[D&D-5e] Strixhaven: Academy for the Gifted

[Yoshimi]

I know we won't actually act it out, but this is the first application thread where the DM will do us the honor of killing our characters off if he doesn't accept them

[PalladiaMors]

Thanks, though what is it I'm missing?

[savoylen]

Originally Posted by Humble Hero

Thanks, Savy!

I've seen this thread grow and grow, and I've been super tempted to apply, then that RP snippet you posted above pulled me in hook, line and sinker - nothing like a compelling and excellently written showcase!

I did have a few questions, about some possible aspects for Fenmaer's circumstances regarding Strixhaven; would it be easier to PM or use secrets here?

Thank you!

Go ahead and fire off a PM. Happy to help.

- Savy

[savoylen]

Originally Posted by Yoshimi

I know we won't actually act it out, but this is the first application thread where the DM will do us the honor of killing our characters off if he doesn't accept them

LOL... I have got more than one chuckle out of that thought now. Thanks!

[savoylen]

Originally Posted by PalladiaMors

Thanks, though what is it I'm missing?

Nothing... excellent app. (And quick!)
I've got you marked COMPLETED!

[PapaHuck]

I believe this application is complete.

Name: Myelin
Alignment: Neutral Good
Class: Ranger (Horizon Walker Conclave at level 3)
Race: Elf - Shadar Kai
Background: Investigator
Personality Trait: I've lost too many friends, and I'm slow to make new ones.
Personality Trait: I can stare down a hell hound without flinching.
Ideal: Ideals aren't worth killing over or going to war for.
Bond: I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.
Flaw: I'd rather eat my armor than admit when I'm wrong.
Party Role: Ranged Damage, Scout, Mobility, Overland Travel, Criticizing Everything




Character Sheet:
https://www.rpgcrossing.com/profiler/view.php?id=90137




Office of Student Financial Aid:

 

Terror and rage poured through Myelin, white and hot. She would never be accepted. She would die alone in the cold, uncared for and unwanted. For the millionth millionth time she felt these feelings, and for the millionth millionth time, her mind recognized and accepted these difficult emotions. She felt the fear, felt every bit of it, searching and reaching and relaxing into it. Then came the calm; the fear would not destroy her. She had this fear many times before, and would have it many times again. It was just a natural reaction - one of many she was prone to - she once again felt powerful and relaxed.

Although extreme by Shadowfell standards, Myelin knew that the emotions that had just played across her face would be entirely imperceptible to one not born and bred of that dark realm, such as the simple and self-righteous clerk that sat in front of her, not really listening to what she was saying. Myelin spoke again with relaxed composure:

"Yes, I realize you have not received my full placeholder payment. That is because, as I included in my letter, I was awarded the Orphans of Gloomwrought Scholarship, which pays for half of that cost. Although that scholarship was awarded by Admissions - which office I can literally see right now - it lays just 30 paces to your aft - you informed me you would require proof of that scholarship. So I have gone to the trouble of producing the signed, stamped award letter for you, which you now hold in your hand." Seriously, it would take this idiot standing up from her chair and waddling maybe 50 steps to have gotten confirmation herself. Instead, Myelin had literally had to travel across planes of existence. Though, to be fair, it was probably nothing personal. The terrible griefs that motivated heroes to walk the planes would probably be of insufficient concern to motivate this stoic clerk to even lift her buttocks from her cushioned repose.

"Oh, well you should have s-s-said so in the first place."

You mean, you should have listened in the first place. Four times in five, when people hear something they are not expecting, they think it's a mistake. Four times in five it's not. Such a simple lesson, but one so many in the multiverse were not prepared to learn, apparently.

"Let's s-s-see here, so it says in your application you meet the preliminary education with the 'trained as a ranger' requirement. No shame in that."

Wonderful. Charity is the mask of bigotry.

"Now, dear, I wonder if you've had any thoughts about declaring for a College?"

"Sliverquill."

"Ah, no dear, I think as a ranger you mean Witherbloom? Most nature magic studies are likely to be in the Witherbloom College. S-s- silverquill is all about the teaching of language, our great faculty for communication. you see what I mean?"

