Never built a Shifter before, but I play a weretiger in my main campaign, so I enjoyed this quite a lot. I think it shows. I ended up with a lot more details than I usually cram into these posts. I mainly try to leave enough space for DMs and players alike to build up on the general idea I came up with. This time... Inspiration hit me hard and I couldn’t help myself. Hope you enjoy.
Name: Ichor (likes the nickname Corey better) (18yo)
TAROTS
Mind: Justice (upright)
Truth and integrity as the core of an horizon walker’s mind are perfectly okay with me, honestly. It really tells me that Corey is a person that strives to reach a balance into things, that he knows every action has its consequences. I can see them as someone that is perfectly aware of how they can change the world just by existing and making decisions, so they try to weigh their actions because of it. But they also enjoy watching the ripples that every drop in the water causes. So they dislike inaction too. Why stay still when you can do something and be part of the reason for the world to move and change, just to settle and come back to a new balance?
Body: Two of swords (upright)
I mean, a tarot about being torn between two people or in general this feeling of disconnection on his body? Of course I could just stop at the obvious issues Ichor could have with being a shifter. But why stop with something as obvious as emotional denial, when there’s an underside of something more? I had to draw a card to try and clear this up. And the Three of swords reversed confirmed there was more. Corey is actually in emotional denial about something deeper, but he’s slowly getting over it. Still, this doesn’t get rid of that “something” that hurt him in the past and Ichor tries to bury it more often than not. So, I would say that this disconnection to his body is more in tune to this denial.
Spirit: the High Priestess (upright)
Most of all, I would say this expresses his thirst for knowledge, that’s for sure. But I’m not surprised by that hint of mystery and sensuality that comes from Corey himself. Despite how socially awkward he is, I can picture him being unknowingly charming. Which is probably why he doesn’t trust people that try to be very direct in showing romantic interest. Well, I suppose he can be considered charming at least to people that are into dark, mysterious, dorky nerds with enormous trust issues. I know that the broody types always attract some people's attention.
Past: Strength (reversed)
After what that “body” had already given me, this was pretty much a given. Low self-esteem in Corey’s past is a constant. He felt weak and vulnerable, that was the main reason why he stayed stuck in his research for so long (and kinda confirmed my feeling that he wasn’t one of the most thought of predators). He probably had a deep desire to actually get to work in his field, but the biggest obstacle to reach for that dream was his own sense of inadequacy (someone like him in a scholarly role might have been teased just for that after all). Deep down, he knew he could make a difference though, because every decision has a consequence, even a lack of action. And he hated when people couldn’t make a decision SO MUCH!
Present: Page of cups (reversed)
And here comes back that heartbreak, that emotional vulnerability… With the horrible twist of sexual abuse earlier in his life still there to haunt him. Definitely, the emotional denial from his body as well as his issues with trust are a lot deeper and serious than what I thought at first. Oh, Ichor for sure had some terrible experiences. But he realized that he was in a bad situation, that he’d been manipulated, used by someone older than him just cause he was young and naive. And he decided to get away from it all. The emotional trauma though? That still lingers and weights him down so much that he’s very closed off. I don’t exclude him actually pretending (very badly) like he’s way more confident than he is, in certain situations. Like a copying mechanism to try and hide his insecurities so people won’t use them against him again.
Future: the Hierophant (reversed)
Well, with Corey this can go in both the direction hinted at by the tarot. He could absolutely challenge the traditions of the institution he belongs to and that he’s supposed to still answer to. Or he could cling to their traditions in a hope to change how corrupt and twisted things got from the very inside despite how it could break him to go back and be face to face with his abuser. I can’t necessarily give a suggestion in this case; it really depends on how things develop and which way you feel like he would lean towards (even with the party’s support). Either way, not surprised that a decision is at the core of his future.
FULL BACKSTORY
Ichor was born in a cave in the Beastlands plane. His mother, Shianead, was on a mission for the institution she worked for to research more information on how were-creatures lived when organized in packs like that. She actually fell in love while she was in the middle of that mission with Ichor’s father, Purrenbor. As soon as Ichor was born, Shianead realized she could no longer stay in the Beastlands plane and decided to leave. Purrenbor tried to leave with her, but his tribe didn’t like them leaving with the child; Purrenbor gave his life so that both Shianead and Ichor could run away.
