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Full Version: Tyranny of Dragons Character Biographies
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Hey guys!  Grab a seat by the hearth and get ready, because our trip into the the world of Toril is about to begin!

A few things to state before we get started:
  • While I have done an abundance of research into the world of the Forgotten Realms, I am no expert.  Some of you may know more than me about established lore, and I'm super excited for that!  I plan on using this setting and these books heavily as a baseline, but I am absolutely not afraid to alter things to enhance your characters' stories.  Don't know where your character is from?  Make it up!  You don't need to use existing characters, places, organizations, or anything else if you don't want to, but you can.  If you make up a brand new crime syndicate or town, we'll make it real.  This is our version of the Forgotten Realms after all, so we can do what we want!
  • This first foray into the Forgotten Realms will comprise of our version of the Tyranny of Dragons campaign.  We will start with the Lost Mines of Phandelver module, which will then move directly into Hoard of the Dragon Queen and Rise of Tiamat.  Depending on what we choose to do, we may take a chapter break between Hoard of the Dragon Queen and Rise of Tiamat, which coincides with somewhere between levels 7 and 10, as well as a timeskip.  Though FR lore has modules occurring in a somewhat chronological order, our versions of the lore will happen either concurrently or in the order we play them in - this means that the heroes (or villains) you play in these games and their legacies may appear in future adventure paths as cameos!
  • The following biography information is not required, but as ever, the more information you give me, the better adventure I can craft for your character!

Player Info
Player Name:  Your name.
Experience with Forgotten Realms Lore:  How much do you know about the world of Toril or the lands of Faerun? (Either through games, books, or previous campaigns.  Don't worry - this is not required, though it will certainly help you - and me!)

Physical Traits
Name:  Your Character's Name.
Alias(es):  Other names your character might go by.
Gender:  What gender, if any, is your character.
Ancestry:  What race, and if present, subrace, are you?  All official race and subrace options are available, plus some custom ones as well.  Please ask me if you aren't sure!
Alignment:  What alignment are you? (To find your alignment, ask yourself two things: Are you Lawful, Chaotic, or Neutral?  Are you Good, Evil, or Neutral?)
Place of Birth:  Where were you born?
Class:  What class are you starting with?
Age:  How old are you?
Height:  How tall are you?
Weight:  How much do you weigh?
Eyes:  What color are your eyes? 
Hair: Do you have any natural or unnatural highlights?  How do you usually wear your hair?
Skin:  What color is your skin?  Do you have any notable blemishes, freckles, birthmarks?
Other Notable Features:  Anything that doesn't fit anywhere else show up here!  Tattoos, injuries, extra arms, etc.

Personality Traits
Virtues:  What traits do you consider to be a boon to yourself?
Flaws:  What sorts of quirks or other negative drawbacks do you have?
Hopes:  What is your dreams or goals of your character?
Fears:  What are you most afraid of?

Open or Closed-Minded? - Are you willing to hear out what others have to say, and do things their way, or are you more inclined to believe that your way is right?
Conscientious or Spontaneous? -  Do you like to plan things out ahead of time, or do you prefer to go with the flow?
Extroverted or Introverted? - Do you enjoy being in the company of others, or do you prefer to be alone?
Agreeable or Disagreeable? - Are you generally a genial sort, or do others find you standoffish or unapproachable?  Is it intentional?
Confident or Neurotic? - Are you aware and capable of your abilities, or do you doubt yourself and fear for your own weaknesses and insecurities?

Social Traits
Backstory:  Here's the fun part.  Feel free to go as in depth as you want here.  Don't worry if you aren't sure if it works - I'll come to you with anything I have questions or concerns about.  Have fun!

Secrets:  Feel free to leave this blank if you want - you only need to fill this out if you have secrets you don't mind EVERYONE knowing right off the bat!

Hook: Why is your character in this campaign? What drives them to keep moving forward, and what will compel them forward? What connection do they have with the party or story, and how will they cooperate with the other PCs in a way that fosters a positive game environment?

Relations:  Under this portion, list any important characters in your character's history, either pre-existing or original!  This can include:
  • Parents
  • Siblings
  • Lovers and Partners
  • Children
  • Close Friends
  • Pets, Companions, or Familiars
  • Enemies
  • Employers
  • Deities
  • And anything more!
Player Info
Player Name:  James Coxen
Experience with Forgotten Realms Lore:  An okay bit. I read the first few Drizzt books, I have a few Forgotten Realms sourcebooks, and as a young ‘un I watched my mom play the original Baldur’s Gate. So bits and pieces, but I’m firmest on the deities.

Physical Traits
Name:  Astredax
Alias(es): Too many aliases to count
Gender:  Male
Ancestry:  Tiefling of Abyssal descent
Alignment:  Neutral Evil, formerly Chaotic Evil
Place of Birth:  None of your business.
Class:  ...Wizard
Age:  None of your business.
Height:  6 ft, 3 inches
Weight:  152 lbs
Eyes:  Red
Hair: Black
Skin:  Ashen gray
Other Notable Features:  An extra index finger on each hand, black horns that sprout from his temples and curve gently back behind his ears, sharp teeth, and of course, the wings.

Personality Traits
Virtues: Virtue. A moralist notion. I am afraid that moralist philosophy means little to me. So instead, I’ll just report my competencies. I am rather clever, I can work well with even the most bellicose people, and most importantly, when I have a task before I get results. That satisfy?
Flaws: I’m a sentimentalist. 
Hopes: Oh, nothing too outrageous. I simply would like to find some old friends. It’d be good to catch up.
Fears: That I’ll never get to enjoy a bath again.

Open or Closed-Minded? - Open-minded in the extreme. A certain cognitive and ethical flexibility has always been a boon to my life.
Extroverted or Introverted? - What can I say? I love people.
Agreeable or Disagreeable? - Oh, I would say that I am a rather agreeable person. The circus requires a certain social capacity.
Confident or Neurotic? - The life I led, the people I dealt with, do you think I would have survived a week if I could not act with certainty and focus?

