Marwan del Hechizo's page

Marwan is a tall and thin, almost emaciated, man with high eyebrows and thoroughly tanned skin. He has a full beard which he keeps trimmed closely along his cheeks but cut into a square pattern coming off his chin. His clothes are clearly foreign, with bright colors and loose fitted layers, but the most obviously unusual thing about him is the pendant he keeps around his neck. Upon closer inspection it seems to be made of some sort of skin and is stuffed with dirt and bones.

Marwan comes from the country of Vurespania, a country that once dominated the regions to the west with powerful economic forces, but after a series of religious wars has been in gradual decline. Vurespania has recently been taken over in all but name by the Opal Knights, a militarized and dogmatic arm of the Church of the Septumberate. The Septumberate is a group of seven angelic beings who teach their followers to flock together in large cities for protection and that arcane magic of any sort is not to be trusted.

Vurespania was the site of many battles between the rebels in Baravkovia and the Alodoan empire itself. The sparse population of a sprawling farming economy and the abundance of food made it an ideal place for the rebels to try to move themselves about. In order to save their own lives, the citizenry moved into the cities, leaving their fields behind and this state of insecurity led to the introduction of the Faith of the Septumberate. Though recent years have seen the countryside of Vurespania grow back from the ashes, and the rebellion has been largely put down, people have been reluctant to leave the cities, causing both the agricultural economy of the territory and its traditional arts (magical and mundane) to decline.

Marwan's family have been practitioners of old spiritual magic for generations, and have traditionally taught that their family's spirits are the very fuel for the magic they can use, including their ability to raise and manipulate the bodies of the dead. Once upon a time, this practice was commonplace in Vurespania, but the power and influence of several new cultural imports, including the Septumberate, have made it less and less common.

Refusing to give up his family traditions and personal power, Marwan fled the country, wandering for a few years before hearing of the Elves' longevity (elves are virtually unheard of in Vurespania). Wondering if this is the result of some sort of manipulation of the boundaries of life and death, Marwan moved to Urandoa to see if he could study this longevity further. He has not had any luck, and has since taken to studying the corpses of goblins and bullywugs, hoping to finally unlock the secrets behind animating a minion of his own, the first sign of true mastery in his family's witchcraft. However, upon hearing that one of the local wizards' house is now home to an unusually large Fulough Barghnora, he has gone to Woodbridge to find the people who first went there and find out what happened to his "colleague".

Urandomans who live near his hut in the woods may know of him and his strange behavior, but not many will see him use his witchcraft and those who do find it unsettling at best and downright frightening at worst. Vurespanian culture places very little real importance on the physical body of any deceased person, viewing it as completely and utterly separate from the person's soul, and it being left behind as spare materials. Thus, even mundane research into medicine in Vurespania is frequently done with cadavers, making it an anomaly in both medicinal knowledge and with openness about the unsavory elements of embalming and autopsies and necromancy.

Urandoman cultures, on the other hand, have much more ritualized care for the bodies of the dead, making it somewhat difficult for Marwan to get his materials. He thus takes to researching the corpses of any goblins or bullywugs who make the mistake of attacking him or any person who has the misfortune of dying in the woods from animal attacks or exposure or interpersonal violence. Marwan would never dream of killing someone for his research, despite what others might think of him. To him that would be the equivalent of murdering someone for their cup of water when they are standing next to a stream. Not only is is unforgivably immoral, it makes no sense.

Marwan is a blunt and pragmatic, but ultimately good-natured individual. His skills and interests may seem unsettling, but he has those interests because of the environment he was raised in and the sense of taboo most people in his new home have about those topics confuse him. That being said, he doesn't want to unsettle people, and is willing to not be too "necromancer-y" around those who would be bothered by his abilities.

Name: Marwan del Hechizo
Gender Male Race Human Class Witch Level 3
Alignment Chaotic Good Size Medium Type Humanoid
Init +2; Perception +6

Defense

AC 12; Touch 12; Flat-Footed 10; (armor specfics)
HP (HD) 18 [2 Favored Class, d6 Hit die, con modifier +1]
Fort +2; Ref +3; Will +3
Defensive Abilities ; DR ; Immune ; Resist ; SR

Offense

Speed 30
Melee Touch +-1
Ranged +3
Special Attacks Hex DC=15
Spell-Like Abilities
At will— HexesAura of Desecration
Bonethrall
Healing (1d8+3)
Tongues
Slumber
Spells Known(Spells/day)-Prepared (CL 3)
9th (/day)—
8th (/day)—
7th (/day)—
6th (/day)—
5th (/day)—
4th (/day)—
3rd (/day)-
2nd Glitterdust, Lipstich, (2/day)— Lipstitch, Glitterdust.
1st Ray of Enfeeblement, Burning Hands, Fumbletongue, Comprehend Languages, Snowball, Nereid's Grace, Adhesive Spittle, Delusional Pride.(4/day)— Burning Hands, Nereid's Grace, Burning Hands, Adhesive Spittle.
0 All Witch Level 0 (4/day)- Mending, Detect Magic, Light, Touch of Fatigue.

Statistics

Str 7, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 16
Base Atk 1; CMB -2; CMD 10( vs. trip)
Feats Extra Hex x3
Trained Skills Fly+8
Intimidate +9
Knowledge Arcana +10
Knowledge History +10
Knowledge Nature +10
Spellcraft +10
Perception +6; Racial Modifiers
Languages
SQ
Combat Gear
Light Crossbow (20 bolts)
Other Belongings
winter outfit
Scholar’s outfit
Bandolierx2
cart
mule
Journal - necromantic research and drawings
two sticks of charcoal
four days of animal feed
two scrolls of cure light wounds
Common Backpack
2 Scroll Cases.
195 gold, 8 silver.
EXP: 3700