Red the Horse Boy's page

Reynard has fiery red hair, that always covers his forehead, and an equally outgoing personality. Wears what mostly would be considered the clothing of a peasant, except for brown studded leather armor on his torso. Barely old enough to be considered adult, but in his eyes you can see he has experienced much in his short life. Easy to get along with and charismatic, but is no sly talker. He lives on the side of what is right and true, and if things get tricky his first reaction is to try to find common ground and come to a mutual understanding.

Reynard was born into the Orlovsky noble family. His father though wanted little to do with the main family, and instead served Erastil as a priest. Reynard's father was a very dedicated priest, and kind and generous father. His mother died shortly after childbirth, and Reynard was their only child. Reynard also barely made it into this world, so his father cherished him greatly. From early in Reynard's life he served in the temple beside his father, first as an altar boy, and then in various clerical and service roles. He grew to deeply appreciate the faith of Erastil, and many, including his father, thought he would likely become a cleric of Erastil.

When Reynard came of age he went to boarding school where the clerics of Erastil train and are commissioned. He quickly gained favor with the teachers and students. Besides just being amiable with everyone, he has a special gift for being a peacemaker between feuding students, and even a few teachers. He even got out of more than a few pickles with bullies with his charm.

A particular gifting that came to light was an affinity for animals, which were everywhere in the school. The horse trainer and riding instructors saw great potential, and took a liking to Reynard. In his 4th year he was awarded the title of Horse Boy, and made responsible for the stables. A position usually reserved for students in their 6th or 7th year, it was a great privilege.

Another area of talent was in sparring with the other students, though not as the weaponmaster would have expected. While most of the students were drawn to swords, axes, hammers, shields, and other weapons of war none appealed to Reynard, and he never got the hang of them. Even Erastil's favored long bow was clumsy in Reynard's hands. Perhaps it was from handling mops and brooms at the temple, or maybe the shovels and rakes in the stables, but Reynard found the simple staff to be just to his liking. One of the understudies of the weaponmaster also appreciated the simplicity of staves, and helped Reynard get the best use out of it. Soon he was matching even the most skilled in his class.

The weaponmaster wasn't keen on the "chief stable boy" beating his best students with a "broom handle", so he setup a public scrimmage match between Reynard and a 7th year swordmaster. The young sword scion figured out what was going on, and had no ill will towards Reynard, as most students appreciated their horses being well taken care of at the stables. With his reputation on the line and much of the school watching, he wasn't going to throw the fight either. It was quickly obvious that Reynard was outmatched, but the fiery horse boy was too stubborn to back down. The match went on longer than anyone at the school can remember a scrimmage lasting. Both fighters were completely exhausted, and Reynard was thoroughly bruised from so many blows of the blunted sword landing on his light armor. Yet he refused to give up, landing blow after blow on the swordsman's armor, making it sound like he was repeatedly trying to ring a bell. The scion looked up at the furious weaponmaster, and realized this wasn't going to end unless one of the two surrendered or fell dead. So in an act of defiance he took off his helmet and stuck his sword in the ground. He walked over of Reynard who was so hot and tired that his normally pale face was nearly the color of his hair. The scion announced to the crowd, "I YIELD! To Red the Horse Boy!" At first the crowd gasped, and then exploded in applause. The weaponmaster stormed out of the arena, as both combatants were carried out on their peers shoulders.

Later than evening, while seeing to the horses in the stable, the horsemaster approached Red to congratulate him. Then his tone changed to more solemn than Red had ever heard before. "This will not set well with the weaponmaster. He is a driven and cunning man, and he would not have put that event together without a reason. I fear this does not bode well for you, but I don't know what he was driving at with such a spectacle. He is a very powerful and influential cleric, and you just fought his best student to a standstill. You know I have the utmost respect for your talents Reynard, and I think you will make a fine cleric. It concerns me that there may be people out to get you, but I don't know why. When I figure it out I will let you know, but in the mean time if you get yourself into trouble, you know where to find me."

