General Information:
Name: Jebeddo Scheppen (see below).
Epithet: Battle Gnome.
Age: 96.
Race: Rock Gnome.
Sex: Male.
Date of birth: 1263 DR - Year of the Tressym.
Place of birth: Hardbuckler, Scheppencroft.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral, leaning good.
Patron deity: Gaerdal Ironhand.
Profession:
- Miner (formerly).
- Temple Guard (currently).
- Adventurer (currently).
Classes (planned build):
- 14 man-at-arms.
- 3 rogue.
- 5 breach gnome.
- 8 divine champion.
Primary language:
- Gnomish (fluent).
- Common (fluent).
Secondary languages:
- Chondathan (good).
- Dwarvish (good).
- Draconic (basic).
- Thieves Cant (basic).
Theme Music:
Jebeddo's full name / nicknames:
Gnomes like long names, usually possessing a half dozen or so, a clan name and various nicknames.
Jebeddo's would be:
Jebeddo (given by father), Kellen (given by mother) Jorston (from one of Hardbuckler's elders), Yospip (from aunt), Zilrug (from youngest uncle), Orwin (from eldest uncle), Scheppen (clan name).
Nicknames amongst the clan would be 'Tunnel-Runner', 'Grim-Hammer' and 'Jebneblin' (due to his humourless deep gnome-like nature). He would often mention to other gnomes he is the son of Fonkin 'the intangible' or nephew to Farbild 'the unmovable'.
To non-gnomes, he'd introduce himself as Jebeddo Scheppen, potentially adding 'warrior / 'servant of Gaerdal Ironhand.'
Big folk might refer to him as a 'Toy Soldier', both affectionately and in insult.
Physical description:
Jebeddo is tall for a gnome standing about 3'8" tall and weighing 60ib. He is lean and muscular and possesses excellent posture, never appearing to slouch (base strength: 15), he is exceptionally fit and known for his stamina from his long patrols of the tunnels beneath Hardbuckler and Scheppencroft. Now approaching middle age and with his first century of life nearly completed, his thick black beard is starting grey, which along with his bald head would make him look slightly older at first glance. Unknowingly though, Jebeddo owes his heightened strength and constitution from sampling his father Fonkin's experimental alchemical formulas and potions growing up.
Jebeddo possesses ruddy, careworn features, slightly pockmarked skin, a wide nose and a naturally downturned mouth which make him look perpetually dour. Though lacking the typical carefree humour the rest of his people would be known for other gnomes might consider him moderately attractive, were he not so stern and serious.
His most attractive physical feature would be his sapphire coloured eyes, though they might appear to rarely blink when the gnome's mind is fixated on an issue that has captured his full attention. Along with several prominent veins to stand out atop his bald pate, this might make him look slightly demented however.
He'd typically always be encountered wearing his armour, which he would fastidiously maintain in perfect condition. The rare occasions where he'd not be wearing it, his clothing would be plain and practical, favouring dull, earth-tones.
Psychological description:
Though a generally a private person and typically only showing heightened emotion in combat, he can be outspoken on the merits of duty to one's clan, self-discipline and the importance of having a trade or specialism (base charisma: 14). He can be reckless in wanting to defend the pride of gnomes and his warrior training more or less instills him with the discipline not to act too flippantly even whilst being slightly blunt in his opinions and dealings with others (base wisdom: 8).
He sees it as part of his sacred duty to defend the innocence of his niece and nephew and blames himself for being unable to save his uncle Farbild from duergar slavers. This has lead to him actly over confidently and having a lingering, oft-times demented sense that he must constantly prove himself.
Something of a 'black sheep' or 'cracked gem' in his family, Jebeddo never really fit in with other gnomes in Hardbuckler and has been a life-long bachelor never finding love. He lacked his father's intellect to the degree his brother has inherited and whilst showing above average intelligence (base intelligence: 14) and potential aptitude toward engineering found himself more inspired more by his uncle Farbild sermons, desiring to follow in his footsteps as an initiate of the Gaerdalian faith.
As such, this has lead to a minor rift between himself and the rest of his family. Whilst they care about him, they quietly hope he will eventually give up on his dangerous job as a warrior and learn to enjoy life. As such they view Jebeddo as well-meaning despite his moralising words - a trait he picked up from Farbild and common amongst most followers of the Stern.
In recent times he has come to enjoy the company of Shield Dwarves, counting a few of them as good friends due to possessing a similar grim disposition and appreciation of hard work.
Religious Views:
Jebeddo deeply respects Garl Glittergold but doesn't readily find his god's sense of humour and the light-hearted merriment of his people something he relates to. He holds Gaerdal Ironhand in higher regard, feeling him to be a deity that teaches gnomes practical lessons on how to survive and compete against the larger races.
Jebeddo's tutelage under Farbild and experiences fighting kobold skirmishers in the upperdark has instilled a grim sense of impending danger beyond the boundaries of Hardbuckler that threatens to destroy the settlement without the presence of Gaerdal's church keeping an eye out for it's peoples.
Having seen the remains of Svirfneblin butchered by duergar and his own beloved uncle fall to their incursions in the defence of Scheppencroft awakened him to the grim reality of being a warrior and what it takes to win a battle. He would be over-zealous in his hatred of kobolds and more recently, grey-dwarves.
