Lurking Krog

Curse of the Azure Bonds

@Valen

Simon's character sheet is available in the CS tab for review.

Curse of the Azure Bonds

Name: Simon Grell

Race: Shifter, werewolf heritage

Class: Ranger, Gloom stalker

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Personality Traits: I’ve lost too many friends, and I’m slow to make new ones

I have a crude sense of humor.

Ideals: When people follow orders blindly, they embrace a kind of tyranny.

I won't take a job if I feel the employer is not being honest.

Bond: I would still lay down my life for the people I served with.

My honor is my life. If I take a job, I will complete it.

Flaw: I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior.

I made a terrible mistake in battle that cost many lives, and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret.

Appearance:

Basic image

Simon stands at roughly 5 feet 5 inches tall.

The scaled mail he has shows signs of wear and improvised repairs. He is meticulous about keeping it clean and well oiled to prevent rust.

Over his left bicep, he wears a silver arm ring that bears two wolf heads at the opening of the band.

Personality: Quiet and reserved at first, Simon watches and learns what he can about people. He tries to keep people at arms length, not wanting to get too close to them, not wanting to deal with the emotions that come with people going their separate ways, or dying. He makes crude jokes, often about death.

To the few who he has deemed a friend or found family, Simon is fiercely loyal and will do nearly anything to protect them.

History: Simon is the third son of a forester from a small holdfast. While he does not remember much of his youth, he does remember his father quietly revealing to him around his twelfth birthday the family's secret heritage tracing back to werewolves who had once terrorized the region they lived in. This was something that they all took seriously, and all had to learn to control.

Not long after he turned sixteen, he had returned from collecting firewood in preparation for winter to see an angry mob of villagers surrounding his now burning home, with his parents dead on the ground with his two older brothers. He later learned through eavesdropping at the village that there had been murders occurring that resembled the stories of the lycans who once plagued the land. The trail from one had led into the woods and to his family's home. Simon never did learn more than that. He feared that if the villagers found him still alive, they would kill him. He fled back to the ashen remains of his home to gather what he could and took off east.

It did not take long for him to run out of food and needing to resort to trying to catch prey with the felling ax he had or begging in the streets of the village he had since forgotten the name of. By chance, he found a group of mercenaries that were looking for new recruits. The pay was non-existent, the meals were plain, and the work was grueling. The first year of his time with the mercenaries consisted of cleaning armor for one, stitching the leggings for another, scrubbing pot after pot, plate after plate, training with a long stick in place of a spear whenever he could, and trying to avoid the beatings from those who he just so happened to look at at the wrong moment.

By the end of his second year, he had earned enough respect that one of the scouts took him under their tutelage. During this time, he learned more weapons craft, tracking, stealth, and fighting the things that dwell in darker places.

Now with many years behind him, Simon has found himself in the company of Lulli, Grim, Fydor, and Checkmate.

Curse of the Azure Bonds

Simon would also be up for sparring with Fyodor and Grimm

He would probably be annoyed with Lulli, but won't go out of his way to avoid him. There might be a few comments about not knowing when to be quiet and comparisons to noisy birds, but if Lulli is willing to throw dice to pass the time and is buying the ale, Simon will put up with him for a bit.

As for the others, I'm not wholly sure yet what Simon will think of them.

Curse of the Azure Bonds

That is a good question. I was wondering myself about how and if any of the characters knew each other beforehand.

Simon would be eyes/spear for hire typically.

Curse of the Azure Bonds

Nice, that'll bring Simon's passive perception to a total of 19 while he has the shield equipped. The added AC is nice as well since he'll probably be on the front line with Fyodor.

Curse of the Azure Bonds

<Snipped quote by Lurking Krog>

I have to say, I've enjoyed dusting off my 5e books (after I remembered where I'd put them). I was reading back through the section on Dwarves in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes this morning to give myself a refresher.

@Bounce

I didn't get a copy of Tome of Foes before they stopped making them. Previously I have purchased a few books though D&D beyond, prior to 2024. Since then I started purchasing the physical books from one of the LGSs near me as I want to know for sure I'll almost always have access to the books I've bought. I've got them on a bookshelf I made out in my office.

Curse of the Azure Bonds

<Snipped quote by Lurking Krog>

I'm actually not familiar with that one. Let me check and get back to you.

@Valen

All good, here is a link to 5e tools. It's also in the DMG14 pg 199.

Curse of the Azure Bonds

<Snipped quote by O O>

Don't forget about Uncle Simon Grell!
@Lurking Krog

@Guardian Angel Haruki

He's fairly easy to over look sometimes. Even in noisy armor he can hide fairly well.

Curse of the Azure Bonds

@Valen would a Sentinel shield be approved for Simon's magic item?

Also I will be wrapping up his backstory today hopefully and sending you the two secrets.

A Most Dangerous Game (2014 5e D&D)

@N3v3rM0r3, are you still in on this?