Character Generation

Goliath barbarian, lawful neutral with evil tendencies in the belief that "might makes right."
Edited the backstory a bit to simply be very wary of the arcane, so this way there's no open hostility and the urge to bash in a wizard's head (not saying it can't happen, but the odds should be better). Any number of arcane magic-users in the group can feel somewhat safer around this goliath.

Vampire Bard, lawful evil with neutral tendencies, and she has the intelligence of a ten-year-old:

Aimee Yrore is a spunky barmaid, known best for her complete lack of common sense. Aimee can barely take care of herself, wandering aimlessly and continuously forgetting her reason for being where she is. She is cheerful and makes friends with anyone that will give her any sort of attention. Since she moved into the area she has not gotten to know very many people and usually stays in the tavern, working or cleaning.

Aimee also appears to be your average barmaid, whisking from table to table passing out the beer and collecting tips. It is among popular opinion that she never sleeps, but works in the tavern both day and night, without break. Aimee is also known for her music. Though she can rarely sing or play anything intelligible. Her songs are like those of a little child, enchanting, endearing, and yet complete nonsense. There always seems to be a story somewhere in it, perhaps one about a lover, a tower, or an adventure, but it all is far too mixed and mashed to be coherent.

Another thing that people came to find odd about Aimee was the fact that she was never found eating. She never ate in front of people and, if offered something to eat or drink, she would quickly turn it down. But, even with all these oddities she is considered a wonderful person, even if she can’t think outside of the box… or in one, for that matter.

Nearly none of the people who recognize her from the tavern connects her appearance in the area with an increase in people dying while they sleep… and these same people turning into undead and attacking their own households or neighbors. As far as everyone knows Miss Yrore is the best example of a peaceful citizen, and she would like to keep it that way.

Xhava Norixius, Dragonborn Cleric of Bhaal
When Xhava was a little girl, she traveled with her father on his many adventures robbing and killing corrupt officials. Often that meant stealing their gold and valuables. Afterwards, they'd take the corpses and put them on full display in order to warn others not to follow in their footsteps (as well as deter anyone from looking into their assassinations). It seemed like every town had its share of corrupt officials, so business was very good. Perhaps it was an unusual childhood, but a happy one regardless.

She always had a strange fascination with the bodies in their moments just before and after death. She'd study their eyes, their guttural last breaths. Something about them seemed beautiful in that moment in a way that their living bodies and souls did not. She also enjoyed the control she had on their fate.

After her father was tracked down and killed, she became even more obsessed with the machinations of death and undeath. It was around this time that the dreams began. They were murky at first. She'd see herself standing over bodies, chanting words that were not her own. Over time, they became waking dreams. Now the words, movements, and prayers come more easily to her lips, as does the name of the God who granted them to her. Bhaal. She feels his presence after every kill, like a warm embrace. Like her father. She knows the path she is meant to take, and she relishes the journey.

A month before Ryunir was born, as a punishment for Ryunir's father focusing more of his time to the soon-to-be mother instead of farming, the noble overlooking the local farms hired a man to curse his birth. A week later Ryunir was born prematurely, on his families small farm located on the outskirts of a large town. The curse on Ryunir made his body weak and his eyes a pale shade of white. His parents worried he was blind, however, it was quite the opposite growing up Ryunir showed immaculate eye coordination. While useless as a farm hand, Ryunir supplied to his family with small game at a young age and larger game when he got a bit older. Knowing he had a knack for the bow, when he was of age, he joined the towns yearly archery tournament. The competition didn't stand a chance against Ryunir's "natural" gift of archery and he easily won the prize money. Over the next few days after the tournament, the Codáver Farm had multiple visits from multiple people there to congratulate Ryunir for his marksmanship. On a day like any other, there was another knock on the door, at least the fifth one today. However, instead of the praise he was expecting, Ryunir was greeted by a clenched fist to the head. His mother rushes over to him, demanding answers from this man but all she gets is a knife to her stomach. Hearing a scream come from the house, Ryunir's father rushes inside arriving to find his wife bleeding out, his son unconscious with a small amount of blood starting to pool by a gash on his head, and a crossbow bolt pierce his own throat. Ryunir's father falls to the ground clutching his neck, trying to fight back the ever-creeping darkness, Ryunir's mother clutches her stomach struggling for air, through tears and coughing.

