Name: Hodrick Vorhut IV
Aliases: The Adamantine Lord
Titles: Lord of the Seventh Spire
Age: 102
Place of Origin: Athel Loren
Gender: Male
Build:7’0- Stoic and Unyielding
Eyes: Empty sockets
Hair: None
Skin Tone: None. His bones carry a distinct, if tarnished, metallic sheen not unlike aged brass.
Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: His armor has small cuts and dents scattered across it’s surface, showing age and experience were wrinkles and aches would have been.
Day To Day Attire: As one of the Reborn Hodrick cannot leave the confines of his armor, his metal encased bones having fused with the heavy plates of Adamantine that make up his armor. However small bits can be removed like the pauldrons, chainskirt, and helmet. The skull has been etched with dwarven runes, telling of his achievements and glorious deeds. There is a single, small gem the color of amber set in his forehead. Should he need to go somewhere where finery is needed Hodrick will take the time to thoroughly clean and polish his armor to a golden gleam.
Strengths: Resolute, Honorable, Strong
Weaknesses: Weak to the plight of the defenceless and critical of those who do not show his definition of honor
Stoic * Determined * Compassionate * Dutiful
Sexuality: Sex was never something that interested Hodrick, only ever participating in hopes of creating strong children. However he has been in love before.
Relationship Status: Single
Personality: Hodrick is a man of gleeful contradictions. In combat he is a load, commanding figure. Barking out orders and yelling out encouragement to his comrades. However when things become dire and tense he is as quiet as the stone, his unyielding presence in the face of his enemies speaking so much more than a voice ever could. He is the first to enter the fray and always the last to leave, the lives of his brothers and sisters in arms meaning more to him than his very own, a sentiment shared with each and every one of them. This is perhaps one of his greatest faults as, inevitable as it is, should a comrade die he takes it as a personal attack. Their deaths cutting deeper than any knife.
Hodrick is deeply compassionate, quietly weeping in times of great sorrow, joy, or triumph. A trait that he has passed on to his comrades, for they are all his family. In spite of this, Hodrick knows that to let such things control him would bring ruin upon the Seventh Spire. He mourns, he fights, he triumphs, and he moves on. The names of the fallen never forgotten, but never in the way.
To children he is a hero, a great metal man who shows them how to fight, to trust in their fellows, and to watch out for one another. In a way all of his brother and sister in arms are Hodrick's children, as he has overwatched their development into soldiers since the day they arrived at the Seventh Spire. A fact that is compounded at the great feasts when he declares their deeds with a father's pride.
Habits: Rubs a large gold medallion when anxious, any distinguishing features long since rubbed away. Has a habit of using his hands in place of facial expressions as, well… he doesn’t have a face, a reassuring hand on one's shoulder is common.
Hobbies: In the times he is away from battle and not training, Hodrick likes to read. Over his long life he’s consumed a great deal of knowledge about magical theory and practice, though his status as a Reborn make actually casting magic impossible. Beyond this he has taken it upon himself to help train the young ones as much as he can before they are exposed to the true horrors of the Eternal War.
Fears: That the Spine will break and allow the Hordes to swarm across the lands behind it, but most of all he’s afraid that he’ll be powerless to stop it.
Likes: Manuscripts, that peace between sieges, children, his fellow brothers and sisters in arms, all forms of the arts, and the feeling of community.
Dislikes: The Horde, violence for violence sake, damage to art, disorder, abuse of
any kind, disloyalty, and cowards.
A listing of skills, such as horseback riding or cooking. Levels include novice (1 pt), apprentice (2 pt), journeyman (3 pt), expert (4 pt), master (5 pt). Each character can spend 21 points & only two skills can be mastered.
- Swordsmanship (Master): Armed with sword and shield, Hodrick has stood against the Hordes of the Dark Gods for nearly 83 years and trained in their use every step of the way.
- Archery (Masterl): Surprisingly, Hodrick is a master bowman though he doesn’t fit the mould of an archer in any sense. No, he was trained in the use of the Kharak Bows, massive things that needed great strength to draw and fire accurately. The Kharak Bows were made to fire large arrows at key targets before switching to melee combat.
- Transmutation Magic (Expert): The only magic that a Reborn is able to cast thanks to the catalyst in their heads, transmutation is the act of turning an object into something else. Usually this is to change base metals into adamantine for repairs or refining oil for maintenance of gears and armor. However it is a relatively long process and is the only thing that can make a Reborn tired, plus it takes much more of a base material to create something of a higher quality. For reference it takes a ten pounds of iron to make a pound of adamantine.
