Kotin (prime)

Kotin Where I spend most my time. Race Giantman Profession Martial Artist Affiliation(s) Bandit Cleavers of Elanthia, Rage Plate Do Demeanor Friendly Greatest Strength Eager to Learn Greatest Weakness that next Bounty Habits Research and Development Hobbies Cleaving Bandits Likes Icemule Dislikes Undead Loyalties Stucco Well Family, Soliere, Students Spouse Rioja

Kotin is a giantman martial artist - philosopher who developed Rage Plate Do. He calls Icemule his home, but drifted in from elsewhere during a terrible blizzard. He can be found resting on the bench in Town Center or on the Stucco Well reading, writing and reflecting in his viridian leather field notebook. He has begun to publish some of his philosophy and adventures in his journal.

Appearance

He is very tall. He appears to be in the spring of life.
He has brooding amber eyes and freckled skin.
He has raggedly cut, unruly deep red hair with lighter streaks.
He has a gaunt face, a broad nose and a grizzled beard.

He is holding a viridian leather field notebook wrapped in troll skin in his left hand.
He is wearing a vibrant red imflass helm, a crystal amulet, a floor-length granite silk velvet robe patterned with broad silver-white leaves, a white leaf-shaped pin with red lettering that reads, "Vote Leafi: She Delivers!", an ivory dagger symbol set with chalcedony and blue quartz, a scratched villswood greatshield, a cloudy grey pack, a suit of mithril field plate, some silvery white mithril greaves, a flawless gold ring, a black silk sash, a roan suede survival kit, a glittering golden leather sack, and some linked mithglin chausses plated with zorchar.
He has a glossy red wooden arrow fletched with black feathers stuck in his head!

Background

A complete background can be found here in Kotin's Early Life

Early Life

Kotin, the youngest of two boys, took up the mantle of protector of the family because his brother focused on reading instead of fighting and his father was an invalid. One day his village was sacked and razed. Discovering his mother (Rosie) and father (Berlance) dead and his presuming his brother dead, Kotin fled with nothing but the clothes on his back into the Forbidden Forest. After days of running from the bandit pursuers, he discovered a hobbit hermit living in an otherworldly forest.

The hermit turned out to be an ex-bandit named Wendell who had been abducted as a youth, enslaved and eventually conscripted into the Fair Trading Company run by bandits. His many escape attempts resulted in increasingly harsh punishments. During the execution of one of his gruesome punishments, Wendell encountered a little girl. She was set to the task of killing Wendell to save her parents by orders of the local Bandit Manager.

The girl was prevented from killing Wendell by the Bandit Manager who preferred to retain the pair for his own personal pleasure. The day of Berlance's Last Stand, Wendell and the girl were able to separately escape into the Forbidden Forest.

Wendell took Kotin on as a pupil, teaching him the basics of swordplay, wilderness survival, first aid and, most importantly, reading. Wendell met his end, but not before sharing the Bandit's First Rule with Kotin: "Never underestimate the will of a dead man." Kotin encountered the girl the night Wendell died; the night he was driven out of the Forbidden Forest.

Kotin eventually came to the town of Icemule Trace, approaching it from the southwest, he found himself mired in the trenches of the Frozen Battlefield whereupon he met the dwarf cleric, Brokkrsten, who helped him escape the trenches with his life intact.

He vowed to to honor the lives of Rosie, Berlance and Wendell by exercising both body and mind. Reflection became a routine activity in Kotin's daily life.

Rage Plate Do

A complete history of the development of the Rage Plate Do martial art can be found here

Kotin searched far and wide, seeking knowledge from scrolls, guides, experienced warriors and combat. Over time, Kotin developed the martial art he calls, Rage Plate Do, to overcome the challenges of the battlefield and the restrictions set forth by the gods.

The basics are: berserker's rage, full plate (preferably flaring) and understanding of the battlefield, the enemy and oneself.

One must learn to control their rage so as to not run off and get themselves killed (rare for masters) or break ranks from their party. This can be done by compelling the enemy to fight on your terms. Feign retreat, grouping all enemies in one location, then unleash your rage. Have faith that, even though your 'superficial' defense will be lowered due to insufficient training in armor, your full plate will keep you alive--even when donning it straight from the turnip farm.

Icemule's Dark Winter

It was the winter of 5117 when a stranger came to town speaking of the sorcery in the snow. Hibbits was his name. He brought news of great trouble, indeed. Orbs appeared, invasions from all manner of beasts and Bandits, a Sheruvian witch, orbs morphing into portals and a tormented woman hysterically alternating between asking for help and wishing death and destruction upon the town. All for a Tome.

In the end, in great despair for the breakdown of Icemule's civil society, Kotin walked into the portal seeking to save the woman or find his end.

The tale was told in the form of 54 limericks for the first time at 2000hr elven on the first Feastday of Phoenatos and can be read in its entirety here. The audience included: Soliere, Hlendril, Laralana, Vallahei, Dirvy, Zailon, Tylayli, Polveiss.