Post by Sutek Zahur on Feb 25, 2009 22:54:16 GMT -6
Name: Sutek Zahur
Age: 27
Race: Jackalkin
Class: Warrior of the Veil
Height: 6' 4"
Weight: 180 lbs
Fur: Light brown and golden.
Eye color: Amber.
Build: Sutek is built just like any other Jackalkin warrior worth his salt: tall and athletic, with short fur, jackal legs, tail and head, and human arms. His fur is mostly of a golden or light brown persuasion, though his winter coat displays shades of gray. The fur on his head is always dyed black as a sign of his vocation.
Apparel: Sutek dresses up in a very traditional Jackalkin garment. He wears a knee-length, white and yellow linen kilt, held to his waist by a jade-green and golden belt. Depending on the weather, he may or may not wear a white linen tunic over his torso. A circular, miniature cape (think of it as a micro-poncho) rests over his shoulders, painted in a circular pattern of blues, reds and golds. As is tradition among his order, Sutek wears blue and gold armlets, bracelets and anklets. He also wears a second belt, made of leather, above the normal one. This belt will usually carry either his embalmer's pouch or the cloth loops where he fits his swords.
Personality: Sutek is driven by his holy duty to guard the Veil of Death. He feels that it is his job to prepare the dead for the next life and, more urgently, purge the world of all abominations against the natural cycle of birth, death and rebirth. This includes zombies, vampires, golems, and anything else that should be dead. He was brought up to hate these freaks of nature with a passion. It's a miracle he even tolerates Grond's presence.
Of course, this Jackal is more than just driven. He is kind and generous to all creatures of nature, though often in a cold or distant way. Honor and zeal are two virtues he seeks to uphold with every fiber of his being, even as a mercenary. He tends to show great mercy to all who live by standards he considers "good".
Of course, like any Jackalkin, Sutek is not above lying through the teeth to get what he wants. And he is quite good at it too.
Habits:
-Chanting beneath his breath.
-Growling and raising his ears when angered.
-Suddenly becoming evasive in conversation for no apparent reason.
Hobbies:
-Embalming.
-Reading.
-Playing the oud.
Weapons:
Sutek wields the two signature weapons of his order. The first if these is the reverse sickle-shaped Khopesh sword, often used in pairs. These three-foot-long swords are known throughout the peoples of the Karathos Desert for their brutal chopping power. As they are made of bronze, they are not as resilient as modern steel blades, but they have been enchanted to be far more resistant than the average piece of bronze.
The other weapon is a a six and a half foot long version of the Was holy sceptre, made of blue bronze. The head of the staff is sharpened into what looks like a small pickaxe head. The opening at the bottom can be used to trap weapons or strike certain areas of a target's body with great efficiency. Again, this weapon is enchanted to be more durable than normal bronze.
Magic and Abilities:
Draining of the Sands
In the City of Tombs, the first step in preparing a corpse for embalming is to bury it in the desert sands for about three weeks. Of course, since large amounts of sand and heat aren't present everywhere, so this spell was developed as a quick replacement for Jackal priests and warriors. When applied on a dead body that has no soul inhabiting it, this spell will render the corpse into a dry husk in a matter of minutes. When used on the undead, it will evaporate some of their body fluids, making them slower and more rigid. When used on the living, it merely stiffens the muscles in a small area for a while. Sutek must be within five feet of his target to use this.
Word of the Death God
Like many Jackalkin priestly spells, this one was originally created to handle the preparation of a corpse for either embalming or burial (the latter, in this case). It is a long prayer to the Jackal God of Death to accept the corpse about to be interred into the afterlife. It's sole battle application shows when dealing with the undead, vampires, certain types of golem, and other abominations. Once the offender of the laws of the Veil has been fairly weakened, this prayer has the power to rip the unholy life from them. From the moment the first word is uttered, the target will feel as if soul and flesh are beggining to separate, but is otherwise unnaffected. If the prayer is intoned in full, the unholy target will no longer be a threat, hint hint.
