Carl, The Wolf in the Fold

(200 pt version)

Trump:

Somewhere in the thick Forest of Arden is the scene. A small thinning in the density of the trees allows enough light to see the man standing in front of you.

Clearly this man is used to the ways of the True Forest. His shirt and tights are something out of Robin Hood. The colors, however, are Green and Black. In dimmer conditions, you

probably would not have seen him at all.

He would definitely have seen you, however. His bright green eyes look right at you, studying if you are stag, manticore, or not prey at all. He doesn't seem to have made his mind up yet. About 5 feet, 10 inches tall and well built. He is clearly well muscled, evident from the bow in his hands. A fine weapon, of mottled green. It appears to have a hefty pull, but he clearly has no trouble with it, as he has an arrow notched. Fortunately, he is aiming the arrow at your feet, and not your heart, a situation he could probably correct in an instant. And, it almost seems, he isn't aiming at your heart since he may not have one himself. His face is passionless, without hint of smile or sneer. He is merely studying you with those bright eyes, awaiting what you have to say, but without anticipation, or fear. What words would you exchange with the Hunter from Arden?

Life isn't easy when you're a quarter Weir. Having Julian for a father is also a bit of mixed blessing. Keeping to the depths of Arden is a good thing, with his holding of Redwood a safe refuge from chance discovery. Still, there are the hassles that come with the territory: That rutting incident with Asteria, the wasted nights howling at the full moon, reparations to be made to the villagers for lost livestock. All the usual. Then there's the Red Head Faction. Geeze Louise...First Fiona finds out, and suggests he take the Broken Pattern since the Pattern of Amber would likely fry if he shifted to Weir form under stress. Then Bleys comes along, offers him this great deal on a bow...but there's a catch. Not to mention Brand. Matter of fact, don't mention Brand. Or any of his kids, either. Fortunately, those Red Heads have learned to stay clear of Arden for the most part, and they can keep their castle life as far as Carl's concerned. Arden provides plenty of solitude, and even if he's not on the best of terms with Julian, there's plenty of blood sport, more than enough to sate his appetite. Life in Arden would be grand if he could just convince Julian that being the grandson of an early Weir spy of Eric's wasn't such a bad thing.

Current Objectives: Carl's objectives are pretty constant, even with all of the recent uproar: Stay away from Family, and avoid discovery. Might say they're in his blood. Any opportunity to take out a young Red Head would be welcomed, too. Unfortunately, they're trickier than they look...of course, Carl has a few tricks of his own.

Attributes:

PSY: (5)

STR: (60)

END: (45)

WAR: (30)

Total Attributes: 130

Powers:

Inferior Broken Pattern Imprint (5)

This has got to be the pits. Carl would really rather ride Nightwind through Shadow than use this 13th Vale Broken Pattern image. For one, the 13th Broken Pattern is so degraded that he usually ends up in hellish badlands somewhere out near the Courts or the edge of the Abyss where conditions are barely survivable when he uses the power consciously. Worse than that, though, are that he also uses his shadow shifting abilities Un-conciously. Even in his sleep. Only when he is in his Weir form is he totally free of the corrupt image. He teeters indecisively between the fear of death on the Pattern of Amber and the fear of dropping out of reality right through the Dark Well. It follows him everywhere. The only good thing to be said for his curse is that it makes him damnedably hard to track, especially in Arden. He simply isn't there about a third of the time, constantly wavering between concordant shadows. Hard to zero in on a guy's mind or body that way, which suits him.

Weir Transformation (25)

Unlike many, Carl doesn't consider his Weir state a curse, despite the sometimes socially awkward aspects of his condition. It's simply the way he is. Carl, like all Weir, is able to transform into a large gray wolf, limited by his own mass, which makes for an exceptionally lanky, but broad-chested wolf, a bit bigger than a dire wolf from Earth's pre-history. (Note: Weir Transformation carries no "in-between" form, such as a wolf-man hybrid. A Weir is either a man or a wolf in appearance, though some of the purest blood have very wolf-like features and are exceptionally hirsute.) Weir may speak in human tongue and even cast spells if magic users in their wolf form. The Weir Transformation carries many advantages and a few disadvantages:

Weir Advantages:

• Invulnerability. When in wolf form, Weir possess a natural invulnerability, equal to the 4 pt item ability, with the exception of silver weapons, which do normal damage and also cause excruciatingly painful wounds.
• Speed. When in wolf form, Weir possess uncanny speed, able to cover vast distances in a single night. They aren't quite so fast as Storm Hounds, but formidable nonetheless, and able to sustain their speed over great distance.
• Enhanced Senses and Wood Lore: Even when not in wolf form, Weir have exceptional senses. It is nearly impossible to sneak up on a Weir and they are also excellent trackers. This amounts to a move one level up on the Campaign Stats table in matters of ambush detection, stealth, and tracking. (Example: For Carl, from Amber Luminary to Amber Legend) Exceptional hunters and warriors may get the drop on a Weir, but doing so is beyond mortal ken.

