KNIGHT OF THE ORDER
Refer to the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide page 151 for more information.
You belong to an order of knights who have sworn oaths to achieve a certain goal. The nature of this goal depends on the order you serve, but in your eyes it is without question a vital and honorable endeavor. Tamriel has a wide variety of knightly orders, all of which have a similar outlook concerning their actions and responsibilities.
Though the term "knight" conjures ideas of mounted, heavily armored warriors of noble blood, most knightly orders in Tamriel don't restrict their membership to such individuals. The goals and philosophies of the order are more important than the gear and fighting style of its members, and so most of these orders aren't limited to fighting types, but are open to all sorts of folk who are willing to battle and die for the order's cause.
The "Knightly Orders of Tamriel" below details several of the orders that are active at present and is designed to help inform your decision about which group you owe allegiance to.
Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion, plus one from among Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion, as appropriate for your order.
Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set or musical instrument
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: One set of traveler's clothes, a signet, banner, or seal representing your place or rank in the order, and a pouch containing 40 septims.
FEATURE: KNIGHTLY REGARD
You receive shelter and succor from members of your knightly order and those who are sympathetic to its aims. If your order is a religious one, you can gain aid from temples and other religious communities of your deity. Knights of civic orders can get help from the community- whether a lone settlement or a great nation that they serve, and knights of philosophical orders can find help from those they have aided in pursuit of their ideals, and those who share those ideals.
This help comes in the form of shelter and meals, and healing when appropriate, as well as occasionally risky assistance, such as a band of local citizens rallying to aid a sorely pressed knight in a fight, or those who support the order helping to smuggle a knight out of town when he or she is being hunted unjustly.
KNIGHTLY ORDERS OF TAMRIEL
Many who rightfully call themselves "knight" earn that title as part of an order in service to a deity, such as the Vigil of Stendarr, or the Order of Arkay with their Knights of the Circle. Other knightly orders serve a government, royal family, or are the elite military of a feudal state, such as the Order of the Raven. Other knighthoods are secular and non governmental organizations of warriors who follow a particular philosophy, or consider themselves a kind of extended family, similar to an order of monks. Although there are organizations, such as the Order of the Lily, that use the trappings of knighthood without necessarily being warriors, most folk of Tamriel who hear the word "knight" think of a mounted warrior in armor beholden to a code. Below are a few knightly organizations.
Knights of the Dragon. The Knights of the Dragon are the elite soldiers who are the official protectors of the city and royal family of Daggerfall. Sometimes they are confused as members of the Dragonguard, but they were not created to slay dragons. Their service is to His Majesty the Dragon, or rather, the current King or Queen of Daggerfall. Many knights are stationed in and around Daggerfall for protection of the crown, but many find themselves outside of High Rock, escorting nobles, or gathering information from their allies and enemies. These knights follow their oath: I vow to serve the Dragon. I lay down my life, my gold, and my sacred honor for my King. His word is my order, my sword is his arm. Our lives are one.
Knights of the Flame. Centuries ago, noble warriors of the Lorddom of Anticlere held back the invading armies of the Reach when Sir Byric set the fields surrounding the Alcaire Castle on fire. This bold action led to the Alcaire Knights to be known as the Knights of the Flame. Those who devote themselves to Anticlere and their blessed patrons are judged as worthy to join the order, and in return, the knights are treated as gods by the locals.
Knights of the Thorn. The Knights of the Thorn are a chivalrous order dedicated to the protection of Cheydinhal, in Cyrodiil. Founded by Farwil Indarys, the group began as a glorified club, which spent more time drinking ale than they did doing anything else. However, shortly after their inception, tragedy came to the region and the Knights proved their worth, fending off several daedric invasions. The order's crest is a sword enveloped in thorns, a symbol of the Indarys family. Every member of the order wears a special medallion, or is outfitted in armor and weapons emblazoned with their coat-of-arms.
SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
Use the tables for the soldier background in the Player's Handbook as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity as a knight of your order.
Your bond almost always involves the order to which you belong (or at least key members of it), and it is highly unusual for a knight's ideal not to reflect the agenda, sentiment, or philosophy of one's order.