Vargrenz's page

+8 Acrobatics (Dex +2, Ranks 3, Class Skill +3)
+0 Appraise (Int +0, Ranks 0)
-1 Bluff (Cha -1, Ranks 0)
+8 Climb (Str +3, Ranks 2, Class Skill +3)
+0 Craft(weapons) (Int +0, Ranks 0, Class Skill +3)
-1 Diplomacy (Cha -1, Ranks 0, Class Skill +3)
+* Disable Device (Dex +2, Ranks 0)
-1 Disguise (Cha -1, Ranks 0)
+7 Escape Artist (Dex +2, Ranks 2, Class Skill +3)
+* Fly (Dex +2, Ranks 0)
-1 Handle Animal (Cha -1, Ranks 0)
+4 Heal (Wis +4, Ranks 0)
-1 Intimidate (Cha -1, Ranks 0, Class Skill +3)
+* Knowledge, Arcana (Int +0, Ranks 0)
+* Knowledge, Dungeoneering (Int +0, Ranks 0)
+4 Knowledge, Engineering (Int +0, Ranks 1, Class Skill +3)
+* Knowledge, Geography (Int +0, Ranks 0)
+4 Knowledge, History (Int +0, Ranks 1, Class Skill +3)
+* Knowledge, Local (Int +0, Ranks 0)
+* Knowledge, Nature (Int +0, Ranks 0)
+* Knowledge, Nobility (Int +0, Ranks 0)
+* Knowledge, Planes (Int +0, Ranks 0)
+4 Knowledge, Religion (Int +0, Ranks 1, Class Skill +3)
+* Linguistics (Int +0, Ranks 0)
+12 Perception (Wis +4, Ranks 5, Class Skill +3)
-1 Perform(untrained) (Cha -1, Ranks 0, Class Skill +3)
+4 Profession, Sailor (Wis +4, Ranks 0, Class Skill +3)
+2 Ride (Dex +2, Ranks 0, Class Skill +3)
+13 Sense Motive (Wis +4, Ranks 6, Class Skill +3)
+6 Sleight of Hand (Dex +2, Ranks 1, Class Skill +3)
+0 Spellcraft (Int +0, Ranks 0)
+6 Stealth (Dex +2, Ranks 1, Class Skill +3)
+4 Survival (Wis +4, Ranks 0)
+7 Swim (Str +3, Rank 1, Class Skill +3)
+4 Use Magic Device (Cha -1, Ranks 1, Class Skill +3)

Skill points gained: 4 = 4
Monk - 4+FC (+ 4 Class)
Kineticist - 4 (+ 4 Class)

Traits

Bullied - You were bullied often as a child, and you are now constantly ready to defend yourself with your fists when an enemy comes near.
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus on attack of opportunity attack rolls made with unarmed strikes.

Inured to Death - You have been around death or the undead all of your life; you have become accustomed to its shadowy presence, and are no longer overwhelmed by it.
Benefit(s): You gain a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against death effects.

Feats

• Improved Unarmed Attack (Monk Bonus)
  
• Stunning Fist (Monk Bonus)
  
• Improved Grapple (Level 1 Monk Bonus Feat)
  
• Combat Reflexes (Level 1)
  
• Dodge (Level 2 Monk Bonus Feat)
  
• Pummeling Style (Level 3)
  
• Improved Trip (Level 5)
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• Monks are proficient with the club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, short sword, shortspear, shuriken, siangham, sling, spear, and any weapon with the monk special weapon quality.

- Ability Score Racial Traits: Duergar are hearty and observant, but also belligerent. They gain +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, and –4 Charisma.
- Type: Duergar are humanoids with the dwarf subtype.
- Size: Duergar are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Base Speed: Slow and Steady- Duergar have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance. -- +10' Monk
- Languages: Duergar begin play speaking Common, Dwarven, and Undercommon. Duergar with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aklo, Draconic, Giant, Goblin, Orc, and Terran. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

- Duergar Immunities: Duergar are immune to paralysis, phantasms, and poison. They gain a +2 racial bonus on saves against spells and spell-like abilities.

- Stability: Duergar receive a +4 racial bonus to their CMD against bull rush or trip attempts while on solid ground.

- Enlarge Person Spell-Like Ability (Sp): A duergar can use enlarge person once per day, using its character level as its caster level and affecting itself only.

