Cyber-Dave
Explorer
Last Tuesday, my level 7 halfling wolf rider died. He had a chance to escape, but he decided to dodge back into the fray twice to pull other characters out of the pit (successfully--both those two characters lived). As a result, the demons chasing the group devoured him (along with two other members of our 6 person party who could not be saved). It was a half-party kill. Next Tuesday, I come back with a new character... a level 4/4 bard/warlock (hexblade pact/college of whispers). While three of us died, the party still leveled. I thought I would share my image and backstory.
Backstory
Floki is the youngest child of a Northlander family from Ruathym. Floki was born to Astrid and Harold. Floki also had an older sister named Hilga; she was 10 years older than Floki. The first six years of Floki's life were unremarkable and happy.
When Floki was very young, only 6 years old, Astrid and Harold were killed during a dispute over land. Hilga butchered the people responsible. This was considered a breach of tradition, as the Northlanders believe that women should not fish or bear arms. Hilga responded to the tradition by daring anyone who cared to best her in a fight. If they could, she said, she would toss down her family's arms, become the victor's wife, and take up the needle to patch their sails. If they failed, however, she would kill them. After butchering 7 challengers, one of whom was a full grown and accomplished raider, the townfolk decided to let her be, but not before naming her "The Bitch Queen" after Umberlee. Hilga took up the name with pride and relish.
Floki looked up to Hilga. She quickly became an accomplished warrior, despite their clan's objections in the name of tradition, and looked after Floki throughout their youth. Floki dreamed of one day becoming a warrior like her. Unfortunately, Floki lacked the raw natural talent. While he was fairly quick and tough, and eventually became relatively athletic and accomplished at the yearly winter "wet parades" of Auril, he lacked his sister's raw, natural brawn and grace. He seemed more capable with the harp than the sword and better at telling stories about Valkur's exploits than emulating them. Despite that fact, Hilga never treated Floki with anything other than love and respect, and more than one would-be bully died under her ax. Unfortunately, she could not always be around, and Floki often found himself picked on when Hilga was raiding.
A few years after the death of their parents, Hilga took Floki and moved south to Norland in order to escape the exesivly conservative bias of Ruathym. Hilga had heard of another famous shield maiden from Norland, the "Storm Maiden," and believed that a woman warrior might fare better on that island. Sure enough, by the time Floki was 11 and Hilga was 21, only 5 years after the death of their parents, Hilga had become an accomplished raider with 3 dragon-boats under her command.
15 years ago she was sailing in the vicinity of one of the Northlander isles when her ship was set on by a white dragon named Rhime. Her ship and the crew members on it were killed by the dragon, as were one of her sister ships. However, one of her ships survived to bring word of her death back to Norland. Her most loyal crew members banded together and returned to the island that they had seen the dragon fly out from. They found the dragon’s lair and attempted to slay it. The beast killed several members of the band during the epic battle. Sadly, they failed to slay it and avenge Hilga’s death. They did, however, manage to drive it from its lair, and the survivors claimed its horde. At the time when this happened, Floki was too young to participate in the raid, but as a token of condolence, they gifted Floki a magical shield claimed from the dragon's horde.
Floki swore that one day he would find the dragon and finish what the warriors had started. To do so, however, he would have to become capable. No longer willing to settle for the life of a storyteller, he sought any knowledge that might help him overcome his weaknesses and quickly give him the power he needed to slay a dragon. He also sought any knowledge he could find about white dragons in general and the beast that killed his sister specifically.
Over time, his efforts paid off. Eventually, he learned how to contact the realms of the gods. Valkur, he knew, was a god who believed his people should be able to help themselves, and the rest of the Northland pantheon would only prey on a weakling. He didn't, as such, debase himself by asking for aid. Instead, he followed Valkur's lead, and in much the way Valkur once stole a magical sword from the armory of Talos to defeat a great sea serpent, Floki reached out to the intelligent artifact and tricked it into a magically binding pact.
Eventually, he became an accomplished hex-skald: a warrior, a poet, a musician, and a witch. While many Northlanders view Floki's magic with suspicion, the few willing to openly claim that his arts depart from their accepted skaldic traditions and dip into darker, arcane fare have met violent ends. Among his people, Floki has become a raider to be respected and feared. Dragon-boats that have taken Floki on as a drummer have never regretted doing so, and more than one has sung his praise. During more peaceful times, many mead halls in the Moonshae Isles have been graced by Floki's performances, making him something of a local celebrity. Behind his back, however, those who have met him also whisper about his propensity to lie... about everything. Between his dark magic and his habitual use of deception, he has earned the nickname "Wyrmtongue."
Throughout his travels, Floki has always sought out rumours about Rhime's location. In recent years, Floki has learned that it made its way far to the east, and it established itself in the Moonsea region. Floki has since arrived in the region, and he has heard rumours that a white dragon, which he believe to be Rhime, has taken up residence in the ruins of a city named Hulburg, which is east of Thentia along the northern coast of the Moonsea. Thentia is the closest major settlement to the ruins, so he has made his way there first, hoping to learn more and prepare for his vengeance.
