Age: 25
Gender: Male
Race: Half-Orc
Appearance:
Personality: Unlike most orcs, Orchid is actually a fairly nice guy. While he's always up for a fight and ready for adventure, he's also willing to just lend a helping hand and play games. He has a big sense of honor, which translate into a practical sense of justice and honesty, though he's quite willing and capable of doing some cunning and underhanded things (Though mostly this just means he's willing to prank people). Orchid is pretty easy to tick off however, and he isn't afraid to smack someone for being stupid or mean, male or female. But he hardly ever does this out of malice and hates having enemies, trying to befriend or otherwise distance himself from people who he can't stand or who can't stand him. He can be pretty competitive to things that he things he can stand a chance in, making him quite a good team player, but this can rub people the wrong way since he seems too excitable. Really likes looking for and setting up puns, from clever to horrible.
Abilities: Where most orcs are warriors or berzerkers thanks to their innately high strength and endurance, Orchid is... A bard. He specializes in using music to buff his allies and debuff his enemies, and he's actually quite knowledgeable in a lot of lore, from magical to historical. While he's not entirely useless in a fight,
never give him a range weapon. If you're lucky he'll just miss. Otherwise... Prepare for trouble.
Bardic Performances: Orchid can play songs using his instruments to activate one of his performances. Technically he can also just sing it, but that has opposite effects. He can only have one performance active at a time, and he has to keep playing to keep the performance active.
Inspire Courage - Orchid's first, most basic and useful song. It makes his allies stronger and braver. Any ally who is currently fearful or hesitant will gain more confidence when they hear this song.
Aggro - A situational Performance, this song doesn't make anyone stronger or weaker, but it does make enemies focus more on Orchid. While it makes him the target of all their attacks, it also makes enemies distracted from his allies, allowing them to avoid or sneak attack them.
Raging Song - A song Orchid learned from his orcish mother, those who hear this song get caught into a battle frenzy. Those who hear this song will become stronger and tougher, but stupider and prone to attacking their own allies. One can resist the song with concentration, and it helps if you block your ears too.
Scare Chord - This performance allows Orchid to make a frightening tune, which can cause weaker enemies to flee and stronger enemies to be shaken. Some enemies can resist the song, and enemies who cannot feel emotions like the undead or constructs are immune.
Song of Freedom - Orchid can preform this song to snap his allies out of magical charms and enchantments, like sleep, brainwashing, illusions, confusion, and rage.
Spells: Orchid has access to some spells thanks to his bardic training. They aren't as powerful as wizard or cleric spells, but they do have their own little niche. He doesn't need his instrument to use these spells.
Cure - A basic healing spell. While it can't grow back missing limbs, it can heal cuts, bruises, and even mend clothing.
Nature's Beauty - Allows Orchid to spray water from his hands or grow natural plants, like flowers.
Minor Illusion - Allows Orchid to create a minor illusion, typically something visual. This can be anything from a bright light (Which can illuminate a dark room) or a big box (Which he can hide in without anyone "seeing" him). The illusion cannot physically affect anything however, making it easy to discover simply by touching it. Additionally the illusion will only maintain itself if Orchid is nearby; if he goes too far away it'll vanish. He mostly uses this spell to give his axe cool flames.
Shooting Star - This spell allows Orchid to jump a great height, as well as land safely afterwards. He can also just use it while falling to prevent fall damage. Plus it sounds really cool to shout when he attacks.
Notable Equipment, Traits, etc;:
Equipment: Triple Harmony - Orchid's most prized possessions is his Triple Harmony, a magical instrument that can change from a Flute, Lute, and Drum. Each of these forms are of masterwork quality. But aside from that, they provide no other magical enchantments. If it gets damaged in any way, Orchid can just change it into a different form and it'd be as good as new.
Battle Axe - Orchid's personal weapon when he needs to fight. Light enough that he can use it with one hand, but big enough that he can swing it with both. It has a spike on the tip if he needs to stab things.
Books - Orchid has many books with him about lore, history, magic, and a few which are his personal journals.
Dagger - It's just a knife. He can use it for eating for fighting, though he usually leaves the fighting to his axe.
Bagpipes - A fourth instrument that Orchid is working towards mastering. He's pretty good at it, but not nearly as good with the flute, drums, or lute.
