Knights
Kingdoms and Castles; Passions and Dreams
"We all might be the same under the armor, but we're born with something special inside us. You gotta take that thing inside you and bust it out, make it yours, 'cause you're the only person who can."
Once again her father dragged her along to Market Town, in the evening no less. Sure, seeing the massive towers and keeps they called home and all the colors weaving in and out of busy streets was cool the first dozen times, but she had no idea why he insisted on bringing her every single time. She was already the perfectly mature and responsible age of 6 and a half and could easily handle being home alone-. Her thoughts were cut short by the hammering of an anvil. Not even noticing her abrupt stop, or her father's gentle tug, or even
the blacksmith herself looking up with a smidgen of concern. Her father asked if something was wrong but his voice gradually blurred, in fact, so did everything around her. Like time itself had slowed to a crawl with nothing in focus; except for the forge. It was beautiful. Something about the clanging of metal, the sparks scattering with each strike, the look of passion in the smith's eyes and the warm glow that suddenly felt like all the comforts of home. It called to her. It never even occurred to her that she was laughing, that her built up emotions suddenly released all at once and illuminated the marketplace. The world becoming clear again with cheers and applause erupting from those nearby, her father locking her in a loving embrace, the blacksmith with misty eyes and clasped hands, all of them aware of what had just happened. She had found it. All it took was a single moment. When she saw that forge, she saw herself; immediately knowing in her heart what she was meant to be.
Dawngrove was home to a guild notorious for their reliability when it came to quests. Regardless of whether you needed someone to fetch a rare flower, clear out a nest of rabid Kobolds, escort an old lady through the depths of an Adventure Tier Dungeon, or defend a keep from an onslaught of raiders who, to put it delicately, were batshit insane; they would accept it with a smile on their faces and get it done. Their heroic deeds were usually one of the first bits of lore to mention for the curious folk passing through town. “A wizard who practiced flames, a fighter who mastered swords, a cleric who healed their wounds, and a bard who slew with chords.” This is how the Silversong Guild, a bunch of theater kids at heart, would introduce themselves to those asking for their stories. Born and raised in Dawngrove, the four of them had been friends for as long as they could remember, the many adventures they shared was a testament to that. They’d always return home every few months, arms wrapped around overstuffed bags of loot and riches, more than eager to share with the patrons of their favorite tavern, The Mead Meadow. To the Silversong Guild, anyone who was so much as an acquaintance was a friend, and everyone they called a friend deserved a refreshing pint of mead or three.
It was a chilly winter's night at The Sleeping Squire, and a chilly night meant an extra cozy tavern. Usually the place would be hustling and bustling, but tonight was special. Earlier that night Tavern was greeted by a face he'd seen only a few times prior, a Knight with a sort of bardic vibe judging from the colorful fabric two sizes too large and exotic looking armor that clinked and clanked with every movement. They had talked for a while. Getting to meet new people, especially those just starting out, was always Tavern's favorite part of running this establishment after all. The Knight, rather timidly, explained that they had finally built up the courage to perform on stage. Storytelling, to be exact. So, with the patrons in a hush, the dimmed torchlight casting its warm hue throughout, and a few words of encouragement from Tavern, they performed for the first time. They were a natural. All their nerves and doubts melting away as they told tale of adventure and heroism, song and poetry, of Elves hunting demons and of Valkyr thriving against all odds. Their passion was clear, a love for the art of storytelling, the ability to gift the crowd a sense of wonder, inspiration, and the desire to hear more.
Knights are the youngest and most diverse of the ancestries. After finding their greatest passion they will evolve as they grow up to best reflect it, influencing almost every aspect of their lives in some way. If there's anything a Knight wants, it's a few good friends, an adventure to share with them, and a story to tell afterward.
Origin
First Came Hardship, Then Came Laughter, Then Came Hope
Most of the history, at least in any concrete sense, is completely lost, unreliable, scattered, and illegible. But there's still something there, enough to form at least an idea of what happened.
The Finer Details
First off, they know they used to be humans. Appearing some time after Valkyr with no rhyme nor reason. Almost everything about them was a mystery, including how they had managed to survive as long as they did. By all accounts, they shouldn't have. They were a blank slate with no way of defending themselves and no grasp on magic. Completely unequipped to deal with the many hardships Oniran provided.
