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However, what happens when an elf, who is not brought up in elven society, who has no idea about his heritage, is thrust into the world of short lived communities? In this case, Teil, was an orphan. A simple wood elf, taken in by a human farmer and his human wife after they found him on the side of the road. The village they belonged to was a small one, and did not encompass much in the way of diversity, so when the boy was brought under communal care, suspicion ran rampent.
For a time, the boy grew up as a loved son, and was raised a farming life. Yet, not all good things last forever, though this portion of his life would consist of far more than just a few years. A countless time was spent under his foster parents' loving care. Still, that same suspicion that had last two decades about an elven child in their midst spread news to other neighboring towns. That news would meet the ones who had originally slain Teil's origins, and soon after, Teil was hunted down, too.
However, Teil's case of capture was different. Seeing the elf as a young lad, the hunter's figured they could get a good price on him, so they took him to the black markets of Belsamin. The elf assumed his foster home was gone, and knew that his parents were dead as well. Teil was old enough to know when something was not worth returning to, and while in his captur's care, knew that he had start focusing on survival.
Once the party had reached the city, the boy being slung in a hemp sack, Teil remembered seeing sunlight, bright and full through the holes of the bag, and then, a sudden darkness. He had never seen cobblestone walls before, had not known the silence of a sewer as water dripped from sources unknown. All that consumed his mind was the slapping footsteps of the men of whom he belonged to.
For a time, this was how it went. Darkness followed by scant torchlight, and a dark muttering or two, until eventually, light once more burst forth, but in a more sinister fashion. Widening a hole with one of his fingers, the boy glimpsed braziers bloated with flame, and symbols ground from stone walls. Memories of this moment seem to increase in pace from there. Hands were clasped, bags exchanged, and his previous owners' now gone, the opening to the bag was pulled open slowly, and eyes glared down at him.
So began Teil's history with the darker gods.
At first, the boy was treated no more than a slave, but as he gained usefulness and grew older, so did his responsibilities. Having relinquished himself to a cult of Frigg, Teil soon became accustomed to meanial tasks, and yet, none of the cultists ever struck him. They would ill him with vile words, or cast some spell that would keep him still for what seemed like hours, but beyond this, no harm came to him. Eventually, he learned to trust them in their own way.
Having listened in to their conversations, and eventually deciphering their speak, Teil showed a keen mind that was quickly noticed. Years spent in darkness forced the boy to adjust to the light, and taught him a new kind of living. Figuring he had nothing left, the boy began worshipping this Frigg goddess as the rest of the cult did. What they did not expect was for him to actually gain her favor.
That was the first time the cult took him seriously. Feeding him just enough information to keep him motivated, Teil was trained in their clergy, and then, taught the art of carrier. For a time, the elf was assigned letters to give to targets outside of his home. Similar cults with similar organizational structures would assign him returning documents, and so it would go. His career was excruciatingly difficult when Teil's target was on the surface, since guards and the like were always searching for one such as him. Yet, for a substantial allotment of time, the boy succeeded at his task. If he was ever caught, the boy would throw the letter down a storm drain, and then be released shortly after with nothing to be carried out on him.
Ages would fly by in moments, and as the boy learned of each religion, though he would never read the documents, Teil was able to piece together his own knowledge of their places' in society. The ones he was associated with were all of darker intent than the surface world, and though they each showed similar fashion, he learned not so welcome knowledge that he often wished he'd forget. There were other carriers that he associated with from time to time, and though the cult of Frigg watched him like a hawk, Teil was still able to find some moments of serenity. Even though he was locked in his cage each and every night, the boy would always keep a metal pick of some kind on his being so he could sneak out.
Here was where things changed, and fast. A group of carriers Teil associated with began organizing a means of escaping their leiges. Boys and girls alike, each was assigned their own purpose in this effort to find safety, Teil's being to find a goodly church willing enough to take them in.
At first, when one resorts to another being for help, it is an uncomfortable thing, unless that person is personally aquainted with another. Imagine a boy, of whose past was taken from him, raised and trained to become a messenger of organized evil, who simply wants to escape it all. For Teil, this part of his life was the most difficult, and for good reason. Finding an individual willing enough to take in a group of adolescents who want a better life for themselves was a dream at best.
