Name: Friedrych Soothfibber Age: 27 Race: Half-Elf Class: Warlock - Fiend Patron with Pact of the Chain Familiar: Luthollal (nickname Lulu) Background: Acolyte Religion: Leira (the Lady of the Mists) Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Personality Traits: - Everything I say is true... from a certain point of view. For what is a lie but merely a truth that could have been? - A silver tongue is often more dangerous than a silver sword. Ideals: I seek to prove myself worthy of my god’s favor by matching my actions against her teachings. Bonds: There are universal truths and customs even I dare not to defy. Friends also get a free pass most of the time. Flaws: False truths come so easily to me that I occasionally lose track of what is true and what is false.
Wondrous item: Slippers of Spider Climbing
Background
The truth is boring. After all, why should you be content with merely telling what has happened when you could just as well give a dramatic and entertaining spiel to it? Such is the mindset of Friedrych Soothfibber, self-proclaimed con artist and teller of tales. Once he was but a mere acolyte toiling away in a temple in a rural village awaiting the day he would be ordained. On the eve of said day, a merchant strolled into town bearing various trinkets, magical baubles and healing elixers. The townsfolk were quickly taken in by his exotic wares and so was Friedrych. One of the items he spotted was a glimmering ring engraved with an unusual symbol. The merchant told him it was a holy item, something no aspiring cleric should be without, and though he was saddened to part with it, he sold it to Friedrych for the low, low price of twenty-five gold pieces. Enticed by the prospect of wielding divine magic, Friedrych swiftly handed over all of his savings, too preoccupied with his newest purchase to notice that the merchant skipped town very quickly afterwards.
The following day, a mere hour before his ordainment, Friedrych bragged to his fellow acolytes about his holy symbol and the divine power he would soon be channeling. One of older ones asked to have a closer look at the ring. He pulled out a sharp knife and gave the ring a couple of knocks and scrapes, causing a thin layer of wax to peel away. The ring turned out to be plain, with no marking at all, and most definitely not a holy symbol of any kind. Duped by the merchant and mocked by his peers for his foolish bragging, for they had been wise enough not to buy into what the merchant was selling, Friedrych became the laughing stock of the temple and any respect he would have commanded as a priest or cleric was clearly gone. Friedrych quietly slid the ring back around his finger and left the temple and village altogether in a matter of minutes, only stopping by his house to say his goodbyes to his family, explain that the religious life wasn't for him, pack up his things and then he stepped out to make his fortune in the world.
Friedrych kept the ring, both as a reminder of what had happened and what was possible with the power of mere words. He found that he too had a gift for duping strangers into believing whatever he said. He travelled the countryside, living at temples or monastaries of this god or that by convincing the residents that he was of the same faith, staying long enough for the benefits and just short enough before they caught on to the ruse. After a time of moving about in this manner, Friedrych noticed a change in the ring. Where it was plain before, it now showed a new marking: a point-down triangle containing a swirl of mist. He recognised it as the symbol of Leira, the Lady of the Mists, who was the goddess of deception and illusions and patroness of illusionists and liars. He took this as a sign of his true calling and merrily continued on his way, driven to become the greatest con artist in the land.
Afterwards Friedrych had various adventures both good and... less pleasant, the two most memorable of which was when he negotiated (or tricked) an extraplanar entitiy of great power into bestowing said power onto himself and how he acquired a pair of shoes to run up and down walls and ceilings (very useful to get out of harm's way when a situation goes south) Now with his familiar Luthollal in tow, nicknamed Lulu for convenience, Friedrych has made his way to the great city of Greenholden. Such a megalopolis holds untold potential for anyone hoping to strike it big and this Seven Saints Adventuring Company sounds like an ideal place to start.
Luthollal An imp from the lower planes of the Nine Hells that has been gifted to Friedrych to serve as his familiar. Exposure to the material realm and being bound to a master has caused an influx of positive emotions in Luthollal, something that she has never experienced before. This influx has influenced her entire being, foremost among these are that she harbours a crush on Friedrych, though she is unsure whether this came about naturally or as a result of the pact magic, and a (minor) case of identity crisis: although an imp, she knows that Friedrych can change her appearance if wanted and she prefers her sprite form over her imp form for that is closer in appearance to Friedrych himself and it also causes strangers to be nicer to her.
Personality: The material realm is new and exciting and I'm curious about everything. Ideals: I hope one day, by magical means or otherwise, to become my master's equal (and maybe ask him out on a date) Bonds: My master, right or wrong. Flaws: I get jealous and possessive of my master whenever someone shows a little bit too much interest in him, especially romantic interest.
Friendly NPC's in Greenholden
Lily Burfodan: a gnome childhood friend and the only one who didn't laugh at Friedrych's misfortune. She was ordained on the day Friedrych was supposed to and later moved to Greenholden where she resides/works as a priestess of Ilmater.
Xanalla: a drow barmaiden at the Broken Bottle tavern, a regular haunt of Friedrych. Her exotic beauty is the main draw for the establishment's patrons and she is one of the few with whom Friedrych can occasionally be his true self. Currently has the lead in an ongoing drinking contest between her and Friedrych.
Glanach Bugailheim: a halfling Friedrych has travelled and pulled the occasional con with as his luck always seems to give that little bit of extra to any endeavour. Is trying to pull several get-rich-quick schemes in Greenholden with moderate success with the idea of settling down and opening a shop.
Unfriendly NPC's in Greenholden
Linda Greatheart: a water genasi matron of a sailor's inn/temple in one of the harbours of Greenholden. For whatever reason, she quickly saw through Friedrych's honey-laced words and violately ejected him off the premises with the warning that if he ever tries to pull that crap again in her harbour district, she'll turn him over to the authorities.
Nick Geben: tiefling merchant who initially sold Friedrych his ring for five times its actual worth. While he ultimately set Friedrych on his path, Friedrych still resents him as the reason why he needed to leave his hometown and missing out on being ordained.
I live in the GMT+2 timezone and should normally have no problem with posting a minimum of 1 post each day.
Questions: 1) Friedrych currently has the Fiend patron because I only have the basic options to work with as I refuse to shill out money for digital copies of books I already own. If content sharing becomes a thing, would it be alright if I change some aspects? This will probably only be a change in patron (to Archfey) and spell selection with the accompanying minor changes in background information. 2) The Find Familiar states that "Your familiar acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands." Will you be playing Tyrgram's familiar Luthollal or would it be easier for me to do so?
EDIT: I just noticed that a lot of Friedrych's conceptual design is eerily similar to CRich's character Matthias Holimion. If this is a problem, I can easily come up with a different character concept if needed be.
Yes, you will have beyond the basic options, be it either through content sharing by a player or by the manual "houserule" workaround. See the note on Post 1 in the Q&A about content sharing.
If you are wanting a familiar, I can RP it as an NPC that is pacted to you (be it willingly or not, which can be determined before the campaign begins). However, since it will always obey your commands, it will easily just do whatever you want it to, so you can command it and I'll probably just add snarky comments IC.
Race | Class: High elf | Wizard (School of Conjuration)
Alignment: Chaotic good
Ability scores (post racial bonuses): STR 8 | DEX 14 | CON 10 | INT 16 | WIS 13 | CHA 14
Background: Sage
Religion/Deity: Selûne, goddess of the moon
Three potentially helpful NPCs in Greenholden:
Ellios Arnleaf. Overseer of the Greenholden Library. A quiet, thoughtful but slightly mysterious half-elf whose knowledge of the arcane repeatedly astonishes Therien, Ellios has become a like-minded friend who loves to sit for hours and discuss the history and lore attached to the realm’s greatest spellcasters and the adventurous lives they have led.
Renna Moorshadow. Therien’s older sister. Significantly older than Therien, Renna left home for Greenholden when her little brother was quite young. Renna doesn’t seem to mind helping Therien out of his regular “financial setbacks.” When asked, Renna is elusive about just what it is that she does in Greenholden. “I fulfill a role, both civic and diplomatic, in maintaining the stability in the land of Rhomas.”
Kar Sikarah. Local shop owner. Kar operates a tiny shop—known simply as The Repository—that is hidden away on one of Greenholden’s lesser traveled streets. Rare books, trinkets, maps, and curiosities fill every inch of the place. Therien’s daily visits to The Repository initially annoyed Kar (because Therien rarely has money to spend), but now the old shop owner looks forward to Therien’s youthful company because it provides opportunity for conversation, storytelling, and playing cards.
Two potentially problematic NPCs in Greenholden:
Orzalia Tyn. A rival wizard bent on revenge. A childhood acquaintance who routinely flaunted her superior mastery of the arcane arts, Orzalia has not forgiven Therien for his magical mishap by which he accidentally caused the disappearance of Orzalia's cat, Piper. Enraged and unwilling to accept any sort of apology or recompense, Orzalia Tyn has since that unfortunate day been wholly committed to plaguing Therien with much trouble and frustration.
Rud Skaller. A short-tempered, often-intoxicated half-orc who is convinced he was cheated at the gambling table. After a few hours of rolling dice and drinking Greenholden’s finest ale, Rud found that he had lost all of his money to Therien. Therien had won every coin fairly and squarely, but that did not prevent the inebriated half-orc from blurting out every curse word known on the Material Plane and accusing Therien of being “a devilishly deceitful trickster who dupes an honest man outta his hard-earned money.” To this day, Rud has every intention of "takin' every last piece o' gold outta the hide o' that filthy lyin' pointy-eared thief."
Therien’s reason for being in Greenholden:
Quite simply, Therien wishes to be in a place where he can fully immerse himself in the study of the arcane. In that regard, Greenholden is unmatched in its opportunities for Therien to further his studies. Surrounded by libraries, book stores, magic shops, and hundreds of other spell casters, Therien can think of no better place to be. So, a few months ago, he bid farewell to his friends and family, and made the week-long journey from his home town of Ondera to Greenholden He has been enthralled with the place since the moment of his arrival.
Therien’s reason for seeking acceptance to the adventuring company:
His reasons for doing so are two-fold. The first is experience. Fully convinced that one learns best by doing, Therien is pursuing opportunities to apply his knowledge of the arcane. “Reading, writing, studying, and memorizing have their place,” says Therien, “but there must come a time for acting upon all that one learns.”
The second is purely financial. Constantly strapped for cash, the young elf hopes to fill his coin purse and bring a bit more predictability to meeting his daily needs (and to purchasing a few items he highly desires in Kar Sikarah’s shop).
Hi Poke! Would love to join this game for some lighthearted Adventuring Co. fun! Please forgive a bit of the tragic backstory to start, as it only leads to a better life for the non-edgy Nai'ala. Mostly it just sets up the NPC's you requested. Hard to create an assassin without some blood on their hands, after all, although I think I'm changing to Arcane Trickster.
Name: Nai'ala Shadowsong Age: 30 Race: Elf (Eladrin - Summer) Class: Arcane Trickster Rogue 2, Archfey Warlock 1 Background: WIP (maybe Far Traveler, if that's ok) Religion: Titania, Queen of the Summer Court Alignment: Chaotic Good
Backstory:
Nai'ala is originally from Greenholden, but her father was a known criminal. He was not a very good father, and was abusive via neglect much of the time, via worse means at others. Her older brother, Jaleth, always sought his approval no matter how awful he was. While Jaleth was kind to her and protected her for a long time, his desire to win their father's approval eventually led him down the same dark path. Jaleth began teaching her the ways of the thief, the blade, and the shadow eventually too, and, just as Jaleth had sought father's attention and approval, she followed his lead in hopes of not losing him. Suspecting that Jaleth had already included Nai'ala in at least one murder, Nai'ala's mother, with help from her brother, Nai'ala's uncle, took her away against her will, at first, at least. Not knowing where she might have the means to take Nai'ala that her husband would not also have the means to find them, Nai'ala's uncle found a guide that helped them slip into the Feywild just as the stars aligned to allow it to be so.
