About Esdras MartalenStatistics:
Esdras Martalen
Male human oracle 8/warpriest 1 of Desna CG Medium humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Perception +5 ------------------------------ DEFENSE ------------------------------ AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+0 armor, +2 Dex) hp 10 (9d8) Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +10, +6 vs. charm and compulsion ------------------------------ OFFENSE ------------------------------ Speed 30 ft Melee +1 greatsword +10 (2d6+8/19-20) or . . kukri +8 (1d4+5/18-20) or . . dagger +8 (1d4+5/19-20) Ranged light crossbow +4 (1d8/19-20) [10 bolts] or . . dagger +4 (1d4+5/19-20) Special Attack channel energy 3/day (1d6; DC 10), deflection aura 1/day (1 round) Oracle Spells Known (CL 8th; concentration +13) 4th () - 3rd () - 2nd () - 1st () - bless, magic weapon, shieldD Orisons (at will) - detect magic, guidance, light Warpriest Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +2) 1st - Orisons (at will) - ------------------------------ STATISTICS ------------------------------ Str 8, Dex 13, Con 12 (14), Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 20 (24) Base Atk +6; CMB +5; CMD 16 Feats Traits Bastard, Deep Cover, Insatiable, Irrepressible Skills 43 ranks, 18 background ranks Armor Check: -0
Languages Common, *
Special Abilities:
------------------------------ SPECIAL ABILITIES ------------------------------ Bastard (trait - campaign) Esdra's mother was a member of the Surtova family, yet he has no substantive proof of his nobility, and he’s learned that claiming nobility without evidence makes him as good as a liar. While Esdras own a piece of jewelry given to him by his mother, this helps nothing to support his claim. Thus, Esdras has lived his life in the shadow of nobility, knowing that he deserves the comforts and esteem of the elite, even though the contempt of fate brings him nothing but the threat of death. Esdras takes a –1 penalty on all Charisma-based skill checks made when dealing with members of Brevic nobility but gain a +1 trait bonus on Will saves as a result of your stubbornness and individuality. Deep Cover (trait - social) Esdras has lived a double life since his youth to avoid persecution for his true identity. Esdras can always take 10 on Bluff and Disguise checks to assume and maintain his cover identity. Bluff is a class skill for him. Insatiable (trait - drawback) Esdras has become so accustomed to binging on the finer things in life that he finds going without such excess particularly strenuous. Goods and services cost him 10% more (and can’t be paid for by allies), and he needs twice as much food and liquid as normal for the purposes of preventing starvation and thirst. Irrepressible (trait - faith) Esdra's hope for a brighter future blessed by the gods, combined with his powerful personality, allows Esdras to force his way free of spells that cloud the mind. Esdras can use his Charisma modifier in place of his Wisdom modifier when attempting Will saving throws against charm and compulsion effects. Gear/Possessions:
------------------------------ GEAR/POSSESSIONS ------------------------------ Carrying Capacity Light 0-133 lb. Medium 134-266 lb. Heavy 267-400 lb. Current Load Carried 68 lb. Weapons - +1 greatsword, dagger, kukri, light crossbow with 10 bolts
Background:
Esdras Albriech Martalen II was born in 855 A.S. and raised in the city of Ra'an, the first son and heir of Haltius T. Martalen I, the present governor of the same city, and Catalena of Grimmis. As the first son of a noble, Esdras was groomed for the day he would take his father's place, learning the ways of the sword, the letters and how to navigate through the endless schemes and bickering among the noble houses. Esdras was not his father's only son, however, having both a younger brother and sister, twins, called Gerard and Isabela. Despite this, there was never a doubt about Esdras’s rights and future, for the young man proved himself above the expectations in all matters. When Esdras was old enough, he joined the army under the command of Duke Ethel. Unfortunately for him, Almor entered the Berivian War a couple months later. Despite his mother's pleadings, Esdras went to war by his father’s will... and this decision proved to be his father's greatest regrets. After the war was over, Esdras returned home as a war hero, even if a completely changed man... his former self buried among the countless others who perished besides him. Dead were the charming heir, the caring brother, the passionate bachelor. What came home was merely a husk. His younger brother was declared the official heir... Lady Catherine Romana, to whom he was betrothed was lost to another man... his mother died with depression a month later. Everything was gone, everything except that strange sword. During the Berivian War, when Esdras was already fighting for 3 years, he found himself in a grand melee with little hope of surviving. Surrounded by enemies and with few comrades by his side, Esdras was disarmed and at the mercy of a thanish soldier when another man was killed besides him, releasing his sword midair. Esdras grabbed the sword and slew his enemy... by the end of that battle, Esdras was the sole survivor. Then the visions and voices began... and never stopped. In the beginning, Esdras thought he was going insane, not something unheard before specially for