War for the Crown #3 - The Twilight Child

Game Master Kittenmancer

I am far more interested in your character's personality, beliefs and history than I am in their crunch.

Lotti was born in Oppara and has lived her her entire life. How long that is exactly she won't ever answer truthfully, of course. Her hair has lost enough of its color and her features softened enough that she can be easily mistaken for a halfling with a little bit of effort on her part - an ability that has proven very useful time and time again in Lotti's efforts to get first her grandchildren, then any gnome or halfling (or other small person) out of the household of an abusive or neglectful noble family. Whether it's forging letters, spreading just the right bit of gossip, or a tasteful application of subtle magic, Lotti's arcane studies combined with her innate knack for illusions and cynical disregard for oppressive rules make her a subtle force to be reckoned with among the noble houses of Oppara - not that any of them would know that this frail old lady was responsible for their staffing woes, of course.

Lotti's not quite sure how the Lady Martella Lotheed found out about her - she's never had to "work" in that household - but the lady's letter piqued both Lotti's curiosity and her sensibilities. While Lotti's never "worked" in politics before either, she understands that it would certainly be a faster way to help all her "grandchildren" (and maybe even get that Holdore family out of Taldor for good). The elderly gnome doesn't expect to have much say in policy directly, of course - but a few well-placed words can have a much larger impact than one might anticipate. And she can't help but feel a bit of sympathy for the Princess Eutropia's situation, even if the lady is almost twice the size of her usual "grandchildren".

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In social situations, Lotti has an ear to the ground and usually has the latest gossip. She's also quick to provide what people expect to hear or see, all the while looking like a servant or old lady slightly off her rocker. She's excellent with languages as well as the finer points of arcane study and spellcraft (though perhaps somewhat lacking in the traditional restrictions and abstract theoretical properties of magic). She usually won't be taking the lead on things, but will be supporting other characters (and perhaps nudging things ever so slightly).

In combat situations, Lotti is a debuffer and debilitator with some support capabilities in her spells. Her primary focus will be illusions - we might want to discuss how certain things such as a pit that's 20% real functions ahead of time so we both know what to expect when such things come up in encounters.

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As for why I want to play this AP, I just love the character of Lotti and want to see her come to life. In a more dungeon-crawly type of adventure, her subtlety would be lost - she needs a more social-heavy story to interact with and use all these wonderful tricks and shortcuts she's picked up over the years.

I've modified her planned progression slightly from TBD's recruitment - feel free to check it out and let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding it.

Your character's link to Taldor and their motivation for getting involved in Taldan politics: Bodyguard to nobles.

Race and class:Human Brawler

Alignment or morality:Neutral Good. Protector of the people.

Role in the group - what can your character contribute in and out of combat::Hes primarily a combatant, being flexible in his role there adapting feats as needed and always armed with his unarmed combat capability. But in role playing he will be the voice of the people.

Background:[/background] Randal Tullmoor was an arena fighter, then with success he became a bouncer in a Tavern in Dalaston, The Black Ore Tavern, was a rough and tumble place frequented by the Miners in the area. One Day Baron Tanio Dalassnos, The son of Count Lucinius Dalassnos stopped by for a drink and soon became embroiled in a fight with a miner. It wasnt long before the Aristocrat found himself in over his head. Randal stepped in, besting several Thugs bent on killing the young noble.

[B]Character progression, how do you plan to develop them?: I will develop him as a brawler. I like to have the game infleunce which direction he actual goes and not pre-build. I think as a campaign progresses it cause character evolution.

(Optional) Tell me a little about yourself and why this AP is particularly interesting to you.: Ive been playing Role Playing Games since D&D's inception and the character role is of utmost importance. I see the personality in my minds eye and enjoy unravelling the tale with the other players in a joint effort. Im a role player.

This AP interests me because its something Ive never played before.[/b]

Modern History (Dr Paleogus): The student has missed the last three lectures and has not attended a seminar this term. When questioned on the subject she said “Since you just want to teach out-dated tripe your course isn’t worth my time.” Her latest essay ‘Senatorial Reform under Stavian I’ was a thinly disguised political tract and was not worth the paper it was written on.
Suspension strongly recommended.

Applied Politics and the Art of Diplomacy (Professor Medveyan): Adriel is an excellent student who is deeply committed to the class and subject. She is always a vocal presence (occasionally too much so) in our debates and has achieved some of the highest scores in her cohort. Her most recent work on normalising diplomatic relations was interesting and insightful, although Qadira was an unfortunate example and she would have been better served to choose a less contentious target – such as Brevoy or Kyonin (which would have reflected her heritage).
Suspension not advised – it would be a waste of a promising student.

