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Thoughts on using the Heldannic Knights

by Andrew Theisen

A couple of thoughts here:

The Heldannic Knights in the VotPA are originally presented as Chaotic and described as brutal and bloodthirsty (Dragon #155); not as Lawful. In later incarnations they appear to have been toned down a bit to be Lawful (and more LN, though still possibly very LE in some regards).

If you are looking to keep them somewhat more on the LN side, one way to consider that is that the VotPA is a chronicle seen entirely through the eyes of the crew via their journal entries (and mostly Haldemar); a crew that has its own goals and interests. So you have a case of a possibly unreliable narrative. Is it possible to cast their activities in a less sinister light?

There is also the matter to consider that there may be some Entropic influence going on:

As for the topic of misogyny; aside from the aforementioned female leaders in Bruce's post-TSR canon, the very first Heldannic Order leader the crew of the Princess Ark meets is a high priestess (unnamed).