About Talienda BlackhornWarning: There are spoilers for the module Hangman's Noose in Talienda's background. I can't avoid spoiling the end of the module since it has some pretty major developments for Talienda as a character. Stats:
Talienda Blackhorn Female aasimar bard 2/sorcerer (crossblooded) 2 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 7, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 69) NG Medium outsider (native) Hero Points 1 Init +3; Senses darkvision 120 ft.; Perception +10 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (+1 armor, +3 Dex) hp 26 (4 HD; 2d6+2d8+4) Fort +1, Ref +6, Will +6; +4 vs. bardic performance, language-dependent, and sonic Resist acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Melee dagger +1 (1d4-1/19-20) Special Attacks bardic performance 10 rounds/day (countersong, distraction, fascinate [DC 15], inspire courage +1) Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th; concentration +8) . . 1/day—daylight Bloodline Spell-Like Abilities (CL 2nd; concentration +6) . . 7/day—elemental ray (1d6+1 electricity) Bard Spells Known (CL 2nd; concentration +6) . . 1st (3/day)—cure light wounds, feather fall, vanish[APG] (DC 15) . . 0 (at will)—detect magic, ghost sound (DC 14), light, resistance, summon instrument Sorcerer (Crossblooded) Spells Known (CL 2nd; concentration +6) . . 1st (5/day)—magic missile . . 0 (at will)—arcane mark, dancing lights, mage hand, mending, message, prestidigitation . . Bloodline Arcane, Elemental (air) -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 18 Base Atk +2; CMB +1; CMD 14 Feats Deepsight[APG], Eschew Materials, Expanded Arcana[APG] Traits blood of dragons, intense artist, rich parents Skills Acrobatics +8, Appraise +6, Climb +4, Craft (calligraphy) +8, Craft (painting) +8, Diplomacy +10, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +7, Knowledge (engineering) +7, Knowledge (geography) +7, Knowledge (history) +7, Knowledge (local) +8, Knowledge (nature) +7, Knowledge (nobility) +7, Knowledge (planes) +7, Knowledge (religion) +7, Linguistics +6, Perception +10, Perform (dance) +9, Perform (sing) +10, Perform (string instruments) +10, Perform (wind instruments) +10, Sleight of Hand +7, Spellcraft +6, Stealth +9, Use Magic Device +9; Racial Modifiers +2 Diplomacy, +2 Perception Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Elven, Sylvan SQ arcane bond (Echo, cat), bardic knowledge +1, bloodline arcana (+1 DC for metamagic spells that increase spell level), bloodline arcana (change energy damage spells to match bloodline energy), hero points, sheltered, versatile performance (sing) Other Gear dagger, bracers of armor +1, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, courtier's outfit (2), explorer's outfit, flint and steel, jewelry[UE], jewelry[UE], masterwork Flute, masterwork tool, masterwork tool, masterwork Violin, mess kit[UE], noble's outfit, pot, signet ring, silver holy symbol of Shelyn, soap, torch (10), trail rations (5), waterskin, hireling, investigator starting formula book, mithral shirt barding, rapier, thieves' tools, 42 gp, 8 cp -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Bardic Knowledge +1 (Ex) Add +1 to all knowledge skill checks. Bardic Performance (standard action, 10 rounds/day) Your performances can create magical effects. Bloodline Arcana: Arcane (Ex) When a spell level is increased by a metamagic feat, it gains +1 DC. Bloodline Arcana: Elemental (Ex) You may change any energy spell to use Electricity energy. Darkvision (120 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only). Elemental Ray (1d6+1 electricity, 7/day) (Sp) As a standard action, ranged touch attack deals damage to foe. Energy Resistance, Acid (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Acid attacks. Energy Resistance, Cold (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Cold attacks. Energy Resistance, Electricity (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Electricity attacks. Eschew Materials Cast spells without materials, if component cost is 1 gp or less. Hero Points Hero Points can be spent at any time to grant a variety of bonuses. Sheltered You become shaken when you have less than half your maximum hit points. Versatile Performance (Singing) +10 (Ex) You may substitute the final value of your Perform: Sing skill for Bluff or Sense Motive checks -------------------- Alina Cailean CR –
-------------------- Echo CR –
Background:
