Dungeons & Dragons II

Though Tyson generally uses storytelling in his work, Dungeons & Dragons is a form of collaborative storytelling.

Knowing the reasons that they were playing in the first place, Tyson chose to play as two different characters - a younger brother and a protective older brother - to gently toy with his brother, and to help their narrative reflect whatever they might need to discuss.

The ways they tell their story and use the codeword has adapted as Rosie, Jasmine, & James have joined the game. When James joins, the subject matter of the codeword changes slightly, but that doesn’t stop James from trying to bait for information on his theory that his uncle is actually a secret agent.

Jethro bounces around between various NPCs rather than playing a singular character, which is good as a single character could never keep Jethro’s attention for that long, but everyone else has a character that they will be in most - if not all - sessions that they join.

The Setting

Though arbitrarily chosen when this began, they’re playing in an Eastern-themed campaign that jumps between sailing between far-flung islands and adventuring into the desert of the mainland; because Jethro and Tyson both have a weakness for Sphinx riddles and logical puzzles.

The mainland part of their campaign has become an odd blend of Chinese and Egyptian influences, whilst the seafaring and islands have a stronger lean towards Japanese and Indian; depending on the island in question. Their mutual fascination with Alchemy shows up frequently and, almost unavoidably, there are strong Jewish themes scattered throughout.

For the most part, they play with homebrew and whatever rules they feel like imposing on that particular day, with story taking president over mechanics.

There are only two consistent rules. One is that characters (both player and NPC) start at level twenty and are made using the ‘Standard Array’ point assign system to keep things roughly balanced stat wise. The other is that the ‘optional feat’ rule is instead required to keep all stats in at a roughly consistent level, with some allowances when items provide bonuses.

Tyson Delaney

• Tzadok Aryeh | Lawful Neutral | S12 - D16 - C08 - I11 - W14 - C16 

Tyson’s first - and arguably main - character is a Devil’s Tongue variant Tiefling called Tzadok Aryeh after his two purposes in life: Justice (Tzadok) and his brother (Aryeh - Lion).

Tzadok is gorgeous in the most unremarkable way, as though looking at a Greek statue; objectively handsome, yet too perfectly sculptured to be genuinely attractive long term. Blandly handsome. Despite his cold marble appearance, his apricot skin has a slightly fuzzy felt texture to it, as though he were made from an actual apricot.

A sandy-brown fauxhawk runs through the middle of ivory horns that curve gently up from his temples over the shape of his head, almost meeting at the back of his head. His prehensile tail has a spider-monkey grip at the end and his eyes are a shocking electric blue; a perfect match for the light jasper stones that occasionally wash up on his island.

He wears a baby blue Tangzhuang over navy trousers and dark leather boots. There is always red cord wrapped around his forearms and shins, over his clothes, as a show of his God’s symbol: Ilmater. He wears a plum velvet neck gaiter at all times. In Gǎng shì, anything adored in plum velvet is marked as the property of the Bǎohù Clan.

Tzadok is multi-classed around his story progress rather than for functionality: Monk 6, Fighter 3, Rogue 9, & Prestige 2. His feats are a similar story: Medic, Magic Initiate (Primal Savagery, Gust, & Goodberry), & Martial Adept (Riposte & Parry). A versatile character, Tzadok alternates between twin-dao and longbow usage.

His twin-dao were gifted to him by the Fey at the start of his adventure, enchanted with the power of the wind, and improving or degrading in power as his favour with the Fey shifts. His longbow is more reliable and steadily improving as he gains more clan tattoos to improve its power, or his own; such as the Eyebite spell infused tattoos that give him the appearance of permanent eyeliner.

He began as a Monk (Way of the Wind), raised to be a protector for his island - Jitaku - and a devotee of Ilmater. It was natural for Tzadok to become a Fighter (Arcane Archer - Xanathar’s Guide To Everything) with the Mariner fighting style. He spent years hunting, both beasts and people, and he had also spent years on boats, shown in the wave tattoos around his leg; a tradition on Jitaku, one line around the leg for every (cumulative) year spent at sea: starting at the ankle and working upwards.

