Description
A stocky dwarf in heavy, bulky armour is here.
Beady brown eyes stare out form a face masked by a massive beard. Beneath his
helmet, large tufts of brown hair stream down in wiry locks about his broad
shoulders. Only his bulbous nose is clearly visible. His hands are coarse and
callused. All his bulky digits appear blackened by either soot or dirt.
Although his general appearance can be described as grimy and inconsistent,
there are two features that appear contradictory. His beard is well groomed
compared to his hair and has been braided in a complex weave that hangs in
front his near invisible stubby neck. Each plat has had dull coloured beads
threaded onto it, turning his facial hair into something reminiscent of a
piece of studded chainmail. His weapon is also well cared for. Though his
armour bears several pits and dents, his weapon has been polished and
repaired with the utmost care. Peering closer at his breastplate, you notice
the centre of it has been scuffed many times. You suspect it to be the doing
of the dwarven priest himself.
Upon the back of his right hand, bore proudly for all to see, is a fiery
mark that burns with an aura of divine power.
The subtle odour of ale fills your nostrils.
Role
The Rules and Oath of the Third Brigade.
Added Mon Oct 11 15:56:07 2004 at level 51:
As more dwarves seem intent on becoming focused fighters, Kaerdil has taken
it upon himself to form a unit of roaming fighters the draw from the command
of the colonel of the Third Brigade. Making himself a self-named Sergeant
he intends to gather worthy dwarves under his banner and make himself a sort
of travelling recruiter. While not part of the Third Brigades Garrison, he
still takes orders from the Garrisons colonel and reports to him whenever
necessary. To add some sort of stability to his newly formed regiment he has
included a number of rules that apply to those under his command.
1. No dwarf of the Third Regiment is to kill another dwarf.
The only exception to this is if a Superior names that dwarf as a Betrayer.
2. Dark-elves, Orcs and Duergar are to be hunted at every given opportunity.
They are the Third Brigades eternal foes and are NEVER to be helped by a
member.
3. All Orders from the Sergeant can only be overridden by the Colonel. The
Third Brigades orders will come second only to the wishes of the Patrons of
the Brigade.
4. Members of the Brigade are not above the Law. Their chief concerns are foes
within Dwarven borders or in their native homes. Anyone breaking the Law will
handle the consequences themselves.
5. All Dwarves are expected to have regimental length beards and good
drinking skills. Training is offered for the under-educated.
The Oath that the regiment is expected to take is something of an Ode to
Kaerdils Lord but he has tried to mask the fact by making it more general in
nature. It is his hope that those of the Brigade will see the wisdom in his
Lords teachings and take them up.
I pledge weapon and myself to bringing Justice to those who dishonour the
Dwarven way. By the Dwarven Lords, my rage will strike true. If I should fail
or disobey the rules let my Beard fall from its place.
The blessing of the Sun and the 'easing' of Kaerdil's cursed state.
Added Wed Oct 6 13:17:45 2004 at level 51:
Under the careful guidance of Urjul, the Cardinal of the Light, a ritual was
performed by the magical Ironwood tree beneath Shokais shrine.
Using several symbols of Kaerdils body, strength faith and spirit he called
upon the Sun to shine down using an old hunting prayer empowered by his
Fortress power. As a cardinal he called the Suns favour down as the skies
cleared with a prayer to the Gods of the Light to watch over Kaerdils cursed
soul.
Though Kaerdil is unsure what effect this may have had, his spirit was
lightened and the ill effects that had been building seem to have eased off.
Whether the Lich queen still has the strength to return and haunt him remains
to be seen and he still wary of her presence.
Irrandel and Urjun both earned Kaerdils deepest respect for their vigil of
Prayer. He swore he would protect them as best he could, by his beard.
Kaerdils Reviewed views on Crime and Justice.
Added Mon Oct 4 14:43:13 2004 at level 51:
For an addition to his book of Vengeance, Kaerdil has reviewed his previous
musings on Justice and what it is to Judge a foe for greater clarity.
What be a crime?
Their being two things that a Berserker knight wants to aim for in this
world. Peace being one: the Berserker understands peace is brought about by
ending wars. Those of darker or more irrational thoughts are the main cause
of conflicts as they focus only on themselves and do not try to help others.
The second is to create a better existence for all kin. Its not enough just
to be fighting to end wars. You got to be heading for a greater goal and
bettering the world. Thats why things like the Law are being important to
respect and enforce. However, as the wise Father pointed out, these Laws
dont stretch far enough or wide enough.
Each Berserker must have in his mind what he envisions as perfect morals of
the Light. Disregarding language and maybe a wee bit of in-fighting, they
should be focused on their ideals.
