Obviously I need to go in and fix all this ENWorld Rogue's Gallery Formatting eventually.
[i][COLOR=SlateGray]Final Except For Background Revisions Post Backstory Game[/COLOR][/i]
[B][Color=Sienna]Mavic Larigne "Redface", Hero of Messel, Captain of The Sterich Reddogs [/color][/B] [COLOR=Olive]Appearance[/COLOR] Tall, dark and gaunt-looking, Mavic's once meticulously court-kept beard tended to be unkept and speckled with gray. Recently though, he has recently shaved it off as a way of noting the transitioning of the war. Beyond that, most people tend to notice his rather enormous hands. If the young Mavic hadn't so studiously ignored the pursuits of his older brothers the he would have had fine hands for an archer, or bard. Much of Mavic's appearance suggests Baklunish blood instead of the common Oeridian of Sterich.
Mavic's dress suggests the lackluster nobility befitting his station, worn black and brown suede clothing that wouldn't get in the way of horsemanship is the norm. Sometimes he accessorizes with a wide, flat brim hat to keep the harsh Sterich plains glare out of his eyes or a long red scarf that his youngest sister made for him years before. It is a long whispered about joke amongst his men about his failure to carry a weapon of any sort. In truth Mavic's father's dagger, recovered from the ruins of his family homestead, would prove to be a credible device for melee but Mavic has never drawn it for any reason of war. At Mavic's throat is the Lion of Sterich worn as a cravat pin.
[COLOR=Olive]Personality[/COLOR]
Mavic strikes most as being perhaps cold and distant, but that is not the normal state of affairs. Once possessing of a wry, rapier wit he has since passed on into a somewhat numb state by the endless fighting and endless warfare of reclaiming Sterich. Now his humor runs dark and gallows, and he worships aspects of Wee Jas beyond the merely magical at night when he feels no one would care. Mavic is a person whose personal heroism stems more from his insecurities and guilt than any true sense of obligation toward his fellow man, and the worst of it is that he knows it and it shames him. Mavic actually dislikes the red face makeup that owns to his moniker because it reminds him of particularly bloody and unpleasant times in his life, but he still wears it occasionally for his men.
[COLOR=Olive]Background[/COLOR] Mavic Lavigne was born to House Lavigne in CY 558, the last in a long line of unremarkable nobility living on their family ranch some distance to the south of Mittleberg. Despite his position in the family, his parent's enormous debts from paying the doweries of his sisters and outfitting his older brother's entourages, and a frankly atrocious attitude towards the prospect of living the rest of his life in Sterich, his parents conceeded to Mavic's wishes for an apprenticeship at the age of 13 and dutifully sent the young boy off to far away Niole Dra to learn the art of magic. He passed from his apprenticeship to Master with no troubles and soon was off bent upon the life of an adventurer, never pausing much to write so much as a letter or pay much attention to politics. In fact Mavic paid attention to very little besides the welfare of his current companions and himself for a long time.
Then, the giants came. Pouring out of the Crystalmists and Jotens, and scourging the land of Sterich. Scourging his family's lands, a burning ruin that burns even brighter in the darkness of Mavic's heart. When King Skotti mustered his knights to recapture his homeland, Mavic joined and mustered forces of his own. In 588, Istivin reclaimed, Mavic even smiled - for a little while. Then he saw the interlopers and pretenders making a mockery of his kingdom, and the barren ash heap that was left of his family lands. Mavic vowed to reclaim the kingdom, not only from the vicious humanoids that had invaded it, but from the decay and dimishment that now marked it. [sblock] Timeline (CY): [B]558 [/B]
Mavic is born, seventh son of Baron Marl Lavigne and his wife Cherwea
[B]571 [/B]
Some fierce disagreement takes place on the apprenticeship of Baron Lavigne's youngest son, Mavic
[B]572 [/B]
Mavic is sent to Niole Dra to apprentice to a distant cousin, Shaea, who is a priest of the Witch Goddess Wee Jas.
