NAME - Keir Lurline
GENDER - Female
AGE - 21
RACE - Human
HOMETOWN - Cerastes
OCCUPATION - Guild member/Adventurer, groom & Livery Worker, Merchanteer (both legal & somewhat less then legal - explained in History)
APPEARANCE
Keir is at first glance completely opposite of what she is, she looks harmless and unthreatening, average in height approximately 5.4 to 5.5 with a slender athletic build, she has mid-length wavy red hair - its not straight but its definitely not ringlets either & piercing jade green eyes. She often finds herself the subject of unwanted male attentions and underestimated by the majority of the populace. There’s something decidedly sharp and dark lurking in her eyes. She refuses to wear dress clothes for the most part and is most often seen in Leather armor of a deep chocolate brown or black, it is also noted that she is rarely if ever seen without a wolfs head pendant laced onto a leather thong around her neck.
Hair/face/body type - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v446/Jetalmeara/mara1-1.jpg
Armour - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v446/Jetalmeara/leatherarmour2.jpg
feel free to modify or spice it up anyway you want, I will bow before you creative judgment.
Necklace Idea - the wolfs head would be Black, the background either copper, bronze or silver (whichever looks best when the artist finishes up is fine) and laced on a leather string rather then a chain
http://www.gallopinggems.com/productDetail.aspx?prod=332
eye reference
Keir Sketch by Ang3licMnMs
PERSONALITY
Suspicious by nature Keir trusts very few people. Trust in her mind is something that must be earned not given freely. She can be sarcastic and temperamental if crossed and has little patience for people who deal in stupidity or people who treat her based on how she looks rather then taking her seriously. Once someone manages to get past this armor however & win her trust Keir proves to be a formidable friend. There is little to nothing Keir won't do for someone she cares for, she is loyal to a fault and tenacious when pursuing a goal she believes in.
She has several quirks which others sometimes find amusing if a little weird. She has a hatred for the color yellow & a love of acorns. She detests wearing dress clothes, in fact the only time she has even been caught in a dress was the result of loosing a bet.
While she might have misgivings about the general humanoid population Keir has an unusual affinity for most animals. She rarely meets one she doesn’t like and has a special love for Equines, canines and avians. Because of her history she adheres to a strict code of conduct, which she refuses to abandon.
Due in part to her suspicious nature and her training at the hands of Grifter who liked to spring surprise training sessions on his students until they were ready for a fight at every waking moment, Keir is almost obsessive about not sitting with her back to a door.…or windows. Given the choice she will always choose a table in a shadowed corner from which she can watch everyone in the room and any possible exits.
Her superiors may find her hard to handle. Fore while she will follow the instructions of someone she respects, gaining that respect may require some time. Until then she is prone to questioning authority…she doesn’t do so to be difficult, but more to test the person's true goals always wary of some hidden motive that may come back later to bite her on the butt.
Even after trust and respect are earned Keir is prone to bending orders and rules, not exactly breaking them but certainly rearranging them to her liking. She always get the job done - if its a job a she agrees with…but it might not be in the way expected.
Blood ties mean little to her, because someone is related does not mean they are automatically "family" in Keir’s mind. Keir’s family are those she has come to care for and those she knows will never betray her, people with whom she has shared life experiences with. Because of this she often finds fault with people who run off on missions simply because a relative is in trouble when that self same relative has done nothing in the past to garner such rescue.
As far as anyone knows Keir has never been in love nor involved with anyone for any length of time, in fact she tends to respond to most propositions in a rather violent fashion. It would take someone extremely patient and special to ever win her over.
Unfortunately for the lower ranked people around her, Keir tends to treat most things as object lessons. She has a tendancy to let these people make thier own mistakes - she will voice her concerns over the plan but if the person is insistant it's likely she'll let them get the tar beaten out of them before attempting a rescue. This philosophy was probably formed by the way Grifter trained her.
