Valeria Wintrish's page

Valeria is still out in the practice field, seeming to not even notice the arrival or passing of the inclement weather. Her drills throw a shimmering display of nearly blinding light reflected from the newfound sun, as rivulets of water flow and splash over her shining mithril armor and cast glimpses of rainbows through the air around her. Kantaria preens underneath the eaves of a nearby building.

"The blade and the noose are mercy compared to drowning or many of the other traps I've encountered. If necessary, I would deliver justice myself before allowing those dangers to follow their course. But a stymied execution denies any victims the closure they deserve and fails to serve an example and deterrent to other potential offenders. Lastly, it's simply a matter of duty."

"Who..? Everyone! From the rich philanthropist to the pickpocket. All deserve to face what the future may bring them, or to strive to redeem themselves after they've paid for their crimes. It's easy to save a good man. It's a much harder thing to save a convict from an accidental death trap so that you might see him to his lawful execution, but it's still the right thing to do." Valeria speaks as though she's done exactly that before.

Valeria mulls over how to respond to Azadeh while idly watching Erik's exchange with his companion. "Young Lady, if you seek a more existential answer, you need look no further than this gentleman to find an example of a defender. To defend is to take action to prevent unjust harm from coming to another."

Valeria frowns at her student's lack of utter dedication. You'll find that I am far more forgiving than the demons and monsters that plague this world!" Her expression softens a miniscule amount as she looks over at Kantaria. "That's enough for today. Practice it, master it, turn it into a reflex, and it will save your life. It's funny you mention the Jistkans again, because that very routine kept safe from the attacks of the golems defending a Jistkan repository I secured two years back. Yes, we have dealings with Jistkan relics and sites regularly." As she relates her experience, she steps back to let Voren put her through his own routines.

"Doing good is a personal matter. I do my part by protecting citizens from bandits and outlaws. Lately, I have been establishing Hellknight relations with Mendev, to aid their efforts in defeating the demons of the Worldwound. I've also been taking an active hand in putting down demons myself, of course. Through the grace of the Inheritor, I also take turns in healing the sick and wounded, when able."

Valeria barks out a quick laugh. "You wouldn't be too far off with "Jistkan Equestrian." The Hellknight ranks are based on ancient Jistkan military structure. Now, repeat what I do. Follow my motions and replicate them precisely."
Valeria begins to move through a series of defensive maneuvers with practiced ease, expecting Azadeh to follow along. Once she has repeated them three times, she pauses to watch Azadeh. At even the slightest deviation from form, she lashes out with an open mailed hand. The stoked correct the form, but sting. "Six thousand more repetitions and you may start to get the hang of it."

Valeria sizes up the newly arrived young woman before hopping lightly down off of her mount. Despite the bulk of the armor, she seems to move with an inner grace, and the armor flows with her as if it's a second skin. She pats the bird and whispers something to her, at which point Kantaria coos softly and struts off to sit down in the shade. Valeria walks over to Azadeh. "So, you're looking to learn something about combat? Can I assume that will be more along the lines of how not to get hit, than how to hit hard? If that's the case, I can put you through a few drills."

"I am sure he is attempting to paint all Hellknight orders with the same brush, as a small handful do act as thugs for the Thrune government. They are in the minority, however, and each order independently maintains its own goals, edicts, and operations. All are primarily concerned with maintaining orderly society against the destructive forces of chaos. My Order of the Nail protects Varisia and the surrounding regions against the predations of bandits, monsters, and uncivilized barbarians."

She turns back to Erik. "I met Madam Saiville and Madam Legacy here at the Grand Lodge. We discussed some of the finer points of mounted combat, as I recall."

The Hellknight shrugs. "It's a reminder to follow the rules they should have been taught as children. Don't take that which isn't yours. Don't hurt one another. I'm part of an order that has proven remarkably effective in protecting the innocent from the depredations of the wicked and the barbaric, those who don't follow the rules." She holds up an iron icon hanging from a chain around her waist, fashioned as a longsword within a sunburst of iron nails. "My Lady has chosen this path for me, and I keep faith with her. As she does for me."

She gives a wry grin as she pats the axebeak on the head, and it coos softly in return. "Well met, Sir Thunderhoof. This is Kantaria. Yes, the armor is designed to evoke fear. A scared enemy is a less effective enemy. And for those who lack the conviction of the truly wicked, a stern word can send them back to the proper path without the need for escalation."

