I'll have something after today, maybe this evening. As of writing, I am thinking of making the driving force behind this anti-Justinian movement might well be similar in character to the protestant reformation, with offers of greater autonomy for smaller principalities chafing under an imperial rule under the guise of a theological argument.
More conspiratorial, of course. I don't necessarily intend to be guiding that conspiracy, but I want to set it up and play a character within it. I feel like this would be the best way to break off nobles that are 'locked in' under the Imperium's current ruling structure, as well as merchants and other key backers of a potential revolt.
Assuming that this is in line with the GM vision, of course. I am just brainstorming that side of things.
Sounds good, looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
Name: "Red" Zoa, Son of Zod
Race: Pure Orc; a cousin-race to Man that while larger, stronger and more brutish, can generally pass as human without close inspection. The Ahvul-Orc are the last remaining tribe of Orcs free of corruption, and as a result, memory has faded among the civilized races of what Orcs once were. In modern days they are considered either monstrous humans, half-giants, or some crossbreed of Men and Beastmen.
Nationality/Nation description: The Ahvul-Orc, or the Children of Orc, are a barbarous tribe of nomads that wanders though the wastes of Nagath. The last Orcish tribe to remain free of corruption since the rise of Daigon, numbering some five-thousand strong, they pride themselves on the purity of their blood and their adherence to the near-forgotten ways of their people. They refuse to consort with demons and other monstrosities, and frequently battle against rival tribes of Beastmen and "fallen" Orcs. Hunter-gatherers by nature, they carve out a harsh existence in Nagath, guided by their ancient laws and traditions that keep them strong and free of taint. While they put little value on art or philosophy, preferring usefulness to the tribe or glory and plunder in battle, they maintain a strong oral tradition and are deeply spiritual, maintaining a shaman caste that dutifully records bloodlines and matches mates to keep them free of inbreeding. Considered capricious by civilized folk, the Ahvul-Orc are as likely to attempt trade with outlanders and Marcher Lords as they are to raid and pillage them.
Occupation: An exile from his tribe, Zoa makes do as a hunter, bandit, or mercenary, depending on where he finds himself.
Religion: The mythology of the Ahvul-Orc is extensive and complex, as it dates back to before the rise of Daigon. They revere an entity itself known as Orc, their messianic god-ancestor. A spirit of youth, rebellion, and cleansing flame, in legends Orc rises when his children have greatest need of him, to break the chains that bind them and free them from enslavement and stagnation. A monstrous, bestial figure, he is described as equal parts as a wolf, lion, viper, or dragon, depending on the story, but he always bears the Red Fire of Orc. His archenemy is the leper-god Rizen, a rotting carcass that embodies law and enslavement, who seeks to keep the Children of Orc in bondage. However, the crux of their mythology is that whenever Rizen is overthrown, Orc will eventually grow old and corrupt and take his place, and Orc must arise anew to overcome him in an endless cycle of revolution.
Appearance: Mighty even among the Ahvul-Orc, Zoa stands tall enough that a common human's eyes are about level with his chest, and he weighs as much as a grown bear. His build is that of thick, corded muscle, hard-won from surviving in the inhospitable wastes of Nagath. His skin is a swarthy brown, and much of him is covered in a virile coat of coarse body hair. His features are brutish and primitive by human standards, with a broad, flat nose, a wide forehead and heavy brow, deep-set yellow-tinged eyes, a thick, ruddy beard, and exaggerated eye teeth that resemble primate fangs. Zoa's most striking feature is his mane of crimson-red hair, which cascades from his scalp like a wreath of flame.
Personality: Zoa's personality has been shaped by his upbringing, both as a survivor of Nagath and a member of the enigmatic Ahvul-Orc. Pragmatic and direct, Zoa is normally very open about his thoughts and feelings, though he understands the value of both civility and misdirection. Honor has its own place, but that place is very rarely on the battlefield. While he lacks education as civilized folk would understand it, he possesses a sharp, animal cunning, as well as a deep well of tribal wisdom. Surviving purely on his own strength comes naturally to him, but he appreciates loyal and reliable comrades greatly. He finds finery and other such products of civilization distasteful, but he has developed an appreciation for the food and liquor of the civilized peoples, and can prove a mirthful and rambunctious fellow when in high spirits. However, he also holds great sorrow in his heart, as he misses his tribe and was greatly wounded by the betrayal of his father.
Biography: Born the firstborn son of the king of the Ahvul-Orc (a dark and brooding warrior known as Zod, Son of Los), Zoa was a prince among his people. He was born hearty and strong, with a shock of red hair that stood out as an omen of good fortune among his people: touched by the Fires of Orc. Mysterious circumstances surrounded his birth, as while the Ahvul-Orc do not marry, parents typically raise a child together until their offspring can hunt for their own meals. Rather, Zod raised the boy by himself, as his mother was nowhere to be found. No women among the Ahvul-Orc claimed to have birthed Zoa, nor had ever seen Zod with a mate. Even so, the might of their king and the good fortune that the boy represented were enough to quell the doubts these mysteries created, and Zoa grew up to be loved and admired among the tribe.
Mightier even still than his father, who was one of the greatest hunters and warriors in recent memory, Zoa's ascension to king of the Ahvul-Orc was greatly anticipated among their people. It would be a long way off, as their law held that when the old king became too weak to rule, his own son would slay him in an honorable duel and take his title. Such was their way, and Zoa had no grief over the matter, but Zod fretted over growing old and losing his strength. Not yet a man among his people's laws, Zoa was already called by them "Red Zoa," for his mane of crimson and the blood of prey and enemies he spilled.
