Shield-Maiden: Maera, Paladin of Red Knight

[Valkyrie]

War Journal
Person(s): Shield-Maiden Initiate Maera Mournstar, 3rd Lance of the Order of the Crimson Vakyrie
Commanding Officer(s): Valkyrie-Captain Sophia Haggiera the Blooded/No command structure (see below)

Entry 1

My Lance set out from Suzail during the Midsummer to investigate and destroy a small but organized Bandit group (led by one Halcon the Red, see applicable Red Fellowship intelligence file for more information). I was accompanying them in a purley observational posistion, having not yet finished my training to become a full-fledged Shield Maiden nor having been equipped with a full panoply of armor- I would be relegated to guarding the horses. Enroute to our destination, a thick fog rolled in over the column and we came under suprise assault from unknown assailants. I slew two men of unknown livery (perhaps the bandits, though we were several miles from their known hunting grounds) before being knocked unconscious by a cowled figure wielding a twin-bladed sword.

When I regained consciousness I awoke to find myself on the outskirts of a caravan-camp inhabited by gypsies of unknown ethnicity (I would later come to know them as the "Vistani"). A quick appraisal of myself and my surroundings proved that I was uninjured and unrobbed, but utterly lost. Fortunatly there was a clear night sky which I could study, from which I learned I recognized none of the constellations taught to me in Reconnaisance Training. Furthermore many of the fixed stars were moved in random ways (some only a few degrees, some by inteir latitudes) and others were missing inteirly. Securing my belongings, I left the Vistani's fire to perform short range recconaisance.

Traveling north, I immediatly discovered an old and mouldering chapel in a shameful state of repair, the placard of which read "The Sanctuary of the Coming Dawn". Entering, I found a strange group of Lathanderites which resembled no denomination I was familear with. After some cursory quizing, I determined they had no information that could help me (none of their references made sense at the time), I investigated the crumbling staircase leading downstairs. There I found only a few paultry undead to slaughter and presumed the Lathanderites must be here to keep this local menace in check- for no other reason could
the opulate church hole itself in such a stagnant and decrepid temple. I would soon discover I was incorrect.

Upon returning to the Main temple chamber I met one Corvin Aegerfield, Battle-Chaplain of Torm. Aegerfield confided in me that he too, had been brought to this place about a year ago by mysterious mist, and he had yet to discover a way home. We were, by his estimation, in a place completly seperate from Toril. While this was an outlandish claim to make, I had noted a feeling of distance from Red Knight, leading me to suspect I was somehow on the fringe of her influence. Though I do not understand planar theory, these mists seemed to have been a powerful teleportation spell of some kind, and will be a subject of study in the future. Aegerfield also informed me that none of the religeons I was familear with was in any sort of force here, he himself only knew a hands worth of other Tormtars. Worse, the local populace were xenophobic and hateful of both outsiders and religeous groups. I was effectivly isolated and alone, in a hostile country, which by his account was rife with horrors and villainy. Before he departed for prayer and rest, he introduced me to Sivius Mindt, Battle-Priest of Tempus, formerly of Mirabar. I and Mindt spoke a short bit before he himself went to rest. Crossing the road, I visited the nearest inn myself.

Entering the Ladies Rest, I immediatly noticed a man wearing the Symbol of Tyr amongst the throngs of Strangers. I approached him, and after a short wait, we introduced ourselves and I learned him to be Dorin Dolsborn, Knight of Tyr and Knight of the Order of the Golden Dragon, of which he mentioned another member by the name of Daev Androcous. Discussing the area and my prospects briefly, I soon exscused myself for prayer, rest, and to begin penning my war journal.

Situation Appraisal

I am utterly lost in a place I do not know, and have been informed there is no way back from wherever here is. Superficially I know I am in the village of Vallaki, in the country of Barovia, but beyond this this world is a mystery to me. I must consider myself in hostile and dangerous territory, with no possibility of communication or reprieve from the Order back in Suzail. For the time being I must take command of myself. My first order of business will be to get a further grips on the land around me as well as countinue my training as a Shield-Maiden. To this end I will seek out local jobs I can perform in order to aquire local coinage with which I can house, feed, and arm myself.

In the long term I must study the phenomina of these mists and determine exactly what they are and how they brought me to this place, and if there is a way to undo it. If not, I must somehow try to get word back to Cormyr about my fate. In the meantime I shall carry myself in the manner and elan befitting a Shield-Maiden, and attempt to bring some order out of the darkness here.

People of Note

Corvin Aegerfield: Battle-Chaplain of Torm. Blonde. Silver steel armor with blue trim and pants.

Sivius Mindt: Battle-Priest of Tempus. Blonde,unshaven, dresses chiefly in earthtones, russet, and black

Dorin Dolsborn: Knight of Tyr/Knight of the Golden Dragons. Blonde. silver armor with white tabard depicting the sword and the laurel.

Lizuca Lucaciu: Local priestess of the "Morninglord", dresses chiefly in rose colored robes with gold trim, red hair, dark complexion with freckles.

Horatiu Trandafirr: Chief Lightcarrier (temple guard) in the sanctuary of the Coming Dawn. Rose and Gold platemail, armed with spear. Brown hair, dark complexion.

