Atalanta

Art by @PiSharpArt

Atalanta (*she/they*) is a triton-tiefling gladiator and the Champion of Nabal. As an NPC, Atalanta is played by GM Connie Chang in The Second Stranger.

Atalanta is the powerful, fierce, and noble Champion of Nabal. She rules over Nabal with care and intention, trying her best to undo the long reign of terror that the previous Champion, Bloodthirst, had allowed to fall over the Nation. Atalanta exemplifies risk and reward, balancing her wisdom and strength to become a beloved leader. She is deeply in love with Voska, with whom she shared many long years as lovers and partners.

## *Description*

### Appearance

Atalanta has light blue skin and gills that flare on the side of her neck. She has a proud and noble face with two spiraling, pearlescent horns that rise from her brow. Their hair is long, straight, and dark teal, akin to the color and texture of kelp. She wears gleaming pearl armor and carries an ancestral trident.

### Personality

Atalanta is a complicated woman, though she carries herself with an air of nobility and pride that only comes with years of leadership. She believes deeply in heroism, but is not to be played for a fool. Early in her life, she was fierce and abrasive, taking her cues from Bloodthirst himself. After meeting Voska, she gained a measure of wisdom and pivoted towards a path of true leadership.

## *Biography*

### Backstory

Atalanta was born in the Championship of Nabal, on the shores of Ingier Lake just outside of Raso. She is often seen as brash in her youth, and dreams of being the Champion herself. As she grows older, that dream becomes more and more attainable. Atalanta moves to Raso to continue her training, where she meets Voska, a local poet, by circumstance. The two of them begin courting, though Atalanta is reticent to make a real commitment.

It's during Bloodthirst's Championship Challenge that Atalanta realizes her true and deep feelings for Voska, and after winning in a stunning display of strength, the two of them become partners. They live together in the Tower of Risk and Reward for just under five years, until the Cataclysm arrives. Voska, plagued by nightmares and the calls of Fate, chooses to leave Atalanta and seek her destiny elsewhere. Atalanta stays in Raso to lead her people the best she can.

### Campaign

The party first meets Atalanta in Arc 3, after winning the Derelict Death Derby and claiming an audience with the Champion of Nabal. Atalanta is watching her three advisors argue, but allows the party to stay and converse with her. They choose to tell her everything, and struck by the existence of Paragons, Atalanta agrees to help in any way she can. She reveals the existence of the Carnival, and admits that she will be using her own Championship Challenge to figure out more about the disturbance. She allows the party to stay in the Hero's Quarters in the Tower of Risk and Reward.

Later in the Arc, after being rescued from the disastrous Carnival, the party returns to Atalanta's throne room to discuss next steps. The people of Raso are displeased that Atalanta hasn't stepped down as Champion yet, but they all agree that they need to find Cain before the challenge will truly be complete. Just then, Quicksilver breaks through Atalanta’s doors and demands an audience. Bloodthirst and the Kusing Guild demand that they have an equal opportunity to find Cain and claim the Championship for their own. Atalanta and the party reluctantly agree, as their hands are all but tied.

While the party is out trying to calm Cain, Bloodthirst uses Skaad's stolen power to challenge Atalanta. He wants to become Champion again. Atalanta holds her ground, and the two of them have a titanic battle. Unforuntely, Atalanta is no match for a god, and Bloodthirst spears her through the chest with her own trident. The party arrives just as she begins to take her last breaths, but none of them are able to heal the fatal, divine blow. Øka ensures that her passing is painless, and Atalanta entreats the party to "Tell Voska I love her," with their dying words. Rev reaps Atalanta's soul, and it is stored within Grimm.

All of Nabal mourns Atalanta. There is a massive funeral which the whole city attends, and Atalanta's body is returned to Ingier Lake itself. A shrine is erected in her honor on the shores of Bacchanalia Beach, which Voska visits during the events of Arc 5.

During the Arc 6 Interlude, Atalanta's soul is released from Grimm and is able to make its way to the After, but not before pausing for a moment to reunite with Voska.

### Epilogue

After the events of The Second Stranger, Atalanta is finally reunited with Voska in the After. The two of them share a tender, private moment as they exchange wedding vows and finally spend eternity together.

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## Trivia

* When she was younger, Atalanta and Mercy dated. Voska was there when the two of them broke up.
* Atalanta's After is the room that she shared with Voska in the Tower of Risk and Reward.
* In Bloodthirst's Championship Challenge, Atalanta wounds a guest character, *Mezca*, and causes them to lose their leg.
* Atalanta had some hexblade warlock abilities, as her trident was a special ancestral weapon.