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Profile: the War Bear

Tags: #rp:profile 
  • July 18, 2018

     . [ | General | ] . 

    Full Name: Sor Grey-Bear, Son of Haakon Grey-Bear

    Aliases: "the War Bear"

    Sex: Male

    Race: Nord

    Class: Barbarian

    Alignment: Neutral Good

    Title(s): None (currently)

    Age: 30 years old

     

     . [ | Appearance | ] . 

    Skin Tone: Pale

    Height: 6'1" (player.setscale 1.06)

    Weight: Heavy

    Build: Muscular

    Eyes: Pale grey

    Hair: Black, shaved head

    Apparel: Hide Helmet, Boots & Bracers with Studded Armor when traveling/hunting/in combat; Blacksmith's clothing when working/other

    Scars: Claw marks across the left side of his face from a bear attack

    Weapons: Iron Battleaxe; Iron Dagger; Long Bow; Iron Arrows (24 max)

     

     . [ | Background | ] . 

    Special Abilities/Skills: Natural-born hunter & blacksmith; A skilled alchemist

    Place of Birth: Bruma, Cyrodiil

    Religion: Nine Divines (namely Talos & Stendarr)

    Residence: Bruma, Cyrodiil (formerly); None (formerly)

    Political Affiliations: Unaffiliated (currently)

    Occupation: Hunter; Blacksmith

    Organizations/Factions: None (currently)

    Favorite food/drink: Venison Stew & Nord Mead

    Interests: Smithing, Alchemy, and Bounty Hunting

    Flaws: Hot-headed and brash; Acts before he thinks

    Citizenship: Cyrodiil

    Relationships: Haakon Grey-Bear (father; deceased), Ana Grey-Bear (mother)

    Personality: Warm-hearted, stubborn, determined, and instinctual

     

     . [ | Backstory | ] . 

    Sor's father, Haakon Grey-Bear was a native to Skyrim and a staunch supporter of the Empire. After joining the Imperial Legion and leaving Skyrim, he met Sor's mother, Ana, in Bruma in northern Cyrodiil where they bought a home and had Sor. During Ana's pregnancy, however, the conflict between the Aldmeri Dominion and the Empire—later known as the Great War—erupted, ripping Haakon away from his family. During one of the many battles that plagued Cyrodiil during those tumulous five years, Haakon's life was claimed by the battlefield without ever getting to see his son's face.

    Ana, now widowed with a child to raise, made her living as an apothecary making remedies for the ill. During his adolescence, Sor took up many apprenticeships to learn various trades such as blacksmithing, hunting, and even combat skills from a friend of his father's who had survived the war—on top of an interest in his mother's work. Sor grew to be a strong, capable, and kind-hearted man, living with his mother to support her as the years weighed heavy on her aging body. He had grown up on tales his mother had told him of his father, a proud Nord, and the homeland he had left behind. Stories of Ysgramor and the Five Hundred Companions, dragons and men able to absorb their souls, and more filled his childhood. With each passing year, a desire deep in his heart to make the pilgrimage to his father's homeland grew stronger. He packed his bags, leaving his mother in the care of a close friend, and began his journey northward to Skyrim.

     . [ | Skyrim | ] . 

    Sor's story after arriving in Skyrim is a short one. It was not long after he crossed the southern border that he was assailed by a group of Imperial soldiers claiming him to be a "Stormcloak spy" among other things. He denied their accusations, claiming his innocence, but his cries fell on deaf ears. All he remembered next is the sight of the ground rushing to meet him and the world fading black.

    Note: See Sor's Character Build for more information about his adventures in Skyrim

  • Member
    July 21, 2018

    Love the Profile, black, Nordy Nords never fail to entertain me.

    This guy seems like a real stand-up guy. Too often we see the brash, aggressive side of a warrior without seeing the teddy bear within, but you showed off both sides in equal measure here, which is very much appreciated.

    What's stopping Sor from joining up with the Legion? His dad seemed to be a staunch supporter, so it seems natural that a son brought up basically on the stories of his dad would want to follow in his footsteps.

    Are there any sites specifically he wants to visist because of his father - the town he grew up in, his father's childhood friend, a location he fought in? I like the motivation for coming to Skyrim, but it'd be really nice to see the motivation pay off in some way while in Skyrim. And it'd be even nicer to see how this pilgrimage shaped his view of the world and himself - does he grow more warm, familial, introspective? Or does his rage and aggression come through as he thinks on all he has lost? An evolution such as this isn't necesarry for a character, but given your character's motivation I think it'll be really interesting to see.

    Also, and I promise this is my last question, how does becoming Dragonborn effect him (I assume he becomes it, don't think you've mentioned it?)?

    Great Profile, black, this is really solid and an interesting read.

  • July 21, 2018

    Zonnonn said:

    Love the Profile, black, Nordy Nords never fail to entertain me.

