Overview

So, I entered into a solo style game to have the GM bail out about 5 posts into actually playing. :(  I spent two weeks going back and forth with him on making a character, and I'd rather hate to see the effort go to waste.  Anyway, I guess consider this a very detailed RTJ.  I can adjust things to fit into different games (RP focused, combat focused, solo, party, etc.), but I would really like to keep the bones of the character and story intact.

Since this is going to be a very long post, I'll go ahead and thank whoever reads this, and hopefully I can find a home for this character!

First, I will mention that this is a rendition of an old character of mine (my first high level character), and I had wanted to play out her backstory and maybe retell her life's story again.  The character's personality and abilities were very fun to play, and I would love to revisit playing her again.

Who is the character in general?  Serena Sapphire is a Human Sorcerer that was born to a merchant family, and her early gifts for sorcery allowed to help out in the family business.  However, her bloodline manifestations were... problematic at best.  Her family, the Sapphires, are the modern descendants of Stormfyre, a legendary blue dragon.  And that's the practical reason she wasn't promptly disowned and instead was trained by her parents, they knew what was coming.  These days, mercantilism doesn't hold an especially large interest for Serena.  She's still fairly talented at the lesser aspects of things, appraisals and divining the origins of arcane items with her knowledge of spellcraft, but it doesn't serve to hold her passion.  And Serena is a passionate person.

So, the work that I've got done.  I've generated her backstory, description, family history, and a level 1 version of her with character sheet.  I'll include that information here.


Backstory and Physical Description

Sapphire can invoke many things in a person.  For some, it's a rare jewel.  For others, it's the representation of their birth.  For those who remember the old tales, it tells a story.

Long ago, in a time before records were kept, the Dragons ruled much of the land.  It is this time where the story of Sapphire takes place.  One of these ancients dragons bore the name Stormfyre.  She was a clever blue wyrm of considerable power and influence, and also a matron with powerful enemies.  One of these enemies, a craven, black dragon named Fleshrend, grew powerful enough in time to challange even the power of Stormfyre, and so he took to the air to meet his enemy in mortal combat.  There was a single problem with his plan.  Stormfyre had grown wary of her enemies and sent agents to keep watch over their lairs to warn her of their movements.  The agent sent to watch over Fleshrend was a warrior named Marroc.

When Marroc saw Fleshrend take the skies, he wasted no time in using the boon given him by a lesser god to carry him to Stormfyre's side immediately.  Gratified and so warned, Stormfyre made ready to meet Fleshrend in battle.  Marroc offered his aid, but Stormfyre refused, believing it unnecessary.  That would prove to be arrogance on her part for the battle against Fleshrend lasted for 3 days and 3 nights, and Stormfyre was finally driven to ground by the black nightmare of a dragon.  As Fleshrend moved in for the kill, he was assaulted by a single himan, Marroc!  Calling on all of his strength, Marroc struck a devastating blow across Fleshrend's neck, all but beheading the beast.  So rescued, Stormfyre was stricken by Marroc's dedication and compassion, and so took him as her lover.  This is the beginning of the Sapphire line.

Serena is a long descendant of that line.  Many centuries have passed, but her veins still carry some of Stormfyre's power.  As a girl, Serena developed the telltale powers that told her parents she was destined for a path not their own.  Her parents did what they could, but they were only merchants and unable to give Serena more than love and rudimentary instruction.  Serena was initially terrified by her powers, unable to control them, but she would eventually learn to control her manifestations on her own by force of will.

Now, Serena is 17 and a mere slip of a girl no longer.  She is blossoming into beautiful, formidable young woman, but she retains some sense of innocence.  She is both strong and passionate.  Serena and her passions are often said to strike as hard as the powerful lightning that is her heritage.  Despite all this, she loves her family dearly.  So, it is with a heavy heart that she has chosen to leave them in order to seek to master or subdue her budding power.

In appearance, Serena is tall, standing at 5' 11".  She keeps her blazing red hair long but ties it back in a high ponytail when traveling or training.  She wears a traditional garment called a Visiln, which is Draconic for travelling robe.  It resembles a mix between a close fitting dress and the wraps worn by certain traveling monks.  It is a light blue color with a dark blue hem that is lined with white, Draconic runes, reminders of Discipline, Ferocity, Power, Transformation, and Focus.  The back shows the crest of her family: twin lightning bolts frame a winding dragon with a large jewel clutched in its claws.  She also wears a light blue headband with a white circle to represent the importance of Balance.

Her masterwork backpack filled with the essentials, Serena looks to the future with both eyes open, ready to face whatever may come her way!


The First Morning

Part of the game's setup was coming up with a starting point, and this is the one that I wrote.  We can use this or not, but it's here for reference at least.

................................................

