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View Full Version : The Patchwork Empire- setting, looking for comments/suggestions



Weirdlet
2008-05-08, 03:45 AM
Hello, all. I’ve been playing D&D for about five years now, came in on the change to 3.5 fairly early on and am intent on sticking with it for the foreseeable future. I’ve never DM’ed, but I’ve had ideas for settings and just little things that would be cool to play with collecting for a while, and I’m putting up the basic setting I’ve got the most brain-space allotted to right now. I’m looking for commentary, suggestions, anything anyone wants to say or help with- the gang I play with has a rotating set of campaigns and we’re not about to open up space for a new one anytime soon, so I’m not in a hurry.

I figured to take a leaf out of Mercedes Lackey's book- specifically her tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, where there are little countries scattered all over and you can find most cultures there, just by traveling a few kingdoms over- leaves room for anything you might want to plunk down while not making it a world-spanning mass.

Premise- Angels and devils are two sides of the same coin, you can bargain and know where you stand with them- but elves? They’re something else, the child-thieves, the terrifying ghost-riders in the night. Since the advent of the Empire, they’ve retreated Underhill, un-fueled by human dreams, but they want out again, and gods all help us if they get what they want.

Unknown to the public, the Emperor’s heir has been trapped in dreaming, leading to the dismissal of the Imperial court to avoid knowledge reaching them. The nobles have been sent home, everyone’s trying to pretend things are normal in a vacuum of information, and a normally well-run empire is edging closer to having problems boil over that usually would never get to progress that far.

I want Underhill to be a threat, but one that won’t be approached face to face for a long time. Meanwhile, there’s mages trying to start up a racket, possibly encouraged by fey agents, kingdoms are starting to squabble with their nobles sent home to play while the cat’s away, and in the water-bound city in the Moon-lake, bloodless bodies are starting to show up.


House Rules-

Mostly standard 3.5 D&D rules, with some exceptions.

• Use either Dex or Strength as your basic melee bonus, whichever best fits your ethos (this means pick one or the other at first level, and stick with it as your main thing. Write it down on your sheet. In ink.). To account for a change in tactics, one may take either Weapon Finesse for one’s light weapons, or Brute Force (newly made up feat) for one’s larger weapons. Strength for melee damage.

• Show me and talk to me about things from other sources. I’m flexible. Be prepared to lend me the book to scavenge from.

• There have been some alterations to race and classes- see below.

• Dying rules- disabled at 0 to negative Con modifier, dead at negative Con score.


Available Races:

Human, orc, great-orc, elf, half-elf*, half-orc*.


Humans-

One extra feat at first level, 4 extra skill points at first level and 1 extra at every level thereafter. PHB standard. Humans are the most variable beings on the face of the world, existing in many tribes and shapes and having conquered and re-conquered themselves to blend the edges between the many kinds. For the most part they live in a minimum of civilization, either hardy farmers or citydwellers, piecing together the forgotten lore of their once-empires and getting by day to day in their current kingdoms.

Though there are many different countries in the Alucien Empire, the official and rarely used title of the Three-Hundred Kingdoms, there are several major regions that make up the breadth of the continent. In the central, far northern regions of the Empire is an area of extremely mountainous terrain, housing mostly goats, great-orcs and dragons, although hardy mountain villages spring up here and there. Dwarves have also been seen once in a while, but they tend to stay well clear of the lowlands.
Northeast from there is the deep, primal forest between the mountains and the chill, sere plains. Housing some of the best farmlands in the continent, Svartlund and its constituent kingdoms curves around the central empire to edge along the plains, where the Running Tribes still roam, untaxed and often eyed nervously. Northwest is the desert kingdoms, situated just beyond a thin mountain range. Far to the south, downriver from the Imperial Capital, a city of traders overtakes a large island in the middle of the round Moon-lake just at the edge of the sea.

