About Thorn of ClovenwoodThorn of Clovenwood
XP: 6000 (10000 needed for next level) Defense
Offense
Special Attacks: Powerful Charge, Favored Enemy +2 (evil outsiders), Two Weapon Fighting Statistics
Feats
Skills
Languages
Special Qualities
Ranger Abilities
Binder Abilities
Vestiges:
Naberius, The Grinning Hound
Ronove, The Iron Maiden
Gear: Backpack x2
Money: 35pp 83gp 10sp 10cp
Age: 28
Appearance Thorn has quite long, shaggy dark hair between his large, curling horns, complemented by quite a long, thick goatee style beard. He has a quite prominent, curved nose, small eyes and thin lips. His usual expressions alternate between a slightly sneering half-smile, an angry glower or a furrow browed look of concentration – although there are rare unabashed grins or exultant yells. His humanoid torso is fairly heavily muscled and largely covered in thick black hair, that blends into the coarse dark goat fur of his lower half. When armed for battle he normally wears a sleeveless chain mail surcoat and barding, with a heavy wooden shield emblazoned with a bronze insignia of a rather demonic looking goat’s head. Depending on the situation, he is equally likely to use his devastating horns, his Abyssal heavy sickle, or his recurved longbow in battle. When not ready for war, he normally wears a dark waistcoat, and a pair of smoky dark lenses over his eyes. In particularly cold weather he has been known to don a short leather jacket and a long woollen scarf. Answering the little questions.
Where does your character call kip? Thorn currently lives in Sigil as a member of the Fated faction. Perhaps he stays at a Fated owned building somewhere in the vicinity of the Hall of Records, a small ground floor apartment that he shares with at least one other faction member. What's a typical day in Sigil for him? Until recently, his typical day would have consisted of hanging about, looking tough and partaking in faction related activities. Recently he has been trying to get away on his own, practicing binding circles in secluded or out of the way locations; frequenting various locations keeping his ear open for chant on Doors out of the Cage; and sometimes slipping into the Hall of Records or the Library of the Lady, looking for the dark on binding. Do they consider themselves a mercenary, an adventurer, a champion of a cause or just a working stiff? What do they do as a day job if they aren't out adventuring? If you're on the wrong side of the law, do you work independently or are you part of a gang/cell? Are you likely to take anything that comes along to earn jink or does an opportunity need to have certain hooks to get you in? Thorn has a day job of sorts … working for the Fated. Sometimes that involves guard duty, off jobs, intimidation … various things. However, he’s an adventurer at heart – he’s just been sidetracked for a while. Money, power and the opportunity for saga-worthy heroics are good motivations … altruism, not so much. Detail an NPC and their relationship to you. How did you meet? What were your first impressions? How long have you known them? Do you trust this person? Star of Dusk (bariaur female). Met during Thorn’s first couple of days in Sigil; Star helped save Thorn and his companions from a tiefling gang and the Harmonium peacekeepers on their first few days in Sigil, a couple of years ago. Thorn was impressed – here was a doe who was not rustic and unpolished, but wordly, self assured and well groomed. Yep, Thorn had a crush.
