Xein: Ultimate

Xein is a Fell Human Descendant standing almost six and a half feet tall. His large eyes are ice blue and bulge from his face. His hair is light brown and somewhat spiky. Though aging and in his early forties, Xein is physically fit from his life as an adventurer. Due to the frequent use of his mutagen, his body sometimes has flaps of hanging skin and stretch marks.

Xein Mac'fumos was born to a poor woman in Kusseth who did what she could to make ends meet. She thieved and whored herself for only a few marks a day, just to make sure she had a roof over her head and food in her stomach. In her early twenties she was with a Fell Human "client" who became violent, beating her relentlessly. She quit prostitution and started thieving heavily, targeting Fell Human males, most of which suffered some sort of disfigurement or another during her attacks. It was two months after the abuse when it became apparent that she was with child. With a mouth to feed on the way, she decided to break into a local mechanic shop owned by an Abraxen to steal what money she could to support the birth of her child and hopefully support them for a few years on one night’s earnings. This was not to happen. She was caught by an alarm and captured inside the building, all the doors locked from the inside, trapping her in.

She was taken by the wardens and as per certain regulations and the fact that the Abraxen knew the local senior warden, and was able to buy her as a slave. He told her that she was very talented at thieving and didn’t trip any of the alarms on the way in, he asked her how she did it and she elaborated that the designs could have been better, showing him while explaining. She asked about possibility of freedom due to being pregnant. He refused, saying it was punishment for trying to steal from him, but he did agree that the child would be born free and explained that they would have a better life under his roof anyway, also stating that he would educate the child in his shop if the he showed the same aptitude that his mother did for technology and its workings.

He was raised by his mother and the Abraxen, both teaching what they knew. Once old enough to work for an engineering firm he was constantly teased about his mother being a former whore and the fact that he was living with the Abraxen. Anytime anyone said anything about his mother’s former occupation, his anger would flare from his heritage and he would get into a physical fight, most of which he lost. But in the work gangs he was also noticed to be one of the smartest by his employers and not really delegated heavy lifting or laborious activities, but generally consulted on designs. (Secretly this was because he was living with an Abraxen and they figured the young one would have some insight to their Abraxen technology This further alienated him against the others in his gang.

In a few short years of this, he was eventually hired as an engineer consultant and field-tester for equipment. He did this for a good four years when (as one of their top testers) they gave him a particularly expensive steam powered backpack designed to assist in repairs and other various tasks. He had advised them on some simple design modifications for structural integrity. One of the senior engineers called him out on it and told him that he was strictly testing this one, not an adviser like previous projects. Dejected, Xein decided to just do his job and finish field-testing it. While working on a steam-wagon, the pack started to cough and sputter, finally just giving out. He looked at it and assessed the damage, seeing that he couldn’t repair the pack, he took it back to the firm and they were outraged. It was beyond anyone's ability to repair. The senior engineer was furious, and started to insult Mac, when the engineer called his mother a whore, Mac threw a devastating punch and knocked the man out cold. When he came to he called for the local warden and told him a lie about Mac stealing the pack. He was beaten and then thrown in jail for assault and thievery.

Xein escaped with a small bad of individuals from prison eight years after he was put there. Some went different ways, and a few became close friends. John Jo'nson was his best friend in The Robust Five (More Or Less) and during their travels, they would play tricks on each other at night to keep themselves entertained on boring nights. Prison made him a different man from the one he was before going in, he was killing without thought and in general causing mayhem where he never would have before. He even burned some people alive underground, something he would never like for his family back in Kusseth to know about.

They traveled to Hell to pull off a heist that got D'alton thrown in the prison mine in the first place. They pulled off the heist perfectly, but an old friend of Mr. Braun's turned them over to the bank's owner and backer, the Rebellion. It was led by Nakmander, and they were forced to work for him because they refused to turn over the money. The Robust Five (More Or Less) essentially became the strong arm for the Rebellion after quickly and efficiently defeating a dragon in the catacombs underneath Hell.

Xein, yet again feeling trapped/imprisoned, lost a bit of touch with reality, burning his hand in front of Nakmander and swearing allegiance to the Rebellion and it's cause, but seeming to forget that he did so even though his hand was covered in burn scars. He and his friend John went to an alchemist's shop at night to do some recon for Nakmander and destroy it, forgetting what happened after they set the “fuse” for the “bomb” (a backlash of magic). Just prior to this, though, they almost lost their lives to a single Fallen warrior in the basement of the establishment and Xien successfully used an unknown device and attracted the attention of some higher being.

In the next few months, his head cleared and he started to think closer to what he was like before Beltan. The work with his bar, The Tesla's Boil, was what helped him focus on calming down and recognized his blood lust. Just after defeating Nakmander and stopping the entire city of Kusseth from being wiped off the map, he started to meditate at least an hour a day, working to calm himself. For the misdeeds he had done, he helped the community in many different ways, from starting a fire department in his district to providing healthcare to all.

He was at odds with D'alton over the failure of the heist and some betrayal. His first act as a better person was to reconcile with his old friend, who was going through hard times from the death of his brother, Kethranmeer, who died in the battle with Nakmander. It seemed Kethranmeer was the glue that held their small band together, because Derf and John soon left the group.

Xein Mac'Fumos Level 20

Male Fell Descendant

Alchemist 20

Init: +6; Senses: None; Perception +26

Languages: Blacktongue, Citytongue, Guttertongue, Serevish, Vyanvish, Wretchtongue

AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 18; (+8 armor, +2 Dex)

CMD 28

HP 144 (20 HD)

Fort +15, Ref +14, Will +9

Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)

Melee +22 2d8+7 20/x3

Ranged +18 10d6+6 19-20/x2

Base Attack +15/+10/+5, CMB +17

Abilities Str 12, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 22, Wis 12, Cha 9

SQ Alchemy, Bombs (26/day, 10d6), Cold Resistance 10, Discovery (Elixir of Life, Explosive Bomb, Fast Bombs, Grand Mutagen, Greater Mutagen, Infusion, Preserve Organs x2, Spontaneous Healing), Fire Resistance 10, Grand Discovery (True Mutagen), Instant Alchemy, Mutagen, Persistent Mutagen, Poison Immunity, Poison Use, Swift Alchemy, Swift Poisoning

Favored Class Alchemist (+20 skill points)

Traits Inert Bloodline

Flaws Jargon Conversationalist

Feats Brew Potion, Bulging Eyes, Controlled Sorcery, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Savage Blade), Improved Critical (Savage Blade), Improved Initiative, Leadership, Iron Will, Medium Armor Proficiency, Skill Focus: Craft (Alchemy), Skill Focus: Profession (Inkeeper), Throw Anything, Weapon Focus (Bombs), Weapon Focus (Savage Blade)