- Invisibility Spell-Like Ability (Sp): A duergar can use invisibility once per day, using its character level as its caster level and affecting itself only.

- Superior Darkvision: Replaced - See Alternative Racial Traits

- Light Sensitivity: Replaced - See Alternative Racial Traits

- Daysighted The cruel light of the sun harms some duergar less than others. Such duergar lack the light sensitivity racial trait, but have darkvision of only 60 feet.

Favored Class: Monk
Lvl 1 (+1 HP)
Lvl 2 (+1 HP)
Lvl 3 (+1 Skill)
Lvl 4 (+1 HP)
Lvl 5 (+0 Kineticist)
Lvl 6 ()
Lvl 7 ()
Lvl 8 ()
____
Stats - initial + modifiers:
Str 17
Dex 14
Con 13 +2(racial) = 15
Int 11
Wis 17 +2(racial) +1 (level 4) = 19
Cha 12 -4(racial) = 8
______
+2 Wis - Race
+2 Con - Race
-4 Cha - Race
+1 Wis - Level 4

AC Bonus (Ex)
When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC and his CMD. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every four monk levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.

Flurry of Blows (Ex)
Starting at 1st level, a monk can make a flurry of blows as a full-attack action.

When doing so, he may make one additional attack, taking a –2 penalty on all of his attack rolls, as if using the Two-Weapon Fighting feat. These attacks can be any combination of unarmed strikes and attacks with a monk special weapon (he does not need to use two weapons to utilize this ability).

For the purpose of these attacks, the monk's base attack bonus from his monk class levels is equal to his monk level. For all other purposes, such as qualifying for a feat or a prestige class, the monk uses his normal base attack bonus.

At 8th level, the monk can make two additional attacks when he uses flurry of blows, as if using Improved Two-Weapon Fighting (even if the monk does not meet the prerequisites for the feat).

At 15th level, the monk can make three additional attacks using flurry of blows, as if using Greater Two-Weapon Fighting (even if the monk does not meet the prerequisites for the feat).

A monk applies his full Strength bonus to his damage rolls for all successful attacks made with flurry of blows, whether the attacks are made with an off-hand or with a weapon wielded in both hands. A monk may substitute disarm, sunder, and trip combat maneuvers for unarmed attacks as part of a flurry of blows. A monk cannot use any weapon other than an unarmed strike or a special monk weapon as part of a flurry of blows. A monk with natural weapons cannot use such weapons as part of a flurry of blows, nor can he make natural attacks in addition to his flurry of blows attacks.

Unarmed Strike
At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk's attacks may be with fist, elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk may make unarmed strikes with his hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes.

Usually a monk's unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but he can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on his attack roll. He has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.

A monk's unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.

A monk also deals more damage with his unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown above on Table: Monk. The unarmed damage values listed on Table: Monk is for Medium monks. A Small monk deals less damage than the amount given there with his unarmed attacks, while a Large monk deals more damage; see Table: Small or Large Monk Unarmed Damage.

Bonus Feat
At 1st level, 2nd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, a monk may select a bonus feat. These feats must be taken from the following list:

• Catch Off-Guard, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Grapple, Scorpion Style, and Throw Anything.
  
• At 6th level, the following feats are added to the list: Gorgon's Fist, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Trip, and Mobility.
  
• At 10th level, the following feats are added to the list: Improved Critical, Medusa's Wrath, Snatch Arrows, and Spring Attack.

A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.

Stunning Fist (Ex)
At 1st level, the monk gains Stunning Fist as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. The monk may attempt a stunning attack a number of times per day equal to his monk level, plus one more time per day for every four levels he has in classes other than monk.

At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the monk gains the ability to apply a new condition to the target of his Stunning Fist. This condition replaces stunning the target for 1 round, and a successful saving throw still negates the effect.

• At 4th level, he can choose to make the target fatigued.
  
• At 8th level, he can make the target sickened for 1 minute.
  
• At 12th level, he can make the target staggered for 1d6+1 rounds.
  
• At 16th level, he can permanently blind or deafen the target.
  
• At 20th level, he can paralyze the target for 1d6+1 rounds.

The monk must choose which condition will apply before the attack roll is made. These effects do not stack with themselves (a creature sickened by Stunning Fist cannot become nauseated if hit by Stunning Fist again), but additional hits do increase the duration.

