Atavist: The Secret War
- Thread starter ByteRynn
- Start date
Alakashtai ir'Drosin, Kalashtar Female Monk 5/Atavist 1//Ardent 6
Appearance
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Alakashtai is very short and thin by Kalashtar standards, standing only 5' 4", and barely topping 120 lbs. Her hair is cut short, and between that and her other assets, she's very attractive. Those who don't know her are always shocked to learn she's a highly trained warrior and battlefield commander.
OOC: If you want to visualize Alakashtai in combat, think a blonde, blue-eyed, sane River Tam.
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Personality
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Cautious and distant, Alakashtai at first glance seems an unlikely commander. But those who have served under her command know she has a deep knowledge of tactics, and great inner strength.
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Background
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Alakashtai's natural parents -- her father a soulknife, her mother a kineticist -- were killed about 40 years ago by some sort of monster sent by the Dreaming Dark. The monster would have killed her, as well, but a pair of Khorvar (half-elven) adventures -- a female Silver Pyromancer (and noblewoman) and a male ranger, managed to finish what her parents started, and slew the creature. They were unable to save her parents, though, and so brought the girl home with them, intending to send her off with a family of her people as soon as they could.
However, they grew attached to Alakashtai over the course of returning to Flamekeep and seeking out the rare Kalashtar there to find adoptive parents for her. And so they married, and took the girl in themselves. While they tried to see that other Kalashtar taught Alakashtai the traditions of her people, she found herself drifting into the Church of the Silver Flame, of her adoptive parents and homeland. And at 35 -- late young adulthood, by Kalashtar standards -- she asked to enter training in one of the Church's monestaries, and was accepted.
Her adoptive parents returned to the service of Thrane's armies, and so it was that ten years later, Dame Morgana ir'Drosin was killed in Thrane's service. Only days later, the monestary Alakashtai had become an advanced student at was attacked by Karrn raiders -- with a quori-possessed commander. Only Alakashtai's rallying of the students, and the timely arrival of a troop of knights-in-training saved the monestary, and most of the students.
Lukar Enterro, the young paladin that commanded that troop, became her best friend as the war ended, and accompanied her when she left the monestary to seek out the reasons why the Dreaming Dark had sought her out. Over the course of those searches, they became very close -- lovers, in fact.
When those searches led to Sharn's Overlook district, a Kalashtar approached them and requested that Alakashtai come with him. For she was the last of the six his master had been seeking. The one with the most doubts, but the one who would lead them.
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Introductory story
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Alakashtai clutched the silver arrowhead she wore on a necklace yet again. It was not of any great value, and it was the symbol of a faith that was not entirely her own. But she owed Morgana ir'Drosin her life. She had been just old enough to remember why.
* * * *
Her parents, turning to face some abomination out of nightmares, father with his mind blade, mother with her mind alone. A mental whisper to run for her life, and to not stop running until she reached safety. Some kind of safety. Somewhere.
She hadn't run far, despite her parents' commands. Just far enouogh to hide, and watch. Surely nothing could defeat mother and father, side by side, fighting together.
First mother, then father, falling. The creature testing the air, turning, and beginning to move in her direction. And a column of silver-tinged fire enveloping it, as a pair of riders closed. That had not been sufficient to kill the creature, even with what her natural parents had already done to it.
The riders closed, one male, and one female. Both Khorvar. The man fired arrows at the creature. The woman was clearly the source of the silver-tinged fire, as she produced more of it when the first barrage proved insfufficent. Alakashtai had thought at the time that the woman's powers were like her mother's; the color of a fireball made little difference to a ten-year-old girl.
The whole battle had taken less than a minute to unfold. At the end, the creature lay destroyed. The newcomers wounds were serious, though the woman produced a wand, and tapped it on herself and her companion, closing their wounds.
They had gone to the side of her parents' bodies.
"We were too late for these two." The man said.
"They did not go down easily, Vencyl." The woman replied, looking around. "They gave everything they had to make a stand here. They could have fled."
"I think I know the reason they did not. Look at these tracks." He said, pointing to what could only be her footprints. "I suppose they could have been traveling with a halfling, but I think they were protecting a child. Or trying to, anyway."
And they followed her trail right to her. And Dame Morgana ir'Drosin, Knight Templar of the Silver Flame, and Silver Pyromancer, wrapped her arms around Alakashtai. "It's okay to cry. But you're safe now."
* * * *
Morgana and Vencyl had brought her back to Flamekeep, fully intending to find a Kalashtar family there to raise her eventually. They were adventurers, and she was a child. They were Khorvar, and while at first glance the child might have looked human, they knew well that it was in fact Kalashtar. But they had grown attached to her. Enough that they found they could not give her up. Enough that they had married, and adopted her as their own.
They had sought out the few of her people in Flamekeep, to teach her the traditions of the Kalashtar. Indeed, they had done everything they could to keep her from being an outsider, and everything they could to avoid forcing their own beliefs on her. They'd seeped into her nonetheless. When you lived with the best of what the Flame had to offer, it was easy enough to forgive the worst.
They had tried to do their best for her. For twenty years, they had. And when Alakashtai had wanted to enter training at a monestary dedicated to the Flame, they had agreed to let her go. And Dame Morgana had returned to service with the armies of Thrane, where she had served before she had found Alakashtai. She had, like she had before, served with skill and honor, wielding arcane power very few could match.
And all Alakashtai had left was the necklace around her neck, and what Vencyl kept at the manor house she would one day inherit, for Morgana and Vencyl had no children of their own. The woman who was as much her mother as the woman who had given birth to her was dead, one of the last casualties in a war that had last over a century, but barely touched her until then. Only days after she had recieved the news, the war had crashed into her life a final time.
* * * * *
"Raiders!" The monestary's watchman had shouted, classes falling apart in an instant. The students would have to man the walls. The masters who trained them now were few in number, and far from young; the fully trained young men and women were, for the most part, in the field with Thrane's armies. It was, perhaps, true that the oldest of the students were quite capable, but they were all the masters' had to defend the younger, and the priceless relics the monestary held. Each man or woman they pronounced ready and let go was painful.
"Light the signal tower." Alakashtai shouted. She was the senior of the students; her orders would be followed. "Get the newlings and the masters out of here. And hold."
And they did. Unarmed and unarmored teenage boys and girls -- for by far most of her companions were human -- should have no chance against experienced Karrn light horsemen.
But they found Alakashtai was an impossible to touch whirlwind. Many -- most -- of her fellows were bigger and stronger. Certainly those she faced were. She was quicker, and master of the defensive arts of her monestary. Many on both sides fell; she was sure the students were dying harder than the raiders had expected, but apparently it was not enough to call off the raid.
"Fall back to the inner wall." She ordered. The last retreat they could make. And then she sensed something in the eyes of the commander on the other side. A warning from her other self -- there was another presense behind his eyes. One that was after her, and her alone.
"If you want me, come and take me." She shouted at the man, flipping out ahead of her lines.
"I would not try it." Someone shouted, from behind the raiders' line. A troop of heavy horsemen in Thrane's colors were busy cutting through the raiders from behind. He couldn't have been more than twenty, but it was clear he commanded them.
"And why not? Would you let me live?" The raider launched himself at her, as if he did not care about his own life. And the mind that controlled his body did not, she was sure. Alakashtai broke up his attacks in a vicous set of blocks and parries.
"Move!" The newcomer shouted, just in time. As a lance pierced the raider, and shot out the other side.
