Name: Sir Aurelian Asellius, The Last Knight of Nuniel
Race: Human
Age: 26
Envoy of: Sol
Description: |
Armored| |
Formal attire|
Alignment: Lawful Good
Skills:
SwordsmanAurelian is a disciple of a Nuniel sword-and-shield school of swordsmanship. In contrast to his normally honorable behavior, this fighting style is ruthlessly pragmatic, using every inch of both the sword and shield, as well as the wielder's hands, as weapons.
Heavy CavalryAurelian served as a heavy cavalryman in Nuniel's army and has become a talented equestrian and mounted combatant with either a sword and lance. He has enough tactical understanding to know the limitations of a heavy cavalry charge, and knows not to charge into a wall of spears or volleys of missile fire.
Sol's MagicAs a paladin of Sol, Aurelian is blessed with a small degree of divine magic linked to the sun god. He can heal minor wounds, burn away illness, summon a divine servant in the form of his old warhorse, and augment his weapon with fire.
Flaws:
Old-Fashioned Combatant Aurelian clings to a the "old ways" of chivalric combat and thus hesitates to make use of ranged weapons such as bows or magiarms, or divine fire magic. If he wants to kill something, he will have to get up close.
Noble of NunielThe aristocracy of the Empire of Nuniel are, for good reason, quite unpopular with the other races, nations, or even the Empire's own lower-class citizens, and while Aurelian no longer has the love for his empire, he makes no efforts to hide his nature as a noble.
DeserterThe Empire does not take kindly to those who desert the military, and their military courts are unlikely to accept "technically I died so I'm released from service" or "I'm possessed by a divine servant and am technically a new person". As a noble, and as an Envoy who continues to use his host's real name, Aurelian's departure from military service will not go unnoticed.
Oath of ChivalryAurelian is bound by oath to uphold Sol's code of chivalry. He is compelled by his code to defend the innocent, keep his word, and treat both friend and foe with honor and courtesy, among other things. His code does not forbid him from employing nonverbal misdirection, however- tactical feints, sword-fighting techniques, and keeping his mouth shut when someone doesn't need to know something do not violate his code.
Background:
Aurelian Asellius was born to a noble family with a time-honored tradition of serving as knights of Nuniel. His family were long-time supporters of the Emperors and its able-bodied members were expected to serve in its military- anything less would be considered deeply shameful and would result in being disowned and disinherited. Aurelian did not question this duty, and from a young age was brought up to serve as a knight. Even at this point, however, it was evident that the future of the Empire's military laid not in noble knights, but in professional armies making use of new magical technologies currently being developed.
Aurelian, a squire at the time, began to be assailed by doubts and worries that becoming a knight was becoming less prestigious and less worthwhile. Even worse, he worried that perhaps he had wasted years of his life being trained for an obsolete role. He would overcome these concerns by finding faith in worship of Sol, where he was assured that the ways of chivalry were worth preserving. He dedicated himself to upholding the sun god's ideals, and began to walk the path of a holy paladin.
Upon being knighted, Aurelian enlisted in the Empire's military, determined to honor emperor and family. When Emperor Metiros Alland launched his invasion, Aurelian was at the front lines, battling against the forces of the Twin Kingdoms. While there was still a place for cavalry in the Empire's armies, it was was clear that his role in the battles were limited. With the newfound success of the Empire's invasion, made possible by armies of professional armies and fantastic magi-technology, it became a popular belief that the old chivalric ways were on their way out.
Initially, his relationship with the ordinary soldiers was strained, both because of their skepticism that he had any place on a battlefield, and because of the disdain for the lower classes ingrained in his noble upbringing. However, as time went by, as they lived and fought together, he learned to appreciate the low-born and non-human soldiers. Meanwhile, as Aurelian risked his life again and again to defend them, as he stabilized their wounds and purged their illnesses after the battles were over, they took a liking to him in return, and even gave him the endearing nickname "the last knight of Nuniel". The nickname wasn't literal- there were still other knights of Nuniel out there- but Aurelian was one of the few who still championed chivalric ideals.
Not everyone took a liking to Aurelian, however. The officers and other nobles scoffed at him associating with the lowly, expendable soldiers and the "outdated" morality that he constantly touted. Additionally, they did not appreciate him openly criticizing their tactics and their un-noble conduct. More than a few times, these squabbles nearly devolved into violence.
Aurelian's participation in the war would end with a large enemy counter-offensive on his position. Several officers were among those killed in the initial stage of the attack, and the remaining troops routed. Aurelian chose to stay behind and cover their retreat. He rode alone against the enemy, managing to push through a disorganized spear wall and charge directly at the enemy officer that appeared to be leading the attack. He never made it- his horse was felled by a barrage of arrows and he was surrounded and stabbed to death by spearmen. His only consolation was the hope that his attack had disrupted their momentum enough to allow his allies to escape and regroup.
Shortly after perishing, the Envoy of Sol descended and looked upon the fallen Aurelian, the last bastion of chivalry in the Empire. It beheld a foolish idealist who had sought to keep the sun god's ideals alive in a brutal, unjust war, even unto death. Was he even worthy of calling himself a paladin if he had knowingly and willingly participated in this terrible conflict, it pondered? Its ultimate conclusion was
perhaps.
When the envoy rose to his feet, the battlefield was empty, the enemy having resumed its pursuit of his former allies. Fueled by his possessor's disgust of Nuniel's invasion, he summoned a divine doppelganger of his fallen horse and rode away, never to involve himself in this terrible war again.
Class & Gear:
PaladinAurelian is a holy warrior of the sun god, bound by an oath to uphold Sol's chivalric ideals. He is a skilled swordsman on foot, a skilled lancer on horseback, and has been blessed with some of Sol's magic. Among his powers include searing his foes with the power of the sun, minor spells of healing, and purging disease with fire.
Nuniel Plate ArmorAurelian's full plate harness represents the apex of Nuniel's armor-smithing technology. In addition to providing fine physical protection, it is augmented to protect its wearer from arcane energies, and the cuirass in particular has been "proofed" against a magiarm carbine. The armor is adorned with the colors and iconography of Sol.
Paladin MountAurelian was quite fond of his original horse which perished alongside him, and as a result, he now uses a paladin mount that takes the shape of his old horse.
Holy ArmsAurelian's steel arming sword, lance, and shield are his primary weapons, both of which have been anointed with the blessings of Sol protecting them from being corrupted by rust or malign magic.
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