Veriander Lyras - Half-Elf Cleric

As featured in the pregenerated characters for Dungeon Crawl Classics #31: Vault of the Dragon Kings (2005 Gen Con tournament module, scheduled for release in April 2006).

Veriander is a relatively young adventurer, but has made considerable progress in her short career. The half-elf's genial nature and charming smile have allowed her to win over even the most seasoned, grizzled veterans. And her healing skills and devotion to the causes of good have proven invaluable. Veriander is proud of her mixed heritage. She has the slender, attractive elven features of her mother, and the stubborn resolve and determination of her father. Long platinum curls highlight a smooth, ageless face. She is outgoing, friendly and has the exuberance of youth.

Veriander Lyras may lapse into moments of immaturity or childish behavior, but she's always focused and serious when it comes to dealing with darkness and death - or more directly, undeath. While Veriander spent a portion of her youth getting into trouble and earning a living through skullduggery, a brush with undead changed her life forever. After returning to her home on the outskirts of town several years ago, near the town's cemetery, she came upon a horrible scene - her family had been savagely overcome by zombies risen from the nearby graves!

Not knowing what else to do, Veriander reached into her backpack (ripe with ill-gotten gains from a night of burglary) and pulled out the first thing her hands fell upon - a golden sunburst she had filched from the temple. Praying to gods she barely believed in, Veriander was overcome with a rush of euphoria. Divine power channeled through the young half-elf, and the zombies fell before the blazing sunburst held in her outstretched hand.

Ever since that fateful night, Veriander has dedicated her life to the ideals and values she discounted in her youth. Her strong faith in the power of good and the radiance of the sun brought a touch of maturity and focus that had been lacking. Veriander is earnest, hopeful and optimistic - but at times her lack of experience makes her appear gullible or impractical.