TableTopical
New Member
I expect to be able to post most regularly Weeknights and Weekends. Below are my character sheet and backstory.
Character Sheet
Supaklu never had it easy growing up. Being a half orc in a small village, the circumstances around his birth meant that he would always be a social outcast. Luckily he was naturally smart, and worked hard to try to gain the trust of the town. Still, the other children knew that he was different, and to the adults, he was only a reminder of the orc raid that had nearly destroyed their small community. Everyone had lost someone in that battle, and he had been yet another burden that the town had to take on in the aftermath. With no father, and his mother having no way to support him, the town all begrudgingly saw that he was educated, well fed, and (perhaps more so than the other children) stayed out of trouble.
As he grew up, he absorbed all of the knowledge he could, saving the coins he earned to buy books when traders stopped on their way through town. When the local undertaker passed away, his knowledge of biology and anatomy, along with the social stigma that already surrounded him, made him a natural candidate to take over in his stead. Whereas the previous undertaker focused solely on the responsibilities relating to the dead, Supaklu also sought to prevent death wherever possible. When a pox ravaged the community, he set up a sick ward away from the rest of the population. When the livestock fell ill, he tracked the source to an infected stream, and removed the bloated corpse upstream that was causing the issues.
Despite this, the townsfolk still eyed him wearily, as if the good acts he committed were a ruse to lure them into letting their guard down.
*****
The day was clear and sunny as Supaklu walked into town. He had heard that one of the book traders whose route regularly passes through town had came in late last night, and he was curious to see if he had any interesting new titles. As he approached, he could see that the man was loading up his wagon, getting prepared to head out back onto the road. The man turned to him and smiled.
Supaklu waved and greeted the man warmly as he approached. “Sartono old friend, were you going to leave without talking to your best customer?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it!” The elven man responded. “I was actually going to stop by your house on my way out, I have something that I thought might interest you”
He made his way to the back of the cart, Supaklu following. Lifting up a tarp covering the books from the elements, Sartono rifled through the jumble, until he found the object of his search. The book itself was well made, something of better quality than Supaklu was used to. It had a leather cover dyed a deep blue, a lustrous silver metal protecting the corners and binding. Across its cover were symbols and runes, strangely chaotic, but with an order that Supaklu couldn’t quite explain. Flipping through the pages, he couldn’t make out most of the content, but he knew that whatever it was, it was arcane in nature.
“Do you know what this is?” Supaklu asked. “I couldn’t afford this if I saved up for a year.”
Sartono nodded. “It was found on the corpse of a dead mage. I’m not one to believe in superstition, but I’ve had a run of bad luck since picking that blasted thing up.” He grabbed a waterlogged book from the back of the cart, holding it up in example. “You can take it off my hands as a favor to an old friend.”
*****
It wasn’t a big raiding party, but for their unsuspecting town, even half a dozen orcs could slaughter dozens before being repelled. Supaklu saw the light of fire from his remote graveyard home, and ran into town.
*****
Supaklu doubled over, panting and leaning on his staff, frost still creeping down from the top of it, and climbing up his arm. Around him, the corpses of three orc raiders lay frozen solid, their bodies steaming in the warm summer air. The villagers gathered around him, whispering. He saw the looks of fear in their eyes, the looks of hatred. Now he wasn’t only a half-monster, he was a witch. He knew the superstition around magic in his town, and knew what this meant. The next morning, he collected his things, and left the place he had spent his entire life.
Character Sheet
Supaklu never had it easy growing up. Being a half orc in a small village, the circumstances around his birth meant that he would always be a social outcast. Luckily he was naturally smart, and worked hard to try to gain the trust of the town. Still, the other children knew that he was different, and to the adults, he was only a reminder of the orc raid that had nearly destroyed their small community. Everyone had lost someone in that battle, and he had been yet another burden that the town had to take on in the aftermath. With no father, and his mother having no way to support him, the town all begrudgingly saw that he was educated, well fed, and (perhaps more so than the other children) stayed out of trouble.
As he grew up, he absorbed all of the knowledge he could, saving the coins he earned to buy books when traders stopped on their way through town. When the local undertaker passed away, his knowledge of biology and anatomy, along with the social stigma that already surrounded him, made him a natural candidate to take over in his stead. Whereas the previous undertaker focused solely on the responsibilities relating to the dead, Supaklu also sought to prevent death wherever possible. When a pox ravaged the community, he set up a sick ward away from the rest of the population. When the livestock fell ill, he tracked the source to an infected stream, and removed the bloated corpse upstream that was causing the issues.
Despite this, the townsfolk still eyed him wearily, as if the good acts he committed were a ruse to lure them into letting their guard down.
*****
The day was clear and sunny as Supaklu walked into town. He had heard that one of the book traders whose route regularly passes through town had came in late last night, and he was curious to see if he had any interesting new titles. As he approached, he could see that the man was loading up his wagon, getting prepared to head out back onto the road. The man turned to him and smiled.
Supaklu waved and greeted the man warmly as he approached. “Sartono old friend, were you going to leave without talking to your best customer?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it!” The elven man responded. “I was actually going to stop by your house on my way out, I have something that I thought might interest you”
He made his way to the back of the cart, Supaklu following. Lifting up a tarp covering the books from the elements, Sartono rifled through the jumble, until he found the object of his search. The book itself was well made, something of better quality than Supaklu was used to. It had a leather cover dyed a deep blue, a lustrous silver metal protecting the corners and binding. Across its cover were symbols and runes, strangely chaotic, but with an order that Supaklu couldn’t quite explain. Flipping through the pages, he couldn’t make out most of the content, but he knew that whatever it was, it was arcane in nature.
“Do you know what this is?” Supaklu asked. “I couldn’t afford this if I saved up for a year.”
Sartono nodded. “It was found on the corpse of a dead mage. I’m not one to believe in superstition, but I’ve had a run of bad luck since picking that blasted thing up.” He grabbed a waterlogged book from the back of the cart, holding it up in example. “You can take it off my hands as a favor to an old friend.”
*****
It wasn’t a big raiding party, but for their unsuspecting town, even half a dozen orcs could slaughter dozens before being repelled. Supaklu saw the light of fire from his remote graveyard home, and ran into town.
*****
Supaklu doubled over, panting and leaning on his staff, frost still creeping down from the top of it, and climbing up his arm. Around him, the corpses of three orc raiders lay frozen solid, their bodies steaming in the warm summer air. The villagers gathered around him, whispering. He saw the looks of fear in their eyes, the looks of hatred. Now he wasn’t only a half-monster, he was a witch. He knew the superstition around magic in his town, and knew what this meant. The next morning, he collected his things, and left the place he had spent his entire life.
