Chicken

Warhammer Fantasy: The Guild of Esteemed Sellswords - An adventure in the Warhammer Fantasy world! [REBOOTED] [FULL]

So many non-Imperial sorts. Dirk ain't gonna have a good time, is he?

Warhammer Fantasy: The Guild of Esteemed Sellswords - An adventure in the Warhammer Fantasy world! [REBOOTED] [FULL]

Dirk, Poacher

Username: Chicken

Character Name: Dirk Fulster

Race/Species: Human (Imperial; Hochland)

Gender: Male

Age: 38

Career (if any) and Skills: Dirk's about as good with a bow as you can get without being an elf, having honed his skill over a lifetime of hunting, poaching, and banditry. He is an adept woodsman and tracker, and he's not bad at creeping through the underbrush either. His eyes are keen, his ears keener, and he can tell which herbs will kill you and which make good eats.

Dirk also has some untrained skill in Amber Magic, though he does not realize it. It manifests as a connection with wild beasts, but could be honed into something more with tutelage.

Weapons: While some hunters might favor a rifle or crossbow, Dirk uses a moderately sized bow. It's not a weapon of war, and its draw isn't as strong as a longbow. However, he can fire rapidly and contend with most lighter armors well enough.

For melee weapons Dirk keeps a military hatchet and a sharp dagger. He also keeps a couple small bombs on his person. The fuses are carefully guarded.

Attire: An old gambeson, a cloth hat, patchwork cloak, dark gloves, and traveling boots make up Dirk's attire. He's not a wealthy man, and it shows. Still, his armor might save him from a sword slice or two.

Equipment/Other Dirk keeps a couple pouches of medicinal herbs. He also has a hip flask, waterskin, bandages, whetstone, sewing kit, flint, tinder, rope... Really, he has most mundane things that are useful to a mercenary adventurer. You name it, he probably has it.

It may be surprising, but Dirk has an old harp. He's actually quite good at playing it.

Physical Description (as detailed as possible please, pictures not accepted.): Dirk hasn't quite reached middle age, but he's getting closer. He's not a tall man, standing a whopping 5'5", but he's muscular and sturdy. His beard is a curly brownish-blond mess, as is his short hair, and his skin is leathery and tough. Wrinkles have formed on his forehead, and though he's still a strong and capable fellow, he doesn't have all the vigor of youth. His brown eyes are dark and insightful. Dirk is usually little dirty and smells faintly of the woods and his own sweat.

Mental Description/Personality: A quiet, bitter fellow, Dirk doesn't care to share much about himself. Some call him standoffish; the kinder call him pensive. He's a closed book, rather preferring to listen to others while interjecting on occasion with a phrase or two. Actions speak louder than words, so he was taught, and he'd rather do something than talk about it. He's not good at seeking permission from his superiors, either.

Along with snubbing his nose to his superiors, Dirk generally has a problem with authority figures. He doesn't care much for nobles or generals or anyone like that, and he's more willing to lend his ear to other common folk like himself. He doesn't give a rat's ass what bloodline some Bretonnian has, and foreigners can go back where they came from. Except dwarves. Dwarves are alright, so Dirk reckons.

While he may not be very sociable, Dirk likes to play his harp in his free time. It calms him and lets him remember the good times. It helps him forget the bad times.

Background/History: Dirk doesn't talk about his past often. He is, as said, a closed book. It's the best defense he knows against having to think about the past, and against bounty hunters coming after him.

Dirk was born in a small Hochland village. The name doesn't matter. He was a peasant like anyone else, only he wasn't happy cutting trees or working in a mill. No, he wasn't. But he was good with a bow, and that was what mattered. He never was keen on joining the army. Being barked at by badge-wearing bastards wasn't his idea of a good time. So, he dodged recruitment in his village and lived a self-sustaining life. It was easy, and he could have lived like that 'til the end of his days.

Then Dirk had to go and fall in love. He met a pretty girl, some merchant's daughter. She had red hair. It was fiery like her spirit. They married when he was twenty-four, and things were fine at first; but it's harder to support a family than it is to just support yourself. He had to poach to make end's meet. Some years times were even harder, and Dirk had to play outlaw. He hated working with bandits and murderers, but it was a good way to avoid capture by the law, and he made a fair bit of coin while he was at it.