- Calligraphy (Expert): A skill he picked up in his freetime, Hodrick has come to greatly enjoy the art of calligraphy and his skill with it has grown considerably over the years. While it isn’t as great as the masterpieces in Landragal, Hodrick’s dedication to his pieces and the influences of Human, Dwarf, and Elven cultures has given it a unique flair that many have come to appreciate.
- Cooking (Journeyman): The all important skill of keeping morale high, sadly decayed as he and his unit have no need for actually eating nor taste buds to taste. In his days alive Hodrick’s food was the stuff of legend to the soldiers, though anything tasted good when your usual food was a flavorless but nutritious gruel. However should he have a proper food taster Hodrick should be able to make great food once again. Slow roasted meats and stews were his speciality.
A listing of unique powers, magic, artifacts, and techniques. A maximum of four only.
- Ogres Bane: A replica of his original sword crafted out of finer metals, Ogres Bane got it’s name on Hodrick and his units fateful last stand at the Seventh Spire gates by slaying no less than seven Ogres by himself. Beyond being tougher and far more sharp than one would think, the jewel in it’s hilt glows in the presence of evil.
- Hoggar's Will: A gift from the Dwarven Lords of the Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Spires after Hodrick gave his life defending the Seventh Spire. This shield is emblazoned with the face of the Dwarven God of Stubbornness and Wrath, Hoggar. The shield is truly indestructible and will only allow those worthy of carrying it to wield it.
- Kharak Al Kharak: The King of Kings bow, this Kharak bow was specially made for Hodrick and his Reborn strength. For ease of use it and it’s arrows have been enchanted to be summoned and banished on a whim. The bow itself is only slightly shorter than Hodrick himself and the arrows are just a foot smaller than that. The point of this weapon is to pick off important targets with a single, powerful blow. The only drawback is the small pool of arrows he has the taxing amount of energy it takes to make new ones. It is nearly impossible for normal people to draw Kharak Al Kharak
- Reborn Physiology: As a Reborn Hodrick has no need for sleep, food, water, or breath, ambient magics being the only sustenance needed. His body gives him great strength, able to draw Kharak Al Kharak like a child pulls twine, and an unlimited stamina. However, while still faster than one would expect a hulking mass of adamantine armor to act, Hodrick is still slower than most normal creatures and is nightmarishly heavy. Riding any horse would be impossible and would need to be drawn about by carriage or trailer. Lastly repairs take much time, resources, and energy to enact, leaving an exhausted and nearly delirious Hodrick in their wake.
Parents:Hodrick Vorhut III and Freya Vorhut-Magnusson, Lord and Lady of the Seventh Spire, Deceased
Siblings: Roland Vorhut and Florence Windollen-Vorhut, Military Advisor and High Priestess respectively, currently in their seventies
Childhood: Hodrick was born into the noble houses of the 13 Spires, the ruling military leaders of The Spine and the first and last defense of the world behind. Hodrick’s childhood was spent in preparation for his eventual ascension into Lordship of the Seventh Spire, one of three Spires ran by humans. He was trained in the arts of war since the time he could hold a sword and surrounded by tales of bravery, honor, and duty. Young Hodrick made friends with his fellow students, no separation of the common and the noble for they were to all be brothers and sisters in arms, bound together by their duty to protect The Spine.
Adulthood: Hodrick’s adult years began at 12 years of age, his duty on the wall being to fetch arms, ammunition, and other things for the soldiers, the “children” affectionately called “Fetch Rats”. However it wasn’t clean work, running about on The Walls put Hodrick face to face with the reality of battle. Spilled guts and lopped limbs and so much blood. It was his time as a Fetch Rat that earned Hodrick his first kill, an Orc ladder had gained purchase and the beasts had began their mad scramble up the wood. Yelling for reinforcements the young Hodrick took the sword of a fallen comrade and began to hack and stab at any beast that reared its head over the wall. After the fact he had nightmares for three days.
Fast forward twenty years and you see Hodrick at his prime, an aged and experienced warrior and a paragon to the men of the Seventh Spire. Renowned for not only his skill in battle but the compassion and love he has for his fellow brothers and sisters in arms. It was his his virtues on and off the field that allowed him to come back from death in what would become known as “The Great Defence of the Seventh Spire”.
