Maka Zaci's page

Unwilling to leave the child alone, and knowing her nature made her ill suited for most homes, he took her to be raised at the monastery. The monastery was lead by a gold dragon named Eku. It featured a wide range of students, teachers, and techniques. This proved to be an ideal environment to hone her abilities and gave Maka an accepting nature and a true love of combat. Though she lacked the ability to push herself as far as other Kineticists, her abilities came more naturally than most, easily combining with her monastic training. Maka’s monastic training taught her to judge herself by her own worth, not in how she stands above or below others. That a loss is as good as a victory if you grow. Lessons that heavily color her outlook on life.

Eku believed Maka to be touched by the dragon god Mardu, and taught her of the god’s ways. Maka was always enthralled by Eku's lessons and stories of Marduk. As she learned of the god, she began to have dreams of flying with dragons. Her prayers sometimes received answers in the way of small signs. She also learned to purify her flames for healing, though the strain of the effort limited their use compared to her normal flames. Somewhere along the line Bala started claiming he found his adopted daughter in a giant egg. A story that always brought a smile to Maka’s face.

Maka truly loved her home, yet despite that, she long had the urge to leave. For years, her dreams about flying with dragons grew stronger, more visceral. Then, one night something new happened in her dreams; The dragons flew so far away that Maka could no longer see her home. They kept flying, faster and faster. In what felt like both a lifetime and a heartbeat, the dragons circled the globe, showing Maka things she had never dreamed of. Maka awoke with a start. For the first time, she had a true idea of the scope of the world. Just how far it stretched beyond the monastery. Excitement overtook Maka as she packed her few belongings in preparation for the long, long journey before her.

She had many adventures in her travels, helping those in need and making friends. She tended to stay longer than she needed, enjoying the company of her friends and making sure they would be alright after she left. Eventually though, the dreams with the dragons returned, and before long she returned to her travels.

Things went on like this for some time until she ran into some trouble near the borders of Unther. A group of fellow travelers had come under attack by a band of slavers. Maka lept to the travelers’ defense, buying time for most of them to escape. Eventually however, she was overwhelmed and captured. Her injuries left mostly untreated, Maka spent a time in a state of fever and delirium.

She eventually awoke in a cell in Dalath, having been sold to the The God’s Pit as a slave in their bloodsports. Maka’s monastic training and command of fire proved their worth in the pits, and brought her some attention. Unfortunately, this attention mostly earned her tougher fights. The conditions were terrible, but she attempted to stay strong, to remember her training and grow from the trial.

This was made easier by her friend Sullivan Queen. ‘Sully’ was a halfling who had used his speed and wit to stay alive in the pits. Befriending Maka, the pair worked together to keep each other safe and make life more livable. Sully educated Maka on the way things worked in the pits and Dalath. His humor made everyday brighter. Maka set people that gave Sully trouble on fire. The pair made a good team, and good friends. Unfortunately they eventually garnered too much attention. After winning a team match, a special death match was called between Maka and Sully, with the winner gaining their freedom. Neither wanted to harm the other, but failing to fight would lead to both of their deaths. After a hesitant and prolonged fight, Maka was able to guide one of Sully’s blades between her liver and kidney, while using meditation to slow her heartbeat enough to appear dead.

The ploy worked, with Sully winning his freedom. Maka later “revived” in a pool of her own blood. Though Maka missed her friend, she took solace that he was free. The lessons he taught her helped to keep her alive and, despite the conditions, Maka’s flame endured. After several months, Maka caught the attention of the wizard Zummabu. He approached her with an offer, he would procure her release in retain for her aid with a certain task...

