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  1. - Top - End - #151
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Chimera

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tawmis View Post
    Sure! Only question - is the Vigilante Paladin an official thing or homebrew? I honestly can't recall (and I am at work so I don't have the books in front of me), anything about the Vigilante Paladin? And online searches are kind of pointing to fighters and homebrew stuff. Just want clarification so I can get close. :)
    Im talking about the point of view from a character backgroubd you wrote, you introduced the character in third person, while events happened. It was Jesse, oath of the vigilante paladin, my favorite background so far.

  2. - Top - End - #152
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Tawmis's Avatar

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by moonfly7 View Post
    Im talking about the point of view from a character backgroubd you wrote, you introduced the character in third person, while events happened. It was Jesse, oath of the vigilante paladin, my favorite background so far.
    Ah! Yes! Okay, that works. I have some more video editing to do at home - but will try to get this knocked out tonight!
    Need a character origin written? Enjoyed what I wrote? How can you help me? Not required, but appreciated! <3

    Check out my 5e The Secret of Havenfall Manor or my character back stories over at DMsGuild.com! (If you check it out - please rate, comment, and tell others!)

    Subscribe to my D&D Channel on Youtube! (Come by and Sub)

  3. - Top - End - #153
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    NecromancerGuy

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    Jun 2016

    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Here is another one for you.
    Elias stonewall. Human paladin of conquest who swore an oath of knighthood to protect the weak speak only truth and to root out all evil

  4. - Top - End - #154
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    PaladinGuy

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    Jul 2019

    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Spoiler
    Show
    Quote Originally Posted by Tawmis View Post
    He enjoyed retelling the story of how he found me abandoned, and how, despite my outward appearance, he knew he could not abandon me.

    You see, my father isn’t my father by blood. But family has never been just about blood.

    From what he’s told me – and told me often (especially when I was between the ages of five and ten) – was that he had been a part of a caravan – hired to protect the people and the contents that had been traveling north along Trade Way, from Dragonspear Castle when a band of Orcs known as The Red Eye attacked.

    The Red Eye Orcs were a ruthless lot – sometimes attacking and killing for the sheer pleasure of it.

    When some of the Orcs had managed to escape with one of the maidens, my father and his best friend, also a Paladin of Helm, like my father gave pursuit, while the rest remained to defend the caravan in the event the orcs looped back around or planned a secondary ambush.

    The pursuit led into the High Moor – an area known to be infested with not only goblins and orcs – but a far more dangerous threat lingered in the High Moor – trolls.

    My father and his best friend, Arith moved cautiously, but as quickly as they could, so they would not lose sight of the Orcs. The Orcs knew they were being pursued so as they got closer to their destination, they purposely broke off from the main group to cause confusion if someone had been tracking them. But my father and Arith were already close enough to see them to know what they were trying to do. They focused on the leader who had been dragging the female prisoner along.

    “It’s weird isn’t it,” Arith whispered as he moved some brush aside, “that they attacked the caravan and only kidnapped a woman? They didn’t attack it to try and get weapons or kill for the sheer pleasure of it, like this clan is known for.”

    “They’re up to something,” my father had told him. “We just need to find out what.”

    As Paladins of Helm, protection is what they had primarily focused on – and fighting honorably. But there were circumstances and individuals who did not deserve to have mercy bestowed upon them – and the Red Eye clan was close to the top of that list. My father stepped out and the two orcs standing guard at the entrance glanced at each other and smiled as they drew their crude, bloodstained weapons.

    In a normal situation, two Red Eye orcs might actually defeat a trained Paladin of Helm. There were rumors that the Red Eye broke away from Gruumsh and devoted their souls to Orcus, lord of the undead, who bestowed upon them a sense of killing – and the ability to fight on when the body should already have collapsed, giving them an exceptional endurance to pain and suffering.

    As they rushed towards my father, Arith sprung from the side, shouting – throwing them off – causing them to pause a moment. That had been all it took. My father brought his blade cleaving straight across, severing the head of the closest one, while Arith impaled the other directly through the ribs and heart. Both bodies seemed to growl and hiss for a few moments before accepting that death had come for them.

    “Pleasant,” Arith said sarcastically as he pulled his blade out of the orc’s body.

    Blood oozed into the thick, muddy waters of High Moor.

    Arith and my father enter the cave, each of them with their backs to the wall. They peered into the main chamber and saw what appeared to be the orc chief. He was shouting at the woman they had taken in common, “Tend to the girl. She dies. You die.”

    Girl? Both Arith and my father exchanged curious glances and scanned the room. That’s when they had taken notice to a small bundle atop of a shrine.

    “Mother’s milk,” the Orc chief snarled.

    “What?” the woman asked, shocked and stepping back. “But I,” she clutched her breast, “I have no mother’s milk.”

    The orc chief lunged forward just as my father stepped in and shouted, “Hold, beast!”

    The orc chief turned. “Humans,” the words hissed from his lips like a venomous snake. He shoved the woman aside as she slammed into the side of the cave. He drew a large scimitar and lunged forward, wildly swinging, putting both my father and Arith on the defense.

    It was one thing to anticipate a sane man’s next strike; it’s another matter to try and anticipate a wild man’s attack. There was no rhyme or reason, nothing to set up – simply a flurry of blows. “Zariel will feast on your pure white souls!” He hissed as he locked blades with my father, then shoved him back.

    Zariel – formerly an angel who fell, when she became obsessed with war. That would certainly explain the Red Eye’s bloodlust – so it wasn’t Orcus as the Paladins suspected. Arith cut into the chief’s sword arm, but that seemed to do little to slow the fanatical chief. My than once my father delivered what should have been fatal strikes through the chief’s body – but still the orc chief fought on. It was not until Arith had managed to strike the orc chief with the hilt of his blade that seemed to momentarily stun the orc, giving my father the opportunity to decapitate him.

    Both my father and Arith sheathed their blades. My father rushed to check on the woman who had been abducted while Arith checked on the mysterious child. After confirming that the woman had been only stunned and suffered a small gash to the back of her head from hitting the wall, my father turned to see Arith drawing his blade while he stood in front of the child. My father rushed to his side and put his arm on Arith’s blade arm. “What are you doing?” he asked.

    “Look,” Arith said, staring down at the infant.

    My father admits he gasped the first time he’d seen me – with purple-blue skin, yellow eyes, and small sprouting horns – my father and Arith both immediately recognized me as a Tiefling.

    “It must be a spawn of Zariel,” Arith growled. “That’s why the orc was so concerned for its well-being.”

    “No,” my father held Arith’s sword arm.

    “What are you doing?” Arith asked as my father scooped me into his arms.

    “She’s just an infant,” my father replied. “We can’t kill her.”

    “She’s a Tiefling with Zariel’s blood,” Arith remarked. “She’s destined to be driven by the same blood lust these Red Eyes are. If not worse, having her blood flowing through her veins.”

    “Are we not Paladins of Helm,” my father said, staring into my eyes. “Is our mission not to protect those who cannot protect themselves? She has done no evil. If she is raised properly, she may be saved.”

    “Saved?” Arith asked stunned. “You can’t be serious.”

    My father shot his good friend a knowing look, and Arith sheathed his blade. “Fine, but this is all on you.”


    My father named me Yameia – which in the ancient tongue means ‘of shadow and light’ – and old Elven word that was used to describe eclipses.

    My father taught me everything he knows. Taught me how to fight for the right, defend the weak, be the light the world needs. When he became too old to venture out into the world he gave me his sword, and told me to become the blade of justice.

    I’ve set out to do as my father did. I am devoted to Helm. I am devoted to my cause.

    I just don’t know how to deal with the recent nightmares that have come… showing me some distant castle in a bleak land… where bodies hung to the walls on the outside and screamed in eternal pain…

    Wow, that was perfect. I honestly couldn't imagine her history in any other way. I mean you put what my mind had as a general concept and gave it life. Thank you.

  5. - Top - End - #155
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tawmis View Post
    Done!
    I was able to squeeze everything in (Sniper feat), but where I leave it off - it is open to his future (that he might pick up the feat).
    I had fun finding a way for the Hexblade to be Strahd rather than the Raven Queen.
    Also the vampire serving Strahd (Nev Van’shir) is another vampire I used for someone else's background, so it was kind of fun thinking how these might be indirectly tied. :)
    Whatever you like - or don't like - please tell me - and feel free to be as honest as possible! I promise I won't be offended! :)
    Please let me know if this works for you!
    Enjoy!
    ================================================== ==

    Two hundred years ago, under the cover of darkness, watched only by the moon whose hue was a deep red color called the Blood Moon, Nev Van’shir, an ancient vampire and servant to Strahd Von Zarovich, murdered thirty Paladins devoted to Eldath, the Goddess of Peace as a part of the ongoing war between darkness and light.

    Nev Van’shir used a weapon called Bloodthirst which was directly connected to Strahd Von Zarovich in many ways. For example, the blade did not need to deliver the killing blow, it only had to cut the victim and draw blood. Once the blood was drawn it would create a connection to Strahd Von Zarovich that allowed him to “drink” the energy which helped feed his hunger.

    Knowing that Nev Van’shir would be attacking the next town – the Paladins of Eldath prepared themselves and ambushed Nev Van’shir and gravely wounded the vampire who was forced to flee. However, in his attempt to escape, Bloodthirst was dropped and fell into the darkness of the night. Nev Van’shir was forced to make his escape without attempting to recover the blade.


    That was two hundred years ago. The battle between darkness and light continues.

    Vandal Morn was a Waterdhavian of the noble house Whiteraven. Waterdhavians are those born into a world of wealth and privilege and often regarded with great jealousy by others. Though Vandal had grown up with all of the benefits of wealth, including good schooling, a stable home, he had also squandered everything in orgy of self-indulgence.

    Ashamed by his behavior his father confronted him. “You soil our name the way you soil your trousers, you drunkard fool. Your behavior has wrought shame to our family name.”

    “What good is wealth if one does not enjoy it?” Vandal had asked, taking another deep drink from the bottle he held in his hand. “If we die without spending that which we have who will take it? It is better to live a life full of fulfilment.”

    “This,” his father gestured, looking at the room, “is not fulfilment. This is how a commoner’s pig would live. And you will not live like this any longer. Not here.”

    “What are you going to do? Cast me out? Your only son?” Vandal chuckled drunkenly.

    The next moment Vandal recalled was standing outside the manor’s gate with no way back in.

    Too many knew of Vandal and his family, and thus, Vandal’s reputation. He booked passage aboard a caravan and made a life for himself trading the jewelry and trading what he could. But more often than not, he fell back into his ways of debauchery and would lose what little he had gained.

    No longer able to pay for passage on the caravan, they were forced to leave Vandal behind. As he walked along the dirt road, every sound he heard coming from the bushes sent him running and scouring to hide.

    He saw an approaching group of people which he had mistook as gnomes initially, but as he drew closer, he saw it was a band of goblins traveling on the road. His heart sank as he realized he had sold off his last dagger.

    He dove into the bushes just off the road and held his breath. As the goblins approached, one of them paused and looked at the road. “Somethin’ been here,” it growled as it pointed at the road. “Fresh tracks.”

    Vandal knew that they would find him. Like a rabbit he began dashing deeper into the woods, which the goblins immediately heard. He could hear their gleeful cheering behind him mixed with their hoots and callings.

    After running for over thirty minutes, the goblins showing no signs of giving up, Vandal stumbled into a clearing – the last thing he had wanted. Aside from the thundering beat of his heart in his chest, and his breath which seemed to be trying to escape his body, there were no sounds of nature.

    Without giving it much more thought, he bolted across the clearing as quickly as he could, and without noticing fell directly into a small hole in the ground that sent him plunging down six feet into the earth. He tried to frantically climb out because of the goblins found him, it would be like spearing fish in a barrel. When the mud and muck prevented him from getting a solid hold, he finally sunk to the ground and realized he would die like a pig in mud, like his father had predicted.

    He watched from the pit as the sun passed over, then the moon, then the sun again. He noticed, because there was nothing else to do, that the entire day and night, not a single sound could be heard – no birds, deer, owls – nothing.

    Believing he was safe, Vandal tried to climb again, and this time as he tried to stand, his hand touched something that seemed to send a spark of energy through his body. He looked down and saw the hilt of a blade sticking out from the mud. He reached down and pulled it out – and for a brief moment – had a vision of a pale being, bathed in blood, slaying armored men.

    He had tried to drop it – but something refused to let him go. The jet-black sword seemed to have a crackling energy about it, like static. “Take me,” he heard the voice in his head as the blade shimmered as if made of onyx, “and you will never be afraid again. I must drink the blood of those who stand before you – never do I need the killing blow – only a taste is needed.” The voice was soothing and calming, despite the tone of the message.

