Mordekai

## MordekaiTrue Name: Irwin Featherbottom

Character Sheet (D&D Beyond)

**Campaign: Princes of the Apocalypse**

"Oi! Git fuckt, cunt!" - Mordekai

## Description

Mordekai is an extremely egotistical punk rock tiefling bard/warlock, who was born with functional wings and the power of flight. He has teamed up with a group of adventurers to find his treacherous former band-mate Windharrow, get some minge, further his interests, fight boredom, and defeat Elemental Evil. (In that order.)

He is inspired by Mick Jagger, the Sex Pistols, Spinal Tap, Lucifer (from the TV show), Captain Jack Sparrow, and Brick Top (Snatch)

Despite his attempts to keep his past hidden, the party eventually learned that Mordekai was a persona/stage name invented by introvert tiefling latchkey child, Irwin Featherbottom. Mordekai was intended to be the outgoing adventuring bard who spoke his mind and was loved by all, the kind of person Irwin wished he could be.

## Personality

Mordekai is a punk rocker with a strange accent and affectations (he sounds English.) He's irreverent and sometimes abrasive and insulting, but deep down he just wants to be liked. Mordekai forgets names and frequently comes up with a nickname for everyone and instead calls them that.

His goal is to become the best bard in Faerun, although he can't decide on a band name and changes it every performance. He's a drunkard and a hedonist, and leaves a trail of broken hearts and illegitimate children in his wake.

## Abilities

Disguise Kit & Proficiency, deception

Flight (30' at will)

Bardish stuff

Proficiency in harp, lute, horn & flute

A liver that's nigh invulnerable

## Possessions

Whistle that can't be silenced

Hyrsam's Lute

## Activities

We were escorting some goods to Red Larch when the caravan was attacked by goblins and our contact was taken by the rebellious Redbrands. Once that was sorted out, Mordekai had to run the Bargewright Inn for a week and solve a murder most foul.

Mordekai was transported to the Fey wilds where he agreed to serve the fey trickster Hyrsam, he gained 2 warlock levels and was gifted a lute by his patron that can cast *Shatter.* Mordekai started performing acts of trickery to appease his new master.

Mordekai stole the gift of immortality from the Fire Sultan's vault.

Mordekai, along with a group of adventurers, defeated the elemental princes, several elemental lords, and after an apparent heroic sacrifice by drawing Vizaren DeVir's ire through insults and allowed his party members to seal the portal that was allowing TharZadun to devour entire realms and save the multiverse.

His last words before he dissolved from Vizaren DeVir's disintigrate spell implied that the personality of Mordekai was yet another disguise of Irwin Featherbottom.

Irwin decided to become a bard his former companions would like better so he learned Elvish and used true polymorph to turn himself into Zamfir, Master of the Elven Flute using True Polymorph. After a bit of adventuring in Dark Sun he realized that Zamfir's demeanor wasn't appropriate for the environment and his companions discovered his ruse so he went back to being Mordekai.

## Relationships

Mordekai was in a band with Windharrow, *Regicide,* until he stole from the band and went on the run to join an evil wind cult. Even worse, he stole all Morekai's songs without crediting him! Mordekai must have revenge!

Mordekai is a secret agent of the Zhentarim, acquiring information and prestige for them as he travels about. (This is a secret! Remember, you other PC's don't know this.)

* "Smiles" (Roland Daybreaker, the Paladin)
* "Mr. Friendly" (Eldrin Liadon, the arcane trickster shopkeeper)

NPCs:

* "Scales" Kaeon Calcos (Lizard-monk with a beef against Earth cultists.)
* "Rockman" Nane N'dhaan (Totally into rock, unfortunately not musical.)
* "Kitty Cat" Pangur Ban (Kitty cat; has claws.)
* Rancin (Goblin drinking buddy, manager for 10%)
* Thonk (Friendly bird-man/sampling machine)

## History

### Upbringing:

In a lower-noble house (the D&D equivalent of middle-class), the midwife gasped. Something was not right with this boy. He cried as she wiped away the blood but his skin remained crimson. And... were those wings? This was truly a bad omen, the boy was more demon than man. When she informed the parents she was paid handsomely in gold for her silence, told to never speak of what she saw to anyone under any circumstance.

Birthing a tiefling shamed the parents. Each blamed the other. They were afraid of the reaction their community would have to their tainted lineage and their son's demonic appearance. Yet, they were unwilling to abandon or kill their own son. So they devised a plan: they would rear him in private in the countryside. As soon as he was old enough they would teach him to hide what he was (lest this shameful threat to their house be discovered.) They had his tail removed, they showed him how to apply costumes, how to tuck in and hide his wings under his clothing, how to hide his small horns with hairstyles and wigs, and most importantly, how to apply makeup to appear human. The boy was forbidden from revealing his true nature to anyone else and must keep up appearances except in private, lest anyone see. He would learn to be pleasant but keep others at a distance. The boy lived in quiet solitude, and his parents' disappointing looks weighed heavily upon him. In the absence of other socializing, all he ever wanted was their approval. His only escape from the constant masquerade was when he could fly high at night, away from prying eyes, where he played the many musical instruments he had excelled at. If only he could share this feeling of freedom with others, he thought.