* * * * *
And that was the day she had met Sir Lukar Enterro. Paladin of the Flame, as newly-trained as she was. He'd become her best friend -- somehow she had never been close to her fellow monks. The battle at the monestary had been only weeks before the final truce in what was now called the Last War, and his horsemen had stayed at her monestary, providing additional guards, until that truce was called. And then there was peace, and neither her fellows nor his would be going to the front lines after all.
Her parents' deaths had been in a war far, far older. One that did not even have the remnants of a truce that the Last War had ended in. Until that battle at the monestary, she had thought that she could serve the Light and the Flame in mortal battles. She had sought someone who could divine the reasons why she was being dragged back into it. Lukar had accompanied her on that search; he knew what she was doing, and why.
"Your people's enemies have those who can piece through the viels of time to some small degree, to catch the fragments that we call prophecy. And those fragments say a daughter of Kashtai, raised in flame, will become one of their greatest enemies. Perhaps there are other Kalashtar who can tell you more; that was everything I could learn." Alistair ir'Indari had told her that, and he was perhaps the pre-eminent temple archivist in all of Thrane. She would not get a better answer here. It would have to be to Sharn, and the largest enclave of her people -- though still tiny by any objective standard -- and Lukar had followed her there.
Had taken it in stride when a complete stranger -- though clearly Kalashtar to her trained eyes -- had approached her in the Overlook district, and greeted her with nothing more than "You are the last the master is seeking. You must come." He had supported the both of them, while she trained to the path of the Atavist -- something she had never heard of before, something she was in no way sure that she wanted. Was she a daughter of the Silver Flame, or the Path of the Light? Was there a way to follow both?
For most of those two years, Lukar had been her lover. He wanted her to marry him, though he had yet to formally ask. He was afrfaid she might say no. She was afraid she might say yes, and bind him to her, and a war that was not his, after being spared all but one battle of the Last. Though she suspected that bond might be there, wedding or no.
At the first, she had wondered why she was chosen. There were others who could match her quickness, and best her easily in toughness and strength. There were others that could match her will. There were stronger personalities, and quicker minds. But the masters had wanted her, who had the most cracks, to be their anchor. And their commander; for all their individual skills, none had led men in combat before, and she most certainly had.
And so she let go of Morgana's necklace, forced down the tears that threatened when painful memories bubbled to the surface, and returned to training. She had work to do.
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Alakashtai on the other PCs
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Wraethmar
The gruff artificer Wraethmar was more than twice her age, and so Alakashtai's usual distance from others was even more apparent with him. But that didn't mean she thought any less of him.
Malkhad
[no backstory yet]
Sushana
Sushana is fast becoming something that Alakashtai had never had before -- a close female friend. It was difficult to avoid; Sushana's personality was warm to anyone and everyone, and she was the other young woman of their circle.
Marserath
Marserath is very nearly exactly the kind of person she would expect to be in a circle like those who joined her in the ritual. The kind of person her Lukar would have been if he'd been born and raised Kalashtar. And so he makes her, someone who has lived a life so far outside of Kalashtar tradition, a little uneasy at times.
Khanserath
[not much of a background yet]
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Combat and Tactics
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Alakashtai comes from a very defense-oriented school of fighting; she tries to use combat expertise and/or fight defensively until she can arrange a favorable situation (due to high ground, flanking, or successfully stunning her opponent with stunning fist), and then unleashes a flurry of blows attack.
However, as she's learned to master her new psionic abilities, and as the others have grown more comfortable with her leadership, she's taken to staying out melee if she can, giving orders, and using her powers to attack and to heal and defend her allies.
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NPC log
Character's I've created for Alakashtai's background
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Dame Morgana ir'Drosin, LG half-elf female cleric 1/wizard 5/Silver Pyromancer 3
Alakashtai's adoptive mother. Died in the final year of the Last War, fighting for Thrane.
Vencyl ir'Drosin, LG half-elf male Ranger 9
Alakashtai's adoptive father. Lives near Flamekeep.
Sir Lukar Enterro, human paladin [Silver Flame]
Alakashtai's closest friend and lover (and cohort).
Lord Reverened Alistair ir'Indari, LG human male Archivist 7/Aristocrat 2.
Theocrat of a district in northern Thrane about halfway between Silvercliff Castle and Thaliost.
DM note:
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In Shards of the Silver Flame and Warriors of the Coast, Lord Reverened Alistair ir'Indari (Archivist 7/Aristocrat 2) was a very high-level member of the Argentum (see the Thrane section of Five Nations), as one of its foremost experts on divine artifacts. He had a fair number of adventurers working for him (most notably the PCs of the now-discontinued Shards of the Silver Flame game, and his daughter Khalia, who's a PC in Warriors of the Coast), and extensive other contacts.
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Resource log
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- treasure acquired in-game goes here -
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Code:
[b]Character Name:[/b] Alakashtai ir'Drosin
[b]Character Race:[/b] Kalashtar
[b]Character Classes:[/b] Monk 5/Atavist 1//Ardent 6
[b]Deity:[/b] The Silver Flame
Note: Alakashtai sees a deep connection between the traditional
Kalashtar practices of The Path of the Light and those of the
Church of the Silver Flame, and practices traditional Kalashtar
meditation techniques -- a connection that many Kalashtar
mystics have seen as well -- though it's quite possible that
she sees more than is truly there.
[b]Alignment:[/b] Lawful Good
[b]Age:[/b] 48
[b]Gender:[/b] F
[b]Height:[/b] 5' 4"
[b]Weight:[/b] 125 lbs.
