Darien Avan

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Anuire » Avanil » Darien Avan

Arms of Darien

Male Anuirean Noble 7/Fighter 2; CR 9
Prince of Avanil
Lineage of Royalty
Great Bloodline of Anduiras, 70
LN Medium Humanoid (human)

VP/WP 70/13
Init +4; Senses: Listen +1 Spot +1
Languages Anuirean

AC 26, 21 flatfooted, 23 touch
Fort +5 Ref +5, Will +6

Speed 30 ft
Melee +8/+9/+3 Scalebiter (1d8 +4) and Heartseaker (1d6+5)
Mounted +11/+6 Scalebiter (1d8 +4)
Ranged +10/+5 by weapon
Base Atk +6/+1; Grp +8/+3

Abilities Str 15 Dex 18 Con 13 Int 16 Wis 12 Cha 17
Feats: Two-Weapon Fighting, Two Weapon Defense, Combat Expertise, Mounted Combat, Negotiator, Aura of Authority, Master Administrator, Master Diplomat
Skills: Administrate +15, Appraise +8, Bluff +9, Climb +4, Diplomacy +26, Handle Animal +6, Intimidate +18, Jump +4, Knowledge (Nature) +5, Knowledge (Nobility) +15, Leadership +11, Perform (Etiquette) +14, Ride +13, Sense Motive +8, Survival +6, Swim +4, Warcraft +8
Special Qualities: Rank, Title, Education, Animal Affinity (major), Bloodmark (dragon birthmark on face), Persuasion (major), Elemental Control (great), Regeneration (great), Noble Strategies Ambitious and Architect
Description: With dirty blonde hair, a regal bearing in spite of his ectothermic form; Prince Darien Avan has a strong extroverted, sensing, thinking, and judging personality.
Possessions: Scalebiter a longsword of legacy, Heartseeker a shortsword +3, elven chain +4

Royal Upbringing Royals are trained from a young age in the arts of leadership and manipulation. However, you rarely perform any real work. Royals receive a +2 Charisma but suffer a -2 Strength. This is included above.
Voice of Command Darien receives a +2 lineage bonus to Intimidate.
Magnificence A royal possesses the greatness to inspire awe in their followers. Darien recieves a +2 to his Leadership score and gains a reputation for fairness and generosity, though this reputation can be lost in play.
Rank Darien has the right to a unique set of arms (a gold two-headed eagle on a field of red), he is also the soveriegn ruler of a state and is a law unto himself.
Title Darien Avan is universally recognized as Prince of Avanil
Education Darien receives a +7 class bonus to Knowledge (Nobility) and Perform (Etiquette) checks. Two-Weapon Fighting The house of Avan has long prefered this combat style because of the specific heirloom weapons it posseses.
Two-Weapon Defense +1 shield bonus to AC, or +2 when fighting defensivly or using the total defense action. Darien normally fights defensivly
Combat Expertise Darien may take an attack penalty in exchange for a dodge bonus to his AC.
Mounted Combat Darien is a capable horseman.
Ambitious Darien is always on the lookout for leaders of organizations, and rulers of domains to augment his power. Whenever Darien persuades the leader of an organization, domain, or realm to take an action that wins him power he recieves a gain of regency comensorate with the power gained.
Negotiator Darien receives a +2 bonus on all Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks.
Aura of Authority Darien recieves a +2 reaction bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Leadership, checks when speaking directly to five or more people. He also recieves this bonus when recuiting lieutenants, cohorts, and followers. (these are not included above)
Master Administrator Darien recieves a +2 bonus on any Administrate skill checks and to domain-level actions that receive a potential synergy bonus from Administrate.
Architect Darien has plans to win the Iron Throne. When he persuades the leader of an organization, domain, or realm to take an action that moves him toward his goal he receives a gain of regency comensorate with the action taken. Every action taken to move Darien closer to the Iron Throne also increases his power, so stacks with his Ambitious noble strategy, unless it involves a substantial trade off, such as giving all of his holdings in Tuornen to the duchess in exchange for her formal declaration of support for his claim. Such a trade off would not increase Darien’s power, but would move him closer to his goal.
Master Diplomat Darien recives a +2 bonus on any Diplomacy checks and to domain-level actions that receive a potential synergy bonus from the Diplomacy.

Darien Avan. Copyright 1995-2007 by Wizards of the Coast.

