Name: Ravenhawk
True Name:
Alignment: Anarchist (Selfish)
Hit Points: 45 S.D.C. (Physical): 54
Attributes: I.Q.: 15, M.E.: 14, M.A.: 13, P.S.: 24 (+9), P.P.: 25 (+5), P.E.: 25 (+20% / +5), P.B.: 18 (40%), SPD: 28
Weight: 148 lbs (67.1 kg) Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.70 meters)
Age: 25 years Race: Human Sex: Female P.P.E.: 10
Disposition:
Ravenhawk is an assassin, someone who killed others for money. Still, to her it is nothing personal. She is simply paid to deal with a target and deals with that person. Many assassins have hate curdled deep inside them and enjoy killing but she does not. The assassin does not get any particular pleasure from killing except for being a job completed and the gold she gets in return for killing her target. Of course if her "client" does not pay her for services rendered, they will be her next target. It is still nothing personal but she cannot afford for one to get the idea that they don't have to pay her. She usually requires half payment when she accepts a mission and half on completion. Her favorite weapon is the composite short bow, preferring to kill at range whenever possible. She is an incredible shot with her bow. Also, just because she is primarily an assassin does not mean that she will only perform that role. She will act as a thief as well as a body guard if the gold is deep enough. Information gathering is yet another job. Finally, she also has done some adventuring in places of ruins and other places.
In no way should she be considered "good" and she will do whatever she needs to complete a job. Those are the terms she prefers, not using the term "killing" but instead preferring to use the terms "job" and "target" keeping it antiseptic. Lying, betrayal, cheating, and stealing are part of her tools and she does not really have a word of honor although she does everything she can reasonably to keep her contracts. After all, her reputation is much of what allows her to charge what she does, which is quite steep. Priests, psychics, and practitioners of magic cost even more. Her life is more important than completing a job and has abandoned impossible targets in the past. While she considers it mildly distasteful, she will use torture when needed.
She keeps her personal side and her professional side completely separate. When on an assassination, she wears all black and disguises her appearance. The same goes for if she meets with a client to arrange terms. In public settings, she goes with a disguise which she has several effective ones. Her personality appears colorless when in her assassin role. When not acting in the role of an assassin, she acts quite differently, acting very vivacious and cheerful. There are some warning signs such as a darkness in her eyes but few notice that. She also dresses in fairly gaudy cloths and poses as the daughter or wife of a wealthy merchant to explain her money. She uses different names when not on a mission although always uses "Ravenhawk" as her assassin persona. If things get too hot, she simply moves to another city, avoiding cities with powerful assassin's guilds. If she is in a city with a strong guild, she tried to stay on good terms with them. In some cases when adventuring, she will pose as herself and state that she is a ranger which her skills in those areas are able to convince most.
O.C.C.: Assassin Experience Level: Fourth (4) Experience Points: 10,000
Combat Skill: Hand to Hand; Assassin and Boxing
Attacks per Melee: Seven (7)
Bonuses, Combat: Critical Strike: Natural 20 Knock Out: Natural 20 Bonuses: Damage: +13, Strike: +7, Parry: +7, Dodge +7, Disarm +4, Initiative: +1, Roll: +8, Pull Punch: +3.
Bonus; Save: Lethal Poison [14] +5, Non-Lethal Poison [16] +5, Harmful Drugs [15] +5, Insanity [12] +0, Psionics [15] +1, Magic [12] +6, Horror Factor +6
Special Abilities: +1 attack/action per melee round, +4 to save vs horror factor, +1 on initiative, and +2 to pull punch.
O. C. C. Skills: Espionage: Detect Concealment & Traps (+10%) 50%, Track Humanoids (+10%) 50%, Physical: Hand to Hand: Assassin, Climb/Scale Walls (+10%) 65% / 60%, Rogue: Concealment (+14%) 46%, Pick Locks (+15%) 60%, Prowl (+10%) 50%, Science: Math - Basic (+20%) 80%, Scholar/Technical: Languages: Eastern [Native] 98%, Language: Elven (+15%) 70%, Language: Western (+15%) 70%, Weapon Proficiencies: Archery - Short Bow (Attacks: 4, +2 [+10] Strike , +1 [+8] Parry), Knife / Dagger (+2 [+9] Strike, +2 [+11] Throw, +2 [+9] Parry), Sword (+2 [+9] Strike, +1 [+10] Throw, +2 [+9] Parry), Targeting / Missile Weapons (+2 [+9] Throw, +1 [+10] Strike with bow)
O. C. C. Related Skills: Espionage: Disguise (+15%) 55%, Escape Artist (+10%) 50%, Medical: First Aid 45%, Physical: Acrobatics, Boxing, Scholar/Technical: Language: Western [Gained at Third level] (+15%) 60%, Literacy: Eastern (+15%) 60%, Literacy: Elven (+15%) 60%, Wilderness: Land Navigation 42%, Wilderness Survival 45%.
Secondary Skills: Physical: Athletics (General), Running [Gained at Fourth Level], Swimming [Gained at Fourth Level] 40%, Weapon Proficiencies: Paired Weapons - Sword and Dagger
Background (Thief / Assassin) Skills: Espionage: Intelligence (+4%) 46% Physical: Gymnastics, Rogue: Pick Pockets (+5%), 50%, Streetwise (+4%) 36%.
Skills From Acrobatics and Gymnastics: Sense of Balance 55%, Work parallel bars & rings 39%, Walk tightrope or high wire 39%, Back Flip 55%
Appearance:
Ravenhawk is not extremely tall but is just above average for a woman. Her build, even though she is extremely strong, is more that of a gymnast than a body builder. She is slender and extremely athletic, lithe might be a good term to use when describing her. She has grey eyes, the color of cloudy skies. She is quite attractive with a slender nose and wide but not too wide lips. Her natural hair color is a brown but she dyes it so it has reddish highlights. She keeps her hair fairly short, just a little bit below her neck. When in her assassin "persona", she usually wears a black wig which is slightly fuller and longer than her natural hair. While she wears a bit of makeup when in her "assassin" persona and in her "normal" persona, the styles are so different as to make her look like two different people. When in her "assassin" persona, her eyes are extremely dark highlighted with blue or purple highlights. Her lips are dyed a bright red. When in her "normal" persona, she only has the lightest of highlighting around her eyes and adds rouge to her cheeks along with much less highlighting to her lips.
