Eberron PbP Story Hour – Character Introductions

I have been running a Play-by-Post on a message board I frequent, Circvs Maximvs, for the last nine months. I thought it was about time to start a Story Hour based upon their adventures. In this post, I will be introducing the characters, giving you glimpse into what makes them tick. Slowly, but surely, I will post entries as they move along. They’re on chapter 3 right now, so it may take me a while to “catch up.” With each character, I’ve included a few stats to give you an idea on the physical makeup of each character.

The Characters

Ilyra Syrion

NG Human Wizard 4

Languages: Common, Dwarven, Draconic, Celestial, Gnome

Abilities: Str -8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 19, Wis 12, Cha 10

Feats: Least Dragonmark (Mark of Sentinel), Skill Focus (Knowledge: Arcana), Fiery Burst

Skills: Concentration +8 (7), Decipher Script +11 (7), Knowledge (Arcana) +14 (7), Knowledge (History) +14 (7), Knowledge (Nobility) +14 (7), Knowledge (Planes) +14 (7), Spellcraft +11 (7), Sense Motive + 3 (0)

Spellbook
0th all (Detect Magic, Read Magic and Detect Poison are Divination spells)
1st Magic Missile, Ray of Enfeeblement, Feather Fall, Identify, Alarm, Shield, Grease, Burning Hands, Comprehend Languages, Sleep, Enlarge Person
2nd Scorching Ray, Daze Monster, Detect Thoughts, False Life

Ilyra is the only daughter of Captain Syrion of house Deneith. Unlike her father, Ilyra was not born inside the luxuries of a dragonmarked house. Also unlike her father, Ilyra inherited the Mark of Sentinel.

She knows very little about the reasons that made her father become an excoriate of his House sometime during the Last War. For what she could research, Captain Syrion was a great fighter and war hero until something happened. Something that is not on the records and that her father never talks about.

As a young she was sent to study magic in Sharn. Although talented, she never had patience for classes and would rather learn by experimenting. Have you ever seen the black scorch marks on the west tower of Morgrave University? Yes, that was her. On the other hand, she just loved history classes, the tales of heroes and mostly, everything related to Dragonmarked Houses.

It was during her time in Sharn that Ilyra first manifested her dragonmark. First scared, then excited, she saw that event as an opportunity to gain the favor of House Deneith and maybe. It didn’t work. She might have the power and blood of the Mark of Sentinel, but the affairs of the Dragonmarked and the name of Deneith would be forever beyond her reach.

She barely graduated her studies, and soon returned home, on Brelish countryside, to take be with her father. Although not formally educated on magic, she knows a few tricks, and is always eager to experiment new things. Ilyra is joyful and easygoing, and some would accuse her of being naïve. But she is young and time will teach her what studies could not.

Jebber Roonkin

CG Humanoid (human) Cleric 4

Preacher of the Sovereign Host (Knowledge & Travel)

Languages: Common, Celestial, Daelkyr, Gnome, (Draconic, Elven, Goblin, Sylvan)

Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 14

Feats: Master Linguist, Symbiont Mastery, Winter’s Breath

Skills: Stealth +2, Perception +2, Concentration +7, Knowledge(religion, history, the planes) +10, Spellcraft +9

An infant, not of the Gnomish race, was found one bright morning on the steps of the Church of the Sovreign Host in Korranberg. Father Roonkin, a Cleric in service of this church, decided to accept the boy as a gift of the gods, and raise him. (“Jebber”, of course, means “gifted”.)

Thus, by the luck of the Gods, did I come to live with a fine Gnomish family, and have the great fortune to be raised in Zilargo, at the feet of the Great Library itself. As most youths, I aspired to work in that magnificent edifice to knowledge and lore — and in my 15th year, I was accepted as a junior research assistant! There I worked for six years, vicariously exploring the world through both the text of tomes and the tales of travelers.

One traveler who struck me particularly was a human by the name of Bonal Geldem. He took time from his own research — extending his stay by over a week! — to speak with me, answer my questions about the wider world, and the first person who I really felt understood me as a human, rather than as a person, if that makes sense. I felt a real bond with him.

For the last few years I’ve been corresponding with Bonal, but I’ve only been working at the library part-time. My father (Elymar Roonkin Korran) had grown frail with age, and I’d discovered a bit of an affinity for Faith, so my days were split between service to the Library and the Temple.

I’d been itching to travel myself, but was leery of leaving Elymar alone. However, Gods be praised, the very same day that Bonal’s cryptic invitation arrived in my hands, so did the good priest Derius Del Devandi arrive at the Temple! He’s a jolly gnome with honest red cheeks, and his sermons are so sincere I could… well, I can’t quite remember, but it felt quite good to hear him speak. He’s clearly an excellent gnome. I wonder why his previous parish ever let him go!

Thus, I was able to leave my adoptive family in good hands, and I board the lightning rail in excellent spirits.

