Here is the thing, the elves of Myth Drannor, and all the adventuring ideas from the FRPG, sort of indicate that the elves there grow up with one thing in mind: guarding Myth Drannor from outside threat. So, what we need is a good reason for him to turn his back on this, and instead head out adventuring. One thought I had was that due to his spellscar, perhaps he was considered unfit for duty. Would the elves look down on someone with a spellscar in this way? Would they consider it something that might leave him unfit for duty during a moment of key need?
Some suggestions on why both a good aligned or unaligned swordmage moon elf from Myth Drannor might want to leave the city and head out on his own would be appreciated.
The spellscar makes things interesting to say the least. A blind warrior is worth next to nothing for an active elven army, who largely rely on guerilla tactics and archery. He might be helpfull in the advisor or tactical roles if he has had centuries of experience, but he sounds like he is still a youngish elf.
Him being a bladesinger still must garner some respect and even some magical edge for an defensive stand. But he will put himself at risk if he would partake in real combat. His arcane power would definatly be missed though, as bladesingers are not as numerous as other elite troupes such as rangers or cavelry.
Elves have remarkable magic ways of aiding infermed. In this case they might even see the potential of the spellscar in aiding him. Though he definatley fits the unfit for duty bill, he might be send on his way to a Temlpe of Blue Fire if they can trust he wont hurt himself. These temples are simlar to the ones in the Plaguechanged lands, known by spellscar seeking pilgrims for their knowledge of tapping into the azure fire of spellscars. His only hope in regaining his former position of spell captain is to make his own cure by embracing the magic of the spellscar.
Myth Drannor's army might cycle their members (who technically serve for life) in off duty periods of some 20 to 60 years. If he was a unaligned and in the army he might have been just following orders like any moon elf would. When of duty typical moon elven wanderlust might gotten the better of him.
The spellscar makes things interesting to say the least. A blind warrior is worth next to nothing for an active elven army, who largely rely on guerilla tactics and archery. He might be helpfull in the advisor or tactical roles if he has had centuries of experience, but he sounds like he is still a youngish elf.
Him being a bladesinger still must garner some respect and even some magical edge for an defensive stand. But he will put himself at risk if he would partake in real combat. His arcane power would definatly be missed though, as bladesingers are not as numerous as other elite troupes such as rangers or cavelry.
Elves have remarkable magic ways of aiding infermed. In this case they might even see the potential of the spellscar in aiding him. Though he definatley fits the unfit for duty bill, he might be send on his way to a Temlpe of Blue Fire if they can trust he wont hurt himself. These temples are simlar to the ones in the Plaguechanged lands, known by spellscar seeking pilgrims for their knowledge of tapping into the azure fire of spellscars. His only hope in regaining his former position of spell captain is to make his own cure by embracing the magic of the spellscar.
Would he be considered unfit for duty even though he can already use the spellscar to "see?" I mean, doing so causes his eyes and the burns around his eyes to flare with blue fire, but he can already use the spellscare to gain normal vision. Would the elves not care and simply consider him unfit for duty anyway? If so, why? (I am not discounting the idea. After all, it was my own. I'm just looking for some logical ways to flesh it out, because I am a little lost to be honest.)
I like the idea of an unaligned elf who is just following orders. Taking his opportunity to sate his elven wanderlust. How would an unaligned elf be viewed by his peers, however? I mean, its not like anybody wears a sign "I am unaligned..." but I am thinking more in terms of actions and whatnot.
Also, it might be interesting for me to note, his characters blade magic is far more offensive then elven blade magic tends to be. Where most elves use the aegis of shielding, he has chosen the aegis of assault. Basically, he has stumbled upon a method of sword magic that is some ways is closer to the magic used by the swordmages of returned aeiber then that typically used by elves.
Anyways. Thanks for the input and help!