In the Feywild, Nai'ala hated her mother for a time and it was difficult to survive the strange, wild place. Day to day life was deadly but then Titania, the Goddess and Queen of the Summer Court herself saw fit to intervene after all that Nai'ala and her mother had endured. Life drastically improved after that and Na'ala began to accept that this was indeed a better life, forgiving her mother and thanking her for what she did for her. It was here that Nai'ala shed her original name as a member of the Voss crime family. Titania herself decided to call her Nai'ala, and the other members of the Summer Court who she was blessed to meet called her Shadowsong as, despite her best efforts to learn the music they all enjoyed so much, her poor, untalented attempts at music were always more somber than desired, as if the shadow of her father and brother still loomed over her. This name, Nai'ala Shadowsong, was not a false identity to use if she ever returned to Greenholden, but was rather, to her, her true name, as she grew to love the faeries, pixies, and other friends in the Fey and at the Summer Court of Titania. She learned of magic and, being such a young elf, the Fey magic changed her a bit into the Eladrin she would be described as today. Nai'ala grew into a smart, quick witted, confident, and joyful young woman. Still talented and dangerous with a blade, much of her time was spent learning Fey magic and frolicking with the various friendly creatures that surrounded her.
Much could be said about Nai'ala's time in the Feywild, spanning over ten years, but eventually she felt she had to return. She had to go back to Greenholden and try to remove her 'Shadow'. It might be by doing some good to balance the wrongs of her family before her, it might be to oppose her father directly, or it might simply be to learn to let go of the past, and visit her uncle, of course. One thing is for sure, Nai'ala is a different person than the young girl that left town many years ago. Hopefully she can be a bright light where before there was much darkness.
*Pretty happy to change up any of the NPC stuff below if there are already thieves guilds, assassins, and the like that these NPC's could be part of. Going to leave the specifics on the crimes vague for now so they can be woven into existing Greenholden lore if you desire, Pokepaladdy.
Three NPCs that you know who might be helpful in Greenholden:
Onwen Silverleaf - Nai'ala's uncle. The kind and beloved elf, brother to Na'ala's mother, risked everything to help Nai'ala and her mother Anwen when times were the darkest. Nai'ala's father suspected he had a hand in their disappearance, and things have been hard on Onwen in the last ten years. He has toughed it out, though, not leaving town on principle. Part of him hopes to see his sister and niece again, but part of him hopes never to do so and rather picture them living a long, happy life far, far away.
Jaleth Voss - Nai'alas brother. Nai'ala still believes in the goodness of the young boy she knew before he went down the darker path, chasing his father. She has long hoped he could be redeemed and stand against their father. She is wrong. (Might belong on the list below instead, but not by her perspective as of yet.) Jaleth is even resentful of Nai'ala, although even he may not be totally clear on whether it is because she left him, or that Anwen and Uncle Onwen saw to it to save her but not him, or that she might be better than or stronger than him for not taking this path. He's in too deep now, either way.
Galvyx Jadeclaw - dragonborn merchant. Galvyx always did whatever trading, smuggling, or exchange of illegal goods that Jaleth told him to do, but young Nai'ala never though he liked it very much. He seemed to be the type of man that knew everyone and could get anything done with regard to the exchange of goods, but Nai'ala knew little about all of that. This thin, old dragonborn, who wore spectacles on the end of his long nose and a small white tuft of a beard, of sorts, hanging from the end seemed to always take a liking to Nai'ala. He would slip her treats and gifts when her father was not looking, and always gave her a wink and a smile. Although uneasy about seeing her brother again when she is ready, Nai'ala has no doubt that Galvyx would be kind to her still, as long as he wasn't under the watchful eye of her father, that is.
Name two NPCs that you do not get along with:
Jardin Voss - Nai'ala's father. Much could be said about the man, head of his own guild of criminals and all, but much has already been said above. Most importantly, what Nai'ala does not know, is that he's actually dead. Jaleth killed him himself after, despite doing all his father told him to and more and with much blood on his hands, it was never good enough for Jardin. Jaleth could not take it any more and, long story short, took over the family business in one brutal act. (Insert Jaleth here as the real NPC to fear, but I'm writing this from Na'ala's perspective to start out.)
Kriv Ironfist - dwarven city guard. This stubborn, vigilant member of the city guard had one eye on the Voss family at all times. He knew not to actually arrest Jaleth or Nai'ala during the mischief of their youth, but he was always there to interrupt their fun. He seemed to be obsessed with pushing back in what little ways he could against their family while not doing quite enough to upset Jardin, of course. Jaleth and Nai'ala always knew he was dying for the chance to really stick it to them if Jardin was ever out of the way. He'd probably lock them up for life for stealing food from the market if he could!
*WIP, I want to reference Xanathar's for some newer suggestions on personality traits, although I think I know the character idea pretty well now. Will finish this part this weekend.
Personality Traits: Ideals: Bonds: Flaws: Might still be too trusting, loyal, and easily influenced by her brother. Also, refuses to acknowledge her old name, and may throw a tantrum over it if pushed. After a carefree, safe life in the Feywild, eventually, at least, Nai'ala might be a bit too confident in her fighting skills and her ability to survive in the harsher setting in and around Greenholden.
Name: Magus von Übermagic Age: 31 Race: Human Variant Class: Fighter/Champion Background: Noble Religion: Polytheistic. Most often entreats Ilmater, God of Endurance Alignment: Neutral Good
Personality Traits: Despite my noble birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood. The common folk love me for my kindness and generosity. Ideals: Noble Obligation. It is my duty to protect and care for the people beneath me. (Good) Bonds: I am in love with a woman who my family doesn't approve of. Flaws: I hide a truly scandalous secret that could ruin my family forever.
Wondrous item: Circlet of Blasting
Helpful NPCs: Krusk the Reaper, Yevelda, Willow von Übermagick Antagonistic NPCs: Balasar Turneroth, Morgana von Übermagick Neutral NPCs: Merlin von Übermagick
Backstory:
Magus von Übermagick, of the Greenholden von Übermagicks, was born into an ancient noble family well known for their magical skills. His father, Merlin von Übermagick, is one of the most powerful evokers to have ever graced the nation of Rhomas, while his mother, Willow von Übermagick, was a powerful enchantress in her own right. Magus only sibling, his older sister, Morgana von Übermagick is quickly coming into her own as an evoker set to rival her father's own skill, given time and study.
Magus, on the other hand, is the family squib. Despite years of study and access to the finest teachers, he was never so much as able to light a candle, bringing great shame to his family. In order to keep up appearances, Magus' mother gifted him a Circlet of Blasting, allowing him to fake magical abilities for the benefit of the other noble families.
Willow was always the most understanding one out of Magus's relatives. His father, Merlin, expects Magus to pursue magic and keep on the family legacy, and passed that trait onto his sister, Morgana, who despises Magus and thinks he is destroying the Übermagick name with his lack of ability.
Magus found a second father in the form of Krusk the Reaper, an orcish barbarian. Krusk was an old family friend who had adventured alongside Merlin in years past. Krusk secretly trained Magus in the ways of the Greatsword and Longbow, providing a much needed boost in confidence when faced with his failures with the arcane.
Magus' love is Krusk's half-orc daughter, Yevelda. The two had been friends for many years, and she trained alongside him under Krusk's tutelage. It was their friendly rivalry that has driven him to such skill with the Greatsword. She eventually grew to care about him as more than a sparring partner, and left her then boyfriend, dragonborn Balasar Turneroth of the Greenholden Turneroths. Balasar has never forgiven Magus for stealing his love. Meanwhile, Merlin does not approve of Magus's relationship with Yevelda, as he thinks Magus needs to marry a mage in order to make sure the magic stays strong in the Übermagick clan.
After years of not living up to his father's expectations, Magus finally left the Übermagick estate intent on proving himself worthy of the name in his own way. It's in that spirit that he seeks to join the the Seven Saints Adventuring Company.
Etla Brightheart, 71 y/o, Goliath Wizard (Evocation), Follower of Deneir, Sage background, Gloves of Missile Snaring.
How she ended up in Greenholden:
Young Etla kept fast pace with her nomadic tribe of goliaths, orcs and half-orcs. They travelled far and wide, mostly at the outskirts of civilization. Whenever they came close to a settlement the little rascal ran off towards the people and the light. For you see, young Etla wasn't interested in the brawl of a fight or the commune with nature most of her tribe specialized in. No. She loved to read. Preferrably about magic and all its wonders. Regrettably this wasn't appreciated, so most of it was done if not in secret, then very discreetly in a way that the others didnt have to see her with a nose in her book. She appeased her tribe and did what was expected of her during the day but at night, resting her back against the nearest tree or boulder, Etla delved deep into the world of magic and grand tales of brave adventurers.
At young adulthood it was obvious to her tribe that she wouldn't uphold their traditions. She didn't have to hide her newly acquired spell book, but she did feel the frowns behind her back when she utilized her limited knowledge of magic. Now Etla had learned the way of the pen. What a wonderful feeling it was to write. The goliath did whatever she could for coin, that would later be spent on pieces of paper and ink. One day, when they reached the outskirts of Greenholden, Etla was in her early thirties. By now her tribe was used to her disappearing when they had set up camp for the evening. With a rapidly beating heart and sweaty palms she presented the worn, but precious, pile of papers to the publisher. One year later Etla Brightheart would be known as the author behind Brightchild - a tale about a group of adventuring children defying all the odds.
At the age of 50 Etla had delved even deeper into the books, now completely disregarding works of fiction to further her standing as a magic user. It was a fantastic journey, and she could spend hours at the library pouring over carefully selected books. Unfortunately this didn't go well with the nomadic lifestyle of her tribe, so Etla had to say goodbye to them in favor of pursuing what she understood to be her life's calling. That's how the wizard settled in Greenholden. Getting used to the city wasn't easy, and in the beginning the library became her protection from the bustling of the streets outside. But with the help of a, newly acquired, new friend she did eventually settle in. It wasn't until Etla felt that she had a good enough grasp of her magic that she dared the thought of testing the waters in terms of adventuring. She hadn't forgotten the tales she read as a child, and that's how she ended up with The Seven Saints Adventuring Company.
Three helpful NPCs:
Jirani, tiefling, 27. Male. Number one fan. Etla's book is what sparked the love of adventuring in young Jirani's heart. Now he's a successful adventurer, his name spoken wide and far. They have met many times and are on very good terms. Jirani fully supports Etla's new direction in life.
Juha Brightheart, albino half-orc, 39. Male. Adoptive son. The tribe came upon orhpaned little Juha on one of their many travels, and Etla immediately welcomed him. Given her romantic preference towards the same sex, she naturally never thought she would have any children. This changed as soon as the young half-orc, white as the purest snow, walked into her life. Juha followed Etla to Greenholden twenty years ago and now owns Mimicry, a prank store that is very popular among the younger population and the tourists.
