Bacon

Pokemon Lands

This seems interesting, that's for sure.

a Tale of High Adventure!

@duskshine749 Have fun and drive safe!

a Tale of High Adventure!

Caleb straightens his back a little as the man approaches them. At first he thinks the man is moving past them until he addresses the group. He seemed to be listening carefully, but it was impossible to know for sure as an outside observer. Most people can't see through steel, after all.

Caleb nods once the man finishes, resisting the urge to bow in response as he's trying to be courteous, not dramatic. "Thank you, sir." He said, trying his best to be polite. It takes him a moment to realize that those directions are gibberish to him, as he doesn't know this town. But, uptown shouldn't be hard to find, and 'Pauper's Square' sounds like somewhere that would be marked. Might take him a while few minutes to orient himself, but he could get there. At some point. Probably.

Could be a grifter. But I don't have much to lose right now, so why not? Best case scenario, I end up doing what I came here to do; kill monsters and get paid. Worst case, I get tricked and know to be wary of folks in this town. He took a moment to appraise the man's apparel. He's well-equipped. Might be a sellsword. Don't know what to make of that.

He turned back towards the rest of his new... companions? Regardless, he shrugged. "Couldn't hurt to have a look, at the least." He thought out loud.

a Tale of High Adventure!

Caleb gave a quick salute to the captain as he got off the man's ship, and back onto solid land. The first thing he did was a few stretching movements that made his joints pop a little, and more audibly shifted his armor. He then looked towards the wharf proper, and first heard, then saw, the massive crowd and grimaced slightly.

The roar of the crowd was overwhelming to him, as he practically fought his way forward. He just wanted to get off this dock as quickly as he could, and away from all the constant noise. He couldn't hear the footsteps of people around him over the noise, which made him nervous and a little paranoid. He did his best to shake it off for now, but his mind kept drawing forward the notion that someone was going to try to take his gear, which made him rest his hand on the pommel of his sword to make sure it was still on his belt. He entered the rough queue, not pushing his way forward, but keeping other people from pushing past him, by either refusing to be moved, or a swift but relatively light 'accidental' strike of his elbow. Eventually, as the line moved, he was able to eventually speak with one of the notaries.

"Name?" "Caleb Derrius Evermoore III." "Business or pleasure?" "Business." "Anything you'd like to declare?" "My armor, my sword, my shield, and my boot knife." The notary looked up for a moment, surprised for a moment when they saw the man in full plate, before returning to their paperwork. It was safe to assume that he couldn't fit much between the armor and the arming doublet, and having him take it off would be more trouble than it's worth. Before they could say anything else, Caleb handed his pack to one of the customs agents for inspection, and produced his boot knife to prove it was on his person. He'd been processed before, and knew what he needed to do in order to speed things along a little bit. "Next!"

That wasn't so bad, he thought to himself as he started to move away from the throng. He was lying to himself, he absolutely hated that, but at the very least his compliance managed to speed things along a little bit. It's probably for the best that I stick around these folks for now. They seem like the kind of miscreants that might at least be able to have my back in a pinch. He then moved to meet up with the rest of the group he had arrived with, sighing in relief as he was able to make out the footsteps of the people around him again, and finally relaxing a little.

a Tale of High Adventure!

Caleb would always be willing to trade stories, so long as they didn't go too far back. He'd be willing to talk to anyone who asks, and regale them with mostly war stories. This is probably the one he'd tell first. (Sorry if it goes a little long, I just kinda started going and when I was done I realized I'd written three paragraphs of text.)

Caleb's War Story

"I spent some time as a junior officer in his majesty King Andrew VII's army. He knew my family, and they decided I had the courage and drive to lead a few men. So one day, a few lords on the eastern periphery decided that they didn't want to be ruled over anymore, because they didn't appreciate the king shutting down some sources of their income by making them illegal. Mostly because he thought they were either morally wrong or counter-productive to the welfare of the nation. Selling debtors into slavery was one, and making the consumption of poppy seeds illegal was another. He tried to make up for it by reducing the import and export taxes on booze, but that didn't sway them enough and they rebelled. So naturally, the king sends out a few battalions to go sort them out and restore order to the eastern periphery, my company of medium cavalry being amongst them."

