Brunvar
02-14-09, 11:09 AM
Name: Brunvar Grunderson
Age: 21
Race: Minotaur
Hair Color: Brown fur.
Eye Color: Brown.
Height: 10'4"
Weight: 364 lb
Personality: Brunvar is a very noble and honorable creature. He will never go back on his word once it has been given, and when he commits he commits absolutely. In formal situations he behaves stiffly and formally, sticking to tradition as best he can. Pride is important to Brunvar, and shame in his mind is worse even than death. In the event that he is defeated or somehow disgraced, he will stop at nothing to avenge himself and reclaim his honor. This prideful characteristic also means that he is terribly sensitive to insults. Any slight that he perceives he will react to angrily and far out of proportion to the actual crime. Family honor is also very important to him, and he considers an insult to any member of his clan to be an attack worthy of death.
Rage, in fact, is another strong personality trait of the minotaur. Sometimes in battle, or indeed in any situation at all, Brunvar will lose his temper and become entirely out of control. In these circumstances, the formal and honorable Brunvar vanishes completely from view. In its place is a wrathful and vengeful monster, hell-bent on little other than wreaking destruction and devastation to his foes. With training and control, this could come to be a useful ability. For now, however, it is more of a detriment to his life, as in a wrathful state he cannot function properly at all. Almost anything could set him off into a rage, but insults to himself, his honor, or his family are absolutely the worst. These rages have only become more and more frequent and terrible as his frustration with his injury mounts. Even in normal circumstances when he is perfectly calm, however, Brunvar could be considered to be quite ruthless. Pity has no meaning to him.
Hatred is perhaps not a strong enough word for what Brunvar feels for humans. He feels that they are responsible for his injury, and indeed responsible for everything wrong with the world. This deep-rooted vendetta is an unfortunate one due to how common humans really are. Still, given the slightest excuse to do so he will gladly deprive any human of their life without any remorse. He greatly resents that he must seek out human Monks for healing.
While of average intelligence, and fairly good cunning, Brunvar finds social situations to always be a difficulty. For some strange reason, no one ever seems to want to befriend the young minotaur. This has left him only slightly depressed. Brunvar doesn't worry about friends or groups or any of that 'nonsense.' He is far more concerned with making himself as powerful as possible, and restoring his honor.
Appearance: Brunvar's figure below his head is the epitome and embodiment of brute strength and pure power. His arms bulge with muscles, as do his legs, as does every single visible part of his body. Many adventurers have thin, wiry muscles that come form necessity and repeated exertion rather than practice. That is not the case with Brunvar. Years of dedication since he was a child have made Brunvar as strong as any other Young Minotaur. The weakness of his injury, therefore, just frustrates him even more deeply and terribly. The only clothing Brunvar wears is a small loincloth type garment that hands from his waist. This loincloth is brown and unimpressive, and offers no protection. It is important, however, for purposes of modesty. He thinks that armor and the like are for weaklings afraid of pain. Brunvar's entire body is covered with a thick layer of shaggy fur.
Brunvar's head is fairly frightening to some. It is that of a bull, complete with a large nose and a broad mouth. In cold weather large amounts of steam can literally be seen emitting from his nostrils. In most cases, however, seeing is not necessary. The foul stench is enough. Another feature of Brunvar's head are his gigantic eyes. When calm, his eyes are like that of a cow, large, brown, and docile. However, when he is angry, they become clouded and red. Out of the top of his forehead sprouts two large curved horns. These horns are bright white, kept neat and clean meticulously by the young minotaur. They are very sharp, and make a headbutt a deadly tool indeed.
History: Born to a powerful Minotaur chieftain in North Salvar, from birth Brunvar seemed destined for greatness. He was a hardy and strong child, withstanding the harsh winters of that place with ease. His family was a tight knit clan that roamed the countryside of Berevar constantly, searching always for work and for food. While their life was not easy, the small group was nonetheless a powerful one. Constantly, Bruvar was told of his great warrior ancestors, great minotaurs that struck terror into the hearts of the inferior societies. Bruvar longed, as all young minotaurs did, to walk in their path. All seemed to go well for young Brunvar. He was a quick learner when it came to combat, and fighting seemed to come as naturally to him as breathing. There was nothing to suggest that he had anything but a bright and shining path ahead of him.
