Raina Thornton's page

Raina is a rumbustious and outspoken ex-street rat who has little respect for the law of Korvosa and little patience for those who get on her nerves (see also: most native Korvosans). Placed in a state-run orphanage in the Pillar Hill ward in Midland district from a tender age, the girl never knew her true parents or their fates. She was given the last name of 'Thornton' from one of the high-ranking clergy of the church of Sarenrae that sponsored her orphanage, but Raina holds no affection to the name and rarely makes use of it. A rebellious and stubborn youth, she spent as little time as possible around the highly-regimented orphanage and as much time as possible getting herself into as much trouble as she could manage. That, of course, made her easy pickings for Gaedran Lamm, who wooed her into his Little Lamms with promises of excitement and gold and freedom.

Lies, damned lies it all turned out to be, and the experience left Raina with numerous scars, both physically and emotionally. At first she enjoyed the rebellion against society, taking from uppity rich folk and not apologising for it, but the deeper she became involved with Lamm's Little Lambs, the more disturbing the crimes became. The depravity Lamm and his goons exposed the young girl to warped her mind from an early age, and her psyche gradually became more strained whenever she saw the suffering inflicted by the gang's passing. But the worst part was having to watch her friends be tortured and almost killed before her eyes simply for slipping up and not performing up to standard. She did her best to stand up for others, garnering little in return but a dozen lashes or a stint in the hot-box for her troubles. Raina gradually felt her spirit being worn away under the pressure.

The thing that caused Raina to snap was seeing the fate of Severus, one of her closest companions during her torturous years with Lamm. Sev, a Chelish kid stolen from his family, had an even stronger spirit than hers, always willing to stand in for the weak or stand up to the strong; he was like a big brother to her, back in those days. He'd organised a plan for the Lambs to escape from Lamm's clutches, all set out and detailed—but somehow, Lamm found out. Raina had to watch with great horror as Sev was punished for his misdemeanours: he was beaten by Lamm's lackeys, lashed until his back was raw and then tossed aside for the dogs to tear up. Screaming in rage, she leapt at the old man, only to be easily wrestled to the ground and pushed into the dog-pit herself.

The sick bastard tortured Sev and Raina for days on end, letting their unconscious figures to lie where they passed out and continuing the "sport" when they awoke. Sev did his best to defend Raina where he could—but neither could withstand the constant torture. Eventually, Lamm discarded their battered and bloody bodies in a pile of rubbish, expecting exposure to end their already weakened selves. Already wracked with severe depression, Raina would have given up at that time if not for Sev. "C'mon… Get up, Raina... If you die, Lamm wins." Sev couldn't move at that point—he was ashen-faced and his breathing shallow. "You gotta... go on. For the both of us." Sev never spoke again.

With some difficulty Raina managed to drag herself through the night-time streets of Korvosa back to the orphanage she'd been estranged from for the past couple of years, fuelled only by rage and despair at Sev's last moments. The orphanage—thank the stars it was run by Sarenite priests—was able to heal the worst of her wounds (the physical ones, at least), leaving only an entourage of scars and an array of memories Raina would rather forget. She refused to counsel with the clerics, instead secluding herself for some months until she had built up enough mental fortitude to face the world again.

The thing that got her outside again was the suggestion by one of the orphanage staff that she get involved with martial training. Her time with Lamm's Little Lambs had developed her muscle tone, and she knew how to fight dirty, but the sister thought that could be turned into something productive. Though Raina had no interest in joining the Korvosan Guard, she threw herself into the training with gusto; after all, passing out from exhaustion at the end of a long day allowed her to forget the bad memories and sometimes experience thankfully dreamless sleeps.

It was during this time that Raina discovered the local wrestling and boxing scene, spying a flyer pinned to a noticeboard down near a local pub. Curious, the girl lied about her age to be allowed to join in on some of the bouts. Many of her opponents underestimated her, being slight of height and frame, but she became somewhat infamous for her ability to expertly dodge and block the strongest of blows—and fighting dirty was always on the table as well. Through the friends and contacts she made in and out of the ring, Raina scored a series of jobs working as a bodyguard or a bouncer; her wages combined with the money won at small-scale tournaments provided her enough of an income to leave the orphanage and get her own small place in High Bridge. And, slowly yet surely, Raina blossomed from the protective shell she'd developed after fleeing Lamm's clutches.

