This being my first post, I'll be plenty windy, with gobs of puffery, a smidgeon of analogy, and my favorite friends, satire and sarcasm; but whatever happens, run if I begin to use....irony.
I've been playing D&D since 1998 when a good ol' friend of mine, brother of my best friend, first introduced me to the game; he'd been playing since the late 80's I'd guess, and had played 0 ed, 1st and AD&D (but alas could never be convinced to play 3rd or 3.5); he DM'ed a modified Mystara campaign, centered in wonderful Karameikos, Kingdom of Adventure (ah, nostalgia...); I played in his campaign as an elven warrior, using the old kit; I played alongside 3 fellow nerds in arms for 2 years while working alongside them out at a summer camp; during nights, down at the nature center, he'd have in the back of the staff cabin the large, red fleece blanket-covered collection that even the most staunch, hardcore player had to give a few nods of respect to; my DM's collection was astounding, even by 3rd edition standards (with a new supplement, what is it now, every day? ; ) ); had the core set, racial guides to every race available, class guides etc., etc.... just a staggering quantiy of literature; and he knew it backward and forward, a true DM and player by mechanics; he wasn't quite so anal as to not fudge things here or there; he wasn't a rules lawyer either; but simply he knew his stuff; no digging through books, looking for a table or rule, for him, he let us do that, he had everything he needed; those two years, Galenraug (my elf warrior and source of my user name, coincidence....?), Brendellari (an elven thief), Strider (an elven ranger) and Kifkan (NOT an elf.... human wizard : ) ) had many misadventures around the fort-town of Threshold, repelling orc invasions, defeating undead, battling a red dragon....classic high-fantasy adventures based off an amalgum of AD&D modules and Mark's own deranged imagination. The red dragon was the last session I had with Mark, and have never since played with that group, the creators of Brendellari, Strider, and Kifkan (though we're still in touch, though now all in our twenties and in college, the medical profession, fine arts....alas); then, in 2000, with 3rd ed, I had the chance to pick up and run with the world that Mark had made (it's been some time since he's DM'ed, though I can cross my fingers); after conversion and what not, I had a pretty neat lil piece of Mystara to call my own; the campaign has occasionally branched out to the 5 Shires, Thyatis, Glantri, and the Atruaghin Lands, where allies and friends have called upon the party's services, but I'd say about 75% of the campaign has been in Karameikos).
The wondrous part of the campaign is its versatility (as I believe only Mystara could give, pleas WOTC, conversion!); it has a real Quentin Tarantino/Pulp Fiction feel to it; there's truly no main characters, with over 80 characters running around the world and multiverse that comprise this modified Mystara campaign; storylines aplenty, action, adventure, death, good and evil, love and betrayal, arch-rivals and arch-nemeses, machivillians and ancient, mysterious people and powers; the build-up, thanks to over 10 different DM's who've both played and DM'ed this campaign, has created a world with real weight and history to it; we've played through close to 30 years of time in Mystara; Stephen is old and preparing his successor, as well as hinting at a new framework of governance, in light of several convergant storylines, namely the formation of a people's legislative body and the emergence, thanks to Minrothad, of a system of guilds; this has given rise to a middle class, something unprepared for by the feudal monarchy and its petty lord-serf system; this contradiction of bodies in our campaign has made for some wonderful internal political struggles and incredible roleplaying (I've never seen such great roleplaying as in my group that I usually run with) the world has changed, the old ways of rule (much like the theological and political revolutions of the real world; I once had a buddy of mine walk in on a session and try to talk one of my friends down, who was screaming at me IC as her elf druid; we had a jolly laugh over that one), of the medieval atmosphere that defined most of Mystara and Karameikos, is shifting toward something else; anyhoo, this change is at the heart of much of the campaigning, the nature of change, that nothing stays the same, and that countries and their systems, much like the characters of the world, grow up, grow wiser and smarter, but also grow old and eventually pass on. Indeed, we're now to the point of actually playing as the children of some of our characters (fun indeed; "young man, if you don't behave and go to your room, I will get your epic-level father from his quest, and I promise you he will not be happy!!!)
