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Characters / Oripian Trail

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    The Dungeon Master 

"I'm not some Matt Mercer level of D&D god!"

"I'm proficient in sword swallowing, if you know what I mean~"

Explainer is the Game Master of this RPG and god of the world of El'Boren.

The Fated Inquisition

Our heroes of this story.
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    General Tropes 
  • Anti-Hero Team: Typical for a D&D adventuring party. Hectar is a perpetual grump who is pretty uncharismatic despite being The Leader; Frey is money-obsessed and prioritizes herself over her friends; Achan steals things out of compulsion; Rikah is the level-headed Team Mom, but has been struggling with a survivor complex and other psychological issues that have been steadily getting worse; Gundar does not think highly of himself or his abilities and is rather emotional; Moana is also emotionally charged, which doesn't always mix well with her strength; Sven is a Noble Bigot who doesn't always say the right things and has been partaking in increasingly reckless behavior; Vatis is Chaotic Neutral and prefers to fool around rather than focus on the dangers at hand. Even Astrid, despite wanting to be like the Ideal Heroes she read about, has Freudian issues and is prideful to the point of arrogance.
  • Bag of Holding: As per any D&D adventuring party. Hectar usually carries it, but has entrusted it to Rikah on a few occasions.
  • Central Theme: Family is a recurring theme with most of the party, to varying degrees.
    • Due to her upbringing, Astrid's relationship with her parents is strained, at best. That being said, she still wants to make them proud and acknowledge her capabilities as an adventurer.
    • Achan is seeking vengeance on the judge who sentenced her father to death.
    • Frey is currently trying to track down her father. She also secretly yearns to have a relationship like the one she had with her mother.
    • Gundar was adopted into a community of fey, and is willing to do anything to save them from the demons invading their home.
    • In a way, Hectar may view Rao as a parental figure, moreso than the priests who actually raised him.
    • Moana never quite got over the loss of her adoptive father and crewmates, but has found some solace in Rikah.
    • Rikah was raised by an entertainment troupe, and wants nothing more than to reunite with the only family she's ever known. She has also adopted Moana.
    • Sven set out to restore honor to his family name and live up to the deeds of his ancestor.
    • Vatis abandoned his family after his brother was sacrificed to the cult of Luna. He found a second family in his troupe.
  • Character Alignment: Interestingly, the alignments of the party members are evenly split into fourths:
  • The Chosen Ones: The party was described as "fate-touched" by a skein witch, and stated that all of their destinies are entwined with each other in some way.
  • Fire-Forged Friends
  • Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: The players often joke about how many "special snowflakes" are in the party.
  • Stealth Pun: The Fated Inquisition refers to most of the party's individual quests for information in addition to being Fate-Touched. It's also a nice Shout-Out to Monty Python's Flying Circus.
  • You All Meet in a Cell: With the exception of Gundar, who the party comes across shortly after escaping.

     Tropes Involving Some, But Not All Members of the Party 
  • Alliterative Name: Sven Sorvath, and going by her troupe name, Rikah Rouven.
  • Bonding over Missing Parents: How Rikah and Moana became so close.
  • Born Lucky: Gundar and Moana have the Lucky feat, which allow them to reroll any d20 they or their opponents make (3 times per long rest).
  • Death by Origin Story: Achan's parents, Frey's mother, Moana's adoptive father, Rikah's entire group of people, and Vatis's brother and fellow musicians.
  • Disappeared Dad: Both Frey and Rikah are searching for their respective fathers.
  • Land, Sea, Sky: Gundar represents Land, being a druid and a forest gnome; Moana represents Sea, having lived in a fishing village and spending lots of time at sea; and Rikah represents Sky, being an Aarakocra and possessing Flight.
  • Opposites Attract: Seems to be the case for Hectar and Frey. The former is stoic, tactical, and Lawful Good; while the latter is more impulsive, selfish, and Chaotic Neutral.
  • Parental Abandonment: Another common theme among the party.
    • It's presumed that both of Achan's parents are dead, with her father risking his own life so she could avoid punishment from the law.
    • Frey has never even met her father; her mother died a few years prior to the campaign starting.
    • Gundar was found as a baby in the middle of a forest.
    • Hectar was left to be raised by priests of Rao.
    • It's unknown if Moana has actual parents (or even a creator of sorts), but her adoptive father and his crew were all killed by a dragon turtle.
    • Rikah has essentially been abandoned twice; once by her parents before she hatched (for unknown reasons), and again when her troupe mysteriously vanished.
  • Parental Neglect
    • Astrid's parents were (and still are) overprotective of their daughter, going so far as to force her to master abjuration magic so she would stay safe. Well-intentioned, but their efforts neglected Astrid's interests and aspirations, resulting in her contempt for them.
    • Vatis had a twin brother, and their parents got their names mixed up so often that they themselves forgot who was who. That, and they totally sacrificed one of their children to appease Luna's worshipers.
  • Scars Are Forever: Several of the party members.
    • Not entirely a scar, but Frey has been marked by the Witch of Desecration after she failed to possess her.
    • Gundar has a scar on his back from when someone he was close to betrayed him and stole the Fey Stone.
    • Rikah has one in the center of her chest from the Demon Prince the party had fought. It's been stated that her feathers are incapable of growing back in that spot.
    • Sven retains some scars from the reaper's necrotic attacks.
    • After Moana's eye was restored, she bears a scar in the form of a permanent dark smudge mark around her eye.
  • Sole Survivor: Vatis after being attacked by the Cult of Luna, Moana after being attacked by a dragon turtle while out at sea, and Rikah by way of Genocide Backfire.
  • Status Buff: Most, if not all, of the spellcasters are capable of doing this in some shape or form.
  • Taken for Granite: Both Frey and Rikah were petrified for the entire fight with two medusa sisters. Thankfully they were restored to normal afterwards.
  • The Three Faces of Adam: Sven, Gundar, and Hectar loosely fall into this.
    • Sven (The Hunter): Strives to achieve greatness like his ancestor did and restore honor to his family. Also, he's a ranger.
    • Gundar (The Lord): Is trying to maintain his role as the guardian of his home by retrieving the Fey Stone. He knows what he must do but should not lose sight of the allies that surround him.
    • Hectar (The Prophet): Knowledge Domain cleric, and has high wisdom. His only known aspiration is to fulfill the pilgrimage Rao has sent him on, which may or may not involve aiding the rest of the party in achieving their own goals.
  • The Three Faces of Eve: Moana, Rikah, and Frey loosely fall into this.
    • Moana (The Child): Playful, innocent, and childlike in appearance.
    • Rikah (The Wife): Motherly, kind, and devoted to family.
    • Frey (The Seductress): Independent, flighty, and craves a close relationship.

