My 1st Elf in 15 years [Archive] - Wizards Community

My 1st Elf in 15 years [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
malignor
02-16-06, 04:02 PM This is inspired by the "I Hate Elves" thread in the Races sub-forum. I mentioned that, after Jr. High, I disliked elves because they're so popular with their race features and mixture of fey, swordsman, archer and sorcerer. They're born pretty and smart and graceful, so everyone who wishes they were prettier, smarter and more graceful plays an elf. I prefer an underdog race (dime-a-dozen human, short ugly dwarf, insignificant halfling), or even a trash subrace (goblin, orc), where I can play a character who earns greatness & recognition instead of being born with it.

Well that's all coming to an end.

I still haven't named him yet, but let's just call him Mourner. He'll be my character in an upcoming Faerun campaign where we start as level 3 and already in a party. Wild Elf Ranger/Sorcerer. Familiar = Falcon, and Animal Companion (when he gets Rgr4) = Light Warhorse. Headed for the path of Eldritch Knight (L20 build = Rgr4/Src6/EKt10).

Anyway, background was standard... born to happy parents in small woodland village of around 100 wild elves. Tradition is that everyone is a sorcerer (favored class for wild elves), especially in Mourner's family. Supposedly descendents of some holy dragon. His parents are both capable sorcerers. Since almost everyone's an arcane caster, very little need for larger population or large workforce. ~100 sorcerers can do a heck of alot without much outside help or trade. Mourner seemed a late bloomer though... much to his parents' dissapointment, and his own dismay. He couldn't manifest his power, so the young elf was thus rediculed by his peers.

At that early age, Drow raiders attacked and (thanks to SR) wasted everyone but Mourner and a few others who fled into the woods. Mourner failed to manifest his power right to the end, and could have saved his parents if only had the magic... but he was a failure and a loser and was now alone and weak... and consumed with anger and a desire for power, so he can protect what he cares about. A group of rangers were following in the Drow's wake, harrassing stragglers and helping the survivors of their raiding. Mourner and those from his village found some among them, and a chance to pay the Drow back for their murderous deeds.

Later, when he had to kill a cockatrice, he ate its flesh (it's just a super-chicken after all) and awoke his sorcerous power! Mourner learned that his sorcerous ability was fuelled by feasting on the flesh and blood of supernatural beings - dragons, outsiders, magical beasts etc.

Mourner has since left the rangers (they lost the Drow's trail) and joined a group of adventurous opportunists. They look for wealth, power, danger and magic, which are all things that Mourner needs to become stronger. He hopes to protect other people with that power and show them what it means to stand up and fight to preserve what you care about. Nobody should suffer his childhood trauma. He also hungers for the flesh of monsters to fuel that power... an association that plagues his conscience as much as his unquenchable desire to see every Drow man woman and child lie at his feet in a stinking mountain of mutilated corpses. Hatred, revenge, and lust for both blood and power stain his outwardly good intentions. Such is the internal struggle that infests his visions when alone on a quiet night. Mourner was born a loser and a failure, and fate has left him walking the path to both heaven (as protector, champion and healer) and hell (as a vengeful, ambitious bloodletter).

... now THAT's a cool elf, to me. Not typical.
Berzerker_prime
02-16-06, 10:13 PM Welcome to the People! :w00t:

I can see where you're coming from with the over-abundance of elves, lately. There's actually three in my company of six, as it happens. We make up for it by having different flavors, all; one moon, one gold, and me who's a wood.

I like the twist you added to your character's magic abilities. I've been taking levels of non-magic variant ranger, so I can definately identify. She doesn't have anything strange going on, though, she's just a better melee fighter and always has been. I'm curious about the mechanics of Mourner's magic, though. Is he somehow separated from the Weave and needs the flesh of magical creatures to interact with it, or is it simply a trigger?

Sweet water to you!

