[D&D-5e] Descent Into Avernus: Hellriders Last Ride

[Togot]

added more to my backstory to expand on Rain's relation with the order

[SnakeOilCharmer]

Application Mechanics and BIFT Name: Xerberon "Fazzy" Fazgrim Race: Levistus Tiefling Class: Bard Alignment: CG Background: Entertainer Trait 1 : I'm such a natural showman that I no longer know where the real me ends, and the character I portray begins. Trait 2: I am filled with entertaining anecdotes about my life on the road, and some of them are even true. Ideal: Glory. The most important thing in this life is not to be forgotten. Bond: The Hellriders are probably the coolest people alive. I'd give my eye teeth to be accepted as one of them. 2 Flaws: i) Doing a job the easy way, or the flashy way? It's not even a choice. ii) I can hold onto a grudge for so long it would make a Dwarf blush. Description Description: Fazzy is a tall humanoid, with the pale blue skin typical of those of his ancestry. He has long, black hair, which gives the correct impression of having been the beneficiary of a number of different types of shampoo and lotion. He has small, stub-like horns, which would normally be entirely concealed by his hair. However, when performing the Tiefling tends to wear much larger, wooden horns, painted to fit in with his overall aesthetic. His dress sense is varied, but always flamboyant - he is not averse to a simple all-black getup, but is equally at home in foppish outfits utilizing bright and garish color schemes. His skin is covered in impressive and spooky-looking, but ultimately meaningless, tattoos. Fears Backstory Background Story: Like many performers, Fazzy has an impressive and badass origin story, of a simple human so dedicated to his music that he trekked into the wilds of Icewind Dale to make an infernal pact with Levistus, granting him the musical skill to exceed all other mortals. Exactly like all these other performers, Fazzy's story is a whole cloth fabrication. Fazzy looks a little like the Prince of Betrayal because his parents did, and their parents before them. While the family were the subject of the usual whispers that all Tieflings have to live with, the simple fact was that none of his ancestors had worshipped their frozen forefather for several generations, if indeed they had done so at all. Xerberon's parents, rather, were humble and supportive folk who ran a small bakery in Luskan. The undoubted musical talent that the young Tiefling possessed was simply the result of having taken lessons from a family friend since he'd been large enough to first hold a lute. The Fazgrims not have been above describing their wares as 'Devilishly good' to sell a few more muffins, but that was the extent of their connection to any of the Nine Hells. The young Xerberon was a shy and unassuming boy, with no more than a handful of friends, who rarely even got involved in the usual pranks and tomfoolery associated with adolescents. In so far as he interacted with other youths, he dealt with a significant, though not overwhelming, amount of bullying related to his heritage. Xerberon spent significant amounts of time assisting his parents with their business, and though he showed no real knack for working with dough, his ability to persuade potential customers of the quality of their baked goods was impressive, and surprising. It was as if, by taking on the character of the salesman, that he had become a different person. The success of the business allowed the Fazgrims to send their son to a somewhat prestigious musical college in Waterdeep. By the end of the long journey south, the character of 'Fazzy' had already begun to emerge. Tired of being seemingly ignored or derided in equal measure, the young Tiefling decided to lean into every pernicious myth about his people, and to own it so that it could no longer hurt him. He began dressing to accentuate the fiendish aspects of his appearance, and to portray himself as an, excuse the pun, devil-may-care character. If, as it appeared to those around him, this was an exercise in faking it until you make it, then it was spectacularly successful; by the time the young man dropped out of the college, few of his contemporaries even remembered the shy fellow who had first walked through the doors. Fazzy began performing in taverns in Waterdeep, the seedier the better. His combination of music and theatrics seemed to have a particular appeal to the city's underworld, with members of the Zhentarim and Xanathar's guild flocking to his shows. With such a following, Fazzy quickly found himself having to learn his way around a blade, with violence often breaking out at his performances. Violence which, of course, only served to increase his notoriety, and therefore popularity. The Tiefling played to packed-out venues up and down the Sword Coast. A whole number of wild rumors began to spread about the man's past, and his conduct. Not least of these was a rumored association with the Hellriders of Elturel, which Fazzy publicly denied (not wishing to offend the actual Hellriders) but in a manner which did absolutely nothing to inhibit the spread of the rumor. Fazzy's own aesthetic eventually drew him to Elturel, where he played a storming gig at a venue well known for its patronage by former and current Hellriders. Enjoying a quiet drink backstage with a couple of these folk, the singer was surprised to look up from his flagon to see Gideon Lightward, who appeared to be well aware of Fazzy's supposed allegiances. Feeling too awkward to do the sensible thing and point out that he had not been, was not, and would never be an actual Hellrider, Fazgrim acquiesced to the priest's 'polite suggestion' that all present accompany him to a meeting of some importance. Favorite Moment Describe your favorite D&D Moment: OK this is easy. Wild Sheep Chase PBP game on this site. I'm playing an Eladrin Archfey Warlock - the basic concept is that she's a teenage daughter from a noughties sitcom, whose patron is her dad (and keeps popping into her head to make dad jokes and lecture her to make sure she's reading her Book of Shadows). The rest of the party had similarly whimsical builds.   Anyway, there's this bit in the adventure when the Big Bad's Half-Orc lieutenant shows up and demands that the party hand over the titular sheep. Pretty sure the expectation is that a fight ensues. Instead, I use the Feylock's "Fey Presence" ability to charm the Half-Orc and his Wolves for all of six seconds, just long enough to utter the following statement: "These are not the sheep you are looking for. Go about your business." The moment was memorable because it gave me the chance to make an iconic cultural reference and use an often-overlooked subclass ability. Plus it had that classic DND factor that it required multiple rolls. While the character was quite skilled in the things she was having to do to pull it off, it still could have blown up in my face with one bad roll. (Not that it playing out that way wouldn't also have been fun and memorable).