Red pondered those words over the coming seasons, but everything seemed to have returned to normal. The weaponmaster never mentioned the fight again, other than a brief congratulation the next day. The swordsman he fought graduated and went on to be the swordarm for a respected cleric. Red had more than enough to worry about though, as 5th year is the turning point in the training, and soon would be ushered down the path of a cleric, warrior, or the rare paladins. Many thought Reynard might be one of those few gifted in the ways of the paladins, but in his heart he knew he was not. Some of the other 5th years teased that he was really a druid due to his love of animals. What concerned Red was that he felt different than the others. The warriors we easy to pick out, they served Erastil, but had no touch from the god himself. Most knew that coming into the school, but some were hopeful they had a latent touch, or a might develop one later. What made Red particularly uneasy was the way many of the teachers and masters talked about magic, and to beware of any that didn't come from Erastil. He had heard of those who studied arcana and gained great power through those studies, but such things were looked down on as lawless pursuit of power. Far more dangerous he was taught, were those who could wield magic as though it were an extension of themselves, they were considered dangerous and the communities of Erastil were not to have such chaotic influence.

They Week of Testing had come. Students who wished to pursue the gifts of magic through Erastil, would spend time alone in nature, and commune with the god. Once a connection was made, the student would return to the school and show the gift Erastil had given. Some were already so touched by the deity, that they could summon light, talk to animals, or heal by touch. Any of the ways Erastil presents himself would grant entrance to the cleric school.

Just before Red's turn to leave the school grounds, the horsemaster approached him and gave him some advice, "I know you have a gift with animals, so focus on that, look for Erastil in nature and open your soul to him. If he doesn't respond at first, push a little." Red wasn't quite sure what to make of that, but he went into the woods hoping for the best. The students were allowed to stay out 3 days and nights, as often inspiration comes with the dawn. Red tried desperately for 2 days, following animals, praying, looking for anything that might help.

On the evening of the last day, in the morning he'd have to return to school, he came to a gorgeous waterfall. The sunset making various colors in the cascading water, mesmerized Reynard. Almost without thinking he stripped off his armor and waded into the pool. The water was freezing, but he was entranced. As he stood waist deep in the water he prayed the hardest he ever had, but all he felt was a calm indifference. "Push a little," he remembered the horsemaster saying, so with everything in his being he pressed his soul, like trying to squeeze it out through his pores. He then felt a growing warmth in his skin, so he pushed harder, and the warmth turning into a rush that seem to run out of his body. He opened his eyes to see that the sun had set and it was now dark. He hung his head in defeat, and tried to see where his stuff was on the shore.

It had grown so dark though that he could barely see, and now was shivering and lost. He wished out loud "If I could only have a torch to light my way..." no sooner had he said it, than the branch he was pushing out of the way, lit up! He fell backwards in shock. He stared at the glowing light for some time, studying it. The branch wasn't burning, and yet it was bright enough to see by. He broke off the branch, and made his way back to his belongings. He dried himself off and made camp for the night, wondering just what was going on.

He could barely sleep, and awoke to darkness, as the light from the branch had gone out. He picked up the branch and studied the end that had been glowing. It wasn't charred or warm, it was very puzzling. He concluded that it was certainly a magical light, but from where, certainly not himself. But just maybe… He had to try again. So he picked up the branch and started speaking at it, "Torch", nothing, "Light", nothing, "Burn", again nothing. Frustrated, he tossed the stick and blurted out "yeah like I'd ever be able to summon something like light." As he finished the statement his hand rested down on his armor, and it lit up like the torch had. "It is me!" He exclaimed, and then started trying to figure out what it was that did it. After a few hours he figured out that it was the word "light", but it had as much to do with his thoughts and will at the time.

