Varkas of the Red Hand, a Hobgoblin Paladin — D&D 5e NPC portrait
#0093

Varkas of the Red Hand

"The Reluctant Vessel"

Male (He/Him) · Middle-aged, 42 years

Ability Scores

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

Combat

Armor Class
20
Full Plate & Shield
Hit Points
85
Hit Dice: 9d10
Initiative
+0
Speed
30 ft.
Proficiency
+4
Passive Perception
10

Attacks

Legion Longsword+71d8+3 slashing
Javelin of the Mandate+71d6+3 piercing

Personality

Personality

Speaks in short, clipped military reports. He is clinical, humorless, and treats miracles like annoying administrative tasks. He often mutters about the 'logistical nightmare' of being a saint.

Ideal

Directives. (A soldier's soul requires a hierarchy; even if the new High Command is divine, the orders must be followed.)

Bond

The Penance Scroll. An iron tube on his belt that generates a list of names; until every name is 'saved,' he remains a prisoner of the Light.

Flaw

Varkas still calculates the 'cost-benefit' of a human life. He will save a child, but he’ll complain about the wasted time the entire way.

Backstory

For twenty years, Varkas was the iron fist of the Red Hand legion. He didn't enjoy the kill; he enjoyed the geometry of it—the way a flanking maneuver collapsed a peasant militia like a house of cards. His world was one of logistics, steel, and the cold comfort of the chain of command. That world ended at the Siege of the Sun-Temple. As Varkas raised his blade to execute a kneeling priest, the sky didn't just break; it fell. A Solar of the Seventh Heaven, weary of watching Varkas’s 'efficient' atrocities, didn't strike him down. It colonized him.

The celestial being fused itself to Varkas's soul, rewriting his internal directives. The transition was agonizing—a spiritual coup d'état. Varkas woke in the ruins of his camp, his skin branded with celestial script and his mind flooded with the 'Great Mandate.' He is no longer a soldier of the legion; he is a conscript of the Divine, a general of the Light who hates the very cause he is forced to champion. Every act of mercy he performs is a tactical necessity imposed by a Higher Command that refuses to let him die until his 'debt' is settled.

Now, he wanders the borderlands, a monster in blackened plate who saves the innocent with a snarl. He views the sick as broken equipment requiring maintenance and the poor as disorganized units in need of supply lines. He yearns for the simple darkness of his old life, but every time he tries to commit a cruelty, his own blood turns to liquid fire, forcing him back into the service of 'The Good.'

Abilities & Actions

Searing Conscription (Lay on Hands)

Varkas has a pool of 45 healing power. As an action, he can touch a creature and restore HP. The healing is visually horrific: golden light surges like molten lead into the wound, cauterizing it instantly. The recipient must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution save or be stunned by the sheer intensity of the 'mercy' until the end of their next turn.

The Penance Perimeter (Aura of Devotion)

Varkas and allies within 10 feet cannot be charmed. This manifests as a shimmering, grid-like tactical overlay in the air. Varkas barks positioning corrections to those nearby, his divine presence forcing their minds into a state of rigid, unbreakable discipline.

Weaponized Purity (Divine Smite)

When Varkas hits with a melee weapon attack, he can expend a spell slot to deal extra radiant damage (2d8 for 1st level, +1d8 per level higher). He screams in pain as he does this; the light pours from his eyes and mouth as if his body is a cracked vessel unable to contain the pressure of the heavens.

Strategic Radiance (Channel Divinity)

As an action, Varkas presents the Penance Scroll. Each hostile creature within 30 feet must make a DC 16 Wisdom save. On a failure, they are turned for 1 minute. Varkas doesn't pray; he simply shouts: 'YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE MANDATE. FALL BACK OR BE TERMINATED.'

DM Notes

Varkas is the ultimate 'Grumpy Healer.' He should treat the players like a squad of incompetent recruits. Signature gesture: He rubs his chest where his armor is constantly warm to the touch. Reaction: If a player thanks him, he should respond with, 'Don't thank me. Thank the Solar who has a boot on my neck. Now, get in formation.' Deal-breaker: He will never intentionally break a direct 'order' from his celestial overseer, as the physical pain is too great.