Minas Dyrendal's page

Ove Dyrendal was born into slavery, he was the son of one of the prostitutes in the Hospice section of the Varisian city of Kaer Maga. His mother was influential in her trade and managed to secure him an apprenticeship at the Strapping Lad an all-male bordello in the city. While working at one of the better known and run establishments in the city would have been a boon by itself, what few knew was that Elias Sayer—owner of the Strapping Lad—is the leader of a powerful group of brokers within the city. From an early age Ove was groomed to become one of the Tallow Boys. Although not necessarily conventional Ove’s life wasn’t a bad one. Among the wealthier men and women who frequented the establishment he made a name for himself as a skilled companion. They often didn’t know that anything they told Ove while lounging around in post-coital bliss was quickly passed on to Elias and kept hidden away until it might prove useful to someone.

Ove’s mother also led him to what would become his truest calling. She had been a worshiper of Calistria and when she was killed during a dispute at her brothel Ove took comfort in seeking and plotting revenge. The Lady in the Room was no stranger to any prostitute in the Hospice but in her aspect as the Savored Sting of vengeance would truly ignite his passion for the goddess. He officially became a member of her faithful when he prayed to her after strangling the man who had been responsible for his mother’s death. Kaer Maga was always a city of chaos and anarchy and besides the Tallow Boys looked after their own, but following that Ove felt that he needed a change. He talked to Elias and was surprised at how willingly the man freed him from his contract with the Strapping Lad. Their only agreement was that if occasionally send some gossip along from wherever he ended up.

He wandered south, staying for several months in Korvosa before hearing of a church once belonging to Calistra which was in Kintargo. He decided that the city of artists and rebels sounded intriguing and set out once again for new horizons. He spent around two and a half years in Kintargo before the incident known as the Night of Ashes. In that time, he had rather fallen for the city. It truly was a fascinating place to live. Back in Kaer Maga all the prostitutes learned some performance art, an instrument, dance or singing. You had to be able to entertain your guests with something other than your body. Although he had not practiced much in the months before that setting foot in the Kintargo Opera House rekindled his love for performing and he had begun to receive enough notice to appear in something big when it was shut down. He had also been dipping into the underworld of the city a bit, finding work as a courtesan where he could and an information broker when possible. After a great deal of work he had even begun finding some information on the fractured and hidden worshipers of Calistria within the city. His own faith was strong, but he knew better than the flaunt his holy symbol around Kintargo. Still despite all of the intrigue and maneuvering nothing could ready him what happened on the Night of Ashes and afterwards. Although at the time he had nothing to tie it to Thrune, given some of the people he knew in the Kintargo underground it all seemed very convenient. When he heard of the Aria Park protest, he knew that he had to go for a chance to see if any of his contacts were safe.

Ove Dyrendal
Human (Varisian) warpriest of Calistria 1 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 60)
CN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +4; Senses Perception +2
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Defense
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AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +4 Dex)
hp 9 (1d8+1)
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +4
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee whip +5 (1d6+4 nonlethal)
Ranged longbow +4 (1d8-1/×3)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with whip)
Special Attacks blessings 3/day (Luck: lucky presence, Trickery: double), sacred weapon (1d6, +0, 0)
Warpriest Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +3)
. . 1st—divine favor, infernal healing[ISWG]
. . 0 (at will)—detect magic, enhanced diplomacy, light
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Statistics
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Str 8, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 14
Base Atk +0.75; CMB -1; CMD 13
Feats Combat Reflexes, Slashing Grace[ACG], Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (whip)
Traits diva in training, unpredictable
Skills Bluff +7, Diplomacy +6, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (religion) +6, Perform (sing) +7, Profession (courtesan) +6, Sense Motive +6, Spellcraft +6
Languages Common, Elven, Halfling, Varisian
Other Gear studded leather, longbow, whip, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, hemp rope (50 ft.), holy text (Book of Joy)[UE], mess kit[UE], pocketed scarf[UE], pot, soap, spell component pouch, tome of epics[ACG], torch (10), trail rations (5), waterskin, wooden holy symbol of Calistria, 125 gp
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Special Abilities
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Blessings (3/day) (Su) Pool of power used to activate Blessing abilities.
Combat Reflexes (5 AoO/round) Can make extra attacks of opportunity/rd, and even when flat-footed.
Sacred Weapon (Su) As a swift action, grant weapon enhancement bonus or certain powers.
Slashing Grace (Whip) Treat chosen weapon as 1-handed piercing weapon and can add Dex instead of Str to dam.

Although he was originally born in Aundair, Jovi always said that he the blood of Breland ran through his veins more strongly. Perhaps this was true as his father had been born in Hatheril of northern Breland and moved to Aundair some time after meeting and marrying Jovi’s mother—an Aundairian native. His mother ran an apothecary shop in Marketplace, the descriptive if unimaginative name of a southern Aundairian city. Some of his earliest memories are in that small little shop, learning to mix medicines and care for plants and herbs. His father had traveled a great deal in his youth and Jovi was raised on stories of those travels. Many prominently featured the City of Towers, Sharn, greatest city in all of Khorvaire. The stories had captivated a young Jovi’s mind and at an early age he firmly decided he would go there one day and see Sharn with his own eyes. Jovi’s father was a farmer working for a rather successful vintner in Aundair. As Jovi grew older and learned bits and pieces of his parent’s trades, helping out when necessary, he learned a great deal from both. He learned that he liked making things that people could enjoy and benefit from. A farmer might not sound like a glorious job but they but food on the tables of many, they fed the soldiers needed to fight to protect their lands, theirs was a noble trade. As an apothecary his mother healed the sick, she was one of the most loving people Jovi could imagine. But he also learned that he wasn’t quite satisfied with either life. Both tied him to one place and Jovi wanted to see the world. He heard talk from soldiers his mother treated about their fantastic deeds on the battlefield and he imagined himself in their shoes. Although it would be some years before he looked back and realized he was idealizing men with sometimes grievous injuries gained from that same life he envied.

When Jovi was old enough he didn’t do anything as dramatic as run away from home to join the army. He expressed his desire to see the world and lend his hand in the war effort. His parents were worried and skeptical, but they supported him. His father said he was proud that his son was brave enough to go out and do what he felt was right. Bravery might have been overstating things a little, but a young Jovi had beamed at the praise. At the time Aundair was relatively peaceful. Raids and some small-scale action was still happening, especially along the borders of Thrane, but Queen Aural ir’Wynarn’s efforts to implement cease-fires with the other nations was already starting to bare fruit. Having a cultural distaste for Thrane after having grown up in Aundair, Jovi decided to seek out a mercenary company in Breland to the south. After all, Breland was his father’s homeland and was home to Sharn, it was also still active enough that he felt he could see some real action and maybe even some combat. That was how he first ended up on the path that would lead him to the Hounds of Khorvaire.

