Post by JRCameron on Jun 18, 2012 3:51:28 GMT -5
World Knowledge: In the generic world of medieval fantasy, the world is a very familiar-seeming one. The rich live in manors and castles, tended by dozens if not hundreds of servants. The poor live in squalor, peasant huts floored with dirt and roofed with thatch... shit and straw. Those in between, the merchants and artisans, live in walled cities built by the rich to keep out the poor... and the monsters that feed on them. The Gods walk the Earth in the form of prophets, Good and Evil do battle on a regular basis, though not everything is as it seems. In this world, there is an order of knights known as the Knights of the Rose. There are three gods that they follow, though the Gods themselves sometimes do not hold themselves up to the highest of moral and ethical codes set forth by the Order and refined over thousands of years. They're like what the Crusaders were supposed to be mixed with the Knights of the Round Table. They are the White Knights, the honest and just Paladins that are closer to Goodness than even the angels sometimes.
Name: John Thorn. "Knight-Errant of the Rose"
Physical Description: Male, Adult, 28 years, 6'4", Heavy Muscle, 236lbs.. John is a large and heavy man, who has muscles atop his muscles. At one point in his life, he had burning red hair that was as bright as the sun that shone upon it. He now has at most a reddish stubble, in the days where he has had no time to shave. He has a relatively small face for the size of his head, but it seems to grow when he smiles (and this he does often) and shows off his pearly white teeth. His eyes are brown, and they glisten with happiness more often than not. When he is angry or upset, his eyes narrow even farther and become almost invisible. He has a broad chest, the kind of build you would expect in one who is accustomed to battle. Were he in modern times, he'd be a professional fighter or a football player. That's his build. He has many scars up and down his arms, legs, and torso from training and battle, though there is no blade that has pierced his neck or face as yet. Most of his scars are around the front though, as he is usually facing the person he is fighting.
Attire: 90% of the time, John Thorn is out on the job. He is a knight-errant, which means that he does Quests for the Order. While he is out on the job, he is wearing his armor almost exclusively. His armor is a set of silvery white, polished-to-a-gleam plate mail with the symbol of the Order (a blooming rose) etched tastefully into his left shoulder plate. It also has the symbol of his deity Pelor (the disc of the sun) etched tastefully into his right shoulder plate. The armor fully covers his body, as Full Plate is supposed to do. Under this he wears a leather set of armor, but that is so that the heavy metal of the armor won't cut into him while he wears and fights in it. Under that, he wears a tunic and soft cloth pants, commoner's gear. When he is in the Cathedral that is the Headquarters of the Order, he wears just his commoner's gear... Much to the chagrin of his superiors. They expect him to dress appropriately for one of his rank, and it is one of the only things he disagrees with them about. Whenever he is given the gift of new clothes, he gives them to those less fortunate than himself. When he needs to dress 'formally', he dresses in his armor.
Personality: He is not good at hiding his emotions. Because of this, he can seem simple sometimes. However, he is not simple, he just has a good amount of control over his emotions and their ramifications. Alignment-wise, he is Lawful Good... As all Knights of the Order must be. He not only respects but assists legitimate government. He begrudgingly accepts and follows even illegitimate government, but he seeks to replace such government with a legitimate one. He holds himself to the highest of moral codes, and will not even consider doing anything Evil. Even dealing with people that are Evil or associate with Evil people can be cause for demotion or exile within his Order, so he does not make any relationships with those that are Evil beyond the "fight beside me right now so neither of us die" immediate emergency alliances. He is altruistic to the extreme, and would give the shirt off of his back to someone if it meant they would be happier. If he is not on a job, he would give his horse, his armor, or even his blade to someone that would need it more than he would (and could prove that they need it more than he does). He, of course, would expect them back if at all possible. He combats Evil wherever he goes, and will drop everything save a Quest from the Order to defeat any evil from the local band of brigands to the Dragon that is putting pressure on your kingdom. As a Knight-Errant of the Order, it's just "all in a day's work". Politically, he is a Communitarian. He believes that the government should provide for its people in every way that it can, and that the government should set a code of moral and ethical laws that make sense so that the people that live under them can live long, happy lives in harmony with each other. However, he understands politics very well (they were part of his teachings within the Order) and as such understands the difference between a different political ideology and an illegitimate government. That has saved him from certain things that some predecessors have done in the past: create a coup to oust a legitimate ruler who has a less than ideal political standpoint. Religiously, he worships Pelor. For those that don't know, Pelor is the god of the Sun. In the medieval world that he lives in, Pelor is a kind god of healing and protection. John Thorn is not a particularly pious man, but he does stop by the churches of Pelor when not on a job for the Order to see if they have anything that needs doing. John is completely chaste, having taken a vow of chastity when he entered the Order. He has never been, and most likely will never be attracted to another person in his life. He is married to the Order, as it were, and will protect that vow with his dying breath.
