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Here's a character I've wanted to make it through Jade Regent with for a while, he's never made it far though. I'll have to look over the stats, this is mostly for the bacstory and traits. I haven't decided whether he'll use an elven curve blade, a battleaxe or a greatsword though, but it will be two handed, either way.
Aldel stepped sideways, taking advantage of the beasts exposed back and then brought his sword down in the direction of the monster.
Aldel swung his greatsword, as he'd been readying himself to do. He aimed for the creature's neck, looking to end the fight as soon as possible.
That seems to happen to me fairly regularly.
"Did you not see his skin move, as though something was crawling beneath it? I also suspect that there is something inside the house he does not wish us to see, something far worse than a dead snake or a mess." Aldel began to feel foolish as he mentioned the house. What if Walthus was being held captive, instructed to send the group away under pain of death? Still, he had seen the man's skin move in a most unnatural way, and that was something, wasn't it? He resolved to remain steadfast, a decision had been reached, there was no use in wavering now. He would either be vindicated, or he would owe the strange halfling an apology.
Aldel drew his sword and made an attempt to step between Walthus and Cally. That he was lying to them was clear enough, but seeing the halfling's skin ripple as it had was too much to set aside. Something was very very wrong. "Speak the truth, or meet the fate Pharasma has for you! What caused your injuries, and what is wrong with your skin?" It occurred to Aldel that this creature might not actually be a halfling, but some other manner of beast he'd been taught about but only half remembered. He struggled to remember a creature with traits similar to what he'd just seen.
Aldel looked around, remembering the mutilated corpse he'd seen on the way here. "Perhaps we could better assist you inside, where we face less risk of attack by whatever local creatures leave brutalized carcasses in their wake." Aldel didn't truly mind being outside, still he couldn't think of any reason why they should be standing outside when they had come here seeking assistance, and he seemed in need of some as well.
Aldel watched him with concern, and said "You seem remarkably calm for a man suffering from a venomous snakebite." As he spoke, Aldel tried to remember if Shalelu had taught him anything that might be useful in a moment like this.
Aldel nodded, taking a step back before the door opened. He was quietly relieved that he wasn't going to have to be the face of this party, since his training in dealing with others inevitably boiled down to talk of an easy way and a hard way.
Aldel looked at Cally as though she'd slapped him, perplexed at what might have caused her to react in such a way. For an enforcer of a god's will, he responded surprisingly like a boy who'd been caught doing something wrong. "I wanted to ensure that he heard. He could be in any room, or somewhere outside." His voice lowered as he continued, "And slavery is a far larger matter than a taunt to be thrown about because you don't like my manner."
Aldel approached the house. When he reached the door, he looked back at the others, wondering if they would stand with him or hang back. He found it interesting how he was able to speak and act decisively when acting in an official capacity, but it took effort to do so for his own sake. Once the others chose how to respond, Aldel knocked on the door with his closed fist. "Walthus Proudstump! We need to speak with you."
As they walked, Aldel waited for someone else to comment on the animal carcass. When no one did, he began to wonder if anyone else had seen it. Finally, he decided to bring it up himself. "Did anyone see that? Some animal got butchered a little ways back, and it didn't look like it was killed by a predator, either. I'm starting to see why not many people come out here." He didn't sound afraid so much as concerned, and he began looking around in earnest.
"We don't have to fight them all at once. For one thing, a decent number of them will likely be out wandering the swap. Also, it shouldn't be overly difficult to peel them off in small groups without getting overwhelmed." Clearly Aldel didn't think much of the threat the goblins posed, possibly because of that time he'd beheaded one in a single blow on his trip home from Magnimar.
"I say we take this route, Aldel said, pointing out the clearer path. "Happening upon goblin patrols in the swamp doesn't do us much good if our aim is to destroy the tribe. Perhaps this Proudstump fellow knows the way to the goblin camp. Even if he doesn't, he likely has a better idea of where to find them than we do." Having made his recommendation, Aldel waited, wondering if anyone would heed his advise.
Aldel headed out of the pub, wondering if he had time to Pay a visit to Shalelu. He dismissed the idea immediately, what a foolish notion. What would he be intending to do? Profess his love to her? Not if he expected to come back, and even then not in person. Better to die in the hope that she was the person she hoped than to take the chance that she might not. Instead he would head to the general store for rations, with the intention of paying a visit afterward to his adoptive father, Zantus.
"Indeed, it might be a good idea, do you need any?" Aldel said as he stood, somewhat surprised to be addressed by a near stranger.
