I've been wanting to run Storm King's Thunder for a long long time, and I've finally decided to do it! PbP here on these very forums.
For those who aren't aware, STK is set in the Forgotten Realms after the events of Tyranny of Dragons, but it is not necessary to have played ToD or even have knowledge of that story. For the Adventure Background from the book, open this spoiler:
The Savage Frontier (also known as the North) is a cold, rugged, sparsely populated land of snow-capped mountains, rocky hills, sprawling forests, and foggy vales. Isolated strongholds, ancient burial mounds, and the ruins of many forgotten empires dot this vast landscape. Bounded by the Sea of Swords to the west and the desert of Anauroch to the east, the Savage Frontier extends as far north as Icewind Dale and as far south as the town of Daggerford. Old roads stretch across this great expanse, linking the dwarven strongholds and mines in the mountains to the coastal settlements, frontier towns, and fortified outposts of humans and other folk. These roads are long, lonely, or poorly defended, making them dangerous to traverse. In fertile valleys, towns and cities have sprung up, separated by dozens if not hundreds of miles of untamed wilderness haunted by bandits, barbarians, and monsters.
Evil dragons stirred into action by their dark queen, Tiamat, threatened the settlements of the Savage Frontier for a time. Ultimately, they were defeated and forced to withdraw to their lairs, while Tiamat was banished to the Nine Hells. Fear of the dragons’ wrath has faded quickly with the coming of a new threat: giants. The peoples of the North are no strangers to giant incursions. Frost giants have long claimed the Spine of the World as their demesne, and hill giants are known to scrounge for food in the untamed hills. But now, in the past couple of months, giants of every kind have emerged from their strongholds in force to threaten civilization as never before — and not just frost giants and hill giants, but also stone giants, fire giants, and cloud giants. All of the giants are in an uproar. Reports of giant attacks throughout the North have reached the coastal cities of Luskan, Neverwinter, and Waterdeep, stoking fears that the giants are waging war against humans, dwarves, elves, and other small folk.
The campaign will take PCs from level 1 to at least level 10.
I'll be playing the adventure pretty close to how it runs in the book, with a few alterations/additions, so ideally players will not have played or run STK before.
Please apply with the following:
Name
Picture (if you have one)
Race
Class (and subclass where relevant)
Background
Backstory
Ability Scores (4d6, reroll 1s once, drop lowest) (roll two sets, choose your favourite) (if you're unsatisfied with both roll sets please do use Point Buy or Standard Array)
Please only use published sources (no homebrew, no UA). No Evil characters please.
I love descriptive and characterful posts, so put as much into your backstory as you like, but please remember your PC is only level 1! And probably not too long ago they weren't even that. Keep your past achievements reasonable (y'know, for D&D...).
The action starts at the small, fortified village of Nightstone, located in the hills between Waterdeep and Daggerford.
Something like this:
There are a few suggested options for why you are coming to Nightstone, so feel free to use one of these, or create one of your own:
The characters have heard rumors of goblins terrorizing the settlement. The High Steward of Nightstone, Lady Velrosa Nandar, is a Waterdhavian noble. She is reportedly offering a reward to anyone willing and able to deal with the goblin threat.
Nightstone is a popular retreat for wealthy nobles who wish to hunt in the Ardeep Forest. Adventurers can earn good money by offering their services as guards on a hunt.
The residents of Nightstone have a longstanding and seemingly irreconcilable conflict with their northern neighbors, the elves of the Ardeep Forest. Lady Velrosa Nandar has been searching for skilled mediators to help resolve the dispute.
The Nightstone Inn is renowned for its food and cozy guest rooms. The dwarf innkeeper, Morak Ur’gray, has a fondness for adventurers and a nose for lucrative adventuring opportunities.
There are also a few factions which you may wish your character to be, or have been, involved with:
The Harpers
The Harpers are spellcasters and spies who covertly oppose the abuse of power, magical or otherwise. Working alone or in small cells, they gather information throughout Faerûn, discern the political dynamics within each region, and help the weak, the poor, and the oppressed, acting openly only as a last resort.