Dirk's crimes eventually caught up with him, however. When he was thirty-three he got captured by an Imperial patrol, having been left behind by his "brothers" when they were caught raiding a merchant caravan. Luckily for Dirk, good archers were in high demand, as there was a greenskin incursion: forest goblins had started raiding, and they needed to be put down before they got mad enough to make a proper army. So, Dirk spent the next two years of his life fighting for an Emperor he didn't give a damn about, fighting monsters when what he wanted was to be back home with his wife and his children.

Eventually, Dirk simply deserted the army, having no intention of staying afield on endless marches. The pay was shit, and he wasn't getting nearly enough money to feed his family, nor was he able to see them. He became an outlaw, and what better place for an outlaw to take refuge than in the company of mercenaries?

So, Dirk has spent the last few years working as a mercenary and sending money back home. The work's more dangerous, but the pay's not half bad. Plus, he gets to choose who he works for.

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 2 (Completed)

RETREAT? I DO NOT KNOW THOSE WORDS! FIGHT THE WOLF-THING! FIGHT IT DEAD!

--Adaeze, probably while being on fire

Warhammer Fantasy: The Guild of Esteemed Sellswords - An adventure in the Warhammer Fantasy world! [REBOOTED] [FULL]

Priest of Taal, Ulric, or Ranald - any allowed?

Araby adventurer?

Poacher turned mercenary to avoid noose?

Also, where does this take place? Posting frequency?

The Depths of Blackmire Keep - Dare You Enter?

@Enzayne Still eagerly waiting an update on Era from you. Like I said in my critique, she uses a lot of tropes I like.

To everyone else: Friday June 6 is the day applications are closed. Please submit your sheets by then.

Mordheim-The Hunt Begins

Name: Elric Ironheart

Alias: Elric the Gorslayer

Age: 73

Gender: Male

Race: Dwarf

Rank: Sergeant

Affiliation: Mercenaries

Alignment: Neutral Good

Deity: Grimnir, Ancestors

Languages: Khazalid, Reikspeil (Imperial)

Roles: Scout, Warrior (Dwarf Pathfinder)

Spells: None

Abilities:
--Proficiency with Daggers, maces, hammers, battleaxes, swords, crossbows, heavy armor, light armor, shields, helmets
Explorer - Dwarf Pathfinders are experts at foraging and living off whatever they find in the wild. A warband with a Dwarf Pathfinder may roll one more dice than normal in the Exploration Phase, and discard one dice of the player's choice.

Mutations: None

Specific weaknesses:
--Stubborn - For better and for worse, Elric is a stubborn dwarf that doesn't know how to admit when he's wrong.
--Loner - As a ranger, Elric occasionally wanders off on his own to do his fighting. He enjoys the company of Umgi in times of peace, but when it's fighting time he likes to operate quietly.

Stats

WS(weapon skill): 4

BS (Ballistic Skill:) 3

(S) Strength: 3

(T) Toughness: 3

(W) Wounds: 1

(I) Initiative: 2

(A) Attacks: 1

(LD) Leadership: 9
Appearance:
A rugged-looking dwarf with a long brown beard, Elric is a far cry from the severe, brightly-clad warriors of proper dwarven holds. The ranger's dark brown eyes shine with intellect. His nose is hooked and his face full and hearty. Laugh lines tugging at his mouth and eyes. He dresses in a simple black cloak over a light shirt of dwarven mail, and his garb is all rather rustic and plain when compared to that of most dwarves. His equipment is all very practical, and he usually wears a smile out of combat. In combat, his expression becomes very serious and focused.

Elric has a lovingly carved lute he keeps with the company's extra gear. The ranger doesn't dare bring it to the battlefield. He also has a warhorn made from the silvered horn of a large Gor that he uses as a signaling device.

Wargear:
Sword - Close Combat; Strength = User's; Parry (Roll a d6 vs. enemy To Hit rolls, deflect is greater than all of them; cannot Parry enemies with 2x own strength)
Axe - Close Combat; Strength = User's; Cutting Edge (extra save modifier of -1)
Crossbow - Range 30; Strength = 4; Move or Fire
Light Armor - Basic Save of 6

Personality: Elric can best be described as a gregarious dwarf. He treats umgi (humans) with remarkable respect, and is eager to swap tales with whomsoever shares a table with him. Everything he does is described with 'a lot': he eats a lot, drinks a lot, plays his lute a lot, and puts up with quite a lot. It takes considerable effort to make him angry, but you'd best pray that Grimnir is feeling merciful if you do make him mad.

