"They're speaking gibberish." He whispers to Rohan.
"I just think it's their native tongue or something."
"Ah, as much as I love practicing the speech of the Shoanti, perhaps we are being rude to exclude the others present from our chat." He bows in apology to Rohan, Copperscale, and any others present.
"When I served aboard the Mermaid's Promise, one of the crew was of the Shadde-Quah, and taught me the language of your people. I hope he did not break any traditions by doing so, for I feel truly privileged to have been so honored."
May I submit... Crag the Igneous
Crag ran his fingers along the spidery lines of greenish ore that threaded through the rock’s core. This stone does not surrender her secrets easily… he sighed.
Craggok traced his fingers through a few well known gestures. A moment later the small fissure closed, sealing the injury they had done to the canyon floor. Crag nodded as he watched his elder. Protect the stone, as she protects us… Nurture her, as she nurtures us… As he silently recited the ages old mantra, he hefted the core sample around for his father’s perusal.
“Hmph. Thin,” Craggok grunted. “A wasted effort.”
Thin here, at the surface. But, see how it bands here, and here… here as well. Crag indicated several spots on the sample. It will grow as we pursue it deeper.
“What of it? This stone is stubborn. Ye said yourself, she’ll nay surrender easily.”
Twenty feet? Crag asked.
“Hmph. No more. And I mean it this time, ye stubborn, boar-headed fool! I’ll nay have ye digging up half the world fer this worthless ore! I dunna care if the mother’s whole load o’ mithril lies below it!” Craggok bellowed his warnings, but the anger did not reach his eyes. “Now, go summon the others.”
........
The hand that tore apart the barricade was bigger than Crag’s torso. A face like misshapen rock appeared behind the breach as Crag lashed out with his sledge. A crack like thunder sounded, and the stone giant fell back from the opening. Four more hands grabbed the edges of the barricade and pulled, shattering the last vestiges of the dwarven defenses.
The fight had been going for hours. The tribe of stone giants had been methodical and relentless in their attacks and pursuit of Crag and his clan. Too many lay dead, broken, and wounded. To run further meant leaving the others behind. Crag and his brothers would never leave their family behind.
As the barricade collapsed, the boulders began raining down.
There was no valiant battle.
Crag’s family was pulped in seconds. Another wave of boulders. Then a third. It was almost a blessing, a relief from pain and grief, when one clipped his forehead and the world went black…
........
The dozens of piled cairns paid mute testament to the fallen dwarves. Crag wept as he piled the loose rocks around the bodies of his kin.
From the stone are we shaped, and to the stone we shall return…
Crag looked at the sun, the movement and his wounded head causing him to swoon and nearly faint. There was a human town nearby. He did not know its name. He had little to do with humans, or any non-dwarf, for that matter.
But, he could not avenge his clan on his own…
Male dwarf stonelord 1
LG Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +2
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 16 (+5 armor, +1 shield)
hp 12 (1d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +3
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.
Melee dwarven longhammer +4 (2d6+4/x3) or power attack +3 (2d6+7/x3)
Melee dwarven waraxe +4 (1d10+3/x3) or power attack +3 (1d10+5/x3)
Melee iron spike +4 (1d4+3)
Ranged shortbow +0 (1d6/x3) or iron spike +0 (1d4+3)
Special Attacks Stonestrike 1/day
Spell-Like Abilities
At Will — detect evil
STATISTICS
Str 17, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12
Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 14
Feats Power Attack
Skills Knowledge (engineering) +1, Knowledge (history) +3, Knowledge (religion) +4, Perception +2, Sense Motive +5
Languages Dwarven
SQ Aura of Good
Traits Giant Slayer, Guardian of the Forge
Gear buckler, dwarven longhammer, dwarven waraxe, iron spike, scale mail, shortbow w/20 arrows
Additional Gear backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, chalk (10), stone holy symbol, waterskin, 98 gp 8sp
Weight 81.5 lbs.
