Myssa Rei, Paladin-Militant of the Righteous Fury

"I suggest you reconsider, before you regret your actions..."

Fondly called the Steel Butterfly by the common folk of the Savage Coast, the paladin named Myssa Rei has earned a reputation for herself as a defender of the weak and the downtrodden, a shining light in a region where danger is an all-too familiar companion. Possessed of an iron calm, she has faced down corrupt officials and greedy landowners alike, and had raised her sword countless times in the defense of communities beset by the depredations of monsters and ambitious magelings. Because of this she is lauded as a heroine up and down the coast, though the common folk love her more for freely volunteering to help them in maintaining their communities, whether it be as menial a task as fixing a roof, or taking care of the sick. The children of the communties can't help but adore her.

Myssa was born into the Rei family, a line with a long knightly tradition and an established reputation of producing great heroes. Many weren't too surprised when, at the tender age of five, Myssa decided to follow the path of her ancestors, and took the first steps into paladinhood. A quick learner, she absorbed the teachings of her elders eagerly, and easily mastered their lessons on weaponcraft, tactics, and chivalric ethos. However, she was also a curious lass - a trait she inherited from her mother - and a voracious reader, with a keen interest in the history of her family, her faith, and the region she lived in.

It was during this period, quite by accident, that she discovered the truth behind her family's knightly focus, and its zealous hatred for evil in all its forms. For seven hundred years ago a distant ancestor, a charismatic warrior-mage who was a close friend of the king, betrayed his rightful liege using fell and demonic magic. Though he was eventually hunted down and executed for his crime, the gods of the pantheon of Light didn't think that death was punishment enough. For his transgression, they cursed him with unlife, transforming him into a death knight, so that he would have eternity to ponder on his misdeeds. To make amends, the ancestor's first son - who would become the patriarch of the Rei family - swore that the people born to his line would be forever be opponents to the spread of evil in civilized lands, and that they would find a way to put to rest the one that caused the black mark to stain their family name. For it is said that only one of the bloodline, blessed by the Gods of Light, had the power to end the cursed one's unlife.

It has been quite a while since Myssa had read that text, but she still remembers every word. Though she continues to do her duties as a paladin, as well as attending to the responsibilities she has to the various communities in the Savage Coast, she is inwardly worried that the death knight might some day seek her out (it had done so to a member of the Rei family once every generation) in an effort to end its torment. She can only pray that she and her companions in the Company of Chance would be ready when that time comes.

Myssa is currently twenty-four winters old, and stands a petite five-foot-six, with exotic-looking green-gray eyes, and possesses a laugh and smile that puts folk at ease, at the same time causing breaking the hearts of many young men across the region. She is easy to smile, open-minded, and is often seen by the young as a big sister, who is always ready to listen... And a needed shoulder to cry on. Myssa is a shrewd judge of character, but doesn't let first expressions cloud her expectations of a person.

Myssa wears her dark hair boyishly short, often with a hairband to keep her bangs from her eyes, and prefers wearing comfortable cotton blouses, long skirts, and leather leggings when not on her travels, while putting on her suit of purple-tinted full plate mail when she expects a fight. Her weapon, a bastard sword that radiates unnatural chill called Varscona, is never far from her side, except of course when she has work to do in town.

Myssa Rei, female Paladin 9: CR 9; Medium-sized humanoid (human); HD 9d10+18; hp 76; wp 14; Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 23 (touch 13, flat-footed 22); Base Attack +9; Grapple +11; Attack +13 melee (1d10+5 plus 1d6 cold damage/19-20/x2, +2 frost bastard sword), or +11 ranged (1d8/x3, masterwork longbow); Full Attack +13/+8 melee (1d10+5 plus 1d6 cold damage/19-20/x2, +2 frost bastard sword), or +11/+6 ranged (1d8/x3, masterwork longbow); SA Smite Evil 2/day, turn undead 5/day; SQ Aura of courage, aura of good, detect evil, divine grace, divine health, lay on hands (18 hp/day), remove disease 2/week, special mount; Alignment Lawful Good; Saves Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +7; Str 14, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 15. Height 5 ft. 6 in.

Skills and Feats: Climb +4, Concentration +8, Diplomacy +10, Handle Animal +6, Heal +8, Jump +4, Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) +4, Knowledge (Religion) +6, Ride +7, Sense Motive +10, Spot +4, Survival +4, Swim +4; Divine Might, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Bastard sword), Negotiator, Power Attack, Quick Draw.

Languages Spoken: Common, Draconic, Elven.

Spells per day (2/1; save DC = 12 + spell level): 1st - bless weapon, divine favor; 2nd - delay poison. Caster level 4th.

Standard Equipment: +2 frost bastard sword, masterwork dagger, masterwork light mace, masterwork longbow, +2 full plate mail, ring of protection +2, antitoxin (x2), backpack, clothing (Explorer's), flint and steel, healer's kit, hemp rope (50 ft.), holy symbol of the Righteous Fury (wooden), hooded lantern, oil (4 pints), potions (5 cure light wounds, 1 potion of lesser restoration), quiver of 40 arrows, soap (1 lb.), sunrod (x2), tindertwig (x2), torch (x3), trail rations (6 days), waterskin (full, water), whetstone.

 

Class Abilities and Special Qualities:

Aura of Courage (Su): Myssa is immune to fear, and grants +4 morale bonus to saving throws against fear effects to all allies within 10 feet.

Aura of Good (Ex): Myssa radiates an strong aura of good.

Detect Evil Aura (Sp): Myssa can detect evil as the spell at will.

Divine Grace (Su): Myssa applies her Charisma modifier to all her saving throws.

Divine Health (Su): Myssa is immune to all diseases, magical or otherwise.

Lay on Hands (Su): Myssa may heal a number of hit points equal to her Charisma bonus multiplied by her Paladin level, among allies, or deal up to the same amount in damage to undead opponents, per day.

Remove Disease (Sp): Remove disease as spell twice per week.

Smite Evil (Su): Myssa may add her Charisma bonus to attack and her Paladin level to damage vs. an evil opponent, twice per day.

Special Mount (Sp): Once per day, as a full-round action, Myssa may magically summon a loyal mount from the celestial realms, the steed appearing immediately adjacent to her position and staying for 24 hours; it can be dismissed as a free action. If slain, she can summon another mount after 30 days, or after she advances a level, whichever comes first. She has elected not to summon a mount at this time though.

Divine Spell Use: Myssa can cast a small amount of divine spells per day at caster level 4.

Turn Undead (Su): Myssa can turn undead a certain number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma bonus, as a 7th-level cleric.