Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Mythgaard 12-12-03, 02:16 PM	This is a very rough first draft, and its written in a funky style, I know, but any thoughts anyone has on anything about it would be greatly appreciated. This is bure backstory by the way. If you want to point out grammatical or spelling errors, thats fine, but this was typed on the fly, so its not critical. *Also, some of the stuff in the story is going to be a tad skewed from whats a starting Ranger in the PHB+HBGB..this isnt critical, its pure flavor as far as Im concerned. Character is a Human Ranger, L1, M, 18-19yrs. Eventually he'll take Bard levels-as his father was a Bard, and he'll eventually want to explore the family he never knew, such as he can. Vuldr Snorriskaldson Vuldr Snorriskaldson is a Human Ranger born in the harsh and beautiful Northern lands of mountains and fjords. His parents --Snorri, a respected Skald, and Alfrothul a midwife and healer-- were killed during one of the many raids common among the peoples of the north while Vuldr was still in infancy. Now an orphan, he was passed from family to family among his tight knit community, and raised with warmth and affection. A curious and adventurous young lad, at the age of 12, he was wandering through the forest one day with a group of other children, playing the ever popular games of war, when he accidentally came between a bear sow and her two young cubs. Before he was aware of what was happening, the great sow was upon him, a massive wall of hairy muscle and shrieking talons. One of her great paws raked the left side of his face, furrowing four long deep gashes, deep to the bone, and leaving him unconscious and bleeding. Satisfied, the sow gathered her frightened cubs and hurried into the towering pines. Vuldr awoke many hours later, alone and wracked with fever, and wandered, lost, in the endless forest for countless hours. Eventually he came to a small stream splashing its way through the rugged terrain, and lost consciousness once again as he stiffly bent to slake his thirst. Some time after, he awoke in a soft bed, a mattress stuffed with sweet hay beneath him, covered in warm bearskins, faintly spicy with the smell of bear, bringing the memory of the attack swipping back into his mind with brutal consciousness. Drenched in the sudden icy sweat of terror, he sat up quickly, and a bolt of blinding pain shot through his head, causing him to fall back, a low moan of agony escaping from between his clenched teeth. After a moment, the pain began to subside, and he lay panting, exhausted. A warm gentle female voice, deep and melodic spoke softly, "Rest now, for you are near to Death, and all my skill alone has kept you from His cold embrace." The voice filled him with peace and a sense of safety, as a mothers embrace, and he slipped into deep sleep. Vuldr's next memory was waking in a shaft of warm sunlight, the warmth of it flowing over him like waves of gentle fire. Opening his eyes, he found himself in a small and sturdy cottage, dominated by a long table upon which were piled bottles and bowls and every kind of plant he’d ever seen, and many he hadn’t. The smell of them filled his senses, a green, spicy earthy odor, that cleared the cobwebs from his sleep fogged mind. He raised his hand to touch the left side of his face and head, afraid to feel what a raw mess it must be. Astonishingly, he found only scar, 4 long scars, more than a thumb width wide, running from the front to the back of his head. The highest began just above his eyebrow and ran the full length of the side of his head, second just under his eye, and ran the same, the third from the corner of his mouth, and the fourth-most frightening- along his throat, just below the jaw line. How he had survived was a mystery to him. Slowly he became aware of the hearty smell of a venison stew or broth emanating from a pot hanging over the hearth, and his mouth began to water, the meaty odor making his stomach growl like the bear that had brought him here. For a while he waited for the return of the woman who owned the soothing voice that had kept him through his injury, but finally the hunger drove him wobbling to his feet, staggering shakily to the pot. Pleased with this small victory, he began spooning up the broth eagerly, the hot grease dripping down his chin as he slurped the savory liquid, the strength it brought him filling him with confidence. After a while of this gluttony he wiped his chin on his arm, for he stood naked, and his clothing no where in sight. Still slightly shaky he wandered around the small cot, examining the curious bundles of herbs and pots of strange ointments. After a while, he made his way to the door and passed into a small