Barrett

D&D 5e - Of Seas and Snakes

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Stepping into the market square was like stumbling into memory lane for Zevemar. There was the Drowsy Druid, the tavern behind which Zevemar had first thrown up after discovering that while the Half-Orc tolerance for alcohol was better than that of a human's, it was by no means unlimited. And there was the public library, the largest collection of books he'd ever seen until travelling to The Spire and having his horizons expanded exponentially. And the oddities haberdashery and the clothes shops and the fountain and vendors... Despite his assertions to Io that he had no fond memories of this town other than his father and that his childhood had been nothing but a series of unending hardships, Zevemar couldn't deny in his heart of hearts that there had been good moments. The warm glow of nostalgia warming him, the young wizard quite forgot what he was in the square for and simply wandered around for a quarter of an hour.

It wasn't until he was admiring the new sign for the Blacksmiths (the previous one had been much shoddier but Zev felt a small tinge of longing for it to still be there, if only to make everything look the same as it once had) and he caught a glimpse of familiar scarlet hair that Zevemar was jolted from his reverie. Io was draped against the door frame, wrapped in a new shawl and appeared to be making eyes at the blacksmith's boy, Belen, who in turn was bashfully shooting her glances in-between working at the anvil. Hurrying up to her, Zev had a slight smile on his lips and a snippy comment just raring to be let loose when he felt... something. It wasn't a threatening something, he didn't think, it was like eating a dish you haven't had in years and finding it to be both new old and old, familiar and strange, at the same time. Most of all though, he felt the titillating tingle of destiny.

And all of it coming from a lanky figure in blue off to the side, currently surrounded by children.

So rather than walk up behind Io to deliver a snarky remark, probably something about how bothering hardworking young men wasn't considered good manners around these parts or possibly 'what would your nobby parents say if you brought him home?', Zevemar tapped her on the shoulder, greeted her with his normal half-apologetic smile and then pointed at the storyteller.

"Who's he?"

D&D 5e - Of Seas and Snakes

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With a grin, Zevemar turned to the front door and stared down at the handle. He felt the shape of the spell curled up in the back of his mind, fresh and strange but bristling with possibilities. With a thought, he expelled it from inside his head through his mouth, the incomprehensible words of power he muttered acting as a conduit and the lock as the target. There was a satisfying click as the door unlocked itself and then a hollow boom as the spell's discharge echoed off the local houses. It was by no means a subtle spell, attracting attention to itself whenever it was used. Zevemar assumed that its creator had intended this, meaning to hinder any who would use it for its obvious effectiveness in illicit activities.

Stepping out with Quilla on his right shoulder and his staff in his other hand, the young half orc felt pretty content. After all, he had two fresh spells in his book, his father had been glad to see him and was well occupied with work and, best of all, he didn't have to stay in Alanla for too much time. Io would probably be done with shopping by now and they'd be able to leave in the morning, not dwelling long in this town of loudly whispered remarks and suspicious glances.

It was perhaps this sense of ease that led Zevemar, never one to remember the layout of streets as well as he did the footnotes of history, down the wrong lane, up the wrong street and right round the bend. Within half an hour he was both totally lost and convinced that someone had moved all the house in the town while he'd been away. It took him another half an hour to get back on the right track and finally find the market square, a full seven hours after Io had set off. While Zevemar had rarely met anyone with the patience for shopping that she had, he somehow doubted she was still in the area.

Still, how much mischief could she really have gotten into in that time?

D&D 5e - Of Seas and Snakes

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With a grin, Zevemar settled into his familiar position on the floor beside his father. Many happy hours had been spent in this position during his childhood, just the two of them and their books, maybe with a hot drink or two to stay cosy. This was how Zev learned Draconic and Celestial, through long hours on the smooth wooden floor, under the gaze of the warm Illio sun and his father's approving eyes. So too had he learned his first spell, Friends, casting it over and over on a pair of hamsters until it was easy as breathing.

That memory, though, was bittersweet, as the mastering of his first spell had been the day that Andrimar had decided he was ready to be sent to The Spire. Before that time, Zevemar had assumed that he would simply learn from his father, staying with him in Alanla and studying every spell that Andrimar knew. It had been a childish expectation, he knew that now, but sometimes he missed those days, when the world outside was so much vague rumour and the world inside was a space of safety, books and education.

Not that he regretted going to The Spire, obviously, he'd met Io there and learned spells that he knew his father had never bothered with; evocations, illusions and, of course, Divinations. Sometimes he missed this house and its comforts but now it seemed he had the best of both worlds. He could wander the world with his best friend and still stop off at home to do what Io never wanted to, spend hours slaving over a single incantation.

It took time, hours and hours, to copy out the component lists, the historical usages and then much more time to get the casting down to an exact science. Illusory Script was fun, Zev concealing more and more sarcastic texts behind the illusion, and Knock was easy if irritating to test, Zev unlocking the front door with it and both of them covering their ears to drown out the booming sound that followed.

But after no more than six or so hours, the two spells were safely nestled in Zevemar's book, each carefully blotted and painstakingly inked. The father and son were happy, flushed with the triumph of learning the spells, until Zevemar looked up and frowned.

