Whakau Whakau's page

Defense

AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 16 (+6 armor, +1 Dex)
hp 11 (1d10+1)
Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +1; -2 vs. disease, illusions, poisons, and the spells, spell-like abilities and supernatural abilities of fey, +2 vs. death

Offense

Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee dagger +4 (1d4+3/19-20) or
. . glaive +4 (1d10+4/×3) or
. . scimitar +4 (1d6+3/18-20)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with glaive)
Special Attacks smite evil 1/day (+3 attack and AC, +1 damage)
Paladin Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +4)
. . At will—detect evil
Oracle Spells Known (CL 1st; concentration +4)
. . 1st (4/day)—bless, cure light wounds, shield of faith
. . 0 (at will)—create water, detect magic, enhanced diplomacy, light
. . Mystery Life

Str 16, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 9, Cha 16
Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 15
Feats Fey Foundling[ISWG]
Traits intense artist, magical knack, omen, student of faith
Skills Acrobatics -4 (-8 to jump), Artistry (musical composition) +5, Craft (musical instruments) +5, Diplomacy +7, Heal +3, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (religion) +5, Linguistics +6, Lore (The First World) +5, Perform (percussion instruments) +8, Perform (string instruments) +8, Spellcraft +5, Survival +3; Racial Modifiers +4 Linguistics
Languages Celestial, Common, Sylvan, Tengu, Tien
SQ deft swords, dragon empire native, fey-taken, gifted linguist, oracle's curse (clouded vision), revelation (life link), swordtrained

Other Gear four-mirror[UC], dagger, glaive, scimitar, artisan's tools, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, hemp rope (50 ft.), holy text (Shelyn (Melodies))[UE], masterwork Ukelele, mess kit[UE], pot, silver holy symbol of Shelyn, soap, torch (10), trail rations (5), waterskin, 10 gp

Whakau Whakau was born in the land of Kwanlai, far away from Varisia, to seemingly-unremarkable tengu parents in an unremarkable village. The most notable thing for many leagues was the capital city of Hisuikarasu which Whakau Whakau and his family visited often in his youth, mainly to augment their meagre sustenace by stealing what wasn’t nailed down. The good Lady Sustarai-Gongen, the half-celestial ruler of Kwanlai, had been on the lookout for “an agent of humble origin” who was to be a gift from the gods to her efforts. She had been alerted by a celestial agent of Hei Feng (patron god of tengu) to look for “one of angel’s down” to visit her, and she would know the one who was to be her protege, designed to help to spearhead the rise of Kwanlai and the tengu people permanently out of squalor.

Whakau Whakau was dark-plumed at birth, and at the age of 4yo had similar colorings to his clutch in all but eye tint. Whakau Whakau had curious pink-coloured eyes from birth that resulted in him being a bit more near-sighted than his clutch, but not to a degree noted by his family. It was on a harried trip home from Hisuikarasu, racing away from angry city-goers trying to reclaim their stolen wares, that Whakau Whakau’s vision betrayed him, and he soon found himself separated from his family in a dense bamboo forest. It was not a coincidence.

In fact, the fey of Kwanlai had been aware of Whakau Whakau for some time, and had been plotting his kidnapping. Lady Sutarai-Gongen had made enemies of the First World as they plotted the rise of the tengu nation, and the fey nobles foresaw Whakau Whakau for the portentous personage he was to be - a blessed vessel for Hei Feng and a powerful future enemy.

And so Whakau Whakau disappeared from the Material Plane, spending 13 years in the First World as a thrall, a toy, a tutee. Just to make certain that Hei Feng had no chance of reclaiming his tengu champion, the First World expelled Whakau Whakau on the other side of the world, in the nation of Varisia, at Windsong Abbey, north of Sandpoint. The decade in the First World changed the tengu dramatically, but it is not certain if the albinic changes to his plumage and undercoat were directly an effect of the fey or the divine influence coursing through his veins.

Whakau Whakau’s mother’s great-great aunt, much like the good Lady Sutarai-Gongen was half-celestial, the daughter of a trumpet archon. The blood of angels flows, muted, through Whakau Whakau’s veins, simply awaiting the passage of time to bloom. The tengu physiology and development has dominated his growth to date, but the coloring of his plumes and undercoat - both ivory white - and the pink appearance of his keratinized feet and beak, not to mention his pink eyes, betrays the influence yet to be fully wrought.

Many experiences assailed Whakau Whakau’s senses during his time in the First World, but two things helped to keep his grip on sanity. The first he had brought with him: a masterwork ukulele stolen from a bard in Hisuikarasu by his family on that fateful trip 14 years previously. Whakau Whakau learned how to play - and play well - this musical instrument, often playing himself out of dangerous and deadly situations with fey authority figures. Inspired by the unending clash of color and sound, Whakau Whakau’s music - and the mental places he goes when he plays it - reflects a manically-beautiful unhinged quality: a skill that he has only enhanced through the addition of percussive intonations from his gullet and the body of his ukulele as he plays.

The other tempering influence was the divine presence of Shelyn, the goddess of love and beauty - not something expected to be found in the chaos of the First World, but found and clung to nonethless, like a raft in a storm. Planar allies of Shelyn such as the Dancing Petal and the Phoenix Tail touched upon Whakau Whakau during his time in the First World, providing guidance, sustenance, and succor. The divine import of Whakau Whakau’s soul spoke to Shelyn, the tragic beauty of his existence triggering her love. When Whakau Whakau found himself spat out of the fey world at the doorstep of the Windsong Abbey, it took little time for exposure to Shelyn to influence the tengu youth to devote his life and his love to promoting Shelyn throughout his new land while defending beauty in all its forms.

Now, Whakau Whakau plays his music as a divine instrument of Shelyn's will, desiring only to spread the influence of the good news of the popular pantheon of the region - Abadar, Erastil, Desna, Gozreh, Sarenrae, and of course, Shelyn. Whakau Whakau has interceded on behalf of the Windsong Abbey in a number of local disputes involving property and local custom. In just over a year, Whakau Whakau has cultivated a reputation amongst the native Varisi as a musical impresario not to be trifled with, swaying local decisions with his furious ukulele strumming and congenial manner. In return for his music, the locals taught him their tongue. His power with the healing arts has not gone unnoticed as well, and when the abbess at Windsong received word of the Sandpoint Cathedral re-opening, she knew immediately that Whakau Whakau needed to be there to represent the faith.

Whakau Whakau has two distinct facets to his countenance: the open-hearted and open-faced paladin of Shelyn who believes fervently in the best that all have to offer, and the withdrawn, manically-creative, unstable artistic genius traumatised by the First World. It is the tengu’s fervent hope to find his place in this world so as not to miss the sweet torment of the First World too much. It is left to be discovered if others will find him as well.

Whakau Whakau is an Oradin - part Oracle, part Paladin. I'd like to keep the Paladin and Oracle aspects simple. Whakau Whakau would be an in-combat healer, an artistic and charismatic face for the party (note: he would only use his considerable Intimidate skill as a musical tour de force), and another martial shoulder to rely upon. Perhaps he'd enter into Sentinel territory, using the Inner Sea Gods rules, but we will see.

Whakau Whakau is headed to Sandpoint (he has visited once or twice from the Abbey) to take part in the celebrations surrounding the re-opening of the Cathedral, and to offer his artistry as a worshipful reflection of the glory of Shelyn.