#dnd: faelethris the talisman

[soulventure91]

4 and 10 for dir, 20 and 21 for Tor?

major arcana asks! |

Diric 04. The Emperor answered here

10.  the wheel of fortune  :  how well / badly does your muse take setbacks on their goals ? HM. Depends on whether the goal is concrete or not. A concrete goal, Diric can shrug off fairly well; as a recent example, he did NOT roll very well on gaining a proficiency with smith's tools, BUT he knows enough to do the basics and be helpful in a forge. Which is fine by him, it gets him where he needs to go on getting himself a new Big Boi Sword. A non-concrete goal, though? Hoo naw. Diric has Very Bad Emotional Comprehension, especially when it comes to, say, relationships or complex friend dynamics (if they were playing in the same world I'd joke that Tor actually inherited this from Dir). When he is trying to figure out his feelings he is literally having to talk out what it is, or why something is upsetting him - if he's doing this with someone he wants to maintain a relationship with and it's not well-received, aaaaaa that is. Well. Not going well. So relationship setbacks tend to hit him very hard and very personally. Does not take well.

Tor 20.  judgement  :  is your muse forgiving of themselves ? how about of others who wrong them ? Tor usually forgives himself pretty well, especially a situation where he knows he's in the wrong or isn't handling that situation with a lot of ease. The party hasn't seen it yet but Woe Upon Any Red Wizards In The Dale that cross the party's path.

21.  the world  :  is there one thing in life that your muse must accomplish ? what will they do when they complete that goal ? Well Tor got his life goal of wizardry handled! Yay for that! But now comes me chewing on what does he do with being a wizard - and, based on his answer for The Moon here he ah. May be getting some Temptations of Wizardly Hubris if he finds Certain Spells. It's a beat that I still need to chew on but the lad has other fish to fry as well.

[soulventure91]

for dir: 01, 13, 20 // tor: 14, 05, 18 :D

major arcana asks! |

Diric 01.  the magician  :  how does your muse feel about fate ? do they believe they can change their own destiny ? Diric was never much of a fate person, though it wasn't until recently that he's become Very Aware of forces that normally he'd never once think would be interested in him actually are. Which is weird for him but he's Trying, Dammit. Trying is the one thing he's good at, and Diric's always viewed his life as a matter of trying for what you want to be able to do, even if it blows up in your face. Destiny is as much choice as it is already designed; to Diric's mind, destiny is that weird mixture of the Outside Forces (in his case, Bahamut; he's aware of it being Pelor to a heavy degree with Mio, not to mention Sseth/Sa Shai for Sav, Mystra for Laz, and Kord for Alar) and what you choose to be. That idea of choice got driven in deep for him during his time away from the party, to the point of if any of the party's individual agency is taken out of their hands, Dir just will not be having it. It's been the party's choices, successes, and fuckups that have gotten them this far, and if any of the party deities (even his own!) try to tell him nobody has a choice in anything Diric will legit 1v1 that deity. Might even be a trick to talk him down from it, depending on the situation.

13.  death  :  is there anything in your muse’s life that they should be letting go of ? Prooooobably but if he does then he doesn't...really have a hope for a decent future? When all is said and done? Am sure you can guess what and why. It's not even that this Particular Thing is on a pedestal for him; he just wants it to work so there's a chance of happiness coming out of it. Diric has had so little happiness in his life even if he's told the Thing was a lie he probably wouldn't give a damn; it gave him hope, it made him happy, and while he can maybe live with hearing it's over it's not going to stop him from wanting it back. Even if that chance closes forever.

20.  judgement  :  is your muse forgiving of themselves ? how about of others who wrong them ? Diric does NOT forgive himself well, we know this. It's something he still kinda has to work on, though how he has a technique to just Get Rid of that Bad Vibe as soon as he recognizes. This is probably a very long-standing trauma response developed from dealing with his mother and the very long string of relationships he had in his unit: Other Person asks him to Be Something, Diric does his best to Be That, Other Person leaves, so Diric must not have Done It Right. It's very not good for him and I get the feeling he may be hit right in that Trauma Spot soon :) As for others that wrong him....eeeeeh depends. Diric's never forgiven his mother, and at this rate probably will never want to, for concealing the truth of his human heritage and treating him as a concealed bastard instead of her heir. By contrast, that string of relationships? Probably unless the situation for a separation was clearly and definitely Their Fault, Diric would forgive. Man believes in making things right when he senses he's in the wrong, and he regularly feels like he makes mistakes when it comes to social interaction.

Tor 14.  temperance  :  does your muse make plans ? how impulsive are they ? has this gotten them into good / bad situations and how have they dealt with them? Tor is not necessarily a planner! He just has a technical common sense that, despite his low WIS stat, is developed more from his research. That being said, whatever he decides to lean into can be very impulsive. See: testing his runs of the Hunter's Bane ON HIMSELF. EACH TIME. Probably that initial-impulse-thorough-design/intent is why the Harpers recruited him. See also: STICKING HIS HAND IN A FIRE, THUS LOSING SAID HAND, BUT ULTIMATELY BEFRIENDING AN ANCIENT UNDEAD WIZARD AND GETTING HIS SPELLBOOK. You get the idea. Tor decides he wants to do a thing, he does it, evaluates the results, moves on if it worked and decides to try again if not.

