Fighter

Duncan Bloodforged's page

509 posts. Alias of High Duke.


About Duncan Bloodforged

Male Erenlander Human
Fighter 5
Heroic Path: Destined
Favoured Region: Northern Erenland
XP:15000
FP:13

Neutral Good
Medium size
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 245lbs.
Age: 32
Speed: 30ft/ 20ft in armour

Abilities

Str: 14 +2
Dex: 14 +2
Con: 14 +2
Int: 13 +1
Wis: 10 0
Cha: 22 +6

MAX HP:79 current: 55
Initiative: +2
Insanity points: 5
Saves:
Fort: +12
Ref : +10
Will: +8 (+3 vs fear)

Defence
AC: 25 = 10 + 2 (Dex)+ 8(armor)+ 4(shield)+ 1(path)
Touch: 13
Flat-footed: 22
CMD: 19
Damage reducton 2/- + 1/magic

Offence
BAB: +5
Bastard Sword: +14 (1d10+6+2+1{+4}) [5 BAB + 1 w. focus + 1 w. training + 6 cha + 1 mw]
Unarmed strike: +6 (1d3+2)
Light Crossbow: +6 (1d8)
CMB: +7

Armour:
Masterwork, clouded steel, Agile breastplate, +6 AC, max dex +3, no a.c.p. for climbing and jumping/ -3 to everything else, 25% spell failure, 12.5 lbs.

Traits:

Weapon Bond: Bastard sword treated like a martial weapon, Cha to attack and damage
Charismatic: +2 Cha, -2 Wis
Ancestral Legacy

Erenlander Traits:
Natural Talent: Book-learning does little good among a people who are punished for literacy. Instead, the Erenlanders focus on their natural aptitudes. Choose one ability score.
Whenever determining bonus skill points at each level after
1st, you use that ability score instead of Intelligence to determine
your character’s number of bonus skill points. However,
those bonus skill points may only be used on skills that have
that ability as a key ability score. (Charisma)

Flexible Craftsman: Making do with little is the
Erenlander way of life. When you craft mundane items, you
may either take half the normal time to do so or use up only
50% of the normal materials (your choice for each project).
Additionally, you suffer no penalty when crafting an item
using improvised tools.


Feats:

Toughness (Bonus Eren Feat)+3 hp at first level and 1hp for every HD(+8hp)
Slow Learner (Bonus Eren Feat)(can be changed for another feat at any time)
Weapon focus - bastard sword(1st lvl feat)+1 to hit
Weapon specialization - bastard sword(Bonus Ftr Feat)+2 on damage
Power attack (3rd lvl feat)gain +4 dmg bonus and -2 attack penalty
Cleave (Bonus Ftr Feat)after dropping a foe hit another within reach {limit 3 AoO}
Great Cleave (Bonus Ftr Feat) Make an additional attack after each attack hits
Combat Reflexes (bonus path feat)two additional attacks of opp, and can make an AoO when flat footed
Squire
Combat Expertise [free ftr feat](stance) +2 AC and -2 to ATT. Doubles AC bonus for defensive fighting.

Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Sarcosan Lance (racial)
Highwall Scholarship (Background)Benefit: All Knowledge skills are class skills for you.
Devil's Foe (Achievement)Your attacks count as Good-aligned for the purposes of bypassing the damage reduction of devils.

Skills:

Craft*(Weapons)(race) +9(rank [4*] + str 2 + class 3)
Craft*(Armor) +9(rank 4 + str 2 + class 3)
Climb* +7(rank 2 + str 2 + class 3)
Ride* +8(rank 3 + dex 2 + class 3)
Knowledge*(North Erenland) +6(rank 3 + int 1 + class 3)
Knowledge*(History) +9(rank 5 + int 1 + class 3)
Knowledge*(Shadow) +8(rank 4 + int 1 + class 3)
Knowledge*(Warfare) +9(rank 5 + int 1 + class 3)
Sense motive +3(rank 2 + int 1)
Survival +5(rank 5 + wis)
Perception +5(rank 5 + wis)
Heal +1(rank 1 + wis)
Intimidate* +16(rank 5 + cha 6 + class 3 + path 2)
Persuasion +13(rank 5 + cha 6 + path 2)
Diplomacy +13(rank 5 + cha 6 + path 2)
Handle Animal* +16(rank 5 + cha 6 + class 3 + path 2)
Perform(Singing) +10(rank 2 + cha 6 + path +2)

Armor check penalty -2 (-2 armor, -1 shield, +1 armor training)
For jumping and climbing -1

Fighter Class Abilities

Bravery (Ex):
Starting at 2nd level, a fighter gains a +1
bonus on Will saves against fear. This bonus increases by
+1 for every four levels beyond 2nd.
[spoiler=Combat Expertise (Ex)] All fighters are skilled at defending themselves in battle. You gain Combat Expertise as a bonus feat at 1st level, even if you do not meet the prerequisites.

