- Klayrlagoon “Smoll” Franzellakella – Goliath Fighter
Klayrlagoon “Smoll” Franzellakella, a professional athlete, was the Team Captain of the Nomads, a Goat Ball team. But her real passion is Stubborn-Root. After becoming the reigning Stubborn-Root Champion of the Icespire Peak Goliath Open Invitational, she left her family in the Sword Mountains in search of a new challenge. She needs a way of outdoing her previous accomplishments, earning the right to survive.
- Ktogyo “Togy” Lacewind – Wood Elf Cleric
The Lacewind family farm grows halfling pipeleaf. What little they don’t themselves consume is sold at a profit great enough to keep Ktogyo “Togy” Lacewind with the clergy in service of Angharradh. The duck does not live on bread alone. Namaste.
Togy’s order has determined it is time, past time even, for him to complete some fieldwork. That’s just fine with Togy, uncouth even for a wood elf and far more comfortable imbibing and wagering at the Yawning Portal than studying theological texts. The wisest owl learns more from eating rooks than reading books. Namaste.
- Luth Winddriver – Human Warlock
Luth Winddriver used to be a respectable lawyer of Waterdeep, before he went missing, that is. After disappearing without a trace for three months, he returns with a head of white hair and a colder presence. He went back to practicing law, but rumors began swirling. Eventually, the people learned of an extra-planar pact, but with who? With Luth remaining silent on the issue, the rumors got worse. Asmodeus? Orcus? A horror beyond the stars? With no one willing to take him on as a lawyer, Luth fell from his former glory, losing everything. Now, he rents a room and spends his time at the Yawning Portal, looking for potential clients and hanging out with his new tavern buddies.
- Reade Hadrah – Human Monk
Reade Hadrah is a novice mendicant from the Abbey of Verdant Hope, dedicated to the works of Chauntea, and located among the farming communities north of Daggerford.
He joined the order after the entire village where he lived, including his master’s villa, grotto and vineyard, was destroyed with fire by the dragon Karrnsyrrl three years ago. His period of indenture not being fully served, his debts were about to be sold to the highest bidder. Since the entire region had no more crops to tend, malt or barley to brew, or grapes to ferment, this meant being transported away from the place he considers home. Instead, he ran away and dedicated himself to the local religious order. This really only worked because the monks of the order recognized the value of someone with brewing experience and convinced (bullied) Reade’s master to commute the rest of his debt.
The next few years were difficult, as the life of a deliberately impoverished farming battle monk did not always gel with Reade’s expectations. He spent much of his time annoying the Abbott with suggestions that they abandon the mendicant/farm-hand life and begin selling beer and meade to both support a more comfortable lifestyle, and to raise funds to rebuild the local crops. This has earned Reade many hours of enforced silent meditation, and additional crop hand duty. Eventually (only after he had taught a handful of other monks the indispensable craft of beer and wine making) the Abbott gave him the task of a lifetime.
Reade has been sent to Waterdeep to request financial backing from the merchant houses there for a comprehensive rebuilding of the crops decimated in Karrnsyrrl’s attack. He has been told to focus everything he has into succeeding in this ‘essential endeavor’, and not to return to the Abbey without the resources to replant the countryside north of daggerford.
Desperate to both prove himself to the other Hadrah (believers/monks), and to see his home returned to its previous abundance, he threw himself into the task. But, after getting laughed out of five different waterdhavian merchant houses, his resolve is waning.
These days Reade spends his mornings on the street begging for the coin to drown his sorrows at the Yawning Portal in the afternoon, then passing out under a table late each night. The bartender has taken uncharacteristic pity on him and not thrown him out yet. In fact, he has even allowed him to wash up using the spent dishwater at the end of each late-night shift. But, despite Reade’s charm, that probably won’t last forever.
Surely there is another way to raise the funds he needs so he can return to Daggerford and earn the acceptance of his order. He just needs to think outside the box a bit…
- Jankorean “Janky” Talereos – Half-Elf Rogue Bard
Jankorean “Janky” Talereos, a half-elf, has spent his life in Waterdeep, and has been on the periphery of the “family business” his entire life. After fleeing the forests from some long-forgotten horror, Janky’s ancestors migrated to the city, and have since spent many years developing a more-than-moderately successful criminal empire.
Years ago, Janky was serving as a lookout during a “family outing”, and he was cornered by some of the city watch. He was unable to convince them of his fabricated tale, that of a lute-playing busker who is just out late trying to make a buck, and as a result, his Uncle Jornich was captured, badly beaten, and imprisoned for a number of years.
Since then, Janky looks at life (and his family’s business) a little differently. He’s left the family empire and gone off on his own. He still loves to track down the perfect mark, but his definition of perfect has changed. He’s gotten a lot better at the “art of the lie”. And he’s practiced the lute. A lot.
Janky spends a lot of time in the Yawning Portal, enjoying the atmosphere, playing cards, occasionally performing with his lute, and paying close attention to the clientele.