Some of Talienda's background is based on a previous game she was in. I'll be adapting it to help streamline some things and give her some enemies to chase her out. For most of Talienda's life, she thought she was just like any other girl in the Petals District of Absolom. She was born to loving parents. Her father saw to it she had the best tutors and learned to be a perfect lady. Her mother taught her the finer points of behavior and helped her when she was feeling down or upset. The first crack appeared when Talienda's mother died. It was ruled a mugging gone wrong, but something about the set of her father's jaw told her that something else was going on, even at the young age of six. Diago, Talienda's father, grew distant after his wife's death. He would shower her with gifts, such as the day he brought her kitten home, but the love that was there seemed to be trapped behind ice. Her tutor, Felrial, stepped in, acting as a surrogate father to her. When her father was around, he was often accompanied by a barrister, one Alastir Wade, that quickly became her Uncle Ally, though she wouldn't suspect why Felrial was so cold to the man until much later in her life. About a year after Talienda's mother died, Alina Cailean, a young orphan that Diago took in to be Talienda's maid, came into young girl's life. They learned from Felrial, who doted on Alina no less than he did Talienda. Station meant little to the pair of them, and they became thick as thieves in their escapades, Echo always there to help them stir up trouble. Things continued for several more years. Telrial's tenure as Talienda's tutor ended when she turned fourteen. They promised to write, but after six months and two unanswered letters, Talienda supposed the elf forgot their promise. New tutors were hired to help her become the very example of a young lady. Diago often said he was proud of her, and Talienda always noticed the way he seemed to look past her to something only he could see when he did so. Her life started to fall apart the night her father died. Diago and his bodyguards were brutally murdered late one night. Investigations began and the once cheerful Talienda feel into a state of shock and depression. Alina did her best to help Talienda through the next week. A week to the day, Talienda was abducted from one of the gardens on her estate just after receiving a letter threatening her life and brought with several others to the Beldrin's Bluff Courthouse, the site of the crimes that Jarbin Mord was framed for and died because of, in no small part because of her father's hand in the matter. It was a night of horrors that began with a street thug, Malgrim, that had been a juror sitting on the case of Jarbin Mord and one of Diago's enforcers asking if anyone knew of Diago's kin. It was then that Talienda learned of the bounty on her head. The terrified young woman looked around the rest of the courtroom she found herself in, wondering who she could trust. Echo, her cat, appeared and lead Talienda to Rissi Than and Talib Adb Al-Abadar. It was fortunate that she did so. One by one the jurors died. One was a victim of her father's schemes, a half-orc smith named Halgrak, and Talienda wanted to save him, and get him and his family out from the looming debt he'd accrued at one of her father's gambling dens. His death hit the hardest, and not the least because it was Talienda that almost killed him. What may have been more cruel was the revelations that Talienda had that night. Each piece of evidence and word spoken by the other jurors revealed that the man Talienda knew was a lie, and her father's true nature was that of a monster. As the night of horrors came to a climax, a maddened knight of Iomedae, Rekkart Cole, attacked Talienda, egged on by a woman named Patrissa, who had figured out who Talienda was and had been bribed by Alastir Wade. Patrissa's own wickedness became manifest and she turned into an undead monstrosity that slew Rekkart before trying to do the same to Talienda and her companions. It was only through divine grace and more than their fair share of luck that Talib, Rissi, and Talienda survived the encounter. Exhausted, they ran across the last two players in the macabre farce, Silman Trabe and Alastir Wade, both of whom were in the middle of an argument when the trio of survivors, and a cat named Echo, happened upon them. Confronted with the evidence Talib presented, Trabe admitted his part in the crime. With that admission, the specters of Jarbin and Melene Mord appeared. Hundreds of nooses hung from the ceiling. Alastir tried to persuade Talienda, but as she had learned of her father's crimes she too had learned of Alastir's part. She confronted the man with the truth, and Alastir showed his fangs to her. He knocked her to the ground, sparking a berserk fury in Echo. The man knocked the cat aside, but was too late to do anything about Rissi tripping him. He hit the floor hard enough to be dazed, and unable to fight back as Talib put the noose around his neck. The night of horrors ended with taking Trabe to the Bank of Abadar where he was put into custody while the bank worked with the magistrates to investigate the corruption he was part of. Talienda was broken after that night. Her world had been built on a lie, and it had shattered when the crimes of her father and Uncle Ally were revealed. She paid off Halgrak's deaths and sent his widow and children more than enough money to go anywhere they wanted to go and live comfortably for years. She couldn't bring herself to face them. Sadly, Talienda's troubles were only beginning. She