Darkshelf Quarry holds more than limestone and granite. Whispered rumors abound that the quarry’s dwarf overseer isn’t what he pretends to be, and that he’s involved in unscrupulous dealings with foreign threats. Investigation is the only way to learn the truth, but beware! The quarry is well defended, and danger lurks within its dark tunnels and hidden chambers.
Welcome, Adventurers
I will apologize up front if the format of this advertisement is not up to spec for the site. While my profile here shows that I've been a member for a few years, I just recently started posting. I am therefore still trying to come up to speed on the do's and don'ts of this site, and if I've done anything wrong I please ask that a mod/admin correct the mistake and then let me know so I don't make the same mistake again.
A little about me: I cut my teeth gaming with the D&D BECMI (Red and Blue boxes to start) way back when the cartoon was new on television. Yes, I'm old. But I've been gaming now for [redacted] years, and I've been both a player and GM for that amount of time. I have been doing PBP on another site for over a decade, but I have decided to spread my wings and look elsewhere for my gaming fix. That has led me here, what with my primary gaming focus being D&D 5E.
I am firm but fair, drawing some hard lines and letting the lines get washed over in others. Up front, especially during character creation, I tend to be very picky about things; this is so we don't have to be picky and slow the game down later. If we correct things up front, the game, I have found, runs much smoother in the long run. However, I'm not perfect, and will admit that I don't know everything, and always ask people to keep me honest.
What This Is
At its core, this game is an attempt at running a rather large campaign that has been voted as one of the best of all time. The adventure will start in the sleepy village of Darkshelf, on the Pelyra River in Nyrond, and see the characters rise as heroes as they fight slavers, giants, the drow, and eventually the demon queen herself.
The game will center on our heroes as they work to solve multiple riddles and puzzles, combat and deal with enemies on all sides, and, potentially, how their exploits influence the Viscounty of Nyrond (and perhaps the Flannaess overall). Slavers, secrets, political upheavals, deals and negotiations...I'd like to see at least some of everything in this game so that there is something for everyone.
To be clear, the game will start with Danger at Darkshelf Quarry, go into Scourge of the Slave Lords, wind through Against the Giants, and finish somewhere with Queen of the Demonweb Pits. And this assumes we don't digress into other one-offs (which will, of course, depend upon the group wanting to do other stuff). I am being ambitious!
What This Is Not
I am hoping that this won't be your average run-of-the-mill "Go here/kill this/open that box" adventure. Beyond the actual adventures written into the books, there are a multitude of random encounters and things to do that will, hopefully, keep the group not only engaged but having them turn their heads all the time asking "What the frak is really going on here". I do not want this to become another game of "I created a character but I'm bored now".
This game is also not for those who do not like flavors of horror or gore in their games. I'm not going to go beyond the PG-13 rating of the site, letting the curtain fall where it is most needed. But I'm also not going to pull punches or shy away from descriptions simply because someone might not like them. If you cannot handle a bit of gore or personal horror, this isn't the game for you. And that's ok; not all games are for all players, and not all players are for all games.
This also isn't going to be a game where things are not taken seriously...but we also won't let ourselves be too serious here. It should be a good mix of laughter and somberness, depending on the situation.
Character Creation
Please check the spoiler tag for the rules to be used for this game for Character Creation. I am under the impression that people will create their characters and post them here; that is more than fine with me. At a minimum, you post here should include:
Character Name
Character Race and Class (with potential Subclass, if you are already thinking that far ahead)
Character Background
Character Portait
Character Personality (no more than a paragraph please)
Character Backstory (no more than 4 paragraphs please)
A writing sample of how your character came to be in Darkshelf
A link to your Character Sheet (whether that be here at D&D Beyond or another site you prefer for sheets)
Rules System Dungeons and Dragons, Fifth Edition (5E). All material used must be from this edition, and anything from previous editions may not be used.
Allowed Books Only the following WoTC APPROVED books. Anything not in this list is considered to be not approved.
Player's Handbook
Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
Volo's Guide to Monsters
Xanathar's Guide to Everything
If there is something from a source not listed above that you'd like to play or have considered, please ask. I'm not above allowing things that don't normally fit, but I don't claim to know everything. If you ask, then at least I get the chance to learn something! However, anything from any source not listed above that you have not asked about is considered to be not allowed, and it will result in an automatic rejection of the character in whole. I know that there are options and concepts and such in other material that people want to play. I'd rather have you ask and potentially get something approved than to not ask and have to reject the character.
Races Any race from any of the above-listed approved source material is allowed. All I ask is that if you use either the custom lineages from Tasha's or a race from Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse, please at least indicate where you put your ability bonuses. That makes it far easier on me to review characters.
Classes All classes from the above approved material are automatically allowed and need no discussion (unless there is some option that is ambiguous). If you want to play something not from a source above, as with the sources above, please ask first.
Abilities The standard array of 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8. This is prior to any Racial or Class adjustments, and there are no exceptions to this.
Starting Level 1st level. We are going to be starting at the very beginning, and I promise you that if this game lasts long enough, it will be worth it to watch your character grow.
Starting Hit Points Maximum at 1st level. Once you hit 2nd level, hit points will be the higher of a die roll or the average for the class you level up in.
Difficult Options I hate banning things. Unfortunately, there is one spell out there that has completely ruined 5E for me: Find Familiar. This spell is the bane of all that I enjoy about this game, and it's constant use by players to skip exploration of dungeons/tombs/caverns/castles/etc. is annoying. I put all this work into something, and someone comes along and says "My familiar goes up ahead 100 feet...oh, that's interesting...we're going the other way now...". I HATE that. And get a Warlock with Pact of the Chain, and you have an invisible familiar. Just...no.
I have been told by many people that I should simply ban Pact of the Chain instead of Find Familiar as it seems that my problem lies with the invisible familiar and not with the familiar itself. I have also been told that it is possible my issue lies in players and their use of abilities, and that any ability can be abused, and that I should at least consider player arguments when thinking on this spell. I have taken both of these arguments to heart, and I have listened.
To this end, I don't want to ban Find Familiar, but I have yet to hear an argument why it should be allowed. My biggest fear/concern/peeve is the use I put forth above. I want to encourage exploration, not have the whole group sit there while a familiar does all the exploring. And no, this is not like sending a Rogue up ahead to scout the area. With the familiar, the group is not in danger of anything other than the familiar potentially getting janked.
I would therefore simply prefer that if you want Find Familiar you please not take it right away and we work to get it for you during the course of the game. If you have a concept that simply cannot live without the spell, please talk to me so we can work this out. I want this to be cooperative, not one-sided.
Backgrounds Any Background from any approved source that does not provide spellcasting abilities. This includes any custom background you come up with, provided you follow the rules for custom Backgrounds. If you use a Custom Background, you must provide the details for it to avoid my asking "How did you get this".
Starting Equipment Whatever your 1st level Class and Background grant you. You are allowed to sell starting equipment per the rules and then buy other gear if you wish.
Alignment Any Alignments, including Evil, are allowed. However, do not use your Alignment as a toy to do whatever you wish to do; I will not tolerate someone saying "Well, I can do that because it's my Alignment". If you try to use that, I'll drop an ancient red dragon on you and say "Well, I can do that because I'm the GM". Evil does not equal stupid or crazy all the time. Play smart. Please.
House Rules
I have a set of House Rules that I like to use for any game I run. In the interest of being fair and up front, I'll list them here. As with everything else, if you have questions, please ask.
PVP This is quite possibly the single-most important rule I have in any game I end up running. So pay attention very carefully what I am about to say.
PVP will not be tolerated.
Players have spats, and characters will not always agree on a course of action. I'm ok with arguing; I'm ok with talking things out. I'm also ok with the group somewhat splitting up at times because characters/players don't agree. What I am not ok with is characters coming to blows. I do not tolerate it in my RL groups, and I will not tolerate it here.
In the event PVP breaks out, whoever throws the first punch/swing/casts the first spell is kicked. With prejudice, which means the result/ban/kick is final. There will be no arguing, or complaining. No trial, no opening statements, no explaining who did what or when. You throw a punch at another character and you are gone. Period. Full stop.
Once the opening salvo is resolved, I will investigate how it got to that point. If it is determined that the player who got attacked provoked the attack - and by provoked, I mean they were asked to stop by multiple people and they kept on about it - they also receive a ban with prejudice. No further arguing, no further discussion.
I want to be clear that there are situations where characters do need to roll To Hit another PC, most notably when casting a beneficial spell on someone who is engaged in combat. I am not talking about these instances, but rather attacks outside of combat that are done in anger or spite. So please do not ask me if casting Healing on the fighter will result in being kicked; it won't.
I want to also be very clear that I have only ever had to kick 1 player from a game due to this, and it was during a session zero thread. The issue generally resolves itself, usually by one of the angry players bowing out before things get that bad. And please know that I do not wish to remove players from games; if I do that, I have to find replacements and get them integrated. I'd rather not have to do that, so please don't be the second.
Group Composition I suppose Composition isn't the best word to use here, but I've got nothing else at the moment. Anyhow, you are a GROUP, and you are WORKING TOGETHER for a common goal. I have no issues with the group splitting up from time to time, trying to do multiple angles of research at once in town. I do take issue, however, with one character always being off on their own, being the loner, thinking they don't need help. If you wander off one too many times, you may not find your way back.
Please keep in mind that working together is the goal, and fun is the reward for doing so. If you find you have written your character in a way that makes them incapable of being around other people, you might want to rewrite that character.
Combat There will be times where the group will come up against some NPCs or monsters that want to do them harm, and we will invariably end up in combat. To keep things running smoothly, we will handle combat as follows:
I will roll initiative at the top of combat for all involved. That is, all monsters, npc's, pc's, etc., will have their initiative rolled by me.
We will use group initiative. That is, whichever group wins the overall initiative ends up acting in a block. That is, if one PC wins the initiative over all the enemies, all PC's win the initiative. If one enemy wins the initiative over all the PCs, then all the enemies win the initiative. This is to keep things simple and to allow everyone to act at (roughly) the same time in a round. Means I don't have to have a few people post, then adjudicate, then have a few more, etc.
I will only roll initiative at the top of combat. Whatever the result happens to be is what we will use for the entire combat.
I will adjudicate actions in the order they are posted. If by some chance you don't post first and your target is no longer valid when I adjudicate, I will move you to the nearest target. If that doesn't work, I'll ask you what you want to do and we'll take it from there.
To help speed things along, my responsibilities in any combat posts include:
Explicitly labeling any dice rolls.
Posting the order of Initiative.
Highlighting PC names so they stand out when you are reading things.
If there is anything else you wish me to add to my posts, please ask and I'll update this list.
To help speed things along, your responsibilities in any combat posts include:
Using a Spoiler tag for your mechanics. If you bury your rolls and actions in your text, I WILL miss them.
Explicitly labeling any dice rolls.
Explicitly identifying your target. I will cover this below, but your targets on the map are labeled; you MUST use those labels when identifying them in combat. If you fail to do this, the group as a whole gets one warning, and thereafter your attacks miss. I don't care if you rolled a natural 20; if you don't identify your target, I don't know where you are aiming.
Explicitly stating your Movement, Action, Bonus Actions, and contingencies for Reactions. If you fail to include it, it doesn't happen.
All of this is done to insure that combat doesn't get bogged down in endless questions or ambiguity. I like things to be clear and clean as it speeds things up.
Mapping We will use Roll20 for all encounters, and this mapping is ACTIVE. That is, you can, in real time, move your token on the map and your position and what you can see is updated. To this end, and to support speediness of the game, my responsibilities regarding the map include:
Uploading appropriate maps
Insuring appropriate lighting on the maps, to include barriers such as doors, windows, traps, etc.
Insuring appropriate tokens are on the maps, to include PC's, NPC's, traps, interactable objects, monsters, etc.
Creating tooltips/mouse-overs to identify all targets
To help speed things along, your responsibilities regarding the map include:
Insuring your token's hit points are updated
Moving your token in accordance with your Combat posts
Indicating whether or not you have a torch lit (or if you have darkvision, which includes the range to which your darkvision extends) in your IC posts
One of the most important things in those lists above is my responsibility to have appropriate mouse-overs on all tokens. This is important because you will need that to explicitly identify a target in combat. I will make sure they are there, so please make sure you use them.
I will create the game on Roll20 and send a link to whomever makes the cut here once that happens.
Critical Hits In combat, there will be times where someone rolls a natural 20, thereby causing a critical hit. For this game, we are using a simplified rule to account for the damage one of these hits does. Instead of rolling additional dice, we will simply double the damage that is done. Roll dice as normal, add all bonuses, and then double that.
