Hello there! I like homebrewing plots and characters. I made this thread as inspiration for anyone who wants it. These are some examples I’ve thought of over the last bit. I’m most likely going to make a bunch of smaller examples later in addition to much larger ones. I’m currently working on a homebrew setting that I’ll put on here eventually
Homebrew Settings/Potential Adventure Hooks
The Horndeep Festival
Nestled in the Spine of the World mountain range just a week's travel from Luskan is the small, rural town of Horndeep. While it grows too cold during winter to have a good crop season, the gently rolling hills, open fields, and alpine streams make it great for raising cattle. The only excitement that happens is during calving season. Not much goes on. Horndeep is a peaceful, happy farming community somewhat removed from the world.
That all changed 10 years ago.
The mayor of Horndeep decided that she wanted to open up a mine to see if they could reap some rewards from the earth. To her great satisfaction, the first quarry that they opened proved to be plentiful copper mine. A few months after mining copper from the mountains and exporting it, they came across a strange metal deep in the mine. After baffling the locals, the mayor called in an expert to see what this metal was. A few weeks later, a dwarven miner needed their call and stopped by to see what it was. Much to everyone's surprise, it turned out to be adamantine. Rushing the mine, the dwarf found the spot where they found it and started frantically mine the stone. After a few minutes, another nugget was found. And another. And another. They had just stumbled upon the largest adamantine mine known to man.
But that was 10 years ago. A LOT has changed. As news of the mine spread, prospectors from all over began pouring into Horndeep in hopes of getting some adamantine. In a few short months, Horndeep expanded exponentially.
Now, walking from one end of Horndeep to the other will take almost 5 hours if you ignore all of the wonders and splendor the Horndeep has to offer. Shops of every kind line the sprawling streets. Whole residential districts swarm with people all shapes and sizes.
Last year, in honor of the metal that made Horndeep famous, the mayor decided to hold an annual festival that involved a competition. The winners would leave with a chunk of adamantine to be crafted into what they wanted as well as a monetary prize.
Now, the festival has come around again. People flock to Horndeep in hopes of winning. Vendors crowd the streets. Colorful people from far lands visit. Tourists come to marvel at the adamantine that is flaunted so brazenly.
You have come to Horndeep in hopes of winning the prize. After putting your name in for a chance to participate, you can't believe your luck as your name is announced as a participant. You are ushered to The Gem in the Deep, the largest inn of all Horndeep. You are put in a suite where you will meet your team members.
The High Arcana Academy
Nestled in a mountain range a day's travel on horse from the famed Baldur's Gate lies the High Arcana Academy. It is a somewhat reclusive, upper-crust school for the training of the next generation of mages in Faerun. Built into the mountain, its marbled campus takes almost an hour to walk from top to bottom. There is a section dedicated to each discipline of arcane practice: the Abjuration Wing, Evocation Wing, Necromancy Wing, etc. The Academy even trains a small contingent of Eldritch Knights.
Its fabled halls and libraries have made it known for miles around. Founded by Archimedes, it has stood against time for nearly 2 centuries. It is very respected until recently. 3 months ago, several bodies were discovered. They were found in ritualistic positions, like they were sacrificed to fuel an enchantment. The news quickly spread and drew the attention of the Council, a group of some of the most powerful mages on the planet. Their watchful eye has been over the Academy since. Several investigations have been launched, but they have discovered nothing.
Realm of Nightmares
At the inception of the multiverse, the gods of gods deemed that since there was a beginning, there must be an end. The end was inevitable. Dendar, the Night Serpent was deemed to be the end of existence. Locked away until the end approached, Dendar was imprisoned in the Realm of Nightmares. Every time a creature experienced fear, the bindings restraining the primordial serpent were loosened, and the End drew closer.
11 years ago, Dendar broke free of its confinement and plunged the Multiverse into darkness. Several planes of existence have already been completely and utterly annihilated, and several major deities were devoured by Dendar. The forces of the Multiverse now band together to fight off the unending hordes of the Destroyer of All. Angels and demons fight side by side, desperate to save existence. All those who wish to have the right to exist put aside their differences and work together. All the while, Dendar's laugh echoes through eternity.
Recently, Dendar succeeded in destroying the plane of Mount Celestia, now having a total of 7 destroyed planes of existence. With the power she gained, she let loose a roar that shook the planar firmaments. This roar caused some of the planar boundaries to buckle and weaken. Parts of the weakened planes broke off and were absorbed by the ever-growing Realm of Nightmares. You happened to be on one of those portions. After the mind-breaking experince, you find yourself in a very new environment. You appear to be in a pine forest. A faint mist fills the gaps between the trees. The sky is draped by the veil of night. Faint stars dot the sky, but they are dim compared to the moon. The moon looks very similar to a gigantic, crimson serpent eye that lights everything with a faint red glow. You are not alone. Others appear to be with you. Besides them, an occasional distant scream and roar fill the silent night air.
Ashes of Ionra
War. That is what the world of Ionra has only known for the past two centuries. What started as a trade dispute between two countries escalated into a war that engulfed the globe. Other countries were inevitability drawn into the conflict as they took sides. Those that remained neutral were invaded and conquered by the opposing sides. Other countries room advantage of the situation and expanded their borders. Once, the verdant continents of Ionra were filled with life. Now, smoking ruins and ravaged landscapes smoulder in their place. Nearly two-thirds of the planet is now scorched with arcane power and littered with the broken bodies and weapons of fallen soldiers. The planet was dying, and both sides realized the folly of the war. Putting aside their rivalry (sort-of), they ended the war and began to try to discover a way to reverse the damage they have dealt. Together, they constructed a gateway to Ionra's moon, Khaliad.
Khaliad is the same size as Ionra and is packed with life. The gateway formed in the lush and vibrant jungles near the equator. Near the coast, life of all kinds flourish in the steamy environment. Pleased at their success, the rulers of Ionra sent a small group of people through the gate with supplies to build an outpost. They built their outpost and explored the surrounding land. Three months later when the planetary hates aligned, the arcane gateway opened once again and brought back the explorers. With them, they brought news of a planet full of life and plenty of room to move people of Ionra to Khaliad. Within a year, the small outpost of of Kigiis on Khaliad grew into a large village as more and more people came through the gate every three months. Parts of the surrounding jungle was cleared away to make room for the expanding town when they first met the inhabitants of Khaliad, the lizardfolk. Primitive and simple, their tribes were pushed of their land by superior magic and weaponry. Tensions have been high since.
