Shalm's Reign of Winter (Inactive)

Game Master JankInTheTank

At midwinter on Halleva’s eighteenth year, a voice as soft and familiar as a fresh snowfall came to her in her dreams; it seemed winter itself was calling to her. She rose from her warm bed in a dreamlike trance, and stepped barefoot into the knee-deep drifts of snow outside.

She flitted through the village, dancing with the wind and the ice that blew against her bare skin until her lips and fingers turned blue. The strange display attracted a well-meaning guard, who gripped her frozen shoulders and started to ask if she was okay.

Still under winter’s spell, she flew into an icy rage at the one who dared to interrupt her! Her eyes and hair turned stark white, her fingernails became wickedly pointed icicles, and she howled as she tore at his flesh.

It was now that she awoke completely, with ghastly claws deep in a man’s stomach, and hot blood pooling in her hands. She’d grown up with cautionary tales about the Witches to the east; she saw what she was, and knew she had to get away.

She fled south, south, south, as far from winter’s grasp as she can get; even the deserts of Qadira will hardly be far enough. Taldor is just another stop along the way.

She is haunted by the violence she committed just before she fled her home, and both wracked with grief and furious at the evil that drove her to it. Truthfully, she doesn’t even know for certain that she killed a man, as she ran away without checking, which has left her with an uncomfortable mix of curiosity and guilt.

Underneath it all though, she’s still just an Ulfen farm girl; simple and sweet with an adventurous streak.

She looks like an Ulfen farm girl, too: long blonde hair, blue eyes, high cheekbones, pale skin. She’s attractive, certainly, but in a friendly way; the skin on her palms, knees, and elbows is rough and has clearly seen a life of hard work.

When her emotions sweep her away, though, she becomes much more frightening. Her fingernails grow into grotesque icicles, her hair turns stark white and whips around in a nonexistent wind, and her eyes become white and cold.

But the Coins wasn't to be the end of Gale's story, as well as it's beginning. He still recalls the look of the Alkenstari Shieldmarshal as he walked into his tavern, with his broad hat, worn leathers, and long, gleaming musket, laid in the weapons' rack by the door. Less crystal clear is his memory of the three or so weeks spent learning the way of the gun from the man, after he had pestered him enough. Whether or not that had to do with the several hard falls direct on the noggin is up for debate, but once Gale had saved up enough to craft his own gun, he went off to spread the good word of the Drunken Hero, and do some of his good deeds.

Paldo was blessed a few days later however when a small group of Northern rangers and barbarians that had been tracking the witches discovered their lair. The witches had began a sacrificial ceremony of great power for which Paldo was the center of. The witches foul magic had already crept into Paldo's body when the Northern warriors sprung a surprise assault on the witches. The witches were not prepared and were quickly dispatched. A young female warrior stood over Paldo pondering what to with the child. He looked so much smaller and frailer than the child she had birthed months before. Still, she was inexplicably drawn to the child. She wrapped Paldo up and took him north the bitter cold province of Irrisen to her home in a small town called Waldsby in Hoarwood forrest. She decided then to raise him as her own. Paldo grew up with his now adopted mother Hertha and her natural born son Grimthar whom was a few months younger than Paldo. Hertha explained to Paldo that there was an aura of evil magic about him and she worried that one day more witches would come looking for him and as such she would restrict him from venturing outside or would have him bundled up in an attempt to hide his identity.

Paldo and Grimthar were very close growing up and other than their quite obvious difference in size they loved each other like real brothers. Grimthar towered over Paldo and was naturally very protective of him. Paldo always felt unmotivated to do much in the cold weather and as such he was always convincing others to either help him or outright do things for him, even if it meant having to stretch the truth to get it done. He would often encourage and inspire others to do better in the hopes that he could benefit as well.

Paldo never liked the cold. It easily penetrated his thin frame reaching his bones. He had never been exposed to such bitter cold. In an effort to protect himself his body and spirit tapped into fey magic residing deep within him. It allowed him to harness ancient magic to help him adapt and survive. Tapping into this magic drove him to find more ways to battle the bitter cold and soon he found himself studying the arcane arts and focusing on anything that would generate heat. He was often scolded as a child when he was caught burning things inside their house.

