Applications 2: Electric Boogaloo

Description:
A young Man of excellent physical conditioning, Caius is of average height but with a stocky build that takes well to the martial pursuits. His family is known for breeding excellent soldiers that have served often in Brevoy's conflicts. Less well-known is how hard they work to maintain that reputation, training constantly. He is a true scion of the Valerii family, his characteristics and features reminiscent of their founding Patron and his descendants. He is not an unattractive man, falling just short of true handsomeness due to a certain unfinished characteristic and an often-broke nose. The Valerii often range in hair-color from a light reddish-blond, to copper and a true fiery red. Caius personally exhibits a deep reddish-brown that falls short of being actual auburn. His hands are rough and calloused, but strong, from hard-work in the training field and building fortifications. Even in peace no Valerii feels safe without a weapon on hand, knowing only your own strength and awareness protect you, even among friends. They feel more comfortable in armor than fine clothes, but are known for well-cut if simply tailored clothing of moderate tastes. They wear little in the way of jewelry, and are prone to scoff at open display's of wealth as a sign of weakness. Their armor also reflects this taste, preferring high-quality and practical over fashionable or gaudy, as performance on the field of battle is paramount to their philosophy.

Background:
Caius is a young man and still coming into his own, but he is eager to prove himself. He has reason, for he is a Bastard. His Mothers family are landed Gentry, though the Nobility still see them as little more than commoners. His Father was something else altogether, a Noble of ancient lineage and a Peer of the realm. Or so his Mother tells him, and to hear her talk you'd think him a son of the great Conqueror himself. Yet there is no proof, except her own biased word, that this is the truth. Even the little token he left her, a simple ring of strange design, holds no proof. Her own family believes he was likely some Aldori, or at best a lesser Noble, who managed to talk his way into her heart and past her defenses. Resulting in the birth of Caius, and the shame of his Mother and her family.

His Mother has been a great help to him growing up, supporting Caius throughout his life. He deeply respects his Uncle Gaius and emulates him in the hope of being as well respected a Warrior. He has great respect for his Uncle Marius, though he also fears the man a bit. Though he does not allow that fear to often affect his actions, it does at times come out in the form of his temper. Caius has a long-fuse and works hard not to lose his temper often. When it does escape him, it is often due to disagreement with his Uncle over a fundamental belief in different philosophies. Marius is a strong and ruthless man who casually makes difficult decisions for the 'good of the family'. Though Caius and Marius do think well of each other, it can be difficult to bridge the gap between them at times. It is not helped by the sad fact that Caius is a Bastard, which to Marius is, as he puts it, "a damn shame".

Caius has learned that the one place he can allow his temper free reign is upon the battlefield, and it is something that has lately concerned his Family. There is a simmering rage in Caius that is not evident anywhere else but when fighting. He has been known to take reckless action to achieve a goal, and though so far he has been successful, his Family fears the day it is not. They have so far taken no action except to discuss it between themselves. His Shieldbrethren have also remarked on his transformations during battle, giving him the moniker Typhus (The Storming), for his prowess on the field. Caius has taken the name as his own, much as his Uncle Gaius did for his own name of Contans (The Reliable).

What's more, and likely to concern his family most as the moment, is he has taken off on his own. He has something to prove, to both himself and his family, and to do that he has decided to take action. The Swordlords of Restov have called for brave and able Men, to take up arms and tame the wilderness bordering their nation. For Caius, this is an opportunity to better himself and bring honor to the family name. Caius slipped away from his home, taking what gear he thought would best aid him, and swiftly traveled to Restov. There he enlisted himself in this great enterprise with no little excitement and some trepidation as well.

Miranda was only a little girl when she and her big brother Leban fled from the battle that was consuming and destroying the Stolen Lands bandit gang their mother belonged to. Leban ran for for miles before he dared stop; he carried her the entire way.

Because she was still small, Leban took Miranda to an orphanage in Rostland run by the church of Cayden Cailean, god of bravery. After making sure she would be cared for, he left. Miranda wept for days.

