Luciferus Bloodscar. The monster-hunting monster. This tiefling has embraced his evil ancestry, using a mix of forbidden blood magic and hellish power to cleanse the world of its darkness. He is ruthless, deadly, and dangerous.
In Luciferus's early years, he was a vagabond in the slums of a great city. He placed no trust in anyone, relying on his hands and his looks to get him food. The city guards were always on the lookout for the young tiefling, promising to lock him in jail when they caught him. No matter how hard they tried, he was always one step ahead. One day, a mysterious man by the name of Count Henry Farason, a scientist and wealthy businessman, came into the kingdom, looking to experiment with the human anatomy to breed for himself and his allies the perfect bodyguard. The man heard tales from his guards of a tricky devil stealing from food vendors and wealthy merchants. Since tieflings are of little matter to anyone, Count Farason found his opportunity. Using his immense wealth, the count hired experienced trackers to hunt down and capture Luciferus.
Several days passed before the hunters returned to Count Farason with his prize, a young tiefling, beaten and bloodied. The count immediately began preparations for his trials, ignoring Luciferus's pleas to be let go. Count Farason aimed to enchant his test subject's blood with eldritch powers, making him more of a threat when injured. He imbued Luciferus with the strength and stamina of a great wolf, going as far as to give him partial transformation into one. The count was breeding a monster.
The final test of Count Farason was dubbed the Hunter's Bane. It was a poisonous, baneful concoction that enhanced Luciferus's natural abilities, nearly killing him as the count imbibed him with it. By fate's blessed hand, Count Farason had grown arrogant and careless in his work, unintentionally allowing Luciferus the opportunity to escape. The tiefling was able to break free of his bonds, escaping the count's cruel clutches. Luciferus fled the kingdom, finding a nearby cave. As he lay shuddering from pain and shock, the tiefling noticed a strange, dull glow emanating from one of his open wounds received during the escape. A powerful urge flowed through Luciferus's veins, so he embraced it, transforming into a monstrous beast, the great werewolf.
It became clear to Luciferus what his destiny was now. He was to be a monster, a terror that battled not only against the darkness of the world but against his demons. Years passed as Luciferus recovered and honed his abilities, then set out. Purging darkness, Luciferus is a horrible, mutated warrior that will stop at nothing to deal a crippling blow against evil. His ultimate end goal? Make Count Farason pay for what he had done to him.
(Writer's note): I hope you'll enjoy what I have concocted for you! I included a part of your backstory for your DM to work with, so if the plot gets a little thin, he can have the party help you track down your past and settle it. Other than that, let me know if you want something changed, added, etc. Thanks for letting me write this for you, and have fun!
Life wasn’t easy for Miriam. She grew up in a small village, which her family struggled to survive day to day. Being an only child did help, but barely so. It was around her mid teens that she met Iados. Seeing as her village consisted of human and halflings, a tiefling was quite a sight to behold. The girl was scared at first, but soon grew used to the male’s presence. He was only a few years older than her and had been traveling in order to sell some of his father’s wares. In most places he went, he was barely allowed inside the town, let alone allowed to sell anything. But this village was different. Yes everyone was wary of the tiefling with his sweeping horns and light grey skin, but they accepted him into their fold far quicker than most. Because of this, he would come by as often as possible. A few years would pass, Miriam and Iados had began to see each other and had decided to settle down. The tiefling father was against this and cut his son off from the fortune he had made. Which made things difficult when their first child came. By their second child, they had been able to save and buy a small house. There third and final child was a bit of a surprise when she came. Miriam was tending to some of the cattle in the barn when the contractions began. As she tried to leave, the pain became unbearable and she collapsed into a pile of hay. Iados thankfully was close by and was soon at his wife’s side. About half an hour later, Miriam was holding the youngest of her three children. Yet this child was different from her first two. All three were tieflings like their father, but this one had white skin and small wings wrapped around her. The small protrusions that would become the child’s horns were almost nonexistent. This gave them the idea to simply call her Reverence.
About ten years had gone by since then. The young white tiefling was now a smiling and energetic child. She was able to quickly make friends and just about everyone in town knew her. One of these friends was a male human named Gillis. The pair had pretty much become inseparable from the day they met. The two were almost like the leaders of a small group of kids that would play all over the village. Another three years passed and things were going well for Reverence’s family. Her father’s wares were starting to pull in customers from outside of town. And her older brother Kairon had started to train with the village’s guard. From what young Reverence saw, he was a quick Learner who mastered the great sword as well as the short bow. This pushed the girl to wanting to learn how to fight and defend herself. Gillis was right beside her the entire time and the two began to “self train” in order to become better. The started with fists, to which Reverence found out she was quick to master. Though Gillis was slower at this, he encouraged her to keep going and was happy to be her punching bag. Another three years went by and Reverence was now training with actual weapons and against skilled fighters like her brother. Orianna had decided to join the local thieves guild, which was barely a guild at all and those in it rarely ever stole anything. She did rise through the ranks quickly and was soon second in command. Her, Reverence, and Kairon sat in their parent’s home one day. The older two were there to keep an eye on their younger sister. The sound of a carriage pulling up caught their attention and the three went outside to see who it was. To their surprise, it was their parents. Kairon asked how they were able to afford such a thing and his father told them when they all went inside.
As the family of five gathered in the living room, Iados explained that the merchants guild in the nearby city were so impressed by his wares that they pulled some strings and were able to get the family into a noble house. They wouldn’t have a noble title of their own quite yet, but Miriam figured it wouldn’t take long for them to get there. Iados then told the three that he, Miriam, and Reverence would be moving to the city to live. He told Kairon and Orianna that they were welcome to come as well, but we’re old enough to make their own decisions. Both chose to stay. Reverence wanted to stay as well, but quickly gave in to her parents insistence. They had a few days before the move, which young Reverence spent with Gillis. It wasn’t until then that she realized how much she relied on him. And that the feeling she had was beyond a simple friendship. And on the day she was to move, she told him this before saying that it was alright if he didn’t feel the same. He was quiet for a moment before hugging the girl and telling her he wasn’t sure how he felt as those feelings never crossed his mind. “We’ll meet again. So try not to dwell on it too much. Stay safe Reverence.” The young teen said before watching her and her parents leave.
The city was far different from the small village she grew up in. For one it was so much noisier. And some of the looks she got, caught the young woman off guard. It didn’t take too long for them to arrive at their new home. It was a little bigger than the last house they had, but far more luxurious it took the girl about two years to grow accustomed to life in the city. She had learned to ignore the looks she got from some people. And in order to not stand out as much, she began to fold her wings and wear them more like a cape or cloak. In those two years since moving to the city, her family was finally able to establish a noble name for themselves. While exploring the city a bit, Reverence came across a temple. There were two people standing out front that caught her attention. The simple green robes they wore did little to hide the muscle both had. Cautiously she approached and was surprised again by their warm greeting. She talked to them for a bit and found out that they were monks that served at the temple. She asked if she could have a look inside and was granted access, but was told that one of the monks would need to be with her at all times. Which was fine. While checking the temple out, she came across the training area. The girl’s eyes went wide as she watched several other monks train. The one watching over her asked if she would like to try, to which the young tiefling eagerly agreed. “I’m not that good, but I’ll do my best!” She said enthusiastically. She and the one she was walking with stepped into one of the training areas and faced each other. It took only a few seconds for Reverence to learn she was far out classed, yet she did not give up. That was until the monk’s palm slammed into her sternum and sent her flying. To her surprise the strike didn’t actually hurt. Getting some help up, she saw the monk she sparred against bow to her, to which she did to him. “Though you are rather rough, you seem to know the basics. If you wish, we could teach you more.” Reverence thought for a moment before nodding. She wanted to learn. So she went to head back home to talk to her parents. One of the monks accompanied her and helped explain in detail who they were and what they did. After some discussion, it was agreed she could join. The monk with her explained that she would have to live at the temple for some time. Everyone was fine with this and the young woman gathered a few things before going back to the temple to live and train.
Six years had gone by since that day and Reverence had not only become quite skilled with her fists and legs, she had learned to use many of the weapons offered to the monks to train with. While she was cleaning the training area, one of the monks called out to her. “Master Glim is asking for you. I will finish cleaning.” Reverence nodded and went to meet with her master. “You called for me, Master?” Glim, and older male gnome looked at Reverence and gave a small smile. He told her of a dream he had the night before and that it seemed to be a vision of things to pass. Things that could cause mass panic and destruction. He then went to explain that she came to his dream and seemed to be able to at least slow these events and almost stop them from happening. “There were other figures with you, Reverence. Those that I believe share your destiny. Seek the people out and do what you can to stop these events from transpiring.” Her master looked down for a moment. “I am sorry to push this on you, but I feel you may be the only one here that can help. Now go and seek out those that can help you.” With that, the woman bowed and left, hoping to find those that would be able to help her stop whatever was coming.
Born of a human mother and an elven father, Valkyrie Yllra is certainly a break from the norm. She is an inquisitive mind, always searching for answers to a never-ending list of questions. If a pit fiend were to appear in the middle of a town, most people would flee in terror, but Valkyrie would stop to take notes on its anatomy.