The rulers back on Ionra are seeking brave souls who are willing to scout out the alien and beautiful world of Khaliad. You have volunteered for your reasons, whether it be the gold, a chance for a new life, or whatever you may. With a flash of white flames, a column of arcane power blazes through the space between the new worlds as you make your way to Khaliad. You arrive on a new world with a slight sense of disorientation as you take in your new surroundings. Fresh, muggy air fills your nostrils; a strange sensation after the smoky haze of Ionra. Around the arcane sigils of the gate about you, the town of Kigiis greets you. The sounds of the nearby ocean mingle with the sounds of hammers and sawing as the town slowly expands around you. People bustle through the unpaved streets, heading to do their various tasks around the industrious, town-in-progress. Away from the ocean, a thick jungle dominates the landscape with mountains obstructing the horizon. With contract in your hand, welcome to the jungle.
Klollavion, the Last Bastion
1,716 years ago, the world of Toril was ravaged by an unknown entity from the Far Realm, who was Dremmenariviranemmerd, the Devourer. Its mere presence tore asunder the very fabric of reality, opening rifts to other alien dimensions. These gateways of insanity bled eldritch power that corrupted all it touched. The world warped under its baleful influence, becoming landscapes of horror and insanity that defied all natural laws. Any creature that was touched by its malevolent tendrils of power became as corrupt and twisted as the land about them. These mutated monstrosities sought out those who remained pure and slaughtered them in the name of their Elder God.
In an event that would become known as the Last Stand, the races and nations of Toril united to fought back against Dremmenariviranemmerd and its supernatural power. Despite their best efforts, Dremmenariviranemmerd consumed land after land in its unstoppable assault. Soon, only a few thousand people of various races remained as they watched their homes become consumed by otherworldly forces. Desperately, the last remaining mages sacrificed themselves and crafted an arcane portal that allowed the few survivors to escape their doomed world.
They appeared on a different world surrounding a massive pillar of stone with arcane runes and sigils carved into it standing atop a cliff overlooking an abandoned city near an ocean. This city, which would become known as Yiszix, was constructed from white marble and was completely void of life. The city appeared to be ancient and crumbling under the weight of ages. Exploration of the city revealed no clues of those who built it. They also discovered that the city was surrounded by a ring of natural stone pillars that rose about ten feet in the air. The three main roads leading away from the city had the same stone pillars on either side of them. Mages who studied the pillars discovered that the pillars emanated a powerful aura of abjuration magic.
The survivors of Toril settled down in the city for the most part. A few adventurous souls traveled along the roads to see where they led. They returned with news of other settlements along the road and they were also surrounded by stones. People who went outside the stones felt unsettled, almost as if something were watching them.
After a few weeks later, a flash of light emanating from the huge monolith announced the arrival of another group of people. It seems as if the stone was a beacon for travel, which begs the question: why is it there?
This would most likely be the best for a mystery/intrigue with a focus on exploration and pinch of eldritch horror.
Character backstory examples:
Order of Scribes Wizard
1,264 years ago, an elven necromancer known as Aestrinomarovix the Undying ruled over the land with an iron fist. Any who opposed him would join his ever-growing legion of undead minions. Through his dedication to the necromatic arts, he drew the attention of Orcus, Demon Lord of the Undead. Orcus shared with him the secrets of becoming a lich.
Aestrinomarovix spent the next few years gathering supplies and preparing to finally overcome death by transforming himself into a lich. On the night that the ritual was to take place, a group of adventurers stormed his citadel. Unconcerned about their presence, the necromancer commenced with the ritual. As it approached the pinnacle with immortality within his grasp, the adventurers burst into his inner sanctum after defeated his defences. Desperate, they managed to damage his phylactery the exact same moment the ritual was completed. Aestrinomarovix was defeated, his body annihilated and spirit scattered. The whole land celebrated the death of the tyrant.
A few miles away, a child was born at the same time. Aestrinomarovix's spirit, albeit damaged, managed to latch on to that child and pushed out the infant's soul and replaced it with his own. When he crossed into the child, he lost all of his memories. The child grew up normally until he reached the age of 13. On the night of his birthday, Aestrinomarovix's soul rekindled his memories and regained his power. He came back in full force and tried to take control of the land again, but was once again killed and defeat. Since his ritual was technically perfect during his first life, his soul would find a suitable container like it would with a normal lich when it died. Since he didn't have his phylactery, his soul would find the best best thing: an infant. This cycle would continue on and on, earning him the moniker of The Undying.
However, every time he would die, parts of his soul would be destroyed. He would return with less power and memories with every reincarnation.
Coming to the modern time, Melcore Burrell was born in a small fishing village a few hours travel from Luskan. This fishing village was very tightly-knit. The little inlet that the village was built in was surrounded by jagged rocks and rough waters that made it impossible for large fishing boats to come through. However, small fishing boats were perfect for fishing the bountiful bays. They would go out every morning and catch fish for hours before they would sail their catches to Luskan to sell in the market.
Melcore was a bright child. He could start talking by age 1 and could read by the time he was two and a half. His problem solving skills were impressive and his keen mind amazed the little village. Deciding that being a lowly fisherman was wasting his talents, the village saved their income for almost a year until they had enough money to send him to become a wizard at the Hosttower of the Arcane in Luskan on his thirteenth birthday. The night of his birthday as he slept, he was troubled by a particularity potent nightmare, but nothing more.
The next morning, he said his goodbies to village as he sailed to Luskan with money in tow. The Hosttower of the Arcane was impressed with his talents and allowed him entry. He learned magic for the next 8 years as knowledge was pounded into him. While he was there, he took a liking to history. He joined a group of historian in the Hosttower. There, he learned of their specialized form of wizardry called the Order of the Scribe.
When he graduated from the Hosttower of the Arcane, he was visited by a strange hooded figure in one of the streets. The figure informed Melcore that it was an emissary of Orcus. After a bout of panic, Melcore's curiosity got the better of him. He decided to listen to what this hooded figure had to say. The figure said one word, “Remember.” Melcore's mind and body with searing pain as memories of his past lives returned to him in a rush. The murders, the atrocities that he had committed! It was almost too much to handle. Unconsciousness greeted him.
When he awoke, he decided that he had to leave Luskan so that he would not be a danger to people. He became a hermit and almost revoked magic all together, but he couldn't give that part of himself up. He limited his contact with people, only entering towns when necessary. After a year of isolation, he couldn't stand being alone for any longer after his memories began to haunt him, driving him slowly insane.
The following backstory correlates with the “Ashes of Ionra:”
Talon was born in the Stormwrath Mountains in the country of Amman itself. Due to the massive storm system centered on the mountain range that never seemed to end, the Ammanians tended to leave it alone. Near the end of the war, the Ammanians managed to develops a type of magic that allowed them to calm the supernatural storms. They invaded Talon's home, the village of Stormcrest. After subduing the city, they forced every able-bodied aarokocra to enlist in the fight against Torvis. At the age of 15, Talon was forced away from his life as an acolyte of the Stormlord to become a soldier.
