![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[OOC] APP FOR mayfield_rpg
Apr. 9th, 2012 12:14 amName: Michael Haneline
Personal Journal: N/A
Contact Info:
AIM: hightechart23
Email: Use this contact form.
Other Characters Played: N/A
Housing: 305 Miller Street
Character Name: Cade Masters (also: “Sir Cade Masters II,” and “Cade Masters, ADVENTURER EXTRAORDINAIRE!”)
Character Series: Twice Blessed [webcomic] (Note: I am the writer of this series.)
Character Age: 29
BACKGROUND:
Summary: Cade Masters is a bard* who was accidentally ordained as a paladin** of Idamra about 7 years ago (it’s a long story). Since then, he has gained a reputation as a master swordsman, a skilled spellcaster, and a brilliant tactician. However, he is none of those things.
Though at least competent with a rapier, and possessing a variety of low-level magic tricks and healing powers thanks to his bard training, Cade's greatest victories are usually achieved completely by accident. Cade is the “Blessed” of Idamra, goddess of luck, revelry, and passion. Idamra's blessing grants Cade "extreme luck". Not necessarily good or bad luck, just extreme luck. If one were to ask themselves “what are the chances?” and Cade is involved, the answer is often “pretty good”. Cade is likely to discover ancient lost treasures and defeat powerful ancient evils completely on accident, and then convince others (and himself) that it’s just because he is so talented. Likewise, Cade is also likely to bare an unhealthy resemblance to that assassination target or fugitive with the huge bounty on his head, drink the poisoned drink that was meant for some poor noble, and otherwise stumble into very deep shit.
*Note: in Cade’s world, a bard is a wandering minstrel who not only inspires others with epic stories, but goes on adventures to be a part of them. As such, bards train in a wide variety of weapons, skills, and magic, though they rarely master anything other than singing and storytelling.
**Note: a paladin is a holy knight sworn to the cause of a deity and granted limited sacred powers including healing, the ability to detect evil, and the ability to smite undead, demons, etc.
Beginnings: Cade was born in a village on the southern shores of the kingdom of Athair*. His father was a human merchant (and smuggler) with questionable morals and a bad habit of spending money as fast as he got it. His mother was a half-elf with a meek disposition who had studied briefly as a wizard at a University of Magic, but now worked as a tailor and a seamstress (using some simpler magics to make her garments sturdier, stain-resistant, brighter in color, etc.). Cade’s father was usually away from home on business, and during the brief periods he was home, he often got intoxicated and dispensed gems of fatherly advice such as “It isn’t wrong if you don’t get caught” and “It isn’t stealing if they aren’t going to miss it.”
So, it is fortunate that young Cade made friends with an eccentric retired adventurer named Leon. Leon captured Cade’s imagination with stories of his many adventures across Europa, provided emotional support and advice for Cade during the trials and tribulations of adolescence, and trained Cade in a variety of skills such as swordplay, simple magic, storytelling, and a variety of other skills suitable for a bard. In Cade’s teenage years, Leon’s bad health began to catch up with him, and he passed away on Cade’s 16th birthday. On that same day, Cade’s father came home, declared that Cade was too old to continue “mooching” off of him, and kicked him out.
*Note: The kingdom of Athair covers what would be Ireland and Scotland on real-life Earth. Cade’s world (also called Earth) is almost geographically identical to real-life’s Earth. In fact, Cade’s Earth had a near-identical history to our Earth until around 400 BCE, when Plato discovered magic and set off a chain of events that caused the formation of different countries, cultures, religions, and technologies. Deities have a personal connection with their subjects, granting powers to their most devoted clergy. (Each deity is also able to choose one mortal as their “Blessed,” a mortal representative who carries powers that match the domain of the deity that blessed them.) It even caused the appearance of new races and species as it connected the world to a variety of other mystical worlds, such as the Realm of Shadow and the Land of Faerie.
The Bard Years:
Despite the bleak outlook of his situation, Cade’s luck soon changed for the better. The owner of the Everfull Mug, a tavern and inn in the nearby city of Corcach-Mór, had been a friend of Leon’s, and offered Cade a roof over his head and food in his belly in exchange for nightly entertainment. A few months later, Cade discovered he was the sole inheritor of Leon’s will, and though Leon’s home had been sold to pay for his debts, Cade inherited the old bard’s adventuring gear (including a magic sword, armor, and various other wondrous items.)
Until the age of 22, Cade entertained the patrons of the Everfull Mug with song and story and magic. On a rare occasion, Cade would join up with a group of adventurers to save some noble’s daughter or vanquish some seamonster-ghost-thing (or some such) to bring back new stories and treasures, but for the most part Cade contented himself with his life of drunken story-telling and performing.
Blessed of Idamra:
On his 22nd birthday, Cade was thrown a very rowdy party by the many friends he’d made over the years. A lot of free alcohol ended up in Cade’s gut, so Cade was not terribly surprised when he woke up the next morning with a pounding headache and very little memory of the night before. Nor was he surprised by the half-dozen half-naked people passed out in his room, nor by the fact that he couldn’t seem to find his pants anywhere. The tattoo of a playing-card spade on his rump was a bit of a surprise, though he had expected a new tattoo to hurt more.
Cade was a bit surprised when he noticed two sets of Idamran priestess robes as he searched through the discarded clothing. He was more surprised when it occurred to him that this was not his room. When the halfling that had been sleeping (with her head hanging over the foot of his bed) woke up and told him they were in a temple of Idamra, Cade became fairly confused. When she told him that he had “won” last-night’s contest and had been ordained a paladin of Idamra, Cade took off running through the temple... without any pants.
