It has been 400 years since the Masters of Hevia destroyed themselves. Their floating cities have long lain in ruins on the ground and the remnants of the First have just begun to take humanity out of the chaos that was left in the Masters wake.
Pockets of civilization are finding refuge in numbers. The ruins of Hevian cities provide humanity with the tools to build a new world and the walls with which to protect it. Little is known of the lands beyond each city, save for the news that comes with the attacks of neighboring warlords. Each city is ruled by the First and struggles for independence from would-be conquerors and the savage and deadly remainders of the Masters war.
The magic of the Masters has been all but lost. Those few who possess magical ability must train themselves from whatever tomes of knowledge can be found among the ruins. Most would-be mages die while trying to locate these books, and those few who survive hoard and guard their knowledge. The rare adept that finds a mage to learn from must pay heavily for the teaching, usually in the form of years of indentured servitude.
The Swordlands are vast. While no complete map of the world can be found, the people of this new age are starting to explore the ruins and wilderness that surrounds them. While some have found prosperity from subjugating those weaker, others are learning the values of working together. At this time it's not a matter of Good overcoming Evil. This is civilization after the fall. There is very little everyday safe life. Take what you can, protect what's yours, and if you live the day then you can worry about tomorrow.
The story starts in the port town of Hur. It is a small fishing village that has a natural harbor on the west and the shadow of Zurdan city looming over it from the east. Less than half a day away, Zurdan extracts payment from the fishing community in exchange for protection from the nomadic tribes of the north. The First of Zurdan is Kel'un, a callous man but one who keeps his word to the letter of his law, and the relationship between the two communities has been straining but beneficial for the people of Hur.
All that is about to change...
Game Information
This is a 3.5 DnD game. It uses the E6 rules variant.
The game is in the Swordlands setting from Iron Heroes. The game is about survival, about doing what is necessary to see the next day. In the Swordlands the weak of will and heart die, and the strong survive to face the dangers of tomorrow. Whether they come together as one or separate the wheat from chaff remains to be seen.
It is a low-magic Heroic adventure game. There are no clerics and the Gods are names only to be taken in vain.
It is primarily combat/adventure roleplaying in a brutal and unforgiving world. If the civilization of Conan fell into complete chaos, this is what it would look like after about 400 years.
I'm looking for 4 players, with 1 alternate.
Characters start at 4th level. Experience Points are not used, level advancement will be story based.
38 pt buy for abilities. Max HP at 1st level. Half HD+1+Con Mod for subsequent levels.
Characters have 3500gp and may purchase one magic item.
Alignment is not a game mechanic. However, choose one as part of your characters background, motivation, etc. Alignment is used as a guide to how your character views the world and his or her place in it.
There is no multi-classing penalty. This doesn't mean go crazy. I don't like that the system penalizes players for trying to mix the classes to fit a character concept.
Character background is required. It doesn't need to be an epic description; a few paragraphs will suffice. It should include the characters immediate and long-term goals. These can be as base as "Steal from everyone I can" or as heroic as "Serve and protect my village/city/family/warlord"
Also necessary is how your character makes a living, how they survive in the world. "Adventurer" is not an occupation.
You don't need to place your character directly in either of the two cities, though you may if you desire. Once the character is accepted I will work with you to figure out where your character fits into the story.
All WOTC 3.5 books are available, with the noted restrictions on class. However, make sure your character stays within the theme of the game.
Homebrew Information
Skills
- Heal - Heal may be used to Treat Wounds. A DC 15 check allows the character to restore a number of Reserve Points equal to the Heal check result. A person can receive this treatment only once per day whether it succeeds or fails, even if multiple characters attempt to heal the character. A character may Treat Wounds on themselves.
Feats
All crafting feats are restricted.
Feats may be selected from the Iron Heroes Variant Player Handbook, including Mastery Feats. For game purposes, ignore the Mastery Feat Categories. Your character level equals your Rating. Fighters may select any Mastery Feat they qualify for as a bonus feat.
**** All Iron Heroes feats require DM approval and are not guaranteed to be accepted. It's an available source, but I need to check it out first. ****
Classes
Rangers - Select your Favored Enemy from this list - (Humans, Animals, Magical Beasts, Monstrous Humanoids, Plants, Undead, Vermin).