"Okay. So there are a few things to unpack there. So despite maybe one in ten of your instructors having their careers depending on that fiction, virtually every serious scholar for millennia has concluded that language can't be taught. Language is an intrinsic biological property. People acquire functional language communication based on an extreme paucity of cues, virtually guaranteeing that it is an intrinsic capacity rather than a learned one. Small, pre-lingual children that manage to survive in isolation from adults have all developed their own complete grammars, in very short time frames. Multiple examples exist. It's no longer an academically debatable issue. It's more like children just need to learn the sounds conventionally used in their culture to associate to the concept structuring capacity that already exists in their heads. Which brings us to the second impossibility in your statement, that language is our great faculty for communication. Clearly it is not. Language is extremely inefficient as a means of communication, but extremely efficient as a means of organizing and generating thought. That is why language is primarily a capacity to generate an infinite complexity of spontaneously generated thought, and only secondarily, and for lack of a better means shoehorned into the capacity of a communication tool. Surely you have noticed that your thoughts flash across your head in an instant, all connected to each other and your whole view of the world? Meanwhile, as you try to express them it seems to take forever, one word at a time? Internal language relates to itself conceptually, but, when we speak, we must order words in sequence - which ordering has virtually no relation to meaning. In fact, that's why you stammer."

"So, Silverquill then." The middle aged halfling checked a box and handed Myelin her forms back.

Why was getting anything done always such a pain in the breeches? Myelin couldn't think of one thing that had gone the way it was supposed to in the application process. Not that her resolve had diminished. She was born to hunt monsters. Real ones. The hunts that mattered. A Strixhaven degree could get her there. Following her father's footsteps as an investigator for the Gloomwrought guard was a no-go. She could respect the intelligence it took to be a good detective, but she couldn't go on living that life amongst the Shadar Kai in Faerun. Terrified of the shadow curse, her people looked to extreme stimulation - murder, torture, drugs, self mutilation - to avoid dissipation back into the Shadowfell. But the Raven Queen had spoken to her. She understood why her Lady scoured the multiverse for every tale of sorrow and woe. She knew that to embrace these dark emotions was the only way they would lose power over you. So her path was set. It felt right.

Strixhaven is going to be awesome. Returning to the lobby, she retrieved her weapons belt and strapped it around her waist, arrow quiver above rapier. She placed her longbow string across her chest, first taking time to appreciate the smooth, familiar feel of the wood. She fastened her buckler to her left forearm and grabbed her rucksack. She caught her reflection as she exited the Admin building. Grey eyes, smooth grey skin, white hair - lithe and armed to the teeth. The picture of a Shadar Kai assassin. No wonder the multiverse fears us. Maybe they're right. The faintest smile flickered across her lips.

Level	Source	Feature
1	Elf	+2 Dex
1	Elf	Medium Size
1	Elf	Speed: 30 ft
1	Elf	Darkvision 60 ft
1	Elf	Fey Ancestry (adv vs charm, immune sleep)
1	Elf	Trance (4 hour long rest)
1	Elf	Proficient in Perception
1	Elf	Speak Common and Elven
1	Shadar Kai	+1 Con
1	Shadar Kai	Resistance to necrotic damage
1	Shadar Kai	Raven Queen's Blessing (Misty Step 1x/long rest)
1	Ranger	13 hp MAX
1	Ranger	Light & Medium Armor and Shield proficient
1	Ranger	Simple & Martial Weapon proficient
1	Ranger	Str and Dex save proficient
1	Ranger	Athletics, Stealth, and Survival proficient
1	Ranger	Favored Enemy: Undead
1	Ranger	Natural Explorer: Favored Terrain is Shadowfell & Darklands (if DM-approved)
1	Investigator	Investigation and Insight proficient
1	Investigator	Speak Giant and Draconic
1	Investigator	Watcher's Eye

Stats via point buy and racial bonuses:

Str 10

Dex 16

Con 16

Int 10

Wis 14

Cha 8

[savoylen]

@PapaHuck Welcome to RPGXing!! and Thank you for your interest in my game.
And no worries... content trumps formatting any day!!
Well met.

- Savoy

[Humble Hero]

Savoylen: I believe my application is complete.

Also very excited to see the results of all these amazing applications!

[penbeast0]

Originally Posted by PapaHuck

Hello everybody. New to RPG Crossing, so apologies in advance for all clunky formatting errors.

You can always do what most of the rest of us did. Just copy and paste the sample application, changing the actual content but keeping the formatting.

[PapaHuck]

Good point. I think a lot of my troubles might have stemmed from me trying to do it on my phone. . .

[savoylen]

Originally Posted by Humble Hero

Savoylen: I believe my application is complete.

Also very excited to see the results of all these amazing applications!

Awesome... thanks!! I have marked you Complete

[PapaHuck]

Very nice!