Social Traits
Backstory: 
    Five years ago, the city of Neverwinter was under threat from an unseen enemy. An insidious cult, masquerading as a travelling carnival, had taken root in the city. The cult, the Scorn of Typhon, worshipped the serpent god Zehir under his Thayan name, and made offerings of discord to their lord. 
    The cult entered the city to enact a plan intended to throw first Neverwinter and then all of Northwestern Faeurun into bloody strife. Working in secret, under the direction of their mysterious master, the Desolate One, the Scorn of Typhon pulled strings within the city’s underbelly and wealthy. Using honeyed words, false promises, blackmail, magic and the occasional poisoning, the Scorn pulled together and assembled an unlikely conspiracy to overthrow the city’s government. This conglomeration of differing opinions, goals, ethics, and classes was held together only through the machinations of the Scorn of Typhon, and the will of the Desolate One.
    Unknown to the duped conspirators, their revolution wasn’t intended to succeed in the long term. Typhon demanded chaos, spite and despair, and thus the Scorn had ensured that their revolution would not survive its own victory. The ties binding the various players and faction were fragile, and beyond their hatred of the Lord Protector, they held little in common. By the Scorn’s design, once Dagul Neverember was dead, the revolutionaries would turn upon one another in a fit of political violence. With the Scorn fanning the flames of sectarian slaughter, the Desolate One hoped that soon the entire Region would be drawn in, and rip itself apart. And once Typhon’s poison had done its work, the Scorn would vanish, the secret instigators of a reign of terror.
    It would have been beautiful. 
    But alas, the Scorn’s plans were undone, not by cunning or vigilance on the part of Neverwinter’s champions, but because of luck. A paladin of Bahumat, and an old foe of the Scorn was following the trail of breadcrumbs the Desolate One had left for him to find, a trail that would have led the gold-scaled zealot to a starring role in the coming butchery, ending of course in his horrible death. But as Lady Misfortune smiled upon the Scorn, the paladin, Jarkul of the Platinum Cadre caught sight of a particularly dim cultist, who led him right back to the cult’s lair.
    What followed was a lot of screaming, mostly from the cultists as a giant golden lizard cut them in half en masse. The Desolate One was defeated, and unveiled before the city as a tiefling known in the city’s dark corners as Astredax. And then, to the surprise of all, instead of being killed, putting the whole fiasco to a conclusion, the Desolate One, Astredax of the Ash was thrown into a cell and left to rot.
    I’ve been here for five years now. But who bothers to count?

Secrets:  That would be telling.

Relations: So would that.
Player Info
Player Name: Kat
Experience with Forgotten Realms Lore: I read most of the Drizzt books. Some bits and pieces here and there from beyond that, but I’m far from an expert. I do wiki dive.

Physical Traits
Name: Nayiss
Alias(es): Many. And the list is continually growing.
Gender: Female
Ancestry: Abyssal Tiefling
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Place of Birth: Waterdeep
Class: Rogue
Age: Late 20s, early 30s
Height: 5’07’’
Weight: What a rude question to ask a lady.
Eyes: Vivid, piercing green against a darker green sclera. Her pupils are slitted like a viper’s.
Hair: A messy mixture of brown and blonde. It’s thick, wavy, and somewhat untameable. She normally just leaves it loose.
Skin: Green and covered in a patchwork of scales that range from fine and delicate to more thick and armored--the most notable ones adorning her shoulders, beneath her eyes, and along her thighs.
Other Notable Features: A glance is typically enough to indicate just what Nayiss’s demonic heritage might be. If the scales, serpentine tail, and snake-like features wasn’t enough, the presence of an additional set of arms in combination screams the likelihood of shaktari blood. She has pointed ears, a forked tongue, distinctive fangs that can fold back like a viper’s, and an ability to dislocate her jaw--though she doesn’t do so often. It tends to unnerve company.

Personality Traits
Virtues: Nayiss is good at her job, and pursues the destruction of greater evil with the same relentless vigor that one would associate with a paladin of vengeance. Unlike many of her abyssal-blooded kin, she doesn’t resent her bloodline, but instead views it as a tool that can be used for the greater good.
Flaws: Nayiss has a degree of vanity and an ego that she loves nothing more than to be stroked. She is also a chronic flirt that has relied on her “exotic” allure so much to get ahead in her various pursuits that it’s very hard to tell if she’s being genuine.
Hopes: The eradication of as much greater evil in the world that she can manage before she’s wiped from its surface.
Fears: That's for her to know, and others to find out.

Open or Closed-Minded? - Incredibly open-minded. Nayiss has operated in many different circles, and has worked with some objectively evil people in order to move further against the bigger threats in the world. She is very much a proponent of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. At least until they also become her enemy.
Extroverted or Introverted? - Extroverted. The more contacts and friends you have, the better off you tend to be.
Agreeable or Disagreeable? - Agreeable. You attract more flies with honey than vinegar, and she’s managed to get quite a few within swatting range. All the same, she’s not one to bend over backwards for people.
Confident or Neurotic? - Confident. Nayiss’s life has been filled with snap-decisions and little room for regrets. If you hesitate, you may wind up dead.

Social Traits
Backstory: Nayiss was born of an unholy union between a marilith and one of the demon’s devout followers. While it was likely she was meant to be a pawn for her mother's machinations, events in her life drove her to rebel against that destiny.

She eventually infiltrated the Cult of the Dragon and she indulged their vices, and committed their sins, pursuing a penultimate goal of destroying the Cult from the inside out.

And while there, she learned.

She learned of demons on their weaknesses, and of what inner workings of the Cult she could muster--intending on turning the knowledge against her fellows the moment she got the chance.

But something, somewhere, went wrong.

Assassination assignments were not an uncommon occurrence. Thus, when she got the kill order for a paladin of Bahamut, she wasn’t surprised. She managed to breach the barracks in the cover of night, looking for the gilt-scaled dragonborn that would be her target, and the prime moment to strike.

Only to be met with strength well beyond her abilities.

The paladin Jarkul thwarted her attempt with an amount of ease that made the true intentions intensely clear: she had been meant to die here.

But she didn’t.

Quickly spilled information got the dragonborn’s attention, and opened the door for more… civil conversation. Recognizing her position in the Cult as defunct, she quickly slid into the new opportunity that was presented and presented any information she could offer: movements and plans she had been privy to, secret signals, things that could be confirmed and validated.

As well as aspects of her identity: the daughter of a demonic matron and a cultist father, now hellbent to see those evils burn.

It was the start of a fruitful partnership, and the assignments she got from her new paladin friend were ones that were far more palatable.

Secrets: They're secret for a reason.

Relations:
  • Jarkul - A dragonborn paladin of Bahamut, and a frequent contact and associate (Nayiss would go as far as say friend). Nayiss works with Jarkul quite frequently in the ongoing battle against the greater evils of the world, and while she prides herself as a professional, he has humored her flirtations enough that they have become a frequent part of their banter when she can slip them in.
Player Info
Player Name: Adam
Experience with Forgotten Realms Lore: A lot of youtube and some audiobooks.


Physical Traits
Name: Lucas Colt
Alias(es): Luke, Colt
Gender: Male
Ancestry:  Variant human
Alignment: Lawful Good 
Place of Birth: Phandalin 
Class: Fighter
Age: 24 (1465 DR Spring, The Era of Upheaval )
Height: 5’ 7”
Weight: 140 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Neck length black
Skin: Medium
Other Notable Features: some light scaring over his arms and hands.
Personality Traits
Virtues: Committed, Excellence.
Flaws: My hatred of my enemies is blinding.
Hopes: To protect my home for my family and friends.
Fears: Harm coming to my family and friends…                                                                Rats. 


Open or Closed-Minded? - Open
Conscientious or Spontaneous? - Spontaneous
Extroverted or Introverted? - Introverted but can be more extroverted with enough ale.
Agreeable or Disagreeable? - Agreeable.
Confident or Neurotic? - Confident.


