The Dungeon Master's Graveyard Character Bio: Ysbry

Hello all,

Thought I would get the ball rolling with a character bio, if that's all right. It made sense to me that we create the character's first, and naturally develop the world around them together (after all, they aren't created in a vacuum). So I'm going to introduce my character, and the little slice of world from which he hails.

• In a clime similar to that of British Colombia, Canada, there is a great valley beset on three sides by mountains. The valley, called GlenRock, is the home to several small villages and farming communities. It is cut through the middle by a great, beautiful river known to the locals as Runnings River. The mountains, called Yolo by some, and Starry Mountains by others, are home to nomadic tribes who follow a simple agrarian path throughout the year. There are goliaths, humans and half-orcs, and shifter tribes of variant animal ancestry. Today, we focus on a member of the ursine, Black Paw Clan.
  
• Character Name / Nicknames / Aliases: Ysbry [is-bree] Mani Watiuk [way-tee-yuk]; Ysbry Watiuk; Ysbry of the Black Paw; Hunter Watiuk
  
• Birth Date: The Dark before the Corn Moon(approx. "Sept. 2nd"), nineteen summers ago
  
• Place of Birth: The Toadstone cave, on the third peak of Starry Mountain
  
• Residence: Starry Mountain/GlenRock Valley
  
• Height:5'11"
• Weight: 220 lbs.
  
• Measurements:

biceps 17" thighs 22" chest 47" waist 38"hips 42" (He's meaty and strong, but isn't defined with "gym" muscles, there's a healthy level of fat too)

• Clothing Sizes / Styles: Ysbry is at least an "Extra Large" in most clothing. He mostly wears caribou and goat hide for clothing, preferring pants and bare chest and feet. In the winter he covers up with woolen sweaters, and a bear fur cloak.
  
• Hair Color: Black
  
• Hair Length: A very short, thick, "warrior's" mohawk, the rest of his head and face is shaved daily
  
• Eye Color: large, round black eyes like a bear
  
• Handedness : right, though he can wield simple weapons in either hand
  
• Jewelry: Two dire bear claws fashioned into trophy earrings, inherited from his father, and a beaded armband he wears on his right arm.
  
• Tattoos: An eight spoke sun-wheel adorns his left shoulder, and a tribal style bear face, with five claws over it adorns his right shoulder.
  
• General Appearance: Ysbry is generally an intimidating individual upon first appearance. A bare, barrel chest covered in hair, with twin cleaver-like axes strapped to his back is usually the first thing you notice. His face, while not ugly, is very somber. Dark eyes shine from under a heavy brow with thick, black eyebrows. A wide-bridged animal like nose sits long, and low on his face, and thin lips appear amidst the too-frequently shaven facial stubble. Naturally black, pointed nails on both hands and feet, and simple, brown, hide clothing complete the image.
  
• Relationship with Family: Ysbry is the youngest son of Kainen (father) and Nanoda (mother, nee Nievmal) Watiuk. His father passed many years ago protecting the Clan, and Ysbry is especially close to his mother and brother because of it.
  
• Key Family / Relatives:
  

Nanoda Watiuk- mother and provider
Yowyn (yo-win) Watiuk, eldest sibling, and shaman in training
Wenna Agalsti, aunt, shaman and leader of the tribe

• Relationship with Friends:...
• Key Friends: While Ysbry has a few childhood friends, one friend of note is a young dwarven woman named Brenna Irontap, who lives in Oakdale in GlenRock. She repairs the broken wheels, needles, etc. when the clan enters the valley in the spring. They enjoy good, dark beer together in the late hours, when their schedules allow.
  
• Key Enemies: Despite the very extreme difficulty of passing to the other side of the mountains (those that don't face the valley are near impossible to get to with the exception of Harrow's Pass) many hobgoblin tribesman attempt raids on the nomadic tribes of Starry Mountain.
  
• Educational History: Like all children in his clan, Ysbry and his brother were educated by the clan shaman from age four to twelve. At twelve, a ceremony was had to determine their career path/training. Ysbry was to become a warrior and provider like his father. While intelligent and wise situationally(an expert tracker and fighter), Ysbry is not the most educated individual around.
  
• Work History: Since twelve years old, Ysbry has hunted caribou and ram, skinned and cleaned them, tracked and hunted pumas, protected the clan from bears, goblins, and hobgoblins, as well as thieves. Hunting and fighting is all he really knows.
  
