Difference between revisions of "Tor"

Revision as of 15:04, 22 June 2016

Tor, 2nd level/2nd level (lawful, neutral or chaotic) good male half-giant ranger/rain cleric

Strength 21, Dexterity 14, Constitution 22, Intelligence (13), Wisdom 15, Charisma 14

Campaign: Dark Sun - Sun and Stars Campaign

Special Abilities

Chief Nomdar, the Rain Bird of the Nine Mountains, has seen fit to permanently imbue Tor with magic making him somehow able to hide and move as silently as would a human, thereby in game terms negating the hefty penalties he would have normally suffered as a half-giant. Because of this enchantment upon him, Tor will detect by those who have the power to see as being surrounded by an aura of dim illusionary magic.

Background

Tor was a toddler when his mostly human tribe, the Tribe of Far Earth, was killed by the haflings of the Nine Mountains, and as such he has no memories of these events. Raised in halfling culture, from his earliest years Tor grew up as a halfling, acting like or otherwise mimicking them in almost every way. His mother Puabi, angry at the halflings for the death of her tribesmen and especially over the death of her beloved husband the ranger Yandor, was distant from Tor, and tried at times to separate Tor from the halflings, but even from the earliest of his days at the Forest Ridge Tor began emulating the halflings. Eventually Puabi distanced herself from her young son, and left to meditate in the wilderness and expand her knowledge in the Way of the Unseen. In the years since, although able to teleport, the visits of Tor's mother visits have been few and far between.

In these early years Tor was cared for by his earth cleric elder sister Agnola, and by his maternal uncle, Vosh, who helped teach him how to hunt and manage the rainforest as a half-giant. In truth however, Tor was raised by the halflings. Tor was the object of fascination of Ulgo, the best ranger in the Clan of Snow Lake, and even as a half-giant boy Tor was allowed to come along the hunt with Ulgo and the rest of his warriors. What Tor could not learn from Ulgo and the other hunters, he learned from Vosh. Tor also spent many hours with Ob, the clan rain cleric, who maintained a shrine tree near the cloud-hidden tops of a great mountain. Ob sang many songs to the life-giving rain, and unlike the other halflings, Ob had a kinder and more compassionate soul. Ob knew a great deal about the rainforests, and shared much wisdom with Tor.

As an adolescent, Tor received a summons from Chief Nomdar, the Rain Bird, and so he ascended the great halfling chieftain’s pyramid at the base of a mountain, and spoke with the powerful chief. Questioned in halfling ways, Rain Bird opened up new thoughts to Tor, and new horizons of spiritual awakening the half-giant may have otherwise never received. Each year thereafter, Rain Bird would call on Tor. Spending much time with Uglo and Ob, Tor would ascend the steps of the pyramid once more. Each year Tor's wisdom increased, and Rain Bird used his magic and showed Tor about the spirit realm, and many other things. He once even walked with Tor upon the storm, and Tor ran through the rains and clouds.

During these years, Tor’s mother would reappear from time to time, and school Tor in the Way of the Unseen, at least enough so that he could wield his wild talent and protect himself. During one of her visits, Tor’s grandmother Liferra returned to the Nine Mountains from lands unknown, and at last fulfilled her daughter’s wishes to restore the life of Tor's father Yandor. The few surviving bones and debris from Yandor were gathered, and in a ritual buried in the forest beside a stream. After many days, a sprout arose from beneath the earth, and Liferra reached down and pulled from the earth Yandor, regrown and reborn. Tor met his father, and for a time they trained together in the forest under the eye of Puabi. Yet Yandor was no halfling, and not so long after his rebirth, Tor’s parents left, bringing along their elder daughter Agnola and Hamond, to live in the mysterious lands beyond the great Forest Ridge.

Two years ago, Rain Bird used his magic and sent Tor on a quest, causing him to climb to the top of a snowy mountain, where Tor was pelted by rains and snow, and threatened by thunder and lightning for a day and a night. He was in the last struck by a lightning bolt amidst the thick clouds. When Tor awoke the next morning, Rain Bird appeared and announced that Tor had survived and passed his rite of passage, and had been accepted as a cleric of the rains. Not longer afterwards, Tor completed a ritualized hunt with Ulgo, and under the songs of Ob became an initiate ranger of the tribe.

Tor can now hear the voices of the spirits of rain when the clouds and water come, and for his prayers and faith, they reward him with spells.

Original Tribe: The Tribe of Far Earth

The Tribe of Far Earth were an old pastoral and at times agricultural tribe of escaped slaves from Urik and Tyr, nearby which they had wandered for centuries. Some two decades ago the tribe joined a coalition of tribes to fight against the Tyrian army over a dispute for land and grazing rights. The war proved a great defeat, and their chief, Bykarus, was killed. After the defeat, fearing the pursuit of the angry Tyrians, a splinter of the tribe entered the deadly badlands called the Dragon’s Swathe, and appealed to their old earthsinger, the powerful half-giantess cleric and psionicist, Liferra of the Rock. Long in isolation and quest, the powerful half-giantess (and Tor's grandmother) led the small clan which included many of her children and grandchildren on a great quest across the Ringing Mountains. Pursued by vengeful Tyrian templars who had long wished the death of Liferra and other tribal members, many of the tribesmen died in the crossing, but those few who did survive beheld the wonder of the Forest Ridge. Liferra brought them before the protection of Rain Bird, Chief Nomdar of the Nine Mountain halflings, a mighty halfling rain cleric and magic-user who lived atop a mysterious mountain pyramid. Nomdar chose only to offer protection to Liferra’s blood descendants. The rest were hunted and killed like animals, including Tor’s father, the half-giant ranger Yandor.

