The Iron Bull

"I love the kind of woman that can kick my ass.~"

> "**What's that thing you said during battle earlier?'"**
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> "*Oh, Taarsidath-an Halsaam? Closest translation would be... "I will bring myself pleasure later, while thinking about this with great respect."*"
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> "**You shouted *THAT*...while they were shooting fireballs at us.**"
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> "*I know right?! **grunts*****.**"
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> ― *Banter between The Iron Bull and a past companion*[[source]]
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**The Iron Bull**, or **Ashkaari** as he was known in his childhood, is a one-eyed Tiefling with a taste for violence and indulgence. He is the proprietor of Crème de la Krem and the Bullring in the Landing. He also delves into underworld work, where he's locally and openly projective of his status as a spymaster to the public.

## Background

The Iron Bull, born as Ashkaari ("One Who Thinks"), was born to a impoverished pair of Tieflings in Tian Xia. Growing desperate for gold and survival, they sold him into a trade shop to labor their debts away. Some time later, a band of mercenaries carved their way through the factory and inadvertently freed the young Tiefling from his bondage.

Growing infatuated with the lifestyle and intensity the mercenaries adopted into their work environment, Ashkaari begged and pleaded to allow himself to accompany them. After seeing his insistence and stubbornness, they agree and train him in the ways of heavy two-handed weaponry early on.

It wasn't long until he struck out to build a new band of mercenaries to lead under a new moniker...The Iron Bull. In his travels, he found a select group of capable men and women of various races and dubbed the group "Bull's Chargers." Among the group was Cremisius Aclassi or Krem, a young man who escaped the brutality of Cheliax politics to live a simpler life. He became Bull's right hand man and together, they set out for Southern Korvosa, taking on a plethora of odd jobs and ends.

After many years, they made a name for themselves as a mercenary group that took only jobs that interested Bull. These jobs usually entailed having a solid moral compass, meaning many people seeking mere revenge or murder were turned down, thanks to Krem. One particular job, however, The Iron Bull would regret accepting.

Their job was to defend a village from an incoming military assault from a dastardly noble who took advantage of his position. As the battle waned on, "Bull's Chargers" fended off most of the onslaught. However, a critical error on Bull's part led to a positioning miscue and a choice would need to be made. He had to choose to sacrifice his men to save the village, or to allow the villagers to perish in defense of his men's life. As he faltered in his immediate decision, Krem made the choice for him and led the remaining men to their deaths.

As the lone survivor, Bull craved vengeance and let it consume his waking thoughts. He honed his intelligence gathering abilities, learned to mix with the crowd in spite of his massive build, and improved his combat capabilities by utilizing his rage in a focused manner. On a peaceful Oathday in Sarenith, he singlehandedly charged the estate of the noble and cut down his private guards before delivering the final blow to the defenseless man.

Afterwards, feeling his debt repaid and his spirit wavering, he overindulges in pleasures of life until he came North to Korvosa. Looking to start anew and building a bar to honor his fallen comrades, he now smiles jovially and boisterously; though how legitimate these emotions are is a mystery to many.

## Appearance

> "*People's minds like to play these...funny little tricks on themselves. They choose to believe what they think they see, rather than see what's right in front of them. In my case, what you see is what you get. And for many, many, **MANY** folks, that image varies.~*"
> ― **The Iron Bull**
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The Iron Bull's most distinguishing feature is his pair of large, draconic-like horns that extend to the side of his head. Other discernible features of his include his eyepatch over the injured left eye he received while protecting an innocent information broker of his, the grey skin tone of a Tiefling, rippling muscles, and an Earthbreaker he carries around with the moniker "The Iron Dragon."

He stands at a towering 7'5" tall and weighs a titanic 295 lbs. without armor.

His clothing attire in the public eye generally consists of a wrap around his waist, hoisting up loose cloth pants and bracer wrappings around his wrists. It's not uncommon to see Bull walk around in public without a shirt on, though he carries his weapon around constantly as he feels "naked" without it on him.

In battle, Bull relies on his trusty battle armor: A hulking sized Mountain Pattern with a helm in the shape of his head, giving his imagery the literal and terrifying impression of an iron bull. He dons multiple magical items alongside his armor and weaponry, though much of his prowess comes from pure battle instincts as a mercenary captain.

## Personality

Many folks who encounter The Iron Bull firsthand generally leave with the same impression of him: jovial, boisterous, chaotic, well intentioned, powerful, machismo, confident, flirtatious, etc. The list is endless in their description of this larger-than-life man. Often times, they find him to be a trustworthy confidant, a worthwhile friend, a terrifying foe in battle, even a relatively perverted natured older man.

