The Forestmaw Rider

Jeremiah Forestmaw (a.k.a. The Forestmaw Rider)

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

In life, Jeremiah was a hobgoblin with crimson skin and a muscular physique. He was known for his prowess in combat and athletic skill. His health was always in prime condition, only becoming ill a small number of times throughout his life. His natural fortitude afforded him a clean bill of health and boasted an uncompromised immune system. In his current skeletal state, his bones are mystically enforced to be sturdier and denser, allowing him to shrug off many blows that would fell an ordinary necromantic skeleton. Though he is undead, that does not hinder his physical state and, in fact, appears to assist him in all matters of martial combat.

Body Features

Being a Hobgoblin, Jeremiah has two prominent tusks, even in death. He stands well over six feet tall with a large skeletal body that has long-removed muscles and bones are held aloft by the necromantic magics that keep him in his Undeath state. A supernatural mist seems to always accompany him in his skeletal state that he can manipulate to obscure his visage and make him disappear or even teleport in an instant. He will often use this to intimidate those he deems as his opponents, oft with great effect.

Physical Quirks

The creaking of his undead bones grinds with every motion Jeremiah takes. He is rarely seen dismounted from his horse, Mighdü, who is a staple of his identity and the legend his name holds. He stands tall and proud and is poised as any seasoned warrior would be, reigns always in hand, ready for mounted combat the drop of a hat (or helmet in his case).

Created With: Hero Forge

Identifying Characteristics

With a voice-box long deteriorated, his voice is no longer what it was in life. Instead, his words are imbued with a whispy, hollow, breathy quality that sends chills down the spines of those listening in. He is always seen in his samurai armor passed down to him through generations on his father’s side. His daishō is always seen at his side and is considered as an extension of him and the family he seeks to avenge.

Special Abilities

The Forestmaw Rider retained all the martial prowess that he had in life, carrying it over to his undead state. Along with it, he enjoys the benefit of eternal life. He vows that he will not rest until every soul responsible for the demise of his clan rots in the Nine Hells. Only then will he finally know peace, where he will finally be able to reunite with his long lost love, Helga.

Specialized Equipment

Jeremiah was always well suited for combat, wearing ornate splint mail, and his daishō forged from the greatest blacksmith of his clan whose name was lost to time. His helmet was passed down from his father as is a tradition among the warriors of the Forestmaw and even in death, he scarcely removes it.

Alignment

Lawful Neutral

Species

Hobgoblin

Conditions

• Undeath

Ethnicity

Skjadi

Age

23 in Life, 2,838 in Death

Date of Birth

Fosdis the 13^th of Nerubis
in the 93^rd Year of Healing

Life

5969 5992 23 years old

Circumstances of Birth

Expected, Bred for Combat

Circumstances of Death

Killed in Action

Birthplace

Sjaaruchi, Ma'kylava

Current Residence

Sjaaruchi, Ma'kylava

Gender

Male

Eyes

Red in Life, None in Death

Hair

Long Black Hair Kept in a Top-Knot

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Red in Life, None in Death

Height

6'2"

Weight

205_lbs (Alive), 31_lbs (Dead)

Related Myths

• Nights of the Forestmaw Ride

Related Historical Events

• 3535
  Night of the Forestmaw Ride

Appears in...

• Hymn of the Forestmaw

Mental Characteristics

Personal History

Growing up as a hobgoblin is a feat in and of itself and, despite Jeremiah's martial abilities, he barely passed his Rites of Passage and never amassed to any rank higher than Soldier, truly showing how great the Forestmaw's Elite troops were. He struggled throughout his time in the Forestmaw clan and was almost outcast. He was once sent to claim a great beast and provide for the entire clan, but instead came across an encroaching army that would eventually lead to his fame, but also his death. After his death, he rose as an undead by unknown means, but many theorize that it was his sheer willpower to prove himself to his clan that led his spirit back to his rotting body. By the time he rode to reunite with his tribe, however, his people were hanged from the gallows erected by the Wu family of the Lyran Dynasty. He watched as his wife's neck did not break and was gutted as she bled and suffocated to death.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Traveling for 20 nights straight to warn his clan and the Skjadi people of an encroaching Lyran army turned him in a legend. Though it cost him in life, his news managed to circumvent large pincer attack that would have been the end of the Skjadi as they are known today.

Failures & Embarrassments

Though his ride is a legend still told nearly three millennia after the event, Jeremiah's life was full of inadequacies. He was often weaker than his clanmates and struggled to keep up. His greatest perceived failure to him, however, was not riding fast enough to save his wife from her execution.

Mental Trauma

Watching a loved one die in front of your eyes can have detrimental effects on the psyche. Due to his shortcomings in life, he adopted a more charismatic attitude about him, winning over his tribe with words rather than force. The events of the Nights of the Forestmaw Ride, however, the sights of his late wife caused him to steel himself emotionally and focus solely on the revenge of his people.

Intellectual Characteristics

Over the millennia, Jeremiah has become honed in the arts of tactics and stratagem, excelling in combat and cavaliering. His wit and intelligence has become unmatched and Forestmaw is now a polyglot, knowing over a dozen languages including, Ochridian, Dwarvish, Elvish, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Orcish, Abyssal, Celestial, Draconic, Deep Speech, Infernal, Primordial, Sylvan, and Undercommon.