Other gods he'd venerate would be Gond (interchangably as Nebelun) as he finds contraptions, mechanisms and invention associated with the Wonderbringer fascinating and often ponders how such could improve the security of Hardbuckler.
The Red Knight - for her focus on strategy and battle tactics. The Lady of Strategy inspired Jebeddo to pen the largely ignored work, 'Jebeddo Scheppen's Seven Stratagems: A Treatise on Modern Burrow Warfare' covering his philosophy and thoughts on combat (with many of his views/suggestions being decidedly reckless).
Leira - In offering the rare prayer to the Lady of Mists, Jebeddo concedes that deception can be effective in battle and times of war in order to defeat one's opponents and that gnomes being smaller than most of their enemies need all the advantages they can get.
Helm - for his focus on being vigilant. He sees the Watcher as being very similar to Gaerdal and the bigger-folk's version of the Stern.
Biography:
Family:
Fonkin Scheppen - father, NG wizard/alchemist in Hardbuckler.
- specialist in illusion / transmutation magic.
Selmyra Scheppen - mother, LG farmer/gardener in Hardbuckler.
Zanissa Scheppen - aunt, NG, merchant/former-adventurer (rogue) in Hardbuckler.
- taught Jebeddo various rogue skills and symbols used in Thieves Cant.
Felkas Scheppen - younger uncle, LG gem-smith / sculptor in Hardbuckler.
Farbild Scheppen - eldest uncle - LN warrrior-cleric of Gaerdal Ironhand, died saving gnomes from Duergar.
Glumfoodle Scheppen - brother - CG apprentice alchemist to Fonkin and a pyromaniac.
Breena Scheppen - Glumfoodle's wife, LG - baker/herbalist.
Namfoodle Scheppen - young nephew, Glumfoodle's son, NG.
Ellywick Scheppen - young niece, Glumfoodle's daughter, LG.
History:
The Scheppen gnomes are known as being a fairly prosperous mining clan in Hardbuckler and said to have originated from the eastern realms long ago. They now reside in a clan-hold largely housed beneath the ground, atop which sits Scheppencroft - a walled garden, surrounded by oak-trees and containing a domed, low stone building located in the north-east section of the town. Within, one would find various stairways and tunnels leading to various rooms and chambers below the earth containing the dwellings of it's various members as well as various booby-trapped tunnels known only to themselves.
They have dwelled in the Western Heartlands for centuries largely keeping to themselves, with the odd invidual from their ranks traveling to other lands and potentially making names for themselves amongst the big folk over the years.
Future:
Keen to explore the Heartlands, visit Kraak Helzak and see the wider realms, Jebeddo has volunteered to defend the Temple of Garl Glittergold at the Friendly Arm Inn. He is also keen to prove himself a warrior of Farbild's calibre and hopes his travels will lead to this.
Heirloom items:
◈ Scheppen-Clang - A powerful warhammer once wielded by the warrior-cleric, Farbild, the unmovable. The weapon was passed down to Jebeddo shortly prior to his uncle's death. Of masterwork quality, it is rumoured to have been crafted in Songfarla, the Hidden Kingdom. The weapon bears the symbols of the Scheppen clan and Gaerdal Ironhand on the opposing sides of it's head.
◈ Gaerdalian Helmet - Crafted in Hardbuckler and given to Jebeddo to mark his membership of Gaerdal Ironhand's faith as a divine champion. Though relatively plain in appearance, the helmet is finely crafted.
◈ Ring of Tricks - Gifted to Jebeddo by his over-protective mother, Selmyra shortly before his departure from Hardbuckler. bearing the symbol of Garl Glittergold, the golden rune-marked ring is supposed to grant the use of various protective spells 'for an emergency' but Jebeddo appears to have forgotten how to activate it's power.
Plot hooks:
◈ Plot hook idea #1
At some point in the recent past, Jebeddo's uncle Farbild lead other Gaerdalian warriors to save a group of deep gnome refugees from a militant force of duergar slavers whilst attempting to flee from the uppderdark. Farbild fought valiantly to protect the svirfneblin using both his skills as a breach gnome and powers as a cleric of the Stern to block the duergar's advance into a narrow tunnel that the deep gnomes used to escape to the surface.
Jebeddo witnessed the deed and watched with awe as his uncle single-handedly put down twenty powerful duergar warriors lead by their cruel leader, Molrek Xornbane, a rune weaver - a warrior-priest serving the sinister deity, Laduguer, known as the exile.
Drawing on the last of his power, Farbild fought the grey-dwarf cleric to a bloody stale mate, making his enemy respect him and actually agree to leave with the remaining duergar. With Molrek and the grey dwarves abandoning their pursuit of the svirfneblin the venerable gnome then succumbed to the injuries suffered in the battles, ultimately passing on his warhammer Scheppen-Clang to his nephew.
Jebeddo often wonders what became of the rune weaver and the duergar slavers, hoping one day in the future he might possess the prowess to face him in battle and get revenge for his mentor - should their paths cross.
◈ Plot hook idea #2
- Working on this...