*All of this is false, and yet true all the same.*

Bull is genuinely everything that he puts himself out to be for others. He loves, laughs, and cries just as much as any one other person does. However, in reality, this is part of a large act that he employs in order to work the way he does. As a spy in the open, Bull gives the information in order to simultaneously gain trust and distill doubt into whoever he speaks with. The trust that sharing intimate information means that he's an open man, but the distrust that if dealing with him in his spy network, there's no guarantee of what he knows, how much he knows, or pretends to know. Whichever the case, he gauges the person in front of him and capitalizes on key personality traits that will resonate with the vulnerabilities of others.

For example, in the case of dealing with Noot in their first meeting, he proved himself to be a trustworthy ally by agreeing with Noot that Gods were the cause of many mayhems and disasters in the world, while passing his own personal belief of the Gods as hateful rather than what it truly was: indifference. Or in the case of his own men, where he takes on the persona of being a jovial, confident and humorous leader to boost their morale and comfortability. The desired effect usually leads to his men not only willingly carrying out hard work, but doing so earnestly and with focus. Bull does indeed cherish his friends and cohorts, but he'd be lying if he didn't admit that those relationships didn't come with benefits that he nurtured.

At his core, Bull is a well intentioned and honest man who believes that with enough perseverance and hard work, anything can be attained. He has a tendency to help out those in need, no matter the risks or the dangers. When it comes to women in particular, Bull has an extremely soft spot for them and would go to great lengths to ensure their safety and happiness, often times putting himself in danger. He has a strong nurturing fatherly love that he shares often with his friends and allies, often times suffocating them in affection and support.

In battle, Bull has a relaxed and casual approach to handling imminent threats to himself, as he believes it to be quite entertaining and thrilling. Often times, he finds himself immersed in the fighting to a feeling of euphoria and has built the Bullring to replicate that effect as well as spread the joys of fighting without holds barred. Unlike many fighters who adhere to a code of honor, Bull has been a mercenary for many years to the point that his method of fighting may seem corrupt to many. He often times will perform dirty tricks, psychological warfare, and shady schemes if he thinks it will increase the odds of winning.

## Relationships

**Noot** - A friendship bond made approximately a year ago, Noot has proven to be a close confidant and a worthy friend in Bull's perspective. Many times, they find each other in the midst of their work, with Bull lending an ear for the giant crocodilian who finds himself conflicted often. Finding himself in the wavering goals of his friend, Bull tries to help him with his goal due to his understanding of the pain and want for revenge that Noot desires. Together in battle, their fighting styles reach synergy perfectly and they make a terrifying duo.

**Zephrus** - A complicated relationship at the start, Zephrus was the victim of an accident on Bull's part during a mission where he lifted a tree with the Skin Walker still onboard. After the completion of the mission, they dueled as per agreement in the Bullring and Zephrus emerged victorious after a close battle. They made amends and from then on, became friends who bonded from combat. As Bull grew in strength, he found himself beating Zephrus during a rematch in the Bullring and consoled the young man afterwards when Zephrus questioned his strength and path. He went to further console him and offer a place to stay and recover after hearing word of his beloved's death, Zilvra, a woman he also considered a dear friend. Together, they aim to recover from their mental scars of losing a close ally as they hunt down the perpetrator responsible.

**Sari** - The Kitsune and Bull bonded early on, as they met during Bull's first adventure after arriving in Korvosa. He found her presence to be calming and delightful, often bringing her gifts such as cases of beer when visiting for a tarot card reading. He also found her to be a welcome aid when needing new equipment to better complete his missions. As such, he considers her a close friend and an important person in his life. He believes that she thinks the same, as when she threw a dinner party for her closest friends, he was invited. He celebrated by ordering as much food as possible and attempting to be the life of the party to increase mood levels.

## Equipment

**The Iron Dragon** - An Earthbreaker of sheer power, The Iron Dragon is Bull's signature weapon. It is made of adamantine and harnesses the enchantment powers of imbued magic (+1), Impact, and Furious, which allows Bull to hit his enemy harder than usual and even more so when he's tapped into his primal rage. It is connected via a Living Steel Weapon Cord.

**Imza Enhanced Mountain Pattern** - A hulking giant of an armor, seemingly meant for a creature of greater size than even Bull. This armor was crafted by the hides of Imza creatures and enchanted with imbued magic (+1), Benevolent, Bloodthirsty, and Titanic, which grants the wearer the ability to provide further defensive assistance to allies, further defensive abilities to oneself upon hitting another (especially if tapping into primordial rage), and the ability to grow larger in stature and weight a minute per day, regardless of biology.

**Cyclops Helm** - The Iron Bull's signature helmet. A metallic wrapping in the form of his head, including his horns, the helm allows for the wearer to choose one action a day to be performed at its most perfected attempt.