    Frey Rthyin 
Race: White Dragonkin
Class: Sorcerer (Draconic Bloodline)

Frey is the product of a chance encounter between a human and a dragon. She grew up on a horse ranch with her mother, who was a fortune teller. After her death, Frey temporarily took over the fortune telling business with little success due to a lack of trust from the other townsfolk. Eventually, Frey sets out to locate her father, wherever he may be.

    Hectar Albareth 
*Long, drawn-out sigh*
— Whenever another PC is acting ridiculous (which is all the time)

Race: Human
Class: Cleric of Rao (Knowledge Domain)

A brash and irritable young man, Hectar's usually the one keeping the rest of the party in line. Raised by priests in the Bronze Desert, Hectar grew up with an unwavering devotion to the god Rao, despite his troublesome behavior. All his life he could hear a voice providing him guidance, which he believed to be the voice of Rao. When the voice instructed him with a simple, "Go," Hectar left his temple and set out on a pilgrimage. He was unsure of where he was going or what he would be doing, but he knew it was a journey fit only for him.

    Moana Inna 
Race: Warforged
Class: Fighter (Brute)

An enchanted construct with the form of a young girl. However, she boasts enormous physical strength and defense thanks to her metal body. Moana has no memory of her past, but was happily adopted by an old fisherman and became well known throughout the village, mostly for her knack for pulling in large catches. One day, her father's crew was attacked by a Dragon Turtle while they were out fishing. Moana managed to scar one of its eyes before it destroyed the ship, killing everyone except her. When she finally reached land, she was quite far from home. With a heavy heart, she began walking, hoping she was heading in the direction towards her village.

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    Rikah Rouven 
Race: Aarakocra (Owlkin)
Class: Monk (Way of the Open Hand)

Rikah was raised by an entertainment troupe who had found her as an egg during their travels. She became one of the more popular performers until one day her family vanished without a trace. Rikah was shortly after taken to a monastery by the chief monk who claimed to be an old friend of the troupe leader, where she trained under his guidance. She left once she overheard rumors of her family passing through a neighboring village, vowing to continue her training while she was away. She has faced many hardships along the way, and new threats relating to her origins have begun to rise, but Rikah tries to remain optimistic through it all.

