Cyrus' Backstory

Full Name: Cyrus Dythan (adopted name)
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Height: 6' 6"
Weight: 305 lb.
Hair: Black
Skin: White
Eyes: Icy Blue
Body Build: Solid
Distinguishing Features: Unusual ice-blue eye color, Turathi slave brand on his chest

Cyrus was born in the former territories of Arkhosia, in the early stages of the empire's resurrection, on a continent to the south of Titania, across the Strait of Dragons. He knows little of the dark days the dragonborn faced before this point in time; an only child, he lost his parents at a very early age, and was taken in by Dythan's Legion, a 500-man army groomed by its leader, Legatus ("General") Darius Dythan, as an imperial expeditionary force. Cyrus took to his training as a squire of the legion, and by his teenage years, he was a bona-fide legionary himself.

By his 16th year, Cyrus had become one of Dythan's most trusted soldiers: Dythan was with the group that first found young Cyrus, and became as a surrogate father to him. Cyrus was raised primarily by Thaenar ("Major") Cairith, Dythan's wife. Though his youth held his ascension in check, Cyrus managed to attain the rank of Farang ("Sergeant"). The most tragic incident of his youth came when he and Cairith were scouring the Moon Hills for artifacts, not long after Cyrus had been promoted - they encountered a pack of dark drakes, vile beasts of shadow and death. Cyrus & Cairith were alone, and they fought bravely - but in the end, Cairith fell. Cyrus survived, having fled at Cairith's urging, but he grappled with that retreat, something he continues to do even today.

To Cyrus' surprise, Dythan handled Cairith's death with little ceremony - aside from a token funerary service, it seemed he did not care that she had died. He was more concerned with their failure to locate any artifacts: when Cyrus confronted Dythan about his lack of concern over the death of one of his most trusted officers, Dythan discharged Cyrus from the legion. Stripped quite quickly of his purpose in life, Cyrus took the first job he could - a job as a bodyguard for an Arkhosian dignitary by the name of Zanuss, who had himself been disgraced and was being shipped off to the ruins of Io'vanath, a former dragonborn colony.

Cyrus served with the dedication and loyalty he'd learned in Dythan's Legion, and after a decade of service, he is a personal friend to Zanuss. With the recent surge of Arkhosian interest in Io'vanath, Cyrus is as busy as ever. With the Wintersend Assembly imminent, he has spent most of him time with Zanuss in Falconia. Though he resents Dythan for discharging him, he tells no one of his true feelings, not even Zanuss, for his upbringing as a soldier precludes him from believing he has the right to do so. He is a moral, good-hearted individual who believes in duty, but also believes that the mission should not be completed at the cost of the individual - he is loathe to compromise his morals or endanger others to accomplish his goals. He carries with him the permanent mark of a Turathi slave, a brand all members of Dythan's Legion are given as a reminder of their history, in the center of his chest.

Amnon's Backstory

Full Name: Amnon Eskandarian
Gender: Male
Age: 33
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 165
Hair: Black
Skin: Pale red
Eyes: White
Body Build: Average
Distinguishing Features: Carries a red orb clasped in a dismembered vrock's talons known as the Crimson Orb of Marothal

The story of Amnon begins with the story of the red orb he carries and its heritage. His family, the Eskandarians, were one of the founding families of Vulkannen's wizard guild. Lord Marothal Eskandarian was a wizard who once used a powerful implement, depleted of its power when he died, which was passed down through the generations of the Eskandarian family - this implement is known as the Crimson Orb of Marothal. Through each generation, the owner of the orb would pass it down to their most favored child, along with their blessing (usually in the form of a greater amount of wealth than what was given to the other children).

Subsequently, this orb was passed down to Amnon's father, Akmenos Eskandarian, much to the dismay of his siblings. Finding Akmenos to be cunning, cold, ambitious, manipulative, and unsympathetic, Amnon's grandfather found Akmenos to be the perfect heir to the Eskandarian name, and the greatest hope to bring that name to new heights of power. Becuase of this, Akmenos was isolated from the rest of the family, and developed a condescending and arrogant view against the rest of his family.

Throughout his life, Akmenos did acrew a great means of wealth, but with it, a great deal of enemies. He had only one wife (later dieing of disease, although many suspected foul play by Akmenos himself), and one heir to the orb, his son Barakas. Six years after Amnon's birth, a rich family of merchants, known as the Graymantles, had decided they had enough of Akmenos' political and militaristic stifiling of their profits, and decided to do something about it. They hired a group of assassins through the Cult of Zehir. The assassins were thorough, killing both Akmenos and Barakas, ensuring there would be no retaliation, or anyone to inherit Akmenos' holdings - but Akmenos has another son.

Written out as part of his will, Akmenos expressed a deep hatred for his son, Barakas, describing him as weak, and unfit for the Eskandarian name. In this letter, he described another son recently brought to his attention, living within the poorest section of the Wards, Vulkannen's primary residential quarter. As a final insult to the rest of his family, he belligerently gave the orb away to this illegitimate son to spite the son he so hated and the family he so looked down upon. Amnon was born to Bryseis Grisepian, a poor tiefling who would sometimes turn to prostitution to make ends meet. Throughout his life, Amnon never knew who his father was, or that he was heir by blood to such a fortune.

The orb was brought to him by some prominent mages connected to the Eskandarian family who Akmenos had made executors of his holdings - they relayed the story of his heritage to him. They quickly discovered, however, that this young child had an affinity for magic. Some thinking it to be fate, some the will of the gods, and others, the will of the orb itself, that the only, and most unlikely heir their legacy, also be gifted with magical talent, took it upon themselves to enlist him within the ranks of the wizard's guild. Though Amnon wanted to keep the name of his mother, they insisted he carry on their family's name. They also agreed to comfortably finance his mother for the rest of her life, if he agreed. So for over two decades Amnon trained in the magical arts.

Throughout his training he became friends with a high ranking member of the guild, Archmage Sirilis Starsburden, a female eladrin who specialized in enchantment and illusion. She shared with Amnon views and opinions unpopular with the guild as a whole, and eventually took him on as her own personal apprentice. She explained to Amnon that throughout its history the guild had more and more continued to stifle,  restrict, and regulate itself from the true potential of the power they could attain. She explained how the Eskandarians were once not limited to such rules, and had a deep desire to test the boundries of all magical fields to their fullest extent.

Though he not fully convinced of his own opinions on this matter, he shared a deep respect and agreement of her teachings, but never acted upon them against the guild's wishes. Amnon had eventually become a somewhat respected member of the guild, and had taken on many an assignment for them. Unbeknownst to the guild however, he was also set upon secret assignments for Sirilis. Though the purpose of these assignments were unclear, they never yielded the results she was looking for. Until one day, Sirilis said that she had found what she was looking for. "A new era is rising, a time of great reckoning, and purification is at hand!" she exclaimed. With that she once again set forth Amnon in secret, explaining that he was to go alone, and seek out any information regarding the recent outbreak of necromatic activites. Along with this he was to bring back proof of this powerful necromatic magic.