On a mission, she dresses in black clothing with a black hood and black mask covering her mouth with only her eyes left uncovered. She usually wears a set of black leather armor along with black leather gloves and black leather boots. A black cloak completes this costume. Even her weapons are black with her arrows having black shafts and feathers. When meeting with a client but not in her mission clothing, she will usually wear extremely dark clothing, either black or grey. She has been known to even pose a female monk in a dark robe. When in her "normal" persona, she will look at what the wealthy merchant classes family wears and usually chooses bright colors. Sometimes she will chose clothing which is "Out of Date" to make it look like she is from the countryside but she has a keen understanding of fashion.
Magical Weapons:
Enchanted Elven Composite Short Bow: Weight: 1.8 lbs (0.8 kg) Length: 3.3 feet (1 m)
Black Short Bow is enchanted so it adjusts to the strength of the archer using the bow. In her hands, it has the bonuses of a strength of 24 (+9 to damage). The bow has +2 [+12] to strike due to high quality Elven construction. Enchantments: Additional Damage (1D6) and Indestructible, Damage: 3D6+13 (Including Strength / Skill), Maximum Possible Range: 1,800 feet (550 meters)
Non-Magical Weapons of Note:
Black Kindjal: Weight: 1.1 lbs (0.5 kg) Length: 1.6 feet (0.5 m)
Black blade and hilt. It is of the highest quality by Dwarven construction; +4 to Damage, +2 [+13] to strike when thrown, +2 [+11] to strike, +2 [+11] to Parry, and +2 [+3] to initiative. Large straight double bladed dagger, Durability is 80. Damage: 1D8+6 (1D8 + 19 Including Strength / Skill)
Black Sabre: Weight: 2.9 lbs (1.3 kg) Length: 2.3 feet (0.7 m)
Black blade and hilt. It is of the highest quality by Dwarven construction; +4 to Damage, +2 [+11] to strike, +2 [+11] to Parry, and +2 [+3] to initiative. Durability: 95. Single Bladed Curved Sword. She normally wears the sword on her left side. Damage: 2D6+17 (Including Strength / Skill)
4 Black Stiletto Throwing Knives: Weight: 0.6 lbs (0.3 kg) each Length: 1 foot (.3 meters)
Black blades and hilts. Two strapped behind her belt and one in each boot. Daggers are highest quality human construction; +2 [+13] to strike when thrown, +1 [+10] to Strike, and +2 [+3] to initiative from construction. Normal Durability is 90. Damage: 1D6 (1D6+13 Including Strength / Skill)
Arrows:
64 Black Elven Quality Arrows (+3 Strike [+15] and +3 [+16] to Damage) - 48 Normal, 16 Silver Tipped.
64 Black Normal Quality Arrows
Magical Armor:
Leather of Iron (Soft Leather): Weight: 1 Oz. AR: 15 SDC 300 (regenerates at 4D6 S.D.C. per day), Enchantments: Noiseless, Regenerates Damage (Lesser), and Weightless.
Other Equipment:
Magical Items:
Amulet of Charm: Adds +1 to save vs magic and psychic attacks.
Amulet of Protection vs the Supernatural: Add +2 to save vs Horror Factor.
Amulet of See the Invisible: Enables the wearer to see the invisible.
Amulet of Warning: Makes a low hum when there is danger, gives +1 to initiative when this occurs (generally defensive only.)
Aura of Non-Scent (4 ounces): This is a fluid applied as a spray, much like perfume (one ounce is good for five doses). It completely masks one's scent, which can be particularly handy in the wilderness or when infiltrating Wolfen territory. Duration: Approximately 20 minutes.
2 Belt Pouches with "Dimensional Pocket": Will hold up to 30 lbs worth of items each. Made permanent with permanency runes.
Boots of Mystery: Wearer leaves no tracks and has +5% to prowl skills. Wearer of boots can be tracked by smell but is at -20% to do so.
Bottomless Quiver: Stores up to 128 Arrows. The top layer of arrows are standard arrows of Elven manufacture.
Cloak of Guises: It is a full length cloak that will turn into any set of clothing limited only in the color. In color, it can only change through different shades within the same color. Since this one is red it can turn anywhere from light red (pink) to extremely dark red.
Cloak of Shadows: Hooded Cloak with 4 pockets with "Dimensional Pocket" with permanency runes (30 lbs each). The wearer is difficult to see in shadow, but even in lighted area the character moves silently and unobtrusively like a shadow; +20% to prowl.
Ring of "Heal Self:" Ring can be activated up to three times in a day and works as per the Seventh level wizard spell "Heal Self." Restores 3D6 hot points or S.D.C. to wearer.
Ring of Invisibility: Can turn wearer invisible for a maximum of Three times of 10 minutes each day. Treat as invisibility simple.
Normal:
Clothing: Black Tunic and Leggings (2 suits), Black Leather Gloves, Black Scarf, Black Leather Belt, Grey Tunic, Grey Vest, Grey Leggings, Monk Style Robes, and several additional Dresses and Gown in a variety of more bright colors.
Containers: Leather Bow Case, Leather Kindjal Scabbard, Leather Sabre Scabbard, 4 Leather Throwing Knife Sheaths, Waterskin,
Field Equipment: 100 feet (30.4 meters) of Silk Climbing Rope, Grappling Hook, Climbing Equipment, Lock Picking Tools, 4 Iron Spikes, Small Hammer, Bed Roll, Pocket Mirror.
Lighting: Tinder Box.
Writing Equipment: 10 sheets of Parchment, 4 Quill Pens, 6 oz ink.
Food Supplies: 2 weeks Trail Rations
Miscellaneous: Birth Herbs, Cosmetics and Feminine Items, Perfume, Silver Comb, Soap.
Jewelry, Gems, and Valuables: 120,000 Gold, 1.2 million gold in Gem, Jewelry, and other Trade Goods,