Skills Craft (Alchemy) +37, Craft (Electrical) +31 Diplomacy +19, Disable Device +22, Heal +26, Knowledge (Arcana) +29, Knowledge (Nature) +17, Perception +26, Profession (Innkeeper) +35, Sleight of Hand +15, Spellcraft +24, Survival +14 Use Magic Device +22

Formula Book

1^st Level (7 slots): ant haul, bomber’s eye, comprehend languages, crafter’s fortune, cure light wounds, detect secret doors, detect undead, disguise self, endure elements, enlarge person, expeditious retreat, identify, jump, keen senses, negate aroma, reduce person, shield, stone fist, touch of the sea, true strike

2^nd Level (7 slots): aid, barkskin, bear’s endurance, blur, bull’s strength, cat’s grace, cure moderate wounds, detect thoughts, eagle’s splendor, elemental touch, fire breath, fox’s cunning, invisibility, owl’s wisdom, protection from arrows, resist energy, see invisibility

3^rd Level (6 slots): amplify elixir, cure serious wounds, displacement, draconic reservoir, elemental aura, gaseous form, haste, heroism, nondetection, protection from energy, remove blindness/deafness, remove disease, tongues, water breathing

4^th Level (6 slots): cure critical wounds, detonate, discern lies, dragon’s breath, elemental body I, fire shield, freedom of movement, invisibility (greater), neutralize poison, stoneskin, universal formula

5^th Level (6 slots): delayed consumption, dream, elemental body II, elude time, nightmare, polymorph, resurgent transformation, spell resistance

6th Level (4 slots): elemental body III, eyebite, giant form I, heal, transformation

Possessions Alchemist's Lab, Armored Duster (bulletproof +5, ceramic plating, custom fit, fur lined, masterwork, springsteel), Buckler (+3, 60% wolf-iron), Healer's Kit x3, Masterwork Artisan Tools, Masterwork Thieves' Tools, Savage Blade (+5/+5, blackstone teeth, counter-rotation, masterwork, more teeth, motorized, serrated teeth, wolf-iron teeth) 

This is Xein from the campaign book. He is the legit, real Xein, not a clone. What he is up to at the moment is really up to Eric, but likely it involves securing his businesses in the City-State of Meroteth. The formulas within his formula book are not complete. The listed formulas are just what he would get from leveling up. So there is Xein. 

Derf: Ultimate

Born a witch hunter, son of Wulf Ranmel. Sorcerous powers manifested during a duel and scarred him with acid and killed his training partner, transported him to the Necropolis before he could be killed as an abomination. Went crazy, killed some people, ended up in Beltan. Worked with The Robust Five erratically, killed a bunch of people, fought against them in the final battle with Nakmander and went his own way.

Derf Relith Ranmel Level 20

Male Elduman

Psychic Warrior 1/Magus (Bladebound) 19

Init: +8; Senses: Darkvision 15'; Perception +0

Languages: Thoeleknair, Citytongue, Guttertongue

AC 27, touch 13, flat-footed 24; (+13 armor, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 natural)

CMD 29

HP 159 (20 HD)

Fort +15, Ref +8, Will +13

Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)

Melee +19 1d8+10 19-20/x3

Melee +19/+14/+9 1d8+10/1d8+10/1d8+10 19-20/x3

Ranged

Base Attack +14, CMB +17

Abilities Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 21, Wis 14, Cha 8

SQ Arcane Pool (11), Black Blade, Cantrips, Cold Resistance 10, Counter Strike, Fighter Training, Improved Spell Combat, Improved Spell Recall, Greater Spell Access, Greater Spell Combat, Greater Knowledge Pool, Magus Arcana (Arcane Accuracy, Hasted Assault, Quickened Magic, Reflection, Spell Shield), Path (Mind Knight), Power Points (4), Resistance, Resillience, Repletion, Spell Combat, Spell Recall, Spellstrike

Favored Class Magus (+19 hit points)

Traits: Exile

Flaws Sadist, Too Intense For Talking

Feats Combat Casting, Dodge, Greater Weapon Focus (Saber), Improved Critical (Saber), Improved Initiative, Inhuman Vision, Leadership, Quicken Spell, Rubbery Hide, Silent Spell, Still Spell, Uncanny Concentration, Unnatural Vitality, Weapon Focus (Saber), Weapon Specialization (Saber), Warped Flesh (Bulging Eyes)

Skills Autohypnosis +20, Intimidate +22, Knowledge (Arcana) +23, Knowledge (Psionics) +18, Perception +27, Sense Motive +7, Spellcraft +28, Use Magic Device +22

Powers: 1^st Level: Call Weaponry, Inertial Armor

Spells: 0-Level (5 slots): acid splash, arcane mark, bleed dancing lights, daze, detect magic, disrupt undead, flare, ghost sound,light, mage hand, open/close, prestidigitation, ray of frost, read magic, resistance, spark

            1^st Level (7 slots): bungle, burning hands, chill touch, corrosive touch, expeditious retreat, magic missile, mirror strike, ray of enfeeblement, shield, shocking grasp, true strike, unprepared combatant

           2^nd Level (6 slots): acid arrow, blur, bull's strength, hideous laughter, invisibility, scorching ray, shatter, touch of idiocy

               3^rd Level (6 slots): burst of speed, displacement, fireball, force punch, haste, lightning bolt 2 Wiz

            4^th Level (6 slots): ball lightning, black tentacles, contagion, confusion, detonate, dimension door, hold person, phantasmal killer, slow, stoneskin

          5^th Level (6 slots): acidic spray, baleful polymorph, cloudkill, cone of cold, dominate person, feeblemind, flesh to stone, symbol of striking, teleport

           6^th Level (4 slots): acid fog, chain lightning, circle of death, disintegrate, shadow walk, sirocco, transformation, true seeing, walk through space

Possessions Eloise (+5/5, Int 19, Wis 15, Cha 15, Ego 24, Alertness, arcane pool [5], black blade strike, energy attunement, life drinker, spell defense, telepathy, teleport blade, transfer arcana, unbreakable), Full Plate (bulletproof +5, custom fit, fur lined, masterwork, 100% wolf-iron)

This is Derf from the campaign book. The background info is exceedingly light because Fred never really gave me much solid info on him, other than the paragraph or so listed above. This version of Derf takes into account his background in psionics with the Psychic Warrior level and utilizes the more appropriate Magus rules instead of the Battle Sorcerer Fred used for so long. It also uses the Bladebound Magus archetype which is a perfect representation of Derf's relationship with his sword. I have also determined that Derf uses a saber, not a scimitar. The spells in Derf's spellbook are likely not his complete collection, those are just the ones he would add to it based on his level and Intelligence. This is the true version of Def, not a Nakmander clone. He leads a small force of other sociopaths in The New Empire pillaging and causing general destruction in an attempt to destroy his father, Wulf Ranmel, the leader of the Witch Hunters. 

Next up on the list is Xein: Ultimate. 

