Karn the Unbroken
A former gladiator from the arenas of Tyr who won his freedom through blood and spectacle. Karn survived the pits through sheer brutality and force of will, and now struggles to find purpose in a world beyond the arena walls.
Human
Fighter (Champion)
Entertainer
Chaotic Neutral
Ability Scores
17
+3
14
+2
16
+3
8
-1
10
+0
12
+1
Skill Proficiencies
Character Details
Karn was born a slave in the city-state of Tyr, the property of a minor templar who sold him to the arena at age twelve. For fifteen years he fought in the gladiatorial pits, killing men, beasts, and monsters for the amusement of the sorcerer-king Kalak and his decadent court. He earned the name "the Unbroken" because no matter how badly he was wounded, he always rose again. When Kalak was overthrown and Tyr declared a free city, Karn found himself cast out of the only world he knew. The arena had been his prison, but also his home. Now he wanders the wastes of Athas, selling his martial skills to caravans and merchant houses, searching for a reason to keep fighting that does not involve the roar of a crowd.
"I size up every person I meet as a potential opponent. In the arena, hesitation meant death."
"Strength. On Athas, the strong survive and the weak are consumed. I will not be weak."
"A fellow gladiator named Rikus inspired me with his defiance of Kalak. I seek to live up to the ideal of freedom he fought for, even though I barely understand what freedom means."
"I solve most problems with violence because it is the only language I truly know. Diplomacy and subtlety are foreign concepts to me."
Appearance
Male
31
6'3"
230 lbs
Dark amber
Deep brown, covered in ritual scars and brand marks
Shaved bald
A massive, powerfully built man whose body is a roadmap of violence — ritual arena scars crisscross his chest and arms, and a slave brand marks his left shoulder. He wears a patchwork of bone and chitin armor scavenged from the wastes, carries a chipped obsidian greatsword, and moves with the coiled readiness of a predator who has spent a lifetime fighting for survival.