sanjwise
11-26-2006, 04:33 PM
Korba is the bastard son of a Nordheimer Jarl. When we first started the campaign, we hadn’t really figured that these Slavers were going to be based off of Vikings or anything…hence the bad choice of name. But, by then it was too late to change, and anyway, his name sort of stuck.
Korba rarely ever comes into play during our regular sessions but his presence permeates every aspect of the Ocean’s Blade. At first I didn’t need a full burn on this character, but to help flesh out the world on a macro level, doing this exercise helped a lot towards developing the Nordheimers and their principal struggles and conflicts. This character was mine and my wife’s creation and every now and again, we run solo sessions between her PC, Wen-yu, (http://burningwheel.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2972) and Korba to act as a counterpoint to our regular campaign that features the slaves, Guan, Amadou and Shung and their fight for freedom on the Ocean’s Blade.
Lifepaths:
Born Noble >> Bastard >> Outlaw >> Bandit >> Pirate >> Weather Witch >> Cultist
Beliefs:
1. I will return to Nordheim with the Mantle of Siegfried. I shall be named King!
2. There is much to learn from these Lankan seers, power of the likes that I have never imagined. But they must never, never think that they can dominate I, Korba Mallum!
3. My men are nervous and unsure. They do not know their destiny. Tomorrow at the feast hall I will rouse their warrior spirits and show them a glimpse of what greatness there is to come.
4. Ragnarok approaches; and I shall be named Great King of the North by Lord Loki himself!
Instincts:
1. Never allow backtalk amongst my men.
2. I’ll always look an opponent in the eye before I kill him.
3. Pray to Jormungandr each night. Ask for safe passage over his waters.
Age: 37
Stats: Will: B6 Per: B4 Pwr: B4 Frt: B5 Agty: B3 Spd: B2
Attributes: Hlth: B5 Rflx: B3 MW: 10 Stl: B8 Hesitation: 4
Traits: Mark of Privilege, Bastard, Outlaw, Problem with Authority, Weather Sense, Zealot, Faith in Dead Gods
Skills: Family Secret-wise: B2 Authority-wise: B2 Piratecove-wise: B2 Rifle: B3 Seawise: B2 Cult Doctrine: B3 Inconspicuous: B3 Conspicuous: B4 Intimidation: B6 Stealthy: B1
Settlement-wise: B2 Knives: B2 Mapwise: B4 Falsehood: B5 Persuasion: B3 Navigation: B2
Astrology: B4 Command: B5 Oratory: B3
Property:
15pts – The Ocrean’s Blade, cargo and pirate ship
10pts – Arms and Finery
10pts – Map of the Stars, magical map that gives +2d to Astrology or Navigation skills tests through the Ice Ranges of the Veil of Stars.
Relationships:
10pts - Urrich Haraldson, the first mate of the Ocean’s Blade and noblemen from a heroic family.
10pts - Deevan Sharma, leader of the Lankan mystics.
Affiliations:
10pts - The Brothers of Battle mercenary company of Nordheim
Reputations:
10pts - Among the peoples of Nordheim, Korba has a reputation as an uncomfortably zealous follower of the fierce Brothers of Battle mercenary company.
Korba seeks power, glory, and a purpose. He sees that his homeland is weak and divided; easy prey to the expansionist nations of the Pelorian Union south of Nordheimer lands. He wants to be named King and to lead his people to victory and conquest over the rich lands to the south.
As a young man he was exiled from his community for murdering his blood father’s only son and heir, Egric the Unfortunate. Branded an outlaw, Korba sought refuge with his maternal Uncle Sweyn Forkbeard’s mercenary band, the Brothers of Battle (Inspired by my readings of the Jomsvikings http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jomsvikings). He was not admitted into the highly selective fraternity at first, and had to prove himself to the ferocious warriors in a duel against one of their own. On a cold winter’s day, at the age of 16, young Korba defeated Vagne Akensson a veteran fighter in a traditional Nordheimer holmsgang with nothing but a poor hunter’s knife and his wits.
The Brothers of Battle were staunchly pagan, and followed a fringe cult of the Nordheimer religion that wished to hasten the coming of the End Days by dedicating all of their kills as blood sacrifices to the great World Serpent, Jormungandr. Korba became enthralled by this sacred duty, and grew to become the group’s most ardent believer.
The Brother’s of Battle flourished as the petty Jarls of Nordheim warred against each other in senseless battles of reprisal after reprisal. However, as the power of the Southern Jarls strengthened and an uneasy peace settled over the lands, the Brother’s of Battle were left without a steady flow of income. Their expenses were high and had to be maintained, thus they resorted to banditry and slave trading.