Typical Dialogue:
“Send word to Harald that I shall back him against Innis. If our cousin Boeruine intends to provoke us over sources, we are ready to thwart him. In the meantime, muster a company of archers in Bayside and a company of pikemen in Vanilen.”
“I send this gift of filigree brooch to Her Grace, Ambassador. We regard our friendship with our cousin Laela as dear to us, and she can count on our sheriffs in pursuit of the scoundrel Baubb.”
“Go hither unto our cousin Carilon and warn him thusly, that our holdings are not to suffer in the least in Tuornen, or we shall be compelled to protect them ourselves. On the contrary, should he recognize our rights in Almsreft, it would do much to assuage our concern for his recent aggression.”

Battle Tactics: Darien Avan will generally fight defensivly using the Combat Expertice feat since he is so valuable a target. He allows his comrades to flank his opponants and to score damage while he used the Aid Another option instead of attacking. He does not squander his vitality in combat, and so only attacks normally if he greatly outlclases his opponants. By fighting defensivly, his recieves and additional +1 shield bonus from the two weapon defensive feat. Because of this shield bonus, he is generally tempted to always exchange at least a +1 attack bonus for a +1 AC bonus and get the +1 shield AC bonus as well.

A note on Darien's elven chain mail. No doubt this is the booty taken long ago from a great Sidhe commander, and Darien's possession and use of this armor must gaul the Manslayer.

Darien Avan. Copyright 1995-2007 by Wizards of the Coast.

[edit] Biography:

After the defeat of Sethien Avan, the Land chose Prince Darien's father: Veladin Avan, to be the Prince of Avan. Veladin Avan, the so called "Sword Prince" built a strong legacy for his own son. He seccured his eastern border and increased the influence of Avanil in Diemed, mostly through his marriage to Catherine Diem, Darien's mother. “The Sword Prince,” took advantage of Boeruine’s long running decline by securing the allegiance of Brosengae. The Sword Prince’s armies battled across Anuire, helping to repulse a Gorgonic attack in Mhoried, inflicting crippling losses on the pirates in the Straits of Aerele, repelling an emboldened Rhuobhe Manslayer and participating in Taeghas’ numerous succession wars. It was during these succession wars that Boeruinean and Avanese armies clashed, resulting in the death of the Archduke, the Lord Borric Boeruine. The Archduke’s death marked the end of a long period of Boeruinean influence in Taeghas.

Raised within sight of the City of Anuire, Darien has believed all his life that he would one day reunite the shattered Empire. His father sent him to study in Mhoried, where he became adept at swordplay; in Ghoere, where he mastered military strategy; and in Coeranys, where he learned to use politics and manipulate people.

When Veladan died in 526 MR, he left behind a powerful realm that was stronger than it had ever been before. The Sword Prince’s eldest son, Darien, ascended the throne and continued to build on his father’s achievements and make them his own. Avanese influence expanded into Tuornen and masses of nobles in Taeghas and Brosengae began to defect to the Avanese cause, believing that it would bring them closer to someone who seemed destined to take the Iron Throne. In the last 25 years, Darien has managed to secure the loyalties of Brosengae and Taeghas as vassals and has all but taken over the rulership of Taeghas. Though he inherited much from his father, Darien has amassed a greater portion of wealth and power than any though possible.

Now in his middle years, Avan at last has his dream within sight. Though he dares not take the City of Anuire by force, he already has some control over it. His armies remain poised to attack Boeruine or defend against it and nearly all the common folk support him; Avan courts them as shamelessly as their regents. This smooth and charismatic man can win enemies over with just a word or two. And if he fails to win them that way, he can make them simply disappear. Of course, these stories might just be rumors invented to discredit Avan, and they might not be.

Possessing dirty-blonde hair like all Avans, Darien is strikingly handsome for a man in his late forties. The streaks of grey in his hair have done nothing to detract from his latent charisma and way with people. His blood abilities only serve to increase his natural abilities. The most remarkable feature of Darien’s physical appearance is the dragon birthmark that runs up the left side of his neck and face, a trait common to all Avans.

At twenty one, Prince Darien did take a wife. The Lady Laera Avan, who was the last scion of the Rowanael family. Their daughter is Aubrae Avan. The Prince loved her.

With his one and only love, Prince Avan soared to greatness. Today, Darien Avan lords over the most powerful realm in Anuire and seems poised to ascend the Iron Throne, finally achieving the dream of the Avan dynasty. And the rest, as they say, is history.