To Keir the only "good" death is one in which saves her fellows. Therefore should she fall before ensuring her opponants can't hunt down her companions she has failed,thusly should she ever find herself in such a situation it's likely she'll take extreme measures to ensure her enemies die as well.
While she dosen't fear death - neither does she embrace it. Keir is fairly certain that somewhere out there is somthing bad enough to kill her,but she's confident enough in being able to outsmart it that its not something she really dwells on. Survival at all costs is a belief Keir finds repulsive. In all likely hood if someone in her company left another behind to save themselves - Keir would ensure the runner "dissapeared" as well.
The Decertos & Their Code
The Decertos (which means "Never ceasing") were a small elitist group of Pirates/brigands. Though there was no clear-cut leadership within the group it was commonly accepted that Grifter Storm was the glue, which held them all together. Charismatic and powerful he was both a diplomat and a scoundrel, soothing the enemy even while directing his comrades in from behind. The Decertos lacked no inhibitions in their methods if murder or black-market trading suited their long term goal then it was done. Despite this they were accepted by the townspeople, as they never involved common citizens in their problems. They were considered the lesser of two evils, fore surely if their group moved out or was over thrown something far worse could move in.
The Code
- Trust no one save your fellows
- The safety of the group is more important then the individual
- There is no honor in death and thusly do not be worried with honor in battle -if shooting your enemy in the back is the best way to do the job then have no qualms
- Never Cease - while there may come a point in which your body try’s to tell you, you are finished it is a lie.
- Protect your fellows and your beliefs to your dying breath
- Do not make pledges lightly, once spoken they cannot be revoked
- To betray the group or the safety of their goals is death
- All you teach are your responsibility if they go bad it is you who must hunt them down
- If your fellows care for someone and pledge to protect them, so too must you protect them
- choose your comrades wisely for their actions are your actions
- always support your fellows, a united front.
- The ends justify the means when it comes to the safety of those you have sworn to protect
- hesitation is the first step to death
- In training to survive is to succeed, to die is to fail - treat your students thusly so that only the worthy continue
- be wary, be unpredictable, be loyal
HISTORY
Keir was born into a typical merchant family. Her parents Saviin and Ree were moderately successful in their enterprises. However they were by no means wealthy despite their hard work. So it was, that when offered the chance to meet with the owner of a wealthy ship building company they were more then eager to comply.
The trip would be a long and grueling one, and Keir as all children do, had recently come down with a sickness. Though this illness was thought to be nothing more then your typical childhood flu it was decided that Keir would stay with the Lurlines a neighboring family. Keirs parents packed quickly and joined a caravan that was already heading to their destination. Dropping Keir off at the Lurlines they kissed her good-bye and left.
No one truly knows what happened to Keirs parents, when they never reached their destination, and never returned home, search parties were sent out. The search parties returned some weeks later to report finding the wreaked remains of several caravan wagons, it was ruled the act of brigands and those in the caravan were ruled missing and presumed dead.
As he parents had suspected Keirs illness was nothing more then a common cold. The Lurlines who had been close to her family decided to take Keir in as their own. Keir being to young to truly remember and thusly miss her parents had a fairly normal childhood. The only incident was one, which struck in her pre-adolescent years around the age of seven or eight. During that time Keir fell prey to a mysterious illness. The illness caused her to become violently ill, her skin and whites of her eyes turning a sickly shade of yellow (somewhat like jaundice). Upon seeing her eyes in a reflection Keir, still a young child went into hysterics believing herself possessed. When the illness failed to pass within a few days the Lurlines took Keir to a local herbalist. The woman was more witch doctor then medical doctor, but her herbal remedies generally worked. Upon examining Keir she proclaimed it a case of poisoning, apparently Keir had done nothing more then eat the wrong berry in the woods while out playing. To calm Keir who even as a child had a very strong over active imagination and suspicious nature, the women gave her a pendant she said would protect her from harm.
