Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Four Krevborna Characters

I found the first four characters I made for 5e D&D when the free Basic pdf dropped; a little tinkering and I've got four pregenerated characters on my hands that I can give to new players or people who drop in to my Krevborna games.


* * *



When an archaeological dig in the village of Melmoth uncovered a strangely untarnished rapier held in the moldering grip of a corpse clad in scraps of pirate garb, it was thought that a major historic treasure had been unearthed. Research into local legends linked the sword to an infamous pirate who was gibbeted for his crimes over a hundred years ago; according to the tale, the pirate pronounced that his blade would return one day to wreck calamity upon the townspeople of Melmoth as repayment for his execution.

Soon enough, things began to go wrong in Melmoth. First, blight devastated the harvest; then, a wasting illness took hold among the beleaguered populace. The superstitious people of Melmoth began to believe that the pirate’s curse had been visited upon their heads. Afraid to attempt destroying the sword and risk further angering the dead pirate, the residents of Melmoth took a drastic step to rid themselves of the hex: they held a lottery. The “winner” was a young tinker's apprentice named Magda Hill. She was given the sword and told to leave the village, never to return again. Lost and alone, Magda made her way toward the sea, bearing the rapier with her. She would eventually turn pirate in the footsteps of the sword’s original owner.

* * *




Oluwat was raised as a scout in a tribal culture on a continent far south of Krevborna. While exploring for potential lands for his people to hunt he discovered a cavern that had been used as a hiding place for early members of the Church of Saintly Blood who had fled their homes due to persecution. Deep within the cavern he found an ornate goblet filled with a blazing red fluid. Driven by an irresistible compulsion, Oluwat put the cup to his lips and drank deeply.

His conversion was immediate. Drinking of the sacred blood therein opened his soul to direct communication with a saint. However, mortal souls are frail, fallible things; the souls of mere men and women are touched with divine madness as a consequence of drinking from the Grail. Now, Oluwat often hears the voice of a saint within him—in a confluence of sweet whispers the voice commanded him to leave his tribe and travel to Krevborna where a great Devil must be slain without mercy.

Partaking of the Grail’s blood also changed Oluwat physically; he is relentlessly strong and his eyes glow a deep blood-red when he is angered.

* * *



What do you do if you want to observe the tradition of a viewing for your deceased loved one, but there is a chance that they will rise again due to the curse of undeath? Why, you hire a mourning blade, of course. A mourning blade is a man or woman hired to sit and grieve by the remains of a deceased person; if the body should happen to stir into unlife, a mourning blade is trained to spring into action and give the deceased the comfort of a second death before they have a chance to wreak havoc. Since their profession requires a certain level of keeping up appearances, mourning blades prefer to wield weapons that are easily concealed; men favor swordcanes, while women prefer blades that can be secreted in parasols.

Orphaned at an early age, Catrin Steinmann was apprenticed to a mourning blade, and by all outward appearances she is a typical member of that sadly necessary profession. However, Catrin uses the cover of her profession to spy on the aristocratic families who hire her; her real employer is the Church—she collects information on any families engaged in acts of dissidence or treason.

* * *


As the third child of an aristocratic family, it was always expected that Maynard Hardy would join the clergy. Although he had an aptitude for memorizing scripture, his heart never truly belonged to the Church. Perhaps it was the lack of a “calling” that opened the way for Maynard’s wayward curiosity to change the shape of his life. Attending the seminary gave him access to forbidden and blasphemous grimoires; where the breviaries could not hold his interest, these commanded his attention. Using these tomes, Maynard was able to become adept at the black arts. Of course, when his arcane pursuits were discovered Maynard was expelled from the seminary in disgrace.

His expulsion was to be the first of two blows that altered the course of his life. The second was the mysterious assassination of his father. After the death of his father, Maynard pledged to use his newfound magical prowess to hunt down and destroy whoever killed his sire. He has donned black mourning attire in respect for his father and views his somber garb as a constant reminder to the world that he is sworn to bring death to the hand responsible for his father’s murder.



* * *


Pdf with playable stats for all four characters here.