AMTGARD RESOURCES | MUSINGS, RANTS AND HOW-TO GUIDES
Holding Court: The Basics PDF Version
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The Basics
Few things can be as nerve-wracking as being monarch at your very first court. Where does everyone sit? Who’s supposed to be up there? How do you get it all organized without forgetting something crucial and making a fool of yourself? While I can’t keep you from putting your foot in your mouth when you’re standing in front of the whole kingdom, I can give you some basic tools to assist in the planning, preparation and execution of a basic court function.
Everyone has a different view of how valuable holding court is and how seriously they should be taken; how formal or silly you want your court to be is entirely up to you. This is simply a basic guideline for how to organize and run a court, covering the most common tasks. These guidelines are, in general, the very least that should be expected of any monarch and his court.
Note: When referring to directions, I am using stage directions. In other words, if I say that the regent is to the left of the monarch, I mean from the monarch’s point of view, not the audience’s. (Fig. 1)
“Stage” means the space you have set aside to be the court area.
The basic court consists of the monarch, regent, guards, herald, champion and regent’s defender (if applicable).
Kingdom Courts
For kingdom-level courts, the hosting monarch and regent should be seated in the center with the regent on the monarch’s left. The champion should stand between the king and regent, unless the regent has a defender, in which case the champion stands behind the king and the defender behind the regent. Guards are arranged to either side of the champion (and defender).
The herald should take a position to the side and front (downstage) and should be visible to the audience without standing in front of any of the monarchs or regents (Fig. 2).
If the herald is using the awards as his “call list”, he can cross in front of court to hand the awards to the monarch and then withdraw, but it is preferable that he remain to the side. It’s better to prepare a separate list for the herald so that it is not necessary for him to keep bouncing in front of the court.
If there will be multiple courts (for example, the kingdom will hold court, then a duchy will hold court, etc.) with their own heralds, the heralds should remain to the side of court until their court is introduced by the kingdom (or hosting) herald, then step into the herald’s position. Unless it has been arranged for a specific purpose, only one herald should be “on stage” and engaging the audience’s attention at a time.
If the kingdom monarch wishes (and there is room), monarchy from the kingdom’s subchapters (shires, duchies, etc.) may also be seated onstage. They should be arranged on either side of the kingdom monarch and regent as evenly as possible. If there are “guests of honor” (for instance, if a particular shire held a fundraiser for the kingdom’s coffers and raised a million dollars) that the kingdom monarch wants to specially recognize, that subchapter’s monarch and regent can be placed to the kingdom monarch and regent’s right. Otherwise, subchapters should be arranged with the highest ranking (i.e. largest) groups closest to the kingdom monarchy, beginning on the right and then alternating left to right, and so on down the line. (Fig. 3)
If space permits, subchapters may have their own guards behind them as well (not pictured), but the kingdom monarchy’s guard takes precedence. If space is limited, the subchapters may have to limit themselves to one or two guards on stage, or forego them altogether.
Subgroup Courts (Shires, Baronies, Duchies, etc.)
For courts at the shire, barony, duchy and principality level, if the kingdom-level monarch and/or regent are present, they should be seated with the hosting monarchy to their right (Fig. 4). If there is room, the hosting monarchy can choose to have visiting monarchy from other shires, baronies and duchies seated on stage as well, but this is optional and will largely depend upon the space available and the hosting monarchy’s preferences. Visiting monarchy should be arranged evenly to either side as much as possible (similar to Fig. 3).
Interkingdom Courts
Interkingdom courts use the same basic guidelines with a few minor differences.
The hosting kingdom is seated in the center, and (unless other arrangements have been made for a special purpose; we’ll address that in a minute) their herald should be the only one utilized for the court. Seating for the remainder of the kingdoms in practice is usually random (often based on when they arrive or where they choose to place themselves), but the best protocol would be to seat the kingdoms by age. In other words, the hosting kingdom is in the center, with the oldest kingdom to their right, next oldest to their left, and so on, alternating from right to left down the line.
