Character 97 - Saiki Tatsumi

So this character – beyond the difficulties in my work life – posed some really onerous challenges. The high intelligence, being born at a time of power, and having mystic as an influence screamed for her to be a caster of some kind. Being a follower of the Black Butterfly made we want to make her a mute. The problem is that being able to cast spells without speaking is exceedingly hard. I had to search high and low for ways to add silent spell to her spells at a reduced cost, and there aren’t many of them.

Looking through a number of threads I found that the oracle curse “deaf” gave free silent spell to all spells. Finding a way to get the oracle curse on a caster that wasn’t an oracle – because it didn’t fit what I was looking for – was no easy task. I’m not a fan of variant multiclassing, although one could have built the character using VMC oracle, but I did find the one archetype that gives a curse; PactWizard from Haunted Heroes Handbook, not to be confused pact wizard from the Familiar Folio.

Admittedly this will hamstring the character till level 5 when she can choose the deaf curse, but I’m ok with that for the story purposes. I do like that the pact wizard gets a witch’s patron and I thought that stars would be appropriate for a god who was literally created by first being a constellation. For this character, you need to take silent spell at first level, but she’ll retrain it at fifth when she no longer needs it due to the oracle curse.

The exploiter wizard archetype stacks nicely with the pact wizard archetype and will give her some versatility that I think she needs. One of the exploits she can take is dimensional slide, which I think is definitely something someone who worships a goddess of space and distance would take, so I went with that as well.

Saiki Tatsumi

The dangers of The Worldwound abound leaving many homeless and emotionally scarred. As the borders of Mendev slowly recede the Demon hordes take prisoners from the border towns. There are many families that either came to fight the abyssal incursion or followers who traveled with these crusaders from across the face of Golarion. The Saiki family arrived with such warriors from their homeland of Tian but they were taken prisoner by demons when their outpost was sacked.

Saiki Okada and his wife Setsuko saw their lord torn up before their very eyes before they were carried off into the night. Setsuko was pregnant and Okada knew he must help his family escape. On the night that the twins were to be born three of the planets aligned, causing chaos in an already chaotic land. Okada took this as an opportunity to help his wife make their escape.

They traveled through the night led by the light of the stars, although one star itself moved across the sky like no other they had ever seen. They stopped for the night huddled at the border of a desolate forest, which is where Setsuko gave birth. In the morning they were found by outriders from the one liberated town in the demon-infested region, Gundrun.

Although Gundrun is far from the major loci of demon activity, it isn’t always safe. Some believe that there are demonic agents living in the town itself. On occasion, a demon raid will fall upon the town but it is usually repelled. Sadly not everyone survives, and Tatsumi and Chiyu lost their mother when they were only ten. This left a scar on both children with Tatsumi retreating into herself, barely speaking. Her sister Chiyu went the opposite route and began to act out violently.

When the two girls turned twelve and started going through puberty it became evident why they had processed their grief in different ways. The blood that ran through their veins came from two different ancestries. Somewhere along their bloodline a dalliance with the elemental must have happened as Chiyu began to show signs of the fiery blood of the efreeti in her veins while Tatsumi manifest some of the djinn bloodline as a sylph.

It is here that the path of the girls truly diverged. Driven by emotion, Chiyu was drawn to the often savage ways of the Kellid of Gundrun, who descended from the people of Sarkoris, which is now known as the Worldwoud. Tatsumi again took to a life of quiet contemplation, which attracted the notice of a traveler known as The Voiceless Monk.

The Voiceless Monk was a disciple of the powerful Empyreal Lord called the Black Butterfly. Born deaf, he never truly learned to speak, but later in life a pact with the being known as Desna’s Shadow saw him develop arcane powers. Although Tatsumi was not deaf, or truly mute, her mental block on speaking drew him to her. Her training was difficult -- learning to cast spells without speaking didn’t come as easily to her as it did her master.

