[D&D-5e] Children of the Underground

[Tarus]

Game Name Children of the Underground

Game System DnD 5e

Theme Exiles cast out from their home struggle to survive on a dangerous journey through the depths of the underworld

Flavour Survival, Heavy Role-Play and Characterisation, Some Psychological Horror

Plot Summary Origins - The End of the World A millennia ago, mighty empires turned on each other in their hubris. Unleashing a scourge of terrible, terrible explosions, their omnipotent, god-like power turned not just civilisation, but humanity itself to ash. Almost overnight, the world was turned to rubble and cinders. Destroying each other in their own self-inflicted folly, the perpetrators of these terrible acts were scoured from memory, yet the ramifications of their foolishness engulfed every single living person in wave after wave of apocalyptic destruction. Technology and civilised society collapsed in one fell stroke, and only anarchy remained intact. And as a world that was once familiar and secure burned, only a handful of people survived the aftermath, fleeing underground. However, their bodies and souls were forever twisted amongst the unstoppable conflagration that swept across the surface like wildfire. All of what was once before has disappeared into oblivion. Underground, reduced once more to primal savagery, the pitiful, shattered remnants of what was once a great and proud people tried to rebuild. From their twisted, mutated bodies came the dwarves, the elves, the gnomes and the halflings, alongside the heirs of humanity -- the last heirs to a lost world. The years went by, one after the next, and the self-styled children of the underground forgot their origins. And although the deep underdark provides its own threats, the world above is broken and lost, concealed under a ceaseless cloud of poison that claimed the lives of anyone who dared to brave it. Ultimately deteriorating into illiterate, unlearned primitives, these savage peoples lost sight of everything that they once were. The Children of the Underground Millions of years have passed. There are none left that remember the time before - the time when mortals walked the surface. Yet, within the murky depths of the underworld, there is a small flicker of light that still burns like the dying embers of a great fire, just waiting for someone to prod the flames back to life. Mortalkind has risen once more from their primitive forebears, and across the dark confines of the dark world they now live in, tiny, tiny pockets of communities have begun to spring up, out of necessity more than anything else. These skeletal, formative societies have begun to impose some form of order amidst the anarchic "only the strong survive" way of life that came before. Reaching out with tentative fingers, some of the more forward thinking communities have looked to establish rudimentary trade routes with each other. And although the world below remains a deadly, cutthroat place, there is something now that the world did not have before. Hope. With hope, there is perhaps one more thing the Children of the Underground can reach out to and hold. The redemption of their forebears. Life underground is hard, almost impossibly so. Here, there is no literacy. There is no religion. Humanity turned away from the gods as they destroyed the land, and in turn, the gods abandoned them. There is no magic, and the art of reading and writing is a lost skill, never to return. Diseases are virulent, passing from one person to the next, often wiping out hundreds in the blink of an eye. Outside of the scattered communities, there is no law or order, and death is almost certain for those who leave the protective confines of their homes. The outcast roam the tunnels, looking to murder anyone who passes by simply to gain enough food to live for another day. Yet, they are not the worst thing the foolish traveller needs to fear. Unspeakable, twisted monstrosities roam the darkness and the shadows. These mindless, misshapen horrors seek to feast on warm blood. The Underworld is a dark, dark place, yet it is here, amidst the loneliness and the shadows that you make your home. It is not an easy life, it is a hard, brutal existence you live amongst other like-minded souls, but nevertheless you live and you breathe. You survive. Yet things are about to change, and the fickle hand of fate is about to strike. Cast out from your home and your people, you are forced to flee into the dark. But where will you go? The shadows are not welcoming, and the darkness of the underworld means almost certain death. Your knowledge