Violant Aurori's page

At Kewyn's mention of being ignored, on account of her size, "Well, I'm sure I don't have to tell you that sometimes going unobserved can be a blessing as well." she leans closer, "And, between you and me, Charsis is easily distracted by strikingly beautiful redheads. And blondes. And brunettes..." she adds with a conspiratorial grin.

As the Bard offers to demonstrate her craft, she demurs, "The flute might be a little sprightly for our usual crowd, but I'm sure you can find some melodies that follow a theme of luck or opportunity, that would fit the gambling hall motif we have going on here. In any event, it will not be up to me to decide whether or not you get the job."

If either Larur or Saul are present in one of the main rooms, she'll lead Kewyn to them and make introductions.

If neither are present, she'll ask Kewyn to wait while she goes to find either of them.

Violant appears to be completely oblivious ( Perception check 10. ) to Clifford's discreet presence.

The game is still going on guys and girls! The three new players need the rest of you to play with them! Please post soon, thanks!

Just waiting for them to get inside. :)

"Welcome to the Golden Goblin!" Violant enthuses, at first thinking the new arrivals to be customers, but, upon being told by Charsis that Kewyn is actually a potential employee, she wishes Berggen and Clifford the blessings of the lady of luck and leads the entertainer to a table near the bar.

As she's leading Kewyn away, she says, still in hearing of Berggren and Clifford, "You've arrived at a most fortuitous time, the Goblin is indeed looking for some fresh faces among the staff, after some recent unpleasantness." she smiles, "It never seems to be boring around here, and some louts attempted to rob the place, in the middle of a gambling tournament, no less! Quite foolish, really, as there were no shortage of angry gentlemen quite willing to use violence to retain possession of their winnings..." her smiles fades as she remembers the aftermath of the fray, and she adds quietly as she pulls out a chair for Kewyn at an unoccupied table far enough from the gambling area to be able to talk without being shouted over. "Unfortunately, some of the previous staff found that sort of business a bit more exciting and adventurous than they had hoped for," her smile comes back, "which leaves us in the position to find some new entertainment, perhaps!"

"What sort of entertainment is your specialty, Miss Kewyn?" Violant asks. "I am a dancer, in the Varisian style, and trained in the House of Silken Veils, but as I am currently serving as hostess, I don't have as much time to dance as I would like."

If Berggren or Clifford have tagged along at the talk of employment opportunities, she will pull out chairs for them as well at the 'hiring discussion table,' perhaps assuming that, since they arrived around the same time as Kewyn, that they are her friends...

Violant is suffering a bit of an existential crisis. She's been raised alternately on the streets and in a house of ill repute (one that's also a temple, but still, a whorehouse by any other name...), and come to think of herself as a pretty tough bit of hardtack. But out here in the big, bad world, it seems that she's not quite so hard as she had thought, and she fears that her sentimental streak is going to get her into trouble. Bad enough to go running out into a shower of stones falling from the sky, but now to get all worked up over some gulls, which she's regarded as flying rats all of her life?

The preferred 'meditation' of her faith is a rowdy and raucous affair, and she's beginning to feel the need to surround herself with a little mayhem, so that she can feel stable in that safest place of all, the eye of the maelstrom, where the winds gust and blow around her, but touch her not at all.

Or perhaps the callousness she's affected so long has worn out it's usefulness, a thought that scares her quite a bit more...

Distracted by such thoughts, which have plagued her all week, she's blissfully unaware of the stunning redheads presence, as she, having aped a Varisian sense of style for so long, would find the arrival of a beautiful woman with Varisian tattoos on her skin to be an unwelcome thing.

I'll be away from computer for about four days, although I'll try to sneak on at some point. Please feel free to run Violant as an NPC if necessary during that time. Her preferred tactics seem to include running foolishly into dangerous situations to heal people, and using Command and Cause Fear spells liberally. :)

Seeing the gulls smash into the stone arch, Violant's hand flies to her mouth and she gasps, "Oh, that's horrible! Those too-curious cyphermages and their meddling, no doubt..."

