This is the thread for all things related to your specific character. Feel free to start brainstorming on your character, and if you need the handbooks just PM me for a link. One thing that I am asking everyone to do is come up with three things you would like to see/do/etc in the game, from having a ballad written about you to battling your evil twin. These can help me figure out what each person wants to get from the game and personalize it. If some of these deal with the other players and you want to keep it a secret, just PM them to me. Have at it!

Notes for level two:

• Gained 5 hitpoints
• Gained the Unarmored Agility feat (PHB3)
• Gained the Supreme Flurry daily utility power (PHB3)
• Retrain: Swapped Acrobatics for Arcana (wizards beware)

Ruhsbaar is a pretty cool guy and doesn't afraid of anything.

The long awaited backstory of your favorite martial artist, including all previously redacted parts - the idea was that the story should flow decently with the juicy chunks missing





Ruhsbaar Vohlk is a middle-aged human monk of the Centered Breath tradition.
Thirty-six years of age, he was born to a fairly well-off couple in Thulantar
in the year 1443 DR. His father, Dheariams, was a skilled carpenter and ran a
small woodshop on the northern edge of the Shade Enclave (not well known but
successful enough to stay afloat). The true success in the family was his mother,
Eilytheira, a highly-ranged sorceress and teacher in Lady Avelyere's Coven (a
school for sorceresses located along the Western Wall of the Shade Enclave).

Her magical prowess was notable and those skills kept her outward appearance
youthful, looking not a day more than 25 when Ruhsbaar was born when in fact
she was upwards of 80. As such, for the better part of her life Thultanthar was
tucked away in the Plane of Shadow, a final bastion of Netherese culture. Her
interest in the new realm her city now inhabited led to the whole family taking
a trip through the Dalelands, headed to Deepingdale (far east) to visit the famed
Leaves of Learning, a temple to Oghma known to contain one of the finest
libraries in all of Faerun and would allow outsiders to examine tomes for a price.

In their journey (propelled along the air upon Eilytheira's magical carpet) they
were waylaid by the wyverns of Wyvemfang, the terrible birds appearing suddenly
and tearing at both the carpet and it's passengers. Despite a valiant effort by
both Dheariams and his sorcerous wife to fend off the wyverns of the Thunder
Peaks they could not prevent damage to the carpet and the family tumbled through
the air to land sharply within a swale in the mountains. Exhausted from the
battle, Eilytheira was slain when her body was smashed against the rocks
from the fall. Dheariams did not fair much better, mortally wounded but still
alive.

Remarkably, Ruhsbaar was not gravely injured. He landed into a small pool of
water, well-padded by plant growth. The boy picked himself up and stepped
quickly to the middle of the swale where he found the broken bodies of his
parents. Dheariams tried his best to comfort the boy (unable to lift himself
from the ground), but was soon driven to dementia and prayer by the pain
that wracked his body.

Ruhsbaar spent two days lying beside his deceased parents, hoping beyond all
hope that tomorrow they'd simply wake up and continue their travles toward
Highmoon. When the devastating realization finally sank in, the boy (14 at the
time) made his way down from the mountain peaks, walking for the better part of
a day before finding himself on the outskirts of Highdale. Still half-paralyzed
by fear and misery the boy could not muster the will to walk further and resigned
to spending one last night beneath the stars, alone but for his grief.

[REDACTED]
He was awoken in the night by two muscular figures in dark, tight-fitting robes
embroidered with purple. These Dark Moon Monks of Shar comforted the boy, and
brought him back up the Thunder Peaks he spent all day descending, to their
secret monestary. There Ruhsbaar received his training as a Monk, and filled
the void in his heart with the teachings of Shar. Ruhsbaar was indoctrinated
and converted into the Order, devoting his life to Shar's will. Three years
he spent at the monestary before heading out into the world at the behest of
a dream that he interpreted as direct instruction from the Mistress of Loss.
By his understanding, Shar's dream would have him travel to Highdale to find
a new monestary with a blood-red triangle upon its front door, and there hone
his skills and abilities to better be able to serve Her in a time of need.
With a certain sense of deja-vu, in the year 1460 DR Ruhsbaar descended the
mountain and ended up on the outskirts of Highdale once again. Having reached
his destination late in the evening, he set up camp outside of Highdale
and spent the night with his thoughts and memories before dozing off.
[/REDACTED]

