Who is Petro Sarkis?

[Setherick]

Petro Sarkis is the antagonist of the NW epic campaign. While he doesn't appear until the second game of epic tier, I'm going to go ahead and post how he was created now.

me: can I do the background to a champion paladin for the loyalists?

Ross: the loyalists believe in the gospel of obedience, obviously
They are centered in the city of Seron

me: hmm, obedience eh

Ross: well the old world government is a monarchy
divine right as established by the pantheon of civilized gods
headed by pelor

me: should base the leader of their army on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Licinius_Crassus

Ross: heh
good idea

me: Crassus resurrected the idea of decimation while fighting Spartacus
he was a nasty son of a bitch

Ross: oh yeah
the crown is going to be absolutely ruthless

me: yeah
as it should be
fear and resentment
the two most powerful emotions for getting people to do what you want

oh, before I go, I'm skimming Plutrach's biography of Crassus
and, yes, I'll definitely create a paladin based off of him

Ross: make him a real asshole

me: well that's the trick
he'll be a politician but an asshole in combat

As for his literary pursuits, he cultivated chiefly the art of speaking which was of general service, and after making himself one of the most powerful speakers at Rome, his care and application enabled him to surpass those who were most gifted by nature. For there was no case, they say, however trifling and even contemptible it might be, which he undertook without preparation, but often, when Pompey and Caesar and Cicero were unwilling to plead, he would perform all the duties of an advocate. And on this account he became more popular than they, being esteemed a careful man, and one who was ready with his help. 3 He pleased people also by the kindly and unaffected manner with which he clasped their hands and addressed them. For he never met a Roman so obscure and lowly that he did not return his greeting and call him by name.
from Plutrach

Ross: hahaha
oh man
he will be a fucking hero to the people of Seron

me: However, Crassus was generous with strangers, for his house was open to all; and he used to lend money to his friends without interest, but he would demand it back from the borrower relentlessly when the time had expired, and so the gratuity of the loan was more burdensome than heavy interest. When he entertained at table, his invited guests were for the most part plebeians and men of the people, and the simplicity of the repast was combined with a neatness and good cheer which gave more pleasure than lavish expenditure.

Ross: that's great

me: this is the paragraph that proceeds the one I just copypasta'd
he's perfect
I couldn't have picked a better example

Ross: yeah the players will realize that if they kill him the people of Seron will hate him

me: yeah, even though he'll be a meticulous and brutal general in the field

Ross: yup
and he will be impossible to persuade
no diplomacy check will convince him to change sides
no intimidate
nothing

me: more than that, he'll convince people on the fence to join him
the greeting the average person in the street is a true sign of a Pelor devotee too

Ross: right

me: so he's faith will be seen as impeccable
sure he's collected a lot of money over the years, but he gives interest free loans and gives freely to the church
jesus, we've come up with some nasty enemies in this game

Ross: oh man
he is getting better and better
they will hate. him. so. much.

And Sarkis' background.

Petro Sarkis – Paladin of Pelor

Background

Petro is the second son of a wealthy merchant. He was initiated into the church of Pelor at an early age and became initiated as a paladin when he was still in his teens. After serving as a paladin for almost twenty years, Petro retired from combat duties and focused primarily on developing a career as a diplomat. He is now world renowned for having negotiated several treaties and for having acted as an arbiter in a number of international disputes. He currently resides in Soren in the colonies.

Political Status

Petro is a member of the King's Privy Council, while at court. He was once offered the governorship of the colony, but turned it down. He is a well-respected politician and active in colonial politics however. He is known to be very thorough in discussing even the most minor matter. He also surrounds himself with the best political advisors. His advisors have been known to do pro gratis work on the behalf of the poor and dispossessed at Petro behest. In fact, there are rumors that refusing such a request by Petro can be met by a fierce rebuke and public censoring. These rumors are largely unsubstantiated as of yet.

Social Status

After retiring from  combat duties, Petro used his numerous contacts to gather a large fortune through a series of fortuitous investments. His wealth was further augmented by his ability as a negotiator and arbiter. His services now command a very large price. His exact wealth is not known, but it is rumored to rival many princes and barons.

Despite his immense fortune, Petro lives a very austere life in Soren. His modest home can be found in middle class part of the city among the artisans and minor merchants. He uses his fortune to develop the economic infrastructure of the colony by giving out interest free loans to those who he feels will use them well. He also gives freely to the church of Pelor. There is at least one cathedral that bears his name.