The hosting herald should call upon each monarch if they are to say a few words; another herald can be called upon to step in if an attending kingdom wishes to, as an example, perform a knighting at the interkingdom court. Such things should be discussed and arranged with the hosting kingdom ahead of time.
At every interkingdom event, even if the event is the hosting kingdom’s coronation (one example would be Rakis), visiting monarchs and regents should be seated on stage as a gesture of welcome and respect. In such cases, subchapters are not seated in court.
It should also be noted that Prime Ministers are not part of the court and are not seated on stage; however, it is permissible as a gesture of hospitality to allowing a visiting kingdom monarch at an interkingdom court seat his PM at his side if his regent is not present at the event. Otherwise, the regent is seated, and the PM is not.
II. Preparing For Court
The short, easy answer to preparing for any court is “read the Corpora”. Simply going over the lists of Orders and awards can help you figure out what needs to be done and what should be attended to. In the interest of making this document a bit more helpful, here are the points you should be aware of before each court.
Coronation
The point of coronation is to close out the previous reign and ring in the new one. Obviously, this will involve switching the old court for the new one, in effect making every coronation two courts rather than just one. However, the end of a reign involves a lot more than simply passing along the crowns.
Outgoing Monarchy
1. The first thing that should occur during the outgoing monarchy’s court is any announcements, thank you's, prizes or words of wisdom. It’s better to get these things done before awards are given so that you don’t end up with a rather awkward-looking line-up (such as an announcement about lost and found happening right after a knighthood that has everyone in tears). Though most people choose to do their announcements during the incoming monarchy’s court at coronation, there may be those who prefer or have a reason to do so during the outgoing monarchy’s court (such as an autocrat thanking his helpers or giving out prizes).
2. If any kingdom-level monarchs are in attendance and wish to speak, at this time the herald should recognize each of them individually and allow them to speak in turn. If subgroups are to hold their own courts, the herald should open and close each court in turn at this time.
3. Once any announcements or general business is taken care of, the second job of the outgoing monarchy at court is to give the final awards for the reign (though it should be noted that forgetting an award should not mean that it has been forever lost; do yourself a favor and communicate with the new monarchy after coronation. The vast majority of the time, the new monarch will usually be very receptive to covering anything you may have forgotten).
Most reigns are divided into two distinct sections: before midreign and after midreign, and generally the same basic things will have occurred during those time periods. Coronation awards generally will consist of the following for the outgoing monarch:
a. Any awards from midreign that were overlooked or forgotten.
b. Awards for any deeds, assistance, garbing, etc. that occurred since midreign.
c. Awards for Crown Qualifications and the Crown Tournament as appropriate.
d. Once-a-reign awards like the Jovious, Mask and Flame. Though monarchs have occasionally decided to award these prior to coronation, it is best if you leave them until coronation so that you have given the populace a chance to demonstrate their worthiness throughout the reign, rather than, for example, choosing to award the Flame to a company that busted their butts prior to midreign only to discover that the entire company promptly stopped coming out and a household picked up the slack and showed them up with a vengeance for the remainder of the reign. Give yourself the time to decide who you truly think deserves the award for the entire reign.
e. Knighthoods. (These have their own set of protocols: see later sections.)
f. Any awards the monarch wishes to award his regent before they step down. It is VERY important that the outgoing monarch communicate with the incoming monarch to ensure that you are on the same page. Some people think the incoming monarchy should be the ones giving any awards to the outgoing monarch and regent; others feel the outgoing monarch should award his own regent before stepping down (if applicable, that is). Talk to the incoming monarchy and communicate your intentions so that you don’t commit an accidental faux pas- such as assuming the incoming monarch will appropriately award your regent (who was the best regent in the history of the game) while the incoming monarchy assumed you would do it yourself, resulting in your regent slinking off into the dark after stepping down while the populace wonders what hideous crime he committed to have been disregarded that way.
