Aleksandr Volkov, House Surtova "Ours is the Right"

[Zen Gypsy]

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Aleksandr Volkov, House Surtova

'Ours is the right'

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"Discipline, order and the rule of law are the foundations upon which greatness is built. However, if sufficient order cannot be established without suffering, then so be it."

Level: 1 Class: Champion Archetype: None. Background: Brevic Noble Deity: Godclaw Alignment: Lawful Evil Height: 6'1" Weight: 217 lbs Eyes: Midnight Blue Skin: Lightly Tanned Hair: Dark Black, Cropped, Full beard Race: Human, Skilled Gender: Male Age: 27 yrs

Abilities Ability | Modifier STR: 18 | +4 DEX: 12 | +1 CON: 14 | +2 INT: 10 | +0 WIS: 10 | +0 CHA: 14 | +2 Hit Points: 20 Armor Class: 18 Size: Medium Speed: 25 ft Perception: +3 ◆ Fort Save: +7 ◆◆ Ref Save: +4 ◆ Will Save: +5 ◆◆

 

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Abilities

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Ancestry  HumanRarity: Common Hit Points: 8 Size: Medium Speed: 25 ft. Ability Boosts: Two Free. (Strength, Charisma) Racial Languages: Common (Taldan) Bonus Languages: Additional languages equal to your One plus your Intelligence modifier, if it's positive. Choose from the list of common languages and any other languages to which you have access, such as languages prevalent in your region. (Hallit) Traits: Humanoid  Heritage SkilledYour ingenuity allows you to train in a wide variety of skills. You become trained in INTIMIDATION. At 5th level, you become an EXPERT in the chosen skill. Background Brevic NobleYou claim a tangential but legitimate connection to one of Brevoy's noble families. If you aren't human, you were adopted by one of Brevoy's nobles or were perhaps a favored servant or even a childhood friend of a noble scion. Whatever the case, you've had a comfortable life, though still a far cry from the one your distant cousins or close associates know. An expedition into the storied Stolen Lands seems like just the test to see if you really are worthy of the “noble” title. Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Constitution or Wisdom, and one is a free ability boost. (CONSTITUTION, STRENGTH) Choose one of the Brevic lineages below: SURTOVA: Your family is well known for their political agility and scheming nature. Your family motto is “Ours Is the Right.” You're trained in the DECEPTION skill and the POLITICS LORE skill. You gain the CHARMING LIAR skill feat.

