Search Posts
Amadine looks over at Prax and shakes her head. "I only just arrived. That is a good idea, though." She begins searching the room for anything interesting. Baji hops onto her outstretched hand, then down to the floor to sniff around.
First a kobold, then a goblin? Wow. Amadine blinks, clearly surprised by the new arrivals, then offers a smile. "Good evening." She inclines her head to the pair. "Strange letters indeed. I am Amadine Steleanu, pleasure to meet you."
"I am Amadine Steleanu, pleasure to meet you. Although if you are here for reasons that are similar to mine, I wish it were under better circumstances." She pats the rat munching a bit of bread on her shoulder. His black fur isn't unusual, but the tiny white spots dotting his coat are. They almost look like stars. "This is Baji, my familiar." In Amadine's experience, Varisians and Shoanti are the only ones who might know what a spirit animal is. Her bond with Baji is similar enough to that of a witch and her familiar, though, and most people know what those are. Romli doesn't seem to be showing any ill effects from eating the bread, and Baji's keen nose would have alerted him to most poisons. She decides to live even more dangerously and take a piece of bread for herself.
Amadine smiles, returns his nod, and enters the house. A proper gentleman. How refreshing. She steps aside to make room for the mystery man before taking a good look at the occupants. And then another look, because even in Korvosa, you don’t see kobolds every day! And a dwarf? Clearly whoever wrote the note she received has been busy. Baji’s nose is twitching at high speed, taking in the new smells. ”Good evening, everyone. Did any of you slip an unsigned note under my door earlier today?”
Amadine and Baji return his look calmly. Being able to keep one’s composure under stress is a vital skill for a healer, especially one who works with animals. They’ll pick up on the emotions of the people around them, and a nervous horse is far more likely to injure someone. ”I am indeed. Someone slipped an unsigned letter under my door.” She shrugs with a clinking of scale mail. ”Risky to answer such a thing, of course, but at this point, I am willing to take a leap of faith.”
Well, at least the neighborhood looks relatively peaceful. Not the sort of place Amadine would expect to be mugged. Which, of course, makes it a good spot for an ambush. Baji chitters from his perch on her shoulder, picking up on his shaman's worry. She absently reaches up to stroke the rat as she approaches the door. It's dangerous, yes, but it's also her only lead on where to find Gaedren Lamm. Amadine has to take the risk. Mind made up, she strides up to the door, just in time to see a handsome Chelaxian man knock.
I went looking for Romani names, since Varisians are a shameless expy of the Romani. The website didn’t say, but given that many Romani names are variations on names from other languages, I think Amadine (only one N) might be their version of the French Amandine. Amandine, in turn, is derived from the same Latin root as the English Amanda.
It's been a busy morning and afternoon, full of the usual equine ailments as well as a few guard dogs that ate something they shouldn't have. Amadine is looking forward to a bath as she returns home for a late lunch and a change of clothes... only to find a note shoved under her apartment door. The healer frowns as she reads it. Gaedren Lamm... she's heard that name in Old Korvosa as she searched for little Daval. Unfortunately, the man is as slippery as a greased eel. Perhaps this is the break she needs. A quick bath, a couple meat and vegetable pasties from a street vendor in lieu of cooking something at home, and Amadine is combing Old Korvosa looking for Lancet Street. It's a good thing she left early. Finally she manages to track down Paolo, a client of hers who works as a courier. "Oh, Amadine! Good evenin' to ya. Lancet Street, eh? I've been there, sure." Paolo directs her to a part of town Amadine has never visited before. No wonder she couldn't find it. "Thank you so much, Paolo, you're a lifesaver. Spirits willing, I won't be too late. Desna bless you!" Amadine waves to him and hurries off.
Aww, thank you! I was inspired, what can I say. Sometimes I sit down to write a reasonably concise character bio and two hours later, I emerge from the writing fugue to discover a small novel on the screen. Divo has probably heard of the Steleanu family in the context of horses. I figure the guard has a cavalry unit for crowd control. Amadine’s extended family can sell you absolutely anything having to do with horses or travel, and they all take pride in quality products and services. (Some cousin tried cheaping out once… it didn’t end well for them. The Steleanus take their reputation very seriously.) So Divo might not be aware of Amadine personally, but he would recognize her family name.
I’ve got Str 8 and I’m wearing armor, I can’t carry anything bigger than a sling and dagger. :P That’s what magic is for.
