Arghan Highmaker Athuniano, also referred to at the Big Man or just Arghan, is a goliath mercenary that hails from the Frostwilds. Working alongside the twins Gresely Missim and Gruggly Missim, Arghan has made a name for himself for his formidable strength, unrelenting nature, and his ability to somehow always survive insurmountable odds. He is known to have a good relationship with the members of the adventuring party the Peas.
Description
Appearance
Arghan is a giant of a man, standing over 8 feet tall. He is generally covered in thick full plate armor which is ornately engraved with the imagery of his home tribe. He wears a concealing full helmet that has large metal horns on the sides pointing downwards. Strapped across his body are a number of shortswords, generally four if he has not recently been in combat. Without his armor, Arghan's skin is a pale white, covered in blue tattoos. When fighting, Arghan is capable of turning his skin a sickening blood red.
Personality
Arghan is not famed for his intelligence. It was once his policy to charge 5 gold for every bounty delivered, regardless of the odds, inconvenience or time elapsed. Arghan is loyal, trusting, and stubborn, pursuing his quarry relentlessly. His is quick to grow fond of others, but doesn't easily allow relationships to get in the way of his work, completely willing to harm whoever if the situation calls for it. Regardless, he is capable of being swayed emotionally, especially if one appeals to his simple desires.
Arghan is a big fan of food, regardless of quality. He follows the many of the traditions of his home tribe, including eating and burial rituals.
Skills and Abilities
Arghan is an extremely powerful warrior, capable of going toe to toe with multiple powerful foes simultaneously. He tends to either fight with a large war axe, or the multiple short swords that he wears across his body.
Arghan possesses a strange ability that allows him to shrug off pain and continue fighting, turning his skin a deep red color. It is possible this is a technique of his home tribe.
History
Arghan once lived in the northernmost reaches of Fusalis in the Frostwilds, but began to venture south in search of challenges and adventure. He met the twins Gresely and Gruggly Missim during his travels through the Eldermoon Federation, sparking up a friendship with the strange clerics, who later joined him as partners.
In 951 IaC Arghan was journeying through the Nightspell Moors when he was approached by Mardyth, who hired him to kill the Peas. A disguised Mardyth directed the Peas towards Arghan's location, where he began to ruthlessly attack them behind his powerful armor. However, due to the antics of Seamus McHammerface, Goldtack, and Krel'la Tavesh, a wagon driven directly into his side tore part ofhis armor off and allowed the adventuring party to gain the upper hand. After being knocked unconscious by the Peas, Arghan was taken to the Bandry Keep and imprisoned in a cell. Other than his job to kill them for coin, the party was unable to coax much out of the giant man. Arghan seemed confident that his current situation was not an obstacle to his end goals, refusing to accept bribes greater than his original job value due to his sense of honor. At some point during the destruction of the Bandry Keep at the hands of Abrax, Arghan escaped captivity alongside the Twins.
Believing that Mardyth would still make good on his deal, hich amounted to 5 gold, Arghan tracked the Peas up to Caedalir, where he sought to ambush them; however, after successfully sneaking up on the group resting around a campfire, he became enraptured with a story told by Phaelnah Ellarian and decided to sit and listen to her plight instead. When he was finally noticed by the party, he stated that he would head back to the woods and come at them out in the open, "in the name of fairness". He stayed for a while and had some of Wander's beet stew, before heading back to the treeline of the Caedalir Woods and running at the group, screaming wildly. In combat, Arghan still stood toe-to-toe with the Peas, despite their increased experience since their last meeting. When the Wild Children appeared and threatened the fight, Journey was able to convince Arghan to go kill them himself. Arghan decapitated one of the Wild Children in three quick blows from his war axe, but was later enticed by the prospects of fighting an incoming goblin raid. He stood out front alongside Seamus, cutting down swathes of the army, but started taking some heavy damage from their sheer numbers. He eventually fell from an explosion made by a hobgoblin commander, and passed away. However, Gresely produced a brilliant diamond and offered it to Phaelnah, and the cleric obliged the gnome's request to bring the giant back, reviving Arghan, albiet with the use of the Nightblight. Arghan thanked Phaelnah for her kindness, and promised he would return soon. He then walked off into the Caedalir Woods holding the hands of the Twins.
Arghan eventually made good on this promise, returning to engage the Peas alongside Mardyth in the Unknown outside the Tomb of Zelvass. Arghan quickly lost focus and began attacking whatever he could, striking down devils before turning his attention to the powerful Inglis Alexandar. When he was disarmed in combat, Wander provided the goliath with the Orc Ham Razor, but the item had little effect on Arghan due to his low intelligence. Arghan was eventually taken out by Inglis, along with the Twins.
Coming to after the battle, Arghan discovered the aftermath, particularly that his employer had been turned into mincemeat by Razodon Goswin. In accordance with his native traditions, Arghan began -half-burying the deceased in the ground with their legs sticking out of the dirt. Arghan spoke with the Peas after their exit from the Tomb of Zelvass, and the group decided to hire the goliath, paying him 55 gold for dispatching with some Shadow Guard agents that had approached the tomb. Enthralled with the amount of money, Arghan promised to continue delivering the group corpses if the gold continued to flow. He promised to protect the Roomy Chest as they returned to Madrioc for a spell, engaging in a rock-throwing contest with Inglis.
Arghan later explained his funerary traditions to the Peas, claiming that when the legs of the fallen are no longer rigid from rigor mortis, they fall to the ground, indicating the soul of the person has moved on. The Peas later transported Arghan to Madrioc, and in an attempt to keep him from making a fool of himself in town, sent him to patrol the city borders from threats from the dragon Zahast. Arghan patrolled the area for a time, killing countless undead creatures and spies of Zahast, even after the dragon's defeat, as he was never told to stop. Running out of things to kill, Arghan ventured further into the woods, only leaving weeks later at the Peas' request to join the Battle for the Sun.
Arghan beelined towards the Isles of Wrath on foot, carrying the Twins with him and arriving just near the beginning of the attack on the Shadow Fort. He fought alongside the Peas down the Night Bridge, taking out the Nightseeker's shadow beasts and flinging himself into their fortifications. Arghan was launched into the sea following the explosion of a abjuration crystal, where he began to do battle with the creatures of Jylurm. Arghan returned to shore and fought his way back down the bridge, only to discover the death of Gruggly. Enraged, Arghan carved a path down the bridge, pumping new hope into the discouraged fighters as he blazed a trail to the Shadow Fort. Arghan was later knocked unconscious by a beast of shadow, but was kept safe by Gresely. When the demigod Shalde rescued the body of Gruggly, Arghan began carrying it around on his shoulders as Gresely kept it fresh with his magic.
Arghan was later honored by the city of Madrioc for his efforts against the Nightseeker, with his name being placed on a plaque alongside the others who participated in the battle. Arghan soon left Gessaria altogether to travel to Atavar, seeking someone who could revive his lost friend.