What is one memory that affects you to this day? How has it changed you? It all seems very clear, the day the thief broke into the Hall of Records, and when Thorn and Munstrum took a shortcut to catch up to him. A cloaked, humanoid figure, features unclear – a product of Sigil’s poor lighting and hazy air, magic, or the excitement of the moment – Thorn can’t be sure. He remembers the stack of tomes, dancing along in the air almost comically behind the running figure, always on the verge of tumbling, but never quite doing so. Magic no doubt this time. Munstrum voiced a battle-cry and leapt at the thief, hook blades out, with Thorn but a step behind. The target leapt back and around, cloak whipping, and something lashed out at the two Takers – limb, spell, weapon? – knocking them flying. Even as Thorn tumbled through the air, he say Munstrum fly, eyes wide, blood spraying from a gash in his chest, hard into a spike covered wall. Thorn reached out, finding something to stop his flight. His reaching hand found the stack of books, a few at the top went flying, but did not stop Thorn from tumbling down a nearby flight of stairs, landing in a crumpled heap, semi-conscious, two of the stolen tomes by his side. He looked up through glazed eyes, saw a dark, yawning hood at the top of the steps, seemingly looking down at him – but then a cry went up. The mob had spotted the thief, and the chase was back on. The figure whipped around and raced out of sight, the remaining books still floating behind it. A few moments later the mob raced past, but no-one noticed Thorn at the base of the stairs. Unsteadily, he tried to climb back to his hooves, and his hand found one of the books that had crashed down with him. His watering eyes took in the title; “Secrets of Pact Magic”. Things were never the same for Thorn after that. If you're an immigrant to Sigil or otherwise not a born and bred freewheeling Planewalker, do you ever get homesick for your home plane? Thorn will be unlikely to admit it, but he does miss Ysgard. Things were simpler there … not to mention cleaner and nicer. And he misses his herd-mates. At the end of the day, where do you go and what do you do to unwind? Lately Thorn’s been spending a lot of time after hours in the Hall of Records (drawing the suspicion of Aram Oakwright, who fears that Thorn might be investigating him) or the Lady’s Library when he can get in (he and Shactal the night watchman don’t see eye to eye) to find out more about Binding and Pact Magic. Of course, he still likes his nights out, indulging in wine, women and bar fights.
-What does he/she/it believe? Thorn believes in power and glory – that anybody has a right to those things if they are willing to work at them, go out and seize them. He believes in personal freedom. Some folks might need to be told what to do and what to think, but not he. He, and those smart enough to figure it out, can make their own destiny. He believes that if he wants something, he should figure out a way to get it. If he gets it, and he’s good enough to hang onto it – why, then it’s only right that he has it. What is the most valuable thing to this character (may be a material possession, may be something more abstract)? The most valuable thing to Thorn is knowledge – for he has discovered that knowledge is power, and Thorn wants power; not power over others, but enough personal power that few if any will have power over him. He also holds his weapons and his books in high regards – but is pragmatic enough to trade them up for better gear should it further his goals. -Where are they from (Prime or Planar? Where on the Prime Material, where in the Planes?) The bariaur hails from a rather remote earthberg of Ysgard, far from the halls of any deities, or famous battlefields, or most planar by-ways. He has lived in Sigil for the past three years or so. -Are they part of a faction? If so, why did they join? Did they pass a test? Fill out an application form? Thorn is a Taker, a member of the Fated Faction. He stumbled upon the Fated quite by accident, but soon found that by inclination, goals and even race he was a natural fit to the group. However, he is beginning to feel that it might be a good idea to distance himself from the Takers, or at least their power centre in Sigil. -Where did your character learn their profession? Where did they get their gear? Thorn learnt the art of battle and woodslore amongst the rolling hills and dark forests of Ysgard, as did most of his flock. He learnt more about the planes and the worlds beyond Ysgard amongst the Fated in the Hall of Records. The arcane arts he learnt from a tome that was not his to look at, and which probably was taken from the Hall of Records. His bow and spear were given to him by his sire in Ysgard, whilst his heavy sickle was a trophy taken from a tiefling thug he killed in Sigil. -If you're a Prime, how did you get onto the Great Wheel and subsequently, to the city of Sigil? What were your first impressions and how have you adjusted? The story of how he arrived in Sigil is told in full elsewhere, but amounts to taking a wrong turning along a branch of the World Ash and stumbling through a one-way Door to the Cage. Thorn and his companions had been on a (foolish and ill-prepared) expedition to fight fiends in the lower planes – and when they arrived by accident in Sigil they initially thought that they had, perhaps, stumbled into one of the lower planes. Different in almost every imaginable way to Ysgard, there was a lot of adjusting to do. In the company of the