Sveinn Blood-Eagle

Dante Pholve's page

22 posts. Alias of tom_thiessen.


About Dante Pholve

Twice abandoned, Dante Pholve has taken up the mantle of Abadar to destroy the lake pirates who erased both of his families. He alone stands against the tyranny of Kozek Lodovka, but his lone crusade may be his undoing.

Dante Pholve is the nephew of one of the Lake of Mist and Veils most powerful men-Lord Kozek Lodovka. Half-Ustalavian, Dante was born of a beautiful Ustalavian noble named Sapphirine Armanti. Wedded to Tomas Pholve--a bastard half-brother to Kozek--the arrangement was intended to bolster both of their holdings. Dante was the less than expected result of the marriage. Unfortunately for the couple, Kozek wanted no claims to his power, and a mere month after Dante was born, assassins were sent into Ustalav to "erase" the entire family. Tomas's spies warned him with barely an hour to spare, and he and his family fled to Chesed to escape, but not before Tomas took a poison dart to the neck. He died soon thereafter, leaving Dante entirely in Sapphirine's care.

Sapphirine had no family she could rely on--she and Dante were the last of her line. Making a run for Chesed, she found herself lost in the Estrovian Forest. Eventually, she came across a temple to Abadar--which was being housed by both monks and clerics--on the western shore of the Lake. Fearing Kozek would not relent in his hunt, Sapphirine waited until nightfall, and left the infant Dante on the steps of the temple. She fled into the night, never to be heard from again.

The temple readily took in the young Dante, and all helped in raising him. As he grew up in the temple, the only thing he retained of his past life was his name--something he kept out of a mixture of honor and mystery. Knowing only the church, Dante resigned himself to what would likely be a long life tending to the needs of the church.

Life went on for Dante, and he gave his past little thought. Not even the clerics could help him unravel his past. During his 17th summer on the shores of the Lake, Dante's past caught up with him.

An armada of ten pirate ships attacked the temple, the brigands systematically moving through the grounds and buildings, killing anyone who opposed them. Their numbers were overwhelming, and there was little the residents of the temple could do to turn them back.

Cataloging the armaments in one of the storage cellars below an outlying building, Dante and his friend Jorzal avoided the main brunt of the attack. A female pirate--one particularly vicious Mirezma--found the pair in the cellar. Wielding a cutlass, she made quick work dispatching Jorzal, who was closer to the stairs.

Relying on the sparse training he'd invested with the monks, Dante was quick to react to his would-be killer and grabbed the nearest weapon he saw: a crossbow. Unknown to Dante, the weapon was broken, and in need of repair. Dante aimed the weapon at the pirate, when the bolt which was jammed glowed blue for a moment, sprung free, and pinned the woman to the wall. Not waiting to see if she was dead or not, Dante found a hiding place in the cellar, keeping his weapon with him.

When he figured it was safe to leave, Dante wandered through the hurricane of destruction. Everyone he knew was dead, the temple afire with no way to extinguish it. Collecting any equipment which was salvageable, Dante spent the next six years hunting the pirates in both the name of Abadar, and those who had been mercilessly slain.

Dante Pholve
Male human warpriest 2
LG Medium humanoid (human)
Deity Abadar
Init +1; Senses Perception +4
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DEFENSE
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AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 16
hp 19 (1: 8+2, 2: 7+2)
Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +6
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DEFENSE
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee battle axe +1 (1d8/x3)
Melee heavy shield +1 (1d4/x2)
Ranged heavy crossbow +3 (1d10/19–20) [+1 weapon focus]
Warpriest Spells Prepared (CL 2nd; concentration +6)
1st—abundant ammunition (ultimate combat), compel hostility (ultimate combat), know the enemy (ultimate magic)
0—guidance, read magic, spark, stabilize
Blessings (4/day)
Law-axiomatic strike
Protection-increased defense
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STATISTICS
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Str 11, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 12
Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 12
Feats Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (crossbow)
Skills Climb -1, Diplomacy +6, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (religion) +5, Survival +9
Traits Issian, Sacred Touch
Languages Common
SQ issian (+1 Will mind-affecting), aura, sacred weapon (crossbow)
Combat Gear Acid flask, hide armor, heavy wooden shield, battle axe, mwk heavy crossbow, bolts (20)
Other Gear Backpack (mwk), ioun torch, belt pouch, charcoal stick, bedroll, adventurer's journal, cold weather outfit, trail rations, waterskin, potion cure moderate wounds, potion cure light wounds (4)