Madame Rilka Turgin, Knight of the Justicer  LG Human Knight  [Tez Coyle (and her D20 O' Destruction)]: Take a good look at the charming young lady on the left. Now take a look at the demented creature on the right. They do go together. Trust me.

     All kidding aside, Tez's creation was by far the most complex and dynamic of the Companions. Starting her career as an ordinary fighter, she entered the campaign in mid-stream and remained the "outsider looking in" as far as most of the others were concerned.

     Rilka's introduction into the campaign was hardly auspicious. Brought to the Library of the Rats by two of its furry residents, Charles Sworddance and Alorra Sunstroke, Rilka was on the edge of death following a troll attack. This act of mercy ran counter to all Rattish laws, enacted to protect the secret of the Library against any unworthy being. The dragon Quinathuli, the Library's duty-bound guardian, would have slain Rilka on the spot had it not been for the timely intervention of Malcolm.

     A deeply heartfelt bond between the fighter and the Serenity was forged, and Rilka came to realize that there was something missing in her life: a sense of mission and purpose. A purpose, Rilka decided, that could only be filled by service to the House of Light. Here began a long period of self-doubt, soul searching, and sanctioned alignment drift as the warrior wrestled with her crisis of conscience. Understandably, Rilka's judgment was somewhat impaired during this period, and some of her exploits would have made excellent copy for some barker at a carnival sideshow:

     You get the picture.

     But the trip into the Void actually did some good. Serenyi, goddess of Justice and Mercy, decided to cast a bit of the latter in Rilka's direction, and gave her a quest to join the Order as a Knight. The quest completed at the same time and locale as Chrysania's penance, she was duly ordained upon her return to Miren.

     Rilka was, before and after her investiture, the only Companion save Y'sidro who could see the whole of Dweomermist's nature and accept him for what he was. The warrior actually enjoyed the Cruelty's company, and their occasional dinners together gave Rilka the opportunity to smooth any of Tyrian's feathers that the Companions may have ruffled. Seeing qualities beyond "pure evil" in the gray elf, she would voice them openly--and this earned her no friends.

    As for the quest, Rilka kept Malcolm up to date with a constant correspondence; much of her writing reflected her annoyance and despair over the Companion's carelessness, and fear that they would push Dweomermist too far. Malcolm agreed to a point, but put his faith in the gods and allowed the quest to continue...

     A role-playing sampler:

•      Rilka, like Sieté, was a daughter of a minor noble house--but her parents could never have guessed how their daughter would put their expensive tutelage to use...
       At the same reception where Argus put his immortal question to the Cruelty, no elven lady of the court could bring themselves to go near the Lord Governor, despite the offering of witty conversation and graceful waltzes elven etiquette required of them.
      Madame Rilka to the rescue! For the sake of her hapless royal hosts, the Knight fulfilled all the social duties demanded by protocol. She was Dweomermist's charming consort for the whole reception, at dinner and on the dance floor. Rilka ignored the muffled curses of "Traitor!" from the others; she knew where her duty lay, and she wouldn't have a simple reception turn into a messy diplomatic incident. As a matter of fact, she rather enjoyed it...
       Though the Companions gave her the cold shoulder after the affair, the elves did not. By morning, Rilka had a pile of letters from the ladies of the court thanking her for their "rescue", and had earned the king's private commendation.
•      As the Knight was taking a nude swim in a tropical lagoon, the rest of the Companions were surrounded by a band of yaun-ti. Hearing the arrogant snake-men taunting the party, Rilka dove down, thinking she could surface out of sight and retrieve her armor and weapons. She glanced down—and there, staring up at her, was the monstrous head of Bolt, the blue dragon mount of Dweomermist! Trusting in the tone of the dragon's telepathic orders, Rilka kept her place as the head slowly rose beneath her...
       Back on shore, the battle was about to begin when men and snake-men alike were riveted by the sight of a radiant Rilka sitting atop the head of the awesome blue beast—a scene that could put a Boris Vallejo canvas to shame! (Hey, check out the portrait again if you don't believe me!)

---