The Founding of the Arrows

This isn't proper backstory information (that's still coming) but I figured I'd post a rough-ish, incomplete timeline of the 'order of meeting'. Note that I've still got four characters who haven't got places in the timeline, due to me still needing to work things out in regard to Dimble and Ri. However, Ri is looking to be an earlier addition to the party.

As it stands, Knifey met Ivelliohn approximately five or so years before the first act of the main campaign. They spent about two and a half years travelling alone together before meeting Tharry. This is when the group backstory starts (I like to consider Knifey and Ivelliohn's adventures as something separate).

So, two and a half years from the start of the campaign, Knifey/Ivelliohn meet Tharry. Approximately a month or so after this, on a 'quest to find an artefact' (which will naturally be elaborated on in the actual backstory) they trio meet none other than Milo Tosscobble who happened to get there first. So two becomes four rather quickly, and these particular four have known and been putting up with each others' eccentricities for a while.

Here is where things get murky, but from discussions it seems that the next member of the party to join might be Ri. I assume there'll be a reasonable gap (longer than the month and a bit between Tharry and Tosscobble, but not too long), but it seems likely we'll meet Ri as the fifth member. If she isn't though, it'll be a toss-up between Irelia and Dimble (whose backstory I know nothing about except 'exiled minor noble who has reasonable tin whistling skills and likes guns', which actually doesn't sound that bad but still). I think Japas will come after them all, met on a trip to Waterdeep or something.

From Erak's backstory, we know he hasn't known the Arrows for a long time before the first act begins. I'd like to think he's been with them for somewhere between a couple of weeks to a month, which gives the group time to get a good idea of his character and befriend him properly.

So, as far as the backstory goes, it's looking like Knifey/Ivelliohn--->Tharry--->Tosscobble--->Ri?--->Irelia/Dimble?--->Japas--->Erak. Naturally, we then meet Gazadriel and Skagaros, then Sindri, but since this happens during the campaign itself I don't need to write about it.

Let it be known that as soon as the plans for Ri and Dimble are organised, I can actually concretely say where I'm going to put Irelia and Japas in the backstory. Until then, however, their own placement is all wishy-washy.

In addition, I thought I'd post the Arrow titles here as well. So far we have:

• Knifey, Soul Arrow!! (It does indeed require those two exclamation points.)
  
• Tosscobble, Crimson Arrow.
  
• Ri, Shifting Arrow.
  
• Gazadriel, Golden Arrow.
  
• Sindri, Demon Arrow.
  
• Erak, Iron Arrow.
  
• Dimble, Tartan Arrow (yes, he is the Tartan Arrow).
  
• Irelia was the Psi Arrow.
  
• Japas was the Sun Arrow.
  

Tharry, Ivelliohn, and Skagaros are still undecided. Ivelliohn was recorded as the Green Arrow, but he seemed quite displeased so it's up to him to come up with a new one. Tharry is still decided. I don't think Skagaros has even thought of it. As a monk, he could get away with 'Holy Arrow' (could he?), or alternatively could be the 'Silent Arrow'. 'Grappling Arrow' seems hilariously appropriate, if a bit ridiculous. Really, it's up to him.

Tharry, some suggestions alongside Cobalt are Silver, Arcane, Azure, Mithril, Moon(lit), etc. Once you're decided just let me know!

Ivelliohn, my old friend, I can offer suggestions as well. Ranging, Viridian, Earthen, Spring, Wild, Forest, etc. These are only ideas to help brainstorm however. (Also, while I suggest Viridian it really isn't a 'John' shade of green. I only suggested it cause...it sounded cool B).)

Anyway, this is just a minor update (not particularly substantial, I apologise). DM, if you know anything about Dimble's backstory I'd welcome the info. It's getting to the point where I'm considering just sort of saying 'The group meets a travelling bard looking for some friendly company whilst they go adventuring, seeking to find great stories to inspire many musical epics -and make good use of their musket- along the way, and lo, that bard is Dimble!' but I'd rather get Dimble's player's own input on the matter. OTL

Also, additional information not entirely relevant to the group's backstory, but still relevant to the Arrows as a whole.

• Tosscobble, the Crimson Arrow. His personal symbol has a black arrowhead, with a crimson red shaft and black feather fletching. 
  

And because it would be bad form for me not to do it...

• Knifey, the Soul Arrow. His personal symbol is an arrow made entirely of purple psionic energy, glowing with power. It is slightly transparent because of this, and while fun to look at, the details are often difficult to see. (I believe I have already mentioned some of the reasons for selecting the Title 'Soul Arrow' as well so, wooh!) (And it leaves rainbows behind it as it wooshes through the air!!)
  

I knew the Arcane Campaign was taking place before the Main Campaign. I just didn't think one hundred years (as mentioned, I thought it was like...two, which would coincide quite well with the Arrows grouping together) would have passed. But one hundred years it is, and N'Miir you are now an old man (one hundred and thirty-two years of age)! Of course no one can tell because you're vainer than a peacock and are mostly likely constantly wearing an illusion. 

