Level 1 restart--sharing backstories

Hey folks! It sounds official that Steve C. will be restarting us at Level 1 as soon as we reach the conclusion of the current story arc for the Natural Ones (I have some concluding ideas there, too). I'm so excited for us to begin again! Like we did (or should have done) at the beginning of the Natural Ones story, I recommend that we share backstories when we have them and start to find ways to connect our PCs. A good rule of thumb is to have existing connections to two other PCs in the group somehow, whether the same connection or otherwise. What those connections may be is up to us! Here's the backstory for Twitch, my shifter trickery cleric. If someone wants to have a connection to her, that's great--or I'd gladly find a connection to yours! Twitch grew up on the streets of Stormreach as an abandoned urchin guttersnipe. She never knew her parents or how she came to be where she was. She knew no given name: Twitch was the nickname cruel children gave her as they threw rotten food at her in the alley in which she lived, along with the other vermin. Growing up hardscrabble in an isolated port city, the open sea called to Twitch from an early age: the sea was freedom, and the chance to get away from Stormreach and her tormentors. At 13, Twitch snuck aboard a ship berthed away from the others in the harbor, but quickly learned why: it was the pirate vessel  Heartbreaker , captained by the half-orc captain Redtusk, who preyed upon merchant vessels sailing between Khorvaire and Xen'drik. Redtusk took pity on Twitch and allowed her to join the crew, sensing in her a deep well of power. Redtusk taught Twitch the ways of The Traveler, the trickster god that the crew of the  Heartbreaker  revered. In time, Twitch's inner eye opened to The Traveler and she grew strong in the wisdom of the clever god. As Twitch grew in her service to The Traveler, she also heard the command to travel and spread the wisdom of her deity. Twitch loved Redtusk and his crew, but loved still more that the pirate captain proved true to his ideals of freedom and allowed Twitch to leave the crew to wander and set her own course. Twitch views this mortal life as a short-term rest stop before the afterlife, and is therefore unafraid of death for herself--or dealing it to others. Her relationship with The Traveler is one of tremendous respect and admiration, even love, for the power of deception and trickery as an equal, if not superior, to the power of brute force. Those who believe the gods aren't fickle and jealous beings are fooling themselves; glory and destiny in the service of the gods is all. That said, Twitch is not pedantic and seeks instead to inspire others to the service of The Traveler with a cheerful, light-hearted approach to life and the freedoms it provides. Twitch often relies on stealth and deception to achieve her goals, but appreciates the fine pirate tradition of calculated menace and intimidation to avoid needless bloodshed. Still nervous around others and prone to anxious laughter and the darting movements that earned her nickname, Twitch serves her god by delighting in mischief and finding pleasure in a lifestyle that calls upon her piratical roots: taking what she wants and giving nothing back.

Fully agree with Koop's comments. Once everyone has made progress towards making characters, we can see how they might know each other, either as an integrated part of a backstory, or a casual acquaintance. It can be as integrated to whatever extent you feel comfortable (twin half/elves anyone?)

