Post/Author/DateTime	Post
naturax 07-09-07, 10:46 PM	I would love any ideas that you can propose in order to flesh out the character concept for a Karrnathi battle wizard who served in the Last War. I've got the crunchy bits all figured out (LG human necrmancer/cleric of the sovereign host/mystic theurge) but I'm trying to come up with a cool character history and I'm looking for suggestions on that front. In all the time I've been reading and running Eberron I had never taken much of an interest in Karrnath so for all of those Karrnath enthusiasts, what can you share with me? Here's what I've got so far: - leg injury at a young age, leading to a life of study and devotion - genuinely believes in Karrnathi as a nation and serves his country to the best of his ability, providing arcane guidance and divine inspiration wherever possible - bookish and cloistered, not aware of how the commoners live their daily lives "Shaug has shoulder-length white hair that falls perfectly straight down both sides of his pale face. At a first glance it is obvious that he has lived a life of study and shelter, for his hands are soft and unblemished and his skin seldom sees the light of day. Shaug wears pale snow-coloured robes which have a fine set of black runes stitched along the trim. He carries a slender ebony staff with a fist-sized Eberron shard embedded in the top which Shaug leans upon when he walks."
Darth Syntax 07-10-07, 12:25 AM	Well, as a Karrnath enthusiast (my character is a detective/cryptographer from Karrlakton) I might be able to offer up some ideas, although I am sure that my version of Karrnath is somewhat different from yours. The necromancer in question served in the war, which probably means he spent some time in Atur training. However, given his religion I would venture to suppose that he is not a native of that cold and snowy city. Perhaps he is from Rekkenmark (a city which I always imagine as being a very windy and sever sort of place) or from fog-shrouded Karrlakton. Given that he is a wizard and seems to me to be an urbane sort (the cane is a good indication it seems as is your reference to his ignorance of the state of "commoners") he is more than likely from a somewhat well-off family; perhaps a member of the merchant classes? You say he has strong nationalist tendencies; is he a supporter of Kaius or does he prefer the politics of the warlords? What are his politics like?
Alex_ 07-10-07, 01:14 AM	One thing to keep in mind with any Karrnathi character is what they did during their mandatory service in the armed forces. Your character suffers from a debilitating injury, and although that might preclude him from front line combat, I'm sure the Karrnathi military could have used any and all capable necromancers during the end of the final war. Your character's national pride would also suggest a willingness to serve in any capacity in spite of physical limitations. So your character could have spent much of the time before the war as a researcher for the military, helping refine existing methods of Undead creation and enhancement. Mostly work inside, trying to create new spells, testing material components, and the like. Or maybe he served at Fort Zombie or Fort Bones, helping create Karrnthi Zombies and Skeletons. If his stint with the military was shorter or non-existent due to the extent of the injury at the time, there's also the Twelve- a prominent Wizard's college/guild that is fond of inducting promising talent. Of course, your character will have needed to show that they're exceptional. This could be his reason for adventuring: a means of gathering funds for his research, or desire to uncover ancient information of Aerenii or Xen'drik origin that will impress the Twelve enough for him to gain admittance. Or perhaps he's already a member and is continuing his research.
Yakman 07-10-07, 11:04 AM	i'd be kinda doubting that any necromancer who worked for karrnath during the war could come out of the conflict with a LG alignment.
naturax 07-10-07, 11:10 AM	i'd be kinda doubting that any necromancer who worked for karrnath during the war could come out of the conflict with a LG alignment. I'm really interested in why you think that, if you're willing to explain. I figured that some of the necromancers working for Karrnath truly believed that they were doing their best to serve their nation.