A unaligned bladesinger would definately have gone through some chafes with his superiors over things as they are expected to be paragons of the elven communties. Bladesingers are technically paladin-like in their duties to the People. Perhaps he has seen alot of war, and his more caring side or his will to defend has eroded to the point he no longer cares to fight for the greater good. He might have seen unwise but valerous decisions from his superiors gone terribly wrong. Questioning the valorous against the pragmatic might have caused the Blue-fire Eyed Swordmage to slowly distance himself from the war efforts of his superiors. Questioning his superiors effectiveness might have led him to eventually being relieved of his duty. He actually might be relieved to get to perform his duties in his own ways, in ways where he can matter.
Bladesingers or swordmages schools teach their art in their own distinctive styles, so having been taught a more aggresive style would not neccesarily mean it originated on Abeir. Most schools are recognizable by style of dress and tattoos, but also differences in techniques and tactics are not uncommon from academy to academy.
Can he use the blue fire sight indefinately? Is there a limit to the range of his "normal" vision? Is the blue glow conspicuous or easily spotted from afar? Those aspects are critical in his military carreer. The actual societal view on spellscars will probably be the defining factor of spellscars if he already has control of his vision. If the rumours are true that spellscars are linked to Mystra's last vestiges of the weave they would likely not fear it as much. If they link spellscars to the plaguewrought abominations though, things might be more difficult. The acceptance of spellscars by the puplic would largely depend on your personal preferance as a DM.
He can use the blue fire sight indefinitely, just like normal humans can keep their eyes open indefinitely. The limit to the range of this "normal" vision is the same as any other normal elves would be. Basically, mechanically, his "blindness" and "spellscarred sight" have no effect on his character. They are totally fluff. However, the blue fire from his eyes is not incospicuous. It is fairly obvious, and it gives off light. At least as much light as 2-4 lighters being lighted at the same time. But, the area of his face that creates this blue fire is not large enough that it cannot be covered. Specifically, his character tends to wear a wide blindfold over his eyes specifically in order to hide this blue fire.
As for the elves view of spellscars, that is precisely the sort of question I am looking for some advice on. Having stayed away from Forgotten Realms since early 2e AD&D, I honestly don't know how the elves of Myth Drannor would look upon a spellscarred character. Is this the sort of thing they would distrust? Especially since they were some of the hardest hit by the spellplague? Or, would they take this sort of thing in stride?
A unaligned bladesinger would definately have gone through some chafes with his superiors over things as they are expected to be paragons of the elven communties. Bladesingers are technically paladin-like in their duties to the People. Perhaps he has seen alot of war, and his more caring side or his will to defend has eroded to the point he no longer cares to fight for the greater good. He might have seen unwise but valerous decisions from his superiors gone terribly wrong. Questioning the valorous against the pragmatic might have caused the Blue-fire Eyed Swordmage to slowly distance himself from the war efforts of his superiors. Questioning his superiors effectiveness might have led him to eventually being relieved of his duty. He actually might be relieved to get to perform his duties in his own ways, in ways where he can matter.
This is awesome. I love it. I am totally going to suggest it to the player.
Bladesingers or swordmages schools teach their art in their own distinctive styles, so having been taught a more aggresive style would not neccesarily mean it originated on Abeir. Most schools are recognizable by style of dress and tattoos, but also differences in techniques and tactics are not uncommon from academy to academy.
The FRPG states that the "aegis of shielding" tends to originate from the eladrin and the "aegis of assault" tends to originate from returned Aiber. He is not actually having his form be an Aiber form. Just a more rare/slightly personalized elven style. Thus my statment that his personal swordmage fighting style is more similar to that found among returned Aiber communities than the typical style of the elves. That is all I meant...
However, I did not know that bladesingers are usually marked by tattoo's. This is knew to me. Where I can read more about this (on the internet) or what can you tell me?
Thanks again.
P.S. I don't know if it helps, but his character is a very low wisdom build high int build. So, his character is a bit "absent minded" at times. Doesn't notice or intuit things that some others would consider obvious, fails to notice things sneaking up on him (even when they are not well hidden), etc...
P.P.S. So, I noticed that both his wisdom AND his dexterity are lower then normal (for an elf). He only has a 13 dexterity (with his +2 bonus) and an 8 wisdom. Perhaps this would indicate that his perception and reflexes are in fact hurt by his lack of standard vision, and that his spellscared sight is not 100% perfect in comparison to normal sight? It certainly could...
