Introducing your character: Biography

When you're done reading the introduction in the rules and character creation section of this forum, feel free to post your story here.

Quote :

Name:
Order:
Rank:

Biography:

Stats, Traits and Equipment:

Name: Ealdred FitzGerrard
Order: Knights of the Lion
Rank: Knight

Biography:
Ealdred was born as the second son to Baron Gerrard VI of Isenfeld, descendant of a side branch of the Monash dynasty of Laria that was founded long ago by one Gerrard Monash, the fifth son of a duke of Laria. While Alfred, the firstborn of the family, as a future marcher lord would traditionally join the Clarion Call, Ealdred as the second son was predestined to join the Lions and had been training towards this destiny ever since his childhood. Like most offsprings of marcher lords he was trained by the duke of Laria's master-at-arms. Together with that, growing up in a family of marcher nobles influenced his fighting style - unlike most heartland nobles Ealdred is more skilled with the bow than with the crossbow.
The barony of Isenfeld guards the remote iron mines on the border to the steppes and frequently needs to defend itself against Jatu incursions. Early on Ealdred joined the patrols and at the age of 19 was given command of his own force and made responsible for one of the mines.
One day, on his way home to the family's tower house, he saw smoke rising in the distance. Fearing the worst he spurred his horse and urged his men to speed up. As they drew nearer it became apparent that his fears had come true. The village around the keep was all aflame and in the streets the menacing glare of many-tailed Jatu pennants flying in the fires' updraught forebode the worst.
In full gallop he and his men raced towards the keep, only to find the gates of the courtyard breached and flames licking out of the upper windows. From within the sound of weapons smashing on armour and cries of agony could be heard. Without even thinking of dismounting he drove his horse through the smoldering remains of the stately main doors into the great hall, his men on his heels.
Inside he found the Jatu force attacking the bloodied remnants of the garrison, led by his elder brother, that tried to defend a ramshackle barricade made of tables and other furniture to shield the mass of frightened villagers huddled against the back wall of the large room from the wrath of the steppe nomads. The Jatu had dismounted to storm the keep, and Ealdred did not tarry long, but drove his horse right into their ranks, screaming and slashing to all sides. His men followed him and with renewed confidence Alfred and his men joined the charge, ultimately smashing the attackers between them.
"Where are father and mother?" Ealdred asked without wasting a moment with greetings and the like, when the last Jatu fell under his brother's blade. Alfred lowered his eyes and just nodded towards the makeshift barricade. When Ealdred hurried around what had once been the great table, he found his mother huddled over his father's lifeless body. Even the marcher baron's hardy constitution had not saved him from the vicious cuts of the nomads' sabres and the sting of their barbed arrows.
"Why?" Ealdred screamed in grief and rage. "Why do we have to pay with our blood for the rest of the kingdom's iron? Where is the king to protect us? Where is the Clarion Call? The Lion? Do they even care for us or just for the swords smithed from our iron?"
"Because it is our duty as marcher lords", his brother sadly responded, "to protect the borders, with our lives if necessary."
Ealdred fell silent, his expression darkened. "If necessary, yes, if necessary", he then said, his expression going from dark to stern.
Kneeling down beside his father's body he leaned on his sword and proclaimed: "By the name of Eunomia Stabilitis, I vow to take revenge on the Jatu and teach them to never again attack the holdings of Isenfeld. I will raise a force of Knights of the Lion and the Jatu shall fall under the combined wrath of our two orders."
He turned to his brother: "Rebuild the barony and protect mother, I shall return as a Lion officer one day and then the Jatu will pay."

The next morning he packed his saddlebags, bade good-bye to his mother and brother and set off towards Sarleon, leaving the smoldering remnants of the village behind him, although not his memories and resolve.

With a recommendation of the duke of Laria's master-at-arms in his pocket and reports spreading of the battle at Isenfeld Ealdred was quickly accepted as a squire and after some years of training was finally made a full knight.