[B]575 [/B]
Mavic's mother dies.
[B]576 [/B]
Mavic begins his life of adventure, exploring fell dungeons in the Uleks and in lands of the Sea Princes, with his armsman Gregos and an everchanging cast of secondary characters.
[B]580 [/B]
Mavic becomes betrothed to Meria, the young daughter of the baron to the west of his father's lands.
[B]585 [/B]
Sterich invaded. The coldest winter in Sterich in all of recorded time. Mavic spends much of his fortune hiring mercenaries and adventurers to help him retake his homeland. The evacuation of Fitela goes badly, and many of Mavic's mercenaries are killed fighting a delaying action against the orcs.
Mavic's band of cavalrybegins to call themselves the "Reddogs" thanks to a particularly dense half-orc named Maesle who notes that the royal lion of Keoland "looks like a doggie." Mavic tells the routed warriors, " [color=sandybrown]No son, that's a Lion.[i] We're[/i] the dogs.[/color]" The name sticks even if the story, thankfully, does not.
Some weeks later, the Reddogs are attached to the Sterich Cavalry under the command of Marshall Karri Velthundle, launching hit and run attacks against the giant forces persuing the evacuated citizens of Istivin to Godakin Keep. Mavic becomes well known amongst certain ears in Sterich for defending the traitorous seneschalof the keep from execution for his crimes and for his flat statement, "[color=sandybrown]Even traitors deserve the right to spill the blood of giants.[/color]"
[B]586 [/B]
Mavic's armsman Gregos is killed delaying a giant while a despondant Mavic weeps at Mittleberg. A young chambermaid named Eshanna is rescued by the Reddogs and Mavic in the subsequent furious counterattack. Though they cannot heal her ruined face without Gregos, she pledges fealty to Mavic.
A broken and morally beaten Reddogs return to the front lines. The Reddogs are transfered to the command of Valtgraf Jorgen Wallur at the request of Mavic's older brother and Latalya's adventuring companion 'Cale' Buren, now called Baron Larigne. The Massacre of Stark Valley occurs, and Mavic is gravely wounded dispatching many gnolls to their earned reward. Mavic earns the nickname "Redface" from the few gnolls that escape the lethal trap, from the fiercesome visage of delivering so many powerful energy spells at close range that his face was damaged from the heat and discharge. Even though the wounds are later magically healed, the sheer recklessness of his actions earn Mavic the Lion of Sterich Gallant medal.
Even [i]before[/i] his other wounds were fully healed, Mavic volunteers for yet another suicide mission, this time to assassinate the then Giantking Galmoor. Alas, the King had disappeared and the suicide party returned to Keoland empty handed.
[B]587 [/B]
Mavic is joined by his former adventuring companion Erold and brother Gander in an expedition to the Jotens. Both are slain by Mavic when they fall under the magical compulsion of the dragon whose lair they are raiding. Mavic escapes via [i]teleportation[/i] and never speaks of the event to anyone but Eshanna. Mavic 'rescues' his youngest sibling Serolia from the clutches of a young knight in Kilm by challenging him to a duel and killing him.
Serolia is sent to safety in Salinmoor.
[B]588 [/B]
Gander and Felth, two of the most trusted members of the Reddogs, are killed in an assassination attempt on Mavic's life.
Serolia disappears.
[B]590 [/B]
Mavic assists some companions in their efforts to aid some dwarves near Geoff. Mavic's brother Buren is killed in a battle near the Jotens.
