Charlemagne
A bald man wielding a greatsword far larger than it has any right to be, Charlemagne is little more than a sword for hire. He is a crude, bitter, uncompromising man that reeks of apathy and at times abject cruelty. Those that speak of him whisper of the devastation his wild swings wreak upon those unfortunate enough to be his enemy for the day, and beyond that, only the unpleasantness that inevitably follows with his company. His lack of self-preservation has made him quite the asset to those capable of wasting enough coin on his services. Indeed, it seems the sellsword lives only to slake his burgeoning bloodlust. In truth, that violence is all that he knows.
Appearance
The mercenary's body is the result of two decades worth of rigorous training and combat. His physique is like that of a statue, a mass of knotted muscle and scars of varying cruelty. His skin is both pale and ruddy depending on the lands he inhabits at any given time, and eyes like that of emeralds peer out from his severe face to judge any that dare to meet their gaze. He stands just below six feet, though he stares down men and beasts twice his size as if they were his equals, or worse, his inferiors. His scalp is hairless, and his chin meticulously shaven. Rarely if ever is he seen without his meager armor and armaments, and the gods only know the last time he has bathed.
Skills and Abilities
Stronk: Charlemagne has trained since the age of five for the purposes of combat. His body is a weapon in and of itself. There are few humans that can match his raw physical prowess. Wielding his greatsword, it is not uncommon for Charlemagne to cleave men entombed in steel plate in two with a single swing.
Contender: Charlemagne, despite his weighty weapon, can contest his opponents for quite a long time. What he lacks in finesse or magical talent he makes up for in raw aggression. He can endure agonies that would cripple other men and is well accustomed to pushing his body to its absolute limits to achieve victory, consequences be damned.
Beast's Cunning: Charlemagne's nearly inhuman strength is further honed by his conniving nature. He is in constant search of weaknesses in his opponents, be they physical or mental, and has no moral qualms about exploiting such weaknesses to utterly obliterate his enemies should the opportunity arise.
Blood Rush: Charlemagne sheds his apathetic nature in the midst of a true contest. He derives a certain excitement from the spilling of blood, both his own and that of his foes. His desire to see the blood of his foes flow can spur him on toward inhuman achievements, and in turn allow him to suppress otherwise catastrophic pain wracking his physical form. This is a double-edged sword however, as he may well kill himself in his reckless attempts to see his enemies slain and has often crippled himself in the past doing so.
Contender: Charlemagne, despite his weighty weapon, can contest his opponents for quite a long time. What he lacks in finesse or magical talent he makes up for in raw aggression. He can endure agonies that would cripple other men and is well accustomed to pushing his body to its absolute limits to achieve victory, consequences be damned.
Beast's Cunning: Charlemagne's nearly inhuman strength is further honed by his conniving nature. He is in constant search of weaknesses in his opponents, be they physical or mental, and has no moral qualms about exploiting such weaknesses to utterly obliterate his enemies should the opportunity arise.
Blood Rush: Charlemagne sheds his apathetic nature in the midst of a true contest. He derives a certain excitement from the spilling of blood, both his own and that of his foes. His desire to see the blood of his foes flow can spur him on toward inhuman achievements, and in turn allow him to suppress otherwise catastrophic pain wracking his physical form. This is a double-edged sword however, as he may well kill himself in his reckless attempts to see his enemies slain and has often crippled himself in the past doing so.
Personality
An antisocial creature, Charlemagne can be described as blunt at best, and downright sociopathic at worst. He has little by means of empathy for the plight of the common man, looking down upon those that cannot defend themselves or realize their ambitions through their own efforts. In the rare case that one proves themself to be an 'equal' in his eyes, Charlemagne has been known to be somewhat philosophical, and perhaps to even crack a joke or two should the bond prove to be strong. Despite his bluster and bloodthirst, he does have a strong affinity toward women, children, and the downtrodden in life-or-death circumstances. He does not wish to see innocents die, though he will rarely if ever care for the deaths of those that choose to take up the sword. To do so would be to take some responsibility for what became of them in his eyes.
Biography & Lore
A child of a disgraced soldier and a former prostitute, Charlemagne's upbringing was far from ideal. His parents traveled with a warband made up of outlaws and thieves that subsisted off of the small communities that dotted The Spine. His father, displeased about the prospect of another mouth to feed, was confrontational toward the boy from the moment he spoke his first words. His mother, a somewhat kind but otherwise vacant woman cared more for the drink than she did raising the youth. She ceased her work at his father's insistence, but the suspicion that Charlemagne might well not have been his son lingered in the old man's mind. Such suspicions were worsened beyond the mother's previous profession; often the warband met with others amidst The Spine, and more than once had their camp been overtaken and Charlemagne's mother been forced to endure the horrors that entailed.
