About Hel_BlackfistHel Blackfist, aka Artemis Acavna Cybele, Baroness Janleyn, is a short, coldly attractive young woman of apparently eighteen to twenty years of age. Her moderately-breasted athletic body is compactly lithe, which she keeps in ready stillness that can explode into sudden motion. Her eyes are ashen grey, her hair a deep black which she keeps tidily clipped in a jaw-length bob cut. Though she favors little makeup, she does have a tendency to heavily kohl around her eyes, perhaps to draw attention there instead of to the blackened-to-the-elbow left hand and arm, her eponymous 'Blackfist'. Though Hel knows enough of fashion to wear clothing whose cut and color generally flatters her, the flexibility and movement demands she makes of them has given her seamstresses fits. While torso-flattering bodices and long skirts are in her wheelhouse, the way she demands them to be cut (including the ability to extract herself from it without the help of a maid) invariably makes them 'odd' in regards to fashion, and winds up being socially detracting while in standard gatherings even though it may enhance her physical attractiveness. Familiar: Faila, Discreet Nuncio Background, Motivation, and Personality: The woman now known as Hel Blackfist has been through fire and hell already. At one time, she was a calm, quiet, courteous mouse of a girl in Daveryn; born Artemis Cybele, she followed her parents in their roles as librarians, she dressed primly, kept her head down, and was almost overwhelmingly socially maladroit and shy. Her father taught her other languages and how to meditate at rest; her mother showed her the art of the bow, and how to meditate in motion. The bow, of course, is fashionable for young ladies, so at least that was not questioned afterwards. Most of all, they taught her to not reveal her true age, for their longer lifespan in this fanatical country might be seen as witchcraft, and her life forfeit.
One of the best things of her upbringing, though, was her chance to read fantastic, obscure, and even forbidden tracts, for though her parents were good Mitrans, they weren't that good of Mitrans; in their librarians' minds, knowledge, even evil knowledge, must be preserved, for without the knowledge of evil, what is good? So for years, she sat and read, and learned, and delighted in the written word, in the movement of her body, in the perfection of the art of the bow. All this changed when Father Matthias Harkon, a witch-hunter of the Fire Undying and a fanatic devotee of Sir Balin of Karfeld, discovered their well-tended cache of forbidden tracts. She and her parents were put in chains, her parents tried as witches, the library seized as evidence of their 'evil'. Despite the priest's preference that all three of them be thrown on the pyre, the judge - a priest of the Beneficent Sun - decided that Artemis was young enough to have not been tainted as much, and so decided that when the three were to be set to their pyres inside their own library, her parents would be bound by manacle and chain, while the girl would be bound only by rope, and if the mercy of Mitra might encompass her, she might work free, a 'clear sign' that she could be saved. And once the library and their belongings had been stripped of anything of worth, such as a number of precious illuminated Mitran books, or the majority of the family's wealth, the entirety of their life's work was set on fire around them, that they might watch its evil purified by the fire before they themselves were so purified. Smoke inhalation didn't kill them. The library was (had been) a haven of light and knowledge, with windows high up so that the light of the god could bring light to the people, all sorts of good Mitran symbolism. Madly desperate to escape, however, the girl practically ripped the skin off her left hand and forearm in getting it free of the binding rope; while she could not free her parents (she tried), she did escape most of the flames' damage; mostly she received first-degree burns from her flaming clothing and dashing through the long tunnel of fire, with the torn flesh of her left hand and arm receiving what would be described as second-degree superficial partial thickness burns. While she would in time heal fully, even without any real scarring, the skin color on her left hand and forearm would come back in with a radical change in pigmentation -- from pale white to matte black, lightless black, ending only near the elbow in flamelike ripples and arcs as it faded back into her normal pale coloration. However, escaping the flames didn't mean escaping punishment, for it was 'a sign' that she could be saved - and so she was put in such a place where she might be saved. The thought-to-be-fifteen twenty-four-year-old was placed in watchful foster-care with a good but childless noble couple: Baron and Baroness Janleyn, a second-generation baron whose father had gained the title through service and a staggering amount of money, money which had long since been rebuilt and expanded upon. Stripped of her last name by the court (though never forgetting it herself), Artemis was turned over to the pair for ... 