[D&D-5e] War of the Spider Queen

[FatherDondo]

Application Name: Victor Leiche Race: Dhampir Alignment: Lawful Good Class: Oath of Devotion Paladin (5)/ Undead Warlock (4) Family Rank: Victor is the adopted child of Vern, and is one of her warlocks. He's been a part of the household for the better part of ten years, and has been serving the House ever since. Appearance: He is a dour-looking man with brown hair and a somewhat expressionless face, though he is more affable than he appears; he simply doesn't smile easily. Victor also has black sclera in his eyes, but otherwise appears to be a normal human in his mid-twenties. He has appeared this way nearly since he arrived in the Underdark. These days he wears a leather greatcoat over his armor so as not to stand out quite as much to those outside the House. Background: Victor had been a member of an order of knights that had an outpost in the town of Potter's Field, a farming and mining town that had been having issues with attacks by drow raiding parties. He had gone down into the Underdark to try and rescue some kidnapped townsfolk, but he'd become separated from his party. They'd been attacked by something that extinguished their torches. Some kind of mage, perhaps. During the melee, Victor fell over the edge of a crevice and fell somewhere deeper in. He woke up somewhere along the bottom, wedged between stalagmites. There wasn't room enough to wriggle out or to reach his pack. Blood loss left him dizzy and weak. There was nothing left to do but say his prayers until a figure came into view: Vern. Whether she saw something in Victor or it was simple empathy he was unaccustomed to seeing among the drow, he had no clue, but she offered him a deal. Accepting it would grant him her power and save him from death. All he had to do was to faithfully serve House Platin. It could be said this was a decision under duress, but there literally wasn't time to mull it over. Hesitantly, he agreed. As promised, he could feel new life surging into him as she helped him to his feet. The... side effects of his rebirth may have been a consequence of his state of exsanguination, but he could forgive himself for that. There were more than enough wicked beings down here that he was able to subsist without endangering his oaths. And the longer he spent in House Platin, the more comfortable he was in his being there. It wasn't his order up above, but he could do good down here that would've been otherwise impossible. Who knows, maybe he would be able to prevent raids from becoming his brothers' problem in the first place. The Player: I'm already in another Ysolde game, I haven't had a chance to play a game in the Underdark yet, and I imagine I'll enjoy this one as much as I do the Village Survival game. Also, I'd like to hope I've shown myself to be reliable in the past.

[Kshnik]

Name and background added. Slight changes. Application completed.

[Grouchy]

Seldizar is now complete.

[FatherDondo]

My guy is also complete

[Ysolde]

Updated table - Oh crap I need to make decisions! I hate those...

[Begon Ugo]

Zevlina Character Name: Zevlina Drassk Age: 125 Race: Female/ Half-Drow Class: Monk (Shadow) Alignment: Lawful Evil Family Role: Soldier Personality: Zevlina commands attention when she sweeps into a room. Her Half-Drow heritage is plain to see as she makes no attempt to hide it. She has light skin, much lighter than a full blood Dark Elf, clearly marking her as an outsider. Her striking blue eyes are framed by the full mantle of stark white hair that falls down her shoulders to the small of her back. She is very well attired and it is obvious that she takes great pride in her appearance. In many respects she comes across as quite pleasant and even friendly. This is a ruse, as fools are disabused of this notion quickly, severely and usually quite permanently. Zevlina suffers no fools and she has inherited the drow proclivity for pain and pleasure in equal amounts. Character Ambitions:Nothing drives Zevlina more than the desire to be seen as a drow first before all things. She carries the sin of her birth plain on her face and skin and can do nothing to hide the fact that she is iblith. Her every decision is framed by her attempts to break through her place in the Drow caste system. She has spent most of her life as an untouchable and with acceptance into House Platin she finally knows hope for the future. Backstory: Zevlina was raised in the Dread Drow city of Menzoberranzan. By rights, as the mongrel daughter of a iblith woman captured during a surface raid, she should have been sacrificed immediately after birth. For reasons unknown, she was spared but the decision was anything but a mercy. She came of age in the wicked environs of the Dark Elf society watching as her mother was used as a reward for Drow warriors returning from deep patrols in the Underdark. Zevlina's capacity for hope was quickly extinguished in the soulless abyss that was Menzoberranzan. As she watched her mother slowly wither away from years of abuse, Zevlina found that she did not feel pity for her. No, it was instead anger that boiled to the surface. Anger that her mother accepted her fate. Anger that her mother never once, not even once, tried to escape her chains! Eventually the anger festered into true hate. She hated the weakness inherent in her mother and she was petrified that the weakness might exist in her as well. With the death of her mother, Zevlina was plunged into the unending wickedness of the city of Lloth. She survived by her wits or blade, alone, in the festering decrepitude that was the Stenchstreets. The torture and horrors that were visited upon the dobluth defied description. Zevlinsa survived and found that life in the fluid society of Menzoberranzan suited her well. She quickly made a name for herself, plying her trade in theft and murder. It was a fine existence for Zevlina as she had found a rather exciting outlet for her simmering rage. It was only a matter of time before her talents where recognized and she was adopted by House Platin. Being given a chance to rise above the rabble, Zevlina is completely loyal to her adopted House and in turn to Matron Mother, Lady Platin The Player: I think we may have crossed paths over the years but we have not played a long term game together. As for sticking around... I am the equivalent of Gorilla Glue. Once set... you can't get rid of me. I dm a Curse of Strahd game that has been going nonstop for 4 years. Menzoberranzan is my all time favorite setting, I have the boxed set sitting under my bed and I have yet to find a game that does it justice. I have no intention of leaving.

