Snickthree / Chitterfive Longsnout

Everything needed for a happy life is all around us. But some assembly is required.
— your personal motto
 
Two first/given names are provided -- the first is a male name within the culture, the second is a female name. Since gender plays no actual part in any game mechanics, the choice of gender, gender identity, and social preferences are left to the player. One name should be chosen.

Chittiki (Ratfolk) tend to have large families. Very large families. Since it is not uncommon to use the same short name for more than one child in a family group, the custom has been to add an ordinal to the short name to create the complete given name. Thus, Snickthree is the third child in the family to be given the short name "Snick".
You have had a pretty fortunate life so far. Your mother and father are respected merchants in the The Free City of Endmere, supplying Kafay to almost a third of the shops around the city that offer that most noble of beverages to the citizenry. Your parents always told you that you were the brightest of all your thirty-seven brothers and sisters, and so they arranged for you to get a good education. You were enrolled in the Higher Learning Academy of Endmere at the age of three (the beginning of a Chittiki's adolescent years), and graduated near the top of your class at the age of ten.

Your parents expected you to start taking up your adult responsibilities at that age; they had expected you to get into the family trade and eventually take over the business, but you had other ideas. Your years at the Academy had instilled in you a deep desire for knowledge. You had learned that there was a great, varied world out there beyond the city, with wondrous creatures, strange environments, and fascinating Folk. And they were all powered by the mysterious Six Energies. You needed to learn more, and so you entered the The University of Arcane Arts in the city. You wished to learn more about these mysterious energies and unlock their powers.

But you are Chittiki... Ratfolk as the other Folk say... and that means you are impatient. After three years at the University, you had not yet even begun to learn anything practical when it came to manipulating magic. Lots of theory, to be sure, but not even a single cantrip! You realized that by the time you had mastered the arts of a Wizard, you would be nearing old age for one of your kind. Study was a good thing, but sometimes it just took too long. But then a wonderful thing happened. A goblin friend of yours - one you had played with as a child and kept acquaintance with ever since, was apprenticed to an Alchemist in the city, and one day he showed you how he could create "magic" just by mixing together the right ingredients in a flask! Traxx pulled out a flask that already held some sort of liquid, threw a few things into it, and shook it up. The resulting explosion singed off an inch of your whiskers, but you were fascinated!

You recalled learning a bit about alchemy in your studies. Something about the art of mixing things together to unleash the powers within. Thinking now, you realized that this might be a much faster way for you to achieve your dream of harnessing the magic of the world. You got Traxx to introduce you to his mentor and asked if you, too, could apprentice with her. When she agreed, you promptly withdrew from the university and began your studies in this wondrous field.

Chittiki are hardworking, and can get hyperfocused on completing tasks. This is necessary for a race that does not live as long as the Humans, much less the Gnomes and Elves. It did not take you long to begin to grasp the basics of your chosen field. You decided to specialize in formulas that could be used to heal injuries, cure diseases, and counteract poisions - but the occasional "thing that went bang" was a fun diversion. (You still haven't mastered that Flask of Fire recipe that Traxx first showed you, though.)

Your earlier studies had told you that there were many places on Cartyrion where magic seemed to well up within the very rocks and trees, and your training in alchemy told you that these places must be filled with substances that could further advance your alchemical art. You had a firm grasp of the basics, now it was a matter of experimentation. Your master agreed - your apprenticeship could teach you no more. That was a year ago.

You decided to journey to one of these more magical places and continue your self training there. The Feywood was one such place, and it was relatively close - just a few hundred miles to the south. You made a number of stops along the way, taking the time to ask questions of the handful of other alchemists you encountered in the larger towns as you worked your way south.

Most recently, youlve been spending time in Feybridge Crossing. You heard about some sort of festival going on in some Halfling village about ten day's journey from here, and you realize you could do with a bit of a break from study and experimentation. And so you decided to go visit this Spudbarrow village. Perhaps you'll even learn something along the way, but at least you'll have a chance to relax and recharge.

Role-Playing this Character

Chittiki don't live as long as most other Folk on Cartyrion, and so they always seem to be in a rush to get things done. You are no different. Your desire to get started and get finished is often seen as impatience by other Folk, but that's just the way you are. You are also attentive to things going on around you and can be easily distracted - especially if the distraction is itself interesting for some reason. Your Sniffer family background contributes to this - you don't even always have to see a distraction to be drawn to it!