're-education and salvation'. Her gaolers could not have been more horrific had she been incarcerated in Branderscar itself. The wife was a strict harridan of a woman who felt that to spare the rod was to spoil the child, giving lessons to the girl by day and lashing her for nearly any fault. The husband was, in his way, much worse; intimidated and deprived by his wife, his near-nightly sexual assaults upon his new charge taught her everything she never wanted to know about the lusts and hatred that lies in men. The only thing that prevented her from running away was the mark placed on her by the priests, which would help them re-capture her if she should flee - recapture and this time undoubtedly chain her to the stake before setting the fire. In exchange for their rehabilitation of the girl, they were given half the wealth 'saved' from the library -- supposedly to pay for her care and her dowry in three years' time, but the money vanished into the Janleyn coffers like a bucket of water into the sea. Thus she suffered under their care, praying for someone, anyone to deliver her. In her time with them, her strength of will, strength of body, speed of hand, and durability were unwittingly heightened by the cruel woman and the fornicating man. Despite the small army of cowed servants available, the wife made her perform menial tasks, then do them again if they didn't meet the woman's impossible expectations. While the servants could not relieve her of the duty, they could show her the most effective ways to do the tasks - and the female servants had another reason to be grateful. The baron had all too often let his eye wander amongst them, but in this new ward he found someone who could not flee no matter what. When the husband visited her bed late at night, Hel bruised her hands on its sturdy frame, or upon the stone of the wall, an apparently futile expression of pain and terror which would eventually bear vengeful fruit. The seeds of the lessons her father and mother gave her slowly bloomed in her mind, and then in her movements. She did her best to learn the praises and platitudes of Mitra, to be the submissive, compliant mouse the two of them clearly wanted, the quiet student she'd been before the library pyre, but the example of the cowed maids who looked at her with guilty, grateful eyes served as a constant reminder of the consequences of giving in - or of fighting back. And so she carefully kept her rage and hatred hidden, stoking those fires, turning burning coal into blazing diamond and honing that diamond into a razor edge. Mithra might well be great and good, and many of his people undoubtedly were - but many, many more were quietly corrupt, a state of affairs to which the Mitrans turned a blind eye, seeing their foulness as being 'for the greater good' or 'saving the soul in peril of damnation'. Came the day of her eighteenth birthday, the day of her majority. Before the Mitran priests, the pair proclaimed her a righteous woman, and the mark was removed from the girl. So pleased were the couple with her, they went one step further - they adopted her as their own, to be the baron's heir, a decision and action that send a chill of horror down her spine. Surely the Mitrans would look deeper, would probe the pair to see what was happening that they would wish that. But no such inquiry occurred, and all was done right and properly before the law, Artemis formally given the last name of 'Janleyn', made the Baron's heir, and instead of being free to leave the pair and Daveryn forever, she found herself in the carriage heading back to their home, chained to them with even more durable shackles than before. This monstrous state of affairs, she thought as she kept her face turned to the window, must not last. It was then that the seed of a thought split deep in her mind, and sent forth its first tendrils. As her 'prison sentence' continued (with the only variation being that she was taught as to how a noblewoman should comport herself) the plan grew, and flowered, and bloomed into a surprisingly simple plot of murder and destruction - that being necessary to enable her to hunt quietly for a way to locate and kill Father Harkon. Though it would take another four years for her to execute the first real step, the decision to act was made in that carriage. Though now considered a 'young noblewoman', Artemis was still required by the Baroness to tend to various duties before being taught how to act and dress like a young Lady; while Artemis vaguely knew the theories behind it, before the pyre she never had the inclination to put them into use, and before the adoption never had the need. Now she had to at least try to ape the movements of the dance of High Society, but unlike her scrubbing of floors, she never grew even remotely adept at it, taking too much after the Baroness and her waspish analysis of others' failings. In Artemis, it became almost a clinical analysis, a methodical technique of put-down and intimidation that soon made her the loner of any party she was grudgingly invited to, much as was her adoptive mother. But as a young Lady, she needed a lady's maid, and so the Baroness interviewed and tried out woman after woman, young or old, new or experienced, and each and every time she found something /terribly/ wrong with the woman's service; hardly a week went by that the woman wasn't replaced for being too ignorant, too knowledgeable, too gregarious, too forceful, too ... /something./* In quiet frustration during a carriage ride after the Baroness had thrown out her latest maid, Artemis spotted a little girl begging for food from a cart vendor. "What about her?" Artemis asked, the carriage having stopped for a moment. "Whom?" the Baroness wondered. "Her," Artemis said, and drew the curtain back a touch, nodding towards the vendor. "The little girl begging." "Her??" The Baroness sounded like Artemis had suggested a pile of ogre manure. "Why in the world would you want to bring something like that into my house?" Because she wouldn't be your creature, flashed through Artemis's thought, but it wasn't something she could say to the Baroness. For a moment she hunted for something to say, then when the carriage lurched into motion again, she reached up to thump on the ceiling. "Hold a moment," she called out to the driver, which is when two perfect reasons came to her. "Charity," she blurted to the woman. "It would