Barmaid

Audria's page

1,660 posts. Alias of AdamWarnock.


Race

| Smite: 0/1, LoH (1d6): 2/2 Arrows: 19 Holy Water: 2 Holy Weapon Balm: 2, Harrow Points: 8

Classes/Levels

Talanaliel:
HP: 26/26| AC: 18/16/16 CMD: 9/7 SR: 10| F: +4 R: +4 W: +8 | Init: +2, Per: +14 (Lowlight) | ToG: 1/1

Gender

Female Human Paladin (Chosen One) 3/Fighter (Mobile Fighter) 3 HP: 53/53 NL: 0 | AC: 20/14/17 CMD: 22/19| F: +7 R: +6 W: +4 (+1 vs. paralysis, slow, or entangle) | Init: +3, Per: +8

Size

Medium (5' 00", 120 lbs.)

Age

16

Alignment

LG

Deity

Shelyn

Languages

Common, Celestial, Varisian

About Audria

Missions:

AP:
- Investigate Lavender's and see what's going on there.
- Investigate the pile of the dead being left in Old Korvosa
- Find Rolth Lamm and his associate.

Side Stuff:
- Get Halvara behind bars.

Personal:
- Find Estoya Fulce. Trying to return the Abalone holy symbol.


Stats:

Audria Lumina
Female human (Varisian) fighter (mobile fighter) 3/paladin (chosen one) 3 (Pathfinder Player Companion: Familiar Folio 6, Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 105, Ultimate Wilderness 210)
LG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +3; Senses Perception +8
Aura courage (10 ft.)
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Defense
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AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 17 (+6 armor, +1 deflection, +3 Dex)
hp 53 (6d10+9)
Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +4; +1 bonus vs. effects that cause paralyzed, slowed, or entangled conditions
Defensive Abilities agility, share will; Immune disease, fear
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee adamantine glaive +11/+6 (1d10+4/×3) or
. . dagger +9/+4 (1d4+3/19-20) or
. . gauntlet +9/+4 (1d3+3) or
. . gauntlet +9/+4 (1d3+3) or
. . quarterstaff +9/+4 (1d6+4) or
. . silver dagger +9/+4 (1d4+2/19-20) or
. . spear +9/+4 (1d8+4/×3) or
. . unarmed strike +9/+4 (1d3+3 nonlethal)
Ranged mwk composite longbow +10/+5 (1d8+3/×3)
Special Attacks smite evil 1/day (+1 attack and AC, +3 damage)
Paladin Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd; concentration +4)
. . At will—detect evil
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 16, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 13
Base Atk +6; CMB +9; CMD 23
Feats Acrobatic, Alertness, Combat Expertise, Deadly Aim, Improved Familiar, Power Attack, Spear Dancing Style, Two-weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus
Traits bandit (river kingdoms), intense artist, tortured
Skills Acrobatics +7, Climb +7, Craft (painting) +7, Diplomacy +10, Fly +3, Heal +4, Knowledge (nobility) +5, Perception +8, Perform (dance) +8, Perform (sing) +8, Profession (cook) +6, Sense Motive +7, Stealth +11
Languages Celestial, Common, Varisian
SQ armor training 1, doubt, finesse weapon attack attribute, lay on hands 2/day (1d6), lay on paws, mercy (shaken)
Combat Gear holy water (2), holy weapon balm[ACG] (2); Other Gear mwk agile breastplate[APG], adamantine glaive, arrows (20), dagger, gauntlet, gauntlet, mwk composite longbow (+3 Str), quarterstaff, silver dagger, spear, ring of protection +1, artisan's outfit (2), backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, blanket[APG], cleric's vestments, colored ink, courtier's outfit (2), cutting board, wooden (2 lb), explorer's outfit, ink, inkpen, jewelry[UE], jewelry[UE], jewelry[UE], journal[UE], knife, cutting (0.5 lb), ladle (0.5 lb), mess kit[UE], painting tools, pot, scholar's outfit, seasonings, local (0.5 lb), silver holy symbol of Shelyn, skewer (1 lb), skillet[UE], tinder packet (0.5 lb), tripod, iron (3 lb), waterskin (3), holy symbol of shelyn, abalone (worth 300 gp, 0.5 lb), 6 gp, 5 sp, 5 cp
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Special Abilities
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Agility +1 (Ex) +1 save vs. Paralyzation, slowing, or entangling
Armor Training 1 (Ex) Worn armor -1 check penalty, +1 max DEX.
Aura of Courage +4 (10 ft.) (Su) Allies in aura gain a morale bonus to saves vs. fear.
Combat Expertise +/-2 Bonus to AC in exchange for an equal penalty to attack.
Deadly Aim -2/+4 Trade a penalty to ranged attacks for a bonus to ranged damage.
Detect Evil (At will) (Sp) You can use detect evil at will (as the spell).
Doubt -4 for an hour on any skill or ability check after you fail that type of check
Empathic Link with Familiar (Su) You have an empathic link with your Arcane Familiar.
Familiar Bonus: +3 bonus on Diplomacy You gain the Alertness feat while your familiar is within arm's reach.
Finesse Weapon Attack Attribute Finesse weapons use Strength on attack rolls.
Immunity to Disease You are immune to diseases.
Immunity to Fear (Ex) You are immune to all fear effects.
Lay on Hands (1d6 hit points, 2/day) (Su) As a standard action (swift on self), touch channels positive energy and applies mercies.
Lay on Paws (Su) Familiar can use lay on hands ability, including mercies for 2 lay on hands uses.
Mercy (Shaken) (Su) When you use your lay on hands ability, it also removes the shaken condition.
Power Attack -2/+4 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Share Will (Su) When your or familiar fails a save vs. mind-affecting effect, the other can roll in their place, but failure affects both.
Smite Evil (1/day) (Su) +1 to hit, +3 to damage, +1 deflection bonus to AC when used.
Spear Dancing Style (Glaive) Chosen weapon becomes double weapon as light mace on off handed side.
Weapon Focus (Pole Arms) +1 to all attack rolls while using a polearm.

