About Ester VirgillaBuilt for War for the Crown (Gestalt)
Creation Rules: 20 pt buy, 300 starting gp (maximum), background skills Background and Description: Russus. A name that had much history, and once, much clout, in Taldor. Now, it can barely be heard in Oppara, and only in hushed whispers. Growing up in the villas of Aroden's View, my name was my power. It secured the finest tutors, the most lavish presents, the most attentive servants. Mother and Father wanted to mold me into a perfect Taldan, a paragon of our nation, the brightest future of the Russus. I willingly believed in their delusions, and followed along. For a time, I felt secure, and even perhaps happy. I am no longer that foolish little girl.
When I was twelve, Father made the mistake of challenging that old goat, Maxillar Pythareus, making accusations that were only levelled straight back at him. He was a bold man, but one of integrity, unprepared for the political life. Under treasonous threat of death, he made his choice. He would leave the city, the country, his country, and live out the rest of his few years elsewhere. Mother and I followed him to Cheliax, to Corentyn, which the Russus had helped found millenia before. There, they both fell into a deep depression and soon passed. On Father's deathbed, I promised him that I would return and restore his legacy in the nation he loved so much. Pythareus, in a belated act of mercy, allowed their remains to be buried in our ancestral graveyard in Oppara. Would that I was as principled as Father, or as caring as Mother. Pythareus will not get any mercy when his time comes. Unlike Father, though, my own years in Cheliax was far from wasted. I had a purpose - revenge - but no plan, no means, no endgame...until I blindly stumbled upon the truth. The diabolism of the Chelaxians, once disdained by everyone I knew, will now lead to our salvation. Yet, for all of Hell's misogyny, there is a true path forward, illustrated so clearly by the Angels of Vengeance and Her Infernal Majestrix Abrogail herself: to transform Taldor from a nation run by old, decrepit men to one led, perhaps even dominated, by women. It has been known for years that Princess Eutropia is the only true heir to the throne of Taldor, but still the men resist. She must be allowed to take the throne. Only then will the rightful be granted true power. Only then can Taldor be saved from the grasp of evil like Pythareus. By my surreptitious homecoming in Oppara, the Russus family had all but ceased to exist in the capital. The last anyone had heard of them was that they were headed west; to where, nobody knew. Our grand villa in Aroden's View lay deserted, not a soul willing to disturb it. I was taken in by the Virgilla family, old, sympathetic friends with a similar link to the conquest of Cheliax, but one of far lower standing. Seeking to hide myself from Pytharius and his allies, I took a new name, Ester, and a new life, that of a noble girl from a made-up family in the borderlands, newly arrived to the capital. One of the Virgilla sons had been an acquaintance of mine since birth, but when I grew into a mature woman, he seemed to look at me with new eyes. Within a few years, the family, won over by my guile, had arranged a marriage. My foolish young self had once dreamt of appearing to my betrothed as an angel at my wedding...now, I eagerly anticipated what would come after. Converting Augus into my loyal pet took no time at all. The way he eagerly followed my every whim, and the fear in his eyes when he was unable to deliver...poor Augus gave me my first taste of the true power of the Angels. Yet, he had been more than willing, and he was but one insignificant man. All I needed from the Virgilla anyways was their name and the veneer of legitimacy it would bring. Any feelings I ever had for them were easily cast aside. It was time to begin the true test, to succeed where Father failed. To this end, Ester would need allies, and she would find one quickly. One Lady Martella Lotheed quickly discovered Ester's talents - I had finally found a use for the gifts Mother and Father bestowed on me so many years ago. I am starting again from the bottom, but I will not be down for long. It is now time to channel the power of the Angels. By the focus of Our Lady of Pain, the guile of The End of Innocence, and most of all, the righteous fury of The Erinyes Queen, I will