05.  the hierophant  :  what are your muse’s morals / ethics ? do they follow their moral code strictly ? Tor is very much a 'do good to people and expect good in return' type of person, though it was something he had to suppress as he was getting started on the surface and being a Drow in the Sword Coast doesn't always go well. It's this mindset that aligns him pretty well with the Harpers, and part of his devotion to Eilistraee (and thus her acting as his eldritch patron) is maintaining that mindset despite whatever terrible things he faces.

18.  the moon  :  what does your muse long for ? is it a realistic desire ? :) Tor wants his brother and sister back :) He wants his family :) Because every day he has more questions he wants to ask them but he can't :) And it's not realistically in any power he has right now or may ever have :) So he pushes down all the questions and loneliness as best he can because there are people that need him and what he can do :) Even if it makes him a killer like his father wanted him to be :)

[soulventure91]

Deer-ic let’s go! Emperor, Chariot, Tower (aside from the Mindflayers), and Star!

Kairi! Empress, Wheel of Fortune, Moon, and World!

major arcana asks! |

Diric 04.  the emperor  :  how much respect does your muse have for authority ? why is this ? Diric and authority is...complicated. He values individual opinions and abilities far over institutional; for example, during the Talisman's time in Blackthorn, Diric was very uncomfortable playing the political game despite being very familiar with it, but trusted Teran to be able to give the party an in for meeting with the house heirs. Similarly in a military situation, Diric was more willing to trust General Dagon because of his reputation than the entire military apparatus. This probably stems from being the kid hidden in a closet for most of his youth: society said he, as a half-drow, was lesser than any full-blooded drow despite his mother's high rank or any ability he himself could develop to win himself honor/prestige. Alyrinda (probably intentionally but moderately well-meaning) reinforced this, and it was the worldview Diric joined the army with. Clearly with his enslavement and time passing it's lessened as a Particular Burn but he can probably still be poked there and not react well.

07.  the chariot  :  how much does your muse care about winning ? are they a sore loser ? If I were playing pre-mindflayer-capture Dir, this mans would be insufferable as a competitor. "Winning" would mean promotion, recognition, all the things he craved in his young adulthood. It would mean he could try escaping the societal black mark of his mixed heritage. VERY sore loser in this period of his life. But I'm not playing pre-capture Dir, am I? Where there is no structure, no goal except another day so making a competition out of it doesn't make any sense. Now if put in a competitive situation some of those old tics might reappear, but I couldn't guarantee it until it's happening.

16.  the tower  :  what event drastically changed your muse’s life ? do they resent that event or are they glad of it ? ASIDE from Seventy Years A Thrall, probably the next biggest formative event for Diric would be his first and only command position. Where he was tasked with capturing a duergar war camp and got nearly everyone under him killed due to a mix of bad intelligence and pressure Diric put on himself to Do It Right Because He's In Charge. The entire mess is why he tries to not gravitate into positions of leadership UNLESS he senses it's needed (*stares at Talisman recruitment which also Haunts Him*); the entire debacle really kickstarted his inferiority complex and crushed most of his original hopes and dreams of being a Person of Consequence in Blackthorn. I don't know if he's glad or resentful of it now; it's something that just happened and Diric knows, to a degree, it keeps echoing back to him because it was his fault it went so wrong.

17.  the star  :  what does your muse take inner comfort in knowing ? what guides your muse ? It's more recently that he can let himself take comfort in that...I don't want to say he has a lack of importance to the Talisman, but that he's not as important as he thought? Which in one way is kinda. Soul-crushing for him because Diric's pushed himself so hard for the group, because they're the closest thing to a family that matches what he knows a family should be. But on the other hand it means he can take a step back and kind of let go of that drive, especially knowing the next few things they have to do are absolutely, 100% beyond Diric's own comfort zone. He's probably the very last of the Talisman (excluding Cai) to get a grip on the Divine Support Train, and most of that because of what he's seen the party capable of doing. The Talisman are his guide. It's because of them Diric is even still alive. He's still in a major personal reconstruction phase and I don't think it'll even be very settled before we head to the Shadowfell. He'll need all the comfort he can get.

Kairi 03.  the empress  :  does your muse have parental / nurturing figures in their life ? how do they impact them ? Ah the joy of being an orphaned street child where you had to be the parental figure for your kid brother. Kai doesn't remember her parents, and probably one of her first memories is stealing food from a market stall in Mordeep to tend to her brother because he was sick at the time. Probably the closest thing she has is an idealized vision of Zariel, whom Kai is descended from and she didn't know of until she joined the blood hunters of Brightkeep. Kai's Zariel is a fusion of both the divine and infernal (as compared to the seething unrelenting rage of actual Zariel), holy purpose twisted by damned determination. Obviously Zariel's not exactly a nurturing figure but this ideal of her gave Kai a path forward as a blood hunter, and although Kai doesn't worship Zariel per se there is a slight veneration when Kai invokes her more advanced abilities.

