Roderick Harper

Roderick Harper is a Human paladin and nobleman. He is currently retired, but is known as one of the heroes of the Wars of Arin.

Early life

Roderick was born in the city of Kimelis during the latter days of the Wars of Arin. In those days, the city was still independent, and thus not involved in the wars, which allowed Roderick to grow up peacefully, training under his father to be a knight in service to the duke of the region, Leeman Scott. He also dedicated himself to Morelen, and became a paladin in his service in his sixteenth year. He was granted his knighthood at about the same time.

The White Army

Harper quickly rose through the ranks, attaining the rank of captain when he was but twenty-one. He had become close friends with Kinwood, the son of the duke. Scotty, as he was known to most, was a year younger than Sir Roderick, and had not qualified to be a paladin, but instead had trained to be a scout for the army. This somewhat disappointed Sir Roderick, who had wanted Scotty for his squire, and instead he chose Lasereph Harris. Together, the three of them took up adventuring, and they rode far and wide across Kellan.

One day, the three ran across a marauding band of orcs northwest of the city of Hanmer. The orcs were on the run from a party of northerners, and they were hemmed in by the two groups and defeated. The northerners were led by another paladin, Zorg, and he and Sir Roderick began a friendship.

The fall of Kimelis

Unfortunately, this friendship would lead to the end of the peaceful days of Kimelis. An orc scout reported back to Keraptis of the newcomers, and the Onyx Lord decided this would not do. Thus, he sent a band to lay siege to the city. When Sir Roderick returned, he found the city had been sacked, and Duke Leeman and many of his top officers were dead. In his father's stead, Scotty named Sir Roderick the new general of what remained of the city's army, and he set about rebuilding the city.

Architect of the resurgence

Sir Roderick then went to Morelenas, where he met with Milvey Pallianor and pledged his city's allegiance to the White Alliance. Over the next several years, Sir Roderick led a number of successful campaigns in the wars, with the most famous being the Battle of Kimelis, when the newly-rebuilt city was nearly destroyed once again. When the portion of the Onyx Army besieging the city had been broken, Sir Roderick gathered the Alliance's forces and pursued them across the countryside, where they sought to reinforce another army that was attacking the Filitir Forest. Harper's forces arrived just in time to turn the tide, and indeed some would say turn the tide of the Wars of Arin once and for all. The path that Harper took from Kimelis to the forest has been named Harper's Trail ever since.

Gaining a title, losing a friend

Sadly, however, it was during that battle that Kinwood Scott fell. Leaving no heir, he stated as his dying wish that Sir Roderick Harper be named the new lord of Kimelis. Harper felt he had no choice but to accept, but in the process he brought Kimelis officially into the White Alliance, and it became one of the ten member duchies of the present day.

Sir Roderick himself is all but retired, having passed on the official ducal title to his eldest child, Alderrick, while their eldest daughter, Valirra, is the city's representative to the White Council. He and his wife, Jenora, still live in the duke's palace in Kimelis, and Sir Roderick watches over the city with the aid of his trusted general, Sir Lasereph. It is Sir Roderick's fondest wish that his son's days be more peaceful than his own. Deep down, however, he fears that will not be so.

Roderick Harper was originally a PC played by John Proulx, but has since been "retired" to become an NPC.