[Silent Rain]

Avner, my app is complete.

[Albus Albacore]

Name: Ezrala en Tikameni
Race: Human
Class: Warlock
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Description: When not in her Flaming Fist uniform, Ezrala wears a long split-tail coat, and carries a whip, short sword, and crossbow. She decorates her wide-brim hat with prayer papers, fingerbones, and fake coins hanging from the brim. She’s trying to develop a penetrating glare that freezes people so violence is not even necessary. She is incapable of conversation without sneering and sarcasm.

Background: a Private with the Flaming Fist specializing in infiltrating criminal organizations and trapping thieves.

Trait 1: she wants to build up a reputation and eventually command her own squad of Fists to take down those who prey on street kids. With no family or contacts, taking on impossible jobs to hone her skills and increase her rep is key.
Trait 2: Absolute dedication to the job at hand, and to that end will work with anyone, paladin or purse-snatcher. The ends justify the means.

Ideal: “I’ll stick my neck out for the voiceless, even if that means disobeying the law.”

Bond: “Working with the Fist is a great way to understand the criminal mind. Conning a swindler, or trapping a thief is simply … delicious.”

Flaw 1: Situational ethics. “I’m happy to overlook a child stealing bread, or a fellow Fist who falls asleep because his baby kept him up, but a merchant who flogs his help better make sure his papers are in order.”
Flaw 2: confiscating magical items and lore from criminals, and studying them, helps me to understand their mind (even if my Corporal told me to turn them in).

Secret Fears available...

Background Story: Ezrala survived Twin Songs, one of the worst districts of the Gate, with quick feet and by mastering enough hexes to outwit the drunken priests and weird sects that made the district notorious. Desperate for “three hots and a cot” she joined the Flaming Fist, and quickly made a name for herself as someone that could use her street know-how to stem the tide of scum.

Her mantra is still personal survival, but she’s slowly figuring out she can make a difference for those, like her, who have only known the rough side of life in Faerun. The little taste of authority and power she has been granted has not gone to her head yet, but a few “demons” from her youth are rotting in prison, or in Avernus.

She’s heard the stories of Elturel and the Hellriders all her life, and even pretended to be one as a kid. Being sent on a high-profile mission is what she’s dreamed of to satisfy her ambitions.