Takers, Thorn did adjust, surprisingly quickly. In the Takers he had found a group of like-minded folk, and reveled in the (apparent) freedom and power that being part of such a group brought. He also came to realize that Sigil was where it was at – the almost literal centre of the multiverse. There was knowledge to be gained here, and power. For that the closeness, the artificial surrounds, the pollution could be endured. Thorn never intended to live his life in Sigil, but to stay there as long as he needed to, to set himself on the path that he had chosen to tread. -Do you have any enemies or rivals? Thorn believes himself to have enemies – he’s just not entirely sure who they might be … whoever they are, they are most likely after the dark that Thorn has stumbled upon – to gain it for themselves or to suppress it. In recent weeks there has been at least one assassination attempt (he believes) and one ransacking of his quarters … considering these things seem to come in threes, he fully expects that something else will happen any time now. As far as Thorn can reason, there are three possible enemies – and as like as not, there ARE all three; One, the berk that tried to steal the tome that he got hold of; Two, the lot that seek to supress the dark in the tome; and Three, the Takers themselves, having sniffed out that Thorn may be in possession of certain items and facts. Clawboy the tiefling Xaositect also aint exactly fond of Thorn, since Thorn killed one of his boys. Background Heading off to fight demons in the Abyss had seemed like a good idea, drinking and bragging with one’s flock-mates in Ysgard. A way to prove one’s prowess and bravery, advance the cause of good and freedom, and to become great and powerful. Or so it seemed back then. Thorn and five of his young flock mates set off from Clovenwood full of bravado. Yurt knew of a way, deep in the forest, where a branch of the World Ash touched Ysgard, and the band figured that they could follow the tree down to it’s roots and reach the lower planes – if not the Abyss – that way. It was not to be. They followed a wrong turning, entered a hole in the trunk – and ended up in Sigil. *** The young bariaurs soon learnt three things of Sigil. One, that it was not for nothing called the Cage – it was much easier to get to than to leave; Two, that just because something looked like a fiend – or even if it were a fiend – attacking it without cause here was not wise; and Three, the Factions were where the power was at in this place. Unable to return through the apparently one way Door, the band initially thought that perhaps they had made it the Abyss after all. A far cry from the rolling hills and sweet air of Ysgard, this place was claustrophobic, manufactured, polluted. Bariaurs rubbed shoulders with githyanki, devas glared at gelugons but kept their weapons sheathed, humans flirted with succubi. It soon became apparent that no one was willing to tell them of a way back out of the city – at least no way that they could afford, or that could be believed. After much wandering, the band found themselves in a network of narrow crowded alleyways when a band of horned men emerged suddenly, demanding gold. Clueless Primes could perhaps be excused for thinking that the horned, cloven hooved pen with the wicked blades were demons – Incubi perhaps, or cambions. Bariaur should probably have known better, although to be fair tieflings are rare enough in Ysgard. Whatever, the flock-mates later claimed they mistook their would be muggers for fiends when they retaliated to the demands for money with lethal force. Soon enough, several tieflings lay dead at the horns or weapons of the bariaur, but when they in turn began fighting back in earnest they downed two of Thorn’s companions – before a cry of “Harmonium!” went up amongst some of the locals who had gathered to watch the battle – and hopefully loot the dead – and combatants and observers alike scattered as red armoured shapes began forcing their way down the alleys. The deaths were something of a shock – here, unlike in Ysgard, one did not heal wounds almost as quickly as they were incurred, and once one was dead – one was dead. The flock-mates would no doubt have soon been captured by the Harmonium, or fallen prey to some other Faction or band of thugs in due course, had it not been for a fortuitous (or Fated?) meeting with Star, a bariaur Taker, who, after a brief deal and character assessment, led them to a Fated safehouse. *** Thorn had of course heard of the Fated, and felt a certain kinship, even admiration for them. He shared a similar philosophy to the group, and it helped that they had an association with Ysgard and counted more than a few bariaur amongst them. The Fated agreed to house the would-be demon slayers, find them a way out of the Cage, even give them access to the dark on demons and the Abyss if they chose – in exchange for a them running a few errands, doing a few odd bits and bobs. In due course, Thorn realized that he had more than a few things in common with these Takers; and that he enjoyed the sense of belonging and importance that came with being associated with a Faction in Sigil. He also delved into the dark on demons and other fiends, and pretty quickly realized that the plan of launching a mini-crusade on the lower planes was perhaps not the brightest. Thorn had always been smart (well, apart from a few lapses in judgement here and there) and a quick learner, but he had never had such access to books as he did in the Hall of Records. The power of