About Ysildaë RalomenorBackstory:
A young elven woman sits and reads a book in a lantern-lit garden. The lights of the lanterns shine in her bright golden hair. The book is a new history of the founding of the noble houses by Telen of House Nannaris. The section she is reading concerns the lost House Celes: . . . While we elves are not the firstborn race, we are the race most favored by the gods. Where humans were corrupted by Gaeruhn, elves were created perfect and unsullied. The gods recognized our perfection and there were many couplings between elf and god during the Reign of the Ealintaine. Of all the elves first shaped by Lorrynor, none were lovelier than Avar, who later became known as the Consort. So glorious was he that the goddess of beauty herself claimed him as her chosen consort. Their children bore the grace and beauty of their parents, inspiring lust among the greater and lesser spirits. Slowly, a Noble House coalesced around Avar: House Celes. It would not be false to write that at their height more divine ichor flowed through House Celes than elven blood. They were the children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren of the Immortals. House Celes was not only family to the Immortals but also their favored disciples. Orono Celes was blessed by Valthyra. The smith goddess taught him many secrets of metal. These secrets served Orono well. When Dasyra was murdered by Kiravor, the heavens wept stars. Orono found one of these fallen stars and it sang its name to him. Orono took up the star and forged it into to an elven long blade engraved with its name in its own tongue: I am the Favored Daughter of the Heavens. I am the Song that Fell from the Sky. I am Dance with Me and Strike with Me and Weep with Me when Light Dies. I am neither the Glory of Triumph nor the Rule of Peoples; I am the Never Stilled Whisper of Hope. Orono wielded Favored Daughter, as the blade became known among the elves, throughout the Godling War. The blade was sundered into three pieces when Orono slew Vardox, the Shadow of Despair, the daughter of Kiravor, on the Fields of Fire. Perhaps the great smith would have repaired this star-blade if the Immortals had not quit the world in the aftermath of the Godling Wars. The House Celes followed their parents and lovers into the Ether. They left their youngest children and their greatest treasures in the care of the other Noble Houses. These children grew and married into their adoptive Houses when the Celes did not return from the Ether. Sundered from the Immortals, our lives have shortened. It has been more than twelve lifetimes since the House Celes followed the Immortals, yet still in every generation their blood can be seen . . . The woman closes the book with a snap. I may share the blood of Celes, but I will ever be one of the Ralomenor. From the interior of the shrine, she hears a soft chiming. The custodian of the shrine stands and places the book on the stone bench where she had been sitting. The song of the Favored Daughter has grown stronger of late. What does her singing portend? She enters the shrine. On the low altar a sky metal sword rests in three fragments. The largest piece springs from its hilt, leaving a jagged edge where the blade shattered half way up its two-foot length. Each fragment glows with starlight. Much like the blood of the Celes, the sword endures even though it is diminished. She smiles fondly at the sword resting in the shrine. If Orono Celes returns, he will find that the Ralomenor have kept faith in their promises spoken long ago. Her musing is cut short by a sudden and terrible howling wind. The lanterns are blown out. The shrine darkens except for the glow of Favored Daughter. The sword’s glow intensifies in a burst of radiant light. A woman made of silvery starlight sits on the altar her hands outstretched. The glow that once surrounded the sword now forms a shell around the Ralomenor tower. Outside, the Storm rages. Yet, within the tower's grounds there is stillness. The custodian gapes at the starlight woman in awe. The starlight woman begins to sing in Celestial: Far-daughter of Orono, I will protect you as I once protected him. For decades you have tended me, Ysildaë. Heed my words. Kiravor once again seeks to destroy the world. The elves must once again stand against him. You must take my fragments to Dasyra’s Landing in Talanor. There you will find a way to restore what despair shattered for remember that I am the Never-Stilled