Sir Erlic Strongblade, Paladin of Tyr

This is me, the hero of this tale.

I was born the seventh child of a Chandler in Neverwinter.  As the seventh child of a tradesman, I had no prospects and would be a considerable drain on my parents.  My father decided to dedicate me to the Temple of Tyr, and at the age of two, my parents gave me into the care of the Clerics in the Halls of Justice.  

I never knew my parents, or brothers or sisters.  I know not whether my family is still in Neverwinter, or if they are, whether they are one of the many Chandlers who ply their trade in this fair city. 

The Clerics at the Hall of Justice in Neverwinter raised me as an Acolyte of Tyr. I must admit I was a weak student, with limited academic abilities.  I was very unsuited to the life of a religious scholar. In classes, I spent most of my time day dreaming of becoming a Knight, riding to glory in the service of Tyr. I would while away my time watching the Knights through the windows, practicing hard with sword, axe and shield in the training grounds below. 

  

This used to particularly annoy Brother Barthol, who developed and strong and overt dislike for me over these early years.  Brother Barthol would give me penance's whenever he saw me, whether I had been day dreaming or not.  Over the years I developed a similar dislike of Brother Barthol, although I unfortunately could not give him penance, and I tried to avoid him as much as possible.  I would sometimes even miss his classes on Theology and instead go and watch the Knights as they trained.

At night when no one was about, I would sneak onto the training grounds and arm myself with the practice weapons which the Squires and Knights used in training; swinging them wildly, striking target dummies blindly, while imagining myself to be one of the foremost Knights in the Hammers of Grimjaw, bringing justice across the lands of the Forgotten Realms. I thought my late night forays were secret, but unknown to me, my antics had been observed many times by Just Captain Hlam who was the instructor for Squires and trainee Knights. 

In the year of their 10th birthday, all trainee Acolytes were tested before being able to advance to the next stage of their religious training.  You may be surprised to find I failed these tests.  Clearly, there were limited marks for doodles of knights, armoured horses, swords, axes or shields.  My poor showing in the tests meant I would be forced to leave the Temple and be apprenticed to a craftsman in Neverwinter.  

Once per year, on the Day of Choosing, Neverwinter's master craftsman would come and choose an apprentice from those children deemed unfit for life in the Temple.   On the Day of Choosing, I stood in line with the other children who were also deemed unsuitable, waiting to be chosen. 

The Master Craftsmen drew lots for the order in which they would get to choose an apprentice.  I waited with head bowed as they took their turns.  I felt a tap on my shoulder, and looked up to see a middle aged craftsman looking steadily at me, weighing me up.  This was the queue that I had been chosen, I began to move forward, and to follow my new master who I would apprentice with.  As I stepped forward, so did Hlam, and he stopped me in my tracks.  
   
Over the years Hlam had seen me in the training grounds late at night, and had felt there was something about the boy. He sought guidance from Tyr through prayer, and Tyr showed him his will was for the boy to be trained in the militant ways.  

Over the noise of the Choosing, he stated in a clear voice, "There will be no choosing for this boy today.  Tyr requires his services still".  He then led me off to a small cell in the Squires quarters, and said this is where I would live now.  He explained that he had seen something in me, and that he was willing to train me, and should I show the required talents then I had the opportunity to become a Knight of Tyr.  He cautioned me however that, should I fall short, I would be thrown out of the Church with no trade or craft, other than what skills I had learnt.  He gave me a choice then, to continue my training, or be returned to the Choosing.  I couldn't believe my luck, and took the opportunity offered to me on the spot.  It was my dream!

Over the next seven years, Hlam drilled into Erlic what it means to live your life in honour and in the pursuit of justice for all. An honourable Knight of Tyr fights against injustice when and wherever it may be found. A knight of Tyr fights only in hand-to-hand combat, and never resorts to ranged weapons. Moreover, a Knight's foe cannot be assassinated, nor engaged by subterfuge. Honourable Knights can prove guilt through trial by court or combat. Trial by combat is through a duel, resolved through the combatants prowess in the martial arts and in the eyes of the Gods. Duels do not need to be to the death, and depend on the injustice found and is determined by a court or a Knight in the field e.g. it could be drawing of first blood, the first to 3 strikes or to death. The ultimate test of justice is a trial by combat to the death. 

At 17, I was considered ready for advancement to the next rank, and in order to prove my dedication to Tyr and justice, I was charged with a quest that took me to Phandalin to bring justice to a gang of thugs terrorising the innocent people of the town - the Redbrands.