Character 5 - Elf Rogue

You grew up in the Free City of Endmere, a bustling metropolis far to the north. Your parents were definitely the free-spirited types, not terribly concerned with raising a child, so you were left alone to "discover things" on the streets of the city most of the time. Mostly what you discovered was that the humans (who made up the bulk of the population of Endmere) thought a elven child was "cute" -- and you could get them to give you stuff.

This progressed to you realizing that you could also just take stuff - from shop stalls, or even from the pockets of the people in the market squares. You got pretty good at this, and the few times you were caught, people took pity on the "poor elf child" and let you go. This is how you spent your childhood.

Somewhere along the way, your parents disappeared; whether something terrible happened to them or they simply decided to journey off to see some other interesting part of Cartyrion, you don't know. All you do know is that for the last ten years of your childhood, you've been on your own on the streets - relying on your ability to elicit pity from the city folk.

Unfortunately, though, your last few brushes with the law of Endmere have shown you that while an elf child may be shown pity, an elven young adult doesn't get the same treatment. After successfully evading capture by the city watch after a failed pickpocket attempt, you decided it was time to seek out a new home, and perhaps a new profession. Adventuring sounds like fun!

Your parents were free-spirited elves whose desire was to experience as much of Cartyrion as they could. You got your sense of wonder and desire to see new things from them, but you also inherited something from deep in their pasts. Somewhere along the way, you discovered that if you concentrated for a bit, you could tell when magical items were nearby! In fact, it was your attempt to get a better look at a magical item that you sensed in somebody's pocket that most recently got you in trouble.

You have learned the basics of self-defense, and are pretty good with a rapier or dagger in your hands. Before leaving Endmere, you managed to "acquire" a passable outfit of leather armor, a workable rapier and dagger, and the few other survival necessities you would need on the road beyond the city. You have made your way south, into the Feywood - the elven forest you had heard about growing up - and now find yourself in the common room of the Bugbear's Head Inn deep in the heart of the forest.
Race
Elf
Heritage
Touched
Background
Street Urchin
Class
Rogue (Thief racket)

Trained Skills
Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Crafting, Deception, Diplomacy, Nature, Occultism, Religion, Society, Stealth, Thievery, City of Endmere Lore

Armor
Leather
Melee Weapons
Fist, Rapier, Dagger
You can use your dexterity instead of strength for both attack and damage when using a finesse weapon.
Ranged Weapons
Dagger

Innate Spells
Detect Magic Cantrip

Physical Description

Elves are generally taller and more slender than humans with long features and sharply pointed ears. They appear and move more gracefully than a typical human (though this does not always translate into any sort of dexterity advantage). Their eyes are wide and almond-shaped with large, vibrant-colored pupils that make up the entire visible portion of the eye. These iris-less pupils give them an alien look, but allow all Elves to see sharply even in very little light. Elves naturally adapt to their environment and companions, taking on physical traits reflecting their surroundings. Typically, elves like you growing up in a city such as Endmere would acquire hair and eye colors that reflect the sandy browns of the stone and wood of the buildings, and the dirt and dust of the streets. Your preferences for clothing will tend toward styles that allow you to fit into the society of the city.

Elves reach physical adulthood around the age of 20, though they aren’t considered to be emotionally mature by other elves until closer to an age of 100. A typical elf can live to around 600 years old.

Other Characteristics

As an Elf...

Your extremely long lifespan affects your personality greatly. You will be careful about forming close attachments to people with much shorter lifespans since you are quite likely to outlive them by a significant amount. You may also select specialized or obscure telents to master simply because you have the time to do so. Others will tend to form initial opinions of you based solely on your appearance and your "elfness". Humans and halflings wlil admire your apparent grace and style; other races may scoff at your perceived frailty. All will assume you're naturally gifted with bow and arrow, whether or not you've ever touched one. Unfortunately, though, most of other races will mistake your reluctance to get too close personally as condescension or aloofness rather than an attempt to protect your own emotional health.

As a Touched Elf...

Regardless of where you and your family have chosen to live recently, your ancestry is marked by a unique "closeness" to the magic of the ancestral elven forests and the fey that live within them. You have an inborn ability to detect and understand magical phenomena. You have an inborn ability to cast the detect magic cantrip at will, and you seem to have a natural talent at identifying the nature and details of magical items and writings that you may come across.

As a Former Street Urchin...

You eked out a living by picking pockets on the streets of Endmere, never knowing where you’d find your next meal. As an elven child, your inherent cuteness kept you from severe consequences, but now that you are a young adult, your childhood charm won't keep you out of a city gaol. So, while some folk adventure for the glory, you do so to survive.

As a Rogue Thief...

During combat encounters, you move about stealthily so you can catch foes unawares. You are a precision instrument, more useful against a tough boss or distant spellcaster than against rank-and-file soldiers. During social encounters your skills give you multiple tools to influence your opposition. Pulling cons and ferreting out information are second nature to you. While exploring, you sneak to get the drop on foes and scout for danger or traps. You’re a great asset, since you can disable traps, solve puzzles, and anticipate dangers. In between adventures, you might pick pockets or trade in illegal goods. You can also become part of a thieves’ guild, or even found one of your own.

You might hone your skills through intense practice, both on your own and out in the world. At least in Endmere, you know where to attain illicit goods. You tend to skirt or break the law - especially if you need something or you consider the law silly. Others probably find you charming or fascinating, even if they think they know better than to trust you. They will come to you, though, when they need someone who is willing to take risks or use questionable methods. Others will always presume you are motivated primarily by greed.


Cover image: The Inn from the Bridge over Daphinia's Stream by RPGDinosaurBob (with Flowscape)

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