Alexi Faustin of Karrnath [Archive] - Wizards Community

Alexi Faustin of Karrnath [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Dauthi_Overseer
12-07-07, 04:51 AM So, I have this awesome character idea but I need some help fleshing him out...

Currently he is a level 4 LN Cleric of The Blood of Vol (specializing in necromancy of course), no longer devout, because of conflicting loyalties to the Crown and to the Blood. A tad older then most of my player characters, in his late thirties, early forties...he served in the Karrnathi army as most from Karrnath do, but as a Cleric Lieutenant to a small troop of Undead, while not too famous did get some recognition during The Last War. Enough to warrant his recruitment shortly after his retirement to serve a new organization founded by Kiaus III to cut off ties the Order of the Emerald Claw and ultimately the Blood of Vol have to Karrnath's power base, as well as hunt down and remove such members working in other countries as spies and terrorists such as in Breland.

While he is of noble descent I would like to give him tragic origins involving his late wife, since he is a widower of somber character. I need some sort of plot hook to why she died and possibly tie it into being The Blood of Vol's fault, but I don't know how to do that since The Blood of Vol and Order of the Emerald Claw where both in high regard until after the Last War...perhaps she died of a tragic disease that his fellow clerics could not cure...that and he is supposed to have lost a great deal of his monetary possessions but I think I'll have his distant family take away his inheritance or something while he was away in service. Works well with my adventure plot hook since it is inheritance that unites the PC's as well. Something to do with all of their great grandfathers having found a rather valuable find in Xendrik and have kept it from their families until this generation. But as all of the players are somewhat poor, they have to find the funds to pay for an expidition to Xendrik (and level up sufficiently on the way ^^). Just want some feedback on what I currently have and what I could use or improve on. I understand that this might get lost on everyone who doesn't use the Eberron Campaign Setting but basic character stuff is always nice too.
Terjon of the Blue Rose
12-08-07, 03:48 AM Good start from what I see.

I'd suggest that if you intend to go with a motivation connected to the dead wife you might consider that he probably expected, as a cleric, that his wife would be raised as an undead. If that's the case it is entirely possible that she wasn't since she had little to offer in the way of personal power (commoner) and it was deemed a waste of resources or even a blasphemy to grant her such a blessing. In this he has been failed more by his own expectations than by the church but it doesn't stop him from blaming them... rather it allows him to start questioning his faith without needing a major break that would put him out of the church alltogether.

As for the matter of the inheritance I'd tie that in with The War itself. Remember that before the war started the whole continent was one big country. His family holdings may have been significantly cut if they sided with Karnath and had major holdings in what would become other nations. Indeed the family itself may have taken significant losses. I would say that in the wake of these losses the family cut off most of the more minor branches from anything but title and instead concentrated all their resources on maintaining the nobility of the remaining high ranked members of the household. As a descendant of a lesser member you have your title but little else. This even gives you a reason for having joined the church since it is common practice among nobility to send children who have no significant position within the house to study in academies or churches.
Dauthi_Overseer
12-08-07, 04:12 AM Wow, thanks a ton. Was getting worried no one would help me out oo.

I really like the fund-cutting idea and will use that FOR SURE. But the wife one needs some work as intelligent undead are kind of hard to come across, no? Unlike the deathless, most of Karrnath's dead are mindless except for the King and Vol and the odd higher-up member of the Blood of Vol/Order of the Emerld Claw. That and they are all nasty nasty undead so I doubt he'd want his wife turned into something evil. Then again, maybe they DID bring her back and she tried to eat him or somethin gand he was forced to kill her...a tad cliche but effective nonetheless. I'll keep brainstorming and hopefully I'll get somemore feedback online here.
Terjon of the Blue Rose
12-08-07, 04:22 AM I was thinking more along the lines of he had too high of an oppinion of himself. He thought his rank would earn her a place as one of the intelligent undead and it turns out he isn't high enough ranked to merit such for himself let alone his wife. As for the "nasty" factor remember that as a cleric of a religion that worships undead and undeath such a transformation would have been a blessing which made her effectively a sacred being. Of course having her transformed into a simple ghoul and conscripted into the army works as well. That's more a matter of what you prefer.
Dauthi_Overseer
12-08-07, 04:30 AM Ahhh, I see now. Sounds workable. Thanks for clearing that up. ^^
Dauthi_Overseer
12-09-07, 03:27 PM Oooh. ooh!! I just thought of a great thing...I need a name for the organization that hunts down the Order and the Blood but I think I just figured it out. What if Kaius III founded the Red Watchers?? I think that would be super ironic since they hunt down Undead yet he IS one. Cooool. Any thoughts??:confused:
Terjon of the Blue Rose
12-13-07, 03:47 AM Not bad but given that he is undead I'd go for something else. The Tortured or perhaps The Bound. Have him start an organization of undead and necromancers who hate undeath. Undead who feel they are unfairly bound to the mortal realms, forever denied their eternal rest. Necromancers who chose to study their dark art in order to better understand and lay down the corruption of life or who have, as with you, been soured upon it by the pervasive evils of others' practices.