Weir Disadvantages:

• Call of the Wild: Weir are more susceptible to becoming lost in their wolf forms than a normal shape shifter is, because this is a natural state for them. In Weir society, it is commonplace for entire families to live for decades in an atavistic state of pure animal sensation, and not frowned upon. For a "civilized" Weir, someone who must keep human company, abide by human schedules and concepts of linear human time (as opposed to the pure "now" of animal perception), and who have human responsibilities, this is an inconvenience to say the least.
• Blood Lust: On full moons, Weir feel the Call of the Wild even more acutely. It takes a strong will power at these times to resist the Call, and usually even those of exceptional mental ability fail. This is best reflected in the character's Bad Stuff and the GMs plot needs.
• Animal Enmity: Natural animals react badly to the Weir, in any form. This doesn't apply to empowered animals, demons, or magical creatures, only to the more mundane varieties. Carl gets along well with Julian's pets.

Items/Creatures:

Nightwind, Carl's horse. (20)

Nightwind is a large roan stallion from Morgenstern's bloodline, a gift from Julian. It has hooves that glint like steel and eyes that are reddish and dead-looking, but is otherwise normal-looking.

• Engine Speed (4)
• Tireless Stamina (4)
• Double Vitality (2)
• Psychic Sensitive (1)
• Psychic Neutral (2)
• Combat Reflexes (2)
• Shadow Trail (2) (Can follow the shadow byways of Arden from memory and training, even riderless.)
• Resistant to Firearms (2)
• Extra Hard Hooves and Teeth (1)

Carl's Greenwood Bow (15)

The weapon pictured on Carl's Trump. It's a fine bow with a pull heavier than any mortal and most Amberites can draw. But not finely crafted, finely grown. Bleys showed Carl to the unique shadow of Arden known as Greenwood, a floating shadow, unanchored and floating in an irregular orbit of Amber. Here, he said, could be found a weapon of the finest quality, if one was willing to dare the chance. Still young, and a bit eager to prove himself to Julian, Carl took Bley's challenge up and obtained the Greenwood bow...at a price. Every time Greenwood comes into conjunction with Arden, it sends forth thorny Servants of the Green to try to recover its lost limb...and to remove Carl's. Still, he thinks it's well worth the price.

• Destructive Force Damage (8) The Bow doesn't literally obliterate its target, but it is capable of penetrating up to 8 pts of Armor with little trouble, and its arrows have a way of seeking the vitals...as they wend through their victim's body.
• Able to Move (1) Wending, remember?
• Regeneration (4) The Greenwood Bow never needs ammunition, as its arrows are extensions of itself, rapidly regrown and replaced as the bow is fired.
• Sensitivity to Danger (2) The Bow can detect danger, and game, its string vibrating in a low hum of warning.

Carl's Hunting Garb (3)

Carl's Hunting leathers are enchanted to provide some protection as well as to absorb into his Weir form when he takes wolf shape. (They don't provide any further protection absorbed.)

• Alternate Shape (1)
• Resistant to Firearms (2)

Shadow: Redwood (2)

Redwood is a Shadow Realm of Arden, consisting of small woodland villages and a few farms. It's not accorded favored trade status as it's only a fragment of Arden, but Carl values it as a place of refuge and enjoys the status of its protectorate.

• Shadow of the Realm (2)

Stuff: 0 (Carl has enough problems without Bad Stuff to add to them.)

Total Powers, Items, Shadows: 70

Carl as a Player in the Amber Court: Carl stays as far out of politics as possible, and avoids most of the family.

Constant Allies and Enemies: Red Heads are fair game to Carl. Otherwise, he's fairly neutral, and very close to his sister Brieanne, who paradoxically is able to bring him back from the brink of his wolf state while also promoting his wild side by her own unfettered, fey nature.

Carl as a Father: Weir are a naturally social, loving lot. Even though they're also among the toughest mercenaries to be had in Shadow. Any child of Carl's would be loved, but with a tough, wild kind of love. Bad Stuff characters may find themselves kicked out when they are of age, especially males, who he may see as a threat to his Alpha male status.

Tips for Roleplaying Carl: Be more Julian than Julian. It never hurts to be too aloof. Stay away from those pesky Red Heads, and be sure to sniff around a lot and "mark your territory" every now and then.