Yes, you’re supposed to be doing it for the satisfaction of a job well done, but what many people don’t take into account is that even if your regent is a great guy who genuinely doesn’t care about awards, subjecting him to sideways glances and rumors is unfair and should be avoided. If he worked his ass off for you, don’t reward him by inadvertently starting rumors simply by being too busy to remember to address this. You may wish to hold these until you are dismissing your regent (see below).
Be sure to plan ahead of time so that the monarch and regent each know what awards they will be presenting and in what order. Making a list for the herald is the best tool you have to ensure that everything is on the agenda and proceeds according to plan; if the herald has a list in front of him, you won’t have to worry about forgetting anything after your nerves get the better of you. Making this list in advance is key; you can always add to it (leaving space for last-minute additions is a great idea), but going over it ahead of time will help you to remember things you might otherwise forget. It also helps with the ambiance if that list is planned using the ORK so that you can include titles (whether serious or silly) that add to the atmosphere.
We’ll touch on the specific protocols for giving awards in a later section.
4. When awards are out of the way, the monarch should then undertake to thank and dismiss his court. Generally speaking, the guard should be dismissed first, herald second, the champion third, and the regent last, though there is no set-in-stone protocol for this. One acceptable way to vary protocol (and perhaps the preferred method) is to hold the regent’s awards (if you are the one who is going to give them) until you are dismissing them. Have the regent kneel to accept any awards or titles he is being granted, thank him for his service, and remove (or have him hand you) the crown.
5. Last, but certainly not least, the outgoing monarch should crown the incoming monarch. Some prefer that this be done monarch-to-monarch, with the incoming regent called up by the newly crowned monarch after the outgoing monarch has departed; this is largely a matter of preference and should be discussed between the incoming and outgoing monarchies prior to court to determine how to proceed. Some incoming monarchs like to make an entrance with their court behind them; some prefer to enter alone or just with their regent. Others have themed courts or performances planned that necessitate proceeding in a particular fashion. Again, communicate with each other and plan it out in advance so that the transition is as smooth as possible (and if it looks planned or choreographed, you’ll impress everyone).
Incoming Monarchy
1. This may vary depending upon your plans, but the first thing that generally should happen is that the regent will be crowned. After this, the champion should be called up and invested with the sword. At this point, it is best to call the herald and have them take over the remainder of the introductions. If the regent has a defender, that person is next, followed by the guard. You can choose to have them all approach together, but it is good protocol to specifically acknowledge the champion (regardless of how or when they arrived on stage) by his name and position so that he is identified to the populace. It is also courteous to identify the defender by name if one is appointed; the remainder of the guards may be identified by name or simply appointed en mass, whichever you prefer (or fits the style of your court).
You’ll note that in both the outgoing and incoming monarchies, I’ve placed the champion in position above the herald. Courts should be dismissed in order from lowest-ranking to highest-ranking, and introduced from highest-ranking to lowest-ranking. The champion, like the monarch and regent, had to accomplish tasks in order to claim their position and should be acknowledged properly for this. The monarch and regent had to qualify, pass tests, and win an election; the champion had to qualify, pass tests, and compete in the fighting tournament. This divides your court into, essentially, two sections: those who had to fulfill Corpora requirements for their position and those who were simply appointed. Those who accomplished goals to gain their position should be acknowledged before those who were appointed.
It is an appalling breach of etiquette to call your herald before your regent, and not a good idea to do so before the champion is acknowledged. Don’t be lazy; you can strain your voice a little in order to give your regent (and champion) his proper due.
2. Once your court is assembled, your agenda will look much like the outgoing monarchy’s did. First should come any announcements, thank you's, prizes, etc.
3. Next are any awards the incoming monarchy intends to give. These are usually few, though it will depend upon your arrangements with the outgoing monarchy. At this time, the outgoing monarch and regent should be acknowledged and thanked, regardless of whether or not you intend to grant them any awards or titles. If you are granting awards or titles, they should be handled at this time. Any knighting occurring at the incoming court will be handled last, and then court can be dismissed.
