Nova is a sturdy human with warm brown skin, dark auburn hair usually tied behind the neck, and gray-green eyes that remain calm even under threat. A faint scar crosses the left eyebrow, a reminder of an ambush survived while escorting pilgrims. Nova wears polished chain mail beneath a blue and ivory surcoat bearing the crest of the family temple guards. A longsword hangs at the hip, a shield is carried with practiced ease, and a silver holy symbol rests visibly at the throat.

Nova is courteous, observant, and unusually formal in everyday conversation. They remember the names of servants, stable hands, and sentries, believing that a guard who does not know the people they protect cannot truly serve them. Nova is slow to anger, but once a promise has been made, they become nearly impossible to dissuade. Beneath the polished manners is a warm, quietly playful protector who enjoys terrible puns and secretly feeds stray animals.

Nova was born into a respected human family whose ancestral duty was guarding the Temple of the Dawn Bell. For generations, the family stood watch over pilgrims, priests, relics, and the helpless people who gathered beneath the temple's golden dome. Nova's childhood was shaped by discipline and service. Lessons in etiquette took place beside weapons practice, and every family celebration included a vigil for those who had died protecting others. Though born to privilege, Nova was taught that a noble name was not a license to command. It was a promise to stand between danger and those who could not face it alone. When a fire consumed one of the temple's outer shrines, Nova discovered evidence that the blaze had been deliberately set to conceal the theft of a sacred relic. The family guard was ordered to remain silent to avoid scandal, but Nova refused to abandon the investigation. After confronting a corrupt official connected to the theft, Nova left home with the family's blessing, carrying the temple's signet and a fragment of the damaged relic. Now Nova travels as a paladin in training, seeking the missing artifact, protecting travelers along the road, and proving that honor is measured by what one does when no one important is watching.