  • Abnormal Limb Rotation Range: Being an Owlkin, Rikah can turn her head further than other races are capable of doing.
  • Acquired Poison Immunity: Purity of Body makes her immune to poison and disease.
  • Action Survivor: Rikah has stated several times that she does not consider herself an adventurer. The only reason she keeps going is to find her missing troupe members (aside from the bond with the party that has grown during their travels). Her skills as a monk are what allows her to keep up with the party, and she seems to survive through sheer dumb luck most of the time, but it's taken a heavy toll on her emotional well-being.
  • Affectionate Nickname: Although it's mostly invoked OOC, Rikah is referred to as "Bird Mom" by the party.
  • Ambiguous Disorder: Given everything that Rikah has gone through, it comes as no surprise. She has had several panic attacks and Heroic BSODs related to past trauma, and is likely to have PTSD or some kind of anxiety disorder. She even took up therapy at one point.
  • Arrow Catch: Rikah can pull this off thanks to Deflect Missle. She even has the potential to throw it right back at her opponent!
  • Back from the Dead: Rikah suffered a fatal blow as a last-ditch effort by the Demon Prince that was infecting the Dragon Turtle. Luckily, Hectar had Revivify handy.
  • Badass in Distress: Oh boy, Rikah seems to have a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
    • Was kidnapped during their visit to Vaaton and almost subjected to a gruesome fate.
    • Died during the battle with a Demon Prince inside a dragon turtle (but was immediately revived).
    • She was petrified for the entire fight against some Medusas. Because it happened mid-flight, she plummeted into the fast-moving river. Had Gundar not retrieved her right away, there would have been a very high chance that she would have been lost.
    • Was briefly inflicted with a curse while exploring a cave.
    • Was swallowed by a purple worm and fell unconscious while inside its stomach, but managed to get spit out before she could be digested.
    • Failed her saving throws against the violet effect of Prismatic Spray and was banished to the Air Elemental Plane.
    • Was brutally attacked by a Hunter of His Own Kind, and currently remains a target.
  • Bare-Fisted Monk: More like owl-fisted monk!
  • Bare Your Midriff: Her new outfit as of her stay in Aaqa.
  • Bird People: Of the Cute Owl variety.
  • Break the Cutie: Fate seems to really have it out for poor Rikah, and it only seems to get worse.
  • Claustrophobia: Aarakocra have an innate fear of being trapped underground or otherwise confined to the earth.
  • Daddy's Girl: Is shown to be very close with Rouven.
  • Despair Event Horizon: Comes dangerously close to this after learning the fate of the Owlkin people. And this was after her long-running Trauma Conga Line. She may currently still be skirting the edge of this.
  • Et Tu, Brute?: When she sees one of the Aarakocra she had previously met (and was looking forward to meeting again) attacking her alongside Girax.
  • Evil Me Scares Me: Upon realizing the No-Holds-Barred Beatdown she gave to an owlbear.
  • Fatal Flaw: Rikah tends to give others a fair chance, preferring informed opinions over gut instinct, sometimes to the point of naivete.
  • Flight: Courtesy of her race.
  • Fragile Speedster: Rikah can't take hits very well, but she has a combination of racial and monk abilities, feats, and magical items that make her the fastest and most elusive in the party. * 
  • Genocide Backfire: Appears to be the only surviving Owlkin in existence.
  • Glass Cannon: Rikah can dish out quite a bit of damage via Flurry of Blows and has a high AC thanks to Unarmored Defense, but her Constitution score isn't the best and her max HP is among the lowest.
  • Go Through Me: Her homebrew feat Good Samaritan allows her to do this as an action, giving the would-be attacker disadvantage.
  • Hates Being Alone: As a result of constantly being separated from people she cares about. Rikah is very hesitant to be anywhere by herself, and will not leave the group behind voluntarily. The fact that she's the last known Owlkin and is presumably alienated from the entire Aarakocra race only reinforces this.
    Rikah: (To Hectar) Aside from my troupe, you guys are all I have...
  • Hates Being Touched: Thanks to Azon, Rikah does not like strangers touching her feathers.
  • The Heart: Is referred to as such by Hectar, and is made apparent by the fact that once Brissel was saved, the party's first priority was finding her.
    "She has continued to prove reliable, and is, in my opinion, the pillar that helps allow this group to stay strong and cohesive. I fear what might happen to us if she were to pass."
  • Heroic BSoD: Has one in response to her violent retaliation during the fight with the owlbears.
    • And another one upon discovering that Avros has connections with Azon and won't elaborate further on it.
    • Has a major one after Girax's ambush and learning that she is the Last of Her Kind.
  • Heroic Safe Mode: As of the final round of the Veremonia Maeth, Rikah has slipped into this as a last-ditch effort to shield herself from further stress.
  • Hidden Depths: Thanks to her Entertainer background, Rikah is proficient in Performance checks, the pan flute, and disguise kit.
    • It's also been revealed that she can speak Primordial, the more universal language of elementals. Rikah admits that she doesn't remember learning the language from anywhere, and is most likely an innate ability of her race.
  • Hide Your Otherness: Has taken to concealing herself in a Cloak of Protection in attempt to hide the fact that she is an Aarakocra, as well as to keep out of Girax's radar.
  • Horrible Judge of Character: Which has been the cause of several encounters and Rikah's growing trust issues. See Fatal Flaw above.
  • Hurting Hero
