Ardina Golovoda
Exarch Ardina Golovoda
Ardina was born in Waksomian family, that fled from anti-witchery hunts in Rekhal Kaizereich. She had two older brothers. From a very early age, she feels a great connection to the Aurial The Father not through the Holy Church but personally. She was arisen in a small town in east Central Mainland, near the Spine Mountain.
Early life
When she war 10, a party of Order of Purity happens to pass through the town. The arch priestess in the party sensed the devotion of a young girl to the God and made contact with her. The cleric told her about the mission of the Order to serve and protect, and for their monasteries where young boys and girls are trained to become sacred warriors. Ardina was really impressed and wanted to join them. The priestess explained that they are on a mission to pacify suspicious activity nearby and after that they will bring her to the monastery where to take care of her. The girl spends a few days with the party, while they gather Intel about their mission. Then the group departed and left the girl awaiting their return. And they return. About a month later the remains of the party returned, or rather, flee to the town. Their mission didn't processed as planed and fell in ambush where the arch priestess and about the half of the party were massacred. They were able to achieve victory at the end, but at very high prices. Ardina felt deep sorrow, but still wanted to join the Order. Initially they didn't want to take Ardina but she pointed the promise of the Arch priestess so the party take her with them to the Order's Council. There she was accepted to one of the monasteries and start her training.
Monastery
Ardina advanced very fast and quickly became not only top, but THE top student in her monastery. In honour of Arch priest, she chose the priesthood as her specialization. The effectiveness of her healing spells and prayers were above average of the other priests, but her true strength were redemption and banishing abilities. Many of her mentors accounted her Waksomian heritage, but Ardina disagreed. She considered her skills as a gift from The God for her devotion. Soon she advanced so much her mentors were unable to teach her anything more. Instead, Ardina became tutor and started training neophytes. She quickly advanced through the ranks. But the girl didn't join the Order only to stay in some small gloomy cell and sturdy dusty old tomes with the hagiographies of long-dead saints. She wanted to be in a service of the people, to help and spread the glory of the God.
Field work
Ardina's hard work and zeal didn't pass unnoticed by the Monastery board. Despite her young age and short training, they allowed her to join some of regular patrol missions near the Monastery. She gladly accepted and participated as much as she can. This, however, had bad impact her academic training, so she was pressured by her lectors to spend more time in learning and less in practice. Unwilling to give up the field trips, she started to take books with her and to study on mission. This was prohibited by the Monastery's regulation, but most clerics turn a blind eye of such minor violation.
The Accident
The areas, surrounding the Monastery, used to be quiet and peaceful. So the patrolling there was mostly about surviving in wild, building team, trusting in the student's own abilities and teamwork. Usually, they were not much more dangerous than a walk in the park. Usually! One of Ardina's patrols, however, ended in tragedy. The party stopped for the night and set camp like dozens and hundred times before. After the dinner all went to sleep and left Ardina as first sentry. The young girl prepared for the duty and then open her book. The study, however, took too much of her concentration and she missed the threat before it was too late. The camp was surprisingly attacked and nearly a third were killed before an adequate stand could be made.
When the fight ended, more than half of the party was killed and all suffered different degree injuries. The enemies fled, taking all of their casualties with them, so who exactly attack the party was left unresolved. Ardina blamed herself for the death and crippling of her fellows even if no other did so. Both other students and other Order's members continued to tell her that the guilt wasn't only her and party leaders shouldn't leave lone student at watch. Meanwhile, a searching party was formed and dispatched to investigate the accident. Students were denied leaving the Monastery until further orders. None of the parties were able to enter the tracks of the attackers.
Graduation
After the accident, Ardina became closer to the world and burrowed herself deep in studying. She understood that only wish to serve is nothing without needing knowledge and skills so she devoted to self-improvements. Beside healing skills, she actively developed her hurting and damaging abilities. In the next few years, Ardina quickly advanced and much sooner than any of the other students was able to pass her final exams. She was pronounced as Priest of Order and officially attached to an active operational unit. Despite her priesthood profile, she was used much more in sacramental role.
Priesthood
Ardina proved to be very versatile cleric that can serve both as priest, confessor, and cardinal. However, true to her training and in memory of the Arch priestess, she continued to develop herself in the priesthood, reaching the rank of High Priest. Soon after, she was offered to become an Arch Priest at one of the monasteries in Captiol Guard Ring. She gladly accepted and become the youngest Arch Priestess in all the history of the Order.
Arch Priestess
With the new rank and responsibilities, Ardina had to make a step back from active wandering the world. Her predecessor had been neglected many of his duties beside repelling the attacks of the Horrors. She saw an urgent need of heavy reforms in the Monastery and talked with the bishop. However, he didn't care at all. All he wanted was to live in peace to the end of his days without much stress and struggle. Ardina was irritated, so she initiated talks with the Concul of the Capitol Guard Ring but didn't achieve much more with them. If the talks wtih the bishop pissed her, the talks with the Council realy enraged her. The Purifier was too busy fighting the Horrors, The Dominus rarely shows outside her laboratory, and the Exarch war old drunkard that cares less even than the bishop of her monastry. They all were so narrow-minded, so the young lady woundere how exactly they were elected on the highest position in the Order.
Ardina had to take care for all by herself. She wasn't neigther pleased nor happy. But her fighting personalliry prevailed and she taked actions. At first she reorganized the priesthood wing in her own monastery, after that she forced changes into training system of young priests, and then she reformed entire chain of command in the monastery. Initially, the Council didn't mess with Ardina's reforms, but later the bishop felt isolated and stripped from real power in his own monastery and called his old mates from the Council. Together they plotted to discredit young Arch Priest, to remove her from power, to turn her student against her, and to banish her far from the any monastery from the Ring
Fortunatelly for her, Ardina expected such course of action and was prepared. She already had strong connections among Order's leaders and she had build such with some of more open-minded in Ring's Council. Also, she had ultimate support by the priesthood not only in her monastery, but in all of the Ring. The plotters saw they couldn't get enough followers and tried to remove Ardina by force. They created a scheme to draw ther Arch Priestess into contested zone and let the Horrors kill her. However, they heavy underestimated her abilities and the loyality of her students. Ardina was warned for the trap and turned all in her favour. The ill-prepared action backlashed hard and heavy discredited the plotters. Not only they wer forced to beg her for apology, but they also should accept her reforms and provide her full support. However, Ardina also had to step back on some topics.
After the conspiracy failed, the main conspirators found themselves in very delicate situation. They tried to continue as before, but this was no longer possible. They were completely disgraced. The pressure broke them one after another and they all perished. First the Exarch drown himself in alchol until he died from heavy intoxication, then the bishop commited suicide by jumping from Monastery bell tower. At the same time the Dominus began experimenting more and more recklessly until she blow her entire laboratory, dying in the process. At the end, the Purifier gathered party of volunteers and went on mission to puify the ruins of Capital city. The mission, noone returns from.
The Exarch
With the death of the Exarch, Ardina was pushed to take his place even if she didn't have right qualification. She gave her best to fit into the new position, but she had great struggles. Her reforms were slowing down and stopping. She went in downward spiral and felt like failure. The guilt for the death of past leaders of the Ring started to haunt her, threating to destroy her.
Few years passed and Ardina started to fall in the despair. Then her ex-students, began returning from exchange programs with other monasteries in other regions, bringing new experience and different viewpoints. They gave her that so-needed hand and together they continued the reform of the Ring. The Exarch's duties didn't fit well to Ardina and she was completely aware. Unfortunatelly, the Exarch title was liflelong with no resign.
