Background:  Custom - Faction Agent / Far Traveler

Backstory:  Carina is torn between following in the footsteps of a legendary bard - her famous half-elven aunt Lyra Ravenscale - or bucking the inevitable comparisons. Just as charming, but less flighty than her aunt, perhaps due to her dwarven father, Carina had always held an uneasy admiration for Lyra, the accomplished diplomat, faction agent (and warlock and spy). As her protege, Carina has also never been able to discern whether she is her aunt's favorite or somehow just the opposite. One day, just over a year ago, Lyra passed to Carina her prized harmonica with an enigmatic smile. A strange, dull black instrument. The source of Lyra's and now Carina's pact magic. It stains Carina's lips like dark lipstick, just as it had for Lyra, and she senses something... shadowy about it. As Lyra had walked away, Carina could have sworn she heard her aunt murmuring "free at last." Carina understands somewhere deep down that she has made a... pact she had not been fully aware of making. With a dark Raven Queen, chaotic life-stealing demigod of Shadowfell.

Now Carina's (and Lyra's) clandestine faction, are sending her to the Greying Wildlands, far to the icebound north to investigate the unexplained death of a dwarven explorer, Urgon Wenth. To gather information. "Eyes and ears open. Bring back information on what you discover... and on your companions during the quest." The exact details on what and why are still unclear to Carina, though it is not the first time during her young career that she has received vague orders, short on specifics. The stoic half of her nature from her dwarven father takes over in these moments and tells her to steady on. She takes out her harmonica and begins playing a folk song he had hummed during her childhood. She would not fail...

During a routine check on their traps, members of an elven conclave found a baby girl on the frozen ground next to the path they were following. By all accounts, the naked babe should have been frozen to death and it was even covered in a very thin layer of ice, but it was regarding them with solemn eyes, almost as if judging them. The group, that was accompanied by a dwarf named Urgon Wenth, took in the child and returned with it to Uthodurn, where they learned that daos occasionally discard unwanted children, especially from lesser unions. The elves took in the baby girl and raised her as their own, deciding to call her Taiga, an ancient word describing the environment where they found her. The dwarf Urgon checked on her every now and then when he was in town and sometimes brought her little presents from his explorations.

Taiga was trained by the elves in marksmanship and as an agile fighter, while the dwarfs in Uthodurn taught her the benefits of heavy armor and steadfast close quarters fighting. While not particular bright or wise and growing shorter than even the dwarfs around her, Taiga was as strong as any dwarf and as agile as most elves. She was an orderly girl and always followed every instruction that was given to her to the letter, never complaining. She was particularly interested in forms and colors of the natural world and in art, especially the very structured ones like ice crystals or flower petals. At some point during her teenage years, she begun visiting a local calligrapher, who also offered tattoos, which intrigued Taiga. She started helping out in his shop and before too long was proficient herself and designed tattoos based on natural elements she observed around her frozen home. Urgon frequented her and admired her craft and skill and, one day, regaled her a beautiful set of calligrapher’s tools with an inscription that read, ‘The pen beats the sword if in a wise woman’s hand’.

Taiga didn’t receive well the news of Urgon’s demise and couldn’t even bring herself to visit the body before the official service. When the day arrived she steeled herself and, knowing that she owes this to him, pays her respect at Urgon’s funeral.

Background: Folk Hero

Backstory: Elbert is reasonably well known around Palebank Village. As an accomplished hunter, people look to him to keep them fed during lean times. To most people he appears very comfortable trekking through the wilds in search of game, but secretly he hates the cold and would much rather spend his time in a warm tavern sipping spiced elven wine. In order to afford such luxuries, he hunts, and does it quite well. 

As a casual acquaintance of Dwarven explorer Urgon Wenth, Elbert was shocked to hear of his death upon return to the village and he feels it only proper that he attend the funeral.

Brix was born in the (insert semi wild somewhat untamed frontier). His father was a member of the brewers guild and his family made an adequate living selling a distillation of of various plants and herbs to the taverns and Inns that dotted the nearby trade routes. The warming effect of their elixir was a particular favorite of the people in living in colder regions.  Brixs mother was an apothecary and well skilled in her own right. Brix grew up helping with the family business. Under his parents tutelage he learned to select plants and minerals and then extract their beneficial properties. The brewers guild bestowed the honor of youngest new member upon him offering him all the perks and advantages of membership.. Through his consistent and intense study of the chemical and physical properties of the ingredients he would gather he began to see other connections as well. The weave of magic that surrounds all things began to reveal itself to him. As his skills and knowledge grew he found that he was able to imbue some of his concoctions with magical flavor.

As he grew both in age and skill, the task of accompanying shipments fell to him. It is to this end that he has traveled (insert starting town name here) with a crate of his families famous Philbin Fire Water. We find him in (local tavern) ....