Valkyrie had a fairly normal childhood. She was schooled by her mother in writing, literature, and other rudimentary skills, while her father, Alden, schooled her in the ways of elven combat. Valkyrie enjoyed the bow but lacked some of the finesse to wield it properly, so she turned to the crossbow. She built herself a weapon she could truly be proud of.
The more Valkyrie grew, the more she adapted to the world. Her father had since left the young half-elf and her mother, his whereabouts unknown. Age crept up on Valkyrie’s mother, Agatha, like a shadow, slowly draining her life and energy, until the day came that Valkyrie had to wish her mother farewell. After all was said and done, with Valkyrie mourning the loss of her mother, she set out, using the skills her father taught her and the knowledge taught by her mother to make the world a better place by hunting and destroying any threats imposing themselves on helpless people.
Whenever adventurers come through a town where Valkyrie is staying, she is always the first to enlist in their merry band. She makes friends quickly and loves to tinker with weapons and gear, oftentimes destroying the piece of equipment beyond repair. What Valkyrie lacks in social skills, she more than makes up for in knowledge of monstrosities, aberrations, and other terrors that stalk the lands. When in combat, Valkyrie will peer into a creature’s defenses and find the best way to hurt it, resulting in the monster’s quick demise.
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Orthrys Cadmar. Shadow fey, monster stalker. Dedicated to his life to darkness and being born from it, Orthrys is a dark and lethal assassin. Using his own blood for magic and gifts granted to him from the Raven Queen, the shadar-kai hunts down an array of deadly monsters and devils. He’s a drifter, homeless, opting instead to go to villages and towns to take care of any monster problems they have.
Orthrys isn’t known entirely for allies or friends. He prefers to work alone, knowing full well his line of work is deadly to the inexperienced. If a cave seems haunted or occupied by something other than an animal, the spectral elf harbors no hesitation to delve in and kill whatever unnatural thing sits in wait, ready to harm innocent people.
The shadar-kai is hesitant of making new friends or allies, worrying they could turn on him or leave due to his constant endangering lifestyle, but the few that know him won’t hesitate to vouch for his honor. Wielding a dagger and an elvish blade, Orthrys becomes a whirlwind of steel and magic, honing the Hunter’s Bane within him and the blood magic bestowed by the Order of the Ghostslayers.
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Carver Coast a harbour town of merchants, shop keepers, sailing the open waters and the best coastal restaurants bringing in people of all different shapes, sizes and races to this quaint and lively place. On the outskirts of the town lives an old man and his 2 daughters and 3 sons who are well known by the town as the Wild's as to their unusual abilities, personalities and names. Max Wild was a elderly human yet strongly built for his old age, compared to his children they had nothing in common as they were of each a different race, a Goliath named Pig, Half orc named Bear, Halfling called Rat, Tiefling called Tiger and a Dwarf named Wolf. Max had been in the town for many years as a hard worker, skilled fighter and a great story teller and was loved by the town as well as his wife Cassandra who had been married for 20 years but she caught some kind of sickness that had no known origin or cure as to what made her die, Max had then stayed in the house that they made together when they had gotten married long ago, he visited town on a daily bases and the downs folk had given him a lot of support to help him with his loss but he just had a hole in his heart that he didn't know how to fill. One night as Max was asleep he had heard a loud crash, jolting out of bed to investigate what was going on outside of his house, he wandered around the back of his house to find 5 small animals scrounging through his food storage, as he moved in closer a rat was squeaking at him to which the small boar, tiger, wolf and bear all looked toward him, they moved back away from him slightly, Max had then knelled down to let them approach him as he held out a piece of bread that he had in his clothes as an offering. The rat moved closer to him to grab the bread, to his shock that as the rat got closer it began to change and slowly become a young halfling girl as she then snatched it from him to return to the other animals then saw in amazement that the others had began to change as well. The next morning Max had called the town for a meeting in the town square as he wanted the town to welcome their new arrivals and that he is going to take them in, the towns folk confused as he talked about 5 small animals that they hadn't seen him with before, he informed them of his new kin being "special", he gestured to them and they changed into their true forms before the towns very eyes as a child goliath, hafling, tiefling, half orc and dwarf appeared where the animals were just before, the children ran behind Max thinking the crowd would yell and scream at them but the town welcomed them with cheers, food and applause to their newest town members.
Out of the five the most troublesome one was Pig the goliath, if there is any food unprotected he will gobble it up with no regret, there was a festival in the past that he had almost ruined because of almost eating the entirety of the banquet that was supposed to be a celebration for a successful catch from the fishermen and harvest from the farmers but he was caught and instead of a scolding he was given the nick named Pig the Bottomless Cauldron, thanks to his apatite the towns folk get him to do hard work and his offering of a reward is a meal for when the work is done and he gladly accepts. Second to Pig would be Rat the halfling as she is the prankster of the town but has a job as the towns informant thanks to her "ability" allowing her to get through any space in the town to deliver messages from the head office and others around town, her payment is that of mechanical parts that she tinkers with for her to make more devices for her pranks, her nick name is Rat the Rascal Messenger. The youngest would be Bear the half orc, even though he is the youngest and not the brightest of them all but he is the strongest when helping haul heavy loads from the docs or when lifting up materials for construction, he is also the towns softest person as he is so kind and gentle, given the nick name Bear the Bulky Teddy. The most charming is Tiger the Tiefling, her poems and speeches bring flocks of eyes and ears ready and waiting for another performance made by her, she had been listening to Max and all of the stories he had told them as they were growing up as his children, she finds herself taken by the stories and moves as if she were apart of the stories she had heard and now performs for the town for evening shows every so often, her nick name is Tiger the Living Story. The last child of Max is Wolf the dwarf, he is the towns most prideful protector and hunter/gatherer, always willing to do night watch and happy to help gather supplies or hunt for food, his howling in his beast form or his singing in his dwarf form brings hope to the town and their safety, nick named Wolf the Hunting Howler. They may be different but they are apart of the community, apart of each other and most of all apart of Max and the family that they have become together through time.
They may not be a family bound by blood, but they are a family of the town its self and to each other their bond will never be broken if time stops or moves onward without them.
Late night idea that just spurred onto me after waking up in the middle of the night thinking i would forget it later if i didnt jot it down so now im allowing it to be seen by all and hope it is ok or at least average of an idea, first time posting so tell me what you think of the idea of this group backstory. Full credit to the original ideas of:
Sooo I haven't quite finished writing the backstory, but heres the gist of GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR Pepperoni.
He's a goliath who was left on the doorstep on the Pepperoni household in a pizza box. The Pepperonis are dwarves who wrote the Dimlight series of poems, which were both absolutely terrible and also best sellers. He's profiencemt in Calligraphy, stealth, acrobatics, and he's well over 7 feet tall. He's a rogue because the idea of a giant man blackflipping out of the shadows is hilarious. The pizza place is called the Hearty Slice, and he is on there merch.
I love the idea of a goliath just flipping in and out of the shadows and the possibility of a throwing weapon being A: pizza slices or B: pepperoni slices and a melee weapon could be giant slabs of pepperoni(d4 bludgeoning) or pizza cutters(d4 slicing), idea for a trinket for him is to make him have a pizza box that produces a family size pizza for x amount of times a day but it is always pepperoni pizza and no other types.
ALL SHALL FEAR THE PEPPERONI FAMILY BY THEIR SLICES OF JUSTICE COOKED UP BY GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Dempsey Yuumtosohjhak. A name whispered in fear and awe among giants. Known among the giants as the Blue Hunter or Thunder's Fury, this near-feral dragonborn fights with a vehemence and fury that rivals even a god's. Born among the Yuumtosohjhak tribe, Dempsey was raised among his people to live off the land and respect the creatures greater than him and his tribe. Dempsey, though curious, always obeyed his clan elder and what they had to say. On occasion, Clan Yuumtosohjhak would pay homage to the life around them, giving small amounts of food to local wildlife inhabitants.
A tribe of local hill giants who called themselves Tribe Hammerjaw saw what the dragonborn were doing, and decided to visit them. Hill giants all have a never-ending hunger, so they approached Clan Yuumtosohjhak and demanded an homage of food to their self-proclaimed greatness. The clan, not wanting any trouble, decided to gather up a sizeable amount of food to give to the hill giants, while still retaining enough to feed their tribe. The hill giants weren't satisfied. They knew Dempsey's tribe was keeping food from them, and they wanted more. When Clan Yuumtosohjhak's elder, Bash'nag, told the giants that they would not receive any more from them, the Hammerjaw giants fed themselves on Dempsey's tribe. Dempsey alone managed to flee the carnage as every last one of his people were either devoured or killed by the bloodthirsty goliaths.
As fate would have it, one of the Hammerjaw behemoths found Dempsey and attempted to make a meal out of the young dragonborn. Dempsey, though young, managed to strike the giant dead with his lightning breath. Dempsey forged his weapons, two battleaxes, from the bones of the dead giant, as well as his armor. He disappeared into the wilderness for several years, honing his skills to perfection. He built himself a well of rage that he could draw from to become a true terror on the battlefield. Finally, the day came where Dempsey returned. Through his skill and savagery, the primal warrior cut down every last one of the Hammerjaw giants, leaving their corpses to be consumed by the earth.
