[D&D-5e] Chronicles of Britannia

[Krow Nest]

TWO DAYS AND SO MANY AMAZING APPLICATIONS!!!

It will be so difficult to choose!! Remember to ask questions if you want more information!!

[Saratek]

[Krow Nest]

[rhaiber]

Originally Posted by Krow Nest

Who can I choose from?

• Arthur
• ...
• You can convince me otherwise

Okay, before I make a full application, I'd like to make a quick case for two characters who were left off your list and maybe you can tell me if either one would work for your conecpt:

1. Yvain, the Knight of the Lion - Easier if you want to stick close to the source material. He really is an ideal D&D PC: he is ruled by his passions, often acts before thinking things through, but really tries hard to make up for his mistakes and do the right thing. Plus he has a lion as his animal companion (can you say Beastmaster Ranger?).
2. Guinevere - She is such a major player in the Arthurian legends. If you are open to reinterpretations, then there are a lot of fun ways to go with her. Personally I love some of the retellings that cast her as either a warrior queen (or warrior princess if you prefer), leader of a pre-Celtic people who inhabited the land before the Britons OR the versions where she is an apprentice of Merlin’s sent keep on eye on Arthur’s court and keep him out of trouble.

[GleefulNihilism]

Okay, I admit that this has given me a bit of a wild idea. Another you've left off your list, the character in Canon Autherian Legend was knighted purely as a joke...

Dagonet Name: Dagonet Race: Human (Variant) Class: Bard/Rogue Description: That smirk is what sticks in your memory the most, like he's always is on the inside of some sort of joke. He's got to work on that, Dagonet wants to control what kind of impression he leaves people with. Handsome side with dark hair and blue eyes, he plays the part of a shallow adventurer who happens to occasionally say something funny to hide a mind even quicker then his feet. Character Concept: On the surface, Dagonet appears to be a Coward and a Fool - a man who might make a decent Jester who thinks he's cut out to be a Knight. The part that he's hiding is that this is purely intentional. Don't get him wrong, he loves the ideals of Honor, Courage, Chivalry, and Honesty - he loves the idea that the Just and the Virtuous can win the day just be virtue of clinging to their Ideals. But he knows full well the world doesn't always work that way. He knows that sometimes for the Virtuous to be the Victorious sometimes that requires a - let's call it a level of Finesse you don't see in a normal Knight. But of course a Kingdom that seeks to embody the virtues of Honor, Courage, Chivalry, and Honesty would never admit that sometimes it needs - well, the words "Spy" and "Assasssin" are such harsh words. But a "Jester" or a "Fool" - well, certainly such a kingdom would be alright with that... Backstory: As far back as he can remember he always wondered how come nobody else ever noticed what he did about Jesters and Fools, that they had one freedom nobody else did. A Jester could get away with doing or saying just about anything as long as they were Funny. On the surface, it might sound like they were prattling on with nonsense - and yet nobles and knights of the courts would hang onto their every word if they were any good. How come nobody else ever noticed that? An orphan who was lucky to get a position in the stables of a lesser Lord, of course like any young boy in that position he was at first fascinated by the Knights. But then he noticed the Jester would get away with mocking members of the court to their faces, most of the time at least. And he noticed how for supposedly being an absolute Fool the man's suggestions got a surprising amount of weight. So of course he asked the man many questions. Impressed by young Dagonet's eye for detail, he quietly began some training and Dagonet's eyes were opened. He learned quite a bit, about how if the timing is right a cutting verbal barb can be deadlier then a sword. How you'd be amazed what you can get away with as long as you know how to present it, and how Knights are great for Brute Force - but sometimes what you need is Finesse. Roleplay Prompt: "You, you want to be a Knight?" comes the question, not so much an honest inquiry as an expression of disbelief. One Dagonet could not blame the old Guard-Captain for as Dagonet packed his bags. "Why wouldn't I? Fame, Fortune, Land, Privileges -" Dagonet starts with that smirk starting. "What about Honor, Honesty, Courage? You climbed a Tapestry last time you'd heard some of the Hunting Hounds got loose in the Castle." "Yes, but I climbed the whole Tapestry. So clearly I am not afraid of Heights." "You are rarely up before Midmorning." "A Knight functions best Well-Rested." "I don't think I've seen you even *carry* a heavy load, let alone wear Proper Armor." "Well-Rested and Thrifty." "I'm serious, Dagonet. Give me ONE reason to believe you'd make a good Knight." "I don't have too. I lifted your Signet Ring while we were talking. Now I can just write a recommendation letter in your name." "...Ah, you're Jesting." "Of course I am. Me, A Knight. Imagine." Dagonet laughs - and really does pass back a ring to the Gaurd-Captain. Of course, the old man doesn't notice right away that it's not The signet ring. Shame the man's eyes were starting to go...

