Ruan Mirukova

Melismar's page

131 posts. Alias of Scarogoth.


Full Name

Melismar Bal-Brendon

Race

Half-Elven

Classes/Levels

Bard 1

Gender

Male

Size

5'7" - 135lbs

Age

22

Alignment

Neutral Good

Deity

Corellon Larethian

Location

Sembia

Languages

Common, Elven, Dwarven, Celestial, Sylvan

Occupation

Scholar and Singer

Strength 8
Dexterity 14
Constitution 10
Intelligence 15
Wisdom 10
Charisma 18

About Melismar

Backstory:
In one sense, Melismar is lucky to be alive, but often he has considered this simple fact something of a mixed blessing. His heritage has meant that he has never really been accepted by the family into which he was born, and is universally despised by his grandfather, uncles, aunts, and cousins alike.

His grandfather, Vledomar Brendon, a nobleman, cannot get over the fact that Melismar is, unfortunately, the result of an illicit union between a very young wood elf (Lellelothar) and an even younger female human, Vledomar’s eldest daughter, Brendonela. The couple felt they were very much in love, but neither youngster, sadly, had much idea about the nature and workings of sexuality. Taking their delight in an secret tryst one afternoon, Brendonela’s father being away on business, their romantic, misguided fumblings resulted in the unexpected arrival nine months later of a young Melismar.

Naturally, the fallout from his arrival was enormous — the very notion of marriage was not entertained by either family even for a second — not, of course, that they ever met to discuss the situation! The young swain was immediately packed off to distantly-related relatives in the distant woodlands, where it is believed an unfortunate accident on an icy river carried him off some months later. As for poor Brendonela, not having realized she was pregnant until it became obvious to all, after her quaking confession of the courtship, her enraged father had beaten her so extensively that her face became permanently disfigured and the girl was knocked into a semi-vegetative state, retaining the mental age of a child even while her woman’s body swelled to fullness.

Perversely, however, one of the things that the Brendons prided themselves on was their religious observations and piety. Indeed, they considered themselves one of the pillars of Erastil's church in that region, and their patronage of such a law-abiding, common sense, family-oriented church was vital to Vledomar’s bid for the Barony, so naturally, taking into account the teachings of Erastil, they couldn’t bring themselves to go through with (or, perhaps, risk discovery of) arrangements that would dispose of the baby, and grudgingly the child was accepted, named (although they made sure he was always referred to as Bal-Brendon, to indicate his bastardy) and educated. To maintain Brendonela’s honour they put about the rumour that the evil Lellelothar had raped her, and saddled her with child — the one crime that the church thought of as being worthy of death. However, Melismar knew in his heart when he saw the glimmer of happiness that appeared in Brendonela’s eyes when his father’s name was mentioned that such was not the truth.

Melismar’s childhood was far from easy, however. The adults of the family, although they would have denied the very truth because of Erastil’s teachings, made it clear that they viewed the boy with contempt, and his cousins who were around his age picked up on this fact very quickly, and their child-like aping of their elders often resulted in physical torment as well as mental. It was not helped by the fact that Melismar was born prematurely owing to his grandfather’s battering of his mother, and he was mostly a sickly child, continually taunted by the other children about his weakling nature. Indeed, though they would deny it, many older members of the family often thought it would be a kindness if the goddess would relieve them of the half-elven boy during one of his bouts of malady.

Melismar was educated alongside the Vledomar’s other grandchildren in the ways of battle, heraldry, calligraphy and all the accoutrements that were considered necessary in the education of a gentleman, but he found little joy in his lessons. The only thing that he enjoyed were the one a tenday afternoon sessions of music and dancing – naturally, these were the very classes his fellow pupils loathed, and he was shamelessly mocked by them. However, this very act awakened a core of resistance within Melismar — a core that was rapidly hardened by the simple fact that for the first time in his life he had discovered something at which he was better than any of his fellows.

Secretly, he began to compose his own music and songs in his cold, lonely, tower room, and would even choreograph the final results. Believing that he was making progress, one day he dared to show one of his teachers the results of his labours. Being very impressed, and also a great defender of the child, Altamir Norcrel, a talented bard himself, thought it would be useful to report back to his grandfather the tremendous strides that his bastard grandson was making. Vledomar, however, flew into a rage and demanded to see Melismar immediately and asked why he, the grandson of a potential Baron, was demeaning himself by learning the occupation of a servant. Having beaten the youth severely, the pompous aristocrat demanded that he cease his studies immediately, under threat of being disowned, a threat which was somewhat unfair because there was very little chance of his ever inheriting anything, and he was still, officially, a year away from his majority in any case. However, it was the first time that Melismar had seen such an opportunity come his way, and seizing his courage in both hands he spoke up to the irascible old man for the first time in his life.

