Halfling of the North [Archive] - Wizards Community

Halfling of the North [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Ashamblin
11-18-05, 05:49 PM Hello, all!

I'm creating my first Forgotten Realms character, and I'd like to do it right. I've been spending some time with a Faerun Atlas, and the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, and I've arrived at this so far:

Liem Tuck
Lightfoot Halfling Rogue
Chaotic Good
Deity: Oghma

Tuck was born to a caravan family of the Silver Marches, trading and travelling from Sundabar to Waterdeep, following the rushing waters of the River Rauvin. Spring time, when the roads were too muddy to travel, was spent in Waterdeep, beachcombing and fleecing the locals.

For generations, the Tuck family had been running the same trade route and were satisfied. Gold was plentiful along the Savage Frontier for those resourceful and daring enough to run supplies for the settlers and miners of the north. There was no shortage of adventure either. The River Rauvin trade route was frought with peril, teeming with orcs and bandits. It was often said in gallows jest that a traveller on his first time out would hold his breath from Silverymoon to the River Dessarin.

To be born Tuck was to be born to adventure. A Tuck child learned early to survive on the frontier. Constant bargaining with miners, settlers, and wayward travellers taught them to be shrewd in business; crossing the long passage north of The Evermoors sharpened thier senses and quickened thier wits; and the hustle and bustle of Waterdeep bred in them a fierce opportunism, as the Tuck children lifted thier spending money from the pockets of the gentry.

Liem Tuck would have lived his entire life in romantic bliss but...

1) The Obvious Choice
The Tuck caravan was overrun by orcs on the road from Silverymoon to Gryffon's Nest. The family was wiped out, and Liem was left for dead...

2) The Heroic Choice
The Tuck caravan was overrun by orcs, and were captured and sold into slavery. Liem managed to escape, and is searching the world to find and free them...

3) Another Heroic Choice
While burglarizing a merchant of Waterdeep, one of Liem Tuck's brothers is caught, tried, and sold into slavery as punishment. The last Liem saw of his brother, he was being loaded onto a ship bound for insert southern coastal city here. Liem vowed to find and free his brother, and has been one step behind his brother's captors ever since. Clues to his brother's whereabouts are becoming more and more scarce, but Liem knows in his heart that his brother is still alive.

So, how am I doing so far? Does this story seem likely, considering life in the North? Suggestions? Criticisms?

Thanks in advance to any and all who would care to comment!
Uberwoot
11-18-05, 08:04 PM I like option number three, though I can't specifically recall how slavery is treated in Waterdeep (that mudhole isn't exactly my cup o' tea :P). If it is, in fact, used as a viable punishment for suitable crimes, I'd say a good destination would be Calimport.

Overall not a bad background. :)
WVgamer
11-18-05, 08:32 PM Slavery is officially illegal in Waterdeep, but that doesn't mean there aren't slavers in the City of Splendors. As long as the guard or watch don't find out, it'd be fairly easy to get a person down to Skullport, where anything goes and ships from all over western Faerun visit regularly.

I say number 3.
Ashamblin
11-19-05, 10:30 AM Thanks for the feedback. I like the third option myself. I gave this to our DM, who had this to say about it:

Between you and me (hence NOT reply to all) not Orcs...Drow.

And you think some of your family may have been sold, but the only way to
find out will be to venture into the underdark.

This serves two purposes: 1) You roleplaying your hatred of Drow with a
Drow in your party, and 2) Allows us to eventually, at some higher level,
get to do a module where we can go into the Underdark and Menzoberranzen.

Sound okay with you?

It's funny, because I was hoping the rogue would have some connection to
Waterdeep as a character plot point for my Drow as well...

