Otto
04-11-13, 12:53 PM
Edits to the previous profile are marked by red text. Where a section heading or subheading is coloured read, then most or all of its contents either have been edited or are new additions altogether.
Otto Bastum, Dog of War
Full name: Otto Bastum, aka: 'Bastard'
Age: 26, or thereabouts.
Race: Orc
Hair colour: black
Eye colour: amber
Height: 190 cm
Weight: 96 kg
Occupation: armourer, veteran foot soldier (Corone Armed Forces)
Personality:
Otto does not speak overmuch; he prefers parsimonious and, preferably, monosyllabic responses, although his penchant for conversation has grown of late. He requires some form of physical stimulation to truly focus on a task for more than a few minutes at a time, preferring to work on it with his own hands. Without this, he becomes detached, impatient, and irritable.
People’s first impression of Otto is of a dour, humourless and overbearingly cynical individual, but those who come to know him well suspect he has moments of remarkable sarcastic and vitriolic wit. The cynicism, however, is a definite. Yet it would surprise many to know that Otto also has a strong sense of loyalty and duty, and even generosity; he understands that he probably would not even have survived childhood without the charity of his old master, and he also appreciates the importance of forging friendships – few but strong ones – to help weather prejudice and abuse from others. His abrasive demeanour (which has smoothed off some, as of late) is simply an acquired response to the default treatment that he receives, as an orc, from the Coronian populace. Otto can still be a little slow in conversation, but recent duties in the Radasanth guard and being taken under the bard Erirag’s wing have improved his social skills immensely.
Otto considers the best strategy in combat to be a relentless offense – unless such a thing will probably get him killed. He has learned to keep a rein on his temper, and to relinquish a grudge. Other than that, he is a fan of large meals and strong beer.
Appearance:
Otto is a growing orc lad, his stocky form moulded by a lifetime of manual labour, rounded off by a couple of years’ intense training in the CAF. He has slate grey skin with bristly patches of thick black hair on much of his body – chest, back, legs, arms, and head. Often, his face and arms will be coated with soot from the forge. Old burn marks adorn his arms, and some of the hair there is usually singed off. He has one more mark - a matching pair, actually - which, if pressed, he will only describe as the result of a 'smithing accident'; the undersides of his hands have been turned pure, snow-white.
Even for an orc, Otto cannot be considered handsome. He has a wide and slightly upturned nose, jutting jaw and forehead with large eyebrows, small, deep set eyes and high cheek bones. Two fangs protrude about four centimetres out of his mouth and up from his lower jaw. His thick and wiry hair is usually brushed or tied back, and he has grown his beard out by a couple of inches. His arms are long for his body, nearly reaching to his knees. He is broad shouldered, too, and has a slight hunch. As of late, his skin has started to become much thicker and rougher.
He has a deep, slightly rasping voice, and speaks with a slight lisp due to his mouth shape.
History:
Prologue
In CP 1776, Marten Smith found a swaddled infant on his Radasanth doorstep. Upon inspection, the foundling turned out to be an orc, accompanied only by the blanket he was wrapped in. For whatever reason, Marten and his wife Katarina took him in and named him (Otto understands the decision was made by Marten, but never pressed either of them what Katarina’s position had been at the time). Somehow they acquired the services of a wet nurse for the orcish infant and raised him without major incident for a year, until the human couple’s first child – Emric - was born. Marten would later say that even if things didn’t go well with Otto, at least it was good practice for their first son.
Possibly because of the strain of raising two dependents, Katarina never showed much affection for Otto, and Marten – while never neglectful or cruel – was at times gruff and impatient. From little past the age that he could walk, Marten had Otto assisting him around the forge. Otto would help carry raw materials, fetch tools, and sweep the floors, but not until he was about nine did Marten allow him near the forge proper or to port the finished products. At this time, Marten took the lad on as an apprentice, with the additional duties of assisting Emric when he began to learn the trade; later, so long as Otto remained in Radasanth, he would be expected to work for Emric when Marten’s son took over the family business. Apart from the armourer's trade, Marten also instructed Otto in some standard blacksmithing that the old man had learned from his grandfather, who had lived in a time with much less demand from the military.
Katarina did her best to teach Otto basic literacy, so he could help with some of the paperwork for the business. He was a very slow learner, constantly losing focus. His frustration with the (to his mind) dry and dull lessons was ever compounded by that at his lack of progress.
