About Caia TopeshtenickBackground:
Caia Topeshtenick's parents were successful merchants in the town of Port Ice, on the far north edge of Brevoy. That didn't help her much, however; no matter how much they may have appreciated her parents' wares, the only gnomes in an otherwise human city were bound to draw attention, and not in a good way. When she went to school, her classmates would tease her for her short, slight stature and her long ears. As she walked home or played with her sisters outside her parents' shipping office, some children would take it a step farther, grabbing her toys and playing monkey-in-the-middle over her head, until she was sobbing for them to stop. --------------- So she took matters into her own hands. She already possessed an innate hardiness and endurance, and she pushed it to the limit. She ran until she could run no longer; she offered to help with unloading her parents' ships, using the heavy supplies as training tools to increase her strength; she would build obstacle courses in her backyard and duck and dodge through until the sun went down. One day, as she carried a large sack of grain to a shelf, a foot suddenly appeared in her path. Its owner, Julius Surtova, expected to get a laugh from tripping her up; what he got was a surprise, as she deftly dodged the obstruction and turned on him, grabbing a plank of wood from a stack next to her. Years of pent-up frustration finally vented, and by the time she was finished, he sported bruises everywhere from the waist down, and ran whimpering from the store. Of course, no one else heard her insistence that Julius had started the altercation; all they saw was a crazy little hellion that had finally snapped, daring to turn on the fourth in line to the Brevoy throne. Caia was fined and sentenced to a day in the stocks, forced to listen to everyone's jeering and mocking in impotent rage. As she was released, whispers and sidelong glances followed her everywhere she went. She knew that the events of that day would follow her for the rest of her life if she stayed in Port Ice. So that night, she left a note on her pillow, a pile of coin on the baliff's counter, and a cloud of swirling snowflakes in her wake. --------------- She met up with a circus caravan on the road and followed them to their next stop, offering to work as a porter to earn her keep. As she helped to set up the tents, she heard a series of barks and whimpers from the next wagon. Curious, she peeked into the enclosure. She saw a mother wolf with a small cub, and a trainer flicking a whip mercilessly at them, goading them into a tiny pen. Rushing in, she chided the trainer and began to soothe the nervous canines. She calmed them and guided them into the pen with a gentle hand, only to feel a lash across her back as she began to turn away. She turned toward him, an angry light in her eyes. "You've got some talent with the beasts, it's true," the trainer snarled. "But don't you interfere with my handling again. You can't coddle them; they have to fear you in order to listen to you. The lash is their best teacher." The next morning, he found only a note in the pen. Cruel words and a lash didn't dominate them, and it won't dominate me. Perhaps if you'd tried comradeship instead of intimidation, things would have worked out better for you. --------------- Caia and the wolf mother and cub walked, and walked, and walked, roaming through miles of trackless woodland, avoiding settlements for fear that the Surtovas would make things difficult. As they traveled, the mother wolf seemed almost to begin regarding Caia as a strange hairless puppy. She did most of the hunting, bringing her kills back to camp for her brood, and with time, Caia and the pup both learned to hunt under her guidance. Lacking the claws and teeth her traveling mates favored, she fashioned a sturdy tree limb into a long spear, using it as she surrounded and outflanked prey with the pup as her partner. A wild cat that leaped into camp one night looking for an easy meal became dinner itself, along with becoming several days' worth of dried meat and a new set of armor for Caia. An aurochs skeleton found near the road became a shield, strapped to her arm like Caia had seen the Shoanti guards of the circus caravan wear. They traveled this way until they came across a curious sight - a grove of trees that had grown in strange paths, angling toward each other and meeting in a high point. Leafy vines grew and interwove between the framework of trees, creating the effect of a giant tent. As Caia wondered at the strange sight, she suddenly saw a small figure emerge from the structure, clad in a simple robe, with a hulking ape at its side. "Greetings, stranger," the figure called out. "What brings you here?" Caia realized the speaker was another gnome - the first gnome she had ever seen that wasn't a member of her own family, and the first speech she had heard in months. She nodded her head respectfully and answered, the words feeling