Social Traits
Backstory: (Age 5-12) Lucas was born on a farm in the hamlet of Phandalin and is the oldest of his six siblings Betha, Ellen, Bran, Gavin, Lander and Kevril and son to Roland and Alissa Colt. He was not strong compared to his siblings and for that reason he was terrible at most of the chores on the farm. He was frustrated with the fact that even though he had the most experience out of his brothers and sisters he would never finish before them.


Age 12 Lucas would sometimes sneak around Phandalin listening to people's conversations. He came upon his Grandfather Narth while he was drinking at the Sleeping Giant taproom talking to Grista, a dwarven woman who owned and operated the taproom. Grandfather Narth was complimenting her Mead that she had prepared last summer and that it was “The sweetest thing I ever tasted”. So Lucas snuck into Grista’s storeroom that night because he wanted to know what it tasted like for himself and he knew that would not be able to try any for some years to come and so took some mead for himself about two whole cups full it had a bit of an odd taste but it was sweet as honey. He drank far too much too quickly and was drooling on the floor, hugging the small cask overnight. Grista found the unconscious boy in the morning when she was getting ready to start work for the day. She promptly dumped a bucket of water on his head, Lucas instantly woke up with some confusion then fear on his face when he looked up to see Grista from his sitting position on the floor.  “What are you doing here boy and what do you think your parents are going to say when I bring them your sorry arse and tell them what you did here.” Lucas replied “I’m sorry ma’am I snuck in here last night because I wanted to try some of that mead that my grandad was raving about last night. I didn't have any coin to pay for it or pay you back with.”  Grista began to speak again “Stealing my goods I could have your fingers for that lad but I know your family there are good folk and your Grandad is one of my best customers. So I will give you the option to work for me and pay me back for what you stole and apologize properly or I can have your little fingers, you pick.” Lucas now knowing the full gravity of his situation nodded as fast as he could and said “Yes ma’am I will work for you just tell me what to do and when to start.” Grista pointed to one of the corners of the room and said “ See that mop, clean up your mess then head home and tell your parents what you did and come back here this afternoon or I will be taking your fingers.” Lucas quickly mopped up the area, he then ran home to tell his parents what he was up to last night he went back to the Taproom a little bit more sore then when he left.


Later when Lucas was 16 summers old he tried practicing at the Archery butt he discovered that he was a good shot with a crossbow. That filled him with joy as he planned to join the local militia to start fresh. That’s the day Daran Edermath saw some talent in Lucas and helped him refine it. Lucas spent the next four years training with Darran when he had time between doing chores at home and working for Grista in the afternoon at the taproom, at the end of those four years Darran told him “That is all I can teach you for now you’re going to need some more worldly experience for anything more advanced.” Lucas spent the next few weeks trying to figure out what Daran said and then Lucas made up his mind on his 20th birthday he told his family that he was going to leave Phandalin and move to Neverwinter.



(Age 20- 24) Lucas decided to leave Phandlin, taking his mentor’s advice, to gain more of this “worldly experience.” Unfortunately for Lucas the only job he found was guard duty for the mercenary company the Order of the Burning Dawn in Neverwinter. Nothing important ever seemed to happen while he was on duty. It was a boring four years. 


Sometimes Lucas would get leave to go home to give some coin to his family and spend time with them. Sometimes he visits Grista’s taproom inside Phandalin for some ale and a chat to unwind. 


(Age 24) A few days before (campaign start) he heard some gruesome rumors that members of the Burning Dawn were being hunted and killed. Lucas weighed his options and opted to leave the company with little to no pay and needed to find a way home.



Secrets: ……...


Relations: 
  • Grandfather: Narth.
  • Parents: Roland, Alissa.
  • Siblings: Betha, Ellen, Bran, Gavin, Lander, Kevril (Kev).
  • Friends: Ander, Thistle, Grista, Daran Edermath, Nayiss.
  • Pet: Bear (Caucasian Shepherd).
  • Former employer: Order of the Burning Dawn (mercenary company).
  • Deities: Ilmater, Torm, Tyr.

Player Info
Player Name:  Ana
Experience with Forgotten Realms Lore:  Played a short campaign in the Forgotten Realms so I know a bit about the lore, especially Waterdeep.  All I know for sure is I can’t go back to Amphail.

Physical Traits
Name:  Izadora Laska
Alias(es):  Azure, Tempest, Marina, Skye, Aqua, Jewel, and a few used briefly and forgotten.
Gender:  Female
Ancestry:  Half Elf (Half-Drow, Half-Moon Elf)
Alignment: True Neutral
Place of Birth:  Athkatla, Amn
Class:  Sorcerer (Draconic Bloodline)
Age:  22
Height:  5’8’’
Weight:  120-ish pounds
Eyes:  Blue, with a slight slit to her pupils
Hair: She changes up her hair color often, and it never stays one way for long.  She always prefers long hair, and tends toward a half-up half-down style.
Skin: Very light grey skin, nearly white. 
Other Notable Features:  Light blue scales streaked with lighter cracks, similar to a larimar stone.  On her back they form in the shape of a dragon.

Personality Traits
Virtues:  She is self confident, ambitious and knows how to place nice.
Flaws:  She can be a bit too money focused.  She can let a large pile of coins blind her from what is clearly a bad idea.  She also has issues creating long lasting social bonds, preferring to stay distant.
Hopes:  To have enough money to live in luxury for the rest of her life.
Fears:  Losing the stability she’s worked so hard to get back.

Open or Closed-Minded?- Open minded when it comes to work (open-mindedness can be increased with money, but she sets a hard rule not to do anything illegal). On a personal level, she knows what she does and doesn’t believe in and will try to stick to her guns for personal matters.
Conscientious or Spontaneous?- She prefers knowing what she’ll be doing next, and doesn’t like unexpected surprises.
Extroverted or Introverted? - Somewhere in the middle.  She can deal with people very well and used to enjoy socializing as a hobby.  She enjoys the satisfaction of a job well-done, which is a social affair.  But now, it’s hard to get attached to people.  She’d rather keep to herself if she can help it.
Agreeable or Disagreeable?- Agreeable in an incredibly superficial way.
Confident or Neurotic?- Her appearance and her capabilities as an escort are the only things she has complete confidence in. 

Social Traits
Backstory:
As the only child of a pair of new-moneyed merchants in the Gem District of Athkatla, Izadora grew up in obscene luxury.  She started manifesting magic at a young age, as well as a couple of blue scales dotted around her body.  This was a problem, as using magic in Amn was illegal for all those but the Cowled Wizards.  While her parents subtly encouraged her to train her magic, they made it clear it was best for her to do so in secret.  They had the wealth and resources to keep such things under wraps, and the young Izadora found the process of training her magic frustrating and tedious anyway. 

She found her parent’s merchant work boring and took little interest in it. She knew her parents owed their success to a wealthy benefactor, but that was it.  They never tried to make her interested in the type of work they were doing and seemed to be perfectly content with letting her live her life as their beautiful, spoiled heiress. And she was just fine with that.

