Seamus O'Brady, Male Human, Bronze Dragon Shaman
Dragon Savant Seamus O'Brady
[sblock=Details]Male Human Dragon Shaman 3, XP 3,000
Tanned Caucasian Skin, Curly Brown Hair & Sideburns, Brown Eyes
Age 23, Height 5'-11", Weight 165 lbs., Medium-size
Alignment: Lawful Good, Patron Deity: Bahamut
Languages: Common, Draconic, and Halfling
Str 14, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 14
HP 36, Nonlethal 0, AC 19, Touch 11, Flat-Footed 18
Fortitude +5, Reflex +2, Will +3, Speed 30/20 ft. (run x4)
BAB +2, Grapple +4, Melee +4, Ranged +3, Initiative +1
Attacks:
MW Morningstar +5 melee for 1d8+2 bludgeoning/piercing (20/x2)
Javelin +3 ranged for 1d6+2 piercing (20/x2, 30 ft. increment)
Feats:
Combat Reflexes, Vexing Flanker, Skill Focus (Survival), Negotiator
Skills:
Climb +3 (5 R, +2 Str, -4 ACP), Diplomacy +7 (3 ccR, +2 Cha, +2 Feat), Knowledge (Arcana) +5 (3 ccR, +2 Int), Knowledge (Nature) +5 (3 R, +2 Int), Search +5 (3 R, +2 Int), Sense Motive +2 (0 ccR, +0 Wis, +2 Feat), Survival +5 (2 R, +0 Wis, +3 Feat), Swim -5 (5 R, +2 Str, -8 ACP)
Class Features:
Dragon Shaman Proficiencies (all simple weapons, all light armors, all medium armors, all shields except tower shields), Draconic Aura +1 (swift action to project out to 30 feet, ends when unconscious or dead or dismissing as a free action, cannot project multiple auras at once, knows the auras of Electricity Shield 2, Presence +1, Senses +1, and Vigor 1), Totem Dragon (Bronze, bonus class skills: Disguise, Survival, Swim), Skill Focus (bonus feat with one of the totem's skills), Draconic Adaptation (Water Breathing, Ex, can breathe and cast spells or use other abilities freely underwater)
Racial Traits:
Medium Humanoid (Human), Speed 30 ft., bonus feat, extra skill points, favored class: highest-level class
Possessions:
Masterwork Morningstar (308 gp, 6 lbs., one-handed melee), Dagger (2 gp, 1 lb., light melee/thrown), Light Crossbow (35 gp, 4 lbs., ranged projectile), 20 Bolts (2 gp, 2 lbs.), Masterwork Heavy Wooden Shield (157 gp, 10 lbs., +2 AC, -1 ACP, 15% ASF), Magic +1 Breastplate (1,350 gp, 30 lbs., medium, 20 ft. speed, x4 run, +6 AC, +3 MDB, -3 ACP, 25% ASF), Traveler's Outfit (free, worn), Traveler's Outfit (1 gp, 5 lbs.), Tent (10 gp, 20 lbs.), Backpack (2 gp, 2 lbs.), 2 Belt Pouches (2 gp, 1 lb.), Wooden Holy Symbol (1 gp), Bedroll (1 sp, 5 lbs.), Flint and Steel (1 gp), 2 Torches (2 cp, 2 lbs.), Soap (5 sp, 1 lb.), 2 Trail Rations (1 gp, 2 lbs.), 2 Waterskins (2 gp, 8 lbs.), 2 Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds (600 gp, 3rd-level caster, each heals 2d8+3 hp), Mule (8 gp, carries tent, backpack, rations, water, soap, bedroll, and spare outfit, wears pack saddle and bit and bridle), Bit & Bridle (2 gp, 1 lb.), Pack Saddle (5 gp, 15 lbs.), 20 pp, 10 gp, 22 sp, 18 cp
Load 55.4 lbs., Light 0-58, Medium 59-116, Heavy 117-175[/sblock]
Appearance:
Seamus O'Brady is of average height and a bit heavy, with the muscles of one who works or fights more than the average fella, and a bit of a gut. His skin is lightly tanned and his face is broad, with a strong chin and cheekbones, sideburns, and curly brown hair. His eyes are the same shade of brown, and his voice carries the distinctive brogue of a southern highlander. He wears simple traveling clothes of brown and gray, but under his large, hooded cloak is a rune-crested, open-faced helm and a suit of enruned plates covering his chest, back, forelegs, and shoulders. A large round-shield of oak is strapped to his left arm, while a finely-crafted morningstar hangs from his right hip. A crossbow hangs behind him, next to his backpack, and pouches hang from his belt opposite the morningstar. A carved, wooden symbol of Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, hangs from a simple cord around his neck, and a mule follows along, carriying the rest of his modest supplies in its saddlebags.