Orcs are not the most numerous members of the populace in Radasanth, and Otto was cajoled and taunted by others his age (more so than normal, even for children). Still, there were two or three who didn't partake in this, and Otto usually spent what little spare time he had in their company, roaming the streets, wharfs, and occasioanlly the rooftops of the poorer areas.
Once Emric had started learning from his father, Otto was given the majority of the hauling and cleaning jobs so that Marten’s son could have more to time to practice the trade. Otto, however, was bored and frustrated with the unskilled work and desired more time at the forge. The Orc had felt both the satisfaction of creating something with his own two hands, and the desire to learn and master the craft had been enkindled. Otto began waking before the others so he could finish carting in the iron and coal as the forge was lit, and he stayed back late to clean and tidy. Unfortunately for Otto, this occasionally meant a missed meal, and often a lack of sleep. Nonetheless, he persevered until Marten came up with a new duty for both him and Emric.
Marten believed that an adequate weaponsmith had to understand what it was they were making – which required first-hand experience. After a couple of weeks of practice at the hands of his master, Otto and Emric were sent up to the Citadel two or three times a week to spar with someof Marten’s acquaintances who were members of the Corone Armed Forces. One week might be spent learning to move under the bulk of byrnie, the next on swordplay, and the one after that, how to wield a polearm. Emric slowly developed his skill with all manner of swords, and these became his focus at the forge. Otto quite liked the heft and familiarity of a good hammer, and felt it was well balanced with the reach of a spear. As they trained, the apprentices learned of the influence that balance had on a sword, how much padding one required underneath one’s chainmail, the benefit of smaller, lighter weapons in protracted battles, and the like. Otto and Emric moved on to sparring each other, then other youths and even the odd experienced fighter who had time for them.
This carried on for twelve years until, with the civil war, Otto was drafted into the Corone Armed Forces.
Chapter I
Despite any perceptions as to his expendability, a decent armourer is an invaluable asset in times of war. Otto spent most of his time in the camp as opposed to the field, striking iron and not skulls. He did partake in a couple of low-risk skirmishes, but it was not until the war had entered its final stages that anything managed to pierce his isolation from conflict.
That thing was Irinham. (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25189-The-March-on-Irinham-%28open%29)
Otto learned the difference between a match between warriors in the halls of the Citadel and that of soldiers cutting their way through civilians in the world outside. He learned it several times over. It was during that part of the war that he became acquainted with Dale ‘Red Dawn’ Russell; the two were part of the CAF’s assault on the village of Irinham, and also worked alongside each other on a couple of other missions, including a foray into Radasanth’s slums while on the hunt for a necromancer (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25296-Dead-Night-%28Open%29).
Otto was stationed back in Radasanth at the end of the conflict, where he continued his duties as an armourer. Somewhere between Irinham and that, or slowly along the entire course of it, he had lost his edge. He performed his duties and took part in drills as instructed, but without enthusiasm. He was even more subdued than usual, less willing to try his hand at caustic wit, increasingly contemplative. His work as an armourer was not entirely spared from this, either. It was during this time that he also was also inducted into police work under lieutenant Francine Orman.
Then, several influences culminated in a change deep within the orc. Irinham had robbed him of any taste for violence, but when a sabotage attempt (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25156-Gaolhouse-Rock-%28closed%29) by one Aurelianus Drak’shal robbed him of two friends, Otto saw what the dereliction of his duty as a soldier had cost him; with care, one can fight monsters without becoming them.
His new role as a peacekeeper was novel to him, and effectively the antithesis of what he had been taught as a wartime soldier. Orman was a good officer, smart and responsible. Under her command (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25294-Dread-Sovereign-%28Closed%29), Otto found himself in a position to pay back some of the debt he had earned against the people of Corone during the war. It was redemption, or as near to it as he felt he had any right to.
But perhaps the most profound impact on the young orc was his encounter with the poet Erirag (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25085-Into-the-Woods). Comrades-in-arms will die, and sometimes you can do nothing about it, no matter how great a warrior you are. Help, even save, as many people as you want, and all those homes will have been no less razed, those crows no less sated. But in twenty-five years, the giantess had been the only person to look upon him for the first time and smile in joy. She took him under her wing, and any feeling he had of home prior to this paled in comparison to the companionship that he felt lay before him. He had regained hope and purpose.