Awa, high elf, 92. Female. Wife. They met when Etla finally settled into Greenholden some 20 years ago, and have been married for 15 years. Awa is the proud owner of Dragoness, the biggest and most well-renowned magic shop in Greenholden. She has been running the shop for over 50 years and is a well-established face whithin the city.
NPCs she doesn't get along with:
Kiano Strongguard, goliath, 71. Female. Twin. Kiano finds great pride in the traditions of the tribe and sees Etla's actions as a direct violation against said traditions. Kiano has always been disappointed in her sister for not 'doing the right thing' with the good of the tribe in mind. When the tribe was struck by disaster a year ago the few remaining members scattered, which is how Kiano ended up in Greenholden as a gladiator.
Norric, gnome, 75. Male. She may or may not have practised her magic on him, and it may or may not have gone horribly wrong. One thing is for certain though, he does not take kindly to her company anymore.
Hey Poke. got another character here, Fiven a Wood Elf Monk, who was a rogue but reformed through meditation and training at the monastery he tried to rob but was caught and turned his life around, Although he fights with his past demons he struggles on to live a good wholesome life. (For Level and character class it will be a Monk, may multi class later on into rogue depends on how the story line goes and his life choices if he turns back toward the roguish life style or stays true to his new monk life)
Religion - Lathander - God of birth and Renewal
Uncommon Magic Item - Immovable Rod or Boots of Elven Kind, Not sure which way I'm gonna go yet.
Friendly NPC's -
Killian Greyscale - Captain of a merchant ship who had given Fiven a job after he left the monastery, (Human - really nice guy, crew sorta didn't like him because he was too honest very straight forward)
Lady Renault - She runs the local stables, elderly half elf who Fiven has helped out from time to time when horses needed to be delivered or if she was short handed, Mostly ended up running errands for her, no pay involved but always a good meal.
??? - some dude who notices Fivens good deeds but hasn't actually spoken to him yet.
Adversary NPC's
Gilth - Former partner from his crime days, left him high and dry. Tiefling
????? - Mystery person - Fiven owes them ALOT of money and explanations on where its all hidden (Fivens little secret)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Killian Greycastle Lv3 - Human Wild Magic Sorcerer - Lost In The Endless Tower, DM Pokepaladdy
Onyx Greyscale Lv3 - Human Ranger - Hanging out at The Rest in the Quest
Fiven - Wood Elf Monk 3 / Rogue 2 - Private Campaign - Seeking a new adventure
Rokas Lv7 - Wood Elf Rogue - D&D Origins @ Local Game Store, Hex & CO, NYC
First post here on the Beyond forums, but I'm no stranger to PbP RP! I'd like to present Veil of Shadows (or just Veil).
Name: Veil of Shadows (Veil) of the Silent Storm Clan Age: 26 Race: Tabaxi Class: Rogue (Scout) 3 Background: Far Traveler Religion: Tymora Alignment: Chaotic Good
Background
Veil was born to the Silent Storm clan in the plateau region of the eastern deserts, so named for the sand storms that are common to their region. Growing up in the arid highlands, the desert tabaxi were known for their silvered-tongues and expertise in trading for anything they could not procure on their own, but they were also known to the a folk that did not venture far beyond the borders of their land. There were trade-routes that passed near their territories to which they would travel, but not too far passed that. Except for Veil, his father was one of the clan's best traders and as a young lad Veil would often travel with him to the trade routes and wait. He listened and learned from his father, but mostly he yearned to go and seek out the distant lands of which these travelers spoke; to swim in the oceans and rivers, the stand among a sea of trees (trees were exceptionally rare in his homeland), to walk through fields of grain... Solitude was not the life for Veil. The older he became, they more the wanderlust beckoned him to the point where he could no longer fight the urge! When Veil was of age, he gathered his meager belongings and said farewell to his family (much to their chagrin) and ancestral lands to venture out into the wider world. He waited at one of the nearby crossroads until a wagon-train was passing by and offered up his services (meager as they were) to join their travels doing whatever they required for a small amount of coin and food. Veil was quite skilled at being quick and quiet, nimble on his feet, keen of mind, and had picked up his father's charming ways with words. He was only 17 years old.
Veil traveled with the merchant group for several years, learning important skills on surviving on the road. He saw many, many different lands during those years and thoroughly enjoyed them all; however, he quickly learned to love one far more than any other, forests. The coolness of the shadows beneath the boughs, the soft whisper of the wind through the leaves, the myriad smells... Anytime the merchant caravan passed near or through a forest Veil was rarely seen by his companions as he preferred to walk among the trunks and underbrush than the open trails. He was often the advanced scout for the caravan, so it worked out well for him. With as much time as he spent in the forests, Veil encountered many elven groups and quickly picked up their tongue to help barter with the tribes for supplies or to even assist with trading; he found that the elves greatly enjoyed having someone speak to them with their native tongue as opposed to the Common tongue. Never the strongest or skilled of fighters, Veil learned a style of fighting that lent itself well to his natural mobility from some members of his caravan.
The caravan used Greenholden as their base of operations between ventures, which allowed Veil the chance to get to know a few members of the underbelly of the city. While he was traveling, Veil earned decent coin and was provided food and lodging by his employers; however, between ventures he had no steady income and sometimes found himself in possession of some items that perhaps may have been procured from other recent owners... That was how he met Jacen Darkvalour, a human in his late 20's who was a known antiquities dealer in the city. He was also known as one of the few independent fences in Greenholden that did not associate with any particular guild or syndicate. As long as he could profit from the deal, Jacen did not care whom or where the items came just as long as everyone knew his shop and the area around it was unaligned. Any violence in his shop was ended brutally efficiently by the extremely loyal and well-paid guards he keeps in his shop; furthermore, the offending parties were permanently banned as well as any group they represented. Veil tries very hard to keep himself unaligned with the thieves guilds and criminal syndicates and therefore enjoys the anonymity provided by Jacen's shop as well as the protection he provides by promising not to reveal identity of any clients that maintain his status quo. Through Jacen's shop Veil met Ariel Ashglade, one of the bodyguards in Jacen's employ.
During one of his ventures out with the caravan while scouting ahead, Veil came across an elven women and her husband who had been waylaid by bandits. Veil quickly feathered two of the bandits' necks with his bow and drew the two remaining bandits off on a chase before quickly losing them. He backtracked to find that the husband had perished from his wounds, but his distraction had allowed the elven lass to survive. Her name was Nelaser Falavaul and she had been traveling with her husband from Greenholden to visit family in the nearby forests before they were attacked. Nelaser's gratitude toward Veil was given in a very rare gift; a cloak of elvenkind. It is one of the few possessions of Veil's that he would never consider parting with for a new trinket to keep his fancy. Upon her return to Greenholden, Nelasar has also shown her gratitude to Veil in other, less intrinsic ways as the two have been on and off lovers...
A year ago, the shareholders of the caravan finally decided to give up their days of traveling for a comfortable retirement in the city... unfortunately that meant unemployment for all the guards in their employ to include Veil. He had worked with the caravan for so long, that it was difficult for him to find any steady work for sometime and he had to rely on his less-than-legal ways of making coin to keep food in his stomach and a way to pay for whatever idea was currently holding his fancy. He always tried to keep his thieving small time to avoid detection by the guilds, but there came an opportunity that he really should have known was just too good. It was a heist with a group of other thieves and they drew the attention of Benedict McKinnon, the head of the Crimson Mask guild. In exchange for allowing the group to continue with their heist, Benedict offered them a position in the Crimson Mask and many of the thieves agreed... Veil did not, he turned down the offer and was summarily beaten by Mask thugs. He was informed by Benedict that if Veil was ever caught plying his skills within Mask territory that he would be skinned next time. He barely made it out of that ordeal alive and only survived by handing over every copper penny his had on him that night. Now he constantly being harassed by members of the guild and continually looking over his shoulder. Only recently did Veil locate information about The Seven Saints Adventuring Company and decided that perhaps it was high time to find some work that was a bit more honest...
Far Wanderer
Personality Traits
I have different assumptions from those around me concerning personal space, blithely invading others’ space in innocence, or reacting to ignorant invasion of my own. I express affection or contempt in ways that are unfamiliar to others.
Ideals
Adventure. I’m far from home, and everything is strange and wonderful! (Chaotic)
Bonds
I’m fascinated by the beauty and wonder of this new land.
Flaws
I have a weakness for the new intoxicants and other pleasures of this land. (Veil truly enjoys pipe smoking and a good wine. His homeland had no such things and the bitter-sweetness of a hearty red wine... oh, there are few things in this life that is better...)
Friendly NPCs
Jacen Darkvalour - Male human that runs an antiquities dealership in Greenholden that is a front for his illegitimate fencing business. He is one of the few unaligned fences in Greenholden that will do business with anyone that abides by the rules of his shop: no guild/territorial disputes will occur within his shop, violators will be punished severely, banned forevermore to include any guild that they represent. He also protects those few private thieves that works with his shop that wish to remain anonymous and also unaligned with the guilds and syndicates.
Nelaser Falavaul - Female wood elf whose life Veil saved a few years passed. She is the gifter of his cloak of elvenkind. She lives within Greenholden and maintains an off and on relationship with Veil.
Ariel Ashglade - One of the bodyguards in Jacen's employ that Veil is not-so-secretly infatuated with for reasons he cannot quite explain. She's a human in her late 30's who is tall and muscular, but with an edgy and incredibly attractive face. She's gruff and brutally honest. Her scent in an odd mixture of faint sweat and pipe smoke that Veil finds to be oddly enticing. She always seems to resist his flirtations and openly rebukes his constant light-hearted attempts to court her.
Unfriendly NPCs
Benedict McKinnon - Leader of the Crimson Mask thieves guild in Greenholden that attempted to recruit Veil into his guild. Veil turned down the offer and was then summarily beaten by members of the guild on Benedict's orders. Veil made a deal to save his life by paying Benedict all the money he had on his person at the time, a value of nearly a hundred gold pieces and agreed to never ply his skills within their territory under pain of death. Benedict and his thugs constantly watch Veil and stalk him while he is in Greenholden.
Anzin Brightbeard - A dwarven female innkeeper in Greenholden whom Veil unintentionally offended during his first years in Greenholden. He was aloof to how dwarves react when their honor is besmirched and took a beating from her nephew for the offense. Since that day, Veil has been unwelcome in Anzin's inn and all other Brightbeard establishments in Greenholden
Hi, never really played PbP, but would love to start in this campaign. I have a Human Warlock (Fiend) that I've been dying to try out, and left his story pretty bare for interpretation. He worships Oghma, god of knowledge.
Backstory
Johann Glorypunch is from a family of paladins and fighters, but preferred to read, study, and search for knowledge. On his pursuit of learning, he made a deal with some kind of fiend, and traded his soul for power and knowledge. Now he's in Greenholden searching for more knowledge, and possibly some way to get his soul back. Joining an adventuring company seems like a great way to find something that could help him do that.
Three NPCs I like:
Jacoby Wormwoode: The leader of the caravan that I took into Greenholden. He is based out of the city, and said I could hitch a ride with him anytime.
Margeret Veltyrie: The owner of the inn I'm staying in. She seems to know everybody in town, and is the one who recommended The Seven Saints Adventuring Company to me.
Sam: An odd vendor who sold me some rarer items that I had been looking for. A nice enough fellow, if a little off.
