Name:Raux (Sur-Name replaced by title)
Titles:Wit - In the Empire of Britheria, the culture of the nobility has developed many practices and habits when it comes to presenting themselves. At some point in history, the nobility found it to be beneath their station to insult their peers. Thus came the title of ‘Wit’. The Wit’s soul role in the court is to be the supplement to their charge’s personal wit and insult their charge’s peers. The title is for life till personally renounced, and grows more invasive to the individuals name the higher up in the court their charges are. It is not illegal for a Britherian to kill a Wit in the Empire after an insult provided it was by their own blades and not by cowardly means.
Aliases:The Grinning Cat; Jarl Fekurror's Wit
Age:32
Race/Ethnicty:Brith; Cougar
Continent of Origin:Crysteria
Gender:Female
Class/Subclass:Bard, Lore
Strength:10
Dexterity:14
Constitution:8
Intelligence:10
Wisdom:13
Charisma:20
Height:6'5"
Weight:223lbs
Appearance Description:Raux is a Brith of average height that closely resembles a Cougar in appearance, with a nearly flat chest and subtly sweeping curves. She has an athletic and limber body that closely resembles that of an acrobat and contortionist.
Her fur, as her entire body shape, is that of a cougar. The tawny color of brown, shades of gray, and small dips few markings of black make up the majority of her coat’s hues. And wrapping around her shoulder and shifting down her left arm is a tattoo made of elaborate dyes. The tattoo is of a sequence of swirling and intricate runes that when translated, recites her oaths.
Extending from her ears are strips of long fur similar to what could usually be found on a caracal or a lynx. And running through the cartilage of her ears are six brass loops. Four on the right ear, and two on the left.
Her mane is tightly braided into multiple long ropes of hair.
Strangely, no matter her mood, she always appears to have a perpetual smile on her lips. However, the perceptive may notice the faintness hints of her approaching madness by the way her occasionally rapidly dilate unnaturally on their own. Or the way her eyes will rarely look to something that is not visible to most.
And lastly, while her fur is extremely well kept and surprisingly in a naturally luxerous state... if you were to move the fur about to expose her skin, you'd find various scars lining her body that are too precise to be something picked up in battle or on accident. The scars appear to be the result of shackles and blades.
Day To Day Attire:She wears a fashionably ornate, and surprisingly sturdy burgundy long coat that could be mistaken for a dress in some cases. To those who are familiar with the Empire of Britheria, they'd find that the longcoat strikingly resembles a female officer's uniform. Swirling patterns line the coat in broken up sections that masterfully keeps the eye looking and lingering over the wearer’s form. The coat’s fit is adjustable and is designed to snugly fit to the torso while remaining loose on the joints to allow the full range of motion.The buttons for the coat start at the collarbone, and work their way down to the waist. The left sleeve is designed to be long enough to cover her hand up to the nuckles, and flare out at the cuffs. The tail of her coat reaches down a few inches past the half of her shins.
The shift under the coat takes on an argyle pattern of black and white.
She wears a pair of sturdy but comfortable gray-esque silver trousers that are loosely fitted with the cuffs buttoned to tighten up around her kalfs and just over her boots.
And finally, a series of colored cloths wrap around her head with a corner pointing down the middle and behind herself. They are an alternating sequence of colors from maroon to silver four times, and lastly ending with a bolt of gold cloth. These wraps serve to guide her braided mane behind herself and down her back. While also leaving a couple hanging by her muzzle. These strands have been decorated with brass beads.
Strengths:- Enthralling
- Persuasion/Intimidation/Bluffing
- Acrobatic
- Enchanting
Weaknesses: - Ranged Combat
- Curiosity
- Loyalty
- Hallucinates
- Honesty
- Panic Attacks
- Mediocre Willpower
- Most Magics are useless to those who cannot hear.