The Lords’ Alliance
Various settlements of the North have banded together to form the Lords’ Alliance, a shaky coalition that proactively eliminates threats to their mutual safety and prosperity. Alliance leaders are often contentious, while their operatives seek honor and glory for themselves and their respective lords.
The Emerald Enclave
The Emerald Enclave is a group of wilderness survivalists who preserve the natural order by rooting out unnatural threats. They struggle to keep civilization and the wilderness from destroying each other, and they help others survive the natural perils of the Savage Frontier.
The Order of the Gauntlet
Members of the Order of the Gauntlet seek to protect others from the depredations of evildoers. Placing their faith in deities such as Torm, Helm, and Tyr, they bring the strength of their faith, their hearts, and their weapons to bear against villainy.
The Zhentarim
The Zhentarim, also known as the Black Network, is an unscrupulous shadow network that seeks to expand its influence and power base throughout the North. Its members crave wealth and personal power, though the public face of the organization appears much more benign, offering the best mercenaries money can buy.
If you want to work with someone to build a joint or connected backstory, go for it! Maybe you've always been with each other, or just met recently, or used to know each other but happened to meet again on this trip etc - the options are endless. However, bear in mind a joint backstory doesn't necessarily guarantee you'll both get accepted.
You don't have to link your character sheet, or even have one right now, but once I've made my choices I'll work with my players to fill them in as completely as possible, especially Characteristics which I find very useful.
I'll set a deadline of Thursday 13th April, as I'll use Friday 14th to read/reread applications (but given time zones, if you sneak an application in while I'm asleep I'll probably be lenient).
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Name: Ishal Dartmoor
Race: Tiefling
Class: Bard
Background: Spy
Backstory: Ishal is a Harper that wanders the land, pretending to be a simple entertainer. She performed in inns and taverns, and picked up on local gossip. She tried to also investigate the rumors she heard. Multiple times she has caught a few petty thieves. Now she has heard tell of goblins in Neverwinter and has decided to head that way.
Ability Scores: 121214131211
Ability scores: 14171591417
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I will protect those I hate. Even ... even if the one I hate most ... is ... myself.
Name:Valmira Palewater Race: Water Genasi Class: Tempest Cleric Background:Sailor
Backstory:
Originally born on the small island city-state of Orlumbor, Valmira doesn't remember a time where she couldn't see the shoreline. Coming from a skilled family of shipwrights and sailors, the water genasi has always felt the presence of the Gods of the seas. Even from a young age, Valmira has participated in traversing the unexplored waters of Faerûn, eventually learning under tribal guidance to build her own ships. As a core part of her family's tradition, being able to complete her own voyage to Waterdeep was essential. The seas may have been rocky but Valmira's unwavering faith in the protection of Valkur did not fail her and she easily sailed her way up to the large port city. For once in her life she wanders away from the comforts of the sea and has since traveled to various smaller towns, seeking out those in need of assistance or simply the companionship of a nurturing spirit. On her way back to Waterdeep, she happens upon a village facing the terrors of goblins. Though she has been far from sea for a while, Valmira opts to stay in Nightstone – aiming to potentially assist with those injured in the raids.
Additional Info: Just wanted to be honest and say that I have briefly played SKT before, roughly from level 5 to 7. It was back in November via voice though and I don't remember much of the module since it was more of a fun group. Hopefully you don't mind me applying for this PBP! I would really like to be able to finish the game and play with a slightly more serious group.
Name: Barnaby "Barn" Featherington (<-- Link to dndbeyond character sheet) Race: Custom Lineage (bastard son of a half-elf and a half-goliath) Class: Paladin (Oath of Ancients planned) Ability Scores: Second set is lower but more interesting so I'm going with that. Background, Backstory & Picture: See (first) spoiler below.
Background: Custom - "Nature Lover" (Hermit / Folk Hero)
Backstory: Everyone has always told Barnaby Featherington that he has an incongruous name. But that suits him just fine. Mostly because he doesn't know what "incongruous" means. Same way he loves books, but only if they have plenty of pictures and very very few words.
Barnaby, or "Barn" to his friends, has always been a happy, lovable soul, just a little touched in the head, which is fairly high up due to his towering stature (and despite his perpetual slouch). His favorite pastime since childhood has been wandering the outdoors, especially woodlands and river banks at the edges of the Ardeep Forest near his relatively small hometown, not far from Daggerford.
