Vah'lux Ki-ao’uthal
Female Chaotic Good Goliath Barbarian, Level 1, Init 0, HP 15/15, DR 0, Speed 30
AC 13, Touch 10, Flat-footed 13, Fort 5, Ref 0, Will 1, Base Attack Bonus 1
+10 foot Reach Glaive 4 (2d8+6, x3)
Javelin (3) 4 (1d8+4, x2)
Hand axe 4 (1d8+4, x3)
Hide (+3 Armor)
Abilities Str 19, Dex 11, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
Size +1 (Large)
Female Chaotic Good Goliath Barbarian, Level 1, Init 0, HP 15/15, DR 0, Speed 30
AC 13, Touch 10, Flat-footed 13, Fort 5, Ref 0, Will 1, Base Attack Bonus 1
+10 foot Reach Glaive 4 (2d8+6, x3)
Javelin (3) 4 (1d8+4, x2)
Hand axe 4 (1d8+4, x3)
Hide (+3 Armor)
Abilities Str 19, Dex 11, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
Size +1 (Large)
Character Full Name: Vah'lux Ki-ao’uthal
Gender: Female
Race: Goliath
Main Class: Warrior
Height: 7ft 5in
Weight: 275lbs
Appearance: A being slightly below average for her race of pseudo-giants, Vah’lux stands at seven-foot-five, with lean, defined muscles, light grayish-blue skin tone mottled with darker -virtually random- streaked markings, and emerald eyes that seemingly glow in low light under a furrowed brow. Dark, walnut hair is about as disheveled as one would imagine from her kind, cut uneven in some areas, and the longest part braided in a thick ponytail and secured with beaded string and fabric remnants. While the woman may be in her late twenties, years of harsh weather, blows to the face, scars that never healed properly, and other factors have made her seem older and quite "rough" in appearance, stripping away the beauty she once held as a youngling within her race.
Her armor consists of thick, reinforced furs and pelts, intricately woven and layered in order to keep both the elements at bay, and bodily damage to a minimum.
Personality Description: Ambitious, even-tempered, mentally tough, and competitive, Vah’lux gleans with a genuine confidence that very few seem to have in this current age. Whereas her demeanor may come off as coarse, it couldn't be further from the truth. Her rough exterior is balanced by a warm, humble approach, and generally friendly disposition, as even when things may seem dark, she manages to lift the mood of the people she encounters.
Biography:
An oral history of Vah'lux Ki-ao’uthal of the Kathaal tribe.
**** BLOOD, SAND, AND STONE ****
The resounding cheers, moans, growls, and jeers erupted as yet another of the Goliath’s opponents had fallen at the point of the crudely carved obsidian head spear she held firmly in her grasp. A large bare foot, grayish-blue in it’s skin tone, pushed the impaled corpse from the blade, allowing it to fall back onto the sand and gravel pit floor with a thud. Blood poured from the gaping abdominal wound which belong to a mere human slave. Several of them, in fact, all shapes and sizes, littered the makeshift arena that was the centralized entertainment spot within the Orc stronghold. A mixture of blood and sand stained not only the ground she walked on, but her skin, nails, hair, and most of all...soul. Vah’lux stood tall and strong as she surveyed the gathered crowd around the stadium, a packed house for the most part, and simply stared at the lot of them through eyes who cared not for their entertainment.
You see, there was no honor in what she did to survive as an Orc captive in the foreign land of Thraduum. A slave. A warrior. An object of desire for some. A gladiator nonetheless. And while she has done what was necessary for the last five years -no freedom in sight and hope merely hanging by a thread most days- the young Goliath female who hailed from the great Northern tribes found no satisfaction in a blood sport in which the primary objective was to entertain the rabble and line the coffers of Orc leaders. It was simply a means to an end. Perhaps then she could be liberated for good...
**** ONE WITH THE MOUNTAIN ****
Twenty-seven years prior, Vah’lux Ki-ao’uthal was born in the northernmost reaches of the Greatpeak Range, home to a handful of nomadic tribes -including the Kathaals- all of which learned to survive the harsh, frigid climates, and extreme altitudes. As resources became scarce, as was the case from time-to-time, certain groups broke away to migrate South in order to find new land to live and work on, eventually settling in what was known as the “Foot of the World”.
The youngling’s upbringing was not much different than most children born within a Goliath tribe, learning the ways of her people through oral histories passed down countless generations. Hunting and gathering was a staple activity for most at a later age, and both male and female learned everything that was needed to maximize their strengths and contribute to their own growth and, more importantly, the needs of the community. Honor and family were held in the highest regard, and very few Goliath would ever jeopardize that by putting themselves before their tribe. Survival was paramount.
Late adolescence found the young female hunting quite a distance from the village and alone for the first time since taking up the longbow and spear years before. Perhaps it was a curious mind that evening or the need to increase the challenge and compete against herself, but she kept moving further into unknown territory even as the sunlight hours began to fade. Moments later, she heard a call for help in the common tongue, and cautiously headed toward that direction only to find a human male sitting on a rock tending a wound on his leg, cold, hungry, and tired. Further inspection revealed lash marks along his back. A slave?
While suspicions were on high, she gave assistance nonetheless, bringing the young man back to her village, where they fed and cared for him. Over the course of the stranger’s two days of being looked after by Kathaal healers, Vah’lux stayed near, assisting when she could and inquiring about many things in distant lands. It also became the first time she had grown to adore another of a smaller, foreign race, perhaps drawing dangerously close to him as well beyond what she had expected.