Except for one thing, their ambition. If there was a challenge, they could adapt. If there was a beast, they could hunt. If there was a way, they could find it. If they couldn't? Then they would just find it anyway. The strongest and most capable of them were given the title of Knight, serving as a symbol of the indomitable human spirit.
As for the last human settlement. It was a Kingdom, that much is evident, and strangely enough it was referred to as "Solrel", the Elven word for passion. At some point it fell, but it wasn't the end for humans. For generations after that point, history is completely unaccounted for. All until a single anecdote, the earliest known recording for Knights as we know them.
It was the first week of an Autumn unknowably old, when the leaves of Stonewood forest had already changed colors and began to fall. A father brought his daughter to see them do so. Upon seeing the cascading colors its said that she began laughing uncontrollably and, according to her father, there was no doubt that her eyes were glowing. They spent the rest of the day playing in the leaves that, for reasons unknown to them, seemed to orbit around her.
From Enemies to Friends
Another gap in history follows. Leading up to the most recent archive they have, an archive so old it describes the transition between humans and knights in a society that still had both. Evidently, the birth of Knights did not come without great conflict. The reaction and response to the discovery of affinities was far from unanimous, leading to a split in ideals of how to best handle the development.
The Ideals
To some, affinities were a second chance. A chance for humans to finally thrive and make a name for themselves in a world not intended for them. A chance to move on from the hardship of their past and live their lives spreading kindness and compassion to the world they could now be a part of. Overall this belief held the majority. However, the insistence that this was common sense led to a complacency that allowed the opposite stance to grow rapidly.
To others, affinities were a resource. All they knew was the seemingly eternal struggle of humans trying to survive in a world that wanted them dead at every possible moment. To look at the seemingly infinite potential of affinities and deciding to not seize their new advantage was sheer stupidity. This quickly grew to overconfidence in their power, and contempt for the world that once oppressed them. An overconfidence so strong, that they deemed the only solution to be the conquest of that world.
What followed was civil war, a war only won through an unlikely friendship formed between two humans on opposing sides. Their passion spoke louder than their ideals, and with nothing but fierce determination and an unwillingness to give up on a better future for the generations yet to come, they had managed to once again unite the halves and end the conflict.
While the scars of their past will never truly fade, Knights have more than grown from it. The Kingdom of Stonewood was built at the center of the first battlefield as a reminder to never make the same mistake; soon enough, friendship grew to be one of the core ideals of the Knights who lived there. And to be completely honest, the knowledge that the first Knight war was quite literally "Good Guys vs Bad Guys" is extremely telling, a running joke that's persisted through generations after generations.
Core Trait
All it Takes is a Single Moment
To put it simply, a Knight’s Affinity is a manifestation of their greatest passion. And although they often overlap, no two Knights are ever the same. When a Knight discovers their affinity, often early in childhood, their life is forever changed.
Regardless of if it comes to them when they least expect or if it had been a habit for some time, The Discovery happens the same way. First comes the silent admiration, then comes the feeling that time itself had stopped to take a deep breath in anticipation, then comes the chuckling that turns to giggling that turns to laughter that turns to cackling and in no time at all turns to a side-clutching howl that's terribly contagious for onlookers, and lastly, for good measure and in case this wasn't enough, comes the light. For it is then, and only then, that a Knight's eyes will shine brighter than they ever have and ever will.
From that point on their bodies will evolve as they age, each new change a reflection of that fateful day. Their affinity will influence every part of their identity, even their name; whether it's directly or only related. You can never really be sure how it'll happen but rest assured it's nothing to worry about. Where there are consistencies there are Knights fanangling them into categories and classifications, something they oh-so love to do.
Craft Type
- An Affinity discovered through professions, tools, weapons, etc.
- Craft Type adaptations usually aid in whatever the Affinity is, focusing Practicality over Cosmetic.
- These often take the form of things that people would not otherwise be made of or have attached to their bodies.
Forge Knight evolved with metallic skin, amplified strength, and an eternal fire burning inside him.
Beast Type
- An Affinity discovered through beasts, wildlife, and the outdoors.
- Beast Type adaptations usually Reflect the Animal, Plant, Monster, or Environment.
- These often result in many shared traits and behaviors between a Knight and their source of inspiration, making this type the most predictable.
Bunny Knight evolved with all the qualities of an actual bunny, even it's diet.
Magic Type
- An Affinity discovered through magic or the unconventional.
- Magic Type adaptations are typically Unpredictable and are either abundant or non-existent.
