About Erikan StaldidtStats:
Erikan Staldidt Male human infernal sorcerer 1 LE Medium Humanoid (5'4" 150 lbs.) Init +8 Perception +0 ==DEFENCE== AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 dex) hp 7 Fort +1 Ref +2 Will +2 ==OFFENCE== Spd 30ft./x4 Melee unarmed strike -1 (1d3-1) Ranged acid splash +2 touch (1d3) ==STATISTICS== Str 8 Dex 14 Con 12 Int 14 Wis 10 Cha 18 Base Atk +0, Cmb -1, Cmd 11 Feats Combat Casting, Eschew Materials, Improved Initiative Skills Bluff +9, Diplomacy +8, Intimidate +8, Perform (strings) +5, Spellcraft +6 Spells
Favoured Class: Extra spell known (daze) Special Abilities
Traits * Fast-Talker: (+1 Bluff)
Ten Minute Background:
Step 1: Backgound/Concept Elements 1. Erikan is weedy and small, and had trouble sticking up for himself physically as a child. 2. His father was a Royal Bard, but was discovered to be a worshiper of Asmodeus when Erikan was young. Thus Erikan hates House Darius, loves performing, and worships Asmodeus. 3. Erikan is quite a nice fellow, but his need for vengeance and recognition burns hotly within his breast. He is strongly loyal to those he is close to, even willing to put himself in harm's way for those he loves, but he is utterly selfish regarding those he doesn't know or care for. Some exceptions are: the very poor; those who are weak, bullied, pathetic (although sometimes these types can remind him of himself as a child, and incur his contempt and derision); and other musicians, performers, or artists (the more skilled, the better). 4. Erikan's family has long lingered under a decades old "blessing" of infernal heritage. Their resulting religious tradition of worshipping Asmodeus has passed down secretly from father to son. Erikan feels blessed to be exhibiting magical powers derived from this heritage, and determined to return Asmodeus to his rightful place in the society of Talingarde. 5. As a fatherless child (and into the present day), Erikan helped support his mother through earning money performing. He uses a blend of musical skill, natural charisma, and magic (ghost sound, prestidigitation and silent image to entertain and amaze. Step 2: Goals 1. Erikan wants House Darius to pay, and to come to power as a patron of the New Church of Asmodeus, and maybe even rule the nation. Becoming a world-famous lutist is a fair way down his list, but it's there :)
Step 3: Secrets 1. Erikan used to sneak into Princess Bellinda's rooms when his father would perform for the King. They were both very young, and to the princess it no doubt meant nothing, but Erikan cherished those days, and has been besotted with the girl ever since. 2. Erikan's father was part of a secret society of Asmodeus, and had contacts among the hidden faithful. One of those is aware of Erikan and his magical gifts, and plots to help/use him in the future. Or did, before the idiot boy got himself sentenced to life in the salt mines. Step 4: Notable People 1. Varina, Erikan's mother, was a dancer of high repute in her youth. When she married Ferdan Staldidt, she became a discrete Madame to the wealthy, recruiting the prettiest of the poor folk, usually those that wished to become dancers but had not the talent to rise far. When Ferdan died, she struggled to hold onto her business, but in the end she beat back her opponents and is once again living well on her profits. She is selfish and vain, but also very loyal to those she holds dear. 2. Gerrick was an acquaintance of Erikan's father. A clever yet physically imposing man, Gerrick was instrumental in helping Varina get her life back on track, in various roles as her employee, partner, protector and lover. He is tapped into the very small amount of crime within the capital, and has always helped Erikan in a cold and distant way. Gerrick helped Erikan set up the fraud that as landed him in prison - an attempt to trick the Church of Mitra out of well over 50,000 gp worth of art treasures. Erikan has never fully trusted Gerrick, and now feels that he has been set up by his mother's sometime paramour. 3. The Watch Captain of Erikan's district, Farrinius, always knew that the boy was bad. When Erikan was performing on the street as a child, Farrinius would chase him off the street, and even threw him in a cell overnight a couple of times. The canny Watchman has risen through the ranks as Erikan has grown older, and was part of the team that caught Erikan in his crime. He would certainly have come to visit Erikan in prison to gloat at him. If Erikan gets free, Farrinius would love to be the one to catch him. Step 5: Memories, Mannerisms, Quiks 1. Erikan's wavy blond hair often hangs low over his brow, and Erikan has the somewhat pretentious habit of flicking it aside with his left hand. 2. Erikan has basic swimming skills, but he is afraid of deep water. This is a result of being dunked repeatedly in a canal by Farrinius one day as a child. I would be happy to accept minor penalties to swimming in deep water as a result of this quirk. 3. Erikan quite often gives small monetary gifts to random poor folks when he is flush with cash. As a result, he is well-known in his district as a "good-hearted young man". He remembers being given a small amount of coins as a young, nearly destitute boy, and how much a trifle can mean to someone who has nothing.
Background & Personality:
Ferdan Staldidt was a Court Bard to King Markadian IV, and then his son Markadian V. A handsome and talented bard, he hid his true bardic power, posing as a mundane musician. However, an aged and zealous Mitran bishop named Givernan never trusted the man, and continually watched Ferdan for signs of heresy and evil.