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Talanaliel (Tallyfeather) (Thrush Form) CR –
Female fey-touched thrush (Pathfinder Player Companion: Heroes from the Fringe 10, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic)
NG Diminutive magical beast (animal)
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +14
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Defense
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AC 18, touch 16, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +2 natural, +4 size)
hp 26 (1d8-2)
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +8
Defensive Abilities improved evasion; SR 10
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Offense
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Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (average)
Melee bite +12 (1d2-5)
Space 1 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Domain Spell-Like Abilities
. . 1/day—touch of good (+1)
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 1, Dex 15, Con 6, Int 7, Wis 15, Cha 6
Base Atk +6; CMB +4; CMD 9
Feats Agile Maneuvers, Combat Expertise, Deadly Aim, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception)
[b]Skills
Acrobatics +9 (+1 to jump), Climb +6, Diplomacy +1, Fly +12, Heal +6, Perception +14, Sense Motive +7, Stealth +23
Languages Common
SQ change shape (a single fixed Small or Medium humanoid form; alter self), domain influence (Good), empathic link, finesse weapon attack attribute, share will, woodland stride
Other Gear artisan's outfit, courtier's outfit, explorer's outfit (2), jewelry[UE], jewelry[UE], jewelry[UE], scholar's outfit, silver holy symbol of Shelyn
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Special Abilities
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Agile Maneuvers Use DEX instead of STR for CMB
Change Shape (a single fixed Small or Medium humanoid form; alter self) (Su) You can change your form.
Combat Expertise +/-2 Bonus to AC in exchange for an equal penalty to attack.
Deadly Aim -2/+4 Trade a penalty to ranged attacks for a bonus to ranged damage.
Divine Guidance (Sp) An emissary can cast guidance at will.
Domain Influence (Sp, Su) Gain domain power.
Domain Influence Domain (Good) Granted Powers: You have pledged your life and soul to goodness and purity.
Empathic Link (Su) You have an empathic link with your master.
Finesse Weapon Attack Attribute Finesse weapons use Dexterity on attack rolls.
Fly (40 feet, Average) You can fly!
Improved Evasion (Ex) No damage on successful reflex save; half on failed save.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Power Attack -2/+4 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Share Will (1/day) (Su) When your or familiar fails a save, the other can roll in their place, but failure affects both.
Spell Resistance (10) You have Spell Resistance.
Touch of Good +1 (1/day) (Sp) Grant +1 to skill checks, ability checks and saving throws for 1 rd.
Woodland Stride (Ex) Move through undergrowth at normal speed.

