Snowcaster Sentry

Adonara Strixis's page

717 posts. Alias of Qunnessaa.


Full Name

Adonara Strixis

Race

Elf

Classes/Levels

Warpriest (Wasp Zealot) 4 / Magus (Spire Defender) 1 / Evangelist 2 HP 49/49 | AC 21 | T 17 | FF 16 | CMD 18 | Fort +8 | Ref +5| Will +10 | Init +2 | Perc + 7

Gender

Female

Size

Medium (a hair taller than 6')

Age

134

Alignment

Chaotic good

Deity

Calistria

Languages

Azlanti, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Elven, Infernal, Sylvan

Strength 12
Dexterity 17
Constitution 12
Intelligence 16
Wisdom 17
Charisma 14

About Adonara Strixis

Elf Warpriest (Wasp Zealot) 4 / Magus (Spire Defender) 1 / Evangelist 2
CG Medium Humanoid (Elf)
Init +2 Senses low-light vision; Perception +13

DEFENSE
AC 21, touch 17, flat-footed 16 (+4 armor, +3 Dex, +2 deflection, +2 dodge)
hp 49 (7d8 + 7)
Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +10 (+2 to saves vs. enchantment spells and effects)
Defensive Abilities: Immune magic sleep effects

OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 whip +9 (1d3+2 slashing, nonlethal), scorpion whip +8 (1d4+1 slashing), elven thornblade +7 (1d6+1/18-20 piercing or slashing), dagger +7 (1d4+1/19-20 piercing or slashing), quarterstaff +5 (1d6+1 bludgeoning)
Ranged shortbow +7 (1d6/x3 piercing, 60' range increment)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (15 ft. with whip)

Warpriest Spells Prepared (CL 6; concentration +9; 5/5/4)

2nd (DC 15)- aboleth's lung, align weapon, ghostbane dirge, weapon of awe
1st (DC 14)- air bubble, bless, divine favour, hide from undead, protection from evil
0 (at will)- guidance, light, scrivener's chant, stabilize, vigour

Magus Spells Prepared (CL 1; concentration +4; 3/2)

1st (DC 14)- monkey fish, shield
0 (at will)- acid splash, detect magic, disrupt undead

Magus Spells Known:

1st- blend, burning hands, colour spray, Deivon's parry, expeditious retreat, monkey fish, shield
0 -acid splash, arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect fiendish presence, detect magic, disrupt undead, flare, ghost sound, grasp, light, mage hand, open/close, prestidigitation, ray of frost, read magic, spark

STATISTICS
Str 12, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha 14
Base Atk +4; CMB +5; CMD 18
Feats Combat Expertise, Dazzling Display, Deific Obedience, Dodge, Favored Prestige Class (Evangelist: Disable Device), Mobility*, Persuasive, Prestigious Spellcaster, Weapon Finesse*, Weapon Focus (whip), Whip Mastery (*= folded in through feat taxes)
Skills Acrobatics* +8, Diplomacy +14, Disable Device* +15 (+21 with MW tools + vest of escape), Intimidate +14, Knowledge (planes) +7, Knowledge (religion) +13, Perception +13, Spellcraft +7, Stealth* +14, Use Magic Device +7 (*=Armour check penalty applies: currently 0) Background skills Knowledge (history) +12, Linguistics +5, Perform (dance) +8, Perform (sing) +3
Languages Azlanti, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Elven, Infernal, Sylvan
Traits
Opportunistic: +1 trait bonus on attacks of opportunity when using a dagger, sword, or whip.
Historian of the Rebellion: +2 bonus on an Organization check of choice once the party reestablishes the Silver Ravens. Can change which check assign this bonus to once at the start of the rebellion’s Upkeep phase. Also, +1 trait bonus on Stealth checks, and Stealth a class skill.

Equipment:

