These are some background stories you can use (and I used) to start off
characters with in a new campaign. They are all copyright by Pieter
'Archmage' Simoons, which is me. Some of these are in Dutch, sorry about
that.
Altea, Thlai Elven Bard
You were born in a small village in the elven city-state of Thlai.
As you grew up and learned how to play the panflute, you always admired the
forest, and it was a great source of inspiration for your music. When you
had any spare time, you were often found in the forest, walking around or
just sitting against a tree.
One day, as you were trying to write a new tune, you lay down in the soft
grass and quickly fell asleep. Hours later, when you awoke, it was night al-
ready. Because you wanted to get back to the village, you hoped for the best
as you headed in what you thought was the right direction.
Unfortunately, it wasn't.
Not much later, you were hopelessly lost. Because you couldn't see much in
the dark, you decided to wait until dawn before venturing any further. You
went to sleep again. You had some bad dreams of being chased through the
forest by a bunch of Yrch, but nothing disturbed your rest.
When you awoke in the morning, however, you saw that you were in a part of
the forest you'd never been in before. You couldn't tell which direction you
came from, and had no idea where the village was.
You wandered off in a random direction, hoping you would come across some-
thing quick. It was a vast forest, however, and, although you spent so much
time among the trees, you didn't know how to find food. There were plenty of
plants, roots and toadstools, but you dared not eat them, because they might
be poisonous. The worms your nightingale offered were not very appetizing,
either. You tried shooting a deer or rabbit with your trusty bow a few times,
but they were far too quick and disappeared in the forest before you could
fire another arrow.
At nightfall, you were almost starved; the only thing you ate were a few
berries you recognized as undangerous. You slept in the forest again, after
sending a prayer to Andana to let you find a way out.
The next day was even worse. You were almost starving. As the hours passed,
you grew hungrier and hungrier, until your stomach hurt with every step.
Just then, as you were about to give up and fall prey to whatever predators
might live in this part of the forest, you spotted something strange among
the trees. As you walked closer, you saw it was a rickety old hut.
Nobody responded to your knocks and the door was locked, but, with your last
strength, you managed to force it open.
The hut was small and almost empty. Lying on a bed in the corner was an old
man. As you tried to wake him, you noticed he was dead.
He probably died of old age, as you saw no signs of a disease on his face.
As you searched the rest of the house, you found some normal household items,
until finally you found the pantry.
There was little food in it, but it looked good enough, so you sat down at
the table and had the best meal of your life. After being nourished, you took
the rest with you, to have something to eat for the next day. In the pantry
you also found a potion, marked 'Haelth', which you took with you for later
use. Just then, as you were about to leave the hut and continue your way
back to the civilized world, there was a knock at the door....
Dalak Gilim, Kherghurn Dwarven Fighter
You were born in the Dwarven mines of Kherghurn. As you grew up, however, you
felt increasingly uneasy and cramped in the caves. When you were seventeen,
you couldn't bear it in there any more, so you moved to the nearby Human
village of Kheir, where you spent the rest of your youth.
To earn money, you would do almost any job for the villagers, as long as it
paid well. You never joined an army or signed a long-time service contract,
however, for you enjoyed variation and liked to have some time of your own.
In the village, you had many friends, but one person hated you: an ugly
little Dwarf called Narthogh.
He and his (few) friends were constantly bugging you, but you bugged back
just as much with your friends, and the only one who really got irritated was
the one who started it, Narthogh himself.
One day, one of those skirmishes ended up in a fierce battle between you and
Narthogh. You were a better fighter than he was, and he was seriously inju-
red before the town guard separated you. Before Narthogh walked off, he swore
he would get his revenge, but you weren't really impressed by his threats.
That night, you went to sleep in your small hut, as usual.
You slept peacefully.
The next morning, you were surprised to be awoken by sunshine. You saw you
weren't in Kheir any more, but in an unknown forest.
At first, you thought it was all a bad dream.
But soon you realised you were wrong.
You were all alone in a strange forest... a real forest! You had never seen
so many plants and bushes and trees together before!
You felt very uncomfortable among the trees. Luckily, you still had your
trusty old axe and some other equipment.
Now how on Savagea did you get here?!
You were sure Narthogh had something to do with it, but you decided to leave
these thoughts until later, when you found a way out of this place. Not
knowing where to go, you walked off in a random direction.
After walking through the woods for a while, you spotted something between
the trees... it was a small hut.
Quietly (as quiet as a Dwarf can be) you approached it...
It seemed to be uninhabited, but you walked closer anyway. Maybe you could
find a map inside, or something else useful in a forest.
As you peered through the window, you saw two Elves inside.
Elves!
You hadn't seen an Elf for years, since they didn't come to Kherghurn very
often. This was just as well, for you, and your clan, never particularly
liked Elves. They were haughty creatures with no respect for a fine piece of
craftmanship, nor for the art of mining.
You decided to leave the hut, and the Elves in particular, alone. If you
can't find a way out of here yourself, then certainly those Elves can't help
you, either. You turned around to leave.