Seeing nothing she can do about the situation, and wishing to see no more of this senseless massacre, she turns back from the doorway and returns to work.

Violant looks out a window or doorway then, to see what is going on.

Has anyone other than Zee heard the gulls outside? If so, Violant will peek outside to see if this is another of those strange 'rocks fall from the sky, people need healing' type situations, although she's wary of opening the door too far and allowing a flock of psychotic birds into the room, as that would be just about par for the course, this week!

14 Diplomacy for job check (+1 vs. those who would be attracted to her), 13 on Perception check to observe any shenanigans from Clegg. Invisible Castle, my ancient enemy, rolled a 5 and a 6!

Violant's amazing run of schmoozing just after the falling stones from the sky seems to have broken, and she instead manages to waste the week covering up for her own inadvertant gaffes or social flubs, rather than making the customers feel welcome.

By the end of the week, she's downright cranky.

Violant sheathes her dagger with a flourish as the rowdies are routed, and turns to smile at a patron who is watching the scene instead of his hand. "Ooh, better keep an eye on those cards, hun. Wouldn't want to get distracted from your game!" She leans in conspiratorially and says loudly enough for everyone at the table to hear, "Don't tell anyone I said so, but I've heard there may be an unsavory element in Riddleport." she says with a mock look of disbelief. "Keep your cards close." she adds with a wink.

She briskly returns to glad-handling the patrons, making it seem as if nothing untoward had just occured.

bump out of the archives!

21 Init!

Violant steps to position herself such that the thugs are between her and the door and targets someone other than the leader, whom Charsis has already grappled (preferably someone within attack of opportunity range of both Charsis and Zarenrae, but at least Zarenrae), and Commands him to 'Flee this place!' with an imperious pose and gesture.

DC 15 Will save. Command 'flee.'

Violant continues smiling and gladhandling the patrons, trying to keep the disturbance far from their minds, but remains within close range of the disruptive parties, ready to lend a Command or Cause Fear spell to the cause, if Charsis' attempt at 'diplomacy' fails to avert violence.

Holding action, will draw a dagger as a move action and cast Cause Fear on one of the thugs within attack of opportunity range of Zee and / or Charsis if they take hostile action.

Violant blushes a little at Zee's words of encouragement, having been called many things in her life, but never 'gutsy.'

As the potential patrons are ushered in, and Saul gets a mercenary gleam in his eye at the opportunity to cash in on her actions, her face darkens a bit, but the look is quickly replaced with a genuine-looking smile as she puts aside her reservations and becomes the consummate professional.

She seems to be everywhere at once, reassuring and comforting startled residents who have sought temporary shelter, and even manages to work in some words about how fortunate those people are, and how perhaps it's a sign that their luck is about to change! She moves with an easy seductive grace, using her skills as a dancer to make her movements among the potential patrons elusive and tantalizing, weaving between them with drinks and whispered words of encouragement, her eyes remaining sharp for others, who, like Saul, seek to take advantage of the temporary confusion to fatten their own purses at the expense of others...

29 on Diplomacy, 20 on Perception, 15 on Perform (dance), +1 to the Diplomacy roll, for a 30, for anyone who might be attracted to her, thanks to her Charming trait! She's a schmooze-machine!

At the sight of her badly wounded co-workers, and the sight of yet more wounded in the street, Violant is torn for a moment.

Heedless of the danger to herself, she hefts a serving tray over her head to use as impromptu 'cover' against the falling stones (having left her shield in her room) and rushes out past Charsis decisively, trying to gauge her paces to remain within 10 paces of the doorway, but within 10 paces of at least some of the fallen townsfolk. Shouting to the sky over the cries of pain, she calls out, "Calistria, lend these folk your loving touch!"

Channel Energy, heals all in 30 ft, which should includes Hans and Beyar inside the door to the Golden Goblin, 4 hit points healed.

To any who stir at her healing effect, she points to the doorway and shouts, "Get inside, quickly!"

At Larur's request, Violant smiles, pleased with her success.

