Kroonin (the Bard-barian)[Despite a silliness of the name, I'm hoping the world you've crafted can have a place for someone like Kroonin. As a character, he strikes me as fun to play.]
They say dwarves have no talent for any music that those above the surface of the land would want to hear.
They say this is especially so for the Dwarves at the Northern tip of the Ragnarock Mountains where the chill cold can gnaw a humaniod's digits to the bone and they have naught but barren, snow-choked landscape sparse of beauty to inspire the soul to melody.
There exists a dwarven community far from The Smoking Mountain. Other dwarves might even consider them uncivilized because of it. They keep watch of the northern borders of the dwarven kingdom from any of the myriad of threats that the cold North has to offer. It is oft said they have more in common with the Wild Elves of the Northern Sylvan forest - both groups of people adapt to their harsh climate stoically and have a grudging respect and brusk trade with one another.
They would say that there is no way such a person, borne with ice in their veins and frost on their beards could appreciate the subtleties of rhythm, tones, and cadence.
'They''d be wrong.
Dulf Steelarm, son of Krolag Steelarm was inspired from hearing music on a trades expedition with his father, a master blacksmith, to the Southern lands of Redmont. The young adult dwarf, a smith of no small talent himself, grew to liking the city, it's culture and art, but most of all, it's music. He announced to his father that he would not be returning to the icy mountain. Krolag was none pleased but his grown son had that right to decide for himself.
The older dwarf was not without his tricks however. He arranged a marraige for Dulf to one of the most steadfast clans of warriors, the Stonehearts, they had a daughter about the right age with fire in her soul and stone in her muscles, an untamed spirit, and many accomplishments of bravery and martial prowess, the fair and feisty Isolna. Dulf had to agree but exacted only the promise that the couple live their first year in Redmont that he might have the chance to sway his new wife to the Southern City life.
They married and in that year she begot a son, Kroonin, born as the son shone over Dulf's smith-shop in the city. After the year was up, Isolna had had enough of the soft city life and would not raise their son in this environment. She gave Dulf an ultimatum to return to the Northern Mountains. He refused.
She left for her homeland taking their son with her. Dulf, showing characteristic stubborness, wrote to her, extolling the grandiuer of the city and saying how many opportunities Kroonin would have were he here. Isolna Stoneheart, in the same stubborness steadfastly refused to relent. Thus Kroonin spent his early years learning the ways of war from his kin in the mountains. When he was 13, Kroonin's mother, leading a patrol of the borders was ambushed by Whites, the frozen abominations that roam the tundra. She did not survive.
Dulf, forlorn by Isolna's death, for he had grown to admire and even love her from afar, immediately claimed a father's Rite of Apprenticeship whereby a son had to spend a year learning the father's trade, in order to spend time with his son - the last link to Isolna Stoneheart in this world.
Kroonin had to go but was determined to hate the city, his father, blacksmithing, all of it.
They say music has the power to transform the heart, melt the ice surrounding it, mend the rends and tears of tragedy.
'They' finally got one right.
Kroonin, son of Dulf, the Blacksmith, discovered that he loved the rhythmic ringing of his father's forge. How anvils and molten metal could sing with the impact of a well-swung hammer. His father's love of music, the very thing that made Dulf forsake the land of his birth, combined with Kroonin's mother's strength of arm and sheer lust of striking.
He'd unintentionally attract crowds outside of his father's forge whenever he was working and word swiftly spread. Tavernkeep Wilhelm heard the tales even and just had to see this for himself. The music was enchanting and the musician, though thoroughly steeped in his mother's barbaric culture, was eager to learn more of Wilhelm's teachings. After the year with his father, Kroonin petitioned to apprentice with the master minstrel and Dulf gave his blessings. Luckily, the old bard has the patience of a saint. He instructed Kroonin of the power in rhythm and tones, even the limited ones that can be made by metal on metal. Kroonin soaked it up eagerly and found the soul of a bard within himself. He would never let go of the teachings and passions he gained in the Northern Mountains.
