Akiros Ismort's page

Appraise: +0= 0 ranks +0(int)+0(class)
Bluff +2= 0 ranks +2 (chr) CS
Craft: +0= 0 ranks + CS O
Climb: 0= 0 ranks +4(str) +0 (class) -4(acp) CS
Diplomacy: +8= 3 ranks +2(chr)+3 (class) CS S/O
Handle Animal: +5= 1 ranks +2(chr)+3 (class) CS
Heal: +1= 0 ranks +1(wis) CS O
Intimidate: +8= 3 ranks +2(chr)+3(class) CS S/O
K Engineering: +4= 1 ranks +0(int) +3 (class) CS O
K Local: +4= 1 ranks +0(int) +3 (class) CS
K History: +4= 1 ranks +0(int) +3 (class) CS O
K Planes: +0= 0 ranks +0(int) +0 (class) CS O
K Religion: +4= 1 ranks +0(int) +3 (class) CS O
Perception: +5= 2 ranks +0(int) +3 (class) CS O
Profession (General/Officer): +4= 1 ranks +0(int)+3 (class) CS O
Ride: 5= 5 ranks +1(dex) +3 (class)-4 (acp) (+9 on Kydal) CS S/O
Sense Motive: +10= 6 rank +1(wis) +3(class) CS S/O
Spellcraft: +4= 1 rank +0(int) +3(class) CS S/O
Survival: 7= 3 ranks +1(wis)+3(class) CS
Swim: -3= 0 ranks +4(str)-4(acp) CS

DEFENCE
AC 23, touch 14, flat-footed 19 (+4 Dex, –1 size, +6 natural, +4 Mstwk Chainmail Barding)
hp 46 (4d8+20)
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +4
CMD 23 (27 vs. trip)
*Mobility (+4AC vs AoO's)*

OFFENCE
Speed 50 ft.
Base Atk +3; CMB +9;
Melee bite +6 (1d4+5), 2 hooves +4 (1d6+4)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

STATISTICS
Str 21, Dex 19, Con 21, Int 3, Wis 17, Cha 11

Feats: Endurance, Run, Multi-attack, Mobilty
Skills: Acrobatics +3, Climb +4, Escape Artist +3, Fly +1, Perception +9, Stealth -1, Swim +8

SPECIAL:
Combat Riding[Trick], Endurance, Run, Scent, Evasion, Link

Combat Training (DC 20): An animal trained to bear a rider into combat knows the tricks
• Attack (DC 20): The animal attacks apparent enemies. You may point to a particular creature that you wish the animal to attack, and it will comply if able.
• Come (DC 15): The animal comes to you, even if it normally would not do so.
• Defend (DC 20): The animal defends you (or is ready to defend you if no threat is present), even without any command being given. Alternatively, you can command
the animal to defend another specific character.
• Down (DC 15): The animal breaks off from combat or otherwise backs down.
• Guard (DC 20): The animal stays in place and prevents others from approaching.
• Heel (DC 15): The animal follows you closely, even to
places where it normally wouldn’t go.

Bonus tricks: 2
Attack 2(DC 20) Normally, an animal will attack only humanoids, monstrous humanoids, giants, or other animals. Teaching an animal to attack all creatures (including such unnatural creatures as undead and aberrations) counts as two tricks.
Track (DC 20) The animal tracks the scent presented to it. (This requires the animal to have the scent ability)
Combat Gear Masterwork Chain Shirt

+4 Ride while riding your bonded mount. (Ex) Cancel your armor check penalty of -4 while riding your mount.
Animal Companion Link (Ex) You have a link with your Animal Companion.
Mounted Archer (Ex) At 4th level, the samurai becomes skilled at firing ranged weapons while mounted. A samurai only takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls with ranged weapons while his mount takes a double move. This penalty increases to –4 while his mount is running.
Power Attack -2/+4 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Resolve (3/day) (Ex) Starting at 1st level, the samurai gains resolve that he can call upon to endure even the most devastating wounds and aff lictions. He can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day for every two samurai levels beyond 1st. Whenever the samurai defeats the target of his challenge, he regains one daily use of his resolve, up to his maximum number of uses per day. Defeating the target of his challenge usually involves reducing the target to 0 hit points or fewer, but the GM might rule that an enemy who surrenders or flees the battle is also defeated. He can use this resolve in a number of ways.
Ronin's Challenge +5/+2 (2/day) (Ex) +5 to damage target, -2 AC vs. others when used, +2 attack/dodge AC vs challenger when returning a challenge
Self Reliant (Ex) At 2nd level, the ronin learns to rely solely on himself, even in the most difficult of times. Whenever the ronin fails a Will saving throw against an effect with a duration greater than 1 round, he can attempt another saving throw at the end of the second round of the effect. If he makes this saving throw, it has the same effect as if he had made the original save (negating part or all of the effect). In addition, whenever a ronin is brought below 0 hit points, on his next turn he can roll twice to stabilize, taking the better result.
Weapon Expertise: Sword, Bastard (Ex) You can quick draw the chosen weapon, and gain +2 to confirm critical hits

