Author's Note: Helloooooo! How are you, everyone? Well today I finally get to posting that Rosario Vampire story I had so wanted to do, and thanks to the permission of Gamera68, I've got everything I need for this story! Now to explain to you all what is going to happen in this story, I've set up this story to be something unique. I am going to be situating the story as if it were in our own world, and the characters from Rosario+Vampire, basically the main cast, are all humans, and they will be creating characters based off their Yokai selves. However, there will be a few minor alterations to two characters in this story. First off, Yukari won't be a little girl in this story, as that will kind of be weird for me, and she will be a teenager just like the rest of the group. Secondly, I am going to be making Ruby's Character an Aasimar, rather than something identical to Yukari's character. The Reason for this is because of their differing styles, in which Ruby looks more like a Seraphim when she is using her magic, and Yukari will be a Warlock, or Witch from the female perspective. Thirdly, I had found the appropriate monsters for each player character that matched the context of their characters and matched their stats with that monster. However, what monsters are they? I bet you can guess a few of them.
For each of the core members of the Party I chose the following Classes/Subclasses and Race/Subraces because I thought they fit with the characters as they did in Rosario + Vampire:
Tsukune Aono: Imhotep, Reborn, Cleric of the Grave Domain.
Explanation: So… Tsukune has been brought back to life by Moka multiple times thanks to her Vampire blood, and though technically he should be a Dhampir, I chose Reborn due to the fact that he has, on more than one occasion, nearly transformed into a Ghoul, an undead creature with a desire to eat and kill all. However, the flavor in this one is going to be pretty interesting, and I think you guys might find it funny that in Dungeons and Dragons, Mummy Lords are on the same level of power as Vampires, so if I were to make a full Rosario+Vampire story, I'd definitely make Tsukune a Mummy! Anyway I also chose the Grave Domain because I don't want to take any chances with my characters being killed in battle. But more than that… Well… I'll explain the rest in the chapter below.
Moka Akashiya: Akasha, Dhampir, Monk of the Open Hand
Explanation: If any of you guys know about Moka, you all know that Moka likes to end fights with one savage blow, however a Monk can't actually do that. Still it makes sense for her to be an Open Hand Monk since she is a Shinzo Vampire. More than this I want to flavor it that Dhampirs, like Moka, have a unique trait where they actually have something of a transformation similar to the Higher Vampires in the Witcher Series. In the Witcher Series, Higher Vampires transform into more monstrous versions of themselves when they enter battle, as a means to both intimidate foes and access their natural weapons through, what they call, "Psychokinetic Arousal". In Moka's case, I want to flavor it that her transformation is switching from "Outer Moka" to "Inner Moka" through the user of activating her Ki for combat, which induces a personality shift from the Kind and Passive Outer Moka to the Colder, more violent Inner Moka, though the base personality of a good person who wishes to protect those close to her remains the same.
Kurumu Kurono: Lilith, Winged Tiefling, Eloquence Bard
Explanation: Now I am sure you can figure out where this one is going. No I don't mean the meme in which Bards screw everything that is intelligent enough to have speech or walks on two legs. I mean Kurumu is a bit of a social butterfly and her good looks. The Eloquence Bard just exemplifies this. Plus Kurumu has all sorts of creative insults, so Vicious Mockery is a must!
Yukari Sendo: Morgana Le Fey, Hexblood (Night Hag), Pact of the Fiend (Night Hag)
Explanation: So Yukari was a relatively easy one to choose as Witches and Warlocks, in Rosario+Vampire, are considered a type of human with monster-like abilities, Hexbloods are near the same, only they are born of anything that involves Hags. In any case, I decided to make Yukari a Hexblood for this very reason, and more to that, I think having her be related to a Night Hag would be a good fit as she is a bit of a "hellion" (See what I did there?). Anyway, I was torn between making Yukari an Artificer (as Witches and Warlocks in R+V can only utilize magic through items), and a Warlock (as that is Yukari's race in R+V) so I had to decide with a coin flip. It landed on the Warlock side and now I'm stuck with this, but maybe later I'll multiclass her with Artificer to get that R+V feel to it.
Mizore Shirayuki: Misty, Water Genasi, Circle of the Arctic Druid
Explanation: Trying to figure out how to create Mizore's Yokai Race in D&D was no easy feat. However I had to think long and hard on this and then I remembered there used to be playable "Ice Genasi" in Dungeons and Dragons, which were a mix of Water Genasi and Wind Genasi. Now, while in 5e you can't do that, I decided on the next best thing! I made Mizore a Water Genasi as Ice is just Water in a Solid State. Not only that, I remembered that the Circle of the Arctic has a ton of ice related spells. I could have gone with Wizard or Sorcerer for this, but the Arctic Druids seem to fit the Snow Women better.
Ruby Tojo: Uriel, Fallen Aasimar, Vengeance Paladin
Explanation: So there is a reason why I chose Ruby to be an Aasimar instead of a Hexblood is rather simple, and that is the fact the majority of her spells require that of her wings, which makes her look similar to a Seraphim. Not only that, her wings are made of swords, and the factors of her character arc at her introduction in the manga sets her up to be a Vengeance Paladin.
