Knight Captain of
Crossroad Keep. Warlock of substantial power, whose bloodline traces back to powerful demon lords and Tiamat herself. A guardian of the gates between worlds, charged with making certain none bar the passage between realities.
Jesen Shardscar is a powerful Warlock, grandson of Tiamat, wielder of The Silver Sword of Gith, and Knight Captain of Crossroad Keep. Charged with higher powers to maintain the gateways between the Crystal Spheres of various realities.
Personality
Jesen Shardscar is not one to mince words or actions. While fully capable of diplomacy, and recognizing it has a place. He is not one to abuse it, particularly in the face of hostility or ignorance. That is when dimplomacy has failed, and eldritch intimidation is like as not to come into play. He has no issues with using his appearance, powers, and in some places his reputation to that end.
Through his life Jesen has always sought a place to fit in, to belong. As the Knight Captain of Crossroad Keep he discovered that, and then it was all stripped away quickly. He walked through worlds, through Hell itself, to get it back. Along the way reforging himself, as surely as he once did his the artifact that helped give him his name. Stronger, and more focused than ever on keeping his home and those he counts as his friends safe and secure.
Background
Jesen Shardscar hails from the world of Toril, called by some The Forgotten Realms. He was born in a small village named West Harbor, not far from the city of Neverwinter. Those days would be remembered in the realms as the prelude to many great calamities. The first of which Jesen himself became involved in in his late teens.
Only days after Jesen had been born, a battle took place in West Harbor. In that conflict Jesen's mother and a number of other's perished. Jesen himself was scarred by a shard of an artifact, The Silver Sword of Gith. The weapon used to fight the King of Shadows, the aggressor in the battle. The shard was left embedded in his chest, but he miraculously survived. Now an Orphan, he was raised by an elven ranger named Daeghun. He had once adventured with Jesen's mother and had lost his wife in the attack as well. Jesen's earliest memories were screaming in agony in his crib, and a mysterious woman with hair like the night sky, stars twinkling within it, soothing him gently.
After the fateful battle, West Harbor had a festival each year on the anniversary of it, celebrating the resiliance of the harbormen. Jesen and his friends competed in quite a few of them. On his 17th birthday, he and his friends won the four events and became grand champions of the festival. That night, after the festival, the town was attacked by a group led by a githyanki, a native of the astral plane, in search of an unnamed object. In the attack many of Jesen's friends were slain. Afterward Daeghun sent him to retrieve a mysterious silver shard from a nearby cave, which Daeghun had left there after the defeat of the King of Shadows. He was to bring it to Neverwinter. On this quest, Jesen met a number of allies whom became fast friends. He also learned things he had not known about his mother and his birth. Such as how she had been violated by a powerful demon, a son of Tiamat no less, and then gone to stay with an old ally through the difficult pregnancy. Jesen resolved to learn more of his father, as soon as time permitted.
Jesen's quest led him from a sage in Neverwinter named Aldannon, to Shandra Jerro. She was the descendent of a dead warlock named Ammon Jerro, and had been kidnapped by githyanki. They managed to rescue Shandra and learned that the shards, which by this point they had found a number of, were pieces of the Silver Sword of Gith--the very same type of shard that Jesen carried one of next to his heart.
Soon after that revelation, Jesen and his allies discovered that an evil wizard from Luskan, Black Garius, was plotting to subsume the power of the King of Shadows, who had apparently been defeated, but not destroyed. Jesen was framed by Black Garius' henchmen for the murder of an entire village, and only by making him a noble in Neverwinter was he able to avoid a death penalty, until he could clear his name. In time Jesen and his allies defeated Garius, and he was rewarded with a stronghold and the title Knight Captain by Lord Nasher of Neverwinter. Crossroad Keep became his new home, and the base of operations for him and his allies.
