Heroes of the Grim Reaches
A mercenary band, led by Bjorn the Tall, that journeys from Kingdom to Kingdom to engage Dagon IV's minions. Often, they travel to the areas that need help the most, but that are beyond the reach of conventional means. They are known as the Heroes of the Grim Reaches, as they are based on the ever moving frontiers of Dagon IV's Empire. It is said that they work closely with the Scarred King, although this is something their leader will often deny, even to himself.
Name: Bjorn the Tall, of [player-state]. Sometimes simply referred to as, "The Barbarian".
Nationality: [player-state] - Preferably one that is resisting, or succumbing.
Occupation: Veteran warrior, former [player-state] captain.
Religion: The Gods are a lie, they are of no use to us in these dark times!
Appearance: Bjorn the Tall is named as such, because of his gigantic stature. Standing easily at seven and a half feet tall, he is considered a mountain among men and a freak of nature in equal measure. His muscular torso almost resembles an upside down triangle, and gives support to two tree-log thick arms. His flesh is pale, and bears not only several scars, but also blue body paints depicting various "Celtic" symbols.
His hair is kept shaven, with the exception of jet-black pony tail that hangs as low as his waist from the rear of his head. It is bound in position by several decorative silver bands.
Bjorn's face gives the impression of once being handsome, but is now marred and ruined by what appears to be a lifetime of brawling. His nose is crooked, and almost zigzags down his nose. His left eye appears smaller than his right, owing to a fractured cheek bone sustained some years ago. His teeth are all mostly silver, with the originals long lost to a life lived in violence.
Bjorn wears little armour, preferring the flexibility of leather leggings and the refreshing wind on his bare chest.
Personality: Bjorn is slow of wit, but strong of heart. He has little patience for philosophy or deep debate, and prefers actions over words. He is brave beyond measure, but is also overconfident. He's empathetic to the suffering of the countless masses, and sees it as his purpose in life to save them or to die a glorious death in trying.
Biography: Bjorn was born to two human parents, both of whom were around five and a half feet tall. Imagine their surprise then, and indeed, his mother's horror during labour, when this hulking giant came storming into the world.
A large child, Bjorn had to be separated from his younger peers to prevent any accidental injuries (or deaths) that may have occurred from him getting too over excited in a game of "tag". This put a few funny ideas in Bjorn's head as he grew up, always being separated, always told to mind his strength. He realised he was different, he was bigger, stronger than everyone else. They all feared him, and it felt good.
Following his father into the blacksmithing trade did not dull the giant's lust to embrace an inner calling to put his superior strength and stature to the test. He promptly abandoned the family business, and threw his lot in with a local Lord's men-at-arms.
Not surprisingly, Bjorn soared through the ranks, having proved himself a terrifying adversary but a loyal soldier. It wasn't long before he was appointed the rank of Captain, and took charge of his very own regiment, known as the Battle Boar Berserkers. He filled his ranks with blood-crazed individuals, who cared little for a volley of arrows, but who cared much for being the first to collide with the enemy.
Dagon IV's invasion of [Player State] saw Bjorn's regiment enter several engagements with the legions of Aldebaran. Each time, Bjorn and his men retreated with the rest of the kingdom's army, even though the Battle Boars had left a carpet of dead in their wake. Each time, Bjorn lost more battle brothers, and eventually, both his regiment and the army at large were exhausted.
Refusing to give up the fight, and feeling that Dagon IV's unholy crusade was a blight on the world, Bjorn took to the wilderness to raise his own band of mercenaries that would fight the menace from the shadows. It was at this time that he was tracked down by the Scarred King, who provided Bjorn with both the Blade of Liberty, a silver great sword, and the funds he needed to wage his guerilla war.
Equipment: Blade of Liberty - Silver Great Sword (enchanted, but not known), gifted to him by The Scarred King.
Skills: Skilled sword fighter, famed commander, brute strength.
Motivation: Wants to see Dagon IV destroyed, but is driven to this more by ideals of glory than the moral implications.
Nationality: [player-state] - Preferably one that is resisting, or succumbing.
Occupation: Veteran warrior, former [player-state] captain.
Religion: The Gods are a lie, they are of no use to us in these dark times!
Appearance: Bjorn the Tall is named as such, because of his gigantic stature. Standing easily at seven and a half feet tall, he is considered a mountain among men and a freak of nature in equal measure. His muscular torso almost resembles an upside down triangle, and gives support to two tree-log thick arms. His flesh is pale, and bears not only several scars, but also blue body paints depicting various "Celtic" symbols.
His hair is kept shaven, with the exception of jet-black pony tail that hangs as low as his waist from the rear of his head. It is bound in position by several decorative silver bands.
