Ciska

Ciska is the first-person narrator of the Wartorn Cluster-Gazetteers.

Description

Ciska is described by a noblewoman who tried to sell her to vampire Darklady Camille Churnstone as being beautiful and having bright red hair. Artwork of her depicts her as having red eyes as well, and a rather cold facial expression.

Personality

Ciska's writing presents her as being arrogant, prideful and disdainful of those she considers her intellectual inferiors, but willing to instruct those honestly seeking to expand their knowledge and abilities, and respectful of genuine and non-hostile displays of power and ingenuity. She takes great pride in her abilities as a scholar, spellcaster and alchemist, and is confident in her combat abilities. An observer has described her as having a 'toxic' personality, but it could be argued that she constantly chafes against the geas placed on her by her mysterious Master, which has forced her to undertake the perilous journey to the Wartorn Cluster from the Core. She could be said to have a certain code of honour, as she appreciates those who do her a good turn. It is a dark code, however, as it prompted her to provide a quick death to an ally who was being savaged by a vampire.

History

Not much is known of Ciska's history, but she makes several references to life in the Core, specifically Dementlieu, and claims to be a published scholar. It seems clear that at some point she fell under the sway of her unnamed Master, who she detests and wastes no opportunity to mock and insult. It is possible, though not certain, that she is of Darkonese extraction as she carries an unholy symbol of the Eternal Order and swears by its patrons, suggesting she is an (admittedly less than fully devout) worshipper.

Powers and abilities

From Ciska's Lilliend-Gazetteer, it is clear she is proficient with the use of both firearms and a swordcane. She mentions keeping a spellbook, and is capable of casting Daylight and Fireball. She references alchemical abilities, and mentions she has created a homunculus, which indicates she is at the very least a 5th-level Wizard with the Craft Construct-feat (and therefore by necessity, Craft Magic Arms & Armour, Craft Wondrous Item and Scribe Scroll).

As a Wizard first presented in a domain created with the rules of the Pathfinder 1E system, Ciska should be entitled to either a familiar or a Bond item, but has mentioned neither as of yet -- although her relief at recovering her stolen equipment near the end of the Lilliend Gazetteer suggests the latter. If Ciska does use a bond item, it seems most likely that this should be either her unholy symbol of the Eternal Order or her sword cane.

Ciska mentions possessing a certain sensitivity to unusual phenomena, and describes a vivid - and disturbing - vision which occurs several times while she is inside what turned out to be a lair of vampire Darklord Camille Churnstone. It is possible that she possesses the Ethereal Empathy-feat or some other ability that allows her to detect ethereal resonance.

Relationships

Ciska's main relationship throughout the Lilliend-Gazetteer is with her mystery Master, who she holds in contempt and mocks whenever she can. It is at the orders of this individual that she crossed over to the Wartorn Cluster, sometime after he seriously got up the nose (or rather, nasal cavity) of King Azalin and his home was attacked by Kargat. Apparently undeterred by this, the Master is harbouring plans of conquering the whole Wartorn Cluster, an act for which Ciska is gathering information and laying groundwork.