Now aside from the main party, there will be a collection of 5 NPCs who will be appearing on and off throughout the series, for reasons that will be divulged during Session 0. Still, this will make things more manageable for me! However, I am happy to reveal each of these NPCs for each of you guys! So in order of their girls, they are:
Takashi Ando: Nevermore, Kenku, Arcane Trickster Rogue
Explanation: Now to give a bit of context, Takashi Ando is an oc created by my close friend, Gamera68, whom I was given permission to use as long as I gave the proper credit where credit is due for the Origin and Creator of the OC. Now as for why he is a Kenku, it is mostly due to the fact that, in Gamera's story "The Vampire's Rosary: Love at First Bite", Takashi is a hanyou, or half-Yokai, of a Karasu Tengu and a human, and when I asked him what race would fit Takashi best he had said Kenku, which, at first, I didn't think would fit. However, not long after this, I saw Gaijin Goombah's video "How to build a REAL Ninja in Dungeons and Dragons - Which Ninja" and I was absolutely floored and given all sorts of ideas for what to do about Takashi. In that video, Gaijin's D&D Character, Greckles, an Arcane Trickster, and had flavored everything to match an authentic Japanese ninja perfectly. Not only that, I had learned that the Tengu were the mythical creatures that created the Ninja in the first place, so I changed my mind and decided to build Takashi's character into a Kenku Ninja.
Huang Fang-Fang: Ganesha, Loxodon, Druid of the Shepherds
Explanation: Now this one requires a bit of an explanation into what the Yasha of Rosario+Vampire are… to Quote from the Bite-Sized Monster Dictionary, Yashas are, and I quote: "A demon with its origins in India that become known in places such as China. They excel at transformation and use of yōkai techniques. Those forms range from lions, elephants, hermits, with either one eye or three eyes, they can use varied forms. In Japan they are similar to ogres". So with two of their forms being focused on Lions and Elephants, the decision between a Leonin and a Loxodon was extremely difficult. However, after reading each of their stats, the choice became obvious which one would be better. As for a Druid of the Shepards, Fang-Fang is a summoner by trade, and the Druid of the Shepherds is the premier summoning class in D&D, so to me, it fits!
Ginei Morioka: Lawrence Talbot, Longtooth Shifter, Order of the Lycan Blood Hunter
Explanation: Now for Gin, I don't think I need to explain much, this perverted ass is a freaking werewolf, Shifters are considered the descendants of Werebeasts, and the Order of the Lycans allows you to fully transform into a Werewolf. Need I say more? Well about the name, I'm basing him off the Wolfman from the famous movie, the Wolfman, both the original and it's latest incarnation. So yeah!
Now before we begin our Session Zero, I want to remind you all that this story isn't going to be a normal one, it will be like that of a Dungeons and Dragons Stream from groups like Critical Role, Dungeon Dudes, TFS at the Table, those kind of things, but we will be changing places between D&D and the Real World in order to get context from both the players and the plot itself. So be prepared from some Meta-Game and other such Bullshit! Anyway That's enough out of me, be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review, and if you know anyone who likes Rosario+Vampire and Dungeons & Dragons, please be sure to share this with them! Also I want to give a huge Shout-Out to Gamera68, a good friend of mine here on , he is not only my first friend on this platform, but also a very talented writer of Rosario+Vampire Fanfictions! Go and check out his works if you're interested! I highly recommend "Rosario Vampire: A Confession and a Vampire" both the original and the reboot! I also recommend "The Vampire's Rosary: Love at First Bite" it's my favorite! Catch ya on the Flipside! NAT 20!
Session 0: Role the Dice
A Door is opened and descending down the steps into the basement, Ryuunosuke Hyoma shows his friends the Table he has set up for everyone to play at! The Table is made out of Ebony and Mahogany, each with carefully crafted sections for everyone to join. "Wow, this is amazing!" Tsukune Aono says, "How did you manage to commission something like this?"
"The Manga I draw for and write in my spare time actually just earned a huge approval rating and copies are now selling by the hundreds!" He smiles as he pulls Mizore in close and kisses her, "All thanks to my little Snowbunny allowing me to use her as a model for the main character."
"Oh stop it!" The young woman says, blushing slightly, "You're going to make me blush!"
"You already are, Mizore!" Kurumu says, chuckling. "Wait, where are Takashi and Gin?"
"Takashi said he was going to be a bit late due to a delivery he needs to make, and Gin-senpai called me a few minutes ago, said he's got to file some paperwork for the club before he joins us." Ryu says, looking at the group, who nod, though most can guess that Gin is likely going to be hiding some perverted pictures from Ruby again. Ruby and Gin have been dating for a few months now, and she has him on a short leash when it comes to his perverted antics, mostly to keep him out of trouble and to ensure he doesn't look at any other girls. "Oh Yukari! Off topic a bit, found another player to join us? Like a boyfriend?"
"Eh!?" Yukari asks, blushing bright red, "W-What are you talking about?"
"Oh you must mean that boy she has been hanging out with recently!" Moka says, chuckling a bit. "What was his name again?" Moka thinks on that, "I think he was the new Foreign Exchange Student from China, Huang Fang-Fang?"
"Moookaaaa!" Yukari says, crying a bit.
"Wait, did you say Fang-Fang?" Ryu asks, "Now this is hilarious!" Ryu points to the entrance and the Chinese Fez is walking down the steps.
"Am I late?" Fang-Fang asks.
"Nope, we were just about to begin actually!"
"Alright!" Fangfang says, smiling, to which he notices Yukari. "Oh Yukari! It's good to see you!" He is blushing slightly. "How've you been?"
