Bitterness Overcome Personna

What follows are samples of the basic background of the significant characters within the story told as Bitterness Overcome.

There should be some explanation as to how the story is written. I have always been a fan of Dungeons and Dragons and played my first game during the phase of the Second Edition. I began serious gaming after 3.5 was introduced and enjoy the character development aspects of the role playing. Since I am familiar with that game above all the others, I tend to use it to help develop characters.

However, this does not imply that the story is a glorified transcript of a game that has taken place. The character development mechanic used through the role playing game system is merely a guide for my imagination. The characters often find themselves falling short of the potential of a character that might be role played at a table top. Just as often, the characters of the story find themselves able to stretch the boundaries of what they might be able to do if they were being played at a table top. Thus, what follows in the character description sections are merely the nuts and bolds to allow those who do game to get an appreciation of the basic mechanics that the character originated out of.

Where possible, links have been provided. If there is interest in anything of more detail, I would invite you to post. You are welcome to post here or in the Story Hour thread. Reader comments are always welcomed. Further background information can usually be provided quickly, so I encourage those readers who are immersing themselves into the world to pose questions. If nothing else, this helps flesh out the world for the other readers!

I should also add that the list should hopefully be kept reasonably current. Thus, what follows may contain spoilers for those of you who are not current with the story. Please be aware of that fact. If anyone is really into bookkeeping and they notice a mistake in what follows (such as a piece of equipment that should be noted and isn’t) please feel free to inform me!

Semeion Betws

Background
Semeion Betws grew up on the streets of Reignsburg. As he grew, he found that he had an innate love for magic. As he would run about the streets as a child, he found that he could entertain adults with his unusual talents of making objects appear in new and fascinating ways. Many a day he used his simple talents to humor a merchant into giving him a loaf of two day old bread or a piece of freshly molded cheese.

As he grew, his talents became more and more noticed by the townsfolk. One particular mage took a great interest in Semeion. Master Sathwright, Richard, and his wife, Channah, decided that Semeion was worth the investment that it would take to harness his talents and teach him the ways that arcane study demand. The married pair found an agreement with the young Semeion that in exchange for service around the house Semeion would apprentice himself to Richard Sathwright and learn the art of magic. Furthermore, the couple paid for a small apartment along with providing three square meals a day for him. Of course, Semeion knew that he would be foolish to reject the offer.

Semeion found the magic studies tediously difficult at first. Master Sathwright had four hours of textual interpretation for him every day. Additionally, Semeion found himself to have a list of a minimum of four hours of manual labor chores in maintenance of the home and workshop of his master. In addition, Channah Sathwright made sure that Semeion participated in the preparation of each meal that he was to partake. His work each day involved a balance of cooperation, manual labor, and intellectual study. Yet Semeion excelled.

Once Semeion had mastered his first true spell, each new spell came more quickly than the first. Granted, complete mastery over the first spell had taken nearly a year to hone his skill in it completely. After several years of study, Semeion had enough of a repertoire that he needed to begin writing down the spells that he had mastered. His book quickly became his most treasured companion besides that of Richard Sathwright.

As Semeion grew, he encouraged Richard Sathwright to apprentice a small number of other youths. Semeion became a mentor for these younger children and helped them begin to harness their powers. Of course, Semeion also became the proof to the younger students that they could endure the rigors of the study and master the talents. One by one, however, each of these students fell away from the training and only Semeion remained.

Eventually, Semeion had completed his apprenticeship and his master told him that it was time to strike out on his own. They journeyed to a remote hillside to commemorate this event. It is here that the story begins.

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Rhema Yahtross

Image as seen by the ENWorld Poster Hunter in this post: Dungeoneering At Its Finest

Background
Rhema Yahtross was born the only child of a wealthy villa owner in Huetown, a suburb of Fingerdale in northern Tongra. Her mother was able to deliver Rhema on her first pregnancy. The next five pregnancies ultimately ended in miscarriage. With each successive miscarriage Rhema’s mother grew worse in her health and soon it was clear that she was no longer physically fit enough to carry a child. She lived, but her health was never the same.

From the days of her youth, she was raised to have compassion on those who were less fortunate by her father, Iasho. In the beginning, Rhema struggled with this principle that her father insisted she learn. When Rhema was growing up, the friends she knew from neighboring villas insisted that they were above their servants. Of course, this behavior was far easier than equality to learn. Rhema learned from her friends that is was far easier to order people around on account of one’s position than to educate them. Rhema struggled from a very young age to understand why her father went to such extremes to educate his servants rather than treat them the way that her friend’s parents did.

