Kain Ardent Brandt's page

Step 1
1- Kain was a member of a frontier town in the wildlands

2- He was just accepted into an elite unit of Calvary whose job was to run down any orc raiding parties, and rapid maneuvering to keep giants from being able to stone the town.

3- Kain is rough and practical but Kind-hearted to many.

4-One day, not long after he was accepted into the Calvary unit a small raiding party was sighted and drew him, 2 other members, and a senior member off from the main town. They easily rode down the 10 or so orcs on a nearby hill. It was then they saw boulders raining down on the area of the town. They rode fast and hard, but by the time they got to the town half of it was flattened. Kain was 18 at the time

5-Kain is the son of Rydell and Anna,

6-Views on life- Life is precious, spend it well and do not waste it, any life is worth protecting. Hard work, will, and dedication can overcome anything. Glory is for fools, the only true glorious death is a death in which you defend something you love. If something is a threat to his loved ones/friends he won’t hesitate to kill them, if he is labeled bloodthirsty for protecting those he loves he will happily accept their scorn over mourning their death.

7- He doesn’t give himself the title of hero, no matter what he does, he merely would respond with “just doing what I can”

8- Holds an underlying hate for giants, he rarely loses his temper, but when he does it is usually around giants as it brings up painful memories of his home town.

9- Kain is 6’2”, 225lbs, Black hair, Green eyes, with handsome features. He usually keeps a rough 8 O’clock shadow, his hair is long.

10- He has recently taken to working as a mercenary, be it a caravan guard, solider for hire, or even a bounty hunter. He has heard of dire straits in Trunau and comes to offer his services.

11- Knows when to keep his mouth shut, disciplined from training.

12- While he may not be open about it, he forms bonds of friendship quickly with those he deems worthy and just, and would sacrifice himself for those friends, even if he never says so openly.

13- Kain had a brother and a sister, their bodies were never found at the site of the town’s destruction he keeps eyes and ears out for rumors for them, but holds little hope knowing they were most likely taken captive.

Step 2- Goals
1- He seeks to put an end to the chapter of his family and find out what happened to his younger siblings, saving them if need be no matter the cost.

2- Seeks only to make a living protecting people he deems worth of protecting.

3- He has always loved riding, the wind in his hair, one of his dreams is to ride on the back of a Pegasus, not as a mere mount, but as a friend and ally.

4- He wants to find the creature that lead the assault on his town, and slay him once and for all.

Step 3- Secrets
1- He doesn’t know his siblings are alive, however, where they are is something even the gods save the big one can’t say ;)

Step 4
- Kain’s brother, 3 years his younger was physically weak. He had always wanted to be like Kain, to join the Dragoons, but his physical condition was a large hindrance, but what he lacked in physical fitness Kain’s little brother made up for in intellect, It was his brother that showed Kain a new technique for holding a spear so as to be allowed to spin and wield it as a club for enemies that get close. Kain nor his brother were able to master the style and so it was dismissed, but Kain still practices it to this day, determined to master it.

- Kain’s sister was 10 when the giants leveled the entire community she would be 13 now if she is still alive. She had always been helpless, unable to do anything for herself. Perhaps that changed now, perhaps not. It doesn’t matter, Kain would still do everything for her.

-An orc boss that lost most of his warband to a counter-assault by the few remaining dragoons. The orc boss rode a warg and faced off against Kain, Neither landed a lethal blow, but Kain managed to come out ahead, knocking the orc off his steed and down the side of a steep hill. The orc warboss, having been humiliated, and losing his warg and his warband has sense sought revenge on the mounted warrior.

- The Creature that lead the attack that destroyed the frontier town has no real interest in the rider known as Kain, but he will one day. He sees kain, and any dragoon from the town as lesser, and unworthy of his time.
- The Ranger in the wilds indeed, it was at a time when Kain was overcome with anger, hate and grief, when he was found by the ranger. It was this encounter that kept Kain from a path of self-destruction and attempted revenge.