He has been a knight for two years now and is eager to prove himself and progress through the ranks, always reminiscent of the vow he took. He has also retained a certain subtle disdain for the soft heartland nobles, though, that in his eyes leave all the real fighting and bleeding to their eastern cousins.

Background: Noble (Sword and Bow, instead of Crossbow; cf. bio)
Stats: WP 2, Sk 1 (bow, +1 with 1h-swords, daggers), SP 1 (see below)
Traits: Agile (Clarion Call combat trained), Finesse (Clarion Call training), Tactician (has experience leading men, cf. bio), Disdain for heartland nobles (cf. above), noble knowledge (cf. background)
Equipment: Larian Hunter (free, cf. noble background + marcher noble). Thick Medium Armour (10 + free), Keen Sarleon Knight Longsword (15 + free), Short Composite Bow + Bodkin Arrows(10), Knights of the Lion Shield (5), Balanced Dagger (5+5).

PS: I am unsure regarding the base WP, as I found no account on the average WP per order. Also, I don't know whether the free Larian Horse is legit, or whether I should tone that one down to a basic horse. Are arrows comprised in the cost for bows or do they have to be purchased separately?

Name: Sir Laertes Amelion,
Order: Knight of the Lion
Rank: knight

History of the Amelion Dynasty

The House of Amelion, it's current head Baron Lennard, has been an old and politically important family in the history of the Kingdoms of Pendor and Sarleon.

The house first came into existence during the violent founding of Pendor. Records indicate that the house served as warriors under King Cavalas, and was rewarded with lands, specifically one town on the slopes of a mountain near Mistmire. This town is the origin of the name Amelion.


In the 82nd year after the founding of Pendor, Sir Lathon, head of the house of Amelion at that point, was one of the founding members of the Knights of the Lion, and a personal friend of Sir Roderick the Red. The Knights of the Lion grew to be one of the largest and most renowned order of knights.

Most male members  of the house of Amelion from that point onwards were trained and bred for membership in the Knights of the Lion. The artwork and records within the holdfast attest to many courageous deeds being undertaken.

Notable Knights in the family included Sir Simon the deathbringer, who in a seemingly hopeless engagement between a lion patrol and Vanskerries, managed to slay over fifty of them singlehandedly.

There was also the knight Sir Robert, famed for his martial triumphs and his famous love of the King's distant cousin Catherine, and his brother Sir Martin, who was quite known for his hatred of the Mystmountain tribes.

The family lands grew from having only the town of Amelion and some surrounding manors, to possessing several estates near Laria, and being the barons of some land between Janos and Ishkoman. The Amelion family was looked favorably upon by the lords of Avendor, and were often close advisers to them.

The year 198 however, was a tragedy for the family, and for all of Pendor. The Red Plague killed indiscriminately. Most of the family passed away, with only several men and women surviving in the town of Amelion. Their lands abroad were now forfeit in the chaos, as almost every lord in Pendor laid claim to the throne. The new head of the family, Sir Denis, was instrumental in winning over the Lord of Avendor to the cause of Duke Alfred of Sarleon. The tie between the family and the knights of the Lion were especially apparent in this period, as Sir Denis and his sons managed to serve as mediators. Sir Denis even showed his devotion to the kingdom and Lions, when he forfeited his right to the now-conquered family lands in Laria to try and win the lord of Laria over.

Sir Denis however, lost his life in a major battle against General Oasar, and Duke Alfred was not able to take power until two years later in 204. His son Sir Henry served as a personal bodyguard to Duke Alfred, following the decimation of the order of the Griffon against the Jatu tribes.

The next hundred years for the family was marked with the deeds of its individual members trying to protect the new kingdom against all threats and enemies. Multiple records exist of knights from the family fighting in most major engagements.

However, in 298, the order of the Lion was outlawed, and its members banished from Pendor. Many Amelion knights went into hiding, with only an eight-year-old boy, Lennard, standing in as Lord of Amelion, with his mother Lady Carelia as a regent and his uncle Bishop Humbert of Avendor as an advisor. Many of the knights scattered from the kingdom of Sarleon, disguising themselves as Adventurers or taking fake names under friendly lords, and trying to support themselves. They sent gifts of gold and secret letters disguised as courtship offers to Lady Carelia to support the remnants of the family.  

