Dalang Teniel's page

bayangan — shadow, imagination
blencong — lantern, often used to illuminate wayang puppetry
dalang — puppet master, puppeteer, mastermind
gendér — a metallophone keyboard instrument, often used to accompany wayang puppetry
golek — doll, figurehead, wooden puppet
kabodhoan — folly, mistake
kepyak — a small gong-like percussion instrument, played with a mallet held in the foot during wayang puppetry
ki — sir
kotak — chest, box, often tapped to signal musical cues during wayang puppetry
kulit — leather, leather puppet, shadow puppet
magang — apprentice, apprenticeship
memedi — ghost, apparition, object of fright
pahlawan — hero
pahlawan kang — of the hero, of heroes
pamburu — hunter

macan — tiger, one of the Three Sacred Animals of Teniel’s tribe
menak — amazing, or honorable. A wayang golek made or performed with great skill may be referred to as a “golek menak”; such carvings are believed by Teniel’s tribe to invite possession by friendly spirits
Ratu Laut — Queen of the Sea, a title given to any powerful elemental or sea goddess; often prayed to en masse when at sea. Associated with the color green; Teniel suspects some possible connection in his people’s sea goddesses to the deity Gozreh
Shizuru — Tian Empress of Heaven, LG goddess of the sun, honor, heroes, and light. Not commonly noted by wayangs except through her marriage to Tsukiyo, Shizuru has become a second deity Teniel venerates in his attempts to stand out from the traditions of his people
truwelu — hare, or large rabbit. First of the Three Sacred Animals. While the night is sacred to most wayangs, the Moon-Rabbit Clan worship the moon in particular, often through a representation of the god Tsukiyo as a stone hare
Tsukiyo — Tian Prince of the Moon, LG god of justice, darkness, ancestors, and hallucination; chief deity of the Moon-Rabbit Clan

NG. Teniel wants to be a fabled, storybook hero, but his notions of mercy and honor may be a bit stumped by lack of real-world interaction, while a calm Wayang temperament keeps him from being too optimistic or zealous. Desperate as he is for adventure, he believes true strength lies in mercy, patience, and creating a world in which one's enemies no longer have ground on which to stand in opposition.

Deity: Tsukiyo, the LG Tian-Min Prince of the Moon

The Moon-Rabbit Clan
The Wayang are not an "evil" race, per se; but they are withdrawn, superstitious, frequently misunderstood and quick to fear outsiders. Teniel's native tribe were no exception, living on an island visited mostly by desperate pirates and hungry eagles. Living deep in shadowy jungles, they passed on their culture and history through a tradition of oral storytelling, aided by puppetry and shadow magic. And though many Wayang stories focus on the danger and monsters of the outside world, very occasionally this inspires a headstrong, imaginative young hunter to leave their remote villages, traveling to society, where they often find eventual employment as thieves and assassins, furthering the race's dark image.

As a young puppeteer, Teniel Memedi was one such wild youngster, enthralled by tales of dragons and marauding knights and acting them out with gusto. When Archmage Goodwin arrived on his island, Teniel had only recently finished his training, though he had already made a name for himself in the short time he had held the full title of Dalang. The others of the village sheltered in their homes at the arrival of the strange magical outsider, hurling arrows or muttering curses and wards, but Teniel strode forward to the center of the village, placed a hand on the hilt of his undrawn sword, and demanded the Archmage pay a toll of stories in return for safe passage.

A short time later, he had seen his first printed book, and knew that he would no longer be content among his people.

Heroic Training
Though bold for a Wayang, the young Teniel was nevertheless quite withdrawn and secretive for a normal student, rarely willing to tell his feelings or thoughts on anything. He possessed a strong sense of morality, even if it followed a strange code; and so, rather than focus on teaching him right from wrong as he had with the other students, Archmage Goodwin focused on teaching the Dalang action from inaction, bravery from ignominy. Teniel buried himself in books of adventure and intrigue, with heroes of action and creativity that contrasted with the simple creatures of destruction and fear in his own people's stories.

