Name: Adela (has since forgotten family name)
Gender: Female
Age: 26
Race: Galmin
Appearance: Personality: Adela values the pursuit of arcane knowledge and power above all else. She refuses to believe that she's even come close to knowing everything, and believes that there's actually infinite knowledge to be had in magic, making it impossible to
actually know everything about it. The sorts who look down on the craft are not the sorts Adela particularly enjoys associating with either, but she won't hesitate to make an exception if she genuinely believes she can learn more in the company of somebody else than she could on her own. Even when working in a team, however, Adela has a very headstrong certainty that she has no need to rely on others, at least as far as mortals go.
Barring her thirst for knowledge and what she thinks of those who look down on her goals, Adela is surprisingly selfless for someone who prioritizes herself first and everyone else third. If she's doesn't have any major tasks on-hand, she'd happily help someone out with a thing they need to do, or give some coins to someone in need. However, she's not
all good, even when helping others. She'd help someone with a murder just as easily as she would with finding a lost pet. As Adela herself has stated it, "The concept of morality is still something I don't entirely understand. It baffles me, to be entirely honest. Why should it be right to do one thing when it's wrong to do something so similar? For that matter, should the means to the end also be given names such as good and evil? I don't see why it should be such an issue if I kill a man, whereas it isn't if I kill a deer."
Bio: Adela's is a story centered around the forces of magic, be they deemed right or wrong to use. Her rather humble origins point back to to a seaside town called Gafeld, where she was born the daughter of an arcane scholar and a bard. It's surprising how much one can learn from being raised by such a pair of parents, even just by observing their everyday actions. From observing her bard mother, Adela learned how to play a lute and how to sing. From her scholar father, Adela got a loose grip on how magic worked, though the two sharing their philosophy on the matter was only bound to lead to trouble. Both Adela and her father believed that as it was, using magic took too much time and wasn't efficient enough, even with a higher degree of power. Rather than manipulate an existing flame, why not conjure an entirely new one? It was this idea that set Adela's life into motion.
As she grew, Adela grew slightly less interested in the bard's trade, taking after her father and his arcane research. Perhaps because she was the child of such a person, she had a natural affinity for magic, and was able to help him come surprisingly close to the end goal of making magic more efficient. In fact, though she'd never seen his research notes, she knew they were getting there when he hinted at them being ready to test their theories. And so they tried it one day. The two were close, but missed their mark by an unfortunate margin. Enough so that they didn't
quite conjure fire. They just managed to cause a candle's small flame to go berserk is all. The scholar and the bard were no more, nor were some other buildings in the vicinity, but by some twist of fate she still can't wrap her head around, Adela survived.
Needless to say, it was crushing to her that Adela - having been given the task of trying the spell out - was pretty responsible for what happened. So what did she do? Well, the only thing a sane, grieving girl with magical affinities would ever do, of course. Research the methods to form a contract with a demon so that she can try to bring back the dead, of course. Not even the contract could do that, though. Adela chose in that case to settle for different terms, deciding that if she can't bring back the dead, she can at least finish what she started by figuring out how to make magic work more efficiently. The exact terms were decided upon, and the contract was sealed.
On the demon's end of the bargain, it would teach Adela more about how magic worked, including with magic that society...wasn't so fond of. It would also help her create a grimoire of these dark arts, and enable her to summon its powers should she need them. It came at a cost, of course, as with any contract. The first and foremost cost was the reason she made the contract to begin with. Memories. The memories of her life, leading up to the time she made the contract, were taken away from her. All she knew anymore was that she wanted more knowledge; more power, and that she would cross the world to get it if she had to. Which brought the demon to the second cost of the contract. There is a very ancient and unique artifact in the world. Adela has been tasked with finding it before her life expires, though she was given no knowledge on what it is or where it can be found.
Ever since, Adela has searched Ithelia tirelessly, seeking knowledge and power for herself, and the mysterious relic her contracted demon desires. Throughout her search, she did find
one item of interest. A magical gauntlet that allows her to tap into both "pure" and dark magic. In the interest of making the best of the things she knows, even if she can't remember how she learned them, Adela has made herself out as an adventuring bard who just so happens to call forth the powers of the dark arts when in danger.
Total XP: 56
Unspent XP: 0
Might: 2
Endurance: 3 + 1 (Galmin bonus) = 4
Dexterity: 3
Aptitude: 6
Willpower: 7
Charisma: 4
Vitality: 16
Energy: 22
Luck: 3
Reputation: 6 (Neutral)
Arcane Craft (Apt): 5
Disguise (Cha): 4
Knowledge (Apt): 3
Linguistics (Apt): 3
Negotiation (Cha): 2
Observation (Apt): 2
Performance (Cha): 3
Sorcery (Apt): 5
Survival (Apt): 1
Dark Contract - 5 points
Grimoire - 5 points
Magic Affinity - 7 points
Arcane Sense - Comes with Magic Affinity
Profession - 4 points (Bard)
+2 bonus on all Linguistic, Knowledge, and Performance Rolls (this is just a bonus, doesn't give you free ranks in the skill), and a +2 to Reputation. Furthermore pay 1 point less for the Words of Power Trait and any other Song based Traits that you can come up with.
Rare Discovery - 7 points
Minor Pyrophobia (+1 XP): Adela is somewhat afraid of fire. While small fires may cause a small bit of alarm, she is more afraid of bigger fires or fire coming at her. Adela must make a Concentration Roll (DL 15) whenever faced with an open flame or otherwise she cannot get near it (and may even be Intimidated by it).
Lawless (+2 XP): She is not really one for following the law. For starters she gets a -2 on all Negotiation Rolls with any of those who uphold the law. This is -5 if they are aware of this in some way, shape, or form (like if they are incredibly perceptive or something).
Temptation of Violence (+2 XP): Adela is quick to violence thanks to a dark corruption within from her contract that tempts her to violence. For starters those who can sense power can find out about her corruption. Also whenever a negotiation attempt is unsuccessful she must make a DL 20 Concentration Roll or otherwise Adela will try and resort to violence, intimidation, and just overall coercion to get what she wants (doesn't necessarily have to be violent, could be black mail or other things, but it just has to be Intimidation).
Aside from the clothes on her back and her treasured gauntlet, Adela tries to travel lightly since she's not much in the physical strength department. The things she carry amount to...
- Lute (Free thanks to her Bard Trait.)
- Beggar disguise (Free.)
- Guard disguise (Includes a Chain Shirt (35 iL, 2 Armor Penalty, 4 Armor Rating (how much it protects you)) and a War Cap (15 iL, +1 Armor, 0 Armor Penalty, but a -2 on all Observation Rolls while wearing it).
- Short Sword (20 iL) (+2 Damage mod, Light Weapon, can be wielded even with her crappy Might).
- Her grimoire.
- Four days worth of rations (4 iL)
Wealth: 31 iL