1) Roland's father, Brahm, was a Captain in the King's army. Early on, his father made sure he knew battle tactics as well as court tactics.
2) His relation with his father was always poor. His father never thought he could do anything good enough, and made sure the boy damn well knew it. (Brahm hoped this would make the boy stronger).
3) At 8, he was sent to War College, to train to be an officer of the King's Army. His father hoped this would make him a better man.
4) He was weaker than most his classmates, and was constantly laughed at because of this. One partcilular boy, named Pheyal (an Eladrin), was his arch-nemesis at the school, and constantly made it well known how the eladrin were genetically superior in every way to humans. Roland's father helped perpetuate this, as he was infatuated with the fey. Pheyal was not only Roland's greatest enemy, but also his greatest fear.
5) By the time Roland was 15, his body matched his wit. He was one of the top students at the college, and very physically fit. This wasn't really noticed, though, as no one at the college was unfit. Academically, Roland was already one of the top. The only one who beat him was Pheyal, and he won at everything. Pheyal was the top student. However, with Pheyal's encouragement, Roland remained one of the most unpopular and laughed at students at the school.
6) It turns out, very few people actually liked Pheyal, and Roland had a growing silent group of supporters. The last week of school, he formally challenged Pheyal to honorable combat. Roland won, not through strength or wit, but through superior application of tactics. The crowd cheered, and Roland realized at this point how many actually respected him.
7) He graduated the top of the class, with honors. "Good job," his father, Brahm, said, "but I noticed your name is no where on the hall of Records. Mine is." "But Father! No one this year made it in the Hall of Records!" Brahm snorted, "Son, your enemy won't care how well your little friends did. He'll only care how well you do. Just because you beat your friend.. what was his name? Pheyal? in a little play match doesn't mean an ogre's balls to your enemy. I sent you here to be the best, and you can't even beat your own father's records. Disappointing."
1) Roland has secretly developed a hatred against Eladrin, borderline being racist. He doesn't trust any he meets, and thinks they will all try to backstab him eventually. He doesn't let this known, though, as racism is strongly discouraged in the Kingdom, especially in the King's military. He knows it could hurt his career.
2) Pheyal has a passionate hatred for Roland, and is planning revenge against him.
1) Brahm, Roland's father, is a Captain in the King's army, and Roland may always call on him for help, although he rarely will, as asking for help would be seen as weakness (or so Roland thinks).
2) Guyin Land was Roland's closest friends in the war college. Although not as strong a student as Roland was, he still graduated in the top 10. After college, Guyin was assigned to a guard unit in the king's courtroom.
3) Pheyal, eladrin warlord (or fighter?) who passionately hates Roland.
1) Roland remember's the first day of school. Everything looked so large and daunting, but he was up for the challange. He walked up the steps to the main doors and entered. He took his first step through the doors when an eladrin stepped in front of him, smiled, and decked him hard enough to make him stumble back down the stairs. "You got to be stronger than me to survive this college, boy!" The Eladrin yelled. Brahm laughed and walked away.
2) He remembers the day he fought Pheyal and won. That was the day he realized just how much support he had (everyone was afraid to speak up because of Pheyal).
3) After the graduation (and the talk with his father), other students started to trickle up to him, to request to be in his unit when he gets one. More and more, graduates and lower classmen would request to be in his unit as soon as they could. Everyone seemed to want to serve under him. he was so full of pride, he almost cried. Almost.
Right after he won the fight against Pheyal, Roland was heard to say, "You may be genetically superior, Eladrin, but I'm the one still standing." This quickly became a story of encouragement for younger classmen to rise above their set-backs and challenges, and to face hardships head on.
About a year ago, I was involved in a D&D meet-up group that met once a month to play one-session adventures. During one of those sessions, another fellow and I played elves, while the rest of the group (10 or 11 of us total, with one DM) played various other races: mostly humans, a dwarf or two, one half-ogre, and probably something I can't remember.
Well, this other fellow and I instantly got along, and we role-played our characters from introduction until we had to leave the restaurant we were playing at. All in all, about 7 hours. (We had a deal with Denny's to allow us the use of their private party room once a month). Well, we played our elves as "Genetically Superior" to all other races. Elves were simply better. At everything. Period. We were elitists. We're better than you, and we're going to make sure you damned well know it. It was fanstastically fun!
Well, Roland came to me about a week ago when I was remembering the old elf brothers. I was thinking about designing a human who had a history of dealing with such bantor, and decided he'd had enough. I came up with the phrase, "Genetically superior or no, I'm the one walking away." As in, walking away alive. The human got so infuriated at the "genetically superior" elf that he killed him. You can't be superior if you're dead.
