Hellion

CHAMPIONS of DRAYDON ⚔️

@Hellion I’m keen to start an interaction with your Goliath but should probably give the others a chance to post first :/

@Dark Light

Yeah no problem. I'm in no hurry :)

CHAMPIONS of DRAYDON ⚔️

Nice work, @Whoami

Yeah, that was like GM-level story stuff, but hopefully we can all start off with meeting one another in the tavern first, lol

CHAMPIONS of DRAYDON ⚔️

---

“Who let that into the city?”

“Perfect, now we have wild animals running loose.”

“May the Gods damn those evil, good-for-nothing giants. Faerun would be better without them...”

The whispers never ceased upon entering an unfamiliar town or province, but the outlandish claims, awkward stares, fruitless gossip, and disgusted expressions had become part of her life ever since traveling from the confines of The Ride, a place Vah’lux had called home since childhood. A place where her kind was accepted, and seen not as a monster, but as an honor-bound kinsman of the North. Hunters. Gatherers. Warriors. Spiritual Leaders. Just a few of the titles a member of the race of Goliath may have bestowed upon them. But in the great unknown lands of Faerun, prejudice and hate was all the more real.

Musing at the thought of easily crushing the countless Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, or other relatively smaller races brought a hint of satisfaction to the seven-foot-one, battle-hardened Gladiatrix, however, acting out against such ignorant speak would only strengthen their case of the “untamed barbarian animal”. Most had never seen a member of the pseudo-Giants known as the Goliath, especially up close, and their sheer size difference was off putting and threatening to most. But she pitied them more than she could ever despise them for their blindness, because it wasn’t worth the mental anguish to acknowledge such narrow mindedness.

Vah’lux stood at the mouth of the alleyway which lead toward the Foamy Crown tavern. Holding the long, heavy glaive vertically, with the tail end stuck into the mud and the top of the blade head stopping at about eye level, she surveyed the area as though she were a sentinel. Even with the fog rolling in, she could tell it wasn’t the best part of town, nor was it the worst, but she needed to rest from the week-long trek toward western Faerun, and finally to Draydon. There was very little downtime during the journey, as she had to make good time in order to register for the Gladiatorial challenge being held within the city, and with that out of the way, thankfully she had a few days to unwind and train beforehand. There was always a certain level of excitement that coursed through her blood at the thought of entering an arena, and Draydon had one of the better facilities along the West Coast.

Adjusting the fur-lined cloak draped over a broad shoulder, she headed toward the tavern, her thick leather boots crunching and squishing through the mud and pebbles along the path, leaving above average footprints. At the foot of the staircase leading up to the tavern entry, she momentarily arched an eyebrow and smirked, knowing that under her own two hundred and seventy-five pounds of bone and muscle, there was a risk those steps wouldn’t last long. But also wouldn’t be the first incident if it came to it. Either way, Vah’lux shrugged and took her first step, and the wood creaked as though it were in pain, but still held nevertheless. It was essentially the same all the way to the top, a few planks sounding as though they may have splintered under the pressure, but held in one piece.

The above average muscled human standing out front at the entrance with his arms crossed and chest puffed out, merely glared at Vah'lux and then the glaive she held. It took more than a few seconds for him to take in sheer size of Goliath -a race he was clearly not ready to behold- and the various pieces of leather and steel armor that adorned the barbarian added to the already enormous and looming tower before him. He looked up at her scarred face, and she in turn, looked down at him. "Evening." Her voice was fairly deep and husky for a female, but kind and non threatening.

"No trouble." He grunted, clearing his throat immediately after.

"None." She responded with a slight shake of her head.

The guard nodded, almost reluctantly, and looked away, clearing his throat for a second time as the significantly larger of the two walked by and through the tavern doors, ducking her head down about a foot to clear the standard-sized frame.

The interior was well lit, warm, and inviting, as far as taverns went, and especially for an evening that felt muggy and wet. Out of the few patrons seated in and around the dining area, only a couple of them actually looked up from their meal or drink to notice the Goliath. Perhaps it was for the better that the place was sparsely populated. Looking around for a moment, she thankfully noticed a much larger table along the wall near the bar, matched with thick wooden benches, which seemed like a perfect place to relax and shrug off the weariness of the day with an ale, and a stew. Vah’lux placed her large rucksack down near the foot of the table, and her glaive leaned against the wall about arms length from where she’d decided to sit. With a deep breath, and a few stretches and cracks from her lower back and neck, she removed the dark brown fur-lined cloak, neatly folded it, and placed it on the table. Following, she proceeded to loosen a few straps from her chest armor and remove the heavy chest piece -which appeared to protect the upper part of her chest- and place it next to her on the floor. Her torso was wrapped in a light tan cloth, which was a stark contrast against her naturally bluish-gray skin tone.