"Uhm... Where is Io?"

D&D 5e - Of Seas and Snakes

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With a quiet tut-tut, Zevemar started moving around the floor and gathering up the scattered scrolls, books and general chaff from his father's work process. It wasn't uncommon for either of them to get so deep into studying or writing that the normal conventions of cleaning up after yourself no longer applied and both were used to the other picking up the slack. Without Zevemar around though, it seemed like it had been some time since anyone had even tried to make things look neat and proper.

While searching, Zevemar's attentive eyes picked up the names and incantations of a couple of spells that might be suitable for his spellbook. Nothing particularly impressive and certainly no evocation but useful, practical spells, exactly what he'd expect his father to be casting. He set them aside on one chair while replacing books back on the shelves and piling up paperwork on one of the tables. With any luck, his father would have scribing materials to spare and wouldn't mind sharing them with his beloved, if wayward, son.

Coming to rejoin the other two at the kitchen table and trying to avoid Io's smug gaze, Zev waits for an appropriate pause between Andrimar and Io's exchange to ask his question.

"What are you working on here dad? It looks like you're burying yourself under paper for something big, what is it?"

Justice League: Shadow of the Gods (Always Open)

Upon reflection, I think I'll sit this one out, so consider Nightwing and Ra's Al Ghul open again.

Good luck with the game.

D&D 5e - Of Seas and Snakes

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"Hush now Quilla or you're going back in the box."

Telepathic communication is a little different to simply talking, as the messages don't carry a verbal tone but instead pick up moods and associations from the mind that sent them. Quilla's message, for example, had come with lazy malice and a touch of boredom. Zevemar's, meanwhile, had none of the irritation the actual message would imply and felt more like half a message, sent as an automatic reaction to Quilla's poking.

It was strange coming back here, it always was. The Spire was, for all it faults, full of a diverse selection of races and beings. Humans there rubbed shoulders with Gnome Wizards with no more friction than they did with Dragonborn Sorcerers or even other humans. Most of the trouble came from elitism in other ways, like the Illusion specialists looking down on the inelegant Evocation casters or the well educated, hard working Wizards turning their noses up at lowly Sorcerers, only able to use magic by luck of birth.

Not that Zevemar shared any such prejudices, of course, he thought quickly. Even inside the privacy of his own head, the young Wizard was careful not to disparage Io's discipline, that would cause far too much trouble if it slipped out and you never knew who could cast Detect Thoughts. And if Io should decide he didn't respect her magical abilities (which of course he did, few more) then she might decide he need a demonstration and start throwing Chromatic Orbs around. Worse, she might take some real offence and stop talking to him, leaving him only with Quilla for company and unsympathetic company at that.

Shaking off such nervous thoughts, Zev pulled a small smile onto his face and turned properly to his Elvish companion.

"I'd forgotten that sign altogether, we painted it together when I was about seven. And then again a few weeks later when it was torn down one night. And then again and again, every few months, till I left for The Spire. It's no wonder he's gotten so good at making it look nice."

With a chuckle and a shake of his head, Zevemar stepped up to the door, drawing himself up to his full and impressive height. And then, with the tip of his staff he rapped heavily on the door and prepared himself for the hug that Quilla had predicted. It wasn't that he wasn't looking forward to seeing his father but, well, he wasn't looking forward to a lecture that was inevitably coming for him on 'having a good work ethic' and then the father/son chat about "when I was at The Spire, I didn't go gallivanting off to who knows where for a year"...

D&D 5e - Of Seas and Snakes

Full credit to @McHaggis for our incredible sheets, her formatting skills shame us all, including Wizards of the Coast.

D&D 5e - Of Seas and Snakes

ʟᴠʟ. 3 ʜᴀʟғ-ᴏʀᴄ ᴡɪᴢᴀʀᴅ
sᴀɢᴇ
ʟᴀᴡғᴜʟ ɴᴇᴜᴛʀᴀʟ

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Stats

ᴍᴀx ʜᴘ: 16

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

ᴘʀᴏғɪᴄɪᴇɴᴄɪᴇs
⋄ ᴡᴇᴀᴘᴏɴs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴏᴏʟs: daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows
⋄ ʟᴀɴɢᴜᴀɢᴇs: common, elvish, draconic, celestial

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

ғᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʀᴀɪᴛs
⋄ ʀᴇʟᴇɴᴛʟᴇss ᴇɴᴅᴜʀᴀɴᴄᴇ: When you are reduced to 0 Hit Points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a Long Rest.

⋄ ᴅᴀʀᴋᴠɪsɪᴏɴ: Thanks to your orc blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim Conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in Darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in Darkness, only shades of gray.

⋄ sᴀᴠᴀɢᴇ ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋs: When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon Attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.

⋄ ᴅɪᴠɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ sᴀᴠᴀɴᴛ: Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy a divination spell into your spellbook is halved.

⋄ ᴘᴏʀᴛᴇɴᴛ: Starting at 2nd level when you choose this school, glimpses of the future begin to press in on your awareness. When you finish a long rest, roll two d20s and record the numbers rolled. You can replace any attack roll, saving throw, or ability check made by you or a creature that you can see with one of these foretelling rolls. You must choose to do so before the roll, and you can replace a roll in this way only once per turn.

