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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Berandor" data-source="post: 1940150" data-attributes="member: 225">It's not Dragonlance, but it's a Dragonslayer paladin, so there's at least a similarity. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />HistoryHear ye, hear ye, the story of Berandor Marikulis.Berandor grew up in the small Cormyrian village of Unterbruck ("below bridges" in German). His father died early, being killed by a red dragon, and the young boy remembered more an idealized version of him than what he really was like. At the age of twelve, Berandor set out from Unterbruck to be trained in the arts of war. What he found was more than just a sword - it was a calling. He returned to Unterbruck five years later, just like he had promised, to meet his childhood friends. By that time, he had already taken the first steps on the long and hard road to paladinhood, even if he still was a rash young man.Together with his friends, he founded the Unterbruck Falcons, of which he was the leader and spokesman. The companions set out into the world to find adventure. Their first brush with danger led young Berandor to severly punish, if not torture, a man they needed answers from. After a sleepless night, he swore never to do such a cruel deed again, and gave away his belongings to the poor as penance. From that day on, Berandor shut his anger away. He only had one outlet: his dislike of dragons - especially red dragons - which intensified to hatred.After slaying his first red dragon - the Falcons had been pointed to the lair by a kindly wizard that would soon become their "mentor" -, Berandor discovered a pair of red dragon eggs. He destroyed the first and took the second, bringing it to a Dragonslayer chapter that required just such a gift for prospective new members. Berandor partook in the initiation ceremony but spoke out of turn - he was still very much a townboy. The chapter president was furious at Berandor's mistake and threw him out, warning him not to come back unless he had learned manners. It took almost a year before Berandor returned and was finally instigated as a Dragonslayer. As a gift, he received a large shield made of red dragon scales.Berandor also defeated the giant stone golem that threatened Ashabaford, where the whole party was nearly killed and he and his squire survived without a scratch. Even though he later left the city to an evil lord - there would have been too many civilian deaths -, he still retained the title of "Defender". Berandor also protected a dryad grove from a large tribe of hobgoblins, becoming a "Friend" to the woodland creatures. He rescued the Cormyrian Royal Princess for which he and his companions were gifted with the Golden Medal of Honor. For winning the Royal Tournament at Suzail, he was knighted as Lord of Dragonstone.After several more adventures that led him to be wed and have a daughter, Berandor went into the Underdark to destroy an evil artefact. The Falcons killed the artefact's guardian, a shadow dragon, in large part to Berandor's brave assault: he spiderclimbed to the ceiling of the cavern, and when the dragon appeared, he dropped onto its back, climbed to the head and attacked the beast's eyes. Sadly, the artifact turned Berander Neutral Evil, but before he could do any harm, Torm appeared before him and offered him release from the curse for becoming one of Torm's emissaries. Berandor accepted, and his soul left his body to become that of a Giant Falcon that even now scours Cormyr and its neighbors for evil to vanquish.Thus is the story of Berandor Marikulis of Dragonstone, Defender of Ashabaford, Friend of the Grove, Wearer of Cormyr's Golden Medal of Honor, Leader of the Unterbruck Falcons, Paladin of Torm, Dragonslayer.DescriptionBerandor was a tall man with a somewhat large frame, accounting for his lack of dexterity. He was physically fit, though not impressively strong or enduring, but had an innocent-yet-firm smile. He had long black hair and blue eyes. Berandor's clothing was always immaculately clean; he even used perfume bags to scent his clothing, and make-up to accentuate his features. Berandor wore plate mail engraved with a falcon's claw over a bridge, and he fought with a lance when on horseback, or with his (later Holy) longsword in one and his dragonslayer shield in the other hand (the shield was made of red dragon scales, with serrated edges and a spike in the middle). He did not wear a helmet unless at a tourney.His paladin's mount was a white, sleek horse (a light warhorse). It had small wings on each ankle that enabled it to make long jumps (later, the horse wore plate barding, and Zephyr's hooves).PersonalityBerandor was a kind, gentle man, always ready to spare a life - even of his enemies. He was a staunch follower of the codex, and preferred to be honest even when total honesty might not have been called for. He would never attack a creature simply for being evil; he saw good in everybody (which landed him in marriage with a reformed slaver). On some accounts, he even defended evil creatures from his friends.Berandor despised torture and everything that might be construed as such, on account of his outburst early in his career. He hated red dragons with a fiery passion, this target being the only thing where he would allow his anger to take control of him.Berandor always valued the life of others higher than his own. In battle, he would stop fighting, put away his sword, and lay hands on a companion in need, not caring for his own opponents. When faced with almost certain death, he would free his squire from all obligations to him and advise him to flee so that the squire wouldn't die as well.Berandor was always happy to give but always ashamed to ask for something. He was never very joyful, preferring a quiet smile to that of rumbustious laughter. That intensified when he killed his mentor, to the point where all he would seek was happiness for others, being almost unable to be happy himself. The weight of his (perceived) responsibilities bore down on him.Game Moment(It was difficult, but I chose not to go with heroics here, but to choose the most important thing in Berandor's career)Leading up to it:The party had been imprisoned by the Zhentarim, an evil nation/organization in the Realms. (This is where Berandor met his future wife and was seduced by her... what?) after being interrogated and tortured, they were to fight in the arena with the possibility to earn their freedom. Each of the party members fought an opponent similar to their own, and defeated him more or less barely. Then, without any healing being allowed, the party as a whole was to fight the arena champion, a hulking minotaur warrior.Side note:The wizard Abraxas was somewhat of a mentor to the party. He had given them one of their first missions and enabled Berandor to slay his first dragon. The party believed - but could not prove - that Abraxas was a gold dragon in disguise. The wizard had disappeared quite a while ago.In Game:The minotaur advances on the party and brandishes its mighty axe. It whispers, "It's me, Abraxas. You have to kill me to get free."The party is shocked. Berandor announces that he will not kill the mage, no matter the cost. Fighting ensues for a few rounds, during which Berandor's squire is dropped and the minotaur slightly harmed (Berandor did not attack). Again, the minotaur says, "Kill me. It's the only way. I will have to kill you otherwise." And to Berandor especially, "At least make it seem realistic. I will fake my death if possible."So Berandor decides to attack, but miss on purpose.[ME (to DM): I will attack, but look away and try not to hit, or hit too hard][DM: Alright, take a -5 on your attack][ME (rolls): Uhm... natural 20.]So Berandor takes a wide and mightily-looking swing designed to look impressive but miss, and instead takes off Abraxas' head in one sweep. The crowd falls silent (one woman shrieking in joy), the players stare at me, Berandor drops to his knees and cries.Result:That moment really hung over Berandor's later career. He was ever more ambitious to defeat injustice and he felt his responsibilities like never before. He now knew that even if he tried to shy away from them, they would come callling.Also, a few months later, he saw a painting of that fight in a noble's living room, and broke into tears again. The guilt of having killed the party's mentor, perhaps a gold dragon, of having killed him inadvertently *and* of having tried to shirk from his duty weighed heavily on him, but made him a better paladin and group leader in the end.That's it. I hope it's not too long, or too much information.</blockquote>

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