"Kuli ananaka kulae aulaka", she would say when excitement crept up, meaning “My heart is in my head.”
But the joy would not last, as days after the stranger left the village, a swift and indiscriminate Orc attack converged onto the encampments. Goliath scouts and Dawncallers were all but slain, leaving very few aware of the impending dangers, which took the lives of countless warriors, elders, and younglings. Those who weren’t killed, were taken captive and thrown into heavy shackles, including Vah’lux.
Adding salt to the festering wound of losing her parents and many of her people, she spotted the human who only a few moons earlier she had helped nurse back to health. He stood on the sidelines next to another Orc, his face bloodied and expression full of shame, as the vile grin and smugness of the creature standing next to him mocked the Goliath. But while the rage built up within her, it was not directed toward the feeble human boy, if anything, she pitied him. Rather her ire was toward the Orc invaders who treated everything and everyone in their path as worthless, stepping on corpses and pillaging, as the survivors were lead away from their home.
Guilt such as this could never be erased. Vah'lux foolishly allowed an outsider in, and while she could not bring herself to harbor ill-will toward the young human pawn, Vah’lux had to carry the thought that she was responsible for the slaughter and enslavement of her people. A mistake she silently vowed to never make again.
Over five years had passed, and none too quickly either. The Goliath sat isolated in her cell after yet another exposition, stripped of crude armor, and left to her own thoughts and scraps of food. Her only company most of the time, a dire wolf, black as midnight, amber eyes, and at least twice as large as a normal wolf. Vah'lux always had a heart for the creatures Kavaki blessed the lands with and would not hesitate to share her meager portions, or perhaps all of it, if it meant the beast would be satisfied above her own needs. However, it took a good part of a year -and in secret, no less- to get to that point in their relationship, as the Dire Wolf was abused at the hands of the Orcs so often, it had very little trust in anyone. But, with time came healing, and the creature felt much more at ease with her new friend, learning to acknowledge and obey words and commands in Gol-kaa that would solidify their bond even further.
*** UPRISING ****
Freedom. For years it had become a fading thought, and the hope that went with it dwindled over time. She was only one of a handful of her tribe held by the Orcs, and even they were dying away. But a dream of her lost people the night before urged the Goliath on, resolved to escape from under the filthy heel of her Orc oppressors and seek out her tribe once again. Whispers to other slaves she trusted carried throughout the stronghold. Many were in agreement, and then the evening fell, so the revolt started. Chaos ensued, fires broke out, and the screams of Orcs and slaves alike echoed throughout the night sky. Vah'lux ushered many of the others to safety, keeping watch to ensure they cleared the gates. Orc archers picked off who they could; stragglers were the first to go. As the last group of captives fled to the outside of the walls, the Goliath followed.
Vah'lux was flanked and knocked over by a hulking Orc in spiked armor, one who was nearly her size and mass, in fact. The same Orc who tormented her for the years during her time spent in captivity. And, the very one who stood by the human boy as her people were pulled from their home. Just as the Orc’s crude spear was raised above his head to make the final killing blow against the prone woman, the dire wolf lunged at the vile creature, teeth clenched onto the monster's wrist, causing him to relinquish the weapon. It was just enough time for Vah'lux to stand, grab the dropped spear, and plunge it into the Orc's abdomen, bypassing the meager protection of the leather armor, which brought the creature to its knees in pain. His presence lit up a rage that boiled inside the Goliath woman, as she turned the spear head around, tearing and crunching cartilage and tissue.
"You always be animal!" The Orc exclaimed in broken common while spitting blood toward the Goliath. "You will die animal!"
Vah'lux stared at her captive. The angered harbored toward him was great, but the words she wished to say to him were just not worth the time spent.
"Then perhaps that is all I will be!" She growled in response. "S'trey'kor!" Uttering the command to kill in Gol'kaa, as the wolf did not hesitate to tear the flesh from the Orc's neck with massive jaws and razor sharp teeth.
Vah'lux turned and ran. Never to look back. Never to return.
*** OUT OF THE FRYING PAN ****
Days turned into weeks in the foreign wilderness, and many of the others who escaped either went their own ways, perhaps back to their homelands, or died off through disease, malnutrition, or wounds that never healed properly. In eventually came down to the Goliath and the Wolf. Through hunting and resourcefulness, Vah’lux managed to acquire components to create a few pieces of hide armor to help with protection as well as staving off the elements along her journey, and weapons were crude, but usable. She had very little idea of where her travels would take her, as the lands grew darker and more harsh, challenging not only her skills as a hunter and gatherer, but her wits.
On a particular day while hunting and foraging, she was suddenly surrounded and arrested by armed sentinels, and from what she could tell from their claims, for “Unauthorized hunting on royal protected lands and harboring a dire wolf…”, who they believed was full of only evil intent. Vah’lux would not go easily as she would never be caged like an animal again, but as the soldiers descended on the Wolf, tossing chains and snares to hold it down, she ceased any resistance, bargaining with the soldiers to release the beast in exchange for her cooperation.
As it so happened, they complied, and Vah’lux bid her friend goodbye in Gol-kaa, urging him to run as fast as his legs would take him, far from her, far from the chaos. To find a new home. To be free. And with much reluctance, the wolf obeyed, and took off with a supernatural speed into the mist and darkness, with only it’s howls heard echoing throughout the forest before fading into the night.
“Ak’loc kano ekta” She whispered in the native tongue, as she was led toward her fate.
May we meet again...
