Category: D&D

BB’s mental state:

BB’s drive has always been to prove himself worthy to the tribe who rejected him. He’s finally on top, but with nothing left to prove and no adversaries like Hruggek to spite, he finds himself directionless.

BB duties have left him with more responsibility than he’s ever had, severely limiting his ability to practice music and adventure. His daily routine as a consequence has become more mundane, causing the bard to be terrified of complacency.

Afraid that he’s losing his edge living a comfortable life as a warlord king, BB frequently tries to overcompensate with wild theatrics and unnecessary, impulsive risk-taking. A council meeting might suddenly erupt into song due to BB hiring secret actors to belt out his policy changes. City celebrations might climax with dangerous explosions of fireworks, with BB at ground zero holding the torch. His pathological need to make everything exciting often baffles Shoka and his other advisers.

Leadership Style:

BB’s leadership is nothing short of revolutionary, a radical change from the goblin militarism of day’s past, “the old ways”.

As king, he has decreed the end of the hierarchy that limited his potential, allowing his people to be more than what their caste dictates. It is not uncommon to find a hobgoblin theatre troupe, bugbear construction crews, and goblin corn farmers.

BB views the goblinoids as his family, and wants his citizens to self-actualize as they choose. As such, he has abolished all forms of bondage, eliminated a mandatory draft, and allowed bugbears to form blood family units.

But while BB’s reform may be popular amongst goblins and most bugbears, a sizeable minority of traditionalists (comprised of hobgoblins and some bugbears) has accused BB of trying to destroy their past. The traditionalists claim that their shared warrior culture united the many tribes of the North Beldane Mountains, and that BB’s reforms have hurt their group identity.

BB, however, is resolute in his goal to reshape goblin society, hindered by a refusal to compromise, and an impulse to destroy tradition.

While his attempts to create a sustainable, peaceful society may be admirable, his lack of tact, sharp tongue, and pride has angered those not loyal to him.

Policies:

BB claimed the region of the North Beldane Mountains as the goblin free state of Skald, a sovereign entity independent of the rules of the Shee Empire.

He decreed an end to raiding as a way of life, instituting instead three alternate revenue streams:

1. Farming– with the former area of Morith unoccupied, BB has seized it for raising crops. Goblins now primarily grow wheat and corn in this region, donning straw hats and overalls and living in the burned out husks of cottages. Goblin farmers also work the arable land at the base of the mountain range, but tension with the nearby citizens of Hoval (former refugees of Morith) limits the desirability of this work.
2. Mining– with bugbears now free to work as non-military labor, mining for precious metals in the mountains has become reliable work for those with the strength and endurance to hack it. Bugbears rich from mining often study to become stone masons, forming construction companies to beautify the bare-bones mountain cities.
3. Private Military Companies– those who cannot stand to give up fighting can become officially recognized mercenaries, available on loan to different governments for unpopular or dangerous skirmishes they would not risk their own forces for. Bugbears and hobgoblins are often attracted to this work, approximating a hierarchy much like the old days.

To help facilitate this new economy, trade routes between Skald and the rest of Beldane are established. Goblinoids with the aptitude for trade study abroad in merchant apprenticeships, often creating trade caravans much like the ones they used to raid.

On the whole, curiosity for other cultures is incentivized and rewarded by the King, who often recognizes those who take initiative to learn with official titles and positions.

BB’s Royal Council consists of elected representatives from each race [Mreet (Goblins); Gutwrench, Brainsick, and Ghastly (Bugbears); Shoka and Rohztik (Hobgoblins)] and appointed officials.

Saqqara acts as his envoy, helping to placate the Shee Empire and other entities threatened by a goblin free state.

Such placation may be necessary, as BB often upsets the established order, such as when he declared Shikahn the patron saint of goblins, officially recognizing their worship and bringing about thousands of new converts and followers.