After a big comical spectacle, the Idamran clergy calmed Cade, dressed him, and explained what happened: Cade, thoroughly sloshed, had wandered into the annual competition to see who would be selected as this year’s crop of Idamran paladins. Apparently not even fully aware of what he was doing, Cade came out on top in every challenge and defeated every competitor. Cade was ordained as a paladin right there and then, and then took part in an even bigger celebration back at the temple of Idamra. The clergy explained that paladins of Idamra swore to a much different code than the paladins of stuffier gods such as Veritas; Paladins of Idamra swore to bring freedom to the oppressed, revelry to the depressed, and to do all with the passion of Idamra herself.
What neither Cade nor the clergy realized was that Cade had attracted the attention of Idamra herself, and was chosen as her Blessed. As such, Cade was both blessed and cursed with “extreme” luck, meaning that the improbable frequently became quite probable, be it good or bad. Soon afterwards, all sorts of trouble seemed to find its way to Cade. When a group of elite warriors from Ustav came to kidnap a rich noble, they mistakenly abducted Cade instead. When Cade was travelling through a town, a dragon would attack and Cade would be their one chance for survival. An intricate plot of international espionage would break out, and both sides would come to suspect Cade as master double agent (while he was totally unaware that anything was even going on). Because of Cade’s blessing, he would always come out looking like the victor and the hero, and he developed a reputation as a master swordsman, a cunning tactician, a brilliant mage, a slayer of dragons, and a deadly spy.
Over the past seven years, Cade has come to believe his own hype. Despite still not really knowing what he is doing or getting himself into, Cade goes on adventure after adventure, doing progressively dumber things. He boldly announces himself to enemies when stealth would be wiser. He charges into battle when greatly outnumbered and outgunned. He seems addicted to his own reflection and constantly primps and grooms himself every chance he gets. Luckily, he has gained allies that keep him in check, such as a dwarven warrior from Ustav named Vadim, and a University wizard named Melchior, but even these friends have not yet talked sense into Cade. He had become confident that he can take on any challenge the world will throw at him.
Then, one morning, he wakes up in Mayfield, USA…
PERSONALITY:
Cade’s personality may seem simple and straightforward to most outside observers, but there are multiple factors at work to shape Cade’s actions.
Infatigable Confidence: Even before Cade became Blessed, his confidence was nearly unshakable – doubt just does not seem to have much place in Cade’s head. (The wizard Melchior has suggested that this is because Cade’s mind is so small that there simply isn’t room.) Every time Cade is faced with an obstacle, he just keeps at it when “lesser” (read: smarter) men would give up. Whether it is an enemy he is facing, a woman he is wooing, or an inevitable force of nature that is in his way, Cade just keeps moving forward without hesitation. In fact, Cade tends to be somewhat disappointed if he doesn’t run into setbacks, because such trials are “what make the story interesting.”
Passion and “Style”: If any one word described Cade, it would be “over the top.” (Ok, I know, that’s three words. Shut up.) Cade is a tremendous ham. He loves to bellow out his own introduction to enemies. He loves (over)using dramatic pauses. He constantly poses and gestures and “chews the scenery” and never seems to get worn out doing it. When it comes time to do something (almost anything, really) Cade goes all out, like it was the most important task in the world.
Note: When Cade was young, he didn’t get much attention and didn’t feel very important, so being the center of attention became that much more important for him as an adult. This seems to have played a part in why his celebrity in recent years has gone to his head as much as it has.)
Code of Honor: As a paladin, Cade does have a code of honor, though it is different from the rigid codes that other knights swear to. If there is anything Cade can do to prevent the suffering of an innocent, he will do it, even if it means sacrificing himself. Cade will not accept tyranny, and will fight any tyrant he encounters tooth-and-nail until the end. This applies on any level – whether it is an evil world overlord or just a bully on the street, Cade will do what he can to stand up to them.
Note: Cade’s father was a bit of a bully, especially to Cade’s somewhat meek mother. Cade loathed him for that more than anything else. That seems to have grown into a desire to stand up to bullies in general, and it is a desire that is ingrained into the core of Cade’s soul. It will take a lot to get Cade to back down in these sorts of situations. Loves a
Good Story: Even before Leo mentored him, Cade loved a good story, and his training under the bard enhanced that one-hundred fold. Being the egoist that he is, Cade loves telling stories about himself, but he can spend hours listening to the stories of others in rapt silence if they are at all interesting. Cade’s love of a good story sometimes clouds his judgment, as he often assumes that the rules of story-telling apply to the “plot” of real life. He might ignore something that is too obvious as a “red herring”. He may assume that someone is a bad guy or a good guy just because that’s the way it’d be if he were telling the story. Because of this, Cade benefits greatly from teaming up with more grounded individuals.
Loyalty: Though Cade’s family life left to be desired, Cade learned early on to make his friends into his family. Cade will defend a close friend as if they were his own brother or sister, will not lie to them, and will always try to act in their best interest (as he sees it, from his simple point of view).
Lecherous: One of Cade’s two most easily exploited weaknesses is his over-eager “Rod of Wonder.” If a woman is attractive, Cade will probably flirt with her. Even if she is an enemy who would likely kill him the second his back is turned, Cade is going to try and make a pass. It should be noted that there are a few non-shallow reasons Cade will refrain from hitting on a woman. Cade is loyal to friends and family, and will not attempt to seduce a woman who is involved with a friend or family member. Likewise, if a woman has been particularly cruel to friend or family and Cade knows it, Cade will not be interested (though she can be absolutely awful to Cade and it won’t even seem to register to him.) Also, Cade’s sense of honor prevents him from preying on the vulnerable, so he tries not to take advantage of emotional turmoil, youth, or intoxication.
