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Original NWN Veteran checking in, same Character since 2002!

XorinaXorina Member Posts: 138
edited March 2022 in New Members Welcome Area
I realised last month that I have six copies of NWN: two big box editions, two DVD case editions and two digital copies, one of which a GOG Diamond Edition. It's fully patched to 1.71 community, plus I've both expansions.

Even though it was bought in 2002 for £19.99 (or was it £29.99?), I've STILL not completed the OC, nor either expansions. Life gets in the way and I like to explore everything, in addition to grabbing ALL the treasure and GP from boxes and chests scattered around the city (Always found it bizarre there are no banks to deposit gold in Neverwinter)

I find roleplaying Paladins interesting as it oft involves thorny moral issues I have to consider before deciding on a choice that best matches a Paladin's verities.

Was thrilled when Mr Oster announced that he wanted to return to it --some 15 years on-- to do a restoration, so to speak, and snapped up a Digital Deluxe edition for $39.99. It was encouraging to learn old saves would work with the EE version. Xorina Hawksley is a Paladin that I've roleplayed in NWN and beyond in Faerun based adventures since AD&D 2nd Edn. days, and she has a backstory:


Xorina Hawksley, twin of her older Paladin brother Xorin, was born in Faerun, and grew up in the country from an early age on her large sprawling parents farm. Due to her hardiness and riding skills gained from rural society, she became an eager young cadet in the Neverwinter City Guard upon moving away from the farm at 15 to her new city life. You can take a girl out of the country but you cant take the country out of the girl.

Her family name arose when her great grandfather, The Baron Oxley of Waterdeep, had his name mispronounced over his adventuring days as "Orc-Slayer", which over time became corrupted to "Hawksley". The family liked the sound of it and the name stuck.

Her father, The Laird Drexler Hawksley and ex-Flaming Fist Ranger, taught her to use a crossbow at distance to kill wolves stalking the family livestock. Upon her brothers' suggestion, she focused her burgeoning swordcraft, Longbow and long range Heavy crossbow-sniping skills she was improving upon as a young cadet within a Chivalric Holy Order he was a member of.

Lord Nasher of Neverwinter saw potential in her time at the Cadets, picking up on the attention she gained within the ranks on whatever training her mentors exposed her to she quickly mastered and outclassed her peers, eventually matching her Instructors, doubtless aided by the daily tasks discipline and grit from her childhood farm life, along with her growing Holy aura and exceptional Charisma.

Shortly after completing her Cadet training, she entered the ranks at of the Neverwintan Army city guard as a Private at 16, having just completed her apprenticeship Paladin disciplines.

Her skill as Chevalier and Archer did not go unnoticed by her superiors. On being promoted to Private 1st Class, then Army Specialist, she was quicly deployed to an outbreak of civil disorder in the cities Beggar's Nest Quarter in supporting the Regular City guard by suppressing an acute undead infestation and investigate its origin. While there, she sensed there was deeply embedded evil magic at play behind it, but could not pinpoint its nature, she raised this with her superiors yet her commanding officer was sceptical of her instincts and theory.

Xorina's reputation grew throughout Neverwinter and around the region as the cities best undead pest control specialist after starting a side business, "Zom-B-Gon"(TM). Her ability to repel undead divinely or at range with crossbow along with her upper body strength gained from years of farm hay-making, meant that regular sword & tower shield training (in hald then full field plate) was mastered without difficulty.

A Kara-Turian uncle of one of her colleagues now settled in Neverwinter, offered to train her in oriental swordcraft. Blending this discipline with other bladed weapon techniques gleaned from other swordsmen expanded her swordplay tactics: the flying neck chop with a Broadsword or Greatsword from Barbarians, Feints and Swashbuckling from corsairs, and disguised attacks from mercenaries and Rogues that Hawksley devised her own signature original riposte:

A flourishing, tightly executed and --often-- lethal one-two sweep parry-cleave could deflect or disarm bladed attacks while cutting down most opponents that came near her compatriots, or at least severely injure large monsters, yet effective against shambling undead or animated constructs such as Golems.

It was increasingly plain to her superior officers that this young woman was outgrowing city guard training so was promoted again to Corporal at 17. Selected by Lord Nasher Alagondar -Governor of Neverwinter- as part of his "Neverwinter 9" this "country girl" became the youngest ever member of the Court's Elite close protection security detail.

About this time, Lord Nasher received briefings of undead outbreaks, again originating in The Beggar's Nest quarter - this time more serious -and spreading, it seemed- to infect citizens in other quarters, with exception of the quarantined Noble quarter. Within days, it became clear it was a mysterious pestilence that resisted all efforts to cure it --even via Helmite Priests-- that was soon to be known as "The Wailing Death", or "SpellPlague".

With the situation worsening and Xorina barely graduating with her Academy Degree, Lord Nasher's Security Chief, The Paladin Lady Aribeth de Tylmarande, was chosen by Nasher to lead the investigation into the Wailing Death. Xorina was thus hurredly sent out by Aribeth to to investigate the theft of the components for the SpellPlague cure, and to discover who -or perhaps what- was behind it.
Post edited by Xorina on

Comments

  • AtrophiedericAtrophiederic Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 147
    Sweet bio! Isn't it a grand time to be an NwNite?
  • XorinaXorina Member Posts: 138
    It is, if I could find where the save folder is so I can import her to Chapter 2!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited March 2018
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • PhantomizerPhantomizer Member Posts: 76
    edited April 2018
    Welcome and I love the pic on your bio!

    Also, I faintly recall a Mr Oster from the original Bioware boards.
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