Character of the Week: Mung

I created Mung years ago. I'm not sure of the exact timing. He's had Dungeons and Dragons and Fantasy Hero incarnations and the details have differed, but his concept--stoic, tragic Dwarven monk--has remained essentially sound.

The particular version I'm sharing below is for the Hero System, created for a PBeM (play by e-mail) campaign world called Young Kingdoms, or Taranche, specifically a campaign called Fortune and Glory. For whatever reason, the GM of the Fortune and Glory didn't pick Mung, nor did he pick Peril the Finder, Mung's teammate, played by an online friend of mine. At any rate, I believe that the campaign and the campaign world have both died out, although the world's founders continue to run the excellent Global Guardians PBeM superhero universe. Some of the details of his background are based on that gameworld, but, of course, a lot of them are my own.

Mung

Player: Rob Rogers
Race: Dwarf
Culture: Khazak (Barbarian)
Gender: Male
Height/Weight: 5’/160 lbs.
Hair/Eye Color: Bald (was black)/Gray
Place of Birth: Harralind Ruby Mines
Age/Date of Birth: 48/Shieldmoon 17, 5105
Campaign: Fortune and Glory

Background Story:

Gray-skinned Tarmyk Firebristle was reputed to be the most taciturn and stoic of Khazak minstrels, if not the most skilled, yet even he was known to lift a calloused hand to his leathery cheek and brush away an unashamed tear when he related the tale of the fall of the Harralind Mines. The story sat heavy on Dwarven hearts, and was generally reserved for the gravest of occasions—funerals, visits of states, times of war, and nights when the listeners were all already very, very drunk.

The Harralind ruby mines were a gift from the gods, it was said, the product of an ancient god’s own blood and a kiss of fire. Whatever their real origins, the rubies were marvels to behold—shiny and beautiful, glowing with an inner luster. Some gems were as tiny as a gnat’s tear, while at least one was boasted to be as large as a dragon’s heart. They brought the tribe wealth, acclaim, and power, and few dared challenge them and their claim. The mine was well defended by seasoned warriors and trapmakers. Their songs told of the time they’d driven off a horde of goblins with only three casualties, and one of those a mule, and the time that a red dragon with fiery breath had tried to make the mines his own, but had been driven off by dwarven steel and a mighty catapult with ropes woven from the hair of the Harralind tribe’s finest warriors. But those were stories from centuries past, and the enemies were merely goblins and a single dragon. When the true menace came, the Harralind tribe was unprepared and overconfident.

The day came when the tribe was in the midst of celebration. Dalin Stoneheart, older son of the tribe’s chief, Cainor Stoneheart, was to be wed. His wedding gift would be the old chief’s symbol of authority, the Stoneheart Axe, whose power echoed the nobility, bravery, and skill of the one who wielded it. The tribe had brought in ale and brandy from the farthest reaches of the Taranche continent. Noble sons and daughters of other Khazak tribes—and even a few Durindan nobles—had come to celebrate and to tour the great red mines. Orchestras played, axes clanged in mock duels, and children screamed in joy while sliding down hills of ruby dust that made them look like they were covered in blood.

The mine guards had shifted duties in order to join in the celebrations. Only the greenest of the mine’s guardians remained on watch, save for the chief’s younger son, Mung, whose sense of responsibility demanded he stay focused on the mine’s protection. If some said that Mung’s sentinel duty had as much to do with jealousy over his brother’s incipient power and lovely bride as it did with responsibility, they said so quietly where he could not hear.

If the attackers had merely been the ogre barbarian chief Jakul Ironneck, his small horde of warriors, and his legion of orc and bugbear slaves, the battle would have been bloody and fierce, but the dwarves would have emerged triumphant. Instead, to the dwarves’ everlasting lament, the chief had hired a mercenary band led by the ogre mage Krigan Doomswallower, one of the deadliest and most ruthless warriors in the lands. His Band of 13 was said to include a leprous troll, a pair of ogre werewolves, a sorcerer with diabolic blood, a vampire, and a Lemanari wereshark; they were allegedly responsible for the death of at least one king, the fall of a noble house, and the complete disappearance of a merchant caravan bound for the Ocean of Black Storms.