Ant Haul (Ex):
When determining your carrying capacity, add your fighter level to your Strength score. In addition, you ignore the effects of encumbrance from carrying medium and heavy loads.
This does not affect your actual Strength in any way, merely the amount of gear you can carry. It also has no effect on encumbrance due to armor. If you wear armor you still take the normal penalties for doing so regardless of how much weight you can carry.

Weapon Training (Ex):
Starting at 5th level, a fighter can select one group of weapons, as noted below. Whenever he attacks with a weapon from this group, he gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls. Every four levels thereafter (9th, 13th, and 17th), a fighter becomes further trained in another group of weapons. He gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls when using a weapon from this group. In addition, the bonuses granted by previous weapon groups increase by +1 each. For example, when a fighter reaches 9th level, he receives a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with one weapon group and a +2 bonus on attack and damage rolls with the weapon group selected at 5th level. Bonuses granted from overlapping groups do not stack. Take the highest bonus granted for a weapon if it resides in two or more groups.A fighter also adds this bonus to any combat maneuver checks made with weapons from this group. This bonus also applies to the fighter’s Combat Maneuver Defense when defending against disarm and sunder attempts made against weapons from this group. Weapon groups are defined as follows (GMs may add other weapons to these groups, or add entirely new groups):
Blades, Heavy: bastard sword, elven curve blade, falchion, greatsword, longsword, scimitar, scythe, two-bladed sword and vardatch.

Fighter Talents:

Shield Other:
As a swift action, you can declare one ally within reach as the recipient of this ability. The subject gains a +1 Aid Another bonus to AC and a +1 Aid Another bonus on saves. Additionally, the subject takes only half damage from all wounds and attacks (including those dealt by special abilities) that deal hit point damage. The amount of damage not taken by the warded creature is taken by you. Forms of harm that do not involve hit points, such as charm effects, temporary ability damage, level draining, and death effects, are not affected. If the subject suffers a reduction of hit points from a lowered Constitution score, the reduction is not split with you because it is not hit point damage. If the warded ally moves out of reach, the effect ends instantly.
As an immediate action you spend one unused attack of opportunity to absorb all the damage (plus any associated effects, such as poison) from a single attack directed against the shielded ally. You must decide whether to use this ability after the attacker determines that an attack has succeeded but before he rolls damage.

Juggernaut:
Your Hit Die size for fighter class levels improves from d10 to d12. This is retroactive to past hit dice, and applies to future Fighter hit dice as well.

Armor training:
Benefit: Whenever you are wearing armor with which you are proficient, you gain the following:
 An additional +1 armor bonus to your armor class;
 Reduction of the armor check penalty by 1 (to a minimum of 0)—this benefit stacks with the benefit for ranks in Endurance (-1 per 3 ranks);
 Reduction of the arcane spell failure chance (if applicable) by 5% (to a minimum of 0%);
 Increase the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by your armor by 1; and
 Damage reduction 1/―.
These benefits improve by +1 for every 4 levels in fighter you possess (for example, a 16th level fighter would have a +5 armor bonus, a -5 reduction of check penalties, a -25% arcane spell failure chance, a +5 to maximum Dex bonus allowed, and DR 5/— when wearing armor).
Special: If you are actively using a light or heavy shield (not a buckler, animated shield, or shield spell), you gain your armor training bonus with the shield if no armor is worn. If using both armor and a shield, the benefits listed apply to both your armor and shield (i.e., they stack).