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Talanaliel (Tallyfeather) (Half-elf Form) CR –
Female fey-touched thrush (Pathfinder Player Companion: Heroes from the Fringe 10, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic)
NG Medium magical beast (animal)
Init +0; Senses low-light vision; Perception +14
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Defense
--------------------
AC 12, touch 10, flat-footed 12 (+2 natural)
hp 26 (1d8-2)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +8
Defensive Abilities improved evasion; SR 10
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (average)
Melee unarmed strike +6/+1 (1d3-1 nonlethal)
Domain Spell-Like Abilities
. . 1/day—touch of good (+1)
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 9, Dex 11, Con 6, Int 7, Wis 15, Cha 6
Base Atk +6; CMB +6; CMD 15
Feats Agile Maneuvers, Combat Expertise, Deadly Aim, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception)
[b]Skills
Acrobatics +7, Climb +3, Diplomacy +1, Fly +4, Heal +6, Perception +14, Sense Motive +7, Stealth +9
Languages Common
SQ change shape (a single fixed Small or Medium humanoid form; alter self), domain influence (Good), empathic link, finesse weapon attack attribute, share will, woodland stride
Other Gear artisan's outfit, courtier's outfit, explorer's outfit (2), jewelry[UE], jewelry[UE], jewelry[UE], scholar's outfit, silver holy symbol of Shelyn
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Agile Maneuvers Use DEX instead of STR for CMB
Change Shape (a single fixed Small or Medium humanoid form; alter self) (Su) You can change your form.
Combat Expertise +/-2 Bonus to AC in exchange for an equal penalty to attack.
Deadly Aim -2/+4 Trade a penalty to ranged attacks for a bonus to ranged damage.
Divine Guidance (Sp) An emissary can cast guidance at will.
Domain Influence (Sp, Su) Gain domain power.
Domain Influence Domain (Good) Granted Powers: You have pledged your life and soul to goodness and purity.
Empathic Link (Su) You have an empathic link with your master.
Finesse Weapon Attack Attribute Finesse weapons use Dexterity on attack rolls.
Fly (40 feet, Average) You can fly!
Improved Evasion (Ex) No damage on successful reflex save; half on failed save.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Power Attack -2/+4 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Share Will (1/day) (Su) When your or familiar fails a save, the other can roll in their place, but failure affects both.
Spell Resistance (10) You have Spell Resistance.
Touch of Good +1 (1/day) (Sp) Grant +1 to skill checks, ability checks and saving throws for 1 rd.
Woodland Stride (Ex) Move through undergrowth at normal speed.


Shelynite Paladin's Code:

The paladins of Shelyn are peaceable promoters of art and beauty. They see the ugliness in evil, even when cloaked in the form of beauty, and their mission is to defend those who devote their lives to the creation of beauty, bring it forth themselves, and prevent the weak and foolish from being seduced by false promises. Their tenets include the following adages.

  • I see beauty in others. As a rough stone hides a diamond, a drab face may hide the heart of a saint.
  • I am peaceful. I come first with a rose rather than a weapon, and act to prevent conflict before it blossoms. I never strike first, unless it is the only way to protect the innocent.
  • I accept surrender if my opponent can be redeemed—and I never assume that they cannot be. All things that live love beauty, and I will show beauty’s answer to them.
  • I live my life as art. I will choose an art and perfect it. When I have mastered it, I will choose another. The works I leave behind make life richer for those who follow.
  • I will never destroy a work of art, nor allow one to come to harm, unless greater art arises from its loss. I will only sacrifice art if doing so allows me to save a life, for untold beauty can arise from an awakened soul.
  • I lead by example, not with my blade. Where my blade passes, a life is cut short, and the world’s potential for beauty is lessened.


Background:

Korvosa is not a kind place to orphans.

Audria's father was a man that sailed in and paid for a night's company, and her mother was a dockside doxy who cared little for the young girl. By the time she was five, Audria had lost her mother to the Shiver. The madame threw Audria out, seeing nothing more than another mouth to feed.

That was the night she met Gaedren Lamm. He lured the young girl in with promises of a hot meal and a warm bed. For the next ten years she saw nothing of either.

The old crook, Gaedren, would have her beg and steal then work her to the bone. When she met his quotas, she could eat. When she failed to, she went hungry. There were many nights Audria wept herself to sleep as her stomach twisted in painful knots from hunger.

If things had continued on this path, Audria would have become just another cutpurse until Gaedren could sell her to a brothel or perhaps sell her himself in an expansion of his shady enterprises. Her life would have been little more than another footnote in the sad history of Korvosa's orphans.

The gods had other plans for Audria.

She found the holy symbol on the street, dropped by a careless priest as he passed her by. She scooped it up and marveled at the colors and detail of the engraving. It was beautiful, more beautiful than anything she had seen in her short life. Her initial thoughts about the rewards she would get from Gaedren Lamm for this faded as she felt herself looking back at the priest. His robes were rich and something about way he talked to others called to her.

She followed the priest to a shrine where he preached as he painted. The colors, the music, and beauty of the place washed over Audria as she came to know how drab and dreary her existence under Lamm's thumb truly was. She stood enraptured for longer than she could say. When the priest was finished with both his sermon and his painting he turned to her and smiled. The warmth and kindness was too much for her to bear. She collapsed in a crying heap as she held out the priest's holy symbol to give it back to him.

Over the next few years Audria spent as much time as she could at the shrine to Shelyn, learning a little of the faith, but learning more about kindness and love. Her singing and dancing helped her earn enough coin to avoid Lamm's wrath. She even started to keep a small stash for herself or the other kids when they were short. She longed to do nothing more than to escape once and for all, but each time she thought about it, Lamm's voice crushed her will.

"You are nothing without me," his voice snarled in her head.

As the years passed, Lamm found he needed more help. Yargin had helped with the bookkeeping for years, but he was hardly ever involved with the children, unless Lamm had decided one of his "Lambs" needed to be punished very severely indeed as an example to the others. The newer members of his gang, Giggles and Hookshanks, were far more hands-on. It was not unheard of for one of Lamm's Lambs to die as a result of the man's temper, but more of the urchins he lured in wound up dead thanks to the beatings the two brutish and cruel men doled out as they pleased.

