#asphodel atbay | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

spikeinthepunch · 11 days

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a while ago i wrote a post all about my dnd character Asphodel, but i actually removed it along with some descriptions on some art because i had paranoia one of my party members might find my blog due to them making a tumblr and knowing my username on instagram which is the same lol...

but for complex personal reasons i wont be playing Asphodel with a the part of that party that would find this blog, and so i wanted to write a new post going over her especially because the campaign she was in had to stop and be cancelled so lore pertaining her present plot line is no longer relelvant (but she remains the same overall)

so here i go, long post incoming. i will go from the start to the end of her backstory, then the "present" of the campaign (which again, has ended and was incomplete).

Asphodel Atbay (he/she) is a lawful evil tiefling cleric/rogue who worships the evil goddess of misfortune, Beshaba. She has white skin, buzzed white hair, and blue eyes. There is a scar on her left thight shaped like a stag's head with antlers.

Her family generations ago fled Demos to the new world, and in doing so they prayed to the goddess Beshaba in wishes to avoid all kinds of misfortune in their new life. However, they became tied to her with no way to leave as they feared what they may do if they became disloyal to her. So, they adapted to her follower's lifestyle in order to please her... which mean a life of evil. Deception, manipulation, selfish greed. In time they embraced this and it is all they now know.

Asphodel was born to Arrakas Atbay (father) and Nenarai Atbay (mother). A noble family in Paradise Rocks (this location could change when revived for a rebooted campaign) who had worked their way up through manipulative tactics and money. Asphodel was shaped into who she was-- her father being quite detached and stone faced in every regard, unless it was a short smile of approval to Asphodel completing her "work" she was to carry out. Whatever he asked for she did with pleasure, always wishing to do what the family wanted as she sought their approval. Being the face of the family, it was never hard for him to match his demeanor to fit a kind public perception, but these positive emotion were for show and Asphodel would never see him show those feeling in a genuine way. He is selfish, greedy, and narcissistic. Her mother on the other hand was just as bad but in an entirely different manner-- incredibly cold and hard to please, Nenarai was a highly intimidating and skilled assassin of the family. Her combat training for her child never regarded safety, throwing Asphodel a weapon and not flinching any moment she cut her flesh when Asphodel failed at a swing or a dodge.

The work Asphodel often found herself in was dealing with all kinds of shading deals and noble clients. Making sure to keep up appearances and a good face, all in order to get close enough to use these people for their own advantage. By no means did this not include things like murder-- the family was very familiar with doing this. It was always quiet, an accident, something easy to excuse and never connect to themselves. It may seem like hard work, but Asphodel never blinked an eye. Her family and goddess mattered most.

Eventually their noble family befriended the mayoral family of Paradise Rocks when moving their for the first time. The Freyas. Making under the unofficial, untracked business with them gave a quick establishment of loyalty as the Mayor felt positive in the ways the Atbays could support them and the city. Their goal was to make sure their relationship stayed strong enough that trust would never falter, and so Asphodel was undoubtedly involved in making friends with the family.

But getting close to the family led to the worst. He got to know the daughter of the family, Anael Freya. A young half elf woman. But this young lady showed obvious disdain for politics that her family did. She didnt trust the Atbays and she didn't plan to care about Asphodel either. But Asphodel knew what to do, she knew how to put on an act... so she did. She played it in just the right way for Anael to enjoy her company and feel a friendship worthy of holding. But in time, Asphodel genuinely gained feelings of love.

It was a terrifying moment to realize this, that she'd fallen so hard when it was her job to not at all. The fate of this family would not be good, she knew this. But her family's approval and the wrath of her goddess sat heavy on her shoulders. And she soon had to face the conflict head on, with no way out without horrible consequences. His father tasked him with the deed of killing the Freyas. They were to kill them silently and take place as Mayor of the city. Her father knew Asphodel's closeness, and undoubtedly put her in charge of this murder purely for that reason.

