Sonia Orissa, the Iron Admiral

---

You may not like how I run things. You may not enjoy the orders I exact. But like it or not, you did not join my navy to be a laggard. And if you thought so, you'll find the consequences of that very quick.

~ Sonia Orissa ~

---

Tests of Authority

House Orissa understood authority.
In the Tenelean Empire, this family was well below others of higher nobility. Seats of power were very uncommon for an Orissa, and none held more than a tinge of sway over the social distribution of luxuries and fame.
The feeling of kneeling beneath others at every corner frustrated Sonia. As an elven house, it had stood for many centuries before her, but little had come of it. As she got older, the drive to change that grew with her.
As a youth, she looked for every way that could earn her some form of authority. She sought to earn connections with other houses of Enendale. She searched for trade systems she could align herself with or even start herself. In most cases, she even bossed around her two younger brothers just to feel that rush of power.
Each of her efforts made little impact, because House Orissa was still mocked by members of other noble households. Her brothers had left to become butlers for other families, and her parents resigned to focus on maintaining their only connection with a seafarers guild.
After many long conversations with her mother and father, she steered herself in their direction too, defeated.

For years to come, she worked within the guild, repairing, outfitting, and at some points sailing the vessels that purchased services. That drive must never have left her, because her impulse to press orders and assume a leadership role on a boat quickly spread her name through the sea.
Sonia was a fast growing first mate to any ship that hired her.
Despite the many who were hesitant to request her ministration, the late high-admiral of the empire's navy, Kaeso Cominious certainly wasn't. On that day that Sonia was approached by him with armed guards at his back, she lost her composure for a moment.

He admired her capability to lead and not shy away from a decision to be made, along with her ableness and expertise concerning ship handling. He offered to recruit her aboard his imperial flag ship, the Thriamvos, as a bosun.
She saw the hope of making House Orissa something more rising again. This was a second chance the Cosmic Warrior was giving her, and she took it upon her yes to the admiral.
The name of the female bosun recruited on the spot to the Thriamvos quickly spread through the empire. With it, the name of House Orissa expanded too. Traditionally, the empire would have required many years of extensive training, but Kaeso steered around it by training Sonia personally.
For the years to come, she spent more time on the Thriamvos than she did on land. Letter hawks became her most recurring form of communication with her family. Though she never smiled, her heart rejoiced whenever she heard of the new privileges House Orissa earned. Nobles no longer mocked her family, but she knew in order to keep it that way, her demeanor must never leave.
And that would be tested on the break of war.

The War of Turmoil

In 1,520 AC , the imperial army pounced the lands of the west, north, and east, and the navy thrust into the seas in the south to meet their Ravennian foes time and time again. Sonia steeled herself for every fight, even though a potent fear always lurked inside her. But, she remained beside the admiral as yet another naval engagement began.
But in this fight, one ship picked and pestered at the Thriamvos from a distance over and over. It did little against them, though Kaeso grew very agitated. As the ships spread out, he ordered the Thriamvos intercept and sink that vessel as a show of utter dominance.
Even though Sonia reveled in the empire's weaponized advantage over the Ravennian galiots, she failed to notice when the Thriamvos had become isolated. Even with its firepower, the ship was surrounded, outmanned, and out-gunned.
For once, she gave no orders as the flag ship was bombarded relentlessly from catapults and ballistae. Worst of all, she witnessed the death of admiral Kaeso Cominious in this explosion of destruction. Dread filled her, but knew the empire couldn't suffer any more damage.
A rage-filled bravado overcame that dread and, throwing imperial acclamations aside, took command of the flag ship. With a fury more frightening than the Ravennian artillery, the Thriamvos struck back, firing and sinking two adjacent ships in one volley.
With a brief opening, Sonia barked her orders at the surviving crew to sail, and the flag ship quickly maneuvered its way out of the Ravennian encirclement, soon shielded by the rest of the imperial fleet. Docking in to port evenings later, Sonia Orissa was honored with Kaeso's naval medals, and soon awarded his position and seat on the Court of Civilius by the emperor himself.
Through her efforts, the empire's sea was now under her command. Grieved still by Kaeso's death, she vowed to carry on his legacy. Never once would she let her rule slip. For she did, and would continue to do all this in the name of House Orissa.

The Great War of Westerin

Almost half a century later after the end of the War of Turmoil, war found its way into Sonia's life once again as the entire continent once again went to war with the Tenelean Empire. But, Sonia looked at it with the same amount of bravery she had had many years ago.

Stationed on Dauphin, the Iron Armada alongside the rest of the imperial navy was set to launch a full-scale assault all across the Ravennian coastlines and absolutely decimate it. However, the Sirens hit the fleets while they were in port at Goldstone in a coordinated surprise attack. The strike left many ships too damaged to leave port, but worst of all Sonia was captured after an explosion from cannon fire knocked her out.
She was shipped to the Heartless Cove, where the plan was to bring Sonia east into the hands of a terrible man known as Dr. Strife von Stauer. However, an elite group from Tenelea known as the Tenelean Incursors broke into the cove and successfully rescued her out of the pirates' clutches.