Evasion (Ex)
At 2nd level or higher, a monk can avoid damage from many area-effect attacks. If a monk makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Fast Movement (Ex)
At 3rd level, a monk gains an enhancement bonus to his land speed, as shown on Table: monk. A monk in armor or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.

Maneuver Training (Ex)
At 3rd level, a monk uses his monk level in place of his base attack bonus when calculating his Combat Maneuver Bonus. Base attack bonuses granted from other classes are unaffected and are added normally.

Ki Pool (Su)
At 4th level, a monk gains a pool of ki points, supernatural energy he can use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in a monk's ki pool is equal to 1/2 his monk level + his Wisdom modifier. As long as he has at least 1 point in his ki pool, he can make a ki strike.

• At 4th level, ki strike allows his unarmed attacks to be treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
  
• At 7th level, his unarmed attacks are also treated as cold iron and silver for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
  
• At 10th level, his unarmed attacks are also treated as lawful weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
  
• At 16th level, his unarmed attacks are treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and bypassing hardness.

By spending 1 point from his ki pool, a monk can do one of the following:

• Make one additional attack at his highest attack bonus when making a flurry of blows attack, or
  
• Increase his speed by 20 feet for 1 round, or
  
• Give himself a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round.

Each of these powers is activated as a swift action.

The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive.

Fade from Sight (Sp)
At 4th level, as a swift action, the gray disciple can become invisible (as the invisibility spell) for 1 round by spending 1 ki point. To use this ability, the gray disciple must already have invisibility as a spell-like ability.
This ability replaces slow fall and still mind.

Gray Heart (Sp)
At 6th level, as a swift action, the gray disciple can enlarge himself (as the enlarge person spell) for 1 minute by spending 1 ki point. To use this ability, the gray disciple must already have enlarge person available as a spell-like ability.
This ability replaces high jump and the bonus feat gained at 6th level.

Purity of Body (Ex)
At 5th level, a monk gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.

Born in Darkness (Sp)
At 7th level, as a standard action, the gray disciple can radiate darkness (as the spell, except originating from the disciple's person) for 1 round per level by spending 1 ki point.
This ability replaces wholeness of body.

Improved Evasion (Ex)
At 9th level, a monk's evasion ability improves. He still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth he takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Diamond Body (Su)
At 11th level, a monk gains immunity to poisons of all kinds.

Earth Glide (Su)
At 12th level, as a swift action, the gray disciple can spend a ki point to walk through solid stone for 1 round. This functions as the earth glide universal monster ability. The gray disciple may continue earth gliding as long as he spends 1 ki point every round as a swift action. If he ceases earth gliding within a solid object, he is violently ejected and takes 5d6 points of damage. The gray disciple is not harmed by damage caused to material he is earth gliding through, but a stone to flesh spell cast upon it causes violent ejection as described above.
This ability replaces abundant step.

Diamond Soul (Ex)
At 13th level, a monk gains spell resistance equal to his current monk level + 10. In order to affect the monk with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the monk's spell resistance.

Entomb (Su)
At 15th level, a gray disciple can phase a foe into solid rock, killing it instantly. To use this ability, he expends 1 ki point as part of a bull rush or reposition combat maneuver against a creature adjacent to unworked earth or stone. If the attempt succeeds, the gray disciple pushes his foe inside the rock using his earth glide ability. If the creature succeeds at a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 the gray disciple's monk level + the gray disciple's Wisdom modifier), it is ejected in the nearest open space and takes 5d6 points of damage. If it fails, it dies instantly as its body merges with the surrounding stone. Entomb is usable once per day, but a failed bull rush or reposition attempt does not count as a use of the ability. Entomb has no effect on creatures that can earth glide, are incorporeal, or can otherwise can survive merging with a solid object.
This ability replaces quivering palm.

Timeless Body (Ex)
At 17th level, a monk no longer takes penalties to his ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that he has already taken, however, remain in place. Age bonuses still accrue, and the monk still dies of old age when his time is up.