of the underground pathways is almost non-existent, and you do not know what lies out there in this broken and dark place. Nobody has been on the surface for thousands and thousands of years, and the quiet whispers that remain speak of a burned wasteland where the very air is poisonous to breathe. The surface world is said to be death itself. You will find no respite there. In this realm of eternal twilight, as your dwindling food and water supplies begin to run out, you will quickly find that you have nothing and no one but each other to count on. Yet what chance do you, inexperienced and callow youths, have to survive? Or could it be that you are all destined for something much, much greater than this, and that someone, or something very powerful, has surreptitiously set into motion events that will change the world forevermore. You are all something very, very important. You are the Children of the Underground, you are the heirs of that which was lost long, long ago. And you will strive for something that the people of the world need more than they could ever know. Redemption. About the Game Welcome to Children of the Underground -- a game that essentially will try to transpose a Metro-style game into a 5th Edition Swords & Sorcery setting. Players might initially be tempted to think that this is an open-world, sandbox style of game based on the description, but it is not. This will be a fairly linear style story. That said, although I have a definitive beginning and an end in mind, the journey in-between from A to B will be driven by the choices you make during the game. Ideally, I would like to take between 4 and 6 people to the game, dependent on the applications I receive. I would like to point out that due to the world and setting that I have created, there are limitations on the races and classes that I will allow you to select for the game. This is not open to negotiation: Acceptable Sources: Restricted - only the below races and classes. Acceptable Races: Dwarf Elf Halfling Human Gnome Half-Elf The above are the races born out of the destruction of the world and the mutation of the surviving mortals. Acceptable Classes: Barbarian Bard (see below) Fighter Monk Rogue Warlock (see below) Despite my limitations on magic, I am willing to accept the Bard and the Warlock, with their spellcasting abilities to the game. My reasoning behind this is that in the case of the Bard, their magic comes from their voice and singing, and with the Warlock....their magic comes from a different source altogether. Given the nature of the game, and for that reason, I would like to take one bard and one warlock type into the game - their condition and the wakening of their dormant magic will play a part in the group's exile. For the remaining applications I will mix and match as I see fit based on the applications I receive. Lore and information about the world at large will be kept from you purposefully at the start of the game. You will learn about the world as you explore its dark and shadowy confines, and who knows, you might even at some point come to visit the surface. Application Details I like to see imaginative, vivid characters - give me a person with hopes, fears and dreams, not a caricature. Format is as such: Basic Info Name: Race: As per restrictions Class: As per restrictions Gender: Alignment: Background: Please note due to the setting I reserve the right to restrict certain starting items that a background would give you (for example the Urchin's map of their home city does not fit within the premise of this setting). Level: Will be Level 1 Description Provide me with a 250x250 portrait for your character along with a paragraph or two describing them. Personal Traits Personality Traits: Provide me with a few keywords that describe your characters personality. We will go into detail on this a bit more later. Bonds: Ideals: Flaws: Personality: Provide me with more in-depth information on the traits that you listed earlier and the general personality of your character. Finally, answer me these two questions from the perspective of your character: 1) If you were granted one wish in the world, what would it be? 2) What is your greatest fear? Backstory No need to write me a novel - be concise in your backstory. Feel free to draw on as much of the information presented in the Setting folder for your village as you like to flesh out your character. About You Finally, tell me about yourself. What do you look for in a game? What are you looking to get out of a game? What sort of player are you? There are no right and wrong answers here.

