Aleric Shaw

A battle-hardened soldier turned holy warrior, Aleric Shaw walks the line between duty and righteousness with unwavering conviction.

Description

Appearance

A human man of military bearing. Wears chain mail beneath a ghoul-skin cloak, and carries the Shield of the Lords Durst — a trophy claimed from Death House. Goggles of Night hang around his neck when not in use. His morningstar, Lâf-Zarad, is silvered and always within reach.

Personality

Steadfast, principled, and driven by a deep-seated need to protect the innocent. Aleric carries himself with the quiet discipline of a career soldier tempered by genuine faith. He leads by example rather than command.

Voice & Mannerisms

• Direct and measured speech, wastes few words
• Reflexively places himself between danger and allies
• Touches his holy symbol when weighing difficult decisions

Background

History

Aleric served faithfully as a soldier in the city guard of Neverwinter before finding his calling in a deeper, spiritual drive toward protecting the innocent and upholding justice. This conviction led him to take the Oath of Devotion as a paladin, dedicating himself to heroic virtue and defense against evil.

As a member of the Order of the Gauntlet, his reputation for steadfast courage and moral clarity grew. The Order's militant opposition to evil provided him with both spiritual comrades and a framework for combating the malevolence creeping into the world.

He was tasked with investigating rumors of unusual darkness and mysterious events emerging from the south. His path led him to a tavern south of Daggerford, where he was to meet two individuals from other factions — Daisy and Ria — before the mists took them all to Barovia.

Motivations

• Wants: To protect the innocent and destroy the evil that plagues Barovia
• Fears: Failing those who depend on him; the corruption of his own convictions
• Hiding: —

Secrets

Character Arc

Starting Point

A righteous paladin on a straightforward mission — investigate darkness, smite evil. Barovia has complicated that worldview considerably.

Arc Summary

Aleric's unwavering faith is being tested by a land where the divine feels distant and evil is sovereign. The question is whether his conviction can endure or whether it will need to evolve.

Key Moments

Relationships

Party

NPCs

Notable Abilities & Items

Signature Abilities

• Divine Smite — Channels radiant energy through his weapon strikes
• Lay on Hands — Heals allies through divine touch
• Channel Divinity — Oath of the Crimson Throne features
• Savage Attacker — Rerolls weapon damage, keeping the higher result

Key Items

Documents & Letters

Spells Known

Session Appearances

GM Notes

Hooks to Use

• Order of the Gauntlet connections — isolated from his organization, how does he maintain faith?
• Custom Lineage with Darkvision — what is Aleric's true heritage?
• Soldier background ties to Neverwinter — any connections that might manifest in Barovia?

Current Status

Oath-broken paladin sworn to Strahd von Zarovich. Formerly afflicted with lycanthropy from a werewolf bite, but the curse was cured in Session 12 when Ria gave him the Wolfsbane Retreat potion immediately after the bridge combat. The mechanical and roleplay consequences of the oath to Strahd — "Loyalty above light. Blood is power. Rule without mercy. Love is bondage." — continue to unfold as the defining challenge of his character arc.

The Oath Mystery

During the carriage encounter in Session 08, Strahd explicitly stated he was never in Death House. He was visibly angered by the suggestion that someone impersonated him. This raises a critical question: if the entity in the Death House was not Strahd, then who did Aleric swear his oath to? The binding words — "Loyalty above light. Blood is power. Rule without mercy. Love is bondage." — may serve a different master entirely.

Foreshadowing

The Oath of the Crimson Throne has been replaced by something darker. Strahd called him "my faithful knight" — that title will return. But who truly holds Aleric's oath?