The prayer is spoken in Jackal language, but roughly translates as such:
Oh great God of the Veil, who dwelt in the afterlife: Hallowed be Thy name, which we dare not speak; Hallowed be Thy heart, which judges with mercy. I present to Your cares another vessel of life, stripped of all which is not of use in Your holy lands. Take this husk, oh God, and lead it on to meet its soul in the beyond!
Death's Dousing Rod
Another nifty little trick for the warrior-priest on the go. Sutek carries a normal Was scepter with him. When gripped by the two curved protrusions at the bottom, the scepter begins to oscilate mildly. When there is an unburied, or improperly buried, corpse in the vicinity, the rod will pull slightly in its direction and the head will angle downwards a bit. When there is an unholy crime against the laws of Death in the vicinity, it will behave in much the same way, except the head will angle upwards.
Fighting Style: Runihura (Destroyer)
When it comes to combat, there are two main schools of thought at the temple where Sutek was raised. The school of defense and counterattack is called Karawan, or Ward. Karawan follows a combat philosophy that the one who strikes most is the one who tires himself out sooner. The focus is on wearing the opponent down through sheer defensive might, landing counterattacks when appropriate. The flexible Was is the main weapon in Karawan.
The school of offense and ruthlessness is called Runihura, or Destroyer. Runihura teaches that no defense is greater than a mighty offense. It advocates the use of of aggressive movement and almost strategical precision and planning with strikes so as to rip through an opponent's guard and deliver devastating blows to their vital spots. The mighty Khopesh is the favored weapon in Runihura. All warrior novices are trained in both schools, but may choose to specialize later.
Sutek chose to specialize in Runihura, and later added his own particularities to his fighting system. He has developed a way to use the Was according to the Runihura philosophy while still maintaining some of its Karawan aspects. He has also seen the value of the Khopesh as Karawan weapons, but rarely takes these aspects into actual combat. He fights as aggressively as possible, always striving to break through the enemy's guard and slay them.
History: Sutek was just like any young boy born into the middle upper class of Ankhteb, the City of Tombs. He was wild, foolish, and a reckless dreamer. He longed for the day he could serve as a great Guardian of the Veil, travelling Evalise and slaying vampires and ghouls left and right with a group of loyal companions. His parents, believing all these fantasies would become faith with the proper direction, sent him to live in one of the many temple academies for warrior-priests.
They had no idea how right they were. By the age of nine, Sutek was already a fervorous warrior-zealot of the God of Death. He trained tirelessly every day to become the greatest Guardian ever. He was always eager to learn and to explore. He still had dreams of greatness, but now he wished to make them true for the sake of his God.
The years ran by, and Sutek continued to learn and train. He often seemed obsessed with improving himself, seeking to graduate as early as possible. He became a full-fledged Guardian at the age of sixteen. He was given his sacred embalming kit and weapons, and tasked, as all junior Guardians, to guard the sacred Tombs of the Ancestors.
After a year of faithful (albeit monotonous) service, Sutek was finally given the freedom he craved: he was allowed to become a travelling warrior-priest of the faith, another missionary dedicated to upholding the laws of Death. Already tasting his cubhood dream, Sutek departed at the earliest convenience for the settlement of Moltair, where he felt the quest of his life would begin.
In a way, he was right about that. There was plenty of work to be done in keeping unnatural monsters at bay and embalming the dead. At first, Sutek charged nothing for these services, but as his initial supplies ran out, he came to realize something. In Ankhteb, where he was considered sacred, he did not have to buy food or pay for lodging. Out here, where he was considered a friendly nutter at best, money was required. He started to charge for his work, turning himself into both missionary and mercenary.
His talents would not go unnoticed. Soon enough, the captain of an odd mercenary band approached him with an offer. He would become part of their travelling group, giving him the opportunity to extend his services to all of Evalise. In return, he would give a cut of his earnings to the captain and obey his orders. Sutek accepted.