Earthen Thrall (Sp)
At 17th level, a gray disciple can attempt to control a creature with the earth subtype once per day. This ability is treated as dominate monster (DC 10 + 1/2 the gray disciple's monk level + the gray disciple's Wisdom modifier), but is only effective against creatures with the earth subtype, and the gray disciple can keep only a single creature enthralled. If he attempts to control a second creature with this ability, the first creature is automatically released from domination whether or not the second attempt succeeds.
This ability replaces tongue of the sun and moon and empty body.

Perfect Self
At 20th level, a monk becomes a magical creature. He is forevermore treated as an outsider rather than as a humanoid (or whatever the monk's creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical effects. Additionally, the monk gains damage reduction 10/chaotic, which allows him to ignore the first 10 points of damage from any attack made by a nonchaotic weapon or by any natural attack made by a creature that doesn't have similar damage reduction. Unlike other outsiders, the monk can still be brought back from the dead as if he were a member of his previous creature type.

Courtly
The kinetic knight adds Diplomacy and Sense Motive to her list of class skills instead of Acrobatics and Stealth.
This ability alters the kineticist’s class skills.
Class Skills:An Aether telekineticist adds Knowledge (engineering) and Sleight of Hand to her list of class skills.

Elemental Blade (Su)
At 1st level, a kinetic knight gains the kinetic blade form infusion, and it costs 0 points of burn instead of 1 point. She can’t use her kinetic blast without the kinetic blade form infusion or an infusion that lists kinetic blade as a prerequisite.

Kinetic Warrior (Ex)
The kinetic knight can use her Constitution score in place of her Intelligence score when qualifying for combat feats. This ability counts as having Combat Expertise for the purpose of feat prerequisites.

Aether
Kineticists who focus on the element of aether—a rare substance formed when elemental energy affects the Ethereal Plane—are called telekineticists. Telekineticists use strands of aether to move objects with their minds.

Basic Telekinesis
Element(s) aether; Type utility (Sp); Level 1; Burn 0

This ability is similar to mage hand, except you can move an object that weighs up to 5 pounds per 2 kineticist levels you possess (minimum 5 pounds), and you can move magical objects. Additionally, you can create a container of entwined strands of aether in order to hold liquids or piles of small objects of the same weight. You can dip the container to pick up or drop a liquid as a move action. If you possess the extended range wild talent, you can increase the range of basic telekinesis to medium range and increase the rate of movement to 30 feet per round, and if you possess the extreme range wild talent, You can increase the range of basic telekinesis to long range and increase the rate of movement to 60 feet per round. You can also use your basic telekinesis to duplicate the effects of the open/close cantrip.

Simple Blast: A telekineticist gains telekinetic blast as a simple blast wild talent.

Telekinetic Blast
Element(s) aether; Type simple blast (Sp); Level —; Burn 0
Blast Type: physical; Damage bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing

You throw a nearby unattended object at a single foe as a ranged attack. The object must weigh no more than 5 pounds per kineticist level you possess. If the attack hits, the target and the thrown object each take the blast’s damage. Since the object is enfolded in strands of aether, even if you use this power on a magic weapon or other unusual object, the attack doesn’t use any of the magic weapon’s bonuses or effects; it simply deals your blast damage. Alternatively, you can loosen the strands of aether in order to deal damage to both the object and the target as though you had thrown the object yourself (instead of dealing your normal blast damage).

You substitute your Constitution modifier for your Strength modifier if throwing the object would have added your Strength modifier on the damage roll, and you don’t take the –4 penalty on the attack roll for throwing an object that wasn’t designed to be thrown. In this case, the object’s special effects apply (including effects from its materials), and if the object is a weapon, you must be proficient with it and able to wield it with one hand; otherwise, the item deals damage as a one-handed improvised weapon for a creature of your size.

Kinetic Blade
Element(s) universal; Type form infusion; Level 1; Burn 1
Associated Blasts any
Saving Throw none

You form a weapon using your kinetic abilities. You create a nonreach, light or one-handed weapon in your hand formed of pure energy or elemental matter. (If you’re a telekineticist, you instead transfer the power of your kinetic blast to any object held in one hand.) The kinetic blade’s shape is purely cosmetic and doesn’t affect the damage dice, critical threat range, or critical multiplier of the kinetic blade, nor does it grant the kinetic blade any weapon special features. The object held by a telekineticist for this form infusion doesn’t prevent her from using gather power.

