Character Surveys

1. What is your name? Is there a meaning behind it?
My name is Akiani Vagad. Vagad is my mother's surname, and it's derivative of a Varisian word meaning wanderer or traveler.

2. What do you look like? Please describe yourself.
I'm a tall dhampir, with pale brown skin and curly black hair down to my shoulders. My eyes used to be like my mother's, blue. [Akiani smirks, revealing her fangs.] Except her's were described as warm and inviting and mine as unnerving ice. Now they're this weird storm cloudy gray thing. Damn-it, Desna.

I usually wear a light, airy full sleeve shirt. My leather pants and boots are sturdy and well-made. My shirt, pants, and boots are all black for the funeral. They're still pretty dusty from my travels, though. I wear brown leather gloves on my hands, with the fingers of the index, thumb, and pinky cut off halfway. I have this really pretty dress befitting of my new rank. It's blue like my eyes used to be and frilly and twirly and- [she clears her throat] nothing. 

I also have a sheer white burnoose I usually wear. It wraps around my neck like a scarf, has a hood, and extends into a large cloak. Many don't like a dhampir near them and their families. [She shrugs.] Helps me hide.

It's also my mother's.

3. How have you grown up; what has happened to you during your life? How and why did you learn your class features, etc.?
I was born at dawn, with the sun cresting the Hungry Mountains. My mother, Kezasi Vagad, was of a band of nomadic Varisians. They tolerated me, as a child, and at my mother's insistence. Still, I was never part of anything. They all followed Desna, while my mother and I worshipped Sarenrae. I was different and wrong, and they were all right. I kept to myself. My mother taught me to hunt, so my primary interactions with the rest of the tribe came from my success as a hunter. Still, though, not even that kept them at bay. I was bullied regularly as a child, beaten by the other children. As an adult, I had my own separate fire, away from the rest of the people. Only my mother's considerable influence kept them from kicking me out. So, when she died, I was promptly removed from the tribe.

I was lost and alone. So, I figured, why not go to my patroness's church? She was the goddess of redemption of the wicked, the one that found the good in everyone. Surely they would accept me and treat me well, regardless of my nature?

[She snorts.] They hated it. To them, I was a barely restrained monster. There were some kind officials who got me in, but I was treated the same. I began to finish my training as a paladin - refining my fighting skills, learning the scriptures - under harsh and cold masters. I was always treated worse than the other candidates: pushed farther, punished more. There was no kind mentor or accepting peer. My peers were the worst, actually. "Hazing" takes a different form when it is fueled by actual hate. But, I persevered and finished my training. My acceptance was a small affair, with only those required to be there actually there - I was accepted to serve the church, but I was not part of the church.

The church kept me on a short leash. I was constantly watched by other paladins and clerics, distrustful men and women who hated the very idea of me. I sometimes wonder if that's why they were chosen to watch me specifically for that reason. Can't be kind to me, of course. You need an ever watchful eye - I am evilspawn, after all. My missions, when I was actually chosen for them, regardless of my qualifications as one of the best markswomen in the church, were usually just escorting assignments. I was not allowed into the public eye, not allowed to partake in any events with high society. I was just sent to make sure some dusty professor or aged theologian got a perfectly useless artefact and returned to the church. I was always sent with older and more...trusted guides, to make sure I would not turn right there and kill the person I was supposed to be escorting.

I got sick of it. I left nearly a decade ago, to wander by myself. Well, mostly by myself. I found Deivon six years ago, a small, lost baby, his mother and the rest of his litter missing. [She shrugs.] I decided to raise him. Deivon is a badger. He's shorter and fatter than most of his kind, only fifty-five centimeters long and nearly twenty-one pounds. Deivon's got two vertical stripes going from his head, over his eyes and meeting on his nose, with two small stripes going from behind his jaw to his eyes. The rest of his smug face is white. His body is that silvery-brown-white-black fur that's very itchy. And, of course, the little bastard likes to sleep in my bedroll. I'm pretty sure Dev does it just to spite me. As far as decisions I have made in my life, deciding to raise Dev is one of the worse ones. He's a smug bastard. Unfortunately, he's my smug bastard.

He's still better than people, though.

Except the dumb fucker died and he's a bow now. Who does that? Fuck.

And apparently mom's not Kezasi. Or Vagad. Sibelle Evangeline Livgrace. She was also a noblewoman. And a necromancer. Father's - a vampire. Count Alpon Caromarc. I'm not really sure what to think or say about any of this. Is there an acceptable response? This was nothing like I thought it was. Fuck.

