Landon

Background:

When Landon was born he called the members of the Forgotten his family. Each was his uncle and he their nephew. They all knew that The Wild was no place for a child but then they could not abandon him either and so they sought to protect him in the best manor they knew and that was to teach him to be strong. Landon never spent a single day of his life in school and learned of life by experiencing it. While he was trained to use a sword he had never seen combat. He knew that in a battle he would be a liability and so when told to stay back that is exactly what he did. On the day that Landon came to live on his own the group had stumbled onto a cult of Orcus. When the decision to attack was ordered rather then rushing in first Landon’s father went in last. This single action very well cost everyone their life. The party was lead by a deadth priest of Hierophant who lead his group to a swift slaughter. When nightfall set in and the party had not returned Landon began to worry but it was not until the next day when he found out what had happened. After tracking their movements he found the carnage that was left. Tattered remains of his family lay about and all that he could think to do was run away from there.

Landon had no home or family other then the mountains where he had lived his life. He knew of towns that he had traveled to but had no concept of how to survive in a city. It was because of these facts that he decided to stay. He knew how to hunt for his own food and figured if he needed he could travel into town for items. That first night on his own he was haunted by the images of his family and the thought that maybe he could have helped had he been there. This memory would haunt him forever but over time become controlled. That night he barely slept as was the case the night after and the night after. Anytime his eyes would close all he could see was the blood. It was then that he remembered some herbs that the others would eat and as his father once said “to keep the daemons of the past at bay”. At first it made him sick but then as he chewed the world around him began to become augmented and happier. The effects would were a blend between marijuana and peyote. That night was the first night that he slept. It became a daily ritual to consume the herbs and while it did not erase the past it helped him lose sight of it but in doing so it made him lethargic and less coordinated. He was this way for the first couple months until one day while trying to gather food he came across a loan wolf. Perhaps under other circumstances he would have had the foresight to move away or even been able to land a lethal shot on the beast. Instead his arrow missed and the wolf took charge and lunged at him taking a chunk out of his right arm. Out of pure luck the wolf stuck purely out of defense and after taking the bite backed up and left him there. Landon treated his would as best as he could and though he had been taught to patch a wound he had never had to do so before let alone do it to himself with his off hand. After packing the wound he began to use the herb even more as to escape form the pain. On one such night after one of these days of high dosage he closed his eyes as if only for a second before he heard something. Upon opening his eyes he saw a semi transparent panther creeping towards him. He let out a scream and stumbled backwards into some brush. As he struggled to regain his footing to run the panther was gone and instead he saw a goblin enter his camp followed by a few dozen more. He quietly laid down and hid as best as he could. As they rummaged thru his camp taking anything they could carry he was able to reach out and grab his bag and with it his dagger attached. When they left little was left however his long bow was one such item, perhaps too large to be of use to them. Any sense of “luxury” he had was now gone and furthermore he still had his injured right arm. He feared the goblin return so he packed up and moved further into a wooded area. He learned to use his left hand just as proficiently as he had done with his right. Over time he used all of the herbs that he had in his bag and he had traveled far enough away that it was not nearly as prolific. His arm did heal and while a scar remained he had no lasting ill effects of the wound. Over the last 9 months to a year Landon had taken to not staying in one place for too long and roamed about. He figured that is how the goblins had found him and thought that anyone could see a fire in the same basic place night after night and track him. It was one evening while sitting at his camp eating some herbs, though he no longer needed it for nightmares it helped him not think of being alone, he was looking up at the stars. As staring out he suddenly caught the image of a panther sitting in one of the trees. He readied his bow and as he fired off a shot his arrow passed right thru it and it just disappeared revealing the arrow stuck in the tree. Confused he climbed the tree checking his arrow to see if it had perhaps gone all the way thru the cat as it struck right where the cat was standing. While up in the tree he saw that not far from where he was sitting there was an entrance to a cave. Not knowing what was in it he thought perhaps it was best to sleep in the tree. Sure enough that night he awoke to a bear going through his campsite below. After this he got the idea that whenever it was warm enough that he did not need a fire to sleep that it may be safer for him to sleep in the trees. A few months after this incident he found himself back in the mountains in an area with plenty of his herbs and he thought it a good opportunity to stock up. That night he decided to indulge in a larger quantity then normal. After a while he realized he needed more firewood and as he went to gather it he heard something moving around in the distance. As the fire was already getting low and he had moved away there was not enough light to see what it was. As he tried to sneak up on it he noticed that it was moving in the opposite direction and still he followed. After a few minutes he got to a clearing and as he came to the edge of the woods all he saw was a panther digging in the dirt. There again before his eyes the cat vanished. As he went over to the spot he found laying in the dirt his father’s pendent.