Aura of Good (Ex): The power of a paladin’s aura of good (see the detect good spell) is equal to his paladin level.
Detect Evil (Sp): At will, a paladin can use detect evil, as the spell. A paladin can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is evil, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the paladin does not detect evil in any other object or individual within range.
Stonestrike (Su): Once per day per paladin level, a stonelord can draw upon the power of the living rock. As a swift action, he treats his melee attacks until the beginning of his next turn (whether armed or unarmed) as magical and adamantine, including ignoring hardness up to twice his paladin level, with a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls, as well as on combat maneuver checks. This bonus also applies to his CMD if he or his target is touching the ground or a stone structure. This bonus increases by +1 at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter. This ability replaces smite evil.
Giant Slayer: Your family’s village was plundered by giants in the wilds of Varisia, leaving nothing but a smoldering ruin. After the destruction of your village, your family trained for combat against giants to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again. Since hearing of giants mobilizing throughout the countryside, you ventured to Sandpoint to help the town prepare for a possible incursion. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff, Perception, and Sense Motive checks and +1 trait bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls against creatures of the giant subtype.
Guardian of the Forge (Torag): Torag’s sacred duties are to protect the faithful, take lessons from the great craftsmen and strategists of the past, and prepare against dark times. You receive a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (engineering) and Knowledge (history) checks. One of these skills (your choice) is a class skill for you.
Medium: Dwarves are Medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Slow and Steady: Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Defensive Training: Dwarves gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the giant subtype.
Lorekeeper: Dwarves keep extensive records about their history and the world around them. Dwarves with this racial trait receive a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (history) checks that pertain to dwarves or their enemies. They can make such skill checks untrained. This racial trait replaces greed.
Ancient Enmity: Dwarves have long been in conflict with elves, especially the hated drow. Dwarves with this racial trait receive a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against humanoid creatures with the elf subtype. This racial trait replaces hatred.
Magic Resistant: Some of the older dwarven clans are particularly resistant to magic. Dwarves with this racial trait gain spell resistance equal to 5 + their character level. This resistance can be lowered for 1 round as a standard action. Dwarves with this racial trait take a -2 penalty on all concentration checks made in relation to arcane spells. This racial trait replaces hardy.
Stability: Dwarves gain a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.
Stonecutting: Dwarves gain a +2 bonus on Perception checks to notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls and floors. They receive a check to notice such features whenever they pass within 10 feet of them, whether or not they are actively looking.
Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word "dwarven" in its name as a martial weapon.
Xenophobic: Isolationist dwarves despise non-dwarven humanoids. They speak only Dwarven and do not gain any bonus languages from possessing a high intelligence score. In addition, they learn only one language per 2 ranks of Linguistics they possess. However, their untrusting nature gives them a +1 bonus against mind-affecting effects, except for fear effects. This racial trait replaces a dwarf's normal languages.
Thanks for your consideration!
"It's alright. I've never met a Shadde-Quah."
"Yea, mostly just humans."
Rohan just shakes his head.
"That's a type of human."
"Oh, well nice to meet him anyway."
"Me neither."
A rowdy group of Varisian snake-dancers coils through the open square, and Alric gets caught up in their dance briefly, and gets separated from the small group chatting there. He momentarily struggles to extricate himself from the dancers but finally just gives in to their exuberant display and joins them temporarily, doing his best to mimic their serpentine steps. He looks back at the group he'd been talking with and shrugs... and mouths "I'll be back" at them...
Game seems to have started a little prematurely. I'm going to go ahead and bow out of this one.
