Biography:

Eighty years ago, Ferwyll was born to the powerful Trisrora Ranelle of the Western Kingdoms (Elven Nations p. 168). As a younger child of a younger child, she grew up traveling with a family caravan that kept her constantly on the move. She saw the kingdoms from Wersedd to Clogwyn and, after her Ritual of Passage, did as any devout Follower of the Wheel would. She pursued the Discipline of the Warrior and took on the role of caravan guard. A few short years into her career, she was thought lost with the rest of her wagon train after a flash flood in the foothills of the Grand Cataracts.

Ferwyll did not die in the flood as believed. Instead she was gravely injured and washed into the densely wooded valleys of the Gwydenro. She was discovered and nursed back to health by a Woodsman nordal (The Adept’s Journey: Mystic Paths, p. 145). Ferwyll’s experiences with this group changed her: she left behind the Journey of the Wheel, took to the view of Beastmaster, and did not return to her family for eleven years.  The purpose of this reclusive and hitherto unknown community of elves is known to but a few.

When Ferwyll finally returned to Wersedd alive and well, she met in private with the family matriarch (and region’s queen) Jastra Trisrora. At the end of this series of meetings, her status was restored and she was assigned the duty of ”patrolling” the remains of Roheline Wood, a duty that took her both deep into the Wastes and beyond to the Poison Forest of Barsaive.

She performs her duty to this day, nearly fifty years later. What exactly she looks for on her grim patrols remains a matter of courtly rumors. She spends most of her time in the wilds and is recognized and well-liked by the rural communities near the Poison Forest. She attends many of the daenordal functions for the local Woodsmen, returning to her home nordal in the Western Kingdoms only once every few years.

Despite her frequent travel and her preference for the wilds, she has become an irregular feature in Barsaive’s city of Jerris. She spends much of her time there in watering holes drinking, gambling, and offering her (expensive) services to any planning expeditions into the Wastes. Local legends swirl around Ferwyll claiming that, should you meet her in the wilds, she’s as likely to kill you as assist you.

Personality:

Ferwyll keeps other Namegivers at arm’s length. When forced to interact with society, she prefers to do so with an ale in her hand. She’s a reasonable drinking companion, her cynical jabs at others are typically light-hearted and she happily jumps into tales about her time in the Wastes. While she is no Troubadour, most find her stories entertaining and informative. Those who pry into her life in the Western Kingdoms or her relationship with her family quickly find themselves on her bad side. She shuts down all conversation on the matter with an icy silence. Those who push their luck face her barbed mockery.

When she’s not in the city, she’s rigidly devoted to her task. She typically seeks out ruins, though is loath to let others plumb their depths. While she seems fascinated with the lost kaers of the Wastes, she jealously guards their secrets, claiming such information ”belongs to the Western Kingdoms” and not mere treasure hunters. Rumors of her hostility to common travelers are exaggerated, though she readily rushes into battle against those she believes Horror tainted or ”grave robbing”.

Game Statistics:

Seventh Circle Beastmaster, Second Circle Warrior, Path of the Woodsman

Attributes

  • Dexterity (20):  8/2D6
  • Strength (16):   7/D12
  • Toughness (13):6/D10
  • Perception (16):7/D12
  • Willpower (10): 5/D8
  • Charisma (13):  6/D10

Attack: Unarmed Combat: 18/D12+D10+D8

Damage:

  • Claw Shape: 20/D20+D8+D6
  • Claw Shape with Down Strike: 27/D20+D12+D8+D6

Initiative: 8/2D6

  • With Cobra Strike: 15/D12+2D6
  • With Cobra Strike and Tiger Spring: 22/D20+D10+D8

Movement: 14

  • Physical Defense: 14
  • Mystic Defense: 8
  • Social Defense: 9
  • Physical Armor: 10
  • Mystic Armor: 7
  • Blood Magic Damage: 12
  • Unconsciousness Rating: 75 (63)
  • Death Rating: 88 (76)
  • Wound Threshold: 9
  • Recovery Tests/Day: 3 +1
  • Recovery: 7/D12

Knockdown: 9/D8+D6

Carrying Capacity: 175

Maximum Karma: 28

Talents

  • Animal Bond (7): 13/D12+D10
  • Animal Companion Durability (3) [Tarrack (+15 to Health Ratings)]
  • Animal Talk (7): 14/2D12
  • Animal Training (4): 10/2D8
  • Anticipate Blow (6): 13/D12+D10
  • Avoid Blow (8): 16/D12+D8+D6
  • Awareness (7+1): 15/D12+2D6
  • Beast Weaving (7): 14/2D12
  • Blood Share (7): 13/D12+D10
  • Call Animal Companion (6): 11/D10+D8
  • Claw Shape (8+2): 20/D20+D8+D6
  • Cobra Strike (7): 15/D12+2D6
  • Creature Analysis (6): 13/D12+D10
  • Danger Sense (5): 12/2D10
  • Dominate Beast (7): 12/2D10
  • Down Strike (7): 12/2D10
  • Enhance Animal Companion (4): 9/D8+D6 [Tarrack (+3 Physical Armor, +1 Mystic Armor)]
  • Great Leap (7): 15/D12+2D6
  • Melee Weapons (3): 11/D10+D8
  • Stealthy Stride (7+2): 17/D12+2D8
  • Tiger Spring (7): Combined with Cobra Strike Above.
  • Tracking (5+1): 13/D12+D10
  • Unarmed Combat (8): 16/D12+D8+D6
  • War Weaving (2): 9/D8+D6
  • Wilderness Survival (8+1): 16/D12+D8+D6
  • Wood Skin (6): 12/2D10
  • Woodsman (3)
  • Wound Balance (2): 9/D8+D6

