Vharak, Ilmateri Martyr

[Zen Gypsy]

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Vharak, Ilmateri Martyr

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"Captain, please. I know in the presence of suffering words often fail. Let my deeds in Sunrise serve as testament to Ilmater's grace and my determination to heal the wounds inflicted by my kin."

Level: 1 Class: Champion Archetype: None. Background: Martial Disciple Deity: Ilmater Alignment: Lawful Good Height: 6'1" Weight: 237 lbs Eyes: Amber-Gold Skin: Olive Green, tattooed, scarred Hair: Black, coarse, unkempt Race: Orc, Hold-scarred Gender: Male Age: 17 yrs

Abilities Ability | Modifier STR: 16 | +3 DEX: 18 | +4 CON: 12 | +1 INT: 10 | +0 WIS: 12 | +1 CHA: 10 | +0 Hit Points: 23 Armor Class: 18 Size: Medium Speed: 25 ft Perception: +4 ◆ Fort Save: +6 ◆◆ Ref Save: +7 ◆ Will Save: +6 ◆◆

 

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Abilities

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Ancestry  OrcRarity: Common Hit Points: 10 Size: Medium Speed: 25 ft. Ability Boosts: Strength, One Free (Strength, Dexterity) Languages: Common, Orcish, Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier, if it's positive. Choose from Goblin, Jotun, Terran, or Undercommon and any other languages to which you have access, such as languages prevalent in your region. (Common, Orcish) Traits: Humanoid  Heritage Hold-scarredYou are part of an orc community that participates in ritual scarification or tattooing. The marks on your skin show your exceptional hardiness and vitality. You gain 12 Hit Points from your ancestry instead of 10. You also gain the Diehard feat. Background Martial DIscipleYou dedicated yourself to intense training and rigorous study to become a great warrior. The school you attended might have been a traditionalist monastery, an elite military academy, or the local branch of a prestigious mercenary organization. Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Strength or Dexterity, and one is a free ability boost. (Strength, Dexterity) You're trained in your choice of either the Acrobatics or Athletics skill, as well as the Warfare Lore skill. You gain a skill feat: Cat Fall if you chose Acrobatics or Quick Jump if you chose Athletics. (Acrobatics, Catfall)

Ancestry Features DarkvisionYou can see in darkness and dim light just as well as you can see in bright light, though your vision in darkness is in black and white.