After 6 years of saving war against Torvis, war hardened Talon. Where he was happy and care-free, he now is battle-hardened and wary. While he was forced from being an acolyte, he still reverred the Stormlord. Countless times he almost died on the battlefield, but was miraculously saved from certain death. The others in his troupe didn't know it, but he had gained the favor of the Stormlord through his devotion and acts of heroism.
After the Convention of Tears, Talon was released from the army as part of the treaty that was signed. Not quite knowing what to do, he hears of the pathway to Khaliad and decided to take it. He wanted to experience life on a new world away from wanton bloodshed.
Changeling Bard, College of Whispers
Zed was born as a human in the desert country of (Insert appropriate name). When he was three, a famine struck the land that lasted for nearly 5 years. When he was four, both of his parents died of starvation. They would feed Zed rather than eat themselves. A local gang of street kids took him in when they found him wandering around. They taught him how to steal to survive. He picked it up rather quickly and was soon helping them conduct their grand "heists" that often involved stealing food from vendors when their backs were turned. Zed had a talent for being sneaky and a knack for evading capture. During one of their heists, a member of a crime guild was how talented he was. Impressed by now much potential he had, he kidnapped Zed in the night and spirited him away to the crime guild's headquarters. There, he learned the more refined ways of stealing. He was taught how to target higher marks than food. The crime guild quickly became his new "family."
Years later when he was 18, the guild assigned him to be part of a mission to steal a large, pure diamond. He succeeded with great success. The guild leader was impressed. As Zed's reward, the leader gave him to the guild wizards for a set of magical 'enhancements.' Not knowing what was going on, Zed stayed confident that he would be fine and even better than before when the wizards were done with him. The wizards gently put him to sleep and then began their grisly work.
When he awoke, all he knew was pain. Endless torment greeted him as soon as he awoke. He was no longer human. He was a transparent mass of ooze and muscle. The pain shattered his psyche leaving him insane. One day, the wizards brought in a man who double-crossed the guild. The mages killed the man in front of what once was Zed. Zed felt the other man's spirit drift away, and he seized it. As soon as he did, the ooze transformed into a replica of that man. The pain disappeared when he assumed the dead man's form. He was a perfect replica, and fragments of that soul became locked away in Zed. He could draw upon memories of those he absorbed, making him able to become the perfect spy. The mages were pleased that their experiments worked. They brought in hundreds of others and killed them near him. Every time, he would absorb portions of those souls as they passed on and gained the ability to become them. The mages put mental shackles on Zed so he would do their bidding.
He soon was sent out on special missions as part of a team. His team would capture an important target, kill them near Zed, and Zed would become them. He would then infiltrate and complete the mission appointed to him. He couldn't resist due to magical compulsions. He became the guild's secret weapon.
Having hundreds upon hundreds of souls in one body was bound to have consequences. When he would absorb a soul, he would absorb their personality, their wants, their desires. Whenever he would shift into one of them, he would literally become them for a while, but he was trained to control their psyche. Having just a handful of souls was difficult, but thousands was too much. He would lose his true identity piece by piece when someone else was absorbed by him.
One on of his missions, he finally cracked under the pressure. All of those souls bottles inside of him shattered the magical bonds binding him. They all sought to control his body, their body, all at once. This happened while at a Noble's party at a mansion overlooking the ocean. He had taken the form of a noblewomen just hours before. His goal was to assassinate one of the nobles at the party. When he broke down, he went into a murderous frenzy and slayed several guards and nobles before finally throwing himself out a window and into the ocean hundreds of feet below. As he struck the ocean, Zed was lost in a whirlwind of tattered souls. Zed's persona was ripped into thousands of pieces and was lost. A new creature was born.
He awoke on a passenger boat setting sail towards land. A fisherman had dragged him out of the water late last night. What once was Zed was confused with a sense of being lost. Who was he? He was thousands of people all at once, yet he was no one. Which persona should be become? Who was the true him?
He arrive at the continent in a coastal town. Not knowing what to do, he shifted into a child beggar and lived in the streets. A few weeks later, a wandering bard of the name Sergei Willem passed through the area and took pity on him. The bard took the child in and taught him the ways of the bard. The child and his other fragments of people fell in love with music. Music soothed them and made them feel better.
In a different city on a cold night, Sergei was slain by a member of the crime guild in front of the child. The guild was seeking what was Zed to take him back. They saw the child with the bard, and recognized the child. They kill Sergei in front of him to test to see if the child was what once was called Zed. It absorbed and transformed into Sergei. It fled from the guild member and disappeared in the night.
Once out of sight, he transformed into a human man. This person he became was the form he often chose when he was frightened. This form was calm, courageous, and happy. He used this form as a lie to trick himself into calming down. The next morning, he knew he had to find allies or gain power. He knew a bit of magic from his other forms, and he knew he must grow that ability to protect himself. He found a flyer with information on getting a job. What interested him the most was where it said he could travel to a new land. He decided to apply so he could put some distance between him and his unknown hunters.
He tries to keep his abilities secret to avoid being noticed by agents of the guild. He has a feeling he wasn't always like this. While he now doesn't personally know the guild, he knows people are after him.What is now called Natton but once was Zed seeks companions to help protect him. But above all, he wants true friends. He wants to do find out what he is and why he is the way he is. Who is he?
((That's probably a bit confusing, but it's pretty much a magical and severe case of multiple personality disorder.))
Storm Sorcerer
Moskov Devont was born in the world of Mezzix. Mezzix rests on a magical leyline that connects the planes of the multiverse together. If it were to be conquered, it would provide almost unlimited access to any plans of existence. The Elemental Prince of Evil Air sought to conquer Mezzix for this very reason. Gathering his forces, he ripped a dimensional rift in the sky above one of the oceans of Mezzix. Through this gate, he would craft storms of unparalleled power and send them through to wreak havoc on Mezzix. He would send elemental creatures with the storms to conquer the land.
The inhabitants of Mezzix responded quickly to the threat. Harnessing the powerful magic of the leyline, they constructed magical barriers to shield the land from the assault. Because a massive planar gate to the Plane of Air was nearby, some people in the coastal cities began to manifest an affinity for air magic. These people formed and organized the Stormwardens, a military group dedicated to defending the barriers that protected the world.
Moskov was one such person. He joined the Stormwardens as soon as he could. He was one of the Stormwardens to be gifted the power of flight. As Mezzix slowly aligned itself with the elemental plane, air magic became more powerful. Moskov and others grew in power with it.