Out of Character
I use Discord for all Out-of-Character chatter, both during recruitment and once the game is started. I have found that this is far more effective than having a separate OOC thread somewhere on a game forum that has to be watched and managed. The link to the Discord channel is:
I will be pinning this recruitment thread to the Discord channel so that the rules here are easy to find in the future. Please note that Discord is a mandatory element of this game. If you cannot or will not use Discord, I ask that you please refrain from applying.
Deadline
I will close this thread on Friday, March 3, at 3 PM PST. At that time I will review any/all characters that have been submitted, and I will select 5-6 of them to go through this grand delusion I have created. PM's with the Roll20 link will go out to the selected few, and I am hoping to start the actual IC portion of this game on Monday, March 6.
Questions
Have I forgotten something? Have I written something confusing or ambiguous? Do you have a question not answered in anything above? Ask! Go to Discord and ask!
Name: Lyra Ravenscale (<-- Link to dndbeyond character sheet) Character Race: Custom Lineage (from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything) with +2 CHA - flavor as quarter-elf, Darkvision as variable trait. (Free Feat from Custom Lineage: Fey Touched, +1 CHA) Class: Warlock (Hexblade Patron) - planned for 2 levels, and Bard (College of Eloquence) thereafter. No Pact of the Chain or Familiars.
Background/Personality/Backstory/Writing Sample/Portrait: see (first) spoiler below.
Background: Custom (Faction Agent / Urban Bounty Hunter) - Skills: Persuasion, Perception (along with Deception/Intimidation from Warlock Class), Languages: Dwarvish, Draconic (along with Elvish from Custom Lineage Race).
Personality/Backstory: Lyra's prize possession is a dull black harmonica which always hangs at her throat. Found during childhood, it is the source of her magic. Stains her lips like dark lipstick. Through this instrument, she has made what at first was an unwitting pact with the Raven Queen. A mysterious, chaotic neutral demigod of Shadowfell, also represented in her black warhammer hanging, seemingly too heavy for Lyra, at her hip.
Youngest child of a small merchant family and orphaned at an early age, Lyra ran off from her elven grandmother's home in the Faerie Kingdom of Celene as soon as she was of age. Using the fey gifts she had learned in Celene along with her considerable charm and eloquence, she soon found employment in the city of Greyhawk as an agent, spy and bounty hunter for the rich.
On the run now after an accusation of being the mistress of a noble by his well-connected wife (whether true or not, only Lyra and the noble himself know), she follows a lead that her noble "friend" had alerted her to. Near the coast where the Kingdom of Nyrond meets the Sea of Gearnat. by the river Pelyra. Darkshelf Quarry. Silly name. Unperturbed, she departs Greyhawk in the dark of night bound for the far east (at least in her view, having come from Celene), ostensibly to report findings back to her sponsors in Greyhawk. Though in truth, Lyra suspects she will never see them again.
She shrugs and plays a lively riff on her dark harmonica. Adventure is always the better reason anyway, and Lyra... Lyra believes with the unshakeable certainty of the young that she can talk her way out of anything.
Writing Sample:
"Stability. Our master seeks stability. Chaos is no good for commerce. For the City of Greyhawk. He would not speak of Darkshelf unless..."
The towering, toothy half-orc trailed off meaningfully. Ghish was nothing if not loyal to Lord Drigo. And brutal. Lyra Ravenscale eyed the wicked morningstar at his belt thoughtfully, knowing that one solid blow from the weapon would bring things to a close for her. But Lyra wasn't planning on fighting. Not with Ghish, anyway.
"Our master?" Lyra laced her voice with just the proper balance of sarcasm and playfulness to let him know to take no offense.
The half-orc shook his head. "Yes, our master. Unless you and he have other... arrangements. Lady Drigo's accusations..."
"Might as well be true since everyone believes them," finished Lyra smoothly. The dark harmonica glinted where it hung about her throat. Around them, the City of Greyhawk breathed like some great beast. Quickly, she drew her dagger, a sorrowful look briefly shading her brown eyes.
"So before you kill me Ghish, is there nothing you can tell me of Darkshelf Quarry? Of Nyrond or other parties involved? I am going in blind. Almost as bad as going in mute. It is as if someone wishes to get rid of me." Lyra winced as she drew the blade of her dagger across her palm, then used it to messily cut a few locks of dirty blond hair from her scalp, mingling it with the upwelling blood.
"No. Nothing more to tell you. Eyes and ears open, not just your mouth, Lyra. And someone does wish to get rid of you." Ghish accepted the proffered mix of blood and hair, then smeared it haphazardly on the business end of his morningstar. "That's why they sent me."
"Give Lord Drigo my... regards. And take care of yourself." Lyra smiled sweetly up at the looming half-orc, waiting for his final confirmation of her untimely and gruesome demise. Knowing deep down that she would likely never see him again. Nor Lord Drigo. A pity.
"I will. And Lady Drigo will learn you died screaming," Ghish displayed his impressive teeth as he stowed his now-soiled weapon. "That even your own bloody death could not shut you up, Lyra." The half-orc's grin actually seemed genuine. Fond, even.
At that, Lyra Ravenscale turned and walked away without a backward glance. Disappearing into the darkening shadows. And when she was gone, the great City of Greyhawk went on as if she had never been.
(Note: used Gold Buy - got 100gp, subtracted gold for Explorer's Pack, warhammer (her hex weapon), dagger, scale mail and shield... also Explorer's Pack includes an overfilled backpack, so I removed torches and rations until the backpack is down to its 30lb capacity.)
Portrait: I'm not an artist. This image doesn't exactly cover it - her lips would be stained black as if by dark lipstick from the harmonica, and she would have both the harmonica and a dark warhammer (hex weapon) at her belt, looking too heavy for her. She would also ordinarily wear thicker armor (Scale Mail) and a small wooden shield on her off arm.
Thank you!
ps For the Fey Touched feat's 1st level Enchantment spell selection, may I choose Silvery Barbs from Strixhaven? If not, will choose Bless
Character Race and Class: Githyanki rogue. Not sure of subclass yet, but swashbuckler seems to fit with the backstory.
Character Portait:
Character Personality: Ruthless, there are certain things that she will not compromise on and will go to any lengths to achieve those goals. Having said that, she knows that she can't do everything herself and tries to protect those close to her as much as possible - so long as those principles are not compromised.
Character Backstory:
The Githyanki reside in the Astral Plane - where no time passes. As such, in order for their young to mature they must be raised on another plane until they reach adulthood. Sinomur was living out her training period (childhood) in a Creche on the prime material plane when it was raided and overrun. As she was being trained as a skirmisher at the time she was away at the time and returned to find nothing but a smouldering ruin.
Left for dead and with little skills she was easy pickings for slavers following the the raiders wake. She was captured, sold, and put to work pulling the oars on a galley.
To save money feeding the slaves Xurag (the captain of the ship) would have the them fish from the side of the ship when in port. One night she found an especially strong and sharp fish bone in the mash they fed the slaves, which she kept threaded in her hair until it dried and hardened, then she used the bone to pick the locks on her manacles meaning to sneak away in the dead of night. Unfortunately the slaves were all shackled together and when they realised their chance they rioted. Sinomur/Sud-dinim fought her way through the melee, killing one of the guards on the way out, and jumped overboard.
Since then she's been taking short term contracts on other sailing vessels until she was recognised in port by a member of her crew. When she saw the Boatswain passed out in the inn she knew she had to get out of port ASAP and booked passage on the first ship that would take her, a merchant vessel that has just deposited her in Darkshelf.
It's common for children to be kidnapped or bought from orphanages. She makes a habit of tracking down orphanages in every city she's in since if slavers are active in the area this is where they'll show up. It gives her some advance warning if she'll need to run again.
how do you want us to assign stats? I made this character sheet using 4d6 drop the lowest, which has left me with a nasty dump stat, but I can change it if you'd like. Still working out some details.
As I mentioned in the character creation spoiler in my original post, we are using the standard array 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.
Gruff former mercenary, no nonsense when working blast when we are paid in in clear
Ellissia’s mother was killed by her father when she was young for giving birth to a winged hellspawn. Grief stricken about killing his wife, and unable to kill his own child, he abandoned her to the Pitts, a group home in SkullPort. After years in the group home, young Ellissia went looking for a way to a better life. After years in SkullPort she learned the fastest way out was the training grounds where the mercenaries recruited. After a trials she was consigned into the Black Rose, as they were looking for new fighters, and the only group willing to take a winged tiefling. These years of training and mercenary work have given her greater physical skills than most other humans, but also caused her to lose much of her compassion. Causing her to become one of the most feared and respected members of the group. Betrayed by the group's leader, Ellissia finds herself alone and forced to fight off superior enemies without any help. Eventually she manages to flee, and vows revenge on those who she once called friends.
rolled her using dnd beyond apps dice, but can/will change her stats if needed. She fled her home land after the betrayal so her being in Darkshelf can be writer in
Gruff former mercenary, no nonsense when working blast when we are paid in in clear
Ellissia’s mother was killed by her father when she was young for giving birth to a winged hellspawn. Grief stricken about killing his wife, and unable to kill his own child, he abandoned her to the Pitts, a group home in SkullPort. After years in the group home, young Ellissia went looking for a way to a better life. After years in SkullPort she learned the fastest way out was the training grounds where the mercenaries recruited. After a trials she was consigned into the Black Rose, as they were looking for new fighters, and the only group willing to take a winged tiefling. These years of training and mercenary work have given her greater physical skills than most other humans, but also caused her to lose much of her compassion. Causing her to become one of the most feared and respected members of the group. Betrayed by the group's leader, Ellissia finds herself alone and forced to fight off superior enemies without any help. Eventually she manages to flee, and vows revenge on those who she once called friends.
rolled her using dnd beyond apps dice, but can/will change her stats if needed. She fled her home land after the betrayal so her being in Darkshelf can be writer in
2nd person I've had to tell this to: Please look at the spoiler tag with character creation rules. I clearly stated to use the Standard Array. Heck, this is the second time IN THE LAST 10 MINUTES I've posted this.
Character Name: Tyrzaren Sylvaranth Character Race and Class: Male Half-Elf Hexblade Warlock(Going with Pact of the Blade) Background: Haunted One Character Portait:
Character Personality: Soft spoken, with a dislike towards people who value physical strength, he will not allow others to become victimized. Slow to befriend others, but will be a friend for life once it is earned.
Character Backstory: Tyrzaren had lived in a small logging village for most of his life and it was where he met his husband, a wood elf named Rhys. Tyr was a bit on the weaker side in regards to physical strength, as his was a family of lumberjacks. His father wasn't happy about his son's weakness, however, and treated Tyr as an outcast before Rhys showed up. So, it didn't take long for them to elope and begin exploring the world together.
Many years into their travels, there was a terrible storm and, as the pair tried to find shelter, they were attacked by marauders. Rhys was killed in the skirmish and Tyrzaren was gravely wounded; having been left to die in the rain by their assailants. Their leader, a gray haired man missing his left eye with a jagged scar through it was the one who dealt the killing blow. As Tyrzaren held his love's hand, he began to hear ethereal whispers stating that they could keep Rhys' soul from entering the after life and that he could have his revenge upon those who wronged him.
Tyrzaren now believes that his lover's soul is in his blade to help him achieve the vengeance that he yearns for and he is also seeking a way to restore Rhys' life.
A writing sample of how your character came to be in Darkshelf: Perhaps someone here has heard of the man he's looking for. It was doubtful, but there was always a glimmer of hope deep in his mind at each village he has stopped at. Some noise returns him from his thoughts and Tyrzaren watches the slow traffic coming towards him from beneath his dark hood, his hand slowly reaching for the handle of his sword, hidden under his cloak. He relaxes as they get closer and he recognizes no threat from them, he even gives them a nod of acknowledgement when he draws close enough to them. "Where's the tavern?" He asks quietly.
Darkshelf Quarry holds more than limestone and granite. Whispered rumors abound that the quarry’s dwarf overseer isn’t what he pretends to be, and that he’s involved in unscrupulous dealings with foreign threats. Investigation is the only way to learn the truth, but beware! The quarry is well defended, and danger lurks within its dark tunnels and hidden chambers.
Welcome, Adventurers
I will apologize up front if the format of this advertisement is not up to spec for the site. While my profile here shows that I've been a member for a few years, I just recently started posting. I am therefore still trying to come up to speed on the do's and don'ts of this site, and if I've done anything wrong I please ask that a mod/admin correct the mistake and then let me know so I don't make the same mistake again.
