Emilia Zorzi's page

Emilia had an idyllic childhood growing up in Pillar Hill, in the Midland District of Korvosa. Her parents, father, Teodor, and mother, Marcella, were silk merchants of Chelaxian descent and ran a successful silk/cloth business with a patronage that in main was made up of the lesser noble families from The Heights District. Emilia had a twin brother, Marco, who entered the world five minutes before her. Theirs was a close bond – where one went, the other followed. The children could often be found in their father’s store; Marco charming the patrons, and, Emilia, with her nose buried in some book or ledger.

It was of no surprise to anyone that after the twins’ 18th birthday, Marco was given leave to run the shop on behalf of their father. Emilia still spent time in the store with her brother – she was better at the books and accounts than he was – and they complemented each other very well. Even though Emilia knew her parents loved her, it was apparent that Marco was their favourite – especially their mother’s “golden child”.

A few months after Marco had inherited the reins of the shop, one of the struggling fishermen (Bini they called him) reported Marco to the local authority – swearing he witnessed her brother commit a murder of another prominent merchant trader. Her brother had been taken away for questioning and imprisoned, even though he had defending evidence aplenty placing him somewhere else at the time of the murder. Still, they found the murder weapon wrapped in muslin in a lower shelf in the silk shop. The family did not believe the informant – Marco had always been a fine, upstanding young man – kind to all who crossed his path. They stood by their son and brother; Emilia going so far as to attempt to discover the truth and uncover the real culprit and free her twin.

Discovering the fisherman’s whereabouts had not taken long and Emilia used the charm she had often witnessed from both her father and brother, to trick the man into telling her the truth. He had provided false witness and planted the murder weapon in the store on the “behest” of a local crime lord named Gaedren Lamm. Before Bini could recant his testimony and right the wrong he had perpetrated out of fear, the fisherman was killed – Emilia surmised it had to have been on order from Lamm. With the main and only witness now gone, her brother was released from prison, but the damage had already been done to the family name and the reputation of the store.

Emilia watched as her brother grew more quiet and withdrawn as patrons stopped coming to the shop. The locals had gotten into the habit of stopping and pointing at him if he walked the streets or through the shop window as he stood behind the counter. Her beautiful, bright and charismatic brother began to fade before her eyes and she could not turn his dark mood around. Their mother soon withdrew from her fine circle of friends (or they withdrew from her first) and she started sitting and rocking in a chair in their apartment above the shop until day turned to night.

No matter what Teodor Zorzi attempted to do to turn the tide for his family and business, he could not stem the continual rumour and diminished patronage. Soon the shop was as quiet as an abandoned building.

Two weeks after his release, in the early hours of the morning, it was Emilia who sadly discovered Marco – hanging from the ceiling of the shop – dead – when she came down to set up for the day. She had cried out and her father had rushed in, and, the sight of the swinging boy broke the father’s heart. They took down Marco, with her mother’s despairing, continual wail in the background – that is before her mother went completely silent and never spoke again.

Teodor’s health declined dramatically from the day Marco had taken his own life. With the stigma of murderer and now suicide, people were afraid to enter the store altogether, believing the once fine family cursed for some deep transgression. What savings the family had was quickly eroded and they were forced to pack up and move to smaller, thriftier accommodations in Ridgefield, on the extreme west end of the North Point District, where poverty was everywhere, although not as badly as Old Korvosa across the Narrows.

It was at this time, Emilia went to the Grand Cathedral of Pharasma in The Gray District and threw herself on the mercy of the clergy – promising to dedicate herself to the life of a priestess and tending the graves surrounding the Cathedral and sometimes assisting the midwife in the North Point District in the birthing of the many, unwanted babies. She studied and trained; her once buoyant demeanour now cool, checked and reserved. She had donned the black mantle of The Lady of the Grave’s clerics and it was as if the light itself was extinguished along with the coloured silks she once wore. Inside her secret heart, lay a stone, a heavy reminder of what Gaedren Lamm had taken from her family and it grew into a desperate need – first for vengeance and later for justice and reparation. The Lady of the Graves would not take into consideration the factors leading to Marco’s suicide and Emilia worried for the judgement and eternal unrest of his beloved soul.

