Jhesavail Stonecrest's Armor

Jhesavail Stonecrest (or Jhes, as she prefers) is a human fighter.   [Pause for vanilla/boring/overplayed commentary... aaaand, moving on.]   Her adventuring story began when she joined the Empire's army, the Silver Legion.* After her initiation and training, Jhes was placed in the Eighth Legion-- an honor somewhat underscored by the fact that her new post would be in the farthest edges of the Empire (the Backwater), one of the most forgotten and neglected parts. I mean, Nine Hells, the journey there took an entire month. A month!   Of course, when she did arrive, nothing was right. At the entrance to the region, her captain was dead, the rest of her new squadron having suffered the same fate or gone missing. The only people she had were the cleric, Therrick Alebrew, who she shared a travel caravan with and a mysterious ranger (no, rogue? Ah, who knows... the emphasis is on mysterious), John Waldron, who happened upon the gruesome scene at the same time. (Can you can see where this is going?)  

And lo! An adventuring party was born!

  New allies in tow, Jhes forayed into this Backwater part of the Empire, where evil was brewing. Together, they discovered dark and intelligent goblinoids, working toward an evil purpose. They uncovered a long-lost, ancient, sentient sword, who deemed them worthy to wield him. They christened themselves The Flamekeepers: adventurers who wished to keep the flame of the Drandalian Empire alight against the coming darkness. And they defeated a heretofore unknown goddess who attempted to take over the Material Plane.   "But this is supposed to be about Jhes' armor!" you may be crying. And you would be right. That is what the title says, after all. Consider all of the above a preamble-- a backstory, if you will. Now, let's get into the meat of this article.  

Armor

One aspect of adventuring is that your gear (if non-magical) suffers a lot of wear and tear. Even heavy armor is liable to damage (especially if you have the misfortune to encounter a Rust Monster. Big oof).   Fortunately for Jhes, one of her party members is a Forge Cleric, who is quickly able to make repairs and modifications. What follows is a visual journey of Jhes as she finds her adventuring mettle, helps form the Flamekeepers, and grows into a halfway competent leader (when the dice are feeling magnanimous).  

Silver Legion

Jhes' first set of armor was from the Silver Legion. Every Legion has approximately the same uniform: chainmail, short fur cloak, the symbol of the Silver Legion, and a sash in your Legion's color.* Wearing the armor of the Eighth Legion gave young Jhesavail an aspect of authority, something she took some time getting used to as she learned how to wield that power gracefully.   Her armor also came to represent an internal conflict. All her life she wanted to become a Legionnaire. But when her moment came, there was no commanding officer to report to. Now she is a Warden of the Flamekeepers, along with John and Therrick. Can she be both Silver Legion and Flamekeeper at once?  

Silver Legion or Flamekeeper?

After an unfortunate encounter with some Rust Monsters (aha! foreshadowing!) and an offer from her Forge Cleric companion, she had the choice to either refashion herself as a Warden of the Flamekeepers, or to keep the visage of a Legionnaire.   Ultimately, she decided to begin her move away from the army she'd long dreamt of fighting for. She had a new, unexpected opportunity to create something better.     Therrick, a clever blacksmith and caring friend, repaired her Legionnaire armor, removing the Silver Legion crest and replacing it with a Flamekeeper symbol. He also gave the metal a slight blue tint, to match her aura. Aww.   Her glaive, unfortunately, was beyond repair after the Rust Monsters had their way. Fortunately, a new ally in the form of a debonair nobleman gifted her one from his forces, the long grip wrapped in his house's wine red color. She also replaced her Legionnaire cloak with a magical Cloak of Protection found while adventuring across the region.  

Warden of the Flamekeepers

This new armor served her well for quite some time after that, and she was proud to represent aspects of herself, her past, and her present. But eventually, her need for even better armor became apparent, as their foes grew stronger and more deadly.   Once again, Therrick came to the rescue, as his skills as Forge Cleric had improved even further. He crafted her a new set of armor, and a new glaive, pieces that were built specifically for her and her role as Warden of the Flamekeepers.     Therrick used the term "resplendant" to describe what he wanted Jhesavail to be. And in bright, pure platinum armor, decorated with fine metal filigree, and tipped with blue flames, that is exactly what she became.*   Jhesavail, along with Therrick and John, is now more secure in her role as Warden. Geared in her own set of armor, unlike what anyone else in the Empire wears, with thoughtful details for her fighting style, her aura, and her responsibility as Flamekeeper, she has less doubt and uncertainty about her role. And that is the power of a really killer outfit.   There's still an Empire to be saved, after all. Best for her to get to it resplendantly.