naturax 07-10-07, 11:14 AM	I'm very grateful for your input. The necromancer in question served in the war, which probably means he spent some time in Atur training. However, given his religion I would venture to suppose that he is not a native of that cold and snowy city. Perhaps he is from Rekkenmark (a city which I always imagine as being a very windy and sever sort of place) or from fog-shrouded Karrlakton. Given that he is a wizard and seems to me to be an urbane sort (the cane is a good indication it seems as is your reference to his ignorance of the state of "commoners") he is more than likely from a somewhat well-off family; perhaps a member of the merchant classes? You say he has strong nationalist tendencies; is he a supporter of Kaius or does he prefer the politics of the warlords? What are his politics like? I was wondering if you think it would make sense to have the character be a scholar who advised the royal court, born to nobility and educated near the capital. I want the character to be a courtly-advisor type, a font of knowledge regarding all things magical (probably change the class from Wizard from Necromancer so that he can speak capabably about all kinds of magic) who then gets assigned to doing extremely important military operations as a sort of civilian consultant. I thought that the Kingdom's dominant religion moved towards the Sovereign Host which is why I have him not a follower of the Blood of Vol. Does that make any sense? I'd imagine he's a supporter of Kaius, since Kaius has been working towards peace. As for the rest of the politics, I imagine that he wants the fighting to stop as quickly as possible (since I'm starting to play the character just at the end of the Last War) but as a player I don't know much about the political situation in Karrnath around that time, so I'm looking for suggestions.
naturax 07-10-07, 11:17 AM	One thing to keep in mind with any Karrnathi character is what they did during their mandatory service in the armed forces. Your character suffers from a debilitating injury, and although that might preclude him from front line combat, I'm sure the Karrnathi military could have used any and all capable necromancers during the end of the final war. Your character's national pride would also suggest a willingness to serve in any capacity in spite of physical limitations. So your character could have spent much of the time before the war as a researcher for the military, helping refine existing methods of Undead creation and enhancement. Mostly work inside, trying to create new spells, testing material components, and the like. Or maybe he served at Fort Zombie or Fort Bones, helping create Karrnthi Zombies and Skeletons. This is a great idea! I absolutely want the character involved in military research in order to best serve Karrnath and put his skills to as much use as possible. Where can I find more information about those facilities you've mentioned? Where they evil places where evil karrnathi did forbidden experiments or where they good people trying to do their best in a terrible situation?
Yakman 07-10-07, 01:48 PM	I'm really interested in why you think that, if you're willing to explain. I figured that some of the necromancers working for Karrnath truly believed that they were doing their best to serve their nation. patriotism has little to do with 'goodness.' the waffen ss, unit 516, the cheka, etc. all were fighting for their country, and all would call themselves patriots, but they did nasty, evil things. no doubt karrnathi necromancer training weeds out things like 'morality' and 'humanity' early and often--karrnath was in desperate straits through much of the war, and their actions show that they went to any lengths to maintain battlefield supremacy.
Mathus 07-10-07, 02:04 PM	Remember that Eberron does not have the crystal clear alignments that didn't make sense in every other world. Just because you raise a fallen comrade in service of his country doesn't make you evil. Read the War Torn novels to see some of the rules for Karnnathi necromancers. One of the rules is you only raise your own countrymen. They are not raising undead jsut to create undead, they are recovering the fallen soldiers of their country and allowing them honor of continuing to serve. And for an example of Fort Bones in the novels is the, IIRC, second book in the Mark of Death series. In it they meet a very nice dwarf cleric who run Fort Bones. I would see her in the good category if not LG, even though she runs a castle of undead. Just keep in mind that in Eberron it is not an evil alignment shift to raise the dead. The gun is not evil, it is who you point it at when you pull the trigger that determines evil.
