This is for my half-elf bard character, Ember. I'm still kinda new to the game so please let me know if the story sounds a bit silly (also my DM knows about the possibly more "world breaking" aspects of her backstory and are 100% cool with it)
Ember Hearthbrand was born in the great city of Ashearst. Her father was a young knight from a small yet respected noble family and her mother a young Wood Elf traveler from the nearby forests. Growing up Ember had a simple yet happy childhood, learning the art of music and magic from her mother and fighting skills from her father. But, as with all stories, things inevitably took a turn for the worst. For Ember, this came when her mother passed away, leaving her father emotionally distraught and vulnerable. It was around this time that a woman by the name of Elrica worked her way into their lives, posing as a friend to her father whilst she slowly began manipulating him to act according to her will. Eventually Ember's father was fully under the control of Elrica's charm. And so she lead him to use his position as a noble and his trusted relation with the royal family to stage a coup, effectively taking the throne for herself.
After this incident the Hearthbrand family name became shunned by the people who held a disdain for the family, including Ember regardless of her lack of control over the situation. At this point Elrica's control had also began taking a hold of the counsel and other people of importance. Soon Elrica became increasingly hostile towards Ember, frustrated by the fact that she could not seem to gain a control over her as she had the others (likely due to her elven bloodline). Deciding that she was more trouble than she was worth, she made an attempt to kill Ember, but failed as Ember managed to escape with the help of some of the uncharmed and sympathetic castle staff, Elrica's attacks only leaving a blackened hand-print wound on Ember's shoulder which would scar and mark her for life.
After making it out of the city she spent several months traveling from town to town as a wandering minstrel, hiding her identity and living off what little she could make. Until she came across a group of traveling charlatans, who helped her out of a misunderstanding with the town guards. The leader of the group, Bazzle (a.k.a. Baz) decided to take her into the group, noting that her youth (14 yr) and musical talent would come of use. And so for the next dozen years she traveled with the group, learning new skills and tricks such as acting, new spells and of course how to scam people out of their money. Eventually she left the group, deciding to work on getting stronger so she could perhaps one day return to the city of Ashearst and right the wrongs that have been done. At this point she joined the adventuring guild, which is where she met the rest of the current party and where the real story began ;)
Please note that English is not my first language and some grammar/spelling mistakes are likely to have been made.
Born into the tribe of the Sundered Tusks, Grimm was inundated with the culture of Gruumsh from a young age. As a mostly full blooded orc, he not only heard the preaching (more shouting and warchants, really) of the shamans, he felt the call of Gruumsh in his blood. Yet, from practically as early as he could talk, he questioned things. He questioned why, in an age where the Many Arrows had successfully made a full Civilization, a land where Orcs could live in relative peace and trade with neighbors of other races, instead his tribe was always warring against those races around them, and often even among themselves. He often received answers of how the Many Arrows were not 'true followers of Gruumsh', and this in turn led to him questioning why they followed Gruumsh at all. He did not, it seemed, offer the best possible future for his people, after all.
Many scorned him and his dangerous heresies, yet he spoke with an intelligent and persuasive tongue, and more than one Orc paused to give his words a second thought. It was thus decided by the chieftain and the shamans of Gruumsh that he must die.
A warlock named Trakzar'Ruz Doomsnarl argued for a different plan, and it was approved due to its deviousness and cunning, virtues of Gruumsh. Grimm was instead, during his sleep, made into a thrall of Trakzar'Ruz. Under his influence and domination, he decried his former words, and was made to appear to be a champion of Gruumsh before his people. The control of the warlock was far from absolute, but the times he was able to escape his sway for any amount of time, his words contradicted themselves seemingly at random, giving the impression he was mad.
When the warlock held him under his sway, he was made to swear a pact to the Demon Lord Belphegor, that he might serve as a better thrall. Used then for the magical power gained through the pact, he was even more effective as a paragon of the way of Gruumsh, sowing warfare, destruction, and seeming madness in his wake. Yet at no point was he some mindless slave. He heard three different voices in his head, the call of Gruumsh, especially powerful in his dreams and a burden shared by all his people; that of his master Trakzar'Ruz; and of course the Demon Lord to whom he was now bound. All three drove him toward their own unique brands of conflict, barbarity, and evil. Yet he never lost sight internally of his moral precepts nor his desire for a future which is not marked by endless wanton violence, not just for himself, but for his people as well.
During a period of greater than normal lucidity, he escaped from his tribe, and made his way alone through the wilderness, seeking to start somewhere new. Yet no matter where he goes, he cannot truly escape- Gruumsh is waiting for him in his dreams, and the drumbeat call of the rage of his people rises to mind during any stressful situations. Trakzar'Ruz whispers to him from across the realms, urging him to come home, demanding he perform heinous acts, and otherwise tormenting him relentlessly, with his whispers imbued with unnatural power due to his connection to him as a master to his thrall. And Belphegor whispers to him incessantly as his pact lord, insisting the powers he conveys be used to ends which suit his purposes. It is thus his goal to silence all of those voices- to slay those who would lay claim to him and his actions. He has vowed to slay the warlock Trakzar'Ruz, and then journey into the hells themselves and slay the Demon Lord Belphegor, and ultimately, he seeks to slay the god Gruumsh, that he and all orcs might walk freely on their own path, unshackled by any evil influence.
It is easy to believe that Grimm is mad. He will at times speak in a manner which blatantly contradicts that which he himself just said, and often seems to be wresting with himself, barely in control of his actions. He is prone to outbursts of violence and other destructive actions, and will afterwards display genuine sorrow and remorse and attempt to atone for those actions, which will only make the next outburst all the more confusing. He speaks at times of the voices in his head, which certainly does not aid anyone in their beliefs in his sanity. When he is speaking with lucidity though, he speaks with a somber sense of purpose and a clear sense of morality. He speaks with a sincerity which is hard to discount.
When travelling, he is always in a hurry, often pushing for increased travel hours and reduced sleep, apparently feeling the need to make as much progress as possible. This apparent desire for haste flies in the face of his seemingly arbitrary decisions at times to reverse his course, or his nasty habit of 'sleepwalking' in the incorrect direction. His inexplicable nature manifests itself in odd ways, too, such as throwing himself into a trap rather than calling out a warning to avoid it. He approaches combat with the same reckless haste as everything else- leading with potent and destructive spells, and wiping out the most dangerous parts of his arsenal in the opening rounds of combat. Between those actions and his perpetual impatience and reluctance to stop for rests, it is almost as though he would rather not have parts of his arsenal in reserve, as though he fears what he might do with them.
Notes: This is another *very* difficult character, one which requires an experienced roleplaying group who knows and trusts you to get away with, and one which requires a deft hand to be able to exhibit his personality traits properly without overdoing it or making the rest of the group feel they're better off without him. Limits must be observed, and restraint must be exercised, without it feeling like he's under foreign influence "when it's convenient" or as a means of throwing a temper tantrum or reclaiming the spotlight. Still, he gives a chance to *really* stretch those acting chops and try out something very different, and with DM help lets you essentially play 3 characters in one, at least until he starts killing off those voices in his head :-) Seriously, though, don't play this character, he's better as an NPC anyway.
I am Raloric Darkbreaker. I was once a soldier of the private military of the feudal manor family of Eve, but once the ogres and earth giants stormed the key forts and the elegant and wealthy manor house itself, the order of Eve was destroyed. What lays now is scattered companies and soldiers of the order of Eve, still in control of a few towns and forts, even five years after the collapse of the feudal family and order.
(example of a typical Order of Eve fortress)
(A feudal manor house in medieval Europe that I thought would fit the type of manor house of the Eve family)
Their reach was far, and justice sent. We brought rule and law to all surrounding towns and villages, keeping the roads safe between and within them, encouraging trade between each other. Agriculture greatly increased as more people settled the road sides, the feudal kingdom now becoming wealthy and powerful. Less monsters and bandit parties were about, most killed or gone due to the new rule. I held a position as chief of Guard in the town of Ambercroft, near the border of the feudal reaches. I was in charge of fifty men. Fifty too little. Ambercroft suffered the first blow from the Giant invasion. We were just starting to push into the mountains and bring peace to all mountain living folk, but sadly, we got the opposite affect. By pushing in Giant territory we were upsetting and causing a war. We could've easily destroyed the Giant army, they just living in scattered and isolated encampments deep in the hills and between peaks, but they united to our threat, a very un-giant thing to do. Instead of defending they pushed forward right into Ambercroft. Ambercroft along with its soldiers were crushed by their clubs and rocks, our small fortifications were shown as a toothpick fort to a child's foot. I was one of the only survivors. The only reason why I am still alive was by bathing myself int he blood of my comrades and fellow citizens to blend in with the ground around me. A bloody war of two years perused, the reaches of Eve gradually losing territory and lands. Most of Eve's soldiers went into hiding and different military forces, like I. I am currently a thief and occasional mercenary, avoiding the law of other towns and cities to do my work. I still wield and wear my "E" embellished rapier and studded leather armor, now slightly altered and darkened to better blend in with the night in which I do my work. You may find me in bars or underground flea markets, roaming the cities and towns once held with the pristine and honored Order of Eve. I may tag along on adventurers or get hired for work of any type, but no strings attached. If the Order of Eve ever gains power again or steps out from their forts and isolated towns I will join my brothers and sisters to return justice to our giant ridden world.
I dream of coming back to my land of Eve, bringing justice back, putting the hidden Eve bloodline back into power. Ever since the attack I've been wandering... thinking... always unsatisfied. I have traveled to the northern land of of wild horses, Sudor, and then even more northwards to the Kingdom. of Archaeodinia. I have made friends with a dwarf and elf, a comforting thought, myself being a halfelf. She is very kind, but alas, the dwarf is a little sketchy, he being a p(i)mp and everything. But they may give me help. They themselves are powerful, having influence in the southern kingdom of woodelves and he having influence in the dwarven Norfolk. They both nearly border my lands. With help, we may strike, and sweep the giants out, reclaiming the lands of Eve for our own. Perhaps I may gain enough gold and profit from my next mercenary mission, a political assassination with the help of the dwarf and the elf, and hire warriors to attack with myself. But I must strike, and I must be swift in doing so.
Piper was born 103 years ago to Haizon and Viola Tuilë in a beautiful haven of Eladrin architecture, deep in the Feywilds. Her village, Silvemelle, was built around a mountain with multi-tiered waterfalls in a mystical forest. The buildings are round with tall spires decorated with swirling vine-like ornamentation. The trees here have grown nearly as tall as the mountains. The enduring sun of the Feywild glistens off of the waterfalls and creates everlasting rainbows over each of the bridges.
Elf births are very rare and there were only two other Eladrin births in the surrounding years. Every birth of an elf soul is a part of a reincarnation cycle in which an elf returns to the realm of Arvandor. Then the soul emerges from Arvandor, to be reborn into a lissome, graceful body that lives for an incredibly long time — evidence that their creator holds a love for them that, deep down, is boundless. Throughout their lives they experience events called Remembrances in which the elves recall a part of their past life through Trance (the elf equivalent of sleep). The other two Eladrin were names Fieryaand Ruven. Having no one else around the same age, they inevitably became great childhood friends.
During Piper’s first few years of life, her memories evoked during trance were that of fantastic adventures of her immortal elf soul. Throughout her childhood she recalled stories of epic battles and great accomplishments as well as some of the most beautiful places she has ever seen. Her and her friends would camp just outside of Silvemelle and trade stories of their past selves. However, Ruven, had a hard time remembering anything as epic and beautiful as the other two Eladrin and began to grow disdainful and jealous of their souls.
She had her last major childhood remembrance in her thirteenth year of life. Piper’s last remembrance was that of her as a musician, in the middle of a great battle. She stood on the edge of a roof, on a tall treacherous castle tower, besieged by enemies of darkness. The land below full of armies, giants, dragons and fiends fighting a glorious battle. The battlefield was ablaze with cries of pain and death. As she was playing her viol and singing an impossibly eloquent and beautiful song. Her perfect melodic tune quelled the dragons rage, calmed the armies into a haze and caused the fiends to collapse. The dark gloomy skies lit up as the bright blue sky began to break through the black smoke of war. Her voice traveled across the battlefield for miles as a chorus of angels surrounded her and put an end to the war. Piper woke up from the trance in a winterous haze where she was overwhelmed with tears of sadness. With uncontrollable tears falling down her face she went to her parents and told them of this remembrance. Normally children don’t share these with adults, but she was profoundly impacted by this Trance.
That same year, during a trance, she had her First Reflection of her current life. It was a memory of her swirling a stick in a pond towards some fish when she was very young. This First Reflection marks the child’s passing into adolescence.
Adolescence
As Piper entered adolescence, she was enamored by the grace and beauty of her past life as she realized the potential songs can have on the world. The more she pursued music however, the more her father became increasingly intolerant to the idea.
Her father had a different plan for her and believed in the traditions of acquiring practical knowledge and skills needed for her life as an adult in Eladrin society. He wanted her to focus on academics, lore and history of the world so that she could follow in his footsteps as a well known historian. Her mother was complacent and would do whatever her father would say. She secretly supported Piper’s dreams, but never really acted on it. She believed that Haizons path was the safest way to go.
Over the years, she reluctantly followed her father's strict educational plans, she would escape into a cave illuminated by bioluminescent plants behind the highest waterfall in the mountain, where she would practice her music in secret. She got away with it for years, listening to nature and trying to compose music out of the sounds of Silvemelle.
“Listen. Can you hear it? The music. I can hear it everywhere. In the wind... in the air... in the light. It's all around us. All you have to do is open yourself up. All you have to do... is listen.“ - August Rush
She was a natural musician, using whatever instruments she could get her hands on. She may not have known how a Lute worked in the traditional sense, but she would bang on the strings, drum on the body and move air through jars and bottles. She would carefully craft instruments out of reeds, leaves and pots; whatever seemed to make a nice sound. She would sometimes invite her friends up and try to teach them some of her songs. Giving them simple instruments like drums made of pots and leather to add rhythm to her compositions.
That is, until her father found out. One day, he followed her up the hour long hike to the tops of the waterfalls. He heard music being played from inside the caves and he followed the sounds. Piper was trying to replicate the song she heard in the Trance, but could never get it right. He saw his daughter deliberately disobeying him. He burned everything she collected over the years on the spot. And put guards on her to make sure she wouldn’t go up there ever again.
This memory would become a recurring trance over the next few years that made her grow even more distant from her father. For the next five years, Piper learned to control her Trances and would use them to evoke her joyous moments inside the cave inventing songs and playing music. She did whatever she could to not forget what she had learned. This was a perfect way to play music without disobeying her father through memories. After she gained full control over her trances, she would purposefully evoke the memory of her father burning her instruments, to remind herself of the heartbreak she was put through.
On the contrary, some of her best memories happen in these years. Her and Fierya shared meals together, and went on adventures through the Feywilds. They would explore deep caverns and canoe down glowing rivers. During one adventure with Fierya and Ruven, he finally snapped. Ruven began fighting with them about how he is always left behind and how everyone in the village treats him horribliy because he doesn’t live up to the two girls. That night he disappeared from the village and the Feywilds for good. Quickly, her memories of her past life began to be less frequent and the trances no longer evoked memories of lives past. The Drawing of the Veil is the name elves give to the time when the elf can only recall events of its current mortal existence.