Ruhsbaar awoke in the morning and made his way to the northern gate of Highdale,
was admitted by the sole guard on duty and found himself in the bustle of a
city once again. He was happy to be there, to be sure, and yet the proximity
to so many people also made him somewhat uneasy. A few hours of wandering later
the boy found himself standing outside a small and unkept building, its tattered
wooden doors, barely holding themselves closed, displayed a freshly-painted red
triangle outlined in purple. Ruhsbaar recalled seeing this exact building in a
dream and filled with a new sense of purpose approached the door to knock. Before
he could take those few steps the door creaked open and an elderly monk wrapped
in a robe of the same blood-red as the triangle that adorned the door appeared.

This was the beginning of a five-year stay with the small order of monks in
Highdale where Ruhsbaar was trained in the Centered Breath traditions, learning
to properly use his body as a weapon, and master the Flurry of Blows. Ruhsbaar's
training was thorough and he learned quickly - and after three years he was
taking private lessons from the monestaries leader - a strong but gentle elder
whose name he was never privy to. While the training went wonderfully, Ruhsbaar
had philosophical disagreements with the Monk Order and their relationship
seemed to grow ever colder, and despite two years of one-on-one lessons
with the elder, Ruhsbaar stood neither near his ear or close to his heart.

[REDACTED]
Throughout these five years of training with the Monks of the Centered Breath,
Ruhsbaar made multiple visits back to the Dark Moon monestary hidden away in
the Thunder Peaks, learning their techniques as well and always studying the
doctrine and history of the Church of Shar. In the year 1466 DR Ruhsbaar was
sent a message from the Dark Father Abbott - the highest ranking member of
the Dark Moon Order of Thunder Peaks by way of a paper note - a small obsidian
charm threaded to it:

The time for training is over. Your true service to Her will begins.
Return to us promptly and ready for travel. In alignment with Her
teachings - leave none behind who might expose you later. The shadow
dwells within the charm, use it wisely.
Father Sorin

Ruhsbaar folded the note and leaned against the table at which he sat,
reaching towards the small flame that fluttered above the tall wax taper set
into the wall beside him. Gathering a few meager belongings from the tiny alcove
that served as his quarters these last five years he made his way through the
monestary working out a list of his fellows who would need to be dealt with
before departing. The elder, a similarly-aged man named Webin who had been
his training partner during the first few years, and the young boy Drezz who had
delivered the note itself - no telling if his curiosity got the better of him.

The night was full on and the world outside cast in darkness. The dark is a time
to act, not wait. "The shadow dwells within" - the charm was a Tlacatl, a magical
stone that contained five charges of the deadly spell "Vampiric Touch". The boy
Drezz and Webin both fell quickly in their sleep, but the Elder was awake and
vigilant, locking eyes with Ruhsbaar as he entered the room - almost as if he
was there waiting for him. There was a struggle as they locked in weaponless
battle for a time, the old man on the offensive despite his frailness. Arms
locked in battle the old man spoke - "Somehow I always knew you would be cause
of my demise. Your heart is stone, you wouldn't let us love you." - and then
his eyes widened in surprise as Ruhsbaars touch became embued with the power
of Shars dark sorcery. As the monestary elder crumpled to the floor, the life
draining form his eyes, Ruhsbaar whispered into his ear "Love is a lie, only
hate endures" - an ancient Sharran mantra.

The dark deeds done Ruhsbaar left the monestary in Highsdale and wandered off
toward the Thunder Peaks, leaving three men lifeless in their chambers behind
him. The sun was setting below the horizon once again by the time Ruhsbaar
reached the summit of the Thunder Peak that held the secret mountain base
of the Order of the Dark Moon. Five manticores began circling in the sky above
the monk - guardians of the Order long ago converted to the Sharran faith.
Approaching the entrance proper, a robed figure steps out of the bases entrance
and nods in greeting, "Welcome back, Dark Brother. We have been expecting you,
Father Abbott will want to see you right away." Shaking hands, the monk steps
aside to let the traveler into the complex, and Ruhsbaar quickly made his way
down familiar passageways towards the Dark Father Abbott's personal quarters.
The door creaked open and the Dark Father stood inside wrapped in the same dark
robes as the monk at the entrance, a worried look on his face. Pulling Ruhsbaar
inside and closing the door behind him, he delved into the details of the mission
at hand.

