This character grew up on the plane of shadow. Not everyone from Netheril is a shade and much of the populace are Netherese humans. Such is the case of my character. His father is a prominent cleric of Shar and a nightcloak. His mother is a shadow adept trained in wizardry and has started on the path of the archmage. Both are influential with the Princes of Shade and are powerful. But as both try to pull my character down separate paths, my character's father for the divine, the mother for the arcane, he rebels.
This attitude leads him to fall into a secretive crowd of martial adepts. In Shade Enclave, practitioners of the sublime way (swordsages and warblades) are branded as traitors and executed. Crusaders have some lee-way if their belief is in Shar alone. These 'holy warriors' of Shar end up becoming zealous fanatics who make up a good majority of Shar's martial might.
This small collective of swordsages and warblades is sorta like "Fight Club". It's secretive, but the Princes know about it yet can't find the location in which they practice. Therefore they can't wipe them out entirely. The Princes have asked the shadowdancer guild to ferret them out, but have been unable to do so as of yet.
As my character progresses down the swordsage path, he becomes more alienated against Shade Enclave and harnesses the bitter hatred he's come to develop for his abusive father and distant mother, who he feels abandoned him for her career. He trains day after day, month after month so he can be prepared to lay them low.
Unfortunately, he never got the chance. A few weeks before he was to spring his ambush, the enclave came through some barrier and entered this strange, sunlit world called Faerun. My character took the opportunity to leave the enclave for good and find his own calling for good or ill.
BTW, the stats:
Show
Radivaar
hp 74 (9 HD)
_________________________________________________________________
Male Netherese human swordsage 7/ master of nine 2
CN Medium humanoid
Init +9; Senses Listen +6, Spot +4
Languages Common, Loross, Netherese
_________________________________________________________________
AC 25, touch 18, flat-footed 21; Dodge
(+3 Dex, +4 Wis, +7 armor, +1 deflection)
Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +15
_________________________________________________________________
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +2 greatsword +14/+9 (2d6+8/19-20) or
Melee improved unarmed strike +11/+6 (1d6+2) or
Melee +2 greatsword +12/+7 (2d6+8/19-20) and improved unarmed strike +9 (1d6+2) with Snap Kick
Base Atk +6; Grp +11
Atk Options insightful strike (+4 on damage rolls with Stone Dragon strikes)
Special Actions dual stance (4 rounds)
Combat Gear rod of viscid globs 3/day
_________________________________________________________________
Maneuvers and Stances Known (IL 9th):
Stances--giant's stance (5th), island of blades (1st), step of the wind (1st), wolverine's stance (3rd)
Strikes--bone crusher* (3rd, DC 18), comet throw* (4th, DC 19), emerald razor (2nd), fan the flames* (3rd), mountain hammer (2nd), searing charge* (4th), shadow blade technique (1st), stone bones (1st), strength draining strike* (4th, DC 17)
Boosts--cloak of deception (2nd), distracting ember (1st), sudden leap* (1st)
Counters--counter charge (2nd), mind over body* (3rd)
Others--shadow stride* (5th)
Disciplines: Desert Wind, Diamond Mind, Setting Sun, Shadow Hand, Stone Dragon, Tiger Claw
* Readied maneuver
_________________________________________________________________
Abilities Str 20, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 18, Cha 8
SQ sense magic
Feats Adaptive Style, Blind-Fight, DisciplineB, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Snap Kick, Weapon Focus (Stone Dragon weapons)B
Skills Balance +13, Climb +10, Concentration +13, Heal +6, Hide +18, Intimidate +2, Jump +13, Knowledge (history) +5, Knowledge (nature) +2, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +3, Knowledge (Shadovar local) +7, Martial Lore +3, Move Silently +12, Ride +5, Sense Motive +11, Swim +4, Tumble +13
Flaw No Retreat (You will never run from combat, no matter the odds. In extreme circumstances, you may make a Will Save (DC 30) in order to negate this flaw temporarily. However, if successful, you suffer a -4 penalty to all attack rolls, saves, and skill checks for 1d6 hours due to feelings of guilt and cowardice. If for some reason an outside source (such as an ally, or a failed save against a spell or effect)causes you to flee or be pulled out of the fight against your will, you suffer a -2 penalty to all attack rolls, saves, and skill checks for 1 hour).
