What I find most frustrating about 4E is that I can see it includes the D&D game I've always wanted to play, but the game is so lathered in tatical combat rules that I have thus far been unable to coax the game I want out.
1. Zan-Kyri grew up in a fantastic floating city where genasi live. There were mainly Water and Wind genasi with an occasional Fire and Earth genasi. The upbringing was normal in an unstable society. One day his parents decided to go back to the Elemental Chaos. Zan-Kyri was now old enough to take care of himself and decided to stay in the Genasi City. He remembers the smile of his mother with a tear over her cheek as they said farewell as well as his father’s silver eyes. 2. As a young child a strange Eladrin, follower of Correlon, came to the floating city and blessed Zan-Kyri. He stayed a while and introduced the arcane world to him and guiding him on his first few steps as a scholar. Zan-Kyri studied the ancient magic, the elemental chaos, the war between the primordials and the gods. Eventually he started organizing lectures to get an income. He was a good public speaker since day one. 3. Several Years after his parents went back “home” the Eladrin took him into the wide world. They traveled far and wide meeting many different kinds of people and races. One day a group of orcs ambushed them. Berrian died protecting Zan-Kyri as the orcs attacked them. Their magic killed several orcs and made the rest flee, but too late for Berrian. Zan-Kyri grieved for days and he suddenly heard a voice in his head. He thought insanity had come to him, but it was Correlon. The conversed and Correlon imbedded a spark of his divinity within the proud air Genasi. Zan-Kyri took the wrathfull covenant and vowed that he would aid this god in his struggle against Gruumsh and his offspring whenever called upon. Still he wanted to honor his mentor’s teachings and not blindly go on a rampage. 4. He traveled from city to city over the years. Still he never stayed too long in any given city, because his god called upon him frequently during those days. Zan-Kyri became quickly proficient with his divine prowess through practical experience with them. 5. Now months have passed with nothing happening. Zan-Kyri has spent that time living in Melvaunt as advisor to anyone who comes to him. Several houses have requested his advice as well as the lower aspect of society. He loves going to the local tavern and hear the bard tell tales to the young children. Awaiting the day his god calls upon him again.
1. Be recognized by other genasi for his strength and accomplishments 2. Be true to Correlon and become his exarch
Describe at least 3 people that are connected to him through eitherromance, blood etcShow
1. Old Eladrin man called, Berrian, was a mentor to him 2. His father Ki-Amar and mother Mara-Kai. 3. Various nobles in Melvaunt. It is a purely professional and distant connection.
Descibe at least 2 secrets. 1 that the player knows, what he doesn’t knowShow
and 1 the DM adds. 1. Zan-Kyri was an immortal and the Eladrin that blessed him initiated him back in his old path. Now the air genasi will slowly unravel his ancient nature in this reincarnation 2. [DM]Worked into for the Sons of Gruumsh adventure 3. [DM]One day he’ll meet a female Eladrin Sorceress who comes from the Feywild. Her town being attacked by Fomorians. He will have to help her as per Corelon’s divine task.
Noh is an exceedingly strange eladrin, physically distinguished by his wide, bright green eyes. The rest of his face stays hidden behind a plain, wooden mask.
Noh possesses a very erratic personality: sometimes he will seem a quirky, harmless clown, bursting with silly non-sequiturs and an overwhelming curiosity; at other times, he remains quiet and speaks only in dry, analytical terms.
These moods, in fact, mask a cold and calculating persona, devoid of emotion or sentiment.
The son of murdered eladrin adventurers, Noh was orphaned in a human city at the age of ten. A criminal overlord, Face, took him in and molded him into the perfect tool: unattached and efficient.
After ten years in Face's employ, Noh came across a visiting eladrin delegation and in that instant, felt a connection to something else, something greater than petty crime. Curious about his roots, and covetous of a higher calling, Noh left his boss’s employ and the city as a whole.
Noh now wanders as a blade-and-key, offering his services in theft, murder, and espionage to the highest bidder.
On that note, Noh doesn't have any particular morals of his own--never learned any--which doesn't mean he's evil. He simply adapts his morals to those of his companions/employers. Which means that as long as he's working for a good group, he's good...
