TEXT: Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  The Grayflags: A Tarnished Oath 
  1 
  The Grayflags: 
  A Tarnished Oath 
   
   
   
  Sometimes doing what is right means doing what is 
  wrong.  
   
   
  In Waeldonstone, the law was honored and executed by a circle of 
  knights. When Elyza Kaylein – one of their own – took justice too 
  far, it was her neck the noose was cast around. But that didn’t end 
  her crusade... 
   
   
  A dramatis personae for use by GMs 
   
   
   
  by Andrew M. “Fish” Popowich 
   
   
   
   
   
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  The Grayflags: A Tarnished Oath 
  2 
  Honor-Bound 
  A 'thank you' would have sufficed.  
    
   
   
  —Elyza Kaylein, 
    
   
   
  at the gallows 
  Paved with the Best 
  Intentions… 
   Without a central law enforcement 
  organization, it falls to the corners 
  of the realm to sort out their own 
  laws and make sure their followed. 
  This lack of oversight can obviously 
  lead to corruption and abuse. But what 
  happens it's not some evil monster, 
  some succubus-controlled politician 
  that twists events out of control? 
  What if it's just the squeamish public 
  that the laws were written to protect? 
  Waeldonstone is one such place, where 
  the law grew to be something greater 
  than its walls could hold. 
   Being slightly off from the main 
  travel routes, Waeldonstone was not a 
  major hub of traffic but could sustain 
  itself off the surrounding farmland 
  and the traffic that did pass through. 
  It was decided that the city didn't 
  need an organized guard, but a militia 
  would suffice. The farmers and 
  craftsman would take turns in rotation 
  to watch the main gate with pikes in 
  hand to watch for would-be bandits. 
  Occasionally when an up-and-coming 
  hero would be in the area, the town's 
  council would offer a reward to the 
  champion if he would train with the 
  militia for a bit and show them a new 
  technique or two. 
   So it was for Waeldonstone for many 
  years. The simple gray architecture 
  emphasized the stable, uneventful 
  lives of its people. The militia was 
  enough to keep opportunists from 
  paying on the town. They did 
  eventually meet their match, however. 
  A druid, misguided in his quest for 
  purification drove a den of owlbears 
  mad and herded them into the town. The 
  minutemen were overwhelmed, blood and 
  feathers littering the streets. The 
  town's bells rang in a plea for help, 
  but even the ringer felt no hope in 
  his bones as pulled on the rope. 
   
   The last peal stirred Sir Aderlard 
  Kaylein from his slumber. The retired 
  knight had accepted compensation from 
  the town's coffers to run a 'sword-
  and-board' workshop. The demonstration 
  he put on that night would inspire the 
  next generation of boys to favor the 
  shield over the pike. He drove the 
  owlbears back with the help of the 
  militia, eventually cornering the 
  druid. Sir Kaylein offered mercy, but 
  the antlered diviner brought his 
  sickles to bear and fell alongside the 
  beasts he had driven mad. 
   Sir Kaylein would make Waeldonstone 
  his home after that. The city council 
  placed him in charge of the militia 
  and allowed him to update them as he 
  saw fit. The knight recruited and 
  promoted a small circle of fellow men-
  at-arms to act as the military 
  leadership. They were to be the 
  pinnacles of virtue for the town and 
  took their name from the stone-colored 
  banners that sat atop the towers. Thus, 
  the Grayflags were born. 
   Time passed and with it Sir Kaylein. 
  His granddaughter Elyza eventually 
  took his place as leader of the 
  Grayflags and renewed the knights' 
  zeal for protecting the city and 
  upholding the honor their families had 
  worked to maintain. More and more 
  travelers visited Waeldonstone and the 
  militia grew with the town and the 
  interest in it. Elyza Kaylein 
  struggled to find worthy peers to 
  stand by her side as examples, however. 
   Gossip about vice-worshipping among 
  the circle spread through the public 
  like locust feeding on crops. The 
  militia was slow to respond to the 
  knights' orders, citing a deficiency 
  in authority that likened to the 
  weakness against temptation so many of 
  the knights had shown. Elyza could 
  barely show her face around in public. 
  She was pressed to resolve the issue 
  and began an inquiry into her men. 
  Finger-pointing and accusations flowed 
  freely and only lead to more names 
  dragged through the muck. 
   Elyza started stripping titles and 
  station from knights as her inquiry 
  became more of an inquisition. She 
  believed there to be a rotten core and 
  
