Thoughts on using the Heldannic Knights
by Andrew TheisenA 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?
- What was it that the Heldannic Knights may have been doing outside of the context of Haldemar & Co.'s perspective, and what might have been going on behind the scenes.
- Consider, also, the first encounter of the crew of the Princess Ark and the Heldannic Knights. While the knights did capture the crew (who ventured close to their castle), Haldemar committed a terrible atrocity in stealing the mortal remains of Vanya from them during his escape. It's pretty understandable that they may have carried a grudge afterwards. (Haldemar is also incredibly dismissive of the knights in his journal entry; his aristocratic snootiness is showing.)
- In light of the above, it isn't entirely out of the realm of possibility that the knights viewed their actions towards the Princess Ark as preemptive measures to deal with a known agitator and his crew. Particularly when it came to Haldemar sticking his nose into delicate negotiations that were taking place without fully appreciating the situation or acting in a diplomatic role.
There is also the matter to consider that there may be some Entropic influence going on:
- Herr Rolf was taken by Synn the Night Dragon, presumably to some sort of Entropic prison plane, where he may have been held for many years. What deal he (or Vanya) made to get him returned is still unclear.
- Thanatos has taken over the Hattian order from whence the Heldannic Knights originated in Thyatis, per Dawn of the Emperors. Some later post-canon seems to suggest it is a split between the Thanatos Hattians and the Vanya Hattians that prompted the takeover of Heldann, but there would still seem to be a great deal of intolerance and Entropic influence in the history of the Hattians that would naturally carry over to the Heldannic Order.
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).