[Touketsu]

I understand the race and class limitations. Out of curiosity, are you open to class ARCHETYPES from other WotC sources on a case-by-case basis? I only ask because I’d like to try and apply to fill the slot of your bard, and I think a College of Whispers bard would work really well thematically with this setting.

[Touketsu]

Placeholder

Basic Info Ayla Nyx Race Half-Elf Class Bard (College of Whispers) Gender Female Alignment Chaotic Neutral Background Charlatan

Description   Ayla Nyx (though she just prefers “Nyx”; Only her family ever called her Ayla) is a woman gifted with the fine features normally seen in nobility; excellent skin, shining, raven black hair, high cheekbones and full lips. Her eyes shine golden, reflecting a fiery and unbridled spirit that is rarely seen amongst the denizens of the Underworld. Nobody is more aware of her assets than Nyx, and she uses them to her advantage as a performer and a criminal. Standing 5' 5" and of relatively slender build, one could be forgiven for underestimating this woman. Despite her small frame however, Nyx is surprisingly muscular in a lean, agile way, developed by her years devoted to dance, performance, and self-defense.

Personal Traits   Personality Traits: Confident and outwardly friendly, but calculating, enigmatic, and guarded. Bond: People that I loved died because of a mistake I made. That will never happen again. Ideal: People. I'm loyal to my friends, not to any ideals, and everyone else can take a trip down the Styx for all I care. Flaw: I compulsively lie when I’m under pressure because I have trouble opening up to new people. Personality:Nyx maintains a peaceful, alluring facade in her day to day life. She is friendly, funny, and generally inviting. Aware of how important alliances can be to survival in the underground, she has made it a point to know the right people wherever she goes, and she never leaves a place without making a few friends in the process. Still, there’s more to Nyx than a smile and a pretty face. In some ways, Nyx is very much like a cat; graceful, quiet, and slow to trust people while simultaneously being excellent at dealing with them. It’s hard to say exactly who this girl is deep down, because very few people are allowed glimpses beyond the emotional masks she wears. It might be as a result of her troubled past, but at some point, Nyx began seeing the majority of her fellow underground denizens more as tools to be used than as fellow survivors. When she DOES form a bond it is incredibly powerful... but Nyx is usually careful not to allow herself to ever be that vulnerable. Not after what happened last time. If you were granted one wish in the world, what would it be?: More than anything in the world... I just want my family back. What is your greatest fear?: My worst fear has already happened... the only people I ever loved are gone. Now I’m just afraid of being helpless. I have to be strong, or I’ll end up just like them.

Backstory   Ayla Nyx’s story is brief, but tragic. She never knew her real parents. She was found one day in the darkness of the wUnderworld, a crying baby alone, wrapped in a dirty shawl. It was a miracle really... she should have been dead by all counts, a defenseless snack for some shadowy horror out in the blackness. Instead, she was taken in by a small group based out of Bright Hope. A family... not by blood, but through the sort of powerful bond forged by hardship. It was from these people that Ayla got her surname, Nyx. See, each of the members were called Nyx. They’d long since abandoned old family names, because the gang had become their only family. Gang, as it turned out, was a rather accurate term. Ayla never knew where the treasures came from; toys, jewelry, heirlooms, and other things of value always seemed to find their way into the house. Her adoptive family always ate well; sometimes far better than their neighbors, though Ayla was discouraged from ever discussing such things with the other villagers. She was told that if the wrong people found out about their good fortune, it would put a target on the Nyx home. She always complied, happily. Why should she question the only family she’d ever known? They provided for her, loved her, taught her survival in the underground, and taught her to use her wits. Ayla was a naturally charismatic and talented child, and one of her brothers even managed to scrounge up what would be her first instrument: a battered old flute, which she practiced with constantly. Karma is cruel though, and the Nyx’s good fortune was about to run out. One of the elder girls was caught one day holding up a traveler... and it spiraled from there. Investigation of their home revealed the various treasures they’d been hoarding away, and the rather large stockpile of food along with it. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the Nyx’s had been operating as a group of highwaymen under the cover of the dark underground, stealing from other settlements, traveling survivors, and even fellow villagers. Ayla, but an innocent young girl, was spared justice, but her family was not. Those born in the village were cast out. Those from outside... worse. It tore the young girl apart. She understood that what they had done was wrong, but... these people had loved and cared for her. She understood their instincts, because the world beyond the village was harsh and unforgiving, ready to swallow up those who weren’t ready to do what it took to survive. In a way, she never really forgave those who destroyed her family. It was too hard to forget the hurt, especially as time passed. Despite being allowed to stay, many of Bright Hope’s citizens never really trusted her again. Her pleasantries were met with suspicion, and she was referred to as “Nyx girl.” It wasn’t an insult to her. Over time, she would grow to wear the name like a suit of armor, and she regarded the other villagers with the same suspicion they showed her. She learned to use her gifts to maintain control when she felt weak, and she never let them see her falter. She wanted more than anything to leave... to find the few remaining Nyx gang left alive out there somewhere, but deep down, she was too afraid. Bright Hope was difficult, but safe.... a prison for a young woman too scared to take the next step.

About Me   I’ve been avidly playing tabletop role playing games for years; mostly D&D and Pathfinder, though I’ve also dipped my toe into Call of Cthulhu, Gumshoe, Starfinder, and a few other systems. I love these games, because I feel the medium of tabletop role play is an excellent outlet for creativity. I enjoy the collaborative, organic storytelling that come from these games. As far as my play style and specific goals, they vary from game to game. I always like to create characters that feel different from the ones I’ve played in the past, and I enjoy experimenting with new classes and subclasses to find the most fun and unique combinations. I do like the mechanics of D&D, and winning battles or effectively using skills and tools are very satisfying, but at the end of the day, I’m just happy if I got to breathe some life into a character and give them purpose. I especially love settings that present a great deal of adversity, because I feel those are where the strongest and best-realized characters come from.

