Grautak's page

Cavaliers belonging to the order of the dragon dedicate themselves to a group of like-minded individuals, be it a mercenary company or a small band of adventurers. These cavaliers believe in loyalty and friendship, and are willing to lay down their lives to protect their allies.

Edicts: The cavalier must remain loyal to his allies and must always work to further the aims of the group. He must protect his allies from harm and defend their honor when called into doubt.

Challenge: Whenever an order of the dragon cavalier issues a challenge, his allies receive a +1 circumstance bonus on melee attack rolls against the target of his challenge whenever he is threatening the target. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the cavalier possesses.

Skills: An order of the dragon cavalier adds Perception (Wis) and Survival (Wis) to his list of class skills. In addition, whenever an order of the dragon cavalier uses Survival to provide food and water for his allies or to protect his allies from harsh weather, he receives a bonus on the check equal to 1/2 his cavalier level (minimum +1).

Order Abilities
Aid Allies (Ex): At 2nd level, whenever an order of the dragon cavalier uses the aid another action to assist one of his allies, the ally receives a +3 bonus to his Armor Class, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check. At 8th level, and every six levels thereafter, this bonus increases by an additional +1.

Strategy (Ex): At 8th level, the cavalier can spend a standard action to grant one of a number of bonuses to all allies within 30 feet (including himself). The allies must be able to see or hear the cavalier to receive this bonus. The cavalier can grant a +2 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round, a +2 morale bonus on all attack rolls for 1 round, or the ability to move up to their speed as an immediate action once. The cavalier can grant a different bonus to each ally within range, but allies can only benefit from this ability once per combat.

Act as One (Ex): At 15th level, the cavalier can spend a standard action to move up to his speed and make a melee attack. All allies within 30 feet can also move up to their speed and make a melee attack as an immediate action. This movement and attack can be made as a charge if the movement qualifies. All attacks are made at a +2 bonus (this stacks with the bonus from a charge) and all participants receive a +2 dodge bonus to their AC for 1 round. A cavalier can use this ability once per combat.

This large imposing beast resembles a cross between a wolf and mastiff. It’s black and grey shaggy hair blend in well with its surroundings. Dark yellowish eyes appear to harbor malice toward anyone glancing in its direction. Rather than the loud posturing growl common to predators, its throaty rumble almost sounds like a low menacing threat, a whisper of warning. Perhaps that is the origin of the beast’s name.

Whisper (Wolfhound)
N Large animal
Init +0; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +8
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 9, flat-footed 14 (+3 Natural Armor, +2 Leather Barding, –1 size)
hp 19 (3d8+6)
Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +2

OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee Bite +6 (1d6+6)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

STATISTICS
Str 19, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +2; CMB +6; CMD 16 (20 vs. Trip)
Feats Alertness, Intimidating Prowess, Run
Skills Intimidate +6; Perception +8
SQ Bodyguard Archetype, Combat Trained; light armor proficiency, low-light vision, scent
Tricks Known attack, come, defend, down, guard, heel and track

Grautak is a very well-muscled and thick goblinoid standing 5 feet 7 inches in height and weighing 178 lbs. He is extremely bow-legged after years of sitting astride a horse and when not riding he has a rolling gait. What little hair he has is kept pulled back in a pony tail. The scars on his face and his fiery gleaming red eyes unsettle even the most savage of men.
He wears the trappings of a kossack raider, breastplate and a buckler on his left arm. His armor and clothing are browns, greys, & tans that blend well with the urban & wood mix environment where he regularly travels.

Grautak’s imposing demeanor hides a thoughtful and at times introspective humanoid. Order and honor are more important than laws. Laws can and should be broken; however order must always be maintained and honor should never be broken. Loyalty is the trait most prized by Grautak. He is loyal to his friends and followers and expects loyalty from them as well. He is loud, brash and crass to those he first meets; however this is usually done to gauge their reaction. Grautak is a planner, though his plans usually lack long term foresight, and as a result end in failure. If someone is able to earn Grautak’s trust, he has a very loyal friend who will go to great lengths to assist them; however Grautak views a betrayal of his friendship as the ultimate sin. A sin he not only refuses to forgive but one that deserves vengeance.