Goals "Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself." - William Faulkner
Noh didn’t just escape from Face’s employ, but killed him and fled the city. Noh believes he can never go back, lest he risk attracting the attention of Face’s former gang.
Face, actually a vampire, survived Noh’s attack, and in fact has sent Skaepa after Noh to get revenge.
People "Most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally evil, but by people being fundamentally people." - Terry Pratchett
The only family that Noh really knew of was Skaepa, a human orphan raised and conditioned by Face alongside Noh. Skaepa, however, learned about sorcery instead of assassination. Noh does feel the faintest suggestion of regret at leaving her behind when he left Face’s employ, as he legitimately enjoyed her company and admired her skills in his own weird, schizophrenic way.
Face, Noh’s mysterious and cloaked crime boss and mentor, might not have treated Noh especially well—and in fact might have done a Bourne-style brainwash on the eladrin rogue. But Noh appreciates the talents and skills that Face imparted, as well as the unemotional and pragmatic worldview.
Ori, the party’s warlock, reminds Noh of Skaepa (except for the horns and the tail and okay, her entire apperance). In addition, Noh likes her quiet, bored persona and the challenge of playing cards with her.
Noh admires Ethelerid, the party wizard, for his fearsome intellect and for being the only real connection with the Feywild and the eladrin community that Noh has, outside of his trances.
Memories "Perhaps even these things, one day, will be pleasing to remember." - Virgil
Noh does not remember his parents, but he does remember waiting in a room at the tavern, the sick ache of time's passage, and the expression on the innkeeper’s face as he said, “Fey, your parents...they not be comin’ back.”
He remembers his relief when he first teleported off the cold, hard streets of the city and into a nobleman’s warm, comfortable living room. The power to take care of himself, and to get around others—it was intoxicating.
The first time Skaepa and Noh went on a mission together, the night grew wet and harsh, and the two of them huddled for warmth as they awaited their target’s arrival. Noh barely even remembers the rain, only the strange warmth and the overwhelming sense of confidence in someone other than him.
Design Notes "Quoting: the act of repeating erroneously the words of another." - Ambrose Bierce
So! This character was an attempt to explore the toll that the "orphan raised to kill" trope would take an actual, you know, character. Noh Henimnear's name is a super, super nerdy pun that my friend came up with, as "Noh" = no, and "Henimnear" = hnéhmn, the Indo-European word for "name." Get it? "No name?" *cricket chirp* Anyway! If you've read this far, would you please write a critique of this character? Let me know if I conveyed the whole "REASON IS EVERYTHING" mindset while leaving enough quirks to indicate that he's obviously not perfect. Thanks!
If, on a desert night, a traveler, outside the town of Balic, leaning from the steep slope, without fear of wind or vertigo, looks down in the gathering shadow (in a network of lines that interlace) on the carpet of sand illuminated by the moon around an empty grave, what story down there awaits its end?
What I find most frustrating about 4E is that I can see it includes the D&D game I've always wanted to play, but the game is so lathered in tatical combat rules that I have thus far been unable to coax the game I want out.
1.) Valitis was trained in a magic academy, the place where (for some as-of-yet unknown reason) he was abandoned as a child, where he eventually made a pact with dark powers in exchange for the potential to acquire unequaled might.
2.) He's an utter pyromaniac. Every spell he learns is fire-based, or fear-based if he finds a more effective spell in that category.
3.) The pact ritual went wrong, resulting in his academy burning to the ground. Only Valitis' fire resistance let him live through it. He views it as a necessary sacrifice on the path to power.
4.) Despite his cruel and dark nature, Valitis has a surprising streak of humor and great animal magnetism. He likes to keep his ear to the ground and keep up on current events wherever he stays.
5.) Before settling in the city, Valitis spent several years seeking potent magical artifacts and sowing havoc and destruction along the way. In a given town or to a particular tribe, he can be viewed as a hero or a scourge. People's memories are long when it comes to explosions.
6.) Valitis always dresses in violet, which clashes slightly against his red skin. He doesn't explain why everything he owns is violet, but it's clearly a deep-seated obsession.
Goals
Valitis' primary goal is to acquire more magical power by nearly any means. His ego seems to know no bounds, and it's obvious that he views even his allies as expendable.
He has a tendency to nurse grudges and invent vendettas, however, so it often leads him to direct his allies on crazed crusades against his enemy-of-the-week.
