About Valeriya MikhailovnaStatblock:
Valeriya Mikhailovna
Pack-horse Marakov:
Male horse (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 177) N Large animal Init +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +6 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 9 (+2 Dex, -1 size) hp 15 (2d8+6) Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +1 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 50 ft. Melee 2 hooves -2 (1d4+1) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 16, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 7 Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 17 (21 vs. trip) Feats Endurance, Run [b]Tricks Come, Heel, Riding, Stay Skills Acrobatics +2 (+6 to jump with a running start, +10 to jump), Perception +6 SQ docile, riding Other Gear bedroll, bit and bridle, candle (10), flint and steel, hemp rope (50 ft.), masterwork locksmithing tools, mess kit[UE], pack saddle, pot, saddlebags, soap, torch (10), trail rations (5), waterskin -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Docile This animal's natural attacks are treated as secondary unless it is trained to fight. Endurance +4 to a variety of fort saves, skill and ability checks. Sleep in L/M armor with no fatigue. Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail. Riding [Trick] The animal has been trained to bear a rider. Run Run 5x your speed in light/medium armor or 4x speed in heavy armor and keep Dex when running. Scent (Ex) Detect opponents within 15+ feet by sense of smell. Riding-horse Sofia:
Female horse (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 177) N Large animal Init +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +6 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 9 (+2 Dex, -1 size) hp 15 (2d8+6) Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +1 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 50 ft. Melee 2 hooves +3 (1d4+3) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 16, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 7 Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 17 (21 vs. trip) Feats Endurance, Run [b]Tricks Attack, Combat Riding, Come, Defend, Down, Guard, Heel Skills Acrobatics +2 (+6 to jump with a running start, +10 to jump), Perception +6 SQ combat riding Other Gear bit and bridle, military saddle, saddlebags -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Combat Riding [Trick] The animal has been trained to bear a rider into combat. Endurance +4 to a variety of fort saves, skill and ability checks. Sleep in L/M armor with no fatigue. Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail. Run Run 5x your speed in light/medium armor or 4x speed in heavy armor and keep Dex when running. Scent (Ex) Detect opponents within 15+ feet by sense of smell. Background:
Valeriya Mikhailonva was born in a small house, in a small fishing village in issia. The town did not have a name, it did not have a town hall, it had less than two-hundred people and one church. It was in this tiny community that she spent the first twenty years of her life. Valeriya was always quick witted intuitive, and possessed of a strong sense of right and wrong, however this environment did not do a good job of nurturing this aspect of her personality. Her mother Iskra Nikolayevna was a seamstress and part time prostitute whose only hobbies were drinking and gossiping. Her father Mikhail Sergeyevich was rarely present, he did return at least a few times a year but spent much of his time off on what her mother told her were 'fishing' trips, though the large sums of gold and new scars that he brought back said otherwise. The time he did spend in the tiny village was not often with Valeriya's mother. Her only strong memories of him are of a large fat man giving her instructions on how to pick a pocket whilst stinking of fish and booze. As she grew older her father came to town less and less, and her mother sank further into old age and alcoholism. That was not to say that her mother was abusive, Valeriya was fed, clothed and kept warm perfectly well, but her mother was hardly exciting company. She spent greater and greater amounts of time away from the home She played with the few other children, explored the isolated stretch of coast, and spent a great deal of time at the church. It was a humble affair, largely dedicated to Erastil. The priest there, a kindly, but boring and dusty old man, taught all of the children rudimentary reading and writing. Valeriya thrived on this teaching, and desired more but the old priest knew little, and there were few books in town. She could not simply leave town, as she had no money, and nowhere to go. So she simply began to stagnate. She learnt to sew, and took up drinking like her mother, and she may very well have taken up the prostitution as well if not for one fateful day. Over the last few years, the highlight of her year was the one time that an outsider came to town, the taxman Calathes Vladislos. She enjoyed talking with the elderly half-elf that took the town's dues back to New Stetven and finding out what was going on in the rest of Brevoy. So when she came to see him this year, the year of her twentieth summer, she was shocked to find him at death's door. He had fallen ill during his travel and would need to rest for at least a few weeks. However he was already late in his rounds, so, he asked Valeriya to take the taxes back to New Stetven. Of course he expressed how important it was that they got back safely, but he simply could not delay further. He trusted Valeriya after their talks, and gave her the bag of gold and a note explaining his situation. She remembers to this day her mother telling her to split it with her, saying that the government would be none the wiser, but instead, she packed her bags, and headed for New Stetven. The journey was long and