Crag the Igneous's page

Craggok held the spike hard against the stone. Crag lifted the massive sledge high into the air. With a grunt, he brought the heavy iron head down hard upon the spike driving it fully into the stone, as Craggok safely snatched his hand away. A crack like the bones of the earth shattering sounded through the vale. The wounded stone shrieked as it gave way to the core sampling Crag and his father had drawn from it.

Crag ran his fingers along the spidery lines of greenish ore that threaded through the rock’s core. This stone does not surrender her secrets easily… he sighed.

Craggok traced his fingers through a few well known gestures. A moment later the small fissure closed, sealing the injury they had done to the canyon floor. Crag nodded as he watched his elder. Protect the stone, as she protects us… Nurture her, as she nurtures us… As he silently recited the ages old mantra, he hefted the core sample around for his father’s perusal.

“Hmph. Thin,” Craggok grunted. “A wasted effort.”

Thin here, at the surface. But, see how it bands here, and here… here as well. Crag indicated several spots on the sample. It will grow as we pursue it deeper.

“What of it? This stone is stubborn. Ye said yourself, she’ll nay surrender easily.”

Twenty feet? Crag asked.

“Hmph. No more. And I mean it this time, ye stubborn, boar-headed fool! I’ll nay have ye digging up half the world fer this worthless ore! I dunna care if the mother’s whole load o’ mithril lies below it!” Craggok bellowed his warnings, but the anger did not reach his eyes. “Now, go summon the others.”

........

The hand that tore apart the barricade was bigger than Crag’s torso. A face like misshapen rock appeared behind the breach as Crag lashed out with his sledge. A crack like thunder sounded, and the stone giant fell back from the opening. Four more hands grabbed the edges of the barricade and pulled, shattering the last vestiges of the dwarven defenses.

The fight had been going for hours. The tribe of stone giants had been methodical and relentless in their attacks and pursuit of Crag and his clan. Too many lay dead, broken, and wounded. To run further meant leaving the others behind. Crag and his brothers would never leave their family behind.

As the barricade collapsed, the boulders began raining down.

There was no valiant battle.

Crag’s family was pulped in seconds. Another wave of boulders. Then a third. It was almost a blessing, a relief from pain and grief, when one clipped his forehead and the world went black…

........

The dozens of piled cairns paid mute testament to the fallen dwarves. Crag wept as he piled the loose rocks around the bodies of his kin.
From the stone are we shaped, and to the stone we shall return…

Crag looked at the sun, the movement and his wounded head causing him to swoon and nearly faint. There was a human town nearby. He did not know its name. He had little to do with humans, or any non-dwarf, for that matter.

But, he could not avenge his clan on his own…

Crag the Igneous
Male dwarf stonelord 1
LG Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +2 (+2 Stoneworking)
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +2 dexterity)
hp 12 (1d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +3; +3 vs. spells, spell-like abilities, poison
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.
Melee dwarven longhammer +4 (2d6+4/x3) or power attack +3 (2d6+7/x3)
Melee dwarven boulder helmet +4 (1d4+3) or power attack +3 (1d4+6)
Ranged shortbow +2 (1d6/x3)
Special Attacks stonestrike 1/day
Spell-Like Abilities
At will — detect evil
STATISTICS
Str 17, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 16; +4 vs. bull rush and trip attempts while standing on the ground
Feats Power Attack
Skills Appraise +1, Perception +2, Sense Motive +5
Languages Common, Dwarven
SQ Aura of Good
Traits Defensive Strategist, Giant Slayer, Glory of Old
Gear dwarven boulder helmet, dwarven longhammer, hide armor, shortbow w/20 arrows
Additional Gear backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, chalk, flint and steel, grappling hook w/rope (50 ft.), stone holy symbol, traveler’s outfit, waterskin, 6 gp 8 sp 9 cp Weight 91.5 lbs. (medium load)
Favored Class Bonus +1 skill point

Aura of Good (Ex): The power of a paladin’s aura of good (see the detect good spell) is equal to his paladin level.

Detect Evil (Sp): At will, a paladin can use detect evil, as the spell. A paladin can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is evil, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the paladin does not detect evil in any other object or individual within range.

Stonestrike (Su): Once per day per paladin level, a stonelord can draw upon the power of the living rock. As a swift action, he treats his melee attacks until the beginning of his next turn (whether armed or unarmed) as magical and adamantine, including ignoring hardness up to twice his paladin level, with a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls, as well as on combat maneuver checks. This bonus also applies to his CMD if he or his target is touching the ground or a stone structure. This bonus increases by +1 at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter. This ability replaces smite evil.

Defensive Strategist (Torag): Your knowledge of history and religion gives you an excellent mind for defensive strategy and tactics. You are not flat-footed when you are an unaware combatant. This includes a surprise round that you don’t get to act in, and before you get to act at the start of a battle.

Giant Slayer: Your family’s village was plundered by giants in the wilds of Varisia, leaving nothing but a smoldering ruin. After the destruction of your village, your family trained for combat against giants to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again. Since hearing of giants mobilizing throughout the countryside, you ventured to Sandpoint to help the town prepare for a possible incursion. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff, Perception, and Sense Motive checks and +1 trait bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls against creatures of the giant subtype.

Glory of Old (Dwarf): In your veins flows the blood of dwarven heroes from Tar Taargadth. You receive a +1 trait bonus on saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and poison.

+2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma: Dwarves are both tough and wise, but also a bit gruff.

Medium: Dwarves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Slow and Steady: Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.

Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet.

Defensive Training: Dwarves get a +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the giant subtype.

Greed: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on Appraise skill checks made to determine the price of nonmagical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones.

Hatred: Dwarves receive a +1 bonus on attack rolls against humanoid creatures of the orc and goblinoid subtypes due to special training against these hated foes.

Hardy: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities.

Stability: Dwarves receive a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.

Stonecunning: Dwarves receive a +2 bonus on Perception checks to potentially notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors. They receive a check to notice such features whenever they pass within 10 feet of them, whether or not they are actively looking.

Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.

Languages: Dwarves begin play speaking Common and Dwarven. Dwarves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran, and Undercommon.