During one of the storms, Moskov's squad was patrolling the wall and scouting for threats. Flying through the massive hurricane full of lightning, hail, and rain, he spotted a colossal elemental monstrosity wading through the storm towards the barriers along the coast. A horde of elemental beings swarmed around it acting as bodyguards. A member of his squad races off to warn the Stormwardens while Moskov and the others engaged the threat. If it made it to the barrier, all hope was lost.
Their storm-empowered spells slew drives of creatures, but more took their place. His squad harassed the elementals as the elementals killed them one by one. By the time that the rest of the Stormwardens mobilized, it was too late. The colossal elemental shattered the barriers and destroyed itself in a monumental explosion that shook the foundations of the world.
Moskov was blasted into a hole in reality created by the explosion and arrived in Faerun, unconscious. When he awoke, he found himself in a strange and hostile world. His magic was incredibly weakened as he was far away from his source of magic, the leyline. Wounded, he staggered his way into the nearest town.
Now, on a new world, he must learn how to return to Mezzix. He must continue his fight against the elementals. He must.
Path of the Beast Barbarian
Ryzen was born and raised in the city of Baldur's Gate. His father was ship captain, and his mother owned a bakery in the city. His childhood was comfortable. His father wasn't home very often because of his job, but Ryzen and his mother had plenty of money to live on. Ryzen and his family were considered to be part of the city elite. They were often invited to parties and social gatherings by other elites.
However, wealth and came aren't always good. When Ryzen was 12, burglars broke into their fine house one night. The killed his father in his sleep and badly injured his mother before they made off with most of their possessions. With his father gone and mother to badly hurt to work, the quickly lost money and prestige. They eventually moved to a small house in the outskirts of the city.
Ryzen vowed that he would rid the city of crime the day his father died.
When he was old enough, he joined the police force and trained to be an investigator. After he graduated from the academy, he became a city investigator. His partner who was assigned to him was a beautiful woman called Clarra Debois. After a few years of working together, they fell in love and were married. They had a girl together they named Sarah.
Ryzen was happy with his life. At work, he would solve crime and catch criminals. At home, he had a wonderful family that was the joy of his life. They bought a house in the nicer part of town. It wasn't as nice as the house of his childhood, but he didn't care as lo my as his family was safe.
He eventually caught a high-ranking member of a prominent crime guild in the city. As retribution, the guild stormed the private school that Sarah attended and killed everyone inside. Ryzen was devastated as he watched his perfect world fall down around him. Clarra blamed Ryzen and went to her parents for a while. Ryzen continues work, but the numbness he felt made his work suffer. He has no ambition for it anymore. One night as he was in bed, he calmly decided he would kill who was responsible for the death of his child.
Clarra came back to him after a month. She was gaunt and a little crazy. Sarah's death drove her slightly insane. She told Ryzen that while she was at her parents', she met a group of people who took pity on her. They took her in an inducted her into their cult. There, she learned of a ritual that would satisfy her thirst for revenge. She needed Ryzen's help to complete it. Her desire for revenge was infectious, and he found himself agreeing.
Later that night, they began to perform an ancient and dark ritual. Ryzen was hesitant at first, but soon the ritual had enthralled them both. In an arcane circle drawn on the floor with both of their blood and illuminated by 9 candles, they shudders and prayed to ancient, dark entities in a foul language neither of them understood. Ryzen couldn't control his body, and he could only watch in horror at his and Clarra's actions.
At the climax of the ritual at the final stroke of midnight, a tear in reality opens between them and they can see into a nightmarish dimension full of abberant monstrosities. Two of these terrors slip into the room with them, and both Ryzen and Clarra open their mouths as these ghostly creatures fly down their gullets.
The creature from the crack in reality losses his body. He is a prisoner behind his own eyes as the alien presence begins transforming his body to its own liking. The savage intelligence of the creature commands his new body as bloodlust and the desire to kill overrides all other thoughts. What once where Ryzen and Clarra let loose twin bowls of rage as.the.bound off, homing in on the man who killed their child.
They both zero in on their target, the bestial instincts driving them onward. What was left of Ryzen's consciousness was locked away by the creature. Now, there was no Ryzen. There was only the creature.
They both find their target in a fine restaurant. He is a clerk of the city, but is also the leader of the crime guild. They both descend on him, crashing through the front windows and decimated him before he even knew what happened. Bloodlust unsatisfied, the animalistic horrors began slaughtering all they saw. City guards quickly responded, but they were no match against the pair of them. The city's mages were the ones who finally drove them out of the city after a long night of terror. The pair separated and went their own ways. What once was Ryzen travelled North, while what once was Clarra travelled East.
The thing that was once Ryzen became a predator of wild animals and beasts as it travelled North. It's intelligence was that of an animal. It took up residence in the Spine of the World mountain range and remained there for a year. One night while it was prowling, it was the lights of a town in the distance. It races towards it and closed in on the perimeter of the town. It was evening, and the small farming town of about 500 hundred souls were celebrating an annual festival. The creature stayed hidden in the tree line, waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. A little girl of about 6 years old wandered away from her family and begins frolicking in a flowered meadow near where the creature was waiting. It was about to pounce when suddenly, a distorted memory rose in its mind. It was the memory of a similar child names Sarah. The creature froze in place, trying to comprehend what it was seeing. The mother of the girl came over and dragged the child away, but the creature still stood there pondering. That night, a spark of sentience was awoken in its mind.
Over the next few months, the creature began to grow in intelligence and comprehension. It developed its own personality separate from Ryzen's, who was still locked away. The creature would approach the town and watch the citizens interact and live. It wanted to interact with these people and learn their ways. One night while contemplating how it could do this, it remembered that this body wasn't always its own. Its desire to learn eventually caused it to release its hold on its body and allow the other entity to take control.
Ryzen awoke in his normal body on a mountain one night with no idea who he was. He had no idea where he was or who he was. While he was trying to understand what was happening, the creature who once controlled him (who named itself Gerizron) spoke in his mind. It explained that they were sharing bodies for some reason (It has no idea why as it just recently gained to ability to think.) It also said that it wanted to learn how to be like people. It said it was sorry for controlling Ryzen.
Ryzen agreed to teach it, but warned that he had no memories. That morning, he awoke to the sounds of a pickaxe striking stone. Curious to what the noise was, he followed it until he found Gundren Rockseeker and a crew of miners seeking out new spots for mines. Seeing Ryzen's state after a conversation, Gundren decided to take him under his wing.
Ryzen spent the next year working for Gundren. Gundred taught him what he needed to to know to become part of society, and Ryzen taught Verizon in turn. When Gundred said he needed people to move a caravan, Ryzen volunteered to help pay back the debt he owes Gundred. Maybe while he is working, something might spark some of his memories.
