About GrantixBackground:
On the losing end of a clan war, Grantix found himself orphaned and enslaved at a young age. His mixed heritage was likely a blessing in disguise, as many Half Orcs are valued by Orc warlords for their greater intellect and trainability, compared to their Orcish cousins. Eventually, Grantix ended up in the city of Urgir where his master would enter him in arena combats. Often under estimated by other Orcs, Grantix won a lot of gold for his master and a better than average life for himself by fighting. One night in his 20th year, a vision of Gorum appeared to Grantix in a dream. Gorum removed his helm, to reveal an Orcish or Half-Orc face. Gorum told Grantix that he had bigger plans for Grantix than fighting in slave pits to win money for his owner. Rather, Gorum would like to see Grantix fight stronger enemies for the glory of battle and Gorum's name. To aid his escape, Gorum promised to create a distraction that would allow Grantix to escape from Urgir and his life of slavery. The only other instructions Gorum gave to Grantix were that he was to travel west and bring battle where he traveled. Several weeks later, a herd of animals broke out of their pen and started a fire in the city. All of the commotion awoke Grantix and he took the events as a sign of Gorum's promise. Grantix stole some equipment and meager supplies then set out on his own while the city fought the fire. Traveling with the north star to his right, Grantix hid during the day and moved at night. The Hold of Belkzen is quite a large place and Grantix exhausted his stolen supplies before he reached any other civilization of note. Undaunted, he continued west and lived off of the land often going hungry or surviving off of local wildlife. Nearing exhaustion, Grantix stumbled on a trade caravan that was being attacked by Orcs. Feeling the call to battle, he attacked the Orcs from the rear, throwing them into confusion and helping the caravan fend off their attackers. While unexpected, the caravan could not deny that Grantix had made the difference between survival and death for the crew and passengers. As a repayment, they allowed Grantix to join the caravan as a guard. Eventually, the caravan made it to its destination in Varisia. Grantix parted ways with the caravan and supported himself as a caravan guard for some time. On one of these caravans, he met Sandru Vhiski. The two of them would occasionally cross paths in the caravan business and developed a level of respect for each other. Grantix returned on the most recent caravan to Sandpoint. While one certainly finds a fair amount of battle as a caravan member, Grantix has been somewhat unhappy that he has not been able to test his combat skills as often as he would like. The new caravan leaving for the realm of Tian Xia seems a great avenue to find and challenge new foes and learn new styles of combat. Appearance:
6' tall
23 years old Grantix is not particularly tall for an Half-Orc, but he is quite solidly built. In the dark or silouteeted against a background, he may appear to be almost human. On closer inspection, one would see that Grantix has sligtly grayish skin and very coarse, dark hair. His hair is usually cut short to make it easier to fit under a full helmet. Grantix' nose has obviously been broken several times and has not healed straight. He has scars across the top and middle of his back, shoulders, and arms. Personality and Mannerisms:
Ever since his vision of Gorum, Grantix has been motivated in a way not normally seen among Half-orcs. He has traveled far and wide, seeking to prove his prowess in battle and bring glory to his diety. He will not turn down a challenge and seeks out the largest or most accomplished enemy to fight in personal combat. Grantix follows the philosophy that the best defense is a good offense, preferring 2 handed weapons with high damage potential. Grantix also makes heavy use of his gifts from Gorum to demoralize his enemies, rally his allies, or overcome particularly difficult foes. More than anything else, Grantix seeks to advance the interests of Gorum by participating in battles and displaying his martial prowess, which he sees as a blessing from Gorum. He has little use for negotiations and sees them as a sign of weakness. When fighting as a unit, Grantix expects his teammates to stand side by side with him and not retreat or give up in dire situations. Grantix finds the undead to be especially abhorrent, as he views them as being already defeated but unwilling to accept their fate. Grantix nearly always wears a full helmet, which covers his face. On a devotional level, this is a tribute to Gorum and the vision that Grantix had. On a practical level, Grantix is often mistaken for an armored human, which makes interacting with many people on the caravan routes easier. Grantix names all of his iron and steel weapons and refers to them as if they were a person, often challenging or invoking their abilities during combat. If a metal weapon is broken, he will give it a burial or last rite as time and conditions permit. He does not view armor as worthy of a name, but will adorn metal armor with spikes, chains, and other decorations.