Then, disaster struck. While battling a small ice troll with a large group of othe minotaur warriors from his clan, Brunvar happened to be at the wrong end of a blow by a tree being swung as a weapon. He did not fear the blow, for he was no stranger to pain and he was a fairly hardy young minotaur. Perhaps, however, those are the only two things that saved him. For the ice troll's chance blow sent Brunvar flying far into the distance. Had he landed in a snowbank or even on solid ground, Brunvar's career as a minotaur warrior would have continued unimpeded. In another universe, in fact, exactly that happened. Brunvar lived out the rest of his days, eventually becoming a proud and noble minotaur chieftain. He died on the battlefield a grizzled warrior, the greatest fitting end for a powerful minotaur. But that was not this universe. In this world, some trick of angles and momentum sent Brunvar in a different direction...right over a cliff! He fell, fell, fell, who knows how far? No one has ever measured the distance. He landed on his legs, and they were both crushed and the bones were smashed beneath his massive bulk. Luckily he had passed out on impact. A weaker creature would likely have died just then. Perhaps that would have been a mercy.
Brunvar, however, did not die. He survived. Two weeks after the fall he awoke in a dank healer's tent, lying upon a flat animal-skin cot. Confused, he tried to stand up. Immediately he was sent sprawling to the floor. Realizing and remembering then what had happened to him, Brunvar howled in rage and despair. Indeed, for weeks it seemed as though Brunvar's life was over. The best minotaur healers could do nothing for him. He could not fight. That is the root of his lasting grudge towards their kind. He could barely stand now though, and even then only with crutches. Entirely irrationally, and perhaps as a sort of psychological self-defence mechanism, Brunvar blamed the humans for his injury. His father was ashamed with his cripple-son, but was forced to take care of him anyway. No longer the noble and valiant warrior, Brunvar was a liability. His honor was lost, his pride destroyed, and multiple times he considered taking his own life. Indeed, several of hi friends even suggested ritual suicide to him. It would, after all, be the honorable thing to do.
Out of sheer stubbornness or determination, Brunvar refused to kill himself. He refused to recognize the fact that he was crippled, constantly pushing himself to get past the injury. Day and night he worked at relearning to walk, but to no avail. Still, he was a burden on his family and his father's power as a leader while he remained with the clan. Not wanting to continue in that way, Brunvar left. He shuffled out of the village in the dead of night, extremely slowly and in great pain. He walked then with the aide of crutches, a pitiful and shameful sight indeed. He carried with him only his valued greataxe strapped across his back. After his disappearance from the village, Brunvar lived on his own for several weeks. He tried to train himself by sheer force of will how to walk once again. He managed to get to the point where he could shuffle-walk without crutches (though it was much more painful.) He trained his upper body to be at peak strength, and through intense exercises he could support his own weight with his legs. His skill with the axe improved, until he no longer feared for his own life and he could once again defeat the lowlife goblins and the like that plagued the area. Still, it seemed as though he would never truly fight or return to his village again.
There was one place, one group of people in fact, for whom Brunvar had hope. The monks of Scara Brae! He had heard of their kind in that far, far distant land. Were there not several of that sect somewhere there? They could heal anything, couldn't they? And surely anything included his shattered legs? Slowly but steadily, Brunvar made his way to the coastline. After a few close encounters with some Orcs, Tyrant Dwarves, and various other hazards of that dangerous land with he barely was able to handle in his injured state, he managed to reach a coastal city. From there, he took a transport ship directly to the City of Scara Brae. Excited at this new warm land, Brunvar naively went straight to the hospital for assistance. But to no avail! Outrageous prices kept him from paying there.
Devastated, Brunvar decided to turn to another group of monks on the island. There were two places that could help him, he decided. The Citadel, and the Pagoda. Those monks, however, both had one similar ultimatum. If he wanted them to help him, he would have to fight...and win.