A little about me: I cut my teeth gaming with the D&D BECMI (Red and Blue boxes to start) way back when the cartoon was new on television. Yes, I'm old. But I've been gaming now for [redacted] years, and I've been both a player and GM for that amount of time. I have been doing PBP on another site for over a decade, but I have decided to spread my wings and look elsewhere for my gaming fix. That has led me here, what with my primary gaming focus being D&D 5E.
I am firm but fair, drawing some hard lines and letting the lines get washed over in others. Up front, especially during character creation, I tend to be very picky about things; this is so we don't have to be picky and slow the game down later. If we correct things up front, the game, I have found, runs much smoother in the long run. However, I'm not perfect, and will admit that I don't know everything, and always ask people to keep me honest.
What This Is
At its core, this game is an attempt at running a rather large campaign that has been voted as one of the best of all time. The adventure will start in the sleepy village of Darkshelf, on the Pelyra River in Nyrond, and see the characters rise as heroes as they fight slavers, giants, the drow, and eventually the demon queen herself.
The game will center on our heroes as they work to solve multiple riddles and puzzles, combat and deal with enemies on all sides, and, potentially, how their exploits influence the Viscounty of Nyrond (and perhaps the Flannaess overall). Slavers, secrets, political upheavals, deals and negotiations...I'd like to see at least some of everything in this game so that there is something for everyone.
To be clear, the game will start with Danger at Darkshelf Quarry, go into Scourge of the Slave Lords, wind through Against the Giants, and finish somewhere with Queen of the Demonweb Pits. And this assumes we don't digress into other one-offs (which will, of course, depend upon the group wanting to do other stuff). I am being ambitious!
What This Is Not
I am hoping that this won't be your average run-of-the-mill "Go here/kill this/open that box" adventure. Beyond the actual adventures written into the books, there are a multitude of random encounters and things to do that will, hopefully, keep the group not only engaged but having them turn their heads all the time asking "What the frak is really going on here". I do not want this to become another game of "I created a character but I'm bored now".
This game is also not for those who do not like flavors of horror or gore in their games. I'm not going to go beyond the PG-13 rating of the site, letting the curtain fall where it is most needed. But I'm also not going to pull punches or shy away from descriptions simply because someone might not like them. If you cannot handle a bit of gore or personal horror, this isn't the game for you. And that's ok; not all games are for all players, and not all players are for all games.
This also isn't going to be a game where things are not taken seriously...but we also won't let ourselves be too serious here. It should be a good mix of laughter and somberness, depending on the situation.
Character Creation
Please check the spoiler tag for the rules to be used for this game for Character Creation. I am under the impression that people will create their characters and post them here; that is more than fine with me. At a minimum, you post here should include:
Character Name
Character Race and Class (with potential Subclass, if you are already thinking that far ahead)
Character Portait
Character Personality (no more than a paragraph please)
Character Backstory (no more than 4 paragraphs please)
A writing sample of how your character came to be in Darkshelf
A link to your Character Sheet (whether that be here at D&D Beyond or another site you prefer for sheets)
Rules System Dungeons and Dragons, Fifth Edition (5E). All material used must be from this edition, and anything from previous editions may not be used.
Allowed Books Only the following WoTC APPROVED books. Anything not in this list is considered to be not approved.
Player's Handbook
Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
Volo's Guide to Monsters
Xanathar's Guide to Everything
If there is something from a source not listed above that you'd like to play or have considered, please ask. I'm not above allowing things that don't normally fit, but I don't claim to know everything. If you ask, then at least I get the chance to learn something! However, anything from any source not listed above that you have not asked about is considered to be not allowed, and it will result in an automatic rejection of the character in whole. I know that there are options and concepts and such in other material that people want to play. I'd rather have you ask and potentially get something approved than to not ask and have to reject the character.
Races Any race from any of the above-listed approved source material is allowed. All I ask is that if you use either the custom lineages from Tasha's or a race from Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse, please at least indicate where you put your ability bonuses. That makes it far easier on me to review characters.
Classes All classes from the above approved material are automatically allowed and need no discussion (unless there is some option that is ambiguous). If you want to play something not from a source above, as with the sources above, please ask first.
Abilities The standard array of 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8. This is prior to any Racial or Class adjustments, and there are no exceptions to this.
Starting Level 1st level. We are going to be starting at the very beginning, and I promise you that if this game lasts long enough, it will be worth it to watch your character grow.
Starting Hit Points Maximum at 1st level. Once you hit 2nd level, hit points will be the higher of a die roll or the average for the class you level up in.
Difficult Options I hate banning things. Unfortunately, there is one spell out there that has completely ruined 5E for me: Find Familiar. This spell is the bane of all that I enjoy about this game, and it's constant use by players to skip exploration of dungeons/tombs/caverns/castles/etc. is annoying. I put all this work into something, and someone comes along and says "My familiar goes up ahead 100 feet...oh, that's interesting...we're going the other way now...". I HATE that. And get a Warlock with Pact of the Chain, and you have an invisible familiar. Just...no.
I have been told by many people that I should simply ban Pact of the Chain instead of Find Familiar as it seems that my problem lies with the invisible familiar and not with the familiar itself. I have also been told that it is possible my issue lies in players and their use of abilities, and that any ability can be abused, and that I should at least consider player arguments when thinking on this spell. I have taken both of these arguments to heart, and I have listened.
To this end, I don't want to ban Find Familiar, but I have yet to hear an argument why it should be allowed. My biggest fear/concern/peeve is the use I put forth above. I want to encourage exploration, not have the whole group sit there while a familiar does all the exploring. And no, this is not like sending a Rogue up ahead to scout the area. With the familiar, the group is not in danger of anything other than the familiar potentially getting janked.
I would therefore simply prefer that if you want Find Familiar you please not take it right away and we work to get it for you during the course of the game. If you have a concept that simply cannot live without the spell, please talk to me so we can work this out. I want this to be cooperative, not one-sided.
Backgrounds Any Background from any approved source that does not provide spellcasting abilities. This includes any custom background you come up with, provided you follow the rules for custom Backgrounds. If you use a Custom Background, you must provide the details for it to avoid my asking "How did you get this".
Starting Equipment Whatever your 1st level Class and Background grant you. You are allowed to sell starting equipment per the rules and then buy other gear if you wish.
Alignment Any Alignments, including Evil, are allowed. However, do not use your Alignment as a toy to do whatever you wish to do; I will not tolerate someone saying "Well, I can do that because it's my Alignment". If you try to use that, I'll drop an ancient red dragon on you and say "Well, I can do that because I'm the GM". Evil does not equal stupid or crazy all the time. Play smart. Please.
House Rules
I have a set of House Rules that I like to use for any game I run. In the interest of being fair and up front, I'll list them here. As with everything else, if you have questions, please ask.
PVP This is quite possibly the single-most important rule I have in any game I end up running. So pay attention very carefully what I am about to say.
PVP will not be tolerated.
Players have spats, and characters will not always agree on a course of action. I'm ok with arguing; I'm ok with talking things out. I'm also ok with the group somewhat splitting up at times because characters/players don't agree. What I am not ok with is characters coming to blows. I do not tolerate it in my RL groups, and I will not tolerate it here.
In the event PVP breaks out, whoever throws the first punch/swing/casts the first spell is kicked. With prejudice, which means the result/ban/kick is final. There will be no arguing, or complaining. No trial, no opening statements, no explaining who did what or when. You throw a punch at another character and you are gone. Period. Full stop.
Once the opening salvo is resolved, I will investigate how it got to that point. If it is determined that the player who got attacked provoked the attack - and by provoked, I mean they were asked to stop by multiple people and they kept on about it - they also receive a ban with prejudice. No further arguing, no further discussion.
I want to be clear that there are situations where characters do need to roll To Hit another PC, most notably when casting a beneficial spell on someone who is engaged in combat. I am not talking about these instances, but rather attacks outside of combat that are done in anger or spite. So please do not ask me if casting Healing on the fighter will result in being kicked; it won't.
I want to also be very clear that I have only ever had to kick 1 player from a game due to this, and it was during a session zero thread. The issue generally resolves itself, usually by one of the angry players bowing out before things get that bad. And please know that I do not wish to remove players from games; if I do that, I have to find replacements and get them integrated. I'd rather not have to do that, so please don't be the second.
Group Composition I suppose Composition isn't the best word to use here, but I've got nothing else at the moment. Anyhow, you are a GROUP, and you are WORKING TOGETHER for a common goal. I have no issues with the group splitting up from time to time, trying to do multiple angles of research at once in town. I do take issue, however, with one character always being off on their own, being the loner, thinking they don't need help. If you wander off one too many times, you may not find your way back.
Please keep in mind that working together is the goal, and fun is the reward for doing so. If you find you have written your character in a way that makes them incapable of being around other people, you might want to rewrite that character.
Combat There will be times where the group will come up against some NPCs or monsters that want to do them harm, and we will invariably end up in combat. To keep things running smoothly, we will handle combat as follows:
I will roll initiative at the top of combat for all involved. That is, all monsters, npc's, pc's, etc., will have their initiative rolled by me.
We will use group initiative. That is, whichever group wins the overall initiative ends up acting in a block. That is, if one PC wins the initiative over all the enemies, all PC's win the initiative. If one enemy wins the initiative over all the PCs, then all the enemies win the initiative. This is to keep things simple and to allow everyone to act at (roughly) the same time in a round. Means I don't have to have a few people post, then adjudicate, then have a few more, etc.
I will only roll initiative at the top of combat. Whatever the result happens to be is what we will use for the entire combat.
I will adjudicate actions in the order they are posted. If by some chance you don't post first and your target is no longer valid when I adjudicate, I will move you to the nearest target. If that doesn't work, I'll ask you what you want to do and we'll take it from there.
To help speed things along, my responsibilities in any combat posts include:
Explicitly labeling any dice rolls.
Posting the order of Initiative.
Highlighting PC names so they stand out when you are reading things.
If there is anything else you wish me to add to my posts, please ask and I'll update this list.
To help speed things along, your responsibilities in any combat posts include:
Using a Spoiler tag for your mechanics. If you bury your rolls and actions in your text, I WILL miss them.
Explicitly labeling any dice rolls.
Explicitly identifying your target. I will cover this below, but your targets on the map are labeled; you MUST use those labels when identifying them in combat. If you fail to do this, the group as a whole gets one warning, and thereafter your attacks miss. I don't care if you rolled a natural 20; if you don't identify your target, I don't know where you are aiming.
Explicitly stating your Movement, Action, Bonus Actions, and contingencies for Reactions. If you fail to include it, it doesn't happen.
All of this is done to insure that combat doesn't get bogged down in endless questions or ambiguity. I like things to be clear and clean as it speeds things up.
Mapping We will use Roll20 for all encounters, and this mapping is ACTIVE. That is, you can, in real time, move your token on the map and your position and what you can see is updated. To this end, and to support speediness of the game, my responsibilities regarding the map include:
Uploading appropriate maps
Insuring appropriate lighting on the maps, to include barriers such as doors, windows, traps, etc.
Insuring appropriate tokens are on the maps, to include PC's, NPC's, traps, interactable objects, monsters, etc.
Creating tooltips/mouse-overs to identify all targets
To help speed things along, your responsibilities regarding the map include:
Insuring your token's hit points are updated
Moving your token in accordance with your Combat posts
Indicating whether or not you have a torch lit (or if you have darkvision, which includes the range to which your darkvision extends) in your IC posts
One of the most important things in those lists above is my responsibility to have appropriate mouse-overs on all tokens. This is important because you will need that to explicitly identify a target in combat. I will make sure they are there, so please make sure you use them.
I will create the game on Roll20 and send a link to whomever makes the cut here once that happens.
Critical Hits In combat, there will be times where someone rolls a natural 20, thereby causing a critical hit. For this game, we are using a simplified rule to account for the damage one of these hits does. Instead of rolling additional dice, we will simply double the damage that is done. Roll dice as normal, add all bonuses, and then double that.
Out of Character
I use Discord for all Out-of-Character chatter, both during recruitment and once the game is started. I have found that this is far more effective than having a separate OOC thread somewhere on a game forum that has to be watched and managed. The link to the Discord channel is:
I will be pinning this recruitment thread to the Discord channel so that the rules here are easy to find in the future. Please note that Discord is a mandatory element of this game. If you cannot or will not use Discord, I ask that you please refrain from applying.
