Appearance

Physical Description

She is tall, incredibly athletic and toned, having trained in the sword arts for most of her life.

Body Features

Valda is extremely tall for a human woman. Standing at 6"3, she is a rather imposing, Amazonian figure.

Facial Features

Despite her intimidating appearance her face is rather kind and gentle. She has bright, playful green eyes, a pointed button nose and full lips that are often set in a half-smile. Her auburn hair is cropped just above her shoulders where the ends flick out in multiple directions.

Identifying Characteristics

Valda has bright auburn hair that is hard to miss in a crowd. Aside from that she constantly bears the mark of the Iron Gauntlet somewhere on her person.

Physical quirks

Valda is poised, graceful and elegant in her movements. However, in battle she is fierce, calculating and assertive.

Apparel & Accessories

Instead of the usual Order of the Gauntlet full armor set, she wears brown fighter's leathers with a metal Order of the Gauntlet breastplate, trimmed with blue and white. The sleeves of her armor set has been abandoned but her blue and brown gauntlets stop her arms from being completely uncovered. Her pants are tight to the body and tucked into some extremely high cut, reinforced boots. Around her waist is a small, blue, woven pochette embroidered with white flowers - a gift from Daran of Phandalin - that she lovingly refers to as her Phannypack.

Specialized Equipment

Valda carries a halberd; her weapon of choice. Oh her left hand is her wedding ring, charmed as a Ring of Jumping.

Special abilities

Noble Features:

• You can secure an audience with a local noble

• Re-roll 1s and 2s on a two-handed melee weapon damage dice


• Second Wind by healing 1+1d10 (+level) hit points as a bonus action between rests


• Take 1 extra action between rests


• Study a creature to understand it's moves (see rules)


• Re-roll a failed save once per day

• Gain 4 superiority dice (d8) to spend on maneuvers


• One artisan's tools proficiency (jewelers tools)

• Riposte: You can use your reaction when a creature misses you with a melee attack to make a responding melee attack back. You deal your superiority dice extra damage.


• Rally: You can give one creature a temporary hit point bonus of your superiority dice + charisma modifier.


• Command Ally: You may have an ally make an attack with a superiority dice extra damage in place of one of your own attacks.


• Polearm Master: You can make a bonus action attach with the shaft of your polearm, dealing 1d4 damage after attacking with that polearm weapon. You can also make polearm attacks of opportunity when a creature comes in reach.


• Trip: Cause one creature you hit to take a superiority die of extra damage. If it is a Large size or lower it must make a strength save or be knocked prone.


• Parry: You can use your reaction to take a superiority die + dex modifier less damage from a melee attack.


• Disarm: You can cause one creature you hit to take a superiority die extra damage and it must make a strength saving throw or it will drop whatever it is holding.

Mentality

Personal history

Valda was born in the rich Blacklake District of Neverwinter. Her father, Wentowrth Songsteel, like his father before him, is a member of a dynasty of military figures in Neverwinter army. An old friend of the Lord of Neverwinter, he spent a majority of his time within the walls of Castle Never training recruits for the Greycloak army. Her mother, Emilia (nee Cormick) was a lady of the Neverwinter Court and belonged to a noble trading family. As such, most of her childhood was comfortable, albiet restrictive, due to her family's wealth.
 
Much to the frustration of her conservative mother, Valda did not care much for the glamour of aristocratic life. Emilia wished for her daughter to grow into a refined young lady of the Neverwinter Court, however, Valda wished for something else. She wished to be apart of the Greycloak army, like her father. However, her mother would never allow it and her father was to absent to have an opinion, causing a friction between the pair.
 
During teenage-hood she developed a habit of "bringing father his lunch" every afternoon. Dressed in her finery and basket in tow, she would bid her mother goodbye and head to the Greycloak tower. There, she would rip off her gown to reveal the training garb underneath and spar alongside Theodore and Royce, her two older brothers, and their Greycloak peers until it was time to redress and head back home. The ruse lasted several years before her mother caught her. After that she was sent to Lady Filamon's Etiquette School for Girls in the hopes of taming her fighting spirit.
 
Theodore and Royce could see how much this saddened their sister and made effort to occasionally come and spar with her under mask of darkness. It was during these training sessions where she learned to handle herself in a fight.
 