10.  the wheel of fortune  :  how well / badly does your muse take setbacks on their goals ? With Kai's mixed station of blood hunter representative and an agent for the Regent, her goals tend to align with those affiliations - except, perhaps, a little bit in the present, where said regent knowing Adolin Liarin is also investigating the Champion of Talos would be very messy so Kai is definitely not sharing that. She tends to recover well from setbacks - perks from being a practiced thief, you either get it done or you fuck up badly enough to get out - and even keeps her eyes open for mistakes opening fresh opportunities.

18.  the moon  :  what does your muse long for ? is it a realistic desire ? As a temporary character and having not played her long enough to get a solid sense of what she wants, I don't get a strong sense of Kai longing for anything. Maybe in a different campaign she'd find out her brother is alive (she thinks he's dead from the last thieving job they pulled; she was captured and sent to the blood hunters as punishment/rehab) and try to find him. But atm, no major longings except maybe for Rowan to have several chill pills.

21.  the world  :  is there one thing in life that your muse must accomplish ? what will they do when they complete that goal ? MUST accomplish, nah, Kai's not a long-term sort. She's more about those eerie-ass developments over an increasingly eerie-ass day. Though it's an unspoken goal of hers to get the stick out of Rowan's ass somewhat permanently.

[soulventure91]

1, 10, and 32 for the horny lad!

things to ask ocs!! | if only he had someone to be the other kind of horny with

1. are they associated with a certain color? what color do they wear the most? From Diric's inception I've actually associated him with gold - the color of his eyes (the only feature he's ever really liked on himself), one of the colors of his house, and the color he's associated with healing, warmth, and love. That's not also mentioning the color of the draconic scales he's developed with Bahamut's blessing granted to him! Wearable-wise, Diric tends to prefer darks and neutrals - colors that would blend in with the Underdark and the general climate of the continent of Faelethris! However, with the looming trip to Raphaka Diric is trying to add more lighter tones to his wardrobe; he's got to limit the sunburn he's undoubtedly going to get with hiking across the desert. At some point when we're out of the Underdark I think I'll actually work up a light narrative for him getting the beautiful kimono-shirt he's been arted with twice now so clearly it's going to become his signature piece.

10. If they wear jewelry, what kind? do they prefer silver or gold? do they have a favorite gem? Diric doesn't do a whole lot of jewelry, but for the most part he prefers earrings: subtle, yet still brightly noticeable! He's still missing his message earring but if Savita's happy keeping with it he's glad to leave it to her. I think he'd also not mind a bracer or bracelet made from woven leather to replace the wood bracer Zin made for him to hold his old focusing crystal when his psionics first emerged - if the weave is loose enough to add little charms or bits Diric absolutely would do so. He has no real metal preference, but silver would definitely be more affordable. Although Diric doesn't have a specific gem he likes, amethysts and other purple-hued crystals will always attract his eye!

32. do they have any habits that aren’t particularly self-destructive, just maybe odd? I think if Diric hadn't returned to the party at-large under heavy emotional distress, a habit that he might've kept from Tsenden would be chanting bits of prayers in draconic in the morning! No, he still doesn't know the language, but Diric has a strong tonal ear and was able to memorize the sound even if he sometimes doesn't remember it accurately or do any of it true justice. The habit is less because he's started actively praying to Bahamut (he's not that far along on his faith yet and might not ever be at that particular spot) and more because of how the chant itself makes him feel: like he's part of something bigger than himself, similar to the marching songs he knows from his army days. That feeling would help him try to be at peace with how he's been growing if not for the emotional distress he's still processing through.

[soulventure91]

63, 65 (post tsenden especially), 15 (go by individuals for Extra Spice), and 46? for the crabmeister sometimes known as diric

get to know my children but most esp my (not always a crab) son ||

63. what fight has scared them the most? MM. I think deep down Diric was most scared during the elder brain battle. It was the closest he'd come to dying, Laszlo DID die because the party was down there to help Diric, and there was a high risk that nobody was going to get out of there alive. He would never have forgiven himself if anyone had perma-died while he survived and fully expected to die himself. To be honest despite having that ghost buried and Diric being out of that shadow, he still to the current in-game day can't comprehend not having that threat in the back of his head.

65. what is holding them back? Post-Tsenden, Diric's worst enemy still remains himself. He was in a pretty decent spot immediately leaving Tsenden, but part of how Diric was choosing to hope toward his future kinda got blown up with That Talk in Khazran (disgustingly co-dependent sometimes). That hurt has scarred him really badly and he's still trying to recover - but his promise to Bahamut to keep choosing to hope has gotten much harder and his hopes have gotten a lot smaller: a chance to smile, to laugh, is what little he lets himself hope right now. He has a hard time imagining a future for himself at all, which is why Diric focuses so much on drawing that city with all the designs for each party member: the city is for them, and not for himself.