[Tarus]

I’ll consider them on a case by case basis

[Clawsome]

Name: Eldrith Darkstar
Race: Half Elf
Class: Hexblade Warlock
Gender: Male
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Picture:

Description: He stands just at 6ft tall with a lanky body that is surprisingly agile. His long black hair flows down his head and shoulders. His smooth jawline and bright bluish gray eyes shine with intelligence and something else you cant put your finger on. He is usually in flowing black robes

Personality: He is relativity quiet and reserved and can be moody. He tends meld into the background and observe his surroundings. For one so incredibly handsome, he is moody, dark and socially inept. His thoughts and powers weigh on him daily and it takes a toll. It is thought by many that he is cursed and most do not wish to be around him. Powers like his cannot be good. Because of that, it takes him a long time to trust anyone, but when he does and calls them a friend, he is loyal.

Background: Eldrith was the result of the union of a human male warlock and an elven maid, Loren. It was an odd meeting, but when the world is upside down and life is fragile many seek solace wherever they can, even in Bright Hope. The elven maid Loren did not know he was a warlock and frankly never got his name. It was the first and last time she saw him.
Nine months later the Loren died giving birth to a half elf male who was named, Eldrith. Because death was common in Bright Hope like all towns in this new reality, he was just sort of taken in by the whole town along with other orphaned kids.
Eldrith from the day he was born had bluish grey eyes that seemed to glow, and it was unsettling to the other kids and adults. It did not take long for many to start calling him cursed.
He grew up along with the others in the makeshift town orphanage. They had school as best they could under the circumstances. They spent more time learning to survive and learning a skill to pull their weight for the town.
Eldrith’s tried working at the various trade skills, and even though he was good at it, most did not want him around their workshops. They truly believed he was cursed. Things seemed to happen when he was around. Like the day at the smithy shop with Balthamor Redhand. The furnace went out for the first time in years or when he went fishing with Sofia Halloran and she caught nothing, which was very unusual for her.
The only person he seemed to fit in with and visit was Edith Halloran who some called the old crow. She could read peoples fortunes and other various things. She didn’t seem to hate Eldrith like the others did. She seemed to show interest in him.
They spend many hours, days, weeks and months together and it was with her help and guidance that he learned the true identity of his curse. It wasn’t a curse at all. He was a warlock and had a pact left over from his mysterious unknown father. This pact from best they could discern was from the Shadow realm. He was finally able to call this patron and was received. It was a thing only known as simply “the Shadow” He could feel the power this thing emanated. It showed him what powers he already had and what more was to come. It also let him know that when he called upon Eldrith he was bound to him and bound to do his bidding.
After this meeting, Eldrth and Edith decided that It was best that none of this was to leave her hut. It was best left unknown to the village. He could practice and grow his powers there, but never use them in the village. If they found out they would surely banish him from the village if not a worse fate. It was only a matter of time before this secret would get out.


Bonds: The curse was past on from my family and is mine to bear.
Ideals: Independence. When people follow orders blindly they embrace another kind of tyranny. Freedom. Chains are made to be broken and those that make them as well.
Flaws: I will never fully trust anyone other than myself.
Personality: Taking risks is worth it, if it gives me a chance to test the curse's power.

Finally, answer me these two questions from the perspective of your character:

1) If you were granted one wish in the world, what would it be? To bring back what once was in the world before the wars and rebirth, before life underground.
2) What is your greatest fear? That I cannot control my power, but it controlling me.

Finally, tell me about yourself. What do you look for in a game? I have been playing D&D since the Mid 70s when it first came out. Took long breaks. played D&D, 1st Ed, 2nd Ed, 3rd Ed, 3.5 (Fav) and just learning 5.0. I have DM'd table games for years, but that was a while ago. I look for a good story from the GM and for players who get along and have a good time adding to the story.


What are you looking to get out of a game? Fun, plain and simple and to learn from others on the technical part of game as well as how to better write and tell stories. I like roll play as much as role play.

