Kyuad

Kyuad and Caffel have worked together to create a secret language, called Safati. They are busy working together on defining the structure and usage of the language, and will soon begin work on a writing system, alphabet, and lexicon.

Kyuad's current skill with Safati: fluent (3)

Kyuad, Erunlander Channeler

Kyuad Finustion Kyuad is pronounced (kiuw-ODD). The first part of the name is pronounced very quickly and subtly, so fast that it's hard to even recognize the letters -yu-. Said alone, it sounds like you're saying the letter Q with as little effort as possible. The last part of this sound is an "ooo" sound, and because it's said so quickly, it almost changes the second syllable of the name into the word "wad." The a in Kyuad gets all the emphasis.

Background

He has known ever since he was a boy that he was not of this world. He was still-born and mysteriously light and translucent. The young woman who performed the duties of undertaker for the village visited the house to ensure the passage of the newborn, and once there declared him alive.

She saw something unique in him, and stayed in the village for many years, overseeing his growth and training. She did what she could to teach him about the differences between the world of spirit and the material world. Life exists in both, and sometimes life from each realm bleeds over into the other. That is the source of undeath. He is an example of both life bleeding into the realm of spirit, and of spirit invading the physical world. Somehow he is unique, born dead and yet still alive, with a spirit lost and a spirit gained. Not quite fully alive, and not undead either. The mystery of his life is something both of them together have devoted their lives to studying.

She still serves as his benevolent mentor. Her unique abilities grant her foreknowledge of events that have not yet come to pass. Because of this, she has seen a great opportunity for him to avoid his own death by opposing the forces of the Shadow. How much of her knowledge she shares with him is still unknown, but he trusts her with his life, such as it is.

Kyuad's personality is that of a scientist. He is constantly studying the world and the nature of magic, in an attempt to understand himself, and the world of Aryth. A huge part of this is the study of positive and negative energies, how and why they still affect the world after the Sundering, and how undead creatures factor into the overall balance of nature.

10 questions

• Describe what your hero's glorious death might be.
  • Finally having cast off his mortal coil, he has found a way to live on as a Good spirit-like undead magical explorer, learning about the fate of the rest of Aryth. Having studied the lore and secrets of the rest of the world, and marshalled armies of tremendous might, he returs to Eredane with armies of undead, dragon, and man, and joins the final battles that decide once and for all the fate of Izrador.

• Describe what your hero's worst fated death at the hands of [the ENEMY] might be.
  • A concentrated effort from many powerful legates finally enable them to Rebuke and Command him. Used as a tool of the Shadow, his fate is sealed when he is forced to battle elves in the Caraheen.

• What is the worst thing [the Shadow] could do to your hero? (this could include things done to loved ones)
  • Rebuke him. Or, before that's possible, strip him of his literacy.

• Describe a victory that your hero would like to have against [the Shadow].
  • He would have a hand in the destruction of Theros Obsidia and all who reside there.

• What action would your hero never do?
  • Have sex with a man
  • Raise the innocent or Good-aligned as undead minions.

• What would cause your hero to break down to sadness or fear?
  • Sadness: A fell infant. duuuude

• What do you hope your heroe's honorific would be?
  • "Exhaulted" "Merciful"

• What would it take for your hero to turn traitor? (these can result from bribe or blackmail)
  • The promise of founts of knowledge.

• PLAYER: What's your favorite monster or NPCs to fight?!!
  • Anything intelligent enough to use tactics and have great swag. Except vampires - they suck. Goblins are always fun, since they're almost people, and not so monstrous that there are no laughs to be had.

• PLAYER: What do you most enjoy about RPGs & D&D? (meaning battling monsters, solving puzzles, political roleplaying, etc..?)
  • Kevin :) Okay, with less sucking up... I love working toward having a great story to tell. Building interesting twists in the history of the characters that comes together in the end to be really intriguing. Many times, this comes through killing bad guys, which I love. Especially if I get to keep their stuff and get rich. Not so big on the puzzles.

