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Morte
ex Morte
Long ago there
were three knights of the Middle Kingdom, Count Sir Rolac the Wise, Sir Coley Cuthbert,
and Sir Mrethton the Rotund, who, displeased with the actions of their crown
left the company of their peers to follow their path of honor and go on
crusade. Shortly afterward their crusade was joined by Duke Sir Dagan
DuDerregonne. These knights were lost to the company of men for many
years. Long afterward, when their lives and exploits had receeded into
memory as legend they were seen to return to the lands of the Midrealm, and it
seemed as though it was a return from the dead. These knights decided to
form together into a household dedicated to honor and service to chivalry above
all, unafraid to confront any man living who was deemed to be conducting
himself in an unworthy manner, whether he were a common man or a king.
It came to pass that at the Pennsic War that Duke
Sir Dagan witnessed a sight that caused him great distress, for as an arts and
sciences exhibition was breaking up it was seen that a few ladies were left to
take the tables and chairs from the hall while against the wall there stood a
group of young knights who looked impassively on as they discussed the glories
of their victories on the field that day, and it seemed to Duke Sir Dagan that
this was greatly amiss, for was it not in the realm of chivalry that a knight should
serve to aid the ladies in their labors? Indeed it did seem to the Duke
that the young knights knew not their duty to be a help to the weak, for they
vainly thought only of their own glory. Duke Dagan resolved to ask his
fellow Dead Knights to redress this wrong by dedicating themselves to service
and to being an example to the other, younger knights by giving aid and succor
to any who may be in need.
Now Baron Sir Fum was a knight who had never gone
on crusade, but he was a dear friend of the Dead Knights and when they
reappeared he did heartily welcome them back, extending to them all a bond of
friendship that had never faltered over the years when the Dead Knights had
been lost to the men of the Midrealm. Sir Coley was touched by the loyalty
of his old friend, as was Duke Dagan, and they discussed the matter with the
others after which it was decided that Sir Fum had much the same outlook and
heart as the Dead Knights, and it was decided that Sir Fum was worthy to be
numbered as a Dead Knight as well.
Now the Dead
Knights can be recognized by their momentae moriae in the form of a skull
talisman they wear around their necks, and also by their funeral banners which
bear the likeness of their skeletal remains within their coffins, shown as
white bones against a black background.
The Dead
Knights have been joined by a Dead Countess and some Dead Squires.
The current members are listed below (omissions are inadvertant- contact Baron
Fum with corrections):
Count Sir Rolac the Wise
Sir Coley Cuthbert
Sir Mrethton the Rotund
Duke Sir Dagan DuDerregonne
Baron Sir Karl Aerdigwidder von Zauberberg (known as Fum)
Countess Valthiona Cuthbert
Baron Sir Thorvald the Grim
Duke Sir Andrew of Seldom Rest
Lord Caelwulf (a squire, very much a part of the story)
Lord Owen Fitz-Raven (a squire)
Lord Aleksej
Lord Thomas
Lady Adel
Lady Tamilyn
Master Ioseph of Locksley
The
"Mausoleum," which was the original Dead Knight’s web site, was
for a time a thorn in the side of the chivalry of the Middle Kingdom due to its
irreverent nature and the volatile discussions that took place there, though it
had many fans and people who found it refreshing in its brutal openness. It was
maintained by Sir Coley, with the help of his daughter, but he fell on hard
times due to deterioration of his mortal shell and approaching death and he no
longer had the time or the ability to keep it up. Some felt that he stopped
maintaining it because of all the pressure he received from the more
conservative members of the chivalry, but I know Coley and he would never have
surrendered to such pressure. His crusade was against the hypocrisy he felt he
saw, and the arrogant attitude he felt some of the other knights and nobles had
all too often displayed. I do still
see Coley from time to time, and he has done well in hanging on in life. He received a liver transplant and he
and Valthiona are still living together happily. If I ever get the old site back up and
running I’ll let people know.