A look crossed Aldel's face, as though he was the butt of a joke, "I hadn't thought about food, but other than that, I can leave anytime. Also, it might be a good idea to make sure everyone has one of these. He said, reaching into his pack and retrieving a signal whistle. "They come in real handy if you get separated. It helped me a lot when I was out in the woods learning survival skills with- Suddenly he paused. He didn't like mentioning Shalelu, well that wasn't true, but he was always afraid to. He feared that if he spoke her name, something about the way he said it would give him away, as though his thoughts were written across his face. He tried to come up with something else to say, to fill the lingering silence that was drifting toward awkward, the best he could come up with was, "I suppose they could be useful as a distraction as well.
Aldel found a chair and sat in it when instructed. "How effective a weapon are these fireworks? I heard that most of the damage they caused was related to spooking horses and starting fires. he asked. "And where did the goblins get them?" Aldel wondered if they should take this road Hemlock was suggesting, before he decided it was a good idea. If they were heading out to eliminate the goblin menace, there was little point in taking a route that might dodge them. Besides, his real concern was with this Proudstump fellow. How reliable a source could he be? The man lived in a swamp by choice, presumably alone, because who else would be willing to?
Aldel headed toward the growing group of volunteers. He wondered how they would fare, if they would expect him to be a healer. Many people, it seemed, heard the name Desna and thought of campfires, songs and games of chance. It was not as commonly known that freedom meant slaying tyrants, that night and travel might entail a twilight pursuit against Desna's foes, that luck might mean- well, luck did mean what it implied. "I'll go as well," Aldel said.
Aldlel marched into the Rusty Dragon, looking ready for battle. He was not an uncommon sight here, though his voice wasn't well known. His footsteps were very nearly audible as his armor and weapons shifted with every move he made. He sat down close to, but not at the bar, and waited patiently for a server to come by. The waiting wasn't hard, he wasn't really here to eat anyway. Shalelu had convinced him that if he was to march into the swamp in a misguided attempt to save the town singlehandedly, the least he could do was gather up some others to fight by his side, and maybe drag him back if he bit off more than he could chew. He decided that sounded like a decent idea, so here he was. When Cally expressed her desire to join a guard patrol to Brinestump, Aldel saw his opening. "Why wait? Surely there are enough of us in here to organize an expedition to relieve the goblins of their miserable lives. I will go with you, at the least."
I think I'm going to take Terflynn's advice, about thinking outside the box of the typical sword/axe using hero, so I'll be changing my weapon choice and probably picking drow magic instead of the two traits it costs.
Hmm, that's a good point, I'll have to think about it. Anyway, if Ruhk has a particular reason for fancying Shalelu over Ameiko, then by all means, keep it. I don't mind a love triangle, even if I hate having to say that.
I'm not sure where I'm over, an Inquisitor has a max starting gold of 240, which is what I'm at. As for the ECB, it's partly a character thing, and partly mechanical. When Aldel was originally made, his weapon of choice was a greataxe, because it just seemed to fit that he would carry a weapon with a wide variation in damage done, I switched to an elven curve blade because it's four less max damage for a much higher critical chance, which from my ignorance, seems like a better deal. There is also the fact that, judging by his weight, Aldel is more likely to be mistaken for human than an elf, and the weapon choice is his way of asserting which side he favors. As for the C++ goes, it wasn't really the concepts involved as much as the syntax, and the fact that it's all black magic until I do it myself, and now I have.
I'm here. I kinda got caught up yesterday in trying to learn about classes in C++. I think I have the basics, but I'm still not sure on calling methods embedded in other classes. Anyway, I'm looking forward to starting. I shamelessly stole your format, Cally. I hope you don't mind.
@Terflynn - That makes way more sense. I thought maybe your witch was going to go down the "Cook People" line of hexes and needed to soften the skin of his victims first. Which, while morbid, would certainly be creative. Which would actually be darkly awesome. I never thought I'd be considering the possibility that a Pathfinder character might be using a line like 'It rubs the lotion on the skin, or else it gets the hose again'.
1. Concept is included in the alias. I know it's not really a winning strategy to offer up a ready made character, but this is one I really enjoyed playing in the time I was able to. 2. I can post every day, but I can't promise at a specific time, and certainly can't promise more than that. 3. This character was made for a Jade Regent game, I've spoilered my progress, even though it was still the first book.