((That got really long and really dark really fast. Sorry if it is too long))
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Hello there! I like homebrewing plots and characters. I made this thread as inspiration for anyone who wants it. These are some examples I’ve thought of over the last bit. I’m most likely going to make a bunch of smaller examples later in addition to much larger ones. I’m currently working on a homebrew setting that I’ll put on here eventually
Homebrew Settings/Potential Adventure Hooks
The Horndeep Festival
Nestled in the Spine of the World mountain range just a week's travel from Luskan is the small, rural town of Horndeep. While it grows too cold during winter to have a good crop season, the gently rolling hills, open fields, and alpine streams make it great for raising cattle. The only excitement that happens is during calving season. Not much goes on. Horndeep is a peaceful, happy farming community somewhat removed from the world.
That all changed 10 years ago.
The mayor of Horndeep decided that she wanted to open up a mine to see if they could reap some rewards from the earth. To her great satisfaction, the first quarry that they opened proved to be plentiful copper mine. A few months after mining copper from the mountains and exporting it, they came across a strange metal deep in the mine. After baffling the locals, the mayor called in an expert to see what this metal was. A few weeks later, a dwarven miner needed their call and stopped by to see what it was. Much to everyone's surprise, it turned out to be adamantine. Rushing the mine, the dwarf found the spot where they found it and started frantically mine the stone. After a few minutes, another nugget was found. And another. And another. They had just stumbled upon the largest adamantine mine known to man.
But that was 10 years ago. A LOT has changed. As news of the mine spread, prospectors from all over began pouring into Horndeep in hopes of getting some adamantine. In a few short months, Horndeep expanded exponentially.
Now, walking from one end of Horndeep to the other will take almost 5 hours if you ignore all of the wonders and splendor the Horndeep has to offer. Shops of every kind line the sprawling streets. Whole residential districts swarm with people all shapes and sizes.
Last year, in honor of the metal that made Horndeep famous, the mayor decided to hold an annual festival that involved a competition. The winners would leave with a chunk of adamantine to be crafted into what they wanted as well as a monetary prize.
Now, the festival has come around again. People flock to Horndeep in hopes of winning. Vendors crowd the streets. Colorful people from far lands visit. Tourists come to marvel at the adamantine that is flaunted so brazenly.
You have come to Horndeep in hopes of winning the prize. After putting your name in for a chance to participate, you can't believe your luck as your name is announced as a participant. You are ushered to The Gem in the Deep, the largest inn of all Horndeep. You are put in a suite where you will meet your team members.
The High Arcana Academy
Nestled in a mountain range a day's travel on horse from the famed Baldur's Gate lies the High Arcana Academy. It is a somewhat reclusive, upper-crust school for the training of the next generation of mages in Faerun. Built into the mountain, its marbled campus takes almost an hour to walk from top to bottom. There is a section dedicated to each discipline of arcane practice: the Abjuration Wing, Evocation Wing, Necromancy Wing, etc. The Academy even trains a small contingent of Eldritch Knights.
Its fabled halls and libraries have made it known for miles around. Founded by Archimedes, it has stood against time for nearly 2 centuries. It is very respected until recently. 3 months ago, several bodies were discovered. They were found in ritualistic positions, like they were sacrificed to fuel an enchantment. The news quickly spread and drew the attention of the Council, a group of some of the most powerful mages on the planet. Their watchful eye has been over the Academy since. Several investigations have been launched, but they have discovered nothing.
Realm of Nightmares
At the inception of the multiverse, the gods of gods deemed that since there was a beginning, there must be an end. The end was inevitable. Dendar, the Night Serpent was deemed to be the end of existence. Locked away until the end approached, Dendar was imprisoned in the Realm of Nightmares. Every time a creature experienced fear, the bindings restraining the primordial serpent were loosened, and the End drew closer.
11 years ago, Dendar broke free of its confinement and plunged the Multiverse into darkness. Several planes of existence have already been completely and utterly annihilated, and several major deities were devoured by Dendar. The forces of the Multiverse now band together to fight off the unending hordes of the Destroyer of All. Angels and demons fight side by side, desperate to save existence. All those who wish to have the right to exist put aside their differences and work together. All the while, Dendar's laugh echoes through eternity.
Recently, Dendar succeeded in destroying the plane of Mount Celestia, now having a total of 7 destroyed planes of existence. With the power she gained, she let loose a roar that shook the planar firmaments. This roar caused some of the planar boundaries to buckle and weaken. Parts of the weakened planes broke off and were absorbed by the ever-growing Realm of Nightmares. You happened to be on one of those portions. After the mind-breaking experince, you find yourself in a very new environment. You appear to be in a pine forest. A faint mist fills the gaps between the trees. The sky is draped by the veil of night. Faint stars dot the sky, but they are dim compared to the moon. The moon looks very similar to a gigantic, crimson serpent eye that lights everything with a faint red glow. You are not alone. Others appear to be with you. Besides them, an occasional distant scream and roar fill the silent night air.
Ashes of Ionra
War. That is what the world of Ionra has only known for the past two centuries. What started as a trade dispute between two countries escalated into a war that engulfed the globe. Other countries were inevitability drawn into the conflict as they took sides. Those that remained neutral were invaded and conquered by the opposing sides. Other countries room advantage of the situation and expanded their borders. Once, the verdant continents of Ionra were filled with life. Now, smoking ruins and ravaged landscapes smoulder in their place. Nearly two-thirds of the planet is now scorched with arcane power and littered with the broken bodies and weapons of fallen soldiers. The planet was dying, and both sides realized the folly of the war. Putting aside their rivalry (sort-of), they ended the war and began to try to discover a way to reverse the damage they have dealt. Together, they constructed a gateway to Ionra's moon, Khaliad.
Khaliad is the same size as Ionra and is packed with life. The gateway formed in the lush and vibrant jungles near the equator. Near the coast, life of all kinds flourish in the steamy environment. Pleased at their success, the rulers of Ionra sent a small group of people through the gate with supplies to build an outpost. They built their outpost and explored the surrounding land. Three months later when the planetary hates aligned, the arcane gateway opened once again and brought back the explorers. With them, they brought news of a planet full of life and plenty of room to move people of Ionra to Khaliad. Within a year, the small outpost of of Kigiis on Khaliad grew into a large village as more and more people came through the gate every three months. Parts of the surrounding jungle was cleared away to make room for the expanding town when they first met the inhabitants of Khaliad, the lizardfolk. Primitive and simple, their tribes were pushed of their land by superior magic and weaponry. Tensions have been high since.
