Advice for my Character [Archive] - Wizards Community

Advice for my Character [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Elven Doritos
03-27-05, 11:35 PM Now, I'm not new to the game, I've been playing off and on since 3rd released in 2000 and I've had several steady groups in the last year. I own several products of the game and would like to think of myself as a local expert. Also, I DM a weekly group.
That being said, this summer I'll be joining a friend's group (Eberron, obviously) and decided that for this foray on the other side of the screen, I'd get a little help from the COMmunity. First, I would like to post my character history, and the plot hooks I came up with for my DM. My request is for your comments and thoughts about what I have so far.

Orion the Dreamless (a.k.a. Oerenkhad)
Male kalashtar Psion 5

A thousand pains I have felt, and all of them are lost to me.
I spent an indefinite amount of time—days? Months? Perhaps years?— in a dreamless, darkened state. My body continued to live, but my spirit and mind had been repressed. Madness tinged my unconscious state, and slowly, weakness pervaded my body.

And then I awoke. Amidst an explosion of sensation of light and sound, I woke to a world that had abandoned me. A world I could no longer remember. I could not have even told my name, much less recounted what the maddening secrets that had been locked in my mind were. Frustrated, I took in my surroundings. I was surrounded by humans, all of whom enthusiastically greeted me and praised a sacred Flame. Their reverence disturbed me, but I could not find why.

The humans asked me innumerable questions. The madness! They wished to know where I had come from, why I had been in what they called “Sharn”, and a thousand other minute details of my now-forgotten life. Dismayed at my lack of answers, the priests and their acolytes let me be. I walked through the wretched Sharn, and decided that the rambunctious metropolis would not suit me.

That is when I saw them. Five men in strange helmets and with a Green Hand marked on their shields. I know not why, but I grew afraid. The man who had been running from them ran into me. He was a short human, around five feet tall, with straw-yellow hair and garbed in black leather. Escaping down a back alley, those bearing the Green Hand approached me. They demanded I reveal the location of the man. My mind slipped into fear, and any rational thought was beyond hope. I became someone— no, something— else. I became the cold, calculating being known only to me as the Slayer: the bloodthirsty, battle-hardened subconscious personality that developed in my mind as a defense mechanism.

I watched, in no control over my actions, as my hands reached to my temples. Within an instant, the Slayer released a blast of psychic energy that killed two of those bearing the Green Hand instantly. The others, including their cowardly leader, ran in terror. The Slayer rested, and I was once again in control of my mind and body. I turned to the alley, and the straw-haired man was there. He was bleeding, a crossbow bolt lodged into his calve. I walked forward, and he trembled. He asked me if I had the same intentions with him as I had with those bearing the Green Hand. I assured him that I did not, and I helped him to his feet. I offered to take him to meet the reverent clerics of the Flame, but he declined. He said his name was Horus Kirin, a locksmith and salesman by trade who had been misunderstood by those bearing the Green Hand. He asked me my name, and I struggled to remember. A thought came to me.

“Oer.... Oeren...” I had said.

He had responded, “Orion? That’s a strange name, fellow.”

He was heading out of the city of Sharn, and, as nothing was to keep me in the fetid place, I accompanied him. We spent countless hours traveling the roads of Breland. Apparently, there was a more efficient method of travel, but Horus grinned and had said that he would rather take a “scenic route” to his destination. I would later find that he really sought to avoid those bearing the Green Hand, who could have potentially been waiting to ambush us. I deferred to his logic, and allowed him to lead us through the countryside.

It had only been a few weeks when Horus and I encountered our first bit of trouble. As we had been traveling in night on the highway, two bands of humans were doing battle with each other. Upon closer inspection, I realized that some of these creatures were not human at all— rather, creatures made of iron and wood, creatures Horus called “War-forged.” Horus and I opted to circumvent the battle, although I could feel the pull of the Slayer, eager to blast the combatants with whatever deadly powers that were locked within my mind. I overcame it, and we ventured on through the border of Breland. After we passed the last few natural borders into the Eldeen Reaches, Horus and I made our way through a vast forest in hopes of finding a community to settle in. We had been in the Reaches for no more than two days when we were approached by a nature-priest Horus had identified as an “Ash-bound.” The Ash-bound demanded that we either turn back to Breland or die.