[Aoem]

RenSau Platin *Name: Rensau Platin *Race: Drow *Alignment: Neutral Evil *Class: Fighter (Echo Knight) *Family Rank: Third Son, of matron mothers' third wife, via consorted weapons master. *Appearance: Ash silver, ebon grey skin. Shoulder length, stark white hair. Amethyst eyes, that glimmer with veins of platinum. Silver and black, armor and clothes, bearing the heraldry of House Platin. *Background: Nearly sacrificed to the Spider Queen at birth, lucky Rensau inherited the privilege, granted by heresy, of life, after the assassination of his eldest brother. Like all good subservient males, he adopted the mantle of absolute fealty to his elder sisters and of course, his matron Queen, a practical Deity, second only to the Spider Queen. Ren, was shut in for most of his adolescence, training feverously to become a skilled fighter. He excelled in the fierce competition of Melee-Magthere, dodging conniving daggers in the dark, earning victories in the gladiatorum, even against sons from the great eight houses. As a son of the 14th house, he was an underdog, but his success earned him a target on his back. For these reasons, Rensau is devoutly loyal to house Platin. The secret power plays, chaos and backstabbing shaped Ren into a fiercely protective personality. His skills with weapons are at the complete disposal of his family, he lives to serve the will of his matron mother. Furthermore, Rensaus' natural affinity to drow magic blossomed in the ability to manifest a spectral incarnation of his own self. Appearing in a platinum aura, this echo of his spirit makes him a deadly adversary to foes, and a tremendous asset to the insidious affairs of house Platin. *The Player: I have indeed played with Ysolde before, in an ill fated archeological expedition. I am a dedicated and dependable person, who values the continuation of story. I am absolutely confident that i can maintain the bandwidth necessary to support a long standing game. The setting of Menzobarranzen is a compelling masterwork, I would be thrilled to contribute to this narrative. I absolutely excel at roleplaying stories rich with a darker theme, intrigue and deeply evoking personalities.

[Alemar]

ooooh interesting... I've had a character Ive wanted to play for a while but they require atleast level 7 to really work... starting at 9 means it might be a possibility

*edit* question about the sourcebooks. I want to use a race found in SCAG, but I also want to use a level 2 spell from XGE... when you say "Character Creation" do you mean I can create my character at level 1 from one book but use other published materials for choosing spells at later levels? or do you mean I will have to stick to that +1 throughout?

[Ysolde]

Originally Posted by Alemar

ooooh interesting... I've had a character Ive wanted to play for a while but they require atleast level 7 to really work... starting at 9 means it might be a possibility

*edit* question about the sourcebooks. I want to use a race found in SCAG, but I also want to use a level 2 spell from XGE... when you say "Character Creation" do you mean I can create my character at level 1 from one book but use other published materials for choosing spells at later levels? or do you mean I will have to stick to that +1 throughout?

I’m allowing races from other books without counting as the +1 unless you also grab spells, feats, or cantrips from the book. Yes, the +1 counts for the entire creation up to 9th level and likely beyond since this will have powerful characters already I didn’t want to have too much mixing and matching.

