Reia
Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 7:32 am
((I do not know claim to be a master of the lore behind Sshamath, so, if I've made any blunders, please let me know how to correct them via PM.))
*****
Template For Character Creation Reward:
First Name: Reia
Last Name:
Appearance:
Race: Svirfneblin (Deep Gnome)
Age: 45
Height 3'2"
Weight: 33 lbs
Eyes: Dark Gray
Hair: Black-Gray
Facial Hair Style: None.
Personality Profile:
General Health: Slightly malnourished and thin, but otherwise healthy.
Deity: Calladuran Smoothhands
Initial Alignment: Lawful Good
Profession: Odd-jobber, and mercenary.
Base Class & Proposed Development: Swashbuckler - Likely to become a Swashbuckler/Rogue/Assassin. (Currently Swashbuckler 2, Rogue 2.)
Habits/Hobbies: Reia has a few quirky interests: She collects and sells scrolls and wands, enjoys fine craftsmanship in a blade, and has a fascination with plants from the overworld, whose parts she also collects.
Languages: Gnome, Dwarf, Animal, Orc, Common.
Weapon of Choice: Kukri
Background:
Reia never knew her parents very well, nor why they chose to live in Sshamath. They were dead by the time she was seven for treason against the city. Her older brothers - Renifus and Orten - did their best to take up the mantle their parents left behind. However, an adult Svirf has trouble enough in Sshamath; for two young orphan boys trying to raise an even younger child, it was exponentially worse.
Reia grew up hearing the mockery of her Drow hosts and quickly learned what the price for standing up to such mockery could be. Several times her brothers had to sneak her out of a potentially harmful situation, and still she didn't always escape punishment. It did not help that her brothers were thieves themselves, nor that the Necromancer's Guild was always looking for new bodies with which to experiment. It did not help that Reia had been born with a loud mouth. Perhaps the only thing that did help was for Reia to witness the public execution of one of her brothers' friends for attacking one of the Drow out of rage. The ordeal taught the then eighteen Reia a rule of thumb: Keeping your thoughts and emotions in check is best when in the presence of Drow.
So, Reia grew. She learned a bit about stealing, but a mixture of fear and pride kept her from delving too deeply into it (she still hates being called a thief to this day). Her brothers taught her how to duck, fight, and scramble out of someone's clutches. Some innate curiosity in her led her to listen to any story being told and to read any book she could find, and she came to know most Underdark legends well and gain a sort of understanding of magic. She learned that begging was weakness, just like thievery, and that the only things that the Drow would respect would be one's cunning, magic, and ability to fight.
Reia is forty-five now. Her brothers have long since gone missing, though she does not know where they went or why they left her. She is still young according to Svirfneblin standards, and yet has already been on several dangerous missions involving the use of her cunning, her innate magic, and her ability to fight with her blades.
Goals:
Reia has accepted the nature of Sshamath, but she still tries to help those unfortunates in what small ways she can. She works in ways that surfacers might not agree with: Hunting escaped slaves down before their masters can so as to give them a more merciful death, deterring others from breaking laws so that they will not suffer the same punishments she has, and keeping note of the actions of all major political players in Sshamath in case they ever commit unspeakable crimes that would merit real action. In short, she constantly tries to give help to those that need it, even if it's usually done in a subtle, cautious manner.
There are no real feelings of belonging between Reia and Sshamath; she feels trapped in the city, even though she could readily leave. She wants to leave it somehow, and has a strong desire to find and live amongst other Svirfneblin, but having been raised in Sshamath, she has no clue where to even start her search. If she was presented with a real chance to find a place where she could feel secure for once, she would leap at it.
Even though Reia has many (unspoken) qualms with Drow society, it is the only society she has ever known, and she wants to gain its respect. She will do what she believes is morally reasonable to earn that respect. (However, her fearful and overly cautious behavior doesn't help her earn their respect...)
Possible Plot-Hook Ideas and Misc Facts:
Reia is a nervous character, and with good reason, though it may come in extremes. She stutters, mumbles, and generally tries to make herself small and insignificant when Drow start to cross her path, unless she has a certain intention in mind. Good words to describe her in unpleasant encounters with Drow would be 'Cowardly,' 'Submissive,' or perhaps 'Very intent on getting the Hells out of here.'
In combat, Reia undergoes a sort of mental transformation, changing from a meek and frightened Svirf into a focused, driven assailant that is stubbornly protective of her allies. She even becomes willing to bark orders to others, if she feels they're doing something stupid (which can lead to very bad things happening).
The disappearance of Reia's brothers still bothers her to this day, and news of their survival - or of their deaths - could spur her into action...
Reia has a hidden stash outside of Sshamath where she keeps her journal and many personal items. The theft of this stash, and the possibility of someone learning her unique beliefs from reading her general, could lead to some unpleasant consequences.
This deep gnome tries to repay her debts if she can, even if she 'officially' did not incur a debt. Saving her life, for instance, could instill a certain desire for her to ensure that she does the same for someone else.
It should be noted that Reia tries to believe in the deities of the Svirfneblin, but her lack of understanding of them and the fact that she's never met a cleric of them makes her less faithful than she perhaps should be. She also pays lip service to Lloth when in the presence of Drow.