Yakman 07-10-07, 02:15 PM	Remember that Eberron does not have the crystal clear alignments that didn't make sense in every other world. Just because you raise a fallen comrade in service of his country doesn't make you evil. of course Read the first book of the Inquisitors, Bound by Iron to see some of the rules for Karnnathi necromancers. One of the rules is you only raise your own countrymen. They are not raising undead jsut to create undead, they are recovering the fallen soldiers of their country and allowing them honor of continuing to serve. And for an example of Fort Bones in the novels is the, IIRC, second book in the Mark of Death series. In it they meet a very nice dwarf cleric who run Fort Bones. I would see her in the good category if not LG, even though she runs a castle of undead. Just keep in mind that in Eberron it is not an evil alignment shift to raise the dead. The gun is not evil, it is who you point it at when you pull the trigger that determines evil. perhaps. then again, we have a character who is working in the necromantic r+d side of things--these aren't the guys on the battlefield. these are the guys taking serfs out of the fields and doing nasty things to them. i think there's definitely room to work with such a character though. most interesting is the 'sovreign host' label. was the character always of this faith? this would cause more than a few complications as a necromancer. what if he was raised as a BoV and only converted to the Host after some event/realization. that would add additional depth to the character. also, perhaps the character is not good, but not evil either. perhaps he's struggling to overcome his dark past? we might have a character who is in search of redemption, struggling to achieve a 'good' orientation. his redemption would make for a great character arc, and add role-playing dimensions.
Mathus 07-10-07, 02:35 PM	i think there's definitely room to work with such a character though. most interesting is the 'sovreign host' label. was the character always of this faith? this would cause more than a few complications as a necromancer. what if he was raised as a BoV and only converted to the Host after some event/realization. that would add additional depth to the character. Ah, I didn't see that second post with the Sovereign Host label. Personally I would go the other direction with him being a necromancer. When the Sovereign Host comes to Karn so does the Dark Six. I would go Keeper worshipper for him. There have already been precedents where you don't have to be evil to worship the Dark Six, just a little misguided. And you don't need to kill off the serfs and that would be very unpatriotic to kill off the farmers supplying the food for your human soldiers. I would see R&D as working on cart loads of fallen hauled back from the front lines of your own fallen soldiers. In one of the war torn books called Blood and Honor, they are chasing after a "villian" who experimented on raising new kinds of undead of Aundair Rangers in Cyre. It was the crime of raising the dead of another country that they were chasing him for.
DarkangelUziel 07-10-07, 03:29 PM	Letting him be a cleric of the good side of the Sovereign Host gives more personality to the character imo. If you would let him serve the Dark Six, it's just "one of those evil necromancers". Making him LG and worshipping the good side of the pantheon, makes him interseting. B.t.w. did you consider making him a True Necromancer instead of Mystic Theurge. I'm not sure if has alignment prerquisites or something else messingup the personallity, since I don't have the book with me now, but it could be worth considering. And at his level he's probably under the attention of the Blood of Vol, who would love to have such a person on their side IF they could just twist him to their ways;)
Alex_ 07-10-07, 03:42 PM	of course perhaps. then again, we have a character who is working in the necromantic r+d side of things--these aren't the guys on the battlefield. these are the guys taking serfs out of the fields and doing nasty things to them. Why would you jump to that conclusion? They could just as easily have done R&D on willing subjects, those who died, and signed a form saying that in the event of their death, they offer their body for Necromatic research. Even if they did gather commoners and innocents, that would be the work of the Neutral and Evil individuals. Good aligned characters would more than likely have no part of it, and would have either not been involved in those projects, fired, or moved onto other ones. The war, while bad, wasn't so that every Good aligned character took a shift to Neutral or Evil at some point in their lives. Sure the war would have been harder for Good-aligned people, but they could still remain Good if they simply didn't succumb to non-Good impulses. Also, worship of the Host is the dominant faith in Karrnath. The Blood of Vol is closely associated with the nation simply because it's the region where the faith is most widely and openly practiced. It's not the dominant one though. Worship of the Dark Six is probably less common than the Blood of Vol, since the BoV is generally perceived as being a benevolent and not really antagonistic (just really weird and creepy), whereas most people worship the Dark Six to appease them, get their strength, and generally aren't looking to help or save others.