Keir was non-believing but when after a few days of wearing the pendant – and taking the proscribed remedy, the sickly yellow shade faded and she returned to her normal self she acknowledged the pendants abilities. The pendant of course had nothing to do with it, but in her child’s mind Keir believed. As she grew older the sickness faded into the fuzzy memories of childhood, the only remnants being a strong aversion to the color yellow and a wolfs head pendant which she believes is her good luck charm.
Eventually Keir began to partake in the family business. A Livery stable, which rented mounts to those who had none and cared for the mounts of those who had not the room or wish to care for them themselves. Perhaps it was here that she gained her love of animals or perhaps it was something she had always had inside her.
Regardless of the beginning this affinity led her to quickly rise within the business ranks. Soon she was entrusted with traveling abroad to look for new stock. Despite her success Keir was never able to shake the feeling that she didn't quite belong either in this business or with her adoptive family. Still while no other chances arrived Keir remained in her position until she reached her 18th birthday and most likely would have remained there longer had not fate intervened.
Fate happened to be a combination of things - a business trip gone wrong…and a tall mountain of a man named Grifter.
While escorting a caravan of new stock back to the family holdings Keir and her companions were set upon by a band of brigands near a small but notorious port town called Koralis. It was simply chance that Grifter and his band of miscreants happened to be traveling along the road at the same time. Grifter it was said always laughed as he told the tale of their meeting "A small spitfire of a girl threatening to beat down an entire band of men armed only with a stick". Perhaps Grifter saw something in Keir or maybe he was simply impressed with her courage. Regardless of the reason he and his comrades ran off the troublemakers rescuing Keir and her stock before inviting her to they’re nearby headquarters, a cantina. Accepting the invitation - after all they had helped her Keir was oblivious that her life was soon to change forever. Grifter and his band were locally referred to as the Decertos, and if any pirates could be considered "less then evil" it was Grifter and his men. While they weren't adverse to illicit work such as black-market trading they were also considered better then your average pirate gang. They were the lesser of two evils and kept the really bad groups out of town …even if the means in which they ensured this was not exactly legal. While they did indeed partake in sea trade, most of their dealings were land-based, "pirate" being a loosely affixed term in reference to their illicit actions.
Grifter for reasons unknown took a liking to Keir and offered her an apprenticeship in his group. Recognizing this as a chance to find her purpose in life Keir accepted and returned to Koralis and the Decertos after ensuring the horses she had bought was safely escorted to the family stable.
During her first few months with the Decertos, Keir wrote the Lurlines regularly. However as she became more engrossed in the Decertos lifestyle the letters were sent less regularly until they finally stopped all together. It wasn’t that Keir or the Lurlines meant to loose touch, it was simply the result of differing lifestyles.
Grifter took Keir under wing, beginning her training in hand-to-hand and melee weaponry. He took a keen interest in expanding her wood lore and after many hours managed to help her control her magical abilities which until this time has been present but rather random. As he instilled in her the Decertos code Keir finally found a place to belong, the Decertos quickly grew into her new family and Grifter she loved like a father. Even if at times he swore she was going to drive him insane. Life was good; Keir had a purpose, a sense of belonging and a group of people surrounding her in which she trusted with her life.
During the two years she spent with the Decertos, Keir became accustomed to Grifters training style. Her first well learned lesson came when she found herself thoroughly beaten during a training duel after being distracted by of all things an acorn. Keir learned fast she had only to learn such object lessons once and rarely found her self tricked again. She grew from a somewhat naïve gangly girl, to a confident woman capable of holding her own.
However as with most things in life, good things don't always last. So it was with the Decertos. Grifter one night sent Keir on an errand. An easy task that would normally would fall to someone else. Certainly not Grifter’s favored student, Keir however agreed and took the task, delivery of a letter without to much of a fuss. Upon arrival to the delivery location, a nearby town, Keir was informed by the shopkeeper, that the letter was for her. Grifter had instructed she read it here before returning to the cantina. Confused but used to Grifter’s odd training methods Keir sat down to read the letter.
She got about halfway through before rushing out the door.
