Warriors

These are the most common of all the warrior classes. Indeed, they are in high demand throughout the Kingdoms. Fighters often fulfill a number of different rolls from local militia, to scouts, and mercenaries.

Many of the large towns and almost all cities employ fighters in order to guard or police their citizens. When local problems arise, these men and women are called on the take care of the problem. Many are hired full-time and receive monthly salaries in exchange for their services.

Fighters also fulfill larger roles of national defense. Often, those who are trained in the arts of combat are either chosen or join royal armies in order to receive more benefits and a higher salary. When nation takes up sword against nation, fighters make up the brunt of the attacking force. It is often more exciting working in an army, but is a life that is non-conductive to family life since members of armies are usually moved from place to place in order to protect the country better.

Of all the duties a fighter may take, hired swords are often the most lucrative. Huge mercenary guilds have been formed over the past thousand years and hundreds of small ones have also been formed. These men and women fetch the highest prices and take the most dangerous of tasks. Most of the recognized mercenary groups run over 10,000gp to hire, while others go for as little as 50gp per mission. Often they are given a percentage of the gold and treasure they find or recover on top of their fee.

Sae Darrin Knights are a force unequalled in the world. They are the elite forces of the nation of Sae Darrin, highly trained and well armed, they stand as the figure of power and honor in the Kingdoms. Sworn to protect and serve Sae Darrin with all their being, they have settled international disputes, won wars, and eventually played a key role in the battle against the Accuser and the Dark Ones.

There are three ways to become a knight. Perhaps the easiest way, although the most demanding is to be accepted as a squire by a knight of level 7 or higher. The second way is to become a member of the Royal Armed Forces and request to take the qualification tests. Finally, a fighter can petition for acceptance.

A knight can choose a squire for any number of reasons. More often than not, they will notice the ability of a person and offer their services, but there are no hard and fast rules for choosing a squire. If a person accepts the offer to squire a knight, they follow their master everywhere they go, attending to them and learning from them. Typical duties include cleaning and oiling weapons and armor, helping dress a knight, taking care of their horses. During this time, they learn what it means to be a knight, also about honor and dignity. Once they are ready to accept responsibility for their training, they will begin to be taught the fine arts of combat. When their knight feels they are ready, they are taken to the castle where the testing begins.

Members of the Royal Armed Forces are often granted knight status. In this case, RAF commanders recommend people under their command for knighthood. If their character is proven, they are also allowed to take the tests.

Petitioning for knighthood is perhaps the hardest method of acceptance. Few ever petition for knighthood and actually achieve it fewer still are ever knighted by Sae Darrin himself. If it is the hardest method of gaining a knighthood, it is certainly the quickest, a quick interview with a teller deems them worthy of taking the tests. The interview with the teller consists of a number of questions including personal information like name, age, heritage, etc. As the interview continues, the teller reads the person’s aura to determine their alignment. If the applicant isn’t evil, they are usually given permission to take the tests.

There is only one other way to be knighted and that is if Sae Darrin himself knights them. To date, this has only been done twice, once when the Kingdom of Sae Darrin was first established and again only 3 years ago, when Aaron knighted Destin.

The tests are designed to push the initiates to the limit. Only held once every year, all the initiates (between 200 and 500 each year) are taken into the Hall of Initiation and briefed on how the tests work. The tests last six days. Initiates cannot eat or drink anything except what is made available to them by the testers. No weapons, armor, or equipment of any kind may be brought into the tests unless the testers allow it. The testers must be obeyed completely. Initiates are free to leave at any time, but there is no second chance to gain knighthood. They are then told that the tests have begun.

After the initiates are fully instructed on what is expected of them, all their equipment is taken from them and locked in storage rooms and they are led into a huge room. The door into the room is not closed, but there is only one way out. They are left there without food or drink of any kind for three days. At the end of those three days, the door is closed and a powerful illusion is cast (no save allowed). The walls turn into mirrors and the image of the person they love the most appears in them. Then a hideous beast appears behind the image and kills them. No one can turn their gaze, but must watch this happen. If they attack the beast, they will fall unconscious to the floor as though dead. Those who left the room before the images appeared and those who attacked the image are healed, given food and drink, their equipment, and told never to take the tests again.

