About Mathias GabrielMathias Gabriel
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Gear:
bastard sword +1 2035 6 warhammer 10 6 cold iron cestus 10 1 comp longbow (+5) 500 3 breastplate +1 1250 20 hvy wdn shield, mstrwk 157 5 backpack 2 2
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FEATS RACE ABILITIES/QUALITIES CLASS ABILITIES/QUALITIES --------------------
Personality
Background
Yet tragedy struck with his birth, for just as the newborn took it's first breath, his mother took her last. The midwives of Iomedae called upon their Mistress's blessings but were unable to revive Ricard's wife. But a son had indeed been born. The child was healthy and large, with piercing dark hair and eyes. Ricard was overjoyed, yet that joy soon faded. He found himself frequently awakened at night by the terrified wailing of he newborn. After only a few weeks, he accepted "an assignment", and left the baby Mathias in the hands of several aging midwives to raise. They tended to the child as best they could, but the terrors of the night continued to plague the baby. The infant grew to a boy, and the boy quickly flourished. Though a bit shy, he was athletic, agile, smart, and insightful. He took well to his studies, learning the ways of Iomedae. He especially loved to hear the tales of his heroic father, questing for the glory of the Inheritor. And when his father would return to the City at the Center of the World, Mathias would rejoice and throw his arms around him. It is true that as the small child began to grow into a young man, Ricard developed more of a bond with his offspring. He was much like himself, and would make a fine squire to follow in his footsteps. But so too would be late at night wonder about the debt he owed, about the pact he'd made... but that memory would pass with the with the dawning sun, and off Ricard would go on another adventure. In his 15th year, Ricard took Mathias north with him to Ustalav, where Mathias spent time studying with Ricard's friend, Professor Lorrimor. Mathias tried hard to focus on his studies, but as of late his passion had turned more martial. Still, whether it was Professor Lorrimor's tutelage, or the assistance lent by the Professor's daughter (who had several years on him and had more of a mind for the study), Mathias worked hard to learn about one of his father's most dreaded foes - the undead. He took to the hard, direct arts of hunting such foes - noting the signs, tracking their movements, understanding their weaknesses. Mathias would make his father proud, he was sure of that. Then the letter came. Ricard had been lost, falling to the mechanications of a lich, a mad follower of the Whispering Tyrant. In his father's loss, Mithias swore to take on his father's mantle, becoming a hunter, an agent of the church. And so he traveled south to Taldor, hoping to be formally inducted into the church... but that would never happen. On a lonely evening on the road from Zimar to Oppara, chance happened to bring an aging man to Mathias' campfire. Though well past 60 winters, the elder traveled with no guard, no weapon. This perplexed Mathias and he quickly invited him to stay the night. They made small talk, speaking the the road, Mathias' work, and the cool weather of late. Then the man spoke, I knew your father Mathias, son of Ricard Gabriel. He owed someone powerful a great debt, a debt which you have now inherited. As he spoke, the old man's faced shifted into a horrific, monstrous visage. Mathias tried to draw his blade, but found his body spellbound. The man sneered as he approached then touched Mathias's head, sending seering pain racing through his body. Then, there was only darkness. Mathias awoke the next morning to find himself still at the campsite, though there was no sign of the man. Struggling to a nearby stream, he tried to wash his face, only to find blood staining the cool, mountain water. Looking at his reflection he saw the twisted mockery of the man he had been the night before. His skin had faded to a pallid, ashen tone, his irises were stained with blood, and he noticed a feral angle developing on his facial features. Looking down at his skin, he noticed not only the gray color, but a new texture. It had thickened, becoming almost hide-like, and showed little response to flame. Returning to his campsite, he found an ivory scroll case. Within was a contract, a contract his father had signed. From it he had gained strength, wealth, and weapons to fight the evils of the realms. But in return he had pledged his soul, and the souls of all his bloodline, to an unknown demon. Thus was Mathias damned. Returning to the temple, he was subject to question and doubt by the church. Suspected of diablerie or something of the like, Mathias was banished from the temple of Iomedae, left to seek out meaning for his now damned existence alone. The bottle and rage both took him for a time, before he remembered the tales of Ragathiel, former general of the Heavens and Lord of Vengeance. In Ragathiel, there was a lord who understood his cursed fate, yet would empower him to crusade against the darkness. And so he took up his arms, serving a new cause. He sought work as a hunter of monsters, seeking to eradicate evil, especially that which preyed on the weak, innocent, and downtrodden. That drew his north to Mendev and the border city of Kenabres, where he faced the horrors of the World Wound. Yet even there, his visage cast doubt on him, and so, in hearing the call for brave souls to confront the remnants of Ustalav, a land he had once visited as a teen, he took the opportunity and set out for adventure. Plot Hooks
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