Man in Battle

Calcedon's page

483 posts. Alias of Oterisk.


Full Name

Calcedon Andoricus Macarte Fordyce

Race

Human

Classes/Levels

Bard 6 (Chelish Diva) HP: 46/46, AC 23/11/22, F+4 R+6 W+5, Per +5, Init +1

Gender

M

Size

M (6'3)

Age

19

Special Abilities

Bardic Performance, Spells, Famous

Alignment

NG

Deity

Shelyn

Strength 14
Dexterity 12
Constitution 14
Intelligence 10
Wisdom 10
Charisma 20

About Calcedon

Calcedon Andoricus Macarte Fordyce
Human Bard (Chelish Deva)

Crunch:

Str 14, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 20

Attacks: MW Longsword, +7 1d8+2 (+2 Arcane Strike) damage
Bardic Performance 19/19 rounds

Traits : Love Lost: Orphaned (+2 (untyped bonus) to Perform String)
Inner Beauty (+4 to Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy or Perform, 1/day)
Racial Traits: Focused Study

Feats : 1 Skill Focus: Perform (String), Prodigy (String, Sing), 3 Lingering Performance, Arcane Strike

Skills : Disguise = 17, Knowledge: (Local, History, Nobility)= 9, Perform: (Act, Oratory) =17, (Sing) = 19, (String) = 26(30 1/day), Perception= 9, UMD =17

Spells: 0th- DC 15 Dancing Lights, Daze, Mending, Ghost Sound, Summon Instrument
1st- 0/6 used DC 16 Cure Light Wounds, Chord of Shards, Tap Inner Beauty (Triple Time)
2nd- 0/5 used DC 17 Cure Moderate Wounds, Eagle's Splendor, Heroism, (Pageant of the Peacock)

Gear: MW Violin 100g, Parade Armor 25g, Dagger 2g, Longsword +1 2315g, Alchemical Silver Light Mace 25g,+2 Breastplate 4350, +2 Darkwood Heavy Shield 4227g, Ioun Torch 50g, Circlet of Persuasion 4500, 349 g


History:

Calcedon was the only son of the Forsythe family in Korvosa. His father, who was involved in the military of Korvosa fell in love with a bard from Cheliax, and despite his better judgment, as well as those around him, he married her. Their only child grew up amidst a very turbulent home life in the east shore district, with his parents fighting and making up nearly every day. He learned to play the violin at an early age, and he used it to escape from his surroundings and vent his feelings and frustrations. Locking himself in his room, he played constantly, and it was hard to get him outside, but one of the servant girls could usually do it. Her name was Kailani, of Varisian heritage, and was just a year older than him. She had a marvelous singing voice, and they often were creating beautiful music together.

All was not terrible at his house though. He did his best to be a good son for his parents, as they longed to make House Forsythe one of the great houses again. If it were not for his great grandfather's problems with gambling, they might be still. His father was well known in the Order of the Nail, and when his parents were not fighting, he was doted on by his mother who would teach him all of the Chelish Operas that she knew. They would get the servants together and perform for father and a very disinterested grandfather, and perhaps a few family friends. Although these times were precious to little Cal, violin remained his first love.

By the time he was 10, he was incredibly good at playing his violin and was performing in parlors around the city, much to the delight of his parents. It was said that he outplayed many of the masters and he was considered a treasure at the Temple of Shelyn, where he received more instruction in how to play and learned to play ensembles and small orchestras as well. He was intended to play several major concerts to which the entire city would be invited to hear, but that was until his parents died. For some reason, they were in Old Korvosa and they were mugged and killed in an alleyway. Calcedon stayed home and poured his grief into his violin, and he made it clear he would not perform in public until he was done mourning.

His uncle moved up from Cheliax to watch over the boy until he could take over the estate. He was cruel, and greedy. He dismissed the servants, including Kailani and brought in new ones, who would do what he said regardless of how awful it was. His uncle was a cleric of Zon-Kuthon, and would torture himself and others in the house, and would do horrendous things to Calcedon, things that do do not bear repetition. His ancestral home became an alien world, full of darkness and madness.

His uncle made him play violin all the time, and made him do concerts, exploiting him for money. Eventually Calcedon quit playing his violin, for it no longer brought him joy or relief. His uncle beat him repeatedly, but he would not change his mind about playing. Disgusted, his uncle cut off two of his fingers then enrolled him in the Hellknight academy nearby. The exhaustion of the warriors training followed by the near nightly torture warped Calcedon's mind, and he also became cruel. He wouldn't hold back when training with other boys, and would often wander the streets instead of going home, spreading misery wherever he went.

He graduated from the academy, and spent the next week partying furiously in Old Korvosa with a few Hellknight aspirants. Then one morning he woke up and found someone strangely familiar who had suffered his cruelty the night before, his childhood friend Kailani. Filled with remorse for the only one still alive who had ever shown him kindness, he picked her up and ran to the temple of Sheyln. He stayed there for a year in hiding, doing self imposed penance, and learning all he could. He picked up the violin again and was a welcome addition to those that stayed there. He did have to relearn the violin, as his missing fingers kept him from playing like he used to, but he could play left handed, and was able to regain some of his lost skill.