Midreign
Midreign courts can vary depending upon whether they are day events (a single park day, followed by feast and court at the park or a hall) or camping events, but they all tend to cover the same items. Functionally, midreign court is when the outgoing Prime Minister steps down and the new Prime Minister steps up. As it generally follows Dragonmaster and Weaponmaster, giving out recognition for those competitions is also an important item on the agenda.
A midreign court will follow a similar pattern to coronation court.
1. The court is assembled and any announcements, thank you's, prizes, etc. are given. Midreign courts usually do not involve a grand entrance by the court, though you can certainly do so if you wish. Most midreign courts will have the entire court assembled on stage before the herald opens court.
2. If any kingdom-level monarchs are in attendance and wish to speak, at this time the herald should recognize each of them individually and allow them to speak in turn. If subgroups are to hold their own courts, the herald should open and close each court in turn at this time.
3. The Weaponmaster and Dragonmaster results should be announced. The granting of the Dragonmaster spear from the previous Dragonmaster winner to the new winner, the Weaponmaster axe from the previous winner to the new one, and the awarding of the Dagger of Honor (which should also be passed from the previous winner to the new one) should be done at this time. Each should be called up separately. The best way to accomplish this is to call up and acknowledge the previous winner (who would bring the appropriate item with them before the court), then call up the new winner, allowing the previous winner to congratulate them and hand over the item, dismissing them and then calling up the next person.
Note that this is specific to an Iron Mountains kingdom court; the same principal applies to any group that has a pre-Midreign tournament, though items may or may not be exchanged.
4. The outgoing Prime Minister should be thanked and acknowledged at this time, and the new Prime Minister asked to stand and be recognized. One simple way of completing this is to call both people up, thank the outgoing Prime Minister, recognize the incoming Prime Minister and effect a symbolic “changing of the guard” (not to be confused with the actual guard). This can be simply having them shake hands, or (has been done in the past), having the outgoing Prime Minister actually hand something symbolic of the office over to the new Prime Minister, such as a cash box or attendance folder.
Because the Prime Minister is not on stage, it is easy to forget this important part of midreign. Take care that you don’t; like other officers, the Prime Ministers (both outgoing and incoming) had to pass tests and win an election, and they should be acknowledged properly. Awards for your outgoing Prime Minister should be given with the other awards (see below), NOT while the incoming Prime Minister is standing there; this is just awkward and strange.
5. Awards should be given at this time, once all other business has been addressed. Remember that you will need to address any achievements, services, garbing, etc. that has occurred since coronation. This is also a good time to address any awards that were forgotten or overlooked that the previous monarch requested be given (assuming you have agreed to do so. Though it is courteous to consider such requests, the monarch is under no obligation to give an award he does not agree with). Take care of any awards outstanding from coronation. (Note: this is not necessarily due to the previous monarch overlooking or forgetting awards; it’s entirely possible that contributions were made that escaped notice or occurred after court that merited recognition.) Awards for Weaponmaster and Dragonmaster should also occur at this time. Any awards or titles being given to the just-stepped-down Prime Minister should be covered, and last will come any knighthoods being granted.6. Court will generally be closed at this point.
A Note About Court Functions
These are, as I’ve said, only the most basic guidelines. Themes, quests, roleplaying, special items or presentations- all of these things may alter the flow of a particular court, but in general, even given your personal variations, court should follow this basic plan. Don’t be afraid to mix it up, but try to be sure that you are not doing so at the expense of others.
I want to stress again that there is plenty of room for creativity, flair and originality in any court. Feel free to rearrange things to fit your theme, a performance, a skit, or a bit of drama that you’ve cooked up to entertain the audience- just be sure that you are also taking care of business in an appropriate manner.
