Cosmic Dream Lord here. This is my submission for a single player Reign of Winter. As I said earlier, that campaign seems perfectly suited for a druid to solo.
Spontaneous Summoning: Dove can channel stored spell energy into summoning spells that she hasn't prepared ahead of time. She can “lose” a prepared spell in order to cast any summon nature's ally spell of the same level or lower.
Natural Bond (Ex): Animal Companion - Gaia the Tiger
Spirit Sense (Sp): Dove can detect the presence of undead; fey; outsiders; and astral, ethereal, or incorporeal creatures. This ability functions like detect undead, and the druid detects all of these creatures rather than trying to detect one kind.
This ability replaces nature sense and wild empathy.
Inspired Spell (Su): As a standard action, you can expend one use of mythic power to cast any one divine spell without expending a prepared spell or spell slot. The spell must be on one of your divine class spell lists (or your domain or mystery spell list), must be of a level that you can cast with that divine spellcasting class, and must have a casting time of "1 standard action" (or less). You don’t need to have the spell prepared, nor does it need to be on your list of spells known. When casting a spell in this way, you treat your caster level as 2 levels higher for the purpose of any effect dependent on level. You can apply any metamagic feats you know to this spell, but its total adjusted level can’t be greater than that of the highest-level divine spell you can cast from that spellcasting class.
Fleet Charge (Ex): As a swift action, you can expend one use of mythic power to move up to your speed. At any point during this movement, you can make a single melee or ranged attack at your highest attack bonus, adding your tier to the attack roll. This is in addition to any other attacks you make this round. Damage from this attack bypasses all damage reduction.
Impossible Speed (Ex): Your base land speed increases by 30 feet. In addition, if you expend one use of mythic power, for 1 hour your base land speed increases by 10 feet per mythic tier.
Appearance: Height wise, Dove is a bit on the petite side at five foot four inches, and her tendency to slouch makes her look even smaller. Her body build is slender but surprisingly well-muscled. Her skin is smooth and fair but also a bit scarred, and she sports dark black hair and piercing blue eyes, which makes her exact ethnicity difficult to pin point. Walking on the tips of her bare feet, her movements are best described as quick, graceful, and light. If she were cleaned up a bit (running around in the wilderness tends to give a druid a second skin of dirt), Dove would probably strike some individuals as somewhat pretty.
Personality: Given her past experiences with xenophobia and racism toward the Shoanti, Dove is naturally a little weary and distant toward other people she has just met. Over the years, she has developed a good sense of judgement when it comes to a person's true character, and in general, the druid is a highly observant person. However, once she decides that somebody can be trusted, Dove is very friendly and open toward them. If she trusts somebody, Dove will talk their ear off. Otherwise, she remains silent. Nonetheless, Dove is always a careful soul in all of her dealings. She thinks long and hard about everything she does and their possible consequences.
Dove strangely enjoys the hustle and bustle of city life. Traveling by herself for several years has given the druid a general disliking of being by herself. Gaia usually serves enough for this purpose, but as of late, Dove has been wanting to stay in the company of fellow humanoids. She has been making a point to improve her social skills for the purpose of this goal. Dove is also a dedicated follower of Desna, who by all accounts appears to be the source of Dove's spells. The druid is also an oddly nocturnal person.
History: To her knowledge, Dove is the only "Starstrider" in the world. It is a surname that she created for herself when she left. The context comes from her religion: she who strides under the stars of Desna. Her beginnings are humble; she was born to a small family in the Land of the Linnorm Kings many decades ago to Ulfen druids, though something was slightly different about her compared to her two human parents. For one, her hair was black as midnight, while theirs was bright and fair, and her eyes were a piercing blue that neither of them had. She also aged a bit more slowly than the other children.
She left her home to literally follow her dreams. For fifty six years, she has wandered the world as one of Desna's agents, trying to keep travel routes safe and nature balanced wherever she goes. Recently, she has noticed abnormal chills in the air. At first they seemed similar to coldness back home, but after careful inspect, she has found that there is something rather sinister about the chills. Something that warrants further inspection...
