Tessa Mithrandir's page

Aquatic Elf Diviner (foresight Subschool) 5
NG Medium Humanoid (aquatic, elf)
Init +6 (Forewarned); Senses Low-light vision Perception +4 (+6 if Azil is near)
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Defense
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AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15(+2 Dex, +1 Natural, +4 Mage Armor)
hp 32 (5d6+5+5)
Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +3 (+2 v. charm, compulsion)
Immune
Sleep
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Offense
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Speed 30 feet; 30 swim
Melee cold iron dagger +1 (1d4-1)
Ranged light crossbow +4 (1d8)
Special Attacks Prescience 8/day
Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 5th; concentration +9) (+2 CL to overcome SR)
. . 3rd(2+1*/day)— Fly, Haste, 1 more*
. . 2nd(3+1*/day)— glitterdust, see invisibility*, web, scorching ray
. . 1st(4+1*/day)— magic missile (2), Heightened Awareness*, Magic Missile (2)
. . 0 (at will)—Detect Magic, Prestidigitation, Mage Hand, Ray of Frost
Opposition schools: Enchantment, Necromancy
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Statistics
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Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 21, Wis 9, Cha 10
Base Atk +2; CMB +1; CMD 13
Feats Scribe Scroll, False Focus, Craft Wondrous Item, Sacred Geometry (1) (Extended Spell, (Alertness)
Traits Azlanti Scholar (UMD), Warrior of Old
Skills Knowledge (arcana, engineering) +13, Knowledge (history, dungeoneering) +12, Knowledge (religion) +11, Knowledge(nature, geography, local, planes) +10, Linguistics +13, Spellcraft +13, Perception +4
+4 Bluff, Disguise to pass as a surface elf, +2 spellcraft to ID items, +2 Perception, Sense Motive if Azil is within arm's reach, +2 K (history) for checks involving Azlant
Languages Aklo, Aquan, Azlanti, Common, Draconic, Elven, Celestial, Draconic, Sylvian, Goblin, Terran
SQ Amphibious, Weapon Familiarity, Surface Features, Arcane Bond (ioun wyrd named Azil)
Other Gear: 13 gp, adventurer's outfit, wizard's kit (backpack, a bedroll, a belt pouch, a flint and steel, ink, an inkpen, an iron pot, a mess kit, soap, a spell component pouch, torches (10), trail rations (5 days), and a waterskin), spellbook, cold iron dagger, light crossbow, 20 bolts, shell focus worth 100 gp
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Special Abilities
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Surface Features

Surface Features
Some aquatic elves appear almost indistinguishable from surface elves. Their coloring, height, and weight all suggest those of a surface elf, and the webbing between their digits is almost transparent. Aquatic elves with this racial trait gain a +4 bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks when attempting to pass themselves off as surface elves. This racial trait replaces keen senses.

Weapon Familiarity
Aquatic elves are proficient with rapiers, short swords, and tridents, and treat any weapon with the word "elven" in its name as a martial weapon.

FCB: +2 HP

0-level:
All
1st-level
Grease, Color Spray, Enlarge Person, Burning Disarm, Burning Sands, Lucky Number, Mage Armor, Heightened Awareness, Reduce Person, Burning Hands, air bubble, alarm, magic weapon, shield, touch of the sea

2nd-acid arrow, cat's grace, glitterdust, mirror image, resist energy, scorching ray, see invisibility, unnatural lust, detect thoughts, invisibility, Web, Levitate

Growing up, Tessara Mithrandir was always… different from her fellow elves. Hair that never seemed dry, eyes the color of the blue sea, and a constant longing for water, despite living in the middle of Kyonin and having never seen a body of water larger than a lake. The daughter of a wizard herself, there was never any doubt that the bright (if reckless) young girl would become one of the arcane order, and her magical training began at the tender age of twenty five. While she never much cared for the more subtle arts of the mind, and necromancy was of course all but banned in Iadara, where her keen mind really shone was, in all places, divination. She simply saw how the world worked, and was always looking for a new puzzle, some new adventure, some new answer or equation (she loves math and engineering, oddly enough). When on pursuit of a riddle or some question, she would be relentless, casting caution to the wind in her search. The only question she never had answered were about herself: who was her father? Why did she never feel at home amongst the trees? Why were her eyes different? She was always told that she would learn one day, but never when or how.

Finally, when her training came to an end and she was of age, Tessa set off from her homeland, following the whimsical pull inside her south through Druma and then to Andoran. Finally, she found her destination when she heard tell of an expedition to the lost continent of Azlant. A whole continent, full of exciting new puzzles, challenges, and things to be discovered! Tessa had loved the stories of the brave Mordant Spire elves and their allies, exploring the ruins of the lost civilization in search of knowledge and riches. She interviewed for the expedition, happy to show off her knowledge of the lost continent, and also demonstrate her knowledge of engineering, which must surely be helpful to building a settlement (right?).
When Tessa heard that she had been selected for the adventure, she was elated and sent a message off to her mother (using the last sending scroll she had been gifted to keep in contact). A few days later, she received a letter through a messenger bird token. It read,

