rush99999

Keratia: Story of the Surf, Tales of the Deep

I was wondering, does Keratia have a god of piracy?

Pioneer guild

How's it going everyone?

@Idea

All is well on my end.

Discord DnD 5e New players Welcome

If this is play-by-post, count me in too.

Keratia: Story of the Surf, Tales of the Deep

The battle was over. Talogan didn't care. He and his crew had claimed victory. Talogan didn't care. They weren't out of danger yet though, the storm was still there and would be upon them in under five minutes. Talogan didn't care. Ignoring the request of the ship's doctor, Talogan moved to where the orc's head had landed, the axe still embedded in the back of its skull. Dropping his rapier, Talogan took hold of the axe handle and lifted he head into the air. Then with dagger in hand Talogan unleashed a fury very much at odd with his usual stoic demeanor upon the severed head. Cursing and swearing in both common and goblin, he stabbed furiously at the dead orc's face with the dagger, raining down blow after blow until the orc's head could no longer be recognized as a head. With one last wrathful cry, Talogan cast the head back onto the deck of his ship and then fell silent. His face contorted with rage as his breaths came out in violent ragged huffs. But as the moments passed and his emotions calmed, Talogan's breathing evened out and the anger left his face, leaving a sorrowful look in its wake as he looked once more to his shattered spectacles. Finally, his face returned mostly to its usual stoic expression as he looked to his crew and began giving orders.

"Free the slaves and gather what loot you can." Talogan said. "Move quickly and make sure we have enough time to evade the storm. Mr. Iron Guts, I want a full report of what was taken from both the warship and the hamlet within the hour. I will be in my quarters if anyone needs me." With that said, Talogan retrieved his dropped weapons, re-donned his hat, and carefully picked up the pieces of his spectacles, making sure he had every last shard before untying his lifeline and making his way below deck. Upon entering his quarters, Talogan sat down at his desk and lay the pieces of his spectacles on the table in front of him. Talogan then spent the next hour staring forlornly at the broken remnants of the last gift he had ever received from her. The pain of his injuries faded quickly to a dull ache, but the captain failed to notice under the agony of wounds deeper than any weapon could hope to reach.

Rolls and Information

Short Rest: Talogan expends one hit dice to heal 12 HP.

Pioneer guild

So if he was in the wilderness there is a chance he might have met my character and/or @immortaljaskier's before. Would you like to arrange something like that?

@Idea

I doubt they'd remember each other if they met in the wilderness. Brutrumukk would have been just another bugbear to you and you would have been just another potential trophy or danger to be avoided to him. If they have history, I think it would be more likely that it occurred more recently than that. Either during the two years he pretended to be a spirit or during the course of the year prior to the start of the game when he started coming to the guild hall in King's Watch.

Pioneer guild

being behind the rock?

@Idea

Also, he doesn't live behind the rock, he lives in the rock. It's hollow and has a secret entrance that only he knows.

Pioneer guild

Where did your character live before being behind the rock?

@Idea

He lived out in the wilderness, hunting, gathering, dozing, and just generally living as bugbears tend live when not among the ranks of a goblinoid host.

Pioneer guild

And what will yours be?

@Idea

Here's my character's backstory. Hopefully that should provide a satisfactory answer.

Brutrumukk, the Spirit of the Snoring Stone

If you walk about twenty minutes north of King's Watch, you will find a large rock in the middle of a grassy field. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained three years ago after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued.

With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit of the Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the spirit again. Before the spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened.

After that many other locals came to petition the Spirit of the Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, his corpse was found an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded.

One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go home and wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear.

The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit of the Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs for the past two years to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain.

Eventually, tales of the Spirit's exploits reached the ears of certain people in King's Watch. Not long after that, a message arrived. It offered the bugbear all the food and treasure he could handle if he joined a certain organization in King's Watch. And so began Brutrumukk's career in the Pioneer Guild.

Pioneer guild

Who would they be in-universe? Some kind of hunter, prowling the shadows for their prey? A tribal assassin of some sort? Just a killer rejoicing on the blood of their enemies for glory or entertainment?

@Idea

Those are all good examples of what a stealth barbarian could be.

Pioneer guild

A “stealth” barbarian? What is that?

@Idea

A barbarian that is as good at sneaking as they are at turning large groups of enemies into large piles of corpses.