Champion

Champion (O'Ma, NG)

Requirements:
Base Attack Bonus (BAB): +7
Feats: Weapon Focus: Short Sword, Skill Focus: Heal, Two Weapon Fighting
Skills: Heal - 5 Ranks
Abilities:
1st: Detect Evil 30'
1st: Cure Light Wounds
3rd: Smite Evil
5th: Cure Serious Wounds
4th: Turn Outsider
7th: Summon Celestial Servant

The Champions of O'Ma

Champions are the youngest of the holy warrior orders and they were founded about fifty years ago by a half-nymph woman named Vanoviel Niltaurwen. She was the first champion. Before a great battle among the gods Vanoviel was charged by O'Ma with the task of forming the Champions of O'Ma and spreading them throughout Avlis.

Before this, there was another order associated with O'Ma's church. It was known as the Templars of O'Ma. The templars were slightly different. Instead of being fully integrated holy warriors, they were largely a mercenary force of fighters who were also trained minimally in the religious ways of O'Ma. They acted mainly as a bodyguard unit for traveling clerics. Throughout history, clerics of O'Ma have been subject to much distrust and sabotage by sympathizers of Titania, and other troublemakers. It was the job of the Templars to keep this nonsense at bay.

When creating the champions, Vanoviel recruited heavily among the Templars. Eventually, they were dissolved and all of them were trained as champions. Nowadays, the Templar program exists only as a first step in preparing for champion-hood. Other orders of training also exist for the same purpose, such as the Order of O'Ma.

The champion fighting style is modeled largely after its founder. Vanoviel is well known for her dual-wielding style of longsword and shortsword. Other dual combinations are also taught, but this one is the most common seen in a Champion. Heavy armor is also the norm, though some of the more slim-bodied members will opt for medium armor instead.

The Champions of O'Ma still do largely the same tasks as the Templars did. They guard the clerics of O'Ma in their work. However, they now also have missions of their own assigned by Vanoviel and guided by her lesser cohorts. Chain of command proceeds up from one champion to the next most powerful, until the matters are decided by Vanoviel's advisors and Vanoviel herself. Currently, the base of operations for the champions is in the city of Elysia. This is their headquarters, but there are units of champions spread all over Avlis performing various missions.