Name: Karsimir von Greyssen.

Nicknames/Titles: Silver Lion. Grey.

Race: Human, Gothic Imperial (ie: from the Gothic Kaisertum). Sometimes called Uradel (Gothic old nobility). Additionally, is considered ‘touched’ or blessed by a higher power of some kind which has affected him growing up, although the specific circumstances are unknown to him.

Height: 6' 3”

Weight: 250 lbs.

Age: 19.

Occupation: Reichsknecht (Imperial Squire) man-at-arms, Rittmeister and Feldkomtur.

A man-at-arms is a professional soldier filling the military role of a knight without an equivalent social title (is instead titled Edler, a marginally lower rank used for the sons of the nobility). As a Reichsknecht or Imperial Squire he has undergone a knightly apprenticeship in service to an Imperial Knight, which he has completed but could not join his master's order (that order only accepts heirs).

Rittmeister (ride master) is the officer of an Imperial cavalry force, equivalent of a captain qualified to lead heavy cavalry. Feldkomtur (field commander) is a commanding officer, typically of a force smaller than a full company, or of raised militia and roadwardens, but free to run his unit as he sees fit.

Physical Description: Firstly is a big Teutonic man, of tall stature and built like a lion, with wide shoulders, powerful arms and a tapered waist. Has a mane like a lion too, thick white-blond wavy hair framing his face and neck, stopping clearly above the shoulders. Heavy stubble of the same colour lines his square chin and long jaw, the evenness suggesting it is kept deliberately trimmed.

Fair-skinned, with a high, narrow and mostly straight nose. Smooth cheeks frame deep-set amber eyes, the colour bright, strong and warm. A few small scars travel from the edge of his mouth, and a line through his brow. Gives of a faint scent seeming like church incense, even when armoured.

Personality: Primarily a man of action, prefers to deal with matters or obstacles by tackling them directly. Is always working towards some goal, choosing to be the one shaping the future rather than waiting to see what happens next. Grows restless when without something to do.

Motivated very strongly by noblesse oblige. Will automatically help those in need if he feels the help is needed. Cares deeply for the troubles of those less fortunate, readily moved to pity when others are suffering. Prone to random acts of kindness, sharing what wealth he gains with destitute families or communities, and will hire a pauper too proud to accept charity.

For all his drive and conviction, is fond of wit, and has a very active sense of humour, tending towards the ironic. Fond of humorous descriptions of events, and generally ready with a laugh or a smile.

Magic - Divine Powers: Is a devoted follower of Sahkier, the Falcon & the Light. Sahkier is a god of Honour, Valour and Strength. The central tenet of the Falcon is that ‘charity is the father of strength’, and that one’s strength is measured by helping others. His creed is described as ‘unsubtle, if well-intentioned’ from both within the church and without, and is popular among both knights and the common folk alike.

Blessed – Shielded from the worst effects of chance. Arrow volleys or cannon blasts mostly avoid his position. Does not protect him in sword fights because the opponent is more directly involved, but chance rarely directly harms him.

Detect Evil Intent - Blessed Lord be with me in my hour of need. Grant us thy sight and thy guidance, revealing harmful intentions with a falcon's clarity for thy wisdom sake.

Senses the presence of evil intent in the nearby area by praying, revealing the intent to harm or exploit others. This may also reveal certain forms of harmful magic. Note the person need not be an outright villain to be sensed, he must merely intend harm to others, although some individuals may be so cruel that they effectively always intend harm and so can always be detected.

Immune to Disease – Common cold, deadly plague, fungal spores, or magical corruption. Cannot be a carrier either, and shows greater resistance than normal to poisons or curses.

Lay on Hands – Blessed Lord be with me in my hour of need. Grant us thy succour to the wounded and ailing, mending torn sinew and easing pain for thy compassion sake.

Able to heal others with a touch, having a near-immediate effect. Will stop bleeding, cure the effects of disease, and cause wounds to close over or otherwise stabilise, and small cuts or bruises to vanish. Most battle wounds will require some time for recovery before they will be completely healed.

Turn Unholy - Blessed Lord be with me in my hour of need. Grant thy protection and purity, that through your vessel this evil be banished from our presence for thy righteousness sake.

