Korgoth Darkhand's page

Korgoth looks around, and gets what Taya is attempting to do

"Yeah I bet I can jump the highest! I got a copper says I can!"

Trying to look nonchalant Korgoth ambles off with the piece of branch with the others.

At the market

I'm not sure but does Feisam let Korgoth keep the Drak o'fury daggger he's been practicing with?

Korgoth nods to Taya and Vladimir.

"I thank you for your help. I promised Asfer I would protect her, and I mean to keep that vow."

Korgoth looks for a stout branch to bring with him.

Korgoth stoops to pick up the boneless form of Seddani

"He's always getting overexcited."

Korgoth looks at Taya. He frowns, and then a ghost of his usual devil-may-care smile comes back.

"You're right Taya. Let's take Seddani to the healers and then we can figure out what to do then. I am letting my anger make descisions for me, and that's just going to get me in more trouble."

Korgoth's smile slips a bit

"I think that we need to hurry though. I don't like the thought of Asfer in Jeridd's clutches. He's a snake, that one."

Around Seddani

Korgoth watches as the little weasel Seddani collapses.

"That's just great. Well, nothing for it I guess."

Korgoth looks around at his companions

"Listen folks, this is my problem. I don't want you to get involved, it will just get you hurt or in trouble. I'll go see what's going on at the barn by the Halfling's inn."

..."It's Jeridd. He's nabbed Asfer and his gang 'as a trap in the barn for you. I was told to get you or he'd beat me. An- an- if I didun then she be a gonna. HE'S GOT A KNIFE!"

Korgoth grimaces at the name of his nemesis. The anger from Vulart's mocking and the crowd's laughter still burn in him. He also remembers Seddani laughing as he first tried to trick him into coming with him.

"It is as well that you came clean Seddani. A lot of people say I'm some sort of evil person, but I don't go around kidnapping girls and setting up ambushes for people."

Korgoth leans close, his anger spilling from his face in an almost-palpable force. He grabs the small boy and shakes him lightly.

"So you tell me, Seddani, who is the evil one in this little scene? And look to the black stain on your own conscience when you think of your role in it. Now tell me true, who is with Jeridd and what are they planning. No tricks now!"

Korgoth stares hard at the small orphan.

"WHO will kill you, Seddani?" He asks in a level tone.

He glares at the small boy.

"Enough foolishness. What are you doing, and what is really going on at the halfling's inn?"

With Nagy/Taya

Korgoth looks at Seddani, his blue eyes narrowing. He wrenches his arm away from him angrily.

"What's this all about then? I'm sure Asfer can wait, and I told you I'm busy."

Sense Motive:1d20-1=8

Korgoth looks at the Rispers. They can see hurt and anger in his eyes.

"I appreciate the kind words, but I really just want to be alone right now."

Korgoth starts striding off again.

Korgoth/Rispers

As Korgoth moves away from Vulart's stand, little Seddani from the Refuge comes running up with a strange smile plastered across his thin face.

"I gots a word fer you. Is frum Asfer. She ses meets her in the red barn of the halflings Inn. She gots summat special fer you" he winks.

"An jus you!" he laughs like he knows something.

Korgoth, his ears burning from the laughter he has received from the crowd wheels on Seddani, a look of anger on his normally smiling face.

"You can tell Asfer that I will see her later. I am busy at the moment."

Korgoth departs from the marketplace in shame, humiliation burning in his heart. He heads for the outskirts of the village, looking for solace among the silence of the trees.

At Vularts

Vulart gets the half-rasp down. "That is three silvers to you."

He turns to the Rispers and his small eyes slit as he adds, "it is a poor choice of friend that you make, this one is bad and will sour you too." He moistens his lips a little ...

Korgoth looks at the piggy-eyed merchant, the smile never leaving his face.

"As I am afraid I cannot afford your price, O noble Said with sarcasm Vulart, I shall have to search elsewhere for Feisam's half hasp. May the gods show you all the courtesy you have shown me on this fine day."

Korgoth nods to the two Rispers and walks slowly towards the mail-clad speaker, unwilling to show Vulart the anger his jape has kindled in him.

At the market with Rispers/Darkhand

"Korgoth, I see a half-rasp."

Taya nudges the boy and points.

"That's what you're looking for...

Korgoth sees the tool Taya has pointed out.

"Thanks Taya!"

He looks to the merchant.

"That one if you please."