Before they left, Po’Tami suggested that with Sween in an advisory position to the Empress, she can undo the legislation banning the worship of Shikahn, since Belthazar’s policy changes were illegitimate anyway. However, it remains to be seen if the Empress would overlook BB’s repeated slights against the Shee Empire…

(While not quite official policy, BB will pay traveling goblinoids for word of his old friend Yen Hui, mourning the aasimar’s absence…)

Allies:

• Dragon allies (silver, black) – though they are not always concerned with the fate of goblins, being on good terms with nearby dragons is still something to write home about.
• Forktails– BB’s personal guard are a new bugbear-focused tribe, specializing in aerial combat. The Forktails ride allied dragons into battle and are only utilized on special assignments.
• Saqqara- the tiefling is a triple threat, working as an envoy, de facto leader of Hoval, and as a secret member of the Masked Vigil
• Summer Court- though the goblins’ proximity and former ties to the Winter Court strain this partnership, the sidhe nonetheless recognize the importance of nonhuman cooperation, especially in light of the Shee Empire.
• Sween– with her knowledge of Vigil’s criminal underworld, diplomacy skills, and close relationship to the empress, Sween is a valuable contact.

In addition, when BB took power he retained: 90% of the goblins, 75% of the bugbears, and 50% of the hobgoblins.

Enemies:

Beltrok– the First Defector, a vocal critic of BB’s leadership. He left Shokan, taking a minority of the population with him (~20 %) to parts unknown.

Loyalists highly suspect Beltrok will return one day with an army to depose BB. Though Beltrok has not started an insurrection yet, he remains a potent symbol of BB’s unpopularity among traditionalists.

Hobgoblin Elite– While not openly antagonistic to BB’s rule, most of the upper-class hobgoblins are only truly loyal to Shoka and Rohztik, following out of a sense of duty.

These traditionalists believe that they have lost too much power and privilege in the new world order, and that their position no longer commands respect.

They don’t dislike BB enough to leave Skald, but they might try to undermine him wherever they can. Some of the hobgoblin elite might even be silent supporters of Beltrok.

Locations:

Skald- The goblin Free State, a sovereign entity independent of the Shee Empire. Major tribes include the Ice Talons, the Snow Splinters, and the Forktails. Since the war, wild worgs roam the valleys.

Shokan– The capital of Skald, centrally located in the mountains. Bugbear stone masons have set about creating more permanent structures in the city, erecting longhouses, cathedrals, market centers, and a particularly infamous hotel, The Hard Place. Not to be outdone, a troupe of hobgoblin actors has constructed a theatre where they hold weekly performances.

Castle Ivalice– BB’s keep and base of operations in the North Beldane Mountains, acquired from Idana Valeer. A community focal point, it is a center of activity for the citizens of Hoval. The castle is staffed with the former refugees of Morith and Valencis in the guest wing hostels, buying goodwill from the Shee Empire (and deterring possible aggression).

BB and Beatrice hold rowdy, informal parties in the ballroom monthly, dancing raucously to a rotating cast of local musicians (and enchanted instruments). The greenhouse in the east wing houses a community garden grown with Fae magic.

Dizh, the headmaster of the new school of Ivalice, teaches magic and Draconic in publically accessible classes. BB hosts monthly figure drawings in the classroom.

Hoval– A formerly abandoned, Valencis-sized castle town ironically named by Po before leaving. The population consists of the refugees from Morith and Valencis not staffed at Castle Ivalice, as well as a genasi quarter, as per Po’s request.

Saqqara and BB have funded the restoration of Hoval through a combination of bank loans and taxes on Skald. The town is currently sustained through ice-fishing in the nearby frozen lake, and a magically grown cold winter farm.

Due to its proximity to Shokan, Sween has sent teachers to create a multilingual/literacy program, teaching Common to Goblin speakers and Goblin to Common speakers, with additional courses for magic and carpentry.

However, tensions between goblins and residents remain high, as many still recall the destruction caused by Shoka’s former war party.

The Scour- The nickname referring to the lands razed in Shoka’s Rebellion. The region is a mix of scorch marks and reclaimed farm land, with goblin farmers electing to live in the abandoned ghost towns and charred inns that dot the crossroads.

