Otto Grayraven

## Traits

Otto has seen his fair share of adventure and excitement in his life. He carries with him a wealth of experience and knowledge that tempers his approach to every day obstacles, teetering close to what appears to be paranoia. He is certainly anxious, there is no doubt about that, but a lot of it is fuelled by run ins with cruel men, monsters and the occasional undead horror. You can never be certain if there isn't another one of such things lurking around the corner or in that shadowy nook of the alleyway.

Fear is a big part of Otto's character. He has been working on overcoming these, but it comes with a lot of willpower and concentration which can generally be wavered pretty easily if whatever he is dealing with isn't necessarily another mortal humanoid. He can handle something he can understand, not so much something that is inhuman. However, he has set out to improve himself, however hard that is proving so far.

Despite it all, in every day circumstance, Otto proves to be very polite and an excellent listener. He thrives in conversation and loves to exchange stories of bravery, virtue and adventure. There is always some kind of story that Otto can tell to brighten your day or grant you advice. He's a decent liar, though intimidation tends to make that façade falter. Nuance is the Achilles' heel of his conversation skills however, as a lot of subtle things go right over his head.

In the end, Otto wants to better his home and protect those around him, whatever that may entail.

## Goals & Motivation

**Short term:**

Otto is set on trying to regain his previous strength and capability, becoming the fierce warrior he once was.

**Long term:**

Since being rid of Truth, Otto's goals have changed. Now his attention is entirely on Arcadia, to better it in any way possible and protect those within, especially Cressa.

## Physical strength

Otto has committed a lot of time to try and build up his strength once again. Though he is nowhere as capable as he was in his prime, he has managed to work back up to be slightly above the average of a human. He can finally wield his blade with ease, don his armour and meet your average bandit in combat if it is required.

## Speed & Agility

Otto has managed to regain the speed and agility of your average human, though it is hardly the focus of his training at the moment. He can keep up with most and can overcome your average leaps and obstacles, however he is no acrobat and has no inclination to try and fix that.

## Endurance and Stamina

Otto's endurance has slowly built up over time again. He has managed to build himself up over time. He can run just a bit longer than the average and the physical labour of carrying barrels around in the Vine isn't an issue. Combat can still be quite taxing, but that is just further encouragement to get it finished before he gets too exhausted to continue.

## Charisma & Intelligence

Otto won’t lead armies or rule kingdoms, but he can certainly hold a nice conversation. There is always a tale to tell of his past, though he will rarely be able to tell you many details. He has a lot of niche knowledge he acquired in the past and has proven to be quite quick to pick up new things.

## Combat ability

Otto has the training and combat experience to allow him to wield any large weapon from spears, through halberds, to greatswords and longswords. This experience carries on to smaller close quarters arms like knives and maces, but he has used them less often. He has been trained in ranged combat too, having the knowledge to use crossbows and bows effectively, though with less experience to back it up.

## Skills

The rest of his skills hardly compare to his combat training. He has basic knowledge of brewing and cooking. He has enough experience and understanding of survival to last in average forest conditions, but in the most extreme circumstances (deserts, bad weather etcetera.) he can become a little hopeless, especially with how weak he is. He’s also experienced in ways of warding against evil spirits and demons, at least the ways used back home which don’t necessarily work very well, except when dealing with minor malicious beings. He’s got a decent amount of knowledge about these unpleasant creatures however.

## Drawbacks/weaknesses

Otto has managed to recover from the majority of his physical drawbacks, regaining the capabilities of an average human. However, despite that, he has no confidence in his abilities whatsoever. This is only further emphasised by his deep rooted fears that he has to work really hard to overcome whenever they pop up. There are times when they even overcome him and he can hardly do anything when stricken by fear.

## Early Life

Otto was raised in Dheos, a theocracy dedicated to the twin gods known there as Utarr and Idarr. Gods of justice, light and all that lovely stuff, though they preached prejudice against all things dark and evil, at least according to them. With these values in mind, Otto was raised into an acolyte who quickly became obsessed with protecting his home. He spent his time training and practicing, but in times of rest he often swung by his uncle's Inn, spending time behind the counter where he could listen in on the stories told by visitors. He heard stories of mighty beasts hiding in the mountains North of Dheos, he heard of odd tendrils lurking in the seas and of beasts that hunt travellers in the dark forests. Yet through it all, he also heard stories of victory, of hope, of great virtue. These stories only fuelled the fire of a young boy who wished nothing more than to experience such stories for himself. It was certainly not helped by the pressures of his parents, one a priestess and the other a decorated temple guard. Much was expected from young Otto who took it all in stride, using the pressures placed upon him as fuel to make himself thrive.