The Hounds were not the first mercenary group that Jovi would join. He spent several years with a number of other outfits, learning the mercenary lifestyle. A few things quickly became apparent to Jovi over these years. The first was that he was not much of a fighter. He wasn’t exactly weak, work on his father’s farm had imparted some lean muscles but he was still fairly slim and a bit shorter than average—he didn’t have the body or build of a warrior. But another thing that quickly became apparent was that a mercenary band needed more than just fighters to function. It needed record keepers, cooks, equipment managers, grooms and all manner of other non-combat personnel. So, Jovi was able to put some of his past skills to use. He quickly became known as the best cook in their little band and was put in charge of organizing meals for the men. Jovi was smart and resourceful and when given a little bit of free reign he often managed to “borrow” or “appropriate” enough to help the mercenaries out when they were in a pinch. Once when they were ambushed one night while Jovi was cleaning things up, he brained a man with a skillet from behind—having already put away the knives it was the closest thing to him. That story would get some mileage over the years, growing in each telling over time. Life was hard as a mercenary though and his first crew hadn’t been a large on in the first place. Over time they began to lose members, a few as casualties but several just bleeding away from the group. It was the Day of Mourning that ended things for them. They weren’t close enough to really see anything but everyone just… felt something when it happened. Jovi remembered dropping the pot of stew he’d been carrying at the time as he was overcome with the most intense sense that something awful had just happened. Their group didn’t break apart on the spot, but the Captain had been from Cyre originally and when it became clear to them what had occurred he said he had no heart for fighting any longer and wished to see if he could help salvage anything from his homeland.

Jovi could understand the Captain’s feelings and in his own way he felt similarly. The time for fighting might largely be passed but just like in the mercenary company, his greatest skill was never fighting anyways. He figured that people needed to eat whatever else was going wrong in their lives and his small measure of skill with healing might be able to help people as well. During his time in the company he had mostly operated out of a large wagon with a bunch of cooking equipment and supplies stored on it, they men had called it his personal mess hall. So, when the company was dissolved, and he received all his backpay he decided to spend it on the wagon. He dropped almost every piece of gold to his name into improving and perfecting that heavy wagon, as well as buying some draft mules to pull it. He customized it and made it more comfortable as well as more organized and modern. The name he painted on the side was “Makker’s Mess”.

It was purely coincidence that landed him in the company of the Hounds of Khorvaire. He happened to run into a small party of Hounds on the road one evening and invited them to dine with him if they shared some stories of the places they’d been. Soldiers were almost always willing to trade stories for free so throwing in a hot meal was just icing on the cake so to speak. It wasn’t long before they were trading adventuring tales back and forth and Jovi began to realize that he missed being a party of a company like these men. Having comrades at your back to share your struggles and successes with. When he mentioned this the men immediately encouraged him to seek out their recruiters. They said that the Hounds of Khorvaire were demanding and not accepting of just anyone but that was because they were the best there were. That next morning Jovi turned the Makker’s Mess towards the nearest town with a Hound recruiter. After several months of interviews, training and relearning a great deal he found himself as a Copper member of the Hounds of Khorvaire with orders to report to Sharn to receive further orders.

Jovi Makker
Human (Aundair) alchemist (mindchemist) 2/unchained rogue 2/gestalt 2 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 26, 134, 134, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 19, Pathfinder Unchained 20)
NG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +4; Senses Perception +4
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Defense
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AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +4 Dex)
hp 18 (2d8+4)
Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +0; +2 bonus vs. poison
Defensive Abilities evasion
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee mwk dagger +7 (1d4/19-20)
Ranged bomb +6 (1d6+3 fire)
Special Attacks bomb 5/day (1d6+3 fire, DC 14), bravado's blade, sneak attack (unchained) +1d6
Alchemist (Mindchemist) Extracts Prepared (CL 2nd; concentration +5)
. . 1st—heightened awareness[ACG], polypurpose panacea[UM], targeted bomb admixture[UC]
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Statistics
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Str 11, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 12
Base Atk +1.5; CMB +1; CMD 15
Feats Brew Potion, Gang Up[APG], Precise Shot, Throw Anything, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (dagger)
Traits clever wordplay, humble beginnings (varisia)
Skills Acrobatics +8, Appraise +7 (+9 on items valued by weight when using scales), Bluff +5, Craft (alchemy) +10 (+12 to create alchemical items, +12 on Craft (alchemy) checks to produce alcoholic beverages), Diplomacy +5, Disable Device +10, Heal +4, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (arcana) +10, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +10, Knowledge (local) +10, Knowledge (nature) +10, Perception +4, Profession (cook) +6, Profession (farmer) +4, Sense Motive +4, Sleight of Hand +8, Spellcraft +8, Stealth +8, Survival +4, Use Magic Device +5
Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven, Goblin
SQ alchemy (alchemy crafting +2), cognatogen (+4/-2, +2 natural armor, 20 minutes), discovery (infusion), perfect recall, rogue talent (weapon training)
Combat Gear cooking powder, masterwork brewer's kit; Other Gear mwk studded leather, mwk dagger, alchemist starting formula book, alchemist's lab, ale (per gallon), box of fishing tackle (2 lb), coffee (per cup)[UE] (5), coffee pot[UE], cutting board, wooden (2 lb), fine wine (per bottle), fishing pole, simple (1 lb), heavy wagon[UC], ink, inkpen, journal[UE], knife, cutting (0.5 lb), ladle (0.5 lb), masterwork backpack[APG], masterwork thieves' tools, masterwork tool, merchant's scale, pot, seasonings, local (0.5 lb), skewer (1 lb), skillet[UE], tea (per cup)[UE] (5), tinder packet (0.5 lb), traveling garden[ACG], tripod, iron (3 lb), mule, mule, mule, mule, 177 gp, 5 cp (Most of it likely as ingredients/supplies in his wagon)
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Special Abilities
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Alchemy +2 (Su) +2 to Craft (Alchemy) to create alchemical items, can Id potions by touch.
Bomb 1d6+3 (5/day, DC 14) (Su) Thrown Splash Weapon deals 1d6+3 fire damage.
Bravado's Blade (Ex) On sneak attack, forgo damage dice for free Intimidate with +5 bonus/dice reduced.
Cognatogen (DC 14) (Su) Mutagen adds +4 to a mental & -2 to a physical attribute, and +2 nat. armor for 20 minutes.
Combat Expertise +/-1 Bonus to AC in exchange for an equal penalty to attack.
Evasion (Ex) If succeed on Reflex save for half dam, take none instead.
Gang Up You are considered to be flanking your target if two allies threaten that target
Infusion Create an extract can be used by anyone but takes up a slot until used.
Perfect Recall At 2nd level, a mindchemist has honed his memory. When making a Knowledge check, he may add his Intelligence bonus on the check a second time. Thus, a mindchemist with 5 ranks in Knowledge (history) and a +2 Intelligence bonus has a total skill bonus
Precise Shot You don't get -4 to hit when shooting or throwing into melee.
Sneak Attack (Unchained) +1d6 Attacks deal extra dam if flank foe or if foe is flat-footed.
Throw Anything Proficient with improvised ranged weapons. +1 to hit with thrown splash weapons.