Statistics
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Str 14, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 18
Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 23
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot
Traits: Blood of Dragons, Arcane Temper, Earning Your Freedom, Righteous Indignation
Skills: Acrobatic 7, Appraise -1, Bluff 4, Climb 6, Diplomacy 4, Disguise 4, Handle Animal 4, Linguistics 1, Perception 5, Sense Motive 0, Stealth 3, Survival 6, Swim 2, Use Magic Device 4, Know: Geography 2, Know: Religion 3, Know: Planes 3, Profession Monk 4
Languages: Untheric, Aglarondan, Draconic, Halfing
SQ:
Other Gear: Masterwork Backpack, 4x Mage Armor Potion, Pathfinder’s Kit, Grooming Kit, Mess Kit, Hot Weather Outfit, Traveler’s Any Tool, Lesser Pentacle Talisman, Pocketed Scarf, Dancer’s Garb, Holy Symbol, 20x Incense, Tea Ceremony Set, Powdered Milk, 10x Dragon’s Blend, 3x Chocolate Bar, Halfling Trail Rations, 4x Sugar, 4x Ceremonial Tea
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Special Abilities
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Mind Over Matter: Cha instead of Con for Kineticist Abilities.
Mental Prowess: Can’t choose to accept burn
Elemental Focus Fire: Ability to attack with and control fire.
Basic Pyrokinesis: Replicate cantrips with fire.
Kinetic Blast: Attack a single foe with element
Gather Power: Spend actions to reduce Burn
Wild Talent: Gain new abilities or alter blasts
Overwhelming Power: Gain bonuses to attack and damage with Kinetic Blast.
Draconic Might: Use Cha for Monk Abilities
Investiture: Gain pool of investiture points, swift action sacred bonus to saves
AC Bonus: Cha to AC
Flurry of blows: Extra unarmed attack on full-attacks
Stunning Fist: Attempt to stun target of unarmed strike
Wanderer’s Lore: Lose detect evil for more skills
Hidden Aura: Do not have an aura of good
Stalk Evil: Gain bonuses on skills and attack and damage against evil outsiders
Divine Grace: Gain a bonus equal to Cha on all saves
Lay on Hands: Heal 1d6 points of damage

2. What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?
a. Maka never knew her mother. She was found in the wilderness and raised in the
Dragon’s Eye Monastery. Though she did have female masters, none were of the
role of mother.

3. What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like.
a. Maka also never knew her father. However, the priest that discovered her, Zhen
Riko, carries a fatherly affection for Maka. An affection which is returned by
Maka. The pair have been close since Maka’s arrival at the Monastery, and the
proudest and saddest moment of Zhen’s life was when Maka left for her own
journeys. Maka sends the occasional letter to Zhen and her family at the
monastery.

4. Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so,
does anyone else know?
a. Maka has had multiple fundamental moments. The first was a vision in which
dragon’s flew her around the world. It was this vision which began her travels.
She has shared the story with numerous people.
b. Minor Test of the Starstone: Maka partially passed the minor test of the
starstone, giving her a small spark of power and setting her on her Mythic Path.
c. First Fight with Aergoreth: One of the happiest moments of Maka’s life and the
first true test of her new power. It was this battle which brought her to the service
of Aergoreth and gave her even greater levels of determination to improve
herself.

5. On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?
a. Maka keeps snacks in her pocketed scarf. She has a number of protective
magical charms, gifts from friends during her travels, which she always wears. In
addition, she is almost always wearing her ruby circlet. A gift from Aergoreth and
a symbol of her rank as Ruby Knight.

6. Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?
a. Maka often dreams of flying with dragons, and has for as long as she can
remember. One of these dreams, in which the dragons flew her around the world,
spurred her to her journeys.

7. Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares.
a. Maka rarely has nightmares, and her monastic training gives her a degree of
control of her dreams.

8. Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target?
a. Guns are extraordinarily rare in the Inner Sea. Maka has never seen an actual
firearm, but has seen fireworks and similar devices utilizing explosive powder in
Absalom.

9. Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were
growing up?
a. Yes, but in some ways no. The Dragon’s Eye Monastery is fairly wealth, as
Monasteries go. She never wanted for things, and had access to advanced
training and magical equipment. She did not have a true grasp of money until she
arrived at Absalom. Even then, grasp is a strong word, as her abilities made it
easy for her to acquire and she only ever spent it on food.
b. As one of Aergoreth’s Knights, her wealth and status is technically considerably
higher than when she was growing up. However in practise, this is not fully the
case. Maka continues to have a loose grasp on wealth, and does not judge
herself or others upon how they stand above or below other people. In Maka’s
mind, her position is little different than at the monastery. She trains, helps out,
has her needs provided for, and has access to advanced training and magical
equipment.

10. Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing.
a. Maka feels about an equal comfort. Her monastic training often involved hot
weather, little clothing, and lots of close contact. As such she feels no discomfort
with her body or others, and has a poor sense of personal space. While her
typical monastic garb is relatively conservative, she also has a fondness for
loose, and revealing, Vudrani dance garb.

11. In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?
a. When Sully and Maka were ambushed in Cheliax. Maka’s fear was not for herself
or the dire situation, but for Sully’s safety.

12. In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been?
a. Maka does not have the calmest nature. However, her monastic training gives
her the ability to achieve a true state of calm during meditation. The only time she
has achieved a higher state was during her test of the Starstone, though she has
no memories of the event.

13. Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way?
a. No. While the Dragon’s Eye Monastery fostered respect, they had numerous
healers which granted the students the opportunity to push themselves and one
another. As such, Maka grew up used to seeing her own blood and that of others.
However, she does not care for the suffering of others. Rough housing, even that
involving broken bones, is a world apart from harming someone.

14. Does your character remember names or faces easier.
a. Faces by far, Maka is not the best with names.

15. Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not?
a. No. Maka was raised in a monastery with her needs provided for. She has little
value for material possession, though she does make exceptions for gifts from
those she cares about. Maka didn’t have a grasp of money until she arrived at
Absalom. Even then, her ease in earning it and desire to only buy food didn’t
leave her with the best grasp.

16. What does your character idealize most: Happiness or success?

a. Happiness, but for Maka happiness brings success and success brings
happiness. Or at least, they should. Her goal is personal improvement, mostly
through combat and training. The idea of achieving success in something that
doesn’t make you happy doesn’t make a lot of sense to Maka.

17. What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?
a. The training dummies.
18. Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?
a. Wisdom. While Maka highly values desire and determination, she was taught that
perfection is a journey, not a destination. Her experience in Cheliax showed her
that ambition not tempered by wisdom can be a very dangerous thing.

19. What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships
for them before?
a. Maka’s biggest relationship flas is likely her passion and naivete, though in some
ways they are also her biggest strengths. Her zealous nature causes discomfort
for some, especially the more introverted, but it is also what makes her such a
steadfast friend. It has yet to ruin a relationship for her.

20. In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for teh
sake of self-validation, or self-criticism.
a. Maka doesn’t do a lot of comparison. She views herself and others for their own
self-worth. Not in how they stand above or below others.

21. If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may
have caused and deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?
a. As a Vudrani, Maka has a strong belief in Karma. However, this is in regards to
the natural order of the universe. She does not use this as justification for the
harms inflicted by others.

22. What does your character like in other people?
a. While Maka has great respect for helping others, passion, ability, and drive this
is not all she likes in others. Maka has a great gift in seeing the value in other
people, even when they can’t see the value in themselves. Possibly the thing she
values most, however, is the ability to cook.

23. What does your character dislike in other people?
a. Make does like like cruel or evil people. Those who take joy in the suffering of
others.

24. How quick is your character to trust someone else?
a. Though Cheliax thought her some lessons, Maka is still far too quick in trusting
others.

25. How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are
close with that person?
a. Maka does not have a suspecting nature and requires a good deal of evidence to
raise suspicion. This is especially true if she is close with the person.

26. How does your character behave around children?
a. Maka is fairly good with children. Though they are typically initially afraid of her
imposing stature and draconic appearance, their curiosity typically wins out.

When this happens, they are often treated to delightful shows of fire and shoulder
rides.

27. How does your character normally deal with confrontation?
a. By punching it.

28. How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?
a. Very quick, typically her first option.

29. What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?
a. Mastering the flame and traveling the world, which is so far going swimmingly.

30. What does your character find repulsive or discusting.
a. Cruelty and overly bitter food.

31. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.
a. Maka feels most comfortably in a fight with a powerful and willing opponent.

32. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.
a. A court appearance in which there is no dancing, food, or music and Maka had to
wear a dress. A really itchy and stuffy dress.

33. In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to
improve?
a. Maka’s monastic training taught her to handle criticism well, always looking for a
way to improve herself.

34. Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?
a. Of the two, honor. Maka is barely aware of status.

35. Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a
problem/threat?
a. Maka takes problems head on.

36. Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or
unaffected)?
a. Maka has been bitten by a LOT of things. Didn’t bother her more than any other
wounds.

37. How does your character treat people in service jobs?
a. Very well, especially those in food service jobs. Maka does not view servants as
lesser and grew up doing chores. In fact, she still helps out with chores around
the keep.

38. Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?
a. No, Maka is typically the one more in the dependent role.

39. How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without
meaning it?
a. Maka has never said the phrase nor truly considered it. She was not raised with
the Inner Sea’s traditional ideals of romantic or sexual love. However, she is not
celibate and does love her friends as family.

40. What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief
scare them?
a. Unless she earns a particular award, her soul will go on a, sometimes long,
journey to the Boneyard to be judged and then eventually be reincarnated back in
the Material Plane. This seems as natural to rain and does not scare Maka.

We are Aergoreth's Gems
We'll always save the day!
And if you think we can't
I'll punch you in the face
That's why the people of Xin Shalast belive in
<Someone>, <Someone>, <Someone>, and Maka!