And yet, they found one.
This person, though, was not a cleric, or a priest. Not even a witch. She, Izabell Bjorson, an arcane practitioner of a minor college and agent to a foundation they knew not of, arrived to meet them in the most convenient of moments. Having taken a seat beside him at a surface inn, Teil was obviously surprised when a strangely dressed woman took a seat as if she owned it, and began spouting information about each of his cohorts in turn. After that little tid bit, she laid out his options. Persuade his fellow carriers to join her, and they will have safe haven. Fail, and his future will be doomed to service those of ill wishes.
Teil instantly went to work, and yet, none of his collegues had any knowledge of this lady. Conclusions finally found one point. Trust an anonymous potentially benevolent exit plan, or potentially fall to another darker evil. Seeing as there really wasn't a clear choice between the two, Teil and his cohorts sped off to perform as the woman had instructed the elf, and sure enough, haven was found. Before they could enter her threshold, though, she made each and every one of them, formally and symbolically, renounce their connections to their respective cults.
From then on, they became apprentices to her art, and have lived as she saw fit. Paperwork and documents were promptly made to assign Izabell as their guardian, and though some took longer than others, each in their own right was made a wizard. There were a few instances where Teil's compatriates loathed their new lives, but a word from Teil reminded them that it was better than stinking sewers, rusty cages for beds, and more than just a biting word as punishment. The boy knew he was lucky, for he had not been hurt like the others. Knowing he was the one to hold them together, Teil fell into the position of leader reluctantly, but also knew it was a blessing, as well. They trusted him, and he always looked out for them. Eventually, they would fashion their own lives out of the new world that Izabell had brought them into.
Still, the day came when each in turn had to prove their loyalty to their matron. Each test was unique, but nonetheless challenging. All of them came out whole and unchanged. In Teil's case, Izabell brought him before the Prince Mhik-Lyssa, and instructed him to listen. The elf was given the option of joining an order called the Pact of the Prince, and any knowledge the boy had of the unholy cults would be vital to His Highness' organization. This was where Teil knew he belonged. Yes, the elf knew he had changed himself enough to resist their unearthly pulls, but Teil felt like he had not truly earned his place at Ms. Bjorson's side, and as a result, accepted the opportunity of serving her in this fashion.
To this day, Teil has prepared himself for the challenges that await him in the City-Below. Voices still called him from dreams, and horrors haunted him from the shadows, and yet, his mind would be steel to all of it. He would prove himself against the dark.
I've got into the habit of writing stories first, and making characters based off of the stories. This one took a left turn for me, and I don't know quite where to take it. Here's what I've got.
8, 12, 12, 14, 16, 17 (rolled)
Elf
Starts rogue, ends wizard
Building 4th level character.
PHB, ACG, ARG, B1 and 2, UC, UM, APG
Three traits and a drawback
I'm thinking I might have to cross class for Arcane Trickster, but considering no one likes ATs around here, I figure there's good reason.
Anywho, thoughts?
Note: Sorry for the rambling story, btw. It's a work in progress.
I like Arcane Trickster. It was what the backstory made me think even before reading the rest of the post. Sohei EK is fun but doesn't fit the backstory nearly as well
Urouge lv1 + Wizard Lv3 ->Arcane Trickster
Take Accomplished Sneak Attacker at lv 3 to qualify
Another option
Wizard 5 + PRC that grants sneak attack ->AT
Uses all your feats lv 1 to 5 but you can have full wizard casting with prestigious caster
Foresight school is good. Arcane Crafter, Void, Creation, and Admixture all work depending on what kind of caster you want to play. An AT is tricky to plan without knowing what type of caster you want to play. Check out wizard guides and threads to brush up if you need to
AT gets a bad rep for a couple of reasons
1) Prestige classes are generally bad. This attitude rubs off on even the good ones
2) A straight wizard is better. Not exactly fair considering that a straight wizard is better than most anything(from purely an optimizing a lone party member in a vacuum standpoint) from, but definitely a true statement
For your drawback look at Umbral Unmasking from champions of corruption. Its flavorful enough I ask for it even when I don't get a trait in exchange
Nice backstory btw