Valex's page

We have failed

That mantra that has hammered its way through Valex’s head every hour, every day since the Red Harvest. The Order of the Palatine Eye has failed. Their sole purpose, the ONE thing they sought above all others – and they failed. The Tyrant was free, and Golarian was His.

Valex had barely been initiated into the outer mysteries of the Order when the world turned upside down. He had been a bit of a dilettante, a bit of a rake around the University in Magnimar, but from a good family with long standing, if secret, ties to the Order. It was not until an unfortunate encounter with a pair of ghoulish agents in the Magnimar sewers left Valex’s lover and best friend dead – or worse – that the Order deemed him ready to be useful.

He spent his days as a librarian and archivist, and his nights in darker pursuits. Following suspected agents of the Whispering Way. Searching their papers and lodgings. Carousing with their friends and contacts. And once, in a desperate encounter…swords drawn in an alley, he and his mentor, two against three – the murderer, the graverobber, the foul priest of Urgotha – which they had to kill twice, and who, in his dreams, Valex still kills, again and again. If only to make it stop laughing. Valex is all too cognizant of what it was laughing about now.

After the Harvest, Magnimar swiftly became untenable. His only colleague within the Order – a dedicated priest of Pharasma named Follicus- died by his own hand when the Shroud descended. With the Order’s heartland of Ustalav now the Tyrant’s playground, there was nothing to do but to try to survive. His family was dead before he could work his way home from his Univesity lodgings, so he gathered what he could and fled north along the coast.

Laden down with every conceivable scrap he could carry, his progress has been slow. He has been forced to flee campsites and been robbed along the road, but has still managed to keep a few items and comforts in his pack. His load lighter, he has been making better time – but to no particular destination.

Valex hails from an old Chelaxian line, and is near prototypical of that people. He stands about 5’ 8”, with a slight, wiry build. Dark hair, no several months longer than fashionable, sweeps back from a subtle widow’s peak down past his shoulders. His normal paleness has been, if anything, exaggerated by fatigue, deprivation, and long hours hiding. He still exhibits enough Chelaxian vanity and fastidiousness to prestidigitate his cloths clean each day, and so his high-collared shirt is still white, his long coat and knee-breeches, though a little threadbare, is still a rich forest green, and his boots still have a polished shine to them, even if the soles are wearing rather thin. He wears a simple mercenary’s longsword at his hip, and a crammed leather pack on his back.

The arrogance of his privileged upbringing and Chelaxain heritage still shows through every now and then, but the irrelevance of standing in the face of the end of the world has taken its toll. The utter failure of the Order eats at him in his quiet moments, and he has tried to stay busy, stay on the move merely to keep the voices of his failures quiet.
Perhaps that arrogance has been a savior, though. Despite the failures – associative and personal; despite the losses of everyone he knew, respected and loved; despite the suicides and sacrifices he has seen; it has simply never occurred to him to lay down and die. He has few illusions as to his long-term survival, and, as he grows closer the ragged edge, he might be less averse to taking risks, but he will stubbornly go on until the dead finally drag him down. His only hope is that he can meet his end in such a way so as not to join the ultimate enemy afterwards.

He still prays, dusk and dawn, his fingers tracing the spiral of his Pharasman holy symbol, but his prayers rarely have the humility of the penitent. In his private thoughts, he feels Pharasma owes the world some answers…

So far, his encounters with other survivors have not been encouraging, and he has become reclusive and deeply suspicious. How would he react to a competent and non-hostile group?

