About Oriana VersinoFemale human (Chelaxian/Varisian) bard 6
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AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15
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Speed: 30 ft
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Str 10, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 18
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Personal Addiction (Campaign): +1 Fort saves
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Human Favored Class Bonus: Add one spell to spells known upon gaining a new bard level. Must be at least one level lower than the highest level you can cast.
Spells Known:
Cantrips:
1st level:
2nd level:
Background:
Oriana Versino was one of the many orphans in Korvosa's largest orphanage, the Mainshore orphanage in North Point. She knows that she is half Varisian, half Chelaxian, a common ancestry in the city. Her mother died of dysentery when Oriana was two years old; her father is unknown. The young girl always had a gift for song, singing to and with the other children to cheer them up. This was what got her out of the strict confines of the orphanage. Mireille Songweaver, a moderately well known Chelaxian bard in the North Point district, came looking for an apprentice when Oriana was thirteen and heard her sing. The matron was fine with having one less mouth to feed, so off the pair went. At first Oriana was afraid, having heard stories about orphans (especially pretty girls) adopted for nefarious purposes. But Mireille turned out to be exactly what she appeared to be- a bard who wished to pass on her knowledge and give a talented orphan a better life. Over time Oriana came to see her as a parent as well as a teacher.
Eventually Mireille deemed Oriana old and skilled enough to make it on her own. She provided the eighteen year old girl with first and last month's rent on an apartment, introductions to several tavern and inn owners interested in live music, and moved on to a different part of the city. It's always hard being on your own for the first time, but Oriana's talent and hard work let her flourish. She began to attend services at the nearby Sanctuary of Shelyn, making friends with several priests and composing new hymns to the goddess of beauty. The young bard was even able to buy her very own apartment. There's a dark side to fame and success, and for Oriana it came in the form of drugs. She tried shiver at a party where she was hired to perform, which turned out to be a colossal mistake. Addiction seized her almost immediately. Soon most of her money went to the drug dealers for ever increasing amounts of shiver. Her spiral downward would most likely have continued to her death, had she not overdosed late one night. Even in the depths of addiction Oriana always attended weekly services at the temple of Shelyn. So when she failed to show up one day, the concerned priest sent an acolyte to check on her. Said acolyte happened to have a criminal past that let him pick the lock on Oriana's door when she didn't answer. The bard was unconscious in her bed, barely breathing. The Sanctuary of Shelyn nursed her back to health and through the torment of withdrawal, gently but firmly refusing to let her leave the temple until she was well. Oriana thanked them profusely once she was in her right mind and vowed never to touch illegal drugs again. Now that she could think clearly, she saw just how close she had come to ruin. The bard rebuilt her life by day and hunted drug dealers by night. Many a North Point dealer succumbed to a pretty singer's hypnotic song, following her to the nearest guard station and confessing their crimes. If they resisted Oriana's song the first time, she came back in different guises until their mental defenses wore thin. Fortune smiled on Oriana once more. She was making good money, enough to afford several magical items in addition to her modest Ridgefield apartment. Her name and face were known by many in North Point's entertainment scene. Life was good, until the Plague came. While she could cast minor healing spells, they did little against the virulent sickness. Oriana's temple friends are safe behind the Sanctuary's walls, her fellow entertainers are either holed up at home or dead, same with her neighbors and the inn and tavern owners. But she can't find any information on Mireille. Nobody in the elder bard's usual haunts has seen her in at least a week. So despite the danger, Oriana has begun to search the last place anyone heard from her mentor, praying that Mireille is alive. Appearance:
Oriana is a lovely woman by most standards, curvaceous and graceful. Her tan skin and dark hair tell of Varisian heritage, although she has the sharp features and fine bone structure of a Chelaxian. She usually wears her long, thick hair up in a high ponytail with some kind of hair ornament holding it in place. As befits a bard, Oriana loves bright colors and fancy clothes... although those skilled in seeing through illusions can tell that the flamboyant outfits are just that. Beneath the magic lies comfortable, practical clothing, and under that is a mithral chain shirt. The one component of her flashy outfits that's always real is an enameled silver pendant of Shelyn's holy symbol.
When expecting trouble, Oriana wears a beautifully made rapier and a sturdy backpack (although her magic can disguise the backpack as a heavy hooded cloak or coat with the hood pushed back). Personality:
Despite her upbringing in the Mainshore orphanage, Oriana is a cheerful, optimistic person. She makes it her mission to bring cheer and comfort to the people around her, especially in the poorer parts of the city. However, she does have a temper, and a tendency to hold grudges. Anyone in her neighborhood- the poor part of Ridgefield overlooking the bridges to Old Korvosa- caught selling drugs or abusing children finds themselves enchanted by a pretty street musician's song and walking into the nearest guard station to confess their crimes. Oriana can fight if necessary, but she prefers to talk or enchant her way out of trouble. She is a devout follower of Shelyn and always attends weekly services.
With the advent of the plague, even Oriana's good cheer is badly strained. Her small healing abilities can do little against the ravages of the disease. She has been searching the city for her mentor Mireille, the only one of her friends who is unaccounted for. |
