Ancient History (+2 Proficiencies/Tools/Languages)
1. What was your childhood like? Describe your upbringing.
Growing up in Hollowfaust as as a child, I wanted nothing more than what all other young children aspire to be in my city. A Guildsman of the Underfaust, perhaps even a Master one day. It was a childish dream looking back, but I worked toward it as hard as I could through most of my young life. I studied and practiced day and night and I remember the elation I felt when I finally cast my first cantrip. It was of course, not to be… Though I do have a small grasp of the Arcane arts, I never grew skilled enough to ever qualify to become a true Wizard. As far as my upbringing goes, my mother unfortunatly died giving birth to me, passing away suddenly before a skilled enough Anatomist could be summoned. My father Leon Le'Strange is a Retainer, he has ever been a very busy man with many cares leaving most of my upbringing to my teachers at school.
2. Describe your hometown. Is your relation with your hometown good or bad?
Hollowfaust is to my eyes the most beautiful city in the world. Clean, efficient, and the people who live there lead happy lives free from disease and slavery. I consider it the highest honor to be able to serve it as an Unfailing.
3. What will you do for next birthday?
Hmm, I hadn't considered it… I supposed I'd very much like to enjoy a nice dinner with Journeyman Althum, and perhaps Sir Richard if they are available of course. I would not intrude upon their valuable time for such a trivial thing
as an Age turning.
4. Describe a typical morning.
These days I typically rise at dawn. I bathe, then clean my weapons and armor checking that their enchantments are still intact. I also check the various wards on the shop to the best of my ability. After that I prepare the morning meal for the Journeyman and Sangas and take care of other household duties.
If the gentlemen have morning errands for me to run, then I do that was well before I don my armor and train in the circles until the afternoon.
5. If you were going somewhere special that you wanted to look your best for, what would you do to
prepare? What would you wear? How long would it take you to get ready?
Ceremonial occasions I always wear my black armor which takes about ten minutes to put on without assistance. Other formal occassions I have simple dark grey robes with a silver belt.
6.What attracts you? Do you have anyone "on your radar"?
I don't understand the question… Do I have interest in anyone sexually at the moment? No…
7.Have you ever been in love? With who? What happened? If not, why not?
I suppose the nearest thing to love that I have ever felt was to a girl I grew up with. Her name was Erryn, and we were… quite close… for a time when we were in our teenage years. Duty took precedence though, I joined the Stygians and
took the Oath of the Unfailing and I believe she was chosen to start formal training to become a retainer. We sort of lost touch after that…
8. What is(are) your most prized possession(s)? What makes it (them) so special?
My Armor and sword are my most prized possessions. They were given to me by Sarrac Malhaven when I took my vows as an Unfailing Knight. They represent the might of Hollowfaust and my ironclad resolve to protect it.
9. What are your worst fears? Why? (Min. three paragraphs.)
My worst fear is that doom maybe be coming soon to Hollowfaust… the garnered might of the Overlord is now such that there seems very little we can do to stop it. I must simply support Journeyman Althum to the best of my ability and hope that he can save our fair city somehow… I cannot bear to think of the wealth of knowledge that would be lost if Hollowfaust and its guildsmen were to be destroyed.
Another fear of mine is that Journeyman Althum will fall in battle without me being able to stop it. He has taken to leaving me behind more and more of late and I worry for his safety. As an Unfailing, first duty is to protect my Necromancer. Sarrac Malhaven would commit me to final forfeiture on the spot if he knew I'd been derelict in my duty…
My last and perhaps greatest fear, is that when I eventually do go to meet Nemorga at the Gate, he will find me unworthy… and turn me away… My soul in exile, it's too terrible to consider.
10.What are you striving for? (Adventure, family, a stable home, a great cause?) How far would you go to
achieve this? Would you kill for? Die for it? (Min. three paragraphs)
I strive for the betterment of Hollowfaust. Not just to ensure the safety of the city, but I would like to see it grow and prosper even more than it does now. Right now many look at Hollowfaust through jaded, uneducated eyes and see only what they perceive to be Evil wizards tampering with forbidden magics and creating foul undead. This, while true in certain technicalities, is not exactly so.
What the others do not see is the happiness of its people, the lack of disease, the clean streets. Many seem to expect mounds of rotting corpses, shambling zombies, and Evil wizards with delusions grandeur intending to conquer the world behind legions of vile undead. They do not see the force of industry or the fact that due to the hard work and researches of the Anatomists that the life expectancy of the average person is actally IMPROVED by living in Hollowfaust.
