Seannon Starfall's page

Seannon was born in Varisia to a halfling woman devoted to Desna, and spent most of her youth wandering the wild lands with a Varisian caravan preaching the song of the spheres at the shrines of the goddess. She never knew her father, but she grew up aware that something was different about her mother: she was said to have been blessed by the Great Dreamer, but for what purpose she did not know. She was extraordinarily long-lived, even for a halfling, and both of her eyes seemed at times to glow with the purple light of Elysium. Some whispered that she had celestial blood.

Neither of them ever really fit in with any of the halfling communities they visited-- they were shown the respect due to followers of Desna, but never welcomed. Likewise Seannon never felt fully accepted into the Varisian culture of the caravan because of her race. She began to distrust the other children and even adults, and tended to pre-emptively start fights whenever her mother left her alone. It became clear that their nomadic lifestyle was less a choice and more a necessity as they grew older. A desperate need began to grow in Seannon, the desire for a sense of belonging among the people of a community and a place that she could call home.

Seannon's mother had come from a large family of halflings, many of whom had escaped to Varisia from Cheliax, where they had once been enslaved. Seannon heard many stories about her relatives and the conditions in Cheliax when her mother had been a little girl, long before she and two of her brothers had fled the country. Her mother did not know what had happened to them, for apparently they were never close, and it seemed to be a sore spot so Seannon did not pry.

Then Seannon's mother, who was well in her 100s and had spent more than a century on the road, caught sick and died. She went quickly, and there was nothing her devoted daughter could do. Seannon mourned her and spent a pious year scattering her ashes at four different shrines. During this pilgrimage, she felt for the first time as if her mind was opened to the true beauty of Desna, and she experienced a mystic revelation. She lived to serve as the champion of her goddess, and needed to protect the rest of her family as her mother had protected her. Full of zeal, she set off to try and find her estranged uncles and reconcile with them. When she eventually tracked them down, she learned that they were still working for the Bellflower network, helping their extended family smuggle halflings out of Cheliax.

Now, many years later, Seannon lives in Kintargo, having followed her relatives' trail there. She came specifically looking for her cousin Laria, but when they finally met things didn't go well. She told Seannon that Cheliax is a dangerous place— too dangerous, especially for a devout follower of Desna. She urged Seannon to return to Varisia. Seannon refused, and begged her cousin to leave with her instead. Or, if she would not, to at least let her help the effort. Laria put her off, and Seannon is not sure why. Perhaps it was because of how conspicuous Seannon is, or perhaps because her cousin seems to have unresolved issues with Desna or her Varisian family members. For whatever reason, Seannon and Laria grew incredibly distant, and the two of them haven't even spoken in a very long time.

Seannon has used her time to build up and inspire Desna's followers. She organizes roving prayer meetings in various hidden locations throughout the city, and to help galvanize the faith she dresses in a very militant costume beneath her simple beggar's cloak. (She is learning to be less noticeable, though it doesn't come naturally to her.) She sings in the squares near the opera house and temples to make her living, though more than a few of the coins she receives in her cap come as tithes from her fellow Desnans. She often stays with a Varisian family that maintains the cemetery in the old city, ministering to them in exchange for room and board. Her message is a call to action: that they must all do more to help others, to oppose the wicked Asmodeans and their devil summoners that infest the power structures of Cheliax, and to liberate the city from the evil tyranny of the House of Thrune. So far, she has had very little success— on the whole, the people are too afraid of reprisals to risk their lives and property for such high-minded ideals— but Seannon thinks that as conditions get worse more and more will become receptive to her charge.

