Valerie Victrix's page

About Valerie Victrix

Hermea, island of mysteries. Home of the new and improved humanity, the perfect society. Under the protection of a golden dragon who wishes to guide humanity into a new age of enlightenment and perfection.

But no one inherits a place there. Even the children must be tested when they reach adulthood, to see if they are fit to enter the new world.

Valerie failed the tests. It was the worst day of her life, and she doesn't know why. (No one is ever told why; it keeps outsiders from trying to game the tests.) She had to leave in the spring. The Council gave her gear and clothing and weapons from the common treasury, and a voucher for passage across the Steaming Sea. Her mother wished her well. Her father, born in Magnimar, told her that some Hermean children in the past had gone out into the world and come back home as heroes, having earned a place.

The first night on the ship, she vowed that she would be a hero, and return one day to the Golden Isle and the beaches where she grew up. She would join her parents as a disciple of Mengkare.

When the ship docked in Varisia, she disembarked, got down on shore, and stood there wondering what to do. Everything in Hermea had been planned and organized; this city was chaos.

"It's not so bad," said a bird perched on the dock railing beside her. "There's always a need for heroes."

"I didn't think birds usually talked," Valerie said dubiously. They certainly hadn't at home.

"Well, most of us don't", the bird said, "but there was a nice lady somewhere who thinks you could be beautiful, Silverhair. Really beautiful, soul as well as body. Follow me, and see!" It fluttered off.

And Valerie followed.

[Background details]

Five points that capture the concept
1 - Physically well-trained, mentally unprepared
2 - Wants to be a hero without really knowing what heroism is
3 - Exile from her homeland
4 - Very interested in art and beauty
5 - Serious self-doubt

Two goals that you'd like the character to accomplish in-game.

1 - Find a romantic relationship
2 - Earn an invitation to return to Hermea (by end of campaign)

Two secrets

1 - Valerie saw a mermaid on the coast of Hermea and fell in love
2 - (unknown to Valerie) She has a silver dragon bloodline, not a gold (which is common on Hermea, because Mengkare)

People tied to your PC (Valerie just doesn't know a lot of people around here)
1 - Sashi, a mermaid last seen on a Hermean beach (they never got to last names). Valerie's in love. Do mermaids have hearts?
2 - Rufus Norric, an elven swordsman at Magnimar's Hippodrome, who is a serious rival of Valerie's for the crowd's affection (and apparently wants to defeat her and bed her, not necessarily in that order)
3 - Liran Tillerman, a sailor on the ship that brought Valerie to Magnimar, who gave her some basic lessons on how most of the world isn't like Hermea. She sees him as a friend and owes him a considerable debt for (among other things) explaining the whole concept of "money".

Three key memories that define your character as the person they are at the time of submission.

1 - "You have failed the citizenship tests for Hermea. You are not fit to be part of the perfect society we are creating."
2 - Her first sight of Magnimar and its buildings rising from the sea, backlit by dawn. This, too, is beautiful...
3 - Night at a tavern on the docks in Magnimar, her third day in town. Um.... WHAT???? Dance outside a festival? Drink WHAT??? He's wearing THAT???? (The rest of the night's memory is a confused blur but Rufus was probably involved somehow. She doesn't want to think about her first time getting drunk.)

A fear or paranoia that causes your character to shiver, cower, or panic
1 - Storms at sea. (Sure, Hermea has storms. Scheduled ones. Mengkare controls the weather to make sure it's ideal. Running into a really nasty bit of high seas with lightning, waves crashing over the decks, and a natural 1 on the Fort save against seasickness - well, it left an impression.)

Combat

AC 16
hp 12
CMB +3
CMD +16

Saves
Fort +4
Refl +2
Will +1

Human

Dual Talent (+2 to two ability scores instead of one, give up bonus feat and skilled)

Paladin Abilities

Aura of good
Detect evil
Chosen One: trade in divine bond for an emissary familiar
Familiar: Thrush (speaks Common, +3 to Diplomacy, can cast guidance at will)

Feats

1 - Improved Initiative

Traits
Hermean Blood (Regional): +2 to Initiative
Magical Knack (Magic): +2 trait bonus to caster level on one class, not to exceed her character level. (Sorceror: Valerie has inborn powers she does not yet suspect.)
Defender of the Society (combat): Your time spent studying
the greatest warriors of the Society taught you new defensive
skills while wearing armor. You gain a +1 trait bonus to
Armor Class when wearing medium or heavy armor.

Drawback
Pride (Ultimate Campaign pg. 65): You can’t abide challenges to your dignity, authority, or honor. When someone threatens, accuses, or challenges you, you take a –2 penalty on Diplomacy checks and Sense Motive checks involving that creature until the creature apologizes to you.

Skills:

Diplomacy +7 1r
Knowledge (arcana) +2 (1r)
Linguistics +5 1r (Draconic)

Equipment

glaive +4 melee (d10+4/x3, S), reach
morningstar +4 melee (d8+3, B/P)
2 daggers (+4 melee, +3 ranged, d4+3/19-20, P/S)
composite longbow (+3 ranged, d8/x3, P), 20 arrows

chain shirt
paladin's kit
bullseye lantern, 2 flasks oil
2 alchemist's fire
holy water