Likes: Altruism, Animals, Charity, Chastity, Children, Clerics (of Good Gods), Faith, Hard-Working People, Honorable People, Humility, Kindness, Roland.
Dislikes: Adultery, Boasters, Cheaters, Clerics (of Evil Gods), Dishonorable Foes, Domestic Violence, Envy, Gamblers, Gluttony, Hoarders, Lazy People, Liars, Misers, The Undead, The Unnatural, Treachery, Vanity, Vermin, War.
Weapons: The Sun-Blade. This two-handed great sword is made of the same silver-white metal that makes up his armor. It is carved to look like a fire that is sprouting from the hilt of the blade, and it is constantly glowing in the ever-shifting colors of the setting sun. This gives it the appearance that it is moving, even though it is not. When he focuses his power through the blade, he can cause it to shine brighter. It is said that a fraction of the Sun's Own power was forged into the blade, and that power is inherently toxic to the Undead. One swipe through with this sword and it is as if they never existed at all. Only the intelligent undead (such as vampires and liches) can resist the power of the Sun Blade, but it is anathema to even them. They cannot last in prolonged contact with the blade. Anything that is damaged by the sun is similarly damaged by the blade.
Capabilities: As a paladin and a trained Knight-Errant for the Order, John Thorn has been trained in the classical art of Detecting Evil. His eyes glaze over as he focuses on an object, effect, or person. If they are evil, then he knows it and will act accordingly. He has the ability to communicate with his horse Roland, though that may be only partly because of his training. Partly, that is because his horse is intelligent... More intelligent than the average horse, that's for sure. The final ability that John has is also the one that he is most loath to use. He can channel the power of the Order and his Faith to lay on hands, healing the injured and diseased. He will only use it in the most dire of situations, because he knows that it drains the Order and his God of a miniscule amount of their power. He doesn't want to be a burden on them, or cause them to have a dip in power just low enough to affect them in any way whatsoever.
History: When John Thorn was a child, he was sent by his noble family to learn the arts of Knighthood within the Knights of the Rose. He spent the rest of his long childhood there, learning to be what he is now. He still keeps in touch with his family through letters sent through Squire-Errants of the Rose, younger boys and girls that are used as postmen throughout all the lands the Order goes through. He has not seen them since he left them, though he knows they yet live... Most of them. His father has died, but it was several years ago and he has moved on since then. He spends a good portion of each morning cleaning his teeth, something he believes helps him out when dealing with people. He has no children, as he has taken a vow of celibacy within his Order. As a Knight-Errant, he has been through many of the lands of this world and as such is fairly knowledgeable about a great many things. He does not boast about this, though, and while he is known to speak at length with someone who is interested in something he has to say, he knows when it is time to be silent. He is an excellent ear to speak to, a shoulder to cry on, a friend, a brother, a comrade.
Name: John Thorn. "Knight-Errant of the Rose"
Physical Description: Male, Adult, 28 years, 6'4", Heavy Muscle, 236lbs.. John is a large and heavy man, who has muscles atop his muscles. At one point in his life, he had burning red hair that was as bright as the sun that shone upon it. He now has at most a reddish stubble, in the days where he has had no time to shave. He has a relatively small face for the size of his head, but it seems to grow when he smiles (and this he does often) and shows off his pearly white teeth. His eyes are brown, and they glisten with happiness more often than not. When he is angry or upset, his eyes narrow even farther and become almost invisible. He has a broad chest, the kind of build you would expect in one who is accustomed to battle. Were he in modern times, he'd be a professional fighter or a football player. That's his build. He has many scars up and down his arms, legs, and torso from training and battle, though there is no blade that has pierced his neck or face as yet. Most of his scars are around the front though, as he is usually facing the person he is fighting.
Attire: 90% of the time, John Thorn is out on the job. He is a knight-errant, which means that he does Quests for the Order. While he is out on the job, he is wearing his armor almost exclusively. His armor is a set of silvery white, polished-to-a-gleam plate mail with the symbol of the Order (a blooming rose) etched tastefully into his left shoulder plate. It also has the symbol of his deity Pelor (the disc of the sun) etched tastefully into his right shoulder plate. The armor fully covers his body, as Full Plate is supposed to do. Under this he wears a leather set of armor, but that is so that the heavy metal of the armor won't cut into him while he wears and fights in it. Under that, he wears a tunic and soft cloth pants, commoner's gear. When he is in the Cathedral that is the Headquarters of the Order, he wears just his commoner's gear... Much to the chagrin of his superiors. They expect him to dress appropriately for one of his rank, and it is one of the only things he disagrees with them about. Whenever he is given the gift of new clothes, he gives them to those less fortunate than himself. When he needs to dress 'formally', he dresses in his armor.