Story:A day in the life:
Grantix sat on the first wagon in the caravan, surveying the land around him. Going nearly two weeks without an attack or battle of some kind made Grantix restless. He stood up in his seat, stretching his arms over his head and letting out a groan. "I'll be happy to get home too," said the driver in the seat next to Grantix. "I'm looking forward to a few weeks at home with the wife and kids." "Hrmf," grunted Grantix. "Sandpoint is too quiet for me. Nobody has seen a goblin in many months." "Isn't that the whole point?" retorted the driver. "It is hard to get paid when you are stuck in town can't go out due to threat of goblin attacks." "Gold isn't worth anything if you are attacked and all your precious gold is looted from your corpse. I call goblin attacks easy pickings because the goblins come to you. That makes showing them the glory of battle much easier," replied Grantix. Not too far away a horn blew, followed by a response call. The sounds of yelling and the stomping of feet quickly got closer. "Curses! You brought this on us by speaking of it too much." yelled the driver as he reached for the alarm gong and slowed his wagon. "ALARM! ALARM! Goblins to the right," called the driver. The driver banged the gong while the rest of the caravan started to organize a defense. "This is not a curse, " laughed Grantix as he drew his greatsword Goblinbane, "I call this a blessing! I have been waiting for a battle all week." Grantix looked in the direction of the sound, scanning for goblins. Grantix was rewarded a short time later, when a pack of goblins emerged from a copse of trees a few hundred yards from the caravan. "There!" shouted Grantix as he pointed Goblinbane in the direction of the mob and leapt off of the wagon. "Guards to battle!" shouted Anders, the head caravan guard, as he unlimbered his longbow and knocked an arrow. "Archers form up! Melees hold the line!" he continued. As the mob of goblins approached, several flights of arrows from the caravan thinned their numbers. The waiting was too much for Grantix as he broke ranks and charged the goblins. "For Battle and Glory!" shouted Grantix as a final flight of arrows arced overhead and fell among the goblins. "Goblinbane, show your prowess!" he continued, swinging the greatsword into the head and shoulders of a goblin. He pulled the wide blade out of the corpse as several goblins surrounded the lone warrior. "Gorum, make my enemies cower in fear, " invoked Grantix, causing his holy symbol around his neck to glow and doubt to creep into the minds of the goblins. Goblins tend to be poor fighters and combined with the curse from Grantix's Bane spell, Grantix escapes any major injuries. As the battle progressed, Grantix continued to cleave goblins with Goblinbane. A few moments into the fight, the rest of the Caravan's warriors join the fray. The combat breaks down into individual fights, with each of the men facing a small handful of goblins. After dispatching his current opponent, Grantix stops and looks around the battlefield. Goblin dead and dying are scattered over a wide area and the din of combat can still be heard. "You!" Grantix bellowed, pointing Goblinbane at a particularly large goblin standing by itself over the body of Neddard, a refugee from Cheliax who fought with a mace and a shield. "You may have defeated a lesser human, but you will not best me," exclaimed Grantix, followed with a flourish of Goblinbane in the space around him. The goblin backed up slightly, then resumed a more aggressive stance. Grantix steps toward the great goblin, swinging Goblinbane quickly and forcefully. The goblin parries the attacks, but loses ground each time. The goblin mounts a weak counterattack, but Grantix knocks it aside easily. Seeing a gap open in the goblin's defenses, Grantix drives home Goblinbane, burying it to the hilt in the chest of the goblin. Seeing their leader slain, the surviving goblins turn and run. Most are cut down by the surviving warriors but a few escape. "Cowards! Stand and fight!" challenges Grantix. Seeing little hope for more combat, Grantix turns his attention to the battlefield. Several of the men are crowded around the area where Neddard fell. "He is still alive, but barely," says Anders, who continued "I hope he survives the trip to Sandpoint where there is a healer. Everybody, help me carry Neddard to the wagon." Grantix interrupted, "Let me have a look at him," and knelt beside Neddard, removing his helmet and gloves. Grantix looked toward the sky and started a prayer as he placed his hands on Neddard. "Neddard, you are a brave man. I have never seen you retreat from a battle and you have slain many foes with your mace. Arise and let not the blade of a cowardly goblin end your days on the battlefield. May you fight more battles and slay more foes." As Grantix ended his prayer, the symbol around his neck glowed slightly and the light moved to his hands and into the wounds on Neddard. Neddard's wounds closed rapidly and he moved to a sitting position. Neddard coughs and said to Grantix, "Thanks a lot. That goblin was a lot tougher than he looked. I owe you my life." "You owe me nothing," disagreed Grantix. "If you owe anybody, that it would be to The Iron One," he continued, "Either way, be sure to bring battle with you wherever you go." With that, Grantix moves away from the crowd and back toward the caravan. He spends some time in meditation, cleans Goblinbane thoroughly, and prepares for a meal. For a few hours after the battle, Grantix seems calm and satisfied. He knows that by the time morning comes, however, he will be ready for another battle. Combat:
Initiative +4 (Feat)
Melee: Greatsword Goblinbane +3 (2d6+4/19-20/x2)
Total Weight: 88
Skills:
6 Ranks, -1 ACP; Class skills in bold Acrobatics
Class Features:
Weapon/Armor Proficiencies: Simple Weapons, Hand Crossbow, Repeating Crossbow, Shortbow, Longbow, Greatsword, Greataxe, Falchion, Light Armor, Medium Armor, Shields (except Tower Shield) Inquisition: Heresy Orisons
Orc Ferocity 1x/day
Feats:
Improved Initiative (L1) Traits:
Axe to Grind (Combat) +1 damage to enemies threatened only by me Caravan Guard (Campaign) NPC: Sandru. Survival becomes a class skill, +1 to survival checks Spells:
Concentration +5 1 (2/day) Cure Light Wounds, Bane (DC 15)
Gear:
8GP
Backpack
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