Uses blessed words or gestures to drive evil spirits back. Makes his presence intolerable for them, forcing them back so long as he continues with the words and gestures. Cannot attack while driving back evil spirits, or any other task requiring attention, but he can move and share the protection with others who are near to him.

Strengths: There is much to being an aspiring knight. In addition to fighting skill there are social responsibilities and horsemanship, and during his apprenticeship Karsimir functioned as a servant, and actively strives to retain those skills.

Charisma – Possesses qualities that help him in social situations. Working with horses has taught him how to use tone of voice and body language to instinctively set others at ease, notable physical attractiveness can make a good impression before he even speaks or acts, and flexible diplomacy means he can recognise what others want to hear and use that to help convince them.

Handling Animals/Horsemanship – At least as skilled with animals as with a sword, particularly horses and dogs. Can calm or read an unsettled animal, and reliably train a war horse, hunting hound or protection dog in a matter of weeks. On horseback he can ride safely at speed, fight in a saddle and leap obstacles safely.

Military Training – An expert fighter with swords, staves, polearms and wrestling. With his hands is a match for most armed opponents, using joint-breaks and throws to bring them down, and has little to fear from a tavern brawl. Fighting multiple opponents is reasonable for him, although another experienced fighter may be more difficult. Beyond weapons training, is skilled in tactics and formations, able to command a unit effectively in the field.

Physical Prowess – Is a large and powerful man, very strong and athletic enough to move easily in armour. May lift heavy weights (up to and including supporting a large horse with an injured leg on his shoulders) as well as bash through doors easily or use his strength to his advantage in a fight.

Religious Education – Fully literate, with a solid grounding in maths, and speaks a few languages used in the region. Has a working knowledge of local religious practises as well as his own, and the military history of the areas around his homeland.

Servitude – Working as a knights assistant means he knows how to set up a military camp quickly, take good care of weapons and armour (making small repairs or adjustments if necessary) and can cook for the nobility without receiving any complaints.

Strong Faith – Strives to live a virtuous life. Although young, can be counted on to be brave, thoughtful, kind, wise beyond his years, and industrious. This means he gets a lot of work done, is remembered well, and seldom acts without thinking.

Weaknesses: Living up to the chivalric ideal is very demanding, although Karsimir comes fairly close. This places limits on his life and often draws him into danger that could otherwise be avoided. Striving towards gentleness can put him at a disadvantage as a warrior when ruthlessness might make a situation easier.

Animal Fondness – Treats animals with respect, refusing to overwork them or recklessly endanger them for an advantage. Is reluctant to harm them as well, and while he will hunt he will avoid striking the horses of enemy cavalry or using deadly force against a war dog unless under extreme duress.

Charitable – Helps those in need, even at personal cost or risk. If put into a position where he could reasonably help someone in genuine need, he will do so even if it means entering a potential trap.

Code of Honour – Always keeps his word and shows respect for any good deed, never taking advantage of it or using it against someone. Never willingly breaks any trust, or takes something that does not belong to him (other than battlefield plunder, and even then may seek out the rightful owner).

Compulsive Honesty – Refuses to tell an outright lie, even to save his own life. In a situation where he would have to lie, he cannot do so convincingly.

Dulcinea Effect – Naturally protective of women, trusting them easily and giving the benefit of the doubt when it might be unwise. May put himself in a potentially vulnerable position to set a woman at ease, and if attacked by a woman will defend himself using less force even at personal risk unless under extreme duress.

Easily Noticed – Being a large man with a striking appearance makes it very difficult to blend into a crowd. Attracts some attention wherever he goes, enough for him to be easily found by someone. Both stealth and disguise will be hindered this way.

Hungered After – The soul of the angel-touched is a most succulent one, and attracts the attention of creatures that prey on mortals. Supernatural creatures will often target him in preference to any other target, and if they manage to feed on him they will become far stronger (and thus much harder to fight off).

Merciful – Spares lives whenever possible, and does not strike a defenceless foe when it can be avoided. When a foe is wounded, he will move onto the next rather than finish them off. This leaves him vulnerable to attacks from behind.