Tatsumi still had the urges of an adolescent to deal with as well. Although she was quiet, that didn’t mean she didn’t desire the affection of other people. Being unwilling to speak made these relationships more difficult but it didn’t stop her from trying. Sadly, abandonment issues from the death of her mother meant she often used coercion to keep her partners from leaving her. This was a tactic she would secretly regret as she got older.

Although she and her sister took different paths – Chiyu channeling her elemental nature into a bloodrage – they both held strong to a need for fairness and justice. The two saw the injustice in a world that would take their mother; in a world that would allow demons to wipe out an entire country and its peoples. They sought to help those who seem to have been treated unfairly, whether by the world itself, by people, or even by unjust laws.

So there you have it. Yes, this is not the most optimized character at the beginning. You really eat a hefty penalty by willingly not using sound to cast spells, but to me it’s worth it. And even when you get the cure, the deaf penalty is pretty hefty. I wish there was a mute curse that was similar, but I will take what I can get. The Black Butterfly is, after all, the patron of both the deaf and the mute.

What class did your version of this sylph gravitate toward? Who was her sister? How did her mother die? Why did she choose The Black Butterfly as a patron, or was she chosen?

The CRB not only brings you the creative content you desire but helps you look inside for your own creativity. If you feel both inspired and pushed to create, please consider supporting your favorite content provider – that’s me, right? – by pledging as little as $1 on my Patreon or making a direct donation to my Paypal.

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Random Roll 97 - The Randomness

A wind touched sylph born with a twin sister, during a time of power, to a lower class Tian family living in The Worldwound. With every stat being above average there are a lot of options in terms of what class to choose. We also have a lot of rich information from which to craft our background; including a dead mother, an attack by raiders, and being influenced by a mystic.

Gender:Male

Race:Sylph

Human Ethnicity:Tian-La.

Nationality:The Worldwound

Age:16

Height:6’ 1”

Weight:170

Alignment:Chaotic Good

Str: 7

Dex: 14

Con:  14

Int: 16

Wis: 14

Cha: 12

Homeland: Town or Village

Parents: Only your father is alive.

Siblings: You have 1 biological sibling.

- biological twin sister

Circumstance of Birth: [Progeny of Power] You were born during a particularly powerful conjunction or in some other time of power.

Parent's Profession: Serfs/Peasants

Major Childhood Event: [Raiders] A horde of raiders attacked your settlement and killed several of your people. This could have been a tribe of brutal humanoids or the conquering army of a civilized nation. As a result, you harbor deep resentment toward a particular faction, race, or country.

Influential Associate:[The Mystic] You were especially close to a holy person in your community who fundamentally changed your life by opening your eyes to the incredible powers that exist beyond the natural world. Regardless of whether you follow a faith, certain religious artifacts, rituals, and texts played a large part in making you the person you are.

Conflict: [Blackmailed] You used sensitive knowledge or threats to force someone’s cooperation.

Conflict Subject: Lover or former lover.

Conflict Motivation: Amusement or Entertainment.

Conflict Resolution: [Secret Regret] You regret the conflict, but go to great lengths to keep it secret and try desperately to forget it ever happened. Only you and maybe a select few people know of your involvement in the conflict.

Deity/Religious Philosophy:Black Butterfly

Romantic Relationship(s):Several Significant Relationships] You’ve engaged in a number of partnerships, but for some reason or another your relationships always fail.

Drawback:[Justice] Unfairness and injustice are intolerable. Whenever you witness them, you feel compelled to act or speak out. When you’re personally wronged, you require appeasement—or revenge if you don’t receive it.

(Trait) Axe to Grind

(Trait) Charming

(Trait) Child of the Temple

(Trait) Empyreal Focus

(Trait) Magical Talent

(Trait) Militia Veteran

(Trait) Poverty-Stricken

(Trait) Sacred Touch

(Story Feat) Foeslayer

(Story Feat) Vengeance

(Drawback) Headstrong

In the comments tell us how you’d craft this character’s background? What class would he gravitate too? How did his mother die? Why are there Tian living so far from home? Who is his mystic inflence? And don’t forget to stay tuned Friday when my background hits the CRB.

