Otto
11-05-13, 07:35 AM
Updates from former profile are in red.
Full name: Otto Bastum
Age: 26, or thereabouts.
Race: orc
Hair colour: black
Eye colour: amber
Skin colour: slate grey
Height: 200 cm
Weight: 100 kg
Occupation: armourer, city watchman (Corone Armed Forces, corporal).
Personality:
Otto has learned to be comfortable in conversation, and is now happy to chew the fat with friend and stranger alike. He is still not the most talkative person, however, and may lapse back into using laconic, monosyllabic responses if he is in a foul mood. He is generally more interested in gauging other people when he talks to them, rather than speaking of himself – a habit learned from his duties in the watch, and one not easily dropped. His sense of humour is fairly dry, and he has shed much of his former cynicism (though not the lot, not by any stretch of the imagination; he is a copper, after all).
Otto has also learned patience. He can rein in his temper if need be, and will tackle a problem in a slow, deliberate and reasonable manner... unless that problem requires the business end of his hammer, in which case his default approach is to fight aggressively and without quarter. Yet again, though, he often has no problem in switching to the defensive, if he deems that it suits the situation. He can still become bored and distracted without anything to occupy him, so he will often seek out menial little tasks whenever he wishes to focus on thinking. His thick skin extends beyond his hide, and he is not easily upset by what others think of him. Similarly, he does not like to hold petty grudges – but the important ones, he will carry them with him to the grave.
Those who come to know Otto fairly well see in him strong sense of loyalty, duty, and even generosity, for he understands that he probably would not even have survived childhood without the charity of his adoptive family. He also appreciates the importance of forging friendships – strong ones, if perhaps few – to help weather prejudice and abuse from others. Only slightly lower on his list of priorities reside his two great passions (barring his craft): food and beer. If ever one or the other is on offer, it is a given that he will take advantage of the opportunity.
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. His face and arms are often coated with singed hairs and soot from the forge, while old burn marks make for more permanent adornments. Not too long ago, the insides of his hands were turned pure, snow white, although Otto has never been forthcoming with the details of the incident.
Even for an orc, Otto cannot be considered handsome. He has a wide and slightly upturned nose, jutting jaw and receding forehead with large eyebrows, small, deep-set eyes and high cheek bones. Two tusk-like teeth 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 few inches. The overall effect is that of a black mane, like a singularly hideous lion. 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 more thick and tough.
He has a deep, rumbling voice, and speaks with a mild lisp due to his mouth shape.
History:
PrologueIn CP 1776, Marten Smith found a swaddled infant on his Radasanth doorstep. Close inspection revealed the foundling to be an orc, accompanied only by the blanket he was wrapped in. Marten and his wife, Katarina, took him in and named him, though not as family; 'Bastum', it is believed, is likely where the word 'bastard' originates, and so his heritage was made plain. Somehow Marten 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.
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 at a time where there was much less demand from the military. Meanwhile, Katarina did her best to teach Otto basic literacy, so that 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 his lack of progress, and so he did not manage to get a solid grasp on literacy until much later in life.
Orcs are not the most numerous members of the populace in Radasanth, and Otto was cajoled and taunted by the other children his age. 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, occasionally, 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 the satisfaction of creating something with his own two hands, and so 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 while the forge was lit, and he stayed back late to clean and tidy. Unfortunately for him, 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 some of 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, on 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 veteran 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 IDespite 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 was not actually adjusted to real violence, despite frequent practice in the Citadel. When the Empire recalled its troops to Radasanth, his company was ordered to seize supplies from a village for the long march ahead. The villagers attempted to defend themselves, which gave the captain an excuse to plunder the settlement completely. Though some inhabitants managed to escape, many of them were massacred and Irinham was burned to the ground. It was at Irinham that Otto became acquainted with Dale ‘Red Dawn’ Russell; they both partook in the assault, and also worked alongside each other on a couple of other missions, including a foray into Radasanth’s slums (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25296-Dead-Night-%28Open%29) while on the hunt for a necromancer.
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. It was during this time that he also was also inducted into police work under lieutenant Francine Orman.
Even so, some semblance of ambition remained. When a fickle – malicious, even – forge spirit found its way to him, he engaged it and sought its assistance (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25197-The-Midnight-Visitor-%28solo%29). It set a series of challenges for the orc, which he met and, just barely, managed to win through. They made a pact then, that night, and Otto has been learning a style of smithing he had never dreamed of before the encounter.