    Feeling the blade’s power in him, he felt rejuvenated and pulled himself out of the hole. As he walked towards that path and entered the forest beyond the clearing, he could hear the unmistakable chatter of goblins. He assumed they were discussing entering the odd clearing or not. Instead, Vandal made the choice for them as he stepped into their camp, their campfire casting shadows across his face.

    That night, six desperate goblins cried out their final time.

    Vandal stepped onto the path and wiped the blood away.

    He had literally and figuratively, climbed out of the hole that was his life and now had a new sense of purpose.
    This is WONDERFUL! Ii love it.
    But there are a few correction that need to be made.
    A Hexblade does not start the game with an uber powerful sword.
    Vandal made the pact with the sword and now HE is the weapon. I would have the sword meld into his arm while still in the pit. He starts out with next to nothing, but he does get an Eldritch Blast...that is what he kills the Gobins with. He is likely to pick up one of their weapons as he leaves...the pact suddenly gives him a proficiency with all martial weapons...something he did not have before.

    Thanks for bringing Vandal to life!

  6. - Top - End - #156
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Tawmis's Avatar

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jaryn View Post
    Hooray! This makes me happy 😊
    Also I am enjoying watching the Tawmis-verse come together. It would be very interesting if Sureena and Corin came face to face one day, fighting side by side before eventually working out their shared history.
    And now... *runs away to plan out a bard*
    I may write a connecting story between Sureena and Corin in this thread if there ever comes a time where character background requests drop (not that I want that to happen!), but it'd be something to keep me creative.

    Quote Originally Posted by moonfly7 View Post
    So, I have no issues with a 19 page piece of your writing, and I think most people here feel that way. Feel free to write as much as you want or feel comfortable with for me.
    Hah! The 19 page backstory was reference to comic strip where the bad guy is tied to a tree and he says something like, "I've endured the planes of Hell! Do you think you can torture me?" And the person holds up this book and says, "Maybe not, but I am going to read you my 19 page backstory!" And the bad guy screams.

    Quote Originally Posted by moonfly7 View Post
    Also, another idea.
    A dwarf necromamcer wizard, except he's a paleontologist. He specialises in finding fossils, and then bringing the ancient, extinct species back to life after he uses his dwarven mining knowledge to chip them from the stone. He also helps bring non fossilized extinct species back.
    His name is Bart stonechipper.
    If it's not to much to ask, I'd like to see it done in a style similare to the vigilante paladin. But if you have a different idea, go for it, I completely trust your judgement.
    I will see if I can get it in a similar style... often times, I write the first three words... and the the rest is like the opening of a dam, and it just pours out of me.

    Quote Originally Posted by clash View Post
    Here is another one for you.
    Elias stonewall. Human paladin of conquest who swore an oath of knighthood to protect the weak speak only truth and to root out all evil
    I will add it to the list to write for! Still editing a video for a friend - but between rendering, I try to get some writing in.

    Quote Originally Posted by AH0098 View Post
    Wow, that was perfect. I honestly couldn't imagine her history in any other way. I mean you put what my mind had as a general concept and gave it life. Thank you.
    Thank you! I had a lot of great fun exploring the character - and so very happy to hear that you enjoyed the journey as well!

    Quote Originally Posted by Cyclops08 View Post
    This is WONDERFUL! Ii love it.
    But there are a few correction that need to be made.
    A Hexblade does not start the game with an uber powerful sword.
    Vandal made the pact with the sword and now HE is the weapon. I would have the sword meld into his arm while still in the pit. He starts out with next to nothing, but he does get an Eldritch Blast...that is what he kills the Gobins with. He is likely to pick up one of their weapons as he leaves...the pact suddenly gives him a proficiency with all martial weapons...something he did not have before.
    Thanks for bringing Vandal to life!
    So I was thinking that the character themselves wouldn't even be aware if the sword had any powers (other than an ability to speak to their mind)... It would essentially, for all intents and purposes be a normal sword as far as attacking and such (because the "power" of the sword is doing nothing to benefit the character - it's just "drinking the blood" and giving it to Strahd). So the character would never notice anything unusual. That said, I've never played (or DMed for) a Hexblade, so I just went off what a quick scan of reading up on it was. So it could be that touch the sword absorbs it into the character (and now every monster the character cuts - or kills - feeds Strahd, which the character is completely unaware of).
    Need a character origin written? Enjoyed what I wrote? How can you help me? Not required, but appreciated! <3

    Check out my 5e The Secret of Havenfall Manor or my character back stories over at DMsGuild.com! (If you check it out - please rate, comment, and tell others!)

    Subscribe to my D&D Channel on Youtube! (Come by and Sub)

  7. - Top - End - #157
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Chimera

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tawmis View Post

    I will see if I can get it in a similar style... often times, I write the first three words... and the the rest is like the opening of a dam, and it just pours out of me.
    You write the way you normally do man, I'd hate to mess with an obviously amazing system.

  8. - Top - End - #158
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    Planetar

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    Jan 2018

    Thumbs up Re: Need a character background written up?

    You got the concept of my character excellently. It's about him embracing his savage orcish side. I've always wanted a character who was into Baphomet so that's why I chose him instead of Gruumsh. You understood the background half orcs and Baphomet as well as Tyr more than I do so it played out beautifully.

    I liked how you dropped a few hints here and there foreshadowing his fall from grace. I couldn't think of anything after the big battle, but you found something that worked. I forgot to mention why he was called, "The Baptizer" but you figured it out (he baptizes people in their blood). I didn't have any expectations for the blank areas of my background so I can't say there is anything I disliked.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tawmis View Post
    I rarely get to write evil characters...! So this was fun! Especially showing his fall from grace...
    It was easy for me to weave a reason for your character to be an Oathbreaker once I started...!
    Please let me know what you like, hate, what worked, what didn't! Replies not only help keep me going, they also help me learning if I am reading people correctly, and it also keeps the thread alive and bumped for others to discover!
    Please let me know your thoughts! Enjoy!
    =======================================
    Spoiler: Spoiler
    Show
    When I was young, I lived on the streets, as most Half-Orcs do, rejected by both sides of their heritage. One such pocket I tried to pick, desperate for coin so that I could put food in my stomach that growled like a furious chimera, happened to be that of a Paladin. He was on his way to donate a large pouch of coin from one of his most recent adventures.

    Before I even got my hands on the pouch, he’d grabbed my hand. “Tyr lost his hand to a hound,” he smiled, “do not lose yours to me.”

    My eyes saw the balanced scales resting on a warhammer symbol on his scapula and immediately recognized him as a Paladin of Tyr.

    He sized me up before releasing my hand, “Orc blood in your veins,” he said, noting my facial features bore a brutish look. “You’d best be careful. Try to steal from someone again, that may kill you because of that blood in your veins and not a single person would blink an eye as your blood filled the cobblestone crevices.”

    “Not even a Paladin?” I retorted.

    The Paladin, with his long black hair, nicely trimmed beard, but long mustache looked at me. “Well, you do have some brains in you, boy. Do you have a home too?”

    “The streets,” I growled back.

    “The streets,” he repeated. “How about I make you a deal? You stay with me and learn the way of Tyr. We could use someone with your skill and strength.”

    His name was Dren Ravenmane – the first person I ever remember showing me any compassion. He fed me, kept me off the streets, taught me to fight.

    During one of our training sessions, he had struck my shield hard, sending me stumbling back over my feet. I feel an anger surge in me as I jumped to my feet and began to swing wildly. Dren parried each of the blows easily, laughing at me as he did so, as if this were all some game. Then, when I was tired, he slammed his shield into mine and knocked me on the ground. He towered over me. “Do you see what happened?”

    “I got angry,” I admitted.

    “You gave in to the orc blood in your veins,” he said as he extended his platemail hand. “And that made you reckless; swinging wildly. Before you knew it, you were winded and I was able to knock you back down onto the ground.”

    It was four years, with Dren Ravenmane pleading with the Order, to allow me entrance to the Order. My Orcish appearance had caused all of them great hesitation, despite the praises Dren had given me. But on that fourth years, knowing that a war had been brewing, I was accepted into the Order and through a great ceremony, joined sixty others who became Paladins of Tyr.

    We were sent to the Golden Coast because there had been news of the Bloodtide Minotaurs making landfall and ravishing coastal towns. Dren was a part of that deployment, I believe, because the Order had wanted him to keep an eye on me or at the very least keep me under control.

    News came on night while patrolling the coastlines that The Starboard Harbor was under attack. We rode our horses hard and arrived to see Bloodtide Minotaurs running through the city cutting down anyone who stood in their way. None of us hesitated as we jumped from our horses directly into battle. I admit that I looked for the tallest of these Minotaur hoping he might be the leader. One Minotaur stood out above the rest. His fur coloring was a rusty, red color, and one of his horns had been severed, and still he towered two feet over his companions.

    I cut my way through his army so that I could reach him. He was stunned to see someone had gotten so close, but it wasn’t fear in his eyes. He was pleased.

    War has never been about courage. War has always been about madness.

    A willingness to accept that the next few seconds may be your final moment.

    I walked a thin line of embracing that madness and keeping the Orcish side of my bloodline in check.

    As this towering Minotaur engaged in combat with me, he was easily shoving me aside and deflecting my blows, his deep red eyes bore into my soul. “You’re holding back,” his voice boomed in my ears. “Did these human teach you to fear your Orcish bloodline? That you might give in to what your other half normally does? Kill? Murder? Without it,” he slammed me into a wall, “you will never defeat me.” He brought his leg, rippling with muscle upon muscle, into my gut and knocked the wind out of me. While I was bent over, he then brought the hilt of his sword on my neck, sending me to the ground. “And as long as you don’t embrace it, this is where you will always be, licking my hooves. Where is your god now? Why does he not protect you from me? Do you know why? Because Baphomet encourages our madness! He encourages us to spread chaos, death and destruction! Just like the blood in you screams to do! So what will it be boy?”

    He picked me up by my hair and made eye contact with me. He knew in that moment I could have plunged my weapon through him, but he was confident he had broken me.

    My bloodline of Orcish taint had always worshipped those who were stronger. My eyes looked around me as I hung painfully by the mane of my hair and saw those who had been prejudiced against me, who feared me and refused me, for four long years, fall before the Bloodtide. Somewhere I saw even Dren overwhelmed by the Minotaurs.

    I looked back at the towering Minotaur. “I embrace Baphomet,” I whispered, “only if he allows me to be who I truly am.”

    The towering Minotaur discarded me to the side. “Perfect. Take off the symbol of Helm and burn it. Shout to the heavens that you deny him and that you now embrace Baphomet!” As I torn off my scapula, I saw Dren rise above the Minotaur army for a brief moment and scream something at me, before he – and several other Minotaur – fell off the pier and into the water.

    I could feel the shadow and darkness erupting in my soul like a volcano that had finally been able to burst its ashes into heavens. Bloodmane looked at me, “You will Baptize the world in blood.”

    For several months I sailed with Bloodmane, the leader of the Bloodtide, before I explained that Baphomet had given me a vision to ravage the land while wearing the scapula that bore the symbol of Baphomet.

    During one of our coastal raids, Bloodmane and I parted ways.

    In the back of my mind, I had wondered if Dren had perished when he fell off the pier… wearing platemail, he must have sunk quickly…

  9. - Top - End - #159
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    ElfRangerGuy

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    Jul 2019

    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Tawnis thank you, that was perfect. Just what I was looking for. Really helps me get a feel for him.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tawmis View Post
    I may write a connecting story between Sureena and Corin in this thread if there ever comes a time where character background requests drop (not that I want that to happen!), but it'd be something to keep me creative.
    Haha! Yes please do if they do.

  10. - Top - End - #160
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    DwarfClericGuy

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    I want to play a female Wood Elf fighter. I don't have too much of a backstory for her except that she went against her families wishes in becoming a fighter, they wanted her to find a husband and raise a family. She is a dex based fighter with a rapier and isn't a very open person. I don't even have a name for her yet. I'd appreciate your help with a backstory! I know I haven't given you much to go on; but, maybe a blank slate is the best way to start?

    EDIT if it helps, i'll be picking up a couple spells as I level her up via the Ritual Caster feat and the Wood Elf Magic feat. I'll build her as a pure, battle master fighter. Her alignment would be good of some sort, not likely lawful.
    Last edited by Dessunri; 2019-07-18 at 03:22 PM.