Personality: He is not good at hiding his emotions. Because of this, he can seem simple sometimes. However, he is not simple, he just has a good amount of control over his emotions and their ramifications. Alignment-wise, he is Lawful Good... As all Knights of the Order must be. He not only respects but assists legitimate government. He begrudgingly accepts and follows even illegitimate government, but he seeks to replace such government with a legitimate one. He holds himself to the highest of moral codes, and will not even consider doing anything Evil. Even dealing with people that are Evil or associate with Evil people can be cause for demotion or exile within his Order, so he does not make any relationships with those that are Evil beyond the "fight beside me right now so neither of us die" immediate emergency alliances. He is altruistic to the extreme, and would give the shirt off of his back to someone if it meant they would be happier. If he is not on a job, he would give his horse, his armor, or even his blade to someone that would need it more than he would (and could prove that they need it more than he does). He, of course, would expect them back if at all possible. He combats Evil wherever he goes, and will drop everything save a Quest from the Order to defeat any evil from the local band of brigands to the Dragon that is putting pressure on your kingdom. As a Knight-Errant of the Order, it's just "all in a day's work". Politically, he is a Communitarian. He believes that the government should provide for its people in every way that it can, and that the government should set a code of moral and ethical laws that make sense so that the people that live under them can live long, happy lives in harmony with each other. However, he understands politics very well (they were part of his teachings within the Order) and as such understands the difference between a different political ideology and an illegitimate government. That has saved him from certain things that some predecessors have done in the past: create a coup to oust a legitimate ruler who has a less than ideal political standpoint. Religiously, he worships Pelor. For those that don't know, Pelor is the god of the Sun. In the medieval world that he lives in, Pelor is a kind god of healing and protection. John Thorn is not a particularly pious man, but he does stop by the churches of Pelor when not on a job for the Order to see if they have anything that needs doing. John is completely chaste, having taken a vow of chastity when he entered the Order. He has never been, and most likely will never be attracted to another person in his life. He is married to the Order, as it were, and will protect that vow with his dying breath.
Likes: Altruism, Animals, Charity, Chastity, Children, Clerics (of Good Gods), Faith, Hard-Working People, Honorable People, Humility, Kindness, Roland.
Dislikes: Adultery, Boasters, Cheaters, Clerics (of Evil Gods), Dishonorable Foes, Domestic Violence, Envy, Gamblers, Gluttony, Hoarders, Lazy People, Liars, Misers, The Undead, The Unnatural, Treachery, Vanity, Vermin, War.
Weapons: The Sun-Blade. This two-handed great sword is made of the same silver-white metal that makes up his armor. It is carved to look like a fire that is sprouting from the hilt of the blade, and it is constantly glowing in the ever-shifting colors of the setting sun. This gives it the appearance that it is moving, even though it is not. When he focuses his power through the blade, he can cause it to shine brighter. It is said that a fraction of the Sun's Own power was forged into the blade, and that power is inherently toxic to the Undead. One swipe through with this sword and it is as if they never existed at all. Only the intelligent undead (such as vampires and liches) can resist the power of the Sun Blade, but it is anathema to even them. They cannot last in prolonged contact with the blade. Anything that is damaged by the sun is similarly damaged by the blade.
Capabilities: As a paladin and a trained Knight-Errant for the Order, John Thorn has been trained in the classical art of Detecting Evil. His eyes glaze over as he focuses on an object, effect, or person. If they are evil, then he knows it and will act accordingly. He has the ability to communicate with his horse Roland, though that may be only partly because of his training. Partly, that is because his horse is intelligent... More intelligent than the average horse, that's for sure. The final ability that John has is also the one that he is most loath to use. He can channel the power of the Order and his Faith to lay on hands, healing the injured and diseased. He will only use it in the most dire of situations, because he knows that it drains the Order and his God of a miniscule amount of their power. He doesn't want to be a burden on them, or cause them to have a dip in power just low enough to affect them in any way whatsoever.
History: When John Thorn was a child, he was sent by his noble family to learn the arts of Knighthood within the Knights of the Rose. He spent the rest of his long childhood there, learning to be what he is now. He still keeps in touch with his family through letters sent through Squire-Errants of the Rose, younger boys and girls that are used as postmen throughout all the lands the Order goes through. He has not seen them since he left them, though he knows they yet live... Most of them. His father has died, but it was several years ago and he has moved on since then. He spends a good portion of each morning cleaning his teeth, something he believes helps him out when dealing with people. He has no children, as he has taken a vow of celibacy within his Order. As a Knight-Errant, he has been through many of the lands of this world and as such is fairly knowledgeable about a great many things. He does not boast about this, though, and while he is known to speak at length with someone who is interested in something he has to say, he knows when it is time to be silent. He is an excellent ear to speak to, a shoulder to cry on, a friend, a brother, a comrade.