Don’t hesitate to hold a rehearsal if your plans are grand and splendiferous, or even if they’re fairly basic and you’re just nervous. This can be an invaluable tool to discovering where lapses, awkward silences and other problems might crop up during the real deal.
Finally, if you find all of this overwhelming, remember: you’re the monarch, and you can darn well delegate! Make your herald do the work and put him in charge of drawing up the agenda, or appoint a Master of Ceremonies to ensure that your court is planned and runs smoothly. You will still have to provide input and approve the final version (after all, your herald doesn’t know what awards you plan to give), but having someone else do the initial work- including setting up chairs and telling everyone where to sit or stand- can help take quite a load off your shoulders.
III. Awards, Titles and Knightings
Within the general “awards” section of court there are other rough guidelines to be followed. As stated above, there may be times when you change things around in order to make it fit your theme or to make it more special and meaningful for a particular person, but the guidelines below will generally hold true for most courts.
Cattle Calls vs. Individual Recognition
Once upon a time, many courts would call up individuals one at a time to receive each separate award. Today, it has become acceptable (in the interests of time and brevity) to call up groups of people who are receiving a similar award for similar reasons. This is fine- to a point.
1. Any of the ladder awards- such as roses, garbers, etc.- can be called up as a group (with the exception of number 3, below), but be sure that you take a moment to explain each award and single each person out briefly. Simply stating “These people are all getting roses”, passing out the awards and then dismissing everyone is never acceptable. Each person being given an award did something to merit it; take the time to stop at each one, state what they did to earn that award, grant a moment for applause, and then move on.
Though tenth orders are no longer “automatic” masterhoods, reaching the tenth order still carries some weight because it is the official criteria for meeting masterhood requirements. Tenth orders, or any order that is being given for extraordinary deeds or achievements far above and beyond the usual, should be called up solo and given their moment in the sun. Extraordinary achievements should be treated as special and not be part of a cattle call.
Griffins can be called up as their own group, as can hydras, though on occasion it may be warranted to call someone up for a Griffin solo (such as exceptional shot-taking and grace under pressure in a tournament that was generally agreed to have been particularly difficult).
Orders of the Zodiac can be called as a group as well, though you may wish to single them out as they generally represent a significantly above-average effort.
2. Orders of the Flame, Jovious and Mask should always be awarded separately (though, in the case of a Flame, you are still calling up a group of people). Titles should always be granted solo, as should masterhoods (whether they are ladder masterhoods, like a Master Rose, or class masterhoods, such as Master Healer). Knighthoods, of course, should always be solo. (It’s possible that there may be an occasion where this might not be true, but I haven’t seen a situation that warranted a “dual knighting” yet.)
3. Awards being given to officers who have recently stepped down should also be given solo. These people dedicated six months to a job and deserve a moment to be recognized. If you plan to give your recently-stepped-down Prime Minister a Lion, for example, give it to him separately from other Lions.
Award Precedence
The order that awards should be given in can be flexible, but the following is a general guideline.
1. Ladder awards will generally come first: Garbers, Warriors, Roses, Owls, Smiths, Lions, and Dragons. (However, if you intend to give written “thank you” letters of appreciation, these should come before the ladder awards.)
2. Coronation: Orders of the Hydra fit in nicely after the ladder awards.
3. Griffins. (Because they are generally highly regarded, it’s usually worth placing them after the ladder awards and Hydras.)
4. Orders of the Zodiac.
5. Any orders being given to a recently stepped-down officer in recognition of their service (titles come later).
6. Coronation: Orders of the Flame, Jovious and Mask.
7. Class Masterhoods. Masterhoods should always be given individually.
8. Titles from Walker of the Middle to Marquis. Titles should always be given individually and, if there is more than one being given, should be called in order of precedence. For example, if you plan to grant three titles, such as Lord, Baronet, and Baron, they should be given in order from lowest to highest. See the Corpora for the list of titles and their order.