[Note: Out Of Character, I don’t want to be obnoxious, so Cade will only be flirting if all muns involved are comfortable with it.]
Simple-Minded: This is Cade’s other major weakness. Cade is not actually stupid, but he will seem that way most of the time. (He’s not all that smart, either, but if he would stop and actually think from time to time, he’d be just as intelligent as the next guy.) Despite all that Cade has encountered, he tends to be naïve and gullible about things, he often jumps to conclusions, and he doesn’t always thinks things through. Again, Cade tends to work best when he teams up with someone more reasonable to keep him in-line.
ABILITIES: As an adventurer from a D&D-like world, Cade has a number of abilities that come from his race, his treasures, and his magical training.
Part-elf: Cade is only 1/4 elf (3/4 human), so this is mostly cosmetic. Cade’s ears are pointed, and his vision and eyesight are quite good (though not anywhere outside the normal human range, just at the upper end of it).
Detect Evil: The first ability to manifest in any paladin, Cade can sense the “darkness” in people’s souls, and sees it as a red aura if he is concentrating on this ability. The more evil deeds someone has committed in their lifetime, the stronger their aura is.
Lay on Hands: Another paladin ability, Cade has a limited supply of healing energy inside him that is renewed with a full-night’s rest. Cade can use the energy to heal cuts, broken bones, and other injuries. He can expend all the energy at once to restore a person who is on the brink of death to good health, or he can break it up into smaller “doses” to heal multiple people with lesser injuries.
Aura of Indomitability: Cade is immune to any supernatural (magic, psionics, etc.) effect that induces fear, delusion, or otherwise tries to control his mind. In addition, as long as Cade is conscious, he and any of his allies within 30 feet of him feel all fear (natural or otherwise) at only half the normal intensity.
Majestic Word: Cade can infuse the word “Sanare” with healing magic. When he speaks this word, he or one willing person of his choice within 30 feet of him is flooded with feelings of warmth and bliss and healing. The subject is affected in the following ways: Injuries are healed, or at least improved (the Majestic Word has the power of about a 1/3 dose of Lay on Hands). Any disease or poison in the subject’s system is either expelled (50% chance), or at least reduced to 50% potency. The subject’s own energy is partly used to fuel the above effects, and as a result feels as if they have been awake for 4 more hours than they have been. (For example, if Cade is in a fight at midnight and he uses Majestic Word on himself, he will feel as if it is 4am in terms of tiredness.) Cade can use the Majestic Word once every five minutes.
Defender’s Challenge: Cade has the supernatural ability to challenge another person/creature that he can see to fight him. When Cade uses this ability, the target finds their attacks against anyone other than Cade to be about 20% less effective (less accurate, don’t hit as hard, etc.), and intuitively knows where Cade is and that he is the cause of this effect. This effect lasts until Cade or the target is no longer conscious, until the target has escaped Cade’s sight for over five minutes, or until Cade relinquishes the challenge. If Cade relinquishes the challenge, he cannot issue another challenge for 1 hour.
Spells: Cade knows a variety of simple spells thanks to his Bard training and Paladin blessings.
- - Prestidigitate: The most basic of arcane spells, Prestidigitate allows Cade to do any of the following: slowly levitate up to 1lb. of material within 5 feet, create simple crude magical constructs, clean or soil one object that would fit in a 1-ft cube (or a 1-ft cube section of a larger object), temporarily change the color of things in a 1-ft cube for 1 hour, add a specific flavor to food (saltier, sweeter, etc), create small flashes of light and smoke in various colors, or instantly groom and wash a willing target as desired. Cade can use this spell at-will.
- - Ghost Sound: Cade can create any sound that he can imagine and have it emanate from any location within 30 feet of him at a maximum volume of 75 dB. Cade can use this spell at-will, but he cannot speak and use it at the same time.
- - Sonic Orb: Cade can fire a small orb of focused sonic vibration at a target up to 100 feet away. The orb hits as hard as and has roughly the same effect as a heavy swing from a sledgehammer. Cade does not have very good aim, but he does have a wand that assists with this. Cade can cast this spell at-will once every six seconds.
- - Expeditious Burst: Cade, or one target that Cade touches, can run at twice their normal speed for 10 seconds. Cade can cast this spell once every ten minutes.
- - Charm Person: One person within 30 feet of Cade regards Cade as a trusted friend and ally for the next hour. This spell can be resisted by those with exceptionally strong wills, and if Cade asks the target to do something against their nature, there is a risk that the target may “shake it off.” Cade can cast this spell once per hour.
- - Suggestion: Cade can influence the actions of one person who can hear him by suggesting a course of activity (limited to a sentence of two). Asking a person to inflict harm upon his/herself never works. This spell can be resisted by those with exceptionally strong wills. Cade can cast this spell three times per day.
- - Bless Water: Cade can transmute one gallon of water he is touching into holy water. This completely purifies the water (removes any bacteria, poison, salt, etc.) and causes it to burn the flesh of undead, demons, devils, etc. Cade can cast this spell three times per day.
