Cadmus

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## General Character Traits

* Race: Half Orc
* Class: Cleric
* Subclass: Tempest
* Full Name: Cadmus Orc-Blood

## Backstory

Cadmus doesn't know who his mother was. But he knows who his father was. His father was Mahk, Chief of the Shadow Claw tribe of Orcs. The Shadow Claw tribe was one of the many tribes of Orc that roamed the Orc Hills region in the southern Storm Coast. In those days, Cadmus was known as Dumahk. And although still a youth, he was already displaying such strength and cunning that it seemed clear he would one day replace his father as Chief. Although, as it turned out, Dumahk would never get that chance.

When Dumahk was about half-grown, the mercenary armies of Black Landing began sweeping through the Orc Hills. The Orc tribes had once again grown too large and too bold, and certain interests from the city-states of the Storm Coast had contracted with Black Landing to perform a purge. The majority of the Shadow Claw tribe was either killed or driven off. However, the mercenaries also took special care to capture as many half-orc children as they could. Dumahk and several other half-orc youths were brought back to Black Landing and conscripted into a special training program called "Red Sun".

His trainers renamed him Cadmus Orc Blood, and the memories of his life with the Shadow Claw tribe soon faded, replaced by the endless drills of military training. The purpose of the Red Sun training program was to create a particularly brutal and lethal company of mercenary soldiers, with little concern for the legality, ethics or morality of the tasks they were asked to perform. And, it was successful. Red Sun mercenaries didn't ask questions and would strike down anyone or anything their commanding officers said needed to be struck down. Upon completing his training, and reaching adult hood, Cadmus graduated from the training program into the ranks of the Red Sun. Cadmus' first mission for the Red Sun took him to the area of Greenest, where a local rancher wasn't cooperating with some request from the Merchant Lords of Black Landing. So, a squad of Red Sun mercenaries were sent to convince the rancher to fall in line.

During the "negotiations", the rancher's son attempted to attack Cadmus with a dagger. Cadmus easily overpowered the young man, taking the weapon from him and plunging it deep into the son's chest, killing him. As this resulted in the rancher finally agreeing to the Merchant Lords request, the mission was considered successful. And, Cadmus carries that dagger with him to this day, as a proud reminder of his successful first mission.

Eventually, Cadmus became a Sergeant in the Red Sun company, after successfully completing many missions, most of which involved some act of what would generally be considered "evil". As a Sergeant, Cadmus no longer wore the traditional black studded leather armor (with a red circular splash across the chest) of the Red Sun. Instead, he wore chain mail, and a Red Sun medallion signifying his rank.

It was on Cadmus' first mission as a Sergeant, the he and his men met a force that was more than their match. They had been sent to destroy a mining camp on the eastern slopes of the Endscale Mountains, southeast of Black Landing. A mining camp that knew trouble was headed their way, and had hired some adventurers to protect them. His entire squad was killed, and Cadmus himself was struck down by the sacred power of a Cleric. As Cadmus bled out in the field of mud and blood, he came to a two fold realization. The Gods naturally sought balance in the world, and people had free will. Cadmus had used his free will to perform many acts of evil, but had not balanced them out by also performing acts of good. Therefore, the adventuring Cleric that had struck him down was attempting to bring about some balance by eliminating Cadmus. So, assuming he actually survived, Cadmus would need to start "balancing his accounts" to avoid the wrath of the Gods. For some reason, this realization brought Cadmus to the attention of Sobek, the God of Thunder and Storms. Sobek spoke to Cadmus, offering to save his life and empower and advise him on his journey of balance. Cadmus eagerly accepted Sobek's offer and found himself miraculously healed, as well as empowered by the storm god's divine lightning.

Now a Cleric of Sobek, Cadmus resigned from the Red Sun to become an adventurer, a common enough occurrence within the greater mercenary armies of Black Landing, although somewhat rare for the Red Sun company. Cadmus remains in good standing with Red Sun and Black Landing, and is able to call upon the privileges of his former rank when needed.

Cadmus has created a list of his evil acts, and every time he performs an act of good he will record it next to one of those evil acts in order to "balance his accounts". Occasionally, Sobek gives him some advice on how best to go about achieving that balance.

As his first Red Sun mission occurred near the town of Greenest, Cadmus has decided to start his journey there. As luck would have it, he has also heard rumors of a "Dragon Cult" operating in that area and looking to hire mercenaries that don't ask lots of questions. Which sounds like just the place to find opportunities to wipe out the "red" in his ledger.

## Campaign Hook

with Barlo

While on his way south to the town of Greenest to begin his both divine and personal quest, Cadmus Orc-Blood, a half orc cleric of Sobek, came upon a fleeing band of merchants. These merchants warned Cadmus that a band of orcs which appeared wounded and desperate, had just crossed the river just a few miles south and would be entering the Greenfields. Cadmus, recently looking to do good for those in need, and ever curious about his kin, investigated. Barlo met with the half orc cleric who openly approached his now small nomadic tribe’s encampment. While similar in race, these two half orcs had been raised in far separate worlds, and yet found common cause.

Cadmus told Barlo that he could help him enter the lands of humans in peace and find those who could help his tribe find a home in peace. For the Ironclaw were not raiders and pillagers, but peaceful hunters, gatherers, farmers, and breeders. In return, Cadmus told Barlo he was one step closer to balancing his acts in the universe. The cleric instructed the tribe to stay out of the human villages and farms but stay near the river for now. And so, the two half orc traveled the few days to the nearest human town of Greenest. There, they sought out the largest and populated local inn - The Dreaming Dragon.