Orcs-

+2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, -2 to Intelligence and Charisma, Darkvision 60 ft., Scent ability. Your average orc is a rough sort, and though craft and guile are valued, booklearning and manners (or what those soft flat-toothed sorts call manners) often fall by the wayside- but while they can lack tact, they are rarely fools. Compact and tough, orcs are found throughout the Patchwork Empire, often roaming in tribes or working in cities. Descended from the long-ago armies brought from across the ocean by one of many past conquerors, orcs were often employed as mercenaries during the initial chaos as the Great Wars began to break down into true anarchy, a practice which still carries on today in more organized and bonded companies. For their contributions during the initial formation of the Empire, a long stretch of lands were set aside as a homeland for those who wanted to return to the older ways. There are even a few Imperially-acknowledged kingdoms of their own on the borderlands, the remnants of long-vanished military hierarchy and discipline infusing their culture as much as the wild hunter aspects from before even then. The oral tradition they carried on preserved much history (albeit with a slant) while the great libraries of the past burned to the ground, giving a ‘been there, done that’ kind of attitude to some.

Ethnicity among orcs is along clan lines, while (traditional) society is along tribal lines. One tribe is most often of one clan, but may have adopted or captured members of others. City-dwellers intermingle more freely while still tracing their lineage and taking pride in it. Each clan has a totemic personal god that gives the bloodline its name and whose attributes are often mimicked in clan members’ sense of style; some examples include the Boar, Snake, Hawk and Stag clans, among others.

Great Orcs- (Think Uruk-hai from the LotR films, but shy, almost Bigfoot-y)

+2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -4 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. Darkvision 60 ft., Scent ability. Divided into the Bear, Bull and Jaguar clans, great-orcs are regarded as the really orthodox orcs. They don’t like humans, and they mostly retreat into wooded areas to live in feral tribes, trading with other clans but not outsiders (as they regard humans and especially elves and dwarves). This doesn’t preclude them from wandering into civilization entirely, but does often set the tone for their encounters with others. The Bear clan occupies mountainous, wooded areas above the snowline, preferring a colder clime than their smaller cousins. The Bull clan, however, is generally found on the plains, chasing (usually) wild herds for food, and often killing their prey bare-handed to show strength and bravado. The Jaguar clan is rarely seen, staying well into the far southern forests.

Elves-

+2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution. Immunity to sleep effects, +2 against enchantment spells or effects. Low-light Vision, +2 to Listen, Search and Spot, Search check on being within 5 feet of a secret door. PHB standard. Rare beings in the world of men and sunlight, elves have the grace to get themselves out of trouble, but are oddly frail for this rough world. Their uncanny senses are said to mark them as slightly off, just a little bit away from the here and now.

Which is absolutely true.

Elves as mortals know them are exiles from Underhill, cast out with little memory of what they were, and much reduced in glory from their immortal brethren. An elf either appears in a grove near where fae are known to dwell, barred from returning- or he is born to parents who arrived in this manner, growing up never knowing the legacy that many imagine might be his. Some are even found as youngsters in the empty cradles of human children- changelings, traded or rejected for some unknown reason. Such a being may yearn for the legendary Underhill and the immortality promised there, or may throw himself headlong into the several centuries he can expect of everyday hustle and bustle that makes up mortal living, wandering the roads or staying in the small enclaves of his fellows scattered throughout the kingdom. After centuries of appearing and with their long life-spans, even given their small numbers, a small, but viable, population has built up.

*Half-Elves-

Immunity to sleep effects, +2 against enchantment spells or effects. Low-Light Vision, +1 to Listen, Search and Spot. Hmm. I need to figure something for this one- like, you can pick one or t’other of either +2 to dex, -2 con, or the single extra feat. Or something unique, I dunno. Or I could just forbid halfelves altogether, but I think they might blazing well exist. Or- it could be a sorcery thing, heritage feats. But the half-elf as is is just- unacceptable.

*Half-Orcs-

Half-orcs aren’t precisely a specific player race- plain ol’ orcs are everywhere. Interbreeding just tends to happen, but the strength of orcish features plows it under again in short order. In cities it’s a more common sight to see orcs who’ve clearly got human blood, but who remain recognizably orcish; simply a little taller and less densely built, occasionally with different hair or eye-color than average. Their mixed heritage can be represented by the 1st level-only feat Human Blood, which grants +4 skillpoint at 1st and +1 per level thereafter, and signals one as human for all effects related to race. Alternately, they may trade their +2 to Strength for removing the -2 penalty to either Intelligence or Charisma.


(I’m thinking I may add in dwarves and halflings, possibly just dwarves, who are being rivals to the mountain-born orcs. I’m not entirely sure what to do with the dwarves- perhaps they have a stricter view of religion and would like to see it imposed?)