That was how she lived for the first 19 years of her life.  However, things changed drastically almost overnight.

A group of adventurers came to town, taking an interest in her.  She was flattered to receive the attention.  Unbeknownst to her, they were investigating the Laskas connection to criminal activity.  And taking advantage of her carefree nature and naivety, they were able to discern that her magic came from the collusion with a blue dragon. They had been chasing leads for years, and this was the final piece of evidence they needed to prove that her parents and their associates were working with that blue dragon.

And in an instant, her whole life crumbled around her.  The information became public, the Cowled Wizards arrested her parents, and confiscated all of her family’s holdings.  She was let off with a slap on the wrist, seeing as they couldn't prove her involvement, but everyone in the city who cared knew she was capable of casting magic.  Any “friends” she had made over the years were quick to disavow relations to her and her family. 

Her family was gone.  The fortune she had expected to inherit was gone.  She had no one to turn to.  All she had left was her looks and her magic.  And only one of those was a viable option to fall back on in Amn.

Izadora quickly found that working in brothels gave her the stability and validation she desperately craved.  But, as she familarized herself with the trade, she also acquainted herself with individuals who informed her that she could make much more if she implemented her magical abilities.  That was still illegal in Amn, of course. But, the promise of money motivated Izadora in a way she had never been.  (And it was a dumb law anyway, wasn't it?) She fell hard and fast into the temptation.  But given the authorities already had their eyes on her, this was a bad idea.  Warrants were issued, so her and a few other arcane users smuggled themselves out of the country by boat to avoid getting arrested, making their way to Baldur’s Gate. At that point, her parents had yet to be sentenced, thus she never knew what happened to them. 

She and her new “friends” spent a few months establishing themselves in the new city.  However, despite the fact they no longer needed to hide their magic, she found her associates tempted into seedier jobs with the prospect of more coin.  Not wanting to repeat the past, and the previous threat of arrest thoroughly spooking her, Izadora decided to take what she had earned and strike off on her own.  She was on a boat to Daggerford the next day.

It has been about three years since then, and she has slowly made her way up the Sword Coast going by many stage names as she traveled.  Slowly but surely she honed her abilities as an escort.  She began to dye her hair in a variety of exciting shades that set her apart from other girls, and as her magic grew so did the scales covering her body.  She had made herself into a commodity, to the point where madames were poaching her from other brothels.  Izadora regained a sense of pride and confidence in herself.  Most recently she had found herself at the posh and renowned Moonstone Mask in Neverwinter.

As a whole, she had kept on the straight and narrow.  But coin had proven to be a weakness of hers.  It was only going to be a matter of time before the right amount tempted her into doing something incredibly stupid. 

And 1,000 gold was a lot of gold….


Secrets:  Not much of a secret, but Izadora never got over what happened to her in Amn.  She was embittered by the event and is afraid to stay in one place for too long. In her heart she blames herself for letting the “wolves” into her house.  She is terrified of forming attachments to people, as she fears getting hurt again.  Anyone paying enough attention would notice that she only calls people their name if they’re a client of her’s in some way.

Relations: 
Kevkas and Cazra Laska:
Izadora’s parents.  Kevkas was a half-moon elf, and Cazra was a half-drow.  She never knew much about their history aside from they traveled a lot before finding their fortune through making a deal with a blue dragon- and that last part she only learned from a third party.  It was mentioned at one point that Cazra had escaped the Underdark.  But, at the time, Izadora didn’t know what that meant and it was never brought up again.  She at least learned well enough that half-drow best not talk about the fact they are half-drow.

She loved them, but she now knows she didn’t really know who they were. She understands that they hurt a lot of people.  They also got caught because of her.  She isn’t quite sure how to feel about them, given everything that happened.  It’s not like they’re still alive anyway, seeing as they were likely executed for their crimes.  The best option is to really not thinking about them at all, and put them behind her. 


Previous Employers:
A long string of brothels in Baldur’s Gate, Daggerford, Waterdeep and Neverwinter over the past 3 years.  The latest being the Moonstone Mask in Neverwinter.  Too many faces and names to remember. And she hardly stayed around long enough to make any lasting relationships.
Physical Traits
Name:  Hostu
Alias(es): Twinsmiles
Gender:  Female
Ancestry:  Hobgoblin
Alignment:  LN (Likely to shift away from Lawful the longer she’s away from hobgoblin society)
Place of Birth: Unknown
Class:  Fighter/Wizard
Age: 17 (maybe)
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 189 lbs
Eyes: Yellow
Hair: Black, worn in a very long mohawk kept loose and often falling to one side or another.
Skin: Red
Other Notable Features:  Hostu has notable scars on her face, two running vertically beneath her left eye. Her back is covered with lashmarks, the product of an insubordinate youth. Though she usually keeps it covered by a scarf, she also has a large scar running across her throat, the source of her nickname. It is ragged and puckered along its entire length; the scars left by the axe made uglier by the burn scars layered on top of them. Finally her face is heavily pierced, with multiple rings in her ears, brows, and her nose.

Personality Traits
Virtues: Hostu is determined, ambitious, and despite her betrayal of her people, actually a rather loyal person if it’s earned. And like any hobgoblin, she is good at taking orders and acting professionally in the field, though unlike most hobs, she is able and willing to recognize and argue against bad commands. Overall, Hostu manages to take many of the positive traits of hobgoblin society while being skeptical or even averting many (but not all) of its negative aspects.
Flaws:  Characteristic of hobgoblins, Hostu has a deep-seated failure of failure and embarrassment. In her case, it is especially acute. She reacts poorly to her own mistakes, often with anger and recklessness. She is also deeply arrogant and often overconfident, owing to a combination of legitimate pride in her abilities, and deep insecurity about whether or not that pride is valid. She also has a strong curious streak, fueled by a love of learning and also a fervent desire to make up for her limited education.
Hopes: More than anything Hostu is driven by two ambitions. First,  she wants to prove herself as a wizard. Not as a devastator, but as a true master of the arcane, proving both her people and the so-called “civilized” races wrong. Along the same lines, she also wants to make a mark on history. At present she’s largely indifferent as to what kind of legacy she could get; she’d be as happy being famous as a fearsome tyrant as she would be a great hero. She just does not want to be insignificant.
Fears: Failure. It’s a hobgoblin thing to begin with, but as stated above Hostu has an especially bad case, especially in regards to magic. Every enemy that manages to avoid her magic, or Maglubiyet forbid, counter it is proof in her mind that she might not have what it takes to become a real wizard. Likewise, she is also afraid of being on her own, or not being a part of a group or organization. Being truly outcast, not a party of any group or organization would be a harsh blow, one that she is terrified of suffering. 

