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Dungeons of Drakkenheim

I'll admit, I was taking my aasimar knowledge from Volo's Guide (which I misread to suggest Celestial-touched instead of Celestial ancestry). Kalashtar might work instead, I just need some time to read up on it? Glad Morgan works out just fine though.

Dungeons of Drakkenheim

Morgan would be Bard (probably Lore)/Hexblade Warlock while Zaikudo would be Paladin, Oath of the Crown if we want to get precise! I'm wading into melee regardless, so I think Vertigo and I wouldn't overlap much (though we can compare notes if desired to prevent it)

Dungeons of Drakkenheim

@Arthanus My vote is level 3 - most character things tend to be settled by then and also allows for the multiclassers (which, I may be) to get started too.

I'll miss the introductory shenanigans, but I wouldn't know how well-fleshed-out they are, nor the odds of them killing our characters that early (which, uh, I've seen happen. Level 1's rough in a horror campaign)

(Also, uh, was wondering if you looked at either of my concepts yet? I'm just having a hard time deciding who to use, and if one really doesn't work, then that makes my decision easy, right?)
(I'm sorry for being pushy, I just get nervous easily, but still I'm sorry)

What are some of the most confusing/cringiest OC's you have ever encountered?

God, you just reminded me of my own cringetastic Medabots OC. What is with Medabots and cringe?
(We were all watching as kids and made the OCs as kids. That's probably it.)

I don't remember the original context for my OC, but I'm pretty sure they were a Rokusho rip-off. If, you know, Rokusho was a dragon/dragonfly. And quadruped. And totally did not fit with the style of the show (@younger me, WHY were they a natural quadruped, no fucking Medabot was a proper quadruped). I kinda remember my revision where they were rusting and trying to hunt down someone, fuck if I can remember. And they die and it's upsetting and it's plotted as well as a kid writing fanfic can do. Sadly, or maybe fortunately, I never got around to writing it.

(Some warning for casual discussion about rape)
As for someone else's character, I need to emphasize this was on a chat-based site several years ago. The user may have changed personally, the user may have been projecting, I don't know. All YOU need to know is I was a mod for a pokemon rp chat, and this user came in with a character: female trainer with a Sneasel starter. Ok, I don't have a problem with that. Trainer's backstory involves her being raped by her dad. That's concerning but, if I'm frank, I see a lot of characters with rape in their backstory. I mentally check 'rape' on my 'Is This Character Too Edgy' list, move on. There's a Sneasel egg. The Sneasel egg hatches. The Sneasel joins in on the rape.

Ex-fucking-cuse me?

I read that shit like three times, and am still not convinced to this day I didn't misinterpret this. Because there's just no way someone meets their starting pokemon because it RAPED them.

It takes a while but I do persuade the user to tone it down significantly to 'trainer is being assaulted when the egg hatches and the Sneasel chases off her assaulter'. So, maybe not the most cringy/confusing OC given the fact that the player was willing to change. I probably do have cringier and more convoluted characters in my archive, from people unwilling to change.

But dear lord, I'm still confused why that happened in the first place.

Dungeons of Drakkenheim

Alright, let me know if these arealright? I'm still undecided which to use: Zai has possibly more and obvious hooks, but I have a better feel for how Morgan would act.

Hider

Name: Morgan Darcy

Race: Human

Gender: Dependent on the season, local tides, phase of the moon, and location of Mercury (in other words, genderfluid)

Age: 26

Appearance: At a mere 5'4", Morgan mostly stands out due to his use of Prestidigitation to change his hair color, usually to something bright or unnatural for a human, and due to his eyepatch, with a powerless sigil for luck sewn onto the patch. Once in a while, he enjoys flipping it up, revealing a glass eye (often designed after other creatures' eyes) just to see how others react. These glass eyes include: slit vertical pupil, horizontal pupil, multiple pupils and irises, entirely black, green sclera, and pearl-like.

