Ayse nodded grimly. Cover or not, the colony's potential loss was disturbing. He agreed with 'Orbius', saying, "It does seem it would be better to investigate with a smaller group first."
Search Posts
Ayse looked up from the map he was studying for the dozenth time, putting his spectacles away in a vest pocket. It had been a long trip for the scholarly elf; he'd appreciated the relatively quiet time to study, naturally, but he also itched to be practicing his magic. Unfortunately, Elias Sonelle wasn't nearly the spellcaster Ayse himself was, and he feared giving away his persona. A piece of trouble might give him the excuse he needed to "learn" a few new skills, so he somewhat eagerly folded up the map and moved over to listen closer.
Whoops, I apologize for my absence here. This is the only game I'm in on this forum at the moment, and sometime during the long break I stopped checking in on Paizo. Sorry, I hope it's not too weird to jump back in!
Ayse gave a rueful half-smile, replying, "Not as much in either as I might like to claim, I'm afraid, but I am not completely inexperienced. I've spent some time in the Mwangi Expanse, while apprenticed to a senior researcher. My tasks at that time extended to maintaining base camp, and I also assisted with organizing tasks for the adventurers hired for the expedition. As I said, nothing too extensive, but I can handle myself in the field, and wrangling a group of independent individuals is nothing new to me."
Real life takes precedence, as always. Hope your other work is going well. In the meantime, my own unfortunate delay coincides rather well with this one, letting me jump back in before things roll forward!
Ayse offered the elderly man a flourishing bow, Varisian style. "Elias Sonelle, at your service, your honor. I am a researcher specializing in Thassilon. I booked passage here the moment I heard of the second expedition to Azlant - I was unfortunate enough to miss the first, and I knew Lady Luck would not be so unkind as to allow me to miss a second opportunity to participate in an expedition so close to my field of study."
The Seneschal to Codwin I, hm? Taking a roundabout route to the Citadel, Ayse used the time to casually review what he knew of the gentry in this part of the world in his mind. While he was confident that his skills would earn him a place in the expedition, knowing a few details about the interviewer to try and play on couldn't hurt anything.
He pursed his lips slightly in frustration; the nobility was not his strongest area of study, and he mentally reprimanded himself for neglecting it. Ah, well. Natural talent it is, then.
Just dotting so I don't forget to keep checking in.
Already in the midst of skimming through one of his many journals, Ayse blinked and tossed Spectrum an almost incredulous look at the unexpected thanks, then shook his head and smiled, returning his gaze to the pages as he replied lightly, "Naturally. I'll be needing a proper sounding board for my findings on this trip, after all." He turned quickly through the slim volume, examining details of the worship of Desna he should remind himself of; regular rituals, common oaths, any details that would help lend verisimilitude to his portrayal of Elias Sonelle. He would look into the man personally later, but one had to start somewhere.
Per level or one extra spell at variable level per day? My assumption was a Page would add the spell in said Page to your list of spells prepared for the day, much like they add to a Sorcerer's spells known. Ayse, for instance, would probably try to pick up a Page for a spell or two he's almost always going to want to have available; Mage Armor, for instance.
I really enjoyed that little questionnaire! Quietly arrogant characters are always such fun to write. Question for the future: How do we feel about Arcanists and Pages of Spell Knowledge? I'm pretty sure that they let Arcanists have an extra spell prepared for the day, but there does seem to be a little contention on that point.