[sblock=Background]Seamus (pronounced SHAY-muhs) O'Brady grew up in the lakeside town of Caerston, near the vast Lake Saarnöcht. The lake's deepest reaches are home to the bronze dragon Krainatherix, self-proclaimed Lord Protector of Caerston (when he's not just sleeping under the lake and ignoring his human 'subjects'), though the town is nominally part of the western human province of the southlands. Seamus was fortunate enough to meet Krainatherix in his youth, and was awed by how easily Krainatherix dispatched a band of ogres that had been causing trouble nearby on the farms. Seamus was one of the militiamen foolishly trying to fight off the ogres, and afterward, he sought out the town's kirk to ask what they knew about the dragon, why it protected their farms that time, and why they always tossed coins and other offerings into the lake after every harvest or business deal. He learned a bit, and was both grateful yet angry that the dragon only bothered to do anything for them once in a while.
So, after some plotting and trying unsuccessfully to contact the dragon beneath the lake, Seamus decided that if the dragon would not help them as much as it could, he would seek out the power of dragons for a way to make it do so or at least to make it come out and hear their demands. Though he was not the only person in Caerston who resented the dragon's infrequent and limited aid to the townsfolk he took money and food from every day, Seamus was the only one to really have the gall to do something about it. He harangued the kirk into telling him as much as he knew about dragons, little though it was, and then Seamus left Caerston to seek out more lore. Over the course of several years traveling, Seamus found out how other folk had tapped into draconic magic in the past, and how some human allies of Krainatherix had wielded some of his power a few hundred years ago when the dragon had needed human aid in fighting off some beastman incursions and claiming the territory around Lake Saarnöcht.
Seamus learned to harness that same power himself, and had lived close to the dragon all his life, so it wasn't that hard to attune himself to its magic after reading accounts of those long-dead 'dragon shamans' as the old stories called them. Seamus took to calling himself a 'dragon savant' since learning how to harness that draconic power for himself, since considers himself its master, not a worshipful slave or adoring croney of the dragon. Seamus returned to Caerston after mastering the basic draconic powers he had tapped into, and found Krainatherix active again. He confronted the dragon and demonstrated his newfound powers taken from its own aura. But Krainatherix surprised him with mirth, mockery, and curiousity, amused at his 'childish' behavior and concerns yet interested in how he had found how to use those powers himself without the dragon's instruction.
After some debate and mockery, the dragon actually took it upon himself to enlighten the human a bit on what he had stumbled upon and how it should properly be used. Krainatherix treated him like a silly child and had some fun at Seamus' expense, but after a while managed to humble the young man, intimidate some respect out of him, and teach him a thing or two. The dragon explained a bit about why he didn't do everything he could for the folk of Caerston and how helpless, lazy, and incompetent they would be if he didn't leave them to do their own work and fight their own battles most of the time. How pathetic and corrupt they would become without those responsibilities and all. Krainatherix left the young man to ponder things after teaching him these lessons and some of the Draconic language (which Seamus had already learned a bit of through his search for dragon-lore), since Krainatherix didn't like trying to use much humanoid speech in his natural form and preferred to stay in that form.
