...Joshan the White Rose
Illustrated by Ilya Astrakhan

Born under an eclipse of the moon while a strange comet hung in the sky, Joshan has never followed conventional paths. A devout follower of the sky goddess, blessed by her in many ways, Joshan had no intention of becoming a knight. He eschewed heavy armor and greatswords, charging destriers and gleaming lances. Although he remained as faithful to the teachings of his religion as anyone, he preferred to spend his time in taverns and among common folk, rather than noble with ladies and landed gentlemen.

His actions dismayed the church elders, who had foreseen that Joshan would become the champion of the goddess. They attempted to convince him to spend more time in religious studies. Joshan, however, wanted nothing of it, proclaiming that his relationship with the moon goddess had nothing to do with musty texts and ancient scrolls. Still, their disapproval weighed heavily upon him. His time in taverns led him to favor drink over reality.

Joshan eventually would have fallen completely away from his calling and succumbed to the draw of alcohol, except for his vision. One night, wandering through a field on his way home from a wild festival in town, he had a vision of the sky goddess coming down to him on a falling star. Where she trod upon the earth, a rose of white light bloomed. She did not speak, but simply smiled at him, her eyes shining with encouragement. As she ascended back to the heavens, Joshan plucked one of the moonlight roses and felt its power flow into him.

Infused with renewed dedication and bolstered by the idea that the path he carved for himself would be the right one, he began training. Not in knightly combat but in feats of balance and acrobatics, and in swashbuckling skills that allowed him to focus on his inherent agility rather than simple brute force.

Today, one can still find Joshan among the commoners, in a tavern, hanging around a shop, or in the midst of a festival -- if there's a party going on, Joshan is there. From this vantage, he carries out the good works of the sky goddess by helping those who can't help themselves, whether it be defending a barmaid from an unruly patron or a farmer from a greedy landlord.
As a sign of his epiphany, he always fights or undertakes a strenuous task with a white rose clenched in his teeth. This gained him the moniker "the White Rose," which he delights in. He remains fluid when fighting, never standing still and always using his surroundings to his best advantage. In combat, he sometimes uses both hands on his sword (giving him an extra +1 damage bonus), but he often likes to keep his left hand free to help him vault over obstacles or use makeshift weapons out of whatever is at hand (a chair, an oil lamp, a chandelier, a curtain). He loves to fight, but he never partakes of that addiction unless championing a good and noble cause. Joshan never turns from danger and always rises to a challenge, usually with an eager gleam in his eye.

Joshan stands an inch or two over 6 feet. He has long brown hair and a toothy smile that -- like his eyes -- seem to glow with the soft, pale light of the moon or the stars. He rarely carries more than his sword with him at any given time. Money flows through him like air. If he has some, he spends it quickly and generously on those around him. If he has none, he tries to rely on his charm alone to get by. He finds no sin in drink, and often says he fights better with an ale in his belly and a shot of something a bit harder sloshing about in his head.

Joshan the White Rose, male human Pal7/Mnk3: CR 10; Medium humanoid; HD 7d10+21 + 3d8+9; hp 96; Init +2; Speed 40 feet; AC 19 (+4 Dex, +2 Wis, +3 greaves); Attack +13/+8 melee (1d8+3, longsword), or +11 monk, or +11/+6 ranged; AL LG; SV Fort +15, Ref +13, Will +11; Str 15, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 18

Skills and Feats: Balance +7, Climb +8, Diplomacy +13, Heal +6, Hide +6, Jump +11, Listen +4, Move Silently +7, Spot +4, Tumble +11; Alertness, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Expertise, Improved Unarmed Strike, Quick Draw, Stunning Fist, Weapon Focus (longsword)

Special Abilities: Aura of courage (immune to fear), detect evil, Evasion, lay on hands (28 hp), divine health (immune to disease), remove disease 2/week, smite evil (+4 attack, +7 damage), still mind (+2 saves versus enchantment), stunning attack, turn undead (as 5th-level cleric)

Possessions: +1 keen longsword, +3 greaves of armor (just like bracers, but worn on the legs; still count toward the bracers "slot"), potions of cure moderate wounds, sneak, spider climb, hiding, and jump, 39 gp, 2 sp

Spells (2): cure light wounds, divine favor

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