She closed her eyes for a moment, relaxing her mind, and refocusing her thoughts, and as she opened them, glanced at the young human sitting at the bar closest to her, and gave a friendly nod. One of the serving girls, a very small, petite half-elf, shyly apprached the table where the Goliath sat.

“W-Welcome.” She smiled, shifting uncomfortably. “Was there...anything I can get you t-tonight?”

Vah’lux gave a half-smile, because honestly, it was all she could muster after a long day. Her body was tired, even for one who’s athletic prowess is off the charts, and her mind, exhausted and in need of recharging.

“A pitcher of ale, and a large bowl of your house stew will be just fine.”

The elf nodded in response, and turned to head for the kitchen, fanning herself with her hand on the way.

This was going to be a very interesting evening.

Musings n' Dreams

I asked her if she believed in love.
She merely smiled and said it was her
most elaborate method of self-harm.

Xayah and Rakan!

Welcome to the Guild

CHAMPIONS of DRAYDON ⚔️

Vah'lux Strom | Barbarian

Character Full Name: Vah'lux Strom

Gender: Female
Race: Goliath
Height: 7ft 1in
Weight: 275lbs
Main Class: Warrior
Subclass: Barbarian

Appearance: A being slightly below average for her race of pseudo-giants, Vah’lux stands at seven-foot-one, with defined muscles, grayish skin tone, and emerald eyes. Her dark, walnut hair is about as disheveled as one would imagine from her kind, cut uneven in some areas, and the longest part tied together in a thick ponytail. While she may be in her mid-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. A series of articulate tattoos of spirit animals, mythos, and symbolic imagery of her people partially cover her arms and back, depicting exploits of her own within the fighting arenas and leaving room for future stories told in ink.

Her armor consists of reinforced leathers and hides, keeping things light and flexible as much as possible. While she can naturally shrug off certain damage, her armor can still be a matter of life or death and something she doesn’t overlook. When not in combat situations, she generally wears stitched hides to cover most of her upper and lower body, and thick boots wrapped in leathers.

Personality Description: Dominant, 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 arrogant, it couldn't be further from the truth. Her rough exterior is balanced by a charismatic approach to others and generally friendly disposition, as even when things may seem dark, she manages to lift the mood of the people she encounters.

Short Biography: Found by a small band of travelers and merchants, as a larger-than-normal girl of no more than four years of age, dressed in animal skins and rags, and nestled within a cave atop the Dragonspine Mountains, the child survived countless lonely nights. Through some blessing of an ancestral god she never knew, she was spared by the ravage disease which claimed the lives of both parents weeks earlier, leaving her to use what little survival training she learned at such an early age.

The Goliath child was given to the human and half-elf barbarian tribes situated in the plains of Northern Faerun, and raised as one of their own, while at the same time, seen with much suspicion and contempt by many who didn’t understand her race. Regardless, she lived among them, learning not just about her new family, but that of her people as well. Training as a hunter, gatherer, and warrior, utilizing her athletic abilities to do extraordinary things.

As the years passed, and adolescence took hold of the young woman’s life, her physique also scaled immensely, giving way to more height as well as muscle mass, and opening opportunities that she never knew existed. It was her eighteenth year of age that the invitation to participate in gladiatorial games throughout Faerun was extended, which would pull her from the comfort of the Northern territories, and into a broader adventure.

But it wasn’t the thought of fighting for glory or gold, but for the respect of her adopted family, as well as many other Goliath she’d encountered along her path. Eventually, Vah'lux called the gladiatorial arenas "home" for two years, learning, training, and charming crowds of spectators as they came to watch the weekly events, guaranteed to be filled with enough dramatic bloodshed and entertainment to bring more people and therefore, more income. The Goliath, skeptical at first, began to sink comfortably into a new chapter in her life, as the title of “Gladiator” had been branded on her from the moment she stepped foot into the fighting pits scattered throughout the land.

Why have you come to Draydon?: The underground fighting scene, while not wholly legal, is still one of the most sought after competitions in all of Faerun. It was in Draydon that she hoped to secure honor and fight in the name of her people and tribe. The wealth, while not a priority, would also help her people to rebuild communities lost to wars over the centuries. Help to reclaim lands that were once theirs. She doesn’t fight for herself, but for her heritage.

Character Fighting Style: Specialized in two-handed polearms, she uses a mixture of both offensive and defensive techniques. Quick and powerful attacks with the preferred weapon of choice, a Glaive, which could be used to trip an opponent as well. As a Barbarian, large bursts of power were ideal but at the cost of being winded quicker. In that case, Vah’lux would switch to a defense position in order to recover.