Throwing in Yipping's backstory. Koop, Yipping could have easily worked for you to fix or improve stuff between your trips between Khorvaire and Xen'drik. Just an option. Once the others get their info up there may be something that fits better though but willing to work some things out if you are game. Yipping Fopdoodle was hatched in the home of a morally bankrupt but brilliant human know as Ulf the Knack, (or the Knack or Knack), an artificer for House Cannith in Stormreach. The Knack made things for local crime figures and groups as a side hustle for coin or trade. This is how he acquired the Kobold egg that hatched Yipping. Yipping was originally treated as a commodity of The Knacks, often just doing servant-type things, cleaning and fetching items or was loaned out to people or groups to assist in tunneling out areas for excavation or expansion of existing holds for people or groups. During this time Yipping worked with several races and met Kobolds, thus, learning about the dangers or being his race and terrible history of his kind being taken advantage of as if disposable or as just tools. Eventually, he was observed fixing and improving tools and machines in this period that he was requested more and more. When The Knack learned of why he began teaching Yipping the skills to become an artificer. The Knacks life ended a few years later like most people who dabble with crime, murder. The person or group responsible are unknown. Was it a group that lost territory or market share because The Knack helped a rival; someone who was disgruntled and felt ripped off or a person or group that wanted to use Yipping for digs? (Several of those work projects were not for something on the up and up). After this Yipping left the Knacks home and lived under the city primarily. He would scavenge and make things to sell. He also made and fixed things for others that he trusted or was vouched for by one of those customers. His favorite customer was an Orc named Khagra. Khagra rode an enormous Warg and each were very friendly and fair to Yipping, yes, even the Warg would give him a friendly lick when they would arrive. Khagra would tell stories of raids and battles while Yipping built or improved weapons and armor for him or his Warg. These stories and this relationship influenced Yipping to the point that he decided he wants to be brave and ride something into battle one day.   Behaviors •         Assumes everyone is using him or wants to so slow to trust. Once trusted he is fiercely loyal. •         Collects things and hides them from others.  •         Wants to be brave but is not. •         Emotional, will always seek revenge in some way if he feels wronged, big            or small

KC, I love it! What a fun character concept.  Y’know—I don’t know how old Yipping might be (Chris Perkins, one of the D&D designers, famously once said a kobold’s expected life span is 15 days). But assuming kobolds mature quicker than humans, that could place Twitch and Yipping on a similar age path. Shifters mature earlier than humans, too—according to the sourcebook, they are fully mature at 13 years, which is when Twitch stowed away on the Heartbreaker. I’d like to think that maybe Twitch and Yipping were kindred spirits of a kind. Maybe Yipping ran into Twitch in the back alleys of Stormreach while doing errands and, unlike the “normal” locals, took pity on her. And maybe after joining the pirate crew Twitch connected Captain Redtusk with Yipping and old man Knack before his untimely demise. After all, pirates need clever things like cannons and alchemist’s fire if they can get them—and the better the equipment, obtained without no questions asked, of course, the greater the edge on the merchant ships sailing under the protection of some dragonmarked House like Deneith, Cannith, Orien, or Lyrander.  So, yeah! Yipping and Twitch know each other from the streets and from Twitch throwing business assignments Yipping’s way. Knowing that Yipping has an interest in adventure and travel is music to Twitch’s pointy furry ears. What a great connection with which to start!

Works for Yipping, lol. He is 16 and been on his own for about 2-2.5 years now. It's also nice he knows one person he can trust.

Sh'NezzTar lived with the Umbragen drow in Khyber until an army of aberrations drove them out and scattered them to the winds.  He has sworn an oath of vengence on the Umbra to find a magical weapon powerful enough to defeat the aberrations and drive them from his homeland.  He has spent the last 20 years roaming Eberron looking for any clues to such a weapon without any luck.  He has been a mercenary, a merchant, a pirate, a pilgrim and an outlaw. He is quick to anger so he has few friends.  He respects strength, however, and believes that might makes right. 

Great backstory for a drow, Mike! It seems a little too convenient for Sh"nezzTar to have been a fellow crewmate on the Heartbreaker , but I suppose it's possible that Twitch might have known of a fierce drow pirate from what, for her, was long ago. If you think there would be another reason that Twitch and Sh'NezzTar might know each other, I'm open to it! Any thoughts? Koop

Koop, She could have provided healing for him during one of his misadventures.  i think a trickster cleric would have a great laugh at the concept of a Drow paladin and want to keep an eye on him for the mischief potential. . 

Sh'NezzTar could also have come to The Knack for goods and Yipping is connected there....all three of us could easily have had run-ins though at separate times for separate reasons I would think.

KC and Mike, I like the idea of connecting through The Knack. I could see Twitch and Yipping chatting at the store and having a bloody and beaten drow come stumbling through the door looking for supplies. And you're right, Mike--Twitch would be fascinated by the idea of a drow paladin out there f--king s--t up and might want to support that just for the giggles.

Lots of flavor in that for sure, lol! Yipping is all in with that.