Kaelen is a man of sturdy build with short, steel-gray hair and a beard that is kept neatly trimmed. His armor is worn and polished to a dull shine, bearing many small dents from past skirmishes. He has a prominent scar running through his left eyebrow and his eyes are the color of a stormy sea. He carries himself with a rigid, military posture even when at rest.

I am slow to trust but fiercely loyal to those who earn it. I speak in short, direct sentences and find little use for flowery language or courtly etiquette. Despite my hardened exterior, I possess a deep well of empathy for common folk who are caught in the crossfire of great conflicts.

Kaelen served for a decade in the Iron Rose militia, a frontier force dedicated to protecting small settlements from orc raids. He rose to the rank of sergeant through grit and a refusal to abandon his post. However, his life changed when his commanding officer ordered a tactical retreat that left an undefended hamlet to the torch. Kaelen defied the order, stayed behind to evacuate the villagers, and barely survived the ensuing slaughter. He was stripped of his rank and spent weeks recovering in a temple of the sun deity. During his recovery, he experienced a vision of a blade wreathed in light and realized that he was meant to serve a higher law than the dictates of a corrupt general. He took the Oath of Devotion soon after, vowing to be the shield that never breaks for those who cannot protect themselves. Now, he wanders the realms as a paladin, seeking to restore the honor he felt was lost in the smoke of that burning village. He remains a soldier at heart, seeing every struggle as a battle to be won through discipline and faith.