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"It's not about honor or glory. It's about getting the job done of protecting innocent people from evil. It doesn't matter who gets the credit, or if nobody does, as long as the evil's gone once the battle's over." "Which isn't to say that I don't appreciate a good story. I'm a storyteller myself, and I frequently use stories of past Pathfinders' adventures to inspire my allies in battle. But there's as much good done in defeating evil quietly as there is in defeating it in front of an audience - as long as it gets defeated."
I'm not from Andoran, either. People keep telling me I look Chelaxian, and they're right. I was born there - as a slave. A Pathfinder from Andoran freed me when I was 9 years old and brought me back to Absalom. I've grown up ever since working as a valet for any Pathfinder who would teach me anything. I swore I would pay that debt forward, using my "jack of all trades" skills, working as a Pathfinder agent and freeing as many other slaves as I can in my lifetime.
"Pathfinders, come one and all, and listen to what I have to say!" says an enthusiastic human boy who can't be more than 16 or 17 years old. His features seem Chelaxian, and he wears light armor, with a sword on his belt and a quiver and bow strapped to his back. Many of you recognize him as Corin, a boy who has hung around the Grand Lodge in Absalom for the last few years, working as a valet for any Pathfinder willing to teach him any sort of useful skills. "I have great admiration and respect for everything Grandmaster Torch and you of the Shadow Lodge have accomplished. Watching out for each other - an honorable calling, and something all Pathfinders should aspire to! And we do, don't we? Out in the field, we all have to watch out for each other. That's why I carry this!" A wand suddenly pops out of his sleeve and into his hand, and he twirls it with a flourish. "A wand of cure light wounds! We all know them. We've all benefited from them, even those who can't use these wands on themselves." "I'm primarily an archer in combat, so I rarely face the Society's enemies up close, face to face. That means I rarely need this wand for myself. I carry it primarily to heal my brothers and sisters in arms. But do I ask them which faction they're in before I heal them? Do I offer my healing only to people from the Shadow Lodge or the Silver Crusade, and withhold it if someone is from Qadira or Taldor? Of course not! We all watch out for each other! And that will always continue, even if there is no Shadow Lodge." "So shed not a tear for the end of the Shadow Lodge era. You will continue to watch out for your fellow Pathfinders, as will we all." As he talks, you realize that the boy is clearly a very gifted orator, most likely a bard of some sort. "But if watching out for your fellows in arms is a noble calling, one to which we all aspire, then what about watching out for those who can't protect themselves? Isn't that just as noble, and just as important? Perhaps even moreso, specifically because they can't protect themselves?" "I was born a slave in Cheliax, forced into hard labor, and beaten regularly by my... 'owners'" the boy's hatred is apparent as he spits out this word, "... until I was around 9 years old. I couldn't protect myself. I couldn't fight back. I certainly couldn't protect anyone else." "And then a Pathfinder from the nation of Andoran freed me, and brought me back here to Absalom. He taught me to use a sword, and I've learned other skills from other Pathfinders, earning my keep by working for any who would have me. That's what freedom is all about!" "And now, as a Pathfinder, I've sword to pay my debt forward. I not only protect my fellow Pathfinders from danger, and protect the world from threats like this Lissalan cult everyone's talking about lately, but I also work to protect innocent people from the evils of slavery." "And in that noble struggle, I ask you to join me! Join the Andoren crusade against slavery! Help protect the imprisoned and innocent who can't protect themselves, and spread freedom throughout Golarion!" "May the gods bless you, my friends. Thank you for listening."
1. Why are you a Pathfinder? To help bring freedom and democracy to the entire world! As a former slave, I want to pay forward the favor that was done for me when I was freed by a Pathfinder from Andoran. 2. Do you have a name and surname that is not ripped straight out of existing Earth mythology or popular culture? I have studied what little writings the Society library has on this distant planet Earth and its culture, and I have never seen any references to anyone with my name there. 3. Which nation did you grow up in? How did this nation influence you? I was born in Cheliax, as a slave, which is why I hate that nation and slavery so much. When I was 9 years old, I was freed and brought to Absalom by Dinarek LaDrock, a Pathfinder based out of the Grand Lodge in Absalom. While he treated me as a son, and provided me with food and shelter, he was frequently away on Society missions. So I spent most of the next few years in Absalom working as a valet for any Pathfinder who would provide me with any sort of training as payment, even before entering the official Pathfinder training. This led me to have a wildly varied education, learning about swordplay, archery, magic, music, and a wide variety of other subjects. 4. What do you look like? What are your wearing? How does this vary when you’re stalking through forests, sewers, deserts or in glittering cities? I'm a teenage human, decent looking, I guess. Some people say I look Chelaxian, which bugs me given how much I hate the nation where I was born. I wear a chain shirt, buckler, sword, and longbow when adventuring. But I know to wear nicer looking, loose fitting clothing over my armor and leave the buckler at home when I'm in more diplomatic situations, compared to wandering the sewers or wilderness on an adventure. 5. What do you love? (Treasure and experience doesn’t count) Helping others, spreading freedom, freeing slaves. 6. What do you hate? (Unclear and irritating darkness level rules don’t count) Slavery, and anyone who promotes it. 7. Which other Pathfinders (PCs) do you rely on for teamwork, survival and butt-kicking? Do you have a bro? a mentor? a father figure? maybe a rival? Dinarek LaDrock is a Pathfinder from Andoran who freed me from slavery and brought me to Absalom. He's been like a father to me, which is why I took his last name to honor him. (OOC: NPC invented as part of his back story, not an actual character) 8. How does your race influence your views? Are you a stereotype of a certain race? How are you different from most humans/elves/gnomes/orcs/tengu? Humans are so varied that there really aren't any stereotypes, are there? Though I'm pretty much a bard in my training, I'm not stereotypical for that, either. I tell stories and give speeches to inspire my comrades in battle, but I don't go around singing all the time like many bards, though I did pick up some musical skill as part of my upbringing. I mostly think of myself as a jack of all trades. I can use a sword, bow, magic, talk to people diplomatically, or just provide information from my book learning, depending on what the situation calls for. But I've tried to intentionally train more with a bow than other combat styles. 9. What are you afraid of? Do you have any phobias or worries? I've read enough about the dangers of the world to be cautious as an adventurer, but I don't have any specific phobias. 10. What is your most treasured possession? My freedom.