General reflections (Professor Zelvran): Overall there seems to be no grounds for academic suspension. Ms Moonflower’s grades are generally high and her teachers, with the exception of Dr Paleogus, speak well of her.
However the university has ample grounds based on her conduct. Her association with the radical student body ‘The Children of Taldaris’ has had a most unfortunate influence on her thinking. Whether or not she is being led astray by other, more influential, students is irrelevant as the discretion, humility and respect for both the University of Oppara and our great nation has been sadly lacking for well over a year now. Since we cannot expel Lord Laverton I recommend that Ms. Moonflower’s time here be terminated immediately unless she publically renounces The Children and conforms rigorously to academic orthodoxy until the end of the year.

I remain your humble friend,
Demetrius Zelvran.

--
Adriel Lemenasis spent nearly thirty years trying to fulfil her dream of attending the University of Oppara. Born to respected, but not wealthy, elven artisans she had to combat ‘aptitude tests’, ‘academic investigations’ and the institutionalised racism and inertia that characterises Taldan bureaucracy. Once she was finally accepted into the University Adriel changed her difficult elven name to the more melodious ‘Moonflower’ and stuck rigidly to academic orthodoxy until a fateful lecture in her second year.

Princess Eutropia, the Universities most famous alumnus, visited to deliver a lecture to the students entitled ‘Taldor, past, present and a glorious future’. It was not the bland sycophancy that the university had expected however. Eutropia delivered a rousing speech, laying out her sweeping vision for a revitalised Taldor, freed from the constraint of the past, and by the time she left the Princess had made a radical out of Adriel.

Adriel immediately joined The Children of Taldaris, a student ‘debating society’ which advocated radical reform and weren’t afraid to make their views heard. Soon Adriel was at the vanguard of the student radical movement, putting up posters, joining protests in the streets and painting ‘pro-democracy’ slogans over every public building, and more than a few private ones.

Her best friend, Lord Vincent Laverton, had entrée to all the best parties and the two would often attend as a couple, before shocking the assembled nobility with mock-debates, high flung speeches and the occasional dramatic protest. Unfortunately ‘reform’ is a dirty word in Opparan high society and Adriel’s political convictions had left her on the brink of expulsion when a letter arrived from one Martella Lotheed…

Survival at the bottom of Taldan society requires a keen eye and an agile mind, two things Nico certainly has in abundance. While never particularly skilled at dealing with others directly, Nico's talent for sizing someone up and telling a friend just how to handle them has made him a lot of allies.

Despite (or, indeed, because of) the relative comfort he has been afforded by this, Nico knows that Taldor's core is rotten. Every day, he sees good, hard-working people suffer for no better reason than an accident of birth, while capricious and indolent nobles live extravagant lifestyles for the same reason. It's for this reason that Nico began to use his connections to agitate for broad social reforms with the goal of making Taldor a more equitable society. After all, what good are favored owed if you never call them in? It should come as no surprise, though, that Nico quickly found himself just as talented at making enemies as he was at making friends.

This rabble-rousing, in turn, is what brought him to the attention of Lady Martella Lotheed. While certainly suspicious of her and her motives, Nico can't deny the opportunity granted by the connections and resources she has, and so he accepts her offer and her invitation to the Exaltation Gala.

In direct conversation, Nico is kind and polite, if a bit awkward. He never likes to be the center of attention and usually fades into the background of any group conversation. Where he comes alive is when someone needs his advice or encouragement, always pushing people to accomplish things they would have never believed themselves capable of. These are the moments where his shy veneer evaporates and his smile emerges.

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OFFENSE
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee dagger -1 (1d4-1/19-20)
Ranged dagger (thrown) +2 (1d4-1/19-20)
Known Psychic Spells (CL 1st, concentration +4):
1st (4/day)—color spray (DC 14), expeditious retreat, telempathic projection (DC 14)
0 (at will)—daze (DC 13), detect magic, message, read magic
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STATISTICS
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Str 9, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 17, Cha 10,
Base Atk +0; CMB -1; CMD 14
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Disable Device +7, Knowledge (History) +7, Knowledge (Local) +8, Knowledge (Nobility) +7, Perception +7, Sense Motive +7, Spellcraft +7, Use Magic Device +4
Traits Pragmatic Activator, Young Reformer
Languages Common, Draconic, Elven, Hallit
SQ dual talent, overpowering mind, phrenic amplifications, phrenic pool, physical push, psychic discipline (self-perfection), spells
Combat Gear potion of remove fear, scroll of mage armor
Other Gear dagger, traveler's outfit, 13.0 gp
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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AC Bonus (Ex) When unarmored and unencumbered, you add your Wisdom bonus (if any) to your AC and CMD. The bonus to AC applies even against touch attacks or when you're flat-footed. You lose these bonuses when you're immobilized or helpless, when you wear any armor, when you carry a shield, or when you carry a medium or heavy load.