Before the Hellknights: Son of a wealthy merchant in Cheliax he never really stood much of a chance to inherit much given a number of older siblings. For a while he went to sea on merchant vessels, picturing himself as something of a dashing swashbuckler or a pirate. This rebellious streak in his youth eventually led to the death of several of his crew mates in a demonic ritual and that more than anything broke him out of his lawless and reckless behavior. To make amends he sought counsel from the priesthood and that led him to the church of Abadar. His father had been a worshiper of the God of the First Vault so he wasn't unfamiliar. But while his father had mostly paid service to him in honor of his financial success the church showed Othello the way to crush his rebellious side and better his life with order and regulation. He loved the regulated beauty of it, how everything operated together in its own time to serve a greater purpose. His training as a warpriest of Abadar, an enforcer of law, made him sick with his past and he did everything in his power to set himself apart from it. Even going as far as to hunt down some of the more lawless associates whom he had known back in the day.

Personality: Not necessarily brilliant Othello likes to think that he makes up for it with a bit of sensibility and charm. He is attentive and can often get people to talk with him when they might otherwise brush off an agent of the law. That's good because while he has no problem with taking lives to maintain order he doesn't gain any real pleasure from it either. The law, above all else, must be upheld. Great acts of good or evil can contribute to that. Without law and order all falls into chaos and depravity. Not just being lawful and upstanding but always appearing that way is also very important to him. That said he's not beneath doing some covert work if it should be demanded of him. Any means that might justify a well ordered end are acceptable.

Hellknight Order: Othello is a low ranking member of the Order of the Gate. Although his spellcasting potential is not as noticeable as some of the Order's members he does possess some noticeable divine blessings. The fact that he has had long prior training in the use of their chosen weapon, the dagger, is something of a bonus. Largely his job up to this point has been acting as muscle for high ranked and more influential casters of the Order.

Goals: He wants to prove himself and rise through the Order of the Gate. Although the prestige class Hellknight Signifer is probably a little too odd to fit with the build Im creating I think he'd love to achieve the titled rank of Signifer within the Order and eventually go on to higher ranks as well. Again appearance is big to him so while a title might sound petty when its given by superiors he respects as as sign that he had enforced order, it would mean a great deal to him.

OOC Info: I've made a lot of builds but rarely gotten to play any of them. Thrown weapon builds are hard. Because without a Blinkback Belt things just kind of suck later on. But I found out about the feat Ricochet Toss and feel like that accomplishes the same at the cost of being very feat intensive. Still it gave me the chance to build a very flavorful ranged damage dealer who tosses out daggers at his enemies. I like it thematically and think that it could be a blast to play a former swashbuckler gone staunch upholder of law and order.

Othello Debois
Human (Chelaxian) swashbuckler (flying blade) 5/gestalt 5/warpriest of Abadar 5 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 56, 60, 124)
LN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +7; Senses Perception +10
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Defense
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AC 22, touch 17, flat-footed 16 (+5 armor, +1 deflection, +5 Dex, +1 dodge)
hp 55 (5d10+5)
Fort +6, Ref +10, Will +7
Defensive Abilities charmed life 3/day, hard to kill, nimble +1
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee dagger +12 (1d8+7/17-20+5 Precision) or
. . dagger +12 (1d8+7/17-20+5 Precision) or
. . evil outsider-bane dagger +12 (1d8+7/17-20+5 Precision plus 2d6 vs. Evil Outsider)
Special Attacks blessings 5/day (Protection: increased defense, Travel: agile feet), channel positive energy 2/day (DC 14, 2d6), deeds (derring-do, opportune parry and riposte, precise strike, swashbuckler initiative), fervor 4/day (2d6), mythic power (5/day, surge +1d6), panache (3), sacred weapon (1d8, +1, 5 rounds/day)
Warpriest Spells Prepared (CL 5th; concentration +7)
. . 2nd—ironskin, protection from outsiders, lesser restoration
. . 1st—abadar's truthtelling (DC 13), divine favor, infernal healing[ISWG], protection from evil, shield of faith
. . 0 (at will)—detect fiendish presence, detect magic, guidance, light
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Statistics
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Str 10, Dex 20, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 14
Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD 22
Feats Martial Focus, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Ricochet Toss, Slashing Grace[ACG], Weapon Focus (dagger)
Traits scholar of the great beyond, stolen fury
Skills Acrobatics +9, Bluff +6, Craft (weapons) +5, Diplomacy +6, Heal +6, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (local) +4, Knowledge (nobility) +4, Knowledge (planes) +9, Knowledge (religion) +4, Perception +10, Ride +9, Sense Motive +7, Sleight of Hand +13, Spellcraft +8, Survival +6
Languages Common
SQ swashbuckler finesse
Other Gear mwk mithral chain shirt, dagger, dagger, evil outsider-bane dagger, handy haversack, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, hemp rope (50 ft.), holy text (The Order of Numbers)[UE], mess kit[UE], pot, soap, spell component pouch, torch (10), trail rations (5), waterskin, wooden holy symbol of Abadar, 128 gp
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Special Abilities
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Blessings (5/day) (Su) Pool of power used to activate Blessing abilities.
Charmed Life +2 (3/day) (Ex) Choose to add Charisma bonus to save before roll is made.
Deeds
Fervor (2d6, 4/day) (Su) Standard action, touch channels positive/negative energy to heal or harm. Swift to cast spell on self.
Hard to Kill (Ex) Automatically stabilize when dying, and only die at neg Con x 2.
Martial Focus (Light Blades) You have honed your skills with a group of related weapons. Choose one fighter weapon group. While wielding a weapon from this group with which you are proficient, you gain a +1 bonus
Nimble +1 (Ex) +1 dodge bonus to AC.
Panache (Ex) Gain a pool of points that are spent to fuel deeds, regained on light/piercing crit/killing blow.
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.
Quick Draw Draw weapon as a free action (or move if hidden weapon). Throw at full rate of attacks.
Ricochet Toss Throwing weapon returns immediately after attack is resolved.
Sacred Weapon +1 (5 rounds/day) (Su) As a swift action, grant weapon enhancement bonus or certain powers.
Slashing Grace (Dagger) Treat chosen weapon as 1-handed piercing weapon and can add Dex instead of Str to dam.
Surge (1d6) (Su) Use 1 power to increase any d20 roll by the listed amount.
Swashbuckler Finesse Use Dex for att with light/1-hand pierce wep. Use Cha instead of Int for combat feat pre-reqs.
Warpriest Channel Positive Energy 2d6 (2/day, DC 14) (Su) Positive energy heals the living and harms the undead; negative has the reverse effect.