What sort of player are you? I try to post daily, when schedule allows, but at least several times week. I like to play the hybrid characters most of the time because they offer more options and unique skills. They are not the strongest, but more enjoyable to explore.

[sneakybastard]

Are the elves in this setting much closer to drows?

What sources of party healing do you have in mind for the game?

Are you open to "evil" characters? Must have reason to get exiled, after all...

[Hiruma Kohaku]

I have the same question as above. If magic is so rare, what about the races that have spell like abilities such as drow, high elf, and eladrin?

[Tarus]

Racial abilities are retained, however actual magic use is almost unknown.

Drow do exist as a separate race in this world, however nobody to date has ever seen one.

[epelj1]

Posting interest!

[Shaede]

Application Status - Submitted for Consideration

Bozmuth Bloodfoot Name: Bozmuth "Boz" Bloodfoot Race: Hill Dwarf Alignment: Chaotic Good Class: Rogue / Scout (XGE) Background: Outlander Personality Traits:I watch over my friends as if they were a litter of newborn pups. I’m driven by a wanderlust that led me away from home. Ideal: Change. Life is like the seasons, in constant change, and we must change with it. Bond: My family, clan, or tribe is the most important thing in my life, even when they are far from me. Flaw: There’s no room for caution in a life lived to the fullest. Appearance: As a gold dwarf, Boz is on the slightly smaller range. He has light brown skin, but long red hair. He looks much younger than his years gave him, and some would refer to him as babyfaced. This youfulness adds to his personality and people seem to always like him upon meeting him. Personality: Though the mood of many was dour, Boz has an upbeat personality. He enjoys working alone, but has a need to protect those under his responsibility. He normally has a smile on his face, but he is not flippant. To be so would garner the ire of those in his village. History: Boz is a scout by training. He was born into a small pocket of civilization in the Underworld. He has seen people lose their brothers, uncles, fathers, and mothers. It is a cruel world outside the small underground village of Bright Hope. As a young man, Boz learned early on that survival was the key to everything. It was not to be happy or prosperous as it once was on the surface world. They needed to live and be a bastion against the terrors that had overrun the Underworld. Most young men in Bright Hope were trained in the military ways. Females were responsible for feeding, clothing, and birthing in the village. The males were responsible for keeping them safe from what lived and roamed outside their borders. Scouts rarely lived to a ripe old age. In fact, most were dead by the time they reached their 60th birthday. But, Boz had excelled in his trade. He was an expert scout who led teams outside the walls of Bright Hope. He learned to track and avoid most of the perils by the best of the best - Yan'ick. The elven man trusted Boz and saw him as a staunch ally against the dark. He could lead the parties to food and water and still manage to avoid any dangers. For this, he was revered among the few inhabitants Bright Hope. Roleplay Example: The Job   The night was hot and humid outside the Smiling Boar tavern. Sounds of laughter and general drunkness can be heard emanating from within. A bard must be playing a lively tune as many inside can be singing along with it. A shape, as black as the moonless night, approaches the tavern from the back alley. He nimbly jumps up on a barrel and peers into the window. Shaede, accustomed to the odd job here and there, decided the pull of the bounty for this one was too good. It is his first job killing someone, but he has come to terms with what must be done. His prey is not deer, nor hog. It is a half-orc named Ghorbash who appears to be very inebriated from what Shaede can determine. He is sitting at the table, surrounded by the rest of his crew. Ghorbash is the leader of the Seven Daggers guild which has bullied, raped, and pillaged all of Daggerfell for near on twenty years. Apparently, many people want him dead and the guild disbanded. Shaede cares little of who is paying, as long as they are paying. Also, he has a strong distaste for those who unskillfully take from others. He walks around to the back door of the Smiling Boar and sees a human open it and throw out the leavings from the trash of the kitchen. The smell is sickening, but Shaede bides his time. As the human walks back into the tavern, he walks over to the door and sticks an iron spike into the handle and door jamb. His goal is to prevent any way other way out than through the front door. Satisfied with his work, he goes back to the window to spy on his bounty. He sees that Ghorbash, a goblin, and a half elf are getting up from the table appearing to leave the building. Shaede quickly and quietly runs up the alley, across the road and sets up behind a barrel next the Merchant Tradestore. All is quiet on the road and the wind is subdued. It is a perfect night for a killing. Shaede puts his quiver against the barrel, and selects the killing arrow. He pulls his bow back and arms himself. One shot, that's all he has, so he knows it must strike true. Ghorbash and his companions stumble out of the doors, ready to continue the night. They are loud and boisterous, completely unaware of the fate that is about to befall them. Through the eerie silence of the night, a light <twang> can be heard. The goblin, laughing at Ghorbash's latest joke, looks up at his leader. His face immediately turns to shock as he sees an arrow buried deep in his skull between his eyes. Ghorbash says nothing as he falls to the ground. The half elf moves quickly and draws his scimitar at the unseen threat. He was too late, as another arrow catches him in the throat, as he collapses in a heap. The frightened goblin attempts to run down the road, but a third <twang> hits him in his hamstring, and he falls to the ground from the force of the arrow. Writhing in pain, the goblin struggles to move down the road, as a black shape approaches. Shaede has his rapier drawn, and ready to finish its' life. He walks over, slowly with an air of pure defiance and hatred. He says, "The Seven Daggers are finished. Now, never set foot here again." As he does, he takes the rapier and pierces the goblin's eye that leaves its skull with a light <pop>. The goblin screeches in horror and crawls as fast as he can away from Shaede. It looks back to see how close his attacker is and realizes the road is empty again, and the night still. Shaede is nowhere to be found. Posting Rate: Maximum: Many times per workday (M-F CST). Only once or twice on weekends; Minimum: once per day during workday, none on weekends.