The traveler, clearly a dwarf, introduced himself as the captain's uncle, Astrug Flamesbeard, and true to his name, had fiery red hair and beard. He said he had a gift for the village--a ranged weapon that would make them invincible in war. Flamesbeard said he had journeyed from Alkenstar to visit his brother and nephew, and only then heard of his niece's rescue. He had come to share the secret of gunsmithing to one lucky apprentice. He pulled out a beaten up pistol and loaded it with bullet and black powder, and give each person who wanted it a shot with the pistol. He admitted the gun had not fared the journey well, and even he could barely hit the target. Only one boy hit the target--the 12 year old son of the local arrowsmith, Avian Fletcher. Although the "apprenticeship" only lasted a few weeks, Avian picked up on gunsmithing quickly, and was left to practice crafting ammunition and firing on his own.
By the time Avian was 15, however, disaster struck the village: a giant invasion. The giants decimated the village and killed about half of its people. Everyone fled in the end from the village, dispersing into nearby villages where there was still some goodwill. Avian's family, however, was enraged, planning a retaliatory strike against the giants. They hired gnome warriors to teach them the secrets of fighting giants. After about a year of training, however, their plans of revenge fell through when the giants' trail went cold, and by the time Avian had turned 17, all hopes of vengeance had been extinguished from the Fletchers' minds. It was at this point Avian decided to test out his gunslinging skills by travelling out into Varisia, where he wandered giving his services as a giant killer, although he mostly just hunted monsters or escaped criminals for bounty.
Avian needed a pack animal to carry his gear and/or prisoners, but dislikes horses and wanted something more compact, so he settled for a wolfhound named Amadeus who was originally trained as a war mount for a halfling or gnome. Amadeus is a softy but is loyal to Avian and fierce to those who threaten him.
Avian Fletcher
Male LN Tengu
Gunslinger Class (Pistolero Archetype)
Tengu Alternate Racial Trait: Glide
Languages Common, Tengu
Dotting for interest. Thinking of a Fighter Brawler. I'll try to get something together later tonight.
@Dehrisan: Not actually playing the game, just freeform roleplaying at the moment. Haven't done it in ages, feels good to exercise the mind a little.
"I have no problem with the community services of the 'faithful'. I just wish they would be honest about their purposes, instead of asking people to believe in extraplanar hallucinations."
He sips the tea again, now cool enough to drink more fully.
"Ah well, I have an appointment at the Rusty Dragon with clean linens and familiar books. So I imagine I shall see you all again at the festival."
To the others he tips an imaginary hat.
I enjoy the rping, but it is not the only thing I base my decision on. It just helps pass the time, and occasionally brings to light a detail or two I might have somehow overlooked in the skimming of a dozen+ characters.
May I submit... Crag the Igneous
** spoiler omitted **...
An interesting character. I would add broken common to languages known so that you can actually talk to people to get their support, but otherwise seems like a fun concept, and the xenophobic would be interesting to rp with.
After giving it some thought (and getting a little sleep), I adjusted Crag's stats a bit, and cleaned up his character sheet.
Male dwarf stonelord 1
LG Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +2
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+5 armor, +2 dexterity, +1 shield)
hp 13 (1d10+3)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +3; +1 vs. spells, spell-like abilities, and poison
SR 6
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.
Melee dwarven longhammer +3 (2d6+3/x3) or power attack +2 (2d6+6/x3)
Melee dwarven waraxe +3 (1d10+2/x3) or power attack +2 (1d10+4/x3)
Melee iron spike +3 (1d4+2)
Ranged shortbow +2 (1d6/x3) or iron spike +2 (1d4+2)
Special Attacks stonestrike 1/day
Spell-Like Abilities
At will — detect evil
STATISTICS
Str 14, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 12
Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 15
Feats Power Attack
Skills Knowledge (engineering) +2, Knowledge (history) +4, Knowledge (religion) +5, Perception +2, Sense Motive +5
Languages Broken Common, Dwarven
SQ Aura of Good
Traits Giant Slayer, Glory of Old, Guardian of the Forge
Gear buckler, dwarven longhammer, dwarven waraxe, iron spike, scale mail, shortbow w/20 arrows
Additional Gear backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, chalk (10), grappling hook w/hemp rope (50 ft.), stone holy symbol, waterskin, 96 gp 8sp
Weight 95.5 lbs. (Medium Load)
Favored Class Bonus +1 hp
Glory of Old (Dwarf): In your veins flows the blood of dwarven heroes from Tar Taargadth. You receive a +1 trait bonus on spells, spell-like abilities, and poison.