It was this last part of his statement, the threat, which triggered the Slayer into motion. Moving swiftly, the Slayer blasted the Ash-bound with a bolt of arctic energy. Taken aback, the Ash-bound swaggered a bit, and Horus rolled next to the Ash-bound and stabbed him with a black-bladed sword. The Slayer mused as the Ash-bound lay helpless, bleeding to death on the ground.

Gaining control of my mind again would prove quite difficult. Through sheer willpower and an assassin’s determination, the Slayer managed to hold sway over my psychosis for several weeks, before I had managed to regain power. Weakened from my internal struggle, Horus and I rested in the wilds of the Eldeen Reaches. That was a mistake that would nearly cost both of us our lives.

As we rested, three warriors approached in complete silence. We had but a second’s notice when they attacked, and I dodged their blades. I felled one of the warriors with a flash of energy, and Horus had managed to tumble past two others and killed one, as well. I was determined to keep control, to resist the power of the Slayer. With a bolt of psychic power, I felled the last of the warriors. Victory was ours. However, one of the warriors— a psychic, perhaps?— crawled toward us. We were unaware that any of them had survived. Muttering secret words forgotten for a thousand thousand years, the warrior grinned widely, and, with a low shout, blasted us with arcane power. No, the rustling warrior had not been a psychic. He was a warlock, a master of forbidden secrets.

The blast had incapacitated Horus, and the warlock slowly rose to his feat. His black armor shining, he grinned widely and began to prepare a second blast. The Slayer awakened. The Slayer’s first instinct was to flee: I had exhausted my mind and body during the previous fight, and the Slayer knew another battle with the warlock would be impossible. Leaving Horus behind, the Slayer continued running, running, running....

I cannot remember what happened during the time the Slayer ran from the warlock in the Reaches and when I reached the border of the Demon Wastes. As with the time before my revival by the reverent servants of the Flame, I only remember black. Coldness. Loneliness. The madness that my fragile psyche bordered on. It was at the Demon Wastes, however, that I discovered some of my missing past.

I snuck quietly through the Wastes, wishing that the Slayer had not abandoned me here. I found my way into the realm of a black-furred tiger-like being, a being that introduced itself as Zarkunos. I was wary of the strange being’s open nature and hospitable attitude: I sensed something was amiss. Zarkunos, however, did nothing but aid me in my search for knowledge. He told me of my true nature, the nature of the Slayer: I was a kalashtar, a being composed of two spirits in one body. He presumed the manifestation of the Slayer was a fragment of my human spirit, a fragment that developed during the psychological vacuum my comatose state induced. It was the Slayer that had allowed me to survive.

More questions abounded, however. Questions that not even Zarkunos could answer. It would become my quest to answer those questions, and I began to search the greater part of Khorvaire. The answers to my questions, however, would have to wait. Horus had managed to contact me, and he was being pursued by more of those bearing the Green Hand. It was my solemn duty to return to the Eldeen Reaches, and I owed it to my friend to control the Slayer and free him. After all, it had been I who had abandoned him. I found myself ill-prepared to combat those bearing the Green Hand, and as I did not wish to awaken the Slayer, I am biding my time. I hope to gain power and companions, so that I may be able to battle the forces that have detained Horus.

Plot hooks for Orion the Dreamless
—A strange-looking human with unearthly beauty claims to know the secret to taming the dual personalities of Orion, but he requires some rare and powerful items such as Eberron dragonshards and livewood to complete the task.

—Zarkunos’ knowledge was not without a price. He seeks some sort of payment for the valuable information he gave Orion, and as he is a member of the Lords of Dust, nothing good can come from that fact.

—The Church of the Silver Flame is trying to find Orion again. They believe his memory had been tampered with by the Blood of Vol. Members of the Church believe that the Blood of Vol was training Orion for some nefarious purpose.
rwarner3701
03-28-05, 10:12 AM I like the character idea, it has a great potential for roleplaying. He is both vulnurable and almost innocent except for the darkness he holds within himself.

How in control of the Slayer is he, will it return or will it be mostly dormant during the gameplay?