General Background: Signi's non-hag parent was a half-orc. Half-orcs aren't treated quite as badly around Brevoy as in certain other areas. Still it was clear from early on that Signi would grow to be a formidable woman, she hit an early growth spurt around the same time that her tusks started coming in. And it wasn't too long after that when she heard "the call". Signi fought the call though. She didn't given in easily to its alluring pull. While curious about her past, the side of her family that she never learned of, she wanted more to prove that she deserved respect from the civilized world. So running off into the wilderness on a whim didn't suit her. It was that self-discipline that would eventually lead her to the worship of Irori. His belief in bettering yourself to reach enlightenment and contentment made sense to Signi. Although she didn't necessarily shun contact with others she was never the most approachable. Part her half-orc heritage maybe, but also just her natural inclination. She was more comfortable meditating on her own thoughts than chatting in a marketplace. Over the years and since the loss of her father she has wandered a bit, focusing more and more on her connection to Irori and trying to find inner peace and understanding. With the death of her father she was also freed up to go seek out more information about the other side of her parentage. It wasn't something her father had ever really discussed with her and she had respected his desire to let the matter rest while he was alive. But Irori taught his followers to seek knowledge for their own betterment and that is what Signi intended to do.

Personality: So I see Signi as generally just not being that good with inter-personal interaction. Naturally she has a boost to charisma so I picture her hag heritage manifesting in pleasant features. But her half-orc side [tusks] and the shifter side that she embraces detract from that. And at the end of the day she simply doesnt care if people dont like her or how she looks. She probably thinks this makes her more practical than some. She tries to not be conceited about that because she wishes to not be arrogant. She is constantly seeking to better herself in non-superficial ways. If there is something she can learn or understand better she is very attentive to it. While she isn't amazing at interpersonal interaction I think that deep down a part of her probably had been lonely after the loss of her father so the coven would definitely be a source of companionship that she truly does need and wishes to protect.

Pre-Coven: Her father was a hunter who didn't live especially close to any town so he helped teach her to be self-sufficient in the wild. It was he who also introduced her to a wandering druid who lived in the woods near their home. Over the years she picked up small bits of wisdom and information from him and over time he saw in her the potential to learn a bit of their craft. With her fathers blessing the Druid taught her how to manifest her claws and alter her form somewhat. She never showed a great deal of promise for the spell crafting side of druidic arts though for some reason. Her mentor said that her talents simply lay elsewhere and that she picked up shape shifting quicker than most. It was her father's death during a hunting trip that would eventually lead her to the monks of Irori. When he was gored by a boar Signi went almost feral. She tore into the creature and ripped its heart out. Frankly the reaction terrified her and she told her druidic teacher as much, saying that she didn't trust that animal side of herself. Eventually, seeking help in dealing with her grief and fear she found worshipers of Irori to guide her. It was through them that she learned of Irori's teachings. His belief in seeking knowledge and bettering oneself constantly. Over several years she grew to accept that her feral side was a part of her, something that should not be feared but which she needed to learn to control and perfect. She also sought inner peace in regards to her father's unfortunate death and was able to realize that she had been mad because he had never told her about her mother in all her young adult life.

Kicked out of Restov: So if she managed to find a way into a coven that provided her the kinship she had been without for so long, in addition to a chance to learn more about her heritage she would be fiercely protective of it. If anyone was to talk badly about one of her sisters it wouldn't end well for them. Although lawfully inclined that just means that Signi would feel oath-bound to beat the hell out of anyone who was stupid enough to threaten her coven sister's around her. Might even go so far as to kill someone if she felt that the threat to herself or her sisters warranted it. Or this might simply tie into what one of the others did and she made matters worse by aggressively defending a sister who had wronged someone else.

Signi Toshok
Changeling shifter 1/gestalt 1/warpriest of Irori 1 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 60, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 4 29, Ultimate Wilderness 26)
LN Medium humanoid (changeling)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +6
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Defense
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AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +2 Dex, +1 natural)
hp 12 (1d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +4
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee unarmed strike +5 (1d6+5) or
. . bite +5 (1d4+5), 2 claws +6 (1d6+5), 2 claws +6 (1d6+5)
Special Attacks aspect (tiger[UW]), blessings 3/day (Restoration: ameliorating touch, Strength: strength surge), sacred weapon (1d6, +0, 0), shifter claws
Warpriest Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +3)
. . 1st—cure light wounds, divine favor
. . 0 (at will)—create water, detect magic, light
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Statistics
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Str 18, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 9
Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 17
Feats Feral Combat Training[UC], Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus (claw)
Traits adopted, rostlander, tusked
Skills Acrobatics -1 (-5 to jump), Craft (alchemy) +4, Handle Animal +3, Knowledge (nature) +4, Perception +6, Sense Motive +6, Survival +6
Languages Common, Druidic, Sylvan
SQ shifter aspect (minor: 4 min./day), wild empathy +0
Other Gear hide armor, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, hemp rope (50 ft.), holy text (Unbinding the Fetters)[UE], mess kit[UE], pot, soap, spell component pouch, torch (10), trail rations (5), waterskin, wooden holy symbol of Irori, 179 gp
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Special Abilities
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Blessings (3/day) (Su) Pool of power used to activate Blessing abilities.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Feral Combat Training (Claw) Use Improved Unarmed Strike feats with chosen natural weapon.
Improved Unarmed Strike Unarmed strikes don't cause attacks of opportunity, and can be lethal.
Sacred Weapon (Su) As a swift action, grant weapon enhancement bonus or certain powers.
Shifter Aspect (4 minutes/day) (Su) Gain abilities of selected animal aspects.
Shifter Aspect (Tiger, +2 Dex) (Su) Minor Form: +2 enhancement bonus to Dexterity. Major Form: dire tiger.
Wild Empathy +0 (Ex) Improve the attitude of an animal, as if using Diplomacy.

Khalid is a traveling monk spreading the word of Sarenrae as far and wide as he can. In his past he did a lot of things he wasn't proud of. That came with growing up in a bad area and doing what he felt he had to in order to survive. He learned a lot of skills that he can still put to use today as a rather cutthroat street thug. But now he wants to try and use those skills to help rather than hurt people. So in combat he will be dealing non-lethal unarmed damage for the most part. If at all possible he will avoid killing anything sentient unless its clear that it would seek to harm someone else and cannot be reasoned with. Basically he will eventually try to shut down, demoralize and intimidate anything that he can that threatens his group.