Combat gear Mithral chain shirt, ring of protection +2, +1 whip, scorpion whip, elven thornblade, MW silver dagger, cold iron dagger, shortbow, arrows (20), light mace, quarterstaff, spell component pouch, wooden holy symbol of Calistria
Other gear figurine of wondrous power (silver raven), pearl of power (1st level), headband of inspired wisdom +2, belt of incredible dexterity +2, gold holy symbol of Calistria (100 gp), wooden holy symbols of Findeladlara and Yuelral, whip, dagger, cheap holy texts (The Book of Joy, Blood for Wine), book of war prayers (Calistria, of course), spellbook, black book (Kintargo), vest of escape, MW thieves' tools, manacles, ink, pen, stationery (4 sheets), parchment (5 sheets), scroll case, signet ring, sealing wax, sewing needle, soap, candles (10), flint and steel, iron pot, mess kit, trail rations (5 days), waterskin, air crystals (2 pouches), 2 scrolls of water breathing, torches (10), rope, bedroll, backpack, 354 gp, 4 sp
Clothes! Cleric's vestments, courtesan's outfit (in silk), entertainer's outfit, pickpocket's outfit, scholar's outfit, barbed vest, reversible cloak, stiletto boots, belt pouch, hood, hats (2), gloves (calfskin), gloves (black satin, elbow-length), mask (black silk domino), mask (Mordant Spire traditional: barn owl), mask (silver masquerade, neutral silver), perfume (7 doses), cloth suitcase (counts as backpack), silk bedding (counts as ostentatious garment)
Other treasure Knowledge of rare spell (aboleth's lung, 150gp)
Underwater gear Underwater light crossbow (20 bolts, 10 alchemical silver bolts)

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Aura (Ex): Chaotic (as cleric).

Blessings (Su):
A warpriest's deity influences her alignment, the magic she can perform, her values, and how others see her. Each warpriest can select two blessings from among those granted by her deity (each deity grants the blessings tied to its domains). A warpriest can select an alignment blessing (Chaos, Evil, Good, or Law) only if her alignment matches that blessing.
Each blessing grants a minor power at 1st level and a major power at 10th level. A warpriest can call upon her blessings a number of times per day (in any combination) equal to 3 + 1/2 her warpriest level (to a maximum of 13 times per day at 20th level). Each time she calls upon any one of her blessings, it counts against her daily limit. The save DC of these blessings is equal to 10 + 1/2 the warpriest's level + the warpriest's Wisdom modifier.
(5/day, DC 15)
Chaos:
Anarchic Strike (minor): At 1st level, you can touch one weapon and grant it a chaotic blessing. For 1 minute, this weapon glows yellow or purple and deals an additional 1d6 points of damage against lawful creatures. During this time, it's treated as chaotic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. This blessing's additional damage doesn't stack with the additional damage from the anarchic weapon special ability.

Charm:
Charming Presence (minor): At 1st level, you can touch an ally and grant an entrancing blessing. For 1 minute, the ally becomes mesmerizing to her opponents, filling them with either abject admiration or paralyzing fear. This effect functions as sanctuary, except if the ally attacks an opponent, the effect ends for that opponent. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Fervor/Channel Energy (Su):
At 2nd level, a warpriest can draw upon the power of her faith to heal wounds or harm foes. She can also use this ability to quickly cast spells that aid in her struggles. This ability can be used a number of times per day equal to 1/2 her warpriest level + her Wisdom modifier.
Per use: standard action to target a creature (or swift, for herself) and heal 1d6 points of damage + 1d6/ 3 warpriest levels above 2nd (to max of 7d6 at lvl 20). This is positive energy, can harm undead (no save) with melee touch attack (activating this way provokes an attack of opportunity).
As a swift action, a warpriest can alternatively expend one use of this ability to cast any one warpriest spell she has prepared with a casting time of 1 round or shorter. When cast in this way, the spell can target only the warpriest, even if it could normally affect other or multiple targets. Spells cast in this way ignore somatic components and do not provoke attacks of opportunity. The warpriest does not need to have a free hand to cast a spell in this way.
As a standard action, can spend two uses and present holy symbol to channel energy in 30' radius, centred on her, doing fervor dice. Will for half, same DC as blessings.
(5/day, 2d6)
Focus Weapon: At 1st level, a warpriest receives Weapon Focus as a bonus feat. (Adonara has chosen the whip. See also: Spire defender bonus proficiency: scorpion whip.)
Wasp Sworn (Ex): A wasp zealot must choose Calistria as her deity, and she must be chaotic in alignment. If she ever changes her deity, she loses this archetype and becomes a normal warpriest.
Weapon and Armour Proficiency:
Wasp zealots are proficient with simple and martial weapons, as well as with the whip. They are proficient with light armor but not with shields. This replaces the warpriest’s weapon and armor proficiencies.

Sneak Attack (Ex):
At 4th level, a wasp zealot can make a sneak attack. This ability functions as the rogue class feature of the same name. At 4th level, her sneak attack damage is +1d6. This damage increases by 1d6 at 8th level and every 4 warpriest levels thereafter. If the zealot gets a sneak attack bonus from another source, the bonuses stack. This ability replaces sacred weapon.

Spontaneous Casting: cure spells.
Arcane Pool (Su):
At 1st level, the magus gains a reservoir of mystical arcane energy that she can draw upon to fuel her powers and enhance her weapon. This arcane pool has a number of points equal to 1/2 her magus level (minimum 1) + her Intelligence modifier. The pool refreshes once per day when the magus prepares her spells.

