Presenting Orandek Slagboulder, dwarven outcast, rugged survivalist, and terrible singer!
Answers to the riddles!
1. "Of the things I've seen out in the woods, could be 'ard to guess. While a man'd be correct, 've you ever seen a were-beast. For I 'ave, and I tell ya, they lurch and lope all over."
2. "A swallow? Depends on the type, where it's goin' and what it's aimin' to do. A swallow huntin' down a gnat in open sky'll be far quicker than one flittin' from tree to tree."
3. "My pockets? As it stands now, some odd coin, a compass, and...well that's odd, a crossbow bolt."
Just a note, due to him being a trapper Orandek doesn't have spells and would go more into the martial type class. Thanks for putting up a list though, always great to see other characters.
Orandek was contacted for his familiarity with the stolen lands, and I imagine he'd stick on with the kingdom out of loyalty to the party of adventurers he could gwt to know.
Seems to me that at least a few of the people lookin' ta get one of these here passes to explore the Stolen Lands are former bandits, myself included, and I'd like ta think that we might could give any bandits come across at least one chance to come peaceful like.
Ha, I like how you think. The only bandits I deal with are either dead or friendly. Let's hope that you're the latter, and the ones that aren't end up as the former.
Orandek could make a pretty good warden, as he has a decent strength and constitution. He'd also be a decent Marshal, and would certainly enjoy visiting remote parts of the kingdom.
Presenting Orandek Slagboulder, dwarven outcast, rugged survivalist, and terrible singer!
Stats:
Orandek Slagboulder
Dwarf ranger (guide, trapper) 1 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 125, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 65)
CG Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +6 (+8 to notice unusual stonework)
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Defense
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AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 12 (1d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +2; +2 vs. poison, spells, and spell-like abilities
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Offense
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Speed 20 ft.
Melee battleaxe +2 (1d8+3/×3) or
. . handaxe +2 (1d6+1/×3)
Ranged light crossbow +3 (1d8/19-20)
Special Attacks ranger's focus (+2, 1/day)
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Statistics
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Str 16, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 9
Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 16 (20 vs. bull rush, 20 vs. trip)
Feats Two-weapon Fighting
Traits orphaned, rostlander
Skills Acrobatics +0 (-4 to jump), Appraise +2 (+4 to assess nonmagical metals or gemstones), Climb +5, Craft (traps) +6, Disable Device +5, Handle Animal +3, Knowledge (geography) +6, Knowledge (nature) +6, Perception +6 (+8 to notice unusual stonework), Stealth +6, Survival +9, Swim +5; Racial Modifiers +2 Stealth, +2 Survival, +2 Appraise to assess nonmagical metals or gemstones, +2 Perception to notice unusual stonework
Languages Common, Dwarven, Giant, Terran
SQ track +1, trapfinding +1, wild empathy +0
Other Gear lamellar (leather) armor[UC], battleaxe, handaxe, light crossbow, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, brush, shaving (0.1 lb), cup, shaving (0.2 lb), flint and steel, grappling hook, hammock[UE], mess kit[UE], pot, shaving powder (one shave) (0.01 lb) (50), silk rope (50 ft.), spell component pouch, straight razor (0.2 lb), thieves' tools, trail rations (2), waterskin, whetstone, 145 gp
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Special Abilities
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Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Greed +2 to Appraise to determine price of nonmagic goods with precious metals or gemstones.
Ranger's Focus +2 (1/day) (Ex) As a swift action, listed bonus to att/dam vs. foe in sight until slain/surrenders/use again.
Stonecunning +2 +2 bonus to Perception vs. unusual stonework. Free check within 10 feet.
Track +1 Add the listed bonus to survival checks made to track.
Trapfinding +1 Gain a bonus to find or disable traps, including magical ones.
Wild Empathy +0 (Ex) Improve the attitude of an animal, as if using Diplomacy.