Equipment
Healing Herbs - 25gp
This twist of dried herbs may be used to rejuvenate a character. Soaking them in water and drinking the mixture will heal 1d8+5 Reserve Points. One dose a day is harmless. However, taking more than that will cause the Herbs to build up and act as a toxin in the characters system, clouding their mind and judgement. (Int and Wis penalties.)
Here is a sample character. This is a brief example of the feel of the game.
A Night in the Life of Durge
The light from the evening was fading fast as Durge finished skinning and cleaning the last rabbit. "Three today. That should keep Lena from complaining." He hung dinner on his belt next to its companions and reset his snares. "Well, at least about the food anyway." A slight smile creased the mans face as he finished and stood up. His head nearly touched the lowest branches as he walked down the game trail that was almost too narrow for his huge frame. A greataxe lay fastened on his back, and the animal skins that covered him did little to conceal his muscled body.
Durge glanced at the sky through the trees and grimaced. "Getting dark faster now. Better hurry." Breaking into a hustle, the twists and turns of the trail were no problem as his feet seemed to know where to lead him. Before the last of the sun sunk past the earth, Durge slowed down as he came to the dirt road that intersected the trail. Crouching in the underbrush, Durge waited for his heart to slow and cast his eyes over the road and the forest on the other side. "Damn, shouldn't have taken so long. Too dark to see anything." Straining his eyes in the near darkness for any signs of danger, Durge fingered a dagger at his belt.
Afte several minutes the sun disappeared and the half-moons light glowed weakly in the early night air. With a grunt, Durge left the dagger where it was and stepped out from the brush onto the road. Before his foot touched the ground, two arrows flew from the opposite tree line. The first pierced his thigh and stayed there. The second clipped him in the ear as it flew past. Crying out in pain Durge unslung the greataxe from his back and charged across the road to where the arrows came from. As he ran another arrow came out of the woods and struck him in the side, burrowing deep into his guts. A figure sprang out from the brush where the arrows had left and raised his sword in defense as Durge ran screaming at him, axe held high.
Durges axe was deflected by the little man and the bandit brought his sword around and slashed at Durge, slicing him across the arm. Another arrow flew from the trees and caught Durge in his side, joined its brother. As the arrow pierced him, Durge felt the blood madness overcome him and vitality bought from pain and fear surged through him. Bringing his greataxe up from the ground he split the bandits chest open and dashed into the treeline, leaving the man to grasp at his guts as they came sliding out from within him.
The bandit in the trees yelled a curse at Durge as he fitted another arrow and let it fly at the crazed man crashing through the brush to the archers tree. The arrow stuck into Durges arm but he did not seem to notice it as Durge leapt at the tree and began to climb it, leaving his axe on the ground. The bandit cursed again and hesitated before firing two arrows in rapid succession at Durge. They both found their mark in the mad-foaming man but did little to distract him.
Closing quickly on the bandit, Durge leapt from the tree to the limb the bandit was on and grasped for the mans legs. As Durge fell from the tree he dragged the bandit down with him, both of them bouncing off limbs before tumbling to the ground. The bandit lay dazed on the ground as Durge crawled over to him. Holding the struggling bandit down with one arm, Durges hand fell on a rock as big as his fist. Grasping it, he raised it over the frantic bandit and brought it down on his head, over and over, until the bandit moved only from twitching.
Rolling off the bandits corpse, Durge brought himself to his knees. His body heaving and shaking from the vitality that had left him, he stumbled over to the tree and lay against it, holding his greataxe tightly to his chest. After a time, his breathing slowed and his heart stopped trying to burst through his chest. Breaking off the ends of the arrows stuck in his gut, he took a deep breath and yanked the remaining arrow from his leg. His body jerked in spasm, and then he lay once more against the tree. With a deep sigh, he steadied himself against the tree and limped over to the bodies of the bandits. A coin pouch was slipped into Durges belt, and the little mans sword and scabbard were placed alongside it.
Throwing the little mans body into the trees, Durge stood still and gazed into the woods. "You poor bastards. If you'd asked I would have shared my catch." Shaking his head, he continued limping down the road.
