Arkzer

Arkzer is a short tiefling male with pale, red skin. He is leatherworker and tanner who finds conversation intimidating. He avoids confrontation, whenever possible, and always seems nervous in conversation.

Motivations: Arkzer is a reformed criminal who lost his home, family and business when he was jailed. He is trying to rebuild his life, and just wants to stay out of trouble by keeping his head down.

Relationships: Arkzer lives a mostly solitary life. He is friends with the local blacksmith, Smitty, who helps him out when work is slow. Arkzer still has a lasting fear of authorities, and will cower or stare at his feet when town guards approach.

Other: Unknown to Arkzer, he is an unwilling therianthrope under the power of a local politician. Arkzer does not recall his transformations, or the dark acts he performs while transformed. However, he knows that he sometimes wakes up naked, miles from home.

Combat Stats: Arkzer uses weretiger stats when he is in his transformed shape.

By u/TooManyPossums

Baldar the Blacksmith

Baldar is a Dwarf who elected to reject Dwarven traditions and to travel the human lands. He is tall (for a Dwarf), with red hair, and is clean shaven. Originally, he had plans to elope with Melody, but things went awry in the remote hamlet where they were staying.

Motivations: Rescue or avenge Melody (DM's choice).

Relationships: Melody. A human woman with a beautiful singing voice. They were happily travelling from city to city, until Melody caught the unfortunate gaze of Tom.

Tom, a nobleman's son who attempted to cheat Baldar on a commissioned piece. After a brief altercation, Tom arranged for Melody's capture/murder.

Other: Baldar will not suffer any mention or glorification of Dwarven society. He is cold and curt towards other dwarves, especially 'highborn' dwarves. Baldar is constantly tinkering with faulty inventions that may/may not work.

Combat Stats: Baldar uses the stat block of a knight, but he wields a warhammer and one of his inventions. His invention will be an item that can cast a third level spell (DM's choice), but it has a 25% chance of breaking each time it is used.

By u/phoenixmusicman

Captain Yreffej Martin

Captain Yreffej Martin is a gruff old Mountain Dwarf who has been piloting a transport barge for decades. He stands at just over four feet tall, has thick, dark gray hair, and always smells like a combination of tobacco, alcohol, and the sea.

Motivations: Captain Martin is motivated by little except his own boredom and a need for coin. He hardly ever leaves his barge, opting to sleep in his quarters even if his whole crew is staying on shore. He has never never named his barge, as he decries the practice and odd and childish. Yreffej is always very serious in conversation, and rarely speaks unless spoken to.

Relationships: Captain Martin has twin sons, Jeffery and Schmeffery, who are in their late teens. They spent most of their adolescence living on the barge, assisting with their father's business, and keeping their family fed. Yreffej's wife died in childbirth. Yreffej holds some resentment towards them, especially as they have now grown, and yearn to leave the confines of the barge.

Other: Captain Martin is highly defensive of the few people he legitimately likes. He will curse and fight if someone has offended or insulted his friends. His business specializes in transportation of live animals, and as such hes has proficiency in animal handling, and naval vehicles.

By u/tracibaker328

Carver Arkwright

Master carpenter of moth-proof trunks, chests of drawers, desks (often roll-top), and bureaus (often with fold-open liquor cabinets). He also crafts "Bewilders"; wooden jigsaw puzzles, made of a variety of exotic woods. His cheaper puzzles are made of pine, stained to appear as different woods.

Motivations: Quiet, but smiling and friendly. He is wholly dedicated to crafting the “best” cedar chests and trunks in the world.

Relationships: His wife is Charity Wimcarver, a fun-loving, talented hairdresser. A good listener and sympathizer, who fidgets when her husband rants about moths or chases them. Charity is a somewhat impulsive woman; she once stole a necklace off of a noblewoman who insulted her, and threw the necklace into the river. Charity and Carver have four children; Cesar and Traci-Kae are apprentice hairdressers, Bessa carves things, and little Quinn is an aspiring fletcher.

Other: Carver has a severe phobia of moths. Butterflies are fine, but moths are foul devourers of clothing that must be destroyed. He believes that moths are inherently evil, and out to get him. Carver has an unconscious tendency to eat each meal anti-clockwise around the plate starting from the right side, and generally keeps each type of food from touching another.

By u/Chikimunki

Constancius and Melissa

Constancius is a burly human in his late 40s, with scars and burn marks covering a good part of his arms and torso. Constancius works a large and imposing acreage; the largest single property in the county (aside from the local Lord, of course). Constancius is wedded to an equally imposing half-orc named Melissa. Although they are warm individuals, they are guarded with strangers who might not approve of their marriage. When Constancius was a young man, a red dragon began roosting in the nearby foothills. Constancius stood firm on his land, and successfully fended off several attacks. Melissa was a member of the adventuring party that eventually came to slay the dragon.

Motivations: Constancius is very proud of his farm, and the high-quality products that he sells. He is a simple man who loves his wife, and his home. He and Melissa hope that some day, one of their three sons will return from their adventures to tend the family land. Constancius believes in being neighborly and helpful to his fellow farmers.

Relationships: Constancius and Melissa are well-regarded in their county. Although many did not initially approve of the pairing of a half-orc and human, the town has come to respect the couple. Constancius' produce and meats are very high quality, and they have brought a lot wealth into the county.

Other: Constancius is the latest incarnation of a running cosmic joke. The Gods have seen fit to bless him with every virtue that could make his name ring throughout history, except for the ambition to leave home. Constancius does not know this.

By u/UndercoverDoll49

Deirdre Copperback

Deirdre Copperback is a brass dragonborn. Her patronym is a callback to her family's failed political machinations; an attempt to ingratiate themselves to the Copper nobility of their homeland. Deirdre is particularly tall and broad; her size suits her calling as a gate guard. Though she follows guard protocol to the letter, she is rarely without a smile as broad as her shoulders.

Motivations: Deirdre loves her home city, and she hopes hopes to endear everyone else to the city's charms. Her parents, on the other hand, have always held always begrudged the city to which they had to flee. Deirdre nothing more than to serve her home and to sing its praises.

Relationships: Deirdre lives with her parents, Chorn and Desmoda, and her older sister Stella. However, their relationship is quite strained; the older Copperbacks still hold tightly on to their love for "the old country". Deirdre has a number of friends among the city watch and gets along especially well with Pordnog Stogg, the half-orc with whom she shares most of her shifts at the city gate.

Other: Deirdre is bubbly, excited and enthusiastic. Though she would never allow someone through without proper documentation, she will inadvertently hold up the line going into the city by getting to know each and every person who enters.

By u/latinperegrino

Fisherman Stan

Fisherman Stan is a human fisherman who lives with his family on the lake. He has a scruffy beard and a missing ear. Although rough on the outside every once in a while he shows his nice personality.

Motivations: He works hard all day every day to make money to pay the best doctors around to try and help his sick son. He wants nothing more than for his son to be well again.

Relationships: Stan has a strong relationship with his family and close friends. Although, most people think he is stand-offish, and his friends are few. Stan was previously known to frequent the town pub every night, but since his son fell ill, he has not been seen buying drinks. Most of the town speaks about Fisherman Stan with a tone of respect, sympathy and pity.

Other: Fisherman Stan’s wife and some of his friends are a little worried at how desperate he has become to save his son's life. Stan is reaching the breaking point where he may try something drastic to save his son. Crime, magic and even necromancy are not out of the question.

By u/Kdjp777

Mara Orner

Mara Orner is a skinny human girl of 15 years. She is the youngest of four children; a slim and frail girl, Mara has always been thought of as the baby of the family. She took employment as a maid at Tresendar Manor, after father gave up trying to get her to work the fields. Mara is still learning the ropes, but she is good at keeping things tidy. Her clothes are simple and unadorned, except for an iron amulet shaped like a wheel.

Motivations: Mara wants to leave Phandalin some day, and move to a big city where they speak many languages. She believes in fairness and turning the other cheek.

Relationships: Mara is nervous around her employers, especially the Dragonborn nobility. When her duties are complete, she enjoys working up the courage to ask her employers about the adventures they have been on. She gets on well with her family, even though she is often teased by her older, brawnier siblings.

Other: Mara likes to listen to conversations in other languages, and has an innate ability to speak other languages fluently. When she’s nervous she seems to slur or stammer but she is actually speaking random words in other languages without realizing it. Mara has a “knack” for languages, and can understand and speak any language she has heard at least once for a whole conversation.

By u/Shudso

Rorik Hoggs

Rorik Hoggs is a middle-aged half-orc pig farmer and butcher. Although he is loud, crude, and boisterous, he doesn't have a single malicious bone in his body. He has greyish skin, a stocky build, and a stubbly beard. He wears battered leather boots, overalls, and a homespun blue hat with ear flaps.

Motivations: Rorik believes in hard work, good times, and keeping his nose out of trouble. He's just fine farming pigs, thank you very much, and he has no desire to get tangled up in "hero business".

Relationships: Rorik's mother is something of a town disgrace, for having kept and raised him after the orc raids. She and Rorik are quite close, and he is quite defensive of his mother. Rorik doesn't have many close friends; even his cousins are wary of having a half-orc live so close by. Rorik's group of drinking buddies are a variety of village oddballs and outcasts. Rorik is clumsily trying to court the handsome town baker. Although he has publicly and vehemently shot Rorik down on every attempt, the baker sneaks out at night to leave pastries or pies on Rorik's doorstep when he thinks nobody is looking.

Personality: Rorik has a farmer's gift for gab, but his accent is fairly unintelligble, due to his tusks. He treats his pigs extremely well, and can often be seen with a piglet or two in tow (Rorik believes that happy hogs make for savory sausages).

Combat Stats: Monster Manual's Commoner, but with 14 STR, 14 CON, and wielding a cleaver (handaxe).

By u/notpetelambert

Guards and Mercenaries

Gorett Baird

Gorett Baird is a minotaur paladin. Like most of his race, he creature to behold standing over 7ft tall with shoulders as wide as a normal doorway. Despite his deep voice, he speaks with kindness to all people he meets. He wears a half-plate and carries a great axe at his side. He works as a bartender but will often take time from his job to ensure whatever town he stays in remains safe from harm.

Motivations: Gorett's only desire is to ensure common folk are safe to live their lives without fear. Gorett rushes into battle with little thought to his own safety, hoping to draw as much attention towards himself as possible.

Relationships: Gorett is well-liked by the regulars at the tavern where he works. However, there are always a few people who fear minotaurs, and believe that one day, he is going to snap.

Other: Many years ago, Gorett was the unwilling puppet of a powerful sorceror. When the sorceror was killed, Gorett's mind was freed once again. However, he feels immense guilt for the acts he was force to commit. As penance, he has dedicated himself to a holy order that protects the weak.

By u/TooManyPossums

Percival Sylwynn

Percival Sylwynn is a 33 years old half-elf of human and high-elf ancestry. He is tall with an atypically powerful, wide build. Percival has short blonde hair, and a short beard. During a routine shipping excursion for his mother's guild, Percival's ship was run aground during a sudden storm. After assisting the island's Tortle inhabitants, they showed Percival a way to connect with their guardian spirits. Percival swore their oaths, and became a champion of the Turtle God.

