Deuce Traveler
Adventurer
So I decided that I will start a basic Dungeons and Dragons campaign using the Mentzer BECMI rules and I am looking for a handful of players. It will take place in the relatively edition-neutral world of the Judge's Guild Wilderland of High Fantasy, and the characters will start out in the City-State of the Invincible Overlord. The game will start off simply enough. Characters will roll for six stats, rolling 4d6 and dropping the lowest. They will place their scores in the following order: Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma. The characters will be human so from here we can pick from the four core human classes (cleric, fighter, magic-user, and thief) along with the two optional human classes (monk and druid). Elves, dwarves, and halfling will not be allowable classes for now. I'll fill in the saving throws for the characters. The characters will start off with little equipment... at most a crude weapon, a leather jerkin, and some basic equipment. There are no feats or skills in a normal BECMI game, although there was an attempt to add sort of a system in its later stages. For now, understand that a good and coherent back story will speak about what kind of learning and knowledge each character may reasonably have.
A little bit about the city-state. It's hard for the characters to say who wields power in the city state. There is an overlord who every so often makes decrees that his soldiers follow, but he seems much detached from the daily going-ons. There are competing merchant houses, guilds, royal families, strange dealers in the arcane, cults, and military officers. The houses, guilds, and families seem to last quite a bit longer than the other would-be strongmen. Yet the powerful always seem to overplay their hand and the Overlord still remains, aloof while feared and respected.
The Overlord brings order in a chaotic world, yet many laws are bent if not completely circumvented. The rich and powerful get away with such flaunting more often than the more numerous poor, yet there is a certain code. Everyone tries to hustle in order to get money in the City State. It's a matter of survival. Yet those that attempt to blatantly cheat or steal from the decent citizenry might find themselves isolated. Those that steal from such evil men while maintaining a level of nobility are instead seen as heroes of the downtrodden. The slums will protect these kind of men.
There is also honest work, though tough work. Working the docks, delivering ale to the alehouses... life is tough in the City State. After all, it's one of the few large settlements left after the fall of civilization and one of the few places that survived the invasive hordes of orcs and goblins. Not to say that those races are no longer threats. They have settlements near the city, and although they trade more often after their numbers were decimated, they are still known to attack a weakly armed caravan getting too close to their territories after sundown.
Banditry, violent guilds, slavery, corrupt aristocrats... life is never dull around the City-State.
Oh... one last thing. Characters will gain no experience points from fighting, nor will they get an experience bonus for high stat scores. Instead they will only gain experience points from the rare RPing bonus and from spending coin. Each gold piece of material will be equivalent to one experience point. That means that if your character finds a sack of 2,000gp he will only get the experience for the treasure once he puts the money to use. That may be for a river boat to explore the dangerous waterways around him, or for some new equipment, a house, or perhaps to blow it all on a week of drunken bliss with the girls from the Naughty Nannies establishment.
Chapter 1 Roster:
Lola (Queenie)
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Name: Lola
Class: Thief
Level: 1
HP: 3
AC: 7
Strength: 14
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 13
Dexterity: 13
Constitution: 8
Charisma: 16
Saving Throws
Poison or Death Ray: 13
Magic Wands: 14
Paralyzation or Turn to Stone: 13
Dragon Breath: 16
Rods/Staffs/Spells: 15 (14 vs Spells)
Weapons: Letter opener (acts as dagger), Sling, 10 stones
Armor: Petticoat (adds 1 to AC)
Equipment: Thieves Tools, Small Sack, Candle, Tinderbox, Waterskin, Standard Ration, 3cp
Languages: Common, Thieves Cant, (One other)
XP: 0
Skills:
Open Locks: 15%
Find Traps: 10%
Remove Traps: 10%
Climb Walls: 87%
Move Silently: 20%
Hide in Shadows: 10%
Pick Pockets: 20%
Hear Noise: 33%
Background: As a baby, Lola was left at the city orphanage, having been abandoned by her parents for reasons revealed only to the head mistress. She was a good child, and pretty, but every time she was considered for adoption the potential parents would leave the Mistress's office and then the orphanage without her. Over the years she was disappointed many times until hope just faded from her heart. She grew into a feisty teen, often running off and getting in trouble before being dragged back. Eventually at the age of 16 she left the orphanage and never returned.