[B]591 [/B]
Current Year
[/sblock] [code] Male N Human Wizard 11
[B]S[/B] 12+1 (4) [B]D[/B] 12+1 (2+2 Gloves) [B]C[/B] 12+1 (4) [B]I[/B] 22+6 (16+2 LvL+2 Headband) [B]W[/B] 10+0 (2) [B]Ch[/B] 14+2 (4+2 Cloak)
[b]Hit Points[/b] 45
[b]AC[/b] 18 ([i]Dex +1, Bracers +5, Ring +2[/i]), 18 [i]Touch[/i], 17 [i]Flat[/i] [b]Init[/B] +5 ([i]+4 Improved Init +1 DEX[/i]) [b]BAB[/B] +5
Melee +6/Ranged +6
[b]Speed[/B] 30' [b]F[/B] +6 [b]R[/B] +6 [b]W[/B] +9
[b]Skills (28+8/lvl) & Feats Ranks[/b] Concentration +9 8 Decipher Script +11 5 [i]Diplomacy[/i] +8 4 Knowledge (Arcana) +16 10 Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) +8 2 Knowledge (Geography) +11 5 Knowledge (History) +16 10 Knowledge (Local) +16 10 Knowledge (Nature) +13 5 Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) +16 10 Knowledge (Religion) +11 5 Knowledge (The Planes) +9 3 Spellcraft +22 14 [i]Ride[/i] +6 6 [i]Survival[/i] +5 5 [color=slategray]Craft Wand[/color] [color=slategray]Craft Wondrous Item[/color] [color=slategray]Able Learner[/color] ([i]RoD[/i]) [color=slategray]Improved Initiative[/color] [color=slategray]Leadership[/color] [color=slategray]Maximize Spell[/color] [color=slategray]Scribe Scroll[/color] [color=slategray]Spell Focus: Evocation[/color]
[b]Languages[/b]: Common, Giant, Keolandish, Draconic, Orc
[b]XP[/b]: 59,180
[b]Spells Known[/b] (Wiz All/11/8/8/8/8/4) O : All
1st: Magic Missle, Disguise Self, Ray of Enfeeblement, Expeditious Retreat, Feather Fall, Reduce Person, Mage Armor, Mount, Obscuring Mist, Unseen Servant, Lowlight Vision ([i]CArc[/i])
2nd: Scorching Ray, Flaming Sphere, Invisibility, Mirror Image, Blindness/Deafness, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Fox's Cunning, Cat's Grace
3rd: Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Phantom Steed, Nondetection, Dispel Magic, Ray of Exhaustion, Tongues, Gaseous Form, Suggestion ([i]Bought[/i])
4th: Ice Storm, Wall of Fire, Bestow Curse, Greater Invisibility, Rainbow Pattern, Evard's Black Tentacles, Leomund's Secure Shelter, Stoneskin, Hallucinatory Terrain ([i]Bought[/i])
5th: Cone of Cold, Fabricate, Hold Monster, Feeblemind, Teleport, Wall of Force, Seeming, Permanency, Magic Jar ([i]Bought[/i]), Waves of Fatigue ([i]Bought[/i])
6th: Antimagic Field, Chain Lightning, True Seeing, Mass Cat's Grace, Summon Monster VI ([i]Bought[/i])
[b]Spells Prepared [/b](Wiz 4/6/6/5/4/3/2) O: Acid Splash, Mage Hand, Open/Close, Detect Magic 1: Magic Missilex2, Feather Fall, Expeditious Retreat, Ray of Enfeeblementx2 2: Mirror Imagex2, Tasha's Hideous Laughterx2, Blindness/Deafness, Scorching Ray 3: Fireballx2, Lightning Bolt, Gaseous Form, Dispel Magic 4: Ice Storm, Evard's Black Tentacles, Greater Invisibility, Leomund's Secure Shelter 5: Fabricate, Feeblemind, Hold Monster 6: Chain Lightning, Mass Cat's Grace
