Ven Nicolae's page

The story starts as you may expect: a young human man, a merchant who is cousin to one of the great merchant families of Magnimar, dallies with an Elven woman. The elf leaves, and the merchant marries the middle child of a family of powerful Magi. A year after the elf left, the merchant finds a baby on his doorstep. Being an honorable man, he takes in the child and names her after his own mother, who detests the presence of the bastard child.

The merchant loves Ven dearly, his wife shows her kindness, and her half-siblings call her big sister even as the oldest mature faster than she does. She learns arithmetic, fencing, and trade; at the age of 20 she successfully negotiated a deal with a caravan of elven traders all the way from Kyonin. For all her happiness, she never realized the depth of her grandmother's hatred of her--until Veniera hired a man to kill the girl. Ven was nearly drowned in the harbor, barely escaping with her life. They found a note with Veniera's seal on the assassin's body, and Veniera is blackmailed into keeping away from the merchant's family lest they involve the authorities.

Nevertheless Ven is much more aware of the barbs thrown at her for her ears and eyes, for her immaturity relative to her peers, for her strange habits and interests. She still fears the water. When she negotiated the trade deal with the elves the leader of the caravan, an old elf named Selbhen, gave her an open offer to travel with them and learn more of her elven side. A year after the attempt on her life, she accepts the offer and leaves Magnimar to seek her own way in the world.

With the caravan she refined her fighting skills and learned Elven. During a winter spent in the Elven city of Iadara she studied history and linguistics in their libraries. She even visited Highhelm briefly, long enough to find interest in mechanical objects, even if she's better at taking them apart than building them. When the trade caravan returned to Varisia, she parted ways with them at Korvosa and went to Sandpoint seeking work. With the Swallowtail festival coming up there were sure to be lots of people in town.

Ven Nicolae
Half-Elf Unchained Rogue 1
NG Medium Humanoid (human, elf)
Init +4 Senses Low-light vision, Perception +10 (+11 vs traps)
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Defense
AC 18 (14 touch, 14 flat-footed)
HP 10 (1d8 + 2)
Fort +1 Ref +6 Will +1 (+3 vs enchantment spells)
Defensive Abilities Elven Immunities
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Offense
Speed 30ft (20ft with all gear)
Melee Short Sword +4 (1d6/19-20) or Whip +4 (1d3)
Ranged Shortbow +4 (1d6/x3) or Dagger +4 (1d4/19-20)
Special attacks Sneak Attack +1d6
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Stats
Str 10 Dex 18 Con 13 Int 12 Wis 12 Cha 13
BAB +0, CMB +0, CMD 14
Feats Weapon Finesse, Two-Weapon Fighting, Skill Focus (Perception)
Traits Merchant Family (RotRL Player's Guide), Hard to Kill (penalty to stabilize check is 1/2 negative hit point total)
Skills 9 adventuring, 2 background per level Acrobatics +8
Bluff +5
Climb +4
Diplomacy +5
Disable Device +9
Knowledge Local +5
Perception +10 (+11 vs traps)
Sense Motive +5
Stealth +8
Knowledge History +2
Linguistics +5
Languages Common, Elven, Varisian, Giant
SQ Elven Immunities, Keen Senses, Elf Blood, Multitalented, Trapfinding
Combat Gear Acid Flask
Other gear Chain shirt, short sword x2, dagger, shortbow, 20 arrows, Rogue's kit (backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, caltrops, chalk x10, flint&steel, grappling hook, iron pot, mess kit, mirror, pitons x10, rope, 50ft rope, soap, Thieves' Tools, torch x10, trail rations x5days, waterskin); folding 10ft pole, string, traveler's clothes, journal
Money 25gp, 7sp, 9 cp