You can use this form infusion once as part of an attack action, a charge action, or a full-attack action in order to make melee attacks with your kinetic blade. Since it’s part of another action (and isn’t an action itself), using this wild talent doesn’t provoke any additional attacks of opportunity. The kinetic blade deals your kinetic blast damage on each hit (applying any modifiers to your kinetic blast’s damage as normal, but not your Strength modifier). The blade disappears at the end of your turn. The weapon deals the same damage type that your kinetic blast deals, and it interacts with Armor Class and spell resistance as normal for a blast of its type. Even if a telekineticist uses this power on a magic weapon or another unusual object, the attack doesn’t use any of the magic weapon’s bonuses or effects and simply deals the telekineticist’s blast damage. The kinetic blade doesn’t add the damage bonus from elemental overflow.

Arms, Armor, and Clothing
Monks’s Outfit - 5 lbs.
+1 Bracers of Armor

(1) Daggers x2, 2lbs

(40) Alchemists Fire x2

Potion of Disguise Self
Potion of Bless Weapon

______________________

(2)

19 lbs

In Backpack
(12) Pathfinder Kit (22 lbs)
backpack, 2lbs
bedroll, 5 lbs
belt pouch, .5 lbs
clay mug
fishhooks x2
flint and steel
sewing needle
signal whistle
50 feet of string
50 feet of thread
waterskin, 4 lbs
trail rations, 7 days
whetstone

Robe, 50'

Potions

Scrolls:

_________

Belt Pouch

Chalk, 3 pieces
0 p.p.
1664g.p.
5 s.p.
29 c.p.

Carrying Capacity

Current Weight: 24 lbs

Light Load: x < 86 lbs.
Medium Load: 87 < x < 173 lbs.
Heavy Load: 174 < x < 260 lbs

Short, grey and solid, there is no other real way to describe Vargrenz. He never learned social niceties, and rarely bathes, or does anything else to care for his outward appearance. However, a look at his eyes shows a truly uncaring person. Uncaring, but at the same time loyal. Having been punished and beaten for most of his life, Vargrenz will place great stock in those who show loyalty to him. His word will be honored, and those who break their word will feel his wrath. Even though most of what he now carries has been taken through less than honorable means, he has on every occasion left behind a small pile of coins representing what he believes the food or goods were worth.

Vargrenz looked down at the slowly bleeding form of the hobgoblin tracker lying on the ground at his feet. If only that were the last. With that, he spat at the greenish skinned humanoid and with a solid boot sent the soon to be dead form flying off the road and into the marsh nearby, where a sudden commotion erupted, no doubt the carnivorous lizards and fish that inhabited this nearly uninhabitable waste. Suddenly Vargrenz shook his head. Should have stripped the body before tossing it to the creatures of the swamp.

Suddenly the giant grey skinned dwarf felt his magic receding as his form shrunk from the huge size he preferred for combat to his normal squat 4’. Looking back down the partially overgrown road, the vines here grew a foot or more a day, Vargrenz turned and began to once more head north on the road. He was unsure of what lay to the north, but it was better than what he had escaped to the south.

As he resumed his trek to the north, shading his eyes from the bright sun that often broke through the canopy of vines and tree boughs above, he thought back.

How long had he served that necromancer? Ten years? Twenty? More? He recalled nothing of his life before the necromancer. His earliest memories were as a stout youth. He could speak several tongues, those of the surface dwarves, as well as the tongue of those who dwelt far below the surface of the earth. He did not know how this came to be, but, he was sure, he was from those depths originally.

The necromancer was a cruel man. He had abused and whipped Vargrenz, and for this Vargrenz had developed a dire hatred of the man. When he was young, Vargrenz had spent hours cleaning the messes left by the undead that the necromancer created. Vargrenz never asked where the corpses came from, although the dirt upon many of them led Vargrenz to believe that they were taken from fresh, and not so fresh, graves.

Although Vargrenz hated the necromancer, he did all in his power to stoically comply with the man’s commands in an attempt to curry the vile undead creator’s favor. At some point, the necromancer decided to test his undead creations’ combat abilities. So, the necromancer had the creatures fight Vargrenz. On many occasions, Vargrenz recalls falling beneath the blows of the creatures, only to be restored by the man’s dark magic to fight another futile battle.