Skills/Abilities:
Average Axe Proficiency: Axes or preferably greataxes are not overly difficult for Brunvar to use with decent skill and proficiency. This naturally does not include throwing axes.
Natural Resilience: Brunvar's skin is naturally as tough as leather armor. He also can withstand large amounts of pain without passing out, somewhat more than the average human. Cold and hot temperatures do not bother him greatly thanks to his thick hide.
Brute Strength: Massive muscles and a naturally powerful minotaur physique make Brunvar exceedingly strong. He is approximately twice as strong as an average human.
Intimidating: For obvious reasons, Brunvar's appearance is severely frightening to many smaller humans and creatures. They will naturally feel afraid of this terrifying creature. This does not effect anything Brunvar's level or higher. Therefore, at level 0, only particularly weak NPCs will be effected.
Weaknesses:
Chronic Injury: Brunvar suffers from a chronic debilitating injury to both of his legs. It is unknown exactly what is wrong, or why this happens, but Brunvar blames it all on the humans. This injury causes him great pain whenever he walks. In fact, he can't really walk at all. He must shuffle along painfully slowly. Were he to attempt to walk at a normal pace, or, Gods forbid, were he to try to run he would certainly fall over, screaming in agony. It is because of this injury that he has left Salvar, seeking some of the amazing healing power of the various groups of Monks on Scara Brae.
Seeing Red: The color red is absolutely a problem for Brunvar. He hates it. Anything that color he will automatically try to destroy without hesitation. If it is clothing, he very likely will attack the wearer of the dreaded red color. Obviously this is a problem in most social situations and in getting along with society as a whole...
Rage: When Brunvar is in a rage, he looses control of himself. While in those instances his resistance to pain is dramatically increased, his mental capacities and self-control are greatly diminished. Some day this could be used as an ability, for now it is more of a problem.
Equipment:
Iron Greataxe: Brunvar carries and uses a massive greataxe as his weapon. It is made of iron and has a large wooden shaft for a handle. It's exceptional size matches that of Brunvar. It is too heavy for most humans to lift, much less use with proficiency.
Other: Mathemagician here. This is my second character. :)
Age: 21
Race: Minotaur
Hair Color: Brown fur.
Eye Color: Brown.
Height: 10'4"
Weight: 364 lb
Personality: Brunvar is a very noble and honorable creature. He will never go back on his word once it has been given, and when he commits he commits absolutely. In formal situations he behaves stiffly and formally, sticking to tradition as best he can. Pride is important to Brunvar, and shame in his mind is worse even than death. In the event that he is defeated or somehow disgraced, he will stop at nothing to avenge himself and reclaim his honor. This prideful characteristic also means that he is terribly sensitive to insults. Any slight that he perceives he will react to angrily and far out of proportion to the actual crime. Family honor is also very important to him, and he considers an insult to any member of his clan to be an attack worthy of death.
Rage, in fact, is another strong personality trait of the minotaur. Sometimes in battle, or indeed in any situation at all, Brunvar will lose his temper and become entirely out of control. In these circumstances, the formal and honorable Brunvar vanishes completely from view. In its place is a wrathful and vengeful monster, hell-bent on little other than wreaking destruction and devastation to his foes. With training and control, this could come to be a useful ability. For now, however, it is more of a detriment to his life, as in a wrathful state he cannot function properly at all. Almost anything could set him off into a rage, but insults to himself, his honor, or his family are absolutely the worst. These rages have only become more and more frequent and terrible as his frustration with his injury mounts. Even in normal circumstances when he is perfectly calm, however, Brunvar could be considered to be quite ruthless. Pity has no meaning to him.
Hatred is perhaps not a strong enough word for what Brunvar feels for humans. He feels that they are responsible for his injury, and indeed responsible for everything wrong with the world. This deep-rooted vendetta is an unfortunate one due to how common humans really are. Still, given the slightest excuse to do so he will gladly deprive any human of their life without any remorse. He greatly resents that he must seek out human Monks for healing.