be charitable to take in a poor girl, maybe an orphan, and teach her a trade. And to bring her up in service would ... be good for someone in her position." She paused, looking uncertainly at the Baroness, who glared back at her. "Wouldn't it?" she asked faintly, her heart failing inside her. The Baroness sniffed, and looked out once more at the begging child, who had acquired a few scraps of food from the vendor. For a long few moments, she glared at the child, as if to try to find a flaw in Artemis's suggestion. Finally, though, she gave a grudging 'hmph' of approval. (The Baroness seemed to have an endless supply of 'hmph's, each one having a different meaning; she could go an entire week without speaking, communicating only by facial expression and a pointed 'hmph'.) "It would be a good Mitran thing to do," she finally admitted. "It is good that you have learned your lessons so well that you want to help others learn them as well." The Baroness rapped on the ceiling of the carriage again, and called out, "Michael!!" The footman by that name hopped off the back of the carriage and hurried around. "Yes, my Lady?" The Baroness pointed out the child. "That starveling. Bring her here." "Yes, my Lady!!" said Michael, and hurried off. And so began the association of Artemis Janleyn with the little girl. It was a week or so later that Artemis realized with a start that Willow (for that was her name, Willow Burkle) was not a little girl at all, but instead was a halfling. She kept Willow's secret, and can't even remember when she let slip that she knew, but it was very likely at some point after she was reasonably certain that Willow was going to stay with her, instead of leaving. The friendship that blossomed did so slowly, Hel still being at heart a shy girl, hiding that reticence and social ineptness behind her growing cold demeanor, but between scrubbing floors beside the 'little girl' and getting ready to go out (or to go to bed) with her assistance made for many a close moment. And in time, and with Willow witness (directly or not) to the corruption inside the Janleyn household, she confessed the secret of her age as well as her plans. Artemis had begun to lessen her resistance to the Baron's now-nightly copulation (she was now, after all, only down a hall, not halfway across the house) until she was welcoming him to her bed. While she might never emotionally enjoy the acts of love performed between two people, she at least could allow her body to delight in them, and with her submission the Baron became an attentive and exploratory lover. Allowing him such carnal pleasures lulled him into further complacency, and though he never spent the night there, it was common knowledge (at least among the servants, in part due to Willow) that his adopted daughter was more of a wife to him than his lawful bride. As was said previously, the Baron Janleyn was extremely wealthy, one of the new sorts of nobility who hadn't yet gotten the knack of not engaging actively in trade and investments. Knick-nacks and expensive gew-gaws he brought home as a matter of habit, one or three a week, and if one or two disappeared into Willow's pockets, to reappear as treats shared among the servants and with Artemis herself, treats that the Baroness would never have allowed, well, the Baron himself could not possibly have kept track of the small, expensive things that he bought, and simply continued to buy more. One particular scrimshaw he actually bought four times from different vendors, never realizing that it was the same one, sold out from under his nose on three different occasions ... but even Willow realized that to do it again might tempt fate against her, and turned her eye to other, less expensive items to filch. As a consequence of such wealth, however, besides having a lavish estate built close to Daveryn, they had other houses of lesser styles in Matharyn, Ghastenhall, and several other smaller towns. While it was rare for his wife to accompany him on trips to the smaller places (though his dutiful daughter and her maid always did, 'so she could learn the trade'), the Baroness was not adverse to going to cosmopolitan Ghastenhall, or sacred Matharyn. It was in 'cosmopolitan Ghastenhall', where the majority of the servants were 'temporary hires', that Artemis determined a relatively simple and straightforward plan, and with Willow's help, set it into motion. On an evening early in their stay in Ghastenhall, Artemis enticed the Baron to re-enact an assault from earlier in their sexual history; she was perhaps somewhat surprised (and more than somewhat disturbed) at the readiness with which he did so, and the vigor with which he used and struck her. Afterwards, with the Baron drowsing in post-coital bliss and the Baroness well asleep in her own bed, Artemis acted. Straddling the Baron, she used the simple expedient of smothering him with a pillow; with the leverage she had, and the wiry strength gained from striving for an impossible perfection in her chores, it was easy to murder the man who had turned her into a victim for seven years of her life, accepting his last weak blows against her arms and shoulders, the grip around her wrists as a furtherance of her plan. After he stopped breathing, she quietly opened her door and went down the hall to the room of her 'mother'. The Baroness was no light sleeper, but Hel deliberately woke her up, letting the woman blink, reach out and turn up the lamp, then start to berate her - because slapping her was exhilarating. Avoiding the woman's return swings was child's play, and so she slipped the blows, cuffing her only when she needed to sting the woman into continuing, all the while cruelly informing the woman what her husband had been doing to her for the past seven years. The