Mel, Changeling Rogue
Mel
Changling Rogue 3
Medium Humanoid
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Deity:
Region: Valenar
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 119
Skin: Gray
Eyes: White
Age: 18
Sex: Female?
Experience:
/6000
Action Points: 6
Str: 10 (+0) [2 points]
Dex: 14 (+2) [6 points]
Con: 12 (+1) [4 points]
Int: 16 (+3) [10 points]
Wis: 12 (+1) [4 points]
Cha: 14 (+2) [6 points]
Class and Racial Abilities:
Changeling Racial Abilities
- +2 save vs Sleep and charm
- +2 Bluff, Intimidate, Sense Motive
- Natural Linguist: Speak Language class skill
- Minor Shape Change:
Social intuition:
- Gather Info check takes (1d4+1)x10 minutes
- Gut assessment of a social situation takes a full round action
- May take a 10 on Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Info, Intimidate, and Sense Motive.
Minor Lore
- +1 to all Knowledge Checks
- If succesful in aiding another, bonus is added to aid bonus.
Sneak Attack: +2d6
Evasion: No damage instead of half on Ref saves.
Hit Dice: 3d6+3
HP: 19
AC: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 Leather) Touch – 12, Flat-footed – 12
ACP: 0
Init: +2 (+2 Dex)
Speed: 30ft
Saves:
Fortitude +2 [+1 base, +1 Con]
Reflex +5 [+3 base, +2 Dex]
Will +2 [+1 base, +1 Wis]
BAB: +2
Melee Atk: +2 (1d6/18-20x2/P, Rapier)
Melee Atk: +2 (1d4/19-20x2/P, Dagger)
Ranged Atk: +4 (1d4/19-20x2/10 ft./P, Dagger)
Ranged Atk: +4 (1d6/x3/60 ft./ Shortbow)
Skills:
Bluff +10 [6 ranks, +2 Dex, +2 racial]
Decipher Script +6 [3 ranks, +3 Int]
Diplomacy +12 [4 ranks, +2 Chr, +6 Synergy]
Disguise +20 [6 ranks, +2 Chr, +10 racial, +2 Synergy]
Gather Information +9 [5 ranks, +2 Chr, +2 Synergy]
Hide +7 [5 ranks, +2 Dex]
Intimidate +8 [2 ranks, +2 Chr, +2 racial, +2 Synergy]
KN: Arcana (cc) +6 [2 ranks, +3 Int, +1 Class]
KN: Architecture (cc) +5 [1 rank, +3 Int, +1 Class]
KN: History (cc) +6 [2 ranks, +3 Int, +1 Class]
KN: Local +9 [5 ranks, +3 Int, +1 Class]
KN: Nobility +9 [5 ranks, +3 Int, +1 Class]
Listen +4 [3 ranks, +1 Wis]
Move Silently +7 [5 ranks, +2 Dex]
Open Lock +5 [3 ranks, +2 Dex]
Per: Dance +3 [1 ranks, +2 Chr]
Search +5 [2 ranks, +3 Int]
Sense Motive +9 [6 ranks, +1 Wis, +2 racial]
Slight of Hand +5 [1 ranks, +2 Dex, , +2 Synergy]
Spellcraft (cc) +6 [2 ranks, +3 Int]
Spot +4 [3 ranks, +1 Wis]
Use Magic Device +4 [2 ranks, +2 Cha]
Feats:
Able Learner, Master Linguist
Languages: Common, Elven, Draconic, Goblin, Gnome
Equipment
Leather - 10 gp (15 lbs)
Rapier - 15 gp (2 lbs)
Dagger - 2 gp (1 lbs)
Short Bow - 30 gp (2 lbs)
20 Arrows - 1 gp (3 lbs)
Belt Pouch - 1gp (1/2 lbs)
~
MW Thieves Tools - 100 gp (2 lbs)
Belt Pouch - 1gp (1/2 lbs)
~
Mother's "Luck" stone*
Total weight carried – 26 lbs, light load.
