Heldram the Battle-Sage
Planar ramadeen paragon confrontational mercy [he/him] / LG
Not all ramadeen focus on diplomatic conversion. Heldram represents those who emphasize the warrior aspect of their nature, believing that sometimes evil must be confronted directly before redemption becomes possible. Standing taller than most of his kind and bearing scars from countless battles, Heldram leads the militant branch of the Ramadeen order known as the Clarion Horn.
Heldram’s approach centres on what he calls confrontational redemption—the theory that some evil beings can only recognise the emptiness of their path once they’ve been decisively defeated in battle, and shown mercy. He leads his forces specifically against wicked leaders whose fall might create opportunities for their followers to reconsider their allegiances. His campaigns are characterised by overwhelming force against leadership followed by immediate offers of clemency and alternatives to their defeated followers.
His most celebrated campaign was against the Bloodskull Clan, a bandit horde of khaasta led by a hezrou warlord. Rather than engaging the entire clan, Heldram led a surgical strike against its leader, defeating the fiend in single combat. With their previously-invincible leader defeated, nearly a third of the horde accepted Heldram’s offer of resettlement and rehabilitation.
Heldram’s methods remain controversial among some ramadeen who prefer less martial approaches, but none can deny his effectiveness in creating opportunities for mass redemption through strategic military action. His enchanted scimitar, Mercy’s Prelude, is said to never kill unless absolutely necessary, somehow inflicting precisely enough damage to defeat without destroying the possibility of redemption.
See Also
- Ramadeen — being an overview of the outsiders among celestials
- Kornath the Persistent — ramadeen paragon of subtlety and gradual persuasion
- Sundera Bridge-Builder — ramadeen paragon of redeeming communities
Canonical Sources: Miniatures Handbook [3e] p67. Stats can be found here [ 3e | PF1e ]
Other Sources: Inspired by the Creature Codex [PF1e]; Jon Winter-Holt. Canonwatch: The ramadeen are a relatively obscure race of celestials from D&D 3e with no canonical lore, which the Creature Codex turned into something really cool, and I’ve expanded upon that.