Emmentian was born to a highly successful family of Gnomish tinkerers in the wondrous sky city of Nimbus, and even at a young age he displayed the eager curiosity that made his family such gifted inventors. To the chagrin of his elders however, this curiosity was not directed towards craftsmanship, instead the boy found himself fascinated by the teachings of the Wilds.
It was not long after reaching manhood that the gnome came to a disturbing conclusion, the works put out by his family, and indeed, most residents of Skygaarde, would inevitably lead to another Reclamation… this could not be allowed to happen, so he set himself to spreading the word of the dire fate that awaited should the people of his home not turn away from their technological wonders. Unsurprisingly, this message was not well-received, and Emmentian was dismissed as a backwards kook at best, or a raving lunatic at worst.
Finally, after being publicly mocked for his beliefs one time too many, he decided that he could no longer watch as his homeland threw itself headfirst into its doom. Taking the opportunity provided by the next Crossing, Emmentian travelled south through the rough terrain of the Reclamation Wall and into the dense forests of Verdan. Unfortunately for the young gnome, he had little experience of life beyond the cliffs of his sky-bound home, and in his eagerness to be away from his old life, he soon found himself to be completely lost within the dark woodlands.
After wandering for days through the tangle, not knowing what was safe to eat, and avoiding the attention of dangerous predators by chance alone, Emmentian was close to starvation. It was then that a minor Wild of the crawling beasts, having watched the gnome as he wandered lost into her territory and looked into his heart to see the truth of his faith, took pity upon him and sent one of her servants, a mottled viper, to guide him.
At first, he was alarmed by the snake’s approach, but the Wild spoke to him through her servant, and eased his panic. Over the following months, he slowly learned how to survive in the forests without the aid of civilisation, and his belief in the evils of technology became even more solidly cemented by his experience of its absence. The time of the next Crossing came all too soon however, and with it came his brother, Vaughnstenn, hoping to bring him home.
Vaughnstenn urged him to give up his ‘crazy ideas’ to come back to the family and ‘put his mind to a useful cause’ rather than continue with his ‘childish beliefs’. Emmentian, enraged by his brother’s patronising attempt to win him over, lashed out in a moment of anger. It was only intended to be a shove, to encourage him to back down, but Vaughnstenn tripped over a root as he stumbled away from the assault, and cracked his head on a protruding stone.
Emmentian rushed to aid his injured brother, but it was too late. Faced with the terrible truth of his actions, Emmentian was left with a choice; either return with his brother’s remains to Nimbus and face the consequences, or flee. In a decision that has haunted him ever since, he chose the latter, and from that fateful day on, he has been running away from the memory of his deed – and any consequences that might arise, should the truth ever be discovered – travelling as far from that place as he could, until he eventually reached the distant shores of Oceania…
Emmentian Vildursprunkle
Male Gnome
Druid 2 (Serpent Shaman)
Chaotic Neutral Small Humanoid
Init +1; Senses Perception +10 (Low-Light Vision) Totem Senses Scent
Speed 20'
Totem Movement 20' Swim, 20' Climb
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+2 Armour, +2 Shield, +1 Size, +1 Dex)
CMD 11
HP 20, current (20) Energy Resistance electricity 1, fire 1
Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +6
Concentration: +5
OFFENCE
Melee club +2 (1d4, x2)
Totem Melee bite +2 (1d3, x2) + poison: DC 14, 1 Con damage/round for 6 rounds. Cure:1 save.
Child of Earth: +2 to Sense Motive and Climb, they are class skills. Ignore 5' of dense undergrowth.
Naturally Gifted: 1 extra use of gnomish magic per day.
EQUIPMENT:
leather armour
heavy wooden shield
club
Backpack
Bedroll & Winter Blanket
Waterskin
Explorer's Outfit
Rations, 4 days
Sunrod
Bottle of Air