Other Races To Be Aware Of-

Dark Elves-

+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution. Darkvision 120 ft, Immunity to Sleep, +2 to Will-saves against spells, spell-like abilities, and other enchantment effects. Spell Resistance 11+class level. Dark elves have the following spell-like abilities once per day: dancing lights, faerie fire, locate water, with caster level equal to class levels. +2 to Listen, Search, and Spot checks, and if passing within 5 feet of a secret door, are entitled to a Search check to notice it. Light Blindness- Sudden bright light, like a daylight spell or actual daylight, will blind a dark elf for one round, and put them at a -1 to attacks, saves and checks made in bright light. LA+2

The mysterious dwellers in the deep desert, the riders on the horizon, dark elves are often considered to be spirits by the humans who share their harsh, drifting environment. Rarely seen up close by outsiders, they move as shadows with the sandy tides, appearing at sunset and fleeing with the dawn. Trade is done at a distance, though some of the roaming merchants of the desert kingdoms say they have dealt directly with them- though never are they allowed any deeper into their territory.

Those rare times that anyone has engaged with the dark elves, they have been fierce enemies, riding swift horses and fighting with blades and magic. A few of the Emperors in the past had good relations with them, to the point of having one or two as bodyguards.

Tieflings-

Native Outsider. +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Cha. Darkvision 60 ft, Fire, Cold, and Electricity Resistance 5. Darkness 1/day at Character Level. +2 racial bonus to Hide and Bluff. LA+2. (I get the distinct feeling I want to redo them slightly- I see them as more charismatic. I wouldn’t have them as available for PCs initially, but this is this world’s equivalent of half-fiends. The bloodlines tread a little more lightly here. This is one of those things where I like part of the 4e idea, although by no means all.)

Remnants of a time when the boundaries of the planes were crossed more freely, tieflings are much rarer than they once were. The result of assignations between mortals and the lower-level fiends they would encounter in ancient rituals, they were once the sign of noble blood in the desert kingdoms to the east of central Alucia, the way sorcery is today. Humanoid they were, but each with distinctive features that no mortal could hope to duplicate, such as a fine set of scales, vestigial wings or tails, claws like an orc’s or sharp teeth, a following chill or heat or scent of sulfur.

The rituals that permitted their being were, after a time, forbidden to the common practicioners of magic, lest others ascend to the nobility. The problem was, after centuries without renewal, the blood ran thin, and a kingdom that was dependant on magic to keep the castes in order began to decline.

Aasimars-

(I think the Imperial dynasty is made up of these. For that matter, I need to think more on how the imperial family is set up- is there squabbling over who inherits? What happens to spare heirs? How do they retain that mystery while still being accessible?)


Classes-

Barbarian. Not necessarily a people, but a mindset. Anyone from the town drunk with a temper to those bastards across the river who steal your cattle.

Bard. The fae like bards- mortals can create, and bards create music, and that is especially attractive. PC elves who have picked up bardic abilities are regarded as blessed by their kin. Everyone else tends to like them as well, so long as they don’t steal the good silver or run off with the daughter of anyone important. Guild musicians would, of course, never do such a thing, but their pieces and their prices aren’t generally suited to an evening’s entertainment in the village watering hole.

Brawler. A fighter who concentrates on direct application of bare-handed brute force. A brawler trades proficiency with medium and heavy armor and shields for a monk’s unarmed damage and AC bonus progression, and trades his first-level bonus feat for Improved Unarmed Strike. (I wanted to have an option for a bare-knuckle fighter who wasn’t the horror of a monk, but I just found this feat, Superior Unarmed Damage, that renders this somewhat moot. I just wanted to have it out there as an option)

Cloistered Cleric. Sometimes the gods see fit to grant power to their followers, though granting more than a gift for rhetoric is rare. Possibly this is because worship is so scattered and homogenized- most clerics multitask, caring for the shrines of the handful of gods that local people hold dear and learning more about them as they go. The Circle is said to contain all gods, with the Emperor at its center as their main face on earth, and government-sanctioned seminaries teach a multitude of different variants of writ while enforcing the Code of Life as laid down on the first Emperor’s ascent to the throne. Pick your domains and your ethos- whatever it is, there’s probably been a godling worshipped at some point, somewhere in the empire you could have picked up. Alternately, one may concentrate on Auberon, the distant elfish god, or be a part of the orcish priestesshood of the Allmother and the varying shamanic animal gods that are patron to each clan, though these tend to be more of the battle-cleric variety.