Hi everyone, and thanks for selecting me GM! @GM: Take your time, I’ve been there. I still need to make a stat sheet for my spirit animal anyway.
Everyone, best of luck and lets hope the GM likes clerics ahaha And shamans, lol
Do I need to spend some of my starting gold on rent for a place to live? I hope not. Here's my revised sheet, complete with gear! 36 year old Amadine is a horse doctor (what did people call veterinarians back in pre-industrial times?) who is a bit insecure that the vast magical potential her grandma saw in her never manifested. When she asks the spirits, their only reply is The stars are not yet right. Stats:
Amadine Steleanu
Female middle-aged aasimar shaman of heavens 1 CG Medium outsider (native) and humanoid (human) Init +4; Perception +11 -----------------------------------------
AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 16
-----------------------------------------
Speed: 30 ft (20 ft armored)
------------------------------------------
Str 8, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 18, Cha 16
------------------------------------------
Missing Child - Nephew (Campaign): Diplomacy and Sense Motive are always class skills for you.
------------------------------------------
Middle Aged: Age 36, -1 Str, Dex, and Con, +1 Int, Wis, and Cha
------------------------------------------
Orisons:
1st level:
------------------------------------------
1st level:
Background:
Amadine Steleanu is one of the few pureblooded Varisians in Korvosa, born into a horse-trading family. The extended Steleanu family has been breeding and training fine horses and ponies outside Korvosa and selling them in the Ridgefield ward of North Point for three generations. Unlike many Varisian families, the Steleanus have managed to prosper and gain the respect of their neighbors for the consistently high quality of their mounts and draft animals. Varisians have a reputation for expertise with horses, which the Steleanu family has parlayed into successful businesses.
However, the spirits decreed a different path for Amadine. Her grandmother Daiona was a shaman of the ancestors spirit, following an ancient Varisian tradition of communion with the spirit world, and when Amadine was born it was clear that she had great potential. Unlike with other forms of magic, though, an affinity for the spirits is a double-edged sword. Amadine absolutely had to be trained, otherwise there was a real danger than a malicious spirit would possess her. The fact that the young girl was also an aasimar was a footnote compared to the potential and danger of her spiritual ability. Ruslo and Cinamenta weren't particularly thrilled at Daiona's decree. The path of a shaman is fraught with danger to body and soul. But there are many tales of untrained people with spiritual potential becoming victims of evil or mischievous spirits in the Varisian oral tradition. Ruslo's mother was right, and everyone knew it. So Grandma Daiona began training Amadine as soon as she was old enough to understand the necessary concepts and the gravity of what they were doing. Amadine's older sister Jaelle was jealous of the attention her little sister was receiving, especially when her aasimar heritage became more obvious. Her younger sister Maireni, on the other hand, thought Amadine was the coolest ever and adored her. Amadine is a naturally friendly person who likes to make people happy, so she tried her best to be a good friend to her siblings, a loving daughter to her parents, and both a diligent student and loving granddaughter to her grandma. Inexplicably, no matter how hard Amadine worked and meditated, she was never able to progress her magical studies very far. She and Grandma both asked the spirits why, and both of them got the same answer every time. The stars are not yet right. Eventually Amadine gave up and apprenticed under a horse doctor, learning nonmagical ways to treat animals' illnesses and injuries. Once she earned her mastery, the Steleanu family's contacts and reputation ensured that she had a ready made client base. Despite being unmarried, Amadine moved out of her parents' house and got her own apartment to avoid waking her family up when she gets late night emergency calls. She makes decent money as a horse doctor, and occasionally treats her family's ailments as well. Amadine knows people medicine, she just prefers treating animals. Maireni and Amadine are still very close. Maireni's husband and children like her, and on days when she doesn't have a lot of patients, Amadine frequently babysits her nieces and nephews to get them out from underfoot. Maireni's second child, eight year old Daval, got the Varisian wanderlust in spades. He's a sweet kid, but an extremely curious one with a tendency to wander off. Two weeks ago Amadine took him with her to the Reefclaw Run fish market in Old Korvosa to buy oysters for dinner. She looked away for one minute to count out coin for the oyster seller, and Daval was gone. Normally Baji can track him down with his sensitive nose, but the smells of the fish market were too strong. So Amadine has taken it upon herself to find her nephew the old fashioned way. She bought a suit of scale mail and a buckler, strapped on her dagger and sling, and started combing Endrin Isle for signs of little Daval. Personality:
Friendly and polite, with a natural charm that attracts people despite her slightly unearthly presence. However, Amadine tends to keep personal information close and others at arm's length until she decides whether or not to trust them. People have befriended her with ulterior motives before, thinking that proximity to an aasimar would bring them good fortune or the gods' favor. That's one reason why she keeps her hair covered and pretends to be human now. She's more likely to trust Varisians and other marginalized people than Chelaxians, dwarves, or elves. Although she wants to help everyone with her magic, hard experience has taught her that that isn't possible, and being known as a Varisian spellcaster can be dangerous in Korvosa. She's a bit insecure that the vast magical potential her grandma saw in her never manifested. Every time Amadine asks the spirits about it, the answer is the same. The stars are not yet right.
