Ajani Ihejirika's page

Ajani was born to a small village of Vanara near the edge of the Kaava Lands in the southwestern corner of the Mwangi Expanse. Originally from deeper within the jungle, his tribe migrated further toward the edge of the region, deliberately seeking out a location that would make communication with larger settlements like Senghor easier. They eventually settled on an area clear of forest adjacent to a river that flowed northeast from Desperation Bay into the Kaava Lands.

Though his village was small, there were many accomplished warriors among the ranks who were capable of both defending against the native tribe of pygymy kech for which the Kaava lands are named. His father, Addae, was one of those accomplished warriors. His mother, Amadi, was one of the tribes shamans, a religious leader of the community. Ajani was the eldest of several children sired by the couple, and as such was expected to follow in his father's footsteps to become a warrior.

Ajani's talents, however, leaned significantly toward the spellcasting abilities of his mother. So, begrudgingly, Addae allowed his son to be trained in the Druidic traditions. The Vanara took well to the lessons and soon developed a clear interest in not just Druid magic, but in the aquatic environment that his tribe took much of their livelihood from.

This isn't to say he was an ideal child however…Ajani was as wont to get into mischief as most Vanara children. The only problem was that Ajani, being the child of a tribe priestess, felt more entitled to getting away with his mischief…and one day that trouble nearly cost him his life. At the age of six, Ajani attempted to take a dugout canoe into Desperation Bay on his own, wanting to commune with the sea as the elders in his tribe did. He was managing well enough on his own when he noticed a large ship flying a pirate flag in the distance fast approaching his small craft, chased by a line of vicious-looking lightning. He knew immediately there was nothing he could do to avoid being caught in the squall; his only hope was to hold on and pray that he survived the frightful storm. And then the first gust of wind and rush of water came and tossed him from the boat as easily as it would've tossed a feather. Ajani called for help from the passing ship, though, knowing the reputation of pirates, his only hope was that the waves swallowed him quickly.

As luck would have it, though, the pirate ship that was about to pass him by was captained by a human man named Elias Saladeen, an anti-pirate if there ever was one. The captain himself risked his own life, snatching up a rope and cork vest from the deck of the ship, diving overboard to recover the young Vanara. The crew had barely gotten them on board and below decks when the squall overtook the ship. They were rocked violently for what seemed like hours, Ajani no less fearful for his life than he was in the water, but eventually the storm passed them by, continuing on its course to Sargava.

Captain Saladeen made sure that Ajani and the rest of his crew was safe and well, followed quickly by making sure his ship was still seaworthy. Fortunately, the vessel had been well prepared for the storm, suffering little damage. Saladeen himself gave Ajani an escort back home, where his tribe had been frantically searching for him, his parents driven nearly insane with worry about the storm that had just passed. They thanked Saladeen profusely, offering him gifts from what little the tribe had. He turned them all down with a laugh and a smile, then before he left, he knelt to wish Ajani farewell, but not before leaving him a parting gift…his worn, brown leather hat. It was a simple thing, but it became Ajani's greatest treasure. In that moment, he knew that he would someday follow in the footsteps of Captain Saladeen…but not without a whole lotta work.

He dedicated himself completely to his duties, becoming an accomplished swimmer, learning the Druidic arts from his mother. It didn't take very long for him to show a great interest in the storms that were not uncommon to the region; almost certainly, his near-fatal encounter with one at sea was the driver, having given him a first-hand look at the beauty and raw power contained within the roiling tempest. He was determined not to be caught off-guard like he was when Captain Saladeen had to come to his rescue; instead of becoming fearful of the storm, as time passed, he came to understand that someday it would be within his power to instead harness and control the kind of storm that had nearly cost him his life. His parents knew, deep down, that he would leave someday. That his encounter with Saladeen had left an indelible mark on their son's spirit, something made all the more clear by the fact that he hardly let Saladeen's old hat out of his sight, taking meticulous care of the headpiece. They didn't approve, of course, but they knew his departure was as inevitable as the spring rains and the summer heat.

Whenever the village sent a party to Senghor, Ajani was the first volunteer. Each time they arrived, the first thing the Vanara did was dash dockside to discover what he could about Captain Saladeen's voyages and accomplishments. Each time he was regaled with new stories of how the captain's adventures and, occasionally, how he had felled a murderous rival or performed some other act to show that, beneath the swashbuckling exterior, he had a heart of gold. Here was a pirate that was totally different from the others, a man who was dedicated to using his skills and talents to do good in the world, not take advantage of and trample over the rights of others. He was the kind of man Ajani wanted to become…seeing the world and becoming a force for good in it.

