The Van Richten Monster Hunting Academy

[Teravala]

Hey is this a private party or can anyone join in? But seriously this is a cool idea, and would work well on my schedule. Mind if I drop in the occasional letter? Need me to send you anything like character info stuff?

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

Hey is this a private party or can anyone join in? But seriously this is a cool idea, and would work well on my schedule. Mind if I drop in the occasional letter? Need me to send you anything like character info stuff?

ANYONE CAN JOIN IN and I couldn't emphasize this more.
SERIOUSLY.
EVERYONE JOIN IN, I'M BEGGING YOU, WE'RE ONLY TWO PLAYERS NOW AND NOBODY STARTED PLAYING YET.

[Mistmaster]

i stop the wagon . "You must be Sarker" Hold you an hand "Archibald Everlast, nice to meet you" "I'm told you need a passage from Vallaki to Tepest, now don't you?"

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

i stop the wagon . "You must be Sarker" Hold you an hand "Archibald Everlast, nice to meet you" "I'm told you need a passage from Vallaki to Tepest, now don't you?"

"Yes, and ASAP. I was right to skip Castle Ravenloft during my first trip here! But... Archie, don't you recognise me? You've been my teacher for my first couple of months in the Society! I didn't make too much progress on my transmutation homework, was busy running away from vampires - not an excuse, though, and I assure you that I'll do better next time."

[Mistmaster]

I put on a pair of golden eyeglasses "Forgive an old man, my boy" I say smiling "And do not worry about your transfiguration, we have time to review it" Once you are aver the wagon ,the mule who pulls it start moving again.

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

I put on a pair of golden eyeglasses "Forgive an old man, my boy" I say smiling "And do not worry about your transfiguration, we have time to review it" Once you are aver the wagon ,the mule who pulls it start moving again.

"I wasn't angry, just... Confused. You're a very confusing person - in a good way, if you get what I mean. I guess that's what wizards are like." -Fyre golden scales suddenly turn orange- "Ugh... Anyway. I think there's something more pressing we need to discuss."

[Mistmaster]

"Indeed " he said "shall we?" He asked as the surprisingly fast vehicle left the hates of Vallaki.

[Teravala]

Character Form
- Name: Anna Lewis
- Pronouns She/Her
- Species Human (has claimed membership of the Godefroy bloodline)
- Class(es) and subclass(es) Bard 5/Accomplished medium 3
- Home Domain(s): Dementlieu
- Physical description: A short statured, small woman in her mid 20's, though her manner of dress, and strategic usage of a disguise kit present her as a woman on the verge of her 40's. Dark hair, altered to appear graying at the temples, and piercing green eyes.

- Ideal, bond, flaw: Her ideal is to bring people peace and closure with regards to their departed loved ones. However, she accomplishes this through deceit. (See Other Notes.) Bond: Anna has become increasingly close with Michael Jendalis though their shared experience of sensitivity to spirits, as well as their shared, albeit distantly, bloodline. The two have become confidants, and while Michael doesn't approve of her methods when dealing with the general public, this has not been enough so far for him to distance himself from her, nor to publicly expose her methods. Flaw: She has become jaded through the years, and takes a pessimistic viewpoint of people's ability to change, even in the final moments of their lives. She also is a firm believer that the ends usually justify the means,

- Duck (a goofy and harmless trait) and Nail (a badass and/or scary trait) Duck: She has become infatuated with the travelling carnival, as it is the one place she has spent any significant time in and never sensed a spirit lurking nearby.
Nail: She has a small but growing network of informants at her disposal throughout the core, whom she pays to take up servants posts in the more affluent noble houses of various domains, especially those with an ailing or elderly family member. These informants send her regular reports of information that, while on the surface seems innocuous, allows her to effectively perform "hot readings" on many of her clients, and she is always storing away information she hasn't used yet for the inevitable death of a member of that family.

- Worst fear (As in, the worst thing you think can happen to you): She is well aware of what her fate as a Godefroy (In blood if not name) will be, and has begun to discreetly search the core for methods of extending her life, though she is appalled at the idea of becoming one of the undead.
- Worst fear (As in, a fear that occupies your thoughts or hampers you in daily life): She is terrified of finding herself within the borders of Mordent. She is certain that not only will the spirits of that land be especially drawn to her (true), but also that the ghost of the late Lord Godefroy will seek her out to punish her her behavior as a charlatan.

- Short backstory: Born in Dementlieu to a minor noble house, Anna delighted in the stories her mother would tell her of her homeland, the beautiful rolling hills of Mordent, and the once proud Estate of their distant family there, The House on Gryphon Hill. As a child, she would often be scolded by her father for talking to her imaginary friends, despite her protestations that they were truly there. One day, her mother sat her down and explained that, although she believed her when she said she could see people others couldn't, that the people of this land would think her mad if went on this way. It was then she explained that her own mother had sworn that she was able to see the spirits of the departed, and that after many years, she had come to believe her. Her mother, seeing the distress that this caused young Anna, her mother sang to her the same song her own mother had sung when she couldn't sleep at night, for fear of invisible spectres all around her. It was then that her love of music began, and it was arranged for Anna to receive an education in music and theater performance from a Kartakan minstrel, in exchange for remaining silent about her invisible friends. Her father, though initially displeased with this trajectory for his daughter's life, soon found that many of the skills that made for an excellent performer, such as their effortless charm, ability to read others, and skill in effectively becoming another person temporarily, would also serve her well in the cutthroat land of Dementlieu. So it was that for 10 years, she honed her skills, slowly perfecting the abilities that would allow her to increase her family's holdings and status across the core, while remaining an innocuous target in Dementlieu.

