Davka Onyxvein

[renshouj]

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♦ Birth Name: Davka Lenabar Onyxvein Wedoen Torkstripp ♦ Titles: N/A ♦ Origin: Northdark Svirfneblin Village ♦ Age: Early nineties ♦ Birth date: Nightal 18th, 1268 DR ♦ Race: Svirfneblin ♦ Gender: Male ♦ Patron Deity: Aasterinian (Hlal) ♦ Favored Deities: Garl Glittergold, Callarduran Smoothhands ♦ Alignment: Chaotic Good ♦ Classes: Wizard/Cleric ♦ Profession: Trader, Illusionist, Scribe, Jeweler ♦ Build: Chubby, Short ♦ Hair: Blue-and-Pink wig ♦ Eyes: Dark Grey ♦ Skin: Dim Grey ♦ Posture: Relaxed ♦ Voice: Low and whiny ♦ Main Language: Gnomish ♦ Secondary Languages: Undercommon, Common, Draconic, Illuskan, Chondathan, Dwarvish, among others; Layout inspired by Rhifox / Nyssis Art from NIPUNI (Heavily edited)

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♦ Appearance ♦

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Davka is a youthful looking gnome, his skin a dim grey hue and eyes like a dark clouded sky, always hiding behind thick golden-framed glasses. He's on the short and chubbier side, even for his race, and wears practical but nice-looking clothes that cover him well against the elements, seemingly even with some illusioned parts to make it look fancier. Though svirneblin males grow no hair, he has a blue-and-pink wig that seems to be always well kept. By no means he is handsome, but it's clear that he seems to pay some attention to how he presents himself. He has a relaxed posture and curious, wandering eyes. His walk is almost duck-like, as if his legs are a little crooked, but overall he is quiet in his steps. His voice is a bit whiny and nasally, but low in tone. He always wears a backpack, and attached to it one can easily see a few vials, a hard-covered bluish book, many trinkets and, when he's not wielding it, a well crafted magical staff with a blue gem at the end.

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♦ Personality ♦

- Davka, in a few words, is honest, scholarly, curious, impulsive, witty, and often purposefully a contrarian. He differs greatly from other deep gnomes due to his thirst for exploration and affinity with the surface realms and its people. An insaciable curiosity governs him most of the time, be it a curiosity about the great history of the world, or even something as small as being curious about an individual he's encountered in his travels. Usually he's relaxed and acts quite aloof, but as soon as something fills his mind his hyperfixation takes over and he'll not rest until he finds the answers he wants or he understands those to be impossible to attain for the moment. Unlike many of his race, Davka is not shy - on the contrary, he is often quite loud and radiates a love for life and its wonders. His self-confidence often borders narcisism, and he often likes to provoke others for reactions, maybe by metaphorically poking them with a stick of annoyance, or even by pretending utmost confidence in a fact that he knows to be wrong but still creates a fun reaction out of someone, usually this is done with the intent to bring to the surface people's true selves, as Davka believes everyone should be able to just speak their mind.

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♦ Faith, Trading & Studies ♦

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Davka is a cleric of Aasterinian, an aspect of the draconic deity Hlal, who teaches her faithful to think for themselves instead of relying on the words of others, and to always trust in yourself and your abilities. The Clergy of Aasterinian is small and often travels without announcing their faith, choosing instead to spread teachings through action. His own contact with the faith was due to a long adventure with a dragonblooded human that introduced it to him, and over the years Davka's curiosity about it grew into reverence and eventually into him seeking Aasterinian's favour himself, enchanted by the teachings of the goddess. Needless to say, Davka's faith manifests itself not only through prayer and admiration, but also by showing the world his unapologetic self and trying to elicit in others the same so that they may feel connected to the joy of life and self-realization.