Bjorn's face gives the impression of once being handsome, but is now marred and ruined by what appears to be a lifetime of brawling. His nose is crooked, and almost zigzags down his nose. His left eye appears smaller than his right, owing to a fractured cheek bone sustained some years ago. His teeth are all mostly silver, with the originals long lost to a life lived in violence.
Bjorn wears little armour, preferring the flexibility of leather leggings and the refreshing wind on his bare chest.
Personality: Bjorn is slow of wit, but strong of heart. He has little patience for philosophy or deep debate, and prefers actions over words. He is brave beyond measure, but is also overconfident. He's empathetic to the suffering of the countless masses, and sees it as his purpose in life to save them or to die a glorious death in trying.
Biography: Bjorn was born to two human parents, both of whom were around five and a half feet tall. Imagine their surprise then, and indeed, his mother's horror during labour, when this hulking giant came storming into the world.
A large child, Bjorn had to be separated from his younger peers to prevent any accidental injuries (or deaths) that may have occurred from him getting too over excited in a game of "tag". This put a few funny ideas in Bjorn's head as he grew up, always being separated, always told to mind his strength. He realised he was different, he was bigger, stronger than everyone else. They all feared him, and it felt good.
Following his father into the blacksmithing trade did not dull the giant's lust to embrace an inner calling to put his superior strength and stature to the test. He promptly abandoned the family business, and threw his lot in with a local Lord's men-at-arms.
Not surprisingly, Bjorn soared through the ranks, having proved himself a terrifying adversary but a loyal soldier. It wasn't long before he was appointed the rank of Captain, and took charge of his very own regiment, known as the Battle Boar Berserkers. He filled his ranks with blood-crazed individuals, who cared little for a volley of arrows, but who cared much for being the first to collide with the enemy.
Dagon IV's invasion of [Player State] saw Bjorn's regiment enter several engagements with the legions of Aldebaran. Each time, Bjorn and his men retreated with the rest of the kingdom's army, even though the Battle Boars had left a carpet of dead in their wake. Each time, Bjorn lost more battle brothers, and eventually, both his regiment and the army at large were exhausted.
Refusing to give up the fight, and feeling that Dagon IV's unholy crusade was a blight on the world, Bjorn took to the wilderness to raise his own band of mercenaries that would fight the menace from the shadows. It was at this time that he was tracked down by the Scarred King, who provided Bjorn with both the Blade of Liberty, a silver great sword, and the funds he needed to wage his guerilla war.
Equipment: Blade of Liberty - Silver Great Sword (enchanted, but not known), gifted to him by The Scarred King.
Skills: Skilled sword fighter, famed commander, brute strength.
Motivation: Wants to see Dagon IV destroyed, but is driven to this more by ideals of glory than the moral implications.
Name: Anya Sorrowsong
Nationality: [player-state] - Preferably one that has succumbed.
Occupation: Ranger, former slave tracker.
Religion: The Gods are a lie, they are of no use to us in these dark times!
Appearance: Anya is tall for a human woman, coming in at six feet. Her build is athletic, but her toned arms and wrists tell of someone who is used to pulling bow-strings.
Her brown, shoulder-length hair almost fully covers a strong, frowning face. Dead amber eyes, set delicately within their sockets, have a way of tearing through an individual's confidence. Scar tissue reaching from just under her left eye, running towards the tip of the nose and ending above her right eye gives one the impression that at some point she was on the receiving end of a near-fatal blow.
Usually, Anya wears her ranger garb; a motley collection of blacks, browns and greens. A heavy hood protects her from the rain, and a yellow bandanna obscures the lower half of her face.
Personality: Anya comes across as somewhat emotionless, and very cold. However, if one would pay attention to her body language, and her word usage, sometimes she'll betray a seething guilt and a raging sorrow buried deep behind her otherwise unfeeling exterior.
Typically she is very patient, preferring caution over reckless violence.
She dislikes the sight of children, of any gender or race.
Biography: Anya is thirty three years old, and for thirty years of her life, she was raised and then recruited as a Slaver Tracker in [player-state]. Her life was one of horror, though not for her, but for those slaves who sought to escape Dagon's clutches, and whom she was required to track down and kill.
Easily the best Slave Tracker of her generation, Anya's skills were relocated around Dagon's expanding Empire, time and time again, to help train new Slave Trackers and to deal with existing problems. Her notoriety grew, as did her power and wealth.
She lived as a sort of celebrity in Dagon's ranks, and ended up upsetting several of the Emperor's minions who felt that a mortal woman's place in the world belonged on the sacrificial alter.
And so, one night after returning from tracking a herd of escaped slaves, she was ambushed by several masked assassins. She fought well, but was ultimately over powered and imprisoned. Her assassins reported her as dead, killed by the very slaves she sought to kill, but in secret, she was tortured into near insanity.