Class Features Class ProficienciesPerception: Trained (◆) Saves: Fortitude: Expert (◆◆), Reflex: Trained (◆), Will: Expert (◆◆) Skills: Trained in Religion, Trained in one skill determined by Deity (Ilmater; Athletics), two additional skills plus Intelligence modifier, (Diplomacy, Society) Attacks: Simple Weapons: Trained (◆), Martial Weapons: Trained (◆), Unarmed Attack: Trained (◆) Defenses: All Armor: Trained (◆), Unarmed Defense: Trained (◆) Divine (Charisma) Spell Casting: Spell Attack: Trained (◆), Spell DC: Trained (◆) | Champion's CodeYou follow a code of conduct, beginning with tenets shared by all champions of an alignment, and continuing with tenets of your cause. Deities often add additional strictures. Tenets are listed in order of importance, starting with the most important. If a situation places two tenets in conflict, you aren’t in a no-win situation; instead, follow the more important tenet. Trying to subvert your code by creating a situation that forces a higher tenet to override a lower tenet is a violation of the champion code. If you stray from your alignment or violate your code of conduct, you lose your focus pool and divine ally until you demonstrate your repentance by conducting an atone ritual, but you keep any other champion abilities that don’t require those class features. If your alignment shifts but is still one allowed by your deity, you may be able to retrain your cause while still following the same deity. | Deific WeaponYou zealously bear your deity’s favored weapon, Ilmater's chosen weapon is an open hand, or an unarmed strike. If it’s an unarmed attack with a d4 damage die, increase the damage die by one step from d4 to d6. | Deity and CauseChampions are divine servants of a deity. You are a Champion of Ilmater; your alignment must be one allowed for followers of your deity. Actions fundamentally opposed to your deity’s ideals or alignment are anathema to your faith. Ilmater, the Crying God (LG) CATEGORY Intermediate Deity EDICTS: provide aid and solace to those in pain or suffering; endure hardship as a testament to compassion; seek to alleviate the pain and suffering of others ANATHEMA: inflict unnecessary pain or suffering on others, ignore or turn away from those who are in need or who are, unjustly, suffering, use your position or power to harm or oppress others AREAS OF CONCERN: Endurance, Suffering, Martyrdom, Perseverance Paladin's Cause You’re honorable, forthright, and committed to pushing back the forces of cruelty. You gain the Retributive Strike champion’s reaction and the lay on hands devotion spell. After the tenets of good, add these tenets: You must act with honor, never taking advantage of others, lying, or cheating. You must respect the lawful authority of legitimate leadership wherever you go, and follow its laws. | Devotion SpellYour deity's power grants you special divine spells called devotion spells, which are a type of focus spell. It costs 1 Focus Point to cast a focus spell, and you start with a focus pool of 1 Focus Point. You refill your focus pool during your daily preparations, and you regain 1 Focus Point by spending 10 minutes using the Refocus activity to pray to your deity or do service toward their causes. Focus spells are automatically heightened to half your level rounded up. Certain feats can give you more focus spells and increase the size of your focus pool, though your focus pool can never hold more than 3 Focus Points. You gain a devotion spell depending on your cause, and you are trained in divine spell attack rolls and spell DCs. Your spellcasting ability is Charisma. LAY ON HANDS ◆ TRAITS: Uncommon, Champion, Healing, Necromancy, Positive CAST: Somatic RANGE: Touch, TARGET: 1 willing living creature or 1 undead creature Your hands become infused with positive energy, healing a living creature or damaging an undead creature with a touch. If you use lay on hands on a willing living target, you restore 6 Hit Points; if the target is one of your allies, they also gain a +2 status bonus to AC for 1 round. Against an undead target, you deal 1d6 damage and it must attempt a basic Fortitude save; if it fails, it also takes a –2 status penalty to AC for 1 round. HEIGHTENED (+1) The amount of healing increases by 6, and the damage to an undead target increases by 1d6. | Retributive StrikeRETRIBUTIVE STRIKE (Reaction) TRAITS: Champion TRIGGER: Trigger An enemy damages your ally, and both are within 15 feet of you. You protect your ally and strike your foe. The ally gains resistance to all damage against the triggering damage equal to 2 + your level. If the foe is within reach, make a melee Strike against it. | Shield BlockYou gain the Shield Block general feat, a reaction that lets you reduce damage with your shield. | Tenets of GoodYou must never perform acts anathema to your deity or willingly commit an evil act, such as murder, torture, or the casting of an evil spell. You must never knowingly harm an innocent, or allow immediate harm to one through inaction when you know you could reasonably prevent it. This tenet doesn't force you to take action against possible harm to innocents at an indefinite time in the future, or to sacrifice your life to protect them.