In the 346th year after the founding however, King Ulric brought back the knights of the Lion, and as an extension, the knights of the lion from House Amelion. The knights set themselves back to guarding the king and serving the lord of Avendor, with undying loyalty.

Sir Laertes Amelion, firstborn of Lennard Amelion, paged for Duke Brennus at Avendor when he was young. He was instilled with a strong sense of pride for his lineage and a desire to expand his family's power. When he was 13, the order of the lion was restored by King Ulric, and gave him a chance to live up to the legends of his ancestors. With his relatives, uncles, and far off cousins returning to fill up positions, and with a need to rebuild the order, King Ulric offered Baron Lennard a spot for Laertes as a squire of the lion. A year later, Laertes left the duchy of Avendor, and entered Sarleon as a squire of the lion to King Ulric.

A courtier and noble, Laertes took well to life at Sarleon. He became one of the most talented squires, excelling in the areas of martial warfare and courtly skills. He became renowned for his swordsmanship. He tried his best to embody the chivalric ideals of the order, and became loyal to a fault to the king. He won't let anyone say anything against Ulric in his presence.

He trained himself to be fast, taking advantage of the moment, and practicing with his old lion relatives, learned to be particularly more hardy then the other squires. His superiority to the other squires have left him with a sense of arrogance, and a temper against any who wrong him.

Laertes rode into battle with Ulric and the knights of the lion time and time again against the enemies of the Kingdom. Shortly after his 21st birthday, in the year 353, he was knighted by King Ulric in Sarleon as a full fledged knight of the lion. Following his knighting, the order gave him a heavy lion warhorse, a lion shield, and a set of thick partial plate armor. His family, upon receiving him for a feast at Amelion, gave him the family heirloom blade "Lionclaw", a sword of war, and one of his older cousins gifted him his old adventuring crossbow.

Now in present day, Laertes has been assigned by the order to Singal. He is proud to have the opportunity to spread King Ulric's rule, and win glory for king and country.

Background: noble

Traits:
1. Exceptional swordsmanship (+2 skill sword)
2. Agile (+1 speed)
3. Tough (+1 WP)

50 renown

heavy warhorse (free)
-10 thick medium armor (3 WP)
-10 sword of war
-15 keen Sarleon Knight Sword
-5 Lion Shield
-10 crossbow

Stats:

WP: (2+3+1) = 6
SP: 1
SK:Sword +2
Crossbow +1

Not really sure how active I will be, but I was in the mood to make a character, and am - at the very least willing - to give it a try.


Name: Thohand Avestan Morrincat
Order: Knights of the Lion
Rank: Knight

Biography:
Born as the second son of minor baron, Thohand was raised at his father's estate in the mountains near Seven Cross keep, locally well known for its rather reliable iron ore and small amounts of silver that brought some prosperity to the family.

While Thohand elder brother was destined to inherit the estate and was constantly educated with this purpose in mind, Thohand was prepared to set out into the world on his own and earn a name for himself, which was exactly what he did once he had completed his training as a squire. As a knight errant, he travelled the lands of Pendor for many years, hunting bandits and outlaws and fighting the occasional rogue knight, as well as answering the call to arms whenever foreign kingdoms encroached on Sarleon's territory.

When he was twenty-one, Thohand took part in the Battle of Asbridge Creek, and managed to impress the Lord of Talon Castle enough to earn himself a commission within the Baron's household. He served there for three years, building a reputation of skill and loyalty that eventually brought him to the attention of the Duke of Marleons who summoned him to enter his personal retinue of knights. At first, Thohand was exultant at the prospect of serving one of the great Dukes of the kingdom, but over the cause of two years, any sense of joy or exultation turned sour, mostly due to the existence of Marleons's heavy cavalry and the Duke's frequent use of them, which Thohand considered to be an affront to the knights serving the Duke as well as to the ideals of knighthood in general.

