Dilancia

Colonel Dilancia Darnette

A Colonel in the Watch of the Eternal Flame, Dilancia is a fervent adherent to the rigidity of Mastro's Law, even at a cost to her own happiness.

Physical Description

Special abilities

Granted the blessings of the Eternal Flame and acting in his righteous cause, Dilancia is able to create a weapon of pure flame from her hands, in the form of a short sword.

Specialized Equipment

The armor that Dilancia wears is a sight to behold. Having undergone the Rite of Forging five times in her life, the armor that has borne from it has grown stronger, as has her resoluteness and dedication to Mastro. The armor itself has fashioned decorative runes that tell the story and character of it's wearer. Despite it appearing golden in color, the metal itself is stronger than anything made by mortal hands. As the armor is part of her, it grants a great deal of respect within her order, even among those who don't personally know her.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Dilancia was born in an impoverished and crime ridden land. Her family tried the best they could to keep out of the corruption and vileness, which only brought them greater attention. When her parents began to be accosted to pay protection money, they refused, and were quickly dealt with. The violence turned deadly, leaving Dilancia alone in the world as a teenager, with her heart filled with rage. She couldn't let the killers go, but lacked the ability to do anything about it, and so turned for help. Curiously, despite not having had a great deal of faith in her childhood, Dilancia turned to the Gods. She had heard of The Watch of the Eternal Flame and the Holy knights who were comitted to defense of the innocent and the punishment of the unjust and evil. Orphaned and with no other alternative, she was swiftly taken in, and given the opportunity to grow within the religion. The Watch fulfilled her in a way that nothing else in her young life had prior, and more importantly, it kept her feet on the ground. Years later, Dilancia would explain that the greatest lesson she learned was to seek Justice, not Revenge. She would be able to find those responsible for her parents death, but ensured an example of them were made in the lawful authority of the land, limited that it was, rather than killing them.
Not that she was a pacifist. After succeeding in The Rite of Forging, Dilancia led a number of successful missions to fight and destroy the evils of the world, including Demonic cults, the undead, and a brutal tyrant torturing his own people. Quickly showing herself to be not only devout in her faith but a leader, Dilancia was given an unusual task, that would last for several years and affect her in ways she would not yet understand.
The Pontiff of the Watch sought to increase the public's understanding and respect of their faith, and believed a way to do that would be to engage more with nonbelievers. Dilancia was tasked with such a mission. Still comitted to justice and the protection of the innocent, she instead collaborated with a group of mercenary adventurers. The experience taught her much, and allowed her to make friendships she otherwise wouldn't. One that stuck out, for better and worse, was the soldier Fergus Doolyn.
Doolyn had a sharp mind and a good heart, and was someone Dilancia could communicate with in a way that she hadn't with most others. For him, the friendship blossomed and grew into something more, but Dilancia couldn't reciprocate. She was a lesbian, a problematic trait for someone within The Watch. She pushed back against Fergus' advances, and confided her secret with him. Though the rejection was painful for him, he held enough respect and friendship for her to keep her secret. Their platonic relationship was strained further as Fergus marched off for war, something Dilancia and the rest of the adventuring party protested severly. Fergus refused to listen, and Dilancia feared she would never see her friend again. Quietly, she wondered if he would have stayed if only she had tried to make the relationship work.
Leaving the adventuring world aside for a time, she took on a new position of leading a congregation. She was now responsible for the maintaining of the faith of others, to be the leadership she had once received as a teenager. This type of leadership and guidance was difficult for her, especially as she directed her followers to missions. It took her many years of fighting the desire to be personally involved in every mission before she got the knack for it. While serving this role, she was pleasantly surprised that she would eventually see Fergus Doolyn again. Injured with a crippled leg, his adventuring days were over as well. More surprising, was that he found his faith as well, gravitating to Phoenica; the Goddess of Life and Mercy. Dilancia felt hurt at first that this man with whom she had so many discussions of her religion would jump to another church at the first sight, especially Phoenica, but grew to accept it. Watching him move to lead his own congregation as well, she was happy to have her friend back.

Sexuality

Dilancia's desires are at odds with her faith. She was a servant of Mastro and his law since before she had discovered her sexuality violated those rules. Dilancia was attracted to women, fancying a fellow young lady within the Church as well. The Watch forbids homosexual relationships, as one of the first Pontiffs was a lesbian and whose corruption and poor decision making nearly destroyed the religion. Fearing that this meant there was something wrong with her and that she was unfit for the group, she confided in one of her mentors. She was confided that she wasn't a mistake and that she could still serve Mastro, but that there was a lifelong challenge.
As it was expressed to her, there was nothing wrong with being a homosexual or having those desires, just as nobody could be punished solely for thinking about violence or wishing they could kill someone. It's the action that is a violation, and only a violation within The Watch. Though that meant she wouldn't have to surrender her faith or become an apostate, she now held a burden to keep herself out of actual relationships and intimacy. She has kept her self imposed vow of celibacy and lack of attachment sincee than, and has raised a few suspicions over the years.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Dilancia has undergone the Rite of Forging on five separate occasions, something of a record. Though her armor is largely unneeded in her current position as the leading priest of the organization, she believed that undergoing through it again would further temper and improve her resolute faith. There's been some jokes made over the years that Dilancia could stand in the fire of a Red Dragon and live to tell the tale.

Morality & Philosophy

Dilancia, in accordance with her holy order, has an unnuanced understanding of morality and justice. There is right and wrong, good and evil, lawful and illegal. There is little gray area, and what is there must be corrected and clarified. Circumstances can attempt to justify wrong-doings, and should be addressed when a wrong-doer is brought to justice, but no amount of context or circumstance can undo a crime.
Contrary to popular misconception, Dilancia and the members of the watch do not believe that people are inherently bad, nor do they believe that they are inherently good. Their actions and choices through life make that determination, and can only be decided at the end of one's life, in the hands and eyes of Mastro, The Eternal Flame. No good deed absolves them of future guilt or misdeed, and no misdeed or crime maks them immune to future redemption. It is therefore highly imperitive to Dilancia that children be receiving the proper education and raising. Instilling in them a strong moral background now will make the task of The Watch easier in the future, and so she has greatly encouraged outreach to the local community, beyond the enclave of The Watch

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Dilancia's motivation is the same as it was decades ago as a teenager: to see that justice is done, that the innocent and good are protected from the wicked, and that evildoers are punished for their transgressions. Her crusading and adventuring years behind her, she's had to adjust her perspective as to how that's done.
She also hopes that her and her followers can help resolve some of the bad impressions of The Watch from being crazed and zealous militants or terrorists to vigilant and unwavering guardians.

Virtues & Personality perks

One of the most important parts Dilancia has played in her tenure as a leader has been tempering the radicals below and around her. The notion of pulling out evil by the roots before it grows has a popular appeal, but Dilancia reminds her congregation that they are duty bound to only pursue those who have been proven to be wrong doers, and not go after those who are merely suspected or accused.
She's also been a reminder that ancestry does not insinuate guilt; that Orcs, Dark Elves, and Tieflings can't be assumed to be evil just as Humans and Elves are not assumed to be automatically good.

Alignment

Lawful Good

Species

Humans

Age

46

Sex

Female

Gender

Female

Eyes

Blue

Hair

Dark brown with some gray, short

Belief/Deity

Mastro

Aligned Organization

The Watch of the Eternal Flame