The reasons for her trait choices are as follows.
• Adopted (Varisian): She has spent most of her life as part of a Varisian caravan, and though she and her mother were never fully accepted as one of them, she still thinks of herself as Varisian. She fully embraces Varisian mysticism, and favors light purple clothing for its divine symbolism. Her mother's kapenia scarf is one of her dearest possessions, though she only wears it on very special occasions. As the daughter of a Varisian fortune-teller, she sometimes inadvertently speaks in cryptic omens. Finally, she has a very flexible attitude towards personal possessions: she has no moral objections to stealing from people who are not part of her tribe. However, since she is so invested in the future of the common people of Kintargo, her tribe is very inclusive. But Thrune's followers and sycophants are fair game.
• Irrepressible: Seannon feels inspired by Desna, and her infectious devotion helps her resist those who would control her mentally. Freedom, after all, is of great importance to the Great Dreamer. This trait represents her first blessing from her goddess, the power to exert her extraordinary charisma in place of her average wisdom when defending against hostile enchantments.
• Pattern Seeker: Perhaps because of her chaotic childhood always moving from place to place, Seannon takes comfort in predictable stimuli like songs and gazing at the stars. While she is a wanderer at heart, she considers her nomadic inclinations as traveling in a circular pattern that returns to the familiar in regular intervals. She manifests this through singing as she travels and studying the heavens for signs from her goddess.
• Righteous Indignation (drawback): Seannon's temper from being bullied as a child often gets the better of her, especially when witnessing the cruelties and senseless restrictions imposed on Kintargo's citizens by the tyrants of Thrune. She has great difficulty remaining silent and passive when in the presence of such threats, even when it is extremely dangerous for her to resist. She also has an unfortunate habit of impulsively swearing vows to help those who suffer from oppressive abuse, which-- because of her oracle's curse-- literally eats her up from inside when she fails.
• Varisian Tattoo: Seannon has tattooed herself according to the traditions of her adopted kinfolk, each representing one of her own children that she has symbolically given to the community. As a devout follower of Desna, she has trained extensively with the starknife, the goddess's favored weapon. She is also familiar with the bladed Kapenia scarf, though she doesn't own one.

Seannon wakes just before dawn as she always does-- she likes to see the stars before her day begins. She has been staying lately in the small house where the family of the Old City Cemetery's caretaker lives, just off the edge of the hallowed grounds. The mother, Esme Nightsong, is Varisian, and she and her children secretly worship Desna while her husband follows Pharasma for professional reasons. Because of the family's devotion, they give Seannon room and board as she needs it, and in return she sings hymns to the Great Dreamer while they eat. She has developed a close kinship with the family's youngest son, Jasper. He is only just seventeen, and a big, strapping boy-- though very socially awkward. His family believe he is touched in the head, but Seannon thinks he is actually quite intelligent, and enjoys spending time with him and listening to him talk about the many things that interest him when his parents are busy.

Jasper often works the night shift, guarding the perimeter and watching for vandals, and occasionally doing the digging when his father gets behind on work. Since Barzillai Thrune took power, his administrators have instructed that no new graves are to be sold in the grounds, but there are still the bones of decomposed inhabitants to be removed and transferred to the ossuary or one of the crematoriums out of town, and recently there have been dark hints that the Church of Asmodeus will soon have replacements, so Thrune's servitors have ordered that the plots be made ready.

This morning, Jasper is sitting at the table when Seannon returns inside from her prayers. "Good morning, Jasper," she chirps merrily, not looking at him directly to help him feel comfortable. "I heard there is to be a demonstration today at the Aria Park Plaza." She waits a beat and then continues. "I am thinking of going... I must keep aware of what is happening in our city, after all, and if I am to do as the goddess would desire for the downtrodden and oppressed of Kintargo, I would be well-served to keep my eyes out for allies and enemies alike."

Jasper stares into space, but after a moment he nods to indicate that he has heard her.

"I do not know exactly why the people are assembling," she says carefully, after another long pause, "though I have some ideas. Maybe you do too?" She smiles, and helps herself to a hard-boiled egg and two slices of bread that have been toasting near the fire. As she eats, she watches Jasper, though she does so very circumspectly. She has found that he doesn't like to be stared at, and while he would never harm her, he had gotten in fights with other children when he got agitated. Seannon always treats him with patience and respect, and she believes that the young man appreciates it.

Jasper is silent for a little while, and then says quietly: "Maybe because of the dictum." He nods confidently to himself, as if to say That's probably it, and after a brief moment he adds a bit more forcefully: "Martial law."

Seannon smiles even more broadly. "Ah, that's probably why," she says encouragingly. "A show of resistance from those who oppose the way Thrune rules this city." She pauses to see if Jasper has anything else to add, and when he doesn't, she continues. "It may be dangerous there. The dottari will probably break up anyone loudly protesting, and try to separate groups from each other." She scratches her head, casually. "I will do my best to stay away from troublemakers, but I cannot promise I won't be swept up with the others once the heavy mace comes down. If you and your family don't hear from me in a few days, I might be imprisoned. For your own safety, you shouldn't come looking for me. You know? Trust that I will be okay, and I'll see you soon."