Other giants heard of a lone blue-scaled warrior bringing the hill giants down, and they went to investigate. When they found Dempsey, they attempted to kill him. Dempsey was always one step ahead, using the forest to his advantage. Soon, the lone clanless dragonborn spread his name throughout the race of giants, striking fear into their hearts. He is uncivilized and crafty, rarely going anywhere populated unless needed. He has no friends or allies, content with the murder of giants until his lust for vengeance is satisfied.
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When I was still a baby, my parents moved us to a foreign city far away from the lands of our people. As a small child I had no idea that we were different than our neighbors. Gradually, as I got older, I began to notice the differences between myself and most of the other children. I was faster and more nimble than the other children. Rarely could they lay a hand on me in games of Catch Me. My eyes were keener than theirs as well. Rarely could they escape my notice in games of Seekers and Hiders. I regularly outpaced them all in games of climbing and sneaking as well. I could always tell which hand the kola nut was in, but my hands moved too fast for their notice. One day, while we were exploring some tunnels that we had found hidden between two abandoned buildings, the other children began to get frightened. It was dark, and while we had a candle, none of us had a tinderbox. Eager to explore, I used my other gift to light the candle. At first, the other children were frightened of me and ran away. Soon, they accused me of using my magic to cheat them at our games. Eventually most of the other children stopped asking me to play at all.
By the beginning of my second decade, a strange and terrible illness began to sweep through the city. Most people were unaffected, only the elven population seemed to be susceptible. For years, every winter many around the city would catch a variety of illnesses, and they would always speak enviously of how my family’s Elven blood protected us. That year, no one was envious of their Elven neighbors. Before my parents fell as the rest of our kind who had populated the city had, my parents made arrangements for me with their solicitor. After the funeral, the solicitor took me straight to the children’s home he had placed me in. I remember, I was still wearing my black lace....
The women who ran the home were nice enough. They were always sure that all of our needs were provided for as best the could. We never lacked for clothing, or food, or education. But the children.... Children can be very cruel. Eventually, they were cruel enough that I ran away, and somehow never went back. The first year or so on the streets of the city was rough, but also interesting. The skills that had left me so alienated my whole life were to my advantage here. Where other urchins slowly starved, or got caught and beaten for stealing, I was able to procure for myself, and slip away unnoticed. I was soon discovering parts of the city that I doubt many others know about to this day. Interesting corners and eaves and out of the way places where two buildings almost meet. The tunnels underneath the city, a labyrinth of intentional structures built on top of and through the remains of older cities. Those highest rooftops where one could truly sleep just beneath the stars themselves.... There are nights I still go to those rooftops.
Eventually, some of the less fortunate children began to notice my success. They soon realized that it was easier to take from me what they could not from the shopkeepers and vapid nobles’ sons. Like I said, children can be cruel. The next few years were easier. I was better able to see to myself and look out for the other children. They were also less interesting, as I was beginning to run out of places to explore safely enough all alone. But that fourth winter was bad. The cold was so extreme that to be out for more than a few minutes could mean the loss of toes or worse. And the wind never stopped howling for weeks, the sound of a predator joyous in the hunt. At first I was fairly secure with a supply of food and ale that I had laid up in a warm and secure nook within the tunnels where the heat from who knows where bled through the wall into a space that the world had forgotten. Things were okay for a week, then two weeks.... Eventually I was forced to go out for more food and water. Water was the hard part. Dispute the cold there had been no snow, and the cold had been so strong for so long that liquid water was hard to come by, and dangerous to collect. If your fingers got wet, the frost could have bitten into them before you could stopper the skin again. You can live a long time without food, but water.... I ventured out from the warmth and safety of my hidden spot into the greater tunnels beyond. The cold was there waiting for me. As I ventured further into the darkness of the underground, even the biting wind from above seemed to scythe it’s way down into the world beneath the city. Soon, I had exhausted me search of the nearby network, and had resigned myself to attempt a brief trip above. I must have only made it about a dozen steps.
When I awoke, I was warm and clean and dry for the first time in years. The air around me smelled of fresh food, a delicious bitter aroma I had never known before, and the somehow familiar scent of chemicals and burnt metal that reminded me of my father. When I sat up, I was greeted by a face I vaguely recognized. He was very obviously Gnomish. His stature was small, but his proportions were a little off. His head was bald on top, but tufts of white stuck out several inches and in all directions in a sort of demi-halo around the sides and back of his head. His nose was almost bulbose on his tiny face, his head almost too large for someone barely three feet tall. His frame was tiny by comparison, save for the enormous potbelly in front of him. He was bedecked in an exquisitely expensive suit of grey wool with black pinstripes, and a wine colored brocade vest over a white collared shirt with a bootstring-tie clasped with a silver band.
“Good heavens boy, I thought you had died with your parents. Would you like some coffee?”
It was my father’s old colleague, Doomagee Hermannsburge. As we spoke, I began to explore the room we were in. It was full of books and gadgets of all sorts. Bookshelves lined most of the walls from floor to ceiling. There was a set of glass vials and beakers bubbling away on a table in the corner. In another alcove there were half-finished pieces of weapons and armor set in racks. Finally I came upon a workstation I found piles of gears and springs and other mechanical pieces. It was there that I found a simple music box that played a familiar melody. It was a song my mother used to sing to me when I was little. Doomagee said that he had learned to make it by studying the one my father had made for my mother. Doomagee was kind enough to let me keep it. He took me in and raised me as his ward. He took note of my nimbleness and encouraged it. He took notice of my cleverness and honed it. He took note of my magic and taught me the ways of the Artificer, as apparently my father had taught to him a century ago. And when I was ready, he enrolled me into The Society of Monitors, with whom I am enguilded To this day.
Grotmaw wuz yungest sun o’da Boss o’da Yella Ratfang Clan, Gobbo Glint Toof, on acounta he had da shiniest teef in da hole clan. But bein’ yungest sun ment dat Grotmaw wuz nevur gonna gonna get ears notched on acounta how many older brudders wuz aheda me. Evin wiv allada ded wuns outa da way, der wuz still too many still livin’ aheda me fer Grotmaw ta ever ern earnotches. So Grotmaw go ‘way. Grotmaw went out inta’da wurld ta make sumthin’ fer me dat stinkin’ brudders couldn’t neva take. At furst it no go so good.
People saw Grotmaw an’ wood start screemin’ an’ throwin’ stuffs. Is no good. But den, wun day sum soldirs noticed how good Grotmaw wuz wiv da crossbow an’ how sneeky sneeky Grotmaw can be so dey offured Grotmaw lotsa chrysós... gold. Dey sez dat Grotmaw can get lots gold, all I hadda do wuz sneek good an’ shoot peepul an’ dey pays Grotmaw. Grotmaw likes to sneek, is verry good at it. Grotmaw good at shootin’ peepul too. Grotmaw took job. Grotmaw like job. Grotmaw got a shine uneeform, and wuz taut hawda march an’ stuffs. Grotmaw lernt dat marchin’ ‘round inna uneeform makes feemales like Grotmaw better. Is very good. Grotmaw wuz only a Privut in da Therd Scoutin’ ‘Toon. But purty soon Grotmaw got so good at shootin’ peepuls an’ stuffs dat da udder soldirs startid callin’ Grotmaw “Ded-eye” an’ Elf frend Sargent made Grotmaw a Curprul in da squad. Dat wuz how Grotmaw ernt his furst earnotch. Is verry verry good.
Elf Sargent liked Grotmaw, so when frend Elf got ‘moted to Luftenat o’da secund Scoutin’ ‘Toon, he bring Grotmaw too to be Sargent o’da Furst Squad. Dat was how Grotmaw ernt secund earnotch. Now Grotmaw haz too earnotches, an’ t’ree shine rings in hiz face made outta gold, wun fer each war Grotmaw fights in. Too bad dat da Captun wuz ded aftur dat, cuz den lotsa Grotmaw frends started’a take der gold an’ go find better Captuns ta fight fer. Finuly Luftenat friend Elf becum da Captun. Captun Elf frend sez to Grotmaw make Luftenat o’da Furst Scoutin’ ‘Toon. But furst Grotmaw wanna go back home an’ show stinkin’ brudders Grotmaw gots earnotched an’ face shines outta chrysús. Maybe shoot sum o’dem too. Me not kno yet. Den maybe Grotmaw go back an’ be Luftenat wiv new, not-stinky brudders in da Black Falcun Cumpny. But furst, me stop in Wooderdeep for a few beers an’ maby a few feemails too....
Grotmaw wuz yungest sun o’da Boss o’da Yella Ratfang Clan, Gobbo Glint Toof, on acounta he had da shiniest teef in da hole clan. But bein’ yungest sun ment dat Grotmaw wuz nevur gonna gonna get ears notched on acounta how many older brudders wuz aheda me. Evin wiv allada ded wuns outa da way, der wuz still too many still livin’ aheda me fer Grotmaw ta ever ern earnotches. So Grotmaw go ‘way. Grotmaw went out inta’da wurld ta make sumthin’ fer me dat stinkin’ brudders couldn’t neva take. At furst it no go so good.