On [DATE REDACTED], 34 ABY,

I was dispatched to The Lotus Club, in the Atecho district above the 1300 level, in response to a call of shots fired.Upon arrival, I met with Ajik’zasi, a female Twi’lek bartender.

She stated that she had just started her shift in the atrium’s central bar when she spotted two conspicuous individuals,a droid and a Rakatan male (Aggravayne, last name unknown, described as an emotionally disturbed person).

KZASI served two drinks to the droid, who introduced itself as MF69. After flirting with one of the patrons, the droid marched up to the DJ podium,where it bribed two guards to get the DJ to read the following message:

 “Shout out to all the ladies making babies this Mother’s day- Heart goes out to all of you. Drinks are on meat the Bar.

 -A (message written on a bar napkin found on scene)”

As KZASI described, the demeanor in the night club changed with their arrival. After an altercation with a male Klatooinian patron, the Rakatan proceeded to buy drinks for every mother in the club, racking up a tab of 7800 credits.

Shortly thereafter, KZASI heard an explosion coming from the north wing, followed by the sound of gunfire. She witnessed the droid and an unknown human male flee the scene, taking cover behind the DJ podium whilst brandishing pistols. A number of unknown assailants (since identified as Jade Jattar) then rushed into the atrium, firing at the droid, the Rakatan, and the human associate.

KZASI escaped the shootout with the other bystanders in the dark, the droid having disabled the lights in the atrium from the DJ podium. From this point, eye-witness accounts are inconclusive.

The final death toll was 13 mercenaries,including one Gamorrean. Judging from the bodies, the majority were either eviscerated by a vibroblade or shot by a heavy blaster rifle. Though no witnesses at the scene can place the operators of these weapons, the MO is consistent with previous firefights that the droid and Rakatan have been a part of.

An investigation into this shooting, as well as a possibly related incident of fraud* is pending. The purpose of this report is to compile all known information about the person of interest MF69. Though the droid is relatively unknown in the Core Worlds, it has developed a shady reputation in the underbelly of the Outer Rim.

A chance encounter I had with the droid prior to the shooting prompted me to open an independent investigation into its activities (conducted without the use of department resources), the history of which you’ll find below. Also enclosed in this report are observations I have made about the droid’s behavior; suffice to say MF69 is armed and dangerous, and I recommend caution in apprehending it.

With Regards,

Officer Persic

*KZASI noted that all transaction records from the night were wiped from the club’s database.

Guardians of a Galaxy Far, Far Away:

Ready or Not, Here I come (Can’t Hide from Love) – The Delfonics

NTT reigns.

In their quest for droid supremacy, they continued to chase down MF69to conscript him into their service as a leading officer.

MF69 remained at large. After parting ways with Aggravayne, MF69, Grin, and Steve took off to the outer rim, finally establishing themselves as capable bounty hunters for local law enforcement.

Eager to repay his moral debt, MF69 tracked down fugitives, hoping to undo his years as an assassin, a slaver,and a hired thug to criminal masterminds.

MF69 settled into his new role with confidence, assured that he was doing something good. He gained notoriety in the underworld as a boogieman. Hustlers, smugglers, and con men would double-take whenever an unfamiliar droid wandered into their cantina.

The crew of the Silt Strider managed to stay several steps ahead of NTT through stealth, speed and guile, often completing bounties under an alias.

Aiding the bounty hunters in their quest was the encrypted data file(“The USB of Doom”) that MF69 discovered on the Jade Jattar ship, which contained info on every major player in the criminal underworld, including last known locations of active bounties.

The trio pursued their quarry with relentless precision, often surprising their target and capturing them before anyone knew the hunters had arrived. The light freighter would jump in and out of the system before NTT could get a trace

With the additional cover of the vast, uncharted expanse of the outer rim, the crew of the Silt Strider found a nomadic, if temporary peace.

With the credits rolling in, they installed bacta tanks in the ship,and upgraded their offense with a front gun to be controlled by the pilot.

All was good.

Come and Get These Memories- Martha Reeves & the Vandellas

Their peace was shattered when MF69 received a message on his ship from an old acquaintance: Shaleen, a Twilek the droid met while on a job in a Coruscant night club.

