Minas Dyrendal's page

Sigil is the only home that Shiar Khalid ever truly knew, though he was not born there. He arrived at the age of two with his mother, a woman at wits end and fleeing to something other than what she knew. Ultimately Sigil would be no more safe a haven than the plane she use to call home. But like many who find their way to the Cage, she quickly found herself in over her head. Shiar doesn’t remember much of his childhood in detail, though some events stand out more than others. Although he doesn’t remember seeing anyone bump into his mother shortly after arriving, he remembers her panic and anxiety when she realized she had been robbed of most of the gold she had brought with her. One of his earliest and clearest memories was when he was about five years old and his mother left him alone for the first time to go out and earn some money for them. It was his first chance to explore the Hive Ward, the slum in which his mother had found them a cheap place to stay at the time. He went to go see the Behemoth for the first time. Shiar had heard his mother talking about it once as they walked around the Hive Ward. Of course, she also told him to never go near it alone, that it was potentially dangerous. But such things don’t tend to stick in the minds of bored little boys. At the time it seemed like a great adventure and it was the most fun he could remember having since coming to the city.

When he got back to the small single room shack he shared with his mother she was beside herself. She punished him, in his bias young mind, rather harshly for leaving the shack and wandering about on his own. But then she just cried and that did make Shiar feel a little guilty. His mother had been crying less and less lately and so he hated to see her doing so because of him. He showed her a strange flattened rock he found near the Behemoth, explaining that he thought maybe it was a scale that had fallen off. His mother was quiet for a moment and then just started laughing. She put his scale in the corner, on top of the boxes that held most of their things, then she told him to get ready for supper. She had made some money and they were going to eat decently for once. Years later he would realize the “scale” was nothing more than a roof tile, but even still the memory stands out to him as his first fond memory of what had become his home.

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The Harmonium took his mother when he was thirteen years old. He never even found out why. One day he came home, and the man who lived across the alley from them told him that the Hardheads had come in and taken her away in chains. It was heartbreaking on one hand, but not surprising really. Shiar had spent the last decade in the Hive Ward, learning to fend for himself. He loved his mother and he had honestly believed there was even a slim chance that he could do anything about her arrest he might have tried, but the truth was he just wasn’t that naïve, even at thirteen. The most that might happen to him would be getting himself arrested by the Hardheads, or worse, by the Mercykillers if he was thought to be causing problems. Hardheads might lock him up for a bit and send him on his way because he was a kid, but the Red Death weren’t known for that level of generosity and kindness.

Instead he made his way to The Happy Medium, a small shack on Petty Way, not far from where he lived with his mother. Just like his home it was a single room and it was home to an old hag named Exzema Scabes. Shiar had found the place a couple years ago while he was wandering through the neighborhood. The old woman had something of a name for herself in the area, it was said she could predict the future. As soon as he stepped up to the door it swung open. Exzema stared at him for a moment and then smiled. It wasn’t a kindly, happy to see you, smile. Shiar looked at her, forcing himself not to cry in front of the old crone and said simply, “You were right… she’s gone. How did you know?”

Although he would later ask her why she responded the way she did, Shiar never got a straight answer out of Exzema. But she grew serious and seemed to consider him for a moment, staring into him, seeming to stare through him for a moment. Just before Shiar could repeat the question she pushed the door wider and told him to come in, maybe she could show him a thing for two. They didn’t make much progress that day, but they did find out that Shiar could learn.