  11. - Top - End - #161
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Tawmis's Avatar

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    Mar 2004

    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by moonfly7 View Post
    A dwarf necromamcer wizard, except he's a paleontologist. He specialises in finding fossils, and then bringing the ancient, extinct species back to life after he uses his dwarven mining knowledge to chip them from the stone. He also helps bring non fossilized extinct species back.
    His name is Bart stonechipper.
    If it's not to much to ask, I'd like to see it done in a style similare to the vigilante paladin. But if you have a different idea, go for it, I completely trust your judgement.
    Phew. Work has been rough. My brain is running on it's last brain cell.
    Between work and working on this birthday video thing I am doing at home, phew!
    I feel like I am missing the mark here...
    I had a hard time with a Dwarf going into Necromancy (and not being evil... It wasn't clear if you wanted evil or not, so I sided with not evil...)
    Which presented a challenge...
    And then the dinosaur thing (fossils is easy, but a Necromancer who brings Dinosaurs to life was difficult, because there's no spell or feat or anything in D&D that comes close to that)...
    So it took some HEAVY creative lifting to explain how it was done once... let alone to continue to be able to do it...
    But yeah, this one I wasn't able to fully get behind, so I apologize if it disappoints!
    But please, still leave feedback - especially if you didn't like it - what you didn't like and that allows me to possibly revisit it (after I do the other requests) and get it closer to what you want...
    Enjoy!
    =====================================
    The Eye of the Storm, despite its name was not the center of a massive storm. According to legend this is where the Eye of Gruumsh fell. It struck the world with such force it create a massive crater and wiped out an entire species of animals that lived in this region for nearly one hundred miles.

    The crater was nearly forty feet deep and one mile wide. The inside of the crater was now a jungle of animals, in some cases, solely unique to the crater itself.

    Scaling down a massive crater can be nerve wracking.

    “Our kind has a very long lifespan,” Jorasic Stonecutter grumbled as he and two others climbed down the side of a massive crater, “but doin’ things like this can shorten yer life.”

    Jorasic was Dwarf with black hair that had streaks of grey flashing through it as if it had captured the motion of falling stars during a moonless night. Jorasic was one who tended to worry about everything and stroked his beard fiercely when consumed with that feeling. Most had teased him that one day he would have no beard due to the constant motion of tugging on his black and grey hairs.

    Just below Jorasic was another Dwarf – a cousin, three times removed – by the name of Nord Forgehammer who in every regard was just the opposite of his cousin. Nord had white hair on his head and beard but was much younger than he appeared. He had a jovial nature that often got him into plenty of trouble because people said he lacked common sense.

    Then there’s me, Bart Stonechipper – also a Dwarf like my two companions, and much like them, directly related. Nord and I were half-brothers (we had the same mother, different fathers). Nord’s father had perished in a battle against Drow and my father was Nord’s father’s best friend. He took care of the Nord’s mother, fell in love with her over the years, and married her. A few short years later I was born.

    Family, you can typically count on them, even if they’re half brothers and cousins three times removed. They’d agreed to go on this expedition with me to the Eye of the Storm knowing it could be several weeks.

    Jorasic specialized in working with leather, while Nord had taken after his father and become a renowned armorer. I had walked a different path. My mother and father had both pondered if they had done something wrong raising me. Unlike the others I dabbled into the arts of Magic. It’s true, most Dwarves don’t venture into understanding magic – but that’s what had made it appealing to me. Growing up I saw Dwarves crafting amazing weapons and armor, but no one knew had to craft a spell. The more I researched the Arcane World, the more I realized how diverse it was. The one so few understood, or perhaps, dared to dabble in was the one that had interested me the most because it had the most to offer in regard to learning. That school of magic was Necromancy.

    Jorasic’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Listen; are we almost to the bottom?”

    “Just open your eyes and look,” Nord teased knowing that Jorasic had a terrible fear of heights. He always said, ‘If we were meant to enjoy heights, the gods would have made us taller!’

    “You can always let go of the rope and just meet us at the bottom,” I teased as I continued to edge my way down the side of the crater.

    “Funny, coming from the wizard who can cast a spell to make him as light as a feather! I don’t see why you didn’t do that to begin with!” Jorasic complained.

    “You would have never let me cast it on you,” I shouted upward, “because you don’t trust magic!”

    “No, I don’t,” he admitted, “especially the weird, dark magic you spend your time casting! It’s not natural you know! Leave the dead be!”

    I chuckled, “Despite what you may think, I don’t spend my nights alone, sitting in the Great Tombs, speaking and raising the dead.”

    It was a small sacrifice to make but engaging Jorasic to talk about the negatives of me and my choice to study Necromancy kept him focused on the discussion

    When we finally reached the bottom (for which Jorasic was eternally thankful), Nord turned to me and asked, “So what is this gaping hole in the ground?”

    Standing inside the crater, I felt the energy crackling all around me… Was it because of the Fall of the Eye? I looked around me and all I could see was an entire jungle that had sprung up at the bottom of the crate and the sounds coming from it indicated it was teeming with life.

    “Depends on the story you believe,” I explained, as I slung my backpack over my shoulder. “The most common story is that when Corellon Larethian shot an arrow at Gruumsh and struck him so that he dislodged the Orc God’s eye that it came crashing down onto the world below. Infused with magic born of any deity, the energy emitted from the eye changed the world around it.”

    Nord looked at me, “The orcs would have you believe that Gruumsh is infallible so there is no way that Corellon Larethian would have ever bested him.”

    Jorasic tugged at his beard as he looked around, “So we’re here to… what? Collect energy signatures or something?”

    “Yes,” I replied, which was, at best a partial truth.

    Closer to the actual truth involved the small little detail of a human I had met who had come to Iron Keep seeking shelter from Orcs he had escaped. We took him in, and he seemed wizardly so he caught my attention. I began speaking with him and he shared with me an ancient human tome on history which spoke of ancient reptiles that roamed the world that were like wingless dragons. The tome explained that many of these beasts died in the extinction event of The Fall of the Eye, as it’s affectionately called.

    We had set up camp near the crater wall since the jungle seemed like it might be too dangerous come night. As we were setting up camp, I heard Jorasic’s trembling voice whisper, “What in the Greystone is that?”

    I turned my head and saw a lizard about the size of a chicken, standing on two legs, head tilting and turning quickly, like a chicken or pigeon. I had studied the human’s tome of history for as long as he had let me and knew immediately it was a Compsognathus. Few were even known to exist outside of the crater, so that seemed to lend some truth to the lore found in the tome. The ‘dinosaurs’ as they had been called lived in this region; and some still seemed to thrive in the crater. I made a sound at it and waved my hands and the Compsognathus quickly darted away but would visit us throughout the night with about sixteen others of the same kind.

    I took a small cup and placed it on the log and filled it with water. When I did not drink it, Nord asked me if I was waiting for something. I smiled and explained, “It’s something I read in the human’s book. It’s the best way to detect larger species of dinosaurs.”

    Just as we were going to bed, unpacking our bedrolls, we heard what sounded like an explosion. Naturally it was Jorasic who was shouting, “What was that?”

    We had stopped what we were doing and glanced at one another. Jorasic was viciously tugging at his beard.

    The boom came again. Then one more time. There were long gaps. I looked at the cup and saw the water shimmering. I counted between the booms. It wasn’t an explosion; it was a dinosaur. Against the moonlight I could see a neck that seemed to stretch for miles which attached to a large, round body whose legs were like tree trunks. “An Apatosaurus,” I whispered pointing.

    Jorasic was beside himself, “The thing could eat us in one bite!”

    “Good thing they’re herbivores,” I replied.

    “Would not stop them from accidentally eating us or stepping on us,” he added.

    Excavating was a slow, painful process, but the following morning I began excavating some of the area. I was looking for something. They knew I was here to find fossils.

    But last night; the energy and the magic I could feel coursing through my veins, gave me a brand-new idea. One that neither of them would ever approve of (and probably with good reason). As I chipped away at the side of the crater’s wall, I looked back at the others.

    Nord had been the one who taught me how to fine tune using a hammer. While he used it to pound metal vigorously, I used it to gently chip away at the crater wall. Jorasic was working on some leather working, fascinated by the reptiles that dominated the crater. He was still jumpy every time he saw a new one, wondering if it was there to devour him, and I had to reassure him each time that he was safe. (Although the baby raptors were a concern, that meant there were adult ones somewhere, but there was no need to tell Jorasic the truth about them).

    It was two days of chipping away at the crater wall before I found what I was looking for. The fossil skull of a “Thunder Lizard.” The fabled Thunder Lizard was said to have some relation to Wyverns. Diagrams showed that the beast stood over thirty feet tall, had an endless row of teeth, enormous claws on their feet, but small arms that were ineffectual. This is what started the theory that they were related to Wyverns; over time, they developed massive wings.

    Neither Nord nor Jorasic could figure out why I was so excited about finding a fossil – they had been with me in plenty other places where I’d found some.

    Nord and Jorasic both agreed to stay long, though Jorasic wasn’t pleased about it, but he agreed to stay, undoubtedly influenced by Nord’s decision. It took two weeks (and Jorasic reminded us every day about the numerous times he was “being eaten alive” by insects) before I was able to clear the massive skull from the crater’s wall safely.

    “Do you plan to take that thing back to Iron Gate?” Nord asked. “Because hefting it up the crater wall might be a problem.”

    “No,” I said. “It will stay here. But I want to study it.”

    That was a lie. The two weeks spent in the Eye of the Storm had changed me. The magic was crackling at my fingertips.

    The following morning I took the large skull out to a small clearing in front of the jungle. Using my notes that I had taken from an ancient tome I found in the Greystone Library that dealt with Necromancy, I traced to the best of my ability the symbols I had hastily copied.

    Sitting down in front of the fossil, I faced it and began chanting the words from my notebook. An unusual wind picked up, and as I chanted the words, pages began to fly away as I read the last line, as if someone were standing next to me tearing the pages away from me as I finished reading them.

    Suddenly a green energy formed in the eye sockets of the fossil.

    The wind toppled me over and as I quickly scampered to my feet, I saw the head beginning to levitate.

    “What have you done?” Nord asked as he came to stand behind me.

    I didn’t answer – instead I watched as the head floated further upward. There was a burst of green energy. Momentarily blinded, I rubbed my eyes and suddenly saw that the energy had enveloped the skull and began flickering and flashing wildly.

    “Is that forming… a body?” Jorasic stammered.

    After a few short moments the thunder lizard stood tall. Almost thirty feet tall, small beady eyes with new life stared around in momentary confusion. The Tyrannosaurus Rex tilted its head up and roared.

    “What have you done?” Nord repeated.

    I snapped out of the trance I had been in and looked up at the Tyrannosaurus Rex. “I don’t believe it worked,” I said in awe.

    “Run!” was the next sound I heard from Jorasic as the large beast looked over in our direction.

    We had scrambled into the small crevice we had dug getting the skull and after an hour the large beast gave us and began looking for an easier meal.

    “You’ve unleashed a new beast,” Nord whispered.

    “It will never be able to climb out of here,” I replied as we climbed out of the small hole.

    “How did you even do that?” Nord asked. “You looked like you were in some kind of trance.”

    “The energy here,” I said. “I can feel it in me. It’s awakened something in me.”

    I noticed that Jorasic and Nord shared a nervous exchange and Jorasic’s beard was much whiter.

    Jorasic looked at me. “We are leaving now, right? Because I do not feel comfortable with that thing you unleashed being in the same area we are.”

    “Yes,” I nodded, suddenly feeling exhausted. “We should get out of here.”

    Just as we reached the top of the crater, I heard the roar of the Tyrannosaurus Rex again.
    Need a character origin written? Enjoyed what I wrote? How can you help me? Not required, but appreciated! <3

    Check out my 5e The Secret of Havenfall Manor or my character back stories over at DMsGuild.com! (If you check it out - please rate, comment, and tell others!)

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  12. - Top - End - #162
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Tawmis's Avatar

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by clash View Post
    Here is another one for you.
    Elias stonewall. Human paladin of conquest who swore an oath of knighthood to protect the weak speak only truth and to root out all evil
    Yours is next! I am working on it now!

    Quote Originally Posted by Dessunri View Post
    I want to play a female Wood Elf fighter. I don't have too much of a backstory for her except that she went against her families wishes in becoming a fighter, they wanted her to find a husband and raise a family. She is a dex based fighter with a rapier and isn't a very open person. I don't even have a name for her yet. I'd appreciate your help with a backstory! I know I haven't given you much to go on; but, maybe a blank slate is the best way to start?