Just then, the door of the hut opened and an Elf came out...
Unknown to the player:
Dalak Gilim had seriously angered his enemy, Narthogh, who paid a travelling
wizard who was in the village that night a lot of money to Teleport Dalak
to some place far away. Accidentally, his bag in which he stored most of
his equipment was Teleported, too. Narthogh left a note in Dalak's hut sta-
ting he joined the wizard as a bodyguard and left early the next morning.
Scelminage, Elven (?) Priest of Yirrick, god of Air
Darkness around you... silence... a dreamless sleep...
After what seems like ages, you are disturbed.
A sharp pain in your neck breaks through the blackness.
Slowly, you regain consciousness...
You become aware of the ground beneath you...
something heavy on your back...
the song of a bird in your ears...
Slowly, you open one eye.
Then, the other.
You see the forest around you... everything seems all right.
You try to get up, but fail. The weight on your back... too heavy.
Painfully turning your head, you see it's a large tree.
With all your strength, you try to push it aside... in vain.
Now how did you get here...?
You can't remember.
Where IS here, anyway?
You don't know.
Panicking, you try to remember something of your past...
You fail.
Even your name is hard to remember.
It was... scel-... something like... Scelminage... Scelminage!
Yes. You're quite sure of that.
Now, what are you...? Dwarf? Human? ...?
You reach up to your ear with one hand... pointy ears... must be Elven.
Or Half-Elven maybe... or Halfling... Kobold...
You're not sure which.
Once again, you try to remember why you're here and where you came from...
Nothing...
nothing but the pain in your neck...
Then, you hear voices in the forest...
Unfamiliar voices...
What will you do?
Hope they don't see you and starve here...
or hope they will and risk being killed by a bunch of Yrch... or worse?
Not much to loose, anyway.
You decide to call out...
Tirr-Asleen, Fhal-Dey Elven Mage
You were born in the suburbs of Fhal-Dey.
When you were fifty-seven, word spread through the city that Yieilka, the
well-known archmage, was looking for apprentice. From the many youths who
volunteered, you were the lucky one who was chosen. The next years, you stu-
died the art of Magic and learned a lot.
After fourteen years, on your birthday, Yieilka came to you and said your
training was over; you were now a real Mage. As a present, she gave you a ma-
gical potion that, she said, would temporarily enhance your strength.
You practiced your art for a few years in Fhal-Dey and the surrounding lands.
After some time, however, you started to wonder about something:
Where did your ancestors, the Ancient Elves, come from?
You tried to figure out the answer for weeks, but you couldn't think of any-
thing. Finally, you went to your mentor, Yieilka, to ask her.
She said she didn't know it either, but she knew of a sage, Krazoz, who lived
in the woods and knew answers to many questions. Then, she took an amber
stone, whispered a few arcane words over it, causing it to float in mid-air,
and gave it to you. She said it would lead you to the sage's hut; you only
had to follow it.
So, the next day, you went off into the forest, following the floating rock
as it moved along the trees. At night, you put it away deep in your backpack,
so that it couldn't float off alone.
The next morning, after a quick breakfast, you took it out again and walked
after it as it floated between the trees.
That afternoon, you reached your destination: a small hut in the heart of the
forest. The stone floated to the front door, hovered in place for a few se-
conds, then fell to the ground and shattered.
You were startled by this, fearing you wouldn't be able to find your way back
out of the forest, but then you thought the Sage could probably help you.
The Sage! Finally you would find the answer to your question!
With trembling hands, you knocked on the door...
Borshack, goblin scout?
Al een tijdje woon je diep in een bos. Het bos heeft niet echt een naam, maar
wordt wel eens het bos van Surneh genoemd, naar het dorpje wat erbij ligt.
Surneh is een klein houthakkersdorpje, waar je wel eens komt om huiden te
verkopen en wat voorraden in te slaan. Een van de redenen dat je nog in dit
bos woont is dat je op jacht bent naar een fezuun. Wat dat precies zijn weet
niemand helemaal, maar volgens de meeste beschrijvingen is het een soort
glimmend konijn. En er woont er een in dit bos. Het vangen van een fezuun
brengt de jager geluk, en is iets waar nog jaren bewonderend over gepraat zal
worden. En er is nog iets - je bent in het bezit van een magische dolk, een
erfstuk (nou ja, okee, je hebt dat ding van een opschepperige dorpsgenoot
gestolen toen hij dronken was. Maar je bent er wel aan gehecht). Deze dolk
bevat een zwarte steen, en vliegt in brand als je het woord 'Glim' uit-
spreekt. Hij werkt alleen niet altijd. De reden is erg simpel: die steen is
het oog van een fezuun, en hij is bijna uitgewerkt dus er moet een nieuw oog
in. Dat geluk kan je overigens ook best gebruiken, want je vangt niet zo erg
veel de laaste tijd. Je hebt een paar huiden, die je maar eens moet verkopen
voor ze al te erg gaan stinken.