Something he doesn't like to reveal is that, due to his deep-seated abandonment issues, much of his power-seeking and overtures regarding his allies' expendability are all to keep people from getting close to him. In a sad circumstance, however, what he wants most is an actual person-to-person relationship, be it romantic or fraternal.
People
Garv is one of Valitis' only confidantes, and even he barely knows anything beyond the basics about the tiefling. The damaged warforged runs a small inn and tavern that Valitis frequents.
Maian is a female deva with whom Valitis had teamed up once, long ago, before he settled down in this city. After a particularly dangerous search for an artifact that ended in the pair beset on all sides by gnolls, Maian forced Valitis to escape as she held off the enemy. He still doesn't know if she survived the event.
A fellow seeker of ominous lore, Typhes is an elf invoker of Vecna (or another deity of secrets) who has (somewhat) friendly competitions with Valitis to see who can reach an artifact first. Typhes likes to wax philosophical when the pair aren't racing or dueling.
Shieva is an enigmatic eladrin who's taken an interest in Valitis for some unknown reason. A noblewoman who wields a hefty amount of power in the community, she uses her beauty and charisma as a veil to hide her dark inclinations. She's constructing a massive, unnecessarily complex plot toward some distant goal, but not even her closest advisors know what that goal might be.
Secrets
Known secret: The dark entity with whom Valitis made a pact was not some distant creature; it is an ancient being named Iiergalos who whispers in the tiefling's mind, filling his dreams with visions of fire and an armageddon more horrific than most demons could even begin to dream of. He never talks about Iiergalos and does his best to ignore the entity's presence except when calling on the beast's power, but he sometimes feels the urge to blast an injured ally just for the hell of it, and that scares him more than he could ever articulate.
Unknown secret: Valitis was abandoned at the school because of his "tenant." His family is descended from the Turathi highborn, and their own personal demons got the better of them. In a last-ditch effort to seal away the evil, they left him in the care of the headmaster, who took the Dumbledore approach (telling him absolutely nothing). Therefore, when Valitis discovered Iiergalos, he leapt at the chance to gain the power offered by the monster.
Unknown secret: Iiergalos altered Valitis' memories of the fire that obliterated his academy. The blaze didn't start until he went to sleep, at which point Iiergalos took control of Valitis' newly released magic and burned down the academy to keep the headmaster from sealing him away once he discovered what Valitis had done.
Memories
Despite his nonchalant attitude regarding the fire, most of Valitis' best memories come from before the school burned down. One in particular, as he was having lunch with some of his friends, they started a friendly shouting match debating the most disgusting sounds. After illustrating such sounds in great detail, he and six of his friends were all given detention, where they promptly began making the noises again.
On his adventure with Maian, the two became good friends. If their time together hadn't been cut short, they might have become something more. He treasures all of his memories of Maian, but their first mass battle was where he began seeing Maian as more than a friend. Her berserker snarl as her blade swept clean through any who dared stand before her, the blood staining her elegant silken robes; it was truly magnificent.
Well, that's about everything. I wanted to make a dangerous character with a troubled past, but the big thing is to stay away from angst. He's not an emo; he just has had a crappy life. Please let me know what you think; it's a quick background without too much detail, so I hope at least his essence came through.
The original core books said that this was our game too. It doesn't feel like that anymore.
Wow, this is pretty brilliant... well, here goes with my latest character.
Amad Chenim ibn Genadi al-Sul
Human Chaos Sorcerer
Step 1: Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind. 5 is just a minimum...more elements are encouraged!
1) Amad grew up in the ruined remains of a great trading town. The desert outpost of Sul was sacked during an invasion at the time he was born, and never recovered. He spent his childhood often having to hide from marauders and slavers.
2) He was raised by his father, Genadi, an influential noble, who was also a sorcerer and had been an adventurer in his younger days to get out of his responsibilities at home. His father's old stories and confidence were a major influence in his development.
3) Amad's own abilities finally manifested in a big way in his late teens, and he immediately used his newfound power to start a brutal massacre of the main body of slavers in the town, which triggered an uprising that ended with the locals driving the outsiders from Sul for the first time since the invasion. He has never regretted his actions at the time in the slightest, despite the overuse of his powers having burned massive scars into much of his skin, showing where his magic flows.
