RolePlay onLine RPoL Logo

, welcome to Exandria Unbound

08:37, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Stories grow in Telling: Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis' History.

Posted by Dungeon MasterFor group archive 0
Dungeon Master
GM, 9 posts
Wed 16 Mar 2022
at 01:02
  • msg #1

Stories grow in the Telling: Dame Tiegen Chaniece's History

Let's start close and intimate, shall we?

Family
  • Where did Tiegen grow up?
  • I gather from her title that the family's of some small (or great) repute.  How did that affect her childhood?
  • Are both of her parents still in the picture?  If not, why, what happened, and how did that affect Tiegen?
  • Does she have any siblings?  If so, how many?  What's her position in the birth order?  What are her siblings like?  What's her relationship like with each of them?


Give me names for each of the family members you end up detailing.

If you have no clue, I'd suggest rolling dice, and then just build the story around what you roll.

Given the Nobility angle, I'd suggest using the Family Size (City) table on Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p193.

Roll 1d3 for the number of significant relationships in the family, and then roll once for each of these on the Family Relationships table on p194.  Note that it does not have to be immediate family either.  Aunt/Uncles/Cousins/Grandparents are all fair game for these.  The idea here is that the relationship is close, personal, and too powerful on the emotional scale to discount entirely.

Note that you may gain Allies and Rivals as a result of the family relationships rolls.  These allies and rivals do NOT have to be within the family (though they might end up that way) -- just note how many you end up with; we'll discuss these further down the track in the history.



I have shared all my sourcebooks on dndbeyond with the players in the campaign.  If you've joined the campaign when submitting your character sheet, these links should work for you.  Let me know if they don't.

https://www.dndbeyond.com/sour...sses#HeroicChronicle
https://www.dndbeyond.com/sour...-subclasses#Homeland
https://www.dndbeyond.com/sour...#FamilySizeCityTable
https://www.dndbeyond.com/sour...lyRelationshipsTable
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:24, Wed 16 Mar 2022.
Dame Tiegen Chaniece
player, 1 post
Grinner, Performer, Liar
Viva le Verve
Wed 16 Mar 2022
at 05:27
  • msg #2

Stories grow in the Telling: Dame Tiegen Chaniece's History

1) She grew up in the circus, so all over Tal'dorea;
2) Actually no, the Dame thing is a stage name.
3) No. They were too poor to feed her, so they gave her to a traveling circus. (If you want, this can be the WitchLight circus).

Break over more later.
Dungeon Master
GM, 15 posts
Wed 16 Mar 2022
at 05:40
  • msg #3

Stories grow in the Telling: Dame Tiegen Chaniece's History

Ooo, very interesting.  I did not expect that.  Love to see where you're going with it.

Now, I'm not familiar with the Witchlight Circus, so I won't pretend there.  But a circus is good.  Give it a name.  I imaging there were some caring figures within the circus itself -- almost every circus story presents as an "us against the world" scenario.  So tell me a bit about Tiegen's life inside the circus.  What was her job?  Who looked after her?

Where did they go, and what was life like when they stopped in big cities?  Did they play for nobility or for the common folk, or both?  If nobility, there might be a chance to have a childhood story element in common with Hannah.

I imagine at some point Tiegen left the circus to strike out on her own.  I'm not asking about that yet, but start thinking about it because that question is coming.
Dame Tiegen Chaniece
player, 2 posts
Grinner, Performer, Liar
Viva le Verve
Wed 16 Mar 2022
at 08:18
  • msg #4

Stories grow in the Telling: Dame Tiegen Chaniece's History

Name of Circus-
Tobias and Sons Exocita Imporium and Daredevil Acrobat Carnival. It is halfling owned and run, hence the unusual name length.

People who cared for her- Irgo and Veliz Tobias, owners and joint ring masters, as close to parents as she ever got.

Burr Hammerhead, Goliath strong man who filled a protective sibling roll. Of all the circus, he was he closest friend.

Curion The Master, master bard who was her orimary educator.

Reslia Duomar, female trapez artist and rival in all things.

The circus played for any who had coin. They were invited to give private performances for nobility on at least a dozen occassions. Life in the circus was exciting but there was a constant routine of learning, practice, and aiding in the hard jobs like cleaning up after animals. In the cities it was the same except when they got days off they could go shopping and such.
Dame Tiegen Chaniece
player, 3 posts
Grinner, Performer, Liar
Viva le Verve
Wed 16 Mar 2022
at 11:10
  • msg #5

Stories grow in the Telling: Dame Tiegen Chaniece's History

Before we go further I have a request. Id like this character to be male, so name change to
Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis
Dungeon Master
GM, 17 posts
Wed 16 Mar 2022
at 11:40
  • msg #6

Stories grow in the Telling: Dame Tiegen Chaniece's History

No problem.  We can accommodate that.  Is "Bobcat" intended as a stage name, a nickname, or middle name?  How does he prefer other people to call him?
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:44, Wed 16 Mar 2022.
Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis
player, 4 posts
Grinner, Performer, Liar
Viva le Verve
Wed 16 Mar 2022
at 11:57
  • msg #7

Stories grow in the Telling: Dame Tiegen Chaniece's History

Stage name. He prefers Klaven.
Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis
player, 5 posts
Grinner, Performer, Liar
Viva le Verve
Wed 16 Mar 2022
at 15:47
  • msg #8

Stories grow in the Telling: Dame Tiegen Chaniece's History

15.This person once lost a bet to you and is still trying to scrounge up the cash to pay you back. They’ve decided you’d both be better off if they put you in their debt instead.