It was shortly before Audria turned fourteen when she would learn firsthand how cruel Giggles, Hookshanks, and Lamm could be. She had befriended another of the Lamb's, Eliana, a young girl with a pretty voice and a thick mane of platinum-seafoam tresses, and the two of them had snuck off to the shrine many times to visit with the clergy and artists there. Unfortunately for Eliana, she had been caught with a wooden holy symbol of Shelyn by Lamm. Audria happened by as the situation was turning ugly. Acting without thinking, she body checked Lamm and told Eliana to run.

Audria turned to follow, but Giggles grabbed her by the long braid she had been growing out after being complemented on her hair some time ago. Lamm, furious, but still in control, took her from the brute and held her as he demanded to know why she was acting the way she was. Audria, however, had found her courage at last. She bit Lamm's hand and made another break for it. This time it was Hookshanks that tackled her to the ground.

The beating was merciless.

Lamm and his lackeys left her for dead as rain began to fall, mixing with her blood splattered all over the alleyway. As her vision faded to black, Audria spotted a small bird circling over her. A bird that seemed to be calling for help. The last thing she heard was Eliana calling out to her.

She awoke in a small temple to Shelyn some days later. Her wounds mended by the clergy that had found her. Despite their best efforts, there was little to be done about the criss-crossing scars left by Giggles' whip where he'd laid into her back again and again. The bird perched on a chair facing her as she sat up. Talanaliel she called herself before declaring herself Audria's guide.

The next two years saw Audria learning to defend herself. She helped out around the temple as a cook while the priest that she had first meet several years ago taught her to draw and paint in her free time. It was thanks to Audria Eliana had escaped, and it was thanks to Eliana and Talanaliel that the priests of Shelyn were able to find her in the alley she had been left in. Both of the girls were inducted into Shelyn's priesthood, receiving silver holy symbols the day they turned sixteen.

Only a few days later, Audria would find a message on a harrow card in her journal as she opened it to sketch and drww.


Appearance:

Audria is a short young woman, standing all of five feet tall. Her smooth and fair skin is marred only by the dozens of scars on her back, a testimony to the severity of the beating she had endured before Lamm left her for dead. Her hair is a strawberry blonde and often worn in a braid or held back in a tail with a length of ribbon. Her eyes are bright blue and often lit with laughter.

Audria's Wardrobe:

Jewelry and Accessories
Abalone Holy Symbol of Shelyn
Shelyn's symbol is made from carved pieces of abalone and gold inlay set in a white gold medallion and hangs from a white gold chain.

Silver Holy Symbol of Shelyn
The silver medallion has Shelyn's holy symbol engraved into. Enamels have been used to color the feathers.

Silver Combs
A fine tooth comb made of silver with sweeping patterns of feathers engraved into it and set with sapphires.

Silver Earrings
A pair of silver earrings with teardrop sapphires hanging from them in delicate silver wire settings.

Silver necklace and pendant
A large teardrop sapphire set with fine silver wire hangs as a pendant from a fine silver chain.

Clothing
Artisan's Outfit #1
- cream shirt with long sleeves that can be rolled up past the elbows
- green skirt
- brown leather belt
- brown leather shoes
- cream stockings with green ribbons

Explorer's Outfit #1
- white shirt
- blue quilted vest
- dark gray pants
- black leather belt with blackened steel fittings
- black leather boots
- black wool socks
- dark blue cloak

Explorer's Outfit #2
- white shirt
- green tunic with golden trim
- tan pants
- brown leather belt
- brown leather boots
- green socks
- dark green cloak

Artisan's Outfit #2
- blue robe with golden trim
- sash made of seven wide strips of fabric, each in a color of the rainbow
- blue slippers
- black stockings
- white chemise

Scholar's Outfit
- blue cassock with golden trim and embroidery
- white stole with golden trim and the holy symbol of Shelyn embroidered near the ends
- pale blue surplice with blue trim
- blue slippers
- white stockings with blue ribbons
- white chemise

Cleric's Vestments
- robe made of layers of iridescent, diaphanous silk in blues, whites, and purples and trimmed with gold thread
-- long flowing sleeves bloused at the wrist with vents along top from shoulder to elbow and elbow to wrist
-- skirt has slits up to mid thigh
- sash made of layers of diaphanous silk in reds and yellows
- green comb with red silk roses
- brown leather sandals

Courtier's Outfit #1
- dark blue dress with silver trim and embroidery.
-- embroidered scrollwork flows across the bottom and right side of the skirt
-- long, flowing sleeves end in tight cuffs that cover the back of the hand and end about halfway up the forearm from the wrist. More embroidered scrollwork covers the back of the hands and flows up the cuff.
- dark blue slippers with silver trim and embroidered scrollwork on the toes.
- black stockings trimmed with dark blue lace that end mid thigh.
- black garterbelt with dark blue embroidered scrollwork that matches the style on the dress
- black silk chemise with long, fitted sleeves and embroidered scrollwork along the hem of the skirt, where the skirt and bodice are joined, and the neck

Courtier's Outfit #2
- white silk blouse with silver and mother of pearl buttons
- dark blue tie
- dark blue vest with silver buttons
- dark blue ankle-length skirt
- dark blue jacket with silver buttons and silver brocade on the lapels
- dark blue hat with black band
- white stockings with lace trim and dark blue ribbons
- black leather low boots
- white silk petticoat


Talanaliel's Wardrobe:

Jewelry and Accessories
Silver Holy Symbol of Shelyn
The silver medallion has Shelyn's holy symbol engraved into. Enamels have been used to color the feathers.

