Black hair, blue eyes, and 6’4” of darkened full plate, Kaeldar carries a shield with the six arrows of Hextor painted over the embossed lightning-fist of Heironius, and carries a flail – The Executioner. His sense of justice is unwavering…and unmerciful.

Kaeldar, Male Human Clr7: CR 7; Medium Humanoid ; HD 7d8+7(Cleric) ; hp 38; Init +0; Spd 20; AC:20 (Flatfooted:20 Touch:10); Atk +6 base melee, +5 base ranged; +7 (1d8+1, Flail); +5 (1d8, Crossbow, light); +3/-2 (1d8+1, Flail; 1d3+1, Gauntlet); +2/-2 (1d3+1, Gauntlet; 1d3+1, Gauntlet); AL LN; SV Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +10; STR 13, DEX 10, CON 12, INT 12, WIS 18, CHA 12. Skills: Concentration +11, Diplomacy +9, Knowledge (Arcana) +5, Knowledge (Religion) +7, Speak Language +1, Spellcraft +11.

Feats: Armor Proficiency: heavy, Armor Proficiency: light, Armor Proficiency: medium, Combat Casting, Diehard, Endurance, Extra Smiting (good), Martial Weapon Proficiency: Flail, Shield Proficiency, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Weapon Focus: Flail.

As a teenager, Kaeldar was firends with Archton Lighthand, a paladin of Herionius. Kael accompanied Archton on a campaign into the west to battle the orcs. Kale began to see Archton’s zeal as an unjust brutality against the orcs. Their friendship rapidly disintegrated. Disgusted and disillusioned, Kael fled for home.

Now alone, he had little chance of surviving the journey, but he soon met a wandering druid by the name of Landry. Landry was a staunch pacifist who taught Kael to avoid conflict and strive for harmony with all life. Impressed with Landry’s mystical powers and survival skills, Kael idealized his new mentor. Landry, feeling responsible for Kael, paused on his travels in Kael’s hometown of Krinstor to teach his ways to Kael’s family and neighbors. Kael’s parents were amused by this turn, because they were already pacifists, but Kael had never noticed (in typical adolescent self-mindedness).

Many of the townfolk were equally impressed with Landry’s powers, and Landry made several converts. Living in the borderlands, everyone had seen his share of violence. Landry’s way of harmony seemed a refreshing alternative. When Landry finally had enough of town life and announced he was moving on, he gained three disciples to the druidic ways, among them Kael’s father Garius. Kael’s mother went also. Kael was invited to go, but was perplexed by Landry’s intention of moving further into the more settled dwarven lands. Assured by his parents that he was old enough to care for himself, they left Kael behind with sizable funds.

Months later, the pacifistic converts of Krinstor were slaughtered by orcs. Kael himself hid and was not discovered, but from his hiding place he had a good view of the street. Kaeldar watched as his neighbors attempted to parley and surrender, and were butchered instead. Most disturbingly, Kael saw that pacifism meant a refusal to lift a weapon, even to defend children from brutal death or lifelong slavery. The few villagers who were willing to fight weren’t enough. Ashamed, Kael cursed himself for not learning more of combat from his childhood friend, Archton. He also cursed himself for his cowardice.

Some of the basic survival skills taught by Landry helped Kael survive during the orcish occupation, which Kael watched from the outskirts. Two weeks after the invasion, human soldiers arrived. They did what the villagers could not and ripped the orcs some new ones. Kaeldar was impressed with their combat prowess, and considered their actions just, unlike the senseless zeal of of his childhood friend. Most impressive were the priests, who wielded power like Landry, but molded for combat.

Kael learned discipline from the soldiers, who equated weakness with powerlessness. Kael never wanted to feel powerless again. He joined ranks, learned fast, and was promoted quickly from Trainee to Soldier, then to Corporal. Kael was instrumental in transforming Krinstor from rural hamlet to military outpost.

When the priests discovered Kael practiced devotion as well as discipline, they invited him to join their studies as well. They taught Kael that the source of order and discipline he so admired was the strength of the god Hextor. Kael loved that Hextor was equally opposed to the ruinous forces that had wracked Kael’s life:

• The misguided zeal of idealistic fools like Archton Lighthand
• The cowardly and impractical tenets of pacifism
• The chaos of the orcs

Kael’s church also taught that Heironius helps the undeserving, which makes the weak weaker by increasing their dependence on charity.

Two years later, Kael was ordained as a priest in the order of Hextor, and wields the god’s power himself. Though still devoted to the strict rules and rankings of his order, Kael’s prestige has given him the freedom to choose his own path.

Currently, he seeks other places like Krinstor, to turn aimless farm life into militant order, and convert country bumpkins into fearsome warriors—warriors capable of forging their own destiny.