Background Skill (Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Nobility))

Dual Talent Some humans are uniquely skilled at maximizing their natural gifts. These humans pick two ability scores and gain a +2 racial bonus in each of those scores. This racial trait replaces the +2 bonus to any one ability score, the bonus feat, and the skilled traits.

Knacks Psychics learn a number of knacks, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table 1-8. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they don't consume any slots and can be used again. Knacks cast using other spell slots (due to metamagic feats, for example) consume spell slots as normal.

Overpowering Mind (Ex) The psychic can spend 2 points from her phrenic pool to increase the Will save DC of the linked spell by 1. At 8th level, she can choose to instead spend 4 points to increase the DC by 2. At 15th level, she can choose to instead spend 6 points to increase the DC by 3. This amplification can be linked only to spells that have the mind-affecting descriptor and require a Will saving throw.

Phrenic Amplifications A psychic develops particular techniques to empower her spellcasting, called phrenic amplifications. The psychic can activate a phrenic amplification only while casting a spell using psychic magic, and the amplification modifies either the spell's effects or the process of casting it. The spell being cast is called the linked spell. The psychic can activate only one amplification each time she casts a spell, and doing so is part of the action used to cast the spell. She can use any amplification she knows with any psychic spell, unless the amplification's description states that it can be linked only to certain types of spells. A psychic learns one phrenic amplification at 1st level, selected from the list below. At 3rd level and every 4 levels thereafter, the psychic learns a new phrenic amplification. A phrenic amplification can't be selected more than once. Once a phrenic amplification has been selected, it can't be changed. Phrenic amplifications require the psychic to expend 1 or more points from her phrenic pool to function.

Phrenic Pool (Su) A psychic has a pool of supernatural mental energy that she can draw upon to manipulate psychic spells as she casts them. The maximum number of points in a psychic's phrenic pool is 3. The phrenic pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours don't need to be consecutive. The psychic might be able to recharge points in her phrenic pool in additional circumstances dictated by her psychic discipline. Points gained in excess of the pool's maximum are lost.

Physical Push (Su) By channeling your psychic energy, you can make your body capable of greater physical feats. When you attempt a Strength-, Dexterity-, or Constitution based ability check or skill check, you can gain a bonus on the check equal to your Wisdom bonus. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to your Wisdom modifier. Using this ability is part of the action used to attempt the skill check (if any). If you succeed at the check, you regain 1 point in your phrenic pool.

Pragmatic Activator (Trait) While some figure out how to use magical devices with stubborn resolve, your approach is more pragmatic. You may use your Intelligence modifier when making Use Magic Device checks instead of your Charisma modifier.

Psychic Discipline (Ex or Sp) Each psychic accesses and improves her mental powers through a particular method, such as rigorous study or attaining a particular mental state. This is called her psychic discipline. She gains additional spells known based on her selected discipline. The choice of discipline must be made at 1st level; once made, it can't be changed. Each psychic discipline gives the psychic a number of discipline powers (at 1st, 5th, and 13th levels), and grants her additional spells known. In addition, the discipline determines which ability score the psychic uses for her phrenic pool and phrenic amplifications abilities. The DC of a saving throw against a psychic discipline ability equals 10 + 1/2 the psychic's level + the psychic's Intelligence modifier. At 1st level, a psychic learns an additional spell determined by her discipline. She learns another additional spell at 4th level and every 2 levels thereafter, until learning the final one at 18th level. These spells are in addition to the number of spells given on Table 1-8. Spells learned from a discipline can't be exchanged for different spells at higher levels. Specific psychic disciplines are further described starting on page 64.

Self-Perfection You take a holistic view of psychic power, believing that you must hone both your mental and physical attributes to remain in balance. The focus you find while exercising, fasting, and otherwise tending to your body broadens your psychic powers. Phrenic Pool Ability: Wisdom. Discipline Powers: Your powers alter your body through your force of will.