He knows a little about alchemy but very little about the arcane. He's got a pretty good knowledge skill for people [local] and religion due to his time on the streets and studying under a cleric respectively. He's curious about the world and wants to see more of it. I might end up giving him a level in Investigator because of that at some point to make him a bit better at various skill checks. It was definitely suppose to be thematic of his background that what he couldn't overcome with his less than stellar strength he found a way to out-think and overcome with his mind.

He wants to see the world more and help as many people as he can along the way. He's definitely paying forward the treatment he was given when he was recovering from a dark period in his life. I love the idea of Sanctified Rogue because while mechanically it doesnt add a ton [though bonus to saves arent bad] it seems to perfectly represent him seeking redemption and a way to use those skills for a good cause rather than a selfish and criminal one.

Khalid al-Shirin was born in the Padishah Empire of the Kelesh, the bastard son of a low-class merchant. His mother Shirin was a prostitute, but despite this his early childhood at least was relatively happy. Despite her trade, Khalid’s mother never bemoaned her position in the world. She always spoke of how she was simply grateful that she could provide for them. It was obvious that she would have to, since Khalid never actually met his father—much less received any kind of support from him growing up. To this day Khalid is unsure whether his mother knew for certain whom his father was, and simply chose to keep it from him, or whether she never actively considered it. Khalid’s life was simple and reasonably pleasant up until around the age of thirteen. When his mother grew ill and her inability to work began to put them in more dire straits.

As a child in the Red-Thorn Rose harem Khalid had played with the children of other women there and occasionally with the children of the establishment’s owners. Some of these sons and daughters were older, starting to learn parts of the business from their parents. Not everything they did was strictly legal, and when a young Khalid began begging for ways to help earn money for him and his mother they were only too happy to help. Early on Khalid was trained as a pick pocket, he would move through the stalls of markets as a beggar and steal from people when they looked vulnerable or inattentive. He did earn some slight change from begging as well, but much of his income came from his cut of the stolen coins and trinkets. In truth, this illicit business brought in more than his mother had and he found he enjoyed being able to earn money he could splurge with. His mother wasn’t especially happy about it but he minimized the risks to her and over time he told her less and less of the details, instead just happy he could afford the medicine to ease her aches and pains.

His mother passed away when he was fifteen. The illness she had been suffering from finally caught up to her. It was some small consolation that Khalid had been able to afford enough drugs to dull her pain in the last few weeks. But he had been forced to ask for loans from his bosses to cover the expensive alchemical treatments. To repay them he agreed to take a more active role in the business. Although he wasn’t especially strong, not cut out to be an enforcer, Khalid was clever. So, he began going out on collection runs, helping intimidate and manipulate people who owed his bosses protection money. Despite most of his childhood being relatively pleasant it hadn’t been without its upsets. He had never been a strong child and outside of the harem he was an easy target for bullies when he couldn’t dodge away and escape them. In his mind this was his chance for payback. He didn’t need to be the strongest thug, not if he was clever and used his street smarts to come out on top.

Khalid al-Shirin became one of the Red-Thorn’s best enforcers. He knew how to hurt people and push people without causing enough damage to draw too much attention. And a part of him took immense pride in his work. He grew arrogant and conceited. Nights were spent drinking and taking various intoxicants and stimulants. He believed that he was owed everything he could take, so he kept on taking. Until one day he decided to take a little extra from the Red-Thorn’s cut. His boss found out about it. Although Khalid hadn’t known it there was some resentment towards him among the crew of the Red-Thorn. Some who thought that a “whoreson” was getting too big headed and needed to be taken down a peg. The bosses on children were among this group. So, when they found out about the theft the punishment was swift and severe. They left Khalid bloody and broken by the side of a road leading out of town. He would had died had it not been for the halfling cleric of Sarenrae who found him.

Kind elderly Nubara nursed him slowly back to health over several weeks. She tended to the cuts and stab wounds in his back and set his broken leg and arm. It was an incredibly strange experience for Khalid and it moved him deeply. Up to that point in his life his mother had been the only person who seemed to freely give themselves to others, to offer up all they had for someone else’s benefit. It pained him to realize that over the last couple of years he had begun to see that as a weakness. It was only as he lay broken after trying so hard to take everything for himself that he saw once again his mother’s strength all those years. Nubara was a traveling healer. She would go from town to town, big or small and offer her services to those in need—often for no charge at all. If a patient seemed receptive Nubara would talk to them of Sarenrae and encourage them to pass the good will along in whatever way they were able. Khalid traveled alongside Nubara for two years. Along the way he learned bits of healing, herb lore and some small number of alchemical infusions. He also learned of Sarenrae and how no matter how far he had strayed down a darker path, there would always be hope for redemption in her light. So, he began his long quest for redemption. With Nubara’s guidance he took vows of repentance for his past crimes. He would shun the manipulative nature and fall into decadence that had led him astray. He took all he had learned as an enforcer and dedicated it towards protecting those same people that he had once prayed on. Eventually he parted from Nubara, but he did so knowing that she believed in him and had faith he found find his redemption. Following the principle Nubara had, Khalid set out onto the road to try and help as many people as possible. He found his travels fascinating. His old world had been a small one. There was so much beauty and good to see and so many different forms for it to take. Wherever the light of the sun fell Khalid decided he wished to see it. And if that light seemed to grow dim in some places, well it was his duty to shine it ever brighter.

