[D&D-5e] The Yondering Lands

[Grouchy]

Originally Posted by Amarga

Great Characters so far, everyone!
I'm honestly already quite happy about the attention this has gotten, so as I mentioned earlier I'm now going to set the deadline for submissions as February 1st. I'll then have characters selected before February 7th.
I've also added a character table to the ad for organization (mostly my own).
I'll also be doing character reviews to help people answer any questions they might have had with their characters, so look for those coming up!

I'm always open for reviews to make my PCs better. Fire away!

[Leafsong]

Character Name: Zephyr
Race: Half Air Genasi, half High Elf
Class: Monk
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Background: Folk Hero
Personality: Zephyr is bubbly and always has a smile on her face. She likes to help others and sometimes offer them unsolicited advice. She is also very self-assured, leading to others calling her arrogant and overconfident.
Backstory: Zephyr was born to a genasi mother who abandoned her at birth because her elf father had died while she was pregnant, and she didn't feel ready to raise a child on her own. Luckily another genasi found her and adopted her. Zephyr grew up in the elemental plane very loved by her adoptive mother and sister. She met a dragon when she was young and learnt some valuable lessons from it. Since then, she was more careful and focused. She had a great love for styles of martial arts, and wished to learn and master them all. One day while training, she met a friend. They grew very close and shared all their secrets, but one day, Zephyr was forced to steal something from a shop for clout, and she regretfully did it. She felt awful afterwards and bought another for the shopkeeper. She paid for passage to the Yondering Lands with the money she made from adventuring and missions, in search of a new adventure and new thrills.

[Crocodile]