Two NPCs who don't like me:
Will Theedril: I grew up with him, but lost touch after he moved away. We met again in Greenholden, where he had become an aspiring wizard. He dislikes me because he thinks I took the easy way by making a deal with the devil, so to speak.
Mab Renau: An old woman that I accidentally bumped into on the street. I don't know what she does or who she is, but three big guards immediately took me down. She DOES NOT like me.
Drell Snowspear - a Chaotic Good Elven fighter of Corellon
15/16/14/10/8/12
Magic Item: Draught of Unending Water
Drell left his home in the woods shortly after he reached adulthood. His father, one of the elders, encouraged his son to venture out into the world. Drell traveled to Greenholden to become a professional wrestler (Bewarethedragon, I don't know if there is anything you want to call it something else in the campaign). He first steps toward a a career began when he was a bouncer at the Rusty Ring Tavern. He would help set up the ring, cook meals and even help sew some of the costumes. He undergone some training from several of the veterans. His first opponents were bar patrons who would make fun of the wrestlers and make a mess in the bar. Although he knew many customers were drunk, Drell still felt a need to teach them a lesson with his fists.
Drell's wrestling dream was cut short. On the night of his scheduled debut, the wrestling promoter's son Blanchard was harassing one of the costume designers and one of the managers, Dweezle Rumblefish. Blanchard turned his attention to Drell, calling him a coward and a bully for picking on customers. Drell responded to this by punching the promoter's son in the face and breaking his jaw. Although many of the ring veterans praised Drell for standing up for the manager and the costume designer, the promoter fired him and said he would never wrestle.
Grateful for Drell's action, the costume designer suggested Drell become an adventurer and join one of the companies. Dweezle, an adventurer before he became a manager, gave Drell money to start his journey and a decanter of endless water. Drell found an application for the Seven Saints and decided to apply.
Three NPCs who will help him out
Mauro - Mauro was the owner of the Rusty Ring Tavern. The promoter paid him money to hold their wrestling events at the Tavern. Mauro also hired the wrestlers as bouncers. Like many, Mauro respected Drell for his actions toward Blanchard and promised him he would always have a job. When he learned Drell was leaving, he wished him good luck. Being a tavern owner, Mauro knows about the rumors and innuendo happening around town.
Eilsia - the costume designer who has made outfits and gear for many of the wrestlers in Greenholden. Even though she is occasionally hit on, she is respected by the wrestlers and is regarded as one of the best seamstresses in the city. She endures harassment as she knows the other wrestlers would be lost without her. After Drell was fired, Elisia allowed him to stay in her apartment and recommended he begin his journey as an adventurer.
Dweezle - the Leader of the Rumblefish Enterprises wrestling stable, Dweezle has managed a who's who of wrestling champions. He is regarded as one of the best managers and can bring a crowd into the palm of his hands. Like Mauro, Dweelze also has connections in the city and can relay information to Drell about potential jobs.
Two NPCS he does not get along with
Blanchard - Being a promoter's son, Blanchard spent his life in the wrestling business. While he respects the veterans and the sport, Blanchard is a bit arrogant in his abilities and looks down upon fans who think they know more than he does. He occasionally drinks too much and will go about harassing the talent, ring crew and even his own father. He is a believer in keeping wrestling a secret sees Drell as an outsider, like he does many fans. He is not a fan of adventurers and sees them as gloryhounds who get by in life only doing a little bit of work and reaping in treasure.
Father McGill - Father McGill is a cleric of Oghma who sees wrestlers as con artists and has a disregard for everything they do. He also sees the Rust Ring Tavern as a den of debauchery where his followers are tempted with drink. He has animosity toward Drell because the elf fought his followers after they insulted wrestlers.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I have an intelligence of six, I know what I'm doing.
Thanks everyone for their recruitment ideas so far. They're all pretty amazing and I'm loving some of the ideas for people's interactions in the campaign in the future. If anyone still has questions, then feel free to fire them off.
There's still a few hours left for recruitment, so feel free to still post. I will mention when the recruitment has closed.
Screech originally came from the dessert in the East. His family, basically only his parents and himself, used to roam the sandy breadths as nomads. He doesn't remember too much about them. When he was a child, the little troupe was attacked by the younglings of a crab-scorpion and even though the seven saints company was able to help him survive the onslaught, all help was too late for mother and father kenku. It had been hard for Screech to digest the loss of his family, but with the time passing his memories of kept fading and were soon overriden with all of his new experiences in Greenholden. His saviours, the Adventuring Company, had left him under the care of one of their retired agents. Oola, a female halfling, had quickly become his new family, thus forming a quite remakable relationship.
Greenholden itself had been a booming new impression for Screech. The city was stuffed with oddities of all kinds, but what was even more exciting were all the new sounds he was able to hear now. As a Kenku, reproducing every single one of these became more and more of a challange. Soon he began to stroll through the city, looking for all that was new and fascinating and in case he got tired, he could be found bouncing up and down on the levitating fields until sundown. When he felt especially wicked, he began dubbing the noices the levitating plates made when people were using them to hover around. It became his favourite new occupation, up until the daring moment where he gave a rather corpulent dwarf that was decending down a roaring CLONKK and found himself being chased through town at an impressive speed.
This, however, was the first time that being the sole kenku in Greenholden, at least to his knowledge, also turned into a heavy disadvantage, because the dwarf was easily able to notify his mother Oola, who decided that it was time for her little baby to finally go to school. It wasn't much of a miracle that Screech now began to struggle. He was the first humanoid crow his classmates had ever seen, which was odd enough, but the fact that he wasnt able to communicate with them freely made it difficult for him to connect with others. Most kids found the sounds he was able to read back instead of talking funny or more often annoying, it was hard for them to understand that he simply couldnt talk in any other way. He had problems answering questions during class, and began to feel sad. He grew more and more quiet, something his mother Oola of course noticed, but before she was able to talk to any authorities at school, Screech found a way out all by himself. During one of the pauses one of the schools known bullies, an orc called Harrad, started to pick on one of the bois in his class. Leanur was one of the bois that had always been annoyed by Screeches sounds, but even while lying on the ground with a nosebleed, he couldnt help laughing as Harrad took a big step towards him and a sudden BOOOIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGG billowed through the crowed. Another step, another loud BOING, and even some of the bystanders started grinning. Harrad, wandering where those sounds were coming from, opened his mouth to ask for the one responsible, but instead of his words, the loud trompeting of a huge elephant thundered through the the schoolyard and the other kids finally couldnt hold back their laughters anymore. After the incident, life became happier for the little crow. He became friends with first Leanur, then more and more people in the class, and they soon began substituting the sound of levitating plates by rather funny noices.
A few years later, Screech suddenly felt his magical powers awaken within him. The weird feeling came to him during a dream, and when he woke up it was quite difficult for him to explain to his mother that what had wettened his bed hadn't been him but the sphere of water he had conjured out of thin air. Oola soon managed to pull some strings and managed to organize someone to supervise Screech while he was learning about the forces he was able to control. Equipped with these new magical feats, the crow could finally envision himself reaching the goal that he had always dreamed about: Being and adventurer for the Seven Saints Company. Ever since the feelings of sorrow caused by the loss of his parents had died down, Screech had glorified the brave people that had safed his life and given him the chance to continue living in Greenholden. It was the best day of his life when he recieved the qualifying results and saw that he passed, knowing that he could finally set out to help others and save lifes just as had been done for him.
Helpfull NPC's:
Oola Fastknuckle, Screeches beloved mother who had raised him like he was her own child and had always been there for him.
Leanur Vaun, a human his first true friend who set out to become one of the greatest bards Greenholden had ever seen.
Alea Ethrelias, a female half-elf who had become friends with Screech in his school days and later got into wizarding, thus turning in a potential rival. She also became an intern at the Seven Saints Adventuring Company, something Screech is very excited about because he secretly has a crush on her.
Rather Hostile NPC's:
Harrad Darùn, the male Orc that Screech had ridiculed in school. It didnt take him to find out who had turned him into the schools laughingstock and he didnt manage to take revenge so far.
Staron Karashiz, a female tiefling that originally would have become the pupil of Screeches sorcery supervisor and was instead assigned to someone she consideres beneath her standards. She's been holding a grudge ever since.
Fiora - Wild Sorcerer Halfling Extraordinaire! (8/15/14/9/13/16, after racial bonuses) (Sorcerer 2/Rogue 1, or if preferred, Sorcerer 3 with Urchin background) (Chaotic Neutral, leaning good)
Incredibly Humble Beginnings
Fiora has always been a citizen of Greenholden, like it or not. Like most adventurers, her beginnings were a bit... traumatic. She woke up on the streets of Greenholden as a child with no recollection of who she was or what she was doing there. Fiora was forced to steal and fight to survive her youth after figuring out no one was looking for her. Such a traumatic time indeed! She even joined the very local thief's guild as she reached her teenage years just for the added protection against the law or other cruel actors. Her typical hits were usually rich, fat cats with too much money on their hands. Wouldn't that money be better spent by her?
Things changed fast after she cast her first spell, accidentally of course, and turned a man purple one day while she was out on a covert mission to steal the most delicious blueberry pie she ever smelled. Oh yeah, and it turned out that man was a member of a rival guild... awkward. In the scuffle with the purple man, Fiora managed to make it out alive with both the pie and the man's bag of tricks, which Fiora mistakenly thought was a bag full of gold. With the discovery that she was, in fact, a sorcerer, Fiora wondered more about her parentage, but lacked the ability to find out more. She also was incredibly distracted when she pulled out a badger from the bag and screamed in it's face.
Fiora is tired of living the 'hand-to-mouth' life, and wants more. That was when she learned The Seven Saints Adventuring Company were taking on potential, and promising new recruits. What was Fiora if not full of potential and very promising? And so she applied, while also trying to keep her side thievery a secret.
Guido Hayward, fellow halfling that introduced me to the thief's guild and practically my older brother. Don't worry, I already asked! He found me wandering around the streets crying like a baby and taught me everything I know. He's in his early 30's and still helps me out when I make my boo-boo face.
Fragrance, yes, you heard that right. My best friend is a tiefling, and her mother doesn't speak common that well. She named her daughter Fragrance. Something about virtue names? Anyway, my friend hates it and goes by Fey, but I love to tease her. I met her in my early teens, and promptly moved in after her mom figured out I was sleeping out in the street. Neither of them know what I really do for a living... I've convinced them I am a street performer. I know I can always hold up at home.
Havel Oakenstone is one of the guards stationed in my area. He's an old dwarf who usually lets me off the hook with a stern warning. Granted, he's only ever seen me doing small, stupid stuff. He has no idea I'm part of the thief's guild or been involved in a turf war or two. He treats me like I'm his granddaughter, which makes me feel really guilty when he catches me with sticky fingers. Then again, it's kind of a relief too.
My Enemies:
Surem Rhusti aka the purple man. He used to be a human guy, about in his 20's. Oh boy, did I goof that up. He is STILL purple, which is amazing because none of my other spells have ever turned someone a color for so long. He HATES my guts, understandably, but also wants me dead. Oh, and I stole my Bag of Tricks from him, but he's caused me so much trouble, I am pretty sure he owes me big time.
Inspector Gnarlug. A pain in my rear! He has been charged with dispatching the thief's guild in our area, and he's terrifying. He's an old orc, who is a bit old school when it comes to brutality. Thankfully I am not on his radar, yet, but he's been messing with my thug family. It's only a matter of time before he starts to close in...
