Dragon Shaman Background. Sound Ok? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Dragon Shaman Background. Sound Ok? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
SerpyMatt
08-11-06, 06:36 PM Hiyas all! Well, I'm still relatively new to D&D, but I'm getting into it more and more. This guy will be pretty much my 5th or 6th character ever and the first one I've ever made a back story for. I was just curious as to what some people thought of it. Thanks for any input :)

-------

Fyn Granar, Dragon Shaman - Back Story

Fyn saw his village's dragon shaman slain in battle. The dragon shaman was his grandfather - his parents had been killed in an attack months earlier. Eventually the villages rangers and fighters were able to fend off the invaders, but not without heavy losses. Fyn's grandfather had spoken to him many times of his life as a dragon shaman and his respect for the gold dragon who was the totem dragon that he had chosen to follow. He envied how the dragon had such an unwaivering ability for the law and the belief that good would always win out no matter what was thrown at it.

Fyn resigned himself to make the journey to the dragon's lair to deliver news of his grandfather's passing. He was unsure of why he was doing something that would have before seemed strange to him, but at this moment, his heart told him this was the right thing to do. He prepared himself and started on his seven day journey.

The first four days were uneventful, but on the fifth day, Fyn came upon an elderly man who was climbing into a tree trying to get away from a small gang of goblins. The man caught Fyn's eye and cried out for help. This, however, also made the goblins turn their attention towards the travelling elf. Fyn silently cursed his luck, but drew his bow and let a warning arrow fly in the direction of the goblins. Three of them sprinted away, but one seemed set on getting revenge for being interrupted. Charging headlong at the young elf, the goblin was met with a speeding arrow that pierces it's chest causing it to tumble to the ground and slowly fade from this world.

Slowly climbing down, the old man thanked Fyn for his assistance, but said it was truly not needed. Puzzled, Fyn patted the man on his shoulder and asked if he perhaps needed a guide incase he met more situations that were obviously under his control. The old man laughed and shook his head. Once again, he shrugged off any further help and said he should be getting on his way. With that, the two parted ways.

Finally, Fyn came to the lair of the gold dragon. He hesitated at first, but decided that he had come this far and he must complete his task. He travelled down huge corridors that twisted and turned all through the cavern. At the end, he saw it - the gold dragon curled on the ground eyes closed and silently breathing.

"You may come closer little one," the dragon's voice seemed to come out of nowhere.

Startled, Fyn jumped back a bit. "I... I'm sorry. I do not know why I've come to you with this news, but I felt you should know that my grandfather, one of your followers, has passed from this plane."

The dragon raised his head slightly and opened his eyes, "Ah... the elves from the shore. I am truly sorry for your loss. Shaman Granar seemed to always do the right thing for his people and more importantly he seemed to do what was best for the land. I shall miss his visits and his gifts of pearls and his stories - sometimes those were better than the pearls. I suppose you have come to me to tell me of the village's reluctance to apoint another Dragon Shaman?"

Fyn wasn't sure how to respond to this. "No one has said such things, but on the other hand, no one has stepped forward to take my grandfather's place."

"Many are forgoing the old ways, placing their faith in things they can not see. Once they looked to us for answers, now they only look to us as trophies. We remain hidden and must be prepared for an swift attack."

Fyn let the knowledge run through his head for a moment. "Perhaps I can be the village's Dragon Shaman?"

A smile formed on the dragon's face, "That is kind of you, but you are young for your kind."

"But my grandfather has raised me in his ways; your ways, I believe. Let me prove my worth."

The dragon was silent, but then spoke, "Very well. A young follower is better than none at all. Your village is not your home anymore. You must go out into the world and leave your people behind. You must find the path for yourself. Always remember how your grandfather gave his life for something he believed in and also how he fell."

The sight of a broadsword slashing his grandfather still burned greatly in his mind. "I will not forget."

"I have faith that you will not let me down in the long run, but for now, you must have a few lessons that your grandfather was never able to give to you." The dragon was instantly covered in smoke and from the clouds walked the old man who Fyn saved in the forest.

"You were never in any danger at all!" Fyn blurted out.

"That is true, but when a situation arose, you did the right thing without knowing if I could handle the little goblins." He walked over and placed an arm around the elf. "You were very fast with the bow - it will serve you well. Many of the dragon shamans like the battle on the front lines, but it is also a smart decision to let the more able swing the swords and axes. However, you must stand within the battle so that they can witness your true power."

"My true power," Fyn asked. "I'm but a simple archer."

The old man shook his head, "No, my young friend. Now you are a simple archer who has gifts from a dragon at his disposal."

As soon as the words were spoken, Fyn was surround by a bright flash. It took him by surpise and he tried to jump back from it, but it held around him.