"At the docks, I spent several hours speaking with young ladies whose sailor-men were shipping out, offering them the opportunity to spend their days more productively than staring out the window, awaiting their return. One group in particular not only had a pair of eager recruits, but even asked if they could pass the invitation on to some of their friends in similar situations, so I only hope that we don't end up with too many hopefuls..." she adds, probably overly-optimistically.

"Apart from the shaking earth, the day was otherwise uneventful."

Still here, but Violant finished her day's assignment early and has been puttering around with Mending cantrips and the abandoned wine-tun she found, attempting to make it bath-worthy. She likely doesn't become aware of the tidal surge until the others return later in the day...

Violant will continue making the rounds, attempting to find a few more women who would be suitable recruits. By afternoon, she'll be a bit worn out from all the walking and talking, and will head back to her room at the Golden Goblin to see about mending that battered wine-tun to turn it into a suitable vessel for bathing.

She's already figured out how to supply the water (with magic), and how to keep the water clean and pure (yet more magic), but hasn't found a suitably decadant way to *heat* the water. Her smile turns calculating as she recalls that elven arcanist fellow, who may have exactly the sort of magic she needs, and, as an added bonus, seems to have a bit of a decadent streak himself...

Violant sways with the treacherous earth beneath her feet, and giggles nervously, making a sort of impromptu dance out of the event, to mask her own rush of terror at the thought of the normally rock-solid stone beneath her feet rolling like the deck of a ship.

She's spent the last few years in Riddleport, and never has the earth moved like this. She considers it an ill portent, and is deeply unsettled at first, although she masks this under a facade of excitement. Finally, she convinces herself that as water can become a solid thing, when it is cold enough, and in no way be unnatural, perhaps the earth itself can move like fluid and also be nothing to fear?

To the departing mother of five, Violant bows slightly and acknowledges, "It sounds like you have a greater job before you than any I could offer, then, mother. Blessings upon you."

To the replies of the others, Violant replies as honestly as she can, given that she doesn't actually know what the positions will be paying.

Replying to, 'Where is this casino you speak of and how much are you paying?'

"The jobs will be at the Golden Goblin, a new gambling hall that has seen some excitement in the last days, but is re-opening with new management in place."

Replying to, 'What kind of safety do you provide, men who drink and gamble tend to get touchy and demand things of us women who do not wish to be like those women in the brothel's?'

"New bouncers are being hired as we speak, but if you ask around, you may hear that just last evening, there was a brawl after an attempted robbery, and that not a single guest or employee came to harm, as a team of strong souls put the brigands to rout. Those same people are now working full time at the Golden Goblin, to ensure security."

"The demands of drunkards who might mistake a member of the staff for a different sort of 'working girl' entirely will *not* be tolerated," Violant's face grows very serious as she says this last, and her hand rests possessively on the dagger at her hip, "and as I was raised in the House of Silken Veils, to take up the vows of the Calistrian clergy, you need have no doubt whatsoever that I will respond very sternly to any ale-soaked lout who thinks otherwise! The temple of the goddess of vengeance takes a dim view of those who mistreat women, as I'm sure you are well aware."

Replying to, 'Can we tell some of the other women who are in the same boat so to speak?'

Violant's face grows less serious, and she visibly calms down, tossing her hair as if cleansing herself of that unpleasant thought, "Most assuredly, if you know other women who might be seeking gainful employment, you are most welcome to share this invitation, although there will only be a limited number of positions available, so you may wish to spread the word to your closest confidantes first, so that they do not miss their chance!"

26 on continuing Diplomacy roll, if necessary. Ignore otherwise.

Seeing the boy's distraction, Violant will flirt with him mercilessly, even favoring him with a peck on the cheek along with his silver piece 'tip,' whispering that perhaps he should look her up in a year or so.

Moving towards the docks, Violant quickly spots the three women waving farewell to a departing ship and prepares herself mentally, being unaccustomed to this new role...