Progress in Jade Regent:
The game petered out when we were investigating the goblins' supply of fireworks. We got to the second ship, the one where the skeletons animate. 4. Aldel will be the big guy of the group, in and out of combat. His training compels him to protect the weak, though his personality would prefer to stay out of things and be left alone. He is a damage dealer primarily, with some crowd control coming from his intimidation skill. I haven't decided yet whether his level one feat should be heavy armor proficiency or intimidating prowess, the one I don't take now will be picked up at the first opportunity. 5. Aldel sat quietly, for a moment, while a debate raged inside him. One side demanded that he do something, stop the fight, protect the small man, the other said that he hadn't come here for this, he just wanted to be left alone. The first side countered that the Dawnflower didn't take days off, and neither should he. Besides, Ameiko deserved better than this. Aldel got to his feet and slammed his fist on the table. "Enough!" he shouted, both to quiet the internal debate and to draw attention to himself. He approached the table, looking as menacing as he was able. "There will be no fighting here! If you think he is a cheat, don't play." He stood close by the large man, hand near his sword to indicate he meant business.
So, what's up?
"Would there be a cargo manifest, or a logbook describing who and what was aboard the ship on its last voyage? That might give some insight as to what happened. After that we can head for the last spot on the map." Uncertain where to find such a thing, Aldel let Ameiko lead him to the most likely spot.
Aldel stared for a moment, wondering how to respond. He was about to launch into a speech extolling the virtue of pressing on, of not giving up in the face of adversity. He would have even mentioned his teacher, Roderick the swift, a man with only one arm, and covered in scars, who had several stories for each one: the story of how he'd aquired the scar, and several more about the women the scar had helped him aquire. He was an odd sort, certainly not what Aldel had expected from a teacher of Inquisitors, though considering that he served the goddess of travellers, luck and freedom, it might not have been so odd. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, he realized that this tactic likely wouldn't work. An arguement like that would have appealed to Aldel, who'd pledged himself to service of an ideal, but Manius was a city guard, likely devoid of any grandiose ideals. He decided something different would be required, and said, "What of Sandpoint? The town's defense is not always a reactionary activity, sometimes the threat must be sought out dealt with before they get the chance to attack. This time, the goblins weren't the threat, it is the fireworks. You and Alex demonstrated how effective these things can be in competent hands, how many goblins did you kill, and how many of them did you use? Now imagine they are turned against Sandpoint by a foe that is not comically incompetent, and that doesn't even take into account the posibility that an enemy might refashion them into an explosive of some kind."
As Aldel spoke, he cast his eyes around, looking for anything out of the ordinary, specifically, the two fingers missing hand. "All right, I'm not going to keep you out here against your will, but we are in a hurry. Can you press on, or should we take you back to town?" Aldel couldn't help but hear the voice of his instructor ringing in his ears. The old man had told him that at times others might place their lives in Aldel's hands, to aid him in the fight against evil. He had warned Aldel to never waste lives offered in such a way, but also to not hesitate to spend them if it would lead to a better result. The callus disregard in the statement had sickened Aldel, and it was likely a large part of the reason he'd resolved to do everything alone, not that the resolution had meant a whole lot in the end. He wondered for a moment if he was going too far in the other direction, deferring to someone who should have known the danger, offering to let him out of his obligation even though he was still needed, all because he was bleeding from the stumps of two fingers. He dismissed the notion quickly though, regardless of how much they needed Manius, Aldel refused to be the inquisitor that allowed a man to die on his first day, especially not from something like a wounded hand.
Aldel's face contorted in shock when he saw Manius's diminished hand, but he quickly regained composure. If he was to lead, he would have to be unflappable. For the sake of morale, he would have to remain unmoved in the worst of situations. "Are you all right?" He said, realizing a he'd said it what a foolish question it was. Of course he wasn't all right, he'd just lost two fingers. He turned to Ameiko, and added, "Do you know a spell for something like this?"
"Self defense?" Aldel offered. With neither side able to easily harm the other, the absurdity of the situation was certainly not lost on Aldel. When the skeleton collapsed, Aldel finally had time to consider what Ameiko had said, "What could be such a disgrace that stabbing yourself in the gut is the only way to make amends?" He said as he hurried toward Manius and Alex. As he approached, he attacked the skeleton, swinging the axe downward, hoping to separate enough of it that it wouldn't be able to move.
Aldel risked a look around, wondering if this was in fact the crew. This one seemed to be attacking with the weapon that killed him, so if he was a crew member, then it seemed most likely that he was a mutineer. "This one pulled the sword from his stomach; maybe the ship ran aground as a result of a mutiny?" As he spoke, he swung the axe laterally at the skeleton's head.
