About Tabor SurantoStatistics:
Female Elven Arcanist (School Savant: Void) 1
CG Medium Humanoid (Elf) Init +5; Senses Perception +3 ------------------------------ DEFENSE ------------------------------ AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (+1 armor, +3 dex, +0 shield) hp 11 Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +2 (+2 vs enchantments) (+2 vs Spells & SLAs) ------------------------------ OFFENSE ------------------------------ Speed 30 ft. Melee -1 Ranged +3
Mwangi Scholor:
Forlorn:
FEATS Toughness:
SKILLS (6 points; 2 class, 4 INT) ----------------------------
*ACP applies to these skills
+2 Perception (Elf)
Languages Elven, Taldane, Sylvan, Draconic, Celestial, Abyssal, Varisian, Polyglot Special Abilities:
------------------------------ SPECIAL ABILITIES ------------------------------ Elf Low-Light Vision 60' Elven Immunities:
Elven Magic:
Keen Senses:
Arcane Focus:
School Abilities (Void): Void Magic:
Void Awareness (Su):
Reveal Weakness (Su):
Aura of Prescience (Su):
0 - guidance
Opposition School: Metal Spells:
------------------------------ Spells ------------------------------ 0th Spells Prepared: (4/day) Spells Cast: (at will) Acid Splash
1st Prepared: (2/day) | Cast: (2+1/day) Color Spray
Gear/Possessions:
------------------------------ GEAR/POSSESSIONS ------------------------------ Spellbook
Carrying Capacity
Money 13 GP 8 SP 3 CP
Background:
Alika Kogalnica found the elven child Ambriel beside a stream where she had gone to fetch water. Alika supposed the girl to be an equivalent age to a human of three or four. She was in good health, though disheveled and dirty. The elf child seemed very happy to see someone, but spoke only elven so there was little Alika could learn from her about her circumstances. Finding nobody else in the area, Alika took the girl back to her family’s caravan, which was camped nearby. Two of the caravan’s members spoke elven, but they were not able to learn much from the girl. Her name was Ambriel. She knew no family name. She had been alone in he forest and scared, but stayed by the stream when she found it because she was thirsty. Ambriel thought it had been about two days since she saw her parents, but didn’t know what had happened to separate her from them. A more intensive search of the area turned up no clues about what had happened or who her parents might be. A couple of days later, when the caravan was ready to move on, the Kogalnica clan took Ambriel along with them since there seemed nothing else to be done. The expectation was for someone to claim Ambriel as they traveled about asking as they passed through places if anyone knew about a missing elf girl. But as months turned into years, nobody ever did. There was no particular moment or event marking it, but as chances grew slimmer that her family would be found, Ambriel became more and more a Kogalnica. While Alika and her husband Davos were primarily Ambriel’s new parents, raising children was also a group responsibility in the caravan. Ambriel was to some greater or lesser degree raised by all of the adults. For a while things went very well. Ambriel became extremely close to Alika and Davos, as well as many of the other adults. But with added time cracks in the arrangement began to appear. At first they were minor. As her peers passed her into adulthood, Ambriel was left behind. She was hardly changed and had to adapt to a new set of younger children who came up as her new peer group. Ambriel was a tween when old age took Alika and Davos, as well as the rest of the adults she had first known. It fell to her former age peers to become her new parents. By the time Ambriel reached about 85, roughly her late teens. Her new elders were the children of those children she had first known. The situation created problems on both sides. Ambriel was finally an adult physically, if not intellectually or emotionally. She was also by generations the oldest person in the clan. Where she should have been an elder and leader, she was instead given to rebellion and meltdowns. For her part Ambriel had been through the heartbreak of losing all of her loved ones three times over. She decided that in order to save her sanity, she could no longer develop deep emotional attachments to people. Nothing was ever said directly about it, but all parties felt Ambriel needed to go. By this time the clan had been settled in one of the Varisian neighborhoods in Magnimar for a few decades. Ambriel knew the city better than anywhere else in the world so she remained there, moving to a new, more central neighborhood. Ambriel’s considerable intelligence had already secured herself a job as a librarian at the Founder’s Archive and Museum of Ages, so she had no difficulty supporting herself on her own. Ambriel maintained an active social life, mostly with new human acquaintances. For a while early on she tried to establish friendships with other elves. There were other elves in the city, mostly from the Mierani Forest she discovered. They tended to treat forlorn elves as not fully elven though. While they were not intentionally cruel, Ambriel could clearly tell they thought of her as