Lord Payn Ack-Arthur
Human Rgr 17: CR 17; ECL 17; Size M; HD 17d8+17; hp 107; Init +7; Spd 30 ft; AC 24, touch 18, FF 21; BAB +17/+12/+7/+2; Grapple +20; Atk: +16/+11/+6/+1 melee (1d3 + 1, Unarmed), +21/+16/+11/+6 ranged (1d8 + 1, Longbow, composite +1 (Flaming burst)), +19/+14/+9/+4 melee (1d6 + 5/crit 15-20, Scimitar +2), +20/+15/+10/+5 melee (1d6 + 3, Sword, short +2), +22/+17/+12/+7 melee (1d8 + 5, Longsword +2 (Mighty cleaving)); AL NG; SV Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +7; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 11.
Languages spoken: Kelevan, Blackspeech (orc)
Skills and Feats: Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +3, Balance +4, Climb +10, Concentration +8, Craft (Trapmaking) +2, Diplomacy +8, Handle Animal +7, Hide +10, Intimidate +3, Survival +17, Jump +9, Knowledge (Geography) +3, Knowledge (Nature) +14, Knowledge (Nobility) +5, Listen +11, Move Silently +14, Knowledge [War] +6, Ride +9, Search +8, Sense Motive +7, Speak Language +1, Spot +10, Swim +7, Use Rope +7; Armor Proficiency (Light), Armor Proficiency (Medium), Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Endurance, Greater Two-weapon Fighting, Improved Critical, Improved Initiative, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Leadership, Martial Weapon Proficiency, Quick Draw, Shield Proficiency, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Track, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus.
Rgr Spells Usually Prepared (0/3/3/2/1): 1--Charm animal, Entangle, Resist energy, 2--Barkskin, Cat's grace, Hold animal, 3--Briar's web, Water walk, 4--Commune with nature.
Possessions: Ring of freedom of movement, Ring of protection +3, Short +2 sword, Composite +1 longbow (flaming burst), Scimitar +2, Studded leather +3, Boots of elvenkind, Explorer's outfit, Gauntlets of ogre power, Potion of cure serious wounds, Wand of web, Bag of holding 2.
Age: 31 (birthday on the 12th of Hest) weight:180 height: 5' 10"
Payn grew up in the town of Bestraville, not far from the Hilly Crags in Kelerak. His parents, Arthur (a secret ranger and tomacco gatherer) and Beatrice, instilled in him a strong love for the wilderness, and because of this devotion to the town's namesake, the worship of Bestra came natural to him.
Although not a very large town, Bestraville is a strong religous center, both to the goddess Bestra, for whom the town was named, and also the god Heshtail. Due to this, Bestraville was a natural target of the evil forces during the dark occupation and it was ruled by a Hoth, or Orchish war boss, for many centuries. Because of its religious centricity, the quiet hamlet was also looked on as dangerous to the evil forces, and they molested the physical structures of the town very little. In fact, they were content to rule the populace and let the famous temples of Bestra and Heshtail sit empty for many years. Of couse the fact that the first orcs who tried to enter the temple of Bestra were struck dead may have had something to do with their attitude towards the temple.
Another force that perhaps added to Bestraville's "protected status" was that of the Woodsman. In league with the sect of Druids that inhabits the Hilly Crags, these mysterious rangers flitted from shadow to shadow, acting as a secret police force and slaying any orc or corrupted human that dared to overstep his bounds. The Woodsmen existed for many decades, avoiding all attempts by the Orc bosses to stamp them out. Indeed, Payn's father Arthur was very actice with the ranger group, undertaking his share of secret missions. Because of this, Payn was drawn to the forces protecting this town, The Woodsmen. When he officially joined the secret group, Payn's father rewarded him with a hunting hound to help keep Payn safe while he lived the dangerous life of a Woodsman. Payn called his new beloved hound "Boner."
As Payn grew up, he secretely spent a great deal of time in the woods surrounding the town, often following his father's example in tracking animals, hunting, living off the land, and respecting everything the forest gave, as well as killing any orcs who wandered about alone or in small numbers. Payn and his best friend, Taren ack-Odo, often spent many hours each day treking through the woods, exploring and attaining a deep devotion to nature and the wilderness, hunting animals for food and fur, of course killing orcs and wargs to keep the evil rulers in line, but not harming creatures of the wilderness when unnecessary.
When word came in 8160 F.R. that the Lord of Lust was slain and that Kelerak was rising up against her evil rulers, the Woodsmen were on the vanguard of the rebellion that freed Bestraville. Because of their decades-long pressure on the evil forces, the coup was not very bloody, and most of the orcish inhabitants of the town fled into the Hilly Crags or away to the South. The rebellion was not particularly traumatic for Payn.
A moment that was traumatic, and which was quite possibly the event that pushed him to leave Bestraville in search of greater good, happened just a few months before the fateful meeting with Bartarius and Malcall in Dragonspur, nearly nine years after Bestraville was freed. Payn, Taren, and Payn's devoted pet dog Boner were treking through the woods, following prey that they intended to bring home to their families. Suddenly they came upon a huge warg that was foaming at the mouth, obviously mad with rabies. Upon seeing them the warg lunged at Payn. Boner instinctively jumped at his master's attacker, and a brief but ferocious battle ensued with Boner getting slashed badly with the raging warg's teeth. This, however, gave just enough time for Payn and Taren to react, falling upon the warg with their flashing blades and slicing it to death.
Boner, though badly wounded, was still alive, and Payn took him home to heal. But because the warg was rabid, Boner soon showed signs of rabies, and the healing that Payn could give was not able to cure his friend. Finally, when Boner began to loose his mind, Payn was forced to kill the animal that had so quickly jumped to save him.
This was a traumatic experience for Payn, giving him the belief that he needed to leave the town of Bestraville, in search of a greater good. And since that time, whenever he has been attacked by dogs he has been pulled down. In 8171, Payn was named a Lord Knight and then a Lord of Dragonspur City.