About Faluhann 'Lu' WindborneQuestions:
1. I want to see a description of your character's appearance. How do they dress? What facial expression are you likely to see if you glance at them? How do they carry themselves? How do they want to be perceived? Standing far above most men, Faluhann--better known as ‘Lu’ to his friends and enemies alike--boasts a physique that seems more appropriate to some Battle-Cleric’s tales of their Lord in Iron than to a actual kellid standing out on the battlefield. His raven-black hair is tied in a short knot atop his head to keep it out of reach. He wears Ha’leth’s Pride, a breastplate adorned with the fur of Ha’leth, the young albino dire bear he hunted for his coming of age ceremony. Beneath it, on his right shoulder and across his torso are the scars he bears from the battle, gashes torn and healed by the massive bear’s claws and fangs. He carries a shaman’s staff, representing the spirits’ blessings he has been granted and a small ornate dagger, but uses neither in battle, preferring to bring his own hands to bear on the problem. On his right hand he bears a golden ring with seven gems inset of various colors--a treasure usually reserved for worshippers of the goddess of beauty--of whose origins he hardly speaks. When on the battlefield or dealing with his duties as a shaman, Lu is focused, only occasionally remarking on the battle itself, and usually then to exalt in the battle itself. Outside the battlefield, however, he revels in drinking and competition, his boisterous laughter filling the drinking hall or wherever he might deign to relax. Despite the reputation of his kind, he has a way with words and is known to be quite charming. In his quiet moments alone he often reflects on the fate of his father and his betrothed Ceara. The world took away what he thought his destiny was, and now he stands alone over his people trying to shepherd them through the trials ahead. 2. I want to see a description of your character's personality. What are their core motivations? What are their most important moral beliefs? What are their flaws, their quirks? Do they have any important favorite things or hobbies? Lu is optimistic and supremely self-confident, almost to the point of too self-assured. He has a deep drive to protect his tribe, and quickly comes to include friends among those he protects. He is tolerant of a wide array of viewpoints, though he views those who put too much of an emphasis on restricting freedoms with a certain wariness. The rules of the tribe are essential, but within that framework he believes people should be free to pursue their desires.
Lu enjoys the traditional Kellid warrior pastimes: Drinking, Gambling and any sort of competition to prove his strength or cunning. When not reveling or training, he spends time communing with nature to determine the best course for his tribe. Additionally, Lu takes great pride in preparing feasts from beasts he has hunted and considers himself quite capable at the task. 3. I want to see a narrative backstory which answers the following: Where was your character raised? What was their upbringing like? Where did they learn their class' skills? Is your character religious? How did that come about? If your character is not from Brevoy or the Stolen Lands, why did they travel there? See stories below! 4. What is your character's position in society? By nature, most adventurers are outcasts in one way or another. However, these characters will be at the forefront of their society. As such, they must begin by being part of it. Is your character a farmer? A local priest? An itenerant minster? As the once heir to, and now chieftain of the remainder of the Windborne tribe, it falls to him to look after his people. With their traditional hunting grounds in Numeria taken and the majority of the tribe’s warriors killed, he has had little choice but to attempt to find a new place for them to regroup and live. 5. If they survive, your character will realize their destiny and ascend to something greater than a mortal hero. What is it that gives them that destiny? Perhaps they perfectly embody a leadership-related concept. Perhaps they're the child of a diety. Perhaps they're a mad science experiment. Perhaps they were trained by one of the heroes who saved the world. Perhaps you, the player, don't know! That's okay too. Lu’s great-great-great-grandfather was rumored to have been sired by Gorum himself. The tribe, while small, has always wielded more strength than would be expected due to the Windborne chieftains’ blood, and Gorum’s blessing seems to burn in Lu’s veins more fiercely than in anyone in the past few generations. Between this and the gifts he has received from the green itself, including the council of his guiding spirit Sil, marks him as one with a great destiny ahead.
