Adonia Merlo; Counter of Waukeen

[Syracuse]

First Name: Adonia

Last Name: Merlo


Appearance:Dark skinned, Adonia is a heavy girl. While no means 'fat', she is not exactly thin or spindly. Her features are naturally pretty, though she does spend a bit in what cosmetics the world has to offer to truly accentuate them. She is a woman with a dash of vanity to appear more feminine and tempting, as these things typically aid her negotiation skills, favoring bright colors. She can often be found smiling, or in the very least looking plotting when one observes her brow, constantly considering her money and her next move.


Race: Amnian; Athkatla born. Her skin tone suggests at least some mixed heritage of the several cultures present in Amnian society.


Age: 25


Height: 5'8"


Weight: 155 lps


Eyes: Brown


Hair: Chestnut Brown


Facial Hair Style: Smooth as a baby's behind


Personality Profile: Adonia is, at her very core, a woman of Waukeen. No one's coin to be turned away, nor offer to be dismissed lightly, she is prone to shrewd negotiation tactics and with a eye for both quality, and lack thereof, unafraid to point these things out during her appraisals.

Adonia is only racist so far as her expectations of certain creatures. While she would for instance, parlay with a drow to arrange trade negotiations, doing so without a elite pair of guardsmen is simply foolish. What Adonia is, primarily, is a nationalist.

Athkatla is the shining jewel of civil society, in her mind. While not so simple as to openly throw her arms open to Banites and welcome them as her neighbors, as any true Waukeenar she will not deny them their rights so long as they pay their dues to the government to preach, and keep things civil. Her expectations of 'the North' by and large are the same one of Baldur's Gate may expect of the Uthgardt -- to be simpletons in need of guidance at the best of times, and 'kobolds' trying to test her patience constantly the next moment with their idiocy.

Generally speaking, Adonia has no time what so ever for pursuits outside of her quest to restore trade between the North and Amn. Despite her views of them, she truly believes in the blessings of Waukeen, and does actually care about the people she meets even if her vision of them is skewed from living in Athkatla. She wants all to benefit beneath Waukeen's glory, and is already beginning to warm up to a select few Northerners. Her plans to restore trade are born of this desire to elevate them as a society to a new golden era of prospertiy to enjoy, and share with the world by and large.


General Health: Adonia is a heavy set woman, possessed of a large appetite from constant feasts in service to Waukeen, and of a healthy nature thanks to this.


Deity: Waukeen


Initial Alignment: True Neutral


Profession: Cleric of Waukeen


Base Class & Proposed Development: Cleric base

Proposed Path, Master Alchemist, Hierophant, Bard, Cleric


Habits/Hobbies: Adonia 'steeples' her fingers together when negotiating, and never seems to swear. She will, however, cant her head left or right, twitching at the brow when a Northerner insults her or insults her deity whether unknowingly or not. She can be patronizing without really realizing it.


Languages: Common, Celestial, Chondathan, Thorass


Weapon of Choice: A simple club, reinforced by steel.


Background: Born within Athkatla to a wealthy merchant house, it seems that Adonia was always destined to become a priestess. Even as a child, she was prone to trading her own toys in favor of new ones with visitors and friends. A fair and honest girl, she never made a trade that didn't see the other person happy as well as herself to come about some new toy, bauble, or even candies.

Her father and mother were positive motivating elements in her life. Recognizing her qualities, they were quick to grant her a fine education, and a early beginning with the priestdom of Waukeen at the age of 12. There, she learned advanced mathematics and the life of not only a merchant, but one on a divine quest to expand trade liberally.

By the age of 20, she was seeing foreign lands as part of Amnian diplomatic envoys. Consecrating business deals abroad, and offering her 'fore-sight' into deals as they were being negotiated. Though she only ever signed under the signature of 'witness', her role was plainly adored.

This was all, as it is for many adventurers, to come to a unfortunate end.

Adonia still isn't certain the reason why it all happened. Attending to the large, ornate temple of her goddess, she was told of her father and mother's demise. No one knew what happened. A trade vessel they boarded simply blew up to smithereens, seemingly a accident involving the ship's cargo which included a single crate of alchemist's fire in the hull.

This explanation made no sense, and by way of divination, a augury spell, Adonia sought answers to her own life from the goddess Waukeen. Though hardly a expert in the spell, it was clear that her fate was to be sealed if she remained in Athkatla, as a bottle of red ink spilled across her ledgers. Seeping thick, and bloody red, into the parchment.