Pious – Accustomed to praying to Sahkier for guidance, so is at risk of being misled by a magician who can send false signals in the guise of guidance from Sahkier. Due to his faith in Sahkier will very seldom question the signs, although routinely questions his interpretation of them.

Character History:

Karsimir was born a fourth son to Imperial Gothic nobility. His family owned a fortified manor house supported by a small village, and afforded him a good church education to prepare him for the rigours of the aristocracy and life at court. Much of his early years were spent playing with the other children, the most common game an imitation of raising a levy.

But he also got into frequent fights with bullies he saw picking on other children, often the bullies were older and larger than him, or in groups. Overall, his father, Freiherr Helmuth, was pleased that his son was a fighter, although unsettled by the risks he took for other children. Freifrau Liselotte seemed pleased to see him returning home with bruises.

Often Karsimir would organise for household leftovers to be shared among the people of the estate. Soon the boy was very popular in the village.

Soon his career started, Karsimir serving as a page in the Imperial Free City of Augsheim, in the court of Herzog Gerhard von Ruppa. There his duties were serving in kitchens and waiting on the lords and ladies of the household, and he slept in kennels with the dogs to stop them from fighting or to care for any that fell sick. While some may call it harsh, he loved it, spending most nights cuddled up with puppies.

During this time he was given modest training in wooden swords, until the age of 14 when he was selected as a squire by the Gothic Knight Herr Albrecht von Waldeck. Herr Albrecht gifted him with a mail hauberk and a sword blessed in a ceremony by a bishop of Sahkier, where Karsimir swore to use the blade only for religious and honourable purposes. That oath sparked something within him, and he committed to the Church of the Falcon from that day on.

Life changed abruptly as a squire, Karsimir moved to the chapterhouse of the Gothic Order, and his duties turned less to the courtly and more to the military and religious. He practised long hours with weapons, patrolled the walls with commoner sergeants, and was given a foal to raise to be his warhorse one day. He named the colt Arjen.

That year, he was called to serve Herr Albrecht in a tournament. The Gothic Order sent a Banner of 50 knights, their squires, and supporting infantrymen to participate. This would reinforce the name of the Gothic Order as a powerful force serving the Kaiser (and thus support law and order), and was a chance to gain combat experience and to win prizes or ransoms.

During that year of travelling round the Kaisertum for tourneys, Karsimir acquitted himself well. He was diligent in replacing spent lances, or dragging prisoners back to camp, he also helped organise the other squires to work effectively together, and was given leadership of his own small troupe. His moment of glory came when the knights his troupe supported became trapped, Karsimir and his troupe were carrying lances, and the force trapping their knights had an exposed flank...

Overall, this was good preparation for the campaign of next year. When Kaiser Edelrich von Heldenburg called the Reie Campaign to deal with robber barons charging illegal tolls or robbing merchant ships using the river. Kaiser Edelrich’s strategy was the simple expedient of besieging their castles.

First castle was taken easily. After having the defences shattered by artillery, the defenders soon surrendered. Second castle was more difficult, providing no safe position to deploy the cannons, so required a month-long siege spent fetching supplies to the army while they steadily tunnelled below the castle and set gunpowder barrels beneath. When the outer walls were breached, the enemy discovered the tunnels and the fighting underground clogged them with dead, but the outer walls now provided cover for the Kaiser’s men to approach and place barrels up against the inner walls. Those walls were blown apart, the men surrendered.

The third castle was more difficult. There was a northern Duchess held prisoner inside, so blasting the castle apart was not an option, and the hard ground hindered tunnelling. Instead they took it with a more costly siege using ladders, battering rams, gunpowder charges on the gates and the foundations of the walls.

So far Karsimir’s experience was defeating other squires or the occasional lance charge in tourneys, but in the campaigns he killed. The first siege was relatively bloodless. In the second he remembered cutting down a crossbowman with his halberd and catching a swordsman on the flank. In the third he caught archers on the walls or in towers with his sword. He remembered clamour and confusion, attacking only because not to would mean a comrade’s death.

