Henry FitzArnulf

Henry FitzArnulf – Wildcard Knight of Solamnia - Christian
XP: 23 Rank: Seasoned
Ag d8, Sm d6, Sp d6, St d10, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 7 (9), Toughness 7 (10)
Skills: Fighting d10, Notice d6, Stealth d6, Intimidate d6, Throwing d4, Survival d6, Persuasion d6, Riding d6, Swimming d4
Edges: Knight of Solamnia, Brawny, Arcane Resistance, Combat Reflexes, First Strike
Hindrances: Code of Honour (chivalry), Vengeful, Loyal
Gear: Heavy Armour, Large Shield, Sword, Dagger, etc…


Henry FitzArnulf is, somewhat reluctantly, an aspiring Knight of Solamnia. He is a quiet, taciturn man who keeps his feelings to himself, and tries to avoid attention, except in the presence of his friends, although he is given to the odd blasphemous outburst when surprised. His quiet exterior hides both a tendency towards depression and a quick and vicious temper, and people insult him at their peril. He is a large, fast, strong, skilled and resolute fighter, who is a master of the sword and shield. He wears his father's master crafted armour, which along with a fine longsword has been handed down for generations in the family.

Henry is the son of a real knight of Solamnia, Arnulf FitzHugh, himself the descendant of a long line of Solamnic knights. Arnulf did try to raise Henry in the traditions of the Solamnic code, teaching him the Oath and as much of the Measure as he could, and to fight and ride. Arnulf, however, was an outcast knight and a broken man who while preaching the code cheated, drank, stole, and beat Henry and his mother far more brutally than was ever required. His personal habits when combined with the general dislike for the Solamnic knights meant that Arnulf and his family could never remain in one place for long before being run off. This meant a hard life for Henry and his mother, who were forced to beg, borrow, and steal in order to get by. Events finally came to a head when Henry was fifteen. Arnulf was working as a bodyguard, and went on a particularly rough bender and started to beat his wife and Henry. Henry took off, but when he came back later that night, Arnulf had beaten his mother to death. Henry, in a fit of rage, fatally stabbed his comatose father in the throat, took his arms and armour, and then fled.

Henry spent several years traveling throughout Abanisinia working as a man-at-arms and caravan guard, until he ended up in Solace and met his current companions, the first people that he has felt comfortable with since his mother's death. Henry has never told anyone about his past other than that his father was a Solamnic knight who was killed, and that Henry inherited his arms. He will not speak of his mother under any circumstance, and reacts poorly to any mention of or questions about her. Henry has also decided that now that his father is gone, no-one will ever push him around. He reacts very poorly to any insult that he feels has been offered either to himself or to his companions. When the group split up, Henry went to look for other Solamnic knights, but found nothing. He is glad to be reunited with his friends, who he considers to be his new family and will defend to the death, and he is looking forward to more adventure.

Henry is very ambivalent toward the knights and their code. He can see that the code of the Solamnic knights is a good thing, and when feeling positive he talks up the knights and tries as best he can to live up to their ideals. Henry, for all he has been through, is a good person at heart, and he likes helping others. But when things are rough, or he is feeling melancholy, he sees the code as being an unobtainable standard, and his adherence to it wavers. After all, if his father was unable to live up to it, how will Henry ever do so? Similarly, Henry feels very ambivalent toward the knights of Solamnia in general. His father was a failure, and everyone must hate the knights for a reason, so even if he were to find one, it would probably be a big disappointment.