Murasaki Neue

## Backstory

Murasaki Neue entered the cloister of Deneir at a young age. Many of her family also had a connection to the cloister, but Neue was following her beloved older sister, Aina. The cloister was isolated, so all of the disciples learned some method of fighting to defend the cloister's great library, but book learning was the focus within those walls. Under her tutor Yuuto, Neue learned many rare languages and practiced calligraphy to copy the books to prevent the loss of knowledge. In the cloister gardens, the High Priestess Mayu taught the importance of knowledge that nature keeps. Neue loved this life of knowledge, light, and peace and dedicated herself to Deneir. However, not all knowledge can be found within books kept in a cloister. Hearing tales of the wilderness in Respite, Neue left her home to see what could be learned in this untamed land. She hopes to write and bring what knowledge she can between Respite and the cloister, as well as hone her skills with a blade.

#### Name Etymology

* Neue: after Corsica Neue, orc god (the baroness of broken branches and undelivered resignations) in Friends at the Table: Seasons of Hieron
* Murasaki: after Murasaki Shikibu, a Japanese novelist known for *The Tale of Genji*

## Stats

#### race:

* half-orc
* height: 6'4" (193cm)
* weight: 197lbs (89kg)

#### abilities:

* STR: +3 (16)
* DEX: +0 (10)
* CON: +2 (14)
* INT: +1 (13)
* WIS: -1 (8)
* CHA: +3 (16)

## Questing

#### Cemetary Rumour (~February 1175AR)

> Neue, Gravy, Vynlin
>
>

After hearing rumours of a cemetery trapping people and creating undead. The party travelled, reaching the swamp on the second day. Two fishermen on a bridge were encountered just before crocodiles came out of the water. While the party survived, both fishermen perished. The party was able to inform the fishermen's family in a small village.

The villagers gave directions to the west to find the cemetery. Tales say people are trapped in the cemetery after becoming lost in the swamp, so the party attempts to do so. Upon finding the graveyard, the dates on the headstones are thousands of years old, but the stone does not appear that aged. Some of the gravestones were found with a dark slash of fresh blood, prompting Neue to sense her surrounding for evil. Many different undead are buried underground, and a voice calls out demanding to know who has entered his domain. The undead rose and were fought, the voice unhappy to see the death of his children. The owner of this voice was found and defeated within the cemetery's mausoleum.

#### Missing Monks

> Neue, Callus, ?????
>
>

As the monks from a nearby monastery, dedicated to Selûne, the Moon Lady, to the west had not been heard from in a few months, the party set out to determine what had happened. After travelling, with some fights with wildlife along the way, the party finds the monastery seemingly abandoned. The tables are set, but dusty, and all the food stores have rotten. Callus finds a journal whose last entry was roughly six months prior. It tells of an unknown group that had set up in the nearby caves. Shhortly after, the party is attacked by a mage and some zombies.

The next day, the party heads towards the cave. While it seems natural, it is unusually warm. Various cultists are fought on the way down to a large room, lit by a flow of lava. Inside, the cultists are chanting in primordial and abyssal to summon a large demon. While they succeed, the party is able to dispatch both demon and cultists.

#### Twilig's Friend

> Neue, Hansel, Gravy, Scout, Anurin, Askia
>
>

Hansel called for adventurers in Respite to hunt down an evil in the woods after viewing a picture drawn by Twilig. The party was led by Gravy, as she knew where Twilig had been when he had seen this figure. In the woods, the party is briefly blocked by a large, stone wall until Askia's elephant Kandula breaks it down with ease. Along the river, the party comes upon a mill grinding a strange black wood. The party camps here. While the owner is angry upon discovery them, he runs off terrified when shown the drawing of Twilig's friend.

The party had Scout and Luna track` the woodsman, which led them to more of the strange dark trees. The patches seemed to form agonized faces. A dark mist bled out, but dissipated shortly. Anurin was found unconscious, but seemed fine to the party. A paved trail led deeper into the forest, and the party followed it to the strange town of Pottsfield.

Surrounding the town were acres of pumpkin patches. The town seemed empty save for strange music coming from a central building. Inside, the party found humanoids covered in carved pumpkins dancing. Hansel made the choice to smash a pumpkin, gaining the attention and ire of the pumpkin townsfolk. As punishment, the party was forced to do some labour for Pottsfield in the form of digging holes. This seemed innocuous enough until skeletons were found inside the holes. The townsfolk placed pumpkins onto the skeletons, bringing them to life. Horrified, but lacking in options, the party showed the townsfolk Twilig's drawing and it was identified as "The Beast."

During the next night, Luna ran off, leading the party to more darkwood trees. These trees surrounded the figure of Anurin, as the one the party had been travelling with was revealed to be a doppelgänger. After dispatching the false one, the party broke the true Anurin out of the tree. After bare moments of peace, the party heard howling coming towards them and were set upon by a pack of werewolves and a seemingly warped, fiendish dryad that matched Twilig's drawing. A fierce battle occurred, but the party came out victorious.

The way back to Respite was uneventful, although strange as the party passed through the same places and yet Pottsfield had disappeared (although the pumpkin patches remained), the woodsman did not remember the party, and the wall was no longer broken. Neue planned to do some research into local legends and ghost stories to see if she could find and explanation.