I will get a bedroll (unless I have one), a few extra trail rations, a sickle (or something like that) as a backup weapon, a sling, and some tiger chow for Gaia.
With a respectful bow to Lord Kaijitsu, Dove too takes her leave (and a few cakes for the road). Not having to worry about collecting any shoes, she makes her way out to the courtyard and begins searching for Gaia. The big white tiger proves to be rather difficult for the perceptive druid to miss, and she seems to practically Dimension Door the distance between them and throws her arms around Gaia's head.
The tigress pauses when she feels a sudden weight around her neck, but upon realizing who it is, the feline simply closes her eyes in a happy manner and returns the gesture (as best a tiger can anyway).
"D'aw! I missed you too, sweetie!" Dove chirps in the Seven Star dialect of Shoanti.
Once Dove joins up with the others, she ponders their next course of action, "What now? Maybe we could meet Lord Foxglove and then shop for supplies?"
The D-Door bit is simple exaggeration. Dove is just moving really quickly.
Anything else we need? Currently list looks pretty solid. We can probably start on the meeting with Lord Foxglove while hammering out the final details about items.
"Would they really bug a big group with a tiger?" asks Dove innocently with half a cake still stuffed in her mouth. After realizing her bad manners, the petite Shoanti woman is quick to finish it AND chew with her mouth closed before speaking again, "I mean, besides me having Gaia and carrying a hammer as big as I am tall, you are all armored up, Cedric. And Jubal's got all those weapons on him. Oh, Zindelo's pretty big too. And I am sure Arduinne's got a nasty trick up her sleeve. Just saying, there are easier targets than us."
Thank you very much, Lord Kaijitsu," Dove adds to the collection of gratitude with a soft bow.
When the strawberry cakes are offered, the druid wastes no time in securing a few for herself and eagerly plops on in her mouth. The others might think it strange how Dove always seems to be in a rush to secure her next meal, but back at her home near Hook Mountain, said meal could very be a Shoanti's last. Old habits die hard.
Dove nods at Cedric's statement and tries to assist as much as she can.
"Sir Cedric speaks the truth, and it isn't just Gaia. I traveled with a Varisian caravan in the past. Helped them raise and tend their horses. Yours would be well cared for too."
Dove swiftly commits the names of the requested stones to memory. However, with her knowledge of geography lacking in some areas, she hopes that Zindelo can assist her with the upcoming task, and the druid plans to ask him about it later. Dove then thinks of another idea that might prove potentially helpful during the search and quickly asks their host, "Do you have small samples I could borrow? So I know what to look for? I think that would make our search most... how you say... efficient."
Seeing that nobody else has mentioned it, the black-haired Shoanti woman adds, "I understand your doubt with lending horses. However, we do not need as many as you may think. We already have two: one for Sir Cedric and one for Master Jubal."
Knowing that she is not the best diplomatically among the group, Dove holds her tongue at that point. For all she knows about the Common tongue, she might accidentally sell Gaia to the Kaijitsu family. The Desnan Druid figures that somebody else knows how to further sweeten the deal.
Dove proves to be too distracted by the excellent taste of the tea to even hear much about feuding Magmarian families that the petite Shoanti likely only knows faintly about at best. Luckily, she at least takes the time to make sure her manners are good. Once the initial kick of the beverage wears off and Sir Cedric starts talking, the Desnan Druid quickly starts paying attention as soft musings of days long past fade into the recesses of her mind.
Tastes a little like mother made it...
At the mentioning of finding nice white beach sand for their possible partner, Dove immediately perks up and offers her two copper pieces on the matter. "Zindelo and I can do that, Lord Kaijitsu. He knows the land well, and I am good at locating things. Tell us the qualities of what you seek, and we will find it."
She hopes that her pitch will further establish that the entire matter is a mutual interest of both parties. Sir Cedric was rather... to the point regarding their necessities, so Dove hopes to soften it up a bit. Moreover, Lord Kaijitsu probably wants to know that his request is very within their power to grant.