15.do they trust their party? why or why not? [by request, per party member] Cai - Yes. Despite not really talking much or having a lot in common, Cai's regularly proven himself both with magical skill and weapon savvy. Also the fact he doesn't argue with Diric about his nickname endears him a little more; it's the only one that hasn't changed from their first meeting. Savita - Yes. She and Diric have tremendous overlap in their backgrounds and outlooks that allow him to confide certain outlooks that might grate on the other party members. He has tremendous respect for her abilities and loyalty to her family, and respects her comfort in speaking her mind no matter the person hearing it. Maahes - Despite everything, yes. Diric knows he's probably been entrusted with about as much information Mio has about Akhen as maybe Adolin and more recently Alar, and has no intention of betraying his long-ago promise to help Mio in returning to Akhen. However, his personal feelings are massively conflicted because he'd hoped for a very long time to be able to stay at Mio's side in some capacity, and despite their most recent conversation in re-establishing their friendship Diric still fears that there would be no room for him in Mio's life when all is said and done. Zinnan - Yes, though that's wavering slightly with some of the Weird Fey Things they've started doing. Don't get me wrong, Zin is still one of Dir's favorites in the party, but he's made some distance because of some of the Vibes they've started giving off. He's also become less likely to confide his feelings and concerns to them because of his own experience in the Feywild (feelings of inadequacy leading to being turned into a bird and then discovering his humanity had been taken so now he's a Drow) and concern at what their transformation is doing to their mindset and abilities. Alar - Yes, but with an asterisk. Again, it's the thing of they just haven't talked as much, and Alar's long wait for them seems to have given Alar a perspective that lets him understand Diric better. Diric trusts Alar in a fight and that Alar would have his back if he gets into trouble, and Diric would hope Alar trusts him in that way in return. However, he doesn't have as good of a gauge on where he stands with Alar as with the others, especially with Diric back from his therapy at Tsenden and Everything Else. He knows Alar and Mio are good friends and Diric has always had a regular discomfort that Alar befriended Mio about as easily as Diric did but in a less...normal-person way, if that makes sense? So yeah. Battle-trust is there but personal trust is a bit of a question mark. Laszlo - Yes, and more confidently than Diric might have said before. Their talk on Hilaze's ship and sharing that drink - not to mention their conversation in Faelon after Diric left Khazran - have helped Diric see that Laszlo is still...not normal, since none of them are, but is approachable in the boots-on-the-ground sort of way. Nate and I have reckoned Diric could be the Rhodey to Laz's Tony, which is a fun dynamic because Diric's never had a friend like that before.

46. what do they deprive themself of? Happiness, but not consciously so. Diric's life and mindset are such that he is almost always waiting for the other shoe to drop, fearing something he likes and vests time and effort in will be taken away - because that's what's always happened to him before. At Tsenden Diric got to experience a life without constant danger or the threat of disapproval - and despite the peace it gave him he didn't like it one bit. He needed to be pushed and challenged into putting himself into that life and the only times Diric actually felt accomplished were when he flew with Jiatso and putting Branyth down a few pegs - where he was doing things he was used to and familiar with. However, Diric fears returning to the merc life even though part of him suspects that's the future waiting for him - and it's the last thing he wants, to sink back into that mindless cycle. I think if Diric is going to have a truly fulfilling post-adventuring life he needs to be in a place that gives him structure, but the flexibility in that structure to pursue the interests he uncovered at Tsenden and relax his personal defenses to not fear losing the people, habits, and pastimes he enjoys.

[soulventure91]

54 and 23 for Dir?

amma guess the 69 qs as i start this off -

54. how important is money in their life? do they save up for ages, or spend quickly? Dir knows money is useful for keeping his equipment up to snuff; unlike the more magical members of the party, he's probably ended up spending the most on gear, and regularly has taken loans (much to his chagrin) to cover purchasing a new weapon or armor. Because he wants to make sure he can be effective, he can run through cash pretty quick; probably compared to whatever some of the party have in their personal banks, Dir only has...uh...maybe a little shy of 600gp? All told. He doesn't have much more importance on money aside from that.

23. in what moment did they consider themselves to be “grown up”? There's probably two "I'm an adult" points for Dir: when he enlisted in the army, and the failure of his first military command about thirty years later. The first was a high! He was 101, past the elven age of majority, and for the first time Dir could decide what he wanted to do with his life. Of course you don't really have your life figured out at 18, so the same with Dir. The real "adult" moment came much later. Dir received his first official command as a captain and his first mission was to take over a duergar warcamp. Unfortunately he got greedy and nearly got his command entirely wiped out - betraying the trust his men had put in him, even if he was new to command. It sobered him to have the blood of his own comrades on his hands, and ended much of his wide-eyed optimism about his service.

[soulventure91]

mic drop: for diric || proof: for tali c:

more oc asks!!

