Zook Taren

High King Zook Taren (a.k.a. His Royal Highness)

"Beware! Your kneecaps are mine!!"

— Zook Taren, High King of Hroff

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Being short, even for a gnome, Zook had to make an extra effort to train himself to keep up with the tall folk. He is very athletic and very fit for his kind and unexpectantly strong. Zook is spry on his feet, able to cover substantial distances on and off the battlefield.

Body Features

Due to very thin dwarven blood, Zook does not possess the same pointed ears that many gnomes do. Instead, his ears are large and rounded. He has several piercings adorned with golden jewelry and spiky, almost pink hair with several streaks of white throughout. His body is strewn with scars and marks from his many battles in the gladiatorial arena and adventures in his younger years and is more than willing to share how he received each and everyone one of them.

Facial Features

Zook has piercing emerald eyes below tufts of bushy pinkish brows. HIs glorious pink muttonchops extend from his cheeks reaching almost to his shoulders. His nose is large and bulbous, another trait passed down from his thin dwarven ancestry, and a smirking grin on his face that shows his personality almost immediately.

Created With: Hero Forge

Identifying Characteristics

Across his eyes and cheekbones, his skin is slightly raw almost like a healed burn mark. He received this scar fighting demonic creatures known as Vrocks. In the midst of rage, he was able to defeat the beasts, but the Vrocks were able to embed their spores into his face, poisoning and disfiguring the gnome. Once the adrenaline of his rage subsided, his body lay motionless on the battlefield. His companion, Laokis, had to cover several miles with Zook's body where he was resurrected at a temple of Pelor, his life breathing back into his lungs upon completion of the ritual.

Physical Quirks

Zook is often seen mincing, particularly in his gait. He almost skips from location to location and is very exuberant in his gestures. Though he is a gnome, he actually prefers to be sitting in the tall-folk seats and stool, allowing him to dangle his feet in an almost child-like manner. He also enjoys the amusement brought from his peeking up from the table. Most of the things he does, he does for humor and loves to make people laugh with his flamboyancy.

Special Abilities

Though it is hard to anger Zook, he has a rage about him able to send him into a frenzied tunnel vision of swipes and slashes. He allows has a strong affinity for wild-magic, strange and uncontrollable occurrences happening as he fights in combat. He uses this affinity to disable or disorient his opponents. He has unparalleled skill with a Great Axe, often wielding one much bigger and heavier than he could ever be.

Apparel & Accessories

Since his adventuring days have been mostly concluded aside from the occasional expedition, he is often seen in regal court attire. Gold fasteners and silky blues with a tri-cape over his back are a normal sight to see this gnome in. A golden crown with his escaping pink hair is rested on his head and his Rybinite, Orbinite, Golden Great Axe is never seen very far from his reach. Back in his gladiatorial or adventurous days, he was seen in much more casual clothing with a rugged, worn battleax at his side and loose-fitting goggles over his forehead.

Specialized Equipment

Zook has several pieces of magical equipment that help him in combat. The first of which is Goggles of Night Vision. Though he is already gifted with Darkvision, these enhance those natural gnomish abilities, double this natural sensory vision. His cloak has the properties of Displacement, allowing him to flicker in and out of the Ethereal Plane during combat, making him much hard to land blows on. His bracers enjoy him a magical barrier around his being, adding protection to his unarmored body. Lastly, he wields the legendary Sibling's Grace forged long ago by the archwizard, Ahghairon for Zook's father's father, Zyuk.

Created With: Hero Forge

Sibling's Grace

Forged by the archwizard Ahghairon, this intelligent greataxe was crafted to defend Hroff. Its current wielder is the High King, Zook Taren. Sibling's Grace has a solid obinite handle etched with tiny runes, wrapped in blue dragonhide with a star sapphire set into the pommel. The axe head is forged from silver, electrum, and rybinite allows whose edges constantly shimmer with a deep blue luminescence.

