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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Davies" data-source="post: 8446243" data-attributes="member: 30538">Petra<img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-wc78sPC/0/e44553dd/S/updated_aleena-S.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Art by Larry Elmore.No other Ascendant, of any of the Spheres, has ever risen to the ranks of the Eternals as fast as Petra, the youngest of the Council at less than fifteen centuries. This has made quite a few of her peers suspicious of her, especially given her reputation as an inflexible moralist; most of her critics suspect that she is actually even more cynical and pragmatic than those she chooses to oppose, a sanctimonious hypocrite. She is aware of these whispers, but chooses to ignore them, having learned hard lessons about correcting her own faults before she seeks to correct those of others.As a mortal, Petra was an adventuring warrior who enjoyed what she viewed as blessings from various gods, though she would later come to understand them as a type of sorcery. Joining forces with several other would-be heroes, she wound up involved in a series of deadly conflicts with the beastfolk who were invading her homeland. While she and her allies stood victorious at the end of their wars, their nation had suffered terrible losses. Each of the survivors of their group lead one group of refugees in the hopes of finding a new home elsewhere.Petra led her exodus to the east, into a fading Republic, where the people were accepted as new citizens. Having accomplished her task, she now looked for a new challenge, and found herself drawn to an unexpected struggle unlike anything she'd ever known. At that time, the philosopher and religious reformer Damonnius of Celenike was engaged in a protracted struggle with the religious leaders of the Republic, who regarded him as a dangerous firebrand. Initially agreeing with that, Petra first approached Damonnius as a potential enemy who was bending minds to his will, but soon realized that he employed no magic save that of rhetorical argument. She was won over by his criticisms of the religious practices of the day, which he felt neither glorified whatsoever powers might exist, nor served the people who were in need of succor, but only enriched the already wealthy.Ultimately, Damonnius would die a martyr's death long before he could accomplish the transformation he envisioned, but Petra took up the struggle in his place, and his enemies found her a much more difficult opponent to vanquish. The struggle was a long one, consuming decades, but in her old age the new faith she had created had eclipsed the old ways and been embraced throughout the Troatian lands. She died content, and then awakened from her final sleep to learn that she had joined the Ascendants.Having done so, she naturally became the patron of her own faith, guiding it to become an army of salvation that would, she hoped, redeem the world entire. She devoted all her efforts to this, and managed to overcome many obstacles that other Ascendants, of many Spheres and particularly the forces of Entropy, attempted to put in her way. Yet after a thousand years of this, Petra found herself with a nagging sense of wrongness, and she took a long hard look at her creation. To her horror, she realized that the faith had become just like that which it had been born in opposition to, with leaders who at best cared more about obscure points of philosophy than the people they were supposed to guide, and at worst cared only for their own power and glory!Some sort of reform was clearly needed, and yet her sense of prophecy told her that if she led it personally, this would all just happen again in another thousand years. So Petra chose a different path, working with those outside of the faith instead of only raising up those within it, seeking different perspectives that could change that fate. This is having mixed results, but she accentuates the positive changes that have come from it. This has also led to her participation in the Council as the representative of the Sphere of Time. Her prophecies have helped them to work out their plans, and the logistics of their operations are supported by the faith.Outside of her fellow councillors, Petra has two close friends in Balam and Zagros, Empyreals of Matter and Power respectively, who were her adventuring companions in life. Their interests in are somewhat more narrowly focused than her own -- one specific family and one paricular forest, respectively -- but she will always assist them with their projects when they ask ... or if they don't ask and she thinks they need help regardless. She also enjoys a steady alliance with Asterius, Patron of Wealth. Their association is a bit bewildering to many, since he seems to represent ideals opposed to her own, but Petra knows that Asterius has respectable ethics rather than caring only about acquiring wealth by any means. Her greatest rival is Vanya, the Patron of Strife, formerly an ally during the faith's early days who regards its and her turn towards a more peaceful approach with contempt. Although the Hierarch of her Sphere was her original patron, she is not particularly close to Khoronous anymore, and was bewildered by his decision to take Lady Fuurin into his own charge rather than placing the anomaly in her care. But she trusts that he sees something she does not, and won't complain.Petra -- PL 15Abilities:STR 13 | STA 13 | AGL 3 | DEX 2 | FGT 11 | INT 5 | AWE 9 | PRE 7Powers:Blessed Armor: Impervious Protection 5; Removable (-2 points) - 8 pointsAscendant: Immortality 5 (one day), Only When On Home Plane; Immunity 1 (aging); Movement 1 (dimensional travel to home plane), Reaction (death); Movement 2 (dimensional travel to planes of the Sphere of Time), Standard Action - 10 pointsCommunion: Mental Communication 4; Cumulative Mind Reading 6, Communication Dependent - 34 pointsDivine Body: Immunity 10 (life support); Impervious Toughness 10 - 20 pointsDivine Mind: Comprehend Languages 4; Impervious Will 12, Limited to Mental Effects; Senses 7 (vision counters all concealment, vision counters illusions) - 25 pointsHoly Touch: Healing 15, Energizing, Persistent, Restorative - 61 pointsMace of Disruption: Linked Strength-based Damage 3, Affects Insubstantial 2; Linked Close Nullify Magic 16, Broad, Simultaneous; Easily Removable (-14 points) - 21 pointsProphecy: Senses 4 (Precognition) - 4 pointsAdvantages:Attractive, Defensive Attack, Equipment 4, Fascinate (Persuasion), Favored Foe (undead), Improved Defense, Leadership, Power Attack, Ritualist, Takedown, Ultimate Effort (Toughness checks).Equipment:Home Plane: Size Gargantuan; Toughness 16; Features Combat Simulator, Communications, Dimensional Portal (Pandiomon), Effect (Affects Others Immortality 5), Concealed, Defense System, Grounds, Gym, Holding Cells, Isolated, Library, Living Space, Power System, Personnel, Security System, Workshop - 25 points.Skills:Close Combat: Mace 3 (+14), Expertise: Magic 9 (+16), Expertise: Religion 11 (+16), Insight 5 (+14), Intimidation 8 (+15), Perception 6 (+15), Persuasion 8 (+15), Treatment 8 (+13).Offense:Initiative +3Unarmed +11 (Close Damage 11)Mace of Disruption +14 (Close Damage 16 and Nullify Magic 16)Defense:Dodge 9, Parry 11, Fortitude 15, Toughness 18/13, Will 15.Totals:Abilities 126 + Powers 139 + Advantages 14 + Skills 29 + Defenses 14 = 350 pointsOffensive PL: 15Defensive PL: 15Resistance PL: 15Skill PL: 11Complications:Responsibility--Motivation. Honest to a Fault. Reputation (sanctimonious know-it-all.) Strives for Peaceful Solutions.Note: Should Petra ever travel to the World Less Magical, all her abilities drop by 2 ranks each, she suffers Power Loss on her Ascendant powers, and her Mace's Nullify Magic effect drops to 14 ranks; she is also Disabled on Expertise: Magic checks. She becomes PL 13.</blockquote>

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