[Loyal] – Grautak’s upbringing although cruel and merciless left him with an unbreakable loyalty for those he calls friend, especially his brother, Dagru.

[Disciplined] – Grautak’s extreme focus on the task at hand makes him an asset to any team. Many years of harsh training at the hands of hobgoblins has instilled the ability to remain disciplined through the completion of all tasks. Like his brother, he works hard and plays hard.

[Pride] – Unlike his easy-going brother, Grautak is prickly when it comes to his sense of honor and self-esteem. He takes great pride in the abilities he possesses and even some he doesn’t possess. While he doesn’t have a bad temper, slights and challenges to his character or honor are taken very seriously. He has been known to ignore someone for days on end until his honor has been restored either through combat or an apology. He is not overly arrogant and certainly not pompous. He is quietly confident in himself, knows it to be true and requires everyone else to know it as well.

Dagru and Grautak were born into the militant order of a traditional goblinoid tribe in the Southern reaches of Numeria. They grew up in a lawful society founded on order and precision. Like the goblinoid youth before them, they were carried away from their family at the ripe young age of three to learn the common functions of drill and combat. They spent the next ten years trudging through a boot camp existence. While not the strongest or the wisest of the group, Dagru’s speed and intellect kept him exceeding his batch. Grautak’s well muscled physique was prized by the drill instructors, but his short bandy legs kept him from excelling in drill. It wasn’t until he found his way onto the back of a horse, that Grautak began to shine.

Life consisted of beatings, sometimes to the point of death, and rigorous training. Their resolves were not weakened by this treatment. If anything it sharpened their minds and provided clarity to the realization that strength alone does not win every battle, nor does direct contact fighting. Discovering an opponent’s weaknesses and exploiting them, drawing enemies into a vulnerable position before striking; these were the weapons and tactics that the brothers honed.

Upon completion of their training they traveled to the frontlines and joined the raiding parties. It is here where they learned the true lessons of warfare and the consequences. The raiding of the Western River Kingdoms seriously weakened the tribe’s fighting population. Frustrated by the tribe leaders’ lack of innovation and resistance to change, Grautak and Dagru realized the tribe was doomed. Choosing survival over honor, Grautak, and Dagru escaped into the wild during the tribe’s last battle.

After wandering a few weeks, the brothers joined a group of bandits in the Western River Kingdom forests. After several weeks of failed raids and several dead bandits, the brothers realized this group used similar tactics to the leaders of their tribe. Irritated by the brainless strategies employed by the brigands, Grautak and Dagru slowly assumed control of the group. They focused on highway robbery, merging mechanical devices and traps with “hit and run” cavalry raids.

They directed their attacks at the wealthy and famous, leaving the commoners alone. Their new lifestyle unlocked their hidden talents. Grautak discovered his nimble fingers were just as adept at opening locks as they were guiding the reins of his horse. And Dagru learned his keen mind could be just as effective as his brother’s sharp tongue. Their continued success fueled a desire for greater riches and led to more daring raids. To increase their prosperity, Grautak and Dagru moved the group out of the River Kingdoms to focus on the royalty fighting one another for power in Brevoy. They employed several new tactics: infiltration and blackmail, kidnapping and ransom plans and assassination. To facilitate these tactics, Dagru and Grautak formed the bandits into the mercenary company known as “The Numerian Hammer”. They entered the service of multiple royal families simultaneously and executed their “Grand Plan”.

Unfortunately Grautak and Dagru’s lack of prudence exposed the flaw in their plan. They were unable to adequately juggle the duplicitous nature of the “Grand Plan” and several royal families discovered the treachery of “The Numerian Hammer”. Within weeks, they were hit heavily by multiple mercenary companies and bounty hunters sent by the families of Brevoy. With most of their men dead, Grautak and Dagru realized it was time to once again change tactics. Dagru cashed in a favor owed him by a friend and lower royal member of the House Garess. Assigned as favored servants of the House Garess, they were given a charter to explore the unchartered Green Belt. Successfully extracting themselves from Brevoy, the brothers “Grand Plan” now includes taming the wild lands and carving out a niche for themselves. While their goal may not be synonymous with House Garess’, that has never been an obstacle for Grautak and Dagru.