Adulthood:
She was able to finish her first decades of education with great marks that pleased her father. When she was 54, she completed her Drawing of the Veil Ceremony about the same time she finished her education. Everyone congratulated her on academic success but it felt empty. She feels like she wasted her years not playing music on top of losing her connection with her past lives. During the ceremony, her mother brought her to a place in the woods with a large hollowed out tree next to a serene pond. She uncovered some brush and revealed a beautiful Lyre. It was made out of hand crafted wood and had ornamentations of Carola Roses. Which are a common flower in Silvemelle.
Her mother told her there was someone she needed to meet. They walked another hour outside the village into a wild grove which in the center housed a tree that touches the clouds. Fairies and fireflies dot the air in the area. Large toadstools the size of trees encircle a clearing in front. Viola knocks on the trunk and moments later a gorgeous male Eladrin in Autumn form slowly emerges from within the tree. His skin morphed from brown bark into a familiar orange and red as he stepped out of the tree. In his hand was a beautiful lute that looks like it was made from a branch of that very tree. He said to her,
“There is a harmonic connection between all living beings, everywhere, even the stars, you can feel it, can’t you child?”
For decades into her adult life, the mysterious Eladrin would teach Piper how to use instruments and music, teaching her magical songs. He would go on to teach her the ways of Piper’s previous life through the musical teachings of Glamour. Anytime Piper saw him in trance, she could see cataracts in the shape of crescents, pointing down, that appear over the pupils of both eyes. She knew that he has lived for a very long time and will soon disappear.
She was nearing her first century in life when tragedy struck. Unbeknownst to Piper when she was out practicing her music in the grove. Her mother had been poisoned and died.. She came back to village to find her mother collapsed on the floor of their home with a glass of wine spilled onto the floor. Her father came downstairs to see what the commotion was and rushed to Viola’s side.
The priests performed ceremonial rights and the village folk began to give their family gifts to help them through the trauma. Everyone knows that she will just be reincarnated and her soul will live on, the real victims in murders are the families, as they must move on without a loved one. They never found the killer. After a few days, her father seemed to go back to his normal ways. She believes it was him who poisoned her mother for leading Piper to the bard in the woods and giving her an instrument. Piper was sure she was careful and her mother had no enemies in the world. Piper packed her things and ran away from home, to seek out adventure and to make new memories away from her home. It’s time she saw the world.
She ran to her master at the grove and told him of her plans. After giving his condolences about losing her mother, he let her know that the Ancient Tree is actually a portal to the Material Plane. That is where he has spent the last 600 years and where he learned about music. He tells her stories of some of his adventures and gives her his lute. He tells her to step through the tree and she will be teleported to a mysterious new world. As Piper steps through the portal, she turns back to look at him smiling as his body flashes in a bright light and disappears.
Bardic Inspiration
This section highlights some of her favorite songs (one for each season) she has written and how she manifests her music and songs.
Her favored instruments are Lute and Lyre but she is also proficient in the drums and flute. She is also a vibrant dancer.
Songs:
Song:
Instrument:
Season:
Inspiration
“Lullaby of Broken Dreams”
Lyre
Winter
This heart-wrenching song was written to relive the moments where her father burned her instruments in the Luminous Cavern.
“Call of the Blossom Fairy”
Lute
Spring
This is the closest she was ever able to get to replicating the song of her past life. It’s astoundingly beautiful.
“Wish of Daylight”
Drum
Summer
This inspiring march was written based on her friendship with Fierya. Their bond is one of the strongest and best parts of Pipers life.
“Dance of Leaves”
Flute
Autumn
Her love for festivals, food and comfort inspired this hearty, playful tavern-like balad.
*I will develop this section in a separate document describing how she flavors spells
Gods of the fey
Piper aligns with Hanali Celanil per the teachings of her bardic master. She is also aligned with Corellon Larethian, the creator of all elves. It is the goal of most elves to rejoin Corellon in the realm of Arvandor. She can be seen placing flowers and stones around fountains and bowls of water to represent power of the evergold. She will also be caught beautifying and cleaning places without being asked to do so.
Hanali Celanil
(Excerpt from Tomb of Foes) Hanali is the elven god of beauty and love. Usually depicted as a beautiful female, in some stories the god appears to mortals as a gorgeous male. Hanali’s gender in a story seldom matters, for no matter how much heartache and confusion the stories contain, they end with affairs of the heart properly sorted out and everyone in love with the person, or persons, they were fated to be with. Stories of Hanali’s romantic adventures among elves and other mortals are perennial favorites when sung by elf bards and poets.
In Arvandor, Hanali maintains a hidden pool called Evergold. She bathes in it at least once a day. It’s said that the water of Evergold keeps her young and breathtakingly beautiful, but this is certainly a poetic myth, since all the Seldarine appear young and beautiful, with or without having bathed in this fountain. Mortal elves who are invited to join Hanali in the pool are said to retain their youthfulness and to delay the onset of Transcendence by at least a century. More than a few elves claim to have experienced this benefit, and the truth of it is attested by many bards — sometimes in all earnestness, sometimes with a knowing wink.
Pools of Beauty. Those who worship Hanali Celanil build shrines in her honor around natural pools of clear spring water — a representation of the purity and power of Evergold. Her priests often surround such an area with flowers or arrange stones in a way that accentuates the natural beauty of the place. In a shrine dedicated to the worship of several elven deities, an alabaster bowl of water, usually with yellow flowers or petals floating in it, is left in reverence to Hanali.
Hanali’s pool is a symbol of rejuvenation, and its water has significance as well in representing the ever-flowing force of love. To Hanali’s followers, love is a living thing that flows like a river, moving around obstacles with ease, and, if it must, carving a path through bedrock to reach the sea of unity where all love gathers to become one with the cosmos. As one would navigate a river, the faithful of Hanali are known for following their hearts, unwilling to deviate from the pursuit of ultimate beauty.
Devotees of Hanali Celanil are known for taking the initiative in beautifying their surroundings without asking or expecting others to follow suit. If a shrine to the gods is beginning to look somewhat untidy, her followers will straighten things up, bring fresh flowers, and refresh offerings of food, water, and wine. Especially vigilant individuals might even decide to clean up after others who carelessly spill a drink in a tavern or leave their dinner table in a slovenly condition, all in humble service to their god.
Corellon Larethian
(Excerpt from Tomb of Foes) The creator of all elves is both chaos and beauty personified. Corellon is as fluid and changeable as a breeze or a brook — quick to anger, but equally quick to forgive and forget. The god loves magic, artistry, nature, and freedom. Anyone who has felt the mystical presence of Corellon describes it as a joy like no other, followed by a deep melancholy when his presence is no longer felt.
Corellon doesn’t expect much from followers — no complex rituals or frequent ceremonies or even regular prayer. Corellon wants them to enjoy life, to try new things, to imagine what they desire and then pursue it, and to be kind to others. In return for this freedom from the usual requirements of religion, Corellon expects them to address their own problems and not pray for aid in every crisis. These precepts are instilled within every elf, since all elves are ultimately descended from fragments of Corellon. When elves ask their priests how one might become able to sense Corellon’s presence, the priests often say,
“First, truly know yourself. Only then can you feel our creator near.”
Life in the Material World
After Piper stepped through the Fey Crossing, the once colorful grove was now dead and covered in melting snow and mud. The Mushroom trees transformed into conifers and the ancient tree was just a massive stump. It was then she began her journey into the Material Plane. She has spent the following few years of her life traveling around with the goal of making great memories that she can recall in trance. Most of what she was looking for were beautiful landscapes and natural wonders.
Anytime she found a serene mountain range or a mystical forest, she would begin to dance, play her music, write songs, anything that connected her to music and the world. She would also spend time in Trance recalling the lessons from her master and then practicing the musical spells from her songbook. On her journeys she found that there were many places that were not so kind to her presence. She started to develop a sense for when she should not be in her usual flamboyant form.
She also began to remember in Trance, good memories of when she invented wind and percussion style instruments. So she picked up a flute and a drum in her travels.
Physical Traits and Personality
Physical Description: She mostly maintains her spring looks, but will dip into Autumn frequently as well. She will only ever go into winter if she gets really sad or is in a horrible situation. After resting, her look can change quite drastically, her skin, hair and outfit change to represent one of the four seasons. Her outfits generally will have some sort of natural effect to them as well such as leaves, flowers and snowflakes. Her eyes glimmer with fey magic.
Sex: Female Weight: 93 lbs Height: 4’ 9” Age: 103
Spring:
Her favorite season, Spring, is represented by the colors pink and green for the blossoms. She has hot pink hair with bubblegum skin and rose colored eyes. She wears a sheer light pink and white chest wrap with an ornate buckle in the center. She wears no shoes and has a tied skirt made of the same fabric as her chest wrappings. On her left shoulder and wrists are ornate leaf-like bracers and shoulder guards. Her hair is tied back into a high half ponytail with a living vine covered in flowers. She is also wearing ornate earrings. She prefers her lute in this form.
Summer:
Summer is the season she adorns if she is about to go into battle. She has bright orange hair with golden skin and yellow colored eyes. She wears a yellow breastplate and with ornate shoulder guards. She wears sandals and a skirt made of light fabric and oak leaves. She wears short wrist guards and has her hair down, flowing and long. She prefers her drum in this form.
Autumn:
Her second favorite season, Autumn, is represented by the colors orange and red. She has Burnt Red hair with orange skin and fiery colored eyes. She wears a short colorful kimono with leaf patterns abound. She wears no sandals and tall socks. She wears her hair tied up in a braid with a living vine and yellow flowers.
Winter:
Winter is represented by blue and white. She has snow white hair hair with blue skin and silver colored eyes. She wears a simple top and an ornate skirt. She has tall boots and a fur cloak She has aggressive icy armguards. She keeps her hair down and this look has straight across bangs.
Personality
Piper has an outgoing and vivacious personality that epitomizes the joy-seeking aspects of Eldarin culture. She wears her emotions on her sleeve, loves to have fun, and often expresses herself in flamboyant ways. Eladrin tend to wear minimal clothing compared to humans, both as a reflection of her uninhibited culture and in order to feel at one with nature.
However, Piper is also a born fighter, and her sweet and frivolous personality evaporates whenever a combat situation arises. She is a fierce and no-nonsense fighter and extremely aggressive when her friends are in danger. She likes to meet new people and is a very good judge of character. She knows within minutes if someone would make a good travelling companion. It can however take decades for her to consider someone to become a part of a deep personal connection.
Piper pays special interest to the ephemeral: a cloud of mayflies, bubbles in water, illusions, eclipses, rainbows, artistic performances, and so forth. They are fascinated by any thing of beauty — an object, creature, scene, or event — that might be experienced only once, but which can be captured in an elf’s memory and revisited during trance for the rest of their lives.
Piper is a flamboyant and eccentric person and part of that nature shows more or less when she is in a different natural form. She doesn’t have multiple personalities, but she does seem to highlight aspects of herself more or less depending on her form. There are traits about her that are true no matter what.
Traits
I have different assumptions from those around me concerning personal space, blithely invading others’ space in innocence.
Spring. (Joy) Every day is the greatest day of your life.
Autumn. (Gluttony) You stock up on fine food and drink. You hate going without such comforts.
Winter. (Despair) The worst case is the most likely to occur.
Summer. (Confidence). A strong front can accomplish almost anything.
Ideals
Adventure. I’m far from home, and everything is strange and wonderful! (Chaotic)
Music. The power of music excites me and I seek out new songs.
Bonds
I’m fascinated by the beauty and wonder of this new land.
I am very attached to my instruments and will never put myself in a situation that separates me from them.
Flaws
I have a weakness for the new intoxicants and other pleasures of this land.
Spring. A pretty face infatuates you in an instant, but your fancy passes with equal speed.
Autumn. You trust others without a second thought. You allow others to guide your actions.
Summer.The best option is one that is swift, unexpected, and overwhelming
Winter. Nothing matters to you, and you allow others to guide your actions.
Fears
Poison. She has an irrational fear of poison and won't drink anything given to her by a complete stranger or someone who she has a bad feeling about.
Burning. She isn’t afraid of fire itself, and is okay with using it, but is afraid of the idea of people or sentimental items she cares for, burning to dust. She will find a way to try and douse the flames if someone or their livelihood is in danger.
Reason for Adventuring:
(From Tomb of Foes) Elves know that once they experience Transcendence, the memories they have accumulated will contribute to their eternal contentment. So they seek out experiences that will produce exciting, beautiful, or satisfying memories. A few battles against monsters certainly could qualify, but such activities aren’t usually the focus of an elf’s endeavors. Much preferred are memories of faraway places, excellent meals, and fascinating people. As such, most elf “adventurers” are primarily sightseers, not valiant crusaders or heroes for hire. They’re more interested in remote forests, lonely valleys, high mountains, and other natural places than in cities.
Equipment and Treasured Items:
Lute: This is the Lust made from a branch of the Grove Tree that her bardic master gave her just before his soul moved on.
Lyre: This is a Lyre given to her by her mother as a symbol of support for her music. She had it custom made just for Piper.
Rapier: During her youth, her father had her train in finesse style combat as a part of her education. She didn’t take to it too well, but she can handle a rapier with relative ease.
Dancer’s Costume: This is an ornate yellow and orange dancing outfit made of light sheer fabric that seems to float around as she dances.
Commoner’s Costume: She has a mute brown and white dress, corset and boots that she wears in crocurance with her Disguise kit so that she can blend in even better. It was designed to look like a ”material plane commoner”, but the fabrics are still exquisite. Anyone who scrutinized it could tell these are no rags
Disguise kit: After traveling around the material plane for a while, she found that not everyone likes outsiders. She picked up a disguise kit so that she could blend in better. She uses this kit to make her skin look more natural and to dye her hair if needed. This is so that she can go places without causing a ruckus. This pouch of cosmetics, hair dye, and small props lets you create disguises that change your physical appearance.
Enamel Flower: This is a small enamel that once belonged to her mother. When she puts it into her hair, the flower ties her hair back with animated living vines and flowers. Plucking the flower will return it to it's inanimate form. If she ties her hair back it means she’s getting serious. (small piece of jewelry
Maps: As she left her home she grabbed some poorly wrought maps. These are not great, but they at least let her know where she is and how to get back to the portal if she ever decides to go back
This is the most effort I've ever put into a character for DND. I'm really happy with her and cant wait to play her! Hope you guys like her! (Backstory is above)
Apologies in advance for typos and grammar! Haven't had a chance to edit it.
1-Hour Sketch: (I plan do do a better more fleshed out version soon)
Yeah, took about a week and a half to put together. After I started DMing I can just endlessly write it seems. Anyway, I also updated it with a link to my pretty PDF version if you want it to be a bit easier on your eyes. Hope you enjoy the read!
Gnome Wizard, focus was to work with an intelligence of 10.
Apologies, I don't know how to hide this behind a spoiler. :(
Rurik was born to the Whiterock clan of the Endless Wastes; salt miners by trade, this clan of gnomes lies beneath the sand dunes. Sadly, Rurik could not strike the broad side of a mountain if it fell on him, making him the worst gnomish salt miner in the Whiterock clan's recent history.
To the delight of his clan leaders and fellow miners, Rurik showed an amazing aptitude as a lorekeeper, one who passed down the clan litany in great tells of the past. Rurik's ability kept his audiences enthralled and captivated, his words brought great kings and heroes to life for all. So great was his skill, that many neighboring clans knew his name; the only problem was, that they knew his name not only for his ability to entertain, but because he got it all wrong.
Kings became peasants and grandfather's became grandsons, dragons were slain and goblin hordes repelled when there was times of peace. While Rurik could captivate his audience, he could not remember the lore. Rurik was doomed, he failed as a miner and a lorekeeper, he would spend his days performing menial tasks for the clans, had fate not changed his stars.