• Skills: see above.
  
• Phobias / Fears: Uselessness and shame. While his brother goes on to become a tribal leader whom is educated, and has control over law, population, tradition, education, etc., Ysbry just kills things for a living. He hates feeling useless. Moreover, he fears shame. His father has trophies from his hunting days, and he needs to one day bring home trophies of his own. Shaming his father's name is his greatest fear.
  
• Bad Habits / Vices: Ysbry is the calm fury type, he never raises his voice, and his only three visible emotions are, stoic, sleepy, and smirking slightly. If something bothers him, he will say nothing until it comes pouring out of him...usually from the sharp end of his weapon. He also tends to forget to mention important details as they're happening, such as detecting a third thief, or telling a friend "I'm covering your territory now you can go." but forgetting to tell him it's because his wife is giving birth.
  
• Quirks: Ysbry, like most of his family, had the potential to be a talented shaman and spiritualist. He can speak to the primal spirits like his aunt and brother can, but only uses the ability when bored or in battle.
  
• Best Qualities: Loyal, Brave, Calm, Trustworthy, and Hard-working are some of Ysbry's best qualities
  
• Worst Qualities: Stoic to the point of being cold, inability to express emotions/ being distant, negligence of important details are most of his worst
  
• Key Childhood Experiences: discovering his ability to commune with the primal spirits, his pride at his brother's "calling ceremony", his own ceremony etc.
  
• Key Teenage Experiences: his first kill (an ornery old grey, ram), his first time into a village, discovering beer, leading his first hunt, getting his tattoo's, etc.
  
• Key Adult Experiences: Ysbry's tribe practices population control (like most nomadic tribes do) One manner is that families are only allowed so many children (3), and young men (except the shaman) must go out into the world and bring back a trophy or conquest to be accepted back into the tribe. They must also choose a wife (or life partner) from another tribe/land to prevent incest. Ysbry is now of age where he must go out into the world to claim a wife, or gain a trophy. He is no longer welcome in his tribe until he does so.
  
• Sexual Background: Ysbry has shared a few "nights" with his good friend Brenna, but they have mutually decided marriage is not for them. Ysbry is otherwise lacking in experience.
  
• Favorites
  

food: goat milk, root vegetables, unleavened bread, roasted caribou shank
clothing: hides for comfort, wool for warmth
art: tattoo's are considered magical by many of the local peoples, and Ysbry loves them
music: drums! Ysbry loves drum beats, and enjoys woodwinds and cymbals/zils

• Personal Goals: To lead a full life, and find love one day
  
• Professional Goals: To find a great trophy to bring back to his people, and become his brothers food/ war adviser
  
• Morality / Ethics:" Listen to nature, take no more than what is necessary, do what is for the benefit of the greater rather than the few, and what you have, you hold, and nothing more". Is one of the teaching's Ysbry knows by heart and believes. He is genuinely a moral individual, but his life has yet to present him with truly multi-faceted moral issues.
  
• Style of Speech: Short, quiet, and a bit gruff. Ysbry is a young man of few words, which are occasionally sarcastic.
  
• Commonly Used Words / Slang / Jargon: "Nunyinini/Wewaydo/CarundaYolo guide me." Nunyinini is his tribe's name for The Great Bear, an elder primal spirit whom the tribe venerates. They also venerate Wewaydo, Earthwheel who ensures food to eat during their yearly travels, and CarundaYolo, their name for the spirit of Starry Mountain
  
• Lies / Misinformation: His mother and Aunt has never had the heart to tell him, but Ysbry's father isn't dead, he's been exiled. His brother Yowyn, also has a different father. Ysbry knows nothing of this, or why they would keep it from him..
  
• Other Important Details:..... Wow, that was long, and difficult but now I feel accomplished. Sorry if this interrupts the flow of things/ is way too long.
  
• Currently working on an image
• Mechanics: In D&D 4e terms, Ysbry is a Long Tooth Shifter, and a hybrid Ranger/Seeker. He uses throwing axes and daggers to mix melee and range, being an effective warrior and hunter. He is most certainly a striker, who also calls upon primal spirit allies for some light controlling features.
  

Footnotes: Ysbry: bear shifter, a beefy, hairy, warrior unable to call any place home until he brings back a trophy proving he's a valued asset to his tribe.

I can't wait to read the bio of whomever is next!