Shaleen made her living working for a company that made restraining bolts, and recently closed a deal with an unknown party.

Shaleen explained in her message that she knew who MF was, and how he made his living. Hoping to repay him for saving her life, Shaleen offered to repair MF69’s corrupted memory banks.

The Twilek explained that she was an expert in droid hardware and data recovery. With some 3^rd party data on MF69’s time as an assassin she could reconstruct all of MF69’s memories from before he gained sentience.

Since the bounty USB might contain data on MF69’s exploits, Shaleen might be able to fix gaps in his memory caused by physical damage and corruption through predictive simulation.

Though MF69 was skeptical, Grin convinced him to take the offer, causing the crew to leave the cover of the outer rim for Coruscant. MF69 dared to be hopeful, but was wary that the mega-city’s population might mean more opportunities to get recognized by the wrong people.

The crew arrived at Shaleen’s company, a droid repair facility. Wanting to support his friend, Grin accompanied MF69 to the building, but was made to wait in the lobby, “for health and safety reasons.”

 MF69 handed over the USB to Shaleen, and sat down on the operating table. The Twilek left the room.

Gwan- The Suffers

A strange droid claiming to be the technician performing the operation entered the room shortly after.

With a jolt, MF69 felt something reverberate through his system as the technician planted a restraining bolt to his circuit board.

That’s when NTT sprung their trap, shooting Grin in the lobby before he could react. He crumpled to the floor, dying. All seemed lost.

However, MF69’s malfunctioning circuitry had one saving grace: They rendered him immune to restraining bolts and thus NTT could not take control. MF pulled the holdout pistol from the hole in his chest and shot the technician to death.

Shooting his way through the facility, MF managed to fight his way from the back of the building to the lobby, scooping up Grin in the process. The duo ran or limped to the docking bay, sustaining heavy damage and nearly dying as they approached the ramp of the ship.

As the ramp lowered, NTT’s goons closed in, leaving the duo outgunned.

That’s when Steve-the-2-meters-long-womp-rat came barreling out of the Silt Strider, causing enough of a distraction for MF69 to carry Grin into the ship to place him in a bacta tank, narrowly saving his life.

Steve viciously mauled two droids, disabling them, and dodged incoming fire as it disappeared into the streets of Coruscant.

With a metaphorical tear in his eye, MF69 turned on the engine of the ship and piloted the Silt Strider out of Coruscant, dodging fire from multiple ships. He managed to destroy one vessel,though the front gun of the ship was promptly disabled in the dog fight.

MF69 jumped to hyperspace, abandoning Steve in the city.

Nowhere to Run- Martha Reeves & the Vandellas

Now down the USB that gave them an edge in bounty hunting, and being perpetually tracked by NTT through the restraining bolt, MF and Grin abandoned their trade, stuck on the lamb. Still,Grin agreed to stand by MF’s side, and suggested finding a mechanic skilled enough to remove the restraining bolt.

They returned to the relative safety of the outer rim, where they ran into a significant roadblock: NTT issued a large bounty on MF69 through the Hutt Cartel.

The Hutt’s massive influence in the outer rim allowed NTT to mobilize the entire criminal underworld to hunt MF, and the underworld was more than happy to get revenge on the do-gooder.

The bounty specified that MF69 was to be captured “alive”- that is, just the parts containing his personality matrix needed to be intact.

 You Can’t Hurry Love- The Supremes

MF69, paranoid that his presence would bring harm to Grin, locked the hapless copilot in an escape pod and jettisoned it, abandoning him on the nearest civilized planet. MF then altered his appearance to be unrecognizable to his associates, and took off running.

Eventually, the droid ran out of credits to buy fuel, so he was forced to siphon the dregs from derelict ships in the outer rim. Each scavenging excursion was a roll of the dice, and after a few throws the Silt Strider’s gauge was on empty.

MF69 ran out of fuel in a ship boneyard on the edge of an asteroid field. Leaving the light freighter adrift in space, MF scoured the wrecks for anything he could use to stay in flight.

