Character 75 - Kavem Roughtcut

Svirfneblin are known to be intense and emotional. This week’s random rolls meant I had to figure out how to work the character’s background to include following an emotionally tame deity. The high dex and wisdom opened up quite a few options and for a while I was torn between monk and warpriest with the sacred fist archetype. Eventually though, I chose monk because I worked his failure at channeling a deity into the story. So here I present to you the tale of out deep gnome.

Kavem Roughtcut

The Svirfneblin live a secluded life below the surface of Golarion where they take it upon themselves to defend those above from the insidious evils below. Even though they tend to fear most other races they still try to keep everything from the dark fey of the Court of Ether, to the demon worshipping drow from seeing their evil plans come to fruition. Their strong connection to the first world can be both boon and bane to them, but they soldier forward as they always have and always will.

Kavem was the only child born to his parents and like most of his kind he was erratic and over emotional growing up. Although his parents were merely farmers in the fungus fields the young deep gnome always thought he was destined for more. He would take every unnecessary risk to try and prove himself and even though he succeeded as often as he failed he never managed to put his name on everyone’s lips.

One of his failures were his attempts to make it into the priesthood of Nivi Rhombodazzle. The boy tried anything to lie, cheat, or steal his way into the hearts of the clerics. But the tricksters of the Grey Polychrome could see right through him, even without their magics. To this day Kevam denies these attempts, leaving them in a forgotten part of his mind.

The deep gnomes would make constant forays into the world outside the walls of the Svirfneblin city. It was here that he found his first mentor. The teacher was a lone deep gnome who roamed the caverns to take the fight to their enemies instead of just waiting and watching. He taught Kevam of all the perils of the lands surrounding their home; how to track the invisible duergar, stay hidden from the sharp eyes of the drow, and resist the call of the dark fey of the Court of Ether. Kevam wished to one day be like this man.

During one particularly rash stunt when he came across a lone duergar – one of the many hated enemies of his people – he died. The lost grey dwarf although injured had enough in him to slay the young Svirfneblin before fleeing further into the lightless caverns. If it wasn’t for a roaming monk exploring the area he would have stayed dead. But the wanderer managed to bring Kavem back from wherever his soul had wandered.

Kavem had been shaken to his core. The deep gnomes drive to be the best turned into a deep and almost debilitating sense of self-doubt. The monk took the young man in and tried to nurse both his body and his soul back to health. Kevam’s new life began in the Abbey of Thoughtfulness.

The abbey held the clergy of one of the Empyreal Lords. The powerful archon known as Ghenshau had spoken to the hearts of some of Kevam’s people. These were souls who remembered the placid and idyllic life of the first world. They learned to follow their connection to the first world back, past their erratic emotions and to the carefree nature of their past.

Kevam began to study under the monks to learn to center himself and move beyond his self-doubt. Although some of the brothers were blessed with the divine spark of Ghenshau becoming his sacred fist or enlightened warrior, others like Kevam did not. For the first time in his life though the deep gnome didn’t want more, he was satisfied at the simplicity of just being himself.

Did my interpretation match yours? What class did your Svirfneblin choose? Who was his hunter mentor? What caused him to try and manipulate a spellcaster? Why did he choose Ghenshau as a patron? How did he die?

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