Khalid al-Ahan
Male human (Keleshite) unchained monk 4/unchained sanctified rogue 4/gestalt 4 (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat 73, Pathfinder Unchained 14, 20)
LN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +6; Senses Perception +10
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Defense
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AC 20, touch 19, flat-footed 15 (+1 armor, +4 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 monk, +3 Wis)
hp 28 (4d10)
Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +6; +2 vs. enchantments
Defensive Abilities danger sense +1, evasion
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Offense
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Speed 40 ft.
Melee unarmed strike +9/+9 (1d8+4)
Ranged mwk shortbow +9 (1d6/×3)
Special Attacks flurry of blows (unchained), sneak attack (unchained) +2d6, stunning fist (4/day, DC 15)
Monk (Unchained) Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th; concentration +3)
. . —barkskin (self only, 1 ki)[UM]
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Statistics
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Str 10, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 8
Base Atk +4; CMB +4; CMD 23
Feats Dazzling Display, Dodge, Enforcer[APG], Improved Unarmed Strike, Sap Adept[UC], Scorpion Style, Stunning Fist, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (unarmed strike)
Traits bruising intellect, reactionary
Skills Acrobatics +11 (+15 to jump), Appraise +7, Bluff +3, Climb +4, Craft (alchemy) +7, Diplomacy +6, Disable Device +13, Disguise +3, Escape Artist +8, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +7, Knowledge (history) +7, Knowledge (local) +10, Knowledge (religion) +10, Linguistics +7, Perception +10, Ride +9, Sense Motive +10, Sleight of Hand +11, Stealth +11, Swim +4, Use Magic Device +6
Languages Common, Kelish, Halfling Varisian, Tien
SQ debilitating injury: bewildered, debilitating injury: disoriented, debilitating injury: hampered, fast movement (unchained), ki pool (8 points magic), ki power (qinggong power), monk vows (vow of fasting[UM], vow of truth[UM]), rogue talents (vanishing trick[UC], weapon training), trapfinding +2
Combat Gear caltrops; Other Gear mwk shortbow, bracers of armor +1, ioun torch ioun stone[APG], ring of resistance +1, ring of sustenance, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, chalk (10), flint and steel, grappling hook, hemp rope (50 ft.), holy text (The Birth of Light and Truth)[UE], ink, inkpen, journal[UE], mess kit[UE], mirror, piton (10), pot, soap, tattoo holy symbol of Angelic Ankh[UE], thieves' tools, torch (10), trail rations (5), waterskin, 1,901 gp, 9 sp
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Special Abilities
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Barkskin (self only, 1 Ki) (Sp) Self Only. Costs 1 ki point to activate.
Danger Sense +1 (Ex) +1 bonus on reflex saves and AC against traps.
Dazzling Display (Unarmed strike) Intimidate check to demoralize can affect those within 30' who see you.
Debilitating Injury: Bewildered -2/-4 (Ex) Foe who takes sneak attack damage takes AC pen (more vs. striker) for 1 rd.
Debilitating Injury: Disoriented -2/-4 (Ex) Foe who takes sneak attack damage takes attack pen (more vs. striker) for 1 rd.
Debilitating Injury: Hampered (Ex) Foe who takes sneak attack damage has speed halved (and can't 5 ft step) for 1 rd.
Enforcer If you deal nonlethal damage with a melee weapon, make a free Intimidate check to demoralize.
Evasion (Ex) If succeed on Reflex save for half dam, take none instead.
Fast Movement (Unchained) (+10 ft.) The Monk adds 10 or more feet to his base speed.
Flurry of Blows (Unchained) (Ex) As full-rd action, gain extra attacks with unarmed strike/monk weapons.
Improved Unarmed Strike Unarmed strikes don't cause attacks of opportunity, and can be lethal.
Ki Pool (8/day) (Su) You have a ki pool equal to 1/2 your monk level + your Wisdom modifier.
Sap Adept Gain bonus damage on nonlethal attacks, +1 Damage for every die of sneak attack damage rolled.
Scorpion Style (DC 15) As a standard action, unarmed strike reduces foe's land speed to 5 ft for 3 rds (Fort neg).
Sneak Attack (Unchained) +2d6 Attacks deal extra dam if flank foe or if foe is flat-footed.
Stunning Fist (4/day, DC 15) You can stun an opponent with an unarmed attack.
Trapfinding +2 Gain a bonus to find or disable traps, including magical ones.
Vanishing Trick (Su) 1 Ki: disappear, as invisibility, for 4 rounds.
Vow of Fasting (+1 ki) The monk eats nothing but rice (or a similar bland, staple food) and drinks nothing but water. On certain days (usually once per month or on a religious holiday), he may eat a small portion of other simple, bland food to maintain proper nutrition. This prohibits the use of tobacco, alcohol, potions or alchemist items.
Vow of Truth (+1 ki) The monk is not allowed to deliberately speak any lies, including bluffing, stating half-truths with the intent to deceive, exaggerating, telling white lies, and so on. This applies to all forms of communication. If presented with circumstances where telling the truth would endanger his allies the monk may remain silent instead.

* Where is Everlife Adaptation Corporation located? Verces? Bretheda? Absalom Station? Was it a public facility, or secret? How sensitive was the research being done there, and how tight was security?
Everlife Adaptation Corporation is simply listed as one of the largest donators to the Augmented factions various projects and political movements. I used that as my tie in. Since the Augmented primarily are based on Verces my idea was that he was working with a Verces branch of the company. The work being done there was probably relatively secretive but largely just to keep trade secrets from getting out before the release of various products. The way I was billing it was that he mainly worked in bioengineering to create ways to extend peoples lives and better their physical health. So he wasn't working on like military grade bio-weapons or anything, but a big company wouldn't really want the details of its newest vaccine or skin grafts to be released to the market before they were ready either.

* Was any part of your job dangerous? You mention that you knew how to use dart guns. Was this from 'safari' missions where you had to capture specimens of some kind?
The hand-held needler pistols are mentioned as being incredibly useful to battlefield medics. Since he worked R&D with a number of restorative treatments and chemicals I basically imagined that he would have gained at least limited exposure to the hand held injectors during testing phases. As you said, its really not a great weapon, but it makes way more sense for him to go for something at least a little familiar than straight up just buy a laser pistol first thing when he gets to Absalom Station. Now out of necessity he will likely learn over time to use other kinds of weapons but it was a cheap, interesting and thematic segway towards that I felt.

* Did you make any enemies while working there? Either within the company or without?
Yes, definitely inside and outside the company. The inside the company bit I dont want to go into too much detail about because it'd be a waste if Im not picked. But as for outside the company, there are still groups who look down on various bio-engineering projects as unethical and destructive to what makes someone a sentient being. Various groups are fiercely opposed to that kind of research and Manas is incredibly, even religiously, outspoken in favor of using the latest and greatest methods to poke, prod, bend and extend the definitions of evolution.

* How did you you appease the Corporation into letting you go amicably? Or didn't you? You would probably be privy to information the company would consider proprietary, and if you designed Saachi on "company time," the corporation would probably expect that it is company property and keep it when you left.
Saachi was a personal project. At the time he started it I think he was already becoming disillusioned with working at the same place for years on end. So he created that as a side project to interest him for a time. It was a way to pursue further evolution down a not so biological track, since bio-engineering is what he really did for the company. He likely shared some of his research on Saachi with the company or possibly just other scientists there but it was not strictly a company project. As for letting him go, again that is something that I dont want to spin out of control talking about. But basically my intention was to eventually reveal that he did not part on such great terms from Everlife. Some corporate espionage and some less than savory dealing went into his decisions to part with the company and to leave for Pathfinder training so quickly.

* You say you will still submit research independently for Everlife while working for the Starfinders. What form will that take? Do you expect the Starfinders will be happy that you are sharing research done for them with Everlife? Do you see yourself as planning to spy on the Starfinders for Everlife?
This will be essentially tied into the whole aspect of him leaving under somewhat questionable circumstances if it comes up. But no it wouldn't necessarily be fair to say he's spying on the Pathfinders.
More he would be using his status as a Pathfinder to explore the galaxy and see things that were outside his previous experience.
Hopefully he'd be able to funnel some of that knowledge and experience into new scientific developments. If he was then he would happily pass some of that information along to Everlife for all that they'd done for him in the past. But as I mentioned before corporate espionage and spying would probably hit a little close to home since it does play a part in Manas' past that may or may not come up over time. As much as I love writing huge in depth backgrounds for characters I've been politely rejected from enough games that I try not to go overboard before being accepted. But I do have some ideas in that vein.