Places of Note

Vallaki: The nearest village of any size. A Hamlet by Cormyran standards, none the less has impressive stone battlement and walls and large sturdy gates. Sits along the short of a lake on it's north side, principal road (The Old Svalich) runs straight on an east-west axis through the lower sections of town. Moderate Defensibility.

Sanctuary of the Coming Dawn: Temple of the "Cult of the Morninglord". Crumbling, decayed stone. Very Spartan. The graveyard is on a plateau behind the church, sectioned off by a small stone wall, from this plateau one has a commanding view of the outskirts. The lower sections of the temple are infested with the walking dead and unsecure. At first glance the church seems to be an ideal place to hold off an attack but the graves behind and below worry me, a necromancer could flood the place in short order. Never the less, I will utilize the plateau view. Mediocre Defensibility

The Ladies Rest: Roadside Inn, acrossed from the Sanctuary of the coming dawn. Small, with common quality rooms numbering 3, as well as open non private bunks in the basement feasthall and the upstairs hallway. Primarily wooden beam construction with some stone. The doors seem sturdy enough and have decent locks. Poor Defensibility.

Organizations of Note

The Cult of the Morninglord: A Local offshoot of the church of Lathander, I have been informed it is "different" from Lathanderism. In what way I do not know- it certainly seems poorer and lacks the broad appeal of the church of Lathander, openly reviled by most of the populous. However, it seems to be the only religeon with any inroads into the region.

The Church of Ezra: A local religeon of unknown influence. I have been informed they are experts on the Mists, and worship some goddess of the Mists. I will investigate further.

The Knights of the Golden Dragon: A local knightly order, I am unsure of it's size or influence, but I have only met/heard of two members. I will investigate further.

[Valkyrie]

Strategic Analysis: Sanctuary of the Coming Dawn

In an effort to maintain a sharp mind, and to further my patrons ends of always being prepared and always having plans, I will partake in the personal exercise of drawing simple battle maps of various locals, and production a strategic dissertation of them. Beginning with the Sanctuary of the Coming Dawn.

Exterior



The sanctuary of the Coming Dawn is on the North side of the Old Svalish Road, located in the Western Outskirts of Vallaki. It is a two story single level structure crafted of blocks of stone on a stone slab base. The church itself is in poor repair but is of decent structrual integrity, the most concerning element being the decaying roof of wood shingles. The church is backed by a graveyard on a plateau that slops up from the churches rear lawn. This plateau is roughly as high as Vallaki's wall, and the spots between the plateau's ends and the church structure are blocked off by a 12 foot stone fence. The plateau is bordered on the West and North by forest, and to the East the Vallaki city walls are a stones throw away. Looking south from the Plateau one has a commanding view of the Svalich road for several meters, up to the gallows to the west, the Vallaki gates to the east, and the Ladies Rest inn to the south. from these twin points on the plateau archers could rain plunging fire down on any section of the road they overlook, and easily withdraw or duck to avoid counter fire. The eastern side however, would be vulnerable to fire from the Vallaki walls. In the rear of the graveyard are two small mausoleums, in which enterprising individuals could wait in ambush.

Interior



The Sanctuary of the Coming Dawns chapel is a small spartan affair, with a front entranceway formed by two diagonal interior pointing lattices bookended by pillars. Down the center of the chapel are two rows of bare stone pews, and either side of the chapel is lined with cots. In the center of the church between the East and West entryway (which lead out to the graveyard, and down to the crypts, respectivly) is the altar, placed at the foot of a large double arch which provides structural support for the now mostly defunct bell tower. A basin of holy water large enough for 3 or 4 men to lay in rows is installed in the rear of the temple. Defending the chapel itself depends interly on being able to prevent enemies from entering from the east or west doorways, which have -NO- doors. Furthermore the front foor has no lock or bar, though it is made of solid stone. The obvious focal point for any defense is the center of the chapel around the altar, and the front entrance which does a minor job of funneling entrants together. The greatest risk is the crypt door.

Upper Crypts



The upper crypts of the church are expansive and winding, layed in a haphazard and unplanned manner, packed to the brim with tiny nooks and coffins the undead hide in. It is immensly easy to get attacked from behind here, though fortunatly the close quarters work against the typical walking dead strategy of tightly packed waves, preventing them from bringing the full weight of their numbers to fore. If one is defending the church, their obvious choice is the bottom of the staircase and the entryhall to the crypts- this is the only central posistion one can defend the church from. The other point of note is the central hub of the crypts, which is accessable from north, east, and south by a narrow bridge, and features a bizzare mass grave and the stairs into the second level of the crypts (which will be covered in another write, due to it's rumored connection with a network of underground tunnels). If one is defending the central room, the east and west entrances are of the greatest import, and defense should be formed from the top of the stairs. If one is storming the central chamber (far more likly), one should avoid the southern route- the bridge is narrow, and is disconcertingly over a pit with no apparent bottom, and view of the staircase is blocked by the mass grave. A pincer attack from both sides would be optimal. Also of note are two 10 foot tall statues of lathander in front of the mass grave, these are large enough to block a persons view and shield someone from ranged fire.

[Haplo Nexus]

//wow, really well done 

[Valkyrie]

Strategic Analysis: Vallaki Sewers - Lower Town

One should always study a cities fortification from the ground up. In the case of Vallaki, from the muck and grime infested sewers up is more appropriate, as the city is easily accessable by these underground passages.

