Doucheous Lightbrite

## Backstory

Doucheous was born within the walls of the great mountain city of Thunderhammer. The heir to an ancient house strongly aligned with the forces of goodness and lawfulness, Doucheous was raised with all of the privileges of nobility. He grew up in a grand keep, adorned throughout with treasures and relics his family had collected over the ages. His teachers taught him manners, diplomacy, rudimentary science, and of course the long history of his family, along with the fundamental beliefs that define his heritage. He was also trained in the art of martial combat from a very young age by his own mother and father, both warriors of the Holy Order of the Supernal Topaz.

His father taught him the mentality needed in battle; how to think tactically and assess an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. As a child during their sparring sessions, Doucheous was allowed a weapon while he father fought unarmed… his father beat him every time. Doucheous learned from his father that any foe, even an unarmed old man, can be dangerous.

His mother taught him the more nitty-gritty elements of fighting with martial weapons in heavy armor. He learned how to position himself to render his armor as effective as possible, and the proper stance and attack method for every type of weapon available. Doucheous excelled with the greatsword. He could balance It’s hefty weight against his own and pull off deadly accurate swings without sacrificing his stance.

His mother preferred to fight with a shield and her trusty battleaxe. She instilled respect for the protection style by demonstrating to Doucheous that a two-handed weapon is of little help when he is facing an archer who is 30ft away. She taught this lesson by shooting him in the shoulder during a sparring session; she was a tough teacher!

Doucheous loved and respected his parents, and learned many valuable things from them, but it wasn’t until he was sent out on his exam mission for the Order of the Topaz that he learned the way of the douche from his most formative teachers: other teenage boys. From traveling with his many douchebag friends, Doucheous learned the importance of appearing cool, the proper method for collar popping, how to “jam” on the lute without actually being able to play any songs, how to walk with undue swagger, and how to shift from one opinion to another depending on how everyone else thinks (especially girls). These new skills enabled him to put his considerable charisma to optimum use, even if he does get labeled as a douchebag by those who see through his grandstanding.

Doucheous and his friends completed their task by confronting an evil giant that had been terrorizing a small village. The giant slaughtered the majority of the party, leaving just Doucheous (who was still just a fighter at this point, not yet infused with divine power), his half-elf cleric bro Chadwick, and his human monk lady-bro Tasia. Doucheous assumed command and assigned tactics. Chad buffed Tasia with his holy spells, then Tasia tripped the giant with a leg sweep, creating an opening for Doucheous to finish it with his greatsword. Just before striking, Doucheous made a quick prayer to Heironeous, asking that the lord of righteousness guide his blade, and give him the strength the vanquish this evil creature. Much to Doucheous’ astonishment, Heironeous answered him. As the greatsword came

down upon the giant’s neck, a beam of golden energy shone down from the sky, causing the sword to erupt in a radiant light. The sword sliced through the flesh and bones as if it were bundled straw. From that day forward, Doucheous knew he was no longer a fighter, but a paladin in the service of Heironeous.

All three were inducted into the order and tasked with seeking out and destroying the forces of evil in the world. The friends went their separate ways on their individual quests, with Doucheous heading south. During his travels, Doucheous became involved in a localized order Paladins hundreds of miles south of Thunderhammer. They had discovered the machinations of a cult, and were attempting to flush the evildoers out of hiding. Doucheous witnessed atrocities committed in the names of both good and evil; he wanted to leave, but knew he had to see the events here through to their conclusion.

That conclusion seemed to be nearing just before Doucheous was warped into the Mesa. He and a colleague were on horseback transporting a witness and a crate of evidence of the cult’s activities when a bright light surrounded them in a huge sphere. The last thing Doucheous remembered before losing consciousness was that this light was certainly not sent by Heironeous. Waking up in the Riverguard calling yard, Doucheous found himself on the ground with his witness next to him. The other member of his local order was gone, as were the horses and the packs strapped to them.

Doucheous was disoriented, but not deterred from his mission! He continues to carry out his oath, adventuring in the strange world of the Mesa!

## Organizations

**The Holy Order of the Supernal Topaz** - An organization in the service of Heironeous dedicated to the eradication of evil in all of its forms. Clerics, fighters, monks, and paladins make up the majority of the order. Membership must be earned, but the sons, daughters, and wards of members have the advantage of being given a test assignment to complete to prove their worth, while those with no prior affiliation must both find and vanquish evil.

Members of the order were considered heroic avatars of the authority of both kings and gods, and were treated with the utmost respect on the world from which Doucheous originates. Older members are eventually granted stationary assignment as advisors or tacticians, but the young (especially the newly inducted) were expected to travel the land, seeking out and destroying evil, and championing the ideals of goodness and law.

**Ettinwood Justicars** - A small order of paladins dedicated to the eradication of evil in the southlands. The group functions as more of a military organization than anything else, formed out of necessity to combat the machinations of a mysterious cult. There is little that ties the members together beyond dedication to justice; once the cult is defeated, the group planned to dissolve and resume adventuring.

## Traits/Ideals/Bonds/Flaws

### Personality Traits:

Being cool is important to me. I prefer persuasion over intimidation.

I am anal about my gear. I like my armor shiny, and my sword sharp.

I don’t mind camping, but I easily prefer the comforts of civilization.

Opinions are flexible and can be changed. Mine change frequently.

### Ideals:

My greatsword is a tool of death. I only use it to punish the wicked.

Being good isn’t the same thing as being nice, or being a pushover.

Evil thoughts do not make someone a bad person; evil actions do.

Don’t disrespect a lady, a priest, or the king in my presence, bro!

### Bonds:

I will protect innocents and smite any evil that I find for Heironeous!

I want to someday find a way back home to my family and friends.

Fiends are pure evil, and must be exterminated from this plane.

The laws of the land must be upheld; unless they are blatantly evil.

### Flaws:

I am weirded out by birds; beady, dead eyes; puffy feathers… eww!

I can’t resist the charms of beautiful ladies, or lady-like humanoids.

I forget to look for traps. They are dishonorable; I hate trap setters.

When infuriated, I tend to throwing tantrums; I curse and smash stuff.