3x3

Contacts

• Yarnther - gnome merchant, frequently travels collecting curiosities. Pays well for magics and favors. The pawn broker
• Maoli - Kyuad's mother. Shortly after he was born, she was taken into captivity to serve as a concubine for an orc leader. Her captor was a particularly sadistic orc who made her choose between her life or her son's. He told her he could take her baby, so he could have a new sacrifice to hand over to the legates, or he could take her as his slave for the rest of her life. She chose to let her baby live, and left Kyuad with her young married niece. Her spirit worn down by the evils of orc enslavement, Maoli is a defeated person who has attempted suicide many times. She resents Kyuad and blames him for her current situation, but she is still his mother, deep in her heart. Her attitude toward him could shift either way.
• Valendil - The wood elf arrived in a town once while Kyuad was visiting, and requested help with two allies. Some of the people rejected him, claiming that being an elf in the town was enough to bring death to them all if the legates ever found out. The situation escalated until someone threw a rock, hitting one of the wounded. Someone in the town offered Valendil sanctuary in their home. Barely alive, one of the two elves survived with the help of some townspeople. However, the other had been injured enough from the rock that she died. Kyuad was brought in to assist with the passing, and learned some of the elven ways of dealing with death. During Valendil's stay in this town, Collune got word to Kyuad that there was someone he must meet named Durgaz, who would aid him in his travels. Valendil helped Kyuat reach Durgaz.

Allies

• Collune Rahnvalla - Collune is a Seer pathwalker and a charismatic channeler who specializes in necromancy and divination, and who is a skilled undertaker. Collune was a young girl when she met Kyuad. She was just learning how to serve as an undertaker when she heard that a baby was still-born in the town through which she travelled. She and her teacher arrived and saw that he was still alive, but very close to death. Once healthy again, Collune took a special interest in the baby's life, and settled permanently in the village as soon as she had finished her training. Her divinations lead her to see in him a strong portent for a life of great danger and importance. Kyuad and Collune share a strong bond. She has taught him much of what he knows, and supports his quest for knowledge. She also brings to him warnings and guidance that leads him to where she learns he needs to be. She and Kyuad are creating a language together called Safati. Collune lives very simply, working as an undertaker for Hillbird and other towns in the region. To the outside world, she seems to have a very average life, like anyone else. Collune sometimes sends messages to Kyuad.
• Yari Merhabaan - A skilled artist and student of languages and writing. An adherant of the Sahi. Kyuad saved his life's work from a greedy legate, so he owes Kyuad greatly. He taught Kyuad Colonial and has been working on learning Safati.
• Gilgal Callan - He saved Kyuad's life, but at the cost of his own. Occasionally, his spirit contacts Kyuad and gives him advice, or helps him in some other way. Most commonly this is through dreams, but sometimes he directly intervenes in Kyuad's waking life as well. His spirit has become only more devoted to Kyuad since his death, perhaps hoping that some day the two friends will find a way to truly commune again. Or perhaps he knows something of the nature of Kyuad's existance that others cannot recognize.

Enemies

• Nashvahd - Sarcosan outrider. He hates magic and anyone who studies the dead. He especially hates Kyuad because during one of his first assignments as an undertaker, he was unable to prevent Nashvahd from having to kill his undead father. He was forced to chop off the head of his animated father when he bit two of Nashvahd's fingers off. The horrors of that moment have haunted his dreams ever since, and the injury has physically marred him, preventing him from advancing in caste.
• Gorrie Sander - Gorrie was once smitten with Kyuad when the two of them were young. She had decided that she was going to be his wife someday, and despite his lack of interest, interjected herself into his life whenever she could. The disruption and distraction this caused lead to a number of problems, each one solidifying Kyuad's distaste for her. Gorrie decided that Collune must be trying to keep the two of them apart with all the studying that she had Kyuad doing, and set out to kill Collune. Collune foresaw the dire consequences of Gorrie's plan, and fingered Gorrie as a lawbreaker, resulting in her enslavement. Gorrie hates Collune with a burning rage, and has now turned against Kyuad as well, since she thinks he chose Collune over her.
• Legate Pessiogn - As a boy, Diero Pessiogn and Kyuad were very close friends. Both had their hobbies, and both persued them with unusual intensity. While Kyuad was focused on studying the knowledge of the living form and how it works, Diero strove to one day be a great legate, and studied the religious beliefs and practices of the Shadow. They were intense and brooding teenagers, but still friends as fast as ever, when Diero discovered Kyuad dabbling in the use of magic. Diero became a legate merely because he wanted the prestige of being one who practices magic, and being at his core a coward, he was unwilling to risk his life by thwarting the restrictions against channeled magics. Infuriated, Diero resented Kyuad's willingness to break the law that he'd devoted so much of his life to, in order to accomplish Diero's own goals. While truly Diero resents Kyuad for having the bravery to take a risk that he could never take, Diero instead focuses his rage on Kyuad for "taking the easy way, the bad way." Diero and Kyuad were never friends again from that day forward, but out of respect for the friendship they once shared, Diero has never acted against Kyuad for breaking the law. He does care for his friend and doesn't want to see him get killed.

