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.
1) JOrmungand holds in his heart a festering hate that is aimed at both nothing and everything at the same time. never once in his life has someone cared about him, with the exception of the Northman he befreinded, who is called Fenrir. because of the absence of love or even freindship in his "developemental years", Jormungand doesn't know how to interact with people in a freindly fashion, and is awkward at best when responding to another showing him kindness.
2) Jormungand was abandoned as a child because he is 'afflicted' (abysall soultype), and raised by pirates. At one point he was hired on a Northmen ship who was short a hand, and his self-relient personality impressed several of the vikings. they took to calling him Jormangund, and he eventually adopted their culture in place of the one he never had. 'Jormungand' is the only name he has ever had, because the pirates who raised him always called him Adder-tongue, and before that 'boy'.
3) Despite his barbaric strength, Jormungand is not musclebound. he has an Ectomorph body type, meaning even though he has developed high muscle strength, the actual muscle mass on his body is relatively low, and so he looks lean, as apposed to bulky.
4) Jormungand uses a glaive as his weapon, and so even when he isn't raging the rapid movement of his long weapon makes his actions appear wild and violent. this is why the Northmen named him after their culture's largest snake.
5) Despite his almost paranoid asumption that all people dislike or even hate him, Jormungand wishes for a sense of companionship, such as a close freind. not the brightest, he doesn't realise that his actions are counter intuitive to his goals. in particular he wishes for another Genasi to talk to, but genasi are the most likely to shun him for his soultype. Eljudni the windsoul genasi is the closest thing he has to this, but she is focused on getting him to stop being so grim, and because of this he considers her somewhere between a rival and a nuesance.
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) Jormungand has no clear goals. the thing that keeps him going is his festering hatred at those around him, and his determination to not be found weak by his 'enemies'. i suppose the best way to put it is he keeps living becuase he's too stubburn to admit he doesn't have a reason to...
2) I'd like Jormungand to be faced with another abysal soultype, and reconsider his position on how he lets his effect his life. whether or not he actually changes his mind will depend on what's happening at the moment, but i'd like him to be given the position where he has to actually stop and think about it.
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.
1) Jormungand tries to hide his causticsoul by hiding behind his developed watersoul. He is not entirely succesful because while his personality becomes less caustic, the festering hatred in his heart is still there. that said only other genasi can see through the rouse without Jormangund slipping. Eljudnicaught on that he was a causticsoul, but has completely ignored the fact, to the point that Jormungand doesn't know that she knows. 2) Unbeknownst to him, there is a proficy that said that Jormungand's actions would "either lead the exiled back to their rightful place, or sentance them to eternal wandering". the genasi who kept this proficy are still unsure what it means, and when Jormungand was born with an abysall soultype, they lamented that the gods had toyed with them so. most of his 'clan' consider him a terrible abomination in the face of this proficy. the only reason he wasn't outright killed at birth was his father was the leader of the clan and couldn't bear the thought of murdering a child, even an abysall child. Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile.
1) Fenrir: a human barbarian who wields a great axe, Fenrir got the title during a raid when he fought like a wild wolf against outnumbering foes. (to be clear, Fenrir was on the raiders' side). Is Jormungand's one and only freind in the world.
2) Jaque Bruant: a perpetually sour sailor who makes his trade as a pirate. the one who raised Jormungand, Jaque was never a father to the poor genasi castaway. if pushed for why he kept 'the brat' around, he will eventually admit to having a soft spot for underdogs, but this soft spot wasn't soft enough for him to show even the smallest kindness to the child, as Jormungand's youth could almost be described as slavery. the two both frown when they see the other, but they manage to only conflict with each other through bouts of 'who can throw the best insult?'. 3) Eljudni Hel: a windsoul genasi, Eljudni (pronounced el*YOU'D*nee) is an explorer who is captivated with an implacable wanderlust. she has traveled south from her homeland via viking raiding ships, and that's how she met Jormungand. her mother was a northwoman, and that is where her name originates, although it is rather too heavy and grim for the owner. Eljudni is a very upbeat and pleasant person to be around, and became Jormungand's self-named rival when she found he was the only person she couldn't make smile. her impulsive wanderlust keeps her traveling across the land, but her obsession with getting Jormungand to take himself less seriously keeps bringing her back to the area. she is secretly a dual-manifestiation genasi, and her second soultype is plaguesoul.
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) always speaks either with sarcasm or with a caustic bite to his words.
2) when fighting, Jormungand is almost entirely silent, prefering a smouldering rage to the more traditional battlecry style of most barbarians.
3) Jormungand's lytheness and fluidity of movement make those not familiar with genasi think he is some kind of sea-elf. Jormungand could care less what race they think he is.
4) Fun Trivia: Fenrir, Jormungand, and Hel are the three children of Loki and Angrboda in norse mythology. they are occationally called Loki's beastly brood (as aposed to his more human-looking children, who are less famous), and are asociated with Ragnarok. additionally, Eljudnir is Hel's hall and home within the Norse worldstructure, and loosely translates to 'hall of the dead'.
Trond Trondson: Minotaur Physician (Warden, Watershaper, Good) 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.