Knacks

  • Animal Handling (Animal Training, Companion, p. 79)
  • Anticipate Spell (Anticipate Blow, Companion, p. 80)
  • Eye Gouge (Unarmed Combat, Companion, p. 115)
  • Heal Animal Companion (Animal Bond, Companion, p. 79)
  • Hunter’s Strike (Tracking, The Adept’s Journey: Mystic Paths, p. 291)
  • Pounce (Great Leap, Companion, p. 95)
  • Redirect Attack (Avoid Blow, Companion, p. 83)
  • Resp ke Felyat (Karma, The Adept’s Journey: Mystic Paths, p. 298)
  • Vault Opponent (Great Leap, Companion, p. 95)
  • Wood Blend (Wood Skin, The Adept’s Journey: Mystic Paths, p. 295)
  • Woodsman (Path, The Adept’s Journey: Mystic Paths, p. 301)
  • Woodsman’s Home (Karma, The Adept’s Journey: Mystic Paths, p. 299)
  • Woodsman’s Hunt (Karma, The Adept’s Journey: Mystic Paths, p. 299)

Skills

  • Knowledge: Scourge History (4): 11/D10+D8
  • Knowledge: Elf Lore (5): 12/2D10
  • Knowledge: The Wastes (5): 12/2D10
  • Leatherworking (2): 8/D8+D6
  • Navigation (5): 12/2D10
  • Physician (4): 11/D10+D8
  • Read/Write Language (3): 9/D8+D6 [Dwarf (Throalic), Sperethiel (Western Kingdoms), Theran]
  • Speak Language (4): 11/D10+D8 [Dwarf (Throalic), Sperethiel (Western Kingdoms), Theran, Vasgothian (Barrite)]
  • Storytelling (3): 9/D8+D6
  • Taunt (5): 11/D10+D8

Abilities

  • May spend a Karma Point on Recovery tests.
  • May spend a Karma Point on unarmed Damage tests.
  • May spend a Karma Point on Initiative and Stealthy Stride tests in a natural area.
  • Cat’s Grace: Ferwyll automatically succeeds at tests to maintain her balance (not including Knockdown tests) and may stand up as a Simple action with no cost or test.
  • Tarrack Tear (Free Action): 1 Strain, +2 to an unarmed Attack and Damage tests against a target with lower Initiative. This can only affect the first attack the owner makes in a round and they must be using Claw Shape. If this is used before Initiative is determined, +2 to Initiative.

Equipment

Tapa (Tarrack, loyal animal companion, Elven Nations, p. 269, +3 to Physical Defense, +1 to Mystic Defense, +15 to Health Ratings), Armor of Roheline (R6, Forged +7), nordaltres, Tarrack Talons (R6, wayfarer cloak (R4), blood charms: blood survival, bone charm (common), death cheat, Horror fend.

Tactics

Ferwyll attempts to handle threats quickly and aggressively. Believing the axiom “cut the head off a snake and its body dies”, she prefers to immediately engage with the leader of her foes. Without an obvious leader, she finds herself in the middle of the fray or against the most physically imposing target. She prefers to engage in melee with her claws using Cobra Strike and Tiger Spring, followed by Great Leap and Down Strike to get the jump on her opponents. If she finds himself outclassed or outflanked, she uses Great Leap to regroup. Should this fail, she summons her nearby steed, Tapa, and beats a hasty retreat. When forced to retreat from a threat, she methodically studies it, preparing a future ambush with a zealous dedication.

Did you enjoy this look at Ferwyll? Then you’re in luck… we’ll revisit her in a future post, providing details about her thread items and an adventure hook! For now, though, that closes out another week.

About the Bloggers:

Kyle Pritchard is a second-generation tabletop gamer who has been slinging dice since before he was crawling. He’s been working with FASA Games since 2014 and has been a member of Earthdawn Team since 2018.

Morgan Weeks is just over five and a half feet and weighs under 300 lbs. He’s notable for his distinctive black and white coloration, and fondness for extremely tall grasses, even though he’s poorly adapted to eating them. The resulting low energy leads to a lot of sitting around time. Which really helps with the writing. Though where he learned to type — let alone how — is still a mystery.

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