No!  I can't....I can't make it stop..... the sobbing of a child.  Confused.  Heartbroken.  Desperate.  Huddled in a corner.  Surrounded by a ribbons of cloth, a tapestry once worth hundreds of gold.  A little girl is framed as a door opens, and a young woman, the child's mother, is outlined by the light as well.  "Serena?" she inquires of the room's darkness.  "Serena!" she cries as she finally catches sight of her daughter crying in the corner.  "What's wrong, dearest?  Are you hurt?"  Serena looks up at her mother, "I can't make them go away, Mama.  I can't make them go away."  Confused, the mother sits down to hug her daughter, "What do you mean, dearest?  Can't make what go away?  The tapestry?  Did the pictures scare you?"  Serena shakes her head no.  Darting a quick, frightened glance at her mother's eyes, Serena pulls her hands from out of the ribbons of cloth.  At least, they should have been hands, but they aren't.  Her fingers lengthened, nails thickened and hard as diamonds, hands curved and extended.  The child is possessed of claws where he hands should be.

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"Arra!"  Serena jerks awake from her dream.  Hoo, just a nightmare.  Ha, and an old one at that.  Surprising how I can still taste that fear even now.  Serena smiles as she sits up, stretching her arms up over her head.  "MMMMMMM!  Shaaa... Good stretch."  She puts her feet to the floor, crosses to her window, and contemplates the day.  "It's here.  It's finally here!"  Serena can't help but laugh with wonder and excitement.  Today is the day!  Today is the day when her teacher finally arrives.  "Uncle Jorrd is finally coming!  Oooh, I have to finish getting ready!"  Serena almost bounces across the room.  She quickly slips out of her night shift and dons her favorite Visiln, traditional garb of a Sorcereress and Draconic for "adventuring robe."  Her Visiln is a close fitting blue robe.  The hem is lined with Draconic runes and the back bears the symbol of her bloodline's progenitor, Stormfyre.

Quickly grabbing her spell satchel, masterwork backpack, and quarterstaff, Serena almost bounds down the stairs to the first floor of her family home.  The first floor is a merchant's shop, The Dancing Dragon by name, run by her parents Phiora and Dannil.  There is an older man waiting at the bottom of the stays.  Dark eyes beneath bushy, grey eyebrows crinkle with a smile as the tall uncle sees his niece.  "Serena!  I do hope you're ready to go, child.  The day waits for no one."  Serena smiles and agrees with him.  "Let's be going, then?  It's a long way back to your hometown, right?"  Jorrd nods sagely, and the two of them bid Serena's parents farewell, their teary goodbyes already said the night before.  Staff in hand, hair tied back in a high ponytail to keep it out of stunning sapphire blue eyes, Serena takes to the road with her Uncle at her side.

.................................................

And so embarks the adventure of Serena Sapphire.  A young sorceress born to a great, but as yet unrealized power.  Will she master her power?  And what of Jorrd?  What part has he to play in the life of young Serena?  All to be answered in the coming months and years.  And what of Jorrd?  Maybe he's a sorcerer, taking Serena to his home to train her himself.  Or just a seasoned protector that's related to the family, taking Serena out of the city to a place where she can practice her powers without restraint or distraction.  Who knows!  Will things go to plan or will things go horribly awry?  Is Serena destined to master her power alone, or will she find herself in need of allies?  Only time will tell!

As evidenced in the backstory blurb I wrote, Serena has some interesting character traits.  Her outlook for the future is generally positive.  She has a burning passion to learn more about her power and how to master it.  Her family, while important to her, is a secondary consideration.  Her past is riddled with a mix of shame, fear, and ignorance; some of which still remains in her present self.  However, she recognizes these things about herself and strives to move past them.  Serena is not particularly wise, but she is insightful about the world.  Growing up in a merchants' house, she couldn't help but pick certain bits of information.  In no way is she shy about her family's bloodline.  Stormfyre is a famous dragon from times of legend, and her family's ties to it are a part of that legend.  Stormfyre was saved by a most unique warrior, Marroc, from her rival, Fleshrend, and Stormfyre eventually became Marroc's lover, bearing a child named Saurivesk Sapphire (Draconic for Eye of the Storm).


Character Sheet

And here's the sheet that I generated.


This message was last edited by the user at 14:25, Fri 29 Aug 2014.

Wow. I hope others weren't intimidated by the lengthy post!

Not sure if this is up your alley, but I run a Pathfinder game called PF JAGSS, which is kind of like Pathfinder's Pathfinder Society. My RL ftf version predates Pathfinder, but it was loosely based on NAGS from Terra Incognito.


Anyway, here's the link, if you're interested in checking it out: link to another game

I hope they're not scared off either!

I'm a little confused by your game, Starmaster.  It seems a bit... massive!  How would I even fit into things?

Technically, it's more than one game, just with an interconnecting theme. As players join the game, I send them off on separate adventures... usually 4-5 PCs along with an NPC (cleric or muscle, as needed). I have three new players right now, you'd be a 4th, so that would be a new adventure.

Thanks for the interest Starmaster, but I did find a GM for this particular character that is willing to do a solo game.

That said, your world is very intriguing, and I'd happily submit a different RTJ if you're in need of an additional party member.

There's always room for one more!