The Hunt:
The wind flowing across the scrubland carried the acrid taste of the parched soils to the north, Lu thought as he stopped to drink. The sun was unrelenting today, however, and the grit in his mouth was a small price to pay to quench his thirst, and for the respite the air spirits brought. ”Thank you for your Blessing, Sil, he whispers quietly, reaching up to scratch the head of the rust-colored thrush nestled up against his neck. He had been following tracks northward for three days now, hunting Ha’leth, the firstborn cub of Kalum’leth, render of tribes and queen of the brush-filled lands he was now working his way across. Tracking the beast was not particularly hard. Even at its young age, Ha’leth likely stood almost as tall as he was when on all fours and could easy double his height standing on its hind legs. The young dire bear had already felled two of the Windborne tribe’s more skilled warriors, earning its name in the process. Of course, the risk and danger were what made hunting Ha’leth worthwhile. As the chieftain’s son and the inheritor of the blessing of Gorum, no less a feat was expected of him by his tribe to prove his worth. Today is the day, he thinks as he closes up his waterskin and shoulders it again. The low hills to the northeast had several caves, making it likely that Ha’leth had taken up residence here. Standing back up, Lu resumes his trek, moving step-for-step alongside the giant bear’s tracks. Several hours later, the sun now closing on the horizon, Lu sees his goal: A flash of white and grey visible briefly above the crest of the hill ahead. Steeling himself, he quickens his pace, closing the distance to his prey. Wasting time now might result in having to fight him inside his cave, a situation that would be unnecessarily favorable for Ha’leth. The increase in his pace and racing of his heart rouses Sil from his sleep, the tiny thrush flailing around briefly to shake off the dust that had accumulated. ”Be cautious, Faluhann,” the bird chirps melodically in Hallit, ”The spirits of the land here will not aid you in the battle against their master. You have my aid, but expect nothing more.” After his brief warning, he spreads his ruddy wings and takes to the sky, easing into a circling glide high above him. As Lu reaches the top of the hill in a low crouch, the wind shifts suddenly, carrying his scent down towards the ursine form below. Within moments Ha’leth picks up on the scent and turns his way. ”Well, that’s that then,” Lu says, standing up tall. There was no sense dragging this out any further. ”Suits me just fine.” Taking a deep breath he cries out to the bear below ”Ha’leth, I have come to challenge you in combat!” Whether the bear truly understood his words or was merely reacting to the shout and his posture was irrelevant. The mammoth creature reared back on its hind legs and roared in answer before beginning a slow, lumbering approach. ”Watch this fight with pride, Gorum! I will win or die trying!” he cries out, working himself up into a frenzy. Moments later he feels Sil’s blessing rush into him, his own form growing in size and strength. He then calls upon his own magic to grant him Gorum’s favor and begins beating his fists against his armor. ”For GORUM!” he yells as he takes off towards the massive beast without any further thought. Moments later the crash between the two shakes the ground, Ha’leth still towering over Lu’s enlarged frame. His shoulder smashes into the creature’s ribs, but the monstrous beast hardly seems to notice it. Falling forward, its weight presses down on the kellid, forcing him to step back and giving it the opportunity to bite into his shoulder. Roaring in rage and pain, Lu musters the strength to throw the beast off him, a ragged chunk of his shoulder leaving with it in its maw. As Ha’leth rolls over and gathers itself, Lu charges forward, his fist smashing into the bear’s jaw with a sickening crack. In that instant his eye meets Ha’leth’s, and a brief look of panic fills the creature’s eyes. No doubt the dire bear had faced many men with weapons harassing it from afar before running them down, but to be toe-to-toe with someone unarmed and feel pain was an altogether new sensation. ”Hahaha,” Lu laughs at the creature as it backs up warily, seeing its foe anew. ”Not going to be that easy, Ha’leth!” He takes a moment to stretch and regrets it immediately, the pain in his shoulder burning fiercely. Ha’leth opens and closes its jaw and shakes its head and then growls in response to Lu. The two combatants, now having taken measure of each other begin to circle, looking for an opening. A second wince of pain from the kellid is all the invitation the bear needs, charging to bowl him over. Moments later Lu finds himself pinned down by the bear, its fangs sunk into his side shaking him violently. ”Dammit, get OFF ME!” he yells, raising both arms despite the pain and smashing both fists into the creature’s head. He repeatedly bashes Ha’leth near his eyes, and on the fifth blow blood runs down from its right eye, the orbital having collapsed entirely. The roar of pain let out gives Lu a moment to free himself, rolling out from under the creature. Getting to his knees, he touches his now exposed ribs and cries out to Sil in pain. The bird sings in response and healing energy flows into him, mending the wounds somewhat. Taking a deep breath, he charges again while Ha’leth shakes and growls, trying to understand the loss of sight it had suffered, the creature’s once white head and snout now a bright crimson both from both Lu’s and Ha’leth’s blood. Despite the injuries, the fight drags on for what seems like hours--the two