After some time, 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. Perhaps, with care, one can fight monsters without becoming them – but sometimes, one simply has to fight.
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, 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. 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 other 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.
Chapter IIAlmost immediately after his run-in with Aurelianus Drak'shal, Otto made the acquaintance of one Resolve Curie. The two became embroiled in a treacherous mix of police corruption and weapon-smuggling gangs (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25408-Chasing-Ghosts). Matter spilled over into Otto's family life, and the rift between himself and his foster brother widened. Nonetheless, Otto and Resolve prevailed, even if they found themselves to have been little more than puppets during the ordeal.
Otto then partook in one of the more harrowing investigations (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25294-Dread-Sovereign-%28Closed%29) of his career. A pile of dead bodies and crippling watch incompetence put him in a dark place, but it was at this time that he also met another ally, the philanthropic Leopold Winchester.
Chapter IIIA new face in the watch, a child's murder and his own abduction (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25458-The-Fertile-Earth-%28solo%29) brought the orc face to face with an aspect of himself he had spent the last couple of years suppressing. He emerged from the ordeal with some bittersweet memories and a clearer heart, and his first enchanted piece.
Skills:
Singing: skilled. Otto can hold a decent tune, and cover a reasonably diverse range. His ear for pitch is still developing, and while he can often get right on the note, every now and then it's a little off. Still, he's developed a fine baritone voice, and his enhanced vocal spectrum has also lent itself to improving his everyday conversational skills.
Deduction: skilled. Otto’s lieutenant seems to have taken the orc under her wing, and he has benefitted from her investigative expertise and on-the-job experience. Otto has some skill with assessing motives, evidence and events to determine their connections, as well as the likelihood of any such explanation being true.
Bluff: competent. Otto has faced more crooks and criminals inside the watch than he ever met out of it. Learning to lie convincingly is not only a skill he's had to learn, but one that has surprised even him with how easily he picked it up.
First aid: average. What kind of soldier doesn't know how to treat basic injuries? Otto has a relatively untested knowledge of first response medical attention, which is more theory than experience at this point.
Gardening: novice. If Otto has a green thumb, it's probably because he just butchered the petunias. He's picked up a few things, and is looking after a meagre little garden by the forge. Well, 'looking after' is a bit strong. At least he isn't actually harming the plants. Probably.
Blacksmith: skilled. 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.
Armourer: He can make high 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. He is most familiar with the making, application and properties of traditional Corone-style weaponry, as well as that from neighbouring Akashima. However, Radasanth’s history as a centre of trade has ensured that he also possesses at least a passing knowledge of those from the many other lands of Althanas. Iron – steel: master. Damascus – Mythril: skilled. Plynt and Prevalida: competent.
Hide – leather: skilled. Magim – Arctic: competent. Drakescale – Sea Serpent: average.
Chitin – bone: skilled. Golem Hide – Petrified Bone: competent. Young Dragonbone – Young Dragonhorn: average.
Oak – Eklan: skilled. Akashima Redwood – Talymer: average. Ulder: novice.
Burlap – canvas: competent. Spidersilk – Sifan: average. Vlince: competent.
Tradespeak
Verbal: skilled. 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. He's starting to learn some of the big words now as well, like 'perspicacious' and 'malingering'... not what they mean, of course, but he knows they're real words, sure enough.
Written: novice. 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: competent. Thanks to Erirag’s patient instruction, Otto can stumble through a conversation, and usually make himself comprehensible.
Written: novice. Not quite as ‘polished’ as his Tradespeak, but not very far behind at all.
Combat
Hammers: expert. 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: skilled. 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.
Thrown weapons: average. Past experiences have taught Otto that sometimes, even a spear isn't going to cut it - you need more reach. He has begun practicing with javelins from the armoury... but, in his opinion, you just can't beat the weight and heft of a good crossbow (despite however it was originally intended to be used).
Shields: expert. 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: skilled. 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, run-ins with the city’s underbelly, and several bar-room (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25650-Return-%28Open%29) brawls (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25310-Swing-drunkee-drunkee-swing!) has given Otto plenty of schooling in this subject.
Attributes:
Endurance: x5
Toughness: x4
Strength: x3
Precision: x5
Willpower: x3
Abilities:
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 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.