"We weren't an elite unit, just around a hundred young men with armor and horses who were supposed to cover the flanks of the heavy cavalry line. None of us had been to war, and I was the only one who had seen what battle really looks like. They were all excited and I figured only a complete idiot would try to take on the king's army, so we weren't expecting a fight. Maybe a few diehard soldiers who'd get cut down like grass. Imagine our surprise when one morning, while on the march, several full volleys of arrows start falling from the sky. The old vet in charge of out company caught one to the throat immediately, and we lost about a fifth of the guys in my company alone. I guessed where they were coming from, but it was chaos. I knew we couldn't just stay here though. So, I shouted the panicking kids that made up the company into order, and we charged towards were the arrows came from."

"It was a ragged formation, but the other units saw us and decided they weren't gonna get shown up by a bunch of green cavalrymen with more courage than sense. That charge was bloody, and when we broke from the trees, we saw the archers in time for them to lose another volley. That one was brutal, took a third of us down, and a couple arrows hit me as I had become the tip of the spear at that point. One in my right shoulder, another in my left thigh. But I wasn't gonna let something like that stop me. So I yelled 'For the king!' and couched my lance. The others echoed by cry, and we hit the line. My lance hit the enemy line so hard it shattered. So I dropped it, I drew my sword and started slashing out any anything that wasn't wearing the king's colors. I remember someone brained me with a mace, then waking to a cleric patching my wounds the next morning. Maybe twenty of us from my unit survived, but the other units hadn't taken too many casualties because our actions got them to shut up and charge instead of having captains and nobles bicker about tactics while we were getting shot at. Of course Baron Marcus, who was leading the army, took the credit for ordering the charge and I was bitter at first. But he didn't forget my actions, then and later, or my silence as to who did what in his stories. He was thanked me for my valor at one point, and was kind enough to give me a parting gift when I left his command." He then knocks his breastplate as he finished his story.

a Tale of High Adventure!

Druuk: Caleb's very wary of the half-orc, given his past experiences. However seeing as he hasn't tried to kill anyone in front of Caleb yet, he's willing to give this half-orc the benefit of the doubt for now, even if he isn't sure if the half-orc is entirely trustworthy just yet. He at least seems martially capable at a glance, which Caleb can respect.

Lucky: He would offer the halfling the same respect he would anyone, but he wouldn't approve if he learned of his sticky fingers. However, he would probably find the halfling's general demeanor welcoming, if a bit loud for his tastes, and could be swayed if he learns or figures out that the halfling means well.

Harth-Kazann: Being aware of the stereotypes between dwarves and elves, he isn't likely to mention his elvish heritage around the dwarf unless prompted to. Otherwise, he recognizes that the dwarf, as a clergyman, believes in and fights for something greater than himself, and respects that. He would probably try to ask about the story behind the pelt at some point, in the interest of finding conversation.

Kraseawei: Given his upbringing, he wouldn't really be able to pick her out as anything more than a sailor who dresses a little strangely. So long as she doesn't try to steal anything around him, he'll try to be amicable. He's always interested in talking to a fellow bookworm, especially if she can keep up with him once he gets going about some of his favorite authors.

Colt: He would most likely find a kindred spirit in the man, given his sense of justice and distain for monsters. If he learns more about Colt, the similarity of their situations wouldn't be lost on him, which might get him to open up about things he otherwise wouldn't.

In a nutshell: He trusts some people more than others at a glance, and will try his best to be amicable and not step on toes. Otherwise, if you stay out of his way, he'll try to stay out of yours.

While aboard the ship, I imagine he'd be mostly helping the quartermaster, as he has experience with organization and logistics from his upbringing, in addition to the fifty-five pounds of steel he seemingly always wears not lending itself towards climbing around the rigging.

a Tale of High Adventure!

@duskshine749Hey, just so you're aware, my character has a lot of experience with monsters, orcs, and the like. Very little of it good. So I was planning on having him be a bit wary of Druuk at first. Not full-blown racism, but wariness. You good with that?

a Tale of High Adventure!

@Red WizardEdits have been made. Does this work?

a Tale of High Adventure!

CS here. I'm relatively unfamiliar with this site, so I don't know how to upscale text.

Caleb

Name
Caleb Derrius Evermoore III

Race
Half-Elf (Other)

Gender
Male

Age
32 (physically mid-twenties)

Appearance
Wiry build, 6'1", 164 lbs. (without kit). Typically he isn't seen without his armor, a suit of full plate. It's a decent enough suit of armor with a soft blue tabard and an arming doublet underneath. The helmet itself has a cylindrical bucket helmet that he keeps well-polished (most of the time). On the off occasion he's caught out of his armor, his eyes are a sapphire blue and he is quite fair-skinned. His hair is a dark brown and is kept short, and he keeps himself clean-shaven when he can. His entire body is covered in scars, starting with the claw mark across his face, a burn scar on his left cheek, and a part of his right cheek has been torn through to the point that his teeth are visible through it. The rest of his body bears further claw marks, scars from blades, and burn scars, though I will not go into overly-fine detail.