maimed or damaged. She found their condescension or pity unbearable, and so she made it her habit to avoid other elves. Ambriel’s grand project since striking out on her own has been to understand the workings of the Void. Originally she had simply wanted to learn magic, but her interests expanded with time. She had long known of the Void. Tales of the origins of the Black Butterfly are a staple of Varisian folklore, and the Black Butterfly more than Desna or other supernatural beings or Empyreal Lords fascinated her. When she was young she would riff on the Black Butterfly’s creation: from nothing, but suddenly there fully formed, as a metaphor to describe her own discovery by Alika and the Kogalnicas. Ambriel never considered attending a college of magic. She felt herself capable of learning on her own, and in any case she did not have the kind of money needed for enrollment. If she found herself stuck on a problem she could not solve, she could always find a lover/tutor among the many students and teachers of magic who cycled endlessly through the schools. Many men, and a few women, have held the role over time. Such relationships tended to be short lived. To a person they found Ambriel a frustratingly unfocused student. She would work diligently under their guidance for a little while, but then she would move to another interest or take a break from studying stretching into months or years. It did not help that Ambriel refused to commit to anything other than the most casual of relationships. In Ambriel’s view her various tutors were always driven by something else underpinning their love of magic. It could be desire for wealth, power, or recognition, but they always barreled ahead as fast as they could so they could reach their goal. Ambriel understood, they had so little time to make their mark on the world. But she was certainly not going to change her ways to satisfy them. Magic was only a facet in her larger project, which also included philosophy, cosmology, theology, and scientific history. No one facet should advance too far without the others she held. She was coming to believe the Void was not the absence of all things, but the absence of time. The material multiverse is subject to time, with its linearity and regularity. The Void, from which the material arose, was material or energy not subject to any such restrictions. It was pure chaos, unsortable or uncategorizable into any smaller distinct units. The material sprang from the Void, but the Void held the material together. Ambriel wants to know if she is correct, and if so how it works. For a human generation or so this was Ambriel’s life. But the last tutor she took on ruined it for her, and ended the Magnimar phase. He was a half-elf, but in retrospect Ambriel is not sure she truly knew anything more about him. He was certainly well-educated, and shared more of her interests than previous tutors had. He was also accommodating of her meandering style of magical study. Ambriel felt a connection to him of the kind she had not felt in a long time, becoming closer to him than she had previously allowed herself with others. She began to wonder if maybe it was possible they could remain together for the long-term. One thing he continued to ask her for was access to certain books in the library’s collection that were off-limits to anyone but staff. She eventually agreed in order to please him, and let him use the reserves archive without supervision. He disappeared from it, taking the only known copy of a book of great value. As far as Ambriel knows, he promptly left the city. Ambriel was fortunate to avoid legal consequences, but she was dismissed from her position for the breach of rules. The book theft blew into a scandal among intellectual and literary circles in the city. Without an apprehended thief to blame, Ambriel took the brunt of it. Rumors circulated saying she was actually an accomplice, or even the mastermind who planned it. Her romantic history, which was no secret before anyway, was now subject to moralizing. Her friends were no longer eager to be seen with her in public. Ambriel blamed herself as well, humiliated that she had been so thoroughly conned that she broke her personal rules about romantic partners. Without her library position Ambriel no longer had access to books she needed. There was no chance she would be getting any type of similar job in Magnimar anytime soon. She was socially ruined for a long while at least. So she decided to leave the city. Ambriel had at times toyed with the idea of traveling to the area of Garund that had once been Lergin. She has found some evidence in her research that the astronomers of Lergin had discovered certain properties of the Void in their investigations. If she could find out what they knew it could be a great breakthrough for her. It would keep her occupied productively while Magnimar wasn't a friendly place for her to be, and could help her rehabilitate her name if she found something of great importance. Ambriel's plan is to sail to Sargava, where she will be access to better, more current information, and plan her journey to Lergin itself from there.