Grifter had been tipped off to an upcoming raid by a coalition of pirate bands opposing the Decertos iron hold of the town. Fearing for Keir who was still only an apprentice he had sent her off ensuring she would not be present during the raid. Upon her return to the cantina Keir found Grifter and the rest of her newfound family dead or missing, heartbroken and lost Keir blames herself for Grifters death. He was her mentor and had she been fighting beside him he may not have died. Because of this Keir has traveled to the only other place where she feels she can uphold the Decerto's code, promising to never again let down her comrades in arms while at the same time keeping people at arms length rather then face that level of loss once more.
All that was contained in Grifters letter remains a mystery to everyone but Keir herself, it is known however that she carries the letter with her Wherever she goes and that proof of Grifters favor allows her access to some less then savory places.
The Letter
Dearest Keir,
May you forgive me this choice, for while you are brave and capable you are yet young and inexperienced It has come to my attention that through secure sources that several of our enemies have banded together with the intent of attacking us. They greatly outnumber us and while we will stand and fight I greatly fear that we shall loose.
To this end I have sent you on this errand of safety, While the odds of survival are slim they would be worse should I be worrying for you while fighting. To know that you are safe does my heart good.
Do not grieve for me. Death in battle is preferable to old age, I have sent a crate to the docks marked with your name, inside you will find what I have bequeathed to you. Also contained with this letter are several documents marked with my seal, they will vouch for you should you ever find a need to seek safety among others of our ilk.
It is most likely that you and you alone will now bear the burden of our code, I have no doubts that you will uphold it, we shall never truly be gone as long as you carry us with you in action. Know always that I am proud of you in this life and the next,Dearest Keir, Daughter that I never had.
~ Grifter Storm
Influential People in her past (or just people she tends to talk about once in a while)
The Lurlines (alive) - her adoptive family, though she doesn’t seem to ever go home to visit or even hold any lingering feelings for them she did spend the greater part of her life with them and partake in their family business, she rarely talks about them.
Grifter Storm (Deceased) - Accepted leader of the Decertos, her mentor and father figure, she talks of him often, considers his past advice always and is convinced that his ghostly essence still watches over her, she has even been caught talking to him from time to time while worrying over a specific problem, Keir is completely loyal to his teachings and its obvious she blames herself for his death, she is now driven by the guilt of failure and spends much of her time attempting to make him proud of her even in death.
Dreven Strobe (Deceased) - The quiet member of the former Decertos Drev was always around for a friendly spar or a practical joke, Keir remembers him fondly and mentions him from time to time.
Phoenix Storm (Deceased) - Grifters wife, Keir respected her but while their fighting styles complimented each other and several times they had missions together Keir was not as close to her as the others.
Kurrimine (Deceased) - Keir never learned her last name but the two of them became fast friends, Often the two of them plotted jokes to get back at Drev, as Kurrimine was the closest thing to a medical officer the Decertos had Keir constantly pushing herself to the brink owed her life several times to Kurrimine’s actions.
Dremoch (Deceased) - Drem was widely considered the second in command of the Decertos, Keir thought of him more as a goofy uncle then superior and as a result rarely listened to him, often times Grifter had to step in and enforce Drems instructions with his own something which no one else ever seemed to get away with but Keir whom both Grifter and Drem seemed to find extra patience for.
COMMON KNOWLEDGE
- Rumors of time spent with pirates might surface from time to time
- Her affinity with equines and her eye for good horseflesh is well
known
- It would be well known that she's somewhat quirky and secretive with an assortment of odd phrasing, pastimes and dislikes.