yard, neat and tidy, with little more than a pile of firewood and an axe, a very large and healthy cow who eyed him disinterestedly before turning her attention to the verdant grass, and several large cats, dozing here and there. Stepping into the center of the clearing, he laughed aloud, stretching, happy to be alive and well, and far from danger. Thus did Vuldr come under the care of the mysterious witch Eir, an ageless woman who many believed to be a goddess. While under her care, which lasted for several years, she taught him many of the ways of plant and herb and forest spirit, and also of healing, which was forbidden knowledge to the men of his people. After three years, Eir came to him one day as he sat stringing his new made bow, and said "Vuldr, it is time I sent you now from me, for too long have you tarried here, and must go and learn to become a man." she smiled as she spoke, and he took comfort in her words, for the same thought had been running through his head for some months. "Yes, Mother Eir, I shall go into the wild and find a warrior who will teach me the ways of war and manhood." Eir smiled again, and spoke, "Know worthy Vuldr I shall not send you willy nilly to wander the land unguided, for I shall send you to my brother Gangleri, who is well versed in the ways of war and the wild. Know also I shall gird you before you go, and send with you such as may help you." And so Vuldr was equipped with fine new trousers of soft doeskin, and high sturdy boots of boar hide, and a tunic as brown as the rich earth and made of real linen, as well as a cloak of wool, as grey as the winter sky. Also did she give him a dagger, and a fine belt, and a sword made by the Dwarves, charmed to never rust. A pack with foods and such medicines as he might need he took also, and a thick blanket of wool. "Now Vuldr, you look the man, and must go and learn to be one. Go then towards the rising sun a week, and you shall come to a lake, on the northern side of which is a waterfall, and in the glade next to that fall shall you find my Brother Gangleri." She then embraced him, and blessed him with a buss upon his brow, and finally presented him with a necklace, a charm of silver, in the shape of an acorn, in which was a lock of her hair. So he made his way into the forest, and the journey was pleasant, it being summer, and the Sun never making Her way fully into Night. After a week he came to the lake, and to the fall, and found beside it a house made of stone. There in the dooryard sat a tall and lean man, weathered and grizzled. A dog lay at his feet, of some indeterminate breed, near more a wolf than dog perhaps. "Hail and health", spoke Vuldr, "I seek the man Gangleri, for his sister has sent me here to him to learn to become a man." And the man spoke, "I am he that you seek, and as my sister Eir has sent you here to learn to be a man, so shall I teach you." So under the gruff and stern tutelage of the enigmatic man Gangleri did Vuldr learn the ways of the hunt, and of trapping and tracking and the craft of the woods, and the art of combat with bow and staff, and spear and axe, and sword and shield. Vuldr passed 3 years with Gangleri, who one morning approached him, saying, "Now worthy Vuldr, it is time you returned to the home of your people, for all else you learn you must learn on your own." Vuldr spoke, "Yes Master Gangleri, for that has been my thought as well of late, for I think I am now a man." And before he left did Gangleri gird him once again, much in the manner his sister Eir had done before him, and with new clothes, and fine bow made by the elves, and also an axe, and many items that made a life in the wild more comfortable. So Vuldr made his way back to the town of his people, which hadn’t changed hardly at all. None recognized him, and only the memory of the bear attack and the scars he bore, remembered by the other children -now grown- who had run and left him, convinced them who he was. Less than a year he stayed, learning somewhat the crafting of weapons, and also of the sea, for like all his folk, the sea and its mysteries were a part of his blood. But the wanderlust took hold of him, and he set out to wander the world, to see what it held.
Mythgaard 12-15-03, 08:02 AM	Freshly rolled stats: 17 16 15 12 12 10 As of yet, I am undecided on Two-Weapon or Archery. Neutral Good Anyway, the way I see it, this character would be: Naive, and far too trusting Uncomfortable in urban settings, and around large groups Too kind for his own good Reasonably proficient in single combat, but lacking in meele skills Any other personality quirk pointers would be nice, I like to RP a character for what it is, not what I am. And how would you assign the Stats? Thanks in advance.
