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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Greybar" data-source="post: 725326" data-attributes="member: 4938">pushing the time limit...Greybar vs. Drunken MasterConstraints:NPC Levels: 7, 11, 14, 17NPC Race: DwarfIngredients:- Elephant Rider(s)- Fragmented Forge- Growth Formula- Honor of the Princess- Icebound Cutter- Jade WyrmGrinthal was a grim dwarf in a race that prides itself on stoicism.  As a Warder, he was sworn to defending the southern approaches of the kingdom.  The border had always been a tense one, where the elven hosts claimed all land shadowed by tree, and the dwarves all land rising from the hills into the mountain.  A region of hearty pine woods fell within both prideful definitions, as well as a clear, deep lake known as the Mountain's Tears.  This lake rose from a stony basin, and few trees dipped their roots in its waters.  Here the dwarves had carved stairs, benches, and statuary of queens and their attendants. It was their tradition that the waters here were blessed, coming from streams fed by the snow melting on the topmost reaches of the mountain.When a dwarvish girl reaches her 50th mid-winter, she is considered to come of age and be marriageable.  When a royal princess reaches this age it is a time for celebration.  As a sign that she is strong and healthy enough to bear royal children, she walks naked from the main gate of the mountain halls to the  stairs of the Mountain's Tears and bathes herself.  There are many portents associated with this ritual, including whether she must break ice upon the surface of the lake.  She is accompanied only by her female attendants.During this time it is the charge of Warders such as Grinthal to keep the area of the lake secure, and yet to never cast their eyes such that they might see the princess.  When the king's youngest daughter reached her age of womanhood, Grinthal was among those carefully patrolling the woods for anything that might disrupt the ceremony.  What he and the other Warders failed to find was a young elvish bard who had become aware of the ceremony.  He was curious about the rumors about the elusive dwarvish women: Did they have beards?  Were they shaped like elvish women?  This and other more base motives drove him to sneak invisibly upon the ceremonial site.  When the noble girl came down to the crisp water's edge clad only in her long hair and surrounded by white-clad attendants, he called upon a Gust of Wind and blew the entire company about, tossing back her hair and revealing her naked form to him.  He was struck by her beauty, but before he might carry this potentially equalizing notion back to his fellow elves, he was also struck by one of Grinthal's crossbow bolts.  In a moment Grinthal was upon him, and with a few strokes of the Warder's axe the elf was dead.Grinthal stood in rage and shame over the body as the elf's blood ran down into the lake.  Not only had he failed to keep the elf away, but he could not help but have caught sight of the princess sprawled on the ground by the spell's force.  The honor of the princess had been his to protect, and he had failed her doubly.  He swore then that he would be sure that the elves paid the price for this until the princess's honor was restored by lawful marriage, which was not very likely given the inauspicious start of her womanhood.  Over the next year he earned the name of "the Elfcutter" as he laid out the people of the elves as saplings before the woodsman's axe.Grinthal the Elfcutter, male dwarf Ftr4/Rgr3 CR 7; Medium-size Humanoid (dwarf); HD 4d10+12+3d10+9; hp 61; Init +2; Spd 20 ft; AC 16 (+4 chain shirt, +2 Dex); Melee +1 Urgosh +9/+4 (1d8+5/crit x3) and +8 (1d6+4/crit x3); Ranged +1 heavy crossbow +10 (1d10+1/crit 19-20); SA favored enemy (elf); SQ dwarven traits; AL LN; SV Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +3; Str 15, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 6.Skills and Feats: Climb+8, Hide+4, Jump+6, Listen+3, Move Silently+4, Spot+7, Swim+0, Wilderness Lore+5; Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Urgosh), Weapon Focus(Urgosh),Power Attack, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Specialization (Urgosh), [Ambidexterity],[Two-Weapon Fighting],[Track]Equipment:+1 Dwarven Urgosh (axe-head +1, spear-head masterwork), mithril chain shirt, +1 heavy crossbow,Potion of Invisibility,Potion of Cure Moderate WoundsGrinthal cast himself from dwarvish society and began his personal war upon the elves.  