Silver Combs
A fine tooth comb made of silver with sweeping patterns of feathers engraved into it and set with violet garnets.

Silver Earrings
A pair of silver earrings with teardrop violet garnets hanging from them in delicate silver wire settings.

Silver necklace and pendant
A large teardrop violet garnet set with fine silver wire hangs as a pendant from a fine silver chain.

Clothing
Expolorer's Outfit
- white shirt
- brown vest
- tan pants
- brown leather belt with bronze fittings
- brown leather boots
- black wool socks
- dark green cloak

Artisan's Outfit
- blue robe with golden trim
- sash made of seven wide strips of fabric, each in a color of the rainbow
- blue slippers
- black stockings
- white chemise

Scholar's Outfit
- blue cassock with golden trim and embroidery
- white stole with golden trim and the holy symbol of Shelyn embroidered near the ends
- pale blue surplice with blue trim
- blue slippers
- white stockings with blue ribbons
- white chemise

Courtier's Outfit
- deep violet dress with silver trim and embroidery.
-- embroidered scrollwork flows across the bottom and right side of the skirt
-- long, flowing sleeves end in tight cuffs that cover the back of the hand and end about halfway up the forearm from the wrist. More embroidered scrollwork covers the back of the hands and flows up the cuff.
- deep violet slippers with silver trim and embroidered scrollwork on the toes.
- black stockings trimmed with deep violet lace that end mid thigh.
- black garterbelt with deep violet embroidered scrollwork that matches the style on the dress
- black silk chemise with long, fitted sleeves and embroidered scrollwork along the hem of the skirt, where the skirt and bodice are joined, and the neck.


The Dockside Doxies Incident:

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Eliana's soft voice held a note of anxiety that had been absent in the months since she and Audria had ceased being Lamm's Lambs. It was not something that Audria missed, but she could hardly blame her friend as they looked around the corner to one of the bridges leading to Old Korvosa.

"Well," Audria said, drawing the word out, "no. Not really. I don't know where else we could look though after the Acadamae laughed us out."

"It was their dumb imps that bombed us with some alchemical gunk and ruined our hair. They should fix it," Eliana grumbled.

"Yeah, but if Brother Theolan couldn't get them to pay up for repairs, what chance do we have of getting them to pay for a, um? Whatever the opposite of a haircut is, I guess."

Eliana nodded, and Audria couldn't help noticing the way her friend's eyes flicked up to the hood hiding the very short crop of hair that had been left after the rest had been cut. They'd already tried every other method they could, even magic, but the goo was surprisingly resilient.

She'd said that she was coming as support for Eliana, who had been taking the loss of her locks harder than she had, but Audria had to admit, at least to herself, that she was just as bothered by the damage to her hair as she was by the damage to her friend's.

"You're right," Eliana muttered after a moment. "We should hurry before we get caught."

"And how, praytell, were you two planning on explaining the sudden return of your locks," a tiny, yet stern, voice demanded. The two young girls yelped as they looked around like startled mice for the source of the voice only to spy a grumpy thrush perched on nearby gutter.

"T-Tallyfeather!"

"W-w-what are you doing here?!"

The pair took a step back from the tiny bird as it glared at them. Audria and Eliana held tight to each other, as much to keep themselves from running away as to keep the other from bolting. Talanaliel could fly faster than either fould navigate the streets.

"Oh, Audria. Oh, Eliana. You two do know that hair grows back, do you not?"

"Yes, but--"

"Then I suppose that telling you to go back home is a fool's errand. If you won't do the wise thing, then I should at least make sure you have a chance to learn from doing the foolish thing."

Talanaliel flitted to Audria and settled in the hood of her cloak.

"I heard you asking around," the thrush explained. "I was hoping that you would find someone that could do what you wanted without going to Old Korvosa. It seems I hoped in vain."

"Sorry, Tallyfeather," Eliana told the thrush.

"Are you sure about this, Talanaliel," Audria asked, forgoing the nickname she'd given the bird. "Won't you get in trouble, too?"

"Perhaps, but I am an emissary of Shelyn's will. I doubt I'll get more than a stern look from Brother Theolan. And if I do," the little bird shrugged as best a bird could before settling back down into her perch.