Locations

• Hillbird - This is the village where Kyuad, Collune, and Diego all lived, until recently. Collune still lives there and works as an undertaker for the region. Kyuad only recently left at her urging, in order to learn more about the world and himself. The town is simple and small, not on any trade routes, and fairly isolated.

Covenant Items

• Hoop of Shackles - this 5" metal ring is typically worn on a chain, as a necklace. It was once a link on a great chain used to hold captive the ancient dragon Ckryshykel by the elves of what is now the Eren river valley. The dragon had terrorized the people of the valley for far too long, and once the chain had been made, the armies set traps and became ready to fight a force of nature. At the cost of many soldiers, the dragon was finally downed and captured. Most assumed that once in chains, they would kill the dragon, however, Ckryshykel was kept in chains instead of killed because of the pleas of the magical elite. The enchanted chains kept the dragon weak enough for them to harvest bodyparts off of the creature for the purposes of magical research. Eventually however, the more compassionate members of the magic caste put an end to the slow torture of the dragon by killing it. With no more need for the shackles, it was taken apart, and the links distributed to the families who lost a loved one to the dragon. Most of the links were simply put on display, but some were used. Of those that were used, a few were further enchanted. The Hoop of Shackles has seen a great deal of use, and fairly recently, had been enchanted from within a power nexus to manifest great power.
• Scrollkeeper - This is a scrollcase that has the amazing ability to hold a huge number of spells. It accomplishes this not by emptying them into an extra-dimentional space, but instead by absorbing the information on the scroll and processing it into formless magical information. With this raw material it absorbs from scrolls, it then is capable of producing a new scroll almost instantly, based on the user's request. It is also capable of making new scrolls more efficiently than the originals, so with the excess it can create totally new scrolls periodically.
  • The case has been used before, and has information regarding all of the spells that have ever been stored inside of it. This is not all spells ever made, but instead a limited list of many spells and spell levels. This limited list impacts what spells the case can produce on its own. These spells should be recorded, along with the language in which they are written. Here is a spreadsheet that can randomly create a list of spells from 0 to 3rd level.
  • At regular intervals the case is able to store larger numbers of scrolls, from 15 to 30 to 45, up to a maximum of "no limit". Due to the nature of spell scrolls, it is possible to actually make use of dozens a day, so this progression should be swift.
  • Requesting a scroll begins as a move action. This improves to a command word activation, as a free action.
  • The case produces a new scroll one round after the scroll was requested. This improves to half a round (if you make the attempt to retrieve the scroll at the beginning of your turn, you get it in time to use a standard action).
  • The case is able to create new, free scrolls, based on the spells that it has stored. For every 10 crafted (new) scrolls stored, it produces one free spell scroll (scrolls retrieved and then re-stored don't count toward this total, as the original excess material and magic has already been stored). This improves until eventually, it can produce a free scroll for every 4 crafted scrolls stored. The level of spell it produces for free should not be higher than the average of spells stored (i.e. if you only store 1st-level spells, it can't produce a free 3rd-level spell). This ability should probably be limited to 3rd-level spells, as potions are. The scroll's spell is determined randomly from the list of spells that have been stored in the case - so if a now-unknown spell originally written in draconic was once stored, there's a chance that the case could produce a scroll of this spell, written in draconic.
    • Note: this ability could be problematic, in that the user might end up with a bunch of scrolls that he can't use at all, like scrolls for divine magic or for spell schools for which he doesn't have a Spellcraft feat. It could just be changed so that the user can choose to get a random scroll, or any scroll he likes. The intent is really just to cut out a minor XP, resource, and time cost. Similar to getting a bundle of free arrows.
• Kellfiddi (the Valley Harvester) - Ages ago, in a small dornish village in what is now southern Erenland, a Dorn farmer became intrigued by the ways of the druids. As he began to study more and more of what it meant to be a protector of the forests, he began to realize that civilized society was to blame for most of the problems in the world. To this end, he devised a number of items meant to specifically attack those who used the more advanced armor and weapons of the day. One of these items was his favorite - a scythe, symbolic of his heritage as a common farmer. When he died, the scythe passed to his sons, on down through the line. His ideals did not have as much influence on the future as he had hoped, and eventually one of his progeny became a mighty warrior, thanks in part to his ancestor's scythe. It was the beginning of the battles with the dusky-skinned invaders, and he began to augment his battle prowess with mystical training. As a mighty and respected warrior he infused the weapon with greater powers.
  • The scythe is a wooden, curved shaft with a crystal on the end, partially entwined in wood that looks as though it grew around the crystal. It can be used as a simple staff, or simply by willing it, a mist forms out of the crystal into a blade shape, perpendicular to the shaft as a scythe blade would be. It normally appears dull gray, unless used to channel a touch attack.
  • The blade of the scythe ignores 5 points of DR and bypasses 3 points of AC if the armor worn by the target is made of metal (magical or otherwise).
  • The blade of the scythe is normally only slightly substantial, unless empowered with magical energy. The blade hums and glows bright yellow, and becomes opaque and energized. When it attacks, the blade seems to almost leap toward the target. When the wielder casts a spell that has a range of Touch, the spell can be channeled through the scythe's blade (not when used as a staff). When the wielder is holding a touch spell, he may make a melee attack as normal with the scythe, dealing both normal scythe damage and the spell effect. When attacking this way, the scythe has a +8 bonus to attack.
  • (This should be for level 11 or higher) Phasing Blade Slash - The scythe can be used to make a sweeping arc attack that freely passes through the targets, doing damage but continuing on unhindered. This can only be used as part of a full attack action, and the intent to use this ability must be declared at the beginning of the attack. With this attack you must target a separate opponent with each attack. You suffer a -2 penalty to your initial attack but a +3 bonus to hit with your second attack (if the first hits), and a +8 bonus with your third (if the first two hit), and a +13 bonus with the fourth (assuming all three prior attacks did not miss). If at any point you miss, then further attacks are resolved normally and may target any opponent. The second and third attacks are not bonus attacks - they are the character's normal iterative attacks granted by a high BAB. Therefore, a character with a BAB of +8/+3 would only make two attacks, against two different targets, at a bonus of +6/+6, but not the third and fourth. If a character with a BAB of +17/+12/+7/+2 uses this ability, his bonuses change to +15/+15/+15/+15, one attack going to each of his four targets!! However, if the second attack misses, then he suffered a -2 for the first attack and gained no benefit, and his other two attacks revert to +7/+2 (and can target any opponent).