He went to bed content he had been touched by Erastil, and could now continue as a cleric. At dawn he rose to pray, but instead of the acceptance and power he was told to expect, he got nothing. He tried “pushing” again, as he had in the pool, and felt power well up inside him. As he dwelt in this feeling for a moment he felt something enter his mind, like someone had slipped him a mental note. It was a rhyme in Celestial. While he had studied the language significantly in his classes, most of the words were foreign to him. He started to say them out loud, first quietly then boldly, as he felt more and more power surging through him. The feeling of power faded just as a rustle outside his tent disturbed him. It was the sound of a rather large animal approaching. A deer maybe, no too heavy sounding, he thought to himself, surely not a bear, in this area. It was now right outside the tent, and started to press its snout against the flap. It was too confined of an area to use a staff, so Red grabbed his hunting knife, his heart pounding in his chest.

The flap was pushed open, and the most brilliant white fur and a mouth full of teeth entered the tent. Even in the wild stories of the wandering clerics had Red come across anything that would describe what he was seeing. Red was unable to decide what to do, it looked like a holy being, but it could probably tear him apart in a heartbeat. He prayed in his mind, but as soon as he started a voice answered back “What’s wrong master?” It wasn’t out loud, as far as he could tell, he responded out loud, “What?” “I asked what’s wrong, you seem frightened,” came the reply. Again it was as though the thought came from inside his head and not through his ears. The creature was now half in the tent and looking straight at Red. It sat down, cocked its head to one side, gave out a questioning sigh, and then the voice inside his head again, “Hello, aren’t you a funny looking thing.” Red thought for sure now he was dreaming. “I am your eidolon, your bond; you called out to the Celestial plane and called me here. You possess great power young one, and I am to be both your helper and guide.” "Howwwww... how are you doing that?" responded Red. "Doing what?" came the voice again. "Talking inside my head?"
"Oh that! It's what others of my kind call The Link. In some tangible way our souls are now connected."
"There are others like you?"
"Some, but not too many, and it gets hard to tell if we still are after a while. You see each of our Linkmates can rearrange us as they grow in power, so we take on more and more of the shape they will us to have."
"So you're saying I can mold you like clay or something?"
"Well not to such an extent as that, I will always look something like I do now, but a new limb here, a tail there, maybe you want me bigger or smaller, but you seem to be getting the idea."
"Okay, now I know I'm dreaming!"
The eidolon raises a paw and swings it at Red's head. Whump!
"Ouch, you're pretty strong."
"Now do you think you're dreaming?"
"No, quite convinced this is real now," as Red rubs the side of his head.
"Oh, and by the way, you can stop speaking out loud, I can read your thoughts as well as I can speak into them, but it's too confusing hearing words I don't understand in my ears, at the same time I hear my native tongue in my thoughts. I might someday learn your language that way, but for now it is making my head hurt."
"Oh okay," Red says out loud, then stops himself and thinks, "more like this then?"
"Aww yes, much better," as the eidolon gives a big toothy smile.
"Ahhh!" Red blurts out loud.
"What? Oh, you are still afraid of me. My apologies master, but I won't hurt you, well other than the occasional playful thump upside the head."
Red rubs his head again, "Okay, I sense a strong loyalty in your words, so I mostly trust you. It's a bit odd getting not just words, but emotion behind them in my head, it's a bizarre feeling."
"So your race doesn't normally talk like this?"
"No we don't. You said you understand a language but not mine, what is your language?"
"Well, it's what we all speak on the Celestial plane."
"Oh so like," Red starts to speak out loud, "Crista lizguwan enta belign grota?"
The eidolon cringes, and Red senses a pain over the link.
"Well... you say it better than most daemons, but gah! I'll help you with that in time, you'll need to speak it well if you are to summon others from my plane, but in the mean time PLEASE don't do that again."
Red laughs out loud, "Okay okay, it's not like I've ever heard anyone other than a human try to speak it, and I've only taken one year of it."

