About Alister MedvyedAlister Medvyed
Defenses
Offense
Spells
Arcane Spell DC: 26 [T]
Arcane Tattoo DC: 28
Occult Spell DC: 28 [E]
Statistics
Ancestry Feats
Class Abilities
Class Feats
General/Skill Feats
Traits
Skills
Equipment
Alister 1e:
Alister Medvyed
Male human bard 7 CG Medium humanoid (human) Init +1; Senses Perception +10, Sense Motive +16 Leadership Bonus (Ruler, Knowledge Nobility): +5 (4 CHA + 7/5 ranks) Defense
Offense
Statistics
Class Abilities
Feats
Traits
Skills
Equipment and Misc
Background:
Alister was born into the Medvyed family, but not in the normal way. His earliest memory was a terrifying horse ride with his father. It happened when he was about 7 months old, and Avaraam Medvyed came to get him in the middle of the night. Alister’s mother had vanished, and the only thing she left behind was a message sent to his father to come get the child. The details of that night are murky and Alister only knows the rumors surrounding it. A messenger came to the Medvyed house one morning bearing an urgent message for Avaraam. His twins, Alexi and Alyana, were nearly three and Aristu had just turned one. After reading the letter, Avaraam burned the note and saddled his horse immediately. He left with no explanation where he was going or when he would be back. No one quite knows where he went, but it took almost 5 days to return. He arrived in the middle of the night with Alister strapped to the horse, crying. He told the servants to care for the child, that his name was Alister, and that he was his son. Avaraam then went to his bedroom with Daria, locked the door, and didn’t come out until morning. Over the next few years, House Medvyed settled into an uneasy comfort with the newcomer. The servants helped care for Alister as they did with all the children, but they clearly took cues from Daria, who was quite cold to Alister. Avaraam ensured Alister was never harmed outright, but he also clearly favored his other children more. The appearance of Alister only served to make Avaraam more rigid and uncompromising. He gained a stiffness to his life and was rarely seen to truly relax. Despite this, Avaraam never has claimed that Alister is anything but his son. He admits his indiscretion and won't let anyone try to cut Alister out of the family. Alister grew up knowing he was the ‘other’ child. His needs were taken care of by the house staff, but he fought for his wants. While he displayed some skill with the blade, only Alexi was taught proper fighting skills. Alister made do with mimicking Alexi and learning some hard lessons as he sparred with his better-trained brother. Alister also displayed magical talents, but his studies were neglected and he generally had to explore on his own. Despite this lack of special studies, Alister managed to gain passable skills in both weapons and magic. His real talent, though seemed lay in his arguments and speaking skills. Perhaps as a result of being forced to fight for any consideration, Alister developed a strong speaking style and was known for his sharp comments, masterful arguments, and devious wordplay. He and Alyana often had verbal sparring sessions, sometimes resulting in pure shouting from both of them. For all his mistreatment, however, Alister still loved his brothers and sisters and even his father. Daria, on the other hand, saw fit to blame Alister for her husband’s infidelity, and he returned the favor, blaming her for any problems in the family. While she was not a bad woman, Alister was a constant reminder to Daria that her husband has strayed, and she was personally insulted that Alister bore the same last name as her own legitimate children. Still, despite the internal friction in the family, Alister’s life was a noble one. He was educated, learned swordplay and riding, performed little manual labor, and enjoyed some of the best Brevoy had to offer. It's far better than most bastards get in life.