Guardian of the Forge (Torag): Torag’s sacred duties are to protect the faithful, take lessons from the great craftsmen and strategists of the past, and prepare against dark times. You receive a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (engineering) and Knowledge (history) checks. One of these skills (your choice) is a class skill for you.
Here's hoping! =)
|
...Learned Sorcery is fine.
---
I would probably start with potions for determining price, just because off of the top of my head, that would be the closest thing I can think of, but I would have to look in greater detail if the character was selected.
Cool.
----
Potions follow the book exactly on price, the fun is when calculating the per day. I have an excel form for that though, once my computer is up again. (Cost is like this: SL*CL*1800/[5/charges per day]. 1st lvl 1/pd is 360gp) Starting at first level will slow down my item making though, unfortunatly.
Making crunch today, will post it when completed.
Guys is the recruitment closed?
I would like to participate if possible - let me know.
The GM said until the 21st. I think he's going to want to close it before then, but that's the word right now.
At work so RP posting is not going to happen. Maybe a little after work, but not much right now. Just assume that Magnhildr is off in search of something to mellow her temper a bit.
It's still open for now. I haven't had too many new folks since the first day, so I should be good.
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Is Outlander okay? Specifically Exile?
I can't seem to find the old campaign traits for RotR anywhere else, and Exile really works well for his backstory.
A few more things. Is Ultimate equipment okay to use for at least mundane stuff? can I use the alternate racial trait Fleet of Foot from the Advanced Race Guide? I think that's it.
The player's guide for RotRL is available as a free pdf download from Paizo - it lists all the campaign traits.
Ultimate Equipment and the ARG are fine. I have those books, so I can access the information from them easily.
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A grey and white wolfhound wearing a pack saddle bounds into the Rusty Dragon, a frightened mouse running ahead of it toward the wall near Magnhlidr,
Amadeus! Stay! A hunched, cloaked figure wearing what appears to be a beaked doctor's mask rushes toward the dog and commands it before it can pursue the mouse any further. Lifting up a paw as if to walk forward, Amadeus sets it down again and looks at his master, panting good naturedly.
Sorry, Amadeus here just can't resist hunting sometimes, the man chuckles.
Now that he is closer, anyone nearby can tell that he is not wearing a mask, and under his hood is a head like a crow's.
The name's Avian Fletcher, and this is Amadeus, as I've said. he sits down near them and calls for a pint. So what's all the hubbub about? Came into town on some urgent business, and found a big festival going on. I'm afraid I'm not from around here.
"That's quite alright. I like dogs and wolves."
She smiles as she reaches down to scratch the dog's head behind the ears. She turns her head back up to get a better look at the strange fellow.
"Avian, right? Magnhildr is my name. I'm not form around here either, but I do know that the Swallowtail Festival is going on. I can't wait for them to release the butterflies. It was always too cold for them where I'm from. I also heard that they were going to dedicate the cathedral they just finished." She takes a sip of her ale (Still can't believe they're out of mead! That's like being out of miles to walk.) He lets him get his pint and take a drink before asking, "So what brings you to Sandpoint if not the festival and the dedication?"
Strangely, she seems unaffected by Avian's odd appearance.
Pavro throws a jaunty salute to Avian, while cocking his head to one side and then the other as he regards the crow headed man.
"Are you aware that you appear to be a giant bird? I don't mean to be rude, but you... are a giant bird. Can you fly? Did one of your parents... Wow. Did you hatch from an egg?" Pavro asks obviously flabberghasted, and intrigued.