A spasm of fear twists Jasper's features, but he nods again and takes deep breaths. He clasps his hands and bends his head as if in prayer, and Seannon joins him. Then she stands and returns to her room, dressing in her armor and her travel-worn cloak, and packs all of her things into the bag she wears on her back. She leaves through the back door, and makes her way around the estate.

She takes a long, circuitous route to the park, which is not very far away, but she still arrives several hours early. There, she sets herself up on a corner near one of the fountains and some benches and hums to herself. "Care for a song? A song for the lady? One copper a song!" She busks almost out of habit as others begin to arrive, and she moves smoothly through the crowd without obvious purpose, trying to keep tabs on everything happening and doing her best to be near enough to see important events as they develop.

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As befits a champion of Desna, Seannon dresses in a shining shirt of armor, which hugs her slight halfling frame and matches the silver-gray strands in her hair. Her features are middle-aged, with some slight weathering and wrinkles around her sharp-looking eyes. Her skin is colored with warm patches of freckles across her nose and cheeks. She carries a starknife on her right hip, the traditional weapon of Desna's followers, and she wears a small shield on her left wrist that is also fashioned to look like a starknife. A butterfly pendant hangs around her neck, and she has two tattoos of the Varisian style that are occasionally visible on her legs. She tries to hide all of this beneath a simple black beggar's cloak to avoid attracting the notice of the dottari patrols. Her voice has a clear ring to it like a town crier's bell with a few tinny scratches— it is distinctive, and it carries.

Seannon also has a vicious temper, which in all her years she has never managed to get under control. She cannot abide bullies, and she has great difficulty letting go of abuse, especially toward herself or her friends. She fervently believes that Desna has sent her to Kintargo to liberate the city and drive back the evil forces arrayed against it. She doesn't hate humans, but she believes it is her duty to care for demihumans and nonhumans (and especially other halflings), whose grievances she believes deserve extra attention due to centuries of oppression and prejudice against them in Kintargo and throughout Cheliax. Finally, she has a wide rebellious streak. Since their introduction, she has gone out of her way to ignore the various proclamations whenever she can, even though it causes her a lot of trouble. But she feels it is up to her to set an example for others, or the people's rebellion will fail before it can begin.

1. What is your character’s name?
Seannon Starfall (pronounced "SHAN-nun")

2. How old is your character?
Like many halflings, Seannon might appear to be a young human at first glance, but her graying hair and wrinkles around her eyes suggest she is much older. (I figure she's at least 50.)

3. What would somebody see at first glance (i.e. height, weight, skin color, eye color, hair color, physique, race, and visible equipment)?
She appears to be an older halfling woman, about half the size of a typical human, with warm-colored skin and ruddy cheeks. Her hair is silvery-gray. She wears medium armor, carries a shield, and wields a distinctive starknife. She has a butterfly pendant at her neck.

4. What additional attributes would be noticed upon meeting the character (i.e. Speech, mannerisms)?
She has a slight Varisian accent, like she did not grow up in Cheliax. She struggles to hide her adherence to Desna, and obviously does not like subterfuge, even in a dangerous place like Kintargo. Like many halflings, her voice is musical and lilting, and it often rings like she is singing even when she is speaking normally.

5. Where was your character born? Where were you raised? By who?
Seannon was born and raised in Varisia, though she is not sure exactly where. She and her mother led a nomadic life, traveling with a traditional Varisian caravan that ranged all over western Avistan.

6. Who are your parents? Are they alive? What do they do for a living?
Seannon's mother died about ten years ago, which ultimately prompted her move to Cheliax. She knows nothing about her father, and her mother absolutely refused to speak of him, claiming she did not know who he was. She once joked that Seannon had been born by sheer force of will. Seannon has not investigated too closely to honor her mother's wishes, and has privately decided that her birth was a lucky miracle.

7. Do you have any other family or friends?
Seannon's mother was part of a large family of halflings living in Cheliax, and had managed to escape enslavement when she was very young. She had two brothers that Seannon believes work for the Bellflower network, and several of their children still live in Kintargo. She has met one of her uncles and her cousin Laria, but they have not fully embraced her into their circles as of yet.