"F-Fine!" Yukari says, to which everyone gives the two knowing looks. Not long after, Takashi and Gin arrive, in which the three late comers explain they won't be around for the game due to the fact that their jobs are keeping them busy.
"I see…" Ryu says, "Oh well, then I have another idea, how about you guys help me create the NPCs based off you? I know you guys pretty well and I can picture what kind of characters you'll play! Plus I plan on creating recordings of the sessions so if you guys don't like how I play them, give me your opinions and I'll make the adjustments!" Ryu says, smiling at the group, to which he then transfers all the necessary books for the campaign to each of them, and everyone sits down to start creating their characters. However, as Tsukune looks through the races, he notices one and signals for Ryu, the two stepping aside and discussing quietly. The Dungeon Master listens to Tsukune's ideas, then nods as he gives the young man his approval. A few hours slowly pass, and as everyone continues to build their characters, Ryu gives his advice here and there, and everyone has fun poking and prodding at everyone at their choices of spells, background details, and even choices of equipment. Amongst the group is Mizore Shirayuki, who gently sucks on her lollipop as she tries to figure out something, gesturing to her lover, the Dungeon Master, with a beckoning look. The young man smiles as he walks to his love, and looks over her shoulder, the young woman showing him her problem, neither of them talking as they look into each other's eyes. Across the table, Moka has the most adorable face as she looks on the two as they seem to know what the other wants with just a few looks and glances.
"Isn't that just adorable, Tsukune?" Moka whispers to her boyfriend.
"It is, can't deny that!" Tsukune says, smiling at the two. They are so happy they "helped" the two go on their first date, as the couple had hit it off almost immediately. Many of the students at school can't believe that Ryu Hyoma actually got together with Mizore, who was well known for being a real stalker towards any girl she set her sights on, but not only that, many came to feel uncomfortable with having her around. Despite this, those who came to know her began to realize that Mizore is actually a really shy girl, one whose cold personality actually came from a feeling of loneliness, a lack of social skills, and a fear of being picked on by others. When she came to know of Tsukune and Moka, they began to take her out to have fun, and slowly she opened up. However, when they came across a Convention, she was actually told she looked quite a bit like a famous manga character named Misty, the main female character in a manga called "Silver Mist". It is a manga that turned out to be written by her old friend and first love, Ryu Hyoma, a young boy who goes to their school.
When they reunited, Ryu revealed he still remembered her, but whenever he felt her watching him, he would try to find her, and she'd always disappear. It was how he created Misty, as Mizore was like that of a silver mist, a flash of brilliance one moment, and then vanishing like the mist in the morning. After the convention, the two gave each other a chance and reignited the love they felt as childhood sweethearts. Since then, "Silver Mist" has become one of the most popular manga written and drawn by a student in school. Speaking of Ryu, he is in the Art Club, and more than that, he is both the genius of the club, and the person who tends to attract young potentials due to his good looks. Much to every girl's chagrin, he had told them all he actually had somebody whom he was in love with, but never elaborated further because he told them that the moment he told anyone, they'd start bullying the girl he loved in order to get her to back off. With this, it started spreading a rumor that he was an otaku, and while it wasn't entirely true, it wasn't entirely wrong.
Because he had to move as a kid and was still in love with Mizore, he couldn't bring himself to find someone else, and his manga art was the only way he could force himself to remember her face and name, and the nickname they had for her when they were young. It was this art that brought them back together, and they have rarely ever been apart since. It is a this moment that Takashi descends the stares and makes his way to the game room, where he brings snacks and drinks for everyone to help them think. Kurumu smiles when she is brought cookies, freshly baked from the overn, and a nice cup of tea to help awaken her mind.
Kurumu and Takashi met each other during culinary arts one day, and the two had been placed as partners. Despite how slightly on the chubby side he was, he proved to be as much of a prodigy as Kurumu was with cooking, to the point that the two of them decided to keep being partners and kept cooking together, completing assignment after assignment. During the summer the year before Highschool, Kurumu got a job at Takashi's family bakery and she proved to be a very skilled and talented pastry chef, to the point she made a Baked Alaska, one of the most difficult baked goods anyone could attempt to recreate. After that, the two got along swimmingly and developed a romance with one another, it was as sweet as the chocolate cookies they served.
For Ruby and Ginei, their relationship didn't come easy… Ruby was saved from an abusive household by one of Ginei's reports, with Ruby's adoptive mother, Oyakata, had been murdered by robbers, and had been taken in off the street by abusive guardians. However, a stroke of Chance had gotten Gin to expose the abuse to the police and had her set free. Since then, Ruby has been living with Gin's parents and going to their Highschool as a second year, on the same age range as Gin. The two didn't hit it off well as Gin was a much bigger perv back then than he was now, however, she managed to get him out of trouble a few times, repaying the debt she felt she owed him, by acting like the disappointed and outraged younger sister of the family. The beatings she gave Gin managed to get the girls to back off, and Gin noticed what she was doing. This lead to them becoming closer and Gin started to curb his perverted habits, to the point he actually started only perving on Ruby whenever he could get away with it. She kept up the act of a repulsed younger sister, but secretly liked it, and Gin sensed it, in which it brought them closer together, finding out that Ruby liked to escape into her fantasies whenever she was stressed.