The bishop was quite right in his suspicions. The magnetic Staldidt was indeed a covert worshiper of Asmodeus (GM: and if you so choose, part of the plot that ended Markadian IV's reign and life), coming from a long line of Staldidts carrying Infernal blood in their veins. His wife Varina was one of the few successful and covert criminals in the capital, a former dancer and Madame to the nobility. In the year 4690, the couple had their only child, a small but beautiful child named Erikan. Erikan was much loved by his parents, and no less because he exhibited traits of a chosen of Asmodeus. Ferdan instilled in his son a love of the Dark Prince of gods, and also the notion that Erikan was chosen by Asmodeus to do great things in His name. Erikan would often travel to the Royal Palace when his father performed. A canny boy, he would roam the palace largely unnoticed, and found Princess Bellinda's chambers. The older boy found the girl enchanting, and the two became firm playmates, Erikan often delighting the princess with stories and tricks his father had taught him. Over the course of a decade, Bishop Givernan gathered scraps of evidence, along with the aid of a family friend's young and aspiring Watchmen, one Farrinius. Eventually, in the year 4700, when Erikan was 10 and the princess 7, this evidence was enough to have Ferdan arrested, tried, and executed for the crime of Blasphemy. Varina pled innocence for her and her son (largely the truth), and the pair were spared. For obvious reasons, this completely ended Erikan's contact with Princess Bellinda, and fired in him a roaring hatred of Markadin V and the clergy of Mitra. Varina's business began falling apart, as none of the nobility wanted even the slightest chance of being connected to her. She began whoring again herself, and Erikan took to the streets to perform on his lute. The pair relocated to the poorest district in Matharyn. Farrinius was promoted to Captain of the Watch in Erikan's new district, and continued to watch and harass the boy. In the first year of his new life, just after his eleventh birthday, Erikan received his first blessing from Asmodeus - the ability to cast prestidigitation. This helped him immensely with earning money, and he revelled in the feeling of his Infernal arcane power. He was clever enough to realise that Farrinius would spot overt uses of magic, however, and so he used his power as subtly and discreetly as possible. However, the boy, while handsome and charming like both his parents, was undersized and physically weak. He was often tormented by larger, stronger, envious children, and he learned well the lesson of avoiding confrontations from a position of weakness. He promised himself that when his power grew, he would make them all pay. Then Gerrick came into his life. An old friend of Ferdan, Gerrick was a handsome thug who posed as a merchant. Gerrick waited a seemly time after Ferdan's execution before approaching Varina, whom he had long lusted after (as had many a man). Disgusted at the way Varina was forced to make a living, he made her an offer: to take no other man but he, in return for his help in regaining her former wealth, power and, to those in the know, prestige. Varina accepted immediately. Garrick was, after all, handsome, powerful, clever, and kind, albeit in a distant way. The pressure on Erikan to bring in money swiftly diminished. Gerrick was as good as his word, and very effective at what he did, which was intimidate, outmanoeuvre, and defeat those that stood in his way. Coupled with Varina's understanding of her business, and her innate intelligence and tenacity, the pair became virtually the biggest mundane crime power in the city (although in general they had little competition in a city as Lawfully Good as Matharyn). Gerrick even began to mentor Erikan, although again, this was not so much in a fatherly way, but as a tough, uncompromising coach. The two regularly fell in and out of contact though, as Varina and Gerrick's relationship was rather cold and inconsistent (though their business partnership remained ever strong, and still does), and Erikan began to explore his music, as well as his magic. As he entered his twenties, Erikan became a successful local performer, although his father's crimes ensured that he would never be welcome at court. In his spare time, he ran small jobs for Gerrick (often as a distraction or decoy to a crime), and searched for other worshipers of Asmodeus, an ultimately unfruitful pursuit.
Unfortunately, Erikan had forgotten Farrinius. Having found out about the plot (how is unknown - could Gerrick have betrayed Erikan?), the canny Watch Captain approached his old family friend Bishop Givernan, tipping him off. Erikan was summarily arrested, quickly tried, and is now sentenced to a life of hard labour in the salt mines. Erikan has a deep desire to rule; from a young age he knew that people would trust and listen to him, which he has often taken full advantage of. He revels in his arcane power, and uses his cantrips at every opportunity. In many ways, Erikan is quite a nice fellow -particularly to the downtrodden and bullied, with whom he identifies - unless, of course, you stand in the way of what he wants. In that case, beware, for Erikan stops at nothing to achieve his goals.
Appearance:
Erikan is very short, with blue eyes, wavy blond hair and a moustache-less beard along his jawline. His features are prominent but well-formed, and he often has a twinkle in his eye and a mischievous smile on his lips. He favours expensive clothing in blue when he can afford it. Gear:
Carrying Capacity: Light <27, Medium 27-53, Heavy 54-80 Medium load while carrying backpack, light load if not. Person:
Backpack - 2 gp, 2 lbs
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