PC Spotlight - Gwen Stonemaester

We've got another spotlight for you all! Introducing Gwen Stonemaester! As a reward for her background, she's got the following items:

Pendant of Lliira: A pendant in the symbol of Lliira fashioned of three star shaped gems of ruby, topaz, and yellow sapphire linked with three rods of lapis lazuli hangs from a simple gold chain. Each gem acts as a charge, enabling the caster to add an extra die of healing to your spell. Use the same die that the spell uses. The rods act as additional charges, each capable of restoring a 1st level spell slot, or a single 3rd level spell slot if used all together. The charges restore at the next dawn.

Favor of Lliira: A fragile glass flower of shifting red hues. As an action, you can utter the command word, "Joy" in celestial, to illicit the effect of a Prayer of Healing spell. Once used, the flower wilts and turns to sand.

Gwen Stonemaester - Shield Dwarf Life Cleric of Lliira

Ever since she could remember, Gwen just wanted everyone to be happy.  Growing up in Mirabar, she often roamed the streets looking for those who were missing happiness in their eyes. She would speak to them with a frankness that was often unexpected, wanting to understand as quickly as she could what was preventing them from being happy. Unknown to her, powerful entities were taking notice of her attitude and actions.

Living in Mirabar helped Gwen to understand that although there are many different races in the world of Faerun, they all deserved to be happy. Gwen did not see race or social status, only the emotions being released by the individuals in front of her. Though, her Dwarven parents taught her about the lineage of her race, she never felt the desire to follow in the footsteps or traditions of her ancestors, though she respected them nonetheless. She received training in the Dwarven ways of battle, but always regarded the use of violence as a last resort.

As she grew older, Gwen spent her time volunteering for worthy causes and helping those in need. However her yearning to have a greater purpose grew stronger as she wanted to leave a legacy that extended beyond her humble city. While wandering through the city, on a bright and clear day, lost in thought of how to help the common people, Gwen found herself in the market. She was not a materialistic Dwarf, but loved the hustle and bustle of the community around her. It was thriving and she embraced the joy felt around her. While enjoying the sights, she suddenly heard a voice call her name. The voice was soft yet commanding and Gwen's curiosity followed the sound to a gem stall nearby. Precious jewels overflowed from crates on the stall and the reflected shards of colored light danced over Gwen's tunic. A group of sapphires particularly caught her eye, and after taking a second glance, she noticed the outline of a face appearing within the gems, piercing eyes ensuring her attention would not be diverted.

"Gwen Stonemaester, I am Lliira, the goddess of Joy; you have been chosen".

"Chosen for what?"

"To be my greatest champion... a champion of Lliira,...a warrior for Joy."

To many this situation would have caused alarm and panic but Gwen maintained her calm. This was the call she had been waiting for. This was her chance to be a part of a greater cause, and be in service to the Goddess of Joy herself.

"Go to my temple with haste, my champion. The battle for Joy has been raging for millennia, and it's enemies must be extinguished."

Gwen could not contain her excitement, and sought out the temple of joy as soon as she could gather her belongings. After a year or so, her training was complete, and she was ready to leave her home for good to begin work as a priestess and missionary. As Gwen said goodbye to her mother and father, they decided to give her items of sentiment so that she would not forget her Dwarven heritage. Her farther gave her his trusted warhammer. Scuffed and marked from years of use, the Dwarven crafted weapon had had remained as strong as the day it left the forge. Gwen's mother yielded her favorite handaxe. A multipurpose item, the handaxe was mainly used for domestic tasks, but the eternally sharp blade could cut through much more than vines and wood. Gwen accepted this gifts with great humility and said a sombre goodbye to her family. Gwen would never forget the expression of sadness she saw in the face of her parents, but the understanding that her cause was the protection of their happiness ensured that Gwen never regretted her decision.

From then, Gwen devoted her life to Lliira and the temple of joy. Her missions took her far and wide, offering her the adventure and purpose she had always wanted. Gwen's physical skills improved too as she trained for combat, however her natural clumsiness made progress slow and she often focused her attention on her more skillful attributes such as the power to heal. Gwen very rarely engaged in physical combat but she would engage in battle if her fellow missionaries were threatened as her need to protect would overwhelm the need for peace. The teachings of Lliira also brought justification to Gwen that action was sometimes the only means of expelling the enemies of joy, and should not be looked upon with shame.

Gwen's personal connection with Lliira was stronger than most. Conversations and teachings from Lliira herself led Gwen to be revered as one of the most devout clerics, as well as allowing her to master the sacred tongue of the Gods; Celestial. As a close personification of her deity, Gwen came to comfortably lead her own missions in spreading the word of joy, proudly displaying Lliira's symbol on her on her breast plate.

One particular mission led Gwen to befriend a Tiefling who looked lost in her own sense of self. Gwen's strong intuition and personal relation to being a misunderstood minority allowed her to connect with the Tiefling named Moki and the two formed a strong, if unusual, bond. Gwen would never be one to have a wealth of friends, but rather a small cluster of unbreakable friendships. Relationships take a long time to form with Gwen but once developed, her love and protection for them is unconditional.

Ontharr Frume is another old friend. A Paladin of Torm, the two bonded over their intense devotion to their respective deities. Ontharr contacted Gwen with reports of rumored dragon activity in the town of Greenest with a request to investigate further. Unsure as to the path of her destiny within this request, Lliira reassured Gwen that her presence was needed and her time to be a true champion was near.