Kroom
11-02-13, 01:32 AM
Name: Jak Roth Rute
Age: 22
Race: Salvar human.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Green
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 181lbs
Occupation: Journeyman armorer / blade-for-hire
Personality: Terse, cynical, sardonic. Maintains a guarded demeanor, and doesn't really make friends.
Appearance: Jak's shape is muscular, with a strong upper body from working a forge and anvil. His skin, tanned and weathered though not yet bearing signs of much age, is scarred in places from burns and slipped blades. His hands are large, and his fingers seem dextrous beneath the mass of scars and callouses - though his left hand is missing the little finger. His face is lean and angular, with keen eyes and a sharp nose. He has a slight overbite, full cheeks, and rarely shaves. His slightly-wavy hair is kept at a length just below his jaw and occasionally pulled back tightly.
His clothes are stained by travel, but of good make and in decent repair. Jak wears a linen shirt that was once dyed a notable shade of green, but has since faded to a more drab hue, near grey. This shirt is tucked into a pair of leather trousers. Over the shirt he generally will wear a soft wrap of brown wool, falling to his stomach. He wears a wide leather belt and moccasin-like leather shoes. Jak wears a hooded knee-length cloak made from gray-green wool, pinned with a bit of twisted iron that he fashioned. He generally also carries his few belongings in a shapeless leather satchel, slung on his back.
Skills:
Journeyman Armorer
Tongues (Jak speaks most of the trade tongues)
Bladesman (swords & daggers)
Brawler (unarmed combat)
Sneak
Rider
Gambler
Archery
Pickpocketing
Hunter
Education - basic reading, writing, & arithmetic
Novice Healer
Abilities:
Smith's Strength - Jak is much stronger than most men his age or size. He's been known to carry anvils over short distances, bodily lift and throw men larger than he, and once dislocated a man's shoulder with an enraged punch.
Swiftness Mantra - Jak learned few mental tricks from Kellan. He's practiced them to the point where he can activate a sort of trance if he has about ten seconds of peace and relative quiet - that is, he needs to be out of danger and receiving no visual or auditory input, with sufficient mental clarity to recite a simple mantra: "Swift as wind, swift as wind, swift as wind, (etc.)..." After ten or so repetitions, when Jak opens his eyes and ears, he is faster, smarter, and much more precise and efficient in anything he does. Without interruption, Jak has found that this state will generally maintain itself for around half an hour, although it has been getting stronger the more he practices. The trance can be interrupted by a concussion, extreme noise or extreme light. No matter how the trance ends, Jak will be greatly fatigued when he exits the state.
Shadowtouched - The encounter with the mage cabal, and his steps through the mage's shadow-door, has left Jak with an affinity for darkness. He has excellent darkvision, though he cannot fully distinguish color, and is possessed of an unnaturally keen ability to hide himself anywhere that there is shadow or poor light. He would attribute this to his own skills, but there is more than a little magic to it.
Equipment:
- A steel short sword, sheathed on his left hip
- A steel dagger, sheathed on his right hip
- An oak short bow, with twelve to fifteen arrows tipped with iron broadheads, kept in a stiff leather quiver.
- Two steel throwing knives, tucked at his waist.
- A cuirass of exquisite steel scale-mail of Alerian make: light as leather armor and stronger than steel plate.
- Leather vambraces & greaves.
- Iron shoes and shinguards, for when he is working with metal
- A thick leather apron and gloves
- Basic smith's tools: hammer, tongs, a rough file and a fine file, an awl, a whetstone and a flask of oil
- A money pouch on his belt
- A waterskin
- A flint & steel
- A needle & thread
Familiars: None
History:
Jak Roth Rute was the son of Tom Roth Rute, the village blacksmith. Tom taught him everything he knew of smithing, from household implements to armor, and even a few decent blades. It was a forge accident that cost Jak his left small finger, when he was only ten: the tongs slipped and spilled hot metal onto the digit. In pain and panicking, he swatted at the burn - with the hammer in his right hand. The crushed digit had to be amputated and the base joint. Despite this and other accidents, Jak grew up with a love of metalworking, and enjoyed helping his father in the smithy. This went on until he was fifteen years old, at which time his father, hoping to improve the boy's prospects, managed to secure him an attachment with a traveling merchant; a half-elf named Teiran Ka'Thar. This lasted for five years.