DM: Adventures in Phandalin [Khessa], The Dread of Strahd[Darya], Dragons of Stormwreck Isle [Rook], Baldur's Gate Mysteries [4-Player] Player: Oona in MO's Icewind Dale Ru's Current Status
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR CHARACTER POSTS. RECRUITMENT HAS NOW OFFICIALLY CLOSED.
I'll be looking over the character posts over the next couple of days, and will let people know once I have made decisions. Once again thanks for all these really cool character concepts. I may try and mix and match a couple of people's NPCs if they are picked where there are some overlays to allow for more dynamic party integration. We'll see how it goes, and I'll post again once I've decided on the parties for this campaign.
Just a quick update I am currently still going over the recruitment posts. There are 26 proposed characters and all seem so interesting.
I think for this I will be starting two threads of 6 PCs (1 campaign of 12, split into 2 groups) and see how it goes. If I can keep up with that and other posts I am DMing, I may start another group. Please understand that I would love to run for everyone that posts, and may have to narrow it down with coin flips. I've currently written a spreadsheet with all the information and working on seeing interesting party dynamics and what would work well together. If I don't pick you now, you may get into a game into the future. Apologies to those who won't be getting a slot in the meantime.
(Just to note, I haven't confirmed anyone yet. Don't worry that I haven't contacted you yet.)
Just feel like adding that I am more tied to what my character is like than her class. If I need to roll straight sorcerer with background to make her a thief or some other magical class, that would be fine with me too (though I would probably re-arrange her stats slightly depending.) I would, however, not want to miss out on having a purple man.
Thank you for your hard work. I am sure these threads will be ones worth subbing to :D
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM: Adventures in Phandalin [Khessa], The Dread of Strahd[Darya], Dragons of Stormwreck Isle [Rook], Baldur's Gate Mysteries [4-Player] Player: Oona in MO's Icewind Dale Ru's Current Status
Update: I've sent the initial PMs out to my (mostly random) selected 12 party members. I've given them a couple of days to confirm that they still wish to play and add their characters for the campaign. If they don't respond, then their place will be opened to another person who applied.
As for the threads, I am thinking of having a "tavern time" thread setup for this campaign where people can socialise in a less combat-threatened area, should those who didn't get picked can still RP with one another. If people would be interested in this (I'll add some events to the tavern periodically if this goes through), then I'll make some plans for it.
I'd probably have Nai'ala join the Tavern Time thread as a side character if you do that. She'd be back in town for the first time, just trying to find out what's been going on, etc. etc. I'd probably have her leave during the day and come back having experienced something like seeing her brother for the first time in over ten years, etc. This is where she could begin to hear stories of what the adventurers are up to and eventually she might join one party if slots open up.
In this scenario hopefully the DM would allow narration of what she was up to daily without the need for rolls that she could flub and get her into trouble, etc. etc. I'd keep it to mundane activities about town, of course, not "I went to this dungeon and got this sweet +3 Rod of the Pact Keeper, y'all!" I suppose I could self-impose a D20 roll or two per day and just set thresholds like "1-9, could find brother / 10-15, found brother but he was up to nothing much / 16-19, saw brother talking to known shady character / 20 saw brother commit major crime such as murder." Could be a fun way for me to slowly create a deep backstory just through writing without DM intervention. All of her info could come from PC's that choose to engage in the Tavern Time.
I suppose it would require a few quick questions of the DM to start. Hmmm . Would just need to know of the associated NPC's exist of if they should be substituted with NPC's of Poke's creation or other PC's creation. Happy to change her original last name, etc. to match an NPC from a criminal group, etc. etc.
I have dropped one player from the campaign, so a slot has become open for a player to join. If you are still interested (or not seen it before and interested), please check through the thread's initial post for character rules.
If you already have posted a character concept, and still would like to put it forth, Please repost below and reference your post number.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Friedrych Soothfibber
Name: Friedrych Soothfibber
Age: 27
Race: Half-Elf
Class: Warlock - Fiend Patron with Pact of the Chain
Familiar: Luthollal (nickname Lulu)
Background: Acolyte
Religion: Leira (the Lady of the Mists)
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Personality Traits:
- Everything I say is true... from a certain point of view. For what is a lie but merely a truth that could have been?
- A silver tongue is often more dangerous than a silver sword.
Ideals: I seek to prove myself worthy of my god’s favor by matching my actions against her teachings.
Bonds: There are universal truths and customs even I dare not to defy. Friends also get a free pass most of the time.
Flaws: False truths come so easily to me that I occasionally lose track of what is true and what is false.
Wondrous item: Slippers of Spider Climbing
Background
The following day, a mere hour before his ordainment, Friedrych bragged to his fellow acolytes about his holy symbol and the divine power he would soon be channeling. One of older ones asked to have a closer look at the ring. He pulled out a sharp knife and gave the ring a couple of knocks and scrapes, causing a thin layer of wax to peel away. The ring turned out to be plain, with no marking at all, and most definitely not a holy symbol of any kind. Duped by the merchant and mocked by his peers for his foolish bragging, for they had been wise enough not to buy into what the merchant was selling, Friedrych became the laughing stock of the temple and any respect he would have commanded as a priest or cleric was clearly gone. Friedrych quietly slid the ring back around his finger and left the temple and village altogether in a matter of minutes, only stopping by his house to say his goodbyes to his family, explain that the religious life wasn't for him, pack up his things and then he stepped out to make his fortune in the world.
Friedrych kept the ring, both as a reminder of what had happened and what was possible with the power of mere words. He found that he too had a gift for duping strangers into believing whatever he said. He travelled the countryside, living at temples or monastaries of this god or that by convincing the residents that he was of the same faith, staying long enough for the benefits and just short enough before they caught on to the ruse. After a time of moving about in this manner, Friedrych noticed a change in the ring. Where it was plain before, it now showed a new marking: a point-down triangle containing a swirl of mist. He recognised it as the symbol of Leira, the Lady of the Mists, who was the goddess of deception and illusions and patroness of illusionists and liars. He took this as a sign of his true calling and merrily continued on his way, driven to become the greatest con artist in the land.
Afterwards Friedrych had various adventures both good and... less pleasant, the two most memorable of which was when he negotiated (or tricked) an extraplanar entitiy of great power into bestowing said power onto himself and how he acquired a pair of shoes to run up and down walls and ceilings (very useful to get out of harm's way when a situation goes south) Now with his familiar Luthollal in tow, nicknamed Lulu for convenience, Friedrych has made his way to the great city of Greenholden. Such a megalopolis holds untold potential for anyone hoping to strike it big and this Seven Saints Adventuring Company sounds like an ideal place to start.
Luthollal
An imp from the lower planes of the Nine Hells that has been gifted to Friedrych to serve as his familiar. Exposure to the material realm and being bound to a master has caused an influx of positive emotions in Luthollal, something that she has never experienced before. This influx has influenced her entire being, foremost among these are that she harbours a crush on Friedrych, though she is unsure whether this came about naturally or as a result of the pact magic, and a (minor) case of identity crisis: although an imp, she knows that Friedrych can change her appearance if wanted and she prefers her sprite form over her imp form for that is closer in appearance to Friedrych himself and it also causes strangers to be nicer to her.
Personality: The material realm is new and exciting and I'm curious about everything.
Ideals: I hope one day, by magical means or otherwise, to become my master's equal (and maybe ask him out on a date)
Bonds: My master, right or wrong.
Flaws: I get jealous and possessive of my master whenever someone shows a little bit too much interest in him, especially romantic interest.
Friendly NPC's in Greenholden
Lily Burfodan: a gnome childhood friend and the only one who didn't laugh at Friedrych's misfortune. She was ordained on the day Friedrych was supposed to and later moved to Greenholden where she resides/works as a priestess of Ilmater.
Xanalla: a drow barmaiden at the Broken Bottle tavern, a regular haunt of Friedrych. Her exotic beauty is the main draw for the establishment's patrons and she is one of the few with whom Friedrych can occasionally be his true self. Currently has the lead in an ongoing drinking contest between her and Friedrych.
Glanach Bugailheim: a halfling Friedrych has travelled and pulled the occasional con with as his luck always seems to give that little bit of extra to any endeavour. Is trying to pull several get-rich-quick schemes in Greenholden with moderate success with the idea of settling down and opening a shop.
Unfriendly NPC's in Greenholden
Nick Geben: tiefling merchant who initially sold Friedrych his ring for five times its actual worth. While he ultimately set Friedrych on his path, Friedrych still resents him as the reason why he needed to leave his hometown and missing out on being ordained.
I live in the GMT+2 timezone and should normally have no problem with posting a minimum of 1 post each day.
Questions:
1) Friedrych currently has the Fiend patron because I only have the basic options to work with as I refuse to shill out money for digital copies of books I already own. If content sharing becomes a thing, would it be alright if I change some aspects? This will probably only be a change in patron (to Archfey) and spell selection with the accompanying minor changes in background information.
2) The Find Familiar states that "Your familiar acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands." Will you be playing Tyrgram's familiar Luthollal or would it be easier for me to do so?
EDIT: I just noticed that a lot of Friedrych's conceptual design is eerily similar to CRich's character Matthias Holimion. If this is a problem, I can easily come up with a different character concept if needed be.
William Brackwater: Human Fighter - The Windward Isles
Tyrgram, the Butterfly Knight: Dwarf Warlock - Secret of Greenwold
Iòlinder Corrach: Half Elf War Cleric - Allansia Adventure
Valerius Sergius Publius: Dhampir Paladin - Vae Victus
@Furujiru
Therien Moorshadow
Three potentially helpful NPCs in Greenholden:
Two potentially problematic NPCs in Greenholden:
Therien’s reason for being in Greenholden:
Quite simply, Therien wishes to be in a place where he can fully immerse himself in the study of the arcane. In that regard, Greenholden is unmatched in its opportunities for Therien to further his studies. Surrounded by libraries, book stores, magic shops, and hundreds of other spell casters, Therien can think of no better place to be. So, a few months ago, he bid farewell to his friends and family, and made the week-long journey from his home town of Ondera to Greenholden He has been enthralled with the place since the moment of his arrival.
Therien’s reason for seeking acceptance to the adventuring company:
His reasons for doing so are two-fold. The first is experience. Fully convinced that one learns best by doing, Therien is pursuing opportunities to apply his knowledge of the arcane. “Reading, writing, studying, and memorizing have their place,” says Therien, “but there must come a time for acting upon all that one learns.”
The second is purely financial. Constantly strapped for cash, the young elf hopes to fill his coin purse and bring a bit more predictability to meeting his daily needs (and to purchasing a few items he highly desires in Kar Sikarah’s shop).
Hi Poke! Would love to join this game for some lighthearted Adventuring Co. fun! Please forgive a bit of the tragic backstory to start, as it only leads to a better life for the non-edgy Nai'ala. Mostly it just sets up the NPC's you requested. Hard to create an assassin without some blood on their hands, after all, although I think I'm changing to Arcane Trickster.