Money
30 pp, 138gp, 10 cp
~~~~~
Advancement
[sblock]L2: Rogue[sblock]BAB +1, REF +1, HP: +6
Skills: 1 pts
-Goblin (1)
-Bluff +1
-Decipher Script +1
-Disguise +1
-KN: Architectrure(CC) +1
-Kn: Local +1
-KN: Nobility +1
-Sense Motive +1
-Slight of Hand +1
-Use Magic Device +2
Special Abilities:Evasion[/sblock]
L3 -> Rogue (Changeling Racial Sub)
[sblock]HP +6
SP +13, BAB +1, Fort +1, Will +1
Feat - Master Linguist (RoE) - Learn Gnome
Skills:
-Bluff +1
-Diplomacy +1
-Disguise +1
-Gather Information +1
-Hide +1
-KN: Local +2
-KN: Nobility +1
-Listen +1
-Move Silently +1
-Open Lock +1
-Sense Motive +1
-Spot +1
Special Abilities: +1d6 Sneak attack, Minor Lore: +1 to all Knowledge Skills (The sub for Trap Sense)[/sblock][/sblock]
Appearance/Personas:
Melphina Delena is her usual personality. The blonde haired, blue eyed elven beauty is slight and lithe. She dresses in fashionable finery, and carries a rapier if she ever carries a weapon. Fairly young for an elf, she has an air of innocence about her. Melphina is a social butterfly, and can be found socializing with the help as much as the nobles. While a princess, she does not play up her name.
Melanie Vega is another persona. This buxom redheaded half-elf has sparkling green eyes. Sometimes slightly disheveled, Melanie is no stranger to street life. While carrying a rapier on the street to protect herself, she is prefers to find other solutions to problems. Melanie is willing to do what she needs to do to get by, from the occasional pick-pocket, to providing other “services”. (While Mel has researched these things, this is a new persona for her, and she is still trying to understand it. Her true innocence sometimes shines through a bit, and she doesn’t quite understand what everything this persona is willing to do really means.)
Melody Rhythm Rumba is another persona. This brown haired, brown eyed human is a traveling dancer. Comfortable dancing to a light jig or in a courtly setting, Melody enjoys the peace she finds while dancing, and is a sought after companion and dance partner. Melody makes no attempt to hide that her name is a stage name, but no one has yet to find her true name. Melody can be elusive, and often will disappear for a time at any event she might attend. (Melody was a persona Mel developed while in the court to try to blend in and test her changing powers. Mel will sometimes appear as Melody when she is in need of money and can find a tavern to perform, or to discretely find her way into a social event she was not invited to in another way.)
Melvin Bogart is another persona. This black haired hunky elf is actually quite short. He is a swashbuckler to a tee, being both a braggart and competent in his abilities. Melvin is true of heart and is not afraid to struggle to right a wrong. (Mel developed Melvin from her fantasy of her ideal hero, as well as stories she heard when she was growing up. She lacks the skill at arms to pull him off perfectly, but she is working on that.)
Background: [sblock]Mel is anything but your typical elven noble. She has always been taught she was special. At a young age, Melphina Delena learned that she had an amazing ability to change shape. Nothing drastic, but she could change her shape to emulate just about anyone. She was taught that this was a special gift few elves had, and she should hide it from the world as much as possible. Her mother, Yolanda, loved her deeply, and would always call Melphina her “special little girl”. Melphina never understood why her mom always seemed to have a smile and a tear in her eye when she looked at Melphina.
Her father, Vielin Delena, had Melphina trained in the more subtle arts of the court. She was shown the social intrigue and backstabbing, both figurative and literally. Vielin had eyes on a seat of power, and saw Melphina as his opportunity. He spared no expense at Mel’s training and education, and Melphina took to everything eagerly.
Melphina was generally kept away from all but Vielin’s closest advisors. As she grew, she wondered why it happened so fast. Her father said that it was just part of her being different, and that it meant that she got to be an adult sooner. When Melphina was 16, she was finally brought out into the public’s eye. She was to say that she had been studying in Sharn for several decades and had recently returned to Valenar. Melphina reveled in the exercise to put her deceptive skills to work, and managed to keep her origins a secret.
Melphina, however, was too good of a student for her father’s good. She enjoyed sneaking around the castle, spying or impersonating staff. One day, she had actually snuck out of the keep, and she met a strange person whose race she couldn’t identify. So, after shadowing this person, she discovered it was a Changeling. She saw him change shape, much like she could, once or twice. She felt some sort of connection to this person, but she couldn’t place it.