Skills:
Languages:
Tradespeak
Verbal: competent. Otto is well-versed in Tradespeak, and his speech is peppered with the colloquialisms and turns of phrase native amongst the common folk of Radasanth.
Written: poor. Good enough to struggle through invoices, receipts, and work orders, but don’t expect him to make any valuable contributions to the Radasanth Weekly Book Club.
Aleranian orcish
Verbal: novice. Thanks to Erirag’s patient instruction, Otto can stumble through a conversation, and every now and then, make himself halfway comprehensible.
Written: poor. Not quite as ‘polished’ as his Tradespeak, but not very far behind at all.
Singing: novice. Otto can hold a simple tune, in a fairly limited range. His ear for pitch is still developing, and while he can sometimes get right on the note, it is usually a little off. Still, when he sings, it's recognisable as a song, and his enhanced vocal spectrum has also lent itself to improving his everyday conversational skills.
Armourer:
Iron – steel: skilled. Damascus - Mythril: competent. Plynt and Prevalida: average.
Hide - Leather – competent. Magim – arctic: average. Above arctic: novice.
Chitin – bone: average. Above bone: novice.
Burlap – canvas: average. Spidersilk – Sifan: novice. Vlince: average.
He can make quality armour from lower tier materials, and make it to fit. He can also craft swords, axes, maces and such at a professional level, especially spears and hammers. Lastly, he can usually repair these items at a forge, or at least keep them from falling apart a bit longer. He is also familiar with Vlince, due to the plant’s endemism to Corone and the demand from nobles, the latter of which saw plenty of it pass through Marten’s workshop.
Blacksmith: average. This covers metalwork that is not part of an armourer’s craft but is essential to everyday life, such as fitting horseshoes, toolmaking, and crafting various metal goods such as nails, railings, hinges, gears, etc.
Combat:
Hammers: skilled. Otto knows his way around a good, single-handed hammer at the forge and on the field. Frequent use has made such weapons feel like an extension of his body.
Spears: competent. Otto’s pole-arm training has been supplemented with prolific field application.
Other melee weapons: variable. Otto understands their theoretical use, and can certainly craft them well enough, but he is not really familiar with anything other than hammers or spears. Weapons vaguely similar to those (staves, axes etc.), however, may be wielded with average skill, and close cousins (pikes, lances, maces, morning stars etc.) with competence. But things like swords and flails, well... he may as well attack someone with a loofah.
Shields: skilled. Otto favours round shields and is accustomed to hefting one in combat. He has considerable skill in using a shield to catch incoming blows whilst minimising trauma, using it as a counterbalance and even as an extra weapon, if need be.
Brawling: average. This is the no-frills art of using any part of your body as a weapon. Years of Citadel battles, a tour of duty during the civil war and that one time with a particularly belligerent drunk (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25310-Swing-drunkee-drunkee-swing!) has given Otto plenty of schooling in this subject, albeit generally as a place-holder until he can use one of his preferred weapons.
Abilities:
Toughness: Otto is entering true orcish adulthood. As a result, his body is losing the last of its juvenile softness as it prepares for a life of typical orcish conflict and violence. Otto is twice as tough as an average human; he can withstand the same amount of physical trauma as one and receive half the amount of damage.
Scent: Otto has an excellent sense of smell, and can easily detect animal traces on the wind or left behind where an individual has resided for some time. Smells which stand out are sweat, urine, faeces, and, in particular, blood. This made growing up in a medieval(ish)-era city about as enjoyable as you’d expect. Otto’s sense of smell is about three quarters of that of a canine on the lower end of the olfactory sensitivity spectrum in regards to the mentioned odours, and half again for other scents.
Stamina: Otto has thrice the endurance of an average human. While still strong, constant labour and intense military training has given Otto more all-round stamina than brute strength. Even in full kit, Otto can outlast an average human in combat, and he can struggle on in the face disease or blood loss.
Precision: Otto has thrice the control and coordination of an average human when using hammers, and twice that of an average human when using a spear.
