Jesse Mildspear

The first soul judged by Lyra Shadowthorn as Kelemvor’s Champion. Resurrected by Vecna as a consequence of destroying Shadowthorn’s Bane.

What We Know

From Lyra’s judgement (session 19, City of Judgement in Oinos):

He loved Reeny. “Yes, I loved her. She was my only friend.”
His father owed debts. “They came after me. I didn’t have a choice.” — regarding “banishment to the fire realm”
He was involved in something larger. “I know about ‘the end’ and Prime Gerald would tell me what to do.”
His last request: “If you ever see Reeny again, tell him I’m sorry.”
Lyra sent him to be with his family. Not the abyss. Kelemvor: “Tough first day on the job.”

He appeared as “a small body — a misshapen soul shape.”

The Mildspear Name

The Mildspear family is Jesse’s family — not Lyra’s. Lyra grew up in orphanages and may never have known her real surname. She forged “Mildspear” into a family registry in Silverton’s library to claim land deeds. After Silverton fell, that book moved to the Heirloom Library in Highpoint, which now believes “Lyra Mildspear” is a real identity.

Kelemvor gave Lyra a member of the family she stole from as her very first judgement. That is not a coincidence.

Current Status: Resurrected

To destroy Shadowthorn’s Bane, Vecna had to retrieve Jesse’s soul and bathe the dagger in its negative energy. The destruction rules state that the soul is resurrected in the process. Jesse Mildspear is alive. Somewhere.

His connections:

Reeny — he loved her. She was his only friend. Reeny is now Vecna’s harbinger.
Lyra — the Champion who judged him. The woman who stole his family name.
Vecna — the god who resurrected him as a side effect of destroying the dagger.

Session 35 — Corrupted Vengeance Paladin

Jesse steps through Portal 3 (Vecna) during the forging. Vecna resurrected him, armed him, and pointed him at a target. Jesse was told to take vengeance — and Kaial’s words at the judgement gave him a frame for it. He’s a weapon aimed at the one person protecting Durrak.

His role: Disrupt Kaial’s protection of Durrak on the control platform. If Kaial is fighting Jesse, he can’t shield Durrak from Vecna’s will. If Durrak falls to Vecna’s influence, the forging intent changes.

Stat Block — Jesse Mildspear, Oathbreaker of Vengeance

Medium undead (human, resurrected), lawful evil (corrupted)

Jesse was resurrected wrong. Vecna pulled his soul back through negative energy — the process that destroyed Shadowthorn’s Bane left him alive but hollow. He looks young — maybe 16, maybe 17 — but his eyes are old and furious. He wears corroded plate armour that doesn’t fit properly, like it was made for someone else. His spear — a simple weapon, nothing magical — glows with sickly green-black light.

Armour Class 18 (corrupted plate)
Hit Points 136 (16d8 + 64)
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 12 (+1) 18 (+4) 10 (+0) 8 (-1) 16 (+3)

Saving Throws STR +8, CHA +7, WIS +3
Skills Athletics +8, Intimidation +7
Damage Resistances necrotic
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned, frightened
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages Common
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

Traits

Vow of Vengeance (1/Day). As a bonus action, Jesse designates one creature he can see within 10 ft. as the target of his vengeance. He has advantage on attack rolls against that creature for 1 minute. He will always target Kaial.

Aura of Hate (10 ft.). Jesse and any fiends or undead within 10 ft. add +3 (CHA) to melee damage rolls. If devils are near him, they hit harder. He makes the station battle worse just by standing in it.

Relentless Avenger. When Jesse hits the target of his Vow with an opportunity attack, he can move up to half his speed immediately after as part of his reaction. The target can’t escape him.

Undead Resilience. When Jesse is reduced to 0 HP, he can make a DC 10 CON save (increasing by 5 each time) to drop to 1 HP instead. He doesn’t want to die again. He’s terrified of going back.

Actions

Multiattack. Jesse makes two Corrupted Spear attacks.

Corrupted Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d10 + 4) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.

Dread Smite (3/Day). On a hit, Jesse adds 13 (3d8) necrotic damage. The target must make a DC 15 WIS save or be frightened of Jesse until the end of Jesse’s next turn. A paladin’s smite, inverted. The light is gone.