N'Miir is disappointed in you, Masked Lord of Waterdeep. Couldn't even get rid of those darned skulls.   

And I've contacted Ri's original player, who should hopefully send something to you soon! In fact, considering neither of Ri's players are good with checking their emails, I should probably have a word with them about the whole 'group backstory' thing.

No frozen yogurt, or iced cream, gelato or any other variant will appear in the current incarnation of the forgotten realms, and if you keep bugging me about it I'll put a blanket ban on the item for all of my campaigns. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

As for the school, you are more then welcome to have one. Infact I could use it later... Though I'm not sure if the chronology works with when show in would have died for him teaching her directly, perhaps an apprentice of an apprentice.

Also the arcane campaign was always going to be some time before. Just wasn't sure when I wanted.

Finally I said try to destroy the skulls of skull port once and for all, I never said he succeeded...

Finally, can I please get a working copy of Ri's backstory, I still haven't the vaguest idea about what's in it, but I have some things I want to do with her character going forwards so even if it's unfinished it will help to know!!!

Huh, I thought we agreed upon...the Knifey and Ivelliohn name exchange...but no matter! Though it loses some of its friendshippy charm (at least, on Knifey's side of things), I should probably remove the exchange from my backstory...the only official backstory posted on the forum (roleplayer guilt-trips).     Man, my memory of these sort of things sucks. I do not deserve the power I have been given.
Either that or things have changed since then (understandable if so, as your backstory is becoming more fleshed out). It was probably just my shoddy memory though.  OTL

Also, fair warning, pretty much anyone with close connections to Ri is either a) dead, or b) a complete and utter jerk. Oh dear. Either way, if you wanted to connect Ri with Westwind, you would need to contact both of Ri's players and discuss things with them. I'm not averse to the idea, I just don't know how well it would fit in their backstory.

(I hope Westwind achieves his Frozen Yoghurty dreams, if that becomes 'canon' for him (sees the DM looming ominously)).

AND NOW, due to Tharry and Tosscobble being the first to contact and discuss things with me, it currently looks like we'll be encountering those two first. Further details will be organised at a later date (such as the actual year/date, and the events that occur during their encounter with Tharry, and then their run-in with Tosscobble). It has been agreed that Tharry should most definitely join before Tosscobble (for 'Tharry hates halflings' reasons).

More news to come! Tune in at...???   Whenever I Get More Information 'o'clock. Now officially known as the WIGMI hour! (okay that sounds ridiculous...like I'm asking for a wig).

I thought the Arcane Campaign was about 20 years before the Main one. I can't remember where I got that idea from, though - possibly that was the last time that Fareach was burned to the ground, and I assumed that the code-phrase "Fareach is burning" was referring to that in some way.

In 100 years time from the events of the Arcane Campaign, Westwind may have passed away, but his legacy will endure.

I kind of want to say something along the lines of "Using the unimaginable wealth granted to him for his part in recovering the Artefact, Westwind went on to fulfil his life long dream of establishing Waterdeep's first Frozen Yoghurt (a traditional Iluskan delicacy) franchise chain! (Keep in mind that this is a *life long* dream: You have some pretty silly dreams when you're five years old.*grins*)". However - hilarious as that is - I haven't decided I want that to be canon for my character yet.

Something I would like to be considered for the future of my character is the matter of his apprentices. Having intelligently divided his newly received immense wealth between shrewd investment and good old fashioned hoarding, in his older years as his physical abilities start to deteriorate, even as he attempts to negate that through the various enhancing magic items (e.g. +6 Amulets of Vitality or whatever they're called), while his intellect continues to reach into super human levels (according to TvTropes, http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheSixStats ), Sullivan began to take on more apprentices in the Arts of Beguiling, as he was no longer as able to undertake the physical aspects of investigations himself. He had already trained or given some tips to several apprentices prior to the Arcane Campaign (this will appear briefly in his backstory, when posted), but this number greatly increased when he retired from the physical side of private investigating - though he continued to tackle the intellectual aspects of it. I would like to think that a fair number of those classes as 'Beguilers' in Waterdeep in the Main Campaign 'Present' are either apprentices of Westwind or apprentices of his apprentices or apprentices of the apprentices of his apprentices.

Sullivan himself was a self-taught beguiler: He never had a teacher who professionally identified as one/had levels in the class. His unique focus on the schools of enchantment and illusion despite the encumbrance of armour, along with the arts of the social and diplomatic spheres, coupled with some fair skill with weapons, was developed independently - an eclectic set of skills and abilities, developed from his noble/merchant's education, the spells his mage brother shared with him when they were younger, the enchanting abilities taught to him by the Fey he loved, his training with the Cult of the Charming Mind, and just the hard experience living on the cut-throat streets when he was younger, combined with years and years of mingling with people of all levels of society, swapping identities to suit his purposes and concealing his own, along with his own independent research at the local Mage Tower. He was a *self made* beguiler.