The CRB not only brings you the creative content you desire but makes you look inside for your own creativity. If you feel both inspired and pushed to created please consider supporting your favorite content provider – that’s me right – by pledging as little as $1 on my Patreon or making a direct donation to my Paypal.

If you don’t want to miss a beat make sure you sign up to get the CRB pushed directly to your e-reading device with Kindle Subscriptions through Amazon. And to keep up with my other musings and thoughts you can follow the CRB on Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter.

Character 89 - Brogru

Illustration by Luis Perez

With every character I make there is always a hook, something for you to latch onto and get stuck in your craw. This week was no different. I didn’t settle in on the stats, there wasn’t one background bit that caught my eye and made me go “aha”. It was the randomly rolled deity that really drove this character to its final form. The Infernal Duke of language who collects tomes in dialects that have never existed. So looking through all the choices – and there were a lot with this spread of stats -  I went with the occultist. In particular I choose the tome eater archetype, and from there the character just flowed.

Brogru

Most of the citizens of Irrisen can trace their lineage back to either the original Ulfen inhabitants or back to the children of Baba Yaga herself. Although those are the most dominant bloodlines in the region they are not the only ones. On the border with the Realm of the Mammoth Lords reside quite a few families that can trace their families back to the tribes of their eastern neighbor.

Brogru’s family are some of those Kellids that have lived just across the border of their homeland for generations. The Jadwiga consider these tribesmen citizens and like any other residents of Irrisen they are not allowed to cross the border. These Kellids now inhabit the frontier between the town of Bosorka and the town of Isseld.

When Brogru hit puberty and changes came upon him it was not the typical growth spurt into the mountain of a man his parents expected. The young Kellid’s hair began to turn white, and his skin tone paled a bit. His aging slowed and there was obvious evidence that he was touched with the blood of air elementals.

Brogru would often spend time trekking from his family’s homestead to Isseld. The town was gaining a name for trading in the carved fetishes and talismans of his people, so the sight of a Kellid – even one touched by the wind – was not uncommon. It was here that he fell in with a bad crowd.

Illustration by Luis Perez

Isseld may have only been a minor stop on the Frozen Road, but it was a trade stop nonetheless. The thieves and scoundrels which he called friends would often rob from merchants traveling up the river road. Although Brogru had no qualms with theft and extortion, violence was never something he enjoyed. When his cohorts killed a merchant he was appalled and locked them in the small cabin on the boat and set the thing ablaze.

Borgru was captured by the authorities and imprisoned. At his trial he was sentenced to exile. It is not often that a citizen is allowed to leave Irrisen but the young sylph was brought to the border of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords and told never to return. With no way to go back, he had no choice but to move forward into unfamiliar territory.

The tribes of the Mammoth Lords actively shunned him, some even tried to kill him, so he could find no home with cousins of his own people. He was adrift and alone out on the frozen tundra. He would have frozen to death in the first year if had he not stumbled upon a ruin close to the border of The Worldwound. He took shelter here during the harsh weather and was kept alive and out of the bitter wind.

What was in the ruin would change who and what he was. Locked away in a stone case, wrapped in cold iron chains he found a book. The book appeared perfectly preserved and seemed to be in a language that not only could he not read, but he was almost sure didn’t exist. The book called to him to skim its pages and every night in that ancient place he had dreams of manor house in a fetid swamp, and scaled wings fluttering by.

After a week within the confines of the ancient structure the wind and the snow stopped and Brogru took the opportunity to move on.  With no place to call home in the lands of his ancestors he skirted the border of The Worldwound and then followed the river from the Tusk Mountains and through the Shudderwood into Ustalav. By the time he arrived in more civilized lands he was ravaged by the elements and near starvation. The only thing that kept him going was the book that was now tied to his waist with the very cold iron chains in which it had once been bound.