Vengeful Strike (Recharge 5-6). Jesse drives his spear into the ground. Each creature within 10 ft. must make a DC 15 STR save or be knocked prone and take 18 (4d8) necrotic damage (half on success). The ground cracks with dark veins. He slams this into the control platform to separate Kaial from Durrak.

Reactions

Shield of Vengeance. When Jesse takes damage from a creature he can see, he can use his reaction to reduce the damage by 10 (2d6 + 3) and gain advantage on his next attack against that creature.

Personality — The Broken Boy

Jesse is not a villain. He’s a dead kid who was dragged back to life by a god of secrets, handed a weapon, and told his suffering was someone else’s fault. He’s furious, confused, and in pain. The armour doesn’t fit. The power feels wrong. He doesn’t fully understand what he’s doing or why — he just knows he was told to take vengeance, and the anger feels better than the emptiness.

He is to Kaial what Reeny is to Lyra — a dark mirror. A young person destroyed by forces beyond their control, pointed at someone who might have helped them if the world were kinder.

Voice and Lines

When he steps through the portal:

(Looking around the forge floor, too bright, too hot, overwhelmed) “…this isn’t what he said it would be.”
(Sees Kaial, focuses) “You. The paladin.”
“You told me to take vengeance. I listened.”

During the fight with Kaial:

“You judge people. You decide who deserves mercy. You decided I did. Was that mercy? BEING DEAD?”
“Your god protects you. Mine brought me BACK. Which one do you think actually cares?”
“I was with my family. I was HOME. And then I wasn’t.”
(after taking a hard hit) “I already died once. You can’t scare me with that.”

When Kaial tries to reason with him:

“Don’t. Don’t talk to me like I’m someone you can SAVE.”
(quieter, cracking) “He said you’d try to be kind. He said that’s how you win. Is this… is this you winning?”
“I don’t want your pity. I want it to STOP.”

If Reeny becomes visible / is mentioned:

(The fury wavers) “…Reeny? She’s here?”
“He said she was gone. He said everyone was gone.”
(to Vecna’s portal, betrayed) “You TOLD me she was gone!”

If the party points out Vecna is using him:

“I KNOW he’s using me. Everyone uses me. My father used me. The Champion used me. Death used me. At least HE gave me a weapon.”
(but the certainty is gone. His attacks become less coordinated.)

The break point — if Kaial refuses to fight back:

Jesse’s attacks become wild, desperate. He’s hitting the platform, not Kaial.
“FIGHT ME. Fight me! You’re supposed to fight me!”
“Why won’t you just… why won’t anyone just…”
He drops to his knees. The spear clatters. The necrotic light gutters out.
(barely a whisper) “I just wanted to go home.”
This mirrors Reeny’s dream plane line: “I just wanted to get out.”

Tactical Notes

Jesse’s job is to separate Kaial from Durrak. He uses Vengeful Strike to knock Kaial prone and away from the control platform. He positions himself between the paladin and the smith.
Aura of Hate is the sneaky threat. If Jesse stands near the devil waves, they all deal +3 melee damage. He makes the station battle harder even when he’s focused on Kaial.
He is beatable through combat OR roleplay. Combat: CR 9, a level 13 paladin can take him. Roleplay: Kaial refusing to fight, mentioning Reeny, or pointing out Vecna’s manipulation breaks him. Persuasion DC 14 (Kaial has advantage if he invokes his oath or mentions protecting Jesse).
If broken through RP: Jesse collapses. The necrotic corruption fades. He’s just a scared kid in oversized armour. He asks about Reeny. If he sees Reeny and she’s also been reached, this could be the moment that breaks both of them free simultaneously.
If killed: He dies again. The Undead Resilience means he’ll try to come back once. If he goes down a second time, he’s gone. His last words should gut the table.

Open Questions

What was “the end” he knew about? Who is “Prime Gerald”?
Why did his father’s debts lead to “banishment to the fire realm”?
Does Jesse know Lyra forged herself into his family name?
If Jesse survives the session, where does he go? Does Reeny take him? Does the party?