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Feats

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Skill Feats	Class & Archetype Feats	Ancestry & General Feats
Cat FallCAT FALL TRAITS: General, Skill PREREQUISITES: Trained in Acrobatics Your catlike aerial acrobatics allow you to cushion your falls. Treat falls as 10 feet shorter. If you’re an expert in Acrobatics, treat falls as 25 feet shorter. If you’re a master in Acrobatics, treat them as 50 feet shorter. If you’re legendary in Acrobatics, you always land on your feet and don’t take damage, regardless of the distance of the fall.	Ranged ReprisalRANGED REPRISAL TRAIT: Champion PREQUISITES: Paladin Cause You can use Retributive Strike with a ranged weapon. In addition, if the foe that triggered your reaction is within 5 feet of your reach but not in your reach, as part of your reaction you can Step to put the foe in your reach before making a melee Retributive Strike.	Iron FistsIRON FISTS TRAITS: Orc Your fists have been forged by battle, your naturally tough skin and dense bone further hardened by conflict. Your fist unarmed attacks no longer have the nonlethal trait and gain the shove weapon trait. | Orc FerocityORC FEROCITY TRAITS: Orc FREQUENCY: Once per day TRIGGER: You would be reduced to 0 Hit Points but not immediately killed. Fierceness in battle runs through your blood, and you refuse to fall from your injuries. You avoid being knocked out and remain at 1 Hit Point, and your wounded condition increases by 1. | Die HardDIE HARD TRAITS: General It takes more to kill you than most. You die from the dying condition at dying 5, rather than dying 4. |Shield BlockSHIELD BLOCK (REACTION) TRAITS: General TRIGGER: While you have your shield raised, you would take damage from a physical attack. You snap your shield in place to ward off a blow. Your shield prevents you from taking an amount of damage up to the shield’s Hardness. You and the shield each take any remaining damage, possibly breaking or destroying the shield.

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Skills 

Trained: ◆ | Expert: ◆◆ | Master: ◆◆◆ | Legendary: ◆◆◆◆

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Acrobatics: +7 ◆ Arcana: +0  Athletics: +6 ◆ Crafting: +0 Deception: +0

Diplomacy: +3 ◆ Intimidation: +0  Lore (Warfare): +3 ◆ Medicine: +1 Nature: +1 Occultism: +0

Performance: +0 Religion: +4 ◆ Society: +3 ◆ Stealth: +4 Survival: +1 Thievery: +4

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 FOCUS SPELLS 

Spell Tradition: Divine | Divine Save DC: 13 | Divine Spell Attack Modifier: +3

Max Focus: 1 | Current Focus: 1

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Lay on HandsLAY ON HANDS (◆)
TRAITS: Uncommon, Champion, Healing, Necromancy, Positive
CAST: Somatic
RANGE: Touch, TARGET: 1 willing living creature or 1 undead creature

Your hands become infused with positive energy, healing a living creature or damaging an undead creature with a touch. If you use lay on hands on a willing living target, you restore 6 Hit Points; if the target is one of your allies, they also gain a +2 status bonus to AC for 1 round. Against an undead target, you deal 1d6 damage and it must attempt a basic Fortitude save; if it fails, it also takes a –2 status penalty to AC for 1 round.

HEIGHTENED (+1) The amount of healing increases by 6, and the damage to an undead target increases by 1d6.

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Attacks

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MELEE	RANGE
Bo Staff, Monk, Parry, Reach, Trip ◆, +6 1d8+3 B Iron Fist, Agile, Finesse, Shove, Unarmed ◆, +7 1d6+3 B	N-A

 

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Inventory

Platinum	Gold		Silver	Copper
0	2		8	7

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Weapons & Armor

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Hide Armor

Bo Staff

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Adventuring Gear

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Worn	Stowed
Backpack, Explorer's Clothing, Flint & Steel, Healer's Tools, Religious Symbol (Wooden), Waterskin	Bedroll, Chalk (x10), Climbing Kit, Lantern (Hooded), Oil (x3), Rations (x2), Religious Text, Rope (50 ft), Soap, Writing Set

Current Bulk: 5.3

Encumbered: 8.0

Maximum:  13.0

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Edited December 3, 2023 by Zen Gypsy (see edit history)

[Zen Gypsy]

PERSONALITY: Vharak, a young orc, embodies a unique blend of humility and discipline, something not common within the Orcish tribes along the Spine of the World. Despite his impressive physical prowess and indomitable spirit, he remains humble, never seeking recognition or glory. He has a soft spoken nature and carries himself and carries himself with a calm demeanor that belies the strength, and character, that lies within.

