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Chosen of Bane
Senior Scribe
USA
552 Posts |
 Posted - 08 Jan 2006 : 04:33:54
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So I'm writing a character history for a character (bard/druid) in an upcoming campaign and I think I need a little help.
This character, although good, has a sour relationship with a local Knight (read: Paladin of Tyr). The source of this sour relationship is as follows (in an extremely abbreviated description of events)...
Character is out hunting (deer) with his father and the above mentioned Paladin when they come accross a [insert type of animal].
Paladin kills the animal though it has not done anything wrong.
Druid character is pretty upset with Paladin for his actions.
Paladin justifies his killing for [reasons].
Okay. Now this is obviously only a very small part of the story but I want to get some ideas about what type of animal I should plug in here and what a Paladin of Tyr's reasons may be for killing it.
I have thought about a wolf and the Paladin kills it because they attack sheep. I also considered a raccoon because of the threat of rabies but I'm not quite sure that rabies exists in the Realms. I also considered a rat (or dire rat) because they carry disease but I don't know how upset my character would be about killing rats.
I'm also wondering if there are any animals that are particularly sacred to evil deities that the Paladin could have killed.
So those are my questions. I know I could always go wolf and sheep as my answers but I'm still in the brainstorming stage and want to come up with as many options as possible.
The campaign will be taking place in and around Daggerford so animals that are not native to the Weaster Heartlands/Sword Coast are not options.
Thanks in advance.
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2006 : 04:43:14
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Personally, I would keep it simple, such as the paladin killing a wolf or a wild dog because he has heard stories about them killing animals, attacking travellers, or carrying off small children. Typical city dweller/wilderness dweller conflict, but the paladin isn't willing to admit that wild dogs/wolves aren't likely to attack travellers or carry off children. Or the paladin could even be acting on a misguided understanding of nature, for example, that the local deer population is thinning out, so he kills a wolf thinking this will keep the deer population strong.
Granted, all of this pops to mind because I still remember reading Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat, where the officials in Alaska are sure that the wolves are killing off the deer population, but when he stays out in the wilderness with the wolves, he sees that wolves can't catch a healthy deer, and they live off of rabits and mice, but the locals authorize hunting wolves to increase the deer population, until they find out that the deer are being overhunted by poachers.
For some reason that is one of the first "mistunderstood animal" analogies that springs to my mind. |
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Chosen of Bane
Senior Scribe
USA
552 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2006 : 04:50:26
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Thanks for the quick reply.
I do think I'm going to go with the whole wolf carrying off children type of thing. I won't use the deer herd reference because this particular Paladin is more of a people guy than a nature guy.
I just wanted to explore some more options and see if anybody came up with something that was just too cool to resist.
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4689 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2006 : 06:25:16
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"I'm also wondering if there are any animals that are particularly sacred to evil deities that the Paladin could have killed."
Well there are spiders, but few would gey upset about killing them either.
Worgs might be an option, however they would not tend to travel that far South I would think and to untrained eye would look like a wolf, OTOH a Drird would not get upset about a Worg (or at least most would not).
Wolves are generally misunderstood and and a best option. The lore of wolves killing people is well established, however there is no historical record of a wolf being caught doing so. Wolves have eaten bodies of himans, just as they will eat other things killed by another/natural events if hungry enough. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2006 : 16:28:55
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quote:
Originally posted by Kentinal
Worgs might be an option, however they would not tend to travel that far South I would think and to untrained eye would look like a wolf, OTOH a Drird would not get upset about a Worg (or at least most would not).
Wolves are generally misunderstood and and a best option. The lore of wolves killing people is well established, however there is no historical record of a wolf being caught doing so. Wolves have eaten bodies of himans, just as they will eat other things killed by another/natural events if hungry enough.
Ah, but if a worg did it, and the paladin thought it was just a regular wolf... Then he'd be interested in slaying any wolf he saw -- which would upset a druid. |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jan 2006 : 01:10:27
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How about if the Paladin killed the animal for sport (even Paladins have vices)
Sort of an English fox hunting thing |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jan 2006 : 02:10:46
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| Hey, that was a good one, hadn't thought about that. Even if the druid has no issue with killing for food or fur, killing something just because its fun likely doesn't sit well with him . . . |
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Chosen of Bane
Senior Scribe
USA
552 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jan 2006 : 03:06:06
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Thanks for all the replies.
I will be sure to post the complete backstory when it's finished.
I will be going with the killing of a wolf while hunting deer though because it doesn't fit the rest of the story I had to make it a fox hunt or anything like that.
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4689 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jan 2006 : 03:09:35
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Not sure Paladins are allowed vices, they are not just knights (that fox hunt, kill others in jousts according to the rules, etc.) they are Holy Knights that do not rink, wench, dice, etc. Their code of conduct sets higher barries then of what is permitted to a mere Lawful Good Fighter. A Paladin I do suspose could have a hobby of hunting, but certainly should not have any vice. *wink*
Of course a Paladin is concerned about followers and potential followers and the dangers to them, real or imagined.
The druid considers the Paladin as a small part of nature (perhaps) and should not over kill. or kill without good rason as the balance can be tipped.
Of course both the D$D paladin and D&D druid did not exist in real life, but are instead invented archtypes of what a Paladin should be and what one hopes a Druid was. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2006 : 21:46:23
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| dire bear. He killed it because he thought it was a danger to the nearby community. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Help with a character backstory