By age 18, Valda had blossomed into a beautiful, young woman. Many court suitors, soldiers and lords, enamored by her unbridled spirit and tempted by her seemingly unattainable heart, clamored after her much to her chagrin. Seeing it was time to find her a husband, Valda's mother and father threw a grand birthday party in the hopes of showing her off to all the eligible bachelors of Neverwinter. Valda, seeing past her parent's ploy, never entertain the thought of being tied down to any of the men present; the militia men were much too like her father; distant and militant. The nobles were far too highbrow for her taste and the lords simply wanted a pretty trophy to hang off their arm.
 
Disgusted, she slipped away to another room in the hopes of finding some solace, however she discovered a few members of the Dead Rats of Luskan inside her home, hoping to steal valuables from her father. Without hesitating she ripped the decorative halberd from the wall and charged forward. The Dead Rats changed into their wererat forms as she fought them down the hallway. Finally, just as the nobles and military men charged through, blades drawn, Valda beheaded the last of the creatures before them. Emilia fainted and Wentworth finally realized how weak their wishes were against the will of their daughter.
 
Unable to restrain herself any further, Valda left Neverwinter to join militias of other cities in the hopes of protecting those unable to do so. She sought purpose and fulfillment in fighting and her valiant efforts did not go unnoticed. A few years later she was invited to serve The Order of the Gauntlet; she accepted and has never looked back.
 
Valda trained for many years with the Gauntlet. There she met Vindicator Daran Edermath who, despite being retired, trained Valda and a few new recruits before sending them on quests around the Sword Coast.
 
It was while on one of these quests, she met Merrick Baretta. The only son and and heir of a prominent artisan family from Ierirthymbul, he seeking a safe way of bringing his wares from Conyberry to the Neverwinter Merchant Quarter in the hopes of setting up shop. Valda and her comrades agreed to assist the young artisan by protecting him and his wares on his travels.
 
During the trek something sparked between Valda and Merrick. Not only was she impressed by his incredible artistic skills, she was deeply charmed by his humility and gentleness. Unlike any of the men of the Neverwinter Court, Merrick was kind and humble. Merrick too, was equally taken by not only Valda's fairness, but her strength and spirit too.
 
The two quickly became inseparable and married a few years later, despite the objections of both side's families. Merrick's family believe Valda to be too rough to mother good children to carry on their name while Valda's family believed Merrick to not be too low class for Valda's hand in marriage. Both did not care and settled down in a home on the edge of the Neverwinter Merchant Quarter.
 
Despite the strange looks and whispers about their strange union, Valda produced 5 beautiful children that she and Merrick refer to as their "quarterlings". First came the twins, Flint and Malachite. Next came Peridot two years later. The year following blessed them with Pearl and four years later their youngest, Jaspar.
 
Valda leaves on missions when the Iron Gauntlet calls, leaving Merrick to look after several children under ten while simultaneously working on his highly sought-after jewelry. Luckily, the birth of their grandchildren has softened Valda's parent's hearts to their daughter, and they often look after the children when Merrick needs to finish his projects.
 
Currently, as a personal favor to Daran Edermath, Valda is tasked with assisting The Maw with their quest in lieu of their wizard, Opal, who is on her own Iron Gauntlet pilgrimage.

Education

Due to Valda's lineage, she was given the best education available. She was privately tutored by the best scholars in Neverwinter until she reached her teenage years.
 
After an unfortunate incident with her mother she was sent to Lady Filamon's Etiquette School for Girls where she was forced to learn all regular schooling subjects alongside posture, grooming, conversation, manners and dance.
 
After denouncing her courtly title, Valda was trained by the Iron Gauntlet in prayer, philosophy, honor and swordsmanship.

Employment

After leaving Neverwinter, Valda cut her teeth as a sword for hire around the surrounding areas. Unable to commit to any thuggery or illegal activity she gained the attention of some surrounding members of the Iron Gauntlet who offered her a position among their ranks.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Valda achieved the rank of Chevall of the Iron Gauntlet upon her joining at age 22. She worked hard until she achieved the rank of Marcheon at age 28. She only recently achieved White Hawk status at age 33.