With this, Amnon set off to Falconia, seeking both information and funding for his newly assigned quest, not knowing what he will yet find or what will become of it.

Deckard's Backstory

Full Name: Deckard Daleborn

Gender: Male

Age: 25

Height: 5'6"

Weight: 220 lb.

Hair: Brown

Skin: Light Tan

Eyes: Hazel

Body Build: Athletic

Distinguishing Features: Carries a letter bearing his father's last wishes, covers his face with a leaf-like camouflage paint

Deckard was born in the city of Highroad to House Daleborn, a minor noble house in Highroad responsible for overseeing the maintenance of the city's beautiful parks and nature preserves. House Daleborn was unique in that it was the only human house responsible for such a task; all the others were half-elven, and indeed most of those who worked for House Daleborn were half-elves. Deckard's father was Micah Daleborn, and his mother was Caite Daleborn. His mother died giving birth to Deckard and his twin brother, Marian.

The two boys were raised to have an appreciation of nature, primarily under the care of their half-elf nanny Ieris. Deckard loved the parks, and took to the appreciation well - Marian was not so appreciative. As the boys matured, Marian became more and more ambitious, driving his father to seek greater standing. Deckard, on the other hand, became less interested in his family's dealings and more interested in the wonders of nature. Ieris trained him in the ways of the druid, and before long Deckard learned to summon an animal companion, a bear he named Misha. Deckard and his bear became a common sight around Highroad's parks and the Daleborn manor.

Deckard's life went on largely carefree until his father's health began to sour. The question began to arise in House Daleborn - which of Micah's sons would rule over the house when he passed? Most of the Daleborn servants felt Deckard held the house's duty closest at heart, but Marian, with his wild ambition, seemed to be more interested in the task. When Micah was ready to pass, he called Marian and Deckard to his side. He informed them of his decision, which was to have both sons rule the house in his absence - Marian would carry the formal title, and Deckard would see to the house's affairs. Micah provided Deckard with a letter confirming this information. Already an introverted young man, Deckard seemed to withdraw further with the passing of his father.

With no interest in the concerns of House Daleborn, Deckard kept the letter to himself and conceded rule of the house to Marian. Despite Ieris' protests, Deckard took what little belongings he wished to keep and left Highroad. He no longer had any interest in the house or its fate - he wished to see more of nature than just what he'd seen in Highroad's parks.

Deckard took to the wilds with Misha, honing his skills as a druid, living entirely apart from society on the outskirts of the Elven Wildlands. For 10 years, he lived in the forest, conversing with no one - this, combined with his introverted nature, led Deckard to become essentially mute, never speaking and communicating only through gestures and postures, as the animals he lived among did. Save for his mental link with Misha, he found little purpose for the complex expressions only words would require, though he retained his understanding of them. Deckard only returned to society when he received a letter from Ieris, carried to him by animal messenger. He learned she was in Falconia, and went to visit her - what he found when he arrived did not please him.

Ieris, he learned, had been an indentured servant to House Daleborn - legally, she was a slave, although the house had never treated her as such. With Marian becoming the house's leader, though, Ieris' position became quite tenuous. Deckard learned that she was only in Falconia because she was on her way to become a servant to House Trannyth, a formerly disgraced noble house which had only recently been returned to noble status - Marian had traded her and several others away to further his ambitious designs. Though this saddened Deckard, Ieris seemed resigned to her fate and Deckard, who had little understanding of society and its workings after his prolonged departure, had no idea how to resolve the dispute. He decided that he would return to society once more, making a living through his skills as a druid and seeking a way to free Ieris from her fate.

Shivra's Backstory

Full Name: Shivra Gen'thac

Gender: Female

Age: 16

Height: 5'6"

Hair: White

Skin: Medium Purple

Eyes: Bluish White

Body Build: Slim

Distinguishing Features: Has an enchanted slave collar around her neck & a thieves' guild tattoo on the back of her right hand depicting a dagger balanced by its tip on the surface of a gold coin

Likes: darkness/shadows, money, jewelry, the thieves' guild, Vielia (guild's leader), Cairc (guild's treasurer)

Dislikes: brightness, elves, the slave collar, Irving (guild's 2nd-in-command), being poor, complainers, working with other people

Shivra was born and raised in the Drow city of Nightshore in the Underdark. Her mother Pellanistra, father Gwylyss, and 2 older brothers Sordryn & Morennel all raised her to be stealthy and stay in the shadows so she could be trained as an assassin. However, as she trained and learned how to surprise her targets, she started to like robbing her targets, rather than just killing them. More and more she opted to rob her targets after killing them. Her family and the assassin's guild she was apprenticed to were not very pleased with this, as it violated their code - all assassins were instructed to leave their victims' valuables as a means of making sure the message that the victim was meant to be murdered was properly delivered.

At the age of 14 she became suspicious that the guild would have her killed or sold away for disobedience; her family would be no help, as the Gen'thacs were prominently known as assassins and saw her as an outcast from them. She snuck into the guild's clerical offices and found that there was an order to kill her, because the guild didn't need a money glory assassin. She quickly ran home, got together what supplies she could, and fled to Vulkannen.

Despite the awful quality of life most drow in Vulkannen found in the city's Drow Quarter, Shivra managed to do alright for herself for about 2 months by pickpocketing and burgling. For one of her burglaries, she unwittingly targeted the safehouse of a prominent thieves' guild. She was caught almost as soon as she touched the money. The guild members were impressed that she even managed to get into the safehouse, much less find and access their stash of valuables. They struck up a deal with her, allowing her to have the safehouse and the money within if she worked for them in return. She agreed and started training at the guildhouse, coming to see the guild's members as a sort of surrogate family, particularly the guild's human leader, Vielia and the guild's dwarven "banker", Cairc.

Though she'd initially been recruited with little choice, she liked the life that she had been given, being able to steal for a living and having a place to belong. Yet things became bland and boring after a couple years, so she started to take riskier jobs almost exclusively. She would up the risk further by purposely alerting guards just so she could outwit and escape them. This did not sit well with Vielia's second-in-command, Irving, seeing her careless stunts as being dangerous to the guild. Vielia and most of the rest of the guild didn't mind, however, as long as she got the job done and didn't get caught. In addition to her work, she went back to her old ways of pickpocketing and burgling in her spare time, furthering the risks she took. This ended up being her downfall, as it got her into trouble with more then just her guild - the merchant's guilds which paid the thieves' guilds protection to avoid being stolen from were being victimized by her, and they began sending assassins after her.