One result of this torture, was the birth of her child whose father was indeed one of the many torture masters. The labour almost killed her already weakened body, but as she finally squeezed the infant into the world, one of her tormentors instantly crushed it with a hammer. The whole experience was a horror that Anya will never overcome in her living days.
This misery lasted another year, until Bjorn the Tall mounted a raid on the building - which was in fact, the Castle of Brackmere - with his mercenary band. The barbarian warrior, who stormed into the torture chamber and dismembered the torturers with his huge gleaming Great Sword, freed all of the castle's prisoners.
Several joined the barbarian, and took up arms to assist him in bringing Brackmere to ruin. Anya however, was broken of both mind and body, and was found by Bjorn laying in some soiled rags. He picked her up, and despite her weak protests, hurried her away to safety.
It took many weeks and Bjorn's best battlefield physicians to nurse Anya back to some form of health, but she remained somewhat unthankful, and forever distant. Nevertheless, she became possessed with an insatiable blood-lust for the lives of Dagon's legionnaires and his puppets. She would vanish from Bjorn's camp for several days, only to return with an empty quiver and a belt full of scalps.
Bjorn was impressed by Anya's mysterious combat prowess - uncommon for a woman - and recruited her into his ranks permanently.
She has fought by his side ever since, although her Slave Tracking past remains hidden from him and the rest of the group.
Equipment: Yew Longbow, Steel-Tipped arrows, Bloodfang Venom, Steel Short Sword.
Skills: Marksman, can move almost unseen in forest environments, can track man and beast.
Motivation: Will stop at nothing to destroy Dagan's Empire, and to repent for the sins of her past life.
Nationality: [player-state] - Preferably one that has succumbed.
Occupation: Ranger, former slave tracker.
Religion: The Gods are a lie, they are of no use to us in these dark times!
Appearance: Anya is tall for a human woman, coming in at six feet. Her build is athletic, but her toned arms and wrists tell of someone who is used to pulling bow-strings.
Her brown, shoulder-length hair almost fully covers a strong, frowning face. Dead amber eyes, set delicately within their sockets, have a way of tearing through an individual's confidence. Scar tissue reaching from just under her left eye, running towards the tip of the nose and ending above her right eye gives one the impression that at some point she was on the receiving end of a near-fatal blow.
Usually, Anya wears her ranger garb; a motley collection of blacks, browns and greens. A heavy hood protects her from the rain, and a yellow bandanna obscures the lower half of her face.
Personality: Anya comes across as somewhat emotionless, and very cold. However, if one would pay attention to her body language, and her word usage, sometimes she'll betray a seething guilt and a raging sorrow buried deep behind her otherwise unfeeling exterior.
Typically she is very patient, preferring caution over reckless violence.
She dislikes the sight of children, of any gender or race.
Biography: Anya is thirty three years old, and for thirty years of her life, she was raised and then recruited as a Slaver Tracker in [player-state]. Her life was one of horror, though not for her, but for those slaves who sought to escape Dagon's clutches, and whom she was required to track down and kill.
Easily the best Slave Tracker of her generation, Anya's skills were relocated around Dagon's expanding Empire, time and time again, to help train new Slave Trackers and to deal with existing problems. Her notoriety grew, as did her power and wealth.
She lived as a sort of celebrity in Dagon's ranks, and ended up upsetting several of the Emperor's minions who felt that a mortal woman's place in the world belonged on the sacrificial alter.
And so, one night after returning from tracking a herd of escaped slaves, she was ambushed by several masked assassins. She fought well, but was ultimately over powered and imprisoned. Her assassins reported her as dead, killed by the very slaves she sought to kill, but in secret, she was tortured into near insanity.
One result of this torture, was the birth of her child whose father was indeed one of the many torture masters. The labour almost killed her already weakened body, but as she finally squeezed the infant into the world, one of her tormentors instantly crushed it with a hammer. The whole experience was a horror that Anya will never overcome in her living days.
This misery lasted another year, until Bjorn the Tall mounted a raid on the building - which was in fact, the Castle of Brackmere - with his mercenary band. The barbarian warrior, who stormed into the torture chamber and dismembered the torturers with his huge gleaming Great Sword, freed all of the castle's prisoners.
Several joined the barbarian, and took up arms to assist him in bringing Brackmere to ruin. Anya however, was broken of both mind and body, and was found by Bjorn laying in some soiled rags. He picked her up, and despite her weak protests, hurried her away to safety.
It took many weeks and Bjorn's best battlefield physicians to nurse Anya back to some form of health, but she remained somewhat unthankful, and forever distant. Nevertheless, she became possessed with an insatiable blood-lust for the lives of Dagon's legionnaires and his puppets. She would vanish from Bjorn's camp for several days, only to return with an empty quiver and a belt full of scalps.