Warrior's Way: Knight
4th lvl

Challenge:
Benefit: As a swift action, you can choose one target within sight to call out. Your gain a morale bonus to melee attacks against that opponent equal to your Charisma bonus (minimum +1), to a maximum bonus equal to your class level. Successful attacks against that opponent deal extra damage equal to your fighter level. The challenge remains in effect until the target is dead or unconscious or until the combat ends. Challenging a foe requires much of your concentration; you take a –2 circumstance penalty to Armor Class, except against attacks made by the target of your challenge.
If your base attack bonus is +11 or higher, the target of your challenge also takes a –2 circumstance penalty to its AC against the attacks of all opponents other than you.
You can use this ability once per day, plus one additional time per day for every three fighter levels beyond the 1st (maximum 7/day at 19th level).
Special: If you belong to a knightly order (q.v.), your challenge gains an additional effect.
Source: This talent supersedes the Cavalier’s class feature of the same name, from the Pathfinder Advanced Players Guide. It also supersedes the Samurai’s Kiai smite class feature from Complete Warrior.

10th lvl Knightly order
16th lvl - Knight of Quality

Heroic Path:

Level Ability
1 Fated +1
2 Noble blood +2
3 Bonus feat
4 Foebane(Orcs) +2 bonus to attack and bonus 2d6 dmg
5 Charisma increase

6 Fated +2
7 Noble blood +4
8 Bonus feat
9 Foebane
10 Charisma increase
11 Fated +3
12 Noble blood +6
13 Bonus feat
14 Foebane
15 Charisma increase
16 Fated +4
17 Noble blood +8
18 Bonus feat
19 Charisma increase
20 Fated +5

You are descendent from kings of old, noble warriors or even divine beings from the Outer Planes. The hand of destiny guides you and in you the true blood of ancient greatness is reborn. The great things await you.

Fated (Su): Starting at 1st level, you gain a +1 luck bonus on all of your saving throws and to your AC, even when you are otherwise unaware of an attack, or your Dexterity bonus would be denied to you. Each time you gain this ability, the bonus gained increases by 1.

Noble blood: Each time the destined gains this ability, he gets listed bonus to all of his skills based on Charisma.

Foebane: Choose one creature type from the Ranger “favored enemies” table. All attacks against creatures of that type are made as if you were wielding a bane weapon of the appropriate type. This benefit therefore applies even when using non-magical weapons or unarmed strikes. Each time you gain this ability you may choose another creature type.

Power of Lann’s Stone:

1. Dragon Wrath: You gain Smite ability as the paladin of same level/ 2 per day
2. Dragon Resilience: You apply your Charisma modifier to your saving throws
3. Dragon Heart: You are immune to all forms of fear, natural or otherwise.
4. Dragon Eye: You gain Darkvision 60'
5. Draconic Aura: Toughness - damage reduction 1/magic for every point of aura bonus

Rewards:

XP:15000
FP: 13
6 starting points
+1 introductory post
+1 duel with Sorok
+1 draining the nexus
+1 killing Thorg
-2 max dmg to Librarian
+1 killing the Librarian
+2 fight with MushrooMen
-1 Shadar
+2 Killing 2 orcs in one strike

Achievements:
Devastating Swipe: Score two critical hits in a single round with the same weapon against different foes.

Languages:

Erenlander*(3)
High Elven (3)
Orcish (3)
Trader's Tongue(3)
Black Tongue(3)
Dornish

Equipment:
Bastard sword with Lann's Stone, family hairloom.
Masterwork, clouded steel, Agile breastplate, +6 AC, max dex +3, no a.c.p. for climbing and jumping/ -3 to everything else, 25% spell failure, 12.5 lbs.
Longbow
Large steel shield
Dagger
Armor and weapon repair tools
Backpack
Sleeping roll
Blanket
Waterskin
Flint and steel
3 torches
30 ft of rope

Appearance:
Duncan is tall dashing man, strongly built but more with an air of grace and authority than pure physical might. His once dark hair has a bit gray hairs now, but he doesn't look much older than he used to, only more mature and determined. His blue eyes earned from an Dornish ancestor possess steely intensity that can make most enemies feel disturbed, especially when they are faced with his overall coutenance and confidence. His regal air show that the old noble blood of Erenland is still strong in him, and that he is a true combination of Sarcosans and Dorns. But, despite all this, he doesn't appear haughty, he is mostly friendly and his honesty and easy manners quickly warm any heart that is not dedicated to the Shadow.
He is usually wearing an old breastplate forged many years ago by Sorok, but it doesn't look that much worse for wear, since Duncan took good care of it over the years, repairing it when damaged and keeping it clean and well oiled. But it is still obvious that the armor that he is wearing like a second skin has seen heavy use. Under the armor he wears Lann's stone placed into mouth of a silver dragon hanging on a simple chain. This is a reworked hilt of a broken blade that Ragnar made for him. The bastard sword he is wearing on his hip is rather plain, with no particular decorations, as well as the steel shield on his shoulder. He has a backpack containing another set of clothes, sleeping roll, blanket, and small everyday items, as well as a couple of hammers and a piece or two of iron bars and small sheets of steel for patching up armor and other repairs. He got quite good at it during the last years and working in small village smithies on their travels when he had the chance. And on top of the backpack is a quiver of arrows and a longbow that has seen more use for hunting than fighting, but many a night on the road it put some meat on their plates. His clothing is used, but sturdy and as clean as possible given his circumstances, but despite all that the aura of kindness and might that spreads around Duncan is almost palpable. But aside from Gilian, nobody could probably guess that Duncan could assume drastically different appearance and air if he chose to do so. Disguising oneself is certainly not the way of knights of old, but he is aware that he can't cling to the old ways and that the times have changed, so he adapted to the world under the Shadow where skills in deception can sometimes be better than good armour and skills with a blade.

