Ardir Hálilúëa, Humble Farrier Shadar-Kai Barbarian (Ancestral Guardian)

[Kail_Traeganni]

 

 

 

Name: Ardir Hálilúëa
Race & Background: Elf (Shadar-Kai) ; Humble FarrierCustom Tasha's Background:

Skills: Insight and Animal Handling
Proficiencies: Smith's Tools & land vehicles
Equipment: A set of artisan's tools (one of your choice), one trinket of special significance, a set of traveler's clothes, and a pouch containing 15gp

Traveler
Source: Van Richtens Guide to Ravenloft
You come from somewhere else, a place others couldn't begin to understand. Perhaps your home is a unique corner of the Land of the Mists or another world entirely. In any case, you and other travelers have shared experiences. You can find a place to hide, rest, or recuperate among sympathetic trading caravans, itinerant families, or displaced groups, so long as you don't present yourself as a danger. Such groups will hide you from the law or anyone searching for you, though they won't risk their lives for you. Additionally, you can tell whether an object you can see and touch is from your homeland with near perfect accuracy.
Gender: Male
Class: Barbarian 1
Alignment and Deity: Chaotic Good

Concept

He's seen near a century in Falkovnia, and for many of his years, he simply did his job, shoeing horses for farmers and knights alike. Now, everything falls apart, and he has nothing left. His journey is one of grief, resilience, and making meaning within tragedy. Will he carve out space for hope and renewal, or merely find his own bloody death?

Stats & Char Notes

STR: 18 DEX: 14 CON: 16 INT: 10 WIS: 12 CHA: 10

Description

Appearance: A gray-skinned elf with a lined face and mottled gray-white hair regards you with an expression of stoic sorrow, his hair is tangled and wild. He wears no armor, merely the linens and leathers of a tradesman, now torn up from battle. He carries a maul caked in blood, and through his rent garb, you see hard, corded muscle.

Psych Eval: Ardir is in an unstable place. He is fundamentally patient and kind, but the world has so abused this that he has finally allowed violent demonstrations of frustration and grief. This is so new for him that he doesn't know how to reconcile his goodness with his capacity for violence. Enjoying the pulping sound a zombie's head makes when he shatters the skull makes him think he might be evil, even if he's still making decisions based around valuing those around him over himself. Feeling this internal instability, and not expecting to live long enough to need new friendships, he pushes others away with gruffness and cynicism.

Hooks, Fears, Failures

Hook:

Arrival in Falkovnia: Seventy years ago, an exodus of Shadar-Kai escaped the Shadowfell, and settled in Silbervas. They were strange elves, even to the elves, and made their own places and ways while trading with the natives of Falkovnia. Ardir was a boy of merely ninety years for that exodus... he remembers clearly the horror that was the Shadowfell.

-Music: Pain Remains Part I, Part II, and Part III

Impressions

Tysh- "A reckless idealist trying to get impaled."

Amaen - "Easy on the ears, and even easier on the eyes."

Setare - "That boy? Ha, a vain peacock."

Lady Grey - "Oh look, the pretty noble playing soldier."

Verena - "Strange, cold... and I don't understand half of what she says."

Maria - "WHOSE LOST CHILD IS THIS?"

Rak'i'th - "Heh, and the locals thought we Shadar-Kai looked strange."

Avrik - "It's been a long time since I believed the soldiers would save us."

Marleybone - "Marleybone? HA! What sort of parents give a human child a gnomish name like that?"

Edwin- "It's been a long time since I believed the knights in shining armor would save us."

Falken- "Seems we're cut from the same cloth, you and I."

Valter- "It's been a long time since I believed the knights in shining armor would save us."

Fears:

- Going into a rage, and not being able to come back out.Afraid of going Full 3.5 Frenzied Berzerker, forced to attack allies after the battle ends until he can make a high-DC wisdom save. The fluff for allies succeeding on this help action could be flavored as grappling him, splashing him in the face with water, etc.

- The monsters of the Shadowfell, who were closing in on the refugee caravan even as the portal ritual was conducted. He remembers them with a child's terror. What if a few of them followed through the portal, and began spreading their corruption even before the Mists came?

Failures:

- While the soldiers herded his caravan to the capital, some of them helped themselves to merchandise from those who hadn't complied quickly enough. There were moments when a strong man could've stood for his fellows... and Ardir didn't.

- Soldiers at the front Ardir joined told stories of howls that curdled their blood, of Ardir soaked in blood and laughing hysterically, and believe he is surely possessed by some manner of spirit.

 

Fuller Background

 

Life before the Fall: Before Drakov's arrival, life was tough but fair. Work was constant, but war wasn't, and there was space for faith, art, and hope. Unfortunately, his people had scarcely had the decades needed to integrate themselves when Drakov and her disasters arrived. The wars were bad enough, then the zombie uprisings broke everything.

The Last Few Months: Several months ago, as the zombie troubles began, a military patrol conscripted him to be a farrier for their cavalry. The patrol's path took him to Lekar, where he learned that their orders didn't include returning to Silbervas. Weeks later, he heard of that city's fall. He stilled, becoming a stone to all questions, eyes locked on a distant point. Finally, he took up a sledgehammer meant for driving stakes, and walked to the front lines to repulse the undead.

He'd been a kindly man, who loved horses and worked well with them. To the astonishment of all who knew him, he came back wearing the countenance of a killer.

His kin and his kind. His friends and his family. His home and his hearth. Gone, gone to disaster, gone to the hubris of this destructive general, gone to the ravening dead.

No more gentle mornings. Now, days of wrath. Now, days of ruin. Now to break the night itself with a red dawn.

 

 

Edited August 25, 2023 by Kail_Traeganni (see edit history)

[jrsey]

I don't know why, but I just love this character. Well done!

[Kail_Traeganni]

Thank you! Tysh is quite a rebel of a dwarf- embracing chaos and a fickle moon goddess instead of trusty god of the forge or stone. At least as unusual as an exotic extraplanar elf being a humble farrier by trade 😊

[jrsey]

Yesss! I think she'll be fun to play. I've played LG clerics before and they're just boring to me. I needed something interesting - and a Twilight Cleric seems perfect for this campaign. She's more good than chaotic, but that chaos will definitely come through. Unusual is always good 😉

[Pittance]

All seems to be in order! Looking good to me.

Enjoying everything in the Pre-game RP thread, too.

Best of luck!

[Kail_Traeganni]

Here!

[Anthr4xus]

Double reviewed. Good stuff.

[Anthr4xus]

It probably goes with out saying, but just to be 100% clear, Ardir can be assumed to know everything in the Ravenloft Game Information section.

 

[Anthr4xus]

Please don't forget to post your character sheet in the character sheet section.

[Anthr4xus]

JFYI, I added weights to the equipment you have listed on your character sheet. How many javelins did you buy/start with? That is the only variable still open about your carried weight. You are well under the line for encumbrance either which a way, just dotting the ts and crossing the is from the beginning.

You also need to define your default actions and/or reactions.

Also you have your speed listed as 20, but I don't see anything that would cause you to lose 10' of movement. Am I missing something?

Edited November 11, 2023 by Anthr4xus (see edit history)

[Kail_Traeganni]

Whoop, I'd expected to be encumbered! Yes, speed 30 then. The barbarian starting package comes with 4 javelins.

 

 

Default Action:

2H Maul attack

If dealing with a mage or archer protected by terrain or a front line: Throw Javelin

Default Reaction: 2H Maul attack