Infusion: Otto can sense enchanted iron, and work such enhancements into any iron-containing item which he forges himself. The item must comprise at least one-third iron (parts per million, ppm), although enchantments will benefit from the inclusion of augmentative metals such as Damascus or Prevalida. Enchanting can only occur under specific conditions, by drawing on the surrounding environment – be it the significance of the tools used, something regarding their history, Otto’s mood, or perceived aspects of the location where the item is made. These enchantments act as abilities, and are governed by the same rules. Otto cannot make an enchantment stronger than the maximum ability level permitted for a character half Otto’s level at the time of forging, rounding down.
Example: a shield forged in full sun, and only within an hour each side of noon, may be infused with an ‘illumination’ enchantment. The shield may act as a light source, or it might work in a metaphorical sense by allowing Otto to ‘see’ when people speak falsehoods. If Otto was level three at the time of creating the item, then the enchantment cannot be stronger than an ability allowed for a level one character (3/2 = 1.5, rounding down = 1).
Obviously, he cannot just pull enchanted items from the thin air. Making these things costs time and money, and item acquisition must comply with the rules and costs of the Bazaar (this accounts for the price of materials, and of making the workpiece amenable to enchantment), or be approved as thread spoils by an appropriate staff member.
Equipment:
Linen undergarments, shirt and trousers
Woolen overcoat
Leather belts, hoops/catches for weapons/shield
Leather boots, knee height
Leather apron, fire resistant
Linen tabard, CAF insignia on scarlet (military issue)
Iron-shod oaken round shield, 1 metre in diameter (self-made)
Iron chainmail hauberk over supple leather padding, knee and wrist-length (self-made to fit, beginning to rust after several years of use in the field)
Iron plate greaves, shin and lower thigh (self made to fit over boots)
Iron plate gauntlets over supple leather (self-made to fit)
Iron helm (sallet), with adjustable visor, pointed tail, and bevor (self-made to fit)
Iron-headed war hammer with reverse spike atop oak handle, single handed, 75 cm long (self-made)
Iron-tipped oak spear, 6’ (self-made)
Bronze amulet of Trisgen on a thin leather cord (self-made)
Iron blacksmith’s hammer, with stylised flame and dragon scale designs (Acmon’s tether, acquired here (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25197-The-Midnight-Visitor-%28solo%29)).
Iron and leather maintenance equipment (oils, small knife, whetstone, file)
Burlap rucksack & field gear (canteen, tinderbox, linen bandages)
Pets, Familiars and Other:
Acmon (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25197-The-Midnight-Visitor-%28solo%29)
Known to Otto only as ‘Anvil’, this critter is a form of ‘house spirit’ (or god) – but rather than being dedicated to the farm or homestead, it is a creature of the forge. One can gain its favour through thanks (worship) and offerings of food, but like its kin, it usually shies away from social interaction. Well, ‘shies’ is probably not the right word; ‘responds with bloody retribution’ may be more accurate. Although one may speak, and even work, with it, to lay eyes upon its visage is to invite its wrath. Even as its latest pupil, Otto is not exempt from this rule. The spirit will usually only speak at night, almost always when in private, and never to any but Otto.
Acmon is under geas to teach Otto for a period of twenty months, as he is to give it work and offerings. Acmon does not just instruct Otto in the mundane forms of metalworking, but in the spirit’s own forté: enchantment. Also, atomic and subatomic physics... but that will come later. Once Otto can get his head around magic, then he may be ready for quantum mechanics. Unfortunately for the orc, Acmon is not required to lend him any aid, and would be disinclined to do so in any case. Though Otto may perish, the spirit might be happy to wait around for a century or two until the next poor sap comes across it, and takes the tether back to a forge. Only in the direst of circumstances, where Acmon itself is at risk of being lost forever, will it make an effort to assist its protégé... and even then, only through advice presented as a riddle. Spirits such as it are fickle things, and often appear to enjoy toying with mortals more than seeing to their own long-term survival.
The spirit ‘resides’ in a tether – an item of iron; at the moment, this is Otto’s smithing hammer. Though it can manifest itself corporeally outside of it, it cannot do so more than a couple of dozen feet from the tether. The spirit also gains strength from being in the presence of iron and activities to do with iron – as such, a forge is ideal. It can also consume food to give it power, but blood... blood is something else entirely. Blood is life, and iron is in the blood. Were Acmon to receive a full blood sacrifice as in the days of yore, it could forge an artefact of unbridled power – or, just perhaps, break free of its limitations, and turn from symbiont to predator.