Also has trained in mounted combat (heavy horse) with polearms and broadswords

Primary Armament: Two-handed Glaive (slashing main blade / piercing smaller end blade)

Hider

Secondary Armament: Two curved daggers for close quarter combat.

Inventory Items:
- Leather satchel with four (4) healing kits to clean/mend light wounds.
- Water skins
- Gladiatorial license (needed by some cities for legal reasons).
- Small, stone-carved statuette of Tempus, which she's carried throughout her Gladiatorial career.

Coin Purse: 50 gold

CHAMPIONS of DRAYDON (Forgotten Realms, D&D) (High Fantasy Role Play) (3-7 People)

@Scrivener For your review. I left out a few of the "Inventory items" because I honestly couldn't think of anything more at the moment, but I'll add them later :)

Vah'lux Strom | Barbarian

Character Full Name: Vah'lux Strom

Gender: Female
Race: Goliath
Height: 7ft 1in
Weight: 275lbs
Main Class: Warrior
Subclass: Barbarian

Appearance: A being slightly below average for her race of pseudo-giants, Vah’lux stands at seven-foot-one, with defined muscles, grayish skin tone, and emerald eyes. Her dark, walnut hair is about as disheveled as one would imagine from her kind, cut uneven in some areas, and the longest part tied together in a thick ponytail. While she may be in her mid-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. A series of articulate tattoos of spirit animals, mythos, and symbolic imagery of her people partially cover her arms and back, depicting exploits of her own within the fighting arenas and leaving room for future stories told in ink.

Her armor consists of reinforced leathers and hides, keeping things light and flexible as much as possible. While she can naturally shrug off certain damage, her armor can still be a matter of life or death and something she doesn’t overlook. When not in combat situations, she generally wears stitched hides to cover most of her upper and lower body, and thick boots wrapped in leathers.

Personality Description: Dominant, 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 arrogant, it couldn't be further from the truth. Her rough exterior is balanced by a charismatic approach to others and generally friendly disposition, as even when things may seem dark, she manages to lift the mood of the people she encounters.

Short Biography: Found by a small band of travelers and merchants, as a larger-than-normal girl of no more than four years of age, dressed in animal skins and rags, and nestled within a cave atop the Dragonspine Mountains, the child survived countless lonely nights. Through some blessing of an ancestral god she never knew, she was spared by the ravage disease which claimed the lives of both parents weeks earlier, leaving her to use what little survival training she learned at such an early age.

The Goliath child was given to the human and half-elf barbarian tribes situated in the plains of Northern Faerun, and raised as one of their own, while at the same time, seen with much suspicion and contempt by many who didn’t understand her race. Regardless, she lived among them, learning not just about her new family, but that of her people as well. Training as a hunter, gatherer, and warrior, utilizing her athletic abilities to do extraordinary things.

As the years passed, and adolescence took hold of the young woman’s life, her physique also scaled immensely, giving way to more height as well as muscle mass, and opening opportunities that she never knew existed. It was her eighteenth year of age that the invitation to participate in gladiatorial games throughout Faerun was extended, which would pull her from the comfort of the Northern territories, and into a broader adventure.

But it wasn’t the thought of fighting for glory or gold, but for the respect of her adopted family, as well as many other Goliath she’d encountered along her path. Eventually, Vah'lux called the gladiatorial arenas "home" for two years, learning, training, and charming crowds of spectators as they came to watch the weekly events, guaranteed to be filled with enough dramatic bloodshed and entertainment to bring more people and therefore, more income. The Goliath, skeptical at first, began to sink comfortably into a new chapter in her life, as the title of “Gladiator” had been branded on her from the moment she stepped foot into the fighting pits scattered throughout the land.

Why have you come to Draydon?: The underground fighting scene, while not wholly legal, is still one of the most sought after competitions in all of Faerun. It was in Draydon that she hoped to secure honor and fight in the name of her people and tribe. The wealth, while not a priority, would also help her people to rebuild communities lost to wars over the centuries. Help to reclaim lands that were once theirs. She doesn’t fight for herself, but for her heritage.

Character Fighting Style: Specialized in two-handed polearms, she uses a mixture of both offensive and defensive techniques. Quick and powerful attacks with the preferred weapon of choice, a Glaive, which could be used to trip an opponent as well. As a Barbarian, large bursts of power were ideal but at the cost of being winded quicker. In that case, Vah’lux would switch to a defense position in order to recover.