D'alton: Ultimate

D'alton Braun is a Fell Human standing approximately six feet tall, with black hair. His eyes are a brilliant, almost glowing, ice blue color. He is lean, but muscular and weighs less than two hundred pounds and his skin is the ghostly pale of a corpse left in the cold. Typically he dresses in dark colors, greys and blacks, most commonly wearing a leather duster, gunbelts, bandoleers of ammunition across his chest, and a jaunty cap.

D’alton Braun was born in 9963 DK in the Fell Peaks, the bastard son of Way’de Braun, and El’lyn, the wife of Way’de’s brother, Pat’ryk. The Braun family dealt in arms, selling to the highest bidder, on both sides of the war. Way’de and El’lyn were killed in a deal gone badly shortly after D’alton’s birth. D’alton’s uncle reluctantly took him in and raised the boy in the city of Hell.

Young D’alton, not having much in the way of parental love or concern, turned to running with a youth gang, the Vanbur’yen Boys. Being a small child, he was known to the members of the gang as Mole, as he could get into tight spaces and vents, making break-ins all the easier. He learned everything he needed to know about thievery, blackmail, and second story work by the time he was fifteen years old.

When D’alton was twenty-four, he fell for a girl named Ko’serra, sister of his gang’s leader. At the same time, his uncle pulled him out of the gang, as he was set to retire. It was now time for D’alton, as the last Braun male, to take his place in running the family business. His uncle told him the story of his parents’ deaths, and forbade him from seeing Ko’serra. D’alton said he didn’t feel it was right for an interest to suddenly be taken in him, after years of neglect; he told his uncle he wanted no part in the business. Pat’ryk threw D’alton out of the house, and cut him off financially.

D’alton, now destitute, plotted to rob the largest bank in the district, and get out of Hell to start fresh. He was caught mid-robbery, and taken to the Beltan Prison Camp.

Eight years later, D’alton was part of a large prison break, and began adventuring with a few of them. Calling themselves The Robust Five (More or Less), they avoided the law, and occasionally aided it along the way. D’alton became fast friends with Spineplate, and finally found something akin to what he’d always wanted: family.

D'alton Braun Level 20

Male Shadowborn Fell Human

Rogue 4/Gunslinger (Pistolero) 1/Shadowdancer 10/Sorcerer (Shadow Bloodline) 5

Init: +10; Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., Low-Light Vision; Perception +20

Languages: Thoeleknair, Citytongue, Guttertongue

AC 20, touch 17, flat-footed 13; (+3 armor, +6 Dex, +0 natural, +1 Dodge)

CMD 29

HP 120 (20 HD)

Fort +11, Ref +20, Will +18

Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)

Melee +15 1d6+2 19-20/x2

Ranged +15 1d8 20/x4

Ranged +13/+13/+8/+3 1d8+6/1d8+6/1d8+6/1d8+6 20/x4

Base Attack +12, CMB +13

Abilities Str 12, Dex 23, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 13

SQ Cantrips, Deeds, Defensive Roll, Deft Shootist, Evasion, Gun Training (Pistols), Gunslinger's Dodge, Hide In Plain Sight, Improved Evasion, Improved Uncanny Dodge, Gloam Shimmer, Grit (2), Nighteye, Rogue Talent (Combat Trickx3), Rogue Talent (), Rogue Talent (Sniper's Eye), Shadow Call, Shadow Illusion, Shadow Jump 320 ft., Shadow Magic, Shadow Master, Shadowstrike, Shadowy Resistance (Cold 5, Electricity 5), Slippery Mind, Sneak Attack +2d6, Sorcerer Bloodline (Shadow), Sorcerer Bloodline Arcana (Shadow), Subtle Manipulator, Summon Shadow (59 hp), Trap Sense, Trapfinding, Uncanny Dodge.

Favored Class: Rogue (+2 on Stealth and Sleight of Hand checks in dim light).

Traits: Sorcerous Bloodline

Flaws

Feats Arcane Strike, Blind-Fight. Combat Reflexes, Dark Sight, Dodge, Hammer The Gap, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Mobility, Point-Blank Shot, Quick Draw (Revolver), Rapid Reload (Firearms), Two-Weapon Fighting, Warped Flesh (Sticky Fingers) Weapon Focus (Revolver).

Skills Acrobatics +26, Bluff +18, Climb +14, Craft (Alchemy) +9, Craft (Gunsmithing) +14, Disable Device +31, Disguise +20 Escape Artist +23, Perception +20, Perform (Dance) +9, Sense Motive +15, Sleight of Hand +29, Stealth +34.

Spells 0-Level: Ghost Sound, Mage Hand, Message, Open/Close, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost

           1^st Level (7/day): Chill Touch, Jump, Longshot, Vanish

           2^nd Level (4/day): Bullet Shield, Darkness

Possessions Disguise Kit, Dragon Spit Bullets, Flare Bullets, Gunblade Revolvers (Masterwork, Sights), Gunsmithing Kit, Leather Duster (Custom Fit, Masterwork, Oil Slick) Masterwork Thieves Tools, Springsteel Bullets, Wolf-Iron Bullets

This is D'alton Braun. I'm not sure where he exists in the timeline of The Known World, and I'm not entirely sure if this is the original from The Rebellion Arc or a clone from The Psychogenic Fugue Arc. This D'alton is a D'alton that has not succumbed to his shadowy nature, and instead has taken Iron Will and levels in Sorcerer in an attempt to control it. The background information at the top of the post doesn't cover the events of The Rebellion Arc either. 

The Shadowborn Fell Human thing is something I am considering doing with Fell Humans. I am considering breaking down the Fell Human race into different flavors. The Shadowborn would have the resistance to cold and shadowy nature D'alton is rather iconic for. I dunno. 

Kethranmeer From The Campaign Book

For a while I've been on and off working on a campaign book for The Known World. There are going to be all kinds of sections on races, nations, feats, traits, flaws, equipment, plot hooks, and so on. One of the sections is going to be on NPCs. Not only will this section give background information on the characters, it will be where I include actual rules based information and stats like class and hit points and ability score and will be where I put versions of NPCs like Cenn, Traith Harris, A'lst, Nakmander and such. It will also be where I put my versions of PCs and former PCs like John Johnson, Derf, and Kethranmeer. So, here is Kethranmeer one last time.

