Jetta Stahle's page

AC 26, touch 12, flat-footed 22, (+10 armor, +1 deflection, +1 Dex, +1 natural, +3 shield)
HP 74 (7d10+28)
Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +5; +1 vs. trample attacks
Defensive Abilities light fortification, stand firm +1

Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 cold iron halberd +12/+7 (1d10+6/x3)
or +1 vicious heavy mace +11/+6 (1d8+6)
Ranged masterwork composite longbow (+1) +9/+4 (1d8+1/x3)
Special Attacks ready pike 1/day, smite chaos 1/day (+2 attack and AC, +2 damage)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th)
At will—detect chaos
5/day—discern lies (DC 16)

Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 14
Base Atk +7, CMB +10, CMD 22; +1 vs. bull rush, overrun, and trip
Feats Cornugon Smash, Intimidating Prowess, Phalanx Formation, Power Attack, Toughness, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (halberd), Weapon Specialization (halberd)
Traits Bloody-Minded, Indomitable Faith, Trustworthy
Drawbacks Unlearned
Skills Climb +7 (+2 in armor), Craft (carpentry) +4, Diplomacy +8, Handle Animal +6, Intimidate +14 (+15 to demoralize an opponent), Knowledge (local) +4, Knowledge (history) +0, Knowledge (planes) +0, Linguistics +5, Perception +6, Profession (soldier) +8, Ride +5 (+0 in armor), Sense Motive +6, Survival +6 (+8 with survival kit), Swim +7 (+2 in armor)
Languages Common (Taldane), Giant, Goblin, Infernal, Orc, Shoanti, Varisian
SQ aura of law (strong), Hellknight armor 1, phalanx fighting, Order of the Nail
Magical Gear +1 cold iron halberd, +1 hellknight plate, +1 light fortification heavy steel shield, +1 vicious heavy mace, amulet of natural armor +1, cloak of resistance +1, everburning torch, potion of cure light wounds (6), ring of protection +1
Mundane Gear alchemist's fire (2), antitoxin, battle mask, bedroll, belt pouch, blanket, chalk, crowbar, earplugs, flint and steel, folding shovel, grappling hook, hemp rope (50 ft.), iron pot, masterwork composite longbow (+1) with 40 arrows, masterwork backpack, masterwork silver heavy mace, masterwork survival kit, mess kit, rations (5), sacks (3), saw, soap, soldier's uniform, waterskin, whetstone

1174 gp, 9 sp, 9 cp

combat-trained heavy horse (a black stallion named Ruel), feed (10), military saddle, saddlebags

Height: 6′1″ (187 cm) Weight: 176 lbs. (80 kg)

Jetta is a tall, imposing young woman. She is of mostly Chelaxian descent, though her build suggests some Ulfen heritage. Practical in her grooming, she keeps her unevenly shorn black hair tied back to stop it from getting in her eyes. Said eyes are likewise dark in colour, a reddish brown bordering on black depending on the lighting. Her pale face is plain, serious, and criss-crossed with scars of past battles. Carrying herself like a soldier despite the weight, she is clad in the distinctive plate armor of the Order of the Nail: a breastplate decorated with a fiendish face, and a helm bearing forward-facing horns. A blood-red cloak is draped across her broad shoulders. Her shield is emblazoned with a sunburst of nails, gold on crimson. She fights wielding a halberd in one hand, a frightening weapon of black iron inscribed with glowing infernal runes.

While Jetta makes for as threatening a figure as any Hellknight, anyone looking for a heartless monster under the fearsome façade would likely be disappointed. Young and full of zeal, she is still a far cry from a jaded veteran. Not an idealist by any means, she nevertheless retains some sense of youthful innocence despite her allegiance. Fully dedicated to her cause, she believes that society at large genuinely benefits from a strict rule of law. She is honest to a fault, and is not afraid to speak her mind—at least in the company of equals or subordinates. While her frankness sometimes rubs people the wrong way, many come to appreciate her unflinching dedication to the truth. She tends to view the world through a practical lens, leaving philosophy to philosophers. This simple worldview has served her well as a rank-and-file soldier, but sometimes it is at odds with her grander ambitions. She has the force of personality to become a great leader, but is often held back by her intellectual shortcomings.

Unlike some of her peers, Jetta does not think that Chelaxians are inherently superior to other races. Having been brought up in a fairly accepting environment, she embraces the more meritocratic values inherent in the Hellknight creed: if a centaur can become the Mistress of Blades of her order, so can a Shoanti or a Varisian be led towards the path to civility and lawful order. Most Chelaxians simply have the benefit of being born into a culture which embraces those values, a privilige that many foolishly choose to squander away. She does her best not to make assumptions until given proof—all are equally guilty until proven otherwise. This peculiar sort of tolerance usually stops short of extremely savage and wilfully chaotic races, such as goblins and orcs. Of course, many would see little difference between this purely cultural sense of superiority and the sort practised by her more patriotic comrades. Completely convinced about the justness of her order bringing civilisation to the wild frontiers, she has a genuinely hard time understanding why someone would not want to become 'civilised'.