    EDIT if it helps, i'll be picking up a couple spells as I level her up via the Ritual Caster feat and the Wood Elf Magic feat. I'll build her as a pure, battle master fighter. Her alignment would be good of some sort, not likely lawful.
    Don't worry! You gave me enough to understand your character! Will work on it after the one above. :)
    Last edited by Tawmis; 2019-07-18 at 05:36 PM.
    Need a character origin written? Enjoyed what I wrote? How can you help me? Not required, but appreciated! <3

    Check out my 5e The Secret of Havenfall Manor or my character back stories over at DMsGuild.com! (If you check it out - please rate, comment, and tell others!)

    Subscribe to my D&D Channel on Youtube! (Come by and Sub)

  13. - Top - End - #163
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Tawmis's Avatar

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by clash View Post
    Here is another one for you.
    Elias stonewall. Human paladin of conquest who swore an oath of knighthood to protect the weak speak only truth and to root out all evil
    I feel like this one is a little shorter than what I normally do...
    But I feel like it was easy getting inside the mind of the character...
    And the Red Eye Orcs are Orcs I've used in other people's origins...
    And the Pillar of Light is also an organization I've previously introduced in someone else's origin...
    Hopefully it's what you're looking for?
    I'd love to hear feedback, regardless! Good or bad, let me know!
    ===========================
    I was only fifteen when I saw the horrors of war.

    The Red Eye Orcs had invaded our town for the sheer sport of murder and chaos. If they managed to steal resources as well, that was just bonus. But they were complete savages killing man, woman and child alike, without hesitation.

    My mother and father were cut down before my eyes, and I only barely managed to survive by crawling under a wagon that they had ignited. Right across from me was an orphanage, and the Red Eye had circled all the children and women that worked there and kept them trapped as they burned it down to the ground, laughing all the while.

    The horrified screams of those children and women have fueled my nightmares.

    After the Red Eye Orcs were gone, I crawled out from beneath the wagon that was still burning and looked at the destruction of my town. Of the hundred or so people who lived in Crestfall, only a handful of us had survived their onslaught.

    I wondered if the gods had spared me for a reason. Did they make me witness this horror for some greater cause?

    We dug up our dead and buried the bodies that we could. Most of the children in the women in the orphanage were so badly burned that their bodies had melted together. For them, we left them there and turned the building into a memorial. Those that survived with me; the handful that they were, worked together, and we were almost like a family. We all agreed that the memories here were too painful and we gathered whatever resources we could and left for Stormhaven, the larger city only a few days away.

    In Stormhaven I met another human by the name of Brell Stormhammer. He had seen us approaching Stormhaven and asked what had happened. When he learned that the Red Eye were behind the attacks, he gathered other Paladins to hunt them down.

    Two weeks later, with far fewer men, Brell Stormhammer returned. He found me in Stormhaven and explained that they had tracked down and killed the Red Eye Orcs that had been responsible for the slaughter. He then asked if my family perished in the attack and when I explained they had, he offered me a place at his side, among the other Paladins of his Order. He explained that they followed Tempus, the God of War, and that the symbol on his shield; an upright flaming sword was the symbol of Tempus.

    Through Brell I learned the ways of the Order. Douse the Flame of Hope in your enemies. It is never enough to simply defeat them in battle, but make them fear you, so that they understand that there is no way they will escape justice. Because the world was full of chaos and mischief and murder, it is best to rule with an Iron Fist and find those who would seek to disrupt your order. And lastly, always be ready for a challenge – because you should always be tested to ensure you are the strongest one. If you are weak, then the Order has an area that can be exposed. If it can be exposed it can be broken. Never be weak. Not just for you, but for the Order.

    I spent two years with Brell Stormhammer, sometimes just preparing his mount so he could go ride off to put an end to some other enemy; sometimes he granted me permission to ride with him. By the age of eighteen, I was brought into the Order of Tempus under the Paladins who called themselves The Pillar of Light.

    The Pillar of Light taught me that if something comes from evil, then evil is in its veins. Never trust it. All races are, naturally, capable of evil – but there are those that have it in their blood (such as Tieflings and Half-Orcs, even Sorcerers), and those that dabble into darkness (such as Warlocks) – they are not to be trusted.

    I have now spent two years with the Pillar of Light, honoring Tempus. There are many who dislike our methods and calls us names such as Knight Tyrants or Iron Mongers, because we acted without mercy.

    But that helped keep the land in order.

    Never again would anyone have to hear the dying sounds of children. Never. Again.

    My name is Elias Stonewall, and that is my oath.
    Need a character origin written? Enjoyed what I wrote? How can you help me? Not required, but appreciated! <3

    Check out my 5e The Secret of Havenfall Manor or my character back stories over at DMsGuild.com! (If you check it out - please rate, comment, and tell others!)

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  14. - Top - End - #164
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Tawmis's Avatar

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dessunri View Post
    I want to play a female Wood Elf fighter. I don't have too much of a backstory for her except that she went against her families wishes in becoming a fighter, they wanted her to find a husband and raise a family. She is a dex based fighter with a rapier and isn't a very open person. I don't even have a name for her yet. I'd appreciate your help with a backstory! I know I haven't given you much to go on; but, maybe a blank slate is the best way to start?
    EDIT if it helps, i'll be picking up a couple spells as I level her up via the Ritual Caster feat and the Wood Elf Magic feat. I'll build her as a pure, battle master fighter. Her alignment would be good of some sort, not likely lawful.
    It's another short one, but once again, felt like it was easy to get into her head space...
    I enjoyed the idea of conflict with the family (that part was easy!)...
    But I wanted to dive deeper, so... I mended fences at the end... To give an emotional tie to it all.
    Please let me know what you like or dislike - any feedback is welcome!
    Enjoy!
    ======================================
    Elarwyn Forest.

    This used to be my home. It feels strange coming back.

    Six years ago, my family and I parted on less than… pleasant ways.

    “Salyna,” I could hear my mother saying, “it’s almost time for you to find someone. To settle down. Bare children.”

    I was not like my mother. When she was young, she had fallen in love with my father, and they had six children – myself being the youngest among them.

    When I was young, I was already wrestling with my two older brothers. My mother would come rushing out and break us apart.

    “That’s no way for a woman to act!” she would say, shaking her finger at me.

    “I am not a woman, yet, mother!” I’d bark back. “I am just a girl!”

    “If other boys see you playing like that,” she would counter, “they will remember that when you get older and think how un-lady like you were acting!”

    “Good!” I would laugh, “If I scared them, then they wouldn’t be a good fit for me!”

    The play fighting between my brothers and I never stopped. As we got older, they would show me how to use a rapier since in Elarwyn, women were not allowed to learn how to fight since that was not their place. My brothers, like me, thought that the idea of not teaching a woman to fight was ridiculous. Evil came in all forms, whether it was a marauding band of Red Eye Orcs, or even one of our own – everyone should learn how to defend themselves.

    The problem was, I was interested in more than defending myself. I was interested in fighting and joining the front lines against the Red Eye Orcs. Despite my proven skill, thanks to my brothers, when I presented the idea of me joining the ranks, I was declined without even considering my skill (even though I had bested six of the eight men who they sent against me to test my skill).

    That had been the final straw, and that’s when I left to go out to the world beyond the forest and see if I could join others who would accept me for who I am despite my race or my gender, and accept me for my skill.

    As I suspected, in the world beyond the woods, there were others like me – others who sought out adventure. Not all of them used swords; some used magic; some used their fists. But it was refreshing to know that I had not made a mistake.

    But tonight, it’s not about telling my parents that I was right. The reason I had come back to Elarwyn Forest was because my father had fallen grievously ill and was not expected to live for much longer.

    I met up with four of my brothers (Taris, the second oldest, had died a few years ago, while patrolling the border of the forest). I didn’t even know my brother had died, until tonight, when I met with my other brothers. Apparently, my mother had told my brothers that she had sent word for me, but that I had declined to come because I was “too busy.”

    I was angry to learn this. But when we got to our home in the woods, all of that anger was set aside. My father, in bed, pale as the moon, my mother so thin, she looked like a twig, because she had stopped eating the day my father grew ill… It was impossible to stay angry.

    We stayed for six night, and on the sixth night, my father, with all of us around him, breathed his final breath.

    There was a ceremony and a celebration of life, where we all spoke of the many stories that revolved around my father.

    During the Celebration of Life, my mother had approached me and apologized, both for the way she treated me, and for never telling me about Taris’ death.

    I smiled at my mother, and told her I understood.

    She asked, knowing the answer, if I would be staying long.

    My name is Salyna Moonglade, and I am a woman who has grown up fighting against the odds and learning to live and fight in the world beyond my home. I have lost my father, one of my brothers, and my home, but I never lost sight of who I am.
    Need a character origin written? Enjoyed what I wrote? How can you help me? Not required, but appreciated! <3

    Check out my 5e The Secret of Havenfall Manor or my character back stories over at DMsGuild.com! (If you check it out - please rate, comment, and tell others!)

    Subscribe to my D&D Channel on Youtube! (Come by and Sub)

  15. - Top - End - #165
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Chimera

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tawmis View Post
    Phew. Work has been rough. My brain is running on it's last brain cell.
    Between work and working on this birthday video thing I am doing at home, phew!
    I feel like I am missing the mark here...
    I had a hard time with a Dwarf going into Necromancy (and not being evil... It wasn't clear if you wanted evil or not, so I sided with not evil...)
    Which presented a challenge...
    And then the dinosaur thing (fossils is easy, but a Necromancer who brings Dinosaurs to life was difficult, because there's no spell or feat or anything in D&D that comes close to that)...
    So it took some HEAVY creative lifting to explain how it was done once... let alone to continue to be able to do it...
    But yeah, this one I wasn't able to fully get behind, so I apologize if it disappoints!
    But please, still leave feedback - especially if you didn't like it - what you didn't like and that allows me to possibly revisit it (after I do the other requests) and get it closer to what you want...
    Enjoy!
    =====================================
    The Eye of the Storm, despite its name was not the center of a massive storm. According to legend this is where the Eye of Gruumsh fell. It struck the world with such force it create a massive crater and wiped out an entire species of animals that lived in this region for nearly one hundred miles.

    The crater was nearly forty feet deep and one mile wide. The inside of the crater was now a jungle of animals, in some cases, solely unique to the crater itself.

    Scaling down a massive crater can be nerve wracking.

    “Our kind has a very long lifespan,” Jorasic Stonecutter grumbled as he and two others climbed down the side of a massive crater, “but doin’ things like this can shorten yer life.”

    Jorasic was Dwarf with black hair that had streaks of grey flashing through it as if it had captured the motion of falling stars during a moonless night. Jorasic was one who tended to worry about everything and stroked his beard fiercely when consumed with that feeling. Most had teased him that one day he would have no beard due to the constant motion of tugging on his black and grey hairs.

    Just below Jorasic was another Dwarf – a cousin, three times removed – by the name of Nord Forgehammer who in every regard was just the opposite of his cousin. Nord had white hair on his head and beard but was much younger than he appeared. He had a jovial nature that often got him into plenty of trouble because people said he lacked common sense.

    Then there’s me, Bart Stonechipper – also a Dwarf like my two companions, and much like them, directly related. Nord and I were half-brothers (we had the same mother, different fathers). Nord’s father had perished in a battle against Drow and my father was Nord’s father’s best friend. He took care of the Nord’s mother, fell in love with her over the years, and married her. A few short years later I was born.

    Family, you can typically count on them, even if they’re half brothers and cousins three times removed. They’d agreed to go on this expedition with me to the Eye of the Storm knowing it could be several weeks.

    Jorasic specialized in working with leather, while Nord had taken after his father and become a renowned armorer. I had walked a different path. My mother and father had both pondered if they had done something wrong raising me. Unlike the others I dabbled into the arts of Magic. It’s true, most Dwarves don’t venture into understanding magic – but that’s what had made it appealing to me. Growing up I saw Dwarves crafting amazing weapons and armor, but no one knew had to craft a spell. The more I researched the Arcane World, the more I realized how diverse it was. The one so few understood, or perhaps, dared to dabble in was the one that had interested me the most because it had the most to offer in regard to learning. That school of magic was Necromancy.

    Jorasic’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Listen; are we almost to the bottom?”

    “Just open your eyes and look,” Nord teased knowing that Jorasic had a terrible fear of heights. He always said, ‘If we were meant to enjoy heights, the gods would have made us taller!’

    “You can always let go of the rope and just meet us at the bottom,” I teased as I continued to edge my way down the side of the crater.

    “Funny, coming from the wizard who can cast a spell to make him as light as a feather! I don’t see why you didn’t do that to begin with!” Jorasic complained.