People saw Grotmaw an’ wood start screemin’ an’ throwin’ stuffs. Is no good. But den, wun day sum soldirs noticed how good Grotmaw wuz wiv da crossbow an’ how sneeky sneeky Grotmaw can be so dey offured Grotmaw lotsa chrysós... gold. Dey sez dat Grotmaw can get lots gold, all I hadda do wuz sneek good an’ shoot peepul an’ dey pays Grotmaw. Grotmaw likes to sneek, is verry good at it. Grotmaw good at shootin’ peepul too. Grotmaw took job. Grotmaw like job. Grotmaw got a shine uneeform, and wuz taut hawda march an’ stuffs. Grotmaw lernt dat marchin’ ‘round inna uneeform makes feemales like Grotmaw better. Is very good. Grotmaw wuz only a Privut in da Therd Scoutin’ ‘Toon. But purty soon Grotmaw got so good at shootin’ peepuls an’ stuffs dat da udder soldirs startid callin’ Grotmaw “Ded-eye” an’ Elf frend Sargent made Grotmaw a Curprul in da squad. Dat wuz how Grotmaw ernt his furst earnotch. Is verry verry good.
Elf Sargent liked Grotmaw, so when frend Elf got ‘moted to Luftenat o’da secund Scoutin’ ‘Toon, he bring Grotmaw too to be Sargent o’da Furst Squad. Dat was how Grotmaw ernt secund earnotch. Now Grotmaw haz too earnotches, an’ t’ree shine rings in hiz face made outta gold, wun fer each war Grotmaw fights in. Too bad dat da Captun wuz ded aftur dat, cuz den lotsa Grotmaw frends started’a take der gold an’ go find better Captuns ta fight fer. Finuly Luftenat friend Elf becum da Captun. Captun Elf frend sez to Grotmaw make Luftenat o’da Furst Scoutin’ ‘Toon. But furst Grotmaw wanna go back home an’ show stinkin’ brudders Grotmaw gots earnotched an’ face shines outta chrysús. Maybe shoot sum o’dem too. Me not kno yet. Den maybe Grotmaw go back an’ be Luftenat wiv new, not-stinky brudders in da Black Falcun Cumpny. But furst, me stop in Wooderdeep for a few beers an’ maby a few feemails too....
The streets were one of the few constants in Lia’s life. She had been born and raised on them and barely knew anything else. Her mother, Shui, had raised her alone. Her father, who Lia did not know nor care to find his name, had left before the girl was even born. As far as she was concerned, he didn’t exist. Over the first eight years of her life, Lia had become friends with a few of the other children living on the streets. They all quickly learned to steal food and other necessities to service, though a few turned to stealing things they didn’t actually need. What was a surprising help was being a homeless child. Wearing rags and being small made it easy to sneak and disappear into crowds. When the young half-elf turned 10, her mother had found a job working in a tavern. It wasn’t anything special, but it helped them earn coin to buy food. Lia continued to steal with a few of her friends, but began to hand food out to those who weren’t able to get it themselves. The girl had quickly garnered a name for herself on the streets, which eventually caught the eye of the local thieves guild leader. While she was out one day, she stole a few loaves of bread and snuck away. As the half-elf passed by an alley, a hand reached out and pulled her in. He quickly covered her mouth and held a finger to his lips. Lia kept silent as the man pulled his hand away and introduced himself as Luth. He quickly explained to the girl that he was looking for new talent for the guild and wanted her to join. The hesitation was clear on the girl’s face, which caused the man to chuckle. He told her that her life would barely change and it would give her mad her mother a roof over their head. Lia finally accepted and quickly left to hand out the bread she took.
Several hours later, the girl met with her mother. Luth seemed to almost appear from the shadows and introduced himself to Shui. He explained to her about Lia joining the thieves guild. Of course her mother asked why and Luth explained what he had seen. He made sure to mention that Lia rarely took for herself and was helping feed those less fortunate. Shui was still upset about this, but gave in to letting this man mentor her daughter. Lia’s first six year with Dagger’s end was simply training her to sneak around better and blend into crowds. Many of the members were surprised as to how quickly she picked the skills up. The next thing Luth taught her was how to defend herself if it came down to it. Again the girl was a quick learner. She soon picked up the short bow and practiced with that to the point she could hit the center of the target from 300 feet. One of the other veteran members of the guild was impressed by this and offered to train her with the longbow. Another five years had passed and the half-elf was in her early twenties. She had spent most of that time training with the longbow and learning the lay of the land surrounding her hometown. It was during this time that Lia met Orianna. The tiefling cleric was an oddity to the young rogue and quickly captured her attention. When she wasn’t training or hunting, she was spending time with her new friend. The female tiefling was a follower of Sif and explained the teachings to Lia. And over the next three years, the pair grew closer. Orianna even taught Lia how to speak infernal.
During this time, Lia also learned how to speak sylvan. This was mainly due to who her mentor was. The man had a hatred for the Fey and passed that hatred along to Lia. After all these teachings were done and Lia was an accomplished rogue, Luth approached her again. He offered her something he had offered only three other members, the tricks to becoming an assassin. He made it clear that any targets they went after deserved death. Having grown up with the guild now, Lia trusted the man and accepted his teachings. It was harsh and difficult at first, but she soon grew confident in her skills. So Luth facet her an assignment to prove she was ready. There was a wizard that was coming through town. From the information the had gathered, he seemed to be looking for a way to make himself immortal. And people had been disappearing in every town he went to. Taking this assignment, Lia set out to find her target. The man was slippery for a wizard and it took the half-elf several weeks to finally pin him down. She watched as the man exited the town and quickly made his way toward a clearing. She followed from a distance while pulling out her bow. The wizard stopped in the clearing and quickly began to trace something on the ground. Taking steady aim, Lia released her arrow and watched as it slammed into the back of the man’s head, sending him tumbling forward. She quickly moved in to search him and found his spell book with several notes inside. Little did the woman know, the spell he was working on had just finished and flared to life. Before the girl could move, she was pulled through a portal and dumped into some kind of tower. It took Lia almost a week to get out of the tower and another month we to arrive back in her hometown. When she arrived, she presented the evidence that the task was done and explained why it took her so long to get back. Luth was impressed and stated that she had done extremely well. He even let her keep the wizard’s spellbook as a prize.
Lia has quickly become one of the best assassins in the guild over the next six years and was eventually given leave to do what she wanted. So the woman decide to travel and see as much of the world as possible, joining up with her friend, Orianna and her group for a bit.
Thanks. I’ve actually started using Xanarhar’s guide to help me come up with backstories. I do love writing and creating stories for characters. It helps keep my brain active
Atugar the half-orc, son of half-orcs Dorn and Huru, and older brother to siblings Arazi and Nitar, was raised in a tiny village in the Western Heartlands of Faerûn. His village, while small, poor, and near-defenseless, was peaceful and sheltered, and Atugar’s early years were spent working happily on his family’s farm and playing with his siblings, whom he loved dearly.
As he grew, Atugar found that he became enraged easily, often lashing out at others for the simplest of reasons. He did not understand why he felt this anger, so to prevent it from spilling over and causing him to hurt someone unintentionally, he instead channeled it into manual labor, hunting, and, somewhat oddly, playing the drums, which he found he had a knack for. Still, when he came of age, Atugar jumped at the chance to join a passing group of mercenaries, where he learned to fight, survive, and channel his rage into something destructive and powerful.
Atugar fought with the mercenaries for nearly seven years and killed many men. So caught up in the fierce joy he felt from unleashing his rage upon his enemies, he never once returned to his village to see his family, instead blindly seeking the chaos in which he might unleash his rage.
Finally, six years and nine months since the day he joined the mercenaries, the company was hired by an unknown benefactor to wipe out the population of a backwater village in the Western Heartlands--Atugar’s village.
Horrified, Atugar begged his companions to spare his village, but his most trusted allies, men he had fought beside for years, refused.
The rage he had fought so hard to contain overcame him, and Atugar drew his blades. He lunged for his former allies, intending to kill them all. He defeated only one man before the rest overwhelmed him, beating down his defenses and sending him to his knees. He fought them off as long as he could, his anger giving way to fear, not only for himself but for his people, but he could not win.
The leader of his company, who had taught him to swing a sword, struck him with his black warhammer and Atugar fell into darkness.
When he woke, his body heavy and covered in wounds, the mercenaries were gone. By the time he made it to his village, so was his family.
Drunk on their victory and on cheap ale, the mercenaries had camped in the center of his village, surrounded by rubble and the bodies of his oldest friends. Atugar felt nothing seeing them, not rage, not fear, not sadness. The mercenaries had foolishly left him his blades, and he drew them once more. They were unprepared and blind to his approach, and, despite his weakness, he killed them all.