As the keep was being restored, another twist in the search for the truth about the shards was discovered. The warlock Ammon Jerro was in fact still alive! Tracking Ammon down led to an inadvertant conflict in which Shandra was killed. Repenting for the loss of his descendant, Jerro joined the group. From him Jesen learned a great deal more. Ammon Jerro was the warlock who fought the King of Shadows seventeen years previously in West Harbor. He had weilded the Silver Sword of Gith when it was sundered, embedding a piece of it next to Jesen's heart. Jesen also learned something of the the King of Shadows and that the one weapon strong enough to destroy it had been lost: The Silver Sword of Gith.
As Crossroad Keep was completed, it was tested by the Shadow Reavers, a sect of powerful undead mages that included a revived Black Garius as their leader. Garous was still intent on calling forth the King of Shadows. Through fortifying the Keep, it's troops, and lands, as well as with the aid of Neverwinter. Crossroad Keep stood firm, and the undead army was repelled. The conflict led to the discovery of more shards of the Silver Sword of Gith, and a daring plan was hatched. On the very spot where the artifact had been sundered on that fateful night seventeen years before. Under the guidance of his allies, the shards were reformed once more by Jesen's willpower. The reforged Silver Sword of Gith, though, was different: Jesen Shardscar was now the heart of the artifact itself, inextricably linked to the blade, which had become altered to better suit his powers and needs. But it was still the only weapon that could resist the enemy's power.
When the final conflict came, the Silver Sword of Gith blazed with Jesen's eldritch power, and ultimately the King of Shadows fell. The ruins of old Illefarn beneath the Mere of Dead Men began to cave in around them, prompting a desperate dash to attempt and outrun certain doom. But even as Jesen winged through the collapsing corridors, mysterious forces snatched him up to the far side of the continent, and a new adventure.
Jesen awoke alone, without his sword, in an underground barrow in Rashemen, far from the Sword Coast he had always called home. There, through a new series of adventures, he discovered that he had been cursed to become a spirit-eater, an accursed being who must feed upon feys and elementals (and sometimes mortal souls) just in order to survive! Jesen sought to learn more about this curse he had been inflicted with, and along the way met other allies to assist him. Including Gannayev-of-Dreams, Gann for short, an attractive blue skinned hag-spawn with whom there was a mutual attraction. His quest took him eventually to Nefris's Academy, a school of the Red Wizards of Thay, where Jesen once again met Ammon Jerro. He had attempted to follow when Jesen was taken, and was imperiled by several Pit Fiends. After Jesen rescued Jerro, the warlock agreed to assist Jesen in overcoming his curse. In the deepest heart of the academy, Jesen entered a portal to the Astral Plane. There he met Myrkul, the former god of the dead, now just a shadow of what he had been before his own "death" during the time of troubles. Myrkul bragged that it was he that had originated the curse. Originally for an unfaithful priest ages before. Myrkul was particularly pleased as the terror that Spirit Eater still caused in the world kept his divine spark alive. Jesen, in outrage, made that a moot point by turning the Spirit Eater on its creator, suffusing himself with that spark of divinity, and ridding the world of Myrkul's evil once and for all.
Returning from the Astral Plane, Jesen met the Founder of the Academy Nefris. The Founder admitted that she was responsible for Jesen's plight. When he reforged the Silver Sword of Gith, she had felt it. She wanted to use him to end the spirit-eater curse once and for all. She returned the silver sword of Gith to Jesen, now fully reforged with the shard from within his body once more a part of the blade. As he touched it, the bond between him and the blade was made whole, as the sword itself had been. Never again would they be separated, he could call it to him at will. The blade also allowed him to open the Betrayer's Gate, to travel to the realm of the dead to recover his own soul, which had been displaced by the curse. There Jesen found the City of Judgment, ruled by the current God of the Dead, Kelemvor Lyonsbane. Jesen mustered forces and led them to lay seige to the City of the Dead. After the battle, Jesen learned where his own soul was located and wrested it from the Wall of the Faithless. However, the god Kelemvor passed a harsh judgement on Jesen for the temerity of attacking the City of the Dead, casting him out to walk other planes and seek a way to return home once more. Worse, he stripped away the power Jesen
SKILLS
BOW: Basic - Jesen has had little occasion to use a bow in his life. However his adopted father was a scout and a ranger of no small skill. He insisted that he learn to use his weapon of choice, even if it wasn't something he would have much occasion for.