Kaiser Edelrich showed mercy to the defeated garrisons. The leaders were gaoled until sufficient reparations were made, but the regular soldiers captured were given a fine based on their individual wealth (so they could not simply re-arm and reassemble as an army) then released home to their families. The Town Leagues complained this was a half-measure. Then the Kaiser torched the castle.

From Karsimir’s share of the plunder and ransoms he was able to upgrade to new weapons and armour, more suited to his greater size and age.

Eventually, Karsimir needed to leave and pursue his career elsewhere. Knighthood within the Gothic Order was open only to heirs, and Karsimir was a fourth son. So when Prince Floris, the Kaiser’s son, was making an expedition to distant shores, Karsimir saw his chance to continue serving the Eagle Throne by joining him.

It started with recruitment. Prince Floris had a store of captured weapons and armour from the Reie Campaign. What he needed now was more experienced soldiers. Karsimir could provide that. He sought out the many common soldiers who had been spared and released in the Reie Campaign, and offered them a chance to restore their status, a chance to reclaim their lost arms and armour, a chance at a fresh start and new life.

Many refused, many were bandits, and Karsimir needed to fight them with the aid of his own recruits. But many joined him. Nearly a hundred men joined the expedition, were rearmed by Imperial Prince Floris, and set off on the great ships to Verre Zon.

When he said goodbye to his father, he received sad news. His father told him that Liselotte was not his mother, that a sorceress bewitched him into her bed and bore an illegitimate child to gain leverage to blackmail the Freiherr, and that Helmuth took him away from his mother by force because he did not want his son being raised as his enemy. Karsimir cursed the timing, but chose to stay with the Imperial Prince rather than search for his mother.

With his army of troops, Prince Floris was swiftly given domain over a group of border villages requesting for the Conclave’s protection against Flower Wars. They came, they saw, they built log forts, and all was quiet. Until a Flower War came. Somewhere else.

There was uproar, and call for a crusade to avenge those dragged off for sacrifice. This was an opportunity to gain knighthood, so Karsimir requested leave to join from Prince Floris and it was granted. The Adventurer’s Crusade was launched.

As they marched, encounters with the Ameyatl were mostly skirmishes and exchanges of missiles. Karsimir’s unit did rather well, seeming to always escape the worst of arrow volleys and missile storms. As the Crusade progressed into Ameyatl territory, Karsimir became more apparent as a lucky charm for his unit, and soon most of the soldiers wanted to be fighting alongside him. Karsimir used this as the opportunity to gain his own command.

When the Battle of Tejecote began, he commanded a unit of fifty halberdiers, supported by detachments of a dozen crossbowmen and javelin throwers. In the battle, he held the line with the others, his unit not distinguishing itself greatly but being a strong point in the line since it escaped the worst of the missile attacks before engaging. Field artillery provoked the enemy into assaulting the defended position, and eventually the battle was won.

Then the army marched on the town of Tejecote, and the central temple was set aflame, signalling the colonist’s victory. And yet the killing continued. Among the speeches given before battle was that each Ameyatl cut down would cleanse a sin, and apparently many soldiers were not done cleansing sins yet, and tried to cleanse them in the blood of women and children.

Initially, he tried reasoning with the other soldiers, telling them this was murder of the innocent. When his pleas fell on deaf ears, he turned his sword against his former comrades. His unit, and others seeing him fighting other colonists but not knowing why, came to his aid automatically. Soon, he helped put an end to the slaughter.

Many of the Crusade quit in disgust after that day. Between casualties and desertions, the Crusade was finished, unable to hold the town or continue further. Karsimir did more, he used the loot gained from the battle and sought out a Sahkierite monastery, the Omen Temple, and enlisted the monks to aid the town. The expedition, transport of the monks and supplies were paid for from his own pocket and the loot gained from campaign.

During the preparations, he spent two days praying in a darkened chapel, subsisting only on bread and water. When the abbot opened the doors and bathed the chapel in sunlight, Karsimir felt something change.

What he noticed when he returned to the town was that the Ameyatl had sent a humanitarian aid party of their own. Both colonist and Ameyatl worked together to ease the suffering of the people. One time, Karsimir was tending an old man with an infected wound, laid his hands on him, and watched the wound vanish before his eyes.

