General Organisation of the Order -- 3. Ranks & Forms of Address
by Bruce Heard Military Ranks: Grand Master of the
Order, Grand Knight, Knight Banneret, Knight Bachelor, the common
knight, and the sergeant in decreasing order of importance. All
soldiers beneath the rank of knight are addressed as "Brother"
followed by their name. A common knight is called "Brother Knight"
or "Brother" followed with the knight's name. When addressing any
other knight, one uses the term "Sir", "Sire", "Herr", "Lady" or
"Dame" as the case may be. When addressing the Grand Master, one
uses the term "My Lord" or "Meinherr" (The Grand Master title
pertains to both the military and clerical branches). Squire and
Sergeant- at-Arms aren't military ranks but functions. One of the
Sergeant-at-Arms should be a Grand Knight or a Knight Banneret who
will act as the commander's seneschal. The seneschal replaces an
army commander in his absence. A squire is equivalent to a common
sergeant, but unlike the latter, squires have taken their Oath of
Service to the Order.
Clerical Ranks: The head of each clerical branch has the title of
Primate, which automatically confers the rank of Grand Knight. A
Primate stands between a Grand Knight and the Grand Master of the
Order as far as personal authority is concerned. Serving a Primate
are Abbots, considered equivalent to Knights Banneret. Serving an
Abbot (or Abbess) are Priors, equivalent to common knights. Under a
Prior (or Prioress) toil Serving Brethren, standing between
indentured soldiers and sergeants; they are addressed as "Brother"
followed by their names. Among the Hammer of Vanya, Priors are
called Chaplains. Priors and Abbots are referred to as "Reverend
Father (or Mother)". The Primate of the Heart is called "Your
Eminence", while the Primate of the Hammer is called "Your Grace".