And as Teniel matured, he began training properly with the sword, learning to fight and defend himself properly, even as he developed a natural talent for manipulating the magic and shadows of the world around him. He learned to bend his powers to heal others, strengthen himself, and entertain audiences with laughter as well as mystery. But his heritage came with him, and as he learned new stories, Teniel remembered the old ones, weaving uncertainty and fear into his magic when the feeling moved him, practicing puppetry with real shadows instead of the dolls that cast them. And as he picked up languages quickly from the Archmage's vast library, so he learned new genres of bravery and fear, doing his best to write complex stories that incorporated elements of both.

Noble Goals
It's been ten years, and Dalang Teniel is ready to go on a proper quest. Unlike the reclusive hunters of his native clan, he has become a proper warrior, and now there is someone to rescue—his old mentor, a heroic figure imperiled, and one of the story tropes he has become very familiar with.

He's rather squeamish about the idea of killing anybody, but Teniel has learned to fight nonviolently with both word and sword, and is eager for his chance to try and redeem a proper misguided villain or melancholy monster. Maybe, if he finds some proper shiny armor to go with his proper shiny quest, he'll be able to narrate himself into a proper, heroic, knight.

And if society has changed more than expected... he knows a thing or two about remembering the past, and spinning it into a new story for whoever now wanders the world.

Dalang Teniel
Teniel is small and pale for a Wayang, with (comparatively) soft features; to the untrained eye, he might almost be mistaken for a rather unfortunate gnome. To his own people, he appears almost ghostlike, earning him a certain level of mystery and attention. He stands just over three feet tall, carrying a diagonally-strapped sword whose length exceeds his own height. His skin is the color of twilight, his head hairless, and he bears few visible tattoos. He walks as he imagines an armored knight might, chest straight and arms at his side, showing deference in his movements to the taller folk around him. While wiry as any Wayang, Teniel is muscular and quick from years of practice at swordplay.

His voice, when he speaks, is not loud, but it carries a sort of quiet hum with it that drowns out other sounds. He leans forward when he talks, fearing little; and, though he does his best to show quiet deference through manners and bows, he is not above weaving boasts and tall tales into otherwise factual speech.

Pamburu
Of the three animals Teniel's tribe holds sacred, the tiger is the only one not associated with a deity. Jaguars, jungle wolves, monkey eagles and island pirates alike all prey on the Wayang; the tiger hunts them all, while leaving smaller creatures in peace.

Pamburu is a gray tiger, found with the rest of her litter by huntsmen during a jungle hunt, the cubs' mother crushed by a fallen tree. The young cats were brought back to Teniel's village, where they would be trained to mark the local territory as their own hunting ground; but the Dalang developed a rapport with the smallest of the litter. She has grown some, during his time in the demiplane, from the size of a housecat to a creature large enough to ride, though not yet at her adult size.

Magang Bayangan
Bayangan is a recurring dream Teniel has, of a brightly-colored bird from his home island. So far, he has been somewhat successful in teaching this shadow to control shadows of its own.

Kabodhoan Pahlawan Kang, the Hero's Folly
This curved sword, originally sized for a human, has had its hilt recently rebuilt from rosewood and bone to accomodate two small hands. Its blade ripples in bands of black and gray meteoric iron, forming a pattern of abstract shadow.

Teniel won the sword years ago, gambling at stories. The hunter who last carried it told the tale of a dead tall-man deep in the forest, his blade buried deep in the chest of the jaguar that had taken his life, blood smoothly spilling from the black metal without a spot of rust. The Dalang's response told of an ancient and cursed blade, fleeing the hand of any who brandished it in pride, vanity, or without an opponent; a blade which betrayed any hero who lacked humility or sought violence for its own end. Inevitably, he told, the Kabodhoan would seek a new master, hoping once again to find one who did not understand its power and thus would not abuse it. The man in the woods, now part of this story as well, had drawn his sword to chase down a jungle beast he should have avoided and let live, and thus it had let him perish.

When the tale was done, every shadow in the tavern pointed at Teniel, and when he spun the blade on the table before him its hilt came to a stop pointing straight at him. He's carried it ever since—though he prefers to use it as blencong instead of its intended purpose.