Failures & Embarrassments

Valda was not so much embarrassed, but the embarrassment growing up. Her mother, hellbent on molding her daughter into the image of a perfect lady, flew into hysteria any time Valda did not adhere to her expectations. This includes refusing to wear finery, rejecting the advances of rich noblemen and neglecting her womanly duties.
 
As for failures, Valda has occasionally been on the losing side of missions, some of which involved the death of some of her comrades.

Mental Trauma

Valda has encountered many tragedies in her line of work. From war, slavery, terrorism and murder, she has seen many grievous events that have shaped her.
 
Recently, she has joined The Maw in their quest to discover what evil has infiltrated Phandalin. A young girl was murdered - her body twisted and deformed beyond recognition - an image Valda finds difficult to forget as she has two young daughters at home.

Intellectual Characteristics

Valda is well-educated on a scholastic level. Generally, she tries to find logic and common-sense within problems before advancing forward to more unusual explanations.

Morality & Philosophy

Valda finely honed sense of duty and honor. She seeks to uphold justice as best she can, and to continually test her mettle against the forces of those who wish to corrupt, destroy and harm. She is faithful to the teachings of Tyr and seeks to enact justice on those who prey upon the weak. In her mind, when she slays an evil, she is making the world safer for her children to grow up in.

person.sexuality

Heterosexual.

person.gender_identity

Female.

Taboos

Punishing an evil act is just. Punishing an evil thought is not.

Known Languages

Common, Celestial.

Personality

Motivation

Valda is motivated by a strong sense of integrity and truth. A follower of Tyr, she also believes in justice and equality for all.

Savvies & Ineptitudes

Valda is savvy when it comes to two-hand combat, military history and battle strategies. In contrast to this, she has no aptitude regarding the arcane or magical world.

Likes & Dislikes

Likes:

• country hillsides


• small, delicate flowers


• mulled wine

• condescending tones


• arrogance


• apathy

Virtues & Personality perks

Virtues:

• Integrity


• Loyalty


• Justice


• Faith


• Family

Vices & Personality flaws

Valda has no vices to speak of since she became a mother, however her flaws lie in her hardheadedness; she is sometimes stubborn, sometimes aggressive in her approaches to situations.

Personality Quirks

Valda is often seen standing, one hand on hip leaning to one side - a possible affect of her heavy-weapon training.

Hygiene

Valda is not averse to the inevitable messes that come with travel, battle and child-rearing.

Social

Birthplace

Blacklake District, Neverwinter

Current Residence

Neverwinter Merchant Quarter, Neverwinter

Contacts & Relations

The Iron Gauntlet
Songsteel Family
Neverwinter Guards
Neverwinter Greycloaks

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Lady Songsteel
Whitehawk of the Iron Gauntlet
Lady Baretta

Wealth & Financial state

Valda originated from a wealthy family. Her married family is rather well-off due to her husband's livelihood of jewelry making.

Family Ties

Marriage:

• Merrick Baretta (husband, 45)


• Flint and Malachite Baretta (twin sons, 10)


• Peridot Baretta (daughter, 8)


• Pearl Baretta (daughter, 7)


• Jaspar Baretta (son, 3)

• Wentworth Songsteel (father, 65)


• Emilia Songsteep nee Cormick (mother, 63)


• Theodore Songsteel (brother, 40)


• Royce Songsteel (38)

Religious Views

Iron Gauntlet Beliefs:

• Faith is the greatest weapon against evil — faith in one’s god, one’s friends, and one’s self.


• Battling evil is an extraordinary task that requires extraordinary strength and bravery.


• Punishing an evil act is just. Punishing an evil thought is not.

• God of Justice, The Even-Handed, The Lord of Justice.


• Symbol is a balanced scales resting on a warhammer.


• As god of justice, Tyr could foretell any injustice up to six months before it occurred and felt the pang of that injustice for six months afterward.

Social Aptitude

Valda has never shied away from speaking; trained in conversation as a young girl and further honing her craft in the Iron Gauntlet, Valda finds it easy to converse with people of many background in many situations.

Mannerisms

Being raised as a lady, Valda walks with poise, however her life as a Whitehawk makes her also walk with purpose. Her mannerisms as refined yet deliberate, as if she is in calculated control of every movement she makes.

Hobbies & Pets

Valda has no pets, but her hobbies including training, raising her children, reading and occasionally, gardening.

Speech

Valda has a heavy, Southern Belle accent.