Hieractus, Agent of the Eschaton
Personality
While stiffly formal and occasionally prickly, Hieractus is careful to avoid actual rudeness even to most enemies. Out of that sense of politeness he often flirts with apology, saying things like "I hope you will pardon me" or "apology would be in order". But he avoids actual direct contrition except in extreme circumstances as a matter of honor.
Hieractus simply never jokes. Nor does he take well to the jokes of others, generally responding with chilly silence. When angered, he remains cold, saving a measured and appropriate retaliation for the moment of greatest advantage.
History
On the doomed world Manwha (meaning "''Sword of the heavens''") a boy, Kaizen Bishamon-Hephaestus Katashi, was born to a sword maker of some repute, Kaizen Homasubi-Mazu Akira. Due to the influence of Manwha's leader, the ressurected legendary swordsman Citizen Miyamoto Musashi, the world was successful in keeping ancient Japanese traditions alive, despite the powerful cultural pressures of Eschaton society. It was a world of startling beauty and courageous, honorable folk, but considered 'barbaric' by the greater society. For Musashi sharply restricted the use of advanced magic and most technology, and worse maintained a partiarchal fuedal government.
Thus it is unsuprizing that Kaizen Bishamon-Hephaestus Katashi embraced the Way of the warrior even in his childhood. Such was the path to renown, and his talents were well suited to it. But in his thirteenth year, a dark cloud came over Manwha. The twisted progeny of Chu'uglourzthu, one of the Lords of the Outer Dark, established a foothold that grew like a metastisized cancer. Citizen Musashi's defensive strategy was brilliant, and he was able to muster virtually every male able to lift a weapon in Manwha's defense. But in his pride, he did not call upon the Praetorians, the Eschaton's force devoted to combatting such horrors. His hubris spelt doom, for even the Eschaton itself in it overwhlming might, had reason to fear the Lords of the Outer Dark.
Katashi's own involvement in the struggle started thusly (in his own words) "Apparently it began with a group of children playing in the woods that were ambushed and implanted with sentient parasites. The ridden youths then entered the village and implanted the mayor's son. He, in turn, lured out the mayor. That allowed these living foulnesses to systematically co-opt the village's defenses. All this, of course happened before we were aware of what was going on. The first clue was when two of the original children were found in fresh graves near the woods. The bodies had been hollowed out. It was something I will never forget. Then many of us noticed that the bravest warriors in the village were acting strangely and had oddly corded neck muscles."
"My father was a swordmaker, and many people in the village came to him then in hopes of arming themselves against this vaguely understood threat. But the mayor decreed that no weapons were to be distributed or sold, and demanded to take custody of the swords, 'until the hysteria dies down'. The mayor exibited his usual mannerisms but looked a bit fatter than usual and had the same cording of neck muscles. Sensing something wrong my father refused. An hour or so later, my mother returned from an errand with the same strangeness as the warriors. But she insisted everything was fine. That night she tried to sneak out carrying all of my fathers swords. When we stopped her, she flew into an unholy rage and attack with one of the blades. In the end my father wound up striking her unconscious. But then dreadful convulsions came over her, and horrific ropelike grey creature tore itself from her body. It had nearly escaped by the time we recovered our wits and went after it, screaming in anguish fury and disgust. We slew the abomination and quickly woke our neighbors. As a mob we descended upon the mayor's house. He was nowhere to be found, but his son was there, bound and gagged. As we were freeing him a dreadful sound came from without. The warriors had returned alongside twisted creatures of all description. Only a handful of us fought our way free, including my father and the mayor's son. Enroute to find reinforcements the son told us of how he had been implanted, but the parasite left him after his father agreed to serve the horrors in return for the child's life."