The Trials of Flame, the right of passage for the Ahvul-Orc into adulthood, went smoothly for Zoa as he came of age. He raced, wrestled, slew great beasts, and performed great feats of endurance. When the time came for him to receive the ritual branding on his chest that marked him as a man, however, something was amiss. The hot iron did not sear his flesh as it did the others. Wary of this, the shaman elders tried to burn him with a torch, but to no avail. The fire did not so much as singe his hair, much less burn him. Knowing that this could lead to the truth behind his son's birth being revealed, Zod accused his own son of consorting with demons for such unnatural power, and had him exiled from the tribe. While much of the tribe was suspicious of this, their confusion and fear was enough for them to agree with their king's decree. Shocked and dejected, Zoa had little choice but to pack his few belongings and leave.
Since then, Zoa has wandered the wastes seeking the truth behind the reason that fire will not harm him. He hopes that if he can find the truth, of himself or of his father's dark secrets, he may return to the Ahvul-Orc and resume his rightful place as king.
Equipment: Greatly self-sufficient, Zoa carries little beyond his barest necessities. He wears simple leathers that only just cover his massive body, and prefers thick-soled sandals to boots. The black fur of a monstrous hell-bear typically hangs from his shoulders, or is slept on as a bedroll. A waterskin large enough to drown a lesser man hangs on his hip, and a broadsword looted from the corpse of a Justinian knight hangs at the other. He wears beaded necklaces of bone, obsidian and other fetishes, and a dagger carved from the fang of some vicious beast dangles on his chest like a medallion.
Whether it is a curse or a blessing, Zoa is marked by the Fires of Orc, and the flame in his soul burns brighter than any earthly one. As a result, heat and fire cannot harm him, as his hide will not burn and he feels no discomfort from even the hottest blaze.
Skills: Having survived for his entire life in Nagath, Zoa is an excellent survivalist and hunter, able to track beasts with ease and last for weeks on end in the wilds, completely alone. He is a ferocious warrior, skilled in wielding swords, axes, clubs and shortbows, and is adept in wrestling as well. His strength is truly horrific, able to crush a man's skull in his bare hands, and is matched by his seemingly endless endurance and tolerance for pain. In less physical matters, he is well-versed in his people's legends and myths, speaks a number of languages gathered over his travels, and has extensive practical knowledge of many types of flora and fauna throughout Nagath.
Motivation: Above all else, Zoa seeks answers. He wishes to uncover the truth behind his birth, the Fires of Orc, and his father's secrets that forced him to cast him into exile.
accepted! you can post in the Character tab at your leisure.
Nationality: Karliege was born inside the borders of the Justinian Imperium.
Occupation: Sorcerer
Religion: Karliege knows that there are beings greater than man, but doubts that there are any who deserve worship.
Appearance: Karliege is a man of average height, but of a skeletal and waif like build. He has not seen his thirtieth year, but bears many of the hallmarks of a much older man. His pale face is lined and worn. His long dirty blonde hair is brittle and streaked with grey. His eyes are of a similar shade of misty grey, deep bags hang beneath them and along with his general air of weariness confirm that Karliege sleeps little each night. The features upon his gaunt and drawn face are fine and effeminate, though still relatively handsome. Handsome that is were it not for a crooked broken nose and an unsightly tangle of burn marks upon his left cheek: a branding mark, one that denotes him as excommunicated from the light of the God-King Justinian and his Church.
He dresses in various hues of faded blacks, covered by a hooded great cloak clasped with a silver ring pin. Around Karliege's neck hangs more silver, a great thick chain of silver links from which dangles a blue topaz the size of a child's fist. It seems to glow unnaturally in darkness. His right arm is bound and bandaged beneath his cloak and he walks with a slight limp in his gait. A stout iron shod staff of pale yew work assists his movement.
Personality: Karliege is cold and reserved, not in a cruel or uncaring way, but as if separated from all others around him by an immense unseen chasm. Distant is probably the lasting impression that he leaves on others. Even when he is direct conversation with his peers he has a habit of gazing off into the middle distance, almost as if he’s looking right though someone to something beyond. He’s quiet, in particular about himself and his history, and when pressed upon a subject he does want to discuss will shut down completely and withdraw. If he were to smile it would be a sad one. He sleeps little, haunted by nightmares that make him wake in fits of terrible screams.
There is madness in him as well, one that consumes him in periods of frantic mania followed by deep and dark depressions. During his mania he will often rant and rave about Justinian, theology, demonology and the nature of divinity. His eyes burn with consuming passion and its one of the few times Karliege truly seems to enthuse upon a subject. During his inward periods he becomes even more uncommunicative, scarcely eating or even moving until the fugue has passed.
Biography: What happens to the children born within Justinian's Empire who are cursed with magic? Some repress their unnatural powers, others may embrace them. Karliege was one such child.
Oh, got it. Well, that might change things a bit. Are there heirs? Maybe the infighting is among those?
A) there could be wars among the noble families that defacto rule, and mystery would be added by Justinian's non-intervention. B) there could be an uprising of people who want to return to the past before Justinian was a god-king (he's ruled several hundred years), so it could be a royal family who wants to topple to god and reclaim their rightful throne or something. Open to other options too.
Marrone
josephb