His Rogue subclass (Ninja) played into his Background as a Prostitute, and his Ki-usage. He works for the Bǎohù Clan in Gǎng shì, the closest mainland city to Jitaku; three hours away by boat. His succubus heritage makes working at the clan ran brothel an easy way to earn money for the island and eliminating threats to Gǎng shì with the Bǎohù ensures that Jitaku is protected by the mighty port/trading capital city; whilst also getting exploited for a monopoly on the islands exotic resources.

Finally, he prestiged into a Fey Warrior. Jitaku is a refuge for all manner of half-creatures - half-elves, halflings, tieflings, et cetera - in a paradise protected by the Fey Wild. Conditionally protected. Protectors must be trained to guard the island and from those, the Fey may choose champions to do their bidding in the material plane; whatever it may be. The Fey regularly demand boons as extra payment for the island that exists as both Feywild and material plane island.

They’re more than happy to play with the memories of the island’s inhabitants as no one who lives there can remember coming to the island or when new people actually arrived. There is a before and an after, but never an arrival. Tzadok lost his left arm as a child before Aryeh was born and had to learn to fight with an enchanted prosthetic, but he can’t remember losing the arm or when Aryeh arrived, or ever having parents for that matter, but he knows Aryeh is his brother.

• Aryeh | Chaotic Good | S13 - D10 - C17 - I09 - W14 - C14 

Tyson’s secondary character is another Devil’s Tongue variant Tiefling called Aryeh. His current name was his own decision, though based on the name his brother had originally given him: Liviya, meaning Lioness.

Aryeh’s appearance certainly matches his name. He has four ivory horns, two on his forehead and two on his temples, that curve upwards like lion’s teeth. His messy golden/ginger hair is the very picture of a proud lion, even with his light blue skin and slight emarginate caudal fin at the end of his tail. His electric blue eyes are perfect matches for his brother’s.

He earns money in Gǎng shì by playing his lute whilst wearing a black cat mask, with patterns that mirror Tzadok’s white Kitsune clan mask. Though he also wears a Tangzhuang like most from the island, Aryeh wears red with golden trim to attract more coin from the mainland people and paints his horns with gold paint whilst performing.

Aryeh is similarly multi-classed around his story process rather than for functionality: Sorcerer 6 (Siren Born), Bard 4 (College of Whispers - Xanathar’s Guide to Everything), Blood Hunter 7 (Order of the Profane Soul), & Druid 3 (Circle of Spore). His feats are Infernal Constitution, Gourmand, & War Caster. His fighting style is Mariner and his background is an Entertainer.

Born with natural magic and an enchanting voice, Aryeh’s place as a Sorcerer was innate and his decision to play the Lute came later on. He plays on a Lute that he carved himself from wood on the island and channels his Sorcerer’s magic through a bamboo staff that he made himself, gradually improving over the years.

Whilst his older brother was chosen as a champion by the Fey of the island, Aryeh made a pact with the Archfey - Oberon, the Green Lord - to stand at his brother’s side against any threat after Tzadok was cursed with a weakness to otherworldly threats - Necrotic and Radiant damage - for displeasing the more fickle Fey that inhabit their island. He wears Oberon’s symbol around his neck and embedded retractable blades into his bo-staff to fight more efficiently.

Aryeh has always been fascinated with the line between life and death, with the undead and their place in the world, and growing up around the jungles of Jitaku gave Aryeh a keen appreciation of nature. Over time that grew and developed into engraving his staff with druidic runes. Overall he favours using water and plant-based spells, with melee fighting being an emergency backup.

Tzadok wasn’t the only one cursed during their adventures. The campaign began when the brothers came too close to discovering the secret of Jitaku and the way its inhabitants were alchemically created as unknowing homunculus’. Aryeh was transformed into a ring-tailed lemur and swiftly captured by a travelling circus, forcing Tzadok to give chase into the mainland and away from the witches’ hut in the true Feywilds.

Now reunited with his older brother, Aryeh has to drink a potion to stay in his Tiefling form. The potion is complicated to make and very expensive, especially when the brothers are constantly haemorrhaging money as tithes owed by Tzadok to the Bǎohù Clan and sent back home to Jitaku to make sure their people are fed. Their mission now is to find a way to reverse the curse fully.

Rosie Delaney

• Marguerite  | True Neutral | S16 - D08 - C14 - I14 - W10 - C14

Rosie is just as likely to walk over to their table and shake it to disrupt the pieces, in a way that is shrugged away as an ‘act of Adonai, roll one 1d8 damage’, or to sit down and join them; often with questions of her own for her brother-in-law.