Fave D&D moment: Whenever the party gels and the players are responding as the characters, in action and in dialogue, with the NPCs, or monsters, and it feels real, even if we’re all getting our asses kicked. I’m an old salt at D&D as player and DM, but new to play-by-post.

Cheers!

[SnakeOilCharmer]

I think Fazzy is done, barring the usual minor amendments and corrections that I will inevitably end up making between now and selection day.

[Treble83]

Alicent Name: Alicent Race: Human Class: Sorcerer (Divine Soul) Alignment: Neutral Good Background: Acolyte Description: Alicent is a young woman (twenty-one) with short dark blue hair and light blue eyes. At 5'8" and 115 pounds, she is quite frail looking for a member of the Order. Mostly due to her small frame she has never done well with moving around in armor, let alone fighting in it. Instead, she prefers lightweight clothing, accented with golden jewelry. As part of her personal style (and as a tribute to her deity), she also has a tattoo on her right shoulder of the stars at night. In addition, she had a cape commissioned that bares a similar design on its inner lining. Trait 1: I've enjoyed fine food, drink, and high society among my temple's elite. Rough living grates on me. Trait 2: I've spent so long in the temple that I have little practical experience dealing with people in the outside world. Ideal: Mercy. Repentance begets forgiveness. Forgiveness begets righteousness. (Good) Bond: Everything I do is for the common people. Flaw 1: I am always willing to grant someone a second chance. Flaw 2: I never strike a creature when it’s down. Character's three worst fears (In Secret): Background Story: Alicent was born into an affluent family in the city of Waterdeep. Her father, a lesser priest of Mystra in the House of Wonder, garnered much favor and respect from the people. Her mother was primarily a socialite, always involved in one committee or another. Fairly early on, Alicent's magical prowess was recognized. This was, in no small part, due to the regular testing that the clergies children were expected to partake in. Once her potential was recognized, Alicent was quickly enrolled in daily classes at the temple. As her father would tell her, "Like any other weapon, magic is only dangerous in the hands of the untrained and the undisciplined." Although many of the students had to spend long days and nights poring over old tomes to master their craft, Alicent was one of the few lucky ones that the magic simply seemed to manifest in. Many of the scholarly sorts were capable of doing a wider range of spells than she but Alicent was content with practicing the magic that was given to her naturally. Truth be told, she found most of the old tomes to be complete bores. There was however one exception... For months, she felt inexplicably drawn toward a restricted section of the archives. Finally, she couldn't resist the pull any longer. With a key that she had slipped from her father's collection, she made her way into the area labeled "Occult Lore." As she entered, she found the specific tome that had been pulling at her. It was a scroll that bore a single spell, "Armor of Shadows." Taking the scroll, she quickly left the archives and returned her father's key. Any opportunity that she could find (or create) to be alone, she took in order to study the scroll. Once she knew it by heart, she began to practice the invocation. Gradually, the magic became as natural to her as the spells that she'd been gifted with at birth. Aside from spellcraft, classes at the House of Wonder covered a wide span of topics. The students were expected to graduate as ambassadors of magic. Many in the realms still feared its power and the damage that it could cause. Many of the students elected to train in advanced combat training as well. Those students had aspirations of serving in the city watch or in militarized orders such as the famed Order of the Gauntlet. Alicent was enamored with the Order of the Gauntlet and their holy mission of defeating evil wherever it may lie. However, her parents absolutely forbid her to partake in any sort of combat training. "You are destined to be a part of the clergy", her father would tell her. "You could be a wonderful diplomat or even a courtier!", her mother would oft say. While she understood her parent's wishes came from a place of love, it frustrated her to no end that they allowed their own ambitions to stand in the way of her own. On her eighteenth birthday, without her parent's consent or knowledge, Alicent marched herself down to the Order of the Gauntlet recruiting office. "I wish to serve within your ranks. While I am not well versed in martial weapons or armor, like your clerics and paladins, I still feel like I have a lot to offer! I've trained in the House of Wonders almost my entire life and I am a naturally gifted practitioner of magic. If you give me the opportunity, I will prove to you that I can be an asset..." As she finished her rehearsed speech, she got the