Not much can be said about Yukari and Fang-Fang, but they do share similar interests in mythology, witchcraft, and other esoteric and eldritch things, which started them off getting along very well. Now we come to Moka and Tsukune, the two, at the beginning of their highschool years, bumped into each other by accident just outside of school, where Moka's breaks had broken and she crashed into the young man. Unfortunately, Moka was also born with Sickle Cell Anemia, so she was often weary and needed blood transfusions, plus she suffered from Albinism, so she had to wear a wig and contact lenses to hide her "deformities", as most others called them. However, Tsukune actually found these traits of hers exotic and intriguing, but more than that, Tsukune had no friends in his middle school. The Reason for this was due to the fact that Tsukune's family, despite how he lived, was a direct descendant of many prominent figures from Egypt, including several pharaohs. This had earned him a reputation and the nickname of "Pharaoh" by many of the boys, due to the fact that, after seeing some depictions of Pharaohs without their signature crowns or head cloths looked eerily similar to Tsukune.
Thanks to this nickname of his, Tsukune was force to isolate himself because he people would tease him by calling him "your majesty" and other such royal nonsense, which was both embarrassing and humiliating. However, when he met Moka, Moka had explained that she didn't care if he was a prince of egypt or not. To her, he was her prince, and nothing could change that, and with the way he treated her with the utmost respect and dignity, she felt like a princess whenever she was near him. Eventually, when his old bullies from his school transferred into his highschool, they started teasing him and calling him Pharaoh again, but, unlike his last school, Tsukune had earned the respect of his classmates and several students, who stood at his side, claiming that if Tsukune really was a Pharaoh, he had earned the respect and loyalty of a good number of people willing to call him their Pharaoh. Even the Disciplinary Committee stood up for Tsukune and the Bullies backed off, realizing they wouldn't get away with it this time.
In any case, as I was explaining this, our intrepid young players have finished up their character sheets, and everyone is proudly looking at their creations. Ryu smiles as he looks at his friends as he sits down at the head of the table, "Okay then!" He looks over each of the group's pcs, and the group NPCs, and smiles as he looks for them, then gives a look to Mizore, who blushes slightly but smiles as she nods her head.
'It's as if they can read each other's thoughts…' The entire group thinks, some of them smiling, others blushing.
"These are all well made, guys, do you mind if I store them here? I would like to make copies of your backstories so that I can use them in the campaign later on!"
"That's fine with me!" Tsukune says, smiling, everyone else agreeing.
"Thanks guys! Well I think our Session Zero is done for now! We'll meet again next week to do our games, at least most of us will!"
"Right!" Everyone says, and as he shows everyone out, everyone says their goodbyes, and Ryu gives Mizore a passionate kiss goodbye, the young woman swaying her hips as she leaves, giving her beloved a look of pure passionate love. Ryu smiles at her, lovingly, then slowly retreats back inside, never breaking eye contact as he closes the door. Sighing, content, he makes his way back downstairs and smiles.
"Now the fun part begins…" Ryu says, as he brings the character sheets to his computer and begins to sort the backstories of each of his player characters and begins to take notes on his computer….
Imhotep:
Everyone knows that the Reborn are brought back to the world without their memories, and yet, scattered throughout the world, many know the story of the disgraced cleric known as Imhotep. Thousands of years ago, in the desert Kingdom once known as Har'Akir, a Young High Priest named Imhotep had been born into the desert realm, and had risen to become a Cleric of the Children of Ankhtepot… However, he had begun to Blaspheme when he had discovered secrets of Har'Akir that the Pharaoh had declared should remain lost. Unfortunately, the city of Hamunaptra, one of the cities on the edge of the City of the Dead, had spread the findings of Imhotep faster than the Pharaoh had wished. Imhotep prayed to the Gods of his people's ancient past, calling upon their divine powers to call upon the Mists of the Dread to free Hamunaptra of it's cursed Pharaoh.
The Gods answered his prayers, but before he could hear their declaration, Imhotep and his followers were surrounded by Ankhtepot and his Childre, and while all of his people were put to the sword, Imhotep fiercely battled the Pharaoh and his False Gods, putting a valiant effort, and though it was successful, Imhotep would not live to see his mission of freeing his people succeed… He was condemned to be mummified alive and to suffer the Hom'Dai the greatest punishment in Ankhtepot's religion, a curse so horrible that it he had dared not use it before. The Curse had Imhotep brutally tortured and mummified alive, with his body being fed upon by flesh eating beetles as he was sealed inside of his sarcophagus. The Sacred spells normally etched into the sarcophagi of powerful high priests and pharaohs were replaced by powerful cursess and wards, as Ankhtepot knew that if Imhotep were to be released and raised, then he would be brought back as a Mummy Lord much like himself, but one far more powerful than anything he himself could dream of.
However… Ankhtepot had overestimated his own magical prowess and the love and gratitude those who survived Ankhtepot's tortures had felt for Imhotep's rebellion, especially the one that Imhotep had promised to marry should his rebellion succeed. This woman was known to Har'Akir as Anck-Su-Namum, a Dhampir Cleric of equal power to him, and though she worshipped different gods than her ancestors or those enslaved to Ankhtepot, she still helped in removing the curses and wards secretly, and calling upon the Gods for help, so that when the world needs Imhotep most, and when they can be together again, that he may be raised from beyond the grave, not as a Mummy Lord, but as something else, something akin to who he was, and yet different. The Gods of this young princess had answered her prayer, and promised Anck-Su-Namun that in her next life, she would be reunited with her love, but neither of them would have any memory of this life until the time was right.