Backstory
Floki is the youngest child of a Northlander family from Ruathym. Floki was born to Astrid and Harold. Floki also had an older sister named Hilga; she was 10 years older than Floki. The first six years of Floki's life were unremarkable and happy.
When Floki was very young, only 6 years old, Astrid and Harold were killed during a dispute over land. Hilga butchered the people responsible. This was considered a breach of tradition, as the Northlanders believe that women should not fish or bear arms. Hilga responded to the tradition by daring anyone who cared to best her in a fight. If they could, she said, she would toss down her family's arms, become the victor's wife, and take up the needle to patch their sails. If they failed, however, she would kill them. After butchering 7 challengers, one of whom was a full grown and accomplished raider, the townfolk decided to let her be, but not before naming her "The Bitch Queen" after Umberlee. Hilga took up the name with pride and relish.
Floki looked up to Hilga. She quickly became an accomplished warrior, despite their clan's objections in the name of tradition, and looked after Floki throughout their youth. Floki dreamed of one day becoming a warrior like her. Unfortunately, Floki lacked the raw natural talent. While he was fairly quick and tough, and eventually became relatively athletic and accomplished at the yearly winter "wet parades" of Auril, he lacked his sister's raw, natural brawn and grace. He seemed more capable with the harp than the sword and better at telling stories about Valkur's exploits than emulating them. Despite that fact, Hilga never treated Floki with anything other than love and respect, and more than one would-be bully died under her ax. Unfortunately, she could not always be around, and Floki often found himself picked on when Hilga was raiding.
A few years after the death of their parents, Hilga took Floki and moved south to Norland in order to escape the exesivly conservative bias of Ruathym. Hilga had heard of another famous shield maiden from Norland, the "Storm Maiden," and believed that a woman warrior might fare better on that island. Sure enough, by the time Floki was 11 and Hilga was 21, only 5 years after the death of their parents, Hilga had become an accomplished raider with 3 dragon-boats under her command.
15 years ago she was sailing in the vicinity of one of the Northlander isles when her ship was set on by a white dragon named Rhime. Her ship and the crew members on it were killed by the dragon, as were one of her sister ships. However, one of her ships survived to bring word of her death back to Norland. Her most loyal crew members banded together and returned to the island that they had seen the dragon fly out from. They found the dragon’s lair and attempted to slay it. The beast killed several members of the band during the epic battle. Sadly, they failed to slay it and avenge Hilga’s death. They did, however, manage to drive it from its lair, and the survivors claimed its horde. At the time when this happened, Floki was too young to participate in the raid, but as a token of condolence, they gifted Floki a magical shield claimed from the dragon's horde.
Floki swore that one day he would find the dragon and finish what the warriors had started. To do so, however, he would have to become capable. No longer willing to settle for the life of a storyteller, he sought any knowledge that might help him overcome his weaknesses and quickly give him the power he needed to slay a dragon. He also sought any knowledge he could find about white dragons in general and the beast that killed his sister specifically.
Over time, his efforts paid off. Eventually, he learned how to contact the realms of the gods. Valkur, he knew, was a god who believed his people should be able to help themselves, and the rest of the Northland pantheon would only prey on a weakling. He didn't, as such, debase himself by asking for aid. Instead, he followed Valkur's lead, and in much the way Valkur once stole a magical sword from the armory of Talos to defeat a great sea serpent, Floki reached out to the intelligent artifact and tricked it into a magically binding pact.
Eventually, he became an accomplished hex-skald: a warrior, a poet, a musician, and a witch. While many Northlanders view Floki's magic with suspicion, the few willing to openly claim that his arts depart from their accepted skaldic traditions and dip into darker, arcane fare have met violent ends. Among his people, Floki has become a raider to be respected and feared. Dragon-boats that have taken Floki on as a drummer have never regretted doing so, and more than one has sung his praise. During more peaceful times, many mead halls in the Moonshae Isles have been graced by Floki's performances, making him something of a local celebrity. Behind his back, however, those who have met him also whisper about his propensity to lie... about everything. Between his dark magic and his habitual use of deception, he has earned the nickname "Wyrmtongue."
Throughout his travels, Floki has always sought out rumours about Rhime's location. In recent years, Floki has learned that it made its way far to the east, and it established itself in the Moonsea region. Floki has since arrived in the region, and he has heard rumours that a white dragon, which he believe to be Rhime, has taken up residence in the ruins of a city named Hulburg, which is east of Thentia along the northern coast of the Moonsea. Thentia is the closest major settlement to the ruins, so he has made his way there first, hoping to learn more and prepare for his vengeance.
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I've been looking for bard/warlock spells that will make a victory against the thing more likely.