Aboleth Mutation - Firebreather:
You develop a secondary lung-like organ that gives you a dragon-like breath weapon. You can choose the type of damage that your breath weapon deals and the amount of damage is equal to half of your CL x d6. The number of times you can use your breath weapon per day is 3 + your Constitution modifier. You can use it in the shape of 15-foot cone or 30-foot line. At 10th level your ranges double and at 15th your ranges triple. At 7th level you can manipulate your breath weapon so as not to harm your allies (or the people or things you do not wish to harm). At 9th level your breath weapon deals damage over 2 rounds.
Breath weapon type: Lightning

Background:
Before the fall of Erenland, being a Knight of the Wall meant standing in the first line of defence of your kingdom, respected by all. And Lann, young noble sent by his family to the Fortress Wall, had always dreamed of becoming one. He spent his days learning from some of the best swordmasters in the land, often sparing with his friend, the king’s cousin. As time passed boys turned into battle-hardened men, and his one time friend, Jahzir, grew in power and influence, becoming most renowned leader of the kingdom. Lann, like many others, acknowledge him as their better, and would gladly follow him into death. One of the greatest honours of his life was to be chosen among 100 knights that rode with Jahzir right into the heart of the Orc lands, slaughtering thousands on that Jahzir’s legendary raid. During their run from the vengeance thirsty Orc horde, only the stamina of his horse and his riding skills enabled him to be among the twelve rides that reached the Fortress Wall alive. After that, he would have followed Jahzir to fight the Shadow itself without the moment’s thought.
Lann was well respected by his fellow knights, and after some time he became the commander of one of many towers that were part of the long Fortress Wall. But the following years brought nothing but more troubles for the Knights of the Wall. Hordes of the Shadow, enraged by Jahzirs daring attacks, wanted human blood, and even the oldest knights and warriors claimed that their raids have never been more ferocious and cruel. Slowly, without help, the Fortress Wall started to crumble, Orcs and goblinoids started taking over some of the forts, the Knights numbers were ever dwindling. Over the years, Lann came to realization that Jahzir only wanted glory, and that there was never much consideration for the consequences of his actions. One day, the news of Jahzir riding alone into the wild lands of the North, chilled Lann’s heart, because he had seen his leader’s fall into madness, and knew that he was unpredictable. And true enough, all his worst fears came true when Jahzir decended upon the surviving forts leading hordes of orcs.
When the horde came to his fortress, he knew that there was no chance for victory. He fought side by side with his few remaining man, killing many Orcs, swinging untill his sword hand felt numb, and the ramparts around him slippery and sticky with both Orc and Human blood. He couldn’t remember passing out, but when he woke, he was under a pile of bodies, still gripping the hilt of his broken sword, while the evicerated corpses of knights sprawled all around him. Weak from the loss of blood, and in pain from many wounds, he managed to pull himself free. Standing over the scene of carnage, he swore with his blood still driping down the broken blade of his sword, that he would never stop fighting the traitor Jahzir and the Shadow.
The world he knew was gone. His friends and family were dead, Erenland crushed, and he realized that nothing that came before really mattered, that the only important thing left to him was fight against the shadow. Never again did he call himself by his family name, but only Bloodforged, for that was what he had become. A new man, reborn in the blood of his friends and the treachery of his liege.
Duncan is the last of Lann’s decendants, for life in the occupied lands of Erenland is anything but safe, and many of his already few relatives met their death at the hands of the Shadow’s minions.
Farell, his father, a proud man, slayer of many Orcs, true decendant of the old Knight of the Wall, fell in love with Leena, beautiful decendant of one of noble houses of Erenland. After Duncan and his twin sister, Deirdre, were born, Farell stoped going on raids, and retreated into a remote village to raise his children. All that saw the siblings claimed that it is evident that the children are nobles, and that the blood was very pure in them. Leena’s family was always blessed with a gift for magic, as well as great beauty, which she passed on to her children, especially Deirdre, who’s comprehension of magic was always better than Duncan’s. But, knowing the dangers the magic carried, Leena was careful, trying not to attract unwanted attention. Being a decendant from a scholar family, she had many old tomes of knowledge saved and kept after the fall of the kingdom.
