Aldhelm, Herald of Woe's page

Extreme Endurance (Ex) At 3rd level, the invulnerable rager is inured to either hot or cold climate effects (choose one) as if using endure elements. In addition, the barbarian gains 1 point of fire or cold resistance for every three levels beyond 3rd. This ability replaces trap sense.
Extreme Endurance / Cold 0

Fast Movement (Ex) Your land speed is faster than the norm for your race by +10 feet. This benefit applies only when you are wearing no armor, light armor, or medium armor, and not carrying a heavy load.

Invulnerability (Ex) At 2nd level, the invulnerable rager gains DR/- equal to half her barbarian level. This damage reduction is doubled against nonlethal damage. This ability replaces uncanny dodge, improved uncanny dodge, and damage reduction.

Rage (Ex) You can call upon inner reserves of strength and ferocity, granting you additional combat prowess. You can rage for 17 rounds per day. You can enter rage as a free action. The total number of rounds of rage per day is renewed after resting for 8 hours, although these hours do not need to be consecutive. While in rage, you gain a +4 morale bonus to your Strength and a +6 morale bonus to Constitution, as well as a +2 morale bonus on Will saves. In addition, you take a -2 penalty to Armor Class. The increase to Constitution grants you 9 hit points, but these disappear when the rage ends and are not lost first like temporary hit points. While in rage, you cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration. You can end your rage as a free action and are fatigued after rage for a number of rounds equal to 2 times the number of rounds spent in the rage. You cannot enter a new rage while fatigued or exhausted but can otherwise enter rage multiple times during a single encounter or combat. If you fall unconscious, your rage immediately ends, placing you in peril of death.

Superstition (Ex) You gain a +3 morale bonus on saving throws made to resist spells, supernatural abilities, and spell-like abilities. While raging, you cannot be a willing target of any spell and must make saving throws to resist all spells, even those cast by allies.

Aldhelm towers over most people at a mighty 6'6", and the first thing people notice is the massive skull he wears as a trophy and a helmet. It seems well-polished and taken care of, as though it were very important. What billows out of that helm is wild, rugged black hair, and his eyes seem more than content to watch you from within. He wears furs of many sorts, and has on him armor made from the hides of beasts, layered for protection and warmth. His feet are in solid leather boots, and on his back lay a few good choices for weapons, namely a (Large) battleaxe, made for giants, and a bow that has seen better days.

Aldhelm was born into a fairly small tribe - one whose name has not been recorded in history due to the nature of its isolation. They were skilled in the ways of the hunt, and of armorcrafting, generally from the animals they hunt. This produced many high products of ivory, and hides and furs, and other such rewards - a boon in the frozen north.

When he was a child of eight, he and his peers were out doing small hunts - smaller creatures like foxes, young deer, and if they were lucky, a bear youth - when they discovered a creature they'd never seen before. The young drake made a quick decision, and pounced one of his friends - killing him in mere seconds. This caused the rest of them, and him, to run in fear, for they could not combat such a beast! Once the fathers found out, they put forth their own hunt for the dragon, but found nothing.

As life goes on, he found a woman in his later youth, probably six years later by count, and proceeded to do all he could to show he could provide for her. He hunted special things for her, brought back the best ivory he found, and otherwise spoiled her. They were nearly infatuated with each other, and remained so for quite some time to come.

It was at twenty and six-months that disaster struck one more time at him. Aldhelm decided to go out into the wilderness at night to hunt a different kind of prey. He sought out bears in their sleep, so he could make a nice rug, or coat - and when he found a cave, he were ambushed unexpectedly from within. Harsh memories impacted him hard on sight when it appeared - a similar, younger creature had killed his friend not a decade earlier! - and struck at him with a slashing blow that crossed through his face, leaving gashes in its wake. He took a deep breath, summoned up an inner strength, and battled the creature one on one.

The battle lasted for what felt like ages to him, but he didn't bother keeping track of time. They traded blows as best as possible, until he not only tossed his weapon at the creature, but tackled it, and strangled it until he lost all control and vision, 'blacking out'. He roared out savagely, and snapped the creature's neck in this state of mind - leaving him to fall unconscious from blood loss.

He died later that night, to his recollection.

He woke up with a deep gasping, noticing the large gash in his chest was no longer there, and was confused - for he had no vision, no signs of anything different. The corpse was still beside him in the cold. It was here he stayed for the evening, and could still not fathom how he won, or for that matter lived, against the beast.

When he brought the corpse of the young drake back to the tribe, they were astounded, and fearful - for he now had a wicked scar across his face from its claw, one that may never be healed - for none had slain such a beast before. The oracle who stayed with the tribe for years, due to her blindness that gifted her sight beyond sight, ordained that he had a destiny, and would be known as Aldhelm 'Dragonskull' in honor of his great victory.

It as later that year, that his rage came back to haunt him. He proceeded to relax with some of his peers, who had also grown to be great hunters (though none had made a catch as he), and they had believed he had taken another hunter's catch, or gave a life to obtain his rewards. In truth they were jealous, and wished to give him a rough time for it, but what it led to was his anger, and demanding they apologize for their transgressions. They did not, and rose as he became angered, and his mind vanished - he had another instance of 'blacking out', and lost all control.

When he awoke from this trance, two of them were crippled for life, and the third whimpered and called for aid. In a panic, he sought out the soothing voice of his lover, but she had already retrieved the tribal shaman, who was the spiritual leader of their community (moreso than the oracle, who was simply a seer). After witnessing the results of the brawl, and his isolation for a day, they brought him back, and ordered that his title be stripped and be branded with 'Herald of Woe', for he brought nothing but pain and agony to those around him - as if everything had been done purposely.

With this in mind, he gathered all he could, and left - but he did not leave without goals in mind. He needed to seek out the wisdom of the elements, and find others who knew more than he - why had he lived in that struggle, and what was this power? Only time could help him further.