Mung Stoneheart was the first to catch sight of the approaching horde. Silently staring at the earth, contemplating his brother’s wedding, he raised his head at a sudden noise and saw that the horizon was filled with dozens of screaming ogres and hundreds of orcs. Worse, flying straight toward him and his outpost, he saw Krigan Doomslayer strapped in a saddle on the back of an immense black dragon, waving his green, acid-dripping two-handed sword Bilespewer over his head and chanting mystical incantations. The dragon flexed its muscles and pulled out its wings, its dragonfear spilling off of it like a fog. Drowning in terror, Mung had time only to sound an alarm—an epic effort in itself—before he could take no more and was forced to run as fast as his short legs would carry him, his armor filling with tears, cold sweat, and worse.

The alarm was not enough. Despite the warning and the chance to draw arms, lower portcullises, and set traps, all but a few of the dwarves were slaughtered by Jakul’s hordes and Krigan’s trained mercenaries. Jakul made a goblet from the dwarf chief’s head and Krigan took the gift meant for the bride—a polished ruby orb—and set it in Bilespewer’s hilt.

A year later, Mung Stoneheart, the chief now of a broken tribe of fewer than a dozen dwarves, recruited troops from allied Khazak tribes and led them into the Harralind Mines through a hidden series of tunnels. There, they fought and slew Jakul Ironneck and drove off his tribesmen. But their victory was empty. Their riches had been plundered; their vaults were empty; their mines had mysteriously run “dry.” Worse, to Mung’s mind, the Band of 13 had long ago left the area, depriving him of his chance for vengeance.

No one had ever blamed Mung for running during the attack. Veteran warriors had experienced dragonfear and knew that there was no shame in it. If anything, it had served to preserve his life and bloodline when the tribe came under siege from an unstoppable force. But Mung blamed himself—he blamed his cowardice, his fear, his jealousy toward his brother, the unrequited love he’d felt for his brother’s dead bride. After the battle with Jakul Ironneck was over, he ordered the throne room cleared. He left only two items in the room: the Stoneheart Axe, recovered from Jakul’s meager treasure trove, and the ogre chief’s flaming club, the aptly—if unimaginatively—named Fireclub. Alone in the room, he stripped off his armor and his clothing, then carefully shaved off his hair and beard with his father’s axe. Tears poured freely down his bare cheeks. Lifting Fireclub in his hands, he stuck it under his face, burning what remained of his beard and making his tears boil. Despite the agony, he did not cry out.

He shattered the club with the axe, then carefully cleaned the axe and wrapped it in oilcloth, swearing never to wield it in combat unless it was to kill Krigan Doomswallower and his Band of 13.

The other dwarves stood agape when Mung left his father’s throne room. “For my cowardice, I have sentenced myself to penitence,” he said. “The Stoneheart clan is no more. It died with my father, my brother, and me. I am Mung Stoneheart no more. I am merely Mung.” He decreed that the mines would be divided among the tribe’s allies as they saw fit, so long as the surviving tribe members—most of whom had fled the battle, as he had—were provided for. Walking unarmored and weaponless into the frontier around the mines that had been his home, he swore to wander the continent until he found and killed the Band of 13.

Quote: “Come closer, then. What harm could an unarmed dwarf possibly do to you?”

Personality: Stoic and as tough as the stone that made up his tribe’s mines, Mung doesn’t indulge in much self-pity or self-blaming angst. The guilt he had was burned out of him by Jakul Ironneck’s club and his own rigid hands. What remains are his mission and a desire to improve himself. Mung was once one of the most accomplished axe fighters of his tribe. After he slew Jakul Ironneck, he swore not to use an axe again unless it was against the Band of 13. Instead, he has developed his axe-fighting techniques into a unique barehanded style. He also eschews armor, trusting instead to his own speed and toughened skin to preserve him from his enemies. Mung has concentrated his efforts on improving his own body, making his own body into a formidable and terrifying fighting machine.

Mung is still largely unaccustomed to city and imperial life. Entering a new city in search for evidence of the Band of 13, he found himself surrounded by liars and con men who sought to manipulate him or steal his gold. One of the liars, though, proved to have some mettle. That man, a fast-talking Vos named Peril the Finder, has become Mung’s only friend. In him, Mung sees a hidden nobility and honor that he respects, as well as a quick adaptability, sharp mind, and garrulous nature he envies. What’s more, Peril relishes life, something Mung has found himself unable to do for many years, even before his tribe was slaughtered. He would gladly die to save that carefree man he now loves more truly than he ever did his taciturn brother. He follows Peril’s moneymaking schemes for several reasons. First, they give him a wide variety of experiences and training. Second, every time he’s tried to follow the Band of 13 directly, he’s learned that they’ve moved on. Yet, in following the seemingly random patterns of Peril’s quests, he’s twice encountered agents of the band. (In the first of those encounters, the agent, a hobgoblin archer, merely fired a few arrows at Mung from the stern of a departing ship, yet it was the closest Mung had come to the Band. In the second encounter, he actually managed to corner and kill a member of the Band, a grizzled Aeteni warrior, since replaced.) Finally, Mung realizes that he’s not yet ready for a face-to-face encounter with the huge Band, even with Peril by his side. He needs experience, allies, and gold, and Peril’s schemes help bring him all three.