31.You were this person’s favorite drinking buddy, and their home is always open to you and your friends.

46.This person was once your mentor, but you left before you could complete your training. You are welcome to return and finish what you started, but only when you are ready
Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis
player, 6 posts
Grinner, Performer, Liar
Viva le Verve
Thu 17 Mar 2022
at 12:58
  • msg #9

Stories grow in the Telling: Dame Tiegen Chaniece's History

Homeland 31
Marrow Valley in Western Wynandir (Dwendalian Empire)
28
Grimgolir (City)
This message was last edited by the player at 12:59, Thu 17 Mar 2022.
Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis
player, 7 posts
Grinner, Performer, Liar
Viva le Verve
Thu 17 Mar 2022
at 13:08
  • msg #10

Stories grow in the Telling: Dame Tiegen Chaniece's History

Ally IDs
Commoner
Commoner
Bandit Captain
Dungeon Master
GM, 28 posts
Thu 17 Mar 2022
at 13:11
  • msg #11

Stories grow in the Telling: Dame Tiegen Chaniece's History

I'm parking the allies and rivals for now.  We'll come to them in a minute.

Earlier in the history, you mentioned Klaven grew up in a circus all over Tal'dorei.  Now you mention the Dwendalian Empire and Grimgolir.

Just to be clear, I'm taking this as to read: spent childhood in Tal'dorei with the circus, and then relocated to Grimgolir (either with the circus, or alone  -- we can decide later) -- and this is the place where Klaven is currently residing.

Is that right?
Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis
player, 8 posts
Grinner, Performer, Liar
Viva le Verve
Thu 17 Mar 2022
at 16:05
  • msg #12

Stories grow in the Telling: Dame Tiegen Chaniece's History

All tra eling shows had to have a winter home. Some would just park wherever, others had an official "winterhaven" where they returned year after year.

I just rolled on the table to give them a winterhaven. If this makes no sense, scratch it, I'm flexible.
Dungeon Master
GM, 29 posts
Thu 17 Mar 2022
at 22:15
  • msg #13

Stories grow in the Telling: Dame Tiegen Chaniece's History

Depends on the size of the circus.  As the number of performers and support acts go up, the costs of such travel rise exponentially -- even moreso the minute animals get involved.

As a one-time move ("We've hit all the places on Tal'dorei; let's go see if there's money to be made on Wildemount." OR "We've somehow managed to piss off someone super-rich and powerful and prideful; we need to leave the continent and do it yesterday") I don't see it as a problem.  A regular winterhaven on another continent doesn't seem practical.  Even the largest and most successful circus of our world (Cirque du Soliel) finds it more effective to have different troupes on different continents rather than fly them around the world.

Let's ruminate over this for a little while.  I hope to have the beginnings for the last two players at least started today, and then we'll come back and explore Klaven's formative years, and see what develops.
Dungeon Master
GM, 45 posts
Sat 19 Mar 2022
at 13:05
  • msg #14

Stories grow in the Telling: Dame Tiegen Chaniece's History

Okay, so let's talk about those allies Klevan's picked up.

A commoner once lost a bet to Klevan and is still trying to scrounge up the cash to pay him back.  He's decided that you'd both be better off if Klevan was the one in their debt instead (by trying to save Klevan's life, leading him to a treasure hoard worth more than the debt owed, etc.).

Who is the commoner?  What was the bet?  How much is owed (does not have to be monetary)?  What has this person done so far to try to tip the scales in the other direction?  Have fun with this -- it's not meant to be a huge obstacle so much as character depth and light-hearted fun.  It's an Ally, after all?

Klevan were this commoner’s favorite drinking buddy, and their home is always open to him and his friends.

Give me a name and location here, minimum.  If you want to tell a story about it, great!  Maybe it's a fan of your work?

This Bandit Captain was once Klevan's mentor, but he left before he could complete his training. Klevan is welcome to return and finish what he started, but only when he is ready.

Who is the bandit captain?  What sort of training?  Why did Klevan leave?  Off the top of my head, I'm thinking this is a way to get Klevan from Tal'dorei to Wildemount, but it still leaves the rest of the story untold...

---

And for a bit of random chaos.  You don't have to take this, but I do encourage it.

Klevan nearly died from a virulent disease (I'll tell you about the disease if/after you accept it). Your life was saved by an agent of the Cobalt Soul, who could not cure the disease, but who gave you a periapt of health that suppresses it.  You'll also gain proficiency in a skill or two of my choosing (related to your disease).  The disease is not a permanent fixture, but it would require no small effort to rid yourself of it.
Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis
Human Bard, 16 posts
Grinner, Performer, Liar
Viva le Verve
Sat 19 Mar 2022
at 15:16
  • msg #15

Stories grow in the Telling: Dame Tiegen Chaniece's History

The bet was with a blacksmith. It was a crazy bet 10K gold if Klaven could seduce a certain young lady. He won because he sang love songs to her from stage. The smith could never pay and Klaven did not expect it. The smith gave him a token as a marker that he could call in a favor.

The drinking buddy is Carloz from emon, and he is a fan.

Curion the Master is bandit capt. After he left the circus he fell on hard times.

Disease for Peraipt of Health and 2 skill proficiences, I accept these terms. We have an accord.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:19, Sat 19 Mar 2022.
Dungeon Master
GM, 56 posts
Sun 20 Mar 2022
at 04:24
  • msg #16

Stories grow in the Telling: Dame Tiegen Chaniece's History

Okay, I've given you proficiency in Nature and Medicine, as you're searched for a cure yourself.
Sign In