9. Non-ladder Masterhoods (hydra, griffin, reeve). Masterhoods should always be given individually.
10. Titles from Count to Grand Duke. Titles should always be given individually and, if there is more than one being given, should be called in order of precedence. For example, if you plan to grant three titles, such as Count,Duke, and Archduke, they should be given in order from lowest to highest. See the Corpora for the list of titles and their order.
11. Ladder Masterhoods (rose, lion, warlord, etc.). Masterhoods should always be given individually.
12. Knightings.
The Protocols of Knightings
Other documents have been written outlining ways to perform knightings; all I will address here are certain matters of protocol that should be observed by the court.
1. When knighthoods occur, generally the knights of the kingdom (or Amtgard at large) are brought forward to the stage area. Regents and guards who are not knights should take care to ensure that they are not blocking, in the way of, or in front of any knight attending the ceremony. If necessary, they should step back and away from the area, or move to the sides.
2. The champion is usually responsible for handing the Sword of the Kingdom (aka the Champion’s Sword) to the monarch during the ceremony and as such should attend at the monarch’s shoulder to perform this duty. He should remain close, so that he is ready to receive the sword from the monarch (or the knight performing the ceremony) when appropriate; a champion who is not a knight should take care not to block any knights attending the ceremony while still remaining close enough to perform his duty. (This may change depending upon the ceremony planned; knighting ceremonies should always be planned in advance so that participants are aware of their responsibilities and what may be required of them.)
3. Visiting kingdom-level monarchs who are not knights should be granted equal status on stage with the knights attending the ceremony. Most kings are able to grant knighthoods in their own kingdoms and it is polite to treat them all as equals amongst the circle.
4. The king, guildmaster of knights, and the herald should communicate regarding the ceremony in advance, taking particular care to ensure that the ceremony is performed in a proper manner while guarding against awkward lulls and inappropriate behavior or interruptions. It is a good idea to have one or more people designated to keep an eye on things and discretely take control of any situation that looks like it might get out of hand.
5. Once upon a time, the entire knights’ receiving line would take place in front of court; if a million knights were present, the official “end” of court could be a long time coming indeed. It has become common to have only the presentation of gifts during court, then to announce that the full receiving line will take place immediately after court so that any other business can be taken care of before people begin to wander off or gather to congratulate the new knight. A planned, timely, purposeful announcement will also greatly aid you if more than one knighting is to take place in the same court, as it will clear the way for the next recipient without creating chaos that could disrupt the ceremony.
There are countless people who feel that court is “stupid”, “boring” or “pointless”, but it is one piece of culture that Amtgard would be poorer without. For every person who rolls their eyes when the king starts to ramble a bit, there is a wide-eyed newbie whose future goals and aspirations may be shaped by a well-turned phrase or solemn moment.
What every monarch and regent should understand is that though their own plans and goals are important, in the long run their job is all about the group, not themselves. Carrying on disrespectful, hurried courts does neither the kingdom nor its people justice. While there is room for individual style, a good monarch should realize that every court is about and for the people, not about or for him. People who feel that court is worthless can make the choice to not attend, if they wish. People who like dressing up and acting a bit (or very) formal have to rely on their monarchs and regents to make each court worthwhile and special for them. Pageantry is something that is often sorely lacking in Amtgard, and it will do you no lasting harm- I swear- to spend an hour or so ensuring that your courts are events to remember.
On the next pages are sample (and example) herald’s lists for various courts.
The first is an example of what a list might look like once it has been created, including names of participants and phrasing requested by the monarchy. (This list is short, with few awards, as it’s only meant to give you the idea.)
The next lists are blank sample lists that could be used both for your herald (removing the items you don’t need and adding space as necessary) as well as a list to remind yourself of what things you might need to take care of during court.
Example Herald’s List
I. Open court - “Thus opens the court of His Majesty King Bob and Her Highness Regent Candy of the Kingdom of the Crimson Seas!”