Motivations: Percival is secretly ashamed of his low intelligence, and ineptitude at magic. He wants to impress his father, and learn more magic. However, these efforts are largely in vain. Percival takes his oaths seriously, and desires to do good in the name of his Turtle God. Percival also wishes to find trace of his mother, who has been missing since the storm that wrecked their fleet.

Relationships: Percival is very close to his family. His father is a well-known elven diplomat and mage. His younger sister seems to have inherited all the arcane gifts that Percival never did, she is apprentice and assistant to their father. His brother is a sworn knight, with a strong aptitude for magic. Percival's best friend is a cleric/warlock named Anthony. Percival also has a Tortle squire.

Other: Percival reacts with annoyance, or even anger when his intelligence is insulted. He is a good ally, reliable in a fight, with many skills.

By u/1Jusdorange

Whispers in the Moonlight

Whispers is a musclebound Tabaxi with short dark gray hair, and green eyes. He is usually found skulking about the docks, the main square or near the watch barracks. Whispers is the leader of the Misty-Marsh Clan and is usually hunting for mercenary work.

Motivations: Whispers is burdened by the weight of being responsible for his mercenary clan. It has been some time since their last big job, and coin is running short.

Relationships: The Misty Marsh Clan has seven members, including Whispers. They are all rogues and fighters who specialize in ambush tactics. They've lived a comfortable life for the past few years, taking high profile jobs that were relatively safe. However, jobs have been a bit scarce lately, and they're being forced to take more risks.

Other: Whispers talks with a hushed voice that can be difficult to hear in a noisy environment. In combat, however, he switches to a booming shot that carries well.

Combat: Start with the "Veteran" (MM p.350), but swap STR and DEX, and swap Athletics with Acrobatics. Give him +5 Stealth, lowering AC to 16 (breast plate), and finishing it off with a scimitar +1. Don't forget that he has the Tabaxi ability Feline Agility.

By u/Langston723

Innkeepers and Merchants

Darryl Goldencaw

Darryl Goldencaw is a Kenku shopkeeper in a remote town. His shop is best described as a general goods store, since his inventory lacks a clear sense of focus and organization. "Cheap" trinkets are overpriced, and useful items can be bought with sticks and stones --that is, if you can some. Darryl is loud, eccentric, and stupid. The only reason he was able to obtain the land for the shop was because of him being mistaken for a member of the well-to-do Goldenclaw flock.

Motivations: His mothivations are quite simple; get the shiniest things. He is rarely moved by political or social influences. He is quite dim-witted.

Relationships: Darryl's social circle is small. He is very friendly with his next-door neighbor; the barbarian armourer. He values their friendship greatly, because he likes to come next door and look at all the shiny things.

Other: Darryl also has some strange attraction to magical items. They seem to just entrance him.

By u/SamasAlexandria

Drake Hopkins

Drake is a short and stout human male with shoulder length black hair, a scruffy black beard, and green eyes. He carries a 5-inch knife that he mostly uses to open bottles. He owns a tavern called "The Silver Halberd" in a run-down part of the city but seems make ends meet. Many unattended children, whose parents are about their trades, hang about the tavern.

Motivations: Drake inherited The Silver Halberd from his uncle. Although the tavern has seen better days, Drake is deeply invested in the bar's success. Drake works hard for his coin, and he is quite protective of what he has. He is known to intervene if violence erupts in or around his tavern. Relationships: Drake's husband is a fisherman named Leon. Leon is a tall, clean-shaven northman with blonde hair. Leon is seldom seen about the tavern, as he is usually out fishing, or selling his catch. Drake is protective of his flock of waifs that hang about the tavern.

Other: Drake is quite religious, though he keeps his devotion to himself. He will vigorously debate and defend the honor of his lawful-good God. He wears a pendant with his God's symbol, but avoids questions about his faith.

By u/gormes

Drimbun Honorbeard

Mr. Honorbeard is an old dwarf, who likes to sit at his favorite inn and tell stories over beer. He has a long, well-groomed silver beard, and a set of fine blue robes. He is rarely seen without his pipe; a traditionally carved pope of Dwarven design. Mr. Honorbeard will freely dispense advice, witticisms or stories to anyone who happens near. His main profession when he was young was mining. Mr. Honorbeard is a widower; his wife Helja was considered a great beauty who had a fine, silky beard.

"I never saw a woman with a finer beard, than my Helja"

Motivations: Wisdom has to be passed down to the next generation, and if anybody needs an old dwarf, Drimbum Honorbeard will be there for you. He is as jovial as the day is long, and quite excitable when the talk falls on stones, metal, life in general, Stone Giant runes, or his Helja (whom he will tell you about).

Relationships: Mr Honorbeard had no more important relationship than the one with Helja; she was a good and loving woman who gave him children, and kept his hearth warm. Drimbum's children (5 sons and 1 daughter) and many grandchildren fills his life. His days at the inn are usually spent smoking tobacco with old friends from the mine, many of whom he has known for over a century.

Other: If the adventures talk about which way to go, he happily interrupts to offer his help and to be their guide

By u/Austevol

Edward the Half-Baked

Edward Filister, more commonly known by his nickname “The Half-Baked,” is an older human man with a graying beard and sullen eyes. Edward’s nickname comes from the various thoughtless defenses he makes for the village he lives in. These range from the bundles of onions he has hanged in his hut (he couldn’t find garlic so he thought that onions would be the next good deterrent to vampires) to a stack of experimental concoctions he made; his personal favorite being the Bomb of Manure Smelling.

Motivations: Edward is a somewhat manic individual who believes that the defense of the town is solely in his hands. He is also quite delusional; he will gladly spout to any nearby traveler about the “true” origin of his defenses. According to Edward, he had been a great traveler in his past who trekked across the nation only to discover the various monsters that inhabit distant lands. However, any villager that is asked about Edward will point out that he actually just had a small encounter with some wolves near some ruins, and that he just moved from a village in the next county over.

Relationships: Edward’s fellow villagers have split opinions. Children and some of the more kind-hearted villagers don’t mind Edward’s hare-brained defenses. He is thought of as a harmless prankster. Others are disdainful of Edward, and believe his time would be better spent doing a truly helpful task for the village. Edward has a good relationship the village’s herbalist, Abe Johnson, who typically pays Edward to gather herbs from the nearby woods.

Other: As mentioned, most of Edward’s defenses range from being useless to minor inconveniences. Edward takes joy in telling his stories to anyone nearby who will listen, (especially children). Edward is usually friendly towards traveling adventurers. However, Edward is distinctly fearful of anyone who belongs to a "monstrous" race. He may harass such individuals with his various "defenses".

Combat Stats: Use the typical commoner stats while adding a band of potions that do a random, non-damaging effects. Some examples of these effects might be: Color-Change Potion, Instantaneous Flatulation Potion, his favorite Potion of Manure Smelling, along with any other humorous potions you can think of.

By u/DaikoMoon

Fletcher Broa

Fletcher is a tall, thin male elf with blonde hair pulled back in a bun. He is a bowyer, as in he makes and repairs bows. He is the co-owner of Fletcher and Bowyer LTT, which he runs with his best friend, Bowyer Urnes.

Motivations: Fletcher is a calm, quiet man with a devilish sense of humor. He loves his craft, and spends his free time practicing marksmanship and woodcarving.

Relationships: Fletcher's best friend is Bowyer, who he runs his store with. They have been friends since they were children and naturally grew towards the opposite profession as their names, something they both find hilarious.

Other: Fletcher will purposely act confused when a customer asks for a bowyer or fletcher, and will tease them alongside Bowyer. He will be the first one to clear the confusion and try and laugh with the customer over their little prank.

By u/Wrenigade

Greggan

Greggan is an older human male and retired sailor/pirate.

Motivations: Greggan is never above bending the rules to make a quick buck, but he is also somewhat lazy in his old age. He avoids endeavors that are "troublesome". Greggan wants to feel safe in his new home after many long years of loss, and many close calls on his life. He seeks redemption to some degree, to atone for various crimes he has committed out of desperation for coin as a pirate. However, Greggan is not too inclined to go to great lengths for redemption.

Relationships: Greggan has retired to a small island nation with a few of his old crew ( 4 human males). His ship is pretty shabby, and has not been truly seaworthy in many years. Greggan's aged crew is fiercely loyal; they have always trusted their captain to lead them though many close scrapes. Greggan makes a point of being friends with the local magistrate, as well as various dockworkers and ship's captains who live nearby.

Other: Greggan has a particular fondness for coconut rum, and has been known to accept it as payment for small tasks.

Combat: Greggan is a level three fighter, but has particularly mediocre stats in strength (10), dex (13), and con (12), because of his advanced age. He wields a scimitar and fights in weathered leather armor

By u/tracibaker328

Gymnura Morahn

Gymnura "Nura" Morahn is a retired dwarven craftswoman and innkeeper and barkeep. Nura is a tough old dwarf who is missing her right eye as result from an incident when she was young. She wears an eyepatch over her "bad" eye, or her old craftsman's goggles with the lense that broke during the incident. She wears simple, fireproof clothes (a habit from her foundry days). As the proprietor of the Fading ember, a hole in the wall frequented by factory workers and miners, Gymnura plies her skills to keep the inn cool and free from soot.

Motivations: Nura enjoys running her small inn and maintaining the various contraptions, and the herb garden sje keeps in her yard. Nura also serves as an ally to those seeking to find shelter from the Dwarven lawbringers, and her inn is an essential piece of the efforts to ferry those unjustly targeted by the lawbringers ire. Nura serves as a maternal figure to many and her inn acts as a safe haven to those who know of it.

Relationships: Nura was once a master craftsman, with many contacts in the trade. She is a friendly, matronly figure to anyone who comes to her. She is not afraid to wield her reputation to get what she needs done.

Other: In her old age (she's getting towards 650) she's grown fond of gardening and working on smaller more personal projects. She has a bit of a tense relationship with the cities Lawmaster, as she's suspected of aiding criminals though no evidence has been found.

by u/therocketbear

Hilna "Fishguts" Filgar

Hilna is a human fisherwoman, sailor and merchant. She is short and stocky with an ample bosom and bright red hair that is beginning to gray. She has always had a love for the sea, and has spent more than half of her life sailing it as a result. Although her long-distance seafaring days are over, she is captain of a small fishing boat that she uses to make a living along with her husband, Yonn. They live together in a small shack opposite the wharf where they berth their ship.

Motivations: Hilna has lead an honest life selling fresh fish in town for nearly two decades, and will likely work on her boat until her joints give out. She has a bad temper, a mistrust of strangers, a penchant for rum, and a fondness for sea shanties (the raunchier, the better.) If there's information on the docks to be found, she can find it, for a fee.

Relationships: Hilna's husband, Yonn, is of similar age and girth, although he stands nearly two feet over his wife. Hilna knows every local sailor and regular traveling merchant that passes through the docks by name, as well as the names of their vessels and their typical cargo.

Other: She will explain to anyone who asks that her nickname comes from her profession, but a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Insight) check will see through this well-rehearsed lie. If confronted about her past, she'll roll up her sleeves to reveal more than a dozen pirate tattoos. If discovered, she will refuse to talk about her former life in any more detail, but may be willing to introduce the adventurers to a "former associate", for the right price. Yonn is similarly indisposed to speak of their former life.

