Kalli, Tiefling Paladin of Bahamut (4th ed)
A write up for my 4th ed paladin, from our long running campaign “Meiri Wainwright and the Warlock’s Rock.” The last update I made to her page on the Obsidian Portal site is lvl 9; I don’t recall if we went further than that (I thought we did?), and we long ended the subscription to the D&D DM site where the sheets were stored. I don’t even recall how she got some of the numbers she has in the crunchy bits here.
Also included is the GM’s history of Kalli’s blade, Samiel, found on an early adventure. It leveled up with her, recalling more and more of its own history and helping the party reach their destiny. Details below the cut!
KALLISTRA WHEELER, LV 9 TIEFLING PALADIN Build: Protecting Paladin Languages: Common, Draconic, Supernal,*Elven Background: Raised Among Humans – Human mother, tiefling father; House of Lies - Unknown tiefling house descent; Heaven's Weapon - A divine plan is working in her life
FINAL ABILITY SCORES Str 14, Con 14, Dex 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 20. STARTING ABILITY SCORES Str 14, Con 13, Dex 12, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 18.
AC: 27 Fort: 19 Reflex: 20 Will: 22 Passive Insight: 21 Passive Perception: 16 Speed: 5 Initiative: 9 HP: 77 Surges: 12 Surge Value: 19
TRAINED SKILLS Diplomacy +14, Endurance +7, Insight +11, Intimidate +14, Religion +9
FEATS Wrath of the Crimson Legion - Charisma used for melee attack/damage. Paladin's Wrath. Bardic Dilettante - Bard skill training, Majestic Word 1x/day Versatile Expertise - bonus to attack with weapons/implements of choice. Weapon Focus Heavy Blade - +1 attack per tier Imperious Majesty - Use Cha for Init. Creatures attacked & hit that haven't yet acted in an encounter take [Cha mod] penalty to attacks vs. Kalli until next turn ends.
POWERS At Will: Ardent Strike, Enfeebling Strike, Divine Challenge, Lay On Hands Encounter: Valorous Smite, Invigorating Strike, Divine Mettle, Divine Strength, Paladin's Wrath, Benign Transposition Daily: Majestic Halo, Hallowed Circle, Majestic Word, Bless Weapon, Wrath of the Gods, Ray of Reprisal
ITEMS Amulet of Protection/Symbol of Divinity +2 Samiel - Vicious Longsword +2 Layered Plate Armor of Sacrifice +2 Shield of Protection Collegium Argentum ring - ID & uniform storage Elven Cloak Pin - +Diplomacy to Elves, allows wearer to understand Elven.
HISTORY Kalli was born to the younger “wild child” daughter of the respected Wheeler family in Ansulton. The Wheelers were long time business partners and friends of the Wainwrights, the two clans’ innovations bringing the town prosperity. The scandal of a tiefling being born to such a prominent family had social repercussions for Kalli’s mother.
Kalli’s grandparents insisted that the tiefling be given to the Temple of Bahamut as soon as she was old enough. Nevermind the many dragonborn also training there, or the ancient history. It was the family religion, and having the child in the house was just too much. Kalli didn’t mind; she took the training and the studies with zeal, learning to hold her own against her dragonborn rivals and emerging as a charismatic and gifted paladin.
The only members of her family Kalli concerns herself with are her mother, and on occasion her cousin Saffron (who is mostly a troublemaker herself). Since her grandparents dislike acknowledging Kalli’s full name and place in the family, the paladin doesn’t worry about it much either.
Due to their families, Kalli’s known Meiri Wainwright her whole life. An early training mission where she acted as page to her instructor led to Dax’s rescue and adoption into the Soulaxe clan. She and Vin Stoneforge connect over their respective religious studies. And Amara Suntide...Kalli isn’t sure where the half-elf fits in; she’s pretty sure it’s a specific test of her patience from the gods.
On the way to Boarpimple’s Academy, Kalli came into the possession of an intelligent longsword—the reforged soul of an Angel of Justice/Vengeance called Samiel. The mark on the blade matches Meiri’s birthmark, and Vin’s mysterious rune. Samiel hates devils, and will try to force Kalli to fight any present, flaring with holy light when they slay one of the foul creatures. Sometimes the sword shares dreams and visions of the past with her. Kalli doesn’t like to admit that the dreams—and Samiel’s slowly growing strength—both scare and fascinate her.
