Community

I apologize if some of this ends up needing changes because I have just as much info about 4th as you do, but this is the storyline for a helper NPC for my 4th edition campaign.  I thought it was really cool and wanted to share it with someone but my PC's will probably only uncover small pieces, so I share it with you guys!

I'll give you some extra pieces of info that don't quite fit in the story:  The Brittlebones family is so named because they tended to be spellcasters, Brittle got his nickname because he was injured frequently as a child.  In case it isn't obvious, Thoreau is Brittle.  Also, the Eladrin, Sia, is the sister of my Mom's character.  Here goes!



Thoreau Brittlebones, Halfling Feypact? Warlock
Age: 40?

At the age of twenty, Brittle’s family riverboat suddenly disappeared into a rift to the Feywild.  Brittle and his family were taken aback by the beauty of the realm and so awed that they didn’t realize that the other riverboats were no longer around them.  As they passed beneath the shadow of a great tree, there was a sudden warm breeze that brought with it an unimaginable sense of dread.  Brittle’s mother’s head rolled across the floor of the boat and a decrepit old man appeared wielding a great scythe and wearing a blood red cap.  The rest of that day is a bloody haze in Brittle’s mind.  When he began to remember again, he lived among the Gnomes.  The Gnomes were always happy and gleeful, but they indulged in some strange blood sports.  A beautiful Eladrin female, Sia, from which they would hide their more malicious tendencies, often visited them.

In his dreams, two luminescent butterflies visited Brittle.  A yellow one, named Laat and a purple one named Naat.  They gave him directions to find the “Bleeding Stump” and told him that once he found it, ultimate power and vengeance for his family would be granted.  They also instructed him to bring his “brother” Delmore, as he would need help.

Upon arrival at the foretold destination, there was no stump at all, only a very beautiful tree.  Luminescent berries hung from its branches and dripped droplets of glowing liquid onto the ground.  Delmore stuck out his tongue to catch one of the droplets and remarked that it was the sweetest honey he had ever tasted.

“We must cut it down,” said Brittle in a deep, violent tone.

“But why?!  This is fantastic, we must harvest its berries and grow mo-“  -Brittle’s hacksaw cut deep into Delmore’s throat.  The Gnome’s eyes rolled back and his body crumpled in a lifeless heap at the foot of the tree.

-“Well, at least now I know why they had me bring him along.”

For three days Brittle sawed into the tree, its fruit slowly withering as he did.  He tore off a piece of Delmore’s shirt to patch the hole in his neck and keep some of the blood in.

Sia walked down her usual path to visit the Gnomes.  An emaciated and pale Brittle met her near the halfway point and insisted he had something fantastic to show her.  Sia worried about the appearance of the Halfling, but he seemed very pleased with himself and so she followed intently.

Sia’s heart sank when she saw the tree her father had planted when she was born cut down.  She began to weep as she noticed the blood and entrails strewn about the tree and began to realize the danger she was in.

-“And so shall you be cut down.”

The Butterflies had revealed the truth of that fateful day, the day that the Gnomes had killed Brittle’s family.  They had also trapped the Butterflies within Sia’s tree, so of course she had to die.  And what better way to rid the Feywild of the Gnomes than to incite the wrath of the Eladrin against them?

When the last Gnome of that tribe fell cold and lifeless, Brittle’s pact was complete.  He could now call upon the powers of the Feywild to do his bidding…as long as he fed enough souls to the Butterflies.

Lemme know what you think!

Some things were left intentionally vague because there are some things that Brittle does not know, has blocked from his mind, or has been misled about. In order to be in the mind of the character, I kept these vague.

Apparently the murder of his family was so brutal that he blocked it out of his memory, it still affects his mind in negative ways though. Also of note, I imagined this being a larger family group than just father, mother, etc. More like a small clan.

1 - I used the ages from 3.5 and chose one that seemed young for a Halfling. The Gnomes may or may not have killed his family and decided to keep him either out of pity or out of whimsy.

2a - The sport killing of the Gnomes doesn't matter to Brittle, I was just trying to express that the Gnomes are capable of some bizarre stuff. It isn't even clear to Brittle how long this has gone on, he quit remembering things for possibly several years. He follows the suggestions of the Butterflies unquestioningly because his mind has been warped by the past happenings and by the Butterflies themselves. Its possible that they orchestrated the entire ordeal to get revenge on the Gnomes.

2b - Again, Butterfly influence, the tree represents Sia and Sia represents the tree, the Butterflies hate both of them because they were imprisoned within the tree, its just convenient that this enables them to frame and kill the Gnomes so easily.

3 - The ease he shows in killing his "brother" is just proof of the Butterflies influence on his mind and the fact that after all this, he's just plain crazy. I didn't really make it clear how long they had influenced his mind because he was not always aware of it.

I guess I should have noted that this was originally written just to "get into character" myself and not meant for anyone else to read. I definitely appreciate your interest and I hope my answers cleared some of that up.

Just to add to the end there, he eventually winds up on the material plane and starts acting mostly normal, the Butterflies can apparently influence him more in the Feywild and this further shows that they were influencing him a lot while he was there.

Dreamstryder wrote:

That does clear some things up. I wonder what Thoreau would think after discovering that he can be manipulated in something like a drugged state on one plane and is fairly himself on the other, especially since the border between the two can be accidentally crossed. Would he be afraid of the butterflies' control, or grateful that their aims currently run roughly concurrent with his own? This, I like.

He's none the wiser about it. He knows what he did and he knows that he isn't in the same mind state, but he still did it and has to live with it. As far as he knows, he acted out his own will, and though some times he regrets it, he remains a little power drunk and believes that the Butterflies helped him a great deal. What evil influence he does believe may have existed, he merely blames on the Feywild in general. This ends up creating I guess a "Smeagle"-like character that will probably act normal if a little jumpy until the Butterflies get antsy for some bloodshed.

I'm really curious of the ramifications of Valentina (Mom's character) finding out some things about what happened to her sister while traveling with this guy.

Oh, and I guess the main thing I left out (but I think you got it anyway) is that the Butterflies are a very powerful influence. I wanted to write a little more, but I have to go. Nice talking with you.