Aella Brightsong's page

Aella is a bit of an odd sort. Endlessly loyal, her over-insistence on protecting and helping her friends and those in need has frequently landed her in an awkward "not-quite-friends" zone. Still, she marches on, shouldering burdens of others before her own, knowing that what she does is the right thing to do, however thankless it might be.

Among closer friends, such as those she might travel with, Aella tends to default to a mothering stance despite her young age. She may worry too much, she may offer unwelcome dietary advice, she may make quips about laziness and other bad habits, but she will never let this distract her from her duty as the party's shield. First in to danger, last to leave, no matter the cost to herself. Some consider her selflessness over-the-top, or fake, but it comes from somewhere deep inside of her, something she can't explain, and isn't likely to change any time soon.

Despite her insistence on taking the lead, and while she may hold diplomatic skills that make for a good party face, Aella is plagued by a daftness that often gets the better of her. She finds herself lost in thought constantly, adrift in her own little world, which makes for a clumsy, distracted person. She's always bumping into people and things, missing clues right in front of her face, and choosing the complete worst direction to traverse in (if Aella ever tells you she knows of a shortcut, make sure to go in the complete opposite direction). Outside of battle, her decision making skills are lacking, and so she tends to rely on those with more, ahem, "experience" in such matters to take initiative.

Aella finds the tightness of her armour comforting (not comfortable!), and so it is not remiss to see her strolling around in her full plate despite a lack of apparent danger. Her helm specifically gleams from a constant, habitual polishing. When the helm comes off, some are shocked by her youthful appearance. Vibrant, bushy auburn hair curls around a cheerful, if somewhat plain, sun-browned face. Freckles dance along the bridge of her nose, making for fine segue into her emerald eyes. Her smile, when not in moments of danger, appears to maintain a permanent up tilt, as if she knew of joke but was not letting on.

Aella is a member of the Order of Ashes, a small sect of paladins dedicated to the hunting and removal of all kinds of aberrations from all around the world. She has been a full-fledged member for three years now, travelling from place to place on orders from her masters, slaying aberrations and freeing towns from their slimy grasp. Though payment is not expected, many towns often make a donation to the Order once they have received a "cleansing", which she sends back home without a thought. She hopes to prove herself, and raise within the ranks of the Order, so she can take on harder and more important missions.

Before her life as a Paladin, Aella lived in a small, backwater village with her older sister, Sarah. Sarah was the pride of the town; smart, beautiful, charming, responsible, always smiling, and just one step from becoming a proper Paladin. Everyone liked Sarah, but no one loved her more than Aella, her younger, much less impressive sister. Sarah was more than a sister to her, she was a mother, a teacher, a nurse, a best friend; a hero. She wanted nothing more than to be like her sister, going so far as to imitate her training.

Aella's devotion to her sister was what made losing her so life-shattering. Her whole world came crashing down one night when a horrifying aberration crept forth from some forgotten hell to ravish the town. Half the town was wiped out within an hour, and it was only Sarah's bravery which prevented the rest from facing a similar fate. Come morning, a small troupe of paladins in shining armour came thundering in on horses to slay the beast with steel and holy retribution.

Aella emerged from where Sarah had hidden her away, tired and teary-eyed. When she asked for her sister, none could fine the heart to look her in the eye. Nothing remained of Sarah but her sword and her trademark red scarf, which she clutched to her chest like a child. One of the paladins, Maxwell, gave her his consolations, apologizing. They had been hot on the monster's heels for days now, refusing to rest or eat, but even still they had been too late. They came from a sect of paladins, named the Order of Ashes, which hunted specifically for aberrations, such as this one. As Maxwell turned to leave, she clutched his hand, a fiery determination oozing into the void that had been left by her sister's recent death. She vowed at that moment to never let something so horrible happen to someone else ever again. The rest is history.