A very D&D interpretation of Hello Kitty (Pathfinder 1st edition)

My sweety Sumiko Saulson, award-winning horror and Afrosurrealist author, is a huge Hello Kitty fan.  This D&D interpretation of the Japanese icon is dedicated to hir and hir friend Hobbit :-D  It will serve as the initial seed of a new campaign setting for me ~ well, two new campaign settings, actually.  The world of Sanri Pyefwan, which this post is about, will be a Pathfinder 1st edition setting, while Sanri Phaivii will translate these characters and other things into a D&D 5th edition setting.  This will let me explore the different genre assumptions and inspirations for each of these wonderful games.

As always, thank you to my patrons Jaina Bee, Ferny, Casey, Dave, and Darius.  They and my other patrons saw this post a week early ~ if you would like to support my writing and my streaming (and join them in seeing all of my blog posts before anyone else), you can do so on my Patreon ~ even $1/month helps a tremendous amount!

Haroktii Howait zep Djodj tep Mari zep Anshni tep Magret
Birthday:  The First Day of the First Decan of the Third Month of Low Water
Place of Birth:  The capitol Chowa Ta ("Harmonious City")
Gender:  Female
Race:  Gijinkh catfolk (stats below)
Residence:  Sanri Puro Ta ("World Palace City")
Height:  Five apples
Weight:  Three apples
Age:  46 years old
Quote:  "Mishru can never have too many friends!"
Siblings:  Mimyi Howait (twin sister; ancestors witch (tatterdemalion) 12/Charm (Love) and Community (Family) cleric 8)
Spouses:  Diadani Sutaa (gijinkh catfolk bard 6/investigator 3/expert jeweler 2) and Mai Merod (quwi kitsune woodlands witch (gingerbread witch) 16/bard 4)
Companions:  Kath (quwi kitsune), Djib (deep one hybrid), Fif (oicentaur), Djodi (rougarou), Djowi (penu ratfolk), Djud (penu ratfolk), Mori (mole goblin), Rori (akher ratfolk), Tamas (coldborn werekin), Tim and Tami (vanaras), Tipi (coldborn werekin), Takhshii Djamu (batrikh tengu), Zesi (raikhma kitsune)
Pets:  Djamii Khit (raiju), Shugaa (hamster), Taini Djam (embalming bear)
Enemies:  Queen Inuhakh of Shyama Ta (shyama catfolk), Hiku (witchwolf werekin), Fankhur (shyama catfolk)
Appearance (as always, I lack any sort of visual arts skill, so I put forth two pictures to blend together to envision Haroktii)

Harokti Howait, a female gijinkh catfolk, wears the ancestral red bow known as Beru shen Hap-Ered ("Hair-Bow of the River-Child") on her left ear as the Koushye ("The Great House") who rules the land of Mishru.  Cute, bright, sweet, kind-hearted, tomboyishly beautiful girl and very close to her twin sister Mimyi, Harokti's rulership has spread the influence of Mishru throughout all the world, affecting the art, writing, cuisine, theatre, clothing, bodywork, and technology of many realms.  A small but widespread cult has even sprung up scattered amongst many countries, hailing her as a new goddess, the prophesied Ras Tefer.  Stylized versions of her likeness adorn the vehicles, purses, plumbing, ovens, hearths, pottery, and jewelry of these worshipers, and several plays about her are performed on stages frequented by them.  Dolls, icons, tableware, and furniture are common gifts even in far-foreign lands.

A practiced baker herself and an avid collector of treasures of all kinds, Koushye Haroktii's love for her mother Magret's dhourra (a kind of rye galette stuffed with honey and apples) is well-known and a source of national pride.  When she is not governing ~ or even sometimes when she is! ~ she practices music and paints beautifully.  The library at Sanri Puro Ta has grown to wondrous levels during her reign, as she loves to read the fiction and poetry of all the world; Mishru's other scattered libraries have enjoyed this patronage as well.  Haroktii is a devoted worshiper of Manekh Nekhor, a nonbinary goddix represented with the antennae and shell of a snail and butterfly wings behind.

Twelve years before Haroktii's birth, her father Djodj wore the Beru shen Hap-Ered and busied himself with a traditional Mishrun practice of weaving sandals from flowers and strips of bark.  Haroktii and her twin sister were two of several children he sired with Magret.  She was born with a rare congenital defect which makes her mouth remarkably small, with thin lips that cause it to almost disappear when her mouth is shut.  Many have said that those in her presence find this unusual trait comforting, as they can be happy or sad together with the Koushye and always find their emotion reflected on her face.

Koushye Djodj negotiated a political marriage between Haroktii and the Abyayalan princess Mai Merod while visiting that distant land during her second year.  The rituals of their respective cultures were performed the next year, although any marriage between two three-year-olds is by need more ceremonial than anything. They do remain happily married 43 years later, however.  The marriage brought attention to the toddler Haroktii, though her first international fame faded within a couple of years and international gossip turned to her elder siblings and their new families.  Haroktii entered her first musical competition in the middle of this period of celebrity, at the age of four.  Despite her young age, she quickly mastered the clavichord and performed admirably.  By the time she was 32, she'd expanded her musical talents to include the guitar as well as the clavichord and her voice.

When Haroktii was a small child, Koushye Djodj didn't have strong opinions about her among his throng of heirs, but he warmed up to her as a youth when she became involved in the mercantile side of palace business.  A human emigré to the Land of Faërie by the name of Adalheidis became her partner in business and closest friend until their respective lands required duties of them that pulled them apart.  Her success at trade came as a surprise to everyone, but cemented her status as Djodj's chosen heir.  By the time she was 28, Haroktii's fame had been eclipsed by that of the adventurer An Pamman, even despite the fame of her pet raiju Djamii Khit.  It wouldn't be regained until she took the Beru shen Hap-Ered six years later.  However, as the chosen heir of the Koushye was fading into the background of her people's imaginations, famous heroes of foreign countries such as the goblin whimsy oracle Lady Agag and the elfin Charm/Travel cleric hai-Ramyerac began to champion her as an ideal of power and beauty.

Hai-Ramyerac had an airship built for Haroktii's 31st birthday in her favorite colors (there are lots of pink) with her image painted on its sails and a carving of her on its prow.  Lady Agag, on the other hand, hired the famous gnome jeweler Kimorali Snommis to produce an entire collection of unique jewelry for the Mishrun princess that she still wears to this day.  Horaktii liked this gift so much that three years later, she hired Kimorali herself to add to it!

At 33 years of age, Haroktii's archrival since the age of 13, Queen Inuhakh of Shyama Ta, began forcing members of her army that committed a variety of transgressions to wear pink badges with her face on them in order to embarrass and shame them.  The next year, shortly before accepting the Beru shen Hap-Ered from her father, Haroktii spent half the year in Tabgach Washya and half in he-Ong Keang establishing Mishrun embassies in each country.  However, her first major act as Koushye was in response to a financial crisis that struck the country during this period as the Hap Kau, the main river whose silty banks fed the nation, refused its yearly flood.  In the midst of famine, Haroktii built on and expanded the functioning of the Mishrun granary system to create a complex, massive system of banks, storing deposits of wealth and making loans to citizens both domestic and foreign.  These banks operated in two forms of pseudo-currency ~ grain-money and cattle-money ~ and helped revitalize Mishru's marketplaces, leaving them bustling and crowded even in the midst of austerity.  In the process, the foreign practice of coinage made greater inroads into Mishrun culture, with pieces of ceramic, copper, steel, silver, and gold from all the world over making their way through the populace.

This influx of foreign money and foreign culture brought the idea of skating to Mishru.  Lacking any ice, Haroktii's inventive subjects simply replaced the blades of foreign ice-skates with wheels, and then the island peoples of Mishru had the brilliant idea of using this as a way to bring their tradition of surfing to the land, attaching similar lines of wheels to small boards and using those to get around.  This fad was especially popular among Mishrun women, who enjoyed the speed with which they could complete chores by land-surfing.  

Two years after taking on the Beru shen Hap-Ered, Haroktii brought prosperity back to the farmers of Mishru by subsidizing the wine industry and merchants who sold the wine in foreign countries.  In the the 5th year of Haroktii's reign, having pulled her realm from starvation by building even more foreign connections, the Koushye ordered the opening of an embassy and marketplace in the southern country of Kiima Krengaa, the third such foreign embassy she had personally ordered and overseen.  To celebrate, she went on a traditional adventure with the Kiima Krengaan lungyeye ratfolk hero Sonikku za Hejjiyeye, an incredibly fast monk, in which they recovered the magical urn that had been used by the pirate known as the Quedagh Kid to contain the Phantasmal Fog.  This monstrous mist made evil doubles of those creatures who walked through it.  As is the usual practice in that country, the story was memorialized through the creation of a special costume called an amyibo.  Because of the rank and fame of the two heroes involved, this specific amyibo was enchanted, and two years later it was ritually gifted to the halfling fighter Maryush Maryush to use in his own adventures with his myceloid and grippli companions against his rival Waryush Blutosh (who had stolen the Phantasmal Fog).

One vicious rumor often told about Koushye Haroktii claims that the Vlaaraltfloumi princess Mivvi used magic to crate a mystical copy of herself and installed said copy on the throne of Mishru.