When time permitted from her studies and duties, Emilia would quietly work at searching out evidence to prove Lamm was a murderer and restore her family name and reputation. She owed it to Marco – her poor, broken, dead brother. She owed it to her mute and touched mother and the father, who with growing poor health and broken spirit, still worked tirelessly to find any small, dirty job to feed his remaining family and take care of his wife. Any spare coin Emilia earned as priestess/midwife, she gave to her father. The Zorzi’s fate had inexplicably changed the day Lamm targeted her brother and set to ruin his and all their lives. She could not permit him to go unpunished or do to others what he had done to her family. One way or another, Lamm would have to be brought to justice and pay for his crimes/sins.

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Marco was gone – buried this day in the cemetery of the Grand Cathedral of Pharasma. Emilia was dressed in black – a true disciple of the Lady of the Graves. Shadows of grief marked her eyes – and the dry trails of spent tears were discernible on her flushed cheeks. The dark hood of her cape was pushed back off her hair.

She stood, watching her mute, perpetually stunned mother seated by the window on the upper floor; the rocking chair silent and unmoving beneath her. Marcella Zorzi was forever lost to them – a husk of a woman - and Emilia could spare no further grief for her poor mother.

The fisherman’s body had been discovered near the docks two weeks earlier and Marco had been released. But their misfortune continued and here they were, now.

Emilia’s father had remained by the dock; unready to return home and walk past the spot where his son had hung himself. She was glad he was not there, for if he heard her words and promises he would worry anew and Emilia could not place such worry on her broken-hearted father.

“Mother, the old thief, Gaedren Lamm, is to blame for all our misfortunes.” Emilia pushed a stray hair off her face and watched the glassy-eyed Marcella. “It was he who forced Bini to lie and plant the weapon. And I am certain he ordered Bini to be murdered so he could not recant and expose him. It was Lamm who silenced you and put you in that chair and caused father to lose his trade and vigour. Most importantly, it was Lamm would killed Marco – forced my brother to end his life from perpetual shame.” Emilia’s voice caught on the last word and tears threatened to spill anew but she pushed them away with pure force of will. She would be cold – the only way she knew how to carry onward.

“Too long has this despicable criminal and his band of thugs threatened the lives of the people, here. The lawkeepers have not stopped him - he slips from the yoke of justice at every turn. But I say, no more.” There was a bitter yet determined edge to her voice upon speaking the words ‘no more’. Her mother’s lifeless eyes continued to stare out of the window – Marcella showing no sign that she understood her aggrieved daughter.

“I will learn and study, seek, grow stronger in mind and heart. All that I do or say will be in my duty to bring down Gaedren Lamm. I will not be silent or turn a blind-eye unless it benefits me in my end purpose. If I must beg the gods to aid my cause, then I will. Lamm will be permitted no further joy or benefit or control over the lower class, middle class or the nobles. He does not know it yet, but his days of power and intimidation are coming to an end. If it takes me months or years, mother, I swear to you, I will bring him down and he will atone for his transgressions.”

Emilia had begun to breathe harder – the air trapped beneath her chest. She closed her dark eyes and grounded her emotions - stilling the desire for quick vengeance. Once she was calm again, she opened her eyes and continued,

“Father does not need to know of this. Marco was my twin, and, through me, his soul will find peace, as will our family.”

The silence was thick in the sitting room and Emilia wondered if her mother could still comprehend any part of the real world. As she turned to leave, lifting the hood over her head, Emilia heard the familiar creak of the rocking chair upon the old wooden floor and knew instinctively her mother had understood and given her blessing.