1) "Viking" like, Trond Trondson was named after his father, Trond, who was also named after his father, Trond ect. Like all member of his family (as he knows it) he is required to go a "viking", that his adventure for experiance, profit, and the benifit of his community. Normally this would involve rape, pillage, murder, and a varity of other Evil Minataur deeds.
2) Trond however, is a good doctor. He is the first Doctor in his family, possibly his whole tribe. He learned how to fight from the wilds, his power is in his blood, but he learned how to heal by restoring the many wounds he has suffered. When going viking, Trond seeks to heal and expand his medical knowledge, instead of rape, pillage, plunder.
3)Trond Trondson's family is his inspiration. He loves to tell tails of how is father, and grandfather, ect accomplished great deeds with easy. He might say "MY FATHER, TROND TRONDSON, ONCE KILLED 100 GOBLINS STOMPING ON HIM WITH HIS GREAT HOOF!". This is often done with little context and logic. While Trond may have many big fish stories, he does not have the Charisma, or Intelligance to make them logical and convincing. This also serves a mechanical function, as the DM may make some of Trond Trondsons lies into truths.
4)Trond has a strong affinity with water. While everyone else in his tribe learns to swim and sail boats, Trond can manipulate with water directly. He feels stronger around water, he can swim steadily even in heavy armor, and prefers to feast from the water's bounty. Trond would liken himself to a crocodile, and even confess that he can hear the water speaking to him, but few would take him seriously.
5)Dispite Trond's brash habits, low intelligance, questionable reading skills, Trond is a legitimately good doctor. He could accelerate medical knowledge and practice in any game world his inhabits, but his flaws make others believe he is a fool to be discarded.
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) Trond Trondson goes Viking for the betterment of himself and his community. His tribe is destitute, and their barbaric behaviour has lead to their isolation. Trond knows that great treasures exist, away from his tribe, and if he can impress other people they might treat his tribe with respect or better yet: patronage. He can also bring medical knowledge back to his tribe, ultimately to raise a generation of wise healers.
2) Dispite his constant bragging Trond Trondson knows absoluting nothing about his father. In secret, Trond searches for clues about his fathers, often disguising his questions inside his bragging. Trond would be ashamed if Party members knew he was a bastard.
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.
1)Trond knows nothing of his fathers, a secret Trond would like to keep. He has thus been able to deduce that his father was not a Minataur, but this fact brings only questions, not closure.
2)What Trond doesn't know is his fathers have all suffered a similar life to his own. They have all been born bastards, they have all left their communities for adventure, they have all been paragons of their profession. Such is the life of those cursed with Primordial blood. Each has grown strong, each has mastared elemental water, each has had a child not necessarily of their race, each has abandoned their families, and then each has shed their mortal body to become Primordial. It is a cycle that is a regular as the tides, and it is a cycle Trond can not escape.
Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile.
1)Leaderous the Worldly's stories of other worlds and times enthrall Trond Trondson. The Bard inspires Trond to come up with more elaborate stories about his fathers, but Tronds tails are never as convincing. Trond is attracted to Leaderous' nurse maid Cynthia. This attraction will ultimantly lead to Trond full filling his fate.
2)Bart Roberts was saved by Trond from being executed for "slowing the party down". Trond treats the navigator/janitor with respect, and Roberts treats Trond with fear and respect. Roberts knows that Trond save his life, and knows that Trond is the only one keeping him alive. However Roberts has no love to the adventuring life and doesn't care for the reviling work of cleaning up after the doctor's many "procedures".
3)Blatz never saw eye to eye with Trond Trondson. Trond is loud, Blatz is quite. Trond is patient, Blatz is hurried. Blatz attempted to execute Roberts for "slowing the party down", but Trond objected. They settled the dispute with a bet, and Trond won. Blatz, feeling dejected settled for waiting until he can kill Roberts. The wait only builds their mutual animosity.
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)Constantly brags about his family.
2)Has difficulty reading, and pronoucing words that contain more then 4 syllables.
3)Loves his pet/mount shark "Kawasaki"
If you couldn't tell, I have a lot of fun with this character.
Baelor Nerathi,AKA Baelor the Blessed (human Male, ardent)
Step 1 1) The last surviving member of the Nerathi kings 2) He could be described as the ideal king, raised from birth to be an expert in eveything from politics to war, and with the force of personality needed to get others to follow him 3) A naturally kind person, he prefers to solve problems without resorting to violence if possible, but has strong convictions he is unwilling to abandon. 4) A man of thought as much as action, Baelor often spends his time with his nose in a book, expanding his knowlegde base so he can be a better ruler 5) Is often overcome with strong, but fleeting, emotion.