One day she pickpocketed a man in the street, thinking that it was just a normal traveler. Unfortunately, the man turned out to be an assassin's guild plant. He caught her attempted theft and chased her through most of the city. She eventually managed to flee into a bar, looking to disappear into a crowd. This, however, wasn't the time she should have entered the bar, as members of the merchant's guild she'd stolen from and the assassin's guild sent after her were present. The man chasing her entered the bar and pointed her out, inciting a fight. Before the fighting could be stopped, 3 members of the assassin's guild and 5 members of the merchant's guild had been badly injured. She could not hide this from her thieves' guild, and was brought before Vielia and the leaders of the guilds she'd offended. As she had since liquidated the assets she'd stolen from the merchants, she was informed that she would have to pay all of it back, in addition to what it had cost to heal those injured in the fight she'd started. She would also wear an enchanted slave collar that would prevent her from further disobeying orders or escaping her penance.

So it was that Shivra was made a slave to the guilds, doing whatever they asked of her and having no course to refuse. It soon came to pass that the guilds decided to put her to use as a mercenary, and sent her to Falconia to seek work. Irving would serve as her handler, operating out of Falconia and sending her to assist with any task that would pay. She hated the idea of having to work with others, but found herself with little choice in her new life...

Thomnall's Backstory

Full Name: Thomnall

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 220 lb.

Age: 25
Eye Color: Brown

Hair Color: Brown

Skin Color: Slight tan

Body Build: Solid

Distinguishing Feature(s): Keeps clean-shaven; keeps hair cut short; wears a necklace with a quartz wolf head pendant, a symbol of the noble Falconian House Wolfswift

Thomnall was born in the village of Windknell, a small hamlet on the borderlands to the east of Kinderwood. Thomnall is the oldest son of a fairly large family - he has a two younger brothers, Wallace (9) and Wiley (15), and a younger sister, Niamh (12; pronounced "knee-a-mah"). His mother died giving birth to Wallace, but his father Caden managed to provide well enough for the family. Thomnall was trained as a paladin by an order of paladins who maintained a small temple in Windknell. Known as the Wildguards, these paladins came from a number of different denominations, and though they all worshipped their respective gods in their own way, their order held no specific denomination. They had banded together to protect small hamlets such as Windknell from the dangers of the wilderness, especially those coming from the borderlands. Thomnall's training with the Wildguards left him with a respect for many gods, but a dedication to none.

A year after Thomnall's training was finished, he was sent on a short mission to some of the outlying farmsteads to aid ailing families there. From them, he discovered that orcish raiding parties had become very active in the area. He feared that they might have designs on Windknell, and when he returned from his mission, his fears were confirmed. The Wildguards, outmatched by the orcs, had been killed defending the village; the village itself had been razed, and most of its people lay dead. Thomnall was fortunate, as his family managed to escape mostly unharmed to Orcbane Keep - tragically, Wiley was not so fortunate, and Thomnall arrived at Orcbane Keep to find the rest of his family grieving.

With their livelihood burnt to the ground by the orcs, Thomnall's family headed to Falconia to try and find a way to get by. As the lone surviving member of the Wildguards, Thomnall spent his late teenage years and early twenties serving the people of the borderlands and the various small hamlets as best he could. The rest of his family was fortunate - due to his father Caden's former military service to the noble House Wolfswift, they were able to find work as an instructor and lodging in barracks maintained by the Wolfswifts.

In recent times, Thomnall has found that the hamlets and villages he has spent his time helping have either been abandoned to the wilderness or negotiated for protection from larger settlements nearby. With his way of life disappearing, Thomnall decided to put his skills to use as a mercenary - to this end, he has joined the Black Wolves as one of their newest recruits.

The necklace Thomnall wears is a keepsake from his father, given to him as a boy shortly after Caden retired from the military to support his budding family. His well-kept appearance is a holdover from his days as a recruit for the Wildguards - one of their tenets was that in the grizzled wilderness, they should always maintain the good habits expected in more civilized regions.

Elaureth's Backstory

(Note: Elaureth is a new character I plan on playing in the campaign; he will take the place of Malthus, and will be introduced most likely during the next session.)

Full Name: Elaureth Ravenlost

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 180 lb.

Age: 306

Eye Color: Black

Hair Color: White

Skin Color: Pale

Body Build: Solid

Distinguishing Feature(s): Keeps his ears covered with his hair; carries a raven's feather attached to the clasp of his cloak

Elaureth was born in Illuvanath, the Celestial City, a beacon of light in the Feywild known for its astronomers and its famous observatories built into the spires of some of the tallest buildings in the Feywild. Illuvanath is ruled by Vanathir, a member of the Summer Queen's Court known in Illuvanath as the "Ember King". Elaureth was a member of House Moonstride, a lesser noble house in Illuvanath. His father, Panendithas Moonstride, was one of the city's greatest astronomers, and his mother, Hollyatris Moonstride, one of its finest courtiers. They groomed Elaureth for a proper upbringing, and saw to it that he was trained as a Paladin of Corellon when he showed an acumen for battle. His older brother Elben, meanwhile, was groomed to become the next ruler of House Moonstride, and already had a stellar reputation in Vanathir's court.

The course of Elaureth's life was laid out before him, and he followed it diligently - at least until he met Princess Inastara of House Silvershade. Inastara, a daughter of Vanathir, was the considered the most beautiful of the women in Vanathir's court, and a very powerful one at that, considering her status as next in line to rule Illuvanath. House Moonstride was considered to have been granted a great honor when Elaureth was selected to serve as part of Inastara's personal guard. He took this honor quite seriously, and before long Elaureth began to harbor feelings for Inastara. These feelings made things quite complicated for him when Inastara, seeking an escape from the destiny set before her, declared that she was leaving Illuvanath, House Silvershade, and all her life behind. Most of her personal guard refused to follow, save for Elaureth & four others. 

When Elaureth told his parents of his intent to leave with Inastara, they banished him from their house and stripped him of his family name. The procession set forth from Illuvanath and headed to the Fey Gardens, the primary link between the Feywild and Titania. When they arrived in Titania, they found no home in the Wildwood; after a long journey, what was left of Inastara's host settled in Whitebough Forest, establishing the community of Silvershade.

In Silvershade, the eladrin of Inastara's host lived in harmony with the local elves. Though some of the elves wanted nothing to do with the eladrin to the point of hostility, most were welcoming, and the community flourished with Inastara as its leader. Elaureth served faithfully in her personal guard for many decades. One by one, Inastara's personal guard fell to age or to disease, until finally only Elaureth and one other, Lady Wandalyssa Harpsong, remained. These two were at Inastara's side during one of her walks through the snow-covered trees when they were met by the Prince of Frost, a powerful archfey & lord of the Winter Fey. Inastara died that day in the forest; Elaureth & Wandalyssa do not speak of what happened that fateful day, but the incident led to Elaureth being exiled permanently from Silvershade by Wandalyssa, who became the community's new leader. 