Naturally, as things go, the character doesn't always flesh out to the original idea. I wanted Roland to be of a general good nature, one people would like, so instead of killing the elf, he just beat him up. And I also needed a scenario where he would constantly have to be dealing with said elf. What better place than a youth military school?
With the elf still alive, Roland now has an ongoing enemy who is not necessarily evil, which makes for better role-playing. :D The bantor and dealings with a mean elf (Eladrin, in this case) is a perfect set-up for a good hearted character with a horribly bad trait (racism), and as he developes, he has the potential to be completely racist, or see the errors in his ways.
All in all, it started with me wanting to create a character who wasn't genetically superior, and kick the crap out of someone who was.
Brahm, to make sure people don't pronounce it nasally? Roland, son of [Brom] sounds much better than Roland, son of [Breehm].
Thank you both! Your suggestions are great! I'm making the changes now. :D
Now.. if I could only get involved in a game soon. The DM I know RL said the campaign would start mid-August, and I haven't heard anything about it in the past two weeks. Grrr...
1. Rex was born in the largest concentration of Dragon born in your world. He was to be a warrior like his ancestors before him. His family was royalty and named him Rexosaur as he was expected to be king of the area. Instead of focusing solely on being a warrior, he found Avandra his calling. If he had chosen Bahamut, and chosen to be a paladin it may have been acceptable. Alas, such was not the case. He was forced out of concentration by his father and mother…king and queen.
2. Rex did not want to be king of the concentration and wanted to travel and make his own mark on the world. That is the reason for worshipping Avandra.
3. Rex is pretty much a loner for the time being, not wanting to be tied down to any specific area or any group of people who he feels will rely on him as it reminds him of his homeland.
4. Rex has gone from town to town and adventure to adventure making acquaintances and those who have relied upon him or are indebted to him along the way. He always leaves whenever he feels that people become too reliant upon him and do not work out problems for themselves.
5.Despite his desire to make his own way, he does have the need to help others and leaving when in need conflicts with number 4.
1. Ultimately, Rex wants to become a King in his own right. This can be done by creating his own concentration of dragon born, or his family’s acceptance.
2. It would be cool if Rex found someone who, for some reason, he will share his adventures with or that he became a more direct agent of Avandra.
1. Rex left someone behind that he is in love with, Saural, but could not face it as, once again, because this would have tied him down.
2. He has yet to realize that by worshipping Avandra, it is antithetical to his desire to become king and/or create another concentration of dragonborn
3. Bahasaurus is secretly working for a mysterious deity (even Bahasaurus is unaware who the true god is) who promised him immortality if he laid siege and destroyed a majority of the dragonborn city of Avandraconia. After he has laid siege to said city he is to kill Avandra champion Rexosaur. Bahasaurus is unaware of the gods true intentions though. The dark unknown god knows the secret that Avandra’s real name is Avandragon the birth mother of all dragons and dragonborn. Over time when Avandra first made the dragons and the dragonborn a majority of them felt compelled to be mortally good or evil mainly drawn into by the influence of Bahumat and Tiamat. All dragonborn who still worshiped there creator all are limited and have decided to join in one city and to protect the secret of Avandra. Avandra knew that if the city and its inhabitants were killed or mostly killed Avandra her self would die causing all creatures she created and all creature that they created and so on, would die. So, to counter this she blessed a future king in a major city in Dragopolous with her blessing so when he became king the dragons and dragonborns he would spread the word of Avandra to strengthen and unite all of dragon kind. With the mysterious dark god and his puppet Bahasaurus it appears as though Rexosaur may be the last of dragon kinds hope...
1. Mom and Dad….ie King and Queen (count them as either 1 or 2 people). As any good parents, they love their son but are very disappointed on his life choices. You can figure out what they want to do about it.
2. The dragonborn female, Saural, also loves him but never really admitted it to him, as Rex was always a little distant in dealing with her. She does not know why.
3. The high priest Bahasaurus of Rex’s homeland wants to see him dead, since he spurned Bahamut and if Rex is successful (being a worshipper of Avandra), it could undermine Bahamut’s influence with the dragonborn.
4. Rex has a dragonborn friend, Grindal, who is a worshipper of Bahamut, and is aware of Bahasuarus’ designs to keep Rex from being successful. (yeah, I know this is more than you asked)
1. Rexosaur remembers his times with Grindal and they had many philosophical arguments about the pros and cons of Bahamut and Avandra. He treasures those times as he was able to find friendship with someone, even though they have very different outlooks on life.