Step 2 1) Recreate the Nerathi Empire ushering in a golden age for all 2) Short term, to find all the royal regalia of the Nerathi Empire to lend further credence to his claim
Step 3 1) Bealor is not actually the scion of the Nerathi kings. Born Duncan, a poor boy struggling to survive, Duncan was always intensly jealous of those born into wealth and power, and was determined to raise himself up to their level. At the age of 13 he ran away with a local mercenary band where he learned of his abilities as an ardent. Rising up quickly through the ranks, Duncan proved a natural at tactics and strategy. Eventually he earned enough money to leave the band, faked his death, and recreated himself as Baelor the blessed and teaching himself all he would need to know to be the perfect king. 2) Baelor is a sociopath, willing to do whatever is nesscary to achive his goals whole "perfect king" persona was created from whole cloth in order to facilitate his goals. 3) Not everyone was sad to see the Nerathi Empire fall. The Nerathi Empire spread it's borders through conquest as much as diplomacy, and many people still fought to liberate their countries,ultimately hastening the Empire's downfall. The most die hard "freedom fighters" did not settle for just destroying the empire. No those most consumned with revenge met in secret one night after the Empire's fall and swore a pact, to forever hunt down and erase all traces of the Empire, removing it forever from the pages of history.
Step 4 1) John (male, elf) One of Baelor's oldest friends, and the only one he trusted enough to keep in contact with after he became Baelor the blessed, John is the leader of the thieves guild in their old town. With extensive contacts in the criminal underworld, John works with Baelor to help him achieve his dream, both for the promise of future reward as well as true friendship. John is who Baelor goes to whenever he needs to some form of deniability, whether it is the hiring of assasins or the pawning of hot goods. One of their favorite tactics is to hire weak assasins to attack Baelor in order to "stop the rebirth of the Nerathi Empire, in order to establish his credibility as a Nerathi king as well as to show off his martial prowess. 2) The Minstrel Nobody knows the Minstel's real name, what they do know is that he is good at his job. The Minstrel is a profesional in the realm of public opinion, famed both for his abiltity to sway the hearts and minds of the people, as well as his complete discretion. Taking only one job at a time, the Minstrel works throughout the realms to gain support for whatever his client wishes, be that a person, or an idea. With over a thousand different persona's the Minstrel can be anyone from the the village gossip, to a traveling merchant, to the court bard. Wherever people go to get their information, the Minstrel will be their, spreading rumors and gaining support for his client. Currently under the employ of Baelor the Blessed, the Minstrel has already written dozens of songs detailing Baelor's heroic accomplishments, either embellished from the truth or made up on the spot, and turned Baelor into a champion of the people. 3) Lanfear (Female, elf, Lich) The queen of a small elven nation, Lanfear was famed far and wide for her compassion and magical prowess. When the Nerathi Empire sent it's armies to her doorstep she knew that her nation would not be able to resist. Desperate for a way to save her people Lanfear turned to dark and forbidden magics. Hidden deep within her library lay a small black book, no more than a hundred pages. It's very existence hidden from all but a select few, bound within this book weret the darkest magics and most evil rituals that they Fey had ever encountered. Given to Lanfear's ancestor's during the War between the Fey, it was spirited away to the mortal world, to be forever hidden from the drow and anyone else who might use it's dark magics. Lanfear was desperate, however, and attempted to use the knowlegde in the book to save her kingdom. Performing a ritual of ascension, Lanfear tried to harness the necromatic power of a thousand dead souls and transform herself into something more than a god. The ritual failed, and all the souls Lanfear tried to harness exploded out of her instead, killing everything withing in her kingdom, from the mightiest god to the lowliest ant. Only Lanfear survived, mad with grief Lanfear blamed the Empire for "forcing" her to attempt that ritual, and began to seek revenge. Transforming herself into a lich, so she might "ever strike at the hearts of herenemy", Lanfear was one of the founding members of the Censure, and it's current leader. Despite her insanity, Lanfear is still a capable leader, and has led the Censure to the heights of power it currently enjoys. Most of the time projecting an image that she is calm and in control, the mask will sometimes slip when exposed to bad news. At which point she will switch to mad ravings and rants as she promises retribution. She always makes sure to kill anyone who has seen her mask slip, it wouldn't do after all, for the common rabble to see her in such a sorry state.
Step 5 1) Always tries to take the lead in whatever situation he is in (will eventually backed off if someone more suitable for the job is present) 2) Tends not to like over long plans, instead prefering to rely on his gut. 3) Seeks out the leader of any given community or group and attempts to impress them. (so if the leader is a religious one, will engage in lively religious debate, if a military leader, will swap stories of their heroic exploits.)
Hey everyone, I'm fairly new to D&D.. Just looking for some feedback on my character.. Here's my 10 minute background..
A couple of things before it tho, I still haven't come up with a name for the city at the end.. Which is why there's ____ in there.
Also my DM gave me some creative liberties with some bands of Elves in the world, since I do like Elves a lot.. I made 4 bands with seasonal themes (These aren't all the Elves in the world, just 4 different groups).
The Winter Elves of the Great Pine Forest, who are savages and barbarians and totally go against everything an Elf should be.. They live in the northern most forest where it is always snowy, and most trees are dead year round.
The Spring Elves would be High Elves (Not Eladrin, but very close to them). They use magic to keep their forest in a controlled growing season year round.
The Summer Elves are what most people would think of when they think of Wood Elves. Truth be told, there isn't much that's entirely special about them.
