Cellotan's page

Working on this still. I wanted to mix something that was competent in combat and fun from roleplay perspective. I enjoy the charismatic/dramatic character archetype, so I was happy to try a swashbuckler for the first time. I was really looking at the investigator for a while and decided to multi-class, porbably not the best choice but I think it will be fun to play. I have started with the inspired blade archetype and plan on using sleuth for the investigator. Starting with Fencer's Grace and Combat expertise. I like Butterfly Sting so will pick that up, I see him as creating the opening in an opponent's defenses and letting his teammates exploit the weakness. Obviously the rapier will be the primary weapon I plan to use.

“You see, the thing about Osirian tombs is, they know you’re going to try to break in. Lots of cultures bury their dead with their riches, but you people …. you have to build these grand pyramids it’s like you’re daring us to steal it, so, you know we’re gonna try. This one time I was on a hunt for the Society and it was starting to get intense. I had already made it past all the pit traps and the spike traps, all pretty standard at this point it’s almost insulting to think that would stop me but you know, it keeps the riff raff out. Anyway, past all the traps was the real showstopper, they actually tapped into the elemental plane of earth and had flooded the hallways with lava and “Fire” ….what?” Raimden had lost the place in his story, looked over at his mother not understanding. She frowned, “Fire, the lava came from the elemental plane of fire. If you’re going to tell these stories at last tell them right.” The flock of young girls that had gathered to hear Raimden’s story dispersed and flew away in a flutter of giggles and smiles quickly lost in the hustle and bustle of the Katapeshi marketplace.

“They were just starting to warm up to me too,” it was Raimden’s turn to frown. “It’s hard enough to get used to this city without you running of any girl that takes a minute to listen to me. We don’t all have tales of our heroic thieving for the Pathfinder Society.” “I know you think it was a time of thrilling heroics but there were just as many times where we were in the middle of a s+*&ty desert not sure if we would ever see another drop of water. I lost plenty of friends and I’m lucky that I lived to retire.” Ohra was a short women by most standards, but her presence filled any room she was in. Even here in the crowded market stalls of Katapesh her voice carried to every customer and her smile sealed the deal. The wares she sold at her stall were exotic trinkets from all across the Inner Sea, but she was as approachable as someone you’ve known for years. Raimden carried the same smile but it never felt as genuine as his mother’s.

“Is that why we had to leave Absalom? Because you didn’t want to be reminded of the friends you lost? Or did you just get bored again?” Raimden kept his tone polite but an edge was starting to creep in. “There were many reasons to leave Absalom, but mainly I wanted us to have a fresh start. For so many years you thought I was just a merchant leaving on business when really the Society needed me, now that you know what was happening I wanted for us to spend some time together, make up for the time we’ve lost,” Ohra turned to her son, holding out her arms in an attempt to start making amends. “You could have just left me there, I would have been just fine staying and you didn’t seem to ever have a problem leaving me before,” Raimden threw a stack of silken blackest over his mother’s outstretched arms. The dip in Ohra’s smile was barely perceptible, but he had made the cut and tried to push away the guilt that swelled in.

She had know that trying to rebuild the bond lost between her and her son would be difficult. For years they had lived in Absalom and she had secretly worked for the Pathfinder Society. Every time she would leave the city under the pretense of working as a merchant, she would leave him with this friend or that. It didn’t come as a surprise to any that he would clash with authority and the law repeatedly. Despite that none could say the boy wasn’t smart or cunning, just made it that much sadder for all involved. After a particularly dangerous mission Ohra decided to retire from the society and tell Raimden what had been happening. He was outraged at what he saw as a betrayal of trust and a clear sign that she thought him nothing more than an inconvenience. In the months since then she had moved them to Katapesh and opened a small store selling the exotic trinkets and prizes she had collected over the years. Things were difficult but slowly they were drawing together. Raimden listened to his mother’s tales of her time in the Society and would tell them to the merchants and customers, passing his mother’s achievement’s for his own. She didn’t mind, having found something that was finally brining them together. She thought that she had finally found a way to bring them back together, but fate rarely lets us have our way.

