Renato Vitrotti's page

AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10, (+2 Dex)
HP 30 (4d6+12)
Fort +2; Ref +3; Will +5

Speed 30 ft.
Melee dagger +1 (1d4-1/19-20)
Ranged light crossbow +4 (1d8/x2)
Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 4th; concentration +9)
2nd (4/day)—hideous laughter (DC 18)
1st (8/day)—ear-pearcing scream (DC 16), moment of greatness, sleep (DC 17), vanish
0 (at will)—daze (DC 16), detect magic, light, prestidigitation, read magic, scrivener's chant
Bloodline Imperious

Str 9, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 20
Base Atk +2; CMB +1; CMD 13
Feats Eschew Materials, Skill Focus (Perform [oratory]), Spell Focus (Enchantment), Toughness
Traits Civilized, Reactionary, Show-Stopper
Drawbacks Sheltered
Skills Appraise +6, Artistry (literature) +10, Bluff +10, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Knowledge (history) +8, Knowledge (local) +8, Knowledge (nobility) +8, Linguistics +9, Perform (oratory) +14, Spellcraft +6
Languages Common (Taldane), Azlanti, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling
SQ bloodline arcana (harmful spells give a bonus to Intimidate equal to spell level), heroic echo (+1 bonus, 1/day), student of humanity (+5 bonus)
Magical Gear headband of alluring charisma +2, muleback cords, potion of cure light wounds (4), wand of mage armor (18 charges), wand of magic missile (16 charges)
Mundane Gear backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, blanket, cold-weather outfit, cooking kit, courtier's outfit, dagger, earplugs, flint and steel, furs, grooming kit, iron pot, jewerly (50 gp), journal, light crossbow with 20 bolts, mess kit, scrivener's kit, soap, spring-loaded wrist sheath (2), stick of charcoal, trail rations (5), various books (Darl Jubannich's On Government, Hosetter's Imperial Betrayer, etc.), waterskin, wooden holy symbol of Naderi

38 gp, 20 sp, 7 cp

Current Ecumbarance: 73 lbs., Light Load: 30 lbs. or less (86 lbs. with muleback cords)

Height: 5′9″ (176 cm), Weight: 154 lbs. (70 kg)

Renato is a young man of Taldan descent, with short brown hair and dull umber eyes. He is of average height and weight, with a slight build. Browns, grays and faded blues make up most of his wardrobe, consisting of ruffled shirts, frock coats, and vests. Though it is obvious from his well-tailored attire that he is far from destitute, the young writer is always in a state of bohemian dishevelment. All his fine clothing is rumpled and spattered with ink stains. There are dark circles under his eyes, his hair is constantly bedraggled, and a light stubble consistently covers his narrow jaw. While there is nothing especially noteworthy about his physical appearance, there is a certain appeal to Renato's almost overwhelming ordinariness. Likewise, his melancholic demeanor seems oddly inviting, as if he is looking for someone to share in his sorrows...

Some would call him a coward, but Renato prefers to think of himself as a moderate. Amongst all the reckless firebrands and self-serving rabble-rousers that dot Galt's political landscape, he is one the few who seem to be blessed with both temperance and selflessness. Unfortunately, he is also largely uninterested in taking any large part in Galt's public life. Despite his unassuming appearance, he is a charismatic speaker and a skilled rhetorician. When he chooses to assert himself, people listen. However, he prefers to concentrate on his writing, and mostly keeps to himself. Renato even publishes most of his works under a pseudonym, lending an air of mystery to his texts. The only exceptions this introversion are public readings of his written work, which he delivers with absolute confidence and inimitable fervour. These events are rare, however.

Most of Renato's writings are romantic novellas and tragic poems, fictional stories serving as clever allegories for Galt's intranational and international politics. The young writer also publishes essays about history, philosophy, and politics. He is fond of comparing the relationship between the nation and its citizens to a romance, albeit a tumultuous one. He posits that no matter how bad things get, Galtans will continue to love their country, and sooner or later the Revolution will have run its course. There is no stopping what has been started, so the people have no choice but to endure. This fatalistic philosophy, while built upon the hopeful musings of yesteryear, is tempered by a life lived admidst the bloody chaos that is today's Galt. This more grounded view has reached small but significant audience, but has also gathered multiple detractors over its perceived pessimism. However, Renato maintains that he is only being a realist.