Brogru found some succor. He was given a warm place to sleep and a hot meal in a small temple of Desna, but the food could not sustain him. He had a need for something more. He left the temple and began his search, he knew not what for, until he came upon a small bookshop. When he entered he felt the tome at his side call to the other books until it found the one it wanted. Brogru plucked the volume from the shelf and opened it. He felt the sudden urge to tear out the pages. As he did this the paper became subsumed into his own body and he felt sated. The shopkeep noticed this odd behavior and ran him out, screaming for him to never return.

The book filled his hunger the way no food could but it also opened his mind to the true nature of the codex he carried with him. The book allowed his mind to touch that of the being known as Crocell, the Infernal Duke. He was now a servitor of this power and it was his task to find other lost folios to add to his master’s collection. For this he looked to sign on with adventurers who would be heading into other ancient ruins where he might find volumes lost to the sands of time.

How did you piece together your character? What class did you think best suited this Sylph? Why did he commit arson? Who were the people he murdered? Why did he take up the worship of Crocell? Tell us in the comments.

The CRB not only brings you the creative content you desire but helps you look inside for your own creativity. If you feel both inspired and pushed to create, please consider supporting your favorite content provider – that’s me, right? – by pledging as little as $1 on my Patreon or making a direct donation to my Paypal.

If you don’t want to miss a beat make sure you sign up to get the CRB pushed directly to your e-reading device with Kindle Subscriptions through Amazon. And to keep up with my other musings and thoughts you can follow the CRB on Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter.

For more art by the illustrator Luis Perez you can find him on Twitter, Tumblr, and on Instagram at luisperezart.

Random Roll 89 - The Randomness

This week we have a child of the wind who became a criminal early. A sylph exiled for arson and a killer of scoundrels, even if he feels regret for it. What do we do with this criminal wind touched man? A decent dexterity, constitution, intelligence, and charisma leave us a lot of options. Stay tuned Friday to see what becomes of our young sylph in the land of the winter witches.

Gender: Male

Race:Slyph

Nationality:Irrisen

Human Parent Ethnicity: Kellid

Age:  80

Height: 5’ 9”

Weight: 154lbs

Alignment:Lawful Evil

Str: 8

Dex: 15

Con:  14

Int: 14

Wis: 12

Cha: 14

Homeland: Frontier

Parents: Both of your parents are alive.

Siblings: You have 4 biological siblings.

- biological younger sister

- biological younger brother

- biological younger brother

- biological younger brother

Circumstance of Birth: [Middle-Class Birth] You were born to the middle class, which includes merchants, artisans, and tradespeople. You likely grew up in a good-sized settlement, and one of your parents is likely associated with a guild or other trade organization. As a free person, you don't experience the bondage of serfdom or peasantry, but you also lack the privilege of the nobility.

Parent's Profession: Artisans

Major Childhood Event: [Imprisoned] Your criminal record began when you were young. You were imprisoned, punished, and possibly displayed in public as a criminal. Whether or not you committed the crime, the experience has stayed with you.

Crime: Arson

Punishment: Exile

Influential Associate:[The Mystic] You were especially close to a holy person in your community who fundamentally changed your life by opening your eyes to the incredible powers that exist beyond the natural world. Regardless of whether you follow a faith, certain religious artifacts, rituals, and texts played a large part in making you the person you are.

Conflict: [Mass Murder] You killed several sentient beings.

Conflict Subject: Scoundrel.

Conflict Motivation: Pressured or Manipulated.

Conflict Resolution: [Regret and Penance] Not only do you regret your action, but you have publicly admitted to it and did your best to make amends for the wrongdoing. Most know of the conflict’s details and those who don’t can easily find them out if they know where to look or whom to ask.

Deity/Religious Philosophy:Crocell

Romantic Relationship(s):[One Significant Relationship] You had a true love once, but that time has passed.

Drawback:[Youth] You reflect upon your youth as a golden time, one ever present in your mind and that refuses to fade into the background. Every day, you feel yourself growing older and closer to your inevitable end. You seek ways to make yourself look and feel young in attempt to rekindle that fire of your adolescence, but despite your attempts, you realize that your time still draws ever nearer.