Manas Barsar
Mechanic 1 Verthani Scholar
NG Medium Male Humanoid (verthani)
Init +6; Senses: Low-Light Vision; Perception +7
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DEFENSE
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EAC 13
KAC 14
AC vs Combat Maneuvers 22 [8+KAC]
Stamina 7
Hit Points 10
Resolve Points 5
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +0
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OFFENSE
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee Unarmed; -1 to Hit; 1d3-1 Non-lethal
Ranged Needler Rifle; +2 to Hit [+3 with Combat Tracking]; 1d6 P 60’ crit +2 Injection; 12 Darts; Analog, Injection

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STATISTICS
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Str 8, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 10
Height: 7’2” Weight: 180 lbs.
Age: 29
Base Atk +0 [+1 with Combat Tracking]
Feats: Improved Initiative; Skill Focus [Life Sciences], Skill Focus [Perception]
Skills (8 skill points) ACP −0
Athletics* -1 (0+3-1)
Computers +9 (1+3+4+1)
Engineering +9 (1+3+4+1)
Life Science +11 (1+3+4+3)
Medicine +8 (1+3+4)
Perception +7 (1+3+0+3)
Physical Science +8 (1+3+4)
Piloting* +6 (1+3+2)
Profession (Bio-Augment Researcher) +8 (1+3+4)
*ACP applies to these skills
Languages: Common, Vercite, Akitonian, Castrovelian, Brethedan, Ysoki
Equipment: Second Skin Armor, Needler Rifle, Datajack Augment
Credit Stick: 15
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RACIAL FEATURES
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Verthani [+2 Con, +2 Int, -2 Str | 4 HP]
Easily Augmented: A verthani can install an additional cybernetic augmentation into one system that already has one [currently unused].
Low-Light Vision: Can see twice as far as humans in dim-light.
Skill Focus: Gains Skill Focus as a bonus feat [Life Sciences].
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CLASS FEATURES
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Key Stat: Intelligence
Armor Proficiency: Light & Heavy Armor
Weapon Proficiency: Basic Melee Weapons, Small Arms, Longarms, Grenades
Artificial Intelligence: Exocortex
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EXOCORTEX FEATURES
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Combat Tracking: Proficiency in Heavy Armor and Longarms, at 3rd level grants Weapon Specialization as well. As a move action designate foe to Track. Treats BAB as Mech Level against that target.
Memory Module: Once per day while not in combat reroll a failed skill check to recall knowledge. Also grants Skill Focus [Perception] that can be switched out upon gaining a new Mechanic level. Memory Module cannot function while Combat Tracking is active.
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THEME FEATURES
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Theme Knowledge: Expert in the Bioengineering field of Life Sciences, gaining Life Science as a class skill. DC on skill checks related to bioengineering is reduced by 5. +1 Intelligence.

Born on tidally locked Verces, from a very young age Manas was obsessed with the Augmented. Both the ancient caste of his people and the newer political movement. His father was a worshiper of Oras, the Agent of Change, and this helped to solidify Manas’ early interest. Not as widely popular on Verces, Oras had been better known on Bretheda where his father had worked for years. The idea that evolution could become a product not of random happenstance, but actual conscientious effort was fascinating to him. Both of his parents were driven, intelligent people, and they encouraged Manas to work hard and pursue his interests if they made him happy. In school Manas showed an aptitude with the sciences and received good marks in all his classes. Always eager to learn something new and with a special focus on the meeting point of mechanics and biology he was accepted into a respectable university and studied biological augmentation. After an accelerated two-year graduate program, he was accepted into one of the most well-known research organizations in the Pact Worlds, the Everlife Adaptation Corporation.

He would work happily at Everlife for the next four years. His work was fascinating, and he got to see it be used to help people. His work with adaptive biochains was especially interesting to Manas, it was so curious how some people would turn down life-saving mechanical augmentation but readily accept a biological solution in the form of a living biochain. He himself underwent several technological and biological augments including the installation of a custom rig in the form of a datajack to his brain. He designed the tech himself, it would allow him to access any computer traditionally accessible via datajack and also functioned as an mk 1 comm unit. But the truly impressive addition was the data housing for a complex bit of coding that had taken Manas several years of work. His very own AI, Saachi, installed via Exocortex to interface directly with his central nervous system. The downside to all of this was that after he finished Saachi and had recovered from his augmentations he began to feel as though he was stagnating. His accomplishments thus far had been impressive enough but Oras’ teachings believe that only by exploring new horizons, seeking chance and unknown stimulus can one continue to evolve. So Manas did his research and a month later formally submitted his leave of absence from Everlife Adaptation Corporation. He agreed to still submit some research to them on an independent basis but cited that new opportunities would not allow him to remain with the company. The very next day he set out on a shuttle for Absalom Station to begin his training as a Starfinder.

“Adapt, evolve and overcome,” he muttered to himself as he lifted the rifle from the bench. He still took comfort from the old Oras saying. He nodded to the small crowd of Ysoki that had been watching him work on the rifle for the past few minutes and thanked them again in their tongue. He couldn’t leave the Ysoki home until he had shared a rather pleasant if loud and chaotic meal with them but that was fine. He wasn’t scheduled to be at the Lorespire Complex until that afternoon. Combat training had been awkward up to that point, Manas having never really learned to use any kind of weapon. But he had extensive knowledge of serum injectors and when he’d heard of a weaponized version he decided that working with something more familiar would make learning easier. Thus, his decision to seek out someone to let him use a workstation to create his own needler rifle.

As he moved down the street he queued up his mk 1 com unit directly through the custom built datajack in his brain and sent a friendly challenge to a fellow Starfinder trainee, “I’m not going to lose to you two days in a row. Get ready to buy the drinks after combat sim tomorrow.”

Name: Kostya Markov

Background: Kostya was born in Nezdohva, near the borders with the nation of the Raktine Confederacy. His parents did everything they could to provide more for their son than they had growing up. Their proudest moment was when Kostya was accepted to the Artificer's Guild as an apprentice. It meant him leaving his parents and home behind but as an Artificer he had a real chance at escaping the poverty and low quality of life that his family had lived in for years. Kostya worked hard to make himself useful, he would stay up late studying the works of various Artificers within the Guild and trying to analyze what made their projects useful and what could be improved upon. When he was sixteen he completed his apprenticeship and become a full member of the Artificer's Guild. When given the option of a boyar to serve he chose the one who had nominal control over the area his family lived. But when he asked if it would be possible to to and visit his parents, the boyar informed him that they had been killed in a border dispute two years prior. The boyar didn't care how deeply this affected Kostya, saying simply, "You dont have to worry about any distractions now."