    “You would have never let me cast it on you,” I shouted upward, “because you don’t trust magic!”

    “No, I don’t,” he admitted, “especially the weird, dark magic you spend your time casting! It’s not natural you know! Leave the dead be!”

    I chuckled, “Despite what you may think, I don’t spend my nights alone, sitting in the Great Tombs, speaking and raising the dead.”

    It was a small sacrifice to make but engaging Jorasic to talk about the negatives of me and my choice to study Necromancy kept him focused on the discussion

    When we finally reached the bottom (for which Jorasic was eternally thankful), Nord turned to me and asked, “So what is this gaping hole in the ground?”

    Standing inside the crater, I felt the energy crackling all around me… Was it because of the Fall of the Eye? I looked around me and all I could see was an entire jungle that had sprung up at the bottom of the crate and the sounds coming from it indicated it was teeming with life.

    “Depends on the story you believe,” I explained, as I slung my backpack over my shoulder. “The most common story is that when Corellon Larethian shot an arrow at Gruumsh and struck him so that he dislodged the Orc God’s eye that it came crashing down onto the world below. Infused with magic born of any deity, the energy emitted from the eye changed the world around it.”

    Nord looked at me, “The orcs would have you believe that Gruumsh is infallible so there is no way that Corellon Larethian would have ever bested him.”

    Jorasic tugged at his beard as he looked around, “So we’re here to… what? Collect energy signatures or something?”

    “Yes,” I replied, which was, at best a partial truth.

    Closer to the actual truth involved the small little detail of a human I had met who had come to Iron Keep seeking shelter from Orcs he had escaped. We took him in, and he seemed wizardly so he caught my attention. I began speaking with him and he shared with me an ancient human tome on history which spoke of ancient reptiles that roamed the world that were like wingless dragons. The tome explained that many of these beasts died in the extinction event of The Fall of the Eye, as it’s affectionately called.

    We had set up camp near the crater wall since the jungle seemed like it might be too dangerous come night. As we were setting up camp, I heard Jorasic’s trembling voice whisper, “What in the Greystone is that?”

    I turned my head and saw a lizard about the size of a chicken, standing on two legs, head tilting and turning quickly, like a chicken or pigeon. I had studied the human’s tome of history for as long as he had let me and knew immediately it was a Compsognathus. Few were even known to exist outside of the crater, so that seemed to lend some truth to the lore found in the tome. The ‘dinosaurs’ as they had been called lived in this region; and some still seemed to thrive in the crater. I made a sound at it and waved my hands and the Compsognathus quickly darted away but would visit us throughout the night with about sixteen others of the same kind.

    I took a small cup and placed it on the log and filled it with water. When I did not drink it, Nord asked me if I was waiting for something. I smiled and explained, “It’s something I read in the human’s book. It’s the best way to detect larger species of dinosaurs.”

    Just as we were going to bed, unpacking our bedrolls, we heard what sounded like an explosion. Naturally it was Jorasic who was shouting, “What was that?”

    We had stopped what we were doing and glanced at one another. Jorasic was viciously tugging at his beard.

    The boom came again. Then one more time. There were long gaps. I looked at the cup and saw the water shimmering. I counted between the booms. It wasn’t an explosion; it was a dinosaur. Against the moonlight I could see a neck that seemed to stretch for miles which attached to a large, round body whose legs were like tree trunks. “An Apatosaurus,” I whispered pointing.

    Jorasic was beside himself, “The thing could eat us in one bite!”

    “Good thing they’re herbivores,” I replied.

    “Would not stop them from accidentally eating us or stepping on us,” he added.

    Excavating was a slow, painful process, but the following morning I began excavating some of the area. I was looking for something. They knew I was here to find fossils.

    But last night; the energy and the magic I could feel coursing through my veins, gave me a brand-new idea. One that neither of them would ever approve of (and probably with good reason). As I chipped away at the side of the crater’s wall, I looked back at the others.

    Nord had been the one who taught me how to fine tune using a hammer. While he used it to pound metal vigorously, I used it to gently chip away at the crater wall. Jorasic was working on some leather working, fascinated by the reptiles that dominated the crater. He was still jumpy every time he saw a new one, wondering if it was there to devour him, and I had to reassure him each time that he was safe. (Although the baby raptors were a concern, that meant there were adult ones somewhere, but there was no need to tell Jorasic the truth about them).

    It was two days of chipping away at the crater wall before I found what I was looking for. The fossil skull of a “Thunder Lizard.” The fabled Thunder Lizard was said to have some relation to Wyverns. Diagrams showed that the beast stood over thirty feet tall, had an endless row of teeth, enormous claws on their feet, but small arms that were ineffectual. This is what started the theory that they were related to Wyverns; over time, they developed massive wings.

    Neither Nord nor Jorasic could figure out why I was so excited about finding a fossil – they had been with me in plenty other places where I’d found some.

    Nord and Jorasic both agreed to stay long, though Jorasic wasn’t pleased about it, but he agreed to stay, undoubtedly influenced by Nord’s decision. It took two weeks (and Jorasic reminded us every day about the numerous times he was “being eaten alive” by insects) before I was able to clear the massive skull from the crater’s wall safely.

    “Do you plan to take that thing back to Iron Gate?” Nord asked. “Because hefting it up the crater wall might be a problem.”

    “No,” I said. “It will stay here. But I want to study it.”

    That was a lie. The two weeks spent in the Eye of the Storm had changed me. The magic was crackling at my fingertips.

    The following morning I took the large skull out to a small clearing in front of the jungle. Using my notes that I had taken from an ancient tome I found in the Greystone Library that dealt with Necromancy, I traced to the best of my ability the symbols I had hastily copied.

    Sitting down in front of the fossil, I faced it and began chanting the words from my notebook. An unusual wind picked up, and as I chanted the words, pages began to fly away as I read the last line, as if someone were standing next to me tearing the pages away from me as I finished reading them.

    Suddenly a green energy formed in the eye sockets of the fossil.

    The wind toppled me over and as I quickly scampered to my feet, I saw the head beginning to levitate.

    “What have you done?” Nord asked as he came to stand behind me.

    I didn’t answer – instead I watched as the head floated further upward. There was a burst of green energy. Momentarily blinded, I rubbed my eyes and suddenly saw that the energy had enveloped the skull and began flickering and flashing wildly.

    “Is that forming… a body?” Jorasic stammered.

    After a few short moments the thunder lizard stood tall. Almost thirty feet tall, small beady eyes with new life stared around in momentary confusion. The Tyrannosaurus Rex tilted its head up and roared.

    “What have you done?” Nord repeated.

    I snapped out of the trance I had been in and looked up at the Tyrannosaurus Rex. “I don’t believe it worked,” I said in awe.

    “Run!” was the next sound I heard from Jorasic as the large beast looked over in our direction.

    We had scrambled into the small crevice we had dug getting the skull and after an hour the large beast gave us and began looking for an easier meal.

    “You’ve unleashed a new beast,” Nord whispered.

    “It will never be able to climb out of here,” I replied as we climbed out of the small hole.

    “How did you even do that?” Nord asked. “You looked like you were in some kind of trance.”

    “The energy here,” I said. “I can feel it in me. It’s awakened something in me.”

    I noticed that Jorasic and Nord shared a nervous exchange and Jorasic’s beard was much whiter.

    Jorasic looked at me. “We are leaving now, right? Because I do not feel comfortable with that thing you unleashed being in the same area we are.”

    “Yes,” I nodded, suddenly feeling exhausted. “We should get out of here.”

    Just as we reached the top of the crater, I heard the roar of the Tyrannosaurus Rex again.
    So, he is definetly not evil. Also, he would use spells like ressurection, true ressurection, and animate dead.
    Also, this crap rocked, absolutly loved it.
    Last edited by moonfly7; 2019-07-18 at 06:40 PM.

  16. - Top - End - #166
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Tawmis's Avatar

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by moonfly7 View Post
    So, he is definetly not evil. Also, he would use spells like ressurection, true ressurection, and animate dead.
    Also, this crap rocked, absolutly loved it.
    Ah! So it was intended for a higher level character! I was thinking like Level 1 to 3 range character. :)
    So I was thinking, "How is someone going to resurrect a Dinosaur at a low level?"
    Then thought, "In my campaign I had the Eye of Gruumsh hit the world and change it... I will just use that in this one to explain the magical enhancing energy!"

    So if it was for a higher level character - just some minor changes about actually KNOWING the spell would be used versus some old tome he scribbled down from the Great Iron Library. :)

    Glad you managed to enjoy it, even though I felt like I was off. :)

    EDIT: So I threw in several "Jurassic Park" things... the dwarf Jorasic (pronounced "Jor-ass-ic" aka Jurassic), and then the cup of water to sense big dinosaurs... and then of course, the TREX roaring...

    Quote Originally Posted by Bel-Torac View Post
    You got the concept of my character excellently. It's about him embracing his savage orcish side. I've always wanted a character who was into Baphomet so that's why I chose him instead of Gruumsh. You understood the background half orcs and Baphomet as well as Tyr more than I do so it played out beautifully.
    I liked how you dropped a few hints here and there foreshadowing his fall from grace. I couldn't think of anything after the big battle, but you found something that worked. I forgot to mention why he was called, "The Baptizer" but you figured it out (he baptizes people in their blood). I didn't have any expectations for the blank areas of my background so I can't say there is anything I disliked.
    It was a lot of fun writing the character... and his fall from grace... and why he would align to a new god...!
    I am glad I was able to get the feel (and the "title") correctly!

    Quote Originally Posted by AH0098 View Post
    Wow, that was perfect. I honestly couldn't imagine her history in any other way. I mean you put what my mind had as a general concept and gave it life. Thank you.
    My pleasure! Thank you for allowing me to walk in their high hard boots. :)
    Last edited by Tawmis; 2019-07-18 at 07:41 PM.
    Need a character origin written? Enjoyed what I wrote? How can you help me? Not required, but appreciated! <3

    Check out my 5e The Secret of Havenfall Manor or my character back stories over at DMsGuild.com! (If you check it out - please rate, comment, and tell others!)

    Subscribe to my D&D Channel on Youtube! (Come by and Sub)

  17. - Top - End - #167
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    NecromancerGuy

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    Jun 2016

    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Spoiler
    Show
    I feel like this one is a little shorter than what I normally do...
    But I feel like it was easy getting inside the mind of the character...
    And the Red Eye Orcs are Orcs I've used in other people's origins...
    And the Pillar of Light is also an organization I've previously introduced in someone else's origin...
    Hopefully it's what you're looking for?
    I'd love to hear feedback, regardless! Good or bad, let me know!
    ===========================
    I was only fifteen when I saw the horrors of war.

    The Red Eye Orcs had invaded our town for the sheer sport of murder and chaos. If they managed to steal resources as well, that was just bonus. But they were complete savages killing man, woman and child alike, without hesitation.

    My mother and father were cut down before my eyes, and I only barely managed to survive by crawling under a wagon that they had ignited. Right across from me was an orphanage, and the Red Eye had circled all the children and women that worked there and kept them trapped as they burned it down to the ground, laughing all the while.

    The horrified screams of those children and women have fueled my nightmares.

    After the Red Eye Orcs were gone, I crawled out from beneath the wagon that was still burning and looked at the destruction of my town. Of the hundred or so people who lived in Crestfall, only a handful of us had survived their onslaught.

    I wondered if the gods had spared me for a reason. Did they make me witness this horror for some greater cause?

    We dug up our dead and buried the bodies that we could. Most of the children in the women in the orphanage were so badly burned that their bodies had melted together. For them, we left them there and turned the building into a memorial. Those that survived with me; the handful that they were, worked together, and we were almost like a family. We all agreed that the memories here were too painful and we gathered whatever resources we could and left for Stormhaven, the larger city only a few days away.

    In Stormhaven I met another human by the name of Brell Stormhammer. He had seen us approaching Stormhaven and asked what had happened. When he learned that the Red Eye were behind the attacks, he gathered other Paladins to hunt them down.

    Two weeks later, with far fewer men, Brell Stormhammer returned. He found me in Stormhaven and explained that they had tracked down and killed the Red Eye Orcs that had been responsible for the slaughter. He then asked if my family perished in the attack and when I explained they had, he offered me a place at his side, among the other Paladins of his Order. He explained that they followed Tempus, the God of War, and that the symbol on his shield; an upright flaming sword was the symbol of Tempus.