[b]Eyes:[/b] Blue
[b]Hair:[/b] Pale blonde
[b]Skin:[/b] Fair
[b]Character Level:[/b] 6
[b]XP:[/b] 15,000
[b]Known Languages:[/b]
Common, Quor, Reidran, Elven
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[b]Strength:[/b] 10 +0 ( 2 pts)
[b]Dexterity:[/b] 18 +4 ( 8 pts) +1 @ Level 4 +2 gloves
[b]Constitution:[/b] 12 +1 ( 4 pts)
[b]Intelligence:[/b] 14 +2 ( 6 pts)
[b]Wisdom:[/b] 18 +4 (10 pts) +2 periapt
[b]Charisma:[/b] 12 +1 ( 4 pts)
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[b]Hit Dice:[/b] 5d8 (monk) +1d10 (atavist)//6d6 (ardent)
[b]Hit Points:[/b] 45
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[b]Save vs. Fortitude:[/b] +5 [+4 (monk good, atavist/ardent poor) + 1 (Con)]
[b]Save vs. Reflex:[/b] +11 [+7 (monk, atavist good) + 4 (Dex)]
[b]Save vs. Will:[/b] +11 [+7 (all good) + 4 (Wis)]
[b]Special Save Notes:[/b]
+2 racial vs. mind-affecting spells/abilities
+2 reflex saves when a Kalashtar ally is within 60' and
psionicly focused
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[b]Initiative Modifier:[/b] +3
+2 iniative when a Kalashtar ally is within 60' and
psionicly focused
[b]Base Attack Bonus:[/b] +4 [all classes 3/4]
[b]Melee Attack Bonus:[/b] +8 [BASE (4) + DEX MOD (4)]
[b]Ranged Attack Bonus:[/b] +8 [BASE (4) + DEX MOD (4)]
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[b]AC:[/b] 21 [ BASE(10) + DEX(4) + WIS(4) + Monk(1)
+ ring (1) + bracers (1)]
[b]Flatfooted AC:[/b] 17
[b]Touch AC:[/b] 20
[b]Notes:[/b]
+1 AC when psionicly focused (Force mantle)
Usually uses Force Screen power in combat (+4 shield)
=> with both, AC 26
Often uses combat expertise and/or fights defensively
-----------------------------
[b]Weapons:[/b]
Unarmed Strike
Ki strike (magic)
ATK +8, DMG d8, CRIT 20/x2
-FLURRY +7/+7
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[b]Feats[/b]
combat expertise (L1)
improved unarmed strike (monk 1)
stunning fist (monk 1) [DC 17]
gestalt anchor (kalashtar monk 2)
weapon finesse (L3)
leadership (L6)
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[b]Skills:[/b]
Name/Total Mod (Ability) ** # Ranks taken
ranks ability misc total
Bluff 0 1 2 3
Concentration 8 1 0 9
Diplomacy 0 1 2 3
Disguise (human) 0 1 2 3
Knowledge (Tactics) 8 2 0 10
Heal 5 4 0 9
Intimidate 0 1 2 3
Tumble 8 4 0 12
Knowledge (Reglion) 5 2 0 7
Listen 7 4 0 11
Perform (dance) 5 1 0 6
Ride 1 4 0 5
Spot 7 4 0 11
* Armor Check: 0
[CC] Cross Class Skill
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[b]Special Abilities[/b]
[racial]
+2 racial vs. mind-affecting spells/abilities
+2 bluff, diplomacy, intimidate,
disguise checks to appear human
+1 power point/level
[i]mindlink[/i] 1/day as wilder of level/2
[monk]
unarmed strike
flurry (+3/+3)
evasion
still mind
[i]ki[/i] strike (magic)
slow fall 20'
purity of body
[atavist]
call to mind 3/day
spirtual lineage: cautious (listen and spot are class skills)
unarmored strike (atavist levels stack with monk levels for dmg)
[ardent]
(from mantles)
+1 deflection bonus to AC while focused (force mantle)
expend focus to increase manifester level by 1 for purpose
of manifesting a power from the life mantle (life mantle)
expend focus to deal +1d6 additional damage to a non-good
creature (good mantle)
expend focus to take the damage dealt to an adjacent ally
by a single melee attack (guardian mantle)
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[b]Powers[/b]
Power points:
35 (ardent 6) + 6 (kalashtar) + 12 (18 wis) = 53
Mantles:
L1 - Force, Life
L2 - Good
L5 - Guardian
Powers Known:
Level 1
touch of health
force screen
protection from evil, psionic
Level 2
concussion blast
damp power
empathic trasfer
Level 3
body purification
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[b]Equipment & Gear:[/b]
gloves of dexterity +2
periapt of wisdom +2
ring of protection +1
bracers of armor +1
cost (gp) wt (carried) wt (on mount)
gloves of dexterity +2 4,000.00
periapt of wisdom +2 4,000.00
ring of protection +1 2,500.00
bracers of armor +1 1,000.00
masterwork saingham 303.00 1
backpack 2.00 2
bedroll 0.10 5
flint & steel 1.00
ink, 1 vial 8.00
inkpen 0.10
parchment (5 sheets) 1.00
rope, 50', silk 10.00 5
signet ring 5.00
tent 10.00 20
waterskin 1.00 4
whetstone 0.02 1
everburning torch 110.00 1
healer's kit 50.00 1
holy symbol, silver 25.00 1
monk's outfit - 2
explorer's outfit 10.00 8
courtier's outfit 30.00 6
jewelry 50.00
warhorse, light 150.00
bit & bridle 2.00 1
military saddle 60.00 40
saddlebags 4.00 8
total 12,332.22 17.00 89
cash remaining 667.78
[b]EQUIPMENT WEIGHT:[/b]
[b]ARMOR WEIGHT:[/b]
[b]WEAPON WEIGHT:[/b]
[b]TOTAL WEIGHT:[/b]
[b]Carrying Capacity[/b] 10 STR
[b]Light:[/b] 33 [b]Medium:[/b] 66 [b]Heavy:[/b] 100
-------------------------------------------------------
[b]Treasure:[/b]
remaining gold: gp sp
-------------------------------------------------------
[b]Base Speed (Actual Movement):[/b] 40 ftAppearance
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Alakashtai is very short and thin by Kalashtar standards, standing only 5' 4", and barely topping 120 lbs. Her hair is cut short, and between that and her other assets, she's very attractive. Those who don't know her are always shocked to learn she's a highly trained warrior and battlefield commander.
OOC: If you want to visualize Alakashtai in combat, think a blonde, blue-eyed, sane River Tam.
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Personality
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Cautious and distant, Alakashtai at first glance seems an unlikely commander. But those who have served under her command know she has a deep knowledge of tactics, and great inner strength.
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Background
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Alakashtai's natural parents -- her father a soulknife, her mother a kineticist -- were killed about 40 years ago by some sort of monster sent by the Dreaming Dark. The monster would have killed her, as well, but a pair of Khorvar (half-elven) adventures -- a female Silver Pyromancer (and noblewoman) and a male ranger, managed to finish what her parents started, and slew the creature. They were unable to save her parents, though, and so brought the girl home with them, intending to send her off with a family of her people as soon as they could.
However, they grew attached to Alakashtai over the course of returning to Flamekeep and seeking out the rare Kalashtar there to find adoptive parents for her. And so they married, and took the girl in themselves. While they tried to see that other Kalashtar taught Alakashtai the traditions of her people, she found herself drifting into the Church of the Silver Flame, of her adoptive parents and homeland. And at 35 -- late young adulthood, by Kalashtar standards -- she asked to enter training in one of the Church's monestaries, and was accepted.
Her adoptive parents returned to the service of Thrane's armies, and so it was that ten years later, Dame Morgana ir'Drosin was killed in Thrane's service. Only days later, the monestary Alakashtai had become an advanced student at was attacked by Karrn raiders -- with a quori-possessed commander. Only Alakashtai's rallying of the students, and the timely arrival of a troop of knights-in-training saved the monestary, and most of the students.
Lukar Enterro, the young paladin that commanded that troop, became her best friend as the war ended, and accompanied her when she left the monestary to seek out the reasons why the Dreaming Dark had sought her out. Over the course of those searches, they became very close -- lovers, in fact.
When those searches led to Sharn's Overlook district, a Kalashtar approached them and requested that Alakashtai come with him. For she was the last of the six his master had been seeking. The one with the most doubts, but the one who would lead them.
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Introductory story
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Alakashtai clutched the silver arrowhead she wore on a necklace yet again. It was not of any great value, and it was the symbol of a faith that was not entirely her own. But she owed Morgana ir'Drosin her life. She had been just old enough to remember why.
* * * *
Her parents, turning to face some abomination out of nightmares, father with his mind blade, mother with her mind alone. A mental whisper to run for her life, and to not stop running until she reached safety. Some kind of safety. Somewhere.
She hadn't run far, despite her parents' commands. Just far enouogh to hide, and watch. Surely nothing could defeat mother and father, side by side, fighting together.
First mother, then father, falling. The creature testing the air, turning, and beginning to move in her direction. And a column of silver-tinged fire enveloping it, as a pair of riders closed. That had not been sufficient to kill the creature, even with what her natural parents had already done to it.