Make sure that you use his lack of knowledge in the game. Although he seems to be a good judge of character, except with Zarkunos, he does not know who he can trust. Especially if Zarkunos asks to be repaid in some way, he should be cautious of trusting others in the group despite any good intentions they may have.

Knowing more about the rest of the party you will be joining would help to further explain any relationship issues that may arise from the mindset of other Eberron characters.
Elven Doritos
03-28-05, 09:16 PM How much in control of the Slayer is he?

He doesn't know. I honestly don't know. The only times where the Slayer has taken control of him are during times of extreme fear, and always in combat. Mechanically speaking, he will probably remain in control of the Slayer until his hit points drop below two thirds (and, for psions, that's pretty quick).

As for other members of the party, I have no idea. The campaign isn't for a while. so I'll try and get as much info as possible.

And his lack of knowledge will be definately used. Among his class skills, I've decided to amp up Knowledge (Khorvaire) instead of Knowledge (Psionics) because, although he has very little control or knowledge over his psionic powers at the moment, his travels through Khorvaire and interacting with its people have granted him a better understanding of that topic.

And yes, listening to Zarkunos is probably going to supply my DM with countless evil plots against me....
Orion Polaris
03-28-05, 10:30 PM What the?
Elven Doritos
03-28-05, 10:35 PM What the?

Hmm? What the what?
Ramius_Mordale
03-28-05, 10:51 PM Looks interesting from what you have there and I must say I am surprised you put so much dedication into your character. Its always refreshing to see, as a DM, a PC go the extra mile to actually help develop some possible adventure hooks to work with. But regardless, good luck with your character and all.

-Ramius-
Elven Doritos
03-28-05, 11:04 PM Looks interesting from what you have there and I must say I am surprised you put so much dedication into your character. Its always refreshing to see, as a DM, a PC go the extra mile to actually help develop some possible adventure hooks to work with. But regardless, good luck with your character and all.