**Signet Rings of the Landing/Korvosan Guard Officials** - As part of his repertoire of spy tools, Bull is able to falsify official documents regarding guards and their duties in both Korvosa and the Landing.

**Boots of Speed** - Boots that grant the wearer the ability to haste oneself for up to a minute per day in intervals.

**Belt of Mighty Strength** - Grants the wearer the strength of a man twice as strong. (+2)

**Headband of Alluring Charisma** - Grants the wearer the charm of a man twice as handsome and alluring. (+2)

**Amulet of Natural Armor** - Grants the wearer the innate defensive abilities of a natural creature. (+2)

**Ring of Protection** - Grants the wearer a field of deflection to further assist in defense. (+2)

**Cloak of Resistance** - Grants the wearer increased constitution, reflexes, and willpower in regards to life threatening situations. (+2)

**Gloves of Dueling** - Grants the wearer the benefits of a fighter twice his skill and allows for a firmer grip on his weaponry.

**Maiden's Helm (Tattoo)** - Grants the wearer an increased terrifying presence and the ability to force others to follow commands upon demand.

**The Divine Gift of Apsu** - A gift received from Oreganus and Deirdre, descendants of Apsu, one of the oldest Gods of the Great Beyond and the one of two creators of the multiverse, it allows Bull to summon forth a medium sized copper dragon to his beckon. Bull has given the dragon the name of Hissera, or Hope, and has given the dragon a comfortable life of lavishing and relaxation rather than a life of battle and danger.

## Powers and Abilities

**Master Close Combatant** - Bull is not a versatile fighter. He cannot deal well with flying creatures, ranged attackers, nor can he withstand the mental might of a caster for long. However, where he lies in his weaknesses, he more than makes up for in his one strength: Bull is a literal physical force of nature. In the front lines is where you'll find this massive beast tearing apart the battlefield asunder. As one of the most prominent front line fighters in Korvosa and in the Landing, he has garnered a fearful reputation amongst his peers, to the point that many hesitate to face him in solo combat in fear of disaster occurring.

**Godlike Power** - A man of 295 lbs. of pure muscle, Bull is capable of amazing physical feats. He is able to push and drag around over a ton in weight and can lift men of average weight and height with relative ease.

**Godlike Constitution** - A man of incredible durability, Bull is capable of taking hits that could kill mortals in large volume and stand back up to fight. Many have seen him go down, but no one has ever seen him out of a fight.

**Incredible Charisma** - Being a man with a sharp tongue and handsome physique has given Bull the advantage of social adaptability. Many are drawn to him by his gravitational personality and few can deny that he has a certain je ne said quoi.

**Impressive Intelligence** - Not only a man of brawn, Bull is perhaps one of the most brilliant minds in the Landing when it comes to subtlety and the psychology of people. He's also a master tactician, leading his former crew to multiple successes and his current allies to proper placement during battle. Often times, he plays the fool and ignorant, though this is merely to throw off others to question what they truly believe.

**Rage** - For 36 seconds a day, Bull can tap into his primordial rage by thinking of the day his fatal mistake led to his comrades' demise. In this form, his eyes glow red and his body exudes heat as if a raging bull is on a warpath to destruction. His strength and durability are increased, as is his precision. Despite the usual drawbacks of others using this form, the magical items and gear Bull uses during combat allows for his drawbacks to become advantages instead, making him extremely deadly.

**Shattering Strike** - Though not used often, Bull has a versatile trick up his arsenal to destroy the gear of his opponent rather than directly attack them. It is seldom used, best only for enemies with which certain conditions are acquired.

**Overhand Strike** - With a swing downwards, Bull puts his entire back into the attack. This allows for even more of his strength to be utilized in dealing damage to his opponents.

**Backswing** - Gaining greater control of his muscles, Bull is able to put his entire back into all of his attacks. Each swing has the force to topple mountains and raise hell on his foes.

**Weapon Training** - After decades of using the same weapon for mercenary work, Bull has come to be one with The Iron Dragon and learned to harness even more precision and power in his attacks.