Berz.
Grizzled Gryphon
02-17-06, 04:18 AM That is very cool. Definetly NOT your average, garden variety elf. Kudos, man. Or woman, as the case may be. And, might I suggest, Enialis as a name for him? Sure, it is an example name, but it seems very appropriate for him.
malignor
02-17-06, 02:05 PM I like the twist you added to your character's magic abilities. I've been taking levels of non-magic variant ranger, so I can definately identify. She doesn't have anything strange going on, though, she's just a better melee fighter and always has been. I'm curious about the mechanics of Mourner's magic, though. Is he somehow separated from the Weave and needs the flesh of magical creatures to interact with it, or is it simply a trigger?Haven't though too much about it in relation to the weave. Maybe eating the flesh of magical beings triggers a moment of contact with the weave, during which he can sort of "update" his sorcerous power. Perhaps the flesh is a sort of key or even a guide/clue (like a scent sample for a tracking dog) which gives him direction as to where he "belongs" within the weave.

The idea I had was something like this example... between level 4 and 5 he eats parts of a basilisk, a wyvern and a zombie. When level 5 rolls around, he chooses his 2nd level spell, and would select from spells that fit these critters' profiles. I'd come up with blindness/deafness (turns eyes or ears to stone, rendered useless), levitate (via small transparent wyvern wings that sprout from target; switch spell focus to a loop of wyvern hair or claw on a string/wire) or false life (grows patches of tough undead tissue; sigils must be drawn in distilled zombie tissue).

I find this would add some unique flavour to his magic, and help remind both me and my character about what he's dealt with in the past.
Morka
02-17-06, 10:33 PM Later, when he had to kill a cockatrice, he ate its flesh (it's just a super-chicken after all) and awoke his sorcerous power! Mourner learned that his sorcerous ability was fuelled by feasting on the flesh and blood of supernatural beings - dragons, outsiders, magical beasts etc.

:rofl:

An excellent background! Just add a few little things, perhaps some details on 2-3 rangers and 2-3 other wild elves survivor. Perhaps one of them has been your lover? your mentor? your rival?
red_wizard69
02-18-06, 01:10 AM That is a good storyline. I like it alot.
White_Wizard
02-19-06, 08:28 AM Now that's how a good background should be!