Combat Stats: She uses the bandit stat block, but she carries only a dagger and is proficient in water vehicles.

By u/schm0

Ian MacTilion

Ian is a retired human fighter, who has opened up shop to sell fishing supplies and everything related the water. He runs a small shop in a two story building with his wife Arlinn NiTilion. Their daughter, Rowyn, can usually be found around the shop which takes up most of the ground floor. Ian has curly ginger hair, that is starting to grey, green eyes and a large, muscular frame to this day. He has a slight accent, and likes to tell huge sailor's stories to his customers.

Motivations: After retiring from his adventuring days, Ian simply seeks peace and the ability to feed his family with his sales. He is very protective of his wife and daughter, sometimes to a fault.

Relationships: Ian greatly loves his wife, who is his childhood sweetheart. His father, who was a fisherman, has handed his ship and work down to Ian's older brother. Ian often recieves correspondences from his brother, and looks forward the regular letters. After closing his shops Ian sometimes spends time at the local tavern, to visit his friend, the innkeep. Ian does not like the fact that Rowyn is approaching the age of marriage and will react poorly to attempts of courtship

Other: If Ian notices that the players are adventurers, Ian will excitedly tell the players embellished stories about his youthful adventures. He may even know a bit of information on nearby locations that might be of interest to the party. Ian also dislikes formalities and calls all male adventurers laddie and all females lass. If business is good he may even feel generous and give a discount.

By u/ninodonlord

John Johnson Sr.

John is the owner and founder of "Johnson and Sons Magical Supplies", a magical supply shop in a gnomish city. He is a large human, tall and broad and is late middle aged. He has a booming voice, and personality to match. He has the slick mannerisms of a used car salesman, and is always willing to make a deal.

Motivations: John is an entrepreneur and salesman. BEfore anything else, he is in the business of acquiring rare or interesting magical items and then selling them for a profit. He is also a gregarious family man, who wants to leave a strong business legacy for his sons.

Relationships: John's most important relationships are with his two sons, who are also his business partners. John Jr. is a much smaller and quieter man than his sire; he is the accountant of the business. Robert, who has been trained as a wizard, is crafter and appraiser of magical items.

Other: John and his sons run a totally legitimate business and frown upon anyone who would try to sell them anything illegal or "shady", if pressed he will cease all business negotiations. He moved his family to this Gnomish city, because he is fascinated with the "little creatures", and would like to know more about them. He has a deep respect for Gnomish ingenuity, and is proud of Robert for succeeding as an apprentice to a Gnomish wizard. John won't admit to his fascination aloud to anyone, and he will visibly grumble about the difficulties of living in a Gnomish city as a particularly tall man.

by u/Vernonite1

Kresh the Wainwright

Kresh is a wainwright; he owns a stable and wagon repair shop. He is a strong, broad-shouldered half-orc with tan skin and wiry black hair. Kresh grew up in an orphanage, and became apprenticed to a wainwright when he aged out. His master was kind, but stern and exacting on Kresh. When his master died, Kresh bought the workshop, and set up his own business. Despite his heritage, Kresh is respected as an honest man who works hard.

Motivations: Kresh and his wife are currently trying to start a family, so he is very focused on cementing his livelihood while saving for the future. He is polite, straightforward and is known for charging a fair price for honest work.

Relationships: His wife, Orla, is a tall half-orc with thick braided hair. She helps tend to the horses, and does most of his book-keeping. She works hard alongside her beloved, and hopes that Luthic will soon grant them a son.

Other: Kresh is an uncommonly patient half-orc, but he is not afraid to fight. Kresh is fond of horses; he respects the strength and work ethic of draft and plow horses.

Combat Stats: Kresh uses commoner stats, but with the following changes: 12 Strength, 12 Wisdom, Proficiency in Animal Handling but only for horses, ponies, donkeys, mules, camels, oxen or other beasts of burden.

By u/schm0

The Lady of Sins

The Lady of Sins is a very old human woman; by far the oldest person in her village. She has an old cottage that looks to be barely holding itself up, where she practices her trade of reading the future. At first glance, you would swear that she is a weathered corpse propped up in a chair, but she is quite strong and healthy.

Motivations: The Lady of Sins loves to tell stories of her past, though many of them seem incongruous and more than just a bit raunchy. She enjoys seeing people being put off guard and will often post on job boards when she wants more company. She is a mischievous old lady. She likes when gets to deliver good news in her readings.

Relationships: She doesn't have very many people that visit her regularly, and no family that anyone can speak of. Her door is always open and she always has a pot of tea ready for any who walk through her door, even if it is the middle of the night. Her neighbors speak of her in reverent, amused tones.

Other: She welcomes all who have the unfortunate ill-favor of visiting her shop, "Dark Tragedies". She knows that now is always time of uncertainty, and new experiences. She believes she is here to help guide all through life with her card and tea readings.

The Lady of Sins can cast augury at will when she reads tea leaves or does her card readings. She will often mention something from the character's backstory but it may not make sense at the time. If she is very fond of someone, she might even give them more direct advice from her tea and card readings.

By u/varansl

Marcus Greenfingers

Motivations: Marcus is a brawny human man with salt and pepper hair, and a rough-stubbled face. Marcus is the proprietor of the Red Goat Inn; a small tavern and boarding house in the crafting district. After his father died, Marcus sold the family farm and moved to the big city. Marcus is a warm and welcoming man with an earthy sense of humor, but gets frustrated when his patrons complain about his off-color jokes.

Relationships: Brina is Marcus' wife, a tall, blonde half-elf who was a glassblower before she married Marcus and become his business partner. While Brina is absolutely serious when it comes to running the inn, she enjoys artistic pursuits and a has a soft spot for traveling musicians. Her connections in the crafting district are the key to the Greenfingers' success. Brina knows lots of tradesfolk, and can easily be persuaded to introduce patrons she likes to the best craftsmen in the city.

Other: When asked about the name of his inn, Marcus launches into a long-winded story about the last goat on his farm before he sold it. Rusty was the most ornery animal Marcus had eber met; the new farm owners insisted that Marcus take the billy with him when he left for the city. Marcus kept the goat as a pet when he first came to the city; now Rusty's taxidermied head adorns the mantle above the bar at the inn.

By u/rickg3

Marge Marrow

Marge is a human woman about 40 years old, with a pretty face and long golden brown hair. She’s tall with the broad shoulders and rough hands of a laborer. Marge is the sole owner of the Black Dog tavern, which is named for the statue of an onyx dog that stands near the inn's great fireplace. About a year back, Marge's husband (the previous innkeeper) left town and ran off with some girl. Marge is shy around strangers, but she is polite and helpful. She always keeps a loaded crossbow under the bar counter.

Motivations: Marge just wants a quiet life, to tend to the tavern, mind her business and give travelers a nice place to stay. She is very afraid of someone finding out that she killed Earl in the Master Suite, with the fire poker. Marge is afraid of this secret getting out; she fears that the unsympathetic magistrate won't understand how desperate she was.

Relationships: Marge has two employees, a sturdy Dwarven cook named Terry Smithdottir, and a teenaged Human girl, Paulina Potts. They are loyal to Marge, and they keep her secret. If discovered, Terry will opine that if Marge hadn't done Earl in, she would have done it for her. Marge is on friendly terms with most people in the village and is well liked. Marge is afraid of authorities, because she is scared they'll find out what she did.

Other: Marge has a tic where she’s always playing with her hair on the left side of her face. She's actually twining her long hair to hide a nasty scar on her neck; a reminder of the last time Earl got drunk. Lately, Marge has been having nightmares about a black stray that skulks near the inn. She secretly fears that the dog is the spirit of her husband, come back to torment her.

Combat Stats: Marge has the combat stats of a commoner with 12 dexterity and proficiency with the heavy crossbow.

By u/1Jusdorange

Piper Longmeadow

Piper Longmeadow is a middle-aged adult female halfling carpenter. She has a rough, "unsanded" look to her; simple shirt and pants, and a leather apron, with pockets to hold her tools. Around her waist, she wears a belt, with a longer than normal dagger.

Motivations: Piper is a well known carpenter in her town. Despite her strong reputation, and having plenty of work lined up, she just can't seem to keep herself out of the poorhouse. Piper can’t stand magic users; she is convinced that her family has been cursed by a warlock at some point in their line. Piper hopes to score a job doing contract work for the local Lord, since that would be certainly land her a steady income. Piper wants to buy a slightly run-down cottage that she can fix up nicely.

Relationships: Piper’s parents are dead, but she has a brother who has recently been involved in a local gang of troublemakers. She hasn’t seen him in several months, which isn’t out of the ordinary. She thinks he may have skipped town.

Other: Piper tends to fidget with her hands when she talks, she has a hard time being still. She can't help but point out problems that she sees in buildings wherever she goes. Her dagger is a family heirloom from her great great great grandfather, who used to be an adventurer.

Sandor Gildenhall, aka "Sandy", aka Sandor the "Halfwit"

Sandor is a human of twenty years with a learning disability who works as a tavern-keeper's assistant. He has dirty blonde hair cut in the shape of a bowl. He is friendly and free with his smiles. When Sandor speaks, he is somewhat slow. It may take him a few seconds to process responses. Sandor's boss, Grenn, usually keeps him in the back, washing dishes, cooking or tapping kegs. But, when the inn is particularly busy, Sandor is pressed into customer-facing work.

Motivations: Sandor is content working for Grenn, who pays him enough to keep food in his belly and a roof over his head. He has a big heart and likes to help people, but his kind nature and naivete have landed him in trouble on more than one occasion. He is not-so-secretly in love with one of the barmaids, Britta, and will stop mid-sentence to blush if she walks by.

Relationships: Grenn treats Sandor like a second son. He is patient, caring and protective, and will step in to protect Sandor when he is mistreated. Most regulars at the tavern are patient and kind towards him, but outsiders who do not know him often ridicule him for his manner of speech or try take advantage of his kind nature. Grenn keeps a close eye on Sandor, when strangers are about. Britta is polite and friendly towards Sandor, and thinks of him like a little brother.

Other: Sandor has a very keen memory (see below) and due to his proximity to many townspeople and travelers is a surprisingly good source of information and gossip. However, questioning Sandor for too long will attract the attention of a protective Grenn. If he is mistaken for a bartender, he will happily serve the adventurers but will not know any of the prices and instead will ask the PCs what they think the price should be and charge them accordingly.

By u/schm0

Silas Blackwood

Silas Blackwood is a tall human man with black hair and bright blue eyes. He used to live with his family on the Blackwood Estate before he married Katrina, the daughter of the patriarch of the Hillfire family. The two families had a feud of political and economic power. Silas's family disowned him for this, and he has been forced to live with the common folk. He now owns a tavern named as The Lost Lord's Inn.

Motivation: Silas would do anything to protect Katrina. He is prickly about his honor, and will not allow slights to himself, Katrina or to his inn. He is happy and content to continue living his life as it is.

Relationships: His wife Katrina and son Derian, of whom he loves deeply. He is also good friends with Gerald, the blacksmith next door.

Other: He is somewhat capable at swordplay, but much prefers to practice archery. He still owns his grandfather's antique bow and quiver.