He found no fuel in any of the busted freighters. He did, however, find a music player with a mysterious playlist on it (the name “Volume 3” was etched into the casing). Spying a decommissioned transport ship in the center of the boneyard, MF used the grapnel attachment on his rifle to propel towards its cargo hold.

The hold was already picked over by scavengers, carrying mostly empty containers. MF squinted, and spied a rift in the back wall where something had crashed through. Amidst the debris was a barely functional, archaic starfighterwith a battered left wing.

Just then, a ship leaving hyperspace blinked into existence at the edge of the boneyard. Then another.Then another… 12 gunships total zeroed in on the Silt Strider, eager to capture their bounty.

With NTT closing in, MF69 jumped in the junker starfighter and powered up its engines. Aiming for the asteroid field, the droid had a bad feeling that this escape could be his last…

Character Name: Bugbard

Player Name: Audric

Species: Bugbear

Career: Bard

Gender: Male

Age: 35 (middle-aged for his species)

Height: 7 ft.

Build: Muscular

Hair: Brown (coarse, prematurely graying)

Eyes: Yellowish White

Skin Color- Light Brown

Physical Appearance– Slashing scars across his arms and chest from bracing blows, black lighting face paint across the right side of his face (like Bowie), a missing chunk of his left ear from a large bite wound, a war hammer brand on his left pectoral marking him as a slave to the hobgoblins, ripped/patchwork clothes, studded black leather armor with lots of straps and silver pieces and a spiked bracer on his right hand

New scars: two large puncture wounds on his neck from a phase spider, second degree burns on his left hand from a wildfire explosion, slave brand tattoo carved off

Gear- A dented, wooden great club that’s been jury rigged with guitar strings of varying thickness (his Song Stick), a love letter from Beatrice

New gear:War hammer (The Hymn Hammer) and shield made by master woodworker Ixni using petrified wood (silvered), phase spider fang, Shoka’s shield (shield+3, angry lion engraving)

Jewelry or accessories- Beatrice’s amulet (beckoning crystal, worth about 100 platinum), golden hoop earrings (only worn on special occasions)

New: friendship earring from Yen Hui, oaken war horn from Yen (Greek style art on the side depicting cyclical rise and fall of a bugbear king), wolf’s pelt cloak, dragon tooth necklace from Hruggek(trophy)

Non-adventuring equipment- When dressing his best he wears noble clothes evocative of Italian Renaissance fashion (think Jan Gossaert, “Portrait of a Nobleman”)

Hobbies: Fist fighting, weightlifting, painting, drinking, live performance, gambling, horse-breaking, watching theater troupes

Motivations-

Ambition: To be the greatest musician ever known

Connections: Beatrice, his love

Drive: To prove himself worthy to the tribe who rejected him

Oath: To best the hobgoblin war chieftain of his former tribe, Hruggek

Belief: All people have something interesting about them, all gods are worthy of praise

Discovery: Discovered rhythm while beating someone to death, thus beginning a love of music

Innovation: Improvised instruments

Quest: Always in search of a crazy adventure to top the last one

Obligations: Bugbard’s notoriety as a local oddity is a double-edged sword– it makes him easy to track

Personality Traits:

1. Scenes of battle lead Bugbard to recall past skirmishes during his time with the Ice Talons
2. He is fascinated by local history and lore, and the people that make up each town
3. He is infatuated with extraordinary women
4. He can’t resist a brawl, good-natured or otherwise
5. Though prideful, he will show mercy to worthy enemies

Ideals:

1. Self-Improvement: Complacency leads to a stagnation of the mind and a corruption of the soul
2. Freedom: Tradition is a leash used by the powerful to corral the weak from choosing a different path (Chaotic)
3. Self-Expression: To reveal emotion is to exorcise demons from the heart

Bonds:

1. Bugbard is attached to his Song Stick, the first instrument he ever made
2. Old scholars remind him of Mishka, the surrogate grandfather who taught him the common tongue.
3. He plans to best his former chieftain, Hruggek, and measures the worth of his accomplishments by how close they get him to this goal.
4. He would drop anything to help Beatrice, no matter the risk

Flaws:

1. Bugbard earned the ire of his former tribe, and has been branded a traitor and marked for death.
2. He can overlook a slight, but not a challenge
3. He can’t resist ego-checking prideful men, and does not believe imprudent rulers deserve their position.