He gathered the bodies of the villagers and burned them in a pyre, and left the mercenaries to rot. As he left the remains of his village, never to return, his foot struck something half-buried in the ashes. He picked it up, dusted it off, and slung the black warhammer over his shoulder.
In the years since the annihilation of his village, Atugar has wandered aimlessly across the land, splitting his time between honing his skills and drinking away his sorrows. He vowed to defend those who could not defend themselves, and prevent anything like the tragedy that took everything from him from ever happening again.
Luciferus Bloodscar. The monster-hunting monster. This tiefling has embraced his evil ancestry, using a mix of forbidden blood magic and hellish power to cleanse the world of its darkness. He is ruthless, deadly, and dangerous.
In Luciferus's early years, he was a vagabond in the slums of a great city. He placed no trust in anyone, relying on his hands and his looks to get him food. The city guards were always on the lookout for the young tiefling, promising to lock him in jail when they caught him. No matter how hard they tried, he was always one step ahead. One day, a mysterious man by the name of Count Henry Farason, a scientist and wealthy businessman, came into the kingdom, looking to experiment with the human anatomy to breed for himself and his allies the perfect bodyguard. The man heard tales from his guards of a tricky devil stealing from food vendors and wealthy merchants. Since tieflings are of little matter to anyone, Count Farason found his opportunity. Using his immense wealth, the count hired experienced trackers to hunt down and capture Luciferus.
Several days passed before the hunters returned to Count Farason with his prize, a young tiefling, beaten and bloodied. The count immediately began preparations for his trials, ignoring Luciferus's pleas to be let go. Count Farason aimed to enchant his test subject's blood with eldritch powers, making him more of a threat when injured. He imbued Luciferus with the strength and stamina of a great wolf, going as far as to give him partial transformation into one. The count was breeding a monster.
The final test of Count Farason was dubbed the Hunter's Bane. It was a poisonous, baneful concoction that enhanced Luciferus's natural abilities, nearly killing him as the count imbibed him with it. By fate's blessed hand, Count Farason had grown arrogant and careless in his work, unintentionally allowing Luciferus the opportunity to escape. The tiefling was able to break free of his bonds, escaping the count's cruel clutches. Luciferus fled the kingdom, finding a nearby cave. As he lay shuddering from pain and shock, the tiefling noticed a strange, dull glow emanating from one of his open wounds received during the escape. A powerful urge flowed through Luciferus's veins, so he embraced it, transforming into a monstrous beast, the great werewolf.
It became clear to Luciferus what his destiny was now. He was to be a monster, a terror that battled not only against the darkness of the world but against his demons. Years passed as Luciferus recovered and honed his abilities, then set out. Purging darkness, Luciferus is a horrible, mutated warrior that will stop at nothing to deal a crippling blow against evil. His ultimate end goal? Make Count Farason pay for what he had done to him.
(Writer's note): I hope you'll enjoy what I have concocted for you! I included a part of your backstory for your DM to work with, so if the plot gets a little thin, he can have the party help you track down your past and settle it. Other than that, let me know if you want something changed, added, etc. Thanks for letting me write this for you, and have fun!
I'm not begging for attention, but if you like World Anvil, go give me a look.
Thanks so much, this story is perfect!!!
I'm glad to be of help! Hopefully everything goes well with your character!
I'm not begging for attention, but if you like World Anvil, go give me a look.
Life wasn’t easy for Miriam. She grew up in a small village, which her family struggled to survive day to day. Being an only child did help, but barely so. It was around her mid teens that she met Iados. Seeing as her village consisted of human and halflings, a tiefling was quite a sight to behold. The girl was scared at first, but soon grew used to the male’s presence. He was only a few years older than her and had been traveling in order to sell some of his father’s wares. In most places he went, he was barely allowed inside the town, let alone allowed to sell anything. But this village was different. Yes everyone was wary of the tiefling with his sweeping horns and light grey skin, but they accepted him into their fold far quicker than most. Because of this, he would come by as often as possible. A few years would pass, Miriam and Iados had began to see each other and had decided to settle down. The tiefling father was against this and cut his son off from the fortune he had made. Which made things difficult when their first child came. By their second child, they had been able to save and buy a small house. There third and final child was a bit of a surprise when she came. Miriam was tending to some of the cattle in the barn when the contractions began. As she tried to leave, the pain became unbearable and she collapsed into a pile of hay. Iados thankfully was close by and was soon at his wife’s side. About half an hour later, Miriam was holding the youngest of her three children. Yet this child was different from her first two. All three were tieflings like their father, but this one had white skin and small wings wrapped around her. The small protrusions that would become the child’s horns were almost nonexistent. This gave them the idea to simply call her Reverence.
About ten years had gone by since then. The young white tiefling was now a smiling and energetic child. She was able to quickly make friends and just about everyone in town knew her. One of these friends was a male human named Gillis. The pair had pretty much become inseparable from the day they met. The two were almost like the leaders of a small group of kids that would play all over the village. Another three years passed and things were going well for Reverence’s family. Her father’s wares were starting to pull in customers from outside of town. And her older brother Kairon had started to train with the village’s guard. From what young Reverence saw, he was a quick Learner who mastered the great sword as well as the short bow. This pushed the girl to wanting to learn how to fight and defend herself. Gillis was right beside her the entire time and the two began to “self train” in order to become better. The started with fists, to which Reverence found out she was quick to master. Though Gillis was slower at this, he encouraged her to keep going and was happy to be her punching bag. Another three years went by and Reverence was now training with actual weapons and against skilled fighters like her brother. Orianna had decided to join the local thieves guild, which was barely a guild at all and those in it rarely ever stole anything. She did rise through the ranks quickly and was soon second in command. Her, Reverence, and Kairon sat in their parent’s home one day. The older two were there to keep an eye on their younger sister. The sound of a carriage pulling up caught their attention and the three went outside to see who it was. To their surprise, it was their parents. Kairon asked how they were able to afford such a thing and his father told them when they all went inside.
As the family of five gathered in the living room, Iados explained that the merchants guild in the nearby city were so impressed by his wares that they pulled some strings and were able to get the family into a noble house. They wouldn’t have a noble title of their own quite yet, but Miriam figured it wouldn’t take long for them to get there. Iados then told the three that he, Miriam, and Reverence would be moving to the city to live. He told Kairon and Orianna that they were welcome to come as well, but we’re old enough to make their own decisions. Both chose to stay. Reverence wanted to stay as well, but quickly gave in to her parents insistence. They had a few days before the move, which young Reverence spent with Gillis. It wasn’t until then that she realized how much she relied on him. And that the feeling she had was beyond a simple friendship. And on the day she was to move, she told him this before saying that it was alright if he didn’t feel the same. He was quiet for a moment before hugging the girl and telling her he wasn’t sure how he felt as those feelings never crossed his mind. “We’ll meet again. So try not to dwell on it too much. Stay safe Reverence.” The young teen said before watching her and her parents leave.
The city was far different from the small village she grew up in. For one it was so much noisier. And some of the looks she got, caught the young woman off guard. It didn’t take too long for them to arrive at their new home. It was a little bigger than the last house they had, but far more luxurious it took the girl about two years to grow accustomed to life in the city. She had learned to ignore the looks she got from some people. And in order to not stand out as much, she began to fold her wings and wear them more like a cape or cloak. In those two years since moving to the city, her family was finally able to establish a noble name for themselves. While exploring the city a bit, Reverence came across a temple. There were two people standing out front that caught her attention. The simple green robes they wore did little to hide the muscle both had. Cautiously she approached and was surprised again by their warm greeting. She talked to them for a bit and found out that they were monks that served at the temple. She asked if she could have a look inside and was granted access, but was told that one of the monks would need to be with her at all times. Which was fine. While checking the temple out, she came across the training area. The girl’s eyes went wide as she watched several other monks train. The one watching over her asked if she would like to try, to which the young tiefling eagerly agreed. “I’m not that good, but I’ll do my best!” She said enthusiastically. She and the one she was walking with stepped into one of the training areas and faced each other. It took only a few seconds for Reverence to learn she was far out classed, yet she did not give up. That was until the monk’s palm slammed into her sternum and sent her flying. To her surprise the strike didn’t actually hurt. Getting some help up, she saw the monk she sparred against bow to her, to which she did to him. “Though you are rather rough, you seem to know the basics. If you wish, we could teach you more.” Reverence thought for a moment before nodding. She wanted to learn. So she went to head back home to talk to her parents. One of the monks accompanied her and helped explain in detail who they were and what they did. After some discussion, it was agreed she could join. The monk with her explained that she would have to live at the temple for some time. Everyone was fine with this and the young woman gathered a few things before going back to the temple to live and train.
Six years had gone by since that day and Reverence had not only become quite skilled with her fists and legs, she had learned to use many of the weapons offered to the monks to train with. While she was cleaning the training area, one of the monks called out to her. “Master Glim is asking for you. I will finish cleaning.” Reverence nodded and went to meet with her master. “You called for me, Master?” Glim, and older male gnome looked at Reverence and gave a small smile. He told her of a dream he had the night before and that it seemed to be a vision of things to pass. Things that could cause mass panic and destruction. He then went to explain that she came to his dream and seemed to be able to at least slow these events and almost stop them from happening. “There were other figures with you, Reverence. Those that I believe share your destiny. Seek the people out and do what you can to stop these events from transpiring.” Her master looked down for a moment. “I am sorry to push this on you, but I feel you may be the only one here that can help. Now go and seek out those that can help you.” With that, the woman bowed and left, hoping to find those that would be able to help her stop whatever was coming.