Raimden’s morning had already started of badly. Though he assured the girl’s father that her virtue was still intact he found that the man was still not fond of the stranger in his home. The guards had made that even clearer when they threw him out and suggested that if he was caught again he would leave less of a man then when he entered. He had torn his favorite doublet when he tried to escape through the window, he was half way out and his escape assured when the young girl wrapped herself around his legs and declared her eternal love. He was walking into the market when he saw his mother talking to a man he hadn’t seen before. His mother was good at hiding her emotions behind her famous smile, but he could tell that something was wrong. The man turned to leave as he noticed Raimden’s approach, but Ohra grabbed his hand and held it in a more familiar way then Raimden had ever seen his mother act. The display gave Raimden pause as he walked up to his mother.

Before he could say anything his mother smiled and reached out to greet him. He smiled and returned his mother’s embrace and before he could ask what was wrong, “I think it’s time to move back to Absalom.” Raimden was shocked, he had spent months pleading with his mother to return to the city he grew up in and now she seemed in hurry to go. She had already started to pack together the first crate in his absence. He was left speechless, “Yes, of course that’s what I’ve been saying we should go back.” Suddenly he was energized by his mother’s decision. He started clearing the line of nesting dolls his mother had brought back from Ustalav when he noticed something new that he hadn’t seen in the stall before. He turned to his mother holding up a pair of small silver scorpions set with green gems whose lust and shine seemed to fade in and out. “Are these new? I’ve never seen these jeweled scorpions.” “Scorpions? I don’t….no” the words barely came out of her mouth as she spun in place. Raimden never even saw her throw the knife that tore the first scorpion in two. Before he even realized it his mother had crossed the 20ft from the other side of the stall and slapped the second scorpion from his hand.

He fell to the ground, caught off guard by her sudden display of celerity. The first scorpion lay at his feet torn in two, it’s mechanical legs and tail twitching and a green liquid oozing from it’s body. He had lost sight of the other, he looked up at his mother not understanding what was happening. He looked up into her face and was greeted with a sad smile that instantly crushed his heart. “I’m sorry she whispered. I tried to be a good mother. I just wanted you to be happy …” He still wasn’t comprehending what was happening, did he do something wrong? Were they not going back to Absalom together? Ohra held up her hand and they both could see the green glow starting to run through her veins, the same pulsing glow from the scorpion’s jewels. She fell there, into his arms. Repeating herself, “I just wanted you to be happy.” Raimden called for help and a crowd started to gather around the stall. The green glow flowed through her veins, pulling the skin taunt and leaving a green hue on her fairer skin. Desperately he cried for help as his mother withered in his arms. The man from earlier pushed his way through the crowd and jumped behind the stall beside Raimden. His face was a mix of rage and sorrow. “Help her!” Raimden pleaded. Ohra’s smile was still strangely soothing, even as she wasted away, “No, Raimden. This debt was mine to pay. I pay it gladly so you can live. Promise me, promise me you’ll live for both of us.”

She died there, in his arms. Everic tried to console Raimden that that was the death she wanted. The stranger had introduced himself some time later in the market place. He tried to tell Raimden that he had seen this happen before and that he should brace himself for what would follow. He had appealed to every temple cleric and sage in the city, yet each told him the same thing. The soul would not return to the body, something prevented the divine magics from working on Ohra’s body. Everic held his tongue, seeing the distress that Raimden was in. He had sold off everything in his mother’s shop to pay for the clerics and money was running out. A week later Raimden finally agreed to make preparations for a funeral. Finally, Raimden turned to Everic and addressed him for the first time since when they met, “Who are you and why did this happen?”

Raimden was silent through Everic’s entire story. He told Raimden about Ohra’s last mission for the Society. An expedition to Numeria to steal secrets from a group called the Technic League. Ohra had been chosen to go because she had made contacts there long ago on another mission. Everic didn’t know the details of the mission but he knew that when Ohra returned she was intent on leaving the Society. She had made some concessions to the Society in exchange for their help in disappearing from Absalom. Everic was the only person she confided in before she left. She had given him some items for safe keeping that were important to her, but would be a risk to keep in her possession. She had left her journal and her sword with Everic in Absalom, where they still are now. “As for why this happened…. I assume it has to do with the Technic League. I saw a scorpion much like that little one in Numeria, though much larger. Much larger.I promised your mother that I would make sure you got safely to Absalom and would have enough money to start a life there, without the Society. To keep you out of the world she lived in.”

Raimden looked at Everic, determination and seriousness crossing his face for the first time ,”Do you think that is going to happen?” Everic allowed himself a slight chuckle, “No, you are your mother’s son after all. You’ll come with me to Absalom though, you’ll want her journal at the least.” A familiar smile grew on Raimden’s face, “Good, on the way there you can ell me more about Numeria and the Technic League.”