Yakman 07-10-07, 04:07 PM	Why would you jump to that conclusion? They could just as easily have done R&D on willing subjects, those who died, and signed a form saying that in the event of their death, they offer their body for Necromatic research. Even if they did gather commoners and innocents, that would be the work of the Neutral and Evil individuals. Good aligned characters would more than likely have no part of it, and would have either not been involved in those projects, fired, or moved onto other ones. The war, while bad, wasn't so that every Good aligned character took a shift to Neutral or Evil at some point in their lives. Sure the war would have been harder for Good-aligned people, but they could still remain Good if they simply didn't succumb to non-Good impulses. The 'willing individuals' i don't buy--host worshippers aren't likely to go for that, while the BoV would be strongly opposed as well. The living who took part in the experiments would be criminals, captives, and other 'undesireables', etc.. This is the army. you don't get to choose what your job is, and i'm guessing that if you balk at something in karrnath, you are promptly sent to the front or zombified on the spot.
Cifer 07-10-07, 04:47 PM	The 'willing individuals' i don't buy--host worshippers aren't likely to go for that, while the BoV would be strongly opposed as well. Why would that be? I haven't read about the host's idea of something approaching an afterlife, but the BoV is of the opinion that it's basically a lot of nothing - so what use would they have for their own body when they're dead? It doesn't really matter anyway - as far as I know, bodies were considered property of the state since shortly after the nation begun using necromancy. Further, I'd say the Dark Six are somewhat appealing to Karrnath. Karrnath is probably the least civilized of the five nations, a place where life is a constant fight against pretty much everything. That's what the Six preach. By the way, have you thought about simply using the Dread Necromancer class from Heroes of Horror? It circumvents the multiclassing and gives you exactly what you are aiming for.
Yakman 07-10-07, 05:02 PM	Why would that be? I haven't read about the host's idea of something approaching an afterlife, but the BoV is of the opinion that it's basically a lot of nothing - so what use would they have for their own body when they're dead? It doesn't really matter anyway - as far as I know, bodies were considered property of the state since shortly after the nation begun using necromancy. sorry for not being clear. i mean living people volunteering to be killed and experimented on in the process.
Alex_ 07-10-07, 05:10 PM	The 'willing individuals' i don't buy--host worshippers aren't likely to go for that, while the BoV would be strongly opposed as well. The living who took part in the experiments would be criminals, captives, and other 'undesireables', etc.. The average Host or BoV member wouldn't go for it, but this is Karrnath (excuse me while I go kick someone into a pit :P ). A follower of the Host or BoV in Karrnath has different attitudes and beliefs than those in other lands, and in Karrnath, Undead are not viewed with as much distrust, fear, or revile. They're treated with more awe and respect, and as a sort of sacrifice. Being turned into a Karrnathi Zombie or Skeleton is not punishment, and it's not something you do just to make your troops better. It's an act of sacrifice and honor to the state of Karrnath undertaken only by the elite and dedicated. It's not something to be taken lightly, not just any person will do, you should have to give consent, and they don't kill you just to speed up the process. Although a desperate war may loosen up standards, that doesn't mean everyone, or even the majority of people abandoned them entirely. Karrnath did use some mundane Zombies and Skeletons during the latter part of the war, but this wasn't the standard, and more than likely wasn't something that was done readily or with any particular happiness or sense of accomplishment compared to the creation of a Karrnathi Undead. This is the army. you don't get to choose what your job is, Khorvaire is much more progressive than Middle Ages or even Renaissance Europe, especially in regard to social issues. In the militaries of most indstrialized nations within the past couple centuries, you do have more choice, especially if you performed better and show more enthusiasm for the task than in others. This is more true if your job is not out on the front lines, but rather behind a desk or in a lab. This becomes even more true if you're not just some researcher (expert or magewright) but someone with exceptional skill and talent (wizard/cleric). A nationalistic wizard/cleric in the Karrnathi military with PC level ability scores working on the nation's latest research projects is going to have much more freedom and influence during their service/career than the level 1 commoner grunt pike man. and i'm guessing that if you balk at something in karrnath, you are promptly sent to the front or zombified on the spot. That, I definitely don't agree with. Karrnath is a land under martial law and they do use Undead, but they have far too much respect for both the concept of law and Undeath to turn people into Undead as a common practice. In the ECS it mentions a Karrnathi official capturing unwilling subjects to produce more Undead and threatening the PCs with compliance under threat of Zombification, but this sounds like the exception rather than the rule. It's analogous to the corrupt Mayor of a Brelish town, manipulative priest of the Silver Flame in Thrane, or evil Wizard with a tower in the Aundairan countryside.