Step 5-
- I remember running the orcs down, our senior member inspiring the rest of us as he slew 5 of the beasts, I managed to claim 2 of the rest, my first orc kills as a dragoon. We laughed and talked of our victory as we made our way back to town. That’s when we saw them. Boulders the size of trolls raining down on the town. It was continual, devastating bombardment. We watched as the Dragoons of the town, with no other options charged out of the gate. We could only sit and watch as the boulders focused onto them. There was no glorious charge, no meaning to their deaths. They simply died like animals, crushed flat under tons of rock. It was then that the orcs made their move, almost all of the defenders dead and crushed under the boulders, the walls crushed and splintered. Over 3 score of orcs poured into the town killing, raping, pillaging. We rode swift as shadows, but by the time we entered the Towns fields only one warband remained. Staying behind to try and salvage any looked over “loot”. I remember feeling the purest of rage, anguish and hatred that day. I spurred my mount onwards in blind hate and would have charged to my death, had the last senior officer of the dragoons not rallied the other 3 and charged off behind me. We broke into the score of orcs, felling several before they could strike back. In the following melee one of our own was felled. That was when I saw him, the leader of the band a horrid orc upon a dire wolf, or warg, in their tongue. Seemingly by divine purpose a path opened between me and him and I looked into his eyes. He smiled, and I hated that smile. We struck at each other several times, but in the end, using the technique my brother taught me, caught the orc off guard. Even though I had far from perfected it the strike was enough to knock him from his mount and send him rolling down the hill. His remaining orcs tried to flee, we ran them down like dogs. I remember laying to rest all the bodies we could find, ones that weren't paste. It was sickening. I also remember finding the broken and battered bodies of my parents, but never finding my siblings. Not knowing their fate haunts me more than anything still...

- Kain is often a quiet man, but when he speaks, he speaks with purpose and meaning. He often prefers to speak with his action, rather than his words and often judges’ man based on their actions alone. For good or ill.

- I remember my family, in the summer when the sun warmed the valley and the mountain I and my brother and sister would often enjoy the day in the fields, after I was old enough to ride a horse I would often take them horseback riding, letting them experience what I loved so much. How I wish for those days back…

-I remember the pride I felt at finally being accepted into the dragoons, I remember the pride of my family, and my brother when I came home, wielding the spear of the dragoons. A spear I still wield to this day, both in honor, and for its remarkable make.

-Kain has developed a habit of speaking to his horse, whether or not the horse understands, or even listens no one, not even Kain knows. But he enjoys it, and enjoys the humorous discussions he has with the longtime friend and companion who he has named Valere, (valor).

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- Bit of story from the day everything he knew fell to ruin.
Smoke rising from the horizon, the thrill of the kill still fresh on me I don't think clearly, I smile and carry on as our leader, Sir Baldwin, stares towards the some. A look of worry on his face. After a few minutes I too come to realize that that smoke is rising from where our town is. Suddenly, their was a deepening feeling of sickness in me. Fear rose and gnawed at the edges of my mind as we rode swiftly towards the town. We crested a hill and looked down at the most horrifying sight in my life. Our town was under siege. An endless rain of flaming boulders pelted the city, its stone walls slowly beginning to crumble. I saw a house crushed under the weight of a particularly large boulder. I felt like I wanted to vomit. we watched as the Dragoon knights of the town charged forth from the gates hoping beyond hope to reach the giants before they buried the city in stone. It was a slaughter. Their was no glorious charge, no blowing of the horn there was only death. Boulders rained from on high crushing into the knights, over 50 died in the first seconds, with that many more following soon after. Mindlessly we began to ride toward the town. Denial of the greatest kind throwing itself at my mind. This is a dream, its a dream it has to be The last thing I saw before going below the tree line was a boulder smash the main gate down, and the last of my knightly order crushed under flying rocks as scores of orcs poured into the once proud city. It was thirty minutes before we reached the fields of the town, and from there we saw an almost empty battlefield. The entire town, over 1500 people, leveled, Destroyed, ravaged. Blood ran like rivers from under rocks and stone, the scene was one of nightmares, a literal lake of blood coated the ground. Quickly, denial become despair, despair became anger, anger, to hate. We charged into the remaining orcs, about a score of them. We slaughtered them all. The others seemed defeated but not I. All I could feel was empty despair and anguish. I left my fellows, I followed the raiding parties trails for days, My faithful companion and steed, Valor, carrying me the whole way. The Blackness of despair and the Red of anger burning so bright as to drown out my reason. Eventually I caught up with them. I saw the band, over 10 giants, 4 score of orcs. I planned to take them all on. However, fate had a different course for me that day. Valor veered off against my wishes to a forest and even through my rage filled blindness I wouldn't leave him, your horse is your life, that was ingrained in my being by this point. That horse saved my life in more ways than one. Valor Eventually brought me to a strange man. Not a word he spoke, he merely beckoned me to follow. We walked many miles, and as I walked a calmness came over me. Slowly, as I watched the forest around me full of life, I began to come back to myself. Finally, upon reaching a spring of sorts I broke down into sobs. I cried for my family, I cried for my town, I cried for the wrong that had been done, I cried for me. The next few days I spent with this quiet guardian. He showed me how to better understand my friend, Valor, and our connection grew to a greater extent however it was clear I had much to learn. Eventually he directed me to the nearby town. When I entered the town, the past me was dead. Kain had died in his town, in those mountains with the rest of his family. I met with the only 3 survivors of the town, the other knights they told me that the bodies of my sister and brother had never been found, and that our house was one of the few to not have been demolished. I would not trust to hope, but I left the town both seeking my path in life, and to hopefully one day find my siblings. I became a mercenary of sorts, I only accepted jobs I deemed honorable or good, but I had no real reason for carrying them out. I was a half dead man, seeking a meaning to his life. But fate is funny, and here I am, back where I started, having heard a rumor of sorts about living humans in the wilds. Most likely it is a vain hope, but I couldn't not come. Besides, I have unfinished business in this area. One day, I will claim vengeance for the lost souls of my town, but Never again will I let myself fall into that dark abyss of despair, and never again will I let one whom I protect die should my body still work.