She spent the next year living on the streets, learning how to get by. She drifted from place to place picking up unsavory skills, using her looks and charms to get out of trouble if caught. But stealing wasn't doing the job and she was often hungry and homeless. At 17 she was approached by the madam of the Naughty Nanny, who saw through the dirt and grime to her pretty looks and offered her a position there, knowing she could fetch a good price. The thought of food every night, a roof over her head, a nice room and clothes was very appealing at this point so she agreed. She quickly learned how easy it was to steal from the rich nobles and merchants who were her clients.
Six months after she started working there she met Roland Van der Vass, a handsome noble from a known and influential family, who took a liking to her. She had mostly turned off her feelings, it was important to survive this job, but Roland treated her better than any of the other inconsiderate customers she entertained. At first it took some time of longing glances before he figured out how to obtain her. After that he came to her often, frequently paying for the entire night, sometimes bringing her fancy meals or gifts, occasionally all he wanted to do the entire night was talk or sleep. It was difficult for her to keep her emotions and heart to herself; he was the only person in her life to ever really show her consideration.
One fateful night Roland was not her first customer, another noble came to her earlier in the evening. He was drunk and rough and Lola demanded him to leave. This angered him and not being used to told no, he decided to take what he wanted anyway. She tried to fend off his brutal attack but was unsuccessful. Roland had come for her that evening and when he approached her room heard her struggle. He broke down the door and seeing her so treated so badly he impulsively blasted the noble with a spell. The man turned to Roland and drew his sword but before he could attack him Lola ran her dagger through his heart and killed him. Roland quickly comforted her and without discussion he replaced her dagger with his own, taking the responsibility for the murder.
After that she didn't see him for almost two long, tortuous months. He had a trial which she heard about from other customers at the whorehouse. She was afraid she would never see him again, that he regretted his actions, that he hated her or blamed her, especially after hearing he was cast out from his family. But one night he did come to her and though he couldn't pay for her she lied to the mistress so she could see him. He professed his feelings for her, told her he wanted a future with her in it, and begged her to leave the Naughty Nanny, that it was no longer the place for her. She stiffened at talk of the future and while she didn't want to say no, she told him she needed time to think and would let him know the next day. He gave her an address where to meet him the next day.
It didn't take Lola long to know the right thing to do. He cared about her and though his feelings for her terrified her, she didn't want to lose him. She went to the Madam who was not happy with Lola leaving but she gave her no choice. She quickly packed up some of the dresses that didn't really belong to her and a few other little trinkets she had collected and hurried off into the night to find Rovan. He was surprised but very happy to see her that night and he spent the night speaking of plans of them always being together and working together to bring him back to the status he was used to, and the wealth he wanted to share with her. Lola didn't care, she just wanted to be by his side, money or not.
And so, their adventuring career would begin.
DM's Note: Lola has just recently left the Naughty Nannies, and so therefore has not yet built up a second occupation and skill set. She is adapt at understanding men and women, and knows how to turn the desires of a man she converses with against him. She can both charm and frustrate. She has an equal understanding towards women, but in a different way. Lola can taunt women into a frenzy with a look and a few choice words. She is talented at pulling information from fellow commoners in order to discover rumors. Her training at the Naughty Nannies involves being a masseuse among other abilities that need little imagination. Since the Naughty Nannies were not completely a legitimate business, Lola also learned how to forge city documents, such as inspection and registration forms. Her writing skills are considerable and near Rovan's own. Because of this and some kind of unknown latent talent, she can try to read magic scrolls, both divine and arcane, although at her level of experience there is a great chance that she may cause more harm than good.