One day as a young teen, he fell asleep in the rafters above the vacant foyer, and awoke to overhear his parents talking frankly about they deep shame they felt regarding their son's tiefling nature, his mother confessed she should have taken the potion of abortion from the apothecary. His father said he was disappointed that he could not have a real son to be an heir and blamed her for infidelity causing the curse. "No one in my family was one of those disgusting, accursed beasts."

The boy tearfully flung open a window and took to the skies.

He had made his whole life about appeasing his parents and what had it got him? Shame, loneliness, repression, endless rules, blame, disappointment and obligations... and all the false trappings of the bourgeois. He had learned to hate what he was. He missed joy in his life. Suddenly an overwhelming yearning for escape overtook all his thoughts, not just where he was, but who he was.

He packed his bags. He decided then he would be the opposite of all that made him miserable. He decided to be authentic, unlike greedy nobles. To inspire emotion, not hide it. To flaunt his tiefling nature, to perform on stage. If the world is just one big act, he decided to play the role he'd always wanted, to be the most beloved musician in all of Faerun, to be the focus of adoration. And, to truly be free from his past he took on a new name: *"Mordekai"*

He wiped the tears from is eyes. They're not worth it, he thought.

"Fuck those twats." he muttered to himself as he grabbed his lute and flew off over the horizon to start his new life.

Mordekai has Illegitimate children in the following places:

* Red Larch - Phaendra Chansyrl: after she caught Moredkai attempting to evade her and acting drunkenly and irresponsibly she has finally given up on Mordekai despite his whole-hearted but half-assed drunken attempts to get her back.
* (possible) Bargewright Inn
* (possible) Summit Hall - via liazon with paladin/widow Kerras

### Discography:

#### ***Death to Regicide!***

Regarded as an extension of *Regicide's* influence on Mordekai, this album dealt with themes like the break up of the band, several love ballads, and themes of epic battles from his early days adventuring.

* **Portable Hole**
* **Manticorpse**
* **Bloodsign**
* **Vengeance from above (the akkrakoka song)**
* **Lady of the Wood**
* **Cultists are Born to Die**
* **Devotion Loveadin**
* **Scargoyle**
* **Hellhounds to celestia**
* **Pyre of Orcs (death of the Iceshield)**
* **Windharrow is a CUNT!**

#### ***The*** ***Fævored***

A departure from his usual style, these haunting and mystical melodies have an almost enchanting melody to them, they are reminiscent of a beautiful and alien landscape, and was inspired by Mordekai's interest in the fay wilds

* **The Third Eye Opens** - Song about the elder elemental eye
* **Hyrsam's Magnificent Trickery**
* **Thunderthing**
* **Hell at High Sun** - Inspired by when Bastian Thermandar set ablaze Mordekai's concert in high swing
* **Split in Twain by an Angel** - Inspired by Roland's critical killing blow
* **Free Djinn** - About the Djinn who helped us against Aerisi Kalinoth
* **Wandering Fool (for you)** - Power ballad
* **Murderhole**
* **Stallion of Amphyl (cover)** - town song associated with Renwick the friendly lich's family
* **Wingliar** - A song about the death of Aerisi Kalinoth, princess of air, whose wings were a lie
* **The future is so metal the fortune teller rips her own eyes out**

#### ***Stout***

After finding the belt of dwarvenkind, Mordekai had the ability to speak and understand Dwarvish, and the power of the belt made him grow a mighty beard! Inspired by this, he decided to create an album of Dwarven-themed music and explore what he calls "Dwarf Metal."

* **Dwarven goddess of Love (makes my beard tingle)** - A song inspired by sexy statues of Sharindlar
* **The tale of Brogue and Norb the Ettin** - A comical song about two feuding heads that shared a body, they antagonized each other until they attacked themselves and died.

*"They fought to the death for being too haughty, the problem was they shared the same body. While Norb killed Ettin and Ettin killed Norb, in a fit of both murder and suicide the Brogue hit the floor."*

* **Rudeness Kills** - A cautionary song/tale about two wayward traveling merchant Dwarves who were rude and cruel to their hired guards, and so they were left to their fate on the road where they met their demise, and a flawed peasant who couldn't hold his petulant tongue and was insulted so grievously in return that he died from it.
* **Besilmer** - A song about the mysterious disappearance of the Besilmer Dwarven civilization
* **Into the forge... *of Music!***
* **The Black Lady**
* **Black Pillar to the Fein**
* **Wail of Harpies as their nest full of younglings burn**
* **Gar Shatterspine** - tale of Eldrin severing Gar's spine with a dagger to the neck.
* **Limneria the Wet -** dryad of hotness
* **Chillaska the Strong, love of all the hall -**  makes bargewrite inn so fine, sweet as sweetberry wine. You don't deserve my frustration, I worship you without hesitation. I'm far from perfect you know me, I can't help but be charmed by your beauty. This song is not fine enough to compare to you, but for this vagabond rolling stone it's all I can do. \*note: never perform again, because mordekai is petty.\*

#### ***Out of my Element***

Songs composed specifically for Mordekai's multi-part rock opera.

