The Pilgrim Knights

The stench was nigh unbearable as Disciple Anya Preswyck inspected the man's wounds. A shepherd had been attacked in the hills close to Southhold. The wound had festered within days and his friends had carted him all the way to Greystone. 'A wolf did this you say?' she asked one of those who had carried him into the Hospital. 'Aye ma'am, it must've been. What else could it be?'.

She didn't answer, instead quickly muttering an incantation under her breath. As the spell took hold, she got an uncomfortable, yet familiar feeling in the back of her neck confirming what she already knew. The wound was not a normal wound, but one caused by necromantic magic. 'Fetch Healer Delrynd, please' she asked of a nearby attendant. 'Quickly!', she shouted after the attendant who started jogging as quickly as his halfling legs would bear him.

Two hours later, as the shepherd lay dying in a bed, two heavily armored knights gallop out of the hospital's gate, navy banners streaming from their spears. They will not return until their quarry is dead.

The Pilgrim Knights are champions of Freya, the goddess of the Sun, tasked with the protection of the innocent and defenseless populace. Dressed in their recognizable navy cloaks, these fierce warrior-priests are a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. Preferring to fight on horseback, their cavalry companies are some of the most expensive mercenaries across the realms. They value their honor supremely, and have never defaulted on a contract.

The money they make from mercenary work goes to serve the people at large. They run hospitals where anyone can come and be cured or at least treated free of charge. They are named for their stewardship of the shrines of the saints of Freya - many holy sites across the realm have a small detachment of knights who keep the surrounding area free from dangers. Where the Knights are, bandits are not.

In times of peace, when major contracts are scarce, the Knights take smaller monster-hunting contracts. They do not always ask for money, and could instead perform a task in return for information, or the establishment of a safehouse for their intelligence gathering operations.

Their headquarters are located in Solstice, on the island of Vanadis. The Grand Refuge is a massive castle where Grandmaster George Grenwen, leader of the Pilgrim Knights, commands. He is always seeking to bolster the ranks with capable soldiers in the service of Freya.

Pilgrim Knights have a special greeting gesture that they use both when meeting fellow Pilgrims as well as outsiders. It consists of a slight bow with both hands crossed at the wrists in front of the chest, palms turned inward and the fingers spread to mimic a rising sun.

History

The Knights emerged from a small community of worshippers dedicated to a temple of Freya in Solstice, around 400 years ago when it was part of the Teccan Empire.

They protected pilgrims who wanted to travel to the shrine, which was in a dangerous backwater of the Empire at the time. Eventually, the order grew large enough to be noticed, both by people and their goddess.

In addition to their duties to the Temple, they started taking on mercenary contracts, and the early Knights earned enough gold to build several new temples and recruit more people to their cause.

Founders

The two most important founders are Arwyn Elsiter (some of her descendants still serve the Knights today) and Halvdan the Bold, who is also called the First Spear. Both Arwyn and Halvdan were raised to sainthood by Freya, and they now live by her side in Folkvang.

Halvdan the Bold

(human, LG, 981-1016 AUC): One of the founders of the Pilgrim Knights. Halvdan became a martyr when he single-handedly delayed a horde of undead on a bridge while his comrades escaped. His spirit is now the guardian of the doors to Sessrumnir. Halvdan is buried in Arastfjord, and the Pilgrim Knights maintain a shrine in his honor there. While he was alive, Halvdan wielded Dawnrender.

Arwyn Elsiter

(high elf, LG, 911-1138 AUC) Founder of the Pilgrim Knights and namesake of House Elsiter. Arwyn was not born into nobility - she was a priestess of Freya who swore an oath to cure the world of its ills. At the end of her long life of devoted service, she was raised to sainthood by Freya for her devoted service. A shrine in her honor now stands in Tel Edhil, and many Pilgrims come there to pray and make offerings.

Emblem

The emblem of the Pilgrmis is a blue shield with a metal rim, in which is set a cross and a necklace of amber. Spears have a rhomboid shield while Charitor emblems are round. Seekers do not have an official design, and usually carry one of the other branches insignias as a cover.

Personal insignias are usually made of steel and real amber, and simpler ones made for paying expenses while on a mission are made from painted tin.

As a Pilgrim rises in rank, more amber stones are added to the necklace on their insignia, this symbolizes their progress in the hunt for the Brisingamen. The emblem on the right is that of the Marshal of the Spears, one rank below the Grandmaster himself.

Branches

The Knights are a diverse organization that employs people of many various professions and vocations. Apart from a small leadership, all members belong to one of three branches of the order. The first branch are the Charitors, who run the hospitals. Secondly, the Spears are highly trained warriors in the service of the Lady of Light. Finally, the Seekers gather intelligence in furtherance of the Knights' missions.