Haroktii Howait; CR 20
Middle-aged female gijinkh* catfolk bard (geisha) 12/occultist (naturalist) 5/expert baker 3
XP 204,800
NG Tiny humanoid (catfolk)
Initiative +4 (+4 Dex); Senses aura sight, low-light vision, object reading, scent; Perception +7, Sense Motive +38/+42 (empath feat, prognostication unlock, read aura unlock)
AC 29/33; touch 23/27; flat-footed 26/30; flat-footed touch 20/30 (+2 size, +4 Dex, +6 armor, +2 deflection, +5 insight; +4 cover in Yoru Shuyokh)
hp 100 (2d10+20d8+22)
Fortitude +16 (+9 class, +1 Con, +1 competence inspire greatness, +3 morale heroism, +2 sacred beacon of luck); Reflex +19 with advantage 1/day (+10 class, +4 Dex, +2 sacred beacon of luck, +3 morale heroism, cat's luck); Will +24 (+15 class, +4 Wis, +3 morale heroism, +2 sacred beacon of luck); situational +4 bonus against bardic performance, sonic, and language-dependent effects (well-versed), +4 to resist illusion effects and –2 against sleep effects (Nidjinut), +2 bonus on saving throws to resist spells of the pattern subschool (untold wonder)
Defensive Abilities Can exist comfortably in all high altitudes (Refukhu shen Afit-Affi), nimble faller, penalties from emotion effects are instead treated as morale bonuses equal to half the penalty’s value (untold wonder); Resist Fire 10 (Beru shen Hap-Ered); SR 24 (Refukhu shen Afit-Affi)
Weaknesses  –2 HD for the purpose of determining the number of HD used in sleep effects and the number of creatures affected and always counted first when determining which creatures are affected (Nidjinut)
Speed 20 feet
Melee Tiny nunchaku +18/+13/+8 melee (1d6+1d3-3 bludgeoning nonlethal plus shaken 1 round after dealing lethal damage plus possible spell siphon OR 1d3-3 bludgeoning plus possible spell siphon) (+14/+9/+4 BAB, +2 size, –4 Strength, +1 enchantment, +2 competence inspire greatness, +3 morale heroism; –4 Strength, +1 enchantment, merciful peaceful spell siphon)
Ranged Tiny sling +26 ranged (1d6+1d2-3 bludgeoning nonlethal plus -20 Stealth plus anti-invisibility plus DC 13 Will save to avoid being dazzled plus CL 10th searing light 1/day OR 1d2-3 bludgeoning plus -20 Stealth plus anti-invisibility plus DC 13 Will save to avoid being dazzled plus CL 10th searing light 1/day) (+14 BAB, +2 size, +4 Dex, +1 enchantment, +2 competence inspire greatness, +3 morale heroism; –4 Strength, +1 enchantment, beaming glitterwake merciful peaceful)
Space/Reach 2 1/2 by 2 1/2 feet/0 feet
Special Attacks Bardic performance (dirge of doom), focus power (cloud mind (Will DC 19), mental discord (Will DC 19), mind slumber (Will DC 19))
Bardic Spells Known CL 13th, 15th to penetrate SR; concentration +20

• Cantrips: (∞/day) detect magic, lullaby (Will save DC 18), message, prestidigitation, read magic, resistance
• 1st:  (7/day) abstemiousness (Fortitude save DC 19 (harmless)), cultural adaptation, identify, remove fear (Will save DC 19 (harmless)), restful sleep (Fortitude save DC 19 (harmless)), unbreakable heart (Will save DC 19 (harmless))
• 2nd: (7/day) build trust (Will DC 20), calm emotions (Will DC 20), create treasure map, dream shield (Will DC 20 (harmless)), honeyed tongue
• 3rd: (6/day) beacon of luck, bit of luck, charm monster (Will DC 21), deep slumber (Will DC 21)
• 4th: (5/day) bountiful banquet, treasure stitching (Fortitude DC 22 (object)), untold wonder (Will DC 22 (harmless))

Occultist Spells Known  CL 6th, 8th to penetrate SR; concentration +12

• 0: (∞/day) daze (Will DC 17), mending (Will DC 17 (harmless, object)), purify food and drink (Will DC 17 (object))
• 1st:  (6/day) charm person (Will DC 18), expeditious retreat, tears to wine (Will DC 18 (object))
• 2nd: (4/day) billowing skirt, daze monster (Will DC 18), feast of ashes (Fortitude DC 18)
  

Tactics 
Before Combat  Haroktii generally stores 4 points of mental focus in her coin purse, 3 in her guitar, 3 in her ointment jar, and 2 as generic focus.  She regularly casts untold wonder, bit of luck (6 points; can spend 4 for +2d8), and honeyed tongue on herself while holding court or on other Mishrun business, as well as activating Shu Unkh to cast heroism on everyone nearby.  Before any situation she expects to have a significant chance for combat, she will add a beacon of luck and conduct a tea ceremony with herself, her two spouses (Diadani and Mai), and her twin Mimyi to inspire greatness.  If the encounter happens in her throne room, she will have a continue heroism effect as she sits on her throne, and everyone around her will have knelt before it.  Haroktii believes strongly in the power of diplomacy and so always uses Diplomacy in an attempt to forestall any combat, no matter how seemingly inevitable.  Considering that she can roll 80 on a Diplomacy check relatively easily if she is benefiting from every possible bonus (which is always her goal), which is enough to convince a creature with a Charisma of 90 to provide aid that would result in punishment, it usually works. 
During Combat  Haroktii will start any combat by inspiring greatness while channeling a point of mental focus through her coin purse to activate mental discord, targeting a spellcaster if one has made their presence known.  After that, she will cast blissful encouraging unbreakable heart spells on one of her allies. The next two rounds will see her activating mental slumber, starting with the one she affected with mental discord.  From the fifth round of combat on, she will use deep slumber to continue neutralizing targets, mixing in the occasional charm person or charm monster.  If the combat is still raging after 10 rounds, she will change her bardic performance to a soothing performance.  Should combat end without a complete neutralization of the threat by Diplomacy or violence, Haroktii will usually expend her last round of bardic performance doing the Relentless Reprise.

Base Statistics  Initiative +3; AC 28/32; touch 22/26; flat-footed 25/29; flat-footed touch 19/29; hp 73 (20d8); Fortitude +9, Reflex +13 with advantage 1/day, Will +19; Melee Tiny nunchaku +13/+8/+3 melee (1d6+1d3-3 bludgeoning nonlethal plus shaken 1 round after dealing lethal damage plus possible spell siphon OR 1d3-3 bludgeoning plus possible spell siphon); Ranged Tiny sling +20 ranged (1d6+1d2-3 bludgeoning nonlethal plus -20 Stealth plus anti-invisibility plus DC 13 Will save to avoid being dazzled plus CL 10th searing light 1/day OR 1d2-3 bludgeoning plus -20 Stealth plus anti-invisibility plus DC 13 Will save to avoid being dazzled plus CL 10th searing light 1/day); Dexterity  17 (+3), Constitution  10 (0); CMD 21 (+14 BAB, –4 Str, +3 Dex, –2 size); Appraise +28/+32, Bluff +36, Craft (baking) +30, Craft (calligraphy) +19, Craft (painting) +17, Diplomacy +47/+51, Disable Device +11, Intimidate +19, Knowledge (arcana) +15/+17, Knowledge (history) +20, Knowledge (local) +20, Knowledge (nature) +13, Knowledge (nobility) +39, Knowledge (planes) +30, Knowledge (nature) +30, Linguistics +16/+18, Perception +4/+6, Perform (keyboard) +15, Perform (sing) +34, Perform (string) +15, Profession (merchant) +11, Spellcraft +27, Sense Motive +36/+40, Stealth +11, Use Magic Device +30

Morale  When two or more of her allies ~ or herself ~ are down to 25% hit points, Haroktii casts calm emotions in an attempt to shut the combat down.  If that doesn't work, she begins making use of the Beru shen Hap-Ered's and Kenkh Onen's offensive abilities while finally using her weapons against her opponents.
Ability Scores  Strength  3 (–4), Dexterity  19 (+4), Constitution  12 (+1), Intelligence  19⇒25 (+4⇒+7), Wisdom  13⇒19 (+1⇒+4), Charisma  20⇒26 (+5⇒+8)
Base Attack +14/+9/+4; Combat Maneuver Bonus +8 (+14 BAB, –4 Str, –2 size), situational +2 to disarm (nunchaku); Combat Maneuver Defense 22 (+14 BAB, –4 Str, +4 Dex, –2 size), situational +3 versus trip (nimble faller and Feline Grace), +2 versus bull rush, grapple, repositioning, and overrun (Feline Grace)
Feats Brew Potion, Blissful Spell, Catfolk Exemplar (enhanced senses), Craft Wondrous Item, Empath, Encouraging Spell, Exotic Martial Weapon Proficiency (nunchaku)⁺, Feline Grace, Light Armor Proficiency⁺, Martial Weapon Proficiency⁺, Medium Armor Proficiency⁺, Psychic Maestro (psychometry, read aura), Psychic Virtuoso, Scribe Scroll⁺, Shield Proficiency⁺, Simple Weapon Proficiency⁺, Spell Penetration 
Masterpieces Relentless Reprise (Will DC 24)
Skills Appraise +31/+35 (18 ranks, +7 Int, +3 class, +3 morale heroism; +2 for psychometry from Psychic Virtuoso), Bluff +41 (versatile performance: sing, +2 racial), Craft (baking) +33 (20 ranks, +7 Int, +3 class, +3 morale heroism), Craft (calligraphy) +22 (0 ranks, +7 Int, +3 morale heroism, +12 and usable untrained geisha knowledge), Craft (painting) +20 (7 ranks, +7 Int, +3 class, +3 morale heroism), Diplomacy +52/+56/+57 (18 ranks, +8 Cha, +2 racial, +3 class, +12 geisha knowledge, +4 Shu Unkh, +2 glorious presence, +3 morale heroism; +4 for hypnotism from Psychic Virtuoso; +5 competence to gather information; advantage to change attitude), Disable Device +15 (5 ranks, +4 Dex, +3 class, +3 morale heroism), Intimidate +24 (versatile performance: keyboard, +4 Shu Unkh), Knowledge (arcana) +18/+20 (5 ranks, +7 Int, +3 class, +3 morale heroism, always take 10 lore master; +2 for phrenology from Psychic Virtuoso), Knowledge (history) +23 (10 ranks, +7 Int, +3 class, +3 morale heroism, always take 10 lore master), Knowledge (local) +23 (10 ranks, +7 Int, +3 class, +3 morale heroism, always take 10 lore master), Knowledge (nature) +16 (3 ranks, +7 Int, +3 class, +3 morale heroism, always take 10 lore master), Knowledge (nobility) +42 (20 ranks, +7 Int, +12 geisha knowledge, +3 morale heroism), Knowledge (planes) +33 (20 ranks, +7 Int, +3 class, +3 morale heroism, always take 10 lore master), Knowledge (nature) +33 (20 ranks, +7 Int, +3 class, +3 morale heroism, always take 10 lore master), Linguistics +19/+21 (6 ranks, +7 Int, +3 class, +3 morale heroism; +2 for automatic writing from Psychic Virtuoso), Perception +7/+9 (0 ranks, +4 Wis, +3 morale heroism; +2 for read aura from Psychic Virtuoso), Perform (keyboard) +20 (4 ranks, +8 Cha, +3 class, +2 glorious presence, +3 morale heroism), Perform (sing) +39 (11 ranks, +8 Cha, +3 class, +12 geisha knowledge, +2 glorious presence, +3 morale heroism), Perform (string) +20 (4 ranks, +8 Cha, +3 class, +2 glorious presence, +3 morale heroism), Profession (merchant) +14 (4 ranks, +4 Wis, +3 class, +3 morale heroism), Sense Motive +38/+42 (versatile performance: sing, +2 racial; +4 for prognostication/read aura from Psychic Virtuoso), Spellcraft +30 (17 ranks, +7 Int, +3 class, +3 morale heroism), Stealth +15 (0 ranks, +4 Dex, +8 size, +3 morale heroism), Use Magic Device +35 (17 ranks, +8 Cha, +3 class, +2 magic item skill, +2 glorious presence, +3 morale heroism); can use any skill untrained (jack-of-all-trades)