8. What is your character’s marital status? Kids?
Seannon is not married, and probably never will be. She has two children in Varisia who both remained with the caravan when she left, and though she loves them both, she respected their decision to stay behind. She often worried that her mother's strangeness would isolate them from their peers, so she allowed the community to help raise them, in the Varisian tradition. She would dearly like to see them again once her work in Cheliax is done.

9. What is your character’s alignment?
Seannon is neutral good, which represents how she is somewhat conflicted between lawful and chaotic. Her goddess is very chaotic, and her mother was also, and that has led Seannon to crave order and structure even while she rebels against oppression and enslavement. She doesn't like to lie, and she would never break a promise. But she is not against disguises, pranks, or thievery (as long as it's not from her friends and family).

10. What is your character’s moral code?
Seannon thinks of herself like a paladin of Desna, and she does her best to follow the rules that feel right to her. Over time, these have developed into the following tenets (Originally written by Margherita Tramontano).
• I trust dreams, feelings, and premonitions. Through them, Lady Luck speaks. I trust my own forebodings above external warnings.
• I will travel in search of adventures and wrongs to fix. There are many more creatures needing my help than I could find if I stay in one place. I will sleep under the cover of stars whenever I can.
• I defend everyone's right to have and fulfill their dreams. Unjust impositions will find me ready to fight, with my words or my blade.
• When I have no specific destination in my travels, I entrust myself to the guide of Fate. Luck will guide my path and bring me where I am needed.
• I am relentless in hunting and destroying evil creatures. I will prevent fiends and aberrations from crushing the hopes and invading the dreams of innocents. I will purify the beauty of the night from unrighteous menace.
• I protect beautiful flying creatures. Their grace inspires dreams of good and glory.
• I benefit the poor and needy in every way I can. I am the hand of Luck sent to change their lives. If the rich won't share their luck with others, I will take it upon myself to restore the balance.

11. Does your character have goals?
Seannon wants to prove herself to her cousin Laria, so she can become a member of the Bellflower network. Her family's good opinion is very important to her, but more than that she desperately wants to be part of the force that brings great social change to the people of Kintargo. With Desna's aid, she wants to free other halflings from servitude, free other citizens from imprisonment, and to free the city as a whole from the tyranny of House Thrune.

12. Is your character religious?
She is a devout follower of Desna.

13. What are your character’s personal beliefs?
She is very Good with a capital G, in that she believes that anyone can change for the better so long as they are willing to focus on their community and perform selfless rather than selfish acts. She believes in might for right rather than might makes right. She doesn't think anyone is inherently more suited to government leadership over anyone else, and so she doesn't generally support feudalism or the aristocracy. She is fervently opposed to authoritarian rule, but she would rather her city not descend into anarchy.

14. Does your character have any personality quirks (i.e. anti-social, arrogant, optimistic, paranoid)?
Seannon is both rebellious and legalistic, which is often confusing. She stands up to bullies and chafes under restrictions imposed by others, but she is cursed to constantly set up rules for herself that she cannot break without consequences. She makes a lot of promises and then struggles to keep them. She prefers to sleep where she can see the sky, and she doesn't like to sleep in the same place two nights in a row. She cares a lot about her dreams-- she shares them with anyone who will listen. She is anxious to prove herself, despite her age, and that makes her slightly belligerent. She has also been known to smoke. She likes good food and good drink and eats more than her share as "padding" for when she must go without, but she usually tries to finish quickly so she can sing-- she believes music during meals helps the digestion and heightens the flavor. She loves bright lights and sounds, and is particularly drawn to unusual patterns, musical or otherwise. She likes syncopation, though she doesn't like to dance. She will often hum along when other people are singing or when she hears sounds like the bells on top of the Temple of Asmodeus, and feels almost compulsively obliged to stop whatever she is doing to listen.

15. Why does your character adventure? Why would you join the rebellion?
She wants to enact social change for the glory of Desna on a grand scale! She delights in the challenge of fighting unequivocally evil systemic oppression. Guided by her dreams, she believes that adventuring is the best way to grow powerful enough (in allies, resources, and abilities) that she can meaningfully threaten the status quo.

16. How does your character view his/her role as an adventurer?
Seannon is an oracle that acts like a very unconventional cleric. Her magic is mostly defensive support spells like shield of faith and protection from evil, with a few aggressive control spells like color spray and obscuring mist. She will take it upon herself to heal everyone after a fight and to buff herself and her allies before known encounters. Like many clerics, she is not afraid of combat, and will likely rush in to attack enemies with her starknife. She is also eager to participate in negotiations to influence others and gather information, being well-trained in Diplomacy and Sense Motive, though in the future she may come to rely more on intimidation.