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  The Grayflags: A Tarnished Oath 
  3 
  pursued every suspicion until she 
  found herself face-to-face with the 
  man she had grown up alongside, who 
  had listened to all the same stories 
  her grandfather had recited from the 
  comfort of the hearth. He had been her 
  sparring partner through adolescence 
  and many speculated the two were 
  lovers on and off. She didn't take his 
  title, his sword, or his reputation. 
  She took his head from his shoulders, 
  acting as judge, jury, and executioner 
  in a moment of passion. 
   The townsfolk that had flocked 
  around the confrontation were now 
  horrified. Mothers tried to shield 
  their children from the visceral image. 
  The minutemen called for real justice. 
  They didn't see this as the solution 
  to their issues with the knights, but 
  Elyza taking her need for justice too 
  far and feared for their own lives now. 
  Elyza Kaylein surrendered her weapons 
  and was ushered in front of the town 
  council to hear her fate. Their words 
  drowned out by the beats of her heart, 
  the one she had sundered with her 
  family sword. 
   After days of debate, it was decided 
  that the Grayflags would be officially 
  disbanded, what was left of them. 
  Elyza would be tried for murder in a 
  public court. She didn't resist the 
  militia who escorted her, or raise her 
  voice in defense of the accusations. 
  It was a unanimous decision to hang 
  her from the neck until dead. 
   There was a celebration to mark the 
  end of the Grayflags and the new era 
  of self-governance for the militia. 
  Gallows were erected; vendors sold 
  treats and trinkets to commemorate the 
  event. The assembled watched as a 
  thick rope with thirteen knots was 
  fitted around her neck. They cheered 
  as she refused the hood, excited to 
  watch the light fade from her eyes and 
  her defiance shake loose from her toes. 
   They were robbed of their sick 
  spectacle, however. The escort who had 
  brought her in revealed themselves to 
  be the retainers that had served the 
  Grayflags. They struck the 
  unsuspecting and freed their champion. 
  Elyza was ushered out of town under 
  the cover of a cloak and taken to a 
  safe place far from Waedonstone on 
  horseback. 
   Losing everything took its toll on 
  the former knight. While her 
  supporters had been able to recover 
  her armor and personal effects, her 
  grandfather's sword and shield had 
  been shattered. She wept for the 
  relics, for the years they had served 
  the town that now turned on her. Word 
  spread that the Grayflags had fallen 
  from grace. The city even pulled down 
  the iconic pennants to distance 
  themselves from the shame. 
   No longer the patient and protective 
  knight she had been, Elyza became more 
  reckless in battle showing little 
  concern for her life. Her battle-rage 
  pitted her against a magistrate and 
  his disciples that had been 
  manipulating a town and he was crushed 
  under the weight of her heavy blade 
  without a second thought. One of the 
  town's wardens had been taken captive 
  after uncovering the magistrate's ploy. 
  He offered her a reward for her good 
  deed, if she would be return with him 
  to town. 
   Elyza Kaylein considered for a 
  moment taking the compensation like 
  any mercenary would, but as the warden 
  explained how the magistrate had been 
  profiting at the expense of others and 
  how much damage he had done with his 
  string-pulling she realized there was 
  something more valuable being offered. 
  A purpose. A mission. 
   She declined the reward, instead 
  reclaiming a silver of the soul she 
  thought she had given up. With a  
  clearer mind and focused intent Elyza 
  Kaylein rallied what was left of her 
  Grayflags and set out to right wrongs 
  and rout dishonor without the 
  oppression of a government or 
  oversight that was prone to corruption. 
  Using Elyza & the Grayflags 
   Neither Elyza Kaylein, nor her 
  remaining retainers are evil. They 
  are absolutely not mindless killers, 
  but dispensers of justice, even if 
  it's a thankless job and puts their 
  own lives in danger. They make an 
  
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  The Grayflags: A Tarnished Oath 
  4 
  excellent counter to players who tend 
  to think about the reward first and 
  never the ramifications. Elyza's 
  intentions are to intervene in bad 
  situations and settle scores. This 
  makes her an excellent foil to work 
  both with and against the players as 
  they navigate through issues of 
  morality that are weighted against 
  reimbursements of gold. 
   
  Elyza Kaylein 
  Medium humanoid (human), Neutral Good 
  Armor Class 18 (plate) 
  Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  16 (+3) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 11 (+0)  15 (+2) 
   
  Saving Throws Con +4, Wis +2 
  Senses passive Perception 10 
  Languages Common, Elvish 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
   
  Brave. Elyza has advantage on saving throws 
  against being frightened. 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. Elyza makes two melee attacks. 
   
  Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing 
  damage. 
   
  Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to 
  hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) 
  piercing damage. 
   
  Leadership (Recharges after a Short or Long 
  Rest). For 1 minute, Elyza can utter a special 
  command or warning whenever a non-hostile 
  creature that it can see within 30 feet of it makes 
  an attack roll or a saving throw. The creature can 
  add a d4 to its roll provided it can hear and 
  understand her. A creature can benefit from only 
  one Leadership die at a time. This effect ends if 
  Elyza is incapacitated.  
   
  Reactions 
   
  Parry. Elyza adds 2 to her AC against one melee 
  attack that would hit it. To do so, she must see the 
  attacker and be wielding a melee weapon. 
   
   Elyza's new style is a bit more 
  heavy-handed, but not cruel. She is 
  not a murderer and will not kill in 
  cold blood. Should a character be 
  evil or selfishly-minded, she will 
  not side with them. If the situation 
  demands, she will take a life to 
  minimize the spread of corruption. 
   She is often found with an 
  appropriate number of her retainers. 
   
  Former Grayflag Retainers 
  Medium humanoid (human), Neutral Good 
  Armor Class 16 (chain shirt, shield) 
  Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  16 (+1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 11 (+0)  10 (+0) 
   
  Skills Perception +2 
  Senses passive Perception 12 
  Languages Common 
  Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) 
   
  Actions 
  Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 
  + 1) piercing damage, or 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing 
  damage if used with two hands to make a melee 
  attack. 
   
  Adventures and Stories 
   Stories that involve a conflict 
  between what's right and what's easy 
  create good opportunities for Elyza 
  to butt into. She was an honorable 
  woman who was betrayed and sent 
  running; she'll empathize with people 
  in similar situations and defend them. 
  Or she could be ruthlessly rooting 
  out a manipulator who's protected by 
  the court of public opinion. 
   She could even be running her own 
  court in the woods, hearing pleas for 
  mercy and deciding what fate shall 
  befall the storyteller. 
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  The Grayflags: A Tarnished Oath 
  5 
   Elyza Kaylein is presented here as a 
  character that can fit rather easily 
  into any setting. She originated from 
  my own campaign that features larger-
  than-life fantasy and questions of 
  loyalty that is known as Dragon Reign. 
  For more information about her and 
  her native setting, you can check out 
  my website gramrpg.com. 
  
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