harsh, but as she walked she felt herself coming alive, and that feeling was nothing compared to what she felt when she arrived. New Stetven entranced her, filled with more people that she had ever seen. More buildings than she ever thought existed and more wonders than the eyes could behold. It was not simply the enormity that impressed her, but the organisation, and the hustle and bustle, all these lives moving so quickly, but somehow all coming together to create this place. The city promised a life more exciting by ten-fold than her life back home. Now she truly was tempted to steal the taxes, and start a new life for herself here. But she thought of the city, and how each person in it added to the whole and delivered the taxes on time and in full. It just so happened that the bank she was delivering them too, also functioned as the local church of Abadar lord of Cities. Upon seeing its grandeur she was struck by divine inspiration and immediately converted. She sent a messenger back home, to say that the taxes had been delivered and that she would not be returning, and she never did. Instead she turned her attention to the city, to it's people and it's god, and to the life of it's own the city seemed to posses. She began to work as a servant of the god Abadar, not only as a Cleric, but as an arbiter of the law. She saw it as her responsibility not only to sing the praises of the god who allowed the marvelous city to function, but to play her own part of greasing the thousands of cogs of society. Luckily she learnt quickly of both holy texts and law, and in a few years was a fully established lawyer. She usually took on cases for only a modest sum, preferring the reward of justice done than money, and she always argued for what she believed was right in the spirit of the law, not just the letter. Eventually she was known as a top-rate practitioner of law, and was allowed more freedom in her service to both the law and the church. Often she left New Stetven to spread the word of her god, worried by the possibilities of girls in little villages that would not have the opportunities that she had. Eventually she was granted divine power by her god, including the power to manifest spirits of the city to assist her endeavors. In recent years, as it has become more and more clear that war is quickly brewing in Brevoy, Valeriya has spent her time strongly advocating for peace. In her mind war is not only a horrible occurrence, it is the greatest possible disruption to civilization and the peace of the city. So she has allied with Alexi Seltov, another believer in maintaining the peace, so when political maneuvering saw him sent away from the city, she followed, hoping help him with his work. Appearance:
Valeriya stands at an average height and build. She keeps in good shape with both her travels and training, her body is toned but not overly muscular. She has broad hips and thighs but few curves elsewhere. Her skin is deeply tanned from long hours in the sun and snow-glare, with tan-lines marking her arms and collarbones. Valeriya has a face that could be considered handsome but not beautiful, with a strong, aquiline nose, a rather square jaw, and high cheekbones. Her nose and cheeks are often peeling from sunburn, and her thick lips are often chapped. Her long black hair is most often worn up in a tail with stray hairs being held back by a simple band. Her eyes are a muddy green-brown and shallow crows feet are beginning to appear around them. Tattooed on her collarbone is the golden key of Abadar. She wears the simple garments of a cleric of Abadar. A brown blouse, brown trousers and a silken vest dyed gold over a chain shirt. She wears the top button of her blouse undone to reveal her holy symbol. She carries a heavy crossbow and a mace, as well as a fine mithral shield that took her many years to save for. At her side she carries an enormously thick book, a combined copy of The Manual of Numbers and The Manual of City Building. Which she often consults. Personality:
Valeriya is self-directed, organised and calm. She has a way of taking herself out of the current situation and thinking about things objectively. Therefore she always manages to keep herself collected, and think about problems with only solutions in mind. She models her own life on the teachings of her god and the rhythms of civilization. She often has multiple tasks going on at once, such as many legal cases and several personal projects. She keeps these tasks balanced and never lets herself be overwhelmed. She obeys the local law at all times, but when she disagrees with the law she relentlessly fights against it through legal channels, having been responsible for some minor reforms in Brevic law herself. Valeriya much prefers the city to the country. It is not that she dislikes the idea of small towns and hamlets, they simply remind her too much of her home town. Whilst she views it at counterproductive to deliberately stir up trouble in hinterlands, she does often talk to villagers about the wonders of the city, and will preach on behalf of her god when given the chance. She views her god Abadar as the ultimate judge of the universe. She understands that he is impartial to good and evil, and thinks of this as correct and right, after all the judge must be unbiased. She views the responsibility of ensuring that justice is done lies with the prosecutor and the defendant, being mortals. She also hold a great deal of respect for Pharasma, seeing her as a secondary judge, or perhaps a jury. Valeriya dislikes combat and will seek diplomatic solutions first, legal battles second and seek violence only a last resort. In combat she maintains her calm demeanor. She meets all situations with a ordered mindset, a collected heart, an a desire to seek the greater good. |
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