The creature known as Kethranmeer was one of the twelve original Soulless created by the artisans of The Fallen Empire of Man and the Okwighta Aleknostas. Trained and raised for a lifetime of battle by Omne-4, for forty years he served the nation of undead as a blood-slick metal warrior, reaching a moderately high rank and gaining control over a small force of his kind. He and his unit were sent on a mission to the country of Kusseth to investigate underground ruins and he was wounded beyond repair and left to rust and go mad from his isolation. He was discovered by a creature named A'lst that found his sorcerous nature repugnant but his machine nature intriguing, A'lst altered Spineplate and negated the sorcerous energies of his creation. This stripped Spineplate of his allegiance to the Fallen Empire and his somewhat homicidal nature and replaced his psyche with that of an unthinking metal beast. Over time A'lst grew affectionate towards his metal hound and taught him the language of his people (Thoeleknair) and gave him a name befitting his developing personality (Kethranmeer, meaning warrior of steel mind and steel flesh). A'lst had ties to the bardic colleges and Kethranmeer was inducted into the colleges as a warrior and during one of his missions with the bards he was caught by the wardens of Kusseth. Because his kind were thought to be sorcerous constructs of war and due to his clearly deadly nature he was to be destroyed, but A'lst had connections to a senior warden of some repute in Kusseth (Traith Harris of the 37th). The warden vouched for the construct and he was instead imprisoned in the Beltan prison camp where he was modified by smiths and miners to become an ideal and untiring mining device. Over the next twenty years he succumbed to the rigors of isolation and abuse and devolved once more into the animalistic state A'lst's interventions had first left him in. At the end of that twenty years he was able to escape from Beltan by being involved in a prison break masterminded by Smiling Jack and Laram of Volungshemle. He met up with a collection of malcontents that were later dubbed The Robust Five (More or Less) and became fast friends with a Fell Human Descendant called D'alton Braun.

During their adventures, the bond of friendship between Kethranmeer and D'alton grew to one of brotherhood, eventually growing as strong as the Soulless' flesh when the two creatures bought their freedom from the rebel leader Nakmander. Despite his freedom, and his pressing need to watch over his sons, Kethranmeer stayed with The Robust Five out of loyalty to D'alton. Remaining in Hell was not as detrimental to the cause of Kethranmeer's rebellion as it might seem. Once his sons were free of the sorcery of The Fallen Empire of Man, Kethranmeer dispatched them to the east and traversing The length of The Known World via steam engine made the task less time consuming than it might otherwise be. When Kethranmeer's direct input was needed, messenger night fowls could be sent with great reliability to have an answer from him in a relatively timely fashion. When matters at hand demanded quick action, it fell to Mokethneer to determine the fate of the Soulless rebellion.

Despite the insistent demands of his sons, that now called themselves Rankethlek, Kethranmeer could not leave his brother D'alton and come to Steeltown with them. He felt that if he left D'alton and The Robust Five (More Or Less), they would surely fall in battle, or be betrayed by the unpredictable machinations of Derf. So he stayed in Hell and worked for Nakmander and his rebels in order to remain close to his brother of flesh and their friends. In that time, they opposed reavers and wardens and bards, and conquered all foes that they were directed against. Kethranmeer was a warrior, and testing his hammer against these foes thrilled him, though it kept him from his sons and his true calling. His actions in Hell did allow him to learn of the Fremwightan and their leader Konaleknostas, who Kethranmeer remembered from his time in The Fallen Empire of Man. This knowledge allowed Kethranmeer's son Mokethneer to later seek out and forge an alliance with the Fremwightan.

When Cenn the Reaver died, it was a great blow to Kusseth and its control of Hell and Kethranmeer realized that the rebellion of Hell was far closer to freeing itself than he had thought. He sent messenger night fowls to his sons and A'lst, telling them that his work was almost done and that he would soon rejoin them. His sons were to journey west and meet him in Kusseth, there they would recover A'lst and he would journey with them to Steeltown where they could finally come together as a family and fight for the freedom of their race. Hopefully with the aid of D'alton Braun, and perhaps the rest of The Robust Five (More Or Less).

It was not to be though. For as the rebllion moved ahead, it dawned on Kethranmeer and his ally Xein, that Nakmander and his sorcerers intended to destroy Kusseth City. Kethranmeer realized then that his entire family, save for D'alton, was at risk of meeting their death in the destruction that Nakmander desired to bring against Kusseth. Furious, Kethranmeer met Nakmander on the field of battle at the ritual site and sought first to halt his actions, and then to murder the sorcerers before they could complete their task when Nakmander called A'lst and Traith martyrs for the cause of Nakmander's rebellion.

The air at the ritual site hummed with sorcerous energy as Xein and Kethranmeer made to murder the sorcerers, but Nakmander did not allow it and levelled spell after spell at the Soulless. Eventually, Kethranmeer's rusted body could not withstand the destructive energies of Nakmander's sorcery, and he fell, he chest a ruin of slag and huge gaping holes from destructive beams of sorcery. The warrior fell, but fell knowing that his allies would stand against Nakmander in his stead. When the battle ended and Nakmander disappeared, The Robust Five headed to Kusseth City in hopes of finding A'lst, but he was gone. So they returned to the Braun mansion and laid Kethranmeer's battered body to rest in his part of the mansion.

Kethranmeer                                       Level 15

Male Rankethlek Fighter 15

Init: +5; Senses: None; Perception +12

Languages: Thoeleknair, Citytongue, Guttertongue

AC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 19; (+8 armor, +1 Dex, +1 natural)

CMD 32

HP 179 (15 HD)

Fort +13, Ref +6, Will +10

Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)

Melee Blackstone Hammer +28/+25/+20 (1d10+18/19-20x3) or

Melee Power Attack w/Blackstone Hammer +25/+20/+15 (1d10+27/19-20x3)

Ranged 40% Wolf-Iron Throwing Hammer +21 (1d4+11/20x2)

Base Attack +15, CMB +21

Abilities Str 22, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 12

SQ DR 2/-, Bravery +4, Armor Training 4, Weapon Training (hammers, axes, heavy swords), Fleshless, Lifeless, Made of Metal, Undying, Lack of Nourishment

Favored Class Fighter (+10 hit points, +5 skill points)

Traits: Armor Expert (Basic), Wolf-Iron Son (Racial), Will of Iron (Cultural)

Flaws Rusty

Feats Flesh of Wolf Iron, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (Maul), Weapon Specialization (Maul), Ironhide, Improved Initiative, Improved Iron Will, Power Attack, Cleave, Greater Weapon Focus (Maul), Greater Weapon Specialization (Maul), Great Cleave, Toughness, Leadership,  Improved Critical, Improved Bull Rush, Skill Focus (Craft Electrical)

Skills Climb +10, Craft (Armorsmithing) +8, Craft (Electrical) +25, Diplomacy +6, Intimidate +19, Perception +12

Possessions Blackstone hammer (+2/+2, grants +4 bonus to saving throws vs. sorcery, halves bonuses to AC that are provided by sorcery, grants SR 18 ), 40% Wolf-Iron throwing hammer (+2/+2), ash grease (grants Soulless and Rankethlek +8 to Stealth checks in dark conditions)

Thoughts On Character Backgrounds, Among Other Things

"We don't explore characters; we explore dungeons."

That is a motto for Old School D&D. I found that quote on a blog I like to read called Grognardia, and that site referenced it from somewhere else. It is a nice, succinct little motto with a good depth of meaning. I like a quote linked in the comments section on the blog that it was pulled from as well, I won't repeat the exact words, but the gist of it is that the first six levels of your character's career are his background. 

