Glorivesh

Glorivesh

Relatives	Father: Anton (human), Mother: Dianavesh (kalashtar half-elf)
Languages	Common, Elvish, Quori
Affiliations	Traveling Minstrel
Aliases	Gloria; "The Girl with Violet Eyes"
Marital Status	Partnered with her dream spirit. It's complicated.
Place of Birth	Near Mek
Date of Death	TBD
Place of Death	TBD
Species	Kalashtar
Gender	Female
Height	5' 9"
Weight	125 pounds
Eye Color	Violet

Glorivesh, aka Gloria is a kalashtar shadow sorceress in the Bedlam in the Badlands campaign.

Physical Appearance

Gloria has extremely pale skin and long white hair which she usually keeps tied back in a long high ponytail. She has bright violet eyes, stands at 5' 9" tall, and weighs around 125 pounds. She isn't particularly strong or hardy, and doesn't wear armor, or anything else that is likely to weigh her down. She tends to wear white flowing clothing, with black and brown accent colors, and can always be found carrying her prized lute: a family heirloom from her mother. She always feels cool to the touch, as if she were a corpse, although she is still fully affected by heat.

Personality

Gloria is a vivacious and friendly person. She loves seeing people smile or moving them to tears with a beautiful story. She is a performer through and through, and is as dedicated to her craft as she is anything else. She is a firm believer in making the world a better place than she found it by bringing people joy through storytelling and song.

Gloria is deeply in love with her spiritual companion and guiding dream spirit: Vesh. Her goal in life is to find a way for the two of them to truly be together and also give Vesh the freedom to rejoin the plane of dreams.

History

Gloria was born on the northeastern coast of Pteris in a small town near Mek. Her parents were Dianavesh "Diana" a half-kalashtar-half elf woman who ran an inn, and Anton, a human fisherman. She grew up relatively simply, learning tales, how to sing and play the lute, and for the longest time, she expected she would just grow up to inherit her mother's business when she got older. Those plans changed after an incident in her 11th year where she disappeared for a month, only to come back changed: affected deeply by the shadow plane, and with a new ability to use magic. Her dream spirit Vesh was also deeply affected by this brush with darkness, becoming more closely bound to Gloria's being, and specifically, her shadow, inhabiting the darkness around her as much as she does Gloria's dreams.

Languages

Gloria speaks the common tongue, Elvish, and Quori - the language of dream spirits.

Powers and Abilities

Glorivesh uses a small amount of combat magic, but truly focuses more on utility and battlefield control. She likes to use darkness to her advantage, and teleport allies and foes to the most opportune locations. When she has to deal damage herself, she prefers to use the chill touch of death or the chaotic energies of her sorcerous nature.

Songs and Tales

The first night Gloria arrived at the Arboretum and settled at the inn where she had arranged to play several times a week for room and board, plus tips, she played a historic tale of her ancestors produced below:

The Bloody Baron of Galomy

"In a land some call Glendoveer, and others call Alest, there live people much like you or I, perhaps with more elves, and less rough-and-tumble folk than gathers here. There, within the Barony of Galomy ruled a prosperous family of elven nobles, wisely governing their people and ensuring their safety from the threats of the world. But elves are a long-lived race, and their people were not all of the same folk. Generations of other races passed under the reign of these elves without change, without input, and tensions with those who were ruled grew."

"Proud as these elves were, they did not mistake the danger that was building, and the young scion of the family, took it upon himself to mingle with the people, to gather their grievances, and get in their good graces. He did this for nearly a decade, slowly winning the hearts of the people back to his family as he proposed countless changes to the customs. But his work was doomed to fail, for his elders had seen the wheels of rebellion beginning to turn, and they had other plans to head it off."

She sings a series of lines, snapping her fingers between sets of notes to create a harmony with magic. One side telling of the young elf's growing love for the tavern owner, a woman who constantly rejected his marriage proposals, and yet never pushed him away, while the other, casting a sinister tone tells of the gathering of soldiers, the planting of evidence, and writing of proclamations.