Jetta was brought up in the faith of Abadar, but has since drifted away from religion altogether. The Judge of Gods still has her respect, but she believes that his worshippers lack the conviction to do what must be done. She views most lawful gods and their servants in the same light, saving her scorn for the chaotic deities. She is ambivalent towards the faith of Asmodeus, finding its adherents too often twist the law to their own purposes. Yet it is in the order of Hell—viewed through the lens of Hellknight ideology—that she has found some measure of certainty about her place in the world. Jetta's general ambivalence toward religion is partially based in her fractured relationship with her parents, who are devout Abadarans. She misses them, but is unwilling to admit that even to herself. According to the Hellknight doctrine, such emotions are a weakness that must be purged. While she has learned to control most of her impulses, these lingering feelings of attachment are a part of what is holding her from reaching her full potential as a merciless herald of order.

Jetta was born to a moderately wealthy middle-class family in Korvosa. Her home is in the district of North Point, where her mother Theresia—a cleric of Abadar—works as an administrative clerk at Longacre Hall. Her father Valdemar is a merchant of partial Ulfen descent, whose ancestors had settled in the city generations before. Thanks to distant familial connections to the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, he imports furs, whale oil, and other northern goods without worry of being harassed by viking raiders. With some astute legal counsel from Theresia, Valdemar has managed to build a stable business. Indeed, their relationship began as purely professional before their mutual respect blossomed into love. The couple had trouble conceiving children, and they took Jetta's birth as a blessing. They knew better than to spoil her, but she was loved.

As an only child, Jetta's parents expected that she would take over the family business. They hoped that she would either learn the merchant's trade from her father, or enter the priesthood as her mother had done. Yet their daughter proved to be spirited child, and had considerable difficulties focusing on her studies. She brimmed with energy, and was seemingly incapable of sitting still. Lacking in academic interest but strong in body, she instead spent her days in more martial pursuits. Only military history would hold Jetta's interest: tales of Chelaxian soldiers forging their way through hordes of savages inspired her like no other. Finally Theresia and Valdemar relented, allowing her to apply for Endrin Military Academy. They thought that a career as an officer was respectable enough, and supported their beloved daughter even as they worried about the continuation of their legacy.

At first, Jetta excelled in her training. She was the best of her class in terms of skill at arms, and received praise from all her instructors. Yet, she continually lagged behind the others in military strategy and other more academic aspects of the curriculum. After a couple of years, her future as an officer seemed ever more unlikely. Frustrated about her own incapability to learn, Jetta became increasingly incapable of focusing on her studies. This did not go unnoticed by the children of nobles who were jealous of her martial prowess, and the people who she bested in sparring matches were quick to point out her flaws to save themselves from the humiliation. Eventually Jetta got into trouble for breaking the nose of a fellow cadet, over insults about her difficulties. The victim was the son of a minor lord, and so she was put on probation for a time. During this time she seriously considered leaving the academy. She had grown disillusioned with the institution, feeling like it was steeped in nepotism and filled with people seeking personal glory over that of their nation. Yet she felt like she had nowhere else to go.

One day, a maralictor from the Order of the Nail arrived at the academy to scout for new talent. This was nothing new: the Hellknights often recruited from both the Korvosan Guard and the Sable Company. As any citizen of Korvosa would, Jetta held a healthy respect for the Hellknights. She had heard people—her parents included—speak of their cruelty, and had never though of joining them. Yet now, she felt like she had nothing to lose by trying. She sought out the maralictor—a severe man named Venn—and asked to know more about the order. Venn told her about their ideology, not sparing the young cadet any of the harsh details. He pointed out the same flaws she had noticed in the academy, and explained that the same issues plagued the whole of society. At first she felt slightly repulsed by what she heard, but after repeated visits she found herself agreeing with the Hellknight.

More than anything, in his words she saw something that she could understand.

Finally Jetta dropped out of the academy, and left for Citadel Vraid with the other hopefuls Venn had gathered. The decision estranged her from her parents, who saw Chelish influence in the region in a far more negative light. This separation hurt Jetta, but she remained resolute. She was one of the only potential armigers that stuck through the initial training, and she was determined to last. The exercises over the next couple of years were gruelling, but the Jetta endured it all. She had far more difficulties with learning the complex codes of law she was supposed know by heart. The lessons the Hellknight taught her were a hundred times more complex than anything she had had to endure before. With the guidance of Venn, she painstakingly forced herself to learn the Measure and the Chain, finding something mercifully simple in the core tenets of the Hellknight ideology. She took comfort in that.

It has been only a few years since Jetta finally earned the righ to become a full-fledged Hellknight, facing down against a summoned barbazu to prove her mettle. She still bears the ragged scars from the encounter, in both body and mind. Yet, she emerged from her trials with her convictions strengthened. As the call went out to Korvosa and its holdings for volunteers to aid in retaking the Bloodsworn Vale, the Order of the Nail took notice. Lictor DiViri was hesitant to lend aid, not knowing how committed the king was to the effort. The aging monarch had been making desperate efforts to leave a legacy worthy of his royal name, with varying success. Regardless, Jetta was quick to volunteer to provide reconnaissance of the operation. Her years of service led her all over the holdings of Korvosa and beyond: chasing Sczarni criminals through the slums of Old Korvosa, putting down bandits preying on trade routes, and combatting the barbarians of the Storval Plateau. Yet in her mind, even a slight chance at retaking such an historically important location would be worth the time spent away from her other duties.

Fortunately, her superiors agreed.