15 years ago
They came in the night. They descended upon the estate near the mountains like some feared night predators of legend. They wore strange red masks and wielded curved serrated blades. They killed every living soul without remorse – men, women, even all the animals. They burned the place down, nothing remained. Then they faded into the night without trace. Or so they thought. One little boy survived. He saw everything. The images burned to his mind would cause nightmares for many years. He was found and raised by one of his Father’s Xun warriors. And he swore vengeance.
My Story Uncle Chien found me in the morning. I was shivering uncontrollably in the bushes not far from Father’s estate. He was hurt after encountering and fighting a stranger on the road from Goka. But all his attention was centered on me. He took me to the mountains, to a secret retreat built by my father. He gave me vegetable soup and listened to the Night’s story. I was tired, very scared and in shock. My telling must have been hard to follow, but I tried to tell him everything I remembered. Then he gave me some soothing tee and took me to one of the beds.
Next thing I remember was waking up in the night. I called Chien’s name but nobody answered. I was desperate to find him, did not want to be alone. That is a funny thing, as even then I remembered the tattooed warrior always gave me creeps. He obeyed Father without question but he always seemed to me to be cold, distant and somehow dangerous. But after the Night, he suddenly looked like the closest friend. And he was. The only friend I had left as it turned out.
I did not found him and so I hid in a dark corner of the house. I was afraid to move, to make a sound. He returned shortly after dawn. He was hurt, his clothes were torn and bloody. But he brought me a gift. Two curved and serrated swords - two swords from the killers. I was glad to see him, glad not to be alone.
Later that day he told me how he found the assassins on a boat leaving Goka for some far away land. He attacked them and fell overboard fighting one of them. After a long fight in the water he was victorious but hurt. He salvaged the foreign weapons and returned to our new home.
In the following days I found out my world has changed. Chien visited Goka several times to assess the situation and returned bearing grave news. All my Family’s holdings were gone – either destroyed by the assassins or taken over by the other Families. I did not understand it much at the time when he told me the truth about Father. He ruled one of the Families comprising a loose organization called the Golden League. The Families were essentially traders, just not really honorable ones. They used any means to further their businesses. They traded all over Tian Xia and some of them including Father had their interests even beyond the sea – in Avistan, Garund and other lands. My Family obviously stepped on someone’s toes in a major way. So a decision had been made to eliminate Father and special assassins had been sent. Problem was, someone or some ones from the other Families had an interest in our destruction. Furthermore as Father and all his lieutenants had been killed and our Family virtually destroyed, members of the Golden Leagues divided the spoils. And an heir to the lost Family could prove to be inconvenient should he try to reclaim his heritage in the future. So we decided we would keep my survival a secret.
In the following years Chien taught me to become a warrior and a killer able to avenge my kin. I worked hard every day, partly to be able to fight my enemies when I found out who they were and finally encountered them, partly to be so exhausted as not to be troubled by the nightmares of the Night. I focused my training on the weapons of the mysterious assassins.
We stayed in the retreat for five years and later travelled across the continent. But everywhere we went we encountered the presence of Golden League. While I looked very different from the child that lost his Family, I had one feature I could be recognized by – a birthmark in the shape of Desna’s butterfly on my left shoulder. In our search for safer place, we even found ourselves among the Belem’s pirates. Abroad one of these vessels Chien caught the mysterious wasting disease.
It was time to start my search for vengeance. We decided to travel back to Goka. Once there Chien obtained us a place on one of the merchant ships heading to Avistan. Unfortunately he succumbed to the disease not long after we set sails. It was but the first misfortune on our journey - Desna did not smiled on us at all. The ship was repeatedly battered by bad weather, attacked by sea monsters, lost in mist for many days, attacked by raiders. There were many days I did not think we would reach the Inner Sea. But we did. We slowly made our way close to our destination only to find out our remaining water was spoiled the stored food turned poisonous. Most of the crew died, some from food poisoning, some by dehydration, some turned delirious and jumped into sea, only to be swiftly eaten by the sharks following us. When the hell spawn boarded our ship, there was nobody fit to fight. By some weird twist of luck I was in the best shape and the only one taken alive. Taken alive only to be made a slave.
