Gno Schitt

I've been playing in a new weekly D&D game lately. One of the features of the game is an online campaign wiki where we can put in-character and out-of-character talk, to allow us to role-play a bit between sessions. It works brilliantly. If I ever get to run a game again, I'll certainly be using this technique.

I thought that I might post a few of the bits I have been writing for my character, a Barbarian from northern Forgotten Realms named Vaa-dain, just for people to read and comment if they want to. I guess I'll start with his background, and maybe add a tid-bit here and there over the next couple months of the campaign.

--------------------------------------
Vaa-dain

Uthgar (Human) Barbarian of the North (Clan of the Great Wyrm)

Age: 21 Height: 5'10

Born with true white hair and dark green eyes, Vaa-dain was never comfortable with his own people. As soon as he was able to carry a spear, he began keeping his own company along the periphery of the territory that his clan had laid ancient claim too. In this role he became valuable to his people as a first-contact, intercepting those who would enter clan lands unannounced before they could penetrate deeply. The most important accomplishment during this time was his brokerage of a truce and trade arrangement between the clan and the mysterious Winter Witches of the darkest northern netherwood. Vaa-dain enjoyed the company of the witches.

As adulthood approached, he began to recognize a certain sensitivity to the arcane. This inclination did not go unnoticed to a certain other young and ferocious warrior of the clan - Rha-zuul - the last son of the great Zuul-Huk-Sho bloodline and future Chieftain. Rha-zuul saw that Vaa-dain would often easily ascertain the purpose of mystical objects and conversed well and comfortably with travellers that would come into their great frosted forest home. When the Winter Witches would come to trade with the clan they would always seek Vaa-dain out and prefer his company over any others. This made Rha-zuul very jealous of the perceived unearned status Vaa-dain enjoyed with these mystics and other powerful travellers. To this insult was added the injury of the fact that Eura-zuul - daughter of the chieftain and sister of Rha-zuul - clearly doted on Vaa-dain.

On one occasion, a travelling half-elven wizardess by name of Azure-Skye stopped within the tribes dense boreal pines with her troupe so that they might rest and stock provisions. She told of their journey north toward the great spine of the world to seek secrets lost there in ages past. Vaa-dain invited them to spend their night with the clan, in safety. Breathtakingly beautiful and radiant with power, she passed over Rha-zuul to spend her time with Vaa-dain and to ask him very unusual questions about his family. She sensed something in him, as he did inside himself. Rha-zuul was furious.

A day passed after Azure-Skye had departed with her adventuring company, and in the very early moments of particularly cold dawn a host of black riders came roaring into forest and stormed the clan hold. They demanded information about a half-elven vagabond thief known to be in these parts. Rha-zuul wasted no time in telling them anything they wanted to know about the wizardess and her chosen path toward the worlds spine. Vaa-dain loudly objected to this betrayal of the stranger, but the chief stood with his son in acquiescence to the requests of the black host of riders. With great laughter the black riders declared the tribe fortunate, for in exchange for their information they agreed to take but one person alive, instead of all of them dead. The Chieftain and his son struggled as mightily as they were able, but could not stop the black armored riders from storming off with Eura-zuul.

Rha-zuul pointed to Vaa-dain. If Vaa-dain had not invited the bastard elven bitch to their camp, this would not have happened. Others began hissing threats, why had Vaa-dain done this to them? Why had he brought great misery down upon the Zuul-Huk-Sho line? Was he an agent of darkness? With a heavy heart, he knew that the time had come to leave his people. He set off to make his own mark and determine what it was about him that was so different - why was he was created just so?

Though he has been away from his clan lands for barely a year he has greatly expanded his knowledge of the lands of north and grown hungry to understand the reasons why his blood burns with the craving of powerful magic and great treasure. A keen mind and natural cunning are complemented by his great strength. His rages, when let loose, are alarmingly vicious yet disciplined – more thinking predator than blind savage. His predatory nature is tempered by his good judge of character, and he has found brotherhood with an unusual mix of arctic kin - a Snow Elf named Farok and a strange Ice Gnome by name of Taelin.