Late one evening, filled with laughter, song, far too much alcohol, and what our young ne-Baron's heart was certain would be the night his love told him 'yes,' the peace was shattered by a bloodied orc stumbling into the tavern. He yelled of an attack! Elves in fine armor, but not the Baron's colors, surrounding the town and accosting any and all travelers, even cutting some down without cause." She takes a breath allowing the music of her lute to fade into silence before once again snapping her fingers to add a low magical percussive rhythm. "Eager to show his bravery and to protect his people, the elf took up his arms, calling for those with him to do the same and rushed out to do battle!"

And a battle there was, but not the one he expected. It was quick and bloody, and the supposedly unknown elves were driven back in short order. But in the aftermath, he saw the bodies. He saw that these were in fact elves he recognized, that he had shared a home with, and whom he both loved and trusted."

"But the elders had proof of their rebellion now, and now it had a head they could focus all of the attention and blame upon: the young ne-Baron's. Word spread quickly, plans falling into place casting blame for all number of atrocities on him, and casting him as a power-seeking villain all too eager to take his place as Baron before his time." She begins playing the lute again, a laughing tone to her voice. "But they were the true fools, for they underestimated the support he had from the people. A false rebellion quickly turned real, and the former nobles found themselves outmatched. In less than a year, the tide had turned, and they were forced to try to seek terms with their scapegoat. Terms he flatly rejected."

"Because he was in love, and with the threat of death in every battle, his love had finally let him into her heart and her bed. She had a child on the way, and he would not allow these former relatives an opportunity to escape, retain their power, and threaten his new family in the future. They all had to die. All who had a claim to the Barony, and all who would seek to avenge them or take a throne that he fully intended should go to his children and pass from the hands of the elves entirely."

She sighs, turning the song meloncholy. "But his love had no desire for thrones. She wanted only peace. Peace, songs, and a hearth to offer others. She argued with him for weeks over his plans, telling him they could simply leave: let his relatives keep the seat while the people governed themselves and find safety on the road for themselves. But he was fixed on his new dream, certain that she would adjust, that she would understand, all without knowing of her own plans to leave, with or without him."

She throws a hand up toward the ceiling, and a sphere of impenetrable darkness forms in the air. The music halts for a heartbeat before resuming, tension rising every second. "The night before the final attack on the keep, to kill the last barrier between him and the throne, his love had a dream: one where she stayed with him, where their family ruled, and where she was happy. She was happy. She would be happy, she saw. Her dream guide, a spirit that had been with her all her life, showed it to her. She would be happy, she would forget the people who were killed. She would forget the toll that their lifestyle would have on the people. She would forget what it meant to be cold and lost and alone on a road far from home, and to find warmth and shelter beside a stranger's hearth." "But that happiness would cost her her very soul in the bargain, because her soul could not forget those things and remain the same. It would twist, it would change into something darker, and so would her children."

The darkness vanishes, replaced by an illusion of a tall, dark horse running across the stage. "Without another moment of hesitation, she woke from the dream, climbed atop the majestic stallion her baron had given her, and fled into the night! Large with her child, she rode South, telling no one who she was, or where she was going." The colors of the horse shift from black to roan to white as it runs. All the while, the lute plays a staccato rhythm. "She used her own magic, slight as it was, to hide. To change her appearance and that of her steed, to vanish into the world somewhere her love would never find."

"She never learned what became of her love—for love him still, she did. For she knew that the knowledge would only make her doubt her decision and tempt her to return." The image of a stallion shifts into that of a large sailing ship. "Cutting off her final tie to that life, she sold the horse for passage across the seas to Pteris. But on the journey, her daughter was born: hair white as seafoam, and eyes the same violet color of her father's—a tie that she could never sever, and could never dream of wanting to. A love that was true and had no power to twist her into something monstrous, and a life she would dedicate herself to nurturing far from the risk of ever falling within the reach of the Bloody Baron of Galomy." She ends the ballad with a chord that echoes through the room, breathing heavily from the effort of the song, before standing and taking a bow.

