Yzgar the Runt's page

* The Rukhol clan was one of many clans of half-orcs from the Icerime peaks. Over time the half-orcs of the region came into the service of House Orlovsky, and served to guard the eastern frontier against Iobarian aggression. Knowing that securing the loyalty of the orcish clans meant obtaining a large force of cheaply-hired warriors, House Orlovsky made the chiefs of the Rukhol clan into Barons of Brevoy.
* Yzgar was the fifth son of the current baron. Yzgar was much smaller than the other half-orcs of his family. Since the Rukhols valued strength and fortitude, Yzgar's frailness earned him the nickname "the Runt," and he was subject to much abuse by his siblings and cousins. He had to learn how to talk his way out of trouble.
* As he grew older and was expected to train with weaponry, even his parents became frustrated with him, and sent him away to New Stetven for "schooling." While he did get something of an education while there, New Stetven didn't suit him very well either, as in addition to the disrespect he received from half-orcs for being small, he was also disrespected by humans for being a half-orc, and young human nobles often wanted to pick fights with him, wishing to test themselves against a "mighty orc." Yzgar was usually able to talk his way out of trouble, but received many beatings nonetheless.
* Yzgar's magical abilities began to manifest at this time, but the kind of spells he could cast prevented him from earning much as an "honest" sorcerer.
* When Yzgar was twenty-five his father died and his eldest brother became Baron of House Rukhol. He had never got along well with his eldest brother, and once his father was gone, the allowance that allowed him to live in New Stetven was also gone. Out of pride Yzgar refused to return home, but without money he soon found himself living in squalor in the slums of New Stetven. Fortunately his abilities were useful to those in the criminal underworld.
* Yzgar lived for several years this way, and though the gang he ran with appreciated his powers, he still felt frustrated, believing that he had been cheated out of a destiny full of greatness. But then he heard the words of a missionary of Razmir, promising wealth and power to whoever would serve the Living God.
* Yzgar arrived in Thronestep when he was thirty, and began to study with the priests of Razmir, becoming an acolyte himself. He remained in Thronestep for three years, but quickly realized that the whole faith of Razmir was a false one. This didn't especially bother him, as long as it earned him a good living, but eventually he began to think: 'If Razmir can use sorcery to become a living god, why can't I?'
* He decided to leave the church of Razmir and set out on his own. So he left Thronestep, determined to form his own cult with himself as the master. In order to escape Thronestep, he made a bargain with a Fetchling wizard, who brought him to the Plane of Shadow. They traveled in that plane for a week, and Yzgar was never more relieved to find himself on the material plane afterwards. He never speaks of what he saw there.
* Not willing to return to New Stetven and face the gang he abandoned, he instead went to Restov, and began preaching his "new faith" in the slums of the city.
* He had heard that there was a dead god named Ydersius who was a patron of serpents, and having an affinity with such creatures himself he claimed to represent this god. Though he secretly prayed to Nethys for power, he managed to gather a few adherents to his "new faith."
* But others in Restov had heard of Ydersius and took the religion much more seriously than Yzgar did. Upon learning of Yzgar's little cult, the Archbanker of the church of Abadar in Restov had charges of blasphemy and practicing a forbidden religion levied against Yzgar. His "flock" scattered, leaving him without places to hide, and Yzgar was arrested.
* But the swordlords saw something potentially of use in Yzgar, and mde a bargain with him. In exchange for an oath to never bring the faith of Ydersius back to Restov, and performing a "service" for the swordlords, Yzgar's sentence was commuted.
* This "service" was aiding a group of explorers charting the Stolen Lands and eliminating bandits therein. Yzgar was given a royal charter and sent out into the wilderness.

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+2 to One Ability Score: Half-orc characters gain a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Middle Aged: -1 to all physical scores, and +1 to all mental scores.
Medium: Half-orcs are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Half-orcs have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Half-orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Intimidating:
Shadowplay: Some illusionists are experts in manipulating light and darkness. Characters with this trait cast spells with the darkness, light, or shadow descriptor at +1 caster level. Half-orcs can take this trait in place of intimidating, also gaining the gnome’s illusion resistance racial trait.
Orc Blood: Half-orcs count as both humans and orcs for any effect related to race.
Orc Ferocity:
Sacred Tattoo: Many half-orcs decorate themselves with tattoos, piercings, and ritual scarification, which they consider sacred markings. Half-orcs with this racial trait gain a +1 luck bonus on all saving throws. This racial trait replaces orc ferocity.
Weapon Familiarity:
City-Raised: Half-orcs with this trait know little of their orc ancestry and were raised among humans and other half-orcs in a large city. City-raised half-orcs are proficient with whips and longswords, and receive a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (local) checks. This racial trait replaces weapon familiarity.
Languages: Half-orcs begin play speaking Common and Orc. Half-orcs with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Abyssal, Draconic, Giant, Gnoll, and Goblin.

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Bloodline Arcana: Your powers of compulsion can affect even bestial creatures. Whenever you cast a mind-affecting or language-dependent spell, it affects animals, magical beasts, and monstrous humanoids as if they were humanoids who understood your language.

Bloodline Powers: The treacherous and yet hypnotic serpent’s blood that flows through you taints your magic with a sinuous and seductive grace.

Serpent’s Fang (Ex): At 1st level, you can grow fangs as a free action. These fangs are treated as a natural weapon inflicting 1d4 points of damage plus your Strength modifier (1d3 if you are Small) plus poison (Bite—injury; save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 your sorcerer level + your Constitution modifier; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1 Con damage; cure 1 save). At 5th level, these fangs are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming DR and the poison damage increases to 1d2 Con. At 7th level, your poison requires 2 successful saves to cure. At 11th level, your poison damage increases to 1d4 Con. You can use your fangs for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.

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