As Rhema grew, her father Iasho began to show her the family business. Iasho had inherited the family estate from several generations of Yahtross first born. The family tradition had been taught from one generation to the next; and each generation only taught the first born male the business. When it became clear that Rhema was going to be an only child, Iasho made plans to change the family tradition. Iasho taught her about the servants and why they changed more frequently than those of other villas. Iasho taught her why he spent so much of his personal time in educating the servants of his villa, paying them a fair wage, and allowing them to travel into the community. He taught Rhema that the servants were loyal to him because he gave them no reason to leave.

Yet Iasho also taught Rhema that the servants must some day be forced to leave. Once they had learned to read, write, and speak the language of the land they were ready to learn a trade. Once they had been taught a trade and were on their way to becoming a master in what they did, Isaho taught Rhema that they must be pushed out onto their own.

It was only a short time before Ischarus met Rhema that Iasho taught Rhema the real reason that the servants had to leave. Iasho told Rhema that he was in the business of leading people into freedom. He taught Rhema about what evils he personally knew existed in Quehalost. Iasho taught Rhema about how the family villa had been in the freedom business for generations and it would be her task to keep the business alive. If there was ever to a change in the land of Quehalost, her family had to continue their work.

When Rhema met Ischarus, she was inspired by his dedication to the cause as well as his efficiency that his master had taught him about the missions. She decided that it would be time for her to gain first hand experience about the evils of Quehalost. Once she convinced Ischarus that she could be of great use despite her more frail nature he allowed her to join. She journeyed into Quehalost with Ischarus on several missions once he had been given a commission and released from his service as an apprentice. The initial missions were more of an attempt to allow Rhema the opportunity to understand the lay of the land and understand the forces at work rather than bringing back a handful of refugees from Quehalost. It wasn’t until Ischarus and Rhema met Semeion and heard about the immediate need of the Provenience that her career became much more urgent.

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Ischarus, son of Ausaphaborishan (a silver wyrm of Barghost)

Background
Ischarus was the fifth born son of Falcohni and Marra of the tribe of Ausaphaborishan. As a Drakontai born of a great and noble silver dragon who likes seclusion and keeping his visibility to an absolute minimum, Ischarus grew to age ten without ever being further than five miles from his home village. To be honest, Ischarus didn’t even know that there were people alive who didn’t have a father dragon until that age. Sure, he assumed other dragons had their own tribes, but he couldn’t imagine that there were people alive that did not know the greatness of having a personal relationship with their father dragon.

Ischarus’ tribe was relatively small. Ausaphaborishan only took a human mate when one presented herself as a willing candidate. Ausaphaborishan intentionally kept strict guidelines and standards, only allowing humans to get that close once a century or so. Ausaphaborishan encouraged his Drakontai to mate with each other and produce offspring that were natural to their own line. In a very intentional way, this meant that the draconic bloodline stayed thin and did not become dominant or over polluted. Ausaphoborishan knew that if his tribe stayed small and their powers did not increase that he had a better chance of working innocently and discretely as a force of good in the world.

When Ischarus had turned ten, Ausaphaborishan met with Falcohni and Marra as he did on the tenth birthday of all his Drakontai. Ausaphaborishan explained that the time had come for Ischarus to be shown the world. Ausaphaborishan had noticed Ischarus’ skill with the sword as well as an immediate curiosity for magic. It was Ausaphaborishan’s hope that Ischarus’ love for both steel and magic would help him grow into a great fighter for the cause of justice in the world.

Ischarus was taken into the world, but he was unimpressed with the simple was of Barghost. To Ischarus, the challenges of Barghost were just not complex enough. Sure, there were dangers, but Ischarus’ compassion was greater than what Barghost needed. His father returned to Ausaphaborishan to update the father dragon on Ischarus’ training. Ausaphaborishan was pleased to see Ischarus’ response to the world around him and recalled one of his personal freedom fighters. Ischarus was apprenticed and learned of the various lands – including Quehalost.