- There's a rather unique aspect of this Type, they can sometimes be former Craft or Beast Types who evolved in unexplainable ways.
Skull Knight evolved into a skeleton. He can't eat, drink, or be killed in a way that matters.
Culture
Disclaimer
It's important to note that the cultures described in these ancestry articles are based on the civilization most relevant to them. For Knights, this is The Kingdom of Stonewood. While a single culture could never apply to every last Knight, it's still, at the very least, the core of what I want them to be and represent.
Ideals
Friendship, Adventure, and a Story to Tell
Knights are a friendly, optimistic, and welcoming people. They cherish the bonds of friendship and love experiencing new things, be it exotic foods, styles of clothing, or traditions from other cultures. No matter where they're born and raised a Knight is like a sponge soaking up the world around them, influencing their affinity, their evolution, their relationships, and their stories.
Their passion is far from exclusive to affinities. So much so that they will often take things to their logical extreme, whether it be a quiet life in the comforts of home, a life of action and adventure, or a civil war that was quite literally "Good Guys vs Bad Guys", you can be confident that a Knight will pick an archetype and commit to the fullest extent.
The history of humans and discovery of affinities is full of anecdotes, second hand sources, and half legible recordings unbelievably old. As a result Knights don't really have much to latch onto in terms of where they came from, but what they can latch onto are stories. The what-if's of the world.
They don't care if it's truth, a myth, or a legend, if it's a tale of conquest told by a traveling mercenary, a bedtime story to lull children to sleep, or a song around a blazing campfire on a cold Winter's night, the art of storytelling is a skill that Knights cherish because it's all they have left. If they can't know their history, then they can at least ensure that future generations won't suffer the same fate; they refuse to be forgotten again. There's a popular mantra among those in Stonewood, "Legends get remembered; But Knights never die." The belief that as long as a single Knight cares about you, you will never be forgotten. You will never truly die.
Bonds
Found Family
For most, considering your friends as part of the family is normal. Knights, however, are far from normal. The result is a society where most of what you'd consider to be families are in fact just groups of friends who decided, either platonically or romantically, "Y'know what? I think I WILL spend the rest of my life with you guys." These groups are called Guilds.
Traditional families still exist of course, after all, Knights have to be born somehow. Guilds are just overwhelmingly more common. And since these Guilds have nothing to do with blood relation, they're by no means exclusive to Knights. The only requirement is a strong bond.
It's a running joke, a cultural tradition if you will, that every Knight's surname is simply "Knight" until proven otherwise. But in all seriousness if you really wanted to distinguish Knights with the same name and/or affinity, use the Guild names.
Some Guild Names: Runedom, Dragonheart, Steelguard, Floralkeep, Silversong, Wildflower, etc.
“Blood is a bond that can never be broken, but the friendships you forge can still be stronger. Because friendships are forged by you."
Flaws
Hurt without Comfort
As far as anyone knows, there's one drawback to their evolution. One weakness so universally feared that, despite the importance of preserving what little history they have, some would even consider it a mercy to completely erase all records of it. A fate worse than death.
Isolation. The only thing worse than murdering a Knight in cold blood is completely removing every sense of connection from their lives. If they lose everyone around them, then they lose themselves. Even something as simple as prolonged solitary confinement will eventually get the job done, but even the worst of criminals would sooner be put to death.
Evolution at a Price
It takes the form of some twisted facsimile of The Discovery. Laughter is the first to go, then goes emotion as they reach the point of no return, then goes the evolution as each and every aspect of themselves begin to reverse completely, then goes the affinity as they forget what brought them joy, then goes the color as their individuality is erased, and lastly, as if some part of their soul had been desperately clinging onto passion itself, goes the light. They become Hollow. A mindless shell neither living nor dead. Forgotten.
Old Scars Never Heal
Taking pride in your affinity is heavily encouraged, but there's a difference between that and a sense of superiority. That difference is taken seriously. A Knight with an insufferable ego, some kind of superiority complex, or even just entitlement is generally disliked, commonly seen as a grim reminder of what could've been.
But a Knight who uses their affinity to justify the mistreatment of others is met with outright hostility, their actions seen as a complete disgrace to what makes them who they are.
Clothing
The Knights of Stonewood, with vibrant tabards and gambeson worn over their already colorful bodies, made each street look like a river of rainbows to anyone observing from the overlooking towers and ramparts.
