In Wheloon, a city known for its vibrant green slate roofs, a new temple to Mystra is in the final stages of construction. A rare sight in Cormyr, the construction of the new temple is seen as a boon to local leadership and those seeking direction in their faith. But not all celebrate this monument to the Mother of All Magic. Word is an itinerant priest of Mystra has his doubts about the temple, its inhabitants and its purpose. Tunaster Dranik has put out a call to "Those of Strong Arm, Keen Mind, and Curiosity" asking them to locate "the man in blue" at the Wyvern Watch Inn in Wheloon before the 23rd sunrise of the month if they wish to hear "a peculiar riddle, and are willing to undertake a commission to discover its answer."
APPLICATION FORM Feel free to post your application in this thread. Here are the things I will be looking for, as we have some time before the adventure begins and you have time to brainstorm. Please, take this seriously. We all have busy lives outside of this virtual playground so we all -- myself included -- want to make the most of our time gaming when we can. With that said, please know I WILL CONSIDER SERIOUS APPLICATIONS ONLY. If you blitz through this without much thought, I can tell, and you will most likely be overlooked. I'm looking for players who post regularly, have interesting concepts, make an effort, and who are quality players. But most of all, we're gonna have some fun. This is what I'd like to know:
- NAME (Your characters name) - CLASS /RACE (Let's keep it to PHB and any official sourcebook choices for now. Characters will start at Level 3. We'll be using standard array for stats.) - BACKGROUND (Tell me about your character) - YOUR TIME ZONE (Where you from?) - YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE (Got experience?) - YOURSELF (Tell me something interesting about YOU, not your character.)
QUESTIONS? Got questions? I might have answers! Go ahead and send me a PM, I will get back to you as quickly as possible. I know there's probably things I didn't cover, but we'll get to it as we near the start of the adventure. Thanks so much, and good luck!
- NAME: Flaeirn - CLASS: Sorcerer, Storm Sorcery - BACKGROUND: Flaeirn lives in the outskirts of Wheloon on a small area of land. He mainly assists the nearby inhabitants with religious ceremonies (If there is any way you would want this to be more directly related to your setting then I'd be happy, I just didn't want to preemptively do that) both of his faith and not. He also helps to steer the more troublesome creatures that spring up away from the main of Wheloon, making a respectful relationship with the local guardship along the way and giving them guidance of the more unpopulated areas. - YOUR TIME ZONE: USA EST - YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE: I've played in a few PBP games over time, been a quick minute though cause life and I'm finally now trying to get back into doing it. - YOURSELF: I'm really interested in engineering and creative-related stuff, I make a lot of fo crafts in my free time and enjoy writing more sci-fi-related things both things are some of my big passions.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
- NAME Kelmaer Iathrana - CLASS Wizard, Bladesinger - BACKGROUND The weak son of a ranking member of his city's guard, he ran away to join a troupe of entertainers, discovering his nimbleness before uncovering his knack for magic. - YOUR TIME ZONE USA, East Coast - YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE First played D&D in 1979 (Age 7), played through into my time in the US Air Force. My favorite setting was Spelljammer. Only recently rediscovered a love for D&D with 5e joining my friend's campaign almost 3 years ago. That group has been going every Friday ever since, with rotating campaigns so no one is stuck in the Forever DM position. PBP? I'll admit, I have no experience with Play by Post, and have been increasingly interested in doing so. I have attempted to join a couple of PBP campaigns, but did not get my foot in the proverbial door quickly enough. - YOURSELF Was a regular at NY Ren Fest for many years, spent a bit of time with the Society for Creative Anachronism along with my former wife. Now living in Florida, remarried to a non-geek.
The Bladesinger was just the first to come to mind, as I've been wanting to play one. I've been really wanting to try Play By Post, so would be quite willing to play something else to shore up a party's need.
NAME: Kythaela Narahnvae RACE/CLASS: Wood Elf Druid, Circle of Stars BACKGROUND: A wanderer searching for a purpose in life after her lover betrayed their circle and left only her alive. (Lmk if you want further elaboration, I can provide) TIMEZONE: EST EXPERIENCE: Been playing D&D for about a year and a half, and PBP for a few months now. YOURSELF: I aspire to be an author one day.
NAME: Rabond - CLASS: Champion Fighter - BACKGROUND Rabond is the offspring of a chance encounter between his mother and a Elf warrior or so his mother told him. His step father, a poor farmer,could not stand the sight of him as he was a constant reminder of his wife's infidelity. Rabond learned how to survive on the scraps of the family. His life changed when the local lord came to town looking for men to help hunt the bandits plageing the area. Seeing this as a chance to get rid of him Rabond was sent as the family's tribute. By chance during the battle he saved the lords life. As a reward he was brought into the service of the Lord. Lord Robert Brounson was kind but his Yound master Robert Jr was not. Rabond was ment to be Jr's squire but due to being a "half breed peasant" He turned into a whipping boy. The into bright side of this phase of his life was the Master Boomi. The lords master of arms. Under his watch Rabond learned to fight, repair armor, read and write. He was also sent on any task seen to small for the young lord. In time the people in the villages around the keep came to know and love Rabond.
Everything changed when Lord Robert died and his son took the seat and lands. Rabond was cast out. He wondered working small jobs till he herd the call and made way towards Cormyr.
Sorry it was so long
- YOUR TIME ZONE CST - YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE Not much. I have read most of the Drizzt books and listen to a few pod casts. Just started PBP about a month ago. - YOURSELF I enjoy thinking about different characters ideas and their back stories. I have a 45 min drive to and from work and I find myself pondering this topic. Only recently did I start thinking about dnd and think of playing after I finished catching up on not another DnD podcast.
- NAME Colleen the Searcher - CLASS /RACE Rogue(Arcane Trickster)/Variant Human - BACKGROUND (Tell me about your character)
Colleen was born to an adventuring wizard and her sometime lover, a scholar of Candlekeep. She grew up among the corridors of that fabled institution, somewhat of an annoyance to the researchers. While a bright and willing pupil, her lack of magical spark prevented her from following in her mother's footsteps. While her lack of dedication and penchant for getting in trouble brought fears of her falling into trouble, she actually found a niche in finding lost volumes and returning them to the library. She was in Wheloon helping protect a shipment of books for the temple but got distracted and remained behind. This summons intrigues her.