Once they were back, the institution wasn’t necessarily happy that Shianead took more than a year for a mission that was supposed to be just 6 weeks long. They were disappointed in her, but once she promised that her shifter son would stay to be part of the institution as well and convinced them that in some way his nature as a shifter could be helpful in understanding better the potential benefits of the were-curse, they agreed to let her stay.
Ichor didn’t necessarily have a happy and loving childhood. His mother was more often than not away for more research missions and he was left in the care of a very strict teacher, Clirji Brawen, a dragonborn that made him study for long hours instead of letting Corey run around with the other students of the institution’s preparatory schools. He still was grateful to be considered so bright to have Clirji’s attention, since he was considered one of the best teachers of the school (the one that usually worked with realy talented people). Corey was even allowed to live in Clirji's very luxurious house when his mother was away, instead of staying alone in the dingy apartment that belonged to her.
When Corey was about fifteen, his mother had to go on a longer than usual mission that she was even more tight lipped than usual on the details of. Clirji had recently retired from teaching and was mainly just a consultant for the institution, and Corey could no longer stay at his house since he was no longer Corey’s teacher.
It was decided from the institution’s schools’ council that he would stay in Norvhila Erishai’s estate. She was the very charismatic head of the research department of the higher level school, and she was hoping not only to find new branches of research for the main institution to focus on with her students, but to find students with a new, bolder attitude.
Norvhila was immediately impressed with Ichor, not only for his knowledge reached under Clirji’s guidance, but also for his willingness to try new things before finding once again the balance at the core of the institution’s beliefs.
Still young, very impressionable, awkward and mostly a pariah with students of his age, Ichor never realized that Norvhila fascination with him, and her consequent attentions of sexual nature, were very much inappropriate. Ichor felt flattered, and mostly thought he was bound to allow her to do whatever she wanted with him by duty and gratitude since he was living in her house and she was teaching him so much (or so she manipulated him to believe).
It took Ichor having a revealing conversation with Clirji when he was almost 18 to realize that he’d been stuck in an abusive relationship all along. Also, Norvhila had been hiding to him that his mother had been considered missing in action for months, because nobody heard from Shianead since her last report from wherever she was for her mission.
Ichor found out, when inquiring about his mother’s mission, that Norvhila wasn’t the only person in the institution that was doing morally twisted things that somehow they still considered “part of the balance of the world”.
In a last ditch effort to get free of Norvhila’s manipulations, Corey asked the institution’s schools’ council to go on a mission to find what happened to his mother and to consider that his “graduation mission”, a test that every student had to pass to prove that tey were ready to become a fullfledged member. Unexpectedly (and probably with a big push from Clirji), the council allowed him to leave.
Corey somehow still believed the institution could do some good, if he just got rid of the “twisted people”. He just find a way to actually make the right decision that would ripple the waters enough for that change to happen. And he had a feeling that finding his mother was just the first step in a much longer path.
(As a note, extra info. I think this could be more for a DM than a player but still relevant for both, especially the part about Clirji that could be considered a little bit of the conversation that cleared Corey’s mind on how things worked inside the institution. Corey is still convinced that, at the core, the institution was doing good [it’s something he always thought]. But, the what the institution truly does in my mind is gathering knowledge to use it as a merchandise for trade; they don’t really care to whom they give it, if the purpose is to maintain a balance. They think, since they gather the most knowledgeable and smart people in the world, that they have the power to pick and choose who and what will tip the scale so that the universe won’t be destroyed. But mostly, they are the reason why wars start and end by manipulating other people so that they could get richer by selling their information to both sides [too much power corrupts and all that shit, you know...]. Clirji, despite being aware of the problem, stayed in the institution as a teacher to try and help the students, to warn them if he could, help them get out of that life too if possible, or scare them away with his harsh attitude if that was the only way that worked. Because he felt like he had no other way to break that machine that made him too other than trying to take away the best minds from them. In a sense, Clirji also tried as much as possible to keep the schools and the institution proper to be very distinct and separate, but it was very difficult since he was one of the few people that was fighting against the system from the inside [and teachers were mostly members of the institution too, it was rare to have outsiders as such important staff figures that could shape the students minds]. When Clirji tried to become headmaster of the higher level school, for example, everyone looking in as an outsider would have picked Clirji since he was so accomplished as a teacher. But the council knew by that point that he was against what the institution truly had become, so they just made him retire, telling him he was too old even to be a teacher. And they obviously picked someone that would fit them better and would turn a blind eye on behaviors like Norvhila’s.)