During a 3 week fair, held on the outskirts of Almorel, Rurik discovered his path. He chanced upon folks spinning tales and entertaining audiences; he listened to a human speak of far away lands and of halflings recounting glorious cities around shining lakes. Rurik braved an isolated tavern tent and arranged to tell the stories of the gnomish clans for a few free drinks. Hours later with a keg, meal and a few extra coins, Rurik headed to collect his things and start his life as a storyteller.
During Rurik's travels and explorations of inns, taverns and fairs he happened across an old beaten tome at a curio's tent. The proprietor could not read the text and so Rurik was able to haggle a fair deal for it; for Rurik's years as an apprentice lorekeeper the text was quite legible for it's dwarvish iconography. To Rurik's consternation the book did not contain the stories of ancient kingdoms and heroes that he could add to his collection of tales, but to his delight it was a novices' spellbook that contained instruction and guidance in the arcane arts.
With his talent for magic growing and his skill in captivating audiences, Rurik gained the attention of the Harpers and was recruited to act as a correspondence way station. He passes along messages and influences the commoner and minor noble he meets in his travels with his stories; reminding them of the past attempts at the abuse of power. With this, Rurik has begun his life as a fledgling wizard in the annals of the Harpers.
So I'll be totally honest, I have never played D&D, or any tabletop RPG for that matter. I have always had an interest, but never really knew how to get started. I recently came up with the idea of what I would want my first ever character to be, and also fleshed out his backstory fairly well, but I really would like a bit of advice on what could be improved and also what you all liked about it. Anyways, here goes nothing. This is the story of Amladas:
As a infant, Amladas was abandoned on the doorsteps of an orphanage. Raised by a holy man known as Father Goldenwall, he grew to respect and love the church and its practices. However Amladas never has much talent in the ways of healing magic as many clerics did, he instead grew his natural aptitude for the blade. A prodigy at a young age Amladas quickly created a name for himself in the small village that he inhabited. He was a generous and caring young man, who gave any and all his left over time, to helping his church, as well as the town that was built around it. He became friends with any and all who inhabited the village. Most of all, a young man by the name of Abathon Screene. Screene was only slightly younger then Amladas, and they became great friends quickly. Where Amladas was keen with a sword, Screene was the a skilled healer. These to were so close in fact that many in the village considered them brothers, including themselves.
Over the years Amladas' proficiency with blades grew and grew, eventually becoming a devout defender of the church, becoming a Holy Knight in the name of the God of Justice, was his one true ambition in life. His faith so strong, and his swordsmanship so keen that the Knights of Holy Judgement quickly recruited him as one of their own. Leaving his small village behind, Amladas learned new techniques and powers in efforts to defend the weak from the evil. Although Amladas' healing magic was sub-par at best, his aptitude for defensive magic was clearly fueled by his will to help others, erecting holy barriers to defend the defenseless. Eventually Amladas was given a powerful sword imbued with holy magic. At the age of 25, Amladas had truly came into his own, being a powerful knight and defensive magic user. He was known well for his elegant and graceful, almost elvish in nature, wielding of the blade, and his strong fortitude to do the right thing. However, he had heard of a fell curse that was laid upon his home village. Unable to resist the urge to help, and unwilling to listen to his comrades telling him not to go. He mounted upon his horse, and took off to save his village.
Upon arriving he found his town to have been decrepit and rotting, corpses walking among the living. These corpses however, were not unfamiliar to him. These undead were the people of his village, slain and resurrected into a blasphemous horde of zombies. Amladas seeing this cruel treatment of the dead, and most importantly, his friends, infuriated him. Having no other choice but to cut down those he held most dear in an effort to find out the terrible creature that had done this. He killed each and everyone of the undead until he finally came to his home, The Church. As he entered he realized that this was the true source of the corruption in his village, and at the other end of the chapel standing behind the podium, mouthing incantations of a language unknown to Amladas. Stood Abathon Screene, his best friend, his brother. To his horror Screene had become a terrible necromancer in the service of a Lich. When asked why, Screene meerly pointed towards the now decaying corpse of the dear Father Goldenwall. Goldenwall had died from a mysterious illness sometime after Amladas had left for the Holy Knights. Unable to cure him despite his best efforts Screene went into a dark and twisted depression, wanting only to bring back the man that had raised him. Even so far as enlisting the power of an evil master of the undead, the Lich. However the Lich had tricked Screene, and corrupted him into killing his entire village.
Amladas left with only one choice, fought against Screene, eventually winning and slaying his now corrupted brother. Before Screene passed on, however, he muttered one last incantation, and bit into Amladas' hand. Suddenly a deep black mark formed on his palm, and Amladas' flesh began to decay. In excruciating pain Amladas prayed to his god for salvation. Left with only a empty silence and the moans of damned that he had not slain outside. As the curse slowly worked its way up his arm, decaying and scarring his flesh, leaving only bone to be left. A holy light rained down upon him, and for the first time he heard the god that he worshiped so much. "Amladas" it said "For your everlasting faith, and determination for justice, I will grant you the salvation that you seek, however, you shall still serve in my name, you shall slay the damned and purge the unjust from this land, do you agree to these terms?" Writhing in pain Amladas agreed seeing no downside to this bargain. Upon agreeing, there was a flash of light and suddenly, the pain had subsided. However, something still had not felt right. He looked at his arm. It was still decrepit and decayed, as though he has the arm of a Lich, but now there was something new. A tattoo, in the shape of a chain on his upper shoulder that wrapped around the still human portion of his arm. The chain was lined with runic marks that Amladas had no knowledge of what their meaning was. The curse seemed to recede and could only corrupt his arm and no farther past the mark. Upon returning to his journey, he showed this to his comrades. Disgusted by the fact that one of their warriors was now partially undead, and scared of this curse spreading to them. They cast Amladas out, left alone and abandoned he was back to where he started all those years ago. Except now, he wasn't just a baby, he wasn't helpless, and now he had a divine purpose.
So I have one that I really like right now, haven't played as a PC yet because, as you can most likely guess, I'm our group's GM.
Bai "Leaper" Mythos is a white dragonborn. Or at least we hope she is. We, the all halfling bard troupe Requiem Mythos, found Bai's egg one morning as we got up and ready for our day. No note, no one around, no one missing a dragon egg in any city within a day's journey. Trust us, we looked. So we hatched her and raised her to be a proper bard. Acting, singing, tumbling and storytelling, she has a talent for them all. She's gonna be a really fine bard one day... If she can get past her temper that is. She is, after all, a white dragonborn. She tends to rage for a bit if she gets worked up enough. Though she is trying to keep it under control... Most of the time.
Bai "Leaper" Mythos; White dragonborn (maybe Half-Dragon we aren't sure); Bard 1/Barbarian 1
You don't name something you are just going to sacrifice...
She is a Tiefling Warlock with (currently) no name.
Quick note. All dialog (except for the first little bit) is going on inside of her head. The italicized parts are from a foreign souce.
Put your spoiler here.
[Translated from infernal] "Dark lord of the shadow, we offer this sacrifice to you." A cloaked tiefling stands over a whitehaired child that is tied and drugged lying on an alter that was moved to the center of the town. Almost every member of the village was standing around the sacrifice. Even those villagers not actively participating were standing around, looking on with anticipation and holding children too young to stand. "Prepare the way for the sacrifice." The sound of knifes leaving their sheaths filled the air as all of the villagers standing around alter readied themselves, raising the blades to their forearms. ""Dark One, Unknown Lord of night, we offer our blood as a river to ferry our sacrifice to you." At that, they sliced their forearms in unison. As the blood begins to drip, the sound of thunder washes through the village. Murmurs echo through the observers. The lead ritualist looks around hesitantly before slowly raising the ceremonial dagger. He takes in a deep breath and his eyes go wide as he sees the child's hair swiftly turn black. The cloaked man barely able to utter "No" before a shadow leaps from the child, eliciting a scream from the man. The shadow expands outwards, faster than anyone can move. Unfortunately for them, the living shadow took much longer to finish off the villagers, having their screams linger for near half an hour.
The sun wakes the child, prompting her to shield her eyes from the glare. She looked confused at first, her hands being free somehow. As her eyes adjusted she saw the carnage around her. She had no particular attachment to any of the sodden lumps around her, yet the scene around her was horrifying. She screamed.
A new day dawned with the girl on the same alter, surrounded by stinking corpses. She didn't know what to do. The bodies scared her. She was on an island of stone in sea of blood and viscera. The scared girl sat there till the middle of the day when a soft thudding noise came to her ear. She looked around, spotting a large bear trodding its way towards the mass of smelly meat. Desperately she looked around her and spotted a dagger sticking out of the crimson soil. Hurriedly, she grabbed the dagger and looked back at the bear. It was very large, the dagger seemingly just a stick in her hand. It hadn't seemed to notice her but her mind was resolved. She needed to escape before the bear saw her and killed her. Slowly, she lowered her foot to the ground, keeping the large stone altar between her and the bear. As she settled both feet on the ground, something in her came alive. Something foreign, that wasn't there before. She put her hands on the rock to steady herself and her shadow danced about beneath her. "WE HUNGER". A voice echoed in her mind, unbearably loud, blinding her with sheer pain at its presence. She screamed once more, this time as if to siphon away the voice that was filling her mind. Grabbing her head, it as if to hold it together. She began stumbling away from the now fleeing bear, just to do something to get the pain to lessen. "WEHUNGERWEHUNGERWEHUNGERWEHUNGER". Slipping and crawling, she made her way out of the circle of death, the searing pain pushing her forward. Grasping about, she found a large stone and in desperation brought her head down upon it. At the last minute, the stone was shoved away by a solid cord of shadow emanating from under her. Feeling a stinging pain, she raised a hand to her head, It seemed that she was able to cut herself but no more. As soon as she saw her own blood the screaming in her head stopped. The black cords wrapped around her hand and then withdrew, leaving her hand free of blood. "Yessssss". The girl licked her lips and thought "Who are you?" "I am the shadow behind every light, the night after every day, the bringer of death to the giver of life." This time the voice came in at a calm and deceptively lulling tone. "What are you doing in my head?" "I am as much as a part of you as you are of me, now. We are one." "How did this happen?" "It seems your friends and family sacrificed you. Or at least tried to." "Friends? Family? What are those?" A feeling of confusion flickered over her mind and, without her bidding, memories of her younger years came flooding back.
A small dark room, secluded from the world. She can't even remember anything outside of this room. A small flap on the bottom of the door opened and a plate of what only could be called scraps is shoved through. Of course, she wouldn't know that. She greedily ate the food that was before her, cleaning the plate. The child moved to the boarded-up window, a sliver of light slicing through a warped piece of wood. Faint voices trickled through the opening. She knew that calling out to those voices would do nothing, she had called out to them till her voice was raw, to no avail. Still, she liked listening. After a while, she moved to looking at the people in the weird world full of light. They were similar to her, for the most part. They had horns and tails, like her, but she had ears that were furry and shaped different as well as a furry tail. She never saw a tail that was furry. She knew she was a freak. She knows nothing. Rolling back, she looked back at the barren room, her mind wandering.
"It is a wonder you know Common and Infernal." "I pay attention." "Good, that will help you to survive this cruelworld." "What... what should I do now?" "Go into the woods, I will show you how to survive."
Backstory is for my first character, a HighElf Wizard. Super excited to get into this.
From a young age, Elon was recognized as a protégé in the field of magic. He was born into a noble, yet generous clan of Elvish folk who took great pride in the mastery of magical arts, and all things associated with "knowledge". Elon's father, Aeofar, was an esteemed and well-established wizard, who, alongside his brother Deofar, successfully taught many pupils the ways of the mystic arts. Aeofar was an Elf of stature and character, and had become somewhat of a household name due to the mastery of his craft. Aeofar's infamous spellbook, unofficially given the name "Farthome" by all who knew the great Wizard, was one of a kind, and exceptionally detailed, holding an untold amount of spells and rituals within its many pages. However, few elves had ever laid eyes on the actual book, a beautiful volume inlaid with perfectly polished bronze, silver, and gold (the few who had seen it stated that the book looked to be made of fire, never truly taking on a cohesive shape). Aeofar preferred to keep his spellbook under a constant transmutation, leaving it a simple steel necklace which he never parted with. Having grown up under this wise teaching of his father and uncle, Elon was able to learn and master multiple spells at an astonishing rate, leaving some jealous, and others in awe. It was quickly realized amongst his elders that he may grow into the most powerful user of magic in the known world, able to bend the dimensions to his will with ease. However, due to his youth, Elon was never told of this power he possessed. Aeofar decided that, to protect his son from haughtiness and pride, he would treat Elon the same as any other student. And so, that is what Aeofar did. This training lasted many years, almost until the day that Elon reached adulthood. In this time, Elon had made friends and enemies, fought duels that he had lost and won, and learned many extraordinary spells and enchantments. Elon had always known of his natural ability to command magic, but never knew how much potential he possessed, or why he was able to spellcast with such ease. On the day Elon turned 100, Aeofar gave his son his new name, Elonfar. This was a tradition amongst his people, and was used as a blessing upon the rest of Elonfar's life. Sadly, the day would soon turn dark. A stranger wandered into the midst of Elonfar's people that afternoon. No one knew his name, or where he had come from. He claimed to be lost and hungry, and for this reason, was immediately assisted by many of the Elvish folk. However, their generosity would soon prove meaningless. Without warning, the stranger wearing the maroon robe with the golden pin attacked, killing everyone. The suddenness and effectiveness of his magical attacks took everyone off guard, and none were powerful enough to stop him. Elonfar was the last left alive, having watched everyone he loved drained off their life force before his very eyes, the final being his father. The stranger had somehow known of Elonfar's power, and had taken great care to render him ineffective before he attacked, casting spells that left him completely immobile for the duration of the his assault. As the dust settled, the stranger casually walked to a screaming and mentally shattered Elonfar, smiling. Saying no words, the stranger touched Elonfar on the forehead, and vanished. With that, Elonfar could not remember why or how his people were killed that day, nor who did it. All memory of this stranger had been plucked from his mind. The only thing Elonfar had to point him in any kind of a direction was a black tattoo-like scar that he would bear the rest of his life, shaped as a strange symbol he had never seen, in the exact place where the stranger had touched him. On that day, Elonfar lost much of his power, reverting to a version of himself that may as well have never known magic at all. However, Elonfar remembered his training, and remembered his father. After mourning for many days and nights, Elonfar decided to leave his home, vowing to one day return it to it's former glory. The only token he took was his father's spellbook, "Farthome", now completely empty, pages white and clean. He devoted the rest of his life to gaining back the power he once had in order to achieve his destiny of becoming the strongest wizard to ever live, and clear the mystery of the strange symbol resting in the middle of his forehead. Since then, Elonfar has become a wanderer, always searching, never finding, and never speaking of the day that he gained his scar.
Our clan was small. My dad was the local blacksmith though he rarely made anything other than arrow tips for the hunters and occasionally repaired a weapon or two for the warriors who guarded us. One day a strange man visited our tribe. We were all shocked when this human opened his mouth and spoke sylvan. My dad was suspicious of him but we had not reason to not treat him with hospitality. After a short while with us, he began to pry deeper into how much we knew of the fey and their magic. When we shared that most of us were strangers to magic he became irate and began spouting curses at us stating we were being selfish with our power and that if we would not share it the answers he sought would be taken by force. The man was escorted out of the village by a few warriors while he continued spouting off his vile contempt. A week later as I foraged for wood to fuel the forge, I heard a loud commotion. I rushed back to find the village ransacked. Everyone laying around dead. a group of humans stood over the body of our chieftain blades bloody from their slaughter. One noticed me. I ran to the forge and grabbed my dad's hammer and the sword he had just finished the previous day. I rushed the group of men losing myself to my rage. After several of their brethren had fell before me the rest turned tail and fled. I pursued for days. At night restitching their armor to fit myself. On the 8th day i found them still asleep at their camp, I caught them and slew them as they slept.
