Why are your characters in easthaven to begin with?
T2av
Member Posts: 202
What's your characters back stories? Why did they come to Icewind Dale ?
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My current backstory is
Val'myr Zaur, my Chaotic Neutral half-drow (half-elf) Blade Bard wanted to get away from prejudice and freely study necromancy without hindrance and also heard about the undead in the Shadow Vale (and he's fascinated with Undead).
Piro Faeren, my Chaotic Good gnomish Thief/Illusionist, joined with Val'myr on the way North. Long story short, she was from a forest of Fey after her parents were murdered hard and a Dryad took her in; then a Druid named Selene offered to show Piro the outside world so she could decide whether to live in the forest or not. Selene got murdered hard by snake cultists (Yuan-ti), Piro was super lost/alone and became a thief (Hence thief/illusionist) until Val'myr found her, let her stay in his room at the inn and now they are best friends over the course of the journey.
Val and Piro find a Monk beating up a guy at the Easthaven Tavern for saying his order was weak. Val was like, "IGNORE HIM AND-"
Piro proceeds to walk over to the monk, "WOW! YOU'RE LIKE SUPER STRONG AND STUFF!"
/Val'myr facepalms. She invites the Monk to sit at the table with them. So then Kitze Tribal, the Lawful Neutral Monk joins the party.
It's then that two people come in saying their merchant caravan was attacked. A noblewoman from Kara-tur and her bodyguard. Piro being Piro offers to help and Kitze says he likes to fight so he'll help. Val'myr facepalms and sighs some more.
We now have Aiyumi Kikyo, the Neutral Good Human Ninja (Assassin) and Aria Phoenix, Lawful Evil* Human Blackguard to join the party.
*She's not actually evil. For her backstory she was from a town in the Icewind Dale area and her village got wrecked by a rift to the negative energy plane. The survivors and a wizard went to close it and everyone died but her and she got cursed with pseudo-undeath. That is she's treated as if she were undead but is alive and undead have the evil subtype so yeh. She's actually a fighter augmented with dark magicks in my story-thing I'm writing and I figured the best way to transfer it here would be a LE Blackguard. Personality-wise she's Lawful Good.
Finally, they are joined by a true neutral Halfling (Sometimes Dwarf if I want to tie her story into Dorn's Deep) Cleric of Lathander named Milly Vex. She's heading to Kuldahar to investigate the nearby undead. The party "canon-ly" meets her when the team is getting put together to go to Kuldahar and she's one of the survivors along with the party.
These characters are based on a story I'm writing in my homebrew setting but I've adjusted them for Icewind Dale. Selene is murdered by a shadowdancer in my actual story but changed it to Yuan-ti so Piro can freak out when we fight Yuan-ti. Aria will be able to empathize with the dwarves and such in wanting to close the negative energy rift, Milly and Val are interested in the undead (for opposite reasons), and Kitze can get pissed off at a certain "Priest of Ilmater."
I also pair ValxPiro and KitzexAiyumi so I can have love stories happening as we adventure. Val's adoration of Necromancy will come in conflict with Milly and Aria as they both abhor it.
I have other characters I've ran with before but this is my current party I would use if I was playing the game right now.
They joined the expedition for a safer way of traveling to the next town that they were going to perform at Kuldahar, but plot happened.
But how could a bunch of city dwellers simply head north? Intelligent as she is, Valen had initially hired a ranger, the archer Aylown , to provide assistance with his wilderness lore.
On their way to the ten towns two others joined them:
Tinewen the fighter/priestess of tempus , in fact it was her who suggested starting by Easthaven , so she could "dual class" officially by introducing herself at the local temple of Tempus.
Finally, the wizard Eldred, and old man who knows that something is going on in the north (he's got blue old mage portrait), so he offered his services to the party. He is more powerful than he seems, but he ain't gonna overshadow a party who needs experience to survive (that explains his level 1 starting status).
And so the plot begins, Aylown and Tinewen share a similar perception of life (good alignment), while the original group (Valen, Galahad and Tyrfing) have neutral aligments, which may lead to arguments within the party. Eldred is also good aligned , but he tries to remain neutral in these discussions.
That being said, it's been a while since I actually thought about why "my character" is going to Easthaven. I'll check back in here the next time I do a play-through.