feeling that the large, heavily armored man was not impressed. With a softer, less rehearsed tone to her voice, she continued... "I truly believe that Mystra gave me this power for a purpose. Please let me use it to help you..." For the first time since the young woman walked into his office, the paladin showed some sort of emotion. With a big smile, he stood and offered his outstretched hand. "Welcome to the Order of the Gauntlet. We always have room for the faithful..." Describe your favorite D&D Moment: Thankfully, I'm an avid note-keeper in my real-life games and I still have the breakdown of my first combat experience (September 2018). I was playing as a wood elf rogue (Dae'Ron), My friend was playing as a Half-Orc Paladin (Alexander), and my friend's wife was playing as a Tiefling Bard (Asana). The setting was a homebrew world, with an emphasis on a large city. The city was split into multiple districts with very different identities. Our party was tasked by the City Watch to investigate the disappearances of several citizens of varying backgrounds. Ignoring the subtle hints from the DM to avoid a certain part of the city (at least for now) and subsequently ignoring his ominous tone in regard to a particular tavern within that district, we managed to find trouble a little too quickly... As our party entered the tavern, we got the sense that the bartender and all of their patrons had suddenly turned their attention to us simultaneously. Attempting to play it cool, we continued toward the bar. The bartender seemed to be the human embodiment of a dirty rat and he did not bother to hide the fact that we were not welcome. "This is a private establishment. You'd do best to turn and walk out the way you came." Refusing to be dissuaded, Asani introduced herself as an oft sought-after performer and offered her services in exchange for food, drinks, and maybe "just a little information..." Getting the sense that the bard was pushing her luck, Dae'Ron started looking around to keep an eye out for any signs of impending danger. Unfortunately, it was already too late. As soon as Asani disregarded the warning (and pressed for information), events had been set in motion. Just as he turned to look around, Dae'Ron spotted two of the patrons placing a heavy beam across the door. Quickly, he alerted the others of the unfortunate development. In an attempt to catch the men off guard, Alex immediately sprang into action and waylaid one of the two men at the door with his giant war hammer. Seemingly following the Paladin's lead, Asana sprang into action and cast a spell on the remaining door guard. As the spell took hold, the patron began to scream in pain while cramming his palms into his temples and running as far from the party as he could get. Turning to Dae'Ron, she called out "Your turn! Show us what you've got." Seeing an opportunity for escape, Dae'Ron rushed toward the door and grabbed the beam with both hands. Despite his best efforts, the rather frail rogue was unable to lift the beam from its brackets. Hearing sinister laughter from his left, he released the beam and rapidly launched a dagger toward one of the men standing at a nearby table. As the dagger found its mark, the man's hand was pinned to the table. The laughter was quickly replaced with screams of agony. As it was, Dae'Ron's failure to lift the beam left him (and the others) vulnerable. The four remaining patrons quickly descended on the party, causing heavy damage to both the Bard and Paladin. Tragically Dae'Ron was the one to take the brunt of the assault, causing him to be knocked unconscious and slumped at the base of the locked door. Thankfully, Alex was able to respond in kind by laying a hand of healing magic on Dae'Ron's shoulder, bringing him back up. As the rogue was getting himself up off of the floor, Asani cast sleep on the four men. Only the closest assailant fell to the effects of the spell but it was enough to provide Dae'Ron with the opening that he would need. Giving the beam one more heave, he just barely managed to remove the beam and bolt outside. With just Alex and Aasani left in the fight, the bard was the next to fall to the flurry of attacks. Rather than stay and fight, Alex grabbed Asani by the collar and drug her outside as well. As the three remaining patrons charged out after the party, their leader was met with an arrow from Dae'Ron's bow. Apparently, the rogue had been waiting to provide cover for his friend's escape. Cutting their losses, the remaining two, darted back into their tavern and sealed the door once again. The reason I chose this particular story was that it showed me (for the first time) how important collaboration amongst party members is in DnD. Although messy, our teamwork allowed us to narrowly escape a situation that was very nearly a TPK. Oh and believe me, the DM running that particular game would have been more than happy to allow the dice to lead to a TPK. If for no other reason than to teach us a lesson for ignoring his subtle warnings...