Languages Antique Catfolk, Gnollish, Gnomic, Yukor
Special Qualities Bardic performance (countersong, fascinate, inspire competence, inspire courage, inspire greatness, soothing performance, suggestion), focus powers (legacy weapon, quickness), geisha knowledge, jack of all trades, lore master, magic item skill, mental focus 12 points, morale bonuses other than converted emotion penalties are increased by 1 (untold wonder), natural focus, resonant powers (glorious presence, physical enhancement), shift focus, tea ceremony, versatile performance (keyboard (Diplomacy, Intimidate), sing (Bluff, Sense Motive), masterpiece), well-versed
Combat Gear Shimzu ("Power; Dominion"; +1 merciful peaceful spell siphon Tiny nunchaku), Kenkh Onken (+1 beaming glitterwake merciful peaceful Tiny sling) with 20 stones
Other Gear  Beru shen Hap-Ered ("Hair-Bow of the River-Child")** , Refukhu shen Afit-Affi ("Robe of the Sun-Rat," a blue and white coverall-style garment; treat as Tiny robes of Xin-Shalast), Shu Unkh ("Feather Shirt," a yellow shirt worn beneath the Refukhu shen Afit-Affi; treat as Tiny Praenomen without the master/servant dynamic), Rokur ("Potter's Wheel"; treat as throne of pleasing mien), Yoru Shuyokh ("Growing Stronger"; treat as Tiny chariot of the conqueror), Nidjinut ("Rainbowroot"; treat as Clavis Somnus), coin purse (enchantment implement), guitar (transmutation implement), ointment jar (transmutation implement)

Aura Sight (Su): Haroktii can read the auras of creatures around him as a standard action. This functions as the aura sight spell with a duration of 1 round.

Bardic Performance: Haroktii can use this ability for 31 rounds per day. Each round, she can produce any one of the types of bardic performance that she has mastered.  Starting a bardic performance is a move action, but it can be maintained each round as a free action. Changing a bardic performance from one effect to another requires Haroktii to stop the previous performance and start a new one as a standard action. A bardic performance cannot be disrupted, but it ends immediately if Haroktii is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action to maintain it each round. A bard cannot have more than one bardic performance in effect at one time.  Each bardic performance has audible components, visual components, or both.  If a bardic performance has audible components, the targets must be able to hear Haroktii for the performance to have any effect, and such performances are language dependent. If Haroktii becmes deaf, she has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use a bardic performance with an audible component. If she fails this check, the attempt still counts against her daily limit. Deaf creatures are immune to bardic performances with audible components. If a bardic performance has a visual component, the targets must have line of sight to Haroktii for the performance to have any effect. If Haroktii becomes blind, she has a 50% chance to fail when attempting to use a bardic performance with a visual component. If she fails this check, the attempt still counts against her daily limit. Blind creatures are immune to bardic performances with visual components.

• Countersong (Su): Haroktii can counter magic effects that depend on sound (but not spells that have verbal components). Each round of the countersong she makes a Perform (keyboard, percussion, wind, string, or sing) skill check. Any creature within 30 feet of Haroktii (including her herself) that is affected by a sonic or language-dependent magical attack may use Haroktii's Perform check result in place of its saving throw if, after the saving throw is rolled, the Perform check result proves to be higher. If a creature within range of the countersong is already under the effect of a noninstantaneous sonic or language-dependent magical attack, it gains another saving throw against the effect each round it hears the countersong, but it must use Haroktii's Perform skill check result for the save. Countersong does not work on effects that don't allow saves. Countersong relies on audible components.
• Dirge of Doom (Su): Haroktii can use her performance to foster a sense of growing dread in her enemies, causing them to become shaken. To be affected, an enemy must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear Haroktii's performance. The effect persists for as long as the enemy is within 30 feet and Haroktii continues her performance. This performance cannot cause a creature to become frightened or panicked, even if the targets are already shaken from another effect. Dirge of doom is a mind-affecting fear effect, and it relies on audible and visual components.
• Fascinate (Su): Haroktii can use her performance to cause up to four creatures to become fascinated with her. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear Haroktii, and capable of paying attention to her. Haroktii must also be able to see the creatures affected. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents this ability from working. Each creature within range receives a Will save (DC 24) to negate the effect. If a creature's saving throw succeeds, Haroktii cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and observes the performance for as long as Haroktii continues to maintain it. While fascinated, a target takes a –4 penalty on all skill checks made as reactions, such as Perception checks. Any potential threat to the target allows the target to make a new saving throw against the effect. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. Fascinate is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability. Fascinate relies on audible and visual components in order to function.
• Inspire Competence (Su): Haroktii can use her performance to help an ally succeed at a task. That ally must be within 30 feet and be able to hear Haroktii. The ally gets a +4 competence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill as long as she continues to hear the bard's performance.  Certain uses of this ability are infeasible, such as Stealth, and may be disallowed at the GM's discretion. A bard can't inspire competence in himself. Inspire competence relies on audible components.
• Inspire Courage (Su): Haroktii can use her performance to inspire courage in her allies (including herself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to perceive Haroktii's performance. An affected ally receives a +3 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +3 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls.  Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability. Inspire courage can use audible or visual components. The bard must choose which component to use when starting his performance.
• Inspire Greatness (Su): Haroktii can use her performance to inspire greatness in up to two people (herself or willing allies within 30 feet), granting extra fighting capability. To inspire greatness, all of the targets must be able to see and hear Haroktii. A creature inspired with greatness gains 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target's Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves. The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells that are Hit Dice dependent. Inspire greatness is a mind-affecting ability and it relies on audible and visual components.
• Soothing Performance (Su): Haroktii can use her performance to create an effect equivalent to a mass cure serious wounds cast at 12th level. In addition, this performance removes the fatigued, sickened, and shaken conditions from all those affected. Using this ability requires 4 rounds of continuous performance, and the targets must be able to see and hear Haroktii throughout the performance. Soothing performance affects all targets that remain within 30 feet throughout the performance. Soothing performance relies on audible and visual components.
• Suggestion (Sp): Haroktii can use her performance to make a suggestion (as per the spell) to a creature she has already fascinated (see above). Using this ability does not disrupt the fascinate effect, but it does require a standard action to activate (in addition to the free action to continue the fascinate effect). Haroktii can use this ability more than once against an individual creature during an individual performance. Making a suggestion does not count against Haroktii's daily use of bardic performance. A Will saving throw (DC 24) negates the effect. This ability affects only a single creature. Suggestion is an enchantment (compulsion), mind affecting, language-dependent ability and relies on audible components.

Implements:  Whenever Haroktii casts a spell, she must have the corresponding implement in her possession and present the implement to the target or toward the area of effect. This act is part of casting the spell and doesn’t require any additional action. If Haroktii lacks the corresponding implement, she can attempt to cast the spell, but must succeed at a concentration check (DC = 20 + the spell’s level) to do so. Spells cast by Haroktii without the appropriate implement are always treated as if they were cast at the minimum caster level for the spell in question (caster level 1st for a 1st-level spell, caster level 4th for a 2nd-level spell, and so on).

Lore Master (Ex): Haroktii is a master of lore and can take 10 on any Knowledge skill check that he has ranks in even when threatened or distracted. She can choose not to take 10 and can instead roll normally. In addition, twice per day, Haroktii can take 20 on any Knowledge skill check as a standard action.