While of average intelligence, and fairly good cunning, Brunvar finds social situations to always be a difficulty. For some strange reason, no one ever seems to want to befriend the young minotaur. This has left him only slightly depressed. Brunvar doesn't worry about friends or groups or any of that 'nonsense.' He is far more concerned with making himself as powerful as possible, and restoring his honor.
Appearance: Brunvar's figure below his head is the epitome and embodiment of brute strength and pure power. His arms bulge with muscles, as do his legs, as does every single visible part of his body. Many adventurers have thin, wiry muscles that come form necessity and repeated exertion rather than practice. That is not the case with Brunvar. Years of dedication since he was a child have made Brunvar as strong as any other Young Minotaur. The weakness of his injury, therefore, just frustrates him even more deeply and terribly. The only clothing Brunvar wears is a small loincloth type garment that hands from his waist. This loincloth is brown and unimpressive, and offers no protection. It is important, however, for purposes of modesty. He thinks that armor and the like are for weaklings afraid of pain. Brunvar's entire body is covered with a thick layer of shaggy fur.
Brunvar's head is fairly frightening to some. It is that of a bull, complete with a large nose and a broad mouth. In cold weather large amounts of steam can literally be seen emitting from his nostrils. In most cases, however, seeing is not necessary. The foul stench is enough. Another feature of Brunvar's head are his gigantic eyes. When calm, his eyes are like that of a cow, large, brown, and docile. However, when he is angry, they become clouded and red. Out of the top of his forehead sprouts two large curved horns. These horns are bright white, kept neat and clean meticulously by the young minotaur. They are very sharp, and make a headbutt a deadly tool indeed.
History: Born to a powerful Minotaur chieftain in North Salvar, from birth Brunvar seemed destined for greatness. He was a hardy and strong child, withstanding the harsh winters of that place with ease. His family was a tight knit clan that roamed the countryside of Berevar constantly, searching always for work and for food. While their life was not easy, the small group was nonetheless a powerful one. Constantly, Bruvar was told of his great warrior ancestors, great minotaurs that struck terror into the hearts of the inferior societies. Bruvar longed, as all young minotaurs did, to walk in their path. All seemed to go well for young Brunvar. He was a quick learner when it came to combat, and fighting seemed to come as naturally to him as breathing. There was nothing to suggest that he had anything but a bright and shining path ahead of him.
Then, disaster struck. While battling a small ice troll with a large group of othe minotaur warriors from his clan, Brunvar happened to be at the wrong end of a blow by a tree being swung as a weapon. He did not fear the blow, for he was no stranger to pain and he was a fairly hardy young minotaur. Perhaps, however, those are the only two things that saved him. For the ice troll's chance blow sent Brunvar flying far into the distance. Had he landed in a snowbank or even on solid ground, Brunvar's career as a minotaur warrior would have continued unimpeded. In another universe, in fact, exactly that happened. Brunvar lived out the rest of his days, eventually becoming a proud and noble minotaur chieftain. He died on the battlefield a grizzled warrior, the greatest fitting end for a powerful minotaur. But that was not this universe. In this world, some trick of angles and momentum sent Brunvar in a different direction...right over a cliff! He fell, fell, fell, who knows how far? No one has ever measured the distance. He landed on his legs, and they were both crushed and the bones were smashed beneath his massive bulk. Luckily he had passed out on impact. A weaker creature would likely have died just then. Perhaps that would have been a mercy.
Brunvar, however, did not die. He survived. Two weeks after the fall he awoke in a dank healer's tent, lying upon a flat animal-skin cot. Confused, he tried to stand up. Immediately he was sent sprawling to the floor. Realizing and remembering then what had happened to him, Brunvar howled in rage and despair. Indeed, for weeks it seemed as though Brunvar's life was over. The best minotaur healers could do nothing for him. He could not fight. That is the root of his lasting grudge towards their kind. He could barely stand now though, and even then only with crutches. Entirely irrationally, and perhaps as a sort of psychological self-defence mechanism, Brunvar blamed the humans for his injury. His father was ashamed with his cripple-son, but was forced to take care of him anyway. No longer the noble and valiant warrior, Brunvar was a liability. His honor was lost, his pride destroyed, and multiple times he considered taking his own life. Indeed, several of hi friends even suggested ritual suicide to him. It would, after all, be the honorable thing to do.