"These are the crew then? I wonder what caused them to rise?" Aldel said as he swung his axe at a nearbyu skeleton.
"I wonder how it got out here, or how long ago? Aldel mused as they looked over the ship. "Or how the goblins happened upon it now, for that matter." He hoped the next one would reveal more answers. When they arrived at the next ship, Aldel looked at the sky, trying to judge the time by the position of the sun, the way Shalelu had taught him. Then he looked over the ship and said, "Well, let's get to it."
"Well, I'm glad you're still walking and talking. After that blow to the head, I wasn't sure you were going to be doing that for much longer." When they arrived at the ship, Aldel looked it over for several moments before musing, "Hmm, I guess they picked this one dry. Better look it over just in case. Stay close. Aldel immediately set about finding a way on the ship, the better to explore it.
"Well that's a comforting thought." Aldel said, "Anyway, we think alike, I was going to suggest fire as well." When Ameiko pointed out the map, Aldel headed over to have a look. "I guess that explains where the fireworks came from, we should check each of them out. Probably the ships first, since the cave will likely be better guarded. Any thoughts? Or are we ready to burn and move on?"
"How sad, I was hoping that we'd leave no survivors. How many of these little beasts were there before the, whatever it was, sinspawn I guess, swept through and cleaned them out? I don't want to think that six or so survivors could spawn into a full fledged tribe again." Aldel did a quick check of all the obvious hiding spots the surviving goblins might be found, and then returned to the chest in the back of the chief's hut, assuming there was nothing to be found. "How do you all want to handle this? If it's from Minkai, then I don't have a problem handing it over to you, but I'm obviously not the only one with a say."
"Eh, with luck we will find them on our way out, or they will not return. Everyone ready to storm another hut?" Aldel paused, hoping for an answer to the affirmative, before he slowly, carefully headed toward the other hut, keeping an eye out for goblins hiding among, whatever might be around. When the others were nearby, he stood at the door, ready to kick it in as he had before, and then waited for the others to be ready. when that time came, he kicked the door open, and paused for about a half second, to see what he might see before committing to an attack.
"To be honest, I was planning on having that head mounted so Ameiko could put it on the wall at the Dragon." Aldel looked out through the doorway, making a note of the hut that had been pointed out to him. He also made sure to watch the pool, to see what had become of the three that had run that way. If he saw one, he would take a shot at it with the crossbow.
After such a poor showing, Aldel didn't even bother to reload, he just traded the crossbow for his axe.
Aldel inspected the contents of the chest, and then looked up at Ameiko, saying "We should probably wait and go through this when it is all clear. I don't know if you heard about the bounty on goblins, but I've only got one so far, and I fear I'm being left behind." Aldel stood and headed back for the door, but not before pausing and making an elaborate 'after you' gesture, complete with a bow, for Ameiko.
"You've never lost a key?" Aldel said, before adding that he had. It set his mind to wondering about that time, not long after he'd learned that Zantus wasn't his true father, that he'd been given letters that had been written to him from his father. Zantus said that he'd been holding onto them, waiting for the proper time to give them to Aldel. He'd read each one, hoping for acceptance, or answers. The letters offered plenty of the latter and some of the former, but they were odd, jilted. They certainly did not read like the writing of a man that had abandoned his son, and contained no mention whatsoever of Aldel's elven mother. Aldel had read through each letter, only once, and then closed them in a chest and locked it, losing the key down a well and never mentioned them again. He'd apparently memorized the letters though, because their words came back to him as he thought about it, and he suddenly understood why they'd seemed so strange. Zantus had played games with his words, they weren't written by some good for nothing, likely drunk, that had abandoned Aldel, they had been written by his father: Zantus! For a moment, the regret was clear in his eyes, and he made a note to find that chest if it was still there for the finding. Aldel was jarred out of the memory by Alex's call. "Do they have the rockets too, or fire of any sort? If not, pull back, and try to get them to chase you inside so we can flank them." Aldel said nothing about what to do if not, because that would present a more pressing concern and he needed to be out there sooner. "Minkai?" He said, trying to figure out what that was. He was pretty sure that it was a place, and he knew that he'd heard Ameiko reference it before, but couldn't remember when. "Do you think that's where the fireworks came from? Maybe we should catch one of them to see if they know where they found this. I suppose the one most likely to know is out of our hands, but after seeing that trophy room, I don't think he would have lived long enough to answer questions anyway." As he spoke, Aldel checked the chest, seeing if it would open for him. If it did, then he would open it and check inside, expecting to find whatever was left of the fireworks. He was already formulating a plan of hauling the chest back to Sandpoint and shooting off whatever was left in celebration. It was in violation of the orders he'd been given by both Shalelu and Hemlock, but after dealing with the threat of the Sinspawn and this tribe of goblins, he felt the town might deserve a little celebration.