Korba was incensed at the rising power of the southern jarls, and their behind the scenes benefactors, the hated monarchs of the Pelorian Union. Some had even converted to the worship of Pelor, their so called Sun God. In the group’s annual clan moot held at Rimmersgard Hall, Korba, now a respected and powerful captain, demanded that the group eschew their purposeless pursuit of booty and spoils and redirect their ferocity specifically towards the simpering lords of the Southlands. But many of the original leaders of the band had grown fat and greedy during these times, enriched by the prohibition that the Pelorians had towards trading in slaves, and were thus unwilling to cede to the young firebrand’s wishes. In a complete reversal of Korba’s growing popularity, he was soundly defeated by the group’s greybeards and was forced to flee the congregation to save his life. With naught but a small band of thirty loyal followers, Korba escaped the North Seas, and went into hiding.
For a time, he sought patronage from some of the more conservative Jarls of Northern Nordheim, but none would support him and his fanatical leanings. He grew despondent and depressed and sailed to the distant Gold Coast to try and rouse support from the Abdalists against the expansionary Pelorian nations.
It was during this time that Korba came into contact with the mysterious Cult of Sri Ravana. They claimed that he and his people, the Nordheimers, and their people, were cousins, part of the same great race, the Aryans. They claimed that they too sought the awakening of the Great World Serpent and the coming of a new age where the few faithful and worthy Aryans would be chosen as Great Kings of Middle- Earth.
They sought the release of their patron hero-god, Lord Ravana from his cosmic prison beneath the Mount Kailash. Lord Ravana, they said was the same God, as Loki, in Nordheimer tales. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragnar%C3%B6k - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravana.) Lord Ravana and his many children would do battle with the Devas, or Aesir, once and for all and usher in a new era of greatness. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesir-Asura_correspondence
After weeks of tutelage and training, Korba was given an ancient map, The Map of Stars, said to be the very same star chart that Old King Sigurd Dragonsbane used to sail across the impenetrable Veil of Stars to fabled Rakhira and the Pool of Radiance. There he would find Sigurd’s Mantle, which in prophesy is said to bestow upon the bearer the power to unite the peoples Nordheim under one King. Emboldened with a renewed sense of purpose and determined to learn as much from the Lankan mystics as possible, Korba prepared to set sail across the dreaded North Sea and through the Veil of Stars.
At the time of play Korba is naught but a day away from the Island of the Black Cobra in the Penalan Seas. His men have finally completed the first leg of their grueling journey, but they are nervous and unsure of what lies ahead. He has called for a great feast aboard the ship, to rally his men and congratulate them on a job well done. Once at the Island of the Black Cobra, an associate of the cult, he will meet with a group of smugglers that will aid him and his crew to make the hard journey to Rakhira and his destiny. With his are four Lankan mystics as tutors and his tough Nordheimer Reavers as muscle, he is confident that he will one day be crowned King of Nordheim. Unless of course, Guan, Amadou and Shung, manage to spoil everything for him…
Korba rarely ever comes into play during our regular sessions but his presence permeates every aspect of the Ocean’s Blade. At first I didn’t need a full burn on this character, but to help flesh out the world on a macro level, doing this exercise helped a lot towards developing the Nordheimers and their principal struggles and conflicts. This character was mine and my wife’s creation and every now and again, we run solo sessions between her PC, Wen-yu, (http://burningwheel.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2972) and Korba to act as a counterpoint to our regular campaign that features the slaves, Guan, Amadou and Shung and their fight for freedom on the Ocean’s Blade.
Lifepaths:
Born Noble >> Bastard >> Outlaw >> Bandit >> Pirate >> Weather Witch >> Cultist
Beliefs:
1. I will return to Nordheim with the Mantle of Siegfried. I shall be named King!
2. There is much to learn from these Lankan seers, power of the likes that I have never imagined. But they must never, never think that they can dominate I, Korba Mallum!
3. My men are nervous and unsure. They do not know their destiny. Tomorrow at the feast hall I will rouse their warrior spirits and show them a glimpse of what greatness there is to come.
4. Ragnarok approaches; and I shall be named Great King of the North by Lord Loki himself!
Instincts:
1. Never allow backtalk amongst my men.
2. I’ll always look an opponent in the eye before I kill him.
3. Pray to Jormungandr each night. Ask for safe passage over his waters.
Age: 37
Stats: Will: B6 Per: B4 Pwr: B4 Frt: B5 Agty: B3 Spd: B2
Attributes: Hlth: B5 Rflx: B3 MW: 10 Stl: B8 Hesitation: 4
Traits: Mark of Privilege, Bastard, Outlaw, Problem with Authority, Weather Sense, Zealot, Faith in Dead Gods
Skills: Family Secret-wise: B2 Authority-wise: B2 Piratecove-wise: B2 Rifle: B3 Seawise: B2 Cult Doctrine: B3 Inconspicuous: B3 Conspicuous: B4 Intimidation: B6 Stealthy: B1
Settlement-wise: B2 Knives: B2 Mapwise: B4 Falsehood: B5 Persuasion: B3 Navigation: B2
Astrology: B4 Command: B5 Oratory: B3
Property:
15pts – The Ocrean’s Blade, cargo and pirate ship
10pts – Arms and Finery
10pts – Map of the Stars, magical map that gives +2d to Astrology or Navigation skills tests through the Ice Ranges of the Veil of Stars.