* **Tiefling (sad version)** - Song about how it's lonely being Mordekai, and how he deserves as much love and trust as any other humanoid. It starts out sad but then his new acquaintances start singing along and the song gets more upbeat. By the end of the song they are all singing together, indicating they all get along now, and tieflings are awesome, and they head out the door for adventure!

*"Just because my skin is scarlet, others treat me like a harlot..."*

* **Bladesong** - a song about bladesinging, sung by ELADRIN and MORDEKAI.
* **Out of my Element** - a song about the elements spilling to faerun and how the cultists forgot something very important, they didn't count on the one element that can move anything... \*music.\*
* **Black brotherhood** - a song about the zhents and why they've changed, sung by ZHENTARIM AGENT

#### ***The Fein***

* **Sacrifice?:** "You walk in the shadow eternal darkness, it's too late to turn back now"
* **Greyland** - a song about Elder Greyland, famous bard who died singing his cursed song
* **HAIL YNGU KULUB** - A song about how this world is a lie and those around me are pretenders keeping me from the real reality where I AM A LORD OF MUSIC. HAIL YNGU KULUB MY LIFE FOR YOU.
* **Lake of dead gnomes** - clutching coins with bones
* Imix Pissed Me RIght Off ..so I killed Him
* **The Revenge of Kaion the Radiant Monk** - his battle against elemental forces, his revenge against the cult, his defeat of Imix, only to be turned into a zombie by Vizeran Devir.
* **Death to the Vampire God!** - T'moachan the vampire god, slayed by Tiki Bon & Co
* **Slaughterhag!** - Fey battle with a cover of witches who devoured babies and made golems and disemboweled gnomes. 2 were slain, one escaped and is still out there... so you better beware...
* **Ravalor, Space Captain** - The star elves. Abraxalor his second in command, sailing the planes and the stars for his prince, Anderion. Strange marks across their skin, arcs and semicircles. Constellations above his eyes, he will never forgo his prize. He has a flying ship. Battling rainbows.

#### ***Shadowfell***

* **The house of black lanterns:** A song about the mysterious inn.
* **Sinister Whispers:**  a song about the whispers of the shadowlands and how they know secrets
* **Nemril the spirit girl:** who enslaved herself in the city of bones for 1000 years to save all her little ghost pals.

***Elder Elemental Neigh***

* **The fall of Corfun:** Sphinx dead by despair fallen from the sky with his castle/temple.
* **Bastion of Succor:** song about the last bastion of hope in the wasted desarin valley
* **The Ballad of Sir Roland the Angelic:** his might is matched only by his grace, unlike the rest of us he always knew the right thing to do, descended from an angelic race, he spread love while smiting evil in the face
* **The Ballad of Eladrin, singer of blades:** with a flick of steel and the glint of blades, with ristininjin's flash the foe is flayed, though his patience was tried by boorish louts, his class and resolve were never in doubt.
* **The Balad of Pangur Ban:** One intelligent kitty, the noblest of tabaxi, in the cat lord's favor, she fought through genassi, and all other manner of dangerous foes, staring danger in the face, risking it all for the cat lord's grace. Even when
* **Phedra's Dirge:** a sad song for a pregnant woman burned alive who was a lover of the singer

### Performances:

* Mordekai and the naturals presents: **Out of my Element (a rock opera)**,part 1. Opened as alimited engagement in Yartar.

### Fans:

Mordekai has his biggest fan in Belliard, Hagarl. Mordekai bought him an autographed ornate lute. Hagarl turned out to be a doppleganger who impersonated Mordekai and lived with the Featherbottom family when he was presumed dead the first time. Mordekai publicly outed him as an impostor during a show.

## Disguises/Alter Egos

These are false identities and characters that Mordekai has invented during his travels

* Nor Malman: Boring human, really banal, as Mordekai sees other average humans
* Dirk Landed: Feathergale recruit, a young human lord as mordekai sees the "frat boy" knights that captured the party. Dirk Landed suffers from hubris.
* Lathanalon: Mordekai's impression of a high elf. Very haughty and full of himself, even by Mordekai's standards. He's a caricature of Eladrin, very greedy.
* Kul Tishe - A maniacal cultist who is fervently dedicated to whatever cult's leaders he's infiltrating.
* Zamfir, Master of the Elven Flute - A foppish, sensitive, cultured half-elf who Irwin toured as and performed at E for Eldrin as. He took this role after faking Mordekai's death at the hands of Vizaren DeVir. When the truth was revealed, he played this song.

## Rumors & Legends

Once you go tiefling you're never leaf-ing.