The riders closed, one male, and one female. Both Khorvar. The man fired arrows at the creature. The woman was clearly the source of the silver-tinged fire, as she produced more of it when the first barrage proved insfufficent. Alakashtai had thought at the time that the woman's powers were like her mother's; the color of a fireball made little difference to a ten-year-old girl.
The whole battle had taken less than a minute to unfold. At the end, the creature lay destroyed. The newcomers wounds were serious, though the woman produced a wand, and tapped it on herself and her companion, closing their wounds.
They had gone to the side of her parents' bodies.
"We were too late for these two." The man said.
"They did not go down easily, Vencyl." The woman replied, looking around. "They gave everything they had to make a stand here. They could have fled."
"I think I know the reason they did not. Look at these tracks." He said, pointing to what could only be her footprints. "I suppose they could have been traveling with a halfling, but I think they were protecting a child. Or trying to, anyway."
And they followed her trail right to her. And Dame Morgana ir'Drosin, Knight Templar of the Silver Flame, and Silver Pyromancer, wrapped her arms around Alakashtai. "It's okay to cry. But you're safe now."
* * * *
Morgana and Vencyl had brought her back to Flamekeep, fully intending to find a Kalashtar family there to raise her eventually. They were adventurers, and she was a child. They were Khorvar, and while at first glance the child might have looked human, they knew well that it was in fact Kalashtar. But they had grown attached to her. Enough that they found they could not give her up. Enough that they had married, and adopted her as their own.
They had sought out the few of her people in Flamekeep, to teach her the traditions of the Kalashtar. Indeed, they had done everything they could to keep her from being an outsider, and everything they could to avoid forcing their own beliefs on her. They'd seeped into her nonetheless. When you lived with the best of what the Flame had to offer, it was easy enough to forgive the worst.
They had tried to do their best for her. For twenty years, they had. And when Alakashtai had wanted to enter training at a monestary dedicated to the Flame, they had agreed to let her go. And Dame Morgana had returned to service with the armies of Thrane, where she had served before she had found Alakashtai. She had, like she had before, served with skill and honor, wielding arcane power very few could match.
And all Alakashtai had left was the necklace around her neck, and what Vencyl kept at the manor house she would one day inherit, for Morgana and Vencyl had no children of their own. The woman who was as much her mother as the woman who had given birth to her was dead, one of the last casualties in a war that had last over a century, but barely touched her until then. Only days after she had recieved the news, the war had crashed into her life a final time.
* * * * *
"Raiders!" The monestary's watchman had shouted, classes falling apart in an instant. The students would have to man the walls. The masters who trained them now were few in number, and far from young; the fully trained young men and women were, for the most part, in the field with Thrane's armies. It was, perhaps, true that the oldest of the students were quite capable, but they were all the masters' had to defend the younger, and the priceless relics the monestary held. Each man or woman they pronounced ready and let go was painful.
"Light the signal tower." Alakashtai shouted. She was the senior of the students; her orders would be followed. "Get the newlings and the masters out of here. And hold."
And they did. Unarmed and unarmored teenage boys and girls -- for by far most of her companions were human -- should have no chance against experienced Karrn light horsemen.
But they found Alakashtai was an impossible to touch whirlwind. Many -- most -- of her fellows were bigger and stronger. Certainly those she faced were. She was quicker, and master of the defensive arts of her monestary. Many on both sides fell; she was sure the students were dying harder than the raiders had expected, but apparently it was not enough to call off the raid.
"Fall back to the inner wall." She ordered. The last retreat they could make. And then she sensed something in the eyes of the commander on the other side. A warning from her other self -- there was another presense behind his eyes. One that was after her, and her alone.
"If you want me, come and take me." She shouted at the man, flipping out ahead of her lines.
"I would not try it." Someone shouted, from behind the raiders' line. A troop of heavy horsemen in Thrane's colors were busy cutting through the raiders from behind. He couldn't have been more than twenty, but it was clear he commanded them.
"And why not? Would you let me live?" The raider launched himself at her, as if he did not care about his own life. And the mind that controlled his body did not, she was sure. Alakashtai broke up his attacks in a vicous set of blocks and parries.
"Move!" The newcomer shouted, just in time. As a lance pierced the raider, and shot out the other side.
* * * * *
And that was the day she had met Sir Lukar Enterro. Paladin of the Flame, as newly-trained as she was. He'd become her best friend -- somehow she had never been close to her fellow monks. The battle at the monestary had been only weeks before the final truce in what was now called the Last War, and his horsemen had stayed at her monestary, providing additional guards, until that truce was called. And then there was peace, and neither her fellows nor his would be going to the front lines after all.
Her parents' deaths had been in a war far, far older. One that did not even have the remnants of a truce that the Last War had ended in. Until that battle at the monestary, she had thought that she could serve the Light and the Flame in mortal battles. She had sought someone who could divine the reasons why she was being dragged back into it. Lukar had accompanied her on that search; he knew what she was doing, and why.
"Your people's enemies have those who can piece through the viels of time to some small degree, to catch the fragments that we call prophecy. And those fragments say a daughter of Kashtai, raised in flame, will become one of their greatest enemies. Perhaps there are other Kalashtar who can tell you more; that was everything I could learn." Alistair ir'Indari had told her that, and he was perhaps the pre-eminent temple archivist in all of Thrane. She would not get a better answer here. It would have to be to Sharn, and the largest enclave of her people -- though still tiny by any objective standard -- and Lukar had followed her there.
Had taken it in stride when a complete stranger -- though clearly Kalashtar to her trained eyes -- had approached her in the Overlook district, and greeted her with nothing more than "You are the last the master is seeking. You must come." He had supported the both of them, while she trained to the path of the Atavist -- something she had never heard of before, something she was in no way sure that she wanted. Was she a daughter of the Silver Flame, or the Path of the Light? Was there a way to follow both?
For most of those two years, Lukar had been her lover. He wanted her to marry him, though he had yet to formally ask. He was afrfaid she might say no. She was afraid she might say yes, and bind him to her, and a war that was not his, after being spared all but one battle of the Last. Though she suspected that bond might be there, wedding or no.
At the first, she had wondered why she was chosen. There were others who could match her quickness, and best her easily in toughness and strength. There were others that could match her will. There were stronger personalities, and quicker minds. But the masters had wanted her, who had the most cracks, to be their anchor. And their commander; for all their individual skills, none had led men in combat before, and she most certainly had.
And so she let go of Morgana's necklace, forced down the tears that threatened when painful memories bubbled to the surface, and returned to training. She had work to do.
[/sblock]
Alakashtai on the other PCs
[sblock]
Wraethmar
The gruff artificer Wraethmar was more than twice her age, and so Alakashtai's usual distance from others was even more apparent with him. But that didn't mean she thought any less of him.
Malkhad
[no backstory yet]
Sushana
Sushana is fast becoming something that Alakashtai had never had before -- a close female friend. It was difficult to avoid; Sushana's personality was warm to anyone and everyone, and she was the other young woman of their circle.
Marserath
Marserath is very nearly exactly the kind of person she would expect to be in a circle like those who joined her in the ritual. The kind of person her Lukar would have been if he'd been born and raised Kalashtar. And so he makes her, someone who has lived a life so far outside of Kalashtar tradition, a little uneasy at times.
Khanserath
[not much of a background yet]
[/sblock]
Combat and Tactics
[sblock]
Alakashtai comes from a very defense-oriented school of fighting; she tries to use combat expertise and/or fight defensively until she can arrange a favorable situation (due to high ground, flanking, or successfully stunning her opponent with stunning fist), and then unleashes a flurry of blows attack.