Ravenhawk's History:

Ravenhawk has no idea who her father was and her mother never talked about her father. A strong possibility is that it was a single night and the man was never seen again. Living in the Eastern Territories, her mother was a skilled assassin. Like most assassins, she was a member of the Thantos guild. As well as assassinations, she did a bit of branching out including theft. Even more than her daughter, she was extremely attractive and used that to get into the houses of nobles and wealthy merchants. She would later plunder the houses.

As her daughter got older, Uverna was trained by her mother in the same profession. Uverna was taught that there was nothing personal in the job and to treat the job completely professionally. The way many assassins get caught is due to enjoying their work to much. Part of that was to treat the job antiseptically using the terms of "target" and "job" and not to consider the target in any personal sense. She was also taught to trust no one other than yourself including the guild. The young girl took most of her mother's lessons to heart including an unintended lesson. That was that ultimately she could trust no one, even her own mother.

Even so, there were wide differences in how the two perceived their profession. While her mother liked to use a poisoned dagger up close, Uverna from an early age preferred dealing with her targets at longer range. She seemed to have a special skill with the bow. A couple of arrows in the dark and then disappearing. Usually you were already a couple of steps ahead when you made your escape. While quite attractive, Uverna never had the silver tongue which her mother did so her tactics would never really work for her.