Vallaki's Sewers, as were it's fortifications, are solid stone structures made in a style utterly alien to that of the locals- all of the fortifications and perminant stonework I have come to understand, were established years ago by an occupying force known as the Tergs. They are a maddening warren of seemingly random constructed passages and overflow area's, with a number of mysterious sealed doors, secret passages, and collapsed I could not even begin to hope to breach. The Sewers are apparently a home for any number of mutated monstrocities, necromancy cabals, wizards and cultists, in addition to roving packs of rats (and I do mean PACKS, they cooperate quite well) ranging from the size of a house cat to that of a small dog in size. While the overflow gates prevalent throughout the sewers would suggest these tunnels were erected for the purpose of drawing off the sure to be tremendous overflow of the almost torrential rain and snow of Vallaki, but the bizzare winding and bending of the tunnels dissuades me from this. Instead, given the Terg's reputation as being infernalists and foul demonic worshiping witches (at least according to the less then objective Barovians!) I believe these caverns of madness were instead erected to give them easy access all over the city and a place to perform clandestine rituals. At the very least the sewers are irrevocably tainted by uncontrolled magic, the waste water below foot level forming an enormous snot green river of what I can only call "Arcane Soup" that flows beneath the city. What effect this poisening of the Ground water has I do not know, but I am certain it is the cause of the irregular growth of the rats (which in turn attract the high numbers of wererats that plague the city), and I suspect this poisenous water is to blame for the birth of more then one Caliban- Calibans being some local phenomina, of a baby horribly twisted and mutated in the womb. The natives treat these poor babes with utter contempt, believing them to be monsterous or demonic, and abandon or kill them. It is little suprise those of these Caliban that live to adulthood usually live up to their reputation as monsters, due to the manner of their childhood.

Whatever the case, the Vallaki Sewers are dangerous, though the tunnels beneath the lowland segments of the city (the poorest area's, being the Slums, Market Square, and Warehouse district) are far less dangerous then those beneath uptown, as I have been led to believe. They present an immediate danger to the city of Vallaki due to the immediate illicit access to the city they represent, and the monsters that inhabit them. In each of the maps below, all of the pins represent ladders or ropes or stairs that lead either to the city or it's surrounds, of which I shall post the above ground counterparts in a later report.

All of the lower town sewers have roving packs of vicious rats, which while large, are only really threatening in swams. It seems the wererats and other monsters rarely come into these area's, perhaps to avoid the streams of adventurers, but when their numbers go unchecked they can spill into the lower sewers and even the surface, making constant culling a necessity.

Sewers Under the Slums



The most confusing and worrysome segment of the lower city swers are those beneath the slums. With direct access to the area outside the city walls via the old decrepid well, one can slip down the well shaft outside the city walls, walk scarecly an hour into the sewers, and come up in the middle of Vallaki. While this is convenient for the enterprising Ratter (There is a booming trade where the local ratter Rulinous will pay adventurers for the corpses of rats. His highly irregular behavior suggests to me he eats the things, and I suspect he may be a Caliban) it represents an obvious threat to the security of the city- the walls are not only build upon hollow ground in some places, but they are easily and readily undermined by tunnels that already exist. The taint of magic and human refuse is particularly potent in this section, and there are places where the fumes are so horrid they can stun all but the stoutest individuals for hours if inhaled. There are only two of these area's that I have found, and they are easily identifiable and avoided by the thick green fog around them.

Sewers under the Market



The enormous feotid river that begins udner the slums winds under the market like a snake, undoubtedly fed by the refuse of commerce and unsold goods dumped down the grates. This hub included at least one set of stairs down to a lower level I dared not venture to (reputedy to be the home of fel monsters, or so the warning sign there said), and one tunnel completly caved in. The majority of this area floats above the great soup, connected by a series of ancient bridges that are suprisingly durable. The many strange steam pipes and furnaces I have found in this area suggest a high level of technoligy to the water tunnels- it seems at one point the Tergs may have had a complex water heating and piping system to bring potable fluids to homes, though this system is longsense in total dissaray and certainly not in any use now. I'd be amazed if anyone on the surface eas even aware of it.

Sewers under the Warehouses



By fare the simplest of the area's, these sewers even had direct access via stairs, and were probably the initial construction point of the sewers. Straight foreward and simple, only a single locked door near one of the ladders perplexed me, as well as the strange metal grates thatalmost resembled altars floating over the islands of the soup. The fact I have little to say about this area,perhaps, says the most- aside from a few odd dead ends, these sewers were logically layed out in comparison to the other segments. The reason for the design changes is probably eternally lost to history.

[Valkyrie]

Entry 2

I have acclimated myself considerably to my new surroundings and countinued my training, both mental and physical, in the name of Red Knight. Though I have recieved no divine visions or communication, I have begun to manifest the powers proscribed in the Liber Tactica as evidence that Red Knight has accepted me into her service. Thus, being my own superior officer, and having proven the ability to manifest the Blade of Purity, I have performed a summary field promotion of myself from the rank of Shield Maiden Initiate to the rank of Shield Maiden.