And so it happened that, one day, he announced that he wasn't going to be returning from the latest trip to Senghor. His parents tried to talk him into staying, knowing they would fail. The boy who had nearly drowned in the storm had grown to a young man who sought his destiny out in the world, wanted to make his mark upon it. When the group arrived in Senghor, he stayed with his tribe-mates, doing what he could to help them fulfill their trading and other reasons for coming to Senghor before he bid them farewell. Donning Captain Saledeen's hat, he went to the docks, offering gold and an extra deckhand to anyone who would provide him passage to the Shackles…and to Port Peril, its de facto capital, seeking what information he could about Captain Saladeen and how best he can begin his dream of following in his footsteps.

Knowing the reputation of Port Peril, he is of course wary, trying to use Saladeen's hat to conceal his features, but it's probably clear to anyone there that he's new blood in the Shackles. He enters the first tavern he can find, some place called the Formidably Maid, intending to discover what he can about Captain Saladeen's most recent exploits.

Ajani is of average height for a Vanara, standing at around 5'7" and weighing just shy of 160 pounds. His build is slight and wiry, the muscles he has toned by years spent in very frequent swimming; he is clearly made more for endurance than for any act of brute strength. His body is covered with a thin layer of red-brown fur, his hair similarly colored and normally spiked upward. He typically also wears a black, grey, or similarly-contrasting bandana or roll of cloth tied around his forehead. His clothing normally consists of single-color robes that contrast with the color of his fur and hair, though he also frequently wears short tunics and pants for ease of motion during his frequent swims.

Having been raised to work with and eventually succeed his mother as a shaman for his tribe, Ajani tries to walk the line between the more playful and mischievous nature of his people and the patient wisdom of the spiritual leader he was groomed to become. Ajani much prefers to thoughtfully consider and plan before any undertaking, believing that doing so makes it much more likely to have real success. Knowing the reputation the Vanara have for being prankish, he tries to withhold the more impish parts of his nature until he is sure others will not be put out by his mischievousness.

He has a deep sense of reverence and respect for nature, particularly the oceans and seas that his tribe derived so much of their livelihood from. This is also the source of his disdain for anyone who uses the sea as a means to advance their own position at the expense of others.

Ajani Ihejirika
Male Druid (Storm Druid) 1
NG Medium humanoid (Vanara)
Initiative 3; Senses Low-light vision; Perception +9
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DEFENSE
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AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +3 armor, +1 shield)
hp 10(1d8+2)
Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +7; + vs conditionals
Defensive Abilities
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OFFENSE
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Speed 30 ft, climb 30 ft.
Melee Scimitar +0 (1d6/18-20x2)
Dagger +0 (1d4/19-20/x2)
Ranged Dagger +3(1d4/10 ft)
Special Attacks
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +6)
8/day — Storm Burst 1d6 nonlethal
Spells Known/Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +6)
1st (/day) — Frostbite, Hydraulic Push, Obscuring Mist (Domain), Touch of the Sea (DC 16)
0 (at will) — Create Water, Know Direction, Purify Food and Drink (DC 15)
Domain Storms (Weather subdomain)
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STATISTICS
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Strength 10(+0), Dexterity 17(+3), Constitution 13(+1), Intelligence 12(+1), Wisdom 20(+5), Charisma 13(+1)
Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 13 / 10 Fl
FeatsArmor Proficiency (Light), Armor Proficiency (Medium), Druid Weapon Proficiences, Shield Proficiency, Spell Focus (Conjuration)
SkillsAcrobatics +5, Climb +12, Diplomacy +2, Knowledge (nature) +7, Perception +9, Spellcraft +5, Stealth +5, Survival +7, Swim +5; Racial Modifiers +2 Acrobatics, +2 Stealth
TraitsEase of Faith, Touched by the Sea
Languages Common, Druidic, Elven, Vanara
SQ Nature bond (Storms domain), nature sense, prehensile tail, wild empathy +2
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EQUIPMENT
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Weapons Scimitar, Dagger, Dagger
Armor Hide Shirt, Light Wooden Shield, Traveller’s Outfit
Slotted Items [/i]
Wands, Rods, Etc [i]
Backpack
Bandolier Canteen, Chalk, Compass, Holly & Mistletoe
Mount
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OTHER INFORMATION
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Carrying 31 lb
Carrying Capacity 33 lbs/66 lbs/100 lbs
Favored Class Bonuses
1st - +1 HP
Ability Score Increases
4th —