I plan on somewhere before the end; not sure where or when though yet... to change my avatar to that of a lich when he finally achieves his goal.
Dain the Elder - Dwarven Defender
Thorek Bloodfist - Dwarven Defender
Dagna Cragscowl - Dwarven Defender
Heidri Halfdwarf - Gnomish Fighter/Illusionist
Ortan the Bold - Dwarven Fighter/Thief
Kragg Moradinson - Dwarven Fighter/Cleric
All lawful neutral.
Three dwarven defenders walk up and tank. The other three sit back and shoot, joining in the melee if needed. Eventually, given the amazing amount of shields with damage resistance in this game, I hope to have a near impervious front line of hard hitting dwarfs. Dwarfs who are in turn buffed to the abyss and back by the cleric and illusionist. Because what says dwarven better than a shield wall with crossbows and throwing axes behind it?
Who are they? They are Clan Stoutbrew. They left the halls of Clan Battlehammer to recover the lost shield of Wurdar Stoutbrew. When he was killed by orcs a decade ago, his shield was lost with him. An oath was made that the shield should have been an heirloom of the clan, and that it had to be recovered.
While it has been recovered, the passes back to their clanhome have been blocked by an unknown evil, an evil that they will need to defeat if they are to return in glory.
1. Male Human Lawful Good Paladin (stereotypical hero/leader played by me)
2. Male Dwarf Neutral Good Fighter (stereotypical gruff dwarven tank, axe and shield wielder)
3. Female Neutral Good Human Cleric (token healer)
4. Male Chaotic Good Elven Fighter/Thief (thief skills and main archer)
5. Male Neutral Good Bard (for lack of better choice in my mind at the time, as I didn't know the virtues of a Fighter/Mage build sigh... but made a decent secondary archer and mage, and with lore identified items like no-one)
6. Female Chaotic Good Elven Conjurer (best straight mage kit at the time, again hadn't experimented with dual class)
No real backstory and pretty boring. It did the job however.
This time, for the enhanced edition, together with Heart of Winter which I never played first time round. Making a Justice League superhero inspired team, and for each created a dungeons and dragons backstory to explain their place in this alternate world:
Superman: Lawful Good Human Paladin (Undead Hunter for IWD). Have considered Half Orc Berserker for racial strength and con bonuses but Supes has to be a paladin. Story is the last son of Krypton, citadel of an advanced mysterious race of humans who were wiped out by hordes of undead, summoned by an ancient curse. Now walks Faerun alone as the last of his kind, fighting for justice and helping those in need with the powers granted to him by a blessing created by his father to transport him out while his home was overrun. Discovered by an elderly couple under attack by a ghoul, the young infant somehow struck fear into the otherwise emotionless eyes of the foul beast which uncharacteristically abandoned its assault. Marvelling at the Superboy in front of them, the couple raised the child on their modest farm, instilling into him further the honourable virtues which constituted his birthright. With the ability to cut through swathes of evil and undead creatures wearing his signature platemail, those who have witnessed his feats know him as the Man of Steel. He is drawn to Easthaven where he senses a Dark Seed growing within the Heart of Icewind Dale.
Wonder Woman: Neutral Good Human Berserker dualled at level 9 or 13 to Cleric. Amazon Berserker warrior of the female-led land of Themyscira who, unknown to her initially, is the daughter of Lord Ao (instead of Zeus). Hearing stories of Faerun and the land of man, she is chosen by her mother, the Amazon Queen Hippolyta, as her clan's representative to the mainland, where she finds a cold, strange new land in need of a hero, a Wondrous Woman. Cleric powers explained by her links with the Gods and the fact that in the comics she becomes a Star Sapphire with a similar power ring to Green Lantern. True Seeing as a priest spell is the D&D explanation for her Lasso of Truth.
Batman: Chaotic Good (Dark) Elven Fighter/Mage/Thief. Hailing from a noble, wealthy drow Underdark family, his parents, unnaturally born with good in their hearts, were betrayed and fled to the surface and settled in the poverty-stricken town of Gotham, spreading their wealth and goodwill. His parents assassinated in front of him, potentially instructed by their pursuers, he renounces his dark heritage's evil ways and with his resources instead trains himself in martial arts, stealth, subterfuge and magic to fight evil and strike fear into the hearts of those who would follow it. Assuming the mantle of the fabled mythical Man Bat, he finds his way to Easthaven following clues in pursuit of those who may have orphaned him. There he senses an evil, the magnitude of which may even surpass that waiting within the subterranean depths of the Underdark.