Appearance and Personality:
Height: 5'10" Weight: 114 Hair: Black Eyes: Green Ambriel is of average height and weight for an elf. If she lived in Kyonin she would probably not be counted among its fairest roses, but in Magnimar she was always quite a sight. Her jet-black hair, pale skin, and deep green eyes, along with her willowy figure and elven grace made her the subject of adoration and envy. She dressed conservatively for work, as was expected of her. But she was willing to spend on stylish, flattering clothes for nights out. Ambriel left most of her work clothes behind when she packed for Roderic’s Cove. Despite her focus on magic and intellectual pursuits, Ambriel is no introvert or recluse. She loves to socialize and meet new people. Her extracurricular interests have shifted often over time. In the past she has been an avid theater attendee, opera fan, and regular among literary salons. At certain points she dabbled in the Empyreal cults common in Magnimar (where she first met Audrahni, although they would continue to cross paths elsewhere). As she explores new pursuits, she makes friends and acquaintances to share them with. Many years of this lifestyle have made her well recognized if unimportant in circles surprisingly high on the social ladder for a humble librarian. Ambriel is most comfortable around humans, and least comfortable with elves. As long as Ambriel sticks to her rule to not become emotionally invested in particular humans she finds them good company. Humans have mostly been very accepting of her in return. Elves can almost without fail discern Ambriel’s background. In part this is because she speaks Elven in a formal, almost ossified way. Although she has ensured she is fluent in the language, she has not used it enough over the years since she was a small child to develop the natural tone, cadence, and colloquialisms of a lifelong daily speaker. Really her first languages are Varisian and Taldane. But it doesn’t even take speech to give her away. She doesn’t know precisely what but something about her body language, or carriage, or facial expressions is off to elves who have always lived among their own. Unlike most elves, she does not look down on humans, or consider their lives too short to matter. Ambriel sees it as a matter of scale and perspective. Elves think of human lives as trivially short because they live hundreds of years. But to something living thousands of years, so elves must seem trivial. And, aboleths say, view the creature living thousands of years as inconsequential. She is not even sure gods are immortal in the way it is typically thought. They can die, certainly some have. Perhaps they are mortals with a long, to this point undefined, lifespan. The possibility hasn’t been tested yet.
Serpent's Skull Questions:
1) I'd like 5+ points that capture the concept and story of the character. More are welcome, but no less than five. A. Ambriel is extremely intelligent but due to her eccentric ways of expressing her ability, she has always been underappreciated. B. Ambriel has always, within her memory, lived with and among humans. She speaks elven as a second language. She appreciates the company of humans more than elves. C. Ambriel is very deeply tied to Magnimar. While she is currently a persona non-grata there, she does not entertain the possibility of living somewhere else permanently. While her own interests in the arcane are the primary reason for her journey to Garund, redeeming herself with accomplishments that can help paper over the black spot in her past motivates her more than she will admit. D. Ambriel is thoroughly a city girl. Jungle hijinks will ensue. E. Ambriel has many interests aside from her central focus on the arcane. She has a tendency to rotate through things, picking them up and putting them aside for something else. She may show tendencies of greater and lesser focus. Sometimes she may be he most goal-oriented and driven member of the party. At other times her attention may lapse and need prodding from others. 2) Two goals that you'd like the character to accomplish in-game. A. It’s probably unlikely the Serpent’s Skull AP will coincidentally allow Ambriel to make any significant discoveries in the subject area of Lirgeni knowledge of the Void and how it structures time and space. However, some important discovery of arcane knowledge, even in another area, would let Ambriel eventually return home with her head held high in the future. It would allow her to move from being a lowly librarian who dabbles to an expert in the arcane who is appreciated and sought out for her talent and knowledge. B. For a very long time now Ambriel has practiced a sort of non-attachment to people around her. While she is friendly and social enough, she doesn’t invest deeply in the people around her. From experience she knows a deep friendship with a member of a shorter-lived race will inevitably end with painful loss. However she has recently found reason to avoid extending trust to others as well. This has been corrosive to her mental wellbeing. Perhaps shared experience until trying and dangerous circumstances will help her rebuild some faith in others, and even find sincere friendships to be worthwhile again. 