Aldel smiled at that, replying "Well then I guess she taught me well, I tend to feel the same. He feigned shock at Ameiko's admission of not knowing how to pick locks. "Really? A skill the great Ameiko does not possess? I fear that my whole worldview has been shaken to its core. He raised the axe as he spoke. Aldel took a few steps back, and checked behind him to make sure he had room for a good swing, and that he wouldn't harm Ameiko. Finally, he swung the axe.
As they explored the inner room, Aldel looked at the trophies on the wall, wondering if these animals had been pets and loyal companions. It angered him to see the heads on display like this, it wasn't as though it were a stag or a wolf, where you might recognize a worthy opponent, a wild animal, by mounting it on the wall. These animals were domestic, tame mostly, and it wasn't right to treat them this way. He swallowed down his anger with a joke, "Well, you can't argue that he doesn't have a certain sense of style." Aldel smiled halfheartedly and let the joke fall flat, before he added, "So, it got a little whimsical in there for a while after I kicked in the door. I remember a bright flash, and then I would almost swear there was a dance routine with Gutwad and the others." Aldel shivered in disgust, "I may never sleep again after that. Though, considering the odds that it actually hapened, I can only assume that I took one of those rockets to the face and the Starsong was having a little fun with me." Suddenly, all the emotion drained out of Aldel's voice, causing him to speak in a steady, measured voice that bordered on monotone. By now he was to the far wall, examinng the lock, he seemed to be carefully avoiding looking at Ameiko as he said "It's a strange thing knowing that I would be dead now if not for you. Shalelu can be as angry as she wants, but I am glad you are here." Aldel grabbed the lock in one hand, and lifted the axe in his other. He gave it a quick look over before he looked at Ameiko and said, "My lockpick or yours?" The rogueish smile made it clear that his 'lockpick' was the greataxe in his hand.
Aldel chased after the goblin, irritated at the beasts ability to survive, but not wanting to waste another spell on him, in case he would fall at the next successful blow. He couldn't help but cast an eye at the door in expectation of seeing reinforcements, but there were none. He was glad for the temporary reprieve, but he wouldn't breathe easy until they were all dead, knowing what he'd learned about this swamp, he probsbly wouldn't be at ease until they were back in town. He interrupted his internal dialogue long enough to swing at the goblin again, hoping that he would fall and not get up this time.
So how would the axe be +4? My BAB is still 0, and I have +3 strength.
"Come back here, you little cockroach!" Aldel shouted at the goblin as he gave chase, axe raised. When he caught up, he brought the axe down hard, hoping to split Gutwad in two. Aldel couldn't help but wonder where the goblin reinforcements he'd expected were, he had been under the impression that the beasts would rally around their chief as soon as battle was joined. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised at such cowardice from goblins.
Aldel figured that the goblins would probably run when they realized that the tide was going to turn against them, and that was just fine for most of them, but there was one that Aldel really wanted dead: Gutwad. Through the haze of ringing in his ears, and the blur of his vision, Aldel reached into the pouch at his side for a pinch of sand, and then closed his eyes as he prayed that Desna would call to Gutwad's mind his nocturnal terrors, preferably one including horses and dogs. Aldel opened his eyes, a wild look filled them as he cast the sand in Gutwad's direction.
Aldel nodded, "All right, let's do that. Everybody ready?" He added, looking around. When he'd gotten a nod from everybody, he didn't bother to say more, instead, he took hold of his axe, and then ran forward, deciding that it was his job to risk the most injury by leading the way. It might have been more prudent to approach slowly, but he charged, dodging the water to one side, expecting the others to keep up. When he reached the hut Ameiko had pointed out, he did as she'd suggested, kicking open the door and then charging in. He paused for a half-second to get his bearings, and then charged the one that looked most like a 'Gutwad'.
All right, Gutwad will probably have the best of them with him, so if we take them out first, then the rest should be easier to mop up. If we get into the hut, we might even have an easier time controlling the battlefield. If anyone has any better ideas, I'll be glad to hear them." Turing to Ameiko he added, "What are they doing now? Sleeping, cowering, whipping themselves into a frenzy?"
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