Patton (PC)



High in the mountain that border the Dwarven Kingdom are a series of outposts that guard against ogres, yeti, orcs and other dangerous mountain denizens that threaten both the dwarves of Falkruun, and the dragonborn of Arkoshia (and specifically Keshte). These outposts are called the Ice Traps, and they are connected to the White City by the Long Tunnels, which were carved centuries ago and predate the empire.

The Ice Traps are manned by two rival clans, one dwarven and one dragonborn. They have worked together for generations, competing in a friendly rivalry to see which clan can best defend the mountains. Patton Ice-Roar was born into the dragonborn clan and spent most of his childhood in the Ice Traps, learning dragonborn and dwarven fighting techniques, which focused on using the bitter cold to weaken and trap enemies. Many long winter nights were spent in friendly, raucous feast nights of drinking, storytelling and brawling. For Patton it was a paradise. Patton could have easily and happily spent all of his life in the Ice Traps, following the traditions of his family. Then, by chance, something happened and his life was changed forever: a tiefling caravan was attempting to cross the mountains and it was attacked by mountain orcs. Patton’s war band came to the rescue and took the surviving tieflings to their outpost to shelter from a storm. The storm became a blizzard and the tieflings were forced to stay with the dragonborn for weeks. These strange, exotic beings were the first real outsiders that Patton had ever met and he found them fascinating. Despite their small size, they were clearly formidable beings. They used fire instead of cold to fight. They were deceptive and tricky, but Patton, unlike many of his brethren did not find their ways repugnant. He admired their love of beauty and finery. He appreciated the sensuous craftsmanship of their weapons and armor. He saw the wisdom in the trickster fighting techniques and understood that they had their own code of honor.

Patton became friends with the tieflings and much to his own surprise he went with them when they left, hiring on as a guard. The decision was viewed by many of his family as a betrayal, a desertion of his duty. Many years later Patton would be forced to agree with their judgement.

The merchants eventually returned to their homeland and Patton went with them and for nearly ten years Patton toured the Tiefling empire and saw things that he had not dreamed possible: vast devil palaces floating on moats of fire, armies of succubi crossing moonlit night skies, strange infernal/tiefling hybrids that fought in the coliseums.

Slowly Patton came to realize that his fascination had blinded him to certain things and that the pacts that the Tieflings had formed with Hell were coming due. He made his way back to Arkoshia and sought out old friends and allies to warn them, but much of what he said was chewed on by dull teeth (the dragonborn equivalent of “falling on deaf ears”) and much of what he saw disturbed him. Arkoshia too had its problems. The Tieflings were decadent and cruel, but the Dragonborn were arrogant and rigid. They would not listen to his warnings, claiming the a dragonborn army could never fall to mere “hornheads.”

Patton bided his time, studying the strategies of the great tiefling generals and learning how they fought. Occasionally he would hear of an expedition into one of the nine hells, and he always signed on, knowing that they were the true enemy.

He waited, knowing that the great war was coming.

Now that the hostilities have started, Patton is trying to take the fight where he thinks it should go: the depths of hell. He feels that the devils are the real enemy, and he has a sick feeling in his gut that now matter which side “wins” the war, both sides will be destroyed in the war, that both empires will simply burn themselves out in the vast conflict; leaving the powers of hell in a prime position to sweep up the remains.