CRAFTING: Expert - Jesen is able to utalize his eldritch power to fabricate and shape materials, allowing him to craft much more easily. As well as imbue items he is seeking to enchant with magic in a similar way. He has spent a great deal of time learning to channel his eldritch energies this way and is able to craft wondrous items. Jewely, weapons, armor, and even alchemical tinctures are just some of the things he is able to craft with the proper resources.
DIPLOMACY: Competent - Jesen can be quite diplomatic, a skill he learned as the Knight Captain of Crossroad Keep. He knows the ways of leadership, and how to incite greatness in his troops and followers. He is far better at leading through example as opposed to leading through rousing speeches however.
INTIMIDATION: Expert - Long before Jesen Shardscar learned the ways of diplomacy, he knew how to scare people. His devilish appearance was already frightening, as were his inherent powers. As a youth he needed to learn how not to be intimidating, more so than how to be! Now, as an adult, he knows just how to use all of his assets, power and appearance included, to utterly terrify as the occasion warrants it.
SWORDSMANSHIP: Competant - Jesen is a very capable swordsman who specializes in using two blades simultaneously. However when he is using the Silver Sword of Gith as one of those blades, his skills dramatically increase beyond his norm. The blade it a part of him and operates as if it was merely an extension of his being. He weilds it at the Expert level.
ABILITIES
INSTANT FORTRESS: Basic-level Gear - This metal cube is small, but when activated by speaking a command word it grows to form a tower 20 feet square and 30 feet high, with arrow slits on all sides and a crenelated battlement atop it. The metal walls extend 10 feet into the ground, rooting it to the spot and preventing it from being tipped over. The fortress has a small door that opens only at the command of the owner of the fortress, preventing even spells from opening the door or teleporting within it via magic or passwall type spells. Jesen typically keeps this in Crossroad Keep where it provides another means of defense, and a personal retreat for him to work. He can however take it with him when desired as well.
PERSONAL GEAR ONE: Enhanced-level Gear - In addition to The Silver Sword of Gith, Jesen keeps a number of personal items close to him. Either worn on his person or kept in a bag of holding that he can retrieve them from.
Crown of Fell Power: A thin golden crown with a single dark red jewel in it's center. The jewel seems to whorl with color and chaotic patterns when stared at. It amplifies chaotic magics and more particularly his eldritch blasts. Worn at all times.
Gloves of Eldritch Admixture: Dark whorls stream across these leather gloves, dizzying the eye and clouding the mind. The gloves may add pure energy in any of several forms to his eldritch blasts. This damage can be acid, cold, or fire, as chosen each time the gloves are activated. These gloves remain stores save for when difficult battles are anticipated.
Horned Devil Leather Armor: Crafted from the hides of a Pit Fiend and a Balor, the dark black and burnt red armor had a sinister appearance and countenance to it. The armor naturally enhances his resistances, and serves as a powerful enchanted protection from harm.
Boots of Wanderlust: Well worn black boots that always seem to have some of the dust of the road upon them. They confer on the wearer greater dexterity and movement speeds, as well as a freedom of movement enchantment. Keeping them from being entangled or slowed by natural or supernatural means.
PERSONAL GEAR TWO: Enhanced-level Gear - Imskari Bracers of Immortality: These ancient bracers were found in the depths of a Sunken City by Jesen on his birth world Toril. They enhance natural stamina and offer regeneration while worn.
Belt of Fallen Heroes: This large brass belt has three panels depicting scenes of battle. Once per day on command, the wearer can summon the spirit of a hero of one of the depicted battles. This spirit acts as a spiritual ally. Whether or not the summoned hero is actively in combat or not, it attempts to guide its wearer to victory via telepathic warnings and advice.