Marguerite has burning golden eyes; infinitely deep and blindingly bright if watched for too long as divine energy blazes inside. Her hair is raven and her skin is bronze. She wears heavy chain mail and her crossbow is always kept close at hand.

Marguerite is a (Scourge) Aasimar. She is a Paladin 12 (Oath of the Empire), Rogue 5 (Jester), & Prestige 3 (Vampire). Her background is Inquisitor and her fighting style is Close Quarter’s Shooter. She took the feats Heavy Armor Master, Ritual Caster, Martial Adept (Commander’s Strike & Rally), & Lucky.

Rosie had a very clear idea in mind when she asked to join, and by ask it is meant that Rosie brought over a plate of cookies, announced that she was joining, and both Jethro and Tyson shrugged and said ‘yeah, sure’. Naturally. She too had questions, for both of them, that were easier to voice that way, and wanted to spend time with them as well; not that she’d tell them that. They already know.

Marguerite is a creature of divine justice, hunting down the corrupt and immoral, all for the glory of the Dunnite empire. She had purpose, a focus, unyielding conviction. Until the prey she had hunted for so long turned her into a child of the night. A sworn enemy of Dunnite, even as she tries to hide her nature and carry out the will of her people.

Compromise after compromise is shaking Marguerite’s resolve. Bǎohù Clan members are to be killed on sight by order of the Emperor of Dunnite, and yet Marguerite weaves a baby blue ribbon into her hair every morning as a token of her love for Tzadok. The pair have never truly settled whether they are sworn enemies or lovers; or merely Tyson and Rosie flirting in character, simply because they can and know Jethro won’t mind.

Despite the sombre nature of her mission and existence, Marguerite is a woman of great humour, able to make light of even her precarious position, and always with a sharp word on her honeyed tongue. Always with a trick up her sleeve and a kind smile for every child she meets, and unending agony for any that would harm a child within her sight.

James Delaney

• Donnadd | Neutral Good | S06 - D16 - C15 - I13 - W15 - C10

For the most part, James prefers to play one of the NPCs that Jethro makes to get a feel for different combinations in the game and to play around with new voices. However, Donnadd is one of his own characters that he will return to every once in a while.

Donnadd is a cobalt Kobold with crimson clothes, and was made as such purely because James enjoys saying that phrase. His background is Haunted One and his fighting style is Dueling. He is a revised Ranger 14 (Beast Conclave) and a Cleric 6 (Knowledge Domain). He has the feats Empathic, Alert, Keen Mind, & Observant.

In essence, Donnadd knows too much about everything and everyone around him and lives in a constant state of daunting fear, overwhelmed by the world around him. He lets slip secrets that he shouldn’t know, plucked from the minds around him, then flees from the consequences. He has done that his entire life.

Precisely what Donnadd knows is kept secret, even from Jethro, though James insists that there is something specific that Donnadd knows and is running from whenever he encounters their party. Largely James uses Donnadd’s ability to foil his father’s traps and to fish for information about his uncle.

Jasmine Dartmoor

• Tsu Rian | Chaotic Neutral | S14 - D14 - C15 - I08 - W11 - C14

Despite the entire thing being Jasmine’s idea in the first place, she was the last to join their game; previously preferring to remain on the sidelines watching instead.

Even though she recommended it to help Tyson and Jethro work through their issues, Jasmine struggles to distance herself from the character and the person; more so when those lines blur with coded questions. As such, her character hasn’t been given as much time to develop, but Jasmine is slowly getting more comfortable with her.

Tsu is an Aarakocra with brown plumage and a bloody battleaxe always in her hand. She joined their adventure after her travelling desert caravan was destroyed by a horde of orcs. Her background is as a Guild Artisan and that life was left behind in the desert sand. Anything that existed before does not matter anymore and she refuses to comment on the grief she wears like shackles.

She is a Warlock 14 (The Ancestral Soul - Pact of the Blade) and Barbarian (Path of the Storm Herald - Sand). She has the feats Savage Attacker, Mage Slayer, Fell Handed, & Menacing.

Despite a few attempts to eat Aryeh in his lemur form whilst she’s been raging, Tsu Rian is rather fond of the Tiefling brothers and harming either will provoke an instant rage from the Aarakocra.