Och

Powers:

Elemental Affinity / Earth (i): the ability that sets dwarves apart from ordinary men, this power describes a sort of kinship that dwarves have with the earth and similar, earthly bodies. This affinity allows Och a few special skills and tricks related to earth and stone, as described here:

* Dark Vision (w): whether this involves infrared or ultraviolet rays, or something else entirely, the fact is that Och has the ability to see in the dark - period. Even in complete darkness underground, Och can pierce the black veil with intensity 8 ability, even if everything is colorless when he does so.

* Depth Perception (w): by getting in tune with the earth around him, Och can tell how far below the surface he is, no matter how deep he may be. This intensity 8 ability can usually also tell him if he is standing on some sort of slope or if his current surface is flat (it's like a built-in level).

* Stone Work (a): thanks to his natural affinity with stone work, Och receives a powerful bonus when making something out of stone or earth, whether it be an axe blade or a castle. This is a difficulty reduction to any stone working actions, which is added to the one his construction skill provides.

Imbued Powers (w): upon his inadvertent travel to Arcadia recently, Och actually met with his deity, Yohann Ericson, the Short Dwarven God of Mining. Recounting his travels and adventures to his deity, Och managed to impress the man, who blessed him by granting him these abilities:

* Ability Boost (w): Yohann gave Och super-human fighting prowess, which when activated allows Och to boost his Strength and Agility by 1 for an aura duration. When he uses this power, though, Och gives off a soft, white glow; as such, he now glows in combat most the time.

Stone Work (a): Yohann also raised Och's natural skill with mining and subterranean engineering further, giving him master level construction ability, which means he may resolve any actions called for with his construction skill with either a Strength or Agility trump.

Portal Sense (w): being a planar entity, Och has the ability to perceive the various rifts that dot the planescapes of the multiverse. Most of these doorways are invisible to the naked eye, but Och has the skill necessary to spot these with ease, doing so with intensity 8 ability.

Resistance to Aging (s): in addition to their affinity with the earth, dwarves are possessed of exceptional longevity, having a lifespan that is much longer than that of mere humans. Och possesses this power at intensity 1, and has an eventual lifespan of approximately 560 years.

Size Alteration (a): dwarves possess this power primarily to describe their diminutive size; while they still weigh as much as normal humans, they're generally shorter, usually averaging around four and a half feet tall. As such, they nominally have this power for descriptive purposes.

In other words, Och cannot change his size, possessing the Shrinking Only and Permanent limitations. Och possesses this 'power' at intensity 3, and the resultant Strength / Agility changes are described in his statistics, above. Should Och fight other dwarves, these should be adjusted accordingly.

Equipment:

Holy Chain Saw of Yohann Ericson (w): on his travels to earth recently, Yohann Ericson became enamored with a recent invention known as the chain saw, and adopted it as his own, after a fashion. Over time, he has been replacing his followers' magical axes with these strange, mystic machines.

Och's new 'toy' is a chain saw seemingly made from gold, but is in reality of m.s. 20, and instead of having normal chain saw teeth, it actually has small axe blades whirling around on the chain, blades which make a particularly grisly cut when applied to living beings.

The chain saw can inflict a body's Strength +4 damage, and instead of having the power of returning, Och's new melee weapon has the power of flight while active, doing so with intensity 7 speed (150 m.p.h.), though Och is more than a little bit nervous about the prospect of rocketing around in the air.

Holy War Axe of Yohann Ericson (w): his original magical weapon, Och wielded this device for years, until Yohann Ericson himself traded him this one for his new chain saw. This blade appeared to be made of gold, but was enchanted to have an effective material strength of 20.

He could use this weapon to inflict his Strength +3 in physical damage, and could throw it at an opponent. If thrown, his axe would return at the end of that exchange unless prevented from doing so by a power of intensity 20 or higher; if this happens, Och may have to seek out his axe personally.

Survival Gear (s): whenever preparing to go on an adventure or into battle, Och always prepares a special roster of gear that he stores in his travel pack. Most of this gear is common sense stuff you might need when camping, but some of it is of... questionable nature - at least, until you need it.

Och's common gear includes a large Maglite ™ flashlight, 30' of rope, an AM / FM / Shortwave / Longwave radio, a Panasonic ™ handheld 1" screen television, a canteen full of water, a couple days worth of Army-issue meals ready to eat, a mirror, a shovel, a knife, and a tightly rolled up blanket.

Hindrances:

(none)

Calling:

Archaeology (i): one of his hobbies, Och has studied ancient cultures and peoples of the earth, and has actually taken college courses in this area to enhance his professional standing in this area since becoming trapped on earth. He makes actions in this area at a reduced difficulty.

Axes (s): his original combat talent, Och mastered this deadly skill even before he learned how to fight unarmed. He can fight well with axes, able to use them in melee or throw them at an opponent, doing so at one difficulty level lower than would otherwise be required.

Boxing (s): Och didn't learn how to fight bare-handed first, but necessity taught him how to do so eventually. When in melee combat, Och may divide his pre-cardplay action score between two unarmed attacks, the last of which he may attempt as a contingent action.

Chain Saws (s): a skill Och managed to master very recently, this allows him to utilize his new magic weapon without inadvertently cutting himself to pieces. In other words, he can use his Holy Chain Saw of Yohann Ericson, or any other chain saw, at a reduced difficulty level.

Construction (a): his true occupation, Och has learned how to build all manner of things, usually out of stone. He should make any actions regarding the construction of anything (whether or not stone is involved) at a reduced difficulty, and is particularly adept in the construction of underground facilities.

Linguistics / Archon, Chinese, Dwarf, Elf, English, French, Japanese, Spanish, and Tanar'ri (i): Och has picked up plenty of languages over the years. He can speak all of these tongues, and can also read and write in Archon, Dwarf, English, French, Japanese, and Tanar'ri.

