Marinda the Varisian's page

Merinda was born into a travelling Varisian caravan and has spent her entire life in one.

From an early age she apprenticed to her mother, a renowned fortune teller. She expected her life to be fairly normal. Love, marriage, children. Nothing more exciting than the occassional encounter with the local constabulary or some minor bandits.

She was partly right. Love and marriage came to her, she has gradually become a leader in her group.

But a boring life? That was not in the Cards.

She doesn't know if her strange fate is a result of the Harrow Deck that she found. Or perhaps Desna, the Goddess that she worships, has a sense of humour and thinks that, in return for all the good luck she has definitely been granted, some bad luck was also in order.

When she was only 16 she was exploring some ancient ruins near to where her caravan was camped. The ruins, close to a road, had doubtless been searched thousands of times. But, somehow, by pure chance she stumbled onto a box under a pile of rocks where a wall had recently collapsed.

Inside the box was a Harrow Deck, a very old one. When she touched it, something happened. It was if the cards chose to speak to her. Many of them speaking.

Every morning from that time she has studied the deck. Every morning, the Theatre has talked to her. Or a spirit within that card has. Every morning, a spirit from a different card has also talked to her. And every day she has found herself able to use the deck to accomplish magical things.

Since then excitement has come to her despite herself. When a cousin was kidnapped by goblins, what choice did she have but to go and help rescue him? When the town they were resting in was besieged, of course she helped heal the injured at the battle front.

She strongly suspects the hand of the Gods are in some of this. Surely it was the most extreme coincidence that her caravan just "happened" to be in the small village when a grizly murder resulted in a shadow rising, a shadow who would surely have destroyed the entire village if not for the powers granted to her by The Theatre.

Her powers have been slowly growing over the years. And she has managed to accumulate some interesting items, most of them given to her as gifts in thanks for her help.

Marinda is a warm hearted motherly sort. Compassionate almost to a fault she is constantly taking lost children, animals, or entire villages under her wing.
While very interested in helping others she TRIES to do it without endangering herself. She is now the matriarch of her clan and knows that she cannot be easily replaced.

While she likes to look for the good in others she is no naif. She is aware that evil is a very real thing in this world, that the innocent looking beggar may be a bandit scout in disguise.

She LOVES fortune telling. It is one of the best ways to help others.

She despises with a fiery passion anybody who overtly or covertly worships evil in any form, or anybody who is so evil that they cannot be redeemed. Not a warrior she won't necessarily directly confront them but she will oppose them whenever possible.

While she was still an unmarried girl of 19 Marinda developed a great passion (or so she though) for Costin, a young man who had recently joined the Caravan as a guard.
He was everything a young girl could want. Handsome, well spoken, brave, able to sing or dance both to entertain others and in more private settings.

Like all Varisian caravans, the time after the evening meal was a time for partying and enjoyment.

Marinda and Costin were dancing when Marinda noticed that Gabriella, a young girl of 12, was staring at Costin with puppy eyes.

Marinda : "Costin, Gabriella really has a crush on you. After this dance, you should go and ask her to dance"
Costin : "Why would I do that? I only have eyes for you. No other woman even exists for me."
Marinda chuckles, and says "Flatterer. Go make her happy. One dance and she'll be dancing on air for weeks."
Costin : "No, I won't. She is too young for me and ugly to boot."

It was this last cruel comment that opened Marinda's eyes. In the back of her mind she'd always had a little doubt as to how decent a person Costin was but she'd pushed those doubts aside. But now it was clear.

Very, very loudly Marinda slapped him and spoke in a loud voice for all to hear
"You are a selfish, selfish man. You should be ashamed of yourself for saying such a thing"

However, once again it seemed that good fortune and bad were mixed. It was not two days later that she was approached by Durril, who would eventually become her first husband

Still have to spend some money.

Marinda
Female human (Varisian) shaman (witch doctor) 8 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 35, 113)
Medium humanoid (human)
Init +1; Senses Perception +6
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 19 (+6 armor, +1 deflection, +1 Dex, +1 natural, +1 shield)
hp 67 (8d8+24)
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +13 (+1 vs. enchantment effects)
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Special Attacks channel positive energy 5/day (DC 18, 6d6), channel positive energy 7/day (DC 16, 5d6), hexes (aura of purity, cackle[APG], evil eye, life link[ACG])
Shaman (Witch Doctor) Spells Prepared (CL 8th; concentration +13)
. . 4th—spike stones (DC 19), summon nature's ally IV; restoration[S]
. . 3rd—dispel magic, stinking cloud (DC 18), stinking cloud (DC 18), stinking cloud (DC 18); neutralize poison[S]
. . 2nd—barkskin, cure moderate wounds, remove paralysis, shield companion[ACG]; lesser restoration[S]
. . 1st—cure light wounds, entangle (DC 16), frostbite[UM], obscuring mist, remove fear; detect undead[S]
. . 0 (at will)—create water, light, purify food and drink (DC 15), stabilize
. . S spirit magic spell; Spirit Life Wandering Spirit
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 8, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 20, Cha 18
Base Atk +6; CMB +5; CMD 17
Feats Extra Hex[APG], Extra Hex[APG], Extra Hex[APG], Harrowed[ISWG], Quick Channel[UM], Selective Channeling
Traits extremely fashionable, harrow chosen
Skills Acrobatics -3 (-7 to jump), Bluff +15, Craft (calligraphy) +5, Diplomacy +15, Handle Animal +8, Heal +19, Knowledge (nature) +3, Knowledge (planes) +3, Knowledge (religion) +7, Perception +6, Profession (fortune-teller) +20, Profession (merchant) +11, Profession (midwife) +11, Sense Motive +9, Spellcraft +3, Survival +9
Languages Common, Varisian
SQ counter curse, healer's touch, spirit animal
Combat Gear healer's kit; Other Gear agile breastplate+1[APG], mwk buckler, phylactery of positive channeling, traveler's any-tool[UE], harrow deck[UE], masterwork fortune-teller's deck[APG], 4,645 gp
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Aura of Purity (8 minutes/day) (Su) 10 ft radius aura negates diseases, inhaled poisons, and noxious gas effects.
Cackle (Su) As a move action, extend the duration of other hexes by 1 rd..
Evil Eye -4 (8 rounds, DC 19) (Su) Foe in 30 ft takes penalty to your choice of AC, attacks, saves, ability or skill checks (Will part).
Harrowed +1 on saves vs. enchantment; can draw Harrow cards for bonuses.
Healer's Touch (Su) As a standard action, move up to half speed & touch up to 6 people to auto-stabilize them.
Life Link (8 max bonds, 100 feet) (Su) Bond drains your HP to heal others.
Quick Channel Channel energy faster by expending more uses
Selective Channeling Exclude targets from the area of your Channel Energy.
Shaman Channel Positive Energy 6d6 (5/day, DC 18) (Su) Positive energy heals the living and harms the undead; negative has the reverse effect.
Share Spells with Familiar Can cast spells with a target of "You" on the familiar with a range of touch.
Speak with Animals (Ex) Your familiar can communicate with animals similar to itself.
Speak with Familiar (Ex) You can communicate verbally with your familiar.
Witch Doctor Channel Positive Energy 5d6 (7/day, DC 16) (Su) Positive energy heals the living and harms the undead; negative has the reverse effect.