Mental Focus (Su): Haroktii can invest a portion of her mental focus into her chosen implements for the day, allowing her to utilize a variety of abilities depending on the implements and the amount of mental focus invested in them. Haroktii has 12 points of mental focus; these points refresh each day. She can divide this mental focus between her implements in any way she desires. If an implement is lost or destroyed, the focus invested in it is lost as well, though Haroktii still refreshes those points of focus normally.  Once mental focus is invested inside an implement, the implement gains the resonant power of its implement school, and Haroktii can expend the mental focus stored in the implement to activate the associated focus powers she knows. If a resonant power grants a bonus that varies based on the amount of mental focus invested in the implement, the bonus is determined when the focus is invested, and is not reduced or altered by expending the mental focus invested in the item. Once all of the mental focus in an implement has been expended, it loses its resonant power until mental focus is once again invested in the implement. The implement grants its resonant power to whoever possesses it; Haroktii can lend the implement to an ally to assist that ally, but if she does so, he has difficulty casting that implement’s spells and can’t expend that implement’s focus on focus powers until she retrieves the implement or refreshes her focus.  Haroktii refreshes her mental focus once each day after receiving at least 8 hours of sleep. After refreshing her mental focus, Haroktii must spend 1 hour preparing her implements and investing them with this power. Mental focus that is not used before the next time Haroktii refreshes her focus is lost.  Haroktii can choose to save generic mental focus inside her own body instead of investing all of it, but expending this focus comes at a higher cost. Any focus power Haroktii activates with generic focus costs twice as much mental focus to use (and to maintain, if applicable). Haroktii can expend her generic focus through an appropriate implement on any focus power he knows, but an implement she didn’t invest any focus in at the start of the day grants no resonant power.

• Cloud Mind (Su): As a standard action, Haroktii can expend 1 point of mental focus  through her coin purse to cloud the mind of one foe within 30 feet. That foe is dazed for 1 round if it has 5 Hit Dice or less. If it has more than 5 Hit Dice, it is staggered for 1 round instead. The foe can attempt a Will saving throw to negate the effect. Whether or not it succeeds at the save, the target is then immune to this effect for 1 day. This is a mind-affecting effect.
• Legacy Weapon (Su): As a standard action, Haroktii can expend 1 point of mental focus through her guitar or ointment jar and touch a weapon to grant it a +1 enhancement bonus.  Enhancement bonuses gained by this ability stack with those of the weapon, to a maximum of +5. She can instead imbue the weapon with any one weapon special ability with an equivalent enhancement bonus. The item must have an enhancement bonus of at least +1 (from the item itself) to gain a weapon special ability. In either case, these bonuses last for 1 minute.
• Mental Discord (Sp): As a standard action, you can expend 1 point of mental focus through her coin purse to disrupt the mind of one living creature within 30 feet. The creature can attempt a Will saving throw to negate the effect. If it fails the save, the creature can’t concentrate on any spell effects and must succeed at a concentration check to cast any spell (DC = 15 + double the spell level). The affected creature takes a –4 penalty on this check if the spell includes a thought component. The creature takes a –2 penalty on all Will saving throws while under this effect. This effect lasts for 5 rounds.
• Mind Slumber (Sp): By expending 1 point of mental focus through her coin purse as a standard action, Haroktii can lull a living creature into a deep mental slumber, forcing it to view the world as a dream. The target must be within 30 feet of her, and it can attempt a Will saving throw to negate the effect. If it fails the save, the creature falls asleep, although it still perceives the world around it as a dream. This doesn’t cause the creature to fall prone, but it does drop whatever it is holding. The creature can’t take any actions while in this state, but it isn’t helpless — it perceives danger as part of its dream. The creature remains asleep for 5 rounds or until it takes any amount of damage, which immediately wakes it. At the end of each of its turns, it receives another Will saving throw to end the effect. The creature can be manipulated or examined without waking it, but it can’t be moved from its square without waking it. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect. Regardless of whether it succeeds at the save, the target is then immune to this effect for 24 hours.
• Quickness (Sp): As a standard action, Haroktii can expend 1 point of mental focus through her guitar or ointment jar to grant supernatural quickness and reflexes to herself or a willing living creature you touch. This functions as haste, but the bonus to AC and on Reflex saving throws increases to +2. This effect lasts for 5 rounds.
• Resonant Power: Glorious Presence (Su): Haroktii's coin purse invokes the presence of all those who have relied upon charm to make their way through the world. Haroktii gains a +1 competence bonus on all Charisma-based skill checks and ability checks for every 2 points of mental focus invested in the implement, to a maximum bonus of +2.
• Resonant Power: Physical Enhancement (Su): Haroktii's guitar and ointment jar enhance her body. When Haroktii invests mental focus in each implement, she selects a physical ability score. The implement grants a +2 temporary enhancement bonus to that physical ability score for every 3 points of mental focus invested in the implement (to a maximum of +2).

Natural Focus (Su): Haroktii can always hear the spirits of nature whispering in his ears, and sometimes those whispers contain helpful advice. As a free action, she can expend 1 point of generic mental focus before rolling an ability check, saving throw, or skill check to add 1d6 to the result. Haroktii must be conscious and aware to use this ability, and she can use this ability at most once per round.  This ability doesn’t function while Haroktii is wearing metal armor or using a metal shield (although she can wear a suit of armor or use a shield altered by the ironwood spell). This restriction is similar to the druid’s armor restriction.
Object Reading (Su): Haroktii knows how to read information from items she examines. Examining an item in this way requires her to spend 1 minute handling the item. If the item is a magic item, Haroktii learns its properties and command word as if she had successfully examined the item using detect magic and succeeded at a Spellcraft check. This ability does not reveal whether the item is cursed unless the caster level of the item is 5th or less. If the item has any historical significance, Haroktii learns one piece of information about its past (as determined by the GM). Finally, if the item was last used no longer than 5 days ago, Haroktii learns one piece of information about the last creature to use the item. This information might be a glimpse of the creature’s appearance, a brief vision of what it saw while using the item, or perhaps its emotional state when it last used the item. The GM determines what information is gained in this way. This functions like the psychometry occult skill unlock (see page 196), but doesn’t require a skill check and can be used at will.

Relentless Reprise (Sing, Wind): Haroktii's songs replay endlessly in her target’s minds, sapping resolve and sanity.  Whenever she ends a bardic performance, she can add a quick reprise that makes it unnaturally catchy. Any creature within 30 feet of her when she finishes her performance will run the risk of having her tune replaying endlessly in its mind. Unless the creature succeeds on a Will saving throw (DC 24), the tune distracts it for 12 days. The creature takes a –4 penalty on concentration checks, initiative checks, and Perception checks as long as it remains distracted. The creature’s sleep also becomes fitful, requiring half again as long for the usual benefit and entirely negating the benefits of full bed rest beyond a normal rest. Once per day upon waking after rest, the creature can attempt a new Will saving throw to shake off the relentless reprise. If it fails, the creature takes 1d2 points of Wisdom damage (or 1d4 points of sanity damage if using the sanity rules from Horror Adventures). This is a curse effect with audible components.  Use: 1 round of bardic performance.  Action: 1 immediate action.

Shift Focus (Su): Haroktii the ability to shift her mental focus from one implement to another, though some of the focus is lost along the way. Shifting mental focus removes a number of points of mental focus from one implement and adds the same number – 1 to another implement; this takes 1 minute of quiet contemplation while touching both implements. Haroktii can shift her mental focus only from one implement to another implement; she can’t shift generic focus into an implement. Unlike expending focus normally, this shift can reduce the effect of a resonant power in the implement from which the mental focus was taken. It does not, however, add to the resonant power of the implement to which the focus is added.

Tea Ceremony (Su): By spending 10 minutes preparing an elaborate tea ceremony, Haroktii may affect her allies with inspire courage, inspire competence, inspire greatness, or inspire heroics. The ceremony’s effects last 10 minutes. Haroktii must spend 4 rounds of bardic performance for each creature to be affected.

*  Gijinkh Catfolk (three alternate racial traits; 12 RP instead of catfolk's usual 9)
+4 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, –2 Strength, –2 Wisdom: All catfolk are sociable and agile, but often lack common sense.  Because gijnkh are much smaller than other breeds of catfolk, they are even more agile, but weaker.
Catfolk: All catfolk are humanoids with the catfolk subtype.
Tiny: Gijinkh catfolk are Tiny creatures, so they gain a +2 size bonus to their AC, a +2 size bonus on attack rolls, a –2 penalty on combat maneuver checks and to their CMD, and a +8 size bonus on Stealth checks. Tiny characters take up a space of 2-1/2 feet by 2-1/2 feet, so up to four of these characters can fit into a single square. Tiny races typically have a natural reach of 0 feet, meaning they can’t reach into adjacent squares. They must enter an opponent’s square to attack it in melee. This provokes an attack of opportunity from the opponent. Since they have no natural reach, they do not threaten the squares around them. Other creatures can move through those squares without provoking attacks of opportunity. Tiny creatures typically cannot flank an enemy.
Slow Speed: Because of their size, gijinkh catfolk have a base speed of 20 feet.
Low-Light Vision: In dim light, most catfolk can see twice as far as humans.
Cat’s Luck: Once per day when most catfolk attempt a Reflex saving throw, they can roll the saving throw twice and take the better result. They must decide to use this ability before the saving throw is attempted.
Clever Cat: Gijinkh catfolk are possessed of a naturally friendly disposition. They see social obstacles as games to be played and enjoyed. Gijinkh catfolk receive a +2 racial bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive checks. 
Nimble Faller: Gijinkh catfolk have an amazing sense of balance and keen knowledge of their own center of gravity. Catfolk with this trait land on their feet even when they take lethal damage from a fall. Furthermore, catfolk with this trait gain a +1 bonus to their CMD against trip maneuvers. 
Languages: Catfolk begin play speaking the language of their homeland and Antique Catfolk. Catfolk with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following languages: Elfin, Gnollish, Gnomic, Goblin-rhyme, the Small Speech of the halflings, Orcish, and Fairysong.
Favored Class (Bard): Add +1/2 to the bard’s bardic knowledge bonus (or, in this case, geisha knowledge).