As Paldo and Grimthar grew older Paldo felt drawn to go south to warmer climates. He begged Grimthar to come with him. Grimthar was hesitant to leave their mother, but Hertha assured them both it was the right thing to do, it was time they went and explored and found their path in life. And so off they went, packing whatever they could carry, which for Paldo wasn't much. Every city they came to Paldo pushed to go father and father south. Eventually they reached southern Taldor until they reached a small village, not unlike the one they left so far north, called Heldren. It was a quiet little town, which they were used to. The citizens were very nice and welcoming to both Paldo and Grimthar, although most raised an eyebrow when they said they were bothers. The brothers never let on that they were not related by blood and instead either made them wonder or Paldo would come up with some elaborate lie. Although the town seems quiet and peaceful an unrest is coming that Paldo did not see coming…

Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd; concentration +5)
5/day—predator’s grace
Hunter (Divine Hunter, Feykiller) Spells Known (CL 3rd; concentration +5)
1st (4/day)—aspect of the falcon[APG], deadeye's lore[UC], gravity bow[APG], keep watch, magic fang[D], summon nature's ally I
0 (at will)—create water, guidance, know direction, light, purify food and drink (DC 12), stabilize
Domain Fur
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Statistics
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Str 14, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 7
Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 18
Feats Deific Obedience, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot
Traits deadeye bowman, weapon training, winter warrior (irrisen)
Skills Climb +6, Handle Animal +4, Heal +6, Intimidate +2, Knowledge (geography) +5, Knowledge (nature) +7, Knowledge (religion) +7, Perception +8, Spellcraft +5, Stealth +10, Survival +8, Swim +6
Languages Common, Skald, Sylvan
SQ animal companion (celestial bear (apex species) named Reign Companion), animal focus (3 minutes/day), domain (fur), iron talons, nature training, righteous indignation, track +1
Other Gear 3,000 gp
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Special Abilities
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Animal Companion (animal companion (celestial bear (apex species) named Reign Companion)) (Ex) If no current companion, summon nature's ally spells last 1 min/level but only 1 at a time.
Animal Companion Link (Ex) Handle or push Animal Companion faster, +4 to checks vs. them.
Animal Focus (3 minutes/day) (Su) As a swift action, gain bonuses from emulated animal(s). If no companion, +1 slots.
Predator’s Grace (Su) +10 ft to speed and low-light vision for 1 round
Deific Obedience Purify yourself daily to prove devotion to a deity and gain benefits.
Hunter (Divine Hunter, Feykiller) Domain (Community) Granted Powers: Your touch can heal wounds, and your presence instills unity and strengthens emotional bonds.
Iron Talons (Ex) One of you animal companion's attack natural is treated as cold iron for purposes of overcoming DR.
Nature Training (Ex) Hunter levels count as druid/ranger levels for feats, traits, and options to improve animal companions.
Point-Blank Shot +1 to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at up to 30 feet.
Precise Shot You don't get -4 to hit when shooting or throwing into melee.
Rapid Shot You get an extra attack with ranged weapons. Each attack is at -2.
Righteous Indignation (DC 13) Must take any AoO provoked by enemy (Will neg). -1 to Will saves vs. non-fear emotion effects.
Track +1 Add the listed bonus to Survival checks made to track.

Reign Companion CR –
Celestial bear (apex species) (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary)
N Small animal
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +6
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Defense
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AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +4 natural, +1 size)
hp 16 (3d8+3)
Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +2; +1 to deal with cold hazards.
Resist acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5; SR 8
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Offense
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Speed 40 ft.
Melee unarmed strike +6 (1d2+3 nonlethal) or
bite +6 (1d4+3), 2 claws +6 (1d3+3)
Special Attacks smite evil
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Statistics
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Str 16, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +2; CMB +5; CMD 18 (22 vs. trip)
Feats Hefty Brute, Power Attack
Tricks Attack, Attack Any Target, Defend, Demolish, Flank, Quiet Watch, Sneak
Skills Acrobatics +7 (+11 to jump), Climb +7, Perception +6, Stealth +11, Swim +7
SQ animal focus, attack any target, defend, demolish, favored terrain (cold +1), flank, native environment, quiet watch, sneak
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Special Abilities
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Animal Focus (Su) As a swift action, gain bonuses from emulated animal(s).
Attack Any Target [Trick] The animal will attack any creature on command.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Defend [Trick] The animal will defend you.
Demolish [Trick] Can be commaned to attack and damage objects and structures.
Energy Resistance, Acid (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Acid attacks.
Energy Resistance, Cold (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Cold attacks.
Energy Resistance, Electricity (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Electricity attacks.
Falcon +4 (Su) When assuming this aspect, gain listed competence bonus to Perception.
Favored Terrain (Cold +1) (Ex) +1 to rolls when in cold terrain.
Flank [Trick] Attempts to attack and flank indicated enemy.
Hefty Brute Count as one size larger for CMB, CMD, carrying capacity, and size-based special attacks.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Native Environment +1 (Cold) (Ex) In cold terrain, +1 on checks and saves to deal with environmental hazards.
Power Attack -1/+2 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Quiet Watch [Trick] The animal stands watch and alerts master quietly, if able.
Scent (Ex) Detect opponents within 15+ ft. by sense of smell.
Smite Evil (1/day) (Su) +0 to hit, +3 to damage when used.
Sneak [Trick] Creature stays hidden.
Spell Resistance (8) You have Spell Resistance.