Each foretelling roll can be used only once. When you finish a long rest, you lose any unused foretelling rolls. Current rolls; 15 and 13.

⋄ ʀᴇsᴇᴀʀᴄʜᴇʀ: When you attempt to learn or recall a piece of lore, if you do not know that information, you often know where and from whom you can obtain it. Usually, this information comes from a library, scriptorium, university, or a sage or other learned person or creature. Your DM might rule that the knowledge you seek is secreted away in an almost inaccessible place, or that it simply cannot be found. Unearthing the deepest secrets of the multiverse can require an adventure or even a whole campaign.

Spells

ᴄᴀɴᴛʀɪᴘs
⋄ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs
⋄ ᴛʀᴜᴇ sᴛʀɪᴋᴇ
⋄ ᴍᴇssᴀɢᴇ

ʟᴠʟ 1 - ғᴏᴜʀ ᴏɴᴇ sʟᴏᴛ
⋄ ᴛᴇɴsᴇʀ's ғʟᴏᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴅɪsᴋ ♦
⋄ ᴡɪᴛᴄʜʙᴏʟᴛ ♦
⋄ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ᴍɪssɪʟᴇ
⋄ ɪᴅᴇɴᴛɪғʏ
⋄ sʜɪᴇʟᴅ ♦
⋄ ʀᴀʏ ᴏғ sɪᴄᴋɴᴇss ♦
⋄ ᴍᴀɢᴇ ᴀʀᴍᴏʀ
⋄ ғɪɴᴅ ғᴀᴍɪʟɪᴀʀ
⋄ ɪʟʟᴜsᴏʀʏ sᴄʀɪᴘᴛ

ʟᴠʟ 2 - ᴛᴡᴏ sʟᴏᴛs
⋄ ᴅᴇᴛᴇᴄᴛ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs ♦
⋄ sᴄᴏʀᴄʜɪɴɢ ʀᴀʏ ♦
⋄ ᴋɴᴏᴄᴋ

Equipment

ᴇǫᴜɪᴘᴍᴇɴᴛ
⋄ backpack
⋄ spellbook
⋄ book of lore (history)
⋄ bottle of ink
⋄ ink pen
⋄ sheets of parchment
⋄ small knife
⋄ bag of sand
⋄ components pouch
⋄ common clothes x2

ᴡᴇᴀᴘᴏɴs
⋄ quarterstaff

ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴄʏ
⋄ 8 gold pieces
⋄ 5 silver pieces

Backstory

Raised by his Elf father in Alanla with no knowledge of his Orcish mother or her culture, Zevemar considers it a crying shame that his appearance doesn't reflect this. Green-tinted skin a nascent tusks were not a popular look in the rural town, though bullies quickly learned that exchanging words with the Half Orc was safer than trading blows. As much as Andrimar cherished his son and tried to prepare him from the world, exclusion from the normal life of a child in Illio took its toll and when Zevemar arrived at the Spire (Andrimar was always certain that his son should follow in his footsteps and pursue an arcane career, much better than any physical labour) as a teenager, he was an awkward sort with little social grace.

He was lucky, therefore, that he was soon swept up in the aura of the inexorable Iolanthe. They were partnered together on a project and much to Zevemar's surprise, Iolanthe decided that his studious nature, encyclopedic knowledge of history, fastidious love of arcane theory and immense strength were all useful assets. After all, not every friend can help you cheat on a test and lift all your ridiculously overstuffed suitcases. Their friendship wasn't all one way, Iolanthe was happy to use the considerable weight of her personality to bludgeon into submission those who drew unflattering attention to Zevemar's Orcish heritage. The pair were well matched, one at home in the library surrounded by books and the other at ease in the courtyard, centre of attention amongst the school's social elite.

Since completing their training as Acolytes, the two have begun an ambitious, cross-continent holiday/break to "find themselves". It took less than two weeks for Zevemar to miss studying and for Iolanthe to get bored, each desperate to stop walking and find something interesting to do. And so we find them, sitting in a tavern with sore feet and complaints on their lips, just waiting for adventure to come and snap them up.

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Justice League: Shadow of the Gods (Always Open)

@MrDidact
Man, it's Sophie's Choice in here, Kori or Babs, the two best ships for Dick.

Hmmm... I think I see him more likely to end up with Babs in the long term after a relationship with Kori during his Titans days, when he was away from Gotham. Dick's not super organised and Kori has alien biology so maybe that resulted in a child? You could make Nightstar a good few years older than the Grayson/Gordon child to represent that.

If Superman and Batman revealed themselves in 2017, that would be around when the Flying Graysons died, making Dick somewhere between 45-50. He hasn't been in the Titans since he was, well, a teen, so that would make Nightstar around 30?

Justice League: Shadow of the Gods (Always Open)

Looking good! I'm going to nip in an reserve Ra's Al Ghul and Nightwing, if I'm allowed?

I'm going to start working on the Ra's Al Ghul sheet first.