Cleric. Prettymuch as above, but with more focus on combative abilities. This is a class that has almost paladin-like overtones in the Empire, and there is indeed a special order of Imperial knights made up of just these sorts of holy warriors. The orcish shamans and priestesses also have a knack for knowing how to beat the snot out of those who would give them lip or harm their kin.

Druid. Arbitrators between the wild and the civilized. They pick one form for land, one for water, one for air, and they are stuck with them as their alternate skins.

Duskblade. A wizard who finds that a healthy body equals a healthy mind, and has altered his regimen to include just such exercises. Alternately, a sorcerer who’s chosen to concentrate on physical combat, but still cannot help but channel his/her effervescent life-force into the blade. Such discipline as sword-work sometimes helps ease the symptoms that come about when a sorcerer manifests. If playing it as sorcerous, use Charisma instead of Intelligence for class ability purposes, but otherwise they are indistinguishable.

Fighter. Lots of fighters in Alucia. Out of Alucia. Around Alucia. It’s the Patchwork Empire, and people will take exception to each other everywhere, not to mention the Imperial borders and the dangers that lie beyond that. Fighters are pretty standard. 4 Skillpoints + Int mod.

Ranger. Somewhere between an army scout and a druid, these hunters wander, blending with the landscape but without the literal, spiritual spin on that that druids take. Favored environment variant rather than favored enemy.

Rogue. Sometimes one’s job description requires a little bit of flexibility. And maybe a little bit of discretion, and a strategic sharp point or two. Not necessarily criminal, but not necessarily sterling, either.

Sorcerer. Some have magic flowing in their veins, cropping up every few generations from some long-distant ancestry, or an affinity with the forces of the world without necessarily a devotion to its rhythms, as the druid. Those who display signs of their distant kin are rare- those who survive the Ordeal of manifestation intact are slightly rarer. But while learning to control the magic welling up within them, sorcerers must also learn to make a living, and so they get 4 skill points, plus Int mod. More common in the desert and swamp countries, but by no means limited to there. Instead of a familiar, every sorcerer instead gets a bonus feat at first level, reflecting the heritage that allows them their natural affinity with magic. Choices are fiendish, celestial, and elven (fey) bloodlines. A familiar may be gained, if desired, with selection of the Obtain Familiar feat.

Wizard. Some have a natural gift, while others have a natural gift for study, which they then apply to wresting control of the forces of reality for their own use. That studious ability also applies to learning in other areas, so while they may not have a natural inclination to other skills, they can work at them and learn efficiently. 4+ Int mod.

Please, multiclass freely. I see no point in penalizing the spice of life. (In fact, I’m wondering if I should perhaps insist on magic-users multiclassing a little- it might through off balance (in the sense of what I throw at players, not between players), though, and I’m not sure I want to meddle with this)

Available Prestige Classes-

Prestige classes are, my impression has been, to both offer neato-keen things for an advanced character to do and diversify themselves with, and to offer flavor to the setting. These are in no way the only prestige classes in the 300-Kingdoms, but they are merely here to be brought to your attention as paths that can be treaded.

Metaphysical Spellshaper: Wielders of arcane power often draw on their own mortal frames to fuel their most powerful abilities, sometimes debilitating themselves mentally or physically to exert power above and beyond even their usual means. Requirements are as follows: 3 ranks Craft (sculpting or weaving), 5 ranks Knowledge (arcana), 5 ranks Spellcraft; any two Metamagic Feats; ability to cast 3rd-level spells. Source: BoEF (lord knows why it’s in there).


Religions-


Humans- the official Imperial writ is that all gods and beliefs are within the Circle, with the Emperor in its center as the neutral representative of good wishes for the world at large. This does not always equate to peace between dyed-in-the-wool worshippers of the old ways, but given that the Imperial Army can, and has, marched in to defend the right of the Imperial temples to hold sway, it usually stays to the level of glaring at each other over the pews. Different regions will have a slant to the official temples that usually caters to the majority, but anyone may come in and request a blessing or make an offering to an appropriate collection of shrines. Anyone may also establish their own church, temple or cult, but they will be taxed if they gather donations.