“Ladies, I see that your gentlemen have left you at liberty for the time being, and I would like to offer the three of you an opportunity to greet them with coin, in style, when they return.”

“It’s perhaps harder than it should be for a woman of potential to find work in this town that doesn’t involve unspeakable things, and I, of course, wouldn’t speak of such. This is honest work, the sort that will allow you to welcome your gentleman home with a bottle of wine and a fine pair of boots, and let him know that you are not merely a dalliance that he will move past, but a woman of substance, prepared to run a household and able to be trusted with his coin, as she has coin of her own.”

“Anyone can be a port-of-call girl that a sailor visits when he’s in town and forgets when he’s not, but only a woman who can provide for her man will be the one he comes home to. Isn’t that the goal ladies?”

“And if you sign up, the three of you, you’ll have an advantage over any other staff, as you’ll already have friends there, to watch out for your interests, and not enter into a situation where everyone else is already friends and you are the new girl, finding her place!”

“The starting positions will be serving staff, croupiers, dealers and hostess, and, as you will starting as the casino opens it’s doors anew, after renovation, you will be starting on the same footing as anyone else, and not have to fight your way through the ranks to find a better position.”

If any of them speak up for the others, in a challenging tone.

20 on Diplomacy roll (additional +1 if any of them are attracted to her, but probably not, and she's not 'going for that,' and attempting to sex up the schpiel, as it were...

During the evening, in the 'ladies quarters,' which she currently has to herself, Violant considers where and how to recruit young women to serve as waitstaff and hostesses. She's quite aware of the number of shiftless *men* idling around Riddleport looking for work, but Calistria's temple didn't have quite as many young women hanging around, hoping to sample the wares.

Still, in a town like Riddleport, there must be no shortage of young women who would like any sort of work that doesn't land them on their back, and perhaps the ranks of wives, mistresses and lovers of ship's crewmen might appreciate some gainful occupation during the time when their sailor-man is out to sea and their hours are their own.

Somewhat peevish over the lack of bath in the room, she also turns over in her mind plans to remedy that barbarous shortcoming.

The morning comes around and Zee and Charasis seem ready to seek out bouncers and security folk from the rougher elements (likely the exact same sort of people that the would-be thieves recruited for their failed raid last evening!), and Violant waves to them jauntily before heading out, stopping only to pat Coraline on the head.

Wandering seemingly aimlessly around town for the better part of the day, Violant has her eyes out for two things; women who, if not beautiful, could at least be made alluring with good use of clothing, cosmetics and posture (particularly in a poorly lit bar inhabited by men who are inebriated and / or not overly picky, which broadens her pool of talent considerably!), and a large discarded tun-sized wooden keg or cask for beer or ale, probably to be found behind some tavern. One that is slightly damaged would be acceptable, as she could magically mend minor damage, but it has to be large enough for her to sit comfortably in (and, ideally, not alone!), which means that only the largest would do, to make her a proper waterproofed 'bath.'

Combining her natural grace and prodigious talents of persuasion Diplomacy +9, +10 vs. those who might be attracted to her, Violant makes a powerful case to those women who seem like possible 'fixer-uppers' for the serving wench position. She'll stress that it's a venue starting over with new staff, with new management, meaning that those who start early will have the best chances for promotion to hostess, and that the job absolutely does not require the sort of 'extra services' that some places expect of their serving wenches.

The recruiting-of-women will take priority, and she will travel from the docks (and attempt to find out when ships are arriving and departing, to connect with 'sailor's widows' who are wishing their men a safe journey) to the market and back again. She'll try to view each potential hire with an eye for how they can be presented in the best light. If one woman has a shapely figure but a homely face, she might try to picture her dressed as a Qadiri dancing girl, face veiled and mysterious, hips a-sway and coins jinging. In another has a striking face, but a slim boyish figure lacking in curves, she'll consider what sort of figure she would cut in a Tien kimono, which would make her face the center of attention.