pl6 90
Strength 1/3
sta 2/5
agi 1
dex -1
fgt 1
awe 3
int -1
pre 0
[10pp]
Skills [23pp]: Athelete 1(+4), Intimidate (+10), Perception 6(+9), Insight 3(+6), Close Combat (hammer) 6(+7), Treatment 6(+5), Technology (blacksmithing) 4(+3),Stealth 2(+3/+5size)
Expertise(off Pre)-Percussion instruments 5(+5), Singing 3(+3),
Advantages [13pp]: Startle, interpose, improved smash, weapon break, Equipment 3, set up, Skill Mastery (Intimidation), improved initiative, Fearless, Luck, Great Endurance
Equipment
Chain mail (Protection +3) 3ep
War Hammer (str-based strike 2) 2ep
Large Shield (Defenses +3) 6ep
Feature: Perfectly tuned (1ep): Kroonin's shield is a perfect circle, balanced and tonal, when he strikes it with his hammer he can play it like and instrument (+2 Performance)
Cold weather clothing (immunity, Environmental cold) 1ep
Masterwork Blacksmithing tools (1ep)
Masterwork Healing kit (1ep)
Languages [2pp] Anvuil(native), Araluen, Sylvan,
Defenses
Parry 4
Dodge 4, +6 vs. Area
Toughness 8
will 6 [3ep]
fort 6 [1pp]
Powers:
Dwarven
Underground Senses: Low-light Vision, Know direction [2ep]
Dwarven Hardiness: immunity Poisons (half effect), aging(half) [1ep]
Short but stocky: Shrinking 2(Permanent) {-1str, -1 Ground Movement, +1 Active Defenses, +2 Stealth, -1 Intimidate} [2ep]
Growth 3 (no size change, Permanent) This is to indicate a density of mass, {+3 strength, +3 sta, -1Active Defenses, +1 Intimidate, [6ep]
Barbarism:
Speed 2 [1ep] (total ground speed = 1)
Dangersenses: Uncanny dodge - Sight, Evasion 1[2ep]
Bardic music [18pp+5AE]
Song of Healing - Healing, Area-Shapeable, pr 6
AE: Thunder struck - Strike 6, Area-Cone, Fort Save
AE: Roar - Affliction, Area-Cone, cumulative (Resist by Will, impaired and Vulnerable, disabled and defenseless)
AE: Countersong - immunity (Mental descriptor), affects others, area-burst, Duration-Concentration, Added Activation - Move action, Quirk - Must make noise
AE: Baleful Lullaby - Affliction, Area - Shapeable, Cumulative (Resist by Will, Entraced, Stunned, Asleep), Insidious, Quirk - must be making noise, pr 6
AE: Rhythm of Fortune - Luck Control pr 6(reroll for best, or force reroll for worst, the other ranks just help the resistable), Area burst 2, Selective, Duration - Instant, Range - Perception, Resistable by Will, Action - Standard (-3/r), luck points 6(only usable for Luck Control)
So, for a standard action the bard starts beating out the Rhythm of Fortune, spends one of the Luck points and chooses which effect - Allies (in 120') get one reroll and take the Best, or Foes (in 120') who fail a Will save, DC16 reroll once and take the worst, it only affects any person once and lasts until the start of Kroonin's next turn, if no rolls are made that turn it's wasted.
Attrib 10+ Skills 23+ Advantages 13+ Languages 2+Defenses 4+Dwarf 11+ Barbarism 4+ Music 23 = 90
Complications:
Hedonism - Kroonin likes ale, food, and partying. Unfortunately his idea of the best type of partying involves a bar brawl.
Dwarf - As a dwarf he suffers some of societies' (whatever society he's in) stereotypes of Dwarves. Not to mention the jokes.
'Uncivilized' - Even by dwarven standards, Kroonin' can sometimes forget the niceties and social customs of polite society
Quick to anger - This was originally written as 'Short-fuse', but Kroonin objected, violently.
Link to character build, have about four points left, will work on back ground in a little bit. 