I'd like to think of him as one of the founders of the 'present day' class, at least in Waterdeep.

Also, I've just realised that having the Arcane Campaign set in quite far in the past kind of messes up my integration of some recognised characters from the 'Waterdeep: City of Splendours' source book - which I assumed is set in the 'present'. Hmm, then again, it can't be set in the 'present' because the Skulls of Skullport are still a menace - unless the Masked Lord was just unsuccessful in removing them.

Anyway, what I was leading to with this was that Ri could have been an apprentice of - or part of a chain of apprentices started by - Sullivan Westwind, as a means of integrating an Arcane Campaign cameo. Of course, I have no idea how Ri actually became a Beguiler so this idea could be garbage if she doesn't want to incorporate it. Maybe she, too, was self made.

Additionally: That's not how Ivelliohn got his name, but it will do for the example, I suppose. He was named John (human name) Ivellios (elf name) Hunter by his parents (female elf, male human) when he was born. When elves come of age, they choose a new name/use-name of their own making: a unique creation. Now, full elves don't come of age until they're over 100 years old, so John wouldn't have got his one by exactly the same mechanism as they. Rather, when he stayed Aglarond (the half-elf kingdom of old) for several years he encountered a thriving half-elf community in the nation, many of whom had the same dual-name/no formal adult elf-name/use-name issue that he had. It was a custom of theirs to combine their human and elf names to form the unique creation of an adult elf-name/use-name, one which reflected their mixed heritage, to begin use when they matured by their own standards - closer to those of humans, not by those of the elves. Thus, 'Ivelliohn' became his use-name, some years before he met Knifey - though he occasionally uses 'John' out of old habit, too, as that was his first-name for many years.

I hope you enjoyed that extended insight into some of my characters!

WAIT WAIT WAIT 100 YEARS?   I thought it was like...two years or so (so I was going to incorporate the chance meeting -read: the Arrows ruin some evidence that the Arcanists were attempting to analyse, or just bump into them and manage to tick at least one of them off (N'Miir, most likely)- in Waterdeep and potentially combine it with Ri and Japas's joining of the Arrows, if if fit).

I doubt all the Arcanists would even be alive one hundred years later. Gos, most likely, and N'Miir potentially (he is a half-elf, so he'd be a little more long-lived than a human), but Dragonsong and Westwind...

-sighs- Maybe no cameo then. If it were a cameo it would probably be a lot less light-hearted than I originally intended. Things just aren't as fun when half one's group is dead...and no, Gos, you can't resurrect them as creepy undead servants.  

I don't want to bring down the tone of the descussions, but....

John couldn't have possible hit knifey with an arrow, as until level 4 he couldn't hit the broadside of a barn at 10 ft  

In all seriousness though, glad to see we are finely getting started in writing the groups back story. Maybe this will get everyone thinking about there own back-story!

Also in reference to dropping an arcansist reference, I will.... permit it, bit only if it's subtle. Also I have decided that the events of that campaign happened about 100 yrs before the current.

That's I think I need to note

Genisisect, Omni-Arrow-of-Making-the-Universe-and-Everything-in-it

QUESTIONS

• When does your character become available to join the group? (Preferably answered using the [Character Name] is available during the ages [#]-[#])
  
• Where is your character located? (either place of origin, a specific city, or a general travel path is required)
  
• Is your character alone before meeting the 'group', which for my own purposes begins with Knifey and Ivelliohn and expands from them?
  
• Why would your character join the group? (goals and motivations make a richer character, after all!! Also I'm the annoying group roleplayer   )
  
• Additional Question: What is the Arrow 'title' of your character?
  

EXAMPLE ANSWERS (because I like examples)

• Knifey is available (to meet Ivelliohn) between the ages 20-26.
  
• Knifey has been wandering through the Sharr and in the areas around it, including the Chondalwood.
  
• Knifey is alone (and nameless) before meeting Ivelliohn.
  
• Knifey teams up with Ivelliohn as he enjoys the other's company. After their fateful first meeting (which involved Ivelliohn piercing Knifey with an arrow and then pretending it wasn't him who did it, something which Knifey found incredibly amusing) in which Knifey and Ivelliohn bonded over their love of rabbits, the two quickly discovered they worked well together and enjoyed one another's company. Knifey found the somewhat grumpy but ultimately kind-hearted Ivelliohn to be a good friend, and whilst Knifey was eccentric and unusually cheerful, Ivelliohn found he appreciated his company. Both were (or at Knifey was) somewhat lonely before encountering the other and thus the two became fast friends.
  Their friendship was pretty much sealed when Ivelliohn accidentally 'named' Knifey, and Knifey in turn kept calling him 'Ivelliohn', granting John a nickname that combined both his bloodlines into one.
  The two also have a fairly common cause in defending the good (in a chaotic way), eliminating evil, and both enjoy travelling.
  
• Knifey's Arrow Title is 'Soul Arrow', reflecting his Soulknife/Psionic powers, but also hinting at his bright, emotional attitude (the Heart/Soul of a group).