goal was simple, and soon enough the woman's wild swings knocked the lamp from its perch, shattering it and spreading burning oil along the wall and floor. That was the sign to stop playing around; Artemis shifted her position and with a careful slap knocked the woman's head into the corner of her dresser, knocking her out before escaping the room. Part of the success of the plan had to do with where her bedroom was in relation to those of the Baron and Baroness, and the location of the main and servants' stairwell: away. Earlier that day she and Willow had discreetly checked for and removed all of the major flammables from the rooms on her side of the hall towards the bedrooms of the Baron and Baroness; they'd stored those in the rooms opposite, and made sure that everything not only had oil, but that the lanterns had been tended ... sloppily. While no arsonist, Artemis figured if there was a trail, the oil would race through that side of the hall and cut her off on both sides. Having returned to her room, and looking through the belongings she'd brought to Ghastenhall, Artemis shrugged and sat down next to the Baron, vaguely surprised that he was, in fact, still breathing. After a moment's consideration, she put a pillow over his face and leaned on him once more, trusting it would deepen his unconsciousness - just in case - and waited for the fire to fully surround her. Soon enough it did, the handful of servants permanently on-staff waking and scrambling down their stairwell to escape the raging fire. It was then, Willow having lain awake to be sure to be near the front of the scramble to escape, that the halfling girl's part came into play. Pausing at the landing, she called out to Artemis again and again, with a few servants gathering about her to look down the flaming hallway. After several agonizing moments of that, Artemis finally emerged from her room, letting the servants see her shying from the flames, and looked around to see herself all but trapped - and for the servants to see her in that very situation. Clad only in her night-dress, she plunged once again through flame to safety. The fire of course caused an inquiry, at which Artemis spoke very, very precisely selective truths -- or rather, facts. With Willow's testimony to confirm her story, she informed the court that the Baron had been sexually assaulting her for the last seven years, that the other servants in Daveryn could confirm this, and that he had assaulted a number of them before that time. She stated that he'd sexually assaulted her again that night, and mutely showed the bruises she'd gotten from the Baron as evidence of his violent assault. She stated she'd finally gone to the Baroness and, waking her up, told her what the Baron had been doing for the past many years. She stated that the woman had assaulted her, that with her wild swings she'd knocked over the lamp, and that in self-defense she'd struck the Baroness and knocked her into the dresser - and then run back to her room. The truth spells gave witness to the factual nature of her account. And yet in speaking precisely correct facts, she allowed the investigators to come to the obvious conclusions - that she'd been sexually assaulted yet again, tried unsuccessfully to fight the Baron off, finally gotten up the spine to try to tell the Baroness what was going on, but been beaten for her 'lies' - and when she'd struck back in fright, had the bad luck to accidentally knock the baroness out. That a girl like her could have planned such a thing, that a young girl like Willow could possibly have helped, these were laughable thoughts that nobody considered for more than a moment, and nobody at all spoke aloud. That she would have been unable to pull the Baron or Baroness to safety was patently obvious and, the facts being obvious, no further investigation was performed. Upon her return to Daveryn, Artemis was confirmed Baroness Janleyn, the Baron's wealth and estates turned over to her, and her real hunt began. While she'd never had a 'coming out', and had only the most basic sense of courtesy, her position (and the influence of her wealth) now made it essential to invite her to luncheons, soirees, garden and evening parties, balls, galas, and everything that might be expected of a Baroness. With closetfuls of clothes made to accentuate her athletic figure and always a shoulder-length glove to conceal her left arm, she was armed as best she could be for such events. At first she could be selective and attend only one or two a week, and so she did, but while her position and wealth permitted her the time to stalk Father Matthias Harkon, the example the old Baroness had given her meant her icy courtesy and ruthless observations of other peoples' faults began to lessen the number of invitations she received, and so made it necessary for her to accept as many as she could. Then, seventeen months later, the gods dropped Harkon in her lap like a gift. It being acceptable for young ladies to practice target archery (and Artemis having long since been adept at doing so), Artemis was attending a garden party at which such polite physical and martial entertainments - archery contests, baited-tip fencing matches for the men, that sort of thing - were being had. And at one point, Artemis found herself not fifteen feet away from the man she'd hated and wished to kill for almost a decade, armed with her preferred weapon and with him not only unarmored, but entirely unaware of her intentions. How could she resist?? She got three arrows out of four into him before she was tackled to the ground. Unfortunately, three target arrows were not enough to kill the inquisitor. Before the bench, she did not claim innocence; why should she, when there were thirty people in close proximity, who