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Message: <blockquote data-quote="James Heard" data-source="post: 2912791" data-attributes="member: 7280">Dragen KesslerHistory: The village that Dragen Kessler was born in stood above the chilly, high banked shores of the Mror River in Karrnath. The village was never particularly pleasant or fruitful, being a mere jut of land and an inn beside a poorly kept ferry, but it was home. The village suffered greatly during the War as regular visits from the Royal Swords conscripted the young people of the village for service in the army. Most never returned. Even when Dragen was a boy, the empty houses and fields stood as a testament to the lasting effects of the war. Dragen however, was taken by in by it all. When the soldiers would come marching into town he would dream of following them off to war, and following the Red Wolf of Karrnath into battle. Once he was old enough, he fled in the night without so much as a whispered goodbye to his mother to join himself.Military life however, wasn't exactly as Dragen expected. While Dragen could salute and march with the best of them, it was plain to see by the time he reached the middle of his training that he would never be a proper soldier. Instead, he was sent off to one of the units that supplied and tended to mustering out of frontline soldiers. At first this was merely a clerical position in Korth, but his keen intellect soon granted him training in more complicated duties and sent him off to a unit that tended the sick and wounded.While certainly closer to the glorious battles that Dragen imagined in his youth, he soon found out that nothing at all seemed to stop the constant hemorrhage of broken and battered men that stumbled into or who were carried into his tents. As the war for Dragen moved along, he saw more and more of his countrymen dying of things much worse than simple things like spear points and more often than not succumbing to cholera and lack of food. For years Dragen served his country nursing a sickness in himself that mirrored his country, until finally one day he just walked away.Given how tumultuous the times were, it was no wonder that no one came looking for Dragen. He begged for food in the larger cities, or made some simple coin performing midwife duties for young women whose lovers were serving in the military. Mostly he just tried to rescue his own wounded soul, trying to shut out the whispers of the dead and dying that haunted him at night. Then the Day of Mourning happened, and like many of his countrymen Dragen watched a nation die in an instant across the river from the streets of Karrlakton. It was the last straw, as Dragen emptied his stomach into an alleyway and began fleeing the horrors of war in earnest.That was four years ago, and Dragen hasn't truly stopped running. As he made his way across rural Karnnath he ventured toward the village where he grew up, only to find empty ruined house after house with no sign of survivors. Most of the real valuables had apparently been taken by scavengers, but in the clutter of his childhood home he was able to find the locket of his father that his mother always wore. That and the bright red tattoo of the Wolf of Karnnath on his chest he had done when he enlisted are virtually the only reminders of his past that Dragen tolerates.In the Lhazaar Provinces, Dragen found a place suitable for his temperament - where few people asked questions about things that don't concern them and where even the large evils and concerns of those around him seemed tolerable by their smaller scale. Peace for Dragen came at a cost though. Too often he found his nights eased by the sweet bliss of strong drink, and recently the former soldier has come to understand that he's likely merely exchanged one horror in his past for a slower, more insidious one in his future.Appearance: Dragen would likely be unremarkable to almost anyone except for his gaunt, haunted eyes. His dark hair is dusted with premature gray flecks like his grizzled-looking five o'clock shadow, and he's definitely lost hair and often shows off a slight sunburn at the nearly naked top of his head. His craggy features never smile more than the wry twist of his lips that follows his gallows humor. His clothing is mostly unwashed linens with many mends and stains, and across his chest is an enormous tattoo of a red wolf.Personality: Dragen is a broken man already resigned to his fate, trying to cling to the ideals that once offered him some sort of solace while hiding from the demons of his past. He's often sullen and sarcastic, or defeatist, and yet he has a strange tenacity for life. Sometimes he's merely the shadow of his former self, but part of him knows that this is almost literally the end of the line for him. While not exactly comforting, the notion brings a certain sort of dark joy to his wounded heart. Dragen doesn't really care if he lives or dies anymore, and that's about the nicest thought he's had in a long while.Role: Dragen is a cleric, and a good archer thanks to his zen archery feats and war domain. Unfortunately, Dragen is a poor melee fighter thanks to his Noncombatant flaw and inferior Strength and Constititution scores. Stat block unfinished.Name: Dragen KesslerClass: Cleric 4Race: HumanHit Dice: 4d8 , 26 HPInitiative: +2Speed: 40 ftArmor Class: 12 (10 +2 Dex)Base Attack Bonus: +3Grapple: +3Attacks: +1 melee, +8 ranged LongbowFace/Reach: 5x5/5ftSpecial Qualities: Human Traits, Cleric Domains (Celerity, War)Special Attacks: Turn UndeadSaves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +8Abilities: Strength 10, Dexterity 14, Constitution 10, Intelligence 14, Wisdom 18, Charisma 10Skills: Concentration +7 (7 ranks), Heal +11 (7 ranks), Knowledge (religion) +11 (7 ranks), Spellcraft +9 (7 ranks), Spot + 7 (3.5 ranks)Feats:  Simple Weapon Proficiency, Light Armor Proficiency, Medium Armor Proficiency, Heavy Armor Proficiency, Shield Proficiency, Weapon Proficiency (Longbow), Weapon Focus (Longbow), Noncombatant, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Precise Shot, Zen ArcheryAction Points: 7Languages: Common, Elven, OrcAlignment: Neutral GoodDeity: NoneGender: MaleAge: 35Height: 5'7"Weight: 150 lbsSpells:Cleric Spells Per Day: 5/3+1/2+1Inventory:Traveler's Outfit</blockquote>

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