Open or Closed-Minded? - Hostu is something of a nuanced case. Compared to most hobs, Hostu is extremely open-minded. She’s observant and critical enough in her thinking to realize that many of the ingrained assumptions of her people do not hold up to reality. That being said, she still holds onto a lot of that baggage. She has a hard time grasping that any group can organize without a strict hierarchy, she assumes anyone of a roughly equal position to her is looking to supplant her in favor of themselves, and she assumes that any failure could potentially see her demoted or abandoned. 
Conscientious or Spontaneous? -  Again, there is some nuance here. By her nature, Hostu is driven and action oriented; even normally still activities such as research are undertaken with energy and reckless enthusiasm. But hobgoblin discipline being what it is, when she’s out on a mission Hostu will reign herself in, deferring to her commanders, and working to be a teamplayer. But when she’s off duty, she drops all of that pretty quickly.
Extroverted or Introverted? - Hostu is fairly introverted, with exceptions. She finds herself most comfortable around people who aren’t a threat to her job and ambitions, namely non-casters. When off-duty, she will carouse like any soldier, taking a very work hard, play hard view of things. But even in that context, she prefers small groups over large ones.
Agreeable or Disagreeable? - As said before, Hostu is naturally pretty arrogant and aggressive as a person, happily trash talking enemies and disregarding anyone she determines to be an idiot. But when in the field, she will reserve that solely for the enemy. Off-duty, she wears her heart on her sleeve, and at heart Hostu is an angry, obsessive, and neurotic individual.
Confident or Neurotic? - Yes.

Social Traits
Backstory: 