Name: Nai'ala Shadowsong
Age: 30
Race: Elf (Eladrin - Summer)
Class: Arcane Trickster Rogue 2, Archfey Warlock 1
Background: WIP (maybe Far Traveler, if that's ok)
Religion: Titania, Queen of the Summer Court
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Backstory:
Nai'ala is originally from Greenholden, but her father was a known criminal. He was not a very good father, and was abusive via neglect much of the time, via worse means at others. Her older brother, Jaleth, always sought his approval no matter how awful he was. While Jaleth was kind to her and protected her for a long time, his desire to win their father's approval eventually led him down the same dark path. Jaleth began teaching her the ways of the thief, the blade, and the shadow eventually too, and, just as Jaleth had sought father's attention and approval, she followed his lead in hopes of not losing him. Suspecting that Jaleth had already included Nai'ala in at least one murder, Nai'ala's mother, with help from her brother, Nai'ala's uncle, took her away against her will, at first, at least. Not knowing where she might have the means to take Nai'ala that her husband would not also have the means to find them, Nai'ala's uncle found a guide that helped them slip into the Feywild just as the stars aligned to allow it to be so.
In the Feywild, Nai'ala hated her mother for a time and it was difficult to survive the strange, wild place. Day to day life was deadly but then Titania, the Goddess and Queen of the Summer Court herself saw fit to intervene after all that Nai'ala and her mother had endured. Life drastically improved after that and Na'ala began to accept that this was indeed a better life, forgiving her mother and thanking her for what she did for her. It was here that Nai'ala shed her original name as a member of the Voss crime family. Titania herself decided to call her Nai'ala, and the other members of the Summer Court who she was blessed to meet called her Shadowsong as, despite her best efforts to learn the music they all enjoyed so much, her poor, untalented attempts at music were always more somber than desired, as if the shadow of her father and brother still loomed over her. This name, Nai'ala Shadowsong, was not a false identity to use if she ever returned to Greenholden, but was rather, to her, her true name, as she grew to love the faeries, pixies, and other friends in the Fey and at the Summer Court of Titania. She learned of magic and, being such a young elf, the Fey magic changed her a bit into the Eladrin she would be described as today. Nai'ala grew into a smart, quick witted, confident, and joyful young woman. Still talented and dangerous with a blade, much of her time was spent learning Fey magic and frolicking with the various friendly creatures that surrounded her.
Much could be said about Nai'ala's time in the Feywild, spanning over ten years, but eventually she felt she had to return. She had to go back to Greenholden and try to remove her 'Shadow'. It might be by doing some good to balance the wrongs of her family before her, it might be to oppose her father directly, or it might simply be to learn to let go of the past, and visit her uncle, of course. One thing is for sure, Nai'ala is a different person than the young girl that left town many years ago. Hopefully she can be a bright light where before there was much darkness.
*Pretty happy to change up any of the NPC stuff below if there are already thieves guilds, assassins, and the like that these NPC's could be part of. Going to leave the specifics on the crimes vague for now so they can be woven into existing Greenholden lore if you desire, Pokepaladdy.
Three NPCs that you know who might be helpful in Greenholden:
Onwen Silverleaf - Nai'ala's uncle. The kind and beloved elf, brother to Na'ala's mother, risked everything to help Nai'ala and her mother Anwen when times were the darkest. Nai'ala's father suspected he had a hand in their disappearance, and things have been hard on Onwen in the last ten years. He has toughed it out, though, not leaving town on principle. Part of him hopes to see his sister and niece again, but part of him hopes never to do so and rather picture them living a long, happy life far, far away.
Jaleth Voss - Nai'alas brother. Nai'ala still believes in the goodness of the young boy she knew before he went down the darker path, chasing his father. She has long hoped he could be redeemed and stand against their father. She is wrong. (Might belong on the list below instead, but not by her perspective as of yet.) Jaleth is even resentful of Nai'ala, although even he may not be totally clear on whether it is because she left him, or that Anwen and Uncle Onwen saw to it to save her but not him, or that she might be better than or stronger than him for not taking this path. He's in too deep now, either way.
Galvyx Jadeclaw - dragonborn merchant. Galvyx always did whatever trading, smuggling, or exchange of illegal goods that Jaleth told him to do, but young Nai'ala never though he liked it very much. He seemed to be the type of man that knew everyone and could get anything done with regard to the exchange of goods, but Nai'ala knew little about all of that. This thin, old dragonborn, who wore spectacles on the end of his long nose and a small white tuft of a beard, of sorts, hanging from the end seemed to always take a liking to Nai'ala. He would slip her treats and gifts when her father was not looking, and always gave her a wink and a smile. Although uneasy about seeing her brother again when she is ready, Nai'ala has no doubt that Galvyx would be kind to her still, as long as he wasn't under the watchful eye of her father, that is.
Name two NPCs that you do not get along with:
Jardin Voss - Nai'ala's father. Much could be said about the man, head of his own guild of criminals and all, but much has already been said above. Most importantly, what Nai'ala does not know, is that he's actually dead. Jaleth killed him himself after, despite doing all his father told him to and more and with much blood on his hands, it was never good enough for Jardin. Jaleth could not take it any more and, long story short, took over the family business in one brutal act. (Insert Jaleth here as the real NPC to fear, but I'm writing this from Na'ala's perspective to start out.)
Kriv Ironfist - dwarven city guard. This stubborn, vigilant member of the city guard had one eye on the Voss family at all times. He knew not to actually arrest Jaleth or Nai'ala during the mischief of their youth, but he was always there to interrupt their fun. He seemed to be obsessed with pushing back in what little ways he could against their family while not doing quite enough to upset Jardin, of course. Jaleth and Nai'ala always knew he was dying for the chance to really stick it to them if Jardin was ever out of the way. He'd probably lock them up for life for stealing food from the market if he could!
*WIP, I want to reference Xanathar's for some newer suggestions on personality traits, although I think I know the character idea pretty well now. Will finish this part this weekend.
Personality Traits:
Ideals:
Bonds:
Flaws: Might still be too trusting, loyal, and easily influenced by her brother. Also, refuses to acknowledge her old name, and may throw a tantrum over it if pushed. After a carefree, safe life in the Feywild, eventually, at least, Nai'ala might be a bit too confident in her fighting skills and her ability to survive in the harsher setting in and around Greenholden.
Wondrous item: Boots of Elvenkind
Personality Traits:
Despite my noble birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood.
The common folk love me for my kindness and generosity.
Ideals: Noble Obligation. It is my duty to protect and care for the people beneath me. (Good)
Bonds: I am in love with a woman who my family doesn't approve of.
Flaws: I hide a truly scandalous secret that could ruin my family forever.
Wondrous item: Circlet of Blasting
Backstory:
Magus von Übermagick, of the Greenholden von Übermagicks, was born into an ancient noble family well known for their magical skills. His father, Merlin von Übermagick, is one of the most powerful evokers to have ever graced the nation of Rhomas, while his mother, Willow von Übermagick, was a powerful enchantress in her own right. Magus only sibling, his older sister, Morgana von Übermagick is quickly coming into her own as an evoker set to rival her father's own skill, given time and study.
Magus, on the other hand, is the family squib. Despite years of study and access to the finest teachers, he was never so much as able to light a candle, bringing great shame to his family. In order to keep up appearances, Magus' mother gifted him a Circlet of Blasting, allowing him to fake magical abilities for the benefit of the other noble families.
Willow was always the most understanding one out of Magus's relatives. His father, Merlin, expects Magus to pursue magic and keep on the family legacy, and passed that trait onto his sister, Morgana, who despises Magus and thinks he is destroying the Übermagick name with his lack of ability.
Magus found a second father in the form of Krusk the Reaper, an orcish barbarian. Krusk was an old family friend who had adventured alongside Merlin in years past. Krusk secretly trained Magus in the ways of the Greatsword and Longbow, providing a much needed boost in confidence when faced with his failures with the arcane.
Magus' love is Krusk's half-orc daughter, Yevelda. The two had been friends for many years, and she trained alongside him under Krusk's tutelage. It was their friendly rivalry that has driven him to such skill with the Greatsword. She eventually grew to care about him as more than a sparring partner, and left her then boyfriend, dragonborn Balasar Turneroth of the Greenholden Turneroths. Balasar has never forgiven Magus for stealing his love. Meanwhile, Merlin does not approve of Magus's relationship with Yevelda, as he thinks Magus needs to marry a mage in order to make sure the magic stays strong in the Übermagick clan.
After years of not living up to his father's expectations, Magus finally left the Übermagick estate intent on proving himself worthy of the name in his own way. It's in that spirit that he seeks to join the the Seven Saints Adventuring Company.
Etla Brightheart, 71 y/o, Goliath Wizard (Evocation), Follower of Deneir, Sage background, Gloves of Missile Snaring.
How she ended up in Greenholden:
Young Etla kept fast pace with her nomadic tribe of goliaths, orcs and half-orcs. They travelled far and wide, mostly at the outskirts of civilization. Whenever they came close to a settlement the little rascal ran off towards the people and the light. For you see, young Etla wasn't interested in the brawl of a fight or the commune with nature most of her tribe specialized in. No. She loved to read. Preferrably about magic and all its wonders. Regrettably this wasn't appreciated, so most of it was done if not in secret, then very discreetly in a way that the others didnt have to see her with a nose in her book. She appeased her tribe and did what was expected of her during the day but at night, resting her back against the nearest tree or boulder, Etla delved deep into the world of magic and grand tales of brave adventurers.
At young adulthood it was obvious to her tribe that she wouldn't uphold their traditions. She didn't have to hide her newly acquired spell book, but she did feel the frowns behind her back when she utilized her limited knowledge of magic. Now Etla had learned the way of the pen. What a wonderful feeling it was to write. The goliath did whatever she could for coin, that would later be spent on pieces of paper and ink. One day, when they reached the outskirts of Greenholden, Etla was in her early thirties. By now her tribe was used to her disappearing when they had set up camp for the evening. With a rapidly beating heart and sweaty palms she presented the worn, but precious, pile of papers to the publisher. One year later Etla Brightheart would be known as the author behind Brightchild - a tale about a group of adventuring children defying all the odds.
At the age of 50 Etla had delved even deeper into the books, now completely disregarding works of fiction to further her standing as a magic user. It was a fantastic journey, and she could spend hours at the library pouring over carefully selected books. Unfortunately this didn't go well with the nomadic lifestyle of her tribe, so Etla had to say goodbye to them in favor of pursuing what she understood to be her life's calling. That's how the wizard settled in Greenholden. Getting used to the city wasn't easy, and in the beginning the library became her protection from the bustling of the streets outside. But with the help of a, newly acquired, new friend she did eventually settle in. It wasn't until Etla felt that she had a good enough grasp of her magic that she dared the thought of testing the waters in terms of adventuring. She hadn't forgotten the tales she read as a child, and that's how she ended up with The Seven Saints Adventuring Company.
Three helpful NPCs:
Jirani, tiefling, 27. Male. Number one fan. Etla's book is what sparked the love of adventuring in young Jirani's heart. Now he's a successful adventurer, his name spoken wide and far. They have met many times and are on very good terms. Jirani fully supports Etla's new direction in life.
Juha Brightheart, albino half-orc, 39. Male. Adoptive son. The tribe came upon orhpaned little Juha on one of their many travels, and Etla immediately welcomed him. Given her romantic preference towards the same sex, she naturally never thought she would have any children. This changed as soon as the young half-orc, white as the purest snow, walked into her life. Juha followed Etla to Greenholden twenty years ago and now owns Mimicry, a prank store that is very popular among the younger population and the tourists.
