Swordmother Dafni Noblehorn
Swordmother; Lady of Light's Last Dawn Dafni Thalara Noblehorn (a.k.a. Dawnbreaker)
Dafni Noblehorn is a living legend within Freereach, a battle-worn Satyr who once stood firm against the undead tide of the Second Pandora War. Once a radiant paladin devoted to a forgotten fey deity of sunlight and justice, she has exchanged divine crusades for mentorship and counsel. Now in her twilight years—110 and spry as ever—she serves as the Revel Council’s guiding voice and the settlement’s premier swordfighting instructor. Despite her age, Dafni’s hooves still strike the ground with purpose, her laughter dances through the wind-swept courtyards, and her swordhand remains steady. In her, Freereach finds wisdom honed by both joy and war, a spark of hope against the island’s gloom, and a blade that still sings when drawn.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Elderly but robust; slower than in youth but balanced and deadly in practiced movement
Body Features
Goatlike legs covered in rich auburn fur, now streaked with silver; long horns curled back like a ram’s, engraved with personal runes
Facial Features
Strong cheekbones, sharp chin, smile lines that crinkle like laughter itself; eyes still fierce despite age
Identifying Characteristics
Her left horn bears a crack from a battle with a bone golem; wears a pendant made from Leonin sunmetal around her neck
Physical quirks
Twirls her sword like a conductor’s baton when thinking; hums battle hymns under her breath during sparring
Special abilities
Solar Rebuke – Channeling the last ember of Iroas’s blessing, she can emit a burst of radiant light once per day
Battle Hymn Memory – Remembers the rhythms of battle like song, allowing her to counter telegraphed strikes perfectly
Apparel & Accessories
Wears flowing battle-robes woven with enchanted vines and reinforced leather; her boots are open-hoofed and plated with silvery feysteel. She always carries her sword—Solbless—a radiant longsword inscribed with sun motifs and wrapped in ivy charms
Specialized Equipment
Solbless – A radiant longsword that glows when facing undead; infused with fading solar magic
Banner of the Last Roar – A battle standard once carried by the Ironmane; it rallies allies when unfurled
Wreath of Dawnsong – A silver circlet gifted by Fey spirits, provides resistance to necrotic energies
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Personal History: Born in the sun-dappled hills of Theros, Dafni was trained as a paladin of Iroas, god of valor and righteous combat. She journeyed across the lands with a warband of Ironmane Leonin, sharing in their pride and struggle as both warrior and wanderer. When a planar convergence tore across the heavens, Dafni and the Ironmane were flung into Astrium, their gods’ voices severed, their homeland lost. Despite the rupture of divine connection, Dafni carried on, embodying Iroas’s teachings through action and resolve. She fought beside the Leonin during the Second Pandora War, most notably in the Battle of Cracked Bone Valley and the defense of the Brass Obelisk, where she earned the respect and honorary markings of a Leonin war-sister.
Education
Received spiritual and martial training from a Fey-blessed temple; later studied undead lore and battlefield strategy under Leonin war scholars.
Employment
Currently a swordfighting instructor, council elder, and celebrant of rituals within Freereach’s Revel Council
Accomplishments & Achievements
Led the defense of the Southward Gate during the undead siege of 839
Knighted by the Leonin for heroism in battle despite not being of their kin
Founded the “Sunsteel Path,” a hybrid sword-dance combat style taught in Freereach
Failures & Embarrassments
Lost many dear students during a failed skirmish at Witherwatch Hollow; she still visits their cairns each year.
Briefly doubted her paladin vows during the bleakest days of the war, resulting in a loss of divine connection she never fully recovered
Mental Trauma
Suffers quietly from battlefield grief; sometimes wanders at night reliving past battles in a dazed state
Intellectual Characteristics
Deeply intuitive, passionate speaker, fluent in poetic metaphor, slow to anger but fiercely protective
Morality & Philosophy
Believes joy and art are weapons against despair; follows a personal code of “beauty through strength, peace through resilience.”
Taboos
Will never draw her blade in anger outside of battle
Refuses to kill sentient undead unless absolutely necessary—she sees them as victims, not just monsters
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
To ensure that Freereach becomes a sanctuary of strength, joy, and memory—a place where her people can laugh freely without fearing the dark
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Savvies: Strategy, swordplay, ceremonial rites, battlefield speeches
Ineptitudes: Bureaucracy, fine detail work, any form of quiet diplomacy
Likes & Dislikes
Likes: Sunrises, dance duels, wine from Whisperleaf vines, Leonin chants
Dislikes: Cowardice cloaked in logic, undead corruption, silence in communal spaces
Virtues & Personality perks
Courage, generosity, resolve, humility
Vices & Personality flaws
Pride in combat, refusal to rest, stubborn adherence to ritual
Personality Quirks
Whistles while sharpening her blade; arranges her students’ shoes when they leave them untidy
Hygiene
Meticulously clean—believes ritual cleansing is part of preparing for battle
Representation & Legacy
Dafni is remembered as a living bridge between Theros and Astrium, Leonin and Satyr, joy and war. Her teachings have inspired generations of warrior-poets, and her sword will likely be enshrined when she falls.
Social
Reign
Co-leader of Freereach since 850
Contacts & Relations
Fleetmaster Korrin Starcharge – Respectful peer, former wartime ally
Eros Flamefur – Leonin tactician who refers to her as “Old Spark”
Flicker Truespark – Fellow Revel Council member; Dafni calls her “The Hearthlight”
Family Ties
None known by blood, though many Leonin and Satyr call her kin
Religious Views
Formerly a paladin of Iroas (God of Victory, War, and Honor though cut off from her god, she lives by his ideals and commemorates him in ritual
Social Aptitude
Warm, magnetic presence; excels in rousing speeches and ceremonial leadership
Mannerisms
Holds her hands behind her back when thinking; always bows before giving a lesson
Hobbies & Pets
Sword dancing, war poetry, storytelling, brewing spiced teas, sculpting small wooden figurines
Speech
Rhythmic and metaphorical; she often speaks in structured cadences or repeats ancient sayings in Leonin.
Wealth & Financial state
Lives modestly, though she refuses no gifts; her true wealth lies in students and stories
Current Status
Preserve Freereach’s cultural spirit, train the next generation of sword-bearers, and act as spiritual and strategic advisor in defense against undead resurgence.
Current Location
Species
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Elder Swordmother, Dawnbreaker, Blade-Kin of the Ironmane
Age
110
Date of Birth
4th Veritas 771
Birthplace
Twilight Glade, Theros
Children
Current Residence
A vine-draped villa in Willowgrove, half-built into a large, hollowed tree with enchanted wards and stained-glass windows depicting Fey legends
Sex
Female
Eyes
Bronze-gold, flecked with green, bright and expressive
Hair
Long, once a fiery copper, now silver-streaked and braided with gold thread and tiny flowers
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Tawny, weathered by age and sun, with light scars across her arms and collar
Height
5'7"
Weight
135 lobs
Quotes & Catchphrases
“If you cannot sing, strike. If you cannot strike, stand. If you cannot stand, smile.”
“If you cannot sing, strike. If you cannot strike, stand. If you cannot stand, smile.”
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