While not entirely clear if this story refers to Gloria's grandmother, or an ancestor further generations back, this story tells of how her family moved from Osugbo to Pteris before she was born.

The Girl with Violet Eyes

On a cool night, in the darkness at the edge of the Arboretum, Gloria sang a song of her own past, of when she came into contact with the shadowy forces that she has since made her own. This was in response to Rhogar Dreel sharing a story of the Pilgrim of Pteris.

The melody peaceful and gentle at first, but slowly changing over time to add more tension.

"In Trudger lands, out by the sea, there lived a fisher, kind and fair, and his wife with violet eyes.

They had a child they loved so dear, and raised her with great care, the girl with violet eyes.

Strong and wise, but proud and bold, the girl with violet eyes

feared nothing but the dark and cold, the girl with violet eyes.

But safe she was, in lands of dreams, the girl with violet eyes,

For Vesh was with her, there beyond, the world with violet eyes.

But dreams can sometimes lead you wrong when violet eyes are closed.

And on one night, the girl would walk, away from all she knows.

Though safe, her mind, in cloaks of dream, her body left its own,

'Till wake she did, in cold and gloam, in no place she'd been shown."

Here, Gloria's music pauses for an uncomfortable number of seconds before she speaks again, almost in a whisper. "Silence, death, and darkness, were all that surrounded her. Silhouettes, of shadow, looming, growing, and spreading all around. Then within her, they spread their cold, and it seemed for a moment that could have been an eternity that nothing could prevent her death, and the world would never see once more that girl with violet eyes." She picks up the music again, seeming to battle back the silence and gloom of the darkness by sheer force of will.

"But Vesh the spirit, kind and bold, would not allow the girl with violet eyes,

to no more sing the songs she loved, and lose those violet eyes.

With light and love, and joy and faith, she took upon the dark.

That darkness had no taste for two, for prey was always 'lone.

And now with darkness of her own, the girl did make it home.

A month had passed, her family mourned, the girl with violet eyes,

But back she was, though cold and worn, with smiling violet eyes.

And from that day, the girl knew, she'd never be alone,

And the dark could never take her soul, for it was all her own,

With her and Vesh, now bound through night, and days with violet eyes."

The autobiographical song is mostly accurate, although it takes some artistic license with events. Gloria remembers waking up with a start from her bout of sleepwalking, something that had occurred for her as a child a number of times, although it had never led her into any serious trouble before. This night, however, she recognized that she had somehow walked far out of the town and into the hills leading towards the deserts. Before she could start making the trip back home, a pure darkness enveloped her, bringing her body, mind and spirit briefly into the shadow plane. What caused this, Gloria could never tell, but when she finally escaped, an entire month had passed, and her parents had feared her dead. She came back, a bit worse for wear, her skin, gaunt and pale, and her temperature seemingly low as a corpse, but otherwise healthy and whole. Further, her connection with Vesh, her lifelong dream spirit guide, had deepened considerably, with the spirit having some small ability to signal certain thoughts and emotions to Gloria even while she was awake, and with her dreams allowing more complete communication between them.

The Warning of Captain Greenskin the goblin

Tonight, we begin our show with a special request, a story of goblins bold, from far-off waters. No easing into it friends—another crack of thunder—because Captain Greenskin and his band of pirates would never let you know they're coming until it was far too late to escape.

Far on the other side of the world lies the continent of Levinkan, near the treacherous waters of Baleah, where the whirlpools are said to lead so deep that one could reach the very Hells below! The dangers of the waters were well-known, and well-marked. As soon as you could see the great bridge spanning the Crossing, you knew to venture no closer, lest you risk your vessel, your lives, and your very souls. But it was not what is below them that sailors truly had to fear. No, because a far more tenacious foe haunted those waters than devils: Captain Greenskin. (Underscore words with illusory sounds of wind, rain, and sea.)