Crunch:
Human (Tian-Shu) Barbarian (Sea Reaver) 2/Ninja 3
CN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +7; Senses Perception +8
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Defense
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AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 17 (+5 armor, +3 Dex, +1 natural, +1 deflection)
hp 47 (2d12+3d8+13)
Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +1; +2 trait bonus vs. charm and compulson
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 sawtooth sabre +7 (1d8+4/19-20) and masterwork sawtooth sabre +7 (1d8+1/19-20) or
. . +1 sawtooth sabre +9 (1d8+4/19-20) or
. . masterwork sawtooth sabre +9 (1d8+3/19-20) or
. . dagger +7 (1d4+3/19-20)
Ranged composite shortbow +7 (1d6+3/×3)
Special Attacks ki attack speed, rage (8 rounds/day), rage powers (quick reflexes), sneak attack +2d6
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +6)
. . —vanishing trick
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Statistics
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Str 16, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 13
Base Atk +4; CMB +7; CMD 21
Feats Exotic Weapon Proficiency (sawtooth sabre), Improved Initiative, Two-weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (sawtooth sabre)
Traits birthmark, dirty fighter
Skills Acrobatics +11 (+15 to move through a threatened square or enemy's space), Bluff +5, Climb +10, Diplomacy +5, Disable Device +7, Disguise +2, Escape Artist +8, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (local) +3, Perception +8, Profession (sailor) +4, Sense Motive +4, Sleight of Hand +8, Stealth +11, Swim +7, Use Magic Device +5; Racial Modifiers ki jump (running start), no trace
Languages Common, Tien
SQ eyes of the storm, ki movement, ki pool, ki stealth, marine terror, poison use, tireless rage
Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds (2), potion of endure elements, potion of enlarge person, smokestick (5), tanglefoot bag (2); Other Gear +1 mithral chain shirt, +1 sawtooth sabre, 2x combat scabbard (heavy blade), composite shortbow (Str+3), 2xdagger, masterwork sawtooth sabre, amulet of natural armor +1, belt of tumbling, ring of protection +1, belt pouch, spider's silk rope, thieves' tools, waterskin, 42 gp
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Special Abilities
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Belt of tumbling +4 competence bonus on Acrobatics to move through threatened square or enemy's space.
Birthmark +2 save vs. charm & compulsion
Dirty Fighter +1 damage when flanking.
Eyes of the Storm (Ex) Ignore less than total concealment from weather & ˝ perception penalty.
Ki Attack Speed (Su) By spending 1 point from her ki pool, a ninja can make one additional attack at her highest attack bonus, but she can do so only when making a full attack.
Ki Jump (Running Start) (Su) Jumping is always counted as being at a running start.
Ki Movement A Ninja can spend 1 point to increase her speed by 20 feet for 1 round.
Ki Pool (Su) You have a ki pool equal to 1/2 your ninja level + your Charisma modifier.
Ki Stealth A ninja can spend 1 point from her ki pool to give herself a +4 insight bonus on Stealth skill checks for 1 round.
Marine Terror (Ex) Hold breath Con x4 rds, unslowed by 1 ft water/bog & ignore cover from water.
No Trace +1 (Ex) Survival DCs to track you are at +1, gain +1 to Stealth when you are stationary and not acting.
Poison Use You do not risk poisoning yourself accidentally while poisoning a weapon.
Quick Reflexes (Ex) While raging, you may make one additional attack of opportunity per round.
Rage (8 rounds/day) (Ex) +4 Str, +4 Con, +2 to Will saves, -2 to AC when enraged.
Sneak Attack +2d6 +2d6 damage if you flank your target or your target is flat-footed.
Vanishing Trick (Su) As a swift action, the ninja can disappear for 1 round per level. This ability functions as invisibility. Using this ability uses up 1 ki point.