Eventually, Vargrenz found that the necromancer had an extensive library. Actually, he had know this for years as it was one of the rooms that he was required to clean on an almost daily basis. Having no interest or knack for magic, the books therein had been of little interest to the grey dwarf. However, one day, he discovered a section on combat and different combat techniques. Having little else to do, other than being beaten by the necromancer and his creations, Vargrenz began to delve into the books, carefully only taking one at a time and hiding them beneath the straw of the cold stone chamber in which he slept.

In these books, he learned of knights and great warriors. However, having no weapons other than a simply club, actually the leg of a long broken table, Vargrenz focussed on those fighting styles that did not require heavy armor and arms. He learned to fight with his fists, something that was quite effective when the necromancer chose to face him against skeletons. Vargrenz also learned to be quick and to disable his enemies by grappling and pummeling them. While it left him frequently covered in the undead gore of his foes, it also kept him alive, or at least kept him from the painful healing magic used by the necromancer.

One day, while being faced against several skeletons, a guaranteed loss in his mind, Vargrenz suddenly felt something within him. He did not know what had happened, but suddenly the room and the skeletons were all much smaller. Unsure of what had occurred, he swung out with his fists and easily, much more easily than before, turned the skeletons into piles of shattered bone. This delighted the necromancer, but rather than making things easier, the horrible man instead sought to create more and more powerful undead for him to battle.

Having never seen the outside, or anything of nature, other than that which he had read about in his stolen books, Vargrenz knew little of the world. However, he knew that eventually, the necromancer would tire of him, and rather than healing him, would likely turn him into an undead as had been done to many other servants over the years. Why this had not yet happened, Vargrenz did not know, although, perhaps it was due to Vargrenz having never struck out or complained about the miserable conditions he lived in, or the inhumane treatment he received.

Nonetheless, one day, while walking past the necromancer’s chamber, he overheard a conversation. As the necromancer rarely had visitors, at least living ones, Vargrenz stopped and listened. What he heard shocked and frightened him. The discussion seemed to involve selling a “dark dwarf”, which Vargrenz assumed could only mean him. While listening, Vargrenz was not paying attention, and suddenly realized that the voices were coming near. Not having anywhere to run, Vargrenz stepped into a corner and held his breath, hoping against hope that he would be spotted, but knowing that there was no chance of this. Amazingly, the necromancer and a scary woman with dark hair and numerous tattoos, tattoos of what Vargrenz assumed could only be demons, walked out of the chamber and right past Vargrenz, heading toward Vargrenz’s cold stone room.

Deciding on the spur, that the time had come to leave, Vargrenz quickly entered the necromancer’s chamber, a room he had only been in to clean once or twice in all the years as the necromancer’s slave, or was it servant? As the room, and the door on the other side, were always locked, Vargrenz had never been past the room. Seeing a small pouch of coins on the desk, Vargrenz grabbed them and then ran out the door. After several more small rooms, Vargrenz suddenly found himself in the courtyard of the compound, a bright courtyard which appeared in direct opposition to the dark and dingy rooms where Vargrenz had lived, and worked, for so many years.

Without looking back, Vargrenz charged out the front gate and found himself in a small village, with the necromancer’s compound being by far the largest building in the village. As he came out, all in the village turned and stared at him as though he were an alien, or perhaps an undead. Little did Vargrenz know that he was not only a dwarf with grey skin, but was a duergar, one of the deep dwarves of which many tales on the surface told horror stories.

With his pouch of money in hand, Vargrenz turned and ran to the north, the local constable close behind with his sword drawn chasing what he assumed was an evil thief out of town.

It has now been several weeks since his escape. In this time, Vargrenz has encountered, and evaded, several sent to hunt him down. How much longer the necromancer would continue to find him, Vargrenz did not know, all that the grey dwarf knew was that the farther he got from the necromancer, the more likely that he would survive.

Once more looking up, Vargrenz continued his trek north. He heard that another small town was up ahead. In addition, he had overheard rumors while hiding behind a tavern in the last village, that there was some dungeon in the area. While Vargrenz doubted it would be where he was from, since he had no clue if anyone from before his capture by the necromancer yet lived, Vargrenz believed that it would be as good a place as any to begin his search. And, if he could not find traces of his heritage, then perhaps he could instead acquire enough wealth and power to be able to someday return the favor of all the years abuse to the necromancer.