Alex_ 07-10-07, 05:27 PM	Further, I'd say the Dark Six are somewhat appealing to Karrnath. Karrnath is probably the least civilized of the five nations, a place where life is a constant fight against pretty much everything. That's what the Six preach. Least civilized? It's people are probably the most disciplined and well behaved. It has one of th strongest senses of self-sacrifice, and the leader, of all the leaders of Khorvaire is pushing most for peace. It has a standard of living just as high as the rest of the five nations, well enough to where it can demand all able bodied citizens to serve in the military for a couple of years. Although the population is smaller, and none of the communities approach the size or grandeur of Sharn, the nation seems to have a higher percentage of the population living in Urban areas than Breland. There's so many people in the cities, they don't have enough farms to feed the all. They're the leading exporter of paper, which I would imagine also means a great wealth of scrolls and books. It's also home to the second largest collection of accomplished Wizards in Khorvaire. The Blood of Vol also seems far from savage, being a faith that rejects the deities- an idea that tends to be more popular amongst higher classes, scholars, intellectuals, and the like. Karrnath seems weird, creepy, and backwards, but it's really right up there with the rest of the five nations.
Darth Syntax 07-10-07, 05:29 PM	Further, I'd say the Dark Six are somewhat appealing to Karrnath. Karrnath is probably the least civilized of the five nations, a place where life is a constant fight against pretty much everything. That's what the Six preach. I must take issue with the "Karrnath is probably the least civilized of the five nations" comment as it is not in-line with the material given in the ECS and other books. Indeed the first real description of the country (ECS: 25) makes clear reference to the culture and sophistication of the Karrnathi people. Karrnath is variously described as sophisticated, urbane, and (from a physical economic standpoint) industrial. Given this it would seen to me that of the five nations (including pre-mourning Cyre) the relative levels of "civilization" would be as follows: 1. Karrnath or Cyre 2. Mirror image of item 1 3. Thrane 4. Aundair 5. Breland
naturax 07-11-07, 09:54 AM	I could really use some help with the BoV vs Sovereign Host issue. I know that the Blood of Vol used to be the dominant religion and I like the idea of the nobility of Karrnath collectively switching over to the Sovereign Host in order to match the faith of the King. I imagine something similar occurred in England when the King created Protestantism (but my history knowledge is lacking). I definitely want the character to be noble born, one of the children that was supposed to do military service (as all noble families are expected to do) but because of his injury my character is serving in an arcane/divine way instead. So maybe his family rejected the BoV when he was young and he was brought up among the first generation to revere the Sovereign Host, so it's true to him. But there would be politics here - what about other families that still have ties to the BoV? Would this influence his success in academic and military circles?
Yakman 07-11-07, 11:12 AM	If you are going to use the England analogy, you have to remember that the nobles switched BACK to Catholicism (or at least strong catholic sympathies and religious practices) when Charles I (who was married to a Catholic) became King. Thus, it's an outward conversion--at least initially. Most of the nobles (and definitely most of the people) are going to retain their BoV sympathies.