Seamus came away from the experience a changed man, sort of, but still didn't entirely buy the dragon's story. And still resented Krainatherix somewhat. But he did put the dragon's lessons to good use, and had become just a bit more of a believer in Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon and patron deity of Caerston (thanks to Krainatherix's early attempts to 'civilize' the local population after taking over the region centuries ago). Seamus had once paid only lip service, not believing much of what the kirk said of Bahamut's virtues and guardianship of the town through Krainatherix. Now he actually held a small bit of belief in the kirk's teachings about Bahamut, even if he considered them flawed since they came from Krainatherix, and were probably skewed to ingrain loyalty to the bronze dragon in his human 'subjects'.
Seamus left Caerston again after a few weeks, seeking answers, maybe a little guidance, more power and experience in wielding it, and riches to improve Caerston without the dragon's help, even though the greedy dragon would likely steal much of what he might eventually bring back (or so he thinks, at least). Partly he just wanted to get out of town and away from Krainatherix. Part of him wanted to see more of the world and find something greater and more inspiring. Another part was hoping for some personal glory and riches to prove that he was greater and more worthy than Krainatherix. Partly, he knew he wouldn't be able to improve his abilities or siphon more draconic magic as long as he was stuck in the small town with its few challenges to face. That was one thing Krainatherix had insinuated to him, that humans couldn't just grow into their power like dragons do, they had to earn it. Seamus needed to push himself if he was going to grow closer to the primal power of dragons.
So, Seamus O'Brady took to the road again, and traveled across the western province, making his own way in the world and facing the challenges he found. Often, he ended up traveling with others in a caravan or just a few other travelers hoping for strength in numbers to avoid bandits or beastmen. Seamus slew some monsters and repelled some bandits in his travels, honing his use of the draconic powers as he did so, and growing more comfortable in the wilderness, improving his skills as a hunter and forager. He also got a bit more experience in haggling and negotiating, while earning himself some better armaments as he collected bounties on a few bandits and monsters, even finding a suit of enruned, magical armor on one outlaw (who had likely stolen it somewhere in the first place). Seamus didn't get to practice his early militia training much on the road, but has gotten a bit of practice with some of the other travelers he's joined on the way to one city or another. He's still traveling, on his own for now, searching for more challenges and more rewards. He has recently achieved one breakthrough in his channeling of the bronze dragon's power, suffusing himself with draconic water-magic to breathe underwater. He feels other breakthroughs can't be far behind after this discovery, but it's been a few years since he left home.
Seamus' home was a small farm not far from the lake in Caerston, and he often went swimming there or climbing trees in the woods nearby. He was quite good at hide-and-seek with his friends and siblings as a child, and learned the basics about nature and farming and such, but never really took to farming. He was a bit too restless and craved a more 'important' lifestyle, more exciting. So he joined the militia as soon as he was able, learning how to fight, and the Caerston militia specialized in group tactics, using numbers and encompassing maneuvers to take down beasts or bandits that were more talented or experienced in combat than they.
The O'Brady clan was not very militant, but Seamus was an exception, more prone to fistfights and arguments over what was right and how people should hold to their word. He eventually learned some diplomacy, but still had a tendency to settle things with a challenge or fists. Seamus is the fifth son of Samson and Caitlin O'Brady, and their seventh, youngest child. He's usually gotten along fine with his older brothers Thom and Bailey, and his youngest sister Gertie, but rather poorly with his oldest brothers Murdock and Patrick. He's never had much in common with Caleigh or Oscar, his oldest sister and youngest brother.
The O'Brady clan often deals with halfling traders who pass through Caerston once a year, as many others in town trade with the halflings for goods the town can't or doesn't produce itself. So Seamus, like some of his siblings, learned the halfling tongue even though he didn't like working on the farm and didn't want to stick around. He has found it useful on occasion when looking for information from other travelers, and halflings tend to have some interesting stories to pass on.[/sblock]