The majority of my time has been spent in the acruition of war funds and seeking out equipment- I was fortunate enough to meet one Sorin, knight of a forgotten god called Andral. He has agreed to train me in the physical aspects of being a knight, and hence forth will be my fencing master. He is also my sponsor, and has agreed to help me aquire a full suit of armor and arms from a local smith named Dorin Dolsborn. I await fitting and design, and in the meantime use my vastly improved (but still unacceptable) selection of equipment to hunt rats in the Vallaki Sewers and minor undead in the Vallaki Catacombs, for the purpose of aquiring bounty money and potions.

I located and approached a Priestess of Ezra for the purposes of finding more about the mists. I discovered they believe the mists to be a conscious, malevolent force of some sort of gestalt inteligence, and that monsters regularly spawn from it's clutches. Their Ezra was a mortal woman who was a healer and defender of the weak, who sacrificed her life force into these malevolent mists- trying to counterbalance their evil with her own good, and providing a stabilizing force. As a result her consciousness has become diefied, able to grant spells to her followers and protect them within the mists, though she is vastly limited by the countinuing prevaling evil of these Mists.

Theories on the Mists

Arcane Mist

These mists are a powerful planar breaching spell, which has long since grown into having a life of it's own. The distortive energies of this spell bring entities from all over the multiverse, both monsterous and benign. The tremendous distortion caused by these energys may be what limits the communication between myself and Red Knight. This Ezra was a powerful mage whose life was consumed attempting to control and stabilize this loosed spells. Her consciousness was subsumed into this magic, propelling her to godhood.

Devil Mists

These mists are indeed an intelligent malevolent force, fiendish or outer planar in nature. Nigh unto a demnigod they snatch things from other worlds and corrupt this one, perhaps as it's own personal plaything or powerbase. Ezra died fighting these mists but she became a part of them, suffusing some of her good into them and staunching the tide of evil from them somewhat. Whatever forces of good there may be exhaulted Ezra for her sacrifice, or perhaps she stole energy from these demonic forces, and was she ascended to godhood.

God Mists

The mists are the arm of dark gods, known or unknown to me. They manipulate this place for their perverse pleasure, and stymie any attempts to stop them. Ezra confronted these gods and was taken into their fold when they realized they needed a force for good to Balance their activities, otherwise they might very well destroy this place.

On the Church of Ezra

The Ezrites are a native church, and don't seem to understand the outlander priests concept of divine seperation, suggesting they either have no problem communing with their god or, they have never known their Goddess as we do and wouldn't know they were missing anything. They seem to be a highly organized and beneficent group, however I have detected a slight egocentric undertone to their teachings- other faiths must be converted because their way is the right way and they must be cooperated with. I definatly got the impression that the church believes in it's own superiority to other faiths, though I have no definate proof of this yet. None the less I may still consider them allies.

More Later,
Shield Maiden Maera Mournstar

[Valkyrie]

//I give my permission for others to post comments or constructive criticisms in my bio thread.

[Valkyrie]

//OOC

Lexicon of Terms and Lore on Red Knight

I've recieved a little interest in this so i'll be posting all my information, canon and fanon, on the Church of Red Knight and the Red Fellowship in general.

First the official Stuff.

Red Knight
Lady of Stategy, Grandmaster of the Lanceboard
Faerunian Demigod
Symbold: Red knight chess piece with stars for eyes
Home Plane: Warrior's Rest
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Stategy, Planning, Tactics
Worshipers: Fighters, gamesters, monks, strategists, tacticians
Cleric Alignments: LE, LG, LN
Domains: Law, Nobility, Planning, War
Favored Weapon: "Checkmate" (longsword)

Calm and logical in demeanor, the Red Knight displays a great wealth of compassion, though she is unafraid to send her worshipers to their deaths when necessary to secure the objective of a plan. She rarely raises her voice and is said to love a good joke and have a throaty laugh. She dislikes flighty behavior, and looks unfavorably on those who switch alliances often or capriciously.

The church of Red Knight, known as the Red Fellowship, is an offshoot of a monastic order within the hierarchy of the church of Tempus that concentrated on planning and strategy and has only emerged from the shadow of the temple of Tempus since the Time of Troubles. members of the Red Fellowship serve in armies throughout Faerun, often as high-ranking commanders of elite squads. Others are well-respected instructors in war colleges. A few are quartermasters skilled at obtaining and managing supplies or establishing and maintaining supply lines over hostile territory. Quite a few clerics of the Red Knight have authored tomes on military strategy. When not on duty, clerics of the Red Fellowship are known for their love of gaming. Although they avoid games of chance that require the smile of Lady Luck more then the brilliance of the Red Knight, clerics of the faith strive to constantly improve their skills in abstract games of all sorts to further challenge their development of parallel lines of thought and new strategems and to sharpen their ability to read and opponent's intentions.

Clerics of the Red Knight pray for their spells at night before going to sleep, preparing for the day to come. In addition to observing the holy days and important ceremonies of the church of Tempus, the clergy of the Red Knight honor two important hol days. The Retreat is a day long retrospective on the previous year's campaigns. Strategies are discussed, battles are analyzed, and the accumulated lore is integrated into the churches teachings. The Queen's Gambit is celebrated on the first day of Tarsakh. During this festival, the clergy of the Red Knight unwind with a day of feasting and gamesmanship. Day-long tournaments of chess (also known as lanceboard) are held, with the tournament victors receiving recognition, titles of merit, promotions, and sometimes, a precious gift from the temple armory. Many clerics multiclass as divine champions, fighters, or monks.