(The Summer and Spring Elves I'm still working on, the Winter Elves too of course, but I think Summer and Spring need the most work)
My character is an Autumn Elf from the city in the forest known as Autumnhaven. What you need to know about Autumnhaven that isn't down here is that it is a city built higher up into the trees, where humans have settled on the forest floor. Many human house are built around trees, and flow up from Human architecture to Elven architecture as it goes higher. In the center of the city is the grand palace, buit into the largest tree in the city, called the Autumnkeep.
Wow that was longer than I thought it was gonna be.. Now that that is out of way!
Faelon of Autumnhaven
5 Background Elements
1. Faelon was born in the tree city of Autumnhaven, where his grandfather, The Great Hunter Orion, settled after departing from Faerun, and where his father, Fion, ruled as king.
2. Faelon showed great skill with a bow at an early age, and was taken into the Autumnguard, the Rangers entrusted with to defend the King in the Forest. He has since become an expert tracker and archer, and can was taught how to hide in shadows of forests and dungeons.
3. Autumnhaven was burnt down by demons. Fion ordered Faelon to take some of the Autumnguard as well as anyone they could rescue out of the city. He believes himself to be the only survivor from Autumnhaven however, as well as the Autumnguard’s last member.
4. After the burning of Autumnhaven, Faelon traveled to _____, where he tried to start life a new. He fell in with A Hengeyokai named Vulpe Vulpes, a petty thief in town. However, he found himself still haunted by the burning of the forest, and still lusted for revenge.
5. After a two years of living in _____ Faelon left in the middle of the night, to began tracking and hunting the demons responsible for the destruction of the forest. He left without ever telling Vulpe where he would go.
2 Character Goals
1. I would like to see Faelon finally kill Azazel.
2. Faelon desperately wants to find one survivor from Autumnhaven, so that he can know he did not fail his father’s final order to him.
2 Secrets About The Character
1. Despite being born there, and living there for over a hundred years, Faelon can only remember what Autumnhaven looked like as it was burning.
2. Not all of Autumnhaven was burned completely to the ground, however. The Autumnkeep still stands, and serves as Azazel’s palace in this realm.
3 People Tied To The Character
1. Anarion was a human who lived in Autumnhaven. He was the first human to become apart of the Autumnguard many years after the humans began building their homes around the tree. He was a talented swordsman, and average archer, some would say he might even be above average as far as humans go. Faelon and he were friends, however Faelon believes that he is dead.
2. Vulpe Vulpes is a Fox Hengeyokai from _____. He is a scoundrel who leads a band of thieves in the city. When Faelon came to the city, he saw he had a noble look to him, and tried to steal from him. Faelon caught him, yet did not harm him. Instead, Faelon had Vulpes teach him to thrive in the city as a thief, and the two pulled many jobs together. However, one morning after their biggest heist, Vulpes awoke to find Faelon gone, leaving no indication of where he went, yet leaving his cut behind, leaving Vulpes with the all of their score. He has since become a wealthy trader, and a major power in _____.
3. Azazel is demon from hell who is directly responsible for burning the Autumnhaven. He is known for his ability to change appearance, but is always distinguishable by his yellow eyes.
3 Memories, Mannerisms, Or Quirks
1. Faelon is still haunted by the burning of the forest, and he ofthen has nightmares of the day the forest burned
2. Faelon hates the smell of burning leaves and wood, even campfires.
3. Faelon mistrusts Tieflings ever since one snuck into the Autumnkeep, and slit his grandfather Orion’s throat.
Duke – Human Barbarian 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) Duke’s father Gauron was a commander in service to Sigurd and his mercenary warband the Immortal Blade. His mother Nandi was a high class courtesan with roots in a noble family based in the wealthy city of Heavens Ledge. When Nandi discovered she was with child she sent word to the Immortal Blade.
A group of Demogorgon cultists following an ancient prophecy and receiving visions by performing sacrificial rituals believed Nandi was due to have twins. Seeing this as a sign from their demonic god they plotted to kidnap Nandi so that they might raise the children themselves. Shortly before she was due to give birth she was taken by the Cult.
The Immortal Blade organised a rescue mission however their efforts were in vain. By the time they arrived Nandi was already dead, murdered in part of a demonic ritual. The Cult’s work was not complete however, they attempted to escape and complete the ritual at a later date. Duke was fortunate enough to be rescued however at a cost. His father had been mortally wounded during the skirmish and with his dying breath had Sigurd vow to look over Duke, his only heir, till he is of age. As for Duke’s twin the Cult have raised him as one of their own and seek to complete the ritual that was interrupted that fateful day.
2) He is an orphan. Following the death of his father he was adopted by his godfather Sigurd, and became a mercenary in the Immortal Blade. Duke spent his childhood in service to his godfather on numerous battlefields. Shortly after Duke started to have recurring nightmares the warband was subject to frequent attacks by strange creatures and cultists. Rumour spread that Duke was cursed following the circumstances of his birth. The stories festered within the hearts and minds of the other mercenaries. Sigurd kept his word and concealed his true feelings till Duke was considered a man on his 16th year. At which point Duke was ostracized by his godfather on threat of death should he ever return.
3) Having been outcast he now plies his trade as a sword for hire. He generally prefers to pick and choose his tasks however is not above getting his hands dirty.
