Bitter Angels (SWADE PbP)/Lord Gryphon

Player character in the Bitter Angels PbP game.

Lord Gryphon

The being known as the Gryphon stands a little over six feet tall and resembles a humanoid hybrid of lion and eagle. He has the digitigrade legs and tail of a lion and the wings and beaked visage of an eagle, along with clawed, yellow-scaled hands. His head and upper torso are covered with brown feathers, gradually changing to fur on his lower body.

The Gryphon’s origins are shrouded in mystery. He is an ancient being, having ridden with the likes of Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan; there are even ancient Sumerian carvings that appear to depict him. He is fluent in many tongues and picks up languages easily; he has spent mortal lifetimes among a wide variety of peoples, races and cultures. He is often known as Lord Gryphon, since he has acquired a dozen or more noble titles over the centuries, many from civilizations that no longer exist.

The Gryphon is silent when asked about his own origins; speculation ranges from a human under a divine curse to the last survivor of a now-extinct species of lionbirds, to a unique living construct created for an unknown purpose. If the Gryphon knows, he’s not telling, and persistent inquiries are rewarded only by a piercing, cold-eyed glare.

The Gryphon is a mercenary, a warlord with few equals. He is at home on the field of battle, leading small bands of warriors against overwhelming forces; his tactical knowledge is exceeded only by his own personal skill at arms. He will work for any who can hire him and offer him a worthwhile challenge, conqueror or defender, monster or martyr. He follows a strict code of honor: he always keeps his word once given, and while he asks no questions about the righteousness of one’s cause, he will only serve as a warrior, not a butcher. The Gryphon will break your enemies and deliver their nation to you, but he will not slaughter helpless civilians. Those warlords who have made the mistake of betraying or deceiving the lionbird have rarely lived long enough to regret it, as the Gryphon makes a point of taking bloody vengeance on such people.

At some point, the Gryphon came into possession of an artifact known as the Horned Blade, a dark iron longsword set with a blood-red gem. An evil, soul-devouring weapon, the Horned Blade had already consumed and destroyed a number of would-be conquerors and well-intended fools who tried to master its power. When the Gryphon claimed it, something unusual happened: the Blade has so far proved unable to consume him as it has its previous victims. Perhaps some unique quality of the lionbird’s soul prevents this. The Horned Blade is inextricably bound to him, unable to devour him and thus unable to free itself; although it can be taken from him, no other can truly master it while the Gryphon lives.

A few years ago, the Gryphon was called by a mystical trio of beings (or possibly one being with three aspects) known as the Faceless Kings, power and information brokers of the magical. The Gryphon owed the Faceless Kings a debt from long ago, and the Kings called in the favor they were due. They instructed the Gryphon to travel to the inhabited moon Vogel and aid the local ruler; the Prince of Vogel was rebelling against the Empire of Earth and seeking independence, or at least recognition as a sovereign entity rather than a mere asset of their parent planet. However, as Vogel was a rich source of certain valuable minerals and gemstones with exotic properties, the planetary governors intended to put down the rebellion fast and hard.

The Gryphon cared not for the politics or ethics of either side; he owed a favor, and he agreed to support Vogel in its quest for independence. He offered his service to the Prince, and soon set about organizing the moon’s military forces. A number of small skirmishes ensued, with the Gryphon’s forces holding firm. Battle loomed as more planetary forces approached.

One dark night, the Gryphon was informed that an agent for the planetary governor wished to meet with him - his reputation was known, and it was hoped they could work out some arrangement to avoid total war and the bloodshed sure to follow. The Gryphon agreed; his goal was to successfully prosecute the rebellion, not to slaughter soldiers. He went to the meeting place with all due caution.