History/Relationships: The Red Knight was elevated to divine status by Tempus as a natural countebralance to Garagos. She loyaly serves her patron, whom she regaurds as a father figure, and seeks to undermine both Garagos and Cyric. She works closely with Torm, who holds a similar disposition, and see's Valkur the Mighty as her best ally in naval combat, even if he is somewhat unreliable. The Red Knight keeps her true name secret from all but the lord of Battles, as she realizes that if any being, mortal or divine, were to gain any measure of control over her, they would be privy to all the plots and stratagems of rulers throughout Faerun and the deities throughout the planes.

Dogma: War is won by those with the best planning, strategy, and tactics, regardless of the apparent odds. Any fool can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with fortune's aid. Only a master strategist can ensure lasting victory. War is a series of battles. Losing a battle does not necessarily indicate the war is lost. Seek out your opponents weaknesses and recognize your own; avoid an opponent's strengths and play to your own. Only by focusing one's own strengths on the opponents vulnerabilities can triumph be ensured. In times of war prepare for peace; in times of peace prepare for war. Seek out your enemy's enemies as allies, and be prepared to compromise. Life is an endless series of skrimishes with occasional outbreaks of war. Be ready- and have a contingency plan.

Other Gods on Red Knight

Tempus: ...In recent years, Tempus sponsored the divinity of the Red Knight, a relationship to that of a fond and protective father to a brilliant daughter who works hard at the family business -  War.

Torm: ...At Tyr's insistence, Torm has of late befriended the Red Knight in an attempt to temper her lust for war with an apreciation for justice.

Garagos: ...Despite his vacant mind, Garagos still harbors deep resentment against Tempus and his catspaw, the Red Knight. Should these deities meet in the field of combat, there's little doub that the Reaver would come out the worse for it. Eventually, however, Garagos's destructive capabilities might transcend his tactical weaknesses, and on such a day, the followers of Tempus are sure to know true despair.

Fanon

Most of this was made up by me.

NWN Domains: Good, Knowledge, War

Colors and Garb of the Faith: Armor of any type (heavy armor preferred) or Robes, primarily of Deep Cardinal Red with Ghost White and Bright Silver trim

Paladin Titles and Ranks: All of this is Fanon, you don't have to stick to this if you don't want to, this is just the organizational system of the Red Fellowship based in Suzail, Cormyr; which Maera hails from.

The Order of the Bloody Lance/The Order of the Crimson Sword - Male Paladins of Red Knight
Male Paladins are referred to as Blades, or Einherjar, depending on their rank*

Lvl 1-3: Blade Initiate
Lvl 4-7: Blade
Lvl 8-11: Einherjar
Lvl 12 -14: Einherjar-Lance
Lvl 15+: Einherjar-Captain

The Order of the Crimson Valkyrie/The Order of the Bloody Maidens
Female Paladins are referred to as Shield-Maidens, or Valkyries, depending on their rank*

Lvl 1-3: Shield-Maiden Initiate
Lvl 4-7: Shield Maiden
Lvl 8-11: Valkyrie
Lvl 12-14: Valkyrie-Lance
Lvl 15+: Valkyrie-Captain

*Progression does not necessarily have to proceed by levels, it can also proceed by ones ability to cast 1-4th lvl spells. Specifically, when one is able to cast bless weapon, they are a Blade/Shield Maiden, when they can cast Aura of Glory, they are a Einherhar/Valkyrie, When they can cast Dispel Magic they are a Einherjar-Lance/Valkyrie-Lance, and when they can cast Holy Avenger they are Einherjar-Captain/Valkyrie Captain.

Then again, if you lack the wis score for these spells, you can just go by lvl.

Clerical Ranks and progression:

All clergy of Red Knight are referred to as Strategeon as a blanket term.

lvl 1-3: Strategeon Pike
Lvl 4-7: Strategeon Rook
Lvl 8-11: Strategeon Lance
Lvl 12-14: Strategeon Bishop
Lvl 15+: Lord/Lady* Strategeon

*There can only be one King and one Queen in a region, they are typically in charge of the churches activities as a whole. This is a politically appointed posistion as voted on by rest of the church, lvl 15 and up is simply required for eligebility- Being over lvl 15 does not automatically make you Lord/Lady.

The Red Fellowship is highly regimented, and most ranks are military style ranks, so it is appropriate to give ones full title and deployment when introducing oneself, and to refer to others by their full title. For instance, Maera introduces herself as Shield Maiden Maera Mournstar of the Order of the Crimson Valkyrie, Formerly 10th Lance under the Command of Valkyrie-Captain Sophia Haggiera the Blooded, and referred to as Shield Maiden Mournstar. Meanwhile, the Lady in charge of the Red Fellowship in Suzail would be introduces as Lady-Strategeon Helga of Cormyr, and referred to as Lady-Strategeon Helga.

