About Anastasia Rasdovain
Personality and Appearance: Standing a willowy 5’7, all but the most imperceptive can tell the attractive blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman comes from a noble background. She speaks clearly and elegantly, and something about her communication can persuade even the most reluctant to give her opinions consideration. She displays her holy symbol of Abadar proudly, and will go on at length about the philosophy of her god for all that give her the slightest opening. While not overtly arrogant, she does often take a paternalistic view of commoners and displays open pity for those living outside cities or well-managed farms. Years of living and operating around political intrigues have honed her social perceptiveness and though likable and admirable for her desire to improve (at least in her view) the lot of others, she is not above verbally lashing those who cross her. Where possible she prefers to wear fine cloths and jewelry, but understands that such is often not practical for adventuring.
Full Name: Demibaronness Prelate Anastasia Rasdovain
Female human (Chelaxian) cleric (evangelist) of Abadar 1 (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat 40)
LN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +1; Senses Perception +2
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Defense
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AC 13, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +1 Dex)
hp 9 (1d8+1)
Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +4
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee dagger -2 (1d4-2/19-20)
Ranged light crossbow +1 (1d8/19-20)
Special Attacks countersong, fascinate, inspire courage +1, sermonic performance
Cleric (Evangelist) Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +3)
1st—bless[D], cure light wounds, infernal healing[ISWG] Spont:Command
0 (at will)—create water, guidance, light
D Domain spell; Domain Nobility (Leadership[APG] subdomain)
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Statistics
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Str 7, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 16
Base Atk +0; CMB -2; CMD 9
Feats Cosmopolitan[APG], Noble Scion of the Arts[ISWG]
Traits chelish noble, natural-born leader
Skills Acrobatics +1 (-3 to jump), Bluff +3 (+4 vs. members of Chelish aristocracy), Diplomacy +7 (+8 vs. members of Chelish aristocracy), Disguise +3 (+4 vs. members of Chelish aristocracy), Intimidate +7 (+8 vs. members of Chelish aristocracy), Knowledge (nobility) +8, Perform (oratory) +8 (+9 vs. members of Chelish aristocracy), Sense Motive +6
Languages Common, Draconic, Elven, Infernal
SQ inspiring command, public speaker, spontaneous casting
Other Gear leather armor, dagger, light crossbow, bedroll, belt pouch, blanket[APG], flint and steel, masterwork backpack[APG], noble's outfit, paper (4), signet ring, silver holy symbol of Abadar, torch (3), trail rations (4), - custom army -, heirloom jewelry (ring and tiara) - from noble scion feat (worth 200 gp), 11 gp, 7 sp, 7 cp
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Special Abilities
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Bardic Performance: Fascinate (1 target, DC 13) (Su) One or more creatures becomes fascinated with you.
Bardic Performance: Inspire Courage +1 (Su) Morale bonus on some saving throws, attack and damage rolls.
Cleric (Evangelist) Domain (Leadership)
Inspiring Command (1 allies) (Su) Allies gain +2 Attack AC, CMD, skill checks
Noble Scion of the Arts You are a member of a proud noble family.
Public Speaker (-4 DC to hear) An evangelist gains Perform as a class skill. In addition, she is trained to project her voice with great skill and effect; the DC to hear her speak in difficult conditions is reduced by an amount equal to her class level plus her Charisma modifier (
Sermonic Performance (standard action, 7 rounds/day) An evangelist gains the ability to deliver a select number of supernatural and spell-like performances through the force and power of her divinely inspired preaching and exhortation. This ability is similar in all respects to bardic performance as us
Sermonic Performance: Counterspell (Su) Counter magical effects that depend on sound.