Gauntlets of the Weaponmaster: These gauntlets are mostly leather with small steel plates, and are suited for fine swordplay. On command, the wearer of the gauntlet can store a single weapon he is holding in the gauntlets. When he does so, a graven image of the weapon appears on the gauntlet's plates. The wearer can store up to 10 weapons in the gauntlets in this manner. Retrieving a weapon requires the wearer to touch the image of the weapon he wants. Doing so is a swift action. When a weapon is retrieved, it appears in the hands of the wearer and any weapons the wearer had in his hands is stored in the gauntlets. If there is no room in the gauntlet for the weapons the wearer is holding, those weapons are dropped. The gauntlets can only store weapons; other items cannot be placed in the gauntlet.
Bags of Holding: A type four bag of holding, it may hold up to 1500 pounds, 250 cubic feet of items and still only weigh up to 60 pounds.
THE GATEKEEPER'S CRYSTAL: Enhanced-level Gear - The Gatekeeper's Crystal is a powerful magical device, that originated from the Outlands. Having been carried by a mysterious being called the Gatekeeper, whose sole duty was to guard a crossroads of gates across the planes and spheres, preventing anyone who wished to restrict access to it from blocking the travel of others. In his travels Jesen managed to gather the three pieces of the crystal and complete it once again. Each of the three crystals have an array of control over different types of magic, and when used in concert can cause mass devastation by causing magic barriers and batteries to literally explode. It now resides within the Vault of Crossroad Keep, one of the anchoring forces that allows Jesen to replicate the Keep in new worlds by anchoring it in the Astral Sea. A function of the artifact explained to him by the former Gatekeeper.
THE SILVER SWORD OF GITH: Supreme-level Gear - Jesen's signature weapon, and the item that gave him his surname when it shattered and scarred him as a child. A piece of the blade laid inside of him close to his heart for many long years, including when he first reformed the incomplete blade through force of will to kill The King of Shadows. Since then the artifact has been fully reforged, restoring it's full power, but still shares the connection to him. He may summon the blade at will and have it appear in a flash of silver light. In his hand the blade completes him, making him both physically and mentally more resilient and robust.
The Blade of the sword is made of alchemically treated silver, and is in essence indestructible as the one entitity capable of destroying the blade, instead was destroyed by it. The blade is heavily enchanted, and sharp enough to shave paper thin slices off of a diamond. It acts in Jesen's hands as an extension of his will, and much like a Warlock's Sceptre, a focus for his eldritch powers. Meaning he need not have a hand free to use focus them, he can through the blade itself, and actually amplify them through the blade.
In addition the blade has a number of special powers he may employ as well, some automatically when the blade strikes, and others by using a portion of the blade's power which replenishes daily. Extraordinary feats of healing, destructive area of effect and targetted magical attacks and dispelling, and powerful protections from both physical or magical harm are all possible by calling directly on the power of the artifact.
WEAPONS: Enhanced-level Gear - Dream Longsword: No one was quite sure where this longsword came from. It simply appeared in the hand of Jesen Shardscar in the Slumbering Coven's Dreamscape on Toril. The weapon seems to read Jesen's mind, responding to his wishes. It can change it's form into a number of different weapons - in fact, almost anything he can dream of. The enchanted weapon is charged with positive energy, doing additional damage of that type, as well as additional damage to incorporeal creatures. It allows it's wielder the chance to see through illusions when held, and attempts to put an opponent into a deep slumber the first time they are struck with it in combat, no matter if blood is drawn or not.
Knight Captain's Blade: Presented to Jesen by the grateful residents of Crossroad Keep when Jesen first helped it to rise to prominence once more. The blade is powerfully enchanted to inflict additional damage, and be particularly sharp. Jesen often uses this place when he chooses not to use The Silver Sword of Gith.
ELDRITCH POWERS: Supreme-level Power - Jesen's blood boils with the power of the 9 Hells, and the Queen of Evil Dragons. His most basic ability is channeling his inherent power into a ray like attack. A blast of pure eldritch energy, an Eldritch Blast. He is able to alter these blasts in a number of ways, by adding different essences or 'blast shapes' to them. Essences alter the composition from that of raw eldritch energy to that of something else. Fire, Hellfire, abysmal cold, and the like. While blast shapes allow the blasts to strike his enemies in different ways.