The life of a hobgoblin, normally, is one of duty, and obedience. From birth, young hobs are put through endless training and tests, raised communally under the attention of the aged and maimed warriors and priests who are their teachers. Most are destined for the battle line, a few are earmarked for command, and an ever smaller number are inducted for more specialized roles among the Iron Shadows or the Academy of Devastators.
    Hostu was marked for the trenches.
    A fierce child who was commonly cited by her teachers for both fighting and insubordination (usually by asking questions), Hostu was aware at an early age of the differences between her and her peers. The other children didn’t seem interested in anything beyond the small world of the training camps and their future in the Legions.
    Not her. It began with questions, but over time crystalized into something else. It was the appearance of a devastator, at the camp to test and recruit for the Academy that did it. A tall hobgoblin, staff in one hand, tome in the other. With a word and gesture, the devastator set an entire practice field aflame, Hostu was entranced, and at that moment she knew what she wanted. To be not just a devastator, but the greatest of all time. She would study, she would train, and she would burn her mark so deeply into the Legion that no one would ever forget her name.
    She excitedly told the devastator as much before her test. He watched her, nodded, and then shooed her away. She went through the examination, testing her potential and abilities as a devastator.  At no point in her young life had she been more determined to succeed.
    The devastator did not choose her. Six other young hobgoblins were selected for the Academy, to ride out with the recruiter the following day. She was sent back to normal training, to become another faceless grunt in the Legions. No explanation was given.
    At first she was simply stunned. Then after that she was furious, and then after that, she was simply more determined. She was still going to achieve her dream. 
    As a grunt, it wasn’t much too long after the devastator left that Hostu was sent out to the field for the first time. She was tall and strong, and while her temper often got her into trouble with her superiors and fellows, she had a natural talent for combat. The bruises and busted noses of the members of her unit who thought to teach her humility were evidence of this. 
    Perhaps in another life she might have found satisfaction with being just an exceptional soldier. But while she was earning equal parts admiration and ire from the Legion for her exploits on and off the field, she had a secret. The day the devastator had taken the chosen children off to the Academy of Devastation, she’d had a “talk” with one of the supposedly gifted young hobs. As was intended, he left the camp the next morning to pursue a future as a devastator. But no doubt he would face a harsh start to his time in the Academy, seeing he’d “misplaced” the novices spellbook, containing a few rudimentary cantrips, he’d been given.
    Hostu hid the book from everyone, and when she was assured of her privacy she studied it relentlessly. It took her some time, working on her own, but she was able to learn how to replicate the components sufficiently to cast the spells. 
    Her second chance came when volunteers were called for to guard one of the Academy’s scouts on his rounds. She jumped at the chance, and by this point anyone thinking to take the slot from her knew better. The scout’s name was Odz.
    The Legions generally prefer to keep as many devastators out in the field as possible for obvious reasons. Thus those assigned to work full time as instructors at the Academy of Devastation generally fell into a few categories. There were the wash-outs, too old or too crippled to continue in the field. There were the steadfasts, unimaginative, untalented, but dedicated enough to Maglubiyet and the Legions to drill their loyalty into the heads of students who might otherwise get ideas. And then there were the outcasts, too valuable to kill, but too divergent from the orthodoxy to be trusted. 
    Odz was of the latter category. A lifelong devastator, and self taught hunter and explorer, he’d spent his youth agitating for changes in the Academy of Devastation’s methods, and in the Legions approach to magic. Magic was seen as a weapon no different form a sword, and thus no emphasis was put on the frivolous study of magical theory. A devastator didn’t need to know about the Weave or how it was harnessed for spellcraft; if they could learn and perform the components of a spell, that was all that was necessary. Odz disagreed. You just had to look at what the humans, elves, and other “weak” races’ wizards achieved. The Academy as it existed produced predictable, reliable spellcasters, but it did so by stifling potential and innovation.
    This was not a popular opinion, and neither was Odz’s fascination with innate magic, and sorcery. He frequently agitated for the idea of intentionally seeking to create sorcerous bloodlines in the Legions, as a way of supplementing their magical powers. The warmasters again, were not in favor of or appreciative of the suggestion. And so despite having put together a truly impressive early career as a devastator, Odz’s middle years had been confined to teaching at the Academy, his lessons carefully monitored by more traditionalist administrators.
    Odz had not been looking forward to this scouting mission. As the years had gone, he’d found the task more and more depressing, delivering intelligent young hobgoblins to a place that would drown whatever brilliance they might possess. So when one of the faceless grunts assigned to guard him told him that she wanted to be considered for the school, he ignored her. It wasn’t uncommon for ambitious young grunts who’d failed to qualify to try again, and he didn’t have the patience for it. He assumed his failure to even recognize her words would shame her into silence.
    Instead she punched him in the face, broke the nose of one of her fellow bodyguards and sent a third staggering back with a surprisingly well cast firebolt. Pain and fury immediately gave way to curiosity as Odz stared up at the insubordinate young hobgoblin. 
    Hostu received two hundred lashes for her actions. But when she was finally allowed to drop from the post, bleeding and barely conscious, Odz knelt down beside her and asked her her name.
    She managed to get it out, and managed to pull together enough strength to ask again if she could enter the Academy. Odz gave her a nod, a smirk appearing on his face as she passed out immediately after gasping out one more word.
    “Finally.”
    It was highly irregular for a hobgoblin of Hostu’s age to be allowed into the Academy of Devastation, especially one with Hostu’s record. But Odz still had some friends in high-ish places, and he was able to pull together enough influence to silence doubts and get Hostu in the door. She would be at a disadvantage, competing against students who were younger than her and who’d studied while she’d been just a body in a shield wall. She also was an anomaly, and Odz took pains to make it clear to her that if any failures of ability or discipline on her part would see her expelled in shame. In the simplest terms, she was expected to fail, and in fact it was preferred that she fail.
    “But I don’t think you will, little brawler?” 
    And she didn’t. The years at the Academy were difficult for Hostu, though they were also rewarding in many ways. She was finally learning magic, to conjure and wield the power that had so entranced her as a youth. And for all the years she’d missed out on, she was clearly a prodigy, pushing herself to the forefront of her class. Odz helped her immensely, bending the rules by tutoring her in secret, and outright breaking them by lending her texts she was not cleared for. All of it she absorbed greedily. The two outsiders grew close. Odz was the first to take an interest in Hostu as an individual, and to believe in her. In turn, Odz was impressed by Hostu’s talent and by her fire. 
    Other instructors were less supportive. Similarly were her fellow students, who in traditional hob fashion banded together against the outsider. She was stronger, and a better fighter than them, but numbers and experience with magic was more than enough to put the odds in their favor. Hostu let none of this phase her, and took every opportunity to beat them, both physically and academically. And she took pains to ensure that none of her indiscretions were reported. She’d learned those lessons as well.
    Things were going apace, and Hostu was quickly approaching her graduation, at the top of her class no less. By this point most of her rivals had been humiliated into submission, and even the instructors had to begrudgingly admit her abilities. It was recognition, the first she’d received, and it was sweet. Odz was especially proud, which was even sweeter.
    But the day before graduation, disaster struck the Academy. A cockatrice had somehow gotten into the complex, and was running amok, injuring and petrifying anything that crossed its path. Alone among the confused student body, Hostu knew where the beast had come from. Odz, ever fascinated by magical beasts, had had it captured and smuggled into a secret lab he’d established, the same place he’d given Hostu her unauthorized lessons. Terrified of losing her mentor and only friend, Hostu raced to the lab, only to find it emptied. All of the books, the equipment, the components, all gone. 
    Hostu was no fool. She ran out, and taking a guess as to which direction Odz had gone, she gave chase. She caught him at the very edge of the complex, all of his possessions in a bag slung over his back.
    The two stared at each other for a long moment. There was an unspoken invitation on Odz’s face, though he kept one hand on his wand just in case. Hostu just watched him, her hand also on her focus, unable at the time to understand what was happening or why. For a moment she considered it, trying to stop him. Catching a deserter, especially one who’d caused such damage, would be a boon to her career. Her star would rise quickly with that behind her. 
    But Odz would die, and before that she would have to fight him. And she did not want to see the look in his eyes if she did that. She took her hand away from her weapon, and took a step back to walk away.
    “Don’t let them hold you back, Hostu. Don’t let anyone ever hold you back,” Odz called after her, before vanishing into the wilderness. Despite the best efforts of the Iron Shadows, and the Legions, he was not captured. 
    Hostu graduated, a little later than planned due to the damage the cockatrice had caused, but she did. Odz’s defection and his absence hurt, but not enough to ruin the day. She’d finally achieved her dream. She was a devastator. And soon she would prove herself to be the greatest Devastator in the history of the Legions. 
    That wasn’t what happened, unfortunately. Upon her graduation, Hostu was sent out into the field, and assigned to Legion detachment with the Cragmaw Clan. Her mind was flush with ideas; ways to expand on the Academy’s teachings and make the most of the battlefield’s potential as a school and lab. New spells, new tactics, ways to revolutionize how Maglubiyet’s children could weaponize the arcane. 
    The reactions to her ambitions were the same as they had been for Odz before her. Fireballs, scorching rays, and cantrips were all the Legion required. The first few dismissals resulted in lost teeth and broken noses for her fellow devastators, and punishment for Hostu herself. She was refamilizaried with the whipping post. But Hostu would not be deterred. She just had to await her moment, just as she had when she’d first met Odz.
    She thought her moment had come when she was assigned to a raiding party being sent to gather supplies for the Clan. She was the only devastator assigned to the party. Finally free of the oversight of her seniors, Hostu was excited to see what she could try on the battlefield.
    The first two targets they hit were easy enough, and gave Hostu the chance to observe, test, and take notes on the effects of the spellcraft. But the third target, a humble trading post, was not as it had been portrayed during the briefings. 
    In truth, the raid Hostu had been assigned to was merely a feint. The targets were intended to draw attention away from other, better prepared parties that had been sent out shortly after Hostu’s band. She and the warriors she’d been sent out with hadn’t been sent out to die, so much as calculated as acceptable casualties. Their deaths had been accounted for and found acceptable. Normally, a devastator would not be thrown away so easily. But Hostu had made herself an exception.
    The raiding party hit the trading post as planned, and were promptly ambushed. A militia force drawn from the surrounding area had predicted their next target and had laid in wait. It was a massacre for the raiders. The ambushers themselves took heavy casualties, mainly due to Hostu’s evocations. It wasn’t enough however, and she herself was cut down, a farmer’s axe carving across her neck. She would have died if the farmer hadn’t been slain immediately after by one of her comrade’s spears. 
    Bleeding grievously from her throat, Hostu crawled into the nearby underbrush, and managed to close the wound with fire magic before passing out. She came to some hours later, having been overlooked by the victorious humans. The bodies of her fellow goblins had been gathered up and burned. 
    Once she’d gathered what little strength she had, Hostu scavenged what she could from the battlefield, including one of the human’s maps, and began to make her way back to the Clan. Had she been weaker of will or body, she would not have made it. But she did, much to her superior’s surprise.
    It took her some weeks to recover from her injuries, and the axe blow had done permanent damage. Her voice would no longer go above a rasp, and speaking too much was painful, but it was a small loss compared to what her comrade’s had lost. She received a commendation for her resourcefulness in the field, and a deed-name. Twinsmiles, for the twisted smirk that now stretched across her throat.
    Her superiors and peers made no effort to hide their surprise at her survival, nor did they hide how little they had cared for her potential loss. She’d survived, which was good for the Clan and the Legions. Most of them assumed she would take the whole fiasco as a sign to check her attitude and fall in line. This was a foolish assumption.
    While Hostu recovered, she studied the map she’d stolen off the blood soaked ground that had almost been her grave. She thought about the obstacles she’d overcome in her life, about Odz, about her fellows, about her people in general. She stared at the map and saw no goblin territory marked upon it. She knew it was there, but only on the margins. They existed in the hinterlands, in the badlands, the places the humans, elves, and others didn’t care for. For all the Legions’ discipline and strength, they had no nations, no great tracts of territory. They raided, and stole, and yes conquered some, but always to be driven back to their holdfasts in undesired lands. 
    The conclusion was clear to her. Her entire life it had not been her people’s enemies who had been her greatest problem. Likewise, for all the preaching of Maglubiyet’s faithful, it was not the humans who held the goblinoid people back. They held themselves back, and they were holding her back. It had almost cost her her life, but Hostu finally understood Odz’ words, why he’d deserted.
    Her course was clear. She had to leave, to follow Odz’ footsteps and carve her own path in the world free of her people’s rules. Hostu returned to her duties upon her recovery, and she spoke no more of making waves or of magical experimentation. She did exactly as she was told, and allowed her superiors to think that maybe she’d finally learned her lesson. 
    She just had to wait until her moment came. 