While equipped, Zook enjoys a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. The Shield spell provides no defense against the axe, which passes through that spell's barrier of magical force. When striking a fiend or undead, cold blue flames erupt from its blade and deal an extra 2d6 radiant damage to the target.

• Hurling. The greataxe has 3 charges. Expending 1 charge and making a ranged attack with the axe, hurling it as if it had the thrown property with a normal range of 60 feet and a long range of 180 feet. Whether it hits or misses, the axe flies back to the wielder at the end of their turn. Sibling's Grace regains all expended charges daily at dawn.
• Illumination. This axe glows with a bright bluish light out to 30' and a dim light for an additional 30'.
• Sentience. Sibling's Grace is a sentient neutral good weapon with an Intelligence of 12, a Wisdom of 15, and a Charisma of 15. It has hearing and darkvision out to a range of 120' and can communicate telepathically with its wielder. It has a calm, delicate voice and wishes nothing more than the defense of Hroff.

Should someone try to use Sibling's Grace against its will, the axe can become ten times heavier than normal, and can magically adhere to any Medium or larger object or surface it comes into contact with. Once it does, the axe can't be wielded and nothing short of a Wish Spell can separate the axe from the item or surface to which it adhered to.

Mental characteristics

Gender Identity

He/Him

Sexuality

Pansexual

Created With: Hero Forge

Alignment

Chaotic Good

Current Location

Hroff Proper

Species

Gnome

Ethnicity

Hroffian

Currently Held Titles

• High King of Hroff

Age

83

Date of Birth

The 10^th Day of Zagbis
in the 458^th Year of Rebirth

Circumstances of Birth

Eldest of 11 Brothers

Birthplace

Fiddledug

Current Residence

Hroff Proper

Gender

Male

Eyes

Green & Optimistic

Hair

Wild & Pink w/ Streaks of White

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Fair

Height

3'3" (0.99_m)

Weight

39_lbs (17.7_kg)

Quotes & Catchphrases

"Greetin's and Salutations! C'mon in, grab a seat, eat some meat, our ale's a treat! So stay a while and welcome to my humble abode!!"

Aligned Organization

Hroff Alliance

Known Languages

Tof'kran, Gnomish, Giant, Elven, Celestial

Class
Wild Magic Barbarian

Created With: Hero Forge

Court's Ajourned

Engineered by some of the greatest gnome artificers the Kingdom of Hroff has at its disposal, the Court's Adjourned is a six-shot projectile weapon that Zook keeps holstered on his left side, equipped with silver bullets and imbued with explosive magic.

Firearms are a relatively new weapon unique to the Tof'kran people. Though Zook currently possesses the only six-shot firearm, the rate at which the Tok Empire is developing new engineering marvels is alarming, to say the least. With their legal limitations on magic, their technological advance in comparison to the Hroff Alliance has been much quicker and exponential. There are rumors that they will soon be able to equip entire armies with firearms that could turn the tides of war.

Mental Characteristics

Personal History

Zook's story began in a gladiatorial arena. Unlike some of the other participants like his best friend Laokis, Zook submitted himself to the arena with his own free will. His driving motivation was his wife Joddy was bed-ridden sick with a necrotic illness that was literally killing her from the inside out. Zook aimed to assist in the only way he knew how... By fighting. He sold himself into the arena and was looking to earn enough winning to pay for a cleric to cure Joddy of her disease. The gladiators were treated as well as their mettle in combat but had to earn their way up the latter. In a blur of fights, Zook was able to join with Laokis in combat, quickly excelling with his friend.

Zook received word that his wife had passed from the disease before he could amass enough gold to pay for the cleric's services. His rage building inside, he fought what he thought would be his last fight and told the bookers that he wanted out. However, due to the nature of the contract that he signed, Zook was actually in debt due to hidden charges of equipment, food, and shelter. Laokis and Zook were to be transferred to another facility and used that vulnerability in security as a chance of escape, to which they were successful. Thus their adventuring days began.

