Aralos

From Stormravengaming

Aralos is a sailor formerly aboard the Golden Dawn. Following the death of the ship's captain, Aralos disembarked in Kingsport, where he met Hilgard and joined his quest to find Galenvale. While Hilgard sought treasure and his people's history, Aralos hoped to discover an ancient ship design rumored to be faster than anything currently plying the high seas.

A dashing swashbuckler, Aralos is daring in battle, hearty in celebration, and fearless with the ladies.

Combat

Aralos fights two-weapon style with his rapier and dagger. He likes to wend his way about the battlefield, seeking flanking advantages so that he can use his sneak attack.

Half-elf traits: Half-elves share the following traits.

• Elven Blood: For all effects related to race, a half-elf is considered an elf.
• Immunity to sleep spells and similar magical effects.
• +2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells and effects.
• +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks.
• +1 racial bonus on Listen, Search and Spot checks.

Sneak attack: +3d6.

Combat style: Two-weapon fighting. When wearing light or no armor, Aralos can fight with two weapons as though with the Two-Weapon Fighting feat.

Evasion: When wearing light or no armor and subjected to an attack that deals half damage on a successful Reflex saving throw, Aralos instead takes no damage with a successful save. This ability does not apply if Aralos is helpless (such as if he is unconscious or paralyzed).

Favored enemy: Animals (+2). Against creatures of the selected type(s), a ranger gains the associated bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot and Survival checks. He also adds this bonus to weapon damage rolls.

Trap sense: Aralos gains a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps.

Trapfinding: Only rogues can use the Search skill to find traps when the DC is higher than 20. Only rogues can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A rogue who beats a trap's DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can bypass it (with his party) without disarming it.

Uncanny dodge: Aralos retains his Dexterity bonus to AC even when caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

Possessions

+2 rapier of parrying ¹ (3 lb.), +1 frost dagger (1 lb.), +3 dagger of returning (1 lb.), +1 dagger (5, 5 lb.), +1 frost dart (½ lb.), mithral chain shirt (10 lb.), improved ring of climbing, ring of protection +1, boots of dexterity +2, acid (flask, 3, 3 lb.), alchemist's fire (flask, 3, 3 lb.), smokestick (2, 1 lb.), caltrops (bag) (2 lb.), traveler's outfit.

Bag of holding (I) (15 lb.):

• +1 battle axe (10, 70 lb.), +1 longsword (10, 40 lb.), +1 hand axe (10, 50 lb.), +1 dagger (10, 10 lb.), rapier (3 lb.), dagger (8, 8 lb.), blending armor (20 lb.), +1 leather armor (15 lb.), mithral shirt (10 lb.), ring of affecting auras
• Artifact signet ring (Craftsman of Moradin) (2, 360 gp each)
• Sapphire (3, 1200 gp each), topaz (2, 400 gp each), onyx (80 gp)
• Coin: 1275 gp, 3268 sp (91 lb.)

• Backpack (2 lb.):
  • Bedroll (5 lb.), fish hook, flint & steel, grapple (4 lb.), whetstone (1 lb.)
  • Tube case:
    • Parchment (20 sheets), pen set, ink
  • Coin: 540 gp (11 lb.)

Belt pouch (½ lb.):

• Antitoxin (9, 1 lb.), potion of cure light wounds (10, 1 lb.), potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of cure serious wounds, potion of haste (3), potion of spider climb
• Diamond (4500 gp), sapphire (880 gp), topaz (740 gp), onyx (60 gp)
• Coin: 200 pp, 269 gp, 7 sp, 8 cp (10 lb.)

¹ The parrying quality of Aralos's rapier grants a +1 bonus to AC against a single target in each round of combat. The creature against which the bonus applies is selected by the wielder and may be changed at the start of each new round.

Description

Physical

Aralos is a half-elf and bears the physical characteristics of that race, most notably his long, silver hair and bright green eyes. He stands 5½' tall and has a lean but muscular build.

Aralos usually dresses as a sailor, in loose-fitting shirt and pants. Under the shirt he wears a chain shirt of mithral links that he acquired on his recent adventure to Galenvale. His hair is bound at the nape of the neck with a leather cord and hangs in a ponytail down past his shoulder blades. Aralos carries a rapier at his left side and a dagger at the small of his back. Other daggers are concealed elsewhere about his body.

After years on the sea, Aralos has the smooth, rolling gait of a sailor. He speaks with no discernable accent, though he does tend to pepper his discourse with elvish terms.

Attitude

Aralos is usually pretty easy-going, especially with people who are friendly or at least cooperative. It can take several days to wear through his patience and draw a reaction to insults and offenses.

Personality notes

• Aralos likes to gamble, preferring dice over cards. When his back is against the wall, he's not above cheating a little bit, too.

• He likes to swim. His passion for undersea life once led him to meet merfolk between voyages, and they gradually taught him the language of undersea creatures. Now Aralos enjoys finding sea creatures he can talk with.

• Drinking and gambling are pretty common among sailors, and Aralos is no exception. He doesn't drink enough that he can't find his own bunk at the end of the evening, but he has lost more than he ought to playing dice.

• His experiences in port towns have left him somewhat suspicious of strangers, especially those who have little experience with nonhuman races.

Background

Aralos grew up in Wavetop, a village east of Kingsport. His human father, Deylen, taught him the sea, and his elven mother, Lesciande, taught him the Elvish language and some of their ways. His best friends in his youth were Benn (who became a leatherworker) and his sister Tanni (who became a seamstress).

The sea won Aralos's heart, and he joined a merchant shipping company when he was 19. Most of his career was spent aboard the Golden Dawn, where he became fast friends with Clint. He also had to endure the taunts and abuse of Carlin, a bully and thug who had somehow risen to the rank of second in command. The ship's captain and owner was Captain Treven, a decent man who commanded the respect of his crew.

Aralos left the life of a sailor to walk on dry ground for a while when he was 23, following the death of Captain Treven and Carlin's ascension to acting captain. He went aground in Kingsport, where he met Hilgard and set off in search of Galenvale and a dream of a legendary, ancient vessel that might be found there.

Associations

Aralos is a member of the Venerable Society of Seafaring Commerce, which costs him little and has thus far benefited him less.