[Alemar]

Application W.I.P. Name: Oren Darksteel Race: SCAG Pg.104Duergar Alignment: Lawful Neutral Class: Fighter (Eldritch Knight) Additional Sourcebook: Xanathar's Guide to Everything Family Rank: Normally I would choose Slave, but since House Platin doesn't do slaves I would replace it with Recently Adopted Appearance: White hair, thinning around the sides dusts the top of Oren's face, while a meticulously cultivated beard adorns his cheeks. Indeed one of the few freedoms afforded this non-Drow in is his ability to grow and trim his facial hair. Oren is short and stocky as most Dwarvenkind are, and he has thick, blocky, tattoos, in the style of the Dwarves that cover his forearms, hiding many old cuts and scars. Background: (W.I.P.) Who are you related to? What was your upbringing like? How does it feel to be raised in a loving household when seeing the rest of the Underdark? Were you adopted and why? Were you purchased/freed and why did you stay? Melee Magthere Bonus: Your time training in the school has made you exceptionally astute when it comes to defense. +2 to AC. Injury: Lost his tongue. Ally: Caellon Claddath: Taught me basic magic as part of my training regimen. Powerful Rival: Baellock Abbaerith: Felt Dwarves did not belong in the school, and cut out my tongue as punishment for not being Drow. Thinks Oren is a heresy for magical training, and hoped to preventing me from further learning, but I learned anyways... The Player Have you played with me before? Yes I am a player in both Reluctant Heroes and Stars and Shadows. What makes you want to play this game? I've wanted to play this specific character archetype, and this game gives me the opportunity to experience something that I've wanted for a long time without having the opportunity to. Do you really think you'll stick with this for at least a year? How about 5? Undecided, it would depend on how the story and narrative plays out. At this moment I intend to, and would obviously give you a heads up if I needed to dip out.

[Starflier]

Talryn Name: Talryn Platin Race: Drow Alignment: Chaotic Good Class: Swarmkeeper Ranger Family Rank: Third son of Ruby Platin, fallen in status due to his injury and currently out of favour. Appearance: Talryn Platin is still a young man by any reckoning of time the drow use, and yet there is a weary, melancholy that creeps into his eyes when he becomes lost in thought. While he is still handsome and appealing to the eye, the accident he suffered during training at Melee-Magthere that left him mute has dulled the luster of a once rising star in House Platin. Following his self-imposed exile, Tal has returned to the city without a hint of the boyishness that had hung about him in the past. It is clear to see that wherever he was, and whatever he was doing, the past couple of years have chiseled away any softness from the young man. Background: The handsome and arrogant son of a small noble house, Talryn Platin was a driven and ambitious young man until the day a training accident stole his voice and left him mute. The accident did nothing to impede his actual combat skills, and yet the entire situation was regarded as a great loss for the house. Unable to speak, Talryn would never get the opportunity to lead or command troops, and there was little more in his future than that of any other common soldier. Finding himself buried under the sorrowful glances of his mother and kin, Talryn went into a self-imposed exile, leaving behind only a note as he sought to relieve the family’s grief and his own shame. Two years have passed and House Platin has changed a great deal in Tal’s absence, though perhaps it is the young ranger who has changed the most. Covered in a constant swarm of arachnids, his arrival back in Menzoberranzan caused a significant stir among the people during his first day back. With no witnesses to what happened to him during the missing two years, it is now up to the family to determine how to reintegrate the young warrior into the family. Such an obvious display of Llolth’s favour cannot be a good thing for a family dedicated to opposing everything the spider goddess stands for, but they also cannot be seen openly turning such a ‘gift’ away. The Player: I don’t think we’ve played together, although I couldn't say for certain without sifting through a lot of old threads. I want to play this game because of the high-level, long-term aspect of it, as well as the tense atmosphere created by the ‘surrounded by enemies’ idea going on with House Platin. Sticking around long term isn’t a problem. I’ve got a five year old game that I got recruited into at the last minute as a replacement player two months after joining the site. If the game lasts, I’ll last. Melee Magthere Injury Roll

[HashtagBryn]

Originally Posted by Ysolde

Updated table - Oh crap I need to make decisions! I hate those...

More than anything I've seen here, I have no idea how people running games can hope to make their player selections, with the quality of work that everyone puts into characters!

[OsmundCinderholt]