I don't know anything about The Red Watchers so they might work quite well but I rather like the idea of older undead who have grown weary with immortality and now truly desire only a final death. Their only reason for continued existance is to teach others that their is no solution in undeath. To help lay down others and to fight those who would thrust such existance upon the unwary. Imagine a lich who is tired after a few hundred years in which he has accomplished less than in 30 or 40 years of life or a wraith who has truly become aware that her hatred of all life is born of the vile nature of her own existance.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Dauthi_Overseer 12-07-07, 04:51 AM	So, I have this awesome character idea but I need some help fleshing him out... Currently he is a level 4 LN Cleric of The Blood of Vol (specializing in necromancy of course), no longer devout, because of conflicting loyalties to the Crown and to the Blood. A tad older then most of my player characters, in his late thirties, early forties...he served in the Karrnathi army as most from Karrnath do, but as a Cleric Lieutenant to a small troop of Undead, while not too famous did get some recognition during The Last War. Enough to warrant his recruitment shortly after his retirement to serve a new organization founded by Kiaus III to cut off ties the Order of the Emerald Claw and ultimately the Blood of Vol have to Karrnath's power base, as well as hunt down and remove such members working in other countries as spies and terrorists such as in Breland. While he is of noble descent I would like to give him tragic origins involving his late wife, since he is a widower of somber character. I need some sort of plot hook to why she died and possibly tie it into being The Blood of Vol's fault, but I don't know how to do that since The Blood of Vol and Order of the Emerald Claw where both in high regard until after the Last War...perhaps she died of a tragic disease that his fellow clerics could not cure...that and he is supposed to have lost a great deal of his monetary possessions but I think I'll have his distant family take away his inheritance or something while he was away in service. Works well with my adventure plot hook since it is inheritance that unites the PC's as well. Something to do with all of their great grandfathers having found a rather valuable find in Xendrik and have kept it from their families until this generation. But as all of the players are somewhat poor, they have to find the funds to pay for an expidition to Xendrik (and level up sufficiently on the way ^^). Just want some feedback on what I currently have and what I could use or improve on. I understand that this might get lost on everyone who doesn't use the Eberron Campaign Setting but basic character stuff is always nice too.
Terjon of the Blue Rose 12-08-07, 03:48 AM	Good start from what I see. I'd suggest that if you intend to go with a motivation connected to the dead wife you might consider that he probably expected, as a cleric, that his wife would be raised as an undead. If that's the case it is entirely possible that she wasn't since she had little to offer in the way of personal power (commoner) and it was deemed a waste of resources or even a blasphemy to grant her such a blessing. In this he has been failed more by his own expectations than by the church but it doesn't stop him from blaming them... rather it allows him to start questioning his faith without needing a major break that would put him out of the church alltogether. As for the matter of the inheritance I'd tie that in with The War itself. Remember that before the war started the whole continent was one big country. His family holdings may have been significantly cut if they sided with Karnath and had major holdings in what would become other nations. Indeed the family itself may have taken significant losses. I would say that in the wake of these losses the family cut off most of the more minor branches from anything but title and instead concentrated all their resources on maintaining the nobility of the remaining high ranked members of the household. As a descendant of a lesser member you have your title but little else. This even gives you a reason for having joined the church since it is common practice among nobility to send children who have no significant position within the house to study in academies or churches.
Dauthi_Overseer 12-08-07, 04:12 AM	Wow, thanks a ton. Was getting worried no one would help me out oo. I really like the fund-cutting idea and will use that FOR SURE. But the wife one needs some work as intelligent undead are kind of hard to come across, no? Unlike the deathless, most of Karrnath's dead are mindless except for the King and Vol and the odd higher-up member of the Blood of Vol/Order of the Emerld Claw. That and they are all nasty nasty undead so I doubt he'd want his wife turned into something evil. Then again, maybe they DID bring her back and she tried to eat him or somethin gand he was forced to kill her...a tad cliche but effective nonetheless. I'll keep brainstorming and hopefully I'll get somemore feedback online here.
Terjon of the Blue Rose 12-08-07, 04:22 AM	I was thinking more along the lines of he had too high of an oppinion of himself. He thought his rank would earn her a place as one of the intelligent undead and it turns out he isn't high enough ranked to merit such for himself let alone his wife. As for the "nasty" factor remember that as a cleric of a religion that worships undead and undeath such a transformation would have been a blessing which made her effectively a sacred being. Of course having her transformed into a simple ghoul and conscripted into the army works as well. That's more a matter of what you prefer.
Dauthi_Overseer 12-08-07, 04:30 AM	Ahhh, I see now. Sounds workable. Thanks for clearing that up. ^^
Dauthi_Overseer 12-09-07, 03:27 PM	Oooh. ooh!! I just thought of a great thing...I need a name for the organization that hunts down the Order and the Blood but I think I just figured it out. What if Kaius III founded the Red Watchers?? I think that would be super ironic since they hunt down Undead yet he IS one. Cooool. Any thoughts??:confused:
Terjon of the Blue Rose 12-13-07, 03:47 AM	Not bad but given that he is undead I'd go for something else. The Tortured or perhaps The Bound. Have him start an organization of undead and necromancers who hate undeath. Undead who feel they are unfairly bound to the mortal realms, forever denied their eternal rest. Necromancers who chose to study their dark art in order to better understand and lay down the corruption of life or who have, as with you, been soured upon it by the pervasive evils of others' practices. I don't know anything about The Red Watchers so they might work quite well but I rather like the idea of older undead who have grown weary with immortality and now truly desire only a final death. Their only reason for continued existance is to teach others that their is no solution in undeath. To help lay down others and to fight those who would thrust such existance upon the unwary. Imagine a lich who is tired after a few hundred years in which he has accomplished less than in 30 or 40 years of life or a wraith who has truly become aware that her hatred of all life is born of the vile nature of her own existance.