People do things for many reasons. Your foes are the ones who do things only
for themselves. They give in to the temptations the priests try to shrug off.
They befoul themselves in doing so and lack any kind of true Honour or Pride
for giving in to such weakening thoughts.
It is the Berserkers burden to look for those who show a weakness to dark
thoughts. These thoughts are always there, tugging at our minds, but there
are those who resist them and others are controlled by them. The ones who are
dark of heart have been taken by their own thoughts. The ones who show no
taint but do not live of the light may be pushed either way and are to be
shown the ways of Kindness and Harmony. Those of the Light are the ones who
work as you do and try to show how dark thoughts not only destroy the one who
harbours them but any around him.
With no clear definition of what a Dark thought might be, it is up to the
Berserker to find them within himself and exorcise them from others.
What is Judgement?
Punishment for a crime is a logical thing. You take your criminal, marked
from giving his soul to his dark thoughts, and weigh out a proper punishment.
Some might deserve outright death because they are of such a twisted
existence. Some might be needing the fear of the Righteous put in them. Chase
them, heckle them and then show them peace. There being many ways to hurt
someone and many things someone can do to hurt others. Show them the pain
they have caused and then show them how not to cause it.
Justice is brought by punishing those who deserve it. It is Justice which
gives the Berserker the right to focus his dark thoughts in battle and this
right is earned through the Berserkers own sacrifice. You cannot be cleansed
of your own Dark thoughts for it is with them your are empowered to chase
those who are overcome by them. This is the way of the Fathers Berserkers.
Follow it wisely.
Kaerdil and the Curse of Ngheista
Added Mon Sep 20 10:33:41 2004 at level 51:
Though he knows little of what he did and understands only the basics of the
magic he set in action, Kaerdil feels he is weighed heavily upon once more.
By invoking the name of the lich queen Ngheista, he has set in motion
something he has been told by his Lord and a lich Councilor of Thar Acacia is
a summoning that is bound to his person. Because of the risk involved to
Thera should this lich queen be given a form once more, Kaerdil has been
tasked to find the healer priest known as the Badeker and discover more.
How this has changed Kaerdil...
He now carries something of a shadow over his soul. Though it has no visible
effects, it is slowly marring his resolve and dampening his spirits. Due to
his strong ties to his own dark god, Kaerdil has begun seeking hope in the
priests of the Light in his own time of darkness. His anger has become less
defined as it mingles more with his personality. His core belief is that
Anger is a darkness we suppress but focus in battles for justice. If this
anger overtakes him before the curse is lifted, he may begin a decent into
madness. It is his aim to prevent this by any means possible.
The Lifting of Kaerdil's Curse
Added Fri Sep 17 06:19:27 2004 at level 51:
With the curing of Kaerdils cursed ears, he has a new found fondness for
those of the Clarion faith. The Honour Lords apology to him stunned him and
turned his hate completely upside-down. As a mark of appreciation he made a
brief oath not to unduly harm any of the Clarion priests. With his ears now
healed, he feels young once more and has taken to chanting to himself and
generally talking a lot more. It is his aim to find ways to pay back the
Clarion priests without appearing overly charitable. Naturally, he has to
uphold his dwarven pride.
Kaerdil's views on 'right' and 'wrong'
Added Thu Sep 9 09:14:50 2004 at level 41:
As Kaerdil grows and seeks wisdom, he has found it harder and harder to focus
upon his reasons for his bloodshed. Having no true cause to champion he seeks
simply to hunt those he judges as being wrong. In order to be able to Judge
all he sees fairly, he has begun writing to attempt to explain why he judges
people the way he does in the hopes of adding it to his book of Vengeance.
... There being many things wrong in the world but as a Berserker it is your
job to be as a zealot for what you believe is worst. Evil is easy to define
because we see it everyday in ourselves. We know it well because there are
many thoughts that we try to shun from our minds. We see the temptation to
steal when we see the opportunity to do so without consequence. We see the
chances to turn from helping others and pretend we dont hear them. Such
times are when our own morals are tested, it is part of being of the
Righteous. Being charitable not only differs us from those we see as Evil but
it is what gives the Berserker the right to use their dark anger against the
wrong doers. If Thera were truly perfect, all those who wanted to be, would
be cleansed of sins and made holy in the light. Being a shame this aint no
dream, instead we strive to cleanse ourselves through our actions. The
trouble aint believing that you are right. If the Lords see that your
actions are wrong you will suffer. The problem being proving which others are
wrong.
Those who carry a tainted soul of evil are clearly marked by their actions.
