Nicolas Fortrisic
Male half-elf rog 6/assassin 3: CR 9; Medium humanoid; Hit Dice 9d6+9, 41 hp; Init +8; Spd 40 ft (8 squares); AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 18 (22, touch 12, flat-footed 22 when wearing adamantine full plate and carrying shield); BAB/Grapple +6/+8; Atk +11 melee (2d4+3, +1 spiked chain), or +10 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow), or +9 melee (1d6+2/19-20, adamantine short sword); Full Atk +11/+6 melee (2d4+3, +1 spiked chain), or +10/+5 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow), or +9/+4 melee (1d6+2/19-20, adamantine short sword); SA death attack, sneak attack +5d6, spellcasting; SQ +2 racial bonus to saves vs. enchantment spells and effects, +1 racial bonus to Listen, Search, and Spot checks, +2 racial bonus to Diplomacy and Gather Information checks, +1 bonus to saves vs. poison, elven blood, evasion, immunity to sleep spells and effects, improved uncanny dodge, low-light vision, poison use, trapfinding, trap sense +2, uncanny dodge; AL LE; SV Fort +4, Ref +12, Will +5; Abilities Str 14, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 12 Cha 14.

Skills and Feats: Balance +8, Bluff +11, Diplomacy +9, Disable Device +9, Disguise +10, Escape Artist +11, Forgery +6, Gather Information +7, Hide +21, Intimidate +4, Jump +8, Listen +5, Move Silently +14, Open Lock +9, Search +4, Speak Language (Common, Elven, Gnoll), Spot +2, Tumble +9, Use Magic Device +9; Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Spiked Chain; Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse.
Typical Assassin Spells Prepared: 1st—disguise self, sleep.
Possessions: +1 spiked chain, boots of striding and springing, +2 shadowed leather armor, ring of protection +1, adamantine short sword, adamantine full plate, masterwork steel shield, 6 applications of large scorpion poison (injury DC 18, 1d6/1d6 Str), light crossbow, 20 bolts.

Death Attack (Ex): If Nicolas studies his opponent for three rounds he can attempt a death attack which will paralyze or kill his target. A DC 14 Fortitude save must be passed to avoid suffering these effects.

Coming out of the brush, seemingly out of nowhere, is a man covered in leaves and various other items tapped from the flora and fauna which surrounds you. A spiked chain spins casually as the man leans on a tree, lights his pipe and asks, “What’s your business here, travelers?”

Physical Description:
Nicolas is a tall and attractive male. He stands at an even 6 feet tall and weighs 185 pounds. Nicolas is lean and slender and moves with an elven grace although he certainly looks more human than elf. With long golden hair that sets evenly with his strong chin, Nicolas has deep blue eyes that have men trust him and ladies swoon over him. Nicolas is always clean and wears impeccable clothing kept to the highest standards. Whether wearing his field armor, the leather, or his adamantine dress armor Nicolas always looks regal.

Personality:
Nicolas is certainly not what most people would guess as an evil person. Nicolas is a soldier’s soldier. He is amiable, full of humor, self depreciating, and graceful. Nicolas is also calculating, efficient, and thorough in all tasks that he accepts or is ordered to pursue. It is these former qualities that make him a respected leader and noted soldier of high repute.

However, Nicolas can be cold and uncaring—to put it mildly. In hushed tones, his troops speak of how they could have saved a small villa if only Nicolas’s wish for the town’s young women had been fulfilled. It wasn’t, and a marauding band of barbarians ransacked it and burned it to the ground. Patiently, Nicolas and his squad watched from a nearby hill as the town was razed. The following morning Nicolas ordered the slaughter of every barbarian, to a man, before striking on a raid.

Nicolas has no problem torturing, poisoning or even killing people as it suits him. To be sure, he won’t kill if ordered not to . . . but woe is the person who holds information that Nicolas Fortrisic deems valuable.

Putting Nicolas Fortrisic in your campaign:
Nicolas is a born leader. He can always lead troops and has a way with people, but Nicolas likes torturing people. He uses his natural rapport with people to bend their wills the better to get what he wants. At a young age, Nicolas used blackmail, doublespeak, and blatant lying to get people to do as he wished. He had a knack for it and absolutely enjoyed it. As he grew older he graduated to kidnapping, extortion, and finally murder.

For every big and bad person there is always someone bigger and always someone more evil. Nicolas met that person in his late teens and that person held power. Constable Rudwick Caste loved wine, money, and small children. Constable Caste was one of the most crooked authority figures in town but almost the entire populace was ignorant of Rudwick’s peccadilloes, but Nicolas found out about them though and the Constable a visit, during which he used his usual avenues of approach and was immediately threatened by the good Constable.

Nicolas relished this challenge. He laid low and pretended to be in hiding, afraid of the good constable. It took only a week before Rudwick was back to his old ways. Nicolas took this as a blessing and gave chase. He waited and watched, glad that he would rid the world of this evil person. When Rudwick finished with the boy and gave the perfunctory warning the young boy left. It was time for Nicolas to work.

Constable Rudwick proved to be quite the tough one. He took all Nicolas had and laughed. The laughing stopped when Nicolas sliced his throat. Because he was not paying attention during the torture, Nicolas never realized that Rudwick had magically summoned reinforcements, and was forced to Nicolas run. Nicolas joined a city militia as a scout, figuring that it would provide protection. It did and Nicola found a second calling.

Nicolas excelled at scouting. He found that he relished in the killing without the trappings of law. After only a few years, which passed quickly, Nicolas thought, he was responsible for the capture, detention, and questioning of any people his superiors felt were a danger to the nation. Nicolas relished this, too, and gleefully explored new methods of torture to get information. It was during one high stakes capture that Nicolas was really rewarded.

While on patrol one night Nicolas watched with his strike team as a caravan rolled by in the dark. Nicolas stopped it and found an opposing city’s senator in hiding, apparently being smuggled to a safe location away from the advancing troops. This high profile capture brought Nicolas fame and power.

Currently Nicolas is in charge of the Scouts 2 Regiment of The South (or whatever works in your campaign). He still takes contracts.

DM Notes:
Nicolas has been awarded a gleaming set of adamantine arms and armor in the form of a sword, full plate, and a shield. Nicolas is loathe to wear these items, but does so if ordered or if he wishes to make a grand presence. While wearing these items, Nicolas suffers a -7 to his attack rolls as well as Strength and Dexterity ability and skill checks.
This suit of armor is replete with baldric, heavy blue cloak and gloves as well as a plumed helm. Nicolas, because of the armor’s material, also gains DR 2/— when wearing it.

Plot Hooks:
-- Someone has been killing off good political figures in the PCs’ place of residence. Who is it?
-- Although war has not been declared, it seems that the city’s troops are being attacked by troops from another nearby city. But the powers that be in the other city swear that they are not responsible for the attacks . . . so who is trying to start a war, here?
-- The king informs the PCs that a rogue unit is loose, making him look badly and it probably is his own fault. The PCs must stop a war hero . . . quietly. While investigating, the king is found dead. The war hero takes the throne, and the people rejoice. What will the PCs do?
-- An evil king fears Nicolas because the people back him, and wants him "neutralized." Who will the PCs choose to support?
-- While heavily outnumbered, the PCs accept their fate. Suddenly a small military unit helps out. A gracious and amiable Nicolas offers them a spot on the team. How will the PCs react to the brutal tactics that they see?