Adoptive Tribe: The Tribe of Nine Mountains

Chief of the Nine Tribes: Nomdar, an extremely powerful rain cleric and magic-user

A powerful federation of halflings composed of nine sub-tribes or clans, the tribe is ruled by a mighty rain cleric and magic-user named Nomdar, who autocratically rules his people from the top of an intimidating pyramid beneath of a cloud topped mountain. Nomdar, who is also called Rain Bird, is obeyed without question. When Tor's birth-tribe arrived at Nine Mountains with Liferra at their lead and came before Rain Bird, the great chief seemingly betrayed Liferra, and kept her children alive but killed the rest of the survivors, including Tor's father Yandor. Rain Bird meant the others as an offering to the Forest, a consequence of permanently welcoming others into the ecosystem.

Tor has known the Forest Ridge, the great rainforests beyond the Ringing Mountains, as home for as long as he can remember. Teeming with life and plenty, and watered sometimes more than once a day by life-giving rains, Tor has been molded and shaped by these lands, and would have little understanding for life beyond their verdant reach.

The Sub-Tribe of Snow Waters

Chief: Menago, a skilled hunter and mindbender

Clan Cleric: Ob, a rain cleric

Senior Ranger: Ulgo

Family

Father – Yandor Earthborn

Yandor was born free in the wilderness, and is the most recent husband of Tor’s mother Puabi. Yandor adventured with the mighty ranger Quar in decades past, but eventually joined Puabi’s tribe after being found in the desert dying from a near fatal fight with a Urikite reaver (gladiator hunter). Yandor was one of the tribe’s greatest warriors, and did many heroic things. Eventually, he performed his pack with his mother-in-law, the mighty half-giantess cleric Liferra, and gained the power to cast spells of earth. Yandor nonetheless has little love for Liferra, and blames her for falsely leading them to the Forest Ride, where almost all the tribe was killed, including himself. Yandor is steadfastly loyal to Puabi and all his children.

Mother – Puabi

Puabi is the youngest child of Liferra, the former mindbender and earthsinger of the free Tribe of Far Earth. Puabi was born with the great wisdom of her powerful mother, and as such was trained in the Way and to become an earth cleric. Although rejected by the spirits of earth, Puabi learned successfully to use the Way of the Unseen from her mother. Puabi was seized by raiders in her youth, and became the slave-bride of a Urikite half-giant ex-gladiator named Ekur. While under his domination, Ekur gat on her a son, but she soon used her powers to escape from him. Returning to her tribe, she gave birth to Angron. Years later, Angron was captured by Tyrian templars and thrown into the gladiatorial pits. Despite attempts by Puabi, her extended family and even the powerful Liferra to save the young half-giant, Angron actually refused to leave gladiatorial life. These events scarred Puabi deeply.

Puabi eventually married the half-giant ranger Yandor. They had five surviving children: Agnola, Draymora, Kaymon, Hamod and Tor.

When the Tribe of Far Earth was nearly destroyed by the Tyrians, it was Puabi’s idea to seek out her very powerful but isolationist mother Liferra at the Dragon’s Swathe to seek aid. Because it was Liferra who led them to the Forest Ridge and the doom of most of the tribe and her husband Yandor, Puabi is very angry at her mother. Puabi’s anger was great enough that she berated her mother so much that, years later, Liferra used a powerful spell and regrew Yandor by planting his bones in the forest. Nonetheless, Puabi has not forgiven her mother.

Puabi has become over the decades a very powerful psionicist in her own right. Never feeling a part of halfling society, Puabi has wandered far and wide, journeying deep into the Hinterlands of the east. Able to teleport across Athas with some ease, of recent years Puabi prefers to meditate like her mother deep in abandoned wastes of Athas.

Grandmother – Liferra

Very old and very powerful, Tor’s grandmother is a mysterious earth cleric and psionicist of truly great power. Choosing to appear only rare occasions, Liferra is often on other journeys and adventures unknown to any of the tribe.

Almost unique amongst half-giants, Liferra’s wisdom and intelligence are far greater than that of most half-giants, and they are traits that have been shared with many of her descendants.

Liferra apparently knew the great halfling chief Nomdar, called Rain Bird of the Ten Mountains Tribe, from earlier in her life, and it was with her guidance that the tribe came to the Ten Mountains in the first place. Liferra pledged her former tribesmen to serve the forest, but Nomdar decided that they would serve by feeding the People of the Forest, the haflings.

