Thread: A Paladin's Fall (Caius/Elaebryn)

A career in service of the Eternal Rose had yielded a strong woman with a forceful personality tempered by holy vows, and equally skilled with blade and brush. The champion paladin saw herself first as an artist and a diplomat, with her martial prowess a necessary but secondary concern. Years of training had produced a fine warrior, capable of matching the greatest swordsmen of the realm at tourney and truly without peer with the glaive. But this was accomplished as much through religious devotion to artistry at temple as through martial instruction. Long before she had mastered the glaive, the champion paladin had mastered first calligraphy and then painting and among her duties to the Order she was formally recognized as an instructor in those areas of artistry. She wore naught but common or travelling clothes in her daily life at temple and among the people of the city, but donned heavy armor for physical training which included hours of practice each day of both blade and brush, for their movements were married in her mind. She was a kind and perceptive woman whose devotion to beauty, to elegance, and to noble-mindedness informed her artistry and diplomacy. She was quite satisfied with having only rarely spilled blood on her various missions prior, having pursued at every opportunity the peaceful path of negotiation and often succeeding. She was hardened to the necessity of violence, and suffered neither guilt nor hesitation at the prospect of dispensing death with grace and mercy. But she did feel remorse for each time she had chosen to end a life, and did not allow herself to hide behind the pleasant lies of having been forced into it or having no other choice . She knew that with the charge of her goddess, her order, and the temple, she carried a terrible licence to forever snuff out any hope for beauty or redemption. And so the champion paladin accepted the ambiguous assignment and took up the anointed vestments with great humility and rumination. Though she was always hopeful for a peaceful resolution, before leaving the temple Elaebryn steeled herself to the possibility of what may lie ahead for herself and for those who would cross her. For should the situation find it necessary, she reminds herself, I will become Shelyn's justice I will kill . She took with her the armour and glaive that had been prepared for her, anointed with blessings from the clerics of Shelyn and enchanted with magical wards. The glaive, Denouement , bonded with Elaebryn immediately evidence of Shelyn's favour and the righteousness of her charge. She threw a traveler's cloak over the gleaming chest-plate of her armour, to avoid drawing too much attention to herself for good or ill. Over this she wore also the red and silver clerical vestments of her order about her shoulders, a masterfully-crafted heavy mace of cold iron at her waist hung by a cord from her belt, and an equally masterwork silver dagger in a sheath strapped across her back at the waist. She carries by a strap slug over one shoulder a small travelling pack with adventuring and survival supplies like a compass, flint and steel, her map, rations, and water. She also took with her a horse with saddlebags to carry the other necessities of dungeon and journey bedroll, blankets, camping supplies, climbing and delving equipment, cooking supplies, mundane tools, tent, and of course her brushes, ink, and several blank canvases and rolls of parchment to practice her art while on the road. Before setting out on her mission, she visits the local adventuring guild, market, meeting places, and taverns to see if she can gain useful information and hire travelling companions. She seeks information about the village where she's headed and the routes between, about the regular and rumoured dangers nearby, and about the best routes and likely weather. She seeks also a few souls to accompany her on the journey, if for no other reason then to enjoy their companionship on the road and split up the night watch. And if by traveling in her retinue one of these folks may come into the service of her goddess, then all the better. She offers to pay up to three individuals a daily wage for their service, and to split among them half of any loot they may acquire on the adventure. She freely relays whatever information she can about the dangers of the situation with an honest but honeyed tongue, admits when she does not know the answer to a question, and assures them that they are hired not to delve a dungeon but to stand watch, mind the horses, and keep camp. Regardless of how much information she may gather or whether she can recruit anyone, Elaebryn will not linger long in the town. She intends to make a day's travel before dark, and leaves in time to do so.