- - Bless Weapon: Cade can bless one weapon he is touching. The weapon and any ammunition it fires glow with the brightness of a candle. Blessed weapons used on undead, demons, devils, etc. inflict injuries that are twice as grievous as they would be against a human opponent, ignore any supernatural defenses these creatures may have, and halt any regeneration or fast-healing these creatures have for 1 hour. The spell lasts for 6 hours. Cade can cast this spell twice per day.
- - Ridiculous Laughter: Cade can cause one person within 30 feet to suddenly break into hysterics. The target either suddenly finds something hilariously funny, or feels like they are being tickled in all their worst places (Cade has no control over this aspect of the spell; it really depends on the subject). The spell can be resisted by those with exceptionally strong wills. Cade can cast this spell once per day.
Magic Treasures: Like any veteran adventurer from his world, Cade possesses a variety of magical items that confer various benefits:
- - Frostbrand: Cade’s most potent magic item, the rapier Frostbrand, belonged to his mentor, Leon. The sword is of superior weight, balance, and craftsmanship, and its enchanted edge allows it to cut through other materials as if they were half as thick and half as strong. The blue sapphire at the base of its blade has powerful winter enchantments that give the sword its most powerful properties: its cold blade can inflict frostbite on enemies and instantly extinguishes any flame it is plunged into. Anyone who carries the sword cannot be burned by fire, and once per hour it can be commanded to extinguish all flames within 30 feet.
- - Armor of Balthenis: Leon discovered this armor on an adventure in the Land of Faerie, and passed it on to Cade. Most of it is made from mithril chain, though the breastplate is made from an unknown metal that looks like bronze but is even lighter and stronger than the mithril. The armor’s enchantments not only make it even stronger (non-magical swords and arrows can barely nick it, and it could likely stop up to .50 caliber rounds in the modern setting), but it allows the wearer to move about as if he wasn’t wearing armor at all.
- - Cade’s Hat: This swashbuckler-style hat was a gift from Cade’s mother. It is quite eye-catching with its wide brim and ostrich plume, but its only enchantment is that the hat’s material is indestructible and always pops back into shape no matter how badly crushed it is.
- - Rod of Wonder: This item was found by Cade and his allies on a recent adventure. A bronze rod set with a large ruby, it is simple enough to activate, but completely unpredictable in its effect. It might drop an anvil on an enemy’s head, turn Cade bright blue for 24 hours, or give everyone in a mile a case of bad flatulence for a week. Because of this, Cade only employs the item when particularly desperate.
- - Wand of Accuracy: This simple magic wand is used by wizards to better aim their spells. The only spell Cade knows that the wand can help with is his Sonic Orb spell.
- - Cloak of the Emerald Wing: This green silk cloak has an enchantment that slows its wearer when falling from high places, just enough so that he is not injured by the impact.
- - Bag of Holding: This leather pouch only weighs about 1 pound, but it contains a pocket dimension that can hold up to 500 lbs of material.
Blessed of Idamra: Cade was chosen as the Blessed of Idamra, which physically manifests itself as a spade-shaped brand on his rump. The brand makes Cade a magnet for all things unlikely, both good and bad. On a broad scale, this means that Cade is dragged into many things much bigger than himself and ends up as a sort of "wrench in the works." On a smaller scale, this means that Cade is frequently involved in comic misunderstandings, and often seems to escape harm more through pure luck than any kind of skill (a good example would be this page here.).
Other Talents:
Cade also has a variety of mundane skills that may be useful from time to time, but are nothing particularly out-of-the-ordinary:
Basic Combat Training: Though Cade is by no means a great fighter, he is trained in simple hand-to-hand fighting techniques and knows the “basics” of a variety of Middle Age weapons, including various one-handed swords, daggers, bows, crossbows, darts, clubs, and staffs. His preferred weapon is the rapier.
Basic Survival Training: Cade is by no means a survivalist, and he’d always prefer a warm, clean bed in a city to a cold, dirty campground in the woods. However, as an adventurer, he had to learn the basics of surviving in the wilderness. Cade can start a fire, forage, build crude shelter, perform basic first aid, and knows how to store food so that it won’t attract animals.
Cooking: Entertaining wasn’t the only thing Cade did at the Everfull Mug. He was also expected to help with cooking, cleaning, and other chores, and eventually learned to cook a wide variety of hearty and tasty meals. Cade has prepared some of these meals so many times that the recipes have managed to be one of the few things to stick in his brain permanently. Cade is particularly fond of grilled fish.
Entertaining: As a bard, it is no surprise that Cade is trained to entertain. He is very, very good at story-telling, and has also honed his acting, dancing, singing, and guitar-playing skills to acceptable levels for a minstrel.
SAMPLE ENTRIES:
Sample Entry 1: [John Doe Park is as quiet and peaceful as ever this afternoon. Well, at least it was, until Cade jumped on top of the most visible park bench to make one of his “important announcements.”]
ATTENTION citizens!
[Cade assumes three different dramatic poses before finally settling on a classic: hands-on hips while staring off at nothing somewhere in the sky.]
Fear not! I, CADE MASTERS, ADVENTURER EXTRAORDINAIRE, have heard of your plight, and I assure you that I shall not rest until the evil of this place has been VANQUISHED, and you are all free once more!
[Several drones stare at Cade with bewilderment, but he seems completely oblivious to their stares. In fact, he seems fairly oblivious to everything. With one hand, he grabs a rope hanging from a nearby tree branch (when did that get there?), while he points out with his free hand in a dramatic sweeping motion.]
Now, now! I’m sure you are all very eager to get autographs and what not, but I have a town to save after all! Ha, Ha ha Ha HA!
