|
Full name: Tesya Pensu, or just "Tes" to some Age: 29 in 1359DR Race: Infernal Tiefling Sex: Female Date of birth: 5th of Nightal, 1330DR Place of birth: Baldur's Gate Alignment: Neutral Patron deity: Deneir Profession: Mage Apprentice, Cat Burglar Classes: Rogue, Wizard, Daggerspell Mage, Arcane Trickster Primary language: Chondathan, better at reading/writing than listening/speaking Secondary languages Common from trading with barkeeps/merchants, Draconic from arcane studies and preparing spells, Infernal from gran/mother, Thieves' Cant slang from pawnbrokers/guildmates, learning six additional languages but not yet fully committed to any. |
 |
| Physical description Red eyes and hair with bangs reaching her eyebrows. Clothes enhance her form, but she appears quite frail. Often seen wearing a long dark red hooded cloak with a tight leather jerkin underneath. Pouches and a book on her right side she looks quite protective of, a quiver of crossbow bolts on her left. Leather gloves on occasion and heeled boots. A metal band on her left wrist and a silver amulet hanging from her neck. Psychological profile Absent-minded with a tendency not to mind her surroundings, small talk occasionally drifts off by a tangent or puzzle that intrigues her. Grandmother and parents focus on studies much like her, resulting in intimacy issues, risk aversion and fear of disappointing others. Her mind is contantly occupied, so she resorts to her journal often for keeping track of names and notes to jog her memory. Much of her time is spent in isolated study of mechanics and spellcraft, but she does reach out to thieves guild contacts when coin is spent or exotic materials are needed. Religious views Not greatly concerned with her patron's dogma of sharing information, she is instead selfishly focused on journaling current events and only uncovering truth for herself, especially when it concerns the recent Avatar Crisis. It was a cryptic religious text of Deneir leading her from Candlekeep to Baldur's Gate some years prior, ironic that he then would visit the library fortress during her absence. She ruminates on a pet theory that she is part of writing the Metatext and it is not yet finished, but will be in the infinite far future. Fragments of this somehow sent back in time elevated Deneir to divinity, so it may be possible for others as well who can read it. Savras or his follower Alaundo the Seer perhaps managed to read smaller fragments but made sense of them in a different way. This grand theory motivates her research into time manipulation. Ancestor Housed near the docks of Baldur's Gate during the time of troubles, she has seen first hand the witch hunts and occasional lynching of Tieflings that were too indiscreet, and so when possible keeps her distance from other obvious Tieflings. A recent burglary with her spider familiar as advance scout got her enough coin to move her and grandmother to a somewhat better quarter, but the time before indoctrinated her with habits to conceal her infernal heritage. Hiding her tail in a pocket of her cloak, using acid to dissolve her horns, a dense wig and hood to cover the scars on her head, clothes accentuating her chest to distract the eyes of bystanders, all to hide her origins. Her grandmother almost never leaves the house, with a guardian looking after her and grandchild collecting supplies. Her and mother were treated much better in Candlekeep. | |
|
Family Sonya Faust (grandmother, Tiefling) arrived in Dragonspear Castle ruins 1295DR from Avernus. Alu-fiend ancestry, secretly serving Gargauth. Valira Halda (mother, Tiefling) born in Baldur's Gate 1300DR from "gran" charming a townsman. Now researching chronomancy in Candlekeep. Randal Buck (father, Chondathan) Daggerspell Shaper guardian of grandmother. Thief contacts. Unaware of Tiefling activities (see plot hooks). History 1295DR before hobgoblins took control of the Dragonspear Castle ruins, a woman managed to briefly reopen its dormant gate to Avernus in the Nine Hells by killing a local bandit on the stones just below it. Initial encounters with lesser Baatezu resulted in their demise, but she was recognized later and brought to a group of lieutenants that were seemingly expecting her. Among them was a younger Tiefling woman, and the two exchanged some objects, information, and places. The older woman spoke to the remaining lieutenants, and soon after handing over other objects and more information, perhaps to tie up loose ends, was struck dead on the spot. The young Tiefling, Tes' grandmother Sonya, used the same Dragonspear portal before closing to enter the Western Heartlands and make her way to Baldur's Gate. Settling down in the docks using false papers, there she spent the next few years charming her way by spell and looks into the graces of local townsmen, one of whom bore her a child. This girl grew up to resemble her mother, learning to conceal her Tiefling desires and appearance. Eventually she in turn found her own mate, a Shaper of the Daggerspell Guardians keeping eyes on local thieves guilds. Tes herself was then born in 1330DR in the docks district. Early years went on with father teaching her mechanics and concealment, before 1344DR when mother brought her to Candlekeep, to