Bjorn was impressed by Anya's mysterious combat prowess - uncommon for a woman - and recruited her into his ranks permanently.
She has fought by his side ever since, although her Slave Tracking past remains hidden from him and the rest of the group.
Equipment: Yew Longbow, Steel-Tipped arrows, Bloodfang Venom, Steel Short Sword.
Skills: Marksman, can move almost unseen in forest environments, can track man and beast.
Motivation: Will stop at nothing to destroy Dagan's Empire, and to repent for the sins of her past life.
Name: Malina the Hag
Nationality: Varyon
Occupation: Herbalist
Religion:
Appearance: Malina looks frightfully old, with a hunched back, and a fragile frame. Her hair is bone white, and her face is leathery and wrinkled. However, beneath her aged exterior, shine two bright blue eyes full of youth and mischief.
She wears an assortment of tattered brown rags, that together, form a kind of beggar's robe. A length of rope, secured around her waist, keeps everything in place. Various pouches are attached to this rope, and she often carries a leather satchel over her shoulder.
Her features could be described as hawkish, and she has been known to scare children, who immediately perceive her as a witch.
Personality: Malina acts with both wisdom and immaturity, constantly switching between humerus statements and observations full of foresight.
She is friendly with everyone, but has been known to play tricks on those who are unkind to her, such as tempoarily blinding them by putting "something" in their tea.
At her best, she mothers everyone, and at her worst, she brags about the damnation should could bring down on anyone at a whim. Some dismiss her as a crazy old crone, but those who really know her, know otherwise.
Biography: Malina is one hundred and ten years old, and is a human female. Her long life started in Varyon, before the war, where she was a happily married 18 year old woman who couldn't keep herself away from the husbands of her neighbours.
Indeed, she had a reputation as the local whore, but her husband cared little for the rumours. He never caught her in the act, and was happy in the belief that his sweet Malina was as angelic as she portrayed herself. However, the neighbours wives weren't so easily fooled, and one of them saw fit to throw a bucket of pitch over her, and light it on fire.
Malina should have died that day, burned horribly by the thick black liquid. However, a professor of herbalism happened to be passing by, and thanks to his skills, he not only healed Malina, but reversed the damage of the burns, restoring her to her former beauty.
Enthralled by the man's abilities, Malina threw herself at him. Their whirl-wind love affair ended Malina's marriage, but she didn't care, and her new lover was only all too happy to train her in what he knew.
Over the years, Malina became a famous herbal practitioner, and built her wealth alongside her knowledge. Her second husband, Thomas, who had saved her all those years ago, passed away at the age of sixty. Malina was heart broken, but resolved to carry on her works, and startled by the imminence of death for any mortal, researched ways to extend her lifespan.
She was successful on various fronts, and her searches for new herbs lead her on many journeys. Fortunately, she was beyond Varyon when Dagon struck the country down, and did not learn of the world's fate until twenty years later, when she emerged from its furthest and blackest reaches.
Immediately, she gave what help should could to besieged nations, often teaching their peoples about herbalism, and establishing hospitals for injured soldiers. Her work earned her wealth, and more fame, but ultimately it was futile.
Dagon IV, hearing of Malina's advanced knowledge of herbalism, ordered her capture, and she vanished as she had done twenty years previous.
Thirty years later, as Bjorn's physicians treated Anya's infections and internal injuries with their crude and ineffective methods, Malina mysteriously appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and stepped in to save the dying woman with her advanced medical knowledge.
Bjorn did not trust Malina, and still does not, but she has since healed several of his men, including himself, and so he has never sent her away. Instead, he keeps her close, so that he can watch her, but also because her presence in a battle might be critical.
Meanwhile, Malina's designs remain hidden to all but herself.
Equipment: Gnarled tree branch used as a walking stick, several herbal pouches, pestle and mortar.
Skills: Extensive knowledge of herbalism, talented healer.
Motivation: Unknown, but presumably to help bring down Dagon.
Nationality: Varyon
Occupation: Herbalist
Religion:
The theology of the Druidic movement is inherently nature-based, equating divinity with the natural world. However, the specifics of Druidry have changed over the centuries, from a God-centred monotheistic tradition to a Goddess-centred polytheistic tradition. Since Druidry is very diverse, each of these strands still coexist side by side in the Druid milieu.
Appearance: Malina looks frightfully old, with a hunched back, and a fragile frame. Her hair is bone white, and her face is leathery and wrinkled. However, beneath her aged exterior, shine two bright blue eyes full of youth and mischief.