Relations: 

Odz (pronounced Ode-zz): Hostu’s teacher and mentor. A middle-aged hobgoblin who in his youth had all the makings of a sterling career ahead of him. Odz had a natural talent for magic and was a vicious combatant, bringing many victories to the Legions through his magic. Unfortunately for him, his talents were wedded to a curious and questioning mind. Odz studied magic in a manner more like an elf than a devastator, going out of his way to collect and preserve any magical texts he could, and even taking prisoners of enemy mages so that he might discuss magic with them. For a time his eccentricities were ignored, but eventually Odz was given the choice between his passion for magic and his career. He chose the former and found himself banished to the Academy. Even there he was watched and denied opportunities to research by the school’s administration. For a time Odz gave up and settled into bitterness. It wasn’t until he met Hostu that his spark reignited. The two hobgoblins shared a bond that in another society might have been seen as that of a surrogate father and daughter. They encouraged each other. Odz acted as a mentor and teacher to Hostu, showing her the potential he’d seen for magic, the things that could be accomplished. Hostu herself reminded Odz of himself in his youth, and her refusal to be turned away reaffirmed his own conviction. It was likely Hostu who inspired Odz to finally desert the Legions, and he in turn who inspired her. Hostu fondly remembers Odz, alone among her people. She hopes one day to see him again, and to show him how her strength has grown. 
So this is a whole campaign late.

Player Info
Player Name
: Stef
Experience with Forgotten Realms Lore: A big pile of nothing, will research the elemental plane of air before I play, but Koh is a stranger to the material plane? So, a stranger shall I stay. We’re like two+ months in and I haven’t posted this. heuheuhe

Physical Traits

Name:  Koh Koro
Alias(es):  Bird person? Koh-no!~
Gender:  Female
Ancestry: Dacelan
Alignment:  Neutral/Chaotic Good
Place of Birth:  The Elemental Plane of Air, on the flying barge Koro
Class:  Bard, Valor-type
Age: “18, though we reach adulthood around 12 - 13 years of age! Approx 22-24ish in your human years.”
Height:  5 ft 2 in.
Weight:  110lbs, ish? Hollow bones n’ all.
Eyes: Turquoise-- quite the fancy color!
Hair: “HA. Hair? A rich series of creamy white, bark browns and beautiful stripes in a gradient from light turquoise to navy blue on my plumage~”
Skin: “See your anthropocentric “hair” question, mate.” ;>
Other Notable Features:  “On this plane, apparently, I’m a “huge bird person, or a chicken” guess I’d call that notable? Also, alas, no thumbs and no cheeks to play woodwind instruments-- a shame, that!”

Not exactly a physical feature, but Koh comes equipped with a small battery of string instruments that she’ll play whenever possible. Her favorite is a tie between the mandolin and the mountain dulcimer. While she can also play a variety of percussion instruments with ease, it’s not her speed if given the option.

Given her recent arrival on the material plane, she’s been absolutely captivated by both woodwind and brass instruments-- too bad she doesn’t have lips or cheeks to play them.

Personality Traits
Virtues:
Not easily offended, Koh is quick to adapt to her surroundings and take almost any situation she’s in in stride. With a smile and a (very loud) laugh, Koh navigates her way through life with general optimism and a high tolerance for just about everything. Overall, she can adapt to situations with a degree of ease that Stef envies.

Flaws:  As her species goes, Koh can be a little too relaxed about serious situations. She sometimes will act for entertainment’s sake alone, only to realize that she’s in, knee-deep into something exceptionally serious. She doesn’t look too deep into things, she’s fine with staying friendly and keeping things smooth by skimming the surface.

She, too, will talk off the cuff and she can be verbally forward, expressing distrust, upset, or any other negative emotion easily. When she decides to care, she cares deeply. It can come across far more serious than she means it to. She had not noticed this as a potential problem yet. Koh doesn’t handle stress well.

Hopes:  While Koh has the obvious hopes of seeing her family again and continuing to live, she keeps her hopes fluid and tempered to situations. She dreams of many thing, but the hopes are fleeting and she, half the time, would rather see what comes up by her living her best life.

Thus, right now, she hopes to see all she can, gain some stories for the road, and see all that she can in the strange world of man. With her feet on the ground? A lot seems possible in this wide world.

Fears:  Entrapment is a fear of Koh’s-- though the slavers did her no favors, as the right to be free and the right to do as she pleases is an intrinsic one from the egg.

While Koh doesn’t suffer from a huge fear of the unknown, she has been uncertain as she has been facing so many dangers, one after another. Thus, this seems to be a newly developed fear on the material plane.

Open or Closed-Minded? - You’ve got to be open-minded when you’re the weirdest thing that people see in a day!
Conscientious or Spontaneous? Walking the line between both, Koh encourages spontaneity in herself and others, but she measures what harm it will do to others. If harm should befall anyone, it should be the risk-taker, not the bystanders. Thus, she is both.
Extroverted or Introverted? - She’s a bard. Extroverted.
Agreeable or Disagreeable? Perhaps too agreeable at points, Koh’s go-with-the-flow personality can and will continually tie her up in promises and situations that may be out of her talons. But, that’s half the fun.
Confident or Neurotic? Koh is nothing if not confident in herself and her abilities, with a relaxed and confident sense of self, she ventures on in this plane. The recent days have wound her a little tighter than she would like, thus she is working on stress management.

Social Traits
Backstory:
  Born on the Elemental Plane of Air to Koorat and Kahraha, Koh and her sibling Kooraka shared a happy nest of two. The nestmates were raised cozily amidst the rest of the Koro barge, happy and healthy. They have a medium-large host of other siblings spread about the barge and the Plane of Air. Collectively, their childhood was family/community oriented and relatively comfortable.

Koh took on the role of the more relaxed sibling, as she supported her clutchmate’s adventures by playing wingman and being the literal instrumentals to Kooraka’s voice. Up until Koh’s disappearance, they spent nearly every day together, rarely out of eyeshot. The barge allowed for such close knit behavior.

Growing up, the siblings spent great amounts of time steeped in the traditions of their people (partially simply out of necessity). Every proper Dacelan knows a few things:
  1. A useful trade to help the riot.
  2. Folk tales of heros, flight, and open sky.
  3. How to laugh at just about anything.
  4. Community and family above all-- the riot cannot survive without such commitments.

Needless to say, Koh is great at being a Dacelan. She learned wood carving throughout her fledgling years, opting to help fix both weaponry and her home of Koro with a fine eye for detail. She, too, would play her part in defense of the riot if monsters were to attack the barge. While woodworking was her riot-given gift, her biggest (and most obvious passion) came in music.

After a day’s work, and the next day’s and the next, Koh always took it upon herself to regale her riot with the finest in musical entertainment and storytelling. She was often accompanied by one of her siblings, if not her clutchmate, too.

