The Golden Seraph

**Rionel Wynkalen**, also known as **The Golden Seraph**, was a high elven paladin. He was the face of the Haven's Stars, and hailed from Huldra, though is most well known for his adventuring days in Utočište, traveling to dispense justice, gain glory, and spread his name across the world.

### Biography

Rionel was of noble stock, born as a second son in House Wynkalen in the Huldran province of Thriamvos. As a nobleman, Lord Wynkalen was given access to education and trained to fight. From a young age, he found it very strange that his people had so much fear in their hearts for the gods, whom he believed (due to vivid dreams he often had) were benevolent and only sought to improve the lives of mortals, not rule over them. These beliefs were compounded when he met another young elf named Vanrae Melalee, with whom he began a rebellious teenage bender and romance that ultimately culminated in their conversion to the faith of glory.

Rionel and Vanrae, despite being fiercely dedicated to each other and their shared belief in the god of glory, had slightly differing interpretations of their faith, which already stood in stark contrast to typical Huldran interpretations. Rionel believed that a servant of the god of glory should make a name for themselves through fantastic deeds that would inspire tales of any kind, good-spirited or otherwise. Vanrae and Rionel broke their romantic relationship due to these differences and briefly went their separate ways; during their break-up Rionel began making a name for himself as someone who would settle scores between two grudging parties.

He initially started acting this out as a sort of vigilante paladin who would enact vengeance on deserving villains and reap the glorious spoils, but he found himself becoming little more than hired muscle for thugs, or at worst a hitman. Knowing that he needed Vanrae's guidance to keep him balanced, he reunited with her as a friend and decided to travel the world with her and establishing themselves as a heroic duo.

By the time they arrived in Havenstide, Rionel had crafted a persona for himself as "The Golden Seraph", playing up this image of himself as a virtuous angel wielding a vengeful blade for those who sought to bring harm to the innocent. He met a tavern singer called The Lady In Red at a dive in the town of Dama, who introduced him to Sreća and Lovac (a prominent duo in their own right). He proposed the five of them form a supergroup for the sake of collective fame.

After about a year of adventuring as "Haven's Stars", Rionel began to become strangely obsessed with engaging Morderax, a black dragon that was rising in power, in a rivalry. The Dreaded One's image kept appearing in his dreams, tempting him to challenge his authority and claim the glory of slaying an evil dragon. He was easily able to convince his naive party to follow through on an expedition to slay Morderax, and eventually he led them to battle.

Rionel was the last to fall to The Dreaded One's wrath. He watched as his friends and former lover were torn apart in front of him, and with the last of his strength imbued his sword, Anđeo, with the pure essence of his hate and landed one final blow against Morderax. The wound never healed completely, but Rionel's disdain was returned tenfold as Morderax tore him limb from limb.