- NAME Tylaerys Silverflame - CLASS /RACE Warlock (Celestial) / Half-elf - BACKGROUND Born to an elven adventurer and a human noble, Tylaerys Silverflame had a sheltered childhood in Silverymoon. As she entered adulthood she quickly found her place as an advisor and negotiator in the courts of her home settlement. Not particularly religious, she one night felt an urge to visit the Tower of Balance, the local temple devoted to Mystra, mother of all magic. There she received a call to serve the goddess as a new threat to the fabric of magic, the Weave, had appeared. Armed only with her silver tongue and the divine powers granted her by the goddess, Tylaerys Silverflame travelled to the city of Wheloon on a holy quest to oppose the Tearing of the Weave. - YOUR TIME ZONE GMT+1 (Sweden) - YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE Long time DnD player. - YOURSELF Would be swedish nobility if I wasn't a bastard ;-)
- NAME: Seeker Atoll - CLASS /RACE: Ranger (Monster Slayer)/Water Genasi - BACKGROUND: (Baldur's Gate Hermit). Seeker Atoll was born to an elven father and a water genasi in a nearby cabin outside of Baldur's Gate along the River Chionthar. After their mother left Atoll and his twin sister, Cay Lagoona, they were left with their father to learn the ways of the land. Atoll was taught how to face the dangers that await in Faerun, himself and his sister sharing the wanderlust their elemental mother had and their father supporting. Once he became of age, Atoll found himself his first taste of adventure opting to be security for a caravan along with his sister. After some years together, there was a fallout that lead to the twins splitting up and Atoll setting off on his own to continue his newfound passion for recording the knowledge of beasts and monsters in this realm. After completing a job that brought the ire of a priest of Mystra by circumstance, Seeker Atoll wished to make things right. As a favor to the priest, Seeker was brought up to the north to Cormyr, to assist the newly built Temple of Mystra. - YOUR TIME ZONE: EST, East Coast USA - YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE: I have 2 years of D&D experience. And over a year of PbP Expereince. - YOURSELF: I have worked in haunted houses in the past as a contortionist. I guess that's unique. lol
- NAME Akra Norixius - CLASS /RACE Sorcerer/Dragonborn - BACKGROUND Akra was raised in a large city in a special district with lots of minority races. Her parents owned a restaurant where she worked when she was old enough. Akra knew that her family was odd - dragonborn were supposed to live with their clans, weren't they? But whenever she asked, her parents would change the subject. However, on her fifteenth birthday, Akra manifested her powers for the first time - and it wasn't neat and tidy, to say the least. Facing charges of property damage that she couldn't pay, Akra left the city to become an adventurer. Before she left, her parents told her what had happened to their clan, Clan Norixius - it had been massacred by an unknown enemy, and only they had escaped with their lives. With this unsettling revelation, Akra set out on her way. - YOUR TIME ZONE MST, Arizona (USA) - YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE I've owned DnD books for years, but I rarely have anyone to play with except inexperienced neighbors or my little cousins. So I turned to PbP. I haven't done it before, though. - YOURSELF I write as a hobby, I have accounts on sites such as Royal Road.
BACKGROUND: Born the son of Hattori Hanzō Yasunaga, a minor samurai in the service of the Matsudaiara, then Tokugawa Clan. He would earn the nickname Demon Hanzo because of the fearless tactics he displayed in his operations. At the age of 16, his first battle was a nighttime attack during the siege of Udo Castle. He now serves on the personal guard of the Tokugawa.
TIME ZONE: EASTERN
D&D EXPERIENCE: Since the very beginning, still have the original rules, plus all the others up to 5th edition. Player and DM
MYSELF: Retired Special Forces (Green Beret) with a PhD in Teaching History, published author
- NAME: Camina Ravenscale (link to DDB character sheet) - CLASS /RACE: Custom Lineage (half dwarf - quarter elf) Hexblade Warlock (2) / Bard (1) - (College of Eloquence planned - will be Bard the rest of the way). - BACKGROUND:
Camina is torn between following in the footsteps of a legendary bard - her famous half-elven aunt Lyra Ravenscale - or bucking the inevitable comparisons. Just as charming, but less flighty than her aunt, perhaps due to her dwarven father, Camina had always held an uneasy admiration for Lyra, the accomplished diplomat and faction agent (and spy). As her protege, Camina has also never been able to discern whether she is her aunt's favorite or somehow just the opposite. One day, Lyra passed to Camina her prized harmonica with an enigmatic smile. A strange, dull black instrument. The source of Lyra's and now Camina's magic. Stains Camina's lips like dark lipstick, just as it had for Lyra, and she senses something... shadowy about it. As Lyra had walked away, Camina could have sworn she heard her murmuring "free at last." Camina senses she has made an... agreement she is not fully aware of. {Harmonica is an artifact linking to the Raven Queen of Shadowfell, whom Camina, and Lyra before her, begin to manifest at some critical junctures, such as when they place Hexblade's curse on an enemy.}
Now Camina's (and Lyra's) faction, a clandestine organization dedicated undermining tyranny worldwide {Harpers}, has sent Camina to a location she has only heard of in tall tales. The kingdom of Cormyr with its Purple Dragon Knights. Yet sent she is, to the small town of Wheloon. The Jade Towers. Now, that sounds worthy of a song. Camina thinks about the cryptic message she received via paper bird, sent from her home city of Waterdeep while Camina was finishing a different mission in Iraiaebor, far to the east. Perhaps that is the only reason she was chosen, she muses, because she is already in the east. Not far from Cormyr. Perhaps they would finally trust her with something beyond the mere errand-running she had been permitted thus far! "Those of Strong Arm, Keen Mind, and Curiosity." Well, Camina has one and a half, maybe two of three... And she loves riddles. She just wishes she knew just what she is getting into...
- YOUR TIME ZONE: Pacific - YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE: over 10 campaigns as player, all 5e, including both RL and PBP via forum here and discord (spanning level ranges 1-12). 2 5e campaigns as a DM, both RL. All in the last 2 years. Before that, had not played any TTRPG since AD&D as a kid. - YOURSELF:
I enjoy travel and sport (mostly watching these days, though I snowboard and play soccer - primarily with my 11yo son). It took the pandemic to realize and rekindle my love of D&D, as some other options were limited. I live a 15 minute walk from the Golden Gate Bridge.
- NAME:Amrie Allikos - CLASS /RACE:Hexblood Cleric (Knowledge Domain) - BACKGROUND: Amrie's origins are a mystery to her and her adopted fathers Serge and Krem. As the private investigator/body guard duo were journeying to their home city of Neverwinter, they found the baby Amrie in the brush by a stream. With no one else in sight, nor signs of struggle, the couple decided to take and raise her as their own. Whether she was abandoned due to a fey deal gone wrong, or inflicted with some curse, it didn't seem to matter. The barbed laurel crown growing from her head did make braiding her hair harder, though. Much of her life was spent in Neverwinter, learning the basics of fighting and investigating from both of her parents. When they needed to travel, Amrie was often left with an family friend named Madison. An old diviner, she would teach Amrie about Savras, god of divination and knowledge. Amrie found herself often offering prayers as she grew older, and began to help her father Serge with his investigations. Eventually she began to exhibit more magical abilities than what her mysterious bloodline gifted her. Taking it as a sign her prayers were being heard, she kept up with daily prayers. A little bit of divine magic can go a long way with some investigations. And her parents enjoyed the bit of help, until Madison passed away that is. Amrie was left a strange compass with odd symbols engraved onto it, and a letter requesting she look into the origins of it. So Amrie left home, travelling in search of clues. She has ended up in Cormyr, after several detours, looking for clues for her riddle, but also curious about the current situation of the region. (Inheritor background). - YOUR TIME ZONE:EST on my end - YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE: Been playing 5e and D&D overall since 2018! My text based roleplay experience started around 2014, however. - YOURSELF: Outside the usual book loving nerd side of me, I enjoy photography! While the photos I take are amateurish, it's a lot of fun, which is the point.