(Robin the Faerie Dragon - Batman's familiar!)
Flash: Lawful Good Human Monk of Akadi (therefore kitless). Struck by magical lightning created by Teylas, god of storms who is also an aspect of Akadi, goddess of speed, movement and air elementals. Surviving this miracle, Flash gains faith and inspiration to utilise his new found powers of speed and quick thought for the betterment of humankind.
Aquaman: True Neutral (reflecting his anti-hero status) Half-Elf (Half-Atlantean) Fighter/Druid. Son of a Human Explorer and the sole princess of a marine dwelling druidic elven race. Aquaman fights to protect his underwater home and adopted race from the growing threat of his father's world, whilst also combatting the prejudices of those who would seek to overthrow him because of his half-human nature, as well as his own inner demons and preconceptions of surface dwellers. A fearsome warrior who wields the power of his mother's race by controlling and receiving the aid of nature. Can utilise spears (tridents), staffs and later scimitars together with the Aegis Shield.
Green Lantern: Neutral Good Human Kensai dualled to Mage at level 7. Hal Jordan, growing up in the magical land of Thay, read stories with wonder and envy of the Favored, revived guards of the lesser deity of magic Azuth, each of whom possessed uncanny abilities such as telekinesis and flight. Banished from his role as a martial guard of Thay after defending a slave from the wrath of a Red Wizard, he adopts green attire. Casting away any association with the colour of his previous masters he seeks to become the light for those who are oppressed whilst exiled to the Cold North. Unbeknown to him, Mystra, goddess of magic, watching this realises that Faerun may have found a new guardian of good magic, and sends one of her own last Favored, Abin Sur to seek out this reluctant hero.
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/684137#Comment_684137
Justine Sternview - The Church of Helm commanded her to travel to the Dales and bring the justice of the Watcher to the law-abiding folks up there, and also to bring the less pleasant and more forceful justice of the Watcher to the lawless denizens who might tend to threaten the peace. She's not really sure if it's an exile due to her being a half-orc, or if it's just a mission to which she's well suited (which she is -- 19 Str and Seeking Sword are a brutal harmony). Either way, she's determined to do her best. Half-Orc Cleric of Helm (LN): Str 19.
Elsewynd Blademaiden - "Kensai training is hard, you know? Sometimes it can be really frustrating." Elsewynd knows all about frustration. She's one of the most hard-working Kensai in the ... wait, Elsewynd, why are you wearing armor? "Because it's cold, you brainless gnat." She was asked to practice swordsmanship far, far away from the Kensai dojo. Elf Berserker (CN): Str 18/90, Dex 19, all dots in big swords
Pale Raven - A strong, quick, and brilliant scamp from the mean streets of Luskan. She was basically the princess of Rat Alley, and everyone knew she was going to be someone totally important, but that probably made someone or other super jealous and the heat came down on her way harder than she deserved. She left in a hurry, and she's going to spend some time out-smarting the rubes in the Ten Towns while trying to decide what she wants to be when she grows up. Human Bounty Hunter (N): 18 Str, Dex and Int, so she's got some choices about her future career, which she's totally thinking about really seriously.
In IWD1 + NPC project my main character was a wizard apprentice who was send by her academy on her first excursion.
In vanilla IWD2 my main character was an old, overachieving goody-two-shoes of a Paladin who had moved with his family to Luskan years prior because he believed he could bring some order to the place. That's where he heard about the quest in Ten Towns, he grabbed his daughters and his friends and the rest is history
Currently I have a multiplayer session in IWD2 with some friends where we all play our Bhaalspawn. No one knows the actual reason how and why we went back in time and managed to all be in one place, but we all suspect that it's a test from the pocket plane in ToB.
Cleric has the Fighter in her thrall. Following a divination that's actually a deliberate trap laid by Savrathan Clergy - "Well, she inconvenienced us, now it's time to inconvenience her!".
Thief is with the other adventurers because she's on the run from a small guild. She aspires to find treasures! in the North, and use her share to upend the guild.