LiXinjian 12-15-03, 09:32 AM	Nice. Reminds me of a book I read once called War of the God, by poole anderson. Except the witch was a troll matron who breast-fed the mighty viking warrior while he was a child... But that's a mental picture you certainly could have done without, so let's just cut to the chase. Stats: 12, 17,12,10,15,16. I don't think your character's upbringing would have sharpened his wits much, but he's certainly gifted in survival and plain old common sense. Also, you mentioned him not being too good in melee. Finally, he's learned to accept all kinds of people, and all kinds of behaviour (he was raised by a witch). Therefore, he's acceptant and that, coupled with the enigmatic scars running along his face, probably increases his personal magnetism. Quirks? I'll give you quirks. He insists there's a herbal solution to every illness, no matter how trivial that illness is (itching soles, bleeding gums, stomach-aches..). Sometimes when he's tired of his companions doubting him, he mixes up plants and herbs that invariably make the stomach reel, and nobody ever wants to drink them down.. not even himself. Everytime it happens, he wonders whether or not Eir made the potion like that, if she used different reagents, etc. .. he doesn't completely trust himself with the herbal stuff. Seeing has how he doesn't have any memory of anything Eir gave him to be disgusting, he might be right not to trush his own skills. (have your character BOTCH his heal check for any of his mixtures to be effective.. did that once with an evil PC who was just trying to pretend to heal someone, and who really cured the man accidentaly! It was great fun.) But when he DOES get it right, boy is he pleased. He doesn't like fancy stuff. Fancy dresses, fancy swords, etc. He likes a rusty blade because it's a blade you have come to rely on. It's been tested, it's been weathered, and it's still there. Rapiers? How can any decent man fight with such a thin blade? At least, if you're really desperate, a good old-fashioned sword can cut branches out of your way and fall a tree (with a lot of patience). Bathing? Once a week is enough. With cold water, thank you. He rubs all kinds of scented herbs on his body when somebody insists he stinks, so he smells like the bushes, or wet leaves, or muddy pine. He's trying to find the perfect combination. Those could be treated as scentbreakers (FRCS equipment list) by your DM if need be! He's respectful of everyone's opinion, and really really dislikes people who have preconceived opinions about others and customs they know nothing about. He sees his music/songs as a means to while away the hours. He likes it when people actually sing along with him, and he's definitely not bothered when someone dislikes his performances. He laughs at it, and finds a way to turn the bitter man to his side, by a comical comment, or simply by including the man into his performance ("You don't like my singing, do you? Fine, lad, fine. I've had a few drinks too many, and I don't like it either. Here, I'll play the tune and you sing. Go ahead: sing!") Of course, he makes people feel so good about themselves, and he's sooo not bothered that most of the times, people actually play along. He's got a nice red mustache. He plays with it when he's contemplating an idea or thinking about a proposition he's received, or simply when he's all hears to what someone has to say. When he's mad, he goes for a walk alone in the dark streets/woods. Solitude and darkness help him refocus. If he happens to find trouble on one of his sorties, he spits it all out on them as he fights. It's never a good idea for others to reach out to him when he's mad, even when they mean well. Better let him cool down by himself first, then apologize or explain. Otherwise, he simply punches them in the stomach and goes for a walk. Alright, I've had enough for now. By the way, isnt' there a warrior skald PrC somewhere? It would probably fit your character to a glove.
Mythgaard 12-15-03, 09:52 AM	LOL, thanks LiXinjian! The Herbal Remedy idea is definitely going in, that is just too good to pass up, and some of other as well. I'll also have to find the Warrior Skald PrC..it does indeed sound ideal. :) Also Im going to have to find a copy of War of the Gods, sounds like a good read.
LiXinjian 12-15-03, 08:38 PM	More like an "okay" read. Well, you seem to be more into that viking thing that I, so it's probably a "good" read for you. Picked it up in a bargain bin. I'm still trying to remember where I saw that Skald PrC.. there was one in 2nd edition, but was there one in 3.X? hmm...
PhaedrusXY 12-16-03, 01:48 AM	There is a Warrior Skald PrC in 3rd ed. I think it's in Song and Silence, but I'm not 100% sure. I don't own that book. Go look in the Bard's thread on the character optimization boards. I know it's been used in some builds on there, and they are pretty good about listing sources for classes used in those threads. Oh, and cool story. Rangers have always been some of my favorite characters. :D
Jaxian Redleaf 12-16-03, 03:15 AM	The Warrior Skald is in the FR book Races of Faerun...