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((Under new management and WIP, now property of Minx // ImRhys ))
"I look upon my curse as a double-edged sword, child. A part of me longs to be alive again, to dance with my friends in the vigor of life and sing with the joy of living. But I am always mindful of the gifts of undeath and I wish to use them in service of my god..."
No one falls quite as hard as a paladin.
Ilyseia Westin, born the noble daughter of a baron, grew up like the girls of her peerage. She had friends and tutors and instruction in religious studies in Falacaerr, while her kind and caring nature won her the admiration and friendship of many people alike in her father's barony. Baron and Baroness Furinax raised their daughter with a strong sense of noblesse oblige, reinforcing their admonition with example. The people loved their baron and baroness, and as Ilyseia grew to become a beautiful young woman she emerged as the talk of the kingdom after her coming out party in high society.
"Remember, Ilyse, these people are just like us. They are simply down on luck."
Following the tradition of the Falaricae aristocracy, Ilyseia trained as a paladin. Duty as a soldier of god and country, balanced by life as a noble and society as a young woman, formed the three pillars of Ilyseia's life. She was greatly loved and in turn loved much herself. Life in Falacaerr made her happy; when her parents decided it was time to retire, the title of Baron Furinax passed onto their oldest son and Ilyseia went to serve the church.
"God created everything in six days, my daughter, but to humans alone did He breathe His spirit. That is why we have the potential to love like none other and to commit the greatest of sins."
Love caused Ilyseia to attempt the greatest of sins. The sudden death of her dearly beloved brother threw her into anguish; the god she served condemned him for his lip service and lack of faith. Though she pleaded with him to reconsider, he was swiftly sentenced to hell. In her fury and sorrow, Ilyseia led a crusade that attempted to breach the gates of hell itself and free the souls imprisoned there. Retaliation came swiftly when her army was scattered and Ilyseia herself judged; defiant to the last, she declared that she would not repent.
"He sentenced me, child, to never find peace in the hallowed halls of heaven, nor to ever reunite with my brother in the torment of hell."
The woman lay tortured for an impossibly long time until her will broke; refusing her the peace of death, she was reincarnated as an undead with her fiery spirit enslaved to the will of her god. For nearly a hundred years she served as the strongest and most feared of his enforcers, anguish giving way to dull resignation. At last her penance was declared fulfilled and the death knight released from her slavery to wander the earth.
(((mysteriously awoke on the material plane again one day, with no answers or reasons, and no idea of whom her benefactor was...)))
"Do the dead have purpose? It is impossible to say."
While condemned as a monster by most, Ilyseia found acceptance from the church of Kandoryth. But in accepting an undead into his service the god betrayed his peers in the eyes of his fellow deities. Now she serves as an undead paladin amongst the holiest of warriors, still awaiting the time when her crusade can be renewed.
Being undead has its advantages and disadvantages. Ilyseia has lived a long time, becoming as powerful as many an archlich. Her dead body, frozen in time at the moment of her death, has no need of food, water, or breath, and does not age. With the patience of her kind, she has been known to stand unmoving for days, as still as any rock. She does not need sleep and has also developed many abilities in her long time as a death knight and a paladin. While her death knight abilities are powerful, she prefers not to use them in an evil capacity unless in desperation.
Death Touch - She can drain life out of living targets without divine protection at a touch.
Shadowslip - She can fade into shadows and travel by moving through them. Although fast, doing this drains her strength greatly.
Might of Furinax - The undead are terribly strong and Ilyseia for all her appearance is no exception. She is capable of whirling fifty-pound swords like toys and flinging them enormous distances or uprooting trees in one tug.
Veteran of the Seventh Crusade - Even when her body's joints and muscles are broken, Ilyseia can make herself move and act through sheer force of will to control the magic that holds her together.
Death Spectre - With a glance into a victim's eyes, Ilyseia conjures a terrible, irrational fear of death and dying. This ability she keeps tightly controlled.
Being undead has disadvantages as well. Exorcism pains her, as does exposure to holy objects. Sunlight will burn her skin if it is intense enough, causing her immense pain. While she can resist being turned, a paladin of sufficient strength of will and faith can still force her to flee or command her to obey him. Her paladin powers were sealed when she was killed and reincarnated as a corpse; attempting to use them hurts her terribly, though she still tries nonetheless. Her sight and hearing have both suffered from death, while her voice is a toneless rasp. She loathes demons and devils while her skin is cold to the touch. Ilyseia, though capable of using force and outright combat, instead prefers to deal in subtlety. She favors the use of deception and diplomacy whenever possible to avoid direct confrontations, and when forced into combat uses a thin chain as her defense instead of a tower shield or greatsword.