Mystery:
The biggest mystery in my life is no secret. It’s who my mother was and where did she go? My father refuses to speak of her, though he has mentioned the name “Beth”. I don’t even think he knows where she is or why she left. The letter she sent was burned, but he says it only told him to come get me. It sounds as if my birth was no surprise to him, so he must have known I was alive. Rumors surround the entire events. Some people think my mother was another noble lady and she was forced to give me up. Others say she was a common girl and could no longer care for me. Perhaps she was dying. Still, others say she was a simple whore and Avaraam rescued me from a life in the gutter. I don’t know if any of those are true. On my 12th birthday, my father gave me my most prized possessions. He had somehow kept two pieces of jewelry from my mother. I don’t know whether he took them when I was a baby or these were mementos of their earlier encounters. Maybe they were left with me. All he said is that they were hers, nothing more. It’s a necklace made from an old coin and just one earring. I don’t know if he ever had the other one. I began wearing the necklace immediately and when I turned 14, I went to town and got my ear pierced. Now I wear both of her items as my only link to her. A little over two weeks ago, I was cleaning my mother’s necklace and I noticed a word that either I hadn’t seen before or never recognized before. It sounded familiar and I knew I had read something similar recently. I scoured the library of Brevoy history and after a couple of days, I had found it. The word referred to the family of an ancient Lord who was said to have ruled in the Nomen Heights before the region was beset by lawlessness. The tome said he had several markers made for his family and those who had done him a great service. It turns out my mother’s necklace wasn’t a coin after all, but one of these markers! The book didn’t even have a picture of a fully intact one and said that all signs of them had been lost over the years. Somehow my mother had come into possession of one of these, which meant she might have some tie to the Stolen Lands. I have to get out there and see if anyone knew her or recognized the marker. It’s a long-shot since these markers have been around so long, but it’s the only clue I’ve ever found to locate her. Even if she’s dead now, I want to learn what I can. Uncle Kevitt had recently talked to me about the opportunities in the south. I secured a letter from Judge Goswright and told Uncle to sign me up right away. It seems Aristu was looking for a way out for his own reasons and Uncle was able to get commissions for both my brother and I.
Goals:
1. Find the link between my mother and the ancient lord of the Noman Heights. 2. Learn anything I can about who my mother was. 3. Build my own legacy, rather than one of the Medvyeds. 4. Build The Sword Marches into a vibrant and strong region, championing freedom and second chances at life. 5. Wipe out the trolls in the area, hunting them down and killing them all. 6. Eventually find love and build a family. Family and Associates:
Avraam Medvyed - Father. Overbearing and stiff, but has never turned me away and may be the only one who knows who my real mother is. Daria - Avaraam’s wife, not my “mother”. A good woman, but heartless towards me because of what I represent. Often wants what’s best for the family, but that may not include me. Alexi & Alyana - older, twin brother & sister. Alexi is eldest by a few minutes and father's heir. They are inseparable. Alexi is in training to be a knight. He’s big, strong and fast, and he’s given me plenty of bumps and bruises growing up. Alyana is the cleverer of the two, and she is ambitious. She’s a social climber who’s looking for the next step to elevate herself, most likely marriage. Aristu - Closest to my own age, but still older by a few months. Recently discovered magical talents and we’ve grown closer. Ariel - our younger sister. Just barely a teen, she is boisterous and friendly. Everyone loves her, but she can be a brat. Jessup and Kristie - These are the house servants for the family. Jessup serves as Avaraam’s secretary and the family butler, while Kirstie is the cook and maid. When Alister was young, they served as his caregivers since Daria refused. As he grew older, they became close confidants and gave Alister his sense of the more common life. He would often accompany Kristie to the market or help Jessup write and deliver correspondence. Uncle Kevitt - Kevitt Medvyed is Avaraam’s older brother and a wealthy merchant who owns a shipping company and several smaller businesses. He’s always been more sympathetic to Alister and respected the boy more than Avaraam did. It’s Uncle Kevitt to first told Alister about the expeditions into the Stolen Lands and encouraged him to seek out a commission to make something of his life. Judge Horace Goswright - Local judge who admires Alister’s speaking ability and introduced him to some of the ideas of government and law. They met when Alister was accused of stealing a horse. While the evidence against him was not strong, Alister’s impassioned speech in his own defense swayed the Judge, who set him free. They have become friends since then and Judge Goswright lent his hand in recommending Alister be granted a commission for the Stolen Lands.
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