Zed Nighthunter
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Author: Peter Maranci
Homepage: http://www.maranci.net/rq.htm
System: RuneQuest
Type: NPC
Category: Fantasy
Requirements:

Background:

Appearance: Filthy, wiry, the very image of the tough city rat, Zed looks much older and weaker than he actually is. His hair is grey and thinning, with several irregular bald patches; he wears it short, to avoid having it grabbed in combat. His face is grizzled and leathery with a patchy salt-and-pepper beard. His voice is likewise scratchy and gruff, and his demeanor alternately crazed or piercing. His eyes are dark brown. Like most Uroxi, he has many scars -- but none are particularly notable.

Zed wears no visible cult affiliation tokens. His clothes are generally shabby and poor. His huge grey overcoat has been patched over and over again, particularly on the lower right side. Although he carried many weapons, they don't show -- even his battleaxe is hard to see, since he stores it on his back under his coat.

Anyone looking at Zed is likely to see a filthy and unpleasant old city rat, more trouble to shoo away than to tolerate. That's exactly the impression he wants to create.

There is one possible flaw in his disguise; he is, sometimes, cleaner than he seems. A very sharp nose might notice that his odor doesn't always match his appearance.

Personality/Bio: From his youth Zed was known as one touched by the Bull. The divine touch of madness ran strong in his clan. But on the day that his family was caught unprepared in a sudden desert storm and all died except Zed, he changed forever. Leaving his home behind forever (though not his god), he traveled to the city and took up residence there. He lives there to this day, still known to the desert people but always a mystery to them. To the people of the city he is nothing, just one more ragged old drifter who wanders aimlessly through the streets at night.

Among Zed's arsenal of weapons are three which he uses only when he is sure that he faces Chaos: his three Truestone darts. Keeping his hands deep in the voluminous pockets of his huge overcoat, he flings them suddenly at his target, right through the cloth of his coat (hence the patches). This attack is almost certain to give him complete surprise over his opponents.

Secret: In the desert during the storm, Zed had a vision of Chaos sprouting and flourishing in places that the Bull had ignored: the cities. Interpreting this as a holy command, he abandoned the desert and went to the city at the age of 14, founding a small shrine to the Bull hidden in a back-alley refuge. Over the years he has honed his knowledge of the city and his Chaos-fighting abilities, some of which are of necessity much different from his desert-dwelling kin. A few priests know of his purpose, but not all agree with it; some feel that Zed has taken on the taint of city ways, and were he to return to the desert there are those, even among his own people, who might even threaten his life.

These things are beyond Zed's concern, however. He has learned much, more than most of his people, and he neither apologizes nor explains. If he should survive, it is possible that he will be the founder of a new sub-cult of the Storm Bull.

Stats:

Human male age 37, Storm Bull Acolyte.            
STR: 19                 Location      Melee/Missile   AP/HP
CON: 21                 Right Foot....01-04/01-03......4/12
SIZ: 13                 Left Foot.....05-08/04-06......4/12
INT: 15                 Abdomen.......09-11/07-10......4/12
POW: 16                 Chest............12/11-15......4/15
DEX: 16                 Right Arm.....13-15/16-17......4/11
APP: 08                 Left Arm......16-18/18-19......4/11
                        Head..........19-20/20.........4/12

Move: 3
Fatigue: 40
Hit Points: 17 (+18 from strengthening enchantments) = 35
Magic Points: 16
DEX SR: 2
Damage Bonus: 1D4

Armor: Cuirbouilli + soft leather; 4 AP, 8.5 ENC

Weapon          SR   Att/Par%      Damage          ENC/AP
1H Battleaxe     6    75/69        1D8+2+1D4       1.0/08
Shortsword       6    97/91        1D6+1+1D4       1.0/10
Dagger           7   106/101       1D4+2+1D6       0.5/06
Fist             7    91/67        1D3+1D4          - /04
Kick             7    92/56        1D6+1D4          - /04
Grapple          7   100/--        1D6+1D4          - /04
Head Butt        7    86/75        1D4+1D4          - /04
Dart*           4/9  111/52        1D6+1D2 (+1D6)  0.5/09 (18)

*-Zed carries three iron darts which are each tipped with a splinter of Truestone. These have the properties in parentheses, and have the additional property of completely ignoring all protective magic.

Skills: Climb 92, Dodge 98, Jump 88, Throw 102, Animal Lore 63, Human Lore 105, Acting 92, Sing Drunkenly 96, Speak Stormspeech 79, Speak Sartarite 57, Speak New Pelorian 53, Spreak Praxian 79, Speak Tradetalk 58, First Aid 55, World Lore 63, Conceal 76, Devise 35, Sleight 88, Listen 100, Scan 94, Search 80, Track 99, Smell 76, Hide 85, Sneak 87, Detect Chaos 97

Spirit Magic: Detect Enemies (1), Dispel Magic 3, Fanaticism (1), Heal 4, Protection 4, Strength 1

Common Divine Magic: Divination x2, Soul Sight x1

Special Divine Magic: Berserk x2, Command Sylph x1, Face Chaos x2, Impede Chaos x2, Summon Sylph x1, Cure Chaos Wound x1, Shield x2, Fear x1.

Magic Items: Six strengthening echantments are contained in scars on his body. He has three Truestone-tipped darts which ignore protective magic, and do double damage against Chaotic opponents.

Allied Spirit: Slash, INT 12, POW 16. Bound in battleaxe. Spirit spells: Countermagic 3, Disruption (1), Mobility 2, Silence 2, Speedart (1).