[Krow Nest]

Originally Posted by rhaiber

Okay, before I make a full application, I'd like to make a quick case for two characters who were left off your list and maybe you can tell me if either one would work for your conecpt:

1. Yvain, the Knight of the Lion - Easier if you want to stick close to the source material. He really is an ideal D&D PC: he is ruled by his passions, often acts before thinking things through, but really tries hard to make up for his mistakes and do the right thing. Plus he has a lion as his animal companion (can you say Beastmaster Ranger?).
2. Guinevere - She is such a major player in the Arthurian legends. If you are open to reinterpretations, then there are a lot of fun ways to go with her. Personally I love some of the retellings that cast her as either a warrior queen (or warrior princess if you prefer), leader of a pre-Celtic people who inhabited the land before the Britons OR the versions where she is an apprentice of Merlin’s sent keep on eye on Arthur’s court and keep him out of trouble.

Oooooooh, go ahead if you'd like. They both sound interesting!

[Avner]

Arthur Name: Arthur Pendragon Race: Human Class: Paladin/Hexblade Description: Blonde hair and blue-eyed Arthur has a charismatic nature about him that carries a weight to his words and his actions. A true warrior he has an athletic build but carries himself with a balance of both confidence and humility, respecting all those who would join his cause. Character Concept: Arthur has no idea who he is or the royal ancestry from which he hails. Raised by a crazy old druid who showed him the wonders of life through lessons in nature he has learned the beauty of Britannia, and it's people. Arthur has sworn to serve the land of Britannia and bring together those who would stand by it and its people. Backstory: Childhood for Arthur was a little less than traditional, unless of course you consider pretending you're a squirrel or a fish traditional. The trials and tribulations the old man who raised him put him through were all part of his lessons to make him the best man he could be, to understand different perspectives, and to serve the land of Britannia. Emrys' heart was in the right place and as hard as he was on the boy, he loved him deeply. Arthur hated every minute of it. What use would being able to think like a fish be while people's homes were raided and pillaged? Arthur so the injustice done to the people of Britannia and begged Emrys to teach him to be a warrior. For years the old druid refused. It wasn't until it was that Arthur asked him to teach him to protect the people of Britannia he finally accepted that Arthur was ready. The old man sent him to serve under a knight known as Ector and to learn the ways of sword and lance. No mere peasant boy would normaly be taken in by a night like Sir Ector but for some reason he did not even question the old druid and immediately took him under his tutelage. At first, it was not all that Arthur had expected it to be. Scrubbing boots and armor, shoeing horses, and reading even more books about various treaties and historical pacts mostly forgotten, Arthur was sure that the last one was the fault of Emrys. In time however he was able to take up the blade and shield and showed great promise. As there was no true king of the nation it was Sir Ector and his step-brother Sir Kay who went about knighting him. As time went on Sir Arthur became disenfranchised with the tournaments the various knights were touring about to show their strength while the people of the land suffered. Deciding to take on his own Knightly quest he decided it was time for him to set right what no one else would and find anyone else who was willing to help him. Roleplay Sample Roleplay Prompt: Why Emrys never picked anything fun to masquerade around as was simply beyond Arthur. That and the nickname he had insisted on calling him... Wart. It was almost like he insisted on embarrassing him every moment of his waking day. Today they had begun their day as