Out of sheer stubbornness or determination, Brunvar refused to kill himself. He refused to recognize the fact that he was crippled, constantly pushing himself to get past the injury. Day and night he worked at relearning to walk, but to no avail. Still, he was a burden on his family and his father's power as a leader while he remained with the clan. Not wanting to continue in that way, Brunvar left. He shuffled out of the village in the dead of night, extremely slowly and in great pain. He walked then with the aide of crutches, a pitiful and shameful sight indeed. He carried with him only his valued greataxe strapped across his back. After his disappearance from the village, Brunvar lived on his own for several weeks. He tried to train himself by sheer force of will how to walk once again. He managed to get to the point where he could shuffle-walk without crutches (though it was much more painful.) He trained his upper body to be at peak strength, and through intense exercises he could support his own weight with his legs. His skill with the axe improved, until he no longer feared for his own life and he could once again defeat the lowlife goblins and the like that plagued the area. Still, it seemed as though he would never truly fight or return to his village again.
There was one place, one group of people in fact, for whom Brunvar had hope. The monks of Scara Brae! He had heard of their kind in that far, far distant land. Were there not several of that sect somewhere there? They could heal anything, couldn't they? And surely anything included his shattered legs? Slowly but steadily, Brunvar made his way to the coastline. After a few close encounters with some Orcs, Tyrant Dwarves, and various other hazards of that dangerous land with he barely was able to handle in his injured state, he managed to reach a coastal city. From there, he took a transport ship directly to the City of Scara Brae. Excited at this new warm land, Brunvar naively went straight to the hospital for assistance. But to no avail! Outrageous prices kept him from paying there.
Devastated, Brunvar decided to turn to another group of monks on the island. There were two places that could help him, he decided. The Citadel, and the Pagoda. Those monks, however, both had one similar ultimatum. If he wanted them to help him, he would have to fight...and win.
Skills/Abilities:
Average Axe Proficiency: Axes or preferably greataxes are not overly difficult for Brunvar to use with decent skill and proficiency. This naturally does not include throwing axes.
Natural Resilience: Brunvar's skin is naturally as tough as leather armor. He also can withstand large amounts of pain without passing out, somewhat more than the average human. Cold and hot temperatures do not bother him greatly thanks to his thick hide.
Brute Strength: Massive muscles and a naturally powerful minotaur physique make Brunvar exceedingly strong. He is approximately twice as strong as an average human.
Intimidating: For obvious reasons, Brunvar's appearance is severely frightening to many smaller humans and creatures. They will naturally feel afraid of this terrifying creature. This does not effect anything Brunvar's level or higher. Therefore, at level 0, only particularly weak NPCs will be effected.
Weaknesses:
Chronic Injury: Brunvar suffers from a chronic debilitating injury to both of his legs. It is unknown exactly what is wrong, or why this happens, but Brunvar blames it all on the humans. This injury causes him great pain whenever he walks. In fact, he can't really walk at all. He must shuffle along painfully slowly. Were he to attempt to walk at a normal pace, or, Gods forbid, were he to try to run he would certainly fall over, screaming in agony. It is because of this injury that he has left Salvar, seeking some of the amazing healing power of the various groups of Monks on Scara Brae.
Seeing Red: The color red is absolutely a problem for Brunvar. He hates it. Anything that color he will automatically try to destroy without hesitation. If it is clothing, he very likely will attack the wearer of the dreaded red color. Obviously this is a problem in most social situations and in getting along with society as a whole...
Rage: When Brunvar is in a rage, he looses control of himself. While in those instances his resistance to pain is dramatically increased, his mental capacities and self-control are greatly diminished. Some day this could be used as an ability, for now it is more of a problem.
Equipment:
Iron Greataxe: Brunvar carries and uses a massive greataxe as his weapon. It is made of iron and has a large wooden shaft for a handle. It's exceptional size matches that of Brunvar. It is too heavy for most humans to lift, much less use with proficiency.
Other: Mathemagician here. This is my second character. :)