Ladder Award

The Ladder to Knighthood

A category of award given to those who accomplish suitable recognition-worthy tasks--each rank of which should be harder to obtain than the last. Masterhood in the ladder awards enables one to be considered for Knighthood in the respective categories (see below):

• Order of the Dragon (Serpent)
• Order of the Garber (Serpent)
• Order of the Lion (Flame)
• Order of the Owl (Serpent)
• Order of the Rose (Flame)
• Order of the Smith (Flame)
• Order of the Warrior (Sword)

Crown Knighthood is instead awarded based upon service in elected positions, rather than ranks in a Ladder Award. Additionally, such service is frequently rewarded with noble titles.

Former Ladder Awards

Since the advent of Award Standardization, these Awards are no longer part of a direct path to knighthood--though in the past, some Kingdoms considered their respective Masters for knighting. Kingdoms remain free under this system to institute any form of other awards, so long as they do not lead to Knighthood, and the orders below are perhaps the most commonly-seen non-Ladder Awards--though they frequently are still awarded in Ladder style (e.g. "4th Order of the Mask"). Some kingdoms will consider ranks in these orders favorably when evaluating a potential Knight, as they generally suggest a good caliber of player. Depending on individual Corporae, as well, some are only given out once per reign.

• Order of the Hydra (Previously Serpent)
• Order of the Griffon (Previously Sword or Flame)
• Order of the Mask (Previously Serpent; known as the Order of the Facade or of the Dead in some locales)
• Order of the Jovious (Previously Serpent or Flame)