meal worms when he was suddenly scooped up by a robin. He was about a moment away from being fed to a nest of snapping beaks when his tutor finally caught up to him and shifted him into a scaled lizard scaring the robins enough for him to scurry down the back of the tree. A moment later he was a boy again looking at the man with the long gray beard. "Why is it so important that I learn to get eaten?" he insisted dusting himself off. "It is not. It is important that you know what it feels like to be eaten, to be the prey of the hungry wolves that are out there in the world." "Or robins..." "Or robins, it is not always obvious who preys on the weak." Arthur was looking off into the distance. On the horizon thick black smoke could be seen rising into the sky and even from where they stood they could smell the burning. "Sometimes its not." he said. "What are you getting at Wart? Out with it!" "THAT!" Arthur exclaimed pointing in the distance. "The villagers, the people, they are helpless and here I am pretending to be bird food! Those raiders come and take whatever they want, they burn their homes, and they have no one to answer too!" "Is that right?" Emrys said examining Arthur and pulling on his beard. "Yes! Where are the knights? Where are the protectors of the realm? Why are they sitting back and just watching it happen doing nothing?" "Well there is no king... no one to lead them." he cryptically stated. That seemed to infuriate Arthur even more. "King? That is poppycock! Just like you always say a man needs to stand up for what is right no matter what odds they face. Someone needs to show strength against those...those... well someone needs to do something." "Someone? " Emryrs asked in response. "Emyrs, please let me go, let me train to be a knight!" "And why would you do that, so you can be another one of these raiders? Burning and taking what you want? Waving your sword around like a war hungry fool?!" "No! I would never! I don't want to be a knight, so I can be strong. I want to be a knight because I AM strong. I want to show the people that we are better than this, than them. If their king won't do it than I will! Someone has to stop this!" "Well by jove... you might actually be ready!" Emrys said before picking up his staff and thumping Arthur on the head, hard. "OWW!" "Enough daydreaming Wart. Get your things, we have some packing to do!"

[penbeast0]

updated the application for Sir Palomides on page 1

[DialPforPickles]

I put about 2 hours into an app that the website just lost--I typically take that as a sign that I need to bow out. Have fun!

[HuLi]

Name: Gareth
Race: Human
Class: wizard
Description:*5'6'' 125lbs lavender eyes. Deep purple hair. Thin effeminate build. Fair skin. Delicate and nimble hands.
Character Concept:*Gareth is a magician that uses illusions to confuse and befuddle his foes. In combat his magic gives his allies the advantage. Being clever and resourceful Gareth always thinks smarter not harder.
Backstory:*Gareth is the youngest prince of Orkney. His brothers loved him but his father was always ashamed that he was not the warrior like his brothers. Eager to prove himself he left his father's court to become a knight of Britannia, where a hand wizard can get the same recognition. Gareth snuck into the knights kitchen under the guise of a cook. There he became familiar with the knights and made his way into becoming squire. Gareth is bent on keeping his noble birth a secret and wants to become knight on his own merits.

Roleplay Prompt: Gareth served his rendition of Potatoes Dauphinoise to the knights after they came back from patrol. He smiled to himself as the knights began to eagerly et his food. One of the knights looked up from his food and with a mouth full of food, ugh. only you could turn potatoes into such art, Beaumains Gareth sighed t the nickname the knights give him in regards to his delicate hands that belie his profession as a cook. Smiling with mock embarrassment, I just do what mademoiselle rosie taught me.