have my revenge. I will not rest until Eutropia is Empress of Taldor - whether or not I end up at her side. I will not rest until the Russus name is cleared - whether or not I am recorded as our savior. I will not rest until Pythareus is locked up forever as the ultimate traitor, condemned in the history books and reviled by the common man - whether or not I am remembered as the one who exposed him. He deserves nothing better than Father. He deserves much worse. I have returned, and Pythareus will fall. Portia set down her pen and looked up from the candlelit desk where she'd been writing, glancing at the sliver of the moon visible through the window. Quickly regaining focus, she read over the parchment, wincing as she went. The exaggerations and falsehoods grated at her, but were they even believable enough? Her gaze drifted to the fireplace. She could toss this in, forget about it all, stay in her comfortable life with the man she loved and the family that had been kind enough to take her in when she had nothing left. No, she couldn't. As selfish as she knew she could be at times, this wasn't about what she wanted. This was something far greater. She had to do this for Father - and for herself. And if she could do anything to prevent anyone else she loved and depended on from coming to harm in the process, she would do it. Her parents; the Virgillas; even, she sensed, Lady Lotheed - they were not quite as innocent as she had written them up as. Hopefully, should she fail, this...manifesto...would clear them. Portia signed her name - both her names - with a resolute flourish, folded up the parchment, and sealed it in an envelope, imprinting the wax with her father's old signet ring. She slipped the envelope into a hidden compartment in the desk to be "discovered" later, if needed; blew out the candles; and joined Augus in bed with desperate passion once the fireplace had died down. The next morning, she dressed herself in her finest and said her farewells before heading to the waiting carriage outside. The die was cast, the Sellen crossed. There was no going back now. =========================================================================== ===================================== Hiding her identity means Portia is good at changing her appearance. As Ester, she maintains a fairly average Taldan look, with bronze skin and flowing dark hair, often pinned up in a bun, and dressing plainly - or at least, as plainly as a Taldan noblewoman can - not wishing to draw too much attention to herself. Portia's own style is a bit more flashy and alluring, showcasing her youthful attractiveness, but she's left that side of her in her wardrobes at the Virgilla estate for now. Even though she is usually rather self-centered and vain, Portia deeply cares for her husband and his family, much as she once loved her own. Still, this doesn't save them from her wrath if she's crossed - which is thankfully not often. In public as Ester, she puts on a meek, demure personality, with little hint to the rage and turmoil lying underneath. But even Ester will do whatever she needs to do to get things done, even if it's behind others' backs instead of directly and out in the open. Statistics and Skills: F Infiltrator Inquisitor 1
LE Medium Humanoid (Human) Languages Common, Infernal, Azlanti HP 11/11 Initiative +2 Speed walk 30 ft Senses perception +7 STR 10(+0) DEX 14(+2) CON 12(+1) INT 13(+1) WIS 16(+3) CHA 14(+2) Bluff +9 Diplomacy +11 Disguise +6 Intimidate +8 Knowledge (Nobility) +6 Knowledge (Religion) +5 Linguistics +5 Perception +7 Sense Motive +7 Spellcraft +5 Stealth +6 Offense: BAB +1 Melee +1 Ranged +3 CMB +1
Weapons
Defense: AC 12 (14 with armor) TAC 12 FFAC 10 (12 with armor)
CMD 13 FFCMD 11 Fort +3 Reflex +4 Will +5 Damage Resistance none Energy Resistance none Spell Resistance none Armor/Shield
Feats and Traits: Feats
Persuasive [Bonus Feat] Point-Blank Shot Traits
Special Abilities: Race
Bonus Feat Skilled Inquisitor Class Features
Slayer Class Features
Favored Class Inquisitor (+1 skill point) Spells: Spells Known 0:4 1:2
Bonus Spells/Day 1:1 2:1 3:1 Spells/Day 1:1 Spell DC 13 + spell level Concentration +4 0 Detect Magic Guidance Light Read Magic 1 Heightened Awareness Interrogation Gear: pp 0 gp 27 sp 0 cp 0
Weight 46 (9 in backpack)
Noble's Outfit + Jewelry + Virgilla Signet Ring
Future Plans:
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