He was not the only dwarf so moved to anger by this and other affronts, both real and imagined, that the elves had dealt to the proud people of the mountain.  In time he was met in the woods by a dwarf of similar mind who told him of a band gathered for a similar purpose: the Brothers of the Fragmented Forge.  Grinthal never had been a "joiner" in life, preferring to keep his own silent company, and his grim nature had kept him from making too many friends outside of the Warders.  But the Brothers shared his purpose, and proved to be a good place to gather supplies and share the spoils of their battle.  In the Keep of the Fragmented Forge he found a mighty crafter.  Plying him with promises and bloody elf-gold he had his Urgosh rededicated into a weapon in keeping with his own spirit - cold and sharp.  The axe blade was perpentually rimed with frost, the spear head made sharper, and both were quenched in the blood of the elves.  Grinthal named it in keeping with his own epithet, and it became the Icebound Cutter.Grinthal the Elfcutter, male dwarf Ftr8/Rgr3 CR 11; Medium-size Humanoid (dwarf); HD 8d10+24+3d10+9; hp 97; Init +2; Spd 20 ft; AC 19 (+5 chainmail, +4 Dex); Melee +1 Urgosh +13/+8/+3 (1d8+6/crit 19-20/x3 and 1d6 cold) and +13/+8 (1d6+4/crit 19-20/x3); Ranged +1 heavy crossbow +10 (1d10+1/crit 19-20); SA favored enemy (elf); SQ dwarven traits; AL LN; SV Fort +12, Ref +9, Will +4; Str 16, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 6.Skills and Feats: Climb+11, Hide+6, Jump+9, Listen+4, Move Silently+6, Spot+7, Swim+2, Wilderness Lore+5; Alertness, Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Urgosh), Weapon Focus(Urgosh), Power Attack, Cleave, Sunder, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Specialization (Urgosh), Improved Critical (Urgosh), [Ambidexterity],[Two-Weapon Fighting],[Improved Two-Weapon Fighting],[Track]Equipment:The Icebound Cutter (Urgosh: +1 frost axehead, +1 spearhead), mithril chainmail*, +1 heavy crossbow,Gloves of Dexterity +4,Potion of Invisibility,Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds* (never call it "elven chain" in Grinthal's hearing)Grinthal's cold nature soon put him at odds with his own brethren, so he moved south along the borders of the elven kingdom, leaving a trail of dead elves behind him.  The land became unfamiliar.  It was warmer and the temperate pines gave way to grand trees with tangled underbrush.  Here he came upon the southern-most reaches of the elvish kingdom, and an enemy that greatly challenged him for the first time in years.  The elves had domesticated huge beasts of the nearby savannah, and used them as great steeds protecting their commerces with nearby lands.  Grinthal could not help but want to bring down these Elephant Riders.  But his strength was in hand-to-hand combat, and it was difficult to get at the elephant riders on their huge mounts.Grinthal grew frustrated at his lack of success raiding the elvish trading lines, and became actively hunted by the Elephant Riders.  His reputation had caught up with him, and the elvish captains wished to take his head in proof of their prowess.  Grinthal was driven back into swampy land where the heavy-footed elephants could not follow.  It was here, fighting off a squad of elvish scouts sent in by foot, that Grinthal was approached by a representative of The Jade Wyrm.He presented himself as a human with contacts sorcerous and powerful.  Grinthal had never paid much attention to the bards and any tales of beings neither dwarf nor elf.  If it occured to him that true humans did not have strange eye-membranes or silibant long tongues, perhaps he simply ignored it.  His gruff nature had never led him to understand the motives of others or to strike good bargains.  In exchange for working with them against the elves as a mercenary, they would imbue him with a magical Growth Formula, giving him the heft and size to attack the elves on their mounts.  