About Eliaera CasateriHP: 11/15
Bardic Performance Rounds: 9/9 Spell Slots:
Background:
Eliaera was born in Magnimar to Lisella Casateri, an attractive half-elven, half-Varisian woman who made a living dancing and singing in the taverns and clubs of the lower-class areas of the city. Her father, Norren Vanderale, a minor scion of the noble family, immediately fell for the woman's exotic beauty when he laid eyes upon her in a burlesque cabaret bar. As he expected, wooing the woman was easy, with his charm, power, and money; what Norren did not expect is for his dalliance to result in Lisella's pregnancy. Unwilling to either threaten his position in the family succession or settle down with a Varisian woman he barely knew, Norren simply bought Lisella's silence on the matter by promising to make regular payments to help raise the child. Eliaera infrequently saw her father during her childhood as a result, and the experience was never particularly pleasant—mostly he came to make sure Lisella had not spilled the beans, and 'spend the night' with her mother in return for his child support. Eliaera was often sent to a cousin's house when Norren arrived, and would spend much of the next few days trying her hardest to relight the spark in her mother's eyes. Each time he paid a visit, the task was harder still.
Though Lisella had to spend plenty of time away from the home working to support herself and her daughter, Eliaera was never lonely. Her extended Varisian family kept her company, teaching her their songs, stories, language, and dance. Life was simple, and the Casateri family never had much money, but Eliaera found herself surrounded by love at all times. Though her father's blood had diluted most of her mother's elven ancestry, Eliaera found herself naturally talented at arcane magic, and she was tutored in its use by both her mother and by Grandmother Nola, a very old and weathered Varisian fortune-teller. Her gift was with song, and she would mix the traditional Varisian folk songs with the elven lullabies and devotions her mother had sung from when she was not yet born. As Eliaera grew older, though, things started to become more complicated at home. Changes to the priority of the local guard away from the largely Varisian neighbourhood allowed a Sczarni gang to move in to the area, pressuring the families who lived there for ever-increasing 'protection money'. Lisella found it incredibly difficult to meet the gang's terms, and would often be forced to borrow money or procure it from sources she refused to divulge to her daughter. Occasionally the Sczarni would 'spend the night', much like Norren did, but after a few of those visitations her mother almost completely lost her personal glow. Lisella turned to pesh and alcohol to sustain her almost feverish working hours and to dull the pain of many mistakes made through her life. Her addiction only made the problem worse—all the local drug dealers were tied up with the Sczarni anyway. It got to the point where the thugs were lurking around the Casateri home almost every day. The breaking point for Lisella was when one of the Sczarni took a liking to her 16-year-old daughter and was essentially ready to force the young girl into prostitution for the sake of providing a hit. Eliaera still remembers the grinning, hungry face staring at her from the doorway, staying awake all through the night with a dagger in her hand just in case anything horrible happened. Through the fog of drugs and depression, Lisella somehow knew at that moment that they could no longer live here, suffering through this experience. Saying goodbye only to Grandmother Nola, she and Eliaera gathered their meagre belongings and followed their feet as only Varisians could. They travelled with a caravan to nearby Sandpoint, where friends of the family—Madame Niska Mvashti and her daughter Koya—helped them settle into the small town. However, with her peaceful childhood uprooted, her life and body coming so close to being threatened, and everything she ever knew thrown to the wind so suddenly, Eliaera was left feeling disjointed, unable to connect to her new home. She spent most of her time secluded in her room, losing herself in fantastical, imaginary worlds of fiction and dog-eared old chronicles from the Pathfinder Society. In these tales, she could travel and see the world, and be the hero she so wished she could be—if only she was not so scared of going outside. Lisella, still struggling with the after-effects of going cold turkey, was at a loss as to what to do for her daughter. It was Koya Mvashti who came up with a solution. One morning, Eliaera was dragged out of her bedroom and taken down to the newly-reopened Rusty Dragon tavern. She was introduced to a young woman she'd never met before: Ameiko Kaijitsu. The friendly ex-adventurer caught Eliaera's attention off the bat with her exotic appearance and snake tattoo, and she was subsequently glued to her seat when Ameiko next played the shamisen for her. The next few hours—when she wasn't busy serving customers, at least—were filled with excited chatter about music and adventure. Eliaera was so enthused by the meeting that she insisted on coming back early the next morning, and the next, and the next, desperate to hear more tales of Ameiko's exploits and to discuss the arts with her. Though their meeting had originally been a favour called in from Koya, and Ameiko was a few years older than Eliaera, the two became fast friends through their shared interests. Eliaera tutored Ameiko in the Varisian language, while Ameiko kindly returned the favour and taught her the tricks of the Tien tongue. The more they spent time together, the more Ameiko's irreverent attitude towards life began to rub off on the reclusive Eliaera, and she felt herself changing, becoming more outgoing, more talkative, more happy with herself and her life, and more interested in the real world rather than the world of story books. Nowadays, Eliaera is a frequent performer at the Rusty Dragon and often sings duets with her Tian friend. Her mother recovered her strength and her spirit, and found new enjoyment in making traditional Varisian scarves and other clothing that she sold with the help of Rynshinn Povalli at Vernah's Fine Clothing. Though the Sczarni is still a presence here in Sandpoint, the members here seem to not know or not care about what occurred back in Magnimar, and the Casateri women have been able to live in relative peace. Recently, Eliaera has noticed the distant look Ameiko gets in her eyes when she remembers the past and ponders the future. Though reticent on some of the details of her adventures, from their many discussions they have had on the topic Eliaera can tell that the woman desires to leave behind the peace and quiet of Sandpoint and strike out into the world once more. The idea of journey thrills the Varisian blood in Eliaera, and the idea of adventuring with her best friend—one of the most important and dearest people in her life, the one who helped her shake off the chains of depression and a harrowing past—is thoroughly exciting. However, she knows that Ameiko is still grieving over the loss of her family and other, longer-term wounds as yet unknown to her, and so she does not push the issue. Instead, Eliaera is patient, hoping that she can provide some aid to Ameiko in repayment for all her most beloved friend has done—and continues to do—for her. Personality:
Eliaera is currently caught in the midst of trying to discover who she really is. The child that loves the world—the teenager that hates it. The fantastical hero in her mind—or the coward who wants to run from all that hurts her. The gentle and caring friend—or the embittered and hurt victim. Lately, in an attempt to dismiss the murky waters of her decision making processes in a mindscape she continually wavers on, she has defaulted to rashness and leaping before she looks. In other words, in order to stop herself from overthinking, she stops thinking at all.