I suppose this is okay, too, but not as open-ended as I had hoped. I liked option 3 because it made adventuring anywhere in Faerun plausible. Of course, my DM tipped her hand to let me know that we'd be campaigning in the North. She's a Drizzt fan, so I should have figured ;)

I'll have to stew on this a bit...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ashamblin 11-18-05, 05:49 PM	Hello, all! I'm creating my first Forgotten Realms character, and I'd like to do it right. I've been spending some time with a Faerun Atlas, and the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, and I've arrived at this so far: Liem Tuck Lightfoot Halfling Rogue Chaotic Good Deity: Oghma Tuck was born to a caravan family of the Silver Marches, trading and travelling from Sundabar to Waterdeep, following the rushing waters of the River Rauvin. Spring time, when the roads were too muddy to travel, was spent in Waterdeep, beachcombing and fleecing the locals. For generations, the Tuck family had been running the same trade route and were satisfied. Gold was plentiful along the Savage Frontier for those resourceful and daring enough to run supplies for the settlers and miners of the north. There was no shortage of adventure either. The River Rauvin trade route was frought with peril, teeming with orcs and bandits. It was often said in gallows jest that a traveller on his first time out would hold his breath from Silverymoon to the River Dessarin. To be born Tuck was to be born to adventure. A Tuck child learned early to survive on the frontier. Constant bargaining with miners, settlers, and wayward travellers taught them to be shrewd in business; crossing the long passage north of The Evermoors sharpened thier senses and quickened thier wits; and the hustle and bustle of Waterdeep bred in them a fierce opportunism, as the Tuck children lifted thier spending money from the pockets of the gentry. Liem Tuck would have lived his entire life in romantic bliss but... 1) The Obvious Choice The Tuck caravan was overrun by orcs on the road from Silverymoon to Gryffon's Nest. The family was wiped out, and Liem was left for dead... 2) The Heroic Choice The Tuck caravan was overrun by orcs, and were captured and sold into slavery. Liem managed to escape, and is searching the world to find and free them... 3) Another Heroic Choice While burglarizing a merchant of Waterdeep, one of Liem Tuck's brothers is caught, tried, and sold into slavery as punishment. The last Liem saw of his brother, he was being loaded onto a ship bound for insert southern coastal city here. Liem vowed to find and free his brother, and has been one step behind his brother's captors ever since. Clues to his brother's whereabouts are becoming more and more scarce, but Liem knows in his heart that his brother is still alive. So, how am I doing so far? Does this story seem likely, considering life in the North? Suggestions? Criticisms? Thanks in advance to any and all who would care to comment!
Uberwoot 11-18-05, 08:04 PM	I like option number three, though I can't specifically recall how slavery is treated in Waterdeep (that mudhole isn't exactly my cup o' tea :P). If it is, in fact, used as a viable punishment for suitable crimes, I'd say a good destination would be Calimport. Overall not a bad background. :)
WVgamer 11-18-05, 08:32 PM	Slavery is officially illegal in Waterdeep, but that doesn't mean there aren't slavers in the City of Splendors. As long as the guard or watch don't find out, it'd be fairly easy to get a person down to Skullport, where anything goes and ships from all over western Faerun visit regularly. I say number 3.
Ashamblin 11-19-05, 10:30 AM	Thanks for the feedback. I like the third option myself. I gave this to our DM, who had this to say about it: Between you and me (hence NOT reply to all) not Orcs...Drow. And you think some of your family may have been sold, but the only way to find out will be to venture into the underdark. This serves two purposes: 1) You roleplaying your hatred of Drow with a Drow in your party, and 2) Allows us to eventually, at some higher level, get to do a module where we can go into the Underdark and Menzoberranzen. Sound okay with you? It's funny, because I was hoping the rogue would have some connection to Waterdeep as a character plot point for my Drow as well... I suppose this is okay, too, but not as open-ended as I had hoped. I liked option 3 because it made adventuring anywhere in Faerun plausible. Of course, my DM tipped her hand to let me know that we'd be campaigning in the North. She's a Drizzt fan, so I should have figured ;) I'll have to stew on this a bit...