Counselor Desdemona

**Counselor Desdemona Claire** is a warrior-priestess of **St. Cuthbert**, the Lawbringer. She is currently serving as the Lead Medic aboard **The Thunderbird**.

## Description

### Appearance

Desdemona stands 5'11" with a slender but physically fit physique. She has shoulder-length, platinum blonde hair and soft green eyes. Her features are notably more elvish than human, most noticeable in her ears and her nose.

Her style is surprisingly fashionable for a priestess, preferring corsets, dresses, and tall boots. However, since starting her tenure as the lead medic aboard the Thunderbird, her style has become more practical for her new line of work.

### Personality

Desdemona is friendly and warm to others, with a somewhat dry, sarcastic sense of humor. She's fairly easy-going and tends to get along with others. She is loyal to her friends and is guided by her conscience--something that sometimes conflicts with her sense of duty instilled by the church of St. Cuthbert.

Her compassion and strong sense of right and wrong and perhaps her strongest defining traits. She isn't afraid to speak up when she feels someone is making a bad or immoral decision, and she can even get a little confrontational if it means the difference between right and wrong. She is sometimes seen as the conscience aboard the ship, along with **Theras**.

As a cleric of St. Cuthbert, she is very faithful to him. She believes in the tenants of his faith; that law, community, and civilization are beacons of light in a dark world, and that order is necessary for people to live in harmony. However, she doesn't see the world as black and white as most within her faith; she tries her best to be honest, to protect the people who need it, and provide relief for the suffering.

She cares very deeply for people, especially those she considers a party of her "community", often putting herself at great risk in order to save as many people on the battlefield as she can. She often feels like she has to put on a brave face so the others don't worry about her.

Desdemona is shown to struggle with feelings of frustration, guilt, and anger over the patients and warriors she's lost in the field, especially **Drumbo**. She is often kind and welcoming, but she can be a fierce warrior when confronted with evil.

## Biography

### Background

Little is known about Desdemona's past, except that she was raised in a temple of St. Cuthbert in a small forest settlement in the **Ozmit Empire**. She was a Will Runner for some time, which is what brought her to **Ibrido** in the first place.

### Start of the Game

Desdemona became involved when she was at the **Arena** in Ibrido when she was approached by **Theras** to join them and their party in an event known as "Dragon's Egg". She agreed and, while performing admirably, nearly died trying to save the dying Drumbo, who didn't make it.

She was hard on herself and faced a crisis of faith until **Chime** and **Two-Bit** approached her about joining their crew as a medic. She agreed; she wasn't able to save Drumbo, but she felt she could make up for that failure by protecting the half-orc clown's friends.

### Appearances

#### Volume 1

* **Prologue, pt 2 -** "Bloodsport"
* **Chapter 1 -** "Two-Bit Crook"
* **Chapter 2 -** "To the Skies!"
* **Chapter 3 -** "The Imperial City"
* **Chapter 4 -** "Business Old and New"
* **Chapter 5 -** "Less Than Wonderful"
* **Chapter 6 -** "The Power of Love"
* **Chapter 7 -** "Mountain and Marsh"

## Relationships

### Chime

While she hasn't known Chime long, Desdemona has found she's come to care for him quite a bit. Despite what he says or displays to everybody else, Chime is a good and brave man who would die for his crew. That's not to say that the two do always agree or see eye to eye--quite the opposite, really--but she has faith that he'll do the right thing in the end.

Since their kiss during the fight with **the Silence**, things have been a little awkward between them. She's still processing what happened and what, if anything, it meant to her.

### Theras

Desdemona genuinely respects Theras. The monk has proven, time and again, to be a good and courageous person who is willing to put themselves in harm's way to protect the people they love--as well as total strangers. Desdemona finds Theras to a kind soul and has enjoyed their conversations; she finds the monk to be a fascinating and wonderful person, and is glad to be their friend.

### Gregg

Desdemona and Gregg often see eye to eye when it comes to the big decisions facing the boat. While Desdemona always liked Gregg, the two have become very good friends in the month that he was captain of the ship, often acting as his voice of reason and serving the same role that Gregg filled for Chime; someone to bounce ideas off of and talk to off the record.