While the merchant is getting down the half hasp, Korgoth's eyes wander over to the mail-clad speaker again.

"Hey Nagy, Taya ... have you ever seen that man before? I wonder what he is talking about?"

Rispers/Darkhand

As the group looks over at Vulart, there is a small selection of tools hanging up.

Nagy/Taya
** spoiler omitted **

Something out of the ordinary is that there is a man in a chain shirt speaking from on top a box. He is vigorously pointing at the small crowd of men he has attracted. From this distance none of the three can hear what he is saying.

Korgoth looks at Vulart.

"Excuse me Vulart, but I need to buy a half-hasp. Have you one? I'm not exactly sure of what it looks like."

Korgoth's attention wanders over to the mail-clad man.

I wonder what he's talking about? Korgoth wonders

Korgoth smiles at Taya. He always admired her cheeriness.

"My boss Feisam says it's for cleaning horses' hooves. We don't have to hurry though, it's too nice a day to run about!"

Korgoth falls in with the two Risper children.

"Why are you getting beech nuts?"

Korgoth saunters across the market towards the Risper children. They have always been polite to him, unlike some others. He ignores an old woman who makes a sign of warding in his direction as he walks.

"Good day Nagy and Taya! It's a wonderful day today, no? You two know a bunch about horses, have you ever heard of a 'half hasp'?"

Korgoth learns his letters more by helping Asfer than anything else. The thoughts of the heroes in the books inspire him, and the stories of the animals make him thoughtful. He helps Asfer as much as he can with her letters, figuring that the more she knows the better able she will be later to survive life's twists. Always in the back of his mind is the thought that bad times are coming, and he must prepare for the worst.

Oh man you are going to beat poor Korgoth unmercifully with this pretty little bint aren't you FW?

Korgoth smiles at Asfer

"'Course I will. I'll make sure no one hurts you."

Korgoth returns to his practice, trying to get the wrist flick movement correct.

Korgoth Darkhand

By the third month, the erratic lessons are progressing as best they can.

Sometimes interrupted by drink, sometimes by urgent stable work and lastly there is Asfer.

She is a pretty little waif that enjoys sitting in the hayloft, swinging her legs. She also likes to follow Korgoth around with her big eyes on him and her mouth filled with questions. Why is her favourite word.

After one lesson finishes she brings Korgoth a bucket of water and cloth to wipe himself down.

"Why are you doing all this?"

Korgoth grins at the small waif. He is used to annoying questions from his sisters, and feels lonely since they had to be sent to the Refuge.

"'Cause I know there ain't no one out there going to tkae care of me but myself, Asfer. It's not fair, but it's true. If I don't learn the mean folks'll just keep treating me bad."

Who is Asfer in relation to the village? Daughter of the tavern owner or just a local girl who likes hanging around?

Korgoth soaks in the training with Feisam, learning the ways to defend oneself with the Drak o'fury dagger. When he finishes his grooming chores and exercising the mounts around the stableyard, Korgoth likes to roam the wilder spots where village bullies like Jeridd Kinslorn can't easily find him. Korgoth feels free of cares when surrounded by the forest.

Korgoth admires the well-made dagger in a shaft of sunlight.

"She's a beauty Feisam! You got her for saving a knight? Wow! What's the animal here on the pommel?"

Korgoth Darkhand wrote:

FW ... Am I good here or am I missing anything?

1) and 2) are fine. However there are only three picks per training session. Number 4 is for events rolls that will take place later on.

I guess that wasn't explained well enough. You aren't the first to fall for that one and given a few more years people will do this pretty straightforward.

Patrick, my advice would be to take one skill, such as Diplomacy or Handle Animal, One simple weapon and Weapon Finesse.

Cheers

Fixed, thanks. Took Handle Animal, dagger and weap. finesse.

As for where Korgoth is going, hard to tell. A justice-minded fighter, perhaps as a swashbuckler, a Robin Hood-style wood rogue, or perhaps life will smack him so far down that he starts to follow a darker path. Lots of options!

FW ... Am I good here or am I missing anything?

Catching up to speed after an unpleasant bout with bronchitis. Larcifer/Vladimir I like the common encounter you wrote. I will work on training as I can. Finwe, perahps we would have met while Korgoth was hiding in the woods trying to dodge a beating? We could perhaps practice woods skills together?

Hi folks, bear with me, having RL issues right now, hope to be posting updates tomorrow.

