Sir Godric Arawn's page

Blue-blooded to the core, House Arawn has been a power in Oppara for
more than twenty-seven centuries; ever since its fabled patriarch Hurin
was ennobled by decree of the Grand Prince himself for outstanding valor
while serving in the Fifth Army of Exploration. And so an Arawn has
always served in the Taldan military, from that ancient day to the
present. The current scion is Sir Jayhad the Stern, Major-General of
the Taldan Horse, a man whose duties keep him far afield for years at
a time.

The daily business of the House and its interests are managed by the
second born, Senator Theron of Seven Towers, who missed being first
born by only moments. A man of keen intellect, remorseless calculation
and expensive tastes, he has thus far resisted the Taldan tendency of
sliding into indolence and corruption. Meanwhile, crowns flow into and
out of the coffers with stunning alacrity.

Born third and younger by ten years, Sir Marius is far from the line
of succession and could have spent his entire life in pampered luxury
if he had a mind to, wanting for nothing. Instead, he took upon himself
another family tradition; an Arawn has marched under the banner of
Mendev ever since the First Crusade in 4622. With unshakable faith
and a strong arm, he has risen to the rank of Fifth Sword-Knight of
Iomedae, leading goodly men in battle against the hordes of the
Worldwound. But for all the glory Sir Marius has won for his House
and his nation, it is his son who may prove the greater hero when
the chroniclers pen their histories of this Age.

Sixteen years ago Sir Marius Arawn fell in love with a fellow crusader-
captain, Dame Calla the Shield-Breaker, a warrior of fiery disposition
on and off the battlefield. They were soon married and from their
union issued a blond-haired, blue-eyed son named Godric. Solemn,
strong and without fear, the child took to martial pursuits easily,
becoming a page in the service of Sir Garris Renault at the age of
six. Distinguishing himself in matters of piety and combat, he
graduated to the rank of squire at twelve and earned his spurs four
years later when he selflessly charged a lashuin demon while unarmed,
holding the creature off long enough for his master to rally men and
launch a counterattack.

Horribly mauled, Godric languished in a coma for weeks while priests
of the Inheritor tended his near-fatal wounds. The prognosis for his
recovery was bleak and many godly men questioned whether he would
ever hold a sword again. Miraculously, he awoke one morning with a
feeling of soft warmth filling his body, promptly stood and donned
his armor. Finding an empty cot, the healers broke into a state of
panic until the boy was finally located, kneeling in the chapel for
morning prayers. Sir Garris dubbed him a full knight eleven days
later, in a simple ceremony conducted in the Cruciform Cathedral of
Nerosyan before his beaming parents.

Eager to serve the cause of righteousness, Sir Godric's first assignment
was to participate in the Kenebres tourney, thus proving his fitness
for duty to his superiors. Sadly, fate had other plans.

Sir Godric is virtuous, kind, pious, inflexible, just, chivalrous and slow
to anger. He loves neither gold nor vice. All mortal life is sacred to
him and deserves respect; he takes it only with great need as well
as great humility. For all his noble qualities however, he has two fatal
flaws; he is innately trusting and possibly suicidal.

The world is a black-and-white place to him with clear-cut battle-lines
separating the righteous from the profane with no gray area between.
For all his certainty however he cannot help but see the potential
good in every human heart, even the most irredeemable of villains.
While commendable, this sentiment may slow his blade at a crucial
moment or cause him to hesitate in delivering divine retribution to
the accused. Demons are experts at fostering doubt.

Worse yet, his zealous dedication to Iomedae has erased the natural
and proper fear of death possessed by all creatures. Nourished by
tales of virtue and heroism all his young years, he may subconsciously
long for a martyr's ending; a final blaze of glory against hopeless
odds, thus proving unequivocally his devotion to his goddess and
granting him the immortality of a legend.

And while he would emphatically deny such accusations, there are
stories told of Sir Godric that suggest otherwise; one such tells of
his battle in the Midnight Isles, that when he stepped forth into the
darksome hellscape and was swarmed by demons on all sides that he
gave an exultant cry that rang upon every stone: "Blessed Iomedae,
thou hast truly answered my prayers!"