Barn has always felt a deep bond to nature that he could never put into words (let's be honest, there's not too much he can put to words). With his disarmingly simple ways that bely his stature and unusual racial mix, Barn managed to make friends with wild and fey creatures in the deeper woods without the slightest thought as to who or what they were, and it is much the same with people from all walks of life. Which is good for his mental health as the bastard son of a half-elven noblewoman mother (Corinne Featherington) and a half-goliath mercenary (unknown name, long gone).
Always a source of mild shame to his lady mother and her family, Barn found a home, along with religion of sorts, as a guard at the local temple of Eldath, the Guardian of the Groves and Mother of the Waters. His newfound faith and obvious size and strength drew the attention of an elderly Paladin of the Ancients, a member of the Emerald Enclave, who saw promise in the young, earnest boy. Before passing on, the aged former adventurer trained Barn on the instinctive basics of wielding a polearm to keep an enemy at bay. Bequeathed from the old man's deathbed, Barn received the paladin's glaive and chain mail, along with an exhortation to put them to good use in the sacred pursuit of defending Eldath's woodlands and maintaining the balance of nature and civilization, concepts which Barn only vaguely grasps.
Still, after mulling it over for all of a few seconds, he has decided to try. Taking his leave of the temple and walking alongside a merchant's wagon (hired to guard it, though he would probably do it for free) up the road north to Nightstone, where he has heard stories of hunters depleting the woods of wildlife. Barn doesn't quite know what "depleting" means, and doesn't even have much against hunters if they remain respectful and restrained in their natural role. But it doesn't sound good, so he figures, he'll see it for himself, glaive hoisted over his shoulder and solemn look upon his face.
Althea Nachtnebel was created by artificers in the floating citadel sometime found above the Ardeep Forrest. Her main creator Zhania gifted her to the alliance of elves and dwarves during the 6th century DR. She was satisfied with her purpose as she aided her newfound people. She was taught how to fight by Dwarven sword master Gretham and healing herbs by Festril the elven keeper of the Ardeep forest. Unfortunately she was injured by a human wizard intruder. The elves and dwarvs could not help her. Zhania had left for a different plane. She slowly lost control of her body and in the end she was placed within an elven chamber for safekeeping.
The Retreat known as the mass migration of elves to Evermeet begun in the year of Moonfall 1334. Althea was left behind. She lost track of time, but over the ages part of the ceiling of her chamber collapsed. She could see the sky again. At times she hoped to see Zhania's citadel, but she never came back. It was a clear moonlit night when Althea noticed the moon shimmering and felt a soft touch in her mind. She thought it was some ghost of the past, but she did not care as now she has someone to converse with. Then one day she was asked to serve. In her mechanical heart she felt some reverence for her friend and so she agreed. Her friend revealed herself to be Selune the goddess of the moon and stars. In the next moment she was restored and bent her knee in devotion to her goddess. She left her chamber and was surprised by the destruction and how overgrown the ruins have become. If she could weep she would. It took some time to find her old gear and she left to see the world.
She traveled for a time, but then heard The residents of Nightstone have a longstanding and seemingly irreconcilable conflict with their northern neighbors, the elves of the Ardeep Forest. Lady Velrosa Nandar has been searching for skilled mediators to help resolve the dispute. Althea right then and there decided to lend her services in hopes of reaching an amicable resolution.
Race: Half-orc Class: Fighter (subclass currently uncertain) Background: Soldier Backstory:
Kian Wilder was born to an orc mother and a human father, but he was raised solely by his father in a small human village. His father, a skilled archer, taught him how to use a bow and survive in the wild. Kian later joined the military but left after a disagreement with his superiors. Since then, he has been working as a mercenary, using his skills to protect travelers on the road in exchange for pay. Recently, he heard of a goblin threat in Nightstone and decided to offer his services in exchange for the rumored reward.
Name: Atreyus Moonshadow (Otter) Race: Wood elf Class: Druid, Circle of the Moon Background: Hermit Backstory:
Otter always felt a stronger connection with the plants and animals of the forest than he did with the other members of his tribe, a bond that only deepened once he met the druid Rosemary.The old human woman took him under her wing, teaching him the secrets of Druidcraft and the mystic ways of Nature.It was Rosemary who gave him his nickname when she saw him swimming in the river one afternoon, a name he at first only tolerated, yet grew fond of as time went by.
One day Otter returned from one of his long mediation retreats in the deep woods to find Rosemary gone... only a spiral of smooth river stones with a small wreath of rosemary herb left behind where she had usually stayed. Rosemary had always said the day would come when he would need to strike out on his own as the next step in his learning, so Otter knew in his heart that time had come at last.
For the next several months he wandered aimlessly, venturing further from his homeland in the Misty Forest than he had ever ranged before.One day he ran into a small band of wood elves who were on their way to the village of Nightstone.At the evening campfire after dinner they invited him to join them but he declined shyly. However a few nights after they departed he had one of his vivid dreams he’d had since he was a child.Sometimes he would dream he was an animal such as a wolf hunting by the moonlight, but this night he dreamed he followed a huge stag up a hillside.Reaching a cliff along the ridgeline it turned to look at him just as the view of a town appeared nestled in the trees below.Otter felt an inner knowing that this was Nightstone. Thus it was he began his journey there as soon as he awoke the next morning.
Tie in. The residents of Nightstone have a longstanding and seemingly irreconcilable conflict with their northern neighbors, the elves of the Ardeep Forest. Lady Velrosa Nandar has been searching for skilled mediators to help resolve the dispute.
Backstory. Leif believes in the power of knowledge. He does not believe in absolutes such as right and wrong. To that end he had a friend named Zelfin. Zelfin followed the path of a necromancer seeking eternal life. Zelfin disappeared but, not before he introduced Leif to his patron. Leif literally sold his soul for knowledge. Now he seeks knowledge which will set him free.
Backstory: Xondario grew up in the streets of Waterdeep, in and out of orphanages. Being big for his age, he would get into fights often and won his fare share of them. This behavior tended to get him "lost" from the orphanages. One day as a young teen (as big as full grown human), he got into a scrap with farmers helper who was in the big city to sell their harvest and before it was over, the old farmer broke it up. Seeing the potential of the youth and who was in clear need of care and support, the farmer decided to take Xondario under his wing and give him a job on his ranch.
Xondario lived on the ranch for roughly 10 years and came to see the farmer and his crew like family. One day while out in the fields fixing some broken fence. He saw smoke coming from the direction of the farmhouse. Xondario ran back but was too late. From the tree line he could see a hoard of goblins ransacking the buildings that weren't already set on fire. Running with his fencing maul in hand, he hurried down to the house but by the time he got there the goblins had moved on.
Xondario searched the remains the best he could but couldn't find any signs of life and most things of value were gone or ruined. Vowing to take revenge for his found family.
Xondario decided to gather what supplies he could and make his way to the closest village of Nightstone and try to find some help and finish preparations to seek his revenge.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Name: Gorm'Diabhal
Picture:
Race: Custom Lineage
Class (and subclass where relevant): Barbarian - aiming Totem Warrior
Background: Far Traveler
Backstory: The Diabhal Tribes roam the sands of Anauroch and have for time unknown. They are not often seen as they are an insular people accustomed to making their own way and living their own way. It is easier to be free when you have no interference from outsiders. Any of the Diabhal may pick up a sword and be a warrior. It is common amongst them, those unwilling to defend the tribe do not last long with the tribe unless thy have truly valuable skills to offer instead. But to become one of the elite warriors of the Diabhal one most prove themselves. Any Diabhal who picks up a sword is a warrior... A Diabhal who picks up a second sword is banished from the tribes, anathema to all of the Diabhal, and banished from the sands of Anauroch until they have proven themselves worthy of wielding two swords. Most warriors never pick up the second sword. Of those that do they usually wait years before they feel they are ready to take up the challange. Gorm, foolishly, recklessly, picked up both swords at once... Now she must find a way to prove herself. To herself first, to her tribes people after.
Ability Scores (4d6, reroll 1s once, drop lowest) (roll two sets, choose your favourite) (if you're unsatisfied with both roll sets please do use Point Buy or Standard Array)
Ability scores: 141711141212
Ability scores: 131115141014
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
-- Eleanor Shellstrop
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To fight Giants, you must be giant...
I've been wanting to run Storm King's Thunder for a long long time, and I've finally decided to do it! PbP here on these very forums.
For those who aren't aware, STK is set in the Forgotten Realms after the events of Tyranny of Dragons, but it is not necessary to have played ToD or even have knowledge of that story. For the Adventure Background from the book, open this spoiler:
The Savage Frontier (also known as the North) is a cold, rugged, sparsely populated land of snow-capped mountains, rocky hills, sprawling forests, and foggy vales. Isolated strongholds, ancient burial mounds, and the ruins of many forgotten empires dot this vast landscape. Bounded by the Sea of Swords to the west and the desert of Anauroch to the east, the Savage Frontier extends as far north as Icewind Dale and as far south as the town of Daggerford. Old roads stretch across this great expanse, linking the dwarven strongholds and mines in the mountains to the coastal settlements, frontier towns, and fortified outposts of humans and other folk. These roads are long, lonely, or poorly defended, making them dangerous to traverse. In fertile valleys, towns and cities have sprung up, separated by dozens if not hundreds of miles of untamed wilderness haunted by bandits, barbarians, and monsters.
Evil dragons stirred into action by their dark queen, Tiamat, threatened the settlements of the Savage Frontier for a time. Ultimately, they were defeated and forced to withdraw to their lairs, while Tiamat was banished to the Nine Hells. Fear of the dragons’ wrath has faded quickly with the coming of a new threat: giants. The peoples of the North are no strangers to giant incursions. Frost giants have long claimed the Spine of the World as their demesne, and hill giants are known to scrounge for food in the untamed hills. But now, in the past couple of months, giants of every kind have emerged from their strongholds in force to threaten civilization as never before — and not just frost giants and hill giants, but also stone giants, fire giants, and cloud giants. All of the giants are in an uproar. Reports of giant attacks throughout the North have reached the coastal cities of Luskan, Neverwinter, and Waterdeep, stoking fears that the giants are waging war against humans, dwarves, elves, and other small folk.
The campaign will take PCs from level 1 to at least level 10.
I'll be playing the adventure pretty close to how it runs in the book, with a few alterations/additions, so ideally players will not have played or run STK before.
Please apply with the following:
Please only use published sources (no homebrew, no UA). No Evil characters please.
I love descriptive and characterful posts, so put as much into your backstory as you like, but please remember your PC is only level 1! And probably not too long ago they weren't even that. Keep your past achievements reasonable (y'know, for D&D...).
The action starts at the small, fortified village of Nightstone, located in the hills between Waterdeep and Daggerford.
Something like this:
There are a few suggested options for why you are coming to Nightstone, so feel free to use one of these, or create one of your own:
There are also a few factions which you may wish your character to be, or have been, involved with:
The Harpers
The Harpers are spellcasters and spies who covertly oppose the abuse of power, magical or otherwise. Working alone or in small cells, they gather information throughout Faerûn, discern the political dynamics within each region, and help the weak, the poor, and the oppressed, acting openly only as a last resort.
The Lords’ Alliance
Various settlements of the North have banded together to form the Lords’ Alliance, a shaky coalition that proactively eliminates threats to their mutual safety and prosperity. Alliance leaders are often contentious, while their operatives seek honor and glory for themselves and their respective lords.
The Emerald Enclave
The Emerald Enclave is a group of wilderness survivalists who preserve the natural order by rooting out unnatural threats. They struggle to keep civilization and the wilderness from destroying each other, and they help others survive the natural perils of the Savage Frontier.
The Order of the Gauntlet
Members of the Order of the Gauntlet seek to protect others from the depredations of evildoers. Placing their faith in deities such as Torm, Helm, and Tyr, they bring the strength of their faith, their hearts, and their weapons to bear against villainy.
The Zhentarim
The Zhentarim, also known as the Black Network, is an unscrupulous shadow network that seeks to expand its influence and power base throughout the North. Its members crave wealth and personal power, though the public face of the organization appears much more benign, offering the best mercenaries money can buy.
If you want to work with someone to build a joint or connected backstory, go for it! Maybe you've always been with each other, or just met recently, or used to know each other but happened to meet again on this trip etc - the options are endless. However, bear in mind a joint backstory doesn't necessarily guarantee you'll both get accepted.
You don't have to link your character sheet, or even have one right now, but once I've made my choices I'll work with my players to fill them in as completely as possible, especially Characteristics which I find very useful.
I'll set a deadline of Thursday 13th April, as I'll use Friday 14th to read/reread applications (but given time zones, if you sneak an application in while I'm asleep I'll probably be lenient).
See you in The Savage Frontier...
DM - Storm King's Thunder
DM - Torosevia (WIP homebrew world)
Kelytha Meliamne - Matti Silverstorm - Silver - Star-Setting-In-The-East - Tor Baltos
(half-elf/half-goliath)
(half-goliath)
(Tiefling)
DM - Storm King's Thunder
DM - Torosevia (WIP homebrew world)
Kelytha Meliamne - Matti Silverstorm - Silver - Star-Setting-In-The-East - Tor Baltos
I will protect those I hate. Even ... even if the one I hate most ... is ... myself.
Ability scores 1: 10 12 16 16 14 12
Ability scores 2: 12 17 14 9 12 14
Ability scores: 10 16 12 13 14 14
Ability scores: 12 16 12 10 9 14
Noire Havensong | Harengon Archfey Warlock 6/Lore Bard 4 | Westmarch - Guild of the Phoenix (Discord)
Tanatari Crelieu | Kalashtar Druid 2 | Damian_May's Sleeping Gods
Jynx Starrkeep | Changling GOO Warlock 2 | Astien's Tyranny of Dragons
DM | Eberron Eternal (Discord)
Ability scores: 14 12 10 15 13 14
Ability scores: 10 17 13 14 12 14
Osborne Goodluck | Level 1 | Halfling | Sorcerer (Wild Magic) | Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
Ability scores: 10 16 13 17 13 16
Ability scores: 9 18 16 10 11 13
(Work in progress)
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
Ability Score 1 - Ability scores: 13 16 14 15 10 13
Ability Score 2 - Ability scores: 13 14 12 16 12 14
Taking the first set!
Name: Valmira Palewater
Race: Water Genasi
Class: Tempest Cleric
Background: Sailor
Backstory:
Originally born on the small island city-state of Orlumbor, Valmira doesn't remember a time where she couldn't see the shoreline. Coming from a skilled family of shipwrights and sailors, the water genasi has always felt the presence of the Gods of the seas. Even from a young age, Valmira has participated in traversing the unexplored waters of Faerûn, eventually learning under tribal guidance to build her own ships. As a core part of her family's tradition, being able to complete her own voyage to Waterdeep was essential. The seas may have been rocky but Valmira's unwavering faith in the protection of Valkur did not fail her and she easily sailed her way up to the large port city. For once in her life she wanders away from the comforts of the sea and has since traveled to various smaller towns, seeking out those in need of assistance or simply the companionship of a nurturing spirit. On her way back to Waterdeep, she happens upon a village facing the terrors of goblins. Though she has been far from sea for a while, Valmira opts to stay in Nightstone – aiming to potentially assist with those injured in the raids.
Additional Info: Just wanted to be honest and say that I have briefly played SKT before, roughly from level 5 to 7. It was back in November via voice though and I don't remember much of the module since it was more of a fun group. Hopefully you don't mind me applying for this PBP! I would really like to be able to finish the game and play with a slightly more serious group.
Noire Havensong | Harengon Archfey Warlock 6/Lore Bard 4 | Westmarch - Guild of the Phoenix (Discord)
Tanatari Crelieu | Kalashtar Druid 2 | Damian_May's Sleeping Gods
Jynx Starrkeep | Changling GOO Warlock 2 | Astien's Tyranny of Dragons
DM | Eberron Eternal (Discord)
Osborne Goodluck | Level 1 | Halfling | Sorcerer (Wild Magic) | Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
Name: Barnaby "Barn" Featherington (<-- Link to dndbeyond character sheet)
Race: Custom Lineage (bastard son of a half-elf and a half-goliath)
Class: Paladin (Oath of Ancients planned)
Ability Scores: Second set is lower but more interesting so I'm going with that.
Background, Backstory & Picture: See (first) spoiler below.
Background: Custom - "Nature Lover" (Hermit / Folk Hero)
Backstory: Everyone has always told Barnaby Featherington that he has an incongruous name. But that suits him just fine. Mostly because he doesn't know what "incongruous" means. Same way he loves books, but only if they have plenty of pictures and very very few words.
Barnaby, or "Barn" to his friends, has always been a happy, lovable soul, just a little touched in the head, which is fairly high up due to his towering stature (and despite his perpetual slouch). His favorite pastime since childhood has been wandering the outdoors, especially woodlands and river banks at the edges of the Ardeep Forest near his relatively small hometown, not far from Daggerford.
Barn has always felt a deep bond to nature that he could never put into words (let's be honest, there's not too much he can put to words). With his disarmingly simple ways that bely his stature and unusual racial mix, Barn managed to make friends with wild and fey creatures in the deeper woods without the slightest thought as to who or what they were, and it is much the same with people from all walks of life. Which is good for his mental health as the bastard son of a half-elven noblewoman mother (Corinne Featherington) and a half-goliath mercenary (unknown name, long gone).
Always a source of mild shame to his lady mother and her family, Barn found a home, along with religion of sorts, as a guard at the local temple of Eldath, the Guardian of the Groves and Mother of the Waters. His newfound faith and obvious size and strength drew the attention of an elderly Paladin of the Ancients, a member of the Emerald Enclave, who saw promise in the young, earnest boy. Before passing on, the aged former adventurer trained Barn on the instinctive basics of wielding a polearm to keep an enemy at bay. Bequeathed from the old man's deathbed, Barn received the paladin's glaive and chain mail, along with an exhortation to put them to good use in the sacred pursuit of defending Eldath's woodlands and maintaining the balance of nature and civilization, concepts which Barn only vaguely grasps.
Still, after mulling it over for all of a few seconds, he has decided to try. Taking his leave of the temple and walking alongside a merchant's wagon (hired to guard it, though he would probably do it for free) up the road north to Nightstone, where he has heard stories of hunters depleting the woods of wildlife. Barn doesn't quite know what "depleting" means, and doesn't even have much against hunters if they remain respectful and restrained in their natural role. But it doesn't sound good, so he figures, he'll see it for himself, glaive hoisted over his shoulder and solemn look upon his face.
Picture:
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
Apperance: In spoiler
Name: Althea Nachtnebel
Race: Warforge
Class: Cleric/Twilight Domain
Background: Acolyte
Backstory: In Spoiler
Althea Nachtnebel was created by artificers in the floating citadel sometime found above the Ardeep Forrest. Her main creator Zhania gifted her to the alliance of elves and dwarves during the 6th century DR. She was satisfied with her purpose as she aided her newfound people. She was taught how to fight by Dwarven sword master Gretham and healing herbs by Festril the elven keeper of the Ardeep forest. Unfortunately she was injured by a human wizard intruder. The elves and dwarvs could not help her. Zhania had left for a different plane. She slowly lost control of her body and in the end she was placed within an elven chamber for safekeeping.
The Retreat known as the mass migration of elves to Evermeet begun in the year of Moonfall 1334. Althea was left behind. She lost track of time, but over the ages part of the ceiling of her chamber collapsed. She could see the sky again. At times she hoped to see Zhania's citadel, but she never came back. It was a clear moonlit night when Althea noticed the moon shimmering and felt a soft touch in her mind. She thought it was some ghost of the past, but she did not care as now she has someone to converse with. Then one day she was asked to serve. In her mechanical heart she felt some reverence for her friend and so she agreed. Her friend revealed herself to be Selune the goddess of the moon and stars. In the next moment she was restored and bent her knee in devotion to her goddess. She left her chamber and was surprised by the destruction and how overgrown the ruins have become. If she could weep she would. It took some time to find her old gear and she left to see the world.
She traveled for a time, but then heard The residents of Nightstone have a longstanding and seemingly irreconcilable conflict with their northern neighbors, the elves of the Ardeep Forest. Lady Velrosa Nandar has been searching for skilled mediators to help resolve the dispute. Althea right then and there decided to lend her services in hopes of reaching an amicable resolution.