The core of the campaign is Ronin. Andreas Ronin. A being blessed (or cursed) with immortality, he is an urza of sorts; delving into ancient technologies and advancing new ones, his isolated utopia housed technologies beyond the scope of almost any on the hollow world, even in our own world (though he actually acquired some of his technological prowess from us; his story is a long, tragic one); over the course of hundreds of years, he has slowly leaked his advancments, in not only technology but in all aspects, to the rest of the world; Andreas is in essence a great source of enlightenment (something he used later in the campaign to justify his continued existence to the PC's; without him, the world would still be in the dark ages); however, the rapid shift of roughly 400 years of technological advancment in about 100 years has created intense strife in the world (as talked about above); Mystara is suffering from jet-lag of sorts, and a lot of catching up to do must be done for the world to survive the advancements it has invariably adopted. The PC's have been at the forefront of this 'culture crisis' since achieving higher-end levels (mostly epic); as essentially the guardians of the nation of Karameikos, the party has formed a guildhouse of defenders and first-line protectors of the people and the interests of Karameikos; they took their name as those who are unconventional (when I post some of the adventures, you'll see what I mean), think outside the box, are revolutionary, rogues, non-conforming and dynamic individuals who together are an incredible fighting team; founded by the party and continued under King Stephen as his confidantes, they are the Mavericks (trumpets flair, hoorah!)
While the Maverick storyline, of this guild attempting to maintain and restore order and peace to a kingdom, could possibly be considered the central story, there are multiple branching storylines that go far, far away from this; some are even broader, with quests threatening the world and even the multiverse; some have just focused upon a single little hamlet in Karameikos; as a DM, its wonderful, because the setup lets me or any other DM hurl the party fullspeed in a dynamic new direction. The best thing about the campaign is its capacity to take in other campaign settings and openly incorporate and share with them; a total of at least 5 other worlds, built from the ground up, have been designed by other player/DM's in my group and incorporated both as independent campaign settings and as other ports of call/ sights of adventure for the higher-level characters who play superhero on a daily basis. I've taken campaign settings from people who have ended campaigns, never to use them again, and (with permission and credit where due) intermeshed and sometimes fully incorporated them into the campaign copy-and-paste style; it allows a great chance for continuity (voted by the group as number one for keeping an interesting campaign).
I'm just gonna post this one character for now; Valine Edwards, my old DM Mark's character, has a long, storied career; surviving the horror of Ravenloft, Valine is touched by the essence of wild magic; incredibly powerful, he has recently gone on to ascension and lower deityhood; he was (and to an extent via intermediaries, still is) the benefactor and sage for the main, Maverick party; he's become more recently relegated to a true NPC background character, though he still interacts directly with the high level epic char's (and the occasional mid and low-level char who needs humbled and his or her career put in perspective : D ); truly the 'Elminster' of the campaign. I realize the CR might be challenged, but for now I'm simply using the part of the Deities and Demigods book suggesting adding Divine Rank to total racial and char HD; not completely accurate, but suitable for this post; if anyone has a house rule, something I missed, or another, more accurate way of placing a CR for a char like this, plz feel free to share it. : )
On another note, I hope this doesn't cause a reflection upon this campaign as munchkin or all-epic; definitely more variety of char's to come; this is the top of the stack in the campaign, thought I'd save the best for first (also keeping in mind he's an NPC) : )
Valine Edwards, "Archmage of Dymrak"; Wiz32/Ftr10/Mart Mnk3, CR 51; medium outsider (half-elven, good) (6'4", 270 lbs); HD 32d4 (wiz) +10d10 (ftr) +3d8 (mart mnk) + ; hp 817; AL: NG; Init +14; BAB +29/24/19/14; Attacks: +52/47/42/37 melee Arbiter (2d6 +24 +2d6 holy, x3) or +43 ranged touch; AC 49 (+14 dexterity, +15 insight, +14 wisdom, +6 divine); Fort 44 Ref 42 Will 46; base speed 70 ft; Monk's Unarmed Strike (d6), Evasion, Still Mind, Flurry of Blows, Summon Familiar, Wizard Spells, Immortal, Divine Senses 6 miles, Greater Teleport at will, Planeshift at will, Autmatic Actions, SR 58, Fire Resistance 38, Deity Immunities, DR 15/epic