2. Rexosaur remember rolling very badly and being utterly ineffective. It gives him nightmares almost every night.
3. Rexosaur remembers Saural’s beauty and scent and the beauty of her curves and longs to see them again, but believes that he cannot be with her as he is unworthy.
I got the chance to introduce a few new NPCs at last night's game, so I figure now would be a good time to write backgrounds for them, so that I can keep my information straight when I bring them back. So you get a two-fer today! Presenting Bharhazd Berama and Gaston Duchamps!
The Ten-Minute Background of Bharhazd Berama, Dragonborn Noble and Gentleman Adventurer
Step 1: write five things about your character’s concept and background, five things that you think are the most essential parts of your character.
"Ah, good sir! A pleasure to make the acquaintance of one such as yourself. I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey, and spin a colorful tale to while away the hours of the evening. What say you?"
1) Bharazhd is a Dragonborn scholar, self-made noble, and gentleman adventurer. He is an amateur archeologist who enjoys physically exploring the past and holds himself with an aristocratic air. 2) He has learned the fighting style of a rogue and some tricks of the warlord's trade through his travels and adventures, and has many fascinating tales of his wanderings. 3) He has decided to retire from his life on the road, and has chosen St. Clarice to do so, mainly because of the opportunities the Shroudmist Forest offers him for further exploration, should he chose to resume his wandering lifestyle. 4) Bharazhd enjoys mingling with the upper crust of St. Clarice, and he is a regular fixture at most balls and formal events. 5) Bharazhd displays a wide variety of talents and lore. As he describes himself, he is "extremely versatile."
Step 2: List two goals for the character that you, as a player, think would be cool to see accomplished in-game.
"Hello, there! Stay a while, and listen! For I come from the lands of the ice and snow, from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow!"
1) Bharazhd began as a flavorful NPC that the players want to see again. So I took some time to delve into his background and flesh out his concept a little more. 2) Bharazhd's status as possible patron will work out as the players reach Paragon Tier and get more involved with the Spoiler:Show
White Fox Conspiracy arc
.
Step 3: List 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. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!
"I see. A very interesting ploy, skillfully played. You seem quite pleased with how you have managed to steal from the mouths of orphans and beggars. But, perhaps it would behoove you to remember the moral of the Parable of the White Fox, and the fate of the king of the ants thereof." --Bharazhd to Gaston Duchamps
1) Bhrazhd is a member of the White Fox Society and has for most of his adventuring career. He makes it his business to check up on the various cells and make sure that they haven't fallen to corruption. In this way, he acts as a sort of "internal affairs" for the Society at large. 2) Bharazhd has drawn the attention of Old Leroux, who wants to make sure that the nosy "gentleman adventurer" keeps his attention focused elsewhere. Old Leroux is likely to act against him. Spoiler:Show
3) Bharazhd is aware of the truth behind the White Fox Society's ties to the Eladrin Court, and, frankly, he dislikes what he has learned. He would like to see the society move more in line with its stated goals and act less like a spy ring and secret police. He would like to see this happen before he settles down for good, and is likely to help those he feels can bring this about.
Step 4: Describe three people that are tied to the character though blood, romance or honor. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. All can do something useful for you, if you can get the situations to line up. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.
"Halt! Stand and deliver, villain, or the Seven may take you!" --Bharazhd to the assassin Tayce
1) Bharazhd is growing fond of the half-elf Audric Cwellen, paladin of Amyra. He feels a kinship withe the passionate warrior, and likes acting as a guide and mentor. 2) Bharazhd also enjoys speaking with Angelique and Marcel DuParis, the married couple who run the Lyceum of Amyra. They while away the hours sharing many tales. 3) There is an assassin that Bharazhd has had the misfortune of encountering, an unpleasant man named Tayce who has managed to avoid capture thanks to his Shadar-Kai abilities. Bharazhd would like nothing better than to see that rapscallion given what for!
The Ten-Minute Background of Gaston Duchamps, Greedy Master Merchant
Step 1: Write five things about your character’s concept and background, five things that you think are the most essential parts of your character.
*slurp, chomp, munch* "Why, I remember the days when I first started in this fine trade. I had naught but a tiny cart in the bad side of town to my name, but through hard work and shrewd practice, I have built an empire of trade and commerce! Today, I have my finger on the pulse oof the very lifeblood of the Republic. And, if you are willing to do what is required of you, you, too, may find yourself rising to such lofty heights one day." --Gaston, to a newly opened business, attempting to get them to join and pay the exorbitant guild dues.