**  Beru shen Hap-Ered ("Veil of the River-Child")
Aura strong abjuration and transmutation; CL 16th
Slot headband; Price 250,000 gp (equivalent to $50,000,000-$125,000,000); Weight 1 lb.
Description
This seemingly simple red leather hairbow worn over the left ear is set in the center with a cluster of small gemstones surrounding a small gold statuette of a falcon's head with the hood of a cobra.  Originally gifted to a wizard-Koushye by the god Shelyeru as a reward for his prowess on the battlefield, Beru shen Hap-Ered was believed lost when the Koushye was struck down by an ancient blue dragon. Centuries later, however, adventurers discovered Beru shen Hap-Ered among the ruins of Hakotumep. Researcher-priests acquired the hairbow shortly after, and when the priestess Tethres founded the current ruling dynasty, she claimed the Beru shen Hap-Ered for herself, making it into an inherited symbol of the Koushye.
The hairbow grants the wearer a +6 enhancement bonus to all mental ability scores (Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma). Treat this as a temporary ability bonus for the first 24 hours the headband is worn. It also grants skill ranks in Knowledge (nobility, planes, and religion) as a headband of vast intelligence.  The wearer of the hairbow also gains a +5 insight bonus to her Armor Class and fire resistance 10. Up to three times per day as an immediate action, the wearer of the Beru shen Hap-Ered can sacrifice a prepared spell or unused spell slot of 1st level or higher and transform it into a damaging ray, targeting any foe within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. This ray deals 1d4 points of damage for every level of the spell or spell slot sacrificed. 
In addition, the hairbow has 3 charges per day. When struck by a critical hit or sneak attack, the wearer can spend 1 charge as an immediate action to negate the critical hit or sneak attack (as the fortification armor special ability, but without requiring a roll). The damage is instead rolled normally. Alternatively, the wearer can spend 1 charge as an immediate action to reroll a failed saving throw. He must take the result of the reroll, even if it’s worse.
A non-spellcaster cannot create rays with the Beru shen Hap-Ered, but still gains all the other bonuses and can use every other anility.
Construction Requirements Arcane Blast, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, eagle's splendor, foresight, fox's cunning, haste, moment of prescience, owl's wisdom, resist energy, shield of faith; Cost 125,000 gp

Equipping Forsetilafom (Fantasy Friday #13)

I think (I hope) traits for Forsetilafom will be relatively easy to choose. One will have to model their essentially orphaned/homeless origin story, of course, but first I fill the gap I left open by not choosing Unimpeachable Honor as a feat. Forsetilafom is a character able to indulge in all the excesses and fripperies of the court but not to become bogged down or corrupted by them ~ it’s basically their core character concept. Heroes of the High Court has a trait associated on Golarion with being a member of Grand Prince Stavian III’s court in the Imperial Palace of Oppara in Taldor called Debauchery Defier. Sidenote: I like the name Stavian, I should steal it. Debauchery Defier is a social trait that allows one to better resist addiction. It is abso perf for Forsetilafom! Yoink!

Surprisingly, the three books focused on social lalalas don’t provide any appropriate traits. Glancing through the social traits on the SRD reveals Bastard which, while not literally true, does kinda fit Forsetilafom’s childhood experiences of being an outsider and a noble without much power to back them up. Its benefit ~ +1 to Sense Motive and it’s always a class skill ~ works for Forsetilafom but is, truth be told, kinda blah. And their skill is already really fucking good, even without magic items: they succeed on a DC 20 (like for Sense Relationships) 70% of the time when dealing with people from Natsiyaasim. If they’re not humanoids and speaking a foreign language, that’s still a 20% success rate! Bastard is from Ultimate Campaign ~ mebbe I’ll take a look in there.  The aasimar racial traits on the SRD give us some maybe slightly better options, and if I take a drawback from Ultimate Campaign ~ like Dependent, which makes perfect sense for Forsetilafom’s background ~ I can take both! Wary and Adrift work together to portray their background well, I think, and contribute both to their primary weapon being Sense Motive and their role as High Reeve.

As for spending Forsetilafom’s 3000gp, Heroes of the High Court provides nothing useful beyond a price for ostentatious garments and the other two courtly books only a handful more of interest that they can afford. Searching for magic items that would supercharge Forsetilafom’s primary weapon results in a lot of things that are too expensive for them to purchase, but also ioun stones, two of which are affordable and appropriate (cracked blue rhomboid and cracked magenta prism). Costing a total of 1200 gp together, and 1700 with a wayfinder, their power is simply supercharging but the image is powerful. The crown jewels of Forsetilafom’s family riven by their betrayal, circling around their beautiful head. I wonder about searching for magic items that mention aasimar, noble, court, justice, sex, seduction, seduce, and prostitution? Aasimar only gives 6 results, prompting me to add Blood of Angels to my list for Forsetilafom’s shopping. Noble gives a couple, including a constant detect poison which would be super useful, but court refuses to turn up anything useful as do justice and every other keyword I try. Blood of Angels turns up all of nothing either.

OK, so let’s start looking at some packages of magic items: A cracked dark blue rhomboid ioun stone and a magenta prism ioun stone in a standard wayfinder (which would give Forsetilafom +1 to Perception, Sense Motive, and one save, and +2 to one other skill that isn’t related to the save that got the bonus) add up to 1700, as I said. A noble’s vigilant pillbox with only the white pearl (the constant detect poison 10 feet that I mentioned, plus a one-time delay poison effect) would bring that up to 2450 gp. There’s some flashy magic items that I was looking at ~ the Kitharodian pen, platter of exquisite feasting, and sleeves of many garments ~ but you know what? Fuck it. The family jewels that I just described are much more appropriate. Let’s go with them. 650 gp remain, from which an immediate 320 is removed to purchase a masterwork rapier, leaving 330 gp. Another single gp gives a reinforced tunic so Forsetilafom’s AC isn’t, like, the worst ever.

Ultimate Intrigue has a sidebar entitled “Tools of Intrigue” which lists good equipment choices for various intrigue-related professions. The paragraph on reconaissance is prolly a super-good place to start. A 50-page journal, book lariat to ensure it doesn’t get stolen, inkpen, and vial of regular ink would cost Forsetilafom a total of 18 gp 4 sp. Adding a signet ring and sealing wax to serve as their mark adds another 6 gp. An ear trumpet and a mirror to aid in covert surveillance through doors and around corners sets them back 15 gp more, leaving them with 289 gp 6 sp.

We should take a look at Forsetilafom’s wardrobe, too, I suppose. One outfit of 10 gp or less is free, which will be a courtesan’s outfit, I do believe. A courtier’s outfit, for more formal occasions, costs another 30 gp; Forsetilafom had to run from their home chateau in quite the rush and then rebuild their life and (somewhat) their standing afterwards, so we’ll spend only 25 gp on jewelry and accessories, halfway in cost between an out-of-place commoner wearing fancy clothes and an actual established noble. We’re down to 234 gp 6 sp.

Let’s put some antitoxin in that vigilant pillbox for 50 gp for a vial, and buy some clear ear for 15 gp beside. A perfume kit would seem to be a good spend for 40 gp, bringing Forsetilafom’s coffers down to 129 gp 6 sp. A Nosleborrean blue book, a book of puzzles, and some flash seeds cost another 90 gp, leaving us with 39 gp 6 sp. Let’s update Forsetilafom’s ink to ghost ink, further protecting their investigations. That takes another 17 gp. A courtesan’s kit might be a good 10 gp spent, and a grooming kit would be another gp. We’re down to 10 gp 6 sp. A Medium treasure chest to hold everything while the High Reeve Adventurant travels brings us to 3 gp 6 sp. Considering that’s the equivalent of $720-$1800, that’s good walking around money for a noble with no real power to back their station. Let’s leave it at that!

The Big Bronze Hog of Vileswe, Part 3 of 3

“O, how I wish I could draw and paint!  Then I could obtain the whole world for myself.”

The first leisure moment that the little androgyne had next day, they seized a pencil, and on the white side of one of the pictures they attempted to copy the drawing of the bronze hog, and they succeeded!  A little crooked, a little up and down, one leg thick and another thin, but yet it was not to be misunderstood; they themself exulted over it.  The pencil would not go just as straight as it should do, they could could perceive; but next day there stood another bronze hog by the side of the first, and it was a hundred times better; the third was so good that everyone might know it.

But the glove-making went badly on, the town errands went on slowly, for the bronze hog had taught them that all pictures could be drawn on paper, and the city of Vileswe is a whole picture-book, if one will but turn the leaves over.  On the Halatlo to Tlinita, there stands a slender pillar, and on the top of this stands the Goddess of Justice, with her eyes bound, and the measuring rod and line in her hand.

She soon stood on the paper, and it was the glover’s little androgyne who had placed her there.  The collection of pictures increased; but everything in it was as yet but still-life; when one day Velissina hopped about before them.  “Stand still,” said they; “you shall be beautiful, and be amongst my pictures!” but Velissina would not stand still, so he must be bound; his head and tail were fastened; he barked and jumped: the string must be tightened ~ when in came Sinwola!

“You wicked child! The poor animal!” was all that e could say: and e pushed the androgyne aside, kicked them with eir foot, and turned them out of eir house; they, the most ungrateful rascal, the naughtiest child!  And crying, e kissed eir little half strangled Velissina.

Just then the painter came up the stairs, and ~ here is the point on which the story turns.

Many years later, there was an exhibition in the Agatenwa ti Olte in Vileswe; two paintings placed by the side of each other drew a number of spectators to them.  The smallest painting represented a merry little androgyne, who sat drawing; they had for their model a little, white, nicely-clipped pug-dog, but the animal would not stand still, and was therefore bound fast with pack-thread, and that both by head and tail; there was life and truth in it that must appeal to everyone.  The painter was, as they said, a young Violeswino who had been found in the streets when a little child.  They had been brought up by an old glover and had taught themself drawing.  A painter, now famous, had discovered this talent, the androgyne having been turned away because they had bound their adoptive parent’s favorite, the little pug-dog, and made it their model.