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Rovan the Mage (Fenris)
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Name: Rovan the Mage
Class: Magic-User
Level: 1
HP: 7
AC: 8
Strength: 9
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 13
Dexterity: 15
Constitution: 18
Charisma: 11
Saving Throws
Poison or Death Ray: 13
Magic Wands: 14
Paralyzation or Turn to Stone: 13
Dragon Breath: 16
Rods/Staffs/Spells: 15
Weapons: Stick (Acts as a quarterstaff), Throwing Dagger
Armor: None
Equipment: Spellbook, Small Sack, Waterskin, House der Vess Signet Ring, Standard Ration, 3sp, 9cp
Languages: Common, <one more>
Spellbook:
1st level- Read Magic, Detect Magic and two of the following: (Charm Person, Floating Disc, Hold Portal, Light, Magic Missile, Protection from Evil, Read Languages, Shield, Sleep, Ventriloquism)
Memorized Spells:
1st level- (2 from spellbook/day)
XP: 0
Background: Roland Van der Vess was a young noble from the well know Van der Vess family. Roland grew up in the luxury and indulgence that being a noble brings. Good breeding and a love of exercise lead Roland to being very fit and healthy, he never got sick. He grew up learning all the things a good noble does, how to ride, how to behave in proper society, which fork to use and so on. But he was smart and took to his lessons well and studied maps and old stories. He wasn’t as strong as his older brother, Tristan who was a squire and then a knight. But young Roland was bright and was sent off to the famed Overlord's School of Ancient Knowledge to learn to be a magic user. Rovan proved to be fairly adept at magic and learned well.
In his off time he liked to wander the city, spending freely on drinks and women. That was how he met Lola. She was one of the most beautiful women Roland had ever met and was quickly smitten with her. He didn’t care that she worked at the Naughty Nannie. She was beautiful and he desired her. Like man nobles in the city, he was used to getting what he wanted. He came to see her quite often, but was always unlucky enough to not get there early enough before she was claimed. When he finally got his chance with her he treated her so well, with kindness and tenderness that it confused Lola and made her heart a little less hard.
So it was that the saw each other as they could, their relationship and feelings for each other growing slowly, until one night Roland came looking for Lola and heard screams coming from behind her door. He opened it to find another young noble viciously beating Lola. Roland snapped and cast a spell which struck the noble. Enraged, the other noble threw Lola to the side, drew his sword and raised it to strike Roland. A most curious look crossed his face however before he fell to the floor, a dagger sticking from his back, and Lola staring at him from where the noble fell. That mutual act of defense, Roland saving Lola from a severe beating that may have killed her, and Lola stabbing the noble to save Roland showed the other the depth of their feelings for each other.
The screams drew a crowd though and Roland quickly drew out Lola’s dagger and replaced it with one of his own, in the noble’s chest. There was a brief investigation during which the local magistrate was bribed and the killing ruled self-defense. The young man though was Chalan Hofran, and his family swore vengeance on Roland for his death, ruling or no ruling. Partly to save face and protect themselves polictically and partly to punish Roland for defending a whore, his family disowned him, casting him out onto the street.
Bereft of family, Roland changed his name since he could no longer use his family name. He took part of his last name and first name and combined them to make Rovan. Rovan the Mage. His skills as a magician were modest, but sufficient that his old masters at Overlord’s were willing to employ him for various tasks. Helping in the laboratories, classrooms and running errands. His friends, all nobles of course, turned their backs on him when he plummeted from social status and wealth. He sought out Lola, he could no longer afford her services but found that his act of saving her, of protecting her so moved her that she didn’t care that he had lost his title and money. Here was a person who was not shallow and cared about him. Who loved him for who he was. Roland convinced Lola to leave the Naughty Nanny and join him. For Roland was still a noble by birth and he enjoyed the wealth and power he had had.
He had a plan. To survive the streets, to gain wealth and power anyway they could and to rise up and reclaim his place. But not among his family. In spite of his family. He would create his own title, his own power. He just needed a few friends to help him along the way.
DM's Notes: Unlike the other PCs, Rovan has a large vocabulary and finds reading quite easy. He is also talented in speaking in specific dialects and can speak languages accurately even when he is not completely familiar with the words. His education has allowed him skill in lore, so he is better able to identify the origins of both magical items along with domestic and foreign works of art. Rovan can easily mingle among aristocracy if need be due to his noble heritage, and still has an ear to some of the recent political intrigue.