She wears an assortment of tattered brown rags, that together, form a kind of beggar's robe. A length of rope, secured around her waist, keeps everything in place. Various pouches are attached to this rope, and she often carries a leather satchel over her shoulder.
Her features could be described as hawkish, and she has been known to scare children, who immediately perceive her as a witch.
Personality: Malina acts with both wisdom and immaturity, constantly switching between humerus statements and observations full of foresight.
She is friendly with everyone, but has been known to play tricks on those who are unkind to her, such as tempoarily blinding them by putting "something" in their tea.
At her best, she mothers everyone, and at her worst, she brags about the damnation should could bring down on anyone at a whim. Some dismiss her as a crazy old crone, but those who really know her, know otherwise.
Biography: Malina is one hundred and ten years old, and is a human female. Her long life started in Varyon, before the war, where she was a happily married 18 year old woman who couldn't keep herself away from the husbands of her neighbours.
Indeed, she had a reputation as the local whore, but her husband cared little for the rumours. He never caught her in the act, and was happy in the belief that his sweet Malina was as angelic as she portrayed herself. However, the neighbours wives weren't so easily fooled, and one of them saw fit to throw a bucket of pitch over her, and light it on fire.
Malina should have died that day, burned horribly by the thick black liquid. However, a professor of herbalism happened to be passing by, and thanks to his skills, he not only healed Malina, but reversed the damage of the burns, restoring her to her former beauty.
Enthralled by the man's abilities, Malina threw herself at him. Their whirl-wind love affair ended Malina's marriage, but she didn't care, and her new lover was only all too happy to train her in what he knew.
Over the years, Malina became a famous herbal practitioner, and built her wealth alongside her knowledge. Her second husband, Thomas, who had saved her all those years ago, passed away at the age of sixty. Malina was heart broken, but resolved to carry on her works, and startled by the imminence of death for any mortal, researched ways to extend her lifespan.
She was successful on various fronts, and her searches for new herbs lead her on many journeys. Fortunately, she was beyond Varyon when Dagon struck the country down, and did not learn of the world's fate until twenty years later, when she emerged from its furthest and blackest reaches.
Immediately, she gave what help should could to besieged nations, often teaching their peoples about herbalism, and establishing hospitals for injured soldiers. Her work earned her wealth, and more fame, but ultimately it was futile.
Dagon IV, hearing of Malina's advanced knowledge of herbalism, ordered her capture, and she vanished as she had done twenty years previous.
Thirty years later, as Bjorn's physicians treated Anya's infections and internal injuries with their crude and ineffective methods, Malina mysteriously appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and stepped in to save the dying woman with her advanced medical knowledge.
Bjorn did not trust Malina, and still does not, but she has since healed several of his men, including himself, and so he has never sent her away. Instead, he keeps her close, so that he can watch her, but also because her presence in a battle might be critical.
Meanwhile, Malina's designs remain hidden to all but herself.
Equipment: Gnarled tree branch used as a walking stick, several herbal pouches, pestle and mortar.
Skills: Extensive knowledge of herbalism, talented healer.
Motivation: Unknown, but presumably to help bring down Dagon.
Name: Ayize Sunspear
Nationality: [player-state] - Preferably a desert realm.
Occupation: Former tribal chieftain.
Religion:
Appearance: Ayize is a small man, with a small frame. He is dark skinned, with frizzy short black hair, and a bulbous nose. His eyes are a shade of bark, and his white teeth shine with brilliance in comparison to his dark skin texture. A well trimmed goatee rests over his mouth and chin.
He typically wears light boiled leather, from head to toe, but never a helmet. There are no scars or other markings to speak of, although his nose is pierced by the fang of large lizard and, horizontally, like an upside-down crescent.
Personality: Ayize carries a cheerful demeanour when sober, but becomes terribly depressed after too much wine. He seems to be a man that is used to hiding his true colours from the world, and who always projects a positive image on those around him -- despite what he may be feeling inside.
He is generally calm, but has an unpredictable temper than can surface quickly. There seems to be no patterns for these tempers of his, but it's generally agreed that it's best to leave him be when he starts getting angry.
Biography: Ayize was the last chieftain of the Manaker Nation, a nomadic peoples who travelled the deserts to the deep south. Only twenty four at the time, having taken the tribal throne from his father who passed untimely due to a fever, Ayize proved himself an able orator and natural leader.
More than this, when his younger brother, Yaka the Wise, challenged him for leadership in combat, Ayize slew him in one fluid movement of his sword. Indeed, Ayize soon became renowned as a great warrior, and he led the Manaker Nation to victory over its neighbours, consolidating them into the Manaker Sultanate by his thirty-fifth birthday.