Maka’s draconic nature and ability with fire developed at an extremely young age, possibly at birth. However, she is not sure as she has no memories of her family. She was found living in the wild by Zhen Riko, a monk of the Dragon’s Eye Monastery, during one of his travels. Unwilling to leave the child alone, and knowing her nature made her ill suited for most homes, he took her to be raised at the monastery. The monastery featured a wide range of students, teachers, and techniques, including other kineticists. This proved to be an ideal environment to hone her abilities and gave Maka an accepting nature and a true love of combat.Though she lacked the ability to push herself as far as other Kineticists, her abilities came more naturally than most, easily combining with her monastic training. Maka’s monastic training taught her to judge herself by her own worth, not in how she stands above or below others. That a loss is as good as a victory if you grow. Lessons that heavily color her outlook on life.

Maka truly loved her home, yet despite that, she long had the urge to leave. For years, she had had dreams about flying with dragons, flying away from the island. Flying away, but never quite leaving. Then one day, something new happened in her dreams; The dragons flew so far away that Maka could no longer see Jalmeray. They kept flying, faster and faster. In what felt like both a lifetime and a heartbeat, the dragons circled the globe, showing Maka things she had never dreamed of. Maka awoke with a start. For the first time, she had a true idea of the scope of the world. Just how far it stretched beyond the monastery, beyond the island. Excitement overtook Maka as she packed her few belongings in preparation for the long, long journey before her.

Maka was able to book passage to Absalom. The city at the Center of the World did not fail to impress. Maka had never seen anything quite like the city and it’s people, nor has she since. But the thing that impressed her most was the food. The monastery served good, but simple food. Nothing that could even compare to the things Maka tasted in Absalom. What little money she had was spent on food on her first day of arrival. She would have had to sleep on the streets had a grateful inn keep not given her a room for the night in thanks for stopping a fight after a blade was pulled. This gave her the idea of using her fighting ability to make money, so she could buy more food. Possibly her most successful idea to date, Maka made a name for herself in tournaments and underground fights and was able to buy almost as much food as she wanted. After a few weeks, her skill with fist and flame brought her to the attention of a group of Pathfinders. They were setting out on an expedition and needed muscle.

Her adventures were not without danger, which made them all the more exciting to Maka. She proved her worth several times and the venture was an overall success. When the group headed back to Absalom, Maka continued with her journey. Along the way, she got in to trouble numerous times for the sake of those in need. She tended to stay longer than she needed when she did so. Enjoying her time with the friends she made and helping to make sure they would be all right after she was gone. Eventually she made her way to Cheliax, a country that did not suit her at all, and was far, far too complicated for her liking.

In Cheliax, she got in to more trouble than ever, now contending with the law as well. Eventually, this lead her to meet a young human named Sullivan Queen. ‘Sully’ was a thief with a heart of gold, working against the corrupt nobility to help the people. Though she didn’t always agree with his methods, she had no doubt about his intent. Unfortunately their antics drew the attention of greater powers. The pair were lead in to a trap from which they were barely able to escape.

Grievously injured, separated from Sully, and hunted by Chelaxian forces, Maka traveled for almost 2 days before collapsing. She only survived thanks to a chance encounter with an old paladin named Korval Helsharn. Korval had been a Hellknight of the Order of the Godclaw before retiring with his wife to live as a simple farmer. Maka could not understand how one of the kindest men she had ever met, someone who literally radiated good, could revere a god like Asmodeus. His philosophy as a member of the Godclaw made Maka’s head ache, but he was still able to teach her a number of things.

When Maka was healed, she set off to find Sully and make sure he was alright. Korval accompanied her, hoping he could help avoid any further trouble with Cheliax. Unfortunately this was not to be, as Sully had been captured in Isger and was to be publicly executed. Combining their abilities, the Monk and Paladin were able to arrange an escape. The plan went off without a hitch up until they got to Sully, who refused to go. A number of political prisoners were also being held at the location, and he had a plan to break everyone out. The amount of subtly and timing required by Sully’s plan was possibly the most daunting challenge of Maka’s life, but the group was able to pull it off, at least mostly. The getaway was less than clean and the group was pursued by Cheliaxian agents.

Though Korval, Maka, and Sully were able to lead the agents away from the other prisoners, they were pursued all the way to the Darkmoon Wood. The group might have been captured had they not stumbled upon a portal leading to the frozen land of Irrisen, far to the north. A portal that unfortunately closed not long after they passed through. Making their way to the town of Waldsby, they discovered a group of adventurers had been the ones to close the portal. The group explained the situation and the quest granted to them by the mysterious black rider. Both groups agreed to help one another, and set out for the capital city of Whitethrone. The terrain was beyond harsh and full of monsters and other dangerous foes. Maka’s ability with fire proved valuable in the frozen country, and her time was more joyous than the rest of her party. After many trials, the group was able to make their way to Whitethrone and eventually the Dancing Hutt of Baba Yaga herself.