Str 38 Con 36 Dex 39 Int 50 Wis 38 Cha 41
Lesser Deity
Divine Rank: 6
Symbol: horizontal streak of blue lightning under a raven's head in profile
Portfolio: Knowledge, Magic, Justice, Good, Fate, Vigilance, Healing, Heroism
Domains: Justice, Magic, Healing, Travel
Favored Weapon: Greatsword
Cleric Allignments: NG, LG, N
Skills: Concentration +68, Craft (Armorsmith) +46, Craft (Bookbinding) +36, Craft (Bonecraft) +40, Craft (Bowmaking) +35, Craft (Sculpting) +26, Craft (Weaponsmith) +26, Craft (Woodcarving) +26, Knowledge (Arcana) +58, Knowledge (Architecture) +27, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +28, Knowledge (Karameikos Local) +27, Knowledge (Karameikos Royalty & Nobility) +28, Knowledge (Nature) +31, Knowledge (Planes) +28, Knowledge (Religion) +28, Knowledge (Undead) +27, Listen +35, Move Silently +40, Perform (Storytelling) +22, Perform (Dance) +32, Ride +20, Search +40, Spellcraft +115, Spot +30, Tumble +60
Wizard Spells/Day: : ) (coming soon)
Feats (19): Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Forge Ring, Craft Wand, Forge Staff, Craft Wondrous Item, Combat Expertise, Improved Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Monkey Grip, Craft Construct, Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Heighten Spell, Maximize Spell, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (Dimension Door), Deflect Arrows
Epic Feats (8): Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Wondrous Item, Multispell (2), Epic Spell-casting, Epic Reflexes, Wield Oversized Weapon, Exceptional Deflection
Divine Salient Abilities (9): Irresistable Blows (greatsword), Alter Reality, Improved SR, Avatar, Divine Spellcasting, Arcane Mastery, Craft Artifact, Divine Battle Mastery, Extra Domain (Travel)
Valine treats all natural 1's as a roll of 1 and not as criticial fumbles;
Signature Possessions: Arbiter (+7 ghost-touch sizing holy greatsword), Amulet of the Archmage of Dymrak (+10 NA, Spellcraft +40, Heavy Fortification, wearer can cast Mage's Lucubration 3/day)
*** In addition to his signature items, Valine is usually wearing a combination of magical items that provide a +12 magical enhancment bonus to all statistics (factored in here) as well as magical boosts to necessary skills and AC (not shown); he can make or acquire any magical item, even most artifacts, given enough time
History
Valine's mortal life as the Baron of Edwards, having conquered and usurped the treacherous Black Eagle Baron, is long behind him; so too are his trials in his youth, fighting the battle against inequity for his people and his family; his hometown was swallowed by the mists of Ravenloft, where Valine awakened his magical heritage and his latent powers that he would build in his wizard training; touched by Elven High Magic from his mother and forever carrying the magical scar and glowing dweomer-eye that would be his trademark, Valine survived the horrors of the Dread Realm, where he took a single companion, the stalwart warrior and ranger Strider Allandaros, with him into the uncertainty of the mists in a longboat, attempting to escape the fate of his people; the mists, in their own amusement, released the force mage and his friend into the material plane, and Mystara.
In Mystara, Valine and Strider arrived on the shores of the Dread Sea, taking up residence in the Barony of Vorloi; journeying to Specularum, Valine and Strider soon found favor in the court of King Stephen and his confidantes, fighting as soldiers for the crown; the mage warrior successfully launched crusades against the gnoll and goblin tribes in the Black Peaks, drove back the Wolf King and his bandits in Radlebb Forest, and secured safe passage between the lands south of the Blight Swamps and Riverfork Keep, turning away the lizardmen and other fell denizens residing therein. In their later battles, Valine and Strider befriended the wizard Kifkan, an academic of the Karameikan School of Magecraft. With his aid, Valine unveiled the corruption of the Black Eagle Barony, ruled by the King's own despotic brother; together, Valine, Kifkan, Strider and their allies laid siege to and usurped the Black Eagle, liberating the Shirelands to the west and the free people of south-western Karameikos from his wicked rule. The people unanimously placed Valine in an interrum position as Baron, and Stephen soon officially ordained him as Baron Valine Edwards of the Barony of Edwards.