I like a nice meaty background, something interesting, possibly cool. I never demand backgrounds of my players, because some people don't feel comfortable writing, and others don't like to worry about that kind of thing. Others don't feel like they need to justify why their character is the way it is. Others are just lazy.

Kethranmeer's initial background was roughly a paragraph. It was simple and easily read, and over play he evolved, and the background evolved with him. I won't lie and say I had everything planned out for Kethranmeer from day one, but by level six, I had a pretty good idea where I was heading. The first six levels of playing him were how I figured out all the rest of it.They were where I discovered that he was afraid of small, underground places. The first six levels were where I decided he was Unaligned, or Neutral, or whatever, with slight tendencies towards Good where his friends and family were concerned. The first six levels were where I determined that he thought Xein was ok and D'alton was a solid sort that he could be fast friends with. 

This is why I want to slow down leveling in my current game. The players need time to get to know their characters. Between the system switch and leveling once every scenario, and never really having a super good handle on 3.5 Edition and 4th Edition in the first place, we need to slow down and get to know these incarnations of our alternate selves. Dungeons (I use dungeon as a catch all term for where battle and adventure are taking place) are where the absent minded GM realized that he's been using Feint and sneak attacking improperly. Dungeons are where we discover our characters, from a rules standpoint, and a background stand point. Dungeons are where we discovered that the original Robust Five were a collection of sadists that would burn and bury people alive. Dungeons are where we discovered that The Robust Five had no problem murdering teenagers for no better reason than because they were told to. Dungeons are where we discovered that The Robust Five were so apathetic that they would let a thief steal their means to freedom right out from under their noses without complaint (other than Xein).

I guess what I'm saying is that we should concentrate on the now of our game, and not the in nineteen levels of our game. There is too much of a focus on "I want to take this feat in twelve levels"  and "I want to have this many ranks in this skill in ten levels." This is not to say that we should only think of our character's future when  we level. Have an idea where you want to go, but chill and enjoy the now of your fledgling PC. If there is one thing I've learned building out twelve or so NPCs, planning your character out for twenty levels (or more) when you have three hundred experience to your name gets boring. You don't get to discover the character anymore, he's all done and written down, there's no mystery or curiosity to associate with playing him. For me at least.

In the end, get as involved with your character creation as you want. Play and plan your character in a way you want. Do whatever you want. Me, I need to just pick something I like and let it evolve as I play. Spending twelve hours at work talking to Fred and reading my Pathfinder books wasn't really productive for finding an NPC for me to play. I think I like Kethranmeer so much because he was a mystery that unfolded during play. I never sat down and plotted and planned for him. He just became what he was, and it worked, and it was fun.

Last line, I promise. Just have fun while you game, however it is that you have that fun.

Ran'dahl Koltchrain

Player: Shawn

Race: Fell-Human

Class: Summoner

Age: 19

Height: 5'

Weight: 110 lb.

Description: A short Fell Human with bulging eyes.

Personality:

Favorite Color: Dark purple.

Fluff: Ran'Dahl was born to a poor tinkerer family in the Fell Peaks. He was a slight child born with bulging eyes and scaly skin. Upon his introduction to the world, his father Ran'Duhn accused the mother, Chann'i of mating with a serpent. After much accusation and further investigation, they determined that these defects were the result of all the low quality magical objects stored within their home.

As time grew on, Ran'Duhn and Chann'i tinkered more and more with their creations, eventually creating some high quality products. These were more prone to misfiring, but they were extremely potent and high in demand. So much so, rather that the family was starting to attract some unwanted attention from the gangs around the Fell Peaks.

Upon Ran'Dahls 10th birthday, Ran'Duhn presented Ran'Dahl with his first magical device, an action figure that when probed with sorcerous energy would walk and punch. Ran'Duhn told Ran'Dahl that that he had some sorcerous talent and that with practice he should be able to make the action figure animated. For the next month, Ran'Dahl worked tirelessly at playing with the action figure, even going so far as naming it Za'ith.

Ran'Dahl had showed so much success with this small Za'ith that Ran'Duhn decided to start introducing him to more and more items. For the next year, Ran'Dahl actively participated with his father in researching and testing magical devices.

One night, when Ran'Dahl was 12, a gang raided his father's workshop for all his magical devices. Ran'Duhn woke up and grabbed his blasting rod that he kept next to his bed and ran to confront the gang. When he leveled the rod at the nearest gang member, the rod exploded and took out Ran'Duhn as well as the two nearest gang members. Chann'i then told Ran'Dahl to stay in his room while she grabbed the family revolver and tried to shoot the gang leader. The leader, not being afraid of Chann'i ran up to her and knocked her out. He picked her up and started walking away with her as Ran'Dahl came storming out of his room with Za'ith. He commanded Za'ith to attach the gang leader, but the little action figure only started walking when the gang leader stomped on it and smashed it to pieces. The leader laughed and strode off with Chann'i in toll. Ran'Dahl was left sobbing in his broken home, suddenly alone with not even his action figure to keep him company.

Ran'Dahl waited two weeks in his house, hoping that his mother would come back, scrounging for any and all sustinance. Nothing happened. Finally, he ventured to where the workshop was and started sorting through the wreckage. He knew that there were secret spots that his father kept the most prized items but he didn't know where. For days Ran'Dahl would dig around the house and workshop looking for items. Each night he would drop from exhaustion. His dreams would be filled with horrible memories of that night. However, more frightening was his recollection of Za'ith. His action figure was becoming more real in his mind; much larger, stronger, and dangerous. At first, Za'ith would just appear as he would when they would play, but Ran'Dahl would suddenly wake when Za'ith would look at him, staring with red-glowing eyes. Soon, Za'ith seemed more real and menacing.

One day, he was scrounging in the workshop when he heard someone enter through the front door. It was a member from the gang. He started tearing through the workshop looking for anything of value. Ran'Dahl hid in the back under a desk. Ran'Dahl then noticed something attached under the desk, it was glowing slightly. He was just starting to reach for it when the gang member found him, hauling him out by the scruff of his collar. He asked Ran'Dahl what he was doing under the desk and if he was hiding stuff. Ran'Dahl became really frightened and started sobbing, but couldn't help to look back to the desk. The gang member caught this look, threw Ran'Dahl in the corner and retrieved the item. He started walking towards Ran'Dahl and cursing him, telling him that he better find more things or he would kill him. Ran'Dahl started sobbing harder and wished that Za'ith would come and get rid of this man. As he was thinking that, he felt a sudden chill and hear the gang member scream.