However, as she's learned to master her new psionic abilities, and as the others have grown more comfortable with her leadership, she's taken to staying out melee if she can, giving orders, and using her powers to attack and to heal and defend her allies.
[/sblock]
NPC log
Character's I've created for Alakashtai's background
[sblock]
Dame Morgana ir'Drosin, LG half-elf female cleric 1/wizard 5/Silver Pyromancer 3
Alakashtai's adoptive mother. Died in the final year of the Last War, fighting for Thrane.
Vencyl ir'Drosin, LG half-elf male Ranger 9
Alakashtai's adoptive father. Lives near Flamekeep.
Sir Lukar Enterro, human paladin [Silver Flame]
Alakashtai's closest friend and lover (and cohort).
Lord Reverened Alistair ir'Indari, LG human male Archivist 7/Aristocrat 2.
Theocrat of a district in northern Thrane about halfway between Silvercliff Castle and Thaliost.
DM note:
[sblock]
In Shards of the Silver Flame and Warriors of the Coast, Lord Reverened Alistair ir'Indari (Archivist 7/Aristocrat 2) was a very high-level member of the Argentum (see the Thrane section of Five Nations), as one of its foremost experts on divine artifacts. He had a fair number of adventurers working for him (most notably the PCs of the now-discontinued Shards of the Silver Flame game, and his daughter Khalia, who's a PC in Warriors of the Coast), and extensive other contacts.
[/sblock]
[/sblock]
Resource log
[sblock]
- treasure acquired in-game goes here -
[/sblock]
Last edited:
Code:
Wraethmar LG Kalashtar Monk 5/Atavist 1//Psi-Artificer 6
Str 10 +0 2 cost
Dex 16 +3 8 cost +1 level
Con 14 +2 6 cost
Int 16 +3 10 cost
Wis 10 +0 2 cost
Cha 14 +2 6 cost
HP 52
AC 19 (10 base +3 Dex +4 Armor +1 Enhancement +1 Deflection)
BAB +4
Attack +2 (d8+1 unarmed strike)
Ranged +7
Fort +8 (4 base +2 Con +2 Resistance)
Ref +11 (7 base +2 Dex +2 Resistance)
Will +9 (7 base 0 Wis +2 Resistance)
Feats
Flaw: Non-Combatant
Two-Weapon Fighting
Extraordinary Artisan
Empower Power
Dual Dorje
Quicken power (B)
Improved Grapple (B)
Combat Reflexs (B)
Imprint Stone (B)
Scribe Tattoo (B)
Craft Universal Item (B)
Craft Psionic Arms&Armor (B)
Craft Dorje (B)
Skills 63pts
Bluff 8 (6 ranks +2 Cha)
Concentration 10 (8 ranks +2 Con)
Disable Device 11 (8 ranks +3 Int)
Hide 10 (8 ranks +3 Dex -1 Armor)
Knowledge: Psionics 4 (1 rank +3 Int)
Move Silently 11 (9 ranks +3 Dex -1 Armor)
Psicraft 6 (3 ranks +3 Int)
Tumble 10 (8 ranks +3 Dex -1 Armor)
Use Psionic Device 19 (9 ranks +2 Cha +2 Artificer +6 Competence)
Special Abilities
[racial]
+2 racial vs. mind-affecting spells/abilities
+2 bluff, diplomacy, intimidate,
disguise checks to appear human
+1 power point/level
mindlink 1/day as wilder of level/2
[monk]
unarmed strike
flurry (+2/+2)
evasion
still mind
ki strike (magic)
slow fall 20'
purity of body
[atavist]
call to mind 3/day
spirtual lineage: sociable (Bluff, Diplomacy, and Gather Information are class skills)
unarmored strike (atavist levels stack with monk levels for dmg)
[psi-artificer]
infusions
craft reserve
artificer knowledge check at +9 (DC 15) to detect magic on object
+2 to Use Psionic Device
disable trap
item creation
craft homunculus?
retain essence
metapsionic spell trigger
Chain Shirt +1 1,250 (625 xp paid by craft res.)
Vest of Resistance, Psionic +2 4,000 (1,968.75 part of xp paid by craft res. 60)
Psi-Goggles +6 UPD 3,600 (1,368.75 part of xp paid by craft res. 140)(formula: bonus squared X 100)
Cloak of Protection, Psionic +1 deflection 2,000 (562.5)(formula: bonus squared X 2,000)
Dorje of Energy Missle ML4 4,500 (1,828.125 part of xp paid by craft res. 150)
Dorje of Clairvoyant Sense ML4 4,500 (2,531.25)
Dorje of Astral Construct ML2 750 (421.875)
Dorje of Chameleon ML2 750 (421.875)
Dorje of Force Screen ML2 750 (421.875)
2 Dorjes of Mind Thrust ML2 750 each (843.75)
Dorje of Preconition ML2 750 (421.875)
Dorje of Psionic Charm ML2 750 (421.875)
Dorje of Psionic Protection from Evil ML2 750 (421.875)
Dorje of Synchronicity ML2 750 (421.875)
2 Dorjes of Touch of Health ML2 750 each (843.75)
318gp in gemsBackground[sblock]
Description: Salt and pepper hair and stubble and the hard lines of his face combine to give Wraethmar a gruff but somewhat grandfatherly appearance. He is of medium height, with a slightly stocky build. Customarily he wears dark goggles and is rarely without a well a cigar even when circumstances prevent him from actually smoking it. A beat up leather surcoat drapes over his chain shirt and loose leather breeches.
Personality: For the most part Wraethmar's demeanor matches his gruff appearance. He curses incessantly and his dire pronouncements give one the impression that cares more for the letter of the law than the welfare of others. His actions are an entirely different matter. When called upon he is self-sacrificing and always willing to help those in need.
Background: For many years it looked like Wraethmar would lead a relatively prosaic life. He was content to seek the light and spend much of his time with his wife Etrianna. Largely it was a matter of aptitude, Wraethmar seemed to have little of the the psionic gifts of his kin, despite intensive training, and was ill-equipped to face the dreaming dark directly. Finally, years after others of the same generation had been taught to use them, he was handed a dorje to examine. Immediately things clicked in to place. He could feel exactly how the energies within the prism were arrayed. Almost effortlessly he activated the psionic device, and when shown other similar items, their function was just as plain. Even dorjes that had been passed down through the ages that others were unable to activate, Wraethmar had success with.
Wraethmar knew that with such an unusual talent he would be called upon to take a more active role in confronting the dreaming dark. He did not know that he'd be asked to leave Etrianna for further training with a group of mere youngsters. But the grizzled kalashtar didn't even consider shirking his new responsibilities. With grim determination he went forth to shed light on the gathering shadow.[/sblock]
Dracomeander
First Post
Marserath, Soulknife-Atavist / Psion (Kineticist)
[sblock]Background: A scion of a very active Shadow Watcher family, Marserath was brought up believing in taking a more proactive following of the Path of Light. According to his family, it is necessary to actively oppose the evils that one encounters in life. Therefore he was introduced to the way of the Soulknife as a method and discipline to fight back against evil and the Dreaming Dark.
When Soserath developed the theories that led to the development of the Atavist Discipline, it was believed that he would be around to train followers for quite a long time. Marserath was quite interested in the philosophy of the most powerful representative of his lineage and applied himself to mastering what was needed to get the chance to train in the new way with the great Soserath. While Marserath’s advancement was steady, Soserath was assassinated before Marserath could gain enough experience and discipline to train with the master.