Diric mic drop: what accomplishment is your OC proudest of? do they brag about it, or are they more quiet? Kinda building from the answer to 'on' here, alongside the elder brain kill there's also: - Defeating an ancient vampire warrior and winning his legendary greatsword in a one-on-one duel (but a few weeks later giving it to the Spring Archfey as Diric's emotional growth was raising him beyond the connotations of the blade) - Persuading the Winter Archfey to reincarnate himself after being tricked by his avatar into fueling an ancient necromancer's bid at world domination (eternal winter = everyone dying = more power for the necromancer) (expertise in persuasion is disgusting) - Banishing the aboleth that initially awoke his psionic talents

Diric's not the bragging type, but if he's asked and praised he will get very blushy and in typical self-deprecating soldier fashion say he was just doing his job and protecting his people.

Tali proof: what is your OC looking forward to? what best moments in their life are yet to come? In her regular TES-verse, Tali looks forward to each new day: new jobs, new ways to escape Talos and dragons and civil war nonsense. At least, until the point of being Dragonborn and Tiber Septim's final descendant is driven home - then she's not looking forward to anything. After all, she doesn't want to fight Alduin and become Empress - especially not when her Voice and other Dragonborn abilities often leave her feeling sick on use.

I do headcanon, though, that despite being put on the throne in the Imperial City Tali proves an incredibly shrewd Empress and is not afraid to go toe-to-toe with the Aldmeri Dominion - mostly in shadow and diplomacy wars, however, and not outright combat. She never really settles into the role, and gives the Elder Council regular conniptions by sneaking into the City to walk among the people as one of the people. Not like they can do anything about it. Also the Altmer ass that sent her ancestor into exile, Tali fires him. Only fair, after all.

[soulventure91]

how about 'on' + 'fake' for dir?

more oc asks!

on: what’s the greatest challenge your OC has overcome? how do they feel about it? Probably the greatest challenge Diric's handled so far is the strike against the mindflayer nest and elder brain that enthralled him for seventy years as far as he knows, anyway, there's some possibilities in the DM's purview if they hit. He's very proud of that for several reasons: it meant pushing down all the fear and trauma he has tied to illithids, resisting the whispers of the hive in his head, and ultimately fully unlocking and mastering his psionic abilities. However, there were definitely downturns: he had multiple breakdowns and whiplash reactions that required the party to herd Diric along until he came out of a catatonic spell, and Laszlo being killed and puppeted by an intellect devourer nearly spelled a final death for Diric. Those things, on top of returning to find Blackthorn under a civil war, really prevented Diric from fully integrating the good of that victory.

fake: has your OC ever been lied to? what was the lie? how has it affected them? HM. I think the closest thing to a lie that Diric's lived with because he didn't know better was the identity of his father and said father's actual relationship to his mother. He believed for the greatest part of his life that he was a (legal) bastard, a secret to be hidden from society because his mother didn't want her standing to be dented by the fact she had a mixed-blood child with some random human he assumed had some standing in Faelon. His belief in that omission fed his attitudes towards nobility and authority figures, created his unspoken need to prove himself worthy of existence and recognition, and sparked his joining the army but, being half-Drow, being assigned to the unit with the most outcasts. Alyrinda telling him who his father really was - a chieftain of men in the mountains near his home city, respected and honored - and that they married both for political advantage and love, making him a wanted child... Diric still hasn't fully come to terms with that, thinking at some point when the party weren't running around patching problems he could go find his father's people and learn more. Timing and now being fully Drow have made him tacitly strike that possibility entirely: probably none of his father's people would believe him if he found them and said he was the son of their long-dead king.

[soulventure91]

lets go for Dir: 1, 38 feels appropriately beefy, 55?

time for the BEEF

1. what drives them? what’s their ultimate goal? His sole motivation rn with his backstory shit handled (for the moment in case Matt has DM cards up his sleeve) is being prepared to help and defend the party with what's to come. He knows there's the Shadowfell trip and traveling to Raphaka coming, aside from Suddenly Talos Is Deep In This Picture. Dir's well aware he has limitations the rest of the party don't have (I say, mechanically, meta-wise, separate from his current mental spiral) and wants to push to at least try and match the power curve. Ultimate goal, when all is said and done? Settle down, ideally with someone he cares about, and just be at peace.

38. do they see themselves as an important part of their party? (Here I was thinking you'd go for the next one down -) It's a bit of a toss-up depending on how one defines 'important'. Diric wants to believe (and I feel is true) that he's important as a guiding voice and strategist for the party; basically, if something needs to get done, he's the one to ask about doing it. He's also aware that for the most part, he's the party shield where he can mitigate damage with his psionics and take hits without really being slowed down. What Diric does tend to struggle with is the levels of effectiveness between himself (a tank) and the rest of the party (majority DPS with high survivability, in video game terms). With a good hit on a single enemy he can do about the same amount of damage as a moderately-successful spell in a broader area hitting more targets. He's aware that mega-damage isn't his job (thanks Correth and Feywild shenanigans), but it kinda niggles at him that the party can wipe out a threat before he can get in a swing if the initiative isn't in his favor. Fighting in combat is a serotonin source for him, unfortunately.