  • I Just Want to Be Normal: Rikah's ideal life consisted of living happily with her troupe until she found others like her, settling down with a mate and starting a family of her own. She's now tragically realized that this life can never be achieved. It's reached a point where her sense of normalcy extends to her race; being an Owlkin has caused her nothing but misery throughout her adventure.
  • Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: During the battle with the Demon Prince, one of his tentacles pierced her heart.
  • Improbable Infant Survival: Rouven rescued her from the Talon Clan's onslaught when she was just an egg. All the other Owlkin children and eggs weren't as lucky...
  • Informed Ability: Rikah is supposed to either poof out her feathers or flatten them against her body in response to a threat, depending on its size, much like the owl she is based off of. Her player always forgets to mention it in-game.
  • The Insomniac: Being an Owlkin, she is nocturnal by nature, but many other races aren't. Rikah's training and being raised by diurnal races helped a lot, but there are some nights where Rikah only gets the bare minimum of sleep.
  • Interspecies Adoption: Her father is a wood elf who masquerades as a human, and her troupe consists of several different races that are not her own.
    • Also later adopts Moana herself.
  • It's Personal: Azon and Girax.
  • Ki Manipulation: Allows Rikah to stun enemies, take extra attacks, and even heal herself.
  • Last of Her Kind: As far as anyone knows, she is the last remaining Owlkin.
  • Magically Inept Fighter
  • Mama Bear: Rikah will do everything in her power to protect those she cares about from harm. Especially Moana.
  • Meaningful Name: Her last name (Rouven) is a corruption of the word "roving" (rovin'), which means "wandering".
  • Mundane Made Awesome: She once used her Deflect Missile ability to catch a piece of fruit that Gundar had thrown at her. While she was meditating.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: Introducing herself to Ruva and Tubaktu unwittingly revealed herself to Girax, resulting in an ambush that put many people in danger, destroyed an inn, and almost killed her father and another troupe member.
  • Nice Girl: Rikah is genuinely very sweet and caring, despite everything she has gone through during her adventure.
  • Nervous Wreck: Can you blame her?
  • Neutral Good
  • No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Delivers one to an owlbear after it clawed at her scar. Specifically, she rolled max damage on three of her four attacks, and rolled a natural 20 on intimidation, which caused the remaining owlbears to flee.
    Sven's Player (OOC): Stop, stop! He's already dead!
    • It was so jarring that Agatha had to make a wisdom save against being too disturbed to take her turn.
  • No-Sell: Along with her Acquired Poison Immunity above, the Ring of Free Action makes Rikah immune to any magical effects that would reduce her speed or otherwise restrain her.
  • Only Sane Woman: Compared to Moana and Frey.
  • OOC Is Serious Business: Rikah has devolved to a very timid Nervous Wreck who has difficulty trusting others. While it has been a gradual process, it took a nosedive upon leaving Aaqa.
  • Parental Abandonment: Her adoptive family mysteriously vanished while she was out running errands.
  • Parental Substitute: Becomes this for Moana.
  • Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs: Flurry of Blows, which allows her to make 4 attacks per turn
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue to Moana's Red.
  • Running Gag: Whenever Moana refers to Rikah as her mother in front of an NPC, they usually make an embarrassing remark about it.
    Salty Sheila: Your father was into some strange things.
  • Sanity Slippage: The constant barrage of trauma and unfortunate events has deteriorated Rikah's state of mind. Made prevalent during the Veremonia Maeth, where the Deadly Game nature of the tournament harshly challenges her personal morals, while she's struggling to cope with the Awful Truth of her people.
  • Super Reflexes: Evasion allows Rikah to, if the save is made, take no damage from attacks that require a Dexterity saving throw. Even if she fails, she only takes half damage!
  • Survivor Guilt: Has shades of this, considering that she was spared from the Talon Clan before she was even born.
  • Team Mom
  • Temporary Blindness: Happens as a result of failing her save against Prismatic Spray. When she failed the second save, she was banished to the Air Elemental Plane.
  • These Hands Have Killed: Has this realization upon seeing her inner shadows.
    Zaikander: Your hands child... They have brought more death then most swords do.
  • Trapped in Another World: Fell victim to the violet effect of Prismatic Spray, which banished her to the Air Elemental Plane.
  • Trauma Button: The party learned during a fight against a herd of owlbears that her scar is one.
    • Any mention of Vaaton or Azon is enough to make her extremely anxious.
    • If anyone mentions Girax, Rikah will immediately be on high alert.
  • Traumatic Haircut: Azon manages to pluck a good chunk of Rikah's feathers before she is rescued from his clutches.
  • Troubled Fetal Position: Rikah assumes this after Girax's attack on the tavern.
  • Unluckily Lucky: For all the times she has found herself in horrible situations, Rikah has managed to survive or end up with circumstances that allow her to survive. Her player even states that Rikah is the luckiest unlucky character she has ever seen.
  • The Woobie: Even the GM feels bad for her!
  • Younger Than They Look: Rikah is a fully grown adult Aarakocra, despite being only 6 years old. Aarakocras reach full maturity at around 3 years, and don't live for nearly as long as other races.
  • Your Days Are Numbered: Minion will be paying her a visit in one month's time. What will happen then isn't made quite clear, but it will definitely be unpleasant.