Shocked and saddened - as all Shadow Watchers were - by the death of the master, Marserath reapplied himself to his training even more fiercely. He enjoyed the training, especially when it involved missions like dealing with bandits or tracking down minor agents of the Dark with others. He noted the several times training and missions involved the same members and hoped that they were being groomed to become their own strike team.
Marserath finally achieved enough ability to take the first step along the path of the Atavist when he was asked to come participate in a ritual by the elders training him. Following his elders directions, he came to the place of the ritual where there were several of his training mates. Marserath listened to the explanation of the ritual wondering if this was part of what was necessary to follow the master’s teachings. The ritual was successful opening whole new vistas in Marserath’s mind. He has spent the last year exploring and retraining himself to take advantage of the new abilities and working them in to mesh with his original abilities of Soulknife and Atavist.
Description: Marserath is a rather tall and wiry kalashtar with short black hair and intense blue eyes. He appears alert and tense nearly to the point of a coiled spring about to be released. The active life he leads has him dressing in comfortable, durable clothing of rather good quality unless he is in disguise in the poorer sections of town.
Personality: Marserath is fiercely protective of those he considers friends or family. He is usually quiet and observant but with an inner energy that keeps him fidgeting and ready to burst into action.
[/sblock]
[sblock]Background: A scion of a very active Shadow Watcher family, Marserath was brought up believing in taking a more proactive following of the Path of Light. According to his family, it is necessary to actively oppose the evils that one encounters in life. Therefore he was introduced to the way of the Soulknife as a method and discipline to fight back against evil and the Dreaming Dark.
When Soserath developed the theories that led to the development of the Atavist Discipline, it was believed that he would be around to train followers for quite a long time. Marserath was quite interested in the philosophy of the most powerful representative of his lineage and applied himself to mastering what was needed to get the chance to train in the new way with the great Soserath. While Marserath’s advancement was steady, Soserath was assassinated before Marserath could gain enough experience and discipline to train with the master.
Shocked and saddened - as all Shadow Watchers were - by the death of the master, Marserath reapplied himself to his training even more fiercely. He enjoyed the training, especially when it involved missions like dealing with bandits or tracking down minor agents of the Dark with others. He noted the several times training and missions involved the same members and hoped that they were being groomed to become their own strike team.
Marserath finally achieved enough ability to take the first step along the path of the Atavist when he was asked to come participate in a ritual by the elders training him. Following his elders directions, he came to the place of the ritual where there were several of his training mates. Marserath listened to the explanation of the ritual wondering if this was part of what was necessary to follow the master’s teachings. The ritual was successful opening whole new vistas in Marserath’s mind. He has spent the last year exploring and retraining himself to take advantage of the new abilities and working them in to mesh with his original abilities of Soulknife and Atavist.
Description: Marserath is a rather tall and wiry kalashtar with short black hair and intense blue eyes. He appears alert and tense nearly to the point of a coiled spring about to be released. The active life he leads has him dressing in comfortable, durable clothing of rather good quality unless he is in disguise in the poorer sections of town.
Personality: Marserath is fiercely protective of those he considers friends or family. He is usually quiet and observant but with an inner energy that keeps him fidgeting and ready to burst into action.
Code:
Marserath
Race: Kalashtar
Height: 6’2” Weight: 175#
Black Hair Blue Eyes Age: 52
Gestalt Class: Soulknife 5 Atavist 1 / Psion(Kineticist) 6
Alignment: LG
Action Points: 8
Str: 14 +2
Dex: 14 +2
Con: 14 +2
Int: 17 +3 (+1 at 4th level)
Wis: 14 +2
Cha: 8 –1
AC: 20 (+5 Armor + 3 Shield + 2 Dex)
HD(Hit Points): 1d8 + 5d10 + 12 (55)
Power Points: 50 (35 Psion + 9 Int bonus + 6 Racial bonus)
Initiative: 2 (+2 Dex)
Move: 30 (40 when psionically focused)
Total = Base Att Misc
Fortitude 5 = 2 + 2 + 1
Reflex 10 = 7 + 2 + 1
Willpower 10(12) = 7 + 2 + 1 (2 vs. Mind-Affecting)
Base Attack: +4
Mind Blade (Att +8, Dam 1d8+3, Crit 19-20/x2, S, Rng 30’)
Mind Blade (Att +8, Dam 1d6+3, Crit 19-20/x2, P, Rng 30’)
Dagger (Att +6, Dam 1d4+2, Crit 19-20/x2, P/S, Rng 10’)
Kalashtar Abilities:
* Naturally Psionic: +1 Bonus Power Point per Level.
* +2 Racial Bonus on Saves vs. Mind-Affecting.
* +2 Racial Bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, & Intimidate.
* +2 Racial Bonus to Disguise as Human.
* Does not Dream. Immune to Dreams & Nightmares.
* Psi-Like Ability: Mindlink 1/day.
Soulknife Abilities:
* Mind Blade
* Align Mind Blade
* Weapon Focus (Mind Blade)
* Throw Mind Blade
* Psychic Strike +1d8
* +1 Mind Blade
* Free Draw
* Shape Mind Blade
Atavist Abilities:
* Call to Mind 3/day.
* Spiritual Lineage (Aggressive) [Balance, Climb, Jump, & Tumble are class skills]
* Mind Blade Improvement
Psion (Kineticist) Abilities:
* Additional Class Skills: Autohypnosis, Disable Device, & Intimidate.
* Discipline: Psychokinesis.
* Bonus Feat (x2).