Heads up from my end too. Since I am traveling half way across the country, my posting ability will probably be highly spotty from Saturday to Tuesday.
Unlike the others, Dove's thoughts are largely elsewhere as they walk through the noble district. Given all of the recent murders, she keeps an eye out for trouble. Granted, the odds of them being targeted would admittedly be rather low. There is certainly easier prey in Magnimar than a sizable group of heavily armed and armored individuals and a tiger.
However, the Kaijitsu estate does catch Dove's full attention. It is certainly different (in a good way) compared to the rest of the city. For one, it looks to be the only place in the district that actually knows how to take care of its gardens. As they traverse the courtyard, Dove cannot help but wonder how the Tians ended up in Magnimar. That would certainly be an interest story to hear.
"Of course! Thank you very much for all of this. Pork is her favorite, and I am sure Gaia will be happy to have some more," remarks the Desnan Druid at Tsutamu's kind offer. She quickly puts Gaia on a down-stay, and the tigress is quickly to obey as usual. As she scratches her companion's ears, Dove turns to Tsutamu and adds, "Unless something outright attacks her, she shouldn't cause any trouble. She knows better!"
At Dove's comment, Gaia simply yawns, crosses her white paws, and then places her head down on them.
Unlike the others, Dove has no need to remove any shoes; she simply trots right into the villa on her own bare feet. Dove takes a moment to study the window before following Jubal into the meeting room. Other than a passing glance, the library doesn't draw her attention. Dove just assumes that all the noble families have big libraries, and they all look the same to her.
Like Zindelo, Dove proves to be very familiar with sitting cross-legged. After all, chairs were basically unknown amongst the Seven Star tribe. The Shoanti woman quickly sets her earthbreaker down next to her cushion and plops herself down on the seat.
Based on what has been said and given the time constraints on shopping, it looks like we're just going to offer a favor as a gift. If anyone has any other ideas, I am more than willing to hear them.
Dove reaches into a belt pouch, produces a handful of coins, and begins counting them. Once finished, she carefully tucks them away.
"Likewise. There is nothing santa-mental in a straight gold piece gift," Dove remarks as she calls Gaia over to follow closely. With that said, the two begin making their way out toward the door, both eager for some fresh air.
"We do not have much time left," Dove notes carefully, giving Zindelo's point a nod of acknowledgement. "Perhaps our gift could be something not immediately tangible. Maybe a favor? A service perhaps. Something that will provide long term benefit for the Kaijitsu family."
Dove nods at the collective opinion of the rest of the group. Given that the individuals who have spoken on the matter have not only lived in Magnimar the longest but also said more or less the same thing, the Desnan Druid decides it would be good to follow their advice.
"Sounds good. I just wanted to be sure. Poly Ticks isn't exactly my area of specialties."
Getting the impression that she goofed some words and descriptions on potential pack animals, Dove gives the idea a quick think over while she and her new allies get ready to depart.
Knowledge Nature on Pack Animals:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24If yaks likely aren't found this far south or west, what could the group reasonably find in Magnimar that would be a good option for the jounrey, and how would it hold up in the long run?
Not wanting the silly thing to fall on her foot (again), Dove takes a moment to get her earthbreaker securely strapped to her back. However, she and Gaia are quickly ready to go after that. Well, almost. The druid takes the chance to snag some of the cheese and roasted boar. As she approaches Jubal, Dove casually tosses a piece of boar to Gaia, who readily chows down on it.
"Question. I might be understanding you wrong, Master Jubal, but are you saying that we need to get Lord Kaijitsu a gift?"
Dove nods at Zindelo's statement and says, "Well, in your support, I have never run a caravan before. In my experience though, the Seven Star Shoanti found that horses did not last very long against ogres. Yaks did. However, we should wait. See what our final inventory will look like. Then we can decide."
Ever a good judge of character, Dove rather quickly picks up on Arduinne's body language and thoroughly analyzes the vibes.