If she doesn't see any barrel or cask of sufficient size in her meandering trek from dockside to marketplace and back again, she'll grit her teeth and seek out a cooper to find out how much it would cost to commision such a thing, if he has none in stock, and if she has to pay to have one made anyway, she might as well have it already made into a bath-appropriate shape (since she would have to cut the top off of a cask of suitable size anyway, sand down the edges and make sure to re-waterproof it...).

If she *does* find a suitable barrel or cask that she can fix up on her own, she'll pay a dockworker 2 silver (one at the beginning, one when the job is done, with a third silver as tip if he doesn't piss her off in some way, and pursing her lips the whole while as if spending silver is some great financial hardship, since the last thing she wants to do is advertise that she has gold on her person in this town!) to carry it back to the Golden Goblin and schlep it up the stairs to the 'ladies quarters.'

[sorry for the delay!]

Violant has been quiet, fortifying her nerves with her first drink of the evening, from Saul's wine bottle.

"This sounds like a great opportunity, and I'd be thrilled to be a part of it." Looking around at the others, "We seem to work pretty well together."

Chagrined by her complete failure to play 'bad cop' with the thug, Violant is all-too happy to hand him off to the gendarmes, although she's not above trying to snatch his coinpurse before he goes...

She attempts to look interested, but not pathetically so, to whatever proposal Saul has in mind. She definitely could use work, and has no interest in the usual sort of 'work' that pretty girls are offered in this sordid town.

Phooey, I was hoping to get by on role-playing. :)

Intimidate roll 6 (3+3). Combined with the +2 for Chadwilt Aiding Other, Violant realizes that she's about as threatening as a cup of warm milk. She's tempted to cut his throat out of embarassment...

If Violant has spied any items that glow to her magical detection, and Chadwilt hasn't already snagged them, she'll make sure to lift them off of the wizard's body before it is flung out with the trash.

She helps the thug to cart the body out, wishing to make a careful study of the wizard's face and clothing, as she is pretty sure that he should have a spellbook somewhere, and wherever he left it, he's not coming back for it. (She'll also snag any spell component pouch he may be carrying or any personal jewelry that Chadwilt may have missed. She'll draw the line at checking his teeth for gold fillings...)

Once the thug, Chadwilt and herself (and the corpse) are nearer the back door, and less obviously surrounded by inquisitive ears, Violant will draw her dagger from behind her hair and address the thug in a quiet tone, "What was this fools name and where did he recruit you? Tell me or I'll slice your manhood off and feed it to you. The happier I am with your story, the less likely that the dog," she gestures to Coraline, "makes kibble of your bits." she says, smiling sweetly and leaning close, as if she was about to confide a scandalous secret.

Not wanting to miss a chance to be recognized (and possibly hired), Violant looks up from checking the wizard's condition and states, "This one is also done for. Good work, people."

She turns and mutters an invocation to Calistria, and the corpses wounds begin to seal up behind her tracing fingers.
Mending on the object that used to be a person, to stop him from bleeding all over the place.

She also mutters a second invocation, and any items bearing enchantments begin glistening wetly and buzzing softly to her senses, although she makes no effort to stop Chadwilt from ransacking the body.
Detect magic as well.

She'll make note of anything magical that Chadwilt has secured, and then move on to the one-eyed woman, sealing the body's wounds while checking to see if she has anything magical upon her person.

Violant will check the one-eyed woman, using Heal (take 10 for a 17), if necessary, to staunch the flow of blood from her wounds. If it is too late for her, she'll move on to the wizard, carefully avoiding the loud man with the dog, who seems terribly violent, and perhaps a bit drunk...

Violant isn't terribly concerned with the fleeing thugs (and doesn't have a weapon in hand, so couldn't even take an attack of opportunity anyway), so she turns to scan her immediate surroundings for the largest unattended stack of gold tokens...

Perception roll 17 to spot a fat stack of cash. Sleight of Hand roll (or Dex check, if Sleight of Hand can't be used untrained) 21 (nat 20!) to sweep them into her waistband unnoticed in the confusion!

After securing her ill-gotten booty, Violant will step away from the table towards the fallen wizard, so that she's not near it when the owner becomes aware that his money is gone.