embroiled in a tumultuous clash of claws, fangs, punches and kicks--each giving as good as they get. Ha’leth’s fate was sealed, however, with each blow from the raging kellid. The truth was every single hit tested the bear’s willpower, wearing it down with an ever-growing litany of curses. When the fight finally ended, Ha’leth lay in a puddle of blood-soaked mud with Lu collapsed atop him. The win had been costly, nearly half his ribs broken and nearly as many severe lacerations from the beast’s claws and fangs. Still, with the remainders of his magic he’d been able to staunch the bleeding enough that he would survive to see the next day. With things safe, Sil flies down to land atop the bear’s head, pecking at it once almost triumphantly. ”Kalum’leth will seek revenge for this one day,” the bird chirps prophetically, ”the spirits will whisper the name Faluhann in her ears until the day she dies or you do.” Lu just grunts in response and rolls over, passing out from exhaustion. There would be time to worry about such things after he stopped feeling like he’d died instead of the bear. The Betrayal:
The ceremony had been set for Faluhann’s 26th birthday. Through marriage, the Windborne and Falling Star tribes would ally, something Lu’s father had been working towards for years. With the rise the Tiger Lords, led by Armag the Twice-Born, there had been increasing unrest in the region. Making tribal alliances was a must if the Tiger Lords were to be kept in check. Today the tribe’s warriors along with Faluhann and his father were headed to meet with Arden, the chieftain of the Falling Star tribe to drink, feast and make the final preparations for the gathering later that week. Approaching the meeting place, the Windborne warriors walked in two lines, wearing the traditional red and bronze of the tribe and carrying the hunting spears they used most often. Lu himself walked alongside his father, wearing Ha’leth’s Pride, the breastplate he’d had made when he returned victorious from his battle nearly a decade ago. Warriors from the Falling Star tribe stood about watching the group’s approach warily. The numbers were roughly between the groups, as agreed, which was reassuring, but things were somewhat tense between the tribes still. To be honest, though, Lu was more focused on whether he would get time with Ceara, daughter of the Falling Star Chieftain on this visit. When they finally reached the center of the encampment, Arden Whitesands came out to meet them, escorted by Ceara who avoided eye contact, much to Lu’s disappointment. ”Greetings, Culaihn Windborne,” the burly grey-haired man said, striding forth to clasp forearms with Lu’s father. He wore ceremonial armor crafted of shards of skymetal retrieved from ruins near where their clan hunted, an impressive display of wealth clearly intended to tip the coming discussions in his favor. ”Greetings, Arden,” Culaihn responded eagerly and significantly less formally. He too had dressed for the occasion, though his armor spoke less of wealth and more of personal feats of bravery: The skull of Kalum’leth’s mate formed the core of his headpiece, its hide adorned his armor and bracers, and the fangs of a hundred different animals dangled in rows from his neck, each of which Lu knew his father had a story for. ”Let us drink and eat while we talk, Culaihn,” Arden said, pointing over towards an area that had been set up for them to sit and discuss terms. ”Ceara and Lu can have some time to get further acquainted in the meantime,” he added, turning to smile at his daughter. He then nodded to her escort, who gestured off towards a nearby tent, with Ceara silently leading the way. Lu moved quickly to catch up, moving alongside the red-headed woman he was betrothed to. Surprisingly, she wore a garment that wasn’t traditional to the Falling Stars tribe, but instead looked like the finery worn by nobles in the cities, tales of which he’d heard from passing travelers. The dress was woven of an almost lustrous fabric in vibrant colors Lu thought almost suggested the setting sun, and had long, flowing sleeves that went down past just her hands, hiding them from view. ”That… dur--dra… dress?” he started unsure of the Taldane word for the garment, ”is quite beautiful on you, Ceara. Did your father claim it as his prize during a raid?” The girl turned and half-looked at him before shaking her head. ”No, it was a gift from my mother,” she said quietly, seeming more reserved than the last time they’d met. ”She said it was tradition where she was raised to create something new to celebrate such an event. She spent the past months working on it to finish it in time.” ”Working? She made this?” Lu responded, clearly in awe. While they had great tanners in the tribe, and both men and women who had done the work for his father’s armor as well as his own, this material was something else. Unable to help himself, he reached out and touched the material as they walked on. It was almost slippery to the touch, he couldn’t even feel the individual threads. ”Your mother’s work is truly amazing,” he said as they arrived at the tent and the guard pulled back the cloth covering the entrance. ”Thank you,” Ceara responded quietly, moving inside. Moving inside, Lu saw a low table with a bottle and glasses, along with some fruit, hides covering the floor and two pillows for them to sit upon. Clearly the tent had been prepared to allow them to sit opposite each other and no more. As the cover of the entryway closed, the guard called in briefly, ”Remember to honor your father’s wishes.” A quick nod from Ceara was all the response she made before turning to look down at the table.