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Edvan Chelwhistle (GlassEye)
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Name: Edvan Chelwhistle
Class: Fighter
Level: 1
HP: 7
AC: 6
Strength: 13
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 12
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 7
Charisma: 12
Saving Throws
Poison or Death Ray: 12
Magic Wands: 13
Paralyzation or Turn to Stone: 14
Dragon Breath: 15
Rods/Staffs/Spells: 16
Weapons: Hand-axe x3
Armor: Father's coat (1 to AC)
Equipment: Waterskin, Iron Ration, Fipple Flute, Small Sack, 2sp, 5cp
Languages: Common
XP: 0
Edvan's family were yeomanry and displaced by the fighting, retreated to the city, and eventually succumbed to an outbreak of illness. This left him alone in the city with a slender connection to the local guard because of his father's status. They throw him an odd job once in a while, either for errands or to provide security for material coming in from the docks. But he mostly survives by playing the fipple flute in whatever tavern will pay him with a hot meal & a spot by the fire. He's not stupid but he's not the brightest by any means. He has a chronic cough, related to the illness that killed the rest of his family, which also caused damage to his lungs, and accounts for his lower constitution. He wears his father's coat (a bit too large & decorative braid and brass buttons long sold for whatever coin they could bring), and has three hand-axes tucked into his belt.
Rovan has been teaching Edvan how to read and write lately, as Edvan is a curious sort with a considerable imagination. The two practice over cups at their favorite bar, which unsurprisingly doesn't help the lessons.
DM's Notes: Edvan knows about soldiering. He can recognize small and seige weapons and is familiar with their purposes, as it was a skill he learned from his father. He gets along instinctively with professional soldiers and militia, is a welcome face in most bars since he has provided entertainment or augmented protection for cheap (during call-ups because of occasional riots), and has a strong ear for music, song, and tales.
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Hilmdyn Stoneheart (garyh)
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Name: Hilmdyn Stoneheart
Class: Cleric
Level: 1
HP: 5
AC: 8
Strength: 15
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 15
Dexterity: 8
Constitution: 8
Charisma: 15
Saving Throws
Poison or Death Ray: 11
Magic Wands: 12
Paralyzation or Turn to Stone: 14
Dragon Breath: 16
Rods/Staffs/Spells: 15 (14 vs Spells)
Weapons: Warhammer
Armor: Large, padded coat (2 to AC)
Equipment: Backpack, Standard Rations: 2, Waterskin, Wooden Holy Symbol, 1gp, 2cp
Languages: Common
Deity: Mhal, god of stone
XP: 0
Turn Undead (2d6)
Skeleton: 7
Zombie: 9
Ghoul: 11
Spells (1 from list a day): Cure Light Wounds, Cause Lights Wounds, Detect Evil, Detect Magic, Light, Darkness, Protection from Evil, Purify Food and Water, Remove Fear, Fear, Resist Cold
Background: History: Hilmdyn hales from the small frontier village of Hlymadle, over 100 miles from the City-State, and well outside its protection. Despite a childhood disease that sapped his stamina, Hilmdyn is very strong, and that combined with his common sense and force of personality, lead him to be an apprentice shaman for his village. A year ago, his village was under assualt from a death-worshipping cleric and his rough band of orcs and humans, and Hilmdyn was sent to the City-State to find aid. He found none, and now he's been drawn into the City-State, and does not know how his tribe has fared in his absence. Hilmdyn had been staying in the stables of the Tripping Trident Tavern, stretching the meager copper he had come to the City-State with as far as he could. When that ran out, though, he was forced to agree to stay on at the Trident as a laborer and occassional bouncer to keep a roof over his head and some small amount of food in his belly.
DM's Notes: Hilmdyn has picked up a number of skills at his young age. He learned how about mines and how to track veins of ore by his early teenage years. During his time in Hilmdyn he also found that his strength was an asset in trying to find work, and he has labored as a dock worker at the harbor, and bouncer and stableboy at the Tripping Trident. He learned the value of coin during this time, as well as public speaking. Hilmdyn has developed a knack for conversation, and he is adapt at haggling for prices as well as moving people to passionate outrage with his rhetoric. He hopes to use this ability to one day influence the people of the City-State to send a force in order to liberate his people.