Lvl Aq’d Feats:
1) Simple Weapon Proficiency
1) Light Armor Proficiency
1) Shield Proficiency
1) Mind Blade Proficiency
1) Weapon Focus (Mind Blade)
1) Speed of Thought
1) Up the Walls
3) Transdimensional Power
5) Privileged Energy (Electricity)
6) Psionic Meditation
Languages: Common, Quori, Reidran, Draconic, Goblin
Skill(Att) Total = Ranks + Att Mod + Misc
Autohypnosis (Wis) 10 = 8 + 2
Balance (Dex) 5 = 1 + 2 + 2
Bluff (Cha) 1 = 0 + -1 + 2
Climb (Str) 3 = 1 + 2
Concentration (Con) 11 = 9 + 2
Diplomacy (Cha) 1 = 0 + -1 + 2
Disable Device (Int) 5(7) = 2 + 3 + (+2)
Disguise (Cha) -1(1) = 0 + -1 + (+2 to impersonate humans)
Hide (Dex) 2(3) = 0 + 2 + (+1)
Intimidate (Cha) 1 = 0 + -1 + 2
Jump (Str) 5(9) = 1 + 2 + 2 (+4 Move Bonus when Focused)
Know [Psionics](Int) 8 = 5 + 3
Know [The Planes](Int) 7 = 4 + 3
Listen (Wis) 10 = 8 + 2
Move Silently (Dex) 2 = 0 + 2
Psicraft (Int) 12 = 7 + 3 + 2
Spot (Wis) 10 = 8 + 2
Tumble (Dex) 11 = 9 + 2
Lvl Psionic Powers (DC mod +3 Int):
1 Control Object
1 Crystal Shard
1 Detect Psionics
1 Energy Ray
1 Vigor
2 Elfsight
2 Energy Missile
2 Energy Stun
2 Zone of Alertness
3 Body Adjustment
3 Dimension Twister
3 Dispel Psionics
3 Energy Cone
Equipment (13000 gp):
Mithril Chain Shirt +1 (2100 gp)
Darkwood Heavy Shield +1 (1257 gp)
Dorje of Endure Elements [50 charges] ( 750 gp)
Ring of Feather Falling (2200 gp)
Ring of Sustenance (2500 gp)
Vest of Resistance +1 (1000 gp)
Heward’s Handy Haversack (2000 gp)
Darkweave Explorer’s Outfit (x2) ( 220 gp)
Masterwork Thieves’ Tools ( 100 gp)
Identification and Travel Papers ( 4 gp)
Acidic Fire (4 flasks) ( 120 gp)
Alchemist Fire (4 flasks) ( 100 gp)
Holy Water (4 vials) ( 100 gp)
Rope, Silk 50’ (4 coils) ( 40 gp)
Everburning Torch ( 110 gp)
Traveler’s Outfit (x3) ( 3 gp)
Dagger ( 2 gp)
Bedroll & Winter Blanket ( 6 sp)
Signal Whistle ( 8 sp)
Sack, Empty (x6) ( 6 sp)
Crowbar ( 2 gp)
Piton (x10) ( 1 gp)
Hammer ( 5 sp)
Soap 1# ( 5 sp)
Chalk (box of 10 pieces) ( 1 sp)
Block & Tackle ( 5 gp)
Flint & Steel ( 1 gp)
Caltrops (4 bags) ( 4 gp)
Small Steel Mirror ( 10 gp)
Signet Ring ( 5 gp)
Belt Pouch (x3) ( 3 gp)
Money (36 pp, 4 gp, 9 sp) ( 364.9 gp)
Sushana
Female Kalashtar [Gestalt 6] Soulknife 5/Psychic Rogue 6/Atavist 1
Alignment: Lawful Good
Deity: Path of Light
Height: 6' 0''
Weight: 115 lbs
Hair: Golden Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Age: 62
XP:
Action points: 8
Str: 10 (+0) [2 points]
Dex: 16 (+3) [6 points, +2 gloves]
Con: 11 (+0) [3 points]
Int: 18 (+4) [13 points, +1 level]
Wis: 12 (+1) [4 points]
Cha: 14 (+2) [6 points]
Class and Racial Abilities: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting spells and abilities, and possession. +2 racial bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks, +2 racial bonus on Disguise check to impersonate a human. Immune to sleep and nightmare spells as well as any other effect that relies on the target’s ability to dream. 1 extra power point per character level. Mindlink 1/day as a wilder of ½ the kalashtar’s hit dice. Sneak attack +2d6, trapfinding, evasion, danger sense, psionic powers. Mind blade, Weapon Focus (mind blade), Wild Talent, throw mind blade, psychic strike +1d8, +2 mind blade, free draw, shape mind blade. Call to mind, spiritual lineage (sociable), mind blade improvement. Proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword. Proficient with light armor and shields (but not tower shields).
Hit Dice: 6d10
HP: 24
AC: 18 (+5 armor, +3 Dex)
Init: +3 (+3 Dex)
Speed: 30ft
Saves:
Fortitude +3 [+2 base, +0 Con, +1 cloak]
Reflex +9 [+5 base, +3 Dex, +1 cloak]
Will +7 [+5 base, +1 Wis, +1 cloak]
BAB/Grapple: +4/+4
Melee Atk: +6 (1d6+1/19-20/x2/S, mind blade)
Ranged Atk: +9 (1d6+1/19-20/x2/S, mind blade)
Skills:
Appraise +12 [9 ranks, +3 Int]
Balance +5 [0 ranks, +3 Dex, +2 synergy]
Bluff +11 [9 ranks, +2 Cha]
Concentration +10 [9 ranks, +1 Con]
Decipher Script +12 [9 ranks, +3 Int]
Diplomacy +15 [9 ranks, +2 Cha, +4 synergy]
Disguise +3 [0 ranks, +3 Cha] [+1 to pass as human, +2 to stay in character]
Gather Information +11 [9 ranks, +2 Cha]
Hide +8 [0 ranks, +3 Dex, +5 cloak]
Jump +2 [0 ranks, +0 Str, +2 synergy]
Knowledge (psionics) +12 [9 ranks, +3 Int]
Listen +1 [0 ranks, +1 Wis]
Move Silently +8 [0 ranks, +3 Dex, +5 boots]
Sense Motive +10 [9 ranks, +1 Wis]
Spot +1 [0 ranks, +1 Wis]
Tumble +12 [9 ranks, +3 Dex]
Feats:
Hashalaq Ancestor [PGtE] (1st level)
Point Blank Shot (3rd level)
Precise Shot (6th level)
Languages: Common, Quor, Draconic, Riedran, Elven
Powers Known (Power points per day – 21)
Save DC +4
1st - 3elfsight, empathy (from Hashalaq Ancestor), empty mind, force screen.
2nd - 2object reading, control object.
Equipment
Backpack - 2gp
2 daggers – 4gp
Gloves of Dexterity +2 – 4,000gp
Cloak of resistance +1 – 1,000gp
4 potions of cure light wounds – 200gp
+1 mithril chain shirt – 2,100gp
Cloak of elvenkind – 2,500gp
Boots of elvenkind – 2,500gp
Identification papers – 2gp
Bedroll, deluxe – 5gp
Waterskin - 1gp
50 ft. silk rope - 10gp
Trail rations (20 days worth) - 10gp
Belt pouch - 1gp
2 courtier’s outfits and jewelry – 160gp
Explorer’s outfit – 10gp
Scholar’s outfit – 5gp
Traveler’s outfit (Free)
Money
493gp in assorted coin and gems.
~~~~~
Appearance: Sushana a tall and extremely slender woman, looking like a dandelion stem capped with a golden flower. Her golden blond hair is stubbornly curly, refusing to be tamed neatly in braids, and her blue eyes are large in a cheerful face. She tends to dress seemingly for comfort, with a touch of elegance in finer fabrics and moderate jewelry. The only weapon she bears openly is an eating knife.
Personality: Sushana has a disposition as sunny as her hair, bright, open, and very friendly. She is quick to assess people, quick to forgive an unintentional slight, and quick with a smile or kind word. In her role against the quori, she sees the Dreaming Dark as a blot upon the soul of the world, a wound of darkness that she seems to take as a personal slight above and beyond those of many of her kind.
Background: All kalashtar have fragments of visions of their quori spirits, but a few have visions of such exceptional intensity that it can cause great changes within a soul. Sushana’s ancestor was of the hashalaq quori, those that feed on brighter emotions than most others of the kalashtar. Her visions were those of the curious courtship rituals and dances, community memory-sharing, and other things less-seen. It drove her to be one of the most social of the kalashtar, in an attempt to capture the pure and powerful emotions of her visions.
In her training to be a shadow watcher, Sushana learned the darker side of those emotions, learning to misdirect, lie, cheat, and finally pierce the heart with a blade born of sorrow. This was… eye-opening to say the least. Yet the necessity of it was clear as soon as she came to the City of Towers with other young kalashtar.
Life here was just as odd as anything she had seen in her visions, with things both bright and beautiful, and darkly evil existing side-by-side. Sushana, along with others, did what they could to be friendly with their neighbors near their conclave. Not only did they make it much harder for the Dreaming Dark to suborn anyone close to them, but they tried to counteract the poisonous propaganda of hate against them.