    Sven Sorvath 
Race: Variant Human
Class: Ranger (Hunter)/Bard

Sven is the descendant of a once-legendary hero, who's status faded into skepticism with each descendant failing to live up to the heroic deeds of the past. When a nobleman takes away his family's sacred bow - the only remnant of this ancestor, Sven decided enough was enough and tried to steal it back. He failed and was labeled a criminal by his town. Unable to return home, Sven set out to restore honor to his family, and become a hero like his ancestor had done.

  • Annoying Arrows: Averted, as rangers are very skilled at taking out foes with arrows.
  • Archer Archetype
  • Arrows on Fire: His Flaming Arrows.
  • Big Brother Instinct: Seems to have developed this towards the rest of the party, especially towards Frey.
  • Born-Again Immortality: Turns out that the Sorvath legacy is true...and was blessed by the elf god Corellon, resulting in the same life cycle that elves have.
  • Born Lucky: In addition to having the Lucky feat, the players often joke about how Sven rarely ever rolls low on saving throws.
    • As of recently, though, this feat has been sacrificed in exchange for a level in the Bard class. Despite this, Sven's player is just damn lucky when it comes to rolls.
  • Bow and Sword, in Accord
  • Chronic Hero Syndrome: Sven is all too willing to throw himself into the fray in order to protect a friend, and gets visibly upset when he fails to do so.
  • Eternal Hero: Sven's great ancestor was blessed by Corellon, gifting him the same longevity of elves; never truly dying but instead returning to the world anew.
  • Famous Ancestor: Though the "famous" part has faded into obscurity nowadays.
  • Fantastic Racism: So far he has been racist against Achan, Gundar, and especially Frey. He's become much more open-minded, though.
  • Fire, Ice, Lightning: Has access to Flame Arrows, Lightning Arrows, and the Frostbrand Sword.
  • Forest Ranger: Prior to the update to the ranger class, Sven's favored terrain was exclusively forests.
  • Healing Hands: Knows Cure Wounds.
  • Heart Is an Awesome Power: Thanks to taking a level in bard, he is now capable of giving others Inspiration.
  • Improbable Aiming Skills: The Sharpshooter feat allows Sven to ignore an enemy's cover and does not have disadvantage when shooting arrows from beyond their normal range.
  • Long-Range Fighter: Although he's not completely useless in close-combat, most of Sven's damage output relies on shooting things from a distance.
  • Marked to Die: The effect of Hunter's Mark.
  • Massive Numbered Siblings: It's been stated that Sven comes from a big family.
  • Neutral Good
  • Noble Bigot: Especially towards Frey, given that his ancestor used to slay dragons, and that dragons are one of his favored enemies. He has gotten a lot better over time, and now actively tries to keep Frey safe.
  • Past-Life Memories: The first of many to come, beginning with the great ancestor that started it all, Gregory Sorvath. This revelation helped save Sven's life at the hands of the Drow priestesses of Lolth.
  • Peek-a-Bangs
  • Put on a Bus: After a few sessions, Sven left the party with nothing but a brief note explaining why.

    Vatis 
"We gotta think like these rocks!" [rolls up in a ball, getting kicked along the path by Rikah]

Race: Tiefling
Class: Bard (College of Lore)

Vatis spent his childhood playing music with his twin brother, until the religion worshiping the goddess Luna spread into their city. Vatis's brother was sacrificed to the church in order to spare the rest of the family, and Vatis fled the city, his brother's death still fresh in his mind. He was found by a group of travelling musicians, who happily accepted him. They traveled and entertained for many years until followers of Luna attacked their settlement one night. Vatis was the only survivor. Having lost everything, he swore vengeance against Luna and her followers.

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Departed Companions

Members of The Fated Inquisition who have left the campaign for one reason or another. They will be missed.

    Achan Klein 

"I'm gonna steal from his vault!" [proceeds to hum "Mission Impossible" whilst rummaging through treasures]

Race: Catfolk
Class: Rogue (Assassin)

Achan once lived a nomadic lifestyle with her father, stealing only what they needed to get by. After getting caught stealing fruit, the two of them were sentenced to have their hands cut off the next morning. During their escort, Achan's father risked his life so she could escape. Achan wishes to exact revenge on the judge that sentenced her father to death, but deep down, she's not quite sure if she would truly act on her desires.

    Astrid Vosk 
Race: Variant Human
Class: Wizard (School of Abjuration)

A tenacious member of Brissel's Grey Court. She aspires to be a famous adventurer, but up until recently her overprotective parents have made this goal very difficult. After assisting The Fated Inquisition in the fight to save Brissel from ruin (disobeying her orders in the process), she was tasked with aiding them in finding their missing comrade as punishment. To Astrid, this is her chance to go on her very own grand adventure, and to finally prove herself a capable hero.

Having completed her task to help retrieve Rikah, Astrid has begrudgingly returned to her duties in Grey Keep.