With my vengeance met, I looked down and realized that I had not only slain the men I had been pursuing but others as well. Were they complicit in the slaughter of my people of simply the families of murderous men who had no knowledge of the evil that had been done. Surely they were not all evil. No. I was the evil one. I slaughtered them in their sleep. Was i any different from them at all. I wandered the forest for months debating my morality and whether i would be better using my sword on myself when 1 day i met an elf who smelt nothing like an elf. I cautiously approached and asked why he did not smell as he should. The elf grinned and laughed. The elf then took a moment to study me pausing for a few seconds to stare into my eyes. It felt as though he felt my sorrow and anguish and self hatred and showed more than simply sympathy but recognition as though he struggled with the same demons. I asked again why he smelt so unusual. He grinned again. Were those fangs? He introduced himself, stating his name was Theren. He shared that he was not fully elf anymore. He then asked how strong was my desire to rid the world of evil like that which destroyed my tribe. I shared that there were no limits to what I would do to rid this place of ilk such as them. He smiled and stated that he could help. Then before my eyes, the elf changed becoming a form of a werewolf. I stepped back out of shock and readied my weapon. The man gestured for me to be at ease and as quickly as he had shifted shifted back to an elf. He then shared with me that there were people like him seeking to rid the world of monsters and evil by any means necessary even if it meant becoming a monster themselves. Were they so different from me. I was not far from a monster. He shared that with training I could become like them. I asked if he was offering. "that's the question isn't it." he responded. After a few moments he laughed and shared that if i was willing he would train me. I shared that if it meant ridding the world of evil I would join him. He nodded and asked for my arm. I extended my arm and he sank his fangs into y arm. The next few weeks are a blur of training both in combat and in willpower to control the gift I had been given. One day on a trip to the local village to get provisions we encountered the town guard fighting off a troop of bandits. Theren and I jumped into the fray attempting to assist the guardsmen. During the fight, whether out of choice or pure rage i do not know, Theren shifted and began carving his way through the bandits with fang and claw. During the fray,Theren lunged at a guardsman mauling his face. Theren immediately jumped back realizing he had lost control and dropped his weapons turning himself into the town guard for judgement. A week later, I returned to the village, this time to watch my mentor hang. I had offered to break him out. He shared that he had lost control and needed to be cut down like any other monster. After the crowd dispersed, I approached my dead mentor now cut down laying on the ground. I removed the hangman's noose from around his neck and placed it around my own letting the cord hang down over my chest. I would not end up like him. I would control the gift given me, but finding someone to hunt with and keep an eye on me couldn't hurt.
So my group got a new player, and started a mini-quest to help him level up. We all created new characters, and I had one that I already had the basics worked out for, but just got around to writing his backstory. Introducing Rikas (Rye-cus) Greysmoke!
Rikas was born to mixed-race parents, a human woman, Nara, and an elven man, Palan. She was an artist, he was a scholar, and the two met while he was doing research into celestial beings at a university in the neighboring kingdom to the Elven nation. They fell in love, got married, and shortly after Rikas was born, the family moved back to the Elven nation into the port town of Rainbow Tide.
Things soon began going downhill. Palan was from an old and respected family, and he moved in high social circles. He was always considered a bit eccentric due to his studies, but once he returned with a human wife and a half-elven child, this view turned. His peers were not happy that he married “outside the line”, and slowly began shunning him. Research opportunities began drying up, and after several years he was asked to leave his teaching position at the Elven university. Nara was sometimes taunted whenever she went out into the city, and elven parents wouldn’t let their children play with Rikas. He was never lonely though, as his parents were very loving and attentive. His mother instilled in him a sense of kindness and a love of art, and his father entertained him with stories of gods and their adventures. Rikas dreamed of seeing the world, going on adventures, and maybe meeting the gods themselves. Whenever Rikas asked his father if he had ever actually met any gods, Palan just smiled.
One night, when Rikas was 11, things came to a head. Palan had returned to the university to collect some of his research, and an argument broke out with some of the school officials over the nature of his studies and his choice of family. He took his materials and fled, and when he returned home, he told Nara that the family was moving the next day, anywhere but here. Late that night, a mysterious fire broke out at their home. Nara got Rikas to safety, then went back inside for Palan. The two never made it out, and Rikas was left alone in a society that wanted nothing to do with him.
From that point on, Rikas lived on the streets. He picked pockets, did odd jobs, and developed a simmering hatred for High-Elves, whom he blamed for his parents’ deaths. When he was 15, he had had enough, and stowed away on a ship in the port, not caring where it was headed. He wound up in Waterdeep, and soon found himself drawn into the criminal underworld of the city. He became known for his thieving skills, especially when they involved pulling one over on a pretentious and preening High-Elf. He developed a cynical view of the world, but never quite lost that quality of kindness his mother instilled in him. He was known on occasion to share his ill-gotten gains with the poor and sick of the city.
One day, as he was wandering through the city, Rikas noticed a hooded figure in a brilliant white cloak leaving an elven temple. Figuring it was some self-important High-Elf, he decided to have some fun. He followed the figure through the city, and when they had to push through a large crowd, he skillfully picked their pocket, then turned and made his way to an empty alley. He discovered that what he’d lifted was a strange amulet made of white crystal. Just then, the hooded figure appeared in the alleyway. A dagger appeared in Rikas’ hand, ready to defend himself.
The figure waved its hand, and Rikas felt his body grow tense, and he was drawn towards the figure. The figure threw back its hood, revealing a beautiful woman, with light blue eyes and rich, dark auburn hair. She looked him over for a minute, then down at the amulet in his hand. She coolly told him that she was impressed with his skill, and even more impressed that he would steal from a god. She introduced herself as Selen, goddess of outcasts. She was visiting the city’s temples, seeing how charitable they were being.
Rikas apologized, saying that his father told him all about the gods, but he never thought he’d meet one, let alone steal from one. Selen laughed, saying that his father was a smart man, and that it was a shame what happened to him. She looked thoughtfully at him for a moment, then said she could see the good in his heart, and that she knew how he could repay her. She offered him the amulet, telling him that he would be her emissary, helping those in need, and trying to do good. As he took the amulet, Rikas felt a comforting power flow into him. With a warning that she would be watching, Selen disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Rikas with the realization that not only had he finally met a god, but he was about to begin a great new adventure.
Name: Aerik, last name unknown. Age: Unknown Race: Human Occupation: Barkeep/Owner Boar's Head Inn Special: He has an idle habit of polishing a dagger or mug while staring off into the distance.
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As a toddler, Aerik's father was drafted into the King's army, this was a wonderful time as they were expanding the territories and destroying the evil that had taken hold. 4 years had passed, Aerik now turning 8, and they got the message, a particularly ugly den of creatures took the lives of many soldiers, including his father. The king was fair, and any family that lost a loved one in the war was compensated annually, as well as absolved from taxation, until the eldest child could provide for the family. The years passed, Aerik watched as his mother faded, she would spend more time lost in her mind than anything else when not working around the home. Eventually Aerik reached the age of adulthood and when that time came his mother left, no fanfare, no weeping, simply a kiss and a good bye. She gave herself to the monastery, becoming a sister and spending her time in reflection, meditation, and service. Aerik was left with the home, land, and despondent heart, having effectively lost his family, he chose to leave his home for the city. Selling the land, and travelling 3 days to the city, he found that life was not going to be as easy as he had hoped .
He quickly found that he needed work, food, clothing, and a roof, all of which were significantly more expensive, and his cash limited. Work was impossible, he had no trade skills that he could offer, and apprenticing at his age was almost unheard of. He soon fell in with the underground, the local thieves' guild teaching him a different kind of trade. With his skills in hunting and tracking, as well as a quick mind, he soon became an enforcer for the guild. That was his life for a time, he had a home, food, and work, though it was a strange place for him, a part of his morality was being tested. One day he was tasked to take care of a job, upon finding his target he noticed that the target had a child, Aerik refused to finish the job at that time. He was severely punished for failing in the task, after that Aerik vowed he'd find his way out of the guild.
The time came, a few harvest seasons later, that his opportunity to leave presented itself. In that time he never took a job that he didn't approve of, even if it cost him sever punishment. One afternoon he found himself outside of town hunting for his dinner, he'd been refused food and lodging for not accepting a job again. He crept up on a young deer, a fork that was busy with a blueberry bush, he leaped out at it attempting to down it with nothing more than a dagger. At the same moment an arrow struck the deer in the chest, dropping it almost instantly, Aerik was both shocked and angered at this turn of events. A hunter approached him, almost unseen and unheard, this hunter was just as shocked as he'd not seen Aerik stalking the same prey. The hunter offered his camp to Aerik and the two shared a meal and a conversation.
Aerik made friends with the hunter, and her companions, and was offered to join them. They were rangers who worked as an elite group of hunters, tracking the most dangerous creatures, for a cost. Their goal was altruistic, to rid the area of these evil creatures and promote prosperity, but they weren't crazy enough to do it without compensation. They took Aerik into their fold and taught him their ways. He used his skills with the thieves' guild and what the rangers taught him to become an excellent hunter. He currently tracks and kills anything that has risen from the grave, or has been brought back from the dead. He also struggles within, trying to figure out if he really deserves a good life beyond this. Having spent so much time doing the work of the thieve's guild and now working for the rangers, he wonders if this may be his way of repentance.
Once a Sailor in the Kings navy, he saw the crown wasn't what he wanted to serve, which was himself, he found his way down to Waterdeep where he joined a crew and over the course of 3 years became captain, where his prowess on the water and his ruthlessness he became know as Dax the Mako. Dax is/was the pirate Captain of the Archer, a large black galleon, with blue sails and a Shark figure head. Captain Dax had hired a Wizard to help with a salvage mission he was undertaking to recover a lost relic at the bottom of the sea, the crew of the Archer including Dax had no idea what the relic was, only it was PRICELESS, which means a large haul. The voyage took a few days and over the course of the trip to the wreckage, Dax noticed a change in his crew, they followed his orders still, but not like before. Once they made the dive down with the wizards help to breath, recovered the item from the ship after fighting off a few Merrow, Sahaguin, and a school of quipper. Once they arrived back up to the ship, the Wizard, the Half-Elf Drakaro, had enthralled his crew upon resurfacing and effectively led a mutiny and removed Dax from his Captaincy, and tossed him over bored left for dead. Dax was rescued by a Triton who had followed his ship for a few days, and taken to his city to heal. Once healed, he was sent back to the surface world, and Dax now resides in Waterdeep, trying to gather enough resources to get his ship back, and sink his blade in the Wizard.
So, I just recently started playing since it took me a long time to find a group to play with.
My first character is a High Elf Wizard, and I wrote this backstory for him:
Despite coming from a moderately well-off family, he didn't really use the advantages. Veris spend much of his childhood studying and learning as much as he possibly could. Almost to the point where he lived in the library absorbing as much knowledge as he could get his hands on. Even though he spent most of his time locked away, he was quite the conversationalist, but he never really let anyone get too close. As he explored all the different subjects, he eventually started messing with magic and quickly realized that he had a natural talent for it. It didn't take him too long to master the basics and started to move to more advanced topics. That did, however, include dabbling with necromancy, conjuration, illusions, and more. His thirst for knowledge knew no bounds and despite the warnings of others, he started messing with some dark magic. One evening, in the dark recesses of the library, he stumbled upon an inscription about a ritual that allowed him to summon a demon that had endless amounts of knowledge. However, it mentioned that it came at a cost. To him, knowledge was by far the most valuable resource, so he went about replicating the ritual. Upon completion of the ritual, a shrouded figure coalesced in front of him with shadows dripping off of it, turning to smoke as it hit the floor. It identified itself as Dagon and offered him a way to find forbidden knowledge in exchange for his soul. Without hesitation, he accepted. Dagon shared with him a place to find knowledge that was ultimately lost in the Spellplague. Knowledge that, until now, has been lost for centuries. He spent years documenting and going through the information that was uncovered from this hidden directory. Most of it was damaged and falling apart from decay but that didn't stop him from salvaging as much as he possibly could. One evening, he decided to try out one of the spells that he was able to piece together. Slowly speaking the words and moving his hands. Drops of water start to seep out of the ground creating a transparent orb hovering in the middle of the room. Then, without warning, a blast of fire blooms and blasts from the middle pushing steam around the room. As the steam settles, a portal is now visible where the orb once was. The explosion has opened a portal with lightning arcing from the edges causing havoc throughout the chamber. The window starts to wobble, sending bolts of lightning directly at him throwing him off his feet and against the wall. Without the infusion and concentration from the caster, the spell explodes cracking the walls and destroying everything in the area. The room starts to lose stability, as the explosion starts to suck everything towards it with an immense amount of force. Scrambling, Veris barely gets out with only a single functioning arm. His experimentation caused him to lose the majority of the knowledge he found and cataloged. As well as permanent burns starting at his neck and down his whole right arm. From now on, he was no longer going to be locked up reading and studying. Instead, he was going to go out there and earn his soul back by using my gifts for amazing deeds. He also saw it as a new opportunity to start anew. There is so much out there to learn, people to meet, places to explore, and things to see that you could never get out of a book. He was still young, and there was still a lot to learn.
This is a character I wrote in a couple of fanfiction stories. His race and name is based off Tanis Half-Elven from Dragonlance, and he is from Krynn. He came to Faerun at the assistance of his elven mother, who is a member of a noble Evereskan House. I've made a character sheet and I plan on having him as an NPC in future games, but mostly as a background character or the "Hey my uncle has a job for you."
Tanis grew up on the world of Krynn, named after one of the legendary Heroes of the Lance. His mother, Enelya was an elven bard, born of a noble house from Evereska, though she never told him this past. His father Johnathon was a Steel Legionaire who met his mother when he assisted Lady Alustriel with a task in Faerun. Johnathon proposed to Enelya and she accepted. They went back to Krynn to start a new life.
Tanis grew in the town of Hopeful where his mother was the sheriff - known affectionally as the "Singing Sheriff." She taught him how to play several elven songs on a lute. Although he enjoyed music, Tanis loved to explore.
Growing up, Tanis and his family traveled the world. When he grew into adulthood, his mother and father gave him a map of Faerun and encouraged him to travel to the Realm and experience his own adventures.
Tanis' journey began in the City of Neverwinter where he met his allies, the half-drow Kaylah and the halfling hordebreaker Freya. He travels Faerun, exploring areas on the map given to him by his parents. He traveled to popular cities in the Realms before he met his mother's brother, the mage Tyresian and later his grandfather, Seph Solostran.
Over the years, Tanis has met numerous friends and gained the support of allies. He can usually be seen traveling with Kaylah and Freya, as well as his panther companion Jewell, or playing a song at an inn.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I have an intelligence of six, I know what I'm doing.
New to D&D. Got no one to play with, so this's more of a character I'm building for a thought experiment while I'm at work and can't do anything creative for 10 hours.