Deadline
I will close this thread on Friday, March 3, at 3 PM PST. At that time I will review any/all characters that have been submitted, and I will select 5-6 of them to go through this grand delusion I have created. PM's with the Roll20 link will go out to the selected few, and I am hoping to start the actual IC portion of this game on Monday, March 6.
Questions
Have I forgotten something? Have I written something confusing or ambiguous? Do you have a question not answered in anything above? Ask! Go to Discord and ask!
Character Name Jackie Nailo
Character Race and Class Tiefling Bard
Character Personality A Kind soul, Jackie Wants to bring happiness to wherever she roams.
Character Backstory Taken in by Aries Nailo at a young age, Jackie Looks to him as a father, and wants to be a bard just like him. now, setting out on her own from water deep, she plans to spread happiness via music
Jackie knew the Inherent risks of travel, but that wont stop her, she shall get to Darkshelf, and begin her legacy there
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat." -Sun Tzu
Character Race and Class: Human (Variant) Divine Soul Sorcerer
Character Portrait:
Character Personality: Calista's defining trait is her curiosity: about the world, about people, about ancient cultures and civilizations. She is driven by her thirst for knowledge. Nothing makes her happier than spending the day at a digsite, uncovering ancient secrets and relics. Though some scholars come across as socially inept or even cold, Calista is the opposite. Bubbly and optimistic, she makes friends easily but is somewhat of a people pleaser and a little too naive and idealistic sometimes for her own good.
Character Backstory: Calista's magical powers emerged when she was a young child. Her parents, farmers by trade and by all accounts simple but honest and decent, were perplexed as to what to do with a child who showed magical talent. The youngest of eight children, Calista was expected to grow up and help work the farm, but her parents decided she would be better off with other magically-gifted children. She was sent to the Rosewood Academy, an institution of magical learning, which also served as a boarding school for mage children.
The Academy is where Calista fell in love with the field of archaeology. While other children were honing their talents for evocation or illusion, Calista used her magic for more practical purposes, assisting her professors on expeditions to exotic and exciting locales. After feeling as if she had been abandoned and unwanted by her parents, the young girl had finally discovered a new purpose, a calling, and the work just felt right, as if it pleased whatever divinity had instilled the gift of magic within her.
A writing sample of how your character came to be in Darkshelf:
Calista knocked softly on the heavy, mahogany door, and a muffled voice on the other side invited to come in. She opened the door on a handsome study, bookshelves crammed with heavy tomes, maps hanging crookedly on the walls, and in the midst of it all a huge desk behind which sat a rotund man of about sixty years, with what remained of his gray hair encircling his head, and bright, blue eyes looking at her from behind wired spectacles.
"Come in, come in," he said brusquely, as Calista took the padded chair in front of the desk. The desk it self was cluttered with all manner of parchments and books, and she wondered how Professor Teague could make sense of it all.
"You said you have a mission for me?" the young scholar asked, trying not to sound too earnest and excited, but inside she was positively brimming with enthusiasm. If she was correct, this would be her first real expedition on her own, a solo venture, and a chance to earn great esteem and respect from her colleagues.
"Yes, indeed!" replied her mentor. He pushed a sheaf of papers across the desk towards her. "Darkshelf Quarry is your destination. Darkshelf is a small village, maybe a week's journey from here."
Calista tried to hide her disappointment. A quarry? What was the professor thinking? She thought something along the lines of ancient ruins or a tomb...not some common mining town. Professor Teague noticed her crestfallen face, and he raised a hand.
"I know what you're thinking, but don't write it off just yet," he continued. "Many interesting artifacts have been unearthed in quarries and mines. That is your mission. Scout out the area, talk to the locals, explore the quarry. See if there is anything of interest. Then report back. Simple, yes?"
Calista sighed but nodded. "I'll leave right away."
Character Race and Class (with potential Subclass, if you are already thinking that far ahead) : Grave Cleric (I swapped tiefling ASI for +1 str & +2 wis)
Character Personality: Very friendly and caring. Mother-like to most people and wants to soothe any suffering, no matter how minor the issue is for her friends. She is quite religious and relies on her faith to carry her through the hard times. She does not often get close to others, acting a bit standoffish until she gets to know them.
Character Backstory :
Solace was abandoned to an orphanage due to not only her Tiefling heritage, but for her pale white skin and hair and black horns that curled upon her head. Unfortunately, the orphanage was not very well taken care of, leaving the children to fend for themselves for the most part. Many children fell ill due to the conditions they lived in and she was the only one who had not fallen ill. She spent much of her time during this illness that swept through, taking care of those who couldn't take care of themselves.
All of her energy was spent, taking care of the rest so they do not fade away, she even stayed up during the night to ensure they made it through, their fever's a constant worry. After about 3 days of hard work, all the children pulled through and became healthy again. She stayed here at the orphanage taking care of all who would come and go, never moving on herself. She became adept at taking care of the ill and malnourished and divine light shone upon her, swearing herself into the service of Kelemvor .
A writing sample of how your character came to be in Darkshelf
Solace would soon feel a calling to venture forth into the wilds and find those who cannot help themselves. She would pass through small town and large city alike, healing and helping wherever she could, being a deathbed companion to those who are close to passing and fighting undeath where it raises it's plague. She had heard that a town near a mountain range had an illness that was spreading through the elderly and children, and seeked it out. Unfortunately, on her trek to this location, she was captured and kept as prisoner. Her faith keeps her in good health, though she is unsure how long she will last in such dire conditions.
Very interested in joining this, I will pull together a character offering for you when I am next at my laptop. Initially I was going to submit a hexblade / College of Swords. That seems a little too close to a couple of of other submissions so far so I will see what takes my fancy and update this post.
• Character Name - Landrae • Character Race and Class - Variant Human (Crossbow Expert feat) | Warlock (Hexblade) then into Wizard (Bladesinging) • Character Background - Sage • Character Portait
• Character Personality Landrae's view of the world has been shaped by how others have treated her. Cynical and suspicious. She uses sarcasm as a shield and turns many comments into self-deprecating satire. Though always eager to laugh and try to look on the brighter side, her attempts often come across awkward. She can be focused and will doggedly pursue an idea or piece of knowledge if she believes it to be of suitable value, and can unknowingly act selfishly despite believing her actions to be altruistic.
• Character Backstory
The sixth child and fourth daughter of a well-respected but politically weak noble family, Landrae's prospects were meek from birth. Her lot would likely have been to some marry some young lord or wealthy merchant for the betterment of her family name and position. The education of a 'young lady' started early, and Landrae's earliest memories were of her nursemaids telling her all the things she couldn't do. From the moment she could crawl, she was told that she wouldn't stop moving; a problem that only increased once she learned to walk and eventually run. Perpetually scolded for her antics and having the staff interrupted as they would have chase after her, Landrae simply loved to run and move. It was shortly after her sixth birthday that Landrae started lessons in protocol and propriety, learning poetry and tapestry as befitted her station. Her rebellious streak started in tandem with her education, and her siblings took great pleasure in playing pranks or getting their littlest sister into trouble. One such misadventure changed Landrae's life and future irrevocably. The children were learning of husbandry and grooming in the family stables. An ill-timed prank caused the horse to kick out, striking Landrae in the back and damaging her spine. Physicians proclaimed that the girl would never regain the use of her legs, and thus Landrae became a cripple in both physically and to her family prospects. Relying on servants to help her move about, Landrae's rebellion turned to frustration and anger, the enjoyment seemed to be sucked out of her life as she would stare out of a window watching her siblings play with all the freedom in the world. Her interests turned to study, reading about all the things she never expected to experience and eventually to medicine and magic, hoping one day to find some way to rid herself of her infirmity. Though she grew into a beautiful woman, the suitors for her hand were few and far between as Landrae's humour and outlook became as twisted as her spine. During her seventeenth year, on a trip to a nearby city with her family, Landrae heard tale of dark pacts that could grant anything for a price. Her interest and excitement was captured in a way she had long forgotten and her studies and reading took a darker turn on the days and months that followed as she sought out these rumours and found tales that gave her hope again. For years her free hours were taken up trying to identify the entities that these stories spoke of, until one day she found what she was after.
• A writing sample of how your character came to be in Darkshelf
Landrae woke up and stretched in bed, her whole body ached and as much as she wanted to pull the covers back over her head, she was uncomfortable and needed to move around. Groggy and without thinking, she pushed back the warm and enticing covers, swung herself round to sit on the edge of her bed and stood up, stretching her arms high and arching her back. She stopped stock still. As she lowered her arms, she slowly looked down at herself, her hands drifting to her mouth as her mind processed the shock that she was standing! Her family cried 'miracle', and physicians were left at a loss for the sudden and dramatic recovery. Even the muscle atrophy had been completely reversed, Landrae's legs being as fit and functional as any normal person's. Though as is ever the way with things that people don't understand, dark whispers about the noble lady and evil magics started to spread and it was not long before Landrae felt people's suspicious gazes upon her all the time. Eventually even her own family lost their delight and turned against her. That was the point where she knew she had to leave. Being brought up in a noble house had left her lacking in many skills, and what little of her finery she took with her soon ended up being traded for food or lodgings. Her looks were as much a danger as an asset, drawing unwanted attention as often as a kind gesture. Her travels bring her to a small town called Darkshelf, looking for any way to spin a coin.
Name:Fierna Embershade Race: Human (Custom Lineage) Class: Wizard (School of Evocation) Background: Noble Personality: Charming, curious, studious, ambitious, passionate and deeply devoted to her goddess and her family. Backstory: Born in the great city of Rel Astra and into the old suel noble family of Embershade, young Fierna had a sheltered upbringing, starting her strict and rigorous arcane studies at an early age. Her family name had fallen on hard times since after the Greyhawk Wars and Fierna grew up with a growing desire to restore her family's name to it's former glory and make her father proud. Fierna was always a devout follower of the old suel deity the Ruby Sorceress Wee Jas, but when she came of age she was also approached by a mysterious old man claiming to represent of a group calling themselves the Seekers of the Arcane, inviting Fierna to join them in their quest to scour the Oerth for arcane artifacts. Seeing an opportunity to help her family into recognition again, Fierna agreed and was promptly sent away into Flanaess in search for arcane artfacts, most prominent among them, the throne of the gods. Carrying her family signet ring and her family's crystal of the arcane flame, Fierna journeyed by ship, hoping to eventually find her way to the City of Greyhawk, but as the passenger vessel entered the Sea of Gearnat it was brutally and viciously attacked by pirates. Fierna briefly fought them off with her fiery magics but quickly had to abandon the ship to avoid capture. In the morning hours she found herself at a beach not far from the village of Darkshelf, and her adventures had barely begun.
A writing sample of how your character came to be in Darkshelf
"Do not despair child, you are still on the path." Says the melodious but firm voice of the beautiful red-haired woman.
Where am I? Fierna felt cold, her exquisite red attire soaked with sea water clinging to her lithe body, the wet sand under her, the sound of the waves, the taste of salt in her mouth. Pirates, it had been pirates, an attack during the night, and she had escaped into the sea, barely. She was alive, she could still carry out her mission, fulfill her life's ambition. Slowly the young noble rose from the wet sand, checking her gear, a sigh of relief as she realized her ring, her crystal and her tome of spells were all there, the enchantment on it protecting it from the water. She looked around her, quickly noticing the settlement just a few hundred yards along the shore, small fishing boats going out to sea in the morning sun. Fierna mustered what little strength was left in her, starting to walk along the shore towards the village. She was still on the path, the Ruby Sorceress had said so.
Personality : Initially distrusting, I get for me and mine. Curious. Will work for gold. More comfortable living on his own, surrounded by nature. Interested in beekeeping, birds and toads.
Backstory :
Born in the dwarven stronghold of Irongate, Grymar was always an outsider among his kin, orphaned at a young age and left to fend for himself on the streets. While most dwarves spent their days crafting weapons and armor, Grymar found himself drawn to the natural world. He spent his days exploring the nearby forests and mountains, learning all he could about the plants and animals that lived there. Despite his love of nature, Grymar never forgot his dwarven heritage. He became an expert in tracking and hunting, using his skills to provide food for himself and his close friends (few though they were).
Grymar’s life took a dramatic turn when he discovered a unique bond with a swarm of bees that had taken up residence in a nearby forest. He found that he could almost communicate with the bees and use their abilities to aid him in his hunting and tracking. Grymar became fascinated with these creatures and began to study them in depth, learning all he could about their behaviors and habits. He had similar interests with swarms of birds and he practiced the sounds of toads to ease his boredom at night.
