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STATISTICS
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Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 14
Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 15
FeatsDervish Dance, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (scimitar) Skills Acrobatics +8, Climb +4, Disable Device +8, Diplomacy +6, Escape Artist +8, Knowledge (arcana) +5, Knowledge (local) +5, Perception +5, Perform (dance) +7, Stealth +8, Sleight of Hand +8, Use Magic Device +6 AC Penalty -1 not included in stats 15 ranks (2 fighter, 2 lore warden, 6 bard, 2 Int, 2 racial, 1 favored class=): Acrobatics 1, Climb 1, Disable Device 2, Diplomacy 1, Escape Artist 1, Knowledge (arcana) 1, Knowledge (local) 1, Perception 2, Perform (dance) 2, Stealth 1, Sleight of Hand 1, Use Magic Device 1 Languages Common, Kellish, Polyglot
SQ fleet (+10 ft. speed during battle song)
Traits Armor Expert, Observant
Combat Gear masterwork scimitar (315gp), longbow (75gp), arrows [33] (2gp), 1 tanglefoot bag (50gp), +1 chainshirt (250gp), 2 potions of cure light woundsOther Gear masterwork thieves’ tools (100gp), backpack (2gp), spell component pouch (5gp), caltrops (1gp), flint and steel (1gp), flask (3cp), hemp rope [50 ft.] (1gp), grappling hook (1gp), antitoxin (50gp), antiplague (50 gp), vermin repelent (5gp) Gold 915 gp, 3 sp, 7 cp
Background:
Makena was twelve when she was captured and taken to Bloodcove to be sold into slavery. She barely spoke her captor’s language, but the elders kept going on about them: tricked by something called the Aspis Consortium, the whole tribe was now fated to a life in shackles. One by one, her friends and family disappeared, bought by strangers and shipped away to never be seen again. There weren’t many left when a group of adventurers liberated the captives from their chains, killing every Aspis Consortium operative in the way. They called themselves the Pathfinder Society – not that it meant anything to Makena, at that time. The freed Mwangi boarded a ship bent to a place called Andoran, where they wouldn’t have to worry about being enslaved ever again. Only one of those noble Pathfinders went with them, to make sure they would arrive safely. His name was Dabir, and he was old. The rest of the crew, however, was composed by ex-pirates and brute sailors, and they were not nearly as kind as the Pathfinders.
The Mwangi were required to perform many tasks in the ship as payment for the voyage, and often worked harder than most crewmembers. At night, the drunk sailors demanded dance and music to entertain them. Makena would often join the older woman in their feverish tribal steps while the men played the drums violently, creating an exotic spectacle of sound and movement. These performances captured Dabir’s attention. He saw great potential in Makena, and being a dervish dancer himself, decided to try and take her as her pupil. By the time their ship arrived in the port of Almas, Makena had already agreed to live with Dabir. The old man took the girl to Absalom, where he lived in a great mansion alone with his only granddaughter, Nava.
Dabir and Nava didn’t really get along: the old man was deeply disappointed by his granddaughter’s ways. Despite his efforts, Nava had turned out to be an envious, cruel girl, uncapable of any kindness. The arrival of Makena raised an even greater wall between Dabir and Nava: the old man would spend all his time with the Mwangi girl, teaching her the secrets of his dance and of arcane magic. Nava grew jealous each day, and as she and Makena grew, so did the rivalry between them. Sometimes, Dabir would leave for months, answering to the Pathfinder Society’s calls, leaving the girls alone. The way Makena dealt with the situation only made Dabir like her even more: she would take Nava’s insults stoically, never hitting back; and still, whenever Dabir spoke ill of his granddaughter, Makena defended her, and tried to bring Dabir and Nava closer, if only to make Dabir happy.
Ten years went by with both girls living under the same roof, until Dabir fell terribly ill during one of his trips. He died in a ship going back to Absalom. His companions delivered Dabir's body to his mansion, along with a letter to Makena.
Dear Makena,
I know now I will not be able to reach you alive, and so I send these final words to you. I leave my gold and all earthly possessions to my granddaughter, for it is her birthright. I hope you understand that, though I've given her wealth, I've given you everything else. I depart from this world peacefully, knowing that I leave behind something good, something of worth. It is you, my dear. My masterpiece. In my time, I performed in the lavish Taldan halls and the great theaters of Cheliax, and danced with beasts and fiends in deathly showdowns; none of that compares to the joy of having you as my student. You were more than I could ever hope for, more than those of my own blood could ever become. And, because of that, I fear for you now.
I ask you to leave home, for it won't be such for long. Through no fault of your own, you now have in Nava a powerful enemy. It is time to make friends instead. I have spoken of you to a man called Ambrus Valsin; he is an important member of the Pathfinder Society, and you will find him in the society's Grand Lodge in Absalom. Offer your services to him, and ask to join them; follow in my footsteps, and I promise you you will never regret it. I have prepared you for this for the past ten years, and it is time for you to see the world. It is full of mistery and adventure. It is yours for the taking.
I shall soon be with the Lady of the Graves, and hope to be well received in her realm. I will be waiting for you on the other side, and when we meet again, hopefully many, many years from now, we will once more dance together.
