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Threnody 06-25-06, 10:47 PM

Kesari is a character I am creating for my group's new gestalt campaign. She will start out as a Paladin // Druid 2. Her base race is Killoren (from RotW p. 102) with the Half-Nymph template from the Dragon Magazine. Her patron deity is Nobanion, King of the Beasts. To say that I am having a difficult month would be an understatement. So instead of trying to write out a cohesive backstory I decided to try my hand at compiling a short Code of Conduct (CoC) and 10 memories instead... which turned out to be more difficult than I thought! I welcome your thoughts. Comments, critique, corrections or any other form of feedback is always appreciated. NOBANION'S TENETS (CoC): Mission Statement: Thou hast chosen to stand as a beacon of righteousness and good to our pride; accordingly, thou must never falter in thy pursuit along the noble and right path. Willingly choose good over evil, action over inaction, and order over chaos. Compassion Thou shalt exercise compassion, mercy, tolerance and living within the land in thine dealings with others, so that all living creatures may find harmony with nature and one another. Thou must respect the life of any who approaches thee in good faith, seeking to redeem rather than slaughter. Courage Thou shalt prove thine courage in word and deed. Thine heart shalt be courageous enough to undertake tasks that are deemed difficult, tedious or unglamorous, and to graciously accept the sacrifices involved. Faith Thou shalt have faith in the Church and My Teachings. Revere and respect the other Pantheons and their Place in the order of things but hold no other God before Me. Thou shalt defend the Church, and make war on enemies of the Church. Respect thy elders, and digest the wisdom they impart upon thee. Generosity Thou shalt be generous, and give largess to everyone. Honesty Thy word is thine hounour and life. Thou shalt not lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word. Humility Thou shalt not seek personal glory nor boast of thine own accomplishments, for fame and greed corrupt. Thou shalt value the contributions of others above thine own and tell of his deeds, according him with the renown he has so rightfully earned. Justice Thou shalt hold thyself and thy actions among the highest of standards, and seek always the righteous path no matter how difficult that might be. Loyalty Thou shalt show unwavering commitment towards your pride and ideals. Thou shalt not abandon thine pride nor betray a confidence. Nobility Thou shalt conduct yourself with poise at all times, upholding thine convictions even when no one else is watching. Prowess Thou art obligated to defend thyself and thine pride. Thou art obligated to know when force is necessary, and to use it appropriately in the service of justice rather than in personal aggrandizement. Thou shalt make war against the Infidels plaguing the land without cessation, and without mercy. Thou shalt adhere to the following rules of engagement: - Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy. - Thou shalt not attack an opponent who is defenseless or unaware. - Thou shalt abide by thy word in duels. - Thou shalt not resort to the use of guile, torture, poison or any other act that is dishonourable and unnatural. - Thou shalt not smite an opponent unless he is relentless or beyond redemption. THE TEN MEMORIES (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=617547) Nobanion Looking back, Nobanion has kept silent vigil over Kesari for as long as she can remember. She first became aware of his presence in her dreams, catching sight of him in the far distance of her peripheral vision. It was not long before the lion was approaching towards her, beckoning her to follow him into the expanse of forest that sprawled out behind him. This frightened Kesari greatly, and she would turn to run and hide from the noble beast. It perplexed her to know that he never pursued her. She was afraid at first because she believed that some wicked thing was trying to enchant her. And then she was afraid of a number of other possibilities when she became certain it wasn't... But that all changed that night, when the invaders came. When the suffering of her friends and family cut through her like the weapons those wicked beasts had wielded. When she could no longer bear the thought of letting her fear overwhelm her when every fiber of her being longed to do something, anything, to make it better. Kesari trembled as she picked up the oak branch and rushed forward to join the Champion of Helm in staying off the wicked beasts that pressed to invade her home. She did not make it within a ten step of him when an arrow pierced her breast and felled her. Afterwards, the Champion cursed beneath his breath as he leaned over her and placed a hand over her forehead. She cried out as he wrapped the fingers over the splintered wood embedded in her flesh and pulled. Then a wave of warmth washed over her, and the wound closed. The man stood then and left her with the following words before parting: “He’s been watching you for some time little one, waiting for you. Go to him now.” Kesari sat up and saw her dream walking in her waking world. She ran to him then, and collapsed against him. His embrace comforted her, filling her with peace and taking away her pain. She has not since been afraid. Foil Sunder Foil Sunder is a green dragon. I believe there is a brief description for him in the Forgotten Realms base book for those curious folks. Anyhoo, my DM told me that Foil has expressed an active interest in Kesari's future - being that she is a rather unique individual. They are not mere acquaintances but neither do they chat it up like old chums when they meet, though he has aided her on occasion in the past. Thanks to Sunder she has a greatly understanding of arcane magics. And, according to the DM, he's not evil. At least not that Kesari is aware of. Sweet the Sting Eland Wintergrove was a brash youth of humble origin. The youngest son of a poor farming family, Eland broke out into adventuring in order to escape a fate laced with both monotony and poverty. It was during one of his escapades that he met Kesari, as she cut him off in his pursuit of a fleeing half-orc. Needless to say, he was as smitten as a kitten at first sight of her. Their love affair was passionate, impetious... and short. Things ended badly between them when Eland realized that he no longer wished to play second string to her devotion to Nobanion. He wanted someone in his life as devoted and loving to him as he was to her, and he confronted Kesari about it - asking her to choose. She did not hesitate in her response and her choice broke both their hearts. Curse of Tymora This was a flaw I randomly rolled in exchange for an additional feat of my choice. I figure it came about due to Kesari once questioning Tymora's dogma in a manner that offended the Lady of Luck. The Garden Whether at home or on the road, Kesari takes the time and care to cultivate a garden wherever she rests. It has become a quiet, personal ritual that she practices each day before settling into prayer. OTHER TIDBITS According to my DM, the following actions would violate my Paladin's CoC. Lying to mislead enemies. Fleeing from a difficult battle while leaving allies behind. Running into a random group of hobgoblins and attacking hobgoblins on sight. Roughing up (few slaps, maybe a punch) a captive for information. Charming a captive for information. Displaying contempt for good gods (other that the one the paladin is worshipping). Displaying contempt for neutral gods. Working with lawful evils creature (mind flayers, for example) for one adventure toward a common goal. Refusing to accept surrender from captives that could easily be contained (slaying them instead). Refusing to accept surrender from captives that are very difficult to contain (creatures with dimension door (Su) 1/day) (slaying them instead). Hunting for sport. Using poison. Casting a spell with the [evil] descriptor. Betraying a succubus (agreeing to help her and then killing her afterward). Killing orc younglings. Taking and keeping the evil dragon's hoard after you slay him, knowing full well that the dragon stole the treasure from a nearby kingdom. (Depends on extenuating circumstances.) Source can be found here (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=9467254&postcount=13). More to follow! namaste, Threnody P.S. Although the Druid class is secondary for the this character, I would love some advice as to how to make it more prominent than it currently is. Also, there are certain spells and spell combos (Faerie Fire + Obscuring Mist, Entangle + Spike Growth/Wall of Thorns) that are available to a Druid that I am not entirely sure a Paladin could utilize without breaking the CoC. Your opinions and knowledge of the RAW regarding this matter would be most helpful.