“Given the choice of remaining under your roof and so-called ‘protection’ without my art, and living on the streets as a beggar with it, scarcely presents a choice at all! I shall leave this house immediately and a pox on you and yours. I shall travel the world, and sing!”

As the young boy iterated these last words, his speaking voice adopted a ringing, singing tone, and filled the very room with a reverberant sound that was quite unlike anything he’d produced in his vocal lessons, neither singing, elocation nor declamatory! The air itself seemed alive with the vibrations, indeed it seemed almost to shimmer. Whether it was this sudden vehemence from the gangly youth, or something else in his voice, Vledomar was so taken aback that he collapsed back in his chair, scarce able to believe his ears, and his servants raced forward initially terrified (and, in truth, more than a shade hopeful) that the old sod had had a heart attack. In truth, he seemed quite dazed. But not one to look a gift-horse in the mouth, Melismar had already turned tail and stridden out the room. By the time his grandfather had recovered sufficiently to gather his thoughts (and his stick), the youth had already packed his belongings, and kissed his mother goodbye — though the unfortunate Brendonela seemed not to comprehend that it was different from any other pecks on the cheek that she regularly received from him. By the time he was ready to leave through the main gate, his grandfather had reached the courtyard, brandished his staff, and had began to bellow at him.
“If you walk through that gate now, young man, you needn’t think that you’ll ever come back in through it! I’m warning you…”

A retort formed instantly on Melismar's lips. “I wouldn’t worry about that, grandfather. I wouldn’t even demean myself by coming in the tradesman’s entrance to sing at your funeral, tempting though that would be!”

With that, the half-elven youth flounced out of the gate without a backward glance, confident that he could sell the chalice he had pinched from the high table in some distant city for enough money to continue his vocational training. He’d head to Brevoy, for he’d heard that people there were more acceptant of mixed-heritage souls…

Skills:


  • +1 Acrobatics
  • +2 Appraise
  • +8 Bluff
  • -4 Climb
  • +2 Craft (calligraphy)
  • +11 Diplomacy
  • +4 Disguise
  • -1 Escape Artist
  • -1 Fly
  • +0 Heal
  • +4 Intimidate
  • +3 Knowledge (arcana)
  • +3 Knowledge (dungeoneering)
  • +3 Knowledge (engineering)
  • +3 Knowledge (geography)
  • +3 Knowledge (history)
  • +3 Knowledge (local)
  • +3 Knowledge (nature)
  • +7 Knowledge (nobility)
  • +7 Knowledge (planes)
  • +3 Knowledge (religion)
  • +3 Knowledge (spirits)
  • +6 Linguistics
  • +2 Perception
  • +10 Perform (sing)
  • -1 Ride
  • +4 Sense Motive
  • -1 Stealth
  • +0 Survival
  • -4 Swim
  • +8 Use Magic Device


Defence, Combat & Saving Throws:


  • HP: 8
  • Initiative: +2
  • AC: 15 (Touch: 12; Flat-footed: 13)
  • CMB: -1
  • CMD: 11
  • Melee: Rapier (+2 = Weapon finesse, Masterwork)
    Damage: 1d6-1 (18-20 crit, x2)
  • Ranged: Shortbow (+2, 60')
    Damage: 1d6-1 (20 crit, x3)
  • Melee: Dagger (hidden weapon, rarely used)

Saving Throws
  • +0: Fortitude
  • +4: Reflex
  • +2: Will
    NB: Immune to sleep: +2 racial bonus vs. enchantments


Traits, Feats & Abilities:

Traits

  • Savant (Kitharodian Academy)
    From a very young age, the ability to master performance types has come quite naturally to you. Benefit: Chose a performance type. You gain a +2 trait bonus on all Perform checks made using that performance type. Perform is always a class skill for you.
  • Focused Mind
    (+2 on Concentration checks)

Feats

  • Weapon Finesse [Rapier]
  • Skill Focus [Diplomacy]
  • Armor Proficiency [Light]
  • Shield Proficiency [not used]

Abilities

  • Low-Light Vision: may see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light
  • Adaptability: gain Skill Focus as bonus feat
  • Elf Blood: count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race
  • Elven Immunities: immune to magic sleep effects; gain +2 Racial bonus on saves vs. enchantment spells/effects
  • Keen Senses: +2 Racial bonus on Perception checks
  • Multitalented: choose 2 favored classes at 1st level instead of 1 [Bard & Rogue]


Equipment:

Studded Leather Armour [Masterwork]
Shortbow
Arrows [20]
Rapier [Masterwork]
Dagger
Musical Instrument [Common, Aulos]
Waterskin
Backpack
Parchment
Inkpen
Ink [1oz vial]

Spells Known:

  • 0-level: Daze, Lullaby, Message, Read Magic
  • 1-level: Comprehend Languages, Sleep