Red and his new-found companion packed up and walked back to the school. Upon entering the school Red and his eidolon were met with gasps, stares, and some concerned expressions. Once the horsemaster caught wind of what was going on, he ran over to Red and escorted him to the stables. “What happened out there? And what is that you brought back with you?” Red started to blabber about his experience, but was interrupted by the eidolon growling. The horsemaster takes a step back. Red looks down at the eidolon and says over the link, “What is that about?”
"His countenance has changed, he's no longer just curious, he's angry."
Red responds out loud without thinking, "He's angry, angry about what?"
The horsemaster looks startled, and stammers for a second before composing himself, “W-w-w-ell well... it definitely isn’t a mo-mo-mount, and isn’t an animal companion. I’m not sure what it is though. I think I should go talk to the council. Stay here! And try not to spook the horses.” The horsemaster leaves the stables hurriedly. Red is puzzled, but figures his mentor knows what he's doing.

Red attends to his duties, poorly done over the 3 days while he was gone. Edi wasn’t a lot of help, but at least was able to keep him company. A few hours had gone by before Red noticed, he was still euphoric over his experience, and felt his future as a cleric was now certain. He was startled by not just the horsemaster, but the weaponmaster, headmaster, and several clerics entering the stables. None of them looked very happy to see the eidolon. The headmaster stepped forward, “Reynard, would you please come over here, and bring your new friend as well.” Reynard and the eidolon walked up the group of clerics. They all studied the creature intently, cast a few spells, and the eidolon stood there looking up curiously at them. "This is rather amusing," the eidolon says over the link. One of the elder clerics reached a conclusion, “It is certainly a celestial being, both lawful and good, but I have never in all my years seen or heard of something matching this description.” "That was anti-climatic," says the eidolon, to which Red snickers. The rest of the clerics nodded in agreement. Everyone, even the weaponmaster seemed satisfied. The weaponmaster spoke up, “Red, I think I was wrong about you. You will make a fine cleric of Erastil, even in you can’t shoot a longbow if your life depended on it.”

All but the horsemaster turned to go, and Red and the eidolon started to walk back to the stalls, when the horsemaster blurted out, “Stop! Don’t you see it! He’s no cleric; he’s got the stench of the arcane all over him!” At that everyone turned to look at the horsemaster. The horsemaster rushed up to Red and pushed the mop of red hair up away from his forehead. Glowing on his forehead was a Celestial rune, and a matching one was on the eidolon’s head. “This is an arcane bond, I’ve seen it before,” said the horsemaster. Red was paralyzed, and felt the blood drain from his face. The eidolon growled again, and the horsemaster stepped away from Red. All the clerics rushed back to look at Red, and all started to nod in agreement with the horsemaster. The weaponmaster broke the silence, “Well not a cleric, and not a paladin, but son if you can attract such holy creatures to your side, you’re okay in my book. I will take you as a warrior, you may continue training with me if you wish.” The headmaster said, “You seem to have a sponsor, and this creature is certainly not evil, so I see nothing wrong with you staying. The rules are the rules though, so as long as you can continue to live within them, and your creature can live with them, you may stay.”

At that Red sighed in relief. The horsemaster was aghast, “But he’s an arcanist! He can’t be here!” “Come now, your personal beliefs do no rule this school,” said the headmaster, “it is unusual I admit to have someone arcane here, but he's shown himself to be worthy of Erastil's banner time and again, so he’s free to stay so long as he abides by our code of conduct.” The horsemaster was put out and followed the departing headmaster yelling about arcanists. The headmaster stopped him, “He’s been the best student you’ve ever had, and now you’re willing to throw him aside because of a developed talent? I know what happened to your family, but can you not be rid of your prejudice after all this time?” “No, I can’t let it go, I won’t,” responded the horsemaster. Red was devastated at what he heard. The weaponmaster spoke up again, “Red, like I said before you still have a place in my dojo, even if this sheep herder can't get over a glowing letter.” “I am very grateful for the offer,” said Red, “but I know where I’m not wanted.” At that Red took off the crest of the stables and handed it to the horsemaster. Then he turned to the headmaster, “I appreciate all that I have learned here,” and turning to the weaponmaster, “even the bruises have taught me much, but this is no longer my path.” “The horsemaster is correct, I know in every fiber of my being that I can channel magic, and it is not through Erastil’s help. I have not and will not forsake our god, but he has not gifted me as a cleric, and that was why I came here. I need to find my own way now, and will leave. I appreciate your grace, but many others believe as strongly as the horsemaster, and I will be a disrupting influence, no matter how hard I try not to be.” With that Red turned and went to his dorm, collected his things and left. The sting of his closest mentor turning on him was too much, he wouldn’t soon trust that much again.

