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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
→Society
[[Image:KnightHouseOrg.jpg|thumb|right|Organization of a Knightly House sworn to the [[Adeptus Terra]] ]]
[[Image:KnightHouseOrg2.jpg|thumb|right|Organization of a Knightly House sworn to the [[Mechanicum]] ]]
The Knight Worlds operated under a strict feudal system. Each House is ruled by a '''High King''', who in turn has a noble inner circle consisting of a variety of titles such as '''Kingsward''' (or [[Princeps]] in the case of [[Mechanicum-aligned houses]]), '''[[Baron]]''', '''Gatekeeper''', '''Herald''', and so on. Under these aristocrats are lesser nobles known as '''Vassals'''.{{Fn|4a}} A sub-class called the Drovers looked after the animal herds, as the nobility would not soil their hands with such work. The Drovers used walkers similar to those of their masters, but they were, by law, not armed with any weapons, despite the fact that they faced very serious threats in the form of predators and xenos raids. This forced the Drovers to rely on the Knights for protection, and created a dependency comfortable for the nobles, as it made revolt virtually impossible.{{Fn|3}}
In addition to the Knight war machines, every House had multiple men-at-arms in its employ, resembling [[Planetary Defence Force]]s, although possessing a much smaller amount of heavy equipment. On several worlds, artificers and technicians became the most important subjects of the warrior nobility. They maintained the Knight walkers, and over time styled themselves as a priesthood for the half-forgotten mysteries of technology called the [[Sacristan]]s. They arbitrated between the Knight Houses and ensured that the headstrong nobles did not wipe out one another in bitter feuds by ritualising the values of Duty, Honour and Valour. With the acceptance of these values, the Knights became known as The Chivalry.{{Fn|3}}