Valex
Male human (Chelaxian) bard (archivist) 4/rogue 3 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 80)
NG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +10, low light vision
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Defense
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AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 45 (7d8+7)
Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +5; +4 bonus vs. magical traps, language-dependent effects, and symbols, glyphs, and magical writings of any kind
Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense +1
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee mwk longsword +8 (1d8+1/19-20)
Special Attacks bardic performance 12 rounds/day (countersong, distraction, fascinate [DC 14], inspire competence +2, naturalist), sneak attack +2d6
Rogue Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd; concentration +5)
3/day—disrupt undead
Bard (Archivist) Spells Known (CL 4th; concentration +6)
2nd (2/day)—cure moderate wounds, gallant inspiration[APG] (DC 14)
1st (4/day)—alarm, cure light wounds, feather fall, memory lapse[APG] (DC 13), saving finale[APG] (DC 13)
0 (at will)—detect magic, ghost sound (DC 12), know direction, message, prestidigitation, read magic
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Statistics
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Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 15
Base Atk +5; CMB +6; CMD 18
Feats - Custom Feat -, Arcane Strike, Combat Expertise, Extra Rogue Talent[APG], Lingering Performance[APG], Weapon Focus (longsword)
Traits suspicious, undead slayer
Skills Acrobatics -1 (-5 to jump), Bluff +7, Craft (clothing) +7, Craft (traps) +8, Disable Device +8, Disguise +6, Escape Artist +4, Knowledge (arcana) +10, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (engineering) +8, Knowledge (geography) +10, Knowledge (history) +10, Knowledge (local) +8, Knowledge (nature) +9, Knowledge (nobility) +8, Knowledge (planes) +8, Knowledge (religion) +14, Linguistics +8, Perception +10, Perform (oratory) +12, Sense Motive +6, Spellcraft +7 (+9 to identify magic items or decipher scrolls), Stealth +9, Survival +3, Use Magic Device +8
Languages Azlanti, Common, Necril, Orc, Thassilonian, Varisian
SQ bardic knowledge +2, lore master 1/day, magic lore, rogue talents (minor magic, trap spotter), trapfinding +1
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Special Abilities
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Arcane Strike As a swift action, add +1 damage, +1 per 5 caster levels and your weapons are treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Bardic Knowledge +2 (Ex) Add +2 to all knowledge skill checks.
Bardic Performance (standard action, 12 rounds/day) Your performances can create magical effects.
Combat Expertise +/-2 Bonus to AC in exchange for an equal penalty to attack.
Evasion (Ex) If succeed on Reflex save for half dam, take none instead.
Lingering Performance Bardic Performances last 2 rds after you stop concentrating.
Lore Master (1/day) (Ex) Can take 10 on any trained knowledge checks. Activate to take 20 as a standard action.
Magic Lore +2 (Ex) +4 save vs. magical traps, language-dependent effects, symbols, glyphs, and magical writings.
Minor Magic (Disrupt Undead, 3/day) (Sp) Gain the chosen cantrip as a spell-like ability.
Sneak Attack +2d6 Attacks deal extra dam if flank foe or if foe is flat-footed.
Trap Sense +1 (Ex) +1 bonus on reflex saves and AC against traps.
Trap Spotter (Ex) Whenever you come within 10' of a trap, the GM secretly rolls for you to find it.
Trapfinding +1 Gain a bonus to find or disable traps, including magical ones.
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Walker Among Evil
Prerequisites: 5 or more Hit Dice, good alignment.

Benefit: You can alter the essence of your being to lessen the effects of spells designed to harm good creatures. When affected by spells and effects that behave differently according to alignment (such as unholy word or protection from good), you can choose whether you are considered good or neutral. This ability does not actually change your alignment or fool divinations, nor does it permit you to overcome alignment requirements for the use of magic items, class abilities, and so on.

Circlet of Courting (Head slot)
Evidently made for better times, this golden circlet is of simple design, with a filagree of hearts the only embellishment. The circlet grants its wearer a +2 competence bonus on climb checks, +2 on diplomacy checks when the skill is used on someone of the opposite gender to the wearer, and allows the wearer to cast expeditious retreat once per day.

