Rafael "Rafe" Martel

Male Human, 11th level Fighter

Hit Dice: 11d10 (10 + 4 + 3 + 9 + 9 + 10 + 10 + 7 + 3 + 2 + 6) + 33.

Special: proficient with simple and martial weapons, all armour, and shields.

Skills: Climb +8, Handle Animal +6, Jump +8, Perform (gladiator) +8, Ride +14, Swim +8.

Feats: Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (longsword), Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Sunder, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialisation (longsword).

Languages: Etrennes, Stadthagen.

Possessions: 4 shirts, 2 trousers, belt, socks, cheap boots, hat, towel, general purpose rag, small cloth backpack, longsword, fighting knife, razor, skipping rope, pouch of tobacco, rolling papers, flint and tinder.

Preferred Weapon: longsword.

Appearance: Rafe is 6'2" tall and weighs 220lbs (100 kg). He was born on 19 July 620, was 21 when he travelled with Jon, Michael and Rat, and is now 26.

Background: Rafe was brought up in a typical poverty-stricken Etrennes family in the capital, Andrezieux: his father left his mother, his mother remarried, his mother died after having four more children before he was thirteen, his stepfather married a sixteen-year-old woman (his stepmother) when he was fourteen and they had three children together. Rafe wanted to do more in life than move contraband tobacco and rubber around the warehouses of Andrezieux. Fortunately, he was big and strong, and convinced one of the trainers at the public arena that he was worth a contract to fight in the arena. He became a popular new fighter, finishing his first contract of ten matches without serious injury, and planned to try for the fifty matches required to join the eight legends in the hall of fame.

However, shortly after starting his second contract, his stepfather told him to drop everything, travel thousands of kilometres north to Schonthal, find his cousin Thiers (Thier's older cousin Marie was Rafe's maternal aunt Carmine's sister in law) and tell him to come home straightaway. Like a good son, Rafe left straightaway, not even bothering to ask his stepfather why. Three months of walking every day and sleeping with strangers every so often later, and Rafe reached Schonthal, where his cousin Thiers lived with two Stadthageners, Erich and Zoe. They were entertaining three good-looking guests named Jon, Michael and Rat when Rafe arrived with his message.

Thiers agreed to return for what would be his first visit to Etrennes in a decade, accompanied by his housemate Erich and the three houseguests. Apparently Michael had freed his beloved but unfortunately deranged fiancee, Louise, from lawful custody in Schonthal, and she had absconded south toward Etrennes. United by a common destination, the six of them returned south. For the next three months, the entire group walked every day, while every so often Rafe slept with strangers and people he met on the way north. The journey was punctuated by occasional bursts of violence (mosly perpetrated by Michael's fiancee Louise on unsuspecting locals a week or so ahead of the travellers) and Rafe buying a slaveboy, Charan, who Thiers as older cousin made him free and leave with Marielle and Rivas (Marielle was another cousin on some branch of their extended family) in Montierchaume.

At Andrezieux, Thiers learned that his mother and sister had been held prisoner by a crime lord, Bonnecerrere, for the past six months. Fortunately for Rafe, Thiers believed him when he insisted that his stepfather hadn't told him and he hadn't thought to ask. After being reprimanded by his trainer for leaving without giving any notice, Rafe helped break into Bonnecerrere's house and free Thiers' family. Before leaving in the night, Thiers told Rafe to take his family north to Schonthal after he finished his current contract. That seemed like a good idea to Rafe, and he did so after finishing out his second contract of ten matches.

Roleplaying Notes: Rafe isn't a subtle man, favouring direct solutions to problems, no matter how complex the situation. However, he isn't stupid, just uneducated and unappreciative of the value of an education. He likes the action and attention of the arena, but doesn't find the "safe" arenas of southern Stadthagen as exciting as those of his homeland (not very surprising, as matches to the death are illegal and you're not even very likely to die by accident). That said, the stability, cleanliness, and prosperity of Stadthagen make it a much better place to live, especially with his low aspirations and willingness to work as a labourer.

• Go back to Rafe's Index Page
• Go back to the Past Characters Page
• Go back to the Main Page