Help! Unexpected return of my previous character

[Edge of Dreams]

So, 4e game, not that it matters, since this is mainly a roleplaying issue.

A few sessions ago, my Dragonborn Fighter, Gelian, got separated from the party. He had no clue how to find them again or meet up with them, and had run out of money, so he decided to get a job as a guard or something to save up some money while keeping an eye out for a new adventuring party to join up with. Thus, Gelian left the campaign.

The rest of the party spent the next couple of sessions traveling and participating in a nomad people's grand tournament (which I created a temporary character to join in). When they eventually returned to civilization, two or three in-game months later, it was with the goal of finding a temple, hidden under a large desert city, that once belonged to these nomads.

So, I rolled up a Halfling Rogue, Nate, and joined the party by offering my services in finding and exploring the temple. The party then went to the library at the Shah's palace to research the city and try to figure out how to get into the temple. They determine that there are two possible entrances - one in a well-guarded section of the palace and one at the city's water distribution center, which is even more heavily guarded.

On their way out of the library, the party stops to ask a guard for some information, and lo and behold, it's their old friend, Gelian! The DM had random rolled which city he'd ended up in and what kind of job he had: this city, palace guard. He then rolled the chance of running into him, and what do you know, the dice say he's back and reunited with the party against all odds.

So, here's the problem I'm facing: In character, Gelian really wants to rejoin the party, and as a guard in the palace he's perfectly positioned to help them as a man on the inside. However, there's the risk that if he gets caught he could be tried for treason. So, there's the question of how best to help the party. More importantly, though, I now have two characters in the party, Gelian and Nate. My DM and I have agreed that it would be okay for me to run both characters for a few sessions, but after that we should find a way that makes sense in-game for me to narrow it down to just one. I'm having trouble coming up with a way to do this, plus I don't really know which I'd rather play long term.

Any ideas or suggestions?

[Nohwl]

roll a d20. if its 1-10, keep your old character, if its 11-20 keep the new one.

[Lycan 01]

Aren't Dragonborns all about loyalty? Well, who does he feel more loyalty to? The kingdom he's sworn to protect, or the friends he's risked his lives for on many occassions? Which would weight heavier on his heart - betraying his oath to guard the palace, or abandoning his friends? Roleplay it, man! :smallbiggrin:


Personally, I'd go with the Dragonborn, because he sounds like he was a fun and cool character... :smallsmile:

[Jack_Simth]

So, here's the problem I'm facing: In character, Gelian really wants to rejoin the party, and as a guard in the palace he's perfectly positioned to help them as a man on the inside. However, there's the risk that if he gets caught he could be tried for treason. So, there's the question of how best to help the party.
This suggests a fairly simple solution.

Pick a character, and get the other killed in the next few sessions (get the DM to collude with you on this - shouldn't be hard for him to focus on one or the other with attacks and such).

The Rogue is the easier one to keep, mechanically - if the guard is captured, he's dead. But either is a distinct possibility.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Yes, have one of your two characters nobly sacrifice his life so the rest of the party can escape certain death.

[Tiki Snakes]

There's no need to resort to the whole two-men-enter, one-man-leaves shtick.

Have your Old character help out to the best of his ability for a few days/till the end of the current thing, then he either; Goes back to his job (Being an essentially honourable person) or Gets caught, and sent down for some serious time.

Both options leave him with a pulse, and therefor available should your halfling kick the bucket unexpectedly or if you just get bored of him. Also, if you go for the first option, he will continue to be around to help the party whenever you are in the neighborhood, as well as being a potential source of plot hooks for the dm and general background and depth to the setting and the city in particular.