Otto Bastum, Dog of War
Full name: Otto Bastum, aka: 'Bastard'
Age: 26, or thereabouts.
Race: Orc
Hair colour: black
Eye colour: amber
Height: 190 cm
Weight: 96 kg
Occupation: armourer, veteran foot soldier (Corone Armed Forces)
Personality:
Otto does not speak overmuch; he prefers parsimonious and, preferably, monosyllabic responses, although his penchant for conversation has grown of late. He requires some form of physical stimulation to truly focus on a task for more than a few minutes at a time, preferring to work on it with his own hands. Without this, he becomes detached, impatient, and irritable.
People’s first impression of Otto is of a dour, humourless and overbearingly cynical individual, but those who come to know him well suspect he has moments of remarkable sarcastic and vitriolic wit. The cynicism, however, is a definite. Yet it would surprise many to know that Otto also has a strong sense of loyalty and duty, and even generosity; he understands that he probably would not even have survived childhood without the charity of his old master, and he also appreciates the importance of forging friendships – few but strong ones – to help weather prejudice and abuse from others. His abrasive demeanour (which has smoothed off some, as of late) is simply an acquired response to the default treatment that he receives, as an orc, from the Coronian populace. Otto can still be a little slow in conversation, but recent duties in the Radasanth guard and being taken under the bard Erirag’s wing have improved his social skills immensely.
Otto considers the best strategy in combat to be a relentless offense – unless such a thing will probably get him killed. He has learned to keep a rein on his temper, and to relinquish a grudge. Other than that, he is a fan of large meals and strong beer.
Appearance:
Otto is a growing orc lad, his stocky form moulded by a lifetime of manual labour, rounded off by a couple of years’ intense training in the CAF. He has slate grey skin with bristly patches of thick black hair on much of his body – chest, back, legs, arms, and head. Often, his face and arms will be coated with soot from the forge. Old burn marks adorn his arms, and some of the hair there is usually singed off. He has one more mark - a matching pair, actually - which, if pressed, he will only describe as the result of a 'smithing accident'; the undersides of his hands have been turned pure, snow-white.
Even for an orc, Otto cannot be considered handsome. He has a wide and slightly upturned nose, jutting jaw and forehead with large eyebrows, small, deep set eyes and high cheek bones. Two fangs protrude about four centimetres out of his mouth and up from his lower jaw. His thick and wiry hair is usually brushed or tied back, and he has grown his beard out by a couple of inches. His arms are long for his body, nearly reaching to his knees. He is broad shouldered, too, and has a slight hunch. As of late, his skin has started to become much thicker and rougher.
He has a deep, slightly rasping voice, and speaks with a slight lisp due to his mouth shape.
History:
Prologue
In CP 1776, Marten Smith found a swaddled infant on his Radasanth doorstep. Upon inspection, the foundling turned out to be an orc, accompanied only by the blanket he was wrapped in. For whatever reason, Marten and his wife Katarina took him in and named him (Otto understands the decision was made by Marten, but never pressed either of them what Katarina’s position had been at the time). Somehow they acquired the services of a wet nurse for the orcish infant and raised him without major incident for a year, until the human couple’s first child – Emric - was born. Marten would later say that even if things didn’t go well with Otto, at least it was good practice for their first son.
Possibly because of the strain of raising two dependents, Katarina never showed much affection for Otto, and Marten – while never neglectful or cruel – was at times gruff and impatient. From little past the age that he could walk, Marten had Otto assisting him around the forge. Otto would help carry raw materials, fetch tools, and sweep the floors, but not until he was about nine did Marten allow him near the forge proper or to port the finished products. At this time, Marten took the lad on as an apprentice, with the additional duties of assisting Emric when he began to learn the trade; later, so long as Otto remained in Radasanth, he would be expected to work for Emric when Marten’s son took over the family business. Apart from the armourer's trade, Marten also instructed Otto in some standard blacksmithing that the old man had learned from his grandfather, who had lived in a time with much less demand from the military.
Katarina did her best to teach Otto basic literacy, so he could help with some of the paperwork for the business. He was a very slow learner, constantly losing focus. His frustration with the (to his mind) dry and dull lessons was ever compounded by that at his lack of progress.