The group was able to use the hutt to escape Irrisen, but they were hardly in control of the extraordinarily powerful artifact. Instead of simply taking them to safety, the hutt jumped several times. Unfortunately Maka, who had been outside on the balcony, did not come along for all of those jumps. She found herself stranded on a small island off the coast of Magnimar. Her friends had little to no control of the hutt, and no way of knowing where she was. After waiting for several days, Maka figured her friends couldn’t come and decided to leave for the coast visible in the distance.

With no other ideas, Maka made her way to Magnimar. It is in the City of Monuments where she first heard of Aergoreth. The city was abuzz with tales about the demi-god. How he had saved the town of Sandpoint, revealed and purged corruption from Magnimar, passed the test of the Starstone, defeated a Runelord of legend, founded a new kingdom of Xin Shalast, and countless more true and false tales of bravery and heroics. Maka was, quite simply, enthralled. These were some of the best stories she’d ever heard. More than that, they weren't old tales of some hero that was, they were new tales of a hero walking around. She had to go see for herself. After making some coin and fully satisfying her stomach, Maka set off for her journey. She was confident her friends were alright, were having an amazing adventure, and so she should have one as well.

Maka found plenty of distractions and trouble along the way, but eventually made her way to the kingdom of Xin Shalast. Once there, she made a simple proclamation. She’d heard the stories of Aergoreth and she wanted to fight him. Many scoffed and took offense, and attempted to bar her path or force her to leave. However, she would not be deterred, and continued forward, provoking challenges along the way. Some of these she beat, some she did not, but she continued on nonetheless. Those presenting her challenges constantly questioned her motives, demanding to know why she was there, why she wanted to fight their liege. To Maka’s severe frustration, none would take “What do you mean? Because I want to fight him.” or “What does not being able to beat you have to do with fighting Aergoreth?” as an answer.

Eventually she made her way to Aergoreth’s Keep, easily passing the test of asking nicely at the door to be let in. Once there, she once again made her simple proclamation. To her joy, Aergoreth smiled and agreed, with one stipulation. First, she would have to pass the test of the Starstone. For but a moment Maka bemoaned the distance to Absalam before sprinting away as fast as she could towards her new destination. This provoked a chuckle from Aergoreth before the demi-god sent a servant to help magically transport Maka the huge distance to Absalam.

Maka does not remember much about the test of the Starstone. She has some emotions and memories of the challenges, but can’t focus on them. She remembers using her flames to get across the bottomless pit surrounding the Starstone Cathedral. From there it is a jumbled mess. The next clear memory she has is waking up in a bed in Aergoreth’s keep with a gauntlet on her left arm, which looked like fire given form, asking her how long she planned on sleeping. She only knows two things for certain; she only partially passed the test and she didn’t fight a single thing. She doesn’t know how she knows that, but she knows she’s angry about it. Her gauntlet, Agni, is a spirit of fire meant to help prepare her to take the true test of the Starstone one day.

Though in her mind she did not complete their agreement, Aergoreth agreed to fight Maka, but he had another stipulation. He would only fight back as hard as Maka pushed him. Maka stood no chance in their fight, and it’s one of her fondest memories. Maka has loyally served Aergoreth since that day. She views him like a loyal dog views her owner. Similarly, she loves to fight him as a dog loves to play. She works everyday to reach a point where Aergoreth has to try back against her.

Maka’s draconic nature and ability with fire developed at a young age. Unsurprisingly, the monastery was an ideal environment to hone her abilities. Though she lacked the ability to push herself as far as other Kineticists, her abilities came more naturally than most, easily combining with her monastic training.

Maka truly loved her home, yet despite that, she long had the urge to leave. For as long as she could remember, she had had dreams about flying with dragons, flying away from the island. Flying away, but never quite leaving. Then one day, something new happened in her dreams; The dragons flew so far away that Maka could no longer see Jalmeray. They kept flying, faster and faster. In what felt like both a lifetime and a heartbeat, Maka found herself near the other side of the world. She floated there, staring at a wound ripped in to the earth, in to reality itself. Monstrous horrors pouring from it like pus from an infection.

Maka awoke, not with a start, but with a calm sense of relief. She knew her task, why she needed to leave. There was something wrong out there, and she needed to help fix it. More than that, for the first time, she had a true idea of the scope of the world. Excitement began to overtake the sense of calm as Maka began to pack her few belongings in preparation for the long, long journey before him.