Rasmus Winbald's page

Melee longsword +2 (1d8+1/19–20)
Ranged longbow +4 (1d8/x3)
Str 12, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 15

Acrobatics +3
Appraise +0
Bluff +0
Climb +1
Diplomacy +0
Disable Device +3
Disguise +0
Escape Artist +3
Fly +3
Handle Animal +4
Heal +5
Intimidate +0
Knowledge (arcana) +0
Knowledge (dungeoneering) +0
Knowledge (engineering) +0
Knowledge (geography) +0
Knowledge (history) +0
Knowledge (local) +0
Knowledge (nature) +4
Knowledge (nobility) +4
Knowledge (planes) +0
Knowledge (religion) +0
Linguistics +0
Lore +0
Perception +6
Ride +3
Sense Motive +1
Sleight of Hand +3
Spellcraft +0
Stealth +7
Survival +6
Swim +1
Use Magic Device +0

Guiding Spirit (Magic)
Elemental Apprentice (Acid)

Equipment: (14 gp)
Leather Armor (10 gp)
Grandfather's Sword (Longsword)
Longbow (75 gp)
Arrows (100) (5 gp)
Backpack (10 gp)
Bedroll
Belt Pouch
Flint and Steel
Iron Pot
Rope (100 ft)
Torches (10)
Trail Rations (5 days)
Waterskin
Hooded Lantern (7 gp)
Oil Flasks x10 (1 gp)
Grandfather's Journal

Rasmus Winbald was born into the esteemed Winbald family, one of the most influential noble houses in the city of Dulwich. The Winbalds were known for their wealth, their patronage of the arts and sciences, and their long-standing tradition of military excellence. As the youngest of three sons, Rasmus was afforded a life of privilege and opportunity, though he was often overshadowed by his elder brothers, Alaric and Cedric.
From a young age, Rasmus exhibited a keen intellect and a boundless curiosity. His parents, Lord Thaddeus and Lady Eveline Winbald, ensured that he received the finest education available. Tutors were brought in from distant lands to teach him a wide array of subjects, including history, literature, mathematics, and the natural sciences. Rasmus showed a particular affinity for the latter, often spending hours in the family’s extensive library, poring over tomes about flora, fauna, and the mysteries of the natural world.
In addition to his academic pursuits, Rasmus was trained in the martial arts, as was customary for the sons of noble families. Under the tutelage of Sir Gareth, a seasoned knight and family retainer, Rasmus learned the art of swordsmanship. He was taught various combat techniques, from the precise strikes of fencing to the more robust forms of battlefield swordplay. Though he was not as physically imposing as his brothers, Rasmus’s agility and quick reflexes made him a formidable opponent.
Despite the rigorous demands of his education and training, Rasmus found solace in the natural world. The Winbald estate was surrounded by lush forests and rolling hills, and Rasmus often escaped into these wild places to explore and observe. He developed a deep appreciation for the beauty and complexity of nature, and he began to learn the skills of tracking, foraging, and animal handling from the estate’s gamekeeper, Old Tomas. These excursions were a source of joy and freedom for Rasmus, contrasting sharply with the structured and often stifling life of the noble court.
The Winbald family was a close-knit but complex unit. Lord Thaddeus was a stern and ambitious man, deeply invested in the family’s reputation and legacy. Lady Eveline, on the other hand, was kind-hearted and nurturing, often acting as a mediator between her husband and their children. Alaric, the eldest son, was groomed to inherit the family title and responsibilities, while Cedric, the youngest son, pursued a career in the military, following in the footsteps of their ancestors.
Rasmus, being the middle son, was often left to find his own path. While his brothers were preoccupied with their respective duties, Rasmus enjoyed a certain degree of freedom. However, this also meant that he sometimes felt overlooked and undervalued, a sentiment that would later influence his decisions and actions.
At the age of 31, Rasmus attended a grand masquerade ball hosted by the royal family of Dulwich. The event was a dazzling affair, with nobles from across the kingdom gathering to celebrate and forge alliances. It was here that Rasmus met Elara, a woman of captivating beauty and charm. She wore a mask adorned with intricate designs, and her eyes sparkled with an enigmatic allure. They danced and talked throughout the night, and Rasmus found himself utterly enchanted by her.
Over the following months, Rasmus and Elara’s relationship blossomed. They spent countless hours together, exploring the gardens of Dulwich, attending social events, and sharing their dreams and aspirations. Elara seemed to understand Rasmus in a way no one else did, and he quickly fell deeply in love with her. Unbeknownst to him, Elara was a priestess of Braal, the god of hate, malice, and revenge. She had been sent to Dulwich with a sinister mission: to sow discord and weaken the city’s defenses from within.
Elara’s charm and intelligence allowed her to infiltrate the highest circles of Dulwichn society. She used her position to gather information on the city’s defenses, political alliances, and military strategies. Under the guise of a concerned noblewoman, she subtly manipulated key figures, spreading rumors and inciting conflicts. Her ultimate goal was to create enough chaos to pave the way for an invasion by forces loyal to Braal.
Elara secretly distributed cursed artifacts among the nobility, each one designed to amplify negative emotions such as jealousy, greed, and paranoia. These artifacts caused their bearers to act irrationally, leading to infighting and mistrust. She conducted clandestine rituals in hidden locations throughout Dulwich, summoning malevolent spirits and binding them to her will. These spirits would haunt key figures, driving them to madness and despair. Finally, Elara used blood magic to create powerful wards and barriers that disrupted the city’s magical defenses. This made Dulwich more vulnerable to external threats and weakened the resolve of its defenders.
Elara’s plans were meticulous, but they were not without risk. One fateful evening, during a secret meeting with her fellow cultists, she was discovered by a group of city guards. A fierce battle ensued, and Elara managed to escape, but not before her true identity and intentions were revealed. The guards reported their findings to the city’s leaders, and the news spread like wildfire.
When the scandal broke, Rasmus was devastated. He had been completely unaware of Elara’s true nature and her nefarious plans. Despite his protests of innocence, the noble circles were quick to judge him. Many believed that he must have been complicit in her schemes, given their close relationship. His family, fearing for their reputation and standing, disowned him and cast him out.
Stripped of his title, wealth, and family, Rasmus was forced to leave Dulwich. He wandered into the Salt Mire, a desolate and dangerous marshland on the outskirts of the city. The Salt Mire was a place of treacherous terrain, filled with deadly creatures and harsh conditions. It was here that Rasmus’s true transformation began.
During his early days in the Salt Mire, Rasmus once became lost in the swamp’s labyrinthine trees. As he wandered, searching for a way back to his camp, he found himself drawn by mysterious whispers, on the cusp of hearing. They led him to an ancient, abandoned temple hidden deep within the marsh. Inside, he found a mysterious artifact—a small, intricately carved amulet. Unbeknownst to him, the amulet was cursed, binding a restless spirit to him. The spirit, a guardian of the Salt Mire, was not malevolent but rather a protector seeking to fulfill its duty.
The curse granted Rasmus heightened senses and the ability to project his will onto animals, allowing him to tame them more easily than others could. However, the curse, combined with the long years spent in the Salt Mire, stripped him of his natural charisma. His once charming and dapper appearance became weathered and haggard. His hair, once a handsome shade of brown, drained of all color, and his clothes, known for their deep blue hues trimmed in silver, became faded and patched.
Now, at the age of 47, Rasmus Winbald is a seasoned ranger, known for his unique skills and enigmatic past. He roams the wilderness hunting down the undead that plague the Salt Mire, driven by the spirit that resided in his amulet. He is influenced by a desire to atone for his past and to protect the natural world from those who would seek to corrupt it. And, most of all, he seeks revenge on Elara and the followers of Braal for their part in severing him from his family.