Despite his success and skills, Grymar still struggled to find acceptance among his fellow dwarves. They saw his love of nature as a weakness and often mocked him for his unconventional methods, and his poor hygiene. Grymar didn't let their words get to him, however, and continued to fight for what he believed in. When times were difficult, he learned to navigate the dangerous alleyways and pickpocket from unwary merchants if necessary in order to survive. A fellow urchin named Drogan who knew the ways of the land taught Grymar how to use a bow and spear. He began to travel and he discovered that his connection with the natural world was a valuable asset and he sought his fortune, hoping that it would improve.
A writing sample of how your character came to be in Darkshelf :
Grymar had heard of the beauties of the Celador forest, and he make his way north from Irongate seeking his fortune. He didn’t really kin much to cities and city folk, but has learned his skills in the wild on his travels north. He follows the Pelyra river pursuing an interesting species of hornet and eventually ends up near the town of Darkshelf mistakenly.
Hearing that there is a quarry nearby, this dwarf finds his curiosity stimulated and walks closer to the sleepy town. Grymar wanders into town trying to stay on the periphery, unnoticed as he usually does. “Best not to gain attention. These foreign folk might not take kindly to me. Let’s have a looksee.” He has been sipping on his own home brew working up the courage as we walks closer and closer into town.
You see an unkempt dwarf with ratty hair in scale mail armor carrying a spear walking into town, he does have well fitting leather boots which look well worn and comfortable. He pauses and pulls out two bees that he has kept in a little pouch on his belt and seems to talk to them, he seems daft on your initial take. He looks for the village tavern, looking to resupply, walking in and blending into the shadows. The barkeep sees two bloodshot eyes amongst scruffy hair standing a little below the bar, and a voice comes up “Whatcha known for aroun here, whas your favorite local brew, eh? Whydontcha get summa it out and donleave me a waitin, whatchasay?”
Character Name: Hemlock Character Race and Class: Firbolg Druid (planned Circle of Stars) Character Portrait:
Character Personality: Hemlock is used to living in seclusion, and even amongst his own folk he was rather introverted and shy. Now he is among other races, this has been magnified. He is very good natured and likes to help others though. Character Background: Helpful Stranger (Custom: Basically Folk Hero but with a language not Vehicles (Land) tool proficiency as it didn't fit) Character Backstory:
Hemlock had been seeing portents in the stars above his remote forest home for months before he went to the clan elders, and his grandfather the chief, with his concerns. After explaining his desire to leave the forest and follow the signs, he was surprised when they agreed. It was incredibly rare for one of the clan to leave and wander, and it hadn’t happened in his lifetime.
But even more than that, they handed him a wooden amulet with a moon on one side and small constellation on the other. The constellation matched what he had seen in the night sky on the last two new moons. Apparently the amulet had come into the possession of the clan many generations before, but the knowledge of exactly how was lost.
And so it was that Hemlock travelled, guided by the stars, away from the only home he had known. He came upon a number of villages during his journey, and got a bit of a reputation as a folk hero. One time he came upon the scene of a broken wagon, and used his mighty lifting capability to enable them to repair the wheel. Another he healed a young farm boy after a terrible injury. The event that garnered most adoration though, was purifying a villages winter store of crops, which had become diseased and would have meant many starved. On each occasion he shied away from the attention and simply moved on.
He carried on his journey until he came upon a river which he followed until he ended up at Darkshelf. Being of a shy disposition, he was wary of entering as himself, so he ventured into town a couple of times in disguise, only for short periods, to try and determine why the stars had led him to this place.
A writing sample of how your character came to be in Darkshelf:
Hemlock stood some distance away from the town of Darkshelf, watching the night sky above and the bright constellation of stars that seemed to point like an arrow straight to the town. Why would he be lead here? He had journeyed for a long time, and come across settlements before, but they were small hamlets and villages, nothing of this size.
There was nothing else for it, he would have to venture in, but maybe caution was needed. He had seen a few travellers arrive as he watched, some humans, some elves and some of the even shorter folk. He would surely stand out for his height and different appearance. Had these people even seen a Firbolg before, he knew most he’d come across hadn’t.
If he could just scout it out unobserved, just for an hour, that would be something. And so he used his innate magic to disguise himself in the visage of a tall elf, and proceeded to enter the town following another group. They led him to a tavern close to the gates, unaware he was following.
As he enters the tavern, the noise and smell bombard his senses. Finding a seat in the corner, the tall now Elf takes a seat and observes. After a few minutes, a young human approaches and asks what he wants. He has to look about for a moment to understand what she means, and sees most people drinking.
“Milk”, he replies meekly, not meeting her gaze. When she returns and asks for coin, he fumbles in his pouch, still not meeting her gaze. He slowly counts out coins of the copper variety onto the table until she seems satisfied and takes them, walking away with the sweep of an apron, muttering to herself. The elders had mentioned that outsiders tended to use pieces of metal in exchange for goods, but it seemed very alien to him.
Proud warrior, with touch on shamanic. Honours strength and endurance. Lives by ‘survival of the fittest’. Connection to nature, the elements and the spiritual world. The civilised world with its alien social interactions strikes him as bizarre.
Character Backstory:
Thezren’s family had lived for generations in their secluded village in the mountains. They’ve gotten by. They always had. The climate is harsh and unforgiving but that wasn’t a problem. It never had. Most of them got giants’ blood run through their veins. Food is scarce and the land barely provides for them, but still that wasn’t the problem neither. Everyone was responsible to produce their share and a little bit more. And when one found that they couldn’t, they took the long, ancestral jump. Outsiders say it’s crazy, but wouldn’t it be more crazy if everyone starves to death because they must feed those that do not function? Could you accept that your clan suffers because you fail to contribute? If you cannot keep up, the brave choice is to stay behind. Anyway, that’s not why Thezren left, he always met his quota, otherwise he would jump, dead certain. No, he was on a mission. Every generation, one from the village must visit the world. It is important to stay connected to the world at large not just inside your small sphere, the elders said. Well, he will do as he’s told but they cannot force him to like it one bit.
A writing sample of how your character came to be in Darkshelf:
Thezren went the panoramic way down his ancestral slopes. He needed to get that last look, a long last look from his favourite spot. It will be a long time before he will return, with every effort he burns the view into his memory.
Foraging went easier the more he descended. Lowlanders have it easier, he knew, but the sheer abundance of game surprised him still. But it makes them weak, he warns himself. What the high mountains provide less in food, they make up for with strength in mind and body. But they only bestow it on the worthy.
Weeks later he arrives to the first village, Darkshelf. Uneasy he approaches the gate and greets a guard that whittles a piece of wood, "Good day to you!" then waits patiently for the gate to be opened. Yet, it doesn’t open. They seem to take their time but he can be patient. After a minute, the guard looks up, straight into his eyes, “You aren’t expecting me to open this for you, are you? Want to have a tour of the village, and a chat with the major after?” The guard chuckles and continues with his woodwork, “Let yourself in and get moving.”
Female Human Bard (potentially college of whispers)
Personality: Arrietty appears to be warm and friendly on the surface, but there's something in the glint of her eyes, in the confidence of her smile. Is she really your friend, or is she secretly analyzing you, figuring out how to best use you for her own schemes?
Background: Entertainer
Backstory and how she came to be in Darkshelf::
Arrietty had always dreamed of grander things than could be found in the backwater village where she grew up. "Go milk the cows," her mom would tell her, and Arrietty would daydream of stealing treasure from some great monster as she did her chores. "It's time you settled down and started a family," her father would advise, and Arrietty would stalk away in disgust and imagine herself in some far-off city, stringing along a parade of suitors in an elaborate dance of sociopolitical charades. So it was with mixed feelings that Arrietty's parents supplied her with meager means to leave her village and seek her fortune in the wider world.
Having a knack for grand storytelling, oration, and singing, Arrietty was able to scrape by on the pay of innkeepers and the tips of their patrons as she performed in a series of small towns, each town further away from home than the last. She was noticed by a minor noble's agent, who was impressed with her youth and raw talent, and invited her to the local city. There the noble family pulled some strings and had her accepted into the local university to begin formal training. The lord fancied her as a future court bard but the lord's son quickly developed a close friendship with her, and saw in her a secret co-conspirator and spy for his own schemes. Together they got up to some hijinx that got her kicked out of the university and the lord's son was publicly reprimanded by his father.
Arrietty left the city in disgrace and resumed her wanderings as a traveling entertainer, but her spirits were not crushed. Ambition and adventure still burn in her heart, as well as a determination to make her dreams come true. That is her current state as she has recently arrived in Darkshelf with intent to set up a gig with a local tavern or inn.
Darkshelf Quarry holds more than limestone and granite. Whispered rumors abound that the quarry’s dwarf overseer isn’t what he pretends to be, and that he’s involved in unscrupulous dealings with foreign threats. Investigation is the only way to learn the truth, but beware! The quarry is well defended, and danger lurks within its dark tunnels and hidden chambers.
Welcome, Adventurers
I will apologize up front if the format of this advertisement is not up to spec for the site. While my profile here shows that I've been a member for a few years, I just recently started posting. I am therefore still trying to come up to speed on the do's and don'ts of this site, and if I've done anything wrong I please ask that a mod/admin correct the mistake and then let me know so I don't make the same mistake again.
A little about me: I cut my teeth gaming with the D&D BECMI (Red and Blue boxes to start) way back when the cartoon was new on television. Yes, I'm old. But I've been gaming now for [redacted] years, and I've been both a player and GM for that amount of time. I have been doing PBP on another site for over a decade, but I have decided to spread my wings and look elsewhere for my gaming fix. That has led me here, what with my primary gaming focus being D&D 5E.
I am firm but fair, drawing some hard lines and letting the lines get washed over in others. Up front, especially during character creation, I tend to be very picky about things; this is so we don't have to be picky and slow the game down later. If we correct things up front, the game, I have found, runs much smoother in the long run. However, I'm not perfect, and will admit that I don't know everything, and always ask people to keep me honest.
What This Is
At its core, this game is an attempt at running a rather large campaign that has been voted as one of the best of all time. The adventure will start in the sleepy village of Darkshelf, on the Pelyra River in Nyrond, and see the characters rise as heroes as they fight slavers, giants, the drow, and eventually the demon queen herself.
The game will center on our heroes as they work to solve multiple riddles and puzzles, combat and deal with enemies on all sides, and, potentially, how their exploits influence the Viscounty of Nyrond (and perhaps the Flannaess overall). Slavers, secrets, political upheavals, deals and negotiations...I'd like to see at least some of everything in this game so that there is something for everyone.
To be clear, the game will start with Danger at Darkshelf Quarry, go into Scourge of the Slave Lords, wind through Against the Giants, and finish somewhere with Queen of the Demonweb Pits. And this assumes we don't digress into other one-offs (which will, of course, depend upon the group wanting to do other stuff). I am being ambitious!
What This Is Not
I am hoping that this won't be your average run-of-the-mill "Go here/kill this/open that box" adventure. Beyond the actual adventures written into the books, there are a multitude of random encounters and things to do that will, hopefully, keep the group not only engaged but having them turn their heads all the time asking "What the frak is really going on here". I do not want this to become another game of "I created a character but I'm bored now".
This game is also not for those who do not like flavors of horror or gore in their games. I'm not going to go beyond the PG-13 rating of the site, letting the curtain fall where it is most needed. But I'm also not going to pull punches or shy away from descriptions simply because someone might not like them. If you cannot handle a bit of gore or personal horror, this isn't the game for you. And that's ok; not all games are for all players, and not all players are for all games.
This also isn't going to be a game where things are not taken seriously...but we also won't let ourselves be too serious here. It should be a good mix of laughter and somberness, depending on the situation.
Character Creation
Please check the spoiler tag for the rules to be used for this game for Character Creation. I am under the impression that people will create their characters and post them here; that is more than fine with me. At a minimum, you post here should include:
Rules System
Dungeons and Dragons, Fifth Edition (5E). All material used must be from this edition, and anything from previous editions may not be used.
Allowed Books
Only the following WoTC APPROVED books. Anything not in this list is considered to be not approved.
If there is something from a source not listed above that you'd like to play or have considered, please ask. I'm not above allowing things that don't normally fit, but I don't claim to know everything. If you ask, then at least I get the chance to learn something! However, anything from any source not listed above that you have not asked about is considered to be not allowed, and it will result in an automatic rejection of the character in whole. I know that there are options and concepts and such in other material that people want to play. I'd rather have you ask and potentially get something approved than to not ask and have to reject the character.
Races
Any race from any of the above-listed approved source material is allowed. All I ask is that if you use either the custom lineages from Tasha's or a race from Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse, please at least indicate where you put your ability bonuses. That makes it far easier on me to review characters.
Classes
All classes from the above approved material are automatically allowed and need no discussion (unless there is some option that is ambiguous). If you want to play something not from a source above, as with the sources above, please ask first.
Abilities
The standard array of 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8. This is prior to any Racial or Class adjustments, and there are no exceptions to this.
Starting Level
1st level. We are going to be starting at the very beginning, and I promise you that if this game lasts long enough, it will be worth it to watch your character grow.
Starting Hit Points
Maximum at 1st level. Once you hit 2nd level, hit points will be the higher of a die roll or the average for the class you level up in.
Difficult Options
I hate banning things. Unfortunately, there is one spell out there that has completely ruined 5E for me: Find Familiar. This spell is the bane of all that I enjoy about this game, and it's constant use by players to skip exploration of dungeons/tombs/caverns/castles/etc. is annoying. I put all this work into something, and someone comes along and says "My familiar goes up ahead 100 feet...oh, that's interesting...we're going the other way now...". I HATE that. And get a Warlock with Pact of the Chain, and you have an invisible familiar. Just...no.
I have been told by many people that I should simply ban Pact of the Chain instead of Find Familiar as it seems that my problem lies with the invisible familiar and not with the familiar itself. I have also been told that it is possible my issue lies in players and their use of abilities, and that any ability can be abused, and that I should at least consider player arguments when thinking on this spell. I have taken both of these arguments to heart, and I have listened.
To this end, I don't want to ban Find Familiar, but I have yet to hear an argument why it should be allowed. My biggest fear/concern/peeve is the use I put forth above. I want to encourage exploration, not have the whole group sit there while a familiar does all the exploring. And no, this is not like sending a Rogue up ahead to scout the area. With the familiar, the group is not in danger of anything other than the familiar potentially getting janked.
I would therefore simply prefer that if you want Find Familiar you please not take it right away and we work to get it for you during the course of the game. If you have a concept that simply cannot live without the spell, please talk to me so we can work this out. I want this to be cooperative, not one-sided.
Backgrounds
Any Background from any approved source that does not provide spellcasting abilities. This includes any custom background you come up with, provided you follow the rules for custom Backgrounds. If you use a Custom Background, you must provide the details for it to avoid my asking "How did you get this".
Starting Equipment
Whatever your 1st level Class and Background grant you. You are allowed to sell starting equipment per the rules and then buy other gear if you wish.
Alignment
Any Alignments, including Evil, are allowed. However, do not use your Alignment as a toy to do whatever you wish to do; I will not tolerate someone saying "Well, I can do that because it's my Alignment". If you try to use that, I'll drop an ancient red dragon on you and say "Well, I can do that because I'm the GM". Evil does not equal stupid or crazy all the time. Play smart. Please.
House Rules
I have a set of House Rules that I like to use for any game I run. In the interest of being fair and up front, I'll list them here. As with everything else, if you have questions, please ask.
PVP
This is quite possibly the single-most important rule I have in any game I end up running. So pay attention very carefully what I am about to say.
PVP will not be tolerated.
Players have spats, and characters will not always agree on a course of action. I'm ok with arguing; I'm ok with talking things out. I'm also ok with the group somewhat splitting up at times because characters/players don't agree. What I am not ok with is characters coming to blows. I do not tolerate it in my RL groups, and I will not tolerate it here.
In the event PVP breaks out, whoever throws the first punch/swing/casts the first spell is kicked. With prejudice, which means the result/ban/kick is final. There will be no arguing, or complaining. No trial, no opening statements, no explaining who did what or when. You throw a punch at another character and you are gone. Period. Full stop.
Once the opening salvo is resolved, I will investigate how it got to that point. If it is determined that the player who got attacked provoked the attack - and by provoked, I mean they were asked to stop by multiple people and they kept on about it - they also receive a ban with prejudice. No further arguing, no further discussion.
I want to be clear that there are situations where characters do need to roll To Hit another PC, most notably when casting a beneficial spell on someone who is engaged in combat. I am not talking about these instances, but rather attacks outside of combat that are done in anger or spite. So please do not ask me if casting Healing on the fighter will result in being kicked; it won't.
I want to also be very clear that I have only ever had to kick 1 player from a game due to this, and it was during a session zero thread. The issue generally resolves itself, usually by one of the angry players bowing out before things get that bad. And please know that I do not wish to remove players from games; if I do that, I have to find replacements and get them integrated. I'd rather not have to do that, so please don't be the second.
Group Composition
I suppose Composition isn't the best word to use here, but I've got nothing else at the moment. Anyhow, you are a GROUP, and you are WORKING TOGETHER for a common goal. I have no issues with the group splitting up from time to time, trying to do multiple angles of research at once in town. I do take issue, however, with one character always being off on their own, being the loner, thinking they don't need help. If you wander off one too many times, you may not find your way back.
Please keep in mind that working together is the goal, and fun is the reward for doing so. If you find you have written your character in a way that makes them incapable of being around other people, you might want to rewrite that character.
Combat
There will be times where the group will come up against some NPCs or monsters that want to do them harm, and we will invariably end up in combat. To keep things running smoothly, we will handle combat as follows:
To help speed things along, my responsibilities in any combat posts include:
If there is anything else you wish me to add to my posts, please ask and I'll update this list.
To help speed things along, your responsibilities in any combat posts include:
All of this is done to insure that combat doesn't get bogged down in endless questions or ambiguity. I like things to be clear and clean as it speeds things up.
Mapping
We will use Roll20 for all encounters, and this mapping is ACTIVE. That is, you can, in real time, move your token on the map and your position and what you can see is updated. To this end, and to support speediness of the game, my responsibilities regarding the map include:
To help speed things along, your responsibilities regarding the map include:
One of the most important things in those lists above is my responsibility to have appropriate mouse-overs on all tokens. This is important because you will need that to explicitly identify a target in combat. I will make sure they are there, so please make sure you use them.
I will create the game on Roll20 and send a link to whomever makes the cut here once that happens.
Critical Hits
In combat, there will be times where someone rolls a natural 20, thereby causing a critical hit. For this game, we are using a simplified rule to account for the damage one of these hits does. Instead of rolling additional dice, we will simply double the damage that is done. Roll dice as normal, add all bonuses, and then double that.
Out of Character
I use Discord for all Out-of-Character chatter, both during recruitment and once the game is started. I have found that this is far more effective than having a separate OOC thread somewhere on a game forum that has to be watched and managed. The link to the Discord channel is:
Slave Lords Recruitment - Discord
I will be pinning this recruitment thread to the Discord channel so that the rules here are easy to find in the future. Please note that Discord is a mandatory element of this game. If you cannot or will not use Discord, I ask that you please refrain from applying.
Deadline
I will close this thread on Friday, March 3, at 3 PM PST. At that time I will review any/all characters that have been submitted, and I will select 5-6 of them to go through this grand delusion I have created. PM's with the Roll20 link will go out to the selected few, and I am hoping to start the actual IC portion of this game on Monday, March 6.
Questions
Have I forgotten something? Have I written something confusing or ambiguous? Do you have a question not answered in anything above? Ask! Go to Discord and ask!
Jesus saves. Everyone else takes damage.
Sounds great! Application complete now.
Name: Lyra Ravenscale (<-- Link to dndbeyond character sheet)
Character Race: Custom Lineage (from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything) with +2 CHA - flavor as quarter-elf, Darkvision as variable trait.
(Free Feat from Custom Lineage: Fey Touched, +1 CHA)
Class: Warlock (Hexblade Patron) - planned for 2 levels, and Bard (College of Eloquence) thereafter. No Pact of the Chain or Familiars.
Background/Personality/Backstory/Writing Sample/Portrait: see (first) spoiler below.
Background: Custom (Faction Agent / Urban Bounty Hunter) - Skills: Persuasion, Perception (along with Deception/Intimidation from Warlock Class), Languages: Dwarvish, Draconic (along with Elvish from Custom Lineage Race).
Personality/Backstory: Lyra's prize possession is a dull black harmonica which always hangs at her throat. Found during childhood, it is the source of her magic. Stains her lips like dark lipstick. Through this instrument, she has made what at first was an unwitting pact with the Raven Queen. A mysterious, chaotic neutral demigod of Shadowfell, also represented in her black warhammer hanging, seemingly too heavy for Lyra, at her hip.
Youngest child of a small merchant family and orphaned at an early age, Lyra ran off from her elven grandmother's home in the Faerie Kingdom of Celene as soon as she was of age. Using the fey gifts she had learned in Celene along with her considerable charm and eloquence, she soon found employment in the city of Greyhawk as an agent, spy and bounty hunter for the rich.
On the run now after an accusation of being the mistress of a noble by his well-connected wife (whether true or not, only Lyra and the noble himself know), she follows a lead that her noble "friend" had alerted her to. Near the coast where the Kingdom of Nyrond meets the Sea of Gearnat. by the river Pelyra. Darkshelf Quarry. Silly name. Unperturbed, she departs Greyhawk in the dark of night bound for the far east (at least in her view, having come from Celene), ostensibly to report findings back to her sponsors in Greyhawk. Though in truth, Lyra suspects she will never see them again.
She shrugs and plays a lively riff on her dark harmonica. Adventure is always the better reason anyway, and Lyra... Lyra believes with the unshakeable certainty of the young that she can talk her way out of anything.
Writing Sample:
"Stability. Our master seeks stability. Chaos is no good for commerce. For the City of Greyhawk. He would not speak of Darkshelf unless..."
The towering, toothy half-orc trailed off meaningfully. Ghish was nothing if not loyal to Lord Drigo. And brutal. Lyra Ravenscale eyed the wicked morningstar at his belt thoughtfully, knowing that one solid blow from the weapon would bring things to a close for her. But Lyra wasn't planning on fighting. Not with Ghish, anyway.
"Our master?" Lyra laced her voice with just the proper balance of sarcasm and playfulness to let him know to take no offense.
The half-orc shook his head. "Yes, our master. Unless you and he have other... arrangements. Lady Drigo's accusations..."
"Might as well be true since everyone believes them," finished Lyra smoothly. The dark harmonica glinted where it hung about her throat. Around them, the City of Greyhawk breathed like some great beast. Quickly, she drew her dagger, a sorrowful look briefly shading her brown eyes.
"So before you kill me Ghish, is there nothing you can tell me of Darkshelf Quarry? Of Nyrond or other parties involved? I am going in blind. Almost as bad as going in mute. It is as if someone wishes to get rid of me." Lyra winced as she drew the blade of her dagger across her palm, then used it to messily cut a few locks of dirty blond hair from her scalp, mingling it with the upwelling blood.
"No. Nothing more to tell you. Eyes and ears open, not just your mouth, Lyra. And someone does wish to get rid of you." Ghish accepted the proffered mix of blood and hair, then smeared it haphazardly on the business end of his morningstar. "That's why they sent me."
"Give Lord Drigo my... regards. And take care of yourself." Lyra smiled sweetly up at the looming half-orc, waiting for his final confirmation of her untimely and gruesome demise. Knowing deep down that she would likely never see him again. Nor Lord Drigo. A pity.
"I will. And Lady Drigo will learn you died screaming," Ghish displayed his impressive teeth as he stowed his now-soiled weapon. "That even your own bloody death could not shut you up, Lyra." The half-orc's grin actually seemed genuine. Fond, even.
At that, Lyra Ravenscale turned and walked away without a backward glance. Disappearing into the darkening shadows. And when she was gone, the great City of Greyhawk went on as if she had never been.
Link to Character Sheet: https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/94215945
(Note: used Gold Buy - got 100gp, subtracted gold for Explorer's Pack, warhammer (her hex weapon), dagger, scale mail and shield... also Explorer's Pack includes an overfilled backpack, so I removed torches and rations until the backpack is down to its 30lb capacity.)
Portrait: I'm not an artist. This image doesn't exactly cover it - her lips would be stained black as if by dark lipstick from the harmonica, and she would have both the harmonica and a dark warhammer (hex weapon) at her belt, looking too heavy for her. She would also ordinarily wear thicker armor (Scale Mail) and a small wooden shield on her off arm.
Thank you!
ps For the Fey Touched feat's 1st level Enchantment spell selection, may I choose Silvery Barbs from Strixhaven? If not, will choose Bless
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
I'm good with Silvery Barbs.
Jesus saves. Everyone else takes damage.