With all of this behind him, he finally reached the age of 18 which marked the end of his training. Otto was brought into the ranks of Dheos' famous temple guard, made to watch over the most fabulous of structures.

He spent a blissful decade, seizing a small fortune as he became more and more respected amongst his comrades. He was everything that he wanted to be and more. Though he never truly left the city to see the creatures of the mountains, the monsters of the sea and the beasts of the forests. It was all still distant stories, but the comfort of the city and his surprisingly peaceful life was enough to keep him comfortable.

It all ended about a decade ago, when one unfortunate evening Otto's life would change. On his way home from a shift, he was already contemplating his plans for the evening just for the hubbub of the city to be interrupted by a thunderous noise of an explosion. When Otto turned, he watched as hellish flames split the main cathedral of Molunsk open, consuming his comrades and any that were still inside the gigantic building. As he watched the horrific blaze, he soon saw monstrous figures claw their way out of the rubble; demons which quickly sprung onto the unprepared city below.

Otto didn't stay. He ran and he would never turn back.

He managed to escape the city unscathed, his armour and blades of a guard giving him an edge over the helpless folk who also tried to flee the city. Once outside of the walls, he had to rely on his wit. His armour was enough to make most enamoured by his presence and a quick story about his brave attempts to stand against the demonic hordes in the capital softened the hearts of many commonfolk who offered him cheaper loggings and food. The issues started once he had to leave Dheos, fearing persecution for desertion. Once he left his home behind him, he quickly learnt the ways of survival in the wilderness and honed his silver tongue to get his way more often than not. Through ups and downs, he endured and even thrived for a period of time. However, a part of this section of his life is blurry to him, lost somewhere in the depths of his mind. He tries and tries to remember, but nothing comes back to him.

## Recent life events

Several years ago, Otto stopped in a cave. It was nothing out of the ordinary and as the flames of his fireplace dimmed and he drifted off to sleep, he didn't quite realise how dangerous it was. He awoke in the dark, the exit from the cave gone. The only way out was a tunnel which led deeper in. With no choices left, he eventually took his stuff and headed in deeper. He kept going, seeking an exit yet none appeared before him no matter how much he tried. Monsters swarmed from the darkness and he valiantly stood against them, despite his growing weakness. It felt like forever, with no sunlight and no sign of escape until finally he was worn out, exhausted and dying. With his final breaths, he called out to the darkness in hopes of acquiring some kind of help... And the darkness called back. A nightmarish creature of bone and darkness emerged and offered him a deal to become it's host while it saved him.

He woke outside of the cavern system, the sunlight gently brushing over his face. He was alive, with very little if any memory of what happened in the underground. All he knew was that he was tired, but had to keep moving. Not too long after that, he ran into a witch in the forests. Cressa, the woman who would mark the beginning of a brand new chapter in his life. They set out together into the unknown, wary of their opposing walks of life, but finding their cooperation made them undefeatable. That is, until Otto's strength started to wane, just as the two of them reached the continent of Oracle.

## Present life

Upon reaching Oracle, Otto and Cressa wandered the continent for a short while and eventually stumbled upon a dwarf in the Northern parts of the land who was working away on a city. Drawn in by the allure of this sprouting place, Otto and Cressa settled down and created the tavern known as the Vine. Otto committed himself to brewing as his strength waned and memory blurred. This period of his life is unclear, as the majority of the time he was entirely at the whim of the undead entity known as Truth. However, despite it all, those around him saved him. With great sacrifice, Truth was moved into a separate body where it could be led into a feeling of safety before being slain. Otto was free at last.

Free of the creature, Otto has committed himself to bettering the kingdom of Arcadia, helping those who he owes his life to and bettering himself. He has managed to train and improve his physical strength, expanded his knowledge of brewing and has made sure to be a productive citizen of Arcadia.