Her home is little more than a tiny, sparsely-furnished apartment above a noisy grocer, and daily life is often something of a challenge with her sporadic income and frequent night terrors, but for the first time in her entire life Raina has been feeling almost... content. Almost. Until she remembers Lamm's face, and then her built-up happiness comes crashing down again and she has to fight with the desire to pull out her dagger and forget everything in the world forever. If you die, Lamm wins. The only thing at these moments that keeps her fighting on are those five simple words, sparking the fires of revenge in her body. She cannot die now. Not yet. Not until Lamm gets what he deserves for everything he did to her.

Raina is rather short, being only 5'4" tall, but she is very physically fit with noticeable muscles. Her short stature often serves to cause enemies to misjudge her capabilities, much to Raina's delight. Her chestnut brown hair is messily cropped to about an inch above her shoulders, and her eyes are a bright sea blue. Raina typically wears form-fitting clothing that is easy to move in, especially hooded jackets and comfortable shorts; she's not afraid to show some skin, either. In dangerous situations she wears a chain shirt below her jacket and thick, fingerless leather gloves reinforced with brass knuckles for extra 'punch' (quite literally). It's common to see her with a half-healed bruise or scratch here and there, but there are some scars on her body that never go away: a deep gash that cuts from her right shoulderblade diagonally down below her right breast, a cut across the bridge of her nose that has healed crooked from being broken, numerous smaller cuts up both of her arms, and many more.

Having never known her parents, Raina's not quite sure of her ethnicity. At a guess, she's probably a mutt with both Chelaxian and Varisian blood in her. Her skin's probably too naturally pale for her to be more than 50% Varisian, though she's usually well tanned from working outdoors.

Personality
Raina's always been a rebel, ever since she was a young kid. She doesn't abide authority unless they give her a reason to respect them, and has absolutely zero respect for the monarchy in Korvosa in particular. (The city's lack of care for minority groups such as the Shoanti and Varisians is the cause of that.) Despite that, she's actually got a surprising (if individualistic) moral streak about her; theft is something she looks upon with disgust after the years Lamm made her do so, and she endeavours to never break her word—ever. Raina's not particularly religious, but she'll happily toss a coin to any of the churches that take care of the downtrodden (such as Sarenrae or Cayden Cailean). Speaking of the downtrodden, she will always speak up for anyone she views as being bullied or disenfranchised, even if it gets her in trouble. And she'll never let someone be hurt or suffer if she could be putting herself in between them and their aggressor.

Though Raina does her best to portray herself as tough and unshakable, in truth she struggles quite a bit with depression. She never bothers others with her dark moods if she can avoid it, instead drowning them in hard liquor or pushing herself to the brink of exertion. She tends to avoid or run away from situations that trigger her anxiety... she has quite a fear of dogs in particular.

Feelings Towards Lamm
Raina prefers not to speak of her time under Lamm, having consigned it to The Past, of things that happened and are best left forgotten, but she is tormented with flashbacks and night terrors from the time. She holds dear Sev's last words to her—even though sometimes they are the only things keeping her from giving up. That said, she swears that she'll find him someday and make him pay for everything that he did to her and the other Lambs.

Goals and Aspirations
Apart from her "unfinished business" with Lamm, Raina honestly has a lot of trouble thinking about the future as a result of her precarious mental state. Sometimes she breaks down and feels like she'll never be adjusted enough to achieve anything. Other times, in better moods, she might mention how she'd love to be crowned champion of the local wrestling scene, if only to prove everyone who doubts her wrong. Raina's got a soft spot for orphans and would love to be well-off enough to sponsor a number of them to join whatever education or vocation they desire. That said, she's not exactly the type to enjoy holding down a steady job, so perhaps something crazy like adventuring would be more in her style...

