The Dust Devil

Pathfinder Society Record

• Known Name: Kellan Westfall
  
• Race: Human
  
• Apparent Age: Early 30s
  
• Birthday: 18 Neth, 4677 AR.
  
• Height: 5'9"
  
• Alignment: Chaotic Good.
  
• Affiliations: Pathfinder society.
  
• Religion: Cayden Cailean.
  
• Character Class: Desperado (Bard/Gunslinger)
  
• Place of Origin: Alkenstar City, Grand Duchy of Alkenstar, Mana Wastes
  
• Player/Type: NPC

Appearance

The Dust Devil

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Background

Kellan Westfall grew up in the shadow of Alkenstar’s towering factories, where his father and older brothers worked long hours forging the firearms that powered the city’s reputation. His father (Kalen), a stern but fair man of Garundi descent, expected Kellan to one day join him on the factory floor, hammering out gun parts and ensuring Alkenstar’s industrial empire continued to run like clockwork. But while Kellan learned the basics of firearms from his father—how to shoot, clean, and care for a gun—his heart was always drawn to a different rhythm. Although he loved his three brothers (Rylan, Jaren, Darin), they brawled a lot for fun or over the slightest thing, and Kellan became handy with his fists. Overall, Kellan recalls his upbringing as tough and full or hardship, but also full of love and respect.

His mother (Layla), a vibrant and warm-hearted woman of Kelish heritage, was a performer who sang in taverns across the city. Kellan loved how her music could lift the spirits of even the weariest factory worker, and he spent most of his free time learning to play the guitar she kept in their small home. From a young age, he’d sneak into taverns and perform alongside her, picking up tips from the locals while sharing a pint with those who’d listen. He learned how music could move people—just as powerful as any gun in the right hands. He also learnt how a confident and charming manner, being light on his feet on the dance floor, and a song and a smile could make the ladies swoon.

The pivotal point in his youth occurred when Kellan was 15, and a gang tried to extort his father and brothers. Not ones to cave in to threats or extortion attempts, he father and brothers resisted and the tension escalated. When the gang came for them to set an example of them to strike fear into others that might be encouraged to follow suit, Kellan didn’t hesitate. His father had taught him to shoot since he could hold a gun, and when the moment came, Kellan took down the gang leader with a single, precise shot. Though his father wanted him to stay in Alkenstar and live a safe, predictable life working in the factory, Kellan knew in that moment that the path of a gunsmith wasn’t for him.

Instead, he took to the road, his mother's guitar slung over his shoulder and revolver at his hip, travelling as a wandering performer, gambler, and gunslinger. The Pathfinder Society gave him a reason to wander beyond the Mana Wastes, offering him work, adventure, and stories worth telling. Known as the “Dust Devil,” Kellan gained a reputation for blowing into town, charming the locals with his songs, cleaning the gambling tables with his skill and luck, and leaving behind a trail of toppled tyrants and freed souls. He may not have followed in his father’s footsteps, but he lived by the lessons learned at home: fight for what's right, and never forget the power of a good story—or a well-aimed shot.

The Lady With the Iron Smile

The Lady with the Iron Smile

After a few years on the road and getting a reputation as a bounty hunter and desperado, equally a hero or a villain depending on the area and who you asked, he met and fell in love with Saffron Lacey ("the Lady with the Iron Smile") and travelled with her hunting bounties together. Then eventually she revealed that he had a bounty on his head for a drunken shootout in Martel over a gambling argument. All the time she had been travelling with and bedding him was just to get to know him. They duelled at high noon, where Saffron expected that Kellan's love for her and heartbreak about her deception and betrayal would affect him enough to slow and confuse him to give her the upper hand. She was wrong, and the Iron Smile faded forever. The irony is that the truth of events came to light soon after and the bounty was removed when it was proven Kellan acted in self-defence. But this second pivotal event hit Kellan hard. Ever since, Kellan makes friends easily and loves women liberally but was unable to let anyone truly in, secretly afraid (though he won't admit it) of being betrayed and hurt once again by those he lets in. Thus he travelled the roads with many friends across many settlements, but always alone.

Golden Eyes on a Desert Wind

Image of Tamina, the cleric of Sarenrae.

Two events caused this to change somewhat. Whilst travelling through Qadira, chasing some slavers that had captured people for the Katapesh slave market, he came across Tamina, a Sarenite cleric. They worked together to help free the captured slaves and secrete them to freedom, and they travelled together for a few weeks after, helping innocents who needed a sword or a gun for protection or against injustice, and bringing freedom to the oppressed. During this time together, Tamina's beauty - both her physical beauty and the beauty of her heart and personality - warmed Kellan's long-cold heart. Their love was tender and beautiful and made him able to love again. Although soon their respective paths diverged once again, their parting was sweet sorrow and amicable, and he still sings a song about her and secretly hopes their paths may cross again one day. Whilst he is still a womanizing scoundrel, his heart has softened once again and it is now more that he cares for women but doesn't want to get too attached as he is constantly on the road, rather than an inability to get emotionally attached because his hurt was broken.

