Character Archive · Core Hero
Rich Witz
The Reluctant Paladin
- Role: Paladin and central protagonist
- Everyday life: middle-school student
- Strengths: imagination, empathy, persistence, growing strategic judgment
- Core challenge: learning that wanting to be heroic is different from choosing courage when the consequences are real
From Daydreamer to Knight
Rich begins as an imaginative kid more comfortable picturing adventures than living them. A white pawn marked for him pulls ordinary school problems, family mysteries, and an ancient conflict into the same dangerous game.
The Four Trials
His first Paladin quest requires him to face four tests under a brutal deadline. The powers he gains matter, but the deeper test is whether he can practice courage, honor, compassion, and wisdom when fear or pride would make easier choices tempting.
Relationships That Shape Him
Aaron gives Rich guidance but cannot make every decision for him. Angela represents ordinary loyalty. Nadia forces Rich to reconsider the difference between an enemy and a person. Minerva and Helena connect his magical calling to family secrecy, while Mallory and the Nemesis turn rivalry into something far more dangerous.
Deep Canon · Later-Series Spoilers
As the board expands, Rich’s role grows from trainee Paladin to battlefield leader. In Bishop: Betrayal, Palad chooses him as a proxy king, forcing Rich to make strategic choices with the lives of friends and family represented as pieces. By Sovereign’s Song, leadership is no longer a fantasy for him—it is one of the burdens at the center of his quest.
Michael D. Young 