Character Biography Examples

Example A.

Example of Generic Profile (NB: the example is taken from another educational game from a different time period). In contrast to the below examples, yours should also include citations for sources used.

Name: A German Knight

Office: you are a trusted knight of the German army, and member of the German Faction

You are a knight of the Holy Roman Empire, and a member of the German crusader army and the German faction (give yourself a German name). At a young age, you began your lifelong training to fight as an armed knight and mounted warrior. You and the other knights at the War Council of Acre are the skilled horsemen that will make up the cavalry in the crusader army. Armed with sword and lance, defended by helmet, armor, chain mail, and shield, you and they are a formidable “shock force” that will easily smash through the enemy’s front lines.

After Edessa fell in 1144, Pope Eugenius III issued the crusade bull Quantam praedecessores on December 1, 1145, you agreed to accept the cross. The pope promised an indulgence to all who participated in this crusade: Quantam praedecessores promised the remission of sins to all crusaders and offered the pope’s protection over their property as well as a moratorium on the payment of interest on their debts while they were away. Assured of these spiritual and financial privileges, you began to make your preparations to join the German army and embark on what would turn out to be an extremely dangerous overland journey.

Conrad and Louis VII had both made thorough and collaborative preparations before leaving with their armies in the spring of 1147. Louis raised a tax in order to finance his preparations, and Conrad fixed bridges and roads to the east in Germany. At a great assembly meeting in Frankfurt, Conrad established peace in the Empire by demanding that Henry the Lion agree to postpone his demands for the restoration of Bavaria for the duration of your absence. It was decided that Conrad and Louis would march their large armies through Hungary and the Byzantine Empire, rather than take up the offer made by the king of Sicily to transport them by sea. They agreed to march their armies separately on the overland route that Godfrey of Bouillon had used on the First Crusade and meet in Constantinople before heading to the Holy Land to relieve Edessa. Each of them wrote to the important Christian monarchs of the East, including King Géza of Hungary, King Roger II of Sicily, and the Emperor Manuel I of Byzantium, to inform them of their plans and ask for provisions and safe passage through their lands. Manuel I, the Emperor of Byzantium, is not very pleased by this crusade. He mistrusts especially the French and tried to convince Pope Eugenius III to guarantee the good behavior of the soldiers and knights as they traveled through his Empire. Conrad and Manuel have cordial relations, however, because they are related through Manual’s wife Bertha of Sulzbach.

The German army marched a few weeks ahead of the French army. Regrettably, however, Conrad was unable to keep up discipline in the ranks and some of the German soldiers stole food and supplies from innocent Greek farmers and skirmished with Greek troops. Then, the army was hit hard by a flash flood just west of Constantinople and it lost many men as well as most of its horses and supplies. Manuel helped the army afterwards by quickly transporting it across the Bosphorus and into Asia Minor. A few days into your march, Conrad chose a direct route through Asia Minor. As a result of his own enthusiasm, the poor discipline in the army, and even perhaps the treachery of your local guides, you marched into a trap set by the Turks and suffered a terrible defeat. The army was mostly decimated, and although many of your friends died, you managed to escape to Nicea with Conrad and later join up with the French. Conrad fell ill shortly thereafter, so you left Louis and the French army and returned to Constantinople so that he could recuperate and then traveled to Jerusalem to visit the holy sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. You, Conrad, and the remnants of the German army have recently reunited with Louis and the leaders from Jerusalem in Acre for the war council to decide the fate of this crusade.

Example B

Name: Frederick Barbarossa

Office: you are Conrad’s nephew, an army officer, and a member of the German Faction

Biography: You are Frederick Barbarossa. Barbarossa means “red beard” in Italian, but you don’t mind the nickname because you do indeed wear a full red beard proudly. You are the young (25 years old at the time of the War Council of Acre) nephew of the German King Conrad III of the Holy Roman Empire, who is the leader of the German crusader army and the German faction. You have accompanied your uncle’s army to Acre, suffering all of its hardships, and as a member of the German faction along with Duke Henry of Bavaria, and Otto of Freising, you support his goals. In fact, you have asked the Bishop Otto of Freising to record what takes place at the council so that it can be added to the chronicle he is writing about your life.

After Edessa fell in 1144, Pope Eugenius III issued the crusade bull Quantam praedecessores on December 1, 1145, and you bowed to the urging of the Cistercian Abbot Bernard of Clairvaux and agreed to accept the cross and go on this crusade to liberate its conquered lands. Quantam praedecessores promised the remission of sins to all crusaders and offered the pope’s protection over their property as well as a moratorium on the payment of interest on their debts while they were away. Assured of these spiritual privileges, you began to make your preparations to join the German army and embark on what would turn out to be an extremely dangerous overland journey.

Conrad and Louis VII had both made thorough and collaborative preparations before leaving with their armies in the spring of 1147. Louis raised a tax in order to finance his preparations, and Conrad fixed bridges and roads to the east in Germany. At a great assembly meeting in Frankfurt, Conrad established peace in the Empire for the duration of his absence. It was decided that Conrad and Louis would march their large armies through Hungary and the Byzantine Empire, rather than take up the offer made by the king of Sicily to transport them by sea. They agreed to march their armies separately on the overland route that Godfrey of Bouillon had used on the First Crusade and meet in Constantinople before heading to the Holy Land to relieve Edessa. Each of them wrote to the important Christian monarchs of the East, including King Géza of Hungary, King Roger II of Sicily, and the Emperor Manuel I of Byzantium, to inform them of their plans and ask for provisions and safe passage through their lands. Manuel I, the Emperor of Byzantium, was not very pleased by this crusade. He mistrusts especially the French and tried to convince Pope Eugenius III to guarantee the good behavior of the soldiers and knights as they traveled through his Empire. Conrad and Manuel have cordial relations, however, because they are related through Manuel’s wife Bertha of Sulzbach.

The German army marched a few weeks ahead of the French army. Regrettably, however, Conrad was unable to keep up discipline in the ranks and some of the German soldiers stole food and supplies from innocent Greek farmers and skirmished with Greek troops. Then, the army was hit hard by a flash flood just west of Constantinople and it lost many men as well as most of its horses and supplies. Manual helped the army afterwards by quickly transporting it across the Bosphorus and into Asia Minor. A few days into your march, Conrad chose a direct route through Asia Minor. As a result of his own enthusiasm, the poor discipline in the army, and even perhaps the treachery of your local guides, you marched into a trap set by the Turks and suffered a terrible defeat. The army was mostly decimated, although you managed to escape to Nicea with Conrad and later join up with the French. Conrad fell ill shortly thereafter, so you left Louis and the French army and returned to Constantinople so that he could recuperate and then traveled to Jerusalem to visit the holy sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. You, Conrad, and the remnants of the German army have recently reunited with Louis and the leaders from Jerusalem in Acre for the war council to decide the fate of this crusade.