Zorjana Ekaterine Teodozja, LN Human Noble, "Haunted" Sorcerer

[rauhric]

ZORJANA EKATERINE TEODOZJA
LN Human Noble, "Haunted" Sorcerer [1] "Hexblade" Warlock [2]

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Zorjana Ekaterine Teodozja is the "last" of her doomed family line of a once proud and respected noble family of royal ambassadors to the Empire. Betrayed by rival noble houses her father was secreted away to a "sanctuary" (royal prison) to avoid an embarrassing royal scandal, and her mother was married off to a cruel noble rival; who ended up put her into an insane asylum to legally gain power over her legitimate real-estate holdings.

Zorjana and her siblings (all female) were forced into boarding schools and soon before reaching adulthood into convents so they could "willingly" give up claims to their family's former fortunes, lands, and titles as a "Vow of Poverty". Zorjana escaped this forced "religious calling" legally in court by asserting that her mother's second husband never officially adopted her and so he had no claim to her rightful inheritance.

With her mother declared insane and her father missing (unofficially declared dead) she argued before the High Courts that she was oldest and heir to their noble family name and all properties, titles and privileges bestowed upon it. The High Court of the Empire dare not erase a noble family's prestigious name and so granted her claim to her family's depleted holdings and worthless title so that she can resume her "God's Given Role" in society as a true noble of this great Bürach Empire. With no resources, no assets, no noble alliances, and no real power in society the High Court granted her request and allowed her to return to her ruined domain to die in complete destitute.

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Recent Family History

Antonas Dragan Teodozja (father to Zorjana) was a very influential noble assigned ambassadorship by the Empire. His word was well respected within and outside the Empire and carried with it hope and stability in these dark and uncertain times. His rivals used their malicious cunning and machinations to influence the Emperor of a salacious scandal between Antonas and another prominent member of the royal family. If word were to reach the populace then a full blown royal scandal would consume the fragile stability of the common populace. Instead a fictitious story was concocted and Antonas was secreted away to a royal prison known as "Sanctuary". This would satisfy the masses in the disappearance of one of their more popular nobles.

Mila Forsina Teodozja (mother to Zorjana) was manipulated and forced to marry another nobleman, Zharko Dejan Kuzman (rival), by decree of the Emperor and his Pope. It was presented as a patriotic political alliance, but in truth it was a hostile takeover of the Teodozja holdings for the sake of keeping a manufactured scandal quiet. With Mila married off to Zharko her daughters, being too young to understand the gravity of the situation, were put in boarding schools to continue their formal education. Once they neared adulthood they were sent to convents to be conditioned into undertaking a "Vow of Poverty" and forsake all claims to land, title, and resources.

Zorjana would not submit out of duty and obligation to her family's name. Too young to remember the details of her father's disappearance she felt obligated to continue with her family's responsibility to the Empire since no other siblings were interested in doing so. She defies the machinations of Zharko, the Crown, and Pope out of some irrefutable family loyalty to Empire (her warped educational conditioning has manifested into a fanatical family obligation of duty to the Empire).

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Occult Encounter

Throughout her life she has had some strange encounters that she has dismissed for various reasons. As a child she began imagining her absentee father. He was just an imaginary figure to her that she would converse with like a child who has imaginary friends. It wasn't until her teen years when she was being abused by her boarding school teacher that he finally manifested to her. She was too naive to seek revenge for the acts of perversion committed to her that her father's spirit took out his wrath on the offending teacher. Months of psychological torment by the vengeful specter caused the abusive teacher to take his own life. This was her first real confirmation of power beyond what was preached in school. A wider world of the occult opened its doors to her imagination of possibilities.

From that moment on her father's spirit was a constant companion that remained a secret only to her. He was sure not to show himself fearing the repercussion he would visit upon his daughter. Their world is one that would not look favorably upon someone who could commune with spirits and so he always made sure to keep her safe from those that would burn his daughter for consorting with evil spirits. Her father has no real agenda other than to advise his daughter on the best course of action based on his past personal experiences. He wishes to use this time as a spirit to be the father he could not when he was alive.