strange on her tongue after so long. "Just looking for somewhere else to be. What is this place? Who are you?" "You may call me Abroshtagar," he replied. "We are in a druidic circle, a place where we revere the spirits of nature and learn to listen to their guidance." He nodded toward the wolves at Caia's side. "You seem to have developed a closeness already. The three of you appear to be running from something - could this be where you were meant to run to?" --------------- Caia began her studies with the Wildwood druids of the Verduran Forest. She quickly grew to admire their wisdom and magical talent, and they in turn wondered at the closeness she had already developed with her wolf friends. The night of the first full moon after her arrival, Caia and the wolves were called to the ritual circle in the center of the druids' enclave. The trio sat on the elaborate symbol inside the ring, and the druids of the enclave began to weave around them in a complex dance, chanting in the strange language Caia had heard them use before, but had never understood. Abroshtagar joined them in the center, and began to speak in a soft, but powerful voice. Place your hands on your friends' chests, he instructed. Feel their hearts beat beneath your hand; hear the breath enter and leave their throats; look into their eyes. As Caia followed her mentor's directions, she began to sink into a deep reverie, only dimly aware of the dance beyond. She had never felt so close to anyone as she felt toward the wolves who had protected and cared for her, and she became lost in admiration for their strength, their cunning, their unity. And then Abroshtagar joined his voice to the chants of the circle, shouting in a loud, almost bestial voice. Mae'r creaduriaid yn cael eu ymuno mewn bond sanctaidd, ac yn dwyn i mewn dirgelion ryfeddodau natur. A oes unrhyw un o'r gwrthrych cylch? Druidic: These creatures are to be joined in a sacred bond, and brought into the mysteries of the wonders of nature. Does any of the circle object? The chants of the druids rose to a clamor, and Caia heard growls, barks, hisses, and roars among the speech as the noise rose, then receded. Abroshtagar smiled. Yna gadewch iddo gael ei wneud. Then let it be done. His shouted chants rose until Caia could hear nothing else. Then he spoke a final word, and though Caia knew he had spoken in the strange Druidic language, she found that suddenly his final cry was clear in her mind. JOIN US! At this, the circle's chants ceased as well, and in the silence, Caia's senses began to change. The dim torchlight suddenly seemed brighter to her eyes; she heard the breaths of the other druids as if they stood next to her; the night came alive with the scents of smoke, pine needles, and myriad beasts as she had never smelled them before. She looked into the eyes of mother and pup, and understood. Yes, Abroshtagar said, smiling. You and your wolves are one now - their emotions yours, your feelings theirs. Their senses are yours to share also, when you wish it. Remember, Caia. These creatures are not pets or servants. They are your friends, your family. Your pack. Cherish that bond. --------------- The wolves sat next to the roaring fire to make sure their charge could ward off the night's chill. Caia sat sprawled on the mother's back, stroking between her ears. Kalla? she chirped, then shook her head. No, you're right, that's not it. Dena? The mother wolf let out a short breath as if in disapproval, and Caia laughed. No, not right either, not at all. How about...Doreah? The mother wolf let out a short bark, and her ears perked forward. Doreah it is, then. Caia roughly scratched between the mother's ears, then rolled off her back. And as for you... She suddenly pounced toward the pup lounging belly up next to the fire. The two began to wrestle and fight, and Caia gave a short loving nip to his neck as she came out the victor of the tussle. You're going to have to get better than that, Tavi, if you don't want to keep getting beat by a human. With a smile, she gave the pup one more rough bout of petting, then turned as she heard footsteps. Abroshtagar smiled at the trio. Well met, then, Doreah, Tavi, he said, bowing to each wolf, then turning to Caia. I have a task for the three of you, if you will. A chance to test yourselves. There is a town south of here called Heldren, near the Inner Sea. They have been experiencing some strange anomalies lately - unusual pockets of wintry weather, with no apparent cause that they can tell. Most of these acolytes have hardly even seen snow - mention the word and suddenly they're all at critical points in their studies, couldn't possibly leave. He briefly gives an exasperated smile. But being from the far north yourselves, the three of you seem far more accustomed to it. Can I ask you to go witness these events for yourselves? Caia looked to her pack, then gave a quick nod to them and turned back to the old gnome. You've done so much for us already; how can we say no?