Background-

On Beatrice, Bugbard’s Love:

Meet cute: Bugbard met Beatrice in a chance encounter in the mountains and it changed the direction of his life.

After rumors of dragon sightings in the north Beldane Mountains hit a fever pitch among Bugbard’s tribe, War Chieftain Hruggek (a hobgoblin) sent half his clan to investigate. Knowing dragons to be reclusive, Hruggek ordered them to locate the lair where a treasure hoard might lay. They were to steal the loot before the dragon intervened and kill it if necessary. And so, Bugbard and his mates trekked up to the treacherous peaks of the mountain range, braving freezing wind and snow to shine torches into caves with gold pieces in their eyes. Many goblinoids were doubly excited to slay a dragon for sport and bragging rights, though Bugbard found this idea shortsighted. Nonetheless, he was intrigued by the possibility of seeing a dragon up close.

Only they never found it, not a trace. They saw a winged beast in the distance, but no lairs among the mountain range during a week-long search. Convinced that his underlings had actually seen a lesser wyvern instead, Hruggek turned his men around for the long march home.

Seeking solitude, Bugbard found a quiet spot to set up camp, where he could play his Song Stick in peace around the fire. He played a mournful, lonesome tune (think“Old Snake” from MGS4) and Beatrice, a wiry silver-haired elf draped in wolf furs, left her hiding place to watch him. During his song, Bugbard heard the sound of a pebble skipping across the ground and locked eyes with Beatrice, hiding behind a boulder. He looked back down to his instrument and continued to play, inviting Beatrice to inch closer.

Suddenly, a goblin dropped down and clubbed Beatrice, knocking her out cold. Despite Bugbard’s protest, the goblin shackled her and she became their prisoner. Unaware of her true identity, the goblinoids nonetheless threw Beatrice in a cell, as a captive is always a potential coin purse. The plan was to interrogate her for her worth, and then ransom her back to whatever loved ones would pay for her. When Beatrice awoke, her curiosity for Bugbard prevented her from immediately breaking her bondage and slaughtering everyone.

Bugbard’s habit of befriending his captives reared its head again, and Beatrice remarked that he was a beautiful musician but a terrible jailer. They formed a bond right there, and they talked for hours about music and art and the things in life which have no monetary value but mean the world to people. He admired her confidence and fearlessness, and she his compassion and curiosity. Bugbard unbound her and noted that she did not seem phased, as if she was barely concerned about her shackles. Even so, he promised no harm would come to her, which Beatrice found sweet but unnecessary.

When Beatrice refused to name a family for the ransom, Hruggek ordered Bugbard to execute her, finding his recent behavior to be weak. Bugbard defied Hruggek, arguing instead for her release, and for his trouble he was jailed and sentenced to death along with Beatrice. Beatrice, seeing the opportunity to save a kindred soul, revealed her true form, transforming into the silver dragon the tribe was looking for. She destroyed the prison, picked up Bugbard, and the two escaped across the sea. The rest is history.

Beatrice’s Temperament: Beatrice is headstrong and independent, but also fiercely protective of her loved ones. Like a guardian angel, she keeps Bugbard one step ahead of any retaliatory goblinoid plot and visits him every so often through an amulet that lets her track his location. She considers Bugbard to be one of a kind and would loathe losing him.

However, she frequently fights and disagrees with him, finding the bugbear to be overly prideful and too fixated on the past. In many ways they are polar opposites:she’s not wild but polite, not impulsive but patient and forward thinking. Beatrice is prudent and respectful even to those who underestimate her. In ideal situations the pair learns from the other’s strengths. In the worst of times though, they storm away from each other frustrated and confused.