Spells A psychic casts psychic spells drawn from the psychic class's spell list. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a psychic must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a psychic's spell is equal to 10 + the spell's level + the psychic's Intelligence modifier. A psychic can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table 1-7: Psychic. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Intelligence score. The psychic's selection of spells is limited. A psychic begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of the psychic's choice. At each new psychic level, she learns one or more new spells, as indicated on Table 1-8: Psychic Spells Known. Unlike a psychic's spells per day, the number of spells a psychic knows isn't affected by her Intelligence score; the numbers on Table 1-8 are fixed. At 4th level and every even-numbered level thereafter (6th, 8th, and so on), a psychic can choose to learn a single new spell in place of one she already knows. In effect, the psychic loses the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least 1 level lower than the highest-level spell from the psychic's class list that the psychic can cast. A psychic can swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that she gains new spells known for the level. A psychic need not prepare her spells in advance. She can cast any psychic spell she knows at any time, assuming she has not yet used up her allotment of spells per day for the spell's level.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency A psychic is proficient with all simple weapons, but not with any type of armor or shield.

Young Reformer (Trait) Perhaps you were born at the bottom of Taldan society and you’re tired of seeing your friends and family toil endlessly with no hope of a better life, or maybe your privileged outlook was shattered by empathy or tragedy. Either way, you know the system is broken, and you’ve dedicated your life to fixing it. But tradition rules Taldor as much as any Grand Prince, and change requires more influence than you have… so far. You’ve got a few friends and allies, and plenty of determination, but while you work toward the power you need to change the nation, you’ll have to resort to more discrete ways of righting wrongs and curbing the abuses of the upper class. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Disable Device and Knowledge (local) checks, and one of these skills (Disable Device) is always a class skill for you. Once per day, you can call upon your coconspirators to have “made arrangements” on your behalf, allowing you to attempt a Knowledge (local) check in place of a single Bluff, Disable Device, Intimidate, or Sleight of Hand check. The DC of this Knowledge (local) check is equal to the DC of the skill check it replaces. Whatever arrangements you make—for doors left unlocked, guards strong-armed out of your way, stolen keys left for you to find—must be reasonable to have anticipated and achieved beforehand; you could arrange to have a noble convinced you’re a very important diplomat traveling in disguise, for example, but if a fight breaks out you could not rely on your network of contacts to feint for you in combat. You don’t have to use this ability in advance; you can announce its use as you encounter a challenge, implying you foresaw this challenge and made arrangements prior to your arrival.

- Your character's link to Taldor and their motivation for getting involved in Taldan politics

Mirann and her older sister are from Vudra, but moved to Taldor with their parents when Mirann (the younger sister by 10 years) was only four. Kathann's earliest memories are of being homeless in Oppara, and while she remembers the indignities of life on the streets, from the age of 7 on, she was sent to live with her sister in the Kitharodian Academy dormitories.

Mirann lived there until very recently, enrolled in the Dance program. As a foreigner and a commoner at that, she has zero thought of Taldan politics, viewing such things as far above her station. She is simply fortunate to have found a patron. But in addition to providing food and housing, her patron has also taken the time to show her off, forcing the issue.

- Race and class

Vishkanya unRogue (Deadly Courtesan)

- Alignment or morality

TN

Minor Spoilers

- Role in the group - what can your character contribute in and out of combat

Out of combat, Mirann is adept at many skills, focusing on most CHA and DEX skills, and serves all the normal rogue utilities.

In combat, she'll take a lot of the Vishkanya racial feats (just when depends on when she multiclasses), getting a lot of versatility out of the poison, being able to use it more often, to put enemies to sleep, and to cast Dispel Magic and Break Enchantment. Otherwise, normal unRogue stuff.

- Background

In the alias.

One thing I wanted originally that was turned down by TBD was that her patron, the Marquess Charlotte Deschamps, paid for surgery to make Mirann's voice louder, rounder, farther reaching. Mechanically, this was a masterwork Perform (Singing) tool, but as of now, she wears a gifted hair ribbon around her neck and it gives her confidence.

- (optional) Character progression, how do you plan to develop them?

Multibook Spoilers

I live in Rio de Janeiro, but will probably move to Portugal in a few months for a job.

This AP caught my attention because it presents a different form for Pathfinder. A political intrigue RPG is not easy to find. Although Vampire does stride in that direction, it is more centered on personal goals than actual politics. So the AP with the social combat rules and a political goal of elevating someone else to power seems like an incredible opportunity.