While life on the Koro barge was (and isn’t) that easy, per say, the sense of community and strong ties that Dacelan naturally form make the days pass fast and the struggles seem softer. Materials and food are a regular point of concern, but as it takes a community, they will find a way to get by. As they float on, they’re bound to run into something interest, or tasty, or both.

In the rare occasion that Decelan riots meet each other in the boundless skies of the Elemental Plane of Air, it is cause for immediate celebration. The great wooden structures will be temporarily strung together for anywhere between a week at the shortest and a month at the longest.

Members of each community are able to move freely between each side, reuniting with rarely-seen family, exchanging valuable information/stories/supplies, and (arguably the most important function) In these long barge joinings, young Dacelan will spend time with one another. They spend time seeking mates from outside of their own barge, keeping bloodlines and alliances fresh through a practice of willing exchange. If a mate is suitable, one will make the choice to join a new barge in hopes to kindle a lifelong relationship. These early courtship rituals involve a funny amount of pomp and circumstance-- games, competitions, singing together, and shows of practical skills to woo the other. Practicality trumps sexuality-- though healthy plumage never hurts.

It was at one of these very joinings, when the Koro and Aka barges met between a smallish clump of dirt floating in the winds, that Koh’s adventure began.

Being of the appropriate age to seek courtship, Kooraka and Koh swore a pact: they both go or they both stay. It did not take long to lay eyes upon a rather eligible bachelor from Aka, a handsome male Dacelen by the name of Oorat.

The three quickly became inseparable, spending the few carefree weeks of time together in a strange dual flirting role. Oorat was happy to spend time equally with the siblings, entertained and intrigued by the siblings glued together at the hip and how they were not jealous when he flirted with one or the other. The one he wasn’t crooning over would be cheering on the other, and they were seamless in either role.

In the few moments they were left to their own devices, Kooraka and Koh’s pact was working perfectly so far. As he was the only one that had interested them, the plan was to woo him to stay on Koro with them. No hard feelings between them if the other got chosen-- as the goal was to all be family in the end. Just as the rest of their relationship had gone, they would simply continue to cheer each other on.

Splendid weeks passed, and upon the last night together, Koh and Koo went to propose their idea to Oorat. (If he agreed, but wasn’t ready to pick, it would be fine!) They met him where both barges were docked, onto the odd little spit of untethered land that had been used as a bridge between the massive barges.

Oorat had been of some similar mind, as he’d presented the siblings with a stash of (rather rare) fermented berries to share between the three of them. The three cavorted and watched the endless skies churn on, laughing and holding a series of small jam sessions.

Koh and Raka exchanged glances and nodded. It was time. Almost clandestinely, as soon as they opened their beaks, a great gust of wind and a hum of energy could be heard. Perplexed and deeply tipsy, the three ventured forth to investigate.

A bright, silvery, slipstream was blowing up towards the endless light. The air rushing up was nearly visible in its torrential stream.

“Woaaaaah.” They cooed in unison.

After standing, beaks agape, at the anomaly they approached with caution. The wind ruffled their feathers, their eyes transfixed upon the pillar of wind.

After mulling it over, Koh agreed to check it out. The innate risk taking nature of the Dacelan said… it would probably be fine. She laughed, bowed, and waved, giving a false goodbye to her beloved sibling and prospective family member.

Everything went black.

Koh woke up on the ground. On. The. Ground.

Shit.

She was then abducted by slavers shortly thereafter, all while trying to figure out where she was.

[Follow the Adventure of Pre-Party Koh in the Threads: Summer Break and The Odd Ones Out]

Secrets:  Eh, who needs ‘em?

Relations:

Gumnut: Koh’s mandolin. A fifteen-stringed monstrosity that Koh absolutely adores. It wasn’t the first instrument that she ever crafted, but it was the one that she gathered the materials for herself. Years of careful, rare, wood selection have been crafted into the instrument. She’s never far from him. Gumnut is the only member of Koh’s family that came with her to the material plane.

“Fine, fine. I know Gumnut isn’t alive or anything, but he’s just that important to me!”

Karaha Koro: Koh’s mother. A brazen woman and a trailblazer, Karhra is a force to be reckoned with in the riot. Bossy and nosy, Karhra knows everyone’s business around Koro. Though the barge only houses their small-sized riot, it does not stop her from being everybody’s best friend-- because she said so.

In truth, though Karhra is a force of personality, she came out of the egg equipped with a rare gift. She talks, gives unwarrented advice, and learns from the mistakes of others. Surprisingly careful, Karhra tailors her own life carefully, as to not dig the same pitfalls as others.

A diligent mother, she’s raised several successful clutches into hardworking, Koro-worthy, Dacelan.

Koorat Koro: Koh’s father. Opposites did not attract in Koh’s family. Koorat is just as strong willed and proud as his mate. Loud and opinionated and nearly always jovial, Koorat is the epitome of a “dad.” He’d wear white champions and burp real loud, if only he had the facilities for it. The puns and poor humor, though? That stays. That always stays.

He is the one with musical talent, often teaching his chicks some kind of instrument, or at least installing a sense of rhythm within his hatchlings during their time together.

Kooraka Koro: Koh’s clutchmate, non-binary (they/she), often called Koo or Raka, rarely by their whole name. Surprisingly, for how outspoken Koh can be, Kooraka was always the most adventurous and bright of the two. They’re a radiant individual who can easily cause a fuss, start a party, or simply gather a crowd with the clack of their beak. Kooraka’s optimistic attitude has a way of spreading easily throughout the barge.

‘Raka’s often shining personality makes them a people pleaser, to the point where they can waiver if things don’t do their way. While not plagued with anxiety, Raka can sometimes get too far into their own head. Koh was able to balance out her sibling well, each account for the other and flourishing together.

Known for a bright singing voice, robust and clear, Kooraka was often accompanied by Koh’s own instrumental prowess. In a fitting metaphor for Koh’s relationship with Koo, competition really was never a matter of concern. They simply were able to complete the other’s song and understand each other with that weird ~twin~ vibe.

Oorat Aka: A flashy young male Dacelan with a musical gift to rival both Kooraka and Koh. Dark in eye and dark of plumage, a witty twinkle in his eye seems to be his signature. A little oafish in his straight forwardness, yet charming in his humility, quippy remarks, and lackadaisical attitude? What a catch, a perfect mate for similarly perfect Dacelen.

The clutchmates hit it off with Oorat, as they harmonized easily. Gentle yet magnetic in his presence, he was easily able to match the musical stylings of Kooraka and Koh with a clear love of percussion. The three played nightly, and for the few weeks the Aka and Koro barges were joined, they were inseparable.

At the time of Koh’s vanishing, he seemed to show little preference between the siblings.

Other siblings from other clutches: Kolo, Kono, Takaha, Takahe, Arak, Rakaka, Cacka, Karak, Kooka, Weka, Haraka, Halla, and Hoot.