The glover’s child had become a great painter.  The picture proved it; but it was particularly shown in the larger one by its side.  Here was but a single figure, a ragged but beautiful androgyne, who sat and slept in the street; they leaned up against the bronze hog in the street Tesla Lossa.  All the spectators knew the place.  The child’s arm rested on the swine’s head; the little androgyne slept soundly, and the lamp by the image of the founder of Natsiyaasim cast a strong, effective light on the child’s pale, sweet face.  It was a magnificent picture; a large gilt frame encircled it, and on the corner of the frame hung a laurel wreath, but between the green leaves, a black ribbon entwined itself, from which a long crepe veil hung down.

The young artist was just then dead!

--------

Sinwoa cus-Ypee
CN female lim-Fus suffering spiritualist 9
Medium-size monstrous humanoid (lim-Fus)
Occupation:  Painter
Homeland:  Fusop, in the Hemeya Sea
Current Residence:  Vileswe, Tosganwa region, Holbytlan peninsula

Strength  9 (-1)
Dexterity  13 (+1)
Constitution  8 (-1)
Intelligence  12 (+1)
Wisdom  14 (+2)
Charisma  12 (+1)
Immunities  maze spells, getting lost, flat-footedness

Senses  bonded senses 9 rd/day, darkvision 60 feet, detect undead at will (CL 9), enhanced danger sense (Ćesepfu sage talent)*, low-light vision, read aura skill unlock 2/day, see invisibility 1/day for 10 minutes; Perception +5

Initiative  +3 (+1 Dex, +2 trait) 

Armor Class  13 (+1 armor, +1 Dex, +1 natural armor) (15 within reach of ectoplasmic manifestation)
Saves  Fortitude +6, Reflex +5, Will +8
--Phantom Confined in Consciousness  Fortitude +6, Reflex +5, Will +9 (+13 v. mind-affecting)
--Within Reach of Active Ectoplasmic Phantom  Fortitude +8, Reflex +7, Will +11
--Within 30 Feet of Conscious Incorporeal Phantom  Fortitude +6, Reflex +5, Will +9 (+13 v. mind-affecting)
Hit Points  25
Special Defenses  Spiritual interference

Attacks  merciful lantern staff +5/+0 (2d6-1 bludgeoning, plus 1 fire, all nonlethal) and gore +5 (1d6-1 piercing)
Combat Maneuver Bonus  +5
Combat Maneuver Defense  16
Speed  30 feet
Special Qualities  Bobbing in the Sea of Time (alter talent)**, etheric tether, expanded horizon (Ćesepfu sage talent)***, keen temporal sense, phantom recall, shared consciousness
Spells  ∞ knacks, 5 1st-level, 4 2nd-level, and 1 3rd-level per day
--6 knacks known:  daze, detect magic, detect psychic significance, guidance, mage hand, mending, message, open/close
--5 1st-level spells known:  burst of insight, charge object, psychic reading, sanctuary, unseen servant
--4 2nd-level spells known:  emotive block, jealous rage, object reading, psychic leech
--2 3rd-level spells known:  contagious zeal, locate object

Spell-Like Abilities  calm spirit 1/day
Weaknesses  Fusop gas dependence, light blindness

Base Attack Bonus  +6/+1
Favored Class  Spiritualist (9 skill ranks)
Languages  Holbytlan, Istahaanu, Lim-Fus
Traits  Outlander (Exile), Simple Disciple (painting)
Skills  Appraise +6 (5 ranks + 1 Int), Climb +2 (0 ranks - 1 Str + 2 skill focus) (+4 when phantom is confined in consciousness), Craft (painting) +16 (9 ranks + 3 class + 1 Int + 2 prodigy + 1 trait), Float Upon the Sea of Time**** +10 (9 ranks + 1 Cha), Heal +5 (0 ranks + 2 Wis + 3 skill focus) (+7 when phantom confined in consciousness), Knowledge (cosmology)***** +9 (5 ranks + 3 class + 1 Int), Knowledge (engineering) +7 (3 ranks + 3 class + 1 Int), Knowledge (history) +8 (4 ranks + 3 class + 1 Int), Knowledge (nobility) +10 (6 ranks + 3 class + 1 Int), Knowledge (religion) +9 (5 ranks + 3 class + 1 Int), Perception +9 (5 ranks + 2 Wis + 2 alertness), Profession (art merchant) +6 (2 ranks + 2 Wis + 2 prodigy), Sense Motive +6 (2 ranks + 2 Wis + 2 alertness)
Feats  Alertness, Craft Wondrous Item, Endurance (only when phantom is confined in consciousness), Light Armor Proficiency, Martial Weapon Proficiency (kukri), Martial Weapon Proficiency (sap), Martial Weapon Proficiency (scythe), Prodigy (painting and art merchant), Simple Weapon Proficiency, Skill Focus (Climb), Skill Focus (Heal), Temporal Sensitivity******

Gear  Calming haramaki*******, cloak of resistance +1, marvelous pigments, merciful lantern staff, shawl of the lingering phantom

Phantom of Poor Halfling Androgyne:  Type Outsider (phantom); Size Small; HD 7d10+21; Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (good) (when incorporeal); AC 19 (+3 Dex, +8 dodge (in incorporeal form) or +8 natural armor (in ectoplasmic form)); Saves Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +5 (+9 v. enchntment); Attack 2 slams +8 (1d8+1); CMB +8; CMD 21; BAB +7; Ability Scores Str 12, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 13; Skills Climb +8 (7 ranks + 1 Str), Craft +19 (7 ranks + 3 class - 1 Int + 5 magnum opus + 2 prodigy + 3 skill focus), Heal +7 (7 ranks + 0 Wis); Feats Dodge, Endurance (B), Magnum Opus (painting) (completed), Prodigy (painting, beggar), Skill Focus (Craft); Special Attacks Deliver touch spells, magic attacks, numbing aura, repelling strike; Special Qualities Darkvision 60 feet, link, share spells.

* Adapted from the Baran Do Sage talent tree in Star Wars SAGA's Jedi Academy Training Manual.  Cus-Ypee traded her bonded manifestation class feature for this talent.
Enhanced Danger Sense:  You gain a +10 bonus on Perception checks made to avoid being surprised.  Additionally, you can spend a Time point to act in the surprise round, even if you are surprised.

**  Adapted from the Force Flow talent in the Alter tree in Star Wars SAGA's Knights of the Old Republic.  Cus-Ypee traded a level of spellcasting for this talent.
Bobbing in the Sea of Time:  You surrender yourself to the rising and falling of time, like the constant swells on a clear sea.  Whenever you roll a natural 1 on an attack roll or Direct the Flow check, you gain one temporary Time point.  If you do not spend this Time point before the end of the encounter, it is lost.

***  Adapted from the Baran Do Sage talent tree in Star Wars SAGA's Jedi Academy Training Manual.  Cus-Ypee traded a level of spellcasting for this talent.
Expanded Horizon:  Whenever you use the search your feelings application of the Float Upon the Sea of Time skill, you can sense the consequences of your actions out to 1 hour into the future (instead of the normal 10 minutes).  You can spend a Time point when you do so to expand this window out to 8 hours.

