Minas Terran's page

Minas has never been comfortable standing out in any setting. A shy child and a quiet, even mannered adult, he has mostly been happy to fade into the background. Although this has changed somewhat in recent years it is still very much a defining part of him. Standing at a relatively average height, with black hair and brown eyes he lacks many distinguishing physical features. He tends to dress in respectable clothing when possible, preferring either dark or earth tone colors, again never really seeking to stand out or make a loud, obvious impression with his appearance. Some people seem to be born charismatic, always knowing what to say, a joke to tell or the right question to ask. Others are built like draft horses, easily building up muscle and strength of arm, often using it to impress or protect others around them. Minas was never really either of those things, in fact when he was younger it was often hard for him to understand how to connect to people. Logically he could analyze their actions and see how or why they might make the choices they did, but connecting with them was always difficult. Part of the reason he chose to work as a messenger was so that he would be forced to interact with a wide variety of people. He forced himself to get out of his comfort zone and learn how to better relate to people with a variety of backgrounds and personalities. And although he’s gotten much better at getting along with people on a personal level, not just a professional or analytical one, it never came naturally to him. The one aspect of Minas’ personality that always stood out naturally was his intelligence. Minas was able to pick up various skills with relative ease and could absorb various facts or trivia easily. He was a voracious reader, his years as a scribe were largely so that he could have an excuse to read the scrolls and books he was transcribing or translating. And above his intelligence Minas showed a special aptitude at organization, he loved to look at a problem and figure out not just a solution but how to streamline and make the whole process more efficient. This might come off as somewhat overbearing or pompous at times but one of Minas always likes to have a plan. After all, as he is fond of saying, “A failure to plan is a plan to fail.”

Minas was born in New Stetven, his father one of the many tradesmen that seek to profit off trade with the northern lands. Minas learned to speak at a fairly young age but was always very shy and quiet. His mother thought that he was having trouble learning, in part because he would occasionally say things that made no sense to her. One day, when he was talking about something, his father overheard and started laughing. It turned out that Minas had picked up several Hallit words from some Kellid traders that his father dealt with regularly. He had been mixing them into what he was saying to his mother. His father encouraged Minas’ interest in learning Hallit, as well as other languages, saying that it was easier to make a sale if you could speak a man’s language. As Minas got older his father encouraged him to spend some time talking to some of the Varisian travelers who came though and generally see if he could pick up any language he heard around New Stetven. Although he was nervous, he was proud that his father thought his learning languages was useful and applied himself to the task with a singular focus. So by the time he was ten years old he could speak Common, Hallit and Varisian more or less fluently and had somehow managed to pick up bits and pieces of Dwarven.

Minas was able to get a job as an apprentice to one of the scribes in town, an older man who copied and translated various scrolls and books for anyone passing through. Minas’ father had known the man for a few years, ever since he had sought his help assessing the value of a set of tomes he had bought off as passing adventurer. It quickly became apparent that Minas’ ear for language extended to writing as well and he proved a valuable assistant to the elder scribe for six years. Unfortunately when he was sixteen his mother fell terribly ill. He began studying everything he could find about medicine, alchemy, healing, but there wasn’t much that could be done. His father spent a good portion of their family’s savings seeking the help of various healers in the area but in the end it only bought them a couple more years. Minas’ father took the loss extremely hard, he started drinking and his business suffered for it. That more than anything encouraged Minas to seek more serious employment. With a recommendation from the elder scribe, who was nearing retirement by this point, he was given a position writing and carrying missives for various important persons in nearby Restov. Minas saw it as a good chance to travel and meet people. Up until that point his world had been very small. He didn’t get out much and had few friends, relating to people was hard for him. As someone tasked with penning and carrying various documents, it was a part of his job to learn how to get along with people and convey his employers wishes respectfully and accurately.

