Aylin wasn't always the paladin that brought fear into the hearts of evil or inspired hope in the faithful. At the start of her training Aylin found harnessing the divine power to smite her enemies a near impossible task. Sure she could cleave anything in two with her greatsword but without the divine energy some called into question her linage (which was proclaimed by some of the high priest and priestess of Selûne after communing with the goddess after finding the child outside the temple on a full moon). The inability to summon even the most basic of divine magic and the lack of traits from that of a supposed aasimar – wings or even glowing eyes- led her peers to joke that she is more barbarian than holy warrior.

But it all ended when Shar followers attacked the Selûne temple in a fervor to renew the War of Light and Darkness on the mortal plane. In a clash or darkness and moonlight spells the stones of the temple are slick with the blood of enemy and ally alike. The paladins and clerics of Selûne fought valiantly but the superior numbers of the Shar followers and being caught unarmed and most, like Aylin, unarmored has greatly dwindled their numbers.

Aylin stands as one of few still alive against several Dark Justiciars and she feels the arrows that stick out where they are buried deep in muscle and, at least in one instance, in bone. As she slices a Sharran warrior's head off she hopes that this will be enough to prove her devoutness to Selûne. Or gods willing fuel her attacks with holy power to protect the others.

The thought comes to an abrupt end as a blade glances off her greatsword before a short sword pierces her gut. Something deep within her fights off some of the necrotic energy from the sword as it is twisted and then pulled from her body. She falls to her knee as blood pours from the wound and eyes clench from the pain. The assailant, a Shadar-kai elf, sends an armored knee into the grievous wound and a solid punch sends her sprawling across the stones. Seeing white, Aylin struggles to catch her breath as the sound of heavy footfalls retreats from her dying form.

But instead of darkness taking her vision the white light remains.

Then gold flashes arc across the white void.

No. Not flashes but pulses of gold amid the white backdrop.

'My little light,´ A ethereal voice calls out and Aylin feels hands helping her up. With her eyes open she doesn't see one of the warriors of Selûne, but instead a tall woman with eyes of a faint light purple and long curly white hair. As Aylin is helped to her feet she realizes the woman's skin slowly shifts from radiant moonlight to the color of twilight – as if she herself is going through the phases of the moon.

"Selû- mother," she subconsciously corrects herself as she takes in the woman's appearance – who wouldn't in the face of a goddess? As the paladin tries to stand to her full height she nearly crumples as pain erupts from her wound.

'Now is not your time, daughter,' the woman's hands reach out and press onto the wound in Aylin's gut and the paladin barely cuts off the cry of pain. Looking down Aylin is surprised to see blood the color of gold being stemmed by Selûne hands. A glow reminiscence of moonlight emits from the woman's hands and Aylin sees a gnarly gold scar on her stomach. The only reminder of the wound that should have been fatal.

'Shine your radiant soul against those that would plunge the world into darkness. Become my vengeance against those that would wrong the innocent. Strike the wicked down and help those that they have harmed. My blood courses through you, daughter, and I shall protect you as you protect the innocent,' Selûne puts her hands on Aylin's shoulders before placing a kiss on her forehead. As her mother takes a step back from her the goddess's faint purple eyes look into Aylin's blue. The paladin feels a flood of divine energy spreading from her forehead to the rest of her body.

She looks at her arms as the energy reaches her fingers and Aylin is surprised to see her plate armor adorning her form now. Off the reflection of her gauntlets, she can see white behind her shoulder. Then feathery wingtips wrap around her form as her radiant wings (something she had dreamed of for years after learning of her linage) then flare out in a burst of white that her mother's form disappears in.

'You must wake up, little light,' her mother's voice echoes out which is then replaced with the sounds of combat. Aylin feels the cold stone beneath her cheek as she comes to consciousness. Slamming her fist down she slowly stands to her full height and retrieves her greatsword. With eyes faintly glowing she watches as the Shadar-kai that heavily injured her sneaking upon one cleric in the middle of casting some sort of healing spell to assist one of the many wounded Moonmaiden warriors.

In a flurry of wings and plate armor, Aylin storms towards the rogue of the Lady of Sorrow. As she swings the greatsword she feels the warm hands of her mother imbuing the strike with divine essence. In an explosion of radiant energy, the rogue's body is split in two. As the holy warriors of Selûne take in the wings and glowing eyes of the daughter of the Moonmaiden the tide of battle shifts.

With faith renewed the Selûnites fight on to defeat numerous Sharrans before the Lady of Sorrow's followers retreat under cover of a darkness spell. After a minute Aylin's wings fade and the hard-won respite continues with no sign of a counterattack. Aylin takes in the shocked faces of her allies as the high priestess stares in reverence. She can faintly see the figure of her mother leaning in and seemingly whisper something to the priestess.

"Kneel, Aylin," the priestess, an older elven woman with hair the color of night, reaches under her cloak and retrieves a bottle of holy water as Aylin follows the woman's request.

"The woman that stands before you has proven her strength in the face of the enemy. She has shown she is a devout paladin of the Moonmaiden," the woman continues as Aylin glances to see the older woman looking to her allies.

"Selûne has blessed her daughter with the strength to lead us in this War of Light against her sister. You knelt as Aylin, paladin of Selûne," the priestess uses the holy water to draw the symbol of Selûne around Aylin's eyes before placing a caring hand on her shoulder.

"But now stand as Dame Aylin, Sword of the Moonmaider and daughter of Our Lady of Silver," the priestess's hand lifts, and she steps away as Aylin stands. As Aylin looks out to her allies, she faintly feels her mother's hand on her shoulder.

'I'm proud of you, little light.'