(Trait) Artisan

(Trait) Child of the Temple

(Trait) Criminal

(Trait) Frontier-Forged

(Trait) Kin Guardian

(Trait) Merchant

(Story Feat) Liberator

(Drawback) Vain

In the comments give us your ideas for how to make this into a fully realized character? What class would this character take up? What frontier in Irrsen was his home? Why did he commit arson? Who was his mystic influence? And don’t forget to stay tuned Friday when my background hits the CRB.

The CRB not only brings you the creative content you desire but makes you look inside for your own creativity. If you feel both inspired and pushed to created please consider supporting your favorite content provider – that’s me right – by pledging as little as $1 on my Patreon or making a direct donation to my Paypal.

If you don’t want to miss a beat make sure you sign up to get the CRB pushed directly to your e-reading device with Kindle Subscriptions through Amazon. And to keep up with my other musings and thoughts you can follow the CRB on Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter.

Character 54 - Chidubem Roundpond

A sylph born of one set of parents but raised by another is this week’s random rolls. A Garundi living in the Mwangi Expanse, son of tradesmen but adopted by sailors. Quick and hardy but a little slower than some. Taken to the worship of the Empyreal Lord of Ceremonies, Religiousness, and Service, Winlas. How does this tie all together? What makes these disparate pieces of information form the whole picture of a character?

Picking a class is always the hardest part. The high dex and con read as a dexterity-based fighter of some kind, to be sure. But the harrow reading and the choice of deities read a very religious person, one who dedicates themselves to ceremony. Although it may not be the most optimal choice, the background screams some kind of spirit speaker to me so I went with the one hybrid class I really dislike, Shaman. In this case I’m going to go with the possessed shaman archetype. Like his own airy and ephemeral nature, so too the spirits blow through him like the wind.

Harrow Interpretation

Signifier Card: The Dance card show someone who likes to stay in order, but an order that has meaning and purpose. This could have a direct meaning of dance, but with the Empyreal Lord Winlas as the character’s patron deity, i see the “order” as religious ceremony. I think it also interprets to a person who has certain everyday rituals that they do in an almost compulsive manner.

Card One: The Empty Throne tells us where the character is from, and he is from a place of loss. This card represents the loss of the character’s birth parents. Although they are gone, they are still with him. I can see this as showing that the character’s parents either somehow haunt him, or come to him as spirits to guard him.

Card Two: An event in the character's life is portrayed by The Rakshasa. Although it can mean literal mind control or enslavement, it can also mean being enslaved to an idea. This goes well with a character who gets stuck in needing to complete certain everyday tasks and rituals. Along with the conflict rolled on the background table I see it as he took action on his promise to his parents to look out for his sisters, no matter how detrimental it was for him personally.

Card Three: A talent represented by The Idiot. The character has a low intelligence, which matched with this card. I can see it as representing innocence and naivete. Although this may not be considered a talent, it’s an important aspect of the characters personality.

Card Four: The Demon’s Lantern shows where the character is going. For some this may be a task they must perform or overcome, but for others it can represent who they will become. For this character I’m going with the latter. I see this character as a man who chases the ephemeral. This really helps boil down the character’s class to divine spellcasting class, in the case Shaman.

Chidubem Roundpond

Chidubem was born in the trading town of Kibwe. His parents had arrived with his older sister as part of a trading caravan from Nex. His parents so loved the small, to them, town that they set up shop there. His father was a wainright, much sought after on caravan trips to repair wagons if a problem occured while in transit. But many years of travel left the family tired of the open road.

The young boy was born soon after they settled and to the amazement of his parents he was born with a full head of white hair. Even from an early age it was apparent that Chidubem had the blood of the djinn in his veins. Although, his parents didn’t know from which side this infusion of genie-blood had come from.

Life in Kibwe was mostly unremarkable, and even Chidubem’s ancestry didn’t make him stand out among the myriad of odd folk who came into town to trade. His introverted nature probably added to the fact that he didn’t stand out. The young Sylph wasn’t the sharpest spear point, but he made up for this by keeping his life quiet and incredibly organized.