Orcs are not the most numerous members of the populace in Radasanth, and Otto was cajoled and taunted by others his age (more so than normal, even for children). Still, there were two or three who didn't partake in this, and Otto usually spent what little spare time he had in their company, roaming the streets, wharfs, and occasioanlly the rooftops of the poorer areas.
Once Emric had started learning from his father, Otto was given the majority of the hauling and cleaning jobs so that Marten’s son could have more to time to practice the trade. Otto, however, was bored and frustrated with the unskilled work and desired more time at the forge. The Orc had felt both the satisfaction of creating something with his own two hands, and the desire to learn and master the craft had been enkindled. Otto began waking before the others so he could finish carting in the iron and coal as the forge was lit, and he stayed back late to clean and tidy. Unfortunately for Otto, this occasionally meant a missed meal, and often a lack of sleep. Nonetheless, he persevered until Marten came up with a new duty for both him and Emric.
Marten believed that an adequate weaponsmith had to understand what it was they were making – which required first-hand experience. After a couple of weeks of practice at the hands of his master, Otto and Emric were sent up to the Citadel two or three times a week to spar with someof Marten’s acquaintances who were members of the Corone Armed Forces. One week might be spent learning to move under the bulk of byrnie, the next on swordplay, and the one after that, how to wield a polearm. Emric slowly developed his skill with all manner of swords, and these became his focus at the forge. Otto quite liked the heft and familiarity of a good hammer, and felt it was well balanced with the reach of a spear. As they trained, the apprentices learned of the influence that balance had on a sword, how much padding one required underneath one’s chainmail, the benefit of smaller, lighter weapons in protracted battles, and the like. Otto and Emric moved on to sparring each other, then other youths and even the odd experienced fighter who had time for them.
This carried on for twelve years until, with the civil war, Otto was drafted into the Corone Armed Forces.
Chapter I
Despite any perceptions as to his expendability, a decent armourer is an invaluable asset in times of war. Otto spent most of his time in the camp as opposed to the field, striking iron and not skulls. He did partake in a couple of low-risk skirmishes, but it was not until the war had entered its final stages that anything managed to pierce his isolation from conflict.
That thing was Irinham. (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25189-The-March-on-Irinham-%28open%29)
Otto learned the difference between a match between warriors in the halls of the Citadel and that of soldiers cutting their way through civilians in the world outside. He learned it several times over. It was during that part of the war that he became acquainted with Dale ‘Red Dawn’ Russell; the two were part of the CAF’s assault on the village of Irinham, and also worked alongside each other on a couple of other missions, including a foray into Radasanth’s slums while on the hunt for a necromancer (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25296-Dead-Night-%28Open%29).
Otto was stationed back in Radasanth at the end of the conflict, where he continued his duties as an armourer. Somewhere between Irinham and that, or slowly along the entire course of it, he had lost his edge. He performed his duties and took part in drills as instructed, but without enthusiasm. He was even more subdued than usual, less willing to try his hand at caustic wit, increasingly contemplative. His work as an armourer was not entirely spared from this, either. It was during this time that he also was also inducted into police work under lieutenant Francine Orman.
Then, several influences culminated in a change deep within the orc. Irinham had robbed him of any taste for violence, but when a sabotage attempt (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25156-Gaolhouse-Rock-%28closed%29) by one Aurelianus Drak’shal robbed him of two friends, Otto saw what the dereliction of his duty as a soldier had cost him; with care, one can fight monsters without becoming them.
His new role as a peacekeeper was novel to him, and effectively the antithesis of what he had been taught as a wartime soldier. Orman was a good officer, smart and responsible. Under her command (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25294-Dread-Sovereign-%28Closed%29), Otto found himself in a position to pay back some of the debt he had earned against the people of Corone during the war. It was redemption, or as near to it as he felt he had any right to.
But perhaps the most profound impact on the young orc was his encounter with the poet Erirag (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25085-Into-the-Woods). Comrades-in-arms will die, and sometimes you can do nothing about it, no matter how great a warrior you are. Help, even save, as many people as you want, and all those homes will have been no less razed, those crows no less sated. But in twenty-five years, the giantess had been the only person to look upon him for the first time and smile in joy. She took him under her wing, and any feeling he had of home prior to this paled in comparison to the companionship that he felt lay before him. He had regained hope and purpose.
