Roland Payne's page

1) I'd like 5 points that capture the concept and story of the character. More are welcome, but no less than five.
- Struggles with controlling his anger
- Killed another student in a rage causing him to run away
- In time he finds comfort and guidance in saranrae’s teachings, though he currently worships no particular god
- He chafes at being controlled by authority, but grows more accepting (begin CG and become NG)
- Ashamed of his orc heritage and indigent upbringing (mother is human, father was half orc pirate)
- He is friendly, but distrustful of people
- Magic fascinates him

2) Two goals that you'd like the character to accomplish in-game.
-Conquer and focus his anger
-Atone for killing other student

3) Two secrets, one the PC keeps to himself, and one kept from the PC. I'll come up with a third that both the character and player aren't aware of, in hopes of shocking surprises within the storytelling.
- He hides that he is a runaway and the killing of the student hidden
- He doesn’t know that his father is alive, his mother told him he died.

4) 3-5 people that are tied to your PC by blood, love, rivalry, honor, etc. I'd like at least one enemy in a set of three or four, with no more than two for a set of five. PLEASE consider the players reference guide for ideas.
- Family of the slain student wants him dead
- Shaman instructor wants him captured and punished for running away
- His mother is still in Port Peril and counselled him to run
- His father is a pirate still at large
- Alizandru hired him on the Jenivere to pay for his passage
- He likes Alton who has been tasked with making sure he does his job correctly

5) Three key memories that define your character as the person they are at the time of submission.
- As a child he and his mother being beaten by his drunk father
- The image of the unmoving body of the student he accidentally killed
- The human children of his neighborhood mocking him because of his parentage

6) Finally, I'd like you to include with your submission a fear or paranoia that causes your character to shiver, cower, or panic.
-Madness/loss of self control

Name three things that are bad if you are a good character
- Anger management, Roland get's mad easy and will use violence
- Dishonest, Roland isn't a cheat, and won't steal, but he will lie if he feels a strong need to, though he doesn't do it often
- Greedy, Roland grew up poor and struggles to let go of the wealth he acquires, he is not the kind of person to not accept a reward, he want's his due.

Roland grew up with his mother in the slums of Port Peril. His father a half orc pirate was only around occasionally when he came to port for which Roland was grateful as he’d usually get drunk and beat Roland and his mother. When he was around eight years old him mother told Roland that father had dies and they moved from one slum to another.

Life was hard for Roland as a child. He was stronger than most of the neighborhood children, but they tormented him viciously because of his orc blood. Easily provoked he often got into fights and while he rarely lost to a single foe, fights in the streets aren’t fair. He came home to his mother more than once beaten near to death by a gang of youths.

Roland’s mother knowing of his fascination with magic encouraged him to visit the local hedge witch by the name of Selenga as a way to divert him towards safer pastimes. Eventually Roland struck up a friendship with the old woman. She showed him how she did magic and though he had no aptitude for the way she worked her arcane arts he loved to watch her. Roland wanted so badly to be able to do magic himself. Selenga told him that he’d never be a witch, but spoke of some spellcasters who drew their magic from within themselves. She kindly told him that if he were to ever become a wielder of arcane power that that would have to be his path.

Discouraged Roland would sit in the ally behind the tenement he lived in trying over and over to make something, anything happen. One day it happened he made a stone float ever so slightly. Selenga joyfully offered to help Roland master his power when he told her of his accomplishment. A year of happy tutelage followed as Roland tried to put his meager abilities to use under Selenga’s guidance. It would have continued that way for many years had fate not taken a turn for the worse. Selenga took ill and passed away.

Roland’s mother not knowing what to do with her budding sorcerer determined that he needed to be trained. With the hedge witch gone the only person she knew of who could do such a task and would be willing was the shaman of the tribe of Roland’s father. So it was that Roland at the age of sixteen was apprenticed to Sharptooth.
Roland had thought his life was hard before, but it became unbearable as a student under the Sharptooth’s control. The shaman believed that Roland’s power would only manifest if he were driven to the brink of his capabilities. Sharptooth devised numerous ways of pressuring him. He was trained to fight with weapons so that he could be beaten by the tribe’s warriors, he was forced to go days without food or water, and he was often pitted against other students in arcane combat. The physical punishment Roland grew to be able to handle, but in arcane combat he failed time and time again as he was only ever able to manage the barest of attacks. Often he would fly into a rage at his own inability to and strike his opponent physically, which would end the conflict swiftly with Roland receiving a beating beneath Sharptooth’s rod.