Miss Winterbourne appears to be uncomfortable talking about her life. If anything, she only spoke because everyone else was telling their stories. Better not pry. None of my business anyway. And there's nothing wrong with keeping to oneself; Desna knows I do that most of the time.
As such, she tries to be as respectful as humanly possible the entire time Arduinne talks.
On the other hand, after listening to the gentlemanly gnome's tale, Dove wishes Jubal was a more descriptive. It certainly would be interesting to hear the life's story of somebody who was older than the average human lifespan back in her tribe. However, she eventually decides that the short version might be for the best. The druid had never even heard the name 'Breakbottle' prior to the present day, and she could have very well gotten confused if a lot of information had been dropped on her.
In order to make the most use of time, Dove quicks makes more conversation.
"Does anyone think we might need a pack animal? If so, I suggest we grab a yak. They are hardy and strong beasts. Surprisingly quick on their feet too. They would be a bit slower than the usual horse, but assuming that Master Jubal would be riding a pony, the yak would be keeping pace with us just fine."
Out of all the pack animals, a yak is pretty good. Only 24 gp, they have a 27 strength, and they keep the same pace as a pony. They have the same stats as a bison, which is a CR 4 creature.
"If you haven't noticed, Common is not my first tongue. Please pardon any... uh... improper speech," begins Dove as she stuffs another cheese cube in her mouth before starting her life's tale.
"I come from the Seven Star tribe near Hook Mountain. From what I know, we would be called Shoanti by you 'civilized' folk. My tribe has a proud history of keeping the local ogres in check. Me personally? I was selected to train as a... po... potent... possible successor to the Arch Druid. Might sound smug, but I was one of the best."
She says the last part with a confident grin. However, her demeanor suddenly becomes a bit darker, and it seems as though Dove is a bit hesitant to continue. Regardless, she does so after a few seconds of stalling. Her voice drops a bit in tone.
"When I was fifteen, we got hit by a big ogre raid. Much larger than usual. Anyway, I got separated from my family in the chaos along with one of our tiger cubs. I spent months looking for my tribe, but I never found them. Cold winter was coming, so I went south to warmer lands. I took the tiger cub with me."
An oddly solemn Dove finds herself crossing her legs, curling up, and embracing Gaia's head rather suddenly.
Sense Motive DC 1:
A blind man could see that she thinks her entire tribe is dead.
"I wandered aimlessly for a while, but I eventually found humanoid tracks to follow. Lots of them. That meant civilization. First stopped in city called Korovosa, but I soon came to fear for Gaia's and my safety. They don't like druids, Shoanti, or idiots very much, and I was a Shoanti druid who spoke like an idiot. I left after two days. I wandered west and linked up with a Varisian caravan by chance. They taught me some basic Common, and I helped guide them through dangerous routes. Very good at that by the way. I notice little details about the earth that indicate safety or death.
"At some point, we ended up in Magnimar. I think I was seventeen or eighteen by then. I wanted to stay with the caravan, but I couldn't read the paper they gave me with the... uh... de-part-ure date. Missed them by a day. With no other options, I decided to look for work, but it was difficult. Thought it was prejudice, but it was more languages barriers at the end of the day. I sounded awful. That and I think Gaia scared a lot of people.
"I was about ready to leave town, and I was evi-dent-ly very sad. No. Depressed is a better word. However, a kind knight took notice, gave me some gold, and pointed me in the direction of where I could find work. That knight was Sir Cedric. Really renewed my hope in Magnimar."
Dove hesitantly puts a hand on a certain Cavalier's shoulder and offers the man a kind smile.
"By stroke of Desna's luck, ended up as a tracker on a boar hunt for a youngest son of a minor noble tribe, er, house. I was only supposed to serve as temporary sub for another who was sick. They barely managed to even find one boar on prior hunts. With my help, we bagged three. Mr. Tellian - the youngest son - hired me on permanently. I also started tending his family gardens when we weren't hunting. Great place to sleep by the way. Excellent view of Desna's stars!