Background:
Born to the Goldboulder clan, a large and fairly illustrious clan of dwarves in the mining town of Brunderton in eastern Rostland, Orandek was a bastard child of the clan patriarch and a scullery maid, and as such his place in the clan was tenuous. His siblings tormented him for being a bastard, taking advantage of his bastardy to avoid consequences. He found refuge from his circumstances in the wilderness, becoming an accomplished hunter, skilled with a crossbow and handaxe. He became one of the best trappers in his clan, able to snare nearly any quarry he set his sights on. His life, while hard, was fairly monotonous and constant, dealing with the merciless bullying and finding solace in the great outdoors. Everything changed during a routine sparring match with the oldest son of the clan and his half-brother, a cocky dwarven warrior named Reinhard. During the match, Reinhard decided he would try to spill some blood, which was an extreme that had never been taken before. Orandek was slashed across the face by a dwarven urgrosh, and years of pent-up anger came unstopped. He killed Reinhard, slashing his throat with a battleaxe. He was exiled from the clan, the name of Goldboulder turned into Slagboulder, indicating his exile. He fled into the Stolen Lands, embracing his love of the wilderness and survival. Since then, he has mostly lived on his own, avoiding bandit patrols, living off the land, and selling food to scattered trading posts. He was contacted by the Brevic government for his prowess in survivalism and knowledge of the Stolen Lands.
[spoiler=Appearance and Personality]
Orandek is a stocky dwarven man dressed in leather lamellar armor and the simlpe outfit of an explorer, with two axes on his hips and a crossbow on his back. He also carries a backpack bulging with survival gear, ready to take on any challenge the wilderness might throw at him. Perhaps his oddest characteristic is his lack of a beard, shaving it most mornings. He has short red hair, and deep brown eyes often scanning the area for anything that might be useful.
While not the most charismatic fellow, Orandek is kind at heart, and wants people to be free and do what they wish. While he knows that what he did to his half-brother is considered shameful by his people, he has made his peace with it and regrets the outcome. Despite that, he considers the stodgy rules and old-fashioned customs of his people to be unnecessary, and regularly shaves his beard to show his distaste for traditional dwarven culture. He has a great love of singing, and while not particularly good at it, he often sings marching songs while travelling through the wilderness, campfire songs while around a cookfire, or really anytime he doesn’t need to be especially quiet. Even when asleep, he has a habit of softly humming tuneless and somewhat discordant melodies.
Hmm, bar's fillin' up nice. Ulark says (as much to himself as anyone) as he taks a sip from his drink. Wonder what's the occasion?
"Ha! Any occasion's a good occasion for drinking in my book! By the looks of it some giant hunting may be afoot. Let's hope we get out into the fray," Bjorn replies, lifting his tankard in a half toast.
Good luck to everyone! The GM's gonna have some really tough picks to make. And I believe it's hear, hear!
Bjorn is down to party with just about anyone, provided there's ale to drink and songs to sing. He doesn't care much for evil folks, but really who does?
Introducing Bjorn the Bold, Ulfen beast-wrestler, warrior-poet, and lover of ale!
Stats:
Bjorn the Bold
Male human (Ulfen) brawler (ulfen beast-wrestler) 1 (Pathfinder Player Companion: Advanced Class Origins 10, Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 23)
CG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +4
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Defense
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AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+3 armor, +2 Dex, +1 shield)
hp 13 (1d10+3)
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +0
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee unarmed strike +5 (1d6+4)
Ranged sling +3 (1d4+4)
Special Attacks martial flexibility 4/day
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Statistics
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Str 18, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 12
Base Atk +1; CMB +5 (+7 grapple); CMD 17 (19 vs. grapple)
Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike
Traits glint-tongued, vexing defender
Skills Acrobatics +5 (+9 to move through enemy's space without provoking an attack of opportunity if the enemy is larger than you), Bluff +1 (+2 to impress or persuade Ulfen or (at GM discretion) other poetically minded folk), Climb +6, Diplomacy +2 (+3 to impress or persuade Ulfen or (at GM discretion) other poetically minded folk), Disguise +1 (+2 to impress or persuade Ulfen or (at GM discretion) other poetically minded folk), Intimidate +7 (+8 to impress or persuade Ulfen or (at GM discretion) other poetically minded folk), Linguistics +2, Perception +4, Perform (sing) +2 (+3 to impress or persuade Ulfen or (at GM discretion) other poetically minded folk), Swim +6
Languages Common, Giant, Orc, Skald
SQ brawler's cunning, martial training
Other Gear studded leather, buckler, sling, sling bullets (10), backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, folding pole[UE], hemp rope (50 ft.), piton (6), small tent, trail rations (5), waterskin, 100 gp, 2 sp
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Special Abilities
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Brawler's Cunning (Ex) Count as Int 13 for the purpose of combat feat pre-requisites.