Eventually, his discontent grew so large that Thohand decided to leave the Duke's service (with his permission, of course), despite the loss of prestige and general disfavour that this earned him. He travelled again for a while, returning home briefly to reconnect with his family, before joining the lord of Seven Cross Keep to go on campaign. Through a series of brutal battles, Thohand distinguished himself from his peers in both skill and valour, and despite, or maybe even because of his history with the Duke of Marleons, was invited to join the Knights of the Lion, barely a year ago.


Background: Noble (Sword and Bow, instead of Crossbow)

Stats: WP 5 (6 on Horseback), Sk 1 , SP -2

Traits: Good: Sword (free), Good: Bow (free), Nobility Knowledge (free), Good: Lance, Horseman, Survivalist

Equipment: Balanced, Keen Sword (5 + 15 + free), Thick Heavy Armour (10 + free), Shield (5), Lance (10), Heavy Armoured Warhorse (Free)
Dagger (5)

Name : Koper Gallicus
Order : Eventide
Rank : Knight (Scholar in Residence)

Biography
Koper is a so called intellectual, a man of reason and logic. Had he kept his nose purely in the pursuit of science he may have found a place among the Radiant Cross or one at one of the great universities of Pendor. While Koper is very widely read, and has himself written on a great number of topics he has chosen to apply his modern scientific principles primarily to religion. It has become something of a quest to disprove the existence of the gods, and with that to prove that the heretics and cultists were afflicted by a malady of the mind rather than magical domination.

This of course earned him the ire of the Knight of Dawn who have flagged him a heretic and hunt him down with every opportunity in order to silence his falsehoods. They are growing concerned with his increasing audience, and are alarmed that he seems to have found a degree of fame for his "teachings".

The Grandmaster of the Eventide, remembering the very basis for the schism from the Dawn seized on the opportunity to retain the services of this renowned scholar. In exchange for the protection of the Order, Koper was charged with proving that heresy is an illness which can be cured, and that the power of the mystic can be defeated by the scientific method.

Koper, a knight by title only is the resident scholar of the Eventide, and he has published a number of books pertaining to the study of heresy and its affects on the mind. The Eventide even provide captive cultists from time to time so that he may ply his trade on them, and to provide the Order with cover for their own illicit activities, their own involvement of course hidden from Koper's prying eyes.

The man himself has olive skin and is of middle age (40s). His eyes are dark but twinkle with a keen intelligence, and his head is topped by a flop of ill maintained black curly hair, and his face lined with a fine black beard.

Background : Scholar

Stats
WP : 2
Skill : -2
Speed : 0

Traits
Terrible Weapon Proficiency (Scholar)
Scholar Skills (General learning, Scholar)
Fast Learner (Scholar)
Persuasive (1 Trait, able to persuade others more easily)
Alchemist (1 Trait, allows use of powders, potions and poisons)
Sceptic (1 Trait, far more resistant to the dark arts, less likely to believe lies)
Pack Rat (Free from special Robe)

Equipment
Robe with many, many pockets (grants Pack Rat trait)
Courser (free)
Dagger (free)

Robe pockets are filled out with various scientific apparatus and tricks like a telescope, glasses, paper, pen. Additionally some things like smoke powder (ashes), explosive powder (black powder), blinding dust (lime). Basically stuff which he can make look like magic but isn't.
Cost : 50 Renown

Renown
0

Name: Ahriman Vairosean
Order: Order of the Eventide
Rank: Knight

Biography:

The D'Shar steppes have always been an open opportunity for men who have not found their place in the other nations of Pendor. The raiding culture and influence of their Jatu ancestors leaves, wealth, weapons and people open for the taking where in other nations like Sarleon the Kings Law would prevent such "initiative". Unsurprisingly the adventurer bands that plague Pendor are as thick here as the Mystmountain tribes are in the far North.