By u/DeltaAngel23

Verla Goodleaf

Verla Goodleaf is a ginger-haired halfling, about 170 years old, and the last of a long line of herbalists specializing in the creation of natural remedies. As such, she often disappears for days at a time, surely to gather ingredients for the concoctions that she sells at her store. She is well regarded in her community, always willing to assist the sick and recommend treatment for any ailments that may trouble them. Lacking an heir, many families have offered Verla their young as apprentices, but she has always refused, saying that she doesn't doubt her lineage will carry on. She is always accompanied by Milo, a wolf that she claims to have found as a cub, injured and abandoned by his mother.

Motivations: In her travels, Verla met a ranger, and conceived a son with him. She left the child with his father to continue managing her shop, but would always visit them when she had the chance. On one occasion they were assaulted by a pack of werewolves while hunting. The ranger died trying to protect them, and their son was severely injured. Verla tended to his wounds to the best of her ability, but soon it became obvious that nothing she did would be enough to fully heal him. She took him and to this day still searches for a cure.

Relationships: Milo, who is actually Verla's son afflicted by lycanthropy and always in wolf form so as not to arise suspicion. Zigor, a young human wizard who owes his life to Verla after she cured him of a rare disease that nearly killed him when he was a young kid; he knows the truth about Milo and assists Verla in her research.

Other: Most people that know her ignore that she had a child, and know nothing of the incident with the werewolves. They simply think that her interest in werecreatures is a peculiar hobby, usually ignoring how obsessive she can be about it. She is sweet, talkative and friendly, although she never reveals much about herself, and is very protective of Milo.

By u/WildWereostrich

Willem Shipsail

“Willem is an aasimar urchin of 12 summers. He has bright blue eyes and blond curly hair that he currently dies jet black to avoid attention. His knees are full of scabs from living on the street, his face and hands are dirty, but there is no sign of sickness or illness on him. Willem was found abandoned in a bundle of ship sails on the morning after a night filled with shooting stars. He was taken in by a sailor's widow who has since disappeared. He now lives in the streets, on his own.”

Motivation: Willem is highly impressionable and his motivations tend to align with those of whomever he fancies as a role model at the time. Deep down, he’s looking for a purpose. Willem has great empathy for living creatures and often heals wounded animals in secret using his healing hands ability. He has a few pets that follow him around and are loyal to him. They all bare horrible scars. He’s shy about healing people after being warned by his mother against it.

Relationships: Willem’s intense charisma and force of will tend to make people uneasy as they find themselves doing what he wants but not understanding why after the fact. He doesn’t really have any friends although he’s liked well enough by most. What he does have though is an imp called Vol and a celestial named Don that both protect and influence him. They try to steer him towards gullible good and self-centered evil.

Other: When under great emotional stresses Willem may unleash one of the three aasimar transformations. He has no control over this. The situation, danger level and Willem’s mood at the time determine weather the energy is unleashed in radiant soul, radiant consumption or necrotic shroud form.

Combat Stats: Willem has the combat stats of a commoner, but with 18 Charisma and proficiency in deception and persuasion. He has the darkvision, celestial resistance, light bearer and healing hands features of aasimars.

By u/1Jusdorange

Yush and Varsar Batraz

"The twin brothers Yush and Varsar are two Orcs who own and run an inn called the Sea Salt Saloon. They look to be in the prime of their youth, and each bears the blue tattoos of those Orcs who live among other peoples on one of the arms (Yush on the left arm, Varsar on the right). Their voices carry throughout the tavern either with boisterous joviality or hotheaded fervor."

Motivations: Yush and Varsar are trying to make an honest living without drawing attention to themselves. They make fast friends with anyone except magic-users, who make the brothers nervous. They are not forthcoming with details about their lives outside the family business.

Relationships: The brothers are inseparably close, and neither will tolerate any disrespect or harm to the other. Other townsfolk may remark that they have another sibling, a younger brother, who left some time ago. The brothers do not want to discuss the subject.

Other: The Sea Salt Saloon is commonly regarded as a haunt for some unsavory elements in town.

By u/AOTKorby

Land Owners

Ulf Silktongue

Ulf Silktongue is the heir to the Silktongue family fortune, a vast trading empire that spans several nations and continents. He is a tall and portly rune dwarf.

Motivations: Ulf is all about the big dollars. He is not one to care too much about tarriffs or customs, often paying highwaymen or smugglers to do his dirty work. He has quite the way with words, and has worked himself into the good graces of many nobles and merchants in order to gain influence and expand his trade empire.

Relationships: Ulf has difficulty making close friends due to his narcissistic tendencies, as well as the demands of his business. His cousin, Gromka Silktongue, runs a small lumber operation. Although Ulf loves his cousin, the two of them don't talk much. Gromka's father was killed in a fit by Ulf's half-brother Ivan, in a fit of drunken rage.

Combat: Ulf is a level three College of Fortune Bard, who uses a jingling bag of gold pieces as his bardic focus.

By u/tracibaker328

Monstrous Citizens

Greedy McNothic

Greedy used to be a human wizard. He was esteemed by the community in which he lived, and used his mastery of the arcane arts to help defend the community against various threats. In its former life, Greedy was maimed, and fitted with a mithril prosthetic.

Greedy was once a respected and admired member of the arcane community. However, Greedy was secretly plotting to become a lich. The final ritual was foiled by a group of adventurers, and Greedy's "grand transformation" resulted in his current form.

Motivations: Greedy hides inside a labyrinth of caves, or within the local sewers. It still experiments on travelers and locals from time to time, but with a broken mind. The experiments serve no real purpose, apart from creating misery. Greedy is motivated to accumulate magical items and secrets in the hope that one of them will allow it to revert back to its true form and abilities.

Relationships: Greedy uses remaining fragments of its arcane mastery to turn corpses (that it finds) into undead. In its mind, this is necessary research and also a form of justice. It keeps a menagerie of undead beasts in its lair, its only "friends". Many of Greedy's friends may recall echoes of their past lives. For example, an undead mule may exhibit aggression against the cruel driver that once owned it.

Combat Stats: Greedy uses Nothic stats from the Monster Manual with added spells, adjusted HP or magic items to fit the CR required. I like giving it a bunch of wands that don’t recharge, and having Greedy unable to remember which wand does what.

By u/1Jusdorange

Katrio Doorbell

Katrio Doorbell is a young Kenku lady, with a long, blue veil that covers her face. She likes to sit in the tops of trees, playing with her music box, her pet weasle or other trinkets. Katrio is in charge of helping lost adventurers travel across the woods where she lives. Katrio's eyes are cursed; a petulant fairy caused her to always be able to see through illusions (a grave curse to a Kenku). Katrio loves it when people are able to trick, or deceive her, as she cannot participate in the traditional Kenku pastime of playing "spot the trick". Katrio has a blue silk purse that she keeps seeds in. She will share these seeds with people she likes.

Motivations: Katrio loves the quiet of the forest; she likes staying in the tops of the trees, where the forest is relatively still. When foreign creatures show up in her woods, Katrio is very interested in learning about them. Katrio is a bit of a romantic; she has read quite a few fairy tales, and tries to conduct herself as a proper "fairy tale participant". Katrio likes making up stories about her woods. You can't ever be sure what is made up, and what is true.

Relationships: Katrio's only friend is a human druid named Chamo. These two think of themselves as the protectors of their little forest. Katrio is also on speaking terms with a few fairies, and a strange, lone kobold who lives inside of a large mushroom deep inside the woods.

Other: Whenever Katrio comes across a new creature, she'll make up an elaborate back story for that creature. She's sometimes crestfallen to find out that her imagined adventures are contradicted by reality. She likes people who successfully (harmlessly) trick her in some way. Katrio will become very angry if anyone tries to remove her veil, or look at her eyes.

By u/Naxken

Fio’El Vash’ya

Fio’El is a stryx, a owl-like monstrosity created by Fey experimentation in crafting new creatures. She can pass as a normal sooty owl, so as long as she doesn’t speak. Like her fellow stryx, she has a large mouth hidden under her beak (on her neck) filled with gleaming human teeth. The mad experiment that created her blended shreds of mortal souls and dark magic in an unpredictable ritual. As a stryx, she’s expected to spy for her creator, acting as their eyes and ears.

Motivation: Fio’El wishes to find a way to break the magical bond that ties her to the Fey Lord who made her. Fio'El is motivated by a desire for freedom, and the will do almost anything to attain it. Until she does, she will pretend to delight in serving others. She may even put herself into danger, only to be "rescued" by them. She'll relay information along to her creator, but only the bare minimum that will keep her master happy.

Relationships: Fio’El has no friends but she's made a few allies in various circles. She’s hesitant to show her true intelligence though and will work hard on pretending to be subservient. Her only real relationship is with her creator, master and enemy. With the party, she'll act like a good, little companion. Useful, obedient and unimaginative. She's eager to strike up some kind of deal with the kind of spellcaster who could help her break her ties to her master.

Other: Fio’El has served many spellcasters and has learned a few spells along the way. She can form a familiar bond with a magic user, favoring wizards. Fio’el may make a show of hard bargaining, if her rescue ploy can’t be executed.

By u/1Jusdorange

Ianbalar

Ianbalar is a Firbolg and the keeper of an isolated forest. He wears only a loincloth made from leaves, and has very colorful intricate body paint over his entire body. He is visibly used to a life of fighting for survival.

Motivations: Ianbalar and his brother Naeris fought constantly for dominance. Out of desperation, Ianbalar pleaded for help from The Arch Feys. Ever since then, Ianbalar has had the upper hand against his ferocious brother. HOwever, this power did not come without cost. He bound to his forest, as a servant of the Fey spirits. His orders are to protect his forest, and the nearby dimensional gate into the Feywild.

Relationships: Ianbalar is always anxious for another attack by his feral brother. However, he does love his brother and wishes him no harm. Bound by the Fey who grants him his power, he must do whatever he can to keep everyone out of his forest.

Other: Ianbalar can be convinced to let adventurers into the Feywild if they can permenantly stop his Naeris' assault, without killing him.

By u/DazzleFeet

Kamenjed

Kamenjed is a xorn with a black, rocky hide. Kamenjed is a merchant that travels the Underdark in search of coins and precious metals. He can often be found in deep ends of treacherous caverns, waiting for customers. He has a Bag of Holding, which he keeps tucked away inside of his mouth. Kamenjed keeps his wares inside of that bag. Kamenjed is willing to haggle quite a bit, especially if he smells refined ingots on somebody.

Motivations: Kamenjed is always hungry. He eats raw ores and igneous stones. Refined ingots (such as what a blacksmith might have) are rare delectable treats to him.

Relationships: Kamenjed considers himself to be an outstanding merchant. He always tries to please his customers, in case he meets them again. Once he sells you something, he proclaims you a "Had-sold". He wishes nothing but the best to all his "Had-solds", and holds them in high regard, but he has never had the good fortune to meet a "Had-sold" twice.

Other: Kamenjed will try and use debris to setup a makeshift counter for his shop. He will decorate it with whatever available. He keeps his shops near a wall so he can quickly flee. Among other goods, Kamenjed often sells information about his current location, such as dangerous areas and safe spots for resting. He also has a unusually large diamond with impurities inside it that resembles a face. He calls it "Mondymond". He won't eat it, but he also tends to keep it secret, as he is afraid someone else will try to eat it.