Here is what Durge looks like as a character.
Durges Stats
Human Barbarian 4 (Berserker Strength PHB II variant)
AL True Neutral
H Power Attack
1 Weapon Focus: Greatsword
3 Greater Resiliency
Str 15 +3 [+1 lvl]
Dex 16 +3
Con 14 +2
Int 10
Wis 12 +1
Cha 10
F/R/W +6/+4/+2
AC 19 / 10 +3 dex +5 defense +1 natural
HP 41
RP 41
E6 is pretty much straight dnd, except that the characters don't go past level 6. All the other houserules and such up there are not part of the E6 system.
The Reserve Points and Class Defense Bonus help make the game more realistic for me, without adding a lot of new rules or significantly changing the way the rules work.
Never did E6 but it does look interesting. I have no background in Iron Heroes either.
Is there a link where I can read something about the campaign setting and the variant rules?
I would like to play a warblade PC if possible.
I'm not actually using any of the rules from Iron Heroes. I'm just using their generic setting, the Swordlands. There isn't a lot of material written for the setting, just a few pages.
The basic idea is that Humanity was a slave race owned completely by powerful mages called the Masters. The Masters created a slightly more powerful version of Humans called the First to direct and control Humanity while the Masters went on with their arcane research. The Masters eventually descended into infighting and brought the entire world into war. They created and modify new races (i.e. monsters) to fight their battles, and at the end of the fighting the entire civilization of the Masters was left in ruins.
Left in this new world are the First, the rest of humanity, and the monsters. After the centuries of chaos that resulted from the Fall, there are less of all three. Humanity has just begun to pull itself back together.
Think Post-Apocalyptic Conan, a few centuries after the Fall.
As far as specific information regarding the locales of the Swordland, I'll have a map up this week before Recruitment ends. In the mean time, just wing it.
edit: One thing I forget to mention. The First are non-breeders. The ones that are alive today are the survivors from the Masters war, over 400 years ago.
Appearance
Uther is a solidly built, grim-faced man with olive skin, brown eyes, very short black hair, and an equally short beard. He wears a black tunic and cloak. He is never without the bright steel longsword with the star opal in the pommel or the circular heavy steel shield.
General Race: Human Gender: Male Classes: Crusader 4
Age: 32 Height: 6' Weight: 175lb Hair: Black Eyes: Brown
Stances Martial Spirit allies within 30' heal 2 points whenever they make a successful melee attack Iron Guard's Glare enemies Uther threatens take a -4 penalty to attacks against his allies
Maneuvers
6 Known, 5 Readied, (action type), Readied Maneuvers Underlined 1 Crusader's Strike (standard) a successful attack on an enemy heals someone within 10' 1d6+4hp 1 Vanguard Strike (standard) a successful attack gives all allies a +4 bonus on attacks until the start of Uther's next turn 1 Lead the Attack (standard) a successful attack gives all allies a +4 morale bonus on attacks until the start of Uther's next turn 2 Foehammer (standard) a successful attack ignores DR and does an extra 2d6 damage 2 Mountain Hammer (standard) a successful attack ignores DR and hardness and does 2d6 extra damage 1 Charging Minotaur (full round) charge without drawing AoO's, bull rush, and do 3d6+4 bludgeoning damage
Background Uther's ancestors were warrior slaves for the First who taught them methods of leadership that transcended motivation and tactics to make more of the troops they led. After the cataclysm the greatest of these secrets were lost, but the men of Uther's line maintained some of their skill. For generation after generation the crusader's techniques allowed them to survive. It was Uther's father, Uther, who brought the family out of the wilderness to Zurdan. The patriarch became a war captain for the city.
Uther and his brother Medran were boys when they came to Zurdan. Their father taught them fencing and tactics. He told the mythologized, half-remembered stories of ancient battles that had been passed down for 20 generations. When Uther was chosen by Kel'un as a bodyguard he was given the chance to learn the manipulative arts of the councel chamber. Uther came to understand that Kel'un's hardness was necessary to keep Zurdan from being overrun. Uther remembered life in the wilderness from his childhood so he understands the stakes.