Initiates are not part of any branch, and are instead assigned positions that will make the best use of their ability, although the initiate does have some say in where they end up. The ceremony where an initiate is sworn in and granted the garb of their branch is a solemn moment in the life of any Pilgrim Knight.

Sometimes, when the mission calls for it, members from different branches can come together to solve a particular issue. Such groups are called flights, and some flights that prove themselves can be called upon multiple times. Being part of a successful flight is a sure way to get noticed by your superiors. Flights are usually, but not always, under the command of the Seekers.

Grandmaster George Grenwen

(human, LG, 59): George Grenwen is the leader of the Pilgrim Knights. He has served the Knights since he was only a small boy, as both his parents served as officers of the Spears.

Through devout worship of Freya and a suberb mind for battlefield strategy, he quickly rose through the ranks, becoming Grandmaster fifteen years ago. While his hair har started to turn grey and his face has become wizened with age, he is still a capable fighter.

Charitors

The most visible and numerous wing, the Charitors run shrines, temples, hospitals, alms houses, and orphanages all over the realm. No one is turned away at a Charitor establishment. Simple services such as meals and minor nonmagical healing are free, but more difficult magical healing is not.

The size of the Charitor's various institutions varies greatly. A small shrine in a remote village might only have Disciple and an Acolyte stationed there, all the way up to the large city hospitals, like the one in Greystone, which employs around 200 Charitors of various ranks under the command of a Healer.

Being the sole Charitor in a small village is seen as an honorable assignment, and many get to know the settlement so well that they are sometimes a better source of information than the Seekers who might use their shrine as a safehouse. It happens that a Charitor who has been stationed in a small town for a long time has made the community their home and does not want to leave, despite having earned more than enough experience for a promotion. This behavior is jokingly called roosting by other Pilgrims.

While many Charitors perform mundane tasks at the various Pilgrim establishments, the higher ranks are mostly reserved for those who wield healing magic, primarily clerics of Freya and monks following the way of Mercy, but several other specialties are also welcomed. At the Grand Refuge the Charitors also train Corpsmen, combat medics that go with the Spears into battle.

The highest-ranking Charitor is the Archhealer, who is also high priestess at the Grand Refuge. This role is currently held by Alexandra Sunheart, a powerful aasimar sorceress who is said to be the daughter of a Solar. She carries the Hallowed Scepter of Freya and the Justicar's Veil, one of the Pilgrim's most valued treasures, during ceremonies and processions.

Charitors wear a signature white headband, along with white robes and a blue scapular with the emblem of the pilgrim knights and a hooded navy cloak that is fastened with a cloth sash. At higher ranks, amber-colored stripes are added to the robe and cloak. The highest ranking priestesses incorporate glimmersilk into their garb, a magical cloth which shimmers like it is in sunlight, even indoors.

Suggested classes: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Monk

Spears

The armed wing of the Knights comprises some 500 mounted fighters across the Estian Islands. With their superb martial prowess, they are feared mercenaries, although very few can afford them. When not bound by contract, they roam the lands destroying evil creatures wherever they are found.

The overall commander of the Spears is Marshal Joanna Blacknaur, a fierce human fighter from Cottenhorn who rose through the ranks the hard way. The spears are divided into Companies of around fifty fighters each, which are then further divided into Squads of around a dozen. A Company is led by a Templar, and each Squad is commanded by a Captain.

The Spears wear heavy armor, over which they wear a blue tabard and a blue cloak. Higher-ranked members wear golden stripes along the hem of their cloak and tabard. Their signature weapon is a greatspear forged in the image of Dawnrender, the radiant weapon wielded by Halvdan the Bold. The greatspear can be wielded with a shield, but most prefer the reach of fighting with it two-handed. A pilgrimage to Halvdan's tomb in Arastfjord is something that most Spears make during their initiation.

The most elite units of the Spears are the Amber Riders, a feared cohort of heavy shock cavalry, and the Lightning Hammer, a small force of spellswords mounted on griffons. Both units train in the Grand Refuge in Solstice. The spears also operate patrols of rangers that patrol the sacred pilgrimage paths and keep them clear of dangers for those who wish to undertake the journey. When the Pilgrim Knights deploy an army, these rangers serve as forward scouts.

Suggested classes: Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, Barbarian

Seekers

The covert wing of the Pilgrims is the smallest, although their true numbers are unknown. What is known is that few secrets are safe from these intelligence gatherers. They employ and maintain a wide-reaching network of couriers and safe-houses across the realm. The Seekers are led by the cunning High Adjunct Tialvar nan Vanadis, a high elf wizard. Their primary mission is the hunt for the Brisingamen, although clues are few and far between.

Seekers wear whatever gear is required for their current mission. Most Seekers on intellgence duty have several aliases that they use to gather information surreptitiously. Even a low-ranking Seeker has plenty of autonomy regarding how to complete their missions, and to follow up on any further leads they find.