The Chain of Command: The Red Fellowship exists both within and without the Church of Tempus, this while they are not required to heed the orders of the heirarchy of that particular faith, they will often respect it and obey high ranking or respected Tempite priests. In the faith of Red Knight, ones authority is roughly equal to ones combat experiance and ability to lead (and ones rank is directly equal to ones combat experiance and ability to lead, typically). Thus, in a situation where a General who happens to be a fighter is working alongside a Valkyrie Captain and a Bishop, the orders of the layman General take precidence. The Only exception is, at times, a Lord/Lady may assume direct command or countermand an order, but only if they can quote stragetic precidence from the Liber Tactica.

Generally speaking, the Chain of Command follows the person with the highest military/church rank. Laymen, Paladins, and Clergy are all accorded the same amount of respect, based on their rank. A Valkyries word has just as much weight as a Lance Strategeons.

The Liber Tactica: The Liber Tactica is my Fanon term for the holy canonical text of Red Knight. The Liber Tactica is a constantly evolving text, and while the core lessons remain the same, many of the texts evolve in different ways depending on the region (treatise on Naval combat is hardly useful in the Desert, and the finer points of Camel Archery is of no use on a boat!), except for the Retreat when the Parishes attempt to commune and reconcile their compiled strategic theories and lessons- still, reprinting and issuance is a slow process, so except in area's with large churches older more localized versions are prevalent.

The Liber Tactica is half religeous text, half encyclopedia of war. One chapter may deal with ettiquite and lessons about not judging others by appearance, another for the proper handling and care of war chargers and how to correctly goad them into running your opponent down and crushing them under hoof. Though the church of Red Knight is not specifically good, it is beginning to lean in that direction- and is highly lawful in any case, so ettiquite and propreity is paramount, both when dealing with outsiders and other members of the Church.

Organizations:
The Order of the Crimson Valkyrie/The Order of the Bloody Maidens
Based in Suzail, the capital city of Cormyr, The Order of the Crimson Valkyrie (sometimes known as The Order of the Bloody Maidens) is a female only order of paladins, comprised of 10 lances of 10 Valkyries with typically half as many shield maidens acting as squires in a given lance (thats roughly 150 members, for the mathematically impared). The Valkyries function as a sort of official mercenary band of the throne of Cormyr, approving of the highly militarized nature of Cormyran government and lending their willing aid. A small elite band of shock troops, the Order typically acts in support of the Purple Dragon Knights or squashes small uprisings, incursions, or bandit troups. As such, the 10 Lances of the Order are usually scattered around Cormyr unless a major battle is taking place. Despite their name, Paladins of the Order are not required to remain virginal, though they must be when they first join (not difficult as most begin their training at the ages of 8 or 10). Some however, proudly choose to remain chaste their whole lives and they are not discouraged in this- there is however, no penalty to those who chose to take lovers or husbands, so long as they understand duty comes first. Given their tendency to move around, few Valkyries see their husbands often. When a Valkyrie becomes pregnant, she must retire from active duty to give birth and care for the child until it is old enough to be cared for in the nearest temple of Red Knight (4 or 5 usually) or if child care is unavailible, until the child is old enough to take care of themselves. Thus, most Valkyries do not have children (on purpose) until they deciede to retire anyway. Retiring can be freely done with no shame, though it requires the permission of ones superior officer (permission is rarely refused, unless the reasonings are poor), and it effectivly means that the Valkyrie is expected to serve the church in non-frontline duties, such as guarding temples and holy sites, training new recruits, or maintaining equipment.

[Valkyrie]

Entry 3

I have spent a long time wandering these lands, riddling the sword and meditating on what my purpose should be here. This land seems at once chaotic and stagnant. Locked in an eternal downward spiral- evil saturates every nook and corner and pervades my senses like the sickly sweet scent of a Sunite temple. It is often only in the wilderness I can find solace, but that is dangerous and filled with monsters.

I have decided that this place requires the proactive discipline and cleanlyness that can only be applied by a militant mind, coupled with the benign goals and blessed powers of a divine force. I have begun a proactive campaign to alleviate the sufferings of the people here, irregaurdless of their disdain for me. I have found those who are allyed with the Forces of Good here to be woefully disorganized or close minded to proper military strategy in their Zeal. Never the less I perservere. Red Knight has been pleased with my activities as of late, for I have manifested the ability to invoke the Mantle of Glory. As it is written, this is a sign I have progressed as a warrior, as a strategist, and as one of the faithfully. Accordingly I award myself with the Field Promotion of Valkyrie. I shall celebrate with a day of rest with which I have used to reflect on my immediate plans, and to write this journal.

Presently I believe I shall finish my maps of the sewers, and perhaps furbish them to the local authorities. We shall see. I have my doubts about their methods but being ingratiated to them might be a strategic necessity.

[Valkyrie]

Sewer Map: Completed

[Valkyrie]

//OOC

Lexicon of Terms and Lore on Red Knight

I've recieved a little interest in this so i'll be posting all my information, canon and fanon, on the Church of Red Knight and the Red Fellowship in general.

First the official Stuff.

Red Knight
Lady of Stategy, Grandmaster of the Lanceboard
Faerunian Demigod
Symbold: Red knight chess piece with stars for eyes
Home Plane: Warrior's Rest
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Stategy, Planning, Tactics
Worshipers: Fighters, gamesters, monks, strategists, tacticians
Cleric Alignments: LE, LG, LN
Domains: Law, Nobility, Planning, War
Favored Weapon: "Checkmate" (longsword)

Calm and logical in demeanor, the Red Knight displays a great wealth of compassion, though she is unafraid to send her worshipers to their deaths when necessary to secure the objective of a plan. She rarely raises her voice and is said to love a good joke and have a throaty laugh. She dislikes flighty behavior, and looks unfavorably on those who switch alliances often or capriciously.