ADVANTAGES
BALDEMAR - A bustling river town, on the cusp of becoming a city, located only a few miles distant from Crossroad Keep. A ferry along the river that runs right through the town can be used to reach the Keep, and many townsfolk have been lured to work there with the offer of lucrative employment. As a large town, Baldemar boasts it's own political and business landscape, which can be a double edged sword (see Flaws). Drek of Baldemar is a routine run away to the Keep. Thus far his uncle has been allowed to come and retrieve him. Though if Jesen ever learns that his uncle is abusive, that is will change.
CROSSROAD KEEP - Crossroad Keep is the large fortified keep which Jesen Shardscar is the Knight Captain of. Once located only on Toril, much changed when Jesen became the Keeper of the Crossroads. Now a mirror of the original Crossroad Keep exists in The Astral Sea. From there Jesen may invoke it on new worlds, in essence reopening that world to the Astral Sea and all other realities that may be reached from it. Each new world, Crossroad Keep must be again repopulated with soldiers, craftsmen and workers. As such Jesen tends to place the Keep in close proximity to remote towns, and then recruit from there.
The Keep boasts a number of formidable advantages and defenses as well:
- Running water courtesy of decanters of endless water reach every area of the keep, and even hot water in several places.
- Extensive forging capabilities thanks to several magical items and artifacts. Smish's Smith Tools, The Iron Forge of the Armies, and The Anvil of Holy Flames are all available within the Keep.
- Magical items to summon elementals of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air for the purposes of defense of the Keep.
A number of powerful Iron Golems that have been crafted, lead by the Blade Golem (see below).
- Library: The Keep's library has a number of ancient historical texts from a number of worlds, including Toril, Eberron, and Golarion. Research into these texts can lead to potential magical breaththroughs and discoveries. But the most prized item in the library is the Tome of Iltkazar. The legendary tome once belonged to the mage-king of Iltkazar and contains many spells found nowhere else. Including a means of creating a permanent gate between the planes of existence, and the means to create or upgrade golem armies.
DEFENDERS OF THE KEEP - Most of Jesen's allies in other crystal spheres remain on the world's of their birth. They can be called upon in times of great duress naturally. However several are of a nature or will that they travel along with Crossroad Keep to new locales fairly routinely. Most of them seldom ever leaving it, as they are there in the event that the Keep is in need of defense. Counted among them are: Orglash, a powerful ice elemental which typically leads the other elemental forces in the event that they are called upon. Zix the Pixie, who carries a bag of tricks allowing it to summon fae animals of various types. Okku the Spirit Bear once adventured with Jesen, and even now will come to his aid if called to help defend Crossroad Keep. Himself calling on a variety of other powerful animal spirits as needed also. Light of Hope is a Aasimar that serves as one of Jesen's military commanders. As a planar being, she routinely travels along with the Keep to new locales.
The Blade Golem was a powerful creation of a defeated enemy that Jesen optimized using hidden lore and his eldritch powers. It was nearly destroyed in the final battle against the King of Shadows. Jesen unearthed it over two decades later once he finally made it back to Toril. With the assistance of old allies the Blade Golem was repaired, this time with Mithril and Adamantine parts. With a spark of self awareness within the entity now, it protects Crossroad Keep leading other golems into battle. Rarely, when the situation calls for it, Jesen will bring the Golem with him on matters outside the Keep.
Gannayev-of-Dreams is a hagspawn spirit shaman. Able to call on divine and druidic style magics through his connection to the spirit realm. Tall and ruggedly handsome, Gann nearly perpetually wears a sarcastic half-smile and affects an air of casual indifference. His skin has a faintly blue or violet cast, a legacy of the night hag who was his mother. Unlike other hagspawn, men born of a human father and a hag mother, Gann's face is neither brutish nor ill-favored though. His ability to walk within the dreams of others sometimes causes others to distrust him, but he and Jesen have a casual relationship.