But Leban did not abandon his sister entirely. He stayed away for 3 years, then began to return to the orphanage regularly. Miranda inferred that Leban had found work as a mercenary; with each visit, he bore more scars and looked more prosperous.

The clerics running the orphanage saw promise in little Miranda; she had both common sense and the right attitude. Without letting on what they were doing, they taught her the uncomplicated doctrines and ways of Cayden Cailean, the Accidental God. She was 14 years old and halfway through an apprenticeship in brewing when she realized she was being groomed for the priesthood. She thought it was a terribly funny joke. After they assured her she had real aptitude, Miranda continued with her training.

Miranda was invested with the power of her god on her 18th birthday. Leban was in attendance; it was the proudest moment of her life, though some of her friends who had not met Leban before were shocked to learn her brother was a half-orc.

When she was 20, Miranda received crushing news: A mercenary brought word that Leban had been killed. Some bandits had ambushed the caravan he was guarding as it passed near the Stolen Lands. Leban sacrificed his life to buy his fellows time to escape and tell Miranda of her brother's final fate.

Miranda grieved and abused alcohol for weeks. Then she heard through the grapevine that an expedition was being planned to cleanse the Stolen Lands of bandits and make a nation there. As soon as she sobered up, Miranda rushed to apply for a position. She cares little about nation-building; she just wants to avenge her brother's murder.

Miranda is a good-natured young human female with blue eyes and auburn hair. Leban remarked once that she resembled their mother. The comparison caused her so much distress that he never mentioned it again.

She has good biceps from lifting heavy kegs on a daily basis. Her voice is a little hoarse from inhaled woodsmoke and from spending much time talking to and in the presence of people who like to sing very loudly when they're drunk.

Miranda likes to wear loose clothes that let her skin breathe. Apart from that, she has no strong preferences. She may like the color blue one week and the color brown the next.

Miranda recalls little of her life before the orphanage, but what she does retain is tainted with fear. She remembers big hard dangerous men eying her hungrily and only the threat of her mother's sharp sword and her brother's fists keeping them at bay. She remembers Leban's strong arms around her as they fled from the battle that killed their mother.

She is very grateful to Cayden Cailean and his clerics for taking care of her, but her first and greatest love always has been for her big brother Leban. When she learned of his death, she was devastated.

And so, even though Miranda dreads returning to the Stolen Lands, she will do so. Avenging her brother is the number one priority in her life now. And if she has to kill every murdering bandit in the Stolen Lands to be sure Leban's slayers are dead and no other women must hear of their brother's untimely death from ambush, she will do so.

When she is not morbidly thinking about Leban's death or bandits, Miranda is actually a nice and cheerful young woman, polite with sober customers and patient with drunk ones. She seldom allows herself to care very deeply for anyone, but she is very tenacious in keeping even casual friends. She has lost too much to be sanguine about losing anyone else.

Miranda tends to be more forgiving of and defend half-orcs as a result of her brother's being one.

She is big on self-sufficiency. She is kind to the unfortunate and likes to help others, but asking others for help makes her feel worthless. This is probably a sign of insecurity.

Miranda has bad memories of being surrounded on all sides by hostile men. She likes to have space to retreat, prefers to fight from a distance, and fears being surrounded or grappled.

Leban and Miranda did not know their mother's last name, so they picked their own surnames.

Though it is common for children who grow up in Caileanan orphanages to pick Cailean as their surname, Miranda did not. She felt that Miranda Cailean of Cayden Cailean would be confusing.

She frequently changes her mind about what her last name is, using and then discarding names like Brewer, Lebansister, Moonlight, and Storm.

Many of the deities mentioned in the Cleric section of the Pathfinder Player's Guide for Kingmaker are Chaotic. This raises the question of why clerics of those gods would want to eliminate bandits and establish a new nation, two relatively Lawful pursuits.

I decided that, in such cases, the strongest motivations would be personal rather than political or religious. Chaotics don't often go on crusades, but they do go on rescue missions or vengeance sprees.

Miranda probably develops a desire to build and nurture a new nation once she has slaked her need for revenge, but it is not her initial goal.