Like most of her family, Amadine is fond of animals, especially her familiar Baji. Most of her relatives took a while to warm up to the rat, and some never did. Treating Baji well- or better yet, cooing over his cuteness- always wins brownie points with Amadine. She enjoys music, although she doesn't have the typical Varisian skill at performing. and she loves good food a little too much. Appearance:
Amadine is a beautiful Varisian woman, slightly taller than average and a bit on the plump side. Although she appears youthful, something about her demeanor suggests that she's older than she looks. Her eyes are deep violet, her hair black with silver strands scattered throughout. Not white or gray, glittering metallic silver. She usually keeps her hair covered with a scarf or hat to avoid people trying to pluck a strand for good luck. Her bond with a heavens spirit makes her eyes sparkle like starlight and gives her an otherworldly aura. With her hair covered, Amadine can pass for human. Varisians are known for strange eye colors; violet shows up much more often among them than other human ethnicities.
Amadine likes billowy blouses, full skirts, and colorful jewelry in the traditional Varisian style, and always wears a carved wooden holy symbol of Desna. Lately, though, she's been venturing into the more dangerous parts of Korvosa in search of her brother. This requires armor and sturdy woolen shirts and trousers, cut so as not to impede her movements and dyed in dark colors to hide the inevitable stains. Even her working clothes boast tone-on-tone embroidery in the style of her people. Family and Friends: Father: Ruslo Steleanu, retired Varisian horse trader. He gave Shooting Star Stables to Maireni a few years ago, but he's still active in the business. His cousin Pacuaro runs Shooting Star Ranch several hours ride outside the city, where he and his family breed and train the horses that Shooting Star Stables sells. Ruslo is proud of his shaman daughter, but fears for her safety as an aasimar and divine spellcaster in a city that embraces infernalism. A devout Desnan, although he also pays homage to Rowdrosh.
Mother: Cinamenta Steleanu, retired Varisian horse trader. Like her husband, she still helps out with the stables, but these days she spends more of her time caring for her grandchildren and doing good works in the community. Tends to fret over Amadine, but has resigned herself to the fact that the spirits chose her daughter. Also a devout Desnan. Grandmother (deceased): Daiona Steleanu, shaman of the ancestors. She recognized the potential in Amadine when she was born, and saw that the spirits were attracted to her. Daiona took it upon herself to teach her granddaughter, both to pass on her knowledge and ensure that a malicious spirit wouldn't bond with the child. Died in her sleep five years ago. Elder Sister: Jaelle Bourean, leatherworker, 38. Time, perspective, and her own adventures in parenting have mellowed Jaelle's attitude toward her sister. While she's still not as close to Amadine as Maireni is, their relationship is amiable enough. Jaelle and her husband Kaldri are leatherworkers specializing in tack and harness. They have five children. Younger Sister: Maireni Steleanu, Varisian horse trader, 34. Maireni inherited their father's love of horses along with the family business, and she and her husband are doing a good job maintaining the Steleanu reputation for quality steeds. A condition of her marriage was that her husband Camlo take her last name, which he accepted. They have four children; Hanzi (11), Daval (8), Corolenia (6), and Daiona (3, named after Grandma). Nephew: Daval Steleanu, 8. Daval is a very curious child who got the Varisian wanderlust in spades. He's constantly wandering off to explore and giving his parents and sisters heart attacks. Normally Amadine's familiar Baji can track him down by scent, but this time the smells of the fish market were too strong. Daval has been gone for weeks now, and everyone's sure something terrible happened to him. Best Friend: Tasarla Ionescu, master weaver, 36. A neighbor and part of Korvosa's Varisian community. Tasarla is a cheerful, easygoing sort of person who never treated Amadine any differently for being an aasimar.