*****
Template For Character Creation Reward:
First Name: Reia
Last Name:
Appearance:
Race: Svirfneblin (Deep Gnome)
Age: 45
Height 3'2"
Weight: 33 lbs
Eyes: Dark Gray
Hair: Black-Gray
Facial Hair Style: None.
Personality Profile:
General Health: Slightly malnourished and thin, but otherwise healthy.
Deity: Calladuran Smoothhands
Initial Alignment: Lawful Good
Profession: Odd-jobber, and mercenary.
Base Class & Proposed Development: Swashbuckler - Likely to become a Swashbuckler/Rogue/Assassin. (Currently Swashbuckler 2, Rogue 2.)
Habits/Hobbies: Reia has a few quirky interests: She collects and sells scrolls and wands, enjoys fine craftsmanship in a blade, and has a fascination with plants from the overworld, whose parts she also collects.
Languages: Gnome, Dwarf, Animal, Orc, Common.
Weapon of Choice: Kukri
Background:
Reia never knew her parents very well, nor why they chose to live in Sshamath. They were dead by the time she was seven for treason against the city. Her older brothers - Renifus and Orten - did their best to take up the mantle their parents left behind. However, an adult Svirf has trouble enough in Sshamath; for two young orphan boys trying to raise an even younger child, it was exponentially worse.
Reia grew up hearing the mockery of her Drow hosts and quickly learned what the price for standing up to such mockery could be. Several times her brothers had to sneak her out of a potentially harmful situation, and still she didn't always escape punishment. It did not help that her brothers were thieves themselves, nor that the Necromancer's Guild was always looking for new bodies with which to experiment. It did not help that Reia had been born with a loud mouth. Perhaps the only thing that did help was for Reia to witness the public execution of one of her brothers' friends for attacking one of the Drow out of rage. The ordeal taught the then eighteen Reia a rule of thumb: Keeping your thoughts and emotions in check is best when in the presence of Drow.
So, Reia grew. She learned a bit about stealing, but a mixture of fear and pride kept her from delving too deeply into it (she still hates being called a thief to this day). Her brothers taught her how to duck, fight, and scramble out of someone's clutches. Some innate curiosity in her led her to listen to any story being told and to read any book she could find, and she came to know most Underdark legends well and gain a sort of understanding of magic. She learned that begging was weakness, just like thievery, and that the only things that the Drow would respect would be one's cunning, magic, and ability to fight.
Reia is forty-five now. Her brothers have long since gone missing, though she does not know where they went or why they left her. She is still young according to Svirfneblin standards, and yet has already been on several dangerous missions involving the use of her cunning, her innate magic, and her ability to fight with her blades.
Goals:
Reia has accepted the nature of Sshamath, but she still tries to help those unfortunates in what small ways she can. She works in ways that surfacers might not agree with: Hunting escaped slaves down before their masters can so as to give them a more merciful death, deterring others from breaking laws so that they will not suffer the same punishments she has, and keeping note of the actions of all major political players in Sshamath in case they ever commit unspeakable crimes that would merit real action. In short, she constantly tries to give help to those that need it, even if it's usually done in a subtle, cautious manner.
There are no real feelings of belonging between Reia and Sshamath; she feels trapped in the city, even though she could readily leave. She wants to leave it somehow, and has a strong desire to find and live amongst other Svirfneblin, but having been raised in Sshamath, she has no clue where to even start her search. If she was presented with a real chance to find a place where she could feel secure for once, she would leap at it.
Even though Reia has many (unspoken) qualms with Drow society, it is the only society she has ever known, and she wants to gain its respect. She will do what she believes is morally reasonable to earn that respect. (However, her fearful and overly cautious behavior doesn't help her earn their respect...)
Possible Plot-Hook Ideas and Misc Facts:
Reia is a nervous character, and with good reason, though it may come in extremes. She stutters, mumbles, and generally tries to make herself small and insignificant when Drow start to cross her path, unless she has a certain intention in mind. Good words to describe her in unpleasant encounters with Drow would be 'Cowardly,' 'Submissive,' or perhaps 'Very intent on getting the Hells out of here.'
In combat, Reia undergoes a sort of mental transformation, changing from a meek and frightened Svirf into a focused, driven assailant that is stubbornly protective of her allies. She even becomes willing to bark orders to others, if she feels they're doing something stupid (which can lead to very bad things happening).
The disappearance of Reia's brothers still bothers her to this day, and news of their survival - or of their deaths - could spur her into action...
Reia has a hidden stash outside of Sshamath where she keeps her journal and many personal items. The theft of this stash, and the possibility of someone learning her unique beliefs from reading her general, could lead to some unpleasant consequences.
This deep gnome tries to repay her debts if she can, even if she 'officially' did not incur a debt. Saving her life, for instance, could instill a certain desire for her to ensure that she does the same for someone else.
It should be noted that Reia tries to believe in the deities of the Svirfneblin, but her lack of understanding of them and the fact that she's never met a cleric of them makes her less faithful than she perhaps should be. She also pays lip service to Lloth when in the presence of Drow.