Kolthak Rundarak

LG Dwarf Duskblade 4

Languages: Common, Dwarven, Draconic, Orc

Abilities: Str 17, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 8

Feats: Weapon Focus (Dwarven Waraxe), Combat Casting, Battle Caster, Aberrant Dragonmark (Detect Secret Doors)

Skills: Concentration +10, Diplomacy +1,Knowledge (Arcana) +8, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +3, Knowledge (History) +3, Knowledge (The Planes) +3,Sense Motive +6, Spellcraft +11 Swim +1

Spells Known
1st (6/day): Kelgore’s Fire Bolt (DC 13), Ray of Enfeeblement (+5 ranged touch), Resist Energy, Shocking Grasp (+7 melee touch), Swift Expeditious Retreat
0th (6/day): Acid Splash (+5 ranged touch), Disrupt Undead (+5 ranged touch), Ray of Frost (+5 ranged touch), Touch of Fatigue (+7 melee touch, DC 12)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th) 5/Day: Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Flare, Ghost Sound, Read Magic

Kolthak originally hails from the Mror Holds, part of a minor family in the Kundarak clan. His family is regarded as rather odd as they don’t have the normal Dwarven distrust of arcane magic. In fact, there are a number of wizards in the extended family, and the Warding Guild (and House Kundarak) find them extremely useful for helping to safeguard their vaults. The diviners and abjurers of the family have been of great assistance in security and investigations of problems.

As a young Dwarf, Kolthak showed signs of the family aptitude for magic, and in fact had some interest in it as well. However, the elders had trouble getting him to stay away from the combat practice fields long enough to make a serious study of magic. They tried to explain to him that mastery of magic was a long, arduous pursuit that would leave little time for such frivolities as axe practice. This did not exactly aid their cause in winning him over, and they were afraid he would either waste his magical talents as yet another axe-man, or (perhaps worse) be merely a magical dilettante.

During the war the clans continued to look for better means to defend their strongholds and caravans from raiders and bandits. They noted with some approval (and a bit of a shudder for the unorthodoxy) the impressive feats accomplished by the blending of steel and sorcery used by the Aundair Knights and the Valenar mercenaries. The scions of House Kundarak decided to test the effectiveness of this idea with a small group of Dwarves to be trained in the combining of steel blades and arcane fire. Naturally they turned to the family of the mages for candidates, and Kolthak was one of the first put forth.

As such a thing had never been done before by Dwarves, they turned to outside help in the training of the fledgling duskblades. They hired a human from Aundair who was skilled in the arts to train group of young Dwarves in magical combat. Many of them washed out, most from inability to use the necessary magic. It was suspected that many of them made little effort to use something as…distasteful as arcane magic, however Kolthak and a few others enjoyed the training and gained enough skill to pass their final testing.

After the graduation, those who passed where given assignments to test their usefulness. Most, including Kolthak; were sent with caravans as special guards to help defend against unusual threats. Some of the surviving raiders of these caravans started strange stories of magic wielding Dwarves but their tales were dismissed as wine fogged memories. The project looked like a success, however the end of the war came before a second class was trained, and without the urgency brought on by the war, it was quietly discontinued.

As a result of his limited service in the war, Kolthak got to see (albeit briefly) various parts of Khorvaire and meet a number of different groups. Guarding a caravan in wartime provides little opportunity for socializing or exploration however so with the war over, he is interested in seeing more of the world and perhaps getting opportunity to show that magical warrior Dwarves could be a great asset to his family, his clan, and the Dwarven people.

Leálani Elvinor Phiarlan

N Valenar Elf Beguiler 4

Languages: Common, Elven, Draconic, Gnome, Goblin, Orc

Abilities: Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 19, Wis 8, Cha 14

Feats: Spell Focus(Enchantment), Martial Weapon Profiency(Longsword, Longbow), Unsettling Enchantment

Skills: Appraise +4, Balance +3, Bluff +9, Climb -1, Concentration +7, Craft +4, Diplomacy +13, Disable Device +13, Disguise +2, Escape Artist +3, Forgery +4, Gather Information +9, Heal -1, Hide +3, Intimidate +5, Jump -1, Knowledge (Arcana) +6, Knowledge (Local) +6, Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) +6, Listen +1, Move Silently +3, Open Lock +10, Perform +2, Perform (Sing) +4, Ride +3, Search +13, Sense Motive +4, Spellcraft +5, Spot +8, Survival -1, Swim -1, Tumble +5, Use Rope +3

Spells Known:
0th (6/day): Dancing Lights, Daze (DC 15), Detect Magic, Ghost Sound (DC 14), Message, Open/Close (DC 14), Read Magic

1st (7/day): Charm Person (DC 16), Color Spray (DC 15), Comprehend Languages, Detect Secret Doors, Disguise Self, Expeditious Retreat, Hypnotism (DC 16), Mage Armor, Obscuring Mist, Power Word: Pain, Rouse, Silent Image (DC 15), Sleep (DC 16), Undetectable Alignment (DC 15), Whelm (DC 16)