4. What is your relationship with the Professor?
As I said before, the Church of Sarenrae kept close tabs on me in my first days as a paladin. [She smiles slightly.] There is something...odd about having a dhampir as a paladin, you see. They often sent me on simple escort missions with older, more...trustworthy paladins. One of these missions was to escort Professor Lorrimor to a hidden Sarenrae shrine in Varisia and retrieve a relic. The older and more trusted paladin was Dejaff Nefmifas, a harsh Qadiran man who bore no love for me or my kind. With him, I recall the trip being spent in increments of sullen glares and grunted commands. On the other hand, Professor Lorrimor and I spent long nights in discussion during our watches - mostly about my race, but we also discussed more philosophical quandaries and simple matters of nature. The conversations were enjoyable.

On the third night of the expedition we were ambushed by a group of bandits. [She grins.] For such a trusted and wise paladin, Nefmifas died very quickly. [Akiani shakes her head.] I later found out he was a desk jockey - a paladin more at home discussing scriptures and codes than fighting. The professor and I killed the bandits in short order. He's a very competent wizard - I do wonder at his need for an escort.

We had quite the rapport from our interactions over the course of the assignment. Furthermore, after we finished the mission, burying Nefmifas and retrieving the relic, we continued to maintain a correspondence. It became difficult during the last decade, when I left the church and began to wander Varisia, but we still managed to exchange letters several times a year. He hadn't sent a letter for several months. I was curious, and then I recieved the invitation to his funeral.

5. What do you hate?
What everyone fears, of course: monsters.

6. What do you love?
[Akiani assumes a thoughtful expression.] There's nothing like the loneliness of travelling alone.

Or people. People are really excellent, with their fear and hate. Nothing like people to make one wonder who the monsters really are.

...Kendra?

7. What are you afraid of?
I'm afraid of succumbing. [She grins.] There's a monster deep inside me. And she's itching to get out.

8. What religion do you follow? Why?
I follow Sarenrae, goddess of redemption. My mother raised me to follow her. [She sneers.] For my nature, of course. A child must repent for the sins of her father. For the sins she hasn't even done.

[Akiani steeples her hands.] I have to, though. It's like an itch at the back of my head, ever present. A deep-seated want to kill. A need to kill. Following Sarenrae keeps it at bay, no matter the persecution and hate from the church.

Though, sometimes, I wonder if I make the right choice in not killing them.

9. What is your most treasured possession?
My mother's bow and her burnoose. Wanderers only carry the essentials with them - there is no room for anything you will not use.

I guess the bow is also Deivon now. Idiot couldn't come back as a badger.

10. Quick Summary
Name: Akiani Vagad
Race: Dhampir
Alignment: Lawful Good
Class: Divine Hunter Paladin

1. What is your name? Is there a meaning behind it?
My name is Clarissa, and I have a pet bear named Mr. Scruffles! Do names normally mean things? I guess his name means he is a mister and is very scruffy and my name means I am a little girl named Clarissa.

2. What do you look like? Please describe yourself.
I am a little girl. I have black hair and brown eyes and mommy used to tell me I was cute as a button. Too bad she doesn't talk anymore because she is dead. She was really nice.

(The girl appears to be in her late teens of average size, but in terrible condition. She looks sickly and malnourished but doesn't appear to be diseased. Dirt and grime mat her hair and clothes, yet she doesn't seem to notice or care. She holds an unnerving stuffed toy that looks like it was once a bear, but has had numerous patches of skin sewn onto it.)

3. How have you grown up; what has happened to you during your life? How and why did you learn your class features, etc.?
Mommy and Daddy were really nice people who gave me toys like Mr. Scruffles and we lived together in a small house in a small town.
But bad men came and killed Mommy and Daddy, then one of them said some funny words and they came back to life. They weren't nice anymore and they tried to eat me but I ran away with Mr. Scruffles and hid in the Marshes by our town. Mr. Scruffles had a bunch of rips in him because Mommy tried hitting me but got him instead, so I was crying because I was alone and tired and my best friend was hurt.
Then Mr. Scruffles started talking to me and telling me to calm down because he would make everything better. He spoke to me in funny words I suddenly understood and he taught me magic. When Mommy and Daddy found me, I said some funny words and they stopped trying to eat me. They weren't nice, but they weren't mean either, they just didn't talk anymore. Mr. Scruffles said our power would grow if I fixed him with parts of Mommy and Daddy, so I took off pieces of Mommy's skin and a bunch of Daddy's blood and gave them to him. He used their parts through magic (which is good because I can't sew) and he said we should live out here in the Marshes by ourselves to train our powers so I can kill the bad men and become strong.