Also, I like Pathfinder's Adventure Paths in general, so...

The character profile page has a more thorough background & personal history there.

Starting at second level he'll be a decent melee combatant with his falcata; decent (though not stellar) stealth and magic to round out his utility. He'll be a good jack-of-all-trades character able to contribute in a wide variety of situations.

From there it'll be pure Inquisitor; the Tactical Leader archetype lets him be a party face & give teamwork feats to allies, while the Sanctified Slayer is useful both in and out of combat, since Studied Target also grants skill boosts against the designee. Starting at Lvl9 I plan to take the Flickering Step feat and possibly retrain to get the Dimensional Dervish feat chain. Even if I don't retrain, the extra mobility of Dimension Door SLAs are perfect for getting Marius in and out of trouble.

When Maxillar Phythareus was being set up as the next ruler of the city, Darians parents stood up against him. Darian is not sure what exactly transpired, but Darian's mother was stripped of her title, and power. Darian's father was removed forcefully from the libraries he worked in. Removing access.

One night Darian remembers quickly leaving the city. They had family, on his father's side, in Old Sehir, a few days journey northwest of Oppara.

Old Sehir is where he grew up. He was trained to learn by his father, and trained in basic arcane and martial traditions by his Mother. They made sure he had the skills he needed to survive. Martial, knowledge, and ability to get your way with your words.

Now an adult, Darian has entered the world, traveling to Oppara. Wishing to learn exactly what happened to his family, and if possible bring back their standing. He is proud of his family history and their influence in the history of the nation. With his sword in hand, and spells woven, he is ready to bring back the Pomeroy name.

Darian is Neutral Good. He generally thinks people mean well, even if he can be suspicious of people who may be involved in his family's downfall. He is taking the Disgraced Noble trait. He is rather pragmatic, is is not afraid of mixin things up if he thinks its appropriate.

Darian will be a mix of support casting, damage, and backup face. The flexibility he has will allow him to fit as needed in the group. ie, if there is a bard he might slip into more damage.. He will likely prepare spells to help party vs just throw damage around.

Progression: Really going to depend on the story. He is starting out with Spell focus Enchantment, but might move things a bit as things are needed.

Notes: I know this is not optimized, and I like that. He does have the 18 int, but with Strength and Charisma being 14 its not the standard wizard build. I am curious how this will work out. Having a not weak wizard will be fun.

I have played through 1 full AP and GMed a 3 full AP at the table (one was custom). I am currently GMing a Starfinder and PF2 game with friends. My wife has started GMing and is running Mummy's mask for us.

On the PbP boards I am GMing a Iron Gods game, that I adopted when the previous GM left. I am also GMing a PF2 Age of Ashes game. I have had a few failed games here and there, but mostly things are going smoothly. I do wish I had more chances to play vs GM. Though both are a ton of fun.

I am a software developer, so I spend a lot of time at a computer, which means I am generally able to keep the 1 post a day during the week. I do have a small child, which messes with my weekend posting rate a bit.

I tend to go overboard and create wikis and stuff that often get left unused. I have tried to back down and stop creating websites just for PbP games, though I am happy to do some of the leg work on things like that. I don't shy away from out of game resources.

I think of myself as a nice GM and player. I generally don't get into arguments with people, and prefer to have a long conversation to work on issues or differences. I have had a game die, that I was really interested, because characters were too aggressive to each other. So I try my best to keep things light. Or be very clear in OOC that things are good if there is a in character argument.

She got big. Despite being a year older than her, she grew larger than her older sister. This didn't stop as she got older, quickly showing that she was going to not have the build of a traditional lady of court. This was accounted for, and Dominique's education was altered. It became more like her older brothers, including physical aspects alongside the teachings of etiquette. Swordplay, horse back riding, things to groom her for potential in the military. She took to them with gusto, thoroughly enjoying herself.

In time, she grew to adulthood, and to equal her brother Roderick in size, two pair standing a solid six foot tall. While he quickly began to work on bringing the family higher standing, she set about forging her own path. She joined the Korvosan Guard, quickly proving herself as a reliable and skilled new member. This, along with her noble origin, is what drew Queen Ileosa's attention towards her.

The Queen's reign was in full swing, and she commonly looked towards the Guard to get members for her own personal guard, the Gray Maidens. She had just named them as the protectors of the city, and getting offered to join was an honor. So despite the rumors surrounding them, when Dominique was offered, she couldn't say no. If only she had.