-Ramius-

I thank ye kindly. I was thinking about extending what I have so far, since I have a couple months, and writing a full-out short story with it.
ussie
05-28-05, 01:33 AM your character would be a welcome admission in any game.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Elven Doritos 03-27-05, 11:35 PM	Now, I'm not new to the game, I've been playing off and on since 3rd released in 2000 and I've had several steady groups in the last year. I own several products of the game and would like to think of myself as a local expert. Also, I DM a weekly group. That being said, this summer I'll be joining a friend's group (Eberron, obviously) and decided that for this foray on the other side of the screen, I'd get a little help from the COMmunity. First, I would like to post my character history, and the plot hooks I came up with for my DM. My request is for your comments and thoughts about what I have so far. Orion the Dreamless (a.k.a. Oerenkhad) Male kalashtar Psion 5 A thousand pains I have felt, and all of them are lost to me. I spent an indefinite amount of time—days? Months? Perhaps years?— in a dreamless, darkened state. My body continued to live, but my spirit and mind had been repressed. Madness tinged my unconscious state, and slowly, weakness pervaded my body. And then I awoke. Amidst an explosion of sensation of light and sound, I woke to a world that had abandoned me. A world I could no longer remember. I could not have even told my name, much less recounted what the maddening secrets that had been locked in my mind were. Frustrated, I took in my surroundings. I was surrounded by humans, all of whom enthusiastically greeted me and praised a sacred Flame. Their reverence disturbed me, but I could not find why. The humans asked me innumerable questions. The madness! They wished to know where I had come from, why I had been in what they called “Sharn”, and a thousand other minute details of my now-forgotten life. Dismayed at my lack of answers, the priests and their acolytes let me be. I walked through the wretched Sharn, and decided that the rambunctious metropolis would not suit me. That is when I saw them. Five men in strange helmets and with a Green Hand marked on their shields. I know not why, but I grew afraid. The man who had been running from them ran into me. He was a short human, around five feet tall, with straw-yellow hair and garbed in black leather. Escaping down a back alley, those bearing the Green Hand approached me. They demanded I reveal the location of the man. My mind slipped into fear, and any rational thought was beyond hope. I became someone— no, something— else. I became the cold, calculating being known only to me as the Slayer: the bloodthirsty, battle-hardened subconscious personality that developed in my mind as a defense mechanism. I watched, in no control over my actions, as my hands reached to my temples. Within an instant, the Slayer released a blast of psychic energy that killed two of those bearing the Green Hand instantly. The others, including their cowardly leader, ran in terror. The Slayer rested, and I was once again in control of my mind and body. I turned to the alley, and the straw-haired man was there. He was bleeding, a crossbow bolt lodged into his calve. I walked forward, and he trembled. He asked me if I had the same intentions with him as I had with those bearing the Green Hand. I assured him that I did not, and I helped him to his feet. I offered to take him to meet the reverent clerics of the Flame, but he declined. He said his name was Horus Kirin, a locksmith and salesman by trade who had been misunderstood by those bearing the Green Hand. He asked me my name, and I struggled to remember. A thought came to me. “Oer.... Oeren...” I had said. He had responded, “Orion? That’s a strange name, fellow.” He was heading out of the city of Sharn, and, as nothing was to keep me in the fetid place, I accompanied him. We spent countless hours traveling the roads of Breland. Apparently, there was a more efficient method of travel, but Horus grinned and had said that he would rather take a “scenic route” to his destination. I would later find that he really sought to avoid those bearing the Green Hand, who could have potentially been waiting to ambush us. I deferred to his logic, and allowed him to lead us through the countryside. It had only been a few weeks when Horus and I encountered our first bit of trouble. As we had been traveling in night on the highway, two bands of humans were doing battle with each other. Upon closer inspection, I realized that some of these creatures were not human at all— rather, creatures made of iron and wood, creatures Horus called “War-forged.” Horus and I opted to circumvent the battle, although I could feel the pull of the Slayer, eager to blast the combatants with whatever deadly powers that were locked within my mind. I overcame it, and we ventured on through the border of Breland. After we passed the last few natural borders into the Eldeen Reaches, Horus and I made our way through a vast forest in hopes of finding a community to settle in. We had been in the Reaches for no more than two days when we were approached by a nature-priest Horus had identified as an “Ash-bound.” The Ash-bound demanded that we either turn back to Breland or die. It was this last part of his statement, the threat, which triggered the Slayer into motion. Moving swiftly, the Slayer blasted the Ash-bound with a bolt of arctic energy. Taken aback, the Ash-bound swaggered a bit, and Horus rolled next to the Ash-bound and stabbed him with a black-bladed sword. The Slayer mused as the Ash-bound lay helpless, bleeding to death on the ground. Gaining control of my mind again would prove quite difficult. Through sheer willpower and an assassin’s determination, the Slayer managed to hold sway over my psychosis for several weeks, before I had managed to regain power. Weakened from my internal struggle, Horus and I rested in the wilds of the Eldeen Reaches. That was a mistake that would nearly cost both of us our lives. As we rested, three warriors approached in complete silence. We had but a second’s notice when they attacked, and I dodged their blades. I felled one of the warriors with a flash of energy, and Horus had managed to tumble past two others and killed one, as well. I was determined to keep control, to resist the power of the Slayer. With a bolt of psychic power, I felled the last of the warriors. Victory was ours. However, one of the warriors— a psychic, perhaps?