II. Words of welcome from the monarch – “His Most Displeased Pink Majesty would have a word with the traitors of the Land!”
III. Announcements
a. Baron Blake of Liverpool (wants to announce his barony’s potluck next week)
IV. Awarding of prizes
a. Lady Jane Grey (prizes for children’s quest)
b. Lord Jake Coldwell (prizes for assassin’s tourney)V. Awards
a. Letters of thank you and recognition
i. Lady Elizabeth, Sir Snake Blackly, Skullhead and Duke Freddy
b. Garbers
i. Mike, Jake Two, Lady Michelle
c. Jovious
i. Little Eddie
d. Master Druid
i. Sir Theodore the Red-Handed
e. Count
i. Baron Steven Smith
VI. Monarch will dismiss court (awards for regent will be given when dismissed) and call up the next monarch himself.
Sample Herald’s/Monarchy List: Coronation, Outgoing Monarchy
An editable copy of this list can be found here.
I. Open court
II. Words of welcome from the monarch
III. General Announcements
IV. If other kingdom-level monarchs are in attendance and wish to say a word, you should have them introduced and allow them to speak at this time. If subgroups are to hold their own courts, the herald should open and close each court in turn at this time.
V. Crown Quals/Crown Tourney Placings Announced (awards come later)
VI. Awarding of prizes (if applicable)
VII. Awards and Orders
a. Thank you's or letters of appreciation
b. Garbers
c. Warriors
d. Roses
e. Owls
f. Smiths
g. Lions
h. Dragons
i. Hydras
j. Griffins
k. Zodiac
l. Any orders being given to a recently stepped-down officer in recognition of their service
m. Any tenth orders given (should be individual, not as a group.)
n. Flame
o. Jovious
p. MaskVIII. Class Masterhoods (should be given to individuals separately, never as a group)
a. Anti-Paladin
b. Archer
c. Assassin
d. Barbarian
e. Bard
f. Druid
g. Healer
h. Monk
i. Monster
j. Paladin
k. Scout
l. Warrior
m. WizardIX. Titles (should be given to individuals separately, never as a group, in ascending order)
a. Walker of the Middle
b. Defender
c. Lord/Lady
d. Baronet
e. Baron/Baroness
f. Viscount/Viscountess
g. Marquis/MarquiseX. Non-Ladder Masterhoods (should be given to individuals separately, never as a group)
a. Reeve
b. Hydra
c. GriffinXI. Titles (should be given to individuals separately, never as a group, in ascending order)
a. Count/Countess
b. Duke/Duchess
c. Archduke/Archduchess
d. Grand Duke/Grand DuchessXII. Ladder Masterhoods (should be given to individuals separately, never as a group)
a. Garber
b. Warrior (aka Warlord)
c. Rose
d. Owl
e. Smith
f. Lion
g. DragonXIII. Knighthoods (note that these can be given in whichever order the monarch has decreed)
a. Crown
b. Flame
c. Serpent
d. SwordXIV. Any final words from the monarch and regent
XV. Dismissal of the court by the monarch
a. Guards
b. Herald
c. Champion
d. Regent (awards to the regent may be given at this time)XVI. Monarch calls forth the incoming monarch, crowns him, and turns court over at this time.
Sample Herald’s/Monarchy List: Coronation, Incoming Monarchy
An editable copy of this list can be found here.
I. Call and crown regent
II. Call forth the court
a. Champion
b. Herald
c. Guards
d. Any misc. court members as applicableIII. Words of welcome from the monarch
IV. General Announcements
V. Awarding of prizes (if applicable)
VI. Awards and Orders (this list will typically be short for an incoming court, but all are included)
a. Thank you's or letters of appreciation
b. Garbers
c. Warriors
d. Roses
e. Owls
f. Smiths
g. Lions
h. Dragons
i. Hydras
j. Griffins
k. Zodiac
l. Any orders being given to the just-stepped-down monarch (and regent, if applicable). Should be given separately.
