I have been obsessed with Maiev and her story for the last few weeks. Here is what I came up with on Hero Forge as to what she looks like based on the story I wrote out (bottom). I wrote the story based on what some generators came up with.
- Race: Tiefling
- Subraces and Variants
- Subrace: Fierna Tiefling (A master manipulator, Fierna grants tieflings tied to her forceful personalities.)
- Human Heritage: Unknown
- Physical Characteristics
- Age: 21
- Height: 5'5"
- Weight: 150 lbs.
- Eyes: catlike pupils with purple iris
- Skin: light pink
- Hair: white
- Horns: Goat, curved following the natural form of her head, ends up turned and adorned with silver rings.
- Other Traits: Fangs or sharp teeth, swirl tattoo on left shoulder, Feels shy about their looks.
- Class: Warlock
- Otherworldly Patron: Hexblade - Pact of the Blade
- Patron Attitudes: Your patron is a strict disciplinarian but treats you with a measure of respect.
- Became a warlock because: My father left behind his black-rose rapier, which he had formed a pact with previously. Upon his disappearance that entity was determined to bind me to the same agreement. However, it appears to me as a whip.
Origin
- Birthplace: Home of a family friend
- Parents: Both parents were humans, their infernal heritage dormant until you came along.
- Absent Parent(s): Your parents were imprisoned, enslaved, or otherwise taken away and have been missing for most of your life
- Family Lifestyle: Modest
- Childhood Home: Small house
- Childhood Memories: Others saw me as being different or strange, and so I had few companions
- Family
- Nanette (Netty)
- Gender: Female
- Race: Human
- Alignment: Neutral
- Occupation: Academic
- Status: Alive
- Relationship: Friendly
- Birth Order: Older
Life Events
- Friend: You made a friend of a(n) human blood hunter.
- Crime: Murder. You did not commit the crime and were exonerated after being accused.
- Boon: A distant relative left you a stipend that enables you to live a comfortable lifestyle for 1d20 (rolled a 9) years. If you choose to live a higher lifestyle, you reduce the price of the lifestyle by 2 gp during that time period.
Story
Time’s Grave Inn looks crude on the outside, unwelcoming and nasty. Stacked boulders and thick, stone beams make up most of the building's outer structure. It's difficult to see through the windows, but the uncomfortable atmosphere from within can be felt outside. Perfect for the task at hand: get out of the cold and wait. Maiev enters the tavern through the small, soft wooden door, and is welcomed by a layer of smoke hanging below the ceiling and a horrific scent. The bartender is sleeping and makes no effort to acknowledge her presence. Again, perfect. Her sister Nanett knows how to pick a meeting locale. It's as dreary inside as it is on the outside. Squared, stone beams support the upper floor and the torches attached to them. The walls are covered in photographs of what were undoubtedly better times for this tavern. They're now more of a painful reminder of what it has turned into.
The tavern itself is almost completely abandoned. The few people inside could be anybody really, but whoever they are, Maiev knows they'll leave her alone, just like she's leaving them alone. Maiev's only real knowledge of the tavern is a rumor that it is supposedly infamous for something, but she can't recall what for.
There is a booth in the far back of the tavern, where if you angle yourself properly, you can see from one side to the other as well as the entrance. This is where Maiev chooses to sit as she waits for her guest to arrive.
Some travelers came in from the storm not long after her and sat at the tables around her, gazing curiously at her from time to time. From what they can see she has long white hair that is more wavy than curly as it peeks out from under her hood and barely covers her shoulders. She has one hand firmly keeping the cloak closed but her dark nails and pink hand give her away. What causes the travelers to eventually find another table are her eyes. Shining purple eyes with black cat-shaped pupils, set high within their sockets, stare back unflinchingly. Barely perceivable are white freckles, spread graciously across her nose and cheeks, which soften her appearance but not by much. If anything it emphasizes how alien she is compared to the otherwise human-like appearance. From where she sits you can see that she's not very tall but built athletically and fairly young though an adult.
The bell on the tavern door jingles signaling someone new has come in from the storm. The person brushes the snow from their shoulders and their hood falls down to reveal a woman with messy blonde hair that falls haphazardly over her pale skin. Smart hazel eyes, set well within their sockets, scan the tavern from side to side. Scars stretching from just under the left eyebrow , running towards her upper lip and ending on her right nostril move when she smiles. Her eyes have finally found what they were searching for as they focus in and settle on Maiev. She strides purposefully towards the booth, taking her gloves off elegantly as she does. She stands at the booth for a moment before sitting down and whistling for the barmaid. The barmaid comes close but not too close, eyeing Maiev with caution. Maiev smiles, revealing her sharp teeth and the barmaid gasps.
"Don't do that," the blonde woman snaps. "I'll have some grog, whatever you have and actually bring it to the table." The barmaid hesitates.