Alex_ 07-11-07, 11:31 AM	I could really use some help with the BoV vs Sovereign Host issue. I know that the Blood of Vol used to be the dominant religion and I like the idea of the nobility of Karrnath collectively switching over to the Sovereign Host in order to match the faith of the King. I imagine something similar occurred in England when the King created Protestantism (but my history knowledge is lacking). The Blood of Vol was never the dominant faith. There was an attempt to make it the official faith of Karrnath, but it was never the dominant one. The primary ideological conflict between the Soveriegn Host/Dark Six and the Blood of Vol would be the conflict between a the self and the whole. Followers of the Host/Six believe there are things beyond them worthy of worship. Mortals are weak, flawed, and need the benevolance, mercy, and blessings of deities to get what they want. When they pray, they pray to others and offer thanks and ask for things they want. It requires a certain level of humility and the belief that you are further down on the chain than someone else. A follower of the Blood of Vol believes in the divinity within blood, and as a result themselves. They generally don't turn to deities, believing that deities and other forces care little for mortals. Worship of the Host/Six, they believe, is for people who need a crutch to get them through life, and for all their reliance on the gods, their only punishment is an eternity in the bleakness of Dolurrh. When they pray, they don't pray to higher powers, they pray to themselves, revering their own inherent divinity. In the Blood of Vol, the worshipper, and the blood that flows through their veins is the center of the universe. To me, the conflict the Blood tends to have with most other faiths in Khorvaire has some parallels with modern Satanism (largely ethical hedonism) and more antagonistic or "*******" Atheists: a general rejection of higher powers, belief that mankind is as good as it gets, and that people who cling to ancient rules that make no sense in modern times, and pray to fickle and sometimes cruel deities are just wasting their lives and not living up to their true potential. Likewise, the faithful would view Satanists and ******* Atheists as totally full of themselves, overly haughty and proud, and lacking morals since their philosophies often involve far fewer strict/specific rules governing behavior. That said, I'm sure followers of the BoV and Host/Six get along. They just don't look at the world in the same way, and they think each other very misguided. Like when the BoV character is having problems and the Host/Six character responds with, "I'm praying for you." "Yeah, I'm sure that'll help. :rolleyes: " Or when the Host/Six follower is trying to make a decision, and the BoV makes a suggestion that shows it's obvious they have no respect or love for the gods.
naturax 07-11-07, 12:21 PM	@Alex: Thanks for this, as it helps me understand the differences between the two. I am looking for how the switch from BoV to SH affected the noble families of Karrnath. I'm assuming that if my character's family made the switch and my character actually became a cleric of the SH then he might receive a lot of antagonism from the commoners for following "some new religion", where the BoV is the religion of the "people" and the SH is the religion of the nobility. Is this fair to say or is that too simplistic?
Yakman 07-11-07, 12:46 PM	@Alex: Thanks for this, as it helps me understand the differences between the two. I am looking for how the switch from BoV to SH affected the noble families of Karrnath. I'm assuming that if my character's family made the switch and my character actually became a cleric of the SH then he might receive a lot of antagonism from the commoners for following "some new religion", where the BoV is the religion of the "people" and the SH is the religion of the nobility. Is this fair to say or is that too simplistic? it might be a bit too simplistic. or it might be accurate. it really depends on how your campaign is run. imho, there's a lot of flexibility to the BoV presence in Karrnath, about how deep and how broad it's base of support really is. personally, i like to think that the BoV is the dominant faith of hte nation and the SH has always been a minority nationally, with greater support in the urban areas of Korth, etc.. But that's my own take on things.