[Cade laughs a fake hammy laugh, and swings off on the rope, disappearing behind some bushes.]
Personal Journal: N/A
Contact Info:
AIM: hightechart23
Email: Use this contact form.
Other Characters Played: N/A
Housing: 305 Miller Street
Character Name: Cade Masters (also: “Sir Cade Masters II,” and “Cade Masters, ADVENTURER EXTRAORDINAIRE!”)
Character Series: Twice Blessed [webcomic] (Note: I am the writer of this series.)
Character Age: 29
BACKGROUND:
Summary: Cade Masters is a bard* who was accidentally ordained as a paladin** of Idamra about 7 years ago (it’s a long story). Since then, he has gained a reputation as a master swordsman, a skilled spellcaster, and a brilliant tactician. However, he is none of those things.
Though at least competent with a rapier, and possessing a variety of low-level magic tricks and healing powers thanks to his bard training, Cade's greatest victories are usually achieved completely by accident. Cade is the “Blessed” of Idamra, goddess of luck, revelry, and passion. Idamra's blessing grants Cade "extreme luck". Not necessarily good or bad luck, just extreme luck. If one were to ask themselves “what are the chances?” and Cade is involved, the answer is often “pretty good”. Cade is likely to discover ancient lost treasures and defeat powerful ancient evils completely on accident, and then convince others (and himself) that it’s just because he is so talented. Likewise, Cade is also likely to bare an unhealthy resemblance to that assassination target or fugitive with the huge bounty on his head, drink the poisoned drink that was meant for some poor noble, and otherwise stumble into very deep shit.
*Note: in Cade’s world, a bard is a wandering minstrel who not only inspires others with epic stories, but goes on adventures to be a part of them. As such, bards train in a wide variety of weapons, skills, and magic, though they rarely master anything other than singing and storytelling.
**Note: a paladin is a holy knight sworn to the cause of a deity and granted limited sacred powers including healing, the ability to detect evil, and the ability to smite undead, demons, etc.
Beginnings: Cade was born in a village on the southern shores of the kingdom of Athair*. His father was a human merchant (and smuggler) with questionable morals and a bad habit of spending money as fast as he got it. His mother was a half-elf with a meek disposition who had studied briefly as a wizard at a University of Magic, but now worked as a tailor and a seamstress (using some simpler magics to make her garments sturdier, stain-resistant, brighter in color, etc.). Cade’s father was usually away from home on business, and during the brief periods he was home, he often got intoxicated and dispensed gems of fatherly advice such as “It isn’t wrong if you don’t get caught” and “It isn’t stealing if they aren’t going to miss it.”
So, it is fortunate that young Cade made friends with an eccentric retired adventurer named Leon. Leon captured Cade’s imagination with stories of his many adventures across Europa, provided emotional support and advice for Cade during the trials and tribulations of adolescence, and trained Cade in a variety of skills such as swordplay, simple magic, storytelling, and a variety of other skills suitable for a bard. In Cade’s teenage years, Leon’s bad health began to catch up with him, and he passed away on Cade’s 16th birthday. On that same day, Cade’s father came home, declared that Cade was too old to continue “mooching” off of him, and kicked him out.
*Note: The kingdom of Athair covers what would be Ireland and Scotland on real-life Earth. Cade’s world (also called Earth) is almost geographically identical to real-life’s Earth. In fact, Cade’s Earth had a near-identical history to our Earth until around 400 BCE, when Plato discovered magic and set off a chain of events that caused the formation of different countries, cultures, religions, and technologies. Deities have a personal connection with their subjects, granting powers to their most devoted clergy. (Each deity is also able to choose one mortal as their “Blessed,” a mortal representative who carries powers that match the domain of the deity that blessed them.) It even caused the appearance of new races and species as it connected the world to a variety of other mystical worlds, such as the Realm of Shadow and the Land of Faerie.
The Bard Years:
Despite the bleak outlook of his situation, Cade’s luck soon changed for the better. The owner of the Everfull Mug, a tavern and inn in the nearby city of Corcach-Mór, had been a friend of Leon’s, and offered Cade a roof over his head and food in his belly in exchange for nightly entertainment. A few months later, Cade discovered he was the sole inheritor of Leon’s will, and though Leon’s home had been sold to pay for his debts, Cade inherited the old bard’s adventuring gear (including a magic sword, armor, and various other wondrous items.)
Until the age of 22, Cade entertained the patrons of the Everfull Mug with song and story and magic. On a rare occasion, Cade would join up with a group of adventurers to save some noble’s daughter or vanquish some seamonster-ghost-thing (or some such) to bring back new stories and treasures, but for the most part Cade contented himself with his life of drunken story-telling and performing.
Blessed of Idamra:
On his 22nd birthday, Cade was thrown a very rowdy party by the many friends he’d made over the years. A lot of free alcohol ended up in Cade’s gut, so Cade was not terribly surprised when he woke up the next morning with a pounding headache and very little memory of the night before. Nor was he surprised by the half-dozen half-naked people passed out in his room, nor by the fact that he couldn’t seem to find his pants anywhere. The tattoo of a playing-card spade on his rump was a bit of a surprise, though he had expected a new tattoo to hurt more.
Cade was a bit surprised when he noticed two sets of Idamran priestess robes as he searched through the discarded clothing. He was more surprised when it occurred to him that this was not his room. When the halfling that had been sleeping (with her head hanging over the foot of his bed) woke up and told him they were in a temple of Idamra, Cade became fairly confused. When she told him that he had “won” last-night’s contest and had been ordained a paladin of Idamra, Cade took off running through the temple... without any pants.
