The Good Knight Arno
"A thousand men want me dead for my actions, but my actions would live on through ten-thousand more."Arno, also known as the "Knight of Lions" and as "Good Knight Arno", was a living legend and prominent figure in Val Royan politics in the lead up to the Guild War. Proud and noble, he spent his twilight years with his sword put away and his energy put into bettering the lives of his fellow Orlesians. For many years until his death, he served as the head of Val Royeaux's Privy Council — having been installed into that position by Empress Celene Valmont I. There, he employed his wit and sensibilities to quell the emerging powers in the city that sought the abuse of the common citizen. While he held this position, few dared cross him. Years before his death, a statue of him was installed into the Lane of the Lionhearted — a thoroughfare where citizens can travel from the eastern half of the city onto the central island of Val Royeaux, where the Grand Cathedral is located. His death is considered one of the central instigators for the Guild War.
Personal History
Early Life
Arno's history is shrouded in mystery. Naturally, with him having been a prominent public figure, all sorts of stories and rumors have been fabricated about his life. The most prominent belief is that he was a poor boy raised in Val Royeaux 's slums and whose parents died when he was young. A Chevalier found him alone and starving, and took the young child in out of pity. Arno took to learning quickly and was very attentive, so the Chevalier let Arno serve as his squire. When he was not even a man yet, Arno had to march with his knight to Ferelden to help quell the Ferelden Rebellion. In one of his first few battles, Arno's mentor died. To defend himself, Arno grabbed his sword and cut down over three scores of men on his own before passing out. He awoke aside a young handmaiden who found him out in the battlefield bleeding out. The two quickly fell in love as Arno recovered. During a later battle, the Orlesian forward encampment was burned down and his lover was killed. With a heavy heart, Arno swore off loving another person ever again and instead pledged his love to only be for Orlais and its commonfolk. Another theory is that he came from Val Royeaux's Les Ombres district, a slum, and saw the harsh conditions people had to live through just to survive there. He trained everyday with a stick out in the streets, perfecting the different fighting stances his parents would tell him tales about. Eventually a private noble saw Arno's dedication and knew immediately that Arno was born into the wrong life. The noble sponsored Arno's entrance into the Academie des Chevaliers where he became an honorable knight who rode through the countryside protecting the common person from bandits and brigands. The love of the people he saved, commoner and noble alike, allowed him to become very decorated and incredibly wealthy. Many more theories exist, but one fundamental truth is that no one knows what his last name was. As he grew in fame, nobles titled him with the last name "du Lion", or "of the Lion", to reward him for his charitable efforts. One thing that is supposedly factual is that Arno was knighted as a Chevalier. Though much of his history is unknown, the Academie has confirmed he is indeed a member and has passed all the trials necessary to gain his title.Privy Council Years
After several years of aiding the city's commonfolk, Empress Celene Valmont I threw an honorary ball in Arno's name whereupon he was given a leadership seat upon the city's main council: the Privy Council. This upset many of the upper class, as it was previously a title only held by nobles of pure-Orlesian blood. Given his origin and ancestry was unaccounted for, he did not meet this criteria. However, that did little to stop his appointment. Following his joining of the council, he leveraged his leadership seat to bring several non-Orlesians into the council. Particularly due to the financial difficulties the city was facing after the noble family who financed the bank collapsed, Arno felt the city needed outside support to help stabilize its systems. He became a patron of the cities many growing guilds, and helped uplift some to greatness through having their guildmasters join the Privy Council. Under his guidance, the Privy Council expanded from four nobles and himself to also including five additional seats for guilds: L'Assayer's, Watchmen's, Broadsheet, Coaches & Couriers, and Tradesmen's guilds. After many years of service, Arno was found dead. His death was over mysterious causes until it was eventually deemed a murder at the hands of the Watchmen's Guild's guildmaster: Princep Octavian Calogerus."I've been hearing about your little exploits in my city. You've been causing quite a stir."
Click here to reveal spoilers for Campaign 2.
Click here to reveal spoilers for Campaign 2.
Octavian did not actually murder the Good Knight, and was framed for his death. The actual killer seemed to be a figure known as "the Ghost of the White Spire", a spirit of some kind.
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