The elves are interested in all things magical, one can even say they are naturally receptive for it. Spellscars would definately be alien and new though, and elves (especially sunelves) like tradition over experimentation. If you decide to make elves susceptible to getting one, their eventual chance of societal acceptance would likely be greater.
The spellplague hit Myth Drannor when it already had a mythal up, and the Plague of Spells largely flowed around mythals (being products of ancient elven high magic). Stable magic zones powered by epic magic had internal magic sources that sustained themselves despite the weave (for defence against dispelling magics) and protected those in the magic field from the worst of the Spellplague.
The legend goes the first bladesinger was a moon elf who vowed to best an opponent for more powerfull than he. He went into isolation in a forest to train and learned the basics of blending magic with dance from a local talking catshee. He founded the first academy based on the techniques he learned and all other students wore their tattoos of a black catshee on their shoulders as badges of honour. The tattoos are now largely representations of the particular bladesong style, with popular symbolism amongst elves such as griffons, unicorns, wolves, ravens, stars, eyes, swords and fangs.
In the 2nd edition source the Elves of Evermeet they talked about the bladesinger academies. Also Cormanthyr: Empire of Elves has information on the armies sturcture and elite troops, including bladesingers.
Something other Elves would consider 'aberrational' (not in game terms, but rather using the word as intended) may have them look away in disgust, or worse, make them act 'pitying' toward him.
These feelings of resentment and pity by his own people, I would think, would be enough to drive one away (and to a more 'unaligned' attitude).
Perhaps he finds comfort among the 'lesser races', who don't judge others by their looks so quickly.
LOVE the concept, BTW... I'm thinking the scars are pretty hideous, and that he would wear a blindfold most of the time to hide his disformity (which is just a way-cool visual when you picture him fighting).
Blind Justice, indeed.
Hadarai Elerevantis was born to Lothorian and Sindelur Elerevantis, a pair of moon elves, just over one hundred years ago. Lothorian was a potent wizard, and Sindelur a skilled blademaster. The two had succumbed to moon elf wonderlust some time ago, and as a result Hadarai was born abroad. Within a couple months of his birth Mystra (the god of magic) was murderer by Shar (the god of shadows) and Cyric (the god of strife). Mystra embodied something known as “the weave.” The weave was a blanket of magic that covered the world, a metaphysical extension of Mystra herself. At the time it was thought that the weave was magic, and without it all magic would fail. With her death the weave collapsed. With Mystra’s death, and the unravelling of the weave, the spellplague hit; azure fire literally began to eat away the landscape, warp the land, and transform it into something else. Simultaneously sections of the lost realm of Aiber returned, and sections of Faerun disappeared. Reality itself was unravelled, and giant motes of earth came undone from gravity and began to float up into the sky. Reality was fractured.
Magic, however, did not entirely fail. It seemed that earlier predictions were not completely correct. Still, those that attempted to weave spells in the old ways often found that magic was unavailable to them, as if hidden behind a glass wall. Sometimes they burned themselves to ash in the azure flame of the spellplague, or worse, burned everyone around them ash in an azure conflagration leaving nothing but plaguelands in the place of their passing. Lothorian’s art made him particularly susceptible to these potential effects. With Hadarai having just been born, his mother and father decided that they needed to find a place of refuge that would protect them from the apocalypse unfolding around them.
Eleven years prior to the spellplague (in the year 1374 DR year of the Lighting Storms) an eladrin crusade led by Severil Miritar drove demonfey out of the ancient city of Cormanthyr, a city long lost to the elves. Severil’s daughter, Ilsevele, refounded a city on the spot and named the place Myth Drannor. Myth Drannor contains within its walls a mythal. Mythals are enormous layered magic constructions created by extensive and unique group rituals, the product of ancient high-elven magic. They were created as protective nodes for elven settlements. Mythal’s were woven with defences so potent that they adapted even to the sundering of the weave. These mythals protected elven communities against the buffeting power of the spellplague, though some mythals were said to be destroyed in this process.
