Simon "Torch" Valent

Current Status: After securing the talon of Lul for the Empire of Vridara, Torch set about to constructing a temple of Xoriah, but met with heavy resistance from the theocrats in Vridara. Not long after, the Chosen of Xoriah was announced to all the world. Still finding resistance to Xoriah in Vridara, Torch left in disgust for the distant lands of Rakore. There, he helped the Chosen Saranella and her Disciple and husband Aust, and became the head of a temple to Xoriah in Teras for the fledgling Church of Xoriah.

5th-Level Specialty Priest of Xoriah
4th-Level Vridaran-Toomaran Elementalist

STR: 12 DEX: 9 CON: 14 INT: 14 WIS: 15 CHA: 14

AC: 8 THAC0: 18 HP: 20 Alignment: NG

Special Attacks: See below Special Defenses: Nil Magic Resistance: See below Size: 5'6"

Weapon Proficiencies: Whips, Hummingbird style (see unarmed combat styles).

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Animal lore (secondary skill), animal training, animal handling, religion, reading and writing Common, Toomaran and Vridaran, leather working, dancing, rope use, disguise.

Languages: Common, Vridaran, Toomaran (Spring Buds dialect).

Spells and Special Abilities: As a general elementalist, Torch is unable to cast non-elemental spells, though he receives a 25% bonus to learn elemental spells. He casts elemental fire spells with a +1 bonus to each die for damage; elemental air spells require no somatic or material components; elemental earth spells last 1 round per level of the caster longer; and elemental water spells have 50% greater area of effect. He also casts spells as per a specialty priest of Xoriah, and all of his prayers from the elemental sphere of fire receive a +1 bonus to each die for damage, just like his magical spells. As a specialty priest of Xoriah, his immunity to fire, both magical and Abyssal, gives him a certain advantage. The most comon prayer cast by Torch is Xoriah's Fury (see spell entry), followed by lots of other fire spells.

Appearance: Simon Valent appears as a slight man of moderate height, with long flowing hair bound back in a pony-tail at the nape of his neck. He dresses in red and white leathers of exquisite quality and dye, from his tunic to his flowing robes. His green eyes seem to have an animalistic quality to them, and the cut of his leathers lends itself to chaos. 'Torch', as he is more commonly known, has reddish-tinged skin that seems permanently sunburned; that, and his baby-smooth face are the only aspects of his Toomaran heritage seen. For the most part, he looks like many other Vridarans, though his eyes and clothing draw attention almost subconsciously. Over one shoulder, he wears a small leather bag of soft brown leather, the same color as his belt and sandals. Hidden beneath the folds of his robes is a long brown whip coated in some greasy substance.

Background: Torch was the bastard son of a Vridaran merchant and a Toomaran horsewoman of the Spring Buds tribes. Raised as a Toomaran by his mother, Whisperer, he grew up in harmony with his world, and the worship of Elinthar. From an early age, he showed great potential as a shaman. Whisperer had him fostered to the shaman Rocking Bird, and hoped he would become a great shaman or druid. The War of the Undead swept through the Toomarans, bringing disease, chaos, and all manner of vicious nightmares that struck in the dark. Rocking Bird was killed in the confusion, and Torch escaped death by hiding in a Vridaran merchant wagon that spirited him to his father's lands in the empire. When the merchants found him, they cast him out, and Torch took to wandering the streets of the Vridaran capital, Brevit, for several years. Feeling abandoned and useless, a passing crusader of Xoriah took him in for the span of a few short months. In those months, Crusader Kraken Titamus showed Torch the vision of Xoriah, the ways of pure fire, and the wrath of furious vengeance. The crusader moved on, to further spread the word of Xoriah, and accomplish his mission for the fledgling church of the Goddess of Flame. In his wake, Titamus left a devoted followed to Xoriah who would go to extraordinary means to spread the word of the goddess. It so happened that the crusader had journeyed from the forbidden lands of Rakore, where mages roused in the aftermath of the War of the Undead. The crusader had brought with him the secrets of magic and wizardry, which he imparted to Torch before passing on. In an attempt to establish Xoriah in Vridara, Torch took to preaching in Brevit and Thayon. Xoriah's teachings of fury, control of the elements, and a philosophy of resurgence and perserverance have caught on, though Torch must establish a church presence for Xoriah's word to catch hold. In an effort to raise funds and find land for a temple, Torch chose to aid the First Temple of Lul in Thayon in finding the legendary Talon of Lul. His original companions were slain by traps in an ancient dwarven tomb, and he swore to Xoriah that hey would once again walk the earth. Taking on a paladin of Arpelos and a witch from Chilleth, as well as converts and other allies, Torch eventually succeeded in finding the Talon of Lul. Now that he has the land and the resources to construct a temple, Torch must see to establishing an everburning flame to the goddess within the Empire of Vridara.