This was the first seed of resentment planted within Kostya's mind that would take just over a decade to fully bloom. At the time though Kostya chose to throw himself completely into his work. It was ironic because his boyar thought he had no distractions, but ultimately his work was Kostya's distraction from his own grief. Kostya proved that he had a knack for looking at other's creations and learning from them quickly, then improving upon them for his own use. For several years after learning of his parent's death, he focused his efforts on improving the boyar's troops. He felt that if he could make their warriors better, then less serfs like his parents would have to die in pointless border skirmishes. Despite all of his knowledge of artifice he was still relatively naive when it came to the world at large. But he was curious and longed to change that, so he took advantage of one of the greatest privileges of the Artificer's Guild, he traveled outside of Nezdohva.

Seeing more of the world was a large part of what opened Kostya's eyes to how horrible the Iron Tsar treated his subjects. Kostya stayed a few months in the Bright Republic and got to see that, while far from perfect, they at least maintained the illusion of something more fair. If you were willing to work within the system you could at least improve your lot in life. This time abroad helped feed that first seed of anger and resentment that had been lying mostly buried by Kostya's work for years. But it was the events of his homecoming that would turn Kostya's life upside down and cause that small seed to blossom into outright hatred for his home country.

When he arrived home from his travels, Kostya happened to pass through the village where he had grown up. Despite his guard's urging that they should quickly move back to the boyar's residence, he decided to go visit his childhood home. So it was a great surprise to see that his mother was still living there, along with a younger sibling he hadn't known he had. His mother seemed terrified and kept saying that she'd done what she had to, to protect them all. Eventually his guards pulled him away and took him to the boyar. Kostya was furious and demanded to know the truth. Sounding more put out than understanding the boyar explained that his father had died in a raid but that he felt it would be simpler to say Kostya's whole family had died. The boyar felt that believing his family was alive would just drive him to distraction. He went so far as to take credit for all of Kostya's work and progress up to this point, saying it was possible only because of his freedom from distractions like his family. In a fit of rage Kostya actually attempted to attack the boyar. But Kostya's mind had always been mightier than his body and even if he had been in peak form a boyar automaton was stronger than a dozen men. The boyar's casual retaliation left Kostya with a shattered arm and several broken ribs. The boyar then calmly explained that anymore outbursts like that would result in the punishment of his mother and sister.

Burning with anger, Kostya decided he had to do something. He was tired of feeling helpless to change his own life, he needed to improve things for himself. To do that he decided that he'd just have to improve himself. So that night he locked himself in his lab and began his work. The thing that emerged and tore through several of the boyar's guards was not an automaton, nor was it entirely human, but it was Kostya. In a fit of inspiration and possibly madness, Kostya had found a way to remake himself into something more than human and in that moment he ascended as a Godbound. Kostya quickly went to find his mother and sister and stole away with them in the middle of the night. He would eventually settle them down in the Bright Republic, where they would not stand out among the sea of varied nationalities. The other benefit to the Bright Republic was that as a center for technological marvels, it was the perfect place to learn how to further enhance and improve himself. Because one day, when he was strong enough, Kostya vowed he would tear down every boyar and automaton between him and the Iron Tzar. He would free his home nation from the iron grip that held it in a rigid, machine controlled stasis.

Origin Fact: Born to human serfs in automaton controlled Nezdohva. He lived in poverty for most of his childhood, his parents working themselves ragged to help Kostya receive enough education to qualify for the Artificer's Guild apprenticeship.
Past Profession Fact: Former respected member of the Nezdohva Artificer's Guild. He is quite skilled at analyzing technology and modifying it for his own use.
Relationship Fact: The boyar he served beat him half to death and threatened his family. This drove him to alter himself and leave Nezdohva, killing several of the boyar's servants on his way out. There is significant antagonism between the boyars of Nezdohva and all of the Iron Tzar's minions.

Stats
Strength: 19 [Base 8]
Dexterity: 14
Constitution: 16 [Base 10]
Wisdom: 13
Intelligence: 16
Charisma: 13

Saves
Hardiness: 11
Evasion: 13
Spirit: 14

Words of Power: Artifice, Might & Endurance

Gifts [Word - Points]
Mark the Maker [Artifice - 1]
Ten Thousand Tools [Artifice - 1]
Fists of Black Iron [Might - 1]
Thews of the Gods [Might - 2]
Body of Iron Will [Endurance - 1]

Notes on Ability Use: So I think all of his current abilities dont require power investments. This is largely because his Godbound status is based mainly on Artifice and self-alteration/improvement. Eventually he will have powers he needs to invest in but they will all link back to the theme of a modification he has made to himself to better deal with some situation. So his focus will be on creating things and altering himself, as well as making things to help other's improve their own lives. The theme of pulling yourself up and fighting for yourself is going to be core to his character I think.

Weapon: Unarmed - Through Fists of Black Iron he's replaced one whole arm and parts of the other with artificial limbs that have much more power than his previously frail, human limbs. Because he never trained with any weapons he uses his raw strength in combat when threatened.
Armor Class: 2 - Again, while not previously the most sturdy physical specimen, Kostya has made numerous changes to his body to allow him to be more resistant to harm. He refuses to be thrown around and abused like he was as a normal researcher.

Motivations & Complications
Justice: Kostya's central motivation is based around the idea of seeking justice for his oppressed people. Improving himself so that he can eventually free them from the oppression of the Iron Tzar. This tends to make Kostya more willing to stand up for the downtrodden or marginalized than the average person might be willing to.
Obsession/Temper: Kostya's two biggest faults tie into his core motivation. He is obsessed with improving himself. Even recognizing that he is literally turning himself into a machine, just like the automatons he vows to destroy, he cannot stop himself. He relentlessly researches ways he can alter and improve himself. Those that he feels would try to prevent him from doing this, even for his own good, quickly see his temper. When he feels limited he occasionally reacts very aggressively and violently. And while he occasionally regrets not being more calm and measured after the fact, in the moment he often acts rather emotionally, especially if he feels threatened with restrictions or limitations on his freedom.

National Problems: So the core focus for him would be two issues in his home nation of Nezdohva. Primarily the fact that most serfs want to overthrow their automaton overlords, as this has become his life's goal. Secondarily he would like to do something about the monsters that spill over from Raktia as his father was lost during one of these attacks. And as for the third it would be a more recent goal. In his new home, the Bright Republic, the failing of the etheric nodes might be something he's just starting to notice as big potential issue.