One autumn day when the twins were about ten, Farell was out in the woods hunting, and the children were bored and wanted to do some magic, so they begged their mother to show them something new. At last she assented, and after a few hours, suddenly silenced her children. They were confused, not knowing what had happened, but a second later, the door burst in, and there was a young legate standing on their doorstep with fiendish smile on his lips. Leena struck him with magic, and it appearead that in his arogance he never expected to find a channeler so powerful. But the dark power of Izardor was in him, and, though hurt, he managed to overpower Leena. She fell to the ground, alive, but almost unconscious, and when he approached, the twins rushed at him screeming. With almost no effort, he caught Deirdri’s head and in one quick motion jerked it, snapping her neck, and he kicked Duncan so hard that he flew into a wall.
The legat, seeing how beautiful Leena was, ripped her clothes of, and started raping her, hitting her every time she would start coming to. When he caught his breath, Duncan crawled to his parent’s room, and took his father’s hidden sword.
The legat never knew what hit him. He thought that the little boy coughing blood would be harmless, and he was so concentrated on Leena that he didn’t even see the tip of the blade sinking right under his right ear and slicing trough skin, muscle nad spine.
Some time later, when Farell came home, he found his son sitting in the large puddle of blood with the corpses of his twin sister and legat, holding the battered head of his still breathing mother in his lap.
All that left deep scars on young Duncan’s mind, but he always thought that something had broken in his father that night. His mother regained consciousness only once, long enough to say goodbye. They buried them and fled the village, and were on the move ever since. Road became their home, and evading patrols part of the everyday life in the Northern Erenland. The day following their departure from former home, Farell started training Duncan to become a warrior. When he was 14, he killed his first orc when he stumbled on a orc scout. Afterwards, both him and his father met small forces of orcs, and always came through victorius, although not unscathed, untill one day, when Duncan was almost nineteen, when Farell got hit by a poison arrow that pierced his armour, and stopped just above his heart. Duncan’s meager healing powers were not enough to save his father, and knowing that he was going to die, Farell bid his son to continue the fight against the Shadow, and gave him their family’s only heirloom, known to them as Lann’s Stone, an red ruby with a green dragon engraved within it by some magical means.
So young Duncan, now alone set to further explore the lands of his forefathers, wandering from one village to the next, telling tales about the proud warriors of Erenland, singing hymns his parents taught him, trying to encourage them not to lose heart, for there is always hope. And many did heed him, for the pure noble blood in him was obvious when he so wished, and it inspired confidence in the terrorized Dorns and Erenlanders. One night, he was in a small village in Central Erenland, when an old man came. The entire village gathered around him, and he told them tales, both old and new, much in the same way Duncan himself did, but much more captivating, like there was magic in his every word. Late that night he got to have a word alone with the old man. Before he was aware, he ended up telling the old man his own story. After listening to it, the old man smiled, and told him to keep up, never stop, and never surender. He also told him of Roland, heir to the House of Redgard, a great resitance leader in the North, and told him where to look for him.
When he woke up the following morning, the old man was already gone. Duncan followed his instructions and indeed found Roland and his company, who were at first wary of Duncan and his explanation, because they themselves didn’t plan on being on that particular spot, but were forced to make a detour to avoid a large enemy patrol. But due to the gifts of his noble blood, he was able to convince them that he is also an enemy of the Shadow. So he joined young Roland in his fight, finding himself surrounded by allies for the first time since his father’s death. He learned from Roland the craft of warfare, and while his father had taught him how to be a warrior, Roland’s Raiders taught him how to be a soldier. He spend the next year raiding with them, on the move, striking lightning fast, and retreating into wilderness. But in all that time, he never forgot the old man. Although Roland kept up the good fight, Duncan thought that it wasn’t enough, that the spirit of the people needs to be strong to resist the despair and helplessness caused by the domination of the Shadow. So he took his leave of Roland, saying that one day he might return to them, and set out alone, once again. He was traveling farther than before, trying to reach remote villages, thinking that maybe he might try finding dwarves. He was on the slopes of Kaladrun mountains when a group of warriors attacked him, led by a Sarcosan woman he later learned was named Zafina, and Harazar, a dwarven inquistor. He exchanged a few blows with them, but soon realized it was futile, and surrendered when Zafina called to her men to get him alive. He was disarmed and shackled, and took him with them. At one point they knocked him unconscious, and that was one of the last thing he remembers.