- How did you get into the training program, and who's your mentor? She entered the training program at the recommendation of Michael Jendalis, through his cousins the Weathermay Foxgrove twins. Her mentor is Hildegren, a sympathetic Medium from Falkovnia. Her mentor understands that Anna is afraid to delve too deeply into her powers, as she herself was almost driven mad by a fiend and the ethereal resonance of it's lair while assisting D. Rudolph Van Richten.
- Current sketch: Anna has long been aware that as she grew, her abilities as a medium were likely to grow as well, and that she would one day have to learn to harness and control them, or be driven mad by what she saw. On her most recent voyage to Borca to perform a seance for a merchant family, Anna and her guide, an anchorite of Ezra, found themselves not in Borca, but in Mordent. At first, Anna was overjoyed to finally see the land her mother had told her of so many times, and to be able to meet in person a man she had only thus far corresponded with at the suggestion of her mentor. However, she soon found that the spirits of Mordent were far more drawn to her than they had been in other lands, and it was here that she felt something deep inside her begin to grow, as her largely latent abilities began to come to the surface. She departed from Mordent in a vistani caravan, eager to put the place behind her and to never return, but as they approached the misty border the gypsies swore would bring them to Borca in no time, Anna saw a terrifying sight. Dozens of ghosts streaked across the sky, calling to her as they reached with spectral hands toward the vardo. What scared her the most were how familiar many of the ghostly faces seemed, and she swore she recognized one of the spirits from the portrait of her maternal grandmother that her mother kept above the fireplace in her room. It was then she remembered the dreaded words Michel had left her with as she departed from his homestead. "all those of The Blood were fated to one day rise as spirits after their deaths."
- Notable possessions: A crystal ball,spirit board, and a magically enchanted black lace shawl, that protects her from mind reading and mind influencing effects. She also carries a silver, magic rapier and is quite the skilled fender.
- Other notes: For many years, Anna has been running a con in regards to her clientele. She learned long ago that while people often say they wish to communicate with their deceased relatives, that what they truly seek is absolution form guilt, or validation that their cold hearted father or mother or what have you truly did love them. She also learned that more often than not, the dead were not interested in such things, and that people were happy to pay for what they wanted to hear, and significantly less so in hearing the truth of the matter. So she developed a con, using her bardic magic to create lights, ghostly sounds, and even throw small objects across the room at key moments. She honed her skills at these simple spells, learning over time to cast them first silently, then without moving a muscle, and finally both in conjunction. She has used this to fake dozens, if not hundreds of seances, relying instead on her abilities to cold read someone, or her network of informants (supplied at no small cost by her father), to gather relevant information about the deceased, their family, and to root out what it is her client is most likely to WANT to hear. This has made her wealthy and famous, in some circles, across the core, and become somewhat of a private joke for her to chuckle at. After all, she IS able to see and hear spirits, why should she suffer in poverty simply because their family doesn't like what they have to say. She is careful to always make sure that the area in which she conducts her "seance" has been wrapped in a circle of protection, safeguarding her from any vengeful spirit that may attempt to enact retribution for her deception. This has gained her 2 powerful enemies, both spirits who have fixated themselves on her transgressions, and will stop at nothing to see her punished for them.


This is a rough concept for a character I've had in mind for a while now. If I went too hard on anything or you need me to change things to better fit, please let me know, but I am going for a twist on the mediums of the 19/20th century, and wanted to present an individual who, though flawed deeply in her own ways, could be viewed as more of an antihero than a true "hero of the realm" so to speak.

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

This is a rough concept for a character I've had in mind for a while now. If I went too hard on anything or you need me to change things to better fit, please let me know, but I am going for a twist on the mediums of the 19/20th century, and wanted to present an individual who, though flawed deeply in her own ways, could be viewed as more of an antihero than a true "hero of the realm" so to speak.

[Your character is brilliant and I can't wait to see her character arc.]

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

"Indeed " he said "shall we?" He asked as the surprisingly fast vehicle left the hates of Vallaki.

"So... Over my travels with George - may he rest in peace - We run into some strange beings. But I doubt any of them - not even those wretched 'mind flayers', as you call them, who were to claim his life - was stranger than D'Honaire."

[Mistmaster]

"Ah, Dominic. The man who can control almost anything, except what really matters." I say humming. "You say George is dead, then? Someone will have to mind Georgie, in this case"

[Teravala]

"Ah, Dominic. The man who can control almost anything, except what really matters." I say humming. "You say George is dead, then? Someone will have to mind Georgie, in this case"

"Dominic is not without his weaknesses." I chime in, pulling back the partition curtain between the front and back end of the wagon, and slipping gracefully inside to join the others. "He underestimates those he considers poor players in the games he lives to play, and in doing so invites destruction down upon him and his house someday."

[Mistmaster]

(Inside the wagon there is a large, three stored-manor house)"Close the door,dear, I do not want a book to fall outside" I say.

[Teravala]

(Inside the wagon there is a large, three stored-manor house)"Close the door,dear, I do not want a book to fall outside" I say.

"My apologies, I am unused to such displays of true arcane might. Magic is rarely more than a parlor trick back home." I say as I reach back and secure the door, adjusting my lace shawl to hide my embarrassment. "Is it true you designed this contraption yourself, sir...?"

[Mistmaster]

"The idea was my wife's" I say with a sight "Are you from Lamordia by chance?" I ask with a smile.