Application Name: Kragbhar al-Gruun Race: Orc Class: Fighter Background: City Watch Personality: Straightforward and unbothered by the more complex issues of life, Kraghbar is very much an orc of appetites, concerned not only with satisfying them, but with doing so in the most taste-twisting manner possible. He has trouble thinking in any roundabout fashion, taking life one step at a time and fulfilling his needs as he sees them. If he is hungry, he needs to eat. Thirsty? Drink. Bored? Find fun. Liars? Hurt. He is absolutely guileless, and will enthusiastically jump headfirst into whatever he needs to do to satisfy his desires. This means he can come off as lacking in empathy when a situation arises before him which he cannot relate to, as lacking a frame of reference means he is left more confused than anything. But if there is one concept that he has a firm grasp on, it is that everybody loves good food, and everybody should have good food, regardless of station. To him, this means even the worst of criminals deserve to at least die with their bellies full. Physical Description: Grag's rotund form brings to mind vivid images of the changing states of matter, with the large orc being all rolling, jelly-like folds of skin one moment, and a solid wall of marble grey the next. In fact, with how rounded his countenance is, one would not be amiss in wondering just how he is capable of moving about at any appreciable pace above that of an emaciated tortoise. That would be the initial question at least, until the observing individual's unfortunate eyes noticed that the orc's arms and legs seemed more akin to living siege engines than limbs, both stiff with mounds muscle and jiggly with waves of fat as they moved about with heavy anti-grace, feet plodding about as if their very purpose was to test the limits of gravity's pull on the massive orc. Large tusks jut out the sides of the mouth in fairly good condition despite their yellowed sheen, but are still not the most prominent facial feature Grag possesses despite their length. A large nose which has been reset in so many places it could qualify as an art piece, cracked lips split in multiple places, a jigsaw of scars all across a face full of stubble to complement the angry old wounds which cover him from head smooth shaved head to mangled toe, all signs point to an individual who has lead a hard life. But when he smiles, despite the terror which comes from seeing the saggy mass of scars be pulled back in horrendous fashion, he seems to exude a genuine, innocent joy, with bright yellow eyes turned wide and beholding the world as if for the very first time, a new light shining behind the abused visage, seeking the pleasures of the world which he has clearly been sampling in abundance. Backstory: It had been centuries since the Immortal Sultan's dynasty had brought together the disparate tribes of the desert kingdom of Eransahr, and the 'wild orcs' had been no exception to this conquest. Civilizing the uncivilized it had been called, and though history was never so straightforward, the kingdom's prosperity had buried any lingering questions as to the ends justifying the means. The human nomads' ancestral knowledge of the dune sea designated them masterful scouts in the kingdom's service, the dwarves' metal and stonework now served to build splendorous monuments and deadly armaments, the elves were tasked with forever safeguarding and expanding the knowledge of the grand libraries, and the orcs, for the fierceness they had once shown in the days before all was one, were made the backbone of the royal guard and military, entrusted with keeping the peace and eliminating all threats to the kingdom from within and without. Kraghbar had been no different than any other orc raised under this regime, taught from a young age that his destiny was to fight and die for Sultan, to keep all in its place as it should be, and in so doing reap the rewards of true unity. And so he did, sacrificing his body against raiders, beasts, and rebels alike in order to preserve the Sultan's order. Many times he heard whispers of discontent from the masses, but he never paid attention to any of that. And why would he? He did as he was told, and when he was off duty, he got to sit down at his favorite food stall and eat one delicious meal after the next. So when the four adventurers came to stir up trouble, Kraghbar chased them just as he would any other dissident. When the Sultan demanded a tripling of the guard, he was on the streets kicking down doors and pursuing the rebels with as much gusto as the rest. When his favorite chef and their family was hauled away for treason against His Majesty... It all came to a head when the adventurers, through trial and tribulations unknown, had finally found themselves in audience with the Sultan himself, an immortal dao prince of the earthen realm who had decided to make his home in the prime material, surrounded by luxury untold and attended by humbled, bowed mortals for whom the wealth may well have been a mirage. The subjects they spoke of mostly went over the orcish guard's head, as he was too distracted by the marvelous spread of food that had been presented at the ornate long table. He had never imagined the palace had such tasty delicacies. In the middle of the banter back and forth between the adventurers and the Sultan, one of their number, a cheery, bright haired gnomish woman, offered a plate of food to an emaciated looking human child, one of the servants. The conflict on the child's face confused Kraghbar, but hunger won out in the end, and the child burst into tears as they bit into the delicious meal. The orc envied the young one, wondering when he would get a turn. Then an earthen fist grew from the ground and instantly crushed the child to a pulp. "Vermin do not eat from the master's table." Those were the last words the Sultan spoke before all hells broke loose, the adventurers drawing spell and blade in preparation for battle as the guards began to rush the interlopers. Except Kraghbar surprised even himself when his glaive was instead piercing through the back of one of his fellow clansmen. And he did not stop. Even when the throne room became far too dangerous for all but the most powerful of warriors, Kraghbar did not stop. As the battle spilled into the streets and loyalists clashed with rebels, Kraghbar held tightly to the face of the child, to the face of the chef, to the feast which had been laid before him and which he now knew he would never be able to touch for as long as the Sultan ruled. That nobody would be able to touch. The adventuring four were hailed as heroes as they held aloft the lamp which contained the once proud Sultan. With the dao imprisoned, the loyalists were cowed, and their surrender was swift. A new dawn was upon the kingdom, and the people celebrated as they threw aside the divisions of the caste system which had restricted them for so long. For Kraghbar, the celebration was bitersweet. Many of the loyalist faction had been his brothers and sisters of the orcish clans, indoctrinated from birth and never given a chance to be anything else but loyal shock troops. Whatever Eransahr would become, he knew that nothing here would taste as good as it once did, and that kind of existence was unacceptable to the large orc. Better he try his luck with the foods of other lands.

[SnakeOilCharmer]

Application withdrawn.

[Remorazz]

Magg the Arsonist is a solid name.

[Drachenspirit]

Application withdrawn.

[Hal Hammerhand]

I'm sorry but I have to withdraw from this recruitment. Thank you and happy hunting!

[Silent Rain]

Hey Amarga, sorry, but I need to bow out of this one. Good luck on the campaign.

[Citizen Sam]