Old Korvosa, despite the late hour, was still thrumming with activity. Taverns filled with dockworkers and sailors rang with laughter and badly sung shanties while men and women of the night plied their trade. Someone cried out in the anguish of defeat from a gambling hall.

The girls with their avian chaperone slipped through the streets to approach the place they had managed to worm information about from an Acadamae student before they left. He had only passed on little more than a rumor, but when you are a boy of fifteen and two pretty and young girls ask you something, things besides your brain take over and he had only been too eager to offer what help he could.

They came to a pier marked with a sign that said Eel's End, a group of five ships that always seemed to be filled with drifting smoke, racous laughter, and the sounds of carnal pursuits even in the daylit hours when many of its patrons were either busy or sleeping off the previous night's revelries. The trio's destination, however, was off to one side, a garishly painted building with a gaudy sign proclaiming it to be the home of the Dockside Doxies. Before their courage could fail them, the two young Shelynites slipped inside.

Their senses were assaulted with perfumes mixed with various alchemical smells overlaying a garish display of scant silks and lace of all manner of eye-searing hues resting on plush, overstuffed cushions and pillows. Painted ladies looked their way as they entered, but their attentions were for the man in the center of the eye-watering cacophony, a black-clad man standing there like a spider surrounded by brightly colored gadflies.

Audria and Eliana had not spent years on the street as part of Lamm's Lambs for nothing. They could feel the aura of danger oozing from the man like roiling fog. They knew this man was far more dangerous than Gaedren Lamm ever could be.

He spotted the pair shrinking away from his path to the door as he turned to leave. He smiled at them, a cold shark's smile that held no warmth.

"Careful, girls. You look cute enough to gobble up," he said as he passed them.

"Come again, Mister Barvasi" one of the women called after him. He waved as the door shut behind him.

"Well, well, well," another of the women said when the latch clicked. "What have we here girls?"

With the man, Barvasi, gone, Audria and Eliana were now the only patrons in the shop.

"A couple of mice that just wandered into the Doxies' domain," another answered.

"Aw, they look so cute. I wonder if they are here for work or pleasure."

Audria felt Eliana trying to hide behind her. She never had learned all of her friend's life before coming into Lamm's clutches, but she had gathered that Eliana had not been treated kindly. Perhaps their storied were far more alike than Audria had suspected.

"W-we heard that we might find something to help us," Audria told the women, taking their attention off of Eliana and focusing it on her.

"We certainly have many things that help women and men looking for passion," the first woman said as she drew closer. "But you two look like virgins to me. What would need our wares for?"

Audria glanced back at Eliana. Her friend took in a deep breath and nodded. As Audria turned her attention back to the women who worked at the Dockside Doxies, she and Eliana pulled down the hoods of their cloaks to reveal their almost shaven heads.

"Can you help us get our hair back," Audria asked as surprise and pity colored the Doxies' expressions. Talanaliel hopped onto Audria's shoulder as she looked about, keeping an eye out for danger.

"Oh! You poor dahlin's," an older woman cooed as she made her way up to the front of the store. "What happen'd to your hair?"

"Imps," the two Shelynites answered simultaneously.

"Oh, dahlin's, I don't know what we can do for y'all," the woman said. Eliana's head hung as the hope they hadn't realized they were holding onto began to fade. Audria's shoulders slumped and she could feel tears prickling the corners of her eyes.

"Where's Jessica," the woman asked the others. "She's got a knack for this alchemical nonsense. I want her to see if she can help these two young li'l dahlin's."

A few minutes later the Dockside Doxies ushered Audria and Eliana into a backroom where they met a young bespectacled woman with a bosom that her top strained to preserve the modesty of. She wore her hair in twin tails that made her seem as young as Audria and Eliana. She spent a few minutes looking over the pair, hmming and hawing as she studied their hair.

"Well, Jessica dear," the older woman, a Madam Ioana, prodded.

"Yes, I think I have something that I've been working on. Initial tests have been promising," Jessica answered, her voice chipper and her demeanor bouncy, among other things. She rummaged through a few shelves while asking for Audria and Eliana to have a seat in front of a basin put at just the right height for washing hair in and to take off their cloaks.

There were some snickers as the Doxies saw the simple robes of Shelyn acolytes beneath the cloaks, but a look from Madam Ioana silenced them. Jessica brought several bottles, vials, and pots to the table beside the basin and began to work.

Audria felt a tingle in her scalp as deft fingers massaged alchemical reagents into her hair. Jessica's gentle touch adn the soothing of warm water running over her head almost lulled Audria into dozing, but just as she was about to succumb to the temptation, her head began to feel uncomfortably hot. She opened her eyes and saw Jessica's excited smile and the looks of amazement on the other Doxies' faces. Madam Ioana looked impressed with the results at first, but then she frowned as the merest hint of worry crossed her face.

"Jessica, dear. Is it suppose'ta be doin' that?"

