Xurog Naus
Description
It’s his cloak that permeates the presence of Xurog Naus with such a heavy veil of darkness. It’s just cloth, sure. But some men wear their clothes and carry their weight with such a foreboding confidence that none dare insult their names. Even the greenish-gray tint of Xurog’s face and hands, of the tips of sharp canine teeth protruding from his lower lips, and of his broad brow cannot vilipend his strength. His half-orcish features alternate between expressions of fearless calm and cruel derision, but always reveal his dedication and sense of self-empowerment. Beneath the cloak, a viewer may catch a glimpse of armaments common to any stoic adventurer. More troublesome than any weapon one may see, however, is the unholy symbol hanging around his neck: the unlidded eye of Povidarr. Whether it is by the inevitable wisdom of his few words, the wrath of his dark god, or the terrifying edges of his double-sided battleaxe, Xurog Naus is not one to whom you say “no”.
History
In 890 AK, the village of Vass even then was known as an oddity even for Darsix. Rarely do orcs and men live peacefully in the same place. Of course, peace was always relative in such a savage place. But the Sickle Moon tribe long held power few orcs had: the power of knowledge. Granted, that knowledge was a simple recognition: that knowledge is power and that the orcs were not quite clever enough to seize it. However, that was a problem that could be corrected with the right breeding.
And so they co-existed with humans and bred half-breed children. Xurog Naus was one of those children. Some of his siblings and cousins grew up to be craftsmen, generals, and spies. In few other places were half-orcs accorded so much respect (and envy from full-blooded orcs for that treatment). Xurog was special, however. He wasn’t especially smart and he wasn’t as tough as an ogre. But one night, he was “touched”. It happened simply: he was in the woods, hunting for food. Instead of prey, he came across a wolf with a shock of red fur down its brown back. Its hungry eyes seemed to be focused on Xurog, and it lured him deeper into the woods. Almost in a trance, the young half-orc followed. Suddenly, this wolf pounced him, trying to rip him apart. Through sheer will and strength, he wrestled the wolf down. It broke free and darted off into the night. At that moment, Xurog’s mind was opened to the whispers of Povidarr himself.
Xurog passed a test, and was now worthy of serving the god. He took to this role with confidence and open-minded intent. The humble temple to Povidarr in Vass housed other clerics of that dark but mighty god, and dispatched him abroad to contact other humans. Perhaps the influence of the Sickle Moons could be expanded. If not, Xurog was an expendable pawn, wasn’t he?
Heh.
Personality
Too many people mistake those of a chaotic evil persuasion as being incapable of reason. Reason is not what such people lack. No sense of law and an even honor, and certainly all sense of decency and morality, are what such individuals reveal. Their unpredictability can bite them in the back as they occasionally sabotage their own schemes. But it also makes it hard to second-guess their motivations and purpose. Such is the case with Xurog. His fidelity extends not to either mankind or orckind, but purely to the god he serves. In Povidarr, Xurog sees himself – the sort of mad man doer that the Paragon became. He seeks to emulate that strength and to be sure that everyone can see the glory he will claim. That is why Xurog serves in the role as an intermediary between men and orcs. He cares not for peace or even military alliances. He cares only for divinity.
Goals
Xurog will pursue the cleric class until at least 17th-level, at which point he may consider a prestige class such as hierophant.
Character Sheet