Brek Brakond — The Ship's Muscle
Surface Dwarf Marine veteran turned flying-ship crew, out of the Khazarum holds by way of the Irna aerial fleets.
He has been on seventeen ships. Fourteen of them made it back. He does not find this discouraging. He finds it informative.
Brek left the mountain holds at sixty, young by Khazarum standards, after the clan elders told him that his approach to disagreements was "not constructive." He enlisted in Irna's naval marine corps, spent thirty years fighting from ship decks, and eventually made the transition to aerial vessels when the flying ship trade routes opened. He knows how crews work, how ships fail, and where to stand when someone else's bad decision is about to become everyone's problem.
He is a physical presence: high Wound Points, good Resistance, strong in a melee. He is not subtle. He is the character who goes through the thing that is in the way, and he is very good at it.
Species: Surface Dwarf (Khazarum) Background: Rural Career: Marine
Patron Deity: None
Surface Dwarf special abilities: Stone-Sense (remove 1 Bane Die from Perception and Readiness checks in dim or torch-lit conditions); Tough Frame (+1 Resistance, stacks with armor); Craft-Debt (once per session, on a crafting/engineering/repair success treat result as though 1 additional Boon generated; add 1 Boon to checks identifying worked stone or metal); Oath-Bound (when a specific goal is declared aloud before a witness, spend 2 Strain to add 2 Boon Dice to one check directly toward completing it; once per oath).
Characteristics: Surface Dwarf base (MIG 3, AGI 2, INT 2, SAV 2, WIL 3, CHA 2). Free swap: MIG +1 → 4, CHA −1 → 1.
| Derived Value | Calculation | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Wound Points | 12 + Might (4) + Hardy (+2) | 18 |
| Strain Points | 10 + Willpower (3) | 13 |
| Resistance | ⌈4÷2⌉=2 + Tough Frame (+1) + chain hauberk (+2) | 5 |
| Melee Defense | 0 + chain hauberk (+1) | 1 |
| Ranged Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Initiative (On Watch) | Savvy 2 + Perception 1 | 2 dice, 1 Mastery |
| Initiative (Surprised) | Willpower 3 + Readiness 0 | 3 Ability Dice |
Skills
| Skill | Rank | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy Melee | 2 | ★ Profession |
| Athletics | 2 | ★ Profession |
| Fortitude | 2 | ★ Profession |
| Operate | 1 | ★ Profession |
| Perception | 1 | ★ Profession |
| Intimidation | 1 | Out-of-profession |
Surface Dwarf free skill rank (no XP): Fortitude 1.
Talents
- Crew Sense [Free Starting Talent, Tier 1, Flying Ship Crew rank 1 (requires Operate 1+ or Piloting 1+)] Once per scene, ask the GM one question about the structural or operational state of a vessel you are aboard. Remove 1 Bane Die from Piloting or Operate checks made to diagnose a ship problem or gauge its remaining capability.
- Hardy [Tier 1, 5 XP]; +2 Wound Points (total Wound Points: 18).
- Guarded [Tier 1, 5 XP]; As a Maneuver, take a defensive posture; one Trial Die in attacks against you upgrades to a Crisis Die until your next turn.
Equipment
| Item | Profile |
|---|---|
| Warhammer | Dmg 7, Crit 4, Engaged, Pierce 2, Inaccurate 1 |
| Chain hauberk | +2 Resistance, +1 Melee Defense |
| Dagger (kept rigged on a lanyard) | Dmg 3, Crit 3, Engaged, Accurate 1 |
| Crew toolkit | Rope (hemp, 50 ft), marlinspike, tar kit |
| Bedroll | Enc 2 |
| Trail rations (3 days) | Enc 1 |
| Tinder box | Fire-starting without it needs a Survival check |
| Starting funds | 2d10 gold flargons |
XP Accounting
| Purchase | XP |
|---|---|
| Operate rank 1 (profession, enables Crew Sense) | 5 |
| Heavy Melee rank 1 (profession) | 5 |
| Heavy Melee rank 2 (profession) | 10 |
| Athletics rank 1 (profession) | 5 |
| Athletics rank 2 (profession) | 10 |
| Fortitude rank 2 (profession, from rank 1 free) | 10 |
| Perception rank 1 (profession) | 5 |
| Intimidation rank 1 (out-of-profession) | 10 |
| Hardy (Tier 1 talent) | 5 |
| Guarded (Tier 1 talent) | 5 |
| Total Spent | 70 XP |
| Banked | 20 XP |
Suggested Advancement
- Flying Ship Crew rank 2; Hard Turn (10 XP): Once per encounter while piloting, execute an aggressive evasive maneuver as your Action; the next attack against the ship adds 1 Bane Die. Brek does not just fight on ships. He shapes what ships do.
- Fortitude rank 3 (15 XP, profession, after play): The body has taken a lot. It keeps taking it.
- Unshaken (Tier 2 universal talent, 10 XP; requires 2 Tier 1 talents, already met): Remove 1 Bane Die when resisting fear, intimidation, despair, or supernatural dread. A dwarf who has watched fourteen ships come back is not easy to frighten.