After a big comical spectacle, the Idamran clergy calmed Cade, dressed him, and explained what happened: Cade, thoroughly sloshed, had wandered into the annual competition to see who would be selected as this year’s crop of Idamran paladins. Apparently not even fully aware of what he was doing, Cade came out on top in every challenge and defeated every competitor. Cade was ordained as a paladin right there and then, and then took part in an even bigger celebration back at the temple of Idamra. The clergy explained that paladins of Idamra swore to a much different code than the paladins of stuffier gods such as Veritas; Paladins of Idamra swore to bring freedom to the oppressed, revelry to the depressed, and to do all with the passion of Idamra herself.
What neither Cade nor the clergy realized was that Cade had attracted the attention of Idamra herself, and was chosen as her Blessed. As such, Cade was both blessed and cursed with “extreme” luck, meaning that the improbable frequently became quite probable, be it good or bad. Soon afterwards, all sorts of trouble seemed to find its way to Cade. When a group of elite warriors from Ustav came to kidnap a rich noble, they mistakenly abducted Cade instead. When Cade was travelling through a town, a dragon would attack and Cade would be their one chance for survival. An intricate plot of international espionage would break out, and both sides would come to suspect Cade as master double agent (while he was totally unaware that anything was even going on). Because of Cade’s blessing, he would always come out looking like the victor and the hero, and he developed a reputation as a master swordsman, a cunning tactician, a brilliant mage, a slayer of dragons, and a deadly spy.
Over the past seven years, Cade has come to believe his own hype. Despite still not really knowing what he is doing or getting himself into, Cade goes on adventure after adventure, doing progressively dumber things. He boldly announces himself to enemies when stealth would be wiser. He charges into battle when greatly outnumbered and outgunned. He seems addicted to his own reflection and constantly primps and grooms himself every chance he gets. Luckily, he has gained allies that keep him in check, such as a dwarven warrior from Ustav named Vadim, and a University wizard named Melchior, but even these friends have not yet talked sense into Cade. He had become confident that he can take on any challenge the world will throw at him.
Then, one morning, he wakes up in Mayfield, USA…
PERSONALITY:
Cade’s personality may seem simple and straightforward to most outside observers, but there are multiple factors at work to shape Cade’s actions.
Infatigable Confidence: Even before Cade became Blessed, his confidence was nearly unshakable – doubt just does not seem to have much place in Cade’s head. (The wizard Melchior has suggested that this is because Cade’s mind is so small that there simply isn’t room.) Every time Cade is faced with an obstacle, he just keeps at it when “lesser” (read: smarter) men would give up. Whether it is an enemy he is facing, a woman he is wooing, or an inevitable force of nature that is in his way, Cade just keeps moving forward without hesitation. In fact, Cade tends to be somewhat disappointed if he doesn’t run into setbacks, because such trials are “what make the story interesting.”
Passion and “Style”: If any one word described Cade, it would be “over the top.” (Ok, I know, that’s three words. Shut up.) Cade is a tremendous ham. He loves to bellow out his own introduction to enemies. He loves (over)using dramatic pauses. He constantly poses and gestures and “chews the scenery” and never seems to get worn out doing it. When it comes time to do something (almost anything, really) Cade goes all out, like it was the most important task in the world.
Note: When Cade was young, he didn’t get much attention and didn’t feel very important, so being the center of attention became that much more important for him as an adult. This seems to have played a part in why his celebrity in recent years has gone to his head as much as it has.)
Code of Honor: As a paladin, Cade does have a code of honor, though it is different from the rigid codes that other knights swear to. If there is anything Cade can do to prevent the suffering of an innocent, he will do it, even if it means sacrificing himself. Cade will not accept tyranny, and will fight any tyrant he encounters tooth-and-nail until the end. This applies on any level – whether it is an evil world overlord or just a bully on the street, Cade will do what he can to stand up to them.
Note: Cade’s father was a bit of a bully, especially to Cade’s somewhat meek mother. Cade loathed him for that more than anything else. That seems to have grown into a desire to stand up to bullies in general, and it is a desire that is ingrained into the core of Cade’s soul. It will take a lot to get Cade to back down in these sorts of situations. Loves a
Good Story: Even before Leo mentored him, Cade loved a good story, and his training under the bard enhanced that one-hundred fold. Being the egoist that he is, Cade loves telling stories about himself, but he can spend hours listening to the stories of others in rapt silence if they are at all interesting. Cade’s love of a good story sometimes clouds his judgment, as he often assumes that the rules of story-telling apply to the “plot” of real life. He might ignore something that is too obvious as a “red herring”. He may assume that someone is a bad guy or a good guy just because that’s the way it’d be if he were telling the story. Because of this, Cade benefits greatly from teaming up with more grounded individuals.
Loyalty: Though Cade’s family life left to be desired, Cade learned early on to make his friends into his family. Cade will defend a close friend as if they were his own brother or sister, will not lie to them, and will always try to act in their best interest (as he sees it, from his simple point of view).
Lecherous: One of Cade’s two most easily exploited weaknesses is his over-eager “Rod of Wonder.” If a woman is attractive, Cade will probably flirt with her. Even if she is an enemy who would likely kill him the second his back is turned, Cade is going to try and make a pass. It should be noted that there are a few non-shallow reasons Cade will refrain from hitting on a woman. Cade is loyal to friends and family, and will not attempt to seduce a woman who is involved with a friend or family member. Likewise, if a woman has been particularly cruel to friend or family and Cade knows it, Cade will not be interested (though she can be absolutely awful to Cade and it won’t even seem to register to him.) Also, Cade’s sense of honor prevents him from preying on the vulnerable, so he tries not to take advantage of emotional turmoil, youth, or intoxication.