Elric's mirth is a mask of sorts. When left to his own devices, he becomes quiet and morose, focused on his work or on some book or another he's gotten his hands on. He remembers the name of every warrior that's died under his watch.

In battle, Elric becomes stony-faced and serious, quiet as can be. It's a rather remarkable transformation: one moment he can be roaring a dwarven marching song, then the next his hand is in the air in a 'stop' motion and his dark eyes are scanning the treeline without a single word.

History: Elric was not born in one of the dwarven holds. His clan is an outcast clan, banished from Karak Norn in the Gray Mountains three centuries ago for a dishonor that cannot be repeated in words. Some of them became Imperial Dwarves, but others traveled from town to town, dwarfhold to dwarfhold, trying to build up their legend and reputation so they may one day be reinvited into dwarven society proper. It is from those rangers that Elric claims heritage.

When Elric was a young warrior of forty five years, he decided he wanted to strike out on his own in pursuit of wealth. He became a mercenary, fighting for whoever would pay him well enough and wasn't a dishonorable bastard. The ranger fell into the company of a band of human mercenaries, and by the end of their adventurers buried most of them. Then he made another group of friends, and he buried most of them, too.

Eventually, Elric signed on as a mercenary pathfinder for the Empire in a war against the Beastmen. In the battles that followed he become a friend of Strausse Von Jager, the man that would later be known as Captain Strausse. When Strausse quit the military to become a mercenary, Elric went with him, offering his expertise as a guide and a fighter.

Likes and Dislikes:
+Friendly rivalry
+Good company
+A good bet
+Food and drink
+Umgi (Humans)
+Challenges

-Thaggoraki (Skaven)
-Beastmen
-Grobi (Goblins)
-Elgi (Elves)
-Liars and cheats
-Gunpowder weapons
-Burying his friends

Trivia:
--Elric dreams of the day when his clan will join a dwarf hold once again. He hopes his valor will help bring about that day.

The Depths of Blackmire Keep - Dare You Enter?

Sure thing. As said earlier, take your time. This coming Friday is the last day (7/6/2018).

Mordheim-The Hunt Begins

<Snipped quote by Chicken>

Oh dear, I must have overlooked that. I see, well I'll fix that ASAP. I actually wanted to go by the standard rules. I'm just used to putting '5's for normal and '6-7's for above average. Thank you for bringing that up. I sometime overlook things when I'm in haste to post.

@Jaredthefox92

No worries. For the record, I'm focusing on things that are 1a, 1b, or 1c on the Broheim website (Warbands and Hired Swords), which is a resource that might be useful for prospective players, aye? (1a is official; 1b and 1c are technically unofficial but pretty dependable.)

Also, I think your guy should have 8 Leadership, right? (See: this one.)

Mordheim-The Hunt Begins

I was looking at the official tabletop Mordheim rules and at your character. I noticed he has some... pretty darned high Weapon Skill / Ballistic Skill to start. Are we going by tabletop starting character rules, or are we making our own stuff up? What limitations are you putting on player characters? Etc.

(Example: official rules show Mercenary Captains starting with 4 WS 4 BS.)

Am I right in assuming we're being a little more free-form with stats?

The Depths of Blackmire Keep - Dare You Enter?

@Chicken I was considering developing a toxicology proficiency for this character of mine, so, some more questions if that's alright.

While I'm sure there are flora and fauna within your world that also exist within ours, are there plants and animals present in your game that would be otherworldly to us, but seem mundane to those populating the Aldaric Sea region and beyond? And either way, what is the dispersion of these organisms like across the world?

@BurningCold

There are plants and animals with unique properties that would would come across as magical - and in some cases may very well be magical. You'll find people grinding up the teeth of certain beasts to use in alchemy, and others carefully gathering herbs from the Wildwood, or from certain areas believed to have a Fey presence. And of course, as I said, there are things like dragons and manticores and hydras in this world, though they have largely been driven out or exterminated from the Aldaric Sea Region. Largely. Somewhat.

Some of the more magical qualities of strange flora and fauna you deal with may be dangerous to use, note. Remember, magic is bad in this setting. Tampering with forces you don't understand without exercising appropriate caution isn't smart. However, that doesn't stop people from trying occasionally.

So if you want to use toxicologist or to make an alchemist, be my guest. Note that alchemy will be somewhat grounded by real-world medieval chemistry limitations, and I won't allow gunpowder right now. However, obvious you could try to do things with the magical stuff in this setting.