The church of Red Knight, known as the Red Fellowship, is an offshoot of a monastic order within the hierarchy of the church of Tempus that concentrated on planning and strategy and has only emerged from the shadow of the temple of Tempus since the Time of Troubles. members of the Red Fellowship serve in armies throughout Faerun, often as high-ranking commanders of elite squads. Others are well-respected instructors in war colleges. A few are quartermasters skilled at obtaining and managing supplies or establishing and maintaining supply lines over hostile territory. Quite a few clerics of the Red Knight have authored tomes on military strategy. When not on duty, clerics of the Red Fellowship are known for their love of gaming. Although they avoid games of chance that require the smile of Lady Luck more then the brilliance of the Red Knight, clerics of the faith strive to constantly improve their skills in abstract games of all sorts to further challenge their development of parallel lines of thought and new strategems and to sharpen their ability to read and opponent's intentions.

Clerics of the Red Knight pray for their spells at night before going to sleep, preparing for the day to come. In addition to observing the holy days and important ceremonies of the church of Tempus, the clergy of the Red Knight honor two important hol days. The Retreat is a day long retrospective on the previous year's campaigns. Strategies are discussed, battles are analyzed, and the accumulated lore is integrated into the churches teachings. The Queen's Gambit is celebrated on the first day of Tarsakh. During this festival, the clergy of the Red Knight unwind with a day of feasting and gamesmanship. Day-long tournaments of chess (also known as lanceboard) are held, with the tournament victors receiving recognition, titles of merit, promotions, and sometimes, a precious gift from the temple armory. Many clerics multiclass as divine champions, fighters, or monks.

History/Relationships: The Red Knight was elevated to divine status by Tempus as a natural countebralance to Garagos. She loyaly serves her patron, whom she regaurds as a father figure, and seeks to undermine both Garagos and Cyric. She works closely with Torm, who holds a similar disposition, and see's Valkur the Mighty as her best ally in naval combat, even if he is somewhat unreliable. The Red Knight keeps her true name secret from all but the lord of Battles, as she realizes that if any being, mortal or divine, were to gain any measure of control over her, they would be privy to all the plots and stratagems of rulers throughout Faerun and the deities throughout the planes.

Dogma: War is won by those with the best planning, strategy, and tactics, regardless of the apparent odds. Any fool can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with fortune's aid. Only a master strategist can ensure lasting victory. War is a series of battles. Losing a battle does not necessarily indicate the war is lost. Seek out your opponents weaknesses and recognize your own; avoid an opponent's strengths and play to your own. Only by focusing one's own strengths on the opponents vulnerabilities can triumph be ensured. In times of war prepare for peace; in times of peace prepare for war. Seek out your enemy's enemies as allies, and be prepared to compromise. Life is an endless series of skrimishes with occasional outbreaks of war. Be ready- and have a contingency plan.

Other Gods on Red Knight

Tempus: ...In recent years, Tempus sponsored the divinity of the Red Knight, a relationship to that of a fond and protective father to a brilliant daughter who works hard at the family business -  War.

Torm: ...At Tyr's insistence, Torm has of late befriended the Red Knight in an attempt to temper her lust for war with an apreciation for justice.

Garagos: ...Despite his vacant mind, Garagos still harbors deep resentment against Tempus and his catspaw, the Red Knight. Should these deities meet in the field of combat, there's little doub that the Reaver would come out the worse for it. Eventually, however, Garagos's destructive capabilities might transcend his tactical weaknesses, and on such a day, the followers of Tempus are sure to know true despair.

Fanon

Most of this was made up by me.

NWN Domains: Good, Knowledge, War

Colors and Garb of the Faith: Armor of any type (heavy armor preferred) or Robes, primarily of Deep Cardinal Red with Ghost White and Bright Silver trim

Paladin Titles and Ranks: All of this is Fanon, you don't have to stick to this if you don't want to, this is just the organizational system of the Red Fellowship based in Suzail, Cormyr; which Maera hails from.

The Order of the Bloody Lance/The Order of the Crimson Sword - Male Paladins of Red Knight
Male Paladins are referred to as Blades, or Einherjar, depending on their rank*

Lvl 1-3: Blade Initiate
Lvl 4-7: Blade
Lvl 8-11: Einherjar
Lvl 12 -14: Einherjar-Lance
Lvl 15+: Einherjar-Captain

The Order of the Crimson Valkyrie/The Order of the Bloody Maidens
Female Paladins are referred to as Shield-Maidens, or Valkyries, depending on their rank*

Lvl 1-3: Shield-Maiden Initiate
Lvl 4-7: Shield Maiden
Lvl 8-11: Valkyrie
Lvl 12-14: Valkyrie-Lance
Lvl 15+: Valkyrie-Captain

*Progression does not necessarily have to proceed by levels, it can also proceed by ones ability to cast 1-4th lvl spells. Specifically, when one is able to cast bless weapon, they are a Blade/Shield Maiden, when they can cast Aura of Glory, they are a Einherhar/Valkyrie, When they can cast Dispel Magic they are a Einherjar-Lance/Valkyrie-Lance, and when they can cast Holy Avenger they are Einherjar-Captain/Valkyrie Captain.