The reason they had come to Sharn was not only to speak with words, but to destroy the Dark where they could. One such mission ended up with Sushana and four others living in a small elven conclave for almost a month. A minor yet beloved priest of some import had recently arrived from Valenar, yet did not recognize several old friends in the city. In a roundabout fashion, Sushana and her friends were recruited to aid the elves, for the scent of the Dreaming Dark was thick about the priest. Disguised as elves, they watched him closely, spoke with his friends, and did all manner of careful mental probing. The quori within him was an exceptionally sneaky one, and it took them the better part of a month to catch him in a vulnerable position and release both him and his victim.
Sushana learned a great deal from the elves during this time, learning things about patience she hadn’t even dreamed. This mission of quiet stalking and endless rounds of observance grounded the young kalashtar, giving her the mental stillness she had lacked for much of her life. It was not too long after this that the quori-hunters, the atavists, came to open her mind to entirely new possibilities…
Female Kalashtar [Gestalt 6] Soulknife 5/Psychic Rogue 6/Atavist 1
Alignment: Lawful Good
Deity: Path of Light
Height: 6' 0''
Weight: 115 lbs
Hair: Golden Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Age: 62
XP:
Action points: 8
Str: 10 (+0) [2 points]
Dex: 16 (+3) [6 points, +2 gloves]
Con: 11 (+0) [3 points]
Int: 18 (+4) [13 points, +1 level]
Wis: 12 (+1) [4 points]
Cha: 14 (+2) [6 points]
Class and Racial Abilities: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting spells and abilities, and possession. +2 racial bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks, +2 racial bonus on Disguise check to impersonate a human. Immune to sleep and nightmare spells as well as any other effect that relies on the target’s ability to dream. 1 extra power point per character level. Mindlink 1/day as a wilder of ½ the kalashtar’s hit dice. Sneak attack +2d6, trapfinding, evasion, danger sense, psionic powers. Mind blade, Weapon Focus (mind blade), Wild Talent, throw mind blade, psychic strike +1d8, +2 mind blade, free draw, shape mind blade. Call to mind, spiritual lineage (sociable), mind blade improvement. Proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword. Proficient with light armor and shields (but not tower shields).
Hit Dice: 6d10
HP: 24
AC: 18 (+5 armor, +3 Dex)
Init: +3 (+3 Dex)
Speed: 30ft
Saves:
Fortitude +3 [+2 base, +0 Con, +1 cloak]
Reflex +9 [+5 base, +3 Dex, +1 cloak]
Will +7 [+5 base, +1 Wis, +1 cloak]
BAB/Grapple: +4/+4
Melee Atk: +6 (1d6+1/19-20/x2/S, mind blade)
Ranged Atk: +9 (1d6+1/19-20/x2/S, mind blade)
Skills:
Appraise +12 [9 ranks, +3 Int]
Balance +5 [0 ranks, +3 Dex, +2 synergy]
Bluff +11 [9 ranks, +2 Cha]
Concentration +10 [9 ranks, +1 Con]
Decipher Script +12 [9 ranks, +3 Int]
Diplomacy +15 [9 ranks, +2 Cha, +4 synergy]
Disguise +3 [0 ranks, +3 Cha] [+1 to pass as human, +2 to stay in character]
Gather Information +11 [9 ranks, +2 Cha]
Hide +8 [0 ranks, +3 Dex, +5 cloak]
Jump +2 [0 ranks, +0 Str, +2 synergy]
Knowledge (psionics) +12 [9 ranks, +3 Int]
Listen +1 [0 ranks, +1 Wis]
Move Silently +8 [0 ranks, +3 Dex, +5 boots]
Sense Motive +10 [9 ranks, +1 Wis]
Spot +1 [0 ranks, +1 Wis]
Tumble +12 [9 ranks, +3 Dex]
Feats:
Hashalaq Ancestor [PGtE] (1st level)
Point Blank Shot (3rd level)
Precise Shot (6th level)
Languages: Common, Quor, Draconic, Riedran, Elven
Powers Known (Power points per day – 21)
Save DC +4
1st - 3elfsight, empathy (from Hashalaq Ancestor), empty mind, force screen.
2nd - 2object reading, control object.
Equipment
Backpack - 2gp
2 daggers – 4gp
Gloves of Dexterity +2 – 4,000gp
Cloak of resistance +1 – 1,000gp
4 potions of cure light wounds – 200gp
+1 mithril chain shirt – 2,100gp
Cloak of elvenkind – 2,500gp
Boots of elvenkind – 2,500gp
Identification papers – 2gp
Bedroll, deluxe – 5gp
Waterskin - 1gp
50 ft. silk rope - 10gp
Trail rations (20 days worth) - 10gp
Belt pouch - 1gp
2 courtier’s outfits and jewelry – 160gp
Explorer’s outfit – 10gp
Scholar’s outfit – 5gp
Traveler’s outfit (Free)
Money
493gp in assorted coin and gems.
~~~~~
Appearance: Sushana a tall and extremely slender woman, looking like a dandelion stem capped with a golden flower. Her golden blond hair is stubbornly curly, refusing to be tamed neatly in braids, and her blue eyes are large in a cheerful face. She tends to dress seemingly for comfort, with a touch of elegance in finer fabrics and moderate jewelry. The only weapon she bears openly is an eating knife.
Personality: Sushana has a disposition as sunny as her hair, bright, open, and very friendly. She is quick to assess people, quick to forgive an unintentional slight, and quick with a smile or kind word. In her role against the quori, she sees the Dreaming Dark as a blot upon the soul of the world, a wound of darkness that she seems to take as a personal slight above and beyond those of many of her kind.
Background: All kalashtar have fragments of visions of their quori spirits, but a few have visions of such exceptional intensity that it can cause great changes within a soul. Sushana’s ancestor was of the hashalaq quori, those that feed on brighter emotions than most others of the kalashtar. Her visions were those of the curious courtship rituals and dances, community memory-sharing, and other things less-seen. It drove her to be one of the most social of the kalashtar, in an attempt to capture the pure and powerful emotions of her visions.
In her training to be a shadow watcher, Sushana learned the darker side of those emotions, learning to misdirect, lie, cheat, and finally pierce the heart with a blade born of sorrow. This was… eye-opening to say the least. Yet the necessity of it was clear as soon as she came to the City of Towers with other young kalashtar.
Life here was just as odd as anything she had seen in her visions, with things both bright and beautiful, and darkly evil existing side-by-side. Sushana, along with others, did what they could to be friendly with their neighbors near their conclave. Not only did they make it much harder for the Dreaming Dark to suborn anyone close to them, but they tried to counteract the poisonous propaganda of hate against them.
The reason they had come to Sharn was not only to speak with words, but to destroy the Dark where they could. One such mission ended up with Sushana and four others living in a small elven conclave for almost a month. A minor yet beloved priest of some import had recently arrived from Valenar, yet did not recognize several old friends in the city. In a roundabout fashion, Sushana and her friends were recruited to aid the elves, for the scent of the Dreaming Dark was thick about the priest. Disguised as elves, they watched him closely, spoke with his friends, and did all manner of careful mental probing. The quori within him was an exceptionally sneaky one, and it took them the better part of a month to catch him in a vulnerable position and release both him and his victim.
Sushana learned a great deal from the elves during this time, learning things about patience she hadn’t even dreamed. This mission of quiet stalking and endless rounds of observance grounded the young kalashtar, giving her the mental stillness she had lacked for much of her life. It was not too long after this that the quori-hunters, the atavists, came to open her mind to entirely new possibilities…
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