Operating from behind the scenes, Valine soon established a rather illicit network with the underground factions and houses of Karameikos; Valine believed that the only true way to defeat evil was to use its own corruption and free-reigning tactics against it; to not be hindered by the law or dealings with certain parties, but to take the fight to the enemy as it did to the people of the Duchy. The enigmatic baron successfully combated and foiled myriad plots over the years by criminal syndicates such as the Iron Ring Slavers, the Black Hand, the Kingdom of Thieves, and the Veiled Society; his efforts staved the insurrections in the northern Cruth Mountains by the disiciples of Grumnsh and their tyrannical god-like leader, the Third Eye. Valine also first took in and supported the fledgeling Maverick guild in AC 1009, then just a ragtag group of mercenaries and swords-for-hire, and transformed it into the well-trained, respected royal fighting force it is today. Even from the beginning, Valine worked with and had a hand in raising and training some of the greatest heroes of the time in Karameikos.
In AC 1023, Valine took upon himself a perilous quest into the Abyss to retrieve the heart of chaos, a legendary artifact, from the hands of the Demon Prince Grazz't; upon successful completion of the quest, he certified himself as a favored one and chosen of the Archmage god, Boccob; as a chosen, Valine undertoook and led many alliances of other chosen and divine agents into battle against the cosmic forces of evil, of evil gods and the long forgotten primal entities stirring on the edge of the multiverse. Among these included the continuing depridations of the Blood War, the remergence of the dead god - turned hunefer Andrephaen, and the freeing of Grishnag, a righteous orc god sealed away by a coalition between Grumnsh and Nerull. It would be a pupil and errant warrior of Valine, Galenraug Celebram, who would eventually free Grishnag. Both directly and indirectly, Valine has had a major impact on or played a decisive role in innumerable significant events throughout the whole of Karameikos, Mystara, and many other worlds within the last half-century. In AC 1026, Valine, after a meeting with many of his trusted friends and allies to arrange a protective front against Ronin, collapsed to the floor and faded from existence; his mysterious disappearance threw his barony into turmoil, though a joint rule by loyal confidantes Strider and Brendellari as interrum barons was imposed for the time being. Unbeknownst to all, the soul of Valine was floating in the City of Bytopia, being mentored and trained by the intermediaries of Boccob for a great ordeal.
Beginning in AC 1027, Valine, granted a new, deathless shell, embarked upon a divine quest into the far reaches of the chaotic outer planes; there, he battled an evil simulacrum of a great hero from his own native Mystara, torn from an alternate plane created by the Day of Dread; after an incredible battle, Valine apparently destroyed the evil simulacrum; thus, he left his mortal form, entirely behind and absorbed a divine spark, ascending to godhood.
As a deity, Valine forsook the outer planes and instead chose the Material Plane as his home plane, so as to remain closer to those he loves and cherishes, and continue in the direct fight against corruption; though now more detached from the affairs of the material world and seeing to greater cosmic balance and the directing of his following, the 'watcher of Karameikos' is always watching and waiting to help in whatever way he can in the fight for good.
Appearance
Valine stands six feet four inches tall, with a commanding presence and a piercing stare; he makes no extreneous movements, never fidgets, and never blinks; his speaks with a powerful, gutteral brittanian accent; his right eye, sporting a thin, trailing scar starting above the browline and going through it and down to the barrel of the mouth, will sparkle if he becomes animated, and seethe with divine power if he is angered; his raven-black hair, streaked with slivers of gleaming white, hangs down to his shoulders, pulled back in a long braid; he carries the fine, almost fragile facial features of an elf, the high, pointed cheekbones and thin, upturned septum of the nose; the fey qualities end there, with Valine's broad, defined chin, wide neck and lean, heavily muscled build disappearing into the ever-changing constellation patterns of a white and black cloak, the night sky shifting across it unendingly; a broach of polished adamantine under Valine's chin holds a fist-sized sapphire, inlaid with mithril filigree to resemble a lightning bolt ripping horizontally across the sapphire's face, and is complimented by a detailed engraving of a raven's head in profile; the corded muscles of his upper arms tuck into two long white bracers of supple leather extending back to the elbows, ending in blue, mithril-plated gloves that always seem to crackle and pulsate with a cobalt luster, as though the magic in Valine is pouring from his hands; his flowing, blusterous pantaloons are wrapped with deep blue webbing and spill over the sides of his emmense black travelling boots, overlapping chitin plated grieves covering the ankles and the tops of the feet; he usually leans upon his massive, hiltless two-handed sword Arbiter as a staff, its fourteen inch wide and over five foot-long blade held in place by one powerful hand gripping the long handle, the large caged pommel gleaming like a lighthouse beacon; he may transform it to resemble a quarterstaff or some other less conspicous travel apparel when in hasty overland travel