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Everyone in Sigil has secrets, everyone everywhere has secrets. And if you can have someone else’s secrets, well then you can do quite a lot. What Shiar did for a living wasn’t technically illegal, although that was probably only because the Guvners couldn’t get around to agreeing on the wording for how to outlaw it. Over a decade of on and off study with Exzema and Shiar was truly beginning to show some talent in the art of Divination. He couldn’t peer into the future in the same way, certainly not as far or as accurately as the old hag, but he did have some measure of skill with it. That combined with a sharp mind and a willingness to do things that might not be completely legal earned Shiar a reputation of his own in certain circles. The twenty-eight year old resident of the Hive Ward was known as a person who could get ahold of information, someone who was willing to buy and sell secrets if the price was right. Shiar did pretty well for himself, in truth he was able to provide better for himself than his mother ever had. It wasn’t her fault really, she was just naïve and too innocent for a city like Sigil. The Cage had taught him that if he wanted anything in life, he had to take it for himself. And in that revelation Shiar had finally found somewhere he felt he belonged, alongside the Fated. “A taker never forgets,” and anyone who doesn’t believe it is in for a nasty shock. All debts must eventually be paid. These things Shiar took to heart and he quickly learned that it was in his best interest to use every advantage available to him to get ahead in life. He had debts to the people of Hive Ward that had helped him since he lost his mother and he intended to pay them.

Shiar Khalid
Male half-elf occultist (secret broker) 3 (Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures 46, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Intrigue 68)
N Medium humanoid (elf, human)
Init +6; Senses low-light vision; Perception +10
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Defense
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AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +4 Dex)
hp 24 (3d8)
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +3; +2 vs. enchantments
Immune sleep
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Ranged mwk adaptive composite longbow +7 (1d8+2/×3)
Occultist Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd; concentration +7)
. . At will—share memory[UM] (DC 12)
Implement Schools
. . Divination (Glasses, 5 points) Resonant—third eye; Focus—sudden insight
. . Transmutation (Masterwork Bow, 3 points) Resonant—physical enhancement; Focus—legacy weapon
Occultist (Secret Broker) Spells Known (CL 3rd; concentration +7)
. . 1st (4/day)—gravity bow[APG], heightened awareness[ACG]
. . 0 (at will)—detect psychic significance[OA], mage hand
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Statistics
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Str 14, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 10
Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 18
Feats Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Skill Focus (Use Magic Device)
Traits pragmatic activator, elven reflexes
Skills Acrobatics +8, Appraise +8, Bluff +6, Diplomacy +4, Disable Device +10, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +9, Knowledge (engineering) +9, Knowledge (history) +9, Knowledge (local) +9, Knowledge (nature) +9, Knowledge (planes) +9, Knowledge (psionics) +9, Knowledge (religion) +9, Linguistics +8, Perception +10, Profession (medium) +8, Sense Motive +8, Sleight of Hand +8, Spellcraft +8, Stealth +8, Use Magic Device +13; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception
Languages Celestial, Common, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Infernal, Undercommon
SQ broker secrets, elf blood, hero points, implements 3, mental focus (8/day), object reading
Other Gear mithral chain shirt, mwk adaptive composite longbow with 1 occultist's implement, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, chalk (10), coffee pot[UE], cold weather outfit, concealable thieves' tools, flint and steel, hot weather outfit[APG], ink, inkpen, journal[UE], kahve (per cup)[UE] (5), masterwork fortune-teller's deck[APG], occultist's implement[OA], occultist's implement[OA], pot, torch (10), trail rations (5), umbrella[UE], waterskin, wrist sheath, spring loaded, 336 gp
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Special Abilities
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Broker Secrets (Su) You can trade away secrets you have learned about the objects you have read.
Danger Sight +1 (Sp) 1 focus, imm act: Insight bonus to AC or save.
Divination (Glasses) Implements of the divination school grant powers related to foresight and remote viewing.

Implements: Book, crystal ball, goggles, harrow deck, headband, lenses, planchette.
Elf Blood Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects.
Implements (Su) Gain a series of items which grant access to schools and powers.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Mental Focus (8/day) (Su) You have a pool of points that activate your focus powers.
Object Reading (Su) Examine an object for 1 minute to learn properties, history, and about last user.
Point-Blank Shot +1 to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at up to 30 feet.
Precise Shot You don't get -4 to hit when shooting or throwing into melee.
Transmutation (Masterwork Bow) Transmutation implements can alter the properties of both objects and creatures.

Implements: Belt, boots, sandals, vest, weapon.
Watchful Eye (30 minutes) (Sp) 1 focus to create invisible sensor to watch 5-ft square.

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