While he trained under his master bringing refugees out of Quehalost, Ischarus met a young woman whose quick thinking and ability to charm her way into any situation caught her eye. Once he was allowed to journey on his own and received a commission from his dragon father, he and Rhema began journeying into Quehalost. After only a few trips in and out and a couple of years, they met Semeion and later Charis.

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Charis, daughter of Grixanthrosilithiss (a red wyrm of Quehalost)

Background
Charis is a Drakontai, which essentially means that several generations ago one of her great-grandmothers mated with a dragon in human form. As Charis was being raised in her village, it became quite obvious that she had been blessed by an extraordinary gift. Most of those of her village had been blessed with some type of destructive trait passed on by her evil dragon father. Charis, however, did not receive the destructive arcane talents. Rather, Charis found that she had been given the gift of healing. The village elders did all that they could to hide this gift from their dragon father, who was a cruel and fierce master of the small Drakontai community.

As is tradition in Drakontai communities – especially the ones dominated by evil dragon fathers – every generation the dragon father desires a sacrifice of a powerful virgin among the community with whom it will mate and produce offspring that have a greater infusion of draconic blood into them. The sacrificial virgin is called a Provenience; and the Provenience of an evil dragon father is typically mated with until their bodies cannot produce offspring any more. Once the life-giving ability of the Provenience is expended and her body is weakened, she is normally consumed and a new Provenience is demanded.

The dragon father of Charis’ community had declared that a new Provenience would be required soon when Charis was approached. Her gift of healing would surely be enhanced through the dragon’s magical nature even if it was of an evil nature. The elders of the community convinced Charis that becoming a Provenience would be a great honor in producing offspring that through their healing powers would be able to help the people endure the great oppressive hand of their dragon father. Charis eagerly consented; from infancy she had been taught that the position of Provenience was the highest place a woman could rise to among her people – even higher than that of the male and female warriors the dragon father used to fight over land and resources.

On the day of the ritual sacrifice when her dragon father would take her to his lair and consummate his bond with the people’s choice, Charis was tied hands and feet to the large stone altar in the center of her village. The sun beat down upon her for several hours. Since her father dragon was red in nature, he demanded that those truly worthy of becoming his Provenience should be able to withstand the fiery burning of the sun. As she lay tied to the stone and growing further and further delirious from the power of the sun and anticipation of becoming Provenience a young man leapt from horseback onto the stone slab. Semeion had come for her, and Semeion’s friends worked their way through the village.

The rest of Charis’ story can be found within the pages of Bitterness Overcome.

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Archis of the Stiff Beards

Background
Archis of the Stiff Beards hails from western Tongra. Specifically, Archis was raised in the town of Bacrothen. He grew up respecting Lord Chavre and at the proper time enlisted in his military force. He served Lord Chavre dutifully, although it became quite clear that he was never going to become a weapons master. Not only was he smaller the average person in the military – but taller than most folk his kind as he is apt to point out quickly – but he simply didn’t have the knack for dealing a death blow. Archis’ sergeant told him he had too much mercy in him as he desired the opponent to surrender unconditionally rather than run him through. As a result, Archis found a new home in the military.

Archis was transferred to a color division and was used in the service of ceremoniously presenting his Lord. His musical talents and dexterous body flourishes fit in perfectly in a performance company. He proudly carried the colors of his Lord along with the rest of his company. When his terms of service had come due, Archis left the military service with some understanding of military prowess but with a greater understanding of music and how it can change a person’s attitude.

Upon returning to his family, Archis was met by a local band of vigilantes. Lord Chavre was dying and there was a dispute over who would rule his land. Of course the honor should have naturally fallen to his son, but he was still young of age. Three of Lord Chavre’s assistants stepped forward to proclaim themselves worthy of sitting in on the regency until the younger Lord Chavre would be of age to assume rule. Vigilante groups fractured the local scene, especially in the hometown of Lord Chavre: Bacrothen. The vigilante groups mustered support for the leader whom they desired to see take office. The group that approached Archis was made up of veterans of the military that had served under Lord Chavre loyally and were aware of the talents of his color guard. They had recruited many who had served in the color guard and Archis was no exception. Archis readily joined the group, seeking to remain loyal to those who supported the dying lord and the ultimate succession of his son.