saw her turn and shoot the man? The fact of her guilt was as obvious as the 'fact' of her innocence in the deaths of her 'parents'. With a shrug, she simply stated regret that he lived, and that it was clear the judicial system left much to be desired, though she did not explain her reasons for saying such. Daveryn to Branderscar is something on the order of two hundred miles as the crow flies; by prison transport, it's probably closer to three hundred. Convicted and shipped off in the clothes she'd worn to the party, Artemis was resigned to her fate, wishing only that she'd managed to put the arrows into Harkon's head instead of his body. The only thing that brought her out of that fatalistic attitude was the branding - her right arm - after which she'd kicked one of the guards in the head, and caused such a fuss they'd added a bar locked between her ankles, restricting her movement even further. Thus she sat, chained in a row with five others headed for their own fates, and when they asked her name she dredged up the name of another goddess found only in her reading, a goddess from far and away, Hel. For a last name she gave 'Blackfist', similar to the behind-her-back sneer some of her 'fellow' noblewomen had said of her, 'blackhand' -- knowing far better than they how dangerous her hand was. When Tiadora gave Rigel Quicklingfay the enchanted silk to assist in their escape, Hel was glad enough to participate in the jailbreak. Despite ... issues ... with following her directions by some of those she was locked up with and later found, she feels confident that it is her ruthless and meticulous planning (though again, there remain issues with a willingness to properly execute those plans) that has led to their thorough and complete slaughter of the Branderscar guard staff and their escape from the prison. The discovery that Willow had attempted to finish off Harkon is bittersweet -- bitter, because it means that her past life is very likely entirely gone; sweet, because she is reunited with the only real friend she's ever had. ------- At game start, Hel Blackfist is not a devotee of Asmodeus, nor is she ever likely to be a passionate one - but she respects and honors anyone who can create and carry out long-laid and extensive plots and plans, and given the necessity to convert, she will quite willingly swear oath. She would have been known, even if only by courtesy, by other PCs who had reason to be involved in Daveryn's high / noble society; she might well also have been known by PCs involved in high society in other cities and towns (mainly Ghastenhall and Matheryn, of course). Having had time to observe the way Mithrans operate, Hel believes (with some justification) that they bend both the 'law' portion of their beliefs as well as the 'good'. She has seen them outright condemning some individuals just for their species' existence, without a crime having been done; she's watched them ignore the laws that have been laid down in order to promote some ideal or individual in favor of another, more correct form. As a consequence, while she wants to destroy the overwhelming stranglehold the Mithran faith holds over Talirean society, she does not see the need to utterly destroy the religion, and in fact vaguely sees a need for its continued existence and presence - a vision that may come into greater focus as she learns and develops. She has, however, has all too good of a knowledge of how nasty people really are, even while couching their barbs and poisons in the sweetness of courtesy and charity; she is intelligent, well-read, and perceptive, and while she has developed a sharp tongue with which to tear people into figurative shreds, everything revolves around her incredible knack to notice what is out of place or doesn't belong, sense people's true intentions, and anticipate actions and reactions. Having learned (and abused) how properly-used or -omitted facts can lead to a false conclusion has led to Hel becoming wary and suspicious of others, mentally analyzing their statements for falsehoods and false conclusions; this paranoia is a trait that is only likely to get worse. She herself prefers to speak to the facts and offer her own conclusions, though she recognizes that doing so may jeapordize her own plans. Hel's main weakness is the fact that she pretty much hates bloody well everyone; all of the noble sods that hide their backstabbing knives in social niceties, the rich people who lord it over the poor by openly displaying their wealth in the midst of patronizing them at the soup kitchens they sponsor, the 'holier-than-thou' church-goers whose discipline 'for the good of your soul' is nothing less than cruel torture. While she can usually keep a civil tongue in her head, she generally finds it impossible to keep her disgust and contempt from her expression, and 'stonefaced' is typically the best she can manage. Finally, her once-normally-fastidious nature - libraries, and librarians, can be very dusty, but good libraries are clean - has intensified over the years spent in the care of the harridan 'mother', and with the added nastiness of her current situation, it will likely become a near-obsessive/compulsive desire to be clean. Simply put, Hel isn't very fun at parties, and during such she is most likely liable to insult someone into throwing a fist, or challenging her to a duel -- but with her training, she is more than likely to not only take away their weapon, but then break their jaw for them. * -- Yes, this idea is taken from 'Gilmore Girls'. No regrets!! Knowledge: Barony of Janleyn (KS: Nobility, DC 30): Artemis Acavna Cybele, Baroness Janleyn, called Hel Blackfist 0 Victor (45) receives the barony; wedding of Marcus (20) and Nanci (18)
For more information, see the spoiler in this post.
