Valerian - Claw of the Undying Queen

[Rider Z]

Valerian - Claw of the Undying Queen

---

"Faith is not measured by hope. By believing in a god who refuses to answer your prayers. To believe in such faith is to believe in vanity. It cannot be meaningfully divorced from selfishness, believing that your way is right. No matter what others do, no matter what they say. You must be right, simply because you believe it harder."

"This is wrong. Unnatural even. Faith is measured by one thing. Strength."

"The strength given to you by your god. The strength you've carved out of nothing. The strength you've EARNED... The strength you can use to protect those you hold dear. I had it all.. my faith is strong. I was am strong..."
 

"So why are all the people I loved dead?"

---

Character Concept:

A lone assassin is spurned by his own church in the midst of a religious schism. Finding his family ripped apart by the very people he loved most, this heretic himself on a quest for revenge. One that might even lead him down a path of redemption against his own will.

---

Origin/Past is Prologue:

Once upon a time there were was a brother and sister. They left their home and went deep into the woods for some firewood. It was to be a safe trip, one unmarred by the many dangers of the world. And so it was. But once they returned home, they returned to chaos. Where once had been a cottage, there was now only a frozen over waste of land. They saw the culprit soon enough, a great Dragon. One with silver scales that glinted with the sunlight. They ran together, ran all the way past the hills and the horizon. But the brother was weak and fell during their run, never to be seen again by the sister.

Soon the sister was consumed by the image of that dragon day and night. Haunted by it. Goaded by it. She needed to rid herself of the fear. To conquer that terrible image. So she sought strength, and she found it. Strength unbound and great in nature, all she need do to gain such strength was pledge herself. Pledge herself to the cause of the Dark Lady and her followers. And so she did. And so in turn did her descendants.

Or so the story goes. To his knowledge that is how Valerian's family came to serve the Cult of the Dragon. But far-fetched tales from generations long dead did not matter to him. In fact only one thing mattered to Valerian, claiming the strength the Cult promised him. As the eldest child it was his burden to undergo a process called Metamorphosis. A terrible trial to allow a man to gain powers that slightly resembled a dragon's. There was one problem however. Valerian was a weak child.

From an early age he was sickly and weak. Seemingly damned to a life of complete ineptitude due to a bad roll of the dice. But even as a child, he couldn't accept such a fate. He worked himself harder than any slave, was a trained more cruelly than any animal by the acolytes, and in the end blossomed more full than anyone could have imagined. Molded into the perfect form, Valerian set out to do the Undying Queen's work.

His job brought him to many different places, allowed him many different tasks. More often than not, it was a simple job. He was a killer. An arrow made to pierce the flesh of those who had wronged dragonkind or had the misfortune of descending from those who did. It was a task he performed most ardently and with great competence. In his wake he left scores of dead, both those of his targets and the unfortunates who put themselves between him and his duty.

It was nearing the end of Valerian's latest tour that something most curious occurred, communications from his home ceased. So he had the only rational choice. He returned. In truth he had been looking for this opportunity. Though he would never admit it, he longed to see his family once more. His home. He would get his wish, but twisted in the most cruel way possible.

They were slaughtered, all of them. Mother, father, brothers, and sister. All killed in gruesome fashion. Not by enemies, but by kin. For a man like Valerian, who valued nothing than the bonds of family and loyalty it was the greatest betrayal. A betrayal that might break lesser men's spirit or faith, but not him. It only tempered Valerian. Forged his anger and hate into sharp spear, aimed directly for the heart of his betrayers.

He spared no time for tears, no time for wallowing, or confusion. Only one thought prevailed, vengeance. This time not for dragons, but for men.

---

 

Loyalties: 

Valerian's loyalties still most remain to the Cult of the Dragon, but as it was before. Not as it is now. He is a heavily devout man, convinced that the current Cult are all heretics opposed to Tiamat's true will. But those are just rationalizations that might be proven false. Once they are... well who knows how a man might react to his broken faith.

 

---

Is Might Right?: 

"Strength, power, might! Might is right, might is good, might is just! Fools in their cities might convince you that the only good might be found in rule of law, in ironclad taboos enforced by scale. They are wrong. In the end laws are only as good as the sword that enforces them. Fools of false faith might tell you that good might be found charity, in kindness to the small. They are wrong. They have convinced themselves that being weak is noble, that failing to become better is some form of higher ideal. It is all lies, lies told for one purpose!

"To distract you from the truth, that might is the only way to break free from the shackles of false gods! That through might there is enlightenment! That might leads you to the truth. That the Dark Lady is the strongest of all gods, and that through her honest rule we will all be saved! That by the might of the Dragon Queen the false gods shall be banished for our realm and we will once and bask in the glorious truth chains unbound and eyes unclouded!"

 

---

 

Deity: 

Tiamat. I cannot stress this enough. Though he is wavering slightly ultimately he is still a devout follower of Tiamat. At least of the belief and dogma he was taught, which differs from the current Cult of Tiamat as he is so readily is willing to point out. This difference in dogma with other followers is what is going to allow him to work with others whom he would normally find himself at odds with. As even though they're non-believers, at least they're not filthy heretics.

 

---

 

Music:

"Tiamat deliver me from those who preach of false gods, give me the strength to obliterate thine enemies, allow me to see through the lies of the weak, and see that I might perform righteously in your name."

"My body has been forged by my order into a lethal weapon for two purposes. One, to strengthen myself so that I might find blessed salvation. Two, to further the will of the Dragon Queen."

"You do not know me, but I know you. Dragonslayer, Dragonsbane, Dragonsend. False named earned through luck and inherited by the weak. I will rid the world of such false strength."

"The heretics... they took everything from me. I care not whom I must ally myself with, they must all die. In the name in Tiamat. In my name."

"I remember a song... from when I was a boy. Or at least half of it. It comes to my in my dreams, along with visions. Visions of another life, one where I lived in peace. Altogether... they disgust me."

"I was taught that without strength you are nothing. That the only to protect yourself in this world, to protect the ones you... cherished. Was to have power. Well I had it... and yet I've lost so much... What would they say if the could see me now."

[Rider Z]

Valerian - Claw of the Undying Queen

Human Way of the Ascendant Dragon Monk 4

---

AC: 17 |  HP: 31/31 |  PP: 15 | Ki: 4/4 | Initiative: +4 | Languages: Common, Draconic, Abyssal, Infernal

---

"These are my words."

These are my thoughts.

These are my actions.

Edited September 9, 2023 by Rider Z (see edit history)

[Rider Z]

Levels (Will clean this up later):

 

Level 4:

(1d8(5) + 2) : + 7 HP

ASI ---> +2 Dexterity

Features: Slow fall