Svelt, Tiefling Warlock
"Svelt has spent her entire youth cursed by the gods to burn by divine flame when exposed to sunlight. Shunned by her human family, as well as the small village she called home, she spent most of her time indoors, or exploring the nearby fields by moonlight.
One night, after a particularly heated argument, she runs away into the nearby woods. There, she encounters a handsome older gentleman and an old woman, who promise to help her- for a price. After signing a magically binding contract, she looks up to see not an elderly couple, but an ancient demon and an old hag (so, maybe an elderly couple?). They hand her a magical parasol made from branches and parchment, claiming it will help her, before walking off in the direction she came.
Alone in the woods with no one else around, can she survive the coming dawn? And, more importantly, can she survive long enough to find a way to lift her curse?
(I cut the backstory back to here 'cause that's where I'm stuck at. I've got, like, 4 different "ends" that I can personally see for this character, one of which is the most likely. Regardless, this is a fun character for me to try to plan around. Speaking of, still need someone to help me determine how the sunlight curse works.)
(As for the curse, it's not vampirism. I thought making her a true vampire would be too powerful, AND I figured the whole blood craving thing would be too distracting for the story I'm wanting to tell...)
Hmm, still need help figuring out the particulars for this character. Maybe I should post about her in her own thread?
This is for my half-elf bard character, Ember. I'm still kinda new to the game so please let me know if the story sounds a bit silly (also my DM knows about the possibly more "world breaking" aspects of her backstory and are 100% cool with it)
Ember Hearthbrand was born in the great city of Ashearst. Her father was a young knight from a small yet respected noble family and her mother a young Wood Elf traveler from the nearby forests. Growing up Ember had a simple yet happy childhood, learning the art of music and magic from her mother and fighting skills from her father. But, as with all stories, things inevitably took a turn for the worst. For Ember, this came when her mother passed away, leaving her father emotionally distraught and vulnerable. It was around this time that a woman by the name of Elrica worked her way into their lives, posing as a friend to her father whilst she slowly began manipulating him to act according to her will. Eventually Ember's father was fully under the control of Elrica's charm. And so she lead him to use his position as a noble and his trusted relation with the royal family to stage a coup, effectively taking the throne for herself.
After this incident the Hearthbrand family name became shunned by the people who held a disdain for the family, including Ember regardless of her lack of control over the situation. At this point Elrica's control had also began taking a hold of the counsel and other people of importance. Soon Elrica became increasingly hostile towards Ember, frustrated by the fact that she could not seem to gain a control over her as she had the others (likely due to her elven bloodline). Deciding that she was more trouble than she was worth, she made an attempt to kill Ember, but failed as Ember managed to escape with the help of some of the uncharmed and sympathetic castle staff, Elrica's attacks only leaving a blackened hand-print wound on Ember's shoulder which would scar and mark her for life.
After making it out of the city she spent several months traveling from town to town as a wandering minstrel, hiding her identity and living off what little she could make. Until she came across a group of traveling charlatans, who helped her out of a misunderstanding with the town guards. The leader of the group, Bazzle (a.k.a. Baz) decided to take her into the group, noting that her youth (14 yr) and musical talent would come of use. And so for the next dozen years she traveled with the group, learning new skills and tricks such as acting, new spells and of course how to scam people out of their money. Eventually she left the group, deciding to work on getting stronger so she could perhaps one day return to the city of Ashearst and right the wrongs that have been done. At this point she joined the adventuring guild, which is where she met the rest of the current party and where the real story began ;)
Please note that English is not my first language and some grammar/spelling mistakes are likely to have been made.
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Grimm Skullsmasher the Thrice Shackled
Born into the tribe of the Sundered Tusks, Grimm was inundated with the culture of Gruumsh from a young age. As a mostly full blooded orc, he not only heard the preaching (more shouting and warchants, really) of the shamans, he felt the call of Gruumsh in his blood. Yet, from practically as early as he could talk, he questioned things. He questioned why, in an age where the Many Arrows had successfully made a full Civilization, a land where Orcs could live in relative peace and trade with neighbors of other races, instead his tribe was always warring against those races around them, and often even among themselves. He often received answers of how the Many Arrows were not 'true followers of Gruumsh', and this in turn led to him questioning why they followed Gruumsh at all. He did not, it seemed, offer the best possible future for his people, after all.
Many scorned him and his dangerous heresies, yet he spoke with an intelligent and persuasive tongue, and more than one Orc paused to give his words a second thought. It was thus decided by the chieftain and the shamans of Gruumsh that he must die.
A warlock named Trakzar'Ruz Doomsnarl argued for a different plan, and it was approved due to its deviousness and cunning, virtues of Gruumsh. Grimm was instead, during his sleep, made into a thrall of Trakzar'Ruz. Under his influence and domination, he decried his former words, and was made to appear to be a champion of Gruumsh before his people. The control of the warlock was far from absolute, but the times he was able to escape his sway for any amount of time, his words contradicted themselves seemingly at random, giving the impression he was mad.
When the warlock held him under his sway, he was made to swear a pact to the Demon Lord Belphegor, that he might serve as a better thrall. Used then for the magical power gained through the pact, he was even more effective as a paragon of the way of Gruumsh, sowing warfare, destruction, and seeming madness in his wake. Yet at no point was he some mindless slave. He heard three different voices in his head, the call of Gruumsh, especially powerful in his dreams and a burden shared by all his people; that of his master Trakzar'Ruz; and of course the Demon Lord to whom he was now bound. All three drove him toward their own unique brands of conflict, barbarity, and evil. Yet he never lost sight internally of his moral precepts nor his desire for a future which is not marked by endless wanton violence, not just for himself, but for his people as well.
During a period of greater than normal lucidity, he escaped from his tribe, and made his way alone through the wilderness, seeking to start somewhere new. Yet no matter where he goes, he cannot truly escape- Gruumsh is waiting for him in his dreams, and the drumbeat call of the rage of his people rises to mind during any stressful situations. Trakzar'Ruz whispers to him from across the realms, urging him to come home, demanding he perform heinous acts, and otherwise tormenting him relentlessly, with his whispers imbued with unnatural power due to his connection to him as a master to his thrall. And Belphegor whispers to him incessantly as his pact lord, insisting the powers he conveys be used to ends which suit his purposes. It is thus his goal to silence all of those voices- to slay those who would lay claim to him and his actions. He has vowed to slay the warlock Trakzar'Ruz, and then journey into the hells themselves and slay the Demon Lord Belphegor, and ultimately, he seeks to slay the god Gruumsh, that he and all orcs might walk freely on their own path, unshackled by any evil influence.
It is easy to believe that Grimm is mad. He will at times speak in a manner which blatantly contradicts that which he himself just said, and often seems to be wresting with himself, barely in control of his actions. He is prone to outbursts of violence and other destructive actions, and will afterwards display genuine sorrow and remorse and attempt to atone for those actions, which will only make the next outburst all the more confusing. He speaks at times of the voices in his head, which certainly does not aid anyone in their beliefs in his sanity. When he is speaking with lucidity though, he speaks with a somber sense of purpose and a clear sense of morality. He speaks with a sincerity which is hard to discount.
When travelling, he is always in a hurry, often pushing for increased travel hours and reduced sleep, apparently feeling the need to make as much progress as possible. This apparent desire for haste flies in the face of his seemingly arbitrary decisions at times to reverse his course, or his nasty habit of 'sleepwalking' in the incorrect direction. His inexplicable nature manifests itself in odd ways, too, such as throwing himself into a trap rather than calling out a warning to avoid it. He approaches combat with the same reckless haste as everything else- leading with potent and destructive spells, and wiping out the most dangerous parts of his arsenal in the opening rounds of combat. Between those actions and his perpetual impatience and reluctance to stop for rests, it is almost as though he would rather not have parts of his arsenal in reserve, as though he fears what he might do with them.
Notes: This is another *very* difficult character, one which requires an experienced roleplaying group who knows and trusts you to get away with, and one which requires a deft hand to be able to exhibit his personality traits properly without overdoing it or making the rest of the group feel they're better off without him. Limits must be observed, and restraint must be exercised, without it feeling like he's under foreign influence "when it's convenient" or as a means of throwing a temper tantrum or reclaiming the spotlight. Still, he gives a chance to *really* stretch those acting chops and try out something very different, and with DM help lets you essentially play 3 characters in one, at least until he starts killing off those voices in his head :-) Seriously, though, don't play this character, he's better as an NPC anyway.
I am Raloric Darkbreaker. I was once a soldier of the private military of the feudal manor family of Eve, but once the ogres and earth giants stormed the key forts and the elegant and wealthy manor house itself, the order of Eve was destroyed. What lays now is scattered companies and soldiers of the order of Eve, still in control of a few towns and forts, even five years after the collapse of the feudal family and order.
(example of a typical Order of Eve fortress)
(A feudal manor house in medieval Europe that I thought would fit the type of manor house of the Eve family)
Their reach was far, and justice sent. We brought rule and law to all surrounding towns and villages, keeping the roads safe between and within them, encouraging trade between each other. Agriculture greatly increased as more people settled the road sides, the feudal kingdom now becoming wealthy and powerful. Less monsters and bandit parties were about, most killed or gone due to the new rule. I held a position as chief of Guard in the town of Ambercroft, near the border of the feudal reaches. I was in charge of fifty men. Fifty too little. Ambercroft suffered the first blow from the Giant invasion. We were just starting to push into the mountains and bring peace to all mountain living folk, but sadly, we got the opposite affect. By pushing in Giant territory we were upsetting and causing a war. We could've easily destroyed the Giant army, they just living in scattered and isolated encampments deep in the hills and between peaks, but they united to our threat, a very un-giant thing to do. Instead of defending they pushed forward right into Ambercroft. Ambercroft along with its soldiers were crushed by their clubs and rocks, our small fortifications were shown as a toothpick fort to a child's foot. I was one of the only survivors. The only reason why I am still alive was by bathing myself int he blood of my comrades and fellow citizens to blend in with the ground around me. A bloody war of two years perused, the reaches of Eve gradually losing territory and lands. Most of Eve's soldiers went into hiding and different military forces, like I. I am currently a thief and occasional mercenary, avoiding the law of other towns and cities to do my work. I still wield and wear my "E" embellished rapier and studded leather armor, now slightly altered and darkened to better blend in with the night in which I do my work. You may find me in bars or underground flea markets, roaming the cities and towns once held with the pristine and honored Order of Eve. I may tag along on adventurers or get hired for work of any type, but no strings attached. If the Order of Eve ever gains power again or steps out from their forts and isolated towns I will join my brothers and sisters to return justice to our giant ridden world.
I dream of coming back to my land of Eve, bringing justice back, putting the hidden Eve bloodline back into power. Ever since the attack I've been wandering... thinking... always unsatisfied. I have traveled to the northern land of of wild horses, Sudor, and then even more northwards to the Kingdom. of Archaeodinia. I have made friends with a dwarf and elf, a comforting thought, myself being a halfelf. She is very kind, but alas, the dwarf is a little sketchy, he being a p(i)mp and everything. But they may give me help. They themselves are powerful, having influence in the southern kingdom of woodelves and he having influence in the dwarven Norfolk. They both nearly border my lands. With help, we may strike, and sweep the giants out, reclaiming the lands of Eve for our own. Perhaps I may gain enough gold and profit from my next mercenary mission, a political assassination with the help of the dwarf and the elf, and hire warriors to attack with myself. But I must strike, and I must be swift in doing so.
Early Life:
Piper was born 103 years ago to Haizon and Viola Tuilë in a beautiful haven of Eladrin architecture, deep in the Feywilds. Her village, Silvemelle, was built around a mountain with multi-tiered waterfalls in a mystical forest. The buildings are round with tall spires decorated with swirling vine-like ornamentation. The trees here have grown nearly as tall as the mountains. The enduring sun of the Feywild glistens off of the waterfalls and creates everlasting rainbows over each of the bridges.
Elf births are very rare and there were only two other Eladrin births in the surrounding years. Every birth of an elf soul is a part of a reincarnation cycle in which an elf returns to the realm of Arvandor. Then the soul emerges from Arvandor, to be reborn into a lissome, graceful body that lives for an incredibly long time — evidence that their creator holds a love for them that, deep down, is boundless. Throughout their lives they experience events called Remembrances in which the elves recall a part of their past life through Trance (the elf equivalent of sleep). The other two Eladrin were names Fierya and Ruven. Having no one else around the same age, they inevitably became great childhood friends.
During Piper’s first few years of life, her memories evoked during trance were that of fantastic adventures of her immortal elf soul. Throughout her childhood she recalled stories of epic battles and great accomplishments as well as some of the most beautiful places she has ever seen. Her and her friends would camp just outside of Silvemelle and trade stories of their past selves. However, Ruven, had a hard time remembering anything as epic and beautiful as the other two Eladrin and began to grow disdainful and jealous of their souls.
She had her last major childhood remembrance in her thirteenth year of life. Piper’s last remembrance was that of her as a musician, in the middle of a great battle. She stood on the edge of a roof, on a tall treacherous castle tower, besieged by enemies of darkness. The land below full of armies, giants, dragons and fiends fighting a glorious battle. The battlefield was ablaze with cries of pain and death. As she was playing her viol and singing an impossibly eloquent and beautiful song. Her perfect melodic tune quelled the dragons rage, calmed the armies into a haze and caused the fiends to collapse. The dark gloomy skies lit up as the bright blue sky began to break through the black smoke of war. Her voice traveled across the battlefield for miles as a chorus of angels surrounded her and put an end to the war. Piper woke up from the trance in a winterous haze where she was overwhelmed with tears of sadness. With uncontrollable tears falling down her face she went to her parents and told them of this remembrance. Normally children don’t share these with adults, but she was profoundly impacted by this Trance.
That same year, during a trance, she had her First Reflection of her current life. It was a memory of her swirling a stick in a pond towards some fish when she was very young. This First Reflection marks the child’s passing into adolescence.
Adolescence
As Piper entered adolescence, she was enamored by the grace and beauty of her past life as she realized the potential songs can have on the world. The more she pursued music however, the more her father became increasingly intolerant to the idea.
Her father had a different plan for her and believed in the traditions of acquiring practical knowledge and skills needed for her life as an adult in Eladrin society. He wanted her to focus on academics, lore and history of the world so that she could follow in his footsteps as a well known historian. Her mother was complacent and would do whatever her father would say. She secretly supported Piper’s dreams, but never really acted on it. She believed that Haizons path was the safest way to go.
Over the years, she reluctantly followed her father's strict educational plans, she would escape into a cave illuminated by bioluminescent plants behind the highest waterfall in the mountain, where she would practice her music in secret. She got away with it for years, listening to nature and trying to compose music out of the sounds of Silvemelle.
“Listen. Can you hear it? The music. I can hear it everywhere. In the wind... in the air... in the light. It's all around us. All you have to do is open yourself up. All you have to do... is listen.“ - August Rush
She was a natural musician, using whatever instruments she could get her hands on. She may not have known how a Lute worked in the traditional sense, but she would bang on the strings, drum on the body and move air through jars and bottles. She would carefully craft instruments out of reeds, leaves and pots; whatever seemed to make a nice sound. She would sometimes invite her friends up and try to teach them some of her songs. Giving them simple instruments like drums made of pots and leather to add rhythm to her compositions.
That is, until her father found out. One day, he followed her up the hour long hike to the tops of the waterfalls. He heard music being played from inside the caves and he followed the sounds. Piper was trying to replicate the song she heard in the Trance, but could never get it right. He saw his daughter deliberately disobeying him. He burned everything she collected over the years on the spot. And put guards on her to make sure she wouldn’t go up there ever again.
