"Tip" Tiplik's page

Tiplik is the last of the Cat Riders, a barbarian tribe of halflings that, not long ago, lived in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords. They survived with the aid of their companions, huge and deadly cats, and carved a place for themselves in the hidden primordial valleys of the Tusk Mountains; until something evil beyond their scope broke free of the Worldwound.

The demon shattered the power of their tribe and drove them across Avistan, hunting them for reasons of its own. They fled for months, only briefly getting any chance to settle down before it would attack again, picking off their remaining members one by one, all the way east to Mendev. It was there, on the borders of the Crusader Queen's realm, that the spawn of the Abyss was finally destroyed.

By sheer luck (or, as some would say, by divine providence) in the throes of what would almost certainly prove to be the beast's last attack, a Crusader patrol happened upon the now-tiny band of halflings and their monstrous pursuer. They fell upon the creature and sent it back to the realms from whence it came, but not before it had ended yet another life: Tiplik's mother. Tiplik himself was only barely out of his infancy, a tiny boy of seven (halflings, remember), and now he was the only survivor of his tribe.

Taken in by the Crusaders, Tiplik (or "Tip", as they took to calling him) was raised an orphan in the church of Iomedae. Despite the early tragedy of his life, he grew up a cheerful lad, talkative and witty. He told everyone that he thought it had in fact been a true miracle that day long ago, and that his life was spared for a reason - and if that was so, then he should celebrate that life. Some of the other children, though, said they'd heard him crying in the night, and sometimes, there was a hard look in his eyes that belied the cheerful words.

Even though, to him, his rescue was proof of Iomedae's greatness, he found that the bounds of religion chafed at him, and was disinclined to take his vows or do much in the way of clerical study. One thing he did learn, however, was how to hunt demons, and he was a (if you'll pardon the expression) damned good student. He took with a will to the training for paladins, especially their lessons on mounted combat - but disappeared just before the time came to take their vows.

He did not return until nearly a year later, nearly the same day that the call to the Fifth Crusade was announced. In tow, he had a young female tiger, who he called Rutha. In the tongue of his people, he said, her name meant Justice, and now...now she would bring him to the demons.

The last survivor of a tribe of cat-riding halflings out of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, Tip's people were destroyed by a marauding demon. Raised by the Crusaders of Mevin, he answers the call to the Fifth Crusade with the zeal of Iomedae in his heart and the ferocity of his people behind his eyes.

Tip's personality, for ease of understanding, is broken down into common tropes that he might be associated with. To start with, he falls pretty firmly into the Sanguine section of the Four Temperaments, with maybe just a splash of Choleric, although I wouldn't say enough to make him fall into the Artisan section.

Getting more specific, he is very much a Lancer, and he aims (pun intended) to be something of a Friendly Sniper. All this cheeriness comes from his belief in Iomedae saving his life for a reason, and the following ideas that part of that reason must be to brighten the lives of those around him.

That being said, when it comes to demons or those who truck with them, he has a very, very strong Pay Evil Unto Evil attitude. They deserve no mercy or quarter of any kind, almost to the point of putting Revenge Before Reason. It almost takes him into being He Who Fights Monsters, but his Iomedaean upbringing has taught him that the well-being of other people is still more important than eradicating demons from Golarion - if only just. This all stems, of course, from a very heavy dose of Survivor Guilt due to, more or less, being the Last of His Kind.

The most important aspects of his character are probably:

• Friendly Sniper
  
• Pay Evil Unto Evil
  
• Survivor Guilt

With a wide smile and a simple gesture to his right, Tip indicates the tiger by his side. "You're kidding, right?"

As the officer simply stares politely back, Tip shrugs and elaborates. "Rutha and I, we're a team. She hunts them down, and I finish them off." He pats the bow slung across his back. "It works out pretty well."

He tries to move on, but the recruiter doesn't quite look satisfied. Tip sighs, and his face loses the grin. "For the Inheritor's sake...look, we both know you need me out there. You want demons dead, I want to kill demons, we both want it done in Iomedae's name and for Her greater glory. Let me sign up, and we all get what we want."

Tip stands about 3' 3", tall and well muscled for a halfling. His hair, kept short in Mendevian fashion rather than halfling, is a light blonde, almost platinum, owing this as well as his dark skin to his odd heritage. He moves with a lithe grace, when mounted or not, and nearly always has a ready, cheery smile for passersby. Usually, he dresses in tight clothes of heavy fabrics - built for tropical climes, he much prefers to stay warm in the colder lands, but acknowledges the need to keep one's outfit practical.

Level 1) Point Blank Shot

5 total ranks: 4 Class, 1 Int
+5 Survival (1 Rank, 1 Wis, 3 Class)
+9 Ride (1 Rank, 3 Dex, 3 Class, 2 Racial)
+8 Handle Animal (1 Rank, 2 Cha, 3 Class, 2 Racial)
+7 Perception (1 Rank, 1 Wis, 3 Class, 2 Racial)
+7 Knowledge: Nature (1 Rank, 1 Int, 3 Class, 2 Racial)

Child of the Crusade: Once per day when you fail a saving throw against an effect created by a demon that would possess or incapacitate you mentally, you may immediately reroll that saving throw as a free action. You must take the second result, even if it is worse.
Child of the Temple: You gain a +1 bonus on Knowledge (Geography) and Knowledge (Religion) checks, and one of these (Religion) is always a class skill for you.

Outrider: Some halflings specialize in mounted combat. Halflings with this racial trait gain a +2 bonus on Handle Animal and Ride checks. This racial trait replaces sure-footed.

Tip's approach to religion is an odd thing. He is very devoted to the church of Iomedae, unsurprisingly given his rescue early on, but in an unorthodox manner. He has a more lighthearted approach to her worship than most of her devoted, occasionally even poking fun at the rigid rituals so important to the Light of the Sword. That being said, he still observes the daily hour of prayer whenever he can, although in his own way, usually a meditation on the nature of the world and his place in it as one of Iomedae's saved.

Despite his unusual attitude, however, he is deeply committed to Iomedae's message of justice and honor, and the church's characteristic idealism when confronted with all manner of horrors.

Str 13
Dex 17
Con 13
Int 2
Wis 15
Cha 10

Spd 40 ft
NA +1
BAB +1

Attacks: bite (1d6), 2 claws (1d4), rake (1d4)

SQ: low-light vision, scent

Skills: Survival, Stealth

Feats: Power Attack