Awa, high elf, 92. Female. Wife. They met when Etla finally settled into Greenholden some 20 years ago, and have been married for 15 years. Awa is the proud owner of Dragoness, the biggest and most well-renowned magic shop in Greenholden. She has been running the shop for over 50 years and is a well-established face whithin the city.
NPCs she doesn't get along with:
Kiano Strongguard, goliath, 71. Female. Twin. Kiano finds great pride in the traditions of the tribe and sees Etla's actions as a direct violation against said traditions. Kiano has always been disappointed in her sister for not 'doing the right thing' with the good of the tribe in mind. When the tribe was struck by disaster a year ago the few remaining members scattered, which is how Kiano ended up in Greenholden as a gladiator.
Norric, gnome, 75. Male. She may or may not have practised her magic on him, and it may or may not have gone horribly wrong. One thing is for certain though, he does not take kindly to her company anymore.
Hey Poke. got another character here, Fiven a Wood Elf Monk, who was a rogue but reformed through meditation and training at the monastery he tried to rob but was caught and turned his life around, Although he fights with his past demons he struggles on to live a good wholesome life. (For Level and character class it will be a Monk, may multi class later on into rogue depends on how the story line goes and his life choices if he turns back toward the roguish life style or stays true to his new monk life)
Religion - Lathander - God of birth and Renewal
Uncommon Magic Item - Immovable Rod or Boots of Elven Kind, Not sure which way I'm gonna go yet.
Friendly NPC's -
Killian Greyscale - Captain of a merchant ship who had given Fiven a job after he left the monastery, (Human - really nice guy, crew sorta didn't like him because he was too honest very straight forward)
Lady Renault - She runs the local stables, elderly half elf who Fiven has helped out from time to time when horses needed to be delivered or if she was short handed, Mostly ended up running errands for her, no pay involved but always a good meal.
??? - some dude who notices Fivens good deeds but hasn't actually spoken to him yet.
Adversary NPC's
Gilth - Former partner from his crime days, left him high and dry. Tiefling
????? - Mystery person - Fiven owes them ALOT of money and explanations on where its all hidden (Fivens little secret)
Killian Greycastle Lv3 - Human Wild Magic Sorcerer - Lost In The Endless Tower, DM Pokepaladdy
Onyx Greyscale Lv3 - Human Ranger - Hanging out at The Rest in the Quest
Fiven - Wood Elf Monk 3 / Rogue 2 - Private Campaign - Seeking a new adventure
Rokas Lv7 - Wood Elf Rogue - D&D Origins @ Local Game Store, Hex & CO, NYC
First post here on the Beyond forums, but I'm no stranger to PbP RP! I'd like to present Veil of Shadows (or just Veil).
Name: Veil of Shadows (Veil) of the Silent Storm Clan
Age: 26
Race: Tabaxi
Class: Rogue (Scout) 3
Background: Far Traveler
Religion: Tymora
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Background
Veil was born to the Silent Storm clan in the plateau region of the eastern deserts, so named for the sand storms that are common to their region. Growing up in the arid highlands, the desert tabaxi were known for their silvered-tongues and expertise in trading for anything they could not procure on their own, but they were also known to the a folk that did not venture far beyond the borders of their land. There were trade-routes that passed near their territories to which they would travel, but not too far passed that. Except for Veil, his father was one of the clan's best traders and as a young lad Veil would often travel with him to the trade routes and wait. He listened and learned from his father, but mostly he yearned to go and seek out the distant lands of which these travelers spoke; to swim in the oceans and rivers, the stand among a sea of trees (trees were exceptionally rare in his homeland), to walk through fields of grain... Solitude was not the life for Veil. The older he became, they more the wanderlust beckoned him to the point where he could no longer fight the urge! When Veil was of age, he gathered his meager belongings and said farewell to his family (much to their chagrin) and ancestral lands to venture out into the wider world. He waited at one of the nearby crossroads until a wagon-train was passing by and offered up his services (meager as they were) to join their travels doing whatever they required for a small amount of coin and food. Veil was quite skilled at being quick and quiet, nimble on his feet, keen of mind, and had picked up his father's charming ways with words. He was only 17 years old.
Veil traveled with the merchant group for several years, learning important skills on surviving on the road. He saw many, many different lands during those years and thoroughly enjoyed them all; however, he quickly learned to love one far more than any other, forests. The coolness of the shadows beneath the boughs, the soft whisper of the wind through the leaves, the myriad smells... Anytime the merchant caravan passed near or through a forest Veil was rarely seen by his companions as he preferred to walk among the trunks and underbrush than the open trails. He was often the advanced scout for the caravan, so it worked out well for him. With as much time as he spent in the forests, Veil encountered many elven groups and quickly picked up their tongue to help barter with the tribes for supplies or to even assist with trading; he found that the elves greatly enjoyed having someone speak to them with their native tongue as opposed to the Common tongue. Never the strongest or skilled of fighters, Veil learned a style of fighting that lent itself well to his natural mobility from some members of his caravan.
The caravan used Greenholden as their base of operations between ventures, which allowed Veil the chance to get to know a few members of the underbelly of the city. While he was traveling, Veil earned decent coin and was provided food and lodging by his employers; however, between ventures he had no steady income and sometimes found himself in possession of some items that perhaps may have been procured from other recent owners... That was how he met Jacen Darkvalour, a human in his late 20's who was a known antiquities dealer in the city. He was also known as one of the few independent fences in Greenholden that did not associate with any particular guild or syndicate. As long as he could profit from the deal, Jacen did not care whom or where the items came just as long as everyone knew his shop and the area around it was unaligned. Any violence in his shop was ended brutally efficiently by the extremely loyal and well-paid guards he keeps in his shop; furthermore, the offending parties were permanently banned as well as any group they represented. Veil tries very hard to keep himself unaligned with the thieves guilds and criminal syndicates and therefore enjoys the anonymity provided by Jacen's shop as well as the protection he provides by promising not to reveal identity of any clients that maintain his status quo. Through Jacen's shop Veil met Ariel Ashglade, one of the bodyguards in Jacen's employ.
During one of his ventures out with the caravan while scouting ahead, Veil came across an elven women and her husband who had been waylaid by bandits. Veil quickly feathered two of the bandits' necks with his bow and drew the two remaining bandits off on a chase before quickly losing them. He backtracked to find that the husband had perished from his wounds, but his distraction had allowed the elven lass to survive. Her name was Nelaser Falavaul and she had been traveling with her husband from Greenholden to visit family in the nearby forests before they were attacked. Nelaser's gratitude toward Veil was given in a very rare gift; a cloak of elvenkind. It is one of the few possessions of Veil's that he would never consider parting with for a new trinket to keep his fancy. Upon her return to Greenholden, Nelasar has also shown her gratitude to Veil in other, less intrinsic ways as the two have been on and off lovers...
A year ago, the shareholders of the caravan finally decided to give up their days of traveling for a comfortable retirement in the city... unfortunately that meant unemployment for all the guards in their employ to include Veil. He had worked with the caravan for so long, that it was difficult for him to find any steady work for sometime and he had to rely on his less-than-legal ways of making coin to keep food in his stomach and a way to pay for whatever idea was currently holding his fancy. He always tried to keep his thieving small time to avoid detection by the guilds, but there came an opportunity that he really should have known was just too good. It was a heist with a group of other thieves and they drew the attention of Benedict McKinnon, the head of the Crimson Mask guild. In exchange for allowing the group to continue with their heist, Benedict offered them a position in the Crimson Mask and many of the thieves agreed... Veil did not, he turned down the offer and was summarily beaten by Mask thugs. He was informed by Benedict that if Veil was ever caught plying his skills within Mask territory that he would be skinned next time. He barely made it out of that ordeal alive and only survived by handing over every copper penny his had on him that night. Now he constantly being harassed by members of the guild and continually looking over his shoulder. Only recently did Veil locate information about The Seven Saints Adventuring Company and decided that perhaps it was high time to find some work that was a bit more honest...
Far Wanderer
Friendly NPCs
Unfriendly NPCs
Valaith "Rimehand" Kalukavi - Chronicles of Arden
Hi, never really played PbP, but would love to start in this campaign. I have a Human Warlock (Fiend) that I've been dying to try out, and left his story pretty bare for interpretation. He worships Oghma, god of knowledge.
Backstory
Johann Glorypunch is from a family of paladins and fighters, but preferred to read, study, and search for knowledge. On his pursuit of learning, he made a deal with some kind of fiend, and traded his soul for power and knowledge. Now he's in Greenholden searching for more knowledge, and possibly some way to get his soul back. Joining an adventuring company seems like a great way to find something that could help him do that.
Three NPCs I like:
Jacoby Wormwoode: The leader of the caravan that I took into Greenholden. He is based out of the city, and said I could hitch a ride with him anytime.
Margeret Veltyrie: The owner of the inn I'm staying in. She seems to know everybody in town, and is the one who recommended The Seven Saints Adventuring Company to me.
Sam: An odd vendor who sold me some rarer items that I had been looking for. A nice enough fellow, if a little off.
Two NPCs who don't like me:
Will Theedril: I grew up with him, but lost touch after he moved away. We met again in Greenholden, where he had become an aspiring wizard. He dislikes me because he thinks I took the easy way by making a deal with the devil, so to speak.
Mab Renau: An old woman that I accidentally bumped into on the street. I don't know what she does or who she is, but three big guards immediately took me down. She DOES NOT like me.
Drell Snowspear - a Chaotic Good Elven fighter of Corellon
15/16/14/10/8/12
Magic Item: Draught of Unending Water
Drell left his home in the woods shortly after he reached adulthood. His father, one of the elders, encouraged his son to venture out into the world. Drell traveled to Greenholden to become a professional wrestler (Bewarethedragon, I don't know if there is anything you want to call it something else in the campaign). He first steps toward a a career began when he was a bouncer at the Rusty Ring Tavern. He would help set up the ring, cook meals and even help sew some of the costumes. He undergone some training from several of the veterans. His first opponents were bar patrons who would make fun of the wrestlers and make a mess in the bar. Although he knew many customers were drunk, Drell still felt a need to teach them a lesson with his fists.
Drell's wrestling dream was cut short. On the night of his scheduled debut, the wrestling promoter's son Blanchard was harassing one of the costume designers and one of the managers, Dweezle Rumblefish. Blanchard turned his attention to Drell, calling him a coward and a bully for picking on customers. Drell responded to this by punching the promoter's son in the face and breaking his jaw. Although many of the ring veterans praised Drell for standing up for the manager and the costume designer, the promoter fired him and said he would never wrestle.
Grateful for Drell's action, the costume designer suggested Drell become an adventurer and join one of the companies. Dweezle, an adventurer before he became a manager, gave Drell money to start his journey and a decanter of endless water. Drell found an application for the Seven Saints and decided to apply.
Three NPCs who will help him out
Mauro - Mauro was the owner of the Rusty Ring Tavern. The promoter paid him money to hold their wrestling events at the Tavern. Mauro also hired the wrestlers as bouncers. Like many, Mauro respected Drell for his actions toward Blanchard and promised him he would always have a job. When he learned Drell was leaving, he wished him good luck. Being a tavern owner, Mauro knows about the rumors and innuendo happening around town.
Eilsia - the costume designer who has made outfits and gear for many of the wrestlers in Greenholden. Even though she is occasionally hit on, she is respected by the wrestlers and is regarded as one of the best seamstresses in the city. She endures harassment as she knows the other wrestlers would be lost without her. After Drell was fired, Elisia allowed him to stay in her apartment and recommended he begin his journey as an adventurer.