    This guy seems like a real stand-up guy. Too often we see the brash, aggressive side of a warrior without seeing the teddy bear within, but you showed off both sides in equal measure here, which is very much appreciated.

    What's stopping Sor from joining up with the Legion? His dad seemed to be a staunch supporter, so it seems natural that a son brought up basically on the stories of his dad would want to follow in his footsteps.

    Are there any sites specifically he wants to visit because of his father - the town he grew up in, his father's childhood friend, a location he fought in? I like the motivation for coming to Skyrim, but it'd be really nice to see the motivation pay off in some way while in Skyrim. And it'd be even nicer to see how this pilgrimage shaped his view of the world and himself - does he grow more warm, familial, introspective? Or does his rage and aggression come through as he thinks on all he has lost? An evolution such as this isn't necessary for a character, but given your character's motivation, I think it'll be really interesting to see.

    Also, and I promise this is my last question, how does becoming Dragonborn effect him (I assume he becomes it, don't think you've mentioned it?)?

    Great Profile, black, this is really solid and an interesting read.

    Thank you for the feedback! In all honesty, it was more-or-less a tossup over whether he was going to side with the Legion, the Stormcloaks, or stay out of the conflict. His father was a proud soldier of the Imperial Legion and gave his life for it during the Great War so that his son would be able to live in a land where he could live as he pleased; worship as he pleased; and so much more. Sor was born before the White-Gold Concordat and was about 5 years old when it was signed. He wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. To be a proud warrior for a cause worth fighting for. His arrival in Skyrim proved to him that the Empire's signing of the concordat had only weakened it, and the Aldmeri Dominion's—and in conjunction, the Thalmor's—involvement in Skyrim is not what his father would have been fighting for.

    In his mind, he shares many of the Stormcloaks' views—to a point. He believes that the Aldmeri Dominion has no say in how men should live their lives and who they can worship. He could have chosen to join the Legion and help rebuild it from the inside out, but his way of thinking leads him to think more of the people being affected now, not the ones he could save in the future. Ulfric was a soldier in the same war his father had died in, and that alone strikes a chord with him. He wants to fight to preserve the glory of his father's homeland, even if he doesn't wholeheartedly agree with the Stormcloaks' "Skyrim is for the Nords" rhetoric or how they treat the inhabitants of Windhelm's Gray Quarter.

    As for the sites in Skyrim he would visit, all he knows is that his father was born and raised in Falkreath Hold. His mother didn't know much about Skyrim herself, having been a Nord born and raised in Cyrodiil. His time in Skyrim, whether he is Dragonborn or not, would have taken him across Skyrim in an attempt to see as much of his father's homeland as possible (though if you can name some notable places that would be worth working into his story, I'm all ears). And as for development, he has never let things weigh him down, and while his adventures in Skyrim are wrought with loss and hardships, the things he has experienced and the allies and friends he has made are what he'd focus on, even when things seem impossible. They give him a reason to keep fighting, to protect them and all of Tamriel from whatever threats he is forced to face.

    As for his role as Dragonborn, he was raised on stories of the dragons and of people like Tiber Septim who were called "Dragonborn." While he could never have expected to be named one himself, he is not one to shy away from something that needs to be done, and readily accepts his fate and does what he can to stop the dragons. Though, when he learns about his fate he is in the middle of another commitment, and just as he is not one to shy away from a commitment, he is not one to bite off more than he can chew all at once or leave things unfinished.

  • Member
    July 23, 2018

    blackmagikarper said:

    Thank you for the feedback! In all honesty, it was more-or-less a tossup over whether he was going to side with the Legion, the Stormcloaks, or stay out of the conflict. His father was a proud soldier of the Imperial Legion and gave his life for it during the Great War so that his son would be able to live in a land where he could live as he pleased; worship as he pleased; and so much more. Sor was born before the White-Gold Concordat and was about 5 years old when it was signed. He wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. To be a proud warrior for a cause worth fighting for. His arrival in Skyrim proved to him that the Empire's signing of the concordat had only weakened it, and the Aldmeri Dominion's—and in conjunction, the Thalmor's—involvement in Skyrim is not what his father would have been fighting for.

    In his mind, he shares many of the Stormcloaks' views—to a point. He believes that the Aldmeri Dominion has no say in how men should live their lives and who they can worship. He could have chosen to join the Legion and help rebuild it from the inside out, but his way of thinking leads him to think more of the people being affected now, not the ones he could save in the future. Ulfric was a soldier in the same war his father had died in, and that alone strikes a chord with him. He wants to fight to preserve the glory of his father's homeland, even if he doesn't wholeheartedly agree with the Stormcloaks' "Skyrim is for the Nords" rhetoric or how they treat the inhabitants of Windhelm's Gray Quarter.