Seven years have passed...:
Duncan has no recollection of what happened. One moment they were deep underground, and it seems that he has a faint lingering feeling of an overwhelming urge to reach Gilian. And indeed the first thing he does remember is holding Gilian in his arms. Aside from Pebbles, they were alone, and even the whisper of Dracarys was gone from the back of his mind. They were on the surface, standing on a mountain side. None of them had any memory of what happened. They started searching for their companions, but they couldn't find anyone, not even a nearby cave to explain how they emerged from the underground. Despite not finding anything, they never stopped looking.
At first they were hopeful that one of their companions will be close, but as they traveled further and further from Kaladruns it became obvious that the chances were diminishing. But they never lost hope, and they had each other, so they actually began spreading the hope all over the Erenland, going from one village to the next, doing good and helping people wherever they could. Gilian would help the ill ones, and Duncan would do whatever else was needed, from helping people to plough their fields to rescuing a lost child from the dangerous forest, and on an occasion or two killing a small band of Orcs that plundered the countryside. They were also teaching people how to take care of themselves. They would show them how to make and use weapons, and tell them the legends, epics or history of their proud Erenlander ancestors, teaching them to write, read and heal themselves.
But no good deed goes unnoticed, and so their actions attracted attention of legats, and soon they found themselves on the run, evading the pursuit, but always stopping to help someone in need, spread the sliver of hope and ask about their friends.
And not once did they question their goals or love. From the moment they became aware on that mountain slope it was there, always, like a bond of mutual respect, understanding and trust. It wasn't like the passion of Ilona, burning like a forest wildfire (but far from the fact that there was no passion) but like a slow and steady river, mighty in its flow, capable of overcoming anything.
And then, after three years of a life on the move, Gilian and Duncan made new life. Alan was born one winter night, and brought their hopes to new heights. The joy he brought is something Duncan could never put in words, as well as the radiance it gave Gilian. Even with little Alan they continued their work, now a bit more protective and fearful, but still knowing that they wanted their son to grow up and live in a better world, one with the Shadow defeated. He grew quickly and was walking with them in no time. Though, he still had to be carried most of the time, his energy was inexhaustible, and he listened to his parent’s stories with joy and awe, almost considering the people in some of those stories his long lost relatives. Aunties Ilona and Solvi, Uncles Chops and Ragnar... For some reason, Duncan would always smile when he would hear something like that, wondering about their fates. Now feeling somehow different, Duncan changed his fighting style. Maybe he became more mature and less reckless, but he was certain Alan and Gilian changed him. He became responsible for them in a way, so he kept practicing more with his shield than ever before, and developed a style of fighting that would enable him to protect them as well, and put himself in harm’s way in their place. It was one of the rare things he didn’t tell Gilian, but believed that she knew. It was part of their trust, as she would know Duncan would do anything to protected in combat, just as he trusted her to keep him on his feet long enough to do so. But it wasn’t just that.
He would wake at night, long before dawn, never sleeping soundly knowing that the only thing protecting them was Pebbles. Pebbles was a good companion, an excellent guard, but Duncan didn’t want to leave anything to chance. He slept only a few hours a night, waking to stand vigil over their small slumbering forms lest some foe ran into them.
As life in occupied Erenland was often difficult, they experienced some rough patches, when food was scarce. Sometimes people they were helping would offer them what little they had, but it was little enough, so Duncan couldn’t make himself take more than a few bites. When on the road, he would often make sure that his son and love had enough, satisfying himself with whatever was left. In time his body became more resilient and got used to less sleep and less food without him ever feeling weak or exhausted. In his mind, it was his duty, the least he could for those he loved and served.
One day, while they were traveling west on the plains, a voice in the wind bade them come west of Eretor, to the home of Solvi’s people. They didn’t need much more before they hit the road again, hoping that finally they might find out something about their lost friends.