No, they only see what they wish to see… It is my goal to change that world view. As I travel with the Journeyman, I seek to educate and enlighten others on how the ways of Hollowfaust are superior to the mundane, and it is obvious! All it takes is a minor change in perspective… And THAT is what I strive for…
Metaphysics (+1 to two separate Attributes)
11. Do you have a Patron God(s)? How did that come to be? What is your relationship with this Deity?
Nemorga is the god of Hollowfaust. I wouldn't say he is necessarily a patron, and I do not pray overmuch to him but I do pay my respects at his shrines wherever I come across them.
12. How do you feel about spirituality? Are you religious? What do you believe?
I believe in all of the gods. As in I acknowledge their existence, but I have no personal business with any save Nemorga. I have never been an overly religious man though and
I do not worship any more than what passes for due respect.
13. Describe the perfect room.
I do not understand… Humans, in fact all races are by their very nature imperfect. Therefore anything that they create is also imperfect. In Hollowfaust this is understood and
accepted. Not even in Death do we have perfect rooms. Our souls depart, and our bodies rise again to continue in service to the city. This is Well. and Just.
14. Everyone excels at something. What is your philosophy about the thing you are best at?
I excel most in my use of the Spear. The spear is versatile and can be adapted for many purposes. A man must be the same in life if he is to succeed at anything. My master at arms
in the Stygians who taught me how to fight with the spear had this to say on the matter. "All roads lead to Nemorga's gate in the end. A Spear serves to point the shortest way."
15. What would you consider selling your soul for? (Note that considering does not mean deciding!)
If I could sell my soul to for the power to ensure that Hollowfaust could never fall no matter the onslaught, I would do it. Eternity in damnation would be a small price to pay to
permanently ensure the continued existence of my fair city.
16. What would your aura look like (if someone were to be able to see such a thing)?
I expect it would be a pale silver grey… I cannot explain why I think this, but I feel that it is so.
17. What do you try hardest to keep secret?
Currently, I think that would be the identity of my Journeyman. He has taken a different name and guise while we have been staying in Sandoval. For me it is hard, as long years of strict discipline have taught me to always refer to a Guildsman by his rank and title and I am finding it hard not to reveal Althum's true identity quite by accident.
18. What kind of things can make you angry? Why? (Min. three paragraphs)
I am not a man given to anger. Such a strong emotion clouds the mind leading to rash decisions and is best quelled wherever possible. However, there are some things that have caused me to lose my composure at times. Instances that lead to the Journeyman becoming endangered that might have been avoided with better planning or less carelessness fill me with rage. Too often during the war on the slitherin this happened and left me ill prepared to defend him, fortunately he is quite capable and never came to any serious harm during that time.
The idea that Hollowfaust may soon be destroyed, and I without power to prevent it makes me angry. Part of me wishes to ride with all haste back to Hollowfaust if only to die on the walls with the rest of my people, but I know that my city will best be served by my continued support of Journeyman Althum. if there is a chance that it might be saved, it lies with him.
Finally, any act of willful ignorance or reckless stupidity I absolutely abhor… The man Jax and his slitherin compatriot from what I have seen and heard seem to commit these crimes against intelligence on almost a daily basis. It is only only through the intense exercise of my self discipline and the fact that the Journeyman seems to have some sort of use for them that I haven't challenged them myself…
19. If you were a weather pattern or meteoric phenomenon, what would you be? Why?
What an idiotic question! Wasn't I just talking about how reckless stupidity makes me angry?! People are not weather patterns. but I'll tell you this, if such a thing weren't so utterly unreasonable I'd be the lightning striking the man fool enough to stand next to a tall tree in a Thunderstorm.
20. What do you dream about? Why do you think you have those dreams? (Min. three paragraphs)
I have a reoccurring dream, every month or so it seem. In it, I am riding a skeletal horse at speed towards the outline of a distant city I do not recognize. I feel a sense of urgency, but do not know for what purpose. As I approach, it becomes apparent that the city is on fire and that I will ultimately arrive too late. Still don't know why I'm going… The dream always changes at this point. A red tide of water rushes in and submerges me obscuring all vision and then I wake gasping for air…
I have no idea what the dream means, if it holds some portent or not. I can only assume the red water to mean the Blood Sea, but I do not know, I have never seen it for myself. I don't know where the city is either, but it is disturbing. I started having the dream sometime while we were fighting against the slitherin in Vesh. I can't imagine what brought it on, perhaps just the extreme stress we were all under at the time.