His love for Inastara ultimately unrequited, Elaureth sunk into the depths of despair. He renounced Corellon, and took on the path of the blackguard, living as a hermit in Whitebough Forest. He made a point of building his domicile very near to the tomb in which Princess Inastara and her host had been buried, so that he could stand guard over her still. Elaureth spent many years surviving alone in the forest, and seldom stirred but to chase away would-be defilers of his mistress's tomb. 

One day, Elaureth was awoken by the sound of the tomb door slamming shut. He rushed outside to find a robed figure disappearing into the mists. Furious, he swore revenge against those who would disturb his mistress's sleep, and began tracking the robed figure. His search eventually led him to Cairnmoor, cloaked in mist and silent but for the low discord of deathly moans...

Elaureth is a detached, stern, and fierce individual. He is single-minded in his pursuit of his goals, and only furthers other causes when they provide some benefit to his own. Elaureth carries with him a raven's feather, a magical object which can be attuned to a person, and turns blood red when that person dies. The feather is attuned to Inastara, a holdover from his days as part of her personal guard, and blood red in color. He keeps his elven ears covered with his hair, something considered a taboo among those of elven descent, as a sign of his exile and a sign to others to keep their distance. Elaureth adopted the family name "Ravenlost" after Inastara's death; the name signifies the new deity he began to worship when he abandoned Corellon, the Raven Queen, and also what he sees himself as: a raven in flight, lost and far from home. Though he is curious about what has happened to the noble house of his birth, he has no interest in returning with his task left undone.

Malthus's Backstory

Full Name: Malthus Crowsbane

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 160 lb.

Age: 42

Eye Color: Purple

Hair Color: White

Skin Color: Black

Body Build: Athletic

Distinguishing Feature(s): Braided lengths of hair framing his face; carries a dulled longsword as the only remaining heirloom of his family; carries a spindle of black thread he uses as a makeshift yo-yo

Malthus was born in the Drow city of Nightshore, or "Umeth'shol" in Elven, deep below the Peaks of Woe in the Underdark. He did not spend long there, however, as his father was killed for worshipping the Raven Queen instead of Lolth; his mother died not long after, but not before she was able to escape with her young son to Vulkannen. She left him in the care of his older brother Pelloth - Pelloth did not have his younger brother's best interests at heart, however, and sold young Malthus into slavery in true backstabbing Drow fashion. As a result of his fairly brutal slavery in bondage to a noble from the infamous House Trannyth, Malthus retained very little from his childhood save for a dulled longsword once wielded by his father. 

Malthus remained a slave until well into his 19th year of life, when House Trannyth was disgraced by dealings with Albacoran pirates and stripped of its nobility. Malthus was freed in the process, though to an uncertain fate - penniless and without a home, Malthus wandered the streets as an urchin. He spent much of his life as a thief, until a near-death experience involving a fall from a building that nearly killed him gave him a vision of the Raven Queen. She scolded him for trying to force fate's hand, and cryptically assured him that though his fate had stalled, he would soon meet someone who would start it once more.

This turned out to be true, as he met Lucas Black, the leader of a mercenary company known as the Black Wolves, the next day. Black saw a natural affinity for battle in Malthus, and took him in as an apprentice, training him in the ways of the scout. In his training, Malthus came to understand how truly significant his brush with the Raven Queen was - rarely does the spinner of Fate speak to a mere speck upon the thread. His newfound dedication to the pursuance of Fate guided his training as much as Lucas Black did. Before long, he became a fully-vested member of the Black Wolves, building a reputation as one of its finest scouts.

Malthus has somewhat of a reputation as a lone wolf, but he is by no means blind to his race's reputation on the surface, and makes a strong effort to prove himself to those he is paired with. He is unquestionably loyal to Lucas Black, and loyal to his companions; strangers are another story. Malthus despises the undead in all forms, considering them affronts to the Raven Queen, and plays with his yo-yo during any sort of downtime. Though he largely puts his personal desires aside in the interest of following the path of Fate set before him (and therefore acting in service of the Black Wolves), he would jump at the chance to get revenge on House Trannyth and the backstabbing brother who sold him into their service...

Aludiana's Backstory

Height: 5'6"

Weight: 120 lbs.

Age: 48

Eye Color: Green

Hair Color: Red

Skin Color: Light

Body Build: Slim

Distinguishing Feature(s): Right leg tattoo of a stack of gold coins with a snake wrapped around them, wears a bright green ribbon around her left wrist as a reminder of Tresh, prefers to wear dark-colored armor and clothing 

Aludiana came from the elven community of Shimmerdew, in the Elven Wildlands near Vulkannen, which is somewhat uncommon.  Yet, since the community was so close to Vulkannen, the elves managed to get a trade relationship with them.  Aludiana was third of four children born to Shasha and Diren, the others being brothers Temorn & Belrin, & sister Celindra.  She didn't have an overly outlandish childhood as she was growing up.  She trained to be a Warpriest for the village as was assigned to her by the elder, and learned the skills that were needed to watch over the village.

When she turned 12 she was given the job of going with the traders that usually go into Vulkannen to do the trading that was needed.  This was her first time going to see how the "outside" world worked, and that's what started this downward thinking of money and action.  As she stayed near the traders' set-up, a wealthy trader saw her and thought that she was doing a great job of helping the traders and gave her a silver coin.  She was very happy and excited to recieve something like this and thanked the trader, yet when she got back to the village, the elder became aware of what was given to her.  

It was a village rule that all money that was gained was to be held at there "bank" area.  The elder though nice normally did not want her to start thinking that she was going to be an exception because she was young and just starting out, so the coin was taken from her.  She wondered why they never allowed anyone to keep money on them and questioned the elder. He told her the reason was because they didn't want the village to be "cursed" by the "way of the soulless earth".  She thought that this was something was just a stupid rule for the elders to just be greedy themselves.  So as she was continuing working with the traders, she would hide a coin or two away and when she got back to the village she would place it in a little pouch that was in her sleeping home.

During this time she also made a like-minded friend, Tresh. Tresh believed that they should be at least allowed to keep a little bit of money so that they could get gear and other small things. After one of her usual trips to Vulkannen, she saw that the elder and a couple of the elder's counsel were waiting for her at the front of the entrance of the village.  The elder held up the coin pouch that was hidden away inside her sleeping area.  He began to fight with Aludiana, and as things started to get pretty heated she punched the elder in the face. The others were taken aback by this, and they imprisoned her.

She was not imprisoned long though, for Tresh went in and freed her.  She asked why she was doing this considering that this could put her in danger.  Tresh told her that she heard that they were going to kill her for doing something for so long and threatening their way of life. Angry that they would go this far for something that she thinks is so stupid, she thanked her friend and started to sneak out of Shimmerdew. As she was trying to flee from the village she was spotted by a guard.  She got into a fight and killed the guard, but the fight drew unwanted attention and so she ran for Vulkannen.