The rulers back on Ionra are seeking brave souls who are willing to scout out the alien and beautiful world of Khaliad. You have volunteered for your reasons, whether it be the gold, a chance for a new life, or whatever you may. With a flash of white flames, a column of arcane power blazes through the space between the new worlds as you make your way to Khaliad. You arrive on a new world with a slight sense of disorientation as you take in your new surroundings. Fresh, muggy air fills your nostrils; a strange sensation after the smoky haze of Ionra. Around the arcane sigils of the gate about you, the town of Kigiis greets you. The sounds of the nearby ocean mingle with the sounds of hammers and sawing as the town slowly expands around you. People bustle through the unpaved streets, heading to do their various tasks around the industrious, town-in-progress. Away from the ocean, a thick jungle dominates the landscape with mountains obstructing the horizon. With contract in your hand, welcome to the jungle.
Klollavion, the Last Bastion
1,716 years ago, the world of Toril was ravaged by an unknown entity from the Far Realm, who was Dremmenariviranemmerd, the Devourer. Its mere presence tore asunder the very fabric of reality, opening rifts to other alien dimensions. These gateways of insanity bled eldritch power that corrupted all it touched. The world warped under its baleful influence, becoming landscapes of horror and insanity that defied all natural laws. Any creature that was touched by its malevolent tendrils of power became as corrupt and twisted as the land about them. These mutated monstrosities sought out those who remained pure and slaughtered them in the name of their Elder God.
In an event that would become known as the Last Stand, the races and nations of Toril united to fought back against Dremmenariviranemmerd and its supernatural power. Despite their best efforts, Dremmenariviranemmerd consumed land after land in its unstoppable assault. Soon, only a few thousand people of various races remained as they watched their homes become consumed by otherworldly forces. Desperately, the last remaining mages sacrificed themselves and crafted an arcane portal that allowed the few survivors to escape their doomed world.
They appeared on a different world surrounding a massive pillar of stone with arcane runes and sigils carved into it standing atop a cliff overlooking an abandoned city near an ocean. This city, which would become known as Yiszix, was constructed from white marble and was completely void of life. The city appeared to be ancient and crumbling under the weight of ages. Exploration of the city revealed no clues of those who built it. They also discovered that the city was surrounded by a ring of natural stone pillars that rose about ten feet in the air. The three main roads leading away from the city had the same stone pillars on either side of them. Mages who studied the pillars discovered that the pillars emanated a powerful aura of abjuration magic.
The survivors of Toril settled down in the city for the most part. A few adventurous souls traveled along the roads to see where they led. They returned with news of other settlements along the road and they were also surrounded by stones. People who went outside the stones felt unsettled, almost as if something were watching them.
After a few weeks later, a flash of light emanating from the huge monolith announced the arrival of another group of people. It seems as if the stone was a beacon for travel, which begs the question: why is it there?
This would most likely be the best for a mystery/intrigue with a focus on exploration and pinch of eldritch horror.
Character backstory examples:
Order of Scribes Wizard
1,264 years ago, an elven necromancer known as Aestrinomarovix the Undying ruled over the land with an iron fist. Any who opposed him would join his ever-growing legion of undead minions. Through his dedication to the necromatic arts, he drew the attention of Orcus, Demon Lord of the Undead. Orcus shared with him the secrets of becoming a lich.
Aestrinomarovix spent the next few years gathering supplies and preparing to finally overcome death by transforming himself into a lich. On the night that the ritual was to take place, a group of adventurers stormed his citadel. Unconcerned about their presence, the necromancer commenced with the ritual. As it approached the pinnacle with immortality within his grasp, the adventurers burst into his inner sanctum after defeated his defences. Desperate, they managed to damage his phylactery the exact same moment the ritual was completed. Aestrinomarovix was defeated, his body annihilated and spirit scattered. The whole land celebrated the death of the tyrant.
A few miles away, a child was born at the same time. Aestrinomarovix's spirit, albeit damaged, managed to latch on to that child and pushed out the infant's soul and replaced it with his own. When he crossed into the child, he lost all of his memories. The child grew up normally until he reached the age of 13. On the night of his birthday, Aestrinomarovix's soul rekindled his memories and regained his power. He came back in full force and tried to take control of the land again, but was once again killed and defeat. Since his ritual was technically perfect during his first life, his soul would find a suitable container like it would with a normal lich when it died. Since he didn't have his phylactery, his soul would find the best best thing: an infant. This cycle would continue on and on, earning him the moniker of The Undying.
However, every time he would die, parts of his soul would be destroyed. He would return with less power and memories with every reincarnation.
Coming to the modern time, Melcore Burrell was born in a small fishing village a few hours travel from Luskan. This fishing village was very tightly-knit. The little inlet that the village was built in was surrounded by jagged rocks and rough waters that made it impossible for large fishing boats to come through. However, small fishing boats were perfect for fishing the bountiful bays. They would go out every morning and catch fish for hours before they would sail their catches to Luskan to sell in the market.
Melcore was a bright child. He could start talking by age 1 and could read by the time he was two and a half. His problem solving skills were impressive and his keen mind amazed the little village. Deciding that being a lowly fisherman was wasting his talents, the village saved their income for almost a year until they had enough money to send him to become a wizard at the Hosttower of the Arcane in Luskan on his thirteenth birthday. The night of his birthday as he slept, he was troubled by a particularity potent nightmare, but nothing more.
The next morning, he said his goodbies to village as he sailed to Luskan with money in tow. The Hosttower of the Arcane was impressed with his talents and allowed him entry. He learned magic for the next 8 years as knowledge was pounded into him. While he was there, he took a liking to history. He joined a group of historian in the Hosttower. There, he learned of their specialized form of wizardry called the Order of the Scribe.
When he graduated from the Hosttower of the Arcane, he was visited by a strange hooded figure in one of the streets. The figure informed Melcore that it was an emissary of Orcus. After a bout of panic, Melcore's curiosity got the better of him. He decided to listen to what this hooded figure had to say. The figure said one word, “Remember.” Melcore's mind and body with searing pain as memories of his past lives returned to him in a rush. The murders, the atrocities that he had committed! It was almost too much to handle. Unconsciousness greeted him.
When he awoke, he decided that he had to leave Luskan so that he would not be a danger to people. He became a hermit and almost revoked magic all together, but he couldn't give that part of himself up. He limited his contact with people, only entering towns when necessary. After a year of isolation, he couldn't stand being alone for any longer after his memories began to haunt him, driving him slowly insane.
The following backstory correlates with the “Ashes of Ionra:”
Talon was born in the Stormwrath Mountains in the country of Amman itself. Due to the massive storm system centered on the mountain range that never seemed to end, the Ammanians tended to leave it alone. Near the end of the war, the Ammanians managed to develops a type of magic that allowed them to calm the supernatural storms. They invaded Talon's home, the village of Stormcrest. After subduing the city, they forced every able-bodied aarokocra to enlist in the fight against Torvis. At the age of 15, Talon was forced away from his life as an acolyte of the Stormlord to become a soldier.