— crawled toward us. We were unaware that any of them had survived. Muttering secret words forgotten for a thousand thousand years, the warrior grinned widely, and, with a low shout, blasted us with arcane power. No, the rustling warrior had not been a psychic. He was a warlock, a master of forbidden secrets. The blast had incapacitated Horus, and the warlock slowly rose to his feat. His black armor shining, he grinned widely and began to prepare a second blast. The Slayer awakened. The Slayer’s first instinct was to flee: I had exhausted my mind and body during the previous fight, and the Slayer knew another battle with the warlock would be impossible. Leaving Horus behind, the Slayer continued running, running, running.... I cannot remember what happened during the time the Slayer ran from the warlock in the Reaches and when I reached the border of the Demon Wastes. As with the time before my revival by the reverent servants of the Flame, I only remember black. Coldness. Loneliness. The madness that my fragile psyche bordered on. It was at the Demon Wastes, however, that I discovered some of my missing past. I snuck quietly through the Wastes, wishing that the Slayer had not abandoned me here. I found my way into the realm of a black-furred tiger-like being, a being that introduced itself as Zarkunos. I was wary of the strange being’s open nature and hospitable attitude: I sensed something was amiss. Zarkunos, however, did nothing but aid me in my search for knowledge. He told me of my true nature, the nature of the Slayer: I was a kalashtar, a being composed of two spirits in one body. He presumed the manifestation of the Slayer was a fragment of my human spirit, a fragment that developed during the psychological vacuum my comatose state induced. It was the Slayer that had allowed me to survive. More questions abounded, however. Questions that not even Zarkunos could answer. It would become my quest to answer those questions, and I began to search the greater part of Khorvaire. The answers to my questions, however, would have to wait. Horus had managed to contact me, and he was being pursued by more of those bearing the Green Hand. It was my solemn duty to return to the Eldeen Reaches, and I owed it to my friend to control the Slayer and free him. After all, it had been I who had abandoned him. I found myself ill-prepared to combat those bearing the Green Hand, and as I did not wish to awaken the Slayer, I am biding my time. I hope to gain power and companions, so that I may be able to battle the forces that have detained Horus. Plot hooks for Orion the Dreamless —A strange-looking human with unearthly beauty claims to know the secret to taming the dual personalities of Orion, but he requires some rare and powerful items such as Eberron dragonshards and livewood to complete the task. —Zarkunos’ knowledge was not without a price. He seeks some sort of payment for the valuable information he gave Orion, and as he is a member of the Lords of Dust, nothing good can come from that fact. —The Church of the Silver Flame is trying to find Orion again. They believe his memory had been tampered with by the Blood of Vol. Members of the Church believe that the Blood of Vol was training Orion for some nefarious purpose.
rwarner3701 03-28-05, 10:12 AM	I like the character idea, it has a great potential for roleplaying. He is both vulnurable and almost innocent except for the darkness he holds within himself. How in control of the Slayer is he, will it return or will it be mostly dormant during the gameplay? Make sure that you use his lack of knowledge in the game. Although he seems to be a good judge of character, except with Zarkunos, he does not know who he can trust. Especially if Zarkunos asks to be repaid in some way, he should be cautious of trusting others in the group despite any good intentions they may have. Knowing more about the rest of the party you will be joining would help to further explain any relationship issues that may arise from the mindset of other Eberron characters.
Elven Doritos 03-28-05, 09:16 PM	How much in control of the Slayer is he? He doesn't know. I honestly don't know. The only times where the Slayer has taken control of him are during times of extreme fear, and always in combat. Mechanically speaking, he will probably remain in control of the Slayer until his hit points drop below two thirds (and, for psions, that's pretty quick). As for other members of the party, I have no idea. The campaign isn't for a while. so I'll try and get as much info as possible. And his lack of knowledge will be definately used. Among his class skills, I've decided to amp up Knowledge (Khorvaire) instead of Knowledge (Psionics) because, although he has very little control or knowledge over his psionic powers at the moment, his travels through Khorvaire and interacting with its people have granted him a better understanding of that topic. And yes, listening to Zarkunos is probably going to supply my DM with countless evil plots against me....
Orion Polaris 03-28-05, 10:30 PM	What the?
Elven Doritos 03-28-05, 10:35 PM	What the? Hmm? What the what?
Ramius_Mordale 03-28-05, 10:51 PM	Looks interesting from what you have there and I must say I am surprised you put so much dedication into your character. Its always refreshing to see, as a DM, a PC go the extra mile to actually help develop some possible adventure hooks to work with. But regardless, good luck with your character and all. -Ramius-
Elven Doritos 03-28-05, 11:04 PM	Looks interesting from what you have there and I must say I am surprised you put so much dedication into your character. Its always refreshing to see, as a DM, a PC go the extra mile to actually help develop some possible adventure hooks to work with. But regardless, good luck with your character and all. -Ramius- I thank ye kindly. I was thinking about extending what I have so far, since I have a couple months, and writing a full-out short story with it.
ussie 05-28-05, 01:33 AM	your character would be a welcome admission in any game.