Wayang (humanoid, wayang), 11 RP
+ Advanced Charisma (4 RP)
+ 2x Flexible Bonus Feat (8 RP)
+ Shadow Caster (DC +1) (2 RP)
+ Darkvision 120’ (1 RP)
+ Resistant (2 RP)
+ Gifted Linguist (+4 Linguistics, extra languages) (2 RP)

Toughness (Campaign Bonus)
Alertness (Familiar Bonus)
Extra Revelation (Racial Bonus A)
Power Attack (Racial Bonus B)
Mad Magic (Level 1.1)
Spell Focus (Illusion) (Level 1.2)
Greater Spell Focus (Illusion) (Level 1.3)
Spell Focus (Enchantment) (Level 1.4)
Greater Spell Focus (Enchantment) (Level 1.5)
Intimidating Prowess (Level 2)
Enforcer (Weapon Bonus 2)
Steadfast Personality (Level 3)
Weapon Focus (Weapon Bonus 3)
Mounted Combat (Fighter 1)
Craft Wondrous Item (Level 4)
Martial Training I (Weapon Bonus 4)
Eschew Materials (Bloodrager Bonus 4)

Proficiencies:
Light Armor
Medium Armor
Martial Weapons
Shields

Trained Skills "(Calm/Raging)”:
50 Points (24 Bard, 20 Int, 4 Campaign, 2 Lore Warden)
*Denotes class skill
14 left (must start dumping into arcana, disguise, bluff)
(2 empty language slots)

*Acrobatics +9 (3 points, +3 Dex, +3 class)
*Artistry (literature) +9 (1 point, +5 Int, +3 class)
*Artistry (playwright) +11 (3 point, +5 Int, +3 class)
*Bluff (versatile) +13 (4 points, 6 Cha, +3 class)
*Bluff +10 (1 point, +6 Cha, +3 class) (won't retrain because it’s a prereq)
*Craft (carpentry) +10 (2 points, +5 Int, +3 class)
*Climb +7/+9 (1 point, +3 Str/+2 rage, +3 class)
*Disguise +10/+20 (1 point, +6 Cha, +3 class, +0/+10 item)
*Handle Animal +10 (1 points, +6 Cha, +3 class)
*Intimidate (versatile) +19/+21/+23 ooc (4 points, +6 Cha, +3/+5 Str, +3 familiar, +3 class, +0/+2 enhanced ooc)
*Intimidate +15/+17/+19 ooc (4 points, -4 size, +3 familiar, +6 Cha, +3/+5 Str, +3 class, +0/+2 enhanced ooc) (won't retrain because it’s a prereq)
*Knowledge (arcana) +10 (2 points, +5 Int, +3 class)
*Knowledge (geography) +9 (1 point, +5 Int, +3 class)
*Knowledge (nature) +9 (1 point, +5 Int, +3 class)
*Knowledge (nobility) +9 (1 point, +5 Int, +3 class)
*Knowledge (planes) +9 (1 point, +5 Int, +3 class)
*Linguistics +15 (3 points, +4 racial, +5 Int, +3 class)
*Perception +11 (4 points, +2 racial, +2 familiar, +3 class)
*Perform (comedy) + 13 (4 points, 6 Cha, +3 class)
*Perform (oratory) +13 (4 point, +6 Cha, +3 class)
*Perform (act) +10 (1 point, +6 Cha, +3 class)
*Perform (sing) +10 (1 point, +6 Cha, +3 class)
*Ride +9 (3 points, +3 Dex, +3 class)
*Spellcraft +12 (4 points, +5 Int, +3 class)
*Stealth +15 (3 points, +2 racial, +4 size, +3 Dex, +3 class)
*Swim +7/+9 (1 point, +3 Str/+2 rage, +3 class)

