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[GlassEye]

Arden

Name: Arden of Narovan
Class: Psion (Shaper) 1
Race: Human
Size: Medium (5 ft. 6 in.; 135 lbs.)
Gender: Female
Alignment: LN

Str: 10 +0		Level: 1        XP: 300 / 1000
Dex: 12 +1		BAB: +0         HP: 10 / 12 (1d4+8)
Con: 14 +2		Grapple: +0     Dmg Red: -/-
Int: 18 +4		Speed: 30'      Power Points: 4 (2 +2 bonus)
Wis: 14 +2		Init: +1        Manifester Level: 1
Cha: 10 +0		ACP: -0         Save DC: 14 + power level

                   Base  Armor Shld   Dex  Size   Nat  Misc
Armor: 11           10    +0    +0    +1    +0    +0    +0
Touch: 11
Flat:  10          (AC +4 with inertial armor)

                   Base   Mod  Misc
Fort: +2             0    +2    +0 
Ref:  +1             0    +1    +0 
Will: +4             2    +2    +0 

Weapon              Attack     Damage     Critical
Dagger                +0       1d4         19-20/x2
Crossbow, light       +1       1d8         19-20/x2

Languages: Common, Abyssal, Halfling, +1

Abilities:
Psion Class Abilities
- Discipline: Metacreativity

Psionic Powers
1st
Astral Construct
Inertial Armor
Vigor

Feats:
H) Psicrystal Affinity (Coward)
1) Psionic Body
P1) Overchannel

Skill Points: 28       Max Ranks: 4/2
Skills                   Ranks  Mod  Misc
Concentration +6           4    +2    +0
Craft (Sculpting) +8       4    +4    +0
Hide +6                    2cc  +1    +3
Knowledge (History) +8     4    +4    +0
Knowledge (Local) +8       4    +4    +0
Knowledge (Religion) +8    4    +4    +0
Listen +2                  0    +2    +0
Psicraft +8                4    +4    +0
Search +4                  0    +4    +0
Spot +2                    0    +2    +0

Equipment:                      Cost  Weight
Light Crossbow                   35g    4
 --20 bolts                       2g    2
Dagger                            2g    1
Backback                          2g    2
Bedroll                           1s    5
Waterskin                         1g    4
Sunrod x3                         6g    3
Beltpouch                         1g    .5
Psicrystal
Psionic Tattoos (usable 1/day):
Conceal Thoughts, Detect Psionics, Dissipating Touch [Existence Unbound], Empty Mind, 
Inertial Armor, Skate

Total Weight: 21 lb      
Money: 28 gold, 12 silver, 4 copper

                           Lgt   Med   Hvy  Lift  Push
Max Weight:                33    66    100  200   500

Advancement

Background & 1st level bonus:
300xp
Psicrystal also holds 1 PP (as Cognizance Crystal)
Psionic Tattoos (usable 1/day): Conceal Thoughts, Detect Psionics, Dissipating Touch, Empty Mind, Inertial Armor, & Skate
---
Crookside Inn -1 gold, +3 silver, +4 copper
Dawn House -5 gold
looted gear sold at Fhelid's +11 gold, 8 silver
Safety's Rest (private room & meal) -8 silver

Background

It is dark and I am still on the streets of Narovan. My heart is thudding in my chest. Thum-thum. Thum-thum. My throat tightens; I draw a gasping breath. Soft boots scuff cobblestones behind me. I run. Run! Run! It’s all I can think, all I can do. Lost, wildly, I run. Until there is no place to go. Stumbling, sobbing, screaming, and behind me is a Midnight man with a glinting steel knife. I pound out my fury and frustration. I shouldn’t be here! And then, I am not…

Crack!
The hand is large, thick with the callouses of hard labor, tattooed round the fingers and across the back with the third scriptus, an injuction against acting contrary to the Law. It moves quickly leaving a trail of blurred blue letters in the air of the moment. Palm connects with the flesh of my cheek. The sound seems quite loud. My head jerks to one side, my body follows its movement, and I tumble from my perch to sprawl in the mud.

“Concentrate, girl! Gather your wits, master your fear.” Easier said than done, believe me. Haerdal’s face, tattooed with the scriptus’ of Illene initiation, the Ordered Body (I have that one, too), the Hand of Law, and several others I just cannot remember, scowls down at me as if he can read my mind. He really can; he’s done it before. I return scowl for scowl and hope he’s not reading my mind right now.

I remember that night in Narovan. I was certain I was going to die. And then I was somewhere else entirely. Somewhere beyond the reach of Law and I was absolutely certain I was going to die. I was ripped apart and I had to fight to gather myself together again. Fear got in the way and I molded a cage for it; not all of it, just enough. Enough so that I could fight my way out of that place. Haerdal says I only fought myself, that if anything else had been there I would never have made it back.

Haerdal’s coarse hand thrusts out towards me. Tentatively I reach out and he pulls me roughly to my feet. “Nothing else is going to get done tonight,” he snarls. A thick finger pokes my forehead right on my initiation tattoo. I was only inducted into the Order of the Illenes a few days ago. It hurts, almost more than getting the tattoo in the first place. Tears well up. “Get your mind together and get some sleep.” He stalks off towards the sod hut he built into a hillock for protection from the weather and other, less friendly things. I climb back up onto my stump to look out at the Moor and think.

When Haerdal found me I clutched an irregularly shaped stone. It is actually a crystal the size of my fist with black and gray striations. In the sun the gray bands lighten to a murky tan color. If you squint at it, it looks somewhat like a bee. Haerdal says it is my fear and that I formed it in that shape. I call it the Coward. I was a potter before; I think if I had formed it I could have done a better job. He found it amusing and rigged a harness for it in my sleeve giggling and buzzing to himself the whole while. I’m not sure what he found so funny.

Sometimes I think Haerdal is crazy. Then I remember that he is an Illene and I am certain of it. They are all crazy. Have you read any Illene scriptus? Four times as long as the Books of Law and filled with contradictory philosophical ramblings and obscure prophecy of the one chaos-born, someone like Sir Engvold, I suppose, who will bring about the ordered world. I think they all want to be the one who fulfills the prophecy and that’s why they nourish the chaos within themselves. So why am I an Illene? I guess I’m crazy, too.

Tomorrow I will receive the Tattoo of the Expanded Mind. It is the last before I am allowed to leave my apprenticeship with Haerdal. I’m ready. The Coward won’t like it, but I think I’ll go to Narovan.

Appearance

The most striking thing about Arden's appearance is her facial tattoos: lines of vertical holy text on her forehead, cheeks, and chin. She also has tattoos on the backs of her hands and spiraling up her forearms though these are more easily concealed. Otherwise, she is plainly common and if it weren't for the tattoos she could easily pass as a craftsman or goodwife. Her skirt and shirt is made of good quality Moorlander linen, durable and warm but not pretty, and protected by a leather overtunic; all in various shades of brown. Her overcloak, given to her by Haerdal, is a rich, royal blue in surprisingly good shape. It is a bit too large for her and she suspects it is a piece from her master's vestment.