The Starsilver Concordant was established in the year 2939 of the Third Age by Prince Angelimir of Dol Amroth, during the tumultuous time shortly before the White Council expelled the Necromancer from Dol Dulgur. Fearing for the safety of of the people of Belfalas, Prince Angelimir created the Starsilver Concordant both as a way to ensure unity of purpose amongst the Swan-knights and to discourage dangerous rebellions during times of war.
The Concordant was named for starsilver, a rare metal found exclusively long the coasts of Belfalas that is used to fashion weapons and armour for Swan-knights. These starsilver pieces are given only for extended service, and are considered to represent the exceptional strength, resilience, and protective nature of the Swan-knight Order.
The Starsilver Concordant may be invoked by a noble of Dol Amroth, and compels the Swan-knight upon whom it is invoked to the service of said noble. The Swan-knight must then obey any and all orders given by that noble, privileging them above all others.
The Concordant was a necessary loophole in times of war, but because of the obvious potential for abuse, implementation was discouraged shortly after peace was regained. Although the law fell out of common lexicon and records of it today are actively restricted, the law itself was never dissolved, and remains in effect.
The Concordant may be invoked if all of the following conditions are met:
*The invoker is from one of Dol Amroth's old-blooded noble houses.
*The subject is currently in active service as a Swan-knight.
*The invoker outranks the subject (if the subject is also from an old-blooded house, seniority is determined by age of the involved parties).
The Concordant is considered to be in effect indefinitely until revoked by an individual of royal blood. Failure to observe the Concordant is punishable by death of the bound Swan-knight, his family, and any dependents.
In cases where the affected Swan-knight is NOT of an old-blooded house, or has not been in active duty for at least six of the previous twelve months, the Swan-knight is disallowed from taking orders from any other individuals, including those who may outrank him, save for the Knight-commander himself.