The truth of the matter is that her father's body is not technically dead. His spirit has left his body, but his body still remains comatose in "Sanctuary". Somehow it has become detached from it and has managed to evade his final destination in the afterlife. This action has called the attention of other free spirits that wish to remain among the living, and in doing so often visit Zorjana to ask for assistance in one manner or another. She is new to this medium and so she is not always aware of other spirits seeking her aid. Her father needs to intervene sometimes to run off unwanted ghosts from their solicitations.

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Notable Personas

Antonas Dragan Teodozja, imaginary father

While she has not seen her father since he was spirited away to the "Sanctuary" she has continued to carry on an imaginary relationship with him knowing full well that he was just in her head. It wasn't until her teen years that she thought he was actually appearing to her. At first it was a brief moment when she thought her imagination had gotten the best of her, but when she was assaulted in boarding school by her teacher she really began to see and feel his presence. His spirit had finally manifested fully as a vengeful specter to unleash his wrath on her attacker. That final year of boarding school her attacker took his own life thanks to the torment of her father's spirit.

 

Mila Forsina Teodozja, institutionalized mother

It is unfortunate that such a beautiful soul like her mother is so damn gullible. Zharko, her second husband, really manipulated her into believing that she was insane after her first husband's disappearance. She allowed Zharko to convince her to seek the help of a mental asylum in order to repair her "fractured and delusional state". None of those things were true but he needed her committed so he could gain control of her holdings. While she languishes away in the horrific mental ward she is helpless in protecting her daughters from the predators and vultures of Altenheim. Zorjana visits her every opportunity she gets to get some counseling on how to repair and rebuild their family's holdings. Her mother is a great advisor in these matters considering she used to counsel her first husband, Antonas, on similar matters.

 

Simona, Apolonija, Hermina, subservient sisters

Zorjana is the oldest of 4 sisters, each a year or so apart, and all way too young when their family was broken by the evils of rival noble families. Unbeknownst to them their father, Antonas, was a powerful and skilled diplomat what was a well respected ambassador to the Empire. His prestigious position was coveted by many nobles, but none really had his skill or temperament to do the job.

His daughters would grow up in boarding schools and convents not knowing anything about him since their mother was committed to an insane asylum very young. As "orphans" they were conditioned to believe whatever they were told, and what they were told was to give over their lives to the Church. Without questions they did as told and when they did so they renounced all their worldly possessions and titles. Now subservient sisters of the Church they are slaves to the whims of "godly" men who use them for menial tasks and other acts of perversion. Zorjana no longer has any claim to them as family since they have renounced their affiliations to the Teodozja name and the world beyond the walls of the convent.

 

Zharko Dejan Kuzman, conniving opportunist

There is more than meets the eye with Zharko who is a master of machinations that never does any action without having thought it out to its fullest potential. Using his position and influence he was able to get other noble houses to plot and instigate the downfall of Antonas Dragan Teodozja. He also managed to manipulate the events of the artificial scandal to the Crown to maneuver a solution that made him the "inheritor" of Antonas' old position and steward of his family's holdings. Manipulating his rival's wife, Mila, to convince her that she was insane and should commit herself to an asylum was a stroke of pure evil genius. What he didn't count on what Zorjana rebelling against his preprogrammed educational conditioning of reclaiming her family's title and holdings. Still, it is a minor set back in his eyes and he looks forward to manipulating Zorjana into relinquishing her holdings and destroying her in his most sinister ways.

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Transformation

I am not sure what transformation to pick. I would prefer to let the story dictate what dark powers come for to corrupt her. It could be fun to encounter these evil entities and start a bargaining process to discover which beings can align to her ultimate goals. If she is to gain power then it should be a slow introduction to lines she is willing to cross in order to achieve her ends. Wanting to reunite her family and regain its position in the noble houses seems to be her endgame. Now which dark powers will help her achieve that goal?

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Final Thoughts

I see lots of RP potential in this character and in this game. Besides the monster hunting as the main character theme, I can see her doing it to regain some sort of status within the noble houses via the Secret Society. She is their pawn as she follows her conviction to resurrect her family's legacy, bring justice to her father's life, freeing her mother from wrongful imprisonment in the asylum, and ultimately free her sister's from the cult like conditioning they have had placed upon them from the Church since youth. She is someone deeply committed to the idea of reuniting her family in some sort of picturesque fantasy she has concocted over her years of childhood.

