Roland

Son, Father, Brother, Paladin. All of these were once titles which Roland embraced with pride and zeal. Born the bastard son of Roger Stansfield and Lady Jeyne Berriex, Roland grew into a trained knight from an early age, a fighting man who would win his father’s acknowledgement and approval upon the battlefield if need be. Driven ever onward by the Light he served, Roland trained with zeal, being knighted at the age of 16. Once he had joined his father’s household, and met his younger legitimate brother, Donnel, Roland continued serving his new family with pride. During his time as a tournament knight, Roland had caught the eye of Lady Eline. Her family disproved of her relationship with a bastard, though they continued to meet in secret. Eventually, their tryst resulted in their only child, Oliver. Though they married soon after the boy was born, his wife had passed on shortly after their marriage, leaving Roland to raise his son alone.After becoming inducted into the Order of the Crescent, Roland sent his son to live with his father and brother, as his duties compelled him to fight back the ever growing plague of undeath with tore through his homeland. Eventually, though they fought valiantly, the Knights were decimated. Roland was able to retreat to Stonebridge, and then to the ruins of Thicia, hoping to find his family amongst the refugees. Though his father and brother were both killed, the paladin’s son remains at large, though he is likewise assumed lost.As the last remaining member of his family, Roland took up his father’s name, moving from kingdom to kingdom with many other Thician refugees, fighting alongside his brothers in the Knights of the Crescent once more. Though he knows the reclamation of his home remains a dream, the paladin continues fighting for his homeland, no matter how forlorn his outlook or painful his service. Whatever doubts he has hidden in his heart, he keeps them buried deep.

Roland was born during the beginnings of winter, years before the First Great War, in his mother’s castle. Nine months before his birth, his mother, Lady Jeyne Berriex, a lady from minor nobility who’s grandparents had bought their title, had met Lord Roger Stansfield, one of the more powerful vassals of King Argon of Thicia, for the first time at a feast, celebrating his twenty fourth birthday. The lady was only nineteen at the time, but the two seemed to instantly gravitate towards each other. Jeyne believed it was love at first sight, and that soon enough, despite her birth, they would marry. It wasn’t long before the two started sharing a bed together, which resulted in Roland’s conception. Their love affair was a quiet one, though the two were deeply in love. They carried on with their secret affair for nearly a year, but eventually Jeyne started showing signs of pregnancy. Roger had decided that in order to avoid a scandal that she leave the city of Thicia for good. Roger never acknowledged the child, nor did he even mention their affair again until after Jeyne’s passing. Jeyne remained unwed, knowing that any marriage was off the table due to her pregnancy and bastard son. She wept and wept for Roger to take her back, but she knew he would do nothing.Roland was eventually born a strong and healthy lad, just as his father was. Upon looking upon the boys features, there was no mistaking that he was Roger’s true son. Although Roland had never even met his real father, Jeyne would always tell him stories. He never mentioned him by name, only calling him a brave knight and a courageous man, and that he had died before Roland was born. Better to tell her son that than the ugly truth, she thought. Roland loved all the stories his dear mother had told him, hoping one day to be as brave a man as he thought his father was.Roland grew up under the stern eye of his mother. She was a firm believer in the old proverb “Spare the rod and spoil the child”, and raised him to be a disciplined, obedient child. Although his mother was strict, she was always loving and kind. She did everything for him, unlike most of her family members who only saw Roland as a tool for political gain. Jeyne was the only person who ever unconditionally loved him, even if his existence brought up painful memories of what once was. Roland rarely got into trouble, and usually obeyed his mother when she told him to do something, never wanting to be birched or punished. His mother, along with other members of the Berriex family he grew up in, conditioned his mind. They wanted him to be a well rounded lord, able to both fight alongside his men as well as truly lead them. It seems as though whenever he wasn't riding or fighting, he had his head buried in tomes or was discussing his lessons with his private tutors. He grew to be a learned man, talented in reading and thoughtfulness, though he had still been far from perfect in his instructions. He became cautious when it came to strategic affairs through his readings, understanding that boldness could mean death both in the field and in politics.As a young boy, Roland was raised with a strict training regimen. Since he was seven, his guardians and masters at arms taught him how to wield a blade, how to properly wear armor, and how to ride a horse with a lance tucked under his arm. The boy had a somewhat difficult time at first, but gradually grew to enjoy the physical activities his family made him perform as part of his training. By his teenage years, he was talented rider and swordsman, content with his lot in life and loving towards his family member. As he grew older, Roland seemed inspired by the knightly tales his mother always spoke of, quickly taking an