learn Draconic script and study spellcraft. There she heard much of Deneir the First Scribe of Oghma, and managed to decipher a cryptic text she believed was a prophecy sent from the future, much like the predicions of Alaundo the Seer could be. Her mother encouraged further study, and Tes eventually in 1354DR had to revisit Baldur's Gate to confirm the Metatext predictions, leaving her mother to further Candlekeep studies in the meantime. Chronomancy also, perhaps inspired by Tes' developing theory. Her father did not waste time in their absence, plying his trade with the thieves guild and advancing his Shaper study both, put to good use when Tes returned to her grandmother's home where he still lived as her guardian. Attaining the fifth circle he gained the ability to cure most any ailment Tes would encounter investigating the Metatext and other research, and silver necklaces Tes still kept from childhood were repurposed for an arcane focus they could use to teleport her into safety if its alarm indicated mortal peril. Part of the Metatext prophecy fragment mentioned danger around the Time of Troubles, so the family was spared the worst, save for slight memory deterioration, by halting their arcane studies for its duration. No teleport safety measures, so Tes' crossbow came in handy for stopping the occasional witch hunter. Future The family since moved to a different district in Baldur's Gate to cover their tracks and for Tes to keep pursuing more fragments of the Metatext and arcane research like her mother still in Candlekeep. One day soon she hopes to revisit her for exchanging notes, also uncovering new information from the Avowed monks and the great library. Like her grandmother the two were never that close, but do share mutual respect for each other. Perhaps her mother also met or saw Deneir in person, as his avatar visited the fortress. So much to learn. Several years and many information exchanges later, her mother will eventually strike out on her own from Candlekeep, headed east for the Sea of Fallen Stars. Gulthmere Forest on its south western bank keeps a secret told in ancient Mystryl text. She now finally understands "Andrio's Peak near the Garden of Eldath" means the town Cedarsproke, with Mount Andrus nearby. Still a somewhat active volcano, her spellcraft goes to good use keeping her safe. Inside lie one of the few ancient time gates of Faerun, and her mother will spend several years more trying to activate it. This pays off later and she goes through, years back to a time before she or Tes were born. The ruins of Dragonspear Castle, 1295DR. Heirlooms 1. Spellbook Journal, some pages mention past events and others are for arcane research. Numbers at the bottom are not the current page, but instead how many pages the reader is from what they intend to read. Unfamiliar readers would discover the pages in random order, unable to make much sense of the book as the numbers lead them off topic with every page turn. 2. Guardian Focus, a silver necklace serving as a divine or arcane focus, joined with others worn by her mother, father and grandmother. If they start glowing a certain color, one of them is in mortal danger. It also serves as a mental anchor, permitting any of them capable of teleportation to recall others to a safe location. 3. Compressive Boltpack, on the surface just an ordinary quiver for crossbow bolts. A metal wristband accompanies it, letting its wielder bring forth memorized items hidden within the quiver. These items when stored are compressed to miniscule size for easy transportation, but still retain their original weight. Plot hooks 1. Tiefling origins bring certain unfortunate urges to the family the father is not aware of. Gaining little from intimate romantic encounters, when the hunger is strong it is instead sated by more nefarious means, harming and torturing sentient beings. Tes tries her best to focus this on someone she finds deserving of it from an objective standpoint. Rapists, murderers, hardened criminals. When the need is overwhelming she is flexible on how much evidence is needed to label them as such. Lack of caution may cause trouble some day. 2. Thieves Guild contacts may have opportunities for coin/intrigue or Candlekeep may have Metatext fragments/prophecies or research material on chronomancy for those trusted enough to have it. It has been years since Tes left the library fortress to pursue the most recent text, which in truth was written by her mother and planted in Candlekeep in the first place to incept her theory of the Metatext being tied to chronomancy. It is uncertain if mother and grandmother truly intend to use her journal notes for good or evil later, it may be both. 3. Her mother's fate may be sealed, but Tes' grandmother and father have their own future ahead. How much is kept from her father, and how much did their time together affect her mother and grandmother? Is their goal still to secretly serve the cult of Gargauth, or can Tes change their ways to deceive the cult instead? Is the cult already aware of this, and what might they do about this to Tes and her family? The Hidden Lord has eyes and servants in Baldur's Gate and many other places, a fiendish lust for power, and little mercy for weakness. |