Casey was the daughter of a blacksmith in a surprisingly quiet, secluded village on the outskirts of Irrisen. Growing up, she was intensely curious about the world beyond their shabby walls — not just what was out there, but how it all fit together. Her interests were broad, but what fascinated her most was magic: tales of witches who unraveled the secrets of the universe and made it bend to their will. That was the life Casey was meant for, she was certain. But she saw it only in glimpses, through half-decayed tomes lifted from traveling merchants. She immersed herself in those snippets with a childish wonder that lasted well into her teenage years: learning the lore, memorizing reagants, sounding out syllables in otherworldly tongues.

Rumors travel quickly in a small town, and soon whispers began to spread about this strange young woman who moved in a blur and spoke in a blur and read books about witchcraft. When Casey was nineteen, these whispers reached the ear of a coven of winter witches passing through the region. They paid her a visit on a whim and were mildly impressed by her dedication, eventually inviting her to go with them as an apprentice. No power in existence could have stopped Casey from answering yes. After saying farewell to worried family and friends she left, intent on returning triumphantly once she'd learned enough magic that the world finally made sense.

Yeah, there were a couple problems with that. First was the witches themselves, who had a cruel streak that quickly became apparent. But Casey could overlook that easily enough — morality had never been her focus when there were exciting new answers to be had.

What she couldn't overlook was her talent for magic. Which was, in a word, nonexistent.

After two years of training with the best, Casey could cast nothing. Not one. single. cantrip. When the coven sent her away she couldn't even blame them, she had room for frustration and humiliation and that was about it. She couldn't go home, couldn't face returning to that life as if everything was normal — besides, she would be lucky to survive the journey alone across the frigid wastes. Instead she ended up in the trenches at a nearby border outpost, earning coppers as a soldier in the never-ending raids back and forth between Irrisen and Hagreach. She found she could handle a crossbow with remarkable aim, which would have been great if she cared at all about the fighting. Mostly she focused on staying alive.

But over time, that original Casey started to shine through once again. A new mystery caught her eye, stories of a strange type of weapon with strings of fire and bolts of lead. In the days and weaks between battles she started studying alchemy and metalworking with all the zeal she'd once had for the arcane. This time, though, Casey's efforts actually paid off. It took months of trial and error, plus a few second-degree burns, but she was able to piece together several unfinished blueprints to build her very own gun.

Emboldened by this success, she started training to use her new weapon with lightning speed. Where mind had failed her matter would have to suffice. So she practiced, and practiced, and practiced some more.

All this did not go unnoticed: a few higher-ups started poking around, and Casey was quickly able to build and sell off a few more guns. I mean, sure, it's a bit of war profiteering that makes her even more complicit in this pointless bloodshed, but —hey, wait, did you see the new firing mechanism on the latest version? It's extraordinarily precise and — sorry, what were we talking about?

Anyway, Casey left soon afterwards, bundling up for a long trek through the snow. She had no intention staying stuck in that miserable place, not now that she had the funds to equip herself for a journey and the means to defend herself on the way. There was so much exciting world to explore, to learn about, to understand. And maybe to shoot. Hopefully not to shoot, but you never know. Her latest fixation has brought her far to the south, following some very peculiar rumors...