    Through Brell I learned the ways of the Order. Douse the Flame of Hope in your enemies. It is never enough to simply defeat them in battle, but make them fear you, so that they understand that there is no way they will escape justice. Because the world was full of chaos and mischief and murder, it is best to rule with an Iron Fist and find those who would seek to disrupt your order. And lastly, always be ready for a challenge – because you should always be tested to ensure you are the strongest one. If you are weak, then the Order has an area that can be exposed. If it can be exposed it can be broken. Never be weak. Not just for you, but for the Order.

    I spent two years with Brell Stormhammer, sometimes just preparing his mount so he could go ride off to put an end to some other enemy; sometimes he granted me permission to ride with him. By the age of eighteen, I was brought into the Order of Tempus under the Paladins who called themselves The Pillar of Light.

    The Pillar of Light taught me that if something comes from evil, then evil is in its veins. Never trust it. All races are, naturally, capable of evil – but there are those that have it in their blood (such as Tieflings and Half-Orcs, even Sorcerers), and those that dabble into darkness (such as Warlocks) – they are not to be trusted.

    I have now spent two years with the Pillar of Light, honoring Tempus. There are many who dislike our methods and calls us names such as Knight Tyrants or Iron Mongers, because we acted without mercy.

    But that helped keep the land in order.

    Never again would anyone have to hear the dying sounds of children. Never. Again.

    My name is Elias Stonewall, and that is my oath.


    The character is a little off what I imagined as far as the narrative goes but the backstory details will work perfect for him. It is my take on my lawful good conquest paladin.
    Last edited by clash; 2019-07-18 at 10:21 PM.

  18. - Top - End - #168
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Tawmis's Avatar

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    Mar 2004

    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by clash View Post
    Spoiler
    Show
    I feel like this one is a little shorter than what I normally do...
    But I feel like it was easy getting inside the mind of the character...
    And the Red Eye Orcs are Orcs I've used in other people's origins...
    And the Pillar of Light is also an organization I've previously introduced in someone else's origin...
    Hopefully it's what you're looking for?
    I'd love to hear feedback, regardless! Good or bad, let me know!
    ===========================
    I was only fifteen when I saw the horrors of war.

    The Red Eye Orcs had invaded our town for the sheer sport of murder and chaos. If they managed to steal resources as well, that was just bonus. But they were complete savages killing man, woman and child alike, without hesitation.

    My mother and father were cut down before my eyes, and I only barely managed to survive by crawling under a wagon that they had ignited. Right across from me was an orphanage, and the Red Eye had circled all the children and women that worked there and kept them trapped as they burned it down to the ground, laughing all the while.

    The horrified screams of those children and women have fueled my nightmares.

    After the Red Eye Orcs were gone, I crawled out from beneath the wagon that was still burning and looked at the destruction of my town. Of the hundred or so people who lived in Crestfall, only a handful of us had survived their onslaught.

    I wondered if the gods had spared me for a reason. Did they make me witness this horror for some greater cause?

    We dug up our dead and buried the bodies that we could. Most of the children in the women in the orphanage were so badly burned that their bodies had melted together. For them, we left them there and turned the building into a memorial. Those that survived with me; the handful that they were, worked together, and we were almost like a family. We all agreed that the memories here were too painful and we gathered whatever resources we could and left for Stormhaven, the larger city only a few days away.

    In Stormhaven I met another human by the name of Brell Stormhammer. He had seen us approaching Stormhaven and asked what had happened. When he learned that the Red Eye were behind the attacks, he gathered other Paladins to hunt them down.

    Two weeks later, with far fewer men, Brell Stormhammer returned. He found me in Stormhaven and explained that they had tracked down and killed the Red Eye Orcs that had been responsible for the slaughter. He then asked if my family perished in the attack and when I explained they had, he offered me a place at his side, among the other Paladins of his Order. He explained that they followed Tempus, the God of War, and that the symbol on his shield; an upright flaming sword was the symbol of Tempus.

    Through Brell I learned the ways of the Order. Douse the Flame of Hope in your enemies. It is never enough to simply defeat them in battle, but make them fear you, so that they understand that there is no way they will escape justice. Because the world was full of chaos and mischief and murder, it is best to rule with an Iron Fist and find those who would seek to disrupt your order. And lastly, always be ready for a challenge – because you should always be tested to ensure you are the strongest one. If you are weak, then the Order has an area that can be exposed. If it can be exposed it can be broken. Never be weak. Not just for you, but for the Order.

    I spent two years with Brell Stormhammer, sometimes just preparing his mount so he could go ride off to put an end to some other enemy; sometimes he granted me permission to ride with him. By the age of eighteen, I was brought into the Order of Tempus under the Paladins who called themselves The Pillar of Light.

    The Pillar of Light taught me that if something comes from evil, then evil is in its veins. Never trust it. All races are, naturally, capable of evil – but there are those that have it in their blood (such as Tieflings and Half-Orcs, even Sorcerers), and those that dabble into darkness (such as Warlocks) – they are not to be trusted.

    I have now spent two years with the Pillar of Light, honoring Tempus. There are many who dislike our methods and calls us names such as Knight Tyrants or Iron Mongers, because we acted without mercy.

    But that helped keep the land in order.

    Never again would anyone have to hear the dying sounds of children. Never. Again.

    My name is Elias Stonewall, and that is my oath.


    The character is a little off what I imagined as far as the narrative goes but the backstory details will work perfect for him. It is my take on my lawful good conquest paladin.
    I'd love to hear what was off - and I could go back in and rework it.
    I'd always imagined that Paladins of Conquest have gone through some SERIOUS stuff (if they're of good alignment) that would make them so HARSH, for lack of a better word, and still find a reason for them to be good. That's a very delicate balance! But, like I said - let me know what was off - and I may have time to rework it a little more. :)
    Need a character origin written? Enjoyed what I wrote? How can you help me? Not required, but appreciated! <3

    Check out my 5e The Secret of Havenfall Manor or my character back stories over at DMsGuild.com! (If you check it out - please rate, comment, and tell others!)

    Subscribe to my D&D Channel on Youtube! (Come by and Sub)

  19. - Top - End - #169
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    PirateWench

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    Female

    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    A human, 18 years old, 1 level of rogue, 3 of bard and 1 of monk, comes from a culture that's sort of like China crossed with Japan and a touch of Roman Imperialism.

    Autumn lily is the daughter of the daughter of a concubine, and having become one herself, in the harem of a wealthy and kind official no less, she was happy with her lot. She learned dance, martial arts and more than a few tricks of skulduggery and subtlety from the other wives, and hoped she'd soon be blessed with a child.
    But something caused her to leave in search of something, something important, and something that caused her to need to change her name and hide her true identity.
    I'd appreciate anything you can come up with for this I haven't decided on a bard archetype for her so feel free to come up with whatever you want!
    Official girltoy of O-Chul's harem. Join the harem here! http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...-harem-sign-up!

    Haley and Therkla + Elan = Perfect

  20. - Top - End - #170
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    ElfWarriorGuy

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Well now, this was a very good thread to read. As it happens I enjoy writing character backstories too and am even in the middle of putting one together myself. So, bearing that in mind I figure I'll throw my hat into the ring with the basic details I've worked out so far but be warned, it is a rather silly character.

    Ser Zephyr, Knight of the Ardent Rose and he who is sworn to the Good Mother.

    Race: Husky (as in the dog)
    Class: Paladin (with an Oath of Devotion on the way)

    What I have so far is a basic outline of being found as a puppy by junior knights of the order on a campaign and adopted by them. Only then Zephyr was blessed by the Good Mother (a dog deity that sits at the hand of Pelor) with human level intelligence. So ideally the knights trained him as a swordsdoggo until they were found out by the Lord Knight of the Order Ser Gallendar and he was horrified by the prospect of a Dog Knight in the order.

    Still not actually sure about that ending or the path to actually get there but I have a few other details worked out. The founding knight of the order would have been the Lady Swynford somewhere around 500 years ago with her Silver Sword (possibly a Holy Avenger for later in the campaign) being enshrined in the home of the order. The order it's self is in a protracted defensive war with a large tribe of orcs who are ravaging a human land that asked the order for help.

    As for a personality... I've not worked all of that out. Probably go with honorable and naive at first until something changes that in game.

  21. - Top - End - #171
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    DwarfClericGuy

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tawmis View Post
    It's another short one, but once again, felt like it was easy to get into her head space...
    I enjoyed the idea of conflict with the family (that part was easy!)...
    But I wanted to dive deeper, so... I mended fences at the end... To give an emotional tie to it all.
    Please let me know what you like or dislike - any feedback is welcome!
    Enjoy!
    ======================================
    Elarwyn Forest.

    This used to be my home. It feels strange coming back.

    Six years ago, my family and I parted on less than… pleasant ways.

    “Salyna,” I could hear my mother saying, “it’s almost time for you to find someone. To settle down. Bare children.”

    I was not like my mother. When she was young, she had fallen in love with my father, and they had six children – myself being the youngest among them.

    When I was young, I was already wrestling with my two older brothers. My mother would come rushing out and break us apart.

    “That’s no way for a woman to act!” she would say, shaking her finger at me.

    “I am not a woman, yet, mother!” I’d bark back. “I am just a girl!”

    “If other boys see you playing like that,” she would counter, “they will remember that when you get older and think how un-lady like you were acting!”

    “Good!” I would laugh, “If I scared them, then they wouldn’t be a good fit for me!”

    The play fighting between my brothers and I never stopped. As we got older, they would show me how to use a rapier since in Elarwyn, women were not allowed to learn how to fight since that was not their place. My brothers, like me, thought that the idea of not teaching a woman to fight was ridiculous. Evil came in all forms, whether it was a marauding band of Red Eye Orcs, or even one of our own – everyone should learn how to defend themselves.

    The problem was, I was interested in more than defending myself. I was interested in fighting and joining the front lines against the Red Eye Orcs. Despite my proven skill, thanks to my brothers, when I presented the idea of me joining the ranks, I was declined without even considering my skill (even though I had bested six of the eight men who they sent against me to test my skill).

    That had been the final straw, and that’s when I left to go out to the world beyond the forest and see if I could join others who would accept me for who I am despite my race or my gender, and accept me for my skill.

    As I suspected, in the world beyond the woods, there were others like me – others who sought out adventure. Not all of them used swords; some used magic; some used their fists. But it was refreshing to know that I had not made a mistake.

    But tonight, it’s not about telling my parents that I was right. The reason I had come back to Elarwyn Forest was because my father had fallen grievously ill and was not expected to live for much longer.

    I met up with four of my brothers (Taris, the second oldest, had died a few years ago, while patrolling the border of the forest). I didn’t even know my brother had died, until tonight, when I met with my other brothers. Apparently, my mother had told my brothers that she had sent word for me, but that I had declined to come because I was “too busy.”

    I was angry to learn this. But when we got to our home in the woods, all of that anger was set aside. My father, in bed, pale as the moon, my mother so thin, she looked like a twig, because she had stopped eating the day my father grew ill… It was impossible to stay angry.

    We stayed for six night, and on the sixth night, my father, with all of us around him, breathed his final breath.

    There was a ceremony and a celebration of life, where we all spoke of the many stories that revolved around my father.

    During the Celebration of Life, my mother had approached me and apologized, both for the way she treated me, and for never telling me about Taris’ death.

    I smiled at my mother, and told her I understood.

    She asked, knowing the answer, if I would be staying long.

    My name is Salyna Moonglade, and I am a woman who has grown up fighting against the odds and learning to live and fight in the world beyond my home. I have lost my father, one of my brothers, and my home, but I never lost sight of who I am.
    A. MAZE. ING!!! This is perfect. Thank you so much for your work. I'll be bringing this character to Gamehole Con in Madison, WI this year. If I don't play her in a home game first that is. Thanks again. Awesome work! :D

  22. - Top - End - #172
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    PaladinGuy

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Tawmis, your background writing ability is amazing. I am more surprised that you do not write for a living. You are amazing, even reading the histories you've written for others has inspired character development for other PCs and NPCs in my games.

    I do have a two, if you are willing to assist with some creativity. And if asking for two separate histories in the same request is ok? Both are in the general Forgotten Realms setting.

    ___1st____
    Name: Venali Zyldan (He doesn't know if his last name is really his, it is just what his mentor has given him, more on that later)
    Race: Half-Elf (subrace is flexible)
    Background: Urchin
    Class: Paladin/Hexblade (eventual conquest)
    Personality: Once someone is a friend, they are my friend for life. Not everyone deserves a second chance. Help those in need, and prevent oppression by conquering those who do others harm.
    Ideals: The weak and innocent should always be protected. Only those who are strong can guard against the darkness.
    Bonds: My parents left me for reasons I don't know, but if they didn't I would never have been raised to be who I am with out my mentor, I owe him my life.
    Synopsis:. He grew up on the streets of a large city, and had the potential to become a Hexblade warlock once he grew up. Instead his mentor (a noble paladin) found him and begain raising him and started to take him adventuring. Their first adventure both paladins face conflict and Venali's Hexblade potential manifested. Venali leaves on his own to continue to adventure and find his parentage.

