Tassa Brightfox

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Tassa Brightfox

Tassa Brightfox, Kender

Languages	Common, Elvish, Dwarven, Thieves Cant, Kenderspeak
Place of Birth	World: Krynn, Country: Northern Ergoth, Town: Hylo
Species	Kender
Gender	Female (She/her)
Height	3.5ft
Eye Color	Emerald Green

Tassa Brightfox is a swashbuckler (you can call her a rogue but she rather "breaks the mold" you might expect of one).

Physical Appearance

Tassa has vibrant coppery red hair styled half up in two meticulously neat braids (fixed together with a detailed copper fox hair pin), she wears leather armor (and leather boots) with decorative flourishes around the edges. Most notable are the ever-changing array of pouches and pockets on her person.

Personality

Tassa exudes wide eyed childlike wonder and innocence. The worlds are places to explore and have adventures, fear is something she truly doesn't seem to have a grasp on yet. She is bright and bubbly and once she considers you a friend (regardless of your opinion on the matter) she is loyal to the utmost!

Ever curious about new things, new creatures, new places, and new experiences you'll often find this Kender bouncing happily towards (while babbling a myriad of questions at) what others seem to think for some reason is danger or frightening but to her is FACINATING! Life is too short to miss out on something interesting! Afterall, death is simply another grand adventure, albeit a bit 'final' for any Kender's tastes and one she's not planning on going on *just* yet. Because of her curiosity she gathers so MUCH interesting information and stories that she is always nearly BURSTING to share them with anyone ... who isn't deaf (though I'm sure many would like to be after spending even a few moments with her).

Impulse control is a foreign concept to her, though you'll find she is just as excited about a really satisfying leaf as she is about a shiny gem or jewelry. Many of her pockets would remind you of a curious child's full of string, stones, feathers, and anything else she deems interesting.

History

Honestly Tassa has lived more life than most in her brief 35 years. To tell her tale would take many, MANY pages! So, we'll simply start at the beginning and jump to the end or rather our current time, at the time of writing this that is... so it's current time now if it's not when you read this then YOU'RE LATE and it's not my fault.

Ahem... Tassa was born in the large town of tiny people known as Hylo in Northern Ergoth, and for the curious that would be in the world of Krynn... not Quelmar. The afflicted Kender (strange ones that lot but such a pity what happened them and to Kendermore) had started moving off to their own settlements where they mostly seemed to be keeping to themselves. It was at this time Tassa had reached the coming-of-age moment at 20 years old when Kender finally strike out into the great unknown in search of relief from boredom, er, in search of adventure rather known to their people as "Wanderlust." Wanderlust lasts for most of a Kender lifetime, and no one ever returns, at least not to the same place they left from which wouldn't be returning would it?

So, Tassa is firmly into her Wanderlust and having many fantastic adventures under her belt she found herself heading out on yet another adventure. She was getting ready to visit her long time VERY VERY GOOD wizard friend, Rexxan. The last time he saw her he was SO kind giving her a beautiful locket that he said she could open when she was ready to visit him, but it would only work once and took VERY powerful magics to create, so he wanted her to go on MANY adventures so she would have so many stories she could tell him when she got back! It's been hard, to a Kender any locked door, cupboard, chest, or really anything locked should really be opened just a crack. She resisted all temptation because she wanted to surprise him for his BIRTHDAY! Did she know when his birthday was, absolutely not, however she decided she could just pick a day that felt like his birthday, and it would work all the same). So, she worked hard at going on so many adventures that she would scant have a moment to think about opening the locket (just a peek) because she really wanted to bring Rexxan a fantastic gift and the many stories he requested.

She found a marvelously interesting set of ruins with many undead creatures creeping and moaning about. Without hesitation she rushed headlong into the ruins. She had a chat with someone called a "lich" who seemed to be having a rather bad day as he was in an awful mood. He treated her rather rudely and really it was all very unnecessary. While she was exploring the grumpy undead guy's treasure room, she came across the PERFECT gift! The lich had plenty of shiny stuff so he surely wouldn't miss this trinket, but she didn't want to be rude back to him (that's just how she is) so she left a "payment" of a few neat sticks, some feathers, and a bit of string in it's place. She was so excited it was glowy in the way Rexxan seems to like as he keeps many glowy things in his tower! She knew this must mean that it must be his birthday! There was an awful calamity behind her as the lich and his army of assorted undead things came bursting into the treasure room yelling something about "She will now begin her eternal suffering blah, blah..." Honestly, she didn't have the time to sit and talk to some grumpy lich about the finer points of the afterlife she had a birthday party to get to (and to also throw, OH and it's also a SURPISE!!). So with glee and excitement she finally opened the locket! With inches to spare before some ghost thing was about to invade her personal space she disappears!