****  Adapted from Star Wars SAGA's Use the Force skill, described throughout the entire run of that game.
Float upon the Sea of Time (Cha) 
At a moment’s notice, you can align yourself with the Eternal Now, the All of Time in its circularity, to help you recover from injuries, gain special insights, or perform other remarkable acts.  You must have the Temporal Sensitivity feat to gain ranks in this skill.
Activate Time Power (Trained Only):  You make a Float upon the Sea of Time check to use a Time power.  This use of the skill requires no action.
Breath Control (Trained Only):  You can slow Time’s consumption of the air in your lungs to help you hold your breath for an extended period of time.  A successful DC 15 Float upon the Sea of Time check allows you to hold your breath for a number of rounds equal to four times your Constitution score before having to succeed on Constitution checks to continue to hold your breath.
Meditate on the All of Time (Trained Only):  As a full-round action, you can meditate on the All of Time with a DC 15 Float upon the Sea of Time check.  In this state, you remain fully aware of your surroundings.  Each hour you remain in this trance, you regain a number of hit points equal to your character level as if from a day of natural healing.  You can emerge from the trance as a swift action.  If you remain in a Time trance for 4 consecutive hours, you emerge from the trance fully rested (as though you’ve rested for 8 hours), though this does not restore things like prepared spells or spells per day.  While you’re in a Time trance, you can go ten times as long as normal without food or water.  As a full-round action, you can place an adjacent willing ally that you touch into the same meditation on the All of Time with a DC 20 Float upon the Sea of Time check.  In this state, the target ally rests as though in a deep coma and is considered helpless.  Each hour the target remains in the meditation, the target regains a number of hit points equal to its character level, as if from a day of natural healing.  You can bring an adjacent ally you touch out of the meditation as a swift action, but the target cannot otherwise come out of the meditation on their own.  If the target remains in the meditation for 4 consecutive hours, the target emerges from the meditation fully rested (as though having rested for 8 hours), though this doesn’t allow them to re-prepare spells and the like.  While the target ally is in the meditation, it can go ten times as long as normal without air, food, or water.  Unwilling targets cannot be placed in the meditation.
Move Light Object (Trained Only):  As a move action, you can use your position at the center and circumference of Time’s circle to telekinetically lift and move a relatively light object within your line of sight.  A successful DC 15 Float upon the Sea of Time check allows you to move an object weighing up to 10 pounds a distance of 30 feet in any direction.  As a standard action, you can use the object as a projectile weapon.  If your Float upon the Sea of Time check beats the target’s AC, the object hits and deals 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage.  Using an object as a projectile weapon is otherwise treated as a ranged attack for the purposes of talents and feats that interact with ranged attacks.  You can use this application of the skill to catch and move a thrown weapon, such as bombs, that lands within your reach.  The object can weigh no more than 3 pounds.  You must ready an action to catch the object on your turn, before the object is thrown.  Moving the object requires a Float upon the Sea of Time check, with a DC equal to the attack roll of the thrown weapon.  If you succeed on this check, you catch the object by means of its movement through Time and can immediately move the object up to 30 feet away from you; otherwise, resolve the attack as normal.  If the object you caught is an explosive, like a bomb, it explodes at the end of its movement.  You can use the object caught as a projectile weapon, as normal.
Search Your Feelings:  As a full-round action, you can make a DC 20 Float upon the Sea of Time check to determine whether a particular action will yield favorable or unfavorable results to you in the immediate future (10 minutes or less).  For example, you can make the check to determine whether destroying a Fated artifact will have immediate unforeseen repercussions.  The answer does not take into account the long-term consequences of a contemplated action.  Using the above example, a successful check would not portend a future encounter with vengeful Tosj angered by the destruction of the Fated artifact.  (The GM must assess the immediate consequences of the action, based on what he knows about the circumstances.)
Sense Pivots in Time (Trained Only):  You automatically sense pivots in Time.  A location that has a strong and active Fate can be sensed out to a range of 1 mile.  A relative, companion, or close friend in mortal danger or great pain can be sensed out to a range of 1000 miles.  A great disturbance, such as the destruction of an entire city or the distress of a whole order of allies, can be sensed anywhere, as long as you haven’t departed the world for one of the Spirit Realms.  As a full-round action, you can make a DC 20 Float upon the Sea of Time check to determine the distance and general direction to the location of the disturbance.  As a full-round action, you can use this ability to actively sense other people with ranks in Float upon the Sea of Time or with the Temporal Training feat out to a range of 100 miles.  If you succeed on a DC 20 Float upon the Sea of Time check, you know how many such people are within range, their approximate distance and direction from you, and whether you’ve met them before or not.  If such a character wishes, they can try to conceal their presence from you by making an opposed Float upon the Sea of Time check.  If they equal or exceed your Float upon the Sea of Time check, you don’t sense their presence at all.  You can also specify that you are attempting to sense only Time-floaters with a Fate Score of 1 or higher; success reveals only those Time-floaters with Fate scores, and not any other Time-floaters.
Sense Surroundings:  As a swift action, you can make a DC 20 Float upon the Sea of Time check to ignore the effects of cover and concealment when making Perception checks to detect or observe targets until the start of your next turn.  Increase  the DC by 5 if this ability is used against targets with total cover. 
Telepathy:  As a standard action, you can establish a telepathic link with a distant creature.  Through the link, you can exchange emotions or a single thought, such as “Go!”, “Help!”, or “Danger!”  The target must have an Intelligence of 2 or higher, and the distance between you and the target determines the DC (same city 20, same country 25, same continent 30, different continent 35).  Against an unwilling target, you must make a Float upon the Sea of Time check opposed by the opponent’s Will save that also meets or exceeds the base skill DC; if the check fails, you cannot establish a telepathic link or attempt to telepathically contact the target for 24 hours unless the target becomes a willing one.
Special:  You can’t make Float upon the Sea of Time checks unless you have the Temporal Sensitivity feat.  You can take 10 on a Float upon the Sea of Time check, but you can’t take 20.

*****  Knowledge (the planes) with a better name

******  Adapted from the Force Sensitivity feat and Force Points system described throughout Star Wars SAGA.
Temporal Sensitivity (General)
Benefit:  At the start of the day, you gain 1 Time point, though throughout the day you can gain Time points up to a maximum of your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1) in either of two ways.  Each time the Time-sensitive confirms a critical hit with a lightsaber, she regains 1 Time point. Confirming a critical hit on a helpless or unaware creature or a creature that has fewer Hit Dice than half the Time-sensitive’s character level doesn’t restore Time points.  When the Time-sensitive reduces a creature to 0 or fewer hit points with a lightsaber attack while in combat, she regains 1 Time point. Destroying an unattended object, reducing a helpless or unaware creature to 0 or fewer hit points, or reducing a creature that has fewer Hit Dice than half the Time-sensitive’s character level to 0 or fewer hit points doesn’t restore any Time points.
This allows you to make Float upon the Sea of Time checks and can expend one Time point as a free action to add 1d4 to the result of an attack roll, ability check or any skill check other than Float upon the Sea of Time checks, as long as you are trained in that skill (even if you take 10 or 20 on that check). You make this choice after the check is rolled and before the results of the roll are revealed. You can use only one Time point per skill check.  You can also spend a Time point to avoid death and fall unconscious instead, or to lower your Fate Score by 1.
In addition, at every odd level, you have the option of selecting a temporal or temporal tradition talent instead of one of the class features you would normally gain (you can sacrifice a level of spellcasting in this way).  You must met the prerequisites of the temporal or temporal tradition talent to select it.
Normal:  You can’t make Float upon the Sea of Time checks or select temporal or temporal tradition talents unless you have this feat.

*******  I see little reason other than the obsessive chasing of an elusive and idealized "balance" for the requirement that a weapon or armor hold a boring old +1 enchantment before taking the more interesting ones, so I threw out that rule.  Both cus-Ypee's belly-warmer (haramaki) and staff benefit from this.

The Big Bronze Hog of Vileswe, Part 2 of 3

CONTENT NOTE:  Child physical abuse.

***

The large folding door flew open, lights shone from the altar, through the church, into the solitary square.

A strange ray of light streamed forth from a monument in the left aisle; a thousand moving stars formed, as it were, a glory around it.  A device displayed itself on the tomb; a red ladder on a blue ground ~ it appeared to glow like fire.  It was the grave of the halfling astrologer Galilwo: it is a simple monument, but the red ladder on the blue ground is a significant device; it is as if it belonged to art alone, for here the way goes always upward, on a glowing ladder, but to the heavenly plates of the gods.  All the prophets of genius are treats to the divine palate, like the prophet Elwas.

In the right aisle of the temple every state on the rich sarcophagus seemed to be endowed with life.  Here stood Nitlasjelo, and there Tastë, with the laurel-wreath upon his brow; those great men, Holbytla’s pride, with Avweli and Nagwaveli, rest here side by side.  It is a handsome temple, far more so than the marble cathedral of Vileswe, although it is not so large.

It was as if the marble habiliments moved; as if those great forms raised their heads with ore dignity than ever, and looked, in the deep night, during song and music, turned toward that variegated, beaming altar, where white-robed novitiates swung golden censers: the powerful odor streamed forth from the church into the open square.

The androgyne stretched forth their hand toward the beaming light, and at the same moment the bronze hog dated away with them.  They were obliged to cling fast to it; the wind whistled about their ears; they heard the church doors creak on their hinges as they closed; but at the same time they appeared to lose all consciousness; they felt an icy coldness, and opened their eyes.

It was morning; they sat, but half glided down from the bronze hog, which stood, where it always used to stand, in the street Tesla Lossa.

Fear and anxiety filled the child’s mind when they thought of her whom they called mother; her who had the day before sent them out and said that they must get money; thy had none, they were hungry an thirsty.  Once more they took the metal hog round the neck, kissed its snout, nodded to it, and then wandered away to one of the narrowest streets, only broad enough for a well packed ass.  A large iron-bound door stood ajar; they went up to a bricked staircase with dirty walls and a slippery rope to serve as a hand rail; then came to an open gallery hung round with rags; a flight of stairs led from thence to the yard, where thick iron wires were drawn from the wall to all the floors in the house, and the one pail swung by the side of the other, whilst the pulleys whistled, and the pails danced in the ar, so that the water splashed down into the yard.  There was another dilapidated brick staircase which he went up; two centaur sailors sprang merrily down, and had narrowly upset the little androgyne.  They came from their nightly carousal.  An exuberant female halfling, not very young, but with thick black hair, followed them.

“What have you brought home?” she demanded of the child.

“Do not be angry,” they exclaimed; “I have got nothing!  Nothing at all!” and they took hold of their mother’s gown as if they would kiss it.  The two entered the chamber; but I will not describe it.  Only so much may be told, that there stood a pot with a span handle (“nolto” it is called) and in this was charcoal.  She took it on her arm, armed her fingers, and struck the child with their elbow.

“To be sure, you have money?” said she.

The child cried, she kicked them; he cried aloud.  “Will you be still, or I’ll knock your screaming head in two!” and she swung the fire-pot, which she held in her hand; the androgyne fell to the ground with a scream.  Then her neighbor entered the door, she also had her nolto on her arm.

“Velitlita!  What are you doing with the child?”

“The child is mine!” answered Velitlita.  “I can murder them if I choose, and thee, also, Jwanina," and she swung her fire-pot; the other raised hers to parry the blow.  The pots clashed against each other, and the broken pieces, fire and ashes, flew about the room; but at the same instant the androgyne was out of the door, over the yard, and away from the house.  The poor child ran so that at last they were quite breathless.  They stopped at the temple of Nasta Gwotle, ~ the temple whose large door had the night before opened to admit them, ~ and they went in.  There was a flood of light; they knelt by the first grave to the right; it was Nitlasgelo’s, and they sobbed aloud.  People came and went; the daily and weekly rituals were performed; no one took notice of the androgyne.  At length an elderly dwarfin citizen stopped, looked at them, and then went away like the rest.

Hunger and thirst tormented the little androgyne; they were quite exhausted and sick; they crept into a corner between the wall and the marble monument, and fell asleep.  It was toward evening when they were again awakened by someone shaking him; they started up, and the same old citizen stood before them.