Since the cataclysm only one man from each generation of his family survives to bear a son of his own. Uther's brother has a fat, silly wife who has already given him two daughters. The wisewomen say that she is pregnant with a son. Now Uther believes that his days are numbered. Maintaining the power of a hardhearted ruler of a hardhearted city does not seem like enough to live or die for. Uther wants more than survival.
Equipment On Body black tunic (cold weather outfit), black cloak, heavy black boots, +1 Longsword, Masterwork Heavy Steel Shield, spiked gauntlet, quiver of 5 javelins, backpack
Heavy Warhorse light chain barding, saddlebags, military saddle, bit and bridle, 10 days rations, waterskin, bedroll, crowbar, shovel, 8 torches, whetstone
Belt Pouch 24gp
Mount Brute Heavy Warhorse 4d8+12 30HP 30RP 50' move
AC18 Flat17 Touch10 Fort +7 Refl +5 Will +2
Full Attack: Hoof, Hoof, Bite
Hoof +6 1d6+4
Bite +1 1d4+2
*Speaks in this color*
Last edited by lawful_stupid; 11th March 2009 at 09:57 AM..
Weapon Aptitude: change Focus from any weapon to any other (to Lance from Light Pick)
Stances: Hunters Sense - Gain Scent ability
Island of blades - As long as any 2+ allies threaten an enemy, its considered flanked. (default)
Punishing Stance - -2 AC for +1d6 dmg
Manuevers Readied: (SS 4/WB 3) Burning Blade +1d6+3 fire dmg
Distracting Ember summon small fire elemental to help flank
Shadow Blade Technique 2 attack rolls, take lower for +1d6 cold dmg
Fiery Riposte 4d6 fire touch attack counter Battle Leaders Charge - +10 charge dmg, no AoO
Steel Strike attack 2 targets in reach
Sapphire Nightmare Blade target FF & +1d6 dmg with con check vs AC
Height: 5'6" Weight: 130lbs. Eyes: Black Hair: Long Black Skin: Darkly Tanned
This enigmatic rider's appearance leaves everything to the imagination. The full robes look designed to conserve as much body heat and moisture as possible, for survival in the harshest of climates. Dirt brown gloves vanish up into the large sleeves as do similarly colored boots into the lower end of the garment. The deep hood further camoflages this nomads features that are already wrapped in in a thin scarf that completely hides the riders face except for the narrowest of slits for the eyes. No banner or pennon flies from the lance carried with expert ease, and the massively curved blade hanging at the hip looks just as lethal as those stone black eyes. The way Ko'Dan moves exudes a powerful confidence whether on horseback or on foot, and a gravely rasp of a voice could send chills down the spine of a man dying of thirst.
Shashek, the riders other half was once a magnificent black stallion, but his prime is far behind him now. His coat no longer shines, but has taken on a dull matte look that is spattered with mud. But he is well fed, and his saddle and shoes are well cared for, if more than a little dirty. The steed wears a strange set of what can only be describes as greaves that cover the lower part of his legs in steel plates. Tufts of fur and clay beads ring the tops of these shoes and they cover all the way down to a ring of alarming spikes that encircle the bottom of each hoof. These look very old, and may or may not have some purpose besides the obvious intimidation factor.
Background
The Dahut'lan people hid from the Masters in the deepest reaches of the desert. Thier horses became thier lives and the only way to escape the certain death of the sandstorms and vile maichinations that prowled the sands with them.
After an age, fire became an ally to the Dahut'lan that could be summoned to enhance the destructive fury of thier weapons, or be called to revenge any assault against these desert people. The leaders horse could always travel the sands far easier than any of the others, though they all wore similar plated leg guards as a sort of crest of thier heritage. The family became lean and fierce and harder than any handful of coffin nails, as did the horses that carried them over the shifting sands.
The Endless Storm
The sandstorms started coming closer together during the last dry season. A strange voice on the wind made the horses skittish like nothing before, and several of the young foles broke loose charging strait into the blasting sand. Many of the strongest men decided to go after them, never to be seen again either. As the sun rose, the sand was still savaging the landscape, and now the number of hunters was half what it was. During one of the brief calms the decision was made to head south to the mountains in search of some kind of shelter from the sands they had called home for over a dozen generations. Even as the Dahut'lan people turned their black mounts south, the sand started to churn on the northern horizon again with a growl deep inside it that promised to swallow any that it could catch. So what could we do? We ran. Through night and day without rest we charged for the safety of stone. As we spread out to cross the dunes, the storm closed on us again and again taking a few each time. Tearing them horses and all from the very ground, the storm devoured them in seconds before even thier scream could die in the raging winds.