Roland’s suffering continued for several years until one day when he was approached by one of the other students. The man had beaten Roland earlier that day at an arcane battle and wanted to embarrass him further. He convinced Roland to fight him outside the tribe’s camp without Sharptoothe watching. Roland would have refused, but the boy, Groten, accused Roland of being scared, implying that is must be because of his human weakness. Roland met Groten at the appointed time and once the battle began it went in much the same way it usually did, with Roland being outclassed by his opponent’s magical skill. Defeated Roland began to leave, but Groten continued to mock him, enraged Roland turned and struck the man. A scuffle ensued and Roland in his anger pounded Groten’s face with a fervor born of years of frustration. With no one to stop him Roland kept punching for several minutes. When his anger had burned itself out Roland stepped back exhausted. Only then did he realize what he had done. Groten was dead, his face a bloody mass. His unmoving eye stared accusingly back at Roland.

Roland was stunned. He had hurt plenty of people, even broken a bone or two, but he and never killed someone. Terrified of his deed and the wrath he was sure to face Roland ran. After quietly gathering his meager belongings, he left in the night for Port Peril. Once he arrived, he found his mother and explained what had happened. Knowing the danger Roland was in she gave him the few coins she could spare and told him he needed to leave as soon as possible. Roland went from there to the docks and bartered passage on the first vessel he could find leaving with the tide. Not caring where it was destined Roland became one of the crew of the Jenivere.

Roland came aboard with a few silver pieces and little else to his name, However he looked strong and the crew what short, so Captain Kovack agreed to take him on as hand in exchange for his passage. Roland remembers well his introduction to Aerys.
The Captain had just agreed to take Roland on. "Oi, Mavato. This here's Roland. He's the newest member of the crew. He says he doesn't have any sailing experience though so you'll need to teach him his duties. Is everything ready for us to cast off?"

"Aye Captain, everything's ready to depart."

"Excellent, let us be off then."

Aerys had then directed Roland to help with raising the anchor. In the days that followed Roland was quick to do as Aerys directed, grateful to be leaving the port. Roland began drinking with the man when they were off duty. They began to develop a friendship of sorts though it lacked real depth. Roland was sparse about the details of his past and Aerys position prevented him form being too close to any of the crew. What friendship was there fizzled out when Roland got into a fight with another crew member.

Roland was lying in his bunk when he heard a group of crew who were playing dice to pass the time mention his name.

"Did you see that Roland hauling the sails today? He was pulling so hard he raised the sail practically by himself," one man had said.

"Yeah, but you know why don't you? He ain't exactly human now is he? You can see it in his face. Probably sired by a boar."

"No! You think?" the first voice responded.

At this point Roland got to his feet and walked towards the voices.

"Aye, he's none to bright either," the second voice finished as Roland came into the doorway.

"If you have something to say, say it to my face Jones," Roland said with a dangerous edge in his voice.

"Oh yeah, or what? you'll sick your dog of a mother on me?"

Jones never had a chance, as soon as the words were out of his mouth Roland struck him knocking him to the ground. The rest of the crew on hand rushed to stop Roland, but there was little need. Seeing Jones fall to the ground Roland's mind had flashed back to the moment he'd struck Groten and he froze. When the Captain was called to deal with the fight Roland was sentenced to ten lashes. He bore them without complaint, his memory of his past more painful than the whip's bite.

Later that night Aerys came and stood by Roland as he was swabbing the deck. "What the hell was that Roland?"

"He... he deserved it. He said things you just... you just don't say."

Shaking his head Aerys said, "You broke his jaw Roland!" the condemnation heavy in his words. "You can't do that, no matter what the man said. This isn't some pirate vessel."

With a sigh, Roland said "I know. I... I'm sorry."

"Well, Jones is next to useless with him moaning and whining about how hurt he is. I think he's playing it up, but I can't prove it. So you'll be doing his work as well as your own until he's recovered, understood?"

"Yes, sir."

With that Aerys turned and left leaving Roland to stew on his plight.

Roland is 6'2" solidly built and well muscled. His orc features are less pronounced than most half-orcs, but those who are observant will notice the broadness of his face and jaw. He has dark brown hair he usually wears in short ponytail. He friendly when approached, but rarely does that friendliness extend beyond becoming casual acquaintances.

1. Scale mail
2. Acid flask
3. Cold iron halberd
4. Masterwork backpack
5. Cold iron lucerne hammer
6. Armored Coat (I'd rather this be a second chance at Scale mail of possible)
7. Canteen
8. Sling
9. Crowbar
10. Potion of enlarge person
11. Potion of cure light wounds
12. Scroll box
13. Scroll of shield
14. Cold iron hunga munga
15. Flint and steel