A Typical Day
Raina usually sleeps in late; her jobs, if she has one at the time, are usually gigs that start in the afternoon or evening. (She's not a morning person anyway.) She takes an hour-long jog around the ward after she wakes up, and depending on her schedule will spend the rest of her free time training at Old Tusk's Gym. If she doesn't have work, she usually spends the evenings with mates from the gym drinking away the night, largely because being alone at night without being exhausted is a good way for her suicidal urges to come crashing back. She prefers to pass out from exertion or from alcohol rather than attempt to drift off by herself.

Nokalo
Nokalo is a tall and powerful dark-skinned Shoanti man some joke to be as wide as he is tall (and he easily surpasses 6 feet in height). Though rather reticent about his past, Raina believes him to be an exile from his quah for something he did many years ago. Though getting on in years, Nokalo is an exceptional brawler, and, seeing Raina's talent, took it upon himself to act as her trainer and manager. He is a hardworking taskmaster who doesn't accept one inch of Raina's stubbornness and is not beyond threats or decking her if she is being too childish. He is a kind and empathetic man on the whole, though, if somewhat gruff about it.

Pillar Hill Orphanage
The orphanage where Raina spent much of her time as a youngster. It's sponsored by the church of Sarenrae but is ultimately run by the state, although the children were often subject to Sarenite sermons in an attempt to give them a 'proper' upbringing. A strict and regimented place, everything was done on the dot every single time, no exceptions, and those who were late or shirked their duties got the cane from the hard-nosed Sister Evina. (Raina was very, very familiar with the cane.) Though theoretically able to host something like 80 children, there were only maybe 20 when Raina went through the system. Raina occasionally returns to say hello to the younger kids she knew or donate what little she can to the place.

Old Tusk's Gym
Greigor 'Tusk' Tuskenhill is a jovial half-orc who runs a moderate-sized boxing gym in High Bridge. His clientele are mostly Sable Company marines and Korvosan Guards looking for a place to sharpen their skills or keep up their fitness levels. Next door to the gym is an old warehouse that he's refurbished into a boxing ring surrounded by creaky wooden seats for viewers; a number of small-scale local martial arts, wrestling, and boxing tournaments are held in this place, as well as regular self-defense classes. Raina is so regular a visitor to the gym that many people mistake her for an owner or worker.

Bessa's Best
Raina's apartment sits over the top of this small but busy greengrocer. The owner, Bessa Harvington, is a plump middle-aged woman with a "no-good useless lay-about" for a husband and five kids that she practically raises solo. (Raina's heard her husband is a down-on-his-luck artist looking for inspiration from Shelyn herself... good luck with that.) Bessa's an awful gossip and nosey busybody, but she's a caring lady who often sneaks Raina a couple of fresh apples or a small bag of bruised veggies when she can.

Raina Thornton
Female human brawler 1
CG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +6
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DEFENSE
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AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 22 (2d10+6)
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +1
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OFFENSE
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee unarmed strike +5 (1d6+3) or
..... unarmed strike brawler's flurry +3/+3 (1d6+3)
..... dagger +5 (1d4+3/19-20)
Ranged dagger +4 (1d4+3/19-20)
Special Attacks brawler's flurry, martial maneuvers 1/day (move action)
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STATISTICS
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Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +2; CMB +5 (+7 grapple, trip); CMD 17 (19 vs. grapple, trip)
Feats Combat Expertise, Improved Grapple, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike
Traits Threatening Defender, Unhappy Childhood (Tortured)
Skills Acrobatics +7, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (Local) +3, Perception +6, Sense Motive +6, Swim +6; Armor Check Penalty -1
Languages Common, Shoanti
Favoured Class brawler (2 hit points)

516 GP, 8 SP

8 GP/month: Studio apartment in High Bridge (paid for this month)

Dagger (5)

Studded leather armor

Belt pouch
Hip flask (filled with whiskey)
Backpack
... Canteen
... Deck of cards
... Dice
... Alchemist's kindness (2)
... Sunrod (2)

Side note: I'm leaving most possessions unspecified for now, under the assumption that a lot of common travelling items would be easily accessible and/or would be kept at Raina's home. The above is essentially what she would take with her if she was going to work or going about her regular daily business.