Shaking his head, he turns to Magnhildr and gives her a mock stern look, "Did you slip something in my drink, because we appear to be having a conversation with a - perfectly charming - giant crow chap."
"I wouldn't worry Pavro. If it was something I slipped in your drink, I'd be more worried about pixies stealing your clothes and waking up naked in the middle of the wood."
She gives him a joking smile, but the way she said it made it seem there was a story or two behind that statement.
A small catfolk in robes with the Stone of the Seers emblem on her shoulder walks in and look around as if looking for someone, then sighs.
"She must be busy on some errend right now."
Looking around she finds a seat near the tengu. "So where do you come from? And what do you call yourself? I am Liara. Here for the festival or something else?"
Evening VoW: Still here and waiting for phase two.
"How bout me?" The little wyrmling looks up to Magnhlidr with what could be considered puppy dog eyes.
"We've never met any fey. At least not that I'm aware of. I've only read textbooks on them. Though I've forgotten most of it."
Amadeus wimpers happily at the attention from the stranger and wags his tail. Avian turns to Pavro.
Avian cocks his head to the side, clearly torn between amusement at this fellow's ignorance and insult at being called a giant bird. He straightens his neck and dips his beak into his ale, somewhat self-consciously. Well, at least he seems curious rather than hostile toward my race.
You do not mince words, I see. I am a Tengu, and naturally I was hatched from an egg. Honestly don't see how you humans manage carrying your young inside for 9 months. And I have been known to glide now and again. He spreads his arms out, revealing the talons on his hands as well as the black feathers on his arms exposed by his rolled-up sleeve.
Remembering Magnhlidr's question, he turns to her and then looks down at his wolfhound gazing stupidly.
Looks like you've made a friend, Magnhlidr. Avian takes a piece of jerky from his belt pouch and throws it to Amadeus, who happily chomps it up before returning to Magnhlidr.
Came to warn the city guard that there might be giants coming to invade. Villagers all over the countryside have seen unusual movement among the giants. Went to investigate, as giant slaying is a passion of mine, and managed to overhear a group of the giants talking before I took care of them. Even copied scratchings they'd made in stone of a rough map of the area. Seems like at least some of the giants are interested in Sandpoint. Whether they stand a chance to do it or if they're just licking vision toads, I can't say, but I thought the city guard here should know about it. Do some investigating of their own.
Alric wanders into the Rusty Dragon, having extricated himself from the dancers who separated him from those he was chatting with earlier. He is surprised to find so many people inside, with most of them gathered outdoors for the festival.
He orders a cup of tea and a settles in to watch, listen, and perhaps even join in the conversation should the opportunity present itself. He looks with curiosity at Avian, cocking his head to one side as he rifles his memory for any clue as to what the humanoid crowman might be.
Finally, he shakes his head in frustration and walks over to Avian. "Hello there. My name is Alric and I enjoy meeting new people. I couldn't help but notice that you aren't from around here... which is fine, but I must admit that my curiosity is piqued. I hope you won't be offended, but I simply must know more about you. I heard you say you were a 'tengu', I hope I pronounced that correctly. Where do your people hail from? I have never seen your like before." He flashes a brilliant smile at Avian as he talks, and his eyes sparkle with interest.
"Also, I overheard you mention that you copied scratchings the giants had made in stone showing a map of the area. Do you mind if I take a look at those copies? I speak their language, and wonder if those scratchings contain any notes on what their plans might be, along with the maps."
Alric sips at his tea, blowing on it to cool it slightly as he waits for a response.
Name's Avian. Well met, Alric. I see you're a little more tactful in your curiosity than... I never did catch your name. he gestures reproachfully in the direction of Pavro.
Yes, Tengu is correct. Our race hails from the Dragon Empires, although I come from a Varisian Tengu tribe who lived in the Fogscar Mountains until those damned giants laid waste to it. Avian stares intensely for a moment, as if remembering something, then blinks.