Story always loved to try and guess the affinities of those with particularly striking apparel. In contrast, Bomb simply liked to admire absent-mindedly, keep to himself, and focus on not being overwhelmed by the bustling crowd around them.
Dress for the Job You Want
Tabards, Gambeson, and Tunics are the most common articles of clothing and are considered casual wear.
Around here, taking pride in your affinity is very much the norm. The logical first step is self-expression. Their clothing is personalized to the extreme, tabards and gambeson will have unique patterns, armor is as easy to obtain as simple clothing, they'll cover themselves with trinkets and charms and knickknacks and doodads if they're even remotely related to their affinity, and, to be honest, some might not even be able to wear clothes in the first place. (Looking at all y'all Beast Types who decided pants were suddenly just a suggestion)
For Knights, the line between a practical armor and an aesthetic piece that, by all accounts, shouldn't even function as armor is paper-thin. And they'll ride that line for as long as they possibly can. But everyone is different. Some might customize their clothing or armor to take full advantage of how their bodies evolved, this is super common among Craft Types. Some might prefer to focus purely on aesthetic, letting their drip do the talking for them, which is common among Magic Types who had either very little adaptations or none at all. Some might choose to do literally none of this and put on a shirt and pants.
Becoming the Spellbook
Reading Time: 25+ min. (5900 words)
The opening/vibes is all you need for a perfect understanding!
Table of Contents
Main Body
Sidebar
Attributes
Ancestry
Humans
Lifespan
100-120 Years
Height
5-6.5ft, heavily reliant on Affinity and full of outliers
Stats
It's hard to pin-point what Knights inherently excel in due to the seemingly limitless potential of Affinities and their evolutions. However, you can't go wrong with assuming that Knights are uniquely Charismatic and Intelligent.
Anatomy
Traits
Knights are humanoid, that's where the similarities end. Their skin, eyes, and hair can be any combination of colors, usually adhering to some vague idea of a cohesive palette. The exception to this are Knights who evolved to have completely different bodies, usually Beast and Magic Types.
When it comes to features like scars, freckles, birthmarks, etc, their colors are random and sometimes glow.
A lot of Knights have what we can only assume to be peg legs. No one knows why. It doesn't seem to affect their ability to walk or run.
Eyes
If you can't tell if someone you're looking at is a Knight, look to their eyes. The eyes of a Knight are abstract, never adhering to any standard of shape, size, or quantity. Solid colors that lack any iris or pupil unless you look uncomfortably close. And a faint glow escaping from their center, like their passion is too much for their body to contain.
Bonus Lore
The most popular story shared by Knights isn't one you can memorize and tell yourself. The Legend Knight is a story that began as something more traditional, but quickly evolved into an everchanging story personal to everyone who participates in the tradition. Everyone has their own version, and that version can change over time as experiences change and you hear the renditions of others that influence your own. Who is The Legend Knight and what big exciting thing did he do to warrant a story? That's up to you!
Flower
Hydrangeas. Popular for their big, colorful blooms and can grow on bushes as tall as trees. Blooming during the rainy season, requiring constant watering to keep healthy, and producing many flowers but few seeds. Their symbolic nature ranging from heartfelt emotion and togetherness to arrogance and boastfulness.
Traditions
Throughout the first week of Autumn, when the colors of the leaves have finally changed, Stonewood celebrates the Festival of Affinity to honor the story of the first Knight. A weeklong invitation to cultural celebration and a Tournament of Arms for fame and glory. All culminating to the final day, in which a massive feast is held and the King and/or Queen recounts their own rendition(s) of The Legend Knight. It's celebrated as a reminder of where they came from, so that their story is never forgotten.
Interactions
The beloved tradition of The Legend Knight initially began with an Elf's misunderstanding of the original tale, which sparked a newfound love of personalizing the story and sharing it with others like they're trading cards. As well as a significant portion of Wizardry developing based on the applications of Wild-Shaping. To them, Elves are an anchor to history, a life line even, like a window peering into the true innerworkings of the world and its development, one they seldom get to see.
The North is filled with a downright irresponsible number of Craft and Beast Types, some with unique adaptations that can greatly benefit those Valkyrian villages. Ironically, those villages are the most culturally reminiscent of Knights, and they consider their communities as village-sized guilds. To them, Valkyr are a more badass version of the humans that came before, determined and damn near unstoppable with a nice big helping of kindness and compassion.