4. What is your relationship with the Professor?
Mr. Teacher found me once in the Marshes and said I could stay with him on his vacation. He gave me food and a warm bed and itchy pajamas for a few months. He also taught me a lot about religion and how demons work when I told him about how Mr. Scruffles and I met. I learned lots about undead from him too. Ever since then he had the town courier bring me mail in the Marshes. What a scaredy cat! He always just leaves it at the edge and doesn't say hi to me. He was a good man and I was sad when I heard he was dead because he was nice to me.

5. What do you hate?
Mommy used to say hate was a bad thing but then she died and came back so I decided to hate the men who killed her. Mommy and Daddy were nice and now they don't talk anymore or be nice to me so I hate the bad men who did this to them and want to kill them all. Mr. Scruffles said strong emotions are a good way to use my powers even better, so I can hate them all I want and not feel bad about it.

6. What do you love?
I loved Mommy and Daddy and Mr. Scruffles, even if Mommy and Daddy can't love me anymore because they are dead. Mr. Scruffles still loves me though. I know because I give him food and blood and he shows he loves me every day by giving me magic and protecting me. Except sometimes he's really mean and bossy to me but I know that that side of Mr. Scruffles only comes out when I am in danger and he needs to help me. He has a lot of voices but only the nice one talks to me all the time!

7. What are you afraid of?
I am afraid of losing Mr. Scruffles, so I take him everywhere and hold onto him really tightly so I don't drop him. The bad men are also scary, especially the one who said "I'm telling you guys, it's way more fun if the parents killed the little brat, trust me." .(I remember it exactly because he says it in my dreams every night.) I won't be afraid of him anymore once I kill him though, so I'm not worried.

8. What religion do you follow? Why?
Mr. Teacher talked a lot about the religions people worship and he said Mr. Scruffles might be one of the demon deities. I love Mr. Scruffles, so I guess I would worship him if he is a demon.

9. What is your most treasured possession?
I would say Mr. Scruffles, but Mommy used to say friends weren't objects to be had, so he doesn't count. I also love the necklace Daddy gave me because it is pretty and shaped like a tear. Also because I get sad when I think about Mommy and Daddy and it's like my necklace is crying too so that makes me feel better.

10. Quick Summary
Name: Clarissa
Race: Human
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Class: Witch (Gravewalker)

1. What is your name? Is there a meaning behind it?

I am called Heldalel. I see no meaning behind the name.


2. What do you look like? Please describe yourself.

I am tall, with pale skin. Blonde hair. Typical elf.


3. How have you grown up; what has happened to you during your life? How and why did you learn your class features, etc.?

...when I was young, I was pushed to excel. And I did. My intellect was on par with (if not better than) my peers. I even learned some simple, intrinsic magic.

But that seemed to be all I could do.

I tried the best I could, but there just seemed to be no magical potential within me. I was never punished for this, but...I still felt ashamed and disappointed in myself. So I turned to my hobby, basic alchemy.

And I had a breakthrough. I learned how to siphon my basic magic (only tiny parts, mind you) into liquids that specifically reacted to my bodily structure, enhancing and shaping it. I had learned magic at last.

But if you listened to my community, you would think I hadn't learned anything besides a hobby! So I left Kyonin, and pursued my own knowledge. Those ingrates. One day, I will return, and show them all...

My wanderings eventually took me to Ustalav. As such, I specialized my offensive catalyst vials in the destruction of undead and contructs, by mixing chemicals that sapped away at the energy empowering them. I've been on the move here ever since, lending my skills as I see fit.


4. What is your relationship with the Professor?

Ah, yes. The Lorrimors. I visited Ravengro a few times in the past, and was happy to converse with the good Professor. But his daughter...stunning, if I must say so myself. I have performed an errand or two for her in the past.


5. What do you hate?

Those who cannot see things for what they are. Such as the elves of Kyonin. I also despise those who constantly berate me for not sharing my abilities with others. They simply do not understand, these things work for me alone!


6. What do you love?

My work.


7. What are you afraid of?

Fear is nothing to me. I fear fear itself, however. The fear that can scare me is what I am afraid of.


8. What religion do you follow? Why?

Religions are for those who can not believe in themselves. I am no such person.


9. What is your most treasured possession?

My alchemical supplies.


10. Quick Summary

Name: Heldalel Yalandlara
Race: Elf
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Class: Alchemist [Crypt Breaker] 3