VALKYRIE YLLRA
Race: Half-elf
Alignment: Neutral Good
Class: Ranger (Monster Slayer)
Born of a human mother and an elven father, Valkyrie Yllra is certainly a break from the norm. She is an inquisitive mind, always searching for answers to a never-ending list of questions. If a pit fiend were to appear in the middle of a town, most people would flee in terror, but Valkyrie would stop to take notes on its anatomy.
Valkyrie had a fairly normal childhood. She was schooled by her mother in writing, literature, and other rudimentary skills, while her father, Alden, schooled her in the ways of elven combat. Valkyrie enjoyed the bow but lacked some of the finesse to wield it properly, so she turned to the crossbow. She built herself a weapon she could truly be proud of.
The more Valkyrie grew, the more she adapted to the world. Her father had since left the young half-elf and her mother, his whereabouts unknown. Age crept up on Valkyrie’s mother, Agatha, like a shadow, slowly draining her life and energy, until the day came that Valkyrie had to wish her mother farewell. After all was said and done, with Valkyrie mourning the loss of her mother, she set out, using the skills her father taught her and the knowledge taught by her mother to make the world a better place by hunting and destroying any threats imposing themselves on helpless people.
Whenever adventurers come through a town where Valkyrie is staying, she is always the first to enlist in their merry band. She makes friends quickly and loves to tinker with weapons and gear, oftentimes destroying the piece of equipment beyond repair. What Valkyrie lacks in social skills, she more than makes up for in knowledge of monstrosities, aberrations, and other terrors that stalk the lands. When in combat, Valkyrie will peer into a creature’s defenses and find the best way to hurt it, resulting in the monster’s quick demise.
I'm not begging for attention, but if you like World Anvil, go give me a look.
ORTHRYS CADMAR
Race: Elf (shadar-kai)
Class: Blood Hunter (Order of the Ghostslayer)
Alignment: True Neutral
Orthrys Cadmar. Shadow fey, monster stalker. Dedicated to his life to darkness and being born from it, Orthrys is a dark and lethal assassin. Using his own blood for magic and gifts granted to him from the Raven Queen, the shadar-kai hunts down an array of deadly monsters and devils. He’s a drifter, homeless, opting instead to go to villages and towns to take care of any monster problems they have.
Orthrys isn’t known entirely for allies or friends. He prefers to work alone, knowing full well his line of work is deadly to the inexperienced. If a cave seems haunted or occupied by something other than an animal, the spectral elf harbors no hesitation to delve in and kill whatever unnatural thing sits in wait, ready to harm innocent people.
The shadar-kai is hesitant of making new friends or allies, worrying they could turn on him or leave due to his constant endangering lifestyle, but the few that know him won’t hesitate to vouch for his honor. Wielding a dagger and an elvish blade, Orthrys becomes a whirlwind of steel and magic, honing the Hunter’s Bane within him and the blood magic bestowed by the Order of the Ghostslayers.
I'm not begging for attention, but if you like World Anvil, go give me a look.
Carver Coast a harbour town of merchants, shop keepers, sailing the open waters and the best coastal restaurants bringing in people of all different shapes, sizes and races to this quaint and lively place. On the outskirts of the town lives an old man and his 2 daughters and 3 sons who are well known by the town as the Wild's as to their unusual abilities, personalities and names. Max Wild was a elderly human yet strongly built for his old age, compared to his children they had nothing in common as they were of each a different race, a Goliath named Pig, Half orc named Bear, Halfling called Rat, Tiefling called Tiger and a Dwarf named Wolf. Max had been in the town for many years as a hard worker, skilled fighter and a great story teller and was loved by the town as well as his wife Cassandra who had been married for 20 years but she caught some kind of sickness that had no known origin or cure as to what made her die, Max had then stayed in the house that they made together when they had gotten married long ago, he visited town on a daily bases and the downs folk had given him a lot of support to help him with his loss but he just had a hole in his heart that he didn't know how to fill. One night as Max was asleep he had heard a loud crash, jolting out of bed to investigate what was going on outside of his house, he wandered around the back of his house to find 5 small animals scrounging through his food storage, as he moved in closer a rat was squeaking at him to which the small boar, tiger, wolf and bear all looked toward him, they moved back away from him slightly, Max had then knelled down to let them approach him as he held out a piece of bread that he had in his clothes as an offering. The rat moved closer to him to grab the bread, to his shock that as the rat got closer it began to change and slowly become a young halfling girl as she then snatched it from him to return to the other animals then saw in amazement that the others had began to change as well. The next morning Max had called the town for a meeting in the town square as he wanted the town to welcome their new arrivals and that he is going to take them in, the towns folk confused as he talked about 5 small animals that they hadn't seen him with before, he informed them of his new kin being "special", he gestured to them and they changed into their true forms before the towns very eyes as a child goliath, hafling, tiefling, half orc and dwarf appeared where the animals were just before, the children ran behind Max thinking the crowd would yell and scream at them but the town welcomed them with cheers, food and applause to their newest town members.
Out of the five the most troublesome one was Pig the goliath, if there is any food unprotected he will gobble it up with no regret, there was a festival in the past that he had almost ruined because of almost eating the entirety of the banquet that was supposed to be a celebration for a successful catch from the fishermen and harvest from the farmers but he was caught and instead of a scolding he was given the nick named Pig the Bottomless Cauldron, thanks to his apatite the towns folk get him to do hard work and his offering of a reward is a meal for when the work is done and he gladly accepts. Second to Pig would be Rat the halfling as she is the prankster of the town but has a job as the towns informant thanks to her "ability" allowing her to get through any space in the town to deliver messages from the head office and others around town, her payment is that of mechanical parts that she tinkers with for her to make more devices for her pranks, her nick name is Rat the Rascal Messenger. The youngest would be Bear the half orc, even though he is the youngest and not the brightest of them all but he is the strongest when helping haul heavy loads from the docs or when lifting up materials for construction, he is also the towns softest person as he is so kind and gentle, given the nick name Bear the Bulky Teddy. The most charming is Tiger the Tiefling, her poems and speeches bring flocks of eyes and ears ready and waiting for another performance made by her, she had been listening to Max and all of the stories he had told them as they were growing up as his children, she finds herself taken by the stories and moves as if she were apart of the stories she had heard and now performs for the town for evening shows every so often, her nick name is Tiger the Living Story. The last child of Max is Wolf the dwarf, he is the towns most prideful protector and hunter/gatherer, always willing to do night watch and happy to help gather supplies or hunt for food, his howling in his beast form or his singing in his dwarf form brings hope to the town and their safety, nick named Wolf the Hunting Howler. They may be different but they are apart of the community, apart of each other and most of all apart of Max and the family that they have become together through time.
They may not be a family bound by blood, but they are a family of the town its self and to each other their bond will never be broken if time stops or moves onward without them.
Late night idea that just spurred onto me after waking up in the middle of the night thinking i would forget it later if i didnt jot it down so now im allowing it to be seen by all and hope it is ok or at least average of an idea, first time posting so tell me what you think of the idea of this group backstory. Full credit to the original ideas of:
Liam O Brian from critical role for his 1 shot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb1z68RELN4
As well as the setting from "The Assembly Song" by Cami Cat accompanied by Gabe Castro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U66FDomUyco
Sooo I haven't quite finished writing the backstory, but heres the gist of GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR Pepperoni.
He's a goliath who was left on the doorstep on the Pepperoni household in a pizza box. The Pepperonis are dwarves who wrote the Dimlight series of poems, which were both absolutely terrible and also best sellers. He's profiencemt in Calligraphy, stealth, acrobatics, and he's well over 7 feet tall. He's a rogue because the idea of a giant man blackflipping out of the shadows is hilarious. The pizza place is called the Hearty Slice, and he is on there merch.
If you can't tell, me and the pc made him drunk.
I love the idea of a goliath just flipping in and out of the shadows and the possibility of a throwing weapon being A: pizza slices or B: pepperoni slices and a melee weapon could be giant slabs of pepperoni(d4 bludgeoning) or pizza cutters(d4 slicing), idea for a trinket for him is to make him have a pizza box that produces a family size pizza for x amount of times a day but it is always pepperoni pizza and no other types.
ALL SHALL FEAR THE PEPPERONI FAMILY BY THEIR SLICES OF JUSTICE COOKED UP BY GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
DEMPSEY YUUMTOSOHJHAK
Race: Dragonborn (Blue)
Class: Ranger (Hunter)
Alignment: True Neutral
Dempsey Yuumtosohjhak. A name whispered in fear and awe among giants. Known among the giants as the Blue Hunter or Thunder's Fury, this near-feral dragonborn fights with a vehemence and fury that rivals even a god's. Born among the Yuumtosohjhak tribe, Dempsey was raised among his people to live off the land and respect the creatures greater than him and his tribe. Dempsey, though curious, always obeyed his clan elder and what they had to say. On occasion, Clan Yuumtosohjhak would pay homage to the life around them, giving small amounts of food to local wildlife inhabitants.
