The First Knight - Tales of Camadorn

To understand chivalry and the origins of knighthood, one must understand Jolend of Camadorn, and to understand what nurtured that idea one must understand his family. His grandfather was a nobleman of Mradune who married a young woman, and within their first years of marriage she died in childbirth to his firstborn son, Kelend. Afterwards, he remarried and from his second wife came two children, and older boy named Boril and a younger girl named Ekthaine. From these unlikely players come the first act of the story.
                 Kelend never felt brotherhood with Boril, and so would often make fun and bully him. Therefore, Boril avoided such pursuits that would cause his path to cross with Kelend. Boril often found that his only friend was Ekthaine, who Kelend also did not care for. Therefore, Kelend learned to be of great martial prowess, one of the great warriors of his time, while Boril observed culture and art, as well as the importance of human speech. They were two very different men.
                 As was tradition, Kelend inherited their father’s estates upon his death as the older brother. While at first he wished nothing to do with Boril or Ekthaine, he knew that there would be a great problem with that plan. Kelend was more far-sighted than most thought him to be, and he knew that his wife would never bear him children. Therefore, his half-siblings would inherit if their children didn’t immediately. Kelend had an idea of how his estates should be run, and he couldn’t bear the thought of Boril or Ektahine mismanaging their father’s estates. He decided then that he should influence their children so that they would be something he could approve of.
                 Thus, Jolend enters the story. He was Boril’s oldest son, so Kelend did his best to teach him how to be a hard man of war. Yet Boril also taught him the importance of well-chosen words, to be polite and to consume culture. Jolend had a hard time reconciling the two, for Boril was a coward when it came to arms, yet he saw his uncle’s cruelties often. Kelend said that the only reason nobles ruled over other was because of strength, and without that strength then even the king would not be safe, whether from outside or inside their borders. Yet Boril would say that nobles were appointed so that they would be raised to be wise and knowledgeable, so that their trade would be leadership. It was quite difficult to reconcile the two for some time, yet it would come eventually.
                 Jolend himself proved strong at arms, wiser than most, and a natural leader of men. It was in war that this was proven, when they the kingdom of Mradune invaded the deserts of Cithur. They took many border posts, though all their attempts to enter the interior were frustrated. The Cithurans attacked and swept up against the fortress Jolend defended, and he slew every one that drew sword or spear against him. Though when it came time for prisoners, Jolend said that they should be released with food and water to make it to the nearest Cithuran held settlement, as the war had gone on long enough and this was the best opening for peace.
                 Thus, another player enters the game. Ilunmai was a noblewoman of great convictions in Cithur and would often think of things none would give ear to so she would write them down instead. Her father was one of the men released by Jolend, and his tale of the man who inspired both admiration and fear in the same act was stirring to her. Ilunmai had often thought that Cithur needed men who were worthy of praise for both their kindness and courage, and Jolend was such a man. She decided that she needed to meet that man.
                 Yet it was not simple, as while a peace envoy was going to meet with the men of Mradune, they were not likely to accept the daughter of a lesser nobleman into it. She disguised herself as a servant but was quickly found out when she accidentally spilled food on a man. Next to him was a distant cousin who knew her on sight, and she was clapped in irons. Her cousin both defended her and gave evidence for condemnation, as while noting her inability to do this made mention that her values were quite strong. Many thought her an assassin, though whether to be for peace beyond wisdom or against it was unknown. While they wanted to kill her and be done, her cousin insisted that she be spared for now and brought with them. This did not heighten either of them in the ambassador’s mind by the time they arrived at the meeting place in the city of Zult.
                 Jolend was sent to be one of the negotiators, as despite his youth he was a balance of strength and tact they needed for these proceedings. Yet these proceedings were a fraud in the minds of some, as proven when one of the men from Mradune drew his sword to slay the Cithuran ambassador. Jolend swiped the sword aside and slew the assassin right there. This endeared the Cithurans further to Jolend, but made him some enemies in Mradune.
                 It also caused the subject of conversation to turn towards Ilunmai, and when Jolend heard of this he wondered if she truly was an assassin. So, while observed by one of the Cithuran guards, Jolend interrogated Ilunmai. He was not harsh, but he did discover much, including her intention to meet him, though she was yet to know she had accomplished it nor did she give a specific reason why she wanted to meet. So Jolend reported his findings to the Cithurans, and while they were hesitant to trust him, at least knew that Ilunmai had no intentions of killing anyone so let her go.
                 Ilunmai would then spend much of the time during the negotiations trying to gain an audience with Jolend. He wasn’t sure if it was important, so focused all his energy towards the negotiations. Finally, once the negotiations were done and the war between Mradune and Cithur was over, that was when Jolend finally relented. Thus the meeting between Jolend and Ilunmai at Zult, which many speak of, began.
                 Ilunmai was at first offended that Jolend had deceived her, and he admitted that perhaps he hadn’t done the right thing. At the same time, he noted to Ilunmai that her own tight-lipped nature had delayed the meeting. She was taken aback by this, not because it was a correction but that he took no pleasure in doing it nor did he seem defensive. It was genuine, and she knew then that she’d found the right man.
                 At length, Ilunmai spoke of a need to make things right in the world. Much had been made wrong in the world because those with power did not use it with responsibility or compassion. Yet those who felt either of those things had an inability to wield power so that it was useless in their hands. It required someone with both a courageous and kind heart, and she put forward that Jolend was such a man.