You are in the Feywood because you believe that a place as full of magical energy as this forest is must be a place where new, better ingredients for your alchemical infusions can be found. You've heard of feyflowers, for example, and would love to see one - and possibly even collect a few.

Being in the wilderness has taught you to be prepared. While your chosen focus field is that of a healer, you like to have a few weapons-grade mixtures ready to go as well, especially when you are on the road. You have a mental calculation to make each day, though: should you prepare your elixirs and bombs in the morning as you prepare for the day? Or should you keep your infused ingredients handy to create whatever you need on the fly. The former lets you prepare twice as much. You may find a blended approach works: prepare some bombs and some elixirs, but keep one or two batches of ingredients in reserve to use as needed in an emergency.

You have become pretty good at placing these bombs on target quickly. You would rather not kill or maim things if you don't need to - even things that are attacking you - but you will if you must. After combat, even without Elixirs, your training in medicine allows you to Treat Wounds as long as you have your Healer's Tools.

Special Abilities, Features, and Feats

Because of your Chittiki Ancestry...
You are industrious, and at least in the eyes of others, impatient. Like all Chittiki, your eyesight is fairly sharp, even in very low light situations. But you cannot see in total darkness like your goblin friend Traxx could. You can speak the Chittiki language, and the Common language of the Folk, but you have also mastered a few other tongues, mostly picked up while working with your parents around the docks long ago. From the sailors, you learned Awkwan and Dwarvish, and since you reached the Feywood, you've become passably proficient in Elvish as well.
Because of your Sniffer Culture...
You don't only rely on your sharp eyes to detect interesting or dangerous things around you; you also have an acute sense of smell. You can detect the presence of other creatures some distance away, and can pinpoint the location of those nearby even if they are hidden from view.
Because of your Scholar background...
For you, knowledge is as important a currency as gold coin is. You seek it, and are willing to trade it. Your reasoning skills are sharp as well.
As an Alchemist...
You can be as useful to an adventuring party as a healing cleric, or an attacking sorcerer - in fact you can be both at once. Depending on which alchemical products you keep ready with you, there are several niches in an adventuring party that you can fill.

Children

Birthplace

The Free City of Endmere

Deities

You are not particularly religious, but you, like all Chittiki, revere the Broodmother as the creator of all of your kind. You may find yourself from time to time offering a quick prayer to the Gatherer to help you if you're searching for a particular ingredient for an infusion, or to the Guardian if you suddenly find yourself beset by danger.

Character Sheet

Chittiki Alchemist's Journey

Equipment

Clothing & ArmorDescription
Explorer's ClothingGood, durable clothing that will help protect you from the elements somewhat, but won't do much to stop a blade or arrow.
WeaponsDescription
DaggerA short, lightweight blade weapon that can be used to stab or slash at an opponent. In a pinch, they can also be thrown at an enemy.
StaffA simple, stout, wooden pole, 4ft to 6ft in length. If two hands are used to wield it, additional power can be brought to bear on an opponent.
SlingA leather pouch and two long cords; this weapon can propel a rounded sling bullet, or any other small stone or similar object you find in your travels.
CaltropsFour-pronged metal spikes designed to damage a creature's feet. A set of caltrops can be scattered to cover a 5' square space. They may inflict damage to the first creature that passes over them, but are themselves rendered useless by this passage. (Carried in backpack - see below)
In Your Backpack
Bedroll
50' of rope
soap
5 torches
Flint and steel
10 pieces of chalk
2 weeks rations
waterskin
2 sets of caltrops
In Your First Belt Pouch
20 Sling bullets
In Your Second Belt Pouch
12 gold coins
9 silver coins
In Your Bandolier
your reagents and infusions
In Your Repair Kit Satchel
portable anvil
tongs
woodworking tools
whetstone
conditioning oil

Additional Reading

If you'd like some more background material on how this character fits into the World of Cartyrion, here it is.

Credits

Banner image by RPGDinosaurBob using Flowscape on Steam.
Side panel forest images by Free-Photos from Pixabay
Side panel Fey images by RPGDinosaurBob using Hero Forge


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

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