### Lleliana

Desdemona is not particularly fond of Lleliana. The elf is far too business-oriented for Desdemona's taste, which is weird to say. The two just don't really get along that well; they often get on each other's nerves for the weirdest reasons. Despite this, Desdemona respects Lleliana's skill as a healer, as well as the elf cleric's diehard faith in **Pelor** and her iron stomach and clear head in the event of medical emergencies.

### Elenora

Surprisingly, Elenora and Desdemona get along quite well. The two have spent many long hours talking over tea or a bottle of bourbon that Elenora pulled out of nowhere. Elenora is the only person on board the Thunderbird so far who knows about Desdemona's past, as well as her reasons for joining the clergy. The two are very close, despite them not seeing totally eye to eye sometimes. The tiefling is probably Desdemona's best friend aboard the Thunderbird, next to Gregg and Chime.

Over the month that Gregg was in charge of the ship, Elenora was appointed as his First Mate, and Desdemona served as his unofficial advisor. This meant that the three of them spent quite a bit of time together and, as a result, have gotten even closer as friends.

### Dale

Desdemona has always found Dale to be a delight. The two share a lot in common, from religious views, to a love of books and exotic teas. While they haven't spent a lot of time together, they're good work friends.

### Irruit

Desdemona and Irruit don't really see eye to eye. It's not that Desdemona doesn't trust Irruit because she's a Drow. It's just that since Illucien was taken, Irruit has shown a viciousness and bloodthirsty nature that had never been hinted at before, and it's *that* Desdemona doesn't trust.

## Character Information

### Notable Items

* **Peacemaker (Shocking Heavy Mace):** Chime bought Desdemona this magical weapon during their time in Tolstov. It's a magical heavy mace, and adds +1d6 shock damage to all melee attacks she makes with it.
* *The Codex of the Lawbringer* (holy text)
* Silver holy symbol of St. Cuthbert

### Half-Elf Abilities

* **Adaptability:**Desdemona chose Skill Focus (Diplomacy) as a bonus feat at 1st level.
* **Amiable:**+2 bonus to Diplomacy & Gather Information.
* **Elf Blood:**Desdemona is considered both human and elf for any effect that relates to race.
* **Elven Immunities:** She is immune to sleep effects, and gain a +2 racial bonus to saves vs. Enchantments.
* **Keen Senses:**+1 bonus to Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
* **Low-Light Vision**

### Cleric Abilities

* **Turn Undead**
* **Law Domain:** All spells with the [Law] descriptor are cast at +1 caster level.
* **Protection Domain:** Desdemona can grant a protective ward as a supernatural ability once per day; by touching a target, she can grant a resistance bonus equal to her cleric level on their next saving throw. Activating this power is a Standard Action with a duration of 1 hour.

### Cleric Spells

As a 6th-level cleric, Desdemona can cast divine spells. The spells she has cast in-game are as follows:

#### **Orisons**

* Create Water
* Detect Magic

#### **1st-level**

* Bless
* Bless Water
* Cure Light Wounds
* Entropic Shield
* Shield of Faith
* *Law Domain -* Protection from Chaos
* *Protection Domain -* Sanctuary

#### **2nd-level**

* Cure Moderate Wounds
* Hold Person
* Resist Energy
* Zone of Truth
* *Law Domain -* Calm Emotions
* *Protection Domain -* Shield Other

#### **3rd-level**

* Cure Serious Wounds
* Magic Circle Against Evil
* Searing Light
* *Law Domain -* Magic Circle Against Chaos
* *Protection Domain -* Protection from Energy

#### **4th-level**

* Cure Critical Wounds
* *Law Domain -* Order's Wrath
* *Protection Domain -* Spell Immunity

## Trivia

* Desdemona's favorite color is pink.
* When the crew took a vote on whether to recover the dagger or save Illucien at the start of Vol. 1, Chapter 5, Desdemona was among the seven who voted to pursue the dagger.