4) Duke has few friends nowadays, usually preferring to work alone. He has a good relationship with a local blacksmith, a Minotaur named Ovid who forged his current equipment and his strange companion and agent Titan the Warforged Doll who often lives in whatever pouch or pocket he finds comfortable.
5) Described as a well built and muscular man standing 6 foot 3 inches tall. He wears armour made from leather and reinforced hide that allows for ease of movement and wields a large fullblade nicknamed Thanatos.
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) Duke seeks to discover the cause of his nightmares. Was his godfather right? Is he truly cursed?
2) Develop his relationship with the other party members and his story.
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 centre 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) Duke often has recurring nightmares where he sees himself in the midst of demons and speaking in tongues. It is due to these dreams that his godfather those of the Immortal Blade suspected him of being cursed.
2) Despite the ritual being interrupted it has had an affect on the twins. Duke’s nightmares are a side effect of the ritual. During times of rest the twins have visions of each others conscious experiences. The Cult track Duke by analysing his twin’s dreams. Duke however is unaware of his twin’s existence and is thus oblivious to this fact.
3) His rages are also a side effect of the interrupted ritual. He has been influenced by the destructive personality of Demogorgon’s head Hethradiah, whereas his twin’s personality has been affected by the deceptive traits of Aameul.
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) Twin – Human - Warlock - Unknown
Duke’s identical twin, how has he been influenced by the cult? Is he a willing pawn, a cult leader or does he fight against their will?
2) Sigurd – Human - Warlord - Hostile/Neutral
He is the leader of the Immortal Blade mercenaries, the man who raised Duke from birth and taught him the way of the sword. Sigurd always looked down on his adopted son. Part of him hesitated to cast Duke out though he would never admit that to anyone.
3) Titan - Warforged Doll – Rogue - Friendly
Given life by a potent rune of power, Titan is a 4 inch tall statue made from a strong metallic compound. He latched onto Duke during one of his missions and often lives within one of his pouches. He considers himself Duke’s agent and is his closest companion.
4) Ovid – Minotaur – Runepriest – Friendly
Ovid is a talented blacksmith with skill in forging magical properties into his wares. He knows what its like to fight with your own inner demons and has taken a liking to Duke. He forged Duke’s armour and weapons he is currently adventuring with.
5) The Immortal Blade – Various – Various – Hostile/Neutral
They are a well known and feared group of mercenaries. Many of which were of the opinion Duke should have been murdered in his sleep, their hands were only stayed by the wrath of Sigurd, now Duke is no longer one of them however…
6) The Cult – Various – Various - Hostile
Demon consorting cultists who worship Demogorgon, they seek to track down Duke and complete the ritual interrupted decades ago.
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 flavour.
1) Godfather casting him out. Confused and frustrated he was forged to abandon all he knew of face the end of their blades.
2) Duke is a closed off and private person who does not make friends easy following his expulsion. If his friendship is gained however he is of a warmer disposition.
3) Confident and imposing he is not normally one to back down from opposition unless it is in his favour to do so.
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.
1) Tall and broad-shouldered, brick-red with a blue nose, boasts thick sideburns and thinning hair with a sharp widow's peak pulled back into a ponytail.
2) Is an orphan, in a sense. Though raised comunally by the religious caste like all Hobgoblins, Haruuc is notably the last of the Vra'taash clan in his tribe.
3) Has a bizarre love/hate complex towards his current superior. He idolizes him as an ideal leader, but he despises him and seeks to surpass him in rank and reputation.
4) In his adolescence, he had a brief stint as an enforcer for an organized crime syndicate, during which he distinguished himself as loyal, efficient, and most unmerciful.
5) Seeks to return Goblinkind to a place of prominence in the world, envious of the apparent affluence of the other humanoid races.
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 seeks to amass fame and fortune through the mercenary band he's currently with. He plans on using these resources to sieze land and form a sustainable nation for Goblinkind.
2) I hope for Haruuc to discover and have to come to terms with the lineage of Clan Vra'taash.
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.
1) Haruuc hides the fact, almost to the point of denial, that he idolizes his Eladrin commander as much as he despises him. He finds the fey to be despicable, and holding one in such high regard shames him greatly. 2) The reason Haruuc is an orphan is because Clan Vra'taash, sympathizing with the fey, attempted a violent coup against the tribe's leaders. In the wake of slaughter, the few surviving Vra'taash fled into the Feywild, but Haruuc had to be left behind. Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile.
1) Rhaano Vra'taash: Rhaano is the twin brother of Haruuc, who was taken away by their parents as they fled the Rippers' wrath. He has since had a falling out with his family, longing but being unable to rejoin his race. He believes his long-lost brother stands alone as a proud Vra'taash Hobgoblin, and thus he seeks him out.
2) The Eladrin Commander (yet to be named by the DM): The commander of the mercenary group the party belongs to. Haaruc secretly reveres him as the ideal commander, but he fears how his kindred would view this respect. He tries to channel his frustration through competition, but often the pressure boils over as bigotry and confrontational behavior. 3) Galtai Vra'taash: Haruuc's father and head of the wayward Clan Vra'taash. Like most of the living clan members, Galtai has descended into madness, now heading a heretical cult worshipping Corellon. He believes that Corellon created Goblinkind in the same fashion as he did the Elven races, and that the Fey were meant to rule Goblinkind as the Formorians do their Cyclops slaves.