Chadeiron, centaur boogschutter
Je bent al een tijdje op pad met je 'pseudokudde'. Op het moment trekken
jullie over een heuvelachtige vlakte met wat kris-kras verspreide bomen.
Naast jou zijn er drie anderen - Gezz, de leider, een dwerg die steeds zeurt
dat hij met een paard samen moet werken (wat denkt die baardaap wel?); Crine,
een mens dat erg mooie verhalen heeft over de monsters die ze wel niet
verslagen heeft, en Vokh, een eveneens menselijke magier. Vokh en Crine zijn
op weg naar een stad in het noorden waar ze vandaan komen (wie weet wonen
daar ook centauri!), en hebben Gezz als gids en wildernisdeskundige (pfff!)
meegenomen. Vokh heeft echter bij een val van een glibberige rots zijn arm
behoorlijk bezeerd, en de wond ziet er niet zo best uit, dus jullie zijn op
zoek naar iemand die daar iets aan kan doen. Gelukkig hebben jullie in de
verte een soort kampement gezien; daar kunnen ze vast wel helpen.
[Een nootje over magie... de spreuk 'Intactibility' (of 'Etherealize', zoals
hij ook wel bekend staat) is best wel moeilijk, en toen je een magier zover
kreeg om hem je uit te leggen snapte je er niet zo gek veel van. De soort
magie waar je vooral goed in bent is telekinese, oftewel het verplaatsen van
dingen. Omdat je veel op jezelf geoefend hebt kun je daar ook (zij het met
enige moeite) jezelf mee laten zweven. Een andere toepassing van deze magie
is het creeren van een krachtveld om iets of iemand te beschermen (dit maakt
je echter niet onkwetsbaar of zo! Denk aan een soort onzichtbaar harnas), of
een leuke variant daarop, een krachtveld dat alle werp- en schietwapens
afvangt en ze naar een willekeurig doelwit terugslingeren. Je hebt ook nog
een oud stuk perkament gevonden waar een tekst op staat die over magie lijkt
te gaan, maar waarvan je de tekens niet kan lezen. Vokh trouwens ook niet.]
Harold, human nobleman
Je woont al sinds je jeugd in de stad Kaloqai. Dit is een erg mooie stad;
vooral het uitzicht over het meer Veza is prachtig. De stad heeft eigenlijk
maar een probleem. Nou ja, eigenlijk twee. De families Zanjo en Gibboxa. Je
stamt zelf af van een zijtak van het Huis Alodri, de familie die oorspronke-
lijk de stad gesticht heeft. De andere twee families zijn voor geen cent te
vertrouwen, en proberen constant jullie je rechteigen bezit af te nemen, en
jullie de stad uit te werken. Vorig jaar is een van de Gibboxai er zelfs in
geslaagd zich tot burgemeester te laten benoemen! Je vraagt je af hoeveel
steekpenningen dat hem gekost heeft, en waar die die van gestolen heeft. Nou
ja, dat laatste laat zich raden - ongetwijfeld van de Alodrii.
Nou steel je zelf natuurlijk ook wel eens (stiekem), maar dat is voor de
sport, en je hebt nog nooit enorme hoeveelheden geld meegenomen. Wat je wel
laatst hebt meegenomen is een amulet met een inktzwarte steen erin - het zag
er gewoon leuk uit. Echter, toen je de runen die erop stonden ontcijferde,
bleek dat dit amulet in staat is je een tijdje onzichtbaar te maken als je
stilstaat, en het woord 'Dispar' uitspreekt. Je weet niet of dit een beperkt
aantal ladingen heeft of zo, maar het schijnt te werken.
Even wat minder leuk nieuws - je moeder voelt zich niet zo lekker sinds een
dag of twee, dus misschien moet je de genezer maar eens opzoeken om te kijken
of die kan helpen.
Tori, human healer
Na wat rondzwervingen over de wereld, heb je je maar voor een tijdje geves-
tigd in de stad Kaloqai. Dit is een handelsstad aan de rivier de Irn, vlakbij
de Witval (een enorme waterval). Tevens zijn er een aantal boerderijen in de
buurt. Je woont daar nu in een tempeltje van Jeluna, samen met je zuster
Fyenn. Ze is wel niet echt je zus, ze is zelfs een mens, maar jullie kunnen
erg goed met elkaar opschieten, en de stad is groot genoeg om van twee
genezers de handen vol te houden. Je merkt wel dat de stad politiek soms wat
onrustig is. Er zijn namelijk drie grote families, Alodri, Gibboxa en Zanjo,
die elkaar wel eens vliegen afvangen. Op het moment is echter Evenyo Gibboxa
algemeen geaccepteerd als burgemeester, en hij heeft duidelijk hart voor de
stad en diens bevolking.
De laatste paar dagen voel je je wat zwakjes, en je vond vanochtend dat je
maar beter even op bed kon blijven liggen. Waarschijnlijk het klimaat - zo
vlak bij de rivier is het vaak wat kil. Dankzij de goede zorgen van Fyenn zal
je over een dag of twee wel weer beter zijn.
D&D resources
Stories