First Interview: What kind of experience do you have studying objects and structures recovered by excavation to identify, date, and authenticate them and to interpret their significance? Ayse looked momentarily uncomfortable. He hesitantly replies, "Beg pardon, but do you mean what sort of experience, or how much?" All but Master Shaine give him a blank stare, and he hastily clarifies, "It's simply that calculating the amount of time I have spent studying, say, Azlant or Osirion culture, or magical versus mundane techniques, field work as opposed to laboratory research...it may take a moment to appropriately cross-reference if you'd like me to be exact." Shaine clears his throat, and Ayse turns a quizzical gaze to the Master of Scrolls, then blinks. "Oh! Not literally. Yes, of course." Turning back to the room at large, he says simply, "Since graduating from the Arcanamirium Academy, my main field of study has been archaeology. If there are any other recruits in the Society with my level of expertise in this area, I haven't met them." What skills do you possess that would be an asset to a colony with no readily available resources? "I have some experience living in the wild, and of course, I have mastered several arcane techniques that are useful in virtually any given situation." Provide an example of a time when you successfully organized a diverse group of people to accomplish a task. "The most relevant example might be during the expedition I traveled with to the edge of the Mwangi Expanse, very near the Shackles. We were attempting to determine the origin of...well. I suppose that's irrelevant. We encountered what I believe to have been a bog nixie. Two of our number were ensorcelled by its song, and attempted to throw themselves into the swamp to follow it. I identified the effect and coordinated our allies in restraining them and stopping their ears with earplugs we fashioned from the inner bark of an indigenous tree." What experiences have you had surviving in tropical climates? "Depending on what you consider tropical, I've been on at least one expedition to such a place; the expedition to the Expanse I mentioned earlier, for instance. It is not my field of expertise, but I am aware of the basic steps necessary to ensure survival, if usually not comfort." Share an experience you had in dealing with a difficult person and how you handled the situation. Ayse's eyebrow twitches slightly. "Spec...that is, Llevyn Dawnsea and I were asked to coordinate on the majority of our projects at the Arcanamirium. Our methods are...dissimilar, and we have strong opinions about the strengths of those methods. It was a complicated situation. Complexity, however, can be a strength in itself. We found that ultimately, our differing processes almost invariably led to a stronger solution." Tell us how you organize, plan, and prioritize your work. Ayse excitedly launches into a complex system of priority rankings and formulae for determining what current tasks require precedence. He has charts. Name a time when you identified strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions to problems. What was the impact that your insights had? "My approach to wizardry has always been unconventional. I was taught the traditional methods of spellcasting from a very young age, but I always found them somewhat limiting. My experimentation has proven fruitful, naturally; I can cast a spell I have memorized as many times as my power can support, and additionally, memorize new spells in the field with only a moment's concentration. While it is a relatively new discipline, the masters at the Arcanamirium have taken to calling those of us who use a more flexible approach arcanists." In your experience, what is the key to developing a good team? "A strong leader, a tactical advisor, and a diverse array of skill sets." How are you affiliated with the Pathfinder Society? "I am assistant to Venture-Captain Kreighton Shaine. I joined the Society nearly a year ago in the hopes of the opportunity to closely study some of the more exotic locales Pathfinders visit in the course of their duties." As you will NOT be able to answer the previous question truthfully in the interview at Almas, explain how and why you are qualified to be accepted on this Expedition for reasons that have nothing to do with your Society Affiliation. "In addition to my talents as an arcanist and archaeologist, I have, over the last few decades, explored virtually every known profession and field of academic study. Without exaggeration, I can speak with relative authority on any subject known to the civilized world." Provide a time when you were able to identify a complex problem, evaluate the options, and implement a solution. "Ah...the most recent example that comes to mind, I should perhaps confer with Venture-Captain Shaine before divulging, as it involves one of his-" The Master of Scrolls waves a hand dismissively, and the other interviewers roll their eyes and proceed with the next question. Finally, why do YOU want to be a part of this Expedition? "Azlant was one of the strongest empires the world has ever seen, and yet we know next to nothing about the truth of it. It represents one of Golarion's greatest mysteries. I would be there as we start to solve it."
Prologue & Spectrum:
Absently, Ayse slowly brings the fingertips of one hand together and quickly spreads them apart, his lips forming a nearly silent plosive.
Ayse's platter contains a precise selection of carefully separated foods, which he sets down at a table near the wall of the Great Hall. He exchanges a few pleasantries with a few of the other nearby hopefuls, but his mind is clearly far away in Azlant on the upcoming expedition. After a few moments, he shakes his head and tries to focus. Speculation would do no good, of course - more experienced adventurers than he had speculated on the wonders of the ancient kingdom and come up with nothing. Better to pay attention to the here and now and observe potential teammates. He turns to the nearby group, waiting for a convenient moment to introduce himself.
Knowledge History. Cool, thanks! ...Hm. I wonder if I can justify Ayse not having real ranks in History. Maybe after first level the ioun stone helps get him confused/lazy. Sure, I'll buy that.
Hey hey, glad to be under way! A few little questions before things get really swinging: 1) Does the Intelligence bonus from my Scion Ioun Stone come with an associated phantom skill rank in something? If so, what? 2) Where do we stand on using starting funds (little though they be) to buy a few more spells known, as if copying from another caster, per the rules here? If that's not kosher, I'll end up with a few more odds and ends, no big, but it would be nice to flesh out my spellbook a bit. 3) You can't just use Linguistics to pick up Azlanti, correct? 'cause I totally will if that's a thing. 4) Finally: Is it too late to change my gestalt class? We don't seem to have a Delver in our little group here, and I'd be glad to fill that niche. I'm fine sticking with Chronicler (ye gods Deep Pockets is entertaining), but a little more diversification doesn't seem like it'll hurt us.
