About Modnar GoldruneWhile clearly of dwarven lineage, the fellow before you stands in stark contrast to the typical image of a dwarf. Though he has an impressive auburn-colored mustache linked to his hair via equally formidable sideburns, no hint of a beard graces his chin. He is decidedly less stocky than the rest of the party, and he wears the robes of an academic rather than armor. A pair of goggles rest upon his forehead, which Modnar pulls over his eyes when reading. His lack of a typical dwarven accent also stands out. "Well met, colleagues. I am Modnar Goldrune, Conjurer of the Great Circle. Let us see what this journey has to say of the dwarven people." Background:
In any other dwarven clan, Modnar would have followed his parents' lives as silversmiths. However, the meritocracy of Clan Goldrune has long been more concerned with what a dwarf can do than to whom he was born. Even as a child, Modnar stood out as both highly creative and rather a troublemaker. While still a teenager, he proposed radical innovations in the art of summoning magic, which allowed for both extended summoning durations and a finer degree of control over the bound creatures. At the age of twenty-eight, his research into the nature of the interplanar connections between the Realms Below and the Elemental Plane of Earth earned him membership into Clan Goldrune's elite Great Circle of wizards. However, the vote on his appointment was far closer than it should have been, due largely to his vocal campaigning for the position.
Although Modnar still lacks the mental fortitude to execute many of his theoretical advances in the Art, none of his colleagues in the Circle doubt that he will rank highly among the clan's mages in time -- provided his iconoclastic outbursts do not get him expelled from Stonespire Hold first. Since his induction into the Circle, Modnar has made few allies and several powerful foes. Unlike most of his clan, who put the annihilation of Dammerhall behind them upon the failure of their initial divinations, Modnar argues passionately in favor of finding the true nature of the ancient capital's destruction. He conjectures that a planar rift of some sort may have been responsible for the cataclysm, and that an expedition into the Realms Below could yield insight into the prevention of further disasters. His vociferous arguments came to a head three months ago, when he accused Matriarch Mysta herself of complacency in the center of Stonespire's Great Hall. Surprisingly, when word reached Clan Goldrune of the plan to journey underground in search of a route into Dammerhall, the Matriarch nominated Modnar to represent the Circle. While Mysta's motives are always difficult to discern, many of the clan's elders suspect she hopes to send the young firebrand to his end in the ageless depths.
The Patron Revealed:
Modnar pulled his goggles from his eyes to his forehead, and he wiped the sweat off his brows with his sleeve. He stood up from the stone floor and examined the magic circle he had drawn upon it. Fully aware of the dangers of summoning an extraplanar being without the proper bindings, the young dwarf checked his warding runes for the seventh time; a single errant stroke of powdered silver could spell his end.
I can't believe the rest of the Circle have never considered using the power of opposite languages in a summoning spell. It's as if the old codgers are afraid of new discoveries. Mentally confirming that his protections were in place, Modnar reached into his robes and unfurled the scroll from Krarn. The spell it contained was beyond Modnar's ability to cast without assistance, and it had cost him a month's stipend. If he could prove that his method worked, though, Modnar was more than willing to dine on servants' gruel and water. He inhaled slowly to steady his nerves, then began the incantation to unleash the scroll's magic. "Uraren indarrak, nire borondatea okertu. Aginteaz dut aurrera etorri behar duzu!" A iridescent swirl of colors appeared in the center of the circle, which soon coalesced into a roiling column of liquid roughly twice Modnar's height. Though the elemental had no eyes, Modnar could sense its efforts to pierce his warding sigils. The column wavered periodically, but it made no moves toward the circle's edge. Modnar's mouth opened into a wide grin. His theory had worked! By speaking the incantation and constructing his summoning wards in Ignan, he had intensified the protective effects of the spell. An elemental of this power should have already broken through the binding runes. The wizard's gleeful expression shifted to confusion as he watched the elemental's form begin to convolute. From the typical, vaguely humanoid shape, more and more definition emerged, until its image was unmistakably that of a large, armored dwarf. Its transparent eyes fixed on Modnar, and his jaw dropped as he realized Who looked upon him. Suddenly the warding circle exploded in a surge of white light, blasting Modnar to the floor. The last thing he saw as his vision blurred to blackness was the watery dwarf standing over him, speaking words in clear Dwarven: "You have been chosen . . ." When Modnar awoke, he saw his summoning circle still intact. That makes no sense, he thought to himself. If the elemental broke free, the circle should have been destroyed. Also, I should be quite dead. When the young wizard stood and examined the runes, his eyes opened as wide as two full moons. His Ignan words of entrapment had been replaced with obvious Dwarven script: DAMMERHALL. THE ANSWERS LIE IN THE DEEPS. As Modnar reached to stroke his beard in contemplation, he felt something he had not felt since his youth -- his bare chin. Not a trace of hair remained where his red beard had been moments before. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Experience: 0, Money: 3 gp, 7 sp Defenses:
HP: 21/21
Initiative: +2 AC: 12/T12/F10 Saves: Fortitude +2 (+4 vs. poisons/spells), Reflex +3 (+5 vs. spells), Will +6 (+8 vs. spells) CMD: 12 (16 vs. bull rush/trip) Attacks:
MW Warhammer, +1 (1d8 - 1, x3)
Cold Iron Dagger, 0 (1d4 - 1, 19-20/x2) Light Crossbow, +3 (1d8) Ranged Touch, +3 (by spell/ability) BAB +1, CMB 0 Skills:
Acrobatics +4
Craft (Jewelry) +12 Knowledge (Arcana) +10 Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +8 Knowledge (History) +8 Knowledge (Planes) +10 Linguistics +10 Perception +6 Sense Motive +5 Spellcraft +10 Traits & Feats:
Scholar of the Ancient Ways (+2 Int/Wis, -2 Con)
Focused Mind (+2 to concentration checks) Spell Focus (Conjuration) (+1 to save DCs) Scribe Scroll Augment Summoning (+4 Str/Con for summoned creatures) Special Abilities:
Darkvision 60'
Defensive Training (+4 dodge AC vs. giants) Craftsman (+2 Craft/Profession on metal/gem items) Hatred (+1 attack vs. orcs/goblinoids) Hardy (+2 to saves vs. poisons/spells) Stability (+4 to CMD vs. bull rush/trip on ground) Stonecunning (+2 Perception for unusual stonework) Arcane Bond (Masterwork Warhammer) Summoner's Charm (+1 round for summoning spells) Acid Dart 7/day (ranged touch for 1d6+1 acid damage) Spells 4/3+1/2+1:
Arcane School: Conjuration Opposed Schools: Necromancy/Enchantment Prepared Cantrips:
Level 1: (DC 15/16)
Level 2: (DC 16/17)
Gear:
Masterwork Warhammer (Bonded Item)
Cold Iron Dagger Light Crossbow (20 bolts) Scholar's Outfit Spellbook Spell Component Pouch (with Stumble Gap focus) Backpack Bedroll (2) Trail Rations (10) Waterskin 50' Hemp Rope Parchment (4) Inkpen Weapon Cord |