"Like Sir Cedric, Mr. Tellian is a good man. Pays well and personally gave me Common lessons. Eventually, I started helping out with other work. His family helps the city guard patrol the countryside and keep goblins under control. I served as a scout, and that is when I first met Zindelo. Evidently, the two of us made a name for ourselves doing that. From what I hear, Mr. Tellian told his father about my knowledge of the land and my tracking skills, and that made its way up some magic grape vine to the Lord-Mayor. Now I am here."
Dove looks at the rest of the group and begins rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.
"Sorry for long length, but thank you for listening. I agree with Sir Cerdic and Zindelo. I like this group," the petite Shoanti woman says with a big grin.
Excellent idea. Makes great use of our remaining time.
Other than waiting for Foxglove's reply, can anyone think of anything else we should do before heading over? At least to me, this feels like a great transition point to hop to the next "scene" so to speak. The group has a good location to scout out and a shopping list to assemble, so now they just have get everything together in order.
"I have one. When we come over for tea, should I leave Gaia outside?" asks Dove innocently. At the odd looks she knows that her question will inevitably draw, the Shoanti woman asks, "What? Not everyone believes she's domesticated, you know."
Out of habit, the druid begins scratching her companion's ears, which draws a moan of approval from the snow white tiger.
"Still say we should inspect the ruins, Sir Cedric; you can never be too careful," insists Dove ominously before becoming a bit more upbeat. "And I will keep that thing about writing in mind. Last thing I want is to be swarmed by stinking goblins."
While she is quickly getting used to letting Judal do the group talking, Dove does have a couple of points to raise to her peers, "Just ideas to consider, but I do not see any harm in waiting to speak to Lord Kaijitsu in person. Master Judal said that this was second breakfast, right? It cannot be too much longer. We also might have to wait for that response from Lord Foxglove."
"Sounds good if we hunt in open areas, Sir Cedric; we could certainly do that," says Dove as she tries to pick out a piece of cheese to nibble on. "However, we might want to be more, how you say, 'pragmatic' in general. Back near Hook Mountain, due to ogres, my tribe needed to be quick on the hunt. We would trap or stun animals with magic and then pelt them with arrows. I know an Animal Call spell that could be of use. Also, we would not always hunt for game. Zindelo and me... Zindelo and I foraged for tasty berries on expeditions."
Dove smiles at the idea of a good port location already existing. It certainly saved them time. However, she cannot help but wonder why nobody had ever set up shop there before...
She frowns at the talk of ancients binding demons.
"If these old people binded demons and if they still are known to exist, then we might find some in the area of the ruined lighthouse. Once we get there, we should carefully look over land. Make sure no demons nearby. Setting up town near demon infested area is asking for trouble. Goblins bad enough."
When Ayame arrives and introduces herself, Dove largely lets Jubal do the talking. However, she does add a small comment at Lord Kaijitsu's unwillingness to leave his pregnant wife's side. "That's quite alright and very understandable. We have yet to even find and secure a good location for the colony."
Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems that the group will want to head off to Foxglove Manor first in order to start building funds. While Dove expressed caution about it, she was not against the idea and will go with the group.
"Don't know anyone personally, but maybe we could poke around the city ports?" Dove suggests rather obviously. However, once the gears in her brain start going, her second thought proves to noticably better. "I could also try to see if there are any other druids in town. Ones better with... uh... ge-og-ra-phy than myself. When I traveled, I just wandered and went where the tracks looked good. That or we could try asking in a church of Desna. She is the goddess of travel, so somebody there might have a lead."
"Don't worry about hunting, Miss Winterbourne; I have that covered," remarks Dove as she taps the handle of her earthbreaker. "Give me enough time, and I can get enough food for all five of us. It's the animals we need to think about. All things considered, Gaia is probably the easiest. Plenty of deer around these parts."
This is good boar! Dove chirps in her head as she takes another bite of sandwich, barely able to keep her manners from reverting back to their primal Shoanti origins. Lovely seasoning.