                 Though Jolend was not sure the point of that. Even if one man could be like this, how would it change the world? How would the lands become better because of one man who would never hold great lordship? He doubted her, yet there was something about her that made him want to believe that there was something he could do to make things better. And there would be, yet it was not obvious yet.
                 With the peace treaty in place, the armies of Mradune and Cithur returned to their homes or made new ones, yet not among either were Jolend and Ilunmail. They stayed on the border of Mradune and Cithur, in the city of Zult, discussing ways to bring about this change Ilunmai spoke of. Yet sometimes they didn’t speak of this, and instead spoke of other things. They met in public places, as if a man and woman as they were courting, yet this perception slowly became reality. As time passed, they spoke little of the idea of change and instead turned the subject to life and eventually marriage.
                 Jolend and Ilunmai were married three years after they first met, and they made their home in Zult for the time being. After the first year of their marriage, Jolend was recalled home as a plague had struck down much of his family, including his father and uncle. He brought Ilunmai to live with him and be lady of the estates of which he was lord. It was not long after returning that their commission began.
 It began as a dream, one of splendor and hope. There outline was a society, and its guardians were of noble birth. A baby boy would be born and given both a crown of gold and armor of steel. Such boys grew to be men who followed the virtues of faith, hope, charity, justice, strength, moderation, and loyalty. Though peace everlasting was not there, it was instead a land of nobility and grace, where there was a chance for goodness to thrive instead of when might made right; instead it was might for right. So late in the morning, Jolend and Ilunmai awoke, telling each other of their dreams which were the same, and they realized it was no dream but a vision, one that they would give their lives for if need be. The dream showed them chivalry and the concept of knighthood, and so their great quest began.
                 Jolend and Ilunmai set out together, leaving the managing of his estates to a trusted steward and his aunt Ekthaine. They had no children at this time, and so traveled light with only a few guards. On the way, Jolend taught these men the essence of chivalry, and while they were men-at-arms before, being nobles who fought on horse with lance and shield, it was on that journey that they became the first knights. Jolend was called the first knight, though he himself was not knighted. They rode to the king of Mradune to appeal for the idea of chivalry to be adopted among the nobility, and the institution of knighthood be created.
                 The king of Mradune thought it a fool’s idea, and said that he would remove Jolend’s lands from him if he thought it would do any good. So Jolend and Ilunmai left the king’s presence, disappointed but not disheartened. Unbeknownst to them, the crown prince overheard the meeting and was touched by their ideas, trying his best to decipher what they might mean to his life. Yet Jolend and Ilunmai rode on to find another patron for this ideal.
                 They went to the king of Cithur, for Jolend was known among Cithurans and Ilunmai was of the nobility. They proposed this idea, and while it took three years, the king of Cithur finally put forth the Proclamation of the Horse. This was a public statement, the first referencing knighthood in any way, and called together men-at-arms and other nobles to teach them chivalry. It would be another half year before Jolend and Ilunmai had taught all they could, written all they could on the matter and ensured copies were made before they departed.
                 With Cithur, one of the great kingdoms, aligned with their beliefs, they decided to travel to other lands and speak to their kings of these matters. They traveled to Nalorne and the king there was receptive to their ideas. The king of Lidor then invaded, and it was there the first test of knighthood began.
                 Jolend himself rode into battle with the original four knights and all of Nalorne’s knights. While they slew many, the carnage was small for they did not strike at fleeing foes nor civilians. They respected their enemies, and so their enemies came to respect them. After the first year of conflict, the king of Lidor requested and audience with the king of Nalorne and Jolend, where he asked, “How are your men so effective? Mine are little more than brigands while yours are winning over my own people. My people cringe at my army’s approach, but to yours they cry gladly. Why?”
                 “For we are men worthy of honor as we do not seek it,” Jolend replied. “We seek no glory or riches. Instead, we seek to make right what is wrong, to defend the weak however we can. If they give us supplies, so be it. If they need supplies given to them, so be it. We fear much but show none of it. We respect those who oppose us for we would want the same done to us. Are your men like that?”
                 It was not long before peace came between the two nations, and Lidor adopted the ideal of chivalry was well. They were soon called back to Mradune to teach the newly crowned king of their ideal. Hirajorg asked for teachers, and were given them from Cithur, Nalorne, and Lidor. Lesser nations were also given the opportunity of learning, and there was a time of peace.
                 Yet Jolend and Ilunmai were growing in years, and the commission had been much of their life’s work. While they were in their thirties, their minds went to simpler things than teachings and nobility. They wished to have children, but they had not been able to all their lives, and it seemed such a possibility was fading. But then, it was discovered when Jolend was thirty-six and Ilunmai was thirty-four that she was pregnant. They would have but one child in their entire lives, but it would be a son named Noil, meaning deep love, for that was what they felt for him. The good-hearted wanderers could finally rest.
                 Yet within Jolend and Ilunmai’s lifetime, they saw that their gift had not stopped wrongness. Not all followed the chivalry code though they swore by it, and while those miscreants were mostly punished, they weren’t always. It was never in their power to recreate the world into something flawless, but they had brought something good to the world: the ability to hope for some earthly rescue from the times. Good people were raised in this, and it was not just the nobility that followed this trend. They had not started it, not truly, but they were essential to bring the dream to the world. They lived to be a ripe age and died together in their sleep, content that now there could be heroes in the world to combat the villains. And that is the origin of chivalry, and how Jolend and Ilunmai came to be some of the few to be called “of Camadorn” as few can claim to be of all peoples of this continent of Camadorn.