With this, the Mists of Ravenloft absorbed Har'Akir and Hamunaptra was sealed away beneath the sands for thousands of years, sealed away in his burial chamber, sleeping… Until one day, some intrepid young adventurers came into ruined city, in search of treasures and artifacts beyond their wildest dreamings, and not only accidentally discovered his Sarcophagus, but also the key to open it, as well as a barely legible parchment with enough hieroglyphs to reveal the spell enchanted upon it. One of the adventurers took the time to open the sarcophagus, and revealed Imhotep perfectly preserved inside, his body untouched by the effects of time, and with the spell being translated outloud, the scroll was destroyed, and Imhotep screamed and roared as he came back to life…
"Wow now that is a backstory if I've ever seen one! I like it!" Ryu says, smiling, "No, I won't send them to the Domains of Dread, it's a one way trip…. Buuuut… That doesn't mean I can't have them return to Hamunaptra to help Imhotep recover his memories." He smirks as he writes his notes down and moves onto Moka's Character.
Akasha:
Let me tell you a story… A Story from very very long ago… Long ago, in ancient times, a young and chaste holy woman was attacked by a Vampire. Normally this would spell her doom and damn her soul to the Abyss. However, this woman, a Monk of the Monastery of Sanctuary City, utilized her Ki in a way she had only tested, and channeled it back into her body to expunge the curse from her. Her self treatment had worked, to a point, but intending to avoid any unfortunate problems, she sought the aid of the Priesthood of the Raven Queen, and there, they helped her through what would be three days of torment.
Internally, her body experienced unspeakable pain and relentless agony… Time ceased to exist… Only this torture, and a deepening hatred of the undead creatures that damned her to this hell… However, with the aid of the Clerics and Paladins, she recovered, but she was forever changed. With the Clerics sending their magic into her to discover what was wrong, the Gods revealed to the Clerics that this woman had been changed into something new, the first of her kind, a Dhampir, a word that translates to "Trueborn". There had never been a Dhampir, or Trueborn Vampire, before, and such, the woman willingly subjected herself to experimentation by the Church to discover her races strengths and weaknesses, and fortunately, she had all the Strengths of the Vampires, and none of their weaknesses, save for the hunger. However, with requests of information from the Gods, they had discovered that, thanks to her self-treatment to expunge the majority of the Curse, and the treatment by the Church, she was not tied to Orcus, the Demon Lord of Undeath, in any way, and that her soul, when she died, would go to the Afterlife it sought.
However, the Gods also revealed that, on her own, even at her strongest, she could never hope to match against a full fledged vampire on her own, however, their weaker spawn, in small numbers, she would be able to manage. With this in mind, the woman began training, and eventually, she became a warrior many fear as the "Queen of the Damned". That Trueborn Vampire… That Dhampir… Was my mother… I am Akasha… The Middle Child of Akasha's four daughters. I was born into Trueborn Vampire Nobility, but I despised every moment of it, for I wanted only to explore the world as my mother did, and to do so, I needed to be trained. Thus my mother did train me, day-in and day-out, taking care not to push me more than I could give, but never less that I absolutely could, only asking for slightly more each time I hit a milestone, my sisters joining in on the training and the four of us bonding closely. When I was finally old enough to set out on my own, my mother directed me to Sanctuary City, where she trained, and from there, I took transport to the desert city of Hamunaptra, which had been undergoing renovations to restart the city once more, after an ancient curse by the gods had saved it from the ancient Mummy Lords of old. However, beyond that, the people had discovered ancient temples in the city and thus had asked adventurers to explore it, to not only recover the lost treasures, but also ancient artifacts that would help get the town on it's feet.
Luckily, I ran into a group of trepid young adventurers who also wanted a crack at the ruins, and thankfully, the ruins had long been blessed with holy magic, meaning that, unless you were evil, the dead would stay dead, and no mummies would be after you unless you directly disturbed their rest. Unfortunately, the groups had to draw lots in order to determine which parts of the temples we would be exploring, and ours got the most dangerous route, which was laden with traps. Fortunately, our group barely managed to navigate them, until we came across a hoard of treasure, in which, in the center, was placed a grand sarcophagus with a letter written in hieroglyphs and spells placed upon it. Our resident Hexblood explained to us that the spells and blessings had been altered, meaning that whoever this person was, he was originally condemned, but was later posthumously absolved of whatever crimes were placed on him.
Fortunately, it was easy enough for us to open, and when we found the Mummy inside, he was perfectly preserved, as if not a single day had passed since his burial, with only the wrappings on his body disintegrating being any sign of the passage of time. If I were being honest, he was one handsome corpse, and we took the time to catalogue all the treasure we had found, before we took the time to translate all the hieroglyphs on the parchment, which, though falling apart, was completely legible, and readable. Our Hexblood, Morgana, translated the scripture and revealed it was not only a love letter, but a cypher where a spell was hidden inside the letter. Unfortunately, our bard had decided to dare our warlock to read the spell in it's native tongue on a dare, and, after being given the proper prodding, she read it… That was when we heard the monstrous roar and blood curdling scream…
"Oh not a bad backstory! I hope I can incorporate it somehow!" Ryu says, smiling as he moves the Kurumu's next.