Alex_ 07-11-07, 01:30 PM	@Alex: Thanks for this, as it helps me understand the differences between the two. I am looking for how the switch from BoV to SH affected the noble families of Karrnath. Probably like changes in religions in most other institutions. People having arguments, probably changing who some people end up marrying. The BoV is still most popular amongst the higher class though. I'm assuming that if my character's family made the switch and my character actually became a cleric of the SH then he might receive a lot of antagonism from the commoners for following "some new religion", where the BoV is the religion of the "people" and the SH is the religion of the nobility. Is this fair to say or is that too simplistic? Do keep in mind that the BoV has never been in the majority faith in Karrnath. The majority of commoners are going to be of the Host/Six faith as well, so I would expect little conflict there. I personally see the BoV remaining more popular among the aristocracy, upper class, and scholars. These would be the people at the top of society. They're going to be less accustomed to the idea of acknowledging a higher authority and since they endure fewer hardships, are going to be less willing to turn to others for help or charity, especially deities. The idea of becoming immortal and living on top forever is very attractive. People closer to the bottom of the social pyramid, however, are going to be much more accustomed with the idea of entities higher than them running their lives. They're more accustomed to having to ask for help, and given many of their situations, are in need of assistance and charity more often. It's a life you would eventually get tired of. Immortality probably wouldn't be as high up on your priorities as simply making it through the next days/weeks/months/years.
GrimAlchemist 07-12-07, 03:45 PM	IIRC, the Blood of Vol was made the official religion of Karrnath early in the war, as part of the deal made following the Blood's aid in helping the struggling Karrnath recuperate following devastating famines and plagues. Even being the official religion, the large majority of people still held to their worship of the Host, and was mostly there as a way to ease people into the concept of undead forces assisting Karrnath's armies during the war. Kaius III's ascension to the throne brought with him the denouncement of the Vol cult as the official religion of Karrnath, and as a faith in general. Following that, a few of the Blood's faithful reverted to the Host, but I would imagine most still held to their beliefs, though possibly in secret.
mrlost 07-14-07, 04:18 PM	Sorry, have to chime in. According to Five Nations, it seems like that nobility were (and in many cases) still are opposed to the use of Undead during the war, but the King overruled them out of necessity (they were losing until Vol stepped in). Likewise they were initially opposed to the Blood of Vol becoming the state religion but again had no say in the matter (and politics being what it is, probably made a token gesture of respect toward that faith when it was mandated). The nobles resent King Kaius the First, and they also to various degrees resent their current King. Look at the Order of Rekkenmark, whose members include top military academy graduates, generals, and warlords. You'll notice that they abhor the use of undead. Their inner circle is also opposed to the King for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is his peace loving ways. The more bull headed members believe they could have conquered Thrane, or Aundair but the King ruined all that with his bid for peace. EDIT as for the necromancer Concept-wise I'd try to decide if you believed that Peace is a good thing or if Karrnath could have won the Last War this will influence how you view the post war situation. Also did your leg injury occur because of the War, both Thrane and Cyre invaded at various times in the war and Thrane in particular launched air raids that devastated cities on the border such as Rekkenmark. You seem out of touch with the common man, is that because of some trauma you suffered? Perhaps you had to come to grips with death faster than most children. If I may suggest, perhaps your character grew up in Rekkenmark, a member of a minor noble house (remember to put ir' in front of your last name), but suffered the loss close family (mother?) due to Thrane's aerial bombardment which also crippled your leg. Since that day you have sworn to conquer death or some such. Perhaps during the war you were ordered to carry out illegal necromantic experiments on Cyrean prisoners, essentially war crimes and it weighs heavily on your conscience. Mechanically I'd make either a Dread Necromancer, LE if you were willingly performing illegal experiments in the name of victory. I'd also try picking up the Tomb-Tainted soul feat from Libris Mortis since its thematically appropriate for any necro (it allows you to be healed by negative energy but harmed by positive just like the undead). Or I'd see if the GM would allow one of these (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#necromancer Variants) variants from Unearthed Arcana
lukelightning 07-23-07, 07:57 PM	I figured that some of the necromancers working for Karrnath truly believed that they were doing their best to serve their nation. Mind flayers believe that eating people's brains is Good and Right, but it don't make it so.