the written word was never much emphasized in Ysgard, but now Thorn wanted to learn all he could. So when the time came that the Takers told them they’d found an Eladrin mercenary captain who was willing to take them on for some battle in the Abyss, Thorn said he’d rather stay here, and join the Fated. *** There was something of a row of course, but in the end two of his flockmates left to join the Eladrin cause, whilst Yurt and Thorn stayed behind, new members of the Fated. It was sad of course – fights were not uncommon amongst the boistorius and passionate bariaur, but this time there would be none of the inevitable making up, as Thorn knew that his flockmates were unlikely to survive the Abyss. Sadder still that he and River had grown apart in recent weeks, and that their childhood promise of binding would now never come to pass … but then Star was a fine figure of a doe, and so self assured and wordly-wise … and in a place like Sigil, need one even restrict oneself to one’s own species? *** Thorn reveled in his role as a Taker in Sigil, but even whilst he grew in knowledge and experience of the worlds beyond Ysgard, there came gradual and unfortunate changes in his character. He had always had a sense that he wanted to be great, but now came the desire to be powerful … and fighting for the cause of good was perhaps not the best way to become powerful – if fighting at all was the way to do it. Although he always intended that his power should be personal, a way to free himself from the rules of others and any destiny he did not chose for himself, he unfortunately become something of a bully, a self important lout during this time He had always been a being of action, and at times head-strong impulsiveness, but now his lust for knowledge tempered this somewhat, as he became obsessed with learning all that he could, and choosing the best path for himself before his quest for greatness began in earnest. During this time, he and Yurt, who did not quite share Thorn’s enthusiasm with the Fated, nor certainly his enthusiasm for learning, grew apart somewhat. *** One day, there was a great alarum in the Hall of Records where Thorn was studying. An intruder had managed to enter the place, break into some forgotten vault (that, on later reflection, none within the Fated admitted to previously knowing the existence of), and was spotted escaping with a stack of tomes. The chase was on! By the time that Thorn caught up with the dozen or more Takers who were in pursuit of the thief, the chase had left the Hall and taken to the alleys of Sigil. The mob split up, and when the thief was spotted a cry would go up and the pursuit would be back on – however, the thief always seemed to manage to stay far enough ahead that little could be seen other than his (or her, or its) flapping black cloak and the tall stack of books that seemed to magically stay together despite the speed of the race. Thorn realized that he knew a shortcut that would hopefully enable him to cut off – or at least gain on – the thief. He took off down a narrow flight of stairs along with one other Taker, and emerged back onto street level several blocks away – only a step or two behind the thief, and with the rest of the mob no-where in sight. The two Takers leapt at their quarry, who turned and lashed out at them with something – a limb, weapon, spell, Thorn could never quite tell afterwards. Thorns companion was dashed hard against a nearby wall, that was unfortunately festooned with spikes, and impaled, whilst Thorn thrown towards the stairs that they had just come up. However, as the bariaur sailed through the air, he managed to grab at the stack of books, and brought two fat tomes with him in his flight. He landed, injured at the base of the stairs TBC So. Thorn’s background mentions him finding a forbidden tome, and learning some information from it that is making him a rather sought after person. If I go binder, then:
Spoiler:
The tome is a primer on pact magic, with information on various vestiges. This is enough to have Thorn targeted by various churches, organizations and the agents of various Powers … but perhaps there is something more to this tome as well; a plausible (or evidence backed) theory linking the gods directly to vestiges; information on little known vestiges, ones that for the safety of the multiverse it really might be a good idea not to bind; something predicting that Demogorgan will become a vestige on his “death” and a suggested seal for binding him … stuff like that. If I don’t go binder, then:
Spoiler:
things are possibly not as straight forward … but I’m thinking that he stumbles upon some big secret or body of lore that various folks either want for themselves or want to ensure don’t get out there; the truth about the gods, the real dark on Sigil and the Lady of Pain, the whereabouts and key to some wonderful planar touchstone, the trick to opening Tharizdun’s prison, whatever.
There also should be some reason, based on this, that Thorn decides to embark on the path of wizardry – to properly use the knowledge he needs to be a powerful wizard perhaps, or needs to know a certain spell. Or maybe he thinks that magic is the best way to thwart his perceived enemies. Maybe the tome is magical, and imparts it’s knowledge to Thorn in such a way that he can’t actually remember what it is he knows – just that it’s something important. Maybe the knowledge was imparted by a spirit bound within the tome, that now dwells within Thorn, and he remembers fragments of its memories … or something. |