Survival (w): an adventurer for years, having been a member of a demon-slaying gang, Och has learned how to get by in most any environment, whether or not he has survival gear with him. Whether in the fiercest jungle, the most arid desert, or even the depths of the Abyss, Och can get by just fine.

Theology (i): though he's very private about it, Och is indeed a deeply religious person, and pays homage to Yohann Ericson, the Short Dwarven God of Mining. If he were inclined to, he could easily become a priest to, and eventually a proxy of, that deity - he just doesn't wish to.

Wrestling (s): if Och damages a foe in unarmed melee, he may attempt to put him in a hold as a contingent action, which is an average difficulty Strength (strength) action. If this succeeds, he can inflict like damage every subsequent exchange that he can succeed in this action, or until he lets go.

Calling:

Repentant: most of Och's adult activities have involved him wishing to atone for the death of his parents. Sure, he wasn't responsible for their deaths, but try telling him that. This intense guilt prompts him to go to ever-increasing lengths of heroism to make up for failing his family.

Costume:

Och wears a simple but effective adventuring costume on earth. It consists of a a tan pair of trousers, brown leather walking boots, a collared white, long sleeved shirt under a brown leather jacket, a black leather belt, and Och's signature leather hat, a brown leather fedora.

Personality:

Och is inherently trustworthy. He's a very thoughtful fellow, usually planning things through extensively before engaging in a course of action. Once Och makes up his mind, he'll follow through with a single-minded passion that borders on obsession, but not so much so that he'll put his friends at risk.

At the same time, he's a very compassionate dwarf, and is very attuned to the feelings of those around him. As such, he goes out of his way to avoid offending anyone, and if he inadvertently does so, will go out of his way to make amends to whoever was hurt by his words or deeds.

Real Name: Och Lugis
Occupation: professional adventurer, miner, engineer, archaeologist, slayer
Legal Status: naturalized citizen of the United States with no criminal record
Marital Status: single, attached to Ysen
Alias(es), if any: none
Group Affiliation: an unnamed vigilante group, former member of an unnamed demon slaying cadre

Height: 4' 7"
Hair: brown
Eyes: sparkling blue
Weight: 200 lbs
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: Och wears a full beard at all times.

Story:

Och's story began on Solania, one of the many layers of Mount Celestia. He was born and raised there, his parents ardent followers of Moradin. Of course, Och's heart didn't lean that way, and this coupled with an adventurous spirit, saw him training to become a warrior at a very early age.

He could fight with an axe before he could do so unarmed, though he eventually mastered both forms of combat. When he thought he was ready, Och joined a legion of dwarven warriors who were to protect his home from evil, not that the fiends from the evil planes made it their way very often.

They did on one fateful day, though, and while Och fought his hardest, he couldn't protect the ones he loved from a particularly sadistic tanar'ri horde. Felled in battle before his parents' home, Och was left for dead, and thus wound up being one of a handful of survivors of this demonic atrocity.

Upon his revival, Och felt shame for surviving when his family had not, and as soon as he'd recovered, left Solania for good. Wandering the planes, Och sought out the means of his own destruction, picking fights with every tanar'ri he met, the only problem being that he, with his magic axe, was too deadly.

He killed every single demon he encountered. Engaging in a demonic killing spree across the Outlands, Och eventually met up with Ysen, a young wood elf from Ysgard who had suffered much the same fate as he did. The two became fast friends, and pooled their efforts against the fiends of the Abyss.

In time, these two hooked up with a demon slaying cadre the likes of which the planes have not seen in a good long time. This small army of adventurers all had a particular beef with the Abyss' inhabitants, and made regular raids into that plane in order to exact their own, personal brand of vengeance.

For years, Och and Ysen fought with this cadre, and grew as close as could be. Och had to leave the cadre for a time, though, when distant relatives contacted him with a request for his service; not knowing he had relatives, Och felt the need to do what they asked out of guilt regarding his parents' deaths.

So, for three years, Och agreed to serve as a guard to one of his family's great crypts, one which regularly saw raids from grave robbers and such hell-bent on stealing their treasure. Och did well in this, as he was well-versed in fighting tanar'ri, so mere human grave-robbers were no match for him.

One night these robbers arrived in force, however, and during a particularly nasty fight Och was rammed into a bizarre magic item, one which activated upon this impact. It turned out this device was a one-way planar transit mechanism, and before Och knew it, he was elsewhere - in North Dakota, in fact.

After digging himself out of the crypt he wound up in, Och tried to find his way home, to no avail. After years of searching, Och resigned himself to his fate, and acquired a new, legal identity in the United States. He then became an archaeologist, since he was knowledgeable in this area.

Not the history, mind you, but ancient civilizations were a hobby of his, so he learned quickly. Och quickly branched out in several additional areas, and became a successful adventurer / businessman in his own right. In fact, he eventually hooked up with several vigilantes he'd met on one strange adventure.

Though they were all highly eccentric, and each seemed to have problems all his (or her) own, Och felt these heroes had a good heart, and noting that the world was unable to handle the kind of threats that these folks faced regularly, he felt that he had a duty to assist them in the battle against evil!

On one such adventure, Och and company killed a powerful, technomantic dragon known as Elys, and seized her hoard and headquarters as their own. Beneath this place of power, Och discovered a massive wealth of precious metals, and plans on exploiting this to the best of his ability.

Of course, this ability has been enhanced some by Yohann Ericson himself. Having met his deity on a recent adventure, Och was blessed with power by his god, who approved of Och's performance and activities. If he does well in this, Och may even become one of Yohann's proxies eventually...

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