"Do not be afraid. With this gift, you will be able to inflict pain against those who would attack you and your allies. You will also be able to grant a measure of protection of the gold dragon's fire which burns deep inside of you now. With training, you will be able to unleash that same fire to bathe your enemies in it's righteous flames. There are other gift of this aura, but you will find those and use them all during your travels."

Fyn was awe struck. He had seen his grandfather cloaked in a glow on the battlefield and now he knew what he had seen.

"The further you travel on your journey as a dragon shaman, the more gifts will be bestowed upon you. You will eventually be able to cure the gravest wounds, eradicate disease, and restore the senses. Two of my greatest gifts to you will be a toughening of your phsyical body and one day, the abilty to fly. That way you can visit me with stories that will rival your grandfather's tales, I am sure."

Fyn sat on the ground in silent disbelief. "All I had planned to do at the start of this journey was to let a dragon know he had lost a servant."

The elderly man sat down next to him, "And now, the dragon has found a new one who will become a great dragon shaman as his grandfather had always hoped he would."

-----

Thanks for looking!
PiedmonSama
08-11-06, 07:51 PM Don't have much else to say except sounds pretty good. The one thing I would suggest is making it more clear on who exactly attacked your character's village and slew his grandfather... not that he would necissarily want revenge, but it would just be good to know.
Fatalis_902
08-11-06, 10:56 PM ...impressed, to say the least. No major problems, good grammar overall, interesting backstory, the works. You will likely have fun roleplaying this character, particularly if he is trying to be lawful good, but so hates the beasts that cut down his grandfather that he would attack one on sight. Very nice work.
SerpyMatt
08-12-06, 12:00 PM At first I was going to have the invaders be a rival elf village, but something about that wasn't feeling right to me. I need to think of something more sinister and yet something they could overcome.

I thought orcs or hordes of goblins, but those just seem more cliche than normal :)
Fatalis_902
08-12-06, 12:13 PM Perhaps there is an entrance to the underdark nearby, and it was the Drow that attacked you.
Nived
08-12-06, 08:34 PM I'd say speak to your DM about these 'invaders' perhaps he already has race or group of creatures he already plans on using in his game that he could tie into your backstory if given a chance, or maybe not. Still it wouldn't hurt to show him you have a wide open target for a plot hook if he so chooses to snag it.

Otherwise a very well done background. I don't know if it was what you were going for but it seemed to me to read a bit like an old folk tale... which is the perfect start to the life of an adventurer.
SerpyMatt
08-13-06, 11:45 AM Thanks for the kind words all.