I try not to think about it too much. It does me no good to dwell overmuch on such insubstantial things.
Setting Specific (Bonus Feat)
21. Do you feel allegiance to any city, kingdom, or state?
Yes. I believe I've made it quite clear that my allegiance and dedication to Hollowfaust is firm.
22. Where have you traveled? Provide an opinion of each of these places.
I have not traveled extensively, I have spent most of my life within the walls of Hollowfaust. The places I have been to have been, the town of 3 Moons where we brought down the wizard Novos of the Gilved Autel. That was a wonderful day. The battlefields where we fought the slitheren for so long, were much like any I have ever been on. Not much in the way of interest to mention there other than the waves of ravenous titanspwan. And finally here in Sandoval. This town is wonderful in its own ways, but lacks the order and efficiantcy of Hollowfaust. There is still much to learn here though, never have I seen such a wealth of skilled warriors cycling through a single place…
23. What are your political views? How do you think cities should be governed?
I of course believe in Hollowfaust's way. A group of discerning, intelligent officials with power working together for the betterment of their city and the people who live there.
24. Give a brief description of the other members of your party. What do you like/dislike about them?
Journey Althum is both wise and powerful, I protect him with my own life wherever I can though he can be heedless with his own safety sometimes. Ser Richard is a strong and valiant Paladin, though perhaps too valiant at times for his own good. I've fought beside him many the time though and have grown to trust him like I do few others. Kellenor the Priest disturbs me… His dedication to his goddess so much that it borders insane on Zealotry, but even so I believe he is a truly good man through his actions. As I've previously said, I have little but distain for the man Jax and the slitherin Tarstis… Their Titan blood makes them altogether too unpredictable for my taste. The elves… I have yet to make a solid opinion on. Arafel and Aleith seem to be both cunning and graceful, and are indeed mighty warriors but I cannot divine their intent…
25. When succeeding in a mission, what coinage do you prefer? Why?
When I do embark on a quest, it is seldom for lust of coin… though I must admit that coin is necessary for equipment repairs, food, and lodging. In any case, I do like to be paid in Platinum if possible. It is lighter than gold or silver and can be melted down just as easily for any purpose. Most merchants (in my somewhat limited experience) will take it in exchange for goods regardless of how the coin is minted or even just the raw
metal. Like the spear, it is both versatile and valuable. I appreciate this.
26. Where does your money come from? Where does it go?
An interesting question… In Hollowfaust I had a modest income from performing my duties as a Stygian and Unfailing. During the war on the slitherin I had a stipend that really only covered equipment repairs, rations, and the occasional ale. Here in Sandoval, Journeyman Althum receives payment for services rendered by House Mirth and by customers who come into the shop. He has given me management of a portion of those funds that are requisite for upkeep of the shop and a small amount for myself every week. Personally, I have no need for frivolous spending on unnecessary pleasures so I save most of what I gain and spend a few coppers at the Wyvern's tale sometimes.
27. Describe your favorite food or beverage. Who makes it best?
Hmmm, actually I would have to say that recently I've been enjoying the goat meat skewers that Farrouq makes at the Wyvern's Tail here in Sandoval… I think its my new favorite. There was some similar fair in Hollowfaust but for some reason not quite as enjoyable. I wonder how he does it.
28. Where do you get your news? What topics are of interest to you?
My main concern for news these days is information on the Journeyman's mission while I am not with him. Since he works mostly in secret, I learn of his exploits from the man himself or from Ser Richard whos tongue will wag after an ale or two. Otherwise, things of import that require my attention will be relayed to me from Lord Casmir, and of other things in the world Farrouq will undoubtedly remark to me secondhand as I sit as his bar.
29. Can Magic & Magic users be trusted? Is magic as dangerous as they say?
The ruling class of Hollowfaust are all wizards. I myself have some small control over the arcane… I do trust in magic, but magic is only as trustworthy as the man who wields it… Magic can certainly be dangerous, especially in the hands of a man who wishes to use it to increase his own power over others and the world. Suffice to say, it is not the magic itself that is untrustworthy or dangerous. Those lie within the man using it, and how he chooses to act.