[Dreamer]

Basic Info Name: "El" Elhana Ward Race: Human Class: Fighter Gender: Female (Masquerading as male) Alignment: Neutral Good Background: Soldier Level: 1

description While hardly formidable by looks, there is a ferocity behind her blue eyes. She has short cut hair and keeps an androgynous form hidden beneath ragged but functional leather armor. She has a lean frame but retains muscle cut from hours upon hours of hard work and practice in her craft.

Personal Traits Personality Traits: I can’t get the images of violence out of my head; I can stare down a hell hound without flinching; I face problems head-on. Bonds: I’ve killed the innocent, now I’ve made my mind to protect them. Ideals: When people follow orders blindly, they embrace a kind of tyranny. Flaws: I carry guilt for killing the innocent under orders. Personality: Outwardly, El is often defensive at her best of days and angry or aggressive on the worst. She operates as a person with thick shields and not willing to let anyone in. But this isn’t surprising considering she’s had to fight her entire life. Now it’s simply how she deals with every situation. She’s incredibly stubborn, no backing down easily, not from a fight, or from changing her mind. However, although stubborn, she takes direction and orders because it’s ingrained in her psyche to do so. Finally, answer me these two questions from the perspective of your character: 1) If you were granted one wish in the world, what would it be? -That fear didn’t exist in every moment, everywhere. 2) What is your greatest fear? -Others seeing her as weak/useless.

backstory Nearly everyday of her life, El had watched the men train, using their swords, bows and other manner of savage weaponry that had been forged or stolen. She paid attention as she toiled, cleaning or serving, as the tasks of women were. Every day that she watched, she hated her position of abject servitude more and more. So she watched, and learned and practiced with cooking utensils and invisible swords. One day, a sword was left out in one of the halls as she was clearing it. She picked it up, relishing in the feel of its weight in her grasp. From there, she began to brandish it the ways she’d seen done. Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. The looming man sneered, almost amused. “Ah, a little rat. What would you do with the sword,” he sneered. But, to his dismissal, her eyes glared as she growled back, “Fight.” To this he challenged her, get past him with the sword, and she could keep it, but he got it, he would kill her. Her inexperience was evident quickly, as it was that he was toying with her. But, he had not expected cleverness, and while the couldn’t get a proper cut on him with the sword, she used it to cut the rope holding up the lantern and as it fell, catching his garments on fire, she’d used her small size to dodge past him. Patting out the flames of his clothing, he approached. Although her hands trembled, they clenched tightly to the hilt until he reached out, grabbing her and wrenching it free. He took the sword, put her against the wall, but rather than put her to death, he used the sword to cut her hair, then dragged her to the barracks where the young men trained. From there, she joined the militia, hiding who she was becoming ‘El’ rather than Elhana. They went out to plunder and raid other camps, or clear paths from creatures that lurked. They had raided a small community which had nothing of value to take. The captain, angry at this, ordered the death of everyone in the village. El had slaughtered two before she was faced with a boy, a few years younger than herself, staring into his frightened face. She let him go, and her reward was the captain’s wrath and being left behind, alone and beaten, but not broken, and ready to fight for survival.