Bio: Morgan was only 8 when she discovered her lineage included wizards and sorcerers, a fact she only discovered because her parents caught her producing an illusion that terrified their neighbors' children. She had actually discovered her talent about six months before that and loved putting on shows for local kids, producing images of massive butterflies, bountiful flowers, and monsters of nightmares. When her parents learned, they tried to encourage her to give up casting for fun and emphasize that she must keep her magic a secret. She didn't really understand why - magic was rare, yes, but it made people rich. Everyone wanted a hand in magic, and she had both hands in, so why not make use of it?

He discovered the answer in two years' time, after another adult finally believed her kids' stories about 'Mage Morgan' and got a scout called out. When it was confirmed he was capable of naturally casting spells, as he never did give up on his magic shows, he was informed that, by law, he now had to go to Amethyst Academy to complete education about learning magic. On reflection, Morgan supposes this was why his parents were so insistent he keep his powers a secret. Still, he dutifully packed his bags, hugged his parents goodbye, and sent an illusion of the worst monster he could think of to the woman who had revealed his existence. It was the little things that predicted Morgan's behavior at the Academy.

As an aside, at this point, this is wholly Morgan's story. While it can be verified that Morgan did attend Amethyst Academy, no one has discovered a birth registry in any city, town, hamlet, or village with the name 'Morgan Darcy' on it. While it cannot be denied Morgan was of course naturally born, none of her story can be verified, nor her parents located. But that may be a story all on its own.

At the Academy, of course, Morgan loved surprising and disgusting his classmates with whatever his imagination could conjure up, putting it in the real world with what he now identified as a cantrip. Even though he did well academically, his tendency to disrupt classes and disturb classmates, in both senses of the word (albeit not always at the same time) often landed him in trouble. It didn't help either that Morgan chafed against mentorship as well, doing his best to conceal any learned magic until he could thoroughly shock his mentor with it. He only calmed down after one day, around 13 years of age, he arrived in the nurse's office plus a piece of gauze and sans an eye. Attempts to regrow it magically failed. When Morgan was asked what happened, he changed his story several times before finally shrugging - he just woke up with the gauze and without the eye. He still kept making up stories for his fellow students, but it was clear to the staff he had no real clue what happened.

Though she calmed, it was clear she enjoyed manipulating things just to see what would happen. This habit came to a head when she was 15, where a series of metaphorical dominoes she laid ended in a magic duel, a half-wrecked cafeteria, and a student missing a hand. At that point, she was expelled. She didn't seem to mind, though, heading out to travel on her own. She picked up several mentors on the way, usually staying no more than two years. Her most recent mentor at 21, heard her stories of what happened: a rather cruel man who often muttered of sacrifices was backstabbed by her and left to rot in an ancient tomb; a woman more obsessed with books and learning than teaching was abandoned in the middle of the night; one woman who sought revolution, she and Morgan had to split up and Morgan simply didn't care to find her again; one man was especially strict and eventually turned over to constables when he mentioned he had skipped the academy altogether; and one man who parted amicably, if not a bit tediously, with her. He came to a conclusion he shared with her: she was a moral chameleon, mirroring the ambitions of those around her. He wondered if she had the touch of the divine about her (which she denied) but ultimately warned her to be careful with the company she keeps lest it corrupt her. It's advice she's somewhat followed. After a relatively-lengthy apprenticeship - four whole years, which ended after a rather amusing prank war meant to test her use of magic - she traveled alone for a while, at least until she heard about the magic in Drakkenheim...

Personal Goal: Forbidden lore lies in Drakkenheim. Several dark wizards living in the ruins have mastered terrible and powerful new magic. The Inscrutable Tower library stands unguarded, filled with spellbooks containing secret arcana. His personal quest is to learn these spells.

Other: Due to the way she responds to 'Darcy' and 'Morgan', viewing them equally informally, it's entirely possible her real name is 'Darcy Morgan', and a clerical error changed the order. It fits her nature to have kept the changed name.