None truly know where he came from, but it became clear within his first year of spreading the name, that he and his crew of goblin pirates could strike anywhere on the waters without warning. And they could get away quickly as well. Ships who had nearly completed their voyages, with their destination port in sight, would suddenly hear the crack of thunder as magical storms would appear from nowhere, and lighting would strike their masts. Then, swarming up the sides of their vessels, moving sure as spiders, the crew of pirates would scale the sides and secure their targets. (Augment lines with illusory thunderclaps.)

Now, they weren't monsters, there for slaughter. Any who surrendered would be spared, and some who struggled and lost were even offered a chance to join Greenskin's crew. A crew which, although many a larger creature joined, only ever seemed to have goblins when it would make its attacks. (Tempo and key switch here.)

For two years, Captain Greenskin plundered the seas without effective challenge. Efforts to capture him failed. False shipments would be ignored, the guards hidden inside them left to wait in discomfort their entire journeys, butwithout being attacked. Even when a group of wizards, experts of divination, were hired, they could not find Captain Greenskin's hideout, nor lead any of his pursuers to their prey. (Abrupt pause in music)

Then, without warning, the attacks stopped. Vessels traveled, braced for attack, and ready to surrender their wares, only for nothing to come. People wondered, had some secret enemy done the captain in? Had mutiny struck? Had they just gathered enough wealth for their goals, whatever those were?

(Shift to softer underscore chords.) Rumors began to spread in seaside taverns and towns of former members of Captain Greenskin's crew turning up, loaded down in wealth, but with not a single consistent story to explain it. And all of them, goblins, though they hadn't all been goblins before they joined the crew. When questioned, they had no explanations for their change. All they could say was: Captain Greenskin needed strong goblins, and that's what we were. They remembered assaults on ships, getting away on the fast and tiny schooner that could masquerade as driftwood, but nothing about the times in between those moments.

But, to all of their surprise, the first time one of these former crewmembers was captured by the law and executed for piracy, another ship was attacked, belonging to the city that tried the pirate. The signs of Greenskin's methods were all there: weapons mostly still in the armory, masts struck by lightning from a previously clear sky, and all of value stripped from the holds of the ship. There was but one exception: this time, there were no survivors. (Ominous sting? Too much? Try it out with multiple crowds at varying levels of intoxication.)

This pattern happened again. Then two more times, before cities began to suspect the cause. Then, due to the pressure, they decided only imprison the captured pirates, for fear of the losses they would suffer if they executed them." She smiles broadly, looking out at the crowd. "Now, all told, Captain Greenskin's crew could have been anywhere between thirty and a hundred and fifty goblins strong—accounts were never clear. But one thing that was clear, was that the goblinfolk of Levinkan and Osugbo were no fools. When the word got around that Greenskin's crew were off limits, suddenly every goblin caught for a capitol offense confessed to also being a former member of Greenskin's crew. (Eye the crowd to spot any goblinoids and make eye contact with a knowing expression.)

Now, the guards and lawkeepers could have risked it, and they very nearly did after they'd caught the tenth 'former crewmate' in a week, but when the wealthy merchants feel the pressure of a threat to their pocketbooks, they make sure the law knows about it. After all, better to buy a goblin a cell than to buy yourself a new ship and crew. That's just business sense.

They figured, goblins are short-lived, after five or ten years, surely any goblin who claims to have been a crewmember is lying, and they can be executed as normal. The problem was, three years after the attacks stopped, Captain Greenskin returned, back to using his first pattern of piracy: courteous, controlled, and uncatchable. He only operated for six months this time, and once again goblins everywhere began claiming to be crewmates of his whenever their lives were at risk.

This went on and off for twenty years. A whole generation of people growing up with Captain Greenskin's crewmates safe from execution, and the sure fact of reprisals when one was executed. And the laws had to change in response. Goblin prisoners were no longer allowed to be sentenced to death, at most getting a lifetime sentence of labor—one from which many goblins were able to escape at some point.