Small spiel from Kain in 1st person-

Kain speaks in a rather deep voice, with a slight hint of gravel to it.

Hmph, fine. If you so wish to know my story, I will tell you. I remember back when I first got accepted into the dragoons of my town. The prestigious honor of what was our elite guard. The training had been hard, long hours with spear, mounted and unmounted. Stories and legends of the dragoons of long past kept kids like me going, whether it was of slaying a dragon, or driving back a charging giant with a single charge at the cost of his life. What a naive fool I was. Glory, legend, I wanted it all back then, life was cheap to me then. I had craved for orc raids to come. Well not long after I was accepted, about a little under two years I got my wish. More than I wanted.... He grows quiet, then moves on. Anyway, an extremely organized attack against my town demolished it. Buildings, walls, everything was crushed under a rain of boulders, The only reason I am here now is because we had been out on patrol, hunting a scouting party of orcs. We ran them down. When we got back, it was all but over. I sat on a hill and watched as a rain of death leveled my entire life. Rage overtook me, fueled by grief, A lot happened then, we managed to kill some more orcs, but the pain was still their, no matter how many I killed, the hallow, empty pain burned ever brighter. Until I eventually exhausted myself. I woke several days later in the care of a ranger. He, he helped me, made sure I didn't do anything stupid. He even managed to heal Valere after I had nearly driven the best to exhaustion and death. Something I still remind myself of today.. Anyway, I become a wanderer, a mercenary in a way. I have helped a town more often than once with problems of beast, by blade, or by merely ousting a false rumor.

Male, Half-elf, Cavalier (beast rider)1
Init +2; Senses Perception +X
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Defense:
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AC: 21, touch 12, flat-footed 19[7Armor+2Dex+2shield]
HP: 13 (1d10+3)
Fort:+5
Ref: +5
Will:+2 +2 vs enchantment
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee
Thorn(lance): +6 (+7 vs medium or smaller)
damage: 1d8+8

On charge: +8 (+9 vs medium or smaller)
Damage: 2d8+16

Cold Iron longsword: +6
damage: 1d8+5/8

Ranged
Longbow: +3
Damage: 1d8

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Statistics:
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Str: 20, Dex: 14, Con:16, Int: 10, Wis: 12, Cha: 10
Base Atk +1; CMB +X; CMD X
Feats:
1- Mounted Combat, Ride by attack, Skill focus (ride), Teamwork feat TBD
Traits:
Languages
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Skills:
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Ride: 1
Perception: 1
Climb: 1
Handle Animal: 1
Sense Motive: 1
Diplomacy: 1

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Gear:
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Arms and Armor: Lance, Breastplate, Steel shield, Longbow 40 arrows

Magic Items: N/A

Misc Items: Backpack, belt pouch, waterskinx2, 150 silk rope, grappling hook, flint and steel, in progress

Potions: 1 CLW potions

Horse, Charger archetype animal companion
Init +2; Senses: Low light, scent, Perception +5
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Defense:
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AC:18, touch 12, flat-footed 16(2 armor, 2dex, 4Natural armor)
hp: 10(1d8+2)
Fort: +5
Ref: +4
Will: +2
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Offense:
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Speed 50 ft.
Melee
Bite: +7
Damage: 1d4+6

Hooves: +0
Damage: 1d6+4

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Statistics:
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Str: 16, Dex: 14, Con: 15, Int: 2, Wis: 12, Cha: 06
Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 20
Feats:Sure footed, light armor proficiency,

Languages Horse

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Skills:
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Perception: 1
Acrobatics: 1
Stealth: 1

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Gear
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leather armor, combat saddle, bit, eye cover, Saddle bags,