Next Time: 'B-Team' and supporting cast
I've been playing D&D since 1998 when a good ol' friend of mine, brother of my best friend, first introduced me to the game; he'd been playing since the late 80's I'd guess, and had played 0 ed, 1st and AD&D (but alas could never be convinced to play 3rd or 3.5); he DM'ed a modified Mystara campaign, centered in wonderful Karameikos, Kingdom of Adventure (ah, nostalgia...); I played in his campaign as an elven warrior, using the old kit; I played alongside 3 fellow nerds in arms for 2 years while working alongside them out at a summer camp; during nights, down at the nature center, he'd have in the back of the staff cabin the large, red fleece blanket-covered collection that even the most staunch, hardcore player had to give a few nods of respect to; my DM's collection was astounding, even by 3rd edition standards (with a new supplement, what is it now, every day? ; ) ); had the core set, racial guides to every race available, class guides etc., etc.... just a staggering quantiy of literature; and he knew it backward and forward, a true DM and player by mechanics; he wasn't quite so anal as to not fudge things here or there; he wasn't a rules lawyer either; but simply he knew his stuff; no digging through books, looking for a table or rule, for him, he let us do that, he had everything he needed; those two years, Galenraug (my elf warrior and source of my user name, coincidence....?), Brendellari (an elven thief), Strider (an elven ranger) and Kifkan (NOT an elf.... human wizard : ) ) had many misadventures around the fort-town of Threshold, repelling orc invasions, defeating undead, battling a red dragon....classic high-fantasy adventures based off an amalgum of AD&D modules and Mark's own deranged imagination. The red dragon was the last session I had with Mark, and have never since played with that group, the creators of Brendellari, Strider, and Kifkan (though we're still in touch, though now all in our twenties and in college, the medical profession, fine arts....alas); then, in 2000, with 3rd ed, I had the chance to pick up and run with the world that Mark had made (it's been some time since he's DM'ed, though I can cross my fingers); after conversion and what not, I had a pretty neat lil piece of Mystara to call my own; the campaign has occasionally branched out to the 5 Shires, Thyatis, Glantri, and the Atruaghin Lands, where allies and friends have called upon the party's services, but I'd say about 75% of the campaign has been in Karameikos).
The wondrous part of the campaign is its versatility (as I believe only Mystara could give, pleas WOTC, conversion!); it has a real Quentin Tarantino/Pulp Fiction feel to it; there's truly no main characters, with over 80 characters running around the world and multiverse that comprise this modified Mystara campaign; storylines aplenty, action, adventure, death, good and evil, love and betrayal, arch-rivals and arch-nemeses, machivillians and ancient, mysterious people and powers; the build-up, thanks to over 10 different DM's who've both played and DM'ed this campaign, has created a world with real weight and history to it; we've played through close to 30 years of time in Mystara; Stephen is old and preparing his successor, as well as hinting at a new framework of governance, in light of several convergant storylines, namely the formation of a people's legislative body and the emergence, thanks to Minrothad, of a system of guilds; this has given rise to a middle class, something unprepared for by the feudal monarchy and its petty lord-serf system; this contradiction of bodies in our campaign has made for some wonderful internal political struggles and incredible roleplaying (I've never seen such great roleplaying as in my group that I usually run with) the world has changed, the old ways of rule (much like the theological and political revolutions of the real world; I once had a buddy of mine walk in on a session and try to talk one of my friends down, who was screaming at me IC as her elf druid; we had a jolly laugh over that one), of the medieval atmosphere that defined most of Mystara and Karameikos, is shifting toward something else; anyhoo, this change is at the heart of much of the campaigning, the nature of change, that nothing stays the same, and that countries and their systems, much like the characters of the world, grow up, grow wiser and smarter, but also grow old and eventually pass on. Indeed, we're now to the point of actually playing as the children of some of our characters (fun indeed; "young man, if you don't behave and go to your room, I will get your epic-level father from his quest, and I promise you he will not be happy!!!)
