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Elvaris
2007-03-22, 08:01 PM
Phoedrans are, as a culture, preoccupied with self improvement. Truly some of history's most enlightened philosophers, noble heroes, and greatest athletes have come from the poleis. Only the search for wisdom rivals the quest for physical beauty in a Phoedran's life.

Though in some cases it's a losing battle.

The Beautiful People are a group of mostly young, and always vain Phoedrans who have found a physical ideal they idolize and attempt to emulate: the elves. More than a few teenagers have been seen around Teonascus in what they see as elven clothing, conversing in the elven language, and some even going so far as to attach "extenders" to their ears to appear more like their graceful idols.

Elvaris
2007-03-22, 08:02 PM
While most of the Beautiful People are so self obsessed that they seem useless, they do serve several purposes a canny group can take advantage of.

First, they seek out outsiders in the normally xenophobic poleis. While adventurers are normally distrusted amongst the Phoedrans, a tale of a sighting of an elf may be all it takes to convince a member of the group to buy them a room at an inn without the usual "outsider markup". A party containing an elf will practically be an object of worship. They may bring the group gifts, free meals, and act as intermediaries for the party in a normally unwelcoming town.

Second, as they are citizens, and in some cases children of highly respected citizens, they can speak up for a group of outsiders should a dispute arise that requires a trial-by-assembly. What the members of the group lack in wits, they tend to make up for in speaking ability. Again, as foreigners, most adventurers tend to be looked on poorly in a polis, a word or two from a member of this group can go a long way towards receiving a fair hearing (and in some cases an unfair hearing in their favor...)

Typical Member:
Polly Panakitis
Female Human Aristocrat 1
Medium Humanoid
Hit Dice: 1d8 (4)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft.
Armor Class: 12 (+2 Dex), touch 12, flatfooted 10
Base Attack: +1 Grapple: +0
Attack: "Attack? I might ruin my nails!"
Full Attack: "Ugh... I can get someone to do that for me."
Special Qualities: "Everything I do is special"
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +1
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 17
Skills: Appraise +5, Bluff +9, Diplomacy +7, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) +5, Perform (Dance) +7
Feats: Persuasive, Fickle
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Possessions: Daddy's House, Daddy's Servants, Access to Daddy's vault.
Alignment: Neutral

Polly is attractive, but shallow. She wears oddly mismatched clothes, but all of the highest quality. When presented with a truly dangerous situation, she will use whatever means available to escape, whether trying to talk her way out, or just running.


New Feat:
Fickle [general]
You can use your charm to get your way.
Benefit:You designate a target and receive a +2 bonus to all Charisma based skills against that target for 1 hour. You may only have one target designated at any given time, and can only target the same target for three hours in a row. At which time, you must designate a new target, and your old target gains a +1 bonus to resist any of your Charisma based skills for 24 hours.

Elvaris
2007-03-22, 08:02 PM
Unfortunately, this group is not as harmless as it first appears. Behind all the pretty faces lurks a madman who is obsessed with the elves for a different reason.

Luca Hanatos
Male Human Wizard 18
Medium Humanoid
Hit Dice: 18d4+18 (65)
Initiative: +0 (+0 Dex)
Speed: 30 ft
Armor Class: 17 (+0 Dex, +7 Bracers of Armor), touch 10, flatfooted 17
Base Attack: +9/+4 Grapple: +10
Attack: +12 melee (1d4+3 dagger +1)
Full Attack: +12/+7 melee (1d4+3 dagger +1) or spells
Special Attacks: Spells
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +11
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 26 (32), Wis 6, Cha 19 (25)
Skills: Bluff +17, Concentration +22, Diplomacy +10, Knowledge (The Planes) +32, Knowledge (Arcana) +32, Knowledge (History) +32, Knowledge (Religion) +32, Spellcraft +34
Feats: Scribe ScrollB, Combat Casting, Force of Personality, Spell Penetration, Craft WandB, Leadership, Spell Focus (Enchantment), Fortify SpellB, Greater Spell Penetration, Greater Spell Focus (Enchantment), Sanctum SpellB, Extraordinary Concentration
Challenge Rating: 18
Possessions: Bracers of Armor +7, Cloak of Charisma +6, Dagger +1, Headband of Intellect +6, Tome of Clear Thought +3 (Used), Tome of Leadership +2 (Used)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Spells per Day: 4/7/7/7/6/6/6/5/4/3
Spells Prepared: Detect Magic x2, Mage Hand, Resistance, Hold Portal x2, Shield x2, Magic Missile x2, Unseen Servant, Web x3, Fox's Cunning x2, Protection From Arrows, Eagle's Splendor, Dispel Magic x3, Hold Person x3, Protection From Energy, Stoneskin, Dimensional Anchor x2 (Sanctum), Animate Dead x3, Dimension Door, Dismissal, Dominate Person x2, Hold Monster x2, Wall of Force, Create Undead x2, Greater Dispel Magic, Guards and Wards, Disintegration x2, Greater Teleport x2, Mass Hold Person x2, Sequester, Binding, Greater Shout, Symbol of Death x2, Dominate Monster x2, Gate
Spellbook: Luca has spellbooks in his sanctum which contain all relevant spells.

Note: Luca has reached Middle age and his ability scores reflect the relevant bonuses and penalties.

Luca is a handsome man, but the years of study have worn away some of the truly striking looks he had in his youth. For most men, this would be a source of disappointment, but Luca has driven himself mad looking for a way to retain his beauty. He refuses to accept the passage of time as inevitable, and his madness has led him to contemplate the one thing no mortal should ever hope to recreate: the ritual that created the elves.

Luca incessantly researches the ritual, searching out every last detail, trying to capture the touch of divinity that graced the elves for himself. While he has not completed his quest, he has determined the one being he needs to seek out to complete his knowledge of the rite, the Plague Fiend himself.

While he realizes that the fiend cannot be the focus of a second ritual, Luca hopes to get the secret from the fiend and then alter the ritual enough to sap the strength from another outsider, though how he intends to capture an unwilling celestial is unknown.

He is aware that another ritual may have similarly unpleasant consequences, from creating another fiend to even starting another outbreak of the weeping, but he just doesn't care.