However, Dagon IV's legions had by now started to tresspass onto the southern deserts, ever hungry for conquest. Ayize immediately led his peoples to war, but was hopelessly out numbered, and he lost the first battle at the cost of almost a quater of his people's population. It was a bloodbath, and no quater was given.
Retreating further into the sands, Ayize hoped the legions would give up the chase, but they did not. Refusing to surrender, Ayize led the 11th and 12th Aldebaran legions into a trap.
Thinking they had the wayward desert rebel surrounded, the legions pressed their assault onto his camp, but found themselves immediately outflanked by Ayize's hidden cavalry wing. A bitter battle ensued, and although Ayize was successful in destroying both of the legions, his own losses were so grave that there were not enough survivors to bury the dead.
Shamed that he had led so many of his kindred to their deaths, Ayize sent them further south, and wandered northwards to offer his surrender to Dagon IV. However, on the way, as he crossed the borderlands of Varyon to the distant north, he came across a tall warrior by the name of Bjorn.
Bjorn was forthright is his hunger for glory, and knowing a warrior when he saw one, offered Ayize gold in return for his sword in battle. Ayize was wary at first, not wishing the destruction of his peoples, but agreed to at least accompany Bjorn to the barbarian's camp.
Enroute to their destination, the pair were immediately set upon by Aldebaran slave trackers. Bjorn killed them all, in a minute of bloody chaos, and Ayize felt himself suddenly tied to the hulking warrior. If one man could destroy a pack of feared slave trackers so easily, then perhaps, there was hope for the Manaker yet.
Ayize pledged himself to Bjorn, and declared that he would only die when the countless dead of his kin had been repaid in kind. The Barbarian was said to have offered the man a flask of crude ale at this, and the two of them drank to their planned future endeavours.
Equipment: Ashen spear with an iron tip, wooden buckler with metal slats, courser (light but fast horse).
Skills: Skilled fighter, quick on his feet, expert tactician, master horse rider.
Motivation: To avenge the slaughter of his peoples, and to save what's left of them by bringing down the tyrant that first put them in jeopardy!
Nationality: [player-state] - Preferably a desert realm.
Occupation: Former tribal chieftain.
Religion:
Ayize comes from a peoples whom worshipped the Sun. They believed it to be an entity, responsible for all things, from creation to death.
His particular tribe was no stranger to human sacrifices, and many paid the price (gladly, I might add!) on the sacrificial alter. Ayize's peoples believed that only fresh human blood, presented to the Sun daily when it was at its zennith, could appease the being and bring forth a good harvest and prosperity.
Ayize's people believe that the Sun is neither a loving God nor a hateful God, just that it demands obedience and respect, and failure to adhere to these guiding principles will earn its wrath. They blame Dagon's rise on the world's widespread level of decadence.
His particular tribe was no stranger to human sacrifices, and many paid the price (gladly, I might add!) on the sacrificial alter. Ayize's peoples believed that only fresh human blood, presented to the Sun daily when it was at its zennith, could appease the being and bring forth a good harvest and prosperity.
Ayize's people believe that the Sun is neither a loving God nor a hateful God, just that it demands obedience and respect, and failure to adhere to these guiding principles will earn its wrath. They blame Dagon's rise on the world's widespread level of decadence.
Appearance: Ayize is a small man, with a small frame. He is dark skinned, with frizzy short black hair, and a bulbous nose. His eyes are a shade of bark, and his white teeth shine with brilliance in comparison to his dark skin texture. A well trimmed goatee rests over his mouth and chin.
He typically wears light boiled leather, from head to toe, but never a helmet. There are no scars or other markings to speak of, although his nose is pierced by the fang of large lizard and, horizontally, like an upside-down crescent.
Personality: Ayize carries a cheerful demeanour when sober, but becomes terribly depressed after too much wine. He seems to be a man that is used to hiding his true colours from the world, and who always projects a positive image on those around him -- despite what he may be feeling inside.
He is generally calm, but has an unpredictable temper than can surface quickly. There seems to be no patterns for these tempers of his, but it's generally agreed that it's best to leave him be when he starts getting angry.
Biography: Ayize was the last chieftain of the Manaker Nation, a nomadic peoples who travelled the deserts to the deep south. Only twenty four at the time, having taken the tribal throne from his father who passed untimely due to a fever, Ayize proved himself an able orator and natural leader.
More than this, when his younger brother, Yaka the Wise, challenged him for leadership in combat, Ayize slew him in one fluid movement of his sword. Indeed, Ayize soon became renowned as a great warrior, and he led the Manaker Nation to victory over its neighbours, consolidating them into the Manaker Sultanate by his thirty-fifth birthday.
However, Dagon IV's legions had by now started to tresspass onto the southern deserts, ever hungry for conquest. Ayize immediately led his peoples to war, but was hopelessly out numbered, and he lost the first battle at the cost of almost a quater of his people's population. It was a bloodbath, and no quater was given.
