The Hound
You were found on the battlefield, buried under the bleeding and broken bodies of your parents. The warrior who rescued you raised you in his hall, where you played with other foster children, who are filled with your same emptiness. Sticks shatter, cries resound, and you stand triumphant over the other children. Your seven pupils gleam as the warrior, your lord, congratulates you.
His platitudes fill that emptiness within.
You take to the sword quickly. You were born on the battlefield after all, your new life under your lord’s care. The wisemen whisper to you that your seven pupils are signs of otherworldly favor. They promise fame heaped upon your chariot, your name sung throughout the land. Your ego would get the better of you if you didn’t remember your lord’s kindness.
And you do, guarding your lord in his hall, lapping at his feet. There is no greater love than a dog for his master, and you are his Hound.
The first day you take to the battlefield, the gleam of heroism showers you. You curse another dozen boys with your fate.
Starting Skill: Sports, and 1) Chariots 2) Intimidation 3) Weapons 4) Otherworldly
A – Loyalty, Feats I
B – Feats II
C- Feats III, Heroism
D – Feats IV, The Mortal Spear
Loyalty: You have a master who you love without err. You cannot disobey their commands and must seek total revenge if they are slain.
Heroism: Your ego has swelled with your deeds. You can act out against your masters wishes in the pursuit of glory. Your nights are filled with nightmares.
The Mortal Spear: Slay a sea monster and fashion its bones into a spear with 7 points and 7 barbs. The Mortal Spear fills its targets veins with barbs, dealing an additional 2d6 damage and 1d6 each round. It can only be removed by hacking out the flesh that holds it.
Whenever you draw the Mortal Spear, you permanently lose 1d4 HP.
Feats: At each template, you gain a feat from the list below. You can take two feats if this is your first template. It’s a skill tree, so you must take a feat before you can take a sub-feat (e.g. you must take Salmon’s Leap before you can take Waterfall Leap).
1. A. Salmon Leap. You can leap over men and their bristling spears, vaunting over barriers of shields with ease.
a. Waterfall Leap. Like a fish climbing up a waterfall, you can jump atop high walls and the like. If you leap onto someone atop a wall, they are knocked down (STR to avoid).
2. B. The Apple Feat. You can juggle up to nine apples. When you throw one at a foe, they are taken by surprise.
a. The Blade Feat. You can juggle nine swords or spears and throw them in the same manner.
3. C. The Feat of Clashing Spears. When a foe strikes you with a normal weapon, you can use a shield to deflect the blow, shattering both weapon & shield.
a. The Shaving Strike. Instead of slaying a foe, you can shave them bald in one stroke, humiliating them.
b. The Feat of Cutting Sod. Your sword arm can cleave through earth itself. A large boulder, but not a dungeon wall.
4. D. Thunderclap. When making a ranged attack from a mount (horse, chariot, etc), your strike becomes devastating to armies. Your attack inflicts Blast damage (damage in an area, 20ft), like a boom of thunder.
5. E. Bruising Shout. “Is it the sky that cracks […] or is it the loud cry of my son fighting against the odds?”[1] If you are not actively engaged in combat, you can make a battle cry. Foes and allies alike make Morale saves.
6. F. Challenger’s Welcome. An alarm enchantment. Preform a physical deed and write a challenge boasting of it. Those who pass by must accomplish the same task, otherwise the enchantment alerts you of their passing.
7. G. Mutant. Your body warps and spasms in a horrible way. Once per day, your strength score increases by 3 and weapon damage done to you is reduced by half.
a. Ríastrad. When you warp, your hair stands on end. It bristles yellow with lightning. Whenever you strike, you deal 1d8 lightning damage to those around you.
i. Hero & Monster. When you mutant, you cannot die. Leave a wall of corpses in your wake.
Your lord fears you. He sees the destiny in your eyes. If you are not leashed, you will outstrip him entirely. Who will remember his name is the radiance of your fame? Better to keep you in his shadow.
---
[1] from the "Táin Bó Cúailnge" translated by Mattheiu Boyd