So, she began to research Changelings and experimenting with herself. She was sure now, that she was not a special Elf, but a Changeling. She decided to not let on, and find out why her parents deceived her. She worked her way through the keep almost daily, trying to pick up bits and pieces of what was really going on. To be true to her changeling nature, she began to ask to be called Mel, as a term of endearment of course.
Soon, her “father” announced that she had been offered to a new Barron as a bride, and then all became clear. Vielin spoke to Mel, and mentioned that she should use the situation to gain power for her family. She could help this new Barron into an early grave, and take the Barony for herself and her family. She enjoyed the intrigue of the political world, but helping this “Family” she found revolting.
One day, Mel came upon her mother crying while she was disguised as one of her mother’s personal servants. She asked what was wrong, and Yolanda spoke that she knew what Vielin had planned for her daughter, and she didn’t approve. Mel was moved by her mom, and dropped her disguise. Much to her surprise, she took the natural changeling form, and not her usual elven form. Yolanda recognized Mel immediately and broke down, telling her how Vielin had killed the original Melphina, and had tricked Yolanda into conceiving Mel. Yolanda swore to love her daughter, but was scared to go against her husband.
Mel spoke with her mother about what Vielin had planned her to do. She spoke of how she had figured out that she was different and strove to learn about her true nature. Yolanda said to Mel “Don’t live your life with regrets. Run away now, you can find some place to go. You know who you really are, and you know how to disappear out there. I believe in you, and know that no matter what happens, your mother always loves you.”
So, under cover of darkness, Mel set out, in search of a new life, feeling for once, truly at peace with who she is. She still uses her “Melphina” persona most often, but she knows to keep a low profile, and has tried to develop several new ones.[/sblock]*[sblock]When Melfina ran, her mother pressed on her a sealed box and told her it was "for luck." When she finally opened it, she found something that superficially resembled a dragonshard. However, instead of Syberis-gold, Eberron-red, or Kyber-black, this was an evershifting hue, washing over the shard like waves in the sea. When Mel concentrated on it, she found it showed an ever-changing series of images. When she was able to find one that she desired, the gem was able to grant it to her... in a fashion. This gem is apparently very chaotic, and though it may be able to grant one their desires, the way in which it happens is predictable. If one wished a change of clothes, their clothes might change by illusion, change in reality, or they might get mugged, stripped naked, and then manage to steal some clothes from a tailor a block away. If you desire knowledge, you may overhear it, uncover a thrown-out scroll, or get captured and told it while you're being sacrificed to a demon. It is a capricious gift. Also it seems that it gets more capricious if its abilities are called on often. If you call upon it once a day, it may try to grant one's desire in a relatively straightforward fashion. But the more demanding and insistant one is in asking things of the gem, the more random and bizarre its gifts become.[/sblock]
[sblock=IDs]
Name: Melphina Delena
Place of Birth: Valenar
Family/Parents/Clan: The Delena family
Place of Residence: None
Profession/Place of Business: Student
Appearance: Long Blonde hair, Blue eyes, Pale skin, Slight and Lithe, Elf.
Unusual Characteristics: Perfect teeth.
Name: Melanie Vega
Place of Birth: Sharn
Family/Parents/Clan: Unknown
Place of Residence: Sharn
Profession/Place of Business: Personal Atendant
Appearance: Long Red hair, Green eyes, Light skin, Velupious, Half-Elf
Unusual Characteristics: Lower Sharn (Southern) Accent
Name: Melody Rhythm Rumba
Place of Birth: Aundair
Family/Parents/Clan: Unknown
Place of Residence: None
Profession/Place of Business: Entertainer
Appearance: Long black hair, brown eyes, tanned skin, athletic, Human
Unusual Characteristics: None
Name: Melvin Bogart
Place of Birth: Valenar
Family/Parents/Clan: Deceased
Place of Residence: Valenar
Profession/Place of Business: Adventurer/Mercenary
Appearance: Shoulder lenght black hair, Blue eyes, dark skin, short and athletic, Elf
Unusual Characteristics: Deep and smooth voice, Scar on left pectoral[/sblock]
[sblock=Mel with the book]As Mel concentrates on her strange stone, she sees a clear picture of the book. Following the image, she places her first two fingertips beneath the sliver of the dragonshard in the book, and follows a peculiar twist of her mind. The stone goes black for a moment, then Mel hears a voice in her head:
This Wallbreaker, my report will be ready at the end of the week. Do you have need of additional information? In the stone shard in the book, Mel can see a faint image of a gruff-looking warforged.