[Seekr34]

forgot about the 2nd flaw. App is now done.

[Saratek]

Does a Hellrider have to be a follower of Helm, or could they be a follower of another generally good-aligned deity, such as Selune?

[psuedenim]

App done

[AG128L]

Authority Greycastle Credit to Elena from womenfighters Name: Authority Greycastle Race: Tiefling Class: Fighter Alignment: LN Description: Despite not having the largest physicality, Authority cuts an imposing figure. Her infernal heritage is clear in her gray skin, deep maroon hair and matching pupiless eyes, and dark horns that curve around her head almost like a laurel wreath. She’s rarely seen without her armor beating the emblem of the Flaming Fist, and she keeps her hair pulled back into a tight, low, military-style bun. Background: Flaming Fist Trait 1: I can stare down a hell hound without flinching. Trait 2: If you do me an injury, I will crush you, ruin your name, and salt your fields. Ideal: People. I’m committed to the people of Baldur’s Gate, not the Grand Dukes who pay my wages. (Neutral) Bond: It is my duty to protect those who serve with me. Flaw 1: I obey the law, even if the law causes misery. Flaw 2: I am easily manipulated by calling my bravery into question. Background Story: Authority was born an only child to two loving human parents living in the Lower City of of Baldur’s Gate, who were quite shocked to give birth to a tiefling child. Perhaps both had some long dormant infernal heritage that awakened when combined. She was a bit of an uncontrollable troublemaker as a child, finding her friends in a group of girls whose favorite pastime was daring each other to do increasingly dangerous things. One day, Authority was dared to perform a ritual which would supposedly summon a demon, and she was definitely going to do it, thank you very much, when some devil associated with her infernal heritage found out. A fiendish messenger appeared to her and her parents in a dream but with a clarity that it could just as easily be real. The devil tore into them for allowing such wild and inappropriate behavior from their daughter. No tiefling of the First Layer would ever be caught fraternizing with the enemy. They had better shape her up with a heavy dose of the discipline that would come from military school… or else. Scared of their daughter’s behavior that they could no longer turn a blind eye to, but even more terrified of the threat of the infernal messenger, Authority’s parents sent her off to the closest thing to military school they could find, the Flaming Fist. Her first year in the Fist was difficult. Authority struggled to adjust under the harsh set of rules and discipline. Her contrarian attitude won her few friends and many bullies, both among her peers and superior officers. Luckily, one of her superior officers did see her potential and arranged for her to attend the Red War College at the Citadel of Strategic Militancy, not far from Baldur’s Gate. The Red War College was a real military school, run by the Church of the Red Knight, where they have training that promotes the growth of military leaders, a far cry from the dog eat dog world of the Flaming Fist. Upon Authority’s graduation, she would return to the Fist as an officer. Her time at the Red War College is transformative. Proper military school does exactly what the infernal messenger wanted; it teaches Authority restraint and respect for rules. She learns a fair bit about how to be a good warrior and even becomes good friends with a Hellrider who is her bunkmate. Upon returning to the Flaming Fist, Authority has rebranded herself. She quickly teaches anyone who used to pick on her that she won’t tolerate that behavior any longer. She follows her orders carefully, in hopes of continuing to climb the ranks of the Fist. Authority looks up to Duke Ulder Ravengard, who she strives to emulate. She believes him to have the best interests of Baldur’s Gate at heart, in contrast to many of the more financially motivated Fists, whose loyalties change as swiftly as money changes hands. She’s quite pleased to have caught his attention enough to be selected for one of his own missions, but his reluctance leaves her with an ominous worry about their mission’s chances of success. Character's three worst fears (In Secret): Describe your favorite D&D Moment: That’s a tough one. I haven’t been playing long, and I’ve been a DM more than a player, so I’ll share something from a game I DMed. We were nearing the end of a short campaign, and everything had come to a head in this session. Their city was under attack. The Lord had been captured and was being held with other prisoners. The module I was running has an NPC suggest a battle plan to rescue the Lord, and she will only agree to something else if the players suggest a really good alternative. My players love talking their way out of things, so when I was preparing I considered how they might do so. I came to the conclusion that no matter how convincing they were, there was only a single lie that would provoke the necessary response from their enemies to allow them to rescue the Lord and the other prisoners. And you know what, they actually came up with it. The warlock disguised himself, marched into the prison, told that lie, and rolled a Nat 20 on his deception check. He only asked for a few prisoners, but with that lie and the Nat 20, he got to rescue all of them. My players were so excited their plan went off so well, and I was proud of them for being clever enough for it to work and happy that the dice decided to tell such a good story.