Though the running away and fighting scared her a bit she found her self liking the rush that came with it and the fact that she could kiss those pathetic fools in Shimmerdew goodbye. Life in Vulkannen only tempered her attitude further - today Aludiana is a hardened mercenary with a strong appetite for battle and coin. If it gives her a chance to fight and to make money, Aludiana will do it.

Gwenn's Backstory

Height: 5'3"

Weight: 120 lbs.

Age: 24

Eye Color: Blue

Hair Color: Blonde

Skin Color: White, Slight Tan

Body Build: Slender

Distinguishing Feature(s): Fish-hook earrings, wears a distinctive crimson-dyed outfit bearing a light blue feather from a bird native to the Crimson Fens (as shown in her token portrait), carries a letter from Johnathan in a belt pouch

Gwenn was born in the fishing village of Marshtown to former soldier Charles and the daughter of one of the prominent members of the village, Jenna. Charles, a close friend of Marshtown's war hero Mayor Sellick, set himself and his family up nicely after the Howl War, affording Gwenn a fairly opulent lifestyle. As an only child, she received the lion's share of her parents' attention. Her talent for the arcane was discovered early, and her family arranged for the Tower of Heiserrah to send one of their best pyromancers, Krasus Dragonshield, to train her in the arts of arcane fire. 

She became smitten with Master Dragonshield's squire, a young man named Johnathan, during her training, and the two spent much of their formative years together. When she came of age, Johnathan asked her to become his betrothed, and she happily accepted. Their happiness was not to be, however - unbeknownst to Gwenn and Johnathan, Master Dragonshield had long struggled with demonic forces which wished to control him. On the eve of Gwenn and Johnathan's wedding, he finally lost the battle when Yeenoghu, the demon lord defeated in the Howl War, saw an opportunity for vengeance. He took possession of Master Dragonshield and forced the mage to open a demongate in Marshtown. Demons spewed forth from it, and much of Marshtown was destroyed in the chaos. The entire village may have been destroyed had it not been for Johnathan, who gave his life to seal the demongate.

With their reinforcements cut off, the demons were easily defeated by the experienced militiamen of Marshtown, many of whom had fought in the Howl War - but Gwenn was left with nothing to remember her beloved by save a letter he had written her from the Tower of Heiserrah the previous summer. Having seen the ultimate corruption of evil firsthand, Gwenn left Marshtown with her parents' blessing, seeking to do some good in the world to counterbalance the evil she saw filling it day by day.

Reed's Backstory

Height: 4'0"

Weight: 81 lbs.

Age: 17

Eye Color: Brown

Hair Color: Black

Skin Color: Reddish White

Body Build: Athletic

Distinguishing Feature(s): Bronze rings in hair creating a series of six "tails"; small gold rings in ear piercings; tattoo of a black half of a crest depicting the bottom of a tree on left upper arm; affixes a white half of a crest depicting the top of the same tree to the left breast of his armor; carries a loaded six-sided die marked on all sides with the 3-line symbol of Avandra

Reed Halfcrest was born in the town of Kinderwood, several years after the downfall of House Halfcrest. The son of Ferrel Halfcrest and his late wife Darella, Reed was not taught of his family history until his 13th year. It was then that his uncle Merric, leader of the Underwood Thieves' Guild, came to visit. With Darella's recent passing, Ferrel felt unable to care for his son in his state of grief, and agreed to allow Merric to take care of Reed for a time. 

For the next 3 years, Reed lived with Merric and the Underwood thieves, learning the trade and learning of his family's complex and dubious history. He learned how Ferrel and Merric had ended up on different sides of the civil war which destroyed the house, and how they had only returned to speaking terms recently. He learned of the family's history as the representative of all halflings in Titanian affairs, and he learned of their distinct symbol - the black and white halves of a crest depicting a tree, held by the two eldest males of the family. 

Himself a bachelor, Merric took to raising Reed as his own son. Reed came to admire his uncle greatly, and took after the man's roguish ways, even as Merric sent him back to Ferrel shortly before his 16th birthday. Having tasted the excitement and allure of the thieving life, Reed became quite a handful for Ferrel. Now a man in the eyes of halfling society at 16, Reed rarely engaged in the sedentary lifestyle his father had taken on, and became known throughout Kinderwood as a "thieving scoundrel of a boy". 

Unable to control his son, Ferrel instead sought to imbue him with some qualities to counteract those Merric had imprinted upon him. To that end, Ferrel passed down the White Half-crest - his half of the legendary symbol of House Halfcrest. Despite his penchant for skirting the word of law, Reed could not help but be grateful for this - he always wears the half-crest upon his armor as a symbol of his pride in his heritage.

Reed is very much a child of two worlds, unlike most halflings. After the fall of House Halfcrest and the end of the civil war, nearly every halfling took one of two available paths - they either settled down into a trader's lifestyle in Kinderwood, or took up the mantle of a thief's lifestyle in Underwood. Reed sees roots in both communities, and he dreams of uniting the halflings once more and restoring the honor of the Halfcrest name - if he can find time between thieving and chasing skirts, that is...

Iados's Backstory

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 180 lbs.

Age: 23

Eye Color: Black

Hair Color: Black

Skin Color: Red

Body Build: Athletic

Distinguishing Feature(s): Left horn is broken, scar across the right cheek, wears his mother’s cloak, and keeps his father’s dagger sheathed in his wrist armor.

I was born in the slums of Vulkannen to a Morthos and Lerissa. It was tough growing up as we didn’t have much, although my father tried his best to provide what he could. He referred to himself as a merchant, but as I grew older, I knew better. I’d come to learn that he was little more than a common thief, and did deals in back alleys for the local crime lords. My father never belonged to any specific crime circle, he was freelance, but he did have a small crew of his own. I never let on that I knew what he actually did so that he could maintain his pride, but even though I knew, I never thought any less of him. The world was cruel, especially to our race, and my father always taught me as such.

When I was 15, my father got the “deal of the century”, as he put it. He said the job would turn our lives around. Well, the night of the operation would be his last. I’d come to find out that it was a bank job. I was originally told that my father was killed by a guard as the job went bad, but later I found out there was a double cross. The crime lord, Amnon, who’d hired my father for the job, decided that he wanted a bigger cut and had my father and his crew killed.

Even for all of my father’s trust issues, precautions, and teachings, they still got him in the end, but not without a fight from what I hear.

            With our household being in a weak position now, Amnon took it upon himself to “help” us get back on our feet, as if we had a choice. Amnon made my mother work in one of his many whore houses, but before she had even serviced her first customer, she too was killed, albeit brought on by her own hand. My mother didn’t like the idea of being a whore very much, and when her first customer came onto her, she killed him with a broken broom handle. In turn, Amnon then killed my mother as she was of no use to him. As I was alone now, and I guess as a sick joke to my parent’s memory, Amnon took me under his wing and brought me up as part of his crew of thieves.