Then again, if you lack the wis score for these spells, you can just go by lvl.

Clerical Ranks and progression:

All clergy of Red Knight are referred to as Strategeon as a blanket term.

lvl 1-3: Strategeon Pike
Lvl 4-7: Strategeon Rook
Lvl 8-11: Strategeon Lance
Lvl 12-14: Strategeon Bishop
Lvl 15+: Lord/Lady* Strategeon

*There can only be one King and one Queen in a region, they are typically in charge of the churches activities as a whole. This is a politically appointed posistion as voted on by rest of the church, lvl 15 and up is simply required for eligebility- Being over lvl 15 does not automatically make you Lord/Lady.

The Red Fellowship is highly regimented, and most ranks are military style ranks, so it is appropriate to give ones full title and deployment when introducing oneself, and to refer to others by their full title. For instance, Maera introduces herself as Shield Maiden Maera Mournstar of the Order of the Crimson Valkyrie, Formerly 10th Lance under the Command of Valkyrie-Captain Sophia Haggiera the Blooded, and referred to as Shield Maiden Mournstar. Meanwhile, the Lady in charge of the Red Fellowship in Suzail would be introduces as Lady-Strategeon Helga of Cormyr, and referred to as Lady-Strategeon Helga.

The Chain of Command: The Red Fellowship exists both within and without the Church of Tempus, this while they are not required to heed the orders of the heirarchy of that particular faith, they will often respect it and obey high ranking or respected Tempite priests. In the faith of Red Knight, ones authority is roughly equal to ones combat experiance and ability to lead (and ones rank is directly equal to ones combat experiance and ability to lead, typically). Thus, in a situation where a General who happens to be a fighter is working alongside a Valkyrie Captain and a Bishop, the orders of the layman General take precidence. The Only exception is, at times, a Lord/Lady may assume direct command or countermand an order, but only if they can quote stragetic precidence from the Liber Tactica.

Generally speaking, the Chain of Command follows the person with the highest military/church rank. Laymen, Paladins, and Clergy are all accorded the same amount of respect, based on their rank. A Valkyries word has just as much weight as a Lance Strategeons.

The Liber Tactica: The Liber Tactica is my Fanon term for the holy canonical text of Red Knight. The Liber Tactica is a constantly evolving text, and while the core lessons remain the same, many of the texts evolve in different ways depending on the region (treatise on Naval combat is hardly useful in the Desert, and the finer points of Camel Archery is of no use on a boat!), except for the Retreat when the Parishes attempt to commune and reconcile their compiled strategic theories and lessons- still, reprinting and issuance is a slow process, so except in area's with large churches older more localized versions are prevalent.

The Liber Tactica is half religeous text, half encyclopedia of war. One chapter may deal with ettiquite and lessons about not judging others by appearance, another for the proper handling and care of war chargers and how to correctly goad them into running your opponent down and crushing them under hoof. Though the church of Red Knight is not specifically good, it is beginning to lean in that direction- and is highly lawful in any case, so ettiquite and propreity is paramount, both when dealing with outsiders and other members of the Church.

Organizations:
The Order of the Crimson Valkyrie/The Order of the Bloody Maidens
Based in Suzail, the capital city of Cormyr, The Order of the Crimson Valkyrie (sometimes known as The Order of the Bloody Maidens) is a female only order of paladins, comprised of 10 lances of 10 Valkyries with typically half as many shield maidens acting as squires in a given lance (thats roughly 150 members, for the mathematically impared). The Valkyries function as a sort of official mercenary band of the throne of Cormyr, approving of the highly militarized nature of Cormyran government and lending their willing aid. A small elite band of shock troops, the Order typically acts in support of the Purple Dragon Knights or squashes small uprisings, incursions, or bandit troups. As such, the 10 Lances of the Order are usually scattered around Cormyr unless a major battle is taking place. Despite their name, Paladins of the Order are not required to remain virginal, though they must be when they first join (not difficult as most begin their training at the ages of 8 or 10). Some however, proudly choose to remain chaste their whole lives and they are not discouraged in this- there is however, no penalty to those who chose to take lovers or husbands, so long as they understand duty comes first. Given their tendency to move around, few Valkyries see their husbands often. When a Valkyrie becomes pregnant, she must retire from active duty to give birth and care for the child until it is old enough to be cared for in the nearest temple of Red Knight (4 or 5 usually) or if child care is unavailible, until the child is old enough to take care of themselves. Thus, most Valkyries do not have children (on purpose) until they deciede to retire anyway. Retiring can be freely done with no shame, though it requires the permission of ones superior officer (permission is rarely refused, unless the reasonings are poor), and it effectivly means that the Valkyrie is expected to serve the church in non-frontline duties, such as guarding temples and holy sites, training new recruits, or maintaining equipment.

//Fanon repost pending updates and modifications to concur with official source material I had no idea existed.

[Valkyrie]

//Official canon info yays!

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/7283/rk1m.jpg
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/7163/rk2l.jpg
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/1248/rk3.jpg