SUGGESTION CORNER
Suggested features
Ability scores: High Wisdom and Dexterity (try to keep as high as possible Intelligence too), Low Charisma
Skill proficiencies: Investigation, Insight, Perception
Others: I had to really think which animal would fit for him as his bestial appearance. At the end of the day, I feel any bird of prey would fit him very well: a classic eagle, a nice hawk or even a raven would be wonderful. If you want to go for something more “classic but still different”, a fox could be a nice pick as well considering his backstory.
Suggested Characteristics
Trait: I’m willing to listen to every side of an argument before I make my own judgement.
Ideal: The world needs to be constantly in balance. But to keep it that way sometimes you need to act, be bold instead of keeping still.
Bond: I want to unveil the corruption that’s hiding inside the institution that made me love knowledge so much.
Flaw: After a shift, I behave more animalistic than usual for a little time. It unnerves me to no end when people get to see that wild side. (This depends on the animal you pick but it could be mimicking for a crow, pouncing like a fox, little thing like that, easy to roleplay and remember but that can really bring funny moment in a session too. Have fun with it!).
BARD College of WHISPERS - HALFLING Lightfoot - Gambler
I know it’s been a long time since that introduction post, but I wanted to have some things ready before getting this blog started. And now, here we are. The first actual “character analysis” thingy is here. I hope you enjoy it.
Name: Cora Wildheart (34yo)
TAROTS
Mind: The hanged man (upright)
Cora is the kind of person that struggles a lot with dilemmas. She overthinks important things to the point of feeling trapped by the need of taking a decision. She sometimes loses perception of the situation at hand and just tries to find a getaway from it. That’s usually when she ends up making very stupid decisions and getting into trouble.
Body: Five of cups (upright)
This is kind of a hard one. To me it immediately talked about a physical loss Cora had to deal with. While she still tries not to cry over it and hide her suffering behind a brave face and a shiny smile, she still has a lot of lingering anger brewing under the surfaces. Which made me wonder if she still blames more herself for this loss other than someone else.
Spirit: Four of swords (reversed)
Like I just said, her physical loss really did a number on her all around. Hence why her spirit is very hurt. She had a deep need for self-care to heal from it and she tried isolating. Didn’t really work apparently (figures, a bard usually thrives with an audience, after all). Yet, maybe going out in the world once again might be the right way for her to find a sense of new self and new mental strength.
Past: Ace of wands (upright)
Cora’s past is filled with a discovery of potential, with the fiery attitude of a person that is always up to a new challenge, that loves to embrace the creative spark that’s been gifted to her. There’s also an undertone of fertility in this card, that added up with that physical loss coming from her body, made me think that she gave birth and maybe things didn’t really end up in the best way possible.
Present: Five of wands (reversed)
In general, this card gives me a huge vibe that because of her past, at present Cora struggles with confrontation. Like, she doesn’t like them at all. So she either does everything she can to put an end to them, or she avoids them. I feel like it could go either way depending on the kind of confrontation; she could be very aggressive and hot tempered about it and fight tooth and nails. Or be very shy and demure to the point of just giving up for the sake of ending the conversation.
Future: Knight of cups (upright)
So, this is a hard one for Cora. Because at this point with what I had with the previous cards I kind of had built up in my mind that she lost both the person she loved and a child at birth. And this card is mostly about following your heart, finding warm affection and even diplomacy, which I just explained is something she struggles with. Since it’s a “future” card I feel like it should mostly work as a suggestion on what you should look out for her while playing. I suggest leaning on the conflicts, especially within the party (yet, react as you feel is appropriate for her at the time). There lies her growth as a character (and maybe some love).
