A Physical Description - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

A Physical Description

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
stclax_26
May 17, 2007 0:54:33 Has there ever been a description (physical appearance) of Borys as a human?

My understanding is that the Prism Pentad series has the descriptions for some of the Sorcerer Kings, not sure if Borys is one. So, I turn to you all because, regretfully, I do not own said series. If anyone could either point me in the right direction (novel, sourcebook, adventure) or provide the description itself, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks
#2
brun01
May 17, 2007 7:49:11 IIRC, Borys never shows a human form, being a complete dragon ans such.
#3
Sysane
May 17, 2007 8:37:36 Didn't Borys have a sarcophagus with an image of his human form carved into it along with the Athasian wraiths from the Crimson Legion?

If so, you could turn to that worse case scenario.
#4
pavek
May 17, 2007 20:23:32 Didn't he appear in his human form in the 5th PP book when he killed Caelum with psionics (in the mindscape)? I seem to remember a bald humam with a goatee in full plate armor or something. I could be wrong.
#5
balican_gigolo
May 17, 2007 20:35:58 pavek you ring a bell. that seems familiar. I just read the 5th book not too too long ago too...
#6
Sysane
May 17, 2007 20:53:12 He must have been bald. That would explain why the wraiths confused Rikus with being Borys the first time he met them.
#7
kalthandrix
May 17, 2007 21:18:36 pg 171 of the Crimson Legion

"The carving on it represented a bald human with features so rugged and blocky that he might have been a dwarf, if not for his round ears and long bushy beard. His eyes were sunken and wild, with a heavy brow covered by a thick line of hair. Though the dark orbs were made of stone, they seemed almost alive with ire and hatred.
In his hands, the man held a long bastard sword identical to the Scourge of Rkard. His body was covered by a full suit of plate armor, save that the visored helmet hung a little above the warrior's shaven head."

pg 241 of the Cerulean Storm

"To Sadira's surpirse, the rugged image of a human man suddenly flashed into the shadowy corridors of her mind. He had blocky features, with a shaven head, round ears, and a long beard with no mustache. His eyes were beady and full of hatred, much as the Dragon's, and he was dressed in a full suit of gleaming plate armor."
#8
stclax_26
May 18, 2007 12:16:30 Excellent! Thanks to Kalthandrix for the actual book quotes and thanks to everyone else for remembering what they could, I appreciate the help!
#9
zombiegleemax
May 18, 2007 13:13:51 I find it ironic that Borys uses his original appearance when he manifests in Caelum's mind... where Kalek would use the Dragon when he killed people using the Way. Of course, in this particular context, he likely was "re-assuming" his form as the Butcher of Dwarves specifically to kill Caelum.

Based on the description of his appearance, though... I've often wondered if Borys was, in fact, not human at all, but a mul. Other than the rounded ears (which may have been cropped), he sounds like one, and it would explain why the wraiths mistook Rikus for Borys. It would also perhaps explain why he has such hatred for dwarves...

Of course, the original reason why all the champions were human was that 2nd Edition AD&D didn't allow unlimited advancement for any race except humans. I think, though, in the context of 3rd Edition rules with no such limits, Rajaat would make an exception to the rule. Especially if he already had lost one champion to the dwarven race, as Lynn Abbey suggested, and the individual, despite being a half-breed, had the strength and hatred to carry the task through.
#10
kalthandrix
May 18, 2007 13:49:33 Or - his kind of "dwarfish" looks was the cause of his hatred. Maybe he was teased and bullied as a child because of his physical resemblance to dwarves. He would not be the first psycho who was made in this manner.
#11
cnahumck
May 18, 2007 14:03:24 Maybe he saw what happened to his commander, and decided that when it was his time to lead, he would be tougher, harder and fiercer than his predecessor.
#12
kalthandrix
May 18, 2007 14:13:59
Maybe he saw what happened to his commander, and decided that when it was his time to lead, he would be tougher, harder and fiercer than his predecessor.

His predecessor? That is a bunch of unconfirmed speculation - making more champions would be silly.
#13
ruhl-than_sage
May 18, 2007 18:44:14
His predecessor? That is a bunch of unconfirmed speculation - making more champions would be silly.

Your one to talk Halfling Flayer :P

I do like the idea about him being a Mul.
#14
cnahumck
May 18, 2007 23:04:56
Your one to talk Halfling Flayer :P

Yeah, at least Penn takes his name from a book that has been published...
#15
kalthandrix
May 18, 2007 23:14:54
Yeah, at least Penn takes his name from a book that has been published...

My screen name is a character in my writing - who is awesome by-the-way - and it will be published some day - as soon as I stop wasting my time making cool stuff for DS and just leave it to you hacks :P
#16
zombiegleemax
May 19, 2007 3:01:06
His predecessor? That is a bunch of unconfirmed speculation - making more champions would be silly.

Let's see... to quote Mr. Troy Denning, one of the chief architects of Dark Sun...

Q: Were there other "Champions" that Rajaat made which have not been "documented"?

Troy: Certainly. But even I don't know who.

The article link is here: http://www.athas.org/articles/troydenning.php

Another favorite quote of mine from Mr. Denning is:

Q: Should Athas be considered to be "earth-sized"?

Troy: If it fits the campaign.

