About Haewyn NorricThe Fluff:
The Underbridge of the Irespan is no place for a child to be raised, but raised there Haewyn was. The girl was born to a single mother who, like many in the Shadow District, had turned to prostitution to survive. Though… it was the circumstances of her birth that both saved her and doomed her to a life of hardship.
Without a Cleric’s care, Haewyn’s mother died in childbirth. Haewyn therefore lived a normal life of a child in the Shadow district: living in fear, staying inside, and avoiding the brigands and gangbangers in the streets. She was raised by the madam of the brothel where her mother had worked, assisting with the daily chores of keeping such a place operation. The madam was a harsh taskmaster, beating Haewyn should she ask “undue questions” about the operations of the brothel, or clean in any way the madam considered inadequate. As time went on, the young girl became more and more adventurous and rebellious towards her abusive guardian, to the point where she could stand the confines of her home no longer. She began hanging out with the other street-rats, running away from the brothel for long periods of time. When she returned to the brothel for the last time, she found her wicked guardian on her knees, a whip wrapped around her neck. Behind her was the most beautiful woman Haewyn had ever seen. Wearing a breastplate with three daggers engraved on its shining steel, and holding the whip in the way one holds the leash of a disobedient dog. “What in the nine Hells do you mean, wench? My sister is DEAD?!” And that’s how Haewyn met her aunt Viri. Her grandfather had sold both daughters into sex slavery to cover his gambling debts. While Haewyn’s mother had been sold to the brothel Haewyn called home, her aunt had been rescued by the Sacred Prostitues of Calistria and had become a priestess herself. Once she could fend for herself, Viri searched all of Varisia for her sister on a personal divine crusade, exacting vengeance on her father, the gangsters her father owed money to, and the sex-slavers who had brokered the deal. She then followed her sister’s trail (mostly through information gained by torture) to this brothel. As the whip’s noose tightened ‘round the madam’s neck, Viri gazed upon the young girl who had entered through the doors of this depressing place. Auburn hair… green eyes? And that pallor… My Goddess! You have given me a gift! Dropping the whip and embracing the child, Viri gave Haewyn the first taste of something she’d cherish for the rest of her life: Love. Casting the madam out, Viri wrested control of the dilapidated brothel and left it under the care of its workers. From that point forward, Haewyn was raised by the church of Calistria in Magnimar. She was actually not that much of a fan. Despite her aunt’s badassery, much of learning how to be a Cleric of the Savored Sting was prayer, whip practice, and reading of The Unquenchable Fire’s holy texts. To anyone else these might have been exciting endeavors, but for one raised in a brothel, pleasure, pain, and all other aspects of Calistria’s religion were old hat. It didn’t stop her from dutifully learning, but it certainly had left her unfulfilled. This blasé attitude and her skill with the whip made her especially popular with the more masochistic clientele that frequented the temple. The extreme amount of damage that some of her clients asked to have done to them almost required Haewyn to specialize in healing, and she became very proficient in cure spells while leaving the “Inflict” spells behind. Her rebellious streak returned, however, as she began feeling constrained by the tenets and clients of Calistrian priesthood. A client of hers, whose tastes ran far tamer than most, took her to the Triodea, Magnimar’s famous Opera House. Haewyn fell in love. Not with the client, (ew) but with the performance. The singers gave such beauty to the day-to-day drama Haewyn had become accustomed to, and the stories of revenge and love spurned… she had caught the acting bug: she had to get on the stage herself! After that night Haewyn practiced singing incessantly under the guise of “learning new skills to entertain more sophisticated clientele.” After surruptitiously auditioning and being turned down for several roles at the Triodea, she was approached by Kassiel Iylmrain, the de-facto boss and star performer at the theater. He gave her an ultimatum: “Look kid, you’re no good. You don’t have what it takes to make it as an actor, so just be glad you’re a woman. If you were a man, I never would have given you a second glance. But you’re not. I’ve done some digging, and I know who you really are, whore. You’re damn beautiful and I have… exotic tastes that I hear you can satisfy. Let’s make a deal: you put out, and