Mel quickly shifts into a goblin shaman and replies ins a gruff voice
"Yes, I want an update of your status immediately. I need to be sure things are running smoothly."
"Things continue on schedule. Terrik will take control of the fifth level by the end of next month, and his wealth and influence will increase as predicted. The only snag would be the expected attempts on his life by rivals. I have already killed two, so they are reluctant to try further," Wallbreaker reports, seeming to accept Mel as a goblin. [/sblock]
[sblock=Mel of Bail's Angels]Mel spends a little bit of each night and morning schooling Rayni in the mannerisms of Khorvaire elves, suggesting alternate curses and oaths, behaviors to avoid, fashions to dress in, and other such things she’s picked up.
As the buxom Melanie Vega, she moves easily amongst the middle and lower wards, hearing about the gossip and whatnot that rules those that live below the salt. Middle Menthis and neighboring Middle Tavick’s Landing are not Dura, but they also are not Central. That is to say, while they may be spared the worst of criminal manipulation, people here are not immune to it. More than one shopkeeper admits paying money to the Boromar clan for protection, assaults by thugs are not uncommon, and there are several people that it’s simple not healthy to inquire about. Most people know and understand that the Boromar clan runs certain gambling halls, and collects a great deal of money and goods that previously belonged to someone else (the Boromar clan is an extended halfling crime family).
However, several attacks by large and powerful creatures, mostly ogres with at least one unverified troll sighting, have been happening on Boromar-owned properties. It’s known that a group of monsters calling themselves Daask are trying to move up from below to take over the enterprises previously owned by other criminal organizations. Needless to say, the Boromar clan takes a dim few of this, but since their organization is very large (no one denies this), it’s hard to protect everything. A discrete call has been put out to people in debt to the Boromar clan, a call to arms. The general feeling is that a very nasty street war may be breaking out in the lower wards within six moons or less.
Aside from that rather disturbing information, Melanie Vega has become a bit of a fixture at the bi-weekly Hrazhak matches; the ones where a newcomer human named Bail is becoming a rapidly rising star. Filling in for an injured player on an all-shifter team, he’s aided them to several victories. Eager to praise the hero of the hour, Melanie Vega doesn’t hesitate to drape herself over him after his matches, planting a kiss on his cheek, and cheering for him during his game. He seems pleased, to be sure, but uncertain of how to act around her.
Melody Rhythm Rumba manages to find several taverns and inns in Smoky Towers and Firelight that are happy to have an entertainer for a night or two. Many already have a musician, but having a trained dancer of any stripe is welcome for the sheer novelty of it. She can get her dinner without having to pay a copper, and oftentimes it’s fairly decent, sometimes even good! The local gossip around the taverns has many speculations about the attempted murder of Councilor Kilk, with wild rumors flying naming everyone from the Boromar clan, the assassins of House Tarkanan, and the mysterious shapechanging Tyrants, to a rogue wizard, an estranged wife, or a fallen angel! The talk from the less-inebriated quarter is murmuring about some angry member of the dragonmarked houses, but that is said very softly, while looking over their shoulders.
Melvin Bogart does the two most obvious things in his search for Melphina Delena. The first is to look around and ask questions himself. The second is to hire an inquisitive to get into records he couldn’t simply because of time constraints. The first route uncovers vague recollections from some local elves, mostly recalling an aristocratic elf by that name that spent a lot of time in Upper Central, where the most powerful people of Sharn tend to gather. However, that was quite a while ago. The second route is done by hiring a middle-aged halfing inquisitive for the not unreasonable price of twelve silver pieces a day, to uncover all she can about Melphina in a week.