Untrained Skills "(Calm/Raging)”:
*Appraise +5 (+5 Int)
*Diplomacy +8 (+6 Cha, +2 enhanced)
Disable Device (unusable)
*Escape Artist +3 (+3 Dex)
Fly +3 (+3 Dex)
*Heal +0
*Knowledge (dungeoneering) (unusable)
*Knowledge (engineering) (unusable)
*Knowledge (geography) (unusable)
*Knowledge (history) (unusable)
*Knowledge (local) (unusable)
*Knowledge (religion) (unusable)
*Lore (unusable)
*Profession (unusable)
*Sense Motive +2 (+2 familiar)
*Sleight of Hand (unusable)
*Survival +0
*Use Magic Device (unusable)

Racial:
Shadow Caster: +1 DC of shadow subschool
Shadow Magic: +1 DC of shadow subschool

2x Flexible Bonus Feat

Dark

Gifted Linguist: +4 Linguistics, extra languages

Ghost Sound (Sp), 1/day (DC 18)
Pass Without Trace (Sp), 1/day
Ventriloquism (Sp), 1/day (DC 19)

+2 on saves vs shadow effects
+2 to Perception, Stealth
Darkvision 120'
+2 vs mind-effecting and poison
Light and Dark (Sp): Temporary negative energy affinity as immediate action

Oracle Revelations:
Primal Companion (Ex): Gain tiger companion (Level 1)
Prophetic Armor (Ex): Cha replaces Dex for AC, Reflex (Feat bonus)
Misfortune (Ex): Force a creature within 30’ to reroll as an immediate action (Level 3)

Oracle Curses:
Lame (Ex): Base speed reduced to 15’
Haunted (Ex): Standard action to retrieve items (Secondary Curse)

Bloodrager Abilities:
Fast Movement (Ex) (applies to mount)

Bloodrage (Su) Effects (11 rounds/day):
+4 Str, +4 Con, +2 Will, -2 AC
Mad Magic: Can cast all spells while raging (eventual Spell DC +1)
Frightful Charger (Su): Enemies hit by charge shaken for 2 rounds
Arcane Bloodrage (Sp): Gain one defensive spell of choice per rage (blur, protection from arrows, resist energy, spider climb)

Bard Abilities:

Bardic Performances (15 rounds/day):
Performing Familiar (Su): Familiar can use bard’s performances at 2x rounds
Shadow Servant (Sp): Un-Unseen Servant
Shadow Puppets (Sp): Summon Shadow Monster II, DC 23 to disbelieve
Countersong (Su): Allies use Perform check vs sonic/language effects
Distraction (Su): Allies use Perform check vs visual effects
Fascinate (Su): DC 18

Blade of Mercy (religion): no penalty, +1 damage for nonlethal attacks
Reactionary (combat): +2 to Initiative
Into Enemy Territory (campaign): +1 to Will

Worn
-Padded Armor (+1 AC, +8 Max Dex, 5% ASF)
-3x medium leather quivers
-1x medium scabbard
-Cap of Human Guise
-Headband of Charisma +2

Weapons to draw
-Shadow Stencils (kulit)
-"Kabodhoan Pahlawan Kang" — +1 Nodachi, Small (4 lb)
Grants: Proficiency, Enforcer, Weapon Focus

Load:
Light 57 lb, Medium 114, Heavy 173

Nothing yet

Bard Level 0 (6 known):
Detect Magic
Prestidigitation
Read Magic
Sift
Spark
Lullaby

Oracle Level 0 (6 known):
Create Water
Stabilize
Guidance
Mending
Purify Food and Drink
Enhanced Diplomacy
Mage Hand (curse bonus)
Ghost Sound (DC 18) (curse bonus)

Oracle Level 1 (3 known):
Obscuring Mist
Protection From Evil
Charm Person (DC 19)
Cure Light Wounds (alignment bonus)
Ill Omen (mystery bonus)

Oracle Level 2 (1 known):
Make Whole
Cure Moderate Wounds (alignment bonus)
Oracle’s Burden (DC 18) (mystery bonus)

Bard Level 1 (4 known):
Hideous Laughter (DC 19)
Silent Image (DC 19)
Solid Note
Clarion Call
Shadow Trap (DC 22) (favored class bonus)