A Wild Mage Name: Quevantar Race: Drow Age: 55 Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Class: Wild Magic Barbarian 6/ Wild Magic Sorcerer 3 Background: Mercenary Veteran (Bregan D'aerthe) Family Rank: Apprentice to Amethyst Platin Training: The Sorcere Magical Accident: 01-10 You radiate a permanent light glow. Invisibility spells do not work on you. During a particularly stressful session at the academy, emotions of his childhood past with the Flumphs came to the forefront of his mind. His emotions were on full display, shining his feelings to the world like his adoptive Cloister. Ever since, he simply hasn't stopped glowing. Appearance: Quevantar shines with a subtle thrumming light, shifting with hues of purple and pink, like a walking Faerzress. His dusky blue skin is stretched taut over a well muscled form, showing the hard earned cuts and scars that he's accrued through combat. The young man's hair is a darker gray, and is tied back into a hurriedly thrown up tail. Much like the aura that surrounds him, Quevantar's eyes are a shifting swirl of colors as well, mostly in hues of blue, purple, and pink. The Drow's face is a kind one, showing softer features in stark contrast to his iron-wrought body. Soft smiles and expressive brows are often used to disarm the more dour demeanor Drow of Menzoberranzan. The Wild Mage's attire is made up of loose fitting articles and made of the typical spidersilks common of the Drow. Baggy legged trousers, sashes and tight fitting jerkins. The bit that stands out is the chunky military style belt he wears, from which a large two handed falchion blade hangs in a scabbard. Likewise on this belt, on the opposite hip hangs the common components pouch of a spellcaster. Backstory: Quevantar doesn't know his real mother or father, let alone if they're alive or where they live. What he does know for certain, is that they did not want him. Perhaps the fact he was born a boy was warrant enough to abandon him in the hollows of the tunnels along the Darklake. A swaddled baby doesn't live long left alone, not especially in the cruel depths of the Underdark. Fate so happened that a collection of Flumphs were drifting by and heard the wailings of a distressed and hungry baby. Gathering near him and glowing first green with curiosity, then shifting to blue with sadness and pity. This particular cloister found it in their hearts, or perhaps were convinced by their Abbot, to take in the baby, at least to bring it somewhere safer than where they had found him. It was then so that these Flumphs lifted the baby's swaddle and carried it deeper in the tunnels, until finally they reached their home. The home they took baby Quevantar was a deep cavern that opened up to a vaulted arched chamber, which was filled with phosphorescent mosses and mushrooms, lichen and vines, and a glimmering pool of water fed by a freshwater fissure. Of particular note was the fact that this cavern was absolutely OOZING with Faerzress radiation, the primordial and untamed source of wild magic in the Underdark. It was here where the young drow was raised and nurtured, in the very strange, but well-meaning manner that a Flumph would attempt to raise a Drow. The constant exposure to the Faerzress also changed the boy's nature at the very core, infusing him with the twisting magics. The young drow knew nothing else, as for nearly the first 10 years of his life he traveled hardly anywhere but the immediate chambers in and around his home cavern. Quevantar was far too curious for his own good, it seemed, as one day the boy slipped from from the safety of the cavern. Having never left before, Quevantar naturally got lost. This was all apart of the new adventure though, and it wasn't at all frightening to him, it was exhilarating. In his lost amblings, the wild boy found himself on a road along the Darklake once more. This time it wasn't a roving cloister of Flumphs that found him, it was instead something that shocked the young boy. It was a whole group of OTHER Drows, that looked just like him! In fact it was one of the first group he's ever seen that weren't Flumphs. This group was an armed collection of Mercenaries apart of the illustrious Bregan D'aerthe. To this group of mercenaries, Quevantar was a long haired runt wearing clothes wove of vines and moss, but to Quevantar the Bregan D'aerthe were shimmering men who clanked when they moved. In his excitement, Quevantar rushed out to greet the men, who immediately were caught off guard by this sudden appearance of a child so far out into the wilderness. One of the men barked out something of an order in a language Quevantar didn't understand, but suddenly two men started approaching him with rope and clubs in their hands. While he was raised by the quiet and peaceful Flumphs, Quevantar wasn't entirely serene himself. There were times when he'd lash out in a tantrum, and his physicality seemed to be somehow amplified by the Wild Magics twisting in his blood. Well, as the men approached, another 'tantrum' befell Quevantar, and he fought off the men. Well, for a little bit at least. The one Drow who had barked the order watched on with an amused smirk while his men were struggling to tie up a 10 year old boy. In the end, they still tied him and threw him in their wagon, but the one who was in charge decided a different fate was in store for the boy, rather than the slave market. Quevantar was taken back to the grand city of Menzoberranzan, carted down into the Clawrift where the Bregan D'aerthe's safehouse was located. The next few years, nearly 15, were a crash-course in Drow society, and in the Mercenaries case, Drow violence. They taught him to fight, to speak Elvish, to at least PRETEND to be a partially civilized (from a merc's perspective) person. The one who took him in was named Xakos Duskrar, and Xakos seemed to have a subtle affection for the kid. It wasn't a fatherly relationship in the slightest, more like