The Horde had gathered at the Seventh Spire in greater numbers than had ever been recorded, attacking with an unknown ferocity that slowly allowed them to take the walls. Beginning to be pushed back with nowhere to go, Hodrick had all nonessential men and women evacuate the Seventh Spire with the message that it will have most likely fallen by the time they received it. With nothing to do but buy as much time as they could, Hodrick and his men proceeded to do just that. Using every tool at their disposal from explosives to the chokepoints of the halls they fought on. By the time reinforcements came three days later from the Eighth Spire, Hodrick was down to a dozen half alive soldiers.
With reinforcements streaming from the back, Hodrick and his soldiers lead the charge that finally cleared the Horde from the Seventh Spire. Standing there on the walls, seeing his foes flee from his Spire, Hodrick allowed himself to rest his eyes. He died standing up.
A week later Hodrick was Reborn and took up his sacred duty once again.
Special Moments:Funny how the day he died on lies one of the most fonde in Hodrick’s life. The moment where he and his fellow brothers and sister had won the battle, seeing the Horde run with tail tucked between their legs had birthed such bride in his heart that he wept openly and lead the roar of triumph that spread across the walls at the whimpering tide of filth fleeing his Spire.
The second is of a much more innocent quality, of training young warriors to be and his younger brother before his gift for military tactics were discovered. Of sharing with them tales of honor and battle but also never hiding the truth of what their future had in store for them.
Finally, a more selfish memory, is Hodrick. Bent over a desk surrounded by flickering candlelight, pouring over a tale of comrades, of a quest, and of an unlikely hero.
Current Events: Hodrick was once again on the wall, fending off the Horde before a great beast came screaming out of the clouds. It’s roars belching out flames that scorched the walls, weakening the defence. Hodrick hit the beast dead in the eye with Kharak Al Kharak, causing the beast to fall towards his position before being ripped away from the battle and his world.
Climate: The Spine, a great mountain range separating the small sliver of Athel Loren from the blasted lands of the East. The Seventh Spire is one of 13 mountains on the range and the smallest in height, making it a choice target for the Horde and is frequently attacked. The Keep is built into the mountain and overlooks the East, a land blighted by scorched earth, weapons of war, and an uncountable amount of bones. The air is dry and cold in the winter, snow falling rarely. The summers are dominated by harsh sunlight and an unrelenting heat with very little wind.
Ruling(s): The 13 Spires are the ruling military commanders and noble houses ruled by its chief defenders. Five houses to the Elves, five to the Dwarves, and three houses to the Men. Every house wages war against the Hordes, defending it's mountain to the last in their own way. Each Spire is self sufficient in terms of water and food, gaining soldiers in the form of yearly Tithes from The World Behind. And true, the Houses are separate by law, in reality it is a single unified people sharing in their knowledge, cultures, and support. Only fools divide themselves.
History: In the beginning the Kingdoms of Athel Loran were massive, spanning the entire continent. In those times Man, Dwarf, and Elf squabbled amongst themselves over petty things. Then the Horde arrived, a great swarm of black blooded beasts from the east that butched their way across the continent. The Kingdom of Man fell first, the tides crashing against the too proud Kingdoms and humbling them in the blood of their people. The same fates assaulted the Dwarf and Elven kingdoms, until their backs were pressed against the wall of the Spine.
On this mountain range the three races came together, uniting in the face of extinction. Many a legendary warrior was framed in those days, beating back the Horde and securing their survival. It is here that the three kingdoms put aside their differences and came together in an effort to survive. While the lands behind the Spine where settled, the Spires were founded and reinforced. Great keeps were carved out of the stone and warriors trained in their defense, for if the Spine breaks than the world fallows.
Notes:There are two races of people that settled the lands beyond the Spine long before the Three Kingdoms fled there. Halflings, who are made from a gentle cloth, and Gnomes, inquisitive creatures with a knack for creation, they welcomed their weary neighbors with open arms for the most part.
Magic is equal parts tangible and intangible in the world of Athel Loren. Things like Adamantine and Wyrd Wood are filled with magic, able to take on magnificent properties if you know how to fold it. It becomes intangible if you learn how to speak to the winds, the founding blocks of creation. The Elements, Light, Order, Death, and Chaos all have a wind you can commune with if you have the will to resist their temptation. Powerful, but not without their dangers.
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Character Quote: “Hold! Let them taste our resolve.”
Theme Song: Iron - WoodkidAura Color: Bright, a beacon of golden light that only grows brighter in the heat of battle.
Scent: Smells of old oil and metal.
Anything Else: Hodrick's voice is deep, powerful, and commanding yet very soft outside of combat. Not unlike a wise grandfather telling stories of his youth.