The story is set in the Kingdom of Aglarion, where the characters will uncover dark secrets from the past of a royal family after the fall of a blessed era and break a curse that plagues the kingdom. The players will have to explore lands ravaged by the curse and travel to the Feyrealm, the Shadowrealm, and even Hell, where they will be faced with the daunting task of  saving the crown from the dreadful effects of an otherwise inevitable pact. A sinister bargain has caused suffering for the people of the land, spawning a mad witch-knight with an insatiable hunger for vengeance.

How to Prep

• Gimmick (Core Character Concept)
• Want (What does the character want at the beginning of the adventure?)
  Ex: Gimmick - An aristocratic gnome who lost everything on crypto and now lives in squalor.
  Ex: Want -  To get rich again by fulfilling mercenary contracts.
• Once a party has been chosen, I will share the adventure setting gazetteer to assist you in fleshing out a backstory.
• The party will begin at level 1, then rapidly progress to level 5 through a series of adventures that help introduce the setting.

Character Creation

• Roll for ability scores, RR 1s.
• Level 1 feat.
• 200gp to purchase starting equipment from the PHB.
  50gp healing potions at character creation (price will fluctuate in game).
• Characters must be good or neutral aligned.
• All official races/subclasses allowed.

Expectations

• High frequency of combat.
• Medium frequency of roleplay.
• Medium frequency of puzzles/skill challenges.
• Player experience: Any

In lieu of it.

• Ability scores: 14 14 15 10 13 12. <14, 14, 11, 8, 16, 11>

Gimmick: A former 'cursed' child by his tribesman who met their end who met their end when their other dark dealings with the Shadow Realm led to a party of adventures being hired to wipe them out. He was spared, and in time was taken in by the party, learned from them, only to be magically whisked far away from them during an an adventure. 
Wants: To reunite with his party, and someday slay whatever dark power had led his people astray.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Feat: Moderately Armored
Name: Ruddick
Race: Orc
Class: Warlock
Domain: Undead

Gimmick: Wrongly accused of murder, looking for an opportunity to ‘get out of town’

Want: Looking to clear name and start anew with an unblemished reputation

Ability scores: 17; 8; 12; 8; 15; 6

Feat: Alert

Alignment: Chaotic good

Race: Variant human

Class: Rogue or fighter (depending on how gazetteer sparks my imagination)

Realised my dice rolls were using the wrong formula (and didn't want to edit in the post). So...dice rolls as follows:

Ability scores: 12 15 16 16 14 16

Ability scores: 13 12 11 14 14 14

• Lucien Ashcroft, a young lawful neutral human noble, lawyer and diplomat with an infernal contract. 
• Lucien seeks to bring law and order to the Kingdom of Aglarion and has struck a necessary deal in order to accomplish this.
• Skill expert (Persuasion)

Ability scores: 11 13 15 12 12 18

Character Name: Tristan Nightshade

Gimmick (Core Character Concept): Tristan Nightshade is a fallen nobleman, the last surviving member of the once-revered Nightshade family in the Kingdom of Aglarion. The Nightshades were known for their mastery of magic and their close ties to the Feyrealm. However, a dark secret from the family's past led to their downfall after a blessed era came to an end. Tristan is haunted by the family's curse, which robbed them of their wealth, prestige, and influence, leaving him to wander as a lone and brooding figure.

Want: Tristan is driven by a burning desire to break the curse that has plagued his family and the entire kingdom. He yearns to restore his family's honor, cleanse their name, and save the crown from the dreadful effects of the cursed pact. Tristan carries a heavy burden of responsibility to set things right and protect the innocent people of Aglarion.

Backstory: Generations ago, the Nightshade family made a pact with a malevolent entity from the Shadowrealm, seeking to gain untold power and influence over Aglarion. The family believed they could wield the entity's dark magic for the greater good, but their intentions were warped by ambition and greed. As a result, the cursed pact led to the Nightshades' downfall, and they became a family shrouded in darkness and misfortune.

On his twenty-fifth birthday, Tristan inherited the mantle of the Nightshade family and the cursed artifact tied to the pact. Unbeknownst to him, the artifact's malevolence began to taint his magical abilities and cast a shadow over the entire kingdom. To save Aglarion and himself, Tristan must break the curse.

Class: Paladin (Oath of Redemption)

Ability scores: 11 14 12 15 12 17

Level 1 Feat: Tavern Brawler

Alignment: Neutral

Race: Human (Variant)

Gimmick: Hobgoblin support bard who deserted the armed forces of her people.
Want: To find a new place in the world where she can help others
Alignment: Neutral Good
Feat: Skill Expert

Gimmick: Was created by a passing Artificer to help scare away intruders into the Druid enclave.
Want: To be accepted as a Druid and not just a 'thing'
Alignment: Neutral Good
Feat: TBD
Class: Druid
Race: Warforged 

Ability scores: 12 12 14 14 15 10

https://www.dndbeyond.com/sheet-pdfs/GR_Mustang_105453537.pdf

Not sure which image would best represent this campaign:

13, 11, 14, 13, 13, 9

13, 11, 14, 13, 13, 9

Gimmick - Caoril is an elven priest of the Sun.  He has been tasked with leaving the forest to discover what the latest portents of Sun spots have revealed.  His hierarchy are concerned about “great change” and “rising evil” signs that have been seen repeatedly.

Want - Caoril is devout and wishes to serve the Sun to his utmost.  He is also curious of the non-elf peoples and wants to learn of them directly.  He enjoys the beauty of gem stones.

Neutral Good

Feat - Observant

Ability scores: 18 14 17 13 12 15

Ability scores: 16 11 16 13 15 15

Ability scores: 13 15 16 16 13 16

Ability scores: 10 10 13 9 12 13

Ability scores: 11 13 12 13 17 14

Gimmick: A Tabaxi commoner who had terrifying visions only to realize they were from a dying god

Wants: To save the dying god and re-establish a dying religion.

Ability Scores in Spoiler

Gimmick: A fairy with a curious nature and boundless wanderlust finds himself lost among the world of strange creatures.
Want: To find a way to live together while earning coin to survive.
Alignment: Neutral
Feat: Fey Touched
Name: Kaprys
Race: Fairy
Class: Druid