55. they’re seeing their greatest wish come true—what’s happening? He sees a quiet place to live, far enough away from a city to not be "in a city" but still near enough to wander in and spend the day. Not too hot to make Dir uncomfortable, but unlikely to get cold. The place itself is a house big enough to host plenty of people, to be active in without it feeling cavernous like his mother's Blackthorn estate. A combined oasis and social space. It would be made better if the person he cares for most would be there to share it with him.

[soulventure91]

and 7, 14, and 52 for Diric!

100 warmup dnd queries!!!

Describe your character’s current appearance: clothes, armor, scars they’ve picked up along the journey, etc.

(BEAUTIFUL ARTS BY @sbeep and @morganzephyr!!!)

MY BOY who has gone through A Lot in the...3? 4? years I've been playing him. Still prefers dressing in darks, trying to look like not much more than a simple soldier. Doesn't help when wearing a mithril half-plate armor suit and toting multiple powerful weapons, in particular the Axes of Bahamut and the screaming greatsword Sunderer. While he's garnered no additional physical scars of note, he did go from half-Drow to full Drow after falling victim to a bargain with hags while in the Feywild and managing to undo the curse (which briefly turned him into a very angry songbird).

He's also still battling with severe post-traumatic stress that he came baked in with (70 years of an elder brain in your head will do that) and struggling with variable-low self-esteem as he tries to figure out his role as the one primarily-physical fighter of the party (and a couple ASIs short as a mixed fighter/barbarian). He's long overdue for several therapy sessions.

Has your character ever been in love? BOY HOWDY has he ever. Before his current relationship, Diric was constantly falling into love with others in his army unit, the Void-Delvers. He kept being trapped in a very toxic cycle of falling for someone who would benefit from his attentions and skill as a fighter, be used as a stepping-stone towards promotion out of the unit, and get left behind with a broken heart in his hands. Usually as a result he'd fall into casual physical relationships until the cycle started up again.

But that's changed in the 3 in-game months since he met Maahes - an exiled prince hiding behind so many masks Mio probably didn't realize it until Diric rolled into his life. The two of them hit it off remarkably quickly, understanding each other instantly in ways that, if they hadn't been in a wildly-chaotic adventuring group, might have been almost downright unsettling. But they stayed together despite life-changing ups and downs in those months, and love each other deeply. However, due to their own internal struggles, Diric and Maahes are possibly going to have a small reset following the current arc - from there, the only hope is they keep growing healthily and together.

If your character was granted a single use of Wish, what would they use it for? Oh. Oh boy. This one is so easy but it would change so much.

Diric would wish for his (human) father to be alive.

Now if it were done as Dir's father reappeared in the current campaign, it probably wouldn't shift much overall - Diric would have access to his human heritage again, certainly, be able to show his father all he's become (as Dir was just a baby when his father died).

But. If it were executed as Diric's father simply didn't die at that point in Diric's life? That he lived his life, with his son and wife, to a point he would naturally die, as a human in love with an elf?

For one, Diric likely would never have grown up feeling as though he was unwanted, to the point of thinking he was a bastard - someone to be ashamed of. Since his father was effectively king of one of the major human clans near the Drow territory of Blackthorn, Diric might have been raised a prince when with his father's people, and treated with at least a level of diplomatic respect given that position when among the Drow. Instead of feeling exiled from two worlds, Diric might have belonged to two worlds.

However - all those perks would mean he wouldn't have been sent to fight in the Underdark. Never enslaved by mind flayers. And possibly never have met the party he currently considers family.

[soulventure91]

3d, 8a, and 16c for Diric thank u goodbye

time to Read My Boi

3d. Three Card Reading (past/present/future) [major arcana refs here] Past - Death (art by @drathe)

Diric's past is marked by the Death card: an ending, but also a chance for a new beginning, transformation, and change. Reversed reflects the inner turmoils that do, however, keep dogging him: his resistance to change, even as he purges himself of many of his inner demons. In this period of the campaign, his psionic talents were awakened, and closed the door on his ties to his home city. Present - The Sun (art by @drathe)

The Sun shines down on Diric as he embraces a reinvigoration of himself, echoed in a growing connection to Bahamut (hence the seven canaries in the card - drathe u badass for arting them all <3). This connection suggests that Diric's path is taking a turn for the better: a period of healing and growth and vitality. However, there are downsides - a reversed Sun calls Diric's difficulty in letting go of his anxieties and fears, and doubly so given his transformation from half-drow to full. However, once again through Bahamut's trust in him and Diric's willingness to share that trust, these difficulties can and will be overcome given the time and space to do so. Future - The Hanged Man/Temperance -> Judgement [ideal] Diric's immediate future is loud and clear in a combination of the Hanged Man and Temperance: he has got to stop. His focus has been on the party - protecting his friends, the man he loves and tries so hard to understand, being there for them as they have been for him - but the universe is yelling for him to stop and focus on himself. In particular, the reverse of both cards warn him to return to balance with himself, to set aside his need to protect and give, so Diric can have the chance to let his life be what it needs to be, and he can reshape into the person he has to become. However, for longer-term expectations, Judgement resounds: reversed, Diric is in a point of self-evaluation and letting go of those fears, to forgive and love himself. The card upright manifests where, I hope, his journey will take him in the end: embracing a destiny bigger than he could have expected for "just a soldier", and realizing that, perhaps, he couldn't see the guidance he was being given all along until he was ready for it.