Upon getting back to his camp he saw the cat once again only this time it was incorporeal as with the first time he saw it. He began to recall some stories his mother had told him about a spectral panther and how it could blink in and out of existence seemingly at will. As it had not caused him any harm he figured that if it wanted him dead he would be that way and just tried to ignore it. Every month or so the cat would pop up again and just like before never caused him any harm and if anything helped him find food or his direction when he got lost. One day he suddenly remembered something his mom told him about a special class of ranger that actually had animal companions and how it was supposedly a bond between the two animals rather then a spell of any kind. He started to think how nice that sounded and looked to see if perhaps the cat was always with him. After he started looking for him he found him around a lot more often. Though never always there. Eventually Landon named his friend Shadow and would carry on lengthy one-sided conversations for the next 19 years. While he did live in solitude he would wonder into a town now and again and trade hides and other various goods he had for things that he needed but he would never stay long. He did not feel that his place was there and besides he knew that Shadow would prefer the wild.

During his time in the wild he had other close calls with monsters or encounters with animals but nothing of note. That is until about 5 years ago when he was headed to town for trade when he encountered some bandits. While he was still in the wild the WGA had recently occurred and there were soldiers who now patrolled the lands. While the bandits stole his hides and ran leaving him for dead a paladin of the Raven Queen came across him. When Landon awoke he found that the wound across his chest had been treated and that he was feeling much better. This started the third phase of his life. Once awake the man told him that him that he was lucky to be alive. Explained how death was not something to fear and that he should have actually prayed to the raven queen for him rather then healing him but that he had to talk to him. In the process of wounding him the bandits had cut open his shirt and his father’s pendent could be seen lying on his chest. The dragonborn paladin told of how his grandfather had one that looked just like and how he had heard stories of only 7 others in existence. Torin looked after him until his wounds had healed. He told that he was part of the dark feather. He took him to the local order and made introductions for him. This was the first time since his family had died that he felt that he had a place where he belonged. At first it was rough to get accustomed to civilized life and the absence of his friend. Many thought he was crazy when he would ask if people saw a spectral panther roaming around. It was harsh adjusting and at first he tried to do so without the use of his herbs because Torin said they had no place in society. The truth of the matter was that after nearly 20 years of using them the slightly skewed world had become his reality. Though he learned to not use it in such quantity he still uses it and often when he does his old friend comes around. Under small doses he is just a bit mellower and problems are not so bad but if consumed in quantity the subconscious runs free.

When his adrenalin gets going he does not think straight. As a result once getting into combat he often does not think rationally but quite capable of plans before hand. If he dies in combat he knows it will reunite him with his family so he does not fear death but at the same time is not in a rush to die either. He knows that by joining the Black Feather he is continuing their legacy.

Level 6 Summary:

Landon, level 6 Elf, Ranger Fighting Style: Two-Blade Fighting Style Ranger: Prime Shot

FINAL ABILITY SCORES Str 20, Con 14, Dex 20, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 10.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES Str 19, Con 14, Dex 17, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 10.

AC: 24 Fort: 20 Reflex: 21 Will: 18 HP: 56 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 14

TRAINED SKILLS Nature +14, Acrobatics +12, Athletics +12, Perception +16, Stealth +12

UNTRAINED SKILLS Arcana +3, Bluff +3, Diplomacy +3, Dungeoneering +7, Endurance +4, Heal +7, History +3, Insight +9, Intimidate +3, Religion +3, Streetwise +3, Thievery +7

FEATS Level 1: Quick Draw Level 2: Two-Weapon Fighting Level 4: Two-Weapon Defense Level 6: Lethal Hunter

POWERS Ranger at-will 1: Hit and Run Ranger at-will 1: Twin Strike Ranger encounter 1: Evasive Strike Ranger daily 1: Jaws of the Wolf Ranger utility 2: Hunter's Privilege Ranger encounter 3: Ruffling Sting Ranger daily 5: Two-Wolf Pounce Ranger utility 6: Weave Through the Fray

ITEMS Boots of the Fencing Master (heroic tier), Sunblade Scimitar +1, Cloak of Distortion +1, Predator's Hide Hide Armor +2, Diadem of Acuity (heroic tier), Hunter's Flint (heroic tier), Attention-Stealing Bullet +1 (4), Lightning Arrow +1, Bolt of Transit +2, Dispelling Bolt +2, Firestorm Arrow +1, Alchemist's Fire (level 1) (5), Alchemist's Acid (level 1) (4), Slow-Step Oil (level 3) (3), Blinding Bomb (level 3), Tanglefoot Bag (level 2), Belt of the Flanker's Bane (heroic tier), Camouflaged Clothing, Footpads, Space-Shifting Bolt +2, Freezing Arrow +1 (5), Alchemical Silver (heroic tier), Inferno Oil (level 5), Goblin Stompers (heroic tier), Gloves of Storing (heroic tier), Rhythm Blade Short sword +1, Iron Armbands of Power (heroic tier), Cloaked Scimitar +2, Ruby Scabbard (heroic tier), Fireheart Tattoo (heroic tier), Quenchquiver Longbow +2, Tempest Whetstone (heroic tier), Potion of Regeneration (heroic tier), Whetstone of Venom (heroic tier)