The Hellknight turns to intensely regard the centaur for a few seconds, silently letting his challenge hang in the air. Finally the helmeted head nods, seemingly satisfied, and says "Stand down, sir." Reaching up, the knight takes off the helmet, revealing the face of a young woman with pale blue skin and cropped black hair. Her face is crisscrossed with numerous angry pink scars that don't seem to be fully healed. The red pinpricks of her eyes resolve into red irises in moving geometric patterns around her dark pupils.
"Or is that how we greet fellow members of the crusade these days? I am Hellknight Wintrish, of the Order of the Nail."
She urges her axebeak forward and extends her hand. "I must admit, I'm surprised to see a centaur within the walls of the Grand Lodge. If you fight half as well as Blademistress Vox though, you shall be a great boon to our cause."

"If you truly meant no offense, sir, you would have held your tongue. Impressive defense, nonetheless."

Valeria crosses her arms over her breastplate and continues to watch the cavalry maneuvers.

"I shall take that under advisement, although she rarely comes under attack. I tend to be the more immediately threat, especially to the demons that we typically face. When she does get caught up in area attacks, she is far more resilient to the attacks than most animals, by the grace of the Inheritor. And as far as communications goes, she's quite intelligent. She understands us perfectly well," Valeria continues as she reaches up to ruffle Kantaria's feathers, "although sometimes she pretends not to. Thank you for the advice, madam. We will practice what you've recommended. A demonstration would be a great honor"

Valeria bristles a bit when Twillika refers to her as "sir." "Hellknight Wintrish will do, please. Or dame."

She gestures to include Remus. "I've spent quite a time now fighting in the Worldwound, yes, and we are no strangers to battle. But while mounted my technique is rudimentary, little better than swatting at enemies as Kantaria barrels through them. You and your steeds act as one, clearly able to maneuver and strike with great synergy. I would learn that."

She hefts her fiendish helmet and looks at it. "In regard to scaring enemies, I have found that fear is a very powerful tool. The first hint of fear in an enemy makes him a less effective combatant, making him less likely to harm you and your allies, and more susceptible to magical influence. If you can scare an enemy to the point that they lose the will to fight, then you've won the battle without bloodshed."

The Hellknight doffs her helmet, revealing short black hair atop a heavily scarred, blue-skinned face. Tiny spikes rise where her left eyebrow should be, and her red eyes have pupils that shift and move in disconcerting fractal patterns.

"Hellknight Valeria Wintrish, Order of the Nail. This is Kantaria. Well met. I will admit, my mounted combat lacks refinement and I'd wish to learn from these masters here. In return, I can offer guidance on attacking in ways that will instill fear in the hearts of your enemies, methods that Hellknights have learned from Horned Devils."

Shackleborn Hellknight Paladin of Iomedae
Being a member of the society allows me a certain degree of latitude to expand the influence of the Nail. Officially, I act as a liaison between the Order of the Nail and the Society. On a personal note, the Society sanctions my crusades against the demons of the worldwound in a way that the Nail would never be able to.

In PFS, role-playing requirements for prestige classes (like killing a demon in front of a hellknight) are waived.

I have a Shining Knight Paladin of Iomedae 6/Oracle 1/ Hellknight of the Nail 3 who absolutely idolized Maidrayne Vox. She's a lot of fun, but if I made her again now I'd definitely go with a 2 handed weapon over sword and board. You don't really get enough feats to do twf sword and board effectively, so I have to two-hand the longsword if I really want to do appreciable damage.

"From the Society's perspective, we made our drive to Jormurdun, slew demon armies along the way, and I dragged Tancred Desimire back to Absalom from its very gates. Unfortunately, because of that I missed out on the excitement I heard about within the sky citadel. As for Mendev, I can't say as I haven't been back for a few months. I can't see much more of an organized push from the Society in the future, as much as it's needed."

Hellknight Valeria Wintrish. Who are you a follower of, little one?

"My Lady Avelina, Agent Vadim, have you been to Cheliax? You seem quick to judge the populace by the actions of a few, decades ago. But a nation is more than its rulers. I think we can agree that there is significant need and opportunity to do good works in my homeland, but the light of the Inheritor still shines upon her own place of birth even through the clouds. There are many goodly folk within our borders, and all find themselves well defended against the predations of the criminals and savages found elsewhere throughout Avistan. Like anywhere, you will find the righteous and you will find scum. Not unlike Mendev, with holy crusaders alongside legions of the lowest of the low templars, there by any means but choice. But you speak of 'being civilized.' You know that you can trust a Chelaxian to uphold her end of a contract, for better or worse. Is civilization not built upon social contracts between us all?"