Nothing matters more to Renato than his writing, not even his life. Without the possibility of putting his thoughts on paper, his usual melancholy quickly escalates to a state of unconsolable self-pity, and the thought of no one reading them is unthinkable. Aside from this all-consuming passion, his other studies have centered on related subjects, mostly on the humanities. As such, magical theory has been more of a diversion. On some level, Renato is terrified of his powers. His natural talent for the arcane has come with the vague, looming certainty of a thousand generations of expectation and obligation. Not only that, but most of his spells have manifested in ways that wrest others of their free will and bodily autonomy. Most of all, he is ashamed of the feeling of exhilaration he gets from dominating others in this way. He feels that this is directly in opposition to the revolutionary philosophies that he hold so dear, and as a result he rarely resorts to using his magic unless forced to do so. On some subconcious level, this need to impose his will upon others is realised through his writing.

While not especially religious, Renato has increasingly turned to Naderi for consolation and inspiration. He takes comfort in the fact that the Lost Maiden is always there, patiently waiting, with the promise of escape should his unseen burden become too hard to bear...

The man who would come to be known as Renato Vitrotti was born as Jean-Olivier Corneille, to a minor family of Galtan aristocrats. The members of House Corneille were of Old Taldan blood, but had already been in decline long before the advent of the Red Revolution. As such, they were able to quietly renounce their titles and most of their wealth to the newly formed Revolutionary Council, in exchange for their lives. They retreated to a voluntary exile in their family holdings near Galt's southern border, and managed to live quietly for almost two decades until the mob caught up to them. Renato was only five years old when the people—or whoever was directing them—decided that his father, Lord Nerio Corneille, had not been cooperative enough for their liking. Renato's earliest memories are of his childhood home in flames, and the heads of his parents rolling down the steps of the guillotine.

The executions were also attended by a senator named Orinthia Vitrotti, who was distantly related to Renato's father. She was the one who found the boy wandering in a daze through what remained of the Corneille family estate. He had been mercifully ignored by the bloodthirsty crowds, who were not aware of there being an heir after the family's long reclusion. While the senator had been unable to save his cousin from the mob, she chose to take responsibility for his offspring. And so, instead of being sent to be re-educated in one of the new regime's many orphanages, the boy was taken in by Senator Orinthia. He moved with her to Isarn, the capital and seat of government—or what was left of it. She gave him a new name to protect him from those who might still seek to harm him due to his birth, and made sure to impress on her ward the importance of keeping his heritage a secret. To the rest of the world, he was just the orphaned son of a scullery maid the senator had taken in out of her generosity and goodwill.

From there on, Renato lived a relatively sheltered life, though the uncertainty of his adoptive mother's station did not escape him. Senator Orinthia was well-meaning, but not the parenting type. She did make sure to offer young Renato the best possible education she could afford, but mostly left him to his own devices. The boy showed a remarkable capability for debate and statesmanship, which the senator encouraged. She wanted him to follow her into politics, but Renato chose differently. The boy was prone to morbid fancies, and preferred solitude. His magical awakening brought with it many conflicting feelings, and Renato spent most of his adolescence buried in books. He devoured countless novels, plays, and poems, and gorged himself on the real-life tragedies of Galt's storied history. Most of all, he was enchanted by the works of revolutionary thinkers such as Darl Jubannich and Hosetter. Their message was just, he thought, but mostly he was entranced by their use of the written word.

Without having meant to, these people had caused the deaths of his parents, and thousands of others. This realisation did not come with hatred or malice, but with a sense of relief and understanding. These people, while responsible for the terrors of Galt, were also behind the newfound prosperity of Andoran. There was power in the act of writing, something that could take on a life of its own. Yet, it was something Renato could use to bring about change in the world without forcing his will on others directly. He could use this power soothe wounds of others hurt by the Revolution, and to give them the same sense of calm he had experienced. Writing became his obsession, and he dedicated himself to the endeavor with a singular certitude. Writing did not come to him as easily as speaking, but he would not be discouraged. He started to distribute his works in any way he could, under an assumed identity to protect himself and his adopted mother from unwanted attention. The pseudonym originated from an obscure tragedy written in Ancient Azlanti, where Tiras was a sympathetic figure driven to suicide by his unrequited love. Finally, his writings started to reach some attention amongst the disgruntled youth of the capital.

After years of limited success, Renato has reached something of a writer's block. To clear his mind of the distractions of the capital, he has decided to take a vacation in the countryside, choosing the town of Azurestone as his destination. He sees something quintessentially Galtan in the the pastoral beauty of the northern plains, and the simple lives led by townsfolk inhabiting the region. On some level, the pristine natural beauty of the region also reminds him of his childhood in the countryside. By spending some time in away from the blood-stained streets and smoke-blackened skies of Isarn, Renato hopes to find the inspiration he needs to write his next masterpiece...