Ahriman had something of a "falling out" with his family in the city of Torbah, apparently refusing an arranged marriage that had been formed to further his minor nobility father's political power was grounds for being disowned and cast out of the family. That was fine with him, the old man had always thought himself far smarter than he really was, and it wouldn't be long before the Lord of Torbah had finally had enough of the old man and placed his head on a spike above the Western gate. Not that Ahriman had any part in that. It wasn't as if a packet of incriminating letters and trade documents that detailed how skillfully the old man had cheated the Lord on a dealing in horseflesh had vanished from his father's house the day he had been disowned. Or that said packet had been the centerpiece of the trial and subsequent punishment of his father. The family shield and longsword were also found missing the next day as well. That the Lord had decided to make an example of his entire family as a message to others thinking of cheating him was unfortunate, but at least it had resulted in his cousin Ormuz coming with him, so he wasn't entirely alone in his new world.

The bands of adventurers that roamed the steppe always had a place for another young man that could ride a horse and swing a sword, if anything they were just another body in front of the more experienced members of the party that would soak up a crossbow bolt or sword thrust to the guts. Ahriman fit in well with the band that accepted him. It was a smaller one, the "Band of the Jackal" as their "fearless" leader called them since they scvanged from the sites of numerous skirmishes on the steppes as much as striking themselves or taking jobs. Ahriman approved of the name, it was fitting. A band of jackals could even take down a Lion after all. Over time he and his cousin eventually became on of the seasoned members of the group, with all the skills and equipment that that entailed.

However, jackals should know when they should run away instead of baring their fangs at a larger, and much more dangerous beast. In the Bands case that came when their leader made the very poor decision of attacking on of the roving Death Cults that seemed to spring up from time to time around the city of Singal. The group they fell upon was easy enough to kill, the lot of them standing around in a circle chanting under the full moon wasn't much defense against 15 mounted men coming charging over a grassy steppe hill. Ahriman even got a fine new sword from the action off the armored corpse of the cultists leader, a sturdy, well balanced Sword of War that hung off his back and fit in his hand like it was made for him.

Whatever god the Death Cults serve must be a vindictive one, when Ahriman looked back on what happened to the Band in the following weeks. At first it was almost unnoticeable, a rider in black plate watching them travel from high atop a nearby hill. the next day there were two, the following three, each day one more joining them, then two, then three until they outnumbered the jackals handily. Even riding hard through a day and night couldn't shake their new-found entourage. Eventually the jackals just gave up worrying about them, after all it had been a few weeks and still they hadn't made a move, just watched them.

They should have paid attention to the phase of the moon, because the first new moon after their attack on the cultists the black riders swept out of the night as the jackals sat around their campfires. Unlike the tribesmen who raided and skirmished amongst their fellows, those who roared and screamed war cries as they charged, these men in their black armor emblazoned with the horned skull on their chests and shields made no noise. The only warning the adventurers received was the thunder of hooves on the dry steppe ground, not even Ahriman's sharp eyes had been able to pick them out of the dark as they approached. That and the sound of the man whose turn it was on guard duty's head being parted nosily from his body by a longsword.

It wasn't much of a contest; half the jackals were drunk, the other half, Ahriman and Ormuz included were unarmored for the night. Those who resisted were slain, which was all but two. Ahriman and Ormuz were fortunate enough, or unfortunate, it is somewhat hard to tell, to face one of the cultists that carried a mace, with the two being rendered unconscious by sharp blows to the head.

The sound of a crackling wood and the smell of a large fire woke the two, their vision still blurry after the mace's tender mercies. The armored men stood in a ring around the fire, their helmeted heads turned towards the two as their movements drew their attention. The one in the most ornate armor approached and gave the two a choice, starting with Ormuz. The debt of blood that the jackals had incurred was only short by one more soul, one of the two cousins would fill it, but Ormuz was given the choice of sacrificing his cousin to save his own life. He foolishly refused, balking at the thought of killing his own kin. Unfortunately for him Ahriman valued his life more than that of his family.