”How have you been?” he asked, attempting to strike up conversation, but only received a curt ”Fine.” in return from her. Another few minutes in awkward silence passed before he reached out to pour drinks. ”Would you care for a drink?” he said, pouring some of the sweet, lightly alcoholic drink in each glass. He was parched and the least he could do was enjoy their hospitality, even if he could not get Ceara to talk today. He pulled the glass towards him and picked up a pair of dates from among the fruits, his stomach rumbling almost on queue. ”It was a long trip here,” he said aloud, hoping it might prod her into talking. Her response this time, however, left him completely confused. Ceara reached over and slapped his hand with great force, sending the two dates flying all the way to the back of the tent, then leaned forward. One hand covered his mouth quickly, while the other took his drink and poured it discretely under the table. It was then, staring into her eyes, his heart pounding that he noticed it--or the lack of it, anyway. The camp had fallen silent, despite the warriors having been rowdy only a few minutes earlier.
Her voice carried a mixture of fear and concern that set him on edge, and though he wanted to ask, he knew he needed to take heed. Slumping over to the side, he let his body relax enough that he accidentally knocked over the table, spilling the drink and fruit onto the hides near where he had come to rest. ”What happened,” the guard outside called in, the light level becoming noticeably brighter to Lu through his eyelids. Ceara responded slowly, seemingly barely holding her self together, ”It… it’s done. I did what he wanted.” ”Good work, Ceara, your father will be proud. You will see he was right.” the guard responded, sounding somewhat relieved that things had gone as planned. ”I will go let your father know that the preparations are complete. Stay here until he comes for you.” With that there was silence again. Nearly a minute passed before Lu felt Ceara’s hands nudge him gently. Opening his eyes he saw her own bright blue eyes staring back, her face only inches away. Before he could say anything she embraced him in a passionate kiss and then pulled away, tears streaming from her eyes. ”My father means to turn you and your father over to Armag as proof of his fealty,” she said in an urgent whisper. ”Your warriors are dead, and our father likely too weak with poison to do anything, if not dead as well. Armag is coming for your people, Lu. He will break them and use them as slaves. They want to use your tribe as an example to the others. You have to save your people, Lu… You have to flee!” Lu sat there dumbstruck for a moment, uncertain of what he’d just heard from Ceara. He had barely any time to process it before the voice of Arden and several others became audible in the distance. Even if he took off running, there was likely no way he would be able to escape and make it back to his people. ”How can I escape, Ceara? I could not evade your scouts tracking, nor outrun your warriors’ spears and arrows. How can I make it to my tribe to warn them?” he asked, desperation in his voice. He could fight, but he’d be unlikely to even take down a couple of guards, and as was expected, he’d asked Sil to wait outside the meeting ground, as the spirits of the land were expected to remain neutral here within the encampment. As such the blessings he could access were limited. Ceara simply held out her right hand and pulled the ring off her thumb. The ring was wrought of gold bands interwoven delicately, almost as if they themselves had once been thread woven by a master weaver. The seven threads of gold each unwound from each other at the top of the ring, wrapping themselves around a different color gem, the gems arranged in such a way to suggest in an abstract fashion the sun rising over a verdant landscape: Violets and blues at the top, a single amber in the center, and two hues of deep red with single emerald green stone at the bottom. Handing the gem over to him, she spoke quickly. ”Place the ring on your finger, then ask Shelyn to grant you wings so that you may be inspired by the beauty of the world beneath. Hurry now!”