Petty thievery is the least of my worries when full tribes of savages, cannibals, and monsters threaten the existence of whole towns.

Valeria eyes Vadim and Rhon with what seems like a bit of effort, then glances at her Wayfinder and shrugs.

Well met, sirs. Hellknight of the Nail Valeria Wintrish of Westcrown, daughter and former heir of Baron Marcianus Wintrish. Favored of House Thrune and of Magnimar, Defender of Nerosyan, Savior of Nesting Swallow, Runeslayer. By the grace of the Inheritor, Warden to the goodly folk of Golarion against the lawless wilds. Motioning to the axebeak figuring again, and of course the brave Kantaria, of Shokuro.

Valeria smirks at Vadim's comment and stands.

Thank you, Avelina. I don't fault you for your vigilance. The armor is quite effective at its job of sowing fear into the hearts of the unrighteous.

She sheathes her sword, slips her tail back under her robes, and places her axebeak figurine on a table as she takes a seat.

You may have even seen me in service to Mendev, though I don't think you look familiar. I was in Nerosyan during the demon horde's attack, and I took up sword against their vile attack. Just recently, I seized that filth Desimire from the heart of the Worldwound.

Valeria runs her gauntleted fingers over the sunburst of nails on her holy symbol. The gauntlet has a white cloth trailing from it embroidered in gold with yet another Iomedaean holy symbol. I've been trying to rally more troops from the Order of the Nail to assist in the defense of Mendev. It's the premiere place to fight against the ravening hordes of chaos, to defend a shining bastion of civilization against the darkness. Blademistress Vox seems to support the cause, and the Lictor has allowed me and several other Hellknights our own leave, but he's yet to throw in his full support. There are threats to the settled, good-hearted, law-abiding citizens of Golarion creeping through the shadows the world over.

She gives Avelina a nod. And we get back to being ever-vigilant.

Valeria takes off her helmet, revealing blue face covered in scars and tattoos and small spines sticking up over red glowing eyes.

I've served three masters for far too long: My Lady the Inheritor, Lictor DiViri, and Paracountess Dralneen. I have ffulfilled my final duties to the last, in delivering the villain Tancred Desimire live, to her feet, bound in the manacles sshe gifted me upon her rescue. But now she no longer serves the interests of law or of my fair homeland, and so Iomedae has guided me here.

She drops to a knee and bows her head. Her tail snakes out from beneath her robes, revealing a brilliantly glowing tattoo of Iomedae's sword which lights up the room. She draws he sword and presents it, pulling out a small figurine of an axebeak in devilish armor and presenting it in her other hand.

And so I pledge my sword, myself, and my noble steed Kantaria to the service of the Silver Crusade.

Mine shines bright, as a beacon of order in the untamed wilds.

Khara Thrust wrote:

I honestly expected more raised eyebrows for my tail-wagging, cloven hoofed horned tiefling paladin of Iomedae. So far received none.

That's because everybody and their mom made a character like that as soon as The Year of the Demon started.

Hey, my feet are normal. Aaand I've been with the society since all that Lissala business started. I have noticed this trend too though. It's wonderful that so many of my brethren are defying the darkness in their hearts. I am utterly shocked though at how many of these tieflings were found in the wilds, abandoned by fey...there must be a breeding ground out there run by an alliance of fiends and fey. How...uncivilized. This may warrant aggressive investigation.

While my sword is a fine tool, it follows the will of the Inheritor and is not truly my own. My armor is where I shine through not as a Paladin of Iomedae, but as Valeria Wintrish, Knight of the Nail. It is my bastion against the terrors of this world and beyond, as I serve as a bastion for goodly folk against the depredations found within the untamed wilds. The devilish designs of my armor match those of the rest of my order in striking fear into the hearts of criminals, but it also echoes my own fiendish malformities. By the same token, its mithril shines bright in the darkness and reveals the goodness that can be found in the least likely of places. My armor is truly an outward expression of my own soul.

Valeria has a set of +2 mithril Hellknight plate that is her pride and joy. Worth the expense? Mechanically, probably not. Badass and fitting for the character? Totally. In that same vein, next up on the menu is a silver floating halo to boost her already astronomical saving throw bonuses even higher.

I would recommend honorable Cheliax, but despite the Paracountess's constant references to delicious flesh morsels, she has yet to provide any refreshments. I'm beginning to suspect that she may be lying about them.

