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Valtiro Caspisi's page

39 posts. Alias of The Wandering Bard.


Full Name

Valtiro Koras Caspisi

Race

Human (Varisian)

Classes/Levels

Monk 1

Gender

Male

Size

Medium

Age

24

Alignment

LG

Deity

Irori

Location

Canorate, lately of Elidir

Languages

Common

Occupation

Vagabond, Travelling performer, Sculptor

About Valtiro Caspisi

At first glance:

Spoiler:
Valtiro is a young human man, with a faint olive complexion and a generally clean appearance. Appearing to be in his twenties, his slick black hair is grown only in a braid running down from the centre of his scalp and another at his chin. His clothes are simple robes showing some wear from the road; he wears a second, heavier tunic over his first in lieu of a cloak. He does not wear boots, but in a concession to comfort his feet are bound in several layers of leather. If anything, he seems vaguely unprepared for traveling, though it is obvious he has done so.

On closer inspection:

Spoiler:
The muscles in Valtiro's limbs and torso carry the well-defined look of one who trains often; despite this, he wears no visible armor nor does he seem to carry weapons. His skin suggests a Varisian or part Varisian ancestry, although he lacks the road-gathered tan carried by that people. His backpack, while good looking, is not of superior quality, and despite being near empty, the base sags and digs against Valtiro's back. It seems the type of item that a naive shopper could be fooled into buying, and this looks to be a theme amongst what little other equipment he has. The only exception is a small square-bladed knife wrapped in a cloth at his waist, which bears careful tooling along its handle and shines as if it was polished this morning (it probably was). Interestingly though, the blade is set a fair way in from his left hip, making it difficult to draw quickly.

Valtiro is limited in his working knowledge of things and is slightly slow to boot, but makes up for this with a unusually insightful mind and a simple, confident manner which often sees him cutting to the root of a problem which more complex thinkers have tried to work around. He meditates consistently, and even when exploring such simple things as an unfamiliar inn he prefers to take a minute to observe those around him and consider his actions. This carries through to his approach to people and even pre-battle planning, though surprisingly not to actual fighting. He can often be found off to the side of a room, watching quietly and toying with his chin-braid as he considers a situation.

After long observation:

Spoiler:
While reserved and careful with new aquaintances, alongside proven friends Valtiro brandishes a strong sense of common wit and a penchant for stories and theology. He enjoys testing new delicacies or practices, although he frowns upon anything he views as underhanded or deprecating. He carries a strong sense of self-worth, although his years in a monastery have taught him to beware excessive pride. What he does not carry is cartloads of equipment or indeed much of anything at all, repeatedly insisting that he likes to travel light and stay mobile. His clothes bear the faded symbol of the Seeking Light monastery in northern Isger, the secondhand designs worked away by years of sun and rain. He laments that he seems to be cursed with pickpockets and footpads; unfortunately, his loaded sling-pouch bouncing at his side looks remarkably like a juicy wallet.

He is yet to figure it out.

While he is not bloodthirsty, Valtiro enjoys battle as an exercise of his combat skills and a worthy challenge to his strength and technique, practicing his attack and defense combinations even when the actual fighting is sparse. Experience in a traveling faire has helped him hone his practice routine into a polished performance, and while he doesn't leap forward to dazzle the local drinkers, he is quietly proud of his martial prowess (small though it may be).

His amazing insight is not entirely the product of memorized knowledge or careful analysis. Valtiro has an innate talent for magic, derived from his Varisian ancestry, which he attempts to harness through meditation and prayer. While not entirely under his control, his sorcery often allows him to detect subtleties where others do not, earning him a reputation for wisdom. Other than his daily control exercises, Valtiro prefers not to think too hard about his magic, having already tried (and failed) to control it through excessive concentration. Surprisingly for a self-improving follower of Irori, he is not especially introspective, preferring to better himself through his experiences.

Valtiro has studied philosophy and theology quite extensively, and loves to discuss views and "talk shop" with fellow scholars. He is never militant about his faith though, seeing Irori's path of self-perfection as something people cannot be forced down. His favourite topic, however, is one he rarely brings up. Hungry for knowledge of Varisian history and culture, Valtiro laps up information on his people wherever he can find it.

Valtiro sees physical appearance as a major asset of self-perfection, and while he doesn't subscribe to the same system of complex fashions as some noblefolk, he is mechanically persistent in cleaning and repairing his clothes and possessions, going so far as to sacrifice a portion of his water each day to wash his face, palms and braids, preferring to do so after a battle if able.

Valtiro looks forward to eventually returning to his recovering mentor and resuming his travels, but is wise enough to take the best of the opportunities granted him by his "free agent" status and would not be averse to an outside job, should the offer arise.

History:

Spoiler:
Valtiro was born to a small clan of Varisian nomads travelling their homeland in search of work, drifting between the larger cities of Korvosa, Magnimar and Riddleport and stopping at the many towns and hamlets in between. During his early months, however, his family were caught in a race riot in Korvosa and captured by thugs, who quickly sold them to a passing Chelaxian slaver. The caravan looped around to stop in Isger (owing to the kindom’s favourable trading laws) and Valtiro’s parents decided to pool what wealth they had left to buy freedom for their toddling son. The slaver, doubtful of the child’s value, was happy to accept their meagre sum of hidden gold, and dumped the boy at a nearby monastery before leaving the city.