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) His full name, as per Hobgoblin procedure: Haruuc Vra'taash-kon of the Rippers, Mercenary.
2) Has a very strict personal bubble and will immediately lash out if someone enters it unpermitted. NO ONE is exempt from this rule.
3) Outside of his race, Haruuc loves authority and will do anything to enforce it. He's not above bullying his comrades into obedience.
4) Has a brutal-looking scar on his back. This is the result of the initiation into the organized crime syndicate Haruuc worked for in his youth. The idea was that anyone who joins should be willing to follow any order, even if blatantly suicidal. In this case, Haruuc had to let his superior-to-be carve a massive wound into his back and survive on his own endurance. Haruuc remembers this fondly as a testament to his dedication and tolerance to pain.
My character, not yet in play. Hopefully will be able to find a campaign for him soon! Let me know what you think of his background story and what I need to fix, please and thank you!
Background Story
Character Name: Elurion Di'ren ("World-Eater") Class: Assassin-Executioner Alignment: Neutral Deity: Raven Queen/Zehir Race: Shadar-Kai Height: 5'8" Weight: 170lbs Age: 23 years old Eye Color: Black/White (Right Eye) Hair Color: Black Distinguishing Features: Tattoos all over body (Neck, Throat, Forearms, Chest, Stomach, Sides, Back, Legs, Head, etc.), long scar over right eye(Right eye is white), "Snake-Bite" piercings, Campaign: Not assigned one yet.
Step 01:
1) Elurion Di'ren is quiet and mostly keeps to himself, but he will also mutter to himself about different things. If any of his fellow party members ask about his past or about his tattoos, he tells them "Its not for you to know." and ends it at that.
2) Elurion was born in the Shadow-Fell, but moved to the Shrouded Pass Citadel to start a new life and get away from the foul memories of when he was young and his village was attacked by legions of undead and the Lich King who commanded them.
3) Elurion has a Shadow Hound that serves him as a loyal companion and follows him everywhere, unless Elurion tells him to stay behind or to scout ahead. They can talk to each other through telepathy and often don't speak out loud to one another.
4) Elurion seems to not want to go back to the Shadowfell, although he must every once in awhile so that he can "crow" about his accomplishments outside of the Shadowfell and assert his position within the Shadar-Kai society.
5) Elurion got the long scar over his right eye, when he was just a youngling and his village was attacked by hordes of the undead that were lead by a great Lich King by the name of ___________. Elurion vowed to exterminate any undead that crossed his path and to hunt down those who seek to rule over the undead; Vampire Lords, Lich's, etc.
6) Elurion is also known as the "World-Eater" by the Shadar-Kai, because his ambition and determination to become the strongest and best of the Shadar-Kai. He takes being a Shadar-Kai to a whole other level and is feared, even amongst his own people. He is stealthy and courageous. People fear saying his name, because they think it will mark them next to fall to his poisoned blades. He appears from the shadows without a sound and leaves without a trace.
7) Elurion believes that when he kills, he is sending the souls of his prey directly to the Raven Queen.
Step 02:
1) Elurion seeks to exterminate the undead and those that wish to usurp the Raven Queen's throne (Orcus).
2) Elurion wants the Lich King who attacked his village and scarred him to die by his blade. He will stop at nothing to hunt down the Lich King and have him kneeling before him, as Elurion executes him.
Step 03:
1) Elurion Di'ren is a member of the Guild of Shadows, where he is a hired Assassin for the Guild. He is often hired out to assassinate Undead Lords, that are seeking to raise the undead to usurp the Raven Queen's throne or to envelope the world in a complete darkness.
2) The Lich King that once attacked Elurion's village is actually is Elurion's father, who was trying to exterminate his son to gain an ancient ritual that Vecna promised him. The Lich King failed, but he is still plotting on how to kill his son and gain the ancient ritual. Elurion doesn't know that the Lich King was once his Father, his Mother has only ever told him that his Father was a great Shadar-Kai warrior who fell in battle to the Lich King. (I plan on giving a more detailed backstory on why his father decided to become a Lich).
Step 04:
1) __________; the Lich King (Hostile): __________; The Lich King, is Elurion's Father and his most hated enemy. Elurion doesn't know that the Lich King is also his Father...
2) Guild Master: ___________ :The Guild Master _____________; trained Elurion in the Assassin ways and taught him, his use of deadly poisons. He often sends Elurion coded messages about his next "targets".
3) Can't think of another one at this moment.
Step 05:
1) Elurion remembers when the legions of undead, controlled by the Lich King attacked his village within the Shadowfell. He remembers the ruin that was left, he remembered the screams of his people that fell to the undead monsters. He remembers when his eye was sliced and the cruel laugh of the Lich King that he heard while the Lich tried to kill him.
2) Elurion remembers his first "target" and remembers how that kill made him feel. He felt powerful, he thirsts for his "prey's" blood and longs to send their souls to the Raven Queen.