Because of their similar occupations, the first close friend he has made thus far is Edvan, who plays dice with him for copper at the Tripping Trident Tavern at least once a week. He smirks at Edvan's attempts to learn how to read, however. He finds letters uninteresting, though he does have deep appreciation for the power of words through speech.
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A little bit about the city-state. It's hard for the characters to say who wields power in the city state. There is an overlord who every so often makes decrees that his soldiers follow, but he seems much detached from the daily going-ons. There are competing merchant houses, guilds, royal families, strange dealers in the arcane, cults, and military officers. The houses, guilds, and families seem to last quite a bit longer than the other would-be strongmen. Yet the powerful always seem to overplay their hand and the Overlord still remains, aloof while feared and respected.
The Overlord brings order in a chaotic world, yet many laws are bent if not completely circumvented. The rich and powerful get away with such flaunting more often than the more numerous poor, yet there is a certain code. Everyone tries to hustle in order to get money in the City State. It's a matter of survival. Yet those that attempt to blatantly cheat or steal from the decent citizenry might find themselves isolated. Those that steal from such evil men while maintaining a level of nobility are instead seen as heroes of the downtrodden. The slums will protect these kind of men.
There is also honest work, though tough work. Working the docks, delivering ale to the alehouses... life is tough in the City State. After all, it's one of the few large settlements left after the fall of civilization and one of the few places that survived the invasive hordes of orcs and goblins. Not to say that those races are no longer threats. They have settlements near the city, and although they trade more often after their numbers were decimated, they are still known to attack a weakly armed caravan getting too close to their territories after sundown.
Banditry, violent guilds, slavery, corrupt aristocrats... life is never dull around the City-State.
Oh... one last thing. Characters will gain no experience points from fighting, nor will they get an experience bonus for high stat scores. Instead they will only gain experience points from the rare RPing bonus and from spending coin. Each gold piece of material will be equivalent to one experience point. That means that if your character finds a sack of 2,000gp he will only get the experience for the treasure once he puts the money to use. That may be for a river boat to explore the dangerous waterways around him, or for some new equipment, a house, or perhaps to blow it all on a week of drunken bliss with the girls from the Naughty Nannies establishment.
Chapter 1 Roster:
Lola (Queenie)
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Name: Lola
Class: Thief
Level: 1
HP: 3
AC: 7
Strength: 14
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 13
Dexterity: 13
Constitution: 8
Charisma: 16
Saving Throws
Poison or Death Ray: 13
Magic Wands: 14
Paralyzation or Turn to Stone: 13
Dragon Breath: 16
Rods/Staffs/Spells: 15 (14 vs Spells)
Weapons: Letter opener (acts as dagger), Sling, 10 stones
Armor: Petticoat (adds 1 to AC)
Equipment: Thieves Tools, Small Sack, Candle, Tinderbox, Waterskin, Standard Ration, 3cp
Languages: Common, Thieves Cant, (One other)
XP: 0
Skills:
Open Locks: 15%
Find Traps: 10%
Remove Traps: 10%
Climb Walls: 87%
Move Silently: 20%
Hide in Shadows: 10%
Pick Pockets: 20%
Hear Noise: 33%
Background: As a baby, Lola was left at the city orphanage, having been abandoned by her parents for reasons revealed only to the head mistress. She was a good child, and pretty, but every time she was considered for adoption the potential parents would leave the Mistress's office and then the orphanage without her. Over the years she was disappointed many times until hope just faded from her heart. She grew into a feisty teen, often running off and getting in trouble before being dragged back. Eventually at the age of 16 she left the orphanage and never returned.
She spent the next year living on the streets, learning how to get by. She drifted from place to place picking up unsavory skills, using her looks and charms to get out of trouble if caught. But stealing wasn't doing the job and she was often hungry and homeless. At 17 she was approached by the madam of the Naughty Nanny, who saw through the dirt and grime to her pretty looks and offered her a position there, knowing she could fetch a good price. The thought of food every night, a roof over her head, a nice room and clothes was very appealing at this point so she agreed. She quickly learned how easy it was to steal from the rich nobles and merchants who were her clients.