Lothorian and Sindelur decided to run to Myth Drannor in hopes that the city's mythal might protect their family. Unfortunately, along the way, disaster struck. Lothorian did what he could to protect Sindelur and Hadarai from the plaguefire that unfolded around them. His efforts cost him his life, but Sindelur and Hadarai were spared as a result. However, the event did not leave Hadarai untouched. His eyes were eaten by the blue fire, leaving the child blind.
Sindelur managed to take Hadarai the rest of the way to Myth Drannor, but no amount of healing could fix the child’s ruined eyes. As Hadarai grew older he heard countless calls to arms. Myth Drannor was a bastion of light in a sea of darkness. Marauding monsters sent by hostile powers such as Netheril, Sembia, or Mulmaster attacked the city. If that was not enough, demons and drow ascending from the tunnels of the underdark located underneath the forest floor were a constant threat as well. The place was considered to be a last, best hope against the rising tide of chaos and evil by its elven population. But, when Hadarai petitioned to be trained as a defender for the elven cause he was denied. Due to his lack of vision he was considered to be unfit for duty. So, Hadarai asked his mother to train him in the art of the sword, and she reluctantly agreed. But no matter how apt Hadarai proved himself to be in the sword forms, he still could not see. A warrior that could not see his enemy could not properly choose which forms to employ.
It was Hadarai’s frustration that first allowed him to unlock the potential of his spellscar. As others his age teased him for his tireless efforts to learn swordplay, or pitied him for his scarred visage, his inward rage and desire eventually caused him to accidentally “open his eyes.” His burnt eyes and the scars surrounding them flared with blue fire. Suddenly he could see. Again he attempted to join the military. His superiors were uneasy with his glowing features, which served as a reminder of the spellplague and its effects, but they were willing to give him a second try. However, even with his spellscarred vision he was found wanting. He may have learned to see through his spellscares, but they told him that his years of blindness had led to him developing a deficient sense of perception. And, what is more, though his sword forms were exquisite in their technique, they told him he lacked the raw brawn or lithe coordination required to become a true warrior. All Hadarai heard were further insults with compiled pity born of a condition he had thrust upon him due to no fault of his own. But, while the main body of the military turned down Hadarai’s request for training, an eladrin bladesinger named Lithrandir Illumadri saw potential. Hadarai soon became the bladesinger’s apprentice.
Under Lithrandir, Hadarai excelled. He learned to augment his physical deficiencies with magic. Years of having few friends and living in a world composed primarily of his own imagination had honed Hadarai’s mind to a point. He picked up spells quickly, and learned to weave the bladeforms not through brawn but rather careful tactical planning. Hadarai soon earned the tattoo of Lithrandir’s school of bladesinging. Suddenly Hadarai was a desirable fighting unit for the Myth Drannor military force. But years of striving for acceptance and finding none, the memory of teasing by children his age, and other perceived slights, had left Hadarai with an inner hollow. On the verge of being accepted into the Myth Drannor military force Hadarai felt his moon elf wonderlust take hold. Why should he fight to defend a people that had turned their back on him for so long when he could instead wander the world as his father and mother once had? Lithrandir was disappointed, but he understood that the young elf needed a chance to find himself before he could truly understand his place in the world. He wished Hadarai well, and bid him to honour the tattoo of his completed training during his travels. Promising his mother that he would one day return, Hadarai set out into the wide world, and eventually found himself in Waterdeep, boarding the riverboat Blackstaff’s Memory, on a journey up the Grayflow river towards the town of Loudwater.
Know the Seldarine will bless his journey, he walks in their path.
Well done, C-D.
These feelings of resentment and pity by his own people, I would think, would be enough to drive one away (and to a more 'unaligned' attitude).
Agreed. I'm not so sure unaligned elves would be all that uncommon, anyway; no matter their homeland or station. They're no better or worse than any other race, and I tend to think "Unaligned" describes more individuals than not. That's just my opinion, though.
