NPC Backstory help anyone? [Archive] - Wizards Community

NPC Backstory help anyone? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
KnightyMcPaladin
02-26-07, 12:32 PM I'm running an epic campaign where a recurring NPC is a half-celestial Elven cleric who basically acts as a messenger between Heironeous and the PCs...I have no real intention of using him as anything other than a plot mover and a way for me to relate story info to the PCs, but with my group, anything can happen, so I was hoping you guys might have some interesting ideas about "Aramondor" to help me flesh him out and create a genuine NPC out of him before I start really using him in the campaign. I have no problem doing it myself, and really enjoy backstory creation, but I like hearing the ideas of others and getting other folks to be creative about a subject.
Anywho, "very epic" (he doesn't have a level yet, so feel free to exercise poetic license, here) half-celestial elven cleric (and the PCs just know that he has the basic description of an elf, so that's not even set in stone). Who is he, where did he come from, and why is he a freakin' messenger for the gods?
The PCs are ECL 22ish, btw, and I'm thinking he should be more powerful than them, obviously, but not so much so that if he travels with them he would simply overshadow them...maybe a vow against direct action in mortal affairs or something......
Prator_the_Legendary
02-26-07, 05:10 PM His mother was an elven cleric of Heironeous who fell for a Solar who served Heironeous (Make up your own names). During his childhood, he bounced around between the care of his father in Celestia and that of his mother in a temple of Heironeous on the material plane. He hasn't been totally sequestered from life outside of heaven and the churches, or anything like that, but he's never known anything but Heironeous' world, or lived a moment of his life without sensing Heironeous' presence in it. Given that and his parents' careers, it was a natural step for him to start working for the same organizations. And so he became a cleric of Heironeous, going off and doing whatever the clergy of Heironeous commanded of him.

He's achieved his current status as Heironeous' personal messenger after many years of cleric adventuring. During that period, he's seen and done all kinds of wonderous things, the likes of which only a person who deliberately seeks danger can find. If you need something for him to say, he's got no shortage of little anecdotes of all kinds from his adventuring years. You know the types; funny tales, sad tales of friends who died, breathtaking tales of amazing sights, and incredible tales of death-defying bravery and stuntsmanship.