[Note: Out Of Character, I don’t want to be obnoxious, so Cade will only be flirting if all muns involved are comfortable with it.]
Simple-Minded: This is Cade’s other major weakness. Cade is not actually stupid, but he will seem that way most of the time. (He’s not all that smart, either, but if he would stop and actually think from time to time, he’d be just as intelligent as the next guy.) Despite all that Cade has encountered, he tends to be naïve and gullible about things, he often jumps to conclusions, and he doesn’t always thinks things through. Again, Cade tends to work best when he teams up with someone more reasonable to keep him in-line.
ABILITIES: As an adventurer from a D&D-like world, Cade has a number of abilities that come from his race, his treasures, and his magical training.
Part-elf: Cade is only 1/4 elf (3/4 human), so this is mostly cosmetic. Cade’s ears are pointed, and his vision and eyesight are quite good (though not anywhere outside the normal human range, just at the upper end of it).
Detect Evil: The first ability to manifest in any paladin, Cade can sense the “darkness” in people’s souls, and sees it as a red aura if he is concentrating on this ability. The more evil deeds someone has committed in their lifetime, the stronger their aura is.
Lay on Hands: Another paladin ability, Cade has a limited supply of healing energy inside him that is renewed with a full-night’s rest. Cade can use the energy to heal cuts, broken bones, and other injuries. He can expend all the energy at once to restore a person who is on the brink of death to good health, or he can break it up into smaller “doses” to heal multiple people with lesser injuries.
Aura of Indomitability: Cade is immune to any supernatural (magic, psionics, etc.) effect that induces fear, delusion, or otherwise tries to control his mind. In addition, as long as Cade is conscious, he and any of his allies within 30 feet of him feel all fear (natural or otherwise) at only half the normal intensity.
Majestic Word: Cade can infuse the word “Sanare” with healing magic. When he speaks this word, he or one willing person of his choice within 30 feet of him is flooded with feelings of warmth and bliss and healing. The subject is affected in the following ways: Injuries are healed, or at least improved (the Majestic Word has the power of about a 1/3 dose of Lay on Hands). Any disease or poison in the subject’s system is either expelled (50% chance), or at least reduced to 50% potency. The subject’s own energy is partly used to fuel the above effects, and as a result feels as if they have been awake for 4 more hours than they have been. (For example, if Cade is in a fight at midnight and he uses Majestic Word on himself, he will feel as if it is 4am in terms of tiredness.) Cade can use the Majestic Word once every five minutes.
Defender’s Challenge: Cade has the supernatural ability to challenge another person/creature that he can see to fight him. When Cade uses this ability, the target finds their attacks against anyone other than Cade to be about 20% less effective (less accurate, don’t hit as hard, etc.), and intuitively knows where Cade is and that he is the cause of this effect. This effect lasts until Cade or the target is no longer conscious, until the target has escaped Cade’s sight for over five minutes, or until Cade relinquishes the challenge. If Cade relinquishes the challenge, he cannot issue another challenge for 1 hour.
Spells: Cade knows a variety of simple spells thanks to his Bard training and Paladin blessings.
- - Prestidigitate: The most basic of arcane spells, Prestidigitate allows Cade to do any of the following: slowly levitate up to 1lb. of material within 5 feet, create simple crude magical constructs, clean or soil one object that would fit in a 1-ft cube (or a 1-ft cube section of a larger object), temporarily change the color of things in a 1-ft cube for 1 hour, add a specific flavor to food (saltier, sweeter, etc), create small flashes of light and smoke in various colors, or instantly groom and wash a willing target as desired. Cade can use this spell at-will.
- - Ghost Sound: Cade can create any sound that he can imagine and have it emanate from any location within 30 feet of him at a maximum volume of 75 dB. Cade can use this spell at-will, but he cannot speak and use it at the same time.
- - Sonic Orb: Cade can fire a small orb of focused sonic vibration at a target up to 100 feet away. The orb hits as hard as and has roughly the same effect as a heavy swing from a sledgehammer. Cade does not have very good aim, but he does have a wand that assists with this. Cade can cast this spell at-will once every six seconds.
- - Expeditious Burst: Cade, or one target that Cade touches, can run at twice their normal speed for 10 seconds. Cade can cast this spell once every ten minutes.
- - Charm Person: One person within 30 feet of Cade regards Cade as a trusted friend and ally for the next hour. This spell can be resisted by those with exceptionally strong wills, and if Cade asks the target to do something against their nature, there is a risk that the target may “shake it off.” Cade can cast this spell once per hour.
- - Suggestion: Cade can influence the actions of one person who can hear him by suggesting a course of activity (limited to a sentence of two). Asking a person to inflict harm upon his/herself never works. This spell can be resisted by those with exceptionally strong wills. Cade can cast this spell three times per day.
- - Bless Water: Cade can transmute one gallon of water he is touching into holy water. This completely purifies the water (removes any bacteria, poison, salt, etc.) and causes it to burn the flesh of undead, demons, devils, etc. Cade can cast this spell three times per day.
- - Bless Weapon: Cade can bless one weapon he is touching. The weapon and any ammunition it fires glow with the brightness of a candle. Blessed weapons used on undead, demons, devils, etc. inflict injuries that are twice as grievous as they would be against a human opponent, ignore any supernatural defenses these creatures may have, and halt any regeneration or fast-healing these creatures have for 1 hour. The spell lasts for 6 hours. Cade can cast this spell twice per day.