Eliaera finds developing interpersonal relationships beyond friendship difficult, especially with men, although is more than skilled at rhetoric and convincing others to trust her words. She trusts slowly and forgives slights rarely, although those who earn her loyalty are sure to find it remain so for life. She is unwilling to entertain thoughts of romance, thinking herself irrevocably damaged by her past but also not allowing herself to recognise such budding feelings in the first place. Despite her misgivings in many parts of life, Eliaera is definitely a stubborn soul, and if she truly comes to believe in something she is loath to give it up. Oppression is something she cannot stand, and speaks out against it whenever she comes into contact with it. When she speaks of her beliefs and opinions, she speaks with conviction and determination, and is prepared to argue a point to the ground if need be. Fundamentally, Eliaera an artist and intellectual at heart, fascinated by music and art, by literature and history, by magic and beauty, and by everything the world has to offer. Her Varisian blood calls out for her to travel, to follow the stars and her heart to wherever they may take her, but she remains scared of the consequences and hesitant to do so by herself. However, her inhibitions in this regard are slowly being worn away; the more she sees of the world, the more she wishes to see, and Ameiko's recent complaints about the safe-and-boring life they live in Sandpoint only serve to enflame that desire. Appearance:
Eliaera is a relatively tall and lithe woman of Varisian ethnicity. Her skin is a dusky tan and her large, expressive eyes are a brilliant shade of violet. Her long black hair is slightly wavy and touches her lower back when it is let down fully; normally she at least partially braids it, using ribbons and hair clips to satisfy her love of dressing up and also keep it from interfering with her daily life. Faint hints of her distant elven heritage can be seen here and there, from her larger-than-normal pupils, slight hints of points on her ears, and the overall physical beauty she has inherited. She prefers fancy, brightly-coloured clothing, and is especially fond of things in blues and purples. Eliaera loves necklaces and other jewellery, especially those made of silver, and is normally seen wearing a delicate chain around her neck decorated with a jewel-encrusted angel wing. She fancies flowers, and if given the opportunity will often tuck a couple of flowers behind her ear or in her belt. Stat Block:
Eliaera Casateri
Female Varisian human bard (arcane duelist) 2 CG Medium humanoid Init +2; Senses Perception +5 -------------------- DEFENSE -------------------- AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+3 armor, +2 Dex, +1 shield) hp 15 (2d8+2) Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +3 -------------------- OFFENSE -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Melee +1 keen rapier +4 (1d6+2/15–20) Ranged shortbow +3 (1d6/×3) Special Attacks bardic performance 9 rounds/day (distraction, rallying cry, fascinate [DC 14], inspire courage +1) Bard Spells Known (CL 2nd; concentration +9) . . . 1st (3/day)—charm person (DC 14), cure light wounds, hideous laughter (DC 14) . . . 0 (at will)—dancing lights, detect magic, ghost sound (DC 13), prestidigitation, summon instrument -------------------- STATISTICS -------------------- Str 13, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 16 Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 14 Feats Arcane Strike, Combat Casting, Lingering Performance, Weapon Finesse Traits Best Friend (Ameiko), Intense Artist (Perform [Dance], Perform [Oratory]) Skills Acrobatics +5 [+7], Bluff +8, Diplomacy +10, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (Arcana) +6, Knowledge (Nature) +6, Perception +5, Perform (Dance) +4, Perform (Sing) +8, Perform (Oratory) +4, Spellcraft +7, Stealth +5 [+7], Use Magic Device +8 Languages Common, Elven, Tien, Varisian Favoured Class bard (1 skill point) Possessions:
Studded leather armor Buckler Rapier Shortbow Arrows (20) Spell component pouch
Backpack
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