Six months after she started working there she met Roland Van der Vass, a handsome noble from a known and influential family, who took a liking to her. She had mostly turned off her feelings, it was important to survive this job, but Roland treated her better than any of the other inconsiderate customers she entertained. At first it took some time of longing glances before he figured out how to obtain her. After that he came to her often, frequently paying for the entire night, sometimes bringing her fancy meals or gifts, occasionally all he wanted to do the entire night was talk or sleep. It was difficult for her to keep her emotions and heart to herself; he was the only person in her life to ever really show her consideration.
One fateful night Roland was not her first customer, another noble came to her earlier in the evening. He was drunk and rough and Lola demanded him to leave. This angered him and not being used to told no, he decided to take what he wanted anyway. She tried to fend off his brutal attack but was unsuccessful. Roland had come for her that evening and when he approached her room heard her struggle. He broke down the door and seeing her so treated so badly he impulsively blasted the noble with a spell. The man turned to Roland and drew his sword but before he could attack him Lola ran her dagger through his heart and killed him. Roland quickly comforted her and without discussion he replaced her dagger with his own, taking the responsibility for the murder.
After that she didn't see him for almost two long, tortuous months. He had a trial which she heard about from other customers at the whorehouse. She was afraid she would never see him again, that he regretted his actions, that he hated her or blamed her, especially after hearing he was cast out from his family. But one night he did come to her and though he couldn't pay for her she lied to the mistress so she could see him. He professed his feelings for her, told her he wanted a future with her in it, and begged her to leave the Naughty Nanny, that it was no longer the place for her. She stiffened at talk of the future and while she didn't want to say no, she told him she needed time to think and would let him know the next day. He gave her an address where to meet him the next day.
It didn't take Lola long to know the right thing to do. He cared about her and though his feelings for her terrified her, she didn't want to lose him. She went to the Madam who was not happy with Lola leaving but she gave her no choice. She quickly packed up some of the dresses that didn't really belong to her and a few other little trinkets she had collected and hurried off into the night to find Rovan. He was surprised but very happy to see her that night and he spent the night speaking of plans of them always being together and working together to bring him back to the status he was used to, and the wealth he wanted to share with her. Lola didn't care, she just wanted to be by his side, money or not.
And so, their adventuring career would begin.
DM's Note: Lola has just recently left the Naughty Nannies, and so therefore has not yet built up a second occupation and skill set. She is adapt at understanding men and women, and knows how to turn the desires of a man she converses with against him. She can both charm and frustrate. She has an equal understanding towards women, but in a different way. Lola can taunt women into a frenzy with a look and a few choice words. She is talented at pulling information from fellow commoners in order to discover rumors. Her training at the Naughty Nannies involves being a masseuse among other abilities that need little imagination. Since the Naughty Nannies were not completely a legitimate business, Lola also learned how to forge city documents, such as inspection and registration forms. Her writing skills are considerable and near Rovan's own. Because of this and some kind of unknown latent talent, she can try to read magic scrolls, both divine and arcane, although at her level of experience there is a great chance that she may cause more harm than good.
