Darien Avan

The D&D 4e Statblock goes here.

Pathfinder Statistics will replace the 3.5e statistics below.

Male Anuirean Noble 7/Fighter 2; CR 9

Prince of Avanil

Lineage of Royalty

Great Bloodline of Anduiras, 70

LN Medium Humanoid (human)

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VP/WP 70/13

Init +4; Senses: Listen +1 Spot +1

Languages Anuirean

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AC 26, 21 flatfooted, 23 touch

Fort +5 Ref +5, Will +6

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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

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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 blond hair, a regal bearing in spite of his slim frame; Prince Darien Avan has a strong extroverted, sensing, thinking, and judging personality.

Possessions: Scalebiter longsword of legacy, Heartseeker 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 receives 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 sovereign 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 preferred this combat style because of the specific heirloom weapons it possesses.

Two-Weapon Defense +1 shield bonus to AC, or +2 when fighting defensively or using the total defense action. Darien normally fights defensively

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 receives a gain of regency commensurate with the power gained.

Negotiator Darien receives a +2 bonus on all Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks.

Aura of Authority Darien receives a +2 reaction bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Leadership, checks when speaking directly to five or more people. He also receives this bonus when recruiting lieutenants, cohorts, and followers. (these are not included above)

Master Administrator Darien receives 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 commensurate 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 receives a +2 bonus on any Diplomacy checks and to domain-level actions that receive a potential synergy bonus from the Diplomacy.


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 defensively using the Combat Expertise feat since he is so valuable a target. He allows his comrades to flank his opponents 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 outclasses his opponents. By fighting defensively, his receives an 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 by a human must greatly gall the Manslayer.

Darien Avan is the Prince of Avanil. He is the son of Veladin Avan and Catherine Diem. He is married to Laera Rowanael. Their children are Dorien Avan, Aubrae Avan, Julien Avan, Alodia Avan, and Elvina Avan.
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 secured 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 an attack by the Gorgon on 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-blond 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 Rowanael, who was the last direct scion of the Rowanael family. The Prince loved her immensely and overcame some question in his court which advocated a match chosen for her diplomatic value rather than strengthening ties within the realm. With his one and only love by his side, 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.