4) He is resolved to never spend his life hiding if he can help it, and tends to be extremely reckless, thoughtless and obvious, which has always worked for him so far. Being 19 years old makes this less surprising than it could be. He likes attracting attention, and his signature outfit is a bright green duster, worn shirtless to showcase his worst scarring, with a matching wide-brimmed hat, because he likes it.
5) He left home soon after, desperate to see more of the world, as he had missed out on just about everything a normal life should entail. He's an unrelenting materialist who tries everything, not wanting to miss anything that could be fun or interesting. Adventuring is a natural fit for someone with no sense, a lot of power, and a need for new experiences. One thing that surprises his companions is the fact that he'll take any amount of hardship and danger without even thinking of complaining, since he's used to much worse.
Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.
1) He wants to make an impact on the world, and make certain the world never can forget he was in it.
2) Restoring Sul. He's too small-minded to think of anything that helps other people more than himself just yet, but someday, this will come to mind...
Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!
1) Amad is Dragonmarked with the Mark of Passage. He knows this, but is almost clueless about what it can mean, since the mark hadn't manifested in his family for a century, and even his father couldn't tell him much.
2) Members of Amad's own family were the inside men who made sure Sul's defenses were breached during the invasion.
Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.
1) Lord Robehr "the Weasel" Wiscar, current ruler of a powerful city-state, is only alive and in power thanks to hiring Amad as a bodyguard early in Amad's adventuring days and his own political career. Since Amad's not willing to settle down anywhere, Robehr can't reward him with a title and land like he believes he should do for a man who saved his life. Amad hasn't said that part of the reason he won't stay is that the city has enslavement as a punishment for major crimes, and he can't put up with slavers for long.
2) Kedyan Redsteel is a dwarf cleric who adventured with Amad several times out of necessity. He got nothing but disrespect, abuse and being ignored by everyone they dealt with thanks to Amad's stunning ability to steal the spotlight. Since Amad has never thought to say that he likes Kedyan, and appreciates the cleric's having saved his butt a half dozen times when they were working together, the cleric has been having some unholy thoughts about what he'd like to do to Amad and his reputation when he has the chance.
3) Elcheshai Colstemn is the head of an organization of elf merchants who was one of the first people Amad met when coming to civilization, thanks to being one of his family's old contacts back when Sul still had streams of trade caravans. The aging elf remembers Sul's good old days, Amad's family (less fondly) and helped the kid out for old time's sake.
Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.
1) Amad seems to be purposely, cheerfully reckless and shortsighted. Anything that slows down the pace of his life is not something he wants to deal with.
2) While not being totally unprepared for the rest of the world, thanks to his family's books, tiny, minor things about society that no one thinks about can take him completely by surprise. The major things he usually takes in stride, except when it comes to dealing with other races. He enjoys new experiences enough that he often gets too interested in them... particularly the ladies.
3) For a total hedonist, he takes deprivation and abuse impossibly well. After all, the worst part of a decent city is far better than anything he ever imagined growing up.
The Ten-Minute Background for Evan Autumnroot, Half-Elven Wizard
"The past is something that always needs to be remembered, unless I need to know something more interesting." (Background & Concept) 1 - Evan is a half-elf, born of a human adventurer father and an elven tailor mother. He became an adventurer after hearing all of the tales of delving dungeons and battling dragons his father told him of. 2 - Evan's parents put him into some good academies to learn all he could to feed his voracious appetite for knowledge. It was in the library of one of those academies that he learned of the wonders of the arcane, and he soon sought out a mentor in the ways of wizardry. 3 - Under years of careful study and apprenticeship, Evan finally became an honest-to-Ioun wizard. With spellbook and staff in hand, he went out in search of adventure. Though soon, he abandoned the staff and took up the uncommon choice of the halberd. 4 - A few years ago, his father once again took up adventuring and never returned. With his mother worried, Evan now journeys in the hopes of discovering what became of his father. 5 - Whilst not adventuring, Evan spends his time in libraries or a tavern, but if he gets a chance to find his father again, he'll grab it.