Unfortunately, it was a trap. Instead of the governor’s agent, the Gryphon faced a sorcerer who trapped him with a spell. By the time the Gryphon broke free, three days had passed; during that time the planetary forces had overrun Vogel and slaughtered the defenders who were easy prey with the Gryphon - their legendary commander - absent. The Gryphon was shamed twice over; once for falling victim to the trap, and a second time for apparently abandoning his forces in their time of need. The latter was particularly galling to the honorable lionbird. By comparison, the fact that he was captured, tried, and sentenced to five centuries of imprisonment was merely annoying.

The Gryphon holds on to a secret bit of knowledge, something he intends to pursue at the earliest opportunity. The sorcerer who bespelled him and cost him his freedom and his reputation bore a distinctive amulet: the Wolf’s-Head Amulet, a powerful magical device owned by the Faceless Kings. The Gryphon had been set up, betrayed in the course of paying his own debt. Both honor and vengeance demand retribution, and the Gryphon has privately sworn that the Faceless Kings will feel his wrath.

The Gryphon’s greatest secret is that he himself does not know his own origin, but he would desperately like to. His earliest memories are of warfare and battle in a mystical realm of knights and dragons, but he has not yet been able to discover the identity of this realm. He believes he may once have been a mortal knight - possibly human or elven - who was transformed into his current form by a powerful spellcaster, but to what end he does not know. His greatest fear is that he is not a real being, merely a magical construct - a living golem, in effect - imbued with awareness and fighting skill, perhaps even now following the blind dictates of his programming rather than possessing true sapience and free will.

Stats

Hindrances

Arrogant (major)

Code of Honor (major)

Distinctive Appearance (minor, racial)

Loyal (minor)

Vengeful (minor)

Attributes

Agility d8

Smarts d8

Spirit d8

Strength d8

Vigor d8

Skills

Academics (d6)

Athletics (d6)

Battle (d8)

Common Knowledge (d8+2)

Fighting (d12)

Intimidation (d8)

Notice (d10+2)

Occult (d6)

Persuasion (d6)

Shooting (d8)

Stealth (d4)

Derived Statistics

Pace 6", flying 90"

Parry 11

Toughness 12 (6)

Edges

Alertness (+2 to Notice rolls)

Danger Sense (+2 Notice to detect ambushes, Notice at -2 even when one is not normally allowed)

Level-Headed (deal two action cards, use the better)

Combat Reflexes (+2 to Spirit rolls to recover from Shaken)

Dodge (Ranged attacks are at -2)

Powers

AGELESS (3) [Very Old] +2 on Smarts and Common Knowledge rolls

ARMOR (5) [Device, Heavy Armor] 6 points of armor, counts as heavy armor, linked to the Horned Blade

ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE [Mental] (1) +4 to resist mental attacks, mental attacks deal -4 damage.

FEARLESS (2) Immune to fear

FLIGHT (9) [Maneuverable] Flying pace 90" / 60 mph, attacks on me are at -1; roll 2d6 instead of 1d6 to "run" in a tactical environment.

GENIUS (2) Free reroll on all Smarts rolls and Smarts-based skill rolls.

HEIGHTENED SENSES (1) [Eagle Eyes] Can read fine print a mile away. Reduce ranged penalties by 1.

MELEE ATTACK (8) [Device, Heavy Weapon, Special Weapon, AP] The Horned Blade, deals Str + d8 + 3d6 damage, AP 6, heavy weapon.

MIND SHIELD (3) [Strong] -4 on mind reading or mind control attempts. If the Gryphon resists an attempt to read or control her mind, the enemy psychic suffers Fatigue. With a raise on the resistance roll, the foe is Stunned as well

PARRY (4) [Alternate Trait {Fighting}, Device, Deflect] +3 to Parry. Can reflect ranged attacks that miss back at the attacker with a Fighting roll (-2 for firearms, -4 for energy beams). With a raise, can deflect them at any other target.

SPEAK LANGUAGE (1) Fluent in all spoken languages.

SUPER SKILL (6) Fighting +2 ranks, Notice +2 ranks, Shooting +2 ranks

Gear

FREX