Discipline is the cornerstone of his character, being instilled in him by Father Brask, the Ilmateri priest who set him on the path he currently walks. He follows a rigorous training regimen, honing body and mind in alignment with the teachings of Ilmater. Daily rituals, meditation, martial practice and religious observances instill, in him, a deep sense of focus and self control.

He often finds solace and joy in savoring hearty meals, considering it a celebration of life's simplest pleasures. This love for good food serves as a reminder of the relationship between body and spirit, reinforcing his commitment to maintaining balance in all things. The young Vharak embodies humility and discipline, while he struggles to keep the ferocity of his orcish blood in check with an iron will. He harbors a voracious appetite, both for justice and delicious meals.

With Ilmater's guidance, Vharak brings the teachings of the Crying God to life, using his physical and mental prowess to seek a better, more compassionate world.

APPEARANCE: Vharak bears the mark of dual worlds upon his broad shoulders — the indomitable strength of his orcish lineage tempered by the humble discipline instilled by his adoptive father. With obsidian-black hair cropped close to his scalp, Vharak's amber-gold eyes reveal a depth of maturity that defies his youth of 17 years. His olive skin, weathered by both the unforgiving elements and the ordeals of his past, is adorned with scars and tattoos, each telling a tale of resilience and endurance. Muscular yet lithe, Vharak stands as a testament to the harmonious blend of strength and agility, the duality of his nature manifest in every sinewy movement.

Draped in hide armor that bears the imprints of countless battles, Vharak carries totemic jewelry that reflects his spiritual allegiance. A wolf fang earring dangles from one ear, a symbol of the untamed spirit he endeavors to tame within himself. Around his neck, a wooden holy symbol of Ilmater hangs, a constant reminder of the virtues he upholds. His calloused, tough hands, strengthened by years of training and brawling, coil into fists with a practiced grace, a testament to the martial prowess he has cultivated in the pursuit of self-control. He moves with the quiet determination of one who has faced adversity and emerged as a survivor, enduring varied trials with the grace and resilience of the Ilmateri.

BACKGROUND: Vharak was born to the Mor'dosh Mal, or Thunderspire clan, a tribe of orc raiders high in the Cloud Peak mountains. The Mor'dosh, primarily, subsisted through raiding the other communities, goblin, orc, and even ogre tribes who called the region home. As such they valued strength, endurance, and martial prowess, however, Vharak, which means broken in the Orcish tongue, was born twisted, with a malformed back, and twisted legs. His father, Argag, a raid leader, refused to allow such an insult to his own strength and virility to exist, and, as such, less than a year after his birth, the mewling, twisted infant was left atop a lonely peak to be picked apart by carrion crows.

However, his mother, Murakh, shunned her husband and the tribe, stole up to the lonely peak and spared her son the fate of any weak-born child of Mor'dosh Mal, such was her love for Vharak. Murakh and her son subsisted on what Murakh could beg, borrow, or steal, along the Coast Way, as the pair journeyed north from the Cloud Peaks. It was a long and arduous journey, an orc blooded woman, without clan, was an oddity on the road, viewed with suspicion at best, often chased out of inns, forced to hide from merchant caravans, or flee from road wardens, the pair, slowly made their way towards Baldur's Gate, but not before winter fell upon them.

This was how Brother Brask found them, Murakh, her body frozen by bitter, winter winds, shielding her twisted child from the elements, their meager campfire have long since been extinguished by the same cruel winter that stole from Vharak his mother. Unable to break the frozen ground to bury mother child, the Ilmateri monk loaded the corpses on to his wagon, and proceeded north towards Baldur's Gate, returning to the small chapel he had established in the Outer City, the shanty which surrounded the city proper. Brask was startled by the cries of an infant, realizing quickly, that the child was still alive, he immediately pulled the wagon to a halt, and tended the poor soul's needs, he changed direction heading for a roadside inn, when questioned about the youth, he simply indicated that it was a leper, that he, as a devoted monk of Ilmateri, was duty bound to ease their suffering. The innkeeper provided the monk and twisted youth with lodging in the stables unwilling to bring the diseased into his inn, this same deception, would eventually, see Brask and Vharak into Baldur's Gate's Outer City. Orcs mature rapidly, given their shorter life spans, and so over the next two or three years, Brask educated the young child, teaching him, first, to read and write, then having him transcribe the teachings of Ilmater to leaflets that he would then distribute to the Outer City's downtrodden, the beggars, the crippled, and the poor.