What she endured in their initiation is not something she likes to speak about. She only says that she is lucky, for the Queen was overthrown before it was fully finished. With the queen overthrown, and her face and mind scarred, she did the only thing she could think of. She went to be with her family again.

After a tear filled reunion, she spent some time with them. She couldn't relax however, being far too close to the place where it all happened. Her mother Evelynn came forward with a suggestion, to go visit her family. They lived in Taldor, and the change in scenery could be exactly what she needed. She agreed, and sailed off towards the capital of Taldor, Oparra. If her mother's family required her aid in their Loyalist aims, well, she would do so gladly. It was the least she could do to pay them back, and besides. She had seen how giving all the power to one person could go.

So part of the reason I'm interested is because I want to get involved in a PF game. As for why this AP in particular interests me? Well it seems like a generally interesting AP. I haven't seen or done anything with the Social Combat system, so that seems interesting. On top of that, it just looked like a good fit for a character idea I've had floating around for a while. It'd be a shame if the idea doesn't actually work, but I'm willing to alter details to get it working if need be.

Race and class: rakshasa-spawn tiefling, mesmerist. I'm playing it such that her powers come from her rakshasa blood, but nobody (including her) is aware of this. Whether her heritage becomes a plot point or is just ignored is up to you.

Alignment or morality: lawful neutral, but doesn't feel too beholden to the current state, as she and her house know that true stability and order can only be achieved after reform (i.e. short-term chaos is okay if it's in the interest of long-term lawfulness).

Role in the group - what can your character contribute in and out of combat:
- out of combat: all the typical "face" skills except intimidate, as more of a subtle manipulation type. can magic if necessary, but would prefer not to.
- in combat: can't do much as far as damage, but acts as a support caster, mainly debuffs and enchantments.

Background: see linked post.

Character progression: don't have too much planned out yet, but staying with mesmerist and probably picking up eldritch heritage (rakshasa bloodline of course) down the road.

It wasn't long after she officially became a cleric that she was beset with tragic news, her father was killed by a couple of drunken soldiers who mistook him for a Qadari spy. Filled with distraught, she grew distant and closed her building to all but her halfling servent who has been around ever since her father was young. Over the years, she turned her palace into a minor clinic, using the wealth her family has accumulated to buy potions. She kept tabs with the noble life, but did not attend any meetings. It wasn't long before her rank was forgotten.

It was only a recent meeting that sparked her interest in the crown. While at a tavern, she met with an energetic woman with brown hair. Together, they spent hours conversing, dancing and overall enjoying the other's company. It was only after they left the building that the woman revealed herself to be none other than Princess Eutropia herself. Kinjal immediately bowed down in penance for not recognizing her, but the princess replied that was her intention. She wanted to survey the city of Oppara to meet the people without any bias from her ranking. Kinjal grew a fondness for the woman's teachings and wished for the best.

It was after that time that she found out that Eutropia plans to allow women to rule the land. She had already made plans to enter the ball, but was met with someone else. Martella Lotheed arrived to state how she made a good impression with the princess and has offered to invite her to help steer the vote. It was an opportunity she couldn't possibly pass up. Who knows, maybe things will change for the better for Taldor after all...

A desire for positive change and the necessity to secure power to maintain his family's privileged position of wealth and standing entwined when his father passed away. The death of the head of the family left the fate of the Guliétt's in the hands of Eliphas, and gave birth to the man's dream of becoming a senator. Acquiring that position will enable Eliphas to maintain, give shape to, and enact his strong ideas upon the world around him.

A healthy amount of illusions of self-importance and grandeur never hurt any aspiring politician, right?

As for his *character* progression, I imagine Eliphas will fight hard to give new hope to people who never had any. Think the poor, the discriminated, and the capable who do not get to stand up because of their societal standing. What he must do to get this done might cut both ways, and if this somewhat damages him and adds new flaws to his character, I am more than okay with that. A clear inspiration for his character is the fall of the Roman republic and the larger-than-life characters of Caesar, Cicero, and people like Crassus and Pompey. Unbridled ambition is the horse he rides, but discipline, morality and critical thinking (philosophy, theology) must form the saddle and stirrups that keep him on the horse's back.