Good afternoon
The Githyanki reside in the Astral Plane - where no time passes. As such, in order for their young to mature they must be raised on another plane until they reach adulthood. Sinomur was living out her training period (childhood) in a Creche on the prime material plane when it was raided and overrun. As she was being trained as a skirmisher at the time she was away at the time and returned to find nothing but a smouldering ruin.
Left for dead and with little skills she was easy pickings for slavers following the the raiders wake. She was captured, sold, and put to work pulling the oars on a galley.
To save money feeding the slaves Xurag (the captain of the ship) would have the them fish from the side of the ship when in port. One night she found an especially strong and sharp fish bone in the mash they fed the slaves, which she kept threaded in her hair until it dried and hardened, then she used the bone to pick the locks on her manacles meaning to sneak away in the dead of night. Unfortunately the slaves were all shackled together and when they realised their chance they rioted. Sinomur/Sud-dinim fought her way through the melee, killing one of the guards on the way out, and jumped overboard.
Since then she's been taking short term contracts on other sailing vessels until she was recognised in port by a member of her crew. When she saw the Boatswain passed out in the inn she knew she had to get out of port ASAP and booked passage on the first ship that would take her, a merchant vessel that has just deposited her in Darkshelf.
It's common for children to be kidnapped or bought from orphanages. She makes a habit of tracking down orphanages in every city she's in since if slavers are active in the area this is where they'll show up. It gives her some advance warning if she'll need to run again.
A link to your Character Sheet:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/94027519
Thanks for running this. I've run games myself and know how much work a campaign is.
Dugar Rilsky, Reborn Warlock/Sorcerer
Konstatin Markilov, Dhampir Bard
Withdrawn
Felix Windfall(Human-V Lv.7 Rogue) killed in ToA, Vallan Houndstrider (Halfling Ghostwise Lv.1 Fighter) in DiAAs I mentioned in the character creation spoiler in my original post, we are using the standard array 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.
Jesus saves. Everyone else takes damage.
After years in the group home, young Ellissia went looking for a way to a better life. After years in SkullPort she learned the fastest way out was the training grounds where the mercenaries recruited. After a trials she was consigned into the Black Rose, as they were looking for new fighters, and the only group willing to take a winged tiefling.
These years of training and mercenary work have given her greater physical skills than most other humans, but also caused her to lose much of her compassion. Causing her to become one of the most feared and respected members of the group.
Betrayed by the group's leader, Ellissia finds herself alone and forced to fight off superior enemies without any help. Eventually she manages to flee, and vows revenge on those who she once called friends.
2nd person I've had to tell this to: Please look at the spoiler tag with character creation rules. I clearly stated to use the Standard Array. Heck, this is the second time IN THE LAST 10 MINUTES I've posted this.
Jesus saves. Everyone else takes damage.
Character Name: Tyrzaren Sylvaranth
Character Race and Class: Male Half-Elf Hexblade Warlock(Going with Pact of the Blade)
Background: Haunted One
Character Portait:
Character Personality: Soft spoken, with a dislike towards people who value physical strength, he will not allow others to become victimized. Slow to befriend others, but will be a friend for life once it is earned.
Character Backstory: Tyrzaren had lived in a small logging village for most of his life and it was where he met his husband, a wood elf named Rhys. Tyr was a bit on the weaker side in regards to physical strength, as his was a family of lumberjacks. His father wasn't happy about his son's weakness, however, and treated Tyr as an outcast before Rhys showed up. So, it didn't take long for them to elope and begin exploring the world together.
Many years into their travels, there was a terrible storm and, as the pair tried to find shelter, they were attacked by marauders. Rhys was killed in the skirmish and Tyrzaren was gravely wounded; having been left to die in the rain by their assailants. Their leader, a gray haired man missing his left eye with a jagged scar through it was the one who dealt the killing blow. As Tyrzaren held his love's hand, he began to hear ethereal whispers stating that they could keep Rhys' soul from entering the after life and that he could have his revenge upon those who wronged him.
Tyrzaren now believes that his lover's soul is in his blade to help him achieve the vengeance that he yearns for and he is also seeking a way to restore Rhys' life.
A writing sample of how your character came to be in Darkshelf: Perhaps someone here has heard of the man he's looking for. It was doubtful, but there was always a glimmer of hope deep in his mind at each village he has stopped at. Some noise returns him from his thoughts and Tyrzaren watches the slow traffic coming towards him from beneath his dark hood, his hand slowly reaching for the handle of his sword, hidden under his cloak. He relaxes as they get closer and he recognizes no threat from them, he even gives them a nod of acknowledgement when he draws close enough to them. "Where's the tavern?" He asks quietly.
A link to your Character Sheet: https://ddb.ac/characters/94036198/Fuc5DQ
Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat." -Sun Tzu
Character Name: Calista Drake
Character Race and Class: Human (Variant) Divine Soul Sorcerer
Character Portrait:
Character Personality: Calista's defining trait is her curiosity: about the world, about people, about ancient cultures and civilizations. She is driven by her thirst for knowledge. Nothing makes her happier than spending the day at a digsite, uncovering ancient secrets and relics. Though some scholars come across as socially inept or even cold, Calista is the opposite. Bubbly and optimistic, she makes friends easily but is somewhat of a people pleaser and a little too naive and idealistic sometimes for her own good.
Character Backstory: Calista's magical powers emerged when she was a young child. Her parents, farmers by trade and by all accounts simple but honest and decent, were perplexed as to what to do with a child who showed magical talent. The youngest of eight children, Calista was expected to grow up and help work the farm, but her parents decided she would be better off with other magically-gifted children. She was sent to the Rosewood Academy, an institution of magical learning, which also served as a boarding school for mage children.
The Academy is where Calista fell in love with the field of archaeology. While other children were honing their talents for evocation or illusion, Calista used her magic for more practical purposes, assisting her professors on expeditions to exotic and exciting locales. After feeling as if she had been abandoned and unwanted by her parents, the young girl had finally discovered a new purpose, a calling, and the work just felt right, as if it pleased whatever divinity had instilled the gift of magic within her.
A writing sample of how your character came to be in Darkshelf:
Calista knocked softly on the heavy, mahogany door, and a muffled voice on the other side invited to come in. She opened the door on a handsome study, bookshelves crammed with heavy tomes, maps hanging crookedly on the walls, and in the midst of it all a huge desk behind which sat a rotund man of about sixty years, with what remained of his gray hair encircling his head, and bright, blue eyes looking at her from behind wired spectacles.
"Come in, come in," he said brusquely, as Calista took the padded chair in front of the desk. The desk it self was cluttered with all manner of parchments and books, and she wondered how Professor Teague could make sense of it all.
"You said you have a mission for me?" the young scholar asked, trying not to sound too earnest and excited, but inside she was positively brimming with enthusiasm. If she was correct, this would be her first real expedition on her own, a solo venture, and a chance to earn great esteem and respect from her colleagues.
"Yes, indeed!" replied her mentor. He pushed a sheaf of papers across the desk towards her. "Darkshelf Quarry is your destination. Darkshelf is a small village, maybe a week's journey from here."
Calista tried to hide her disappointment. A quarry? What was the professor thinking? She thought something along the lines of ancient ruins or a tomb...not some common mining town. Professor Teague noticed her crestfallen face, and he raised a hand.
"I know what you're thinking, but don't write it off just yet," he continued. "Many interesting artifacts have been unearthed in quarries and mines. That is your mission. Scout out the area, talk to the locals, explore the quarry. See if there is anything of interest. Then report back. Simple, yes?"
Calista sighed but nodded. "I'll leave right away."
A link to your Character Sheet: Link
I would like to choose the Archaeologist background from Tomb of Annihilation if that is all right.
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf - Lvl. 3 Halfling Rogue (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk) ♦ Evelyn Drake - Lvl. 3 Human Wizard (Rule of Change) ♦ Aranea Kendrick - Lvl. 4 Human Warlock (Where the Cold Winds Blow) ♦ Elsenia Vesper - Lvl. 2 Shadar-kai Druid (Strixhaven)
DMing: Curse of Strahd
More than fine!
Jesus saves. Everyone else takes damage.
Character Portait
https://imgur.com/gallery/NJzV8ef
Solace was abandoned to an orphanage due to not only her Tiefling heritage, but for her pale white skin and hair and black horns that curled upon her head. Unfortunately, the orphanage was not very well taken care of, leaving the children to fend for themselves for the most part. Many children fell ill due to the conditions they lived in and she was the only one who had not fallen ill. She spent much of her time during this illness that swept through, taking care of those who couldn't take care of themselves.
All of her energy was spent, taking care of the rest so they do not fade away, she even stayed up during the night to ensure they made it through, their fever's a constant worry. After about 3 days of hard work, all the children pulled through and became healthy again. She stayed here at the orphanage taking care of all who would come and go, never moving on herself. She became adept at taking care of the ill and malnourished and divine light shone upon her, swearing herself into the service of Kelemvor .
Solace would soon feel a calling to venture forth into the wilds and find those who cannot help themselves. She would pass through small town and large city alike, healing and helping wherever she could, being a deathbed companion to those who are close to passing and fighting undeath where it raises it's plague. She had heard that a town near a mountain range had an illness that was spreading through the elderly and children, and seeked it out. Unfortunately, on her trek to this location, she was captured and kept as prisoner. Her faith keeps her in good health, though she is unsure how long she will last in such dire conditions.
Solace - Cleric
Very interested in joining this, I will pull together a character offering for you when I am next at my laptop. Initially I was going to submit a hexblade / College of Swords. That seems a little too close to a couple of of other submissions so far so I will see what takes my fancy and update this post.
• Character Name - Landrae
• Character Race and Class - Variant Human (Crossbow Expert feat) | Warlock (Hexblade) then into Wizard (Bladesinging)
• Character Background - Sage
• Character Portait
• Character Personality
Landrae's view of the world has been shaped by how others have treated her. Cynical and suspicious. She uses sarcasm as a shield and turns many comments into self-deprecating satire. Though always eager to laugh and try to look on the brighter side, her attempts often come across awkward.
She can be focused and will doggedly pursue an idea or piece of knowledge if she believes it to be of suitable value, and can unknowingly act selfishly despite believing her actions to be altruistic.
• Character Backstory
The sixth child and fourth daughter of a well-respected but politically weak noble family, Landrae's prospects were meek from birth. Her lot would likely have been to some marry some young lord or wealthy merchant for the betterment of her family name and position. The education of a 'young lady' started early, and Landrae's earliest memories were of her nursemaids telling her all the things she couldn't do. From the moment she could crawl, she was told that she wouldn't stop moving; a problem that only increased once she learned to walk and eventually run. Perpetually scolded for her antics and having the staff interrupted as they would have chase after her, Landrae simply loved to run and move.
It was shortly after her sixth birthday that Landrae started lessons in protocol and propriety, learning poetry and tapestry as befitted her station. Her rebellious streak started in tandem with her education, and her siblings took great pleasure in playing pranks or getting their littlest sister into trouble. One such misadventure changed Landrae's life and future irrevocably. The children were learning of husbandry and grooming in the family stables. An ill-timed prank caused the horse to kick out, striking Landrae in the back and damaging her spine. Physicians proclaimed that the girl would never regain the use of her legs, and thus Landrae became a cripple in both physically and to her family prospects.
Relying on servants to help her move about, Landrae's rebellion turned to frustration and anger, the enjoyment seemed to be sucked out of her life as she would stare out of a window watching her siblings play with all the freedom in the world. Her interests turned to study, reading about all the things she never expected to experience and eventually to medicine and magic, hoping one day to find some way to rid herself of her infirmity. Though she grew into a beautiful woman, the suitors for her hand were few and far between as Landrae's humour and outlook became as twisted as her spine.
During her seventeenth year, on a trip to a nearby city with her family, Landrae heard tale of dark pacts that could grant anything for a price. Her interest and excitement was captured in a way she had long forgotten and her studies and reading took a darker turn on the days and months that followed as she sought out these rumours and found tales that gave her hope again. For years her free hours were taken up trying to identify the entities that these stories spoke of, until one day she found what she was after.
• A writing sample of how your character came to be in Darkshelf
Landrae woke up and stretched in bed, her whole body ached and as much as she wanted to pull the covers back over her head, she was uncomfortable and needed to move around. Groggy and without thinking, she pushed back the warm and enticing covers, swung herself round to sit on the edge of her bed and stood up, stretching her arms high and arching her back. She stopped stock still. As she lowered her arms, she slowly looked down at herself, her hands drifting to her mouth as her mind processed the shock that she was standing!