The core of the campaign is Ronin. Andreas Ronin. A being blessed (or cursed) with immortality, he is an urza of sorts; delving into ancient technologies and advancing new ones, his isolated utopia housed technologies beyond the scope of almost any on the hollow world, even in our own world (though he actually acquired some of his technological prowess from us; his story is a long, tragic one); over the course of hundreds of years, he has slowly leaked his advancments, in not only technology but in all aspects, to the rest of the world; Andreas is in essence a great source of enlightenment (something he used later in the campaign to justify his continued existence to the PC's; without him, the world would still be in the dark ages); however, the rapid shift of roughly 400 years of technological advancment in about 100 years has created intense strife in the world (as talked about above); Mystara is suffering from jet-lag of sorts, and a lot of catching up to do must be done for the world to survive the advancements it has invariably adopted. The PC's have been at the forefront of this 'culture crisis' since achieving higher-end levels (mostly epic); as essentially the guardians of the nation of Karameikos, the party has formed a guildhouse of defenders and first-line protectors of the people and the interests of Karameikos; they took their name as those who are unconventional (when I post some of the adventures, you'll see what I mean), think outside the box, are revolutionary, rogues, non-conforming and dynamic individuals who together are an incredible fighting team; founded by the party and continued under King Stephen as his confidantes, they are the Mavericks (trumpets flair, hoorah!)
While the Maverick storyline, of this guild attempting to maintain and restore order and peace to a kingdom, could possibly be considered the central story, there are multiple branching storylines that go far, far away from this; some are even broader, with quests threatening the world and even the multiverse; some have just focused upon a single little hamlet in Karameikos; as a DM, its wonderful, because the setup lets me or any other DM hurl the party fullspeed in a dynamic new direction. The best thing about the campaign is its capacity to take in other campaign settings and openly incorporate and share with them; a total of at least 5 other worlds, built from the ground up, have been designed by other player/DM's in my group and incorporated both as independent campaign settings and as other ports of call/ sights of adventure for the higher-level characters who play superhero on a daily basis. I've taken campaign settings from people who have ended campaigns, never to use them again, and (with permission and credit where due) intermeshed and sometimes fully incorporated them into the campaign copy-and-paste style; it allows a great chance for continuity (voted by the group as number one for keeping an interesting campaign).
I'm just gonna post this one character for now; Valine Edwards, my old DM Mark's character, has a long, storied career; surviving the horror of Ravenloft, Valine is touched by the essence of wild magic; incredibly powerful, he has recently gone on to ascension and lower deityhood; he was (and to an extent via intermediaries, still is) the benefactor and sage for the main, Maverick party; he's become more recently relegated to a true NPC background character, though he still interacts directly with the high level epic char's (and the occasional mid and low-level char who needs humbled and his or her career put in perspective : D ); truly the 'Elminster' of the campaign. I realize the CR might be challenged, but for now I'm simply using the part of the Deities and Demigods book suggesting adding Divine Rank to total racial and char HD; not completely accurate, but suitable for this post; if anyone has a house rule, something I missed, or another, more accurate way of placing a CR for a char like this, plz feel free to share it. : )
On another note, I hope this doesn't cause a reflection upon this campaign as munchkin or all-epic; definitely more variety of char's to come; this is the top of the stack in the campaign, thought I'd save the best for first (also keeping in mind he's an NPC) : )
Valine Edwards, "Archmage of Dymrak"; Wiz32/Ftr10/Mart Mnk3, CR 51; medium outsider (half-elven, good) (6'4", 270 lbs); HD 32d4 (wiz) +10d10 (ftr) +3d8 (mart mnk) + ; hp 817; AL: NG; Init +14; BAB +29/24/19/14; Attacks: +52/47/42/37 melee Arbiter (2d6 +24 +2d6 holy, x3) or +43 ranged touch; AC 49 (+14 dexterity, +15 insight, +14 wisdom, +6 divine); Fort 44 Ref 42 Will 46; base speed 70 ft; Monk's Unarmed Strike (d6), Evasion, Still Mind, Flurry of Blows, Summon Familiar, Wizard Spells, Immortal, Divine Senses 6 miles, Greater Teleport at will, Planeshift at will, Autmatic Actions, SR 58, Fire Resistance 38, Deity Immunities, DR 15/epic
Str 38 Con 36 Dex 39 Int 50 Wis 38 Cha 41
Lesser Deity
Divine Rank: 6
Symbol: horizontal streak of blue lightning under a raven's head in profile
Portfolio: Knowledge, Magic, Justice, Good, Fate, Vigilance, Healing, Heroism
Domains: Justice, Magic, Healing, Travel
Favored Weapon: Greatsword
Cleric Allignments: NG, LG, N