The Little Lady of Mist =

Kellan performing with "The Little Lady of Mist"

Whilst in Absalom's famous Ivy District, renown for it's musical heritage, theatres, and famous White Grotto bardic college, Kellan visited the infamous Ivy Inn, one of the oldest in the Ivy district and a renown parlour house frequented by the rich and famous, including potential employers, theatre and musical group managers and agents, and even staff from the White Grotto who sought out potential applicants. It's reputation as a place that could make or break musical/theatrical careers had also led to it becoming a place renown for a highly "passionate" audience that was quick to break into a mass brawl simply over whether a performance was good or not. Many of the prospective fame-seekers who braved that stage left to cheers and applause, and quickly found themselves getting job offers or making valuable connections, whilst others found themselves subject of ridicule and physically thrown out the door, carried on a wave of hands over the crowd, ending their hopes for fame.

On one such night as he was enjoying the evening, he was amazed at a little halfling female with crow's feet around her eyes indicating her age, going up onto the stage with a violin and a blue dress with white lace accents. He was amazed at how this petite little thing got up there in front of this wild crowd, fearing they would tear her apart. But he noticed the warm smile and confidence in her eyes - she stood there like the calm before a storm, then when she began to sing "she unleashed a voice like a thunderstorm!" Her performance was electric and bold, and he marvelled at how she was larger than life. Undeniable talent and charisma in both singing and playing the violin, accompanied by amazing use of magic to enhance her performance - magical spotlights illuminating her whilst dimming the stage, illusory backing singers singing in perfect harmony, making her violin sound like different instruments or having illusory instruments playing along with her as though she had a ghost band with her. Her performance "brought the crowd to its knees" and she graciously entertained several encores. On one such song, Kellan, taken by the moment, joined her on stage and provided her backing vocals and the accompaniment of his guitar. They danced and laughed and brought joy to themselves and the crowd.

After, they sat and had drinks, and she told him the harrowing tale of her past, of love and loss, and how the song of the stars had saved her from certain death by bringing her to this world, and how she now served the Starsong. Although she was now retired from adventuring, and living a comfortable life as a music professor at the White Grotto (although she mentioned her twin daughters were "too much like her" and would be destined to follow "the echo across the stars" in her footsteps into adventuring). Obtaining a cleaning cloth from one of the maids, they wrote a song together "Of Mist and Iron" that respected their pasts and varied origins, whilst celebrating their new friendship and shared love for music. They performed it on that stage to much acclaim, and that night and moment has always held a special place in his heart. He hopes to return to Absalom and visit his "little lady of mist" friend once again, when his journey and the road takes him back there.

Personality

The Dust Devil performing for the ladies at a saloon.

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Other Notes

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Combat Style

The Dust Devil fighting against a mechanical beast in Numeria

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Social Style

The Dust Devil enjoying a Flaming Whiskey.

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Signature Equipment

Armour & Weapons

• Gun With No Name: This magical revolver is enhanced and does greater damage against creatures of the Giant type, and also enhances his natural Gunslinger "grit" abilities. Additionally, at times of need he can use his personal energy reserves to magically reload the weapon, and the weapon makes him (and the revolver itself) immune to scrying and any form of divination that attempts to ascertain his location, thoughts, or alignment whilst the firearm is carried.
• Belt Knife: A slender utility knife kept on a leather sheath on Kellan's belt. Whilst a versatile backup weapon if needed, it is mostly used for cutting ropes, cleaning fish or skinning animal pelts, and other sundry tasks.
• Blade Boot: A gift from his friend "Kip", Kellan's right boot has a spring-loaded dagger embedded in the toecaps. With a click of his heals he can extract it. Used as a surprise weapon or desperation, or to help escape from ropes or similar,

Magic Items

• Gunman's Duster: s long, loose-fitting black leather coat is magically protected to grant protection as though wearing armour, and provide a luck bonus against firearms attacks and his own natural ability to dodge attacks.
• Beneficial Bandolier: This belt has slots and small pockets capable of holding up to 200 rounds of ammunition and a gunsmith's kit in extra-dimensional space. On command, the belt magically teleports a round of ammunition into a firearm he is wielding.
• Hat of Shadowy Disguise: This black gunman's hat on command twists and melds with the darkness, becoming as black as coal in even the faintest shadow. While worn, it hides Kellan's appearance, masking his features with shadowy illumination making him harder to both recognise and be perceived, especially in dim light, or darkness. Onlookers never discern that he was wearing a shadowy disguise, and those that see him whilst in dim light or darkness are unable to discern any but the most general information about his appearance or actions.
• Bracers of Many Garments: Kellan is social but travels light, and relies on these black leather bracers with silver adornments. When he removes and puts the sleeves back on, Kellan can transform the appearance of his current garments into any other nonmagical set of clothing. These new clothes fit him perfectly and are always clean and mended unless he specifically designates otherwise. This allows him to always be ready when he needs to have a smart suit for a social event, or something more socially appropriate as required.

Mundane Items

• Mother's Guitar: a masterwork but otherwise normal guitar that once belonged to his mother, a gift for the road. One of his most prized possessions.
• Gunsmith's Kit: for maintaining his firearm and crafting new powder and ammunition.

Signature Quotes

• "Dust on the Wind, that's all I'll ever be"
• "We’ll laugh and we’ll joke, but don’t take the mick... I’m a man of my word, and my fists and trigger fingers are quick."
• "As tiny as a child, crow's feet startin' to betray her age. But her smile was bright, her eyes were warm... and she unleashed a voice like a thunderstorm!"

Gallery

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  The Dust Devil

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