"I've always wanted to find out if we're part of something bigger. As if our lives were just one big game being played by the gods." (Goals) 1 - Evan's main goal is to find out what happened to his lost father, for his own sake as well as his worried mother's. 2 - An interesting goal I have for Evan is to stumble upon an ancient tome of arcane lore and possibly develop his own spells and rituals. 3 - Another, though less important, goal for Evan is to have a great spiritual encounter with his patron deity, Ioun. He thanks her for all the knowledge she has allowed him, and wishes to be able to meet her, either physically or mentally.
"Secrets are like our nether regions: we do our best to hide them from people, yet we will bare them to the one person we love and trust the most." (Secrets) 1 - Evan's deepest secret will always be the thievery of the prized crystal monocle of his arcane academy headmaster in his youth. A friend of his was blamed for the theft, yet Evan was too scared back then to come forward and take the blame. He fears that even now, in his adulthood, he could be found out, or worse, his old friend could return for vengeance. 2 - Unbeknownst to Evan, his father is alive and well. And has started a new family with another woman.
"Friends? The only true friends are books. They never talk back or hurt your feelings. Though they do burn easier..." (People Known) 1 - Silas Frostwhisper: His old mentor while he was an apprentice wizard. Silas is a wise eladrin, who was now become a wizard of the Spiral Tower. Evan visits him every now and again to check in on his old mentor and friend, and occasionally for advice and further training in the ways of the wizard. 2 - Brunna Coalfist: A friend he made one day in a tavern, Brunna is a devout dwarven cleric of Moradin. They share an equal passion for knowledge, though in two different fields; Evan in the arcane, Brunna in the divine. Evan believes that she might be holding a flame for him, but he has yet to properly discern this. 3 - Stewart Correll: An ex-friend of Evan's, Stewart is a rogue wizard who blames Evan for his unfounded dismissal from the prestigious academy they both attended. Indeed, he is right, as Stewart is the one who was blamed for the theft of their headmaster's treasured monocle. After going into a self-imposed exile, Stewart emerged as an angry wizard with a budding knowledge of warlock magics and a personal grudge to expose Evan for his lies.
"What, this halberd? Yes, I know the magically-inclined don't fight much, but it nevers hurts to be prepared!" (Quirks & Memories) 1 - Evan never goes anywhere with his halberd. Though he rarely uses it, he is skilled in its use and will not hesitate to strike at a close foe, rather than fleeing out of reach. 2 - Evan always has a crystal monocle with him, though not for any reason other than to remind him of the constant guilt he bears for what happened in his youth. He never forgot how angry Stewart looked as he was being dragged from the headmaster's office, and he never forgot his ex-friend's words: you will pay. 3 - His most recent and deeply embedded memory is the last time he met with his father, a few years ago. They laughed and had a great time, and he remembered how proud his father said he was of Evan for being an adventurer in his footsteps.
Design Notes: Evan began as a simple wizard for me to use in a homebrew campaign a couple of friends of mine cooked up. After the campaign fell through, I liked Evan so much, I held onto his character sheet, and edited it a tad. Though I have yet to use Evan in another campaign, I've fleshed out how his character would act, and I hope to get the chance to put Evan in another campaign. The habit of him using a halberd is just because halberds and polearms are my favorite weapons.
Sora Teraza raised Grianne up from the dust and asked her, “What is your name, child?” “I am Grianne,” rasped Grianne in reply. “Are you?” asks Sora Teraza, her blind eyes peering at her with unnerving awareness. “I’m afraid you don’t see your true self. You are Anyanka. ”Grianne was suddenly wracked with coughs. “If you are here to kill me, be done with it quickly!” she gasped out. The dusk hag chuckled, a disturbing unearthly sound. “Your destiny does not end here, Anyanka. Come, we have much work to do.” “Why do you keep calling me that?” asks Grianne. “My name is Grianne.” “Perhaps,” says Sora Teraza. “But Anyanka is who you are.”