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Rovan the Mage (Fenris)
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Name: Rovan the Mage
Class: Magic-User
Level: 1
HP: 7
AC: 8
Strength: 9
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 13
Dexterity: 15
Constitution: 18
Charisma: 11
Saving Throws
Poison or Death Ray: 13
Magic Wands: 14
Paralyzation or Turn to Stone: 13
Dragon Breath: 16
Rods/Staffs/Spells: 15
Weapons: Stick (Acts as a quarterstaff), Throwing Dagger
Armor: None
Equipment: Spellbook, Small Sack, Waterskin, House der Vess Signet Ring, Standard Ration, 3sp, 9cp
Languages: Common, <one more>
Spellbook:
1st level- Read Magic, Detect Magic and two of the following: (Charm Person, Floating Disc, Hold Portal, Light, Magic Missile, Protection from Evil, Read Languages, Shield, Sleep, Ventriloquism)
Memorized Spells:
1st level- (2 from spellbook/day)
XP: 0
Background: Roland Van der Vess was a young noble from the well know Van der Vess family. Roland grew up in the luxury and indulgence that being a noble brings. Good breeding and a love of exercise lead Roland to being very fit and healthy, he never got sick. He grew up learning all the things a good noble does, how to ride, how to behave in proper society, which fork to use and so on. But he was smart and took to his lessons well and studied maps and old stories. He wasn’t as strong as his older brother, Tristan who was a squire and then a knight. But young Roland was bright and was sent off to the famed Overlord's School of Ancient Knowledge to learn to be a magic user. Rovan proved to be fairly adept at magic and learned well.
In his off time he liked to wander the city, spending freely on drinks and women. That was how he met Lola. She was one of the most beautiful women Roland had ever met and was quickly smitten with her. He didn’t care that she worked at the Naughty Nannie. She was beautiful and he desired her. Like man nobles in the city, he was used to getting what he wanted. He came to see her quite often, but was always unlucky enough to not get there early enough before she was claimed. When he finally got his chance with her he treated her so well, with kindness and tenderness that it confused Lola and made her heart a little less hard.
So it was that the saw each other as they could, their relationship and feelings for each other growing slowly, until one night Roland came looking for Lola and heard screams coming from behind her door. He opened it to find another young noble viciously beating Lola. Roland snapped and cast a spell which struck the noble. Enraged, the other noble threw Lola to the side, drew his sword and raised it to strike Roland. A most curious look crossed his face however before he fell to the floor, a dagger sticking from his back, and Lola staring at him from where the noble fell. That mutual act of defense, Roland saving Lola from a severe beating that may have killed her, and Lola stabbing the noble to save Roland showed the other the depth of their feelings for each other.
The screams drew a crowd though and Roland quickly drew out Lola’s dagger and replaced it with one of his own, in the noble’s chest. There was a brief investigation during which the local magistrate was bribed and the killing ruled self-defense. The young man though was Chalan Hofran, and his family swore vengeance on Roland for his death, ruling or no ruling. Partly to save face and protect themselves polictically and partly to punish Roland for defending a whore, his family disowned him, casting him out onto the street.
Bereft of family, Roland changed his name since he could no longer use his family name. He took part of his last name and first name and combined them to make Rovan. Rovan the Mage. His skills as a magician were modest, but sufficient that his old masters at Overlord’s were willing to employ him for various tasks. Helping in the laboratories, classrooms and running errands. His friends, all nobles of course, turned their backs on him when he plummeted from social status and wealth. He sought out Lola, he could no longer afford her services but found that his act of saving her, of protecting her so moved her that she didn’t care that he had lost his title and money. Here was a person who was not shallow and cared about him. Who loved him for who he was. Roland convinced Lola to leave the Naughty Nanny and join him. For Roland was still a noble by birth and he enjoyed the wealth and power he had had.
He had a plan. To survive the streets, to gain wealth and power anyway they could and to rise up and reclaim his place. But not among his family. In spite of his family. He would create his own title, his own power. He just needed a few friends to help him along the way.
DM's Notes: Unlike the other PCs, Rovan has a large vocabulary and finds reading quite easy. He is also talented in speaking in specific dialects and can speak languages accurately even when he is not completely familiar with the words. His education has allowed him skill in lore, so he is better able to identify the origins of both magical items along with domestic and foreign works of art. Rovan can easily mingle among aristocracy if need be due to his noble heritage, and still has an ear to some of the recent political intrigue.