The Secret Society is the one promising her dreams if she agrees to do certain things for them. While she is strong in her moral code she sees bending it to do things that need to be done in order to achieve her dream as acceptable. Besides, she is only dealing with horrible monsters that deserve what is coming to them. If she can gain some favor in repairing the damage done to her family's honor then it is worth the sacrifice.

Each of the NPCs is a challenge in itself: her father is a disembodied ghost that has the potential to be reunited with his living body, but what happens afterwards if that is achieved? Does he get use to being a flesh and blood entity again or did his time as a spirit forever shatter his ability to live a normal life?

Her mother is a delusional woman who was conned into believing she was insane. How does she reconcile the reality of her actions? Will she adjust normally to a new reality being free from her institution or will she try to return to the prison she accepted for so long as her rightful place in the world?

Her sisters have been conditioned from youth to only believe what the Church and its leaders tell them to believe. How can they understand freedom when everything in their minds tells them it shouldn't exist? Could they ever enjoy being free from the comfort of submissiveness?

Her family's rival, the hidden enemy that plots to destroy her legacy ... How does he go about allowing her to try and resurrect a forgotten noble house? I'm sure he can continue to plot to throw obstacle after obstacle to derail her plans of bringing her family's name out of obscurity. I am sure once she realizes that her plans are being thwarted purposely it should be a long game of discovering who is the real villain behind her family's downfall. What would she do then?

There is so much potential in this game that I see RPing out.

Edited February 8 by rauhric (see edit history)

[rauhric]

@MidnightPoet I would appreciate some feedback to see if this concept is interesting enough for your game before getting into the mechanics of the build. Thank you.

[MidnightPoet]

I love the character idea of a fallen royal courtier and possession by the specter of her father. You have given me a ton of hooks I can use as well.

The Society would give you a method of claiming both wealth and prestige. As a member of high nobility, her father would be aware that many occultists occupy seats of government and use their powers to maintain their status. He could have sent Zorjana to them in the hopes they can guide her towards a suitable transformation.

As for transformations, the Fiend and the Nightmare would be most appropriate, depending on how you want to pursue your character arc. The Fiend requires you to obtain contracts from people and binding them to your service. This is easily accomplished as you sell favors to nobility and climb the social ladder. You could also reflavor the Fiend into a Hag, with you raining misery down on and drawing power from those who wronged you and your family. The Nightmare is more about espionage by peering into dreams and then giving them instructions and at later levels, magical suggestions and geas, charming them into performing actions for you. Either of these paths seem to fit your concept so take your time picking one you want. You can also wait and try to learn more about what they do later on, and then pick the one that fits your character and the party most.

I do have a concern for your character theme though:

The transformation is a sacrifice. You are giving up some part of your humanity to accomplish something superhuman. Zorjana does not actually have to sacrifice anything to get what she wants. So there is no clear external and internal conflict.

Externally, she has Guzman threatening to take her family (mother and sisters) and everything she owns. Internally, she is wondering the minimum amount of power she needs to fight Guzman, but what does she stand to lose? They are both pushing her to pursue power, so there is no real conflict; just a race to save her family.

The conflict should be about pursuing power to save her family from Guzman, or not pursuing the power because her family values something related her humanity over their wealth and own well-being. There should be something valuable her family will lose if Zorjana goes ahead with her transformation, and that should be her real conflict. The matter of her family's health and Zharko is just adding pressure to this crisis and forcing her to choose.

Edited February 7 by MidnightPoet (see edit history)

[rauhric]

@MidnightPoet Thank you for the reply and your thoughts; you have given me plenty to consider. I am going to ramble on for a bit to collect my thoughts so please be patient with me.

The Spirit of Antonas, a Phantom Familiar

His story as to how he became a Specter seems easy enough to flesh out. Like you mentioned Transformation comes with great sacrifice to oneself in order to achieve it, and is not taken lightly or on a whim. His transformed into a Specter to help his daughter in her time of need seems easy enough to explain; like whomever captured and tortured him into his transformation must have known that his daughter was being abused and taunted him until he gave into his transformation. Becoming a Specter and binding himself to his daughter might have seemed just like a means to an end to protect her in his mind, but it also initiated an event that would send his daughter down a road to transformation herself. The transformation of father and daughter was not random but planned, but for what purpose? Who needs this family to become their altered selves and for what purpose? Souls seem easy enough to collect, but deeds, actions, and outcomes seem to be the longer game here.

