L4W:The Five
From ENWiki
Five great warriors who were Daunton's greatest champions for a generation and perished a year ago during a great conflict with the Brotherhood of the Bright Eon.
Based on coivathe's proposal.
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Jeronel Threehammer
Jeronel Threehammer, a male Dwarven cleric of Maros. He hailed original from the simple town of Mykonos' Sanctuary and was its most famous son.
The said to be the bravest of the Five he was always first into a fight; but it was Jeronel's conscience that he is most remembered for and that drove the Five into their most difficult battles. The oldest, save for Thayul he was the groups unofficial spokesman, most frequently when he made the infamous bargain that allowed the "merchants of Bacarte" to take over Bacarte; largely pacifying the island. Mayor Bunt served as a squire of sorts to Jeronel for a number of years his friends often say that he resembles his dwarven mentor in his focus on "doing the right thing".
Aurelia Carenvale
Aurelia Carenvale, female Half-Elven warlock. Hot tempered, beautiful, and slightly crazy, she was the most famous of the Five, and possibly the most feared and almost certainly the most desired. More than one young warrior or sell sword lent his (or in one infamous case her) sword or staff to aid the groups cause for a time; those members never lasted though. Ultimately the infatuated individual would be cast aside as she moved on to her next paramour.
She was said to be driven by powerful visions from the stars; and those who shared her bed often would claim later that they were tormented by hideous nightmares they could never clearly recall.
Arek Steelsheath
Arek Steelsheath, female warforged fighter. Born ungendered Arek was initially a carefree and reckless warforged who forsook the teachings of an older generation of warforged and forsook his "racial mission to protect Allaria". After its life was saved by Aurelia Carenvale, he gamely took up sword and shield, the better to defend Aurelia on their adventures.
Years of adventuring brought the warforged new wisdom, it became passionately dedicated to the kingdom and traditions he scorned, becoming Allaria's most passionate defender using its wealth and growing prestige to both support traditional Allarian art forms as well as to sponsor expeditions back to the continent. In its later years the warforged decided it was female, and began a small orphanage set back in the mountains.
Arek was famous, especially in her later years, for her even-going temperament, and practical manner. A whole host of truisms and sayings are attributed to her many acrophycal.
The Sayings of Arek Steelsheath
"I wish the so-called orthodoxy were so harmless" - said of the Open Brothers
Mauros Esthanapiros
Mauros Esthanapiros, male Human wizard. His parents killed during the years of steel (he even appears as a young boy in a recent remake of the play by the same name) Mauros was orphaned and raised by Arga the Black. He grew to manhood under the passionate and dedicated wizardess's tutelage becoming a energetic young man known for his love of the finer things in life.
Some said that it was the strain of the vast arcane powers that he could call upon at will; others that some terrible knowledge of the future lay upon his brow; ans still other the death of his beloved master but as he grew older he became quiet and reserved. At his death he was said by members of the community to have developed an unhealthy fixation on Necromancy and darker arts. Even in his darkest days he was still popular among the populace and remained famously devoted to his old master, visiting the her memorial statue (in a park at the edge of the city which faces into the interior that she pacified) regularly to cast cantrips and amuse children who lingered there.
Always dressed in the finest red and purple silks, Mauros took care to have his finery fireproofed before wearing it, and for good reason.
Keshana Thayul
Keshana Thayul, female Elven rogue. Slim, silent, and effortlessly deadly, Keshana took pains to keep her face veiled whenever possible so that she could walk unrecognized when she chose. Called the shadow by some wild rumors about her abilities persisted for years; she could kill the weak with a glance, disappear from sight without the use of magics, that she was a demi-goddess playing among mortals, that she killed an evil man every night she walked the earth. She seemed to enjoy her status as a sort of boogieman and in her later years developed a reputation for a sly sense of humor and as the patron of the Temple of Day and Night.
"The Sixth"
The five, of course, had no few number of hangers-on, adventuring companions and others. There is a natural tendency to dub one (or several) of these persons 'the sixth' member. With the possible exception of Mauros Esthanapiros' mentor Arga the Black, who was in semi-retirement and acted as an unofficial mentor of the group during it's early days, no hero really ever attained the stature, or the personal power, demonstrated by the Five.
However late night tavern talk often fights to elevate someone anyway. Some popular individuals who are frequently mentioned.
- Mayor Brunt; Threehammers squire for a time, the mayor remains closely associated with the group, and his current afflictions are tied to a curse that he apparently received when adventuring with them.
- Millienas D'Rawth, a swordsman and wizard, who adventured with the group during it's earliest days.
- "the boy" -- almost nothing is known about the boy. The Five were known to gather once a year a the Hanged Man to share a drink. The would simply say they were "honoring the boy". In his later years it was the only time Esthanapiros would deign to set foot in the Hanged Man proper (instead of in the private rooms he'd arranged to have attached).
The Mysteries of the Five
...relatively few well-documented episodes in [the Five's] history, but lots of legends, hearsay, songs, stories that have grown in the retelling, and so forth. That way they can have a larger-than-life impact on the world, but we don't have to actually write up their entire adventuring career. Characters can use the Five in their backstories without fear of contradicting the official canon....
See an excellent example here.
Five Related Plot Hooks
Mauros Esthanapiros had a private retreat in the feywild where they kept some of their side projects. One of his old lovers knows the way and has grown concerned that, unlike the tower, it is lightly protected. S/he is considering getting a band of trustworthy souls to go there and help secure it. S/he hopes that they may also be able to gain some insights into the return of the fey to the newly restive forests.