Kalli doesn’t know what to do about being the “popular girl” at school (thanks to her action on the train and Amara’s maneuvering). She just wants to train martial skills, study religion, and sing in the glee club/choir. When she’s all alone, she secretly unwinds with embroidery. She was born to a high class family, after all. Her mother’s the only one who knows about that hobby.
APPEARANCE: Age: Mid/late teens. Height: 5'10". Weight: 190 lbs. Alignment: Good. Kalli has a dusky red-brown tone to her skin. Her eyes are solid black. Long black hair is often kept in a braid close to her head. Her natural curves are trimmed and toned after years training martial skills and wearing armor. As a tiefling, she has the usual backsweeping horns, sharp teeth, and 4’ long tail.
Despite her youth she carries herself with practiced confidence and self-assurance, moving with graceful ease even in her armor. Kalli tends to be friendly, helpful, and charitable. Her near-constant exasperation with her party members may at times belie those tendencies.
The way she carries and wields her sword & shield shows she’s left-handed. If not in her shiny plate armor or the school uniform, she prefers to wear simple tunics and pants in solid light colors. Her holy symbol is always worn, and always visible. Like all the students of her collegium, she has an ornate silver dragon ring wound around and attached to the pinky of her off-hand (this allows quick outfit change and storage, while also acting as her school ID). She tries to keep what she carries and owns to the basics necessary to get the job done.
SAMIEL, ANGEL OF THE FORGOTTEN GOD (-Written by the GM-) In the war against the Primordials, He-Who-Was called upon Samiel when retribution was the only recourse. A being of purest light and distilled fury, Samiel visited justice upon those who stood against his master. His cause was noble, his power pure, his reach unlimited - he was the last thing that many saw before meeting their maker.
Samiel basked in the light of his master, taking no pleasure from his duties or the adoration and fear they brought him. He lived merely to serve. When his master was betrayed by He-Who-Fell-To-Rise-Again, Samiel was reduced to his barest essence and cast into manacles to hold his master in place while the killing blow was dealt. Fully aware during the entire process, he felt something wholly alien to his being. He burned with the fires of vengeance. As he was in the form of chains, he was powerless to act upon this new desire and driven mad by his own impotent fury. As the betrayers cast him aside and let him fall to the world below, his oaths of vengeance went unheard. Still, he swore that the betrayers would pay for their crimes.
The first mortal to discover the Shackles of Samiel was driven mad by the emotions that washed over him. To restore his sanity, his allies broke the chains and cast them into steel and lead to weaken Samiel's ability to project. One ally forged that steel into a sword and used it to settle his own debts of vengeance. Still, the troupe was never able to restore their friend. Somewhere in the furthest reaches of his consciousness, Samiel lamented this harm to an innocent. Still, he basked in the bloody vengeance of his wielders - moving through history as a catalyst for retribution in mortal history.
Kalli awakens from a dream of angels wielding fierce weapons, cold sweat upon her brow, and clutches her holy symbol tightly in silent prayer. Nearby, the sword that needed cleaning sits drawn and naked on a bench seat - all traces of tarnish gone from the blade.
Samiel had found a devil that would prove a fitting agent for his vengeance. For the first time he could remember, he basked in the prospect that his oaths could bear fruit. Weakened and dampened as he was, it was all he could do to display the name of his master, at least the parts he could remember, proudly upon his blade.
KALLI’S POST-CAMPAIGN FATE: After the party brought back He-Who-Was--now merged with their shapeshifter rogue and known as Azoth-Jin--the group went their separate ways. Amara found her birthright in the Feywild as the new Queen of Gold, Dax and some others occasionally working for her. Meiri relearned magic and helped rebuild Boarpimple's while raising the mysterious infant that came from the old Warlock's Rock, a possible new Chosen One. Vin returned to his clan and studies.
Kalli, however, was disturbed by some cracks in the religious institute to which she'd devoted her life, made apparent during and after the party's struggles. Talking to the silver dragon patron of her old collegium, she set off on a holy quest into the west in search of another of Bahamut's children to root out the corruption in her order. What adventures she had there are tales for another time.