This memory would become a recurring trance over the next few years that made her grow even more distant from her father. For the next five years, Piper learned to control her Trances and would use them to evoke her joyous moments inside the cave inventing songs and playing music. She did whatever she could to not forget what she had learned. This was a perfect way to play music without disobeying her father through memories. After she gained full control over her trances, she would purposefully evoke the memory of her father burning her instruments, to remind herself of the heartbreak she was put through.
On the contrary, some of her best memories happen in these years. Her and Fierya shared meals together, and went on adventures through the Feywilds. They would explore deep caverns and canoe down glowing rivers. During one adventure with Fierya and Ruven, he finally snapped. Ruven began fighting with them about how he is always left behind and how everyone in the village treats him horribliy because he doesn’t live up to the two girls. That night he disappeared from the village and the Feywilds for good. Quickly, her memories of her past life began to be less frequent and the trances no longer evoked memories of lives past. The Drawing of the Veil is the name elves give to the time when the elf can only recall events of its current mortal existence.
Adulthood:
She was able to finish her first decades of education with great marks that pleased her father. When she was 54, she completed her Drawing of the Veil Ceremony about the same time she finished her education. Everyone congratulated her on academic success but it felt empty. She feels like she wasted her years not playing music on top of losing her connection with her past lives. During the ceremony, her mother brought her to a place in the woods with a large hollowed out tree next to a serene pond. She uncovered some brush and revealed a beautiful Lyre. It was made out of hand crafted wood and had ornamentations of Carola Roses. Which are a common flower in Silvemelle.
Her mother told her there was someone she needed to meet. They walked another hour outside the village into a wild grove which in the center housed a tree that touches the clouds. Fairies and fireflies dot the air in the area. Large toadstools the size of trees encircle a clearing in front. Viola knocks on the trunk and moments later a gorgeous male Eladrin in Autumn form slowly emerges from within the tree. His skin morphed from brown bark into a familiar orange and red as he stepped out of the tree. In his hand was a beautiful lute that looks like it was made from a branch of that very tree. He said to her,
“There is a harmonic connection between all living beings, everywhere, even the stars, you can feel it, can’t you child?”
For decades into her adult life, the mysterious Eladrin would teach Piper how to use instruments and music, teaching her magical songs. He would go on to teach her the ways of Piper’s previous life through the musical teachings of Glamour. Anytime Piper saw him in trance, she could see cataracts in the shape of crescents, pointing down, that appear over the pupils of both eyes. She knew that he has lived for a very long time and will soon disappear.
She was nearing her first century in life when tragedy struck. Unbeknownst to Piper when she was out practicing her music in the grove. Her mother had been poisoned and died.. She came back to village to find her mother collapsed on the floor of their home with a glass of wine spilled onto the floor. Her father came downstairs to see what the commotion was and rushed to Viola’s side.
The priests performed ceremonial rights and the village folk began to give their family gifts to help them through the trauma. Everyone knows that she will just be reincarnated and her soul will live on, the real victims in murders are the families, as they must move on without a loved one. They never found the killer. After a few days, her father seemed to go back to his normal ways. She believes it was him who poisoned her mother for leading Piper to the bard in the woods and giving her an instrument. Piper was sure she was careful and her mother had no enemies in the world. Piper packed her things and ran away from home, to seek out adventure and to make new memories away from her home. It’s time she saw the world.
She ran to her master at the grove and told him of her plans. After giving his condolences about losing her mother, he let her know that the Ancient Tree is actually a portal to the Material Plane. That is where he has spent the last 600 years and where he learned about music. He tells her stories of some of his adventures and gives her his lute. He tells her to step through the tree and she will be teleported to a mysterious new world. As Piper steps through the portal, she turns back to look at him smiling as his body flashes in a bright light and disappears.
Bardic Inspiration
This section highlights some of her favorite songs (one for each season) she has written and how she manifests her music and songs.
Her favored instruments are Lute and Lyre but she is also proficient in the drums and flute. She is also a vibrant dancer.
Songs:
Song:
Instrument:
Season:
Inspiration
“Lullaby of Broken Dreams”
Lyre
Winter
This heart-wrenching song was written to relive the moments where her father burned her instruments in the Luminous Cavern.
“Call of the Blossom Fairy”
Lute
Spring
This is the closest she was ever able to get to replicating the song of her past life. It’s astoundingly beautiful.
“Wish of Daylight”
Drum
Summer
This inspiring march was written based on her friendship with Fierya. Their bond is one of the strongest and best parts of Pipers life.
“Dance of Leaves”
Flute
Autumn
Her love for festivals, food and comfort inspired this hearty, playful tavern-like balad.
*I will develop this section in a separate document describing how she flavors spells
Gods of the fey
Piper aligns with Hanali Celanil per the teachings of her bardic master. She is also aligned with Corellon Larethian, the creator of all elves. It is the goal of most elves to rejoin Corellon in the realm of Arvandor. She can be seen placing flowers and stones around fountains and bowls of water to represent power of the evergold. She will also be caught beautifying and cleaning places without being asked to do so.
Hanali Celanil
(Excerpt from Tomb of Foes) Hanali is the elven god of beauty and love. Usually depicted as a beautiful female, in some stories the god appears to mortals as a gorgeous male. Hanali’s gender in a story seldom matters, for no matter how much heartache and confusion the stories contain, they end with affairs of the heart properly sorted out and everyone in love with the person, or persons, they were fated to be with. Stories of Hanali’s romantic adventures among elves and other mortals are perennial favorites when sung by elf bards and poets.
In Arvandor, Hanali maintains a hidden pool called Evergold. She bathes in it at least once a day. It’s said that the water of Evergold keeps her young and breathtakingly beautiful, but this is certainly a poetic myth, since all the Seldarine appear young and beautiful, with or without having bathed in this fountain. Mortal elves who are invited to join Hanali in the pool are said to retain their youthfulness and to delay the onset of Transcendence by at least a century. More than a few elves claim to have experienced this benefit, and the truth of it is attested by many bards — sometimes in all earnestness, sometimes with a knowing wink.
Pools of Beauty. Those who worship Hanali Celanil build shrines in her honor around natural pools of clear spring water — a representation of the purity and power of Evergold. Her priests often surround such an area with flowers or arrange stones in a way that accentuates the natural beauty of the place. In a shrine dedicated to the worship of several elven deities, an alabaster bowl of water, usually with yellow flowers or petals floating in it, is left in reverence to Hanali.
Hanali’s pool is a symbol of rejuvenation, and its water has significance as well in representing the ever-flowing force of love. To Hanali’s followers, love is a living thing that flows like a river, moving around obstacles with ease, and, if it must, carving a path through bedrock to reach the sea of unity where all love gathers to become one with the cosmos. As one would navigate a river, the faithful of Hanali are known for following their hearts, unwilling to deviate from the pursuit of ultimate beauty.
Devotees of Hanali Celanil are known for taking the initiative in beautifying their surroundings without asking or expecting others to follow suit. If a shrine to the gods is beginning to look somewhat untidy, her followers will straighten things up, bring fresh flowers, and refresh offerings of food, water, and wine. Especially vigilant individuals might even decide to clean up after others who carelessly spill a drink in a tavern or leave their dinner table in a slovenly condition, all in humble service to their god.
Corellon Larethian
(Excerpt from Tomb of Foes) The creator of all elves is both chaos and beauty personified. Corellon is as fluid and changeable as a breeze or a brook — quick to anger, but equally quick to forgive and forget. The god loves magic, artistry, nature, and freedom. Anyone who has felt the mystical presence of Corellon describes it as a joy like no other, followed by a deep melancholy when his presence is no longer felt.
Corellon doesn’t expect much from followers — no complex rituals or frequent ceremonies or even regular prayer. Corellon wants them to enjoy life, to try new things, to imagine what they desire and then pursue it, and to be kind to others. In return for this freedom from the usual requirements of religion, Corellon expects them to address their own problems and not pray for aid in every crisis. These precepts are instilled within every elf, since all elves are ultimately descended from fragments of Corellon. When elves ask their priests how one might become able to sense Corellon’s presence, the priests often say,
“First, truly know yourself. Only then can you feel our creator near.”
Life in the Material World
After Piper stepped through the Fey Crossing, the once colorful grove was now dead and covered in melting snow and mud. The Mushroom trees transformed into conifers and the ancient tree was just a massive stump. It was then she began her journey into the Material Plane. She has spent the following few years of her life traveling around with the goal of making great memories that she can recall in trance. Most of what she was looking for were beautiful landscapes and natural wonders.
Anytime she found a serene mountain range or a mystical forest, she would begin to dance, play her music, write songs, anything that connected her to music and the world. She would also spend time in Trance recalling the lessons from her master and then practicing the musical spells from her songbook. On her journeys she found that there were many places that were not so kind to her presence. She started to develop a sense for when she should not be in her usual flamboyant form.
She also began to remember in Trance, good memories of when she invented wind and percussion style instruments. So she picked up a flute and a drum in her travels.
Physical Traits and Personality
Physical Description: She mostly maintains her spring looks, but will dip into Autumn frequently as well. She will only ever go into winter if she gets really sad or is in a horrible situation. After resting, her look can change quite drastically, her skin, hair and outfit change to represent one of the four seasons. Her outfits generally will have some sort of natural effect to them as well such as leaves, flowers and snowflakes. Her eyes glimmer with fey magic.
Sex: Female Weight: 93 lbs Height: 4’ 9” Age: 103
Spring:
Her favorite season, Spring, is represented by the colors pink and green for the blossoms. She has hot pink hair with bubblegum skin and rose colored eyes. She wears a sheer light pink and white chest wrap with an ornate buckle in the center. She wears no shoes and has a tied skirt made of the same fabric as her chest wrappings. On her left shoulder and wrists are ornate leaf-like bracers and shoulder guards. Her hair is tied back into a high half ponytail with a living vine covered in flowers. She is also wearing ornate earrings. She prefers her lute in this form.
Summer:
Summer is the season she adorns if she is about to go into battle. She has bright orange hair with golden skin and yellow colored eyes. She wears a yellow breastplate and with ornate shoulder guards. She wears sandals and a skirt made of light fabric and oak leaves. She wears short wrist guards and has her hair down, flowing and long. She prefers her drum in this form.
Autumn:
Her second favorite season, Autumn, is represented by the colors orange and red. She has Burnt Red hair with orange skin and fiery colored eyes. She wears a short colorful kimono with leaf patterns abound. She wears no sandals and tall socks. She wears her hair tied up in a braid with a living vine and yellow flowers.
Winter:
Winter is represented by blue and white. She has snow white hair hair with blue skin and silver colored eyes. She wears a simple top and an ornate skirt. She has tall boots and a fur cloak She has aggressive icy armguards. She keeps her hair down and this look has straight across bangs.
Personality
Piper has an outgoing and vivacious personality that epitomizes the joy-seeking aspects of Eldarin culture. She wears her emotions on her sleeve, loves to have fun, and often expresses herself in flamboyant ways. Eladrin tend to wear minimal clothing compared to humans, both as a reflection of her uninhibited culture and in order to feel at one with nature.
However, Piper is also a born fighter, and her sweet and frivolous personality evaporates whenever a combat situation arises. She is a fierce and no-nonsense fighter and extremely aggressive when her friends are in danger. She likes to meet new people and is a very good judge of character. She knows within minutes if someone would make a good travelling companion. It can however take decades for her to consider someone to become a part of a deep personal connection.
Piper pays special interest to the ephemeral: a cloud of mayflies, bubbles in water, illusions, eclipses, rainbows, artistic performances, and so forth. They are fascinated by any thing of beauty — an object, creature, scene, or event — that might be experienced only once, but which can be captured in an elf’s memory and revisited during trance for the rest of their lives.
Piper is a flamboyant and eccentric person and part of that nature shows more or less when she is in a different natural form. She doesn’t have multiple personalities, but she does seem to highlight aspects of herself more or less depending on her form. There are traits about her that are true no matter what.
Traits
I have different assumptions from those around me concerning personal space, blithely invading others’ space in innocence.
Spring. (Joy) Every day is the greatest day of your life.
Autumn. (Gluttony) You stock up on fine food and drink. You hate going without such comforts.
Winter. (Despair) The worst case is the most likely to occur.
Summer. (Confidence). A strong front can accomplish almost anything.
Ideals
Adventure. I’m far from home, and everything is strange and wonderful! (Chaotic)
Music. The power of music excites me and I seek out new songs.
Bonds
I’m fascinated by the beauty and wonder of this new land.
I am very attached to my instruments and will never put myself in a situation that separates me from them.
Flaws
I have a weakness for the new intoxicants and other pleasures of this land.
Spring. A pretty face infatuates you in an instant, but your fancy passes with equal speed.
Autumn. You trust others without a second thought. You allow others to guide your actions.
Summer.The best option is one that is swift, unexpected, and overwhelming
Winter. Nothing matters to you, and you allow others to guide your actions.
Fears
Poison. She has an irrational fear of poison and won't drink anything given to her by a complete stranger or someone who she has a bad feeling about.
Burning. She isn’t afraid of fire itself, and is okay with using it, but is afraid of the idea of people or sentimental items she cares for, burning to dust. She will find a way to try and douse the flames if someone or their livelihood is in danger.
Reason for Adventuring:
(From Tomb of Foes) Elves know that once they experience Transcendence, the memories they have accumulated will contribute to their eternal contentment. So they seek out experiences that will produce exciting, beautiful, or satisfying memories. A few battles against monsters certainly could qualify, but such activities aren’t usually the focus of an elf’s endeavors. Much preferred are memories of faraway places, excellent meals, and fascinating people. As such, most elf “adventurers” are primarily sightseers, not valiant crusaders or heroes for hire. They’re more interested in remote forests, lonely valleys, high mountains, and other natural places than in cities.
Equipment and Treasured Items:
Lute: This is the Lust made from a branch of the Grove Tree that her bardic master gave her just before his soul moved on.
Lyre: This is a Lyre given to her by her mother as a symbol of support for her music. She had it custom made just for Piper.
Rapier: During her youth, her father had her train in finesse style combat as a part of her education. She didn’t take to it too well, but she can handle a rapier with relative ease.
Dancer’s Costume: This is an ornate yellow and orange dancing outfit made of light sheer fabric that seems to float around as she dances.
Commoner’s Costume: She has a mute brown and white dress, corset and boots that she wears in crocurance with her Disguise kit so that she can blend in even better. It was designed to look like a ”material plane commoner”, but the fabrics are still exquisite. Anyone who scrutinized it could tell these are no rags
Disguise kit: After traveling around the material plane for a while, she found that not everyone likes outsiders. She picked up a disguise kit so that she could blend in better. She uses this kit to make her skin look more natural and to dye her hair if needed. This is so that she can go places without causing a ruckus. This pouch of cosmetics, hair dye, and small props lets you create disguises that change your physical appearance.
Enamel Flower: This is a small enamel that once belonged to her mother. When she puts it into her hair, the flower ties her hair back with animated living vines and flowers. Plucking the flower will return it to it's inanimate form. If she ties her hair back it means she’s getting serious. (small piece of jewelry
Maps: As she left her home she grabbed some poorly wrought maps. These are not great, but they at least let her know where she is and how to get back to the portal if she ever decides to go back
Piper Tuilë Eladrin Bard Backstory
Pretty PDF Version with pictures.
This is the most effort I've ever put into a character for DND. I'm really happy with her and cant wait to play her! Hope you guys like her! (Backstory is above)
Apologies in advance for typos and grammar! Haven't had a chance to edit it.