    _____2nd______
    Name: Tolfan Folkor
    Race: Forest Gnome
    Class: Wizard- Illusionist
    Background: Courtier
    Personality Nothing can shake my optimistic attitude. I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy. I don't pay attention to the risks in a situation. Never tell me the odds.
    Ideals: Independence. I am a free spirit--no one tells me what to do. Community. We have to take care of each other, because no one else is going to do it.
    Bonds: I am driven for adventure and will seek it out at all costs. Life is too short to worry about long term plans. It should be filled with as much activity as possible.
    Synopsis:. Spent some time wandering, was even in the Feywild for a bit. He had to leave there because he offended some fae. He may or may not be hunted, but he will do anything to never go back into the Feywild.

  23. - Top - End - #173
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Tawmis's Avatar

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dessunri View Post
    A. MAZE. ING!!! This is perfect. Thank you so much for your work. I'll be bringing this character to Gamehole Con in Madison, WI this year. If I don't play her in a home game first that is. Thanks again. Awesome work! :D
    So glad you enjoyed it! It was short - but with her - I felt like her story didn't need to be long to define her personality... she spoke to me rather easily as I wrote her!

    Quote Originally Posted by Barebarian View Post
    A human, 18 years old, 1 level of rogue, 3 of bard and 1 of monk, comes from a culture that's sort of like China crossed with Japan and a touch of Roman Imperialism.
    Autumn lily is the daughter of the daughter of a concubine, and having become one herself, in the harem of a wealthy and kind official no less, she was happy with her lot. She learned dance, martial arts and more than a few tricks of skulduggery and subtlety from the other wives, and hoped she'd soon be blessed with a child.
    But something caused her to leave in search of something, something important, and something that caused her to need to change her name and hide her true identity.
    I'd appreciate anything you can come up with for this I haven't decided on a bard archetype for her so feel free to come up with whatever you want!
    Yours is the next one I will work on! (I don't think there's anyone else before you anyway! I think I am caught up!)
    I do have a number of meetings and events at work today - so I may not be able to knock it out at lunch like I typically do. I also have San Diego Comic Con this weekend, so my weekend might be strained for time! (Then next week I travel for work... sigh). But - my goal is to try and get this done sometime today! I need to have the time to be creative to calm my brain down.

    Quote Originally Posted by Solunaris View Post
    Well now, this was a very good thread to read.
    Thank you!

    Quote Originally Posted by Solunaris View Post
    As it happens I enjoy writing character backstories too and am even in the middle of putting one together myself. So, bearing that in mind I figure I'll throw my hat into the ring with the basic details I've worked out so far but be warned, it is a rather silly character.
    Ser Zephyr, Knight of the Ardent Rose and he who is sworn to the Good Mother.

    Race: Husky (as in the dog)
    Class: Paladin (with an Oath of Devotion on the way)
    Spoiler
    Show

    What I have so far is a basic outline of being found as a puppy by junior knights of the order on a campaign and adopted by them. Only then Zephyr was blessed by the Good Mother (a dog deity that sits at the hand of Pelor) with human level intelligence. So ideally the knights trained him as a swordsdoggo until they were found out by the Lord Knight of the Order Ser Gallendar and he was horrified by the prospect of a Dog Knight in the order.

    Still not actually sure about that ending or the path to actually get there but I have a few other details worked out. The founding knight of the order would have been the Lady Swynford somewhere around 500 years ago with her Silver Sword (possibly a Holy Avenger for later in the campaign) being enshrined in the home of the order. The order it's self is in a protracted defensive war with a large tribe of orcs who are ravaging a human land that asked the order for help.

    As for a personality... I've not worked all of that out. Probably go with honorable and naive at first until something changes that in game.
    Just so happens that I have a Husky (he's 13 and still going strong) - so this one will probably be very easy to write, as I will probably simply envision him (his name is Odin).

    Quote Originally Posted by AH0098 View Post
    Tawmis, your background writing ability is amazing. I am more surprised that you do not write for a living.
    Thank you! Writing is what I had wanted to do in life... just didn't work out. So it's been such a pleasure and an honor for me to be given this chance to share my writing with others through their character backgrounds.

    Quote Originally Posted by AH0098 View Post
    You are amazing, even reading the histories you've written for others has inspired character development for other PCs and NPCs in my games.
    I do have a two, if you are willing to assist with some creativity. And if asking for two separate histories in the same request is ok? Both are in the general Forgotten Realms setting.
    ___1st____
    Name: Venali Zyldan (He doesn't know if his last name is really his, it is just what his mentor has given him, more on that later)
    Race: Half-Elf (subrace is flexible)
    Background: Urchin
    Class: Paladin/Hexblade (eventual conquest)
    Spoiler
    Show

    Personality: Once someone is a friend, they are my friend for life. Not everyone deserves a second chance. Help those in need, and prevent oppression by conquering those who do others harm.
    Ideals: The weak and innocent should always be protected. Only those who are strong can guard against the darkness.
    Bonds: My parents left me for reasons I don't know, but if they didn't I would never have been raised to be who I am with out my mentor, I owe him my life.
    Synopsis:. He grew up on the streets of a large city, and had the potential to become a Hexblade warlock once he grew up. Instead his mentor (a noble paladin) found him and begain raising him and started to take him adventuring. Their first adventure both paladins face conflict and Venali's Hexblade potential manifested. Venali leaves on his own to continue to adventure and find his parentage.


    _____2nd______
    Name: Tolfan Folkor
    Race: Forest Gnome
    Class: Wizard- Illusionist
    Background: Courtier
    Spoiler
    Show

    Personality Nothing can shake my optimistic attitude. I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy. I don't pay attention to the risks in a situation. Never tell me the odds.
    Ideals: Independence. I am a free spirit--no one tells me what to do. Community. We have to take care of each other, because no one else is going to do it.
    Bonds: I am driven for adventure and will seek it out at all costs. Life is too short to worry about long term plans. It should be filled with as much activity as possible.
    Synopsis:. Spent some time wandering, was even in the Feywild for a bit. He had to leave there because he offended some fae. He may or may not be hunted, but he will do anything to never go back into the Feywild.
    I'd be honored to do both of these! I knock them out in the order I get them, so I may not be able to get to it today (see my reply above about the busy day, then San Diego Comic Con this weekend) - but I can probably get it done by Sunday, at the latest (ideally before I travel).
    Need a character origin written? Enjoyed what I wrote? How can you help me? Not required, but appreciated! <3

    Check out my 5e The Secret of Havenfall Manor or my character back stories over at DMsGuild.com! (If you check it out - please rate, comment, and tell others!)

    Subscribe to my D&D Channel on Youtube! (Come by and Sub)

  24. - Top - End - #174
    Orc in the Playground
     
    BardGuy

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Hello again! So I have got slightly distracted from a bard (which will come later) by a wood elf druid who has got stuck in my head.

    So this elf lived in a small village in a forest and was raised to be generally distrustful of non-elves, like most of his kind. Unusually, even amongst his community, he saw many spirits of the forest as a youth and was often found off by himself playing with pixies or sprites.

    He joined an order of land druids to learn more about the forest, and then went deep into the heart of it in solitude. While here he underwent a change, gaining a great deal of serenity and feeling more of a connection with other races. What bought him out was a visit from an archfey that revealed a great evil that he needed to go and destroy.

    Would love to see what you make of this!

    Also good luck with work and travel 🙂
    Last edited by Jaryn; 2019-07-19 at 01:30 PM.

  25. - Top - End - #175
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    PaladinGuy

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Please don't rush on my account. I of all people understand what it's like to have a busy schedule. Thank you for your awesome writing, I'm sorry writing didn't work out and I hope you enjoy the Con.
    Last edited by AH0098; 2019-07-19 at 03:18 PM.

  26. - Top - End - #176
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    PirateWench

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tawmis View Post
    So glad you enjoyed it! It was short - but with her - I felt like her story didn't need to be long to define her personality... she spoke to me rather easily as I wrote her!



    Yours is the next one I will work on! (I don't think there's anyone else before you anyway! I think I am caught up!)
    I do have a number of meetings and events at work today - so I may not be able to knock it out at lunch like I typically do. I also have San Diego Comic Con this weekend, so my weekend might be strained for time! (Then next week I travel for work... sigh). But - my goal is to try and get this done sometime today! I need to have the time to be creative to calm my brain down.



    Thank you!



    Just so happens that I have a Husky (he's 13 and still going strong) - so this one will probably be very easy to write, as I will probably simply envision him (his name is Odin).



    Thank you! Writing is what I had wanted to do in life... just didn't work out. So it's been such a pleasure and an honor for me to be given this chance to share my writing with others through their character backgrounds.



    I'd be honored to do both of these! I knock them out in the order I get them, so I may not be able to get to it today (see my reply above about the busy day, then San Diego Comic Con this weekend) - but I can probably get it done by Sunday, at the latest (ideally before I travel).

    Thank you so much! But please don't rush on my account.
    Official girltoy of O-Chul's harem. Join the harem here! http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...-harem-sign-up!

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  27. - Top - End - #177
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Tawmis's Avatar

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by Barebarian View Post
    A human, 18 years old, 1 level of rogue, 3 of bard and 1 of monk, comes from a culture that's sort of like China crossed with Japan and a touch of Roman Imperialism.
    Autumn lily is the daughter of the daughter of a concubine, and having become one herself, in the harem of a wealthy and kind official no less, she was happy with her lot. She learned dance, martial arts and more than a few tricks of skulduggery and subtlety from the other wives, and hoped she'd soon be blessed with a child.
    But something caused her to leave in search of something, something important, and something that caused her to need to change her name and hide her true identity.
    I'd appreciate anything you can come up with for this I haven't decided on a bard archetype for her so feel free to come up with whatever you want!
    So I am not sure what your original character's name was (if Autumn Lily was her original name or the new name she took on...)
    Also - you mentioned a China/Japan crossbreed with a touch of Roman Imperialism... I did focus on the China/Japan aspect, because that was a challenge to me (as I've never written anything that centered around that, other than back in 3.0/3.5 Oriental Adventure for my character background)... So I wanted to focus on that and challenge myself... so my apologies if it's too heavy there... The names I used all mean something in Japanese, which was also fun...
    Please give any feedback you might have! Good! Bad! I want to hear it!
    Enjoy!
    ================================================== ====
    My mother enjoyed the life of being a concubine to Meiyo, an elegant and kind lord, with one wife whom he loved, and six concubines to satisfy his other urges. He was a retired and honorable warrior known throughout the land for his acts of kindness.

    My mother enjoyed her life, because Meiyo took care of her, and his other concubines, and because he had several, each of them had the freedom to do what they had wanted, while others tended to Meiyo. This allowed my mother free time to spend with me. One of my favorite things my mother enjoyed was singing. Whenever she wasn’t tending to Meiyo, she would sit with me and teach me how to sing. Most of her songs were stories of warriors in the land – warriors like Meiyo – who were so great that people had made songs to honor them.

    Because I was the daughter of a concubine, my mother told me a man of honor will never marry me. But life as a concubine could be a wonderful life, such as the one she had, if I found someone who treated me right. By the age of sixteen, my mother began training me on the ways of being a lady, so that by the age of eighteen I could find a suitor who might accept me as their own concubine.

    One night, I had caught my mother, singing and dancing, but also incorporating a sword into her dance. I watched for several minutes, before clearing my throat to let my mother know I was there. She quickly stopped and dropped the sword.

    “I’ve never seen you do that before,” I said, leaning against the wall. “It was beautiful how you incorporated your song, with the dance, and used the blade to accent the intensity. Where did you learn to do that?”

    “That,” my mother, Utsukushi-sa flushed, “was from a life long, long ago,” she assured me.

    “I’ve known Meiyo for eighteen years of my life, but none of his other concubines have children,” I stated, something I had always wondered. “Why is it that you do?”

    “Meiyo is not your father,” she whispered. “Meiyo is unable to give children.”

    I had suspected that Meiyo was not my father for the last six years. He and I bore no similarities from the color of our hair, down to the color of our eyes, even our mannerisms. I had wondered who my father truly was, but my mother never spoke of him, so I never pushed it.

    “This other life,” I finally said, after an awkward moment of silence. “Was it with my father?”