Skills:
Languages:
Tradespeak
Verbal: competent. Otto is well-versed in Tradespeak, and his speech is peppered with the colloquialisms and turns of phrase native amongst the common folk of Radasanth.
Written: poor. Good enough to struggle through invoices, receipts, and work orders, but don’t expect him to make any valuable contributions to the Radasanth Weekly Book Club.
Aleranian orcish
Verbal: novice. Thanks to Erirag’s patient instruction, Otto can stumble through a conversation, and every now and then, make himself halfway comprehensible.
Written: poor. Not quite as ‘polished’ as his Tradespeak, but not very far behind at all.
Singing: novice. Otto can hold a simple tune, in a fairly limited range. His ear for pitch is still developing, and while he can sometimes get right on the note, it is usually a little off. Still, when he sings, it's recognisable as a song, and his enhanced vocal spectrum has also lent itself to improving his everyday conversational skills.
Armourer:
Iron – steel: skilled. Damascus - Mythril: competent. Plynt and Prevalida: average.
Hide - Leather – competent. Magim – arctic: average. Above arctic: novice.
Chitin – bone: average. Above bone: novice.
Burlap – canvas: average. Spidersilk – Sifan: novice. Vlince: average.
He can make quality armour from lower tier materials, and make it to fit. He can also craft swords, axes, maces and such at a professional level, especially spears and hammers. Lastly, he can usually repair these items at a forge, or at least keep them from falling apart a bit longer. He is also familiar with Vlince, due to the plant’s endemism to Corone and the demand from nobles, the latter of which saw plenty of it pass through Marten’s workshop.
Blacksmith: average. This covers metalwork that is not part of an armourer’s craft but is essential to everyday life, such as fitting horseshoes, toolmaking, and crafting various metal goods such as nails, railings, hinges, gears, etc.
Combat:
Hammers: skilled. Otto knows his way around a good, single-handed hammer at the forge and on the field. Frequent use has made such weapons feel like an extension of his body.
Spears: competent. Otto’s pole-arm training has been supplemented with prolific field application.
Other melee weapons: variable. Otto understands their theoretical use, and can certainly craft them well enough, but he is not really familiar with anything other than hammers or spears. Weapons vaguely similar to those (staves, axes etc.), however, may be wielded with average skill, and close cousins (pikes, lances, maces, morning stars etc.) with competence. But things like swords and flails, well... he may as well attack someone with a loofah.
Shields: skilled. Otto favours round shields and is accustomed to hefting one in combat. He has considerable skill in using a shield to catch incoming blows whilst minimising trauma, using it as a counterbalance and even as an extra weapon, if need be.
Brawling: average. This is the no-frills art of using any part of your body as a weapon. Years of Citadel battles, a tour of duty during the civil war and that one time with a particularly belligerent drunk (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25310-Swing-drunkee-drunkee-swing!) has given Otto plenty of schooling in this subject, albeit generally as a place-holder until he can use one of his preferred weapons.
Abilities:
Toughness: Otto is entering true orcish adulthood. As a result, his body is losing the last of its juvenile softness as it prepares for a life of typical orcish conflict and violence. Otto is twice as tough as an average human; he can withstand the same amount of physical trauma as one and receive half the amount of damage.
Scent: Otto has an excellent sense of smell, and can easily detect animal traces on the wind or left behind where an individual has resided for some time. Smells which stand out are sweat, urine, faeces, and, in particular, blood. This made growing up in a medieval(ish)-era city about as enjoyable as you’d expect. Otto’s sense of smell is about three quarters of that of a canine on the lower end of the olfactory sensitivity spectrum in regards to the mentioned odours, and half again for other scents.
Stamina: Otto has thrice the endurance of an average human. While still strong, constant labour and intense military training has given Otto more all-round stamina than brute strength. Even in full kit, Otto can outlast an average human in combat, and he can struggle on in the face disease or blood loss.
Precision: Otto has thrice the control and coordination of an average human when using hammers, and twice that of an average human when using a spear.