This gave him the power to grow to large size thrice a day, though he was exhausted afterwards.  The Jade Wyrm also help in continuing to enhance his urgosh, sharpening it to match his hatred.Grinthal the Elfcutter, male dwarf Ftr10/Rgr4 CR 14; Medium-size Humanoid (dwarf); HD 10d10+30+4d10+12; hp 120; Init +4; Spd 20 ft; AC 20 (+6 chainmail, +4 Dex); Melee +1 Urgosh +18/+13/+8 (1d8+7/crit 18-20/x3 and 1d6 cold) and +18/+13 (1d6+5/crit 19-20/x3); Ranged +1 heavy crossbow +19 (1d10+1/crit 19-20); SA favored enemy (elf); SQ dwarven traits; AL LN; SV Fort +14, Ref +10, Will +5; Str 21, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 6.Skills and Feats: Climb+15, Hide+8, Jump+13, Listen+4, Move Silently+8, Spot+7, Swim+4, Wilderness Lore+5; Alertness, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Urgosh), Weapon Focus(Urgosh), Power Attack, Cleave, Sunder, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Specialization (Urgosh), Improved Critical (Urgosh), [Ambidexterity],[Two-Weapon Fighting],[Improved Two-Weapon Fighting],[Track]Ranger Spells Prepared (1): 1-resist elements.Equipment:The Icebound Cutter (Urgosh: +1 keen frost axehead, +1 spearhead), +1 mithril chainmail, +1 heavy crossbow,Gloves of Dexterity +4,Belt of Giant Strength +4,Potion of Invisibility,Potion of Cure Serious WoundsGrowth Formula: Three times per day, Grinthal and all of his equipmcan grow to large size.  This lasts for as many rounds as he has levels.  After the end of that time he is fatigued for as many rounds as he was in the larger size.  He cannot invoke the growth power again while suffering from fatigue.  Notable changes: AC +1 (-1 size, +2 natural), Str +8, Dex -2, Con +4, Attack -1. Attack becomes: Melee +21/+16/+11 (2d6+11/crit 18-20/x3 and 1d6 cold) and +21/+16 (1d8+7/crit 19-20/x3).Grinthal served the Jade Wyrm for many years.  He was their blunt instrument, the lead element of their attacks on the elves.  Their spellcasters would fortify him with spells and led him led the charge, while their people tread more cautiously.  As their control of him became more confident their human disguise grew thinner and thinner, and Grinthal saw their reptilian heritage for what it was.  Eventually Grinthal realized that he was being used and turned upon his once-allies.  He came to distrust all other living things, being secure only in his own grinding and relentless desire for vengance.Grinthal the Elfcutter, male dwarf Ftr12/Rgr5 CR 17; Medium-size Humanoid (dwarf); HD 12d10+36+5d10+15; hp 144; Init +4; Spd 20 ft; AC 23 (+8 chainmail, +5 Dex); Melee +3 Urgosh +23/+18/+13/+8 (1d8+10/crit 18-20/x3 and 1d6 cold) and +21/+16 (1d6+6/crit 19-20/x3); Ranged +1 heavy crossbow +21 (1d10+1/crit 19-20 and 2d6+2 against elves); SA favored enemies (elf +2, monstrous humanoid +1); SQ dwarven traits; AL LN; SV Fort +15, Ref +11, Will +8; Str 22, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 6.Skills and Feats: Climb+17, Hide+8, Jump+15, Listen+6, Move Silently+9, Spot+9, Swim+4, Wilderness Lore+5; Alertness, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Urgosh), Weapon Focus(Urgosh), Power Attack, Cleave, Sunder, Great Cleave, Lightning Reflexes, Iron Will, Weapon Specialization (Urgosh), Improved Critical (Urgosh), [Ambidexterity],[Two-Weapon Fighting],[Improved Two-Weapon Fighting],[Track]Ranger Spells Prepared (1): 1-resist elements.Equipment:The Icebound Cutter (Urgosh: +3 keen frost axehead, +1 spearhead), +3 mithril chainmail, +1 elf-bane heavy crossbow,Gloves of Dexterity +6,Belt of Giant Strength +4,Potion of Invisibility,Potion of Cure Serious WoundsGrowth Formula: Three times per day, Grinthal and all of his equipmcan grow to large size.  This lasts for as many rounds as he has levels.  After the end of that time he is fatigued for as many rounds as he was in the larger size.  He cannot invoke the growth power again while suffering from fatigue.  Notable changes: AC +1 (-1 size, +2 natural), Str +8, Dex -2, Con +4, Attack -1. Attack becomes: Melee +3 Urgosh +26/+21/+16/+11 (2d6+14/crit 18-20/x3 and 1d6 cold) and +26/+21 (1d8+8/crit 19-20/x3)</blockquote>

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