I had a feeling that I too wouldn’t live very long under Amnon. So, in desperation and revenge I turned to the same place that my ancestors had long ago, the devil pacts. At home there was a book of Tiefling history that touched on the basis of the rituals that were performed. I scoured the book for hours and learned the secrets of the past. I performed the summoning ritual that was laid out in the book, and a cold wind blew through the room even though the windows and doors were closed. The flames of the candles were blown out and the room went dark, but then the markings on the floor began to shimmer and glow a florescent green. There was a loud cackling that echoed through the room as a strange entity appeared, standing on top of the markings. The devil looked somewhat similar to myself – tail, horns, red skin. He identified himself as Agreas, High Vizier Devil of Bel, Master of Avernus, and demanded to know why I had summoned him. I pleaded with him to grant me power so that I may claim my vengeance on Amnon. Agreas seemed to ponder this for a second before he finally reached toward me. He grabbed my left horn on my head and snapped it off like a twig. The devil gripped the horn in his hand and closed his eyes. The horn began to flatten and elongate. When the transformation was done, my horn now resembled a sword. Agreas thrust the hilt of the blade at me, and I cautiously gripped the blade. As I did so, the edges of the blade became surrounded in a swirling, shadowy purple light, and I heard whispers in a strange tongue inside my head. As I held the blade, I felt infused with power and I felt like I could take on the world. By this time, Agreas had disappeared, leaving me alone in a dark room. I now had the power for my revenge, and all I needed now was the chance to extract it.

A couple of hard months passed before I finally saw my chance to kill Amnon. It was a night after I had just helped rob a merchant of his gold and wares while he was distracted with packing up. A part that involved the death of the merchant by one of Amnon’s goons after I sucker punched him. I’ve had to do many terrible, despicable things these past few months to blend into Amnon’s crowd. I’m not proud of the things I’ve done, but they were essential to my survival.

I went to present the night’s take to Amnon, strangely there was only one guard in the room. I handed the bag of gold to Amnon, and as he turned to put it in the vault, I hastily cast an Eldritch Bolt at the guard, hitting him in the face. Before Amnon could turn around again, I had already drawn my demonic blade and was charging him, but with quick reflexes, Amnon managed to draw his sword and match blades as the two swords clashed together. As both of us tried to strong arm the other, Amnon spoke through gritted teeth, “I should have known that you would try to kill me one day.” My strength began to give and Amnon’s sword inched closer to my face, and I grimaced as I turned my head, Amnon’s sword slicing across my right cheek. As blood trickled down my face, I shouted, “This is for my parents!”, and I kicked Amnon in his crotch. Amnon dropped his sword and fell to his knees as all of the strength ran out of his body.

I drew back my sword and swung it in an arc, the blade glowing with dark purple light at it sliced through Amnon’s neck like butter. His head flew across the room and hit the wall as his body fell to the floor with a low thud. I stood over Amnon’s lifeless body for a moment, breathing heavily, watching his blood drip from the tip of my demonic blade, mesmerized by it.

            The moment was stolen as the door to the room opened behind me, it was the other guard. He hesitated for a moment, taking in the sight, trying to put together the pieces as I stood over the bodies. Not letting the guard have the upper hand, I quickly blasted him with an Eldritch Bolt and dashed through the door, making a break for it.

            I ran back home to grab what food I could. I had to leave town, surely one of Amnon’s goons would want retribution, and I wasn’t going to stick around to let them have that. As I gathered my things, my mind was filled with whispers again, only this time I could understand them. I recognized the voice as Agreas, the devil who had given me power, “You have done well and taken your revenge. Now you must pay back your debt, but not this moment. I will let you relish in victory now. However, in ten years’ time, on your twenty-fifth birthday, you will be in my service.”

            Now I have a new purpose, to find a way out of this pact. I travel from town to town; looking for any information I can find to help me. I also help those that I can so that I can atone for the horrible things I did in Amnon’s service. When I die, my deeds may not matter, but as I still breathe, every little bit helps me sleep better at night. I live on in memory of my parents, carrying a part of them with me in my travels. I will make my life, and theirs count for something.

Erik's Backstory

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 200 lb.

Age: 28

Eye Color: Brown

Hair Color: Dark brown

Skin Color: Tan white

Body Build: Athletic

Distinguishing Feature(s): Large scar on his chest from right shoulder to diaphragm; keeps hair in a short military-style cut; many small scars from his military service; keeps the jawbone of the orc who killed his brother on his person at all times to remind him of his pledge to protect the people from the orcs

            Erik Truvinas was born in the city of Falconia.  His parents, John and Marie Truvinas, were lesser nobles of the region and made their fortune running a fairly successful merchant company in the region.  Erik was born with an older identical twin brother named Quinn and they would later have a younger sister named Allison, who was 6 years younger.  As both Erik and Quinn grew they were surprisingly athletic and their father had them trained in the ways of combat.  The boys took to their training like fish to water.  By the age of 16 the both of them were unrivaled by any of the other students.  The master that was teaching them took both of them out of the regular training programs and began to instruct them separately.

 In the next 4 years the brothers would rise to become Lieutenants of the patrol units for the borderlands area from their successful raids and heroic efforts in the hamlets they helped defend from orc raids.  The boys had become quite masterful in fighting together.  Quinn had taken to using a large great sword while Erik had excelled in using a broadsword and shield.  The brothers moved so fluidly on the battlefield when they fought near each other it often struck fear into the hearts of  their enemies just seeing the way they moved together combining the offsetting defensive attacks of Erik followed through with a swift swing of Quinn’s great sword to fell enemies in an instant.

However the summer of the boy’s 20^th year, one raid did not go as smoothly.  The orc clans of the area had banded together in order to capture them.  When Erik and Quinn’s platoon made it to the area they were supposed to be patrolling through the orcs struck from behind cover and before the platoon could react they beset.  The rest of the platoon was shot down with arrows while the brothers were snared in a net and dragged off to the orcs camp.

When they arrived the brothers were thrown into metal cages and locked up until the following morning when they were told they would be used as a rite of passage for some of the newer orc recruits.  The brothers would be put through 2 of the most hellish weeks of their lives.  They were used as sparring partners for the orcs trying to earn their way into the raiding parties.  If the orcs could defeat one of the brothers in hand to hand combat they were allowed to join the parties.  So, for 2 weeks the Brothers endured the hell of fighting in an arena of orcish laughter while trying to find some ray of hope to keep them going.