Some questions I ask myself about Antonas is: What in life made Antonas so special? How did he achieve his level of power and influence in the Empire? Was it recent to his lifetime or had it been a family legacy that had to be maintained? If it is a family legacy of responsibility then what is it, and is his daughter, Zorjana, now expected to continue with such a family obligation too? I feel there is something interesting here to explore. Maybe it is an artifact on their family lands that the Teodozja family is obligated to protect, and since they have neglected it for so long misfortune has fallen upon the family. It could be a forgotten relic with the essence of an entity that requires some sort of offering to maintain it and in doing so it rewards those who care for it. Maybe there is some sort of hidden dungeon on the property that no one knew about where this relic is being held. I wonder if Antonas would know these details or would he be in the dark as much as Zorjana is about it? Anyways, it adds another level of mystery to the family background that could be further explored.

Zorjana, an Unwitting Pawn

Now I completely agree that there is very little urgency or motivation for Sacrifice and Transformation. She is just a woman that is trying to reunite her broken family. Having recently been reunited with her father, albeit as a spirit, moves her one step closer to that goal, but the reunification with mother and sisters is hardly impossible and worthy of a sacrifice for transformation. Somewhere along the way she would need to learn of some horrible fate that awaits her mother and sisters if she doesn't complete an impossible task. What the task is I don't know. Could it be something related to the carefore and tending of the artifact on their property that I mentioned earlier? Maybe. It could be that the artifact has been neglected for so long that it requires life sacrifices or some horrible fate will fall upon others, and not just the immediate family members charged to maintain it. Is the safety of the city that is now in peril just because Zorjana's family has failed to care for the artifact that was once put in their trust? I don't know. Whatever the dread fate that is to come it should be almost impossible to resolve without the aid of Sacrifice and Transformation. To me this feels like a story that needs to play out in game.

I will continue to dwell on it and maybe inspiration will come to me later.

 

[rauhric]

@MidnightPoet I have some ideas that I would like to keep secret from the other players; just in case you want to use some of these plot ideas and don't want to spoil the story for them.

 

[MidnightPoet]

Set up your character sheet and I'll move it to the completed folder.

[rauhric]

@MidnightPoet Thank you. I have added a link to the first post. Her name takes you to the character sheet.

Edited February 8 by rauhric (see edit history)

[rauhric]

Zorjana Teodozja LN Human Noble, "Haunted" Sorceress [1] | "Hexblade" Warlock [2]

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• AC 17 • HP 19 • Init +4 • Passive Perception 13 • Devil's Sight 120' • Phantom Familiar

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Phantom Familiar

Antonas Dragan Teodozja [Phantom Familiar | medium undead]

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• AC 12 • HP 22 • Passive Perception 10 • Darkvision 60' • Fly 50'
• Damage Resistance: acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder, and bludgeoning, piercing, slashing from non-magic attacks
• Damage Immunity: necrotic, poison
• Condition Immunities: charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious  

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• Incorporeal Movement: can move through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain; specter takes 1d10 (5) force damage if ends turn inside an object.
• Sunlight Sensitivity: in sunlight specter has disadvantage on attacks and perception checks (sight).

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• AVAILABLE @3rd Life Drain Attack (Action): melee spell attack +4, range 5' (1 target), 3d6 necrotic damage DC 10 Con save or target's Max HP reduced by damage taken (last until long rest). Target dies if effect reduces target's HP to Zero.

 

Edited February 23 by rauhric (see edit history)

[rauhric]

A bit more information on the family NPCs

Antonas Dragan Teodozja

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Former patriarch of the Teodozja family leaves behind a wife and three daughters, plus a host of close relatives; none of whom were eligible to take on the family legacy after he "retired" to the Sanctuary (a secret imperial prison). His wife inherited control of the family holding for her daughters until such time they were considered adults to inherit it for themselves.

Other direct family relatives to Antonas are two brothers and three sisters (Rajmund, Ludvik, Brina, Francka, and Monika); all have married into other families and have other responsibilities not associated with the Teodozja legacy.

