Yoska Koval

Yoska Koval Sunbrother is one of the playable characters in the Caela Pathfinders world. He is a male Halfling Paladin and is played by Kenneth Douglas Cooper Jr.

Early Life
''"It was pretty stupid, if you think about it. I wondered if I could stop them from hurting him and as soon as I thought I could do it, I felt that I had to." -Yoska Koval Sunbrother''

Yoska was the first of five children born to Rumen and Cili Koval. The halfling wasn't born with large dreams of knighthood or adventure. Before the age of nine, he always believed he would follow in the footsteps of his father, a librarian and chronicler for the capital's chapter for the temple of Sarenrae. Librarian, due to the requirement of education, was far from the shabbiest of jobs. But his life took a strange turn on New Years before his tenth birthday. The city was teaming with people, many of whom came to pray at the many temples seeking mercy and good fortune for the upcoming year. As Yoska was weaving through the the crowds in order to pick up groceries for his family, he saw a farmer's son being bullied by a group of local boys for being a rube. In a moment of courage, Yoska slung a rock at one of the tormenter's, taking the attention of the group away from their victim. Despite his attempts to lose them, the gang eventually caught him and would have seriously injured him if not for the intervention of Sir Dominic, who chased away the boys, moved by the courage of the small Halfling, Sir Dominic offered to take Yoska on as his page.

Starting as a Page
"Mum says they never really get higher than a man's stomach."

"How's he supposed to ride a proper horse, then?"

"Maybe he'll just ride a runt or something. Sir Yoska the Runt. Can you imagine?"

Yoska's parents had no desire to see their son run off to fight in battles, but they understood the opportunity it presented. Yoska moved his things into Sir Dominic's manor and began working and learning under the experienced knight, who already had two other pages from deals he had made with other nobleman. As his contemporaries were both human, he quickly began to feel as if he was the sole example his temporary family would have as to the minds and quirks of his people. This feeling kept him working hard on many rough days. During his time with Sir Dominic, he learned the basics of horsemanship, archery, swordsmanship and the workings of a noble household.

Rising to the Rank of Squire
''"I can teach you how to swing that sword, but so could that guard or that sellsword. So why do you need me? I'll tell you. You don't need a man to teach you how to win a battle, you need someone who can teach you how to win over a people. A paladin doesn't kill men; he strikes down evil so that everyone around him knows that evil can be stricken down." Sir Eliot''

By his thirteenth birthday, Yoska became the squire of a friend of Sir Dominic's by the name of Sir Eliot, an older knight. Sir Eliot had been a hard man in his youth, but age had smoothed out his edges considerably. Yoska was responsible for all of Sir Eliot's gear and weaponry, making sure to clean and sharpen the weapons and feed the horses before Sir Eliot would awake. In the later years of his tutelage, Yoska's mentor had become too old for long adventures and required more and more time in cities where he could easily find clerics to help ease the pain from the wounds he had earned throughout his life. It was during this time that Yoska achieved less training in the martial arts and was imparted more of Sir Eliot's wisdom, which he would often write down in a journal.

Becoming a Paladin of Sarenrae
''"No matter where you go, Yoska, come back. Do great things and then get yourself back here and tell everyone about them." Rumen Koval Swiftscript''

Yoska was knighted in the month of Jedo after his twenty-fourth birthday and for a short time he rejoined his family for a celebration where he was given the name "Sunbrother" in the halfling tradition of adding an 'earned name' to your given and surnames upon meeting the requirements. He still often visited Sir Eliot, seeking advice and guidance as to what course he should take with his life. Sir Eliot refused to answer him outright, instead he would retell tales from his own life. Yoska spent much of the remainder of his time back at the temple, speaking to the goddess as well as his father.

Meeting the Group
“It's been a while since I've left the Capital, a part of me wonders if the world I saw through a squire's eyes actually existed.” -Yoska Koval Sunbrother Despite the fervor that came with his ascendency to knighthood, Yoska was unable to decide upon a path for himself. He deigned to visit the Great Temple of Sarenrae in the South in hopes of reaching a revelation on his travels or, ideally, to be given a vision upon his arrival. As it had been some time since he had traveled and the fact that he had never lead those travels, Yoska commissioned the seemingly human ranger Meridan Sylvar to guide him to the southern city. As it turned out, Meridan had a similar contract with a half elf named Vincent Haell. Having no objection to company, Yoska didn't argue with the arrangement and the three began their journey.



 On the way, the trio were joined by another half elf named Alyan Lithōnion and after a fight with a sickly giant, a dwarf named Balhel GrundGor. Both men's instant attachment seemed strange to Yoska, but he found no reason to object to the new predicament. In time, he came to see their involvement as the workings of Sarenrae. The Dawnflower had given him allies in his fight against evil. She would provide again in the form of a gnome named Luludja Kathri. Whereas the others largely seemed content to keep to themselves, Luludja was a much more noticeable addition. Her temperament and apparent disconnection from what Yoska considered general knowledge concerned Yoska and highlighted Alyan's more bizarre qualities as the two formed a quick bond.

Physical Appearance
Yoska stands at three foot one, putting him on the taller side for Halflings but rather diminutive by the standards of the other major races of the world. Due to his knightly upbringing, he stands at every inch of that height, walking proudly. His head is covered in thick, brown hair, though his hair rarely goes past the bottom of his ears, except upon long journeys. His eyes are a light brown, almost seeming like a burnt orange. As with most Halflings, his ears are pointed, though not especially large by either Halfling or a human standpoint.