Now, that was quite some time ago, and on the far side of the world, but I'll tell you all what an old and powerful wizard once told me after I told him the tale. Captain Greenskin can't have just been a goblin, but has to have been some kind of god. A god that clearly wanted to make sure his people weren't executed. And when you're talking about gods, who can truly say that they couldn't reach across time and the realm to recruit that goblin you know who showed up with a little bit too much money to be legally acquired. Messing with gods is a fools' errand at the best of times, and when it's as easy as not killing someone, it's best to follow what they want. So, even if that goblin broke into your tower and stole your favorite teapot, you should take a bit of care and check if he knows Captain Greenskin before you do anything drastic. (Close with a lasting chord and illusory image of goblin pirate captain giving the audience a bow.)

Played at the request of the artificer Gobbo who thereafter styled themselves "Greenskin," this song was based on an obscure and possibly inaccurate second-hand treatise of Levinkan laws that a traveler lent Gloria in her youth. The story itself is entirely invented, but none of it contradicts what facts Gloria was able to find regarding the levels of piracy and the legal code on the far side of the world.

The Starlight Assassin (WIP)

Cold her blades, and colder her heart

The Starlight Assassin is my tale tonight.

Deadly with both her blades and her darts,

She once set the nation Lacroix alight.

~

(Stick with ABAB, CBCB, XBXB, rhyme scheme, or just use meter and occasional call-back to rhymes with Starlight?)

(Other potential rhymes to use as needed for pattern: right, light, might, fight, kite, bite, wight, sight, tight, height, night, plight, blight, flight, slight, bright, fright, trite, quite)

Inspired in part by her encounters with the former assassin Kicyr, Gloria decided that the scrappers and ne'er do-wells of the Arboretum might make a good audience for a bloody tale featuring an androgynous and elusive killer who specialized in killing other monsters in one of the darkest places on the other side of the world.

The Dragon 'round the Moons

Every child who looks up at the red skies knows,

Every month there is a new moon.

The phases change as time ever flows,

But if you stare too deep, you'll become a loon.

~ (Begin melody here)

Lunacy, they call it, the madness that captures those who follow the Celestial bodies' passage too closely.

And since I don't want to drive you all mad, we'll steer tonight's story around those beautiful and dangerous bodies. (From here, the melody should start properly accompanying the lyrics).

Instead, we will focus on the space in between,

The dragon around them, that travels unseen.

Moons come and go from our sky, and with them many things more.

But there is a presence who stays there to soar.

The great wingless dragon, born of the deepest Void and the passage of time.

They roost in no lair, and have done not a crime.

A wanderer, they, constant motion, they crave,

Our world is their home, to destroy or to save.

Forever, great Nyxulon circles the sky,

Briefly touching a moon, as each catches their eye.

Each perch brings moons to us, our eyes do not lie,

But we see them as they're passing us by.

Their interest waxes and wanes, and so too do the moons,

though Clerics and scholars alike, have found no reasons why. (Look for any known clerics and scholars in the crowd to give them a disappointed gaze.)

Now, I am neither of those, but I'll venture a guess. (Add hint of wryness to this line, because of course, they wouldn't have the reasons!)

I'd say it's because they're a little like us.

Know a moon too well, and it drives you mad.

So their wandering interest should make us all glad.

For if ever they settled on a single moon true, (Keep illusory shadow dragon circling a single moon, but with ominous changes of color while striking a chord that leads into the next line.)

What would lunacy cause the great dragon to do?

Gods, Monsters, and men, not one of them knew,

And the truth of which, the world may yet rue.

So, let us be glad, of the dragon who runs 'round our moons,

and doubly so when the same moon returns not too soon. (Use Darkness to put out the lights of all of the lanterns? Too dramatic? TBD. Test with various locales later.)

This tale is about the changing phases of the Moons of Quelmar, and the neutral dragon god who governs their passage. Having seen and heard much of the stars from the faithful of Vela around the Arboretum, Gloria felt that a story of the cosmos would find a welcome audience among the adventurers. Nyxulon, the dragon of Cosmic Space is rarely worshipped, except by denizens of the moons themselves who do so in hopes that he visits their moon next, to bring it close to Quelmar for a time. For a complete performance, she figured that paper lanterns of the moons could be spread around the area, and her minor illusions could be a shadowy dragon moving around from moon to moon as she sings the song.