[Avner]

Well the Order of the Gauntlet is one of the factions of Faerun so they easily could have an adventurer in their ranks or be working with a Harper. The flaming fist are basically mercenaries so there is a high likelihood some of them are former bandits or rogues but they mainly operate I. The city. The Hellriders are a knightly order but do protect the borders of Elturel so it would be reasonable one of heir number is more of a scout then a heavier built knight.

[Avner]

Originally Posted by Saratek

Does a Hellrider have to be a follower of Helm, or could they be a follower of another generally good-aligned deity, such as Selune?

Any deity that makes sense to your alignment.

[Apocrypha]

This game looks amazing. I've been wanting to check out Descent into Avernus for a while now, ever since running some of the related adventures for AL.

EDIT: App is complete!

Name: Cygnet (Eala Avraith)
Race: Half-Elf
Class: Cleric (Tempest Domain)
Background: Faction Agent - Order of the Gauntlet
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Deity Aerdrie Faenya

Description:
Cygnet is a beautiful young woman by human standards, with a graceful and slender build, large and expressive blue eyes, and flowing blonde hair that she typically wears bound up in a practical bun to keep it off her shoulders and out of the wind. Her delicate features and gently-pointed ears reveal her elven heritage, although her features are broader and rounder than is considered desirable among elves. She gets her bronze complexion and golden hair from her sun elf ancestry, but her mien - lively, outgoing, and energetic - shows none of the dignified reserve that the sun elves prize. She's had her simple armor embellished with wing and feather motifs in honor of her patron, the Lady of the Wind.

Trait 1: I’m irrepressibly cheery and outgoing, eager to be friends with everyone.
Trait 2: The whole world feels new to me - I’m curious about everyone and everything.
Ideal: Nobody can help being born as they are. I despise anyone who judges others by birth or blood.
Bond: The Order of the Gauntlet gave me a home and a purpose that I’d never had before, and for that, I’ll be forever loyal.
Flaw 1: I’m fiercely independent and can be mulishly stubborn - something that gives my superiors in the Order no end of headaches.
Flaw 2: My temper can be as unpredictable as the wind and as fierce as a storm.

Background Story:

Cygnet, born Eala Avraith, is the illegitimate daughter of a sun elf noblewoman who fled to the elven enclave of Evereska after her own home was lost to rampaging orcs in the north. Eala’s mother, an acolyte of Corellon and daughter of a proud noble house, became separated from her kin during their flight. She eventually found her way to Evereska, months after her grieving kin had given her up for dead - but sometime during her ordeal, she had become pregnant, a shame that was only compounded when, upon the birth of her child, it became clear that the father was human. Eala’s mother has steadfastly refused to identify the girl’s father or to explain the circumstances under which she was conceived, even to Eala herself - leaving her proud kin and the insular elves of Evereska to draw their own conclusions.

Between her mother’s tight-lipped silence and her own half-human lineage, Eala suffered through a miserable childhood in Evereska. The enclave’s inhabitants, though welcoming of elven migrants from throughout the Sword Coast, are deeply suspicious of other races. Eala’s mother, once the pampered daughter of nobility, was disowned by her kin, who took her stubborn silence about Eala’s father as an implicit admission that the girl was the product of a willing dalliance with a human, staining the Avraith family’s honor. Eala did not grow up in poverty - no elf starves or goes homeless in Evereska - but she and her mother were snubbed by their relations and shunned from society, made to work as common artisans to supplement the pittance their kin deigned to give them.