"I know the feeling, Miss Grey", says a distinctly Chelaxian looking teenage boy in light armor with a bow and sword. "I do most of my fighting with a bow, too, but I haven't been too successful with it yet." "Just recently, I was on a mission to stop some Chelaxian slavers", his face shows some disgust, but you can't tell if it's Cheliax or slavers he hates more, "and I only hit with two of my arrows the entire mission. Luckily, I was working with a half-elf who was very good with her elven curve blade, along with some other well armed companions." "But like you, I know how to inspire my colleagues to greater heights, mostly with inspiring speeches. It's amazing the magic that a well timed yell of 'FREEDOM!!!' can carry."
I know all about being a slave in Cheliax - it's how I was born. But I was freed by a Pathfinder from Andoran and brought here to Absalom, and I swore to dedicate my life to help others the same way. I know I'm still a novice among the great adventurers, but I'm working at improving my skill with a wide variety of abilities, from magic to archery to knowledge in a great many areas. If you need aid in freeing slaves, especially from Cheliax, you can count me in. I'm just glad that my first official mission for the Pathfinder Society sent me to visit the wonderful free land of Andoran for the first time. Given that I'd already pledged my loyalty to this country's ideals, it was nice to see the land for myself.
Oh, the brewing won't be me. I was checking for the cakes and other baked goods.Oh, Ambrus, while you're here: do any of the Ten have food allergies I should be aware of, especially nut or wheat?No we do not. We enjoy both nut and wheat, especially if it is brewed to perfection. Cledwyn, I'm back from my mission to Andoran for the Society. I know I quit working at your bakery when I was officially made a field agent, but if you need some extra help preparing for such a large event, just let me know. You know you can always count on me. --Corin OOC: As a bard, I really was planning to just perform for this character's day job, but now you've got me wanting to throw a rank in Profession (Baker) to keep this online storyline going.
Corin LaDrock comes into the bakery, but instead of his plain clothes that he normally wears when sweeping the floors as an employee, he's wearing a chain shirt and buckler, with a sword on his belt, and a backpack, bow, and quiver strapped to his back. "Mister Cledwyn, I just wanted to come in and let you know that I won't be able to work for you here in the bakery any more. I've been made a full Pathfinder field agent, and I'm on my way to the docks now to catch a ship to Andoran. I'm really glad they're sending me to Andoran for my first mission. As a former slave myself, I like the Andoren ideals of freedom and liberty for all, and helping to promote those values is a large part of why I wanted to be an adventurer in the first place." "Anyway, I just wanted to stop in and thank you before I leave. I've learned so much about adventuring from working here and talking to you and the other Pathfinders who come in. I just hope I can have a long and successful adventuring career like you. Anyway, I should be back from this mission in a few weeks, so for once, I'll be able to come in here and tell the story of my own adventure instead of just repeating the tales of others."
"Gee, Mister Cledwyn, your bakery sure is popular among Pathfinders. Thank you so much for the opportunity to work here! I've learned so much about adventuring just from talking to you and the other Pathfinders who come in here all the time." "I heard that some new recruits were officially promoted to field agents last week, and I was hoping Venture-Captain Dreng would pick me to be one of them, but he didn't. I'm sure it'll happen soon, though."
A scrawny boy of perhaps 14 or 15 years old enters the bakery and looks around. His clothes are a little baggy, as if he were given hand me down clothing from a larger adult. He approaches you, and shakes your hand enthusiastically as he begins to talk. "Good day, sir! My name is Corin, and I know that you're Cledwyn the Steadfast. I recognize you from seeing you around in the Pathfinder Lodge over the last couple of years. Your exploits as a Pathfinder are legendary. It's such an honor to meet you, sir." "I was wondering if you might be interested in hiring me to work in your bakery. I work very cheap - Instead of paying me in coin, I just ask that you teach me something about adventuring. Ever since my mentor, a Pathfinder named Dinarek LaDrock, freed me from slavery six years ago, I've been training to become an adventurer like him. While Dinarek lets me stay in his home, and gives me food and clothing, he's frequently away on Pathfinder business. So when he's not here to train me, I've continued my education by working as a valet to any Pathfinder who will teach me something in return. I've learned to use swords, bows, and even some magic along the way, along with knowledge in a great many different areas. And I'm always interested to learn more from any Pathfinder who will teach me, so I can work for the Pathfinder Society as a field agent some day." "I promise I'll be a hard worker for you. And I'm very friendly, so I'm sure your customers will like me. In fact, in repeating the tales of the many Pathfinders I've met who have told me about their adventures, I've earned something of a reputation as a storyteller. I've been told that if my career as an adventurer doesn't work out, I could probably survive as a performer instead." |