(to be continued)
Basic Attributes
Race: Human
Alignment: LN
Attribute | Pts Spent | Base | Level Adjustments | Racial Adjustments | SubTotal | Enchantment | Total | Modifier |
STR | 2 | 10 | +0 | 0 | 10 | +0 enh | 10 | +0 |
DEX | 8 | 15 | +3 | +0 | 18 | +4 enh | 24 | +7 |
CON | 6 | 14 | +0 | +0 | 14 | +4 enh | 18 | +4 |
INT | 10 | 16 | +0 | +0 | 16 | +4 enh | 20 | +5 |
WIS | 4 | 12 | +1 | +0 | 12 | +2 enh | 14 | +2 |
CHA | 6 | 14 | +0 | +0 | 14 | +4 enh | 18 | +4 |
Build
Class 1 | Class 2 | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Class 1 Abilities | Class 2 Abilities | Feats |
Artificer 1 | Samurai 1 (OA Version) | 1 | 2.5 | .33 | 2.5 | Artificer Knowledge, +2 UMD, Disable Trap, Scribe Scroll | | Flaw: Code of Arms (Dr324), Flaw: Individualist (Dr329), Combat Expertise, --Improved Initiative-- , Karmic Strike, Expeditious Dodge (RotW) |
Artificer 2 | Fighter 1 (Kensai Variant Dr310) | 1 | .5 | .33 | .5 | Brew Potion | EWP:Katana, +1 to hit&Dam | |
Artificer 3 | Fighter 2 | 1 | .5 | .33 | .5 | Craft Wonderous | Quick Draw (bonus) | Magical Artisan: Wonderous |
Artificer 4 | Samurai 2 | 1 | .5 | .33 | .5 | Craft Homonculus, Legendary Artisan (bonus) | Combat Reflexes (bonus) | |
Artficer 5 | Warrior 1 (Generic) | 1 | .33 | .5 | .5 | Craft Arms&Armor, Retain Essence | Magical Artisan:Arms&Armor (bonus) | |
Artificer 6 | Occult Slayer 1 | 1 | .33 | .33 | .5 | Metamagic Spell Trigger | +1 vs. spells&spell-like, Weapon Bond | Improved Combat Expertise |
Artificer 7 | Occult Slayer 2 | 1 | .33 | .33. | .5 | Craft Wand | Mind Over Magic 1/day, Vicious Strike | |
Artificer 8 | Iaijutsu Master 1 | 1 | .33 | .5 | .5 | Extraordinary Artisan (bonus) | Weapon Finesse (Katana), Int to AC | |
Artificer 9 | Warblade 1 | 1 | .5 | .33 | .5 | Craft Rod | Int to Ref (capped), Weapon Aptitude | Iron Heart Aura |
Artificer 10 | Warrior 2 | 1 | .33 | .5 | .5 | | Stormguard Warrior (bonus) | |
Artificer 11 | Warblade 2 | 1 | .5 | .33 | .5 | Metamagic Spell Completion | Uncanny Dodge | |
Artificer 12 | Warblade 3 | 1 | .5 | .33 | .5 | Craft Staff, Extend Spell (bonus) | Int to crit confirmation | Robilar's Gambit |
Skills
Skill Name | Stat | Stat Bonus | Ranks | Competence | Misc | Total |
Concentration | Con | +4 | 15 | +15 | +8 Circumstance | 42 |
Craft: Weaponsmithing | Int | +5 | 2 | | | 7 |
Diplomacy | Cha | +4 | 5 | +8 | +2 synergy | 19 |
Gather Information | Cha | +4 | 5 | | | 9 |
Iaijutsu Focus | Cha | +4 | 12 | +15 | +8 Circumstance | 39 |
Know: Arcana | Int | +5 | 2 | +5 | | 12 |
Know: Architecture | Int | +5 | 2 | | | 7 |
Know: Cosmology | Int | +5 | 2 | +5 | | 12 |
Know: Engineering | Int | +5 | 2 | +5 | | 12 |
Know: Science | Int | +5 | 5 | +5 | | 15 |
Sense Motive | Wis | +2 | 5 | +8 | | 15 |
Tumble | Dex | +6 | 5 | +5 | | 16 |
UMD | Cha | +4 | 10 | +6 | | 20 |
Infusions
Factions
Level | Faction | Adjustment | Reason |
6 | Queen's Guard of Cyre (tranferred to League of the Bitter Blade) | +2 | Joined Queen's Guard |
7 | Queen's Guard of Cyre (tranferred to League of the Bitter Blade) | +2 | Helped to lead members of the guard and other survivors out of Cyre after Day of Mourning |
8 | Cult of the Dragon Below | -2 | Attacked a cult living at the edge of the Mournlands. Survivors disbursed to various other Dragon Below cults |
9 | House Deneith | +2 | Joined the League of the Bitter Blade |