Possessions combat gear plus +2 greatsword, +2 mithral breastplate, +1 ring of protection, vest of resistance +1, cloak of enveloping shadows (cloak of elvenkind), boots of shadow's whisper (boots of elvenkind), periapt of Wisdom +2, gauntlets of ogre power, 1,650 gp.
Radivaar
hp 74 (9 HD)
_________________________________________________________________
Male Netherese human swordsage 7/ master of nine 2
CN Medium humanoid
Init +9; Senses Listen +6, Spot +4
Languages Common, Loross, Netherese
_________________________________________________________________
AC 25, touch 18, flat-footed 21; Dodge
(+3 Dex, +4 Wis, +7 armor, +1 deflection)
Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +15
_________________________________________________________________
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +2 greatsword +14/+9 (2d6+8/19-20) or
Melee improved unarmed strike +11/+6 (1d6+2) or
Melee +2 greatsword +12/+7 (2d6+8/19-20) and improved unarmed strike +9 (1d6+2) with Snap Kick
Base Atk +6; Grp +11
Atk Options insightful strike (+4 on damage rolls with Stone Dragon strikes)
Special Actions dual stance (4 rounds)
Combat Gear rod of viscid globs 3/day
_________________________________________________________________
Maneuvers and Stances Known (IL 9th):
Stances--giant's stance (5th), island of blades (1st), step of the wind (1st), wolverine's stance (3rd)
Strikes--bone crusher* (3rd, DC 18), comet throw* (4th, DC 19), emerald razor (2nd), fan the flames* (3rd), mountain hammer (2nd), searing charge* (4th), shadow blade technique (1st), stone bones (1st), strength draining strike* (4th, DC 17)
Boosts--cloak of deception (2nd), distracting ember (1st), sudden leap* (1st)
Counters--counter charge (2nd), mind over body* (3rd)
Others--shadow stride* (5th)
Disciplines: Desert Wind, Diamond Mind, Setting Sun, Shadow Hand, Stone Dragon, Tiger Claw
* Readied maneuver
_________________________________________________________________
Abilities Str 20, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 18, Cha 8
SQ sense magic
Feats Adaptive Style, Blind-Fight, DisciplineB, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Snap Kick, Weapon Focus (Stone Dragon weapons)B
Skills Balance +13, Climb +10, Concentration +13, Heal +6, Hide +18, Intimidate +2, Jump +13, Knowledge (history) +5, Knowledge (nature) +2, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +3, Knowledge (Shadovar local) +7, Martial Lore +3, Move Silently +12, Ride +5, Sense Motive +11, Swim +4, Tumble +13
Flaw No Retreat (You will never run from combat, no matter the odds. In extreme circumstances, you may make a Will Save (DC 30) in order to negate this flaw temporarily. However, if successful, you suffer a -4 penalty to all attack rolls, saves, and skill checks for 1d6 hours due to feelings of guilt and cowardice. If for some reason an outside source (such as an ally, or a failed save against a spell or effect)causes you to flee or be pulled out of the fight against your will, you suffer a -2 penalty to all attack rolls, saves, and skill checks for 1 hour).
Possessions combat gear plus +2 greatsword, +2 mithral breastplate, +1 ring of protection, vest of resistance +1, cloak of enveloping shadows (cloak of elvenkind), boots of shadow's whisper (boots of elvenkind), periapt of Wisdom +2, gauntlets of ogre power, 1,650 gp.
'Radi' as in 'Radiant', since he opposes the Shades.