Orcs- The goddess that came over the land bridge with the armies, the Allmother, is the primary deity among orcs, although each clan has its own totemic god or spirit, and city-orcs tend to absorb whatever gods are convenient to swear at and by. Traditional worship centers around priestesses of this earth-encompassing figure, keeping the secrets and the history as the foundation stone, while shamans of totemic animal gods see to the bravery of the warriors. The Allmother has varying faces- when soldiers call on her, she is the Stone Bitch, a warrior in her prime laughing in the teeth of the storm; the Dark Grandmother is a favorite of assassins and those who tend the dying, for she is the darkness before and after. These, however, are the more violent faces- in human cities, orcish temples are often relegated to the red light district to avoid offending human sensibilities, where they often have, if not a monopoly, then at least a good chunk of the trade on healing and the bathhouses used as a stand in for the more traditional purifying hot springs.

Some humans regard the orcs and their gods outside the Circle. The orcs snort and say that the Circle is within the Allmother’s reach.


Elves- Exiled from Underhill with little memory of their pasts, elves can be anywhere from staunch atheists to druids or Imperial clerics to scholars trying to remember their ancient king-

“There is one king Underhill. Never let anyone tell you different- certainly not these silly boyars and princelings who rule each thane and glen for their own single court. One Lord, one King, and one God. Auberon watches, and waits. Amused? Who knows.”

Auberon is the High King of the Fair Ones, though few mortals know him through more than stories. A few of the exiled elves have scraps of memory of revering that shining, horn-crowned figure, with bright sword and dark eyes. He is regarded as Allfather, a distant being, but once the bringer of knowledge and the leader of the hunt.

Close to the ocean he is called Tyberon, the devil of the seas, and sailors make offerings to avoid his ire. He’s one of the older gods, and not much in common worship. When Imperial clerics offer to make room for a shrine, they are laughed at.


The Empire-

Encompassing most of a fairly large landmass, the Empire is bordered by mountains, forests and seas. Please see crude map attached. (Be warned, it's large)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v453/Weirdlet/PatchworkEmpireMap.jpg

There’s a big bit in the middle, where the mountains meet the plains, and that’s the main ‘Empire’ kingdom- Alucia itself. The surrounding kingdoms are a part of the Alucien Empire- but they are allowed to continue to choose their own rulers, and keep their own customs- so long as they break no law of the Empire. Each ruler, however chosen, must measure up to Imperial tests (often helped along by Imperial schooling curriculum) and must obey four duties to the Emperor- to pay the Empire’s taxes, to protect the rights of Imperial citizens, including their own people as their kingdom is a part of the empire, support the Imperial schools and seminaries, and contribute to the Imperial army. In return, they get the protection of the army, trade with the rest of the empire, roads, cosmopolitan religion, ways to step up in the world, and a pretty good set of basic human rights, as well as the ability to keep their own basic ideals (so long as they aren’t applied in a way that would deny the rights of a citizen). But the rulers must rule well according to those first four principals- otherwise the Emperor reserves the right to remove him or her at any time. The country can choose its own ruler however they want, but they must be one that will toe the line.



Other stuff it’s good to know- (kind of a babble I did up to just get down the important bits)

You are in the Patchwork Empire, which contains approximately 300 kingdoms of varying sizes and compositions. There are three species to choose from, human, orc and elf. Half-breeds happen, but they tend to vary in who they take after. Talk to me and we can see what mechanics are necessary. Humans may have the occasional touch of the other planes in their bloodlines, tieflings or aasimars being very rare but still occasional throwbacks to a time when spirits crossed the boundaries of the world more easily. It is sometimes said by learned men that “Angels and devils are two sides of the same coin- and elves are the edge.” Both celestial and fiendish beings are held to be the same type of being, one set being more nurturing towards life and the other side being more focused on right of arms. You can bargain with either side without necessarily needing to worship anything, although plenty of devilish sorts would love to keep up that old farce, and the Emperor’s line is particularly blessed with celestial blood while being a focus of the state religion. The Fair Folk are something else- they’re creepy. Rather than being outsiders, they’re a wilder part of this world itself. Celestials nurture, fiends say might (of many kinds) makes right, but there’s no predicting with the fey. They’re mildly sociopathic creatures of nightmare.