The one-eyed woman now seems a definite threat, and the wizard appears to be beyond her strongest magic, so Violant turns her attentions to the woman and attempts to conjure up a primal dread within her.

Cause Fear, DC 14 Will save to resist. Using Move Action to maintain her Copycat, so everyone will still see two of her.

Violant is not precisely sure whether the one-eyed woman is a threat or not, and so takes a five foot step to be out of her reach before looking to the sickle-bearing wizard and shouting in a commanding tone, 'Flee!' If she's particularly lucky, the wizard will flee in a direction that will allow someone to take an attack on him while his attention is distracted...

Command spell on the wizard, DC 15 Will save to resist.

Her 'sister' remains at her side, and it's impossible to tell which of them is her.

Move action to maintain Copycat, giving her one mirror image with a 1 round duration.

24 Will save, 12 Init

Violant happened to have her eyes closed for an instant, thanking Calistria for favoring her once more at the gaming tables (and acknowledging that asking for a third such occurence would be pushing it), when the burst of light fills the room. She quickly stuffs her winnings into her pouch, not wanting to lose them in the confusion while crying out, 'Too me, my sister!' Those who can still see clearly, see a second girl, exactly like her in all ways, step out as if from behind her, and it's no longer possible to tell which is which!

Standard action to secure winnings, move action to use Copycat to create a single mirror image of herself that will last one round

Perception check 14

Distracted by securing her winnings, she isn't quite as observant as she could have been...

Violant seems pleased that she's up 10 gp for the night, and bids another 10 gp on the last run of the evening.

22

Her lucky streak seems to be continuing apace.

Violant attempts to make use of her keen awareness and appearance to help with reading and bluffing other players, even flirting a bit with Mia and Zee as necessary to get any males at the table distracted and off their games, but in the end, her inexperience with the games being played makes such attempts meaningless. The first half of the evening is a crushing loss for her, before she picks up some luck. In the end, she discovers, it's not about skill or cleverness, just blind luck, and Calistria seems to have favored her tonight.

Roll one, 5, roll two, natural 20 for a 23 total!

Seeing her friend from last night, Violant returns a greeting, "Hello again, Zee, come to steal the devil's gold, have you?"

"Good luck with that." she says, with a grin, looking over the crowd. "There looks to be a lot of competition..."

Unsuccessful in her attempts at parting her pigeon last night from some of his gold through mostly honest means, Violant has every intention of trying to make up for this tonight.

She saunters into the Golden Goblin and produces a single gold piece from a coin purse suspended around her neck, looking at it and biting her lip for effect before handing it over to pay her entry fee for the tournament, hoping to give the impression that this is a big expenditure for her.

She looks around at the mostly unfamiliar games, and her woebegone expression turns real as it occurs to her that she knows next to nothing about gambling...

If she happens to see Mia, her friendly waitress from the previous evening, she waves her over and orders a single ale, which she'll nurse throughout the evening, not wanting to risk getting drunk (and not at all trusting the water in a place like this).

Having identified the fat drunken man as being the best target in the room, Violant settles back and begans scoping out the room for *other* people who have noticed this particularly juicy pigeon. She's not sure if she's got what it takes to rob someone, but perhaps she could earn some of that fat man's gold by keeping him from getting his throat slit.

Perception check 12

Spoiler for Zoomackulas

After decisively paying her one gold piece entry fee and moving past the sign in process (at which she signs in under the name Vee Amori), Violant makes sure to keep up with Zee.

"Oh, I'll just have an ale, thanking you kindly, strong sir." Violant says, to the half-hearted offer of a drink, before turning to view the crowd. At the first opportunity to ditch conversation with Zee's new friend, she'll wander off and find some other people to talk to, sliding smoothly from patron to patron, less 'chatting' and more 'working the crowd.'

Violant takes a loooong action to Gather Information on the assorted patrons, to find out who is attending the tournament, who has lots of money and who appears to be the hardest-drinking and / or easiest-to-rob among them. If anyone takes umbrage to her being so 'friendly' (or interprets her 'friendliness' as a pickup, and needs to be gently discouraged), she uses Diplomacy to mediate her way out of unwanted entanglements.