Amadeus, come. The wolfhound reluctantly parts from the scratcher of his ears and stands obediently by Avian, who opens one of the bags of the dog's pack saddle. A minute or so later, he retrieves the papers he'd rubbed charcoal over to copy the scratchings and hands it to Alric.
Honestly, I didn't know giants could even read, much less write. Maybe you can decipher the chicken scratch.
At the Shoanti's words, he extends a talon to shake hands. Nice to meet you as well. Man-bird. Kinda like it. Beats 'giant bird' for sure. What do they call you?
"Giants? Well they better not come here during the festival, if they want to live anyway. Or if they do, we get one sizable feast for everyone! Well... do tengu eat meat?"
"The pleasure is mine, Avian." He glances over at Pavro, the wastrel he barely had time to observe earlier and he shrugs slightly. "My apologies for my countryman's lack of tact, obviously his forte is his diplomatic manner with the ladies... at least he thinks it is." He winks at Avian as he says this last.
"You say your people are from the Dragon Empires. I have heard of Tian Xia, but so very little is known of the region, my knowledge of the area is very sketchy. Your people must have emigrated here sometime in the past. I would love to learn more someday. I'm sorry to hear your enclave was attacked by giants. Let's see if there's anything in these copies you've made of their maps."
Alric examines the rubbings in great detail, trying to make sense of them, but finally shakes his head in disappointment. "While the maps are sketchy, they do, as you say, seem to indicate Sandpoint and the area around it. No writings are clear on the maps at all, which seems logical since they were etched in stone, as even giantish runes would be more difficult to carve than the simple maps. There are some lines and arrows here that might indicate routes, but the original etchings were so crude that it's hard to make out clear details. I agree that these definitely need to be shown to the sheriff, if you haven't done so already."
He hands back the copies of the maps, carefully returned to their original condition .
To be honest, I don't know much of the motherland myself. I must be one of the fourth generation of Tengu living at the village, so no one in living memory in my tribe had lived there. I think we had one or two visitors in my lifetime, Tengu who hailed from Kwanlai, our home country. Helped us to build shrines and keep festivals in the tradition of our ancestors...
Suddenly, Avian claps a talon to his head, sloshing his ale a little in the process.
Butterflies, Magnhlidr! I only knew the Tengu word for them, but it's the first day of Kugatsu--Rova, I mean, isn't it? By the gods, how flighty my brain. Been spending too much time alone on the road with Amadeus. He gives a comically stern look to Amadeus, as if to say Why didn't you remind me?
Today is the chou matsuri, the Swallowtail Festival, you called it. My village's patron was Desuna and we released colored paper since our mountains were a little too high up for butterflies. Can't say I was ever pious to the goddess, but I take this as her kind reminder to pay her homage for my safe travels. Avian sighs as waves of nostalgia and grief crash in his heart. He allows himself a few moments to savor the bittersweet, then takes the papers and returns them to their spot in Amadeus' saddle.
Anyway, I aim to take those to the sheriff as soon as the festival's over. Only came into town a few hours ago and figured it was useless trying to track him down during a festival.
Pavro, still giving his mug suspiscious glances, spins round on his stool and introduces himself to the newcomers,
"Pavro Deverin, forgive my rudeness, I spent a lot of time on my own as a child and I'm a terrible influence. I'm more than a little bowled over. This is Sandpoint, worlds most boring village, these last three years running. And as for giants, well I've never even heard of one round these parts. If I was a giant I'd have better things to do than come here - like dream of large women. No the weirdest thing I've seen around here, until today, was a goblin, and that was long dead, washed up on the beach. There's supposed to be the Sandpoint devil, but most of the people who see that are about as trustworthy as I am..."
All right, after careful deliberation, I found that the prospect of being a walking tank in armor that would make Tony Stark jealous was too tempting. So here is Averin Cadash.