"She's not the one you need to worry about. I am." The woman reaches into her cloak and puts down a gold coin on the table. That's more than the barrel costs but it ensures speedy and hospitable service. The barmaid reaches forward and grabs the coin quickly and practically runs the counter to get the drink. When she returns, she puts down several drinks and some bread and bows before leaving. Maiev chuckles.
"Some things never change." Her voice is light and sweet, not at all what you'd expect when she puts her hood down and reveals the horns that follow the natural shape of her skull with the ends turned up. The torches on the wall reflect in the thick silver rings adorning them. Several tavern dwellers gasp and move farther away. The blonde flattens her mouth creating laugh lines and her forehead creases as she glares at Maiev from across the table.
"What? I'm just confirming what they already know.” She says as she tussles her hair and uses it to hide most of her horns. “So out with it. Why did you come here?"
"You're my sister. I come to see you every year." Maiev rolls her eyes.
A lot can be said of Nanette Brightwood, but the two traits most people enjoy are that she's brilliant, elegant and organized. Of course she's also clear-headed, idealistic, dedicated, and contemplative, but they're often slightly tainted by a mindset of being frightening as well. Her intellect though, this is what she's most popular for. Friends usually count on this and her dominant nature when they're in need of support.
Nobody's perfect of course and Nanette has plenty of less favorable characteristics too. Being out-spoken and narrow-minded can cause things to heat up and could ruin plenty of evenings. Fortunately her brilliance is usually there to soften the blows by issuing backhanded compliments so cleverly crafted that few realize they are being insulted. Nanette uses her intelligence as a weapon. As Maiev knows, the barbs are sharp.
"Yes, you come every year and you stay for exactly one hour and excuse yourself to the bathroom and then I don't see you until I get the letter that gives me a location and time a year later. You're late by the way." Maiev finishes one pint and picks up another. The blonde reaches her hand out to stop Maiev from taking a drink. One of her fingers is adorned with a ring that is very familiar to Maiev. It belonged to their mother.
"Did you find that or have you always had it?" Maiev jerked her hand away and took a drink.
"When Aunt Muriel sent the letter with your inheritance, this came with it." Maiev snorted, a little smoke coming out of her nostrils with a faint scent of brimstone.
"So you decided to keep it?"
"No, it was given to me with a letter of my own." At this Maiev put out her hand as if to say ‘give it to me.’ Nanette slapped it away.
“I don’t have it on me. It was years ago, as you well know. You have all that gold and yet you appear to be poor. Have you gambled it away?”
“You’re less likely to be robbed when it looks like you have nothing to give.” Nanette’s mouth falls open in surprise but it quickly closes and forms a small begrudging grin. It always gave Maiev great satisfaction to see her sister realize that she wasn’t the only one capable of being smart.
“So where are you living these days?” Nanette says, finally taking a sip of her grog. Her face gives one of displeasure at the taste but she swallows it down. She sets the pint down and pushes it away from her slightly.
“Cut the crap Netty, what do you want?” Maiev knows that there are several things the sisters do not talk about. Namely anything personal or identifying of what they are doing, where they live or who they are doing anything with. Nanette frowns.
“Fine. For the first time in years I have no new information. No clues, no connections, nothing. I could find absolutely nothing new about our parents' disappearance or how you came to look like that.” Nanette is not known for being emotional. It goes against the practical side of her. However, with this revelation she seems genuinely distraught and it becomes clear to Maiev, maybe for the first time ever, that Nanette thinks that in finding their parents, Maiev will no longer be a tiefling. Maiev reaches across the table and grabs both of Nanette’s hands with her own and rubs her thumbs over the back of her hands in a soothing way. In her softest but most firm voice Maiev reassures her sister of what she already knows.
“Netty, I’ll never be human again. The curse that runs in our family was activated by their disappearance. This is permanent.” Nanette snatches her hand back and pushes herself out of the booth.
“You may want to be a devil but what about the next generation? I don’t want this for my child!” She shouts and it’s only then with her face level with her sister's stomach that Maiev sees the small bump.
Maiev jumps up and tries to hug her sister.
“Don’t!” Nanette shouts sharply and thrusts her hand out and slams it forcefully into Maiev’s chest. It knocks her back a few steps but it is the surprise of the action, not the action itself that shocks Maiev. Her older sister has always been her biggest and most adamant protector. No one could make fun of Maiev’s pink skin, horns or tail but Nanette and no one dared start a fight with Maiev because they all knew Nanette would finish it. This, this was something different.
Nanette backed up slowly, tears streaming down her face before she turned and ran out into the cold storm. Maiev just stood there in shock, completely numb. She knew in her heart that she would not get a letter with a tavern name, location and time of day next year, or any year after.
Okay, so what do we think? I created her as a backup character in case something happens to
Raises Hackles. I didn't know that you were supposed to have backup characters in case your character dies. In every other game, you just resurrect your character. Now I have Maiev and if I can't play her during this campaign then I hope I can work her into the next one.