8a. Comfort food Chicken noodle soup! Something simple, but with a powerful sense of wellness and comfort. Dir will insist that he's nothing special, but there's always ways of making simple things unique and surprising.

16c. Trope Looking back on everything this dork has been through, it really is a massive, classic spin of the old Hero's Journey: departing all he knew as a plain old mercenary, his trials through a literal underworld. But how shall his return go? Time, and the dice, will tell.

[soulventure91]

59 and 61 for Dir-bear!!!!

get to know my special children

(59) what is a quiet passion of theirs? Oh man it's been awhile since he's done it because the party's just been on the move for so long, but Diric loves doing his morning yoga and other exercises. Some of it comes from his exercise for the military, but he truly enjoys doing physical exercise to calm his mind - it's one of his coping mechanisms for his trauma but Diric would never classify it specifically that way. He's also interested in learning to make things, though what specifically he hasn't settled on yet (I know what but the narrative beat for it will happen during upcoming downtime).

(61) what kind of flower would they choose to pick from a meadow? He's not really the flower-picking type, but based on our visit to Glen an Dragan as we were headed to Blackthorn Diric would be the guy to serially do the Gladiator hand-brushing-over-wheat move constantly.

[soulventure91]

9, 15, 6 for Diric pls

100 warmup dnd queries!!!

What deity, if any, does your character worship? What’s their opinion on other people’s worship? Gods and worship for Diric is very...complicated. After all, until recently he (fondly) called all things divine "god shite", and sometimes it still pops out if he doesn't think about it. This is mostly because of growing up in Blackthorn after the anti-Lolth civil war; I've always envisioned a lot of propaganda being released to promote the new regime, making out God-Emperor Aislinn as a deity and Malanur Duskblade her sworn right arm. (...yes, comic books. Dir has a whole stack in his old room.) So although Diric might not have fully bought into deifying Aislinn, that also led to him being slightly jaded against other gods - not to the point of being disparaging those with faith, but if given the opportunity and a reason he'd absolutely question a god's motives and if he doesn't like the answers he'd probably end up smote for trying to take said god to task.

All that being said! Diric's newish bond to Bahamut is completely different for him; he recognizes Bahamut's role in Blackthorn and is willing to accept the aid and empowerment Bahamut's granted him as a Knight of the Platinum Dragon. He doesn't exactly worship Bahamut, but he's working on being willing to recognize Bahamut's influence on his life as a whole instead of just in the direct one-on-one channel.

What battle in the campaign has been most memorable to your character? You might expect me to say the pit fiend that was possessing Diric's childhood hero, or the time Diric survived a Disintegration spell by one hit point during a battle surrounding the elder brain that had enslaved him. But - interestingly, it's the duel with Lhoreth where Diric won Sunderer that still tends to stick out.

Compared to all the other fights, it's different: not a fight of odds and heavy strategy, but straight up blade versus blade. As an enemy, Lhoreth is one of the most ambiguous 'villains' the party's had, with unknown motives and goals and yet a core of something Dir recognizes in himself.

Most of all, Diric wasn't expecting to win. He didn't expect to win initiative or have just the right amount of party buffs to keep him alive just long enough. And he didn't expect Lhoreth to keep his word after their duel. Diric won, Lhoreth took his army and left. That was what they agreed on, and that was what happened. When else had that happened in the campaign?

What is your character’s opinion on nobility? On authority? Both nobility and authority, for Dir, are separate dials of the same thing: power and ability. Having grown up looking on his mother's social functions and political plays (and effectively nobility himself, much to his chagrin), Diric finds nobility to be useful to an extent. The social games and political manipulations exhaust him (despite being a high-CHA person, he can get impatient with jumping through societal hoops), but being able to get things done without many strings attached? Worth it.

Similarly with authority: if used in a way that obviously supports (what Diric would reckon as) positive goals, authority works and should be respected. It's why he didn't question General Dagon when the party began their extermination march on the mind flayer nest: Kilvaren clearly uses his authority, as both a nobleman and military commander, to better serve and protect Blackthorn. If Diric were to meet someone in authority that didn't use his position to the best goals, or at least didn't try for those goals, his respect would be limited. Just enough to respect the position but that would be about it.

[soulventure91]

For Dear Dir, 1, 21, 40!

ttrpg questions!

1. what is their coffee shop order? Plain coffee, black. Simple man likes simple coffee. Please do not stress him out with milk, shots, syrups, etc. He just wants coffee.

21. without revealing any secrets, how much of your character’s backstory does the rest of your party know about? 20%? 75%? 0%? As known to me without any sneaky adds from the DM? 100%. Mans got no more secrets. Unless Mio really, really wants to meet Dir's mom.