Mystery-Battle(Iomedae): An oracle with the battle mystery adds Intimidate, Knowledge (engineering), Perception, and Ride to her list of class skills.
Revelation-War Sight (Su): Whenever you roll for initiative, you can roll twice and take either result. At 7th level, you can always act in the surprise round, but if you fail to notice the ambush, you act last, regardless of your initiative result (you act in the normal order in following rounds). At 11th level, you can roll for initiative three times and take any one of the results.
Surprising Charge(Ex): Once per day, you can move up to your speed as an immediate action. You can use this ability one additional time per day at 7th level and 15th level.
Oracle's Curse-Clouded Vision: Your eyes are obscured, making it difficult for you to see. Effect- You cannot see anything beyond 30 feet, but you can see as if you had darkvision.
At 5th level, this distance increases to 60 feet.
At 10th level, you gain blindsense out to a range of 30 feet.
At 15th level, you gain blindsight out to a range of 15 feet.

Akiros is a large fellow, standing some 6 feet tall and weighing in about 200lbs or so. He has long, thick, dark black hair and piercing black eyes. He is a man of some presence, his every word burning with intensity and purpose. He is honor-bound almost to a fault. Nothing is more important to him than his word, and there is no price he will not pay to keep it.

He is an incredibly intense and driven man, yet his intensity is as a deep river, for almost never does his passion ripple his calm surface. A single, soft word from him can terrify his soldiers far more than the most volatile raging of even the biggest and meanest of the sergeants. Akiros is an enigma to most, for he allows very little of himself to escape through his rigidly controlled demeanour. Yet somehow he instills trust in those around him. Perhaps it is because he is fair, always seeing to the true balance and equity of any situation. Perhaps it is because few, if any, can best him with a blade. Or perhaps it is because his men know he will give everything of himself to lead them to victory. Whatever the cause, his men would follow him anywhere.

While no one would ever accuse Akiros of being overly friendly, he gets along with well enough with most. However, he cannot stand the steward of the realm, Berrin. He keeps it to himself, mostly, but they had started off on an ill foot and the terrible first impression, and second and third, Berrin had made to him had simply failed to ever fade.

There seems to be some sort of odd connection between Akiros and Taisper. While neither of the two would call themselves friends, there does seem to be an...understanding of some sort between them. Of all the heroes, Taisper seems to be the most accepting and trusting of Akiros being among them.

Lately Akiros has been approaching Verik more and more. The samurai never seems to run out of questions for the priest about Abadar. He seems particularly interested in the idea of the Vault, and there somewhere being a perfect version of everything. Verik has not yet come anywhere near divining the purpose of these questions and Akiros seems to have no intention of divulging his motivations. Yet for all that, the priest is always happy to speak about his chosen faith and sometimes the conversations between the two can last for hours.

As for the leader of Sanctuary, never does Akiros treat Jemini with anything less than the utmost respect. Although Akiros had given his oath to the heroes and Sanctuary in general, it seems clear to most that , since her return, the samurai seems to have shifted his oath to her personally. As is almost everyone, Akiros seems drawn to the brave and beautiful paladin. Yet his manners are never less than impeccable with her and for the most discerning it seems his attraction to her goes beyond the physical. It is almost as if the shining Paladin seems to remind him of someone...or perhaps something. As the noble lady is friendly and kind with everyone, it is not eminently clear exactly how she feels about him. As well, it is more than possible that whatever thoughts or feelings she has about Akiros are coloured by the presence of another

As for that other, Nikolai, the returned Stag Lord in the flesh, no one but Akiros himself knows how he feels about the man and his return from the dead. As of yet, the two have not been in extended close proximity to each other. Although he has not obviously done so, many whisper that the general is avoiding his ex-liege lord. Whatever the case may be, the truth of it remains yet to be seen.

As for the rest of the heroes and leaders, Akiros does not seem to have any feelings towards them one way or another. He leaves them to do their jobs and expects them to leave him to do his.

