Sir Delandel, the Undead Paladin
Delandel Hyth is a man of endurance and sheer willpower.
He is a zombie that retained everything during his
transition from life to unlife: even his paladin powers. The
radiant energies of his faith are at war with the necrotic
energies that animate his body, causing endless agony.
Still he persists, because he must. This is his story.
Background
Delandel dedicated his life to protecting innocents from
the evils of his land. He was a paladin of the Order of
Suns Dawn, a group of worshippers of Pelor dedicated to
the annihilation of undead and necromancy, most notably
opposing the powerful vampire families that preyed
upon human civilization like cattle. Delandel served the
Order with distinction for decades: his name was known
throughout the land, spoken warmly by the villagers he
saved and spat out like a curse by the vampires he hunted.
The Order of Suns Dawn met its abrupt end on the
night of one of its finest victories. The paladins had just
defeated a large gathering of the Cult of Orcus and retrieved
an artifact of terrible evil. They returned to the Orders
headquarters, a stronghold in the mountains, to perform
Art by Fred Studart
the blessed ritual required to destroy the foul artifact.
That is when they struck: vampires, necromancers, fiends;
the combined forces of the Orders hated foes brought
together for one concentrated assault to wipe out Suns
Dawn.
The artifact could not be allowed to fall into the enemys
hands: the horrors unleashed would spell doom for the
world. As the battle began, Delandel was ordered to hide
the artifact deep in the catacombs below, which he did
with great reluctance. When the paladin returned, he
found his brothers and sisters dead, and his foes ready
to greet him.
No amount of torture could get Delandel to divulge
secrets of the Order. When his foes finally got bored of the
paladin, he braced himself for the release of death. His
captors had other plans, however. Instead of letting him
die, they transformed into that which he hated most: a
sentient undead creature. Then Delandel was bound and
locked away, cursed to exist in this wretched state forever.
Appearance
Delandel is a zombie: his body is an animated corpse
with rotten flesh, some of it sloughed away revealing dirty
bone underneath. Unlike ordinary zombies, however, he
isnt a mindless creature that shambles forward clumsily
while groaning about brains. He carries himself like a
noble gentleman; his figure is always straight and proper.
Delandels eye sockets glow with a golden, radiant light. As
a zombie with clear signs of intelligence, his appearance
is all the more unsettling.
The undead paladin wears the golden full plate armor
that is distinctive of the Order of Suns Dawn. The symbol
of Pelor, a blazing sun, is engraved on its front. The fiends
left Delandel in his armor when they locked him away so
that hed always be reminded of what he once was and
everything he has lost.
A Body of Light and Shadow
Though his body is now animated by necrotic energy,
Delandel remains unwilling to succumb to darkness
and lose his identity; his unwavering faith in Pelor and
his righteous cause has allowed him to retain his paladin
abilities. This comes at a terrible cost: the radiant energies
of his faith coursing through him is at odds with the
necrotic energies holding him together. He can smell
and taste his rotted flesh, and is constantly aware of the
wrongness of his body. In addition, the radiant energy
causes constant pain -- the most excruciating pain being
inflicted when he actively channels his paladin powers. combat. His mind is fixated on his goal, however, and he
Though he would eagerly wishes to end his existence will urge the party not to be sidetracked. He is fine taking
and be freed from his torture, Delandel endures in this a moment to perform good deeds along the way, but he
wretched state, driven by the need to fulfill his oath in this is unsure how much longer he can hold onto his fragile
world. Only then will he allow himself to rest. existence so he can fulfill his oath.
Destroying the artifact will require performing an
ancient cleansing ritual known only to members of The
Personality Order of Suns Dawn. As the paladin performs the ritual,
Delandel is in many ways the archetypical paladin. His
the artifact retaliates, summoning waves of vile creatures
speech and mannerisms are products of his noble
(undead and demons if its an artifact of Orcus, for
upbringing. He is honest, reliable, kind, caring, and
example) to kill Delandel. The PCs must defend him until
selfless -- attributes that you wouldnt expect from a
the ritual is complete and the artifact destroyed.
walking corpse.
Once the ritual is complete, Delandel thanks the PCs
The paladin is stoic in his interactions with others. He is
and rewards them with the remaining treasure left over
calm and chooses his words carefully, remaining humble
from his Order. If any martial characters impressed him
and supportive to the PCs. There is a weariness in his
during the quest, he gifts them his armor and weapons,
voice -- a weariness of existence, of pain.
explaining that his journey is at an end. Finally, with much
In truth, Delandel is mentality detached from this
relief, he allows himself to die, killing himself with his own
world, resigned to carrying out his final mission and
radiant powers (alternatively, asking a PC to do the deed if
then finding peace in his oblivion. There are moments
an emotional connection was made).
when his humanity shines through, however: he may
show glimmers of his old cheerfulness and energy as he
cracks a joke or tell an anecdote to lighten the mode, but Tactics
eventually he will remember his purpose and his stoicism In combat, Delandels main priority is the safety of his
returns. allies. The paladin often casts bless before positioning
himself in a spot he deems best to protect his friends.
While is not reckless channeling his divine powers
Using Delandel because they harm him just as much as his foes, he will
Delandel is likely to be found in a dungeon that the PCs
not hesitate to use everything in his arsenal if an ally is in
are exploring. He is bound and locked away, his sword
danger.
and shield in view but out of reach as a taunt by the fiends
that imprisoned him. The paladin pleads with the PCs to
release him. He knows that his monstrous appearance is
off-putting and will do and say anything to convince them
of his noble intentions, perhaps channeling his paladin
powers as a demonstration. If freed, he thanks the PCs
and explains himself and his intentions.
Alternatively, you can introduce Delandel as a patron
that seeks out the PCs help. His horrific appearance
makes it difficult to show himself in public, so he contacts
them through the shadows: perhaps disguised, or through
a messenger that is willing to help, such as a merchant
that the paladin saved on the road from bandits.
Delandels only goal is to carry out his final holy mission
-- to destroy the evil artifact that he hid long ago. This
artifact could be one that the PCs are already looking for,
or a sidequest of its own. The paladin tries his best to
enlist the PCs help on his righteous quest. He attempts
to appeal to their sense of goodness, arguing that the
world is in peril so long as the artifact still exists. If good
intentions do not sway the party, he offers them treasure:
the place where he hid the artifact also contains riches, all
of which will be for the PCs taking.
The paladin will travel with the PCs and aid them in

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Delandel, the Undead Paladin
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Delandel, the Undead Paladin