3) Two secrets, one the PC keeps to herself, and one kept from the PC. I'll come up with a third that both the character and player aren't aware of, in hopes of shocking surprises within the storytelling. A. For a while Ambriel took up an interest in her elven parentage. It proved to be an easy thing to track down whom her parents were with near certainty. Library exchange requests are a wondrous thing. They are both still alive as of a few decades ago. Both are attached to the Mierani diplomatic mission in Korvosa. They are listed in records as traveling to the area of Magnimar to assess the need for a diplomatic presence there at the time Ambriel was found. They had a daughter named Ambriel listed as lost and deceased on that journey. Ambriel has never told anyone of her discovery, and has no intention of contacting them. B. There is a very good reason why Herrick, the half-elf who conned Ambriel was so good at gaining her confidence. He has been thoroughly coached by a friend of hers. Iristrina Peccati had inherited well due to her parents’ untimely deaths. She also blew through her money quickly. With debtors calling she enlisted Herrick, prepared him, ensured he and Ambriel would meet, and arranged the sale of the stolen tome in Korvosa. She took 75% of the proceeds. 4) 3-5 people that are tied to your PC by blood, love, rivalry, honor, etc. I'd like at least one enemy in a set of three or four, with no more than two for a set of five. Ambriel has had many friends over the years, unfortunately they were mostly humans who are now dead. In the more recent decades she has preferred to keep some distance and cultivate acquaintances instead. Friends are a weak point for her. A. (Parents) Alika and Davos Kogalnica were Ambriel’s adoptive parents. Long dead now, they were the closest connection Ambriel has ever had. B. (Friend/Acquaintance) Iristrina Peccati came closest to being Ambriel’s friend recently. After the stolen book scandal Iristrina came to shun Ambriel like most everyone else. Ambriel isn’t naïve though and understands Iristrina did so to preserve her own standing. Ambriel doesn’t consider this a personal betrayal and would be open to forgiving and forgetting in the future. She had no idea Iristrina engineered the book theft. C. (Enemy) Herrick is the half-elf who wormed his way into Ambriel’s trust as an intellectual mate and lover. Though she isn’t a follower of Calistria, Ambriel has prayed many times to the goddess for the opportunity to get revenge on him. 5) Three key memories that define your character as the person they are at the time of submission. Ambriel has been around for a long time, likely longer than anyone else in the party. She gets an extra key memory. A. Just within her youngest memories: Young Magnimar, when the construction boom following the influx of settlers from Korvosa was still underway. Her adopted family’s caravan stopped there for the first time, and the older members talked of the place as it had been before, when it was a mysterious and holy site of ancient ruins. B. Her final break with the Kogalnica family, at that point settled in an outer, shabby neighborhood of Magnimar. She could not attach herself to the third generation of the family after outliving the first two, and they were unwilling to put up with her anymore. Ambriel forswears close relationships with humans and largely adheres to it. C. Her excitement when she discovered books in the library describing an element called the Void. It tracked perfectly with the stories of the Black Butterfly she had heard as a child. Ambriel realized the places talked about in the stories were not fictional or metaphorical, but real places in another dimension. Her lifelong passion is ignited. D. Dismissal from the library staff of the Founder’s Archive and Museum of Ages. She was tricked by a good con artist and paid the price for it when a valuable item was stolen. This is her newest key memory and still a very raw one. Ambriel has seen other very bad times before though, and she will weather this one as well. She is patient, and time is on her side after all. |