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Emilia has long, dark brown hair, large dark brown eyes and fair skin. She is petite - standing at 5'7" and weighing 123 lbs. Her body is slender, although she has taken to wearing long dark robes - the attire of the clergy of the Lady of the Graves - which hides her shape/form. She often keeps her hair covered by the hood of her cape. People have always thought of her as a comely girl -- with her fine face, smooth skin, big eyes and large mouth/full lips. Now, she hides her beauty from the world at large beneath her mantle. She does not heed the value of physical beauty -- not since the day her life was turned upside down. Her voice is low/throaty ... She has a penetrating gaze when she wants to and other times she takes the stance of a meek disciple. She does not prattle on like some young women of her age, instead preferring quiet contemplation. Yet, her eyes are deep wells and those observant few can see the fires burning within.

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Emilia is smart and wise and she can underplay both for a specific purpose. She knows how to "handle" people (from her old life when she had a family and a bright future), and can be diplomatic and charming to suit her needs and motivations. Generally, she is cool/reserved on the outside -- undertaking her duties with minimal fuss or fanfare. She is studious -- a lover of lore/knowledge and adept in the healing arts. Emilia can balance ledgers with an ease born from her time in her father's store. She rarely laughs these days and her smile is small and polite. She enjoys intelligent conversation and honest people. No excesses of joy can be attached to her. Her eyes are expressive -- yet, she prefers keeping her own counsel (and secrets) -- People trust her; still she has few friends (preferring a smaller circle). Emilia is a serious, determined young woman who believes in the need for, and power of, justice. She serves willingly and keeps her mind open to new pursuits. Yet, her heart is guarded and her trust has to be earned. She is loyal to those whom she loves/cares for and trusts. And she always makes good on her promises.

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1. HEALING

Granted Powers: Your touch staves off pain and death, and your healing magic is particularly vital and potent.

Rebuke Death (Sp): You can touch a living creature as a standard action, healing it for 1d4 points of damage plus 1 for every two cleric levels you possess. You can only use this ability on a creature that is below 0 hit points. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.

Healer's Blessing (Su): At 6th level, all of your cure spells are treated as if they were empowered, increasing the amount of damage healed by half (+50%). This does not apply to damage dealt to undead with a cure spell. This does not stack with the Empower Spell metamagic feat.

Domain Spells: 1st—cure light wounds, 2nd—cure moderate wounds, 3rd—cure serious wounds, 4th—cure critical wounds, 5th—breath of life, 6th—heal, 7th—regenerate, 8th—cure critical wounds (mass), 9th—heal (mass).

2. KNOWLEDGE

Granted Powers: You are a scholar and a sage of legends. In addition, you treat all Knowledge skills as class skills.

Lore Keeper (Sp): You can touch a creature to learn about its abilities and weaknesses. With a successful touch attack, you gain information as if you made the appropriate Knowledge skill check with a result equal to 15 + your cleric level + your Wisdom modifier.

Remote Viewing (Sp): Starting at 6th level, you can use clairvoyance/clairaudience at will as a spell-like ability using your cleric level as the caster level. You can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to your cleric level. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.

Domain Spells: 1st—comprehend languages, 2nd—detect thoughts, 3rd—speak with dead, 4th—divination, 5th—true seeing, 6th—find the path, 7th—legend lore, 8th—discern location, 9th—foresight.

Clerics meditate or pray for their spells. Each cleric must choose a time at which she must spend 1 hour each day in quiet contemplation or supplication to regain her daily allotment of spells. (Emilia will pray at night.)

During this adventure, a character can spend his Harrow Points in the following ways:

Dexterity Rerolls: Spend a Harrow Point to reroll any one Initiative check, Reflex save, attack roll modified by Dexterity, or Dexterity-based skill check. You must abide by the new result (although if you have additional Harrow Points remaining, you can use them to attempt additional rerolls).

Dodge Bonus: Spend a Harrow Point to gain a +1 Dodge bonus to your Armor Class for one encounter. You can spend up to 3 Harrow Points per encounter to increase your Armor Class in this manner.

Speed Increase: Spend a Harrow Point to increase your base speed by 10 feet for one encounter—you cannot spend multiple Harrow Points to increase your speed multiple times in one encounter.