**Feats** - As a fighter for many years, Bull has learned to develop a unique repertoire of combat abilities.

1. **Power Attack** - Bull has learned how to attack with ferocity, sacrificing precision for pure unrepented damage.
2. **Furious Focus** - Bull is trained in the arts of neglecting the penalty many deal with in using Power Attack, maintaining his precision for the first strike of his onslaught.
3. **Weapon Focus** - Trained in the arts of an Earthbreaker for several decades, Bull has mastered its versatility and gained better precision with his strikes.
4. **Weapon Specialization** - Giving his years to one singular weapon has lent Bull the ability to pinpoint where to hit his enemies to strike the hardest, allowing him to deal extra damage.
5. **Combat Reflexes** - Many years of combat duties as a mercenary has given Bull the instincts of a solider, allowing him to react quickly to the rotation of enemy positioning and attacking often to intercept them.
6. **Bodyguard** - Due to caring a great deal for his allies, Bull has trained in the arts of deflecting blows meant for others. He assists those right beside him and near an attacking enemy with his weapon to ensure no harm comes their way.
7. **In Harm's Way** - In the event that Bull's deflection is not enough to protect his allies, Bull goes in a desperate attempt to put himself between the intended attack receiver and the attack itself, receiving the damage in place of his ally in a selfless action.
8. **Cornugan Smash** - Bull's attacks are so powerful and his presence so terrifying that his mere swing is enough to inflict fear along with damage to the recipient. They become Shaken and fearful due to his overwhelming presence on the battlefield.
9. **Signature Skill** - Bull's learned to specialize his psychological knowledge towards battlefield intimidation. When an enemy is subjugated to Bull's fearful tactics, they cannot help but flee away from him in the thoughts that running will save their life.
10. **Improved Critical** - Bull's familiarity with the battlefield allows him to pinpoint the weakest point of an enemy's defenses and attack them with impunity for maximum damage output.
11. **Cut From The Air** - Due to his weakness against ranged enemies, Bull has learned to hone his reflexes so focused that he's able to smash small projectiles shot at him into the ground whilst they are midair in flight.
12. **Smash From The Air** - Combining his intense focused reflexes with his massive strength, Bull is capable of deflecting incredibly large projectiles into smithereens before they hit their intended recipient in an impressive display of power.

**Smite Good** - Due to his demonic biological nature, Bull has the inherent ability to specialize his attack against monikers of Good and inflict massive wounds in one hit once per day.

**Darkvision** - Due to his demonic biological nature, Bull has the inherent ability to see in the dark clearly for up to 60 feet.

**Spy Network** - Bull has amassed the assistance of multiple men and women of various backgrounds to assist in his spy network. Whether this is done through simple postal service, being a handmaiden to a noble, a soldier in the ranks, or even a homeless man in the streets, he has his eyes and ears where least would suspect. As a result, Bull has access to knowledge and information many aren't privy to.

**Psychological Warfare** - Being trained in the games of mental chess, Bull knows how to maneuver around society in order to gain his desired results. This often is shown when he becomes what others want the most, or when he plays the fool. Most, if not all the time, this is merely a ruse in order for his ploy to be successful.

## Quotes

* (*Mission to clear the Scorpion Caverns*)
	+ **The Iron Bull**: That was some work out there Bob.
	+ **Bob**: Thanks Bull!
	+ **The Iron Bull**: The way you bisected that scorpion's torso in one fell swoop and the blood splattered everywhere. Hey, are you as turned on as I am right now?
	+ **Bob**: I-I-I...Am I what?
	+ **The Iron Bull**: That's...probably impossible anyways.
* (*The incident that caused Bull's left eye to be damaged*)
	+ **Cole**: Bull...back at the bar, you let the man hit you when the blade was meant for me.
	+ **The Iron Bull**: And I'd do it every time given the same scenario.
	+ **Cole**: But why? Your eye...I-
	+ **The Iron Cole**: Listen Cole, you may be a weird, squirrelly kid, but you're **MY** weird, squirrelly kid.[1]
* (*During his matches between Apoleia and Tana*)
	+ **The Iron Bull**: I love the kind of woman that can kick my ass.
* (*Being questioned on his effectiveness and authenticity as a spy*)
	+ **V**: How can you possibly be a spy?
	+ **The Iron Bull**: Well, it's a pretty easy job. I do some fighting and drinking, and once in awhile I ask someone to gather information for me or to do some other shady work.
	+ **V**: B-But where's the *sneaking*? The *plotting*? The **subtle machinations**?
	+ **The Iron Bull**: If you **do** that, then everyone knows you're a bad spy. Drinking, fighting, relegating. That's all it takes.
	+ **V**: Shit. You're either the best Tiefling or the worst, I really can't decide.
	+ **The Iron Bull**: And that's the point.[2]

## Trivia

* The Iron Bull is derived directly from a character of the same name in Dragon Age: Inquisition. Their personality, history, and design are identical, save for minor tweaks and changes.
* He is pansexual.
* Originally, he was meant to be a joke character, as the idea was to create a Fighter with a dump stat maxed.
* Due to insane damage output during his 7-8 levels, the Boots of Speed were temporarily taken away from the character to balance out encounters.
* Ironically enough, he holds the record for the most losses in his own ring.
* His goal is to dethrone Jovan as his perceived 'Greatest Close Combat Fighter in the Landing.'