- Maybe due to growing up being taught the family trade of Gemstone faceting and Jewelmaking, but Davka has always had an eye for the value of things. Studying the Art has also allowed him to tap into his desire to make things, and for years now he has been a provider of potions, scrolls, wands and other magical creations. Still, he has never properly set up shop somewhere, and usually his skills travel by word-of-mouth, guaranteeing quality stamped with his mage sigil. This magical alchemy and enchanting is a byproduct of wanting to expand his craft, he sees magic as an extension of himself and to study it is to study his own existence. Davka often dreams that one day his mage sigil will be recognised as one of the greats, though he has no real idea how to get there - and to him that doesn't matter, as the discovering of the journey is part of the journey itself. Still, a way that he has encountered to further his objectives is to study both the arcane Art and the divine blessings of his faith simultaneously, walking two paths at once feels correct for the gnome, as he enjoys the myriad of possibilities that the world offers and hates being deprived of the wonders that it brings. As a cleric, he uses his blessings to aid others in their self discovery, as a wizard he allows his own growth, through both he expands the horizons of what is possible.

------------------ Davka's Mage Sigil, pictured in a wax seal

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Though he studies all forms and schools of magic, Davka's focus has always been that of Illusionism, maybe in part due to how gnomes have an inherent affinity for the school. By manipulating things not directly, but by changing perception of how people see the world, how people see themselves or even how the world sees itself, is a path of magic that deeply intrigues and resonates with Davka. "Everything is better with a little magic" is something he often says, and he likes to put it to practice. Be it in mundane situations where a change of hair colour might make someone laugh or in dire needs when a monster threatens the life of someone and needs a quick and believable distraction. Davka does see himself as a bit of a researcher, though he isn't the most organised man and the scientific method often escapes him for more hands-on empirical learning.

♦ Deity Relations ♦
This only encompasses some of the deities often at the forefront of Davka's thoughts, more may be added in the future.