As with any life hardship comes with joy and soon after his younger sister was born his parents took ill with some sickness that was going around. They didn’t last very long, but they did manage to set up care for their children. Before they passed they made Chidubem promise to look after his sisters and his mother gave him a locket that she had worn as long as he’d known her.

Chidubem’s father’s cousin was a sailor, he lived in the city of Bloodcove on the coast of the Mwangi Expanse. Although he himself was gone often, his wife stayed home to take care of the children. His adoptive parents couldn’t bear children of their own but they took in orphans to fill that void. A half-orc older than Chidubem, whose father was a drowned shipmate of his new parents, and a younger half-elf that never spoke of her parents, or spoke at all, were already living in the Sylph’s new home.

As he grew older, Chidubem found that he heard voices in his head. Sometimes it was the voices of his mother, other times it was the voice of trees or animals. Although the Garundi still cleave to the old ways, in many cases worship of the gods have overtaken their spirit worship. But the Mwangi people still practice many forms of shamanism and in his quest to put his life back in order he sought out one of these spirit speakers.

Rather than the old crone medicine woman he expected to find, Chidubem was confronted with beautiful young woman. She was everything he was not; messy, disorganized, outgoing. But she helped him gain control of his powers. She claimed he was Boorii, someone who became a vessel for spirits. She taught him how to let them in without giving them complete control. She also taught him to let her in.

Keeping the spirits in order was something Chidubem was good at, his own orderly mind helped keep him in control of his body when he allowed spirits in. The rituals and rites needed helped to guide him toward worship of the white orisha (Empyreal Lord) Winlas. Every song, every dance, every ritual an act of service. Finding his power, finding his orisha, and finding his love had finally made his life whole.

Even a perfect life is not without some trials or conflict. Even Chidubem’s quiet, some would say naïve, nature could be pushed to the wayside when family was involved. When a local tradesmaster took a liking to his older sister, one which she did not reciprocate, and would not be dissuaded, it raised Chidubems ire. Enough so that his control over the spirits lapsed and one angry spirit drove him to vandalize the tradesmaster’s house.

The outburst and the loss of control made Chidubem fear for his own abilities. With deep regret in his heart, the young sylph sought penance. He also looked to protect his family from other possible outbursts by the spirits that could ride him. Filled with regret he left home, setting out into the world. His travels would however not be alone, as his love joined him, as well as his ancestors in the form of his spirit animal, a fish eagle.

The hardest part, of course, was choosing the name. But here you have Chidubem. What class would you have chosen for this character? Why does this does this sylph choose to worship Winlas? How did you interpret the harrow reading?

Like the spirits speak to Chidubem, the stories of these character speak to me. If these character backgrounds spark your imagination please consider donating to my Patreon. Looking for more from the CRB? Come find me on Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter. My inbox is open for questions and comments on all platforms.

Random Roll 54 - The Randomness

Sometimes rolls can be slightly contradictory of each other. In this case the character has been adopted yet he has two biological siblings, two half-Siblings and his parents are still alive. For this we have to take creative license. Are the sylph siblings truly the children of his birth parents or does he consider his adopted siblings to be true siblings? Are the parents that are still alive his birth parents or the ones that raised him? With a ton of leeway we can make this character take shape in many forms.

Because it went over well I have kept the harrow reading. I will work it into my character but if you don’t want to you do not need to. Let’s see who’s up to the challenge.

Gender: Male

Race: Sylph

Human Parents Ethnicity: Garundi

Nationality: Mwangi Expanse

Age: 20
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 145lbs

Alignment: Lawful Good

Str: 11

Dex: 16

Con:  15

Int: 9

Wis: 13

Cha: 12

Homeland: Town or Village

Parents: Both of your parents are alive.

Siblings: You have 2 biological siblings and 2 half-siblings.