Ignoring the protests and pleading looks given to him by Ormuz, Ahriman took the proferred sacrifical dagger and cut his cousins throat. The bleeding, still living Ormuz was then thrown onto the bonfire as the cultists around it took a knee, as if in the presence of a lord. The cult leader pushed Ahriman up to the fire and instructed him to speak a few lines in a language that he didn't understand. He obliged as he watched his kin burn and had to stop himself from crying out as something answered him from the flames.

"The debt is repaid. In part. You serve until it is deemed full."

What happened over the following month was fuzzy for him, but he rode with this Death Cult, participated in their rites, proved an able enough cultist and warrior, but did not hear the voice from the fire again. One night as the Cult bedded down for the night around the city of Singal, the cultists leader came to him and took him into the city. Induction into the Order of the Eventide followed soon after, with few questions asked and fewer answers given by either party, though Ahriman was given strict instruction to not speak of what he had seen in the cult, or at the very least not run his mouth over much, the dogs in White and Black were always watching....

Background: Adventurer

stats:
WP:6
SK:1 with longswords
0 with everything else
SP: -2


Traits:
Keen senses
Good with longswords
Tough

Equipment:
Heavy armor (free)
Masterwork Sword of War (adventurer origin)
Shield (5 renown)
longsword (5 renown) + balanced (5 renown)+ keen (15 renown)
heavy warhorse (20 renown)

renown left: 0

Name: Tarik "the unsung"
Order: Order of the Eventide
Rank: Knight

Biography:

Many of the newer knights in the Eventide wonder why Tarik is called “the unsung”. Some think that he is perhaps underwhelming in combat while others speculate that he is so brutal that no witnesses’ are left. Ultimately, those closer to him know that it is because the “kind” of work he does is best kept “unheard”.

In his youth, Tarik learned that living an honorable life was an uphill battle for orphans such as him. The only law-abiding way to survive that he knew of was to be turned into a child beggar, a concept he wasn’t too fond off. On the other hand, pick pocketing; “taking from others”, felt natural.

It was not until later in his life that he got to know a sensation that felt much more natural. On the eve of a sunny day; Tarik had enraged one his handlers by not wanting to give him a cut of what he stole, they got in a scuffle and a dagger was unsheathed… with the result of Tarik standing over the dead body of his handler. This moment defined him, he had not only learned how easy it was kill, but how easy it was for him, it felt almost instinctive… This newfound talent propelled him into leaving the thieving business to become a killer for hire, and eventually a full-fledged assassin.

In his prime, Tarik served as an assassin for the Ishkoman D’shar lords in their moments of internal strife. As he moved from job to job, he one day had a mission that tasked him to kill an influential slaver at a feast in Singal. Unbeknownst to him, Darius the Eventide Grand master was attending and had the Eventide knights take guard duty, he was met by knights when he expected normal security. Tarik fought fiercely and took down a knight and injured another before he succumbed to the superior martial power of the Eventide.

He awoke later in a cell, greeted by the grandmaster of the order. Darius was impressed with Tarik’s skills and told him that with one of his men dead, there was an open spot to fill. He gave the choice to Tarik, to either swear fealty to the Eventide or to die like a rat.

The choice was an obvious one for the young man, and thus started his life as an Eventide knight, claiming the lives of those that dared to stand against his order.

Background : Outlaw

Traits:
Connections with the Red Brotherhood underworld. (free)
Urban survivalist skills. (free)
Good swordsman. (+1 one handed swords) (1 trait)
Finesse. (+1 one handed swords/daggers) (1 trait)
Acrobat. (1 trait)

Equipment:
Medium armor (thick), (free) (10 R)
One handed Scimitar (Keen, Balanced), (free) (20 R)
5 trowing knives (5 R)
1 Dagger (5 R)
Courser (free)

(10 Renown left)

Stats:
WP:5
SP: 0 (1 with dagger)

SK:2 Scimitar
SK:1 Dagger
SK:0 trowing knives