I know I am not the best writer, but I got bored the other day and sat down and wrote my character's backstory for a pathfinder game I'm playing. Any comments would help me.
Glowin
Son of Tairn, Last of the Steadfast Hammers
Tairn was the son of a dwarven exile. His father wandered the land for many years seeking to reclaim his dwarven title and rejoin his mountain brethren. It was not to be; he died on the plains, leaving Tairn to his own council. Not knowing another life Tairn continued wandering until one evening. Tairn was drawn to a cacophony of swords ringing and yelling. Tairn crested the hill and on the road a desperate battle was being waged. A large caravan was being assaulted by a hoard of goblins. Tairn stared at the fight for an instant and before he knew what was happening Tairn was yelling at the tops of his lungs and charging headlong into the mêlée. Tairn’s eyes were clouded by a red tinge as he fought with his bare hands killing goblins left and right. The goblins seeing Tairn decimating their ranks broke for their forest havens as fast as they could. Tairn calmed from his rage and went to talk to the caravaneers who survived. Tairn walked to the caravan and saw only a few men had survived. The men only nodded at Tairn but did not speak to him. Tairn moved down the caravan and soon came to a large group of dwarves all looking at him with appraising eyes. One of the dwarves introduced themselves as the Slayers. Slayers he explained were dwarves dedicated to finding a glorious death in battle. The slayers had seen Tairn sweep through the goblins and demanded that he accompany them.
Tairn trained with the Slayers night and day for many years. All the while the Slayers hired themselves out to protect caravans and dungeon explorers going into the most dangerous locales. The Slayers made Tairn their leader after Tairn had proven himself by beheading the mighty giant king of the east and slaughtering his royal guard singlehandedly. Tairn lead the Slayers death song and they defeated many foes in the far reaches of the world. It was in Tairn’s 70th year that he heard rumors of a powerful lich holding sway over a large portion of a land called Melenoth. Tairn and his Slayers journeyed to Melenoth, asking about the lich on the way. Tairn found the lich had taken Stag Horn Castle. The castle had belonged to the lord of Melenoth, but it had been under siege by a host of the undead. Naught but a month prior Stag Horn had fallen, and since that time nothing had been heard from the castle save for a hellish wail in the dead of night echoing through the mountains. When at last the Slayers reached the castle Tairn lead them in a battle chant as they stormed the castle and shattered the skeletons guarding the main floors of the fortress. Tairn had the Slayers continue to the catacombs where they faced horrors not seen for an age. Four days later Tairn and four of the once mighty band of Slayers emerged from the fortress claiming victory. Only Tairn knew the lich had escaped into a magical portal as the last chamber fell. Tairn claimed Stag Horn Castle for himself and launched numerous campains into the darkest corners of Melenoth.
As Tairn’s fame grew more souls seeking glory joined him in his forays. Soon Stag Horn was filled with eager warriors. Tairn named his band the Order of the Steadfast Hammer. Many years passed each filled with glorious victory for the Hammers. Soon Tairn had a son, Glowin. Glowin showed potential from a young age. At age 17 he bested his teacher in the practice ring, at 20 he was leading campaigns into the wilderness, and at 25 he was the best fighter in the order. Glowin fought alongside his father on many occasions and soon was in a position of authority within the Hammers. Glowin helped Tairn open the order to magic users by retrieving the spell book of an ancient and powerful magus. Glowin also formed a bond with a neighboring faction The Order of the Blessed Rose. The Rose’s paladins aided the Hammers on many occasions.
One such occasion Glowin was returning from a successful attack on a renegade magic user with a handful of weary Hammers when he spied smoke on the horizon. Glowin and his troupe ran for leagues finally arriving at the site. Stag Horn Castle had been reduced to naught but a field of ash choked with smoke as black as night. Glowin had his band spread out and search for survivors. Glowin, after wandering blindly through the smoke, came upon a horrible scene. The Stag Horn’s Throne still stood charred but intact. Upon the throne sat the defiled and charred remains of Tairn. His ribs were splayed open and his heart had been removed; Glowin stood staring at his father rage welling up from his breast when a glint from the body caught his eye. Glowin reached out and pulled off his father’s golden hammer necklace. Miraculously it had survived. Glowin put it around his own neck and tucked it under his mail. Looking at his father one last time, Glowin let out a roar of rage and despair as he charged off into the mountains.
What happened in the mountains no one knows. Glowin was presumed dead until, forty seven years later, he emerged from the mountains a changed dwarf. He would act erratically and unpredictably. He would have moments where we would talk to beings unseen about rebuilding the order. Above all he would mutter to himself about revenge. Revenge against the necromancer that destroyed his name.
Glowin traveled for years. He would take work as it came always searching for the necromancer who destroyed his order.
Notes:
- Tairn’s hammer necklace wards off old age and cannot be removed while the character wearing it lives.
No one knows where Tairn acquired the necklace.
- Tairn died at the age of 275. He led the Slayers for 20 years, and led the Order for 200.
- Glowin served in the order for 50 years. He was 60 when his father died.
- The lich who escaped Stag Horn is a cohort of the necromancer who destroyed Stag Horn and the Oder.
- The Order of the Blessed Rose was similarly devastated, it is not known if there were any survivors.
So there's my story. The notes section was to clear some things up that were abit hazy in the story. I wanted to give my
GM some extra stuff to use in the future if he wanted.
Any comments or pointers would be nice. Thank you!