m. Any tenth orders given (should be individual, not as a group.)
n. Flame
o. Jovious
p. MaskVII. Class Masterhoods (should be given to individuals separately, never as a group)
a. Anti-Paladin
b. Archer
c. Assassin
d. Barbarian
e. Bard
f. Druid
g. Healer
h. Monk
i. Monster
j. Paladin
k. Scout
l. Warrior
m. WizardVIII. Titles (should be given to individuals separately, never as a group, in ascending order)
a. Walker of the Middle
b. Defender
c. Lord/Lady
d. Baronet
e. Baron/Baroness
f. Viscount/Viscountess
g. Marquis/MarquiseIX. Non-Ladder Masterhoods (should be given to individuals separately, never as a group)
a. Reeve
b. Hydra
c. GriffinX. Titles (should be given to individuals separately, never as a group, in ascending order)
a. Count/Countess
b. Duke/Duchess
c. Archduke/Archduchess
d. Grand Duke/Grand DuchessXI. Ladder Masterhoods (should be given to individuals separately, never as a group)
a. Garber
b. Warrior (aka Warlord)
c. Rose
d. Owl
e. Smith
f. Lion
g. DragonXII. Knighthoods (note that these can be given in whichever order the monarch has decreed)
a. Crown
b. Flame
c. Serpent
d. SwordXIII. Any final words from the monarch and regent
XIV. Close court
Sample Herald’s/Monarchy List: Midreign
An editable copy of this list can be found here.
I. Open court
II. Words of welcome from the monarch
III. General Announcements
IV. If other kingdom-level monarchs are in attendance and wish to say a word, you should have them introduced and allow them to speak at this time. If subgroups are to hold their own courts, the herald should open and close each court in turn at this time.
V. Dragonmaster/Weaponmaster Placings Announced (awards come later)
a. Previous Dragonmaster turns over the spear to the new Dragonmaster
b. Previous Weaponmaster turns over the axe to the new Weaponmaster
c. Awarding of the Dagger of Honor (previous holder turns over to the new holder)VI. Awarding of prizes (if applicable)
VII. Announcing results of the Prime Minister election; have previous Prime Minister symbolically turn over the office to the new Prime Minister (awards for service should come later, during section VIII or IX as applicable.)
VIII. Awards and Orders
a. Thank you's or letters of appreciation
b. Garbers
c. Warriors
d. Roses
e. Owls
f. Smiths
g. Lions
h. Dragons
i. Hydras
j. Griffins
k. Zodiac
l. Any orders being given to a recently stepped-down officer in recognition of their service
m. Any tenth orders given (should be individual, not as a group.)
n. Flame
o. Jovious
p. MaskIX. Class Masterhoods (should be given to individuals separately, never as a group)
a. Anti-Paladin
b. Archer
c. Assassin
d. Barbarian
e. Bard
f. Druid
g. Healer
h. Monk
i. Monster
j. Paladin
k. Scout
l. Warrior
m. WizardX. Titles (should be given to individuals separately, never as a group, in ascending order)
a. Walker of the Middle
b. Defender
c. Lord/Lady
d. Baronet
e. Baron/Baroness
f. Viscount/Viscountess
g. Marquis/MarquiseXI. Non-Ladder Masterhoods (should be given to individuals separately, never as a group)
a. Reeve
b. Hydra
c. GriffinXII. Titles (should be given to individuals separately, never as a group, in ascending order)
a. Count/Countess
b. Duke/Duchess
c. Archduke/Archduchess
d. Grand Duke/Grand DuchessXIII. Ladder Masterhoods (should be given to individuals separately, never as a group)
a. Garber
b. Warrior (aka Warlord)
c. Rose
d. Owl
e. Smith
f. Lion
g. DragonXIV. Knighthoods (note that these can be given in whichever order the monarch has decreed)
a. Crown
b. Flame
c. Serpent
d. SwordXV. Any final words from the monarch and regent
XVI. Close court