While international fame and immense wealth cause many to shun the lower classes, Petro greets every person on the street as an equal. He knows many people of different classes in Soren by their first name and makes it a point to remember what each person's specialty is.

Religious Status

Petro is one of the most respected paladins that serve the church of Pelor. He is a fierce opponent of heretics and defends the usage of excommunication, exile, and even torture for those that turn against the church.

He has a more complex relationship when it comes to the native peoples of the colony. Petro believes the natives can be converted in time and brought into the church as full members. Because of this belief, he supports the rights of natives, even the natives right to their own religion. He defends his contradictory positions by arguing the natives have never been given the chance to experience an uncorrupted church, while heretics have experienced it and turned their backs on it.

Military Commander Status

Petro is both a feared and respected general in battle. He commands his troops with an iron fist and is not afraid to use corporeal punishment in disciplining troops he feels are insubordinate. Petro views cowardice in the face of an enemy, especially a heretical enemy, as an act of insubordination.

Although a master strategist himself, Petro surrounds himself with the best strategists available, often using his own  treasury to pay for their services.

Rumors

There is an unsubstantiated rumor that Petro is the leader of a secret society of ascetic knights that receive orders directly from the King. A rumor that seeks to explain Petro's place on the King's Privy Council. These rumors are often wildly speculative.

[Charlie72]

You know, I never got why Pelor put up with this shit. I know Pelor is D&D Jesus and therefore the church of Pelor has to be D&D medieval church, but being catholic never gave medieval paladins laser powers. This especially true for paladins, since, last time I checked, they have to be the same alignment as their patron god.

Then again, other than the blurb about torture, Petro seems like an okay guy.

[Salkovich]

I applaud thee, sir. This is going to be amazing.

[Arje]

Petro Sarkis is a jerk. That's all i know.

[Setherick]

Then again, other than the blurb about torture, Petro seems like an okay guy.

You have a problem with inquisitors?

[Charlie72]

Then again, other than the blurb about torture, Petro seems like an okay guy.

You have a problem with inquisitors?

Torture isn't very Pelor like.

[clockworkjoe]

Then again, other than the blurb about torture, Petro seems like an okay guy.

You have a problem with inquisitors?

Torture isn't very Pelor like.

That's heretic talk

[Salkovich]

Then again, other than the blurb about torture, Petro seems like an okay guy.

You have a problem with inquisitors?

Torture isn't very Pelor like.

That's heretic talk

And we all know how much Ross LOVES heretics!

[Charlie72]

Then again, other than the blurb about torture, Petro seems like an okay guy.

You have a problem with inquisitors?

Torture isn't very Pelor like.

Yah, it's not like Pelor gives people powers and can yank them if the people how use them does somthing he dosen't like.

And it's not like he can send sutle

That's heretic talk

Yah, it's not like Pelor gives people powers and can yank them if the people how use them does somthing he dosen't like.

And it's not like he can send subtle messages and have like The Raven Queen did with Locke.

[Tadanori Oyama]

Then again, other than the blurb about torture, Petro seems like an okay guy.

You have a problem with inquisitors?

No, Friend Computer, but I know someone who does.

[Setherick]

Oh, hell, I might as well post the bio of Sarkis' Lieutenant as well. Hallsteinn's dark secret is based on the Grimm's tale "The Singing Bone": http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/grimm/bl-grimm-singing.htm

Bjorn Hallsteinn – Warlord

Background

Not much is known about Hallsteinn's life before he joined the Church of Pelor when he was in his late teens or early twenties. His exact age isn't even known. After distinguishing himself as a common foot soldier in a crusade led by Petro Sarkis, Hallsteinn was groomed to be a holy warrior and general. Hallsteinn desired becoming a paladin, but was denied because of his questionable birth and his status as a convert to the Church. It is rumored that Sarkis was most outspoken Church official both in denying Hallsteinn's admission to the ranks of paladin and in arguing for Hallsteinn's increased role in holy armies of the Church. Hallsteinn serves as one of Sarkis' tacticians in Sarkis' armies and has become a master tactician.

Political Status

Hallsteinn has always been reticent to become involved either in church or civil politics. His reticence has made him a virtual unknown among the King's counselors despite a decorated military record. Recently, Hallsteinn has become more politically ambitious as if the possible Revolution in the colonies has awakened some latent desire in him.