Application Cadmun Ashward Race: Human (Variant) | Class: Wizard, eventually Conjurer | Gender: Male Background: Former Apprentice Appearance and Clothing Cadmun presents a fairly fastidious appearance. Dark hair is kept short and neat, bordering a set of wandering pale blue eyes usually obscured behind a pair of metal-rimmed reading glasses. Similarly well-groomed is a sad bit of scruff on the man’s chin...an attempt at growing a beard that seems to be going nowhere. His physique is what you’d expect of someone who spends a lot of time reading books and skipping meals; slim bordering on scrawny, with the beginnings of a hunch to his back from many hours poring over books when he still labored in his father’s study. For his wardrobe? Cadmun tends to dress nicely, but not obsequiously so. His clothing is clean and well-made, but usually consists of neutral colors, with little that could make him stand out in a crowd. Personal History The village of Gaetsdale is known for two things; the high quality of its goat cheese…and Mathias Ashward, the Foreseer. Why the inscrutable diviner had decided to settle down in such a sleepy little hamlet is an oft-whispered mystery amongst the townsfolk. …Of course an even bigger mystery is how the prickly, sharp-tongued wizard had somehow managed to convince some poor woman to conceive a son… For as long as he could remember Cadmun had lived and labored in the shadow of his demanding father, being treated as more of a lab assistant the old diviner had to feed and care for than anything resembling a son. For most of his childhood and all of his teens years he was played the dutiful son. Days were spent fetching reagents for Mathias’ mysterious rituals he’d perform in the village’s service. Nights were spent poring over ancient almanacs and recording his discoveries for his elucidation. And never did he complain, or argue, or shirk his duties. After all, it was all he knew. He had no friends or even acquaintances to speak of. Even the village treated him as a curiosity at best, and usually handled him at arm’s length. And then one night Cadmun found his mother’s journal. It was an old dog-eared thing, but the contents inside more than made up for it’s shabbiness. Amazing stories of distant travels, of sights both terrible and beautiful, of intoxicating victories and bitter defeats. Cadmun never knew much of his mother, Laedra, beyond her being an adventurer of some sort. Goodness knows Mathias had little to say about the woman, despite (possibly) having loved her at one point. And so, working up a surprising amount of courage, he brought the journal to his father’s attention. He started asking questions. About what happened to his mother. About how they met. Even about what Mathias had in mind for him… It was to his shock and horror that Mathias’ only response was to incinerate the book on the spot and continue about his day without a word on the matter. By that very evening Cadmun’s mind was made up. Gathering what few belonging he could claim were truly his, the former apprentice vanished into the night, leaving behind his father’s sanctum and the village that had, until now, been his entire world. He didn’t know where would go, he didn’t even know if his father would eventually try to stop him…or indeed, would care that he was missing, but he knew one thing… He’d not spend another night in that prison. Personality And Other Quirks Back before he’d left the village, Cadmun had been timid, quiet, and dutiful. While still generally polite and helpful, now that he’s out of his father’s shadow and with the breadth of the entire world before him, he’s finding himself developing an insatiable curiosity for…well…nearly everything. Cadmun has a singular talent for being seemingly everywhere, in everyone’s business at once, peppering everyone he sees with polite question after polite question, often scribbling the answers down (when he gets answers at least). The things he asks about can make him seem sheltered, sometimes even childishly sheltered, and he’d be the first to admit it’s probably true. Cadmun is also all to happy to share what he does know. Which he often does, prattling on and on any number of obscure topics to the delight of...usually nobody. He hasn't seemed to have developed his mother's knack for storytelling yet, it seems. ...It's kind of a wonder that he's lasted this long on his own. Still...what remains important is that he is free, for now at least, and he’s going to see, learn, and experience as much as he can. Traits, Ideals, And Flaws Traits- “There’s nothing I like more than a good mystery.” Given how little of the world Cadmun has seen of the world until recently, he’s developed a keen interest in unraveling its secrets. It’s actually rather fascinating how such an unimpressive physical specimen like him can manage to poke his nose into so many places at once…and oftentimes places he shouldn’t. “I am horribly, horribly awkward in social situations.” Living a cloistered life for as long as he could remember, Cadmun can be lacking in…social graces. His questions and investigations can sometimes come off as odd, clueless…or sometimes even insensitive. He’s not intentionally malicious, however, and is quick to back off with an apology when it’s pointed out that he’s coming off as annoying, or offensive. Ideal- “Freedom. I’ve gotten a taste of the wider world, and I wish to know more.” Simply put, Cadmun has no intention of returning to his father or to Gaetsdale anytime soon. There’s too much to see, too much to do, and far too many questions that need to be answered…in particular the fate of his mother, Laedra Ashward. Flaw- “Most people scream and run when they see a demon. I stop and take notes on its anatomy.” See above about sticking his nose in places he shouldn’t. Sometimes Cadmun heedlessly pushes too far or digs too deep. And ends up a sticky situation as a result...oftentimes without realizing it.