Combat Reflexes (3 AoO/round) Can make extra attacks of opportunity/rd, and even when flat-footed.
Improved Grapple You don't provoke attacks of opportunity when grappling a foe.
Improved Unarmed Strike Unarmed strikes don't cause attacks of opportunity, and can be lethal.
Martial Flexibility (move action, 4/day) (Ex) As a Move action, gain a combat feat for 1 min. More gained for greater actions.
Martial Training (Ex) Brawler levels count as fighter/monk levels for feat/item pre-reqs and effects.
Backstory:
Bjorn was born in Kalsgard, where the skalds sing of ancient days around roaring mead-hall fires. His mother died in childbirth, and his father was a Blackraven from Hagreach who he barely knew or saw, but was expected to follow in the footsteps of. As a boy, he loved to wrestle, often besting those who went against him. It was through this passion he met a man named Hargrim. Hargrim was a beast-wrestler, taking on the greatest of beasts with his bare hands in hopes of being sung of by the skalds, and took Bjorn under his wing, becoming something of a father figure. Bjorn will readily recount many happy days spent with the Hargrim, learning to fight and sing. But at the age 15, his father took him to Hagreach, separating from the life he knew. He was forced into the Blackravens and trained with them for a few years, before being initiated into their ranks. On his first patrol, the group of recruits he trained with encountered a troll warband. The battle was short and fierce, and the other rangers on his patrol were slaughtered. Bjorn was disarmed by one of the trolls, his sword ineffectual lodged in the rapidly regenerating side of the beast. He remembered the stories told by Hargrim, and lept at the troll, grabbing it by the neck and clinging on for dear life, eventually forcing the troll into unconsciousness. In that moment he knew his true path, he would wrestle the greatest beasts to the ground and prove his superiority. He fled Hagreach back to Kalsgard, and learned that Hargrim had travelled to the Hold of Belkzen after Bjorn was taken. And so Bjorn set out to the Hold of Belkzen to fight the great beasts there and hopefully find his mentor and friend. In his wandering he discovered the town of Trunau and decided it was an excellent place to base his adventures out of.
Appearance and Personality:
Appearance: Bjorn is a tall and muscular Ulfen man with strong arms covered in intricate blue runic tattoos. Long blond hair cascades over his shoulders and a great beard is artfully braided and fastened with gold clasps. He wears simple leather armor under the clothes of an Ulfen warrior. He wears a backpack bulging with equipment of all sorts, and the sling hanging at his waist is his only visible weapon. He also carries an iron tankard engraved with the holy symbol of Cayden Cailean, as a reflection of his faith in the god of adventuring and alcohol.
Personality: Bjorn is, like many Ulfen warriors, boisterous and loud. His great goal in life is to wrestle a linnorm into submission, and will not give up until a linnorm is at his mercy, or he lies dead in the snow. He has a great love of poetry and creative insult-crafting, and often tells great tales of his family's maritime history. As a devotee of Cayden Cailean, he believes that life is hard, and to combat that one must drink harder. More than once he has taken on a foe with one hand, and held a tankard of mead in the other. He can be struck by outbursts of intense longing , often sparked by reminders of his lost youth. Despite all this, he is kind and compassionate, and will fight to the death to protect those he cares about.