3) Whenever Elurion gets information about his next "target", he learns all he can about that being and dispatches them as soon as possible. So that way he can move on to the next job. When he executes his victims, he often says to them before they die, "I may have the pleasure of killing you, but my Queen has the pleasure of keeping your soul." (Or something to the effect of that.)
Well, let's see if I know her half as well as I think I do…
Kat of the Vaelhas Forest Human female Seeker
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) Kat was raised among her father's Adventuring Company, practicing to be a ranger like her father.
2) After much begging, the thirteen-year-old Kat was allowed to go on a mission with the company: Providing added security to a prisoner being taken to trial in a large city to the south.
3) A few days into their journey, in the middle of the forest of Vaelhas, the group was attacked by a pack of wolves. Kat was one of three survivors of that attack. One of the other survivors was the prisoner they were escorting, who made his escape during the fighting.
4) While the girl was weeping, alone and afraid, a fox spirit came and comforted her. It explained that it was a spirit charged with protecting Vaelhas Forest and a certain tree in particular. The tree had borne a single seed, its first in millennia, when her party had entered the woods. One of them had stolen the seed, which provoked the wolf pack, but the seed was not found among the dead.
5) Over the ensuing years, the forest spirit trained Kat as a hunter, able to call on the spirits of the forest, and those of any location in which she may find herself. The forest spirit tasked her with hunting down the other survivors to find the seed and bring it home, warning her that the consequences would be dire if the seed were planted in the wrong place or worse, destroyed.
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) Kat's goal is to find the seed to the world tree and punish whoever stole it.
2) I would like to see her naturally become a less coarse person. She's currently very curt and agoraphobic. Getting her to where she likes her current party members rather than simply respecting their battle prowess would be ideal.
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) Kat's father stayed behind when he let his daughter journey into the woods with the prisoner. He no doubt believes her dead with everyone else. By the time Kat had an opportunity to leave the forest, she chose to head south after her quarries, not north to reunite with her past.
2) The Forest Spirit refused to explain to Kat exactly what the importance was of the seed. It was adamant that consequences of not recovering it would be dire, but what they would be was never made clear. It will 'end the world' in one sense, though whether that's a literal death of the world or the dawning of a 'new era' is unclear (and probably depends on exactly what happens with the seed).
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) The Spirit of Vaelhas Forest always appeared to Kat as a fox, solid and warm if she ever needed companionship, larger than life and insubstantial when it needed to speak with the authority of a teacher or liege lord.
2) Kat's father
--The following are the other two survivors of the attack. I deliberately left their guilt or innocence in my DM's hands because I wanted it to be a surprise when/if I hunt down one of them and to give him the freedom to work either or both of them into his larger plot.--
3) Silvertongue: One of the two survivors, an unusually well-spoken Half-Orc. During his time with Kat's father's Adventuring Company, he claimed to be a Paladin of Bahamut, though she would not be surprised (and in fact, assumes) to find this was a lie, since he may have gotten the Company killed for some nefarious purpose.
4) "The Hook Horror" was an old man when the Company agreed to transport him to his trial. He must be ancient by now. In his younger days, he was a rogue and a cutthroat, feared for his hook-shaped daggers and his tendency to take 'trophies' from his victims, which he used in depraved rituals exhorting Ioun for knowledge. He was caught attempting to disguise himself as a priest, so hiding among the clergy again does not seem unlikely.
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) Having been away from people for seven years (and, in the time before that, among coarse, unsavory mercenaries), Kat is extremely uncomfortable among people. She prefers to camp and hunt outside of cities while her party sleeps in inns. She is indifferent to money and other treasures found while adventuring, though she grudgingly admits they're usefulness.
2) She has no problem responding with violence and drawing a bone knife at the slightest provocation (especially where that smug, grabby rogue was involved&hellip
3) She tries to understand the 'spirit of a place', trying to feel how all the living pieces fit together. This is part of why she finds cities so baffling. All the life in the cities are parasites, not predators or prey. From her outsiders perspective, everyone simply crams together trying to feed off of everyone else. She can't fathom why peopl clump up without room to run or hunt or forage when there's a vast wilderness all around their cramped forests of stone trees, why they don't simply leave and survive on their own if they're all so miserable in the city.
Name: Tilorn Kain Allignemet: Lawful good Class: Cleric
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) He is a war priest, leading human forces against the forces of chaos and destruction.
2) He is stoic, tall and strong from the constant fighting in the past 20 years.
3) A man of few words, speaking only when spoken to outside of combat.
4) He has many scars across his body, none that stand out, and none on his face.
5) Years of rigorous training and discipline changed his everyday life and distanced him from the common vices of Man.
6) After spending so much time in various ruined temples, deep tunnels of ancient times and races, a voice appeared in his head that's not his own. As time goes, he has to fight harder and harder to retain his sanity.
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 is sent by his church on a journey to find a great weapon to help against the ever invading hordes of demons.
2) After an epic battle of some sort, a divine intervention takes place that, if he is judged worthy, transcends him to divine status.
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) Slowly loosing sanity, as the voice in his head is slowly spreading seeds of corruption and hatred.
2) No memory of his origin or life before joining the church.
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) My mentor, very old even when I first met him, taught me all I know and has shown me the path to righteousness.