Ancestry Features -

Class Features Class ProficienciesPerception: Trained (◆) Saves: Fortitude: Expert (◆◆), Reflex: Trained (◆), Will: Expert (◆◆) Skills: Trained in Religion, Trained in one skill based on Deity, (Godclaw; Society) ; two additional skills plus Intelligence modifier, (Athletics, Crafting) Attacks: Simple Weapons: Trained (◆), Martial Weapons: Trained (◆), Unarmed Attack: Trained (◆) Defenses: All Armor: Trained (◆), Unarmed Defense: Trained (◆) Class DC (Strength): Trained (◆) Spellcasting (Divine, Charisma): Spell Attack: Trained (◆), Spell DC : Trained (◆) | Champion's Codeou follow a code of conduct, beginning with tenets shared by all champions of an alignment, and continuing with tenets of your cause. Deities often add additional strictures. Tenets are listed in order of importance, starting with the most important. If a situation places two tenets in conflict, you aren’t in a no-win situation; instead, follow the more important tenet. Trying to subvert your code by creating a situation that forces a higher tenet to override a lower tenet is a violation of the champion code. If you stray from your alignment or violate your code of conduct, you lose your focus pool and divine ally until you demonstrate your repentance by conducting an atone ritual, but you keep any other champion abilities that don’t require those class features. If your alignment shifts but is still one allowed by your deity, your GM might let you retrain your cause while still following the same deity.Champion's ReactionIRON COMMAND (Reaction) Uncommon, Champion, Divine, Emotion, Enchantment, Mental TRIGGER: An enemy within 15 feet damages you. EFFECT: You put an impertinent foe who dared harm you in their proper place. You command your enemy to kneel before you in obedience. If they dare to refuse, they must pay the price in pain and anguish. The foe must choose one of the following options. The enemy kneels, dropping prone as a free action. The enemy refuses, and you deal 1d6 mental damage to it. This damage increases to 2d6 at 5th level, 3d6 at 9th level, 4d6 at 12th level, 5d6 at 16th level, and 6d6 at 19th level. In addition, your Strikes against the triggering creature deal 1 extra damage until the end of your next turn. You choose whether the damage type is evil or negative each time you use this reaction. This extra damage increases to 2 at 9th level and 3 at 16th level. | Devotion SpellsYour deity's power grants you special divine spells called devotion spells, which are a type of focus spell. It costs 1 Focus Point to cast a focus spell, and you start with a focus pool of 1 Focus Point. You refill your focus pool during your daily preparations, and you regain 1 Focus Point by spending 10 minutes using the Refocus activity to pray to your deity or do service toward their causes. Focus spells are automatically heightened to half your level rounded up. Certain feats can give you more focus spells and increase the size of your focus pool, though your focus pool can never hold more than 3 Focus Points. You gain a devotion spell depending on your cause, and you are trained in divine spell attack rolls and spell DCs. Your spellcasting ability is Charisma. | Shield BlockYou gain the Shield Block general feat, a reaction that lets you reduce damage with your shield. |Tenets of EvilYou must never perform acts anathema to your deity or willingly commit a purely good act, such as giving something solely out of charity, casting a good spell, or using a good item. You must never put another person's needs before your own, and you must never put your own needs before those of your deity. Though you can perform acts others might consider helpful, it must be done with the expectation that it ultimately furthers your own goals or those of your master. | Tenets of FaithGODCLAW (Pantheon) Followers of the Godclaw revere a pantheon of five deities: Iomedae and Torag are concerned with offensive, defensive combat, respectively and valor, Irori as the epitome of emotionless discipline, Abadar as a keeper of laws, and Asmodeus as a strategist king. Depictions of these deities as part of the Godclaw differ from traditional images, with the deities portrayed as stern, armored paragons of law. Though some dedicate themselves to individual gods, many take the whole pantheon as their patron, receiving spells despite their unorthodox, perhaps even heretical, beliefs. EDICTS: Eliminate chaos at its root, be an exemplar of order (worthy of not one, but five), seek the universal laws that transcend individual faiths ANATHEMA: Rest when there is lawlessness to fight, believe you know or understand more than the pantheon AREAS OF CONRN: discipline, laws, order, strategy FOLLOWER ALIGNMENTS: LG, LN, LE PANTHEON MEMBERS: Abadar, Asmodeus, Iomedae, Irori, Torag | Tyrant's CauseMight makes right, and you subjugate the weak to keep them in their proper place. You gain the Iron Command champion's reaction and the touch of corruption devotion spell. After the tenets of evil, add these tenets. Let no one who is lesser than you wield power over you or lead you. Mercilessly enforce established hierarchies of masters and servants. Topple or seize control of illegitimate hierarchies, such as democratic governments or the arrogant echelons of the celestial planes, and fill power vacuums by taking that power for yourself. Bind the weak to serve you. This tenet doesn't require you to spare foes' lives if you think they would be disloyal if pressed into servitude, nor does it require you to keep more servants than you find practical or useful.