When the tent opened, Arden was surprised by the small red songbird that flew out and away, but thought little of it. His daughter and her mother had always done odd things in their worship of the goddess of beauty, and he had neither the time nor interest in correcting that as long as it did not interfere with their duties to the tribe. ”Ceara, we must go,” he called in, bending down in the brightly lit doorway. In the corner wrapped in hides were several pillows she’d positioned to try and buy Lu some more time. ”Is that the boy?” he asked, starting to step forward into the tent. ”I did what you asked, father,” she stated angrily, rising up and forcing her way out past him, causing him to back out and begin following her. ”What we did, we did for the sake of the tribe, Ceara. You will understand one day that it was this or death at the hands of Armag. No alliance could have spared us.” His words fell on deaf ears, however, as she stormed off towards the center of the camp. ”Take care of the boy, we will present him to Armag tomorrow with his father.”
”May the spirits watch over you and protect you, Ceara, and may your goddess Shelyn watch over you as well.” he thought as he flew as quickly as he could towards the Windborne tribe’s encampment. Before long he was joined by Sil, flying alongside him, whose silence didn’t hide his concern and sympathy for Lu. Less than an hour later they had landed at home and Lu had begun preparations for his people to leave. Abandoning their home in Numeria was the only choice for them now, as Armag would likely seek them out anywhere the Tiger Lords could reach. The tribe’s elders spoke of a place called the Stolen Lands where unclaimed lands still remained, news they’d learned both from passing traders recently and from communing with the spirits. Faluhann, now chieftain of the tribe, thus commanded his people to leave their ancestral home to seek a new way forward in the Stolen Lands. Crunch:
Faluhann 'Lu' Windborne
Male human (Kellid) brawler 1/shaman 3/VMC barbarian*
Init +1; Senses Perception +12 --------------------
AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (+7 armor, +1 Dex) hp 42 (4 HD; 3d8+1d10+8) Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +7 --------------------
Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor) Melee
Special Attacks hexes (evil eye, healing[APG]), martial flexibility 4/day, rage (6 rounds/day) Shaman Spells Prepared (CL 3rd; concentration +6) . . 2nd — barkskin, resist energy; fog cloud[S] . . 1st — bane (DC 14), divine favor, nature's paths; enlarge person[S] (DC 14) . . 0 (at will)—guidance, know direction, light, virtue [smaller]S spirit magic spell; Spirit Battle --------------------
Str 18, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 15
Feats Alertness, Extra Hex[APG], Hex Strike[UC], Improved Unarmed Strike Traits monster challenger, signature moves, storied scars Skills Acrobatics -3 (-7 to jump), Bluff +2 (+3 while wielding Haleth's Pride), Climb +7, Diplomacy +12 (+13 with Kellids), Heal +7, Intimidate +9 (+10 with non-Kellids, +10 while wielding Haleth's Pride), Linguistics +1, Lore (Kellids) +7, Perception +12, Profession (cook) +10, Sense Motive +10, Survival +10, Swim +4 Languages Common, Hallit SQ battle spirit, brawler's cunning, martial training, spirit animal (thrush named Sil), unlearned Other Gear haleth's pride[APG], ring of seven lovely colors, 850 gp --------------------
Feat/Trait Hex Strike (Evil Eye -2 [6 rounds]) Upon successful unarmed strike, you may use a hex
Shaman Battle Spirit +1 (5 rounds/day) (Su) As a standard action, allies in 30 ft gain bonus to attack and damage. Hexes
..Healing (1d8+3) (Su) Heal touched creature, but each target can only benefit once per 24 hrs. Deliver Touch Spells Through Familiar (Su) Your familiar can deliver touch spells for you.
Familiar Bonus: +3 bonus on Diplomacy You gain the Alertness feat while your familiar is within arm's reach. Share Spells with Familiar Can cast spells with a target of "You" on the familiar with a range of touch. Spirit Animal (spirit animal (thrush named Sil)) If spirit animal is slain, cannot use spirit magic or prepare new spells. Brawler Martial Training (Ex) Brawler levels count as fighter/monk levels for feat/item pre-reqs and effects. Brawler's Cunning (Ex) Count as Int 13 for the purpose of combat feat pre-requisites. Martial Flexibility (move action, 4/day) (Ex) As a Move action, gain a combat feat for 1 min. More gained for greater actions. Barbarian (VMC) Rage (6 rounds/day) (Ex) +4 Str, +4 Con, +2 to Will saves, -2 to AC when enraged. Gear Ha'leth's Pride: Masterwork Slumbering Agile Breastplate adorned with dire bear hide.
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