The knights continued their chatter when one of the mage knights spoke up. well it seems seems you have garnered the admiration of my colleague. So why dont you tell us all your game boy? Why are you here squandering your talents in our kitchen? after a moment of Gareth realizes it is in his best interest to play his hand and end his ruse, half of it at least. using a simple cantrip Gareth summons the magician's hand and brings an apple to him and takes a bite. my name is Gareth, I fled the peasant beliefs of my father to to make my own mark with the knights of Britannia. looking to the magician knight Gareth knew he was vague enough just in case he found himself in a zone of truth and able to deceive his interrogator. The knight's expression was one that gave no hint as to whether or not she bought the story. She stayed silent nonetheless.

[HuLi]

Originally Posted by Krow Nest

TWO DAYS AND SO MANY AMAZING APPLICATIONS!!!

It will be so difficult to choose!! Remember to ask questions if you want more information!!

Can you blame us? This setting and idea is so séduisant.

[Solid Snek]

Morgan le Fay Name:Morgên y Dylwythen Deg Race: Changeling Class: Druid/Artificer Description: The Morgên's true form is unsettling, as it is nothing more than a collection of various animal bones cast together with mud and saltwater. It is a misshapen, more-or-less humanoid build with the head of a deer's skull, and sea weed and other water flora are scattered across the entire body, caked in the muddy flesh. The Morgên rarely remains in this form, however, and it has grown partial to a particular few visages. When portraying a human, it takes a female form, short and slim in stature, with long braided hair - usually reddish-brown - and fair skin. As a tiefling, it becomes male, with ashy grey skin that is knotted with ropey scars and burns, gleaming red eyes, and a pair of curling black horns. Regardless of form, the Morgên wears long white robes like a priest, with gloves and a draping hood that can conceal it should it wish to change form when others are present. It carries with it lanterns that, instead of candles or oil, house small terrariums, from which the fey creature draws magic.         Character Concept: This Morgan is intended to steer away from the human she is now known as, and instead take inspiration from Irish, Welsh, and Breton fey creatures. She is ultimately still benevolent, but utterly alien in appearance, motivations, and attitude. In mechanical terms, I'll try to give her elements from her earlier appearances in Arthurian legend, namely healing, shape-changing, and divination. Backstory:The Lady of the Lake took three ingredients to make her emissary. First, a bone from a Plentyn Newid, a changeling. Second, loamy earth from the forest where the enchanter Gwydion animated trees to fight as his army. Third, she drew a warm wind from Annwn, the land of eternal paradise. Around the changeling bone, the Lady of the Lake formed the earth into a vessel. Within the earth, she breathed the wind from Annwn, to give it magic and life. Then she submerged the creation in the ocean. The dirt became mud, like an unfired clay pot. The bone became potted and porous. And the wind became stifled, and in an effort to escape the depths, the living wind burst forth from the waves, bringing with it the Lady of the Lake's creation. This was the birth of the Morgên, the Sea-Born. To the Morgên, the Lady taught everything she knew. First of the stars and divination. On this topic, the Lady often spoke of a prophecy that would occur in the distant future, of a king that would unite the lands. Second, she taught the arts of healing, so that the Morgên might better understand humans and their form, as well as be of service to them. Finally, she taught druidic arts, how to listen to the natural world and to harness it for magic and sorcery. The Lady of the Lake did not create nor teach the Morgên for any frivolous reason. Her purpose was to send the Morgên out into the world when it was ready, to find the foretold king that the Lady often spoke of, and aid him in his journey... to guide him, and to protect him.

[penbeast0]

Sorry, Barbarian rather than Berserker is the primary class for Palomides.

Two Tristans so far, both half-elves (as might be expected for the perfect knight).

[penbeast0]

After the first few adventures, Arthur gets bogged down in kinging it, leading armies and organizing harvests and the like. Mallory talks about how Kay the Seneschal complains about how he was once a warrior and hero but now spends all his time counting numbers and it has belittled him. Maybe potential Arthurs feel the same way. Early on, Wart is a great character, but as time goes on, he has to send others on adventure due to his sense of responsibility.