After a year he sought to bring about the beauty of music that had healed his wounded heart to his wounded city. He spent some time with the city watch, and visited his old friends from the order of the nail, making amends and reestablishing his new purpose. It wasn't long before he went back to his father's home and brought the guard with him. He exposed the atrocities his uncle was performing and had him arrested, and he was later executed for his crimes, although Calcedon would visit him often in prison before his sentence was out and play the violin for his uncle to give him some solace before he went to answer to the Dark Prince. He has filled his house with aspiring artists, as well as his old friend Kailani, who had had a baby in the last year, and was found to be his with some divination help from the temple. He never touched her since, but gave her the best treatment and has showered her with gifts.

He still goes out into the streets but this time, he goes to spread goodwill and joy. He is fond of handing out simple wooden flutes to any beggars he meets, or chalk to poor children to encourage the arts and for them to find and make beauty wherever they are.

Personality and Description:

Calcedon is overly kind as a default, but is quick to arms to protect his friends or the innocent from harm. He loves to play his violin than do much of anything else, but he also very personable and dismisses or devalues no person. He is generally very likable and is quite attractive but he is currently keeping himself celibate because of the guilt of his past actions which he believes he has yet to atone for. He's a humble, soft spoken man who has seen far more than his own share of troubles for a person not yet twenty.

He is about 6'3, blonde and good looking with dark brown eyes. He has his ring and middle fingers missing on his left hand and long scars on his arms if they are seen, as well as a few others that might not be readily seen. He wears a showy leather armor that is particular to his house and carries a sword and shield for protection and is hardly ever seen without a violin case.

Relationships:

Due to his background, Calcedon is well aquainted with various nobility, lawmen and has an understanding of those in the Order of the Nail. Due to his desertion from the Hellknight order, they do not hold him in very high esteem as a rule, but with some of the lower ranked of them he might still have some sympathy. The Nobility see him as an entertainer from a fallen house, some treat him poorly, but others hold him in relatively high esteem, even if he can't play as well left handed. He has the closest relationships with the City Watch, and even knows a judge or two well due to the conviction of his uncle, which created a bit of a stir in the justice system.

His strongest relationships currently are with the troubadors and artists of the city who reside in his estate and his childhood friend Kailani. I haven't really fleshed out how exactly she feels toward him, and he treats her very well, he has not tried anything romantically with her despite perhaps both their feelings because of his guilt. His child is also well cared for, but he maintains his distance at this time. He is unsure if he should be forgiven. I want to keep the whole thing up in the air and let it unfold naturally during the campaign.

Buildings and Teams:

Dock
(1 Animal Pen, 1 Dock, 1 Office, 2 Storages)
+24 to Downtime checks to earn Gold
+20 to Downtime checks to earn Goods or Labor Capital
+12 to Downtime checks to earn Influence Capital

Estate, Exterior
(1 Statue, 1 Stall, 1 Sewer Access) [1 Courtyard, 23 Gozren]
+9 to Downtime Checks to earn Gold
+8 to Downtime Checks to earn Goods
+1 to Downtime Checks to earn Influence
+8 to Downtime Checks to earn Labor

Totals per day unattended
4.3 gold per day or
3 Goods or
2 Influence or
3 Labor

Capital: 4 Goods, 1 Influence, 9 Labor
Dock Strongbox: 14.5

GM Notes and Questions:
Being from house Fordyce is an interesting thing, it's a house that isn't a great house, but it it sort of well known. I've done some research concerning it, and this is what I've found and how I've tried to put the story together:

The History of House Fordyce (what is in the guide)

*Cousins war happened in 4502-3
*House Zenderholm replaced Fordyce 30 years after arrival in Korvosa as a great house.
*House Zenderholm participated in the Cousins' war
*House Fordyce became a great house in at the earliest in 4551 after the breaching festival granted fame and fortune to the family.
*House Fordyce retained their title as a great house for a century.

My inventions of the history of House Fordyce

*House Fordyce was originally a great house but lost their holdings because of the cousins war. They regained their status after the breaching festival.

*They were able to repurchase their holdings in the East bank region from house Jeggare as well as use of the two docks nearest their new abode.

*They lost the Great House title around 4652 when Calcedon's father lost interest in politics, and pledged himself and his sons to the Hellknights instead.

*The Fordyce Estates are currently used and maintained by artists and troubadours who Calcedon has let in. He has several servants in charge who keep the unruly mob from destroying anything and encourage them to practice their craft. The upkeep of these vagrants is equal to all of the income of House Fordyce, leaving Calcedon very little to live on. (This basically leaves him with no in game boon to finances despite being technically the head of a house.)

Previous Incarnation:

Str 17, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 18

Attacks: Longsword, +4 1d8+3 damage
Bardic Performance 5/10 rounds

Traits : Inner Beauty (+4 to Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy or Perform, 1/day)
Love Lost: Orphaned (+2 (untyped bonus) to Perform String)
Lost Nobility: (+1 to attack and damage nobility from my home)
Racial Traits: Focused Study

Feats 1 Skill Focus: Perform (String), Prodigy (String, Sing)

Skills : Appraise= 6, Knowledge: Local, Nobility= 7 Perform (Act), Dance)= 9 , Perform (Sing)= 11 , Perform (String) = 16(20 1/day), Perception= 5

Spells: 0th- DC 14 Daze, Ghost Sound, Mending, Message, Summon Instrument
1st- DC 15 Cure Light Wounds, Chord of Shards, Timely Inspiration

Gear: 14 GP 5 silver, 3 gold bars (100g each), Parade Armor 25g, Heavy Wooden Shield 7g, Dagger 2g, Longsword 15g, Bard’s Kit 41g