veterans of the war. Then, when he was unable to ignore the voices and the visions, he was told the bitter truth: He was cursed. In his hands was the Sword of Arcos, a cursed blade that trapped inside it everyone that used it to kill another men. Being the one possessing the sword, Esdras was able to view and hear some former owners of the blade and knew that one day he would also be trapped within. None of the other souls knew how to break the curse, but many were still hopeful. Cursed or not, Esdras still had his duty as a soldier, so he kept fighting for the remaining of the war, for while he needed to fight, he needed not to think about his future. But when the time allowed, the sword would bring him deeper into the darkness. By the end of the war, Esdras was captured by Thanese soldiers and locked into a cell for ransom. He remained in prison for 5 months along with a woman with whom he felt in love. Her name was Tatja. For the whole time, she managed to help him keep his sanity… just for him to discover when he was released that Tatja was another soul trapped inside the sword. The Sword of Arcos became his life and his obsession. There was no more war for him to fight, so he was forced to sit and think about his future… and about Tatja. He was home but now that he had time to think, he discovered he had little time to spare with mundane stuff. The remaining of his life was just an instant if compared to the endless years he would spend inside the sword. He needed an answer… so he sought it. He learnt as much as he could about the sword, trying to reach the countless souls trapped within for clues about its origin. So far, even after 7 years, he managed to find no clue about how to free himself and the others… but he will remain looking for it.
The Sword of Arcos:
Ages ago, a skyseer named Arcos foresaw the day when one of the gods would break the Law and would sire a child with a mortal. The child would be so powerful that it would bring chaos to the world and no man alone would be able to defeat it. Unsure when such child would be born, Arcos crafted a sword to trap within it the souls of great warriors, so when the child arrived, these warriors would be able to guide a chosen one to fight perfectly and defeat the child… this way, a thousand would fight one. Indeed, the plan worked and the child was defeated… but the sword endured. Now it has no purpose anymore… Notable Characters:
Bruno Ferchan One of Esdras’s only true friends, Bruno isn’t a noble, but instead a common man who served besides him in the war. Bruno lost his leg by the end of the war, which limits the amount of work he can gets nowadays. A notorious gambler, Bruno actually owns a considerable debt in gold to Esdras, even if he has no intention to be paid back.
Gerard A. Martalen IV Esdras’s brother, Gerard is the actual governor of Ra'an, despite his title being honorary until Esdras is able to ‘recover from his illness’. In the past, the brothers were inseparable but since his return, their relationship has soured. Despite Esdras stating that he has no wish to take back the title of governor, his father denies Gerard the official nomination, claiming that he was not prepared for it like Esdras was, even if the last 7 years proved that Gerard is a more than capable man for the job. This impasse shows how much his father still favors Esdras in detriment of Gerard, something that enrages him. Haltius T. Martalen I Esdras’s father, Haltius I was the former governor of Ra'an, now with 82 years old. Always a stern but just governor and father, Esdras always admired his father and the sentiment was reciprocal, for Esdras was his father’s greatest pride. Nowadays, however, their relationship is distant to say the least. Haltius blames himself for Esdras’s traumas and for the death of his wife. However, he also loathes his presence, for in his mind, the son he raised would be strong enough to let any ‘ghosts’ of the war behind and step forward to take what was his birthright. Isabela A. M. Nonarg Esdras’s sister, Isabela is the only member of his family that Esdras still has a good relationship. She doesn’t see him as how he is now, but instead remembers dearly of how he was. In her mind, Esdras is still the same man, perhaps lost and in need of help. Along the years she has learnt to reach him, even if briefly, which gave her hope. Raul B. Nonarg Esdras’s brother in law and Isabela’s husband is an extremely jealous man and openly criticizes the time that Isabela spends with her brother, no matter how nonsensical this attitude is. More recently, Raul has been suggesting that Esdras is actually sick and insists that such illness, probably caught during the wars, is harmful to the baby Isabela is carrying. Notable Imprisoned Souls:
Gideon Laakso The last owner of the Sword of Arcos, Gideon was a common soldier of Thane from the town of Munsberg. His family used to have a sizeable spice business in the same town, at least until his mother got sick from an unknown disease and his father spent all his savings looking for a cure. Gideon is an honorable man, even if he isn’t of noble born. Gideon is tall and thin, despite being strong. His black and long hair is fashioned in a ponytail, well-kept much like his goatee. He bought the Sword from a shopkeeper before boarding a ship to the Berivian Isles for a suspecting low price and died pierced by four arrows during the war.