Magic-User is along for the ride.
Halfling is also on the run, except this time it's from the law.
Rylas Red-Eye
Human
Male
Bard
Chaotic Neutral
You had never heard of a bard named Rylas Red-Eye before coming to Icewind Dale, though Rylas himself is quick to point out that you should have. He follows this statement by telling you what seems to be his entire life story in excruciating detail. Your mind admittedly begins to wander after the first ten minutes or so, though you still pick up on several points along the way. Among them is the fact that Red-Eye is not an actual name, but rather a moniker Rylas claims to have been given after once reducing the entire royal court of Tethyr to tears with his telling of "The Tragedy of Shyllisyrr Ithil". Sad tales such as this seem to be his specialty, though Rylas claims to have had little choice regarding the melancholy nature of his performances. With this he launches into another story of an encounter he once had with a witch while part of a band of traveling mummers in the nation of Sembia. Apparently, Rylas made several jokes at the woman's expense when her cart had broken down on the roadside. It was a simple attempt to raise her spirits he assures you, but the old crone did not appreciate his jests. In reprisal, she placed upon him what he claims is the most awful curse a performer such as himself could ever be stricken with. Because of it, neither his tales nor songs will ever again bring a smile to another person's lips. With a deep sigh, Rylas says he has learned to take his misfortune in stride, dramatically stating that "It is the bittersweet moments in life that remind us of those which are otherwise." While you are by no means an expert in such magics, you find yourself doubting if a curse as peculiar as the one he describes truly exists. However, before you have a chance to question any of his claims he is already onto the next tale. By the time he divulges to you how he answered the age-old question of whether or not a lich can cry, by serenading one with an elven lament to lost love, you have concluded beyond the shadow of a doubt that Rylas Red-Eye is quite simply, full of shite.
Edana Volare
Human
Female
Mage (Later Dual-Classed to Cleric)
Lawful Neutral
Possessing beauty and charm matched only by her wit, Edana Volare is a stark contrast to her counterpart, Tamuk. She tells you with obvious pride that she hails from Halruaa, a nation far to the south which was founded by surviving wizards of the fallen Netheril Empire. Being accustomed to the infinitely warmer weather of her homeland, she is often told that it must be miserable for her here. In response to such statements, she simply smiles and says, "I am no stranger to frozen climes such as this." This remark apparently refers to an expedition she once undertook to yet another icebound region of Faerûn known as the Great Glacier. A devout follower of the god Azuth, Edana eagerly shares that her lifelong dream is to join the esteemed Order of the Forgotten Page, a faction of the High One's faith charged with seeking out and preserving arcane knowledge. It was just such a task as this which led Edana to the Great Glacier, for in all of Faerûn it is only there where one may find the rare tribal wizards known as the Anagakok. Hoping to study one of these reclusive mages in their natural setting, Edana journeyed for many days across the bleak and desolate landscape of the glacier. As fate would have it, when she would at last encounter one, they would not be alone. Preparing for a ritual hunt, Tamuk and his tribesmen had come to beseech the aid of the same Anagakok Edana herself had located. At first dismissive of the young woman, Tamuk's initial disregard turned to utmost gratitude when Edana discovered that this particular Anagakok was a practitioner of dark magics. The supposedly beneficial spell he intended for Tamuk and his companions was, in truth, an incantation which could have meant their deaths, had she not interfered. Indebted to her for his own life as well as for the lives of his kin, Tamuk swore to follow Edana from that day forward, serving as her protector as she had served as his. What now brings Edana Volare to Icewind Dale she has not revealed, but with ancient battles and lost treasures seemingly on the lips of every villager, her quest for knowledge could certainly continue here.