Ran'Dahl looked up and saw a large, menacing figure standing before him, blocking Ran'Dahl's view of the gang member. This figure stood about 7' tall, had long arms ending in gruesome claws. He had a very muscular, but thin build with long arms and legs. The figure stooped slightly but looked ready for action. Ran'Dahl mouthed "save me" and the creature lunged at the gang member, killing him in a blur of arms, teeth, and claws. Once the job was done, the creature looked back to Ran'Dahl and it was then that Ran'Dahl recognized that it was Za'ith. He had red eyes, a maw full of sharp teeth and a very dangerous air to him. Ran'Dahl was afraid, but he somehow knew that this creature, Za'ith, would not harm him.

As the days went on, Ran'Dahl learned how to summon and dismiss Za'ith. He began to learn how to control Za'ith and how to best utilize Za'ith to augment his own meager body and skills. Soon, with the help of Za'ith, he found many more trinkets and magical devices hidden in the workshop. He collected these and tinkered with the ones he deemed less powerful. There were some mishaps, but all in all Ran'Dahl learned a lot about magical devices.

After about a month of being holed up in the house, he ventured out. Not for wanting to, but for the sake of food. He went down to the first market he could remember and tried to get some food. The merchants would not hand out any, as the food was precious to them as well. Ran'Dahl became desperate; he offered a tiny trinket that he kept in his pocket for some food. The merchant that he offered the trinket to immediately took it and gave Ran'Dahl a sack of food. Ran'Dahl then ran home. He was inside all of 5 minutes when the door flew open and a couple of strong-arms came inside after Ran'Dahl, looking for more magical devices. Ran'Dahl immediately summoned Za'ith who promptly took out one strong-arm while the other ran away.

This was how Ran'Dahl became a small-time peddler in magical devices. This type of activity carried on for his teenage years, where he learnt some tricks to detect magical devices and how to creatively escape or folly the attempts of people looking to hurt him. Eventually, Ran'Dahl decided that he could better use his skills with Za'ith through other means. He decided to head towards the city and see if he could get hired to be a guard.

Xein Mac'Fumos

Player: Eric

Race: Human of Fell-Human Descent

Class: Alchemist

Gender: Male

Age: 28

Height: 6' 4"

Weight: 180 lbs.

Description: Overly large and bulging ice blue eyes.

Personality: Pretty open. "Not a murderer."

Favorite Color: Grease and bronze.

Fluff: Xein Mac'fumos was born to a poor woman in Kusseth who did what she could to make ends meet. She thieved and whored herself for only a few gold a day, just to make sure she had a roof over her head and food in her stomach. In her early twenties she was with a Fell Human "client" who became violent, beating her relentlessly. She quit prostitution and started thieving heavily, targeting Fell Human males, most of which suffered some sort of disfigurement or another during her attacks. It was two months after the abuse when it became apparent that she was with child. With a mouth to feed on the way, she decided to break into a local mechanic shop owned by an Abraxen to steal what money she could to support the birth of her child and hopefully support them for a few years on one night’s earnings. This was not to happen. She was caught by an alarm and captured inside the building, all the doors locked from the inside, trapping her in.

She was taken by the wardens and as per certain regulations and the fact that the Abraxen knew the local senior warden, and was able to buy her as a slave. He told her that she was very talented at thieving and didn’t trip any of the alarms on the way in, he asked her how she did it and she elaborated that the designs could have been better, showing him while explaining. She asked about possibility of freedom due to being pregnant. He refused, saying it was punishment for trying to steal from him, but he did agree that the child would be born free and explained that they would have a better life under his roof anyway, also stating that he would educate the child in his shop if the he showed the same aptitude that his mother did for technology and its workings.

He was raised by his mother and the Abraxen, both teaching what they knew. Once old enough to work for an engineering firm he was constantly teased about his mother being a former whore and the fact that he was living with the Abraxen. Anytime anyone said anything about his mother’s former occupation, his anger would flare from his heritage and he would get into a physical fight, most of which he lost. But in the work gangs he was also noticed to be one of the smartest by his employers and not really delegated heavy lifting or laborious activities, but generally consulted on designs. (Secretly this was because he was living with an Abraxen and they figured the young one would have some insight to their [Abraxen] technology) This further alienated him against the others in his gang.

 In a few short years of this, he was eventually hired as an engineer consultant and field-tester for equipment. He did this for a good four years when (as one of their top testers) they gave him a particularly expensive steam powered backpack designed to assist in repairs and other various tasks. He had advised them on some simple design modifications for structural integrity. One of the senior engineers called him out on it and told him that he was strictly testing this one, not an advisor like previous projects. Dejected, Xein decided to just do his job and finish field-testing it. While working on a steam-wagon, the pack started to cough and sputter, finally just giving out. He looked at it and assessed the damage, seeing that he couldn’t repair the pack, he took it back to the firm and they were outraged. It was beyond anyone's ability to repair. The senior engineer was furious, and started to insult Mac, when the engineer called his mother a whore, Mac threw a devastating punch and knocked the man out cold. When he came to he called for the local warden and told him a lie about Mac stealing the pack. He was beaten and then thrown in jail for assault and thievery.  

Xein escaped with a small bad of individuals from prison eight years after he was put there. Some went different ways, and a few became close friends. John Jo'nson was his best friend in The Robust Five (More Or Less) and during their travels, they would play tricks on each other at night to keep themselves entertained on boring nights. Prison made him a different man from the one he was before going in, he was killing without thought and in general causing mayhem where he never would have before. He even burned some people alive underground, something he would never like for his family back in Kusseth to know about.

They traveled to Hell to pull off a heist that got D'alton thrown in the prison mine in the first place. They pulled off the heist perfectly, but an old friend of Mr. Braun's turned them over to the bank's owner and backer, the Rebellion. It was led by Nakmander, and they were forced to work for him because they refused to turn over the money. The Robust Five (More Or Less) essentially became the strong arm for the Rebellion after quickly and efficiently defeating a dragon in the catacombs underneath Hell. 

Xein, yet again feeling trapped/imprisoned, lost a bit of touch with reality, burning his hand in front of NakmanderNakmander and destroy it, forgetting what happened after they set the “fuse” for the “bomb” (a backlash of magic). Just prior to this, though, they almost lost their lives to a single Fallen warrior in the basement of the establishment and Xien successfully used an unknown device and attracted the attention of some higher being.

In the next few months, his head cleared and he started to think closer to what he was like before Beltan. The work with his bar, The Tesla's Boil, was what helped him focus on calming down and recognized his blood lust. Just after defeating Nakmander and stopping the entire city of Kusseth from being wiped off the map, he started to meditate at least an hour a day, working to calm himself. For the misdeeds he had done, he helped the community in many different ways, from starting a fire department in his district to providing healthcare to all.

He was at odds with D'alton over the failure of the heist and some betrayal. His first act as a better person was to reconcile with his old friend, who was going through hard times from the death of his brother, Kethranmeer, who died in the battle with Nakmander. It seemed Kethranmeer was the glue that held their small band together, because Derf and John soon left the group.