- NAME: '"Sir" Buford T. Seeger - CLASS /RACE: Arcana Cleric/Human (variant) - BACKGROUND: (Acolyte) As a boy it was Buford's dream to become a Knight of Mystic Fire. Unfortunately, he had neither the strength nor the strength of will to become a member of the order. While the knights tolerated him and treated him as some kind of mascot, it was clear they would never let him join. He considered joining the Order of the Shooting Star, but their subordinate position to the knights meant they never took him seriously either and focused on his weaknesses rather than his strengths. So that path seemed closed to him as well. However, in his time with those brotherhoods, it became clear that he was blessed by Mystra with an ability to interact with the weave. He joined the Temple and has made it his life mission to prove that he can be just as strong a fighter to protect the weave as the brothers and sisters of either order. - YOUR TIME ZONE: EST, East Coast USA - YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE: I played D&D in the late 70's and early 80's but stopped when life got in the way. I began playing again shortly before COVID with a group of musicians that I sing with. During the closing of the world, I began playing more regularly online, first with PbP then over discord and VTT.
- YOURSELF: Before the world shut down, music was my main creative outlet. Over the years I have had the opportunity to sing with my chorus at the White House, the Supreme Court, the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, the Great Wall of China, the cemeteries and beaches of Normandie, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and countless other venues. Though one of my all time favorites was when my small acapella ensemble performed for an audience of exactly zero people because the city that arranged for the concert forgot to advertise that it was happening. Being the consummate professional amateurs that we are, we performed our entire set then went home.k
- BACKGROUND Chalyssa was born in Eveningstar within Cormyr. She spent most of her youth avoiding her lessons, chores, responsibilites etc. and skiving off to the river/woods or keep walls. Her aimless nature led her first to the town guard as a trainee, then an apprentice to Jarp the Locksmith, then as a baker, as a caravan guard, woodcutter, fisher, seamstress and finally out of town altogether as a caravan escort on the way to Arabel. A few rough encounters on the road have taken the edge off her glamorous view of the world outside Eveningstar but she still retains her youthful demeanour.)
- YOUR TIME ZONE (AEST) - YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE Been playing RPGs since 1983 but only got into D&D relatively recently. My favourite form of play is PbP. - YOURSELF I mean....I'm pretty baseline boring in RL. I have contributed to a few RPG books as an author or advisor in the past mainly for OWoD and Dragon Warriors RPG.
NAME: Tam Harmen CLASS/RACE: Variant Human, Monk 2 / Fighter 1 - STR/DEX/CON/INT/WIS/CHA = 12/15(+2)/13(+1)/10/14/8 TIME ZONE: Central Standard (Chicago time) EXPERIENCE: Played TTRPGs for over a decade, D&D for several years, PBP for several as well YOURSELF: Just added "lava salt" to my nascent culinary toolkit? BACKGROUND: Tam was born the fourth son of a poor farming family. His father, after noting how small and sickly he was as a youth, actually apprenticed him to "The Servants of the Bamboo Forest," a clan of halfling monks, when the child was only five. Tam grew to learn their ways as well as their language, eventually becoming something of a known figure as the monks occasionally traveled and gave performances. Tam, for his part became stronger and healthier under the rigorous training, and eventually devoted himself to perfecting his physical form and usage of ki. When he came of age, he rejected his father's instruction to return home to farm. Instead, he left the task to his several siblings and decided to leave, to go adventuring in the pursuit of mastery of his physical abilities. He has been wandering the world for a bit over a year now, and his desire to challenge himself and grow has only increased.
- NAME Jordyn Naji - CLASS /RACE : Rogue Scout/Human Variant- STR 8/ Dex 16/ Con 10/ Int 12/ Wis 14/ Cha 14
- BACKGROUND Jordyn Nanji is a treasure hunter, seeking the riches that history keeps secret. Venturing into tombs, ruins, and lairs, he is not afraid of putting his life on the line if it is worth the coin. He got his start as a scout for a smuggling crew. He became very proficient in dealing with authority and avoiding detection. He also became an adept woodsman and hunter from surviving alone in the wild. He grew tired of always scraping by and begging for the scraps of his employers. One day, he made a deal with the local guard captain to setup an ambush for the smuggling crew. The crew was subdued and Jordyn was rewarded and pardoned. He used the reward money to set out on his new life of fame and fortune. His adventures eventually brought him to the city of Wheloon. Hearing the call, Jordyn is intrigued, a riddle of this nature sounds like it could lead to some very valuable treasure.
- YOUR TIME ZONE Wisconsin, USA CST - YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE I have played a couple of campaigns on roll 20 but want to try to play a play-by-post game. - YOURSELF Have a bachelor's in game design and would like to learn to DM a game one day.
- NAME: Emilia Floyd Pucci (Or simply "Pucci".) - CLASS /RACE: Minotaur Sorcerer 2 (Divine Soul), Warlock 1 (Patron of the Undead)
- BACKGROUND:Pucci was born with a disfigured left hoof, though this apparently did not hinder her ability to walk. Having descended from an influential human family, she grew up with a wealthy upbringing. One day, little Emilia visited the tomb of "Domenico Pucci" and asked who it was, only to be told that Domenico was her brother, who died soon after childbirth. Shocked that she lived while his twin brother died, Emilia's mind trod on philosophical questions such as fate and inequality, hence her choice to become a priest. She was already on the path of priesthood at the age of fifteen, an action allowed by her parents due to her family's religious history. One day while sweeping the floors, she stumbled upon a man's feet underneath a table. He then rose and spoke to her.
"My name is Dario, shall we be 'friends'?" He asked.
Curious, she conversed with the man, and though she was alarmed when he grasped her twisted foot, she didn't think it was anything special. His grasp was deathly cold, like ice. It wasn't until Pucci resumed sweeping that she noticed her deformed hoof had been healed. This man shared a similar personality to her, fixing her deformed leg with a flick of his wrist just a small taste of her blood. She eventually abandoned her studies, devoting all her time to the blonde creature, developing his views and desiring his life known as 'Heaven', finally solving her questions about fate.
- YOUR TIME ZONE: Philadelphia, USA. EST -5 - YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE: I have about 2 years of experience with DnD 5e, and not much else outside of that. - YOURSELF: I make my own homebrewed, yet slightly terrible, Mega Man Games as a simple hobby. I also DM a game for a small group of my close friends.