After 6 years of saving war against Torvis, war hardened Talon. Where he was happy and care-free, he now is battle-hardened and wary. While he was forced from being an acolyte, he still reverred the Stormlord. Countless times he almost died on the battlefield, but was miraculously saved from certain death. The others in his troupe didn't know it, but he had gained the favor of the Stormlord through his devotion and acts of heroism.
After the Convention of Tears, Talon was released from the army as part of the treaty that was signed. Not quite knowing what to do, he hears of the pathway to Khaliad and decided to take it. He wanted to experience life on a new world away from wanton bloodshed.
Changeling Bard, College of Whispers
Zed was born as a human in the desert country of (Insert appropriate name). When he was three, a famine struck the land that lasted for nearly 5 years. When he was four, both of his parents died of starvation. They would feed Zed rather than eat themselves. A local gang of street kids took him in when they found him wandering around. They taught him how to steal to survive. He picked it up rather quickly and was soon helping them conduct their grand "heists" that often involved stealing food from vendors when their backs were turned. Zed had a talent for being sneaky and a knack for evading capture. During one of their heists, a member of a crime guild was how talented he was. Impressed by now much potential he had, he kidnapped Zed in the night and spirited him away to the crime guild's headquarters. There, he learned the more refined ways of stealing. He was taught how to target higher marks than food. The crime guild quickly became his new "family."
Years later when he was 18, the guild assigned him to be part of a mission to steal a large, pure diamond. He succeeded with great success. The guild leader was impressed. As Zed's reward, the leader gave him to the guild wizards for a set of magical 'enhancements.' Not knowing what was going on, Zed stayed confident that he would be fine and even better than before when the wizards were done with him. The wizards gently put him to sleep and then began their grisly work.
When he awoke, all he knew was pain. Endless torment greeted him as soon as he awoke. He was no longer human. He was a transparent mass of ooze and muscle. The pain shattered his psyche leaving him insane. One day, the wizards brought in a man who double-crossed the guild. The mages killed the man in front of what once was Zed. Zed felt the other man's spirit drift away, and he seized it. As soon as he did, the ooze transformed into a replica of that man. The pain disappeared when he assumed the dead man's form. He was a perfect replica, and fragments of that soul became locked away in Zed. He could draw upon memories of those he absorbed, making him able to become the perfect spy. The mages were pleased that their experiments worked. They brought in hundreds of others and killed them near him. Every time, he would absorb portions of those souls as they passed on and gained the ability to become them. The mages put mental shackles on Zed so he would do their bidding.
He soon was sent out on special missions as part of a team. His team would capture an important target, kill them near Zed, and Zed would become them. He would then infiltrate and complete the mission appointed to him. He couldn't resist due to magical compulsions. He became the guild's secret weapon.
Having hundreds upon hundreds of souls in one body was bound to have consequences. When he would absorb a soul, he would absorb their personality, their wants, their desires. Whenever he would shift into one of them, he would literally become them for a while, but he was trained to control their psyche. Having just a handful of souls was difficult, but thousands was too much. He would lose his true identity piece by piece when someone else was absorbed by him.
One on of his missions, he finally cracked under the pressure. All of those souls bottles inside of him shattered the magical bonds binding him. They all sought to control his body, their body, all at once. This happened while at a Noble's party at a mansion overlooking the ocean. He had taken the form of a noblewomen just hours before. His goal was to assassinate one of the nobles at the party. When he broke down, he went into a murderous frenzy and slayed several guards and nobles before finally throwing himself out a window and into the ocean hundreds of feet below. As he struck the ocean, Zed was lost in a whirlwind of tattered souls. Zed's persona was ripped into thousands of pieces and was lost. A new creature was born.
He awoke on a passenger boat setting sail towards land. A fisherman had dragged him out of the water late last night. What once was Zed was confused with a sense of being lost. Who was he? He was thousands of people all at once, yet he was no one. Which persona should be become? Who was the true him?
He arrive at the continent in a coastal town. Not knowing what to do, he shifted into a child beggar and lived in the streets. A few weeks later, a wandering bard of the name Sergei Willem passed through the area and took pity on him. The bard took the child in and taught him the ways of the bard. The child and his other fragments of people fell in love with music. Music soothed them and made them feel better.
In a different city on a cold night, Sergei was slain by a member of the crime guild in front of the child. The guild was seeking what was Zed to take him back. They saw the child with the bard, and recognized the child. They kill Sergei in front of him to test to see if the child was what once was called Zed. It absorbed and transformed into Sergei. It fled from the guild member and disappeared in the night.
Once out of sight, he transformed into a human man. This person he became was the form he often chose when he was frightened. This form was calm, courageous, and happy. He used this form as a lie to trick himself into calming down. The next morning, he knew he had to find allies or gain power. He knew a bit of magic from his other forms, and he knew he must grow that ability to protect himself. He found a flyer with information on getting a job. What interested him the most was where it said he could travel to a new land. He decided to apply so he could put some distance between him and his unknown hunters.
He tries to keep his abilities secret to avoid being noticed by agents of the guild. He has a feeling he wasn't always like this. While he now doesn't personally know the guild, he knows people are after him.What is now called Natton but once was Zed seeks companions to help protect him. But above all, he wants true friends. He wants to do find out what he is and why he is the way he is. Who is he?
((That's probably a bit confusing, but it's pretty much a magical and severe case of multiple personality disorder.))
Storm Sorcerer
Moskov Devont was born in the world of Mezzix. Mezzix rests on a magical leyline that connects the planes of the multiverse together. If it were to be conquered, it would provide almost unlimited access to any plans of existence. The Elemental Prince of Evil Air sought to conquer Mezzix for this very reason. Gathering his forces, he ripped a dimensional rift in the sky above one of the oceans of Mezzix. Through this gate, he would craft storms of unparalleled power and send them through to wreak havoc on Mezzix. He would send elemental creatures with the storms to conquer the land.
The inhabitants of Mezzix responded quickly to the threat. Harnessing the powerful magic of the leyline, they constructed magical barriers to shield the land from the assault. Because a massive planar gate to the Plane of Air was nearby, some people in the coastal cities began to manifest an affinity for air magic. These people formed and organized the Stormwardens, a military group dedicated to defending the barriers that protected the world.
Moskov was one such person. He joined the Stormwardens as soon as he could. He was one of the Stormwardens to be gifted the power of flight. As Mezzix slowly aligned itself with the elemental plane, air magic became more powerful. Moskov and others grew in power with it.
