I would like to know how the King of Keoland (Kimbertos Skotti Lizhal) is physically described officially or otherwise. What's he look like, sound like, height, weight, etc.? Does he have any distinctive features?
I've found he was born in CY 529 making him 62 in 591 CY. He's a ranger of Ehlonna which may impact how he dresses and presents himself. These are non-canon references, but they are better than none.
As my google-fu is weak, any insight is most appreciated. This includes imagery that you may use.
Here's a description of his corpse from the Living Greyhawk adventure KEO5-06 A Tale of Two Lions:
Quote:
Kimbertos Skotti of House Lizhal was a man of broad shoulders and regal bearing. His face is weathered and slightly gaunt in the embrace of death, but it retains its regal mien. His brown hair was growing to silver near his temples at the time of his death.
Here's his description later on the adventure, where the PCs get a glimpse of him in the past:
Quote:
The second is a broad-shouldered human male, with thick tousled hair the color of bark – this is Kimbertos Skotti, but one aged thirty less years than the one you saw in the Vault of Kings.
Here's a portrait of a knight from a Game of Thrones roleplay that I think fits this description pretty well:
It's a pretty generic fantasy king, but it's got the brown hair graying at the temples, and I'm not sure what else we can really expect.
Of course, the most famous former ranger to become a king in fantasy fiction is Aragorn:
On the other hand, your campaign is your own and if you want him to look like, say, Corlys Velaryon in House of the Dragon no one can stop you (I'm increasingly bullish on making the Rhola nobles look like this, thanks to their extensive ties to the lands of the South):
Way back during my early days at Canonfire, I wrote a "Living Greyhawk Gazetteer Addendum" that described every state in the Flanaess along with my takes on their political structures, militaries, ruler personalities, etc. Here's my description of King Kimbertos from the Keoland entry:
Formerly a naïve and open ranger lord, fearsome against giants but uninformed concerning international politics, King Kimbertos Skotti has matured into a strong, steadfast ruler, whose charm and charisma are the object of the lust of a thousand noble?s daughters from across the Flanaess. He retains his forceful, direct manner of speaking, which sometimes lands him in trouble with the court wizard, Lashton of Grayhill. Skotti has, sometimes by simply commanding obedience, brought in many laws to improve the health and welfare of the common and oppressed peoples of the kingdom. He has not, however, been able to adequately deal with the leaders of his client states, who are increasingly upset with the king's apparent inability to confront the crises around him. Despite his reforms, his unpopularity is growing even among his own native peoples, who fear that they should be next to suffer a giant or goblin invasion.
SKotti has remarried since the death of his first wife in 587 CY. The first queen seems to have died giving birth to her eighth child, and now Skotti's current wife is currently pregnant with her fourth offspring. The apparent fruitfulness of the royal marriage is the subject of much gossip in the courts of nobles across the country.
I see him as someone who's trying to do right by the kingdom and making some long-overdue changes, but he's facing pushback from a number of hidebound nobles in Houses Rhola and Neheli, not to mention his own outspoken court wizard and the multiple factions that bog down decision-making as the LGG describes. He gets blamed for a lot of that, much to his irritation.
Physically, I agree with others in seeing him as strong and weathered, perhaps six feet tall and broad-shouldered with brown Oeridian hair framing a paler Sueloise complexion and blue eyes, albeit greying and somewhat past his physical prime due to middle age. His face is also much more expressive than you might expect due to his more rustic background as opposed to the landed aristocratic backgrounds of most Keoish nobles. He wears a beard, but he keeps it short and trimmed for appearances' sake. His clothes are generally finely made, but they're modestly decorated and made of durable materials since Kimbertos believes in the 'traveling monarchy' that many real-life medieval kings did, and he's frequently on the road. Being on the road also allows him more connection with nature, which he apreciates as a ranger.
I think Rasgon and Cruel Summer Lord hit it about right. However, his personality, goals, and physical description would be dependent upon what Common Year you are using.
As a former Living Greyhawk Keoland Triad, I was working with Skotti during CY 595-598. During that time he showed a bit more age, world-weariness, and the toll of wearing the crown. He spent more time in his vacation home in the Axewood. Skotti also tended to spend less time in Court and engaged in court politics, as he had found it easier to show up unannounced, make some declarations and proclamations, then leave quickly before there could be any discussion. It was a method he found worked.
Ultimately, like anything else in Greyhawk, find what works best for you and your players.
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