This uncertainty would never be assuaged. Upon the age of five, Charlemagne was handed an axe fit for an adult and trained for combat. At six, he was carrying rations and supplies to the warband's soldiers during the midst of battle. At seven, he was firing arrows from poorly made bows to cover his father's charges. At eight, by sheer luck alone, the youth killed his first man as the soldier tripped upon his sword, and for the first time in his life he received some semblance of affection from his father. He clung to that brief moment of affection, training each day, every free waking moment to better wage war: to better earn his father's love. As the boy and his affinity for violence grew, his mother too grew ever the more vacant.
Her drinking boiled over after a failed raid. Hungry and destitute, she accused his father of failing as a provider, and in her drunken stupor, proclaimed that Charlemagne might well be the bastard son of one of the brigands of the band. Charlemagne's father was enraged, and without thought drove his spear through the woman's heart. Charlemagne was present for the entire affair, and seeking to defend his mother, cleaved his father's head clean from his shoulders.
The men of the warband, furious at the death of their longtime comrade, turned on the thirteen-year-old Charlemagne. It was all the boy could do to escape their wrath as the Greenskin counter raid came crashing down upon the camp. Charlemagne narrowly escaped with his life, but the rest of the band was not so lucky.
Alone and destitute, Charlemagne did the only thing he was ever taught to do. He took up his sword and wandered the land, lending his blade to any with enough coin to pay for his meals, murdering dozens as he sought to feed himself. Now twenty-five years old, Charlemagne has continued to hone his skills in combat and live the life of a sellsword. It is all that he has ever known, and the thought that there might be anything beyond such a life is anathema to him now.
This uncertainty would never be assuaged. Upon the age of five, Charlemagne was handed an axe fit for an adult and trained for combat. At six, he was carrying rations and supplies to the warband's soldiers during the midst of battle. At seven, he was firing arrows from poorly made bows to cover his father's charges. At eight, by sheer luck alone, the youth killed his first man as the soldier tripped upon his sword, and for the first time in his life he received some semblance of affection from his father. He clung to that brief moment of affection, training each day, every free waking moment to better wage war: to better earn his father's love. As the boy and his affinity for violence grew, his mother too grew ever the more vacant.
Her drinking boiled over after a failed raid. Hungry and destitute, she accused his father of failing as a provider, and in her drunken stupor, proclaimed that Charlemagne might well be the bastard son of one of the brigands of the band. Charlemagne's father was enraged, and without thought drove his spear through the woman's heart. Charlemagne was present for the entire affair, and seeking to defend his mother, cleaved his father's head clean from his shoulders.
The men of the warband, furious at the death of their longtime comrade, turned on the thirteen-year-old Charlemagne. It was all the boy could do to escape their wrath as the Greenskin counter raid came crashing down upon the camp. Charlemagne narrowly escaped with his life, but the rest of the band was not so lucky.
Alone and destitute, Charlemagne did the only thing he was ever taught to do. He took up his sword and wandered the land, lending his blade to any with enough coin to pay for his meals, murdering dozens as he sought to feed himself. Now twenty-five years old, Charlemagne has continued to hone his skills in combat and live the life of a sellsword. It is all that he has ever known, and the thought that there might be anything beyond such a life is anathema to him now.
References
ARC I: The Man Without a Dream
Through Blood and Blight: Charlemagne heads to the northern reaches of the Spine known as the Blighted Lands. He marches to Molthal, coming across slave and warband alike. The road is treacherous, but eventually he comes upon the reason for his travels. A human escapee from Molthal, Sarah Lindwell,halts him on his path, and shortly thereafter the duo are assailed by a pack of Blighted Orcs. Among them is the lost warrior Singar, an outcast looking to find a place amidst the gray orcs. In seeking to cement himself, Singar participated in a southern raid that saw Charlemagne's halfling companion Pip brutally murdered at the outcast's hand. Bereaved and emotionally confused, Charlemagne hunted the outcast to the farthest corners of the north, but as the gray skins attack, they turn on Singar, and the trio are forced to work together in order to preserve their lives.
Afterword Singar offers his service to Charlemagne in repayment for his mercy and Pip's life. Charlemagne, uncertain if he can survive the southern roads again, begrudgingly agrees. The two delivers Sarah to civilization and begin their trek down the heart of the spine.