She was gone within the hour. Terrified and with no explanation to her fellow members of the cloth, other than a simple plea that she must flee the temple. Her very 'unmodest' wardrobe was left behind her, nearly everything of value she had collected abandoned for fear that lingering in the city may spell her death.

She can't be certain how narrow her escape was. Only that it was entirely necessary to get as far away from Athkatla, immediately, as she could. Bartering with a trader in the docks for the shortest time to buy passage out, and soon atop a leaking, and ill-guarded vessel buond for the North.

Of course the tiny ship did not go unnoticed. And soon pirates boarded the vessel, as Adonia's ship captain neglected to mention the hold was filled to the brim with sapphires. And neglected to mention he ahd been exceptionally loud in proclaiming his luck acquiring them. And had done so in all the wrong places, just before his trip to the North to barter them off in a underwhelming market that desperately sought riches.

Every last sapphire was stolen. The Captain, on hands and knees, bleeding out just before Adonia. Born to a life of wealth, and with the constant protection of both temple guardians and the military might of Amn about nearly every corner, Adonia feared for her own life as the pirates turned onto her extreme finery and figure with their own plots for her future.

Negotiations for her 'fee' commenced. And though her finery was stolen from her, she managed to seal a deal with the pirates to safely let her off at the next port... the port of Baldur's Gate. Tired. Frustrated. With little money to her name. Adonia rowed herself with a final pant and screaming pain in her arms into port, coming to shore and spitting right into the leaking bucket that managed to get her to safety before abruptly sinking into the waves. It was time for her to begin her life anew... and to begin collecting information on these Northern Barbarians.


Goals: Adonia, first and foremost, shall be and always will be a priestess of Waukeen. And though her coming to Baldur's Gate is a tale of paradise lost, she believes it is at least partly born of the state of the city; the divine call of Waukeen. Never before had she been so wholly exposed to another culture, always having a guard previously standing between her and the clawing hands of the 'ore of the earth'.

Though disgusted by the culture of barbarians, she was not entirely unmoved by their plight. It was clear from the moment she stepped forward that something was dreadfully wrong, and though Athkatlan upbringing saw her modestly despising these people... she couldn't help but cement the fact that the North required the teachings, and blessings of Waukeen, to bring them forward to the Golden Age. She steadily moves forward to establishing herself as the local cleric of trade.


Possible Plot-Hook Ideas and Misc Facts:
Not without my turban: Amidst Adonia's plentiful belongings that were stolen from her, perhaps two bear the most sentimental value. One being her old turban, and the other being a massive, gold coin granted to her in service of Waukeen that hung from her old robes to demonstrate her capacity as cleric. The turban, a gift from her now departed father and mother, being of a bold red color and made of fine silk. Embroidered about the hem in actual gold, with small gold coins that swayed lightly.

If Adonia should ever find these items of hers again, she will do almost anything to recover them. Not limited to killing the pirates whom stole them, or negotiating a tenday with any merchant that comes to possess them.


No one crosses the the Shadow Thieves, and lives: Adonia has no idea what the circumstances behind her parents death are. Nor how one crate of alchemist's fire managed to turn a entire galleon into little more than driftwood. Could it be that the Shadow Thieves are real?

Adonia doesn't believe so. Hells, she hasn't even heard of them. But what if Adonia's father managed to cross the wrong merchant? Did her family possess something of so much worth to them, that their assassination was planned by these agents of legend? And what does it have to do with Adonia?

One thing is for certain. She's a loose end that could come looking for them, if they don't come looking for her, first.


Educating Barbarians: Adonia's primary goal, at this time, is to reestablish trade between Amn, and Baldur's Gate, to see both prosperous. She is slowly learning what it will take to secure more appropriate shipments and land routes for those merchants that can not afford to purchase a galleon on a whim to send massive shipments abroad.

However, she can't deny that the people of the North are absolutely ignorant. Having been hailed as everything from a con-man, to a heartless soldier of fortune, it's painfully evident that few understand the ways of Waukeenar, and require education to demonstrate the lady's fortune is not just for the enthusiastic merchant -- but indeed, a call to charity as well. After-all, a merchant is meaningless in lands where no one has money to purchase his wares.

((Previously approved in PMs by DM team.))

((Updated to resolve minor PC knowledge.))