Drath Ironmaw (WotW) PaizoPbP info

[spoiler=Character Sheet]DRATH IRONMAW
Male [url=http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/advancedRaceGuide/coreRaces/halfOrcs.html]Half-orc[/url] [url=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/skald]Skald[/url] ([url=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/skald/archetypes/paizo---skald-archetypes/fated-champion]Fated Champion[/url]/[url=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/skald/archetypes/paizo---skald-archetypes/war-drummer-skald-archetype]War Drummer[/url]) 1
LE Medium Humanoid (Human, Orc)
[b]Init[/b] +2; [b]Senses[/b] Darkvision, Perception +7

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DEFENSE
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[b]AC[/b] 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10. . (+2 Dex)
[b]HP[/b] 11 (1d8+2+1)
[b]Fort[/b] +6, [b]Ref[/b] +4, [b]Will[/b] +7

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OFFENSE
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[b]Speed[/b] 30 ft. (No Armor)
[b]Melee[/b] Unarmed Strike +4 (1d3+4/20/x2)
[b]Range[/b] None
[b]Special Abilities[/b] Raging Song (Su) (5 rounds/day)

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STATISTICS
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[b]Str[/b] 18, [b]Dex[/b] 15, [b]Con[/b] 14, [b]Int[/b] 8, [b]Wis[/b] 16, [b]Cha[/b] 15
[b]Base Atk[/b] +0; [b]CMB[/b] +4; [b]CMD[/b] 16
[b]Feats[/b] [url=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/hurtful-combat]Hurtful[/url]
[b]Traits[/b] Attempted Murder (+2 Intimidate), [url=http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateCampaign/characterBackground/traits.html#faith-traits]Fate's Favored (+1 Luck bonuses)[/url]
[b]Skills[/b] Intimidate 1 rank (+11), Perception 1 rank (+7), Perform (Sing) 1 rank (+6), Climb 0 ranks (+4), Swim 0 ranks (+4), Heal 0 ranks (+3), Sense Motive 0 ranks (+3), Acrobatics 0 ranks (+2), Bluff 0 ranks (+2), Craft (Weapons) 1 rank (+2) Diplomacy 0 ranks (+2), Disguise 0 ranks (+2), Knowledge (Local) 1 ranks (+2), Stealth 0 ranks (+2), Knowledge (Arcana) 0 ranks (-1), Knowledge (Nature) 0 ranks (-1), Knowledge (Planes) 0 ranks (-1), Knowledge (Religion) 0 ranks (-1)
[b]Languages[/b] Common, Orcish
[b]Combat Gear[/b] -; [b]Other Gear[/b] -

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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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[b]Favored Class: Skald[/b] (+1 HP)
[url=http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/advancedRaceGuide/coreRaces/halfOrcs.html][b]Half-orc Racial Traits[/b][/url] (Sacred Tattoo variant trait)
[b][url=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/skald/archetypes/paizo---skald-archetypes/war-drummer-skald-archetype]Fearsome Mein (Ex)[/url][/b]
[b][url=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/skald]Raging Song[/url][/b] (5 rounds/day)
. . [url=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/skald]Inspired Rage +1[/url] (+2 Str/Con, +1 Will saves, -1 AC)
[b][url=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/skald/archetypes/paizo---skald-archetypes/war-drummer-skald-archetype]Deadly Rhythm (Ex)[/url][/b]

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SPELLS
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[b]Skald[/b] (CL 1, Concentration +3)
[b]0-[/b] [DC12] [url=http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/spells/detectMagic.html#_detect-magic]detect magic[/url], [url=http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/spells/ghostSound.html#ghost-sound]ghost sound[/url], [url=http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/spells/prestidigitation.html#prestidigitation]prestidigitation[/url], [url=http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/spells/readMagic.html#_read-magic]read magic[/url]
[b]1-[/b] [DC13] 2/day [url=http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/spells/expeditiousRetreat.html#expeditious-retreat]expeditious retreat[/url], [url=http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/spells/grease.html#grease]grease[/url][/spoiler]

