What is a good compromise between chivalrous knights (Bretonnia)

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>>51869636
Knights of the Round Table.

>>51869636
How about looking up an actual freaking person for inspiration instead of just pop culture caricatures?

Compromise on what exactly? Being less assholes? Or are you looking for some kind of general theme or archetype to use for an entire setting?

>>51869636
No one forbids you to have both.
Yes, screeching idiots who see the world in black and white count as no one.

>>51869636
>Implying Bretonnian knights aren't assholes

>>51869636
Asshole knight is a huge meme. Not that knights weren't assholes at times. But they were no more or less prone to be assholes than absolutely any other warrior class. Yet you get the 'asshole samurai' much less often than 'asshole knight'. Even, oftern mercenaries are depicted of more honorable and 'main character worthy' than knights. Which is preposterous.

So, just like, make your kngihts be people. Some good, some bad. Most are duty bound to do shit, but they can either be dicks about how they do it or not since they have a lot of freedom and authority. Have the knights who aren't dicks being often at odds (though seldomly outright fighting) with the dickish ones. And make the dickish ones thinking the non dickish ones are dumb for not taking advantage of their position to be dicks.

>>51869636
You could treat them as people who have a job.

You could go good, but practical ala Vines from Discworld or Sparhawk from the Elenium

>>51869636
Bretonnians are the kings of assholes, you know.

>>51869842
>Implying being chivalrous means that you can't also be an asshole

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>>51869636
Actual knights. As in some acting like true knights in shining armor, some acting like assholes but the majority of them just doing their jobs as murderfuckmachines in whatever general direction their lord points them in who are mostly kinda chill when not murderfucking the enemy.

>>51869636
Real life.

>>51869636
Brettonia knights ARE assholes though

>>51870076
>Implying being chivalrous does not automatically mean being an asshole

>>51870491
It does not though

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>>51869636
Bretonnian Knights are even worse to the smallfolk thant GoT knights. While ASoIaF has straight up good knights like Duncan and Lancel too.

>>51869904
>>51870165

This. Also, read Arthur Conan Doyles "The White Company" and "Sir Nigel".

>>51869842
This.

They're pretty grey as a faction, which I like.

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>>51869842
It depends. Bretonnian knights are downright horrid to peasants, probably worse than GoT knights. That said, hurting (noble) women or treating them in an unchivalrous manner is a BIG nono for them, and they keep the promises they make in a strictly religious manner. Plus their king IS a genuine and honest example of chivalry. Yet at the same time peasants are treated worse than shit in his kingdom.

So in the end, Bretonnians are the compromise.

Make or steal a knightly code. Have most knights hold basically to it, bending and interpreting to suit their circumstances and desires. A few outliers should hold to it in a more legalistic way, a few should try to change what the intent behind the laws are to suit what they want for good or ill, a few should try to use it as underhandedly as possible.

Done.

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>>51869636
Focus on their ideology. They should be principled and moral often in ways that we can approve of. Your Knights can see themselves as stewards of the land, of the serfs and as an example of the local faith they strive to be charitable. They're even handed and often honorable. Horrible invaders and threats could have been halted by his presence alone. And beyond martial skill they're a well educated aristocrat and not lacking a charisma.

But they very much believe in strict class roles as a means of maintaining social cohesion and as much as they are your protector; they are also your warden. If a peasant struck a nobleman while trying to say, steal some bread from him, the knight would without hesitation slaughter him for raising his hand against his liege lord.

A shield for the just and a sword for the wicked.