Just as the words left Madam Ioana's lips, Audria felt something soft and silky begin to push her head up, out of the basin. A moment later, something soft and weighty fell on her shoulders. She was about to ask a question of her own when silky strands of hair started to engulf her head. She shot bolt upright and felt what she realized was her hair growing to fall down her back. She looked to Eliana and saw her friend was in the same predicament.

"Oh, that's working a little too well," Jessica said. "Not to worry I have just the thing to stop it."

A strange smelling liquid was poured over both girls' scalps, but their hair still grew, and continued to grow after the second, third, and fourth attempts to arrest its steady conquest of the Dockside Doxies' shop.

"It seems, Jessica dear, that you still have a few kinks ta work out," Madam Ioana observed, deadpan, as the fifth attempt was delayed by the need to cut some of the mingled platinum-seafoam and strawberry-blonde locks out of the way.

It was nearly dawn when the ordeal was finished. Jessica's twelfth attempt finally halted the hair growth. It took another two hours to clean up the mess well enough to allow Audria and Eliana to slip out, Talanaliel sitting on Audria's shoulder.

The sky was a predawn gray when the pair of acolytes and the emissary from Shelyn arrived back at the small temple to Shelyn in High Point. In front of the door was Brother Theolan, arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

"I do hope you two had fun," he said, his voice deceptively airy. "I am looking forward to hearing the reason you stuck out last night. I hope it wasn't too draining. There's a lot to be done today."

Audria looked to Eliana and saw that she had the same thoughts. This was going to be a long day.

Over the next several months, the Dockside Doxies grew to have a reputation for having exceptionally fine stock for making wigs. Every now and then they'd receive another few sacks of the same hair in lengths of several feet. These deliveries always seemed to coincide with times that Audria or Eliana got particularly stressed about something.


NPCs:

Friends and Mentors

Talanaliel - She is a beautiful songbird that can speak. Talanaliel declared herself Audria's guardian and has spent the past two years helping Audria work past the guilt she feels for the petty crimes she did and the children she wasn't able to save. All the while the thrush prepares her young charge for a larger destiny than the young girl, soon to be woman, could know.
Appearance: Talanaliel is a small thrush with cream and brown feathers and black iridescent eyes.

Eliana Lumina- She is a young girl the same age as Audria. Eliana found herself ensnared in Lamm's web shortly after Audria had been taken in. The two of them became friends after they'd helped each other escape a gang of older kids when another crimelord started to muscle in on Lamm's territory. She is Audria's closest friend and the two see each other as sisters.
Appearance: Eliana has long, wavy platinum hair that has seafoam-green ends. She's the same height as Audria, at five feet, with a similar build. Her eyes are green, almost like emeralds.

Trinia Sabor - Audria met Trinia for the first time a few months before she was savagely beaten by Lamm and left for dead. Their friendship was sealed when the young artist played a practical joke on a well-to-do woman who had insulted Eliana during one of the pair's visits to the shrine. The trio are often seen together practicing their chosen crafts, or singing exceptionally silly songs.
Appearance: Trinia is a small woman with short, blonde hair and dark, brown eyes. Her fingers always seem to have some trace of paint on them no matter how much she scrubs her hands.

Bartholomew Holdt - While not a follower of Shelyn himself, his wife is a very devout follower and artisan. Bartholomew, or Mauler to his friends from the Sable Company, trained Audria in the basics of swordsmanship and archery after hearing the story of how she came to the shrine battered half-to-death. The retired hippogriff-rider is a wily sort, and while Audria has surprised him a few times, she has never gotten the better of him.
Appearance: Bartholomew is a solidly-built man with a barrel chest and thickly-muscled limbs. His gray hair is kept short, and his beard is neatly trimmed. His tanned skin bears the scars of his service to the City of Korvosa while his face and dark eyes are creased by smile lines and crow's-feet.

Olga Holdt - Bartholomew's wife and a skilled cook has found her niche as a potter. Her wares help raise money for the shrine, and the not-so-perfect ones often find their way into the kitchen. Audria started helping Olga in the kitchen in an effort to pay Bartholomew back for his mentorship, but she soon find herself learning as much from Olga about how to cook. While not a natural, Audria's skill is improving, and Brother Theolan has seen to it she is assigned to the kitchen more often than not.
Appearance: Olga is about average height for a woman. Her brown hair is streaked with gray and hazel eyes are framed by laugh lines. Her arms are more muscled and toned than one might expect of someone of her stature thanks to decades of making bread.

Clergy at the Sanctuary of Shelyn

Brother Theolan - He is a priest of Shelyn approaching his middle years. Theolan Arcturius was the priest that dropped the holy symbol Audria picked up. He was one of the priests that followed Eliana to where Audria had saved her and paid for that act of courage with a savage beating. Theolan has come to be like an uncle to the young women, and while he tries to hide it, he has come to dote on them in secret.
Appearance: Theolan is a tallish man with wide shoulders and a sunkissed complexion thanks to the time he spends in the garden. His blonde hair, normally just tied back to keep out of the way, is showing some gray at the temples. His brown eyes are framed by laugh lines.