1-Hour Sketch: (I plan do do a better more fleshed out version soon)
God damn, a lot of work in there. I wish my essays were that long lol. I will look forward to read!
Yeah, took about a week and a half to put together. After I started DMing I can just endlessly write it seems. Anyway, I also updated it with a link to my pretty PDF version if you want it to be a bit easier on your eyes. Hope you enjoy the read!
Gnome Wizard, focus was to work with an intelligence of 10.
Apologies, I don't know how to hide this behind a spoiler. :(
Rurik was born to the Whiterock clan of the Endless Wastes; salt miners by trade, this clan of gnomes lies beneath the sand dunes. Sadly, Rurik could not strike the broad side of a mountain if it fell on him, making him the worst gnomish salt miner in the Whiterock clan's recent history.
To the delight of his clan leaders and fellow miners, Rurik showed an amazing aptitude as a lorekeeper, one who passed down the clan litany in great tells of the past. Rurik's ability kept his audiences enthralled and captivated, his words brought great kings and heroes to life for all. So great was his skill, that many neighboring clans knew his name; the only problem was, that they knew his name not only for his ability to entertain, but because he got it all wrong.
Kings became peasants and grandfather's became grandsons, dragons were slain and goblin hordes repelled when there was times of peace. While Rurik could captivate his audience, he could not remember the lore. Rurik was doomed, he failed as a miner and a lorekeeper, he would spend his days performing menial tasks for the clans, had fate not changed his stars.
During a 3 week fair, held on the outskirts of Almorel, Rurik discovered his path. He chanced upon folks spinning tales and entertaining audiences; he listened to a human speak of far away lands and of halflings recounting glorious cities around shining lakes. Rurik braved an isolated tavern tent and arranged to tell the stories of the gnomish clans for a few free drinks. Hours later with a keg, meal and a few extra coins, Rurik headed to collect his things and start his life as a storyteller.
During Rurik's travels and explorations of inns, taverns and fairs he happened across an old beaten tome at a curio's tent. The proprietor could not read the text and so Rurik was able to haggle a fair deal for it; for Rurik's years as an apprentice lorekeeper the text was quite legible for it's dwarvish iconography. To Rurik's consternation the book did not contain the stories of ancient kingdoms and heroes that he could add to his collection of tales, but to his delight it was a novices' spellbook that contained instruction and guidance in the arcane arts.
With his talent for magic growing and his skill in captivating audiences, Rurik gained the attention of the Harpers and was recruited to act as a correspondence way station. He passes along messages and influences the commoner and minor noble he meets in his travels with his stories; reminding them of the past attempts at the abuse of power. With this, Rurik has begun his life as a fledgling wizard in the annals of the Harpers.
So I'll be totally honest, I have never played D&D, or any tabletop RPG for that matter. I have always had an interest, but never really knew how to get started. I recently came up with the idea of what I would want my first ever character to be, and also fleshed out his backstory fairly well, but I really would like a bit of advice on what could be improved and also what you all liked about it. Anyways, here goes nothing. This is the story of Amladas:
As a infant, Amladas was abandoned on the doorsteps of an orphanage. Raised by a holy man known as Father Goldenwall, he grew to respect and love the church and its practices. However Amladas never has much talent in the ways of healing magic as many clerics did, he instead grew his natural aptitude for the blade. A prodigy at a young age Amladas quickly created a name for himself in the small village that he inhabited. He was a generous and caring young man, who gave any and all his left over time, to helping his church, as well as the town that was built around it. He became friends with any and all who inhabited the village. Most of all, a young man by the name of Abathon Screene. Screene was only slightly younger then Amladas, and they became great friends quickly. Where Amladas was keen with a sword, Screene was the a skilled healer. These to were so close in fact that many in the village considered them brothers, including themselves.
Over the years Amladas' proficiency with blades grew and grew, eventually becoming a devout defender of the church, becoming a Holy Knight in the name of the God of Justice, was his one true ambition in life. His faith so strong, and his swordsmanship so keen that the Knights of Holy Judgement quickly recruited him as one of their own. Leaving his small village behind, Amladas learned new techniques and powers in efforts to defend the weak from the evil. Although Amladas' healing magic was sub-par at best, his aptitude for defensive magic was clearly fueled by his will to help others, erecting holy barriers to defend the defenseless. Eventually Amladas was given a powerful sword imbued with holy magic. At the age of 25, Amladas had truly came into his own, being a powerful knight and defensive magic user. He was known well for his elegant and graceful, almost elvish in nature, wielding of the blade, and his strong fortitude to do the right thing. However, he had heard of a fell curse that was laid upon his home village. Unable to resist the urge to help, and unwilling to listen to his comrades telling him not to go. He mounted upon his horse, and took off to save his village.
Upon arriving he found his town to have been decrepit and rotting, corpses walking among the living. These corpses however, were not unfamiliar to him. These undead were the people of his village, slain and resurrected into a blasphemous horde of zombies. Amladas seeing this cruel treatment of the dead, and most importantly, his friends, infuriated him. Having no other choice but to cut down those he held most dear in an effort to find out the terrible creature that had done this. He killed each and everyone of the undead until he finally came to his home, The Church. As he entered he realized that this was the true source of the corruption in his village, and at the other end of the chapel standing behind the podium, mouthing incantations of a language unknown to Amladas. Stood Abathon Screene, his best friend, his brother. To his horror Screene had become a terrible necromancer in the service of a Lich. When asked why, Screene meerly pointed towards the now decaying corpse of the dear Father Goldenwall. Goldenwall had died from a mysterious illness sometime after Amladas had left for the Holy Knights. Unable to cure him despite his best efforts Screene went into a dark and twisted depression, wanting only to bring back the man that had raised him. Even so far as enlisting the power of an evil master of the undead, the Lich. However the Lich had tricked Screene, and corrupted him into killing his entire village.
Amladas left with only one choice, fought against Screene, eventually winning and slaying his now corrupted brother. Before Screene passed on, however, he muttered one last incantation, and bit into Amladas' hand. Suddenly a deep black mark formed on his palm, and Amladas' flesh began to decay. In excruciating pain Amladas prayed to his god for salvation. Left with only a empty silence and the moans of damned that he had not slain outside. As the curse slowly worked its way up his arm, decaying and scarring his flesh, leaving only bone to be left. A holy light rained down upon him, and for the first time he heard the god that he worshiped so much. "Amladas" it said "For your everlasting faith, and determination for justice, I will grant you the salvation that you seek, however, you shall still serve in my name, you shall slay the damned and purge the unjust from this land, do you agree to these terms?" Writhing in pain Amladas agreed seeing no downside to this bargain. Upon agreeing, there was a flash of light and suddenly, the pain had subsided. However, something still had not felt right. He looked at his arm. It was still decrepit and decayed, as though he has the arm of a Lich, but now there was something new. A tattoo, in the shape of a chain on his upper shoulder that wrapped around the still human portion of his arm. The chain was lined with runic marks that Amladas had no knowledge of what their meaning was. The curse seemed to recede and could only corrupt his arm and no farther past the mark. Upon returning to his journey, he showed this to his comrades. Disgusted by the fact that one of their warriors was now partially undead, and scared of this curse spreading to them. They cast Amladas out, left alone and abandoned he was back to where he started all those years ago. Except now, he wasn't just a baby, he wasn't helpless, and now he had a divine purpose.
So I have one that I really like right now, haven't played as a PC yet because, as you can most likely guess, I'm our group's GM.
Bai "Leaper" Mythos is a white dragonborn. Or at least we hope she is. We, the all halfling bard troupe Requiem Mythos, found Bai's egg one morning as we got up and ready for our day. No note, no one around, no one missing a dragon egg in any city within a day's journey. Trust us, we looked. So we hatched her and raised her to be a proper bard. Acting, singing, tumbling and storytelling, she has a talent for them all. She's gonna be a really fine bard one day... If she can get past her temper that is. She is, after all, a white dragonborn. She tends to rage for a bit if she gets worked up enough. Though she is trying to keep it under control... Most of the time.
Bai "Leaper" Mythos; White dragonborn (maybe Half-Dragon we aren't sure); Bard 1/Barbarian 1
You don't name something you are just going to sacrifice...
She is a Tiefling Warlock with (currently) no name.
Quick note. All dialog (except for the first little bit) is going on inside of her head. The italicized parts are from a foreign souce.
Put your spoiler here.
[Translated from infernal] "Dark lord of the shadow, we offer this sacrifice to you." A cloaked tiefling stands over a whitehaired child that is tied and drugged lying on an alter that was moved to the center of the town. Almost every member of the village was standing around the sacrifice. Even those villagers not actively participating were standing around, looking on with anticipation and holding children too young to stand. "Prepare the way for the sacrifice." The sound of knifes leaving their sheaths filled the air as all of the villagers standing around alter readied themselves, raising the blades to their forearms. ""Dark One, Unknown Lord of night, we offer our blood as a river to ferry our sacrifice to you." At that, they sliced their forearms in unison. As the blood begins to drip, the sound of thunder washes through the village. Murmurs echo through the observers. The lead ritualist looks around hesitantly before slowly raising the ceremonial dagger. He takes in a deep breath and his eyes go wide as he sees the child's hair swiftly turn black. The cloaked man barely able to utter "No" before a shadow leaps from the child, eliciting a scream from the man. The shadow expands outwards, faster than anyone can move. Unfortunately for them, the living shadow took much longer to finish off the villagers, having their screams linger for near half an hour.
The sun wakes the child, prompting her to shield her eyes from the glare. She looked confused at first, her hands being free somehow. As her eyes adjusted she saw the carnage around her. She had no particular attachment to any of the sodden lumps around her, yet the scene around her was horrifying. She screamed.
A new day dawned with the girl on the same alter, surrounded by stinking corpses. She didn't know what to do. The bodies scared her. She was on an island of stone in sea of blood and viscera. The scared girl sat there till the middle of the day when a soft thudding noise came to her ear. She looked around, spotting a large bear trodding its way towards the mass of smelly meat. Desperately she looked around her and spotted a dagger sticking out of the crimson soil. Hurriedly, she grabbed the dagger and looked back at the bear. It was very large, the dagger seemingly just a stick in her hand. It hadn't seemed to notice her but her mind was resolved. She needed to escape before the bear saw her and killed her. Slowly, she lowered her foot to the ground, keeping the large stone altar between her and the bear. As she settled both feet on the ground, something in her came alive. Something foreign, that wasn't there before. She put her hands on the rock to steady herself and her shadow danced about beneath her. "WE HUNGER". A voice echoed in her mind, unbearably loud, blinding her with sheer pain at its presence. She screamed once more, this time as if to siphon away the voice that was filling her mind. Grabbing her head, it as if to hold it together. She began stumbling away from the now fleeing bear, just to do something to get the pain to lessen. "WEHUNGERWEHUNGERWEHUNGERWEHUNGER". Slipping and crawling, she made her way out of the circle of death, the searing pain pushing her forward. Grasping about, she found a large stone and in desperation brought her head down upon it. At the last minute, the stone was shoved away by a solid cord of shadow emanating from under her. Feeling a stinging pain, she raised a hand to her head, It seemed that she was able to cut herself but no more. As soon as she saw her own blood the screaming in her head stopped. The black cords wrapped around her hand and then withdrew, leaving her hand free of blood. "Yessssss". The girl licked her lips and thought "Who are you?" "I am the shadow behind every light, the night after every day, the bringer of death to the giver of life." This time the voice came in at a calm and deceptively lulling tone. "What are you doing in my head?" "I am as much as a part of you as you are of me, now. We are one." "How did this happen?" "It seems your friends and family sacrificed you. Or at least tried to." "Friends? Family? What are those?" A feeling of confusion flickered over her mind and, without her bidding, memories of her younger years came flooding back.
A small dark room, secluded from the world. She can't even remember anything outside of this room. A small flap on the bottom of the door opened and a plate of what only could be called scraps is shoved through. Of course, she wouldn't know that. She greedily ate the food that was before her, cleaning the plate. The child moved to the boarded-up window, a sliver of light slicing through a warped piece of wood. Faint voices trickled through the opening. She knew that calling out to those voices would do nothing, she had called out to them till her voice was raw, to no avail. Still, she liked listening. After a while, she moved to looking at the people in the weird world full of light. They were similar to her, for the most part. They had horns and tails, like her, but she had ears that were furry and shaped different as well as a furry tail. She never saw a tail that was furry. She knew she was a freak. She knows nothing. Rolling back, she looked back at the barren room, her mind wandering.
"It is a wonder you know Common and Infernal." "I pay attention." "Good, that will help you to survive this cruel world." "What... what should I do now?" "Go into the woods, I will show you how to survive."
Hello mighty travelers!
I recently finished my backstory for a Water Genasi Druid and wanted to share it with you!
(it is quite long, I think I got carried away a little...) So for those of you who don't a little read, you are welcome to share your thoughts!
Farewell
(pdf version here!)
https://drive.google.com/open?id=16a1GIrLgVLwolrYPVfM60fIN9YJrbnO8
Backstory is for my first character, a HighElf Wizard. Super excited to get into this.
From a young age, Elon was recognized as a protégé in the field of magic. He was born into a noble, yet generous clan of Elvish folk who took great pride in the mastery of magical arts, and all things associated with "knowledge". Elon's father, Aeofar, was an esteemed and well-established wizard, who, alongside his brother Deofar, successfully taught many pupils the ways of the mystic arts. Aeofar was an Elf of stature and character, and had become somewhat of a household name due to the mastery of his craft. Aeofar's infamous spellbook, unofficially given the name "Farthome" by all who knew the great Wizard, was one of a kind, and exceptionally detailed, holding an untold amount of spells and rituals within its many pages. However, few elves had ever laid eyes on the actual book, a beautiful volume inlaid with perfectly polished bronze, silver, and gold (the few who had seen it stated that the book looked to be made of fire, never truly taking on a cohesive shape). Aeofar preferred to keep his spellbook under a constant transmutation, leaving it a simple steel necklace which he never parted with. Having grown up under this wise teaching of his father and uncle, Elon was able to learn and master multiple spells at an astonishing rate, leaving some jealous, and others in awe. It was quickly realized amongst his elders that he may grow into the most powerful user of magic in the known world, able to bend the dimensions to his will with ease. However, due to his youth, Elon was never told of this power he possessed. Aeofar decided that, to protect his son from haughtiness and pride, he would treat Elon the same as any other student. And so, that is what Aeofar did. This training lasted many years, almost until the day that Elon reached adulthood. In this time, Elon had made friends and enemies, fought duels that he had lost and won, and learned many extraordinary spells and enchantments. Elon had always known of his natural ability to command magic, but never knew how much potential he possessed, or why he was able to spellcast with such ease. On the day Elon turned 100, Aeofar gave his son his new name, Elonfar. This was a tradition amongst his people, and was used as a blessing upon the rest of Elonfar's life. Sadly, the day would soon turn dark. A stranger wandered into the midst of Elonfar's people that afternoon. No one knew his name, or where he had come from. He claimed to be lost and hungry, and for this reason, was immediately assisted by many of the Elvish folk. However, their generosity would soon prove meaningless. Without warning, the stranger wearing the maroon robe with the golden pin attacked, killing everyone. The suddenness and effectiveness of his magical attacks took everyone off guard, and none were powerful enough to stop him. Elonfar was the last left alive, having watched everyone he loved drained off their life force before his very eyes, the final being his father. The stranger had somehow known of Elonfar's power, and had taken great care to render him ineffective before he attacked, casting spells that left him completely immobile for the duration of the his assault. As the dust settled, the stranger casually walked to a screaming and mentally shattered Elonfar, smiling. Saying no words, the stranger touched Elonfar on the forehead, and vanished. With that, Elonfar could not remember why or how his people were killed that day, nor who did it. All memory of this stranger had been plucked from his mind. The only thing Elonfar had to point him in any kind of a direction was a black tattoo-like scar that he would bear the rest of his life, shaped as a strange symbol he had never seen, in the exact place where the stranger had touched him. On that day, Elonfar lost much of his power, reverting to a version of himself that may as well have never known magic at all. However, Elonfar remembered his training, and remembered his father. After mourning for many days and nights, Elonfar decided to leave his home, vowing to one day return it to it's former glory. The only token he took was his father's spellbook, "Farthome", now completely empty, pages white and clean. He devoted the rest of his life to gaining back the power he once had in order to achieve his destiny of becoming the strongest wizard to ever live, and clear the mystery of the strange symbol resting in the middle of his forehead. Since then, Elonfar has become a wanderer, always searching, never finding, and never speaking of the day that he gained his scar.