  • Adventure-Forbidding Father: Both parents have tried to dissuade Astrid from pursuing the adventurer's life while she was growing up, out of concern for her own safety.
  • Anti-Magic: Knows spells like Counterspell, Dispel Magic, and Globe of Invulnerability. Her training in abjuration magic allows her to make very efficient use of such spells.
  • Anti-Regeneration: Chill Touch does damage and prevents the target from regaining HP until Astrid's next turn.
  • Artificial Limbs: A magical arm bracer that produces a constant Mage Hand replaces her left forearm.
  • Badass Bookworm
  • Baleful Polymorph: Knows Polymorph.
  • Barrier Warrior: Very few of her spells do direct damage.
  • Blue Is Heroic
  • Body Motifs: Astrid knows hand-related spells such as Chill Touch and Bigby's Hand.
  • Chaotic Good
  • Combat Pragmatist: Played with. Most of the spells Astrid knows revolve around crowd control and making it easier for the rest of the party to take out enemies.
  • Combat Tentacles: Has access to Evard's Black Tentacles.
  • Court Mage: Astrid is a member of the Grey Court, a group of wizards whose job is to maintain runes that help protect Grey Keep and the royal family that resides within.
  • Declaration of Personal Independence: Joining The Fated Inquisition is this for her.
  • Deflector Shields: Knows spells like Globe of Invulnerability and Wall of Force.
  • 11th-Hour Ranger: Joins the party just before the second battle with Diall.
  • Energy Absorption: Absorb Elements gives her resistance to whatever type of damage triggers the spell until her next turn. She technically can also use that captured energy on her next melee attack, but she primarily uses it for defensive purposes.
  • Extendable Arms: Astrid can use her Mage Hand prosthetic arm like the regular cantrip, meaning she can extend it up to 30 feet.
  • Familiar: Uses Find Familiar to summon her fey spirit companion. His name is Chester.
  • Flash Step: Misty Step.
  • Flight: Knows the Fly spell.
  • Flying Weapon: Animate Objects.
  • Freudian Excuse: Most of Astrid's spells revolve around taking control away from her enemies, a reflection of how little control she had over her own life.
  • Giant Hands of Doom: Bigby's Hand.
  • Glory Seeker
  • Handicapped Badass: Astrid may be missing an arm, but she is still capable of shutting you down.
  • Hidden Depths: Whether she was stuck at home or holed up in Wizarding School, Astrid had ample time to pick up some skills. She knows a lot about folklore and legends, and knows how to speak Giant, Draconic, and Undercommon.
  • I Just Want to Be Badass: Astrid wants nothing more than to be a heroic adventurer like in the stories she had read as a child. Before The Fated Inquisition came around, the closest she had gotten was placing protective runes in Grey Keep.
  • Invisibility: Knows the spell of the same name, as well as Greater Invisibility.
  • Long-Range Fighter
  • Master of One Magic: Played with. Despite her parents' insistence on only needing to learn abjuration magic, Astrid has managed to learn spells from other schools in secret. She still has a primary focus in magic that defends and disables, though.
  • My Beloved Smother: Her mother has a mastery of enchantment magic, and may have used it on Astrid a few times to end an argument.
  • No-Sell: Counterspell isn't the only trick Astrid has up her sleeve. She's also armed with Otiluke's Resilient Sphere and Wall of Force, which state that nothing short of a Disintegration spell can penetrate them. She also has Globe of Invulnerability, which protects her and those near her from spells that are 5th level and lower. Even if they are cast at higher levels.
  • Power Perversion Potential: Animate Objects sure came in handy at the brothel...
  • Regenerating Shield, Static Health: Her Arcane Ward gives her a pool of temporary hit points that regenerates every time she casts an abjuration spell. She can even project this ward onto others as a reaction!
  • Safety Worst: Astrid's parents are very overprotective. This was taken Up to Eleven after she lost her arm. They are the reason why she (indignantly) mastered abjuration magic.
  • Screw Destiny: Astrid is a very firm believer in free will, and does not think highly of things (or people) that take that away.
  • Sheltered Aristocrat: Though not an aristocrat, her family is of higher rank and she was definitely sheltered. She acts very independent, but does have some issues with social interaction and tends to underestimate the situations that she's in. She'll never admit it, though.
  • Spell Book: As per the wizard class.
  • Sphere of Destruction: Fireball.
  • Status Buff: A few of her spells do this, albeit for herself only.
  • Squishy Wizard: Played painfully straight. She has among the lowest AC and max HP, if not the lowest. Luckily as an abjuration wizard, she's not quite that easy to take down.
    • She got slightly less squishy upon getting the Tough feat.
  • "Well Done, Daughter!" Girl: She wants to make her family proud, but through the career path that she chooses.
  • Wizarding School: Astrid graduated at the top of her class from the esteemed Magic Academy in Vaaton.

    Gundar Oisin 
Race: Forest Gnome
Class: Druid (Circle of the Moon)

Gundar was found as a baby by some fey who lived in the forest. He was taken in by one of the families and was raised in their sacred haven as one of their own. Once he proved himself worthy, Gundar was given the duty of guarding the Fey Stone, a magical stone that protected their home from danger. One night, the stone was stolen, resulting in demons attacking the village. Gundar managed to escape through a portal, although he feared for the fate of his family and friends. In order to return peace to his home, Gundar must recover the Fey Stone.

Shopkeepers

Shopkeepers get their own special section due to how memorable they are.

Brissel

    Hubo 
Race: Silver Dragonborn
A silver Dragonborn shopkeeper in the city of Brissel. His shop was oddly the only building unscathed from the attack on the city.

    Teal 
Race: Forest Gnome

Vaaton

    Mumirai 

Dimra

    Millet 
A Totally Radical shopkeeper in Dimra. Likes to craft things out of shells.

Allies and Other Characters

Brissel

Vaaton

Dimra

    Salty Sheila 
Race: Human

    Avros 
Race: Human
Class: Wizard
A dubious archwizard who seems to be pursuing his studies on the other planes of existence. Despite reassurance from other characters, whether or not he is trustworthy is still up for debate. The party had gone on a quest to retrieve a legendary artifact for his research.

    Agatha Withline 
Race: Human
Class: Wizard (School of Divination
A young Divination Wizard In Training, and Avros' apprentice. In the past she had assisted the party in retrieving The Well of Many Worlds.

Air Elemental Plane

     Zaikander 
Race: Silver Dragon
An ancient silver dragon that Rikah befriended while traversing the Air Elemental Plane. He provided refuge from the memory-draining winds and guided her to Aaqa.