Skills: Concentration +68, Craft (Armorsmith) +46, Craft (Bookbinding) +36, Craft (Bonecraft) +40, Craft (Bowmaking) +35, Craft (Sculpting) +26, Craft (Weaponsmith) +26, Craft (Woodcarving) +26, Knowledge (Arcana) +58, Knowledge (Architecture) +27, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +28, Knowledge (Karameikos Local) +27, Knowledge (Karameikos Royalty & Nobility) +28, Knowledge (Nature) +31, Knowledge (Planes) +28, Knowledge (Religion) +28, Knowledge (Undead) +27, Listen +35, Move Silently +40, Perform (Storytelling) +22, Perform (Dance) +32, Ride +20, Search +40, Spellcraft +115, Spot +30, Tumble +60
Wizard Spells/Day: : ) (coming soon)
Feats (19): Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Forge Ring, Craft Wand, Forge Staff, Craft Wondrous Item, Combat Expertise, Improved Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Monkey Grip, Craft Construct, Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Heighten Spell, Maximize Spell, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (Dimension Door), Deflect Arrows
Epic Feats (8): Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Wondrous Item, Multispell (2), Epic Spell-casting, Epic Reflexes, Wield Oversized Weapon, Exceptional Deflection
Divine Salient Abilities (9): Irresistable Blows (greatsword), Alter Reality, Improved SR, Avatar, Divine Spellcasting, Arcane Mastery, Craft Artifact, Divine Battle Mastery, Extra Domain (Travel)
Valine treats all natural 1's as a roll of 1 and not as criticial fumbles;
Signature Possessions: Arbiter (+7 ghost-touch sizing holy greatsword), Amulet of the Archmage of Dymrak (+10 NA, Spellcraft +40, Heavy Fortification, wearer can cast Mage's Lucubration 3/day)
*** In addition to his signature items, Valine is usually wearing a combination of magical items that provide a +12 magical enhancment bonus to all statistics (factored in here) as well as magical boosts to necessary skills and AC (not shown); he can make or acquire any magical item, even most artifacts, given enough time
History
Valine's mortal life as the Baron of Edwards, having conquered and usurped the treacherous Black Eagle Baron, is long behind him; so too are his trials in his youth, fighting the battle against inequity for his people and his family; his hometown was swallowed by the mists of Ravenloft, where Valine awakened his magical heritage and his latent powers that he would build in his wizard training; touched by Elven High Magic from his mother and forever carrying the magical scar and glowing dweomer-eye that would be his trademark, Valine survived the horrors of the Dread Realm, where he took a single companion, the stalwart warrior and ranger Strider Allandaros, with him into the uncertainty of the mists in a longboat, attempting to escape the fate of his people; the mists, in their own amusement, released the force mage and his friend into the material plane, and Mystara.
In Mystara, Valine and Strider arrived on the shores of the Dread Sea, taking up residence in the Barony of Vorloi; journeying to Specularum, Valine and Strider soon found favor in the court of King Stephen and his confidantes, fighting as soldiers for the crown; the mage warrior successfully launched crusades against the gnoll and goblin tribes in the Black Peaks, drove back the Wolf King and his bandits in Radlebb Forest, and secured safe passage between the lands south of the Blight Swamps and Riverfork Keep, turning away the lizardmen and other fell denizens residing therein. In their later battles, Valine and Strider befriended the wizard Kifkan, an academic of the Karameikan School of Magecraft. With his aid, Valine unveiled the corruption of the Black Eagle Barony, ruled by the King's own despotic brother; together, Valine, Kifkan, Strider and their allies laid siege to and usurped the Black Eagle, liberating the Shirelands to the west and the free people of south-western Karameikos from his wicked rule. The people unanimously placed Valine in an interrum position as Baron, and Stephen soon officially ordained him as Baron Valine Edwards of the Barony of Edwards.
Operating from behind the scenes, Valine soon established a rather illicit network with the underground factions and houses of Karameikos; Valine believed that the only true way to defeat evil was to use its own corruption and free-reigning tactics against it; to not be hindered by the law or dealings with certain parties, but to take the fight to the enemy as it did to the people of the Duchy. The enigmatic baron successfully combated and foiled myriad plots over the years by criminal syndicates such as the Iron Ring Slavers, the Black Hand, the Kingdom of Thieves, and the Veiled Society; his efforts staved the insurrections in the northern Cruth Mountains by the disiciples of Grumnsh and their tyrannical god-like leader, the Third Eye. Valine also first took in and supported the fledgeling Maverick guild in AC 1009, then just a ragtag group of mercenaries and swords-for-hire, and transformed it into the well-trained, respected royal fighting force it is today. Even from the beginning, Valine worked with and had a hand in raising and training some of the greatest heroes of the time in Karameikos.