These are the people you can guarantee have done many dark acts in their
lives. Give them retribution without fail and the Father will be pleased.
Others, can be walking a thin line. These you judge fairly in your own eyes.
They may be dark to some and better to others, do not forget that you do the
same in their eyes. While the Berserker uses his dark anger, he pays it back
by giving Justice and doing charity. While they might do dark acts, they
balance it with lighter ones elsewhere. If they are dark to you, be dark to
them but be lenient in your vengeance as your generosity can turn them. Fight
hard and earn your pride for the more wrongs you right, the greater it
becomes. None should be able to shake it after your days work. So is the
faith of the Berserker lusting for righteousness.
Kaerdil's Berserker Theory
Added Sun Aug 29 09:39:08 2004 at level 18:
Kaerdil has begun a writing known as the Tome of Vengeance, intended to be a
tribute to his Lord. Although he would enjoy being able to write it in
dwarven runes, he lacks both the training and capability to do so. Instead,
he has opted to slowly learn and write in common tongue. Contained within is
a chapter on Berserking as a priest of the Molten Circle.
There be two things a Dwarf cant be standing for above all else. First,
being the breaking of oaths and betraying of trust. Second, being insulting
the dwarf and his friends. These two ideas are being vital to any Berserker
priests well-being. Without his oaths, a priest would not be who he is. If
you cant be yourself, you cant be nothing. Without his pride, a priest
cant be feared. You have to believe in yourself before others will believe
in your wrath.
With such ideas in your head, you can begin forming the beliefs that give you
the rage. Think of getting people back where it hurts, how you can be using
your dark thoughts to strike at them where theyd feel it. Some might not be
fearing death, so you take something they hold dear. Some might not be
fearing pain so you strips them naked and embarrass them. Its all gots to be
in your focus.
Take your anger, ball it up and wait for your moment. When it comes, you show
them what for! Give them all you got balled and more. All those insults they
be hurling at you, all them crimes they be committing. Use them like the fuel
of your fire and burn them harder than they thought possible. This is the way
of the Berserker.
Summary of Kaerdils faith, family and curse.
Added Sat Aug 28 07:27:46 2004 at level 4:
Nailmaker family Clan
Kaerdil comes from a proud family line of Berserker dwarves. The Nailmaker
clan was formed years ago when his great, great grandfather earned fame
through warring with the duergar so ferociously that he tore through even the
thickest armour. So vicious and rapid were his axe blows that it is said he
turned chainmail and plate to shards so small that they could be used to nail
corpses to the stone walls of the caverns! The Nailmaker clan is also known
for a family interest in metals and metalwork. Kaerdil tries hard to shun the
natural dwarven urge to collect gems and treasures but this sort of greed is
so heavily inlaid in his culturing that it is amongst his greatest
weaknesses.
Kaerdils Faith
Adhering to the family legend, Kaerdil strives to make his way as a warrior
priest of Lord Grurk. It is his intention to form a new priesthood of
Berserkers under the teachings of battle lust and unwavering ferocity. Though
he sees Anger and lust as dark temptations, it is Kaerdils belief that
within all of us there must be a darkness we strive to focus and control.
Using it only at the right moments to feed a berserker frenzy, he fights for
the Dwarven cause of justice against the Oathbreakers. Duergars, dark-elves
and orcs are his main foes. All have assaulted his home and give reason to
bear the Dwarven wrath. Kaerdils loyalties lie first to his Lord, then to
the dwarves and then any lucky enough to be called friends. Being a new
Order, Kaerdil intends to recruit and dwarves he can to the cause and train
them in the ways of the Berserk. Kaerdils original path was to become a
priest of Vynmylak, and he still adheres to some rough ideas of honour and
pride. This is why he seeks vengeance against oathbreakers and those he
beliefs truly without honour or pride. Those of the darkness are more of a
secondary goal as their ways of greed and selfishness have no place in a
dwarven society.
Kaerdils Curse of hard hearing
While apprenticed to a warrior priest of Vynmylak, Kaerdil was caught in the
holy clarion blast of the priests sacramental horn. The priest did little to
apologise for scarring Kaerdils ears and claimed that only a dark presence
within Kaerdil could have caused the blast to harm him at all. This is how
Kaerdil came to believing that there is a seed of darkness within every
berserker that needs focus and control to twist to a persons own ends. They
need only to let it control them during their own dark hours and not let it
guide their hands outside of these circumstances. He was cursed from then on
with hard hearing. He also has a certain amount of prejudice towards priests
of the Clarion. Though their followers are of the light, he does enjoy
jeering and small acts of vengeance against their priesthood for his curse.