[b]Equipment[/b]: Bracers of Armor +5 12,500 ([i]Crafted[/i]) Belt of Many Pockets 11,000 ([i]CArc[/i]) Ring of Protection +2 8,000 Boots of Striding & Springing 5,500 Vest of Resistance +2 4,000 ([i]CArc[/i]) Headband of Intellect +2 4,000 Cloak of Charisma +2 4,000 Gloves of Dexterity +2 4,000 Ring of Sustenance 2,500 Wand of Magic Missile (1st)x2 2,250 ([i]Crafted[/i]) (49 charges in Wand 1) Lion of Sterich Medal of Gallantry 1,100 ([i]CAdv[/i]) (Bluff-2, Diplo +2, Sanctuary 3x/day Swift) Potion of Cure Light Woundsx10 500 (x9 now) Potion of Pass Without Tracex2 100 Explorer's Outfit x Noble's Outfit 75 100 GP worth of Misc Jewelry 100 Military saddle 20 Bit & Bridlex2 4 Pack Saddle 5 Light Warhorse 150 Pony 30 Signet Ring 5 Winter Blanket .5 Bedroll .1 Scroll Casesx10 10 Flint & Steel 1 Mirror, Small Steel 10 Iron Pot .5 Tent 10 Waterskinsx5 5 Everburning Paperweight 110 Dad's Dagger 2 Spellbook x Material Components for Stoneskin 500 Material Components for True Seeing 500
[b]GP[/b] 1036
[b]SP[/b] 9
Ht 6'4 Hair Black Wt 160 lb Eyes Black Age 33
[/code]
[B]Companions, Cohorts, & Familiars[/B] [COLOR=Sienna]Malec[/COLOR], [COLOR=Teal]Familiar[/COLOR] Animal, Weasel, Male Animal, Weasel : CR 1/4; Tiny Animal ; HD 11d8 (Animal) ; hp 19; Init + 2; Spd 20, Climb 20; AC 43; Atk + 3 base melee, + 9 base ranged; +9 ( 1d3-4, Bite ); SA: Attach (Ex) ; SQ: Scent (Ex), Low-light Vision (Ex), ; AL N; SV Fort + 3, Ref + 5, Will + 8; STR 3, DEX 15, CON 10, INT 11, WIS 12, CHA 10 Skills: Balance +10, Climb +10, Concentration +9, Hide +11, Move Silently +8, Spot +3 Feats: Weapon Finesse
[color=Sienna]Fage[/color], [COLOR=Teal]Mount[/color] Animal, Light Warhorse
[color=Sienna]Nessen[/color], [COLOR=Teal]Pack Horse[/color] Animal, Pony
[COLOR=Teal]Cohort[/COLOR] [COLOR=Sienna]Eshanna Maile, Female Human Clr8 of Wee Jas[/COLOR]
[COLOR=Olive]Appearance[/COLOR]: Eshanna might have once been beautiful, but the years have been harsh and unforgiving. Every inch of her body speaks of the unrelenting wounds of her personal war against the giants. One side of her face is horribly rended, beyond even magical healing, from when she was captured by the enemy and tortured. Elsewhere her bones are bent and knotted in gruesome and unnatural ways from the same, and other, incidents. Still, her small compact form radiates energy and drive. Every so often she remarks on the long, flowing hair of her youth - now vanished underneath a severe utilitarian crewcut.
[COLOR=Olive]Personality[/COLOR]: Eshanna isn't much fun, but she's absolutely dedicated to killing giants and the enemies of Sterich.
Eshanna's deformity gives her a unique viewpoint, she thinks. She's been the beauty of the manor and the monster that parades in victory down the streets only to cause children to cry and people to turn their heads away. Death and the pursuit of deep truths, she now thinks, are the only realities. Mavic Larigne not only seems to pull such mysteries into whirlpools of activity around him, but radiates those qualities himself. Part of her constantly tries to put the steel of conviction back into Mavic, so that he might exemplarize the qualities into a more clarified form. The other part, a smaller part, feels nothing but pity for the man whose soul is even more deeply wounded than her body.
[COLOR=Olive]Background[/COLOR]: Eshanna began her life as a downstairs maid, and would have happily ended it that way. Fate intervened though, and after she was brutally savaged at the hands of the enemies of Sterich and rescued she dedicated her life to Wee Jas, a goddess as dark and intense as Eshanna's own heart.
