Paladins[]
Although the people of the age certainly believed in the virtues of bravery, honesty, charity, and goodness, the character class of the paladin is not found in the Viking world. The unique blending of ideals and religious fervor so necessary in the paladin class never found expression among the agnostic Norsemen. Because of this, true Viking characters cannot be paladins.
However, paladins can exist in the game, albeit under exceptionally rare circumstances. Paladins can only come from foreign lands and can never be natives of Scandinavia. Typically, a paladin would be a particularly devout Saxon, a peer of Charlemagne's realms, or a knight of Spain. Like all foreigners, paladins will encounter difficulties and prejudices when dealing with the people of Scandinavia.
Language. The paladin cannot choose Old Norse as his native tongue. Instead, his first language must be the tongue and dialect of his homeland. While the character can learn Old Norse (which was spoken by all of Scandinavia), his speech will always be marked, to a greater or lesser degree, by a noticeable accent.
Religion. Much of Scandinavia was pagan throughout the Viking period. However, adherence to any deity's belief was loose, at best. Although they were not religious fanatics, some people may not care for the faith espoused by the paladin. The paladin may have a difficult time finding a church or follower of his own religion.
Land and Property. Foreigners were not allowed to hold land. They were never considered landholders and so did not get the rights (or duties) of this class.
Slavery. Since the paladin is a foreigner, he can be captured and sold as a slave, should anyone want to try.
Law. As a foreigner, the paladin is not fully protected by the customary laws and legal proceedings of the Vikings. The characters are, of course, expected to abide by local law and custom, but do not have the same rights as Vikings. The amount of rights and protection a foreigner receives depends on his stature, the offense committed, and who among the Vikings are his friends and enemies.
For example, Count Ercangar, a paladin from the Frankish court (modern-day France), is the guest of Kveld-Ulf, a chieftain in Norway. While traveling, the count is attacked by retainers of Harek, who has a feud with Kveld-Ulf. The count wins the battle, killing several men. Harek is naturally unhappy and takes his case to King Harald Finehair, ruler of Norway. Unfortunately for Count Ercangar, King Harald has his own reasons to dislike Kveld-Ulf, the count's host, so the king quickly finds the count guilty of murder. However, because he is a nobleman of great valor, King Harald only demands a heavy weregeld (a payment made to compensate for the deaths).
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