[rhaiber]

Okay, so here's my two proposals:

Yvain, the Knight with the Lion Name: Yvain Race: Human (Variant) Class: Ranger Description: Yvain is a bit older than most of the other Knight candidates (he actually did the squire gig for a while some time back, then dropped out for a while, but feels like he’s ready to give it another shot). He is tallish, broad without being thick, possesses rugged good looks, and has a passion for life that is readily visible in his outward demeanor. Character Concept: Not much of a need to reinterpret the legends. If you take a look at Yvain’s tale, it already reads like an RPG storyline. (see below) Backstory: Yvain’s tale starts when his cousin with a long and hard to pronounce name (but don’t worry: he’s a minor character, so we’ll just call him Sir C) arrives at King Arthur’s court to inform everyone that he was beaten up by an other-worldly knight. Yvain swears to avenge this disgrace to his cousin and rides off without question. (And really, why would he ask a question? After all, it’s been made clear that Sir C is not tagging along on the quest, and their relationship was never really fleshed out beyond the whole cousin-thing. He’s clearly just a story-hook NPC. The DM probably doesn't even have a full stat block for him or anything.) So Yvain arrives at the lair of the guy he expects to be the BBEG surprisingly quickly (maybe this is just a one-shot?), and doesn’t bother to try talking to him. Of course, if he had talked to him, he might find out that it was his cousin Sir C who was in the wrong and had provoked the guy in the first place. But roleplaying social encounters is hard, and Yvain is so not the face of the party, so instead he goes full murder-hobo and attacks first, asks questions later. And Yvain actually wins his first fight (way to go Yvain!) … only to find out that he has inadvertently widowed a beautiful damsel and left her in the difficult position of being lady of the land with no lord and lots of greedy, unscrupulous knights looking to move in and take over. Wait a second there! Yvain didn’t become a knight to have to think about the socio-political ramifications of his actions. This is supposed to be about action and adventure right? And then the DM points out that these actions kinda go against Yvain’s Lawful Good alignment. So well-meaning Yvain decides to step up and do the right thing by marrying the widow. And married life actually works out pretty well for him. He’s about ready to retire from the questing life and spend more quality time with his wife. But then Gawain shows up. It turns out the party has really missed having Yvain around; campaign night just hasn’t been the same without him. And his wife is surprisingly supportive. ”Go hang out with your friends,” she says, as long as he promises to come home on time. But, like all gamers have done at least once, he ends up having so much fun with his buddies that he completely loses track of time. By the time he eventually comes home, he has a blowout fight with his wife and she kicks him out of the castle. Yvain is driven literally insane by the breakup and goes totally emo for a while. He stops showering and taking care of himself, and sort of ends up looking a bit like Thor in Avengers: Endgame. But then, being the hopeless romantic that he is, he decides to win his wife back by questing to prove he is worthy. Along the way, he levels up (he has been doing this knight-gig for a while by now) so the DM throws him a side-quest totally unrelated to the main story where he gets to save a lion from a dragon (he’s saved plenty of damsels in distress by now, so kudos to the DM for changing things up by making it a lion). Afterwards, the lion decides to be Yvain’s new BFF (animal companion, score!). After that, it’s basically quest after quest. He slays a giant, rescues another damsel, has a PVP fight with Gawain, and finally rescues a whole bevy of damsels from a pair of demons, all with the help of his awesome lion BFF. Finally, after all that questing, he finally thinks of apologizing to his wife, and she takes him back. Roleplay Prompt: "Adventure, huh? Excitement, huh?" the rugged and rakish man pursed his lips and tilted his head to one side as though lost in deep contemplation. It lasted only a moment though, before he slammed his tankard down on the table and a jovial grin spread across his ebullient face. "Heck yeah, I crave those things! Where do I sign up? Oh wait - I should probably check with my wife first ... ... ... Eh, she'll be fine with it. Now seriously, where do I sign up?"

