Vajra Valmeyjar

Vajra Valmeyjar was a female human fighter and a slave-warrior of the Arena of Blood in Manshaka in the 1350s DR. She famously escaped and went on to become an adventuress in Waterdeep and later even a duchess of the Kingdom of Tethyr.

Description
Vajra, a Tethyrian by birth, was a tall and powerfully built warrior, with short black hair except for a long braid falling down to the small of her back. She had brown skin and was exceptionally muscular. She was 6'1" tall.

She still wore her gladiator's manacles from the Arena of Blood, which proved useful in scaring any who would try to pick a fight with her. Even when she had become a noble of Tethyr, she changed her style of dress little, despite this bothering her courtiers substantially.

Personality
Vajra was exceedingly stubborn, which served her well on the battlefield but also irked some of her courtiers. She found it humorous that she ended up a duchess. She always strongly opposed injustice, especially slavery. Vajra hated the sea.

As an adventurer in 1357 DR, Vajra said she believed only in steel and a strong right hand.

She preferred not to talk about her past as a slave, except to make casual mention. As a free woman, she was determined never to be made a slave again.

Abilities
Vajra was an expert warrior, with a keen tactical sense and always organizing her fellows in battle and exhorting them to action.

She was amazingly strong, able to carry a dwarf and an armored knight as she scaled the sheer cliff of Stoner's Needle.

Possessions
Vajra's sword was called "Moonblaze". It was crafted by Brian the Swordmaster of Waterdeep and directly enchanted by Selûne to protect Vajra in a battle she had with a tanar'ri. The blade was a cold-flaming longsword that was more powerful when wielded against outsiders and worshipers of Shar. The sword's strength depended on the current phase of the moon.

The slave manacle she wore on her right wrist was in the shape of a skull, the teeth of which could be used for cutting bonds. The manacle on her left wrist concealed a hidden dagger. Both manacles were gold.

As an adventurer in 1357 DR, she carried a longsword, spear, sling, and net, favoring the sword. She wore studded leather armor.

Activities
As royal warlord, Lady Valmeyjar was commander of the combined armed forces of all Tethyr.

The seat of Vajra's duchy was Maratimmir, yet she spent the majority of her time at the royal palace of Faerntarn in Darromar.

Relationships
Vajra's fellow adventurers Timoth Eyesbright and Onyx the Invincible remained her close friends, even traveling with her to Tethyr during and after the Reclamation Wars.

Many a mother in Tethyr had pushed her sons to join the army, in hopes that they would be able to meet and woo the great Vajra Valmeyjar. This resulted in a large surge in the size of the army but in no duke-consort for Vajra.

Vajra was made an honorary member of the Order of the Silver Chalice by Marquise Scion Aalangama Gulderhorn.

Years as a Gladiator
Vajra was born in Tethyr but became an orphan early in Tethyr's Interregnum, when she was separated from her family and fled south to Calimshan. After falling into thieving and confidence tricks, she was found by a thief and con-artist named Conner. He protected her for a time until one of his schemes went wrong and he was forced to sell her into slavery to Pasha Abon Duum. She was only twelve years of age at the time.

Duum placed young Vajra with his stable of gladiators at the Arena of Blood in Manshaka, Calimshan, where she learned the arts of the sword, spear, and net. She became the most accomplished of Duum's stable. However, after ten years, she had had enough and wanted out. Escaping, she seriously wounded several of Duum's best fighters and escaped from the labyrinth of corridors below the arena and into freedom, being one of only two slaves to ever successfully do so.

A wanted woman in Calimshan, Vajra fled north, back to Tethyr, fighting for a time as a mercenary in the civil wars there. Later, she journeyed further north, serving as a bodyguard in Athkatla, Amn. However, Abon Duum sent bounty hunters after her, seeking to punish and reclaim his champion gladiator. Vajra was forced to leave the southern lands and go north. She ultimately came to Waterdeep, where slavery was forbidden, and settled there. Over the years, many bounty hunters were sent to recover her, but she escaped from them all.

Years as an Adventuress
In Waterdeep, Vajra took work as a bouncer at a new inn, the Selûne's Smile. She became friends with its proprietress, Luna, and developed a good working relationship. She fondly remembered its quiet but sociable and friendly atmosphere. Even after she left her employment, Vajra remained friends with Luna, who sometimes contacted with unusual jobs that suited her abilities.

In the Year of the Prince, 1357 DR, Luna summoned Vajra to the Selûne's Smile to help with a dangerous task. Luna introduced her to Cybriana, Timoth Eyesbright, and Onyx the Invincible, who'd been seeking the paladin Priam Agrivar. Vajra, in fact, had already found him, recognizing the drunken beggar outside, to whom she'd given coin for a drink, as the fallen paladin. She led the group to him and they rescued him from thugs.