2) The emperor, who I never met in person, is the sole reason of my existance, apart from God. One day, I wish to be able to stand by his side.
3) My greatest enemies, heretics, blasphemers and the corrupted. My whole life I fought against them, knowing no rest.
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) Wearing a holy symbol around his neck, in dire moments he grabs it and shouts: "For the Emperor!".
2) Never being with a woman his whole life, he gets nervous when approached by women.
3) His most prized memory, the day the Emperor spoke to the people of the church, issuing the order that sent him on his mission.
Thom was living (more like surviving) in a small cottage, with a small plot of land he tilled and his small, yet fiery, wife and even smaller baby girl, Rebeka. When they went into town one day to sell some stockpiled goods, a skirmish between a would-be thief and Thom broke out, catching the eye of a King’s-Man. This man, Demetri Skarsgad, noticed Thom’s remarkable natural fighting ability and approached him with an offer to join the King’s Army as a soldier. Good, quick pay for someone with obvious natural talent as a warrior. Thom agreed, on the condition that his wife and child would get the money directly.
During his training, Thom found he was much better than Demetri led on, even potentially being better (with time) than his instructor, Master-at-Arms Geros, who had years of campaigning experience before Thom even met his wife. He showed skill with all manner of weapons, his weapon of choice was a huge, two-handed great sword. Then the King called his soldiers to the field in a war over trading routes. Thom was able to visit his wife and young child before heading to war. As he left, his wife gave him a violet silk band that she used to tie her hair up while working. Throughout the war, Thom kept this token on him, tied to his bracers. Arrows seemed to always miss him, blows from sword and axe and spear and mace seemed to always be a glancing blow, so long as he wore that token his loving wife gave him.
Then came the fateful day his commanding officer ordered him to kill the opposing general’s family that they had captured. He disobeyed, not wanting to tear apart a family when his own was just beginning to start. Instead, Thom struck off his commander’s head with a single slash, stole his prized horse and rode hard back to his small cottage.
When he arrived, he saw a horse he recognized: Demetri Skargad’s horse. Thom kicked open the door into his own house, only to find his loving wife in bed with Demetri. With a roar to put a lion to shame, he threw himself at Demetri, smashing the man’s face in with a single blow. His wife tried to stop him leaving a deep gouge over his left eye, so he backhanded her so hard, he broke her neck. The snap of her neck brought him back to reality and out of his rage. He fell to the floor at her side, cradling her broken form in his lap. When he stumbled from the cottage, he remembered his little girl. He searched desperately for her, but could not find her. Then he saw a small gravestone, on the very fringe of his land. That was the moment Thom ceased to exist. A soul-wrenching, mind-splitting scream erupted from his throat. When the scream died away, all that remained was a large form in chainmail and a pitted great sword, a hollow husk of what used to be a caring man, husband and father.
When Thom returned to his cottage, he found Demetri and his horse gone. He put the cottage and his field to the torch, and watched the flames reduce his old life to ash. Thom left in pursuit of Demetri, the fires still burning behind him.
1. After several years of wandering, selling his sword to the highest buyer, with feeling nothing but rage, memories of feelings begin to surface. Thom tries to suppress these memories, not being able to bear the pain that they bring, yet he yearns for feeling something besides this core-deep fury.
2. Thom’s main goal is to see Demetri Skarsgad dead by his own hand, along with the King who took him away from his budding family.
1. Thom’s biggest secret is that he still carries his wife’s violet silk band on him. Most people don’t notice it, for it is forever stained with blood as it is now the grip on his sword.
2. Unbeknownst to Thom, his daughter Rebeka is still alive. When Thom’s wife first took Demetri to bed, Rebeka was appalled at her mother for betraying her father. At the age of 8, Demetri threw her from the house and pronounced her dead, telling everybody a wild animal had ravaged her. In the forest, an elven hermit found her dehydrated, starving and exhausted. He took her in and raised her to be a very skilled druid.
Friends: About a year after Thom disobeyed a direct order, killed a superior officer and discovered his wife’s infidelity, Master-at-Arms Geros found him in a tavern after a very long and tiring search. Thom thought Geros was there to kill him, when in reality Geros came of his own freewill after disobeying his own orders to kill innocents. They travelled together for several seasons until old age finally crept up on Geros and he could not dodge an arrow in time, punching through his armor and severing his spine from his pelvis. Thom carried him to the next town, and got Geros set up in a small house with a local serving girl to help him survive. Every so often, when Thom’s campaigning brings him close by he stops in to check on him.
Enemy: Demetri Skarsgad told the king of what happened, and by then news of Thom’s insubordination reached his ears as well, so the king put out a notice: Thom was to be killed on sight for murder, stealing a horse and disobeying a direct order. Proof of death would bring the slayer of this man 1000 gold. Bounty hunters are constantly accosting Thom everywhere he goes.
Since losing his family, Thom has experience very little memories of his past. The most vivid that brings both fleeting moments of happiness and pain is the day Rebeka was born and he held her in his hands the first time.
A habit that Thom picked up in his training, that still stuck with him through the war and his campaigns since is popping his neck from side to side, first the right then the left.