Equipment: Well trained by the shaman Rocking Bird, Torch has taken to making a great deal of his own leather equipment, from clothing to sandals. His most dangerous possession is a specially made whip soaked in flammable oils and then sealed with an herbal grease. Xoriah has granted Torch the ability to create flame at will, and he can do while using his whip to create a burning tongue of leather and rope that resists being burned up. While he can create these items at will, given time, his most valuable possession is his holy symbol -- a phoenix made of flaked obsidian with wings capable of slicing through leather and flesh. He also carries a small book of psalms in his pack, that are his only holy insights into Xoriah -- gifts of the crusader Kraken Titamus. Next to the book of psalms lies several scrolls of laboriously copied elemental spells, also learned from the crusader.

Magical Items: Torch's eating knive once belonged to a mage, and was confiscated during the Second Crusades, and turned over to the Church of Lul for safe-keeping. In return for finding the Talon of Lul, he was given a knife +3, a wand of frost, and a ring of chameleon.

Roleplaying Notes: He goes by Simon as much as he goes by Torch, making the best of his mixed heritage. Rather quiet and introspective, most of the time, he has a deep love of animals, and cannot stand to see them suffer. Torch understands flame intuitively, and has studied it extensively in his travels. Being part sorcerer, and part Vridaran, he understands how the Inquisition works, and often makes use of his knowledge of the various religions and his disguise kit, to pass himself off as an Inquisitor. He works with anyone and everyone willing value the goddess' philosophies, but he harbors an old grudge against the Church of Lul for their antiphony towards Xoriah's existance. A pyromaniac at heart, he looks forward to burning anything or anyone that gets in the way of his goddess. Diligent and resourceful, Torch is unafraid to give hours or even days to study, thought, or introspection. And though he might play the Inquisitor, he is a friend to mages.

Familiar: Torch was given a Vridaran shepherd puppy as a gift, by a child that had supposedly died four centuries earlier. Attached to the strange puppy, the priest and mage ensorcelled the puppy, binding it to him as a familiar. In the binding, he gained very little insight into 'Cinder', though Cinder's abilities manifested themselves rather quickly. In the course of two weeks, he grew into an adult, and his coat of fur turned a coppery red color. The Vridaran shepherd dog has all the abilities of a hell hound. AL NG; AC 4; MV 12; hp 32; THAC0 17; #AT 1; 1 bite (1d10); S13, D14, C15, I5, W8. NWP: Tracking (inherent). Elite (13) morale. Cinder has additional abilities as per a 'Hell Hound' from the Monsterous Manual.

Follower: While preaching in the city of Thayon, Torch gained a convert from Lul, to the ways of Xoriah. Torch's earnestness, coupled with the man's disgust with the pursuit of wealth in Vridara, brought Damian Falstaf into the fold of Xoriah's church. An orphan raised by the city, he set out to make his fortune, and a name for himself. Several years later, living by his wits, he had won and lost so much money that wealth came to have little meaning for him, save as a means to an end. Working as a mercenary, his deep-seated anger at the system in Vridara wore him down -- until he met Torch, who renewed his sense of purpose and place. AL CG; AC 5 (studded leather); MV 12; hp 10; THAC0 19 (shortsword) or 20 (daggers); #AT 1 (shortsword) or 2 (daggers); 1d6+2 dmg (shortsword) or 1d4 dmg (daggers); S13, D15, C13, I11, W12, Ch 13. WP: Shortswords specialist, daggers, 1H style. NWP: Appraising (secondary skill), running, dancing, heraldry, cooking, gaming. Steady (11) morale.

Convert: While questing for the Talon of Lul, Torch and his party were ambushed by a small group of bandits. Easily defeated, one was left alive. For the first time in his life, Gaelin Vristorn had a goal, a purpose, money, protectors, and most of all, faith. Torch's powerful presence made the agnostic bandit convert to Xoriah whole-heartedly, and his faith in the priest and the mage is unquestioned. AL NG; AC 8 (hide armor); MV 12; hp 6; THAC0 20; #AT 1 (shortsword) or 2 (knives); 1d6 dmg (shortsword) or 1d3 (knives); S9, D11, C11, I9, W10, Ch12. WP: shortswords, knives. NWP: Land-based riding (secondary skill), tumbling, gaming, reading lips.

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