  • A Form You Are Comfortable With: When he formally introduces himself to Rikah. Also silver dragons as a whole enjoy doing this.
  • An Ice Person: As a silver dragon, he has ice breath.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Barges into the tavern Just in Time to drive off Girax and the Talon Guard, sparing Rikah and Rouven from death.
  • Gentle Giant: Zaikander's size is categorized as gargantuan. He is also Lawful Good and very kind to those he deems worthy.
  • Human Disguise: Often takes the form of an elderly man with a long beard, which is how he first showed himself to Rikah.
  • Lawful Good
  • Long-Lived: It's unclear how long Zaikander has been alive, but dragons are known to live for centuries, with ancient dragons being the oldest. He stated that he was alive during the later part of the Dark Era.
  • Secret Test of Character: Did this to Rikah upon their first meeting, not only to determine whether she was good and worthy of his help, but to also determine if she was ready to make the journey to Aaqa.
  • Trapped in Another World: Was banished to the Air Elemental Plane as punishment for attacking the evil goddess Luna.
  • You Can't Go Home Again: He is cursed to never be able to return to the Material Plane.

Aaqa

     Rouven's Roaming Ensemble 
A group of traveling entertainers, and Rikah's adoptive family. They had vanished roughly three years ago, and had been staying in Aaqa under the service of The Lord of the Pavilion. With the exception of Telfor, they have all been found and happily reunited with Rikah.

Marcus Rouven

Race: Wood Elf
Class: Bard
The troupe leader, and Rikah's adoptive father. A rather jovial wood elf (disguised as a human) who loves to party, and treats his troupe like they were his own family.

  • Beardness Protection Program: His human guise has a bit of a goatee.
  • Big Fun: Especially as a human.
  • The Dandy
  • The Determinator: Much to the GM's surprise, Rouven rolled a natural 20 on his death save, pulling himself back to consciousness. Not even a KO will stop him from protecting his child.
    GM: Wow...He really is an elf.
  • Disappeared Dad: Mysteriously vanished roughly three years ago, along with the rest of his troupe.
  • Doting Parent: Is this for Rikah.
  • Family Man: Rouven regards his troupe members as his family and nothing less. Regardless of their age, he acts like a father figure to them, providing encouragement and morale.
  • Human Disguise: Has been masquerading as a human for at least a few years, now.
  • Inelegant Blubbering: When he finally reunites with Rikah.
  • Interspecies Adoption: Considering the family aspect of his troupe.
    • This applies especially to Rikah and Telfor, the two youngest members.
  • Invisibility: Cast this on Rikah to provide her an opportunity to escape Girax. Much to his horror, Rikah refused to leave her family behind.
  • Last-Name Basis: Because of the troupe name, nearly everyone calls him Rouven.
  • Liar Revealed: Rouven's human disguise faded after a surprise attack from Girax, revealing that he is actually a wood elf.
  • Magic Music: He is a bard.
  • Oh, Crap!: When Girax and his guards ambush the tavern everyone is staying at, the way Rouven says his name embodies this trope.
  • Older Than They Look: Being an elf, he's stated to be somewhere in his 300s.
  • Papa Wolf: Is willing to go toe-to-toe with a vastly powerful hunter in order to protect his daughter.
    Rouven: (To Girax) Leave my child alone!
  • Parental Favoritism: Although he clearly treats everyone in the troupe like family, he tends to favor Rikah a bit more. Can be justified in that Rikah was the one he raised from birth, therefore is more like his child than anyone else. The fact that Rikah is the last known survivor of a race of people he was dear friends with certainly plays a part in it as well.
  • Pretty Boy: Despite being overweight, his elven features still shine through.
  • Stepford Smiler: Has shades of this as a result of witnessing the genocide of the Owlkin, a race that he had befriended years ago, in addition to other misfortunes he may have had. Being an actor, he seems to hide it pretty well.
  • The Storyteller: The troupe as a whole focuses on telling stories via theatrics, but Rouven himself is the narrator.
  • Team Dad

Telfor Rouven

Race: Human
A human boy who is much like a typical bard. He was separated from the troupe prior to their disappearance, and his whereabouts are currently unknown.

Aurelia "Rell" Vyddrin

Race: Brass Dragonborn
A brass dragonborn dancer who often works her fire magic into her performances.

Oris Mogdak

Race: Half-Orc
A half-orc performer. Loves showing off his strength and welcomes others to challenge him.

Midge Gramboodle

Race: Gnome
Class: Sorcerer
A quirky gnome mage who is getting on in her years. She isn't able to perform like she used to due to her old age.

Saxon Faladir

Race: Half-Elf
Class: Ranger
A half-elf acrobat and archer. He's more of an introvert when compared to the rest of the troupe.

Elsewhere

    Drundamire and Camilia 
Race: Treant (Drundamire) and Forest Nymph (Camilia)
A Treant father and his daughter. The party set out to rescue Camilia from Avros.

  • Plant People
  • Nature Spirit: Both of them have a strong connection to nature and forests. Camilia herself is an actual forest nymph.

    Notta 
Race: Dau

Villains

    Azon (AKA "The Doctor") 
A mysterious cloaked figure who was responsible for Rikah's kidnapping in Vaaton. He is capable of very powerful magic and has antagonized the party on more than one occasion, though his motivations currently remain unclear.