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Feats

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Skill Feats	Class & Archetype Feats	Ancestry & General Feats
Charming LiarTRAITS: General, Skill PREREQUISITES: Trained in Deception Your charm allows you to win over those you lie to. When you get a critical success using the Lie action, the target’s attitude toward you improves by one step, as though you’d succeeded at using Diplomacy to Make an Impression. This works only once per conversation, and if you critically succeed against multiple targets using the same result, you choose one creature’s attitude to improve. You must be lying to impart seemingly important information, inflate your status, or ingratiate yourself, which trivial or irrelevant lies can’t achieve.	Deity's DomainDEITY'S DOMAIN TRAITS: Champion You embody an aspect of your deity. Choose one of your deity's domains, Zeal You gain the domain's initial domain spell as a devotion spell. | Iron RepercussionsIRON REPERCUSSIONS TRAITS: Uncommon, Champion PREREQUISITES: Tyrant Cause Disobeying your Iron Command has lasting consequences. If an enemy refuses to kneel to you, you can deal persistent mental damage instead of normal mental damage. You must decide whether the mental damage will be persistent before your enemy chooses whether to kneel or not. The amount of damage is unchanged.	Natural AmbitionNATURAL AMBITION TRAITS: Human You were raised to be ambitious and always reach for the stars, leading you to progress quickly in your chosen field. You gain a 1st-level class feat for your class, Deity's Domain. You must meet the prerequisites, but you can select the feat later in the character creation process in order to determine which prerequisites you meet. | Shield BlockSHIELD BLOCK (Reaction) TRAITS: General TRIGGER: While you have your shield raised, you would take damage from a physical attack. You snap your shield in place to ward off a blow. Your shield prevents you from taking an amount of damage up to the shield’s Hardness. You and the shield each take any remaining damage, possibly breaking or destroying the shield.

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Skills 

Trained: ◆ | Expert: ◆◆ | Master: ◆◆◆ | Legendary: ◆◆◆◆

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Acrobatics: +1 Arcana: +0  Athletics: +7 ◆ Crafting: +3 ◆ Deception: +5 ◆

Diplomacy: +2 Intimidation: +5 ◆ Lore (Politics): +3 ◆ Medicine: +0 Nature: +0 Occultism: +0

Performance: +2 Religion: +3 ◆ Society: +3 ◆ Stealth: +1 Survival: +0 Thievery: +1

 

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Attacks

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MELEE	RANGE
Bastard Sword, Two-hand (d12) ◆, +7 1d6+4 S Dagger, Agile, Finesse, Thrown 10 ft, Versatile S ◆, +7 1d4+4 P Fist, Agile, Finesse, Nonlethal, Unarmed ◆, +7 1d4+4 B	Dagger, Agile, Finesse, Thrown 10 ft, Versatile S ◆, +4 1d4+4 P

 

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FOCUS SPELLS 

Spell Tradition: Divine | Divine Save DC: 15 | Divine Spell Attack Modifier: +5

MAX FOCUS: 1

CURRENT: 1

Touch of CorruptionTOUCH OF CORRUPTION Uncommon, Champion, Necromancy, Negative CAST: ◆ (Somatic) RANGE: Touch; TARGETS: 1 willing undead creature or 1 living creature You infuse the target with negative energy. If the target is living, this deals 1d6 negative damage (basic Fortitude save); on a failed save, the target also takes a –2 status penalty to AC for 1 round. If the target is a willing undead creature, the target instead regains 6 Hit Points, and if you are the undead target, you also gain a +2 status bonus to damage rolls for 1 round. HEIGHTENED: Increase the damage dealt to a living creature by 1d6 or increase the Hit Points regained by undead by 6. Weapon SurgeWEAPON SURGE Uncommon, Champion, Evocation CAST: ◆ (Somatic) RANGE: touch; TARGET: 1 weapon you are wielding Holding your weapon aloft, you fill it with divine energy. On your next Strike with that weapon before the start of your next turn, you gain a +1 status bonus to the attack roll and the weapon deals an additional die of damage. If the weapon has a striking rune, this instead increases the number of dice from the striking rune by 1 (to a maximum of 3 extra weapon dice). If the target weapon leaves your possession, weapon surge immediately ends.