17. Does your character have any distinguishing marks (birth-marks, scars, deformities)?
Seannon believes tattoos are a cultural symbol of great life achievements, and she has two small ones on her right ankle: a wildflower and a horse. Her cheeks are lightly freckled, though faint enough that they make her look cheery rather than burnt.

18. How does your character get along with others?
Seannon gets along very well with others, her halfling family notwithstanding. She grew up with humans, and she often stays with human families, so she knows how to interact positively with members of different races and backgrounds. She makes a special effort with other halflings, but for some reason has yet to make any lasting friends. She suspects it is because they can tell she wasn't born in Kintargo, and thus hasn't had to deal with the pervasive racism and oppression that they have endured for centuries. Many halflings will listen to her preach about Desna, but few remain to speak with her afterward. She also goes out of her way to accommodate and defer to other nonhumans when she encounters them, as she believes that Cheliaxian domination must have similarly affected them. However, she does not obsequiously bow and scrape to humans like many of them expect her to do, which can often start her off on the wrong footing with them.

19. Is there anything that your character hates?
Seannon doesn't like to use the word 'hate', but she definitely hates devils, and she also hates how Cheliaxian culture invokes devils for everything. Most bad people she can at least understand their motivations and try to convince them to mend their ways, but she believes that the denizens of Hell are inherently evil and unable to change. She generally hates oppression and bullying, but it might be fairer to say that she loves underdogs and wants to help them against their opponents.

20. Is there anything that your character fears?
Seannon has lots of nebulous fears (fear of monsters, fear of rejection, fear of losing what is important to her), but as a tangible fear she is afraid of dogs. She's never been around them for any significant length of time and has heard lots of scary stories about them. The idea that they are beasts who are fanatically loyal to their master and will commit horrific violence without questioning the rightness of their actions terrifies her.

I decided to plan for Seannon taking one level of Exemplar brawler at level 4, since Warsighted oracle already gives her martial flexibility and she should be able to use the two abilities interchangeably. Mostly this is for brawler's cunning and to boost her BAB and her saves a little, but also it might better represent Laria Longroad's influence on her, since by then their relationship might have improved. Even though Seannon will eventually have 8th-level spells, she imagines herself much more martial than spellcaster-- her magic is for buffing pre-combat, healing post-combat, and occasional spot debuffing during combat. Here's the plan!

1. Oracle 1, Divine Fighting Technique, martial flexibility (move), mystery (Heavens), oracle's curse (Legalistic); spells: bless, obscuring mist
2. Oracle 2, spells: color spray
3. Oracle 3, Improved Initiative, revelation (Awesome Display); spells: ears of the city
4. Brawler 1, brawler's cunning, call to arms, martial flexibility (move), martial training
5. Oracle 4, Quick Draw; spells: eagle's splendor, hypnotic pattern, shield of faith (replaces bless)
6. Oracle 5, oracle's curse; spells: ashen path, liberating command
7. Oracle 6, Leadership; spells: communal resist energy, daylight
8. Oracle 7, martial flexibility (swift); spells: lesser restoration, magic vestment, protection from evil
9. Oracle 8, Martial Focus (light blades); spells: blessing of fervor, rainbow pattern
10. Oracle 9, spells: dispel magic, greater magic weapon, ironskin
11. Oracle 10, oracle's curse, Ricochet Toss; spells: breath of life, overland flight
12. Oracle 11, martial flexibility (free); spells: communal air walk, communal align weapon, death ward, grace
13. Oracle 12, Precise Shot; spells: chain lightning, heal
14. Oracle 13, spells: dimensional blade, freedom of movement, true seeing
15. Oracle 14, Improved Precise Shot; spells: particulate form, prismatic spray
16. Oracle 15, martial flexibility (immediate), oracle's curse; spells: chains of light, cleanse, repulsion
17. Oracle 16, Advanced Divine Fighting Technique, Rapid Shot; spells: euphoric tranquility, sunburst

Full round
• full attack
• withdraw

Standard
• attack
• cast spell

Move
• martial flexibility
• move 20'
• retrieve item

No action
• vow (Legalistic)