Whisper of Hope. Once I am whole, I can aid you for the matriarch of the Ralomenor will be sore beset by servants of the Harbinger. The sword’s song fades with the image of the starlight woman, but the protective shell of starlight persists until the Storm passes. Reverently, Ysildaë picks up the fragments of Favored Daughter and wraps the sword in cloth. It is clear what she must do. Every son and daughter of Ralomenor must gather in Talanor. To Ysildaë's surprise, the scions of Ralomenor in Greyton do not rally around the words of Favored Daughter whose shards had lost their starlight glow once the Storm had passed. "Why should we leave Greyton on the say of a broken sword who only you heard, Ysildaë? A sword who is now silent. We Ralomenor are the sworn enemy of the undead. The gods preserved us when so many Houses were lost so that we could defend Kúilœrn. The matriarch would want us here defending the Awakening Tree not harrying off into the wilderness." Shilonora Ralomenor is an imperious speaker, one who expects to be obeyed. In this, Ysildaë is bound to disappoint. "I saw what I saw, Shilonora, and I heard what I heard. This sword has long been our sacred trust and we have our duty to defend and to support the matriarch. The sword saved us and charged us with a quest. Where is the honor of our House?" The custodian turns and gazes out at the gathered members of their far flung House. To her dismay, many of the faces she sees are daunted and dismayed. Several are shaking their heads. Ysildaë refuses to yield. "Who will brave the long night with me and uphold the oaths of our foremothers?" "I will come. I sense Dasyra's hand in this, and the Ralomenor will not be foresworn as long as the stars shine in the sky." Ysildaë smiles. Anarin, a priest of Dasyra, is the only Ralomenor in Greyton younger than she. He is bold, adventurous, and always looking for a cause. It seems that he has one in her. "I will also come," a quavering voice murmurs. A hush falls over the assembled before it it is broken by Shilonora's outraged objection. "No, Immaru! You are the eldest of our House and a Wind Listener; your wisdom is needed here." A nearly ethereal woman looks up from where she is sitting. The only visible sign of her more than seven centuries of life is that ethereal quality. Almost as if she is a vessel of glass through which a light shines. "If you need wisdom, Shilonora, then listen to Ysildaë. Kúilœrn will live or it will not. The wind tells me that the answer to that trouble is not here. The wind tells me that there are answers to be found in Talanor. I would see my younger sister, the matriarch, before I join our ancestors. If Ysildaë says that Favored Daughter preserved our tower, then I believe her." Ysildaë briefly hopes that Immaru's words swayed the others, but Shilonora inflames their fears with speculation that some undead thing was feeding on Kúilœrn, killing the Awakening Tree, and convinced them that the Ralomenor duty lies here in Greyton. In the end, only three of the Ralomenor of Greyton leave the City of Towers to meet with the rest of their House that resides in Talanor: an ancient diviner, a hot-headed priest, and a warrior who has sworn to wield no blade until Favored Daughter is made whole once more. During the many weeks of their journey, the winds whisper to Immaru of dangers before they arise, and when they do she calls down lightning to scour them from the earth. Ysildaë reflects more than once that the ancient wizardess does more to protect the trio than she and Anarin do to protect their ancient aunt many times removed. She suspects that Immaru may have come to keep an eye on "the children," as she calls them. However, Ysildaë also suspects that any woman who is nearly a thousand years old has a great many reasons to do whatever she chooses to do. Though Favored Daughter no longer sings, Ysildaë feels her guidance in her dreams and when she practices her kata. Her dreams grow more troubled the closer they get to the Shadow Mountains. Anarin seems unbothered. He only speaks of the wonder of seeing Dasyra's Landing in person. He seems unconcerned with the fate of their family in Talanor. Ysildaë, on the other hand, is very concerned. She knows their matriarch must be alive, for if she were not, then she could not be beset by the undead. But what undead could threaten the ruler of a House devoted to their destruction? Appearance and Personality:
Hair: Spun gold that glows in the light.