DIVISION Melee Weaponry
CLASS PROGRESSION Rogue > Huntress > Shadowstalker
Job 1 - Rogue
Armour - Leather
Points - Melee (3) Ranged (0) Magic (2)
Hitpoints - 35
Evade - 14
Description - At this first stage Keir is still comparable to an apprentice, while she has a lot of tactical knowledge it is only experience she lacks, The Decertos fighting style which she utilizes is one based on surprise and speed, Her attacks are not aimed to be overly powerful in terms of brute strength but rely instead on precision - even a small wound in the right place can be detrimental to ones health. her magical abilities at this point are limited to a very small healing capability - enough perhaps to keep someone alive long enough to find true help. Her wood lore allows her to move stealthily through more terrain, her small stature making her agile and swift. Keir wears Armour made of soft and supple leather to allow her mobility and yet some protection.
Job 2 - Huntress
Armour - Leather
Points - Melee (6) Ranged (0) Magic (4)
Hitpoints - 40
Evade - 18
Description - This second stage is basically an improvement from the last, she is faster, more precise and has gained the experience she lacked in the first stage, she had learned to utilize the shadows blending in with the environment until only the most experienced person could spot her, using this ability combined with her wood lore Keir trails and stalks her prey sometimes for days until an advantageous location for an ambush is found, her greatest tactic is that of surprise, attacking before the attacked realizes what is happening. Her magical abilities have advanced to the point where she uses them to help her blend with the shadows as well as retaining her small healing capabilities. Somewhere along the way Keir has become attuned to water, she can sense it and some times control its flow or cool it down to make ice. This is useful in her hunts as it means she and her party will rarely if even be unable to find clean water, it also seems to have formed the basis for any magical attacks she might make based on her abilities, although she rarely uses magic for such things...mostly it seems indicative of her current temper as when angered frost starts to appear due to her lack of ability to control it…though if she makes a conscious effort to remain calm this does not happen.
Job 3 - ShadowStalker
Armour - Leather
Points - Melee (8 ) Ranged () Magic (7)
Hitpoints - 50
Evade - 23
Description - The third stage Keirs melee abilities have come to shine while it is unlikely she is the most powerful in terms of brute strength her flexibility makes her a positive addition to most hunting parties, she is a well versed tracker capable of following people over even the roughest of terrain, her attacks are still based on the element of surprise and speed, although if ambushed herself her knowledge of the woods often allows her to lay traps and led her pursuers on a merry chase until she can turn the tables, she had at long last attained the coveted ability to Shadowwalk something it is rumored Grifter left her the knowledge to do.
Evade/Hitpoints - Keir is fairly even until the last stage where her melee points overtake her ranged, however due to her fighting style based on speed rather then sheer power I gave her the Ranged evade - if she attacks fast it is probably that she can dodge fast as well, also because of her small stature and leather armor I gave her the ranged hit point value rather then the melee.
Other Abilities worth mentioning
Lockpicking - Though it has no battlesystem uses I thought I'd mention that during her time with the Decertos Keir learned such skills
Shadowwalking - Attained in the last stage Keir learns the ability to use shadows as doorways, she does not become a shadow rather she moves through them, as though accessing a different plane of existence, while this ability may seem more magical in nature it is rumored to be assessable to anyone who knows the ancient language and possesses some magical talent, very few Shadowwalkers exist although Grifter was known to be among them. Shadowwalkers can escort those with them into the shadowrealm although they must be touching, all people who travel in this way suffer the consequences below.
Advantages
- A quick escape if things go wrong
- Access to guarded areas
- Distance is relative in the shadowrealm, a mile or more in our world can be but a few feet in the shadowrealm.
Disadvantages - Because traveling through the shadowrealm is traveling through a different plane of existence and thusly through an area with different laws of physics, such travel is taxing on ones body it can make the traveler violently ill the first time they do it and although their body learns after repeated use to condition itself to the shadowrealms differences it is always a somewhat painful experience - it is not recommended that wounded people be moved in this manner.
Also as there is no breathable air in the shadowrealm, the amount of time spent there is limited to how long you can hold your breath.
If there are no shadows around its a pointless ability, a well lighted room is inaccessible to the shadowwalker who must emerge and depart using shadows big enough for them to walk through.