Endearing * Fractured Mind * Tormenting * Promiscuous Humor
Sexuality:Bisexual
Relationship Status:Single
Personality:If you were to choose a handful of words to describe this Brith, then you'd find the words; "Brazen", "Carefree", and "Whimsical" appearing almost immediately along with the word "Foolish" to some. And for the most part these are all true. She's Brazen to a degree that most would find utterly impossible. She'd have no problems with walking in public nude if she had to. She's not bothered by sexual advances or overly offensive jokes. And will gleefully test with abandon if an Orcish Warlord can laugh at themselves. There are even rumors about her sexual tastes being unusual. She's carefree in the sense that she enjoys life. She never thinks about the potential of death, as death always comes on swift wings. She takes great joy in new experiences and taking risks to see where the road will take her - through good times or worse.
But foolish is something she is not. Despite the surface layer of her personality, she is quite sage and humble. If you manage to catch her on the off chance where she's calmed down and deep in her own thoughts, you'll find her asking strange questions, telling parables, or even sharing some insight.
And then, there is her loyalty. Her loyalty is respectable, if not nearly zealous. But her loyalty is often at conflict with her own principles. Should a life long companion be at odds with the law, her honesty would often battle with her loyalty towards her friend. And often she finds herself having to settle with truthful wordplay or misdirection to protect her companions, or leaders.
Lastly, she can hold a grudge like a dwarf. If not worse. While she may not have something as ceremonial as a book of grudges, which is written in the blood of kings, and holds all the names that wronged dwarf kind... you'd certainly believe she has something similar. Typically, it is difficult to earn your way onto her shit list through most social interactions. But those of great severity will earn you a nice place dug deep in the pits of hell. And she will surely be the first person to drag you to your new home. And while she can be forgiving, there has to be a very good reason for such wrong doing for her to strike your name from her personal list.
Habits:- Rubbing her Wrist and neck as if just being freed from a collar and shackles.
- Humming
- Smiling or Grinning
Hobbies:Satire
Reading
Telling Stories
Jokes
Collecting Riddles
Fears:- Thalassophobia - Fear of deep bodies of water and the blasphemous monstrosities it may hold.
- Merinthophobia - Fear of being physically restrained
- Autophobia - Fear of being Alone
- Trypophobia: Fear of a large cluster of holes.
Likes:- Jokes
- Riddles
- Stories
- Jerky
- Fish
- Sphinxes
- Philosophy
- Music
- Art
Dislikes:- High Elves
- Cucumbers
- Betrayal
- The taste of alcohol; doesn't mean she won't drink anything that hides the flavor well.
- Sad Stories
- Huge Egos
- Crowd Favorite Great at Fascinating, inspiring, intimidating, or soothing crowds.
- Slight of Hand The art of deft hand movement, hand eye coordination, contact juggling, and misleading gestures. With a skill like this, Raux seems to show quite the display of hand-eye coordination. She's quite capable at juggling dangerous items, making things seemingly disappear from plain sight, and even setting objects in a controlled fall by rolling them on her body.
- Bardic Knowledge On top of having a whole personal library of legends, rumors, knowledge on important people, and stories in her head... she somehow has an uncanny ability of knowing things that one typically wouldn't expect her to know. ((DM's Digression)).
- Multiple Languages She has studied, and is in fluent in multiple languages, and a few ancient languages.
- Sharp Tongue There is an old saying that the tongue is sharper than the blade. And this holds a strong truth with Raux. She's not only able to masterfully manipulate ones emotions and logical thoughts with a selection of carefully chosen words. But she can even use it in battle for effect. Got a colossal orc towering over you wanting to rip you a new superfluous behind and then breed it? A few quick words and a cougar's scream will send him packing for the hills! Got a sure bladed sword master pointing his pointy thing at you? Some all natural glibness might make him surrender!
- Bestial Speed Brith are capable of doubling the speed of other races by using their immense arm and leg strength to run on all fours. They can lunge greater distances, but are also more susceptible to counterattack by skilled weapon wielders.
What sets a bard apart from a common minstrel is that their words and songs often have vast power hidden in them. The subtle 'magic' of Bards is often hard to catch, even by well-learned wizards. By using the emotions they pour into their songs, or the emotions the song inspires they twist and weave reality to inspire the impossible. Because of what a bard is capable of... even though they are not recognized as true arcane practitioners - they are often closely watched or disallowed to enter certain locations because of just how subtle and dangerous their art can be.
