Background: Knight

(Contrary to the European image that is conjured up by the word, "knights" in Azgaarnoth refer more to position and prestige. It is no more unrealistic to imagine a knight as a mage, or a swashbuckler, as it is to imagine the fighter in full plate on a steed. In Al'Uma, for example, knights are often cavalry, but bearing light armor, shortbows, and sabers. In Yithi, minotaurs and/or bugbears often hold knightly status, and so on.)

You understand wealth, power, and privilege. You might carry a noble title, where your family owns land, collects taxes, and wields significant political influence. You might be a pampered aristocrat unfamiliar with work or discomfort, a former merchant just elevated to the nobility, or a disinherited scoundrel with a disproportionate sense of entitlement. Or you could be an honest, hard-working landowner who cares deeply about the people who live and work on your land, keenly aware of your responsibility to them.

Work with your GM to come up with an appropriate title and determine how much authority that title carries (if any). A noble title doesn't stand on its own--it's connected to an entire family, and if you hold a title, you will pass it down to your own children (which you are obligated by that title to have!). Not only do you need to determine your noble title, but you should also work with the GM to describe your family and their influence on you. Is your family old and established, or was your title only recently bestowed? How much influence do they wield, and over what area? What kind of reputation does your family have among the other aristocrats of the region? How do the common people regard them? What's your position in the family? Are you the heir to the head of the family? Have you already inherited the title? How do you feel about that responsibility? Or are you so far down the line of inheritance that no one cares what you do, as long as you don't embarrass the family? How does the head of your family feel about your adventuring career? Are you in your family's good graces, or shunned by the rest of your family? Does your family have a coat of arms? An insignia you might wear on a signet ring? Particular colors you wear all the time? An animal you regard as a symbol of your line or even a spiritual member of the family?

Or, your knighthood could be entirely within the military (be it a Mercenary Company or a national army), wherein you might have a loyal few retainers who help you oversee battles. Or perhaps you are a champion, frequently seeking out the enemy's strongest fighters and taking them on, freeing the rest of the unit to carry the day. Some knights become generals and earn high honors and noble titles, but most are part of units, fighting on battlefields until they die or one day retire, taking their pension to purchase small plots of land or perhaps entering merchant life.

Work with your GM to come up with your rank and position within your military unit. Do you command others? How loosely are you attached to the larger unit around you? Is your commanding officer stern or affable? Do your soldiers follow you willingly or were they conscripted? How long have you been commanding? Will you seek to hold your rank as you adventure? What rivalries and/or feuds and/or mortal enemies does your membership in your military unit obligate and subject you to?

Skill Proficiencies

History, Persuasion

Tool Proficiencies

One type of gaming set

Languages

One of your choice

Equipment

A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree, and a purse containing 25gp

Features (Choose One)

Position of Privilege

Thanks to your status, people are inclined to think the best of you. You are welcome in high society, and people assume you have the right to be wherever you are. The common folk make every effort to accommodate you and avoid your displeasure, and other people of high birth treat you as a member of the same social sphere. You can secure an audience with a local noble if you need to.

Retainers

You have the service of three retainers loyal to you. These retainers can be attendants or messengers, and one might be a majordomo. Your retainers are commoners who can perform mundane tasks for you, but they do not fight for you, will not follow you into obviously dangerous areas (such as dungeons), and will leave if they are frequently endangered or abused.

Suggested Characteristics

Nobles are born and raised to a very different lifestyle than most people ever experience, and their personalities reflect that upbringing. A noble title comes with a plethora of bonds--responsibilities to family, to other nobles (including the sovereign), to the people entrusted to the family's care, or even to the title itself. But this responsibility is often a good way to undermine a noble.

Similarly, military service is a very different lifestyle than what commoners feel, and personalities reflect that environment. Being a part of a military unit (mercenary or national) brings with it a myriad of responsibilities and accountability, from the codes and culture of the unit to the orders given by superior officers.

Personality Traits

d8	Personality Trait
1	My eloquent flattery makes everyone I talk to feel like the most wonderful and important person in the world.
2	The common folk love me for my kindness and generosity.
3	No one could doubt by looking at my regal bearing that I am a cut above the unwashed masses.
4	I take great pains to always look my best and follow the latest fashions.
5	I don't like to get my hands dirty, and I won't be caught dead in unsuitable accommodations.
6	Despite my noble birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood.
7	My favor, once lost, is lost forever.
8	If you do me an injury, I will crush you, ruin your name, and salt your fields.

Ideals

d6	Ideal
1	Respect. Respect is due to me because of my position, but all people regardless of station deserve to be treated with dignity. (Good)
2	Responsibility. It is my duty to respect the authority of those above me, just as those below me must respect mine. (Lawful)
3	Independence. I must prove that I can handle myself without the coddling of my family. (Chaotic)
4	Power. If I can attain more power, no one will tell me what to do. (Evil)
5	Loyalty. Blood runs thicker than water--those who share it, or those who spilled it together, must stick together. (Any)
6	Noble Obligation. It is my duty to protect and care for the people beneath me. (Good)

Bonds

d6	Bond
1	I will face any challenge to win the approval of my unit.
2	My house's alliance with another noble family must be sustained at all costs.
3	Nothing is more important than the other members of my family or unit.
4	I am in love with the heir of a family that my family or unit despises.
5	My loyalty to my sovereign or commanding officer is unwavering.
6	The common folk must see me as a hero of the people.

Flaws

d6	Flaw
1	I secretly believe that everyone is beneath me.
2	I hide a truly scandalous secret that could ruin my family or unit forever.
3	I too often hear veiled insults and threats in every word addressed to me, and I'm quick to anger.
4	I have an insatiable desire for carnal pleasures.
5	In fact, the world does revolve around me.
6	By my words and actions, I often bring shame to my family or unit.