Appearance: Mung is a tall, muscular, bald, ugly dwarf, his face shaven and scarred by self-inflicted burns. Wishing to regain his honor through hand-to-hand combat, he eschews armor and finery, wearing instead simple gray or tan tunics. Although he wears boots or sandals when the need is there, he prefers traveling barefoot. His skin is the grayish of his kin, yet more scarred and leathery than most. He has not yet bothered to add many of the tattoos of the Khazak penitent, but might do so as time passes. He carries his family’s axe, the Stoneheart Axe, wrapped in oilcloth in his backpack, out of sight, wielding only a crossbow for enemies who attempt to travel beyond the range of his fists and feet.

Equipment:

Tunic (gray)
Belt
Quarterstaff (carried, rarely used except to lean on)
Belt knife (for food, etc.) in sheathe
Quiver with 20 quarrels
Crossbow (strapped to backpack)
Coin purse with 20 gold
Backpack, containing:
· Tunic (tan)
· Boots (ankle)
· Sandals
· Tinderbox
· Two torches
· One week’s iron rations
· Oilcloth
· The Stoneheart Axe (wrapped in oilcloth)
· Sharpening stone
· Hand axe (for chopping)
· Three lamp oil flasks
· Razor (for shaving beard and head)
· Second coin purse, with 30 gold and a small ruby

Notes for the GM: Mung is, essentially, a monk. He thrives on barefisted combat. His axe, Stoneheart, is purchased at a minimum right now; its only difference from a typical axe is that it does not have the “real weapon” limitation. The axe is supposed to grow more powerful as its wielder does, and so I foresee that, as Mung grows in experience, the axe will grow more powerful to reflect that, even if he never pulls it from its pack (in other words, I’ll pour a few XPs into improving it). I see the Band of 13 as a very long-term quest; it would be great if Mung picked up hints now and then or were able to take out a member or two, but I can’t see him taking them out very soon. Although I realize that Mung could become quite a powerhouse with an axe, I don’t intend to use him that way except under very isolated, heroic incidents (against the Band). He’ll likely focus almost entirely on unarmed combat. Mung is part of a duo, with the Peril the Finder character. I considered building Mung’s martial arts tricks as part of an elemental control, but decided against it for now—I’d only do so in the future with your permission. I’ve had fun making Mung’s character sheet, and helping with Peril’s, but I think our primary interest is playing these characters; we’re both happy to make any changes you see fit.

Val Char Cost Roll Notes

23 STR 10 14- Lift 606.3kg; 4 1/2d6 [5]

18 DEX 33 13- OCV: 6/DCV: 6

18 CON 4 13-

13 BODY 0 12-

13 INT 3 12- PER Roll 12-

13 EGO 0 12- ECV: 4

13 PRE 3 12- PRE Attack: 2 1/2d6

4 COM -3 10-

5/11 PD 0 Total: 5/11 PD (0/6 rPD)

3/9 ED 0 Total: 3/9 ED (0/6 rED)

4 SPD 12 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12

9 REC 0

36 END 0

35 STUN 0 Total Characteristic Cost: 68

Movement: Running: 6"/12"

Leaping: 4"/8"

Swimming: 2"/4"

Cost Powers END

9 The Stoneheart Axe: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 2d6 (plus STR) (vs. PD), Reduced Endurance 0 END (+1/2) (45 Active Points); Independent (-2), OAF (-1), STR Minimum 6-14 (-1/2), Required Hands One-And-A-Half-Handed (-1/4)

3 Arrow Catching: Missile Deflection (Arrows, Slings, Etc.) (10 Active Points); Costs Endurance Costs END Every Phase (-1/2), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Requires A Martial Arts Roll (-1/2), Increased Endurance Cost 2x END (-1/2) 2

3 Masterful Fall Stopping: Flight 7" (14 Active Points); Only to Stop a Fall (-1), Requires A Martial Arts Roll And A Breakfall Roll (-3/4), Requires Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Increased Endurance Cost 2x END (-1/2), Only In Contact With A Surface (-1/4) 2