2nd (4/day): Blinding Color Surge (DC 16), Blur, Daze Monster (DC 17), Detect Thoughts (DC 16), Fog Cloud, Glitterdust (DC 16), Hypnotic Pattern (DC 16), Invisibility, Knock, Minor Image (DC 16), Mirror Image, Misdirection (DC 16), See Invisibility, Silence (DC 16), Spider Climb, Stay the Hand (DC 17), Touch of Idiocy, Vertigo (DC 16), Whelming Burst (DC 17)

Leálani was born into House Phiarlan; her father being the younger brother to the House Matriarch, Elvinor d’Phiarlan. Through her youth she lived a comfortable life and was close to her Aunt; traveling between their country estate and their home in the City of Sharn. She eagerly looked forward to her coming of age, where she would finish her training with her aunt to continue in the noble art of entertaining; singing to be exact, and perhaps even grow into an important diplomatic role for her house. Just before she came “of age” she began getting experience as an escort to the prosperous and affluent – who enjoyed having a young, beautiful, intelligent and talented girl on their arms. She was easily able to weave in and out of all levels of conversation and had the ability to make everyone feel at home in her presence.

She was just about to leave for her training in her Aunt’s home when she received the letter from Geldam, one of her old history teachers, and decided to see him before committing to her training.

Rathan Blackthorn

Human Ftr4;

Abilities: Str 17(+3), Dex 15(+2), Con 12(+1), Int 11(+0), Wis 10(+0), Cha 10(+0);

Feats: Dodge, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon focus (Longsword)

Skills: Climb +1, Craft (armorsmithing) +2, Craft (weaponsmithing) +2, Intimidate +1, Jump -7, Profession (blacksmith) +1, Ride +3, Search +1, Swim -6.

Rathan comes from a simple background being a blacksmith. After spending a few years laboring as a commoner and getting nowhere, he has decided to take up the adventuring life. According to his father, his family comes from a line of nobility although the link is tenuous at best. Literally using his life savings, he has ventured forth from a small hamlet in Breland and is making his way towards the great city of Sharn in search of adventure and fame and hopefully some help in determining the roots of his family name. After all, anything has to be better than what he left behind, right?

Shrapnel

N Warforged Fighter 4

Languages: Common

Abilities: Str 19, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 6, Cha 6

Feats: Mithral Body, Mithral Fluidity x2, Construct Lock

Skills: Climb +6, Craft (armorsmithing) +7, Move Silently +9, Hide +10

Shrapnel was normal, once. For roughly the first ten minutes of his life, Shrapnel was a perfectly ordinary warforged, right out of the magical assembly line, ready to kill for king and country – whichever one bought him. Had things gone normally, he would have been right up there with the rest of his mold. Of course, as I’ve obviously foreshadowed, things didn’t go normally.

One-hundred feet above shrapnel, a skillful mercenary halfling hell-bent on stealing House Cannith secrets was crawling through an air duct that let a constant flow of air from the surface above. That halfling was walking across the one rusty grate in the building that the construction team had been two screws short of finishing. Instead of waiting for more screws, they just popped the two they had in on opposite corners, and let that be. Nobody would ever climb up a hundred feet for a safety inspection afterall, and it’s not like air is particularly heavy! Of course, there’s no way for them to have known what would happen. And there’s no way that halfling would have know that that particular grate, out of the hundreds he had already passed, was the one week link. And worst of all, poor Shrapnel had no way of knowing, as he’d only been alive for 10 minutes, that a particular grate stepped on by a particular halfling in a particular place ata particular time… would come crashing down into his forehead.

Shrapnel’s a bit… off. Not just his internal spark either, he’s also a bit… dumb. And a bit irritable… and easily manipulated… and he’s only really available in three modes: silly, angry, and pathetic. Mostly shrapnel is ‘pathetic’. He’s certainly not had the best history, starting off as unlucky as he did. He never fought in the last war, he was sold for pennies to a small-time cattle-merchant in Breland. When the edict of the end of the Last War set him free… well… he wandered around a lot. One way or another, he made some friends… somehow. Perhaps they like his sense of humor… if you can call it that.

Originally, Shrapnel was designed as a prototype naval warforged. Earlier naval ‘forged had been built with lighter frames and more bouyant materials, but with a major sacrifice to their armor and survivability. Shrapnel is a compromise, somewhere in between a traditional naval forged and a heavier and more powerful fighter. Shrapnel prefers to fight with his fists. He gains some strange pleasure from ‘breaking things’ with his own ‘broken hands’. He has a natural aversion to using heavier weapons and shields, though he’s competent with them if necessary. Shrapnel prefers to carry a light load, rarely bringing more than a cloak wherever he goes.

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Related Posts

• Eberron PbP Story Hour – Chapter 7: Now where is that door?
• Eberron PbP Story Hour – Chapter 6: Meeting the First
• Eberron PbP Story Hour – Chapter 5: To Friends New and Old
• Eberron PbP Story Hour – Chapter 4: Fight for your right to parley
• Eberron PbP Story Hour – Chapter 3: Sharn rain is a hard rain

Posted in: 3.5, Eberron Story Hour, Play-by-Post, RPG