Social Status

Because of his reticence to become involved in church or civil politics, Hallsteinn has not accumulated the wealth that Sarkis and several of Sarkis' other lieutenants have accumulated over the years. Hallsteinn privately resents this and, although he has not made any public statements concerning it, his resentment has started to come to the surface.

Hallsteinn's reticence and evident lack of substantial wealth has also become the focus of several unsubstantiated rumors. Many of these rumors paint Hallsteinn as an inveterate gambler. Other rumors ateempt to connect Hallsteinn's current social status with his background by suggesting his lack of wealth is due to a secret material penitence that he has had to pay over the years to remain in the church.

Religious Status

Hallsteinn is in good standing with the Church. However, many Church officials do not know Hallsteinn personally or by reputation so his standing is solely based on doctrinaire policies.

Military Status

Hallsteinn is among the few, if not the only person in the world, whose skills as a tactician match that of Petro Sarkis. He is among the few of Sarkis' lieutenants to ever openly challenge a tactical strategy proposed by Sarkis and persuade Sarkis to change his course. The move would later be praised by Sarkis.

Although his primary combat duties have been serving under Sarkis as one of Sarkis' key advisors, Hallsteinn has led armies into a number of successful battles, including one crusade against a heretical sect. He has won commendations for his leadership despite what little outside recognition it has brought.
Dark Secret

Hallsteinn past carries a dark secret. Before he joined the Church, he murdered his own brother out of envy.

Hallsteinn and his brother grew up in a distant kingdom. Their father was a serf farmer and the brothers had no prospects. In the fiefdom where their farmer lived, a large worg started killing farmers in their fields. The lord of the fiefdom sent his own personal soldiers to fight the worg but they fell to the beast as well. Finally, the lord offered a substantial monetary reward for whoever could kill the worg.

Hallsteinn and his brother accepted the lord's challenge. They took separate paths into the forest where the worg had last been spotted. In the forest, Hallsteinn's brother met a fey creature who promised to help the brother slay the worg for a small portion of the reward. The fey creature gave the brother a magical weapon and the brother agreed to leave a sum of money in a certain tree in the forest on a specific date.

The brother killed the worg with the fey weapon and sought Hallsteinn. When Hallsteinn saw that his brother had killed the worg, he suddenly realized that his brother would get the reward and be able to escape the poverty of serfdom. Before his brother could tell him about the fey creature, Hallsteinn struck his brother down and threw his brother's body in a lake.

Hallsteinn took the worg's body back to the lord and claimed the reward. He said he'd never seen his brother in the forest and assumed the worg had killed him before he killed the worg. He used this money to escape from the fiefdom before questions were raised about his missing brother's body.

Knowing that he could not explain where he came from and feeling guilty for have killed his brother, Hallsteinn joined the Church of Pelor's army. His reticence of becoming involved in church or civil politics is partially because he fears being discovered as a fraud. However, seeing Sarkis and other Sarkis' lieutenants accumulating wealth has caused the same envious feelings to well up in Hallsteinn.

[iceemaker]

I was initially very confused by this description of Sarkis. Why would a generous, humble, faithful man serve the Crown?

Listening to the new Actual Play, this quickly became clear. Sarkis is not really generous, humble and faithful - he might certainly appear so. But his role in the Revolutionary War is particularly insidious. It is easy to rail against a faceless, distant authority that passes draconian laws and regulations. But when the authority is tied to a particularly close person, especially a charismatic and charitable person, people are much less willing to oppose. Especially when they owe money to the aforementioned person.

Sarkis makes people want to be ruled by the Crown. That's my interpretation, anyways.

[Setherick]

Sarkis makes people want to be ruled by the Crown. That's my interpretation, anyways.

That's a good way to see it. It's certainly a way to define the cult of personality that most strong sovereigns have.

[Guy]

Sarkis makes people want to be ruled by the Crown. That's my interpretation, anyways.

Heck, the players, except RJ for good in-character reasons, seemed to WANT to agree with the guy. They nearly did.

[Salkovich]

Sarkis makes people want to be ruled by the Crown. That's my interpretation, anyways.

Heck, the players, except RJ for good in-character reasons, seemed to WANT to agree with the guy. They nearly did.

Yeah, it was pretty creepy to hear how they all started to fall in line, even when presented with no clear proof that he would do what he said. Some really great roleplaying in that first meeting though. Quiet words, then arguments, then everything goes to shit.