Gear

Date: Oct 28th

• Armor/Clothes: pants, a duster-like robe/coat, a black cloak/cape, simple travelling gloves, boots, belt, etc.
  
• Weapons: 1 drop-sheathed dagger, stashed with his gear at the side of Walden's house
  
• Pack: Contains his profession tools that allow him to work as an undertaker. This includes a small bone saw for getting through the spinal column, some linen and woven cotton paper for wrapping a body, and jars of chemicals for embalming. Also, 4 lbs. of salt and food for 6 days (paid for with starting vp). The pack is stashed on the side of Walden's house.
  
• Spellbook: Kyuad carries a book that serves as his lorebook and spellbook. It's a little thicker than the Midnight book, and better-bound, but otherwise the same size. The book is in his pack. The character is 100% dependant on this book!
  
• Magic Items:
  • potion of lesser restoration (in pack)
  • a magical box, or pair of boxes, briefly noticed as being in Walden's home
• Charms:
  • a twig that grants +2 Fortitude (in pack)
  • a tassle, of unknown use (Gertrude took this out of Kyuad's pocket)
  • a child's block (Gertrude took this out of Kyuad's pocket)

Nisse the familiar

Nisse, Myling (or Utburd) Familiar

Tiny Magical Beast

Hit Dice: 2 (7 hp – half of master’s 14)

Initiative: +3

Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), fly 60 ft. (average)

Armor Class: 18 (+2 size, +3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 14

Base Attack/Grapple: +1/–9

Attack: Talons +6 melee (1d4–2)

Full Attack: Talons +6 melee (1d4–2)

Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.

Special Attacks: —

Special Qualities: Low-light vision, share spells, empathic link

Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +5

Abilities: Str 6, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 6

Skills: Listen +4, Spot +16

Feats: Alertness, Weapon FinesseB, Improved Evasion

This hauntingly beautiful hawk has a combination of ash-gray and white feathers with black highlights. It is known for its unusual flight patterns (which are stiff and perfunctory) and its evocative songs of chanted flutes and whistles. In the folklore of southern Erenland, the myling’s song and strange flight habits are said to frighten away phantasmal spirits. Because of this, they are either seen as a good omen because they protect others from ghosts, or they are seen as bad omens because their presence may mean a haunting is nearby. In northern Erenland, Dornish folklore describes the utburd as secretive messenger who brings word from freed spirits. A myling familiar grants its master a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves.

Combat

Mylings combine both talons into a single attack.

Skills: Mylings have a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks.

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Midnight:_the_SHADOW_KILLERS
Midnight: the Shadow Killers player Bill