Retreating further into the sands, Ayize hoped the legions would give up the chase, but they did not. Refusing to surrender, Ayize led the 11th and 12th Aldebaran legions into a trap.
Thinking they had the wayward desert rebel surrounded, the legions pressed their assault onto his camp, but found themselves immediately outflanked by Ayize's hidden cavalry wing. A bitter battle ensued, and although Ayize was successful in destroying both of the legions, his own losses were so grave that there were not enough survivors to bury the dead.
Shamed that he had led so many of his kindred to their deaths, Ayize sent them further south, and wandered northwards to offer his surrender to Dagon IV. However, on the way, as he crossed the borderlands of Varyon to the distant north, he came across a tall warrior by the name of Bjorn.
Bjorn was forthright is his hunger for glory, and knowing a warrior when he saw one, offered Ayize gold in return for his sword in battle. Ayize was wary at first, not wishing the destruction of his peoples, but agreed to at least accompany Bjorn to the barbarian's camp.
Enroute to their destination, the pair were immediately set upon by Aldebaran slave trackers. Bjorn killed them all, in a minute of bloody chaos, and Ayize felt himself suddenly tied to the hulking warrior. If one man could destroy a pack of feared slave trackers so easily, then perhaps, there was hope for the Manaker yet.
Ayize pledged himself to Bjorn, and declared that he would only die when the countless dead of his kin had been repaid in kind. The Barbarian was said to have offered the man a flask of crude ale at this, and the two of them drank to their planned future endeavours.
Equipment: Ashen spear with an iron tip, wooden buckler with metal slats, courser (light but fast horse).
Skills: Skilled fighter, quick on his feet, expert tactician, master horse rider.
Motivation: To avenge the slaughter of his peoples, and to save what's left of them by bringing down the tyrant that first put them in jeopardy!
Name: Sir Tobryn Stormwater, Shame of Eslen.
Nationality: Principality of Eslen
Occupation: Disgraced Knight.
Religion: The Pantheon
Appearance: Sir Tobryn is a tall and lanky man of middle years, with gaunt features. His facial flesh is marked and scarred, a result of contracting the pox in his youth.
He keeps his brown hair cropped, and is almost always clean shaven. His eyes are green, and they rest atop a hooked nose that suggests there is noble pedigree in his ancestry.
Sir Tobyrn wears gleaming plate mail, and a hawk helm with a blue plume.
Personality: Tobryn is somewhat a zealot, believing fervently in the ideas of vanquishing evil and upholding justice no matter the cost. He is not cowed by danger when it comes to carrying out his beliefs, and is known to violate direct orders if they contradict his own moral position.
Biography: Sir Tobryn Stormwater, of Stormwater Hold located in the south of Eslen, has been called many things in his life. Warrior, champion, hero, friend, advisor, commander... and Eslen's Shame.
Born into the life of a squire, serving his father who had sworn himself to the Pantheon, Tobryn's childhood and early adulthood were ruled by preparation for battle. When it came to the drill square, he was a rising star, who easily batted aside other squires that challenged him with their wooden swords.
At eighteen, Tobryn was finally called into front line service. He fought in dozens of battles with the legions of Aldebaran, and though many of these engagements ended up in defeats for the army of Eslen, or pyrrhic victories, he found himself becoming increasingly emboldened by what he perceived as a great war between good and evil.
Tobyrn rose through the ranks steadily, often because those above him were killed and needed replacing, but also because he was an able warrior and a sound commander of heavy horse. His fame peaked at the Battle of Barrowhill, a shallow rise on Eslen's borders with Aldebaran, where his mastery of cavalry tactics defeated the numerically superior Aldebaranian legions.
However, the knight's fall from grace was a swift affair.
His men had tracked a large column of Aldebaran legionaires, marching from Varyon to Eslen. The minions of Dagon seemed odd on this occasion, heavily disorganised and maintaining a very vulnerable formation. Seeing an opportunity to deal the Dark Lord a heavy blow, Sir Tobryn led the assault, with a thousand mounted warriors at his back.
As Sir Tobryn's force crashed over the column, it became apparent that the legionnaires were not armed, and that many of them were screaming for help. Some of Tobyrn's men realised they'd made a terrible mistake, and that the legionaries were actually refugees, who had been sent across Varyon's borders with Eslen in disguise by an Immortal, who had sought to fool the knights of Eslen into attacking them.
These men who had seen through the ploy begged Sir Tobryn to call off the assault, but he did not heed them, and believed the refugees to just be a poorly trained band of Dagon's minions. The massacre lasted an hour, and left four thousand innocent lives lost.