The Paracountess generously gifted me with a finely crafted pair of mithral manacles. I applaud her contribution to my efforts to pacify dangerous criminal scum, but I must admit that I was rather surprised by her glee at giving them to me. She's never shown such fervency towards upholding goodly ideals.

I'll echo a lot of what's been said here. I'll add too that even in the Cheliax faction, I was never called on to do anything that outright violated my code as a paladin of Iomedae or Hellknight of the Order of the Nail. That being said, faction missions during every mission have been phased out, and for season 5 I am very leery of the Paracountess's intentions with the valiant defenders of Nerosyan.

Mechanically, Valeria is a Shining Knight Paladin 5/Order of the Nail Hellknight 3/Lore Oracle (legalistic/sidestep secret) 1. Legalistic works really well with being a hellknight. Boon companion for a full-level Axebeak mount with the order of the Nail's Onslaught makes for some fun charges. Smite Evil + Smite Chaos + Gauntlet of the Inheritor's Evil Outsider Bane + Cornugon Smash + Ancestral Scorn is going to be making the whole Worldwound cry this season.

I'm a little torn between the Silver Smite Bracelets and Bracers of the Avenging Knight. The bracers are cheaper, but I believe would boost both the paladin AND hellknight smites. But the bracelets would add an extra smite per day...might be worth it.

One last note to The Morphling....make sure you have a copy of the Inner Sea World Guide to get access to the prestige class. It's pretty clear that that isn't where you've been researching it, since you used the d20pfsrd's altered nomenclature.

The tiefling nods at the departing gnome and responds, "Perhaps this episode with the waffle will teach you about judging things harshly, simply because they appear to be tainted at first glance."

Valeria takes some stock of the delivery from the Osiriani. "Well, Ivan, does this settle things? I think I would like to try a waffle. With..with chocolate. That is, unless you do in fact have Kantarian doughnuts. Umm..and I shall take care of this good warrior's order as well." She motions to the gnomish paladin and offers him a casual salute, subtly pointing to the iron hairpin in her hair, a sword on a sunburst.

She regards the young Chelaxian grimly, "Me, madam? I was but part of a large force of pathfinders who repelled a massive demon incursion from the city. The hordes were led by demons and cultists possessed of legendary speed and cunning. I have never seen anything quite like it before, and it does not bode well that such creatures are clawing themselves out of the Worldwound. I'm sure that any assistance you could provide would help defend against the next attack. I'm certain there will be more coming."

I've only been adding the attack bonus once when stacking these. It's your straight charisma bonus, and ability bonuses don't stack with themselves last I checked.

The hellknight takes off her helmet, revealing a young tiefling covered in scars.
"I am a servant of divine justice, knave, by the Light of the Sword. My authority extends wherever I am needed to combat lawlessness and defend those who are innocent of wrongdoing. The Inheritor's Justice does not falter at borders apt to change over petty squabbles. That said, I'm not here to kill anyone. We're talking about waffles here, after all. Now, Ivan, are you satisfied with this resolution? You may be entitled to a share of the profits."

"Well...I think this demands my attention."

Valeria grins at the mention of demons. "Eradicating demons? There's a noble cause if ever there was one. I've recently returned from defending the good people of Nerosyan from a new demonic incursion. I expect I'll be heading back there again soon."

"This is still sounding like a confectionary...the important question is though, do you sell Egorian...or even better, Kantarian doughnuts?"

The hellknight doffs her helmet, revealing the heavily scarred, light blue face of an otherwise pretty young tiefling.

"Making sure everything is in order here. We can't have this fine bastion of civilization descending into..." she eyes Bob and Ogre for a moment Savagery. But I really didn't have any reason to believe anyyhing was amiss either until that little evasion with the "alchemist's shop" bit. So now, good proprietor, you have my...cusiosity."