6 Crouching Tiger, Hopping Dwarf: Flight 7" (14 Active Points); Requires A Martial Arts Roll (-1/2), Increased Endurance Cost 2x END (-1/2), Only In Contact With A Surface (-1/4), Must Remain in Motion (-1/4) 2

Martial Arts

9 The Art of the Axe

Maneuver OCV DCV Notes

Avoidance -- +5 Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort

Block +2 +2 Block, Abort

Chop/Smash -2 +1 STR +5d6 Strike

Cleave +1 +3 STR + 1d6 Strike

Side Slash +0 +2 STR +3d6 Strike

+1 DC with the Art of the Axe

Weapon Element: Blades, Clubs, Empty Hand

Talents

6 Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED)

Skills

Dwarf Package (6)

· +3 STR (3)

· +3 CON (6)

· +3 BODY (6)

· Darksight: Nightvision (5)

· Dwarven Longevity: Life Support , Longevity: 400 Years (2)

· Dwarven Sense: Bump Of Direction (3)

· -3 DEX (-9)

· Physical Limitation: Short and Stout (-5)

Khazak Dwarf Everyman Skills (0)

· AK: Harralind Ruby Mines 8-

· Climbing 8-

· Concealment 8-

· Conversation 8-

· Deduction 8-

· KS: Khazak Customs 8-

· Language: Khazak (idiomatic)

· Paramedics (Healing) 8-

· PS: Appraiser 8-

· PS: Stonecraft 8-

· Stealth 8-

· Survival (Mountain) 8-

Khazak Penitent Package (9)

· +3 CON (3)

· +3 EGO (3)

· Berserk Fury: Aid: STR 3d6 (30 Active Points); Self Only (-1/2), Only When Fighting (-1/2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (-1/2), Cannot Be Used Again Until All Points Fade (-1/4) (Real Cost: 11) plus Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 25% (15 Active Points); STUN Only (-1/2), Only When Fighting (-1/2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (-1/2), Linked (Lasts Only As Long As Aid Lasts) to Aid (-1/2) (Real Cost: 5) (16)

· +4 with HTH Combat (20 Active Points); Only When Fighting Ogres (-1/2) (13)

· Defense Maneuver: I-IV (10)

· Fringe Benefit: May Demand Shelter and Food from Any Dwarven House (3)

· KS: Ogres (INT-based) 14- (5)

· Rapid Attack (HTH) (5)

· Tracking 12- (3)

· Psychological Limitation: Seeks Death In Combat Against His Chosen Enemy (-20)

· Psychological Limitation: Utterly Fearless (-20)

· Social Limitation: Beardless (-5)

Martial Arts Master Package (17)

· Acrobatics 13- (3)

· Breakfall 13- (3)

· Climbing 13- (3)

· Combat Luck (3/3) (6)

· Paramedics (Healing) 12- (3)

· Power: Martial Arts Tricks (DEX-based) 13- (3)

· Stealth 13- (3)

· WF: Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons (4)

· +2 Levels with HTH Combat (10)

· 20 points of Art of the Axe Maneuvers (20)

· DNPC: A Current Student 11- (-10)

· Psychological Limitation: Code of Honor (-15)

· Reputation: Master Warrior (-10)

3 KS: The Art of the Axe 12-

1 Language: Khazak (idiomatic, literacy, everyman)

4 Language: Taoric (completely fluent, literacy)

2 Survival (Mountain) 12-

5 +2 Levels with HTH Combat, Only within 3” of Peril the Finder (-1)

Total Powers & Skill Cost: 82

Total Cost: 150

75+ Disadvantages

0 Normal Characteristic Maxima

5 Distinctive Features: Ugly, Bald, Scarred Dwarf (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

5 Distinctive Features: Filled with Stoic Sorrow (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

20 Hunted: The Band of 13 8- (Mo Pow; Harshly Punish; Extensive Non-Combat Influence)

1 Quirk: Constantly Trains Body

1 Quirk: Eschews Armor and Most Weapons

1 Quirk: Meditates Often

1 Quirk: Often Polishes--and Occasionally Talks to--the Stoneheart Axe

1 Quirk: Sucker for a Challenge

15 Psychological Limitation: Devoted to Hunting Down the Band of 13 (Uncommon; Total)

10 Psychological Limitation: Has Sworn Not to Use Axe or Blade Unless Against Band of 13 (Common; Moderate)

15 Psychological Limitation: WIll Die to Protect Peril (Uncommon; Total)

Total Disadvantage Points: 75