He will, of course, be walking around in the heaviest armor that I can afford at the time, and I'm contemplating spikes as a backup weapon instead of a sword, especailly a spiked gauntlet. I'm not sure of how well it all works, but he may be developing combat maneuvers and/or intimidation based fighting. He serves Abadar, because he views him as the god of justice more than anything else, and he doesn't like the thought of people being above the law, mostly because he's suffered the consequences of it.
His three traits:
Monster Hunter
Eyes and Ears of the City
Defender of the Society
When he was old enough, Averin decided to join the Gendarmes, as lawless as they might be, they were still better than piracy. He began training with an old adventurer with a cruel streak: they trained with real swords, and Averin got cut when he did something wrong. Somewhere during his training, he abandoned the sword, deciding a halbert was more to his liking, he kept the sword though, as a backup.
Averin was scrupulously honest in a decidedly unscrupulous group after he was accepted into the Gendarmes. He was resolved to patrol the streets, and keep them as safe as he could, though his comrades grew suspicious over time. They believed that he would turn on them, for whatever reason, Averin never figured out who he was supposed to be intending to sell them out too, but all the same, he was dismissed from the organization. Ironically enough, it wasn't until he was kicked out of the Gendarmes that Averin realized how far gone his hometown was. In that moment he resolved to become a Hellknight, planning to one day bring them to Riddleport, and having justice reign in the pirate town. He came to Sandpoint as a caravan guard, after hearing stories of the Sandpoint Devil, he intended to find it and slay it, believing that finding and slaying abberations from all around would help him to pass the trial of the Hellknights.
Averin isn't concerned with the politics behind the Order of the Nail, or about Imperial Cheliax and their arrangement with Hell. His only interest is to put an end to savagery in Varisia, whether it is among the barbarian tribes, or in the streets of Riddleport. His worship of Abadar taught him that Asmodeus is no more or less worthy of Veneration than Iomedae, he just isn't overly interested in the trappings of diabolism. He has been known, however, to make the joke that ends with "But in Imperial Cheliax, devils serve man!"
Alric listens, fascinated, to Avian's tale about his village and his people's homeland and their own festival celebrated with colored papers that corresponded to the swallowtail festival in sandpoint. He nods in agreement to Avian's statement about finding the sheriff during the festival itself. "Good point, Avian. Belor indeed might be difficult to find during the festival, as his duties will no doubt keep him very busy. Still, I'm sure he'll want to see what you have there are the very earliest opportunity."
Barek Hisdren was born in Sandpoint, the second son of Malek and Marta Hisdren. Malek manages several warehouses in along Sandpoint Harbor and makes a living holding goods for going for shipment as well as goods coming into Sandpoint. Like many in his business, Malek periodically arranges for goods to disappear or be mislabeled to avoid inspection and customs. It’s a distasteful practice for Malek, but a necessary one for him and his family to make a living.
Barek grew up along the Harbor and initially worked odd jobs for the sailors and sea-captains. When he was older, he started carrying goods for his father. His older brother, Gavin, learned his father’s business, writing ledgers and balancing sums. Barek never had a head for figures, but was more useful tracking inventories and hauling freight. He also would work the back entrances where goods might be slipped out quietly. Here, he met and became involved with the darker sides of his father’s business. Always a strong man, Barek had several incidents where he needed to enforce his father’s rule or protect the family interests. While others may have learned to be quick with a knife or cudgel, Barek would often take on challengers with his bare fists. He quickly became known as the family muscle and those on the docks knew not to cross him.
Two years ago, Barek has left his father’s business to work for Titus Scarnetti. Scarnetti has taken an interest in Malek’s business and provided several new opportunities in exchange for Barek’s employment. Barek has found himself providing protection for certain Scarnetti interests. Occasionally he is forced to work more distasteful tasks. In response, Barek has recently tried to hire himself out for private protection rather than relying solely on Scarnetti’s employment.