Also has trained in mounted combat (heavy horse) with polearms and broadswords

Primary Armament: Two-handed Glaive (slashing main blade / piercing smaller end blade)

Hider

Secondary Armament: Two curved daggers for close quarter combat.

Inventory Items:
- Small leather satchel with four healing kits to clean/mend light wounds
- Gladiatorial license (needed by some cities for legal reasons)
- WIP

Coin Purse: 50 gold

CHAMPIONS of DRAYDON (Forgotten Realms, D&D) (High Fantasy Role Play) (3-7 People)

Interested as well. Are Goliath a possible race to include?

Musings n' Dreams

Bitter words thrown with venom,
angry voices, raised again.

Tongues that would just not be bitten,
things you can't take back again,
bubbling emotions overspill,
and here we go yet again.

But let another wield their anger,
and together we bond again.

Strong together, we watch our backs,
until another argument cracks.

Veritas Lux Mea

Kai’mos Varthus

---

---

An Ithlo's intuition about people and situations was fairly spot on, having a keen sense of reading others through empathic sensory and body language. It's what not only aided them academically -especially in the field of physical and psychological therapy and medicine- but, also within the realm of combat. Anticipating an opponent's next move was key to succeeding where others might fail. But, in the case of the human woman, Teg, she was what Kai would consider a wild card. Hard to read. Hard to predict. Going from one extreme to the other along the spectrum of life.

Kai's only real concern were the narcotics, specifically those that Teg claimed were to "dull the pain". He wanted to bring it up to her several times in the past, but at the same time didn't want to pry. Regardless, Teg's performance within the crew hasn't wavered from what he's seen, so it hasn't become a problem. Yet.

The ship suddenly rocked from the external blast, almost knocking Kai off balance, as he entered into Medbay. Just as he was about to contact the Captain regarding the situation, Ansgar's thick accent wailed over the comms, and amongst the barrage of words, urged Kai to the bridge.

"On my way." The Ithlo's voice was cool and determined, and without hesitation, he grabbed the fully loaded medical rucksack, and bolted into the main corridor.

Another blast shook the ship, this time causing him to stumble and slam shoulder-first into the hard angle of a nearby bulkhead. Kai allowed a low grunt, as the pain ran its course. He didn't have time to worry about himself, not when the life of another was in jeopardy. Not on his watch.

The bridge was a mess, and the smoke emanating from the control panels and other areas made it harder to get a good look around. Kai grabbed a small hand cloth from his bag and placed it to his mouth and nose to filter out any toxins. Anything else, his own respiratory system would take care of, neutralizing anything harmful for a short amount of time. Ithlo weren't immune to poisons, but resistances were much higher than average. He noticed Kevej at the helm, then turned to see Ansgar kneeled next to a prostrate Andrea, and hustled to their side, assessing the situation as efficiently as possible. The small pool of blood behind her head wasn't reassuring, as he slipped a large gauze underneath to stop the bleeding.

"Are you okay?" He asked the mechanic, while checking Andrea's pulse.

"It's weak." He said to the other, unlatching the rucksack and pulling a small defibrillator pack, which was immediately activated to charge. "No consciousness though from a blow to the head. Hopefully I can jump start her heart, but even then, there's no guarantee." Kai shook his head, pulling the paddles out and prepping them. "The head trauma alone, and elapsed time, may be against us."

"Thanks for sticking around. I know you need to go." He nodded to Ansgar, while placing both charged paddles against Andrea's chest, the Ithlo adjusted the dial just above normal voltage, and with a signal to "clear", he pressed the buttons, which caused her back to arch a few inches off the floor.

"No pulse." He grumbled, placing the paddles in the same spots and repeating.

No response.

Kai placed both hands on the center of the woman's chest and started compressions, which after a half minute of stopping and repeating, ended with the same result. He allowed a sigh to escape as he exhaled in slight frustration. Life and death was inevitable, and he had his fill of bringing in new life, as well as sending off those into the after, but it was never any easier.

Kai quieted his mind for a moment, even amongst the chaos presently surrounding him, to utter a few words of prayer as he closed the eyes of the cold corpse who had been a brave member of the Lux. If survival of ship and crew is the outcome of this ordeal, Andrea Malkis would need a proper send-off.

Another blast quickly brought him back to the present and he had to move, however Andrea’s body would have to stay put for now as there was no way to maneuver through the chaos efficiently. Decisions. Quickly packing up the rucksack and standing to his feet, Kai hustle over to Kevej’s position. “What may I do to assist, Mister Vin'Akali?” Kai said in an urgent yet tone. “Ms Malkis has passed, and it appears we may have guests sooner than later.”