At 1st level, a magus can expend 1 point from her arcane pool as a swift action to grant any weapon she is holding a +1 enhancement bonus for 1 minute. This bonus stacks with existing weapon enhancements to a maximum of +5. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack with themselves.

(4/4 points)
Spell Combat (Ex):
At 1st level, a magus learns to cast spells and wield her weapons at the same time. This functions much like two-weapon fighting, but the off-hand weapon is a spell that is being cast. To use this ability, the magus must have one hand free (even if the spell being cast does not have somatic components), while wielding a light or one-handed melee weapon in the other hand. As a full-round action, she can make all of her attacks with her melee weapon at a –2 penalty and can also cast any spell from the magus spell list with a casting time of 1 standard action (any attack roll made as part of this spell also takes this penalty). If she casts this spell defensively, she can decide to take an additional penalty on her attack rolls, up to her Intelligence bonus, and add the same amount as a circumstance bonus on her concentration check. If the check fails, the spell is wasted, but the attacks still take the penalty. A magus can choose to cast the spell first or make the weapon attacks first, but if she has more than one attack, she cannot cast the spell between weapon attacks.

Protective Grace (Su): +1 dodge bonus to AC.

Long background:

Growing up in the vicinity of a cathedral town in southern Kyonin, in one of the few families there that ultimately trace their roots to the Mordant Spire, Adonara is used to mysteries and secrets. Her childhood memories include asking why her grandmother always wore a mask, while Adonara and her parents didn’t, and if it was true, as her friends said, that her family spoke a bit differently, more quietly, than their neighbours. As she learned more of the world, she came to understand that these were traces of her family’s origins in the Spire, a tiny community on the other side of Avistan even more traditional, in its own way, than isolationist Kyonin.
At the time, though, such questions only sharpened a child’s natural curiosity, and, like any elf child with a modicum of religious education, she learned that there was someone who knew, protected, and ultimately, when it was right, shared all secrets: the goddess Calistria. Growing up so close to a major temple, Adonara grew used to finding the answers she couldn’t find elsewhere in its libraries, friendship among the clergy and their students, and comfort in the knowledge that when no one else could, the goddess always knew exactly how she felt. As a result, it was no surprise to her parents when Adonara announced as a young woman that she intended to take holy orders, though in a community as large and varied as a Calistrian cathedral’s, there were enough various approaches to devotion that Adonara could, and did, dabble for years in trying to find what worked best for her.
A perpetual student and dilettante, Adonara eventually snagged a minor position in the lower clergy, filling various offices as a singer, librarian, and courtesan, the last describing her formal rank in the local hierarchy. Looking back, she remembers the time as one of living quietly and mildly happily, until two things happened: she found what she took to be her true calling, and fell in love.
The two circumstances were not unrelated. In the course of her studies, Adonara found that she was drawn to theology, and, accordingly, to the best lecturers in the cathedral school, including one in particular, the gentle Vianthemis, for reasons Adonara could not name at the time. However, she soon found herself competing for a spot in Vianthemis’ classes with another student, the inquisitor Lyceria, an ambitious young woman who, Adonara conceded, did have the advantage in talent and focus in the areas on which she concentrated, and who knew exactly what she wanted and what she would do to get it. As is often the case among elves, the young women’s competition soon developed into a vicious feud, the result of which was that Lyceria won the seat in Vianthemis’ formal lectures, while Adonara won Vianthemis’ heart, which she was soon pleased to realize was by far the better result. Adonara stopped working as a courtesan and focused on other ways of serving the goddess, and for a while, was deliriously happy, her bitter rivalry with Lyceria notwithstanding.
Then, though, the unthinkable happened: an ambitious raid of demonic forces from Tanglebriar reached the cathedral, where they were assisted by a cult that had insinuated itself into the heart of the community, with a succubus even having managed to have secretly killed and replaced one of the higher-ranking priestesses at the cathedral, cleverly recruiting her cabal from outside the temple proper. In the horror of the night of the raid, amid blood and fire and blasphemous spells, Adonara remembers her lover, unable to find one of their superiors, bravely, if desperately, confronting the demon on her own, the sacred weapon of Calistria dancing in her hands with a grace Adonara never before imagined her unwarlike lover could manage. Knowing that even Vianthemis couldn’t hope to banish the beast alone, even though there was even less that she could hope to do, Adonara rushed through the melee to help, before being surprised by an unseen cultist with a vicious blow that hurled her through the air, stunned her, and let her recover only so much as to see her lover recklessly look back at her before being cut down, and before darkness came over Adonara herself.
As the community struggled to rebuild in the aftermath, while Adonara’s physical wounds healed quickly, she was a changed woman. Despite all rational arguments to the contrary, she felt that the lingering rivalry between herself and Lyceria had distracted her, that if she hadn’t been so obsessed with finding and defending her own turf, she would have noticed something, would have been able to do something, and Vianthemis would not be dead. Deeply devout and modest, Vianthemis had never saved enough for herself for Adonara to be able to beg for a miracle to raise her, and of what there was, and that Vianthemis left her, Adonara took only her lover’s whip, vowing to find a way to restore her to life, and preserving the rest of her small estate for that day. In the interval, Adonara threw herself into martial training as she never had before, favouring traditional elven weapons and the goddess’ whip above all, and her friends and family watched with concern as a new grimness took root in her. As the months turned into years, she returned to work as a courtesan, with a difference: now there was no question that her heart still belonged to another, and she worked especially to help others come to terms with their own feelings about power as she had been forced to, helping some to find their strength, and others to confront their vulnerability.
Her baffled high priestess, and her superiors in the loose Calistrian hierarchy, trying to figure out what to do with her, ultimately found it most convenient to make use of Adonara’s particular talents and inclinations by keeping her on the move. Between the network of elf gates, various favours owed between regional high priestesses, and her own wanderlust, she has travelled much of Avistan and around the edge of the Inner Sea, collecting odd mementos and leaving behind only memories between her visits to individual places. Though an uneasy peace has long settled between Adonara and Lyceria, when, after the last time the former returned home from her travels, rumours of potentially interesting change in Cheliax reached Kyonin, various interested parties ultimately decided that it would be in everyone’s best interest to send someone with Adonara’s discreet skills to keep an eye on the situation, and nudge it subtly in directions pleasing to Calistria and Kyonin. Adonara accepted with as much gladness as she can accept anything now: though anguished about the slight feeling of disloyalty acknowledging the distraction needed for her sanity brings, she knows that she has duties to others beyond herself and her lover: above all, to their goddess and her greater glory, and to the good of all, when there is a chance to thwart Cheliax’s spreading diabolism, and foster freedom instead.