  • Affably Evil: He is clearly not a good guy, but he remains civil in his interactions. He is willing to share helpful information with the party (not without a price, of course) and refers to his sidekicks as his compatriots. He was even nice enough to invite the party to lunch before the final round of the tournament.
  • Arch-Enemy: Is considered this for Rikah.
  • Black Cloak
  • Dark Is Evil
  • Dark Lord on Life Support: Under his cloak is a mess of flesh and machine that helps keep him alive.
  • Deal with the Devil: Azon convinced Hectar to allow him to transport everyone out of the shrinking Dragon Turtle in exchange for a future favor. He never stated what exactly this favor would be; only time will tell...
  • Establishing Character Moment: The first time this guy is introduced, he talks about how he wants to harvest Rikah's feathers (and possibly her remaining body parts).
  • Evil Poacher: It's implied that Rikah isn't the only Aarakocra that he has hunted down.
  • Evil Sounds Raspy
  • Evil Wears Black
  • The Faceless: His face is hidden by the hood of his cloak, and is seemingly made of darkness.
  • Hidden Agenda Villain: Despite encountering him multiple times, his MO is still unknown.
  • Knight of Cerebus: One can argue the campaign got notably darker upon his introduction.
  • Mad Doctor
  • Vader Breath

    Armored Man 
An equally mysterious man covered head-to-toe in armor. All that is known about him is that he's Azon's right-hand man.

    The Varsillio Family 
A family with a tragic past. They were all killed and subjected to a corruption of their souls, beginning with the Lady of the house. The group had to fight through each family member in order to reach the Well of Many Worlds.

The family consisted of:

  • Aerithgrad (AKA The Witch of Desecration), the mother and Lady of the house
  • Suvious, the eldest
  • Emillia, the first daughter
  • Grisar, the second son
  • Almesty, the youngest daughter
  • Florilius, the youngest

  • Demonic Possession: The Witch of Desecration attempted this on Frey during her final moments, but Frey was just "too cool" for her.
  • Headless Horsewoman: Almesty.
  • Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Grisar was once this, although his corrupted form still retains his luscious locks.
  • Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Do you really want to be around someone called "The Witch of Desecration"?
  • Scaled Up: Grisar, as well as Emillia's heart and eyes.
  • White Hair, Black Heart: The Witch of Desecration
  • Why Won't You Die?: The Witch says this word-for-word to Hectar, who she was desperately trying to take out.

    Girax 
Race: Aarakocra
Class: Ranger
An Aarakocra ranger and a leader of the Talon Clan. He is the one responsible for the genocide of the Owlkin people, and is currently hunting down the last one: Rikah.

  • And Your Little Dog, Too!: Targets Rouven in addition to Rikah.
  • Annoying Arrows: Averted.
  • Archer Archetype: A damn terrifying one at that.
  • Battle Trophy: He wears a crown made up entirely of Owlkin talons.
  • Bird People: He is some kind of hawk Aarakocra.
  • Death Glare: The only expression he has shown so far.
  • The Dreaded: To Rouven, who has encountered him once before; and Rikah, who's first encounter was a near-death experience.
  • Establishing Character Moment: Before he even reveals himself, he shoots at Rouven in an attempt to take him out.
  • Flight: As an Aarakocra.
  • Hunter of His Own Kind: Has a scathing hatred for the Owlkin subrace, as he believes they are responsible for the Flaying Fever.
  • Killing Intent: Towards Rikah, to a terrifying degree. Up until this point, the only other character who struck such fear in her was Azon.
  • Misplaced Retribution: Wiped out the Owlkin people because they were the first to have the disease.
  • Multishot: Swift Quiver allows him to make 4 shots per turn.
  • Nicknaming the Enemy: Only refers to Rikah as some variation of "Pestilence" or "Plague-bearer".
  • Revenge Before Reason: Girax is so driven to avenge his family that he justifies the outright genocide of a subrace of his own people with the claim that the plague began with them.
    • His current target wasn't even alive during the events of the plague.
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge: He lost his family to the plague, so he's set out to destroy every last Owlkin.

    Minion the Dreamwalker 
Race: ???
A frightening entity that has been haunting Rikah's dreams.

  • Abnormal Limb Rotation Range: Switches between his smiling face and frowning face in this manner.
  • An Offer You Can't Refuse: Extends this to Rikah as a way to spare her from the madness that he wishes to inflict on her. Despite everything, Rikah can't bring herself to accept. Minion wasn't happy with that.
  • Being Tortured Makes You Evil: Implied.
  • The Corruptor: He's certainly not helping Rikah's Sanity Slippage.
  • Dream People
  • Dream Weaver
  • Driven to Madness: Intends to do this to Rikah.
  • Enemy Within
  • Floating Mask: How he normally presents himself.
  • Humanoid Abomination
  • Laughing Mad: Has a grating and oppressive laugh that can be heard in a dream without Minion physically being there.
  • Nightmare Fuel: This guy is horrifying to look at. His mask/face is leathery skin that has been stitched together a la Frankenstein's Monster, and teeth from various creatures line his maw. His otherwise empty eye sockets hold two pinpricks of light, and his entire body is concealed by a cloak made of various feathers. The other side isn't much better.
  • Not So Different: It may have been a ruse to get her to side with him, but he seems to understand Rikah's suffering due to enduring his own misfortunes.
    Minion: I can tell you that I feel the same. All creatures suffer, but our suffering is greater... Because you and me; we are chosen.
  • Two-Faced: Each face is a twisted resemblance of the theatre masks of comedy and tragedy.

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