~ * ~
Anyanka was born Grianne Ashkevron, a daughter of Breland and scion of House Orien (mother was d'Orien with no dragonmark potential). The youngest of seven children, Grianne was a precocious child and a terror to her tutors and guardians. Her gangly appearance and unruly mop of red gold hair only heightened her impish appearance. She often slipped away from her lessons to play with questionable friends in the lower districts of Sharn. One such friend was a blind Rover[1] crone, Addershag, who peddled fortunes to the gullible. In exchange for food and company, the old woman told Grianne and her cohorts many tales of faraway places and heroes/villains of myth and legend. On Grianne's 14th naming day, the seeress told one of her stories which ran longer than usual. When the tale ended and her audience dispersed, the old woman asked Grianne to escort her back to her hovel so that she may give Grianne her nameday gift: an antique amulet with a pentacle engraved upon it and gold paint flaking off. It was getting late and Grianne hurried home, but she never made it. A wrong turn and a twist of fate spirited her away to Ashtakala, the fiendish City of the Damned located deep within the Demon Wastes.
She was among many children abducted by minions of the Lords of Dust, to be used for sacrificial rituals and magical experiments. However, Grianne and a few others defied their rakshasa captors often with their many attempts at escape. Her tenacity, strong spirit, and pure soul caught the attention of a powerful rakshasa lord named Belasco. He offered her two choices: serve him or die. So began Grianne's apprenticeship in the blackest of magical arts and forbidden lore. Every day was a struggle to maintain her humanity and sanity. With each dark spell learned and foul ritual mastered, Belasco eroded away at Grianne's spiritual defenses and corrupted her soul. Her body was pushed to its limits with daily lessons in weapons training. No action or thought of Grianne's were unknown to Belasco, except for the strange amulet that was gifted to her. It defied the fiend's (and his brethren's) senses, magical and physical. It gave her hope and anchored her mind. Knowing her soul was in peril, she cleaved the only part of her soul that was not corrupted and forged it into a weapon, a soulsword. She absorbed the mystical blade back into her body, keeping it hidden, keeping it secret.
Three years passed and Belasco decided it was time for her final lesson. Grianne's transformation into a "demon sorceress" was nearly complete; her tainted soul ready for extraction. Grianne played the obedient pupil until the time to strike revealed itself. Before positioning herself within the magic circle, Grianne placed her amulet at the edge of the circle, creating a flaw in the ritual design for her to exploit. The ritual started, and so did the pain. Grianne felt her soul being torn apart, her mind burning, and her body transmogrifying. She lashed out in blind panic, manifested her soulsword and sheared through the opening in the ritual circle. The resulting blast was devastating.
The emotional and physical stress ignited her latent dragonmark. The sundering of her soul transmogrified her. A new creature emerged from the conflagration of magic, a terrible beauty with power to match. A pair of great obsidian horns streaked with red juts out from her brow. Her once green eyes have turned into pools of fire opals that blaze behind hair the color of molten gold. The smoke clears to show shapely legs ending in cloven feet and a slim red tail lash the air angrily behind her.
Disoriented, furious, confused, and terrified, Grianne blindly activated her Mark of Passage and walked the corridors of magic. She wandered the desolate Demon Wastes without food or water. Time became meaningless; all she knew was despair. As she was about to finally give up, she saw a figure approaching her from the distance. As it came closer, she saw it was Addershag! Upon physical contact, the mirage lifted and before her stood the ancient of dusk hag of legend, Sora Teraza.
"There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it." 1. Anyanka seeks to surpass her former master Belasco in power and influence. She wishes to carve a place for herself in the inner council of Ashtakala. 2. She will do whatever it takes, use whoever, to advance the cause of Droaam and the Daughters of Sora Kell. 3. I would also like her to be recognized by House Orien as an heir, and eventually become matriarch.
"Three can keep a secret if two are dead." 1. She is a Dark Lantern agent of Breland, tasked to spy on Droaam. 2. She is a really a double agent working for Sora Katra. Enough information is fed to Breland 3. She is a human turned tiefling with the Mark of Passage. She keeps her dragonmark concealed at all times until her plans for Orien come to fruition. She appears human except when deep in the throes of ritual magic or when bloodied. 4. Belasco, her former master is actually alive and working to possess his traitorous apprentice once again. He will have her soul or see her destroyed utterly. He seeks the identity of her patron[s] and destroy him/her.