Sense Water - Keir has become somewhat attuned to water, as a result she can often sense it's location and even direct its flow (her magical abilities will most often be represented with a water or ice based attack - just magic+dice nothing exceptionally special)
Cooling - When angered the air around Keir tends to turn rather chilly, this is a result of her cooling the natural water molecules in the air, or leaking her magic abilities all over the place, as a result she can create Ice if there’s enough water around or frost is there isn't. (see above explanation)
SPECIAL SKILLS
Crippling blow - she strikes an area which dramatically reduces her enemies damage Example - she hamstrings them or attempts to sever arm muscles to render the limb useless. (Use Attack 02 - Negative Stat effect standard of -3,-6,-9 and last 1,2, or 3 rounds depending on job level) Gained at level 3
Bleed - By striking someone near a major vein or artery Keir can attempt to bleed her opponent to death (Use Attack 5 Poison attack standard his damage is -3/-6/-9 depending on job level. The effect lasts 1, 2 or 3 rounds depending on job level ) Gained at level 2
Ambush - Keir after studying her opponants techniques and/or situation finds a flaw which she can take advantage of, either through the shadows or simply ambushing on them o nthe trail she manages to do extra damage. (use Charge skill - At level 1, they give themselves a +3, at level 2, it's a +6; and at level 3, it's a +9. This bonus only lasts for the round directly after the character has studied their target and then disappears.) Gained at level 1
Human Freebie skill
01. Positive Stat Effect: You are able to positively effect a target's melee, ranged, or magic/other. The associated bonus is +3/+6/+9 depending on job level. The effect lasts 1, 2, or 3 rounds depending on job level. If you have this skill, you have access all of it's potential uses. So your character is not restricted to just boosting melee, they can also boost ranged and magic. Examples include: Str Up. This is a magic/other skill. See point requirement chart. Target can be (self only) or (any). Gained at level 1.
For Melee I'll call it Rapid Blows - she falls back to her training of swift precise attacks to do more damage, if I boost Magic she'll either call on the power of the shadow realm or the elemental power of water to boost her damage and do an attack the relates to it (a shadow attack if she calls the shadowrealm - an ice or water attack if she calls on the elements). I"ll probably never use it to boost ranged - any ranged attacks she wants to do will be based on magic.
WEAPON -Keir routinely carries a set of daggers used for melee fighting and a sword with a Jet stone inset.
She also owns a second sword and Dagger set with Amber gems in the hilt, although she carries at least one of these weapons with her at all times she refuses to use any of this particular set in battle...it is rumored that she inherited them from Grifter and keeps them as mementos.
Dagger style - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v446/Jetalmeara/dagger.jpg
Sword Style - only with less gems and jewels, there would only be a single inset in the hilt
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v446/Jetalmeara/sword.jpg
LEVEL One
POINT ASSIGNMENT Melee (3), Ranged (), Magic/Other (2)
HIT POINTS - 35
EVADE - 14
OTHER NOTES
Evade/Hitpoints - Due to her fighting style based on speed rather then sheer power I gave her the Ranged evade - if she attacks fast it is probably that she can dodge fast as well, also because of her small stature and leather armor I gave her the ranged hitpoint value rather then the melee.
Grifter carried a set of Amber bejeweled weapons because Amber is thought be a gem of Protection and bring good luck to warriors. It is thought that part of the reason Grifter took Keir under wing is because she wore a Jet stone necklace, Jet also being a symbol of protection.
Possessions
- A wolfs head necklace with Jet stone inset
- A rather weathered leather case which contains several letter type documents in it, she's paranoid about letting this out of her sight or into someone else’s hands
- A set of amber jeweled weapons that she refuses to fight with ** Grifters old weapons which he left to her when he died.
- a collection of acorns that she's picked up in her travels, she seems to be quite picky about which ones she keeps…sometimes when bored she can be find bouncing them off the walls.
Hopeful Future Possessions
- A gray Horse preferable a stallion though a gelding would work too whom she'll name Donegan Kele (Dark Warrior)
- A canine or avian based Companion named Ice