Lilith:
Music… Singing… The Passionate Vigor of Celebrations, these were all things that Lillith longed for as she grew up… She loved the sight of festivals, the food that was there to be enjoyed and the adventures that awaited those willing to dive head first into the excitement. Unfortunately, growing up in a poor family, Kurumu was given little choice in the matter, as her father had been killed before she could remember him, and her mother was forced to take the part of a hostess in a club within the city, as well as a performer. However, despite this Kurumu grew up loving the sight of her mother perform, so much so she wanted to be a performer as well. Expressing such to her mother, they started to save a little of each payment to purchase Lillith's entrance into a Bard's College, but knowing the young girl, she wanted to get into one of the best colleges in the kingdoms, and this was an academy known as the Echo Academy, it was the best of the Eloquence Colleges in the Land.
Fortunately, Echo Academy did not discriminate against Tieflings, and to have the daughter of one of the most famous performers in the Kingdom proved not only to be an honor to them, but a blessing in disguise. Not long after she enrolled, Lilith absorbed the information and her lessons like a sponge, proving to be a prodigy at her tender age. Not only that, she was beautiful, and not only her mind, but body developed quickly, allowing for her to be viewed as the most beautiful woman in the Academy, one many men desired to have, and women grew very jealous of.
However, Kurumu was not into the men who sought her, nor did she care for them, as they only wanted her for her body and looks, not her mind and heart. That later changed when she had discovered a wounded Kenku on the streets near the Academy. Despite knowing that it would be breaking the rules and she could get in real trouble, she took him into her dorm room and nursed him back to health. The Kenku, when conscious, told her he was named Nevermore, and is an Adventurer for the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, one of the most popular and successful adventurer's guilds in the land, and that he was on a mission to deliver important documents to the Headmaster of the academy she studied at, and that he was attacked by a number of students, and nearly beaten to death.
Once the Headmaster was informed of this, the students were severely punished for what they had done and the Kenku was not only given his reward, but also compensated for the trouble his students gave him. Lilith, despite breaking the rules, was commended on her selfless actions and was even offered a chance to graduate a year early for her efforts, as well as being given a recommendation to the League for her efforts. Declining the early graduation, Lilith did accept the recommendation to the League, as she and Nevermore had grown close during their short time together, and he had told her stories of his adventures, ones which she had put to pen in song, poem, and even a collection of stories.
Once she graduated, the League actually had heard about her through Nevemore, who had asked that she be put on one of the two assignments he was needed for, but the second one was by far the simpler of them. She was being sent to the ancient city Hamunaptra in the Deserts of a once proud civilization known as Har'Akir, in which Hamunaptra was the only city not to be dragged into the Mists of Ravenloft. There Lillith had found a collection of allies who had also joined, and the group was assigned to deal with one of the safer passages, leading them into a chamber where a sarcophagus had been locate as well as, as the team would understand, was a love letter containing a spell within the text. After that… Well… Let's just say what happened would end up being in Lillith's nightmares for a while.
Ryu can't help but find the story adorable as he turns to the next one.
Morgana Le Fey:
An infant's cries, a mother's joyful weeping, and a father's loving thanks… Those are the first things I remember… I was born to a powerful lord and lady of a distant land, and for years they tried for a child… Desperate, they sought the aid of a Night Hag, a Fiend of the Realm of Hades, named La Lachuza and, knowing that Hags love the souls of evil-doers, offered her 1,000 Evil Souls in exchange for her help in conceiving a child. The Night Hag, though a wicked creature, had somehow felt something… For this Night Hag remembered something she had long forgotten, and could only give a genuine soft and gentle smile as she accepted the pact, on the condition that if the Child sought her out or wished to become a member of her coven, then they were not to stop her, only support her. Finding this a fair bargain, the deal was struck, but my father had offered to pay her first before they were granted their child, and the deal was made physical by the Hag creating a headsman's axe that would send the wicked to her when it's blade took their heads, as well as a Ledger in which they would write the names of the criminals in their own blood to ensure they were transported safely, and all 1,000 souls were accounted for.
For 3 years, wicked demon cultists, corrupt nobles, and many other evildoers were thoroughly investigated, brought to justice, and executed, and their names written in the Dark Ledger. As this happened, the people grew to love their Lord and Lady, and they cherished them. However, on the day the 1000th Wicked Soul was executed and the soul placed in the ledger, a great gathering of storm clouds formed and La Lachuza had manifested herself, congratulating them on completing their task to the public. The People and priesthood were horrified once they realized what had happened, and the Night Hag, thoroughly pleased, kept her word before everyone, giving the Lord and Lady potions that would cure their infertility, and give them the blessing of having a child. However, she warned them that the child would not be physically human, but her soul would be. The Lord and Lady accepted and told them their child would know nothing but love, even if the people didn't love her, they would. Satisfied with the answer, the Night Hag returned to Hades, laughing wickedly, but giving off a warm and gentle smile as she left.
Months later, the Lady gave birth to a daughter, one who was born with violet skin, red eyes, and radiant jet black hair. The Church had known of what the girl was, a Hexblood, and they knew that not all Hexbloods are evil, in fact a grand majority of them became Paladins of the Ancients in order to draw upon the powers of their fey blood. However I, Morgana, was born of a pact with a Night Hag, I was considere a fiend, no better than a Tiefling. However, the Faith did bless my birth, and when a Godmother was chosen for me, my parents, in their happiness, named La Lachuza my godmother, for it was her magic that allowed me to be born, so that it would be La Lachuza who should be given the Honor. The Night Hag appeared during my baptism and accepted, and presented my parents a Gift, a Book of Shadows, which would give me great and terrible magical powers, but it was my choice on what I used the magic for.