- Bardic Performance The key defining factor of true bards. While not exactly a spell, it's more of a 'personality' of the Bards that separates them from the rest of the arcane world - and what forces them into obscurity for not being true magic. A bard uses the power of his performances to extreme effect. These effects remain continuous as long as the bard is able to maintain his performance. Their ability to maintain performance depends on their ability to concentrate, and grows increasingly more difficult to stop the more skilled the Bard is. They are able to do other things as long as they maintain concentration.
Counter Song The bard plays or sings a song that counters and blocks the effects of magics that depends on sound or language. For example but not limited to, sonic damage based abilities or spells, spells or abilities that control people through a language that they can understand "I command you to protect me" (suggestion), spells or abilities that fascinates by the use of sound or language, spells or abilities that forces unnatural fear through the use of sound. Any creature who is within thirty feet of the Bard and is under the effects of a non-instantaneous sound or language-dependent spell may use the power of the bard's performance to break free. However, Countersong will not stop a spell that requires verbal components to be casted.
Distraction The bard makes a performance that counters the effects of magics and abilities that depends on sight, Illusion schools Pattern and Figment. Glamer, Shadows, and Phantasms are not stopped by this performance. Like Countersong, any creature within thirty feet that is already under affect of the song may use the strength of the bard's performance to help them break free.
Fascinate The bard makes a performance that causes one or more creatures to become fascinated with him. The prescence of dangers or nearby combat may prevent this ability from working.
Suggestion A bard can use his performance to make suggestions to a single fascinated creature. The bard can use this ability more than once in a single performance.
Inspire Courage The bard uses his performance to inspire courage into his allies. With bolstered morale, they become more resistant to fear and will even have their combat abilities improved.
Dirge of Doom The bard's performance shaken's enemies. It instills fear in them strong enough to impact their ability, but not quite enough to send them running for the hills. It does however make it significantly easier to intimidate and instill fear into foes. - Enhance Ability The caster touches a creature and bestoys a magical enhancement with a chosen affect for one hour.
Bear's Endurance The target becomes much more tolerant to pain and will be able to shrug off some blows as if they were weaker than they actually were. Their endurance is also increased.
Bull's StrengthThe target grows stronger and is able to carry twice as much as he was able to before.
Cat's Grace The target grows more dexterous. They even seem to land on their feet and able to land safely from a fall distance of twenty feet without harm.
Eagle's Splendor The target grows more charismatic, magjestic like an eagle.
Fox's Cunning The target grows more intelligent and cunning.
Owl's Wisdom The target gains more wisdom, and grows wiser. Their visual accuitity also improves a bit.
Components V,S,M(Requires a tuft of fur or feather of the animal in question). - Tasha's Hideous Laughter A creature of choice percieves everything as hilariously funny and falls into a fit of laughter if this spell affects it for up to a minute. Those who do are unnable to resist will fall prone, and become incapacitated. They will not be able to stand up for the duration. The creature might be able to break out of it periodicially.
- Cutting Words A bard specific spell that uses the bard's wit and strongly empowers his words. His insults, quips, jabs, and mocks will distract, confuse, and otherwise slap the confidence and competence right out of the target. Consequently the target's abilities will start to suffer under the bard's influence. A skilled bard could even potentially cause severe pyschotic damage.
- Aura of Vitality Healing energy radiates from the caster in a thirty foot radius for up to a minute. The aura follows the caster for the duration. The caster is able to focus and cause one creature to be greatly healed.
- Grease This spell covers a solid surface with a slippery and flammable layer of grease. The area of that the spell covers varies on the caster's strength. It can also be casted on multiple individual objects where no two objects can be more than thirty feet apart. Objects that are coated in grease become incredibly slippery and difficult to hold. Ground surfaces coated in grease becomes incredibly difficult to traverse and likely cause people to slip and fall prone. Note, grease is not just limited to the ground, it is any solid surface - that includes walls.
Possessions Generally On Person: Clothing, coin purse, money, etc
- Hurdy Gurdy An acoustic droning mechanical instrument Raux had purchased from a Gnome trading ship in her service with the Jarl. A wheel is spun to by a crank to strum the strings similar to a violin. The drone strings are a constant base tone and can be removed from the wheel. Notes are played by pressing down on piano like keys. The trumpet strings are placed near the wheel and are activated by quick jarring of the wheel to create a percussion or buzzing sound. Some additions had been made to it from the creator. It has additional Droning strings, harmony strings have been added to the instrument designed to vibrate by the droning alone, and some additional trumpet strings. The lid covering the note strings has a small snare addition to it. On the sides for the droning strings are frets to mimic a cello when strummed by the wheel, or a base lute when plucked.
