
Level
4
Experience
5,025 XP
Realm:
Bazagon
Region:
Vispelion
Gold:
440
DA:
1
Race:
ichoriite
Class:
barbarian, warlock
Completed:
5
Most recent:
3 months ago
Name: Gneiss Maker (Gneiss is the name of a rock, and is also pronounced "nice" which is thematic, Maker punctuates how she misunderstands stuff.)
Pronunciation: NICE MAY-ker.
Maker (Deceased): Vex'tharr (Vex means annoy, which is fitting, "tharr" is just some "silly grandeur" that is purposefully tacked on that.)
Pronunciation: VEKS-thar.
- Gneiss lives only in the present, she is too oblivious to past and future and needs to learn how to handle them.
- Vex had no control over Gneiss, he had (incorrectly applied) vision and (incorrectly applied) skill, but utterly lacked care (which is also why they were incorrectly applied) and therefore failed to teach Gneiss. He burdens Gneiss to understand how to take care, which becomes Gneiss' flaw.
- Vex left a legacy of "carelessness" and "random runes sculpted in Gneiss' brain", a foundation which will hinder Gneiss's future life progress.
Description: Gneiss is a short, 3-foot-3-inch construct shaped like a kobold. She is covered in what looks like suspiciously realistic kobold skin held in place by brass mounts and prongs. Her primary weapon is actually a warlock's magic rod, which she uses both as a club and for casting her spells. Her shield is a gong, an obviously repurposed item, not a real shield. This makes her feel like an improviser, someone who makes do with what they find rather than using professionally made gear. She occasionally opens her mouth really wide, forming a comically near-180° opening and fishes out items from what should have been her skull which appears instead to be a container, similarly she occasionally opens her belly to expose that even that part of her body is a container, holding items in there. An arcane-trained eye might spot among her possessions a manual of golems. Recognizing this incredibly rare artifact would make her an instant target for anybody wanting such a rare thing.
Archetype Story: Golem.
Breaking the archetype: Her maker is not wise and is also the one that gets their life erased with a swipe on the forehead.
The idea: Gneiss' is constantly living in the present and constantly learning, but does not understand what is good learning from what is bad learning. Her true character growth will be to understand what teachings are flawed and which teachings are good to keep.
Hair: None
Skin: Green with Brass Insets
Eyes: Grey Metal
Height: 3'3"
Weight: 90 lbs.
Age: 0
Gender: Female
Personality Traits:
- Once I decide someone is "a friend", I will protect them from anything that makes them sad. Usually by hitting it.
- I sometimes stand very still and listen to the rocks, and dirt. It feels... familiar. It makes my insides hum happily.
Ideals:
- Friendship. Making friends is the most important new objective I have. I must learn how to do it correctly! (Good)
Bonds:
- Maker gave me my first objective. I carry his 'napping-stick' and 'making-book' to remember him by. They are very important.
Flaws:
- Violence is not the answer. More like a question. The answer is usually "yes".
Vex'tharr, a kobold warlock of boundless ambition and tragically limited talent, knew he was destined for greatness. His grand plan? To forge the perfect servant using arcane principles he'd mostly skimmed from a stolen Manual of Golems. He called her his "Masterpiece," a name he uttered only to himself, usually with a self-congratulatory snort, and several nods, and plentiful "yes-yes!".
The construction process was... creative. Vex'tharr didn't like tedious things like "blueprints" or "consistent magical theory". The metal chassis was animated by a dim-witted earth elemental he'd lured with a really shiny rock. The spirit wasn’t particularly bright, but in his mind that was a feature, not a bug. For a brain, he just hammered a bunch of runes he liked the look of from the manual of golems onto a crystal orb and shoved it in her head. Runes for "Smash," "Obey," "Be Impressive," and, because he got a bit peckish, "Make Food". He named her Gneiss because it sounded nice.
The activation was a magical backfire that, somehow, worked. Gneiss's eyes shot open with a cheerful, if vacant, demeanour. She sat up, looked at her creator, and tilted her head with a tiny *clack*.
Vex'tharr puffed out his chest. "Behold, my creation! I am your Maker!" he declared. "Your purpose is twofold! First, you shall be my unstoppable weapon, you will strike down-!"
Gneiss's metal eyes widened. Strike! That was one of the behavioral runes! The Maker wanted her to strike! What a great first instruction!
He never finished the sentence. With the happy enthusiasm of someone following instructions perfectly, Gneiss grabbed the warlock's rod from his hand. "Strike down-!" was her firstest importantest command, she gave Maker (that was his name, right?) a mighty BONK.
Vex'tharr's head left his body with a sad little pop. His corpse crumpled like a dropped sack of potatoes.
"Yay! First objective terminated!" Gneiss chirped to the empty room.
Looking at the motionless Maker, Gneiss decided to explore! His laboratory was full of fascinating things. She found a big, round, dented metal dish. It was shiny and made a fun *GONG!* sound when she tapped it. This was clearly a shield! She strapped it to her arm. She found a couple of little bags that made a happy jingle-jangle noise when she shook them and were full of shiny gold and silver bits. Excellent! She opened her belly and stashed them inside.
Taking her new napping-stick (the warlock's rod), her fun-disc (the gong), and her jingle-pouches (pouches full of money), as well as the manual of golems Maker used to make her (currently depleted of any magic), and she wandered out of the cavern
Now, Gneiss Maker (for her creator said he was Maker? She thinks? So that must be her family so that must be her family name) wanders the world with a smile on her face and not a single complex thought in her thinking-orb. A tiny notion occasionally bubbles up. That bonk was her very first task, and she performed it perfectly. Yet, new people seem very nervous when she happily brandishes Nappy. She has a hunch, a simple inkling, that making friends might be different from completing objectives. Maybe it's like hitting, but... softer? With words?
Mannerism:
- Base Key: hyperactive child with a gun, int/wis 8 = she has no clue, cha 16 = she looks and acts in an adorably innocent way, may commit war crimes
- Confrontational Negative View Of The Character: she's annoying, like being around a screaming kid.
- Chaotic Good Base Behaviour: always energetic and positive, tries always to give her 110%.
- When processing new or confusing information, her head tilts left and right like a metronome, her eyes going vacant. This sequence concludes when an idea strikes, marked by a sudden stop, a wide-eyed gasp, and her entire chassis vibrating with excitement.
- Emits a happy, dopplering "weeeeeeee!" when running. Speaks in a simple, chirpy tone and invents her own descriptive names for things (e.g., "salami-pirates," "swimmy-boat," "neck-circles").
- Her movements are punctuated by mechanical sounds (*clack* of joints, *clunk* of her compartment).
- She lacks a sense of personal space, getting very close to people and objects she's curious about.
- Her Barbarian Rage manifests as joyful, energetic focus, not anger, often accompanied by a low hum. She is completely oblivious to the terror her well-intentioned, often violent "help" causes in others.
- Her concept of ownership is based on immediate utility; she will "borrow" items for a task and return them without guilt if confronted.
- As a construct, if she "eats," she simply grinds the food and forgets it is in her mouth, spattering it when she speaks.