Balthazar the Blind's page

Archimedes CR –
Owl (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 132)
N Tiny magical beast (animal)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +10
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 16, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +1 natural, +2 size)
hp 4 (1d8)
Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +4
Defensive Abilities improved evasion
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
Melee 2 talons +5 (1d4-2)
Space 2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 6, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 6, Wis 15, Cha 6
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 9
Feats Weapon Finesse
[b]Skills Acrobatics +3 (-5 to jump), Fly +7, Perception +10, Spellcraft -1, Stealth +15; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Stealth
SQ empathic link
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Empathic Link (Su) You have an empathic link with your master.
Fly (60 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.
Share Spells Spells with a target of "You" can be delivered by a familiar with a range of touch.

A lean Taldan male in his late forties, Balthazar has the look of a man of good breeding and a somewhat negligent attitude towards personal care. His greying dark hair is shoulder length and unruly, and his marked chin is often shaded by salt-and-pepper stubbles. Dark spectacles cover his steel blue eyes. He usually wears a sturdy deep green cloak over his travel robes, with multiple pouches, a scroll case and a dagger hanging from his broad leather belt.

All of his gear and clothes are of excellent quality, but worn and poorly maintained, as Balthazar mainly relies on a prestidigitation now and again to keep them clean. While travelling, he carries a quarterstaff, which he sometimes uses to orient himself when his ailing vision fails him.

His trusty familiar Archimedes, a large grey-brown Taldan Eagle-owl, is rarely far away, often riding on his shoulder or soaring above.

Intellectually sharp, Balthazar is able to absorb knowledge at an impressive level. His upbringing and years of study has instilled him with focus and discipline, but he is temperamental and frequently suffers from mood swings, wild outbursts and fits of depression.

His poor eyesight plays a significant role in this, as Balthazar is keenly aware of the limitations his disability entail. He longs to once more be able to look out over the wide swept Taldan landscape as he did in his youth, taking in the marvels of the world all at once. Instead, a genetic defect coupled with long hours spent reading by candlelight in a dark library has left him nearsighted to the degree that everything beyond a few hundred feet blurs into a chaotic tapestry of hazy shapes and colors.

When his moods are in balance, he is civilized and polite, and fairly pleasant company. His interests are centered around his own person, and he rarely cares about topics like politics or culture.

Balthazar is the only son of a minor Taldan noble family, whose title has long since been rendered meaningless in the chaos of civil war.

Growing up, he was the pride of his parents and dreamt of becoming a knight and take his place in the Taldan chivalry. But as he grew into adolescence, his eyes rapidly began to fail him.

A genetic defect, uncurable by divine magic, left him little recourse in terms of any martial profession. Instead, he turned to study, learning magic through numerous books and tutelage provided by his parents. As a twisted sign of self-loathing, he adopted the moniker Balthazar the Blind, a cruel nickname given by childhood peers long forgotten.

For more than forty years, he has led a solitary life, especially after his parents passed away. Political conflict stripped his family holdings to barely anything, and he now resides alone in a neglected and run-down manor house, with only a couple of elderly servants tending the grounds and his basic needs. While his estate provides him with a modest income, he is close to penniless and unable to fund further studies.

Having exhausted all means of advancing his mastery of magic on his own, he is left with an unappealing choice – either leave his family home in search of greater knowledge and practical experience or remain to live out the rest of his natural life as a bitter and reclusive hermit.

Balthazar is painfully aware of his physical limitations, but he is none the less determined to become an adventurer, destined to obtain greater power or die trying.

More than anything, Balthazar seeks to increase his mastery of magic, especially divination. He hopes to be able to compensate for his poor eyesight through arcane means.