Cut/pasted skill list from Nagy onto Korgoth, will continue to think on skills.

Finaly found the Swashbuckler class in the books (it was in CW). They do get Weapon Finesse as a free feat 1st level, so I will have to train for that. I did notice the flavor text they included points the swashbuckler to a mostly urban campaign. Do you think we can have Korgoth a mish mash, or should I go for another class that is more rural-oriented? Everything but the urbanity of the class seems to fit. Perhaps a major in Swashbuckler with a minor in scout/ranger.

Swashbucklers need to get a specific first level feat. I believe it is weapon finesse, check the CW if you wish.

I'll check this when I come to hand out all the objectives in a few days or so.

Cheers

Sorry for the delay FW. I took my PHB II to study at work yesterday and it said: The Swashbuckler is detailed in Complete Adventurer. Took Complete Adventurer today, and it's nowhere in it. I'm checking my other splats (Complete Warrior maybe?) because I know it's around some where.

On a side note, perhaps some woodscraft with an eye to Scout as an alternate class? I figure we're near a forest and if I am going towards a Robin Hood type it might come in handy.

I would imagine as a swashbuckler Korgoth would want to concentrate on weapons, maybe a dagger to start or a quarterstaff. Perhaps a longsword later. Also skills, animal handling seems likely with the groom backstory, and perhaps diplomacy (working in a tevern). I imagine two-weapon fighting would be a feat I'd work towards.

Tricaster is drafted but a long way off being completed.

Rollcall - can everyone check this because the thread is a little confusing.

7) Patrick Curtin - Korgoth Darkhand - human swashbuckler

PRESENT!

OK, I had a bit of time today to piece together a little backstory. This is totally rough, so any tweaks to get it to fit would be most welcome. I tried to use elements of Tricaster listed on Zagyg's Egg.

Takes a deep breath

Korgoth Darkhand III was born in difficult times. His Grandfather, also known as Korgoth, was feared in the village of Tricaster as a cultist of that foul demon-spawned demigod Iuz the Evil. It is widely believed that he burned the Square All-Shrine. When Grandfather Korgoth was brought to justice, his entire family except for his infant son Korgoth was put to the sword by angry villagers. This Korgoth was saved by a paladin who stopped the mob from committing infanticide.

Brought up as little more than a slave on a local farm, the younger Korgoth worked hard and became a sheep farmer with his own freehold, enjoying the isolation the life gave him. The village still shunned him, but he didn't care as much. He did find a wife on a journey to Greyhawk, who didn’t care about old village prejudices. They started a family with their first-born, the third Korgoth.

When Korgoth was ten, tragedy struck the family. An epidemic of anthrax carried off most of the Darkhand sheep. Jocasta, Korgoth’s mother, also died of the disease. To make matters worse, the tax officials refused to give the Darkhand family any leniency on the taxes due that year. Korgoth’s father was forced to sell the farm and find sharecropping work at Sir Kuiper Stranlich’s Estate. His health began to decline and he is becoming frailer with each year. He was unable to find a place for Korgoth, so he had to let him go find his way in the village. His two sisters had to be surrendered to Saul’s Refuge.

Korgoth III is in the unenviable position of being forced to find a living by his wits. His hatred of the tax collectors is tempered with his sense of justice. He has always grown up with his father admonishing him that as a Darkhand he would have to be twice the law-abider of anyone in the village, as the villagers all assume there is bad blood in the family. He is beginning to wonder if a law is evil and wrong, is it better to break it? Does the fact that tax collection is lawful make it good? Or can law serve evil as well?

Korgoth III has found work at the Scabbard’s Empty as a scullery boy. He gets room and board and a copper every week. He also has an unlikely friend in Feisam Trunfell, the tavern’s stable master. Korgoth sleeps in the stables and helps Feisam when there are no kitchen duties to attend to, and Feisam is showing young Korgoth how to defend himself. Feisam is an old warrior from distant parts who washed up in Tricaster. He is lame and has an alcohol problem. Despite this Feisam is a decent sort, and pities young Korgoth because of the constant abuse he gets from the village youths who spare no excuse to gang up and thrash him.

OK, going to look through the swashbuckler as a character class, but I think the tax men have caused young Korgoth to swear vengance on greedy officials. By becoming a 'good' bandit and robbing from the rich and giving to the poor perhaps he can redeem his family's name.

Course he is 13 now, so all of this is long range :P