Kern Miltiades Desanea was a paladin hero son of Tarl Desanea and Shal Bal.[3]
Description[]
The youthful paladin appeared to be no older than nineteen when he met Khelben Arunsun, even though Kern was in his thirties at the time.[5]
Personality[]
Kern was somewhat rigid in his morals, not unlike many other paladins. This was evident from his dismissal of traditions of Skullport despite Aleena Paladinstar's warning, as well as him considering the magically glowing red eyes of Khelben Arunsun to be an effrontery to Tyr.[6] Khelben noted that Kern was bursting with the energy of youth, always moving, always restless.[5]
Abilities[]
Due to his mother Shal Bal casting many powerful spells while pregnant with Kern, Kern became "anti-magic", meaning that most magic would have no effect on him unless he concentrated on having his anti-magic barrier lowered.[1]
Possessions[]
Kern's armor of choice was a chain mail with a steel breastplate and greaves. Like many other followers of Tyr, he fought with a warhammer.[1]
History[]
Kern Desanea was born in 1352 DR and was named the Hammerseeker before his birth on the day the Hammer of Tyr was lost to the evil god Bane and his dark servant, the Hammerwarder.[3]
In 1371 DR[note 1], on the 17th and 18th of Eleint, Kern was present at the wedding ceremony between the Open Lord of Waterdeep Piergeiron the Paladinson and Eidola of Neverwinter. The event was swept away by a whirlwind of sinister plots surrounding the wedding and resulting in the bride's abduction.[7] He was then part of her rescue party assembled by Khelben Arunsun shortly after Piergeiron fell sick with a mysterious illness.[8]
The plan was to travel through Undermountain to reach the only portal to the Utter East that was in the vicinity of Waterdeep. Blackstaff was unable to teleport the paladins to the gate directly because of Kern's anti-magical abilities, leaving the party with only one choice — traveling through Skullport.[9]
When the paladins reached Skullport, the group was tasked with aiding zombies by the mysterious Skulls of Skullport in penance for Kern destroying one of the watchers. The rigid-thinking paladin refused to heed Aleena Paladinstar's instructions, but she eventually persuaded him from mindlessly taking on the residents of Skullport. The group split apart in search of undead to aid. Kern decided to help a group of zombies led by a juju, releasing them from the undeath. Somehow this concluded the task, as they and other paladins safely passed Skullport going deeper into Undermountain.[10]
However, the paladins encountered a group of ettins who demanded payment for the passage. An unfortunate skirmish followed. In the fray, one of the rescue team - Harloon was slain. After a funeral pyre, the paladins had to move on.[11] Nearing the gate, Able, Trandon, and Kastonoph Nesher went ahead to scout only to discover a magical mirror in the cave's wall. It was being used by barlguras to duplicate themselves, creating an army. The scouts were discovered, Able was killed and Noph got captured by vrocks Shaakat and Rejik. They held him, hostage, to destroy the rest of the party. Aleena had an idea to create duplicates of themselves and send them into the fray keeping the fiends distracted. The vrocks killed the magical doubles one after another, playing straight into the heroes' plan. The surviving paladins were able to penetrate the fiends’ circle of protection against the law. The vrocks fled in defeat, and Aleena sent Kern and the paladins through the gate, closing it behind them by collapsing the tunnel's ceiling with her magic.[12]
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
- Novels
- Pools of Darkness • Pool of Twilight • The Abduction • The Paladins • Errand of Mercy • Conspiracy
Notes[]
- ↑ The Abduction, p.6 states that the wedding of Piergeiron the Paladinson and Eidola took place in the Year of the Haunting, 1377 DR. However, that date is implausible. Khelben Arunsun died in 1374 DR as depicted in Blackstaff (novel). Furthermore, Aleena Paladinstar was stated to be gone from Waterdeep by 1372 DR, planeswalking (City of Splendors: Waterdeep). On the other hand, the events of the Descent to Undermountain took place in 1370 DR, during which Aleena was actively banned from adventuring and any danger by her father. In the events of The Paladins, as well as the finale of the DDTS, Aleena took a central role, no longer bound by her father's rules. She later, with all the experience she received from battling the Unseen and hordes of Tanar'ri, felt confident enough to use her magic to traverse the planes. This places DDTS events likely in 1371 DR. This also does not conflict with appearances by Artemis Entreri, and the Neshers.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Dale Donovan, Paul Culotta (August 1996). Heroes' Lorebook. (TSR, Inc), p. 122. ISBN 0-7869-0412-7.
- ↑ James M. Ward and David Wise (February 1998). The Paladins. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 20. ISBN 0-7869-0865-3.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 James Ward, Anne K. Brown (November 1993). Pool of Twilight. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 1-5607-6582-8.
- ↑ James M. Ward and David Wise (February 1998). The Paladins. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 73. ISBN 0-7869-0865-3.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 James M. Ward and David Wise (February 1998). The Paladins. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 8. ISBN 0-7869-0865-3.
- ↑ James M. Ward and David Wise (February 1998). The Paladins. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 7. ISBN 0-7869-0865-3.
- ↑ J. Robert King (February 1998). The Abduction. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 13. ISBN 0-7869-0864-5.
- ↑ James M. Ward and David Wise (February 1998). The Paladins. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 1. ISBN 0-7869-0865-3.
- ↑ James M. Ward and David Wise (February 1998). The Paladins. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 28. ISBN 0-7869-0865-3.
- ↑ James M. Ward and David Wise (February 1998). The Paladins. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 37. ISBN 0-7869-0865-3.
- ↑ James M. Ward and David Wise (February 1998). The Paladins. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 57. ISBN 0-7869-0865-3.
- ↑ James M. Ward and David Wise (February 1998). The Paladins. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 6, p. 84. ISBN 0-7869-0865-3.