The offer was not as good as he had thought. The mercenary group was composed of the large human captain and his three brothers, a Wolfkin with trust issues, a Falconkin who came and went as he pleased, the occasional promising upstart who more often than not got himself killed during his first job, and - the worst of it all - a bone golem. And not just any bone golem. This golem was sentient, and capable of speech, among other, far creepier things.
To make matters worse, the captain had no sense of honor. He would take contracts to raid farming villages just because the pay was good. He would sell illegal substances given the opportunity. He would spend a good deal of his earnings on licquor and whores. The man disgusted Sutek to no end, but he wasn't powerful enough to overthrow him with the brothers watching his back.
Of course, being a Jackal, Sutek quickly devised a a plan to take over the mercenary crew. He orchestrated the death of two of the brothers, convinced the captain that the remaining brother had done it and, once the "traitor" was slain, the captain would meet his end at the hands of a professional assassin.
The entire plan came together perfectly. What's more, Sutek sensed this strange potential coming from the assassin, Rhaken Aden. After getting to know the young man a little better, Sutek extended him the offer that the captain had extended to him years prior, albeit on different terms of service. Rhaken accepted, and now their band of sellswords, with Sutek at the helm, turned to more honorable contracts.
Strengths: Sutek is cunning, ruthless and physically nimble and strong. He can endure the strain of combat for quite a while, although his extremely aggressive fighting style tires him out a bit faster than the average warrior. He has been trained to plan his attacks one or two moves ahead, even in the heat of battle. He is especially adept at forcing his opponent to drop his guard.
Weaknesses: For all his aggressiveness, there is one field that Sutek is not too good at: defense. He can dodge, parry and counter as well as the rest of them, but often just plain forgets the best course of defensive action. He might even forget to react once in a while. His unrelenting onslaught tends to tire him out a bit after some time of combat. He also finds cold climates and temperatures unsettling, which upsets his concentration in a fight.
COMING SOON: MERCENARY BAND NPCS
Age: 27
Race: Jackalkin
Class: Warrior of the Veil
Height: 6' 4"
Weight: 180 lbs
Fur: Light brown and golden.
Eye color: Amber.
Build: Sutek is built just like any other Jackalkin warrior worth his salt: tall and athletic, with short fur, jackal legs, tail and head, and human arms. His fur is mostly of a golden or light brown persuasion, though his winter coat displays shades of gray. The fur on his head is always dyed black as a sign of his vocation.
Apparel: Sutek dresses up in a very traditional Jackalkin garment. He wears a knee-length, white and yellow linen kilt, held to his waist by a jade-green and golden belt. Depending on the weather, he may or may not wear a white linen tunic over his torso. A circular, miniature cape (think of it as a micro-poncho) rests over his shoulders, painted in a circular pattern of blues, reds and golds. As is tradition among his order, Sutek wears blue and gold armlets, bracelets and anklets. He also wears a second belt, made of leather, above the normal one. This belt will usually carry either his embalmer's pouch or the cloth loops where he fits his swords.
Personality: Sutek is driven by his holy duty to guard the Veil of Death. He feels that it is his job to prepare the dead for the next life and, more urgently, purge the world of all abominations against the natural cycle of birth, death and rebirth. This includes zombies, vampires, golems, and anything else that should be dead. He was brought up to hate these freaks of nature with a passion. It's a miracle he even tolerates Grond's presence.
Of course, this Jackal is more than just driven. He is kind and generous to all creatures of nature, though often in a cold or distant way. Honor and zeal are two virtues he seeks to uphold with every fiber of his being, even as a mercenary. He tends to show great mercy to all who live by standards he considers "good".
Of course, like any Jackalkin, Sutek is not above lying through the teeth to get what he wants. And he is quite good at it too.
Habits:
-Chanting beneath his breath.
-Growling and raising his ears when angered.