At the end of that week, Leyna Thorngage hands you her report:
Melphina Delena
Eldest daughter of the Delena family, arrived from Valenar 52 years ago with the purpose of both learning the intricacies of the powerplay in Sharn, and to represent the interests of her father, Vielin Delena. Born 844 YK in Valenar, educated and raised in Delena family enclave, unknown until arrival in Sharn in 946 YK. Despite the complications of the Last War, Melphina was noted as being a guest at several social functions, including four invitation to the ir’Tain gala [Mel knows this as the social event of each month in Sharn], and repeated invitations to receptions at the embassies for Valenar, Cyre, and Aundair.
Correspondence from Delena enclave in Valenar, now held in cousin Isar’even Delena’s residence in Shae Lias district, was unavailable to this inquisitive, but the following information was given by Isar’even Delena regarding the subject of Melphina Delena. Quoted verbatim:
“She was sent here, a bare babe by our standards, to provide grace and ornamentation to various social functions in Sharn. Vielin was very determined to find a suitable husband for her, one that would allow him to expand his steelsilk trade into Sharn or further north. He hoped that Melphina, wearing his silks and showing her impeccable manners and elegance, would be able to find one to her liking at the various parties she was invited to. She was a very lovely child, well-schooled in every art of fine conversation, music, poetry, dancing… My mother considered it quite a pity that her brother felt the need to marry off his only child when she was not even a woman yet. She said once to me that Vielin had the patience of a human, not an elf.”
Further information reveals that twenty years ago Melphina Delena’s name stopped appearing on guest lists. Additional quotes from Isar’even Delena:
“Two decades ago she was suddenly recalled to Valenar. It was rather strange, seeing as she was being courted by a young scion of House Phiarlan, a one Layferi d’Phiarlan. He did not hold much power in his House, being so young, but I remember speaking to her briefly about him, and she seemed enamored. However, she was recalled, and returned obediently. I have not heard from her since that day, but her father always did keep her busy.”
There are no records of passage on ship, airship, coach, or lightning rail for Melphina Delena from Sharn twenty years ago. There are also no records of a teleportation spell being purchased in her name or the name of her family during that time. No records exist for either of these items in the following years as well. At of 978 YK, all records of Melphina Delena cease. Further records may exist on Valenar in regards to Melphina Delena, but they are unavailable to this inquisitive at this time.
This inquisitive would be willing to investigate further in Valenar for information on Melphina Delena, but this inquisitive would require the purchase of fare to Valenar, and an increase in fee to one gold piece per day, paid for two weeks in advance to compensate for difficulty and distances traveled.
~Leyna Thorngage, inquisitive of Tosscobble Uncovered Agency
Melody will continue her irregular appearances, showing up just enough to keep her name out there, but irregular enough to be a mystery. Hopefully, she can earn a little bit of coin for such rare appearances, or perhaps even make her way into a high end social Gala and see what the upper crust is talking about.
Unfortunately Melody is not quite good enough to get into the parties of the rich and famous. Mel hasn’t practiced enough yet to make Melody’s dancing something the rich and jaded would appreciate. She thinks she could, given enough practice, but for right now she’s stuck in the lower taverns, inns, and festhalls.
Melvin will keep on the look out, and see if he can get any info on Layferi d’Phiarlan and Isar’even Delena, though he'll try to be discrete about those.
Layferi Melvin can locate working at the Art Temple theater in Upper Menthis as a director’s assistant. It’s a very cutting-edge, avant-guard type of theater, and one where Melvin is clearly not the usual clientele. He’d have to switch guises to get in, so that’s what he does, after dropping by a used clothing shop for a better set of threads. A nicer suit of clothes later, he can wander in to get a glimpse of his quarry. Only a glimpse though, because he’s quickly shooed out by ushers (they’re rehearsing). Layferi is a slight elf with long golden hair dressed in a single braid. His profile is sculpted and his clothes are dark and closely tailored to a slender frame.
For Isar’even, Melvin can see even less. He walks by her home in Shae Lias, but is unable to catch a glimpse of her, and can’t think of any reason off the top of his head as to how he can get himself admitted. Her home is grand, crafted from well-fitted stone and livewood, and has elegant gardens all around it.
[/sblock]