"It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious." 1. Daughters of Sora Kell. Sora Teraza is her patron. Sora Katra and Maenya are her teachers, the former motherly and the latter cruel and ruthless. 2. Captain Talleon Haliar Tonan is the leader of the Dark Lanterns headquartered in Sharn; a tyrannical gnome who spends much of his time building relationships with criminals. He is Anyanka’s commanding officer. 3. Raskalorn, a half-orc, is Anyanka’s rival in the Dark Lanterns. He distrusts/hates this beautiful “human” who has charmed Captain Tonan with her ruthless efficiency. 4. Addershag is a mystery. There is no trace of her anywhere after Anyanka’s return to Breland.
Yeah, this is a lot more than ten minutes but here you go.
I have only flashes from my former life. Snippets of who I once was (Step 1: ongoing trickle of memories). But from those vague memories, I've put together a picture and perhaps taken the first steps to solving the puzzle of what I am to do now. I find that this task haunts my every step (Step 1: determined to piece together former life)
It seems in life I was a mage of significant power. I developed a way to steal souls from the Raven Queen and animate them for my own purposes. Apparently I was no small threat for I developed such an army that it was decided I must be stopped (Step 3: formally an evil necromancer). Although I grew in power my keep was infiltrated, my defenders were cast down, and I found standing before me five soldiers of great power (Step 4: five unidentified players in my life). The battle was fierce. The blows traded were intense. But in the end I could not stand against them. I fell. I remember lying there, as my very life blood seeped from my body, knowing that this was the end (Step 1: has experienced death and does not fear it).
One of those soldiers, a woman I remember not what she looked like, knelt beside me (Step 4: most important of the five). She placed her hand beneath my head and explained to me the truths of life and death. She told me that all things are meant to die. That by my theft of the deads' souls I was disrupting the order that the Raven Queen had intended. I had never heard such truth spoken in such a plain way. And although I knew I was dying, although I knew I was beyond repentance, although I knew my time of judgment had come, I sought mercy. I cried out to the Raven Queen, "Not let your hand of justice fall! But be merciful! Be merciful to me, though I deserve it not." But the sound that escaped my lips was mumbled and weak, incoherent to the woman knelling at my side. The lady had nothing more to say to me. She laid my head down, invoked prayers to her Mistress, delivered to me the final rites of life so that my journey into death would be unimpeded, and those five soldiers left. (Step 5: the offer of mercy is vitally important in my characters life, had he merely been finished off he would be suffering for eternity) All this is conjecture, pieced together from blurred images and vague impressions, what follows I remember well today and will remember eternally.
I lay in my chamber, feeling my life leave me, knowing my end had come, but a message came. Through my window came a raven, thrice the size any raven ought to be. It landed upon my chest and looked into my eyes (Step 5: defining memory of the character). I tried to call out to it, but my breath would not come. It opened its beak and spoke to me. The raven said to me, "Are you willing to do whatever is asked of you?" I tried so hard to respond. I tried to force my lips to move. I tried to draw in the air I needed, but it would not come. The raven cocked its head as if awaiting my answer. It spoke again, "Are you willing to undo that which you have done in life?" Again I tried so hard to acquiesce. The cry out, "Yes! Anything! I will serve you my Mistress, my Queen!" But the words would not come. The breath would not fill my body. It cocked its head the other way peering into me. It spoke one last time. It said, "Will you be my servant until I no longer need your service?" "Yes, yes!" I tried to cry. I tried so hard, but it would not come. I could not speak. I could not say yes and I thought that I had no chance at salvation.
But it was as though the raven heard me. It bent and pecked at my soul. It removed the malign tumors that had developed there. I knew that I had received mercy (Step 1: redemption is vitally important to my character, he above most others understands the extremes that mercy can be extended), that I had received forgiveness and then I knew no more.
Icy cold air filled my lungs. I opened my eyes, but saw naught but darkness. I tried to move, but had not the strength. I lay there for hours, willing my strength to increase. For the first time in my life, if that is what this is, I felt empowered instead of belittled (Step 5: throughout life my character sought to increase his own power out of a sense of inadequacy, in his new life he is instead empowered constantly). I was able to remove the lid of the sarcophagus that entombed me and found myself in a torch lit sepulcher. I tried to stand but my legs had no power. So for many more hours I lay there, willing the strength to return to my body. Again the strength came. I looked around and saw the tomb in which I had lain. I looked at my body and was greeted with paled flesh and scaled skin (Step 1: physical description). This was not my body in life, but it seemed as though it would serve me well know. As I stood, I saw a raven sitting on a grave shelf not far away (Step 3: only my character can see this raven whether it is a figment of his imagination, the literal manifestation of his deity, or simply a messenger he doesn't know). It was my Mistress I knew. I bowed before her. I praised her. I thanked her. I pledged my service to her (Step 1: my character ALWAYS assumes the raven is the embodiment of the Raven Queen). The raven remained silent. Ruffling its feathers as if a drop of water had landed on its back, she stared at me intently. I could feel her blessing, her approval. As I worshipped my Queen, I was distracted by the sound of footsteps on stairs.
