Description
Scrawny, almost skeletonlike appearance immediately catches your eye about
this unusually tall svirfneblin. He hides his build under a billowing robe,
which leaves enough room for a thick layer of armor, worn with surprising
ease. From under the hood peeks a long nose, and the glint of his deep-set
emerald eyes can be seen from time to time, but often enough he keeps them
half-closed, as if trusting his eyesight less than other means of awareness.
He is almost bald, but with thick gray beard, which gives him an older look.
A lot of the time he seems to be slow and contemplative, almost emotionless
as he leans upon his staff, pipe in teeth, while taking in the surroundings.
Role
Vagabond sage
Added Mon Mar 28 11:36:16 2016 at level 9:
Little is known of Aerafr's past. He is a gnome of the depths, but he does
not hail from Cragstone or any other svirfnebli settlement - instead he
claims to have roamed Thera, always on the go, as long as he remembers
himself. People assume he grew somewhere on the streets, because he has his
way about every Theran settlement and knows a lot of street wisdom.
He is an aloof mystic and sage, mostly keeping to himself, but showing up
when his counsel might be needed, offering it usually in the form of some
obscure yet relevant story. He also has a warrior side, and when his wisdom
fails to solve problems, he is not hesitant to use his heavy walking stick.
He is rather tolerant, but disdains fanatics and other single-minded people.
He has many unflattering nicknames, among them, "Vagabond", "Riddlehoax",
and even "Aerafr the Giraffe", referring to his stature and spindly build.
He reveals precious little about himself, implying his past is mundane and
not important, but he knows suspiciously much for a simple drifter.
In truth, he was raised, until he was about twenty, in a Vistani tribe,
adopting their nomadic lifestyle and mysticism. He left the tribe upon
realizing his spiritual powers, fearing for his life (because only Vistani
women are allowed to have the gift, and males showing it are put to death).
As an animist, he is guided as much by intuition and insight as by conscious
thought. This is signified by his connection to the Revelation sphere.
Magic and conflict
Added Wed Apr 6 02:12:33 2016 at level 51:
Previous mention of Aerafr being "tolerant" means that he refuses to judge
people solely based on them being, say, a necromancer (or member of whatever
other hated group), so he would travel and adventure with almost anyone.
Ragers are a possible exception but only because he knows he can't travel
with one and still use his spells - and he sees magic as prime part of his
arsenal. He can still respect those of them who don't try to oppress him.
However, having been raised by Vistani, he has inherited their stereotypical
irascibility and disregard of law and property. It means that despite his
alleged tolerance, he often gets in conflicts that he could otherwise avoid.
Still, joining the Heralds proved to be the right decision - because every
once in a while now he can enjoy having his stories listened to, his street
wisdom respected and his riddlesome advice heeded.
His magic powers also grew immensely, from lowly hidden talent to powerful
manifestation, with especial power over the wind. Sometimes he feels greedy
for more, and is prone to seeking out extra insights on magic.
Experience as a hero
Added Wed Apr 27 06:34:04 2016 at level 51:
Aerafr is more violent than most Heralds, even if a lot of is merely
boastful talk. He is a bit unpredictable about taking offense, at times
outright bullying when he feels he isn't taken seriously, othertimes unfazed
and dismissing hostility as something that was logical to happen. He greatly
enjoys showing strength, so violence in itself isn't seen as a bad thing.
It is disrespect or belittling of Heralds that truly brings upon his ire.
His craft as a soothsayer is often misunderstood, for he rarely sees into
the future. Instead, his spiritual powers are rooted heavily in present and
recent past, finding answers to current questions and overcoming current
obstacles. Along with his rich knowledge in ancient history, he is very
proud of his art's potential in actually helping people solve real problems,
whereas fortune-tellers, in his opinion, are something beneath usefulness.
Recent past is, of course, a relative term. In the mists where Vistani
travel, time flow is different from Thera, and sometimes it shows as what
Aerafr remembers as his childhood visits, turn out to have happened many,
many centuries ago. Although he no longer fears the Vistani finding about
his seer talent, few people have heard from him the true story of his life.
PK Wins
Apr 6, 2016 |Lv 51|The Ruins of Ostalagiah|Sekope vs 2: [51] Darvoderis (63%, claw), [51] Aerafr (36%)