Technicals: Hel Blackfist Female lesser pyure human unchained zen archer monk 4/wizard (divination)* LE Medium humanoid (human) Villian Points 3 Init +3 (+7); [b]Senses darkvision 30 ft.; Perception +12 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 20*, touch 20, flat-footed 16* (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 monk, +5 Wis; * - +2 barkskin) hp 28 (4d10) Fort +4, [b]Ref +7, [b]Will +6 [b]Defensive Abilities share will -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 50/ 60 ft. Melee dagger +7 (1d4+1/19-20) or . . hanbo +7 (1d6+1) or . . sansetsukon +5 (1d10+1/19-20) or . . unarmed strike +7 (1d8+1) Ranged mwk composite longbow +10/+10 (1d8+1/×3) Special Attacks flurry of blows (unchained), zen archery, perfect strike (3/day) Monk (Unchained) Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th; concentration +2) . . —barkskin (self only, 1 ki, +2 AC, 40m) -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 12, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 20, Cha 7 Base Atk +4
Feats Agile Maneuvers, Bonded Mind, Combat Expertise, Deadly Aim, Deft Maneuvers, Dodge, Enforcer, Lesser Pyure, Perfect Strike, Point Blank Master, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Unarmed Combatant
Favored Class Bonus +4 Skill
Spoiler:
Acrobatics +10 (+22 to jump): 3 (class) + 3 (Dex) + 4 (ranks) -- (+12, +4 per 10' Mv over 30') Bluff -2(UnT): - 2 (Cha) + 0 (ranks) Climb +8: 3 (class) + 3 (Dex) + 4 (ranks) Diplomacy -2(UnT): - 2 (Cha) + 0 (ranks) Disable Device +4: + 3 (Dex) + 1 (ranks) Disguise -2 (+8)(UnT): - 2 (Cha) + 0 (ranks) (+10 from Iron Crown) Escape Artist +7: 3 (class) + 3 (Dex) + 1 (ranks) Fly +3(UnT): + 3 (Dex) + 0 (ranks) Heal +6: 5 (Wis) + 1 (ranks) Intimidate +12: 3 (class) + 3 (Int*) + 2 (trait) + 4 (ranks) Knowledge (planes) +5 (+7 regarding good-aligned celestials): + 3 (Int) + 2 (ranks) (+2 trait) Knowledge (religion) +10: 3 (class) + 3 (Int) + 4 (ranks) Perception +12: 3 (class) + 5 (Wis) + 4 (ranks) Ride +3(UnT): -- (class) + 3 (Dex) + 0 (ranks) Sense Motive +12: 3 (class) + 5 (Wis) + 4 (ranks) Spellcraft -- (UnT): + -- (Int) + 0 (ranks) Stealth +10: 3 (class) + 3 (Dex) + 4 (ranks) Survival +5(UnT): + 5 (Wis) + 0 (ranks) Swim +5: 3 (class) + 1 (Str) + 1 (ranks) Use Magic Device +10: 3 (class*) + 3 (Int*) + 4 (ranks) Background Skills Spoiler:
Appraise +3(UnT): + 3 (Int) + 0 (ranks) Craft (alchemy) +9 (+2 w/ masterwork tools): 3 (class) + 3 (Int) + 3 (ranks) Craft (bows) +9 (+2 w/ masterwork tools): 3(class) + 3 (Int) + 3 (ranks) Craft (calligraphy) +7*: 3 (class) + 3 (Int) + 1 (ranks) Handle Animal -- (UnT): -- (Cha) + 0 (ranks) Knowledge (history) +7: 3 (class) + 3 (Int) + 1 (ranks) Knowledge (nobility) +4: 3 (Int) + 1 (ranks) Linguistics +4: 3 (Int) + 1 (ranks) Profession (librarian) +9: 3 (class) + 5 (Wis) + 1 (ranks) Profession (soldier) +10: 3 (class) + 5 (Wis) + 2 (ranks) Sleight of Hand +4 : 3 (Dex) + 1 (ranks) Languages Azlanti, Celestial, Common, Infernal, Old Talirean (dead language), Lip Reading SQ fast movement (unchained), villian points, ki archery, ki pool (8 points, magic), ki power (qinggong barkskin), monk vow (cleanliness), specialized school (divination) Villian Points Spoiler: --------------------
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Villian Points -------------------- Villian Points can be spent at any time to grant a variety of bonuses. Unless otherwise stated, these cost 1 Villian Point each use. . . . Act Out of Turn: Act as if action was readied, but only a move or standard action. . . . Luck Bonus: Use on yourself before / after a single 1d20 roll to gain a +8 / +4 luck bonus, or on others to gain a +4 / +2 luck bonus. . . . Extra Action: Gain an additional move or standard action this turn. . . . Inspiration: If you're stuck, spend to get a good hint from the GM. If the GM doesn't have any good hints, (or there is none) no point is used. . . . Recall: Use an already-used spell or one extra use of a daily special ability which you're used up. . . . Reroll: Reroll any 1d20 roll. You have to take the results of the reroll. . . . Special: Attempt the impossible - cast a spell one level higher than you can normally cast (or a 1st level spell if you're not a spellcaster), attack to blind or bypass DR entirely, negotiate with a raging dragon