A tribe of local hill giants who called themselves Tribe Hammerjaw saw what the dragonborn were doing, and decided to visit them. Hill giants all have a never-ending hunger, so they approached Clan Yuumtosohjhak and demanded an homage of food to their self-proclaimed greatness. The clan, not wanting any trouble, decided to gather up a sizeable amount of food to give to the hill giants, while still retaining enough to feed their tribe. The hill giants weren't satisfied. They knew Dempsey's tribe was keeping food from them, and they wanted more. When Clan Yuumtosohjhak's elder, Bash'nag, told the giants that they would not receive any more from them, the Hammerjaw giants fed themselves on Dempsey's tribe. Dempsey alone managed to flee the carnage as every last one of his people were either devoured or killed by the bloodthirsty goliaths.
As fate would have it, one of the Hammerjaw behemoths found Dempsey and attempted to make a meal out of the young dragonborn. Dempsey, though young, managed to strike the giant dead with his lightning breath. Dempsey forged his weapons, two battleaxes, from the bones of the dead giant, as well as his armor. He disappeared into the wilderness for several years, honing his skills to perfection. He built himself a well of rage that he could draw from to become a true terror on the battlefield. Finally, the day came where Dempsey returned. Through his skill and savagery, the primal warrior cut down every last one of the Hammerjaw giants, leaving their corpses to be consumed by the earth.
Other giants heard of a lone blue-scaled warrior bringing the hill giants down, and they went to investigate. When they found Dempsey, they attempted to kill him. Dempsey was always one step ahead, using the forest to his advantage. Soon, the lone clanless dragonborn spread his name throughout the race of giants, striking fear into their hearts. He is uncivilized and crafty, rarely going anywhere populated unless needed. He has no friends or allies, content with the murder of giants until his lust for vengeance is satisfied.
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Ellalladrille Ci'allandriall
(Male, Valenar High Elf, Artificer)
When I was still a baby, my parents moved us to a foreign city far away from the lands of our people. As a small child I had no idea that we were different than our neighbors. Gradually, as I got older, I began to notice the differences between myself and most of the other children. I was faster and more nimble than the other children. Rarely could they lay a hand on me in games of Catch Me. My eyes were keener than theirs as well. Rarely could they escape my notice in games of Seekers and Hiders. I regularly outpaced them all in games of climbing and sneaking as well. I could always tell which hand the kola nut was in, but my hands moved too fast for their notice. One day, while we were exploring some tunnels that we had found hidden between two abandoned buildings, the other children began to get frightened. It was dark, and while we had a candle, none of us had a tinderbox. Eager to explore, I used my other gift to light the candle. At first, the other children were frightened of me and ran away. Soon, they accused me of using my magic to cheat them at our games. Eventually most of the other children stopped asking me to play at all.
By the beginning of my second decade, a strange and terrible illness began to sweep through the city. Most people were unaffected, only the elven population seemed to be susceptible. For years, every winter many around the city would catch a variety of illnesses, and they would always speak enviously of how my family’s Elven blood protected us. That year, no one was envious of their Elven neighbors. Before my parents fell as the rest of our kind who had populated the city had, my parents made arrangements for me with their solicitor. After the funeral, the solicitor took me straight to the children’s home he had placed me in. I remember, I was still wearing my black lace....
The women who ran the home were nice enough. They were always sure that all of our needs were provided for as best the could. We never lacked for clothing, or food, or education. But the children.... Children can be very cruel. Eventually, they were cruel enough that I ran away, and somehow never went back. The first year or so on the streets of the city was rough, but also interesting. The skills that had left me so alienated my whole life were to my advantage here. Where other urchins slowly starved, or got caught and beaten for stealing, I was able to procure for myself, and slip away unnoticed. I was soon discovering parts of the city that I doubt many others know about to this day. Interesting corners and eaves and out of the way places where two buildings almost meet. The tunnels underneath the city, a labyrinth of intentional structures built on top of and through the remains of older cities. Those highest rooftops where one could truly sleep just beneath the stars themselves.... There are nights I still go to those rooftops.
Eventually, some of the less fortunate children began to notice my success. They soon realized that it was easier to take from me what they could not from the shopkeepers and vapid nobles’ sons. Like I said, children can be cruel. The next few years were easier. I was better able to see to myself and look out for the other children. They were also less interesting, as I was beginning to run out of places to explore safely enough all alone. But that fourth winter was bad. The cold was so extreme that to be out for more than a few minutes could mean the loss of toes or worse. And the wind never stopped howling for weeks, the sound of a predator joyous in the hunt. At first I was fairly secure with a supply of food and ale that I had laid up in a warm and secure nook within the tunnels where the heat from who knows where bled through the wall into a space that the world had forgotten. Things were okay for a week, then two weeks.... Eventually I was forced to go out for more food and water. Water was the hard part. Dispute the cold there had been no snow, and the cold had been so strong for so long that liquid water was hard to come by, and dangerous to collect. If your fingers got wet, the frost could have bitten into them before you could stopper the skin again. You can live a long time without food, but water.... I ventured out from the warmth and safety of my hidden spot into the greater tunnels beyond. The cold was there waiting for me. As I ventured further into the darkness of the underground, even the biting wind from above seemed to scythe it’s way down into the world beneath the city. Soon, I had exhausted me search of the nearby network, and had resigned myself to attempt a brief trip above. I must have only made it about a dozen steps.
When I awoke, I was warm and clean and dry for the first time in years. The air around me smelled of fresh food, a delicious bitter aroma I had never known before, and the somehow familiar scent of chemicals and burnt metal that reminded me of my father. When I sat up, I was greeted by a face I vaguely recognized. He was very obviously Gnomish. His stature was small, but his proportions were a little off. His head was bald on top, but tufts of white stuck out several inches and in all directions in a sort of demi-halo around the sides and back of his head. His nose was almost bulbose on his tiny face, his head almost too large for someone barely three feet tall. His frame was tiny by comparison, save for the enormous potbelly in front of him. He was bedecked in an exquisitely expensive suit of grey wool with black pinstripes, and a wine colored brocade vest over a white collared shirt with a bootstring-tie clasped with a silver band.
“Good heavens boy, I thought you had died with your parents. Would you like some coffee?”
It was my father’s old colleague, Doomagee Hermannsburge. As we spoke, I began to explore the room we were in. It was full of books and gadgets of all sorts. Bookshelves lined most of the walls from floor to ceiling. There was a set of glass vials and beakers bubbling away on a table in the corner. In another alcove there were half-finished pieces of weapons and armor set in racks. Finally I came upon a workstation I found piles of gears and springs and other mechanical pieces. It was there that I found a simple music box that played a familiar melody. It was a song my mother used to sing to me when I was little. Doomagee said that he had learned to make it by studying the one my father had made for my mother. Doomagee was kind enough to let me keep it. He took me in and raised me as his ward. He took note of my nimbleness and encouraged it. He took notice of my cleverness and honed it. He took note of my magic and taught me the ways of the Artificer, as apparently my father had taught to him a century ago. And when I was ready, he enrolled me into The Society of Monitors, with whom I am enguilded To this day.
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Grotmaw "Ded-eye"
(Male, Goblin, Fighter)
Grotmaw wuz yungest sun o’da Boss o’da Yella Ratfang Clan, Gobbo Glint Toof, on acounta he had da shiniest teef in da hole clan. But bein’ yungest sun ment dat Grotmaw wuz nevur gonna gonna get ears notched on acounta how many older brudders wuz aheda me. Evin wiv allada ded wuns outa da way, der wuz still too many still livin’ aheda me fer Grotmaw ta ever ern earnotches. So Grotmaw go ‘way. Grotmaw went out inta’da wurld ta make sumthin’ fer me dat stinkin’ brudders couldn’t neva take. At furst it no go so good.
People saw Grotmaw an’ wood start screemin’ an’ throwin’ stuffs. Is no good. But den, wun day sum soldirs noticed how good Grotmaw wuz wiv da crossbow an’ how sneeky sneeky Grotmaw can be so dey offured Grotmaw lotsa chrysós... gold. Dey sez dat Grotmaw can get lots gold, all I hadda do wuz sneek good an’ shoot peepul an’ dey pays Grotmaw. Grotmaw likes to sneek, is verry good at it. Grotmaw good at shootin’ peepul too. Grotmaw took job. Grotmaw like job. Grotmaw got a shine uneeform, and wuz taut hawda march an’ stuffs. Grotmaw lernt dat marchin’ ‘round inna uneeform makes feemales like Grotmaw better. Is very good. Grotmaw wuz only a Privut in da Therd Scoutin’ ‘Toon. But purty soon Grotmaw got so good at shootin’ peepuls an’ stuffs dat da udder soldirs startid callin’ Grotmaw “Ded-eye” an’ Elf frend Sargent made Grotmaw a Curprul in da squad. Dat wuz how Grotmaw ernt his furst earnotch. Is verry verry good.