Now, it was ten years later, he doesn't know what is going on and has no memory of what happened. This will be a trying time for him, especially in his quest to keep his blood lust in check...

There are some things he needs to know: What happened? How is his family? What happened to the close family of employees he had? Why would Hank react to seeing them like that? And many, many more questions...

Kethranmeer (Updated)

Player: Steve

Race: Soulless

Class: Fighter

Gender: Identifies with male pronouns.

Age: Debatable, 138.

Height: 6' 6"

Weight: 900 lbs.

Description: Looks exactly like a knight if full plate armor, save that his helmet, which is actually his head, has no visor or eyeslits and is merely a blank wolf-iron plane.

Personality: Quiet, likes battle, values family and friends over everything else, for the most part.

Favorite Color: Cannot discern colors.

Fluff: The creature known as Kethranmeer was one of the twelve original Soulless created by the artisans of The Fallen Empire of Man and the Okwighta Aleknostas. Trained and raised for a lifetime of battle by Omne-4, for forty years he served the nation of undead as a blood-slick metal warrior, reaching a moderately high rank and gaining control over a small force of his kind. He and his unit were sent on a mission to the country of Kusseth to investigate underground ruins and he was wounded beyond repair and left to rust and go mad from his isolation. He was discovered by a creature named A'lst that found his sorcerous nature repugnant but his machine nature intriguing, A'lst altered Spineplate and negated the sorcerous energies of his creation. This stripped Spineplate of his allegiance to the Fallen Empire and his somewhat homicidal nature and replaced his psyche with that of an unthinking metal beast. Over time A'lst grew affectionate towards his metal hound and taught him the language of his people (Thoeleknair) and gave him a name befitting his developing personality (Kethranmeer, meaning warrior of steel mind and steel flesh). A'lst had ties to the bardic colleges and Kethranmeer was inducted into the colleges as a warrior and during one of his missions with the bards he was caught by the wardens of Kusseth. Because his kind were thought to be sorcerous constructs of war and due to his clearly deadly nature he was to be destroyed, but A'lst had connections to a senior warden of some repute in Kusseth (Traith Harris of the 37th). The warden vouched for the construct and he was instead imprisoned in the Beltan prison camp where he was modified by smiths and miners to become an ideal and untiring mining device. Over the next twenty years he succumbed to the rigors of isolation and abuse and devolved once more into the animalistic state A'lst's interventions had first left him in. At the end of that twenty years he was able to escape from Beltan by being involved in a prison break masterminded by Smiling Jack and Laram of Volungshemle. He met up with a collection of malcontents that were later dubbed The Robust Five (More or Less) and became fast friends with a human of Fell Human descent called D'alton Braun.

During their adventures, the bond of friendship between Kethranmeer and D'alton grew to one of brotherhood, eventually growing as strong as the Soulless' flesh when the two creatures bought their freedom from the rebel leader Nakmander. Despite his freedom, and his pressing need to watch over his sons, Kethranmeer stayed with The Robust Five out of loyalty to D'alton. Remaining in Hell was not as detrimental to the cause of Kethranmeer's rebellion as it might seem. Once his sons were free of the sorcery of The Fallen Empire of Man, Kethranmeer dispatched them to the east and traversing The length of The Known World via steam engine made the task less time consuming than it might otherwise be. When Kethranmeer's direct input was needed, messenger night fowls could be sent with great reliability to have an answer from him in a relatively timely fashion. When matters at hand demanded quick action, it fell to Mokethneer to determine the fate of the Soulless rebellion.

Despite the insistent demands of his sons, Kethranmeer could not leave his brother D'alton and come to Steeltown with them. He felt that if he left D'alton and The Robust Five (More Or Less), they would surely fall in battle, or be betrayed by the unpredictable machinations of Derf. So he stayed in Hell and worked for Nakmander and his rebels in order to remain close to his brother of flesh and their friends. In that time, they opposed reavers and wardens and bards, and conquered all foes that they were directed against. Kethranmeer was a warrior, and testing his hammer against these foes thrilled him, though it kept him from his sons and his true calling. His actions in Hell did allow him to learn of the Fremwightan and their leader Konaleknostas, who Kethranmeer remembered from his time in The Fallen Empire of Man. This knowledge allowed Kethranmeer's son Mokethneer to later seek out and forge an alliance with the Fremwightan.

When Cenn the Reaver died, it was a great blow to Kusseth and its control of Hell and Kethranmeer realized that the rebellion of Hell was far closer to freeing itself than he had thought. He sent messenger night fowls to his sons and A'lst, telling them that his work was almost done and that he would soon rejoin them. His sons were to journey west and meet him in Kusseth, there they would recover A'lst and he would journey with them to Steeltown where they could finally come together as a family and fight for the freedom of their race. Hopefully with the aid of D'alton Braun, and perhaps the rest of The Robust Five (More Or Less).

It was not to be though. For as the rebellion moved ahead, it dawned on Kethranmeer and his friend Xein, that Nakmander and his sorcerers intended to destroy Kusseth City. Kethranmeer realized then that his entire family, save for D'alton, was at risk of meeting their death in the destruction that Nakmander desired to bring against Kusseth. Furious, Kethranmeer met Nakmander on the field of battle at the ritual site and sought first to halt his actions, and then to murder the sorcerers before they could complete their task when Nakmander called A'lst and Traith martyrs for the cause of Nakmander's rebellion.

The air at the ritual site hummed with sorcerous energy as Xein and Kethranmeer made to murder the sorcerers, but Nakmander did not allow it and levelled spell after spell at the Soulless. Eventually, Kethranmeer's rusted body could not withstand the destructive energies of Nakmander's sorcery, and he fell, his chest a ruin of slag and huge gaping holes from destructive beams of sorcery. The warrior fell, but fell knowing that his allies would stand against Nakmander in his stead. When battle ended and Nakmander disappeared, The Robust Five headed to Kusseth City in hopes of finding A'lst, but he was gone. So they returned to the Braun mansion and laid Kethranmeer's battered body to rest in his part of the mansion.

Xein Mac'fumos

Xein Mac'fumos

Race: Human of Fell Human Descent

Class: Alchemist

Xein Mac'fumos was born to a poor woman in Kusseth who did what she could to make ends meet. She thieved and whored herself for only a few gold a day, just to make sure she had a roof over her head and food in her stomach. In her early twenties she was with a Fell Human "client" who became violent, beating her relentlessly. She quit prostitution and started thieving heavily, targeting Fell Human males, most of which suffered some sort of disfigurement or another during her attacks. It was two months after the abuse when it became apparent that she was with child. With a mouth to feed on the way, she decided to break into a local mechanic shop owned by an Abraxen to steal what money she could to support the birth of her child and hopefully support them for a few years on one night’s earnings. This was not to happen. She was caught by an alarm and captured inside the building, all the doors locked from the inside, trapping her in.