10 | House Cannith | +1 | While protecting the transport caravan of piloted titan prototype, H. displayed unusual insight. His own workmanship elicited interest as well |
10 | House Deneith | +1 | Received promotion within League of the Bitter Blade for valorious service |
11 | Maracal Deserin of the Aurum's Shadow Cabinet | -2 | Unexpected diligence in assignment from house disrupted Maracal's plot |
12 | Shirin d'Deneith | -1 | Reported Blood of Vol ties within house |
12 | House Deneith | -1(+2) | Took leave of absence |
Equipment
Item Name | Name in Book | Base cost | Actual Cost | XP Cost | Description | Creation notes | Slot |
Force Bracers | +2 Armor +1 Natural Armor +1 Luck +1 Insight | 12,250 | 3,445 | 276 | | | Arms |
Aethyr Jacket | Ghost Shroud (MIC) | 5,000 | 1,406 | 113 | | | Body |
Incarnum Shades | +4 Int Soulstone (MIC) | 26,000 | 7,313 | 585 | | | Face |
Rocket Boots | Winged Boots | 16,000 | 4,500 | 360 | | | Feet |
Agility Gauntlets | +4 Dex +5 Tumble Gauntlets of the Weapon Arcane (MIC) | 25,750 | 7,242 | 579 | | | Hands |
Mnemonic Resevoir | +15 Iaijutsu Focus +6 UMD +5 Know Arc,Cosm,Eng,Sci | 44,850 | 12,614 | 1,009 | | | Head |
Cloak of the Shielded Empath | +15 Concentration +8 Sense Motive | 32,100 | 9,028 | 722 | | | Shoulders |
Insightful Reflector | +2 Wis Retributive Amulet (MIC) | 13,000 | 3,656 | 293 | | | Neck |
Ambassador's Vest | +8 Diplomacy | 6,400 | 1,800 | 144 | | | Torso |
Frictionless Field Projector | Vest of Free Movement (MIC) | 12,000 | 3,375 | 270 | | | Waist |
Aethyrdancer | +1 Collision Blurstrike katana | 51,335 | 14,730 | 1,125 | | | |
Science | +1 Greater Dispelling Defender Solarian Truesteel katana | 38,335 | 12,168 | 720 | faintly luminescent translucent crystal blade with a circuit pattern within | | |
Force Pistol | (Magic Missle CL 9) | 6,750 | 2,531 | 203 | | | |
Mnemonic Enhancer | Wand of Weildskill (CL 1 MoF) | 750 | 281 | 23 | | | |
Universal Translator | Wand of Comp. Lang (CL1) | 750 | 281 | 23 | | | |
Holographic Projector | Wand of Silent Image (CL1) | 750 | 281 | 23 | | | |
Auto-Butler | Wand of Unseen Servant (CL1) | 750 | 281 | 23 | | | |
Mnemonic Scanner | Wand of Scholar's Touch (CL1 RoD) | 750 | 281 | 23 | | | |
Targetting Device | Wand of True Strike (CL1) | 750 | 281 | 23 | | | |
Auto-Doc | Wand of Lesser Vigor (CL1 CDiv) | 750 | 281 | 23 | | | |
Wand of Resurgence | (CL1 CDiv | 750 | 281 | 23 | | | |
Assembly Spirit | Dedicated Wright | 2,100 | 788 | 120 | | | |
*3821 spent xp, all of craft pool from lvl 3 on
Combat Stats
AC 33 (10 base +6 Dex +5 Int +3 Enhancement +2 Armor +1 Natural Armor +1 Deflection +1 Luck +1 Insight +3 Defending) Touch 27 Flat 22 (Uncanny Dodge)
Full Defense AC 45
HP 170 (10*7 + 8*2 + 12*3 + 4*12)
Move 30'
Action Points 11 (8 remaining)
Fort 14 (Base 7 Con +4 Resistance +3)
Ref 16 (Base 4 Dex +6 Resistance +3 Warblade +3)
Will 13 (Base 8 Wis +2 Resistance +3)
+1 vs. spells & spell-like
BAB 12
Attack +22 (BAB 12 Dex +6 Enchantment +3 Kensai +1)
Manuevers: Wall of Blades (not readied), Iron Heart Surge, Insightful Strike, Mind Over Body, Ruby Nightmare Blade
Stances: Punishing Stance
Daily Buffs:
Magic Vestment
Greater Magic Weapon X2
Extended Skill Enhancement X2 (Concentration & Iaijutsu Focus)
Extended Resistance Item
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