Darn, I was hoping to grab a couple more class skill traits with that feat for Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (history). Oh well, guess I’ll have to do without the class skill bonus there.
Putting my stats math here, just in case I mess up somehow. Math:
Purchased:
Str 9 Dex 11 Con 13 Int 15 Wis 15 Cha 13 With Racial Bonuses:
With Age Modifiers:
Now Arcane Enlightenment and Ritual Hex will someday be within my grasp! Since the Voices of Solid Things trait is no longer necessary, I'm swapping it out for Magical Knack. That'll compensate a bit for the lost level of spellcasting from Evangelist.
I want to change some things around a bit to get more Int. KoolKobold, can I still get the Sense Motive version of the Missing Child campaign trait if the missing child is her nephew instead of her brother? The mental stat boosts from middle age would come in handy here, and it would be fun to play an older character for once.
Linnea the Diviner here, with one shaman reporting for duty! Haven't bought my gear or statted out my spirit animal yet, but everything else should be there. Please let me know if I've made any mistakes. As far as party role goes, Amadine is a debuffer and healer. She doesn't do ranged or melee combat. She stands in the back hexing the enemy, casting various debuff spells, and generally making their lives difficult. After the fight she can patch the party up. She also has excellent Perception and Sense Motive (thank you trait system), as well as pretty good Spellcraft. Later on I plan to take the Evangelist prestige class and Craft Wondrous Item. Stats:
Amadine Steleanu
Female aasimar shaman of heavens 1 CG Medium outsider (native) and humanoid (human) Init +4; Perception +11 -----------------------------------------
AC 15, touch 10, flat-footed 15
-----------------------------------------
Speed: 30 ft (20 ft armored)
------------------------------------------
Str 10, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 16
------------------------------------------
Missing Child - Sibling (Campaign): Diplomacy and Sense Motive are always class skills for you.
------------------------------------------
+2 Wis, +2 Cha
------------------------------------------
Orisons:
1st level:
------------------------------------------
1st level:
Background:
Amadine Steleanu is one of the few pureblooded Varisians in Korvosa, born into a horse-trading family. The extended Steleanu family has been breeding and training fine horses and ponies outside Korvosa and selling them in the Ridgefield ward of North Point for three generations. Unlike many Varisian families, the Steleanus have managed to prosper and gain the respect of their neighbors for the consistently high quality of their mounts and draft animals. Varisians have a reputation for expertise with horses, which the Steleanu family has parlayed into successful businesses.
However, the spirits decreed a different path for Amadine. Her grandmother Daiona is a shaman of the ancestors spirit, following an ancient Varisian tradition of communion with the spirit world, and when Amadine was born it was clear that she had great potential. Unlike with other forms of magic, though, an affinity for the spirits is a double-edged sword. Amadine absolutely had to be trained, otherwise there was a real danger than a malicious spirit would possess her. The fact that the young girl was also an aasimar was a footnote compared to the power and danger of her spiritual ability. Ruslo and Cinamenta weren't particularly thrilled at Daiona's decree. The path of a shaman is fraught with danger to body and soul. But there are many tales of untrained people with spiritual potential becoming victims of evil or mischievous spirits in the Varisian oral tradition. Ruslo's mother was right, and everyone knew it. So Grandma Daiona began training Amadine as soon as she was old enough to understand the necessary concepts and the gravity of what they were doing. Amadine's older sister Jaelle was jealous of the attention her little sister was receiving, especially when her aasimar heritage became more obvious. Her younger sister Maireni, on the other hand, thought Amadine was the coolest ever and adored her. Amadine is a naturally friendly person who likes to make people happy, so she tried her best to be a good friend to her siblings, a loving daughter to her parents, and both a diligent student and loving granddaughter to her grandma. Later in life, her parents had another child, Daval. Amadine and Maireni (Jaelle having married and moved out) did their best to help their aging parents raise him, but Daval inherited the Varisian wanderlust. He's a sweet kid, but an extremely curious one with a tendency to wander off. Two weeks ago, Amadine took him with her to the Reefclaw Run fish market in Old Korvosa to buy oysters for dinner. She looked away for one minute to count out coin for the oyster seller, and Daval was gone. Normally, Grandma Daiona can track him down with her magic, but this time she's having no luck. Wherever Daval is, he's out of range of his grandma's spells. So Amadine has taken it upon herself to find her little brother the old fashioned way. She bought a suit of scale mail and a light mace, strapped on her dagger and sling, and started combing Endrin Isle for signs of little Daval. Amadine just recently finished her shamanic training, so she hasn't got a formal job yet. Mostly she helps around the stables like her sister Maireni. It's Varisian custom for grown children to stay in their parents' caravan or home until they get married, so her parents are happy to have her around. Personality:
Friendly and polite, with a natural charm that attracts people despite her slightly unearthly presence. However, Amadine tends to keep personal information close and others at arm's length until she decides whether or not to trust them. People have befriended her with ulterior motives before, thinking that proximity to an aasimar would bring them good fortune or the gods' favor. That's one reason why she keeps her hair covered and pretends to be human now. She's more likely to trust Varisians and other marginalized people than Chelaxians, dwarves, or elves. Although she wants to help everyone with her magic, hard experience has taught her that that isn't possible, and being known as a Varisian spellcaster can be dangerous in Korvosa.