- - Ridiculous Laughter: Cade can cause one person within 30 feet to suddenly break into hysterics. The target either suddenly finds something hilariously funny, or feels like they are being tickled in all their worst places (Cade has no control over this aspect of the spell; it really depends on the subject). The spell can be resisted by those with exceptionally strong wills. Cade can cast this spell once per day.
Magic Treasures: Like any veteran adventurer from his world, Cade possesses a variety of magical items that confer various benefits:
- - Frostbrand: Cade’s most potent magic item, the rapier Frostbrand, belonged to his mentor, Leon. The sword is of superior weight, balance, and craftsmanship, and its enchanted edge allows it to cut through other materials as if they were half as thick and half as strong. The blue sapphire at the base of its blade has powerful winter enchantments that give the sword its most powerful properties: its cold blade can inflict frostbite on enemies and instantly extinguishes any flame it is plunged into. Anyone who carries the sword cannot be burned by fire, and once per hour it can be commanded to extinguish all flames within 30 feet.
- - Armor of Balthenis: Leon discovered this armor on an adventure in the Land of Faerie, and passed it on to Cade. Most of it is made from mithril chain, though the breastplate is made from an unknown metal that looks like bronze but is even lighter and stronger than the mithril. The armor’s enchantments not only make it even stronger (non-magical swords and arrows can barely nick it, and it could likely stop up to .50 caliber rounds in the modern setting), but it allows the wearer to move about as if he wasn’t wearing armor at all.
- - Cade’s Hat: This swashbuckler-style hat was a gift from Cade’s mother. It is quite eye-catching with its wide brim and ostrich plume, but its only enchantment is that the hat’s material is indestructible and always pops back into shape no matter how badly crushed it is.
- - Rod of Wonder: This item was found by Cade and his allies on a recent adventure. A bronze rod set with a large ruby, it is simple enough to activate, but completely unpredictable in its effect. It might drop an anvil on an enemy’s head, turn Cade bright blue for 24 hours, or give everyone in a mile a case of bad flatulence for a week. Because of this, Cade only employs the item when particularly desperate.
- - Wand of Accuracy: This simple magic wand is used by wizards to better aim their spells. The only spell Cade knows that the wand can help with is his Sonic Orb spell.
- - Cloak of the Emerald Wing: This green silk cloak has an enchantment that slows its wearer when falling from high places, just enough so that he is not injured by the impact.
- - Bag of Holding: This leather pouch only weighs about 1 pound, but it contains a pocket dimension that can hold up to 500 lbs of material.
Blessed of Idamra: Cade was chosen as the Blessed of Idamra, which physically manifests itself as a spade-shaped brand on his rump. The brand makes Cade a magnet for all things unlikely, both good and bad. On a broad scale, this means that Cade is dragged into many things much bigger than himself and ends up as a sort of "wrench in the works." On a smaller scale, this means that Cade is frequently involved in comic misunderstandings, and often seems to escape harm more through pure luck than any kind of skill (a good example would be this page here.).
Other Talents:
Cade also has a variety of mundane skills that may be useful from time to time, but are nothing particularly out-of-the-ordinary:
Basic Combat Training: Though Cade is by no means a great fighter, he is trained in simple hand-to-hand fighting techniques and knows the “basics” of a variety of Middle Age weapons, including various one-handed swords, daggers, bows, crossbows, darts, clubs, and staffs. His preferred weapon is the rapier.
Basic Survival Training: Cade is by no means a survivalist, and he’d always prefer a warm, clean bed in a city to a cold, dirty campground in the woods. However, as an adventurer, he had to learn the basics of surviving in the wilderness. Cade can start a fire, forage, build crude shelter, perform basic first aid, and knows how to store food so that it won’t attract animals.
Cooking: Entertaining wasn’t the only thing Cade did at the Everfull Mug. He was also expected to help with cooking, cleaning, and other chores, and eventually learned to cook a wide variety of hearty and tasty meals. Cade has prepared some of these meals so many times that the recipes have managed to be one of the few things to stick in his brain permanently. Cade is particularly fond of grilled fish.
Entertaining: As a bard, it is no surprise that Cade is trained to entertain. He is very, very good at story-telling, and has also honed his acting, dancing, singing, and guitar-playing skills to acceptable levels for a minstrel.
SAMPLE ENTRIES:
Sample Entry 1: [John Doe Park is as quiet and peaceful as ever this afternoon. Well, at least it was, until Cade jumped on top of the most visible park bench to make one of his “important announcements.”]
ATTENTION citizens!
[Cade assumes three different dramatic poses before finally settling on a classic: hands-on hips while staring off at nothing somewhere in the sky.]
Fear not! I, CADE MASTERS, ADVENTURER EXTRAORDINAIRE, have heard of your plight, and I assure you that I shall not rest until the evil of this place has been VANQUISHED, and you are all free once more!
[Several drones stare at Cade with bewilderment, but he seems completely oblivious to their stares. In fact, he seems fairly oblivious to everything. With one hand, he grabs a rope hanging from a nearby tree branch (when did that get there?), while he points out with his free hand in a dramatic sweeping motion.]
Now, now! I’m sure you are all very eager to get autographs and what not, but I have a town to save after all! Ha, Ha ha Ha HA!
[Cade laughs a fake hammy laugh, and swings off on the rope, disappearing behind some bushes.]
