Rodeh Minehelm, Dwarf Warden
"You want some of him? Heh, you'll have to go through me first, lass."
Rodeh comes from the Minehelm clan, enslaved by giants and sold into slavery for the sport of it. Coming from the "civilized" portion of the giants (as if there were any, according to Rodeh), he would be guaranteed his freedom if he could survive. Granted, they never said how long he must survive...
In the arena, Rodeh is a loud-mouth, often taunting his opponents and swearing in the lavishly popular dwarven tongue. He often even makes up his own swear words, which usually consists of the enemies mother, feces, and a giant hammer.
[sblock=Background]"I just want to go home." Rodeh sighs heavily as he topples down, exhausted from yet another fight in the gladiator's arena. Excelling as he has in the fighting for several years now, the loud-mouthed arena fighter is quiet when in the confines of the Resting Chamber, and quieter still when alone. Setting his large shield down on the blood-covered stone, he notices a small gash in his forearm. Grumbling, whispers magic at his leather armor and it immediately vanishes, exposing some cloth wraps that have been disinfected with great care. Rodeh covers the small wound the strip of cloth gently and stands.
He is stout, even by dwarven standards. Overwhelming strength has always been his one good physical trait, and fighting as long has he has brought about more wisdom than most who wield a sword. But it is his spirit that makes Rodeh stand out among the gladiators. The stout dwarf joined the coliseum shortly before The Great Riot broke out, in which a few prisoners overpowered the guards and stole a key. In a desperate attempt to break out, the gladiators were met with sheer brutality, but it didn't stop with those who attempted to break out. All of the gladiators were beaten so severely that most of the entire season was postponed. Rodeh was sure that it wasn't for his unyielding endurance, he wouldn't have survived.
The two friends he was able to make in that short time were among those slaughtered. Since those riots, he vowed that he would protect those that he called friends to his death, which didn't seem to come easily to him.
Rodeh reached up and touched the top of his forehead with his finger, tracing the large scar that ran from there all the way to his chin, barely missing his eyes and severing his lips. Were it not for the help of an apprentice healer, he would have barely been able to talk or eat, but the scar still remains.
"Ol' Split Lip, dat's what they call me," Rodeh managed with a half-smile. Thinking of home once more, he touched his sword, strong and bloodied hand tracing the runes dancing along the edge. The weapon reminded him of his Family Blade, Amma, meaing Servant. Forged by his ancestors in the wild and mountainous homeland his clan called "Ge'shan," this blade was passed down for many generations in his family, even when the Minehelm clan was enslaved by the Giants. Infused with “dwarven magic” as his father called it, the blade shot out to protect friends and allies in their times of desperate need. As part of their sport (or pleasure, Rodeh couldn't know), the slavedrivers sold Rodeh to the arena, and he was never able to hear the legends of it again. Rodeh hoped to not have to settle for a replica once he earned his freedom and could go back to the clan.
The Clan. His family, his home. Rodeh could only guess what happened to them after he was gone, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out that the Giants would try to keep them as slaves for a very long time. Rodeh spit on the earth every day for these many years, vowing to rid himself and his friends of the bonds that bound him here, and then free his family from the cluthes of the giants. Together they would continue to Ge’shan and rebuild their homeland, firing up the blacksmith’s furnace once more.
A sharp pain radiates from the bottom of his skull and down throughout his chest, landing squarely in the pit of his stomach. Rodeh grunts heavily and begins the process of the silently begins his knees to allow himself up. It was the damn Rat again. Although Roden didn’t know exactly what was causing this pain, he could comprehend a few things about it. One was that it had to be a Rat, because it kept gnawing at him, and annoyed him when he least expected it. The other was that he hated it. Hated the pain of feeling the Rat’s pain, hated the bond the malicious warlock Jornilei (also a Master of the Arena) placed between them.
Finally making it to his feet, Rodeh slowly trudges the hundred or so feet down to the small window at the opposite edge of the Resting Chamber. The pit in his stomach growing larger and more painful, he peers out across the Arena floor, where hundreds have died at the expense of his own sins, and into the Holding Chamber. Magically covered by darkness even Rodeh could not see through, Rodeh hears a loud roar of pain as his stomach crescendos in response. Wincing through the almost unbearable pain, Roden makes one more promise;
“Whatever you are, I will stop what is harming you. You are not a friend by choice, but perhaps will be a friend by chance.”
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[sblock=Levels]Brief map of history as it relates to character levels.
Level 1 - Scuffled with other dwarves during early parts of captivity because of his strong sense of family and protection.
Level 2 - Participated in a mini "faction-war" between the dwarven slaves, which lasted two days before the Giants were able to put it down.