you’re onsta-.” Kassiel felt compelled to stop talking after she had produced a dagger from her sleeve and put it to his throat. Though an impressive swordsman himself, he had made the mistake of coming unarmed. Through gritted teeth she growls, “You insult me, sir, and my profession. That is not wise. I will earn my roles through skill, not by leveraging my sacred duties. Besides, you ugly cad, I wouldn’t f&!! you even if you paid me.” Haewyn had made the mistake of angering a prideful and powerful Bard. Kassiel stepped back, made a sweeping motion with his hands, and intoned “હવા નથી!” Haewyn felt like she was being deflated. She gasped for air, only to find she could not. Her breath had been stopped, her lungs collapsed, and she fell to the floor. Haewyn gained consciousness many hours later. She had been taken back to the Temple of Calistria. Her aunt told her of Kassiel dragging her limp form out of the Theater, announcing to the city square, “This is what happens to those who threaten me! Do not repeat this one’s mistakes!” Along with her lungs, Haewyn’s theatrical prospects had been severely damaged: no theater in Magnimar would allow her to audition, much less perform. Ashamed and embarrassed, Haewyn swore vengeance upon Kassiel and forbade any other of Calistria’s flock from exacting it for her. She would grow stronger, and one day show Kassiel how wrong he is. Fleeing Magnimar, Haewyn sought to establish herself in nearby Kintargo. Though in the repressive Cheliax, the city was known as a cultural hub and had an impressive opera house of its own. Concealing her role as a priestess to avoid further interactions like the one with Kassiel, she auditioned relentlessly and finally achieved her dream role: That of The Huntress in The Huntress of Heroes! Just as the Opera was entering rehearsals, Barzillai Thrune declared martial law and all theatre was banned until further notice. Haewyn was incensed. Her dream had finally come true only to be dashed in it’s infancy by a ridiculous regime. Not long after, The House of Satin Veils was handed to the Church of Abadar with the ban of Calistria’s worship. Haewyn’s anger is at the boiling point, but like many of her priesthood she is patient: she will wait for the exact right time to sting. Haewyn began honing her craft with bulldoggish tenacity, and redoubled her devotion to Calistria: she’d be damned if this regime dulled her skills, and she needed to have the full backing of The Savored Sting herself if her Divine Vengeance was to be carried out on that bastard, Thrune. She has been masquerading as a bard as of late, using her significant skills as a performer to mask the true nature of her divine magic. Personality
Being a courtesan is more of a sacred duty and profession for her: Haewyn’s true passion is in the theatre! She loves all things performative and will jump at the chance to showcase her skills. She’s a complete fangirl of the other performers in the city, but this mood will certainly sour should they become her rivals. Appearance
The Crunch:
Haewyn Norric
Female Human Cleric of Calistria (Hidden Priest) 2 CN Medium Humanoid Init +2; Senses Perception +8 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 18 (+6 armor, +2 Shield +4 Dex w/heavy shield+breastplate) Or AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+6 armor, +2 Shield +4 Dex w/buckler+studded leather) hp 15 (2d8+2) Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +7; -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 20 ft. Melee MWK Whip +4 (1d6+1 x2 nonlethal) and . . Dagger +3 (1d4+1 19-20 x2) Ranged Light Crossbow +3 (1d8 19-20/×2) Special Attacks Channel Positive Energy, False Arcanist (perform check to Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 2nd; concentration +6) . . 7/day—copycat (2 rounds) Cleric (Hidden Priest) Spells Known (CL 2nd; concentration +6): . . 1st (3+1/day)—disguise self[d] (DC 15), barbed chains (DC 15), Command (DC 16), Forbid Action (DC 16) . . 0 (at will)—stabilize, detect magic, mending, enhanced diplomacy Domains Charm (Lust), Trickery -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 12, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 19, Cha 16 Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 15 Feats Channel Smite, Serpent’s Lash Traits underbridge dweller (Perc. is class skill, +2), diva in training (+1 to 1 perform and perform is a class skill, +1 to lang. Dep. spell DCs) Skills Bluff +7, Climb +1, Diplomacy +7, Disguise +7, Escape Artist +2, Intimidate +3, Knowledge (nobility) +4, Knowledge (religion) +4, Perception +8, Perform (sing) +8, Profession (courtesan) +8, Ride +2, Sense Motive +8, Spellcraft +4, Stealth +2; Languages Common SQ aura Other Gear MWK whip, studded leather, breastplate, buckler, shield, |