Spontaneous Casting An evangelist does not gain the ability to spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells by sacrificing prepared spells. However, an evangelist can spontaneously cast the following spells by sacrificing a prepared spell of the noted level or above:
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Born the third of three biological children to the Lord and Lady of House Rasdovain of Westcrown, Demi-baroness Prelate Anastasia Rasdovain led a privileged life from the beginning. An old-money House, Rasdovain had nevertheless seen its wealth, holdings and influence fall significantly in the 90 years since House Thrune ascended to the Throne of Cheliax. Being suspected of being in league with those that opposed Thrune as it claimed power can cause such predicaments in such a wary, politically-cutthroat country. The truth was more benign: the leaders of the house had grown lax in defending their position and failed to offer sufficient support to Thrune as would have been most savvy to do. This neglect was multifactorial, but primarily related to the fact that the majority of House Rasdovain had develop alternate interests to political intrigue as House Thrune rose: art, poetry, oratory, music, dance and the sciences. Indeed, House Rasdovain had become first a major patron of the arts and sciences across Cheliax and beyond, then subsequently many members of the house became accomplished artisans and scientists in their own right. With insufficient attention to the political landscape, a painful misstep was almost bound to occur.
In the decades since House Thrune has ruled Cheliax, House Rasdovain battled to keep its place amongst the noble families of the country. This has produced a House still heavily steep in artistic patronage but also a new-found political savvy needed to survive under the suspicious stare of Queen Abrogail II. It is into this environment that Anastasia was born. Despite being the youngest child, “Ana” (as only her closest relatives and friends would call her) displayed an almost preternatural potential for leadership and persuasion. As a bit of a compromise between the elements of the house that would have pulled her into the vocal arts or music and those more devoted to the political machinations of the realm, Anastasia participated in oratory competitions and was routinely drilled by her instructors in the history of noble lineages. Amongst her most influential tutors was a scholarly priest of Abadar who infused in the girl the sense that the answer to most, if not all, ills was a greater focus on Civilized communities. Only by extracting the wild, the uncultured, the unmanaged out of daily existence can one hope to reach the perfect state of harmony. Inspire, Anastasia pestered her parents in allowing her to pledge to the Abadarian priesthood herself. They relented only because they saw a Judgeship or similar influential post in her future, which would of course help advance House Rasdovain.
In training for the priesthood, Anastasia regularly held debates with the other trainees and even instructors. What she lacked in knowledge she made up for with oratory skill. Likewise, she regular organized the trainees into groups to tackle the problem of lawlessness in Westcrown: neighborhood patrols, informant groups and getting additional constabulary funding. She even assisted in bringing a larger presence of Hellknights to the town after making an impassioned plea to a mid-level functionary of that organization paying a visit to her father. These actions, and the potential they showed, further fostered in her parents a desire to use her to further the needs of House Rasdovain.
By her 23rd birthday, Anastasia had completed priestly training, but was informed by her family that she would receive no independent land holdings or title to go along with her new career. Unprepared for this crushing news, the girl begged her parents for a more prominent role in the House’s political organization. In this plea her parents saw an opportunity to reverse a more recent set-back. Royal historians had traced House Rasdovain’s lineage to a distance connection with the much-reviled Queen of Korvosa. Such a connection was problematic for a House desperate to redeem itself in Thrune’s eyes. By way of artistic patronage in Brevoy, House Rasdovain was gifted by the Aldori Swordlords a writ to bring order to the Stolen Lands south of that country. After all, who better to bring (perhaps ruthless) order than the Chelaxians? In this writ, the Lord and Lady of Rasdovain saw an opportunity to kill several birds with one stone: appease Queen Abrogail and further demonstrate House Rasdovain’s loyalty to the crown by increasing Chelaxian holdings, gain an at-least temporary ally in Brevoy by pacifying their southern flank, and providing their grasping youngest child a route to quench her desire for landed-holdings of her own. To ensure their head-strong daughter would willingly participate in being sent far from home they agreed to grant her the title of Demibaroness of Upper Westcrown, a minor landless indication no one in the House had assumed for three generations.
Handed the Writ, Anastasia jumped at the chance to spread the harmonizing and enhancing influences of Civilization to an area that not known such for a very long time. If she became landed nobility and expanded her noble title in the process, all the better. Her parents and her mentors in the church provided her a modicum of training for handling the rigors of exploration and combat, but neither was ever to be a forte. What is a strength is gathering allies, and Anastasia immediately went to work garnering others to join her on the trek to the Stolen Lands.
