Teion Silverstar's page

A vigilante hides his true identity, allowing him to move about social circles and nobility without carrying the stigma of his ruthless actions. In effect, the vigilante has two identities: one is a polite member of society while the other is a skilled and cunning warrior. To keep up this charade, the vigilante usually has two names: his true name, used in polite company, and his vigilante name, used to strike fear in the hearts of those who oppose him. Knowledge checks about one do not reveal information about the other, unless the vigilante’s true identity revealed to the world at large.

The vigilante can start each day in either of his identities, referred to simply as social or vigilante. Changing from one identity to another takes 1 minute and must be done out of sight from other creatures to preserve the vigilante’s secret. Changing identities is more than just changing outfits and clothing (although that is certainly a part of it); the process often also involves applying make-up, altering his hair, and adjusting other personal effects. Furthermore, the change is as much a state of mind as of body, so items such as a hat of disguise and similar spells and effects that change the user’s appearance do not reduce the time required to change identities. Most social talents require the vigilante to be in his social identity, but a vigilante who uses vigilante talents in his social identity risks exposing his secret.

Despite being a single person, a vigilante’s dual nature allows him to have two alignments, one for each of his identities. When in an identity, he is treated as having that identity’s alignment for all spells, magic items, and abilities that rely on alignment. For the purpose of meeting a qualification for a feat, class, or any ability, he is only eligible if both of his alignments meet the requirements. A vigilante’s two alignments cannot be more than one step from each other on a single alignment axis. For example, a vigilante with a lawful neutral social identity could have a vigilante identity that is lawful good, lawful neutral, lawful evil, neutral, neutral good, or neutral evil. If a vigilante is the target of an effect that would change his alignment, it changes both of his alignments to the new alignment.

Any attempts to scry or otherwise locate the vigilante work only if the vigilante is currently in the identity the creature is attempting to locate (or if the creature knows that the two identities are the same individual). Otherwise, the spell or effect has no effect, revealing nothing but darkness, as if the target were invalid or did not exist.

A stalker gains an ability called hidden strike, which allows him to deal an extra 1d8 points of precision damage on melee attacks (or ranged attacks from within 30 feet) against foes who are unaware of his presence, who consider him an ally, or who are made flat-footed by startling appearance (see page 17). This extra damage increases by 1d8 at 3rd level and every 2 vigilante levels thereafter. A stalker vigilante can also deal hidden strike damage to a target that he is flanking or that is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, but in these cases, the damage dice are reduced to d4s. A stalker can deal hidden strike damage against targets with concealment (but not total concealment).

Case the Joint (Ex): The vigilante can use his social identity to learn important facts about a location before returning later in his vigilante identity. If he spends at least 1 hour in a location while in his social identity, he can attempt a DC 20 Knowledge (engineering) check. If he succeeds, he gains the ability to later reroll any one failed skill check involving the location’s layout (such as a Stealth check to sneak into the location, a Disable Device check to disable an alarm, or a Sleight of Hand check to snatch an object from a pedestal). For every 10 by which the check exceeds 20, the vigilante gains an additional reroll. If the vigilante fails to return to the location within 1 week, the situation changes too much and he cannot use the rerolls. A vigilante can’t case the same joint more than once a week.

Born late in the Age of Enthronement to parents living in Arsmeril, Teion Silverstar was always a quick and thoughtful child. Raised, as is often the case, by the whole community, he proved naturally adept at sneaking and hunting, as well as a keen shot with a bow.

For most of his life, he was one of a handful of elven children in the settlement, and he remained more or less independent, making friends with adults and older children more readily than with the few, decades-younger children who had been born after him.

When he finally became an adult old enough to go out with his fellows, he joined in their regular patrols of Mierani, hunting for threats to the elven people and those of Varisia as a whole. The first few years passed by quickly and without many issues, but when he turned 123, he and his fellows met a group of drow in combat. It was quick, vicious, and the surface elves were victorious… but the blood-soaked earth cried out to him, and he could not stand to continue fighting - at least for a time. Instead, he said his goodbyes and struck out south into Varisia, through the Velashu Uplands and to Riddleport.

Riddleport was a lawless, chaotic city - something Teion quite happily embraced. It was also a cruel and merciless city, which Teion could not accept. It took him five months to develop a plan on how to change things, and make of Riddleport a more just, safe place, and eventually he settled on creating another identity - someone who victimizers would learn to fear, whilst also allowing him more freedom to “slum it” with those selfsame victimizers.

Thus, the Seven-Runed Warden was born. An androgynous figure that stalked the night streets of Riddleport, the Warden took their name from the seven runes of Thassilon’s seven schools of magic, which Teion had inscribed on the mask he used as the Warden. With bow and sword, the Warden protected those few innocents and honest folk from the depredations of predators - especially those who walked on two legs.

Meanwhile, Teion himself began developing a reputation of a somewhat dissolute and freewheeling wanderer. Sometimes a gambler, sometimes a fence and sometimes an informant. He played up his image as an “out-of-towner” to the natives, passing himself off as nonthreatening whilst the Warden ruined their more vile schemes.

When he heard tell of the “Cheat the Devil and Take his Gold” tournament, Teion decided to engage more deeply with his cover as “that wastrel Teion,” and therefore set out to join up.

Teion presents himself as a relaxed, dissolute wanderer who was, he intimates, kicked out of Mierani for being useless. Naturally, elves or those who have visited the forest know better than the idea that any elf would be exiled for anything less than actual betrayal of the community, but the lie suits him and how he presents himself.

The utmost surface layer of his persona is somewhat flirtatious, playful, and rather laidback. He enjoys fleshy pleasures, the thrill of seduction, the whirl of chance and gambling, and most of all, what he calls “his little treasures.” Knick-knacks and curious, if rarely valuable objects, these are things that he picks up mostly from curiosity. On this layer of his persona, he appears mostly harmless, and cheerful.

His second, deeper persona is harder and more ruthless - he’s not afraid to settle things with violence or blackmail, and those who think to push him too far find that he can be sharply intimidating if it pleases him. None of the skills he has with bow or blade have dwindled, and he’s more than willing to teach any fool that dares to push their luck.

At his core, Teion is an idealistic and free spirit. Less shiftless than his surface persona, though just as laidback and patient, to those he truly trusts, Teion is warm, compassionate, and gentle - though his sense of humor becomes increasingly dry with them (or perhaps it’s just more obvious that he is being deadpan to such people). He knows that getting too close to the shorter-lived peoples can prove risky, but he’s emotionally mature enough to accept that those around him will grow old so fast.