As we topped the last shifting mound only a handful of us were left. Something of the masters had obviously found our clan after 400 years, but as the hooves of our trusted steeds struck stone, the storm seemed to howl in frustration as it turned back to our endless desert.
__________________ Its so hard to have a good time, even smiling makes my face ache. - Dr. Frank N. Fuhrter, Rocky Horror Picture Show
____________________
MyGames
Living Eberron Rohna lvl 4 OOC RGIC
Scotley's ToH - Ballista lvl 9 IC
HellrazorIII's Death of the Dragons - Grabhar Goldenwing lvl 5 (Gestalt) RGIC
Dr. Simons B5 Outrageous Fortunne - Croft Callo lvl 2 ICOOC
Dragonwriter's Music Inspired Insanity - Platinus lvl 3 OOCRGIC
Last edited by Vertexx69; 11th March 2009 at 06:15 PM..
Reason: NOW with reader friendly formatting!
Crap. I was in DM/storytelling mode and didn't double check all the costs for Durge. No, 3500 is starting gold.
Re: Mounted Stances.
I think it will depend on the stance itself. Something like White Raven's Bolstering Stance would work. You're basically encouraging and cajoling your allies with your voice. Shadow Hands Child of Shadow stance would not work. The idea is wonky; you have concealment because of swirling shadows, but your mount is in plain sight. So, case by case.
Without checking first, I don't think the Stone Dragon stances will work while mounted.
Mounted Combat is a viable option.
---------
May I make a deal with you? I think there's a feat out there called Short Haft or something that lets you attack with a Glaive or other reach polearm within your adjacent squares. If there isn't I'll make one up. I loathe the spiked chain. I think it's the cheesiest weapon in the game, and don't feel it fits in with this setting.
So I'll let you spend a feat you would have anyway and get the same effect, but with a different weapon. How does that sound?
If you'll let me substitute the lance into one of the swordsage weapon groups, I'd be more than happy to replace the chain Its just having weapon focus for a weapon I'm not using seems like a waste.
The 2 stances I will be taking are:
Step of the Wind - No penalty in difficult terrain + bonus against enemies
Island of blades - As long as any 2+ threaten an enemy, they all get flank.
Can I use the half charge rule? Where we can charge as a standard action, but only up to 1X speed? Or do I need to waste 2000g to get the boots of the battlecharger in order to do it?
__________________ Its so hard to have a good time, even smiling makes my face ache. - Dr. Frank N. Fuhrter, Rocky Horror Picture Show
____________________
MyGames
Living Eberron Rohna lvl 4 OOC RGIC
Scotley's ToH - Ballista lvl 9 IC
HellrazorIII's Death of the Dragons - Grabhar Goldenwing lvl 5 (Gestalt) RGIC
Dr. Simons B5 Outrageous Fortunne - Croft Callo lvl 2 ICOOC
Dragonwriter's Music Inspired Insanity - Platinus lvl 3 OOCRGIC
I don't think the lance fits thematically in any of the Swordsages disciplines. I will add the longspear to the Desert Wind as a compromise. It's a reach weapon that would be appropriate for a mounted character and Desert Wind already has the spear so I think it could fit there without stretching the imagination too much.
Step of the Wind will not work while mounted. It's about your movement abilities, not your mounts.
Island of Blades will work mounted.
Where is the half-charge rule from? I'm not familiar with that. Also, don't count on being able to find any magic item that you want to buy. I'm referring to in-game, not the one you buy in character creation. There's no magic shops. Anywhere. If there happens to be a Spellcaster in the city he or she doesn't know how to enchant weapons or create magic items. They are all relics from the Masters war.
The magic item each character has was either found in the unexplored ruin of a city, handed down as a family heirloom, or stripped off the dead body of someone you killed. Or you saw someone in a fight, waited till one of them was dead and ambushed the survivor, taking it off his corpse.
