[D&D-5e] In What Dark Dreams May Come

[DahliaHawthorne]

Posting interest! I love the setup of an eldritch horror-mystery.

[Vathe]

Niko Niko All-Winter Age Race Class Alignment 44 Halfling Ranger Lawful Good Personality: Niko is a friendly and well-meaning halfling; one who prefers to add a bit of whimsy to all that stress and snow. To tell it right, life in Winterhaven is brutal. It's cold and work always needs done. His job as hunter is its own rough ride. So when he gets to be in the village, he wants to see people happy. He wants warmth and community. And if it has to be him to make it that way, he'll joke, jape, and open his larders to have it so. Appearance: Niko is short; as all halflings are. Small enough that, when the snow piles up, he can be almost invisible walking the footpaths. When he can be seen good and proper, he'd like to believe that he's a right dashing halfling. His face is delightfully round and framed by dark hair that's long enough to sport a ring of tassel tails. Sadly, he has to hide most of it under bundles of clothes, but them's the brakes. Backstory: Niko was born and raised in Winterhaven, although not to the best family to ever live there. His parents and all his forbearers were slimy, penny-pinching scoundrels. The sort that get exiled from green hills and need to be cantankerous and awful out in the freezing cold. When he was young, having nothing was just the way it went. His parents had proven to be horrible people and few in Winterhaven were willing to help mend their roof or invite them to a fire. People were kinder to him, which is probably why he was around and they weren't by the time he was twenty. Something his parents had given him, though, was survival. The need to scrounge and find made him quick to the hunter's craft after scarcity hit the village one year. It's been a long time since. Now, a good portion of the meat that fills Winterhaven bellies can be traced back to his hands.   Mud Niko can't speak orc, which is pretty tough when dealing with Mud. He's also pretty certain that Mud isn't actually the orc's name (even though he does respond to it). Be that as it may, Mud isn't a member of Winterhaven. And, to Niko's knowledge, he isn't a member of anything. Mud lives alone in a cave several days out from the village and has a tendency to bark and yap, and to make violent effigies out of skulls and bloody rocks. But, despite being loud and off-putting, Mud saved his life. Several years ago, the halfling got caught up in a deep winter blizzard. He found himself alive later in Mud's cave. He doesn't know why Mud did it, but they have been friends ever since, leaving markers for each other and sometimes trading their spoils.

[Togot]

Name: Bilcock Bannon
Race: human
Class: wizard
Background: guild artisan
Personality traits: I always want to know how things work and what makes people tick
I like to talk at length about my profession
Ideal: I work hard to be the best there is at my craft
Bond: I pursue power to acquire someone’s love
Flaw: I am horribly jealous of anyone who can outshine me.




Appearance: Bilcock is a young man of average height and build. He has sandy brown hair that he keeps well-groomed and has a clean-shaven face. He wears simple yet well-kept robes. He always has an inquisitive look as he tends to analyze everything.

Personality: Bilcock is an intelligent and inquisitive man with a friendly disposition. He is obsessed with knowledge and hates not knowing things. His curiosity tends to get him into trouble as it overrides his common sense at times. He prefers to outthink people rather than fight them and considers a battle avoided to be a battle won. Resorting to violence is a sign that you have failed.

History: The son of a successful merchant, Bilcock had a more privileged upbringing than most in Winterhaven. He was kept warm and never went hungry, and he got first dibs on many of the items that were brought into the town by traveling merchants. One such item was a spell book which he began studying earnestly. It was written in code, but Bilcock was clever enough to start deciphering it and learn a few simple spells. This triumph only fed his obsession and lust for knowledge.

His magical talents make him stand out in Winterhaven. Some are impressed, but many others are fearful and superstitious. This did not bother Bilcock too much as his parents’ position in the town protected him from any violence. Then one day one of the barbarian tribes came to town to trade furs and meat. This brought them to Bilcock’s family store where Bilcock laid eyes on the barbarian chief’s daughter, Saskia. She was tall, fair skinned with golden hair and exotic tattoos. Bilcock became infatuated with her instantly and tried to get to know her. She wasn’t impressed with the wizard’s scrawny frame, but she was intrigued by his ability to use magic. Bilcok gave her a gift to signify his interest, and Saskia would return over the years with her father for more trading. While she did not dislike Bilcock, she made it clear that as the chief’s daughter, she would only marry someone who was powerful and noteworthy. To this end, Bilcock redoubled his studies in the hopes of gaining power, and he is eager for an opportunity to prove himself.



RP Sample:

 

Bilcock smiled brightly as he saw the familiar faces of the barbarian chief and his entourage approach his parents’ shop. Bolgruff, the chief, gave the young man an annoyed look. It was no secret he disapproved of Bilcock’s interest in his daughter, but he left his daughter to choose for herself who she associated with. The big man walked past him, and his tribesmen followed. All except one.

Saskia walked up to Bilcock with a confident smile on her face. “I have another one for you.” she said, crossing her muscular arms across her chest.

“Oh?” Bilcock said, smiling eagerly. “Let’s hear it.”

“What gets bigger the more you take away?” Saskia asked.

Bilcock’s boyish smile did not waver as he looked up in thought. This was a game that Saskia had started after their first meeting. At first it had been meant to humble the cocky boy who she believed was too arrogant and boastful about his intellect, so she had given him a riddle. When he easily solved it, her opinion of him improved. Now she asked him a new one every time they met. It was something Bilcock looked forward to.

Bilcock pondered the question a few seconds before snapping his fingers. “A hole.”

Saskia sighed as she shook her head. “I thought I had you that time.” Her tone was slightly frustrated but not upset for she was a good sport, and she was actually pleased that he had passed another of her tests.

“It was a good try,” Bilcock said, though his tone was far from humble. “I doubt the average man would have gotten it.”

“The average man could still throttle you,” Saskia said, trying to knock him down a peg.

At this, Bilcock’s smile wavered. His physical inadequacies were a sore spot for him. To overcompensate for his insecurity, he said, “Only if they get close enough,” he drew magical runes and said “Ignis!” a fist-sized ball of fire flew through the air and hit a nearby barrel, scorching it. “And I’ll blast them before they do.”

Saskia looked at the barrel and back at Bilcock before she pulled out one of her throwing axes and hurled it at the target. It struck right in the center of the burn Bilcock had left. She smirked at Bilcock and said, “Oh really?”

His ego deflected, Bilcock could do little to regain his dignity. “You just wait, one day I’ll impress you.”

“I look forward to it,” Saskia said as she patted him on the shoulder. The physical contact made blood rush to Bilcock’s face, causing him to blush. Saskia noticed and chuckled.

“Ok, my turn,” Bilcock said. “I have three feathers to help me fly. I have a body and head but I’m not alive. Your strength determines how far I go. You can hold me in your hand, but I’m never thrown. What am I?”

Saskia sighed. While she enjoyed thinking up riddles for Bilcock, she hated being asked them. Not once had she solved any of his. She thought for several seconds, then a minute, then five. Finally, she shook her head and shrugged. “I give up. what are you?”

Bilcock smiled, his pride restored. “An arrow.”

[Nade]

Sorry all, between a health scare I've had in the last couple of days and also dealing with the aftermath of being stuck in the middle of a bloody big storm in my area I'm going to have to put this one on ice for the time being. I'll let you know when I'm ready to pick it up again.

[DemonSlayer]

Thanks for letting us know . Take care, hope you feel better soon!

[Grouchy]

All good Nade, real life takes priority. Hope all goes well!