Riona

[withbrushandpen]

Riona Valere

Female Human Paladin 1

LG Medium Humanoid (human)

Init +3; Senses Perception +1

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Defense

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AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (+5 armor, +2 shield, +1 Dex)

hp 13 (1d10+3)

Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +3

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Offense

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Speed 20 ft.

Melee Heavy Shield Bash +5 (1d4+4/x2) and

   Bastard sword +5 (1d10+4/19-20/x2)

Special Attacks smite evil (1/day)

Spell-Like Abilities Detect Evil (At will)

Paladin Spells Prepared (CL 0):

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Statistics

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Str 19, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 15

Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 16

Feats Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Bastard sword), Power Attack -1/+2

Traits Reactionary, Sacred Touch

Skills Acrobatics -5 (-9 jump), Climb -2, Diplomacy +6, Escape Artist -5, Fly -5, Heal +5, Knowledge (religion) +4, Ride -5, Sense Motive +5, Stealth -5, Swim -2

Languages Common

SQ aura of good

Other Gear Scale mail, Heavy steel shield, Bastard sword, Backpack (2 @ 5 lbs), Bedroll, Belt pouch (1 @ 0.64 lbs), Flint and steel, pendant of Iomedae, Waterskin, 23 GP, 9 SP

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Special Abilities

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Aura of Good (Ex) The paladin has an Aura of Good with power equal to her class level.

Detect Evil (At will) (Sp) You can use detect evil at will (as the spell).

Power Attack -1/+2 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.

Sacred Touch You were exposed to a potent source of positive energy as a child, perhaps by being born under the right cosmic sign, or maybe because one of your parents was a gifted healer. As a standard action, you may automatically stabilize a dying creature mer

Smite Evil (1/day) (Su) +2 to hit, +1 to damage, +2 deflection bonus to AC when used.

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Background


Riona was born to a quiet life as the only child of a woodsman and his wife. Her parents had always believed that she would be destined for a greater life, but then what parent does not dream of better things for their children? When she was eleven rumors of a growing shadow in the woods near the village began to spread. They spoke of demon worshippers and blood sacrifices; the sort of thing meant to scare children. Most of the townsfolk brushed it off as superstition.

One evening Riona's father hadn't returned from his hunt. Riona wanted to go into the woods to find him but her mother forbade her, saying it was too dangerous for her to be out after dark. Riona could see her mother shared her concern and did as she was told, believing her father had lost track of time.

That night a band of raiders fell upon her village. They slew any who resisted and captured those that didn’t; Riona and her mother were among those captives taken deep into the woods that night. The cult from the rumors had indeed been real as had been the demon they worshipped.

One by one the townspeople were devoured by the demon with a seemingly endless appetite. When the cult members returned for fresh victims Riona cried out in fear causing her mother to shield her. As a result her mother was taken in her place and Riona was forced to watch as the demon ripped her apart.

Riona would have died that night had a group of paladins not arrived on the scene. They swept through the unholy gathering clad in light and where their swords fell so did the cultists. Then they did battle with the demon. As the battle rampaged around her Riona watched in silence. The beast proved a much more trying foe for the warriors of light, and one by one they were felled by the blood drunk demon's strength. It was then that something impossible happened.

Riona took up the sword of one of the fallen warriors as though it weighed nothing. She walked up to the demon and drove the blade clean through its leg. The monster yelled out and tried to lash out at the girl but the paladins fell upon it too quickly, rending it apart with righteous fury. Riona simply watched the gruesome scene with the same muted expression until it was over. Then the sword fell from her grasp and she cried.

The surviving warriors looked upon the girl with a mix of awe and suspicion. Some believed that it was unholy for her, a mere child, to have strength enough to wound a demon. Others saw it as a divine portent.

It was a knight of the latter camp, Baleran the Blaze, which approached the crying girl and comforted her. Riona was then spirited away to the knights’ monastery where the monks attempted to unlock whatever latent potential she had shown that night. While at first afraid and unwilling Riona eventually became a diligent though unremarkable student. After eight years without manifesting any divine gifts Riona was sent out on a pilgrimage to seek her own destiny.

Having spent much of her training as the sheltered special case of the monastery Riona has few friends besides Baleran and finds it hard to socialize with others. She is a fierce believer in Iomedae, whom she believes saved her life that night eight years ago. Despite the long years Riona still feels responsible for her mother's horrible death and it fuels her hatred for all evil. As she sets out on her journey she clings to a faint hope that her father may still be alive.