CHARACTER SYNOPSIS

 

PRESENT

Kossikk - Master Swordsman, adventurer, warrior, mercenary, killer.  His ambition and drive has allowed nothing and no one to get in the way of achieving his goals.  His narcissistic and machiavellianistic personality has guaranteed a solitary life, where trusting someone could very well be your undoing. He has travelled with many companions but even the closest of these he has never truly trusted.  In some way or another they have always been pawns to be used and discarded as necessary.  This world view has taken a tidal shift of late.

 

Most recently, Kossikk has been a Pirate Captain sailing the Sword Coast, having quickly risen to captain through guile and outright murder.  At first it was an amusing achievement for him, not necessarily a part of his extended plans, but a way to make fast gold in a short time.  But, as if overnight, his attitudes shifted dramatically. It was the crew who noticed this first.  Kossikk became more lenient to his victims, and seemed less interested in being ruthless in his dealings as a pirate Captain.  He spent long hours cloistered in his cabin thinking, pondering his life both past, present and his future as well.

 

He had to get out.  He could not continue on his current course and he stepped down as Captain and gave the ship to his first mate.  He sought out the only close companion that he had – Roquian, the Scourge, and together they settled in Waterdeep for a time.  Kossikk lost himself in despair and depression and spent a whole month drunk and alone with his dark thoughts.

 

What a waste his life has been – relentlessly and ruthlessly pursuing a vision of power he had in his mind as his destiny and birthright.  How many people had he trod upon, used, discarded, put to the sword and lied to, to try and achieve this goal? How many lies had he told himself to cloud his mind with this version of reality? To what end? So that he could be alone in the end when the darkness came for him?

 

Kossikk was lost and could not reconcile this sudden shift in his soul. It was as if his eyes had been opened to the truth, and the painted canvas of his life, instead of the beautiful crisp colors of the seasons was instead black, shadowed and cancerous.  His friend Roquian, and friend he truly turned out to be, helped him climb out of his desperate depths of despair and depression.  Roquian had had a similar epiphany and could relate to Kossikk’s plight.  Roquian spoke wisdom and purpose and hope to Kossikk and Kossikk locked on to that as a beacon in a storm and allowed himself to trust Roquian. Finally, he put his life in someone else’s hands as if his throat were bared through trust and friendship.

 

Kossikk was a warrior without a cause, without any purpose that he could find at all. It was with a visit to the great church of Tymora in Waterdeep, and the sermon given by the High Priest, that he found a sort of purpose. He latched on to the idea of fortune favouring the bold and making for yourself what you can out of life.  This was the truth of Tymora.  Kossikk gave a large donation to the church and offered what help he could to the church if they had any tasks his sword could aid in.  That is how Kossikk and Roquian came to be the heroes of a small town in Amn, establishing a southern base of operations for themselves.

 

Kossikk is not particularly any more religious towards Tymora or any of the gods really.  The philosophy of that religion seems to suit his needs. He is still somewhat lost and searching for a purpose, but he has decided to throw his future to the winds and see where it goes. He is currently coasting through life helping people and doing good things such that he can, but almost in a numb way. Doing things because he believes it is expected of him rather than gathering any true affirmation or joy out of it. Perhaps that will come, with time, and experience wearing this new skin.

 

Kossikk does not know that it was Roquian who changed his alignment whilst he was unaware and sleeping. And if he does find out, would that change anything?  No matter how you look at a thing like this, it is better to be good than evil and once shown how horrible your life has been, you will never want to go back to that darkness. You will cautiously move forward and see if your deeds can undo some of your past mistakes.

   

 

PAST

Kossikk will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals.  He is self-serving and hungry for personal power.  He has an intellectual mind and excellent problem solving skills.  He believes he is destined for greatness and that he will become a great ruler of men.  He has studied most of his life to become the greatest swordsman to ever walk Faerûn and has achieved much fame for his Mastery.  He has traveled all over the Heartlands - From Zhentil Keep and Mulmaster to Baldur's Gate.  He has traveled as far north as Luskan and as far south as Calimport and all the lands in-between.  He has seen and learned much about these many diverse cultures.

 

Kossikk is Neutral Evil in alignment and as such will do whatever it takes to ensure his survival and increase his personal power base.  He tends to lean more towards Lawful than chaotic and doesn't just randomly spread chaos.  He is somewhat of a megalomaniac and considers himself to be the greatest warrior in all the lands and all those he meets to be inferior in both manner and power.  He is obsessed with control.  He tries to maintain personal control as well as control over anyone around him.  He is quick to anger when insulted or when he feels his control is waning and is prone to violent resolutions when angered such.

 

Kossikk has a brilliant and calculating mind.  He is quite adept at creating devious and masterful, layered plans to achieve his long term goals. He reads books constantly in an attempt to always further his growing knowledge base.  He is acutely interested in tactics and war and has read countless books on the subject by some of the best military minds in the world.  He is also interested in magic and has toyed with the idea of studying magic and becoming a powerful Mage.

 

Kossikk's early years in Zhentil Keep were dreary and dismal.  His mother died when he was very young and he was abused by his father (A Captain in the Zhentilar).  When he has finally old enough, he murdered his father and fled to the dark streets of Zhentil Keep.  He was taken in by a local thief’s guild and lived with them for some time as he learned a few of their skills and learned the secret tongue of the Guild.  He was more of an errand boy than a true thief and soon tired of his role in the guild.  It was not the role to power than he was already beginning to desire.

 

He lived off the streets for a few more years before joining the Zhentilar as a common foot soldier.  He very quickly rose through the ranks of the officers through increasing martial skills and solid tactics and leadership.  It was this quick rise to power and popularity that set him up for his next downfall.  Greedy and jealous officers within the Zhentilar conspired to destroy him politically and literally.  Kossikk barely escaped the accursed city with his life from the scandal and has only returned infrequently and always in secret.

 

Kossikk then journeyed across the Moonsea to Mulmaster to study under some of the greatest Master Swordsmen in Faerûn at the Dak D'Neir College.  He has attained the Mark of the Rose and is among a select few individuals who share that rank within the College.  Kossikk is one of the best and, regardless of his alignment, will always follow the rules of dueling when engaged in a recognized duel with another swordsman.  Kossikk is always willing to test his skills and actively seeks out swordsmen of higher rank to defeat, and therefor gain the next rank.

 

Kossikk turned to adventuring as a way to increase his coffers, gain powerful magic items, and travel the known world in search of more knowledge.  He is in it for the money but has helped those in need - when he has careful decided whether there is any possible gain to be had in it for himself.  Kossikk does not consider himself evil - he just has a definite plan for the future and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.  If his plans all work out in the end, then the sacrifices others have made for him in the past will have all been worth it.

 

Kossikk's outlook has changed dramatically in recent months as his alignment has changed from Neutral Evil to Neutral Good.  Updates to follow.