Guinevere Art by Jee Wook Choi Name: Guinevere Race: Half-elf Class: Barbarian/Warlock Description: Guinevere possesses a wild, untamed beauty that is at once both enchanting and terrifying. Flame-kissing auburn locks frame her face in cascading waves. The ivory skin of her high cheekbones just barely manages to peek out from behind smudges of dirt and dried blood. Her cold, grey eyes are the color of steel and pierce as sharply as any arrow, but her playful mischievous grin draws others instinctively to her. Character Concept: Guinevere is the warrior princess of the fey tribes that inhabited the lands long before the Britons staked their claim. As part of the truce between their peoples, Guinevere was sent to be raised in the court of Britannia. She is a fierce and headstrong young woman who balks at being told what to do, and yet she takes the responsibility seriously and will do nothing to jeopardize the fragile truce that protects her people. Backstory: Long age, before Uther Pendragon united the tribes of Britannia and quelled the Saxon uprisings, before even the Southern Emperor’s conquest installed his puppet kings to pay him tribute, before even the iron-wielding Britons for whom the land would come to be known, the isle of Albion was wild place, a place of mystery and magick, inhabited by creatures wondrous and strange, and home of the fair folk. Despite their magicks, these fair folk found themselves unable to keep up with the technologies nor the persistence of the waves of invaders that relentlessly assaulted their isle. Inch by inch, they found themselves pressed back into the wild spaces, while the invaders claimed the best lands for themselves. On occasion, the fair folk managed to strike back, such as when the Great Fey Queen Boudicca joined forces with the tribes of Britons to throw off the yoke of the Empire, but such victories were ever short-lived and the fair folk always found themselves pushed back to the fringes of society. In a last-ditch effort to stay the gradual extermination of their people, Guinevere’s mother struck a truce with then-king Uther Pendragon. As a sign of goodwill, she agreed to send her daughter to be raised in the court of the British king. Guinevere was not given a choice. A wild and headstrong lass, she was quite the hellion, refusing to listen to any of the governesses who tried to train her in courtly manners and etiquette. She came from a long line of warrior queens, and saw little sense in the stuffy ways of the more “civilized” ladies of the court. Aware of the importance of her position though, she always stopped short at anything that might cause a diplomatic incident to endanger the tenuous peace. Finally, after much frustration, it was suggested that she might be better placed in a knight’s training program. Roleplay Prompt: ”Oh, aye? An’ who went n’ told ye that I e’en wanted t’be one o’ yer bloody knights?” Guinevere cocked one eyebrow and tossed her wild auburn locks back over her shoulder brazenly. ”Yer lot thinks they’re ‘oh-sucha-fanciful crew’ with their shiny metal suits. All it does is make them bigger, slower, easier targets.” The wild woman held her arms outstretched in a pantomime of drawing a bow, then smirked devilishly. ” ‘Loyalty to king and country’ says he? Ha! They’re naught but loyal to the fillin’ o’ their purses, says I. Oh, and dinna ye speak t’me o’ yer lofty ‘code o’ chivalry.’ If yer lot be so concerned with the likes o’ yer lady-folk, then what need have ye to keep em locked away in yer larders and yer bedchambers? Afeard o’ losin’ yer control over ‘em should they run free as the fair folk do?” The feyling's lilting voice rose and fell in a mesmerizing pattern as she spoke, creating an enchanting melody that was bizarrely incongruous with the harshness of her words. ”’So why am I here then,’ says he? Well, it seemed to me as it made a good deal more sense than trainin’ t’be a ’lady in waitin’ ‘What are they waitin’ for anyway?’ says I. And dinna get me started on the daftness o’ needlepoint. Oh, I get the needle part, but suren’ I can’t imagine a more pointless thing to do with it. Oh, and I’ve quite the imagination. Take right now for instance: I’m imaginin’ all the ways I could ha’ killed ye dead o’er the course o’ this conversation. Ye sure ye want t’drink that, by the way?”