and Alina moved into a smaller house that her father had owned to throw off any potential reprisals. The effort was in vain. Barely a month after surviving Jarbin Mord's vengeance, a crazed elven assassin calling herself Hecka Heckles attacked the small garden home. Two of the guards hired to keep Talienda safe died covering her escape. She and Alina ran to Talib, who was working with Rissi on Diago's murder. The two of them worked quickly, Talib chartered a place for Talienda and Alina on a merchant ship, the White Rose, and sent a message on ahead to Magnimar, the ship's last port of call on its trip. Rissi guided Talienda and Alina to the ship with the remaining two guards watching their backs. It was fortunate that they did. Hecka Heckles found them and attacked. The guards held her off while Rissi, Talienda, and Alina ran for the docks. Along the way, Talib ran into them and guided them around an ambush that had been set up to catch them. They made it onto the White Rose and Talib told the captain to shove off. He and Rissi disappeared just as the ship left its moorings behind. Less than five minutes after setting sail, Hecka Heckles skidded onto the pier the White Rose had been anchored to. Seeing her quarry had gotten away, she laughed and called out to the ship, promising to get Talienda next time. The last Talienda saw of Absolom was the glittering of the lights as they sank below the horizon. The voyage was long. Talienda spent most of her time in the cabin she shared with Alina. Alina helped her work through the grief and guilt Talienda suffered under, at least she helped her start working through it. It wasn't until they were passing the Lady's Light that Talienda worked up the energy to leave the cabin and come on deck. The captain of the ship invited her to dinner that night and commented on how glad he was to see her doing better. When the ship docked in Magnimar, Talienda, Alina, and Echo found two new friends waiting for them. A bright, energetic mage named Tera Flinders, and a more reserved, but no less cheerful paladin of Shelyn named Joanna Whitehall, the daughter of the man that owned the White Rose and the Whitehall Mercantile Company. The pair hit it off with Talienda and Alina almost immediately as they escorted them to the Rusty Flagon Inn. As they parted ways, Tera and Joanna promised to come see Talienda and Alina soon. It was, Talienda thought, a great way to begin things again.
Appearance:
Features: Age: 16 Height: 5 feet Weight: 90 lbs. Skin: Alabaster White with cool undertones Eyes: Blue speckled with silver Hair: Long, curly, raven-black with blue-white highlights Talienda is a small, young woman with delicate features. Her hair is worn long and often done up in different styles as the mood takes her or Alina. She favors simpler clothing when at home, but wears clothes more fitting to her noble status when out and about or planning on meeting someone. Outfits and Accessories
Artisan's Outfit
Explorer's Outfit
Courtier's Outfit #1
Courtier's Outfit #2
Noble's Outfit
Personality:
Motivation: Talienda is looking for a place she can call home and friends she can trust. Talienda is a kind, quiet girl who's recent experiences have strained her emotions and self-control to the breaking point. She is a stranger to violence and the world her father operated in, and finding out about that side of him has left her questioning everything she knew about him. Before the death of her father, she was being tutored and raised to be the image of a perfect lady, and as part of her teenage rebellion, she and echo often snuck off and explored the gardens around her home. She has a whimsical side that delights in silly tales and wordplay, a side that Echo is all to eager to aid and abet. She enjoys painting, drawing, singing, dancing, and playing the flute and violin. Her newfound abilities still worry her a little, but she is growing used to them with practice. Violence does not come naturally to Talienda. Her first inclination is to talk and try working out a solution that doesn't end in a fight. She cares very much for those close to her. Even if they are there to help her, she tries not to burden them with her troubles or put them in harm's way. Since the incident at Beldrin's Bluff Courthouse, Talienda has been suffering from bouts of depression and nightmares.
Echo:
Echo is a white cat with long, fluffy fur that has been Talienda's companion for the past ten years. She's four feet long from nose to the tip of her tail. Echo got her name for how she always seemed to be right behind Talienda when she was running around the house and the grounds. When Talienda was kidnapped and taken to the Beldrin's Bluff Courthouse, she slipped out and tracked her master down. The connection between her and Talienda deepened as the sorcerous power in the young girl awoke, and while she's always been intelligent, there's a hint of something more now. And don't let her prim and proper mask fool you, she is a mischievous minx through and through.