At a dinner in the evening, Asphodel took a classic route of poisoning their food. Except for Anael. Asphodel walked her to her bedroom, stiff as she walked and silent. Using every muscle to stop her hands from shaking. When they sat at her bedside and Asphodel leaned down to kiss her, she took one thin needle, dipped in a vial of poison moments before. Pricking it deep into the viens of her neck as she held her head. There was a brief moment of shock before everything was still.

Asphodel does the job. Her horrible conflict of emotions hits in a flash of praying to her goddess for her faith and loyalty. Is she still loved by Beshaba just regretting the murder at all? Was that enough to waver the bond they had? She'd never express an ounce of guilt to her father or mother either, she knew she did the right thing for them. It was for all of them.

To the start of the real campaign. again, this campaign was cut short and incomplete. this isnt a real "canon" as i will play her in a reboot. There is no concluded plot about what has occurred here, with many questions left unanswered.

Asphodel is given a new job, to work for an elf noble named Madame Shadowfury. In this world, elves are at war with every other race as they attempt to take over all lands. But the Atbays strive for greed and power, and make work with the elves during this way for political advantage from all sides. This first "job" was to join a group signing up to work on a ship, with a quest that was a tad unknown until getting there. However, in order to secure her place with no connection, Shadowfury tasked Asphodel with killing a tiefling who was to go on that ship for her already-- he wasn't fufilling his work and was a whistleblower. Asphodel kills him brutally with her aze in the alleyway and proceeds to replace him the next day.

However, it should be said that Asphodel doesn't know what she is doing for Shadowfury. She is given her task from her father, and she has gone to do it, no questions asked.

The large six player party finds out that their job is to join this crew in order to find the last crew that went missing. they get to it-- Asphodel gets to know some of these people and intends to use them in whatever way she can. Especially the two who know Shadowfury in some form. Whilst on the ship, Asphodel receives a mental message (the spell) from her father, telling her to keep an eye on the teenager on the ship who owes Shadowfury a debt. He also asks her briefly about how she is after having killed Anael as he "knows you liked that girl". this is the first time he brings up anything about the murder, after 7 months since it happened.

I will pass by the details of *everything* that happened as it didn't focus on Asphodel, but the short of it is, is that he got to know everyone more and built many thoughts on how to deal with them. Some, he even felt were problems enough to potentially kill them. One of his connections- a player character named Storvus- he decided to take his interests in her with intent to manipulate. Theres no way she's genuinely fall in love, and when Storvus came to show interest she took the opportunity to use him as a person to blindly trust her through her job.

Sadly this is where this version of her story ends. The second chapter of this campaign was to reveal her family to the party. They would travel back home to Paradise Rocks and everyone would learn of her noble mayoral family! Which would have had quite some reactions. One character would probably hate me so bad lol.

The meta things to say about Asphodel while playing her is... it is so hard, but so interesting. i lied so much, not just in character but out of character as well. i probably lied more ooc than i did ic actually, as we are all friends who hang out casually and would talk about dnd. i managed to get them to think she was true neutral. one joked about how i liked religious trauma but i casually said yeah, but shes pretty normal. one said "i wanted to play neutral evil but DM said they dont want any evil characters". in other talks it was no issue talking about how itd be cool to play lawful evil, but it seems so hard. Storvus' player and i had a private interaction that i made them think they had a special secret with me that even the DM couldnt know right now, but in reality i told the DM about our interaction and purely did this just so the player thought we had some special, even out of character. it goes so far, and it was likely that i was going to keep this up until chapter 7 (we only finished chapter 1).

for now, this is it. but the talks with the DM have me knowing they want to play with me again (and the one other player from that campaign), even if its just a two person party. and aside from that, they want to do one on one memory/past related sessions for me (and the other player) which will be very nice to do in the mean time.

#asphodel atbay #anael freya #dnd

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