Appearance and Personality:
Caia stands 3'4" tall and weighs 36 pounds. With her light blonde hair and ruddy, tanned complexion, she could almost pass as a human child, except for the long, pointed ears and overlarge, expressive eyes. She is usually seen wearing a simple green robe topped with the skin of a wild cat, fashioned into a suit of durable hide armor. She is rarely seen without her pack, a pair of wolves she has befriended. Doreah, the female, is the larger of the two, while Tavi, the male, is smaller, still bearing signs of youth. Caia is almost wolf-like in her interactions with the pair - she can often be found play-fighting with Tavi in her free time, and when the three hunt together, they show all the speed and synchronicity of a more ordinary pack. Caia's personality has been shaped a great deal by the wolves - she tends to see social interactions as a complex determination of power and status. She retains enough, however, from her childhood working with her parents in their shipping business to engage in more traditional diplomacy, as well as her memory of the Skald and Hallit languages from her interactions with traders. Although her strange garb and mannerisms can be somewhat off-putting to some, her child-like appearance and natural charm help her at least to avoid too many difficulties in normal society. In combat, however, is where her more bestial tendencies shine. When a fight starts, it becomes the law of the jungle for her - kill or be killed. She uses a short carved spear as a weapon and an aurochs skull as a shield, the horns serving as ferocious spikes in a pinch. The weapon, shield, and hide armor were all cobbled together during her travels through Brevoy and the River Kingdoms, made from findings along their path. Doreah works with her to harry their foes from both sides, and together they fiercely attack their enemies, leaving none behind to threaten them again. Caia's upbringing in the town of Port Ice, a port town on the northern edge of Brevoy, has left her quite accustomed to cold weather, and her flight from Brevoy after an altercation with the heir of House Surtova and the liberation of her pack mates forced her to learn quickly how to survive in the wild. She has learned a great deal from her mentors among the Wildwood druids in the Verduran Forest of Taldor as well. Their guidance has helped her to begin learning the rudiments of nature magic, and they were the ones who helped to strengthen the bond between Caia, Doreah, and Tavi to an empathic level. Caia already had a special fondness for animals before meeting Doreah and Tavi. After meeting and growing close to them, then happening upon the Wildwood druids, druidism was a natural path for Caia. She also likes that her friends help to make up for her small size - she's been picked on before, and knows that the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. Religion in the traditional, organized sense is not a big part of Caia's life - the informal veneration of and symbiosis with the spirits of the natural world is more where her faith lies. Caia is on her way to Heldren at the behest of her mentor Abroshtagar, to look into the strange weather occurrences there. As for Irrisen - well, she hasn't gotten that far yet, but any signs of unnatural weather manipulation connected to Irrisen will certainly raise her hackles. She is at her core good-natured, and wants to use her skills to help others, and the chance to test her skills and broaden her pack's experience is an opportunity not to be missed.