What I'm trying to say is that your magic item is not a waste of money, whatever it is. It's something that if someone knew you had it, and thought they stood a fair chance of killing you, they would probably try and do you in.
Think of it this way. You're 4th level. The highest level you will reach is 6th. You're almost in the top third of the most powerful people in the world and you only have one magic item. Think about how important that item would be to a character. Whatever it does it gives them an edge, an increased chance for survival. And for many people that's the only thing that matters.
__________________ Its so hard to have a good time, even smiling makes my face ache. - Dr. Frank N. Fuhrter, Rocky Horror Picture Show
____________________
MyGames
Living Eberron Rohna lvl 4 OOC RGIC
Scotley's ToH - Ballista lvl 9 IC
HellrazorIII's Death of the Dragons - Grabhar Goldenwing lvl 5 (Gestalt) RGIC
Dr. Simons B5 Outrageous Fortunne - Croft Callo lvl 2 ICOOC
Dragonwriter's Music Inspired Insanity - Platinus lvl 3 OOCRGIC
There is a feat called Cometary Collision in PHB II, but it doesn't do the same thing as the boots of battle charging. The feat lets you ready a standard action to charge an enemy that charges you or someone else.
Then what do you think about Vanguard Tread horseshoes?
__________________ Its so hard to have a good time, even smiling makes my face ache. - Dr. Frank N. Fuhrter, Rocky Horror Picture Show
____________________
MyGames
Living Eberron Rohna lvl 4 OOC RGIC
Scotley's ToH - Ballista lvl 9 IC
HellrazorIII's Death of the Dragons - Grabhar Goldenwing lvl 5 (Gestalt) RGIC
Dr. Simons B5 Outrageous Fortunne - Croft Callo lvl 2 ICOOC
Dragonwriter's Music Inspired Insanity - Platinus lvl 3 OOCRGIC
Appearance
Standing at just over 5 feet tall, and less scrany than your average military recruit. Fresh military recruit that is. Kaze isn't exactly one of the most handsome, nor outspoken human where he lives. Even with his piercing sapphire eyes, and deathly short blond locks. He does have the tendency to have bouts of holding a silvered tongue, but not as often as he does spouting off various tangents about seemingly endless theories about how the beings from outer planes continue to exist without their damned overlords.
His attire is something of a simplistic, almost tossed together managerie of colors, and styles. One piece, his shirt, is a vibrant red, whilst that which sits below is a pair of black-ink pants laying over top of a pair of some strange colored shoes. He doesn't seem to mind that he looks like he got dressed before the crack of dawn.
Basics Race: Human Gender: Male Class: Spellcaster 4
Age: 20 Height: 6' Weight 130lb Hair: Blond Eyes: Blue
History
Even from a young age Kaze scavenged for any knowledge he could, from perhaps even the most questionable sources. Many times he's come close to selling his soul out to various creatures of the abyss to deals which would only benefit them--each time he's narrowly avoided the temptation. Each time though, he lost a bit of his soul to the underworld, to where he stood now with an almost adamant stance that he was going to become one of them when he died. Though with the slow degrading worth of his soul, a new power arose to take its place. At first it was nothing more than short spurts of nothing more than lights, understanding odd texts at the wrong period of time, and knowing what way was the predetermined "north." All but useless.
That is until he found himself able to tap into more. As his understanding grew of what he could tap into, so too did his understanding of what he held in his grasp. Although currently he has a full understanding of what he can currently do, namely able to temporarily hop into an alternate plane for some hours of uninterrupted slumber, he also understands now that more of what he knows lies out there. The hunger to know more, to understand, to know it all, in spite of his own life.
*Talks with this*
Last edited by SephBaelzara; 16th March 2009 at 03:23 AM..
Appearance Kareus is a tall, handsome, clean shaven male of about six foot in height and an athletic build. He has short cropped brown hair and steel grey eyes. He is dressed in plain traveller’s clothing and a dark blue cloak around his shoulders. He carries two ornate short blades at his side and several throwing daggers looped between his shoulder and torso on a dagger belt.