Out of combat, Eliphas is hardly the charismatic center of attention. He doesn't mind standing in the shadow of someone who does manage to capture the attention, and he will happily let other party members open (social) doors so that he can then step in and do what he does best: talk, reason, and plant a seed of conscience thought. His skillset lets him aid and assist the group, but it will be up to others to do the sneaky bits, the brute force opening of (again, social) doors, and anything the wizardly skillset doesn't cover.

Thanks to the campaign trait and his scribe scroll feat, Eliphas can also acquire useful consumables that might aid the party.

I tend to stick to the things I start doing, and I like to think of myself as a capable team player. I can be both concise and verbose, but it's a coinflip which of the two you can expect from me on any given day. Perhaps the amount of coffee and the total hours of sleep I claimed play a vital role in all this. Hrm. Feel free to ask me anything if you want to know more about me.

STR 12 INT 16
DEX 14 WIS 14
CON 14 CHA 8

BAB +0
FORT +2 REF +2 WILL +4
HP 9
AC 12

FEATS
1 Spell Focus Conjuration
H Fast Learner (can pick two favored class bonuses per level)

SKILLS
H (1) Spellcraft +7
1 (1) Knowledge Arcana +7
2 (1) Knowledge Planes +7
I (1) Diplomacy +8
I (1) Knowledge Nobil ity +7
I (1) Knowledge Local +8
I (1) Knowledge History +7
FCB (1) Sense Motive +7
B (1) Profession Barrister +6
B (1) Linguistics +7

LANGUAGES
Common, Halfling, Draconic, Celestial, Abyssal, Infernal

TRAITS
1 Senatorial Hopeful (+1 Diplomacy/Knowledge Local, both are class skills. Once a week you can request equipment or a consumable magic item (25gp*level). The item takes 1d4 days to be delivered)
2 Clever Wordplay (Use INT instead of CHA for Diplomacy skill checks)
3 Talented Organizer (+1 to Sense Motive, Sense Motive is a class skill)
4 Drawback: Power-Hungry (–2 penalty on Will saving throws against charm and compulsion effects if the creature creating the effect promises wealth or power.)

SPELLS
Known
0 ALL
1 (x) Summon Minor Monster, Grease, Mage Armor, Sleep, Vanish, Enlarge Person
Prepared
0 (3) Acid Splash, Message, Daze
1 (3) Summon Minor Monster, Grease, Sleep
Per Day
0 Unlimited
1 (3)

WIZARD
Cantrips: Wizard can prepare a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, each day as noted on Table: Arcanist Spells Prepared. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume spell slots. As with her other spells, these spells are not expended when cast.
Arcane bond: Gain a familiar.
Opposing schools: Necromancy & Evocation
Arcane School: Conjuration (Teleportation)
Summoner’s Charm: Whenever you cast a conjuration (summoning) spell, increase the duration by a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your wizard level (minimum 1). At 20th level, you can change the duration of all summon monster spells to permanent. You can have no more than one summon monster spell made permanent in this way at one time. If you designate another summon monster spell as permanent, the previous spell immediately ends. This increase is not doubled by Extend Spell.
Shift: At 1st level, you can teleport to a nearby space as a swift action as if using dimension door. This movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity. You must be able to see the space that you are moving into. You cannot take other creatures with you when you use this ability (except for familiars). You can move 5 feet for every two wizard levels you possess (minimum 5 feet). You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Intelligence modifier.

HUMAN
Bonus Feat: Gain one extra feat at character creation
Skilled: gain one extra skill point per level.

GEAR
Yet-to-be-determined-but-nothing-too-exciting

The boy showcased the ability to soak up knowledge, process it, and turn it into worthwhile thoughts and ideas as soon as he learned how to read and write. Lacking drive, or rather - a monumental life-altering experience, Eliphas never put his mind to become one thing in particular. Wizard, merchant, engineer, barrister, toiler, landholder: it wasn’t until his uncles put together a fund for his father to ship him off to Andoran for an arcane education that Eliphas started to form a clear idea of what he wanted from life. There, in Andoran, the adolescent Taldan saw how all manners of people freely mingled and were given ample opportunity to make a living and live a life worth living. Then, during a semester abroad in Cheliax, he saw the other side of that very same coin, and witnessed how a young halfling man was lashed and then condemned to a life of labour for stealing a loaf of bread. He swore, after drinking to forget that horrible moment but not quite enough to pass out, to stand up for all people, no matter their size, color, ears, or fangs. Surely the Gods had not created all of the mortal races only for most of them to be used as slaves by a select group of humans?