Alignment musings:

Adonara holds passionately, if idiosyncratically, not to anything so strong as a code, but to the idea of, “If it harm none…” She is a firm believer that, with that proviso, all should be able to pursue their own happiness as they understand it, though she is particularly pleased if that happiness involves the quiet altruism that has shaped her own life, being there for those in her community who need her, and trying to reach out to unfortunates from further afield, without compromising her obligations to and sense of herself. Her own experience of vindictiveness and violence, even as she is devoted to a goddess of (among other things) vengeance, is something Adonara continues to struggle with, reluctantly trusting her own heart, and, with far greater enthusiasm, her goddess. Knowing that she will act as she feels - though with a perspective that shorter-lived species and less experienced folk may lack - Adonara feels she can ask no more of others, accepts the consequences, and expects others to do so. Accordingly, she is loath to strike the first blow, but once swords are drawn, she fights with ruthless calculation until, and if, her opponents surrender. She strives to be scrupulously honest about her motives in all things, both to herself and others: thus, as a courtesan, she always tells her clients that her heart belongs to another, and never involves herself with anyone she doubts can accept that, and, though embracing subterfuge against a declared enemy, always makes it clear when someone has acted in such a way as calls for retribution.

Appearance:

To outward appearances, Adonara is not an unusual representative of the companions who serve Calistria in Kyonin and across Golarion. Beneath her mane of ashen hair, her calm green eyes, and her studied graciousness, a cruel, bitter streak runs through her heart. That is not unexpected of a priestess of the mercurial elven goddess, but its expression in Adonara is particularly subtle. By her own account she is pretty, rather than beautiful, and pleasant, rather than fascinating: on balance, a rather unremarkable servant of the goddess.
She dresses elegantly as a rule, though rather more sombrely than the average Calistrian, and, in private or in business that requires it, more practically. While entertaining a client or maintaining her presence about the more fashionable parts of town, she favours more elaborate clothing, with rich fabrics in extravagant abundance, and wears her hair carefully waved, curled, and pinned at the height of or even attempting to set fashion, but in less fussier circumstances Adonara is content with clothing cut more simply, though still in good fabric, that follows the gently curving lines of her body without impeding her movement, and with her hair either loose or in a simple single braid.
She favours rich natural colours, like the jeweled greens of late spring and high summer, or the scarlets and deep oranges of autumn, with just a hint of yellow underneath, for her brightest dress, and otherwise brown deep and reflective enough to suggest polished wood, the darkest blues and purples just this side of black, and night black itself. Unusually, due to her family’s roots in the Mordant Spire, she is as comfortable wearing masks as not on any occasion, whether a small silk domino or the elaborately-carved full-face covering traditional to the Spire. Though Adonara would be embarrassed to admit it, this is part of her weakness for trifles, extending from hats with elaborate plumes, scarves, handkerchiefs, and elegant gloves, through to impractical shoes and intricate jewelry.