Eshanna serves as the heart and soul of the Reddogs, Mavic's most trusted sounding board and keeper of his darkest secrets. Officially she's recognized as nothing more than just another one of the light horsemen, but every Reddog and prudent viewer recognizes her as Mavic's lieutenant. Most of the time Mavic doesn't directly address or redress his men, leaving the managing of the myriad details of keeping the men's logistics up to Eshanna. Some people seem to think that it's because he feels strongly about the orderly conduct of military affairs, but Eshanna knows that he simply looks at them and fears getting close to any more of them dying.
[code] Medium Humanoid ; HD 8d8+16(Cleric) ; hp 56; Init +1; Spd 20; AC:25 (Flatfooted:24 Touch:11); Atk +8/3 base melee, +7/2 base ranged; +9/4 (1d10+3, +1 Sword, bastard); AL LN; SV Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +12; STR 15, DEX 12, CON 15, INT 12, WIS 20, CHA 11. Skills: Concentration +13, Heal +16, Knowledge (Religion) +12, Spellcraft +12. Feats: Armor Proficiency: heavy, Armor Proficiency: light, Armor Proficiency: medium, Combat Casting, Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Sword, bastard, Quick Draw, Shield Proficiency, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Spontaneous Healer. Spells Prepared (Clr 6/6/4/4/3): 0 - Create Water x2, Detect Magic, Mending x2, Purify Food and Drink; 1st - Cure Light Wounds x3, Obscuring Mist, Protection from Chaos (d), Summon Monster I x2; 2nd - Calm Emotions (d), Calm Emotions, Cure Moderate Wounds x2, Restoration, Lesser; 3rd - Create Food and Water, Cure Serious Wounds x2, Dispel Magic (d), Invisibility Purge; 4th - Cure Critical Wounds, Imbue with Spell Ability (d), Lower Spell Resistance, Restoration. Possessions: Weapons: +1 Sword, bastard: Bane: Giant (8,335 gp). Armor: +2 Full plate (5,650 gp). Shields: +2 Mithral Shield, heavy steel (5,170 gp). Goods: Horse, light (75 gp); Bit and bridle (2 gp); Saddle, military (20 gp); Saddlebags (4 gp); Bedroll (1 sp) Coin: gp (345) (195 gp).Blanket, winter (5 sp); Flint and steel (1 gp); Signal whistle (8 sp); Waterskin (full) (1 gp); Traveler`s outfit - Reddog Uniform (1 gp); Caltrops (1 gp) Wooden Holy Symbol of Wee Jas(1 gp) Magic: Ring: Sustenance (2,500 gp); Wondrous: Periapt of Wisdom +2 (4,000 gp); Wondrous: Cloak of Resistance +1 (1,000 gp).
Ht 5'4 Hair Blonde Wt 135 lb Eyes Brown [/code]
[COLOR=Teal]Followers[/COLOR] 8 Human N Ranger 1 "The Sterich Reddogs"
[COLOR=Sienna]Thom Younger[/COLOR] An enormously tall redheaded boy of about 17, not quite grown into his hands or beard yet. Rosy-cheeked and a bit dull-witted. [COLOR=Sienna]Thom Elder[/color] Not Thom Younger's father, but just another Thom. He's missing an eye and some teeth from a gnoll javelin and is the Reddog's designated scrounger. Replace Profession (Hunter) with max ranks in Search. [COLOR=Sienna]Merres[/color] Merres was a Larigne man for Mavic's father, swept up in the evacuation of Sterich until he joined the Reddogs in 587. Merres was the Reddog sent to Keoland to escort Mavic's sister, and probably the most "gentile" of the Reddogs as well as the most experienced. Merres has been killed twice and raised, and not fond of the experience yet. STR 10 DEX 12 CON 13 INT 14 WIS 15 CHA 8 and Profession (Hunter) is replaced with CC ranks in Knowledge (Nobility). [COLOR=Sienna]Gemlem[/color] Gemlem probably would have been a pickpocket in Flen all his life if Mavic hadn't called out "Hey You! Carry this!" to him one day. He probably racks up more loathsome duties than anyone else because of his running gripe with Eshanna. Alignment: CN [COLOR=Sienna]Mishell[/color] The only other female Reddog besides Eshanna, she gave up her half-orc newborn to relatives for the opportunity to strike against the giants and their allies during the war. She's also tremendously beautiful. Favored Enemy: Humanoid (Orc) instead of Giants. STR 8 DEX 14 CON 10 INT 13 WIS 12 CHA 15 [COLOR=Sienna]Roen Mek[/color] Even older than Merres, Roen is a portly man who tends to drink too much if allowed to. Roen is from Steryn, where he was a baker before the war and lost his wife and children. Replace 2 ranks Profession (Hunter) with 2 ranks inProfession (Baker). [COLOR=Sienna]Miggens[/color] Thom Younger's best friend and comrade in arms. Miggens pretty much does whatever he's told and whatever Thom Younger does, which makes Eshanna incredibly sweet on him. There's nothing she likes more than a cog that helps turn the wheels. [COLOR=Sienna]Anders[/color] Merres' son, Anders grew up on Larigne lands and was born into the idea of serving the Barons. Anders is incredibly hard working, ceaselessly seaking out odd jobs and money-making opportunities so that he can "afford to get m'paw back m'self next time." Eshanna is just glad he applies himself that well to Reddog business.