During his last year in Andoran, Eliphas ran into a wide variety of people. From firebrand Sarenites to nihilistic philosophers inspired by Groetus, none managed to touch the young aristocrat like a destitute devotee of Milani named Erina. The woman, barely twenty years old, had escaped her homeland of Galt after she lost all of her family to the guillotine. Her story was one of madness, but throughout ita ll, Erina never lost hope that tomorrow would be a better day, if only she tried. Their dalliance led to a cross-pollination of ideas and Eliphas would return home with the warmth of Milani in his heart. Erina, however, could not be persuaded to come with. Her fate, and perhaps faith, lies in Galt and bringing peace there.

The adolescent revelation crashed into the wall of reality upon his return home to Wellspring. His father, ever struggling with his health, had passed away during the final months of his arcane education in Andoran. With the help of his uncles and his younger brother and sister, Ylaf and Celeste, Eliphas started to plan out a campaign that would see him become a Taldan senator.

Farfetched and endlessly optimistic as it might be, the flame of hope and the idea that there can be a better tomorrow brought the family closer together than it had ever been. And if anyone could do it, surely it was the stubborn son of an even more stubborn father? For his uncles it meant that the heir apparent would be away from home, leaving them relatively autonomous for the time being. And for Ylaf, it means that he can run the family estate together with Celeste’s husband, Varak, an aspiring half-elf alchemist.

Hope, as is the norm in Taldan noble circles, entwined itself with self-interest to form a compound bond. Can Eliphas expand his influence and make a bid for senate? Can he achieve what he must so that his family continues to not just back him in his plans, but also keep their hands off what are his lands? And more importantly perhaps than the former, can he stick to his word and ensure a better tomorrow for the many halflings and half-elves that live not just in Wellspring, but all of Taldor?

APPEARANCE
Homely and understated, Eliphas’ physical presence is often overlooked until the man gets to open his mouth and make an impression. A receding hairline gives him ten extra years worth of age, but the complete lack of wrinkles and other signs of aging paint a picture that, perhaps somewhat ironically, perfectly manages to capture Eliphas: a complex man who aches to manifest himself, but must use his mind and wits to do so.

Past the homely face and regrettable hair, Eliphas sports a lean and appreciatable body. He puts in a lot of effort in maintaining his material temple: a routine of jogging, bodyweight exercises, and a somewhat strict diet ensure that the machine that enables his mind won’t falter when push comes to shove. It is also a statement of the man’s discipline and way of thinking. After all, as Eliphas would say, a strong and healthy body is the foundation for a strong and healthy mind.

The last layer to the man’s appearance are his carefully selected clothes and attributes. To call them would be a crime, but the man does put in an effort to not stand out in a crowd. Quality, yes, but without the exuberant trim and excessive shine of the Taldan elite. Perhaps it is more a reflection of his higher middle-class heritage than his worldviews: the means to dress that way are currently beyond him. Other than clean and proper clothes that gently and quietly state his social standing, Eliphas does not leave home without his intricately carved wand, his signet ring, and an extra sharp letter opener.

Personality
Like a coin, Eliphas sports two faces. There is the outward stern and serious face with which he greets the world he does not know, a defiant chin-up look that tries to embrace the dignity displayed in the statues of the people of old. People who smile at strangers either have too much goodness in their hearts or are trying to sell an image that anyone with half a brain knows is too good to be true.

And there is the kind and patient Eliphas, who shows his face when he is surrounded by those who he trusts and likes. His family, his hometown community, and possibly his future compatriots will see this when Eliphas is secluded from the rest of society. At home, in a private room at a tavern or mansion, or when on the road far, far away from the dreary drudgery of contemporary Taldan society. For once, his brain lets go off the reigns and allows for indulgency and whim to get a say in matters.

The duality of the man is brought together by his strong convictions. Racism, the inequality between men of different breed, bother him to such a degree that it drives him to do whatever he must to undo it. He witnessed the equality of men and women of all races in Andoran, drowned in the abhorrant state of inequality between the diabolical elite and the rest in Cheliax, and upon his return home to Taldor was confronted by the have’s and have-not’s. Merit, and merit alone, should speak for a man’s worth. A kind heart and patience for others are the pillars of a civilized society, and other people should not be used as stepping stones to better your own life when it comes at the cost of others.

Nevertheless, the degenerate state of Taldan society has brought Eliphas to dismount his moral high horse, and he swoons between what’s right and what’s wrong, doing what he can and must to bring change to Taldor. Even if that means occasionally doing something which his soul and heart insist he musn’t.