During one of the storms, Moskov's squad was patrolling the wall and scouting for threats. Flying through the massive hurricane full of lightning, hail, and rain, he spotted a colossal elemental monstrosity wading through the storm towards the barriers along the coast. A horde of elemental beings swarmed around it acting as bodyguards. A member of his squad races off to warn the Stormwardens while Moskov and the others engaged the threat. If it made it to the barrier, all hope was lost.
Their storm-empowered spells slew drives of creatures, but more took their place. His squad harassed the elementals as the elementals killed them one by one. By the time that the rest of the Stormwardens mobilized, it was too late. The colossal elemental shattered the barriers and destroyed itself in a monumental explosion that shook the foundations of the world.
Moskov was blasted into a hole in reality created by the explosion and arrived in Faerun, unconscious. When he awoke, he found himself in a strange and hostile world. His magic was incredibly weakened as he was far away from his source of magic, the leyline. Wounded, he staggered his way into the nearest town.
Now, on a new world, he must learn how to return to Mezzix. He must continue his fight against the elementals. He must.
Path of the Beast Barbarian
Ryzen was born and raised in the city of Baldur's Gate. His father was ship captain, and his mother owned a bakery in the city. His childhood was comfortable. His father wasn't home very often because of his job, but Ryzen and his mother had plenty of money to live on. Ryzen and his family were considered to be part of the city elite. They were often invited to parties and social gatherings by other elites.
However, wealth and came aren't always good. When Ryzen was 12, burglars broke into their fine house one night. The killed his father in his sleep and badly injured his mother before they made off with most of their possessions. With his father gone and mother to badly hurt to work, the quickly lost money and prestige. They eventually moved to a small house in the outskirts of the city.
Ryzen vowed that he would rid the city of crime the day his father died.
When he was old enough, he joined the police force and trained to be an investigator. After he graduated from the academy, he became a city investigator. His partner who was assigned to him was a beautiful woman called Clarra Debois. After a few years of working together, they fell in love and were married. They had a girl together they named Sarah.
Ryzen was happy with his life. At work, he would solve crime and catch criminals. At home, he had a wonderful family that was the joy of his life. They bought a house in the nicer part of town. It wasn't as nice as the house of his childhood, but he didn't care as lo my as his family was safe.
He eventually caught a high-ranking member of a prominent crime guild in the city. As retribution, the guild stormed the private school that Sarah attended and killed everyone inside. Ryzen was devastated as he watched his perfect world fall down around him. Clarra blamed Ryzen and went to her parents for a while. Ryzen continues work, but the numbness he felt made his work suffer. He has no ambition for it anymore. One night as he was in bed, he calmly decided he would kill who was responsible for the death of his child.
Clarra came back to him after a month. She was gaunt and a little crazy. Sarah's death drove her slightly insane. She told Ryzen that while she was at her parents', she met a group of people who took pity on her. They took her in an inducted her into their cult. There, she learned of a ritual that would satisfy her thirst for revenge. She needed Ryzen's help to complete it. Her desire for revenge was infectious, and he found himself agreeing.
Later that night, they began to perform an ancient and dark ritual. Ryzen was hesitant at first, but soon the ritual had enthralled them both. In an arcane circle drawn on the floor with both of their blood and illuminated by 9 candles, they shudders and prayed to ancient, dark entities in a foul language neither of them understood. Ryzen couldn't control his body, and he could only watch in horror at his and Clarra's actions.
At the climax of the ritual at the final stroke of midnight, a tear in reality opens between them and they can see into a nightmarish dimension full of abberant monstrosities. Two of these terrors slip into the room with them, and both Ryzen and Clarra open their mouths as these ghostly creatures fly down their gullets.
The creature from the crack in reality losses his body. He is a prisoner behind his own eyes as the alien presence begins transforming his body to its own liking. The savage intelligence of the creature commands his new body as bloodlust and the desire to kill overrides all other thoughts. What once where Ryzen and Clarra let loose twin bowls of rage as.the.bound off, homing in on the man who killed their child.
They both zero in on their target, the bestial instincts driving them onward. What was left of Ryzen's consciousness was locked away by the creature. Now, there was no Ryzen. There was only the creature.
They both find their target in a fine restaurant. He is a clerk of the city, but is also the leader of the crime guild. They both descend on him, crashing through the front windows and decimated him before he even knew what happened. Bloodlust unsatisfied, the animalistic horrors began slaughtering all they saw. City guards quickly responded, but they were no match against the pair of them. The city's mages were the ones who finally drove them out of the city after a long night of terror. The pair separated and went their own ways. What once was Ryzen travelled North, while what once was Clarra travelled East.
The thing that was once Ryzen became a predator of wild animals and beasts as it travelled North. It's intelligence was that of an animal. It took up residence in the Spine of the World mountain range and remained there for a year. One night while it was prowling, it was the lights of a town in the distance. It races towards it and closed in on the perimeter of the town. It was evening, and the small farming town of about 500 hundred souls were celebrating an annual festival. The creature stayed hidden in the tree line, waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. A little girl of about 6 years old wandered away from her family and begins frolicking in a flowered meadow near where the creature was waiting. It was about to pounce when suddenly, a distorted memory rose in its mind. It was the memory of a similar child names Sarah. The creature froze in place, trying to comprehend what it was seeing. The mother of the girl came over and dragged the child away, but the creature still stood there pondering. That night, a spark of sentience was awoken in its mind.
Over the next few months, the creature began to grow in intelligence and comprehension. It developed its own personality separate from Ryzen's, who was still locked away. The creature would approach the town and watch the citizens interact and live. It wanted to interact with these people and learn their ways. One night while contemplating how it could do this, it remembered that this body wasn't always its own. Its desire to learn eventually caused it to release its hold on its body and allow the other entity to take control.
Ryzen awoke in his normal body on a mountain one night with no idea who he was. He had no idea where he was or who he was. While he was trying to understand what was happening, the creature who once controlled him (who named itself Gerizron) spoke in his mind. It explained that they were sharing bodies for some reason (It has no idea why as it just recently gained to ability to think.) It also said that it wanted to learn how to be like people. It said it was sorry for controlling Ryzen.
Ryzen agreed to teach it, but warned that he had no memories. That morning, he awoke to the sounds of a pickaxe striking stone. Curious to what the noise was, he followed it until he found Gundren Rockseeker and a crew of miners seeking out new spots for mines. Seeing Ryzen's state after a conversation, Gundren decided to take him under his wing.
Ryzen spent the next year working for Gundren. Gundred taught him what he needed to to know to become part of society, and Ryzen taught Verizon in turn. When Gundred said he needed people to move a caravan, Ryzen volunteered to help pay back the debt he owes Gundred. Maybe while he is working, something might spark some of his memories.
((That got really long and really dark really fast. Sorry if it is too long))