Characters+in+Andavar

Though most in Andavar believe that one's power, skills, look, race, etc. are a result of one or more kinships with the Indirithki, not all do so. Some argue that a pyromancer may simply be gifted in using the divine essence that is all around those who live in the Whisperlands and hsi powers have no connection to the entitiy known as Kral Vernus, powerful being of fire though he may be. Either approach is fine, since neither is likely to be proved one way or the other. Players are encouraged to make the Indirithki kinships as big or as small a part of their concepts as they wish. Just because many in the world will be a werewolf character as connected to Bulvai does not mean it is so. Bulvai may be the repository of divine essence pertaining to the wild pack and lycanthropy, but he may just as well be a being whose ascendancy has manifested in a certain thematic way reflecting one or more aspects of his very personal character.

Some folks worship one or more Indirithki (some Indirithki, like Anakarra, encourage this), while others have never heard of a single one of them, or think them just very powerful mortals. Others believe they are upstarts or usurpers, and pay homage to the Old Gods, discounting tales of their fall. Likewise, sages disagree about shards, some claiming that each one holds a power of a particular kind (justice, fire, harmony, death, etc.) and that whoever claims them will become the embodiment of such aspects. Other loremasters say that a shard is unaligned raw divine power and that the one who claims it puts his own stamp upon it and becomes an ascendant reflective of the mortals values, desires, and characteristics, now imbued with great power. Feel free to approach the building of your characters with this ambiguity in mind. Use the Indirithki for inspiration as you wish, but please don't feel constrained by them in terms of what defines your character. If being a member of the Ebon Cross, the nation of Samhaim, the dwarven race, or a swarm druid is the most important aspect to you then let that be your focus instead of kinships, and pick the skills, abilities, and power you want.

Many heroes like yours will pursuie shards, but not all, or even most will. That is entirely up to you and the GM.

Remember that whatever the source or inspiration of what beocmes your character, the possible combinations infinite. There is no such thing as a "vanilla fire mage" of Kral Fernus, for instance, much less the fire druids, clerics, paladins, psions, rogues, etc. Pyromancer A may be vastly different in many wasy from Pyromancers B-K, etc.

__**Magic Items**__

These are rare, and usually either artifact fragments, artifacts in themselves, or named items. The reason that more "mundane" magic items are not prevalent is that manifesting one's powers makes crafting items to do such things unnecessary for Hunters and others who are strong in one or more Indirithki paths. It is true that many wondrous things have been created by those aligned with Thrum the Maker, but the powerful tend to make powerful things and keep them out of the hands of the general populace.

So, instead of magic items, you will gain additional abilities or bonuses to abilities, in the same manner as magic items mechanically help. However, this means you will actually have much cooler representations of what your characters do. Isn't it better to breath a gout of boiling acid than to launch it from your wand, or to grown ridges of horn and bone which add a +1 to your AC than have a woolen cloak that does the same? Yes it is.

__**Flava!!!**__

One of the best things about this approach (I hope and believe) is the intensity of "feel" each character will have. Whatever your characters are they are to a great extent. Their powers manifest in ways appropriate to the Indirithki from whom they gain their connection(s). So a paladin that manifests powers of Mother Boil (infection) should not expect lots of radiant energy to blaze forth from his weapon, nor should he expect to look like a pristine, white-cloaked cavalier. Selection and artistic interpretation by the player will mean a great deal, from rewriting the flavor text and title for each power, to their character's appearance, actions, and words.

Also, it is not necessary to go for combos in order to construct a great character. A sorceror of Seraphell,a rogue manifesting the earth and stone powers of Onigar Stonehorns, an Infernal druid connected to Sadiana, a fighter exhibiting the characteristics the dark abomination of the deep ocean Huvorg Thousand Maws, or an assassin of the Golden Swarm are all ideas with scary/amazing/badass possibilities all by themselves.

As a final note, remember, your characters are not necessarily worshipping these beings, though they are free to do so, and in many cases it may make quite a bit of sense. You can play a cleric or a paladin mechanically in ways that do not indicate worship.

__**Examples**__

Here are a number of examples from Stu and I on what these characters might look like. Some are based on connections with just one of the Indirithki and others on two or three. Just for ideas, by no means is this restrictive; indeed, the point is to encourage creativity not stifle it.

__**Jepeto**__ (Thrum the Maker and Barosha/artisanship and madness)*** Note that arguable you could get this result with other combinations such as Verdigris and the Baroness or Greevis. Kinda spooky that so many could lead to this. :)

Kral Vernus/Thrum Combo - Fire/Craft(Clockwork)

Jurgen Streck/Averna Combo - Righteous Purgation/Hate

Leonid Captain Ama/Melchior Id Combo - Honor/Arcane

Bulvai Wolfbrother/Count Zukov-The Hunt and the Pack plus the night

Kral Infernus/An'Gar/Sir Alisander Valant-Fire, Carnage, Skill at Arms

Kral Vernus/Frak Crooked Eye-Fire and goblinkind and malice

Hasdrubal/Seraphell-Tribal ferocity and retribution

Rimmili the Bird Queen/Tok-Aviansand the powers of the mind/divination

Grandfather Stiltskin/Sadiana-Cunning and the Infernal

Sri Lam/Vor the Deathless-Archery and toughness in battle

The Verdant Vale/Monkey King-Plants, life, body control

The Monkey King/Mother Boil-Enlightenment and Infection

Lord Pelleas of the Red Crucifixion/The Vornogar - Hope/Terror and Vengeance

Xifos/Traveler-Lore/Discovery

Zuvai/Baroness-Insects/Pain/Suffering

Baroness/Harlequin-Pain and Suffering/Disguise, laughter, deceit

Feratus/Mother Boil/An'Gar-rats/infection/carnage

Feratus/Rushama-rats and the ancient/primordial beings and places

Grumhoth/Giant of Far Magog/Gorge-cold of the icy north/strength and massive size/hungering undeath

Hasdrubel and Sektesh-swamps and tribal ferocity/reptiles

Kral Vernus and Giant-fire/giant size and strength

Sir Alisander Valant/Kral Vernus/Count Zukov-skill at arms and chivalry/fire/bats

Zuvai and Verdant Vale-insects/plants

Murdin/Untuamo-dwarves and protection/stars and moon

Monster Slayer of Murdin

Kral Vernus/Melchior/Giant-fire/magic/strength and size

Thrym and Sadiana-lightning/the Infernal

Greevis and Verdant Vale

Thrum/Sektesh/Ama-engineering/reptiles/martial glory