By u/R_bubbleman_E_6

Milcheax

Milcheax is a humanoid-sized cricket. His exoskeleton is solidly shiny black, though his wings have golden-brown highlights along the "veins". He stands upon his rear (jumping) legs and leans upon his abdomen to bring his head close to human height. Otherwise, he prefers to walk around on all sixes. From head to the tip of his abdomen, he measures approximately six and a half feet. His antennae protrude an additional two and a half feet from his head, and his cerci (the antenna-like protrusions from the rear of his abdomen) are about an additional foot in length. As a tailor of fine silks and unusual thread-like materials (you should see his mammoth-gut ballet slippers or his giant-sinew little black dress) he is not at all what you'd expect in an oversized flower-munching bug person. He has no outward voice, instead speaking directly with all via broadcast or directed telepathy. Note: This telepathy is only used for communication and not for scanning memories or reading minds.

Motivations: As an astute merchant of all things cloth-based, Milcheax is a go-to for the clergy, noblewomen and governmental officials for miles around. Money is nice, but making people Look Good(tm) is better. He would rather work with a client than turn them away. He also is a connoisseur of flowers, but only from the "I am hungry and I like the taste of flowers" perspective. As such, Milcheax can be persuaded to give private audiences (measurements and the like) to persons who bear rare or unique floral gifts.

Relationships: V'lani, a mid-level human clergyperson at the local temple, is teaching Milcheax how to project a humanoid face when speaking with non-cricket people. It's not working out so well.

Her lover, Lumsia, a half-elven bard, adores Milcheax for the preternatural chirping he produces and will often perform duets with him at festivals or at a tavern or three.

There's a homeless little human girl with grimy blonde hair that Milcheax leaves protective clothing out for from time to time, but he knows she is deathly afraid of him.

The personnel at V'lani's temple (and many of the neighboring shops) are fiercely protective of Milcheax and will stand up for him if someone denigrates or disparages him (let alone attack him or burgle/vandalize his shop and home).

Other: He is more likely to give fashion advice and a small discount (or a procurement mission) for those who are, shall we say, couture challenged than to judge them for "lacking" in his compound eyes. He would rather stay in business than anger any of his customers, sparing no expense for rare or unique materials. His name is pronounced "MIL-Key-axe". (Primary emphasis on first syllable; less on second.) He dislikes being referred to by nickname.

By /u/Blackwoodbear79

Mister Eight

Mister Eight is a giant, intelligent spider. covered in white fur, Its body is roughly the size of a cow, its legs a couple of meters each. It has settled itself in a human town and has made a fortune selling its own silk. Light and extremely resilient, it's an incredible material for armours. It's also very expensive, and only a selected clientele can deal in it.

Motivations: Mister Eight, name given to it by the locals, is a friendly fellow that loves eating and good music. Lacking opposable thumbs it's not great at doing it himself, but can pay others to do it, it likes to throw extravagant parties and know people. It wants to always have thumb-using creatures around, to do all the things that it can't.

Relationships: It is very well known in the region, being a wealthy spider, and any person that matters in the area is gonna protect themselves with its silk, as strong as steel but much lighter. it's like chainmail, but you can wear it under a shirt all day long. People love him.

Other: Worshippers of lolth kinda hate it, considering it a race traitor, and more than one drow assassin has tried to take it out. It pays a hefty sum to be well protected.

by u/dIoIIoIb

Mr. Helter

Mr. Helter is a skeletal lich who runs a magic shop in town. Though unsettling to be around, he is ultimately harmless (as long as you ignore the strange noises and ominous glow coming from behind the purple curtain). He is a well-dressed skeleton with several life times worth of knowledge which he will happily share while trying to remember if that potion was a healing potion or the one that turns people into crickets.

Motivations: Mr. Helter was once an adventurer himself but now prefers the simple shopkeeper life where townsfolk aren't constantly trying to set him on fire. He lives vicariously through other adventurers by inspiring them to explore places of interest which he 'heard about from another customer'.

Relationships: Mr. Helter has an uneasy relationship with the local chapel. The holy men would outright condemn him if it weren't for his valuable expertise on curses. The local guard enjoy having him around since 'that town with the lich' often deters would be attackers.

Other: Mr. Helter was forcibly made into a lich by a group of wizards who wanted an immortal subject to experiment upon. After killing his captors and escaping, Mr. Helter spent a century searching for the mastermind who ordered the experimentation. He became somewhat depressed after failing to find the culprit. He has been known to just close his shop and move to another town when he gets moody.

By u/TooManyPossums

Naeris the Feral Firbolg

Naeris is a druid Firbolg who has lived most of his life in the shadow of his brother Ianbalar, cast out of the forest, into the swamp. On places he got wounded there are now fungi growing. His chipped ear, the claw wound on his cheek, and multiple wounds over his torso and limbs all have fungi growing on them. The fungi put his mind into a state of animalistic ferocity.

Motivations: Naeris is a spiteful and territorial Druid who lives by the 'eat or be eaten' mentality often seen in animals. Ever since he got affected by the fungi on his body, he is overcome by rage.

Relationships: Naeris hates his brother Ianbalar for backstabbing him and keeping him out of the forest. Even the animals left him for his brother, all he has left are the fungi that he seems to talk to.

Other: Naeris might be uncharismatic and unintelligent, but don't underestimate his skill to read creatures, if he feels like he is being tricked he will attack ferociously with his poisonous attacks at the most opportune moment.

By u/DazzleFeet

Tom (formerly known as Brazgannaus)

Tom looks like a male human in his 40's, but he is way older. He is a devil whose lord died and, instead of fighting to death for the throne against his thousand brothers, he decided to escape to the material plane. He runs a quasi-fancy port tavern and inn named "The mute mermaid"

Motivations: He just wants to live a relatively quiet life among mortals. He is no longer evil and actually he will frown upon demon or devil related people, fearing that one of his brothers might end up showing up in his tavern and literally blowing up his new life to hell.

Nevertheless, he still has a few supernatural contacts, a good amount of power and he is still capable of striking minor deals. But he no longer answers to hell hierarchy and is not likely to twist too much a contract.

Instead of making magical deals (only offering them to the old and well-known customers or the highly desperate ones), he prefers to trade intel and information, which is way safer and brings less suspiciousness upon him.

Relationships: He's been around town for a long time, and thus, a few important people owe him something or have dealt with him before.

For example, Alhar, the elf who owns of the "Mermaids tear" distillery got his bussines by striking a deal with him, only paying back having to offer the lowest possible price to the devil.

Other: He HATES people fighting in his place, he wont mind to help someone to dispose of a corpse that was killed outside, but having punches flying around will make him boom up his voice in order to strike fear in the troublemakers hearts. He has banned dice and card games for this reason. He is one hell of a chef, being Fried flounder with champignon sauce his best (and most expensive) dish.

He has really gentlemanly manners, and tends to speak in a flourished and hard to follow manner. Old habits die hard, but if he results confusing, he will apologize and try to speak more plainly.

Combat Stats: If threatened, Tom will cast Command and say "out", or will cast Hold Person and push them out of the tavern. If things REALLY get out of control, he will cast a modified version of "Banishment", which will send the objective in a short and harmless but horrifying trip to hell.

By u/elbilos

Page Turned

Page is a Kenku of advance age. His beak is cracked, he has feathers missing in places and his back is bent. He’s been a member of the Black Flock for most of his life, but his lack of ambition and imagination have prevented him from rising in rank. In his travels he has accumulated a vast repertoire of sounds, voices and vocabulary though and is apt at conversing with all the races. For this reason he’s been appointed as one of the faces of the Flock, in charge of negotiating with clients on the road.”

Motivation: Page has made peace with his low rank and has no motivation to rise within the hierarchy of the Flock. His motivation is freedom. He knows of the dreadful curse that robbed his people of their wings, creativity and speech. In secret, he has been looking all his life for a way to free himself from this curse. His only wish is to be soaring through the air, singing with his own voice words a poem own creation before he dies.

Relationships: As a member of the Black Flock, albeit a low ranking one, Page can count on the rogue organization’s support and protection in most things. He doesn’t really have friends, but his truthfulness and fair dealings have earned the respect of most of his regular clients.

Other: Page owns a coat of useful items filled with strange, sometimes useless, sometimes immensely opportune items.

By u/1Jusdorange

Petram

Petram the highly intelligent mimic is a travelling beggar, only nobody knows that. He travels to towns that have popular statues of deities, the kind where people have left lots of donations. Petram, in the middle of the night will remove the statue and take on its form, he’ll remain motionless whilst villagers and travellers donate all manner of objects and currencies to their deity. Every night Petram will collect up the items and eat them.

Motivations: Petram loves coins, he understands the concept of currency but he prefers the tangy metallic taste of them. He couldn’t believe his luck the first time he saw a pile of donations at the feet of a statue of the goddess Tymora. He was chased out of town for devouring them but quickly realised mimicking statues would be a much less dangerous way of obtaining his favourite food.

Relationships: Petram doesn’t really have friends, he’s a simple creature with simple desires, though there is this one pigeon that likes to follow and sit on him from time to time. Petram has named the pigeon, Bird. Petram has realised that having Bird around adds to the credibility of his deceptions so he lets Bird eat any foodstuffs donated to him.

Other: If donations to Petram in statue form aren’t to his liking, when no one is around he will change his facial appearance to show a displeased statue of the deity. He’s realised this in turn ends up sparking a small hysteria in the deities followers resulting in an influx of donations. He’s also not particularly fond of canines as they tend to urinate on him, passers by may think they heard the statue growl at passing dogs.

Combat: If threatened, Petram has been known to vomit or spit coins and gems at enemies. (Treat as normal ranged thrown improvised weapon attack, but the missiles actually have monetary value to the victim.)

By u/H4ZZ4RDOUS

Squelch, The Mudgrubber

Squelch is a cantankerous and grouchy elderly goblin, standing at a hunched 3 feet tall. His hair is greasy and gray, suffering from a receding hairline. He has severe cataracts, and is missing several of the teeth on his lower jaw. Squelch owns a rot grub farm, and is a MudGrubber. He bosses around the younger members of his clan, rooting rot grubs out of the mud fields to sell in town. He speaks in a mixture of Goblin and Common, and expects everyone to understand him.

Motivations: Squelch is a simple goblin. He wants the respect of those younger than him, and he wants to make a living off selling grubs. He secretly desires to return to a life of adventuring as he did in his younger days, but someone has to run the farm.

Relationships: Splat is Squelch's oldest son. If he was to leave the farm to anyone, it'd be Splat. Squish is Squelch's second oldest son, who recently got involved with a local gang. Splat and Squish work well together, but often bicker when not supervised.

Other: Squelch tries to hide his former adventuring life, but still maintains his skills with a rusty shortsword. He has some PTSD, reacting to loud noises by reaching to his belt for a sword no longer there.

by u/Notorious_bear_

Unnamed Goblin

Unnamed Goblin (known by variations on "the chosen one" or "high priest" in his native tongue) is the central religious figure of a remote tribe of jungle goblins who worship the demigod Pongo. Pongo appears as a multi-ton orangutan and lives in the heart of a volcano in the same remote jungle as the goblins. As deities go, Pongo is incredibly insignificant, to the point that only the most well-read of clerics even know his name, and even then only as an idle "fun fact"; however, to the goblins, Pongo is their living god, as important as Heironeous or Olidammara or any other.

