Anri's page

About Anri

EAGLE KNIGHT PATRON: Anri, Master of Horse, Hound and Hawk
XP 800
Half-elf expert 4/adept 2
NG Medium humanoid (elf, human)
Init +1; Senses low-light vision, Perception +9
DEFENSE
AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, +4 mithril chain shirt)
hp 27 (4d8 + 2d6 +2)
Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +10; +2 saves vs. enchantment spells and effects
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee morningstar +4 (1d8+1), dagger +4 (1d4+1)
Ranged javelin +4 (1d6+1), sling bullet +4 (1d4+1), thrown dagger +4 (1d4+1)
Spells Prepared (CL 2nd, Concentration +5)
1st – cure light wounds, sleep (Will DC 14)
0 – guidance, purify food & drink, stabilize
STATISTICS
Str 13, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 14,
Base Atk +4; CMB +5; CMD 16
Feats Skill Focus (handle animal) (B), Animal Affinity, Mounted Combat, Boon Companion (Seeker of Secrets p 16)
Skills Bluff 1 (+6), Handle Animal 6 (+13), Heal 3 (+8), Knowledge (geography) 3 (+6), Knowledge (local) 1 (+4), Knowledge (nature) 3 (+6), Knowledge (religion) 1 (+4), Perception 1 (+9), Ride 6 (+12), Spellcraft 1 (+4), Stealth 1 (+5), Survival 3 (+8)
Languages Common (Taldan)
SQsummon familiar (‘Mirielle,’ hawk familiar as 6th level wizard)
Combat Gear mithral chain shirt, morningstar, javelins (3), dagger, sling w/10 bullets, wand of cure light wounds (CL 1, 10 charges, 150 gp), tanglefoot bag; Other gear scent cloak, healer’s kit, eagle-shaped amulet with continual flame
(2400 gp)

Anri grew up a slave in the Chelaxian house Varros, working in their ‘country estate’ at Longacre, managing-by-proxy both their stables and their kennels, due to his gift for working with all sorts of beasts. Years of seeing his best-bred horses and hounds bred to conjured beasts from Hell itself, to produce ever-more-brutal and intimidating creatures, broke his spirit, and he began to subtly encourage viciousness within the fiend-tainted creatures, escaping on a fast horse into the Whisper Wood during a mini-revolt staged when a dozen hell-bred hounds ran amok, attacking staff and noble alike.

The journey to Andoran is a hazy memory, and he scarcely believes the more fantastic details himself, of leaping off of the cliffs into the sea ahead of a Hellknight patrol, of being rescued by a ‘gray ship’ of Andoran privateers seeking slaving vessels to raid, and finding a new home, in the land of the eagle. Muttering that he was an animal trainer was sufficient to see him thrust into the care of an elderly woman who raised falcons, and had already lost one eye to the finicky creatures. His young hands and sharper reflexes were a welcome aid to her craft, and he soon found himself mastering the hawk as well as the hound and horse. Mirielle died six winters ago, and he now manages some of the finest mews in Andoran, surrounded by birds of all sorts, being trained for local freemen-of-station, as well as the more traditional hounds and horses.

He’s an unlikely-looking Eagle Knight patron, eschewing the flashy epaulets or similar signs of the more martial members of the faction, but he knows just about anyone who sits a horse or bears a falcon on their gauntlet, and relays messages by fast bird all along the eastern reaches of the nation, in addition to providing training services, not just of beast, but of man, teaching young knights how to best seat a horse, to fight from its back and how to direct the actions of hound or hawk.

Anri is most likely to retain the services of others to locate or transport new foals, pups or chicks, to replenish his stock, or to transport mature animals to various locations for breeding or delivery to a waiting patron. He remains possessive of ‘his’ animals, even after their sale, and is not above arranging for a mistreated animal to ‘escape’ from an abusive or neglectful owner, transporting them in secret to a distant candidate who will treat them more respectfully, and, most importantly, is far enough away to be unlikely to ever be seen by the former owner. These missions, naturally, are kept quiet, as few former customers would be pleased to know about this unofficial repatriation policy, and so he may find himself choosing non-locals for these sorts of missions…

Boons Anri’s bond with animals borders on the supernatural, and he can not only provide fully-trained animals at reduced rates to his allies, but can also select well-formed and healthy specimens that have a +1 to their strength, dexterity or constitution (pick one). He can only provide exceptional specimens of hawks, riding dogs and horses in this manner, and all will cost twice the normal price if sold normally (and still cost 50% more than normal to those who he favors). He has not developed a large enough breeding pool to provide exceptional specimens of owls, eagles, ravens, ponies or smaller dogs (or any other animal, for that matter). He is especially successful in the area of rearing horses of great strength, and an exceptional horse from his stables can have a +2 to strength, instead of a +1.

He can also train a man and a beast to work together with singular focus, with a week’s training affording someone a +2 to ride and handle animal checks with one specific animal, and allowing the master of a familiar or druid or ranger to be treated as if 1 level higher for the purposes of his bond to his companion (to a maximum of his character level). This latter bonus does not stack with the bonuses provided by the Boon Companion or Andoren Falconry feats, and only can apply to horse (including ponies), dog (including wolves) or bird (eagle, owl, roc) companions or hawk, owl or raven familiars. The latter bonuses also only apply to a single animal, and if that companion or familiar dies, the master must either have the animal magically restored to life, or return to Anri to train all over again to become ‘one’ with his new companion or familiar.