30. Describe any enemies or vendettas you have made. Who do you think considers you an enemy?
Hmmm Vendettas? Not personally I would say, but as an Unfailing of Hollowfaust I would have to say that any member of the Gilved Autel I automatically will have a vendetta against. Especially since I took the head of Novos… The exiled cower in the Hornsaw forest and yet still work every day in pursuit of bringing my fair city down. As a knight of the Unfailing, I will challenge and destroy the Gilved Autel root and branch wherever I find them.
On the Adventure (Bonus Class Feature)
31. You are undertaking a mission that involves traveling several days through dangerous woods. What
preparations do you make? Is there anything special you make sure to bring?
First I would consult a map of the area (providing there was one available), commit to memory any notable landmarks and any notations of dangerous creatures or plants therein. I always will pack the necessities, Tent, tinderbox, rations, waterskins, spare horseshoes, etc. Perhaps I would also hire a woodsman who was familiar with the area if there were not already one coming with us.
32. What travel method do you select? What sort of companions do you bring, if any?
For a multiple day journey, I would definitely ride on horseback. As far as companions go, I would have the Journeyman with me since logically it would really be his mission and not my own that we were pursuing. But even if it were reversed I would rather still have him at my back. Ser Richard as well, as he is an able fighter, and perhaps the priest Kellenor. In addition, an archer would be tactically useful, perhaps the lady Aleith could be persuaded if it was important enough…
33. While on the journey, you are beset by bandits! What do you do?
My first perogative is to always keep the Journeyman safe. If the bandits are sniping with arrows from the woods, I would cover Althum with my shield. Were they to engage in melee combat, I would meet there charge and hopefully be able to lock shields with Ser Richard as our combat styles complement each other nicely.
34. During harsh weather, your travel is complicated in some manner (steed breaks a leg, wagon loses a
wheel), what is your solution?
If a horse were to break a leg on this hypothetical journey, I would simply put it down and then beseech the Journeyman to animate its corpse. If he were not there for some reason, I would still put the beast out of its misery, but then strip the bones of the flesh. As much of the meat that could be preserved in/for a short time I would carry with us, then bury the bones to be dug up and reanimated later perhaps.
35. You make your way to a bustling tavern, after several days on the road. What do you do first? Where
do you sit? Why?
In taverns, I typically stand or sit at the bar. Most tables in such places stand just a touch too low for a person of my size to sit at comfortably. I never leave my back to a door though, so if there isn't a bar stool with a view to said door, I'll make do with a corner chair that does.
36. After resting for the night, you find your purse was stolen, costing you a moderate sum of coin. What
do you do?
I carry multiple purses with a division of what small wealth I have concealed about various places about my person. If a singular one were to go missing, the loss would be largely negligable, hardly worth the trouble of an inquiry.
37. You arrive at your destination: an abandoned mine. Upon inspection, it seems the entrance is rigged
with a collapsing ceiling trap. What is your solution?
If possible, I would brace the trap in a way that we could pass by without triggering it. If we had to make a hasy escape it would be useful to seal the entrance behind us. If such were not possible, I'd trigger the trap from a distance and dig my way through the remains by means of might and magic.
38. Entering the mine, you find it inhabited with savage humanoids. They are primitive, yet strong, &
outnumber you greatly. Your prize is in the center of the lair. What do you do?
Lock shields with Ser Richard in the tunnel making a bottle neck for the creatures. Or if for some reason Richard wasn't there, another worthy man with a shield… Military discipline will always triumph over brute savagery. I feel that in such a situation the creatures could beat against our shields all day and still not succeed without a means of flanking us.
39. While attempting to seize the prize, your plan goes awry; one of your companions is killed. What do
you do?
Again if the Journeyman were present (as he almost certainly would be), he has a way of returning the recently deceased to life, thus solving the problem then and there. If Althum were not to be there, I regret to say that I would simply take any useful equipment the deceased had and carry on… I have no skill in medicine and my magic does not include spells to heal the injured or revive the dead. The best I could do would be to say a brief prayer to Nemorga to speed the dead man on his way…
40. You have escaped with the prize you were hired to find; a magical jewel of unknown properties. What
do you do now?
If I was specifically hired to find and deliver this object, honor binds me that I would simply deliver it on the terms of the stated agreement. Otherwise I would I would give the gem to Journeyman Althum (after determining that it was not cursed or trapped in any manner first of course), I generally find I have no use for such things myself. But… I guess it would have to depend on the artifact…. To be honest I cannot be certain.