Lila Jacques (Introduction and Journal)

[Mezzanine]

*I’ll continue to update this post with interesting happenings from RP as they happen. This initial description is far from exhaustive, as I’d much rather hash things out in-game!*

First Name: Lila
Last Name: Jacques

In-Game Appearance:
Confident (sometimes misread as arrogant (CHA 6)), she moves with unusual grace despite her heavy armor. A faint but jagged scar on her face is visible in direct sunlight, but hard to make out in the shadows. Several necklaces are wrapped around her neck and tucked into her tunic, out of sight. Her hand rests on the vicious looking warhammer strapped to her side.

A symbol of Lathander on an iron chain swings lightly at her hip.

Character Sheet:
Race: "Human"
Age: 31
Height 5’11”
Weight: ~165 pounds
Eyes: Gold- but with a strange intensity
Hair: Dark brown
Facial Hair Style: N/A

Personality Profile:
General Health: Strong, healthy, and resilient under pressure (STR 17; CON 14)
Deity: Carries a symbol of Lathander from her father; not especially pious.
Profession: Sell-sword and bodyguard
Base Class & Proposed Development: Fighter, through and through.
Languages: Common, Cormanthian, and Halfling

Likes:
Gold, steel, fine craftsmanship, weapons, driving a bargain, breathing in night-time air, gallows humor, the thrill of battle, competition, spelunking, Halflings, and easy coin.

Dislikes:
Swords, they get stuck in things too often. Arrows, because they get stuck in her shield too often, and are for “cowards and fey-folk”. Merchants and traders, who are all “soft” and “incompetent”. Has a general distrust for wizards and the constabulary.

Habits:
Generally disciplined and controlled. Tries to give off an air of toughness and competence that suits her professional goals and reputation. Calm when angry, but quick to anger if she feels she’s being cheated or taken advantage of. Easily carried away in the rush of battle, usually the first into a fight and the last out of it (if the coin is right). Spends plenty of time in the taverns, and measures toughness by how well one can hold their drink. Has a distrust of guards and established authority, and tries to keep a low profile. Very slow to build friendships and trust others, though she loves a good joke and is always keeping an eye out for new business contacts and adventuring associates; she prefers to keep things non-committal, unless there’s coin involved or a favor owed.

Weapon of Choice:
Maces, hammers, morningstars, etc. Especially if they have hooks, spikes, runes, and other ominous pointy bits that generally scream “back off”. Would sooner be caught dead than without a sturdy tower shield. Has a special fondness for very large axes, maces, hammers, and other implements of destruction, and so is willing to make occasional exceptions to her love of shields.

Background:
Lila is from Cormyr, her home town and residence of the past 31 years. She had a somewhat shady reputation, but was well-liked in bars and taverns of ill repute, where she could make up for her surly demeanor and standoffishness with a few rounds of drinks and a wicked right hook in a brawl.

Her mother died in childbirth, and her father was a dawngreeter of Lathander. Despite this, he was a hard man, who never forgave Lila for her mother's death. Their relationship was rocky at best and he died before she could make peace with him. Since his passing, she has felt troubled, and needed a fresh start abroad. She arrived on the docks of Baldur's Gate just a few weeks ago...

Goals:
To become a well-respected fighter and bodyguard, and to have the same close business connections and opportunities she was able to establish with her network in Cormyr.

Possible Plot-Hook Ideas and Misc Facts:
Will jump at most any opportunity to make some coin or prove herself in combat, regardless of the danger. Convince her that there's coin to be made, and she'll be up for anything.

Lila generally trusts and likes halflings, as many of her business contacts and associates were halflings, or worked for them. She speaks their language fluently, especially the local slang used in Cormyr. She expects them to be smart, capable, and good sources of information.

Though normally calm under pressure, she does have a temper, and often takes things personally (even if they're not meant to be). This has led to many a tavern brawl, and not a few nights to cool off in the local jail. She won't back down from a challenge, and she's deadly serious in a fight. Expect at least a few broken bones.

Has years of experience hiring herself out as a mercenary to the local merchants and guilds in Cormyr. Also spent several years as a caravan guard, which was mostly uneventful. Still, she saw too many mercenaries she respected gutted in petty raids, protecting the profits of cowardly merchants who were safely back in Cormyr (hence her dislike for traders).

Has a sharp mind and plenty of experience dealing with the hazards of the streets and alleys of Cormyr. Nevertheless, she's too proud to learn from her mistakes easily, and has a deeply rooted superstition that she tries to keep to herself (WIS 8).

Has heard of a temple of Lathander in Beregrost, and is considering making a pilgrimage there, when she's saved up enough coin. She wants to pay her respects for her father's sake, but at the same time is not completely comfortable with the idea, or able to lay the memory of her father to rest.

Interesting Happenings and Connections Made (Recent First):
Explored the hilltop ruins south of Baldur's Gate with Cassandra Goodman, Stark Longfoot, and Tonquin (something something). After being set upon by shades in the upper levels, the group determined to find the wizard down below... who was no help at all. Frustrated, they searched his workshop for answers, finding an evil mage surrounded by shadows and bladelings. Cassandra fell in the struggle, but the mage was defeated, and a magic scroll of shadow conjuration recovered (seemingly at the heart of the mess). A stranger on the road... and his ferret... were able to revive Cassandra, but while the party was split looking for help, Stark and Tonquin were confronted by an angry mob looking for a mage in blue, carrying a shield, accused of murder. Lila and Cassandra both swore they had nothing to do with it, and the group decided to nurse their wounds at the Elfsong Tavern.

After a brief “misunderstanding”, made the acquaintance of Patrick Eversong the bard. The pair killed rats and muggers in the sewers beneath Baldur’s Gate, in search of Nerisdove’s lost ring, but were ambushed deep in the sewers by a bandit mage and his toadies. Patrick was blinded and struck down, but Lila was able to throw him over her shoulder and barrel to an exit, crawling up the ladder and escaping to the Palace District (barely) with her life. She was able to revive him at the Temple of Tyr, but slapped him silly as he came to, giving him hell for “fainting” in the sewers and costing her a painfully large sum of gold for “some glorified smelling salts”. They were able to come to an understanding when he reminded her that she probably wouldn’t have made it out alive without his enchantments.

Cleared out the bandit cave north of Baldur’s Gate with Galad of Candlekeep, and was grateful for the tidy sum of gold his connections at the Merchant’s Guild yielded when their goods were returned.

[Mezzanine]

Completed! I'll still update this with RP happenings, for those interested (and my own recollection).