Prescience: Otto is not exceptionally fast, but he doesn't have to be. He has acquired the ability to read other people's body language, to the point that he can anticipate their movements a little way ahead of time. In terms of game mechanics, his opponents' speed is considered to be halved, though it does not literally affect their movement.
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.
Sense of Iron: Otto knows when iron is nearby. He can sense its shape, its concentration, and and patterns in the metal left by the shaping process. The ability to sense iron also depends on how prevalent it is; a pure, solid lump of the stuff will shine like a beacon, while a rusty pin would merely glimmer like the half-reflected moon on water. Otto can sense iron and its alloys (down to one-tenth iron, ppm) up to a range of ten metres away. Like any sense, it can become overloaded, and he can have difficulty picking out individual items when there is an abundance already around him. Also, as this is a supernatural ability, it can be influenced by magic-dulling and magic-enhancing factors.
Equipment:
Linen undergarments, shirt and trousers
Woolen overcoat
The Woeful Wayfarers (for your own sake, avert your eyes (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?26023-Making-of-the-Hirsute-Hipster))
Oilskin cloak, patterned with small, stylistic flames around the hem (acquired here (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25708-Selling-A-Thing&p=212702&viewfull=1#post212702)).
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)
A bronze guardsman’s badge, identifying Otto as a member of the city watch
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)
Steel-headed hammer with Dehlar core, mounted on a 3'6" Akashima Redwood haft (acquired here (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?26089-Blunt-Trauma))
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).
Iron and leather maintenance equipment (oils, small knife, whetstone, file)
Burlap rucksack & field gear (canteen, tinderbox, linen bandages)
Special items:
Vogal-Far ('Little Seed' (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?26045-Armour-purchase))
A masterwork steel hauberk, wrist and ankle-length, made to fit Otto. It is quite plain except for a band of twining see holly, sprouting leaves and flowers from one side of his breast up to his shoulder. Once per day (given about eight hours of sunlight), Otto can use the command word "lul-an" ('flower'; verb). Anyone (but only one person per use) who is touching the blooms will be partly healed over the course of a few seconds. The ability is strong enough to close shallow cuts and fade bruises, to staunch and stabilise moderate wounds, and to buy a few more moments of consciousness and life for the grievously injured.
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 a 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.
Full name: Otto Bastum
Age: 26, or thereabouts.
Race: orc
Hair colour: black
Eye colour: amber
Skin colour: slate grey
Height: 200 cm
Weight: 100 kg
Occupation: armourer, city watchman (Corone Armed Forces, corporal).
Personality:
Otto has learned to be comfortable in conversation, and is now happy to chew the fat with friend and stranger alike. He is still not the most talkative person, however, and may lapse back into using laconic, monosyllabic responses if he is in a foul mood. He is generally more interested in gauging other people when he talks to them, rather than speaking of himself – a habit learned from his duties in the watch, and one not easily dropped. His sense of humour is fairly dry, and he has shed much of his former cynicism (though not the lot, not by any stretch of the imagination; he is a copper, after all).
Otto has also learned patience. He can rein in his temper if need be, and will tackle a problem in a slow, deliberate and reasonable manner... unless that problem requires the business end of his hammer, in which case his default approach is to fight aggressively and without quarter. Yet again, though, he often has no problem in switching to the defensive, if he deems that it suits the situation. He can still become bored and distracted without anything to occupy him, so he will often seek out menial little tasks whenever he wishes to focus on thinking. His thick skin extends beyond his hide, and he is not easily upset by what others think of him. Similarly, he does not like to hold petty grudges – but the important ones, he will carry them with him to the grave.
Those who come to know Otto fairly well see in him strong sense of loyalty, duty, and even generosity, for he understands that he probably would not even have survived childhood without the charity of his adoptive family. He also appreciates the importance of forging friendships – strong ones, if perhaps few – to help weather prejudice and abuse from others. Only slightly lower on his list of priorities reside his two great passions (barring his craft): food and beer. If ever one or the other is on offer, it is a given that he will take advantage of the opportunity.
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. His face and arms are often coated with singed hairs and soot from the forge, while old burn marks make for more permanent adornments. Not too long ago, the insides of his hands were turned pure, snow white, although Otto has never been forthcoming with the details of the incident.
