Gorlak the Defender

Character Build Details

Class & Starting Level: Psi Warrior Fighter 7

Race: Githyanki

Alignment: Neutral Good

Background: Urchin

Inate Spells: Mage Hand, Jump, Misty Step, Detect Thoughts

Initial Equipment: Scimitar, Shield, Half Plate, Explorer’s Pack

Initial Stat Block: STR 16, DEX 10, CON 14, INT 12, WIS 11, CHA 12

Features & Traits:

Character Appearance

Gorlak is a tall and lithe, emaciated humanoid. A lanky yet muscular, masculine warrior. His long, angular face is punctuated by pale green, sunken eyes, pointed ears, and a tuft of very dark brown hair. He has long arms and a powerfully built chest. He is very athletic and strong. Encased in half plate, typical for Githyanki military, that has been adorned in some light decoration that he values deeply as it all came from his beloved. He stands above most others at six foot nine inches tall and weighs an impressive 250 pounds of power. He sports various scars from years of fighting, particularly numerous hideous ones across the shoulders.

Character Backstory

Gorlak grew up an orphan, he has no memory of his parents. His early years were spent on the streets in a rough environment. The town, Gamthrod, is walled and not very big. It has a militia, the Flaaktori, to defend the walls and the people are self sufficient and generally kinda hard and proud of it (not unlike Nords in Skyrim in that regard). Gamthrod is a creche for training young Githyanki on the material plane. This allows them to age and develop, something not possible in their natural home on the Astral Plane. As an orphan, Gorlak had to beg, borrow and steal often to eat and was beaten savagely by others on the street or by adults for being a filthy little urchin. This period is where many of his scars came from. As he grew he was better able to defend himself and while still stealing to survive, he didn't join the savage, ruthless youth gangs and often found himself defending the smaller kids, having gone through it himself. He has become a good brawler and grown into his lithe but powerful Gith frame. He can take on multiple opponents. At one point he encounters the kith'rak of the local military. He did something to impress them and was taken in to be trained, by force. The kith'rak or sarths did this occasionally as it saved on recruiting. Gorlak is 17 at this point

Gorlak took to the structure of military type training well. He excelled in his physical training and that drew the ire of another "adopted" street kid and the eye of the head gish's daughter (who is a stone cold fox). At some point in the recent past the assigned knight or the creche had been killed in battle. His red dragon steed had returned to Tu'narath and failed to bring the silver sword of the knight back to Susurrus. The kath'rik was left in charge of the creche and the sword as he was the number two at that time and the gish was in their same role then also, but younger and more friendly/idealistic. They both blame each other for the death of their knight. The kith'rak has a chip on his shoulder about it and the gish gets upset quickly whenever the subject comes up. He is generally tightly wound and stressed out all the time. This is a huge deep seeded, lingering issue between them.

The other adopted orphan kid, Zurm, uses his charms and sucks up to the ktih'rak and sarths, getting a number two position despite Gorlak being the better soldier and earning it more. Zurm is always undermining Gorlak and causing trouble when no one is looking. Eventually, they have some clashes and pranks, etc. (picture a Maverick and Iceman situation) but Gorlak always comes out looking worse. Gorlak is using his street upbringing from time to time on the sly, stealing food, sabotaging things, being a dick in general to stay competitive with this rival.

As the years go on, the gish's daughter starts spending more time with Gorlak and helps to smooth out his rough edges. This is where he turns and changes. He has a Kaladin Stormblessed type change and sees a different path. He starts to become a leader and more honourable but not because of his upbringing but because of the influence from the daughter. In my vision I pictured some kind of moment where it clicks for him or a low point that shows him the error in his ways, definitely in the rain, rain is supposed to symbolize change they say.

He starts doing things more honourably to impress her and this leads to a more inspired effort in his training which sees him surpass his "rival" and earn the respect of the kith'rak and the rest of the troop, eventually gaining the rank of sarth. The gish doesn't like him spending time with the daughter because of his upbringing but his honorable behaviour starts to win him over too but very slowly. Trust develops because Gorlak does what he says he will do and is shown to be dependable. At this point Gorlak is 20.

After several years of training and skill development there is an attack by some kind of invading horde controlled by illithid and the conflict between the kith'rak and gish causes some issues in battle and the rivalry between Gorlak and Zurm, his rival comes to a head where Zurm splits off and betrays them. The daughter finds herself in peril trying to save the gish who is awkwardly trying to stop Zurm himself. Zurm and his new allies kill the gish and the invaders turn on the daughter who is trying to save her father. Zurm tries to save her (maybe has some feelings for her too?). He is unsuccessful and Gorlak can't get there in time, as he's busy winning the overall battle with his men. He sees what happened and knows that Zurm essentially caused her death. In the course of the battle the kith'rak is severely wounded in some heroic way and Gorlak assumes the leadership of the Flaaktori, becoming the new kith'rak, having successfully defended the people. The old kith'rak, Dak, dies a short while later.

In the coming days after the battle, the town slowly recovers. Having seen his hero/father figure killed, the only love of his life taken from him and knowing what his rival did turns him hard. With the kith'rak, gish, and daughter dead from the battle, he can't stand the memories in the town, seeing reminders of them everywhere he goes. He is set on revenge and seeks out and kills Zurm in a very dishonourable and violent fashion then sets out into the world, driven to honour the daughter's memory by following the ideals he learned from her.

He confers with the surviving elders of Gamthrod and is allowed to take an expeditionary force to the other realms to try and track down illithid and destroy them to avoid future attacks. He takes his friend Blitz and five other experienced Flaaktori warriors with him through a portal opened by the elders.

Allies & Organizations

Leader of the Flaaktori, the military unit protecting the town of Gamthrod in the Material Plane. He has only known this town for his life, outside of some training missions to other locations on the Material Plane and one trip to the Astral Sea.

Not part of the Githyanki religion, more a follower of Gith than the Lich Queen. Was not successfully indoctrinated due to a shorter amount of time spent in the military.

Additional Features and Traits

Defends the weak. Aware of his prowess in battle, confident not cocky. Reluctant hero. Doesn't get drawn into combat unless it's to defend his friends. Doesn't make friends easily but is very loyal to them. His ideals make him a protector and a defender, especially of the weak. He is very protective of the ones he cares for.

Street smart from upbringing, shakey upbringing can get him into trouble sometimes. His upbrining has made him slow to trust, always looking at the angles of his interactions trying to discern what others are trying to get from him.

He was a military general in his town and doesn’t shy away from responsibility or leadership. He is passionate about his town and loves his woman.

Yearns to be self-sufficient. Learning to smith to keep himself prepared for battle. Developing resistance to the psychic attacks of the illithid. Learning wood carving as a way to earn some gold and improve his equipment.

Treasure

Values his armour due to the enhancements his beloved had done to them.

Tool Proficiencies & Custom Skills

Disguise Kit, Thieves Tools. Gained Smith’s Tools, Woodcarver’s Tools, Medicine

Other Proficiencies & Languages

Languages: Common, Deep Speech, Draconic, Gith

Weapons: Martial Weapons

Armor: Heavy, Medium, Light, Shields