to stop attacking. (Too bad you can only spend 1 Hero Point a turn, with the exception of ...) . . . Cheat Death: Spend 2 Villian Points to somehow survive being killed. (You're probably in the negative HP, but stable. Can be used to save a class-granted companion, but not someone else. Because other people suck.) Special Abilities -------------------- Agile Maneuvers Use DEX instead of STR for CMB Barkskin (self only, 1 Ki) (Sp) 1 Ki point, standard action: Self Only, Level x 10m, +2 normal and flat-footed AC. Deft Maneuvers You don't provoke attacks of opportunity for dirty trick, disarm, reposition, steal, or trip. Fast Movement (Unchained) (+10 ft.) The Monk adds 10 or more feet to his base speed. Point Blank Master (longbows / bows) You do not provoke AoOs when using this weapon while threatened. Bruising Intellect Use your Intelligence Modifier instead of your Charisma with Intimidate, and it is always a class skill.
Flurry of Blows (Unchained Zen Archer) (Ex) As full-round action, gain extra attacks with bows.
Ki Pool (7*/day) (Su) You have a ki pool equal to 1/2 your monk level + your Wisdom modifier.
Combat Expertise +/-2 Bonus to AC in exchange for an equal penalty to attack.
Bonded Mind You and ally you can see can trade short nonverbal messages.
Divination Diviners are masters of remote viewing, prophecies, and using magic to explore the world.
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Pyure Humans: As Azlant crumbled, a group of Azlanti interested more in things beyond this world somewhat withdrew from the empire. Semi-isolated in relation to the rest, when Azlant went off its weird merry way, fell, and all that, they managed to survive relatively unscathed. However, their survival came more as a result of peculiar relationships, and while their bloodlines may have been diluted less than most, these 'pure Azlanti' - their pronunciation of which has since led to the few who have interacted with them as calling them simply 'the Pyure' - tend towards being physically fit and extremely fast on their feet.
While their intellects have perhaps been reduced overall from their Azlanti forebears, and their self-imposed isolation has made them detached from the rest of the world, this has not come without benefits. Instead of delving into politics and conquering other 'lesser' people, the Pyure instead sought to understand the so-called 'long view', leading them to extensive interaction with natural and planar beings: demons, devils, and all sorts of celestials, as well as the First Folk (fae) and the Eastern kami spirits; this latter has dovetailed into an extensive study of dragon-kind, and an examination of the long-lived elves as a 'feasability study' (as it were) of the consequences of extended lifespans. Dealing with such beings has had something of a 'survival of the fleetest' effect on them, improving their mobility to almost double that of the standard human. Such interaction leads, also, to interbreeding, though the Pyure have always been careful to 'blend' the bloodlines of such children back into their genome; they have, as a result, gained both an extended lifespan (using the half-elf line on the age charts for both starting age and aging effects), as well as developed a capacity to see in all sorts of darkness. -------------------
In actuality, Hel's parents were a couple who decided to start investigating the 'outside world' (i.e. the mundane one), taking on the personas of librarians to both collect information and gain access to people interested in gaining information, people they themselves would be able to subtly question. The witch-hunter's fanaticism perhaps becomes cued when he realizes that their daughter is not aging as fast as she should, and thus the problems began. His actions, however, might not be approved of, and so he acted swiftly. Though the town's officials believe her to have been eighteen (which is what her appearance suggests), she is actually twenty-five years old. It must be said that the pyure themselves are to an extent dying out in these later days; children are no longer being born with the full vigor and abilities of the race. While they remain agile and wise beyond the norm, as well as faster on their feet, they do not begin with the full capabilities of their forefathers. These elements can still be reached, but it requires discipline and focus on the part of the individual to bring these abilities out. -------------------