This is the backstory of my Centaur Blood Hunter
Our clan was small. My dad was the local blacksmith though he rarely made anything other than arrow tips for the hunters and occasionally repaired a weapon or two for the warriors who guarded us. One day a strange man visited our tribe. We were all shocked when this human opened his mouth and spoke sylvan. My dad was suspicious of him but we had not reason to not treat him with hospitality. After a short while with us, he began to pry deeper into how much we knew of the fey and their magic. When we shared that most of us were strangers to magic he became irate and began spouting curses at us stating we were being selfish with our power and that if we would not share it the answers he sought would be taken by force. The man was escorted out of the village by a few warriors while he continued spouting off his vile contempt. A week later as I foraged for wood to fuel the forge, I heard a loud commotion. I rushed back to find the village ransacked. Everyone laying around dead. a group of humans stood over the body of our chieftain blades bloody from their slaughter. One noticed me. I ran to the forge and grabbed my dad's hammer and the sword he had just finished the previous day. I rushed the group of men losing myself to my rage. After several of their brethren had fell before me the rest turned tail and fled. I pursued for days. At night restitching their armor to fit myself. On the 8th day i found them still asleep at their camp, I caught them and slew them as they slept.
With my vengeance met, I looked down and realized that I had not only slain the men I had been pursuing but others as well. Were they complicit in the slaughter of my people of simply the families of murderous men who had no knowledge of the evil that had been done. Surely they were not all evil. No. I was the evil one. I slaughtered them in their sleep. Was i any different from them at all. I wandered the forest for months debating my morality and whether i would be better using my sword on myself when 1 day i met an elf who smelt nothing like an elf. I cautiously approached and asked why he did not smell as he should. The elf grinned and laughed. The elf then took a moment to study me pausing for a few seconds to stare into my eyes. It felt as though he felt my sorrow and anguish and self hatred and showed more than simply sympathy but recognition as though he struggled with the same demons. I asked again why he smelt so unusual. He grinned again. Were those fangs? He introduced himself, stating his name was Theren. He shared that he was not fully elf anymore. He then asked how strong was my desire to rid the world of evil like that which destroyed my tribe. I shared that there were no limits to what I would do to rid this place of ilk such as them. He smiled and stated that he could help. Then before my eyes, the elf changed becoming a form of a werewolf. I stepped back out of shock and readied my weapon. The man gestured for me to be at ease and as quickly as he had shifted shifted back to an elf. He then shared with me that there were people like him seeking to rid the world of monsters and evil by any means necessary even if it meant becoming a monster themselves. Were they so different from me. I was not far from a monster. He shared that with training I could become like them. I asked if he was offering. "that's the question isn't it." he responded. After a few moments he laughed and shared that if i was willing he would train me. I shared that if it meant ridding the world of evil I would join him. He nodded and asked for my arm. I extended my arm and he sank his fangs into y arm. The next few weeks are a blur of training both in combat and in willpower to control the gift I had been given. One day on a trip to the local village to get provisions we encountered the town guard fighting off a troop of bandits. Theren and I jumped into the fray attempting to assist the guardsmen. During the fight, whether out of choice or pure rage i do not know, Theren shifted and began carving his way through the bandits with fang and claw. During the fray,Theren lunged at a guardsman mauling his face. Theren immediately jumped back realizing he had lost control and dropped his weapons turning himself into the town guard for judgement. A week later, I returned to the village, this time to watch my mentor hang. I had offered to break him out. He shared that he had lost control and needed to be cut down like any other monster. After the crowd dispersed, I approached my dead mentor now cut down laying on the ground. I removed the hangman's noose from around his neck and placed it around my own letting the cord hang down over my chest. I would not end up like him. I would control the gift given me, but finding someone to hunt with and keep an eye on me couldn't hurt.
Still polishing up the character
So my group got a new player, and started a mini-quest to help him level up. We all created new characters, and I had one that I already had the basics worked out for, but just got around to writing his backstory. Introducing Rikas (Rye-cus) Greysmoke!
Rikas was born to mixed-race parents, a human woman, Nara, and an elven man, Palan. She was an artist, he was a scholar, and the two met while he was doing research into celestial beings at a university in the neighboring kingdom to the Elven nation. They fell in love, got married, and shortly after Rikas was born, the family moved back to the Elven nation into the port town of Rainbow Tide.
Things soon began going downhill. Palan was from an old and respected family, and he moved in high social circles. He was always considered a bit eccentric due to his studies, but once he returned with a human wife and a half-elven child, this view turned. His peers were not happy that he married “outside the line”, and slowly began shunning him. Research opportunities began drying up, and after several years he was asked to leave his teaching position at the Elven university. Nara was sometimes taunted whenever she went out into the city, and elven parents wouldn’t let their children play with Rikas. He was never lonely though, as his parents were very loving and attentive. His mother instilled in him a sense of kindness and a love of art, and his father entertained him with stories of gods and their adventures. Rikas dreamed of seeing the world, going on adventures, and maybe meeting the gods themselves. Whenever Rikas asked his father if he had ever actually met any gods, Palan just smiled.
One night, when Rikas was 11, things came to a head. Palan had returned to the university to collect some of his research, and an argument broke out with some of the school officials over the nature of his studies and his choice of family. He took his materials and fled, and when he returned home, he told Nara that the family was moving the next day, anywhere but here. Late that night, a mysterious fire broke out at their home. Nara got Rikas to safety, then went back inside for Palan. The two never made it out, and Rikas was left alone in a society that wanted nothing to do with him.
From that point on, Rikas lived on the streets. He picked pockets, did odd jobs, and developed a simmering hatred for High-Elves, whom he blamed for his parents’ deaths. When he was 15, he had had enough, and stowed away on a ship in the port, not caring where it was headed. He wound up in Waterdeep, and soon found himself drawn into the criminal underworld of the city. He became known for his thieving skills, especially when they involved pulling one over on a pretentious and preening High-Elf. He developed a cynical view of the world, but never quite lost that quality of kindness his mother instilled in him. He was known on occasion to share his ill-gotten gains with the poor and sick of the city.
One day, as he was wandering through the city, Rikas noticed a hooded figure in a brilliant white cloak leaving an elven temple. Figuring it was some self-important High-Elf, he decided to have some fun. He followed the figure through the city, and when they had to push through a large crowd, he skillfully picked their pocket, then turned and made his way to an empty alley. He discovered that what he’d lifted was a strange amulet made of white crystal. Just then, the hooded figure appeared in the alleyway. A dagger appeared in Rikas’ hand, ready to defend himself.
The figure waved its hand, and Rikas felt his body grow tense, and he was drawn towards the figure. The figure threw back its hood, revealing a beautiful woman, with light blue eyes and rich, dark auburn hair. She looked him over for a minute, then down at the amulet in his hand. She coolly told him that she was impressed with his skill, and even more impressed that he would steal from a god. She introduced herself as Selen, goddess of outcasts. She was visiting the city’s temples, seeing how charitable they were being.
Rikas apologized, saying that his father told him all about the gods, but he never thought he’d meet one, let alone steal from one. Selen laughed, saying that his father was a smart man, and that it was a shame what happened to him. She looked thoughtfully at him for a moment, then said she could see the good in his heart, and that she knew how he could repay her. She offered him the amulet, telling him that he would be her emissary, helping those in need, and trying to do good. As he took the amulet, Rikas felt a comforting power flow into him. With a warning that she would be watching, Selen disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Rikas with the realization that not only had he finally met a god, but he was about to begin a great new adventure.
Name: Aerik, last name unknown.
Age: Unknown
Race: Human
Occupation: Barkeep/Owner Boar's Head Inn
Special: He has an idle habit of polishing a dagger or mug while staring off into the distance.
---
As a toddler, Aerik's father was drafted into the King's army, this was a wonderful time as they were expanding the territories and destroying the evil that had taken hold. 4 years had passed, Aerik now turning 8, and they got the message, a particularly ugly den of creatures took the lives of many soldiers, including his father. The king was fair, and any family that lost a loved one in the war was compensated annually, as well as absolved from taxation, until the eldest child could provide for the family. The years passed, Aerik watched as his mother faded, she would spend more time lost in her mind than anything else when not working around the home. Eventually Aerik reached the age of adulthood and when that time came his mother left, no fanfare, no weeping, simply a kiss and a good bye. She gave herself to the monastery, becoming a sister and spending her time in reflection, meditation, and service. Aerik was left with the home, land, and despondent heart, having effectively lost his family, he chose to leave his home for the city. Selling the land, and travelling 3 days to the city, he found that life was not going to be as easy as he had hoped .
He quickly found that he needed work, food, clothing, and a roof, all of which were significantly more expensive, and his cash limited. Work was impossible, he had no trade skills that he could offer, and apprenticing at his age was almost unheard of. He soon fell in with the underground, the local thieves' guild teaching him a different kind of trade. With his skills in hunting and tracking, as well as a quick mind, he soon became an enforcer for the guild. That was his life for a time, he had a home, food, and work, though it was a strange place for him, a part of his morality was being tested. One day he was tasked to take care of a job, upon finding his target he noticed that the target had a child, Aerik refused to finish the job at that time. He was severely punished for failing in the task, after that Aerik vowed he'd find his way out of the guild.
The time came, a few harvest seasons later, that his opportunity to leave presented itself. In that time he never took a job that he didn't approve of, even if it cost him sever punishment. One afternoon he found himself outside of town hunting for his dinner, he'd been refused food and lodging for not accepting a job again. He crept up on a young deer, a fork that was busy with a blueberry bush, he leaped out at it attempting to down it with nothing more than a dagger. At the same moment an arrow struck the deer in the chest, dropping it almost instantly, Aerik was both shocked and angered at this turn of events. A hunter approached him, almost unseen and unheard, this hunter was just as shocked as he'd not seen Aerik stalking the same prey. The hunter offered his camp to Aerik and the two shared a meal and a conversation.
Aerik made friends with the hunter, and her companions, and was offered to join them. They were rangers who worked as an elite group of hunters, tracking the most dangerous creatures, for a cost. Their goal was altruistic, to rid the area of these evil creatures and promote prosperity, but they weren't crazy enough to do it without compensation. They took Aerik into their fold and taught him their ways. He used his skills with the thieves' guild and what the rangers taught him to become an excellent hunter. He currently tracks and kills anything that has risen from the grave, or has been brought back from the dead. He also struggles within, trying to figure out if he really deserves a good life beyond this. Having spent so much time doing the work of the thieve's guild and now working for the rangers, he wonders if this may be his way of repentance.
---
Captain Dax "Mako" Mako'ar
Once a Sailor in the Kings navy, he saw the crown wasn't what he wanted to serve, which was himself, he found his way down to Waterdeep where he joined a crew and over the course of 3 years became captain, where his prowess on the water and his ruthlessness he became know as Dax the Mako. Dax is/was the pirate Captain of the Archer, a large black galleon, with blue sails and a Shark figure head. Captain Dax had hired a Wizard to help with a salvage mission he was undertaking to recover a lost relic at the bottom of the sea, the crew of the Archer including Dax had no idea what the relic was, only it was PRICELESS, which means a large haul. The voyage took a few days and over the course of the trip to the wreckage, Dax noticed a change in his crew, they followed his orders still, but not like before. Once they made the dive down with the wizards help to breath, recovered the item from the ship after fighting off a few Merrow, Sahaguin, and a school of quipper. Once they arrived back up to the ship, the Wizard, the Half-Elf Drakaro, had enthralled his crew upon resurfacing and effectively led a mutiny and removed Dax from his Captaincy, and tossed him over bored left for dead. Dax was rescued by a Triton who had followed his ship for a few days, and taken to his city to heal. Once healed, he was sent back to the surface world, and Dax now resides in Waterdeep, trying to gather enough resources to get his ship back, and sink his blade in the Wizard.
Item's - Sashelas' Spear, Thunder Beads, Diadem of the Owl, Bag of Stasis
Race - Fey-Touched
Subclass - Circle of Vitality
Monsters - Blood Bear
Spell - Arcbolt
So, I just recently started playing since it took me a long time to find a group to play with.
My first character is a High Elf Wizard, and I wrote this backstory for him:
INTP - Software Engineer. Builder of tools, Gamer, and Early Adopter.
This is a character I wrote in a couple of fanfiction stories. His race and name is based off Tanis Half-Elven from Dragonlance, and he is from Krynn. He came to Faerun at the assistance of his elven mother, who is a member of a noble Evereskan House. I've made a character sheet and I plan on having him as an NPC in future games, but mostly as a background character or the "Hey my uncle has a job for you."
Tanis grew up on the world of Krynn, named after one of the legendary Heroes of the Lance. His mother, Enelya was an elven bard, born of a noble house from Evereska, though she never told him this past. His father Johnathon was a Steel Legionaire who met his mother when he assisted Lady Alustriel with a task in Faerun. Johnathon proposed to Enelya and she accepted. They went back to Krynn to start a new life.
I have an intelligence of six, I know what I'm doing.
New to D&D. Got no one to play with, so this's more of a character I'm building for a thought experiment while I'm at work and can't do anything creative for 10 hours.
Svelt, Tiefling Warlock
"Svelt has spent her entire youth cursed by the gods to burn by divine flame when exposed to sunlight. Shunned by her human family, as well as the small village she called home, she spent most of her time indoors, or exploring the nearby fields by moonlight.
One night, after a particularly heated argument, she runs away into the nearby woods. There, she encounters a handsome older gentleman and an old woman, who promise to help her- for a price. After signing a magically binding contract, she looks up to see not an elderly couple, but an ancient demon and an old hag (so, maybe an elderly couple?). They hand her a magical parasol made from branches and parchment, claiming it will help her, before walking off in the direction she came.
Alone in the woods with no one else around, can she survive the coming dawn? And, more importantly, can she survive long enough to find a way to lift her curse?
(I cut the backstory back to here 'cause that's where I'm stuck at. I've got, like, 4 different "ends" that I can personally see for this character, one of which is the most likely. Regardless, this is a fun character for me to try to plan around. Speaking of, still need someone to help me determine how the sunlight curse works.)
(As for the curse, it's not vampirism. I thought making her a true vampire would be too powerful, AND I figured the whole blood craving thing would be too distracting for the story I'm wanting to tell...)
Hmm, still need help figuring out the particulars for this character. Maybe I should post about her in her own thread?
Check out my art and miniatures!
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