-Suddenly becoming evasive in conversation for no apparent reason.
Hobbies:
-Embalming.
-Reading.
-Playing the oud.
Weapons:
Sutek wields the two signature weapons of his order. The first if these is the reverse sickle-shaped Khopesh sword, often used in pairs. These three-foot-long swords are known throughout the peoples of the Karathos Desert for their brutal chopping power. As they are made of bronze, they are not as resilient as modern steel blades, but they have been enchanted to be far more resistant than the average piece of bronze.
The other weapon is a a six and a half foot long version of the Was holy sceptre, made of blue bronze. The head of the staff is sharpened into what looks like a small pickaxe head. The opening at the bottom can be used to trap weapons or strike certain areas of a target's body with great efficiency. Again, this weapon is enchanted to be more durable than normal bronze.
Magic and Abilities:
Draining of the Sands
In the City of Tombs, the first step in preparing a corpse for embalming is to bury it in the desert sands for about three weeks. Of course, since large amounts of sand and heat aren't present everywhere, so this spell was developed as a quick replacement for Jackal priests and warriors. When applied on a dead body that has no soul inhabiting it, this spell will render the corpse into a dry husk in a matter of minutes. When used on the undead, it will evaporate some of their body fluids, making them slower and more rigid. When used on the living, it merely stiffens the muscles in a small area for a while. Sutek must be within five feet of his target to use this.
Word of the Death God
Like many Jackalkin priestly spells, this one was originally created to handle the preparation of a corpse for either embalming or burial (the latter, in this case). It is a long prayer to the Jackal God of Death to accept the corpse about to be interred into the afterlife. It's sole battle application shows when dealing with the undead, vampires, certain types of golem, and other abominations. Once the offender of the laws of the Veil has been fairly weakened, this prayer has the power to rip the unholy life from them. From the moment the first word is uttered, the target will feel as if soul and flesh are beggining to separate, but is otherwise unnaffected. If the prayer is intoned in full, the unholy target will no longer be a threat, hint hint.
The prayer is spoken in Jackal language, but roughly translates as such:
Oh great God of the Veil, who dwelt in the afterlife: Hallowed be Thy name, which we dare not speak; Hallowed be Thy heart, which judges with mercy. I present to Your cares another vessel of life, stripped of all which is not of use in Your holy lands. Take this husk, oh God, and lead it on to meet its soul in the beyond!
Death's Dousing Rod
Another nifty little trick for the warrior-priest on the go. Sutek carries a normal Was scepter with him. When gripped by the two curved protrusions at the bottom, the scepter begins to oscilate mildly. When there is an unburied, or improperly buried, corpse in the vicinity, the rod will pull slightly in its direction and the head will angle downwards a bit. When there is an unholy crime against the laws of Death in the vicinity, it will behave in much the same way, except the head will angle upwards.
Fighting Style: Runihura (Destroyer)
When it comes to combat, there are two main schools of thought at the temple where Sutek was raised. The school of defense and counterattack is called Karawan, or Ward. Karawan follows a combat philosophy that the one who strikes most is the one who tires himself out sooner. The focus is on wearing the opponent down through sheer defensive might, landing counterattacks when appropriate. The flexible Was is the main weapon in Karawan.
The school of offense and ruthlessness is called Runihura, or Destroyer. Runihura teaches that no defense is greater than a mighty offense. It advocates the use of of aggressive movement and almost strategical precision and planning with strikes so as to rip through an opponent's guard and deliver devastating blows to their vital spots. The mighty Khopesh is the favored weapon in Runihura. All warrior novices are trained in both schools, but may choose to specialize later.
Sutek chose to specialize in Runihura, and later added his own particularities to his fighting system. He has developed a way to use the Was according to the Runihura philosophy while still maintaining some of its Karawan aspects. He has also seen the value of the Khopesh as Karawan weapons, but rarely takes these aspects into actual combat. He fights as aggressively as possible, always striving to break through the enemy's guard and slay them.