Upon Lord Chavre’s death, tension escalated. No one regent was able to gain power and the various vigilante groups merely seemed to be able to only induce greater chaos onto the scene. After three years of political violence, Lord Chavre’s son had grown to within one year of ascending to rule. Rumors of assassination attempts began to increase. It became clear that none of the regents were willing to back down knowing that domination of Lord Chavre’s land was within their grasp. Archis and many of the other color guard had come to know the son of Lord Chavre and swore to protect the boy until he could rightly claim the power. Archis spent many days among the royal estate foiling attempts of assassination before they were able to even be enacted. Archis spent many nights among the taverns of Bacrothen using his musical and oratory skills to persuade the people to step down from violence and embrace the son of his beloved lord. As the boy grew closer and closer to the correct age, Archis’ words fell more and more to deaf ears. He gradually spent more time with his crossbow, which he called Arvorstar, than he did with his fiddle, which he even more affectionately called Pahphroh.

Tension rose to a summit, driving the younger Lord Chavre into hiding for the final two months. Archis and his associates spent fewer and few hours sleeping as the day of his ascendancy came closer. Finally the day they had all awaited for arrived. The boy turned twenty years of age and was rightfully the ruler. The day began with assault after assault on the royal estate as the other vigilante groups attempted to prevent the younger Lord Chavre from leaving the estate and traveling to the coronation ceremony to be held in the central courtyard in Bacrothen. Many of Archis’ loyal friends were slain in the defense of their lord on that day. Many who were slain were working as decoy squadrons meant to lead the enemies of the younger Lord Chavre away from the true caravan. The enemies of the younger Lord Chavre were unable to stop the plans of Archis and his group and the coronation ceremony was completed as planned. There was no denying the wake of violence that had been left behind in the tense political moments.

The new Lord Chavre employed those who had protected him as personal guards until the land settled down. Archis knew there would still be threats to his lord, but he also knew that with the support of the other rulers of Tongra who recognized the coronation ceremony that the threats would eventually lesson. Several years passed, and only then did Archis feel the safety of his lord was secure. Archis desired to return to his music and once and for all give up his sword. He asked to be dismissed from the service once more. His request was granted with a considerable sum of money in reward of his service.

Archis knew that if he desired to flee the violent memories of the past few years he had to leave Bacrothen and the territory of Lord Chavre. Archis did just that. He heard of a small village much closer to the Tongra-Quehalost Mountains that seemed to suit him well. Archis knew that the people who lived closer to Quehalost were constantly in need of support and encouragement. This was the sort of thing that Archis could provide. Using the money he had received, Archis moved to Reignsburg and established an inn. Before too long the Cachinnating Roadhouse was famous for Archis’ potatoes and his tricks.

Archis plied his military trade to a new type of career now. His cooking was famous, and there needed not be anything more said about that. Some accused Archis of applying magic to the food to improve the taste, but Archis denied it fervently. What he didn’t deny, however, was that he had found an ability to employ magic in other area of the inn. Although Pahphroh hung proudly on the wall of the inn and was played quite frequently by the owner, Archis was also fond of wandering among the tables of patrons and asking if they would enjoy a song. Many of those who replied in the affirmative would hear a simple clap and Archis would magically have an instrument in his hands. A curious onlooker would notice that at these times Pahphroh still hung on the wall.

Archis was noted for using magic in other ways as well. He was not below securing his inn at nights with an alarm spell that when triggered woke nearly a quarter of the town. He often walked down the streets during the morning hours and used his magic to catch the attention of people that he thought would enjoy the atmosphere of his inn. He never directly commanded them to come, but he figured that a simple suggestion would plant an appropriate seed that would grow into the right desire. Archis was often seeing using his special boots to allow him to rise into the air high enough to collect the tips off of the table. Last but not least at all, anyone that had escalated an argument to the point of coming to blows quickly found themselves facing an angry gnome who threatened to use magic. If the person refused to back down, they were often affected by what Archis called his curse of the unfortunate blink. The offender would stay solid until the moment they desired to strike out and their body would suddenly disappear. Once their attempt at an attack was finished, they would simply blink back into Archis’ inn until they were ready to strike again. Although it was frustrating for the inflicted, it was rather amusing for others to watch!

To this day, Archis maintains the inn and the number of patrons who come continues to grow. Archis would not trade his past in any way as he derives much satisfaction knowing that the younger Lord Chavre was still alive and in charge of his lands. But he had found his home here in Reignsburg. He fed people, entertained people, and knew full well that he made those who carried vast burdens have an easier time bearing their burdens for a short time at least.

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