A portal opens (rather high off the ground mind you) and out tumbles a Kender, into a world not her own, though she doesn't know that quite yet (don't spoil it for her).

Languages

Examples include Common, Elvish, Dwarven, & Thieves Cant

Powers and Abilities

She is good at using the pointy bits to stab the mean creatures who try to hurt her friends.

She has tinkered with some magics when she was visiting her VERY GOOD MAGE FRIEND... Rexxan (I don't know that he would exactly describe their relationship as "friends" himself however, yet something about her keeps him from smiting her... )

Beginning of the Quest of Topi Ary (as told by Tassa herself):

I was tired from all my adventuring for the day and wanted to ask if I could stay for the night at this big fancy house (it was really in the middle of nowhere for a house that fancy if I’m honest), but no one answered so I let myself in to make sure everything was okay, thieves are terrible these days you know… Well, I think they didn’t leave in a hurry and thought they might be a few days or something because they did try to hide all the furniture under white sheets, but I don’t know if it would have tricked anyone because I was SO curious what could be hidden under the sheets that I couldn’t help but look! I was sad to see the cupboards were totally bare, I think a thief might have taken all their food, so they’ll be mighty sad when they get back. Luckily, I always have some food in my pouches, so I wasn’t hungry. Seeing as how they were so bad at hiding their nice things, I figured SOMEONE had to keep an eye on the place, after all so I picked the nicest room (I’m certain they would want only the best for an honored guest like me who is being so nice and watching over the place without even being asked) and kept wandering around.

I saw a potted plant looking awfully wilty and I just knew the people in the fancy house would be SO SAD to see their shrubbery had died! As you see it was VERY lucky for them, I stopped in. I reached into my pockets and pouches to see if I had anything to water the plants with and I found a green glowing vial of liquid (it’s sooo pretty and neat to watch if you slosh it back and forth). I am sure my really really good mage friend Rexxan would have been overjoyed to see how much happiness the little vial I found in his locked potion cupboard made me! I’ll have to tell him when I visit him for his Birthday! Anyway, I took the potion because plants need to drink water (and I misplaced my waterskin at the moment) and water is wet, so since the potion looked wet then of course it would give the plant a drink. I was certain that the magic would help this poor plant perk RIGHT up! And perk right up he DID! I poured the potion into the pot and all the sudden he started moving and TALKING! I didn’t even know plants could talk! It’s a good thing I saved him, this talking plant almost died! He had a stamp on the back of his pot with his name on it, It said “Topi Ary.” I would sit in the garden and talk to him, for hours, and hours, and tell him all my best stories.

Then after about a month I was about to leave because the fancy house was getting rather boring and if no thieves are going to show up then I don’t think it’s important I stay there. I went to ask Topi if he wanted to join me, but something was off. His pot seemed slightly moved and soil was everywhere! He seemed perfectly planted in his pot, so I was relieved at first but then when I asked him if he wanted to come with me to have fun adventures, I realized he didn’t talk anymore! He just sat there like a plain old shrubbery. I thought maybe he had been switched but when I checked his pot it said his name “Topi Ary” just like before. I was REALLY getting worried, and I realized someone must have used a spell or something to put him in a really deep sleep!  I tried EVERYTHING, laughing, singing, shouting, knocking on his pot. Nothing could wake him up! I just don’t know why someone would do something like this to such a nice shrub! It was that day I made a promise to my friend, to travel as wide and far as I must to find a way to wake him from his deep slumber!

I remembered that under one of the sheets was a leather seat. I mean if they are going to keep it covered with the sheets no one will miss a few bits of leather and I had an important mission. So, I took my dagger and made a potpoose. Making sure to close off the top so he can stick out, but his soil stays in. I did also think of talking to my great friend Rexxan the wizard because he is so smart with magics, but I only had a onetime use portal, and I was saving it for his birthday. I figured Topi was resting so I could just look after him until I could use the portal and do two things at once! Then I set off leaving the fancy house to its own devices.

