The test of Takhisis

The Test of Takhisis

For all orders, continuation past the rank of Knight Believer requires that the knight pass a test of loyalty. Just as the wizards of Krynn must pass the dread Test of the Towers of High Sorcery, so, too, must all the Knights of the Lily pass a similar test in order to advance. Failure in this test results in death. There has never been a case where a failed knight has survived. Even if a knight manages to escape, the members of all three orders use their powers to track the knight down.
The test for the Knights of the Lily generally centers around the three themes of Vision, Order, and Obedience. The test is every bit as difficult as the Test in the Tower of High Sorcery. Typical problems posed are: Will the knight sacrifice whatever is necessary - power, fortune, a loved companion, life itself - in order to fulfill the Vision? Will order and obeidience win out over sentiment of the heart? Will the knight obey an order at the sacrifice of the knight's own life or the lives of kin or loved ones?
As in the Tower, the test may be an illusion, though the tested knights truly believe that what they are undergoing is real. Or, in some instances, the knights may be sent on missions or quests designed to prove their worthiness. The test is dangerous and often cruel in the extreme, but those who pass are as strong as steel forged in the fires of the Lords of Doom.
The nature of the test is designed by the knight's advocate - the one person who knows the knight best. The advocate understands and appreciates the fact that a knight must be strong in order to fulfill the Vision. There can be no weak links in the chain. Therefore, the test is never made easy for the supplicant. Quite the contrary, no advocate wants to be known as the sponsor of a weak and ineffective knight, and, therefore, the test is designed to be as difficult as posible.
Knights who pass the test then undergo a period of training of about six months. This grueling instruction generally takes place in real world scenarios, but occasionally extends into other regions if the training specifically requires. After this training period, the supplicant usually has achieved enough experience to advance beyond the rank of Novice, and can chose which order they want to advance to. Often this is the order of their advocate, but this need not strictly be the case. The ascension of the Knight into the next order takes place in a solemn ceremony at the knighthood's headquarters, in the hidden fortress of skullcap.
The knight is kept in seclusion in the Temple of Takhisis, fasting and praying, for four days prior to the ceremony. At the end of this period, during which the knight receives the Deep Vision, the knight is blessed by dark clerics and sent forth. The knight comes before the rank and file of knights (all those currently in residence), including the Lord of Night himself. The Procession of Knights is enacted. The advancement in rank is bestowed upon the knight by the Lord of Night, and the knight is officially accepted into the Knighthood.
Only after this training is the knight considered a full member of the order.