BACKGROUND - Tridira is the fourth of seven children of the well-respected knight Sir Nathan and his wife Lady Phyllis Garcius of Elturel. Tridira is also, unfortunately, a tiefling. No one knows exactly how it happened, or if they do, they're keeping their mouth shut. Tridira was born bearing the unmistakable mark of Stygia, and her heritage grew only more obvious as the years passed, the whites of her eyes swirling to jet black like ink dropped splash by splash into milk, and the wide, vicious horns of an aurochs growing in quicker than they could be shorn off. In some families, this would have been reason enough to banish mother and child from the home, or worse, but Sir Garcius would never consider it. Instead, he sold his ancestral home in the city and moved the family to a small estate in the countryside, where Tridira would be safe from gawking eyes and unkind words.
Tridira was raised in love. Sir Nathan and Lady Phyllis never treating her as anything other than their beloved daughter. Despite this however, Tridira always sensed that her existence made her family's life difficult. They rarely had visitors, and when they did, they steered well clear of Tridira. The family was rarely invited to the balls or horse races or other affairs the rural gentry enjoyed, and when they were, her parents usually elected not to go. Nothing resembling a courtship, much less a proposal, had ever come for any of her siblings once they came of age. The Garciuses were, if not quite pariahs, at least not well thought of, and Tridira could find no justification for this that didn't end with her.
Tridira might have grown bitter were it not for the affection her family gave her, and what anger she did harbor hardened instead into resolve. She would make herself worthy in the eyes of Elturel. So worthy that all the lords and ladies of the kingdom would have no choice but regret their unkindness towards the Garcius family, and beg their pardon. She would be a great hero! And why shouldn't she? She was as fine a fighter as her father had been at her age, and she had a burgeoning natural talent for magic besides. She had been conjuring icy-blue butterflies to make her siblings laugh since she was little, and had only taught herself more and more in the intervening years. She was strong and fit. She could track and ride and spend nights in the cold and wet without complaint. Why shouldn't she be a knight? In fact, why shouldn't she be the greatest knight of her age?
Tridira set herself to training, and when she was old enough, she asked for the money for a squire’s commission with the famous Hellriders of Elturel with a letter of introduction from the famous Sir Nathan Garcius. She promised that she would make her family proud. With tears in their eyes, Sir Nathan and Lady Phyllis ascented.
But Tridira should have known it wouldn’t be that easy. Her letter of introduction got her in the door, and to his credit, the commander treated her with more respect and graciousness than many might have, but she was turned away all the same. She was simply too green, and her skillset too eclectic, for any knight in the order to be willing to take her on as a squire. She was sent away with a cordial handshake and a promise that she might come back again in a few year’s time, after she got some experience.
That night, Tridira sat alone in the taproom of the inn where she’d rented a room, leaning on her fist, trying to decide what to do. She could bring her letter of introduction to the city garrison. They might take her, but what good would that do her? Unless the city came under siege any time soon, she’d gain little experience there that would impress the commander of the Hellriders. And the garrison likely wouldn’t be nearly as equitable as the Hellriders. She didn’t think she could handle three years of bullying and rejection without her family around to buoy her. She couldn’t just go home. She had made a promise to herself that she was going to save the reputation of the Garcius family and she’d never be able to live with herself if she didn’t find a way to live up to it. So what to do then?
Tridira was reeling with shame and disappointment. She was ready to indulge her black mood with a night of heavy drinking when she happened to overhear an old peddler telling a strange story to a young sailor at the next table over:
“Strong Arm, keen mind, and curiosity they said!”
Tridira had all those things! She eavesdropped through the whole story. The 23rd, in Cormyr… Yes, if she got moving first thing in the morning, she could make it in time. She’d need to buy a post-note to hire horses. That and rations for the journey would likely cost her all the money she had left in her purse, but that would be alright. Her father had taught her to make due with less when out on campaign.
This “commission” of which the peddler had spoken had the flavor of the heroic, and Tridira was going to answer the call. She would get her experience, oh yes indeed. Maybe she’d return to Eltyrel already a hero, and the Hellriders, the gentry, and all of the kingdom would see her worth, and the worth of the Garcius family. Tridira got to bed early that night, and in the morning set off east, on a hired horse. She had an appointment with Tunaster Dranik in Wheloon, and she meant to arrive on time.
(On a more D&D-centric note, Tridira was given the noble background, but I customized the skills for athletics and animal handling instead of history and persuasion. Her fighting style is Druidic warrior for shillelagh and frostbite. I’ve always wanted to play a wisdom ranger, it’s not really optimal but so what, it’s fun! Also, I customized Tridira’s origin again to replace +2 charisma with +2 wisdom. A charisma bonus doesn’t really make as much sense for a kid raised in near isolation outside of her own family, ya know? Hope that’s alright.)
STR 8 DEX 14 CON 14 INT 12 WIS 17 CHA 10
YOUR TIME ZONE - New York, Eastern Standard Time (GMT -5)
YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE - I’ve been playing D&D for about a decade, and I’ve been doing PBP for about 16 years (I started when I was 12 on the RuneScape Roleplay Forums! Although we didn’t call it PBP back then). I’ve only been involved with the dndbeyond PBP forum for the last couple months. I didn’t know it was here! I’m a very experienced player and DM. I’ve been running my own homebrew campaign for the past two years and still going strong! But I LOVE being a player even more than DMing. I love getting to build a niche for myself and my friends in someone else’s world. If you let me in, I’m really going to make it a point to integrate Tridira into the story wherever I can.
YOURSELF - I’m a professional writer and illustrator and a big ol’ fantasy buff. I’ve loved fantasy storytelling since I was an actual toddler, watching my older cousins playing Zelda and being read the Hobbit by my mother as a bedtime story. I think it’s a really uniquely empowering genre and it’s a wonderful tool for community building. I’m currently in the process of writing and illustrating my first graphic novel!
I really like Tridira and I’m really hoping I’ll get to play her! Looking forward to your response!
The Tearing of the Weave
In Wheloon, a city known for its vibrant green slate roofs, a new temple to Mystra is in the final stages of construction. A rare sight in Cormyr, the construction of the new temple is seen as a boon to local leadership and those seeking direction in their faith. But not all celebrate this monument to the Mother of All Magic. Word is an itinerant priest of Mystra has his doubts about the temple, its inhabitants and its purpose. Tunaster Dranik has put out a call to "Those of Strong Arm, Keen Mind, and Curiosity" asking them to locate "the man in blue" at the Wyvern Watch Inn in Wheloon before the 23rd sunrise of the month if they wish to hear "a peculiar riddle, and are willing to undertake a commission to discover its answer."
APPLICATION FORM
Feel free to post your application in this thread. Here are the things I will be looking for, as we have some time before the adventure begins and you have time to brainstorm. Please, take this seriously. We all have busy lives outside of this virtual playground so we all -- myself included -- want to make the most of our time gaming when we can. With that said, please know I WILL CONSIDER SERIOUS APPLICATIONS ONLY. If you blitz through this without much thought, I can tell, and you will most likely be overlooked. I'm looking for players who post regularly, have interesting concepts, make an effort, and who are quality players. But most of all, we're gonna have some fun. This is what I'd like to know:
- NAME (Your characters name)
- CLASS /RACE (Let's keep it to PHB and any official sourcebook choices for now. Characters will start at Level 3. We'll be using standard array for stats.)