About me What I look for in a game is getting to tell the story, that’s what I love most about role-playing. I like to see characters develop and I love interesting group dynamics. I try to be active, getting out a post at least 3-4 days a week. I’m still fairly new to D&D, which is why I lean toward young/inexperienced characters, so I can learn as they learn. I am trying to learn by playing new races and classes, and as such, this will be my first fighter.

[epelj1]

Application - WIP Basic Info Name Race Gnome Class Rogue Gender Female Alignment Background Please note due to the setting I reserve the right to restrict certain starting items that a background would give you (for example the Urchin's map of their home city does not fit within the premise of this setting). Description Provide me with a 250x250 portrait for your character along with a paragraph or two describing them. Personal Traits Personality Traits: Provide me with a few keywords that describe your characters personality. We will go into detail on this a bit more later. The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can't do it. Bonds: I've been searching my whole life for the answer to a certain question. Ideals: (1) Community. We have to take care of each other, because no one else is going to do it. (Lawful) (2) People. I help people who help me--that's what keeps us alive. (Neutral) Flaws: I will never fully trust anyone other than myself. Personality: Provide me with more in-depth information on the traits that you listed earlier and the general personality of your character. Finally, answer me these two questions from the perspective of your character: 1) If you were granted one wish in the world, what would it be? 2) What is your greatest fear? Backstory No need to write me a novel - be concise in your backstory. Feel free to draw on as much of the information presented in the Setting folder for your village as you like to flesh out your character. About You Finally, tell me about yourself. What do you look for in a game? What are you looking to get out of a game? What sort of player are you? There are no right and wrong answers here.

[ihinka]

Ready for review

Basic Info Name Dellyra Fjellvik Race Svirfneblin Class Barbarian (Berserker) Gender Female Alignment Chaotic Good Background Haunted One

Description Dell stands tall for a female of her race at almost 3'6'' and bears the marks of a person who's done hard labor for most of her life. Her body is fit and strong with stark, angular features that most would not deem feminine, but that add to the power she exudes. With full lips, straight nose and piercing crystalline blue eyes. Her ashen grey skin-tone is contrasted by her mahogany hair that she keeps in two loose braids. Her face and arms sport permanent markings of some sort initially thought to be scars, but were discovered to be more akin to abnormal skin pigmentation. Though their intricate and intentional design left no doubt they were a deliberate artifact, rather than a natural, biological occurrence. Their meaning buried deep inside Dell's amnesiac mind.

Personal Traits Personality Traits: I refuse to become a victim, and I will not allow others to be victimized. I don't talk about the thing that torments me. I'd rather not burden others with my curse. Ideals: I try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. (Good) I have a dark calling that puts me above the law. (Chaotic) Bonds: I would sacrifice my life and my soul to protect the innocent. Flaw: I feel no compassion for the dead. They're the lucky ones. Personality: For a person in the first quarter of their life Dell has endured more than most people have the fortune or misfortune to go through during their entire lives. It has served greatly to shape her personality. She is a great believer in personal choice when that choice is properly informed. As such she will defend a person's right to decide for themselves even if the choices they take might not seem sound to third parties. Should that person make a mistake due to choices they made, it is for them to learn from that experience. Freely trampling over one's freedom of choice is something she will fight against vehemently. If her life has taught her anything, it is that no one deserves to be the dirt beneath someone's boot. Especially people too young or weak to defend themselves, mentally of physically. She will readily stand up for anyone she feels needs the help, or better yet, asks for it. In her mind asking for help is never a weakness. But rather recognizing your own limitations and relying on an ally to pull you up. At the same time she will not simply give you a solution to a problem served on a silver platter. No! That would be ineffectual in the long run. She will try to help you improve upon the weakness that led you to ask for help in the first place. So that next time you would be able to solve the problem yourself. At the same time Dell is usually a quiet and reserved person. She doesn't like to talk about herself or her past. She is very private and doesn't usually appreciate aimless prying. She isn't usually rude with her rebuffs, but will not tolerate anyone going overboard with how they approach her about anything personal. There is a sadness to her that is often times readily obvious, but not a topic of discussion she would easily allow. Either because it puts too much burden on her soul or because it would put one on any eventual listener. In a neutral social situations she is a polite and engaging individual, a good listener and a compassionate person. 1) I wish to remember. Remember what happened to make me the way I am. So that I can face my nightmares without the armor of frenzy! 2) Losing myself to the frenzy completely and harming innocence!