Unfortunately Beatrice has not been entirely open about why she often has to leave. The subject of family is something she dodges…

Fallout of his escape: Bugbard’s defiance impressed his goblin and bugbear peers, but deeply angered the hobgoblins furthest up the hierarchy. Hruggek and his generals worked to avenge this slight, slandering Bugbard’s name amongst the rank and file by calling him a traitor who chose a dragon over his own kind.

Bugbard and Beatrice’s escape killed two goblins and a bugbear, which were either crushed or fell to their death when Beatrice collapsed the perilous mountain prison to create an opening to fly through. The hobgoblins spun these deaths to paint the duo as malicious killers, but those close to Bugbard have their doubts about this story. Nonetheless, this was the last time Bugbard saw the tribe up in the northern reaches, and the threat of retaliation prevents his return. Though Bugbard does not regret his disobedience, he chafes at the thought of being rejected by his society and vows to prove his worth to them somehow.

Meanwhile, Hruggek, a wolf tamer and worg breeder, aims to add new war beasts to his army…

Character Questionnaire-

Past: Who WAS your character? Where did they come from? How did they grow up? Who were their closest friends/family/associates? Did anything happen to them? What was lacking in your character’s previous life?

Bugbard was born into bondage, raised to serve in a goblinoid warrior tribe called The Ice Talons in the mountains of North Beldane (an icy, snowy region). The tribe was a militaristic, hierarchical society in which hobgoblins reigned as leaders and generals, bugbears served as captains and enforcers, and goblins made up the bulk of the army as laborers and cannon fodder. They lived up in treacherous caves along the range, and would ambush trade caravans and travelers in the passes and valleys.

Being a subjugated race, Bugbard grew up with no knowledge or concept of his family. The hobgoblins intentionally broke up blood relatives to keep the bugbears from organizing into their own groups, instead training individual bugbears to command groups of goblins.

Bugbard’s parents are likely dead, having been killed in a skirmish or a raid on a humanoid settlement. Though he probably has many blood siblings, he knew none of them. Instead, bugbears in his tribe treated each other with a sort of universal kinship. They culturally sought challenge and glory, and were willing to risk death for bragging rights. They often led by example, and could be found in the vanguard killing the biggest foe they could find. Bugbard lost many a friend this way, but found a warrior’s death to be honorable and worthwhile.

Like many of his kind, Bugbard was raised by hobgoblins to be a brutal and single-minded warrior, knowledgeable both in single combat and guerrilla warfare. He was the best of the bugbear captains in his tribe and was eventually promoted to lieutenant, a rank only reserved for hobgoblins. His tenacity, creativity, and unpredictable tactics made him instrumental to any battle plan. Bugbard was not the strongest or fastest fighter, but he was usually the most cunning. Though he was not a part of the highest strata of society, Bugbard relished his position. He always wanted more- more loot, tougher fights, greater renown- as if trying to salve a deep dissatisfaction. But no amount of recognition sated the hunger in his soul for something… else.

Bugbard’s life changed forever when he discovered rhythm while beating someone to death in a valley, the sound of each blow echoing through the mountains. He felt a spiritual connection with the universe through his song, and a greater appreciation for life and nature. Thus, our hero resolved to be a self-taught musician, and earned the pejorative nickname “Bugbard” in the process from his hobgoblin superiors. This nickname replaced his slave name, and in time Bugbard forgot what his old name was.

Fighting now bored the bard, who recognized his thrill seeking as a poor attempt to overcome his reticence with banditry. He got distracted on raids, plucking melodies on his song stick. He won favor with his fellow bugbears and goblins, who were entertained by his solemn songs and theatrics. His superiors were displeased, perplexed by his change in priorities. They demoted him first from a lieutenant to a captain, then later from a captain to a kidnapper, and then finally to a jailer.

Bugbard spent his time as a jailer conversing with his prisoners, curious to learn stories of life beyond the mountains. Unfortunately, his rudimentary knowledge of common tongue limited these interactions. This all changed one day when a worldly old scholar named Mishka was thrown into Bugbard’s cell block. Mishka had traveled to the North Beldane mountains to map out the cave systems, and to study the indigenous wildlife (including local tribes). However, The Ice Talons did not take kindly to his note-taking, thinking him to be a spy trespassing in their territory probing for weaknesses. They killed Mishka’s guard detail, and nearly killed him before he explained (in Goblin) that he worked for a famous university that would pay handsomely for his safety. He was held captive for quite a while, the Ice Talons content to ransom him from his college in monthly payments in perpetuity.

