| Tarak Swordbreaker |
| Race | Half-Orc |
| Heroic Class | Fighter 1 |
| Alignment | Unaligned |
| Patron Deity | Tempus |
| Player | Jim Stadalnikas |
| Tarak Swordbreaker |
"Looking for something worth living for, or at least worth dying for…."
Tarak is a half-orc mercenary. He appears to be a more bestial human, with small tusks protruding from his jaw. His skintone is darker than the average Chondathan human's. He has black hair and a beard that seems more at home on a drifter than a hero. The chain armor that Tarak wears is clearly more for show then for protection, consisting of a few leather straps at the joints, but providing no protection over much of the body, including his chest and stomach. A single sheet of chain hangs of the back of the armor, protecting his flank from arrows. Both his flesh and armor bear signs of a life of battle: his armor is chinked and some of the rings are missing or broken, and his skin is scarred all over from repeated wounds. This is largely due to his particular fighting style, tapping into instinct and ancestry more then martial training. Tarak is a very undisciplined fighter, ignoring damage and stepping into swords if it means he is certain to connect with his maul. With the exception of sporting combat, Tarak does not believe in honor on the battlefield, viewing combat solely as a way to stay alive.
While outwardly portraying a cold mercenary with little care for others and only a desire for riches, Tarak is actually just looking to find something in life to live for, or at the very least, something worth dying for. To this end, Tarak has a soft spot for fellow orphans, and generally for anyone he truthfully feels needs to be protected. This even affects him in his love life, as Tarak is generally attracted to females of frailer races, or at least with frailer appereances. Elves and eladrin, halflings, humans, and even some half-orcs fit into this catagory. Tarak generally does not trust others; whenever he enters a room he is sure to scan it from side-to-side and asses any possible threats, and when choosing a seat in a tavern, you can be sure he will sit in the back corner where he can watch the entire room with his back to the wall. Tarak typically finds entertainment in physical sports such as arena or gladiatorial combat, arm wrestling, and even lifting and wilderness competitions.
History
Born a half-orc to a human mother, she did not live long enough for Tarak see her. Abandoned in the wilderness to die as a babe, it seemed his life had ended before it had even began, but fate has a funny way of making the impossible probable; a group of eladrin missionaries loyal to Corellon Larethian happened upon young Tarak and nursed him back to health. They trained him in the martial ways and taught him how to live a life worth living.
But just as fate can be kind, it can also be cruel.
While providing aid to a Goliath encampment, Gnolls attacked undetected and killed all of the missionaries, leaving Tarak alone once again. He watched as the faithful cried out for their god's favor, but the First of the Seldarine stayed silent. It was then that Tarak knew the only Truth in the world was combat, and that the concepts of right and wrong, and good and evil, were just the perceptions of those who survive.
Seeing the world in this manner, and having no where to call home, Tarak continued his combat training however he could. He became a mercenary: it didn't matter who won, as long as he got paid. The downside of being a mercenary is that when wars end, so does the pay, and its easier to make money when you aren't sharing it with 40 other mercenaries in the encampment.
Upon hearing that Cormyr was looking to part with some money in exchange for a few unsavory tasks to be completed, Tarak struck out again, alone as always. Heading towards the city Eveningstar, looking forward to the next paycheck, and the next battle…
| PCs |
| The Silver Company |