copyright 2000 by Brandon Cope
 
 
 

Jurak the Tracker

Total Points: 50

Appearance: Grizzled middle-aged man in worn leather armor, shaggy black hair, brown eyes, weathered and tanned skin, 5'7" tall, 150 lbs

ST: 10 [0]     Swing 1d; Thrust 1d-2
DX: 11 [10]  Basic Speed 5.5, Move 5, Dodge 5
IQ: 11 [10]
HT: 11 [10]

Advantages: Absolute Direction [5]; Absolute Timing [5]

Disadvantages: Duty (tracking for the local lord, 9 or less) [-5]; Intolerance (elves) [-10]; Enemy (elves, 6 or less) [-15]

Quirks: Dislikes cities; Likes to tell people how great nature is; Uncomfortable around crowds

Skills: Area Knowledge-15 [8]; Camouflage-11 [1]; Climbing-10 [1]; Cooking-10 [0.5]; Crossbow-12 [2]; Fishing-10 [0.5]; Leatherworking-10 [0.5]; Naturalist-14 [10]; Tracking-18 [15.5]; Traps-11 [2]; Weather Sense-10 [1]

Languages: Native-11 [0]

Equipment: large knife (cut/imp 1d-2), ST 10 crossbow (imp 1d+2), quiver with 20 bolts, heavy leather vest and boots (PD 2 DR 2), light leather leggings, arm guards and gloves (PD 1 DR 1), 60' rope, personal basics, bedroll, backpack, waterskin, dried rations for three days

Biography:

Jurak was born the illegitimate son of a trapper and young, impressionable townsgirl. His father had little to do with him until Jurak's mother died prematurely while he was still a child. After that, he lived and was trained in the wilderness by his father. He showed great aptitude for tracking and his father taught him that art, as well as the basics of living off the land. Jurak and his father often went weeks at a time without venturing into a town, only briefly stopping at the scattered trading posts or merchant way stations in the region. Eventually, Jurak became uncomfortable around large groups of people.

When Jurak was in his late teens, a group of local elves caught is father setting traps on the edge of their lands and executed him on the spot. Jurak has never forgotten this and his hatred of elves has grown over the years. He has even taken potshots at elves who encroach on "his" territory, and is reputed to have actually killed a handful ("Fair is fair" he would say).

Encountered

Currently, Jurak operates in the hilly forests around the village he was born in, usually travelling no more than fifty miles from it. He lives in a ramshackle hut a couple of miles north of town.

He knows the land quite well and hires himself out as a guide for $20/day. Since the region is often crossed by escaped prisoners and fugitives, he sometimes works for the local lord hunting them down (with a suitable number of troops accompanying him, of course). However, if the criminal is an elf, or the people he is guiding plan to kill elves, there is no fee.

Canonicality

Jurak is fully compatable with normal GURPS rules.

What if?

Jurak works well in just about any other setting with a wilderness. For example, change 'elves' to 'Indians' and his crossbow skill to guns(rifle) and he fits quite easily in an Old West setting.