Here's my offering. Nice writing on the background, by the way. I never thought my first 5e character would be a dragonborn but they were
interesting.
If there's anything I wrote that doesn't make sense with the setting let me know and I'll be happy to change it.
Tseg'Rhal
View attachment TsegRhal.xlsx
Background:
[sblock]When he heard the blast it was distant, or at least it seemed distant. He was having a third or maybe a fourth or fifth drink with Leftenent Or’Kade from the galleon
V’Nar’s Tribute and as was often their habit they were arguing politics in a gentle, good-natured manner that Rhal enjoyed and sought out when their ship came to port. It wasn’t often that his duties as ship’s medic and the Leftenent’s crossed enough for a conversation, and they both were glad for the time.
To this day, try as he might Rhal cannot remember what they were talking about. It seems so unimportant now, just as the explosion seemed so unimportant to him then.
With so many ships at port it could have been anything; firing warning shots at goblin ships, target practice, a faulty fire, even an unfortunate collision. He and Or’Kade kept to their debate.
Then there was shouting and still Rhal ignored the sounds. It was only when they pronounced his name at the door and Or’Kade gave him a look of surprise that he paid attention. Rhal turned and he saw the naval marshals at the front of the tavern. They held irons and expected him to get in them. He asked what this was all about, but they told him firmly he was arrested and he could save his words for the tribunal.
He was in a cell for mere days. When they pulled him out it was from complete darkness to stand before three hooded dragonborn he had never seen before. They pronounced him guilty of rigging explosives to the
V’Nar’s Tribute with predetermined malice to destroy the ship and damage the fleet. His punishment was pronounced quickly – just as his eyes adjusted to the lamplight – exile. He was to leave Na’Aern by skiff and return only on certitude of death.
So leave he did, taking first shelter with the dwarves and finally sailing on to the Fifth City, where he hoped to meet more like him, more dragonborn heaved from their island for no more than speaking against the current regime. It was three years before he made it to the Fifth City, or anywhere like civilization.
Thrown off by a storm he landed well off the coast of any island known to him, known to any map he had seen (and he had seen a few). He called the island Ma’Chade, after his mother, as for a long while it cared for him. He spent three years on that island in solitude, reading his books and ruminating on their meaning, rooting and fishing for food, fighting off the occasional lost goblin pack. Though at first he felt he was lost, he came to understand a great peace there on Ma’Chade and he went from trying to repair his skiff to leave to making it into a shelter and living as a recluse for a while.
It was a good life, but its time was fulfilled after three summers and Rhal made preparations to sail again. This time he consulted all his knowledge and sailed to the Fifth City.[/sblock]
Appearance:
[sblock]Tseg’Rhal’s scales are dark brown with gold at their edges. His jaw is long and firm, lined with jagged scales like a saw-tooth. His head is crested with sharp plates and two black horns that reach back, above his head and curl down and forward over his shoulders. His eyes are the same color as the gold worn areas of his scales.
Rhal is broad and strong under his grey cloak and belted robes, though he is not particularly tall. His habit of keeping his face under a hood makes him seem shorter than he is. There is a hint of metal underneath if you look for it. He carries a spear and shield easily as if the weapon were nothing more than a walking-stick.[/sblock]
Personality:
[sblock]Rhal takes some time to warm to you, though when he does he is gregarious and oddly positive for a dragonborn. He does enjoy a good debate, to the point that though he may not notice it he has offended his conversation partner. He has trouble reading others, particularly those of other races.[/sblock]
edit: found the spoiler tag command!