[PapaHuck]

Really like Throm's backstory.

[savoylen]

We're about 4 days out until my first selection.
If you working on an application or starting one, you still have time!

Thank you all that have completed character submissions in! Please feel free to play around, tweak, etc. all the way until selection.

- Savy

[The Dark Star]

Character Application Okrem Bolden Tortle - Twilight Cleric | Lawful Good | Priest of Selûne The Moonmaiden Courtier | 33 Years Old | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 567 lbs. Personality Trait: I always want to know how things work and what makes people tick. / I like to talk at length about Selûne. Ideal: Generosity. My talents were given to me so that I could use them to benefit the world. (Good) / Charity. I always try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. (Good) Bond: I owe my life to the priestesses who took me in when my parents disappeared. Flaw: I judge others harshly, and myself even more severely. Appearance: Okrem is a large, oversized, tall Wood Turtle with light green skin, covered in a mix of dark green, black and brown spots on the top of his head and throughout his body. His stomach and the skin on the inside is an orange colour, as well as the shell that is over his stomach area. His arms and legs have scales on them, as they are the parts that are exposed to the elements all the time. His shell is a thick deep, dark brown, with light swirls of yellow colouring inside, the shape of his shell is rounded, like a dome, and smooth to touch, but hard. He has deep, warm, soft completely black eyes. He doesn't wear much clothing, just a loin cloth that covers a little bit of his lower half. He has leather, fingerless gloves, wrapped around his wrists by rope. Attached to his back with a rope are a number of large books strapped down, to his shell, as well as a bunch of other trinkets that he carries that are too large for a pack, over his left shoulder is a long strapped bag to fit his body, filled with smaller trinkets and components that he uses for his spells. His focus and holy symbol is a dream catcher that hangs over his head tied to a staff that is wrapped with the books on his back, Selûne's symbol, the two eyes surrounded by seven stars has been strung within the dream catcher. Background/History: Okrem can only remember bits and pieces of his childhood, he remembers his mother and father walking with him in the woods, gathering mushrooms and other things to eat. For a moment, they were there and in the blink of an eye, they were gone, vanished, only the young one was still there. He called out for them, wandering in the woods, beginning to cry, not knowing what to do. He thought that he was lost, alone, the night was coming fast, and he had no idea where to go, he sat down by a tree and cried as the night overtook him, it was then, a firefly flew in front of him. It moved around as if calling for his attention, being a scared boy, he didn't know what to make of it, but welcomed the distraction and watched it move, then there was another, and another, soon he was surrounded by a swarm of them. A large number of them flew to his back, and began to push him, the others moving forward, as if indicating a direction in which to go. Not knowing what was going on, but felt in his gut that he should follow, he allowed the fireflies to guide him somewhere in the woods. He eventually was able to see something, a light fire, every now and again, it was covered by something. The insects urged him to move closer, and he did, the shadows began to take the shapes of tall, long haired, long eared creatures, their white hair shined in the fire as they danced around the fire. The fireflies then scattered, as Okrem was so happy to see someone, anyone. He rushed in, not knowing the dangers that his act could have produced. But instead of hostility, he was met with fear, they all backed up, shocked looks on their faces. They were Drow! Shock turned to hostility, as if to protect what they were doing, only to then realize that it was a child that ran into their circle, crying. It was then a number of them noticed the fireflies moving about calling it some kind of sign. Years Later... Okrem had been taken in by the clergy of Drow, learning that they were clerics of Selûne, The Moonmaiden. Although a Tortle, they believed that he was lead to them by her, they could not explain what happened to his parents. But promised that they would do their best to try and found out what happened, but in the mean time, they had a child to raise. He was educated in the teachings of Selûne, learned from their texts to read and write, learned the rituals and traditions of the goddess. He did have some struggles, one was getting used to the 180 degree of a sleep schedule, as the Drown preferred to act in the protection of the night, finding places to stay and sleep during the daytime. Being a creature that didn't have darkvision, this made some things hard for him, but fatefully, there were the fireflies, always nearby, giving him the light he needed. Eventually, before he was an adult, he performed a ritual that swore him into the devotion of his goddess and placed himself in a deep sleep. There he thought he communicated with her, again, it was through the image of a firefly, the light it produced was like nothing else he had ever seen. After a brief talk, she spoke of a blessing, and the insect split into two, flew up his nostrils, and into