Zurgan Dakrim — The Shot Nobody Saw
Dakrim clan orc out of the Antaean frontier, hired north into Irna as a contract skirmisher and route-watcher.
He carries the bow unstrung until he intends to use it. The Grakkan call this hesitation. The Dakrim call it arriving before the battle does, which is the whole of their doctrine and the reason other clans find them difficult to fight and worse to be near.
Zurgan took his Urgnak at sixteen in an Antaean border camp and spent the following nine years doing the work his clan is known for: walking ahead of the warband, leaving signs where they would be found, and putting one arrow into the one person whose death would make a fight unnecessary. The Greyfang tradition regards Dakrim methods as adjacent to cowardice and hires them anyway, which Zurgan understands as the same arrangement every orc outside Grakkan doctrine eventually learns to live inside.
He came north on a route-watching contract for a Frosthaven shipping factor and stayed because the frontier here is stranger and pays better. He is not talkative. He is not gentle. He does answer questions honestly when asked directly, which surprises people who have decided what an orc is before he has spoken.
Species: Orc (Dakrim clan) Background: Wilderness Career: Archer
Patron Deity: None
Orc special abilities: Relentless (reduce Critical Injury results by 10, minimum 1; once per encounter, when reduced to 0 Wounds, spend 2 Strain to remain at 1 Wound); Warrior's Rush (move toward and attack an enemy in the same turn to add +1 damage and the Knockdown quality; first attack only); Tusked (+1 damage on Unarmed checks; add 1 Boon Die to Intimidation checks involving visible physical presence). Dakrim clan: free Stealth rank in place of Intimidation, and The Fear Arrives First (add 1 Boon Die to Intimidation checks against any target who has not yet seen you fight this encounter).
Characteristics: Orc base (MIG 3, AGI 2, INT 2, SAV 2, WIL 3, CHA 2). Free swap: AGI +1 → 3, CHA −1 → 1.
| Derived Value | Calculation | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Wound Points | 12 + Might (3) | 15 |
| Strain Points | 10 + Willpower (3) | 13 |
| Resistance | ⌈3 ÷ 2⌉ = 2 + leather armor (+0) | 2 |
| Melee Defense | 0 + leather armor (+1) | 1 |
| Ranged Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Initiative (On Watch) | Savvy 2 + Perception 2 | 2 Mastery Dice |
| Initiative (Surprised) | Willpower 3 + Readiness 1 | 3 dice, 1 Mastery |
Skills
| Skill | Rank | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Light Ranged | 2 | ★ Profession |
| Perception | 2 | ★ Profession |
| Stealth | 2 | ★ Profession |
| Survival | 1 | ★ Profession |
| Readiness | 1 | ★ Profession |
| Athletics | 1 | ★ Profession |
Dakrim clan free skill rank (no XP): Stealth 1.
Talents
- Steady Aim [Free Starting Talent, Marksman rank 1 (requires Light Ranged 1+)] The Boon Die granted by the Aim Maneuver is not lost when you spend your second Maneuver on something other than moving. Remove 1 Bane Die imposed by intervening allies, partial cover, or a moving platform.
- Keen Eye [Tier 1, 5 XP]; Once per scene, remove 1 Bane Die from a Perception check caused by poor visibility, distance, or concealment.
- Fast Hands [Tier 1, 5 XP]; Once per turn, draw, stow, or retrieve one accessible item as a Quick Action. Zurgan uses this to reach the broadhead quiver without giving up his Aim.
Equipment
| Item | Profile |
|---|---|
| Longbow | Dmg 5, Crit 3, Long range, Enc 2 |
| Arrows (quiver, 20) | Standard war arrows; about half recoverable after a fight |
| Broadhead arrows (quiver, 20) | +1 damage; not recoverable |
| Hand axe | Dmg 4, Crit 3, Engaged, Vicious 1 |
| Leather armor | +1 Melee Defense |
| Backpack | Increases carry threshold by 4 while worn |
| Bedroll | Enc 2 |
| Trail rations (1 week) | Enc 2 |
| Waterskin | Required for sustained travel |
| Tinder box | Fire-starting without it needs a Survival check |
| Starting funds | 2d10 gold flargons |
Gear is the Wanderer package from Chapter Eight with the shortbow traded up to a longbow, the equivalent-package substitution that chapter permits with GM approval. The broadhead quiver comes out of starting funds at 4 gold flargons.
XP Accounting
| Purchase | XP |
|---|---|
| Light Ranged rank 1 (profession) | 5 |
| Light Ranged rank 2 (profession) | 10 |
| Stealth rank 2 (profession, from rank 1 free) | 10 |
| Perception rank 1 (profession) | 5 |
| Perception rank 2 (profession) | 10 |
| Survival rank 1 (profession) | 5 |
| Readiness rank 1 (profession) | 5 |
| Athletics rank 1 (profession) | 5 |
| Keen Eye (Tier 1 talent) | 5 |
| Fast Hands (Tier 1 talent) | 5 |
| Total Spent | 65 XP |
| Banked | 20 XP |
Orc starting XP is 85.
Suggested Advancement
- Marksman rank 2; Practiced Reload (10 XP; requires Marksman rank 1, already held): Reduce the Slow-Firing rating of any ranged weapon by 1, and clear the Out of Ammo condition with a Maneuver instead of an Action. Buy this first. It is what turns a good shot into a shooter who never stops shooting.
- Precise Strike (Tier 2 universal, 10 XP; requires 2 XP-purchased Tier 1 talents, Keen Eye and Fast Hands, already met): Add 1 Boon Die and reduce the weapon's Crit rating by 1 against a target who is unaware of you or engaged elsewhere. This is Dakrim doctrine written as a talent.
- Light Ranged rank 3 (15 XP, profession, after play): The next real threshold for the bow. Everything Zurgan does is downstream of this number.