Unnamed Goblin is currently roaming the world in order to fulfill part of his duties as the religious leader to proselytize the word of Pongo. It isn't going especially well, mostly because he doesn't speak Common, but not for lack of enthusiasm.

Motivations: Unnamed Goblin is a religious zealot, motivated to spread the word of Pongo, which is a sort of apocalyptic gospel. He is, however, highly intelligent and fairly empathetic for a goblin.

Relationships: UG is the de jure leader of an entire civilization where he comes from, and so he may be a bit standoffish to random adventurers, but he is cute in a weird sort of way. He doesn't know anyone when he comes out of the jungle, but he may fall in with any convenient group of misfits.

Other: He looks like a typical jungle goblin, which means he resembles a small primate as much as a regular goblin, and he is painted bright orange in imitation of his god.

By u/cdthunchback

Cutpurses and Rogues

Mott

An orphan boy who trades information for orc, goblin and kobold ears (better the ears, better the information). Upon the initial interaction, he would appear as a human boy with a slight frame, platinum blond hair down to his shoulders, and sneaky green eyes; however, only a few observant party members would be able to notice the subtle curvature at the tips of his ears, giving away his half-elf status. He wears a silver chain around his neck. Most of the townsfolk don't know who his parents were or really where he came from, but he "keeps the streets quiet" by taking care of the other orphaned children.

Motivations: Mott does not want his half-elf race known to others. If the focus is on other ears, who has time to pay attention to his own?

Relationships: The townsfolk love Mott because he is always willing to do odd jobs for anyone in need. For the party members, he is an information broker. He started the ear-trading circle with the other orphans when he realized how fascinated the human children were with different types of ears and how quickly they are willing to give up information for them. He has created his own espionage using this token system.

Other: Mott traveled with his human mother prior to her being killed in a raid several years ago. He has no interest in meeting his elven father, assuming that he had abandoned them. However, Mott wouldn't be opposed to hearing any information on this man if it just so happens to come across him.

By u/sir_reality_bones

Rinaldo Trivaldo

Rinaldo is a member of the city guard. He is short and skinny, with a short crop of curly black hair that can be seen sticking out from a worn helmet that is too big for his head. He takes great pride in his mustache, which is well-maintained: it is long, curled and waxed. He is most often found with his fellow guard and business partner, Ubrik, who towers over Rinaldo in stark contrast. Rinaldo fashions himself to be a sly and cunning businessman who is above his station, but most see him as the corrupt, petty and pompous man that he is.

Motivations: Rinaldo is not a very good guard, but that does not prevent him from exercising his "authority." He and Ubrik hassle a handful of smaller, independent thieves for a fee in exchange for overlooking most of their petty crimes. This racket has earned a meager but consistent fortune for Rinaldo and Ubrik, and he'll do almost anything to keep that money flowing and out of the purview of any higher authority.

Relationships: Ubrik is Rinaldo's business partner and fellow guard, and is an imposing, physical man of equal ineptitude and very few words. Ubrik acts as the brawn of the operation in exchange for a 50% cut. Despite the unwelcome arrangement, most of the thieves are content to continue paying their tax in exchange for a safe and stockade-free working environment. Rinaldo and Ubrik are also smart enough to avoid any entanglements with the larger criminal organizations that may be in play, but it is likely only a matter of time before they shake down someone they wish they hadn't.

Other: If the adventurers get wind of the operation, they can easily use it as leverage. (Ubrik is strong, but he is not stupid enough to enter combat with a party of seasoned adventurers.) If they do so, they gain advantage on any Charisma (Intimidation), (Deception) or (Persuasion) checks when speaking to either party. Rinaldo will offer to point the adventurers in the general direction of a larger criminal organization if he feels his livelihood is threatened.

By /u/schm0

Shelley Livsey

Shelley is a young halfling woman who ran away from a peaceful life with her family for adventure and excitement. She picked up a knack for disguises and espionage on the road. She is often found in various cities attending fancy parties or disguised as a servant in a nobles house. All of this is to grow legal and illegal operations of theft, espionage, blackmail, racketeering, and other manners of organized crime.

Motivations: Shelley seems to have a love for fancy things; clothes food and people. She will hire adventurers to do her dirty work. It may come out that she answers to someone and is not the mastermind in all the criminal networks, but she holds her boss' information in very close confidence.

Relationships: Shlley is known in among various thieves guilds as someone who can get stuff done for you at the right price. Its just unfortunate that sometimes that price just puts you more and more into her debt.

Other: Shelley had a very unhappy home-life despite her family presenting as idyllic from the outside. Unfortunately on the road she attracted the attention of an unscrupulous elven lord, who recruited her to run a spy network and grow his operations. She joined his operation at knife point and must do what he says or she'll be found dead in a river.

By u/DignityInOctober

Scholars and Spell Casters

The Caretaker

The Caretaker is a human necromancer with a unique and special duty to their family. The Caretaker's job is to maintain and guide the spirits of their deceased family members so that they may live a fulfilling afterlife. The Caretaker uses their family's spirits to accomplish many tasks throughout the city and beyond, though their family is still viewed with some concern. The Caretaker lives at the graveyard and works to help both the living and the dead in whatever way they can.

Motivations: The Caretaker is a kindly individual that never uses their powers of necromancy to force a soul to do anything it does not wish to do. They openly speak with the dead to seek their guidance and permission before performing any rites or rituals that utilize their anima.

Relationships: The Caretaker's family spans dozens of generations and has grown into a clan of hundreds upon hundreds of souls. Not everyone in the family takes the Living Death though, and instead choose to slip peacefully into their destined afterlife. But the Caretaker has a genial relationship with their lingering relatives as much can be expected of any family. And of course they maintain relationships with their living relatives as well, doing their best to act as a guide and friend to everyone in the family.

By u/Kami-Kahzy

Cassandra Astalon

Cassandra, or Cassi to her friends, is a young, sheepish and quiet wizard with a passion for cartography. She wears plain clothes, soft, nervous mannerisms and avoids eye contact. When she speaks, its soft and quiet; prompting many to ask her to repeat what she's said in a louder tone. The only time she seems to act with any strong passion and conviction is when discussing geography, cartography or the wonders of exploration to unknown places. She wears practical travelling clothes, a old but sturdy leather shoulder bag and well-worn, but secure hiking boots. Her arcane focus is an old wooden walking stick with a small, uncut sapphire gem at the top.

Motivations: Cassi was raised by her father, a librarian, and was taught wizardry by him. It wasn't long before the stuffy library, with its same corridors and shelves, quickly bored her, and she began to explore parts of the library that were off limits, for no other reason than to see something different. This spiralled quickly into a desire to explore outside the library and, eventually, the city. From there, she uses her skills and knowledge of wizardry to fulfil a strong desire to document and map every place ever. However unreasonable she knows the goal is, she delights in travelling and exploring, and when her notes and maps become too much for her shoulder bag, she compiles them for publication, where her father proudly displays each and every copy at his library.

Relationships: Her father was a huge influence on her life, despite her displeasure at remaining at the library and taking over him when he retired. Instead, his encouragement for her to go out and explore was the driving force in her mounting passion turning into a profession. Whilst her travels take her far from home, she remains in contact with him as often as possible, and the pair spend ample time discussing her latest notes or cartography via Sending and spells. Unfortunately, her travels, constantly mobile lifestyle and naturally shy disposition makes it both difficult and unpractical to form other long lasting relationships, but she has made few passing friendships as a guide, or as an arcane assistant to other adventurers.

Other: Her spellbook is a loose collection of random pages and scribbles, typically on different types of paper, all tied with a bit of string at one corner. Whenever she adds a new spell, it's hastily written on whatever is at hand and slotted into the bundle. She also has many trinkets and curio's, gathered from far off exotic locations or bought as souvenirs.

Combat Stats: Cassi uses the Mage statblock, with a bend towards Divination magic. She also uses the Divination Wizard class feature, Portent as a trait.

By u/Axiie

Collin Franek

Collin is a human man of about 40 winters. He’s bald with an unshaven beard and sunken eyes that have seen too much. Collin is a travelling coroner and cleric of the god of death. He goes from village to village, investigating deaths, looking for signs of unnatural or dangerous elements such as plagues or magic. He also provides last rites, presides funerals, counsels grieving folk and keeps an ear out for rumors of undeath. As a travelling coroner he has a small retinue, but often has to recruit adventurers to help him in his duties. Collin has a deep respect for the cycle of life and great empathy for those forced to transition to the other side before their time. He’s a deeply logical man that can appear cold from time to time. Collin struggles with depression and alcoholism.”

Motivation: Collin wishes to help preserve the Balance of the world and protect the innocents from the evil of undeath. He’s motivated by bringing closure, peace and justice to families of the deceased. Collin serves his god as best he can, but he serves the people first.

Relationships: Collin has a bodyguard, a man called Fonkin (veteran stats) who always keeps his skin covered and his helmet on in public since he suffers from a skin disease that, while not contagious, makes everyone uneasy. Fonkin is a polite, respectful, good hearted man who admires and respects Collin and protects him, even from himself sometimes. The other member of his retinue is a young ghostwise halfling woman called Silaï (druid stats) who owes Collin her life. Silaï is more at ease with animals than people, but she means well and understands the Balance.

Other: Collin has a secret fear for his soul upon his death. He’s even afraid of his own death. He has read and knows about the cosmic powers that hunger for souls and would rather remain in the material world then transition to the other planes. This anxiety fuels his self-hate and depression as he has grown to believe himself a hypocrite.

By u/1Jusdorange

Conni Bonnsdottir

Conni appears to be a Human woman in her early forties, living a simple life as a wisewoman in a lively village. She wears utilitarian garb and carries a feathered staff, has soft green eyes and auburn hair, and a calming smile. She is skilled in many professions, from farming and herbalism to engineering and medicine.

Motivations: Conni is a kind, yet firm woman, always ready to teach others, and always willing to learn herself. She seeks out orphans and young children as apprentices in her craft, ever seeking to blend the arcane with the mundane to help others.

Relationships: Conni has friends within various druid circles, especially among the long-lived Elves. Within her village, she is well regarded for her healing hands and knowledge. She has two adopted children: Munder Connison, an adventurous druid who seeks to fill Conni's boots as an elder, and Tenna Connisdottir, more interested in herbalism and alchemy.

Other: Conni's appearance belies her age and power: She's actually a centuries-old Archdruid. A retired adventurer, she travels the world, spreading knowledge and defending the weak. She will hum ancient tunes to herself and occasionally dance to a song only she can hear.

By u/ohilevoe

Diroduil Glynfael

Diroduil is an ancient wood elf. He favors a cloak of magically preserved leaves, a dappled tapestry of autumn colors that billows ominously in the wake of his deliberate stride. Tattooed on his temples are stylized black antlers wreathed in gray flames. His elven eyes draw you in, like staring into a dark well, vertigo threatening to topple you into the depths. The gnarled oaken staff he wields casts an oddly long shadow no matter the angle of the light, and shifts eerily in the breeze though its caster is still as stone.