In AC 1023, Valine took upon himself a perilous quest into the Abyss to retrieve the heart of chaos, a legendary artifact, from the hands of the Demon Prince Grazz't; upon successful completion of the quest, he certified himself as a favored one and chosen of the Archmage god, Boccob; as a chosen, Valine undertoook and led many alliances of other chosen and divine agents into battle against the cosmic forces of evil, of evil gods and the long forgotten primal entities stirring on the edge of the multiverse. Among these included the continuing depridations of the Blood War, the remergence of the dead god - turned hunefer Andrephaen, and the freeing of Grishnag, a righteous orc god sealed away by a coalition between Grumnsh and Nerull. It would be a pupil and errant warrior of Valine, Galenraug Celebram, who would eventually free Grishnag. Both directly and indirectly, Valine has had a major impact on or played a decisive role in innumerable significant events throughout the whole of Karameikos, Mystara, and many other worlds within the last half-century. In AC 1026, Valine, after a meeting with many of his trusted friends and allies to arrange a protective front against Ronin, collapsed to the floor and faded from existence; his mysterious disappearance threw his barony into turmoil, though a joint rule by loyal confidantes Strider and Brendellari as interrum barons was imposed for the time being. Unbeknownst to all, the soul of Valine was floating in the City of Bytopia, being mentored and trained by the intermediaries of Boccob for a great ordeal.
Beginning in AC 1027, Valine, granted a new, deathless shell, embarked upon a divine quest into the far reaches of the chaotic outer planes; there, he battled an evil simulacrum of a great hero from his own native Mystara, torn from an alternate plane created by the Day of Dread; after an incredible battle, Valine apparently destroyed the evil simulacrum; thus, he left his mortal form, entirely behind and absorbed a divine spark, ascending to godhood.
As a deity, Valine forsook the outer planes and instead chose the Material Plane as his home plane, so as to remain closer to those he loves and cherishes, and continue in the direct fight against corruption; though now more detached from the affairs of the material world and seeing to greater cosmic balance and the directing of his following, the 'watcher of Karameikos' is always watching and waiting to help in whatever way he can in the fight for good.
Appearance
Valine stands six feet four inches tall, with a commanding presence and a piercing stare; he makes no extreneous movements, never fidgets, and never blinks; his speaks with a powerful, gutteral brittanian accent; his right eye, sporting a thin, trailing scar starting above the browline and going through it and down to the barrel of the mouth, will sparkle if he becomes animated, and seethe with divine power if he is angered; his raven-black hair, streaked with slivers of gleaming white, hangs down to his shoulders, pulled back in a long braid; he carries the fine, almost fragile facial features of an elf, the high, pointed cheekbones and thin, upturned septum of the nose; the fey qualities end there, with Valine's broad, defined chin, wide neck and lean, heavily muscled build disappearing into the ever-changing constellation patterns of a white and black cloak, the night sky shifting across it unendingly; a broach of polished adamantine under Valine's chin holds a fist-sized sapphire, inlaid with mithril filigree to resemble a lightning bolt ripping horizontally across the sapphire's face, and is complimented by a detailed engraving of a raven's head in profile; the corded muscles of his upper arms tuck into two long white bracers of supple leather extending back to the elbows, ending in blue, mithril-plated gloves that always seem to crackle and pulsate with a cobalt luster, as though the magic in Valine is pouring from his hands; his flowing, blusterous pantaloons are wrapped with deep blue webbing and spill over the sides of his emmense black travelling boots, overlapping chitin plated grieves covering the ankles and the tops of the feet; he usually leans upon his massive, hiltless two-handed sword Arbiter as a staff, its fourteen inch wide and over five foot-long blade held in place by one powerful hand gripping the long handle, the large caged pommel gleaming like a lighthouse beacon; he may transform it to resemble a quarterstaff or some other less conspicous travel apparel when in hasty overland travel
Next Time: 'B-Team' and supporting cast
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