The Despoiling of Alliria: Charlemagne, seeking a distraction from his brief sojourn with Sarah and Singar, heads west to make battle with the forces of Alliria. He finds himself one of few humans fighting alongside a horde of Orcs, undead, and other monstrosities, and upon beholding the great merchant towers, falls into a rage at the arrogance of their wealth in comparison to the poverty inflicted upon the rest of humanity. He kills many defenders, suffers several wounds himself, and is forced to retreat as the defenders of the merchant city force back the attacking horde. Battered and seething at their defeat and the greed which has driven Alliria to prominence, Charlemagne makes a private promise to see the merchant-lords' heads on spikes before his death. The true nature of the world has finally been revealed to him.
Awakening: After returning from the Aberresai Savannah, Charlemagne takes up a contract put forth by a band of pirates. Their employers had not paid them for the better part of a month, and every man they'd sent to retrieve the debt failed to return. Perturbed, the pirates hire Charlemagne to secure their coin and determine what had become of their employers. The mercenary traveled to the heart of the Bayou Garramarisma, wading through murky swamps and crossing forgotten roads until he reached the cave that was the pirates' employer's base of operations. There he comes across the magical being Phallendarr, who he initially assumes to be behind the disappearance of the creditors. Phallendarr assures him that such is not the case and offers to join Charlemagne in his quest out of the being's own strange curiosity. The duo search the cave, and are assaulted by a half-man, half-crocodilian abomination. The two manage to overcome the beast, though Charlemagne leaves the affair with a mangled hand. With the lost coin in check, the unlikely duo head toward the outskirts of the swamp to return the bounty, Charlemagne's wound growing all the more serious as the beginnings of an infection set in.
Through Blood and Blight: Charlemagne heads to the northern reaches of the Spine known as the Blighted Lands. He marches to Molthal, coming across slave and warband alike. The road is treacherous, but eventually he comes upon the reason for his travels. A human escapee from Molthal, Sarah Lindwell,halts him on his path, and shortly thereafter the duo are assailed by a pack of Blighted Orcs. Among them is the lost warrior Singar, an outcast looking to find a place amidst the gray orcs. In seeking to cement himself, Singar participated in a southern raid that saw Charlemagne's halfling companion Pip brutally murdered at the outcast's hand. Bereaved and emotionally confused, Charlemagne hunted the outcast to the farthest corners of the north, but as the gray skins attack, they turn on Singar, and the trio are forced to work together in order to preserve their lives.
Afterword Singar offers his service to Charlemagne in repayment for his mercy and Pip's life. Charlemagne, uncertain if he can survive the southern roads again, begrudgingly agrees. The two delivers Sarah to civilization and begin their trek down the heart of the spine.
The Despoiling of Alliria: Charlemagne, seeking a distraction from his brief sojourn with Sarah and Singar, heads west to make battle with the forces of Alliria. He finds himself one of few humans fighting alongside a horde of Orcs, undead, and other monstrosities, and upon beholding the great merchant towers, falls into a rage at the arrogance of their wealth in comparison to the poverty inflicted upon the rest of humanity. He kills many defenders, suffers several wounds himself, and is forced to retreat as the defenders of the merchant city force back the attacking horde. Battered and seething at their defeat and the greed which has driven Alliria to prominence, Charlemagne makes a private promise to see the merchant-lords' heads on spikes before his death. The true nature of the world has finally been revealed to him.
Awakening: After returning from the Aberresai Savannah, Charlemagne takes up a contract put forth by a band of pirates. Their employers had not paid them for the better part of a month, and every man they'd sent to retrieve the debt failed to return. Perturbed, the pirates hire Charlemagne to secure their coin and determine what had become of their employers. The mercenary traveled to the heart of the Bayou Garramarisma, wading through murky swamps and crossing forgotten roads until he reached the cave that was the pirates' employer's base of operations. There he comes across the magical being Phallendarr, who he initially assumes to be behind the disappearance of the creditors. Phallendarr assures him that such is not the case and offers to join Charlemagne in his quest out of the being's own strange curiosity. The duo search the cave, and are assaulted by a half-man, half-crocodilian abomination. The two manage to overcome the beast, though Charlemagne leaves the affair with a mangled hand. With the lost coin in check, the unlikely duo head toward the outskirts of the swamp to return the bounty, Charlemagne's wound growing all the more serious as the beginnings of an infection set in.
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