Becoming a messenger is no easy task, nor is it an easy job. All kinds of fiends, demons, rival gods, and random evil people will try to interfere with the mail-carriers of lawful good deities. He's probably got some tales of close calls, miraculous escapes, and bizarre people from that time of his life too. This period can lead all the way up until he's met your PCs.
Hola
02-26-07, 07:41 PM He's been eaten by a blue dragon. Twice and the second time he almost lived to tell about (how about that raise dead!). He's seen a halfling swallow a kobold whole and spitt him out a good 20 yards with magical help. A preistess of somthing silly like lint or freshly pressed trousers is madly in love with him and hmmm... hes eaten dretch when campaining in the abyss and thought it needed salt. Well how about he hasn't done that...
AllWillFall2Me
02-26-07, 11:31 PM To the mortals, he is Aramondor. To the fiends of the Abyss, he is Blazing Death. And to his Lord Heironeous, he is The Faultless. He was born in a world that was succumbing to despair. an unfortunate alignment of planes had allowed demons from the Abyss far too free of access to the lands of his world. Raised as an unfailing warrior against the armies of doom, he was trained into an elite squad of ten holy warriors, who were dispatched on one mission: It was discovered that the reason the demons could invade was a poorly-worded demand of a wizard of middling strength, and thus only the minions of a particular lord, Ahazu, the Seizer, could invade the world. Therefore, with the destruction of Ahazu, their world would be safe. They entered the Abyss with 3 dozen warriors of Justice and light, and one-by-one they fell, until, fighting Ahazu himself, only Aramondor remained. Using all of his life, all that remained of his soul and will, he cast an epic spell that burned the Seizer in Shadows from existence. Spent, he died there. Or should have. For Heironeous had seen his battle, and noted his valor, and decided that this mortal would be his next voice. So just as he fell, he was raised. Empowered by the divine will of Heironeous, he was whisked to his Loord's realm, and informed of his new responsibilities. Thus he came to be Aramondor, The Faultless.
Just an idea.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
KnightyMcPaladin 02-26-07, 12:32 PM	I'm running an epic campaign where a recurring NPC is a half-celestial Elven cleric who basically acts as a messenger between Heironeous and the PCs...I have no real intention of using him as anything other than a plot mover and a way for me to relate story info to the PCs, but with my group, anything can happen, so I was hoping you guys might have some interesting ideas about "Aramondor" to help me flesh him out and create a genuine NPC out of him before I start really using him in the campaign. I have no problem doing it myself, and really enjoy backstory creation, but I like hearing the ideas of others and getting other folks to be creative about a subject. Anywho, "very epic" (he doesn't have a level yet, so feel free to exercise poetic license, here) half-celestial elven cleric (and the PCs just know that he has the basic description of an elf, so that's not even set in stone). Who is he, where did he come from, and why is he a freakin' messenger for the gods? The PCs are ECL 22ish, btw, and I'm thinking he should be more powerful than them, obviously, but not so much so that if he travels with them he would simply overshadow them...maybe a vow against direct action in mortal affairs or something......
Prator_the_Legendary 02-26-07, 05:10 PM	His mother was an elven cleric of Heironeous who fell for a Solar who served Heironeous (Make up your own names). During his childhood, he bounced around between the care of his father in Celestia and that of his mother in a temple of Heironeous on the material plane. He hasn't been totally sequestered from life outside of heaven and the churches, or anything like that, but he's never known anything but Heironeous' world, or lived a moment of his life without sensing Heironeous' presence in it. Given that and his parents' careers, it was a natural step for him to start working for the same organizations. And so he became a cleric of Heironeous, going off and doing whatever the clergy of Heironeous commanded of him. He's achieved his current status as Heironeous' personal messenger after many years of cleric adventuring. During that period, he's seen and done all kinds of wonderous things, the likes of which only a person who deliberately seeks danger can find. If you need something for him to say, he's got no shortage of little anecdotes of all kinds from his adventuring years. You know the types; funny tales, sad tales of friends who died, breathtaking tales of amazing sights, and incredible tales of death-defying bravery and stuntsmanship. Becoming a messenger is no easy task, nor is it an easy job. All kinds of fiends, demons, rival gods, and random evil people will try to interfere with the mail-carriers of lawful good deities. He's probably got some tales of close calls, miraculous escapes, and bizarre people from that time of his life too. This period can lead all the way up until he's met your PCs.
Hola 02-26-07, 07:41 PM	He's been eaten by a blue dragon. Twice and the second time he almost lived to tell about (how about that raise dead!). He's seen a halfling swallow a kobold whole and spitt him out a good 20 yards with magical help. A preistess of somthing silly like lint or freshly pressed trousers is madly in love with him and hmmm... hes eaten dretch when campaining in the abyss and thought it needed salt. Well how about he hasn't done that...
AllWillFall2Me 02-26-07, 11:31 PM	To the mortals, he is Aramondor. To the fiends of the Abyss, he is Blazing Death. And to his Lord Heironeous, he is The Faultless. He was born in a world that was succumbing to despair. an unfortunate alignment of planes had allowed demons from the Abyss far too free of access to the lands of his world. Raised as an unfailing warrior against the armies of doom, he was trained into an elite squad of ten holy warriors, who were dispatched on one mission: It was discovered that the reason the demons could invade was a poorly-worded demand of a wizard of middling strength, and thus only the minions of a particular lord, Ahazu, the Seizer, could invade the world. Therefore, with the destruction of Ahazu, their world would be safe. They entered the Abyss with 3 dozen warriors of Justice and light, and one-by-one they fell, until, fighting Ahazu himself, only Aramondor remained. Using all of his life, all that remained of his soul and will, he cast an epic spell that burned the Seizer in Shadows from existence. Spent, he died there. Or should have. For Heironeous had seen his battle, and noted his valor, and decided that this mortal would be his next voice. So just as he fell, he was raised. Empowered by the divine will of Heironeous, he was whisked to his Loord's realm, and informed of his new responsibilities. Thus he came to be Aramondor, The Faultless. Just an idea.