Future Thoughts/Plans: In regards to advanced RP - and current RP, in essence - I plan on Hel being the paranoid one. Her Perception and Sense Motive will always be maxed out, and she's set up to basically not trust anyone ... or at least very, very few people indeed. On the flip side, if and when she develops friendships, she is exceedingly likely to remain loyal - ferociously so - to them, especially if they can help her to see the people, the religion and the mindset which hurt her so badly wounded to the core - not destroyed, but smashed, again and again, as she herself was. As she evolves, she's likely to become a spy and assassin - while she'll never likely be good at Diplomacy, Bluff, or anything requiring actual Charisma, she'll keep both Intimidate and Stealth maxed out as well, possibly making her well-placed to be the sudden threat in the shadows. Any use of 'Enforcer' will be a strike calculated to most humiliate her target, and considering her increasingly-powerful movement abilities - her basic boost, her monkish bonuses, and eventually Abundant Step (i.e. dimension door) and later on Shadow Walk (for those really long-distance trips that need to be done NOW), she'll be able to get practically anywhere within range of anyone the team needs to have an eye on. In regards to combat, she'll probably best be a 'targetted hitter'. She'll never be able to slaughter massive numbers of people, though if/when she gets a but one round of concerted attack on her part - which, being at range, will enable her to shift from one target to another despite them being widely spaced - will mean that she can spot trouble and lend a hand where it's needed. Though I haven't taken it yet, she'll be going down the Crane Style path, giving her a high base AC when fighting defensively, combined with some natural armor and 'mage armor' AC boosts, will mean that she'll be able to defend herself against most anyone who manages to get close to her for the 1 round she'll need to either a) get away or b) take them out. Not that she'll be defenseless against a host of mooks; I'm considering Whirlwind Attack at higher levels, and if a bunch of mooks close in, they can all take 2d10 + nastiness. ;) The only real concern I have with her is, well, ammo; a bow with some sort of 'endless/abundant ammunition' enchantment (which would be a +2 bonus) would be wonderful to get her greedy little hands on; as an alternative to that, a variant on the 'efficient quiver' with only two sections - the one able to fit up to 300 arrows, the other up to 4 bows, or some other method of producing truly prodigious numbers of arrows. But that, of course, is for the future. Header Info Spoiler: Race: PER +12 | MV 60' | VP: 3 | Perf. Stk: 4*2d20 | Atk: +5 sansetsukon (1d10+1/19,blk,d'rm); +7 dagger (1d4+1/19); hanbo(trip, 1d6+1), UnA (1d8+1); +10/+10 mwkCLBow (1d8+1/x3, 137) | INI: +3/+7 | PER +12 | MV 60' | VP: 3 | Perf. Stk: 4*2d20 | Atk: +5 sansetsukon (1d10+1/19,blk,d'rm); +7 dagger (1d4+1/19); hanbo(trip, 1d6+1), UnA (1d8+1); +10/+10 mwkCLBow Classes/Levels:
(1d8+1/x3, 137) | lip reading | Faila[ spoiler]Intim +12, SnsMot +12, Stlth +10, UMD +10; Cr (alc, bow) +9/11, Prf (sldr) +10; Azlanti, Celestial, Common, Old Talirean, Infernal[ /spoiler] Gender:
aka "Hel Thomas": LE F lsr pyure human zen archer monk 4/wizard (divination)* | HP: 28/28 | AC 20* (T 20, FF 16*) | CMB: +7, CMD: 25/21F; +2 Agi/Grap | F:+4 R:+7 W:+6 | The Nine Lessons:
Deception is a tool. Self-deception is death. Deceive always thy enemy but never thyself. Following the herd is for fools. Fear not their icy derision. Instead, fear only thy Infernal Lord. Know thy enemy. Shatter all that blinds you and then burn thy adversary to ash. Cruelty is a tool, not a pastime. Be ruthless to thy enemy but reward those who serve thee well. The chosen are revealed by their might. The weak deserve no sympathy. Suffer not the fool. Stupidity is our faith's cardinal sin. Secrecy is our greatest ally. Exposure brings death. Beware the fallen for they may rise once more to threaten you. Serve thy master well and be rewarded. |
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