- BACKGROUND (Tell me about your character)
- YOUR TIME ZONE (Where you from?)
- YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE (Got experience?)
- YOURSELF (Tell me something interesting about YOU, not your character.)
QUESTIONS?
Got questions? I might have answers! Go ahead and send me a PM, I will get back to you as quickly as possible. I know there's probably things I didn't cover, but we'll get to it as we near the start of the adventure. Thanks so much, and good luck!
I'm interested in this. Posting to reserve a spot to respond properly.
- NAME: Flaeirn
- CLASS: Sorcerer, Storm Sorcery
- BACKGROUND: Flaeirn lives in the outskirts of Wheloon on a small area of land. He mainly assists the nearby inhabitants with religious ceremonies (If there is any way you would want this to be more directly related to your setting then I'd be happy, I just didn't want to preemptively do that) both of his faith and not. He also helps to steer the more troublesome creatures that spring up away from the main of Wheloon, making a respectful relationship with the local guardship along the way and giving them guidance of the more unpopulated areas.
- YOUR TIME ZONE: USA EST
- YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE: I've played in a few PBP games over time, been a quick minute though cause life and I'm finally now trying to get back into doing it.
- YOURSELF: I'm really interested in engineering and creative-related stuff, I make a lot of fo crafts in my free time and enjoy writing more sci-fi-related things both things are some of my big passions.
P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
DM:
- NAME Kelmaer Iathrana
- CLASS Wizard, Bladesinger
- BACKGROUND The weak son of a ranking member of his city's guard, he ran away to join a troupe of entertainers, discovering his nimbleness before uncovering his knack for magic.
- YOUR TIME ZONE USA, East Coast
- YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE First played D&D in 1979 (Age 7), played through into my time in the US Air Force. My favorite setting was Spelljammer. Only recently rediscovered a love for D&D with 5e joining my friend's campaign almost 3 years ago. That group has been going every Friday ever since, with rotating campaigns so no one is stuck in the Forever DM position. PBP? I'll admit, I have no experience with Play by Post, and have been increasingly interested in doing so. I have attempted to join a couple of PBP campaigns, but did not get my foot in the proverbial door quickly enough.
- YOURSELF Was a regular at NY Ren Fest for many years, spent a bit of time with the Society for Creative Anachronism along with my former wife. Now living in Florida, remarried to a non-geek.
The Bladesinger was just the first to come to mind, as I've been wanting to play one. I've been really wanting to try Play By Post, so would be quite willing to play something else to shore up a party's need.
Im ready for another adventure
NAME: Kythaela Narahnvae
RACE/CLASS: Wood Elf Druid, Circle of Stars
BACKGROUND: A wanderer searching for a purpose in life after her lover betrayed their circle and left only her alive. (Lmk if you want further elaboration, I can provide)
TIMEZONE: EST
EXPERIENCE: Been playing D&D for about a year and a half, and PBP for a few months now.
YOURSELF: I aspire to be an author one day.
NAME: Rabond
- CLASS: Champion Fighter
- BACKGROUND Rabond is the offspring of a chance encounter between his mother and a Elf warrior or so his mother told him. His step father, a poor farmer,could not stand the sight of him as he was a constant reminder of his wife's infidelity. Rabond learned how to survive on the scraps of the family. His life changed when the local lord came to town looking for men to help hunt the bandits plageing the area. Seeing this as a chance to get rid of him Rabond was sent as the family's tribute. By chance during the battle he saved the lords life. As a reward he was brought into the service of the Lord. Lord Robert Brounson was kind but his Yound master Robert Jr was not. Rabond was ment to be Jr's squire but due to being a "half breed peasant" He turned into a whipping boy. The into bright side of this phase of his life was the Master Boomi. The lords master of arms. Under his watch Rabond learned to fight, repair armor, read and write. He was also sent on any task seen to small for the young lord. In time the people in the villages around the keep came to know and love Rabond.
Everything changed when Lord Robert died and his son took the seat and lands. Rabond was cast out. He wondered working small jobs till he herd the call and made way towards Cormyr.
Sorry it was so long
- YOUR TIME ZONE CST
- YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE Not much. I have read most of the Drizzt books and listen to a few pod casts. Just started PBP about a month ago.
- YOURSELF I enjoy thinking about different characters ideas and their back stories. I have a 45 min drive to and from work and I find myself pondering this topic. Only recently did I start thinking about dnd and think of playing after I finished catching up on not another DnD podcast.
- NAME Colleen the Searcher
- CLASS /RACE Rogue(Arcane Trickster)/Variant Human
- BACKGROUND (Tell me about your character)
Colleen was born to an adventuring wizard and her sometime lover, a scholar of Candlekeep. She grew up among the corridors of that fabled institution, somewhat of an annoyance to the researchers. While a bright and willing pupil, her lack of magical spark prevented her from following in her mother's footsteps. While her lack of dedication and penchant for getting in trouble brought fears of her falling into trouble, she actually found a niche in finding lost volumes and returning them to the library. She was in Wheloon helping protect a shipment of books for the temple but got distracted and remained behind. This summons intrigues her.
https://ddb.ac/characters/69411322/4LwRNd
- YOUR TIME ZONE (Where you from?)
EST
- YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE (Got experience?)
Oh so much... playing since 2nd Edition.
- YOURSELF (Tell me something interesting about YOU, not your character.)
I'm helping to develop and release a boardgame with my wife.
Liarin: Against the Cult of the Reptile God
Adewild: Shadows and Light 2
Brother Thaddeus: Rime of the Frostmaiden.
- NAME Tylaerys Silverflame
- CLASS /RACE Warlock (Celestial) / Half-elf
- BACKGROUND Born to an elven adventurer and a human noble, Tylaerys Silverflame had a sheltered childhood in Silverymoon. As she entered adulthood she quickly found her place as an advisor and negotiator in the courts of her home settlement. Not particularly religious, she one night felt an urge to visit the Tower of Balance, the local temple devoted to Mystra, mother of all magic. There she received a call to serve the goddess as a new threat to the fabric of magic, the Weave, had appeared. Armed only with her silver tongue and the divine powers granted her by the goddess, Tylaerys Silverflame travelled to the city of Wheloon on a holy quest to oppose the Tearing of the Weave.
- YOUR TIME ZONE GMT+1 (Sweden)
- YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE Long time DnD player.
- YOURSELF Would be swedish nobility if I wasn't a bastard ;-)
- NAME: Seeker Atoll
- CLASS /RACE: Ranger (Monster Slayer)/Water Genasi
- BACKGROUND: (Baldur's Gate Hermit). Seeker Atoll was born to an elven father and a water genasi in a nearby cabin outside of Baldur's Gate along the River Chionthar. After their mother left Atoll and his twin sister, Cay Lagoona, they were left with their father to learn the ways of the land. Atoll was taught how to face the dangers that await in Faerun, himself and his sister sharing the wanderlust their elemental mother had and their father supporting. Once he became of age, Atoll found himself his first taste of adventure opting to be security for a caravan along with his sister. After some years together, there was a fallout that lead to the twins splitting up and Atoll setting off on his own to continue his newfound passion for recording the knowledge of beasts and monsters in this realm. After completing a job that brought the ire of a priest of Mystra by circumstance, Seeker Atoll wished to make things right. As a favor to the priest, Seeker was brought up to the north to Cormyr, to assist the newly built Temple of Mystra.
