<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/9/95/Ashlyn.jpg)</div><strong><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">Ashlyn d'Parkeville</span></strong>(http://plothook.net/RPG/profiler/view.php?id=10098)<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li>Human Female LG Paladin of The Champion, <strong>Level</strong> 2, <strong>Init</strong> +1, <strong>HP</strong> 20/20, <strong>Speed</strong> 20</li><li><strong>AC</strong> 20(+7 Armor, +2 Shield, +1 Dex), <strong>Touch</strong> 11, <strong>Flat-footed</strong> 19, <strong>Fort</strong> +7, <strong>Ref</strong> +3, <strong>Will</strong> +5, <strong>Base Attack Bonus</strong> 2</li><li><strong>Abilities</strong> Str 18, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 15</li><li><strong>Condition</strong> None</li><li><strong>Equipment:</strong><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li>Field Plate Armor - </li><li>Heavy Steel Shield - </li><li>Longsword - +7/1d8+4</li></ul></li></ul><br/>The village of Parkeville is a tiny place, typical of the southlands.  A quite hamlet just south of the Westroad and only a few hours walk from the gates of Kaerlud, the town is distinguished from hundreds just like it only by proximity to the Royal Parke.<br/><br/>The largest old-growth woodland in the area is protected from encroachment by Royal Decree - and more importantly by a royal bailiff and his deputies.  The Parke is preserved as a hunting reserve for the royal family and their privileged guests, the hunting lodge nestled at its northern access serves as headquarters for the bailiff and employment for many of the locals when there are royals in residence.<br/><br/>The village has no mayor - most of the functions of that office are handled by the bailiff.  The locals look to Josh of Parkeville as their representative and leader if they think of such matters at all.  Officially, Josh is a farmer, one of the most successful in the southlands.  He is also a druid of considerable power and even greater influence, and he oversees worship at one of the oldest stone circles on the Isle.  The fact that this circle lies within the King's Parke might explain why the preserve has so well resisted encroachment.<br/><br/>Josh's wife Breanne is the village midwife and hedge-healer, much respected by the local women-folk.  They have 5 children, all sans one settled into the local community as farmers or tradesmen or the wives of farmers and tradesmen.<br/><br/>Their problem child is Ashlyn - a proud and strong and healthy girl of wild imagination and small intellect.  It's not obvious from her appearance, which is striking and lovely, but Ashlyn might charitably be described as 'not all there.'  Less charitable folk describe her as 'dumb as a fence post'.<br/><br/>She tends to take things at face value, and prefers action over the wordplay she can so rarely follow.  She believes her father's Druidic teachings with a profoundly stupid acceptance of metaphor as fact.  She's also obedient, eager to please, and did I mention strong?  Her services are much in demand any time heavy work is required, as her limited range of focus and her strong back got the job done in short order.<br/><br/>Tenacity and an eagerness to please are perhaps her defining character traits, and along with her strength of arm earned her the attention of a young noblewoman visiting the King's hunting lodge.  The young noble was passionate and bright and at the age where injustice outraged her into activism.   And her most passionate cause was the plight of women in society.<br/><br/>Feminism is a label for an attitude women have shared throughout history, and rarely been positioned to realize.  Young Lady Marguette wanted to change things, and a girl stronger than any of the boys was a weapon she desired in her struggle.<br/><br/>Sponsoring a mere girl to squire into one of the Knightly orders proved impossible.  Despite her family position and her considerable persuasive skill, Marguette could not get a mere peasant girl into any of the major brotherhoods.  The best she could manage was to enroll Ashlyn into a minor order of holy warriors.  Warriors - not even a knightly order.  Ashlyn didn't care and did what Maguette suggested.  Marguette was pretty and she never laughed at her and she smelled nice.  Besides, brutal hours of weapon practice were easier than building rock walls or pitching hay. They made her study theo… ology and meta… something, but once she learned the rotes the instructors seemed satisfied even if she obviously failed to grasp much of the meaning.  Ashlyn was very good at rote.<br/><br/>Mastery of rote helped with the instructors, and a desire to please and a strong back and natural athletic ability helped Ashlyn fit in with her fellow warriors.  Her fellows respected her skill at arms and shielded her from the need to speak to outsiders and they teased her less than had the kids back in Parkeville. For the most part she seemed happy with her position even after Marguette stopped visiting.<br/><br/>The young paladin was fuzzy on the details of how she ended up in the audience chamber in answer to a call for adventurers, but it must be something important or she wouldn't be there.<br/>