Elf Sargent liked Grotmaw, so when frend Elf got ‘moted to Luftenat o’da secund Scoutin’ ‘Toon, he bring Grotmaw too to be Sargent o’da Furst Squad. Dat was how Grotmaw ernt secund earnotch. Now Grotmaw haz too earnotches, an’ t’ree shine rings in hiz face made outta gold, wun fer each war Grotmaw fights in. Too bad dat da Captun wuz ded aftur dat, cuz den lotsa Grotmaw frends started’a take der gold an’ go find better Captuns ta fight fer. Finuly Luftenat friend Elf becum da Captun. Captun Elf frend sez to Grotmaw make Luftenat o’da Furst Scoutin’ ‘Toon. But furst Grotmaw wanna go back home an’ show stinkin’ brudders Grotmaw gots earnotched an’ face shines outta chrysús. Maybe shoot sum o’dem too. Me not kno yet. Den maybe Grotmaw go back an’ be Luftenat wiv new, not-stinky brudders in da Black Falcun Cumpny. But furst, me stop in Wooderdeep for a few beers an’ maby a few feemails too....
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Hadgar Greystone, Lv 10 Duergar Death Cleric.
Call of Cantraxis campaign, Moonshae.
DM: Imperia Regnum
Ancient Rome Theros Homebrew.
Gri'im the Red, LV 7 Orc Druid
Rime of the Frost Maiden Campaign.
The streets were one of the few constants in Lia’s life. She had been born and raised on them and barely knew anything else. Her mother, Shui, had raised her alone. Her father, who Lia did not know nor care to find his name, had left before the girl was even born. As far as she was concerned, he didn’t exist. Over the first eight years of her life, Lia had become friends with a few of the other children living on the streets. They all quickly learned to steal food and other necessities to service, though a few turned to stealing things they didn’t actually need. What was a surprising help was being a homeless child. Wearing rags and being small made it easy to sneak and disappear into crowds. When the young half-elf turned 10, her mother had found a job working in a tavern. It wasn’t anything special, but it helped them earn coin to buy food. Lia continued to steal with a few of her friends, but began to hand food out to those who weren’t able to get it themselves. The girl had quickly garnered a name for herself on the streets, which eventually caught the eye of the local thieves guild leader. While she was out one day, she stole a few loaves of bread and snuck away. As the half-elf passed by an alley, a hand reached out and pulled her in. He quickly covered her mouth and held a finger to his lips. Lia kept silent as the man pulled his hand away and introduced himself as Luth. He quickly explained to the girl that he was looking for new talent for the guild and wanted her to join. The hesitation was clear on the girl’s face, which caused the man to chuckle. He told her that her life would barely change and it would give her mad her mother a roof over their head. Lia finally accepted and quickly left to hand out the bread she took.
Several hours later, the girl met with her mother. Luth seemed to almost appear from the shadows and introduced himself to Shui. He explained to her about Lia joining the thieves guild. Of course her mother asked why and Luth explained what he had seen. He made sure to mention that Lia rarely took for herself and was helping feed those less fortunate. Shui was still upset about this, but gave in to letting this man mentor her daughter. Lia’s first six year with Dagger’s end was simply training her to sneak around better and blend into crowds. Many of the members were surprised as to how quickly she picked the skills up. The next thing Luth taught her was how to defend herself if it came down to it. Again the girl was a quick learner. She soon picked up the short bow and practiced with that to the point she could hit the center of the target from 300 feet. One of the other veteran members of the guild was impressed by this and offered to train her with the longbow. Another five years had passed and the half-elf was in her early twenties. She had spent most of that time training with the longbow and learning the lay of the land surrounding her hometown. It was during this time that Lia met Orianna. The tiefling cleric was an oddity to the young rogue and quickly captured her attention. When she wasn’t training or hunting, she was spending time with her new friend. The female tiefling was a follower of Sif and explained the teachings to Lia. And over the next three years, the pair grew closer. Orianna even taught Lia how to speak infernal.
During this time, Lia also learned how to speak sylvan. This was mainly due to who her mentor was. The man had a hatred for the Fey and passed that hatred along to Lia. After all these teachings were done and Lia was an accomplished rogue, Luth approached her again. He offered her something he had offered only three other members, the tricks to becoming an assassin. He made it clear that any targets they went after deserved death. Having grown up with the guild now, Lia trusted the man and accepted his teachings. It was harsh and difficult at first, but she soon grew confident in her skills. So Luth facet her an assignment to prove she was ready. There was a wizard that was coming through town. From the information the had gathered, he seemed to be looking for a way to make himself immortal. And people had been disappearing in every town he went to. Taking this assignment, Lia set out to find her target. The man was slippery for a wizard and it took the half-elf several weeks to finally pin him down. She watched as the man exited the town and quickly made his way toward a clearing. She followed from a distance while pulling out her bow. The wizard stopped in the clearing and quickly began to trace something on the ground. Taking steady aim, Lia released her arrow and watched as it slammed into the back of the man’s head, sending him tumbling forward. She quickly moved in to search him and found his spell book with several notes inside. Little did the woman know, the spell he was working on had just finished and flared to life. Before the girl could move, she was pulled through a portal and dumped into some kind of tower. It took Lia almost a week to get out of the tower and another month we to arrive back in her hometown. When she arrived, she presented the evidence that the task was done and explained why it took her so long to get back. Luth was impressed and stated that she had done extremely well. He even let her keep the wizard’s spellbook as a prize.
Lia has quickly become one of the best assassins in the guild over the next six years and was eventually given leave to do what she wanted. So the woman decide to travel and see as much of the world as possible, joining up with her friend, Orianna and her group for a bit.
You have your backstories solidified, don't you? I've been paying attention to a couple of your posts, and you have left nothing out. Pretty cool!
I'm not begging for attention, but if you like World Anvil, go give me a look.
Thanks. I’ve actually started using Xanarhar’s guide to help me come up with backstories. I do love writing and creating stories for characters. It helps keep my brain active
Here's my half-orc barbarian, Atugar.
Atugar the half-orc, son of half-orcs Dorn and Huru, and older brother to siblings Arazi and Nitar, was raised in a tiny village in the Western Heartlands of Faerûn. His village, while small, poor, and near-defenseless, was peaceful and sheltered, and Atugar’s early years were spent working happily on his family’s farm and playing with his siblings, whom he loved dearly.
As he grew, Atugar found that he became enraged easily, often lashing out at others for the simplest of reasons. He did not understand why he felt this anger, so to prevent it from spilling over and causing him to hurt someone unintentionally, he instead channeled it into manual labor, hunting, and, somewhat oddly, playing the drums, which he found he had a knack for. Still, when he came of age, Atugar jumped at the chance to join a passing group of mercenaries, where he learned to fight, survive, and channel his rage into something destructive and powerful.
Atugar fought with the mercenaries for nearly seven years and killed many men. So caught up in the fierce joy he felt from unleashing his rage upon his enemies, he never once returned to his village to see his family, instead blindly seeking the chaos in which he might unleash his rage.
Finally, six years and nine months since the day he joined the mercenaries, the company was hired by an unknown benefactor to wipe out the population of a backwater village in the Western Heartlands--Atugar’s village.
Horrified, Atugar begged his companions to spare his village, but his most trusted allies, men he had fought beside for years, refused.
The rage he had fought so hard to contain overcame him, and Atugar drew his blades. He lunged for his former allies, intending to kill them all. He defeated only one man before the rest overwhelmed him, beating down his defenses and sending him to his knees. He fought them off as long as he could, his anger giving way to fear, not only for himself but for his people, but he could not win.
The leader of his company, who had taught him to swing a sword, struck him with his black warhammer and Atugar fell into darkness.
When he woke, his body heavy and covered in wounds, the mercenaries were gone. By the time he made it to his village, so was his family.
Drunk on their victory and on cheap ale, the mercenaries had camped in the center of his village, surrounded by rubble and the bodies of his oldest friends. Atugar felt nothing seeing them, not rage, not fear, not sadness. The mercenaries had foolishly left him his blades, and he drew them once more. They were unprepared and blind to his approach, and, despite his weakness, he killed them all.
He gathered the bodies of the villagers and burned them in a pyre, and left the mercenaries to rot. As he left the remains of his village, never to return, his foot struck something half-buried in the ashes. He picked it up, dusted it off, and slung the black warhammer over his shoulder.
In the years since the annihilation of his village, Atugar has wandered aimlessly across the land, splitting his time between honing his skills and drinking away his sorrows. He vowed to defend those who could not defend themselves, and prevent anything like the tragedy that took everything from him from ever happening again.
So I'm joining a new group tomorrow as an Aasimar Paladin with an Urchin background. Here's the backstory I came up with. VidMate Teatv Shareit
🤘
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Especially with this quarantine, there are lots of backstories to be written for plenty of characters.
I'm not begging for attention, but if you like World Anvil, go give me a look.