My dear Tessara,
By the time you read this, you will be well beyond my reach. I'm so proud of you, off to found a new colony in the old continent of Azlant. I suppose it was inevitable that you would find your way there eventually.
You've often asked me about your father, and now it's time you learn. Azeltrin was of the sea, no doubt. That's why the ocean has always called to you, and why I have been so afraid of losing you. The ocean is in your blood, whether you know it or not. How we met? Well, that's quite the story. It all started when I was selected to be part of a diplomatic mission to the Mordant Spire. We used an Aiudara, and arrived on schedule. As the youngest of the group- the apprentice to a senior wizard leading the mission- I was never invited into the negotiations. To this day, I do not know what they were about. However, there was one reason I loved the trip so. Azel was the son of some major explorer, always living under the shadow of his father's great discoveries. The two of us became fast friends, and over the year that I spent there, we became lovers as well. When it finally came time to depart, he gave me a necklace. It had a single shell in the middle, and was strung with pearls. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and gratefully accepted his gift. As I stepped through the portal to return home, he told me that if I ever needed to find him, to go looking in the greatest elven city on Golarion. When I asked why he would be in Iadara, he just laughed and said, "Oh, not that one. The real greatest elven city," before bidding me farewell. When I returned home and discovered you would be born, I was overjoyed. However, I never understood his final words to me. Over the years, though, as I have watched you grow and become such a brilliant young woman, I think I finally understand. I believe your father was one of our cousins, an aquatic elf, and his home was under the waves in 'the greatest city on Golarion,' likely in the same ruins you will be settling. I have sent you my necklace so that you may someday find your father and perhaps use that connection to ensure your new colony will have friendly relations with the elves under the water. It was once my most treasured possession, and I now pass it along to you.
May Alseta and Desna guard you on your travels, may you see with the clarity of Nethys, and may Calistra bring you the pleasures of life.
Your loving mother,
Yalindara

(It also included a few more pages from a few other people, but Tessa doesn't share what's on them.)

As the Peregrine set sail, Tessa finally felt at home. She was at sea, on an adventure, and ready to explore a brave new world. As she fastened the necklace her mother sent her around her neck, and Azli floating by her side, she knew for certain that her life would be good.

More or less like this, except with solid-blue eyes and without the dragon (for now). Tessara is a fairly average-looking elf, except for when she inhales water, and her gills unfold and a transparent membrane opens between her fingers, courtesy of her aquatic heritage. However, as of the start of the campaign, she has never (for obvious reasons) tried to breathe under water, and as such is unaware of this side of her heritage. She prefers to wear form-fitting wizard-style robes the color of flowing water (that don't hinder her movement) and the necklace her mother gave her.

So, a few things:
One, the most obvious one is that Tessara isn't a full aquatic elf, but rather only half. This results in her not really looking like one, but still having several of the same characteristics- most notably the swim speed and ability to breathe underwater. I went with this mostly from a 'convenience' standpoint- as this is the 'underwater' AP, this is one of the better times to play an aquatic race. I've also wanted to play an elf for quite some time now, but never got around to it. And here, the two mixed excellently. It seemed like a natural choice.

As for a note in the future, I plan on taking Sacred Geometry at least once, likely more times, to account for Tessa's love of puzzles and riddles, something that Arithmancy seems to account for. Plus, PBP is maybe the perfect medium for the insane amount of math needed. (Also, I like math IRL, so I've been meaning to try it for some time now.)

(And yes, Tessa's last name is Gandalf's elven name. That was fully intentional)

Ioun Wyrd
NG Tiny construct
Init +2; Senses blindsight 30 ft.; Perception +8
Defense
AC 17, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 size, +2 natural)
hp 10 (3hd)
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +6
Immune construct traits
Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (average)
Melee slam +0 (1d4–3)
Space 2-1/2 ft., Reach 0 ft.
Statistics
Str 4, Dex 15, Con —, Int 7, Wis 14, Cha 5
Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 9
Feats Dodge
Skills Fly +10, Perception +8
Languages Common (can’t speak)
SQ ioun affinity, share iouns, improved evasion, share spells, empathetic link, deliver touch spells
Special Abilities
Ioun Affinity (Su) An ioun wyrd may integrate a number of ioun stones into its body up to 1 + 1/2 its Hit Dice. Because an ioun wyrd sees all ioun stones as equal and gains no benefits from them, the wyrd’s ioun stones can be swapped out by any creature the wyrd trusts.

Share Iouns (Su) A character with an ioun wyrd familiar gains the benefits of its ioun stones as long as he’s within 30 feet of the ioun wyrd.
Backstory: Because an Ioun Wyrd deserves an explanation
When Tessa was a small girl (only 24), a family friend returned from the Mordant Spire with a puzzle for the young elf, who had already shown herself quite adept at solving such problems. He pulled out a pouch filled with a collection of rocks all marked with the same symbol (∑), and challenged Tessa to solve it. They had been discovered in an Azlanti ruin, he claimed, but nobody could tell anything about them other than that they were a set, and magical in some way. She spent a few years working on it, off and on again, until one day she had a stroke of inspiration- clearly, the stones were magical. However, when analyzing them through detect magic one day, she noticed something odd: they were all conductors for magical power, but there was no source. For a few months, she tried creating a small magical battery for the project, but cast aside the idea when she stumbled upon a burnt-out ioun stone in a 'waste' drawer of her magical academy. When Tessa next tried to assemble the puzzle, she incorporated the ioun stone into the matrix, and to her delight, the stones all started swirling around, eventually coming into a cohesive shape- that of a swirling, yet distinctive, mass of stones and earth. After some communication, Tessa learned the creature (named Azil) was a low-level Azlanti mage's project shortly before Earthfall, when its master ran away and left his creation, where it eventually lost its ioun stone and ran out of arcane energy, discorporating for millennia. Tessa took the Azlantine construct as her familiar, and her love of the old continent was sparked at the same time.