To the elven children of Evereska, Eala’s half-human features made her ugly, thick-set, and coarse. Her manner - loud, impatient, boisterous and unrefined - grated on even the most tolerant elves, and made her haughty sun elf kin turn up their noses in disdain and forbid their own pureblooded children from having anything to do with her. To most of the elves of Evereska, the half-human bastard girl was a nuisance and an embarrassment to her lineage, a permanent reminder of her mother’s shame and of the dangers of the outside world.

The only elf in Evereska to treat Eala with kindness was something of an eccentric herself - a moon elf woman who tended to the enclave’s aviary of trained messenger birds, living on an isolated hilltop at the edge of the settlement and preferring feathered company to that of her fellow elves. Eala found herself fascinated by the birds and envious of their ability to fly far beyond the stifling confines of Evereska, and their keeper took her as an informal apprentice, teaching her to feed and look after her avian charges.

She also taught her of her patron, the sky goddess Aerdrie Faenya, a solitary deity half-forgotten by most elves. To Eala, with her stormy and mercurial temperament and her yearning for freedom, the Lady of the Wind called to her soul more deeply than any of the elven pantheon in whose worship she’d been instructed. Her daily trips to the aviary, to tend to Aerdrie’s feathered children or to roam the windswept hills beneath a vast blue sky, became both an escape and an initiation. Gradually, Eala came to hear the rush of Aerdrie’s wings in the wind, and the whisper of her voice in the songs of birds, bending the wind to her will and guiding her to freedom and adventure.

Eala ran away from home not long after, slipping away before dawn and following the road to the Halfway Inn, the isolated roadhouse that served as Evereska’s sole point of contact and trade with the outside world. Her impetuous decision to throw in with the first band of travelers that would have her could easily have ended in disaster had she ran into the wrong sort, but fortunately for her, the naive young half-elf instead met a band of paladins of the Order of the Gauntlet. Introducing herself as “Cygnet,” a crude translation of the aviary keeper’s nickname for her, Eala attached herself to the hapless paladins like a newborn chick imprinting on the first creature it sees. She followed them about, pestering them for stories of the outside world, and eagerly insisted on joining them in their adventures, will they or no. She met their pointed questions about her family with a slightly-exaggerated claim to be an orphan, and tagged along with the bemused paladins until, worn down, they agreed to take her with them as far as the Trade Way and try to find someplace for her from there.

In the course of that journey, however, “Cygnet” revealed both a brave spirit and Aerdrie Faenya’s divine favor, winning over the paladins enough that, upon their return to the human lands, they arranged for her to enter the Order’s service as a page. A free-spirited follower of an elven sky goddess makes a strange fit among the stolid and regimented knights of the Gauntlet, and neither her superiors nor her fellow recruits quite know what to make of her. Cygnet's solitary worship of the Lady of the Wind further sets her apart, though she also pays respectful homage to the Order's gods of war and justice. But, though she is a source of constant exasperation to her superiors, none doubt her genuine devotion to the Order, in which she’s found a purpose and sense of belonging that she never had in Evereska. What Cygnet lacks in muscle and martial discipline, she makes up with the gifts of the Lady of the Wind, wielding the powers of sky and storm in service to the Order’s benevolent mission. And if that mission lets her roam the world and see everything under the sky, so much the better.

Fears:


Favorite D&D Moment:
Most of my favorite RPG ‘moments’ aren’t single moments - they’re the payoff from a long game with deep world-building, rich character development, and satisfying plot arcs. I’ve had great single moments where someone got a good roll or thought of a cool plan or said something funny that became an in-joke for years, but none of those compare to what you get when months or years of playing the same game and the same characters make them feel rich and alive and real.