interest into the martial arts of swordsmanship, jousting, and riding. Even at a young age, his talent was apparent. His mother and the rest of the Berriex family understood the potential that rested in this child. He had received the best training and education his family could afford for him.Eventually, his father relented and arrived at the Berriex estate, inviting his son to live with him at his new home once he had turned 12. It was there that he met his younger, trueborn brother, Donnel, nearly 2 years his junior. By the time Roland had turned 13, he was assigned to become his father’s squire, just as his younger brother had become. In this respect, they were given equal training on the numerous facets of knighthood, and what it truly meant to be the pinnacle of warrior culture in Thicia. They were both instructed on the seriousness of their vows, as well as the importance of their faith in their lives. It was also their duty to painstakingly maintain their father’s equipment, set up his tent, maintain his horses, and whatever other duties he considered mostly beneath him. His physical training was only heightened as he continued to grow older, with the runs becoming more intense, the riding harder, the fighting more true to the form of combat found in battles. He had spent long hours with a blade in his hand, often sparring against his brother. Despite Roland’s advantage in age, the two gradually approached one another in height by the time Roland had turned 16, and their strength was close enough to be practically equal. Their days were spent studying with their family for hours on end, before attending to their father, and eventually returning to the yard to train until supper, before finally being allowed a modicum of free time, and eventually sleeping, only to wake up at dawn once more and repeat the process.Eventually, Roland and Donnel had arrived at a tournament to be held in the capital, where it would host various contests, including jousting matches. In addition to this, however, there was a jousting opportunity for the various squires of the realm to have a chance to earn their own spurs and be knighted. Both Roland and Donnel decided that they would compete, with their father’s permission of course, and they both had sets of armor suitable to their heights and builds. While both were doing well, Donnel had been unhorsed midway through the competition, having been eliminated, but being allowed to keep his armor by the grace of his opponent. Roland, however, had continued winning, either through points earned, or by unhorsing a few of his less skilled challengers. By the time of the final joust, Roland had defeated the same knight who had defeated his brother, leaving him fumbling in the dust as his lance shattered against his target. As a reward for his performance, the lord of the city ordered him to kneel before him, as he swore the various oaths of knighthood. The crowd applauded, though a sense of jealousy grew within the heart of his brother Donnel, believing he should have been knighted first, as his father’s trueborn son.It was at his second tournament that Roland had met the woman of his dreams, Lady Eline Scaife, with dark hair and blue-gray eyes. As the two continued meeting, the two had questioned their respective families regarding any prospects of marriage. Any proposal was denied, however, not wanting to marry any of their daughters to a bastard. Still, the pair continued to engage in an affair, committing themselves to one another despite their youth and the disapproval of their families. The pair met in secret, and it wasn’t long before their trist could no longer be hidden. Two years into their relationship, Eline would give birth to Roland’s son, Oliver. It was only after much deliberation and argument that the two would be allowed to marry, though Eline received no dowry, nor would anyone from their line be able to inherit any of the Scaife’s lands.The marriage would not last long, however, as Eline died only a few years after the pair had married, taken by a sudden illness that could not be cured, no matter how many priests attempted to help restore her to her former condition. Roland was left to raise his son alone, though his next calling would allow him very little time to see Oliver. Instead, his son was to be fostered on his father’s estate, allowing him to return whenever he could to see him. Though he would be fairly busy, when his son would be old enough, he planned on taking him as his squire.After two and a half decades of life, Roland was inducted into the Order of the Crescent, a great honor. The paladin became a virtuous servant of the light, despite thorny remarks from a number of his compatriots regarding his status as a bastard. Still, his skill at arms and intellect was enough to eventually win over respect, even if the man was still younger than most of his peers.However, as he continued to watch the spread of an undead plague throughout Thicia, much of Roland’s duties became focused on quelling the undead. After the decimation of the Order by the undead ranks, Roland remained committed to helping whoever he could with his fellow knights, retreating to Stonebridge, where he was injured by the undead. Hearing reports that his family home was completely overwhelmed days prior, Roland had all but given into despair.The paladin’s body had been taken to a nearby monastery, the city having nearly fell to the undead’s destructive powers. Eventually, as the surviving Paladins either took up duties to remain in Thicia or aid those venturing towards other lands, Roland elected to remain within his kingdom, hoping that his young son would survive.