his eyes. It was then that he awoke, in the dead of night, but something was different, something wonderful, he could see in the dark, like the Drow. Except, it was able to reach much further than they could even see, it was called a blessing by Selûne, a gift for those that were chosen by her, his path was beginning to go into a particular direction from this point. Now an adult, he has learned all he can from the Drow that had become his family, Selûne spoke to them that he now had another calling. The name of a place left their lips, Strixhaven, a place in another realm that was full of wonder and mystery, one thing was for sure, those that came back from there, were powerful beyond belief. For Okrem to possibly be chosen was incredible and terrifying for him to hear. Did she really believe that he had this much potential, he was good with what he knew and practiced, but was he good enough for something like that? Was he all that he was built up to be? He then answered himself, she saw something in him, something special, it's the reason that he's alive now, to doubt himself now is to doubt her judgement. He would work his hardest to not only become a student there, but to become the best that it has ever seen, to make her proud. So he prayed to her, prayed as the loudest he ever had before, danced like he never had before he called to her that he would accept this fate that she has chosen for him. At the end of the dance, another swarm of fireflies, much like the ones that came to him as a child moved in unison towards him. He held out his hand and they wrapped around it, he felt something something cold, he pinched it with his fingers and the bugs scattered once again, now in his hand was a coin. He looked to the coin and took in the imagery on it, it then shined as it hit the moonlight, suddenly, before him, a portal opens, like a window, it shows Strixhaven University. With his last breath on this realm, he begins to step through, and with him, the swarm of fireflies go into his shell and he goes through the portal. Mechanical Information:   STR: 14 DEX: 8 CON: 14 INT: 12 WIS: 16 CHA: 10 Level | Source | Feature 1 | Tortle | Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1 1 | Tortle | Your base walking speed is 30 feet 1 | Tortle | Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike 1 | Tortle | You can hold your breath for up to 1 hour at a time. Tortles aren't natural swimmers, but they can remain underwater for some time before needing to come up for air. 1 | Tortle | Due to your shell and the shape of your body, you are ill-suited to wearing armor. Your shell provides ample protection, however; it gives you a base AC of 17 (your Dexterity modifier doesn't affect this number). You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield's bonus as normal 1 | Tortle | You can withdraw into your shell as an action. Until you emerge, you gain a +4 bonus to AC, and you have advantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws. While in your shell, you are prone, your speed is 0 and can't increase, you have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws, you can't take reactions, and the only action you can take is a bonus action to emerge from your shell 1 | Tortle | You gain proficiency in the Survival skill. Tortles have finely honed survival instincts 1 | Tortle | You can speak, read, and write Common and Aquan 1 | Courtier | Skill Proficiencies - Insight, Persuasion 1 | Courtier | Languages - Elvish, Undercommon 1 | Courtier | Equipment - A set of fine clothes and a pouch containing 5gp 1 | Courtier | Court Functionary - Your knowledge of how bureaucracies function lets you gain access to the records and inner workings of any noble court or government you encounter. You know who the movers and shakers are, whom to go to for the favors you seek, and what the current intrigues of interest in the group are. 1 | Cleric | 10 HP 1 | Cleric | Proficiencies - Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields / Weapons: Simple weapons / Skills: Medicine, Religion 1 | Cleric | Saving Throws - Wisdom, Charisma 1 | Cleric | Equipment - Warhammer, Chainmail, Quarterstaff, Priest’s Pack, Shield, Holy Symbol (Dream Catcher) 1 | Cleric | Cantrips - Guidance, Spare the Dying, Toll the Dead 1 | Cleric | Spell Slots - 2 1st Level / Known Spells - Cure Wounds, Bane, Ceremony, Healing Word 1 | Cleric | Wisdom based spells / DC 13 / Spell Attack +5 1 | Twilight Domain | Gained spells - Faerie Fire, Sleep 1 | Twilight Domain | You gain proficiency with martial weapons and heavy armor 1 | Twilight Domain | Starting at 1st level, You can see through the deepest gloom. You have darkvision out to a range of 300 feet. In that radius, you can see in dim light as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. As an action, you can magically share the darkvision of this feature with willing creatures you can see within 10 feet of you, up to a number of creatures equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of one creature). The shared darkvision lasts for 1 hour. Once you share it, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a spell slot of any level to share it again 1 | Twilight Domain | At 1st level, the night has taught you to be vigilant. As an action, you give one creature you touch (including possibly yourself) advantage on the next initiative roll the creature makes. This benefit ends immediately after the roll or if you use this feature again