Zhia of the Polished Pounce, a Tabaxi Rogue — D&D 5e NPC portrait
#0134

Zhia of the Polished Pounce

"High Arbiter of the Marid Sultans"

Tabaxi Rogue (Swashbuckler) LN Lvl 7 Courtier

Female (she/her) · Middle-aged, 42 years

Ability Scores

STR
10
+0
DEX
18
+4
CON
12
+1
INT
16
+3
WIS
14
+2
CHA
16
+3

Combat

Armor Class
16
Studded Leather + DEX
Hit Points
45
Hit Dice: 7d8
Initiative
+7
Speed
30 ft. (climb 20 ft.)
Proficiency
+3
Passive Perception
15

Attacks

Arbiter's Rapier+71d8 + 4 piercing

Personality

Personality

Zhia speaks with a rhythmic, purring cadence that clips off sharply when she cites a law. She constantly adjusts her monocle when stressed and treats every combatant like a student failing a very simple exam.

Ideal

Veracity. A blade must strike not only with force, but with the moral and technical authority of established tradition.

Bond

The 'Scroll of Sanction'—it contains the 1,001 Laws of the Duel, and she considers it more alive than most people.

Flaw

She will literally stop mid-combat to explain why an opponent's footwork is 'legally offensive,' often ignoring her own safety to do so.

Backstory

Born in the shifting dunes, Zhia was never fascinated by the 'whims of the wind' that her Tabaxi kin praised. Instead, she found her calling in the subterranean crystal courts of the Marid Sultans. While other rogues learned to pick pockets, Zhia learned to pick apart legal loopholes. She rose to the rank of High Arbiter by proving that a rapier could be just as precise as a scribe’s quill. To the Marids, a duel is a contract written in steel, and Zhia is the ultimate notary.

Her defining moment occurred during the 'Trial of the Three Ripples,' where she had to adjudicate a three-way duel between Efreeti nobles over a stolen oasis. While fireballs and scimitars flew, Zhia stood in the center, unmoved, loudly disqualifying an opponent for an 'unbecoming horizontal lunge' before disarming him with a technicality of the wrist. She didn't just win the fight; she validated the law. Since then, she has traveled the surface world as a wandering magistrate, seeking 'aesthetic legalities' in the messy, lawless brawls of common adventurers, hoping to bring the glorious rigidity of the Sultan's court to the chaos of the prime material plane.

Abilities & Actions

The 14 Permissible Angles (Reaction)

When Zhia is hit by a melee attack, she can use her reaction to add 3 to her AC for that attack. If this causes the attack to miss, she must spend her next turn explaining to the attacker why their angle of entry was technically 'a vulgar violation of the 4th Law of Parrying'.

Scroll of Sanction (Bonus Action)

Zhia unrolls a section of her 6-foot-long scroll and 'serves' an opponent within 30 feet. For 1 minute, that creature is considered 'In Breach of Conduct.' Zhia gains an extra 2d6 Sneak Attack damage against that target, representing her exploiting their 'illegal' openings.

Judicial Precedent (Passive)

Zhia adds her Intelligence modifier (+3) to her Initiative rolls. Additionally, she can use Sneak Attack even if she doesn't have advantage, provided she is within 5 feet of her target, no other creatures are within 5 feet of her, and she has properly announced the 'terms of engagement'.

Crystalline Monocle (Signature Item)

While wearing her monocle, Zhia has advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks to determine if a creature is lying about their combat prowess or noble lineage.

DM Notes

Zhia does not want to kill; she wants to correct. Sample Dialogue: 'Sir, that was a lackluster riposte. Under the Marid Codex, subsection four, you are now liable for a structural forfeit. Please, tuck your elbow or I shall be forced to issue a formal disarming.' She constantly paws at her Scroll of Sanction and will refuse to fight anyone who won't sign a 'mutual combat waiver' first.