FOCUS 1 FOCUS 1

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Inventory

Platinum	Gold		Silver	Copper
0	0		0	3

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Weapons & Armor

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Chain Mail Steel Shield

Bastard Sword Dagger

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Adventuring Gear

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Worn	Stowed
Backpack, Explorer's Clothing, Flint & Steel, Manacles (Poor)	Climbing Kit, Oil (x2), Lantern (Hooded), Religious Text, Torches (2)

Current Bulk: 5.4

Encumbered: 9.0

Maximum:  14.0

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Edited August 20, 2023 by Zen Gypsy (see edit history)

[Zen Gypsy]

Background:  The Volkov family has long been a banner-house for the Surtovas, notably serving the King's cousin, and chosen Emissary, Berislav Surtova, whose seat of power is the town of Zmeyka, in Brevoy. Aleksandr was born 4696 AR, approximately 3 years prior to the mysterious Vanishing, when House Rogarvia and it's heirs disappeared without a trace. Aleksandr was born a third son, to Cheslav Volkov and his wife, Zenevieva, in a small, rural holding outside Zmeyka. His father ruled with a velvet glove and an iron fist, this included the serfs who worked his land, and, perhaps most formatively, his own household. Aleksandr's two brothers, Yasha and Vassily, lorded over their young brother, for he was small and frail in his youth. As such he spent much of his time with his mother, Zenevieva and her hand maids, learning of courtly manner, gossip, and politicking. During the time immediately following the Vanishing, King Noleski had commanded that House Surtova find staunch allies who would support the Surtovan claim to the Dragonscale throne, but preferably allies with no vested interest in the region. As such Chancellor Berislav had House Volkov establish diplomatic relations with the House Thrule, the ruling house of Cheliax, in an attempt to have a Chelish Embassy established within the region.

As the lawlessness of Brevoy was of significant concern to the Chelish Crown, the Queen's emissaries demanded that Brevoy send wards to Egorian, the Chelish capital, to be tutored in the rule of law and diplomatic relations. Eager to forge links with such a powerful ally, Berislav sent wards from each of his, personal, banner houses to Egorian, where the sons of Brevoy were tutored in Asmodean law, politics, and their rigid hierarchy, based, in part, on the diabolic rule of established within the infernal realms. Aleksandr was fostered by one Ingmar Herzog, a Paravicor within the Hellknight Order of the Godclaw, an order of knights devoted establishing the rule of law in the face of chaos, corruption or dissent. Paravicor Herzog was a harsh man, who demanded perfection from his household and his subordinates, however, he was not unkind. He worked with the young Aleksandr, ensuring that the boy had the proper exercise and training to become a man, fully formed, able to bear the arms and armor of the Hellknight Order.

Having been sent to Egorian as a child, he grew to manhood within Cheliax itself, observing, and learning from the political structure there, rather than his native Brevoy. While he was safe-guarded from his brother's aggressions and cruelty, he came to miss his mother, Zenevieva, though, of all his family, she is the only one who would maintain written correspondence with him. When informed of her letters, a great joy would fill his heart, and he would rush to his chambers to read the missives, reading and re-reading each word until the paper became worn by his hands. He would learn of the triumphs and struggles of his household, his brother's handling of unrest, the threat of war with Orlovsky, the political maneuverings within the kingdom that threatened the stability of the Dragonscale Throne. He yearned to be there, by his family's side, helping them in these troubling side, yet, his duty was in Cheliax, where he was to earn the favor of the Thrunes, so see the establishment of formal, diplomatic, relations between the two sovereign nations.

Edited September 3, 2023 by Zen Gypsy (see edit history)

[youngaberration]

Looking good

[Zen Gypsy]

In review of my commitments to other games, as much as I want to play a Kingmaker game, sadly, I am going to have to withdraw my application. Perhaps as some of my other game commitments finish up I can join another game with you all.

Thanks for your consideration Aberration, I hope you all have a great game! Looks like a ton of interesting characters have been submitted, you'll have your hands full narrowing it down to a group of five or six.

Good luck!

[youngaberration]

Thank you for applying. It's crazy how hard it's gonna be to select a group