Rasmus trudged through the Salt Mire, his boots sinking into the muck with each step. The air was thick with the stench of decay, and the distant croak of frogs echoed through the mist. His attire, though worn from travel, still bore the deep blue hues and silver trims of his noble heritage. His hair, a handsome shade of brown, plastered around his face, and his eyes, sharp and inquisitive, scanned the surroundings with a mix of caution and curiosity.
The whispers had been growing louder, more insistent, guiding him deeper into the mire. He was lost, and now they were leading him to something, a landmark perhaps. Anything to get his bearings and navigate back to camp.
As he pushed through a dense thicket of reeds, the ground beneath him began to rise, forming a small, moss-covered hill. At its peak, half-buried in the mire, stood the remnants of an ancient temple. Vines and roots had claimed much of the structure, but the stone walls still bore the intricate carvings of a long-forgotten civilization.
Rasmus approached cautiously, his senses heightened by the curse that bound him to the spirit. He could feel the presence of magic here, a faint hum that resonated through the air. The entrance to the temple was partially collapsed, but he managed to squeeze through a narrow gap, emerging into a dimly lit chamber.
The interior was surprisingly intact, with stone pillars supporting a vaulted ceiling. At the far end of the chamber, an altar stood, draped in cobwebs and dust. Upon it lay a small, intricately carved amulet, its surface glinting faintly in the dim light. Its two faces were of radically different style. One side depicted a kindly woman clad in a cloak of leaves reaching her hands down to a sick man and healing his illness. The other side bore a grotesque tableau of a hideous-looking many-eyed demon, crawling onto a throne of chiseled marble, lit by candles. Rasmus felt a strange sense of recognition as he approached the altar, as if the amulet was calling to him.
He reached out, his fingers brushing against the cool metal. In that moment, a surge of energy coursed through him, and the whispers grew louder, more urgent. He reached out and picked up the amulet, without fully knowing why.
As he lifted the amulet from the altar, the chamber seemed to come alive. The carvings on the walls glowed with a soft, red light, and the air began to smell of spices and salt. Rasmus could feel a presence within his mind, one that was foreign to him, but not entirely evil. As he held the amulet, orange sparks began to leap from the metal into his hands, and he dropped it, startled. It hit the flagstones with a noise like a resounding gong, and Rasmus ran from the temple, unaware that his hair had gone from a handsome deep brown color to a stringy white, and that his skin, once ruddy, had become sallow and pale.