Sister Jenelyn - She is Brother Theolan's right-hand woman. She's the one that makes sure the Sanctuary's day to day operations run smoothly, something that can be difficult when the Trio of Chaos, as she's come to call Audria, Eliana, and Trinia, is involved.

Zacharias Terrecchio - A level-headed poet who had joined Shelyn's Clergy after abdicating as the heir to his family's admittedly minor titles when he realized he didn't have the talent nor the drive his younger brother has where the family business is concerned. He and Audria have meet, which was enough for Audria to realize he has a crush on Eliana.

Acquantinces

Dalinius Equinius Asinus - The perfect image of a fop, Dalinius is often found around the shrine trying to woo the young female acolytes. Unfortunately for Audria, she has caught the man's eye and now finds herself the target of his unwanted advances. She politely turns him down, but doesn't do anything more forceful than that for fear that he'll turn his attentions to Eliana next.
Appearance: Dalinius is a slender man who stands nearly six feet tall. His brown hair has auburn highlights in bright light and is often styled in the latest fashion of the day. His clothes are well-tailored and of the latest styles from Absolom, Taldor, and Cheliax. His blue eyes are expressive and often show what he is really feeling.

Madam Ioana - Proprietress of the Dockside Doxies, a Calistrian priestess past her prime as a courtesan, and employer of several doxies herself, Madam Ioana is not a woman to be taken lightly. Her boutique, located at the landward anchor of the Eel's End, caters to ladies of the night and others seeking more risqué attire and other accoutrement for their carnal adventures. She has developed a soft spot for Audria and Eliana, especially since they are the sole source of hair used in the Dockside Doxies' most popular wigs. Beyond her role as a business woman, Madam Ioana manages a small cadre of "sharp li'l wasps" as she calls them to enact acts of vengeance on clients' behalf in the name of the Savored Sting.
Appearance: Ioana is a middle-aged woman in her early forties. Her dark hair has yet to gray, but crow's-feet and laugh lines are beginning to crease her face. She's tall and broad with a voluptuous figure that has thickened in recent years. Her brown eyes always hold a hint of mischief and her posture ready to emphasize the decolletage of her impressive bosom.

Jessica L'Morie - A student at the Acadamae and a skilled alchemist, Jessica is one of Madam Ioana's prized hires. Many fall for the appearance that Jessica presents of a ditzy young woman just one accident away from scandal (though to be fair there are many times it is not a mask) and never see the wickedly mischievous side she has. She visits Audira and Eliana at the shrine from time to time, often leaving Dalinius collapsed into a puddle and overstimulated on her way out.
Appearance: Jessica is about average height with a curvaceous, hour-glass figure. Her clothing always seems to be just a little too small, leaving just enough of her gorgeous figure to the imagination to titillate those of a more lascivious bent. Her brown hair is worn long, framing her round face. Her brown eyes are often behind a pair of glasses she wears to help with reading for her studies at the Academae.

Those that operate in the seedy underbelly

Devargo Barvasi (Dead) - Audria and Eliana have only met the man once, and then only in passing. It certainly left an impression on them, and what interest the King of Spiders may have in them is something neither girl speculates on for long.

Halvara - A half-elf that now runs the House of Clouds, she was the madame that ran the brothel where Audria's mother worked. She was also the one that tossed Audria out after her mother died from the Shiver. Halvara looms large with Gaedren Lamm as a prominent figure in the thankfully infrequent nightmares that plague Audria from time to time.

Gaedren Lamm (Dead) - A bitter old man whose best years are far, far behind him, Gaedren still has the strength to make those that underestimate him pay dearly. He still has the strength to beat Audria bloody two years ago. Even barring that incident, Lamm would loom large in her nightmares.

Yargin Balko (Dead) - Gaedren's right-hand man and accountant, Yargin was always in the background. While he is not the worst of Lamm's cronies, he did threaten to scar Audria's face a couple of times while she was growing up as one of Lamm's Lambs. The screams of those that he did follow through with the threat on were more than enough to convince her to not test his patience. His dog, Bloo, left far more of an impression on Audria, often appearing with Lamm in her nightmares.

Hookshanks Gruller (Dead) - While he did not have as long as Gaedren, Yargin, or Bloo to make an impression, Hookshanks left a truly sour one with Audria. He deleted in bullying those he felt were weaker than him, and both Audria and Eliana became favored targets of his. He egged Giggles on when they and Lamm were beating her bloody the last time she saw them.

Giggles (Dead) - Perhaps the only one of Lamm's gang that is even more cruel than the bitter old man himself, Giggles joined about the same times as Hookshanks did, a few years before Audria and Eliana left the gang behind. It was Giggles that left her back a patchwork of scars, though the divine blessings of Shelyn reduced them to little more than white lines. Her nightmares seem to always begin with his eponymous giggle.


RP Samples: