You might also see that I've gone ahead and accepted two more players than I said I would. I certainly wouldn't do this in a IRL table, but I believe it might be more manageable here. May also make us more resistant to whatever challenges real-life schedules might throw at each of us. We're up to a total of 8 players in our group. :)
Consider this first post our sort of Session Zero. Feel free to introduce yourselves and discuss any ties and previous knowledge you may want to share with other characters (or not share!). One particular item was the prompt left open at Ilvisar's backstory, where the sun elf is saved from slavery and mental experiments by someone else in the group. I feel that good candidates for that would be either Tibern or Mordikai (perhaps both since they're the ones with least ties to the region) or Noranys given her future intentions of experimenting with mind abilities, but any other might also be involved. Feel free to discuss any other ties you might want to make with other characters, or just how one of them might have recently shared a road together.
Go ahead and pick a color for your speech and I'd ask you to start every post with your character's name in bold, having a link for your character sheet on signature won't hurt either. All of that makes things more agile, identifiable and manageable, especially for me.
Feel free to PM me about anything. I'll be making our first official post soon, whenever we've got everyone settled in.
Mordikaiis currently in Uthmere, waiting for his boat to finish their trade business, before moving on to his final destination of Telflamm.
Mordikaiis an imposing figure, he stands 6ft tall and is covered in metal from head to foot. If you watch him moving, it may seem that something is a little off about his armour, you may realise that it moves like it is a second skin instead of some equipment he is wearing.
Mordikai's head appears to be encased in a somewhat skull like metal helm, increasing his intimidating appearance.
Mordikai stands in the comings and goings of the busy trade district, watching people go about their lives.
DarbysGhost, what did you have in mind for the release from slavery? Mordikaidoesn't know about the Thay practice of slavery, so he could intervene because of his ignorance. Does Uthmere have a Thayan Enclave, or deal in slavery?
Ilvisar Lufiel, the sun elf rogue. Is a bit of an *******, but at least he’s quiet, and doesn’t talk very much. He’s very much about doing what he does, and doing it well. As a rogue, he doesn’t go into that very much, but he’s let them see his lock-picks, and he’s been seen practicing a few moves with his daggers. He claims to be a Sun Elf, but none that they have known before have such white hair. If it’s mentioned, he...kinda just walks away from the conversation. He’ll sometimes talk about his earlier days, pre-slavery….but even if he’s being pressed about the 50 years he lost to the Thay, he...at the best of times, just makes a curt comment about changing the topic, and even at the worst of times, will still just walk away. For all the quiet, disdainful looks he gives to others, in these moments he isn’t walking away because he’s being a jerk….his eyes go distant, and you can tell….he’s trying to remember...and can’t. The block on this part of his memory irritates the elf as much as it scares him...and he likes neither feelings.
He voices his opinion about traveling at night, complaining quietly that the sun irritates his eyes, and makes him have terrible headaches. (which seem to plague him anyhow) If out-voted, he becomes surly during the waking hours, but digs up enough coin to get a larger-brimmed hat, and cloak to cover himself up, and provide enough personal shade to make traveling tolerable.
Normally, the elf dresses down, and along the lines of the "local fashion". In each new area, he seeks to blend in, finding cloaks, hats, and other means to keep his identity private. He favors dark blues, and crimsons, sometimes. He wears long sleeves, and high collars, but mostly to cover up the scars that have been worn into him from the many years of being shackled. Ilvisar favors tall boots, and form-fitting gloves...as if he's avoiding his own sense of touch.
As said earlier, his hair is a stark white, in color, messy and ill-kept. When he's found, it's ragged and so long that it's tangled all over the place. In days just before now, he's had it cut back shorter, almost chin-length. (The Thay force their slaves to grow their hair out long, because the Thay consider shorter cuts more respectful to their own beliefs. In a way, having their slaves maintain longer hair is another sign of disrespect to the slaves; they are unworthy)
More than some, Ilvisar favors the heavy, heady drinks the bars can provide. If his migraines are as bad as he says they are, one cannot blame him much. Still....the elf never lets himself get too drunk. Just enough to blunt the edge.
He's missing the pinky-finger of his left (off) hand. He seems to have adapted well, but getting gloves that fit is generally a pain in the ass. Usually, he ends up screwing up a perfectly good set of gloves by trimming and stitching (badly) these things himself. It doesn't seem to occur to him that if he tried another tact, it wouldn't draw so much attention to that hand.
Personality-wise, Ilvisar doesn't complain, doesn't compliment, and doesn't really share his thoughts. His contempt is in his expressions, or the lack-thereof. He's a consummate professional, but blessedly, he also doesn't boast nor brag about his accomplishments. Still, the others will notice that he continues to travel with them. He treats strangers with a hawkish vigilance, and his own party like a pack of wolves. If you've done well that day, he isn't likely to tell you so....but he probably will buy you your favorite drink.
Currently, Ilvisar is in Uthmere. However they met, he likely still sticks close to Mordikai or Tibern; or both. (And if they separate, there is always a moment of quiet anxiousness that crosses the elf's expression....which he quickly straightens out.) Certainly, the elf will want to tour the city and explore it (if he's never been here before), but he seems loath to go out on his own at first. Something unrelated to anything (think cat-logic) will quietly piss him off, and he eventually screws up his own courage to go his own way for a time. He's only gone for an hour or two, but eventually returns to where Mordikai lingers.
Midnight, the drow priestess. Normally, he'd be concerned that they'd kill each other...but I’m willing to say that Ilvisar has seen his fair-share of drow among the slaves over the years. Another thing that was beaten out of him, because good stock is hard to find. He will likely never let her walk behind him, though.
Mordikai, the gondsman cleric. Is somewhat of a mechanical wonder. The metal man can be tolerated better than most others, because he’s not a real person...or that’s the idea, at first. The bonds that spring up between them seem more out of survival and necessity, but Ilvisar will be more open to hear Mordikai’s opinions and thoughts than the rest.
Noranys, the yuan-ti spy. Is also an oddity. Ilvisar would still have been barely an adult when he suffered his first prison sentence...so the worldly-experience that would teach him better is lacking. The fact that Ilvisar will be taking the Soul Knife subclass is actually going to be an in-character secret that the elf is unlikely to share...but there will be plenty-enough signs about that Noranys can likely pick up on.
Nute, the kenku druid. The kenku will be treated with a milder form of disdain, because his class is something most elves hold a healthy respect for. Ilvisar is no different, if not a bit more distant than some.
Serwa Omen, the rashemi paladin. Is fascinating, because most humans aren’t very good for anything. When you put together the fact that a deity has deigned to show her favor is something of note. The elf will never admit it, nor speak it aloud....but the dirges she plays, and even the sad tones in her music draw him, like a moth to the flame. He doesn’t even know he’s sat down to listen, until the last note flickers out into the night air...
Tibern Dirgeblade, the tiefling wizard. Could also be a potential savior. Most tieflings are treated with a good-measure of distrust. Ilvisar feels this way about everyone, so Tibern might be more like a polar opposite, drawing the elf in. His nobility, if it still shows, might keep them at arms’ length though….it reminds Ilvisar too much of the days, when his city and his people were at their glory. The Sun Elf would mention, in passing, that he still has an active interest in wizardry….(possibly seeking to multi-class into wizard, a dip or more)
Vedui Gurth, the wood elf monk. This one is given more tolerance than most, and it’s very likely for racist reasons. Ilvisar has a quiet contempt for all humanoids, but he affords Vedui a measure of respect the Sun Elf gives few others, upon the first meeting. Racism goes both ways though, so don’t be surprised when he asks the wood elf about hunting, fishing, and other country-bumpkin stuff.
I’ve chosen crimson for my speech text. I am willing to change, if someone needs it for thematic reasons.
I do not know if Uthmere has the Thay or not. From what I've read, they are largely merchants now, so I would be willing to bet that it's possible that they have an underground ring of sorts in the area, but that would be a question for our DM. My initial idea was that Ilvisar and company were in transit between locations, in either a caged caravan wagon, or perhaps a chain-gang along the side of the road. I'm open to ideas. It could be that we slaves staged a revolt, and you came across in the thick of things, or that we were poorly guarded, and you were able to free us single-handedly. (Or if Tibern wanted a hand in it, perhaps you both were traveling to Uthmere together, before we met.) I'm also open to the idea that you purchased Ilvisar. Perhaps the Thay called him "a relic of the past", and that struck a chord of resonance with Mordikai. Whether Mordikai would continue being Ilvisar's master, or set him free would be up to how you want to play your character, of course. (And truly, I'm up for either. I can see potential on all options) Ilvisar has been around a long time, so it's entirely possible (up to DM) that Ilvisar knows many of the roads in the country, and could have been brought on as a guide, an assistant, or whatever you'd also like to suggest.
Last aside: the link to my character sheet is indeed in my signature; it is part of the character's name.
Ok so Mordikai's story has him travelling by merchant boat from Suzail in Cormyr, to Telflamm in Thesk, stopping at major ports along the way. I can imageg Tibern also travelling on the same boat, if DarthDrizzt is up for it.
We could have come across Ilvisarin a port where there is a Thayan Enclave (Thayan Enclaves practice slavery within their walls, so we could have had some incident that allowed Ilvisarto get free, and Ilvisarcould then have joined us travelling on the merchant boat.
Midnight is obviously a drow. Depending on how the party comes together, I'll share more personality and craft some recent backstory, but she could be spotted in Uthmere easily simply because of her race. One of her first actions is to seek out a heavy cloak and hood to help make her race and origin less obvious, as well as to shield her eyes from the harsh sun. Despite stories about her race and the negative treatment she gets from the locals, she doesn't appear to have the haughty attitude one might expect and seems more confused than offended at people's reactions.
Anyone observing her would compare her mannerisms to someone who grew up in a sheltered home or small town, and is equally curious and cautious about new people, new experiences and her general surroundings. For example, food brought to her is smelt and tasted briefly for poison, picked up and examined from every angle, given a dubious look and fearful face as the first bite goes down - only then to either spit it out or dive in hungrily as if she hasn't eaten much in a while. She gets caught up in the act of eating and forgets to keep an eye on everyone around her, who are are all likely staring at this point, until she stops mid-chew and slowly looks around the room at everyone. If they go back to their business, she returns to happily munching away; if they stare in fear or anger, she doesn't glare back - she simply puts her arm around her food protectively as if someone might take it away and eats while eye-balling the entire room suspiciously.
I have a picture of her, but I'm not sure how to host it here in the forum. I think I have figured out how to link a picture... here is my inspiration for Midnight.
Unless someone else prefers, I'll use purple as my speech text.
Ok, according to the wiki, Lyrabar in Impiltur has a Thayan Enclave, and that would have been a port that we would have stopped at on our way to Uthmere.
So we could have had some kind of incident there that allowed Ilvisarto escape and join us.
Ok I have an idea, subject to DM ok and player support.
Tibern and Mordikaiare travelling on the same boat and have struck up a friendly acquaintance.
When the merchant boat docks at Lyrabar, Tibern and Mordikaiget off the boat to stretch their legs and watch the boats being unloaded.
One of the nearby ships is unloading large crates with markings showing they are bound for the local Thayan Enclave. One of the crates slips its ropes and crashes to the docks revealing people inside, bound in chains. While the agreement with Thay allows them to practice slavery inside their enclave, in the rest of the city it is illegal. Tibern and Mordikai step forward to help free the slaves from their bounds.
Ilvisar takes an interest in the strange pair and asks if he can go with them. Mordikaiwould happily pay for Ilvisar to join the merchant ship, as he doesn't really have a good grasp of the value of money just yet.
How does that sound, any ideas to make it better/different?
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Dark haired and pale, Vedui will be wearing a cloak and often with the hood drawn over his head down low. He will constantly be glancing around and is cautious when entering a place for the first time, often the last to sit down. He has the look of one who is hunted and indeed it's because he is, or at least he expects he is. Although he was born a wood elf he knows not much of that culture - his elven would be slightly rusty even which Ilvisar may notice.
He has a fascination with Death, and anyone who has any type of religion.....he is trying to hide but if he sees someone such as Midnight, Serwa Omen, or Mordikai, who have some religion or god he will overcome his caution to ask them questions....Mostly about death and dying and what their religions believe. If he has met them before now he will have asked them already, or he may even go up to them in a tavern if he sees a holy symbol on them to ask questions. His focus will be on Death, in particular the moment of. Mordikai will particularly fascinate him, and he will ask if he was made and if he has a soul...not meaning to be rude but also not knowing better. If asked back why he is curious he will only mention that he studied once with an order that investigated such things....but then avoid detailed questions...he has no religion himself....
Otherwise he would not necessarily approach anyone. If he has talked to Ilvisar he would also be curious about his Elven heritage and ask as well....he will mention that he lost his family when he was young, but give no details and his elvish would be less than perfect...He would also ask about Ilvisar's family and where he was from (and if he knows any elven communities nearby) and seeing his reluctance will not push...he is curious about other Elves. Although he knows enough history to Know that Drow are considered an enemy he has no animosity or racial prejudice. Death is the great leveler.
Tibern looks extreme even for a halfling as unlike other who come from the more lawful background of the devil's, Tibern himself has blood that links him back to the chaotic demons of the abyss. His horns are curled upwards and almost look like those of a ram as they circle around and come to a stop after two curls. His hair and eyes are contrasting as he has stark white hair that is look and reaches his shoulders while his eyes are pure black with no Iris or visible pupils. If one looks when he speaks they will notice a forked tongue and vampire like fangs where his canines should be. To finish it off he has a large pair of bat wings that but from his back, this being above his barbed tail that looks as if it would be sharp enough to stab someone.
His clothes are simple and practical even if they look to have once been well kept they have been slightly stained with signs of travel and general wear and tear. The most well kept thing he owns is a leather bag that carries his spell books this being black with lock attacched to it for when he is not using it. The only other curious item is the signet ring he wears on a thin gold chair around his neck.
Personality wise he is a general friendly but guarded person, not having much experience with people outside of his family and private tutors as a child. If people approach him with an open mind he tends to be fine with them and will attempt to learn more of them. If they react poorly to his appearance then he will shut them down and it will be hard to get him to even act as if such a person is even there. He tends to speak very formally and at times may even twitch if he does not do so, although this does stop with those he is comfortable with. At times he may seem to have a short attention span of something magic oriented catches his attention. Due to what occured with his father he will almost always refer to himself by only his first name.
(This is a work in progress but I will try to finish this before work but if not it may be until after 6pm EST before I can completely finish it.)
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Rekuberk Onc Level 8 | Half Orc | Barbarian (The Tales of the Fellowship of the White Cloaks)
Noranys has deep tan skin and brown hair so dark it's almost black, cut in a short bob just above her shoulders. Her yuan-ti heritage isn't too apparent at first glance, and then one realizes that it's not makeup shading her high cheekbones, but scales. Her eyes are similarly snakelike, though jade in color. She rarely makes any effort to hide her race, unless she would have a specific advantage by doing so -- by and large the opinions of others are of no matter to her. In most interactions she comes off as distantly polite or uninterested. But she can certainly turn on the charm, where it suits her.
Currently she's dressed in nondescript traveller's clothes, worn-looking leather armor hidden under a plain cloak -- she chills easily, though she wouldn't say so aloud. She was coming from Thay, so if anyone else was coming from the same direction, they might have seen her en route. She wouldn't have engaged in any conversation, but would have responded, in order to not be recalled as someone acting rudely or unlike other travellers.
(I'll see if I can't add more detail later -- I don't have good character art, but for a base, in the real world Noranys would be Latina, and I'm using Bothrops Asper as the snake elements.)
Early morning of the day of Highharvestide, between Eleint 30th and Marpenoth 1st, Year of Twelve Warnings, 1494 DR
You finally reach the end of an old rugged road amidst a bright day with the cheerful sounds of festivities ahead. You arrive in the trading post of Uthmere, in the Great Dale. The citizens are mostly human, a mix of ethnicities common in the west with those hailing from the exotic east. Whatever reason you had to come this far into the Unapproachable East is bound to fade into the background as your sights are filled with vibrant decorations for the region's celebration of Highharvestide, whether you sought profit, enjoyment, a greater purpose, or just rest. Brightly colored flags provide almost a roof for the dirt streets, and lit tinted lanterns spread over every corner, while children are receiving homemade sweets from the local clergy and priests are blessing larders, wine cellars, grain bins, and food reserves. A comfortable climate settles in, the city is filled with bright colors and wide smiles. Around the central market's bell tower area various activities are taking place, such as archery competitions, poem recitals, jousting, duels, eating, drinking, and all sorts of merriment.
Ilvisar, Mordikai and Tibern, you all set foot on the particularly busy docks early in the morning, after more than a tenday aboard the Honeywind of Captain Wil Salesonste, a ship that set sail from Suzail and intends to reach as many ports in the Sea of Fallen Stars as the pirates around may allow it to. Somewhat of an eagerness builds up in all of you, Telflamm as Mordikai's final destination seemed as good as any for the other two souls that only sought to distance themselves from troubled pasts. The captain approaches you at the docks as you sink in the movement and decorated buildings ahead, "Hah! See?" he slaps Tibern on the back of his shoulder almost heavily enough to throw him off balance, "Those repairs we had to get done in Lyrabar set us straight in schedule to enjoy the celebrations here! And you lot thought me over-zealous of my old Honey..." the burly fellow sporting an open coat showing no small amount of chest hair stands at your side smiling as he's just finished the most outstanding feat, "Go on, no need to thank me, go enjoy whatever the town has to offer, just be back here before midday tomorrow, and remember, leave any sweethearts you might find behind." he gives off a hearty laugh and a few coughs as he turns for his first mate, proceeding with the unload. A band of children approaches laughing and skipping, throwing hempen cords with beads painted bright white, red and yellow around your necks and those of other sailors.
Midnight and Nute, you two met in the Forest of Lethyr a few days back. The priestess was coming from the south, with dwindling supplies and somewhat doubtful of her directions through the forest, beginning to wish she had taken the road west. The druid, enjoying a warm campfire and munching on a few nuts and seeds, was quick to share once Midnight stumbled upon his camp, which was initially suspicious and prone to avoid him, but a grumbling belly and the stinging cold of the north eventually convinced her otherwise. Still, it was a night in which she barely slept, partially due to her suspiciousness, partially due to the rattling and low cawing noises the kenku would make while asleep. Nute guided Midnight through the forest, having trained with the druids of Mauberg's Oak, he was used to the forest and it's dangers, and under orders to familiarize himself with its borders and surrounding cities. The pair went north-west to the small town of Lethgate, and eventually to Uthmere, arriving in the town through its southern gate, decorated with long cloth banners bearing three great white cats over a red and yellow field. You cross the gates, the usual entry tax is handwaved due to the festivities inside, and it's clearly noticeable how many heads turn your way, but never meet your gaze, casually glancing to the side, you can also see as two guards following from a dozen meters behind, each casually swinging a heavy wooden cudgel leisurely. A band of children approaches laughing and skipping, throwing hempen cords with beads painted bright white, red and yellow around your necks, the one that comes for Midnight suddenly halts as she sees the face under the hood, the mid-motion sudden stop making the painted cord fall over the drow's feet as the child slowly backpedals and goes away with the others still looking back.
Noranys,
As per instructed by your superiors, you were to deliver a sealed letter to a certain Zentel Finrich, few questions asked and few instructions given aside from that. You made your way from your home in Surcross, you easily enough hid your true nature to avoid unwanted attention, and through many days on the road, every night a stranger dream came to you. In the dreams, you were lost in the dark and found yourself wielding a new otherworldly power, one that a raspy echoing voice prompted you to experiment with, and rejoiced as you did, seemingly asking nothing in return, yet. You grasped at energies that made your bones ache, and yet relax, made your mind numb, and yet be focused, you felt torment, but you also felt peace. As you woke up, you would find that you were able to call upon the powers you dreamt about the night before, what you felt only as fleeting energies the tendays before, you could now wield with some extent of mastery, and confidently call upon when needed. You eventually arrived through the southern gate of Uthmere, children laughing and skipping happily throw a hempen cord with beads painted bright white, red and yellow around your neck as you are welcomed to the festivities.
Serwa and Vedui, you two met in Two Stars, and eventually shared the road through Kront, Bezentil, and are arrivind in Uthmere. The paladin intended to go to Uthmere for some reason related to her faith, and with Vedui's intent of putting as many kilometres between him and Thay as possible, her road seemed good enough. Tagging along with trade caravans common in the region, the trip was rather uneventful. You arrive through Uthmere's eastern gate, along with the Dale Stream, bright banners of house Uthlain tremble in the cold breeze of coming autumn, you are waved through the gate by guards bearing colorful cords around their necks, and similar ones are thrown around yours as children approach. You witness priests wandering around blessing storages in the back of taverns, food stockages, and even distributing candies, and eventually approach a great crowd in the center of town, around a high bell tower.
Serwa,
You were instructed to find a certain Kaspar Mutsk, and whenever in absolute privacy, ask him about the 'Fingerbones'.
All of you, as you take a walk around town, you are able to observe the various festivities and events happening to celebrate Highharvestide Fair, the crop festival before the cold (colder, for the north) season settles in. Most of the leisurely singing and dancing is happening around the bell tower in the center of town, along with various merchants tents taking advantage of the increased flux of visitors around, including regular wares, mementos and local food (very common of which is a sandwich bearing a thick sausage longer than the dark rye itself, sticking outside on both sides). Other official fair activities include Archery Competitions being held on a field right outside the eastern gate, Artistic Performances taking place in the Captain's Loft (the town's fanciest tavern/inn around, but nowhere near aristocratic), Duels with wooden weapons taking place in the field just outside the southern gate, Jousting competitions being held inside the walls of the Lord'sPalace, and the Eating competition happening around the crowd in the center Belltower Square, which involves the sausage sandwiches you've seen around. Other smaller contests of strength and skill can also be found, but aren't officially supported and don't bear sizeable prizes on display.
The town would hold no more than five hundred inhabitants on its regular days, but the festivities have brought in quite a sum beyond that to its walls, a fact for which merchants are particularly grateful. Establishments for stay here would include the Bloody Hook (poor, known for housing sailors and the occasional brawl), the Fendelmer's Hall (poor), the Homehearth (modest), the Sea Cat (comfortable), and the Captain's Loft (wealthy, fanciest option around). The Lord's Palace stands high on the north-western corner of town, its white, red and yellow banners flowing in the sea breeze, close to it there is a temple, the single other large building in town, clearly dedicated to Tyr, god of justice, due to its hammer and balance decorations. On the north-eastern corner of town there is a beautiful tree park which serves both as a place for daily activities and strolling and partially as a cemetery for the local nobility, as various mausoleums are about. The Dalestream crosses the town's southern half, and a bridge crosses it roughly in the middle, and the river eventually runs to the sea at the center of the docks. Other than that the town is filled with other old but cared for wooden structures, rather welcoming people (maybe partially due to the festival), and the smell of the sea close by.
The scene is cheerful, filled with commoners, merchants, nobles and visitors celebrating the fair. Are you taking part in any of the competitions? Are you seeking something in particular? Do you only seek to rest your weary feet at the end of a long road? What do you do?
Nute (not the best color for readability, but running out of options)
Nute is 5 feet tall with slightly hunched back seems less, black feather cover his body, his eyes are yellow. On his left hand, the claws are filed back. He caries a lute on his back, but it's hidden under his cloak that plays even more into the hunchback aesthetic. Living in the forest he used to spend a lot of time on the trees among other birds.
Never been outside the forest before Nute is very nervous and skittish. This is mixed with the curiosity of the young, results in a back and forth similar to how a wild animal would approach you, then run back, then forward, and so on. He is most comfortable around elves, but he does not have any prejudices towards other races. He likes to observe an individual with care, reading their intentions, before letting his guard down.
He was happy to meet another elf to accompany him in the travels. There are many among the druids, though never seen a drow before. In the forest, Nute was in his element, showing Midnight the way, what berries are good and what are poisonous. Outside it was the other way. While climbing up a tree for a better vantage point is a good thing, climbing up to rooftops is not. With the help of Midnight, these issues with etiquette are ironed out, for the most part.
Noticing the guards in the back, Nute pulls out his stone tablet and begins to write with a piece of chalk, then shows it to Midnight: "Guards, at back. hide?"
Midnight takes a quick glance at Nute's tablet and nonchalantly (not really) glances back at the guards. Speaking quietly to her new acquaintance, she asks, "Are we in trouble? Have I broken some local custom? They seem to be merely watching and waiting. Let's continue - I'm fascinated by this festival. If the guards get aggressive, we can make a break for the crowd and get lost in the confusion."
Saying this, she goes back to watching the people, trying to take everything in at once. When the small girl drops the necklace of beads at her feet, she picks them up and smells them for poison and checks for any hidden needles. Finding neither, she wraps the beaded necklace around her wrist like a bracelet.
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First D&D set: 1980 red box. Haven't stopped playing since. :)
Serwa Omen - Her text color will be Brown unless that has been spoken for.
Human (Rashemi), Female, Paladin of Kelemvor, Lawful Neutral
Physical Description: Serwa Omen is a human Rashemi female in her early 20s, standing at 5'7''. She is an attractive woman by the standards of her region, but with a peculiar symmetry, as if the work of an especially uninspired painter setting out to paint a "pretty girl," with no particularly distinctive features or traits. Her eyes, a dark shade of brown, look black in most lighting. Her long dark hair is worn in a single braid, typically, in the Rashemi fashion. Her build is athletic, again, attractive in the most unremarkable way, but she has surprising strength for her frame due to her training as a soldier, and a warrior-priest of Kelemvor.
She typically dresses as if she is going to a funeral, with her common outfit being a black blouse, black skirt, tan tights and black shoes with a short heel. Over this she wears her chain mail armor and holy symbol of Kelemvor, the neutral death deity she served, which doubles as a locket containing a sketch of her lost love, a pretty half-elf woman. She carries heavy weapons, a halberd and a maul, as well as several javelins, all within easy reach, and bears no shield. In her backpack she carries her vestments, a change of clothes (a Rashemi dancing outfit, bright and colorful unlike her typical "funeral outfit" she wears more routinely), and her other miscellaneous travel equipment.
Summary of Interaction in Travels with Fellow PCs to Date: In her travels with Vedui, she has certainly catered to both his fascination with death and with religion. She uses sardonic gallows humor often, and tends to be quite deadpan, but if Vedui is an Insightful person, he can likely discern that this is her own coping mechanism. She has a large number of stories about deaths of comrades, friends and loved ones, far more than one would reasonably expect of someone her age. She shares how she was born from the corpse of a woman found slain at the side of the road, how the miner who adopted her died of infection following a mining injury while she was in her teens, how she entered the Rashemen military at that time, and saw numerous comrades die of injury or illness. On this point she stresses the importance of personal hygiene, as disease kills more soldiers than blade or arrows.
She shares how she attended funeral after funeral, with last rites conducted by a foreign priest, Danauv, who taught her about his god, Kelemvor. Joining the clergy of Kelemvor as one of the few paladins of the neutral death god has given her solace. She took on the surname "Omen," having none of her own, due to the feeling that her entire life has been lived under the ill omen of her birth, but Kelemvor provides her with a meaning and purpose to death. She speaks of righting the scales, and her personal code of justice, ensuring justice my matching unjust death with just killing.
She has not likely opened up about the picture of the half-elf girl in her locket, as she and Vedui are likely still growing to trust one another. She does speak the Elvish language fairly well, and seems to have a fascination with Elvish culture, although she seems to know fairly little about it. She only mentions that someone "very important to her" was half-elf, and has always wanted to know more about her own elvish lineage .
She has likely invited Vedui to participate in various games along the road to pass the time during breaks, although she only carries a deck of cards, she learned several varieties of gaming with the deck from fellow soldiers during her military service. She speaks fondly of the game Dragon Chess, and how she intends to purchase a set when she can. She also frequently sings and dances during breaks from travel, always songs with sad and morose lyrics, and strange interpretative dances. She also speaks of purchasing a Lyre, but like the Dragon Chess set it will have to wait until later.
After entering the town and seeing all of the events taking place, Serwasays to Vedui, "I like games and competitions. I have some church business here in town, but I also want to enter into some of these contests. The artistic performance contest sounds fun, so do the duels with wooden weapons. The eating competition sounds disgusting. I hate it when people chew with their mouths open, you know someone is going to do that. What do you think? I'm going to check the schedules, see if I can enter both the performance competition and the duel. Then I'll look for my contact." Despite professing interest, she speaks in a fairly flat, emotionless tone, unless noted otherwise. She stares at the bustling crowds of people with a wide-eyed expressionless stare.
She seems to be talking to herself, in part, rationalizing prioritizing the appealing competitions over directly going about whatever unspoken business the church of Kelemvor has given her. "I'm taking my duties seriously. But you've got to live while you're alive. We're all going to die, after all. Check contest schedules first, and then I'll find my contact later. Want to tag along, or meet back up somewhere later, Vedui? You might as well have some fun, too. We're further from Thay, that's all that matters, right?"
OOC: If Vedui has not shared that his intent is to distance himself from Thay, she would omit the last bit of dialogue.
Vedui would have spent some time asking about Serwa and her religion, pestering her about the god of Death and what ceremonies or death rights that were practiced, as well as her thoughts on the soul and the moment of death......
She seems to be talking to herself, in part, rationalizing prioritizing the appealing competitions over directly going about whatever unspoken business the church of Kelemvor has given her. "I'm taking my duties seriously. But you've got to live while you're alive. We're all going to die, after all. Check contest schedules first, and then I'll find my contact later. Want to tag along, or meet back up somewhere later, Vedui? You might as well have some fun, too. We're further from Thay, that's all that matters, right?"
"Aye, being far from there is a good thing for me. I know no one here, and if you will have me I will be happy to follow along. Something Fun as well sounds good, so what do you do for fun? Do you want to enter a competition?"
ooc: Whatever I did for F up the formatting here....I can't fix it...
Responding to Vedui, Serwasays, "Today, a performance contest and a duel, that's what I will do for fun today. Play before work, today. I don't think Kelemvor would mind. It is a festival. Are there any contests that you plan on entering?" As he has agreed to accompany her, Serwawill go first to the Captain's Loft and inquire about the schedule for the Artistic Performances, and sign up to participate, and then to the field just outside the southern gate to sign up for the Duels. If Vedui expresses interest in any other competitions, she will go with him to inquire about those. Depending on when she is scheduled to participate in the contests, she may elect to part ways with Vedui for some "private Paladin business," arranging to meet up with him at a designated time and place later, and she will begin asking around about Kaspar Mutsk, but that will be dependent on the schedule for the Performance and Duels, and how much downtime she has in between.
Greetings, everyone! :)
You might also see that I've gone ahead and accepted two more players than I said I would. I certainly wouldn't do this in a IRL table, but I believe it might be more manageable here. May also make us more resistant to whatever challenges real-life schedules might throw at each of us. We're up to a total of 8 players in our group. :)
Consider this first post our sort of Session Zero. Feel free to introduce yourselves and discuss any ties and previous knowledge you may want to share with other characters (or not share!). One particular item was the prompt left open at Ilvisar's backstory, where the sun elf is saved from slavery and mental experiments by someone else in the group. I feel that good candidates for that would be either Tibern or Mordikai (perhaps both since they're the ones with least ties to the region) or Noranys given her future intentions of experimenting with mind abilities, but any other might also be involved. Feel free to discuss any other ties you might want to make with other characters, or just how one of them might have recently shared a road together.
Anyway, here is our adventuring group for War of the Faithless:
• Ilvisar Lufiel, the sun elf rogue, played by DarbysGhost
• Midnight, the drow priestess, played by gravedgr
• Mordikai, the gondsman cleric, played by Paradox42
• Noranys, the yuan-ti spy, played by pocketmouse
• Nute, the kenku druid, played by Symplepal
• Serwa Omen, the rashemi paladin, played by Izraal1
• Tibern Dirgeblade, the tiefling wizard, played by DarthDrizzt
• Vedui Gurth, the wood elf monk, played by Burgen_Badluk
Go ahead and pick a color for your speech and I'd ask you to start every post with your character's name in bold, having a link for your character sheet on signature won't hurt either. All of that makes things more agile, identifiable and manageable, especially for me.
Feel free to PM me about anything. I'll be making our first official post soon, whenever we've got everyone settled in.
Art Portfolio
Mordikai:
Mordikai is currently in Uthmere, waiting for his boat to finish their trade business, before moving on to his final destination of Telflamm.
Mordikai is an imposing figure, he stands 6ft tall and is covered in metal from head to foot. If you watch him moving, it may seem that something is a little off about his armour, you may realise that it moves like it is a second skin instead of some equipment he is wearing.
Mordikai's head appears to be encased in a somewhat skull like metal helm, increasing his intimidating appearance.
Mordikai stands in the comings and goings of the busy trade district, watching people go about their lives.
DarbysGhost, what did you have in mind for the release from slavery? Mordikai doesn't know about the Thay practice of slavery, so he could intervene because of his ignorance. Does Uthmere have a Thayan Enclave, or deal in slavery?
Also Modikai:
David Gearlock | Human | Artificer | Revenge Heist
Knox | Warforged | Cleric | Shadowthorn's Out of the Abyss
I’ve chosen crimson for my speech text. I am willing to change, if someone needs it for thematic reasons.
Art inspiration.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/38/01/0b/38010b8dcabfc9f97648dbc01e49abca.jpg
Mordkai:
I do not know if Uthmere has the Thay or not. From what I've read, they are largely merchants now, so I would be willing to bet that it's possible that they have an underground ring of sorts in the area, but that would be a question for our DM. My initial idea was that Ilvisar and company were in transit between locations, in either a caged caravan wagon, or perhaps a chain-gang along the side of the road. I'm open to ideas. It could be that we slaves staged a revolt, and you came across in the thick of things, or that we were poorly guarded, and you were able to free us single-handedly. (Or if Tibern wanted a hand in it, perhaps you both were traveling to Uthmere together, before we met.) I'm also open to the idea that you purchased Ilvisar. Perhaps the Thay called him "a relic of the past", and that struck a chord of resonance with Mordikai. Whether Mordikai would continue being Ilvisar's master, or set him free would be up to how you want to play your character, of course. (And truly, I'm up for either. I can see potential on all options) Ilvisar has been around a long time, so it's entirely possible (up to DM) that Ilvisar knows many of the roads in the country, and could have been brought on as a guide, an assistant, or whatever you'd also like to suggest.
Last aside: the link to my character sheet is indeed in my signature; it is part of the character's name.
Current Characters:
Past Characters:
Ok so Mordikai's story has him travelling by merchant boat from Suzail in Cormyr, to Telflamm in Thesk, stopping at major ports along the way. I can imageg Tibern also travelling on the same boat, if DarthDrizzt is up for it.
We could have come across Ilvisar in a port where there is a Thayan Enclave (Thayan Enclaves practice slavery within their walls, so we could have had some incident that allowed Ilvisar to get free, and Ilvisar could then have joined us travelling on the merchant boat.
Any other idea's/suggestions?
David Gearlock | Human | Artificer | Revenge Heist
Knox | Warforged | Cleric | Shadowthorn's Out of the Abyss
Midnight is obviously a drow. Depending on how the party comes together, I'll share more personality and craft some recent backstory, but she could be spotted in Uthmere easily simply because of her race. One of her first actions is to seek out a heavy cloak and hood to help make her race and origin less obvious, as well as to shield her eyes from the harsh sun. Despite stories about her race and the negative treatment she gets from the locals, she doesn't appear to have the haughty attitude one might expect and seems more confused than offended at people's reactions.
Anyone observing her would compare her mannerisms to someone who grew up in a sheltered home or small town, and is equally curious and cautious about new people, new experiences and her general surroundings. For example, food brought to her is smelt and tasted briefly for poison, picked up and examined from every angle, given a dubious look and fearful face as the first bite goes down - only then to either spit it out or dive in hungrily as if she hasn't eaten much in a while. She gets caught up in the act of eating and forgets to keep an eye on everyone around her, who are are all likely staring at this point, until she stops mid-chew and slowly looks around the room at everyone. If they go back to their business, she returns to happily munching away; if they stare in fear or anger, she doesn't glare back - she simply puts her arm around her food protectively as if someone might take it away and eats while eye-balling the entire room suspiciously.
I have a picture of her, but I'm not sure how to host it here in the forum.I think I have figured out how to link a picture... here is my inspiration for Midnight.Unless someone else prefers, I'll use purple as my speech text.
First D&D set: 1980 red box. Haven't stopped playing since. :)
Ok, according to the wiki, Lyrabar in Impiltur has a Thayan Enclave, and that would have been a port that we would have stopped at on our way to Uthmere.
So we could have had some kind of incident there that allowed Ilvisar to escape and join us.
David Gearlock | Human | Artificer | Revenge Heist
Knox | Warforged | Cleric | Shadowthorn's Out of the Abyss
Ok I have an idea, subject to DM ok and player support.
Tibern and Mordikai are travelling on the same boat and have struck up a friendly acquaintance.
When the merchant boat docks at Lyrabar, Tibern and Mordikai get off the boat to stretch their legs and watch the boats being unloaded.
One of the nearby ships is unloading large crates with markings showing they are bound for the local Thayan Enclave. One of the crates slips its ropes and crashes to the docks revealing people inside, bound in chains. While the agreement with Thay allows them to practice slavery inside their enclave, in the rest of the city it is illegal. Tibern and Mordikai step forward to help free the slaves from their bounds.
Ilvisar takes an interest in the strange pair and asks if he can go with them. Mordikai would happily pay for Ilvisar to join the merchant ship, as he doesn't really have a good grasp of the value of money just yet.
How does that sound, any ideas to make it better/different?
David Gearlock | Human | Artificer | Revenge Heist
Knox | Warforged | Cleric | Shadowthorn's Out of the Abyss
For those who may be new to the DDB forums and haven't already worked it out for themselves, here is some helpful info:
I hope that is helpful :)
David Gearlock | Human | Artificer | Revenge Heist
Knox | Warforged | Cleric | Shadowthorn's Out of the Abyss
Vedui Gurth,
Dark haired and pale, Vedui will be wearing a cloak and often with the hood drawn over his head down low. He will constantly be glancing around and is cautious when entering a place for the first time, often the last to sit down. He has the look of one who is hunted and indeed it's because he is, or at least he expects he is. Although he was born a wood elf he knows not much of that culture - his elven would be slightly rusty even which Ilvisar may notice.
He has a fascination with Death, and anyone who has any type of religion.....he is trying to hide but if he sees someone such as Midnight, Serwa Omen, or Mordikai, who have some religion or god he will overcome his caution to ask them questions....Mostly about death and dying and what their religions believe. If he has met them before now he will have asked them already, or he may even go up to them in a tavern if he sees a holy symbol on them to ask questions. His focus will be on Death, in particular the moment of. Mordikai will particularly fascinate him, and he will ask if he was made and if he has a soul...not meaning to be rude but also not knowing better. If asked back why he is curious he will only mention that he studied once with an order that investigated such things....but then avoid detailed questions...he has no religion himself....
Otherwise he would not necessarily approach anyone. If he has talked to Ilvisar he would also be curious about his Elven heritage and ask as well....he will mention that he lost his family when he was young, but give no details and his elvish would be less than perfect...He would also ask about Ilvisar's family and where he was from (and if he knows any elven communities nearby) and seeing his reluctance will not push...he is curious about other Elves. Although he knows enough history to Know that Drow are considered an enemy he has no animosity or racial prejudice. Death is the great leveler.
Tibern
Tibern looks extreme even for a halfling as unlike other who come from the more lawful background of the devil's, Tibern himself has blood that links him back to the chaotic demons of the abyss. His horns are curled upwards and almost look like those of a ram as they circle around and come to a stop after two curls. His hair and eyes are contrasting as he has stark white hair that is look and reaches his shoulders while his eyes are pure black with no Iris or visible pupils. If one looks when he speaks they will notice a forked tongue and vampire like fangs where his canines should be. To finish it off he has a large pair of bat wings that but from his back, this being above his barbed tail that looks as if it would be sharp enough to stab someone.
His clothes are simple and practical even if they look to have once been well kept they have been slightly stained with signs of travel and general wear and tear. The most well kept thing he owns is a leather bag that carries his spell books this being black with lock attacched to it for when he is not using it. The only other curious item is the signet ring he wears on a thin gold chair around his neck.
Personality wise he is a general friendly but guarded person, not having much experience with people outside of his family and private tutors as a child. If people approach him with an open mind he tends to be fine with them and will attempt to learn more of them. If they react poorly to his appearance then he will shut them down and it will be hard to get him to even act as if such a person is even there. He tends to speak very formally and at times may even twitch if he does not do so, although this does stop with those he is comfortable with. At times he may seem to have a short attention span of something magic oriented catches his attention. Due to what occured with his father he will almost always refer to himself by only his first name.
(This is a work in progress but I will try to finish this before work but if not it may be until after 6pm EST before I can completely finish it.)
Rekuberk Onc Level 8 | Half Orc | Barbarian (The Tales of the Fellowship of the White Cloaks)
Kayassa Level 3 | Satyr | Warlock (Cleath13's LMoP)
Bertolt Silentlash Level 3 | Variant Human | Bard (Our Little Lives Kept in Equipoise: Death House)
Daerthe Narcion Level 4 | Drow | Rogue (Karmoli's Great Upheaval)
Noranys
Noranys has deep tan skin and brown hair so dark it's almost black, cut in a short bob just above her shoulders. Her yuan-ti heritage isn't too apparent at first glance, and then one realizes that it's not makeup shading her high cheekbones, but scales. Her eyes are similarly snakelike, though jade in color. She rarely makes any effort to hide her race, unless she would have a specific advantage by doing so -- by and large the opinions of others are of no matter to her. In most interactions she comes off as distantly polite or uninterested. But she can certainly turn on the charm, where it suits her.
Currently she's dressed in nondescript traveller's clothes, worn-looking leather armor hidden under a plain cloak -- she chills easily, though she wouldn't say so aloud. She was coming from Thay, so if anyone else was coming from the same direction, they might have seen her en route. She wouldn't have engaged in any conversation, but would have responded, in order to not be recalled as someone acting rudely or unlike other travellers.
(I'll see if I can't add more detail later -- I don't have good character art, but for a base, in the real world Noranys would be Latina, and I'm using Bothrops Asper as the snake elements.)
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
Early morning of the day of Highharvestide, between Eleint 30th and Marpenoth 1st, Year of Twelve Warnings, 1494 DR
You finally reach the end of an old rugged road amidst a bright day with the cheerful sounds of festivities ahead. You arrive in the trading post of Uthmere, in the Great Dale. The citizens are mostly human, a mix of ethnicities common in the west with those hailing from the exotic east. Whatever reason you had to come this far into the Unapproachable East is bound to fade into the background as your sights are filled with vibrant decorations for the region's celebration of Highharvestide, whether you sought profit, enjoyment, a greater purpose, or just rest. Brightly colored flags provide almost a roof for the dirt streets, and lit tinted lanterns spread over every corner, while children are receiving homemade sweets from the local clergy and priests are blessing larders, wine cellars, grain bins, and food reserves. A comfortable climate settles in, the city is filled with bright colors and wide smiles. Around the central market's bell tower area various activities are taking place, such as archery competitions, poem recitals, jousting, duels, eating, drinking, and all sorts of merriment.
Ilvisar, Mordikai and Tibern, you all set foot on the particularly busy docks early in the morning, after more than a tenday aboard the Honeywind of Captain Wil Salesonste, a ship that set sail from Suzail and intends to reach as many ports in the Sea of Fallen Stars as the pirates around may allow it to. Somewhat of an eagerness builds up in all of you, Telflamm as Mordikai's final destination seemed as good as any for the other two souls that only sought to distance themselves from troubled pasts. The captain approaches you at the docks as you sink in the movement and decorated buildings ahead, "Hah! See?" he slaps Tibern on the back of his shoulder almost heavily enough to throw him off balance, "Those repairs we had to get done in Lyrabar set us straight in schedule to enjoy the celebrations here! And you lot thought me over-zealous of my old Honey..." the burly fellow sporting an open coat showing no small amount of chest hair stands at your side smiling as he's just finished the most outstanding feat, "Go on, no need to thank me, go enjoy whatever the town has to offer, just be back here before midday tomorrow, and remember, leave any sweethearts you might find behind." he gives off a hearty laugh and a few coughs as he turns for his first mate, proceeding with the unload. A band of children approaches laughing and skipping, throwing hempen cords with beads painted bright white, red and yellow around your necks and those of other sailors.
Midnight and Nute, you two met in the Forest of Lethyr a few days back. The priestess was coming from the south, with dwindling supplies and somewhat doubtful of her directions through the forest, beginning to wish she had taken the road west. The druid, enjoying a warm campfire and munching on a few nuts and seeds, was quick to share once Midnight stumbled upon his camp, which was initially suspicious and prone to avoid him, but a grumbling belly and the stinging cold of the north eventually convinced her otherwise. Still, it was a night in which she barely slept, partially due to her suspiciousness, partially due to the rattling and low cawing noises the kenku would make while asleep. Nute guided Midnight through the forest, having trained with the druids of Mauberg's Oak, he was used to the forest and it's dangers, and under orders to familiarize himself with its borders and surrounding cities. The pair went north-west to the small town of Lethgate, and eventually to Uthmere, arriving in the town through its southern gate, decorated with long cloth banners bearing three great white cats over a red and yellow field. You cross the gates, the usual entry tax is handwaved due to the festivities inside, and it's clearly noticeable how many heads turn your way, but never meet your gaze, casually glancing to the side, you can also see as two guards following from a dozen meters behind, each casually swinging a heavy wooden cudgel leisurely. A band of children approaches laughing and skipping, throwing hempen cords with beads painted bright white, red and yellow around your necks, the one that comes for Midnight suddenly halts as she sees the face under the hood, the mid-motion sudden stop making the painted cord fall over the drow's feet as the child slowly backpedals and goes away with the others still looking back.
Noranys,
As per instructed by your superiors, you were to deliver a sealed letter to a certain Zentel Finrich, few questions asked and few instructions given aside from that. You made your way from your home in Surcross, you easily enough hid your true nature to avoid unwanted attention, and through many days on the road, every night a stranger dream came to you. In the dreams, you were lost in the dark and found yourself wielding a new otherworldly power, one that a raspy echoing voice prompted you to experiment with, and rejoiced as you did, seemingly asking nothing in return, yet. You grasped at energies that made your bones ache, and yet relax, made your mind numb, and yet be focused, you felt torment, but you also felt peace. As you woke up, you would find that you were able to call upon the powers you dreamt about the night before, what you felt only as fleeting energies the tendays before, you could now wield with some extent of mastery, and confidently call upon when needed. You eventually arrived through the southern gate of Uthmere, children laughing and skipping happily throw a hempen cord with beads painted bright white, red and yellow around your neck as you are welcomed to the festivities.
Serwa and Vedui, you two met in Two Stars, and eventually shared the road through Kront, Bezentil, and are arrivind in Uthmere. The paladin intended to go to Uthmere for some reason related to her faith, and with Vedui's intent of putting as many kilometres between him and Thay as possible, her road seemed good enough. Tagging along with trade caravans common in the region, the trip was rather uneventful. You arrive through Uthmere's eastern gate, along with the Dale Stream, bright banners of house Uthlain tremble in the cold breeze of coming autumn, you are waved through the gate by guards bearing colorful cords around their necks, and similar ones are thrown around yours as children approach. You witness priests wandering around blessing storages in the back of taverns, food stockages, and even distributing candies, and eventually approach a great crowd in the center of town, around a high bell tower.
Serwa,
You were instructed to find a certain Kaspar Mutsk, and whenever in absolute privacy, ask him about the 'Fingerbones'.
All of you, as you take a walk around town, you are able to observe the various festivities and events happening to celebrate Highharvestide Fair, the crop festival before the cold (colder, for the north) season settles in. Most of the leisurely singing and dancing is happening around the bell tower in the center of town, along with various merchants tents taking advantage of the increased flux of visitors around, including regular wares, mementos and local food (very common of which is a sandwich bearing a thick sausage longer than the dark rye itself, sticking outside on both sides). Other official fair activities include Archery Competitions being held on a field right outside the eastern gate, Artistic Performances taking place in the Captain's Loft (the town's fanciest tavern/inn around, but nowhere near aristocratic), Duels with wooden weapons taking place in the field just outside the southern gate, Jousting competitions being held inside the walls of the Lord's Palace, and the Eating competition happening around the crowd in the center Belltower Square, which involves the sausage sandwiches you've seen around. Other smaller contests of strength and skill can also be found, but aren't officially supported and don't bear sizeable prizes on display.
The town would hold no more than five hundred inhabitants on its regular days, but the festivities have brought in quite a sum beyond that to its walls, a fact for which merchants are particularly grateful. Establishments for stay here would include the Bloody Hook (poor, known for housing sailors and the occasional brawl), the Fendelmer's Hall (poor), the Homehearth (modest), the Sea Cat (comfortable), and the Captain's Loft (wealthy, fanciest option around). The Lord's Palace stands high on the north-western corner of town, its white, red and yellow banners flowing in the sea breeze, close to it there is a temple, the single other large building in town, clearly dedicated to Tyr, god of justice, due to its hammer and balance decorations. On the north-eastern corner of town there is a beautiful tree park which serves both as a place for daily activities and strolling and partially as a cemetery for the local nobility, as various mausoleums are about. The Dalestream crosses the town's southern half, and a bridge crosses it roughly in the middle, and the river eventually runs to the sea at the center of the docks. Other than that the town is filled with other old but cared for wooden structures, rather welcoming people (maybe partially due to the festival), and the smell of the sea close by.
The scene is cheerful, filled with commoners, merchants, nobles and visitors celebrating the fair. Are you taking part in any of the competitions? Are you seeking something in particular? Do you only seek to rest your weary feet at the end of a long road? What do you do?
Art Portfolio
Nute (not the best color for readability, but running out of options)
Nute is 5 feet tall with slightly hunched back seems less, black feather cover his body, his eyes are yellow. On his left hand, the claws are filed back. He caries a lute on his back, but it's hidden under his cloak that plays even more into the hunchback aesthetic. Living in the forest he used to spend a lot of time on the trees among other birds.
Never been outside the forest before Nute is very nervous and skittish. This is mixed with the curiosity of the young, results in a back and forth similar to how a wild animal would approach you, then run back, then forward, and so on. He is most comfortable around elves, but he does not have any prejudices towards other races. He likes to observe an individual with care, reading their intentions, before letting his guard down.
He was happy to meet another elf to accompany him in the travels. There are many among the druids, though never seen a drow before. In the forest, Nute was in his element, showing Midnight the way, what berries are good and what are poisonous. Outside it was the other way. While climbing up a tree for a better vantage point is a good thing, climbing up to rooftops is not. With the help of Midnight, these issues with etiquette are ironed out, for the most part.