- YOUR TIME ZONE: EST, East Coast USA
- YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE: I have 2 years of D&D experience. And over a year of PbP Expereince.
- YOURSELF: I have worked in haunted houses in the past as a contortionist. I guess that's unique. lol
- NAME Akra Norixius
- CLASS /RACE Sorcerer/Dragonborn
- BACKGROUND Akra was raised in a large city in a special district with lots of minority races. Her parents owned a restaurant where she worked when she was old enough. Akra knew that her family was odd - dragonborn were supposed to live with their clans, weren't they? But whenever she asked, her parents would change the subject. However, on her fifteenth birthday, Akra manifested her powers for the first time - and it wasn't neat and tidy, to say the least. Facing charges of property damage that she couldn't pay, Akra left the city to become an adventurer. Before she left, her parents told her what had happened to their clan, Clan Norixius - it had been massacred by an unknown enemy, and only they had escaped with their lives. With this unsettling revelation, Akra set out on her way.
- YOUR TIME ZONE MST, Arizona (USA)
- YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE I've owned DnD books for years, but I rarely have anyone to play with except inexperienced neighbors or my little cousins. So I turned to PbP. I haven't done it before, though.
- YOURSELF I write as a hobby, I have accounts on sites such as Royal Road.
NAME: Hattori Hanzo
CLASS/RACE: FIGHTER (SAMURAI)/HUMAN
BACKGROUND: Born the son of Hattori Hanzō Yasunaga, a minor samurai in the service of the Matsudaiara, then Tokugawa Clan. He would earn the nickname Demon Hanzo because of the fearless tactics he displayed in his operations. At the age of 16, his first battle was a nighttime attack during the siege of Udo Castle. He now serves on the personal guard of the Tokugawa.
TIME ZONE: EASTERN
D&D EXPERIENCE: Since the very beginning, still have the original rules, plus all the others up to 5th edition. Player and DM
MYSELF: Retired Special Forces (Green Beret) with a PhD in Teaching History, published author
- NAME: Camina Ravenscale (link to DDB character sheet)
- CLASS /RACE: Custom Lineage (half dwarf - quarter elf) Hexblade Warlock (2) / Bard (1) - (College of Eloquence planned - will be Bard the rest of the way).
- BACKGROUND:
Camina is torn between following in the footsteps of a legendary bard - her famous half-elven aunt Lyra Ravenscale - or bucking the inevitable comparisons. Just as charming, but less flighty than her aunt, perhaps due to her dwarven father, Camina had always held an uneasy admiration for Lyra, the accomplished diplomat and faction agent (and spy). As her protege, Camina has also never been able to discern whether she is her aunt's favorite or somehow just the opposite. One day, Lyra passed to Camina her prized harmonica with an enigmatic smile. A strange, dull black instrument. The source of Lyra's and now Camina's magic. Stains Camina's lips like dark lipstick, just as it had for Lyra, and she senses something... shadowy about it. As Lyra had walked away, Camina could have sworn she heard her murmuring "free at last." Camina senses she has made an... agreement she is not fully aware of. {Harmonica is an artifact linking to the Raven Queen of Shadowfell, whom Camina, and Lyra before her, begin to manifest at some critical junctures, such as when they place Hexblade's curse on an enemy.}
Now Camina's (and Lyra's) faction, a clandestine organization dedicated undermining tyranny worldwide {Harpers}, has sent Camina to a location she has only heard of in tall tales. The kingdom of Cormyr with its Purple Dragon Knights. Yet sent she is, to the small town of Wheloon. The Jade Towers. Now, that sounds worthy of a song. Camina thinks about the cryptic message she received via paper bird, sent from her home city of Waterdeep while Camina was finishing a different mission in Iraiaebor, far to the east. Perhaps that is the only reason she was chosen, she muses, because she is already in the east. Not far from Cormyr. Perhaps they would finally trust her with something beyond the mere errand-running she had been permitted thus far! "Those of Strong Arm, Keen Mind, and Curiosity." Well, Camina has one and a half, maybe two of three... And she loves riddles. She just wishes she knew just what she is getting into...
- YOUR TIME ZONE: Pacific
- YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE: over 10 campaigns as player, all 5e, including both RL and PBP via forum here and discord (spanning level ranges 1-12). 2 5e campaigns as a DM, both RL. All in the last 2 years. Before that, had not played any TTRPG since AD&D as a kid.
- YOURSELF:
I enjoy travel and sport (mostly watching these days, though I snowboard and play soccer - primarily with my 11yo son). It took the pandemic to realize and rekindle my love of D&D, as some other options were limited. I live a 15 minute walk from the Golden Gate Bridge.
Mud(Paladin2):Frandal's Scourge/Inge(Barbarian1):Krayveneer's After the Fall/Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles/Shin(Wizard2):Dimir_MTG's Surviving
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric3):Vos' Beyond the Veil/Soren(Druid4):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft/Nivi(Rogue3):Raiketsu's CoS/Lyra(Warlock2/Bard2):BlameItOnWinter's Will of the Ancients
Joren(Fighter5):NotDrizzt's Simple Request/Quyen(Adept1):Constance's Nentir Vale/Rel(Warlock2):Uhtred's Phandelver/Xarian(Fighter1/Wizard1):ShieldHero's Drakkenheim
- NAME: Amrie Allikos
- CLASS /RACE: Hexblood Cleric (Knowledge Domain)
- BACKGROUND: Amrie's origins are a mystery to her and her adopted fathers Serge and Krem. As the private investigator/body guard duo were journeying to their home city of Neverwinter, they found the baby Amrie in the brush by a stream. With no one else in sight, nor signs of struggle, the couple decided to take and raise her as their own. Whether she was abandoned due to a fey deal gone wrong, or inflicted with some curse, it didn't seem to matter. The barbed laurel crown growing from her head did make braiding her hair harder, though. Much of her life was spent in Neverwinter, learning the basics of fighting and investigating from both of her parents. When they needed to travel, Amrie was often left with an family friend named Madison. An old diviner, she would teach Amrie about Savras, god of divination and knowledge. Amrie found herself often offering prayers as she grew older, and began to help her father Serge with his investigations.
Eventually she began to exhibit more magical abilities than what her mysterious bloodline gifted her. Taking it as a sign her prayers were being heard, she kept up with daily prayers. A little bit of divine magic can go a long way with some investigations. And her parents enjoyed the bit of help, until Madison passed away that is. Amrie was left a strange compass with odd symbols engraved onto it, and a letter requesting she look into the origins of it. So Amrie left home, travelling in search of clues. She has ended up in Cormyr, after several detours, looking for clues for her riddle, but also curious about the current situation of the region. (Inheritor background).
