Rakot Hemlin

Character Name: Rakot Hemlin
Age: 26
Sex: Male
Race: Human

Class: Warrior
Specializations: Berserker
Favored skills: Two handed weapons, Berserk, Indomitable, Powerful Swings, Final Blow

Hobbies: Consuming large amounts of alcohol

Background: Rakot doesn't come from anywhere in particular, and at the same time he comes from everywhere. His village destroyed in a minor dark spawn raid, he was scavenged by a traveling Dwarven merchant as a two year old boy and was raised on the road. The Dwarf's name was Romek, and his entire being could be summarized as a mixture of an impressive beard, less than sunny disposition, and a breath that would knock out a high dragon. Romek was once a member of the Warrior caste in Orzammar, before being exiled for going into a berserker rage and killing a noble over a dispute in a drinking contest at the Tapster's Tavern. Upon finding Rakot, he didn't take him in out of charity, rather deciding that a human baby could prove to be useful one day as a sponge for bandit arrows if nothing else. Once Rakot was old enough to walk and talk Romek put him to work fixing the wagon and loading the merchandise, eventually extending his duties to those of a wagon propulsion system. Always living on the road, the duo traveled all over Thedas, from Ferelden to Anderfels and everywhere in between. In his travels Rakot discovered that he had a knack for learning foreign languages, eventually learning how to speak Ferelden, Antivan, Tevinter and Anderfel tongues as well as Dwarven that Romek raised him in.

With all his time consumed doing strenuous physical labor Rakot's musculature developed quickly and by the age of seven he could already hold a broadsword and swing it fast enough to kill. Romek took note of Rakot's affinity for warrior craft and saw an opportunity to gain a free bodyguard, so he trained him in the ways of dwarven Berserkers. Rakot rather enjoyed the training, quickly developing a preference for blunt two handed weapons. As Rakot's skill grew Romek's attitude towards his servant began to change, he became a bit more lenient, only kicking Rakot in the stomach and not the face during his drunken rages. Finally as Rakot was getting close to finishing his training; perhaps the old Dwarf saw something of himself in the boy, or perhaps he drank a particularly fine bucket of ale that day but he unofficially accepted the human into his House, and gave him the honor of carrying the House name of Hemlin. At fifteen years old the orphan was now a warrior, and Romek from then on treated him as such. Rakot became a business partner, rather than a servant and Romek became his father, rather than master. With his transition in status, Rakot was now content with his lot in life and put the nagging thoughts of cutting the Dwarf's neck in his sleep and running away aside.

Ten years later, the merchant duo found itself in Ferelden, they've heard stories of a major accumulation of darkspawn in the South, but the Ash Warriors stationed at Ostagar had a lot of coin and were surely going to favor a dwarven weapon merchant over a human one. Romek insisted on ignoring the danger and braving the Kokari Wilds, arguing that they would be able to make a killing selling arms to the nobles and Ash Warriors of the King's army. Getting closer to Ostagar they ran into a few Darkspawn scouting parties, but having ample experience in combat against bandits, had no problem dispatching the small groups. Finally they made it to their destination and Romek's decision paid off rather quickly. They sold their entire stock in just three days, everything from battleaxes to dog collars, the amount of coin was enough so that they could expand their business threefold once they were able to travel up north and restocked at Denerim. However hearing rumors that the final battle against the darkspawn was drawing near they chose to stay, hoping to scavenge some of their sold merchandise from the corpses on the battlefield once it was all over. Things did not turn out as they had planned.

The night of Loghain's betrayal had Rakot and Romek running for their lives after they decided to leave their wagon behind as the darkspawn began to pour into the army camp. As they were just beyond the walls, a stray arrow found Romek's heart. The old dwarf lay there, choking on his own blood, as Rakot watched him die with the roar of battle overhead, his rage building up inside him.

“What the hell are you looking at boy?” Romek grunted in between fits of coughing “Run! Run for your life! I didn't save your useless sodding hide all those sodding years ago just so you could become a meal for some sodding darkspawn! Run!”

Rakot could hear the words, but did not comprehend him, instead he rose up, grabbed the handle of his great maul tight enough to crush stone and looked at the walls of the fortress they just escaped, a fire burning in his eyes.

“Ghahahaha! There it is! I see your blood boiling, boy!” Romek roared “A sodding berserker and his rage, what a sight to see! I couldn't have hoped for a better sodding picture to lay my eyes on before kicking the bucket! Stone be praised, you'll make a fine Dwarf yet! Go on now, kill, do what you were born to do!”

For but a few moments Rakot's battlecry silenced even the battle “RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

He charged back towards the fortress, every molecule in his body craving an urge to kill and than....he woke up four days later in a Chantry cloister in Lothering. The Chantry sister taking care of his wounds told him that a group of Ash Warriors fleeing the battle found him soaked head to toe in darkspawn blood next to a pile of crushed and dismembered corpses of the fiends. There were three arrows in his chest, and signs of burning on his hands and arms. Seeing that he was still breathing they grabbed him and his maul as they made their way north. He didn't say a word of thanks, instead against the sister's protests he got out of bed, put on his chainmail, ignoring the pain from his wounds, grabbed his maul and walked out without saying a word. His gaze was full of determination, he had a goal now. He traveled South into the Kokari Wilds and spent the next year killing Darkspawn. He didn't attack the main horde but picked off the smaller groups that extended outwards. He knew that even killing ten to twenty of them a day he wasn't making any kind of dent in their numbers, but that didn't concern him, in fact he didn't want them to stop coming as killing darkspawn was now his purpose and without it he was truly lost. He survived by eating local wildlife and drinking swamp water.

Almost a year later, nearing the end of the Blight he followed the horde to Denerim, continuing to ambush small groups until they reached the city, he then found his way to the city defenders and joined them judging that it would make his killing of darkspawn more efficient. After the Archdemon was slain, the darkspawn retreated, and Rakot charged after them still locked in his berserker rage from the battle. He chased them for several weeks, killing many, until they escaped underground. He stood at the edge of the chasm and pondered if he should go after them, finally deciding against it. He began his journey back towards Denerim, thinking about what to do now that he was free of both his old life and the focus of his rage.
Appearance:


Rakot stands just above six and a half feet tall and is extremely broad shouldered and muscular. His black hair is short and a stocky, bushy beard hangs from his chin, covering everything up to his nose, his steel-gray eyes seem to pierce objects in front of him. His whole body is covered with numerous scars of variable size and freshness. For apparel he wears a dark-gray chainmail of Dwarven make and thick leather boots reinforced with metal plates.

"Ataash/Glory", Rakot's current weapon:

Rakot's maul (applying my modest paint skills):

Not bad not bad at all. It is amazing that a certain Elf doesn't fear that. Oh wait, if he were sane he might.

For what Maghai care, it could be a bugcrusher

Sudden idea to do a picture of Durbans and Rakot's maul crossing each other...

Rakot's new weapon, I call it Swordmaulspear(tm). For all your piercing, stabbing, cutting, mauling needs choose Swordmaulspear(tm), FUCK YEAH!

Updated with a picture of Rakot. Had to use Fallout 3 character creator, cause thats the best game with a character creator i got for my laptop atm and I dont have the hardware to take DA2 screens from xbox. It'll do for now.