Seeking retainers for a noble character!

[Chadyo]

HELLRIDERS IN EXILE
Seeking Retainers for an Approved Noble Character

I am looking for retainers for my approved noble character. Below I'll explain exactly what I'm looking for and, more importantly, what sort of characters would fit.

A noble character especially a foreign noble can feel somewhat empty without people around them who share their history, loyalties, and burdens. So I am looking for as many people as I can find who are interested in roleplaying fellow Hellriders, much like Verso himself.

What does being a Hellrider entail?

It means that your character spent a significant portion of their life training and serving as part of one of the most renowned cavalry forces in the Forgotten Realms.

The Hellriders have possessed an almost legendary reputation for generations. Their name does not come from any allegiance to the Hells, but from the tale of their forebears riding bodily into Hell itself—and, according to the legends, refusing to abandon those who had gone before them.

Duty, loyalty, discipline and sacrifice are therefore not merely ideals to a Hellrider. They are part of their identity.

At some point during this life, your character met Verso and became closely associated with him.

The relationship is an unusual mixture of lord and retainer, officer and soldier, and—perhaps most importantly—friendship.

Other Hellriders would still address and treat Verso with the respect owed to a lord and commander, particularly in public.

But make no mistake:

You are comrades, friends, and brothers or sisters in arms.

You were also present for—or became involved in—the events that eventually forced Verso to leave Elturel and travel east towards Cormyr.

Whatever happened, you chose to follow him.

Perhaps out of loyalty.

Perhaps because you were equally responsible.

Perhaps because you know the truth and cannot allow him to bear it alone.

Perhaps because leaving him to face exile alone was simply never an option.

The exact circumstances surrounding Verso's departure, and the secret shared between these characters, will be explained during the character creation process.

TL;DR

This concept will probably appeal to you if:

• You enjoy playing characters from a highly militaristic culture, built around discipline, service, duty and an almost indoctrinated loyalty to Elturel.
• You are comfortable playing someone who is almost unreasonably Lawful. The intended alignment is roughly Lawful Neutral, although the one-step alignment rule leaves plenty of room for variation.
• You enjoy characters devoted to good-aligned gods such as Helm, Torm, Tyr, Lathander or Ilmater.
• You like the idea of belonging to a legendary military order, complete with an excellent colour scheme, centuries of history, traditions, rituals and enough undefined lore for us to create some of our own.
• You like the idea of having fierce loyalty towards your lord, friend and commander, Verso, as well as towards your fellow Hellriders, whom you consider brothers and sisters in arms.
• You enjoy playing a character who understands hierarchy and discipline without becoming a mindless servant.
• You enjoy making fun of people from Baldur's Gate, the ever-present shadow just down the road from our glorious and obviously superior city.
• You really hate the Zhentarim.
• You enjoy opposing tyrants, cultists and followers of evil gods such as Bane.
• You enjoy characters who might disagree, argue, insult one another or even come to blows—but who will immediately close ranks when an outsider threatens one of their own.

The Relationship with Verso

One thing I want to make particularly clear is that I am not looking for characters who simply worship the ground Verso walks upon.

Your loyalty may be extraordinary, but you are not mindless servants.

You have fought beside this man.

You have bled beside him.

Some of you may have known him for years.

That means certain Hellriders have earned liberties with their lord that would be completely unacceptable from an ordinary retainer.

You may question him.

You may argue with him.

You may tell him when he is being an idiot.

A veteran Hellrider might quite comfortably say:

"My lord, with the greatest respect, that is the stupidest order you have given me in twenty years."

...and then immediately mount their horse and carry it out anyway.

Rank matters. Respect matters. Discipline matters.

But so do years of shared hardship, battles, victories, losses and friendship.

That is the dynamic I am aiming for.

Not a collection of servants following a nobleman around, but something closer to a military family in exile.

You may quarrel among yourselves relentlessly.

But when someone outside the company threatens one of you, suddenly they have threatened all of you.

Character Hooks & Inspiration

These are only suggestions. You absolutely do not have to choose one of these roles.

The Veteran

An older and experienced Hellrider who has served for decades.

They have become Verso's thoroughly unrequested parental figure and have absolutely no intention of stopping now.

Verso may technically outrank them, but everyone knows who gets the look when he's doing something stupid.

They are respected as the elder of the company and frequently serve as its voice of experience.

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The Company Medic

A battlefield healer, surgeon, priest or combat medic responsible for keeping everyone alive despite their best efforts to prevent that.

They may be compassionate and gentle—or frighteningly practical about battlefield medicine.

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The Sapper / Demolitions Expert

Walls, gates, barricades and infernal fortifications are merely problems awaiting sufficient quantities of explosives.

A military engineer trained in siegecraft, breaching and destroying whatever happens to stand between the Hellriders and their objective.

After all, if Hell itself has gates, someone has to know how to open them.

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The Horsemaster

The Hellriders are cavalry first and foremost.

This character is responsible for horses, mounts, their training and their welfare. They might be a breeder, veterinarian, stablemaster or simply someone who understands horses considerably better than they understand people.

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The Company Mage

A battlefield mage whose talents are used for reconnaissance, communication, protection and war.

They may also be an essential participant in some of the old rituals and traditions practised by the Hellriders.

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The Standard-Bearer

The person entrusted with carrying the company's colours.

Losing the banner would be considered an almost unimaginable disgrace.

They might also serve as the unofficial keeper of the company's traditions, battle honours and the names of those who have fallen.

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The Scout / Outrider

A ranger, rogue or lightly equipped cavalryman who rides ahead of the company.

They find safe routes, watch enemy movements, gather intelligence and ensure the heavier riders don't enthusiastically charge into an obvious ambush.

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The Quartermaster

Someone has to make sure the Hellriders actually have food, armour, horseshoes, weapons and money.

Probably the only person in the company capable of terrifying Verso by opening a ledger.

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The Chaplain

A priest or deeply religious warrior responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of the company.

They perform funerary rites, bless riders before battle, counsel the troubled and remind everyone what the Hellriders are supposed to represent.

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The Shield

Verso's closest bodyguard.

Not necessarily because Verso wants one, but because at some point someone decided that keeping the idiot noble alive was now their sacred duty.

Verso's opinion on the matter may be considered optional.

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The Chronicler

A scholar, bard or educated soldier who records the deeds of the company, maintains its rolls and remembers those who died.

They may also be painfully aware of the difference between the legend of the Hellriders and the considerably messier truth.

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The Penitent

Someone who followed Verso into exile not merely out of friendship, but because they believe they share responsibility for whatever happened.

Of everyone in the company, they may be the most determined that the truth never comes to light—or the one most tormented by keeping it secret.

Other concepts are absolutely welcome.

The roles above are intended as inspiration rather than positions that need to be filled.

If you have an idea for a Hellrider that fits the company, its culture and the shared history surrounding Verso, I would love to hear it.

Ride together. Fight together. Return together.