Even for an orc, Otto cannot be considered handsome. He has a wide and slightly upturned nose, jutting jaw and receding forehead with large eyebrows, small, deep-set eyes and high cheek bones. Two tusk-like teeth 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 few inches. The overall effect is that of a black mane, like a singularly hideous lion. 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 more thick and tough.
He has a deep, rumbling voice, and speaks with a mild lisp due to his mouth shape.
History:
PrologueIn CP 1776, Marten Smith found a swaddled infant on his Radasanth doorstep. Close inspection revealed the foundling to be an orc, accompanied only by the blanket he was wrapped in. Marten and his wife, Katarina, took him in and named him, though not as family; 'Bastum', it is believed, is likely where the word 'bastard' originates, and so his heritage was made plain. Somehow Marten 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.
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 at a time where there was much less demand from the military. Meanwhile, Katarina did her best to teach Otto basic literacy, so that 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 his lack of progress, and so he did not manage to get a solid grasp on literacy until much later in life.
Orcs are not the most numerous members of the populace in Radasanth, and Otto was cajoled and taunted by the other children his age. 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, occasionally, 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 the satisfaction of creating something with his own two hands, and so 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 while the forge was lit, and he stayed back late to clean and tidy. Unfortunately for him, 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 some of 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, on 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 veteran 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 IDespite 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 was not actually adjusted to real violence, despite frequent practice in the Citadel. When the Empire recalled its troops to Radasanth, his company was ordered to seize supplies from a village for the long march ahead. The villagers attempted to defend themselves, which gave the captain an excuse to plunder the settlement completely. Though some inhabitants managed to escape, many of them were massacred and Irinham was burned to the ground. It was at Irinham that Otto became acquainted with Dale ‘Red Dawn’ Russell; they both partook in the assault, and also worked alongside each other on a couple of other missions, including a foray into Radasanth’s slums (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25296-Dead-Night-%28Open%29) while on the hunt for a necromancer.
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. It was during this time that he also was also inducted into police work under lieutenant Francine Orman.
Even so, some semblance of ambition remained. When a fickle – malicious, even – forge spirit found its way to him, he engaged it and sought its assistance (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25197-The-Midnight-Visitor-%28solo%29). It set a series of challenges for the orc, which he met and, just barely, managed to win through. They made a pact then, that night, and Otto has been learning a style of smithing he had never dreamed of before the encounter.
After some time, 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. Perhaps, with care, one can fight monsters without becoming them – but sometimes, one simply has to fight.
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, 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. 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 other 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.
Chapter IIAlmost immediately after his run-in with Aurelianus Drak'shal, Otto made the acquaintance of one Resolve Curie. The two became embroiled in a treacherous mix of police corruption and weapon-smuggling gangs (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25408-Chasing-Ghosts). Matter spilled over into Otto's family life, and the rift between himself and his foster brother widened. Nonetheless, Otto and Resolve prevailed, even if they found themselves to have been little more than puppets during the ordeal.
Otto then partook in one of the more harrowing investigations (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25294-Dread-Sovereign-%28Closed%29) of his career. A pile of dead bodies and crippling watch incompetence put him in a dark place, but it was at this time that he also met another ally, the philanthropic Leopold Winchester.
Chapter IIIA new face in the watch, a child's murder and his own abduction (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25458-The-Fertile-Earth-%28solo%29) brought the orc face to face with an aspect of himself he had spent the last couple of years suppressing. He emerged from the ordeal with some bittersweet memories and a clearer heart, and his first enchanted piece.
Skills:
Singing: skilled. Otto can hold a decent tune, and cover a reasonably diverse range. His ear for pitch is still developing, and while he can often get right on the note, every now and then it's a little off. Still, he's developed a fine baritone voice, and his enhanced vocal spectrum has also lent itself to improving his everyday conversational skills.
Deduction: skilled. Otto’s lieutenant seems to have taken the orc under her wing, and he has benefitted from her investigative expertise and on-the-job experience. Otto has some skill with assessing motives, evidence and events to determine their connections, as well as the likelihood of any such explanation being true.
Bluff: competent. Otto has faced more crooks and criminals inside the watch than he ever met out of it. Learning to lie convincingly is not only a skill he's had to learn, but one that has surprised even him with how easily he picked it up.
First aid: average. What kind of soldier doesn't know how to treat basic injuries? Otto has a relatively untested knowledge of first response medical attention, which is more theory than experience at this point.