Her first assassination was a lesser noble who made many enemies. Her mother was unable to get close to him because he did not have the vices which many of the nobles were known for. His body guards were also excellent at protecting him although there was an important hole in their defenses. They expected a close attack on the man who they were protecting but she took him down with a pair of arrows from a tower which they had not bothered to check. Slowly, she began to build a reputation.

Uverna's mother took much of the gold which her daughter earned as payment for the training, leaving only a fraction of what the girl earned. As might be expected, the daughter was extremely resentful and soon decided to break off on her own although she kept ties with the Thantos guild. As she did not take what her mother did personally, she likely would have done the same thing is she had been in the same position, Uverna decided to simply disappear. Gathering up her gear and what gold and gems she could steal, she was gone before her mother noticed. Uverna takes very little in life personally just like she never treats her targets personally.

She set herself in a new city, separating her assassin and normal personas. Her non-assassin persona was called Violette and she claimed to be the daughter of a wealthy merchant sent to the city to get a better education, maybe to find a suitable husband as well. She had taken enough in gold and gems from her mother to support herself in this life style for a while and saw the money as hers anyway. The name she used as an assassin was called "Ravenhawk" and she used a black wig and heavy makeup to disguise herself. It took a while but she was able to slowly build up a reputation as an extremely skilled assassin and began to be able to command higher and higher fees. Periodically, when it seemed that things were getting hot, she would travel to a new city ranging down to the Timero Kingdom and north almost to the border with the Wolfen Empire. While she would periodically change the name she went buy when not operating as an assassin, the name Ravenhawk was always used.

She used some of the gold to purchase better weapons and eventually to buy some magic items. These magic items were purchased with improving her stealth and means of assassination. Because she specialized in the bow, she made a magical bow one of her most important first purchases. A set of boots of mystery, a cloak of shadows, and a ring of invisibility were also important early purchases because they let her basically just disappear into the darkness with not even any tracks to follow. Some items, such as a magic sword, were never particularly important to her.

One of the jobs she performed was for powerful practitioner of magic who was both a wizard and a ward master. He had an enemy who he had quietly hated for years. His enemy was well protected against magic and had wards to prevent an assassin from attacking him directly. He was not protected from arrows in the dark. She had him pay her by creating several items instead of the usual payment in gold. These included several amulets as well as creating several permanent dimensional pockets for her.

Ravenhawk was never one to depend on just one means of income. Intermixed with assassinations, she would also take occasional jobs protecting people from other assassin if the pay was right. She always avoided going against the Thantos and would only go again independent assassins. Her success was such that many assassins would chose another target instead of going against her. Occasionally, she would make a lucrative theft although not a primary area of interest. As well, she would sell intelligence from time to time even selling information about her employers from time to time if the price was right and she thought she could get away with it.

From time to time, she would decide to wander and she spends a bit of time adventuring as a result, learning new skills and polishing others which she otherwise would have become rusty at. While adventuring, she managed to discover some minor treasures although never discovering anything really major. There is still hope in her heart to eventually discover something really spectacular such as a rune bow which she has heard legends of. Her skills, which she usually poses as a ranger, were significantly valuable to adventuring groups and few questions were asked. Unlike some assassins, she is not a sociopath or psychopath and can get along well socially with others. The groups she has been with have made several forays into the Old Kingdom and she has had several close escapes. Of course she valued her hide more than any of her companions so disappearing if the group was ambushed might be regrettable but less so than losing your own head.

Eventually, she caught passage in a ship to the Western Empire because she had often heard that assassins were better payed there. She found out that the intrigue practiced in the Eastern Territory was nothing compared to what was practiced in many of the cities withing the Western Empire. In some cases, assassins could demand higher fees but in many cases the danger was much greater. There were also even more powerful practitioners of magic and she had learned early on about the dangers involved in dealing with them. There are advantages and disadvantages to both place so she has decided to work both nations going back and forth periodically. It also helps to prevent any one area from becoming too "hot" for her.

[Federation of Magic TM, Adventures on the High Seas TM, and Woomwood are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]

[Palladium Fantasy®, Rifts®, and Nightbane® are registered trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.]

Image drawn and copyrighted by "Ultamisia".
More "Ultamisia" artwork at DeviantArt

By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

Copyright © 2008, Kitsune. All rights reserved.