[spoiler=Background]The Ironmaw tribe was a collection of some the fiercest, strongest, most bloodthirsty, and above all else, some of the [i]dumbest[/i] orcs that had ever gathered in the known world. A society that consisted of nothing but warriors, scavengers and bandits, the Ironmaws took what they could not make, and somehow managed to survive. It was into this tribe that Drath Ironmaw was born. His father, Galnak Ironmaw, was one of the tribe's mightiest warriors, and due to his strength, he was allowed to choose from any woman the tribe possessed to make his mate. So he chose Drath's mother, whose name he never learned. A lesser Chelaxian noblewoman who had been kidnapped from her home, she had given up hope that she would ever be rescued. As far as the Ironmaws went, or even as far as orcs went, Galnak wasn't a bad partner. He didn't beat her or treat her poorly, and protected her from the rest of the tribe. Sadly, it was the proof of their relationship that ended it: the woman died giving birth to Drath. It was immediately apparent that Drath was different from the rest of the orcs, but they could not manage to figure out how or why. The bony growths on his brown that you might call horns, his sharp fingernails, his bright amber eyes, none of these could be accounted for by the tribe. Not even their Great Shaman Bazur could divine why he was as he was. But Drath was born a being whose blood hummed with the power of infernal creatures. Not knowing any better, however, the Ironmaws treated him as a normal half-orc; that is, poorly. It was only due to his great strength and fortitude that Drath not only survived his youth, but thrived.

Drath eventually ingratiated himself among the tribe, making a handful of friends. The pair of "pale runt orcs," Quomaugh and Xoruk, were chief among them. A pair of dwarves that had been found as children around the same time Drath was born, and adopted by Bazur the Scarred, the chief of the Ironmaw, they also experienced the same kind of discrimination that the half-orc had. The three were nearly inseparable, save when they were being trained by their respective superiors. This is not to say they got along well, however. In typical orc fashion, the only form of interaction the three knew was fighting. Quomaugh and Drath would always bludgeon each other senseless, while Xoruk would have to bind their wounds. A good number of the ragged scars that cover Drath's body were inflicted on him by Quomaugh, but they are simply badges of honor to the half-orc. And when Drath discovered his mother's Asmodean prayer brook and began praying to the God-fiend, it was Xoruk who tattooed a blood red pentagram on his right shoulder.

As the years passed, the three mismatched "orcs" grew stronger and made names for themselves among the rest of the tribe. Quomaugh soon began to approach Krugg, his master, in sheer fortitude. Xoruk's body began to take on all the ritual scarring that Bazur had, his arcane powers growing with each new gash. Drath, however, lagged behind his adopted tribesmen. His father's might and reckless abandon did not quite mesh with the half-orc. To be sure, he became strong and wild, using his anger and frustration to become a mighty warrior. But while his father could become fury unleashed, Drath was simply a well-trained fighter. This vexed the young man, but he worked to become a worthy successor to his father. The three's daily routine of training, sparring and eating continued for quite some time.

However, it would not last. When Drath was in his mid-twenties, there came a day when his normal, raucous life fell apart. It was the day that Kilg Bloodletter, known as the Clanslayer, arrived in the Ironmaws' lands. Sadly, the Ironmaws had no clue who this black-armored orc was, nor that he had destroyed numerous tribes throughout the Inner Sea. He swept in like a storm and challenged Bazur and Krugg to combat, with the tribe's strongest warriors on the line. Drath and his companions could only watch in horror as Kilg's martial might and unholy magics slew the two dwarves' mentors, then other Ironmaw warriors who attempted to take revenge. Nearly all of those who could fight were slain, but the three friends knew that they were no match for Kilg. When the dust had settled, more than half of the Ironmaw's men were dead. Bloodletter mounted each slain warrior's head on a pike and left them as a reminder of his visit. And, as simply as he came, he was gone.

It was now that something snapped inside Drath. With his only family dead, the rest of his tribe dead or stricken with grief at their loss, and his complete powerlessness to stop it overwhelming him, Drath began to roar. He shouted, he hollered, and he raged. His anger began to spill out of him. It was so thick in the air that even those around him began to become furious. Somewhere, deep within the half-orc, he discovered what he was missing from his training with his father: his voice. His anger and frustration given form, his yells and screams and commands set him, and everyone around him, into a great fury. This was the moment when the young man became a skald. Realizing that his voice could lead to the rest of the tribe destroying itself in anger and grief, he gathered what meager belongings he and Galnak had and left the Ironmaws, never to return. The half-orc only rarely hears tell of what has happened to his fellow tribesmen, but he knows the rest of them went their separate ways, as well.

For the next several years, Drath traveled between all kinds of places in the Inner Sea. He encounters little other than prejudice during his journey, both because of his infernal heritage and for being a half-orc. He manages to eke out a living as a mercenary, but it is hardly enough to survive on, and thus he continues to wander the globe. He finds food and shelter is more or lesser degrees everywhere he goes, but the whole experience makes him even stronger. Now a master of the arts of the warchanter, he is able to whip whole bands of men into a battle rage, and thus, he is tolerated in small armies and bandit groups. They never last for long, however, and the half-orc is left traveling alone yet again. That is, until he met Zeroz Knifehand on the outskirts of Talingarde.