Antonas also left behind some friends that he considered close confidants: Aurelijus Xevolod (gold merchant), Guidas Aronas (timber merchant), Viltatus St. Julius (church administrator), Hurkus Stanislovas (government official), and Zharko Kuzman (noble).

 

 

 

Mila Forsina Teodozja

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For a short time she was the matriarch of the Teodozja family her husband was secreted away to the Sanctuary. The Church and the Crown convinced her it was her duty as a noble to marry another noble in order to keep the important family business (diplomacy) of the Teodozja operating. Her own family convinced her to do as the Empire commanded her for fear of going against the wishes their wishes. Her mother, Karmen, and sisters, Dita and Trina, all encouraged her to take the Emperor's offer. Friend of the family, Zharko Kuzman was arranged to help Mila get her house in order and become her counsel in all official Imperial business.

Zharko found Mila easily manipulated and convinced her that she was becoming irrational and dangerous and should check herself into an insane asylum to get her mental problems under control. He would maintain control of her holdings and care for the children until such time she was better and could return to her official duties.

Once she was under the care of the mental facility she found out too late that she would never come out. Her Dr. Daniel Risto was not easily convinced that she was well enough to return to her old life. Nurse Anu Pilvi gave Dr. Risto nothing but negative remarks about her condition and always though the worst of her patients in her care. Attendants Jaro and Milo delighted in being cruel to the poor woman. Isolated in padded cell she was often neglected by her care takers and given copious drugs to keep her compliant.

 

 

Sisters Simona, Apolonija, and Hermina

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Zorjana's sisters grew up in boarding schools and later sent to convents to continue their education and devotion to the Church. Zharko Kuzman, who was in charge of their education when their mother was committed to an insane asylum, made sure that the girls would be conditioned into a life of service and made to forget their noble family and duties. Zorjana escaped due to the pressure he father's spirit put on her to return to the family land and its responsibilities. The ghost still retained much of its mortal memories and coached her on how to present and defend herself before the High Court.

The sisters had no such aid and remained slaves to their upbringing. Not knowing any better they accepted the life they were told to live and did it with the humility that Sisters of the Church are expected to do. While under the care and guidance of the Sisters of the Church the three girls are given tasks meant to break them of their individuality and spirit. The Sisters in charge of their continuing education are Sisters Agata and Dorota, and the one that rules the convent is Sister Superior Justyna.

While at the convent the sisters take care of the property, serve the sisters in higher stations then them, and provide other services to the clergy. Whatever the men in the cloth desire of them they willing do in the greater service to the Church: "Life is Service".

Edited February 12 by rauhric (see edit history)

[rauhric]

@MidnightPoet I wanted to share some idea with you about my character's Transformation potential.

 

[rauhric]

 

Edited February 24 by rauhric (see edit history)

[rauhric]

10 hours ago, MidnightPoet said:

You have learned Thaumaturgy

You have learned Thaumaturgy.

Thaumaturgy is an arcane practice closely related to Sangromancy and Runic magic. By using your cursed blood to draw the appropriate pattern along thaumaturgic boards, you can create a variety of spell effects connected to your soul. These can include tracking spells or spells that will augment your abilities while you are nearby.

Thaumaturgy requires a thaumaturgic plate with an engraving in the pattern shown here. You must expend one or more hit die to enchant the plate with a spell. Each plate can only hold one spell and the spell's effects persist for a duration determined by the spell. A Thaumaturgy plate can be crafted on an appropriate surface if you have the corresponding tool proficiency. If the plate is moved, any abilities it confers immediately ends.

Many monsters will make use of Thaumaturgy to augment their lairs and grant themselves special abilities. By finding and studying the thaumaturgic patterns in their lairs, you can learn new abilities to shift the field to your advantage.

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You have been learned the Soul Track Rune

By drawing this rune on a thaumaturgic plate, you become aware of all cursed creatures that enter the area. You can detect creatures within a 50 foot radius of the plate and know their precise location. Invisible creatures will still have the benefits of concealment (Creatures have advantage on attacks against you, and you have disadvantage on attacks targeting them), although their locations are revealed.

Casting this Rune requires you to spend 1 hit die and this effect persists for 1 week after your casting.

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Edited March 6 by rauhric (see edit history)

[rauhric]

 

[MidnightPoet]

 

Edited March 7 by MidnightPoet (see edit history)

[rauhric]