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Edvan Chelwhistle (GlassEye)
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Name: Edvan Chelwhistle
Class: Fighter
Level: 1
HP: 7
AC: 6
Strength: 13
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 12
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 7
Charisma: 12
Saving Throws
Poison or Death Ray: 12
Magic Wands: 13
Paralyzation or Turn to Stone: 14
Dragon Breath: 15
Rods/Staffs/Spells: 16
Weapons: Hand-axe x3
Armor: Father's coat (1 to AC)
Equipment: Waterskin, Iron Ration, Fipple Flute, Small Sack, 2sp, 5cp
Languages: Common
XP: 0
Edvan's family were yeomanry and displaced by the fighting, retreated to the city, and eventually succumbed to an outbreak of illness. This left him alone in the city with a slender connection to the local guard because of his father's status. They throw him an odd job once in a while, either for errands or to provide security for material coming in from the docks. But he mostly survives by playing the fipple flute in whatever tavern will pay him with a hot meal & a spot by the fire. He's not stupid but he's not the brightest by any means. He has a chronic cough, related to the illness that killed the rest of his family, which also caused damage to his lungs, and accounts for his lower constitution. He wears his father's coat (a bit too large & decorative braid and brass buttons long sold for whatever coin they could bring), and has three hand-axes tucked into his belt.
Rovan has been teaching Edvan how to read and write lately, as Edvan is a curious sort with a considerable imagination. The two practice over cups at their favorite bar, which unsurprisingly doesn't help the lessons.
DM's Notes: Edvan knows about soldiering. He can recognize small and seige weapons and is familiar with their purposes, as it was a skill he learned from his father. He gets along instinctively with professional soldiers and militia, is a welcome face in most bars since he has provided entertainment or augmented protection for cheap (during call-ups because of occasional riots), and has a strong ear for music, song, and tales.
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Hilmdyn Stoneheart (garyh)
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Name: Hilmdyn Stoneheart
Class: Cleric
Level: 1
HP: 5
AC: 8
Strength: 15
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 15
Dexterity: 8
Constitution: 8
Charisma: 15
Saving Throws
Poison or Death Ray: 11
Magic Wands: 12
Paralyzation or Turn to Stone: 14
Dragon Breath: 16
Rods/Staffs/Spells: 15 (14 vs Spells)
Weapons: Warhammer
Armor: Large, padded coat (2 to AC)
Equipment: Backpack, Standard Rations: 2, Waterskin, Wooden Holy Symbol, 1gp, 2cp
Languages: Common
Deity: Mhal, god of stone
XP: 0
Turn Undead (2d6)
Skeleton: 7
Zombie: 9
Ghoul: 11
Spells (1 from list a day): Cure Light Wounds, Cause Lights Wounds, Detect Evil, Detect Magic, Light, Darkness, Protection from Evil, Purify Food and Water, Remove Fear, Fear, Resist Cold
Background: History: Hilmdyn hales from the small frontier village of Hlymadle, over 100 miles from the City-State, and well outside its protection. Despite a childhood disease that sapped his stamina, Hilmdyn is very strong, and that combined with his common sense and force of personality, lead him to be an apprentice shaman for his village. A year ago, his village was under assualt from a death-worshipping cleric and his rough band of orcs and humans, and Hilmdyn was sent to the City-State to find aid. He found none, and now he's been drawn into the City-State, and does not know how his tribe has fared in his absence. Hilmdyn had been staying in the stables of the Tripping Trident Tavern, stretching the meager copper he had come to the City-State with as far as he could. When that ran out, though, he was forced to agree to stay on at the Trident as a laborer and occassional bouncer to keep a roof over his head and some small amount of food in his belly.
DM's Notes: Hilmdyn has picked up a number of skills at his young age. He learned how about mines and how to track veins of ore by his early teenage years. During his time in Hilmdyn he also found that his strength was an asset in trying to find work, and he has labored as a dock worker at the harbor, and bouncer and stableboy at the Tripping Trident. He learned the value of coin during this time, as well as public speaking. Hilmdyn has developed a knack for conversation, and he is adapt at haggling for prices as well as moving people to passionate outrage with his rhetoric. He hopes to use this ability to one day influence the people of the City-State to send a force in order to liberate his people.
Because of their similar occupations, the first close friend he has made thus far is Edvan, who plays dice with him for copper at the Tripping Trident Tavern at least once a week. He smirks at Edvan's attempts to learn how to read, however. He finds letters uninteresting, though he does have deep appreciation for the power of words through speech.
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