. . .A tall, pale woman stands in a crowd of zombies, robed in painted silks. Though she wears no armor, the undead do not seem to be able to touch her. She dances among them moving with a grace that does not seem entirely natural. . . Ysildaë is brave and honorable. She is a great lover of beauty. She knows she is neither the most wise nor the most cunning. She trusts that doing her duty and acting rightly will see her through. She does not shy away from battle even though the sword she carries is broken, but neither does she seek glory. Her otherworldly heritage is most evident in her hair and her eyes. She knows that her lineage stretches back to when Miravynn walked the earth. She also pays respect to Valthyra. However, she sends most of her prayers winging to Dasyra. Especially in this long night, something about the goddess of the stars speaks to her heart. Statistics:
Female Aasimar (Muse-Touched) (Noble Elf)
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AC 19, touch 19, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +4 Cha (Monk AC Bonus), +1 Cha (Dancer's Grace), +1 Dodge) HP: 31 (3d10+1) Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +2 Resistances: Acid: 5; Cold: 5; Electricity: 5; --------------------
Speed 40 ft. Favored Daughter: Adamantine Elven Long Blade (Katana) +7 (1d8+3, 18-20, x2, S, Deadly) (Broken) Unarmed Strike: +6 (1d6+3, 20, x2, B) Space 5 ft., Reach 5 ft. --------------------
Order of the Song Bird Challenge -- (2/3)/per Day (The character gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC and a +1 sacred bonus on saves against the attacks and abilities of the target of her challenge. Only the first successful attack per round deals +1 damage. The character takes a –2 penalty to her Armor Class, except against attacks made by the target of her challenge.) Resolve -- 1/Per Day Detect Evil (Sp): At will, a paladin can use detect evil, as the spell. A paladin can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is evil, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the paladin does not detect evil in any other object or individual within range. Smite Evil (Su): (1/1)/per Day. (+4 to attack, +1 to damage, +4 to AC) --------------------
Str 16, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 18 Base Atk +3; CMB +6; CMD 20 (+3 Str, +3 Dex, +3 BA, +1 Dodge) Traits: Reactionary, Star-Blessed: The character begins play with an adamantine Heirloom weapon with the broken condition. It can only be repaired with the GM's permission. Feats: Dodge (Monk), Extra Challenge, Knight of Piety, Mobility (Freebie), Power Attack (Freebie), Stunning Fist (DC 15) (Monk), Unarmed Strike (Monk), Weapon Finesse Skills: Acrobatics: +9 (3 Ranks, 3 Dex, 3 TCS)
Racial Modifiers: +2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Cha Favored Class Benefits: +1 HP Languages: Celestial, Ärh’Édheliti, Common Aerti ------------------------------
Darkvision: Aasimar can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Celestial Resistance: Aasimars have acid resistance 5, cold resistance 5, and electricity resistance 5. Skilled: Muse Touched Aasimar have a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Perform checks. Celestial Strength: +2 Racial Bonus to Strength ------------------------------
Order of the Song Bird Edicts: The samurai must never destroy art unless doing so is part of an artful act or performance of her own. She must respect the skill of her opponents and never desecrate or purposefully humiliate a foe. If she takes a sapient life, she must create a piece of art, performance, or poem in honor of the fallen creature or creatures in order to memorialize what she has taken from the world. Challenge: An order of the songbird samurai gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC and a +1 sacred bonus on saves against the attacks and abilities of the target of her challenge. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 class levels the samurai has. The samurai must be wearing light or no armor, not using a shield, and carrying no more than a light load to gain this benefit. Skills: An order of the songbird samurai adds Knowledge (religion) (Int) and Perform (Cha) to her list of class skills. The samurai adds half her level to Craft checks and Profession (gardener) checks. Flourish (Ex): The warrior poet is skilled at performing elegant moves in battle. At 1st level, the warrior poet gains a flourish of her choice from the list below. She gains another flourish at 3rd, 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th, and 20th levels. This replaces mount, weapon expertise, banner, and greater banner. Flourish 1: Exodus of Jinin: As long as the warrior poet is wearing light or no armor and carrying no more than a light load, her land speed increases by 10 feet. A warrior poet can select this flourish up to three times. Graceful Warrior (Ex): The warrior poet gains Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat and can apply its benefits to glaives, katanas, and naginatas as if they were light weapons. This does not alter the weapons’ properties for the purposes of any other effects. Skirmisher’s Challenge (Ex): The warrior poet adds her samurai level to her damage rolls only on her first successful attack against a challenged target each round. This modifies challenge. Resolve (Ex): Starting at 1st level, the samurai gains resolve that he can call upon to endure even the most devastating wounds and afflictions. He can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day for every two samurai levels beyond 1st. Whenever the samurai defeats the target of his challenge, he regains one daily use of his resolve, up to his maximum number of uses per day. Defeating the target of his challenge usually involves reducing the target to 0 hit points or fewer, but the GM might rule that an enemy who surrenders or flees the battle is also defeated. He can use this resolve in a number of ways. Determined: As a standard action, the samurai can spend one use of his resolve to remove the fatigued, shaken, or sickened condition. If the samurai is at least 8th level, he can alternatively remove the exhausted, frightened, nauseated, or staggered condition. If the condition has a duration longer than 1 hour or is permanent, this ability removes the condition for 1 hour, at which time the condition returns. Resolute: Whenever the samurai is required to make a Fortitude or Will save, he can spend one use of his resolve as an immediate action to roll twice and take the better result. He must decide to use this ability before he rolls the saving throw. Unstoppable: When the samurai is reduced to fewer than 0 hit points but not slain, he can spend one use of his resolve as an immediate action to instantly stabilize and remain conscious. He is staggered, but he does not fall unconscious and begin dying if he takes a standard action. He does fall unconscious if he takes additional damage from any source. AC Bonus (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC and CMD. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every four monk levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level. These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load. Draconic Might: Any of the scaled fist’s class abilities that make calculations based on her Wisdom (including bonus feats with DCs or uses per day, such as Stunning Fist, but not Wisdom-based skills or Will saving throws) are instead based on her Charisma. Flurry of Blows (Ex): At 1st level, a monk can make a flurry of blows as a full-attack action. When making a flurry of blows, the monk can make one additional attack at his highest base attack bonus. This additional attack stacks with the bonus attacks from haste and other similar effects. When using this ability, the monk can make these attacks with any combination of his unarmed strikes and weapons that have the monk special weapon quality. He takes no penalty for using multiple weapons when making a flurry of blows, but he does not gain any additional attacks beyond what’s already granted by the flurry for doing so. (He can still gain additional attacks from a high base attack bonus, from this ability, and from haste and similar effects). Dancer’s Grace (Ex): When wearing no armor and not using a shield, the warrior poet gains a bonus to Armor Class equal to her Charisma bonus (to a maximum of her samurai level). A warrior poet loses this bonus while flatfooted or otherwise denied her Dexterity bonus. This replaces the samurai’s proficiency with medium armor, heavy armor, and shields. Aura of Good (Ex): The power of a paladin's aura of good (see the detect good spell) is equal to her paladin level. Detect Evil (Sp): At will, a paladin can use detect evil, as the spell. A paladin can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is evil, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the paladin does not detect evil in any other object or individual within range. Smite Evil (Su): Once per day, a paladin can call out to the powers of good to aid her in her struggle against evil. As a swift action, the paladin chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is evil, the paladin adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack rolls and adds her paladin level to all damage rolls made against the target of her smite. If the target of smite evil is an outsider with the evil subtype, an evil-aligned dragon, or an undead creature, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level the paladin possesses. Regardless of the target, smite evil attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess. In addition, while smite evil is in effect, the paladin gains a deflection bonus equal to her Charisma modifier (if any) to her AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the paladin targets a creature that is not evil, the smite is wasted with no effect. The smite evil effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the paladin rests and regains her uses of this ability. At 4th level, and at every three levels thereafter, the paladin may smite evil one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: Paladin, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level. --------------------
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