Motivations: Diroduil seeks vengeance for his fallen brother, and the empowerment of his Patron.

Relationships: Ellisar Glynfael, Lord of the Morning, Summer Knight and brother to Diroduil, was brutally slain by a mysterious warrior in an attack on the Tree of Life. Diroduil, a mighty Archdruid in his own right, made a Pact with Archfey Patron "The Grand Elusa," Queen of Spiders, hoping her sly and subtle machinations would help him find his foe and deliver vengeance.

Other: Diroduil is remarkably impatient and blunt for an elf, contrary to the nature of his Patron, as well as the personality of his late brother, who was known for kindness and social grace. He is inclined to cast Firestorm now and sift through ashes later, and when he casts this signature sorcery his tattoos grow into antlers of flame.

By u/BillyBobWinkydinks

Eghan Pryderi

Eghan Pryderi is the grave keeper of a small, sleepy village. He is a shadow sorcerer, which led him to his current job. He is irritable and jaded, due to being passed over for the village's annual pilgrimage in favor of taking over the job of grave keeper

Motivations: Eghan believes that his magical bloodline gives him great potential, and wants nothing more than to leave the small village that suppresses his aspirations. Due to the importance of his job, however, he can't bring himself to abandon his duties and reluctantly continues serving.

Relationships: The people of the village have sympathy for the young man stuck in such a grim job, but tend to avoid him due to his sour attitude. His friend, Felicity, was sent on the most recent pilgrimage, sparking jealousy and indignation. He suspects that the leader of the village chose her to leave because she is his adopted daughter, even though as cleric, Felicity is better suited for the job.

Other: As the grave keeper, Eghan is privy to information passed down the grave keeper line. This is what ties him to his job and prevents him from abandoning it. (In my campaign, one of the tombs in the mausoleum houses a demon who had made a pact to receive the town founder's body upon death. The grave keeping rituals keep this tomb sealed.)

By u/hosszap

General Mildred the Calm

General Mildred is a human female in her 50s. She is an extremely powerful military wizard who fits well into any magistocracy or army that allows her the freedom to pursue her research. Her skin has an almost supernatural translucency, as though her physical body is slipping out of this plane of existence by magical means. She is affectless (though not emotionless), and as her name implies, unnervingly imperturbable.

Motivations: General Mildred is motivated by curiosity. Knowledge for its own sake. She advanced through the military for no other reason than it was the most prudent option to fund and remove barriers to her studies. Her primary focuses are planar research, illusion magic and alchemy.

Relationships: Mildred the Calm most likely oversees a broad swath of the military population. Her closest relationship is to her personal research assistant, a young half-elf woman. As a practical matter, she publicly holds herself and others very strictly to military code, but privately, she cares very little about concepts of loyalty, insubordination or even treason as long as it doesn't affect her ability to conduct research. She is slow to form opinions of people, whether positive or negative.

Other: General Mildred is capable of casting the 7th level spell simulacrum. She uses her Simulacrum to conduct long-term independent research into multiple topics simultaneously from different locations or to attend mandatory events in her place while she continues her work.

By u/tabletopfeels

Keothi Kal Kazzir

Keothi is an older goliath woman of 60 years of age with still impressive physical attributes and a body covered with traditional tattoos depicting her great deeds. For a long time she was the leader and lore-keeper of her small mountain community, but with advancing age and declining physical abilities it was time to step down and let the young have their turn. In true goliath tradition Keothi bid her family fair well and stepped into the blizzard naked and unafraid, welcoming death after a life lived without regret.

Only, Keothi didn’t die. She walked to the point of exhaustion and passed out with a smile on her lips. She was confused when she woke up in a warm bed. A traveling party of adventurers had stumbled on her frozen body while travelling and saved her. While originally angry at the adventurers for ruining her death, she decided that the ancestors simply weren’t ready for her.

Motivations: Keothi has decided that her new purpose in life is to record the adventures of the party that saved her for posterity. She remains a goliath at heart and admires self-sufficiency and individual skill. She has a compulsion to keep score, counting deeds and tallying accomplishments to compare to others. While her body is weaker than before she has found that her mind is just as sharp and works on expanding her bardic skills as she helps the party.

Relationships: Keothi admires the party for their strength of body, mind and magic. She’s loyal to them as long as they don’t show too much weakness. She can never go back to her community and family who believe her dead.

Other: Keothi has a tendency to compli-shit the party she follows. She’ll collect the lore on how they defeated a dragon and congratulate them on a great victory but then she’ll add how it was nothing compared to the Remorhaz she killed with her bare hands when she was young. She’s also used to be the ruler and her transition to follower sometimes gives her trouble.

By u/1Jusdorange

Krieg The Professor

Krieg is a half elf man in his early 40s, with a completely bald head and facial hair, usually wearing clothes that allows him to be just a face in the crowd as much as possible, who works at the local magical college as a professor teaching magic theory. He is usually found in the local inn, playing darts with friends, or drunkenly ranting about the latest conundrum the world of magic has encountered. Krieg is rather friendly, although hard on himself and his physical appearance. He will pester any warforged he comes across with questions about their thought processes and mechanics, and has a tendency to not give context to things he says involving magic.

Motivations: Krieg is secretly working on a magical device to turn himself into a warforged, as he is disgusted by his half elf form, and has sacrificed much to complete his goals. He also wishes to convince his wife, who he does not talk about often, that he is not using the time he spends to build the complicated knot of gears and runes to cheat on her. Krieg is not a very big fan of sorcerers or individuals who gained power through luck, as he thinks that he got the short end of the straw, being born in what he thinks is a horrific body.

Relationships: Krieg loves his wife, who to him seems to be one of the only people that understands the headache of the constantly shifting field of magic theory. Their relationship has deteriorated recently, as his wife thinks that he is cheating on her, and Krieg thinks that she hates what he looks like. Krieg has a good relationship with his buddies, a gnomish man named blitz who works as city guard, and a human man named corlion, who is the bartender at the inn he frequents. They think him to be a bit bonkers, but they would never admit it.

Other: Krieg snaps his fingers when he is trying to remember something, and uses common phrases incorrectly.

By u/darkus4566-2

Laroy

Laroy is a middle aged, but still spry, halfling cleric of Yondalla (or any other lawful good deity). He dresses surprisingly urbane for a cleric, but still very conservative; you might think he was a merchant or a master artisan. He is affable, if a little serious, and will discuss the finer points of just about anything, but expertly avoids revealing any details about himself.

Laroy is actually a high inquisitor of his respective church, currently incognito after revealing something downright devastating about a high-ranking official in the church (in my campaign it was that some high clerics had been stripped of their power and were using lower-ranking clerics to cover it up)

Motivations: Laroy's motivation is half detective, half philosopher; he is constantly seeking to test his faith and others' in real-world situations. Asking him a simple question sometimes results in a long epistemological lecture. He is accustomed to a dreary academic setting, and being out among the people spreading his faith is a welcome change of pace.

Relationships: Laroy is currently keeping a low profile within his faith community, but he is a well-respected and sometimes feared clergyman. Those loyal to the clerics he revealed will likely be hostile, but others will hold him with a quiet reverence.

Other: Laroy makes a game out of learning as much as he can about everyone he meets; this may not sit well with everyone.

By u/cdthunchback

Lilna Galgyra

Lilna is a grey-haired, reclusive gnome with a wise soul who keeps an eccentric collection of books in an unmarked, alleyway store. The book's topics lean heavily toward the mysterious, the fey, and fiends. She doesn't sell or lend her books. Instead, she requests a small fee to read the books while remaining in her shop. There is also a small, private room that customers can rent for a slightly larger fee.

Motivation: Lilna is helplessly curious about information regarding fey. Her few friends would say obsessed. This obsession stems from an encounter with satyrs early in her life. She now spends vast amounts of time hunting down, collecting, and studying texts on the subject. She will also investigate local rumors of fey or fiend and document them in a book that she is currently writing. As such, she is sometimes out of town for extended periods of time.

Relationships: Lilna spends most waking hours in the store. She also sleeps in the store. Several times per week, she eats meals at a nearby tavern and engages in pleasant conversation with the patrons. She is familiar with the regulars and the staff and is on a first name basis.

Other: She has an excellent memory, chews on her pen absentmindedly, and will enter an uncontrollable rage if anyone damages or attempts to steal one of the books about the fey.

By u/Langston723

Loennen

Loennen is a human librarian from the Sterling Academy in Mizgirlinn. She is noticeably a human woman from Mizgirlinn, having a blue skin tone with pink spots here and there and very dark hair. She likes to dress herself in simple yet elegant clothing, but closer inspection would reveal there is not much quality to it, and that it has likely been used quite a few times (perhaps even by different people). Noticing this, it becomes clear that she is out of place in such an aristocratic city.

Motivations: Loennen wants to discover everything about all the different beliefs and cultures in society. Like your regular Mizgirlinn, she is fascinated by the diversity in culture among different human civilizations. She was born into a poor family, and taking the job to organize the books of the Library has been her only opportunity thus far to reach her goal.

Relationships: Many scorn her poverty, as would be expected in such a high-tier place. Consequently, making friends at the Academy has become a nigh-impossible task. She has a better time making friends with cooks, serving boys and other servants of the Library, and even teaches them how to read sometimes. And she has her parents, far away at Angelden, on whom she can always trust.

Other: It wasn't by chance the Library accepted her, a peasant from Angelden, and taught her how to read and write. She had met a Sminsonian (The Sminsonian Realms compose the neighboring nation) man who was influential enough to have her accepted. The truth is they fell in love, and now the man is an important political figure, who had to marry another woman from a wealthier family. Loennen always tears up a little when there are mentions of the Sminsonians, remembering her lost love.

By u/gui_guy_

Minister Craw Gadbird

Craw Gadbird is something like a vulture and a crow: an anthropomorphic, hunched, long-and-crooked-necked bird person. Jet black in places, in others ruffled white and grey, sparse over mottled skin. He is wretched and loud and old, and very skilled at the subjugation of minds; an invasion of autonomy which he finds no issue with, and employs at every turn. An excellent Minister of Information Control.

Motivations: He boasts constantly of his pure loyalty to the Party, his selflessness. I don't doubt he believes what he says, though I'd bet it's no coincidence how often the Party's needs align with his.

Relationships: Everyone hates and fears Craw in equal measure, at least when he hasn't inhibited their ability to do so. The only person he ever treats like a person is the strange middle aged human who tends to his office. He is simpleminded and mute - one would expect Craw to detest him - but he treats him with nothing but patience and kindness. Nobody knows who that man is or where he came from; I imagine Craw ensured that.

Other: Scribes his spells onto gastroliths, which he readies each morning by swallowing in a very unappealing ritual.

By u/kmscmt

Miyuki

Description: At a glance, Miyuki is nothing more than a white house cat with an orange and blue robe on and a strange reddish gem in her forehead. She speaks to others telepathically and has a soothing feminine voice. Those who study the arcane arts feel somewhat uneasy around her.

Motivations: Miyuki is hard to read due to her feline indifference. She will often gift trinkets and charms to those who offer her secrets. She feels they are worth more than gold regardless of their importance.