Gardening: novice. If Otto has a green thumb, it's probably because he just butchered the petunias. He's picked up a few things, and is looking after a meagre little garden by the forge. Well, 'looking after' is a bit strong. At least he isn't actually harming the plants. Probably.
Blacksmith: skilled. 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.
Armourer: He can make high 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. He is most familiar with the making, application and properties of traditional Corone-style weaponry, as well as that from neighbouring Akashima. However, Radasanth’s history as a centre of trade has ensured that he also possesses at least a passing knowledge of those from the many other lands of Althanas. Iron – steel: master. Damascus – Mythril: skilled. Plynt and Prevalida: competent.
Hide – leather: skilled. Magim – Arctic: competent. Drakescale – Sea Serpent: average.
Chitin – bone: skilled. Golem Hide – Petrified Bone: competent. Young Dragonbone – Young Dragonhorn: average.
Oak – Eklan: skilled. Akashima Redwood – Talymer: average. Ulder: novice.
Burlap – canvas: competent. Spidersilk – Sifan: average. Vlince: competent.
Tradespeak
Verbal: skilled. 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. He's starting to learn some of the big words now as well, like 'perspicacious' and 'malingering'... not what they mean, of course, but he knows they're real words, sure enough.
Written: novice. 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: competent. Thanks to Erirag’s patient instruction, Otto can stumble through a conversation, and usually make himself comprehensible.
Written: novice. Not quite as ‘polished’ as his Tradespeak, but not very far behind at all.
Combat
Hammers: expert. 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: skilled. 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.
Thrown weapons: average. Past experiences have taught Otto that sometimes, even a spear isn't going to cut it - you need more reach. He has begun practicing with javelins from the armoury... but, in his opinion, you just can't beat the weight and heft of a good crossbow (despite however it was originally intended to be used).
Shields: expert. 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: skilled. 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, run-ins with the city’s underbelly, and several bar-room (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25650-Return-%28Open%29) brawls (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25310-Swing-drunkee-drunkee-swing!) has given Otto plenty of schooling in this subject.
Attributes:
Endurance: x5
Toughness: x4
Strength: x3
Precision: x5
Willpower: x3
Abilities:
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 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.
Prescience: Otto is not exceptionally fast, but he doesn't have to be. He has acquired the ability to read other people's body language, to the point that he can anticipate their movements a little way ahead of time. In terms of game mechanics, his opponents' speed is considered to be halved, though it does not literally affect their movement.
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.
Sense of Iron: Otto knows when iron is nearby. He can sense its shape, its concentration, and and patterns in the metal left by the shaping process. The ability to sense iron also depends on how prevalent it is; a pure, solid lump of the stuff will shine like a beacon, while a rusty pin would merely glimmer like the half-reflected moon on water. Otto can sense iron and its alloys (down to one-tenth iron, ppm) up to a range of ten metres away. Like any sense, it can become overloaded, and he can have difficulty picking out individual items when there is an abundance already around him. Also, as this is a supernatural ability, it can be influenced by magic-dulling and magic-enhancing factors.
Equipment:
Linen undergarments, shirt and trousers
Woolen overcoat
The Woeful Wayfarers (for your own sake, avert your eyes (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?26023-Making-of-the-Hirsute-Hipster))
Oilskin cloak, patterned with small, stylistic flames around the hem (acquired here (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?25708-Selling-A-Thing&p=212702&viewfull=1#post212702)).
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)
A bronze guardsman’s badge, identifying Otto as a member of the city watch
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)
Steel-headed hammer with Dehlar core, mounted on a 3'6" Akashima Redwood haft (acquired here (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?26089-Blunt-Trauma))
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).
Iron and leather maintenance equipment (oils, small knife, whetstone, file)
Burlap rucksack & field gear (canteen, tinderbox, linen bandages)
Special items:
Vogal-Far ('Little Seed' (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?26045-Armour-purchase))
A masterwork steel hauberk, wrist and ankle-length, made to fit Otto. It is quite plain except for a band of twining see holly, sprouting leaves and flowers from one side of his breast up to his shoulder. Once per day (given about eight hours of sunlight), Otto can use the command word "lul-an" ('flower'; verb). Anyone (but only one person per use) who is touching the blooms will be partly healed over the course of a few seconds. The ability is strong enough to close shallow cuts and fade bruises, to staunch and stabilise moderate wounds, and to buy a few more moments of consciousness and life for the grievously injured.
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 a 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.