It was quite odd, for the Priesthood, to be such a loving creature, and when they cast Sense Good and Evil upon her, they found that La Lachuza was not evil, she was only physically turned into a Night Hag. This was unheard of, but they would not dare press further, for risk of infuriating the Hag. Years would pass and I would grow up to be very beautiful in the eyes of the world, despite growing a living crown of horns on my head, and my unusual features. Still, despite this, I earned the respect of my peers, and as a child, I was a bit of a prankster, but, as everyone knew, I only pranked those who deserved it. When I turned 13, I was given my Book of Shadows, and I learned of my origins from it, and, with the permission of my parents, I contacted my "Fairy Godmother" as they liked to call her.
The meeting went rather well, surprisingly, and La Lachuza had said that now that I had summoned her, she could make me a Warlock of the Fiend Pact, but since I had already been made her Godmother, instead of taking my soul when I died, I would be given a place in her own Coven, which she needed only one more member to complete it. She even went on to explain that my life was mine to do with as I pleased, but when I died, I would be turned into a Hag when I died, and we could be a family in Hades. A bit of haggling ensued, to further define the details, and I signed the contract with my Godmother in my own blood, and offered her a lock of hair so she could summon my soul when I died. As a final bit of exposition, my Godmother told me that Hexbloods who turn into Hags after they died would retain their moral alignment in life, but the catch was that only counted when they appeared in the Material Realm, but while in Hades, they would become as wicked and malicious as any other Night Hag.
With this, I trained to use the magic I was given by my Fairy Godmother and soon i was considered strong enough to be able to take up the life of an adventurer, to see the world before I took on the role as the Lady of my territory. As luck would have it, I overheard of an expedition that would take place in the ancient desert where the once proud nation of Har'Akir once stood, in the city of Hamunaptra, and when I got there, i was placed in a group with a small number of other female adventurers, unfortunately, I literally drew the short stick on which chamber we'd go through, which was the one full of traps. Fortunately, thanks to some quick wits, some careful observation, and a few ingenious ideas, we managed to get through to a chamber filled with treasure, enough treasure to buy our own estate! Other than that, I found there was a scroll that, after translating the Hieroglyphs, i found it was not only a crumbling love letter, but it contained a spell within it, one that still had enough power to be cast. While I couldn't speak the tongue fluently, after the group opened the sarcophagus, I spoke the spell, hoping that it failed. The only sound that accompanied my failure was the sound of roaring and screaming as the mummy was returned to life.
"Now that is a sweet story if I've ever heard one!" Ryu says, "Plus it gives me a few ideas on how Hexbloods are more intricate into the lore of the Hags than I could've thought of. Nice one, Yukari!"
Misty:
It is not easy growing up in the Plane of Ice… Long ago, there used to be Ice Genies and their genasi that lived here, but after the crisis known as the Spellplague, the Genies of Ice were all brought to extinction, and their Genasi were changed into either Water Genasi if they lived on the Water Plane side of the glaciers, or Wind Genasi if they lived on the Wind side. However, in small populations within the Plane of ice, within the ice caves and the mountaintops, there were villages of wind and water genasi who chose to live together and exchange blood, carrying on the traditions of the Ice Genie and Genasi of the past. I was born as the Granddaughter of the Snow Queen, a powerful Noble Marid Genie, and her husband, the Ice King, an equally powerful Noble Djinni, and the daughter of Princess Shahra, a Marid with the moral alignment of a Djinni, and… Her Slave… This Slave, however, was given his freedom so long as he remained within the Plane of Ice. My mother treated him well and even fell in love with him, promising to return him home if he promised to take her with him.
My father was a loving man, and one who saw the goodness in others, and they sealed the pact with each other. However, father would die not long after learning of my mother's pregnancy with me… He would often go out searching for portals back to the Material Realm and had been determined to complete his promise. Unfortunately, he was caught in one of the occasional blizzards that raged through the mountains, and he did not make it back to the city in time. He was found dead, and his soul had been removed by the plane, to spawn elsewhere as a creature of ice. It broke my mother's heart, but despite the circumstances, she decide to take care of me and raise me on her own once I was born.
My formative years were spent trying to understand the world where my father came from, the Material Plane, but he had been gracious enough to leave books behind, books that revealed that he was a Druid, one of the People of the Arctic, where they used their magic to control ice to defend themselves. Aside from my studies as a Princess, I took time to read through father's books and study his ways. Without his guidance, it took me years to fully grasp what his books tried telling me, but one day, it clicked in my head, and I began to understand what he had been trying to teach me from beyond the grave. I even learned not only Wildshape, but, with his innovations, I learned to summon animals of the arctic in order to help me. To this I had summoned a weasel to be my companion, a Wolverine whom I named after her father… Logan.
A few more years would pass, and I would eventually find a portal to the Material Realm, and receiving the blessings of my grandparents, on the condition that I find a suitable husband to bring home, and saying my goodbyes, I set off for the Material Realm. It didn't take me long to understand where the portal had taken me… It had opened up, somehow, in a desert, and though there was a town in front of me, the heat, my heavy clothes, and adaptation to the Cold of the Plane of Frost had left me woefully underprepared to take on the heat. I collapsed from heat exhaustion no more than a few minutes later. Luckily though, a group of Druids of the Desert found me, and brought me back from the brink. They knew I was a Water Genasi, and, thanks to a few things I didn't know about my race, they told me that, thanks to my being, my body, if exposed to the air, could collect water vapor from the air and channel it over my body to keep cool. They also told me of my race's natural ability to generate and control water and, considering the strength of my energy, I could create up to ten gallons of water or generate rain in a limited area.
