A human man with a square, earnest face, close-cropped brown hair, and a faint scar across his left eyebrow. He wears the shiniest chain mail he could afford, polished so aggressively that one pauldron has developed a small bald spot. His shield bears a crude golden sunrise, and his shortsword, Dawnpiercer, is displayed with the solemnity of a legendary great blade despite being unmistakably short. His holy symbol of Lathander hangs prominently at his throat, positioned to catch the morning light.

Aldric is earnest, theatrical, rigidly courteous, and convinced that presentation is a form of moral force. He treats tavern arguments like royal hearings and casual suggestions like sworn testimony. He genuinely wants to protect people and do good, but he also wants to look unmistakably heroic while doing it. He is surprisingly kind to servants, stable hands, and frightened civilians, because his personal code requires nobles to make themselves useful.

Aldric Vayne was born to a minor human noble family whose estate consisted of a drafty manor, three stubborn tenant families, and a silver service used mostly to impress visiting creditors. He received an education in genealogy, etiquette, heraldry, and the proper angle at which to bow before important people. His tutors praised his memory, his posture, and his ability to recite ancestral accomplishments. They were less enthusiastic about his habit of turning every household chore into a ceremonial duty. Even as a child, Aldric polished candlesticks until they warped his reflection and insisted that breakfast be announced as though it were a royal procession. At dawn on his twenty-third birthday, Aldric watched sunlight spill through the chapel windows and decided that Lathander had clearly chosen him. The fact that he looked excellent in the golden light was, in his mind, supporting evidence. He presented himself to a local temple, requested training, and emerged after one week with a sword, a prayer book, a highly specific personal code, and no practical understanding of how long a dramatic combat kneel should last. His first oath was sworn with complete sincerity, though several witnesses privately agreed that the speech could have been shorter. Now he travels as a newly minted paladin, determined to destroy the unclean, defend the helpless, and make sure everyone notices him doing it, preferably before breakfast.