Those that pass this first test are given their equipment and taken away in groups of four. They are offered a waterskin that contains a strong undetectable sedative in it. Then they are left alone and given a letter that reads "Defend yourself using any methods you wish, but do not kill anyone." A low-level adventuring party consisting of no less than two fighters and one magic user then attacks the initiates. If the attackers are subdued or driven off then the entire group of initiates is healed, given food and water and allowed to rest for the night. If any member of the group kills any of the attackers he is healed, given food and water, their equipment and told never to take the tests again. The same thing happens to the initiates who fail to overcome their attackers.

For the next two days, the initiates are pushed physically every day. After only six hours of sleep, the initiates begin their day with a five mile jog in chain armor. They are then taken through various obstacle courses and skill testing events including sword and shield practice, bow practice, empty hand combat, and mounted combat. It is grueling work and many of the initiates either quit or are thrown out because of their failure to handle such physical work. This is all preparation for the final test.

The last day is the most important. All initiates must compete in a tournament that is held on the Fields of Honor, three miles northwest of Sae Darrin. Initiates are given plate armor, a weapon of their choice, a helmet and shield, and an elaborate sash that they wrap around their waist to signify they are one of the initiates. It is a huge event drawing thousands of people, all eager to see who will be granted the status of Sae Darrin Knight. Each remaining initiate (now about 1/4 of them are left, normally consisting of squires and RAF soldiers) fights a randomly drawn opponent. The winner moves on to fight one of the remaining initiates, that winner fights one of the remaining initiates, and so on until only one remains. Any initiates that make it past the second round are granted the title of Knight. The person who wins the tournament is granted the Order of Honor and then fights a 7^th level knight. If they win that fight, as rarely happens, they are granted the Valor of Honor.

Those who make it to the final day can make one final attempt to gain the title of Knight the following year. They do not go through the first three days of testing, but do have to go through the last three. If they fail to make it past the second round of elimination’s, they cannot attempt ever again.

Sworn guardians of the marseal, these men are loyal, noble, and deadly. When men became accepted members of the marseal it was brought up in the Trillian that the use of paladins be discontinued. However, when the first tower was destroyed during the Scourge of the North it was quickly determined that they were a valuable and necessary part of the group.

Made up almost exclusively of men, there are few women paladins. Paladins from any race are allowed, but the vast majority of them are human. Others are elvish and dwarvish, but these are few and far between.

Paladins are trained at various key locations around the Kingdoms. The largest training facility is located in Sae Darrin, where all four elements are represented. Their training begins normally at the age of 16, but many do not start until their late teens and early twenties. Only lawful good characters are allowed to begin the training and they must be fiercely loyal to the element they are sworn to protect.

After their training is complete, they are assigned to a particular element. They are often given a choice as to where they wish to serve, but many are assigned without consultation. There is rarely any argument from the paladins as to which element they are assigned since they are sworn not only to an element, but also to the entire marseal.

Once they are assigned an element, they go through a process known as the Vowing. The Mistress of the element then personally inducts all of the paladins assigned to her using a strange magical process. This process bestows a number of abilities common to all paladins, but also grants specific abilities depending on the element they are vowed to.

• Earth Paladins gain the ability to hide in natural settings of any kind.
• Air Paladins gain the ability to breathe without air.
• Fire Paladins are resistant to heat/cold, but magical fires do half-damage.
• Water Paladins can swim naturally and can hold their breath for five minutes.

Paladins never gain spell casting abilities unless they are naturally psionic. Their abilities are given to them when they take the vows and do not change.

Those who are vowed will never retain wealth, but instead donate all but what they need to live modestly to the marseal. In addition to this, they will never keep more than 10 magical items including one set of armor, one shield, four weapons (arrows or bolts do not count), and four other objects. They never attract a body of followers, but can hire retainers so long as they appear good.

Paladins are fiercely loyal to the marseal and will protect them with all their being. Although they are always of the highest alignment, they will serve any alignment within the marseal. Other alignments from outside the marseal are tolerated so long as they control themselves and do not step out of line.

These warriors are a wonderful mix of fighter and woodsman. Although they are quite common, they are rather individualistic and rarely associate with large groups of people, thus they are not commonly seen.

Found in several of the Kingdoms including Gaventry and Sae Darrin, they are rampant in Endermere. As common as they are in these areas, they are seldom found in the Faul Kingdoms and do not exist in the deserts of Rae Urganna.