"I am from Mivon to the south. Like all Mivonese citizens, I dueled for status. I was rising swiftly in standing, but I lost everything one day when I fell in love. Despite my better judgment, I engaged in a dishonorable affair with a noblewoman. Her husband found out about us and, when she told him that it had been against her will, he challenged me to a duel for her honor. It was a savage duel, and one without witnesses to legitimize it. We fought for what felt like hours until I was about to land the finishing blow. She leapt in the way in a last second attempt to stay my hand. I was too exhausted to stop the momentum. In a single blow, I killed both of them. I knew what it appeared to be, so I fled."

"Pursued by his brothers and friends, I made it to these lands but was too weak to continue. In a stroke of luck, I found myself at the Stag Lord's fort. He accepted me, gave me respite and food. Mere hours later, my pursuers arrived. They demanded that he hand me over, but the Stag Lord does not respond well to demands. He did battle with them outside the walls. In less than two minutes, four trained swordsmen lay dead, four ranked members of the Aldori Swordpact. Covered in blood, both his own and theirs, he seemed a giant and my savior. I swore my loyalty to him as long as we live, then and there." Akiros looks at them, his gaze steady and true. "I may disagree with much of what he does, but I swore an oath and intend to keep it. I hold out hope that he will one day be the great man he has the potential to be, but I fear his mysterious patron has too much hold over him for that to happen."

However, that is not quite the entirety of the story, for the ex-paladin had left some significant parts of the story out. For one, while the noblewoman, Sarah, her name, engraved forever on his heart, was Sarah, had indeed told her husband that Akiros had taken her against her will, it had been Akiros himself who had quickly and quietly insisted to her that she do so. The reason he had done this was because, moments before they had been found, she had lovingly told him that she was with child, his child. His mind whirling in the adrenaline of the moment, the distraught young man had instantly understood that a bastard child born of infidelity would have began it's life at great disadvantage. But if she had been able to convince her husband she had been taken against her will, then surely she would also have been able to convince him that the child was his own.

Akiros had intended to lose that duel, to allow the man his pride and honour, and then leave New Stetven, never to be seen there again. But Sarah's husband had been so angry. A rage that would accept nothing less than the death of it's target, and Akiros did not intend to die that day. Still, he would not have killed the man had Sarah not intervened. He would have merely battered the man into unconscious submission. Yet the Gods had been particularly cruel that day and as Sarah dove in to save the life that had not been in danger, Akiros, tool of a heartless Fate, had accidentally ended not one, not two, but three lives that day. In truth, four, should one count his own ruined life. When he had fled, it had not just been from his homeland. He had fled from everything. For he knew in the deepest part of his heart that never again would be able to believe in a God, in any God, who could allow such a cruel tragedy to play out among innocents. So now, the samurai believes in nothing but himself, in his own Word and Code. And this is the true secret behind his obsessive need to keep his bond, above all costs. For it is the last thing he has left. To break his word is to break himself; a sundering from which he knows there would be no recovery. So this is his secret.

There is an even deeper one though. A secret so deep Akiros keeps it even from himself. For as much as he blames the Gods for the tragedy which is his life, there is one other he blames even more. Akiros Himself. For in truth was it not he who had allowed the affair which doomed them all? Yet a drowning man clings to whatever will keep him afloat. For Akiros, this meant burying this truth so deep within himself that the thought of it never occurs to him. There are some things which can shatter a man's soul for all eternity. This is one of them.

Now, Akiros is the former lieutenant of the Stag Lord, as the heroes of Sanctuary had killed the man in an honourable battle. The samurai had then pledged his fealty to the heroes of Newhaven for sparing his life. As a reward, the blindness that Tandlara has cursed him with lifted by she who bestowed it. Truly one of the most beautiful and amazing experiences in his life had been opening his eyes and seeing again for the first time. The Beauty, the Colour, the Detail. It had left him speechless and sent a tear sliding down each of his cheeks.

Currently Akiros serves as the general of Sanctuary's army, training their soldiers for the battle which is surely coming. Knowing this, Akiros drills his men mercilessly. Yet no one works harder, trains harder than does he. For hard work wearies the mind, and a tired mind does not think too much, and this was of utmost necessity. For thinking leads to contemplation, and contemplation leads to the uncovering of truth. And some truths must stay buried forever.

Captain Steffan
2nd Lieutenants, Grayson & Bennick

Acting Captian of the guard, Giergios