Alina:
Alina Cailean is a young half-elven woman the six years older than Talienda, though she passes herself off as human and the same age as Talienda. Their birthdays are only a few days apart. She was orphaned when she was just a toddler, but a Caydenite orphanage took her off the streets before she could fall into the hands of one of Absolom's many gangs. Her life changed when she was thirteen and Diago Blackhorn came into the orphanage, not to adopt her perse, but to have her serve as his daughter's friend and handmaiden. As time passed, Alina took more to the social lessons and learning of the nobility than she did to the lessons in art, music, and dance that Talienda favored. She grew to know Talienda better than anyone else in the Blackhorn household, which made it all the worse for her when she saw what Diago's death did to Talienda and the aftermath of the Beldrin's Bluff Courthouse incident. That was the beginning of the end of Alina's resistence to being more than just Talienda's maid. Alina is a quick-witted and nimble young woman. Her heritage is hard to pin down with a mix of features found all over Avistan. She has a rosy complexion with feckles dusting her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. She stands a little taller than Talienda, but only by an inch or two. Her burnette hair is always pulled back in a simple style that she sometimes decorates with flowers if they are in bloom. Her bright hazel eyes are always taking in her surroundings, especially after Talienda's abduction. She has a dry sense of humor, and is utterly devoted to making sure that Talienda is safe and as happy as she can manage. She sees her duty as paying back her good fortune, and has mixed feelings about Talienda's insistance on paying her despite their being good friends, even sisters in a way. Her skill in disguises and picking locks were both secretly taught to her by Felrial, having noticed Diago's shady dealings and the various enemies he was making in the underworld. It is a secret that Alina keeps from Talienda to this day.
NPCs:
Friends Alina Cailean, NG Female Half-Elf Investigator(majordomo) - Talienda's maid and confidant, Alina has been with Talienda since the young noblewoman was seven. She was an orphan before Diago Blackhorn took her in and gave her a place as Talienda's maid. The two became close once Alina broke through Talienda's shyness. Their misadventures when they were children were the talk of the servants of the Blackhorn family. Talienda sees Alina as her sister in truth if not by blood. Alina had been resistant to the idea, but seeing how broken Talienda was after the horrors and revelations she endured in the Beldrin's Bluff Courthouse, Alina gave in. While Talienda insists on paying her, the pretense of a master and servant relationship has grown increasingly threadbare, especially with Talienda trying to learn what she can to help Alina out with the chores. Alina, however, has a secret. Though she looks human and about Talienda's age, she is a half-elf that has disguised herself as a human for years. She is several years older, twenty-two to Talienda's sixteen. It's a secret that shames her and one of the reasons she doesn't feel comfortable with the crumbling walls that put her as Talienda's servant. Rissi Than, NG Female Ratkin Bard - The granddaughter of one of the jurors that condemned Jarbin Mord to hang, Rissi is one of the reasons that Talienda survived that night of horrors in the Beldrin's Bluff Courthouse. Rissi's family had sent her to Absolom to see what became of her grandfather, Rikkan Than. While she had little luck in finding out what became of the old ratkin, she did save Talienda's life and helped her through the traumatic awakening of the sorcerous power she held. While she didn't really like Echo at first, the charming feline was slowly winning her over before Talienda had to flee Absolom. When that night came, Rissi was right there to make sure Talienda made it safely on the ship leaving the harbor. Talib Adb Al-Abadar, N Male Inquisitor of Abadar - The grandson of one of the jurors that condemned Jarbin Mord to hang, Talib was instrumental in solving the decade-old case and keeping Talienda alive. While lacking in social graces, his tough-mindedness helped keep Talienda from losing her sanity. He had been investigating her father before Diago was murdered, and after learning that Talienda was ignorant of the man's many crimes, secured protection for her. Unfortunately, Diago's enemies were stronger than the Collector anticipated, and it was only with his and Rissi's help that Talienda and Alina escaped with their lives. Tera Flinders, CG Female Human Arcanist - Third daughter of the head of the Flinders family, Tera is a free-spirited young mage that is content to while away her time in libraries and casting illusions for the amusement of children. Her seemingly foolish personality hides a keen business mind and sharp instincts when it comes to dealing with people. She, along with Joanna, met Talienda and Alina on the docks and has resolved to be their friends since then. A task she made considerable headway on the trip to the Rusty Flagon Inn. Josephina Annabella Whitehall, LG Female Human Paladin of Shelyn - First daughter of the House of Whitehall, Joanna, as she prefers to be called, is a young paladin in training. Her father is one of the nobles of Magnimar and owner of the Whitehall Mercantile Company. She, along with Tera, met Talienda and Alina on the docks when they arrived. Like Tera, Joanna made no small amount of progress befriending Talienda and Alina on the way to the Rusty Flagon Inn. Family and Servants
