Noble Order of the Gorget

The Noble Order of the Gorget, known fully as the Worshipful Company of The Almighty's Crown at Whiterock are a Chivalric Order headquartered in Fort Mondale, a castle in the hills near Whiterock, the capital of Bastonia. Like all chivalric orders they are a paramilitary and religious organization, but of all the organized knighthoods in Bastonia, they are probably the least militarily significant, with the charge of performing diplomatic and civil duties.

The Order of the Lanyard is commanded by its Knight General, elected to the post by the senior officers of the order by their own number as the need warrants. The order swears fealty to the Duke of Bastonia (or, in the absence of an inheritor to the title, the Archbishop of Whiterock).

The blazon of the Order of the Lanyard is vert, on a chief purpure three mullets argent. High Ranking Officers, especially those who have been knighted, are further entitled to an additional blazon: 'Vert with bordure or, on a chief purpure three mullets argent, though most such officers are nobility in thieir own right and by dispensation carry their personal arms impaled sinister to the order's arms.

The Noble Order does not subdivide itself into military companies, regiments, or squadrons. Instead, it is subdivided into dozens of missions, each with its senior member, sometimes of no more than a half dozen sworn members. Such missions occupy stations throughout the kingdom or travel its roads, delivering royal proclamations and putting those matters into force, or bringing news back to Whiterock. The sole exception to this is a company which remains at Fort Mondale, and forms the household guard of the Duke of Bastonia. They are one part travelling magistrate, one part internal diplomat, and on occasions of great significance are usually assigned as the guard for diplomatic missions to other nations such as the Atarlie Empire or to the halls of the Clans of Magnus with which the Bastonians have business.

Because of this relatively cushy position, knights of the Noble Order of the Gorget are often looked down upon by their colleague-knights of other orders. Additionally in times when the succession is likely to be challenged, the Noble Order is viewed with distrust, and usually regarded as spies for the Duke of Bastonia, by any orders whose fealty is to one of the other Dukes-claimant.