---

You might take my ship. You might take my waters. You might even take every city of this plane-damned empire. But there is one thing I will never allow to be pilfered. The honor of my house.

~ Sonia Orissa ~

---

Year of Birth

1232 AC

The Tailwind Cutlass

Her success in the rescuing of the empire's flag ship, the Thriamvos, earned her more than prestige, medals, and the admiral rank. Not long after entering this throne of power, Sonia was gifted a powerful blade by the Imperial Court as a signature weapon.
Said to be an artifact discovered by the Tenelean Inquisitors, Sonia learned it was more than just a polished cutlass. On the contrary, it held the power to manipulate the wind around her. Mastering her control over it, the wind takes any shape she chooses.
The sword alone makes a ship the fastest in the sea, can send multiple foes flying overboard at once, and can even divide the air, creating pockets of unbreathable space.

Sorry won't be the only thing you feel for crossing me.

~ Sonia Orissa

Pirate Rivalry

Admiral Orissa's most recent assignments finds her stationed at the island port city of Goldstone.
A Tenelean settlement found on the edge of the Silver Piece Collective, Sonia uses its location as a chokepoint for both Ravenna and the SPC. Through the various ships of the Iron Armada, she patrols ever inch of the sea around Goldstone, apprehending pirates who squabble with Tenelean might, and keeping Ravennian vessels from ever coming too close.
Between both regions, Sonia shares a particularly heinous rivalry with one of the pirate captains of the SPC. Captain Shadow, real name Jezebel Edge, causes frequent problems for Sonia's ships, often skirmished while at port. Her anger towards him is great as a result, though Jezebel plays it off as a secret love.

It certainly won't be the first thing I feel, my dear Orissa.

~ Captain Shadow

Cosmic Devotions

Zanreer, the Cosmic Warrior is a uniformally worshiped god within the Tenelean Empire. He is as much a god of success as he is a god of conquest. Crowds hail his name in a bold faith, and Sonia Orissa is no different coming from a family name that raised her in the same light.
Though well into her elven years, she shares one stark difference with her beliefs over everyone else's. Common convictions say belief in the Cosmic Warrior is mandatory, and only those who do believe will be alive the day he returns to vanquish the unbelieving world. Sonia's belief instead revolves more around the assurance her family name shall live on rather than the extermination of other societies.
When the Great War of Westerin began, Sonia even cheered, shouting, "He has come near. He has come near! The time is now, my family's eternity begins!" as opposed to everyone else who sang, "His sword is now! The opposed and unbelievers' deaths are at hand.

I despise the empire. But I respect that woman.

~ Richard Boulderdash

Sonia Orissa, The Iron Admiral CR: 12 (8,400 XP)

Medium humanoid (high elf), lawful neutral

Armor Class: 18 (plate)

Hit Points: 169 26d8+52

Speed: 30 ft

STR

18 +4

DEX

16 +3

CON

14 +2

INT

18 +4

WIS

16 +3

CHA

22 +6

Saving Throws: Con +6, Cha +10

Skills: Intimidation +10, Insight +6, Perception +6, Persuasion +10

Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16

Languages: Common (Ravennian, Tenelean), Elvish

Challenge Rating: 12 (8,400 XP)

Spellcasting. Sonia is a 10th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following paladin spells prepared:
1st level (4 slots): command, compelled duel, cure wounds
2nd level (3 slots): aid, lesser restoration
3rd level (2 slots): dispel magic

Fey Ancestry. Sonia Orissa has advantage on Charisma saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put her to sleep.
Imperial Authority (3/day). Any time Sonia Orissa makes a Charisma (Intimidation) or Charisma (Persuasion) check, she may choose to grant herself advantage. This must be done before the roll.
Divine Smite. Anytime Sonia Orissa hits with a melee weapon attack, she may expend a spell slot to deal additional radiant damage to the target. The additional damage equals 2d8 radiant damage for a 1st-level spell slot, plus an additional 1d8 radiant damage for each spell slot above 1st.
Ring of Water-Walking. While Sonia Orissa wears this ring, she can walk upon liquid surfaces like water as if they were solid ground. She is still subject to suffer damage from certain sources (such as acid, lava, etc.).

Actions

Multiattack. Sonia Orissa makes three attacks with her Tailwind Cutlass. She may swap one of those attacks with her hand crossbow.
Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 10 2d6+3 piercing damage.
Tailwind Cutlass. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 2d8+3 slashing damage.
Wind Cutter (holding Tailwind Cutlass). Sonia launches a deadly sharp crescent of wind at a target she can see within 60 feet. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 33 6d10 slashing damage.
Sail Blazer (holding Tailwind Cutlass). Sonia touches a ship with this sword and doubles its travel speed for the next 24 hours.
Galeforce (holding Tailwind Cutlass). The weapon emits a torrent of wind in a 40-foot cone. Each creature inside it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or suffer 22 4d10 bludgeoning damage, be knocked 20 feet away from Sonia, and knocked prone. On a success, a creature takes half as much damage and is not moved or knocked prone.

Reactions

Dexterous Dodge. Sonia adds 3 to her AC against a weapon or spell attack that would hit her, or adds 3 to a Dexterity saving throw she is subjected to.