a hard-nosed sports coach. Xakos constantly pushed Quevantar to his limit, trying to squeeze every last ounce of potential out of him, and to great effect. It was due to this harsh training that in addition to the uncontrollable expressions of his wild magic, Quevantar was able to focus on abilities that allowed him to sense magical auras and identify their school of magic. The Wild Mage also found that he was able to siphon some of his roiling magical energy into his fellow men to allow them more castings of spells. This made the boy a valuable grab for missions, and so Quevantar got a lot of milage. The Bregan D'aerthe took contracts from anyone who paid for their services, and it was another act of Fate that a certain Wizard, from the House of Platin, hired them to find an artifact she had been researching for some time. Amethyst Platin had heard of the exploits of the strange young man and thought that perhaps that with his help, the Bregan D'aerthe could bring this item home, which has alluded her for so many years. So the company of men went to the Netherese ruin, fought shades and beasts, and with Quevantar's abilities sussed out the location of the Orb. On the return to House Platin, Amethyst requested to have a conversation with Quevantar. She asked of his life, where he grew up, and the if he knew the source of his unusual power. Quevantar told her of the Flumphs, and the cavern with the glowing plants, sparing not a single detail. Amethyst inspected him closely, and she was FASCINATED by the immense buildup of magical power inside of him, telling him that he's like a geyser of energy that had a cork stopping the eruption. What he's capable of now, she said, was merely the slivers of magic that was able to dribble out past the proverbial cork. Quevantar was astounded that such a powerful Wizard was saying that he could be anything like her, a sword-swinging merc of all people. Amethyst said she'd like to take him under her wing, to nurture the magical power inside of him, to set him on a course to -actually- reaching his full potential. She claimed that while what Xakos was useful, he was no Mage of the Sorcere, like her. Then it seemed that a conversation, a negotiation more-like, occurred behind closed doors between Amethyst and Xakos. Quevantar wasn't sure of the exact agreements, and still doesn't to this day, but he was told that he'd be going to live with the people of House Platin, and that he's to be Amethyst's apprentice. Of course, there was a feeling of somberness, as the men of Bregan D'aerthe's ranks were like brothers to him, but he knew that if he were to reach his -actual- full potential, learning to use magic properly was that way. Quevantar was 25 when he became Amethyst's apprentice, still very much a child in the Drow's point of view. Though, at around this age his contemporaries would be much more advanced education wise than he is. So there were factors of his Apprenticeship that were beyond him, for some time. While his natural aptitude was incredible, the Wild Mage simply was lacking in the capacity for book learning. Amethyst had ways of amending this, namely by spending hours at a time schooling him in what nominally was considered curriculum for younger children. Though with a great amount of compassion and patience, Quevantar would soon learn a wide swathe of topics that were considered the base assumptions for a young man of his age. Admission to the Sorcere was another conversation that he simply wasn't in the room for, again having facets of his life being decided for him. Quevantar submitted that this was in his best interest, and the prospect of learning real magic was exciting. Tier Breche was a prestigious institution, so he was lead to believe. Thus his studies at the Sorcere started, albeit with some interesting caveats. Normally, students live in the student accommodations on campus, but in Quevantar's case, he commuted between House Platin and the academy, due to the fact he was having additional 1-on-1 tutoring from Amethyst. On top of this, the other students looked down on the young elf with a contempt, thinking that his mere presence was an affront to their own prestige. How could this unrefined loser from a minor house be admitted to this academy of all places. Most of his fellow students hated his guts, and saw him nothing more than a brute being given special privileges. Despite it all, through his hard work and determination, 30 years went by in a flash. It wasn't without tribulations however. Many a time was his legitimacy called into question by haughty Drows from far more important Houses, and many a times the Wild Mage rebuffed them with either might of sword, or bristling spells. Quevantar wasn't any more talented than anyone in that academy, far from... He was just the most resilient. Now graduated from the Sorcere, Quevantar's true apprenticeship can finally begin with all the foundations in place.

OOC The Player: I haven't played with you before, but I really appreciate the kind of game you want to run. A few years ago, I was looking for some of the Forgotten Realms books I hadn't read before and came across the "Starlight and Shadows" series of books by Elaine Cunningham and fell in love with the weird world of the Drows from Menzoberranzan. On top of it, the story of finding out about Eilistraee and following subversive culture in the Underdark was always a neat idea. As for commitment to playing on this site, I've already anchored myself to sticking around playing in a lovely Ravenloft game ran by DaniLore, and if I have another awesome game to look forwards to, all the better.

[Rylus]

Akordia is finished, background is a bit short but i am happy to add more if needed

[Dyerdon]

Ysolde, if need be, with Mayala being a part of the temple of Elistaree, more or less, I could take a few levels in Cleric as well. A Bladesinging Cleric with the nature domain could work ;-), if she's picked, of course.