Ryunir awakens to darkness, his head pounding, he calls out to his parents, scared and in pain, but only silence greets him. Unaware of what horrors await him when his vision returns, he makes his way to his room to sleep off his pain. Sleep hardly finds him, due to pain or confusion he is unsure, but eventually exhaustion takes over. He awakens again, his head still sore but no longer pounding and vision has returned but only on his right side. Not wanting to move, he calls out for his parents but once again only silence greets him. Feeling unease, he reluctantly gets up and makes his way out of his room. Stepping into the room, seeing the gruesome scene before him, Ryunir drops to his knees almost instantly and his breath becomes stricken. Unsure of what to do, he runs to town, his heart racing and his face flush. He asked for help but it was as if he didn't exist, everyone ignored him. He falls to his knees in the middle of the street, feeling hopeless, lost, and alone, he can't help but cry. A hand grabs him and pulls him into a nearby alleyway the person explains what happened to the Codáver family and that the noble who did it gave orders to do the same to anyone who is caught talking to the son, without another word the person runs off into the distance. Thoughts rush through his head and tears frequently stream down his face as he makes his way back to his house, he doesn't go in, unsure if he can come to terms with the facts yet, instead he starts to dig two graves. At night fall, not wanting to go back into the house, he releases the animals and sleeps in the stables. Day after day, night after night, Ryunir continues to dig the two graves, retiring to the stables to sleep, never once setting foot into the house over the course of his digging.

His left eye slowly regains sight over the four days it takes to dig both graves due to his frail state. With the graves ready he makes his way to his front door, to anyone else the smell is unbearable but Ryunir is numbed with grief and set on laying his parents to rest. Another four days pass, still retiring at night into the stables, and he has finally laid his parents to rest. Weeks pass, without anyone looking after the farm, the crops wither and die. During the afternoon, Ryunir hears people talking, he takes notice they are guards. Thinking they were sent to finish the job, Ryunir sneaks off to some nearby brush and hides. He watches as his home is set to flame and destroyed, hearing the conversation from the men he learns it was ordered for destruction for being abandoned. With nothing to lose, no where else to go, and the knowledge he doesn't exist, he hides his face and makes his way into town. He tests his theory and asks for some coin for food, much to his surprise, his disguise worked, months without human interaction, acknowledgement was a much needed virtue. He continued to beg and not needing coin as he could hunt for his food, he instead went to the tavern and used the coin he begged to buy others drinks in turn for some conversation. Even though no one in the tavern knew who he was, everyone loved him. Occasionally he was offered drink in thanks, Ryunir being in a tavern thought if he declined it would be odd, so he obliged. The drinks were awful tasting but they made him feel somewhat normal, he liked it. In order to support his new found love of drinking, he learned to pick pocket to help supply more coin to buy drinks in trade for conversation and now for himself.

Not having anywhere else to go, Ryunir usually found his bed in the alleyways around the town or very rarely wandering the town drunk until he passes out. On one such occasion, after one of his drunken escapades, he found himself awoken in the morning by a young priestess. Too hungover to realize his face cover is off, the priestess knows who he is immediately, she whispers his name and panic snaps Ryunir out of his daze as he scrambles to hide his face. More concerned about the state of the kid who is way too young to be in the state he is she offers a warm meal and soft bed, not one to reject free meals and company, he follows her. Curious to see if his curse is actually true, she asks to pull his hood back, and upon getting a hesitant yes, revealing one pale white eye and one pure black eye. With the evidence in front of her, she finds it difficult to hold back her tears knowing such a young child experienced such trauma. Feeling sorry for him, she offers him residence in her home under the condition he stops drinking, and not being a fan of sleeping in alleyways, Ryunir agrees. Over the years, Ryunir stays quiet in his new home, leaving only sometimes to accompany the priestess to church during the day and to get food in the cover of night. Ryunir decides to become an acolyte as a homage to the priestess who took him in. Finding a new lease on life, Ryunir is somewhat happy with his situation for once.

Some more years past, his life becoming more normalized. One night walking home with the priestess, no different than any other night, the priestess accidentally bumps into a man, a man dressed of high birth complete with a golden monocle. He gets angry at this "insult" yelling swears and pushing at her, Ryunir having a sour past with nobles pushes back. During the light scuffle, Ryunir's hood falls revealing his face, the noble recognizing his eyes instantly. The noble explain to Ryunir of who he is and what he did all those years ago. Ryunir, unable contain his anger, draws his dagger and sinks it into the nobles eye, shattering the monocles glass in the process. The priestess, while understanding why Ryunir did it, was nonetheless horrified. Unable to look at him, she hangs her head and with a quivering voice tells Ryunir it would be best that he leaves. Although he doesn't want to leave, he knows she is right, and apologizes to her for his actions. He takes the nobles golden monocle frame and makes his way to his parents old farmland for the last time before wandering, looking for the odd job here and there to keep himself afloat.