- Coin Purse A bag to hold money. What of it?
- Brass Flute A brass flute of Dwarven make.
- A Pouch of Favors A pouch of gifts a bard would normally give at the end of a performance. Roses, trinkets, Sweets, and even small trophies from travels.
- The Fool's Tarot Card A memento from the elderly man who taught her the way of the Bard.
- House Fekurror's Pendant A brass pendant that resembles the hold's shield. A memento given to her by her Jarl directly, before being sent off. The pendant is attached to a chain and hitched to her belt at all times.
Weapons: Personal weapons, no magically enhanced items
- Long Sword A standard light weight sword with a long blade designed to be used most efficiently with two hands. It's secured to her hips with a hard sheath and belt.
- Gambler's Dagger A dagger with a blade length of five inches, a slender handle, and a non-existing guard. The weapon is currently worn attached to her belt sideways, just above the tail. The design loses some of the advantages offered by a full dagger such as reach and a guard. However, the loss is made up by practicality, ease of concealing, and ease of palming without losing out on effectiveness.
Armor: Base armor only, no magically enhanced items
Currently Not Wearing Armor.
Pack Contents: What do you carry in you pack when traveling
- Change of Clothes A fresh change of clothes. Just something more suitable for night time when being proper is required.
- Bed Roll A simple roll out cushion, Blanket, and Tarp.
- Lantern And Oil An iron Oil Lantern with a flask of oil for light.
- 7x days of Traveling Rations Packages of traveling rations. Each package contains some assortment of foods designed to hold up well such as, Dried meats, nuts, pickles, hardtacks, and sausages.
- Water Skin A water resistant sack designed for storing fluids.
- Compass A simple compass.
Magical Items: Potions: Premade or prepurchased potions
- 4x Potion of Tongues A potion designed to allow the consumer to speak and understand a language he does not know for an hour or less, depending on metabolism. In order for it to work correctly, after consumption a kiss must be shared. More specifically, tongue contact is required - hence the name. While she most likely won't need it, she carries it around for others.
- 3x Minor Potions of Healing Your standard low budget healing in a bottle when magic isn't available.
Creation Materials: While not particularilly skilled at crafting potions or items... she does use materials for creating songs, or for her spells.
- Bag of Animal Components A bag containing tufts of fur and feathers
- Ink and Quil A simple marking set.
- Tube of Parchment Tube of carefully ruled goatskin parchment.
History: You best be a Brith if you’re going to be born in a landscape where you’ll get your eyes poked out by frosted nips in the summer, and where your manhood will compress itself so hard to your body that it broke off in the cold two miles back during winter. Fortunately for Raux, that just happens to be the case. And thankfully, she would never experience the later. She entered this world in year 104 in the Age of Owls – in the territory of House Fekurror on the western end of Mydar. She came out like all other kits, screeching and mewling up a storm – a sign of good health. The parents? A lovely female tailor by the name of Raksa, and a male naval soldier that looked grumpy even when smiling – but a teddy bear in personality named Paros. And together, just as they brought her into the world, they guided her on through her childhood.
Her family was well off, as both professions are going to be in demand all year around when you’re dealing with a cold climate all year long. And Raux? She was a merry child. Come tide or hell, there was not much that could put a dent in her mood. She asked for nothing, she didn’t care much for toys. She preferred making them herself. And the most precious toy she created was an instrument. A crude little thing made of sticks and string that she played daily – and garnered quite the attention from the hold. It wasn’t long before her mother decided to commission an elaborate lute for her. One that Raux adored, and quickly took to the streets to play. Through many days, she had people dancing by the hold’s fountain.