Together, the heroes journeyed into the wilderness to seek the famed smith Jogaoh, a dwarven smith whose forge it was said could create works of magic, whom Onyx believed could help restore strength to Priam's arms. On the way, they were lured into a trap and attacked by a dustdigger—in truth a pet of Jogaoh. Vajra led the others in attacking the monster until Jogaoh called it off. Jogaoh agreed to help, provided the companions retrieved something from atop nearby Stoner's Needle. After battling ghoul warriors in the night, of which Vajra slew two, they ascended the rocky tower, Vajra simply carrying both Priam and Jogaoh. Reaching the summit, Jogaoh revealed he too was a victim of Imgig Zu, his arms similarly withered, but he had forged for himself enchanted gauntlets that gave him strength. Jogaoh gave these to Priam and took a basilisk-guarded gem that restored the dwarf to his true form, that of a fire elemental. At that point, the basilisk awoke and attacked Vajra and Priam. Vajra led Priam in attack, but although he had his strength back, he still lacked his courage, and froze from fear rather than the basilisk's gaze. Vajra slew the basilisk, using the reflection of the gem so it would turn itself to stone, saving Priam. Ashamed, Priam left, rather than be a burden on the companions. Shortly after, bounty seekers of Manshaka ambushed the group, throwing a rope around Vajra's neck. They ultimately subdued Vajra and the adventurers were all captured. Abon Duum wanted his champion gladiator back.

Regaining his courage, Priam intercepted the bounty seekers, passed a dagger to Vajra, and launched an ambush. Vajra freed herself and defeated the warrior woman of the band. The companions fought their way free, overpowered the bounty seekers, and left them tied up in a net dangling from a tree, before continuing on their way.

Later, the group heard chasme pursuing new victims and raced to the rescue. Vajra, familiar with their powers, rode one of the fly demons down. That night, Cybriana's dark twin Kilili lured the party close to the tower of Imgig Zu, master of the chasme. Imgig's gargoyles attacked the party, snatching up Vajra and all bar Timoth. Vajra, Priam, and Onyx escaped the gargoyles onto the top of the tower, and got inside. But Imgig collapsed his own tower on them to cover his flight. The heroes escaped into the base of the tower, and were reunited with Timoth. However, Vajra was badly battered in the collapse, though Priam saved her from being crushed. Priam summoned his long-unused paladin powers to heal Vajra's injuries, though she was left with an injured right arm—a handicap in battle.

Entering the caverns, the heroes battled through Imgig's ogre minions, Vajra making do without a sword, and following a trail of flowers conjured by Cybriana to where she was held. Here, Imgig Zu announced he would use the combined powers of Cybriana and Kilili to open the Selûne's Eye and release his long-imprisoned people to overrun and conquer the Realms. Too late, Imgig's people escaped, and still the ogres subdued the heroes. An exultant Imgig taunted Priam and threatened to kill him. But, just then, the roof of the cavern tore open and the brilliant light of the full moon shone through, blinding the ogres. Priam slew Imgig Zu and Cybriana merged with Kilili to form the living key to Selûne's Eye, drawing all of Imgig's people back within, saving the Realms from devastation at the cost of her unique identity. She became Kyriani.

The heroes returned to Selûne's Smile where Luna rewarded them.

During the Time of Troubles, Vajra, Timoth, and Onyx assisted Luna&mdash;who was revealed as an avatar of Selûne&mdash;in defeating Shar.

After she parted ways with her friends, she headed north to hire herself out as a mercenary. In the Year of the Turret, 1360 DR, Vajra fought with many other great heroes and heroines against the Tuigan Horde. It was during this time that she first met Zaranda Star, the future queen of Tethyr.

The Reclamation Wars
When Prince Haedrak and Perendra Raslemtar arrived in Waterdeep in the Year of the Banner, 1368 DR to gather support for the lost heir of Tethyr, Vajra and her friends Timoth and Onyx quickly joined up with the cause, even before Vajra learned that they would be supporting her old friend Zaranda Star.

Vajra, along with Perendra Raslemtar, Onyx, and Ondul Jarduth, was one of the adventurers who teleported into Myratma to sabotage that city and create a distraction for Haedrak to rescue Zaranda from the clutches of Safana Aldhanek. This proved a great help to the Loyalist army's efforts.

Because of her superb combat leadership in the last battles of the Reclamation Wars in the Year of the Gauntlet, 1369 DR, she was granted the position of royal warlord and awarded the noble title of Duchess of Ankaram.

Rumors
When Pasha Abon Duum mysteriously vanished from Manshaka in 1357 DR, a popular rumor was that Vajra had returned to Manshaka and slain him for vengeance.

Appearances

 * Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (comic book series)
 * vol. 1, issue 1: "The Gathering"
 * vol. 1, issue 2: "The Bounty Seekers Of Manshaka"
 * vol. 1, issue 3: "The Secret of Selûne's Eye"
 * vol. 1, issue 4: "Sorcerer's Moon"
 * vol. 1, issue 5: "The Spirit of Myrrth: Part 1 of 4"
 * War in Tethyr