Education

Before Zook found out of his royal bloodline, he grew up from humble beginnings. Both illiterate and uneducated, Zook only really cared about his physical adeptness. As such, his mental prowess was far from refined.

When he was informed that his great grandfather was actually the dwarven king, he was informed that he was next in line to the throne. The royal advisors to the king set him with the best education they could muster, though teaching the rambunctious prince was far from easy. Zook preferred to wander the castle walls and train with their guards rather than bury his nose in books. His teaching was slow, but he eventually became well versed in several languages and excelling in science and engineering, leading to his assistance in developing the Court's Adjourned.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Zook excelled in combat and rode into war under the banner of Tok, leading many of their skirmishes into victory. When Zook was finally coronated after his great grandfather had stepped down from the throne due to his old age, Zook eventually treated with Adinimus S'bna and helped draft the Laws of War which would revolutionize and control the way wars in the Tof'kran civilizations would be fought from there henceforth.

This treaty has helped the two continents begin trade among each other and has led to far less collateral damage of innocent lives and properties by waging their battles on neutral grounds in remote areas of the Tof'kran plate. Some citizens and soldiers of Tok say that this is an abominable blasphemy of the will of Hextor, but those voices are quickly squelched by the king himself.

Created With: Hero Forge

Failures & Embarrassments

What Zook considers his greatest failure is that he was unable to save his precious Joddy. Had he been more astute about the terms of the contract he signed when joining the gladiatorial arena, he feels he could've found a different method to make money and that she'd still be alive to this day. Zook is not one to get embarrassed by much with his outgoing and jesting, but this particular subject tends to be a faux pas in conversations with the gnome king.

Mental Trauma

Zook has had many events that have turned his psyche into what it is today. He has been battered and beaten in the arena, lost his wife to a sickness he blames himself for, and even witnessed death first hand. None of these, however, will ever compare to the fear and trauma of lycanthropy. He and Laokis both contracted the disease and for fear of killing innocent people, they decided it best to blockade themselves in a cave far away from civilization and wait for the full moon to pass. The two stripped naked to preserve their gear and held each other in fear as they awaited the inevitable.

Created With: Hero Forge

Intellectual Characteristics

Though Zook can oftentimes seem aloof, and quite often is, he actually has the capacity to be incredibly clever. Many of his generals come to him for tactical advice on maneuvering his troops. Zook loves puzzles and strategic enigmas and adores matching wits with those he calls friends... And enemies.

Morality & Philosophy

Zook considers himself an agent of good and tries his best to reflect that onto his people. He often has grand feasts and opens them up to the public free of cost. Taxes in his kingdom are low and he funds most expeditions and expenses out of his own treasury that he amassed during his fruitful adventuring life. There is little he wouldn't do for someone in need.

Taboos

There isn't much that Zook considers taboo so long as any parties involved are consensual. He himself identifies as pansexual and actively encourages interspecies mating. Being a small percentage dwarf himself, he believes that physical looks should never get in the way of love. His own son, Zeuk, is currently wed to a half-elven woman who will one day take the reigns as Royal Consort after Zeuk's coronation.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Zook is motivated to help bring prosperity and goodwill to his kingdom. He hates seeing those suffering and if he can help it, will do anything in his power to stop it. Much of the reason he is still at war with Tok is that he notices the suffering and oppression of the entire people. Entire populations of races being affixed with Pacification Bracers merely because they are born with innate magical prowess infuriates him to no end and makes him consider this war of tyranny a war worth waging.

Savvies & Ineptitudes

As a rock gnome, his fascination with tinkering is an innate one, he has been making gadgets and do-dads since before he can even remember. These skills have evolved and allowed him to accelerate the development of firearms in Hroff. His axe-wielding skills are unparalleled and his sense of humor unmatched.

