baron & Baroness, those holding the rank, the Emeritus, and any others populace the Baroness feels appropriate. All testing results are reported to the Baron & Baroness, who are the only ones that know how each candidate is doing. At the end of the trials, we go to each candidate individually and tell them if they have passed or not. During that private discussion, they will be told what parts of the tests they had problems with, did not pass and why. At final court, each successful candidate swears fealty to the Barony of Wastekeep through the Baroness. At this time the new members of each order is given the obligations and privileges of the order. Members of the Orders do not re-test. They have achieved their rank and, by doing so, they hold that rank until they choose to give it up. However, if a Sergeant becomes a member of the Order of Chivalry, they must resign from the order of Sergeantry. They must return the buckle and any other appropriate regalia to the Baroness. |