Diety	Attitude	Thoughts
Aasterinian / Hlal	Patron	Though one and the same, Hlal's aspect as Aasterinian is Davka's patron. They differ in that Aasterinian is less focused on the poetry and songs of life and instead more on individuality, self-expression in all forms, the exploration of our own minds and our wants and needs, and that above all, you should trust yourself to be yourself. This resonates strongly with the gnome and is the reason why this unlikely pairing between Draconic Deity and Svirfneblin happened in the first place.
Garl Glittergold	Reverence	Davka's affinity with Garl is likely the main reason he found kinship with Aasterinian's faith. The two deities are, at least to his eyes, quite similar in many ways. This history with Garl Glittergold, along with him being lead of the Lords of the Golden Hills, leads Davka to have a deep reverence for the Sparkling Wit.
Callarduran Smoothhands	Reverence	Patron Deity of the Svirfneblin, whom Davka grew up reverent to as his family did. Though nowadays Davka has steered quite a bit away from Callarduran's teachings, he still has a deep nostalgic love for the Deep Brother's words of finding the beauty in life and fighting to protect it.
Baravar Cloakshadow	Reverence	A deity on Davka's mind since his apprenticing days. An illusionist himself, Davka finds great meaning in Baravar's portfolio and thus pays service to him especially in his arcane studies, but even in his daily life he appreciates the Sly One's teachings of cunning and self-preservation.
Lords of the Golden Hills	Reverence	Besides Urdlen, Davka in general holds the Gnomish Pantheon in high regard, certainly due to his upbringing and status as a gnome himself, but also due to a true belief that they provide valuable teachings.
Mystra	Reverence	It would be strange for a wizard such as Davka to disregard the Weave herself, so it's only natural to him to show reverence for the Lady of Mysteries.
Tamara	Respect	A deity of kindness and community, Davka has never met a faithful of Tamara that he did not enjoy the company of. Of all the deities in Davka's mind, Tamara is likely the one that most tempers his attitude, her teachings of mercy evoking a fatherly instinct in the otherwise childish and slightly narcisistic gnome.
Lendys	Dislike	The Arbiter of Dragonkind, to Davka an overly serious antithesis of the joyous chaos of Hlal or the unfiltered impulsiveness of Aasterinian. It would not be difficult to hear Davka refer to Lendys as a "party pooper".
Waukeen	Respect	Davka sees himself as a merchant who deeply respects the art of Trade. His eyes are suited to see details and quality and his mind is primed to do the math of coins, and as such, he holds Waukeen in high esteem.
Tymora	Respect	Luck plays a large part in Davka's life, as it fuels his self-confidence and cushions his impulsiveness. All his life he has thought that Lady Luck was on his side, and so far she has not failed him, besides humbling him a few too little times.
Lliira	Respect	"Celebration of Life", the Deity. Davka doen't necessarily know much of the intricacies of her teachings, but he certainly embodies them naturally.
Leira	Neutral	In a way similar to Baravar, Davka knows of Leira through the portfolio of illusion and his own affinity for it. But even deeper, he manages to find wisdom in the Lady of Mist's words of caution: "Things are rarely as they seem".
Yondalla's Children	Neutral	Though he isn't as close to hin as his surface cousins, Davka's time in Gullykin has given quite a bit of insight into Yondalla and her pantheon. Of all the pantheon, Brandobaris catches his attention the most.
Shaundakul	Neutral	Davka's Travel Deity of choice. He finds much similarity between Shaundakul and Aasterinian's teachings, in that one should teach by example and trust in oneself.
Oghma	Neutral	As a wizard it is difficult to not resonate with Oghma, the deity of knowledge teaches that knowledge is, well, everything - and it often is.
Deneir	Neutral	Davka spent a few months in Twilight Hall, in Berdusk, though most of his time there wasn't really focused on Deneir and his teachings. Still, he often harks back to his time there among his faithful when he needs to organise files.
Helm	Dislike	An enemy to pure joy. The Watcher's sense of overwhelming duty makes one lose individuality and curiosity.
Ilmater	Dislike	Strangely, Davka learned of Ilmater quite late, and maybe because of it he sees the Broken God as a mix of Tamara and Lendys, taking only a small part of the former and too much of the latter. To Davka, Ilmater is often needlessly too intense.
Tyr	Dislike	As one would expect, a God of Law holds little regard in Davka's mind, he sees Tyr as too limiting.
Lolth & The Dark Seldarine	Hatred	Theres no purer hatred than that of a Svirfneblin for a Lolth Priestess. Davka grew up not only hearing stories of atrocities commited by Lolthites, but also seeing them first-hand sometimes. No drow can be truly redeemed.
Tiamat	Hatred	Davka's studies under Aasterinian clergy have taught him of the foulness of the Avaricious. Her Tyranny a complete antithesis of everything that Aasterinian stands for.
Urdlen	Hatred	A fear of the Evil One has been implanted in Davka since his infancy, as he grew it only took further root, and it still remains there to this day.

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♦ Background ♦

Hidden: show

----------Immediate Family

• Grandmother: Izmani Wedoen - Used to be a great singer in Blingdenstone, lost her voice in a drow raid. Alinthee's mother;
• Mother: Alinthee Torkstripp - Housewife, true leader of the family;
• Father: Strohemd Torkstripp - Jewelcrafter by family trade, often works for Blingdenstone;
• Older Sister: Maraliia Torkstripp - The best cook of Osdrinrothe, makes the best rothe pie of the Northdark (that Davka has tried);
• Older Brother: Gjorentor Torkstripp - Continuing the family trade as a jewelcrafter, wishes he was a singer;

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Youngest sibling of three, Davka was born and raised on a small and secluded svirfneblin village a few dozen miles out from Blingdenstone called Osdrinrothe. The village was mainly a producer of rothe meat for the city-state, though Davka's family were jewelcrafters and gemfaceters. It was early that his father started to teach him the craft, and though he was thankful for learning the skill, it didn't take long before he dreamed of bigger things. Soon after he reached maturity, he chose to instead leave Osdrinrothe to find more opportunities in Blingdenstone proper - though he still visited his family once a month.