- biological younger sister

- biological older sister

- older half-orc sister

- younger half-elf sister

Circumstance of Birth: [Adopted] You were not raised by your birth family, but taken in by another family within your race or culture.

Birth Parent's Profession: Tradespeople

Adopted Parent's Profession: Sailors

Major Childhood Event: [Ordinary Childhood] Your childhood was fairly ordinary, with no major blessing or catastrophe—a stark contrast to an adventuring life. You lived your life in anticipation of growing up so you could affect the dull backdrop upon which your mundane life was painted. Now that you've grown, it's easy to miss those tranquil days where nothing ever seemed to happen.

Influential Associate: [The Lover] You had a romantic connection in your adolescent years, and this person deeply influenced your personality. Perhaps this was a first love, a casual partner you grew close to, or the one who got away. The experience bolstered your confidence in romantic interactions even though you often find your thoughts still straying toward that special someone from so long ago.

Conflict: [Petty Crime] You committed a minor crime, like vandalism, trespassing, or mischief.

Conflict Subject: Leader.

Conflict Motivation: Family.

Conflict Resolution: [Regret and Penance] Not only do you regret your action, but you have publicly admitted to it and did your best to make amends for the wrongdoing. Most know of the conflict’s details and those who don’t can easily find them out if they know where to look or whom to ask.

Deity/Religious Philosophy: Winlas

Romantic Relationship(s): [Current Lover] You are currently involved in a romantic relationship.

Drawback: [Attachment (Object)] You are attached to a precious possession with immense sentimental value and significance. Without it, you are no longer yourself and are prone to suffer from depression, moodiness, or aggressive behavior.

(Trait) Artisan

(Trait) Charming

(Trait) Divine Warrior

(Trait) Kin Guardian

(Trait) Life of Toil

(Trait) Ordinary

(Trait) Worldly

(Story Feat) True Love

(Drawback) Attached

Harrow Reading

We read the cards in the cross pattern.  Card one being where the character came from, card two an important event in the characters life, card three represents a talent the character will have , and card four represents where the character is going. Surrounded by the signifier that represents the character.

Signifier Card: The Dance (lawful good, Dexterity) is a rich and delicate framework that, like the universe itself, requires everyone within it to abide by its rules, lest the entire construct collapse. It advises staying in perfect step, knowing your place in the greater good. Those who step out of the pattern do so at their peril.

Card One: The Empty Throne (lawful good, Charisma) has a sense of loss that is palpable. The ghost signifies that those who are gone will always be with us. They taught us important lessons, if only we choose to listen. This card can bring information from a far-off or ancient source.

Card Two: The Rakshasa (lawful evil, Intelligence) is the card of dominance and mind control. The creature sitting serenely upon the back of the slave indicates an exterior force imposing itself upon another being’s mind. On occasion, the slavery is literal, but more often it is mental enslavement to a force or idea.

Card Three: The Idiot (neutral evil, Intelligence) is a card of grave foolishness and greed. It can mean bribery, blackmail, or naivety so grand it can see no evil. The goblins have captured a foolhardy man, representing the knowledge that loss of dignity can precede loss of life.

Card Four: The Demon’s Lantern (chaotic evil, Dexterity) is the card of traps and tricks, sleight of hand and sleight of mind. These will-o’-wisps and the man who sought their light represent an impossible or intractable situation.

In the comments please tell us what character you would make with these disparate pieces information? What class would this Sylph naturally gravitate towards? Why was he given up for adoption? And don’t forget to stay tuned Friday when my background hits the CRB.

The CRB not only brings you the creative content you desire but makes you look inside for your own creativity. If you feel both inspired and pushed to created please consider supporting your favorite content provider (that’s me) by pledging as little as $1 on my Patreon. If you don’t want to miss a beat make sure you sign up to get the CRB pushed directly to your e-reading device with Kindle

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Character 24 - Kaeshu Weepingoak

A sylph from a Garundi family, incredibly tough, very smart, and likable. So what class do we choose for the Lawful Good worshiper of Iomedae? Well there is a sylph-only wizard archetype called the Wind Listener and I think that fits well with the stats and the other rolls on the background table. But I’m gonna throw the wizard table roll into the mix.