Relationships: Miyuki is normally quite welcome among a community due to her kind demeanor and incredibly soft fur (like a baby bunny). A town guard claims he once shooed her away and was suddenly lit on fire with strange infernal words ringing in his mind (he has since 'retired' from the guard).

Other: Miyuki is a powerful warlock who found a way to break her patron's contract and destroy the ancient demon. This act corrupted her physical body forcing her soul into the nearest living being at the time - a white cat. Despite her new form, she maintains most of her powers.

By u/TooManyPossums

Professor Tobin Wendlecreek

Professor Wendlecreek is an aged, halfling wizard who specializes in teleportation spells. He wears your typical wizard garb; fantastically dyed robes, spectacles and a strange hat. Although he is friendly and helpful to any student of the arcane arts, Professor Wendlecreek does not brook the disrespect of his lectures, or of his height.

Motivations: Professor Wendlecreek is a genial old man, who will gladly pontificate at great lengths about teleportation theory, interdimensional travel and the possibility of time as a dimension that can be traveled through. He is always looking for interns, apprentices or guinea pigs that will suffer his teleportation experiments.

Relationships: Professor Wendlecreek is a respected member of the Wizard's college. In my setting, he is the Dean of Teleportation, and an influential member of the local Halfling community. He sees himself as a father figure to young wizards, especially halflings.

Other: Professor Wendlecreek is infamous for a "tongue incident". After repeated warnings, he teleported an unruly, disruptive dwarf out of his lecture hall, sans tongue.

By u/PantherophisNiger

Senphyn Cormristyn

Senphyn is a lovesick drow mage who spends his days in a dark tavern languishing over a cup of wine. He behaves discretely but is also willing to share his breakup story with anyone who enters the tavern. Senphyn found his wife in bed with one of her students and reacted, as an evil, jealous magic-wielding husband would, by blasting them with a massive lightning bolt. The student perished, but his wife, although badly-burned, survived. Senphyn then fled the drow homeland.

Motivations: Senphyn doesn't like change, so the breakup and running away are hitting him hard. He's struggling between wanting to return to his homeland and wanting to avoid his wife. Beneath it all, he's still a devote follower of the Spider Queen (which he won't share with others) and has zero compassion for the patrons of the tavern.

Relationships: His wife, Zilvala, is outraged by the death of her lover. When she learned that Senphyn fled to the surface, she created a nightmarish blob of mouths and eyes (i.e., a gibbering mouther) and compelled it to hunt down and attack her husband. She is lurking nearby, seeking revenge.

Other: Senphyn suspects that someone or something has tracked him down. He spends his evenings carefully searching for clues. Given the opportunity, he will exploit the PCs to draw out his pursuer(s).

By u/Langston723

Spelldriver Einion Sildarsson

A stereotypical 'cranky wizard', like most who draw from the Weave Einion looks younger than he actually is. He keeps himself clean and well-tended, and wears clothing that is, technically, illegal - the blue robes and red right glove of his mage's guild.

Motivations: Protected from the Mage Purge by an unfeeling mistress, Einion masks his spiralling despair and ennui behind irascibility, competence, and a deep-seated (but well-hidden) hunger to help those less fortunate. He lost the Guild that raised and sheltered him, most of his friends, allies, and family, and now seeks to hold on to the last vestige of that still-recent bereavement. He is particularly focused on tracking down, recovering, and otherwise assisting the apprentice wizards he was once responsible for as Master of Novices.

Relationships: Magistrix Yorra, The sole leader of the Guild to survive the Purge, Yorra only did so by means of 'betraying' her compatriots, and the simple fact that she lives in a flying wizards' tower and is thus difficult to bring to account. Yorra was able to shield certain Mages under her aegis, with Einion being one, but it is a fractious relationship. Certain others who survived the Purge view Yorra with an attitude close to worship, but Einion is far less trusting and more bitter towards her. In order to keep her state of 'diplomatic immunity' from the Church, Yorra is adamant that her faction gives arcane support to the Kingdom's military. They are given special dispensation for this, and are held to constant, laborious scrutiny.

Other: Einion does not concern himself with combat, unless necessary. He is frail, sickly, and extremely intelligent, but more in a background/support role for the party, once they have earned his trust.

By u/astakhan937

Tabitha Bluebarrel

Tabitha is a middle-aged halfling woman with gentle eyes and smile lines. Her brown hair is streaked with gray and kept in a braid, and she wears a sprig of rosemary over her ear. Tabitha is an apiarist -- she keeps bees and harvests their honey. Despite the fact that she goes without protective gear, she has never been stung. She sings to the bees, which she credits for her affinity with the insects. Villagers from the surrounding countryside often make the trek to her farm to ask her for advice or healing, knowing that they'll be leaving with a smile on their face and lemon drops in their pocket.

Motivations: Tabitha was chosen at a very young age by what she recognizes as a "voice on the wind". Her calling -- as the voice said -- is to act as a guide for all creatures that enter her life. Recognizing her people as creatures in their own right, she strives to extend this goodwill to her surrounding community.

Relationships: Tabitha has been married to her husband Eustace for almost 100 years. Although he's quite the crotchety sort nowadays, he's a hardworking man who appreciates a good meal. Her only son Ewan is off in a nearby town, having recently been accepted into the town guard thanks to his skill with a crossbow. She is very proud.

Other: Tabitha recently encountered the decapitated corpse of a crow on her window sill. Fearing this omen, she has become a shut-in, hesitant to travel to the nearest village on market day.

by u/TheLaugh

Torzael

Torzael is a Small Aarakocra; more hummingbird than eagle. A previous adorer of Volo whose admiration has turn to scorn. After meeting him in the Yawning Portal, Torzael realized how much of a fraud Volo actually is. This disdain fueled him to show the world the real creatures of the wilderness; not this romanticized filthy gossip that Volo spreads like the plague.

Motivations: Being a druid, Torzael has traveled all the way to the Snout of Omgar to research first the tortle race, then expand northward into the lands of Chult, researching goblins and aarakocra, as well as documenting a few dinosaurs and other beasts. Torzael's findings focus on the humanoid races of the wilderness, not the beasts that hide in the shadows.

Relationships: Resentment for Volo as mentioned before. Torzael has a good relationship with one of the leaders in Waterdeep, mister Glinter. Glinter supplies him with a small crew and supplies to further his research.

Other: Torzael has finished one book "Torzael's Tribal Guide" which details rare subraces for the likes of dwarves and halflings and their culture, including a cleric-like elder that exists in each of these tribes. Glinter recently found evidence of an ancient Insectfolk that still resides underneath Waterdeep, hidden away deep in the caverns below. Torzael has been summoned and is on his way back to research this mystical kingdom.

by u/DougtheDragonborn

Victor Prollist

Victor Prollist is a well-mannered, reserved gnome that was on his way to Waterdeep, when ambushed by bandits. He had his entire life and many of his treasured art objects and art pieces in his caravan. Unfortunately, the guards that he hired to escort him were corrupt and turned on him, along with their friends, in order to steal everything he had.

Galen Elrung had been returning from one of his trips for his studies, when he came upon Victor's ransacked caravan and Victor himself, badly injured and left to die. Galen helped him get healing and brought him to his family's manor in Cherryseed, a wealthy resort town. Victor realized that Galen was part of the Starpetal family, an "old money" family that's well known throughout the Sword Coast and the family ended up hiring him on as their public liason.

Motivations: After this experience, he's extremely frugal and always scared of being left with nothing. He's got a small fortune saved. He's also a perfectionist. He often spends his weekend at markets, art studios haggling with artists and vendors. He deeply wants to be a father and adores children, but he worries about being able to protect them in this world.

Relationships: He has a deep sense of gratitude to the Starpetal family, especially Galen. Each year, on Highharvesttide, gifts the family a commissioned art piece that commemorates the year.

Other: He feels lucky to be able to do what he loves for work - teaching people about art, purchasing new work, investing in new talent, and giving back to the community. He has his own bedroom in the Starpetal manor and leads public tours of their galleries a few times a week. He is quite knowledgeable about art and art objects.

On the tour, he has several small suit jackets and gowns for children to try on and have their own "ball" of sorts in the grand ballroom. They are then treated to a small, three-course meal in the dining room that consists of chicken soup, ham and potatoes, and ice cream.

By u/PM_ME_UR_VIRGINITY

Yaztromo Denmel

Yaztromo (or Yaz) is a barely 49 years young forest gnome wizard who specializes in illusions. Having grown up relatively alone in a forest setting, he prefers functional garb - darker clothes are easier to hide in, after all - but he did recently commission a fine hat from an unusual cricket merchant. Although he is friendly, he is slow to trust (having been a forest hermit since his mid-teens). His dark eyes dart around seeking out knowledge or gathering observations to add to his personal map collection.

Motivations: Though young, Yaz prefers to study magic to help protect his family's home forest. He has little brain-mouth-filter and tends to say what he thinks, often rambling to the point of breathlessness (and incoherency). He detests seeing children or small animals suffer, and carries a small pouch of treats for both (which he sometimes mixes up).

Relationships: A ward of the bladesinger Kaitlyn, and a purveyor of oddities and materials for the blacksmith Dragonborn Wragar, Yaz will assist with his company's occasional adventures treating his cohorts like he is their "den mother" but preferring to get to know new people on the road. At home, he will invest some time in training with a wizard here or a cleric there to expand his arcane knowledge. His forthrightness tends to cause most people to shy away from him. His siblings, both druids, detest that he didn't receive the family "gift" of druidic intent but grudgingly respect the work he has done (at home and otherwise).

Other: Yaz has an affinity for Mage Hand, Shadow Blade, and Witch Bolt spells, using them to keep his family's lands safe from interlopers. He uses Mage Hand extensively as he is always picking things up, fiddling with them, and dropping them.

Combat Stats: Use equivalent of 5th-level Wizard, primary focus Illusion.

By u/Blackwoodbear79

Zigor Keenisk

Zigor is a human in his late 50s, and a wizard by trade. Affected by a rare type of sight rot as a child after being exposed to contaminated reagents during his time as a student of magic, he was cured by Verla Goodleaf, a halfling druid, and recovered with his eyesight intact, although the incident was enough to make him choose to continue his studies on his own and not under another full-fledged wizard. He feels greatly indebted to Verla.

Motivations: Zigor will do anything to help Verla. The reason why he pursued the study of transmutation magic is because Verla's son was turned into a lycanthrope and he wishes to help her in finding a cure. He spends every coin he can spare in materials to conduct research on werecreatures and shapechanging spells.

Relationships: Verla Goodleaf and her son Milo. His former mentor, Serdam Jinnod, against whom he still holds a grudge and who he blames for having been infected by sight rot. Zigor, however, tries very hard to keep appearances so he can remain an ally of Serdam and obtain his aid in researching a cure for lycanthropy. Serdam, however, does not know the reason behind Zigor's interest in the topic.

Other: More than once, Zigor has considered a morally questionable course of action in his quest to help Verla. So far, he's managed to resist the temptation, but he fears his duty to her will sooner or later lead him to do things for her sake that she would not approve of.

Combat Stats: Zigor uses the stats of the Mage NPC from the Monster Manual, with a customized selection of spells to reflect his study of Transmutation.

By u/WildWereostrich