LOVE the concept, BTW... I'm thinking the scars are pretty hideous, and that he would wear a blindfold most of the time to hide his disformity (which is just a way-cool visual when you picture him fighting).
Blind Justice, indeed.
Agreed. Your suggestion concerning the blindfold immediately made me think of the Miraluka species in Star Wars. They see through the Force, rather than with physical eyesight. They often cover their "eyes", much as one might expect this scarred elf might do.
He would look pretty bad*** fighting blind, and downright freaky when the blindfold inevitably falls or slips. Based on what little fluff we have at this point, people tend to get a little freaked when they see a flaring/glowing spellscar.
Now I just need to figure out if I need to help flesh out the back stories for the rest of the group at all. Their back stories came out a lot shorter... but simultaneously, their back stories didn't really seem to need to be as long.
I've got this for the Wizard:
Finrod Golfin was born in the South Ward of Waterdeep. His mother died in childbirth. His father, Lewys Golfin was a poor thatcher. Finrod never cared much for his father’s trade. Finrod’s eyes were always pointed towards the wizard’s towers of the Sea Ward. Much of the populace had come to distrust magic to some extent, because of the spellplague. But that had happened nearly three quarters of a century ago. And, wasn’t Blackstaff, the wizard after whom Blackstaff Tower was named, a great defender of Waterdeep? The stories his father told him in Finrod’s childhood certainly painted him as such. Finrod knew that there were wonders out there in the world, and all he needed was the spell to find them all.
Eventually, Lewys thatcher came to except that his son would never carry on the family business. Pretty much every job Finrod ever undertook went wrong for one reason or another. So, Lewys set out to find a wizard looking for an apprentice. Eventually he found one, Ceth Thymblton. Finrod, excited for a chance to make his father proud, doing what he dreamed of doing anyway, took to his studies with a passion. For almost nine years everything went well, and Finrod looked forward to finally proving to his father that he could make something of the name Golfin. And then Thymblton asked Finrod to prepare the study for an extremely important ritual, something new, something that dealt with time. Finrod was sure he got everything just right. In his excitement he might have missed a chalk line or two, perhaps cut a few corners when he was tracing out the graph work on the study’s floor, but nothing drastic. The next day the spell exploded in Finrod and Thymblton’s faces.
When the dust settled Thymblton was gone, and Finrod found himself a good fourty years older. Finrod knew that he had to find a way to set things right. There was no way Finrod could pay for the upkeep of Thymblton’s tower, not with it being located in the expensive Sea Ward, and going to his father’s was out of the question. There is no way Finrod would show his face there until he could set things aright. The only option was to head out for the world, seek the experiences he could never gain cloistered in a wizards tower, and find some way to fix the problem he had created. Hearing a rumour or two about the possibility of finding adventure somewhere in a not too distant frontier town called Loudwater, and remembering the tales of Thymblton and all the magic the wizard claimed he would never have stumbled upon if not for adventures in his earlier years, Finrod looked for the first ship heading up the Greyflow river (towards the town). Soon after Finrod found himself aboard the Blackstaff’s Memory (a riverboat), something Finrod considered a good omen. After all, how better to start on an adventure then on a ship named after his personal favourite hero from his father’s childhood stories?
The rogue's story is the shortest, but I could not think of anything to add to his...