General Race: Human Gender: Male Classes: Rogue (3rd) & Warblade (1st)
Age: 20 Height: 6”0 Weight: 160lb Hair: Brown Eyes: Grey
STR: 16 DEX: 16 CON: 14 INT: 14 WIS: 12 CHA: 12
Defenses & Saves HP: 29 RP: 29
AC: 20 Touch: 20 Flat Footed: 10
Fort: +5 Reflex: +8 Will: +2 or +9 (Moment of Perfect mind)
* First round of combat (Rapid Assault): +1d6 to damage. * Using Punishing Stance: +1d6 to damage. * Using Sapphire Nightmare Blade: +1d6 to damage (opponent flat footed). * Flanking: +2d6 to damage.
Manoeuvres: Moment of Perfect Mind: Uses Concentration check in place of Will save. Sapphire Nightmare Blade: Opponent flat footed, +1d6 damage with Concentration check. Wolf Fang Strike: Attack with 2 weapons as a standard action at a single target.
Background I have seen them wither and die. It is horrific if you can see the picture as an outsider as I have always been. Their entire lives, they dug in the mud from dawn to dusk. They battled the harsh sun, the cold rains and winds. They pleaded with the seasons and elements to have compassion. What little the farm would eventually yield, was then stripped by the baron’s tax collector. And what was their gain? Few precious moments of joy. A lifetime of agony.
My mother, undernourished, died from the fever-plague when I was eight. My father was hung for poaching during the year of the great famine before my fifteenth summer. My brothers enlisted into the baron’s ranks. The very same baron that had our father hung. My sister ploughs the wharves of Kishan nightly, hoping to earn a few coppers from passing sailors.
As for me. Being the youngest of four siblings, I packed what little belongings I had and joined a trading vessel as their youngest sailor. The captain and crew were harsh and unforgiving men. It had been the most arduous year of my life. Fate finally showed its hand when Finn was hauled on board, unconscious after been marooned at sea for eight days. Don’t even entertain the idea that the captain was acting out of benevolence. Finn was hauled because of the expensive Ophirian clothes that cloaked him. If not for the cryptic map that was found on his body, he would of been thrown right back.
It was my duty to nurse Finn back to health. In those three weeks, I had found the father I needed. Finn pretended to endure his mental sickness until we sighted the coast of Tyria. That night, Finn dispatched the night guard, and rowed with me to shore. We travelled north for a month towards the capital city, Ulrich. It was during that month that my training in true survival began. I do not wish to bore you, but let us just say that Finn was a master, nay a sage in the arts of subterfuge and fairly good with the blade.
It was in Ulrich that Finn introduced me to the true warrior Kareus his partner; the very same person who’s name I carry. It was there that I lived with the two thieves. And I mean lived! I could never go back to being the farm boy I had once been. Life was a fleshpot to be torn into. It was during those four years that I had grown sharp canines to taste the rich marrow of life for those who dare.
Our days of camaraderie came to a bitter end when we were betrayed to the watch by a fellow rogue, Janis, may his name be cursed. Kareus and Finn were too drunk to offer any resistance when they were arrested at the inn of the Falling Sun. They had met their end after being tortured for two days and hung in the public square for all to see. I got to their belongings before the king’s men did. I have donned Kareus’ blades and name, and Finns enchanted hat. I escaped Ulrich that night until it will be safe to return one day, for I have a score of blood yet to settle.
It has been a mere week since I have seen the other side of the Tyrian border. I have avoided human contact the entire time and I long for a warm meal and bath and some companionship. There is a small village up ahead. If luck favours, they will have all that I need. I have learned much since I met Finn and Kareus. But the most important lesson of all: it is for me, and me alone, to make my own luck...
Equipement On Body: Explorer’s outfit, healing medallion, MW boots (move silently), MW cloak (hide), 2x MW short swords, 5x throwing Daggers, MW repeating heavy crossbow (10 bolts), small backpack.
In small backpack: Everburning torch, MW climbing kit, MW thieves tools, silk rope, crowbar, antitoxin, belt pouch
![[E6] Adventure in the Swordlands [OOC]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/iconimages/talking-talk/e6-adventure-swordlands-ooc_ltr.gif)
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