Dweezle - the Leader of the Rumblefish Enterprises wrestling stable, Dweezle has managed a who's who of wrestling champions. He is regarded as one of the best managers and can bring a crowd into the palm of his hands. Like Mauro, Dweelze also has connections in the city and can relay information to Drell about potential jobs.
Two NPCS he does not get along with
Blanchard - Being a promoter's son, Blanchard spent his life in the wrestling business. While he respects the veterans and the sport, Blanchard is a bit arrogant in his abilities and looks down upon fans who think they know more than he does. He occasionally drinks too much and will go about harassing the talent, ring crew and even his own father. He is a believer in keeping wrestling a secret sees Drell as an outsider, like he does many fans. He is not a fan of adventurers and sees them as gloryhounds who get by in life only doing a little bit of work and reaping in treasure.
Father McGill - Father McGill is a cleric of Oghma who sees wrestlers as con artists and has a disregard for everything they do. He also sees the Rust Ring Tavern as a den of debauchery where his followers are tempted with drink. He has animosity toward Drell because the elf fought his followers after they insulted wrestlers.
I have an intelligence of six, I know what I'm doing.
Thanks everyone for their recruitment ideas so far. They're all pretty amazing and I'm loving some of the ideas for people's interactions in the campaign in the future. If anyone still has questions, then feel free to fire them off.
There's still a few hours left for recruitment, so feel free to still post. I will mention when the recruitment has closed.
Screech
Kenku Sorcerer (Storm) - Chaotic Good
Screech originally came from the dessert in the East. His family, basically only his parents and himself, used to roam the sandy breadths as nomads. He doesn't remember too much about them. When he was a child, the little troupe was attacked by the younglings of a crab-scorpion and even though the seven saints company was able to help him survive the onslaught, all help was too late for mother and father kenku. It had been hard for Screech to digest the loss of his family, but with the time passing his memories of kept fading and were soon overriden with all of his new experiences in Greenholden. His saviours, the Adventuring Company, had left him under the care of one of their retired agents. Oola, a female halfling, had quickly become his new family, thus forming a quite remakable relationship.
Greenholden itself had been a booming new impression for Screech. The city was stuffed with oddities of all kinds, but what was even more exciting were all the new sounds he was able to hear now. As a Kenku, reproducing every single one of these became more and more of a challange. Soon he began to stroll through the city, looking for all that was new and fascinating and in case he got tired, he could be found bouncing up and down on the levitating fields until sundown. When he felt especially wicked, he began dubbing the noices the levitating plates made when people were using them to hover around. It became his favourite new occupation, up until the daring moment where he gave a rather corpulent dwarf that was decending down a roaring CLONKK and found himself being chased through town at an impressive speed.
This, however, was the first time that being the sole kenku in Greenholden, at least to his knowledge, also turned into a heavy disadvantage, because the dwarf was easily able to notify his mother Oola, who decided that it was time for her little baby to finally go to school. It wasn't much of a miracle that Screech now began to struggle. He was the first humanoid crow his classmates had ever seen, which was odd enough, but the fact that he wasnt able to communicate with them freely made it difficult for him to connect with others. Most kids found the sounds he was able to read back instead of talking funny or more often annoying, it was hard for them to understand that he simply couldnt talk in any other way. He had problems answering questions during class, and began to feel sad. He grew more and more quiet, something his mother Oola of course noticed, but before she was able to talk to any authorities at school, Screech found a way out all by himself. During one of the pauses one of the schools known bullies, an orc called Harrad, started to pick on one of the bois in his class. Leanur was one of the bois that had always been annoyed by Screeches sounds, but even while lying on the ground with a nosebleed, he couldnt help laughing as Harrad took a big step towards him and a sudden BOOOIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGG billowed through the crowed. Another step, another loud BOING, and even some of the bystanders started grinning. Harrad, wandering where those sounds were coming from, opened his mouth to ask for the one responsible, but instead of his words, the loud trompeting of a huge elephant thundered through the the schoolyard and the other kids finally couldnt hold back their laughters anymore. After the incident, life became happier for the little crow. He became friends with first Leanur, then more and more people in the class, and they soon began substituting the sound of levitating plates by rather funny noices.
A few years later, Screech suddenly felt his magical powers awaken within him. The weird feeling came to him during a dream, and when he woke up it was quite difficult for him to explain to his mother that what had wettened his bed hadn't been him but the sphere of water he had conjured out of thin air. Oola soon managed to pull some strings and managed to organize someone to supervise Screech while he was learning about the forces he was able to control. Equipped with these new magical feats, the crow could finally envision himself reaching the goal that he had always dreamed about: Being and adventurer for the Seven Saints Company. Ever since the feelings of sorrow caused by the loss of his parents had died down, Screech had glorified the brave people that had safed his life and given him the chance to continue living in Greenholden. It was the best day of his life when he recieved the qualifying results and saw that he passed, knowing that he could finally set out to help others and save lifes just as had been done for him.
Helpfull NPC's:
Oola Fastknuckle, Screeches beloved mother who had raised him like he was her own child and had always been there for him.
Leanur Vaun, a human his first true friend who set out to become one of the greatest bards Greenholden had ever seen.
Alea Ethrelias, a female half-elf who had become friends with Screech in his school days and later got into wizarding, thus turning in a potential rival. She also became an intern at the Seven Saints Adventuring Company, something Screech is very excited about because he secretly has a crush on her.
Rather Hostile NPC's:
Harrad Darùn, the male Orc that Screech had ridiculed in school. It didnt take him to find out who had turned him into the schools laughingstock and he didnt manage to take revenge so far.
Staron Karashiz, a female tiefling that originally would have become the pupil of Screeches sorcery supervisor and was instead assigned to someone she consideres beneath her standards. She's been holding a grudge ever since.
I'll throw my hat in. :)
Fiora - Wild Sorcerer Halfling Extraordinaire! (8/15/14/9/13/16, after racial bonuses) (Sorcerer 2/Rogue 1, or if preferred, Sorcerer 3 with Urchin background) (Chaotic Neutral, leaning good)
Incredibly Humble Beginnings
Fiora has always been a citizen of Greenholden, like it or not. Like most adventurers, her beginnings were a bit... traumatic. She woke up on the streets of Greenholden as a child with no recollection of who she was or what she was doing there. Fiora was forced to steal and fight to survive her youth after figuring out no one was looking for her. Such a traumatic time indeed! She even joined the very local thief's guild as she reached her teenage years just for the added protection against the law or other cruel actors. Her typical hits were usually rich, fat cats with too much money on their hands. Wouldn't that money be better spent by her?
Things changed fast after she cast her first spell, accidentally of course, and turned a man purple one day while she was out on a covert mission to steal the most delicious blueberry pie she ever smelled. Oh yeah, and it turned out that man was a member of a rival guild... awkward. In the scuffle with the purple man, Fiora managed to make it out alive with both the pie and the man's bag of tricks, which Fiora mistakenly thought was a bag full of gold. With the discovery that she was, in fact, a sorcerer, Fiora wondered more about her parentage, but lacked the ability to find out more. She also was incredibly distracted when she pulled out a badger from the bag and screamed in it's face.
Fiora is tired of living the 'hand-to-mouth' life, and wants more. That was when she learned The Seven Saints Adventuring Company were taking on potential, and promising new recruits. What was Fiora if not full of potential and very promising? And so she applied, while also trying to keep her side thievery a secret.
Sometimes, I find myself praying to: Brandobaris
My Allies:
My Enemies:
DM: Adventures in Phandalin [Khessa], The Dread of Strahd [Darya], Dragons of Stormwreck Isle [Rook], Baldur's Gate Mysteries [4-Player]
Player: Oona in MO's Icewind Dale
Ru's Current Status
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR CHARACTER POSTS. RECRUITMENT HAS NOW OFFICIALLY CLOSED.
I'll be looking over the character posts over the next couple of days, and will let people know once I have made decisions. Once again thanks for all these really cool character concepts. I may try and mix and match a couple of people's NPCs if they are picked where there are some overlays to allow for more dynamic party integration. We'll see how it goes, and I'll post again once I've decided on the parties for this campaign.
Just a quick update I am currently still going over the recruitment posts. There are 26 proposed characters and all seem so interesting.
I think for this I will be starting two threads of 6 PCs (1 campaign of 12, split into 2 groups) and see how it goes. If I can keep up with that and other posts I am DMing, I may start another group. Please understand that I would love to run for everyone that posts, and may have to narrow it down with coin flips. I've currently written a spreadsheet with all the information and working on seeing interesting party dynamics and what would work well together. If I don't pick you now, you may get into a game into the future. Apologies to those who won't be getting a slot in the meantime.
(Just to note, I haven't confirmed anyone yet. Don't worry that I haven't contacted you yet.)
@pokepaladdy
Just feel like adding that I am more tied to what my character is like than her class. If I need to roll straight sorcerer with background to make her a thief or some other magical class, that would be fine with me too (though I would probably re-arrange her stats slightly depending.) I would, however, not want to miss out on having a purple man.
Thank you for your hard work. I am sure these threads will be ones worth subbing to :D
DM: Adventures in Phandalin [Khessa], The Dread of Strahd [Darya], Dragons of Stormwreck Isle [Rook], Baldur's Gate Mysteries [4-Player]
Player: Oona in MO's Icewind Dale
Ru's Current Status
Update: I've sent the initial PMs out to my (mostly random) selected 12 party members. I've given them a couple of days to confirm that they still wish to play and add their characters for the campaign. If they don't respond, then their place will be opened to another person who applied.
As for the threads, I am thinking of having a "tavern time" thread setup for this campaign where people can socialise in a less combat-threatened area, should those who didn't get picked can still RP with one another. If people would be interested in this (I'll add some events to the tavern periodically if this goes through), then I'll make some plans for it.
I'd probably have Nai'ala join the Tavern Time thread as a side character if you do that. She'd be back in town for the first time, just trying to find out what's been going on, etc. etc. I'd probably have her leave during the day and come back having experienced something like seeing her brother for the first time in over ten years, etc. This is where she could begin to hear stories of what the adventurers are up to and eventually she might join one party if slots open up.
In this scenario hopefully the DM would allow narration of what she was up to daily without the need for rolls that she could flub and get her into trouble, etc. etc. I'd keep it to mundane activities about town, of course, not "I went to this dungeon and got this sweet +3 Rod of the Pact Keeper, y'all!" I suppose I could self-impose a D20 roll or two per day and just set thresholds like "1-9, could find brother / 10-15, found brother but he was up to nothing much / 16-19, saw brother talking to known shady character / 20 saw brother commit major crime such as murder." Could be a fun way for me to slowly create a deep backstory just through writing without DM intervention. All of her info could come from PC's that choose to engage in the Tavern Time.
I suppose it would require a few quick questions of the DM to start. Hmmm . Would just need to know of the associated NPC's exist of if they should be substituted with NPC's of Poke's creation or other PC's creation. Happy to change her original last name, etc. to match an NPC from a criminal group, etc. etc.
THREAD RE-OPENED FOR 1 SLOT
I have dropped one player from the campaign, so a slot has become open for a player to join. If you are still interested (or not seen it before and interested), please check through the thread's initial post for character rules.
If you already have posted a character concept, and still would like to put it forth, Please repost below and reference your post number.