A week before the events at the Beldrin's Bluff Courthouse, Diago was brutally murdered, along with his bodyguards. Who had done it and why were never learned before Talienda was forced to flee Absolom. Emeralda Dalcine Blackhorn (Deceased), NG Female Aasimar Aristocrat - A distant relation to the Dalcine noble family of Taldor, Talienda's mother was widely considered one of the most beautiful women in all of Absolom, and one that many have compared Talineda to as she has grown older. Emeralda was, as far as Talienda can remember, a kind woman that loved to play with and teach her daughter. She was murdered, persumably in a mugging gone wrong, when Talienda was only six. Dalton Blackhorn, NE Male Human Aristocrat/Rogue - Diago's estranged brother, Dalton was always jealous of his brother's success and swagger. The one time he and Talienda met after Diago's death is not a fond memory for the young woman. Many of the Blackhorn holdings are currently locked up in Absolom thanks to his efforts to take them from Talienda through the legal system with Johann Stradius' backing. He is a petty man, and while he isn't above having Talienda killed, he would much rather see her in chains as his personal pet. Felrial Brightmoon, NG Male Elf Bard - Talienda's main tutor while she was growing up, Felrial is a bard with a wealth of experience and knowledge from his studies and adventures. Talienda would often trick him into telling her a story from his adventures instead of teaching her the lesson he had planned when she was a little girl. After Emeralda's death and increasing coolness Diago showed Talienda, Felrial stepped in as surrogate parent for her and then Alina when she joined Talienda in her studies. After Talienda turned fourteen, Diago ended the contract he had with the elf. The two of them promised to write letters to each other, but after six months and two letters of her own with no reply, Talienda figured that her old tutor had forgotten about their promise and gave up. Herbert Pendarast, LN Male Human Expert - Herbert is the head butler of the Blackhorn household. He is loyal to the head of the house, but has made no effort to hide his feelings about Talienda being in that role, namely that she is unfit for it. He has agreed to keep Talienda informed of what is going on, but little more than that. Enemies
Johann Stradius, LE Male Half-Elf Aristocrat/Fighter - One of Diago's business partners, Johann was the one that put out the hit on Diago and the bounty on Talienda's head. He is working with Dalton Blackhorn to wrest the family fortune away from Talienda, and isn't above killing her to do it. He is an intimidating man at well over six feet tall and built more like a chiseled statue than any mere mortal. The only thing more well developed than his muscles is his ego. He believes that he cannot fail, and Talienda's escape is only a minor setback. Hecka Heckles, CE Female Elf Rogue/Assassin - One of Johann's favored wetwork specialists, Hecka is an elf that grew up hard and fast on the streets of Absolom. She wasn't above killing, and rather enjoyed it, before a cult to Norgorber found her and tried to use her as a sacrifice in a deranged ritual. Things did not go as planned. The cultists were slaughtered by Hecka as her old name was wiped away and her mind broke. From that day forward, she became Hecka Heckles, mad elven assassin. Johann promised her a steady stream of interesting work, and he's lived up to his promise so far. She rarely misses her mark, but she is certain she will kill Talienda next time she sees the young woman. Dekkard Cole, LG Male Human Priest of Iomedae - The younger brother of Rekkart Cole, Dekkard blames Talienda for the death of his brother during the Beldrin's Bluff Courthouse incident. Talienda was chased out of Absolom before he could track her down, but he has vowed to bring Talienda to justice and will stop at nothing to see his vow fulfilled. He is a stolid sort, with an inflexible will and uncompromising morals. How likely he is to listen to Talienda when he finds her is anyone's guess.
Build Notes:
Talienda is going to be mostly a blaster, but with some face skills and sneaky skills thrown in. Plan is to dip into bard for a level or two then go Sorcerer the rest of the way. The 900 GP from Rich Parents represents all of the wealth that Talib was able to get out of her holdings at the Bank of Abadar on such short notice. Figured with Talienda running for her life, the notice would be very short. Talienda has the sheltered drawback because that is exactly what she is. Up until a little over a month before the start of the adventure, she didn't even know that she had any magic powers.
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