---

(note: all the bracketed stuff is stuff I recognize might not work for this setting and can be cut if desired)

Hider

Name: Zaikudo of Arkanyle

Race: Kalashtar

Gender: Male

Age: 30

Appearance: At 6'5", Zaikudo moves rather quickly relative to his build. Often when traveling, he wears the hood of his tattered white cloak and pulls up the fabric to cover his nose and mouth. The intended effect is one of self-protection; in practice, it tends to serve as a reminder that his family had lived in Drakkenheim and have developed some concern about the air around them, at all times.

Bio: Zaikudo actually hails from Drakkenheim, son of a pair of royal guards whose families have been serving the throne for as long as it's existed. For the longest time, all he ever knew was the grand city and its even grander ruler. After he was born, his father, the older of the pair, retired to take care of their son. His mother remained in the royal guard, and made sure his upbringing included a reasonable amount of exercise and observations of guard training. When his little brother was born, he was 6 years old, and his little brother was a pale, sickly-looking baby. As they got older, while Zaikudo aspired to be a royal guard, his little brother could barely go into the sun without hurting his eyes and developing a sunrash on exposed skin. Why he was so sensitive, no one in the family knew for sure, but Zaikudo was already demonstrating his protective tendencies in ensuring his little brother was healthy, safe, and cared for.

Zaikudo was 15 when the star shower struck. His mother went into the city to aid with evacuations while his father made sure both sons made it out of the city safely. Zaikudo briefly saw his mother as they left, helping an elderly couple pack, and then never again. When they finally were able to stop and rest, Zaikudo prayed for her safety, and for the well-being of the rest of the family. As he slept, he dreamed of a brilliant light and, upon awaking, found his hair had paled overnight to an odd blue-grey hue. His father chalked it up to stress from the evacuation though still clearly felt bad, like he'd somehow let down his children.

Traveling after that got easier for a few reasons. For one, Zaikudo began receiving vague premonitions about potentially dangerous paths. He sometimes held up travel doing small deeds and worshipping at roadside shrines, but his father mostly chalked up the sudden increase in faith as a reaction to losing his home and needing something to cling to, so he was hardly going to object. For another, Zaikudo's little brother had begun drafting designs for simple inventions that made carrying things easier or made getting food and water simpler. Of course, Zaikudo asked about it, since his brother had never shown a proficiency for engineering before; his brother simply said that the "colors from space" told him how to make these things. Zaikudo wasn't sure what to make of that. When the family ultimately settled down, though, his little brother didn't stop working. Instead, he doubled down, muttering about the 'colors' and selling his works to help pay for things the family needed. Zaikudo watched on worriedly as his brother worked himself sick, becoming increasingly convinced he was mentally ill.

Things came to a head five years after the night of the star shower. After his little brother failed to show up for breakfast one day, he found him still drawing a blueprint for an increasingly complex machine and having no clue it was morning. Zaikudo grumbled about how he cared more for his inventions than family, his little brother asked what that meant, and it cumulated in a disagreement wherein Zaikudo stated that he was listening to voices that weren't real. His little brother was briefly stunned before retorting that they only had Zaikudo's words that his premonitions existed at all, so how was that any different, you hypocrite? It then blossomed into a terrible argument that left both boys surly for the rest of the day. That night, Zaikudo apologized to his little brother; the next day, his little brother had vanished, possibly now a runaway. Zaikudo threw himself into city watch training to try to distract himself.

Most recently, having been part of the city watch, Zaikudo heard rumors that not all of the royal family died the day the star shower struck. And if they did, survive, well, his family did serve them.

Personal Goal: Though his father has moved on, the family once served the royal House von Kessel. Recently, he has heard there may be a survivor of that House. His personal quest is to first find this potential heir. Then he will help them re-establish their kingdom. [Alternatively, his mother's been missing ever since the meteor struck. His personal quest is to learn her fate and, if possible, bring her (or, god forbid, her remains) home. It's also entirely possible his brother's in the city as well; if so, he absolutely MUST bring him home.]

Other: The cloak was a gift from his brother. While he doesn't mind it getting damaged, burning will send him into a fit.