Growing up amongst the staid and obsessive monks of Irori, Valtiro sometimes wondered about his faroff heritage and unknown parents. The masters of the small temple told him that his parents had bought him out of slavery and placed him there to be raised, but were at a loss to tell him more and overall did not consider it that important. Accepting this as his lot in fate, Valtiro trained hard at the self-improving rituals of the brotherhood, enjoying the physical challenge and simple competition between the intiates. While allowed relatively little contact with the outside world, the masters realized the value of pilgrimages and journeys of discovery, and so Valtiro and his fellow acolytes were furnished with a working, if somewhat biased knowledge of the common world outside the monastery, in preparation for the day they would carry Irori’s word amongst the masses.

As he grew through his teens, Valtiro began to turn more attention to the spiritual side of his studies, researching the life and works of The Perfect Master and meditating on his own future. While not as bright or analysing as some of his fellows, Valtiro nurtured a growing sense of common wisdom and piercing insight that made him popular with his brother acolytes. Considering each of Irori’s parables in full and taking each facet at it’s own value, using them to guide his decisions in everyday pursuits rather than trying to follow Irori’s exact path, his somewhat unorthodox spirituality was noted and eventually approved of by his teachers, encouraging him as he progressed into his final studies.

As his final tests as an acolyte approached, the young monk spent more time in meditation and study, searching for a way to blend the physical rigour of his combat drills with the enlightening feeling of his spiritual methods. As he probed deeper into the brotherhood’s idealogy and mental exercises, Valtiro felt flashes of a powerful inner force lying unharnessed in his soul. Going to his masters, Valtiro learned more of his people’s native skill in sorcery, and while as a male he was unlikely to reach the greatest realms of power, he was instructed to work to control and perfect this inherent ability. Lacking in arcane knowledge and experience, the monastery’s scholars were unable to offer much practical advice to the curious acolyte, but their body mastery regimens helped Valtiro control his sorcerous blood, and he began to harness some small part of his power through religious discipline, gaining flashes of insight through prayer to his god. Careful to keep up his devotional and physical studies along with his sorcerous disciplines, Valtiro was granted status as a junior monk at age 22, neither the strongest nor holiest of his fellow acolytes, but a capable and respected member of the small community. He was still curious about his past and itching to explore his inherited powers though, and so his masters were not surprised when his first request as an adult brother was to be allowed to leave the monastery on a journey of enlightenment. Saddened that he would not continue his studies further, yet respectful of his commitment during the last few years and knowing Valtiro’s need to resolve this part of his life before moving closer to perfection, the masters gave him permission and some small amount of gold with which to facilitate his journey.

Traveling out northwest along the road to Bloodsworn Vale, Valtiro soon came to a nameless hamlet along an outlet of the Nosam River, where he chanced upon a Varisian dancer and fortuneteller working in a travelling faire. Striking a conversation with her as she packed up her belongings to travel on, he told her of his missing family and his unfocused sorcery, and the woman, named Iscita, agreed to help him explore his heritage and power. Joining the faire as it travelled up the river, he worked setting up the show and soon began performing martial arts demonstrations, while spending his spare time reading from Iscita’s small personal library, learning Varisian culture, and exchanging stories of the past with the faire’s other varied and colourful characters. Eventually the show reached the city of Canorate, but in a shock accident the inn at which they were performing caught fire during the show, and in the panic several faire workers were crushed or burnt. Iscita was up on stage when the fire was noticed, and unable to escape through the trampling crowd, she soon collapsed from smoke inhalation. Desperately pushing to the stage to reach her, Valtiro was able to scramble clear of the inn with his teacher in his arms, escaping the tavern to join the rest of the exhausted crew. Bearing the unconscious woman to the nearby hospital of Erastil, the medics were able to console Valtiro and offer his friend a bed. As Iscita was still a relatively young woman, they told him, only a decade or so Valtiro’s senior, she would likely recover from the smoke poisoning, but she would need to rest for several weeks before she could travel again. With his mentor bedridden and the faire struggling to cope with the sudden loss of several key members, Valtiro agreed with his fellows that it would be best to take a few months off performing to try and regroup and establish the cause of the fire. Finding himself wandering aimlessly through the days and with little to say to his distraught friends, Valtiro began to frequent the bars and taverns of Canorate, searching for a job where he could make a temporary living off his unique blend of skills.

Stats:

Spoiler:
Valtiro Caspisi

Human Monk 1
LN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +4; Senses Listen +2, Spot +2
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DEFENSE
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AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 12
(Dex +3, Wis +2)
hp 9 (1d8+1); current 9
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +4
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OFFENSE
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Spd 30 ft
Melee Unarmed +3 (1d6/x2) or Flurry +1/+1 (1d6/x2)
Ranged Sling +3 (1d4/x2)
Spells (1/day): read magic, detect magic, detect secret doors
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STATISTICS
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Str 10 (+0), Dex 16 (+3), Con 12 (+1), Int 8 (-1), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 16 (+3)
Base Atk +0; Grp +1
Feats Imp. Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, Insightful, Weapon Finesse, Dodge
Skills Concentration +5, Craft (Sculpture) +0, Perform (Weapon Drill) +1 Hide +7, Tumble +7
Traits Reactionary
Languages Common
Gear sling and 10 sling stones, carved wooden symbol of Irori, backpack, 50ft of rope (hemp), grappling hook, 7 days trail rations, waterskin, whittling knife, 4gp 4sp (Encumbrance: 32lbs, light load).
Loot none yet.
XP 0; Next Level 1,000