Gaia seems to agree with her handler. After chomping into another bite of her delicious boar, the tigress lets out a content noise of some sort, which earns her an affectionate scratch behind the ears from Dove. After enjoying that for a bit, the snow white tiger is quick to jump back into her feast.
Before adding some more of her thoughts, Dove snags a bit of the wine Zindelo seems to be enjoying. Back home, there had been alcohol, but she never cared for the taste. Too strong, too powerful, too bitter. However, Magnimarian wine was something else. Much better in her opinion.
"I have some skill with mundane healing, but it is mostly intuition..." admits Dove a bit sheepishly. "As for the haunted house, I say we be cautious. The undead do exist, you know. I think the question now is this: using what we currently have, do we head out soon, or do we build up some more funds, gather a bunch of supplies, and then leave later? Something tells me that the Lord-Mayor might be busy for a while, so I think we have some time."
Needless to say, Dove is rather impressed with the Breakbottle estate. Might be a little on the small side, but then again, it was built for a family of gnomes. The Desnan Druid quietly admires the architecture as she and Gaia follow the rest of the group into the grounds. After a light casting of Create Water outside to make sure her feet are clean, she heads in last.
Unlike Cedric, Dove is rather adamant about keeping her weapons on her person. While she has never had a problem with Gaia beforehand and is fairly certain that her tiger is (almost) completely domesticated, Dove still takes no chances. As for her earthbreaker, she would rather just have that on hand in case an assassin jumps through the window.
Again...
Dove places her large weapon at her feet, and keeping Gaia's sharp claws in mind, she has the cat lay down at the base of a human-sized couch where she takes her own seat. She figures that the larger furniture must be for when bigger guests come to visit. When Jubal orders food, the druid quickly asks for some meat to be brought in for Gaia.
"I agree about the antitoxin. Speaking of which, how are we on healing? I can prepare a couple of healing spells a day, but that's really it. Hardly enough for five people, some horses, and a tiger," inquires Dove after taking a bite of her sandwich.
I switched some of Dove's gear around. The big problem was that I still had a shield for some reason despite using a two-handed weapon. As such, I tossed it out and switched Dove's armor from Light Wooden to Medium Hide to cushion the AC lose. All in all, that got me 12 gp back. I hope that is alright.
"Thank you! I have been practicing; in fact, I... uh... What's the word...? Ah! I rehearsed what I will say to the Lord-Mayor for about five hours last night," chirps a lightly blushing Dove at Zindelo's comment before reverting to her more perceptive state of mind.
Dove listens intently to what the briefing and eagerly accepts her charter with great care. While the Lord-Mayor speaks, she occasionally finds her thoughts drifting back to Justice Ironbriar, but the druid decides to keep her opinions on his odd behavior to herself. Last thing she needs is to make an enemy who could shoot the expedition in the foot before it ever started. Once everything is said and done, Dove offers the head of state another polite bow before following her new allies.
"Hate ogres," Dove mumbles to herself at Cedric's mentioning of them, absent-mindedly twisting a few strands of her dark hair. As if recognizing what her handler is saying, Gaia growls lowly, seemingly recognizing the word.
Now that her mind is on that subject, the druid finds herself thinking about what she actually knows about her tribe's hated enemies.
Upon hearing that the group plans to find a safe location to discuss their plans, Dove immediately perks up and begins listening intently. She does not mind the idea of planning in a stable, but the Menhir Savant ultimately does not think it would be the best "private" location available. She is quick to agree about going to the Breakbottle estate.
"Sounds like the best option at the moment. I don't have any better ideas. As pretty as they are, the city gardens are too open," Dove concludes as she places her charter in her backpack. "Thank you for your... hos-pit-ality, Master Jubal."
Given how much concern is being expressed about privacy, Dove checks her surroundings to see if anyone is following them.
Perception:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
"Securing food should be another priority," the druid says as she beings to think over resource. "Water isn't a big problem. To quote Mr. Tellian, I can 'create a gallon of fresh water every six seconds' or something like that."
