Lian Grace

## Kao Lian

Lian Grace, born Valas DeVir, adoptive name Kao Lian, is a drow monk. He left the Underdark to make a new life for himself. He is currently a teacher of monks.

## Appearance

Lian has gray skin and stark white hair. He used to wear it long, but when he moved to the surface, he cut it short and keeps it there. His purple eyes are not typical but not uncommon for drow. He is slender but muscled and pretty tall for a drow.

Lian is usually seen wearing loose black and dark gray monk vestments. His style is very simple and practical for questing, and often easy to move around in.

## Personality

Lian is a calm and collected individual. He dislikes chaos and discord, and prefers law and order. He has a strong moral code, even while he was evil. This is the reason he disliked the drow. He was not, however, without a sharp tongue and sometimes was able to surprise people with his sarcasm. He is a strict but kind teacher, and isn't one to show favoritism. His fairness is one of his strongest traits. He is also a loyal friend.

## Biography

### Early Life

Kao Lian was born as Valas DeVir to Vizeran DeVir, an exiled archmage. Because Vizeran was a follower of the Elder Elemental Eye, Valas became familiar with the occult. Valas lived with Vizeran in the Araj tower, working as an apprentice until he could learn magic. One day, he got into a fight with a drow scout and nearly beat him. Seeing this, Vizeran decided to kick Valas out of his home, as he did not want someone could not be a magic apprentice.

### Arriving in the Surface and Life at the Monastery

Valas travelled to the surface and to a monastery of the Fists of Odin, where he was taken in by a human monk master named Kao Fai, who was a master of shadow and martial arts. He taught these to Valas and he learned quickly, becoming very adept at this style. On the night Valas was supposed to officially become a monk of Odin, the monastery was attacked by an unknown group of magic users. Fai was killed taking a blast meant for Valas. After the attack, when Valas became a monk, he renamed himself Kao Lian, taking the surname of his master.

### Meeting Harleia Moreau

Five years later, while out training solo, Lian met Harleia Moreau, a woman who had been more or less tricked into a warlock pact with the demon Asmodeus. Lian decided to help her try to break her contact. However, the monks did not take kindly to his alliance with the warlock, and he was kicked out. Lian and Harleia travelled on their own for a while, until one night, Asmodeus possessed Harleia, and forced her to take control of Lian. The two of them destroyed the town and attacked the inhabitants. The town militia captured them and sent them off to Scarlet Prison.

## Relationships

### Friends

* Suicide Squad: Lian is close friends with fellow criminals and questers Levi Grace and Harleia Moreau. He also works well with Astryd Warpiker, Dusk Jillian Luzon, and Jackolopieous Entreri.
* Aroconus Blackfire: Lian saved Aroconus from drowning, which earned him the trust of the other questers. Lian and Aroconus are similar in personality and profession, and are good friends.

## Abilities

### General Abilities

* Martial Arts: Lian is skilled in several forms of martial arts. He has hidden strength that allow his unarmed strikes to be deadly. He also knows the pressure points of several humanoid species.
* Shadow Arts: Lian chose to study the Way of the Shadow, and was taught to incorporate shadow magic with his attacks. He is also able to travel within shadows and send shadow messages via shadow to other shadow magic users. Because of his mastery in shadow magic, he is stealthy.
* Swordsmanship: Lian is skilled in wielding a sword. However, he uses a drow fighting style when he fights with his sword, since he was taught basic swordsmanship in the Underdark.

### Drow Traits

* Superior Darkvision
* Fey Ancestry
* Trance
* Sunlight Sensitivity
* Spellcasting
	+ Dancing Lights
	+ Faerie Fire
	+ Darkness

### Monk Abilities

* Unarmored Defense
* Martial Arts
* Ki
	+ Flurry of Blows
	+ Patient Defense
	+ Step of the Wind
* Deflect Missiles
* Slow Fall
* Extra Attack
* Stunning Strike
* Ki-Empowered Strike
* Evasion
* Stillness of Mind
* Purity of Body
* Tongue of the Sun and Moon
* Diamond Soul
* Timeless Body
* Empty Body
* Perfect Soul

Monastic Tradition: Way of the Shadow

* Shadow Arts
* Shadow Step
* Cloak of Shadows
* Opportunist

## Trivia

* Contrary to popular belief, Kao Lian was not based off Drizzt Do'Urden. He was made because Devil DM wanted to play a drow, but didn't want him to have red eyes like all the other drow. She was made aware of Drizzt Do'Urden's existence well after Lian was introduced into the campaign.
* Angel DM's portrayal of Lian gave a distinction between Lian and Levi Grace.