Devlin Aldori's page

Hello. Lore Warden, and Aldori Swordlord here. I joined the Society to travel the world, sure, and protect the folks who really knew about ancient cultures and mysterious gateways to other worlds, sure.

But really, I joined because I've been wanting to learn how to fight, one-to-one, with a weapon in hand. And the Society is a fantastic place to find crazy Blackfire adepts, Aspis agents, traitorous Shadow Lodge magi, demonic blademasters... all of them different styles, with every sort of weapon you can imagine ... all of them challenges, each of them with something to teach.

So, you bet, when Master Farbellus suggested the Lore Warden path, I happily took to it, because fighting smart is always a good choice, and maneuvers give you more options in combat. And those levels of study gave me the background I needed to join the Aldori Swordlords.

So, sure, if the Lore Wardens are revising the curriculum, I'm all down with that, because balance is always important to a student of deadly arts. But I'm hoping I don't have to set aside my Swordlord levels, because the new Lore Warden curriculum doesn't advance people's talents the same way.

I might recommend some actual period fencing manuals. Rather than announcing the particular feint or counter, they'd make more fundamental comments about balance, tempo, reach, and so forth. Pay attention to the sections on pole-arms, since that's basically where a double-sword fits in.

"Don't let me drive you off-line. See? I feinted high and to the left, and you turned your wrist over, indicating that you were going to block high, which left your front leg unguarded. Here; try again."

If the opponent does get a strike in at your PC, how will he react? Will he say different things to someone better (higher BAB) than he, than he would against common mercenaries or militia?

Incidentally, VBD, we need to get your slayer together with Devlin, my fighter / magus, as he is also attempting to study various martial arts forms with a goal towards martial perfections.

Forgive my asking, but how does the simple possession of a 500-gp object help identify someone as a member of the organization? I've recovered a bucketload of Aspis coins over my brief career, and that doesn't mean I've switched allegiances.

And the Aspis have "dropped" wayfinders at sites of violence, or on corpses, in order to incriminate us so often you'd think the ruse would have been used up.

Possession of one of the vanity wayfinders, imprinted with the glyph of the open road, would be reasonable evidence. But just a plain wayfinder? It would seem like identifying someone as being a priest of Gorum by merit of his weapon.

I have a magus I'd like to play. I'll put his stats into the profile tonight.

Helaman, if that's too close to what you want to play (a) it might be fun to roleplay two similar characters. Devlin is always trying to pick up advice from other swordfighters, or (b) I have a kitsune Rogue / Lion Blade on the drawing table, and a formless mass of GM credit that's 3rd level.

--Chris

So far, Devlin is studying under:

Nadezhda - monastic training, confidence above bravado, companion on the road to Sword Lord
Zelthier - Shoanti bolas, star knife, craftiness
Kyros Deun - "cheating" in duels, identifying weaknesses, one-ness with weaponry
Bbauzh - flail, disarming, tripping, serious training
Rohender - defense "in the field".
Gunvaldr Gislasson - polearms and other reach weapons, professionalism

--

Still looking for a samauri, and maybe a magus.

Kyros: That's the message people seem to be telling me. As for a weapon as an extention of my arm ... I am intrigued.

Bbauzh, that would be great. I would be honored to have your lessons. But first tell me: when someone asks me who it was taught me such things, how should I pronounce your name?

Nadezhda would find Devlin sincere enough, but his prowess is somewhat more promising than in evidence. Also, he'll be a touch too deferential, even when he has something she might consider worth saying. He has a certain amount of self-confidence, but he doesn't know how to assert himself.

--+--+--

Zeithier, Devlin already has proficiency with all martial weapons, so, yes, the boon would give him an exotic weapon proficiency in Shoanti bolas or bladed scarves. And Devlin is a Tiefling as well, a Grimspawn...)

Thank you for the chair, and for your offer. You heard pretty much right, m'lord Zeithier. I'm looking to add some versatility to my combat skills. The Master of Blades says that the opponent with the element of surprise usually has the upper hand, and [mentor to be named later] says that two out of three blows ought to be something the other guy didn't see coming.

"And you Varisians are renown throughout Avistan for keeping your own mysteries.

"As to payment, a favor seems right." And then, in lightly accented Varisian, Devlin continues, "A Debt must be Weighed in the Manner of its Value. Teach me something I can use to keep myself alive, and I'll owe you a favor of equal merit."

Hi there, um, so, I just want to thank you for reading this, and I'd like to ask your help.

I'm just starting out here in the Society, mostly as a fighter, and I'm looking for some folks who would be willing to, you know, give me some advice and, I guess, the benefit of your experience.

So, I'm from Brevoy, up north there, and I was working with one of those Aldori sword lords, and they make the Aldori sword look really cool, like it's the best blade in the whole world. But now I'm down here in Absalom, and Master Farbellius says I need to expand out my fighting technique.

So, is there anybody willing to work with a newbie?

So, I'm applying several boons to the character Devlin -- Tian Weapon Training, Varisian Weapon Training, Monastic Training -- to simulate his learning odd weapons from other Pathfinders, or from his journeys around Golarion. He'll also take a couple levels in Magus, and a couple levels in the Sword Saint archetype of the Samauri, before settling down on the Aldori Sword Lord Prestige Class.

And I could just make up names of the various characters who taught him this or that aspect of his fighting technique, but I thought it would be fun to invite real Pathfinder players to volunteer their PCs as a local Aldori sword master, or as the samauri who teaches him iaijutsu, or a ranger who teaches him the importance of a bow, or a Shoanti who trains him in some exotic weapon of the Cinderlands, or ...

The list goes on. Anyways, It would be cool to have actual PCs be Devlin's mentors. Then, if we ever meet at a convention, Devlin can show your PC what he's learned.