FULL BACKSTORY
Abandoned at birth, Cora always considered family her adoptive moms, Yeselle and Diafira, and her 2 older brothers, Milosh and Reed. She never had many luxuries in life, but she was lucky enough to live in a very big house, even if she had to share it with the entire Wildheart family (composed of Diafira’s older brothers, Evan, Ander, Barvias, Coramin and their families). She had a happy childhood, filled with laughter and the friendship of her many many cousins.
Yet, that demure life of sacrifices left her with a desire to find a quick way to get richer, especially once she got exposed to the outside world around her teenage years.
While at first she was a patron at one of the clubs in her town where there was a lot of gambling, she was quickly noticed by an enforcer of the criminal syndicate that run the place, mainly for her beauty but also for her way with words (which was the reason why she was even allowed to be in the club in the first place).
For a time she was kind of an insider at tables, the kind of player planted just to make big spenders think they were winning before making them go for the big hit and have them lose lots of money. But being there, exposed to the life of the club, especially before and after opening hours, had her dabbling with the instruments of the people that performed at the club.
She quickly picked up a knack for playing, and put her free time and money to have people teach her how to play the viola and the flute (and taught herself how to play water glasses just to use it as a trick at the tables to distract/annoy people while playing).
It was because of her passion of hanging out with the entertainment of the club after closing hour, that Cora fell in love with one of the performers, Oswald Fiddlefun. The lad convinced her that she would never really get to be a performer as long as she kept working in the club, cause the syndicate was more interested in the money she was bringing them as a plant at tables than her talent with any instrument. So, after planning for a couple of weeks, she decided to run away to pursue a life as an artist on the road with him. It didn’t really work that well.
From the start they realized that neither of them really had the skills necessary to live without the support of a company while on the road. And even when they were in some village or town, an unknown duo of performers was not paid really that much, sometimes not even in room and board for the night. Still, they tried to hang onto each other and Cora even got pregnant soon enough.
After months of a life of misery and traveling, with Cora very much pregnant and both of them struggling to find their way out of a forest in the middle of nowhere, they were attacked by a group of bandits. While Cora was very meek and tried to give everything she had to the bandits to protect her yet to be born child, Oswald was a true coward: he created a distraction and as soon as he could, he run away, leaving Cora behind, alone with the bandits.
After that sudden show of magic from Oswald, the bandits were even more convinced they had to be hiding something precious and pressure Cora. Despite all the crying and repeating of how dirt poor she actually was, none of them believed her; tired of her whining, they decided to just kill her and get whatever she was hiding from her corpse.
Left for dead with a couple of deep stab wounds to her torso, Cora was saved by a druid that was alerted by the noise of the bandits running away while complaining of the meagre spoils. The druid, that she later found out was called Tianamin, took her to his village. There she was healed properly, yet there was nothing anyone could do to save her baby.
Still mourning the loss of the baby boy and trying to deal with the anger of Oswald leaving her to die and never even looking back or trying to search for her, Cora stayed with at the druid’s village for some time, reflecting on what she wanted to do with her future.
Sick and tired of depending on other people, she decided to become the only person she would trust with saving herself and really started learning the ways of a true bard.
SUGGESTION CORNER
Suggested features
Ability scores: High Charisma and Dexterity, Low Strength and Intelligence.
Skill proficiencies: Persuasion, Perception, Sleight of hands
Musical instrument proficiencies: viola, flute, water glasses (as already mentioned)
Others: a multiclass in rogue could be a good idea, but it might feel a little too much on the nose with her background. So you do you.
Suggested Characteristics
Trait: The perfect bet is out there somewhere. I just have to keep my eyes open.
Ideal: You can’t win if you’re dead. Live to fight another day, when the odds might be in your favor.
Bond: A criminal syndicate I once played for isn’t happy I left the game and its enforcers are looking for me. (There is also still that grudge with Oswald, fyi.)
Flaw: No one wants to know my real story. So I make up a new one each time.