It took me weeks to master these abilities that I naturally carried, but I also discovered a nifty trick with my body's natural abilities, I could coat my body in a cooling layer of ice by freezing the water on my skin, allowing me to remain cool. Aside from that, I discovered a trick to freeze fruit juices to create frozen treats on a little stick that I always have on me, allowing me to have a nice cool treat when I don't want to expend too much energy. Eventually though, with the help of the Medjai, I made my way into a small town that was beginning to bloom, and since I had no money, I had to try and find a job. Fortunately, there was a treasure hunt going on in the nearby ruins, and I hoped to earn my keep by helping out with collecting the treasure. The parties there were each forming, and I had been invited to join a group, especially after i had used my abilities to call a small amount of rain to help the intrepid adventurers cool off as they waited for the search to officially begin. Thanks to this, many asked me to be on their teams, but I had refused, but one team offered me thanks for creating the water and cooling them off, and even offered me a drink of water they had collected from the rain I had created, showing genuine kindness to a stranger.
When the hunt began, i joined this little group of women and we went through several trap infested halls, but I honestly found it fun, especially since I could never know what was around another corner. It was exciting, and well worth it once we finally found the treasure room. I helped open the Sarcophagus and honestly, it was interesting, even more so when the Hexblood found the love letter and the spell woven into it. However… The one thing I did not expect was for that scroll to actually work…
"Now that's my Snow Bunny's handiwork alright!" Ryu says, smiling as he starts getting ideas.
Uriel:
Pain… Suffering… Uriel has suffered greatly due to the selfish actions of a few… When she was a girl, Uriel was identified as an Aasimar, descended from Zariel herself. Many know that, long ago, Zariel had fallen from grace due to her impatience, but a group of heroes had redeemed her, and as such, her faith and vows restored, she returned to Mount Celestia, but not before choosing to marry the hero who had redeemed her and allowed her a second chance. For a time she lived amongst mortals, raising a child with her beloved husband. However, when her child came of age, and her husband had died, she found she could not bring herself to live amongst mortals anymore. As such, she returned to Mount Celestia to resume her duties as an angel of the gods, and left her bloodline to protect the Material Realm, the world she had come to love, as it brought her only fond memories of her beloved and her child.
Over the centuries, the bloodline of Zariel grew, and many Aasimar would be born, in which Uriel was the latest in this fabled line. Uriel's family had grown in the great city of Sanctuary, where, at a young age, she was determined to become the symbol of her pride in her family line. To this, she set her sights on becoming a Paladin of the Church, and for years she trained, studied, and prayed for the chance to become her dream. Her family was very supportive of her endeavors and did their best to help her. However, on the day she was knighted as a Paladin, tragedy struck… A large horde of orcs ha managed to somehow get within range of the city and had assaulted the outer perimeter, causing severe damage to the city and a significant loss of life for everyone who was in their path. With little time to form a plan, Ruby rallied the newly knighted paladins, and they charged into battle, to hold off the orcs for as long as they could. At first the battle went well, as the newly knighted paladins used every trick they could muster to hold back the orcs, few were dying as they managed to hold the line.
However, when one of the knights had lost his footing, the lines were broken and everything went to Hell… However, they had held out just long enough for reinforcements to arrive, but unfortunately, many of the newly knighted paladins lost their lives, but that was not the end of Uriel's torture, for she would witness two important people to her being killed by the Orcs, her mother and her father. The loss of her parents, compiled with the slaughter of her comrades had filled Uriel as she screamed in pure rage, and her wings unfurled, but before the eyes of everyone before her, the feathers rotted away and were replaced with devilish wings with black flames flowing between them, akin to Zariel before her. This one action terrified the Orcs before them, inciting them to flee.
Her parents, war heroes, were given opulent burials, whilst her comrades were each given proper burials as they had sacrificed themselves to defend the city. Uriel, however, was inconsolable, and before the statue of her ancestor, Uriel swore to her the Oath of Vengeance, to not allow the people of the world to suffer the pain of loss she has, but she would not allow the light within her to be extinguished. To cope with her pain, and to ensure no pain could hurt her, Uriel subconsciously began to develop combative masochistic tendencies, where she derives pleasure from the pain she endures. It would not be long until she would be sent on a mission to the sands of Har'Akir to partake in the mission to locate lost magical items and holy artifacts to the Akiri Gods and properly seal them away for safekeeping. Upon arriving at the site of the mission, Ruby would be assigned to a team of young women who drew the short end of the stick and were chosen to investigate the darkest and most malevolent looking passageway. Whatever happened afterward, Ruby doesn't remember… All she can recall is a corpse rising in her face and screaming and roaring as it woke up…
"Ha! Classic Ruby!" He smiles as he types in the last bit for Ruby's backstory and smiles as he puts the NPCs in a folder and then sets out to do what he does best, draw pictures appropriate for each character and make them as epic as possible. He smiles as he draws each of them with an artist's eye for details, and draws them out according to the notes that were left for him by the group, and makes sure to get the details just right. By the time it hits midnight, he is proud of the drawings he had made, and having colored them expertly. He then stores each individual picture with their proper backstory, and then places them into folders for the characters. "Now this is going to be a great game!" He smiles as he picks up a d20 with a smile and rolls it, smiling. "Natural 20…"