The last time Tor saw his grandmother was when Liferra’s awesome magic caused his father Yandor to burst from the earth in which his bones had been buried.

Uncle Sumar

Puabi’s elder brother and a son of Liferra, Sumar was not blessed with his mother’s wisdom and intelligence. Simple and very malleable to the society he is in, Sumar is nonetheless naturally exceedingly strong, and is favored by the halflings because he willingly helps them with menial tasks requiring great strength. The halfling druid Gono has at times transformed Sumar into a great hunting cat. Tor has little relationship with his uncle Sumar.

Uncle Vosh

Puabi’s second elder brother, Vosh was born with much of his mother’s intelligence, if not much of her wisdom. Vosh is a cold and even calculating half-giant. A desert fighter before the great journey up the Ringing Mountains, Vosh rethought his way of fighting up in the Forest Ridge, and quickly learned the ways of stealth from his new halfling fellow tribesmen. Despite his great size, Vosh learned well and quickly, and is able to hide his great form in the shadows of trees and track the beasts of the forest. Vosh has little love for Rain Bird however, and has steadfastly refused to pursue the rituals to make him a ranger of the tribe.

Vosh has acted as a surrogate father towards Tor, and helped him learn the ways of the rain forest from a half-giant’s perspective. Vosh has taken to wife Tor’s elder sister, Draymora. Tor’s father Yandor and Vosh hate each other, and Yandor detests that Vosh married Draymora while Yandor was dead.

Siblings

Angron

A deceased half-brother, Tor never met Angron. Angron would have been Tor's eldest sibling.

Agnola

An cleric half-giantess, Agnola is Tor's eldest surviving sibling. Upon the resurrection of Tor's father, Agnola left with Yondar and Puabi to lands unknown.

Draymora

Draymora has become the wife of her uncle Vosh, and with his has had three children in the Forest Ridge.

Kaymon

Kaymon was a youth when the Far Earth tribe crossed the Ringing Mountains. During a difficult climb, Kaymon fell to his death.

Hamod

Hamod is a simpleton, and save for Tor is the youngest of the children of Puabi. He fared poorly with the halflings, and was treated with contempt by them for years. He left with his elder sister Agnola to join his mother and father in lands unknown.

Rain Cleric

The Dripping Tree. Situated high up near Mount Rain Bird, the highest of the Nine Colored Mountains, the Dripping Tree is a mysterious and ancient growth, similar to a banyan tree but with strange fruit and a deep burgundy color. It rises out of a small lake or pool called Rain Bird Lake, which is watered from the heights of Mount Rain Bird, Mount Purple Flower, and the mountains beyond. Set at the heights in the canyon between two mountains, the Dripping Tree reaches to nearly the highest extent in elevation of the rain forest proper, and its pool is fed by snow melt waterfalls. It is said that the first druid of Rain Bird Mountain planted it there, and that it is because of the tree that the mists and rains always pour forth from its vicinity. The rain clerics of the Nine Colored Mountains have always paid homage to the tree, and treat it as a respected elder and friend. Previously protected by Chief Nomdar before he ascended to his current position, the tree is now kept by Tor's primary mentor, the rain cleric Ob. Nowadays Ob almost never leaves the giant and stretching branches of the tree, and can be found laying upon it and singing songs to its leaves. Rising out of the pristine and still waters of Lake Rain Bird, the pool teams with fish and life of a bewildering variety. Tor would have spent many days here, swimming in the pool and singing to the tree.

An alternate conception of the Dripping Tree

Saving Throw Adjustments

While in direct Athasian sunlight, Tor receives a -2 penalty on all saving throws due to discomfort and dehydration.

If not in direct sunlight, Tor receives a +2 bonus versus saving throws against rain and water.

Minor Granted Powers

Tor will gain his first granted minor power at 3rd level.

Major Granted Powers

Tor will gain his first granted major power at 5th level.

Recharging Spells

Rain clerics may recharge their spells any time a cloud is visible in the sky. On Athas, some sort of cloud is visible 50% of the time. This percentage increases in certain types of terrain. On high hills and over scrub lands it is 60%; over farm lands, 70%; and in forest or jungle areas, 80%+.

Role-playing Notes

Half-Giant Role-playing Awards

imitate charismatic friend: 20 xp/day

shift alignment per influence: 50 xp

Ranger Role-playing Awards

spells cast: 50 xp/spell level

track, hide or move silently: 100 xp

use followers in crisis: 100 xp

per hit die of creature defeated: 10 xp/level

Magical Items

Scroll-Based Magic

Sky-Blossom Cherry x 2, 4th level spell: Protection from Weather (18th)

Yellow Pitaya, 4th level spell: Acid Rain (18th)

Vitrified Petrified Stick, 4th level spell: Call Lightning (18th)

Rain Moss (magically damp), 3rd level spell: Cloudburst (12th)

Hailstone (magically frozen), 5th level spell: Conjure Rain Elemental

Potion-Based Magic

Breadfruit of Superior Healing x 2: heals 6d8+2 points of damage.