Signe the Black, Paladin of Mystra
Karen Murphy - Group 2: The Foretold

Signe was born just north of Silverymoon in a small village that survived by selling the products of the mountains and forests. Her father was one of the primary hunters in the village, and was forced to leave her with his sister's family after her mother died. Small as she was, this made little impact on her life. She remembers her father as a tall, dark man who smelled of the woods and always called her his 'little wolf', because of her disheveled black hair. When he did not return one spring, she missed him but could not truly mourn what she had never known. True mourning did not touch her until the following spring, when a strange, debilitating fever struck the village on the heels of the last spring snow. Her aunt and two cousins died within days, while Signe and many of the other villagers hung onto life through increasing agony as the disease tortured nerve and muscle. Her first coherent memory after the pain was of a beautiful woman with silver fire in her eyes touching cool hands to her trembling limbs, followed by the feel of that fire coursing through every cell of her young body as it cleansed the disease from within her. She fell asleep with the fire still singing in her blood and mind, a sound she has never lost.

The clerics of Mystra left the small village several days later, taking Signe with them to Silverymoon, since there was no one left who was willing or able to take care of the now permanently crippled little girl. She was brought to the the Tower of Balance in Silverymoon and raised with the novices and others apprenticed to the various aspects of service to the Weave. A kindly member of the temple guard, Amishar, suggested that she be taught riding to help her regain some control over her wobbly legs; he quickly discovered that she was a more than eager student, taking to the saddle as though born there. He petitioned the clerics to allow Signe to be apprenticed to the guard, a move that surprised and delighted them. While Amishar was not, as he put it, skilled in the Weave, he could and did teach her everything he knew about fighting, surviving, and reading people, while the clerics taught her kindness and how to turn the taunts of others who saw only her weak limbs. They and Amishar also taught her the tales of Mystra's paladins, the few people called to serve the Weave through strength of will and sword rather than true magic. He taught her that those called to service in this manner were bound to promote the use of the Weave for good, and to protect the Weave and those who used it through persuasion and non-violence when possible, since so many things get broken in a fight, and it is often impossible to reacreate what was destroyed later. Where knights like Amishar protect the temples and clerics, paladins travel on Her will, seeking knowledge or to protect the innocent, and needing to be skilled at judging people and making quick decisions with confidence. Signe listened closely, absorbing the tales and the morals that strengthened her mind along with the martial skills that brought new strength to her limbs.

By the time the Ceremony of Invesiture was decreed for Signe and the others of the Temple who would dedicate themselves, Signe was a tall, strong young woman with coal black hair falling to her waist, a ready smile, and an inner confidence that aged her eyes in ways that could be uncomfortable to see. It was no surprise to anyone when, during the Placing of the Vestments in the Sanctum of the Tower of Balance, the Seven Stars of Mystra moved one by one off of the great enameled holy symbol on the altar and whirled about Signe's head, releasing from their center a deep red mist that momentarily hid her from view. No one knows truly what happened during those moments, though several clerics swore that Mystra Herself spoke. Suffice it to say that, from that moment on, Signe was recognized as one of Mystra's called, Her paladins, and no one disputed the claim, despite a few grumblings about her pronounced limp and sometimes faltering movements. She is considered a junior diplomat and often sent on missions for the Tower requiring a delicate touch with an overtone of force. The one true handicap to her service is the lack of guidance from other paladins; she has no true training in her abilities, and cannot always anticipate what skills her growing power will show as she gains experience in the world. She has learned to rely on the inner voice that sings with silver fire to guide her more even than the training of the temple, and so far it has not failed.

She follows the paladinic code as listed, and has adapted Mystra's teachings for her own focus.

Paladinic Code
Always keep your word, that others may know you by your deeds as true in your heart.
Do not lie, and avoid the truth only when doing so is the only way to avoid unnecessary pain for another.
Do not raise weapons against an unarmed opponent, nor allow another to do so.
Never attack an innocent, nor allow an innocent to be attacked.
Do not torture.
Do not kill unless there is no alternative, and mourn always the dead, for a life lost is not regained.
Aid where you can to any you can.
Know your strengths and respect the strengths of others, that you might work better with those who follow your path for however short a time.
Respect the Law, Self-Discipline, and Honor, and all those who do the same.
Betray not the trust of friendship, for a friend shares pain and joy in equal measure.

Mystran Strictures for Paladins
Know the joy of the Weave, feel its pulse in the life around you, and rejoice in the wonder that we are a part of it.
Wisdom lies in knowing power in all its forms, and understanding that magic, like all other types of power, is often more effective in promise than reality, and can be used to create as well as destroy.
Help others to recognize that magic is the true gift of Mystra, and that they should be humble, not proud, in how they use this gift.
Be an example to those who use the gift, that they might be efficient in its use, never reckless or careless.
Seek always to discover and protect new ways to touch the Weave.
Protect the works of magic and those who wield it, for knowledge of the art is a rare and valued thing.