10 Minute Background:

5 key concept elements:
Stealthy, skilled warrior: focusing on weapons that dexterity makes particularly effective
Compartmentalized: grieving, embittered, but plays well with others
Calistrian courtesan: works with other women in power-exchange relationships to help them come to terms with how they feel about power: dom
Clever: likes elaborate, elegant, and subtle ways of doing things, where possible
Pretty, rather than beautiful
Goals:
(IC): Acquire personal power, wealth, or both, to be able to try to raise/resurrect her dead lover
(IC): Reclaim the House of Satin Veils in Kintargo from the church of Abadar, even if it cannot yet be openly rededicated to Calistria
(OOC): Pick up a smattering of classes to represent Adonara’s eclectic background, and that work well with a measure of stealthiness: dabbling in magecraft, swashbuckling, and even shadowdancing with a view to evangelism
Secrets:
1) Adonara is still in touch with her superiors in the Calistrian hierarchy in Kyonin, and keeps them apprised of all developments in Kintargo that she is aware of, including any chaos she’s helping to foster. Similarly, from her previous travels, including through Cheliax, she has a wide range of contacts that she keeps to herself, for everyone’s privacy. Some of these secrets, though, are more on the order of, “You never asked.” (I thought this might let an NPC or two be introduced at unexpected moments that need a favour, or can offer one - maybe a woman Adonara’s worked with before from somewhere in Cheliax?)
2) Though Adonara is unaware of this, while the succubus involved on the attack on Adonara’s home temple was ultimately banished by someone else, the demon remembers one of the foolish elves she killed on that spree, and the girl who tried to help her - she had potential… (Probably no enemy chaotic enough in Kintargo to exploit this, but if anyone finds out who Adonara really is, a possible complication.)
3) Another complication of which Adonara is unaware: by her appearances in the Greens and Villegre, Adonara has unintentionally caused a bit of a stir among the more impressionable inmates of Lady Docur’s School for Girls, who may have seen her in one of the coffeehouses in the area. Many of the School’s students are half-elves, and the headmistress is not amused by the idea that some foreign elven hussy might give them the wrong idea about how a lady is meant to behave. There hasn’t been a scene yet, but the gods help Adonara if one girl too many whispers about the exotic newcomer to town, or if she has to send a kid off with a stern warning not to get ridiculous ideas.
Important people:
Erisia Coredais: Adonara’s closest friend at home, who knew her before she met Vianthemis, and who, herself combining a bit of arcane trickery with her service to Calistria, taught Adonara most of what she knows about arcane magic, stealth, lock-picking, and the like. They continue to correspond even while Adonara is abroad, though knowing the situation is delicate, they write in a personal code of polite ladies’ letter-writing.
Lyceria: Adonara’s old rival, with whom she has reached an uneasy peace years after their feud finally cooled off after reaching the point that they could properly be called each other’s ilduliel. Less patient and subtle than Adonara, if she ever got involved in the work in Kintargo, she would likely cause a scandal, which might well set the two women against each other again.
Vianthemis (deceased): Though Adonara’s lover is dead, she is probably still the single most important person in Adonara’s life. The question of whether she would be willing to return if Adonara found the means to raise her is always in the back of Adonara’s thoughts, and Adonara weighs not only every indulgence but every necessity against getting Vianthemis back and what she might think.
Quirks:
Mixed signals: As a sophisticated companion in the service of Calistria, Adonara is adept at persiflage and flirtation, and will engage in them with almost anyone, socially, but she is far choosier about partners in anything beyond clever conversation and filling out a party. She is thus unusually frank at some moments and reticent at others. Moreover she has not yet been in Kintargo long, and it is large enough that men in particular often misapprehend the nature of her service to her goddess.
Over-elaborate: In her youth, Adonara has probably at least thought about a given career path or way of doing things, and she maintains an interest in a variety of things that is, if anything, too broad. She appreciates the leadership of others while she is trying to calculate all possible contingencies, but also insists on retaining the scope to act on her own initiative.
Quiet: Adonara speaks softly, a relic of her family’s Mordant Spire heritage, and prefers to take the most discreet approach wherever possible. She often keeps to the shadows not because she has a particular reason to hide, but because they are comfortable.