Personality
Friendly and honest, he tries to help others in any way he can. He remains an optimist despite everything he's been through, and keeps a smile on his face most of the time. Can and will make jokes at his own expense. He doffs his armor in private most of the time to clean himself (and it), because he believes others would find his scars unsettling. He enjoys reading in quiet moments, in addition to finding a certain serenity in maintaining his equipment. He dislikes excessively loud settings, fire, and bullies.

Background
Caleb was the son of a minor human lord and a (relatively) young elf who were struck with love at first sight. The pair would have multiple children, but the eldest and the lord's heir was Caleb. His father had enough to ensure that all of his kids were decently educated, ensuring that they were all literate and knew at least basic mathematics. As a child he was protective of his family, getting into a fight to protect a younger sibling on one occasion. He enjoyed the company of his siblings and the instruction of both the tutors his father hired and his officers, who taught him swordcraft and how to ride a horse. When he was merely 14, however, Caleb would have his comfortable life torn away from him as his father's lands were raided by bandits and monsters, who eventually assaulted his home, killed his family, and took him and his youngest sister as captives. He suffered under their captors for three long years, trying and eventually failing to protect the last of his family, making him the last of his line as his sister died in his arms. Eventually, he was found and saved by a group of wandering adventurers who were hired to clear out the now-decrepit castle so that another lord could move into the territory. After making sure he wasn't going to bleed to death, they sent him to the regional capital for a few months while he recovered. Afterwards, he tried to find his own way, only to find himself joining the military in order to make enough money to keep his stomach filled. He spent the next several years fighting in the army, eventually leaving to go find his own way in life once he got back on his feet. His armor and weapons were purchased for him as a parting gift from his commander, however the tabard was something he commissioned himself, so that he might wear his family's colors. He wears the armor at all times mostly because he thinks other people find it less unsettling to talk to a man in full plate than a man who looks, in his own words, "Like some fool who got into a fight with a few white-hot daggers and lost". He now seeks to defend others, so he could save people in need, and be the hero he wish he had years ago. He's been doing this for a while now, but after hearing about the monster problems in the Vale he decided to pay for passage on a ship headed out for Crossroads Keep, determined to keep plying his noble and bloody trade.

Talents
He is a decent athlete, being able to walk and run around in full plate all day, in addition to being rather well-studied in politics and tactics. Above-average medical abilities from stitching up his own wounds on the road for a few years now, but nothing spectacular. He wields lesser divine magic, nothing more powerful than a few lesser healing spells, and the ability to light up his sword with divine fire when situations get desperate. He is, however, a practiced swordsman who's spent the majority of his life either training or fighting, giving him insights onto how to utilize most common weaponry and reasonable skill with a sword and shield. Practiced horseman.

Flaws
Pyrophobia. Some of his scars risk reopening if he pushes himself to his limits. He has an almost single-minded hatred for monsters, causing him to sometimes lose his head. Emotionally, as much as he tries to be strong for whoever needs it, he's not far from a complete emotional breakdown after the long and hard years.

Notable possessions (nothing silly)
x1 Suit of Full Plate (Complete with Arming Doublet and Full Helmet)
x1 Longsword
x1 Heater Shield
X1 Dagger (Boot knife)
x1 Backpack /w daily essentials (food, waterskins, bedroll, etc)
x1 Maintenance Kit (Nonmagical blade and armor oils, polish, whetstone)
x1 Healer's kit (bandages, poultices, strong alcohol for both a disinfectant and painkiller, needle and thread)
x1 50-ft length of hempen rope.

Whatever else you can think of that isn't covered in the other categories
N/A

The Misfit Crew (ver. 2.1)

As he stepped outside, Vincent could see a few hundred yards away was the billboard in question. It was painted with primarily cyan, showing a mob standing up to a single person, who is painted in red hues with the words "Sic Semper Tyrannis" in black just above the image.

Inside, the man working just shook his head. "... Why do I get the feelin' he's about to do something stupid?" The old man just chuckled and shook his head. "Some folk just feel like they need to stand up to someone. And on occasion, they're right."