Adventures
Knight adventurers adventure for the sake of adventuring adventurously. Maybe they want to see the world, meet new people, learn new techniques and traditions to further the development of their Affinity. Some are fueled with the desire to tell a story of their own, no longer relying on the tales of others that may or may not be truth. Others could simply decide that venturing out into the world, battling monsters, traversing Dungeons, finding cool Loot, would be a nice change of pace. Guilds in particular will often make that decision, some seeing it as an ultimate test of their friendship.
Roleplaying
Knights are passionate and serve as an exaggeration of any particular character archetype, whether that's used for good or evil is up to you. Subtlety is not something Knights generally grasp. The most important thing to know is this: A Knight's Affinity is not their personality; A Knight's Affinity informs their personality. How a Knight will evolve is dependent on the environment they grow up in. If that Knight originates from a Stonewood-esque society they'll absolutely be inclined to consider their party a Guild and will want to give it a name.
Look, man. If you want to play as a Knight in an TTRPG I'd say just decide what your affinity is, pick a handful of feats and traits that match it, maybe even change the creature size, and accept that it probably won't be balanced. I'm not liable. I can't say there's any particular class that fits them best cause, y'know, the entire point is that they can fit anywhere. Whatever class they end up being, they'll likely act as a stereotypical exaggeration of that class. (That being said if you're playing Pathfinder 2e I would personally play a Thaumaturge with an archetype based on the affinity)
All the art is made by me unless labled otherwise!
You'll find a lot of Knights, particularly magic users, wearing runic inscriptions. Usually these are in the form of charms and accessories but in some cases armor is also used for more powerful spells. This is known as Runic Gear.
Runic Gear is a Knight invention with the sole purpose of making magic more accessible. Its uses can range from passive effects, special abilities, and spell casting. While it still requires at least a basic grasp on magic, using Runic Gear is simple, just make sure it's charged, give it a love tap (hit it), form an arcane circle (most people just wave their hands in a circle), and cast the spell (Don't forget to yell out the spell name!)(Seriously. Magic, regardless of the system, literally doesn't work without that specific verbal component and no one knows why.). However, these spells will still sap your energy as if you were casting them normally.
While its intention was accessibility, they quickly proved to be invaluable for those studying Wizardry. With reliable access to simpler spells Wizards could put more focus to bigger and stronger magic as well as a workaround for the energy cost, but there's a tradeoff. Even without Runic Gear, Wizards are only as capable as the number of inscriptions they have on their person. Memorization alone isn't enough. Spells must be carefully considered when going on any sort of adventure or quest, since preparing more spells means more equipment to carry with you.
But it's because of this tradeoff that you'd be unwise to consider a Wizard without their gear as weak. The more spells you need, the more gear you have to carry, the more muscle you'll eventually build up. No one wants to be that fool who got beat to death, folded back savagely if you will, by a Wizard's bare hands.
Magic System
And They Were Wizards
Knights see magic as a skill, one to be learned, innovated, and mastered. It's treated as an intellectual art and is taught and used in various colleges around Oniran. This practice is called Wizardry.
Wizardry is the study of Runes and how they interact with the world. As well as the study of unique elements, like Arcana, that aren't possible in any other system. It was born through their need, or rather their obsession, to classify, categorize, and catalogue things they wished to understand, and with understanding came experimentation. As of now there are 5 Primary Classes of Magic.
Spells cast through Wizardry will always take the form of Arcane Circles made of Raw Magic. These circles, which vary in complexity, are the visualization of the runes and formulas that make up a spell. You can tell at a glance how strong a spell might be by noting the number of runes, their specific combinations, and the quantity/size of the circles and how they connect/intersect.
Weed Missile
When spells are cast, no matter the magic system, "Raw Magic" refers specifically to the VFX.
Evocation
Spells that use the elements in their purest form, channeling magic to produce a desired effect.
Enchantment
Spells that directly influence creatures and objects, changing their properties, or enhancing/diminishing their abilities.
Conjuration
Spells that create, protect, and interact. From summoning familiars to forming a shield to protect allies.
Illusion
Spells that manipulate the senses. Ranging from creating shadow clones, charming others, and making people see what isn't there.
Divination
Spells that utilize the elements of Life and Death. Healing the wounded, changing fate, raising the dead, and manipulating the very fabric of time and space itself. Hard to learn, virtually impossible to master.
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Thanks so much, that really means a lot!!!