[silverfeathers]

The Oak and the Acorn Character name: Jane Quartzknife (Lady Jane, Jane of the oak/acorn) Race: dwarf, mountain Class: cleric (nature domain, back up tempest) Background: acolyte Personality: Jane is a devote servant of her Lord Silvanus. She is steadfast in her belief that she was selected and pulled from the depths of the dwarven mines to spread Silvanus’ word through the lands near and far, above and below. Jane is has warm and friendly personality. She is quick to offer assistance to those that need it. Her father described her as 'steadfast as a waymarker'. Thought she is not an outright people person she seeks out those with any common interest to talk to them or see what she can do to help them or spread Silvanus’ work even in the smallest way. Like most dwarves Jane is stubborn and once she sets her mind to something she will follow through to its conclusion. Physical Description: Jane is stout, muscular and maybe a titch round. She keeps her plain brown hair braided or up in a bun. She has brown eyes and a light scatter freckles on her cheeks and nose. She wears chainmail and vestments in the colors of Salvanus (green, cream and gold) along with her trusty Warhammer at her side. Backstory: Jane is the third of five children. She grew up in the dark and artificially lit caverns and mines of the Hammerburst Clan in the Black Mountains. The Hammerburst Clan is well known throughout the kingdoms for its decorative stone work and metal smithing. The clan often takes on projects of restoration or bids on new construction above and below the surface for all races, customizing the designs on the request of the client. Jane was educated in working with stone and carving from an early age. She was well into her apprenticeship as a mason and figure carver when she fell from a scaffold that she was ascending to a project site. It was then she had a vison of a green, sunlit f orest. A stone and timber chapel and bearded man clad in green robes made of oak leaves and a crown of branches. He said,” welcome child. You will be my acorn in the lands across the waters.” When Jane awoke she knew that the man in her vision was Silvanus. The chapel was the project she was being assigned to next month; her first surface project. A blueprint had been shown to her a few weeks back. In deed her next project was to restore a small chapel in a forest. The one from her vision, Silvanus’ chapel. While restoring the chapel Jane began to read about Silvanus and his teachings of nature. She found the scripture comforting and really connected with it. At the conclusion of her restoration of the chapel Jane separated from her clan to persue the teachings of Silvanus. She continued to have visions of the nature god telling her to go across the waters. What that meant she did not know. Again after many years spent in somewhat isolation, learning new things about the surface world. Jane was given the blessing of her order, the Order of the Oak, as full acolyte of Silvanus, ready to spread the word of life and nature to those that would listen. Full of knowledge about Silvanus and her Dwarven brethren Jane set off to make her way in the world and cross any body of water that came her way hoping it was the one that her vision spoke of so often. Eventually a posting calling for a crew to set sail over the Yonder Sea caught Jane’s eye. Maybe that was the water her God was telling her to cross. The Un-crossable Sea, the crossing no one had completed or returned from. Many had tried from what Jane had been told. Sir Rockrick was enthusiastic to say the least when Jane met him. He was more than eager to having the blessing of a god on his ship. If nothing else he assured Jane she could administer last rights should they be needed or help with the rigging and sails. It could be taught fairly quickly Sir Rodrick laughed. Truth be told Jane was now a bit skeptical of the idea of sailing. She had really never been in a boat much larger than a barge and had never been in anything rougher than a few lapping waves down at the beach. Would she sink before she learned to swim? Time would tell.

[Amarga]

Y'know those reviews? Great idea until I realized how many apps I had to go through (even after a few unfortunate withdrawals, see you people around the site!)
Anyways, fantastic applications all around! This is the last day to post any apps before I begin selection. As previously noted I should have a crew selected before the 7th of February, thank you all for your interest so far!

[Bjorgulf]

Good luck everyone!

[Maya Conti]

Withdrawing application. I don't feel confident enough with the character I made, and I don't think I have time to actually think of another one. Good luck to everyone.

[Citizen Sam]

Added more background stuff from Cadmun. Kinda anxious I already missed the boat on this one turning in his profile so late.

[SnakeOilCharmer]

Withdrawing, I'm afraid. Managing a character in a few hours for another game tells me I just didn't have the love for this one, and I've found before that I tend to lose interest if I'm not properly invested in the character.