As for ineptitudes, Zook would say he has more than he can count and in many ways, he'd be correct. He loves music and playing his fiddle, but is absolutely horrible at dancing no matter how much he tries. For all the fancy foot-work he can muster in combat, it doesn't seem to translate well on the dance floor often attributing himself as having two left feet.

Likes & Dislikes

Zook has a fond appreciation for music and is willing to hire bards from across the continent to play at his courts. If it wasn't a frivolous expenditure, he'd most certainly have someone follow him around to play theme music for him. He also loves the thrill of combat and will often use spells to conceal his form to compete in local and kingdom tournaments to keep his citizens on their toes. He always drops out before the end though as to not win the combat to allow someone else to take the prize should he advance too far in the competition.

As for dislikes, Zook is a simple gnome. Treat people the way they wish to be treated they will find themselves on the wrong side of his muttonchops.

Virtues & Personality Perks

Zooks' greatest virtue is his compassion. There isn't much he would do for someone in need. He has been known to use the same potions of disguise in order to walk the streets of Hroff Proper and change someone's misfortune. He will find someone out on their luck, and find more about their situation and will often bestow upon then enough coin to get out of whatever rut they may be in. He still cherishes hard work, so he encourages them to use what he gives as a means to start their new life, pick up a trade, and set down roots doing what they enjoy best.

Vices & Personality Flaws

His biggest vice is indulgence in mind-affecting plants and liquids. He enjoys a long pipe filled with the finest of weeds. He has been known to take hallucinogenic and go on what he calls "Spirit Quests" (that usually involve a lot of time spent in the kitchen). He loves his whiskey and a large array of alcohol. Now that trade is open between Hroff and Tok, he pays top-coin for a ready supply of Alegrim's Ale and Mead, imported straight from the city. His loyal advisors warn him of the dangers of this, but he usually shrugs off these warnings in spite of this.

Personality Quirks

To say that Zook is quirky is an understatement. Zook is prone to riddles and word-plays that make his subjects acquaint their hands to their faces. He never gives up an opportunity for a good pun and always takes whatever chance he can to tell a joke, even (and especially) in stressful situations.

Personal Hygiene

Being a king has certain expectations and responsibilities, though it's difficult to get Zook to stay still for anything, he is always well-groomed and ready for court should he be called upon. However, he loves to disguise himself and head to local taverns, and smelling of perfumes and incense can sometimes be a dead giveaway as some of the dives he attends. Zook is not afraid to get himself dirty if the ends justify the means and during his time in the gladiatorial arena from his younger years, he knows what it means to not have access to a warm bath.

Grandfather Zyuk Also Enjoys a Good Toke...

Art By: Wizards of the Coast

Social Characteristics

Contacts & Relations

Taking a more hands-on approach in his nation, Hroff is often not at the castle in Hroff Proper. When he's not disguising himself among the populace, he's on diplomatic excursions throughout the lands of the Hroff continent. He frequently will arrive in several different places loyal to the Hroff Alliance and prefers to hear first hand how they are fairing rather than hearing it from a messenger sent from the city. Though he is "High King", the Hroff Alliance is more of a democratic council and he prefers decisions for an entire continent of people not be made by a singular entity but wishes to make sure he personally selects proper monarchs to govern over their various regions.

Family Ties

Being a gnome, Zook has extremely strong ties with his very large family. Being the eldest of 11 brothers, Zook loves to invite his family from Fiddledug to events and banquets in Hroff Proper much to the dismay of his workers. Each of his brothers has 2-5 children and many of them have children of their own. Zook makes sure to be a positive and active role in all of their lives.

"Name's Zook, pops t' Zeuk, son'a Zuke, son'a Zyuk, son'a...
Well, ya get the idea... It's... kinda'a Gnome thing."