    As for the sites in Skyrim he would visit, all he knows is that his father was born and raised in Falkreath Hold. His mother didn't know much about Skyrim herself, having been a Nord born and raised in Cyrodiil. His time in Skyrim, whether he is Dragonborn or not, would have taken him across Skyrim in an attempt to see as much of his father's homeland as possible (though if you can name some notable places that would be worth working into his story, I'm all ears). And as for development, he has never let things weigh him down, and while his adventures in Skyrim are wrought with loss and hardships, the things he has experienced and the allies and friends he has made are what he'd focus on, even when things seem impossible. They give him a reason to keep fighting, to protect them and all of Tamriel from whatever threats he is forced to face.

    As for his role as Dragonborn, he was raised on stories of the dragons and of people like Tiber Septim who were called "Dragonborn." While he could never have expected to be named one himself, he is not one to shy away from something that needs to be done, and readily accepts his fate and does what he can to stop the dragons. Though, when he learns about his fate he is in the middle of another commitment, and just as he is not one to shy away from a commitment, he is not one to bite off more than he can chew all at once or leave things unfinished.

    A great answer if ever I've seen one!

    I really like his philosophy, and his fathers. Freedom to do as you please is a very Nordic ideal to me, and the idea behind not necesarilly following his father to a fault, but doing what he feels is right is a very poignant message. Now I can see why he'd join either side, or stay neutral, amd I'd really like to see this explanation in the Profile!

    As for his journey, to me it feels much more personal than just seeing the sights. But if he wants to be a pilgrim to any particular Nordic places, The Throat of the World, the Palace of the Kings in Windhelm, maybe a particular shrine to his father's favourite Divine, all ring true to me. Although just travelling across the land, taking in the views of Skyrim, seems far more approriate to me.

    And that's a nice, pragmatic, Nordic outlook on being the Dragonborn. Would love to see it, and everything else, in the Profile!

  • Member
    July 23, 2018

    Oh yeah I forgot to mention, this is now stickied!

  • July 24, 2018

    Zonnonn said:

    A great answer if ever I've seen one!

    I really like his philosophy and his fathers. Freedom to do as you please is a very Nordic ideal to me, and the idea behind not necessarily following his father to a fault, but doing what he feels is right is a very poignant message. Now I can see why he'd join either side, or stay neutral, and I'd really like to see this explanation in the Profile!

    As for his journey, to me, it feels much more personal than just seeing the sights. But if he wants to be a pilgrim to any particular Nordic places, The Throat of the World, the Palace of the Kings in Windhelm, maybe a particular shrine to his father's favorite Divine, all ring true to me. Although just traveling across the land, taking in the views of Skyrim, seems far more appropriate to me.

    And that's a nice, pragmatic, Nordic outlook on being the Dragonborn. Would love to see it, and everything else, in the Profile!

    While I agree that a lot of the information I laid out for you needs to be added to the profile, the main focus of the profile IS to document his development through my playthrough of his build. One thing I have been conflicted about now that you bring it up is what his father—and in conjunction his own—patron god of choice. My choice is torn between:

     •  Talos—Hero-god of Mankind, God of Might, Honor, State, Law, Man, War and Governance.
     •  Stendarr—God of Mercy, Justice, Charity, Luck, and Righteous rule by might and merciful forbearance

    Talos is the obvious pick, as it gives him a more personal reason to fight alongside the Stormcloaks, and a connection to the Dragonborn legacy by Talos' mortal name—Tiber Septim. It would fit for his strong sense of right and his destiny as Dragonborn to save Tamriel, almost as if Talos himself had woven his fate to be as it is.

    Stendarr, on the other hand, is another incredibly fitting god to follow. While he is strong, he is merciful and just in his actions and decisions. He aids all those in need, and he believes in Skyrim's right to rule itself as it sees fit, be it with or without the Empire's influence—whichever way fate may take it. It also gives him a tie into the Dawnguard DLC, which I haven't played personally, and wanted to work into this build for my opportunity to do so.

    The Palace of Kings is a must, as is a pilgrimage up the Seven Thousand Steps—both of which are met in his quest across Skyrim—but other such locations can be heavily influenced by his choice of patron, and it can determine which amulet he bears: Talos' (-20% shout cooldown) or Stendarr's (+10% to blocking). Both are fitting, as shouts and blocking are essential parts of his build as well.

    As for being stickied, I am incredibly happy to hear it, but I am also curious as to what made you decide to do so?

  • Member
    July 24, 2018

    blackmagikarper said:

    While I agree that a lot of the information I laid out for you needs to be added to the profile, the main focus of the profile IS to document his development through my playthrough of his build. One thing I have been conflicted about now that you bring it up is what his father—and in conjunction his own—patron god of choice. My choice is torn between:

     •  Talos—Hero-god of Mankind, God of Might, Honor, State, Law, Man, War and Governance.
     •  Stendarr—God of Mercy, Justice, Charity, Luck, and Righteous rule by might and merciful forbearance

    Talos is the obvious pick, as it gives him a more personal reason to fight alongside the Stormcloaks, and a connection to the Dragonborn legacy by Talos' mortal name—Tiber Septim. It would fit for his strong sense of right and his destiny as Dragonborn to save Tamriel, almost as if Talos himself had woven his fate to be as it is.