Relationships:
10pts - Urrich Haraldson, the first mate of the Ocean’s Blade and noblemen from a heroic family.
10pts - Deevan Sharma, leader of the Lankan mystics.
Affiliations:
10pts - The Brothers of Battle mercenary company of Nordheim
Reputations:
10pts - Among the peoples of Nordheim, Korba has a reputation as an uncomfortably zealous follower of the fierce Brothers of Battle mercenary company.
Korba seeks power, glory, and a purpose. He sees that his homeland is weak and divided; easy prey to the expansionist nations of the Pelorian Union south of Nordheimer lands. He wants to be named King and to lead his people to victory and conquest over the rich lands to the south.
As a young man he was exiled from his community for murdering his blood father’s only son and heir, Egric the Unfortunate. Branded an outlaw, Korba sought refuge with his maternal Uncle Sweyn Forkbeard’s mercenary band, the Brothers of Battle (Inspired by my readings of the Jomsvikings http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jomsvikings). He was not admitted into the highly selective fraternity at first, and had to prove himself to the ferocious warriors in a duel against one of their own. On a cold winter’s day, at the age of 16, young Korba defeated Vagne Akensson a veteran fighter in a traditional Nordheimer holmsgang with nothing but a poor hunter’s knife and his wits.
The Brothers of Battle were staunchly pagan, and followed a fringe cult of the Nordheimer religion that wished to hasten the coming of the End Days by dedicating all of their kills as blood sacrifices to the great World Serpent, Jormungandr. Korba became enthralled by this sacred duty, and grew to become the group’s most ardent believer.
The Brother’s of Battle flourished as the petty Jarls of Nordheim warred against each other in senseless battles of reprisal after reprisal. However, as the power of the Southern Jarls strengthened and an uneasy peace settled over the lands, the Brother’s of Battle were left without a steady flow of income. Their expenses were high and had to be maintained, thus they resorted to banditry and slave trading.
Korba was incensed at the rising power of the southern jarls, and their behind the scenes benefactors, the hated monarchs of the Pelorian Union. Some had even converted to the worship of Pelor, their so called Sun God. In the group’s annual clan moot held at Rimmersgard Hall, Korba, now a respected and powerful captain, demanded that the group eschew their purposeless pursuit of booty and spoils and redirect their ferocity specifically towards the simpering lords of the Southlands. But many of the original leaders of the band had grown fat and greedy during these times, enriched by the prohibition that the Pelorians had towards trading in slaves, and were thus unwilling to cede to the young firebrand’s wishes. In a complete reversal of Korba’s growing popularity, he was soundly defeated by the group’s greybeards and was forced to flee the congregation to save his life. With naught but a small band of thirty loyal followers, Korba escaped the North Seas, and went into hiding.
For a time, he sought patronage from some of the more conservative Jarls of Northern Nordheim, but none would support him and his fanatical leanings. He grew despondent and depressed and sailed to the distant Gold Coast to try and rouse support from the Abdalists against the expansionary Pelorian nations.
It was during this time that Korba came into contact with the mysterious Cult of Sri Ravana. They claimed that he and his people, the Nordheimers, and their people, were cousins, part of the same great race, the Aryans. They claimed that they too sought the awakening of the Great World Serpent and the coming of a new age where the few faithful and worthy Aryans would be chosen as Great Kings of Middle- Earth.
They sought the release of their patron hero-god, Lord Ravana from his cosmic prison beneath the Mount Kailash. Lord Ravana, they said was the same God, as Loki, in Nordheimer tales. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragnar%C3%B6k - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravana.) Lord Ravana and his many children would do battle with the Devas, or Aesir, once and for all and usher in a new era of greatness. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesir-Asura_correspondence
After weeks of tutelage and training, Korba was given an ancient map, The Map of Stars, said to be the very same star chart that Old King Sigurd Dragonsbane used to sail across the impenetrable Veil of Stars to fabled Rakhira and the Pool of Radiance. There he would find Sigurd’s Mantle, which in prophesy is said to bestow upon the bearer the power to unite the peoples Nordheim under one King. Emboldened with a renewed sense of purpose and determined to learn as much from the Lankan mystics as possible, Korba prepared to set sail across the dreaded North Sea and through the Veil of Stars.
At the time of play Korba is naught but a day away from the Island of the Black Cobra in the Penalan Seas. His men have finally completed the first leg of their grueling journey, but they are nervous and unsure of what lies ahead. He has called for a great feast aboard the ship, to rally his men and congratulate them on a job well done. Once at the Island of the Black Cobra, an associate of the cult, he will meet with a group of smugglers that will aid him and his crew to make the hard journey to Rakhira and his destiny. With his are four Lankan mystics as tutors and his tough Nordheimer Reavers as muscle, he is confident that he will one day be crowned King of Nordheim. Unless of course, Guan, Amadou and Shung, manage to spoil everything for him…