It was in Blingdenstone that he started the study of the Art, though he found that he did not have an inherent knack for it and it would still be years until he became a proper wizard. Working for a local jeweler using the skills of his family's craft, he maintained himself in the city for almost four decades as he finally got a good grasp on the Art and fully realised himself as a wizard, being drawn the most to the Illusionist school, though his curiosity would not allow him to drop the study of others. And once he felt ready enough, though it was likely too soon still, he felt the need to go even bigger.

Davka's thirst for exploration is the main thing that has driven him all these years, and this time it was no different. It was around his seventieth nameday that he encountered an opportunity: a dwarven drinking-buddy of his from Mithrall Hall invited him on a journey to the surface as they needed a wizard to help hunt Lycanthropes in the Moonwood. He did not twink twice and took the chance, to the surface he went.

After that first taste of adventure in the surface, there was no going back. He left behind his home region and went on years and years of adventures, with many different bands and to many different places. One of those adventuring bands, likely the most important one, was a group of bards that enjoyed the gnome's company both in combat and for performance, which he greatly enhanced through the use of Illusion spells. There was only one other non-bard in the band, though she was still a musician, a dragon-blooded human cleric of Aasterinian named Minna.

Minna was Davka's favorite, the two became fast friends as they both shared a curiosity for the world and were often a prankster pair, and they told stories of each other's lives. Through Minna, Davka came to know and understand the blessings of the draconic faith of Aasterinian, shedding away any preconception he had for clerics as Minna was anything but "too priest-y". Her way of life and thinking intrigued him, and he often saw himself in her - just as her in him.

Even after the adventuring bards disbanded, Minna and Davka still traveled together, but this time, as he often does, Davka wanted more - He didn't want to just hear and see Minna talk of her faith, he wanted to be a part of it. She taught him, he learned, Aasterinian answered, and when time came that even those two would part ways, Davka saw himself bigger than the sum of wizard and cleric, he was proud of himself, and thankful for Minna.

He traveled alone for a few years, though he never felt lonely, wherever he went he took joy in spreading gleeful chaos, making others laugh, making himself laugh, and learning from the world. For some time he stayed in Suzail, Cormyr, where he made his living not through jewelcrafting or adventuring, but by providing magical trinkets and consumables to the adventurers themselves. Eventually one such adventurer, a half-elven mage by the name Hunther, requested his aid in traveling to Berdusk, and Davka, tired of being in the same city for a few years, went.

The way to Berdusk should've been quicker than it was, but the two found joy in exploring outside of the roads too often. Unfortunately, when they were close to the end of the journey, one such endeavor lead to Hunther being severely hurt and Davka rushing him to Berdusk. There he learned his traveling companion was a Harper, and Davka stayed in the Twilight Hall for some time as Hunther recovered. He did not find any burden in it, though, as he was eager to learn and to share what he knew. It would be a few months until Hunther was fully recuperated and the two said goodbye.

Now Davka continues his journey, this time in the Sword Coast proper. He made his residence in Gullykin for the time being, but he often spends his days traveling around, sowing chaos and joy, and being open to what the world has to offer.

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♦ Loose Ends ♦

♦ Family! Though he left in good terms, he's always open for anything to happen with his family.
♦ Past companions! He had a good handful of adventuring companions, and would gladly help any that seek him out.
♦ Faith! Though it's not an organized church, he would help other priests without question.
♦ Curiosity! Anything that peaks his curiosity would get him involved.
♦ Work! Davka is always looking for opportunities, be it adventuring, jewelcrafting, alchemy, enchanting, etc.

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[renshouj]

Nov 26th, 2025

• Updated formatting
• Cleaned up a lot
• Fleshed out story and deities