An excellent answer for not only that question, but any you may ask about Athas. If you want to do something, don't let opinions on this board, or anything in any of the books deter you. If you think Borys was a mul, so be it!
#17
borys_son
Jun 04, 2007 7:05:59 Yes, there is one of him when he is fighting the Dwarven King Rkard - I believe the story is told by that old dude who read the Book of Kemlok or something at the beginning of The Cerulean Storm or told by one of the Dwarves Saram/Jorsh either in the same book or the Obsidian Oracle. Something like black hair and a goatee.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 stclax_26 May 17, 2007 0:54:33	Has there ever been a description (physical appearance) of Borys as a human? My understanding is that the Prism Pentad series has the descriptions for some of the Sorcerer Kings, not sure if Borys is one. So, I turn to you all because, regretfully, I do not own said series. If anyone could either point me in the right direction (novel, sourcebook, adventure) or provide the description itself, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks
#2 brun01 May 17, 2007 7:49:11	IIRC, Borys never shows a human form, being a complete dragon ans such.
#3 Sysane May 17, 2007 8:37:36	Didn't Borys have a sarcophagus with an image of his human form carved into it along with the Athasian wraiths from the Crimson Legion? If so, you could turn to that worse case scenario.
#4 pavek May 17, 2007 20:23:32	Didn't he appear in his human form in the 5th PP book when he killed Caelum with psionics (in the mindscape)? I seem to remember a bald humam with a goatee in full plate armor or something. I could be wrong.
#5 balican_gigolo May 17, 2007 20:35:58	pavek you ring a bell. that seems familiar. I just read the 5th book not too too long ago too...
#6 Sysane May 17, 2007 20:53:12	He must have been bald. That would explain why the wraiths confused Rikus with being Borys the first time he met them.
#7 kalthandrix May 17, 2007 21:18:36	pg 171 of the Crimson Legion "The carving on it represented a bald human with features so rugged and blocky that he might have been a dwarf, if not for his round ears and long bushy beard. His eyes were sunken and wild, with a heavy brow covered by a thick line of hair. Though the dark orbs were made of stone, they seemed almost alive with ire and hatred. In his hands, the man held a long bastard sword identical to the Scourge of Rkard. His body was covered by a full suit of plate armor, save that the visored helmet hung a little above the warrior's shaven head." pg 241 of the Cerulean Storm "To Sadira's surpirse, the rugged image of a human man suddenly flashed into the shadowy corridors of her mind. He had blocky features, with a shaven head, round ears, and a long beard with no mustache. His eyes were beady and full of hatred, much as the Dragon's, and he was dressed in a full suit of gleaming plate armor."
#8 stclax_26 May 18, 2007 12:16:30	Excellent! Thanks to Kalthandrix for the actual book quotes and thanks to everyone else for remembering what they could, I appreciate the help!
#9 zombiegleemax May 18, 2007 13:13:51	I find it ironic that Borys uses his original appearance when he manifests in Caelum's mind... where Kalek would use the Dragon when he killed people using the Way. Of course, in this particular context, he likely was "re-assuming" his form as the Butcher of Dwarves specifically to kill Caelum. Based on the description of his appearance, though... I've often wondered if Borys was, in fact, not human at all, but a mul. Other than the rounded ears (which may have been cropped), he sounds like one, and it would explain why the wraiths mistook Rikus for Borys. It would also perhaps explain why he has such hatred for dwarves... Of course, the original reason why all the champions were human was that 2nd Edition AD&D didn't allow unlimited advancement for any race except humans. I think, though, in the context of 3rd Edition rules with no such limits, Rajaat would make an exception to the rule. Especially if he already had lost one champion to the dwarven race, as Lynn Abbey suggested, and the individual, despite being a half-breed, had the strength and hatred to carry the task through.
#10 kalthandrix May 18, 2007 13:49:33	Or - his kind of "dwarfish" looks was the cause of his hatred. Maybe he was teased and bullied as a child because of his physical resemblance to dwarves. He would not be the first psycho who was made in this manner.
#11 cnahumck May 18, 2007 14:03:24	Maybe he saw what happened to his commander, and decided that when it was his time to lead, he would be tougher, harder and fiercer than his predecessor.
#12 kalthandrix May 18, 2007 14:13:59	Maybe he saw what happened to his commander, and decided that when it was his time to lead, he would be tougher, harder and fiercer than his predecessor. His predecessor? That is a bunch of unconfirmed speculation - making more champions would be silly.
#13 ruhl-than_sage May 18, 2007 18:44:14	His predecessor? That is a bunch of unconfirmed speculation - making more champions would be silly. Your one to talk Halfling Flayer :P I do like the idea about him being a Mul.
#14 cnahumck May 18, 2007 23:04:56	Your one to talk Halfling Flayer :P Yeah, at least Penn takes his name from a book that has been published...
#15 kalthandrix May 18, 2007 23:14:54	Yeah, at least Penn takes his name from a book that has been published... My screen name is a character in my writing - who is awesome by-the-way - and it will be published some day - as soon as I stop wasting my time making cool stuff for DS and just leave it to you hacks :P
#16 zombiegleemax May 19, 2007 3:01:06	His predecessor? That is a bunch of unconfirmed speculation - making more champions would be silly. Let's see... to quote Mr. Troy Denning, one of the chief architects of Dark Sun... Q: Were there other "Champions" that Rajaat made which have not been "documented"? Troy: Certainly. But even I don't know who. The article link is here: http://www.athas.org/articles/troydenning.php Another favorite quote of mine from Mr. Denning is: Q: Should Athas be considered to be "earth-sized"? Troy: If it fits the campaign. An excellent answer for not only that question, but any you may ask about Athas. If you want to do something, don't let opinions on this board, or anything in any of the books deter you. If you think Borys was a mul, so be it!
#17 borys_son Jun 04, 2007 7:05:59	Yes, there is one of him when he is fighting the Dwarven King Rkard - I believe the story is told by that old dude who read the Book of Kemlok or something at the beginning of The Cerulean Storm or told by one of the Dwarves Saram/Jorsh either in the same book or the Obsidian Oracle. Something like black hair and a goatee.