Wizard Training: [Gifted Pride] Your affinity for magic has made you somewhat crass and arrogant, though some find your blunt disposition charming or worthy of respect. The air of superiority surrounding you is palpable and allows you to use your intellect to cow others at times when lesser individuals might barely get a word in.

Possible traits

(Trait) Bruising Intellect

Kaeshu (Ka-EE-shoo) Weepingoak

The fight against the demons in the Worldwound have brought holy warriors from around the world to the land of Mendev. Kelesh knights for the Dawnflower, Varundi martial arts Masters, Tian dragon sorcerers, and even warriors for the lands of the Garundi. Kaeshu’s family came with the warriors of their homeland as cooks and settled in Mendev near the star keep where their lords could be close to the battle.

Kaeshu was born on their lord’s homestead farm while he was crusading in the worldwound. Her father watched on as her mother gave birth near their meager residence, beneath a sagging old oak tree that sometimes wailed like a keening child when the wind gusted through its branches. When the child was born with a full head of sky-blue hair, they knew there would be something special about her. The blood of the air elemental had not been seen in the clan for many generations, but it was not unheard of and stories of such prevailed in the family’s oral history.

As Kaeshu aged she began to show signs of affinity to the wind, even so much as to develop cantrips on her own though she had no formal wizardly training. She was the object of speculation among her peers, but Kaeshu knew that she was destined for greater things and never shied away from saying so. When she was of age, she apprenticed with the wizards who used their magic to protect the borders and the Star Keep itself.

During her tenure with the wizards Kaeshu often indulged her compulsion to prove she was the best, and was constantly challenging the other apprentices to one contest or another. She usually stacked the deck in her favor and came out on top time and again. Her need to prove herself meant she never backed down from any challenge and when one of the other peasant children challenged her to a test of knowledge she had to accept. When she realized the boy might be smarter than her, she secretly used her magic to steal the information she lacked and win the contest.

Kaeshu’s pride and sense of superiority was seen as a good thing by her teachers, it meant she was focused and determined. She took naturally to spells dealing with wind and knowledge, however, her pride again would change the course of her life. A traveler came to the school, a man known only as the wandering sage, and he sought out the best of the school students. He tested them all and Kaeshu, as usual, came out on top. But the final challenge was to face the sage. The sylph was not only soundly defeated, she was humiliated in front of the entire gathering.

In her shame Kaeshu left the school and her home. With nowhere else to go, she followed the wandering sage. She didn’t go directly with him but trailed his route as he traveled, often reaching the destination a day or two later. She would then spend her time trying to discover what knowledge he uncovered before her. On occasion, when she wasn’t careful, she would cross paths with the wanderer. Though he should have been startled by her presence, he would simply ask her what she had learned on her journey. It wasn’t until their last meeting that he told her about the wind; that to become what she was truly meant to be, she must change like the wind.

Decades later Kaeshu brought all her knowledge home. Her father lived well into his 100s and spends his remaining days under the weepingoak, feeling the breeze. Her older sister has become the matron of the family with many sons and daughters now living on the old farmstead. But the wind, it calls to Kaeshu, and she only comes to visit in spurts. Her latest calling has been to travel with the warriors of her family’s lord into the worldwound, for even there she can hear the voice of the wind.

And there we have the sylph wind listener. Taking the time to craft a story that incorporates all the aspects chosen is no small feat. If you’ve enjoyed meeting Kaeshu Weepingoak then consider becoming a patron of the CRB here. Also remember to follow us on twitter @SimonSezCRB. If you’re afraid of missing a beat, head to the sidebar and sign up for email notification, and be one of the first to know when a new posting hits the CRB. This is especially good if you’re finding the CRB on reddit as I can only post to a given reddit once a week. And finally there is a tumblr for the CRB, if you’d to see some more frequent musings from yours truly.

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