Origin: Telflamm, Thesk
Age: 50s
Sex: Male
Deity:
Alignment: Lawful Good
Height: 6'3"
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Gray/White
General Health: Fit for his age
Profession:
Habits/Hobbies: Fishing
Languages: Common, Damaran, Kozakuran
Weapon of Choice: Katana
Appearance
Sempo is tall and well-built for his age. He has a striking appearance, which is accentuated by his careful attention to neat attire. He usually wears a formal suit. He bears a tattoo of the Nine Golden Swords, which is always hidden under his clothes.
Personality Profile
Serious and formal, Sempo takes hierarchy seriously
After struggling for years to find his place as a Scion of Siamorphe, Sempo finally seems at ease as a Helmite clergyman.
Background
Telflamm - Shou Town
- "Shou Town is a quarter of the city that favors all things
eastern. The buildings here feature the architecture of Kara-
Tur, and there is no better place in all Faerûn to find a Shou
restaurant or inn. The people here are mostly poor but honest,
happy for the chance to carve out a life for themselves in this
new land."- -Unapproachable East, page 183
- "Shou Town is a quarter of the city that favors all things
- Sempo's family descends from a samurai lineage originating in Kozakura. His grandfather left Kozakura and traveled the Golden Way west to Telflamm. In Telflamm, Sempo's grandfather found work as a bodyguard for the noble House Crowley. Sempo's grandparents gave birth to Sempo's father in Telflamm. Sempo's father never learned to fight, but he did train as a butler. Sempo's father worked as a butler for Baronet Crowley, the same lord that Sempo's grandfather served. When Baronet Crowley's son, Lord Scion Crowley, became head of the House, Sempo's father stayed on as the butler. It was around this time that Sempo was born in Telflamm. Sempo's grandfather, now retired, taught Sempo the basics of sword fighting when he was a young child. Unfortunately, Sempo's grandfather passed away before he could teach Sempo much more.
- "But along with peasants and minor merchants, the
Shou brought with them the criminals of their native land—
the yakuza of the Nine Golden Swords. The Swords hope to
one day wrest control of Telflamm from the city’s Shadowmasters,
but they do not yet dare to challenge the shadowlords
directly, not in their home city."- -Unapproachable East, page 183
- "But along with peasants and minor merchants, the
- House Crowley was faithful to Siamorphe. They had moved from Cormyr to Telflamm after suffering some losses. Despite their weakened position and wealth, House Crowley opposed the Shadowmasters thieves of Telflamm and supported the Merchants' Council. This had earned House Crowley the respect and loyalty of Sempo's grandfather and father.
Unfortunately, House Crowley's virtues and ideals did not impress a young Sempo. Indeed, Sempo resented the fact that his grandfather and father served under House Crowley, and sought a return to the "samurai pride" he imagined was his Kozakuran birthright. He joined the nascent yakuza Nine Golden Swords as an enforcer rather than become a "bootlicker" like his father and grandfather. Sempo even took his grandfather's swords and used them for this work.
Sempo's father fretted constantly about his son, and kept trying to get Sempo to follow in his footsteps as a butler. Eventually Sempo did go straight. At first it was an infiltration job for the yakuza: attend butler training and work for House Crowley, gain their trust, learn about their assets and weaknesses. But working closely with House Crowley showed Sempo that the noble family truly respected and valued his father and grandfather. Sempo saw that Lord Scion Crowley treated Sempo's father as a member of his own family, often going to him for advice and counsel. Seeing the integrity of his father and House Crowley, Sempo began to doubt his own choices. Sempo could certainly appreciate House Crowley's efforts to oppose the Shadowmasters, since the Shadowmasters were obstacles to his yakuza gang. But when he saw that House Crowley was also working against the yakuza, Sempo was confronted with the similarities between the Shadowmasters and the Nine Golden Swords. Faced with the truth, Sempo decided to truly go straight.
- When Sempo took over as butler after his father's retirement, Lord Scion Crowley revealed that he knew what Sempo was up to when he first started working for House Crowley. But Lord Scion Crowley had went along with it out of loyalty to Sempo's father. "Your father never let me down before. I knew that he was right about you, too," Lord Scion Crowley told Sempo. Sempo dedicated the majority of his adult life to serving House Crowley as their butler. He gladly left his old yakuza life behind.
Of course, the Nine Golden Swords didn't let things go that easily. They waged a campaign against House Crowley over the years, in part to punish Sempo for his betrayal. The yakuza's plots against Sempo and House Crowley eventually ruined the weakened house.
Although Lord Scion Crowley died without an heir, he held no ill-will against Sempo. Sempo was inspired to take up House Crowley's faith. On his deathbed, Lord Scion Crowley gave Sempo his blessing to carry on the House's worship of Siamorphe.
- Sempo eventually found new employment in the city of Baldur's Gate with House Vale as its butler. He hired and trained its serving staff.
Eventually, Sempo started to serve House Vale as a clergyman. However, he was never confident in this role, harboring his own private doubts about certain aspects of Siamorphe's teachings. A pilgrimage to Waterdeep only deepened these doubts, when he learned that Siamorphe's clergy carried only rods and scepters as weapons to symbolize the nobility and ruling class. In Kozakuran culture, it is the katana that symbolizes the ruling class.
- When all the gods but Helm fell to the mortal realm, Sempo journeyed to find Siamorphe. He never speaks of what happened on this journey, but afterwards he converted to the worship of Helm.
Spread the faith of SiamorpheLearn more about Siamorphe's teachings- Protect those who cannot protect themselves
- Promote an ethical nobility
- Sempo has done his best to shed his old yakuza ties, but he knows he may not have been totally successful.
Sempo is still new to the clergy, and is looking to learn more about Siamorphe.- Sempo is now embarrassed about his time in the Nine Golden Swords, and is loathe to reveal anything about it.
- Lord Scion Crowley decided not to use his father's title of Baronet, since the family no longer had land in Cormyr. Instead, he used the title given to him as a member of Siamorphe's clergy.
- As a cleric of Helm, Sempo protects those who need protecting. He has a particular fervor for protecting victims of organized crime.
- Sempo still has his family's weapons and armor.
- Although many people assume a butler is like a personal servant, Sempo is quick to point out that the job is more akin to a lord's right-hand man or household manager.
Sempo has recently started working for House Vale as a butler.He has hired on a capable serving staff,which has lightened his butlering duties.With his newfound free time, Sempo has been practicing his combat skills once again.- Sempo has long since retired as a butler to focus on his clerical studies. Unfortunately, the more he learned about Siamorphe, the more doubts he had. As his doubts grew, his clerical powers diminished. He finally left Siamorphe's clergy to join Helm's.