Backstory Life underground was harsh and unforgiving most of the times. And then there were the times when it became so bizarre and strange it verged on madness and insanity. And Dell was born into such a life. There existed in the bowls of the world gone by a group of people who believed that there were undiscovered depths to the pits of their existence. Where not only vast riches lay and unimaginable creatures dwelled, but most importantly, untold power hid. Dell's clan was among those believers. And above all they wanted to unearth this power for their own. Every child born into the clan was indoctrinated to the belief and was a tool for their clan's purpose. None was spared save for the smallest of infants that could not hold digging implements. Whenever a child was reared up enough to be able to hold a pick it was put to work. Digging. Deeper and deeper! And yet deeper still! With no respite but the obligatory minimal rest lest the workforce fell ill from exhaustion and overwork. For as fanatical as the clan was in their pursuit of ultimate power, they were also cunning and calculating. They could not afford to seek help from outside the clan as it meant ultimately sharing the power once they'd discovered what they were looking for. And so they had to rely on their own kin to do the job. Hence they needed to be careful with their workforce. Their people were properly fed and rested to prevent untimely deaths. And their minds were being constantly bombarded by propaganda and indoctrination to prevent unrest or worse, rebellion. For those, who proved resistant to the indoctrination, life was pretty much a living hell. If they spoke up or caused unrest, they were dealt with swiftly and quietly. The clan was willing to lose one pair of hands and keep the rest in check. So those with sounder minds and stronger will were made to endure the harshest of lives, while holding their true selves locked and hidden, lest they were made to disappear in the bowls of the unforgiving earth. Such was the life of young Dell. From an early age she struggled to grasp the meaning of their labor, but knew the wisdom of not questioning the clan's purpose. Instead she worked hard and made sure to take care of herself. Keep her head down and wait for a chance to escape her deranged family and their insane ideas and beliefs. She was not alone too. There was a small group within the clan, planning and plotting their way into freedom. But it was not to be! For as insane as the clan's beliefs seemed to Dell and her nucleolus of like-minded individuals, it proved to be all true in one disastrous event that would change the life of the young gnome forever! Event that would live buried deep, deep down into her subconscious. Locked away by layers upon layers of trauma, shock and the innate function of the mind to protect itself against the madness inducing horrors it witnessed. When Dell was discovered in one of the lowest ever dug sections of mines, she had been a babbling, incoherent ball of frenzied mass. It had taken several people to subdue her and take her to the healers. When she'd woken up, her mind clear of the frenzied rage, it was discovered Dell had no recollection of her past at all. Not even her own name. And so she was given a first name by the healers who'd taken care of her and a last name to reflect the location where they'd found her.

About Me I'm not sure if I can still call myself noob to D&D, but I've had a very late start compared to most people who play D&D. However roleplaying is a tool in every kid's toolbox and I've utilized it to my best abilities being the shy kid that I was. That coupled well with my love for writing. So when I was introduced to the world of D&D via Critical Role I was mesmerized. But having no real opportunities for live play I was forced to seek other alternatives. Discovering that play-by-post was a thing gave me hope that I would be able to delve into the worlds created within the setting and the system. In short, I am the player that would marvel at the world my character is set in. I will be interested in its lore, mysteries and secrets. I will also be the player that actively tries to prevent any murder-hobboing While I can appreciate an intricate combat encounter, I'm not after the quick gratification of killing a mob of enemies. I am after the story, the interpersonal connections between characters, the chance to give further life to my initial character concept. In even shorter. I'm after the full experience!

[MoonZar]

Question DM, do you want me to create your game folders at this point?

Thanks,

[Tarus]

Hi MoonZar, yes that would be extremely helpful and give me a place to start uploading my lore for this, thanking you in advance