During his travels, Jak learned and saw much. Together with the merchant, he traveled from the southern reaches of Salvar through Alerar, made voyages to Corone, and even found his way out to Scara Brae. Through this time, he learned to fight with Teiran's master-at-arms, Kellan Thrant. He learned to drink, barter, sail, ride, and steal. He even encountered the Alerian mechanical weapons and their alchemical firearms. The simple village boy became a world traveler. He took up a position as Teiran's right-hand man and bodyguard after Kellan's death - and more, Jak and Teiran had become friends.
A few of these adventures make for good stories. There was this one time, around the time Jak was nineteen, that Teiran and Jak came into possession of a certain scroll with great value to the magical community. Most of the mages who knew of it were content to attempt to outbid each other, but one certain cabal decided that they needed to have it more than the others did. They sent three of their best (they called them 'Shadecasters') to retrieve it. Jak and the other bodyguards met them with arrows and knives, spoiling their plan. One of the 'Shadecasters' attempted to escape, but Jak pursued and caught hold of him just as the mage was stuttering out a spell. For an instant, the two men vanished from sight, then reappeared twenty feet away, with Jak's knife buried in the man's chest. Tendrils of shadow were melting away around him - though some of them did seem to seep into Jak. He likes to tell that story when he's trying to get laid. They never did learn what the scroll was - at least, Jak didn't.
Then there was the time that Teiran tricked Jak into eating a bowl of absurdly spicy noodles and Jak actually almost died. He's got a wicked spice tolerance now, and actually really likes spicy food. Good times, good times.
Only a year ago, however, Jak's good life dried up. An assassin hired by a rival merchant got past him and killed Teiran. Just like that, Jak was jobless and friendless. The year since he has spent as a mercenary, a blade-for-hire, traveling anywhere he could or would find work.
Age: 22
Race: Salvar human.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Green
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 181lbs
Occupation: Journeyman armorer / blade-for-hire
Personality: Terse, cynical, sardonic. Maintains a guarded demeanor, and doesn't really make friends.
Appearance: Jak's shape is muscular, with a strong upper body from working a forge and anvil. His skin, tanned and weathered though not yet bearing signs of much age, is scarred in places from burns and slipped blades. His hands are large, and his fingers seem dextrous beneath the mass of scars and callouses - though his left hand is missing the little finger. His face is lean and angular, with keen eyes and a sharp nose. He has a slight overbite, full cheeks, and rarely shaves. His slightly-wavy hair is kept at a length just below his jaw and occasionally pulled back tightly.
His clothes are stained by travel, but of good make and in decent repair. Jak wears a linen shirt that was once dyed a notable shade of green, but has since faded to a more drab hue, near grey. This shirt is tucked into a pair of leather trousers. Over the shirt he generally will wear a soft wrap of brown wool, falling to his stomach. He wears a wide leather belt and moccasin-like leather shoes. Jak wears a hooded knee-length cloak made from gray-green wool, pinned with a bit of twisted iron that he fashioned. He generally also carries his few belongings in a shapeless leather satchel, slung on his back.
Skills:
Journeyman Armorer
Tongues (Jak speaks most of the trade tongues)
Bladesman (swords & daggers)
Brawler (unarmed combat)
Sneak
Rider
Gambler
Archery
Pickpocketing
Hunter
Education - basic reading, writing, & arithmetic
Novice Healer
Abilities:
Smith's Strength - Jak is much stronger than most men his age or size. He's been known to carry anvils over short distances, bodily lift and throw men larger than he, and once dislocated a man's shoulder with an enraged punch.