Spoiler for Zoomackulas

Gather Information 25, Diplomacy 18.

"It's nice to meet you, Zee." Violant says, bowing her head slightly, "I'm Violant, of the House of the Silken Veil. I guess you could call me 'Vee,' if you wish." she adds with a grin.

"No poison for me tonight. I like drinking, and I like gambling, but some things just don't go well together for me..." she admits sheepishly.

Set belatedly notices that he's picked a bad avatar for Violant, since she's supposed to have long flowing gypsy hair, and it's suddenly become relevant to the action...

Violant leans against the warrior-woman at her side as they pass out of the guard's hearing range, attempting to whisper over the crowd noise into her ear, "I have a dagger, if you are in need later..."

Not wanting to hold things up, Violant draws her two visible daggers (still in their sheaths) and reaches past the heavily-armed woman to hand them to the bouncer.

"It's not like we'd need pigstickers for this lot, sister." she says to the other woman, as she attempts to slip past without a closer examination, taking advantage of the 'scene' in progress.

For a brief moment, Violant feels bad for the man who lost his place for her, but wastes no time taking advantage of the doorman's gesture and moving to the head of the line, favoring the doorman with a smile and making sure to 'accidentally' brush up against him as she passes into the gambling hall so that she can thank him for catching her 'stumble.'

All-too-aware that Som isn't here to break any hands that reach for her unbidden, she quickly moves past said doorman, before he gets any unwelcome ideas...

Inside, the press of people signing up for the tournament is briefly overwhelming, and brings back an unpleasant memories of the crowds in Magnimar. She firms her resolve and gets into line, smiling vacuously as she looks around wide-eyed as if she is new to the big city, hoping to score the arm of some dumb fish who will step in and 'show the little lady around.' It shouldn't be terribly difficult to pretend to be young and inexperienced... she thinks wryly, considering that she isn't pretending.

The day passes too quickly, and a few hours after noon, another girl comes to relieve her, a willowy ethereal woman of Tian Xa who called herself Min De, who set up some peach-scented incense at the base of her stand, and set to work with a cool professionalism. Min had never liked Violant, thinking her spoiled by her close relationship with one of the working priestesses, and it slightly spoiled her nostalgic feelings to be so abruptly reminded of some of the less pleasant people working at the temple.

Som guided her back to the House of Silken Veils, and she favored him with a chaste kiss on the check, causing him to blush and stammer, as the big silly always did, before heading into the steam room to clean herself, before changing into fresher, and more modest, clothing.

Fondling the heavy links of the metal armor that she'd worn only a few times before, she finally pulled the chain shirt over her padded undershirt, feeling off-balance from the unwanted extra weight. But still, she was going into a place where Som would not be watching over her, and she might have need of her traditional 'three stings,' the daggers worn at hip, arm and concealed under her long hair at the base of her neck, before the night was out.

Hoisting her bag of coins, which she carefully concealed in a neck-purse beneath her chain shirt, and covering her clunky armor with a loose fluttering vest made from crossed yellow linen scarves, she set out for the Golden Goblin, to register for the tournament.

Perhaps she would win enough coin to outfit herself with scarves of silk. More importantly, perhaps she would find a job, as her fosterage at the temple was now officially done...

Violant had a lump in her throat all day, knowing that this was the big day, when she would leave her training, leave her home in the House of Silken Veils to seek her own fortunes.

Truthfully, the woman she thought of as her savior had shown great patience with her, as she’d completed her acolyte’s studies weeks before, and had been dithering around the temple, instead of finding her own way in the world. Their last ‘discussion’ on the topic had been… final, and Violant knew that she had pressed her foster-mother’s patience to the breaking point, clutching to her skirts like a frightened child.