Tamuk
Human
Male
Fighter
Lawful Neutral
Tamuk belongs to a tribe called the Iulutiuns, a hardy folk who make their home in a frozen expanse of northeastern Faerûn known as the Great Glacier. When asked why he has journeyed so far from his homeland, Tamuk's only response is, "Tamuk goes where he must. A Sun Child cannot understand." Sun Child appears to be a term which refers to anyone not born in a land of ice and snow. Tamuk feels such people are coddled, and he does not hide his disdain when forced to be in their company. However, despite these feelings he serves as a protector and constant companion to Edana Volare, who herself hails from a distant, far warmer land. It seems then, that with enough effort even a Sun Child may eventually earn his respect. While standing only slightly taller than the diminutive woman he guards, Tamuk undoubtedly appears a stout and powerful warrior. Though, it is perhaps strange that he chooses to employ a sword and shield, rather than the bow or spear frequented by his people. Edana tells you he received these items as a gift after his first hunt. No more than a child then, Tamuk accompanied his father and brothers in tracking a herd of caribou through a portion of the Great Glacier known as the Makkitt Pass. During their journey they happened across a party of adventurers who had been ambushed in the night by a Tirichik, a terrible creature resembling equal parts dragon and centipede. While managing to fell the beast, in the course of the battle the party's leader had been gravely wounded. The dying man was saved by Tamuk's father who was a tribal healer. To thank them, the adventurers gifted the Iulutiuns with the hide of the Tirichik, while their leader gave Tamuk's father his own sword and shield as tokens of personal gratitude. At the conclusion of the hunt, these items were given to Tamuk. At first Tamuk resisted, asking why his father would bestow upon him the trappings of a feeble Sun Child. "There is reason in all things", his father had said. Tamuk was the youngest and least skilled of his siblings and his father took the encounter with the adventurers as a sign. “Take them and make them your own,” he charged his son. So Tamuk did as he was told, and with no instructor to guide him he began practicing each day. As the seasons passed and his skill grew, the jests that had first greeted him from his fellow tribesmen soon faded. When one sees Tamuk in battle now, there is little doubt that his father interpreted the signs well indeed.
Epson Nodwink
Gnome
Male
Fighter / Illusionist
Neutral Good
You would not expect to encounter many of the Forgotten Folk in the snow-covered hamlets of Icewind Dale, but here stands Epson Nodwink nonetheless. And while this particular gnome does not seem entirely pleased to be here, a number of his kin likely find his current whereabouts quite amusing indeed. At first his wounded pride does not make him forthcoming with the details behind his presence in the Ten Towns, but gnomes tend to be a talkative bunch and it isn't long before you get the whole story. Until recently Epson was a resident of Quarrelshigh, a gnomish city in the Troll Mountains of northern Amn. During his time there he gained a reputation for being, in his words, a "legendary practitioner of pranks". He then scoffs, saying his art has never been truly appreciated by others. You've heard that gnomes enjoy a good practical joke, but when Epson describes some of his past trickery, including one stunt which rendered the robes of a local high priest invisible during a prominent ceremony, you can understand how even they would eventually tire of such mischief. So it seems one day a group of elders came to Epson to ask for his help in performing an important task, one which would require him to leave his home and go on a great journey. A merchant in a remote region of Faerûn called Icewind Dale had apparently stumbled upon an ancient tome purported to contain the humor and trickery of the Gnomish god, Garl Glittergold. The temple needed someone to retrieve this most important text and knowing Epson's fondness for the subject matter, thought him the perfect choice. To be the first to glimpse the personal tricks of a god who was often simply referred to as "The Joker", was too much for the young gnome to pass up. With a pouch full of gemstones and a sealed letter from the temple, Epson set out for the distant north. Stiff, sore, and a bit stir crazy after enduring travel on a seemingly unending chain of caravans, he at last reached his destination. Finding the merchant who had acquired the tome was a relatively easy affair. Handing the man the letter, Epson pleaded to purchase the item and after some deliberation, he finally agreed. With a wide smile, Epson held out his arms and happily exclaimed, "Let me have it!" His story trails off then, and he angrily mutters something about an upended bucket of fish innards and smelling like Knucklehead Trout for a week. It seems there never was an ancient tome awaiting Epson Nodwink in Icewind Dale. What he got instead was a taste of his own medicine. This joke was on him.