The Seekers are the most adept at the arcane arts of the branches. They retain enchanters and artificers to keep the order well stocked with magical equipment and other arcane services.

Suggested classes: Rogue, Sorcerer, Wizard, Warlock, Artificer

Major Temples

Some temples are built on the holy sites where the pilgrims that first gave the order its name visited, others are in cities and towns. Some are hidden, for initiated members only.

The Grand Refuge

The largest Pilgrim facility, this multi-tiered temple-fortress is the center of Solstice on the island of Vanadis. Headquarters of the order and seat of Grandmaster George Grenwen, a middle-aged man. New recruits train in the courtyards and the tower libraries hold the vast intelligence and research gathered by the Seekers. Ceremonies to Freya are held regularly by Archhealer Tessa Turentar ( Divine Soul Sorceress, LG), a kalashtar priestess of Freya whose red hair makes her look like an avatar of the goddess herself.

Greystone Hospital

Situated in Greystone, the largest Pilgrim outpost on Estia. The highest ranking member is Healer Simeon Delrynd who oversees a small army of charitors in their work. While it is primarily a hospital, it also houses a company of Spears.

Covenant Temple

The temple in Covenant is part embassy to the Estian Council, part garrison and part hospital. The Charitors also operate an orphanage in the city.

Elderholm

A castle-island on the southwestern coast of Vanadis, this is a major center of training monks and clerics for the Charitors.

Dawnguard Keep

A small outpost with a lighthouse at the eastern edge of Vanadis, overlooking the horizon. Also houses a small chapel where sun-greeting rituals are performed.

Pilgrim Knights Adventures

The Knights are numerous, but so are their duties. Sometimes, they contract with adventurers to assist them, especially if the adventurers possess means that the Pilgrims lack.

Those who perform services to the Knights might be rewarded with:

• Shelter at a Pilgrim shrine or temple
• Heavily armored allies for an upcoming battle
• Healing or other divine magic

Charitors: Feed the Poor

News of a bad harvest in a village without a permanent Pilgrim presence has reached the Charitors. Go to the village in question and ensure there will not be a famine once winter comes.

Spears: Monster Hunt

A pair of Spears are investigating some disappearances in a nearby town, but have reason to believe they can't deal with the threat alone. Assist them in ending the menace that haunts the town.

Seekers: Hunt for the Brisingamen

The legendary necklace of Freya, the Brisingamen, has been lost for ages. Rumors of it have always been around, but none have born fruit so far. The library in the Grand Refuge hosts the biggest trove of research on the subject, but access is only for high ranking members of the Pilgrim's covert branch, the Seekers.

Background: Pilgrim Knight

This background is available for use when you create a character.

You are one of the Pilgrim Knights, an order that serves the goddess Freya. Regardless of which branch you serve in, a common ethos is shared among all Pilgrim Knights. They live by their word and provide charity to the poor.

Decide what drove you to join the Pilgrim Knights, and what branch you served in. Perhaps you are a Charitor who feed the poor in a busy town, or a Spear tasked with protecting a mountain shrine, or a Seeker hunting for clues to the Brisingamen?

Skill Proficiencies: Medicine, Religion

Languages:: One of your choice.

Tool Proficiencies: One of your choice.

Equipment: A holy symbol of Freya, a blue cloak with the Pilgrim emblem, a mess kit, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10gp.

Feature: Shelter of the Faithful

You and your companions can expect to find aid and shelter at any Pilgrim temples, shrines and hospitals you visit.

Suggested Characteristics

d4	Personality trait
1	I am brave in the face of danger, often to the point of foolishness.
2	I will never willingly break a promise I have given or a contract I have accepted.
3	My dawn prayers are the most important part of my day.
4	I will gladly give up half my ration to feed a hungry stranger.

d6	Ideal
1	Charity: Those who have less than me will have my help. (Good)
2	Honor: My word is everything to me. (Lawful)
3	Devotion: Only with faith can we stand against the forces of darkness. (Lawful)
4	Vengeance: When Freya wants to punish someone, she sends me. (Evil)
5	Ambition: I want to advance in the ranks of my order. (Neutral)
6	Greater Good: I live to ensure the world is safe for the common folk. (Good)

d6	Bond
1	I would give my life to protect the temple I serve.
2	I dream of finding the lost relics of my order.
3	I was raised in a Pilgrim orphanage, and my service is my way of giving back.
4	I was often hungry growing up, and I intend to lessen that suffering for others.
5	I wish to visit and pray at every holy site in the world.
6	If I can ensure that even a single child does not lose their parents to disease, my efforts will have been worth it.

d4	Flaw
1	I have a hard time to say no to someone in need.
2	Insult my faith and I will give you a bloody lip.
3	I am afraid of the dark, but I try not to show it.
4	I have a hard time accepting inequality wherever i go.