- YOUR TIME ZONE: EST on my end
- YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE: Been playing 5e and D&D overall since 2018! My text based roleplay experience started around 2014, however.
- YOURSELF: Outside the usual book loving nerd side of me, I enjoy photography! While the photos I take are amateurish, it's a lot of fun, which is the point.
The ever growing document of character concepts can never be too long, can it?
- NAME: '"Sir" Buford T. Seeger
- CLASS /RACE: Arcana Cleric/Human (variant)
- BACKGROUND: (Acolyte) As a boy it was Buford's dream to become a Knight of Mystic Fire. Unfortunately, he had neither the strength nor the strength of will to become a member of the order. While the knights tolerated him and treated him as some kind of mascot, it was clear they would never let him join. He considered joining the Order of the Shooting Star, but their subordinate position to the knights meant they never took him seriously either and focused on his weaknesses rather than his strengths. So that path seemed closed to him as well. However, in his time with those brotherhoods, it became clear that he was blessed by Mystra with an ability to interact with the weave. He joined the Temple and has made it his life mission to prove that he can be just as strong a fighter to protect the weave as the brothers and sisters of either order.
- YOUR TIME ZONE: EST, East Coast USA
- YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE: I played D&D in the late 70's and early 80's but stopped when life got in the way. I began playing again shortly before COVID with a group of musicians that I sing with. During the closing of the world, I began playing more regularly online, first with PbP then over discord and VTT.
- YOURSELF: Before the world shut down, music was my main creative outlet. Over the years I have had the opportunity to sing with my chorus at the White House, the Supreme Court, the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, the Great Wall of China, the cemeteries and beaches of Normandie, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and countless other venues. Though one of my all time favorites was when my small acapella ensemble performed for an audience of exactly zero people because the city that arranged for the concert forgot to advertise that it was happening. Being the consummate professional amateurs that we are, we performed our entire set then went home.k
- NAME Chalyssa Greenbaum
- CLASS /RACE Fighter/Rogue/Ranger
- BACKGROUND Chalyssa was born in Eveningstar within Cormyr. She spent most of her youth avoiding her lessons, chores, responsibilites etc. and skiving off to the river/woods or keep walls. Her aimless nature led her first to the town guard as a trainee, then an apprentice to Jarp the Locksmith, then as a baker, as a caravan guard, woodcutter, fisher, seamstress and finally out of town altogether as a caravan escort on the way to Arabel. A few rough encounters on the road have taken the edge off her glamorous view of the world outside Eveningstar but she still retains her youthful demeanour.)
- YOUR TIME ZONE (AEST)
- YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE Been playing RPGs since 1983 but only got into D&D relatively recently. My favourite form of play is PbP.
- YOURSELF I mean....I'm pretty baseline boring in RL. I have contributed to a few RPG books as an author or advisor in the past mainly for OWoD and Dragon Warriors RPG.
https://ddb.ac/characters/69410729/jku7Yg
NAME: Tam Harmen
CLASS/RACE: Variant Human, Monk 2 / Fighter 1 - STR/DEX/CON/INT/WIS/CHA = 12/15(+2)/13(+1)/10/14/8
TIME ZONE: Central Standard (Chicago time)
EXPERIENCE: Played TTRPGs for over a decade, D&D for several years, PBP for several as well
YOURSELF: Just added "lava salt" to my nascent culinary toolkit?
BACKGROUND: Tam was born the fourth son of a poor farming family. His father, after noting how small and sickly he was as a youth, actually apprenticed him to "The Servants of the Bamboo Forest," a clan of halfling monks, when the child was only five. Tam grew to learn their ways as well as their language, eventually becoming something of a known figure as the monks occasionally traveled and gave performances. Tam, for his part became stronger and healthier under the rigorous training, and eventually devoted himself to perfecting his physical form and usage of ki. When he came of age, he rejected his father's instruction to return home to farm. Instead, he left the task to his several siblings and decided to leave, to go adventuring in the pursuit of mastery of his physical abilities. He has been wandering the world for a bit over a year now, and his desire to challenge himself and grow has only increased.
EDIT: Might as well add my Character Sheet - https://ddb.ac/characters/69418404/DWAv76
Whistler
Titus - V. Human Battle Master Fighter 3 - [Pic] - [Pic2] - [Traits] - in Shadowglass
Locke - V. Human Shadow Monk 3 / Undead Warlock 2 - [Pic] - [Traits] - in FOW - DMless West Marches
Flèche - V. Human Swords Bard 10 - [Pic] - [Traits] - in The Scarlet Mist
Sterling - V. Human Bard 1 - [Pic] - [Traits] - in Bards: Dragon Heist
>> New FOW threat & treasure tables: fow-advanced-threat-tables.pdf fow-advanced-treasure-table.pdf
- NAME Jordyn Naji
- CLASS /RACE : Rogue Scout/Human Variant- STR 8/ Dex 16/ Con 10/ Int 12/ Wis 14/ Cha 14
- BACKGROUND Jordyn Nanji is a treasure hunter, seeking the riches that history keeps secret. Venturing into tombs, ruins, and lairs, he is not afraid of putting his life on the line if it is worth the coin. He got his start as a scout for a smuggling crew. He became very proficient in dealing with authority and avoiding detection. He also became an adept woodsman and hunter from surviving alone in the wild. He grew tired of always scraping by and begging for the scraps of his employers. One day, he made a deal with the local guard captain to setup an ambush for the smuggling crew. The crew was subdued and Jordyn was rewarded and pardoned. He used the reward money to set out on his new life of fame and fortune. His adventures eventually brought him to the city of Wheloon. Hearing the call, Jordyn is intrigued, a riddle of this nature sounds like it could lead to some very valuable treasure.
- YOUR TIME ZONE Wisconsin, USA CST
- YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE I have played a couple of campaigns on roll 20 but want to try to play a play-by-post game.
- YOURSELF Have a bachelor's in game design and would like to learn to DM a game one day.
- NAME: Emilia Floyd Pucci (Or simply "Pucci".)
- CLASS /RACE: Minotaur Sorcerer 2 (Divine Soul), Warlock 1 (Patron of the Undead)
- BACKGROUND: Pucci was born with a disfigured left hoof, though this apparently did not hinder her ability to walk. Having descended from an influential human family, she grew up with a wealthy upbringing. One day, little Emilia visited the tomb of "Domenico Pucci" and asked who it was, only to be told that Domenico was her brother, who died soon after childbirth. Shocked that she lived while his twin brother died, Emilia's mind trod on philosophical questions such as fate and inequality, hence her choice to become a priest. She was already on the path of priesthood at the age of fifteen, an action allowed by her parents due to her family's religious history. One day while sweeping the floors, she stumbled upon a man's feet underneath a table. He then rose and spoke to her.
"My name is Dario, shall we be 'friends'?" He asked.