As the youth grew taller, Brask approached Vharak about a procedure from within Ilmater's teachings, it required the use of a device, similar in construction to the rack upon which Ilmater was broken, and subsequently shattered. This device would, first break Vharak's limbs, strengthen his back, and then the bones could form, anew, straight and strong, and the pain he would endure would only deepen his own reserves of willpower. Vharak, now five years of age, agreed, and so began an arduous journey from broken, frail and twisted, to broad, lean, and resilient. Even as he endured the sessions on the rack, Vharak never wavered from his duties, transcribing Ilmater's teachings to the pamphlets, walking through the Outer City, distributing the literature, balanced precariously on crutches and braces. By the time Vharak was seven, Brask's flock began to grow and flourish, the deception of a leper apprentice dispelled as the depth and breadth of the young orc's body returned. He began to apprentice with more difficult tasks, learning the healing arts under Father Brask's careful supervision, holding down patients whom suffered from seizures, delusions, or other ailments that caused them to struggle and resist the treatment. Incisions to drain lesions and boils, the crafting of poultices and remedies from the small herbal garden behind the chapel, how to bandage a wound, set a sprain, and splint a break.

One afternoon, a group of toughs from some slumlord came to evict Father Brask and take over the chapel, and since Brask was absent, on one of his pilgrimages, it fell to Vharak to defend the chapel. His new found strength did him little good against four thugs armed with cudgels and studded gauntlets. Beaten near to death, Vharak crawled to the gutter, leaving the burning chapel behind him, he lived as a beggar, full of guilt and shame for not having, successfully, defended the Chapel in his absence. In the intervening months he stalked the thugs, isolating them, and brutally, violently, beating them to death. On his return, Brask, discovered the burnt remeains of his chapel, and that his apprentice had succumb to anger and hate. Fearing that he had failed to instill in his apprentice the proper discipline, and fearing the warlike nature of his people's would resurface, Brask arranged to have the youth sponsored at the Monastery of Saint Serphine. The Order of the Crimson Embar, nestled in a secluded forest, surrounded by vibrant ember bloom, believed to embody the martyrdom of their beloved Serphine.

There, among the Sisters of Serphine, he was taught how to channel his aggression, his anger, his fear, and his doubt. It was amidst the field of crimson embers where he first met Sister Cassandra, known as the Hand of Mercy, where, under her watchful eye she guided him through intricate, powerful forms, techniques and drills, teaching him to channel his inner aggression with grace and precision. Through countless sparring sessions, Vharak learned to not only control his aggression, but to redirect it into swift, calculated strikes and counter strikes. Outside of the sparring circle, Cassandra would introduce meditation and soulful prayer, emphasizing the importance of mercy and empathy, even amidst battle. Through patient guidance, she was able to instill in Vharak, the belief that true strength lies, not in dominance, but in the restrained, focused, power that sought to protect rather than destroy.

Edited December 3, 2023 by Zen Gypsy (see edit history)

[Zen Gypsy]

Vharak, Ilmateri Martyr

AC: 18 | HIT POINTS: 23 | CURRENT: 23 | HERO POINTS: 1

FORTITUDE: +6 | REFLEX: +7 | WILL: +6 | PERCEPTION: +4

FOCUS POINTS: 1 | CURRENT: 1

ACTIVE EFFECTS: None.

CONDITIONS: None.

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Actions. "Speech" Thoughts.

Out of Character

Free Action:

Reaction:

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