1) Gaston Duchamps is the corpulent merchant master of the Merchant and Shipper's Guild, most commonly known as the Merchantmen. 2) He has connections, wealth, and influence, and is one of the most powerful men in St. Clarice thanks to these resources. His guild has a stanglehold on local shipping and merchant interests, and just about anyone who wants to do business in the city has to deal with his guild in some fashion. 3) He is also considered one of the most unpleasant people to be around. He likes to brag about building his business up from nothing more than a single cart in the town square, but the truth is he was born to an already wealthy merchant family. His control of the guild was seen as almost inevitable. 4) Despite his unpleasant presence and manners, he is a shrewd and ruthless businessman, and can negotiate a deal with anyone. This business acumen serves him well, and he has built a comfortable lifestyle for himself. 5) Currently, his guild is running into problems with the local dockworkers. The dockworkers are attempting to form a union to combat unfair wage and work condition policies, as well as to protest the growing use of warforged as cheap dock labor. Several rallies have occurred, and Gaston is doing his best to keep the Dockworkers under his thumb.
Step 2: List two goals for the character that you, as a player, think would be cool to see accomplished in-game.
*chomp, munch, slurp* "Pah! Please, pay no more mind to that varlet's pathetic pleading. He is merely attempting to acquire coin he has not earned. The poor are so because they are not willing to do the work required of them to make them rich. They deserve their rags. Let us leave him to them. On, driver!" --Gaston to a "lady friend", on poverty.
1) Gaston is a background villain, the kind of guy who isn't really involved in the main campaign arc but is the driving force behind some of the stuff the players get to hear about in the game. He has the potential to move from Beta-Villain to Alpha-Villain if the party decides to pursue him. 2) Since I have a tendency to use villains that have a lot of supernatural, epic, world-shattering plans, Gaston is my attempt to create a more familiar, down-to-earth villain for the players to deal with. His power and resources are more social than supernatural, and his goals are more down-to-earth. That makes him a refreshing change of pace from villains like Gerard or Mai'ali for me.
Step 3: List 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. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!
*slurp, chomp* "You refer, perhaps, to the fabled 'White Fox Society,' perhaps? Oh yes, I've heard about them. Stuff and nonsense, of course. Even if such a band of roustabouts were to actually exist, their influence would be quite limited indeed...and unable to stand in the face of TRUE power. No, let the common rabble know their place. No one would possibly want to champion them." --Gaston to Bharazhd Berama, making a terrible mistake.
1) Gaston is involved in trade with the halfling smuggling ring. This doesn't just move tariff-free contraband--it has moved narcotics, weapons, and occasionally slaves through this network. Currently, the smuggling ring is moving changelings from the Feywild into hiding in The World, though this sort of mortal smuggling doesn't pay enough for Gaston's tastes. 2) Gaston has made many enemies, but the one that will cause him the most problems is the one he thought was a friend. Anatole Delaurant, Guildmaster of the Artificer's and Enchanter's Guild, wants to cut the Merchantmen out of the distribution of the rare and expensive components The Guild uses for the construction of their magical inventions. He is behind the recent troubles the Merchantmen are having with the Dockworkers. Spoiler:Show
3) Gaston secretly wants to control the finances of the whole of St. Clarice. He is not as harmless as he appears. He has dabbled in Diabolic Pacts for wealth, and can count on a number of devil servitors...at least until they claim his soul. He is thinking of unleashing some of these devils to strike at his enemies, though he is not sure how to do so without getting caught.
Step 4: Describe three people that are tied to the character though blood, romance or honor. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. All can do something useful for you, if you can get the situations to line up. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.
"You had better make this worth my while, good sir. It is almost time for my afternoon luncheon. Ah! The newest shipments have arrived! Good, good. Now, there is a small tent in the Rue Angelique that has decided to forgo Guild protection. It would be awful, simply awful, if something tragic were to happen to the proprietor, don't you think?"