She was taken by the wardens and as per certain regulations and the fact that the Abraxen knew the local senior warden, and was able to buy her as a slave. He told her that she was very talented at thieving and didn’t trip any of the alarms on the way in, he asked her how she did it and she elaborated that the designs could have been better, showing him while explaining. She asked about possibility of freedom due to being pregnant. He refused, saying it was punishment for trying to steal from him, but he did agree that the child would be born free and explained that they would have a better life under his roof anyway, also stating that he would educate the child in his shop if the he showed the same aptitude that his mother did for technology and its workings.

He was raised by his mother and the Abraxen, both teaching what they knew. Once old enough to work for an engineering firm he was constantly teased about his mother being a former whore and the fact that he was living with the Abraxen. Anytime anyone said anything about his mother’s former occupation, his anger would flare from his heritage and he would get into a physical fight, most of which he lost. But in the work gangs he was also noticed to be one of the smartest by his employers and not really delegated heavy lifting or laborious activities, but generally consulted on designs. (Secretly this was because he was living with an Abraxen and they figured the young one would have some insight to Abraxen technology) This further alienated him against the others in his gang.

In a few short years of this, he was eventually hired as an engineer consultant and field-tester for equipment. He did this for a good four years when (as one of their top testers) they gave him a particularly expensive steam powered backpack designed to assist in repairs and other various tasks. He had advised them on some simple design modifications for structural integrity. One of the senior engineers called him out on it and told him that he was strictly testing this one, not an advisor like previous projects. Dejected, Xien decided to just do his job and finish field-testing it. While working on a steam-wagon, the pack started to cough and sputter, finally just giving out. He looked at it and assessed the damage, seeing that he couldn't repair the pack, he took it back to the firm and they were outraged. It was beyond anyone's ability to repair. The senior engineer was furious, and started to insult Mac, when the engineer called his mother a whore, Mac threw a devastating punch and knocked the man out cold. When he came to he called for the local warden and told him a lie about Mac stealing the pack. He was beaten and then thrown in jail for assault and thievery.

Derf

Derf

Race: Human of Elduman Descent

Class: Fighter/Sorcerer/Eldritch Knight

Born in the New Empire city of Belnor, son of an advisor to King Rudolph II. Raised in wealth and influence. Being the second born son it was his place to become a witch hunter, in the New Empire the first born becomes a successor to the advisor. Sent into training to be a witch hunter but during third year of training an accident occurred. During sparring (something happened) caused a sudden explosion of green flame that consumed his partner and all that was left was ash. Partially consumed Derf leaving extensive scarring/burns covering left side of body. Trainers (witch hunters) immediately set upon Derf to kill him but there was another flash of green light and Derf was no longer there. He awoke to find himself in a strange location (Necropolis) horribly scarred and alone. He was a slave to Necropolis for years (due to being from the New Empire) eventually sold with slaves to the Fell Peaks. Escaped from Fell Peaks but was caught breaking the law (possibly stealing) (or possibly because the wardens believed he was a fell human due to the scarring) in Kusseth and was placed in jail where he met with the current group of adventurers. Witch hunters still hunt for him but were unable to reach him because he was in the Necropolis and then the Fell Peaks, but now that he is free and in the lands of man.

D'alton Braun

D'alton Braun

Race: Fell Human Descended Human

Class Rogue/Shadowdancer

D’alton Braun was born in 9963 DK in the Fell Peaks, the bastard son of Way’de Braun, and El’lyn, the wife of Way’de’s brother, Pat’ryk. The Braun family dealt in arms, selling to the highest bidder, on both sides of the war. Way’de and El’lyn were killed in a deal gone badly shortly after D’alton’s birth. D’alton’s uncle reluctantly took him in and raised the boy.

Young D’alton, not having much in the way of parental love or concern, turned to running with a youth gang, the Vanbur’yen Boys. Being a small child, he was known to the members of the gang as Mole, as he could get into tight spaces and vents, making break-ins all the easier. He learned everything he needed to know about thievery, blackmail, and second story work by the time he was fifteen years old.

When D’alton was twenty-four, he fell for a girl named Ko’serra, sister of his gang’s leader. At the same time, his uncle pulled him out of the gang, as he was set to retire. It was now time for D’alton, as the last Braun male, to take his place in running the family business. His uncle told him the story of his parents’ deaths, and forbade him from seeing Ko’serra. D’alton said he didn’t feel it was right for an interest to suddenly be taken in him, after years of neglect; he told his uncle he wanted no part in the business. Pat’ryk threw D’alton out of the house, and cut him off financially.

D’alton, now destitute, plotted to rob the largest bank in the district, and get out of Hell to start fresh. He was caught mid-robbery, and taken to the Beltan Prison Camp.

Eight years later, D’alton was part of a large prison break, and began adventuring with a few of them. Calling themselves The Robust Five (More or Less), they avoided the law, and occasionally aided it along the way. D’alton became fast friends with Spineplate, and finally found something akin to what he’d always wanted: family.

Kethranmeer

Kethranmeer

Race: Modified Soulless

Class: Fighter

The creature known as Spineplate was one of the twelve original soulless created by the artisans of The Fallen Empire of Man and the Okwighta Aleknostas. Trained and raised for a lifetime of battle by Omne-4, for forty years he served the nation of undead as a blood-slick metal warrior, reaching a moderately high rank and gaining control over a small force of his kind. He and his unit were sent on a mission to the country of Kusseth to investigate underground ruins and he was wounded beyond repair and left to rust and go mad from his isolation. He was discovered by a creature named A'lst that found his sorcerous nature repugnant but his machine nature intriguing, A'lst altered Spineplate and negated the sorcerous energies of his creation. This stripped Spineplate of his allegiance to the Fallen Empire and his somewhat homicidal nature and replaced his psyche with that of an unthinking metal beast. Over time A'lst grew affectionate towards his metal hound and taught him the language of his people (Thoeleknair) and gave him a name befitting his developing personality (Kethranmeer, meaning warrior of steel mind and steel flesh). A'lst had ties to the bardic colleges and Spineplate was inducted into the colleges as a warrior and during one of his missions with the bards he was caught by the wardens of Kusseth. Because his kind were thought to be sorcerous constructs of war and due to his clearly deadly nature he was to be destroyed, but A'lst had connections to a senior warden of some repute in Kusseth (Traith Harris of the 37th). The warden vouched for the construct and he was instead imprisoned in the Beltan prison camp where he was modified by smiths and miners to become an ideal and untiring mining device. Over the next twenty years he succumbed to the rigors of isolation and abuse and devolved once more into the animalistic state A'lst's interventions had first left him in. At the end of that twenty years he was able to escape from Beltan by being involved in a prison break masterminded by Smiling Jack and Laram of Volungshemle. He met up with a collection of malcontents that were later dubbed The Robust Five (More or Less) and became fast friends with a human of Fell Human descent called D'alton Braun.