Her family cried 'miracle', and physicians were left at a loss for the sudden and dramatic recovery. Even the muscle atrophy had been completely reversed, Landrae's legs being as fit and functional as any normal person's. Though as is ever the way with things that people don't understand, dark whispers about the noble lady and evil magics started to spread and it was not long before Landrae felt people's suspicious gazes upon her all the time.
Eventually even her own family lost their delight and turned against her. That was the point where she knew she had to leave. Being brought up in a noble house had left her lacking in many skills, and what little of her finery she took with her soon ended up being traded for food or lodgings. Her looks were as much a danger as an asset, drawing unwanted attention as often as a kind gesture.
Her travels bring her to a small town called Darkshelf, looking for any way to spin a coin.
• A link to your Character Sheet
Landrae D'Avioren
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
Name: Fierna Embershade
Race: Human (Custom Lineage)
Class: Wizard (School of Evocation)
Background: Noble
Personality: Charming, curious, studious, ambitious, passionate and deeply devoted to her goddess and her family.
Backstory: Born in the great city of Rel Astra and into the old suel noble family of Embershade, young Fierna had a sheltered upbringing, starting her strict and rigorous arcane studies at an early age. Her family name had fallen on hard times since after the Greyhawk Wars and Fierna grew up with a growing desire to restore her family's name to it's former glory and make her father proud. Fierna was always a devout follower of the old suel deity the Ruby Sorceress Wee Jas, but when she came of age she was also approached by a mysterious old man claiming to represent of a group calling themselves the Seekers of the Arcane, inviting Fierna to join them in their quest to scour the Oerth for arcane artifacts. Seeing an opportunity to help her family into recognition again, Fierna agreed and was promptly sent away into Flanaess in search for arcane artfacts, most prominent among them, the throne of the gods. Carrying her family signet ring and her family's crystal of the arcane flame, Fierna journeyed by ship, hoping to eventually find her way to the City of Greyhawk, but as the passenger vessel entered the Sea of Gearnat it was brutally and viciously attacked by pirates. Fierna briefly fought them off with her fiery magics but quickly had to abandon the ship to avoid capture. In the morning hours she found herself at a beach not far from the village of Darkshelf, and her adventures had barely begun.
A writing sample of how your character came to be in Darkshelf
"Do not despair child, you are still on the path." Says the melodious but firm voice of the beautiful red-haired woman.
Where am I?
Fierna felt cold, her exquisite red attire soaked with sea water clinging to her lithe body, the wet sand under her, the sound of the waves, the taste of salt in her mouth. Pirates, it had been pirates, an attack during the night, and she had escaped into the sea, barely. She was alive, she could still carry out her mission, fulfill her life's ambition. Slowly the young noble rose from the wet sand, checking her gear, a sigh of relief as she realized her ring, her crystal and her tome of spells were all there, the enchantment on it protecting it from the water. She looked around her, quickly noticing the settlement just a few hundred yards along the shore, small fishing boats going out to sea in the morning sun. Fierna mustered what little strength was left in her, starting to walk along the shore towards the village. She was still on the path, the Ruby Sorceress had said so.
Fierna Embershade's Character Sheet
Character Name : Grymar
Race : Hill Dwarf
Class : Ranger (planned Swarmkeeper)
Background : Urchin
Personality : Initially distrusting, I get for me and mine. Curious. Will work for gold. More comfortable living on his own, surrounded by nature. Interested in beekeeping, birds and toads.
Backstory :
Born in the dwarven stronghold of Irongate, Grymar was always an outsider among his kin, orphaned at a young age and left to fend for himself on the streets. While most dwarves spent their days crafting weapons and armor, Grymar found himself drawn to the natural world. He spent his days exploring the nearby forests and mountains, learning all he could about the plants and animals that lived there. Despite his love of nature, Grymar never forgot his dwarven heritage. He became an expert in tracking and hunting, using his skills to provide food for himself and his close friends (few though they were).
Grymar’s life took a dramatic turn when he discovered a unique bond with a swarm of bees that had taken up residence in a nearby forest. He found that he could almost communicate with the bees and use their abilities to aid him in his hunting and tracking. Grymar became fascinated with these creatures and began to study them in depth, learning all he could about their behaviors and habits. He had similar interests with swarms of birds and he practiced the sounds of toads to ease his boredom at night.
Despite his success and skills, Grymar still struggled to find acceptance among his fellow dwarves. They saw his love of nature as a weakness and often mocked him for his unconventional methods, and his poor hygiene. Grymar didn't let their words get to him, however, and continued to fight for what he believed in. When times were difficult, he learned to navigate the dangerous alleyways and pickpocket from unwary merchants if necessary in order to survive. A fellow urchin named Drogan who knew the ways of the land taught Grymar how to use a bow and spear. He began to travel and he discovered that his connection with the natural world was a valuable asset and he sought his fortune, hoping that it would improve.
A writing sample of how your character came to be in Darkshelf :
Grymar had heard of the beauties of the Celador forest, and he make his way north from Irongate seeking his fortune. He didn’t really kin much to cities and city folk, but has learned his skills in the wild on his travels north. He follows the Pelyra river pursuing an interesting species of hornet and eventually ends up near the town of Darkshelf mistakenly.
Character Portrait :
Link to Character Sheet : https://ddb.ac/characters/85716249/ghtfk3
Work In Progress.
Liarin: Against the Cult of the Reptile God
Adewild: Shadows and Light 2
Brother Thaddeus: Rime of the Frostmaiden.
Character Name: Hemlock
Character Race and Class: Firbolg Druid (planned Circle of Stars)
Character Portrait:
Character Personality: Hemlock is used to living in seclusion, and even amongst his own folk he was rather introverted and shy. Now he is among other races, this has been magnified. He is very good natured and likes to help others though.
Character Background: Helpful Stranger (Custom: Basically Folk Hero but with a language not Vehicles (Land) tool proficiency as it didn't fit)
Character Backstory:
Hemlock had been seeing portents in the stars above his remote forest home for months before he went to the clan elders, and his grandfather the chief, with his concerns. After explaining his desire to leave the forest and follow the signs, he was surprised when they agreed. It was incredibly rare for one of the clan to leave and wander, and it hadn’t happened in his lifetime.
But even more than that, they handed him a wooden amulet with a moon on one side and small constellation on the other. The constellation matched what he had seen in the night sky on the last two new moons. Apparently the amulet had come into the possession of the clan many generations before, but the knowledge of exactly how was lost.
And so it was that Hemlock travelled, guided by the stars, away from the only home he had known. He came upon a number of villages during his journey, and got a bit of a reputation as a folk hero. One time he came upon the scene of a broken wagon, and used his mighty lifting capability to enable them to repair the wheel. Another he healed a young farm boy after a terrible injury. The event that garnered most adoration though, was purifying a villages winter store of crops, which had become diseased and would have meant many starved. On each occasion he shied away from the attention and simply moved on.
He carried on his journey until he came upon a river which he followed until he ended up at Darkshelf. Being of a shy disposition, he was wary of entering as himself, so he ventured into town a couple of times in disguise, only for short periods, to try and determine why the stars had led him to this place.
A writing sample of how your character came to be in Darkshelf:
Hemlock stood some distance away from the town of Darkshelf, watching the night sky above and the bright constellation of stars that seemed to point like an arrow straight to the town. Why would he be lead here? He had journeyed for a long time, and come across settlements before, but they were small hamlets and villages, nothing of this size.
There was nothing else for it, he would have to venture in, but maybe caution was needed. He had seen a few travellers arrive as he watched, some humans, some elves and some of the even shorter folk. He would surely stand out for his height and different appearance. Had these people even seen a Firbolg before, he knew most he’d come across hadn’t.
If he could just scout it out unobserved, just for an hour, that would be something. And so he used his innate magic to disguise himself in the visage of a tall elf, and proceeded to enter the town following another group. They led him to a tavern close to the gates, unaware he was following.
As he enters the tavern, the noise and smell bombard his senses. Finding a seat in the corner, the tall now Elf takes a seat and observes. After a few minutes, a young human approaches and asks what he wants. He has to look about for a moment to understand what she means, and sees most people drinking.
“Milk”, he replies meekly, not meeting her gaze. When she returns and asks for coin, he fumbles in his pouch, still not meeting her gaze. He slowly counts out coins of the copper variety onto the table until she seems satisfied and takes them, walking away with the sweep of an apron, muttering to herself. The elders had mentioned that outsiders tended to use pieces of metal in exchange for goods, but it seemed very alien to him.
A link to your Character Sheet: Hemlock
Love your pitch. Let’s see if I can come up with something worth your while.
UthgardTribe MemberProud warrior, with touch on shamanic. Honours strength and endurance. Lives by ‘survival of the fittest’. Connection to nature, the elements and the spiritual world. The civilised world with its alien social interactions strikes him as bizarre.
Thezren’s family had lived for generations in their secluded village in the mountains. They’ve gotten by. They always had. The climate is harsh and unforgiving but that wasn’t a problem. It never had. Most of them got giants’ blood run through their veins. Food is scarce and the land barely provides for them, but still that wasn’t the problem neither. Everyone was responsible to produce their share and a little bit more. And when one found that they couldn’t, they took the long, ancestral jump. Outsiders say it’s crazy, but wouldn’t it be more crazy if everyone starves to death because they must feed those that do not function? Could you accept that your clan suffers because you fail to contribute? If you cannot keep up, the brave choice is to stay behind. Anyway, that’s not why Thezren left, he always met his quota, otherwise he would jump, dead certain. No, he was on a mission. Every generation, one from the village must visit the world. It is important to stay connected to the world at large not just inside your small sphere, the elders said. Well, he will do as he’s told but they cannot force him to like it one bit.
Thezren went the panoramic way down his ancestral slopes. He needed to get that last look, a long last look from his favourite spot. It will be a long time before he will return, with every effort he burns the view into his memory.
Foraging went easier the more he descended. Lowlanders have it easier, he knew, but the sheer abundance of game surprised him still. But it makes them weak, he warns himself. What the high mountains provide less in food, they make up for with strength in mind and body. But they only bestow it on the worthy.
Weeks later he arrives to the first village, Darkshelf. Uneasy he approaches the gate and greets a guard that whittles a piece of wood, "Good day to you!" then waits patiently for the gate to be opened. Yet, it doesn’t open. They seem to take their time but he can be patient. After a minute, the guard looks up, straight into his eyes, “You aren’t expecting me to open this for you, are you? Want to have a tour of the village, and a chat with the major after?” The guard chuckles and continues with his woodwork, “Let yourself in and get moving.”
|| Tryncaryn - Halfling Monk/Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak || Berry - Fairy Barbarian - Deathworld: Lost Mine of Phandelver || Taya - Mysterious Fighter - Echoes of Empire || Myrla Stardust - Wood Elf Rogue - After the Fall ||
Arrietty La Rochatta
Female Human Bard (potentially college of whispers)
Personality: Arrietty appears to be warm and friendly on the surface, but there's something in the glint of her eyes, in the confidence of her smile. Is she really your friend, or is she secretly analyzing you, figuring out how to best use you for her own schemes?
Background: Entertainer
Backstory and how she came to be in Darkshelf::
Arrietty had always dreamed of grander things than could be found in the backwater village where she grew up. "Go milk the cows," her mom would tell her, and Arrietty would daydream of stealing treasure from some great monster as she did her chores. "It's time you settled down and started a family," her father would advise, and Arrietty would stalk away in disgust and imagine herself in some far-off city, stringing along a parade of suitors in an elaborate dance of sociopolitical charades. So it was with mixed feelings that Arrietty's parents supplied her with meager means to leave her village and seek her fortune in the wider world.
Having a knack for grand storytelling, oration, and singing, Arrietty was able to scrape by on the pay of innkeepers and the tips of their patrons as she performed in a series of small towns, each town further away from home than the last. She was noticed by a minor noble's agent, who was impressed with her youth and raw talent, and invited her to the local city. There the noble family pulled some strings and had her accepted into the local university to begin formal training. The lord fancied her as a future court bard but the lord's son quickly developed a close friendship with her, and saw in her a secret co-conspirator and spy for his own schemes. Together they got up to some hijinx that got her kicked out of the university and the lord's son was publicly reprimanded by his father.
Arrietty left the city in disgrace and resumed her wanderings as a traveling entertainer, but her spirits were not crushed. Ambition and adventure still burn in her heart, as well as a determination to make her dreams come true. That is her current state as she has recently arrived in Darkshelf with intent to set up a gig with a local tavern or inn.