40. what do they smell like? Leather, sweat, maybe depending on how recently he's bathed a hint of whatever fragrance is in Mio's soaps! Dir knows about good hygiene but he's had very little chance to really Be Clean And Smell Nice.

[soulventure91]

13, 39, and 69 for Diric (Yells Fuck Yeah In Charlie)

100 warmup dnd queries!!! [FUCK YEAH CHARLIE!!!]

Does your character ever want to “settle down” with a spouse, children, house, etc.? Deep deep down, Diric really does. He wants a house with spouse (kids not required) and have time to really Be. Maybe sometimes he'll pick up his sword if needed, but Dir's never really had a chance to learn to have a life without having a sword in reach. I think he'd really have fun learning to grow things and making the things that grow into other things.

(Yes his endgame dream matches Geralt's, I don't make the rules here.)

Is there any particular weapon, item, etc. that your character longs to find? I will stare into Diric's backpack full of Blades and Random Stuff He Likes and declare: no, he does not want any particular item At This Time. There may be something he'd like to get rid of and replace, but that's for another time.

What is your character’s sexuality/relationship with sex? Diric's solidly bisexual, though when he was younger and in the army he'd probably be more adventurous when it came to partners. Sex itself Diric views as a means to find comfort in people he can fully let down his guard with, whether that's platonically (in the past) or romantically.

Currently in the party, however, given his committed 'ship with Maahes, Diric's stayed much a one-person man (despite his bouts of occasional jealousy but that's a separate issue).

[soulventure91]

has anyone asked for 2 for Diric because i feel like that would be fun, also 26 and 28 owo // TOR: 39 and 63 pls

100 warmup dnd queries!!! [all the OPEN NUMBERS]

Diric

Who in the party would your character trust the most with their life? HNGH okay so technically Diric trusts the entire party with his life - a lot of that is from being in his unit, if you can't trust everyone around you you're more likely to get yourself killed. Diric is also aware due to his mental health issues and the constant waves of stress from being in an adventuring party he doesn't come across as very trustworthy himself (he just. May not be able to clearly voice that at the current time because. Stress.).

All that said, however, his top 3 "if anything happens to me where I am in mortal danger I have a greater than 95% chance confidence they would try to get me out of it (despite the likelihood of other terrible things happening at the same time)" are Zinnan, Lazslo, and Mio. The first two being the heart and soul of the party and trying to protect the others they've collected along the way, not to mention Diric and Zin are both on a similar wavelength when it comes to self-esteem issues. With Mio, Diric's aware that while he might trust Mio a situation could arise where Mio simply can't provide help - especially if Diric is having a mental spell and he just needs to say things but if Mio is hearing it and feels like he has to do something but there's nothing to be done.

What would your character say their best trait would be? You want Diric to say something nice about himself!!!! This self-deprecating fool that will dodge complimenting himself because he doesn't wanna sound like a jerk!!!! /jk jk

Ummmm if he had to pick his best trait, it'd probably be his loyalty. Once Diric selects people to trust he doesn't let them go easy; someone would have to entirely break his heart or reveal they were the exact opposite person he believed them to be to lose any scrap of loyalty to that person. And even then Diric would probably initially doggedly believe that person could get turned around, even if a majority of evidence proves otherwise. Getting him turned against you after being your friend would require a massive personal injury to him directly.

What is currently motivating your character to stay with the party? It's a mix of that dogged loyalty above and remembering from when they first picked him up in Redscree: he asked who was taking the lead and everyone looked at him. Most of how Diric views the party and his role in it is based on that effectively-unified puppy-eyes moment - and part of why, when he's hit with a low confidence moment, Diric takes it very hard on himself that he can't keep up with the people that first looked at him needing leadership and direction for the first time in a very long time. He knows it's not their fault, or even his own. But the spellcasting bunch have stepped up their game and Diric is doing his best to still feel necessary. (even though he absolutely IS he's just a feelsy man on the verge of a double power boost, he just doesn't know that yet.)

Tor

Is there any particular weapon, item, etc. that your character longs to find? Tor won't admit it, but he's at a point in his arcane interests that he absolutely needs an actual wizard's spellbook to look at. Don't get me wrong, Tor is hella smart; like he told Arsen, Tor's been effectively trying to teach himself into becoming a wizard basically since he first went clean from the fight circuit along the Sword Coast. Despite having uncovered the Hunter's Bane and carrying it out on himself and having access to that form of magic, Tor has a slight hunger to understand it more. Maybe then he can understand why his family was murdered by a Red Wizard. Why the wizard showed up at all. Maybe magic could get rid of the last traces of his withdrawals, make him better.

Is your character willing to risk the well-being of others in order to achieve their goal? In the immediate scope of where the party's at and his private affiliations with the Harpers, no. Tor's in the Dale to help the people as best he can. His personal studies are, for the moment, just that. I'm not sure if the arc of the campaign will expose him to having to make a lesser-of-two-evils sort of choice or if he'll just coast.