[Hourglass of Zihaja] Chapter 10: Adventuring

[Zeta Kai]

Ali Jaruq

Quotes

• “If this city’s ever going to change, it’s going to need someone with the will to change it.”
• “Look at my face. What do you see? A monster? A beast? Something to be put down for your glory? Or do you see something more? Do you see the soul that hides behind the ghul’s eyes?”
• “I need no such worldly things. The air provides everything that I could ever want.”
• “Let the sultan do what he pleases, & let me do what I please. We both know what is right.”

Background
Ali Jaruq was born into poverty near the City of God, & lived in squalor for most of his childhood. His father abandoned him & his human mother when he was an infant, & his mother was forced to make ends meet any way that she could. They moved to the Numar District (AKA “Ghultown”), where Ali’s mother soon became a prostitute in order to stave off starvation. Ali was persecuted for his strange appearance, as well as his lowly status as the son of a prostitute. He fought back against his bullies, & it appeared that the rage in his heart would soon turn him into a lifelong criminal.

But a kindly Waharimite priest saw potential in Ali, & offered to take him under his wing. He moved into a temple dedicated to the Lord on the Mountain many miles to the north, past the Zuhahul Hills, where he studied for over a decade to become a monk. Eventually, he learned to focus his inner anger & channel it into performing acts of good. Years later, he returned to his childhood home in the City of God to find his mother, but she had been murdered not long after he left. He saw that the Numar District had been neglected by the sultan & his government, & as a result, it had deteriorated even further into chaos & blight. It was then that he pledged to end the cycle of poverty & crime that plagued Ghultown, & to prevent the circumstances that led to his childhood misery from happening again.

Personality
Ali is an ascetic disciple of Waharim, at peace with himself & the world around him. He has harnessed his baser emotions into a firm resolve to better those in need, & he works tirelessly to that end. He has worked hard to overcome his own personal discrimination, so he is quick to defend against racial prejudice. He takes great pleasure in the simple things in life, & has little appreciation for luxuries or vices, preferring meditation & prayer. His patience does have limits, however, & he has expressed frustration with the sultanate & his ministers from time to time. Some might say that he is humorless, but he has been known to smile at a welcome breeze or a newfound piece of uncovered lore.

Appearance
Ali has pale gray skin & many piercings in both ears. His long black hair is tied back in a braided queue that falls most of the way down his back. He wears simple white monk’s robes, & is usually barefooted.

Goals
Ali now struggles to develop the Numar District & improve the lives of those who live there. He fights against the stigma or crime & poverty regarding his neighborhood, hoping to one day eliminate the district’s many ills. To that end, he seeks to increase guard watch, keep the district clean, prevent criminal activity, & help the poor. These efforts have not gone unnoticed by the city’s leaders, & they have been publicly supportive, although their pledges of assistance have yet to be realized. A rumor has been spreading that the sultan & his ministers are angry with him for shedding a bad light on this situation, embarrassing the city & its government. There is even some word that the sultanate may be looking for ways to neutralize him, before he tarnishes their reputation further.

Combat Tactics
Ali is an adept combatant, both armed & unarmed & he uses the Swift Wind style, which favors sweeping movements & passive, flowing stances. He is particularly skilled at knocking opponents prone, either with a trip or a Surging Palm. His ghul heritage also contributes to his fighting prowess, as he often uses his innate abilities, such as obscuring mist & gust of wind, to keep foes off-balance.

3E Stats

Spoiler

Show

RACE: Half-Ghul male
CLASS: Monk 6
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Good
DEITY: Waharim (Jabal)
SIZE: Medium
AGE: 43 (born 312 AF)
HEIGHT: 6’6”
WEIGHT: 251 lbs.
EYES: Red
HAIR: Black
LANGUAGES: Common & Ghul
HIT DICE: 8+5d8+15 (45HP)
INITIATIVE: +2
SPEED: 50’
ARMOR CLASS: 18 (+2 Dex, +3 Wis, +1 monk, +2 armor); touch 16; flat-footed 16
BASE ATTACK BONUS: +4
GRAPPLE BONUS: +6
ATTACK: +7 Quarterstaff (1d6+3/1d6+2, ×2, bludgeoning)
FULL ATTACK: +7/+2 Quarterstaff (1d6+3/1d6+2, ×2, bludgeoning) or +7 Sling (1d4+2, ×2, 50’ range increment, bludgeoning) or +5/+5 unarmed strike (1d8+2, ×2, bludgeoning)
SPACE/REACH: 5’/5’
SAVING THROWS: Fortitude +9, Reflex +9, Will +12
ABILITIES:

• Strength 14 (+2)
• Dexterity 14 (+2)
• Constitution 14 (+2)
• Intelligence 13 (+1)
• Wisdom 16 (+3)
• Charisma 10 (+0)

SKILLS: 45 points

• Balance +8
• Diplomacy +9
• Jump +7
• Knowledge (Religion) +7
• Listen +10
• Spot +10
• Tumble +11

FEATS: Base Vasrah**, Forceful Hand**, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike (bonus), Second Vasrah**, Stunning Fist, Surging Palm**, Toughness (bonus)
WEAPON:

• +1 Quarterstaff (2,600gp, 1d6+3/1d6+2, ×2, 2 lbs., bludgeoning)
• +1 Sling (2,300gp, 1d4+2, ×2, 50’ range increment, 0 lbs., bludgeoning)

ARMOR: N/A
EQUIPMENT:

• 49gp
• 100 Sling Bullets (1gp)
• Bracers of Armor +2 (4,000gp)
• Cloak of Resistance +2 (4,000gp)
• Potion of cure light wounds (50gp)

RACIAL FEATURES:

• Ghul Blood
• Elemental Resistance (cold 5 & fire 5)
• Spell-Like Abilities
  • At Will: darkness, detect magic, obscuring mist
  • 1/Day: gust of wind (DC13)
  • Caster level 8th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

CLASS FEATURES:

• Flurry of Blows (+5/+5).
• Unarmed Strike (Improved Unarmed Strike, +6, 1d8+2).
• Evasion.
• Still Mind.
• Ki Strike (Magic).
• Slow Fall (30’).
• Purity of Body.

LEVEL ADJUSTMENT: +2