diff --git a/_posts/2020-06-18-gabriella_s-fall.md b/_posts/2020-06-18-gabriella_s-fall.md index 7f0269a..7fd4d27 100644 --- a/_posts/2020-06-18-gabriella_s-fall.md +++ b/_posts/2020-06-18-gabriella_s-fall.md @@ -128,3 +128,7 @@ in her voice. “I am the patron of Silent Fall. I am Erathis. You asked for my help. I have given it.” + +### 100 Days +I'm writing this post as part of [#100DaysToOffload](https://100daystooffload), +an initiative to inspire writing habits. Perhaps you could do the same. diff --git a/_posts/2020-06-19-jhoric_background.md b/_posts/2020-06-19-jhoric_background.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7f21bbd --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2020-06-19-jhoric_background.md @@ -0,0 +1,161 @@ +--- + tabtitle: "Character Write-up: Jhoric Stonehammer" + title: "Character Write-up: Jhoric Stonehammer" + topics: [gaming, writing] + pub: "2020-06-19" + short_desc: "The backstory of my proud cleric of Moradin, Jhoric + Stonehammer." +--- + +Jhoric Stonehammer is the character I'm playing in the `Descent into Avernus` +campaign. The backstory was originally developed for a different character, and +a different campaign. However, by Moradin's Hammer, I decided to play a cleric, +and as I began building the character, I realized the dwarven cleric I had in +reserve would do fine. The last bit of his backstory was quickly thrown +together, as part of the hook into the campaign, but it works well enough. + +# Character Backstory: Jhoric Stonehammer + +Most of the great halls of the world have been built by dwarven masons and +smiths. The mighty vaulted ceilings and buttresses of cathedrals, the +impregnable walls of keeps, and the humble alcoves of libraries, can all call +themselves brethren. Birthed by the greatest architectural minds of the realms, +dwarven craftsmanship is unparalleled. The secret, any dwarf will tell you, is a +dedication to the lifelong pursuit of absolute creation. Dwarves do not seek +merely to craft stone, but to shape stone; not to carve, but to coerce it. The +great stone masons of old, so the legends tell, willed stone into shapes. They +worked with the stone, not against it. When they finished, the product was one +never seen before, and never to be seen after. Unique not only in shape, but in +spirit. The lifeforce of the dwarf, with the lifeforce of the stone, combined +into a creation of such quality, the divines would be impressed. In fact, as +many a dwarf will boast, the Halls of Valhalla are built by their ancestors. + +Becoming a stonemason is a great honor for a dwarf. Many of the families of many +settlements have long and storied histories and traditions, none-the-least of +which involves dedicating a child to the masons or smiths. Being of a trusted +family is not enough, though. No dwarf is admitted to the mason’s craft before +forty. Until then, it is expected that would-be mason spend his time learning +not only of stone, but of history. They must learn the history of their clan, of +their bloodline, and of all dwarves. Often, they are sent with expeditions to +ruins, as scribes and laborers. They may accompany trade caravans to foreign +lands (though generally to dwarven settlements), as assistants or guards. They +are often called upon by priests and clerics to aid in ceremonies. One of the +first pre-mason stone-working jobs they may be given is helping to shape +gravestones, though not for any significant figure. As their knowledge of +history, tradition, and lore improves, they are invited to more prestigious +tasks. For smiths this may be helping to create mundane tools. For masons, this +may be helping the architects in their daily activities, or cutting blocks. +Still, they are taught to focus on learning. As they grow, the students begin to +see the learning opportunities in all they do. Every tool created offers secrets +of iron; every block cut reveals the history of the stone. When a dwarf exclaims +this revelation to his masters, only then is he considered eligible for +training. + +Now, having been worthy of applying to become a mason or a smith, a dwarf must +begin work on his entrance piece. For a smith, this is often a weapon of +masterwork quality. For a mason, this may be an architectural design, or a +finely crafted stone idol. Once their creation is completed, a task which may +take a decade or more, they submit it to the council of their chosen profession. +If the council is pleased, they will announce that you are eligible to seek an +apprenticeship. If they are not, they will tell you to do better and return to +them when you have done so. Once eligible for an apprenticeship, a dwarf +generally seeks his bloodline. As tradition dictates, blood teaches blood, as +stone teaches blood, as iron teaches blood. In circumstances where a bloodline +relative is not an option, a dwarf may find apprenticeship to the second or +third representative from a bloodline. In doing so, the dwarf generally seeks to +renew their bloodline, through the assistance of the stronger one. This is seen +as an honorable position for a second or third representative of a bloodline. + +As an apprentice, the dwarf discontinues any previous expeditions in favor of +working exclusively in the workshop of his chosen craft. For a decade or more, +the dwarf apprentice practices their craft. A smith may start off working the +bellows of his master’s smith. After several years, the dwarf may be trusted to +smelt ore into ingots. After that, the dwarf may be trusted to help hold and +quench items. It is often a decade before an apprentice smith touches the +hammer. A stonemason may start off cutting stone, and also learning the +difficulty in transporting stone. They then may move to assisting architects +with drawings or measurements. Often apprentice masons are called upon to assist +with cosmetic fixes through plaster, or to cut uncommon shapes. A daily ritual +for every mason is often to create several pallets worth of cut blocks, whether +it be stone, brick, or less common materials, and to assemble the necessary +chemicals for mixture into plaster, grout, and other cements. After many years +of this, the apprentice is often called upon to assist their master with +foundations, extensions, roadwork, and more intricate stone working. + +Generally after two decades of apprenticeships, a dwarf will be given the title +of journeyman. At this point, they are permitted by the councils to open their +own shops, and sell their own services. Journeyman shops are often specialized, +so as to find a niche they can work in and profit. Once they have proven their +craft, journeyman shops will expand and generalize more and more, until they +claim proficiency over their craft on the whole. Once this is done, a journeyman +dwarf may apply to the council for the title of master. On average, this +transition takes five decades. During this time it is not uncommon for +journeymen to coordinate and form guilds or shared shops. Once the title of +master is given to a dwarf, they are considered proficient in their art. At this +point, they are permitted application to the council, and application to receive +apprentices. This is also when a dwarf is permitted (and sometimes expected) to +leave their settlement in search of foreign (though still often dwarven) +settlements in need of their craftsmanship. It is expected at this time, when a +dwarf is generally 110 to 150 years of age, that they start and family to +continue their tradition. + +It is not the first time that Jhoric defied expectations. + +Jhoric Stonehammer, born of Namrok Stonehammer and Hilga Stoutwood, was the +second born. His older brother, Horace, was to be a smith, and so Jhoric was to +be trained a stonemason. He was trained in the tradition of his Uncle, Hilga’s +brother Thordon. In his 23rd year, Jhoric went on a 5 year expedition to the +ruins of an ancient giant trading post. Upon returning, he spent 2 years cutting +bricks of clay for Thordon. In his 31st year, he was dispatched as a caravan +guard along a trade route. He travelled with several merchants, selling stone +from Thordon’s shop, and returning with iron, for Horace’s master’s shop. In his +38th year, Jhoric assisted with an excavation of an ancient temple of unknown +patronage. There, he helped to recover many tomes of knowledge, which the +priests of Moradin were extremely happy to receive. In his 39th year, he +assisted in the construction of a new mineshaft at the local quarry. In his 41st +year, Jhoric began work on his entrance piece to the mason’s council: a lectern, +the base of which was granite, the stand of which was marble, the desk of which +was yellowstone sandstone. The desk was decorated as a scroll, inlay with +obsidian lettering of a prayer to Moradin. After his admission as an apprentice +to Thordon, Jhoric donated the lecturn to the temple of Moradin. + +Jhoric’s apprenticeship initially saw him dealing primarily with block cutting +and transportation. Drawing on their previous arrangements, Jhoric arranged with +Horace a caravan to transport cut stone and iron. The arrangement was further +improved when the shops of Thordon and Horace (who had attained the rank of +journeyman during Jhoric’s 50th year) joined. As a result, Jhoric’s focus shifted +to construction and architecture fixing. In his 55th year, Horace left the +settlement to establish his second shop. At this time, Thordon’s shop was called +upon to assist with the construction of a new temple to Moradin. Jhoric assisted +directly with architectural design, structural design, foundation laying, and +resource acquisitions. On his 70th birthday, Thordon and the council announced +that Jhoric had achieved the rank of journeyman. Jhoric continued to assist with +the construction of the temple, until it’s completion during his 87th year. +During those 17 years, Jhoric had established his own shop to work from and for. + +On his 88th birthday, Jhoric had a divine vision, and was compelled by Moradin +to pursue a specific artifact in a lost temple. After consultation and +confirmation with the priest of Moradin at the temple he just completed, Jhoric +assembled a small adventuring party and pursued the relic. He obtained the relic +during his 91st year. Upon returning the relic, the priest of Moradin instructed +Jhoric that he must travel to Baldur's Gate. Little detail was given as to the +reasoning, aside from that Moradin had once again chosen Jhoric's path. He +transferred ownership of his shop to Thordon. + +Upon arrival in Baldur's Gate, Jhoric took up employ with the Shattershield +Guild. Having learned that this guild constructed the walls around Baldur's +Gate, it seemed the most appropriate place for him. A wealthy noble, Jopalin, +contracted him through the guild to construct some elaborate building materials +for an addition to his building, which contains his tea shop as well his living +quarters. After several weeks, the materials were completed. Plans to deliver +the materials to the construction site were temporarily waylaid by ruffians +attempting to steal some of the finer looking items. By Moradin's hammer, they +were smote. As Jhoric stood outside the building watching the construction, the +tea shop exploded. Nearly everyone, including Jopalin, died. There was one +survivor from inside the shop: a half elf. A contingent from the Flaming Fist +arrested Jhoric, the half-elf, and a nearby gnome that witnessed the explosion. +This is where his story truly begins. + +### 100 Days +I'm writing this post as part of [#100DaysToOffload](https://100daystooffload), +an initiative to inspire writing habits. Perhaps you could do the same.