[COLOR=Teal]Generic Reddog Template[/COLOR], Male Human Rgr1: CR 1; Medium Humanoid ; HD 1d8+2(Ranger) ; hp 10; Init +1; Spd 30; AC:13 (Flatfooted:12 Touch:11); Atk +2 base melee, +2 base ranged; +2 (1d6, Shortbow); +2 (1d6+1, Shortspear); AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +2; STR 12, DEX 13, CON 15, INT 8, WIS 14, CHA 10.
Skills: Hide +5, Move Silently +5, Profession (Hunter) +6, Ride +5, Spot +6, Survival +6.
Feats: Armor Proficiency: light, Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat, Shield Proficiency, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Track. Possessions: Weapons: Shortbow (30 gp); Arrows (50) (3 gp); Shortspear (1 gp). Armor: Leather (10 gp). Goods: Horse, light (75 gp); Bit and bridle (2 gp); Saddle, military (20 gp); Saddlebags (4 gp); Bedroll (1 sp); Coin: sp (1 sp); Blanket, winter (5 sp); Flint and steel (1 gp); Signal whistle (8 sp); Waterskin (full) (1 gp); Traveler`s outfit - Reddog Uniform (1 gp); Caltrops (1 gp) Wooden Holy Symbol of Wee Jas(1 gp)
Revised spell prepared list for Grumpy 1 & 2. More buttkicking and subduing, less outdoorsy stuff.
Mavic's Spell List Spells Prepared (Wiz 4/6/6/5/4/3/2) 0: Detect Magic, Disrupt Undead, Mending, Dancing Lights 1: Feather Fall, Reduce Person, Magic Missilex2, Ray of Enfeeblement, Unseen Servant* 2: Scorching Ray, Mirror Image, Blindness/Deafness, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, [S]Flaming Sphere[/S], Invisibility 3: Dispel Magic, Gaseous Form, Suggestion, Tongues, Lightning Bolt 4: Evard's Black Tentacles, Wall of Fire, Rainbow Pattern, [S]Ice Storm[/S] 5: Feeblemind, Hold Monster, Wall of Force 6: Antimagic Field, [S]Summon Monster VI[/S]
Eshanna's Spell List Spells Prepared (Clr 6/6+1/4+1/4+1/3+1) 0: Detect Magic, Purify Food & Drink, Light, Read Magic, Guidance, Detect Poison 1: Bless, Bane, Divine Favor, Hide from Undead, Detect Undead, Sanctuary, Protection from Chaos(D) 2: Enthrall, [S]Make Whole[/S], Shatter, [S]Shield Other[/S], Calm Emotions (D) 3: Remove Curse, [S]Searing Light[/S], Stone Shape, Locate Object, Dispel Magic (D) 4: Neutralize Poison, Divine Power, Dismissal, Order's Wrath (D)