Noticing the guards in the back, Nute pulls out his stone tablet and begins to write with a piece of chalk, then shows it to Midnight: "Guards, at back. hide?"
Characters:
Nute Kenku Druid - War of the Faithless
Ignace Miltorn Aasimar Paladin - Descent into Avernus
Midnight takes a quick glance at Nute's tablet and nonchalantly (not really) glances back at the guards. Speaking quietly to her new acquaintance, she asks, "Are we in trouble? Have I broken some local custom? They seem to be merely watching and waiting. Let's continue - I'm fascinated by this festival. If the guards get aggressive, we can make a break for the crowd and get lost in the confusion."
Saying this, she goes back to watching the people, trying to take everything in at once. When the small girl drops the necklace of beads at her feet, she picks them up and smells them for poison and checks for any hidden needles. Finding neither, she wraps the beaded necklace around her wrist like a bracelet.
First D&D set: 1980 red box. Haven't stopped playing since. :)
https://ddb.ac/characters/27311645/1Qbc4q
Serwa Omen - Her text color will be Brown unless that has been spoken for.
Human (Rashemi), Female, Paladin of Kelemvor, Lawful Neutral
Physical Description: Serwa Omen is a human Rashemi female in her early 20s, standing at 5'7''. She is an attractive woman by the standards of her region, but with a peculiar symmetry, as if the work of an especially uninspired painter setting out to paint a "pretty girl," with no particularly distinctive features or traits. Her eyes, a dark shade of brown, look black in most lighting. Her long dark hair is worn in a single braid, typically, in the Rashemi fashion. Her build is athletic, again, attractive in the most unremarkable way, but she has surprising strength for her frame due to her training as a soldier, and a warrior-priest of Kelemvor.
She typically dresses as if she is going to a funeral, with her common outfit being a black blouse, black skirt, tan tights and black shoes with a short heel. Over this she wears her chain mail armor and holy symbol of Kelemvor, the neutral death deity she served, which doubles as a locket containing a sketch of her lost love, a pretty half-elf woman. She carries heavy weapons, a halberd and a maul, as well as several javelins, all within easy reach, and bears no shield. In her backpack she carries her vestments, a change of clothes (a Rashemi dancing outfit, bright and colorful unlike her typical "funeral outfit" she wears more routinely), and her other miscellaneous travel equipment.
Summary of Interaction in Travels with Fellow PCs to Date: In her travels with Vedui, she has certainly catered to both his fascination with death and with religion. She uses sardonic gallows humor often, and tends to be quite deadpan, but if Vedui is an Insightful person, he can likely discern that this is her own coping mechanism. She has a large number of stories about deaths of comrades, friends and loved ones, far more than one would reasonably expect of someone her age. She shares how she was born from the corpse of a woman found slain at the side of the road, how the miner who adopted her died of infection following a mining injury while she was in her teens, how she entered the Rashemen military at that time, and saw numerous comrades die of injury or illness. On this point she stresses the importance of personal hygiene, as disease kills more soldiers than blade or arrows.
She shares how she attended funeral after funeral, with last rites conducted by a foreign priest, Danauv, who taught her about his god, Kelemvor. Joining the clergy of Kelemvor as one of the few paladins of the neutral death god has given her solace. She took on the surname "Omen," having none of her own, due to the feeling that her entire life has been lived under the ill omen of her birth, but Kelemvor provides her with a meaning and purpose to death. She speaks of righting the scales, and her personal code of justice, ensuring justice my matching unjust death with just killing.
She has not likely opened up about the picture of the half-elf girl in her locket, as she and Vedui are likely still growing to trust one another. She does speak the Elvish language fairly well, and seems to have a fascination with Elvish culture, although she seems to know fairly little about it. She only mentions that someone "very important to her" was half-elf, and has always wanted to know more about her own elvish lineage .
She has likely invited Vedui to participate in various games along the road to pass the time during breaks, although she only carries a deck of cards, she learned several varieties of gaming with the deck from fellow soldiers during her military service. She speaks fondly of the game Dragon Chess, and how she intends to purchase a set when she can. She also frequently sings and dances during breaks from travel, always songs with sad and morose lyrics, and strange interpretative dances. She also speaks of purchasing a Lyre, but like the Dragon Chess set it will have to wait until later.
Serwa
After entering the town and seeing all of the events taking place, Serwa says to Vedui, "I like games and competitions. I have some church business here in town, but I also want to enter into some of these contests. The artistic performance contest sounds fun, so do the duels with wooden weapons. The eating competition sounds disgusting. I hate it when people chew with their mouths open, you know someone is going to do that. What do you think? I'm going to check the schedules, see if I can enter both the performance competition and the duel. Then I'll look for my contact." Despite professing interest, she speaks in a fairly flat, emotionless tone, unless noted otherwise. She stares at the bustling crowds of people with a wide-eyed expressionless stare.
She seems to be talking to herself, in part, rationalizing prioritizing the appealing competitions over directly going about whatever unspoken business the church of Kelemvor has given her. "I'm taking my duties seriously. But you've got to live while you're alive. We're all going to die, after all. Check contest schedules first, and then I'll find my contact later. Want to tag along, or meet back up somewhere later, Vedui? You might as well have some fun, too. We're further from Thay, that's all that matters, right?"
OOC: If Vedui has not shared that his intent is to distance himself from Thay, she would omit the last bit of dialogue.
Vedui Gurth,
Vedui would have spent some time asking about Serwa and her religion, pestering her about the god of Death and what ceremonies or death rights that were practiced, as well as her thoughts on the soul and the moment of death......
Modrikai turns to Tibern and Ilvisar, as the group starts walking away from the boat.
"I like festivals, the priests of Gond back in Baldur's Gate put on a festival every year, it was wonderful."
"Do you think there will be any automatic pipe organs or fluttering whirligigs at this festival?"
David Gearlock | Human | Artificer | Revenge Heist
Knox | Warforged | Cleric | Shadowthorn's Out of the Abyss
Vedui Gurth,
By the time they have arrived in town, Vedui will be in somewhat awe of Serwa assuming he has heard her stories, and doesn't plan on leaving her side.
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She seems to be talking to herself, in part, rationalizing prioritizing the appealing competitions over directly going about whatever unspoken business the church of Kelemvor has given her. "I'm taking my duties seriously. But you've got to live while you're alive. We're all going to die, after all. Check contest schedules first, and then I'll find my contact later. Want to tag along, or meet back up somewhere later, Vedui? You might as well have some fun, too. We're further from Thay, that's all that matters, right?"
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"Aye, being far from there is a good thing for me. I know no one here, and if you will have me I will be happy to follow along. Something Fun as well sounds good, so what do you do for fun? Do you want to enter a competition?"
ooc: Whatever I did for F up the formatting here....I can't fix it...
Serwa
Responding to Vedui, Serwa says, "Today, a performance contest and a duel, that's what I will do for fun today. Play before work, today. I don't think Kelemvor would mind. It is a festival. Are there any contests that you plan on entering?" As he has agreed to accompany her, Serwa will go first to the Captain's Loft and inquire about the schedule for the Artistic Performances, and sign up to participate, and then to the field just outside the southern gate to sign up for the Duels. If Vedui expresses interest in any other competitions, she will go with him to inquire about those. Depending on when she is scheduled to participate in the contests, she may elect to part ways with Vedui for some "private Paladin business," arranging to meet up with him at a designated time and place later, and she will begin asking around about Kaspar Mutsk, but that will be dependent on the schedule for the Performance and Duels, and how much downtime she has in between.