    My mother’s face turned pale as she cleared her throat. “He may have been the one who placed the seed for you to grow, but he was never your father.”

    My mother placed the sword on the mount over the fireplace.

    Several months later, Meiyo introduced me to a friend of his named Senshi. When meeting him, I was dressed as beautifully as I could be – and with Meiyo’s kind funding, I was the most glamorous I had ever been.

    Senshi was an older gentleman, a few years older than Meiyo. They’d been warriors that had fought in the Silverstorm War, and Senshi had reconnected with Meiyo. Meiyo had spoken wonderfully about my mother and explained that she had a blooming daughter, of age, that was looking to find someone to take care of her.

    When Senshi met me, I saw his eyes were surprised, and his breath escaped him. “She is,” he whispered, “far more beautiful than I had imagined.”

    I flushed red, I could feel my cheeks and ears burning.

    I accepted a partnership with Senshi and gladly became his concubine. Senshi, though older, had treated me wonderfully. I was the youngest among his concubines, and they never treated me with jealousy. They took me in as one of their own. Some of them taught me such things as finding my center in spirituality which enhanced being in touch with not only my own body, but when I was with Senshi as well. Most of his concubines were much older, and beyond the age of baring children. I had hoped that I would be fortunate enough to know what it was like to have a child and bring it into the world.

    That day sadly never came. One day my mother came rushing into Senshi’s home, covered in blood, screaming for me. When I saw her I was horrified, but thankful that most of the blood had not been hers. Her weeping told me that it was probably Meiyo’s, but she was too frantic to speak clearly. She only repeated, “You must run. You must leave. Hide. Never come back! Do not let him find you!”

    There were sounds coming from behind her – and then I saw a man, adorned in Samurai armor, with a Red Phoenix symbol adorned on his chest. My mother looked at him, then over to me, and whispered, “Forgive me.” And with one violent shove, pushed me out the window where I fell two stories into the bushes. My mother looked out the window and screamed, “Run!” And then I saw a sword go through her chest, the blade, glistening crimson under the moonlight.

    I ran as far and fast as I could. I lived off the land for weeks until I found the town of Seiiki, where I was forced to live off the streets. I stole only what I had to in order to survive. Life, though dirty and something I was unaccustomed to, I learned to adapt. Several Monks even took mercy upon me and brought me into their establishment, so I did not have to live on the streets through the night. But it wasn’t long until the Red Phoenix order showed up in Seiiki. I quickly escaped and stowed away on a ship set for a new continent…

    In this new city called Havencrest, I adopted the new name Autumn Lily and wondered what the world had to offer me here in this new place…
    Need a character origin written? Enjoyed what I wrote? How can you help me? Not required, but appreciated! <3

    Check out my 5e The Secret of Havenfall Manor or my character back stories over at DMsGuild.com! (If you check it out - please rate, comment, and tell others!)

    Subscribe to my D&D Channel on Youtube! (Come by and Sub)

  28. - Top - End - #178
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    PirateWench

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    I. LOVE. This. It gives a lot of character and worldbuilding and personality but it does it so NEATLY and elegantly I just love it so much. It'd make a perfect blurb for a novel or something cause it'd totally get me hooked Thank you so much!
    Official girltoy of O-Chul's harem. Join the harem here! http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...-harem-sign-up!

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  29. - Top - End - #179
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Tawmis's Avatar

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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by Barebarian View Post
    I. LOVE. This. It gives a lot of character and worldbuilding and personality but it does it so NEATLY and elegantly I just love it so much. It'd make a perfect blurb for a novel or something cause it'd totally get me hooked Thank you so much!
    The honor is mine for allowing me to walk with Autumn through her life.
    And just for reference:
    Meiyo = Honorable
    Utsukushi-sa = Beauty (or Beautiful)
    Senshi = Warrior
    Seiiki = Sanctuary

    I figured since Rogue and Monk were your low levels - the Rogue stuff is learned on the streets and the Monk stuff is a mixture between what Senshi's concubines show her and the Monks who give her shelter in Seeiki. The Bard, obviously comes from your mother's teachings, where you have the most exposure.

    And the Red Phoenix Order...

    Naturally, the one who runs it is actually your real father (in my head)... so now he's come looking for his daughter... but why? Is it to simply kill her? Or is there another purpose? This is what I left open - but you and your DM could definitely take it where ever you wanted to go with it. :)
    Need a character origin written? Enjoyed what I wrote? How can you help me? Not required, but appreciated! <3

    Check out my 5e The Secret of Havenfall Manor or my character back stories over at DMsGuild.com! (If you check it out - please rate, comment, and tell others!)

    Subscribe to my D&D Channel on Youtube! (Come by and Sub)

  30. - Top - End - #180
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Need a character background written up?

    Quote Originally Posted by Solunaris View Post
    Well now, this was a very good thread to read. As it happens I enjoy writing character backstories too and am even in the middle of putting one together myself. So, bearing that in mind I figure I'll throw my hat into the ring with the basic details I've worked out so far but be warned, it is a rather silly character.
    Ser Zephyr, Knight of the Ardent Rose and he who is sworn to the Good Mother.
    Race: Husky (as in the dog)
    Class: Paladin (with an Oath of Devotion on the way)
    What I have so far is a basic outline of being found as a puppy by junior knights of the order on a campaign and adopted by them. Only then Zephyr was blessed by the Good Mother (a dog deity that sits at the hand of Pelor) with human level intelligence. So ideally the knights trained him as a swordsdoggo until they were found out by the Lord Knight of the Order Ser Gallendar and he was horrified by the prospect of a Dog Knight in the order.
    Still not actually sure about that ending or the path to actually get there but I have a few other details worked out. The founding knight of the order would have been the Lady Swynford somewhere around 500 years ago with her Silver Sword (possibly a Holy Avenger for later in the campaign) being enshrined in the home of the order. The order it's self is in a protracted defensive war with a large tribe of orcs who are ravaging a human land that asked the order for help.
    As for a personality... I've not worked all of that out. Probably go with honorable and naive at first until something changes that in game.
    I am not going to lie... this may have been one of my favorite ones to write.
    I dove into Lady Swynford's history - because as I began writing, I realized she was the most important part of the rest of the backstory to come together!
    I was able to inject my own Husky (as I mentioned before, named Odin) into the story as Oudyn.
    I was also able to inject myself (though you need not keep the name, but your bonded partner's first name is my middle name, with a twist on the spelling)...
    And his last name is a reference to an old 80's cartoon (and still sounds Paladin like) - Sunsword is a reference to Thundarr the Barbarian.
    And I found a purpose for the canine character... a quest for it...
    As I said, I really enjoyed writing this one! It was a blast to be writing it from a dog's perspective and share a dog's point of view on things...!
    But I may have lost myself in writing it and missed the mark on what YOU wanted!
    So please, if I did - let me know! I'd want to hear ALL feedback - good or bad!
    Enjoy!
    ==============================================
    Lady Swynford was said to be a woman whose beauty could not be described. Some described her with locks of golden hair that had been inherited from the sunset. Those that described her as such, also tended to throw in the notion that she was a daughter of Pelor, the god of Sun, Light, Strength and Healing. Despite that, there were those that also described her with silver hair, forged in the heavens, like the magical silver sword she wielded (those that used this description said it was a Holy Sword given to her by Pelor). Some described her with ice blue eyes, whose stare was so cold; it could stop a Frost Giant in their tracks. Yet others described her eyes as green as the Fields of the Afterlife, that when you stared into them, you felt nothing but peace.

    One thing was for certain, no matter who told the story, Lady Swynford had led her Order of Paladins known as The Shield of Faith (for which, some say the spell would be named after in her honor). The Shield of Faith had loyally served and upheld the name of Pelor. A recent surge in activity by a clan of orcs known as the Red Eye Orcs attacking and murdering for sheer pleasure, brought the Shield of Faith in direct conflict with them.

    A war waged on between the Shield of Faith and the Red Eye orcs for weeks. One fateful night, near the Cliffs of Judgement, Lady Swynford, tired of the battle, cut her way through hundreds – some say thousands – of orcs to reach the leader, a brutal, savage orc by the name of Bour Bloodmane. Bour was larger than any orc Lady Swynford had ever seen; his reddish hair for which he got his surname and his unusual height and build had made Lady Swynford wonder if perhaps this brute had Hill Giant blood somewhere in his bloodline. Regardless, just as much as she was beautiful, she was also courageous and did not back down from the fight.

    The story goes that the entire battleground paused and watched this battle between Bour Bloodmane and Lady Swynford take place. The two were evenly matched if you hear it from the Order, while the Orcs would probably argue that Bour was simply toying with Lady Swynford.

    As she and Bour were locked in combat, every swing she made he deflected, and every swing he made she raised her shield. Indeed, they were evenly matched. Bour knew this, and began to grow tired, so he called on his Death Dog – a foul, two headed beast, with black, mangy fur, red eyes that could sear a soul and acid that dripped from its mouth. But Lady Swynford did not fight alone. She had a companion – a Husky she had named Oudyn (meaning ‘of fire and ice’ in the ancient Elven tongue). With one whistle, bursting from the gathering of Orcs and Paladins, Oudyn was said to be blessed by the Good Mother, a Celestial Canine that loyally served Pelor, and had been used to track down evil in the Heavens. It is said; every so often The Good Mother blesses several dogs on the world with greater intelligence to fulfill some greater cause.

    Oudyn had easily knocked over the Death Dog and continued to charge Bour Bloodmane. Seeing the large husky rushing at him, Bour tried to prepare his sword, but Lady Swynford was there, swinging at him, waiting for an opportunity to break through his defenses.

    Oudyn latched onto Bour Bloodmane’s neck, his teeth biting deep into the half-orc’s rancid neck. Blood sprayed everywhere, and Bour stumbled backwards and realized, Lady Swynford had managed to move him towards the cliff’s edge without him realizing it. Feeling himself losing his footing, he lunged and grabbed Lady Swynford’s tabard and pulled her over the cliff with him; as he, Oudyn and Lady Swynford plunged into the waters below, nearly sixty feet.

    There was a stunned silence on the battlefield as those who witnessed it realized; both sides had lost their leader. After a minute, the battle resumed and the Red Eye Orcs were driven back. A monument was put up of Lady Swynford and Oudyn at her side, forged by the fabled Dwarven Smith, Joris Stonehammer.

    The Shield of Faith gathers at the site once a year, on the day she fell over to honor her courage, and that of Oudyn. For many, many, many years, it became tradition for Paladin Commanders to take on a canine as their most trusted friend and confidant.

    That was five hundred years ago.

    Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sir Zephyr, Knight of the Ardent Rose, and you might be wondering if you’ve gone mad understanding me.

    I am one of those Huskies that’s been blessed by the Good Mother. I am able to understand, and even to some degree, communicate with humans – especially the one I am bonded with, Sir Petour Sunsword. What humans seem to not understand is that, even those of us who are not blessed by the Good Mother, we use something called Sound Language. Humans have something similar called Sign Language where gestures of a hand or finger can speak for those who cannot. Sound Language operates in a similar fashion. We understand tones and inflection of sound, so we’re able to understand virtually every spoken language using this. It’s just that some of us, like me, are blessed by the Good Mother to understand it more clearly.

    Things have changed. The Order has changed. Sir Petour Sunsword had inducted me into the Shield of Faith, and I had become a Paladin of Devotion – after all, what were dogs, if not extremely devoted to their bonded partners?

    Along comes Sir Gallendar, newest Lord of the Shield of Faith and discovers we’re still using an ancient tradition of allowing dogs into the Order. While he respected Lady Swynford, he wasn’t entirely convinced she was real, and not just a fabricated story that has been told for generations. Sir Gallendar broke up the notion that canines could be Paladins, despite the protests of the Order itself.

    My bonded owner, Sir Petour Sunsword took me, and together, we journeyed for fourteen days to the Cliffs of Judgement to sit before the statue of Lady Swynford and Oudyn, and my bonded master called out to her to ask why this was happening. How could someone believe she wasn’t real?

    And it donned on me, at that very moment, why the Good Mother had called on me to find my higher purpose. I was to find evidence that both Lady Swynford was real, as was Oudyn, her faithful companion. With that evidence, Sir Gallendar would have to reverse his demands, and allow canines back into the order…
    Need a character origin written? Enjoyed what I wrote? How can you help me? Not required, but appreciated! <3

    Check out my 5e The Secret of Havenfall Manor or my character back stories over at DMsGuild.com! (If you check it out - please rate, comment, and tell others!)

    Subscribe to my D&D Channel on Youtube! (Come by and Sub)

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