Bard Level 2 (2 known):
Darkness
Minor Image (DC 20)

Bloodrager Level 1 (2 known):
Blade Lash (Trip at +10, 20’ reach)
Long Arm

"Pamburu"
Gray Tiger Cub
Size: M, Speed: 50’
Low-light vision, scent

Str 14, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 3, Wis 15, Cha 10
BAB +3, CMB +5

HP 36 (4max8 + 4 Con)
AC 20 (Dex +4, Natural +3, Armor +3), Touch 13, FF 11
Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +3

Bite, +5 to hit (1d6+2)
2 Claws, +5 to hit (1d+2)
[Rake], +5 to hit (1d4+2)

Feats: Light Armor Proficiency (Bonus), Power Attack, Medium Armor Proficiency
Skills: Stealth +11/+15 (1 point), Acrobatics +11/+19 to jump (1 point), Perception +6 (1 point), Climb +6 (1 rank)

Barding Training 1 (not slowed by medium armor)

(Feat Wishlist: Psionic Charge, Open Minded?, Branch Pounce)

Magang Bayangan
Green Peacock (figment)

HP 12
AC 14 (+1 Dex, +1 Size, +2 Nat)
Fort +2, Ref +3, Will -2

Skills: Cha 13; +13 to Perform (sing), will not be using any other skills for a while
Manifest Dreams: +8 to Perform (sing)

Kabodhoan Pahlawan Kang
Total Value (invested): 3.35k
Base Value (invested): 2k (+1 Nodachi, small)
Cap of Light ability: 1.35k (light at will)

FPP spent: 0/1

Wishlist: Rod of the Wayang, Warrior's Scabbard

Veiled Illusionist (Oracle PrC)
Furious Guardian (Bloodrager PrC)
Cavalier or Hunter cheese levels for teamwork feats, or (Orcish?) Cavalier squire/cohort
Other cheese dip options: Lore Warden, MoMS/Sohei, Rake
Twin mind: Raging Wilder, Aegis (L1: Stalwart, L2: Evasion, yeeeeeah)

Equipment wish list: golek, masterwork kepek, masterwork gendér (and player!), Furious Cruel? Invigorating weapon, Lesser Persistent Metamagic Rod, decent armor, HORSEMASTER'S SADDLE, Ring of Vengeful Blood Magic, Rod of the Wayang

Spell Wishlist:
Oracle 0:
Oracle 1: Liberating Command (5), Doom?
Oracle 2: Hold Person (5) (Shield Other?) (Dispel?)
Oracle 3: Fearsome Duplicate, Major Image
Oracle 4: Shadow Conjuration, Shadow Dragon Aspect, Aura of Doom?
Oracle 5: Shadow Evocation, Major Phantom Object

Bard 0: N/A
Bard 1: Triple Time (masterpiece), Memory Lapse, Sow Thought, Color Spray? Darting Duplicate? Magic Aura? Clarion Call? (Bonus 4) Expeditious Retreat pre-10, Jitterbugs (!, way better mythic though) (replace Color Spray at 5?)
Bard 2: Animal Messenger (6?) Pageant of the Peacock (5 or 6), Mirror Image, (Dispel?) (Shield Other through Tales of Twisting Steel?), Battle Song of the People’s Revolt (masterpiece), Blistering Invective (for the AoE demoralize)
Bard 3: Sculpt Sound (7) Charm Monster

Bloodrager 2: Mirror Image

Detect Thoughts, Memory Lapse, Shadow Conjuration, Shadow Weapon (Bloodrager?), Hold Person, Eaglesoul

Feat Plan:
Level 4: Combat Expertise
Weapon 4: Raging Vitality? Mounted Combat? Mounted Blade?
Level 5: Signature Skill!
Level 6: ? (Extra Rage Power?)
Weapon 6: ? (Pack Flanking?)
Bloodline 6: ?