To pass the time, Mishka struck up a mutually beneficial relationship with his bugbear jailer. The scholar taught his captor much about the outside world, including a mastery of the common tongue. In exchange, Bugbard allowed Mishka to continue his studies, providing writing material and even contributing his knowledge of North Beldane and the finer points of Goblinoid culture. The bugbear fascinated the human, who would return to his university with tales of the unlikely bard.

Mishka eventually talked his way out of bondage, parting by improving infrastructure for the tribe with sound counsel. He went back to studying other parts of the world, undeterred by his capture. Mishka left Bugbard with wanderlust; a desire to stay on the move and experience all that life has to offer. Bugbard thinks of him often, and considers him to be a grandfather figure.

Bugbard would get the opportunity to explore when a chance encounter with the future love of his life forced him to cut ties with his tribe. Now, his goals are to be the greatest musician ever known and prove himself worthy to the tribe that rejected him. He dreams of returning to his homeland and winning over his people with his deeds and legends.

Purpose: What is your character doing as an adventurer? Are they running away from or looking for something/someone? If your character is looking to prove themselves, what are they compensating for? If your character is looking for wealth, again, what are they compensating for?

Bugbard can’t NOT adventure. He loves treasure and gold, for it allows to him buy better armor and fancy clothes. He’s a restless spirit, and is not content to stay in one place. He’s a musician, and needs to tour around the countryside to perform.  Publicly, he adventures to provide material and inspiration for his songs.

Privately, he seeks to become a legend and overcome the sense of rejection he feels from his exile. Only through stories of his valor and bravery does he feel better about his self-worth. His pathological need to be the best causes him to butt heads with his loved ones, and is often a point of contention between him and Beatrice.

Personality: How does your character act? What are your character’s two-three strongest personality traits? Why are these traits strongest in your character?

Competitive: Bugbard thinks in terms of hierarchy and has trouble resolving conflicts nonviolently. The warrior culture that he comes from values strength and victory, and although an exile from said culture he finds some habits hard to break. Regardless, he has with great difficulty come to appreciate the value of lateral thinking and impulse control.

Impulsive: When alone Bugbard stews in his failures, brooding over a past he can’t forget. He has two solutions to this problem: surround himself with people and continually seek new problems to bury the old ones. He isn’t hedonistic, he just prefers immediacy. This lifestyle can be chaotic, but it’s also a good time.

Compassionate: Although he is vain (perhaps because he is), Bugbard sees himself in others and so wants the best for them. His enlightenment has led him to an appreciation of all life, ephemeral as it is. He’s curious and social, and in a bind he will always want to help the little guy because he’s been in their position before.

Pros: Nobody’s heartless. What makes you a hero? Are you a scoundrel with a heart of gold? Are you on a personal journey, all-the-while doing the right thing as you venture the world? Maybe a code of honor keeps you from falling to pure nastiness?

Bugbard contemplates often on strength and power. However, he will never hurt anyone he feels doesn’t deserve it. He’s sensitive- for a bugbear. He will still refer to pets as food, but can understand the need for companionship. He writes sad songs, but speaks matter-of-factly- this is the contradiction of Bugbard.

Pathos: What makes you flawed? You might be great in general, but are you inherently distrusting of others? You might do the right thing, but perhaps your asking price is steep? Maybe your overconfidence gets you into trouble? Maybe your loud mouth gets you on peoples’ bad sides? It’s critical that you have at least one notable flaw to keep yourself grounded. This helps make your character interesting, almost above all else.

He does not want to remember the time before he was Bugbard, and if questioned he will say “there is no before.” He lacks a social filter, respect for authority, and restraint. He calls it like he sees it, which can get him into fights with arrogant men Bugbard feels need to be put in their place.