About Kai DriesStat Block:
Kai Dries Male Human Monk 5
DEFENSE AC 18, touch 17, flat-footed 15
OFFENSE Spd 40 ft.
Ki Powers (CL 4th)
STATISTICS Str 16, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 8
Skills Acrobatics +10 [5 Ranks], Climb +9 [2 Ranks], Heal +11 [5 ranks], Knowledge (History) +9 [5 Ranks]*, Linguistics +5 [1 Rank]*, [1 Rank] Perception +11 [5 Ranks], Profession (Tavernkeep) +7 [1 Rank]*, Lore (Irori) +6 [3 Ranks]*, Stealth +10 [5 Ranks], Survival +8 [1 Rank], Swim +9 [2 Ranks] *Denotes Background Skills Languages Common, Abbyssal
720 Other Gear Handy Haversack [2 lbs.] (2000 GP)
Ten Foot Pole [8 lbs] (5 CP)
Ioun Torch [ - ] (75 GP)
Ring of protection +1
Total Weight: 74 lbs. SPECIAL ABILITIES AC Bonus When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC and CMD. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every four monk levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level. These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load. Flurry of Blows At 1st level, a monk can make a flurry of blows as a full-attack action. When making a flurry of blows, the monk can make one additional attack at his highest base attack bonus. This additional attack stacks with the bonus attacks from haste and other similar effects. When using this ability, the monk can make these attacks with any combination of his unarmed strikes and weapons that have the monk special weapon quality. He takes no penalty for using multiple weapons when making a flurry of blows, but he does not gain any additional attacks beyond what's already granted by the flurry for doing so. (He can still gain additional attacks from a high base attack bonus, from this ability, and from haste and similar effects). Evasion At 2nd level, a monk can avoid damage from many area-effect attacks. If a monk succeeds at a Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of evasion. Fast Movement At 3rd level, a monk gains an enhancement bonus to his land speed, as shown on Table: Monk Unchained. A monk in armor or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed. Currently 10 feet. Ki Pool (Su) At 3rd level, a monk gains a pool of ki points, supernatural energy he can use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in a monk's ki pool is equal to 1/2 his monk level + his Wisdom modifier. As long as he has at least 1 point in his ki pool, he can make a ki strike.
Still Mind (Ex) At 4th level, a monk gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells and effects. 10 Minute Background:
"Being in a cult has its advantages. You learn to take beatings well, being a good listener comes second only to breathing, and you learn to be grateful for the little things in life. Like breathing."
Step 1: Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind. 5 is just a minimum...more elements are encouraged! 1. Raised in a Monastery where he was a stubborn child and had difficulty learning Irori's holy texts. He excelled in more physical applications, and through them, Abbot Morgan was able to instill a sense of discipline in him. Kai continues to practice the forms he learned to this day. The exercises would help him maintain his sanity during the next phase of his life. 2. At twelve, he would be captured and raised with the other boys as cultists of Baphomet who stole them into the Worldwound. Many of their spirits would be broken and would lose faith in the Gods. Within two years, only Kai still resisted. To break him, they attempted what should have been a relatively simple ritual to bereave him of his soul. For reasons unknown, something went wrong and in an explosion of light and chaos, Kai was able to escape. 3. Contrary to the propaganda he was fed by his captors, the outside world was still good and thriving. Demonkind had not yet overrun Avistan. His Brothers are still captive and brainwashed by the cult of Baphomet. 4. Kai stands tall at 6'4", exceptionally fit and usually well-shaven. He maintains a soldier's posture at rest, and can stand for hours without moving. His garments are loose fitted brown, black, and white robes which allow mobility rather than protection. He carries a sectioned staff and a two-headed polearm with a spade at one end and a crescent on the other. 5. Kai had to survive as a beggar for almost a year before he found work at a tavern doing odd jobs. Because of this, and because of his time in the Cult, he is good at making due with little or no food. Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game. 1. Kai desperately wants to save his brothers from the Worldwound. He was told many times that the Crusades was no place for a bus boy, but he tries to join nearly every party of Crusaders leaving the city. 2. I want Kai to struggle at every turn. Things should never be easy for him. His strength may be prodigious, and he may become Mythic during the course of the adventure, but violence always creates more problems than it solves. A specific example I'm envisioning is what happens when he finds his Brothers? They will likely resist his attempts to rescue them, even attempt to kill him. Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises! 1. Kai doesn't want anyone to know about his past. The fact that he was homeless, or that he was part of a cult. Even if it was forced upon him. He knows or believes that the average person would not understand and reject him. 2a. Kai's patron God Irori had directly intervened when the cultists summoned a demon to suck out his soul. When the connection was interrupted, the startled demon fed some of his own energy back into Kai, empowering the boy before he got away. The demon was utterly destroyed from Irori's intervention. Kai doesn't have any idea that his soul has been tainted. 3. GM Secret! Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you. 1. Bron and Hilda Hofstadt: The owners of The Grand, a Tavern in Kenabres that Kai works for. Bron may have needed a replacement for one of his deadbeat workers, but he still could have turned Kai away on account of his manginess. Still, Bron found it in his heart to take this poor boy in and to his luck, the boy worked hard. Bron and his wife Hilda are not exactly parents to Kai, but more like a loving Aunt and Uncle. They know he plans to leave for the Worldwound, but they're happy to have him here. 2. Gael Cross: A paladin of Iomedae and a recruiting officer for incursions onto the Worldwound. Cross has seen too many young men and women die of stupidity and shuts Kai down every time the Monk tries to find a party to adventure with. He doesn't believe that Kai has what it takes to battle demons, not only that, he is fully aware of the taint Kai carries and is working subtly to find out what it is... 3. Abbot Cillian: The Abbot of the local Monastery of Irori. He is the only person who knows about Kai's history. The Grand gets whiskey and other spirits from the Monastery and Kai is the one who picks up the orders. They spend much time on philosophical and religious discussions as well as more amusing topics like stories from the Tavern. Abbot Cillian has been something of a mentor in Kai's pursuit of Crusading, and the person Kai places the most trust in. Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor. 1. Kai maintains strict discipline in his own life. He has a regular schedule for waking, sleeping, eating, exercise and even going to the bathroom. He is adaptable and young still, but changing from his schedule is a bit jarring and makes him exceedingly cranky. 2. After meeting Helen the Milkmaid, and noticing his body's physical urges, he is wondering whether the path of a Monk is really for him. He still has no idea how to approach a girl, or even if he should, but he is starting to feel like he should keep the option of Marriage open. 3. Kai has a bit of a baby face despite his size, so its difficult for people to take him seriously. Appearance and Personality:
Age: 18 Height: 6' 4" Weight: 165 lbs. Sex: Male Race: Human (Taldan) Hair: Bald Eyes: Hazel Kai appears to be more of a boy than a man, still barely needing to shave. His sheer height and body mass makes him seem a little older than he is, but not much. He hasn't got very many clothes, but all are loose fitting and not particularly stylish, opting for browns and greys over colorful garments. He carries a small knife with him at all times, not out of any particular fear of his life, but because its standard fare when you live in a big city. You never know when you need to cut a rope or vines, and its always helpful for eating. Everything Kai owns has a practical use and every thing that he does, he has a purpose for. He isn't vain, just disciplined like a soldier. He isn't always straight edged; he allows himself a drink every so often and engages in playful joking with friends, but he is always afraid to waste anything. He'll re-brew the same tea leaves three times before throwing it away and mends his own clothes. He is always enthusiastic and friendly at work, especially when wanderers and adventurers come into town. He eagerly asks them about they're travels and if they're planning to march on the Worldwound. Most laugh, because he looks so childlike, which still upsets him a bit, but he's learning to take it.
Other Notes:
Kai acts like a wide-eyed young man eager to see some action. While that is partly true, he's also got his dark past constantly haunting him that he wants to repair, which is why he stayed so close to the Worldwound. He should be roleplayed like a country bumpkin with some odd skills appearing out of nowhere. From a mechanics perspective he's a fighter with a few nifty tricks, better saves, and some useful skills. I picked out climb even though it never came up in his backstory because I'm pretty sure most people are going to be bad at it while lugging around armor. Also, it's kind of a big part of acrobatics, something I felt a Monk should be good at. Cost of Faith (Read at your own peril):
"Stop it." I didn't shout, just spoke loud enough that our tormentor could hear, but quiet enough for him to strain to listen.
"Shut up." Fletch hissed beside me. Formally Brother Fletcher, although formalities hardly mattered at this point. He was the worrywart. Standing in a line like the rest of us six except Tubs, who was being slapped around by our guard who had a face like someone dragged him through about a mile of volcanic rock. I ignored him, "Let him go. You pick on kids 'cause you're a a little b@!@+ and you can't boss anyone else around. You're a coward, Gravel-head." I felt a small triumph as he let go of Tubs. That triumph was met with a punch to the solar plexus. Good gods that hurt. I couldn't breathe for the first couple of seconds and I collapsed. I looked up at him and gave a defiant grin just to nettle him despite my lack of air. The cultist kicked my face, then grabbed me by the collar and socked me right in the nose. Twice. Thrice. Four times. Unthinking, but wanting to get a rise out of him as much as possible, I spat as much blood at him as I could manage. He threw me on the ground as much as he dropped me. "Coward." I coughed, spraying more blood from my face. I was pretty sure my nose was broken. I didn't care, it meant I was winning, I told myself. I looked at Tubs who was also on the floor staring at me holding his stomach and he just stared back incredulously. I winked at him. He was on the verge of tears, I knew. Tubs was too sweet. He wasn't used to violence. Neither was I really, but I had received more beatings from the monks back home than anyone else. Those were love taps by comparison to these cult guys. But it wasn't just the beatings. Here, they starved us, restricted our movements with chains and screamed at us. As if that would bring us over to their side. I knew they were going to offer us a chance to get more food and better sleeping arrangements in exchange for joining up. I told the other boys, and they agreed that no one would say yes. After that, they locked us in our cells for a few weeks and our guard, Gravel-head, started picking on Tubs because he was fat and wouldn't defend himself. Didn't really hit him much but Tubs wasn't the type to defend himself. Gravel-head sneered, "Baphomet