It was a powerful time for Karsimir. When all was done he spent much time in prayer and contemplation with the monks. Partly he was inspired by the need to learn more of the Ameyatl, in the hope that people capable of such clear decency could escape their bloodthirsty gods, and partly retreating to the cloister in shame for the murder done in the Adventurer’s Crusade, doing good deeds more quietly.

Eventually, he was ready to emerge, unwilling to hide away when he could feel the call of Sahkier to take action for a good cause once again.

Belongings:

Never goes out in public without a longsword and dagger on his belt, this being more a case of 'properly dressed' than heavily armed. The sword is lightning fast with two hands (and usable with one) and the dagger is useful for grappling. 'Heavily armed' for Karsimir typically means a 12-foot lance or a pollaxe (combined spear-axe-mallet) and wearing his full armour.

Full armour is three-quarter gothic plate (the fluted, angular style), faintly blued to protect it from rust and gold trimmed with minor enchantments that keep the armour cool in the tropical climate. Covers down to the knees (segmented on the thighs), and includes a sea-shell like helmet with a blue plume, while he wears greaves (lower legs) of clearly lower quality. Easily stops a sword, spear, arrow or hand-held firearm, although he will still take some bruising from the impact.

Otherwise only wears the breastplate and vambraces (forearm guards), and a spectacular style of dress. Slashed sleeves and leggings showing contrasting colours (combinations of blue, white, black and yellow), and matching hats sporting large bright feathers (concealing a small helmet called a 'secret').

Is comfortably well-off, meaning he can reliably afford reasonable travel expenses, good lodgings, several changes of clothes and plenty of supplies when travelling. Keeps several jars of blessed healing ointment for emergencies, which greatly speeds the healing of wounds.

Wears a blessed pendant of Sakhier, and the signet ring of his family. Owns the necessary patents of nobility, and documents from the Conclave confirming his status.

Pets/Familiars:

Arjen, the Hallowed Destrier – A mighty warhorse standing 18-1/2 hands (6’ 2”) high at the shoulder and weighing a short ton (2000 lbs). Is a milky brown Percheron-Clydesdale mix with bright white socks and tail, a white mane, a dark muzzle with white fur over his face.

As a cold blood horse, Arjen is fairly docile with a calm, patient temperament. Above that he is very affectionate, having been raised by Karsimir since he was a foal. Particularly friendly and gentle with women (mimicking Karsimir’s behaviour as a squire).

Is a powerful animal, very healthy and vigorous. Trained to trample and bite and kick on command, and is able to stand up to the stress of combat. Will drag Karsimir out of combat or guard him if he is in danger, and can guard others on command.

Armoured in gothic plate barding similar to Karsimir's own armour, obviously of as high quality for his horse as for himself.

Other useful information:

Enjoys high social standing, allowing him hospitality from most nobles, the right to enforce low justice, and theoretically can only be tried in a noble court (meaning he is generally assumed to have the right when he fights someone). While his connections do not give him direct power, he can more easily meet with people who do. A notable allies in the Conclave are his old lord Imperial Prince Floris.

There are some who bear him grudges as well for his part in dismantling the Adventurers' Crusade. In their domains his social standing and privileges will be ignored and they will inconvenience him if possible, but will not seek to do him lasting harm since his connections will seek reprisal for any suspicious fate he suffers.

In addition to influential allies, Karsimir may find aid from soldiers who he commanded before (recruited from the Reie campaigns and Adventurer's Crusade). If near Floris's lands typically has access to a mix 40-50 mail-armoured halberdiers and crossbowmen, and/or patrols of 10-20 roadwardens, who will be happy for him to lead them again if he needs them. As Feldkomtur may raise a force of up to 12 Gleves (knights with two lesser armoured retainers) for a total of 36 heavy cavalry, although they have their own concerns and gathering them will take at least a month.

Remembered with mixed feelings in Tejecote. On one hand he fought to defend them, on the other he was part of the invading army in the first place. There he can easily find many who remember him fondly, but just as many resent him as simply being one of the more recognisable colonist invaders.