Prologue: Ayse's attention turns toward the door and he immediately had the strangely familiar sensation of having to fight down both a grin and the urge to roll his eyes. His head inclines to Spectrum in acknowledgement; they hadn't had the chance to speak yet since he'd heard the younger elf had also joined the Society. He'd meant to, of course, but working with Shaine there always seemed to be just one more errand to run, page to turn, or device to unclog. He hadn't yet managed to decipher any real pattern to which errands the venerable Master of Scrolls considered truly important and which were simply busy work; so far as he could tell, to Kreighton Shaine, there was no such thing as an insignificant detail.
Ayse blinks, realizing he'd gotten caught up in his own thoughts while the Master greeted Llevyn. He quickly runs back the greeting in his mind; convince him? Hm. That was slightly unexpected... His head tilted slightly in quizzical challenge to his fellow novice, as if to say, Don't prove me wrong.
What he said. No rush, we'll keep paying attention!
ST Shadow: Originally, I'd thought Ayse was simply handed the Wayfinder by Kreighton Shaine as a sort of "It's dangerous to go alone, take this" moment, but it occurs to me something like the following scene might be more apropos.
-------------------------------------- Ayse turned the box over in his hands one more time, his eyes narrowed in concentration. It was a simple thing, a cube of smooth wood a foot across, carved with rustic scenes from children's stories. Venture-Captain Shaine had handed the apparent toy off to him with the muttered comment about uses hiding in the simplest things, then wandered off to pursue one of his many projects. Over the last few months, Ayse had come to respect the Master of Scrolls's apparently off-hand comments, understanding that Kreighton Shaine very rarely spoke without intent, although the meaning might not be clear to lesser minds. With the expedition to Azlant looming ever closer, he assumed there was some bit of knowledge or clue that Shaine wanted him to find hiding somewhere in the box's designs. True, he had been examining the piece for the better part of two hours with no success, but when it came to unraveling a puzzle, Ayse had the patience of a stone. He ran his fingers over one of the carven figures, one that held up a pitifully small blade against a great and terrible beast. Examining the box's six scenes had only taken Ayse a few minutes, of course, but as he explored each of them more closely, more interesting details continued to reveal themselves to him. For instance, at this moment, he found that the little hero's blade had a symbol worn into it; just the faintest depression in the wood, nothing that an ordinary gaze would detect. He closed his eyes and traced the edges of it with sensitive fingers...yes, definitely an Iomedaean sunburst. That would certainly explain how the hero could be expected to stand up to the charging beast; apparently, he was some sort of paladin. Ayse paused a moment, something about this last discovery hitting a chord in his memory. He flipped the box over to the opposite scene, wherein a figure was opening a chest filled with treasure. He leaned in, examining the tiny rivets on the box's lid, and smiled to himself as he noted an irregularity to the pattern that he recognized as one of Master Shaine's simplest ciphers. Retrieving a small wire from his belt, he pressed the little rivets in a particular order and was rewarded by the chest's lid swinging wide as if it were more than a mere carving, but it kept going, spiraling out like an iris until the entire side of the little box was open. Inside, there was a small stone circle set with two gemstones. Ayse's eyes went wide as he recognized the unmistakable gleam of true ioun stones, and he took the Wayfinder (as it clearly must be) reverently from the box, speeding off to find the Master of Scrolls.
Alrighty then, just under the wire - Viscount K here, submitting Aysalith "Ayse" Iandain; Amateur Archaeologist, Apprentice Arcanist, and Assistant...uh...Pathfinder Chronicler. He's a knowledge monster and general skill savant, with a sideline in trapfinding/disabling. I've probably mislabeled a few numbers and whatnot here and there (sorry, I was in a bit of a hurry!) and his equipment isn't yet done, but the core of the character is ready to rock, with most of his numbers solidly in place. You may notice some references to Doomed Hero's character Spectrum here - we've been chatting about how the two might interact, and anything that doesn't quite fit between their backgrounds at the moment we're finessing out. On the battlefield, we figure I'll shape the battlefield into a design more pleasing to his waves of death. |