Their base in the Thunder Peaks was under threat. The Church of Cyric sought to
destroy and sabatoge the Sharran church and all of her followers in recompense
for their God's imprisonment in the Supreme Throne. The other deities of Faerun
had locked him there as punishment for killing the goddess Mystra, mother of all
magic. While Cyric had done the deed, it was the Lady of Loss - Shar, who
convinced him to do it. Cyrics followers, therefore, did not feel that the
Mistress of Night should be left unpunished. A cult dedicated to Cyric was
gaining traction in the area around Scornubel, a major tradestop town on the
northern bank of the River Chionthar. Said cult has apparently discovered/
confirmed the existance of the Order of the Dark Moon complex in the peaks and
is exposing its existance to the world. The manticores had already carried off
a handful of adventurers making their way towards the entrance.

Ruhsbaar was charged with the absolute destruction of this cult: slaughter its
members and stop their plans to disrupt the Sharran church and his own monestary.
The Sharran Church proper sent an agent into the area to gather what he could
about the cult - the only real useful information was a lead: a merchant of the
Red Shield in Scornubel has had a run in with the cultists and lived to tell
about it.
[/REDACTED]

Weeks of travel on horseback brought Ruhsbaar to the bustling trade
city and he made his way directly to the Red Shield headquarters to seek an
audience. The man was preoccupied, and Ruhsbaar was left to await a summons
in a large and well-furnished waiting room. The room was unoccupied but for
a well-armored Tiefling that Ruhsbaar sat across the room from.

A bit of time passed by in silence before the Tiefling, apparently a Paladin
of Torm, was granted audience and summoned into the merchants study. Rhusbaar
sat alone for a while before a well-dressed messenger appeared and asked a
very straightforward question: "You are here to inquire with Lord Maerbin about
the ritual murders??" Ruhsbaar confirmed that he was, and the messenger lead
him through the doors and into Maerbin's study. The merchant was seated behind
a the largest oaken desk the monk had ever seen, its surface etched over with
a wave of designs. Across from Maerbin, with his back to the door, the Tiefling
sat in a comfortable looking chair.

A few hours of conversation followed, Maerbin informing his visitors that the
cult had struck again the night before - the victims a farmer and his two
young children, all found dead in their home this morning in a bloody scene
that must have been some kind of dark ritual. The merchant assumed that both
Ruhsbaar and the Paladin were there to glean information about the murders
and wanted to talk to them both at once. The merchant had plenty of information
about the most recent murders and hinted that they are likely the work of a dark
cult that had taken root in the area recently. Further information about the
cult and its members was nothing but tidbits, most of it hearsay, but some of
it might prove useful.

The two were dismissed and made their way out of the Red Shield's headquarters,
chatting about their reasons for hunting down the culprits. The Paladin's story
was similar to his own, he was a fairly new initiate in the Church of Torm and
sent here to investigate rumors of a dark cult in the area.

[REDACTED]
With some quick thinking and his Goddess' blessing, Ruhsbaar was able to weave
a backstory for himself that the Paladin would find acceptable, for surely such
a companion would be useful on this quest.
[/REDACTED]

Ruhsbaar told the Paladin about his parents death and his induction into the
Centered Breath monestary in Highsdale. He praised the monks who had trained him,
especially the Elder who personally saw to the last few years of his lessons.
Charged with taking a letter from the local tailor in Highsdale to the head of
the Order of Master Tailors, Glovers & Mercers in Waterdeep, Ruhsbaar stopped in
Scornubel during his travels, and caught wind of the cults activity in the area.
On a tip from a traveller at a local tavern he came to gather informatiom from
Lord Maerbin.


[Notes for later?]
------------------
Fane of Shar = main temple of Shar in Thultanthar (Shade), Nethril
Rivalen Tanthul = high priest of Shar (The Nightseer) and accomplished wizard