'vaar' taking the 'vor' in Aumvor (a Netherease name) and 'moderning it up' a bit with a little realmsian tweak (the double 'a').
Radivaar
'Radi' as in 'Radiant', since he opposes the Shades.
'vaar' taking the 'vor' in Aumvor (a Netherease name) and 'moderning it up' a bit with a little realmsian tweak (the double 'a').
Awesome MT, that's exactly what I'm looking for. Any ideas on a last name? Too bad they didn't throw in Netherese names in that nice Names of Faerun block in the FRCS.
The easiest way to do it probably is to go through Netheril: Empire of Magic, take a look at some of the names, and pick something you like.
Except that slade's names are infamously awful and unRealmslike, such that Eric and George and co. had to rename lots of that product's NPCs for Lost Empires of Faerûn, just as they gave proper Realms names to various unsuitably monikered dragons in the 3E dragons book.
Here's a few sample Netherese names I have to hand --
male: Ilitmur, Brathchacelent, Cathalegaunt, Tarane
female: Phaeryl
family: Auglad
More in Lost Empires.
Umbercresct (Umber as in shadow, cresc meaning to rise, or grow, the T for spelling and flow)
Umbraticum (Umbraticum meaning shadow)
Tenspottors (Tens meaning stretch or stain, pot meaning power, tors meaning twisted. So stained and twisted power. My favorite because Umber has been used by Wotc already.)
Or you could go here for a name that is of drow decent.
Just thinking out loud. Hope you like.
Where in Lost Empires might I find these names. Page or Chapter?
Scattered through the whole Netheril chapter, starting on p. 95. The place names too will cue you to the style.
I scavenged a few more from elsewhere: Larloch, Thellar, Alados Sorngol, Yrix Alquinnar; Nellaura Orbrynsar (female); Thyndlamdrivvar (place). And some modern Halruaan names, which are similar: Danchilaer, Gulkuluster, Hansandrar Ilmeth, Malkith, Omm Hlandrar, Ongild, Quarlin, Sortil, Thongameir Halargoth, Vaeldern family
And here are names from the Netheril box for comparison.
I have a few suggestions for the last name. I'm following MT's idea but in an opposite direction, in that I believe with him coming from a family of heavy Netherese infuluence it should contain something with shadow. With this in mind and recently coming from my Etymology class I throw somethings together..
Umbercresct (Umber as in shadow, cresc meaning to rise, or grow, the T for spelling and flow)
Umbraticum (Umbraticum meaning shadow)
Tenspottors (Tens meaning stretch or stain, pot meaning power, tors meaning twisted. So stained and twisted power. My favorite because Umber has been used by Wotc already.)
Or you could go here for a name that is of drow decent.
Just thinking out loud. Hope you like.
Much thanks. I do like Umbraticum as a last name. Either that or Maluradek (a noble house of Anauria which survived Karsus's Folly).
Except that slade's names are infamously awful and unRealmslike...
-"Awful" and "unRealmslire" that they may as well be, they are official as well.
I was thinking 'Erebus' (Greek God of Darkness), or some take on it for a last name...
But then it ccurred to me... thats probably where Paul Kemp got 'Everis' (either that, or 'Severis' from Harry Potter).
Hmmmmm... Serebus...... not bad....
Although that sounds more like a first name. Maybe Serebus Radivaar.....
or Aumflavin, Darkmettle, Umbraluin, karthasos, Telabreen, Boselmont, Vulprimtoss, Madrigonn, etc, etc...
-There isn't such a list that we have of Netherese names. The easiest way to do it probably is to go through Netheril: Empire of Magic, take a look at some of the names, and pick something you like. There really isn't any rhyme or reason to them; they're generic "fantasy".
Eh, the names in Netheril are mostly a bunch of random modern-day (or historical) names. Take Czarniecki for example.
As for Netherese names, I'd suggest something along Latin or Greek lines.