It was at the end of this 2 week period that things took a turn for the worse.  Up until that point, the brothers had managed to either win their fights or lose them in such a manner that they were not too seriously injured.  But after 2 weeks, the Orc chieftain’s son was ready to earn his place among the raiding parties.  Quinn was chosen as his partner for the initiation.  Normally the chieftain’s son would have been a challenge at Quinn’s best, but with his weakened state from the weeks of imprisonment and highly lackluster care they were given in between the fights, Quinn was at his limit.  What happened after that could hardly even be called a fight.  The chieftain’s son was merciless.  He would inflict serious blows to Quinn’s abdomen but ensure that he remained standing so that the fight would not be called.  After about 5 straight minutes of Quinn being unable to land a major blow on the chieftain’s son the unthinkable happened in front of Erik’s own eyes.  The chieftain’s son landed a hard right hook into Quinn’s jaw.  From the look of it the force of the blow shattered Quinn’s jaw and broke his neck at the same time.  Erik couldn’t believe his eyes as he hysterically called out to his brother to answer him.  But it was too late.  Quinn was dead before he ever hit the ground.  The orcs laughed and pointed at the lifeless body of Quinn as they cheered and moved to the Chieftain’s son to congratulate him on the fight and welcome him into the raiding parties. 

Erik was shocked.  He couldn’t take his eyes off his brother’s body, even as the orcs dragged the body off and took it out of his sight; Erik would stare at the spot where his older brother had lost his life to a malicious and devious orc.  The following day, the chieftain’s son kept walking by the area where Erik was being held and glancing over at him with an evil grin on his face.  Erik was infuriated and vowed that if he ever got out of that cage, he would find and kill the chieftain’s son with his bare hands if he had to.

It so turned out that 2 days later, the tracking parties who had been sent to find Erik and Quinn’s missing platoon showed up with several more platoons to wipe out the orc encampment and save whoever they could.  Erik was freed from his cage during the melee that ensued and retrieved a broadsword from the body of a fallen orc and rushed off in search of his enemy.  It didn’t take long for Erik to locate his target, the chieftain’s son.  He was standing outside of the battle watching as it unfolded.  Erik charged towards him with a bloody scream and leapt at his brother’s killer.  The chieftain’s son laughed with mirth as he saw Erik headed his way and prepared to battle. 

When the two of them met, the little skirmishes happening around them seemed to be miles away.  Erik saw only his opponent and pressed the attack with everything bit of strength he still possessed in his body. Early on in the fight the orc landed a serious slash to Erik’s chest leaving a large, but shallow, gash from his right shoulder to his diaphragm. Erik didn’t even feel the blow as he continued to press the attack.  They were evenly matched, as Erik had caught the chieftain’s son off guard with his bloodlust.  He had not expected a human to possess the amount of hatred that he could sense coming from his opponent.  The chieftain’s son was being pushed further and further from the spot where they had first started to clash. With every swing of Erik’s broadsword the orc would have to take a step back.  Then, the orcs foot stepped back and hit the wall of a tent and he stumbled, momentarily losing his footing.  Erik leapt at the opportunity and slashed the orcs left thigh open.  The orc screamed in agony as the blade slashed through his flesh and spilled a large amount of blood onto the ground around him.  Erik then removed the orcs weapon from his grasp with another slash to his forearm, rendering it useless, and kicked him in the chest sending him sprawling to the ground a few feet away.  Erik stared down at the bleeding, whimpering orc before him, his chest heaving from rage.  Then he drove the tip of his sword through the orcs belly and twisted it around violently enjoying every moment of the orcs agony.  He leaned in close to the orcs face grinned the same evil grin that the orc had given him the day after his brother was killed.  Then Erik stood up and drove his sword through the back of the Orcs throat and removed his jaw with a deft swing.

Erik would keep the orc chieftain’s son’s jaw bone as a reminder of the horrible events that befell his family in those 2 weeks.  He vowed to never again allow anything like what had happened to his brother and he happen again.

Erik met up with the commander of the rescue team and thanked them for coming to aid him and to find out that the rest of the orcs that were not slain had retreated away into the hills.  He was then debriefed about the circumstances of his capture and containment much to the horror of those who had been within earshot of the debriefing area.  Although Erik had not mentioned in his story the fate of his brother yet, the Captain seemed to see what was coming in the story and got straight to the point and asked what had happened to Quinn.  Erik looked up in astonishment at this question and stared with his mouth hanging slightly open not quite sure if he had heard the captain correctly.  But the captain repeated the question with a more grave expression on his face this time.  And Erik slowly answered in a whisper.  He gripped the jaw of the chieftain’s son in his left hand and gritted out what he had done during the battle at the encampment. The captain stared at the jawbone gripped tightly in the hand of the man in front of him in shock, and slowly looked back up at Erik’s face.  He then told Erik to rest for a while as the rest of the team gathered the wounded and killed of the Falconian forces for transport back to the city.

After the debriefing was over, Erik went and found his brother’s body to bring back to his father.  He wrapped the body in a cloth gingerly and put it aside from the rest of the casualties.  He had no idea what he was going to say to his family when he returned home to Falconia.  He wasn’t even sure he would be able to face them.  But, deep down, he knew that he had to return.  He had to accept what had happened and try to figure out what he would do when he returned home. 

It was a 2 day ride back to the city.  When they arrived, Erik retrieved his brother’s body, secured a wagon to use as transport, and set out towards his family’s home.  The captain accompanied him from the barracks towards their home.  They were both silent as they rode the wagon toward what would surely be a bittersweet reunion.

They pulled up in front of the family home that Erik grew up in with his brother and began to step down from the wagon when suddenly, the door burst open and Allison bolted out with a smile on her face to embrace her returning brothers.  Halfway to meet with Erik however, she noticed that something was off about him.  She leapt into his arms and welcomed him home with a big smile as their parents came to the door and stepped outside.  Allison then asked where Quinn was as the boys usually came back home together.  At this point the captain stepped down from the wagon and proceeded to stand next to Erik.  Erik didn’t know what to say as his younger sister looked up at her brother’s face expecting to hear that he was still at the barracks and would be joining them shortly after.  But all Erik could do was look down and away from his family, feeling ashamed for something that was not his fault.  Allison’s grip loosened when Erik looked away, and she slowly backed away in shock.  Erik looked back at his sister and fell to his knees with tears streaming uncontrollably down his face for the pain of the news he was about to have to give to his family  Their parents rushed forward as he fell and looked up at the captain for clarification.  Then the captain explained what had happened to the boys over the past few weeks and explained the fate of their oldest son.  Allison and their mother clung to each other and cried while their father kept his composure and thanked the captain for telling him.  He then stood Erik up and walked over to the wagon with him.  Erik, with tears still streaming down his face stood blankly next to his father while they unloaded his brother’s body and brought it to the parlor in the house. 

Over the next few days, preparations were made for Quinn’s funeral.  He was to be buried in the Truvinas family plot behind the house in a small ceremony for the Truvinas’ of the city.  Afterwards, many people who had heard the news of the passing of one of the heroes of the borderlands stopped by offering flowers and their condolences to the family.