FAELINIS - While travelling through the 9 Hells Jesen adopted a small hellhound pup, clearly the runt of it's litter. In the time since then it has reached full maturity. Now resembling a powerfully built wolf the size of a large draft horse, with ebony fur and burning, fiery red eyes. Faelinis is a Nessian Hellhound, the largest and strongest of it's variety. It's bites often inflict hellfire damage in addition to crushing force, and it can breathe a cone of hellfire out to 30 feet distant. The monster's hide is resilient to unenchanted weapons, and it is immune to flames of all kinds. However, it does take additional damage from cold related attacks, which it avoids. While Faelinis does not take damage from cold weather, it tends to be cranky when exposed to it.
VAULTS - Jesen's treasury vault is vast, and contains gold, jewelry, gems, weapons, armor, and assorted magical gear. Items from over a half dozen different worlds that he himself has collected. As well as countless more that the former Keeper of the Crossroads collected, and which Jesen has now inherited. The vault is well hidden in the deep caves beneath the Keep and guarded by Kistrel, a highly intelligent and inherently magical spider of immense proportions. The Vault is shielded from magical means of detection or scrying. Further Jesen had close allies, a dwarf and a master thief, redesign the vault to blend into the surrounding caves and be virtually impregnable. Unless one knows where it is, and the proper eldritch means to enter, the Vault and it's contents remain inaccessible.
WEAKNESSES
BALDEMAR - A large town, bordering on a city, with a eager work force is in many ways a blessing so close to Crossroad Keep. But Baldemar comes with many intrigues and much infighting as well. It is often difficult to detect just who one owes allegiance to, who is spying on whom for who, and where one might find support or potential harm. Particularly as each new intrigue in the town tends to shuffle those roles so completely.
BLOODLINE - Jesen has the blood of Tiamat the Queen of Evil Dragons, and the power of the hells themselves in his blood. As a result magic effects meant to target evil dragons or demons impact him more powerfully than they otherwise might.
ENEMIES - Jesen has traveled through many planes, and many Crystal Spheres. He has earned the enimity of Gods, monsters, and men along the way. More than a few gods of death or darkness, and their cult like followers have sworn revenge. But likewise he has ended the lives of dragons, liches, and nigh diefic beings in his time. Many of whom had allies, or those that were displeased by his actions. His position and power make him a hard target to be sure. But he has no shortage of those aiming for it.
FAMILY MATTERS - Jesen is something of the black sheep of his family. He is known to both his father and more importantly his grandmother. Though neither have moved against him yet, with his new position in the hierarchy of the cosmos, it is inevitable that they will. Particularly given the number of dragons and demons he has slain.
FRIENDLY OBLIGATIONS - Jesen is one of those that will go to war with the gods themselves for the sake of a friend or an ally. As time has passed he has gathered a number of both friends and allies spread among a number of different worlds. It is not uncommon that they reach out to him for assistance, which he always feels obligated to provide. If not directly, then at least indirectly in some way.
NOT A WIZARD - Jesen's invocations allow him to accomplish a number of specific tasks, some of which are quite powerful. However they are not in any way spells. They lack the diversity of a true wizard's years of study in magic, and the learning of spell lore and research that comes with that.
PLAYTHING OF THE GODS - From almost the day of his birth fate has had a way of trying to manipulate Jesen, or so he believed for much of his life. Of course in reality, he was always a pawn in the schemes of various gods. He has come to terms with that manipulation, as it both complicated as well as saved his life. But while he still worships the goddess of magic from his home plane, Mystra. He is far more jaded with matters of the divine, and far more likely to loose his patience when matters of the Gods are involved.
RESPONSIBILITY - Jesen is responsible for those that serve him at Crossroad Keep. As a result his time is not always his own. He must attend to many of the day to day aspects of caring for essentially a small town. In addition to the needs of those that look to Crossroad Keep as a protector of the local peace. Often involving political maneuvering and local lords that can not be overcome with eldritch blasts and invocations alone.
TEMPER - Jesen can be very diplomatic and is a very skilled leader. However he also has little ability to suffer fools. Either in the form of people or situations. Those that test his patience will find that he is much more readily given over to intimidation as a means to resolve a issue, and is well equipped to do so.