At her benefactor Tellian's suggestion, Dove Starstrider wanders into the town square rather early in the morning. She tries not to draw too much attention to herself, but that task ultimately proves a little difficult; in the office of the Lord-Mayor, a barefoot Shoanti woman armed with a large earthbreaker and being trailed by a white tiger is bound to attract some attention. Still, those very same factors also give her a little breathing room and allows her to take up her favorite past time: watching people.
Perception on the Room:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
However, the druid finds herself a bit nervous about the whole "establishing a colony" prospect. In fact, she jumps at bit in surprised when called out of line, but the Menhir Savant is quick to compose herself and follows the page with the ever stoic Gaia in tow. Once called over to the Lord-Mayor's desk, Dove offers a polite half-bow to all parties present.
She opens her mouth to say something to the scribe, but the Lord-Mayor and his entourage are quick to arrive. Thus Dove lets the issue die, though she can't help but find herself studying Justine Ironbriar when he asks for more power. She finds that a bit... fishy.
Sense Motive on Ironbriar:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Dove quickly snaps to attention (again) when a familiar voice reaches her ears.
"Zindelo! What a surprising! It's been so long," she says taking one of his hands with both of her own and giving it a light shake. She glances over her shoulder and adds, "Indeed, Gaia and me- I are doing well. I hope everything is going well for you and your Aunt. Tellian sends her his regards."
Dove's Common is oddly polished for somebody who has only begun speaking it around four years ago. Meanwhile, Gaia gives Zindelo an affection nuzzle with her head. The white tiger clearly has fond memories of this man.
The druid notices the other people she does not recognize or has not formally met before. She quickly breaks her contact with Zindelo and gives them each another bow. Hopefully, the warm greeting she gave the Varisian won't hurt the image of professionalism Tellian and her had worked hard to craft.
First is the Lord-Mayor.
"A pleasure to finally meet you in person, your Excellency. I am looking forward to assisting Magnimar in anyway I can. Dove Starstrider, at your service."
The next address is too the well-composed, professional-looking gnome and the other female human. Dove does not recognize them immediately.
"Allow me to introduce myself, Master Breakbottle, Miss Winterbourne. I am Dove Starstrider, Druid of Desna. It is a pleasure to meet you two. I will be working with Zindelo as one of the scouts. He and I have participated in goblin hunts in the countryside before. My companion Gaia will be assisting me."
The snowy white tigress lets out a lazy yawn as an acknowledgement.
Dove then faces the Knight-Protecter of the Lord-Mayor.
"You might not remember me, Sir Cedric, but a few years ago, shortly after I first wandered into Magnimar, you gave me some gold to hold me over until I found work. I want to thank you for your kindess. It inspired me to stay in town, and I ran into Mr. Tellian not too much later."
And then finally, she turns back to the Lord-Mayor and asks, "I do have a few questions, your Excellency. The first would be this: do you have any leads on a specific area we should begin investigating first? As for the second, what will be the status for our supply lines? I would just like to know that for future planning. Finally, what is the latest word on goblin activity along the Lost Coast?"
@Zindelo: Given that Dove barely knows the ins and outs of the Magnimar nobility, that is a nice and simple to get these two aware of each other. I would image working with a Shoanti druid wielding a big earthbreaker and sicking a Siberan tiger on the poor goblins would leave a lasting impression.
@Jubal: Maybe they briefly interacted once when Dove's benefactor Tellian and Lord Breakbottle were at big social function?
@Cedric: A great idea. It would probably be the single event that convinced her to keep giving Magnimar a chance.
@Arduinne: Unless Dove got lost and wandered into Korvosa for a couple of days before leaving, I do not see how she and Arudinne would have met before the sorceress arrived three months prior to the start of the story.
I like the first option; Kingmaker is a pretty good campaign for a larger group, though it might get crazy with so many characters fighting one battle. However, do whatever is best for you. There is no need to overwork yourself.
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