Dungeons of Drakkenheim

And I think I accidentally added my sheet. Sorry.

Dungeons of Drakkenheim

I have two ideas, so I'm gonna make sure both are okay. The first one, though, is the one I'm currently favoring. Both currently a WIP since I just woke up.

Hider

Name: Morgan Darcy
Race: Human
Gender: Dependent on the season, local tides, phase of the moon, and location of Mercury (in other words, genderfluid)
Age: 26
Appearance: At a mere 5'4", Morgan mostly stands out due to his use of Prestidigitation to change his hair color, usually to something bright or unnatural for a human, and due to his eyepatch, with a powerless sigil for luck sewn onto the patch. Once in a while, he enjoys flipping it up, revealing a glass eye (often designed after other creatures' eyes) just to see how others react. These glass eyes include: slit vertical pupil, horizontal pupil, multiple pupils and irises, entirely black, green sclera, and pearl-like.
Bio: [Summary while I wait for lore dump: developed magic at a young age, loved using illusions to entertain and occasionally terrify other kids her age; at some point in teenage years, lost his left eye, loves spinning stories on what happened as he has no recollection of the event himself; she began traveling at 17, apprenticing under various masters and tending to take on their habits; last master was a bit of a troll, two got along pretty well honestly]
Personal Goal: Forbidden lore lies in Drakkenheim. Several dark wizards living in the ruins have mastered terrible and powerful new magic. The Inscrutable Tower library stands unguarded, filled with spellbooks containing secret arcana. My personal quest is to learn these spells.
Other: Due to the way she responds to 'Darcy' and 'Morgan', viewing them equally informally, it's entirely possible her real name is 'Darcy Morgan', and a clerical error changed the order. It fits her nature to have kept the changed name.

Hider

Name: Zaikudo of Arkanyle
Race: Aasimar, Scourge (if not acceptable, human. Will write bio both ways)
Gender: Male
Age: 30
Appearance: At 6'5", Zaikudo moves rather quickly relative to his build. Often when traveling, he wears the hood of his tattered white cloak and pulls up the fabric to cover his nose and mouth. The intended effect is one of self-protection; in practice, it tends to serve as a reminder that his family had lived in Drakkenheim and have developed some concern about the air around them, at all times.
Bio: [Summary while I wait for lore dump: family served as the royal guard in Drakkenheim; mother was latest royal guard, father took care of Zai and his little brother (by 6 years); when the meteor struck, Zai's family evacuated and Zai's mother was last seen helping with the evacuations; shortly after, little brother began sketching out ideas for inventions, claimed 'the colors from space' told him; inventions made settling down easier, but Zai was increasingly worried as his little brother worked himself sick to draw them up; 10 years ago, he and his little brother got into a terrible argument about the 'source' of his ideas, little brother was gone the next day; Zai threw himself into city watch/guard training to cope (If aasimar allowed, first night of being a refugee was when Zai was contacted by a celestial, was often given hints as to dangers on the road as long as he worshipped regularly and also performed minor tasks; in the final argument with his little brother, his brother accused him of hypocrisy since, after all, they only have Zai's word and a fancy trick to "prove" he's receiving divine inspiration)]
Personal Goal: Though my family has moved on, we once served the royal House von Kessel. Recently, I have heard there may be a survivor of that House. My personal quest is to first find this potential heir. Then I will help them re-establish their kingdom.
Other:

Dungeons of Drakkenheim 5e

@Skwint I might be a tiny bit squishy (or not, still depending on concept), but I'll be willing to eat the damage with you! And promise to pull my weight regardless.

Dungeons of Drakkenheim 5e

@Skwint Up to you? I think I've figured out a tank build, I've just never tanked before.

I don't mind joining the melee, my bard was more melee than ranged anyhow.

Dungeons of Drakkenheim 5e

@Vertigo I'm not too worried about healing, as long as we pick our battles wisely.

Alright, looking at a tank/melee for certain then. Someone's gotta keep the bastards off you while you line up a shot ;p Just gotta figure out a concept.