— Zook Taren, High King of Hroff

It is traditional in his family that the eldest son to keep the phonetic sound of the name /'zəʊk'/. Many in the lineage have been creative with the spelling with names like Zyuk, Zeuk, Xhuuk, Zook, Tzooch, etc. This tradition began far before Zook found out about his dwarven heritage and royal blood, but as chance would have it, so long as the lineage continues in the Hroff Alliance, the High King will have one of these names unless one of the descendants of Zook does not uphold this tradition.

Hobbies & Pets

Zook plays a myriad of instruments but favors the fiddle the most. Hailing from a small gnomish community named Fiddledug, it seemed like an obvious choice. Before his life in the gladiatorial arena, Zook and his wife, Joddy, were in a band that would travel from town to town making a living doing what they loved. However, one day there was an inflicted that would eventually cost Joddy her life and take Zook down a different path.

Zook has a love for animals, but during his journey, he found an injured turtle that appeared to had been trampled by horses. Its neck was crooked and it couldn't swim properly due to the injury. Zook, being the kind man he is felt pity for the animal and took it under his wing. For the first month, Zook had to feed the turtle he dubbed the name of Gaia by hand, feeding her small insects and vegetables. As the year went by, Gaia began to trust Zook more and more and they soon became inseparable. However, much to Zook's surprise Gaia continued to grow. At first, he believed her to be a Dire Turtle, but as its growth continued to grow, he brought her to a scholar who quickly identified her as none other than a Dragon Turtle.

Gaia eventually grew to the size of a ship and has been trained to siege enemy vessels in the event of nautical voyages. Many rue the day they cross Captain Zook and his loyal companion on the open seas.

Speech

Though Zook is well versed in several languages, he loves to abbreviate and incorporate slang into his words. He tends to speak very quickly and erratically. He is fluent in Tof'kran Common, but his gnomish accent shines throw with every word. There are times when he speaks with eloquence and meaning, but those times are reserved for serious situations. Situations not usually associated with the High King.

Religious Views

Zook strongly believes in religious freedom and cannot fathom anyone's oppression of those beliefs. Though his family are practitioners of Garl Glittergold, growing up Zook was originally a worshipper of Kord, the Stormlord of Battles. This was when he was concerned solely with using his fighting prowess to earn money for Joddy's medical treatment. However, this changed after being inflicted with lycanthropy. The experience left an eternal scar on his soul until he was cured by a Cleric of Pelor. He claims that day he was graced with the presence of the sun-god himself and has been a devout worshipper ever since.

Social Aptitude & Mannerisms

Though Zook loves a good jest, he is adept at the etiquette necessary for diplomacy. He is always looking for an opportunity, however, to make his guests or hosts laugh and often will feel the air of the room to get a feel of when and what is appropriate for the situation. Natural born humor has sealed many treaties in the past and rumors that even the stalwart and stoic Adinimus S'bna couldn't help but smile at his antics when they treated the Laws of War. Zook firmly believes that humor is the first step in ending this war outright. When speaking in private away from prying ears, Zook asked Adinimus if he truly believed that control of religious belief is what is best for his people. Adinimus did not muse a response, but Zook claims he saw a tinge of doubt in the High King of Tok that day.

Art By: Vance Kovacs

Wealth & Financial State

Being High King of Hroff has many privileges and coin is definitely one of them. However, he tends to use the money he amassed from his adventuring career and still has much to spare. Since becoming the High King, he has lowered taxes and picked up the slack out of his own pockets, much to the dismay of his advisors. His generosity, however, is depleting his funds as of late at an alarming rate and his advisors caution that should this war continue, that the war funds will be depleted before Zeuk is even able to reach his coronation. Over the past few years, Zook has done his best to quelch the war and the Laws of War has assisted with this. He has postponed scheduled battles and treated with Adinimus on several occasions for the sheer purpose of prolonging the start of an actual battle. The Tok Empire, however, grows tired and many believe they may act rashly and violate the Laws of War if a battle isn't soon waged against the two powers.