Feat Wishlist:
(Additional Traits, 8 or earlier)
(Signature Skill, 5)
Combat: Improved Critical, Combat Expertise, Butterfly's Sting, Moonlight Stalker (Req. Blind-Fight), Riving Strike
Mounted: Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack (?), Mounted Blade (possibly via Sohei), Indomitable Mount, Mounted Skirmisher
Crafting: Craft Rod
Teamwork: Escape Route, Fighting Frenzy, Paired Opportunists, Pack Flanking, Amplified Rage?
General: Signature Skill (Intimidate), Spellsong, Chawful (+Concentration, Chawful)
Metamagic: Tenebrous Spell, Umbral Spell, Shadow Grasp, Heighten Spell
Bloodline: Quick Draw, Improved Initiative
Psionic: Hustle Power, Surging Aura
Story: Eldritch Researcher, Accursed?, Prophet!, Feral Heart?
Local: Indomitable Mount
Style: Cudgeler/Snapping Turtle?
Training: Defensive Weapon Training, Versatile Training, Martial Focus

Trait Wishlist: Dusk Dancer, Chawful (either additional traits or retraining), Two-World Magic (for Umbral Arcane Mark)

Ability Score Wishlist: Con to 14, Belt of Con->Con +Str, then raise Cha

Mythic Wishlist:
Path 1 (Champion): Mounted Maniac
Feat 1: Dual-Path (Heirophant) or Mythic Spell Focus
Path 2: Extra Feat — Dual-Path (Heirophant) or Mythic Spell Focus

Weapon Wishlist:
Level 5: Furious (10.5k total)

Tallfellow's Hat (Hat of Disguise) "The forests of this island grow thick and twisted, and in some places the jungles are untouched for decades. I met a peddler on the outskirts of town who found a clearing full of skeletons, dangling from trees. Whether from an outdated justice system and a hangman's noose, or a cruel bandits' trick, he couldn't tell me in my limited understanding of Vudrani. But the skeletons, over centuries of weathering, had been bleached white as coral, and stretched out mightily by gravity. The tallest skeleton, already a mighty man, was stretched out to nearly eight feet, or so the peddler tells me; and the weathered cap on his head grew with him, learning the true meaning of tallness."

"Put this hat on your head, and it'll share the captured tallness of a dead man's soul, long gone to rest. You'll look human, ish, but still around seven feet tall. It's just a shadow, of course, so don't let anyone touch you or it'll give up the ruse, but it should let a giant like Tavros pass for a giant of the human variety."

Gnome Cap (Cap of Human Guise)
"There's nothing real special about this one. I bought it from a gnome blacksmith at a marketplace. Asked him what the oldest thing he had to sell was—the hat, apparently, was his father's and his grandfather's, nearly fallen to rags. So I bought it, and spent a day asking it about its stories of gnomishness."

Snake-charmer's head-belt (Headband of Cha +2)
Teniel, hairless as he is, would look a bit silly wearing a headband. Instead, he's settled on a rather large belt buckle, attached to a band of fabric pulled around his hat, which he insists, rather petulantly, is an ancient snake-charmer talisman designed to bring hypnotic charm over animals and humans alike.

I’ve never dropped out of a PbP game, either through choice or inactivity. I frequently have downtime at work, but at unpredictable hours, meaning that I usually have access to PbP multiple times per day, though sometimes only for short posts or responses—in the past, this has led me to be an extremely responsive player, often dragging dying games out of the gutter. (I did GM one game that didn’t do as well, due to some issues in my life making it hard for me to continue spending time on world-creation and ultimately killing the game, but I think my history as a player has been much better).

Goals: I’m just here to have fun, really. I’m a huge fan of character creation, and try to optimize my characters to stay interesting at every level—triple gestalt with a million feats means playing multiple characters’ worth of interesting in one game. I’m a veteran LARP-writer (back in college, I’d create games in my spare time with a hundred thousand words of character content) with online tabletops being a much more casual, less time-intensive way to indulge in my roleplaying hobbies now that I’m a bit busier.

90 pts, distributed:

16 Str
14 Dex +2 Racial
12 Con
18 Int +2 Racial
12 Wis -2 Racial
18 Cha +2 Custom Racial

Total: 3

1 (Starting)
1 (Backstory)
2 (level-up)
-1 used at level 1