All That Is Evil Is Not Dark/Chapter 26

"Now I must inform you, as is my duty, that I, as the chosen communicant of the Water Lord, stand ineligible of my position. By right of authority, I should be stripped of my power."

"Knights can be priests; kings can be priests, even," Tralin responded.

"Yes, but the First Knight may not, unless I were the communicant of the same god which my king served."

"True. But while you are First Knight in absentia, you remain the Second Knight and are authorized to remain communicant, unless the First Knight removes your authority."

"What?" Cerin responded, confused.

"You are, however, required to return the First Knight's sword."

"What?" Cerin repeated.

"It is very simple. The First Knight, barring his official resignation, which I have not received, is Delnar."

"Delnar is dead," Cerin said, baffled.

"Not quite," Tralin replied. "Is there any text within the code of Deren which forbids a First Knight from any race?"

"No," Cerin responded. "Any who is loyal may be First Knight."

"So an undead may be First Knight?"

"What?" Cerin asked, startled.

"No rule prevents an undead from being First Knight of Deren?" Tralin responded.

"No, but..."

"Well then, I rest my case. Delnar remains First Knight of Deren as he is a Death Knight residing in the Vandarian city of Stone Deep."

"Um," Cerin responded, confused.

"Wait," Darin replied, confused for an entirely different reason. "Delnar has accepted service to the Shadow Lord. He is therefore himself ineligible to be First Knight."

"Having spoken to the Lord of Shadows himself, I do hereby recognize that his devotion to the temple is completely compatible with his loyalty to the throne and the church of the King."

"The church of the King?" Darin and Jano asked simultaneously. "You have always stood independent of all temples."

"We are nevertheless the servant of the powers. The church of the King of Deren is that of the Spirit Lord, and we are the Spirit Lord's chosen communicant."