Zeroz was a rather unassuming half-orc, at first glance.  Not as strong as most half-orcs, he was instead possessing of a whip-smart intelligence and a silver tongue. It was this silver tongue that got Zeroz in Drath's good graces. As they were both from tribes destroyed by the Clanslayer, and both half-orcs (though it was rather obvious that Drath was not exactly a normal half-orc), they became fast friends. Soon enough, the two were traveling together: one as the brains, the other as muscle. They had great success as a pair, and eventually were recruited into one of Talingarde's Mercenary Guilds.

In the Mercenary Guild, Drath and Zeroz found much they had been missing as wanderers. Zeroz showed his worth with his skill in leadership and diplomacy, rising quickly through the ranks. He became a part of the ones in charge of the whole guild within a year of joining. Drath did not fare as well, but saw many victories as the leader of men on the field. Within six months of joining, he was in charge of his own war band, called [i]Drath's Destroyers[/i]. A group of wild bandits, thieves and men-at-arms, they all fell in line under the skald's commanding voice. That is, until he began to sing, shout and roar. They would be whipped into a rage, and strike down any who stood in their way.  Triumph after triumph led to both Drath and Zeroz to become renowned for their prowess in their respective fields. Drath cutting a bloody swash across the fields of battle, and Zeroz helping run the whole operation, they reveled in the money and power they earned from their work.

Sadly, this comfortable lifestyle, too, was not to last. One night, a strange request came in. An assassination attempt on a high-ranking Talingarde diplomat, Orob Lykos, was given to the Guild through unusual means. Not one for understanding or caring why or how he gets a job, Drath eagerly offered to be the one to cut down Lykos. Not being particularly fond of the Talingarde government (or its Mitran religion, which would have him slain if they knew his loyalty to the Prince of Law), the half-orc was more than willing to kill Lykos even if they weren't offering to pay him.

Drath manages to infiltrate the Lykos Manor, ready to behead the diplomat and flee. But when he arrives in Orob's chamber, he is met with a whole contingent of Talingarde infantry. [b]"You shall not harm Lord Lykos, fool! Mitra shall see you pay for your crime!"[/b] they shouted as they set upon him, binding him in manacles, chains and a gag. They even knew of his magics and his ability to inspire rage in others? This was clearly a set-up. But who could have wanted the skald killed? Zeroz had nothing to gain from losing one of the Guild's great warleaders, but they had only known each other for a little over two years. Who was to say that he did not have other plans? There were others inside the Guild that could have orchestrated Drath's capture, but he did not know, nor did he care. [b]"You are hereby charged and found guilty of the crime of Attempted Murder of a Talingarde official, and for the crime of being branded with a heretic's symbol,"[/b] the judge had said to the half-orc's snarling face, [b]"you shall be taken to Branderscar Prison, where you shall await your death!"[/b] Even through the gag, his roars echoed in the cell he was kept in.

His anger roiled and bubbled inside him, his thoughts on escape and revenge. Even Drath was aware of what happened to those who were sent to Branderscar. They were held, and then they were executed. This was hardly the glorious warrior's death that he desired. This was nothing like the goal he aspired to, the ultimate glory for any Asmodean champion. He would die like a dog with nothing to show for himself. The skald swears to take his revenge: Against the government that captured and sentenced him, against the church that had banned his religion and slain all its practitioners. He would see them brought to ruin. The fall of Talingarde would come, if only he can survive to see the fourth day...[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Appearance and Personality]Drath is a hulking mountain of a man. With deep olive skin and long, black hair, the half-orc is very striking. Heavily muscled, and with tattoos scrawled on his body (including a large, upside-down red pentagram on his right shoulder) he looks every bit an orcish warrior. Though he is not a tiefling, he still bears some infernal traits from his mother's consorting with devils. He has small black horns, sharp and elongated nails, glowing amber eyes and abnormally sharp tusks.

Because of his size and strange appearance, Drath is very intimidating to most people. Due to this, the half-orc man was generally very withdrawn, until he found his calling as a skald. On the battlefield, his loud voice and mighty presence have led many men to bloodshed and glory. He is supremely confident in his ability to lead and inspire others in the thick of battle. However, for all his charisma and swagger, the man is very much a mountain. He is both rather slow of body and mind, so he must generally find a way to overcome such handicaps with his prodigious strength. His upbringing has made Drath revel in violence, and his answer to most things is a manic smile and a sharp blade.