The truth of matter was brought swiftly to Grand Master Harroway, who immediately exiled Sir Tobryn, and stripped him of his land and titles. It was only because of the knight's fame at the Battle of Barrowhill that saved him from the gallows.
Broken and at a loss, Sir Tobryn travelled aimlessly from Kingdom to Kingdom, selling his sword to the highest bidder, but always upholding his code of protecting the helpless-- a shallow effort to redeem himself for the slaughter of so many innocents. Indeed, his fear for his soul after death has somewhat adhered him further to a path of piety and righteousness.
Upon hearing of the Heroes of the Grim Reaches, Sir Tobryn immediately dropped everything he was doing, and headed to join them. Bjorn the Tall, knowing Sir Tobryn's name, happily accepted the knight's offer of service.
Equipment: Steel lance, steel longsword, kite shield, black destrier (war horse).
Skills: Expert jouster, skilled rider of horses, capable fighter.
Motivation: Wants to redeem his honour, by dedicating his life to the eradication of Dagon IV.
Nationality: Principality of Eslen
Occupation: Disgraced Knight.
Religion: The Pantheon
Appearance: Sir Tobryn is a tall and lanky man of middle years, with gaunt features. His facial flesh is marked and scarred, a result of contracting the pox in his youth.
He keeps his brown hair cropped, and is almost always clean shaven. His eyes are green, and they rest atop a hooked nose that suggests there is noble pedigree in his ancestry.
Sir Tobyrn wears gleaming plate mail, and a hawk helm with a blue plume.
Personality: Tobryn is somewhat a zealot, believing fervently in the ideas of vanquishing evil and upholding justice no matter the cost. He is not cowed by danger when it comes to carrying out his beliefs, and is known to violate direct orders if they contradict his own moral position.
Biography: Sir Tobryn Stormwater, of Stormwater Hold located in the south of Eslen, has been called many things in his life. Warrior, champion, hero, friend, advisor, commander... and Eslen's Shame.
Born into the life of a squire, serving his father who had sworn himself to the Pantheon, Tobryn's childhood and early adulthood were ruled by preparation for battle. When it came to the drill square, he was a rising star, who easily batted aside other squires that challenged him with their wooden swords.
At eighteen, Tobryn was finally called into front line service. He fought in dozens of battles with the legions of Aldebaran, and though many of these engagements ended up in defeats for the army of Eslen, or pyrrhic victories, he found himself becoming increasingly emboldened by what he perceived as a great war between good and evil.
Tobyrn rose through the ranks steadily, often because those above him were killed and needed replacing, but also because he was an able warrior and a sound commander of heavy horse. His fame peaked at the Battle of Barrowhill, a shallow rise on Eslen's borders with Aldebaran, where his mastery of cavalry tactics defeated the numerically superior Aldebaranian legions.
However, the knight's fall from grace was a swift affair.
His men had tracked a large column of Aldebaran legionaires, marching from Varyon to Eslen. The minions of Dagon seemed odd on this occasion, heavily disorganised and maintaining a very vulnerable formation. Seeing an opportunity to deal the Dark Lord a heavy blow, Sir Tobryn led the assault, with a thousand mounted warriors at his back.
As Sir Tobryn's force crashed over the column, it became apparent that the legionnaires were not armed, and that many of them were screaming for help. Some of Tobyrn's men realised they'd made a terrible mistake, and that the legionaries were actually refugees, who had been sent across Varyon's borders with Eslen in disguise by an Immortal, who had sought to fool the knights of Eslen into attacking them.
These men who had seen through the ploy begged Sir Tobryn to call off the assault, but he did not heed them, and believed the refugees to just be a poorly trained band of Dagon's minions. The massacre lasted an hour, and left four thousand innocent lives lost.
The truth of matter was brought swiftly to Grand Master Harroway, who immediately exiled Sir Tobryn, and stripped him of his land and titles. It was only because of the knight's fame at the Battle of Barrowhill that saved him from the gallows.
Broken and at a loss, Sir Tobryn travelled aimlessly from Kingdom to Kingdom, selling his sword to the highest bidder, but always upholding his code of protecting the helpless-- a shallow effort to redeem himself for the slaughter of so many innocents. Indeed, his fear for his soul after death has somewhat adhered him further to a path of piety and righteousness.
Upon hearing of the Heroes of the Grim Reaches, Sir Tobryn immediately dropped everything he was doing, and headed to join them. Bjorn the Tall, knowing Sir Tobryn's name, happily accepted the knight's offer of service.
Equipment: Steel lance, steel longsword, kite shield, black destrier (war horse).
Skills: Expert jouster, skilled rider of horses, capable fighter.
Motivation: Wants to redeem his honour, by dedicating his life to the eradication of Dagon IV.
1x Like