A few months ago I was as adventuring with a pretty interesting party. I met a noble young cavalier, and we were pretty excited about being in an outdoor adventure, with high hopes of getting some mounted charges off together. A few encounters in, it started to look really promising. A long, flat beach with some nasty looking undead horse things at the opposite end. We're all set to charge in, and then suddenly notice a couple very attractive young maidens off in the water calling out to us. Who were we to refuse? I, as a noble and chaste crusader of Iomedae, merely wanted to save the two, who seemed to be in dire straights. My companion, I suspect, may have had more carnal motives in mind. So we hopped off our mounts and dove into the water to save them. A few dozen yards into the water, it hit me that these ladies didn't seem to be struggling with the water at all. In fact, they werent even ladies! They were hideous horse beasts, and they had me under some sort of enchantment! Fortunately for me, I am just as nimble encased in my hellknight armor as I am in the suit I was born in, so the water wasn't much of a problem. Unfortunately for the cavalier, his armor was not made from mithral, he was 10 ft underwater, and he was still moving toward the beasts! I glanced back towards shore and saw that our party had the situation back there well in hand, so I drew my sword and surged forward to help the cavalier. At this point, had had shrugged off the enchantment and was fighting off one of the hideous monsters, and one of our companions flew by to assist him in dispstching it with her pistols. There was still one left though, and what happened next I will never forget. Our druid onshore summoned up a shark underneath the cavalier. He grabbed on, pulled out his lance, and together they surged toward the remaining beast. They crashed together with relentless force and when it was done, the creature was impaled upon the lance and the shark was savaging what was left. The shark was soon gone, and I helped the triumphant cavalier back to shore. Although I didn't manage to complete a charge atop my own mighty steed during that mission, the cavalier succeeded so spectacularly that it wad more than good enough for the both of us.

Valeria shifts in her gleaming Hellknight armor and regards Iorden with a look of pity. "The circumstances of the crimes do not absolve anyone of the consequences of their actions, sir." Her expression turns hard for a moment and her eyes almost flash as she gives him a hard, probing stare for a few seconds, but this softens before she continues. "Taking back what was stolen may not require the death of the thief, but the pillars of our society demand that they be disciplined. I would be overjoyed if they surrendered the evidence and faced their punishment willingly, but I am not so naive as to expect such an outcome. Now, I must be off. While piracy is universally reviled, local statutes vary on the specific punishments they require. I must research the available options."

Valeria shoots a sidelong glance down the street. "That's uh...is that someone jaywalking down there? I should..go....HALT! Wrongdoer!" She hustles off down the street away from the crazy gnome to thoroughly investigate this heinous crime.

"Iorden, what is it in the form of a monster that matters? These pirates may be men, or they may not, but they have willfully committed piracy on the high seas. Are those who seek to murder innocents and steal the livelihood from those who can't defend themselves not monsters regardless of their form?" Valeria grasps the gold dragon tooth hanging from her belt. "Any being, no matter how you perceive their form, can harbor a twisted and vile heart. We must be vigilant against such foes. But likewise, there is a potential for good. Would you strike me down as a monster simply because my blood is tainted by the servants of the Prince of Pain? That would make you no better than those who would run you out of town for an act of self-defense. Trust me, I know the persecution that can be found at the hands of the masses. It is a failure of a just system of laws. And I admire your restraint. But there are uncountable evils in this world that beat away at the foundations of civilization, and I intend to stand up against those evils and take them to account for their actions."

"I applaud your good deeds, Osbjörne of the North, but where is the further evidence of his return? I hesitate to presume to know the will of the gods, but I find it unusual that the return of a dead god would not be heralded with more fanfare. Would he not make himself known to the clergy of She who inherited his own goodly domains? Perhaps, my friend, it was the Lady of Luck who was smiling upon you that day."

Thomas, if we must do this for anyone, it is for the weak that these savages seek to prey on. If the brigands think that the shadow of the waves can protect them from the light of justice, they are woefully mistaken. They will find that my armor is not be my coffin in the deep, but rather the swift agency of their own damnation. May the Inheritor guide our hands, and may I cleave true to the authority vested in me by the Order of the Nail.

A pretty but heavily scarred young woman with light blue skin approaches the small gathering. Under her black and red robes, she is encased in gleaming mithral armor heavily ornamented with horns, spikes, and other devilish motifs. An iron holy symbol of Iomedae hangs at her waist alongside a gold-plated dragon's tooth.

"Sir Gnome, I feel you may be unfortunately misinformed about your deity. I am pleased that you seek to retake the wild though! It is most noble to strike down the brigands and savages that seek refuge in the wilds and strike at good, civilized folk. Fight for order and righteousness! Cull the chaos that lurks outside the bounds of settled lands!"

My network is revealing further infiltration of the detestable Varisian crime families, as well as Grandmaster Torch's organi--

Yes, Sir, I'm sure you have it well in hand.

This is a dire breach of security, and it must be fully investigated. I've confirmed the vulnerability through my own contacts.

Well, my squire has informed me that the Paracountess saw my portrait and insisted on having it finished, to commemorate the daring mission in which I rescued her from REDACTED. I'm fairly fond of the end result, if I do say so.

Exactly! That's what I've been doing for a while now and it's been working out pretty well.