Barek is a man of contradictions. Despite his past and his employment, Barek does not enjoy hurting people or forcing them to comply. He was taught to be kind and gentle to others, and he is a friendly fellow normally. Unfortunately his family needs have taken him down a darker path and he now finds himself working for Scarnetti doing things which he greatly dislikes. He finds the protection jobs far more agreeable to the enforcement tasks he has done, and he has repeatedly asked for more protection detail work. Whatever the task, Barek is an effective fighter and his preference for barehanded fighting allows him to escape suspicion when he is seen as the only one without a weapon.
Barek also has a religious side to him. He is a member of Iomdae’s church, something which people regard as either hypocritical or completely false. In reality, Barek is a devout member and bristles at the looks he gets in church. To him, he’s doing the best he can and the choices he’s made are the only choices he could have.
Barek is a tall, muscular man. He stands just over 6 feet and has dark, messy hair. He weighs a solid 210 pounds, but those who test him find him fairly light on his feet. Occasionally he is seen lightly armored, but most of his jobs around Sandpoint don’t require much protection. He is rarely seen with a weapon, preferring to fight unarmed. When not on the job, Barek can be very friendly and gregarious.
Barek Hisdren
Human Brawler Fighter 1
Traits:
Black Sheep (Titus Scarnetti)
Indomitable Faith
Deft Dodger
To be honest, I don't know much of the motherland myself. I must be one of the fourth generation of Tengu living at the village, so no one in living memory in my tribe had lived there. I think we had one or two visitors in my lifetime, Tengu who hailed from Kwanlai, our home country. Helped us to build shrines and keep festivals in the tradition of our ancestors...
Suddenly, Avian claps a talon to his head, sloshing his ale a little in the process.
Butterflies, Magnhlidr! I only knew the Tengu word for them, but it's the first day of Kugatsu--Rova, I mean, isn't it? By the gods, how flighty my brain. Been spending too much time alone on the road with Amadeus. He gives a comically stern look to Amadeus, as if to say Why didn't you remind me?
Today is the chou matsuri, the Swallowtail Festival, you called it. My village's patron was Desuna and we released colored paper since our mountains were a little too high up for butterflies. Can't say I was ever pious to the goddess, but I take this as her kind reminder to pay her homage for my safe travels. Avian sighs as waves of nostalgia and grief crash in his heart. He allows himself a few moments to savor the bittersweet, then takes the papers and returns them to their spot in Amadeus' saddle.
Anyway, I aim to take those to the sheriff as soon as the festival's over. Only came into town a few hours ago and figured it was useless trying to track him down during a festival.
"Heh, it's snowing back home already, so we built a bonfire and let it burn through the night. Probably not as pretty as the colorful paper, but it looked like a thousand glowing stars floating up to the heavens. If you want I can travel with you for a while after the festival and warning the sheriff about the giants."
She shudders as Pavro mentions never seeing a giant. Most of her cheerfulness seems to evaporate in an instant.
"Be glad Pavro. If the giants here are anything like the frost trolls in Irrisen..."
A chill runs up her spine as she remembers the fight. The broken sentences about how tasty she looked are remembered as well now as the day it happened. She understood then, her, her uncle, and the Black Ravens had gotten very, very lucky.
"Hopefully it's nothing more than their equivalent of a couple of drunks getting together and talking about the glory days and planning raids that'll never happen."
When The big Shoanti asked if she had many interactions with the fair folk, her face lights up and the dark mood passes.
"Yes, I have. The Grungir forest is home to many fey. Most are friendly and will even talk to you if you give them proper tribute. There are some to be avoided though. Especially the fey dragons."
"Fey dragons? Never read anything about those."
Copper walks up to the shoanti and tengu.
"So you speak with thunder. Does it speak back? And what do you do, Avian?"
"Really?" His eyes widen with hope and he looks around for any plants to speak to while waiting for Avian to answer his question.
"I've heard of spells that make it easier to understand when nature speaks. I'd like learn the one for talking to plants so I find why my Dragon Lady Crossvine isn't isn't doing so well."