[Drachenspirit]

Varavhik Nightchaser Egena-Vithino - WIP Name: Varavhik Nightchaser Egena-Vithino <------ Character Sheet Race: Goliath Class: Cleric - Twilight Domain Alignment: NG Description: Varavhik is the seven foot, and nine inch tall, three hundred and twenty five pounds Goliath in the room. With pale blue eyes that emit a soft glow, and hardened grayish skin he looks at times like a statue carved out of granite without polish. He has naturally formed tribal markings that some assume are tattoos, though a Goliath would never dare scar their body in such a way. He is adorned in chainmail armor and shield and armed with just a warhammer and a hand axe stuck in his belt. Hanging from his heck on a thick corded leather lash is a symbol of Helm. Personality: He's quite if he doesn't know you, or has no need to speak in a room with strangers. If he does know you and feels comfortable speaking, for some reason or another he thinks that offering quote and phrases can help situations - though he doesn't always get them exactly right. If you're allied with him, he's not only got your back, he'll carry you on his and risk his own life and limb to protect and save yours. Background: Order of the Gauntlet - Cleric of Helm Trait1 : I don't like to go into situations unprepared. Trait 2: I quote (or misquote) sacred texts and proverbs in almost every situation. Ideal: When evil strikes, I administer a swift and just penalty. Bond: I never leave a comrade behind. 2 Flaws: I am always willing to grant a friend or comrade a second chance. #2: I am trusting of clerics and other overtly religious figures. Character's three worst fears (In Secret): Background Story: From a young age, Varavhik was already caught up in his race's drive to compete, especially since his parents died when he was young. Barely old enough to be on his own, he couldn't compete on straight up physical competitions with older ones of his clan, so he did the only thing he could and was somewhat good at - venturing off further and further from his clan's grounds in the southern part of 'The High Ice' Mountains in northern Anaurach to bring back plants and thing that just weren't found on Clan Lands. His last jaunt with some fellow clansman took him across the frozen sea to the Eastern peaks of the Nether Mountains. At home here, they ventured off the other side to get a better view of the running water in the valley - something they'd never seen. It was here they ran across the races he'd only heard about and never seen before. His clansmen didn't want any part of them and headed back home with their bounties. Intrigued, he approached a group of adventurers who'd come from Sundabar in search of gold and had found a vein of platinum. They'd mined all they could, and were now building barges to float their own bounty down the Delimbiyr River all the way to the Sword Coast. He'd been asked to be hired on as a guard for the trip since his large size would scare away most threats they might encounter - or so they thought. He'd have turned them down, but a Dwarven Cleric with them fascinated Varavhik. Gaining divine blessings, as he called them, which were cantrips and spells suddenly revealed a void in the young Goliath he didn't know he'd even had- the need for Faith in something larger than himself. He didn't find the dwarf's God, Gond, to his liking, but went along anyway. Weeks into the trip, a half-orc follower of Helm, a Cleric in his own right, joined the group from an expedition out of Hellgate Dell that had gone wrong. The teachings and beliefs of Helm filled the void in Varavhik, and he stuck to the half-orc like a tongue to an icicle for the rest of the trip. By the time they reached the Sword Coast, Varavhik was an acolyte of Helm, and ready to go where his God led him. Though it was the half-orc that led him to be accepted and join the Order of the Gauntlet, Varavhik sees it as a divine thing. Training with the Order for a few years, he's now achieved the rank of Chevall and is ready to take on his first mission at the direction of the order. He's arrived at the meeting to get his instructions from Frume and meet the others going along. Describe your favorite D&D Moment: I'd have to say that my favorite D&D moment was a game I was in that took place in the Silver Marches a bit more than a year ago here on this site. My character started at level one as a "Tester of Tymora", a Cleric of the Trickery Domain. It was at the height of this, when she was at level 6 or 7 (been a while) and the end of the game was near where she and the others were on a dead sprint almost over several days to save the realm. With few short rests even, we all were just barely up to facing the task at hand through many battles and encounters. The creativity this demanded from each of us players alone and as a group, was very enjoyable. Top of this was as a "Tester" my character would quite often flip a coin when faced with a decision and no matter how it landed would go that route. This forced many a decision by the group to go the way of a coin flip, and even had the others hesitant to give too many options. She was a human, and had an uncle as a dwarf who was a character in the game!

[Treble83]

App completed. I know I'm biased but I'm really happy with the end result. Alicent is an entirely new character/concept for me and I hope to get the opportunity to see her in action.