He returned to his father at the temple, and explained what happened. His father was shocked, but supportive. Red set out into the wilderness for a while, learning about his powers and his eidolon. As his money and resources dwindled, and not wanting to go back to his father for money, he looked for some adventurers to join with.

Acrobatics 2 (Dex) + 1 (trait noble) - 1 armor = +2
Climb/Swim 2 (Str) - 1 armor = +1
Diplomacy 4 (Cha) + 3 (class w/ rank) + 1 rank + 1 (trait EoF)= +9
Handle Animal 4 (Cha) + 3 (class w/ rank) + 1 rank = +8
Knowledge (nobility) 1 (Int) + 3 (class w/ rank) + 1 rank = +5
Knowledge (religion) 1 (Int) + 3 (class w/ rank) + 1 rank = +5
Linguistics 1 (Int) + 3 (class w/ rank) + 2 rank = +6
Ride 2 (Dex) + 3 (class w/ rank) + 1 rank - 1 armor = +5
Sense Motive 0 (Wis) + 3 (class w/ rank) + 1 rank + 1 (trait Sus) = +5
Spellcraft 1 (Int) + 3 (class w/ rank) + 1 rank = +5
Use Magic Device 4 (Cha) + 3 (class w/ rank) + 1 rank = +8

• SUMMONER CANTRIPS - The Summoner can cast known 0-level spells without limit.
• SUMMONER SPELLS - Arcane spells drawn from the Summoner spell list. Spontaneous caster.
• SUMMONER WEAPONS AND ARMOR - All simple weapons and light armor. No arcane spell failure in light armor.
• EIDOLON - A summoner begins play with the ability to summon to his side a powerful outsider called an eidolon.
• LIFE LINK - Whenever the eidolon takes enough damage to send it back to its home plane, the summoner can, as a free action, sacrifice any number of hit points. Each hit point sacrificed in this way prevents 1 point of damage done to the eidolon. This can prevent the eidolon from being sent back to its home plane.
• SUMMON MONSTER - A summoner can cast summon monster I as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. He can cast this spell as a standard action and the creatures remain for 1 minute per level (instead of 1 round per level). At 3rd level, and every 2 levels thereafter, the power of this ability increases by one spell level, allowing him to summon more powerful creatures (to a maximum of summon monster IX at 17th level). At 19th level, this ability can be used as gate or summon monster IX. If used as gate, the summoner must pay any required material components. A summoner cannot have more than one summon monster or gate spell active in this way at one time. If this ability is used again, any existing summon monster or gate immediately ends.
BOND SENSES - A summoner can, as a standard action, share the senses of his eidolon, hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and touching everything the eidolon does. He can use this ability a number of rounds per day equal to his summoner level. There is no range to this effect, but the eidolon and the summoner must be on the same plane. The summoner can end this effect as a free action.

• Ease of Faith (Faith) - +1 to Diplomacy checks. Diplomacy is a class skill. (PFCT 4)
• Suspicious (Social) - +1 sense motive. Sense motive is a class skill. (PFCT 6)
• Noble Born: Orlovsky (Campaign) - +1 to CMD, +1 to Acrobatics

==Known Spells==
Cantrips Acid Splash, Detect Magic, Light, Mage Hand, Message
Level 1 Rejuvenate eidolon (lesser), Summon monster I, Unfetter
==Spells per Day==
Cantrips Unlimited
Level 1 4