So now she wove through the familiar streets to the wharfs, wrapped up against the air in the morning shadows, not yet warmed by the touch of the sun. Som was at her side, and she had not the heart to explain to the simple half-orc that this would be the last day they worked together, because it would break her to see the intimidating brute start crying. She smiled slightly as he babbled alongside her, pointing out gulls circling, as if he hadn’t seen such a thousand times before, and found it wondrous every time how they hung in the sky like that. A few of the working girls at the temple would have picked one of the less intimidating, more human-looking, of the protectors to watch over them and make sure that their clients didn’t get out of hand, but Som was the one who was most fiercely protective of ‘his girls,’ and too much a child in mind for his own needs to ever become onerous.

It was the first bit of good advice that her foster mother had given her when they arrived from Magnimar, to choose Som as protector whenever possible. Counsel beyond price, it turned out to be, as some sailors weren’t interested in waiting until they got to the House of Silken Veils, but would instead grab at the enticing ‘sample’ dancing before the signs. But they never made a second grab, not after Som was finished 'explaining things' to them.

They’d found a decent spot on the wharves, out of the way of the dock-workers, some of whom whistled and clapped to see her taking up station in their area, and Som set down the sturdy crate he’d brought with him, and offered his meaty hand to her like a bashful gentleman. She ascended the crate and began swaying slightly, yellow scarves billowing around her slim figure as she stretched her neck and limbs, loosening up for the day’s exertions. Som had pulled the large shield off of his back that served as a billboard for the House of Silken Veils, and set it down in front of the crate to let the new sailors coming down their piers know where they could find respite in Riddleport. Within a matter of moments, a couple of young children had staked out position near Som (but out of reach of his irritated swats), ready to take copper coins to lead anyone attracted to Violant’s dancing to the House of Silken Veils.

It was an hour before the first ship came in, and she considered it a good omen that she recognized the Stone Raven, a regular from Magnimar. As expected, a party of dwarves from the Gas Forges had already shown up to greet them, and there was the usual gruff and boisterous dwarven bickering between the two parties before they started ferrying their cargo past Violant’s position. Once faces were turned in her direction, she began dancing in earnest, playing to her audience and flashing the daggers at hip and shoulder, knowing that the sailors arriving liked to pretend that Riddleport was a place of exotic danger, and that a dancing maiden with visible blades would just add to that feeling. The various dwarves, grunting under their burdens, filed past her, many looking up admiringly, but unable to tear their attentions away from their unloading and transport duties, but she made note of which ones seemed new, and likely to seek directions at a later time, blowing them kisses, or sending a scarf out to trail across their shoulders as they passed close to her.

Som also played his role, snarling menacingly, and it was a credit to her performance that at least one of the dwarves had failed to notice the scimitar-wielding half-orc standing ready until he was within striking range of said scimitar, and stepped back, reaching for a weapon of his own before his companions pulled him away, laughing at him in their rough barking language.

She recognized the Stone Raven’s captain, who everybody called Twistbeard, because of the dozen painfully-tight braids he kept his thick brown beard tied into, and he walked right up to her position as she wiggled and smiled at him, a genuine smile, instead of the flirty promising ones she typically gave her viewers. “Ah, Little Sting, yer a sight, as always. They still not feeding you, lassie?” he joked, pretending that she was ‘too slender’ for his tastes, even if it was no dark secret that he preferred the lads to the lasses.

Hours passed, ships came and went, and even some new ships with sailors unfamiliar with Riddleport, giving the wharf-children some coin, leading them to the House where Violant had grown up and ceased being a street-child like these unlucky souls, the House that, it seems, she had now out-grown…

I believe that I've finalized Violant. I even found appropriate Traits to represent her past (although it was a struggle, since two or three of the Social traits really, really appealed to me, and you're not allowed to have more than one from the same category).

Alternate Cleric character, as I suspect that a Druid will not have enough healing 'oomph' for this.

I broke my tradition and didn't give her a name that starts with 'M.'

She's a total healbot. And also a priestess of Calistria, who is not a hooker, sacred or otherwise!

She's missing a Trait, but I am away from books, so I kind of made her off the cuff...