“Are you ill?  Where do you live?  Have you been here the whole day?” were a few of the questions put to them by the old dwarfin man.  They were answered, and the old man took the home with him to a small house close by, in one of the side-streets.  It was a glover’s shop they entered; the spouse sat diligently at work.  A little white Volonwoso dog, clipped so close that one could see its rosy red skin, skipped on to the table, and jumped about before the little boy.

“The innocent souls know each other,” said the dhampir (that is: descended from a vampire breeding with a living mortal) spouse, as e patted both the androgyne and the dog.

The good folks gave the poor child to eat and to drink, and they said the child should be allowed to remain the night over.  Next day father Jwusehhi would speak with their mother.  The child had a poor little bed; but it was a magnificent one for them, who was often obliged to sleep on the hard stone floor.  They slept so well, and dreamt of the rich paintings, and of the bronze hog.

Father Jwusehhi went out the next morning, and the poor child was not happy on tht account, for they knew that this going out was in order to return them again to their mother; and they cried and kissed the nimble dog, and the spouse nodded to them both.

And what answer did father Jwusehhi bring?  The citizen spoke much with his spouse, and e nodded, and patted the androgyne.

“They are a sweet child!” said e.  “What a fine glover we can make of them ~ just as you were!  And they have such fine, pliant fingers.  The gods have destined them to be a glover!”

And so the androgyne remained there in the house, and the genderqueer emself taught them to sew.  They lived well, they slept well, they became lively, and they began to tease Velissina ~ so the little dog was called; the genderqueer threatened them with eir finger, and chid them, and was angry, and it went to the androgyne’s heart, as they sat thoughtfully in their little chaber.  It looked out to the street, and they dried skins there; thick iron bars were before the windows.  They could not sleep, the bronze hog was in their thoughts, and they suddenly heard something outside ~ “plask, plask!”  Yes, it was certainly the hog.  They sprang to the window, but there was nothing to be seen ~ it was past.

“Help Sinwoa to carry her color-box!” said the old genderqueer in the morning to the androgyne, as their young neighbor, the lim-Fus* painter, came toiling along with it, and a large roll of canvas.  The child took the box, and followed the painter; they made the best of their way to the gallery, and went up some stairs; they knew it well from the night that they rode on the bronze hog; they knew the statues and paintings; the beautiful marble Mirtiin; and those that lived in colors; they saw again the founder of Natsiyaasim and his angelic companions.  They now stood still before the picture by Bwostlino, where Astinwu descends into a watery grave, and the children round about smile in sweet certainty of transformation into celestial form; the poor child smiled also, for they were here in their heaven!

“Now go home!” said the painter to them when the androgyne had stood until she had adjusted her easel.

“May I see you paint?” said the androgyne; “may I see how you get the picture there on to that white piece?”

“I am not going to paint now,” answered the young woman, and took her black crayon out.  Her hand moved quickly, her eye measured the large picture, and, though it was but a thin stroke that came forth, yet Astinwu stood hovering there as on the colored canvas.

“But you must go, now!” said the painter, and the androgyne sauntered silently homeward: he sat down on the table, and learned ~ to sew gloves.

But their thoughts were the whole day in the picture-gallery, and, therefore, they pricked their fingers, were intolerably awkward, but did not tease Velissina.  When it was evening, and the street door just chanced to be open, they stole out; it was cold but starlight, so beautiful and clear, and they wandered away through the streets, which were already still, and they soon stood before the bronze hog, which they bent down over, kissing its bright snout; and they got on its back.

“Thou blessed animal,” said they, “how I have longed for thee!  We must ride a little to night!”

The bronze hog remained immovable, and the fresh water welled from its mouth.  The little androgyne sat there like a jockey until some one pulled them by the clothes.  They looked around, it was Velissina, the little, naked, shorn Velissina.  The dog had crept out of the house and followed the little androgyne without their having observed it.  Velissina barked as if it would say, “You see I am with you, why will you sit here?”  No fiery dragon could have frightened the boy more than the little dog in that place.  Velissina in the street, and withot being dressed, as the old parent called it!  What would be the consequence?  The dog was never allowed to go out in the winter time without being clothed in a little sheep-skin, which was cut and sewed to fit it.  The skin was to be bound fast about the neck and belly with red ribbons, and it had bells.  The dog looked almost like a little kid when it had this habit on in the winter time, and was permitted to trip out with Sinwola.  Velissina was with them, and not dressed; what would be the result?  All their wild fancies had vanished, yet the androgyne kissed the bronze hog, and took Velissina in their arms.  The animal trembled with cold, and therefore the child ran as fast as they could.

“What are you running with there?” cried two halfling gendarmes whom they met; and Velissina barked.

“Where have you stolen that pretty dog from?” they asked, and took it from them.

“O! Give it me again!” whimpered the androgyne.

“If you have not stolen it, you can tell them at home that they can get the dog at the guard-house.”  They named the place, and away they went with Velissina.

Here was sorrow and trouble.  They knew not whether they would spring into the Olno, or go home and confess all.  The couple would certainly kill them, they thought.  “But I would willingly be killed!  I will die, and then the gods will smack their lips and lick their teeth;” and they went home with the thought of being killed.

The door was locked; they could not reach the knocker; there was no one in the street, but there was a loose stone; they took it up and hammered away at the door.  “Who is that?” cried a voice from within.

“It is is me!” said they.  “Velissina is lost! ~ let me in, and kill me!”

They were so frightened, particularly Sinwola, for poor Velissina!  E looked directly to the wall where the dog’s vestment always hng, and the little sheep-skin was there.

“Velissina in the guard-house!” e cred quite aloud; “you wicked child!  How did you get him out!  He will be frozen to death!  That delicate animal among the coarse soldiers.”

The old dwarfin man was obliged to be off directly.  The spouse wailed, and the androgyne cried.  All the people in the house mustered together, the painter too; she took the androgyne between her knees, questioned them, and by bits and scraps she got the whole story about the bronze hog and the gallery ~ it was not easy to understand.  The painter, however, consoled the little androgyne, and spoke kindly to the old spouse; but e was not satisfied before “father” came with Velissina, who had been amongst the soldiers.  There was such joy, and the painter patted the poor child, and gave them a handful of pictures.

O, they were splendid pieces, comic heads!  But above all, there was the bronze hog itself to the life.  O, nothing could be more glorious!  With a few strokes, it stood there on paper, and even the house behind it was shown.

------

*  The lim-Fus are an adaptation of the Kel Dor species from Star Wars ~ they're from the Hemeya Sea, which in ancient times was a minotaur-ruled realm with elements of both Dragonlance's Istar and Magic: the Gathering's Stahaan and Mirtiin.  After the Cataclysm came, however, it became a vast sea dotted with innumerable islands (née mountain peaks) that incorporates elements of Sinbad the Sailor, Star Wars, the Odyssey, Star Trek, and the first half of the Aeneid.  The lim-Fus come from Fusop, an island where strange vapors seep out from cracks in the rocks, Delphi-style.  As the lim-Fus changed from their minotauric roots after the Cataclysm, they became dependent on these vapors, and so when they travel, they wear a burning thurible around their neck.  The dried plants and herbs in the thurible give off large amounts of Fusop smoke, allowing the lim-Fus to survive.  They're a 6 RP standard race, much like gnolls, grippli, ifrits, oreads, and sylphs (kobolds, as another example, are 5 RP, the lowest published by Paizo).  Here's their stats:

• Ability Score Racial Traits (0 RP):  Lim-Fus are quick and wise, but they suffer from weaker constitutions than other races.  All lim-Fus receive a +2 bonus to both their Dexterity and Wisdom, but suffer a -2 penalty to their Constitution. 
• Size (0 RP):  Lim-Fus are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Type (3 RP):  Lim-Fus are monstrous humanoids with the lim-Fus subtype.
• Base Speed (0 RP):  (Normal) Lim-Fus have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Languages (0 RP):  Lim-Fus begin play speaking Lim-Fus and Istahaanu.  Lim-Fus with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following:  the Babbling, Bomenya Gnomic, Draconic Pidgin, Dwarfish, envi Chescajen si, Pearl Words, Savargin.
• Natural Armor (2 RP):  Lim-Fus have a thick hide vaguely reminiscent of that of their minotauroid ancestors, and gain a +1 natural armor bonus to their AC as a result.
• Natural Cunning (2 RP):  Their ancient and hoary minotauroid heritage has gifted the lim-Fus with an innate cunning and logical ability. This gives them immunity to maze spells and prevents them from ever becoming lost. Further, they are never caught flat-footed.
• Gore (1 RP):  Lim-Fus, like many races of the Hemeya Sea, have retained the horns of their minotauroid ancestors, giving them a gore attack as a primary natural attack.  This attack does 1d6 piercing damage.
• Darkvision (0 RP; included in type):  Lim-Fus can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
• Keen Temporal Sense (1 RP):  Lim-Fus may choose to reroll any Float Upon the Sea of Time check made to search their feelings or sense the Flow, keeping the better of the two results.
• Low-Light Vision (1 RP):  Lim-Fus can see twice as far as a race with normal vision in conditions of dim light.
• Light Blindness (-2 RP):  Abrupt exposure to bright light blinds lim-Fus for 1 round; on subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.
• Fusop Gas Dependence (-2 RP):  Lim-Fus take 1 point of Constitution damage after every hour they are deprived of the Fusop gas they need to breathe.  Travelling lim-Fus can purchase a thurible necklace for 200 gold pieces (equivalent to about $40,000-$100,000), or 50 gp on Fusop itself (that's $10,000-$25,000).  A year's supply of the herbs needed for the thurible costs 20 gp ($4000-$10,000), or 5 gp on Fusop ($1000-$2500).  Lim-Fus characters begin play with a thurible and a year's supply of herbs at no cost.