@Fabian, I've almost completed the crunch for Melanthius, just need to purchase equipment and tie up a few loose ends and I'm all done. Would you have any objection to a second alternate submission from me also? I'd like to put forward a more "core" submission, I'm thinking a tangelbriar elven sorcerer, empyreal bloodline and gearing toward the eldritch knight PrC. I've got the some ideas for backstory and reasonings for being in the wound, if you're ok with another hat in the ring I'll get it all down in an alias once I complete the finishing touches on Melanthius.
Here are the appearance and personality entries of my submission. Appearance and personality:
Standing just under six feet tall with a powerful frame, Melanthius radiates an aura of quiet confidence. His ebon skin, viridescent eyes and the two short horns protruding from his forehead betray his demonic heritage. He wears a suit of well-kept armour emblazoned with holy symbols and scripture of Sarenrae, creating a stark contrast with his obvious ancestry when coupled with his genuine smile. A large sword is sheathed comfortably on his back, on top of an olive and brown cloak woven in a pattern of brindle. He looks at you with interest, and you notice his otherwise handsome face is marred by deep scars on the right hand side. Discerning features:
Personality
His oath to Sarenrae is of paramount importance to him, in particular the tenets of redemption. This creates a contradiction of beliefs within the young warrior; on one hand, he hopes onto offer the same salvation he received to his enemies. On the other, he knows firsthand the depravity and deceit that the demons of the wound are capable of. This has led to some confusion within the tiefling, and is often the subject of his nightly meditations. Overall, Melanthius has worked hard to earn his place among the Sarenites. He accepts the fact that his heritage is often a point of contention, and acknowledges that this means he must go above and beyond to prove his virtue. He refrains from preaching his faith, preferring to let his actions speak in place of words. He longs for the day when he can feel the sense of belonging that his comrades take for granted, and as such he is fiercely protective of his allies. The more I get into this character the more I feel that he suits the paladin class. If you're happy that everything I've submitted so far fulfills the fluff requirements for my application I'll start on the crunch. I'm going to go with the holy guide paladin archetype, should have the sheet ready in the next 48 hrs.
Ok, so here is the journal entry for one of the scouts who found Melanthius out in the woods. Journal of Rosalynd Durante:
Excerpt - Journal of Rosalynd Durante, Vanguard of the Fourth Crusade
I've been looking over the crunch which may support my backstory and I'm feeling that maybe the Holy Guide Paladin archetype would suit as well.
Duly noted Fabian; I think we all understand it's never a sure thing, but exploring character creation concepts is heaps of fun, and it helps if something similar comes up. In terms of justifying why my character wasn't killed on sight, would you be Ok with me submitting this information as a journal entry from one of the scouts who found him in the woods? Mechanically I haven't put too much thought in yet. I was looking at the divine hunter archetype with a celestial dog for a companion (I know he'll be pretty useless in combat, but having him around to help track would be handy) but again, I'm flexible on this. I guess I'll make a firm choice if I'm chosen based on what suits party needs while keeping in line with my backstory.
Bantamweight here, with my rough draft submission. Introducing Melanthius, a tiefling divine hunter of Sarenrae. As I said, this is pretty rough and has deviated a little from my first envisioning of the character. I've decided against the 'plagued by strange visions' angle and am leaning more toward the misguided hero . Melanthius has spent less than a decade among the civilised races, so although he won't be much help at a dinner party his upbringing among the denizens of Drezen will hopefully provide an opportunity to enlighten his fellows on demonic behaviours and habits. Background:
Melanthius suffered as a child. Unwanted and abandoned among the refuse of the streets of Drezen, he was quickly snatched up and traded into slavery. Years of torturous abuse and maltreatment hardened his will, and he longed for a way out of his perpetual hell. Hope came in the form of a vision; an angel with hair of flame and kindness in her eyes. He would later learn that this woman who seemed to only exist in his dreams was Sarenrae, and though she never spoke he knew she offered salvation.
Eventually, the visions led him to a ruined temple of The Dawnflower. During a routine day of foraging among the rubble seeking baubles for his master, he found the object which would lead him to his freedom. Wrapped in a dirty blanket, he uncovered a scimitar of masterful construction. As the young tiefling drew the blade, the dretch overseer tried to snatch it greedily. A blinding flash burst forth from the blade and a voice seemed to whisper to Melanthius; “Go!”. Taking heed, he fled past the blinded demon and into the woods. He ran until his legs could no longer hold his weight, and when he collapsed he began to crawl. It wasn’t until he crossed the West Sellen river that sleep took him. With nothing but the sword in hand, Melanthius followed the river south for weeks. He foraged whatever food he could find, always looking over his shoulder in case of pursuit. When he finally reached Kenabres, he was fearful of approaching the strange and foreign city. He stayed within the surrounding woods, and before long a routine patrol found him close to death. He had been drifting in and out of consciousness for days, and when he finally awoke he was in Kenabres, at the temple of Sarenrae. Life among the Sarenites was good to Melanthius. They taught him many things; the common tongue, swordplay, the tenets of their faith and most importantly, kindness. He thrived in his newfound environment, but never truly felt at home. After a few months, he requested to leave in order to make his home outside of the city. And so it was; by day he would attend service and lessons at the temple but by night he was free to roam the wilds. He found solitude among the forest, and the time to reflect taught him much about himself. Melanthius became an adept hunter, developing his skills both as a faithful member of the church and a hardy warrior. His burning desire to prove himself to the citizens of the town which had saved his life led him to enlist in the crusades, where his skills and knowledge have served him well in the hunt for demonkind. His greatest challenge is yet to come; an assignment to the one of the mobile supply and reinforcement patrol groups. @Fabian so please hit me with the feedback stick as much as you feel the need to. I'm willing to add as much detail as you recommend, if you could let me know how I'm doing so far though that would be great. I've started on the appearance, personality and crunch, but I really wanted to have the story elements perfect before I nail anything down.
RETIRED
So here is a basic run-down of my backstory, I just thought I'd give you an idea of what I'm aiming for before I formalise is. Let me know if it doesn't sit with the setting and I'll adjust it. Garavath was captured as a child, and spent his early years as a slave e. He escaped into the wilds, and as he came of age he began skirmishing with small bands of travelling slavers. Eventually he earned a reputation as "The Red Death" (due to the fine red scales which cover his skin, a throwback to his draconic blood). After a few decades, he ended up escaping the fog on a pirate vessel, spending a few years at sea working with some freebooters who fought to take out slaving ships. He also spent time in the mountains, training himself to focus his powers of sorcery. I imagine he has come to Kelhold after another stint at sea, I just need to figure out exactly why he is there... |