And soon, a stranger rolled into town. No one knew where he came from, and no one knew his business. To them, he was a vagabond. The man was a brith that served no Jarl, and had no home. When folks did try to ask where he was from, he’d tell them something strange. “Take two steps back turn to the sun and look down. I was there last night, and now I’m here. Then tomorrow? I’ll be there again.” People eventually just stopped trying, brushing him off as some crazy bum. Or even a deserter. Yet no one bothered kicking him out of town. He never bothered anyone. And he’d only listen to Raux play when she was around, and stare up to the sky through the rest of the hours of the day.
At some point, when the two were alone, the man finally spoke to her. His first words, spoken softly, was of a parable.
It told of a man who strides many walks of life, humbled at the end of each. This man was seen only in the dark where unseen ravenous horrors lurked to ignite a light, just to be forgotten by time till the candle needed to be relit again. Again. And Again.
Rather than responding to her answer about what she thought. He looked to her and offered to teach her the ways of a bard. It was from this man through many years did she learn the many intricate arts of entertainment. From this man she formed three personal ideals through the Ritual of Immortal Oaths to follow and formed the source of her arcane ability. But the stranger started to have a strong influence on the little girl. Where many would grow wiser, mature, kinder, or cynical as they grow older… she did not. She became weirder with age.
Now at the ripe age of 18, she was entertaining the hold. A celebration to honor the death of the previous Jarl. Then the new Jarl to take the mantle, Furrok. For the most part it was a standard affair. People were dancing, Raux sang songs to remember the fallen Jarl by. But then she drew in everyone’s attention that it was time for the closing words to the Jarl’s story. Though instead of being respectful… the jester of a girl decided to send the man off with the crowd laughing than grim. She roasted the poor dead man with truthful, but hurtful words. Verbal lashings that’d be purely insidious if she did not make light of them in such a skillful manner. Something that’d likely get many executed on the spot. But she set the crowd roaring. She didn’t stop with the diseased Jarl. She wasn’t satisfied with just that. He walked down the line of his circle slowly. No Thane, Child, Woman, or Advisor was safe from her sharp tongue. Once the circle had been made medium well, she turned to the Jarl who was in tears from a fit of laughter. The onslaught continued, and the Jarl was sent rolling out of his chair squealing like a girl. The hold almost needed a new Jarl, for this one was about to laugh himself to death. Once the funeral was over, Raux was formally given the title of Jarl Furrok’s Wit. When she went to find The Stranger to continue her lessons, he had left a note and the Tarot card of the Joker.
Through these years, she saw to her duties. Often involving her to follow the Jarl where he went, and make quips and jabs at those who needed it. And by the Jarl’s orders she studied swordplay with the longsword from a Valkyrie. In a short amount of time, she began to grow a strong understanding of the Jarl’s mind. It wasn’t long before she started to predict exactly who he wanted to insult the most and how severely, or even how to playfully word news so horrible that people were too scared to tell the Jarl’s themselves. With time the two began to grow closer. The Jarl was just beyond the point of intimacy. Initially, Raux pushed these feelings away. She knew herself to be desirable, as there were many who showed interest in her. But seeing him persist, she finally saw these approaching emotions as genuine and formally rejected them in her own way. Less for herself, but for the Jarl as her title opens her up to a precarious position to let her life be taken in a moment’s notice.
At the age of twenty nine, yet another skirmish had broken out. In the previous years, the Jarl had eventually figured out that his Wit was a bard, and often would request her to give some amount of aid to their troops. This year wasn’t too much different in this respect. She went to the lines on her own accord. And promptly after arriving, there was an ambush on the forces that had demolished and routed Furrok’s forces, and caused her capture. Rather than being enslaved like most civilians, the commanding officer had remembered her all too well and apparently did not take too kindly to her jabs through the years. He ordered for to be thrown into the Frost-Wraith’s Mouth.
The Frost-Wraith’s mouth is an active dungeon within the Feuding Jarl’s territory. A place often described as a place that bestows such indescribable horrors… that it placed a man’s loyalties, mental fortitude, and sanity to the test. A place designed to break people. It was this place that she stayed in for weeks with no light, and only the smells, noises, tricks of the mind, and strange alien texture of the stone grown. She was often placed into the mercy of ‘Gentle Touchers’. They were gentle only in the sense of how they meticulously mangled your body, what followed after was not.