History: Sutek was just like any young boy born into the middle upper class of Ankhteb, the City of Tombs. He was wild, foolish, and a reckless dreamer. He longed for the day he could serve as a great Guardian of the Veil, travelling Evalise and slaying vampires and ghouls left and right with a group of loyal companions. His parents, believing all these fantasies would become faith with the proper direction, sent him to live in one of the many temple academies for warrior-priests.
They had no idea how right they were. By the age of nine, Sutek was already a fervorous warrior-zealot of the God of Death. He trained tirelessly every day to become the greatest Guardian ever. He was always eager to learn and to explore. He still had dreams of greatness, but now he wished to make them true for the sake of his God.
The years ran by, and Sutek continued to learn and train. He often seemed obsessed with improving himself, seeking to graduate as early as possible. He became a full-fledged Guardian at the age of sixteen. He was given his sacred embalming kit and weapons, and tasked, as all junior Guardians, to guard the sacred Tombs of the Ancestors.
After a year of faithful (albeit monotonous) service, Sutek was finally given the freedom he craved: he was allowed to become a travelling warrior-priest of the faith, another missionary dedicated to upholding the laws of Death. Already tasting his cubhood dream, Sutek departed at the earliest convenience for the settlement of Moltair, where he felt the quest of his life would begin.
In a way, he was right about that. There was plenty of work to be done in keeping unnatural monsters at bay and embalming the dead. At first, Sutek charged nothing for these services, but as his initial supplies ran out, he came to realize something. In Ankhteb, where he was considered sacred, he did not have to buy food or pay for lodging. Out here, where he was considered a friendly nutter at best, money was required. He started to charge for his work, turning himself into both missionary and mercenary.
His talents would not go unnoticed. Soon enough, the captain of an odd mercenary band approached him with an offer. He would become part of their travelling group, giving him the opportunity to extend his services to all of Evalise. In return, he would give a cut of his earnings to the captain and obey his orders. Sutek accepted.
The offer was not as good as he had thought. The mercenary group was composed of the large human captain and his three brothers, a Wolfkin with trust issues, a Falconkin who came and went as he pleased, the occasional promising upstart who more often than not got himself killed during his first job, and - the worst of it all - a bone golem. And not just any bone golem. This golem was sentient, and capable of speech, among other, far creepier things.
To make matters worse, the captain had no sense of honor. He would take contracts to raid farming villages just because the pay was good. He would sell illegal substances given the opportunity. He would spend a good deal of his earnings on licquor and whores. The man disgusted Sutek to no end, but he wasn't powerful enough to overthrow him with the brothers watching his back.
Of course, being a Jackal, Sutek quickly devised a a plan to take over the mercenary crew. He orchestrated the death of two of the brothers, convinced the captain that the remaining brother had done it and, once the "traitor" was slain, the captain would meet his end at the hands of a professional assassin.
The entire plan came together perfectly. What's more, Sutek sensed this strange potential coming from the assassin, Rhaken Aden. After getting to know the young man a little better, Sutek extended him the offer that the captain had extended to him years prior, albeit on different terms of service. Rhaken accepted, and now their band of sellswords, with Sutek at the helm, turned to more honorable contracts.
Strengths: Sutek is cunning, ruthless and physically nimble and strong. He can endure the strain of combat for quite a while, although his extremely aggressive fighting style tires him out a bit faster than the average warrior. He has been trained to plan his attacks one or two moves ahead, even in the heat of battle. He is especially adept at forcing his opponent to drop his guard.
Weaknesses: For all his aggressiveness, there is one field that Sutek is not too good at: defense. He can dodge, parry and counter as well as the rest of them, but often just plain forgets the best course of defensive action. He might even forget to react once in a while. His unrelenting onslaught tends to tire him out a bit after some time of combat. He also finds cold climates and temperatures unsettling, which upsets his concentration in a fight.
COMING SOON: MERCENARY BAND NPCS