In addition, on command the circlet can create a simple red rose from thin air (in all ways like a non-magical version), though this causes any previously summoned roses to suddenly wilt and turn black.

patchwork backpack
candlerod (1)
leather armor
bedroll
blanket
flint and steel
rope (50 ft.)
spell component pouch
tea (per cup) (10), teapot
torch (2)
waterskin (2)
smokestick (1)
rusty thieve's tools (rustier than you remember them being)
One masterwork longsword
ring (from church) (Ring of feather falling)
+1 undead bane longsword.
Cloak of the duskwalker
Circlet of Courting (Head slot)
Evidently made for better times, this golden circlet is of simple design, with a filagree of hearts the only embellishment. The circlet grants its wearer a +2 competence bonus on climb checks, +2 on diplomacy checks when the skill is used on someone of the opposite gender to the wearer, and allows the wearer to cast expeditious retreat once per day.

In addition, on command the circlet can create a simple red rose from thin air (in all ways like a non-magical version), though this causes any previously summoned roses to suddenly wilt and turn black.

Valex Andastoran
Human (Chelaxian) bard (archivist) 4/rogue 2 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 80)
NG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +7
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Defense
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AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex)
hp 39 (6d8+6)
Fort +2, Ref +9, Will +4; +4 bonus vs. magical traps, language-dependent effects, and symbols, glyphs, and magical writings of any kind
Defensive Abilities evasion
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 undead bane longsword +8 (1d8+2/19-20) (+10, 1d8+4+2d6 vs undead)
Special Attacks bardic performance 12 rounds/day (countersong, distraction, fascinate [DC 14], inspire competence +2, naturalist), sneak attack +1d6
Rogue Spell-Like Abilities (CL 2nd; concentration +4)
3/day—minor magic (disrupt Undead)
Bard (Archivist) Spells Known (CL 4th; concentration +6)
2nd (2/day)—cure moderate wounds, gallant inspiration[APG] (DC 14)
1st (4/day)—alarm, cure light wounds, feather fall, memory lapse[APG] (DC 13), saving finale[APG] (DC 13)
0 (at will)—detect magic, ghost sound (DC 12), know direction, message, prestidigitation, read magic
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Statistics
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Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 15
Base Atk +4; CMB +5; CMD 17
Feats Arcane Strike, Extra Rogue Talent[APG], Lingering Performance[APG], Weapon Focus (longsword)
Traits suspicious, undead slayer
Skills Bluff +7, Craft (clothing) +7, Craft (traps) +8, Diplomacy +10, Disable Device +10, Disguise +6, Escape Artist +7, Knowledge (arcana) +10, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (engineering) +8, Knowledge (geography) +9, Knowledge (history) +9, Knowledge (local) +8, Knowledge (nature) +9, Knowledge (nobility) +8, Knowledge (planes) +8, Knowledge (religion) +12, Linguistics +7, Perception +7, Perform (oratory) +9, Sense Motive +6, Spellcraft +6 (+8 to identify magic items or decipher scrolls), Stealth +11, Survival +3, Use Magic Device +6
Languages Azlanti, Common, Necril, Orc, Varisian
SQ bardic knowledge +2, lore master 1/day, magic lore, rogue talents (minor magic, trap spotter), trapfinding +1
Other Gear mwk longsword, 150 gp
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Special Abilities
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Arcane Strike As a swift action, add +1 damage, +1 per 5 caster levels and your weapons are treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Bardic Knowledge +2 (Ex) Add +2 to all knowledge skill checks.
Bardic Performance (standard action, 12 rounds/day) Your performances can create magical effects.
Evasion (Ex) If succeed on Reflex save for half dam, take none instead.
Lingering Performance Bardic Performances last 2 rds after you stop concentrating.
Lore Master (1/day) (Ex) Can take 10 on any trained knowledge checks. Activate to take 20 as a standard action.
Magic Lore +2 (Ex) +4 save vs. magical traps, language-dependent effects, symbols, glyphs, and magical writings.
Minor Magic (Disrupt Undead, 3/day) (Sp) Gain the chosen cantrip as a spell-like ability.
Sneak Attack +1d6 Attacks deal extra dam if flank foe or if foe is flat-footed.
Trap Spotter (Ex) Whenever you come within 10' of a trap, the GM secretly rolls for you to find it.
Trapfinding +1 Gain a bonus to find or disable traps, including magical ones.