    Stendarr, on the other hand, is another incredibly fitting god to follow. While he is strong, he is merciful and just in his actions and decisions. He aids all those in need, and he believes in Skyrim's right to rule itself as it sees fit, be it with or without the Empire's influence—whichever way fate may take it. It also gives him a tie into the Dawnguard DLC, which I haven't played personally, and wanted to work into this build for my opportunity to do so.

    Honestly two very good choices. Maybe I'm alone in thinking this, but to me Stendarr encompasses the values of both Nordic and Imperial values, without the whole polarizing political aspect that Talos has. Stendarr I feel is a God Sor would live by, while Talos is a God that would define him. Not necessarily a bad thing, of course, but it does bare thinking about. Then again I'm probably bias as I always strive to have my Nordy Nords not worship Talos to a special degree, to break with stereotype. So yeah, I'd go with Stendarr, but both options are very appropriate.

    The Palace of Kings is a must, as is a pilgrimage up the Seven Thousand Steps—both of which are met in his quest across Skyrim—but other such locations can be heavily influenced by his choice of patron, and it can determine which amulet he bears: Talos' (-20% shout cooldown) or Stendarr's (+10% to blocking). Both are fitting, as shouts and blocking are essential parts of his build as well.

    Good points man, I guess those are the only two 'musts', but through playing you'll organically come across places to visit. Like I said in my last comment, this type of journey feels more like going any way the wind takes him than having a list with locations to strike off.

    As for being stickied, I am incredibly happy to hear it, but I am also curious as to what made you decide to do so?

    Because it's a great Profile my dude, and stickying generally gets it a little more attention that I think it fully deserves!

  • July 24, 2018

    Zonnonn said:

    Honestly two very good choices. Maybe I'm alone in thinking this, but to me, Stendarr encompasses the values of both Nordic and Imperial values, without the whole polarizing political aspect that Talos has. Stendarr I feel is a God Sor would live by, while Talos is a God that would define him. Not necessarily a bad thing, of course, but it does bear thinking about. Then again I'm probably biased as I always strive to have my Nordy Nords not worship Talos to a special degree, to break with the stereotype. So yeah, I'd go with Stendarr, but both options are very appropriate.

    Talos is a god who embodies Sor—and all men—while Stendarr is a god that Sor can embody. In all honesty, I would go with Stendarr for the same reason you would—to avoid the stereotype of the "Talos-worshipping Nord," but in reality, both Stendarr and Talos hold strong purchase in his philosophy and his actions. This gives him reason to side with the Stormcloaks, to end the vampire threat, and so much more. Worshipping both also makes him a bit more diverse than most builds that usually focus on worshipping a single god.

    Good points man, I guess those are the only two 'musts', but through playing, you'll organically come across places to visit. Like I said in my last comment, this type of journey feels more like going any way the wind takes him than having a list with locations to strike off.

    That is what I was originally thinking as well. His goal is to experience all of Skyrim with a few loose points of locations he could visit.

    Because it's a great Profile my dude, and stickying generally gets it a little more attention that I think it fully deserves!

    Well, thank you! I do have to say that character building is something I take great pride in (as an avid D&D 5e player and DM), and the opportunity to bring that skill to this forum.

  • Member
    July 25, 2018

    blackmagikarper said:

    Talos is a god who embodies Sor—and all men—while Stendarr is a god that Sor can embody. In all honesty, I would go with Stendarr for the same reason you would—to avoid the stereotype of the "Talos-worshipping Nord," but in reality, both Stendarr and Talos hold strong purchase in his philosophy and his actions. This gives him reason to side with the Stormcloaks, to end the vampire threat, and so much more. Worshipping both also makes him a bit more diverse than most builds that usually focus on worshipping a single god.

     

     

    Good idea man! The concept of following just one God out of a pantheon never made much sense to me. If you leave out the zealous followers of a specific Aedra, most people would have a time when every Aedra is the most important to them at some point in their life, often more than one at a time.

    Well, thank you! I do have to say that character building is something I take great pride in (as an avid D&D 5e player and DM), and the opportunity to bring that skill to this forum.

    And it's very appreciated! At the risk of taking time away from your (hopefully numerous!) future Roleplaying projects, there's been some interest in D&D builds in the RPG Group. Surprisingly, not many people here play D&D so there hasn't been much traction yet, but as someone who loves reading and discussing D&D, while never actually having played, your expertise over there would be really appreciated.