Traits: Tough - While he is only half an orc, he has an orc's signature durability. Even without armor he's tough to take down with physical damage.
Battle Rage - Like many orcs, during moments of great danger Orchid can access an innate reserve of pure rage, making him stronger and tougher at the cost of making him very, very stupid. Afterwards he gets very tired and fatigued, leaving him in a much weaker state than before.
Darkvision - Orchid has a natural darkvision, allowing him to see normally in dark conditions. He'll still have a hard time seeing in magical darkness however.
Faults: Horrible Singer - Despite being a bard, Orchid is a horrible singer and deaf to his own atrocious voice. When he sings, people are hurt. His performances will have the opposite effect if he uses singing to activate them instead of his instruments. While he may be asked to only play his instruments, he doesn't believe he has a bad voice, and even when people do convince him he only thinks that he needs to sing more so he can train his voice.
Can't hold his Liquor - While he may boasts an orc's constitution, Orchid is a total lightweight when it comes to alcohol. Sure he might be able to sip some wine or ale during dinner, but if you ask him to down a whole mug, he will, and he will be totally blasted before he puts his mug down. This is an easy way to make Orchid calm down from his rage, but also make him easily manipulable. He's a blabbermouth when he's drunk and won't keep secrets, nor will he keep his thoughts in his head. He'll say whatever is one his mind, rude or obscene as it is.
Pervert - Orchid likes the ladies. Despite being a bard who's suppose to woo the women, any girl with a pretty face can wrap him around their thumb. He'll ogle and flirt with any girl, even if she's married or technically a monster. He also has a hard time fighting girls, as he'll never use his axe against them. He'll still punch them, but he won't try to kill them intentionally.
Horrible Aim - You'd think Orchid was cursed when it comes to ranged weapons. He's the type of guy who'd fail a point-blank shot, or who could miss the ground. Truth be told, if anything leaves his hand when he throws it, it's final destination will be determined by the wheel of fortune and lady luck, because Orchid certainly doesn't know where it'd end up.
History: Orchid was born when a female orc found a order of knights. These knights were strong, well-trained, and believed that the strongest should lead them. So when this female orc came to them, they all attacked her, knowing that she was going to bring harm innocent people. She then proceeded to kick all their asses, and turned the entire order of knights into her personal slaves. During one drunken night she took one of the knight chefs and had her way with him, resulting in Orchid.
Orchid was mostly raised by his father, and occasionally mother, until he was about ten years old. Then he was sent to Lerot to train and become an adventurer by his father. He knew some people who'd help hone his abilities, so that when he was old enough to join the adventurer's guild he would be ready to be the best of the best. Of course things didn't go as well as he planned. He sent Orchid to one of his former knight friends to train him to become a knight as well, but by the time orchid showed up that old friend had retired to become a poet. So he taught Orchid the art of poetry and writing. Orchid liked this, especially when it came to the tales of heroes. He wanted to be a hero too, but more importantly, he wanted to be with other heroes. A gathering of great people, himself included.
So between his poetry lessons, Orchid played with other children and learned the basis of fighting from watching other adventurers spar. Swords were cool, but Orchid's strength ended up breaking most of them. Hammers were alright, but he didn't think they were heroic enough. Thus he gravitated towards the axe. Orchid's musical talents also became to appear as he quickly learned how to play the flute, followed by the drums, and lastly the lute. By the time he was 20, he was considered a master of all three (But at the same time, a mediocre warrior).
When it came time to join the adventurers guild, Orchid became a bard, using song and words to empower his allies. But when most people thought of bards, they think of pretty young elves or handsome men with a rapier in one hand and a harp in the other. Not a grungy half-orc with a drum and battleaxe. Most of the time he gets jobs people mistake him as some sort of berzerker with a musical bent, which he doesn't always correct for the sake of having money. Currently Orchid is rather poor since he hasn't had a quest in almost two months, and he's down to his last coins and still sleeps in the stables.
Other: Orchid sends letters to his mother from time-to-time to let him know how he's doing, though he doesn't tell her about what his class is or his money issues. His mother wants children, and Orchid is tempted, but doesn't want to settle down as an adventurer to raise children. While Orchid loves the ladies, he's also open to dating men, but he isn't nearly as hesitant to fight them as he is with women. That being said, he is rather picky when it comes to men.