I have only a question: how his magic powers could have saved his family if drow have SR? :thinks:
Well, that's not very important however. Good job!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
malignor 02-16-06, 04:02 PM	This is inspired by the "I Hate Elves" thread in the Races sub-forum. I mentioned that, after Jr. High, I disliked elves because they're so popular with their race features and mixture of fey, swordsman, archer and sorcerer. They're born pretty and smart and graceful, so everyone who wishes they were prettier, smarter and more graceful plays an elf. I prefer an underdog race (dime-a-dozen human, short ugly dwarf, insignificant halfling), or even a trash subrace (goblin, orc), where I can play a character who earns greatness & recognition instead of being born with it. Well that's all coming to an end. I still haven't named him yet, but let's just call him Mourner. He'll be my character in an upcoming Faerun campaign where we start as level 3 and already in a party. Wild Elf Ranger/Sorcerer. Familiar = Falcon, and Animal Companion (when he gets Rgr4) = Light Warhorse. Headed for the path of Eldritch Knight (L20 build = Rgr4/Src6/EKt10). Anyway, background was standard... born to happy parents in small woodland village of around 100 wild elves. Tradition is that everyone is a sorcerer (favored class for wild elves), especially in Mourner's family. Supposedly descendents of some holy dragon. His parents are both capable sorcerers. Since almost everyone's an arcane caster, very little need for larger population or large workforce. ~100 sorcerers can do a heck of alot without much outside help or trade. Mourner seemed a late bloomer though... much to his parents' dissapointment, and his own dismay. He couldn't manifest his power, so the young elf was thus rediculed by his peers. At that early age, Drow raiders attacked and (thanks to SR) wasted everyone but Mourner and a few others who fled into the woods. Mourner failed to manifest his power right to the end, and could have saved his parents if only had the magic... but he was a failure and a loser and was now alone and weak... and consumed with anger and a desire for power, so he can protect what he cares about. A group of rangers were following in the Drow's wake, harrassing stragglers and helping the survivors of their raiding. Mourner and those from his village found some among them, and a chance to pay the Drow back for their murderous deeds. Later, when he had to kill a cockatrice, he ate its flesh (it's just a super-chicken after all) and awoke his sorcerous power! Mourner learned that his sorcerous ability was fuelled by feasting on the flesh and blood of supernatural beings - dragons, outsiders, magical beasts etc. Mourner has since left the rangers (they lost the Drow's trail) and joined a group of adventurous opportunists. They look for wealth, power, danger and magic, which are all things that Mourner needs to become stronger. He hopes to protect other people with that power and show them what it means to stand up and fight to preserve what you care about. Nobody should suffer his childhood trauma. He also hungers for the flesh of monsters to fuel that power... an association that plagues his conscience as much as his unquenchable desire to see every Drow man woman and child lie at his feet in a stinking mountain of mutilated corpses. Hatred, revenge, and lust for both blood and power stain his outwardly good intentions. Such is the internal struggle that infests his visions when alone on a quiet night. Mourner was born a loser and a failure, and fate has left him walking the path to both heaven (as protector, champion and healer) and hell (as a vengeful, ambitious bloodletter). ... now THAT's a cool elf, to me. Not typical.
Berzerker_prime 02-16-06, 10:13 PM	Welcome to the People! :w00t: I can see where you're coming from with the over-abundance of elves, lately. There's actually three in my company of six, as it happens. We make up for it by having different flavors, all; one moon, one gold, and me who's a wood. I like the twist you added to your character's magic abilities. I've been taking levels of non-magic variant ranger, so I can definately identify. She doesn't have anything strange going on, though, she's just a better melee fighter and always has been. I'm curious about the mechanics of Mourner's magic, though. Is he somehow separated from the Weave and needs the flesh of magical creatures to interact with it, or is it simply a trigger? Sweet water to you! Berz.
Grizzled Gryphon 02-17-06, 04:18 AM	That is very cool. Definetly NOT your average, garden variety elf. Kudos, man. Or woman, as the case may be. And, might I suggest, Enialis as a name for him? Sure, it is an example name, but it seems very appropriate for him.
malignor 02-17-06, 02:05 PM	I like the twist you added to your character's magic abilities. I've been taking levels of non-magic variant ranger, so I can definately identify. She doesn't have anything strange going on, though, she's just a better melee fighter and always has been. I'm curious about the mechanics of Mourner's magic, though. Is he somehow separated from the Weave and needs the flesh of magical creatures to interact with it, or is it simply a trigger?Haven't though too much about it in relation to the weave. Maybe eating the flesh of magical beings triggers a moment of contact with the weave, during which he can sort of "update" his sorcerous power. Perhaps the flesh is a sort of key or even a guide/clue (like a scent sample for a tracking dog) which gives him direction as to where he "belongs" within the weave. The idea I had was something like this example... between level 4 and 5 he eats parts of a basilisk, a wyvern and a zombie. When level 5 rolls around, he chooses his 2nd level spell, and would select from spells that fit these critters' profiles. I'd come up with blindness/deafness (turns eyes or ears to stone, rendered useless), levitate (via small transparent wyvern wings that sprout from target; switch spell focus to a loop of wyvern hair or claw on a string/wire) or false life (grows patches of tough undead tissue; sigils must be drawn in distilled zombie tissue). I find this would add some unique flavour to his magic, and help remind both me and my character about what he's dealt with in the past.
Morka 02-17-06, 10:33 PM	Later, when he had to kill a cockatrice, he ate its flesh (it's just a super-chicken after all) and awoke his sorcerous power! Mourner learned that his sorcerous ability was fuelled by feasting on the flesh and blood of supernatural beings - dragons, outsiders, magical beasts etc. :rofl: An excellent background! Just add a few little things, perhaps some details on 2-3 rangers and 2-3 other wild elves survivor. Perhaps one of them has been your lover? your mentor? your rival?
red_wizard69 02-18-06, 01:10 AM	That is a good storyline. I like it alot.
White_Wizard 02-19-06, 08:28 AM	Now that's how a good background should be! I have only a question: how his magic powers could have saved his family if drow have SR? :thinks: Well, that's not very important however. Good job!