Legacy of the Dragons
Vo-Tarran HOLLY GRAY
150
Vo-Tarran grew up north of Navael, a city of artists. Most of his family worked for the Navael watch, protecting the people of that delightful city. Vo-Tarran traveled that path for a while, using a keen and clever tongue to defuse many hostile situations. He was more used to using his mind than his strength in his duties. But when the young giant went above and beyond the call of duty in rescuing a swordsmith’s apprentice from his own folly—taking a grievous wound in the process—his life took an abrupt turn. Ti-Kerras, the master swordsmith, wanted to thank VoTarran for saving his apprentice. As a token of his appreciation, he offered to train the young giant in the swordsmith’s art, if he was willing. Having been a traveling warrior in his youth, Ti-Kerras wanted to nurture the raw potential and clever mind he saw in Vo-Tarran. Since Vo-Tarran was participating in the ceremonies of Shu-Rin, through which giants can attain even greater height and power, Ti-Kerras knew he had the skills to be both an excellent fighter as well as a decent weaponsmith. Vo-Tarran accepted and spent many off-duty hours in the forge and in the yard behind Ti-Kerras’ smithy, learning both to make swords and to use them. The older swordsmith filled the younger giant’s head with tales of his travels and adventures, of his righting of wrongs and seeing things that no one ever had. He also revealed that, unlike most of his giant kin, Ti-Kerras practiced a form of fighting that focused on the freedom of movement instead of heavy armor. Intrigued, as Ti-Kerras’ style complemented his training as a city watchman, Vo-Tarran was delighted to learn from him. Also, he increasingly began to yearn for the far-off places his teacher spoke of. The idea of being able to span the land, fighting evil wherever he found it, seemed wonderful. Vo-Tarran had a strong sense of duty to protect others, but he began to wonder if he could better protect them by going to the places where trouble was, rather than staying put. With this thought in mind, he decided to resign from the city watch. Taking with him two swords he had forged and a bit of gold, he set off southward, traveling where he felt the most needed. He would question caravans that showed signs of attack, then set out to find those responsible. He aided towns troubled by rhodin or inshons, fighting alongside people of many different races in order to capture those lawless raiders. His experiences quickly taught him that using the more rigid structure of fighting he learned as a boy would quickly get him killed. Indeed, he was wounded several times before he began to adapt. Relying heavily on Ti-Kerras’ teachings, Vo-Tarran developed an acrobatic style that baffled and confused the outlaws he fought. Few could believe that one as large as he could move so fast and so well.
Vo-Tarran continued to test himself as he traveled, consulting with other giants in the towns he traveled through in order to keep himself on the right track. He underwent the grueling tests of the Ghi-Nammor to continually remind himself of the reasons he was traveling and fighting alone. The youthful exuberance in which he had started on this quest became tempered as he fought, developing into a more focused purpose to help others wherever he can.
Combat In combat, if he is trying to bring a person to justice, VoTarran will forsake his swords and grapple, using his size to bring down the target, then bind the foe with rope. If it comes to killing, he makes full use of his Tumble skill to avoid attacks of opportunity and uses his Speed Burst feat to attack, move, and spring away again. He brings his full attack to bear on whoever seems to be the leader, hoping to use the leader’s fall to help Intimidate the others into breaking off their attacks, surrendering, or running. However, generally he tries to use Diplomacy or Intimidate to get lawbreakers to surrender before he attacks.
Using Vo-Tarran Vo-Tarran is a neatly and fashionably dressed giant of awesome proportions. Tall even for those giants that have gone through the rite of Ghi-Nammor (see “The Giant Paragon” in Chapter Two of The Diamond Throne), Vo-Tarran towers over any crowd. He usually dresses fashionably, appearing ready to attend a noble’s court or party, even if encountered in the middle of the Southern Wastes or atop the Bitter Peaks. He prefers bold colors of red and blue, with gems of a differing hue. He wears his hair slightly long for a giant, bound back at the nape of his neck with a silver ring. His skin, tanned from a life spent traveling, is striped with the occasional thin white scar. He has a deep blue cloak flung over his clothes. He carries Flamekiss on his left hip, Storm’s Embrace on his right, and his bow on his back. His backpack is usually neatly packed, but strapped on in such a way as to allow him to drop it in a second, should he need to fight. He generally has a smile on his face whenever he meets someone, as he likes to assume the best of people unless given a reason to believe otherwise. But when roused, his face becomes like a tempest: dark and terrible to behold. Vo-Tarran is a man of strongly held beliefs. He has a very powerful sense of duty both to his people and to virtually anyone he encounters who has suffered at the hands of lawless people. He considers himself a wandering champion of all those wronged, bringing his combat skills, clever tongue, and considerable physical presence (with the dedication and power that implies) to bear on those who dare break the law within his purview.