Ombert Dardragon
Halfling
Male
Fighter
Lawful Good
It doesn't take long for you to realize that Ombert Dardragon is not your typical halfling. Serious and stoic, he possesses a sense of honor that makes him seem like a sort of diminutive paladin. When asked about his code of ethics, Ombert explains that he hopes through honorable action to atone for a member of his family who once exhibited less than such. He goes on to tell you that he was once a member of the local guard in Starmantle, a small city found along the Dragon Coast. It was a position he took at the behest of his father who was a prominent merchant there. It seems there had been an outbreak of thievery in recent months, as residents reported items stolen from homes throughout the city. One night while Ombert stood watch, a storm swept in from the Sea of Fallen Stars. Suddenly, a flash of lightning illuminated the darkened streets and the halfling sentry caught sight of a suspicious figure, moving carefully through the shadows. Ombert followed at a distance and was dismayed when he was eventually led to his own father's home. Thinking the elder Dardragon was soon to become the next victim, Ombert called for his fellow guard and together they rushed inside. It was soon discovered that the supposed intruder had actually been expected company that evening. He was revealed to be a member of the Night Masks, a group of thieves who operated out of the neighboring city of Westgate. The thieves had been working with Ombert's father, who helped them identify Starmantle’s wealthy residents as targets, and then arranged for the stolen goods to be smuggled out of the city using his own merchant vessel. Disgraced by his father's crimes, Ombert resigned his post and left Starmantle shortly thereafter. He booked passage on a ship to the Dalelands, and a short time later gained employment as a caravan guard, traveling throughout the Western Heartlands and to the Sword Coast beyond. Now, many seasons later, he has made it all the way to Icewind Dale. Regardless of where in Faerûn he finds himself, Ombert Dardragon's only wish remains unchanged - to make a difference, and by doing so to one day restore his family's honor.
Jarida Davarad
Dwarf
Female
Fighter/Thief
Chaotic Good
With a sad smile, Jarida tells you that her earliest memory is the sound of a smith's hammer. A member of the tiny dwarven clan Davarad, she is the only child of their most celebrated armorer and weaponsmith. Jarida was always expected to follow in her father's footsteps, but it wasn't long before her interest in forging helms and axe blades waned. As the seasons passed, she was more likely to be found in the mead hall reveling in tales of felled monsters and far away places than in her father's forge. A thirst for adventure grew inside her and when at last she came of age, Jarida told her father of her intent to follow her heart by becoming an adventurer. Her smile fades then and the look in her eyes tells you that her departure from home was not a happy affair. When asked why she would choose to travel all the way to Icewind Dale to begin her adventuring career, her smile returns and she answers your question with one of her own, "Why not?" Her holy symbol displays the unsheathed sword and encircling flame of Haela Brightaxe, patron goddess of dwarven adventurers and an understandable choice for her. Still, proving in some ways she will always be her father's daughter, Jarida can't help but notice the lack of proper arms and armor forged within the Ten Towns. Only a single clan of dwarves, Clan Battlehammer, produces quality equipment for the human settlements here. Most other items made locally lack the touch of a true craftsman, while those of higher value often prove to be premium-priced imports. Perhaps when her adventuring days are at an end, she will setup a forge here and hone her old skills. She thinks her father would like that.
Koriath Moonshadow
Half-Elf
Male
Cleric/Ranger
Neutral Good
The travels of Koriath Moonshadow have spanned the length and breadth of Faerûn. A ranger as well as a priest of the moon goddess Selûne, you learn that he was born long ago in the great city of Waterdeep. Orphaned as a small child, it was only through the care of his older sister Arabella that Koriath survived an early life on the streets. After a time, the two siblings were taken in by a kindly priest whose coin purse Arabella had attempted to pilfer. The pair would become initiates within The High House of Stars, a Selûnian temple which also served as their home. It was a happy time, but sadly it would not last. One fateful night an organization devoted to the evil goddess Shar, known as The Dark Army of the Night, infiltrated their temple-home. Using magical darkfire to set the structure ablaze, the invaders trapped many of the Selûnite clergy, including Arabella, to perish within. Koriath tried to help his sister but he was only a child. When he saw the darkfire and heard the screams of its victims, fear took hold and he fled the city never to return. Alone for the first time in his life, he avoided the company of others and learned to rely upon himself. Untold years have since passed, yet this aversion remains as you find Koriath is anything but comfortable while in your presence. And yet, you sense a kind of peace come over him as he gazes upon the brilliant night skies which are all too common in this northern land. The moon and stars of his goddess so vivid here, perhaps he feels closer to her in this place, and by extension to his sister's memory as well.
Elf - Druid
Elf - Totemic Druid
Human - Shapeshifter
Human - Avenger
Half-elf - Ranger/Cleric
Half-orc - Shaman