Level 3 - Organized revolt against Giants, but was swiftly put down. Tortured for seven days and survived. Giants realized his potential in arena.
Level 4 - Sold to arena masters with intent of making money. Wins match after match.
Level 5 - Participated in the organized uprising by holding back some guards and protecting his friends from the brutal beatings.
Level 6 - Survives uprising and throws himself into arena combat with renewed disgust and strength. Looking for a way out. [/sblock]
[sblock=Description] Rodeh is a stout dwarf with large, strong arms and a chest that he can balance two mugs of stout on. Known far and wide for his incredible strength, muscles ripple up and down both is legs and arms. A scar runs from the top middle of his forehead and down in between his nose and left eye, ending just below the lower lip. This scar was given to him by a guard during the uprising of the arena. Rodeh carries a large, heavy shield to protect himself and his allies, and also a longsword that reminds him of Amma, his Family Blade. He wears tough leather boots that strap to his shins, and frayed leather pants. His armor consists of his summoned leather armor. Below that, Rodeh carries heavily sanitized cloth bandages to cover the wounds he receives during battle.
Rodeh is a very gentle soul, outside of the arena. Quiet and soft spoken, he quickly can come to the defense of his friends and allies, realizing that they are the ones who will keep him alive as well. He chats when needed but not much more. Always aware of his surroundings, Rodeh never misses anything but forgets most as not important.
During arena combat, however, Rodeh becomes a loudmouthed little behemoth, taunting insults and hurling profanities that sometimes only he can understand.
In the Arena:
When Rodeh wishes, once per day, he is able to assume the Form of Winter Herald, increasing his defensives and giving him a frightening visage to his foes. His body becomes like icicles and his skin hardens and looks as though it is freezing, turning a deep blue. His eyes glaze over and blaze blue fire, and his voice thunders like an echo off a glacier. [/sblock]
[sblock=Character Sheet]====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Rodeh Minehelm, level 6
Dwarf, Warden
Guardian Might: Earthstrength
Background: Dwarf - Ancestral Home Lost (+2 to Perception)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 19, Con 16, Dex 10, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 18, Con 14, Dex 10, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 8.
AC: 22 Fort: 18 Reflex: 15 Will: 16
HP: 73 Surges: 12 Surge Value: 18
TRAINED SKILLS
Nature +10, Endurance +11, Athletics +10, Perception +12
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +1, Arcana +3, Bluff +2, Diplomacy +2, Dungeoneering +7, Heal +5, History +3, Insight +5, Intimidate +2, Religion +3, Stealth +1, Streetwise +2, Thievery +1
FEATS
Level 1: Toughness
Level 2: Sudden Roots
Level 4: Against All Odds
Level 6: Improved Initiative
Feat User Choice: Mounted Combat
Feat User Choice: Weapon Expertise (Heavy Blade)
POWERS
Warden at-will 1: Thorn Strike
Warden at-will 1: Weight of Earth
Warden encounter 1: Thunder Ram Assault
Warden daily 1: Form of Winter's Herald
Warden utility 2: Nature's Abundance
Warden encounter 3: Earthgrasp Strike
Warden daily 5: Hail of Thorns
Warden utility 6: Mighty Sprint
ITEMS
Defensive Longsword +2, Summoned Leather Armor +2, Cold Iron Shield Heavy Shield (heroic tier)
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[sblock=On Things Gladiatorial] Although his motives are pure, Rodeh fights on in the hopes that one day, someone he protects with his shield will help him break free from the Arena. Taking the road of "make friends, drink with everyone" mantra, Rodeh protects all those assigned to him in hopes of developing friendships that will last beyond the barred cell his sleeps in at night.
If Rodeh were freed, he would attempt to break his clan out from the giants clutches so they can return to their homeland and rid it of the drow. He would, however, be indebted to those who helped him and would gladly adventure with them on whatever quest they needed to complete. He would also love to see the fabled blade Amma, wherever it might be.
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[sblock=On The Gladiators]In character comments on the other PCs.
Caged Fury: Curious, he wears less armor than me, but fights like his namesake. I'll bet he'sa drinker.
Bargr: Don't know much about him ... yet.
Q'ynn: Doesn't talk much, but fights with vengeance.
Atrius: A bit flashy for a lass, but means well..
The Scholar: A character and a half, but needs some meat on 'eis bones.
Kadaj: Can't say for sure about 'im yet.
Following: Crafty and small. May have been alive once. Keep eyes out on this guy, but better a dagger be in my enemy's back than mine.
Pirx: Amazing, a goblin with a bow. Sheer madness.
Vecnite: Fancy with a sword, loose with the tongue. Be wary little gith.
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