In the last four years Minas has built up a reputation for an organized, efficient worker with exquisite penmanship and a way with words. For Minas’ part he has slowly become more comfortable interacting with people on a personable level, rather than a purely professional one. Over the last few months he was put on a new route, out to a place on the very edge of civilization called Oleg’s Trading Post. Whenever he had a day or two holdover at Oleg’s he would beg stories from the man of the adventurers’ deeds on behalf of the Swordlords out in the wilderness. A part of Minas wished that he could be like them, going on grand adventures, but he knew that at this point his father depended on the money he was able to send back to New Stetven every month. He hoped that the latest inspiring story of how one particular group had saved Oleg’s from some bandits might raise his father’s spirits at least. Occasionally when he was able to visit his father would gain back a bit of his former vigor talking about the adventurers he had known and traded with back in his youth. Unfortunately he never got to talk with his father about what he had heard. When he arrived back in Restov he had a letter waiting for him saying that his father had passed away. Apparently he’d left the bar far too drunk one night, calling for his several years dead wife. Somehow he had managed to slip on an embankment and fell to the bottom, breaking his neck. Perhaps that kind of grief and stress wasn’t the right mindset to make such a big decision, but once Minas set his mind on something it was hard to stop him. After the burial, he bought a sword and some outdoor goods and gear. Then he penned a letter to his superiors that he was taking a leave to answer the call of the Swordlords. Minas Terran the scribe and messenger was going to become an adventurer, the kind of person that his father had been so proud to deal with all those years ago.

Party Role: So he's built to be the ultimate team player. Its a support concept that I like for Pathfinder more than a heal-bot. Healing in pathfinder seems reactive and I think a good support is better to be preventative. In combat he'll be getting up to provide flanking, spread out his teamwork feats to allies, and making use of aid another/helpful to give out +3 to attack or AC. He'll be getting Effortless Aid asap to better facilitate that. He's also a total skill money, tons of skill points and training in most skills available. When he tosses out those inspiration knowledge checks there's not much he cant gain info on to help the party out.

Kingdom Role: Im probably aiming for either Treasurer or perhaps Spymaster. I like the idea of a simple, plain looking man who is good with paperwork being the leader of a massive spy network of messengers and informants. Either way he'll use his organizational skills and intelligence to help out in one of those two roles in all likelihood.

Minas Terran
Male human investigator (majordomo) 2 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 30, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Intrigue 35)
LN Medium humanoid (human)
Hero Points 1
Init +6; Senses Perception +5
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Defense
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AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 20 (2d8+4)
Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +3; +2 bonus vs. poison
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee rapier +3 (1d6+2/18-20)
Investigator (Majordomo) Extracts Prepared (CL 2nd; concentration +7)
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Statistics
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Str 9, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 20, Wis 10, Cha 12
Base Atk +1; CMB +0; CMD 12
Feats Extra Inspiration[ACG], Improved Initiative, Precise Strike[APG]
Traits helpful, pragmatic activator, student of philosophy
Skills Acrobatics +3 (-1 to jump), Appraise +9, Bluff +6 (+10 to lie (as a result of using Int instead of Cha)), Craft (alchemy) +9, Diplomacy +6 (+10 to persuade others but not to gather information (as a result of using Int instead of Cha)), Disable Device +1, Escape Artist +3, Heal +4, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +9, Knowledge (local) +9, Knowledge (nature) +9, Knowledge (nobility) +9, Knowledge (planes) +9, Knowledge (religion) +9, Linguistics +11 (+12 to spot a forgery, deal with paperwork, and notice discrepancies in paperwork), Perception +5, Sense Motive +5, Sleight of Hand +3, Spellcraft +9, Stealth +3, Use Magic Device +10
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Hallit, Sylvan, Varisian
SQ delegate (1 feat, 5 rounds, standard action, 1/day), hero points, inspiration (9/day), paper trail +1, poison lore
Other Gear lamellar (leather) armor[UC], rapier, bedroll, canteen[UE], concealment coin, hemp rope (50 ft.), ink (2), inkpen (2), journal[UE] (2), masterwork backpack[APG], masterwork tool, measuring cord (10 ft.) (2), paper (10), powder[APG] (2), scroll case, stationery[UE], tea ceremony set[UE], trail rations (5), waterproof bag[UE], 40 gp, 9 sp
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Special Abilities
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Delegate (1 feat, 5 rounds, standard action, 1/day) (Ex) Grant allies within 30 ft. one of your bonus teamwork feats to persue a noncombat task.
Hero Points Hero Points can be spent at any time to grant a variety of bonuses.
Inspiration (+1d6, 9/day) (Ex) Use 1 point, +1d6 to trained skill or ability check. Use 2 points, to add to attack or save.
Paper Trail +1 (Ex) Bonus to checks dealing with paperwork. Learn about document writer with Linguistics check.
Poison Lore (Ex) After 1 min can use Know to ID poisons, 1 min more to neutralize with Craft (alchemy).
Precise Strike +1d6 precision damage for melee attacks if you and an ally with this feat flank the same target.