Rowaine Kharag, or "Ro" to her friends, is tall, blonde and beautiful. She is loyal - to her friends, to the monastery in which she was raised, and above all to her patron deity, Moradin. Thousands will follow her… eventually.
Rowaine was delivered to Kharag Monastery by an unknown benefactor just short of her second birthday. The man carrying her did not reveal anything concerning the toddler's background, of how she came to be alone in the world, or his own involvement. The only thing he offered the dwarves was the babe's name, perhaps given to her because of her red hair at the time. Rowaine has no memory of her life before the monastery. Her blood family name lost to her, Rowaine has taken on the name of the monastery's patron as her family name.
For as long as she can remember, Rowaine has felt a calling to something, an unswerving path of greatness. The moral and religious teachings of her dwarven upbringing fascinated her, but not the clergy itself. She was drawn into stories of great battles, both dwarven and otherwise, but was always looking for some great purpose, some meaning, some quest behind it all.
As Rowaine grew, she began exhibiting unusual traits. At times, most often in the monastery's temple to Moradin, such a sense of good and wellbeing would emanate from Rowaine that she all but glowed. In her mid-teens, Rowaine displayed uncanny ability to somehow sense malevolence in other beings, however well hidden. When others were injured, a prayer from Rowaine seemed to do more than merely provide comfort. Sir Veketh noted all these things and privately wondered if Moradin was leading Rowaine down the path he himself had taken over a century ago. But how could it be? A human paladin of Moradin? Such a thing was unheard of! Still, the monastery itself was proof that Moradin sometimes does things that rigid dwarven society least expects…
It was only at Sir Veketh's gentle promptings that Rowaine recognised Moradin's call to paladinhood, which only served to confirm her belief in her fate. Rowaine will always say that she did not choose the paladin's mantle; rather, Moradin chose to clothe his daughter so. Pursue another path? Unthinkable. She could sooner choose to change her gender.
With her beloved All Father's blessing, what could possibly stand against her? What, indeed! Near-death at the hands of the ghost in "Ellie", Chapter 7 profoundly shook her faith. She was more scared by that encounter than she would dare to admit. She now presents a confident exterior, but underneath frequently doubts herself. In combat she has taken to displays of inappropriate, near-reckless bravado - her overcompensation to the fear and doubt she now feels.
The strongest personality driver for Rowaine is love - for Moradin, for her friends, for her enemies - even when slaying & smiting them.
Rowaine's sense of purpose and calling sometimes draws her attention away from the present. She thinks often on Moradin, and wistfully ponders historical events. She sometimes has to be forcefully brought back to the task at hand. She also worries whether what she is doing is "worthy enough".
Rowaine loves to sing, and leads the monastery's choir. She will occasionally break into a dwarven battle hymn during combat. Her chosen weapon is the dwarven waraxe. It is reflective of her adopted dwarven heritage.
Rowaine is sworn to celibacy. She strongly believes that her abilities as a paladin are a gift for others, not herself.
Though no stranger to dwarven ale, as befits a monastic dwarven upbringing, Rowaine's favourite drink is mead. Particularly the strawberry mead that Dirrin occasionally makes.
Quotes:
- "I am yours, Moradin… Only name the quest."
- "Every evil deed ever committed in this world began as a thought."
- "You know that sound, when the pick hits the vein just so? When the hammer hits the nail just so? The 'sweet spot.' I want my life to be a sweet spot to Moradin."
Sir Veketh is very much Rowaine's role-model.
Krag often looks to Rowaine for advice and guidance. It often falls upon Rowaine to "manage" Krag, as he can easily get himself (and others) into trouble. Rowaine, unlike most others, is utterly oblivious to Krag's affection towards her.
Rowaine admires Vor-Wrek's dedication to his chosen path.
Despite having genuine and mutual respect for each other, Rowaine and Enok are ocassionally at odds. Their world views do not exactly align. However, they mostly manage to minimise their differences and work together well. In Vor-wrek and Krag's absence, Enok was Rowaine's longest-standing friend, sadly lost to her in Kreegs & Grolls Part 2, Chapter 18.
Arrian? Yes, well… Let's just say they have history.
Harley
How fitting that Rowaine, herself an anomaly, should receive such a rare gift as Harley, a principled stone flyer from the celestial realms. Harley was called to Rowaine's side in Elondel, Chapter 13. It was only when Rowaine knew without knowing that the creature was indeed a she, when the creature's moods came unbidden to her mind, that she finally understood that this magnificent beast was Moradin-sent.
Character Sheets & Stat Blocks
Both Rowaine and Harley are built using the Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 rules.
Rowaine - Character Level: | 1 | · | 2 | · | 3 | · | 4 | · | 5 | · | 6 | · | 7 | · | 8 | · | 9 | · | 10 | · | 11 | · | 12 | · | 13 |
Harley - Revision: | 1 | · | 1 | · | 2 | · | 3 | · | 4 | · | 4 | · | 5 | · | 5 |