Tales from Tassa's Journal

Entry 1: (4/29/2023) Swampery & The Warden

Adrian Tempest gathered a small group of us onto his fancy airship. I thought it was neat (I never saw a flying ship before), however, when I tried to tell everyone about the flying citadels back home in Krynn, but no one seemed interested. Oh well. Anyway, we landed in this gloomy swampy area and were told that we were supposed to “scout” the swamps for any dangers or whatnot. As it would turn out the first thing, we learned was that really big or really heavily armored peoples might struggle a bit. Our cleric and barbarian found themselves getting stuck a lot of times, but I was able to keep myself to mostly dryish land.

While we were walking there was this oddly humanoidly shaped shadowy thing off in the distance. There’s like mists and stuffs so it’s kinda hard to see any great distance. I decided to go check it out all stealthy like and some of the others decided to join me. As I got closer, I saw it was just some silly trees looking all like beasties in the mist. Before I could tell anyone what I found I heard the sloshing of our more noisy ones moving through the water. I preferred to stay on the drier lands but… to each their own.

Well, wouldn’t you know all the sudden two tentacles burst out of the swamp attacking our bugbarian and our owlybird artificer! Mr A. Tempest was smart and stayed back next to the cleric who was having an AWFUL time of it in all the muck in their heavy armors. Our druid ran up to help. I will say when the artificer threw flames and fire at the tentacles it didn't seem at all pleased. We heard a screaming that came from all around us when the tentacles withered, and they disappeared under the surface of the mucky murky waters.

Before anyone could do anything, a HUGE gooey oozy mouth surfaced in between all of us! That was joined by TWO more tentacles!!! These ones were MUCH bigger than the first ones! So, we all fought them! The druid made a danger wiggler worm and me and the worm dispatched the giant mouth with the help of the artificer!  The mouth didn’t seem to like fire either but when the creature screamed again it still came from all around us and not really from the mouth itself, VERY creepy.

While we were fighting a robed figure appeared in the trees and watched. Once we ended the creature the robed figure appeared on the ground and disappeared into the mists leaving pretty glowing blue lights behind them. Our bugbarian had fallen and then been healed during the battle and the cleric was very nearly fallen so the people I was with wanted to rest. I didn’t take any damage and those lights were so inviting and pretty and I didn’t know how long they’d last, and it would be TRAGIC if I missed out on a new adventure because people had to rest.

Since I was fine, I exclaimed my excitement and said “Ooo!” as I ran off towards the lights. When the group was becoming distressed, I told them to rest and that I would be just fine but the cleric and owlybird artificier apparently felt like I was in danger and the two of them followed me while the remaining party members took a rest. I tried to tell them that the lights were an invitation because no one just leaves a trail of lights behind them unless they really want to be found.  THEY seemed to think it was a trap, I was unconvinced, the lights were too welcoming to be a trap! I also told them that if we’re going to be staying here a while it might be a good idea to meet the locals anyway. They usually know helpful stuff…or try to eat you. It’s a 50/50 gamble either way.

We followed the lights until we reached a hut on stilts with a winding wooden walkway leading up to it. Again, my new over cautious friends tried to warn me that this was a trap and dangerous and I chuckled and said, “Don’t worry I’ll knock, I’m not rude!” and I ran up to the door with them reluctantly close by my side. I knocked and a kind voice invited us in. I turned to my fearful fellows and said, “SEE I told you we were invited!”

We entered and were directed by the robed one to have a seat. They were back behind the fire and hooded so we didn’t see their face and they seemed all flowy between masculine and feminine and didn’t seem to care which pronouns were used for them. There was this neat glowy symbol thing on the ground. It was a deer with antlers and leaves around it (I later called it “the stag”). I wanted to touch it REALLY bad but since we were guests, I figured I should be polite and ask. I did and was told I could touch it. It made me alllllllll tingly! The rest of the time I kept trying to stretch out and sneak touches.