[url=http://i.imgur.com/WAaa5hu.jpg]Portrait of Drath.[/url][/spoiler]

[spoiler=GM Only #1][b]1. How does your character interact with the others within a group? -[/b]

Drath is a charismatic fellow, despite his size and appearance. His loud voice, lumbering gait and generally slow thought processes make him stand out quite a bit, and he does his best to use this to his advantage. He is used to leading groups of men into combat, and will try and take control of any war party. He will gladly use anyone to further his goals, and those who are of no use to him are either ignored or slain.

[b]2. What is your character's role in a group? -[/b]

Drath will be a frontline combatant that buffs and supports the party. He will also be able to use the Intimidate skill to negotiate with others, in addition to having an array of useful skills.

[b]3. How is your character not as they seems? I want one or two skills that would surprise others if they found out he knows them. Also include personality traits, positive or negative, that would similarly surprise others. -[/b]

Despite not being the sharpest tool in the shed, Drath has a silver tongue, and can read people like a book. His intuition is generally spot-on, even though he many not seem the type. Another surprising trait of his is that Drath is very handy at a forge. Having crafted a number of crude but deadly weapons for the Ironmaws, his skill with a blacksmith's hammer (really just an ogre femur that had been sanded down for this use) is not to be doubted.

[b]4. What are your character's goals, conscious and, perhaps, subconscious? -[/b]

Drath hopes to rise above his role as a simple warband-leader to become a general of mighty armies, and he has no compunctions stepping over people to reach this goal. It is most likely that this goal is so that the skald can finally stand above others, instead of being treated like a freak for his half-orcish and infernal natures. He wants nothing more to be a powerful leader and tactician to make this goal a reality.

[b]5. How easily does your character love? Have they been in love? -[/b]

As a half-orc with infernal blood in his veins, Drath has trouble finding people who will even tolerate his presence, let alone love him. The Ironmaw Tribe celebrated him as one of its mightiest warriors, but that was respect and fear. Drath never knew his human mother (a Chelaxian woman who was captured by the Ironmaws) and his orcish father was slain by the Clanslayer when he was still a young man. It is not that Drath does not have the potential to fall in love, but more that he doesn't have the experience with the emotion.

[b]6. Is your character racist at all, either now or in their past? -[/b]

Drath is not racist persay, but he is not going to shy away from pointing out any stereotypes that stick out at him. As a half-orc, he has been subject to differing amounts of racism due to his parentage, and a lifetime of ignoring all of it has made him quick to anger regarding matters of race. He doesn't care if one has three legs and walks on the ceiling, as long at the job gets done.

[b]7. All people believe something that is not true, both about the world around them and about themselves. What lies/untruths does your character believe about themselves and the world around them? -[/b]

Drath believes that Talingarde is a ruthless, hateful place full of bigots, thieves and oppressors, and that the Church of Mitra is the source of everything wrong in his life. While it is true that the Mitrans of Talingarde have brutally put down all of the worshippers of Asmodeus, it cannot be said that they didn't earn the church's ire. The skald either does not know or does not care that he and his fellow worshippers may have brought this treatment upon themselves.

[b]8. How is your character about material possessions? -[/b]

Drath is very possessive and protective of his belongings. The tribe he grew up in valued spoils of war above all else, and the skald was very protective of all the items he gathered during his warband's travels.

[b]9. What does your character perceive their major problems to be? -[/b]

Drath believes his main problem is that society as a whole treats him as a monster. Though they grudgingly accept him and his skill on the battlefield, he is completely unwelcome in society. Beyond this, he believes the ban on Asmodean worship in Talingarde is an affront to the Prince of Darkness.

[b]10. What does he perceive the solutions to those problems to be? -[/b]

By becoming a mighty general and raising an army, Drath believes he can destroy the current order of Talingarde. By doing this, he will be able to earn himself a position of great power and influence, and quite possibly instate the worship of Asmodeus as the primary religion of the region. This is his greatest goal in life.

[b]11. What are your character's religious beliefs? -[/b]

Drath venerates the God-Fiend, Asmodeus. He believes that his devilish blood was both a gift and a curse handed down to him, so he prays to the Prince of Law for guidance and strength. He believes that if he follows the way of Asmodeus, he will gain the strength to command mighty armies, and strike down those who stand against him.

[b]12. What does your character fear? -[/b]

Drath fears dying an ignoble death in prison or in the stocks of Talingarde. Raised among bloodthirsty orcs, the only true death for him is a glorious end in battle. To be executed by Talingarde would leave him without a legacy or anything to show for his life.