Ability scores: 17 8 16 10 12 12
Ability scores: 10 16 15 16 9 14
Name: Kian Wilder
Picture:
Race: Half-orc
Class: Fighter (subclass currently uncertain)
Background: Soldier
Backstory:
Kian Wilder was born to an orc mother and a human father, but he was raised solely by his father in a small human village. His father, a skilled archer, taught him how to use a bow and survive in the wild. Kian later joined the military but left after a disagreement with his superiors. Since then, he has been working as a mercenary, using his skills to protect travelers on the road in exchange for pay. Recently, he heard of a goblin threat in Nightstone and decided to offer his services in exchange for the rumored reward.
Ability Scores 1: 9, 17, 10, 8, 16, 17
Ability Scores 2: 17, 12, 16, 15, 10, 14
Additional Information: I have never played SKT and I am also relatively new to D&D in general, though I am already familiar with the basic rules.
Name: Atreyus Moonshadow (Otter)
Race: Wood elf
Class: Druid, Circle of the Moon
Background: Hermit
Backstory:
Otter always felt a stronger connection with the plants and animals of the forest than he did with the other members of his tribe, a bond that only deepened once he met the druid Rosemary. The old human woman took him under her wing, teaching him the secrets of Druidcraft and the mystic ways of Nature. It was Rosemary who gave him his nickname when she saw him swimming in the river one afternoon, a name he at first only tolerated, yet grew fond of as time went by.
One day Otter returned from one of his long mediation retreats in the deep woods to find Rosemary gone... only a spiral of smooth river stones with a small wreath of rosemary herb left behind where she had usually stayed. Rosemary had always said the day would come when he would need to strike out on his own as the next step in his learning, so Otter knew in his heart that time had come at last.
For the next several months he wandered aimlessly, venturing further from his homeland in the Misty Forest than he had ever ranged before. One day he ran into a small band of wood elves who were on their way to the village of Nightstone. At the evening campfire after dinner they invited him to join them but he declined shyly. However a few nights after they departed he had one of his vivid dreams he’d had since he was a child. Sometimes he would dream he was an animal such as a wolf hunting by the moonlight, but this night he dreamed he followed a huge stag up a hillside. Reaching a cliff along the ridgeline it turned to look at him just as the view of a town appeared nestled in the trees below. Otter felt an inner knowing that this was Nightstone. Thus it was he began his journey there as soon as he awoke the next morning.
Character Sheet: https://ddb.ac/characters/96657111/cyC8LV
15 8 11 13 15 16
13 10 17 10 10 14
*Sha-gravis *Fjörn Bhrünt *Leif Aulderoot *Saltstrider *Eron Colborn
*Sha-gravis *Fjörn Bhrünt *Leif Aulderoot *Saltstrider *Eron Colborn
Name: Xondario
Picture: Picture in profile
Race: Custom Lineage (Half-Goliath)
Class: Fighter
Background: Urchin
Backstory: Xondario grew up in the streets of Waterdeep, in and out of orphanages. Being big for his age, he would get into fights often and won his fare share of them. This behavior tended to get him "lost" from the orphanages. One day as a young teen (as big as full grown human), he got into a scrap with farmers helper who was in the big city to sell their harvest and before it was over, the old farmer broke it up. Seeing the potential of the youth and who was in clear need of care and support, the farmer decided to take Xondario under his wing and give him a job on his ranch.
Xondario lived on the ranch for roughly 10 years and came to see the farmer and his crew like family. One day while out in the fields fixing some broken fence. He saw smoke coming from the direction of the farmhouse. Xondario ran back but was too late. From the tree line he could see a hoard of goblins ransacking the buildings that weren't already set on fire. Running with his fencing maul in hand, he hurried down to the house but by the time he got there the goblins had moved on.
Xondario searched the remains the best he could but couldn't find any signs of life and most things of value were gone or ruined. Vowing to take revenge for his found family.
Xondario decided to gather what supplies he could and make his way to the closest village of Nightstone and try to find some help and finish preparations to seek his revenge.
Ability scores: 16 13 10 14 14 8
Ability scores: 17 12 13 15 11 12
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
-- Eleanor Shellstrop