I asked the person if the creature was their pet and told them we didn’t mean to hurt it if it was but the idea of being eaten didn’t suit us today, so we had to defend ourselves. The person shook their head as they made us all some tea and said it was not their pet and that in fact, they’ve been fighting against them for 20 YEARS! It turns out they aren’t normally from this area but migrated here 20 years ago. The robed one had no idea what sent them, drew them, or forced them from their original habitats in the west. They’re called Oblex and they are a type of ooze monster that naturally inhabits their original lands but were not found in this area before 20 years ago. They seem to be pretty prevalent in the greater bog area but can be found anywhere in the wilds. It’s pretty astounding that they can fit through a 1-inch gap and can hide anywhere that can hold their volume then BOOM attack! They’re ambush predators. It seems they especially dislike fire (it agitates them and causes disadvantage for 1 round). It turns out that they are generally attracted to feed on the minds of sentient beings which makes their long stay out in the middle of nowhere even more odd. Our bugbarian and cleric DID have some memories eaten! The warden told them they should come back on a long rest, if they were healed in some way, or if a magic user knows the greater restoration spell. We should be VERY careful about our camp because they will be super attracted to a large group of sentient beings (especially because they must be so hungry, I think). There are different types of these oblex creatures even! I asked for a name to call the robed one and they told me that “The Warden” will do. They asked me a bunch of stuff about why we're here and I told them everything I knew about like camping, exploring, that there’s other groups of us. I didn’t know WHY we were here but luckily Mr. Tempest joined us eventually with the rest of the group and was able to fill in the rest of the information.

When I asked “The Warden” what they do they replied that this is their domain (I asked if it was just the bog, but they indicated it was like ALL OF the wilds fairly much). I asked what they’re purpose here was and they told me that their purpose is to protect the wilds against any evil or destructive beings. I also asked The Warden if there was anything we should look out for that is dangerous like the Oblex. They told us that there were bands of kobolds that occasionally travel through this area and that they can be amicable or feral depending on which band you come across, but we should be sure to be wary of any bands in the patronage of a dragon as they are almost always super aggressive to outsiders. Also, there are dinosaurs! The warden said they are like dragons without the breathy weapon and only some of them have wings! There are some small ones in the swamp areas, but we will encounter large ones in the jungles.

Apparently some lizardfolk do in habit the wilds and we were advised to avoid them as they tend to be generally aggressive by nature. Along with the lizard peoples there are these froggy peoples called ‘Grung’ they also might be best avoided as they are covered in natural poison (so they would give danger hugs) and sometimes even coat their weapons in this poison slime coat from their bodies.

There are also yuan-ti which are snakey peoples and often ill-tempered and not so fond of outsiders either (maybe it’s a reptile thing?). We also may find some bugbears along the way as well and should be cautious of them as they are pretty strong usually. Apparently, some of the plants will eat YOU if you aren’t careful! So, eating them and finding out they're poisonous isn’t the biggest vegetation threat anymore! We were advised to avoid any plants that look VERY interesting as that is a sign, they will probably eat you. I think that will be extra hard for me, but I do not enjoy being eaten so I should be able to resist exploring them.

Before we left, I asked The Warden if it would be okay for us to stay there and how we can be friends not enemies. The Warden asks that the land is treated with respect. We are not to unnecessarily destroy the flora and fauna. Also, they warn us not to bring necromantic workings into their area with evil intent to spread undeath and necromancy across the land. They asked that we try to find out WHY the Oblex are here. Did something push them out? Why so? Did something purposely send them? The Warden is fairly certain that regardless of the “why” behind the creatures' original shift that they are likely long forgotten by the culprits behind their upheaval and have just simply gotten to existing here. Our wise cleric came up with the idea that perhaps (since the scar is in the west and it’s all fiery) something left the scar and perhaps scared them into leaving their old territory.

The Warden led us all a secret way (much easier) out of the swamp and back to the airship. They did leave us with a warning that if people don’t follow the request of how to treat the lands that the Warden WILL take action against them and depending on how horrendous the act may punish all of us. It will be up to how we handle it first and foremost. If we take proper action to stop them, punish them, and rectify the wrong as best we can, we may be spared but… that’s a big maybe so it’s best we tell everyone to be on good behavior with the wilds.

The Warden will reach out to us if they ever need to and a few of us were given special broaches that can contact the Warden should we need to (once a month) but they really prefer not to be bothered.