Dryden was born an orphan bastard on the streets of Luskan. Whoever his mother and father were, they were out of his life before he was old enough to remember them. His only family was an older sister, Amber, and it was at her side that he learned the trade of the thief. After all, in a town like Luskan, what you don’t take gets taken from you. At a fairly early age Dryden got his first taste of tragedy when Amber was shot to death during a heist gone wrong. Dryden swore vengeance, and eventually got it. In order to achieve his goal he was forced to join up with a savage gang, the Steel Dirks, which quickly took control of most of the city. It was the only way he could gain the political power he needed in order to take revenge on Amber’s killer. About a year ago the Steel Dirks fell under attack by a rival group. At first the identity of the rival group was a mystery, but as they quickly gained in power their identity soon became a matter of public knowledge: Razor’s Cabinet. After most of a year the Steel Dirks had lost almost all of their territory to Razor’s Cabinet. Many of their members jumped ship, but Dryden had inserted himself too closely into the lives of the Steel Dirks higher membership, in order to gain the clout he needed to convince them to slay his sister’s killer, to be able to commit a similar act. Drydan was forced to stick it out with the Steel Dirks until the end, or run; faced with the choice of exile, or else eventually succumbing to the fate that every other member of the Steel Dirks, that would not or could not jump ship, was slowly succumbing to, Dryden chose to run. Death just was not his mug of ale. Stealing a horse, Dryden passed through the ruins of Neverwinter, rode the animal to death, and eventually made it to Waterdeep. From there he found the first ship sailing anywhere else, and found himself aboard Blackstaff’s Memory, a riverboat headed up the Grayflow River towards the town of Loudwater.
Stealing a horse, Dryden passed through the ruins of Neverwinter, rode the animal to death, and eventually made it to Waterdeep.
Poor horse. That didn't seem very smart of Dryden to waste his ride, either. Couldn't he sell the horse in Waterdeep to pay his way aboard Blackstaff's Memory?
That way, the PC doesn't start with a horse. Plus, PETA, a nefarious threat arisen from the deeps of the Sea of Fallen...oh, wait, that's the Abolethic Sovereignty... uhh...PETA, a secretive organization of horse-lovers, won't ambush Dryden in the dark alleys of Loudwater.
It's always best to avoid PETA's terrible wrath. It's also better to ride into Waterdeep than to walk. Then again, dead horse = steak!
Poor horse. That didn't seem very smart of Dryden to waste his ride, either. Couldn't he sell the horse in Waterdeep to pay his way aboard Blackstaff's Memory?
That way, the PC doesn't start with a horse. Plus, PETA, a nefarious threat arisen from the deeps of the Sea of Fallen...oh, wait, that's the Abolethic Sovereignty... uhh...PETA, a secretive organization of horse-lovers, won't ambush Dryden in the dark alleys of Loudwater.
It's always best to avoid PETA's terrible wrath. It's also better to ride into Waterdeep than to walk. Then again, dead horse = steak!
The idea is to convey a sense of urgency. The character wanted to get as far away from Luskan as fast as possible. Hence, he rode the horse to death.
The idea is to convey a sense of urgency. The character wanted to get as far away from Luskan as fast as possible. Hence, he rode the horse to death.
I figured as much. Yet, my innate oddity and the sympathy I felt for the horse made me post.
I like your work on the backstories. I generally come up with detailed backstories, myself. Lately, I've been trying to rein them in to a single paragraph, with the idea that it will give me greater flexibility. I haven't played enough lately to notice a difference. At any rate, that's in no way a suggestion or commentary on your backstories. I really like what you've done. It may encourage me to post some of my own PCs' backstories.
I generally come up with detailed backstories, myself. Lately, I've been trying to rein them in to a single paragraph, with the idea that it will give me greater flexibility.
Yea. I've never had a player actually write up his own backstory and the present it to me. It would be a nice change... generally speaking my players come up with the bare bones of an idea, and then I help them flesh it out. I then write up a copy of their backstory, and then hand it to them as a role-playing reference for their character.
Yea. I've never had a player actually write up his own backstory and the present it to me. It would be a nice change... generally speaking my players come up with the bare bones of an idea, and then I help them flesh it out. I then write up a copy of their backstory, and then hand it to them as a role-playing reference for their character.
Ditto, here, with the exception of one other guy who is often as not DM. I love creating characters, and they're mostly content to let me keep churning them out, feeding them ideas.
I do run into the problem of growing as attached to their PC as I am to mine, though. Once the gaming actually gets rolling, however, it's pretty easy to let go. After all, I get attached to their PCs how I imagine they would/could be, not to the character the PC actually ends up becoming.
My current (hopeful) PC is a Shadovar Shadar-kai Swordmage who's been through several iterations to get to his current state. I'm nearly as interested in the Elturgardan Fighter I've written for a friend.