Several weeks later, Erik returned to his duties as a borderlands patroller.  He had recovered almost completely from his ordeal both mentally and physically.  He had a new resolve.  He would not allow what had happened to him to happen again.  Before he left the city on patrol, he made recommendations to the training protocols of border guards to make the new generations more prepared to deal with ambushes on the roadside.  The motion was accepted and they began to draft what would, in a few years time, be the reformation of border guard units being increased in size to try to avoid any future captures and unnecessary fatalities in the line of duty.  And on a more personal level, Erik vowed to protect everyone that he could from the threat of orc aggression on the borderlands and wherever he may be at any given time.

Erik still holds a hefty grudge against any orc and is not too trusting of half-orcs.

Adrie's Backstory

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 125 lbs.

Age: 61

Eye Color: Red

Hair Color: Light Green

Skin Color: Lightly tanned

Body Build: Slender

Distinguishing Feature(s):  Tattoos around right eye & on left arm; carries a letter from a lost loved one in a pouch & a wooden doll made for her when she was a child

            Adrie was born in one of the many elven communities in the forests of the Elven Wildlands, by the name of Celesthem. Her mother died in childbirth and her father died from grief not soon after - because of this, she was raised by the people of Celesthem. They trained her as a warpriest. Her older brother Elmorn and younger sister Aludiana were raised in a similar fashion.

            Adrie's life was happy and simple until one day she and the other elves were out hunting some sort of monster in the forest. This monster turned out to be a deadly ghost, and it possessed Adrie. Under this possession, she killed almost all the rest of her hunting party - including her beloved, Rolen. The party's leader, an experienced warpriest named Heian, managed to subdue Adrie and exorcise the ghost - but the damage had already been done.

            When they returned and the people of Celesthem found out what happened, they were horrified and demanded that their leaders exile Adrie. Despite Heian's protests and attempts to explain that the slaughter of the party had not been Adrie's fault, the leaders were forced to exile Adrie. She accepted this fate, and left the village in peace, albeit with sadness in her heart. Now she travels, serving the people of Titania and trying to atone for the (accidental) murder of her friends. Her tattoos signify her status as an exile (the tattoo around her eye) and the people who helped raise and train her (the tattoo on her arm). She also carries a letter written to her by Rolen, and a wooden doll made by Elmorn.

Mika's Backstory

Height: 5'6"

Weight: 135 lbs.

Age: 25

Eye Color: Green/Brown (see distinguishing features)

Hair Color: Light Brown

Skin Color: White, slightly tan from traveling

Body Build: Lean

Distinguishing Feature(s):  Left eye is green and right eye is brown 

            Mika was born on the western continent of Seafarrow, in the bustling port city of Weatherby. The daughter of a prosperous merchant family, she was discovered to have a talent for the arcane at a young age, and the mages in the nearby Tower of Leon were quick to conscript her into their order. She was trained in the arts of enchantment by the mages there.

            One day, an adventurer from a land known as Titania, an island continent to the southeast of Seafarrow, came to the tower, a human by the name of Davven Dragonsbane. Davven spent the week at the tower, and Mika, who knew little outside the tower, took every opportunity to ask him about the world beyond. She credits her eventual departure from the tower to Davven, for he inspired her to become an adventurer through his stories.

            On her 21st birthday, Mika left the tower and returned to her family. However, when she returned she found that the wealthy home of her birth had been taken from her family, who now lived in the slums, destitute. Her parents explained that a rival merchant with ties in Weatherby's criminal underworld, Marlannan, had stolen their fortune and ruined their good name. Swearing revenge, Mika split her time between working to provide a meager living for her three younger siblings (her brother Belian, sister Janys and sister Undella) and tracking down Marlannan. When she finally found him, he escaped and fled to Titania. Mika has followed him to Titania, arriving just recently in the port city and capital, Falconia. Mika carries with her a silver coin bearing the seal of Weatherby's ruling noble house to remind her of home.

The Background Prompt Generator

In order to assist with coming up with background/backstory information, I've come up with this Background Prompt Generator - it will answer 8 "questions" about your backstory and character flavor. These answers can either be selected based on your preference, or decided via a d6 roll - the numbers by each response correspond to a number on a six-sided die. Without further adieu, here are the "questions":

"You were born..."
1) "...in a great city."
2) "...in a hamlet on the borderlands."
3) "...in a far-away land across the sea."
4) "...in an isolated, single-race community."
5) "...on a quiet farmstead in the countryside."
6) "...in the wilderness."

"You were raised as..."
1) "...the child of a lesser noble."
2) "...the child of a merchant family."
3) "...the child of a farmer."
4) "...the child of a soldier."
5) "...an orphan, taken in by the community."
6) "...an orphan, out on the streets."

"As you grew up, you were trained in (your class)..."
1) "...by an order which conscripted you at a young age."
2) "...by one of your parents/grandparents as you grew up."
3) "...by a master who took you on as an apprentice."
4) "...by the community in which you were raised."
5) "...by an entity which selected you as its chosen one."
6) "...by no one; you taught yourself your skills."

"You decided to become an adventurer when..."
1) "...you met a great adventurer who inspired you."
2) "...you left home and set out on your own."
3) "...you finished your training."
4) "...you were exiled from your community."
5) "...your wanderlust drove you to do so."
6) "...you realized it would be a much better way to make a living."

"The worst event of your life..."
1) "The tragic death of a loved one."
2) "The destruction of your home village/town/district."
3) "The accidental death of a loved one by your hand."
4) "The loss of your fortune/possessions."
5) "Your imprisonment/capture/slavery."
6) "Nothing; your life has been free of great tragedy."

"In terms of siblings, you have..."
1) "...a single, older brother/sister."
2) "...three younger brothers/sisters."
3) "...seven brothers/sisters, some older, some younger."
4) "...a twin sister/brother."
5) "...an identical twin sister/brother."
6) "...no siblings; you are an only child."

"You carry with you..."
1) "...a memento from your childhood, something simple and innocent."
2) "...an old weapon, passed down to you by your master/a relative."
3) "...a trophy, taken from a monster you killed."
4) "...a letter from a loved one, your last communication from them."
5) "...a symbol of an organization - religious, arcane, or political."
6) "...nothing you don't need; you see no point to sentimental trinkets."

"Your goals are..."
1) "...altruistic; help those in need, protect the weak, save the world."
2) "...ambitious; acquire power, gain prestige, be somebody."
3) "...financial; find treasures, recover artifacts, get rich."
4) "...vindictive; kill monsters, hunt a villain, get revenge."
5) "...inherited; you follow a destiny given to you by another."
6) "...undefined; you don't know what you want yet."

Note that this generator is not meant to completely fill in all of the information you'll ever need for a backstory - rather it serves to give you prompts; a foundation upon which you can build your full backstory. Once you've chosen an answer for each question above, talk to your DM and work out with them what elements from the world to plug into the more generalized parts of these responses. For instance, if your character was born in a great city, ask your DM what cities would meet those criteria, and decide from there.