Like most of her family, Amadine is fond of animals, especially her familiar Baji. Most of her relatives took a while to warm up to the rat, and Jaelle never did. Treating Baji well- or better yet, cooing over his cuteness- always wins brownie points with Amadine. She enjoys music, although she doesn't have the typical Varisian skill at performing. and she loves good food a little too much. Appearance:
Amadine is a beautiful young Varisian woman, slightly taller than average and a bit on the plump side. Her eyes are deep violet, her hair black with silver strands scattered throughout. Not white or gray, glittering metallic silver. She usually keeps her hair covered with a scarf or hat to avoid people trying to pluck a strand for good luck. Her bond with a heavens spirit makes her eyes sparkle like starlight and gives her an otherworldly aura. With her hair covered, Amadine can pass for human. Varisians are known for strange eye colors; violet shows up much more often among them than other human ethnicities.
Amadine likes billowy blouses, full skirts, and colorful jewelry in the traditional Varisian style. Lately, though, she's been venturing into the more dangerous parts of Korvosa in search of her brother. This requires armor and sturdy woolen shirts and trousers, cut so as not to impede her movements and dyed shades of brown and rust to hide the inevitable stains. She's had to beat off more than one mugger with her light mace. Family and Friends: Father: Ruslo Steleanu, Varisian horse trader. He runs Shooting Star Stables, a family business. His cousin Pacuaro runs Shooting Star Ranch several hours ride outside the city, where he and his family breed and train the horses that Shooting Star Stables sells. Ruslo is proud of his shaman daughter, but fears for her safety as an aasimar and divine spellcaster in a city that embraces infernalism. A devout Desnan, although he also pays homage to Rowdrosh.
Mother: Cinamenta Steleanu, Varisian horse trader. Handles the bookkeeping and budget for Shooting Star Stables. Tends to fret over Amadine, but has resigned herself to the fact that the spirits chose her daughter. Also a devout Desnan. Grandmother: Daiona Steleanu, shaman of the ancestors. She recognized the potential in Amadine when she was born, and saw that the spirits were attracted to her. Daiona took it upon herself to teach her granddaughter, both to pass on her knowledge and ensure that a malicious spirit wouldn't bond with the child. She has a raven familiar named Ladon. Elder Sister: Jaelle Bourean, leatherworker, 27. She resented the amount of attention Amadine got as a child, and still has a frosty relationship with her today. Jaelle and her husband Kaldri are leatherworkers specializing in tack and harness. Younger Sister: Maireni Steleanu, apprentice horse trader, 23. Maireni inherited their father's love of horses and is training to inherit the family business. She adored Amadine as a child and the two are still good friends. Younger Brother: Daval Steleanu, 11. He was an oops baby, but his parents dote on him nonetheless. Daval is a very curious child who got the Varisian wanderlust in spades. He's constantly wandering off to explore and giving his parents and sisters heart attacks. Normally Grandma can track him down with her magic, but this time she's having no luck. Daval has been gone for weeks now, and everyone's sure something terrible happened to him. Best Friend: Tasarla Ionescu, journeyman weaver, 25. A neighbor and part of Korvosa's Varisian community. Tasarla is a cheerful, easygoing sort of person who never treated Amadine any differently for being an aasimar.
|