#### Special Guild Mission

> Neue, Elora, Scout, Askia, Gargax, Cardinal, Offendimus
>
>

The party was called to the Guild Hall by the Town Council with a special mission. A large castle to the northwest had been discovered with a large force gathered and signs of cult activity. The party made their travel, following a trail of the main road into the forest. On the fourth night, they made camp in a small building. During Neue and Cardinal's watch, they were accosted by barlguras, ghosts, and wights. However, they were able to defeat them.

Upon reaching the castle, the party found it manned by undead while a winged demon darted back and forth. It took fierce battle, but the party emerged victorious. Upon investigating the castle, the bodies of the cultists were found drained.

#### Orc Chieftan (ends January 12, 1178AR)

> Neue, Anurin, Umbra, Askia, Gravy, Mako
>
>

Anurin warns Respite that the Orc Chieftan, Romanak the Bloody, is marching towards them and asks for a group to help him head them off. The party makes their preparations and heads to meet the Orc Band. During the first night, the party is attacked by a group of orc monks led by a mage, but dispatches them before returning to their rest.

Continuing on the next day, the party can hear the war drums of the orcs. The party readies themselves for attack and spot platoons of orcs, large trolls, and one large orc that is identified as Romanak. Anurin addresses the orcs, ready to negotiate. However, the orcs are here for conquest and demands the party submit to a life of slavery. Anurin suggest a one on one battle between himself and Romanak. The deal is taken, but when Anurin starts to falter, the rest of the party interferes, prompting attack from the rest of the orcs. While the battle is long and hard, the party manages to overcome the orcs and prevent the destruction of Respite.

#### Neue's Research and the Disappearing Tavern (ends May 7, 1180AR)

> Neue, Kelvyn, Eldyn, ????
>
>

Following her adventure in and around Pottsfield, Neue had found tales of a strange tavern that seemed to disappear at times. She gathered a group of adventurers to follow up on this research as she has deduced a general course. The party starts out in the same direction, eventually reaching the same wall. Again, it is found undamaged. The party chooses to climb the wall before continuing onwards. During his watch the first night over the wall, Kelvyn heard some faint music, but is disappeared when he attempted to point it out to others. He also briefly spots a humanoid silhouette with bright white eyes.

Travel during the following day is interrupted by a massive rainstorm, but the party spots a building which they head towards hoping for shelter. A sign above the door has the image of a mug and the faded word, "Tavern." Inside matches this description, as it is a simple tavern with a menagerie of people. Neue immediately tries to get information on Pottsfield but is unsuccessful. The Tavern Keeper asks who the party is, but doesn't seem to be looking for names. Neue, following the pattern given as the Tavern Keeper identifies others, names herself The Researcher. The Tavern Keeper is able to give the party more information on the Beast, but believes the Woodsman and the Beast to be the same person. However, people soon grow upset at talk of The Beast, and the Tavern Keeper asks the party to leave.

The party heads back into the woods to attempt to track down the Beast. As the party travels, darkness encroaches, even as Kelvyn attempts to cast Daylight. More of the strange darkwood trees are spotted, and the Beast emerges with various other tree monsters. A battle ensues, Neue finding great effectiveness of Moonbeam on the Beast. After the Beast is defeated, it drops its strange lantern. The party attempts to return to the tavern to inform them of the Beast's demise, but it has disappeared.

#### Return of the Cult of Yabriddru (ends November 25, 1180AR)

> Neue, Sol, Naia, Raloran, Lucan
>
>

Upon hearing rumours of activity from the desert by the remnants of the Cult of Yabriddru, the Town Council asks for adventurers to investigate. The party heads out to prevent further damage by this Cult. At night, Raloran and Sol trade off watches. However the party is ambushed by a group of Red Caps.

After a week of travel, the party reaches the desert. They find a large rock outcropping dotted with caves. One such cave's opening is carved with tentacles and runes. Inside, the ground is covered with dead bodies, which are identified as defeated reanimated corpses. In response, the party explores cautiously. The caves show signs of decay, but also recent digging. The find a group of robed people, standing in prayer. The party attacks, but finds them almost suspiciously easy to defeat. The altar they were standing by is carved with an image of Yabriddru. Upon looking at it, the party hears a piercing scream within their heads. With a use of the Gem of Seeing, Lucan spots more cultists and the battle continues. The cultists are joined by tiny brains.

Upon their defeat, the party finds a large cavern opening that leads into a reservoir. Inside, they spot more cultists led by a mindflayer. The battle is hard, and Neue falls and has her brain removed by the mindflayer. Despite the loss of Neue, the party defeats the cultists and the mindflayer.

## Death

After her death, Neue's will requested that her money, Calligrapher's Supplies, and remains be returned to the Deneir Cloister, but she donated her magic items to the guild loot.

## Relationships

#### Close Friends:

* Anurin
* Parry

## Possesions

#### Armour

* chainmail
* shield

#### Magic Items

* ~~Necklace of Prayer Beads~~ donated to guild loot
* ~~Medallion of Thoughts~~ donated to guild loot
* ~~Masterwork Calligrapher's Supplies~~ donated to the Deneir Cloister