I turned and faced an elven woman with a dark bundle in her arms (Step 3: too obvious to make this the same woman instead maybe she is a relative of some kind to the soldier the extended mercy). She bowed before me and said, "Master, for you," while turning her head from my nakedness she held out the bundle. Aware that I was unclothed, I picked up the bundle and donned the gear she presented. I sheathed blades of many shapes and sizes. I slung the crossbow across my back. I tied the mace to my hip. I was ready. Perhaps it was the pale flesh, or maybe the blood red eyes, perhaps it was demenour or some other unknown factor but the elven woman was terrified (Step 1: physical description). She could not speak, she was shaken as the knelt there bowing to me. I knew not what to say but knew that something had to be said. I lifted a silent prayer to my mistress gazing at the raven that sat still in the room. I looked to her for prompting and waited (Step 1: my character seeks guidance instead of pursuing his own goals). After a few moments, the raven opened its beak but I heard the words come from my lips, "Fear not. I shall do you no harm. I am here as a messenger to those who would disrupt the balance. I am here to deliver souls to my Mistress, to my Queen. I am here to dole out the justice of death. I am here to show mercy to those deserving of it and to cast judgment on those undeserving. I am here as a blade in the night. I am here as a cudgel from the darkness. I am here as the Prophet of the Raven Queen (Step 2: goal I would like to see developed throughout the campaign). I am but a revenant of life, but am entirely her servant. I am a blade. I am a blow. I am a flicker of darkness within a shadow. I am the balance. I am Vargas. I am the Assassin of Souls (Step 5: defining memory of not only my character's call but also his general philosophy).
Wherever I go I see her image. Although none seem to recognize it, the raven flies ever above me. It goes ever before me. It guides my every step. One day I hope to unravel the mystery of who I was so that I may begin to right the wrongs that I committed, so that I may undo the evil of my selfishness (Step 2: over arching goal I have for my character second only to his desire to do the Raven Queen's will). Perhaps I may even get the chance to thank the lady that extended her hand in mercy, when so many others would not have bothered (Step 2: secondary goal that could make for interesting concept). I roam this land, sending souls to my Mistress, seeking out the purpose of my existence, perhaps even discovering the unstated terms of the agreement that binds me here. Whatever the terms, however long the length of service, I will be here. Here as the tool of the Raven Queen. Here as her prophet. Here as her ever present talon.
Quick Quotes:
The Raven Queen requests your soul and I am here to collect.
I was sent by the Raven Queen to retrieve your soul and I always deliver.
Will you seek mercy? Then it is my prayer that your soul quickly finds the hell your deeds deserve.
Oh great Raven Queen it is my prayer that you would send your servant to guide this soul through the Shadowfell. May it quickly find its way to eternity. May it go unimpeded to its eternal peace. This body is now empty, guide now its soul.
I play a hill dwarf cleric/barb.MC,I forget which backgrounds but one of them is foeslayer giant or something like that.Goes by the name Madgrin but thats not his real name.His village was destroyed by giants and ha has a hard time controlling his temper(barb.mc).He also has alot of friction with dwarven leaders and rulers,as he is more of a free spirit now that he has no real home or family(except for an older sister).Im seriously considering having him try take too take over some dwarven lands when i get him alot stronger(only lvl2).
The emotional and physical stress ignited her latent dragonmark. The sundering of her soul transmogrified her. A new creature emerged from the conflagration of magic, a terrible beauty with power to match. A pair of great obsidian horns streaked with red juts out from her brow. Her once green eyes have turned into pools of fire opals that blaze behind hair the color of molten gold. The smoke clears to show shapely legs ending in cloven feet and a slim red tail lash the air angrily behind her. 