Basics:
Name Caia Topeshtenick Basics Female Gnome Pack lord druid 1 Alignment, Size, Type NG Small humanoid (gnome) Speed 15 feet Senses:
Initiative +2 (+2 DEX) Perception +9 (1 rank, +3 WIS, +3 class skill, +2 racial) Special senses: Low-light vision Defenses:
AC 18 (touch 13, flat-footed 16) (+2 dex, +4 armor, +1 shield, +1 size) HP 11 Fortitude +6 (+2 class, +3 CON, +1 trait) Reflex +3 (+0 class, +2 DEX, +1 trait) Will +5 (+6) (+2 class, +3 WIS; +1 trait when animal is within 30 feet) Offenses:
Melee attacks Shortspear +4 (+3 STR, +1 size) (1d4+3/x2) Ranged attacks
Statistics:
Strength: 16 STR +3 Dexterity: 14 DEX +2 Constitution: 16 CON +3 Intelligence: 12 INT +1 Wisdom: 16 WIS +3 Charisma: 12 CHA +1 Base Attack Bonus: +0
Traits:
Northern Ancestry: +1 to Fortitude saves, cold resistance 2 Deft Dodger: +1 to Reflex saves Animal Friend: +1 to Will saves as long as Tiny-or-larger at-least-indifferent animal is within 30 feet Cruelty (drawback): if there are dying or helpless foes within 30 feet, take -2 on attacks against non-dying, non-helpless foes
Feats:
Boon Companion: increase effective druid level by 4 for abilities of animal companion, up to a maximum of character Hit Dice (Doreah) Skills:
(5/level; 4 class, 1 INT, 0 race, 2 background) Bluff +2 (+1 CHA, +1 racial)
Armor check penalty: -4
Languages:
Common, Gnome, Sylvan, Dwarven, Skald, Hallit Racial Characteristics:
Gift of Tongues: +1 to Bluff and Diplomacy, one additional language learned for every point in Linguistics (replaces defensive training and hatred) Fey Thoughts: Sense Motive and Acrobatics class skills (replaces racial weapon familiarity) Illusion Resistance: +2 to saves v. illusions Keen Senses: +2 to Perception Obsessive: +2 to Craft (armor) Gnome Magic: +1 to DC of illusion spells cast, 1/day SLAs (dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation, speak with animals) Low-light vision Favored Class Bonus: energy resistance 1/level (max 10 for any one energy type) - cold resistance 1 Special Abilities:
Weapon/Armor Proficiency: club, dagger, dart, quarterstaff, scimitar, scythe, sickle, shortspear, sling, and spear, all natural attacks (claw, bite, and so forth) of any form assumed with wild shape; light and medium armor, shields (no metal) Pack Bond: may have more than one animal companion (divide up effective druid levels between companions) Improved Empathic Link: empathic bond with all animal companions, can share senses with one companion as swift action (cannot use own senses while sharing senses) Nature Sense: +2 to Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks Wild Empathy: can adjust attitude of animal with 1d20+druid level+CHA check (functions like Diplomacy check to shift attitude) Doreah (wolf animal companion):
Background Doreah was captured by men while carrying her litter of pups and kept in a traveling circus. When she whelped, the other cubs were sold off, leaving her with just one male cub that was made to perform along with her. At one of the stops along their route, a small blonde girl joined the humans, and instantly took to the wolves. For her part, Doreah instantly sensed a positive energy around the girl as well, and when she stopped their trainer's lash, her senses were confirmed. When the girl returned in the dark of night and broke the chain on the wolves' cage, Doreah followed without a second thought, guiding her cub to follow as well. Now, Caia is practically a cub to Doreah, as dear as the cubs that were taken after their birth. Appearance and Personality
Basics
Senses
Defenses
Offenses
Statistics
Base Attack Bonus: +1
Feats
Skills
Special Abilities
Gear/Possessions
Current weight carried: 48 lb Saddlebags (4 gp) (8 lb)
Spells:
Gear/Possessions:
Light load maximum: 57 lb Medium load maximum: 114.75 lb Heavy load maximum: 172.5 lb Lift off ground maximum: 345 lb Drag maximum: 862.5 lb Current weight carried: 31 1/2 lb Money: 19 GP 0 SP 0 CP Shortspear (1 gp) (1 1/2 lb)
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