[b]13. How much of a temper does your character have? What sorts of things set them off? -[/b]

Drath has a rather short temper, but generally keeps his anger to himself. In the midst of battle, however, he can channel his rage into his voice, using it to drive his comrades into a frenzy. Beyond this, he especially hates when people hurt the animals of his tribe or comrades (even more than when his comrades, themselves, are injured!). At these times, he will drive himself into a fury, a dervish of steel and magic with only the intention of destroying those responsible.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=GM Only #2][b]1. Write five things essential to your character’s background including previous adventures and events.[/b]

[b]a. Born and Raised an Ironmaw[/b] - born to a Chelaxian slave woman and Galnak Ironmaw, a renowned warrior among the tribe, Drath was raised as a half-orc. His early life was harsh and unforgiving, but he managed to prove his worth to the tribe through feats of strength and martial prowess.
[b]b. The Fall of the Ironmaw Tribe[/b] - Kilg Bloodletter, a tribeless warrior, demands to challenge the leaders of the Ironmaw Tribe to combat. He slays both of them, as well as a number of other orcs of tribe, including Drath's father. He takes those from the tribe he feels are the strongest and leaves, leaving the rest to whatever fate awaits them. Drath recalls this as the moment when his rage first boiled over, his voice driving him and his tribesmen into a fury of hate. The tribe disbands, the remnants going their separate ways.
[b]c. Subsisting on Hate[/b] - Drath travels for many years, never finding anything but prejudice. He moves from town to town, village to village, looking for work, food and shelter. He finds them in lesser and greater degrees, but his experience makes him stronger and tougher than he was before. He masters channeling his anger through his voice.
[b]d. Meeting Zeroz[/b] - Drath meets Zeroz in the middle of a city on the outskirts of Talingarde. They become fast friends for no other reason than they are both prejudiced against and that their respective tribes have been destroyed. Drath and Zeroz travel together for a number of months before they meet a mercenary band and join up.
[b]e. Mercenary Campaigns[/b] - Zeroz, who is significantly more intelligent than Drath, quickly works his way up through the ranks of the army, becoming one of its leaders surprisingly quickly. Drath languishes in the lower ranks, leading squads and eventually his own war band. One day, Zeroz comes to him with a plan to earn both of them glory - Drath will murder a high ranking diplomat of Talingarde, thus earning him respect and renown among the mercenaries. As the one who will come up with the plan, it will look favorably upon Zeroz, as well. Sadly, nothing goes according to plan...

[b]2. List your character’s goals and things you want to see happen to your character.[/b]

[b]a.[/b] Become a mighty general and raise an army. Overthrow the government of Talingarde and instate his own nation (with one of his trusted companions as the monarch).
[b]b.[/b] Crush the Mitran church and rebuild the Church of Asmodeus in Talingarde.
[b]c.[/b] Become a graveknight(?)

[b]3. List two secrets about your character. Keep in mind secrets your character may not know yet.[/b]

[b]a.[/b] Drath's mother was a low ranking noble of Cheliax. His devilish blood is from one of her forebears, who consorted with summoned creatures in order to bind them to the family's will. She was captured and sold to orcs, but she was not forced into bearing Drath. Birthing him was too much, however, and she breathed her last as he breathed her first. Drath knows neither her name, nor what kind of fiendish blood truly flows in his veins.
[b]b.[/b] Drath was betrayed by someone within the mercenary army, but he does not know who. Zeroz had nothing to gain from letting one of his best leaders get executed, but it cannot be said that he couldn't have planned it. When Drath attempted to slay the diplomat, a full squad of knights captured him, as they had been informed that someone would try to kill the diplomat.

[b]4. List three people that are tied to the character through blood, romance or honor. Remember to include positive and negative reflections.[/b]

[b]a. Quomaugh Ironmaw[/b] - A dwarf adopted by the Ironmaw tribe. Apprenticed to Krugg, the warrior-commander of the tribe. Friend and rival to Drath, the cause of most of the ragged scars on Drath's body. Killed when he was captured and beheaded in Branderscar Prison for High Treason.
[b]b. Xoruk Ironmaw[/b] - A dwarf adopted by the Ironmaw tribe. Apprenticed to Bazur, the chief of the tribe. Friend and rival to Drath, the one who tattooed Asmodeus' symbol on his shoulder. Assumed dead.
[b]c. Zeroz Knifehand[/b] - A half-orc that Drath met after the destruction of the Ironmaw tribe. A mercenary captain, got Drath involved in fighting for coin and his eventual rise to a war band leader. The one who planned the killing of a high ranking diplomat that Drath was supposed to carry out. Managed to escape being blamed for the conspiracy and avoided capture.[/spoiler]