Infusion: Otto can sense enchanted iron, and work such enhancements into any iron-containing item which he forges himself. The item must comprise at least one-third iron (parts per million, ppm), although enchantments will benefit from the inclusion of augmentative metals such as Damascus or Prevalida. Enchanting can only occur under specific conditions, by drawing on the surrounding environment – be it the significance of the tools used, something regarding their history, Otto’s mood, or perceived aspects of the location where the item is made. These enchantments act as abilities, and are governed by the same rules. Otto cannot make an enchantment stronger than the maximum ability level permitted for a character half Otto’s level at the time of forging, rounding down.
Example: a shield forged in full sun, and only within an hour each side of noon, may be infused with an ‘illumination’ enchantment. The shield may act as a light source, or it might work in a metaphorical sense by allowing Otto to ‘see’ when people speak falsehoods. If Otto was level three at the time of creating the item, then the enchantment cannot be stronger than an ability allowed for a level one character (3/2 = 1.5, rounding down = 1).
Obviously, he cannot just pull enchanted items from the thin air. Making these things costs time and money, and item acquisition must comply with the rules and costs of the Bazaar (this accounts for the price of materials, and of making the workpiece amenable to enchantment), or be approved as thread spoils by an appropriate staff member.
Equipment:
Linen undergarments, shirt and trousers
Woolen overcoat
Leather belts, hoops/catches for weapons/shield
Leather boots, knee height
Leather apron, fire resistant
Linen tabard, CAF insignia on scarlet (military issue)
Iron-shod oaken round shield, 1 metre in diameter (self-made)
Iron chainmail hauberk over supple leather padding, knee and wrist-length (self-made to fit, beginning to rust after several years of use in the field)
Iron plate greaves, shin and lower thigh (self made to fit over boots)
Iron plate gauntlets over supple leather (self-made to fit)
Iron helm (sallet), with adjustable visor, pointed tail, and bevor (self-made to fit)
Iron-headed war hammer with reverse spike atop oak handle, single handed, 75 cm long (self-made)
Iron-tipped oak spear, 6’ (self-made)
Bronze amulet of Trisgen on a thin leather cord (self-made)
Iron blacksmith’s hammer, with stylised flame and dragon scale designs (Acmon’s tether, acquired here (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25197-The-Midnight-Visitor-%28solo%29)).
Iron and leather maintenance equipment (oils, small knife, whetstone, file)
Burlap rucksack & field gear (canteen, tinderbox, linen bandages)
Pets, Familiars and Other:
Acmon (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25197-The-Midnight-Visitor-%28solo%29)
Known to Otto only as ‘Anvil’, this critter is a form of ‘house spirit’ (or god) – but rather than being dedicated to the farm or homestead, it is a creature of the forge. One can gain its favour through thanks (worship) and offerings of food, but like its kin, it usually shies away from social interaction. Well, ‘shies’ is probably not the right word; ‘responds with bloody retribution’ may be more accurate. Although one may speak, and even work, with it, to lay eyes upon its visage is to invite its wrath. Even as its latest pupil, Otto is not exempt from this rule. The spirit will usually only speak at night, almost always when in private, and never to any but Otto.
Acmon is under geas to teach Otto for a period of twenty months, as he is to give it work and offerings. Acmon does not just instruct Otto in the mundane forms of metalworking, but in the spirit’s own forté: enchantment. Also, atomic and subatomic physics... but that will come later. Once Otto can get his head around magic, then he may be ready for quantum mechanics. Unfortunately for the orc, Acmon is not required to lend him any aid, and would be disinclined to do so in any case. Though Otto may perish, the spirit might be happy to wait around for a century or two until the next poor sap comes across it, and takes the tether back to a forge. Only in the direst of circumstances, where Acmon itself is at risk of being lost forever, will it make an effort to assist its protégé... and even then, only through advice presented as a riddle. Spirits such as it are fickle things, and often appear to enjoy toying with mortals more than seeing to their own long-term survival.
The spirit ‘resides’ in a tether – an item of iron; at the moment, this is Otto’s smithing hammer. Though it can manifest itself corporeally outside of it, it cannot do so more than a couple of dozen feet from the tether. The spirit also gains strength from being in the presence of iron and activities to do with iron – as such, a forge is ideal. It can also consume food to give it power, but blood... blood is something else entirely. Blood is life, and iron is in the blood. Were Acmon to receive a full blood sacrifice as in the days of yore, it could forge an artefact of unbridled power – or, just perhaps, break free of its limitations, and turn from symbiont to predator.