To the west in the more desert-like countries, they tend not to mind if you’ve got demon blood, but twins are unlucky. Not that it much matters, as things are kind of falling apart. The old noble families have diminished in power and influence and the place is practically being run by criminal gangs.

Sorcerers are those who have an affinity with the forces of the world. They often acquire this by being descended from beings more magical than mortals. Unlike wizards, who can train their minds and wills to shape reality, sorcerers rely on an inherent connection between self and surrounding power, trying to control that flow before the magic can control, or consume, them. When the connection first starts to really open enough to make noticeable effects, a sorcerer will go through his or her Ordeal, as it’s officially called, in which they either gain control of themselves and the stronger flow of power, or fail spectacularly and sometimes fatally. It’s also described as manifestation sickness, and is characterized by fever, chills, and hallucinations, all of which can manifest themselves upon reality in unpleasant ways. If knowledgeable persons are around when a potential starts to show signs, there are things that can be done to ameliorate the problems to a certain extent and more likely guarantee useful control and better handling, including meditation, artificial inducement of manifestation in a controlled environment over a longer period of time, or the ol’ standby of chaining you up and doping you until, while you’re still hallucinating and slightly feverish, the only thing you’re projecting onto reality are happy bunnies with earmuffs. And possibly marshmallows.

The Great Wars happened about a thousand years ago. No one really knows what set them off specifically, but the whole world as people knew it was fighting. Conquerors would spring up to replace the old ones as they fell- it was basically a time of feudal warlords but with no time to settle in and make new civilizations. Out of that time, there did not come much good. When too many people had died, when there was nothing left but ragged armies lacking many officers or royals to give orders, they prayed for an answer and got the first Emperor surrounded by portents. They rallied around him and set about a fairly easy re-conquering of the 300 Kingdoms, under one banner.

Since then there have been ten Emperors and three Empresses, each living to an appallingly ripe old age.

Central area of Empire- has a lot of water coming down the mountains from this *huge* range that comes down from the north, has a lot of lakes and inland fjords and cliffs for an Ireland-like area. In those huge northern mountains there’s room for dragons. In that huge lake to the south with all the cliffs, there’s a part where the big roads lead down to the shore and there’s huge barges that’ll take you across to the other side. And maybe Things in the lake. Big fish. And vampirates.



Organizations-


Imperial Knights: The Knights of the Empire serve as enforcers of the overarching law of the 300 Kingdoms. There are many branches of the service, including the heavily armored cavalry that the word ‘knight’ might conjure, but with plenty of other variants specialized for work in different environments one might find in the kingdoms. When conflict gets out of control between Imperial kingdoms, they are the ones who wade in and sort it out.

Mercenary Guild: A heavily orcish enterprise, but by no means employing them alone. An ‘official’ imperial organization, but with strong contacts from the council of priestesses, the Guild enforces the Mercenary Codes across the kingdoms, ensuring both good wages and good behavior for and from its members. Breaking the Codes, or breaking a contract, are both offenses that are punished swiftly and harshly.

Imperial Bardic Guild: The ‘official’ and reputable organization of musicians, although informal gatherings and players are not discouraged, they get access to collegiate training and often act as the Emperor’s ‘Missi Domini’ when paired with an armed escort, speaking with the Emperor’s voice and acting as agents, carrying the news from place to place.


NPCs of Note-

The Emperor- the current Emperor. Not entirely sure of his personality, other than doing his damnedest as things keep slipping out of his hands.

The heir- trapped in dreaming by a wicked plot out of fairyland.

The Witch of Green Mountain- the Lady Atia, a(n) (in)famous sorceress who clawed her way into the Imperial Court and high position there, she started out running with the criminal gangs who are taking over her native kingdom. Staunch supporter of the Emperor, although she is not always well-liked by her rivals. Her twin sons seem to be odd throwbacks to older sorcerous blood, and some whisper that was how she survived her Ordeal, by bargaining a trade of sons for sanity with a fiend. The one is an Imperial Knight, a decorated veteran and the terror of the tourney circuit when off duty, the other is a minor sorcerer but out spying amongst the mage organizations that want to form their own, highly militant guild (If anyone’s read Lies of Locke Lamora, think the Bondsmages. That’s what they’re trying to start up. Possibly the Underhill elves are encouraging this).