has no room for compassion, boy." He dragged off Tubs someplace else. I could hear him scream for a while. I wanted to cry, but I was afraid everyone else would start if I did. I quietly got them to do exercises with me to take our minds off of it. We stopped before our next meager meal came in then we went to sleep. ---- I awoke to the cell door slamming open and a cold hand reaching for my arm. I avoided the first attempt to grab me, but a second pair of hands held me the two men dragged me away from my Brothers kicking and screaming. I nearly lost track of the days that followed. I estimated about two years judging by how often they fed me maggotty rice and bread. I began to add prayer to my regimen, and Irori became my only friend. I knew that I wasn't the most devout worshiper among monks. That was Specs, cleverly named for his pretentious spectacles. I don't remember his real name anymore, but he really bought everything in the Monastery. All the mystical, religious, cosmic stuff. He was the only one good enough to beat me while sparring back at the monastery, even though I was taller. He knew everything there was to know about Irori and even other Gods and he took all of his studies way too seriously. But before I was taken into solitary, Specs told me something in that cell I'll never forget: "Often times, the Gods choose who you'd least expect." Everyone knew Specs was talking about me. But I wasn't a leader. I was the opposite of a leader. I challenged authority just to rock the boat, not because I thought I could do it better. I took it to heart as I was dragged off to my solitary confinement. They gave me every scrap of food in a wooden bowl with a crude etching of the Demon Lord's symbol, as if to remind me that I could be getting more if I gave in. If I renounced Irori and pledged fealty to Baphomet. My prayers to Irori however, gave me comfort. On my darkest days, the ones where I wished I was dead because of the smell of my own waste or that I vividly imagined eating real food at a table, Irori came to comfort me and I found myself able to make it one more day. At the end of those two years, they dragged me from my cell and into a room full of candles and occult symbols. There were two tall figures clad in black robes with red trim, and six smaller ones. They had put out a spread with a red tablecloth, full of food and wine. There was meat. I almost wept at the sight of so much food. "You don't need to starve any more," A gentle voice spoke. "If you give up your heathen Gods, you can eat again. Baphomet doesn't want you to starve to death. He wants you to live. All he asks for in return for your life is that you serve his will." The cultist seemed so kind and sad at the same time. Sympathetic. That was the word. And the voice... so familiar. "Please Kai. I don't want you to die." Specs whispered. My upper lip trembled violently. My brothers were under those black and red hoods. Six meant one of my brothers was not present, probably dead. Tubs. I felt something hot and wet on my right cheek. Their heads were bowed in reverence. I knew they had little choice. They had been broken. I couldn't get them back. Not like this. Not yet. I had to regain my strength, but to do that would be to eat that food and give up who I was. I wished there was some other way. I looked at Specs, and said quietly, "Irori never abandoned you, Specs. He never will." My Brother looked as if I'd slapped him in the face. "He's not worthy." One of the taller hooded ones rumbled. "His soul will never accept the Grace of our Lord. Too stubborn. " His voice was strangely distorted to make it more scary than it was. Specs looked at me desperately, as if he wanted to say something else. Or that he wanted me to say something else. But all that came out was, "Yes Master." "Prepare the ritual." The basso voice resounded. The six children removed the table of food and the larger one who hadn't spoken yet forced me to my knees. They stood in a circle and began chanting. Their chanting slowly rose as the Leader delivered an incantation, leading their volume higher and higher. The flames from the candles grew brighter, and more violent, and the shadows grew sharper and a smoky shadow crept about the room like fog. I prayed silently to Irori that this not be how it ended. I thought I had found my peace in that solitary cell, but that had been taken away from me when I saw my brothers with their wills shattered. And then I saw it. A fiend completely made of smoke and claws moved closer to my face and began to drain the life from me. I could feel myself hollowing out as my soul left slowly as a that rolling fog. I thought, this is the end, isn't it? Then a voice said, NO. Then in a flash of white hot pain I tore myself free of the smoke and my bindings undid themselves. Everyone stood back and averted their eyes as if blinded and I saw the demon writhing on the floor, blades of light shooting from it. The others engaged me as they recovered from their momentary blindness. I was filled with energy and my brothers were very hesitant to fight me. Irori intervened in some way I knew. Even though I was tired, hungry, and surrounded by enemies I felt peace. I defeated every one of the cultists and my brothers with nothing but my bear hands. I felt perfection then, fighting for my Survival. More importantly my fear of death was defeated, I knew that Irori and the Gods had big plans for me and I could not die here.
To be continued... During the Attack:
When Terendeleve fell, Kai was in the company of several adventurers, walking through the heart of Kenabres and enjoying the festivities. They tried to round up as many civilians as they could and tried to protect them. Nearby was an old Museum, the Gray Garrison which they tried to hunker down in. Unfortunately, the demons were aiming straight for that building and it wasn't long before the motley crew were overrun by the horde. By a stroke of luck after the adventurers had been separated by accident, Kai found a hidden door. Unable to find any of his other companions he hid within and hoped they were okay. |