Swiftness Mantra - Jak learned few mental tricks from Kellan. He's practiced them to the point where he can activate a sort of trance if he has about ten seconds of peace and relative quiet - that is, he needs to be out of danger and receiving no visual or auditory input, with sufficient mental clarity to recite a simple mantra: "Swift as wind, swift as wind, swift as wind, (etc.)..." After ten or so repetitions, when Jak opens his eyes and ears, he is faster, smarter, and much more precise and efficient in anything he does. Without interruption, Jak has found that this state will generally maintain itself for around half an hour, although it has been getting stronger the more he practices. The trance can be interrupted by a concussion, extreme noise or extreme light. No matter how the trance ends, Jak will be greatly fatigued when he exits the state.
Shadowtouched - The encounter with the mage cabal, and his steps through the mage's shadow-door, has left Jak with an affinity for darkness. He has excellent darkvision, though he cannot fully distinguish color, and is possessed of an unnaturally keen ability to hide himself anywhere that there is shadow or poor light. He would attribute this to his own skills, but there is more than a little magic to it.
Equipment:
- A steel short sword, sheathed on his left hip
- A steel dagger, sheathed on his right hip
- An oak short bow, with twelve to fifteen arrows tipped with iron broadheads, kept in a stiff leather quiver.
- Two steel throwing knives, tucked at his waist.
- A cuirass of exquisite steel scale-mail of Alerian make: light as leather armor and stronger than steel plate.
- Leather vambraces & greaves.
- Iron shoes and shinguards, for when he is working with metal
- A thick leather apron and gloves
- Basic smith's tools: hammer, tongs, a rough file and a fine file, an awl, a whetstone and a flask of oil
- A money pouch on his belt
- A waterskin
- A flint & steel
- A needle & thread
Familiars: None
History:
Jak Roth Rute was the son of Tom Roth Rute, the village blacksmith. Tom taught him everything he knew of smithing, from household implements to armor, and even a few decent blades. It was a forge accident that cost Jak his left small finger, when he was only ten: the tongs slipped and spilled hot metal onto the digit. In pain and panicking, he swatted at the burn - with the hammer in his right hand. The crushed digit had to be amputated and the base joint. Despite this and other accidents, Jak grew up with a love of metalworking, and enjoyed helping his father in the smithy. This went on until he was fifteen years old, at which time his father, hoping to improve the boy's prospects, managed to secure him an attachment with a traveling merchant; a half-elf named Teiran Ka'Thar. This lasted for five years.
During his travels, Jak learned and saw much. Together with the merchant, he traveled from the southern reaches of Salvar through Alerar, made voyages to Corone, and even found his way out to Scara Brae. Through this time, he learned to fight with Teiran's master-at-arms, Kellan Thrant. He learned to drink, barter, sail, ride, and steal. He even encountered the Alerian mechanical weapons and their alchemical firearms. The simple village boy became a world traveler. He took up a position as Teiran's right-hand man and bodyguard after Kellan's death - and more, Jak and Teiran had become friends.
A few of these adventures make for good stories. There was this one time, around the time Jak was nineteen, that Teiran and Jak came into possession of a certain scroll with great value to the magical community. Most of the mages who knew of it were content to attempt to outbid each other, but one certain cabal decided that they needed to have it more than the others did. They sent three of their best (they called them 'Shadecasters') to retrieve it. Jak and the other bodyguards met them with arrows and knives, spoiling their plan. One of the 'Shadecasters' attempted to escape, but Jak pursued and caught hold of him just as the mage was stuttering out a spell. For an instant, the two men vanished from sight, then reappeared twenty feet away, with Jak's knife buried in the man's chest. Tendrils of shadow were melting away around him - though some of them did seem to seep into Jak. He likes to tell that story when he's trying to get laid. They never did learn what the scroll was - at least, Jak didn't.
Then there was the time that Teiran tricked Jak into eating a bowl of absurdly spicy noodles and Jak actually almost died. He's got a wicked spice tolerance now, and actually really likes spicy food. Good times, good times.
Only a year ago, however, Jak's good life dried up. An assassin hired by a rival merchant got past him and killed Teiran. Just like that, Jak was jobless and friendless. The year since he has spent as a mercenary, a blade-for-hire, traveling anywhere he could or would find work.