Curious, she conversed with the man, and though she was alarmed when he grasped her twisted foot, she didn't think it was anything special. His grasp was deathly cold, like ice. It wasn't until Pucci resumed sweeping that she noticed her deformed hoof had been healed. This man shared a similar personality to her, fixing her deformed leg with a flick of his wrist just a small taste of her blood. She eventually abandoned her studies, devoting all her time to the blonde creature, developing his views and desiring his life known as 'Heaven', finally solving her questions about fate.
- YOUR TIME ZONE: Philadelphia, USA. EST -5
- YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE: I have about 2 years of experience with DnD 5e, and not much else outside of that.
- YOURSELF: I make my own homebrewed, yet slightly terrible, Mega Man Games as a simple hobby. I also DM a game for a small group of my close friends.
"Where do these guys get all their ideas?" - TommoBoi, to WOTC
DM of Night of the Nutcracker.
NAME -Tridira Garcius
CLASS/RACE - Swarmkeeper Ranger/Tiefling (Levistus)
BACKGROUND - Tridira is the fourth of seven children of the well-respected knight Sir Nathan and his wife Lady Phyllis Garcius of Elturel. Tridira is also, unfortunately, a tiefling. No one knows exactly how it happened, or if they do, they're keeping their mouth shut. Tridira was born bearing the unmistakable mark of Stygia, and her heritage grew only more obvious as the years passed, the whites of her eyes swirling to jet black like ink dropped splash by splash into milk, and the wide, vicious horns of an aurochs growing in quicker than they could be shorn off. In some families, this would have been reason enough to banish mother and child from the home, or worse, but Sir Garcius would never consider it. Instead, he sold his ancestral home in the city and moved the family to a small estate in the countryside, where Tridira would be safe from gawking eyes and unkind words.
Tridira was raised in love. Sir Nathan and Lady Phyllis never treating her as anything other than their beloved daughter. Despite this however, Tridira always sensed that her existence made her family's life difficult. They rarely had visitors, and when they did, they steered well clear of Tridira. The family was rarely invited to the balls or horse races or other affairs the rural gentry enjoyed, and when they were, her parents usually elected not to go. Nothing resembling a courtship, much less a proposal, had ever come for any of her siblings once they came of age. The Garciuses were, if not quite pariahs, at least not well thought of, and Tridira could find no justification for this that didn't end with her.
Tridira might have grown bitter were it not for the affection her family gave her, and what anger she did harbor hardened instead into resolve. She would make herself worthy in the eyes of Elturel. So worthy that all the lords and ladies of the kingdom would have no choice but regret their unkindness towards the Garcius family, and beg their pardon. She would be a great hero! And why shouldn't she? She was as fine a fighter as her father had been at her age, and she had a burgeoning natural talent for magic besides. She had been conjuring icy-blue butterflies to make her siblings laugh since she was little, and had only taught herself more and more in the intervening years. She was strong and fit. She could track and ride and spend nights in the cold and wet without complaint. Why shouldn't she be a knight? In fact, why shouldn't she be the greatest knight of her age?
Tridira set herself to training, and when she was old enough, she asked for the money for a squire’s commission with the famous Hellriders of Elturel with a letter of introduction from the famous Sir Nathan Garcius. She promised that she would make her family proud. With tears in their eyes, Sir Nathan and Lady Phyllis ascented.
But Tridira should have known it wouldn’t be that easy. Her letter of introduction got her in the door, and to his credit, the commander treated her with more respect and graciousness than many might have, but she was turned away all the same. She was simply too green, and her skillset too eclectic, for any knight in the order to be willing to take her on as a squire. She was sent away with a cordial handshake and a promise that she might come back again in a few year’s time, after she got some experience.
That night, Tridira sat alone in the taproom of the inn where she’d rented a room, leaning on her fist, trying to decide what to do. She could bring her letter of introduction to the city garrison. They might take her, but what good would that do her? Unless the city came under siege any time soon, she’d gain little experience there that would impress the commander of the Hellriders. And the garrison likely wouldn’t be nearly as equitable as the Hellriders. She didn’t think she could handle three years of bullying and rejection without her family around to buoy her. She couldn’t just go home. She had made a promise to herself that she was going to save the reputation of the Garcius family and she’d never be able to live with herself if she didn’t find a way to live up to it. So what to do then?
Tridira was reeling with shame and disappointment. She was ready to indulge her black mood with a night of heavy drinking when she happened to overhear an old peddler telling a strange story to a young sailor at the next table over:
“Strong Arm, keen mind, and curiosity they said!”
Tridira had all those things! She eavesdropped through the whole story. The 23rd, in Cormyr… Yes, if she got moving first thing in the morning, she could make it in time. She’d need to buy a post-note to hire horses. That and rations for the journey would likely cost her all the money she had left in her purse, but that would be alright. Her father had taught her to make due with less when out on campaign.
This “commission” of which the peddler had spoken had the flavor of the heroic, and Tridira was going to answer the call. She would get her experience, oh yes indeed. Maybe she’d return to Eltyrel already a hero, and the Hellriders, the gentry, and all of the kingdom would see her worth, and the worth of the Garcius family. Tridira got to bed early that night, and in the morning set off east, on a hired horse. She had an appointment with Tunaster Dranik in Wheloon, and she meant to arrive on time.
(On a more D&D-centric note, Tridira was given the noble background, but I customized the skills for athletics and animal handling instead of history and persuasion. Her fighting style is Druidic warrior for shillelagh and frostbite. I’ve always wanted to play a wisdom ranger, it’s not really optimal but so what, it’s fun! Also, I customized Tridira’s origin again to replace +2 charisma with +2 wisdom. A charisma bonus doesn’t really make as much sense for a kid raised in near isolation outside of her own family, ya know? Hope that’s alright.)
STR 8 DEX 14 CON 14 INT 12 WIS 17 CHA 10
YOUR TIME ZONE - New York, Eastern Standard Time (GMT -5)
YOUR D&D/PBP EXPERIENCE - I’ve been playing D&D for about a decade, and I’ve been doing PBP for about 16 years (I started when I was 12 on the RuneScape Roleplay Forums! Although we didn’t call it PBP back then). I’ve only been involved with the dndbeyond PBP forum for the last couple months. I didn’t know it was here! I’m a very experienced player and DM. I’ve been running my own homebrew campaign for the past two years and still going strong! But I LOVE being a player even more than DMing. I love getting to build a niche for myself and my friends in someone else’s world. If you let me in, I’m really going to make it a point to integrate Tridira into the story wherever I can.
YOURSELF - I’m a professional writer and illustrator and a big ol’ fantasy buff. I’ve loved fantasy storytelling since I was an actual toddler, watching my older cousins playing Zelda and being read the Hobbit by my mother as a bedtime story. I think it’s a really uniquely empowering genre and it’s a wonderful tool for community building. I’m currently in the process of writing and illustrating my first graphic novel!
I really like Tridira and I’m really hoping I’ll get to play her! Looking forward to your response!