She had been there for several months before her liberation. The damage done to her body could be healed, but the experience left her mind scarred and severely fractured. The twitching wreck of a woman had enough peace of mind to remember her grudge, and personally asked the Jarl himself to handle the executions on her own. The Gentle Toucher’s were publically executed by her hands. And the man who had given the order of her imprisonment had been provided with an ultimatum. Follow the code of honor regarding the title of Wit, and fight her directly like he was supposed to. Or be tied by the wrist and ankles and be ripped apart by mounts. He chose the first.
The man was imprisoned, while Raux was given some time to recover before the duel. And when it came, the man was expecting the fight to be quick and easy. He was dead wrong. Raux didn’t just want to fight. She reduced him into a complete laughing-stock. She stepped away and danced around his strikes, hissing out insults and jeers. Actively stripped away pieces of his armor and paraded around the arena in a mock display. When she did strike, she made it clear that she fully intended to take her time. She wittled away at him, cutting at his wrist so his hands were useless, stabbed his feet so he was forced to limp, then eventually completely losing the control of an entire arm. She told the crowd one final joke before slashing his stomach open, and ripping his innards free with the hilt of her blade. She did not laugh at this last joke. Instead she spoke softly to the man while he was left to die to his wounds, “The last laugh is reserved for death, sweet heart.”
A few years after the fight, she was showing signs that she was recovering… but still was not quite herself. She no longer jumped at the shadows, shy away from blades, or clutched at her ears in a desperate attempt to block out voices that echoed in her head. But she still would occasionally wake up screaming… or suffer the occasional panic attack at the sight of some common things. The Jarl, with concern fueled by feelings he still had for her, requested that she’d take some time to travel and get away from this.. to see if that would be of aide. The two traded mementos for the journey before she left. Raux left him her Lute, and took up a Hurdy-Gurdy instead, and the Jarl in return gave her a pendant.
Character Quote:- "...I will remember those who have been forgotten. I will listen to those who have been ignored." Part of an Oath she has made upon becoming a bard.
- "The last laugh belongs to death, he's quite the jokster when you meet him."
- "The wisest man is the first to claim the part of the fool"
- "Nothing is more disturbing than a grin without the cat!"
- "The poor man. He thought he could outrun a centaur. Too bad my nose ran faster."
Theme Song: Anything Else:Panic Attacks and Madness During her time as a prisoner of war, her time with the enemy baron's "gentle touchers" in his dungeon had taken a serious toll on her mental health. While she had recovered a year after her liberation, the scars are not fully healed and have permanently left their marks.
That being said, she is prone to enter PTSD panic attacks under a variety of situations. Such as watching an ally being seriously injured, being seriously injured herself, being the target of mind controlling effects, being forcefully isolated, watching people being restrained under stress (in combat), being meticulously carved.
During this time - adrenaline is spiked higher than normal. She could either go temporarily feral and berserk, cower and hunker down somewhere, flail wildly, or freeze up.
She will also hallucinate and hear voices as her stress piles on. As the magnitude of her madness increases, her spell songs will start malfunctioning and display nightmarish results for better or worse that affects everything that can hear her songs.
Of course, through her recovery process she has found methods to calm herself down and bring her insanity to a more tolerable state.
Ritual of Immortal Oath's : Spoken Ideals and Oath's- Journey before Destination.
There is always multiple approaches and solutions to a problem. Failure is preferable to giving up. In the end all men die. How you've lived is how you die, and consequently how you died speaks volumes of how you lived. - I will remember those who are forgotten.
The world may be massive, but the smallest thing does not just fade into obscurity. Everything has a place in a machine, and when one falls out the machine does not just forget about it. That said, every man has made their mark in history... no matter how insignificant, weak, or strong that mark is. And collaboratively, they've designed the world to be as it is. Should the story of one man go ignored, or marked as a footnote to the greatness of another, then that is a failure of the writers of history themselves. - I will listen to those who are Ignored.
Raux hasn't quite fully understood the meaning of this last oath
This ritual forms the runes that permanently paints her left arm's fur and down to the skin. No amount of shaving or scarring will remove them as the binding transcends the physical realm. This ritual is the source of her arcane ability, and is bound directly to her soul like a contract.
