Derhlith: I know I've already sent you the background section, but read it over again. I've made a few modifications.


Name: Donovan Achernar
Race: Human
Age: 27
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 173 lbs.
Eye Color: A very deep and vivid blue.
Hair Color: Donovan has shoulder-length black hair which shows traces of premature graying as well as a total aversion to tidiness.
Element: Darkness

Physical: Donovan is clad in a long brown leather trenchcoat, underneath which is a pair of baggy, faded blue trousers and a black sleeveless shirt. He is of medium build, lithe and agile, but strong by human standards. His face expresses a constant air of apathy and fatigue, as though he has gone days without sleep, which is not often far from the truth.

Personality: Donovan has led a very difficult life, and he seems to communicate a strong dislike to nearly every person he comes into contact with. While many are initially put off by him, he is, in reality, a very amiable person. Many have found him to be charming, witty, well-mannered, and even friendly at times. He is also a pleasant conversationalist, despite the fact that he rarely speaks. He is not religious (not remotely), but has a strong sense of morality. He does not take killing or combat lightly, and becomes very somber when exposed to such things.

Class: Knight
Level: 1
Skills: Brave Slash

Equipment
Weapon: Broadsword
Body Armor: Leather Breastplate
Hand Armor: Leather Gloves
Leg Armor: Leather Boots
Gold: 3000


Background
Morgan Achernar, one of the finest swordsmen ever to join the ranks of the White Cloud Army of Avalon. Widely credited as a military genius, an icon of bravery and heroism. Although he had proven his valor in combat more than enough times, Morgan's heroic image was not entirely accurate. Those who knew him personally knew that he was mentally unstable, and was prone to mood swings and even psychotic episodes. Like many fathers, he fully expected his son to follow in his footsteps. Morgan saw to it that his son, Donovan, received the best training available. Although Donovan showed great natural aptitude, he was torn between his desire to please his father and his passion for music. He often kept company with a band of gypsies who lived in the woods on his father's estate. He had listened to their strange and enchanting music since a very young age, and would sometimes sit and listen to them play for hours on end.

Donovan performed well in the studies laid out for him by his father. He showed great promise as a swordsman, and many said that he would one day rival his father. While he tried to keep his assocation with the gypsies a secret, a part of him knew that he would not be able to keep up the charade for ever. His father would eventually discover where he went during his walks in the woods. One evening, Morgan went into the woods in search of Donovan, partly out of concern, and partly out of suspicion. As was mentioned previously, Morgan was unwavering in his expectation that Donovan would follow in his footsteps and become a knight. He would accept nothing less, and thus was enraged when he discovered what Donovan had been doing with his leisure time. Morgan came across his son amidst the gypsies. Initially, he was only slightly annoyed at discovering that this band of vagrants was living on his estate. He took Donovan with him back the the manor, demanding an explanation of him. When he discovered that his son intended to become a musician rather than a warrior, he was enraged. He sought to suppress Donovan's passion for music, and placed the blame fully upon the gypsies for corrupting his son. He ordered the entire band executed, and forced his son to watch as they were beheaded one by one. The horrific experience would leave the young man scarred for the rest of his life.

By now, Donovan was attending a military academy and was, to no surprise, at the top of his class. He drifted through life, seemingly oblivious to everything around him, and his father grew more and more infuriated with Donovan's indifference as time passed. Donovan's proficiency with a blade grew in leaps and bounds, and his mentors at the academy frequently told Morgan that his son was the finest pupil they had ever taught. While he should have been swelling with pride, Morgan was somewhat insecure, fearing that his son may actually surpass him, while at the same time angered by Donovan's apathy towards his studies. Throughout his time at the academy, he remained head and shoulders above the other students, even in spite of that fact that he seemed to be exerting himself as little as possible. Then, during his graduating year, Donovan announced that he would no longer attend the academy. As he was now an adult, he had decided that he would leave home to follow his own path. Needless to say, Morgan was furious. The two argued as Donovan packed his belongings one night, and as Donovan prepared to take his leave, Morgan finally went berserk....

By dawn, Morgan would be dead, his head cloven from his shoulders, and Donovan gone without a trace. Nobody knows precisely what happened that night, but one thing is certain; it was Donovan who delivered the killing blow. Whether he acted in anger or in self-defense is unknown. Donovan, the only one who knows what came to pass, has never spoken of it. Thereafter, he became a drifter, wandering from place to place, trying to escape his violent past. Unfortunately, his reputation preceded him. Everywhere he went, he found another brash young warrior looking for a duel with the son of the great Morgan Achernar. And always, invariably, he left a trail of badly bruised egos in his wake.

Sounds cool, good job.

Though, I would like to point out some things. First of all - the Knighthoods are dead at this juncture. Avalon is overrun with demons, orcs, goblins, and bandits at this point, the Second Demon War was lost by Tharkas, and thus the most powerful of nations fell, destroying every major Knightship in its wake.

Secondly, even if they were still around, in the times, they had no "schools". You learned from your friends, father's friends, and on the field of battle. You went out into a fight, and if you ended up having to lead, and you led well, then you probably became a ranking Knight. Or you were taught by a ranking Knight who was either your friend - who came across you for some reason, or your father's friend. In that case, your father would look over the progress typically, out of sheer admiration for the skills of his son. Either way, there was no "school" or "military academy". Those didn't formally rise up until around the time of the Civil War - some 1,000 years after the themed time period. Before then, you either had the military mind, or you didn't.

With this post comes the end of the "school" stories. I'll let this one slide because it's the first I've seen, and the story is still well done regardless.

So I welcome you to Dark Isles. Since you're a Knight, your character would begin in Avalon. There will be a second adventure open there fairly soon.