1) Gaston has his fat fingers in a lot of pies. He is good friends with Anatole Delaurant, the dwarf who runs the local branch of the Coralton Artificer's and Enchanter's Guild. Through these connections, he gains a direct line to the city's warforged creation forge and workers for the docks. This has the local dockworkers upset, as the warforged work more hours for lower wages and are built to be more accommodating, forcing normal people out of work. This situation is turning into a hot-button issue in city politics. 2) Luckily for Gaston, another person he considers an ally, if not an actual friend, is Lord Mayor Jean-Claude Montaire, who bestowed a generous noble title upon the corpulent merchant in return for a generous donation. The noble lends much weight to the fat man's interests. 3) Gaston is also courting the attention of the leader of the Draconic Brotherhood, Bodak Steelgrinder. He hopes to woo the dragonborn into an alliance in the hopes that having mercenaries at his beck and call will make his enemies think twice about striking at him. 4) On the shadier side, Gaston is in tight with one Garibaldi Rumpelstiltskin, a halfling merchant who is almost as wealthy as he is. Garibaldi is, in fact, the ringleader of a halfing smuggling ring that moves cargo through St. Clarice, and Gaston happily supplies the halfing with the aid of his Guild in return for a generous cut of the profits. 5) One person not on Gaston's side or in his pocket is Sheriff Bulrick Barin, the Iron Bastard, who has nothing but contempt for the fat merchant. In fact, Bulrick suspects his ties to the halfling smuggling ring, and would like nothing more than to see the obese trader fall hard.
1) Flick's childhood was spent as an ordinary widowed farmer's son on the outskirts of civilized land. His pa grew cranberries, cultivated honey, and kept a selection of livestock. Flick was the youngest of 2 other still living male siblings. He had 5 brothers overall, but 3 have passed away.
2) Flick was relatively out of place on the farm, being a bright but uneducated young man with little or no common sense and hardly any aptitude with complicated manual labor.
3) Flick was always drawn to the gorgeous woods that grew near his family's property and would sometimes sneak out at night to wander them (only a short distance) to observe the interesting frogs and bugs
4) At the age of 13 Flick recklessly wandered deep into the woods, drawn by the sound of feminine giggling. As a pubescant farmboy with only his pa and brothers for company it is no wonder that Flick pursued the noise long past any sensical restraint. The pixies that were toying with him eventually drew him to their best friend's home. A nymph named Sonja who lived in a gorgeous waterfall grotto.
5) Sonja was delighted at the quaint gift of Flick, thanked her friends, and proceeded to raise her new pet (Flick). She had lost her favorite plaything/bodygaurd rather recently and therefore was pleased to task her only remaining servant (a young noble whom she thought was getting too old) to put Flick through a rigorous regime of education and exercise so Flick could become her next favorite lover...five years later she decided Flick failed to live up to her expectations and he was transported away at night by the pixies
Goals
1) Deep down, Flick suspects (but continues to suppress) that he was being used by Sonja for years and found lacking. I want Flick to eventually grow comfortable with himself and become a hero for his own reasons and not through a sense of inadequacy.
2) I want Flick's view of the opposite sex to mature past his bizzare upbringing and for him to find a female companion he is able to see as a friend/equal and not a lover/mother/object of worship (he's pretty screwed in the head right now people!)
Secrets
1) Despite the fact that he carries himself with the air of a well trained swordsman and weilds an impressive blade with fearless abandon (his bastard sword), Flick has never killed anything yet in his life!
2) Flick has an unhealthy attraction for females of any fey race. His lack of adjustment gaurantees that any "healthy" relationship is basically impossible for him right now. Basically he can spiral into a life of being either used or babied or he can get a hold of himself (right now, his Wis 6 isn't looking too good )
Close Friends...Closer Enemies
1) The local chancellor (a human wizard named Geor) has a daughter Robyn who is absolutely smitten by Flick's good looks and awkwardly charming manner. She is a wealth of information and always willing to help Flick or his friends (Streetwise +5 and Insight +6)
2) His roommate, Gordon, who share's rent with Flick at the "Selkie's Sad Eyes" is an older gent that seems to have been everywhere and knows everything! But maybe he's just full of it . He's drunk all the time anyways (66 yr. old lv 3 bard; Wis 18/or 8 when drop dead drunk; Bluff +12, History +10, Arcana +5)
3) A manipulative Teifling, Es'erelda, is always in trouble with the Chancellor and Robyn and has lately had her eye on the foolish and susceptible Flick after she noticed Robyn's infatuation. He'd be a useful tool in her mechinations (Lv 2 rogue, Bluff +8, Insight +5)
memories
You come up with a few!!! I'd like to see some of your ideas
I see The Stray didn't follow our examples and put everything in hide boxes. :D
WaldoDi, Stray, and pos26.. Don't have time now, but I'll be back in a few days and check out your characters. From a brief look-over, they look pretty interesting.
Gentleman Adventurer? hehe.. GG much?
Also, I have another good idea for a character. I'll post with in the week. :D
)
. He's drunk all the time anyways (66 yr. old lv 3 bard; Wis 18/or 8 when drop dead drunk; Bluff +12, History +10, Arcana +5) 
