Portalhopper
04-07-06, 11:09 AM
Appearance:
'Hopper is almost exactly what you'd expect from a Planewalking sort of fellow; Human-looking capable-looking, and the sort of man you'd want at your back in a barrroom brawl. The official artwork (http://www.deviantart.com/view/25572030/) is slightly off due to the Artist's penchant for Bishonen - but she draws better than I do, and I adore her for it.
History:
His whole life, up through ten years ago when he became a "real boy" - was entirely within the imagination of a particularly powerful Athar Lich by the name of Maien-Tor in the city of Sigil, an attempt to create real life without the hand of a diety being involved. His life was written down as an autobiographical story, and given real form.
The Experiment, like hundreds of others before it, was a failure - 'Hopper didn't have a soul you see. Without that, he wasn't really "Alive" any more than a Golem or animate doll would be. For what he lacked in soul, 'Hopper made up for in enough personality, survival instinct, and lack of loyalty to his creator to snatch a small fortune worth of magical items from the Lich's treasury, and make his escape. He's been on the run (for one reason or another) ever since.
An interesting side-effect of his heritage (Which he's still not aware of) - is his continuing life and exploits are being written down in the same book that gave birth to him, this unwitting position as a spy is probably the reason the ole' man hasn't tracked him down to steal back all those nifty magic items yet.
In a tale that never got completed, he came to Althanas fleeing a demon known as the Slasher of Veils, possibly losing many of the aforementioned magical items (Since a level 0 Althanas character would never possess anything of the sort, he left in a bit of a hurry too). I'll probably be summarizing the beginning of that, and finishing up where I left off.
Personality:
His speaking style is what you notice first, that neigh-unintelligible mix of outer-planer slang and accented speech make him unmistakable in Althanas. From there, a certain smug self-confidence lets you know he thinks that He is better than you are - mostly due to his life as a Planewalker has him haggling with fiends over the price of souls, (Fresh from the Slave-pits of Baator! Get'em while they're still screaming!) or guiding a group of sightseeing Chaosmen through the chaotic soup called Limbo, there can't possibly be anything on the Prime that frightens him!
That's a lie, by the way. He's terribly protective of his own neck, and something of a coward at heart.
Forced to confront that particular aspect of his personality by the Slasher of Veils, he's a changed man. Percisely -how- he's changed is still up for debate....
Skills\Abilities:
Strength: Strong Enough
Agility: Sneaky, but not Dextrous
Toughness: Ludicrous
Intelligence: Smarter than the average bear
Willpower: Somewhat lacking in Self-Control.
Charisma: Not so charming as he thinks he is.
Sword Skills: He wields two of them, and knows how to use them; Being Perfectly average and otherwise unremarkable in swordsmanship.
Crossbow Skills: (Slightly below) average with a Crossbow, his preferred method of combat. In further detail: When aiming at a stationary target the size of your head, or a moving target the size of your torso, from 30 yards or less, he'll (usually) hit it.
Thievery Skills: Forging documents, picking locks, moving silently, that sort of stuff
Bo-staff Skills: Just kidding.
Portalsense: 'Hopper has an innate sense to detect naturally occuring portals (far more common on the Planes than here on Althanas) - and intuit the "Key" it takes to open one.
Equipment:
Swords (Iron);
Lucky: Straight, 4' long, gold-tinged for some reason.
Styx: Curved, 3½' long with saw-teeth on the outside edge.
Crossbow: With steel-tipped bolts (10)
Thieves tools: Lockpicks, stamps and multi-colored ink for forgeries, rope & grappel.
------
In accordance with policy, specifically the second(?) Sticky post in this forum, this is a streamlined version of history and stats. I could add more detail or pad it in various ways if someone Really prefers.
'Hopper is almost exactly what you'd expect from a Planewalking sort of fellow; Human-looking capable-looking, and the sort of man you'd want at your back in a barrroom brawl. The official artwork (http://www.deviantart.com/view/25572030/) is slightly off due to the Artist's penchant for Bishonen - but she draws better than I do, and I adore her for it.
History:
His whole life, up through ten years ago when he became a "real boy" - was entirely within the imagination of a particularly powerful Athar Lich by the name of Maien-Tor in the city of Sigil, an attempt to create real life without the hand of a diety being involved. His life was written down as an autobiographical story, and given real form.
The Experiment, like hundreds of others before it, was a failure - 'Hopper didn't have a soul you see. Without that, he wasn't really "Alive" any more than a Golem or animate doll would be. For what he lacked in soul, 'Hopper made up for in enough personality, survival instinct, and lack of loyalty to his creator to snatch a small fortune worth of magical items from the Lich's treasury, and make his escape. He's been on the run (for one reason or another) ever since.
An interesting side-effect of his heritage (Which he's still not aware of) - is his continuing life and exploits are being written down in the same book that gave birth to him, this unwitting position as a spy is probably the reason the ole' man hasn't tracked him down to steal back all those nifty magic items yet.
In a tale that never got completed, he came to Althanas fleeing a demon known as the Slasher of Veils, possibly losing many of the aforementioned magical items (Since a level 0 Althanas character would never possess anything of the sort, he left in a bit of a hurry too). I'll probably be summarizing the beginning of that, and finishing up where I left off.
Personality:
His speaking style is what you notice first, that neigh-unintelligible mix of outer-planer slang and accented speech make him unmistakable in Althanas. From there, a certain smug self-confidence lets you know he thinks that He is better than you are - mostly due to his life as a Planewalker has him haggling with fiends over the price of souls, (Fresh from the Slave-pits of Baator! Get'em while they're still screaming!) or guiding a group of sightseeing Chaosmen through the chaotic soup called Limbo, there can't possibly be anything on the Prime that frightens him!
That's a lie, by the way. He's terribly protective of his own neck, and something of a coward at heart.
Forced to confront that particular aspect of his personality by the Slasher of Veils, he's a changed man. Percisely -how- he's changed is still up for debate....
Skills\Abilities:
Strength: Strong Enough
Agility: Sneaky, but not Dextrous
Toughness: Ludicrous
Intelligence: Smarter than the average bear
Willpower: Somewhat lacking in Self-Control.
Charisma: Not so charming as he thinks he is.
Sword Skills: He wields two of them, and knows how to use them; Being Perfectly average and otherwise unremarkable in swordsmanship.
Crossbow Skills: (Slightly below) average with a Crossbow, his preferred method of combat. In further detail: When aiming at a stationary target the size of your head, or a moving target the size of your torso, from 30 yards or less, he'll (usually) hit it.
Thievery Skills: Forging documents, picking locks, moving silently, that sort of stuff
Bo-staff Skills: Just kidding.
Portalsense: 'Hopper has an innate sense to detect naturally occuring portals (far more common on the Planes than here on Althanas) - and intuit the "Key" it takes to open one.
Equipment:
Swords (Iron);
Lucky: Straight, 4' long, gold-tinged for some reason.
Styx: Curved, 3½' long with saw-teeth on the outside edge.
Crossbow: With steel-tipped bolts (10)
Thieves tools: Lockpicks, stamps and multi-colored ink for forgeries, rope & grappel.
------
In accordance with policy, specifically the second(?) Sticky post in this forum, this is a streamlined version of history and stats. I could add more detail or pad it in various ways if someone Really prefers.