Jaidev Basu The son of a priest of Azgaar, Jaidev was a bandit and rapist that lived before the Sepatarion. Despite his father’s teachings, Jaidev disdained his faith and costumes and eventually murdered his father before joining a gang of highwayman. During his short life, Jaidev robbed and murdered countless men and women, taking pleasure in torturing and raping women as long as they endured. Jaidev is small but strong with wild red hair and a large aquiline nose. He got the Sword from the corpse of a soldier he and another four of his gang attacked and died when he was almost beheaded by the blunt axe of an executioner. Tatja Niskanen The only daughter of an old knight of Volistein in Thane, Tatja was raised to be the perfect wife for a lord, even if she only dreamt to be the son her father never had. Even if reluctant, her father eventually taught her how to use a sword after constant requests from her part. Tatja has a common beauty but her smile is utterly charming. Her brown hair is slightly curvy and she has a small amount of freckles. The Sword originally belonged to her father, who never used it, but she grabbed it to defend him from a Skive attack. She killed herself with poison after she was trapped in the basement of her home, unwilling to withstand what the Skive would do to her. Vazrik Karmirarj An unusual shaman from Alo Caelora, Vazrik was both the shaman and the chieftain of his tribe, something unheard before and after his death. A skyseer, Vazrik led the Red Bears into an unprecedented position among their kin, with prophecies regarding him as the one who would live forever. Vazrik is bald with a long grey beard and blue eyes and despite being tall and strong, he shows signs if poor nourishment and dehydration. Vazrik took the Sword from the hands of his son, after he acquired it in a raid to the west. On the same night, Vazrik abandoned his tribe and tried to climb the Mount Huyth, intending to hide the sword from the world. He died in a cave a couple weeks later without food or water, still clutching the sword in his hands. Appearance and Personality:
Esdras is a middle aged man with 41 years old still strong and healthy. He is 6 ft. 3 in. high and weighs about 210 lbs. His skin is fair and his eyes, hair and beard are black, even if showing signs of grey and white. His hair is always short and his beard is full but trimmed. He usually wears noble clothes or his armor, but always keeps his sword nearby, even when it is clear that such a weapon is not necessary. When younger, Esdras was charismatic and impulsive, traits abandoned when he returned from the war. Even if somewhat charming, Esdras is taciturn and intellectual, preferring to think twice before giving a statement. His actual condition with the imprisoned souls have made him even more introspective. Generally quiet and restrained, Esdras can be very passionate when the occasion calls for it, mostly when the war and its soldiers are the topic of conversation. He is also very passionate about his sword, getting angry and anxious when others try to handle it. Even if unlikely, he doesn’t want anyone else to be cursed. Esdras also values loyalty. He was asked numerous times to return from the war in the past and he always refused, since he sensed it was his duty to stay and fight. He is loyal both to his country and to those who serve besides him. More than once he was called a stubborn man, something that he doesn’t see as a flaw, at least not always. In the particular case of his sword, Esdras sees his headstrongness as an asset, for it drives him forward.
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