Meet Our Player Characters

While the primary focus of this blog will be to act as a repository for the DM resources that I create over the course of my campaigns, I intend to supplement this information with stories from our actual game sessions. So to that end, here is a brief description of our Player Characters, so that readers can better understand the adventures I blog about. I post this both from a perspective of allowing insight into the party composition for purposes of campaign architecture (for example, some of the adventures I write won't work if there isn't a thief in the party), and simply because I want readers of this blog to be able to follow along with our unique story as it unfolds. So without further ado, allow me to present our party:

Ava Koulsen
Ava is a human female who has an innate desire to protect the innocent and bring order to the chaos in the Realms. Growing up as a dock worker in Neverwinter, she learned to drink, fight, and live among sailors and port hands; and to never let anyone push her (or anyone else) around. A strong and capable warrior, she is can always be found on the front lines of any battle, protecting her companions from harm, even at the cost of her own well-being. Though she grew up as a simple, uneducated peasant, she tries to seem wise and insightful... even if she doesn't always get it right. But what she lacks in culture and social grace, she more than makes up for in heart and heroism, and has been known to sometimes pick up stragglers in need of protection and friendly travel companions. She trusts in her friends completely, so much so that she risks betrayal, and relies on those closest to her to smell out deception. However, as a Marcheon of The Order of the Gauntlet, she believes to her very core that she is a hero in the truest sense of the word, and that one day her deeds will earn her a place among the legends.

Trym Greenbottle
Trym is a nimble female halfling, and mistress of stealth, subterfuge, and assassination. She acts as the party's unofficial "face man", frequently helping to talk her less charismatic friends out of sticky situations. She originally honed her roguish skills as a member of the small thieves' guild known as The Redbrands in the mining outpost of Phandalin, but was eventually betrayed and nearly murdered. She soon had her revenge, however, after killing or driving out all of her former guild mates and toppling the fledgling group of bandits. Experience has taught her to always be on the lookout for someone working an angle, but once her trust is earned, her devotion and honesty is absolute. Small, silent, and astonishingly deadly, Trym is capable of jamming a poisoned dagger into the back of an evil noble, but will also be the first to offer comfort to an innocent orphan (even if she won't admit it). These days, she holds the title of "Shadowcloak" in The Order of the Velvet Glove, a loosely organized network of spies, assassins, and rogues with reach extending into most cities in Faerûn.

Val
Bookish, erudite, and aloof, high-elven wizard Val employs his exemplary intellect in his dual role as the party's tactician and scribe. An acolyte of the Temple of Oghma, Val cherishes knowledge above all else, and is prone to great acts of charity in the service of common folk, often in the form of generous donations to his order, aiding in the creation of public libraries, and general acts of public service. Despite growing up in Neverwinter, Val spent most of his time with his nose buried in his books, and never quite developed the sense of social interaction needed to make him a deft conversationalist. He's been known to speak plainly and act decisively in delicate situations, consequences be damned. His awkward demeanor masks a powerful nature, however, and when pressed to combat, Val is a mighty war wizard specializing in the evocation of fire magics; frequently turning the tide of a large battle with a well placed explosion or bolt of flame.

Thaelin Galamne
The wood-elf druid Thaelin Galamne was a late addition to the party, having met up with them in the ruins of Thundertree. He was appointed by his druidic order The Circle of the Forest, to free the town from the grasp of a young green dragon which was making it's lair in the ruins. The other party members shared this goal, and together, they deftly drove out the beast, cementing their friendship. Quietly solemn and wise, Thaelin exiled himself to the wilds at a very young age in the wake of a tragic mistake that caused the deaths of many in his village, and has lived as a hermit in the caring graces of the forest for over a century. He has little understanding and less interest in human customs, and finds any settlement bigger than a hamlet to be claustrophobic, often preferring the shelter of a mighty oak or solid boulder to the comforts of a warm inn and soft bed. He also has little use for monetary wealth, preferring instead to invest his time into making everything he needs. His sacred Staff of Healing is one such example, which he invested a year of his life into creating, and puts to regular use when helping his fellow party members survive dangerous encounters.