Male Slate Human, 12th-Level Rogue, 6th-Level Bard, 6th-Level Wizard

Strength Dexterity Constitution Intelligence Wisdom Charisma Hit Points

10 (+0) 25 (+7) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 111

Fortitude Save Reflex Save Will Save Alignment Speed Size Melee Attack: Ranged Attacks:

+8 +24 +18 NG 30ft M (5'8") +16/+11/+6/+1 +15/+10/+5

Armor Class Flat-footed AC Touch AC Initiative

22 15 17 +11

Skills: Appraise +21, [Bardic Knowledge +9], Concentration +10, Decipher Script +19, Diplomacy +13, Gather Information +24, Hide +25, Listen +31, Move Silently +17, Perform (oration) +20, Read Lips +18, Scry +11, Search +25, Sense Motive +29, Speak Language +8, Spellcraft +20, Spot +27.
Feats: Alertness, [Armor Proficiency, Light], [Armor Proficiency, Medium], Deflect Arrows, Dodge, [Exotic Weapon Proficiency], Expertise, Improved Familiar, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Iron Will, Leadership, Lightning Reflexes, [Scribe Scroll], [Scry on Familiar], [Shield Proficiency], [Simple Weapon Proficiency], [Speak with Familiar], Stunning Fist, Track, Weapon Finesse (rapier).
Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elven, Tomanth, Sholin, Amaran, Toomaran, Vridaran, Celestial, Draconic, Abyssal.
Special Abilities: Bardic Music 6/day, Evasion, Sneak Attack 6d6, Stunning Attack 6/day DC 24, Summon Familiar, Uncanny Dodge (Dex bonus to AC, can't be flanked, +1 against traps).
Possessions: Mister Mhenace wears boots of elvenkind, a mithral shirt, gloves of Dexterity +6, bracers of armor +6, a ring of chameleon power, and a ring of mind shielding. He also keeps a rapier +2 of puncturing on a baldric, as well as 8 masterwork throwing daggers.
Spells: 4/4/4/3. Documented spell-use includes haste, fly, secret page, tongues, nondetection, cat's grace, darkvision, invisibility, and erase.

Appearance: Rial Mhenace is of moderate height, moderate build, and moderate description. He has the kind of face and clothing that are so nondescript that he is instantly forgotten. When he chooses, to, however, he can project almost any aura he chooses. The title he wears determines the clothing he wears, as well. At work for Gideon Enterprises, he tends to wear comfortable leather breeches, boots, and a white cotton shirt. As the Marquis of Thayer's Rock, he tends to wear the same -- but can dress up in formal court clothes of such high-quality silks that they could finance a brigandine's construction. As the advisor to King Graniteshoulders of Rakore, he wears his most lethal apparel, and can rarely be seen unless necessary. As the First Quarrel, he wears a tabard with the Rakoran flag emblazoned on it in gold thread, on a light green background -- and a mithral brooch emblazoned with a rose-gold quarrel.

Background: The Holy City of Karmen is reknowned for the power of its Chosen -- but it's also known for its mercenaries. Rial's father was captain of a powerful mercenary company named for him: the Mhenaces. Rial was the third of three boys, born almost a generation after his two brothers. His two brothers had grown up to be big, fine, strapping young mercenaries of the first order, serving as lieutenants in the Mhenaces. Daren Mhenace had high hopes for his baby boy, and named him 'Rial', hoping he would follow in his brothers' footsteps.

Instead, Rial was a small, sickly boy that disappeared for days at a time. It wasn't until a bishop of the Church of Lul brought Rial home that his father found out he was running away to libraries. Daren was furious, but realized the youngest boy was more of a brain than a brawn. Young Rial was fostered off to the Church of Lul, and to the very bishop that had discovered the boy in the secret archives. Bishop Aldmar Fontaine of Lul, Quitzara, undertook to train the boy in the arts of spycraft, learning, and intelligence gathering.

Rial learned much about how the Inquisition works, and about the Avard Accords that held the churches together. He also learned about how brutally the mages had been repressed for four-hundred something years, and sympathized immensely with them. He came across the occasional spellbook or two in the libraries of Lul, but repressed the urge to read them with an iron will for fear the Inquisition would find him. When he learned about the organizing Fourth Crusades, he saw his opportunity, and fled south as a sailor, unable to deal any more with churches of the Avard Accords. He worked as a sailor, wandering slowly westward, until he arrived in the tiny village of Teras -- and found there was nothing further west to go to.

There, he slowly blended in with the community, opening up a ship-repair yard for the annual migrations of the whaling vessels from Chandral. He had hoped to raise enough funds to build a light galleon, and then fate handed him more than he could have dreamed. A young dwarf by the name of Dwarfendale, together with a desert elf named Malkir, had money burning a hole in their pockets from the burgeoning War of the Undead. Rial was more than happy to take their money, and invest it in ways they could never have imagined. 'Mister Mhenace' had a secret: all the design schematics for Karmen's super-ships, as well the knowledge of where to find the resources, people, facilities, and equipment right there near Teras.

When Dwarfendale and Malkir returned to check on their investment, they discovered a ship-building facility in need of a name, and the two named it Gideon Enterprises. Rial had created a monster, of a kind that had never been seen before on Gaeleth. He had created the 'corporation'. By the time Rakore was founded, and the War of the Undead was over, Gideon Enterprises dominated commerce in all the west, built primarily around ships and transportation.

Best of all, Rial found time to study the forbidden books of his youth, and began studying magic at Lok Magius. In addition, King Graniteshoulders asked him to create an intelligence gathering network for the nation of Rakore, and so he created the King's Quarrels. The Quarrels acted in a visible capacity as messengers for the King, and in an invisible capacity as his spies. In return for all he'd done for Rakore, King Graniteshoulders granted Rial the titles of Knight, and Marquis.

Role-playing notes: At a glance, Rial can tell more about most people than they know about themselves. His general knowledge is considerable, but his ability to size up people gives him an advantage unlike any others. Rial is all about gathering information, and shamelessly uses his familiar to spy on others when he can't. Not a voyeur or pervert, he instead keeps an eye on possibilities of any sort. The only church vow Rial ever took was to keep the knowledge he gains from being used against others -- except in service to the crown.

Familiar: Rial's familiar is a battered old tom cat that can blend in anywhere -- just like Rial. The tom's name, Gavern, aids Rial in gathering information -- and helps with the ever-present rat problem. Gavern: tiny magical beast; CR 12; HD 24d8; 55 hp; Init +2 (Dex); Spd 30ft; AC 26 (+2 size, +2 Dex, +12 natural armor); Atk +16/+11/+6/+1 melee (2 claws, 1d3, crit20x2) and +16/+11/+6/+1 melee (bite, 1d2, crit20x2); F/R 2.5x2.5/0ft; SA darkvision 60ft, Acid/Cold/Electricity Resistance 20, Damage Reduction 10/+3, SR 25; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1; Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 12, Cha 7. Skills and Feats: Appraise +21, Balance +10, [Bardic Knowledge +9], Climb +5, Concentration +10, Decipher Script +19, Diplomacy +13, Gather Information +24, Hide +17, Listen +31, Move Silently +9, Read Lips +18, Scry +11, Search +25, Sense Motive +29, Speak Language +8, Spellcraft +20, Spot +27, Weapon Finesse (claw, bite), [Improved Evasion], [Share Spells], [Empathic Link], [Touch] Spells, [Speak with Master], [Speak with Animals of Its Type]. Cats receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks and a +8 racial bonus to Balance checks. They use their Dexterity modifier for Climb checks. In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, the Hide bonus rises to +8.

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