I think having the GM have some input on the enemies is a great idea so he can have it fit inot the campaign if he wants. So far, he's doing a great job, so I have faith in him :)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
SerpyMatt 08-11-06, 06:36 PM	Hiyas all! Well, I'm still relatively new to D&D, but I'm getting into it more and more. This guy will be pretty much my 5th or 6th character ever and the first one I've ever made a back story for. I was just curious as to what some people thought of it. Thanks for any input :) ------- Fyn Granar, Dragon Shaman - Back Story Fyn saw his village's dragon shaman slain in battle. The dragon shaman was his grandfather - his parents had been killed in an attack months earlier. Eventually the villages rangers and fighters were able to fend off the invaders, but not without heavy losses. Fyn's grandfather had spoken to him many times of his life as a dragon shaman and his respect for the gold dragon who was the totem dragon that he had chosen to follow. He envied how the dragon had such an unwaivering ability for the law and the belief that good would always win out no matter what was thrown at it. Fyn resigned himself to make the journey to the dragon's lair to deliver news of his grandfather's passing. He was unsure of why he was doing something that would have before seemed strange to him, but at this moment, his heart told him this was the right thing to do. He prepared himself and started on his seven day journey. The first four days were uneventful, but on the fifth day, Fyn came upon an elderly man who was climbing into a tree trying to get away from a small gang of goblins. The man caught Fyn's eye and cried out for help. This, however, also made the goblins turn their attention towards the travelling elf. Fyn silently cursed his luck, but drew his bow and let a warning arrow fly in the direction of the goblins. Three of them sprinted away, but one seemed set on getting revenge for being interrupted. Charging headlong at the young elf, the goblin was met with a speeding arrow that pierces it's chest causing it to tumble to the ground and slowly fade from this world. Slowly climbing down, the old man thanked Fyn for his assistance, but said it was truly not needed. Puzzled, Fyn patted the man on his shoulder and asked if he perhaps needed a guide incase he met more situations that were obviously under his control. The old man laughed and shook his head. Once again, he shrugged off any further help and said he should be getting on his way. With that, the two parted ways. Finally, Fyn came to the lair of the gold dragon. He hesitated at first, but decided that he had come this far and he must complete his task. He travelled down huge corridors that twisted and turned all through the cavern. At the end, he saw it - the gold dragon curled on the ground eyes closed and silently breathing. "You may come closer little one," the dragon's voice seemed to come out of nowhere. Startled, Fyn jumped back a bit. "I... I'm sorry. I do not know why I've come to you with this news, but I felt you should know that my grandfather, one of your followers, has passed from this plane." The dragon raised his head slightly and opened his eyes, "Ah... the elves from the shore. I am truly sorry for your loss. Shaman Granar seemed to always do the right thing for his people and more importantly he seemed to do what was best for the land. I shall miss his visits and his gifts of pearls and his stories - sometimes those were better than the pearls. I suppose you have come to me to tell me of the village's reluctance to apoint another Dragon Shaman?" Fyn wasn't sure how to respond to this. "No one has said such things, but on the other hand, no one has stepped forward to take my grandfather's place." "Many are forgoing the old ways, placing their faith in things they can not see. Once they looked to us for answers, now they only look to us as trophies. We remain hidden and must be prepared for an swift attack." Fyn let the knowledge run through his head for a moment. "Perhaps I can be the village's Dragon Shaman?" A smile formed on the dragon's face, "That is kind of you, but you are young for your kind." "But my grandfather has raised me in his ways; your ways, I believe. Let me prove my worth." The dragon was silent, but then spoke, "Very well. A young follower is better than none at all. Your village is not your home anymore. You must go out into the world and leave your people behind. You must find the path for yourself. Always remember how your grandfather gave his life for something he believed in and also how he fell." The sight of a broadsword slashing his grandfather still burned greatly in his mind. "I will not forget." "I have faith that you will not let me down in the long run, but for now, you must have a few lessons that your grandfather was never able to give to you." The dragon was instantly covered in smoke and from the clouds walked the old man who Fyn saved in the forest. "You were never in any danger at all!" Fyn blurted out. "That is true, but when a situation arose, you did the right thing without knowing if I could handle the little goblins." He walked over and placed an arm around the elf. "You were very fast with the bow - it will serve you well. Many of the dragon shamans like the battle on the front lines, but it is also a smart decision to let the more able swing the swords and axes. However, you must stand within the battle so that they can witness your true power." "My true power," Fyn asked. "I'm but a simple archer." The old man shook his head, "No, my young friend. Now you are a simple archer who has gifts from a dragon at his disposal." As soon as the words were spoken, Fyn was surround by a bright flash. It took him by surpise and he tried to jump back from it, but it held around him. "Do not be afraid. With this gift, you will be able to inflict pain against those who would attack you and your allies. You will also be able to grant a measure of protection of the gold dragon's fire which burns deep inside of you now. With training, you will be able to unleash that same fire to bathe your enemies in it's righteous flames. There are other gift of this aura, but you will find those and use them all during your travels." Fyn was awe struck. He had seen his grandfather cloaked in a glow on the battlefield and now he knew what he had seen. "The further you travel on your journey as a dragon shaman, the more gifts will be bestowed upon you. You will eventually be able to cure the gravest wounds, eradicate disease, and restore the senses. Two of my greatest gifts to you will be a toughening of your phsyical body and one day, the abilty to fly. That way you can visit me with stories that will rival your grandfather's tales, I am sure." Fyn sat on the ground in silent disbelief. "All I had planned to do at the start of this journey was to let a dragon know he had lost a servant." The elderly man sat down next to him, "And now, the dragon has found a new one who will become a great dragon shaman as his grandfather had always hoped he would." ----- Thanks for looking!
PiedmonSama 08-11-06, 07:51 PM	Don't have much else to say except sounds pretty good. The one thing I would suggest is making it more clear on who exactly attacked your character's village and slew his grandfather... not that he would necissarily want revenge, but it would just be good to know.
Fatalis_902 08-11-06, 10:56 PM	...impressed, to say the least. No major problems, good grammar overall, interesting backstory, the works. You will likely have fun roleplaying this character, particularly if he is trying to be lawful good, but so hates the beasts that cut down his grandfather that he would attack one on sight. Very nice work.
SerpyMatt 08-12-06, 12:00 PM	At first I was going to have the invaders be a rival elf village, but something about that wasn't feeling right to me. I need to think of something more sinister and yet something they could overcome. I thought orcs or hordes of goblins, but those just seem more cliche than normal :)
Fatalis_902 08-12-06, 12:13 PM	Perhaps there is an entrance to the underdark nearby, and it was the Drow that attacked you.
Nived 08-12-06, 08:34 PM	I'd say speak to your DM about these 'invaders' perhaps he already has race or group of creatures he already plans on using in his game that he could tie into your backstory if given a chance, or maybe not. Still it wouldn't hurt to show him you have a wide open target for a plot hook if he so chooses to snag it. Otherwise a very well done background. I don't know if it was what you were going for but it seemed to me to read a bit like an old folk tale... which is the perfect start to the life of an adventurer.
SerpyMatt 08-13-06, 11:45 AM	Thanks for the kind words all. I think having the GM have some input on the enemies is a great idea so he can have it fit inot the campaign if he wants. So far, he's doing a great job, so I have faith in him :)