Morality & Philosophy

Jeremiah would define himself as Morally Ambiguous doing what needs to be done to further the goals of himself and his people. He follows the precepts of the hobgoblin people to the best of his ability, but would violate the decrees in a second should it finally bring his wife and people the peace they deserve. Though he has a hatred for the Lyran Dynasty, he will not attack one identifying themself as such without due cause, instead preferring to question the person to find their motives and intentions.

Created With: Hero Forge

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Some would say that Jeremiah's main motivation is revenge. Although this is not completely wrong, he also cares deeply for his people's prosperity. He works greatly to see the Skjadi people restore their nation to their previous glories and wish for the Lyran Dynasty to fall at its hands. He seeks to see Skjadi messenger and trader routes cleared and has been known to creep from the forests should a Lyran presence be spotted along well-traveled paths. His main motivation and goal remain to find revenge for those that killed his wife and clan. Unlike many other Lyran civilians, should he see someone displaying the House Wu banner proudly, he will attack on sight with little hesitation.

Savvies & Ineptitudes

A millennium is a long time to learn skills and perfect arts and various crafts, three is enough to transcend even masters. The Forestmaw Rider has learned to craft his own weapons and armor from even their base materials. Though he still bears the suit of armor he wore in life, this armor has seen countless battles and is in constant need of repair and maintenance. However, there are some things that even time does not help should you lack the ability to grasp the concept. One such ineptitude that plagues Jeremiah even to this day is his lack of tact, often looking down on those weaker than him or those who are incapable of being self-sufficient.

Likes & Dislikes

The Forestmaw Rider surprisingly spends a majority of his time in fields of wildflowers due to the particular scent of lavender provoking the memory of the first time he and Helga met. He has been spotted sitting in a meditative state, enjoying the fond memory of his wife and him laying in the fields of Ma'kylava for hours as they stared upon the skies of Oryth, watching the clouds creep by with little to no care in the world. He would give anything to smell her fragrance in the flesh one last time. Any of those who would molest or disturb these places of natural beauty is sure to rouse anger within Jeremiah's very core.

Virtues & Personality Perks

The greatest virtue a person could have in the eyes of the Forestmaw is conviction. Staying true to their word and following through with action is the most important thing a person can do in their life. Words are useless without backing it up. Jeremiah holds himself to this characteristic and those who can't are considered unworthy of compassion or mercy.

Vices & Personality Flaws

Jeremiah tends to jump to conclusions and cast judgment quickly into the initial encounter, something that he did early on in his life and continues to do far into his undeath. Though he prefers to identify if a person is a threat before outright attacking and finding their intentions, many times it is hard to sway his conclusion upon the initial encounter. Due to the condition of his reanimation and the Guardians gifting him with his unlife, it has been a double-edged sword for the Rider. Stepping on Lyran claimed territory sends him into a blind frenzy, making him unable to see the difference between friend and foe. The Wu Family has taken notice of this weakness and have pushed out their territories further and further, even encroaching on lands that the Forestmaw people once held sacred. To combat this, he attempts to recruit others to his cause, but his skeletal visage makes him fearsome and oftentimes unapproachable, sometimes even causing adventurers to attack him on sight.

Personality Quirks

Though it isn't clear looking at Jeremiah, he is quite fond of humor, though over the years his cynicism has caused his personal sense of humor to become dry or sometimes dark. To those who have had multiple encounters with the Forestmaw Rider, he is oft to cite puns, usually in regards to his undead or skeletal state. Those returning the same puns are usually met with a moment of pause with him giving off an unamused look before finally laughing when the moment is at its most tense.

Social Characteristics

Created With: Hero Forge

Family Ties

The Clan of the Forestmaw was eradicated shortly after his death and before his reanimation. Due to this, he has no surviving family. Despite this fact, his dedication to his family and avenging them could never be stronger. He will never rest until every soul he lost in his absence is put to rest and the family responsible for their demise all meet the same fate of his family. Though he loves his late wife Helga to a fault, he fears that he will soon no longer remember her lovely face.

Religious Views

In life, Jeremiah was a practitioner of the Shijin faith and claims still that he encountered them personally upon his deathbed. He believes it was the action of his death and his plea to the Guardians that bestowed him with his unlife, but that also cursed him with the unbridled rage upon Lyran lands. Over the years, he has seen many people who have performed astonishing miracles, and although he is a definite believer of the gods above, his faith lies mainly in the Guardians to this day and the religion of Dar Deidu.

Mannerisms

Jeremiah is abrasive on his best of days. At his worst, he is an uncaring and merciless warrior. Though he has the ability to be an agreeable individual, his solidarity and snap judgments do not afford him many friends or even allies of necessity.

Social Aptitude

What he lacks in etiquette, he more than makes up for in his commanding presence. His knowledge and prowess on the battlefield have led to many successful skirmishes against the Lyran Dynasty. He is able to project his voice in a manner that carries on the wind itself to each of the troops that need to hear his orders.

Speech

His unlife has voided him of his natural voicebox and now speaks with a low guttural whisp of unsettling melancholy. There is a mystical and arcane presence about his voice that pierces into the mind of those he speaks to.

Hobbies & Pets

Throughout the millennia, he has picked up many hobbies and loves experimenting with new crafts. Above all though, his husbandry skills were unparalleled in life, being responsible for the breeding of the horses of the Forestmaw tribe. His steed, Mighdü, Ochridian for mighty, was bred from the strongest of breeds. After his death, Jeremiah pleaded with the Four Guardians to bring his fallen horse to life to serve even in death as his feat wouldn't have been possible without Mighdü's assistance. They heeded his plea, bestowing Mighdü not only with life but the spirit of a Nightmare, a mystical steed with a mane of flames.