Tovarish of the UFFR

Firbolg, Druid, Weaver, Worker.

**Tovarish of the UFFR** is a player character in Campaign 2 played by Will. He is a firbolg druid.

## Early Years

Born to a clan of firbolg in the Greypeak Mountains, the one now known as Tovarish lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle for several decades. His father, Ulyanov, and mother, Rykov taught him the importance of nature and of community. Names are not crucial to Firbolg society, but when he was born he was called Vokrug (runt), due to his slight stature and smaller height that the rest of his kinsman. Despite being 7’ tall and 230 lbs when he reached adulthood at age 40, he was still very self conscious of his size because he was noticeably smaller than the rest of his clan.

Being one with the flora and fauna is core to the firbolg’s being. However, their simple way of life did not last forever. The encroaching power of the Lord’s Men in the town of Llorkh had stretched deeper into the mountains. Settlements were built out further and further and disrupted the firbolg clan’s way of life. The clan’s democratically decided was to not react with violence to these intruders, but to adapt to their way of life. Eventually, the firbolgs had to adjust to a more urban lifestyle.

Vokrug and his parents took jobs in the local mining business. It was backbreaking work, but time moves quickly with no hope for a better life. After working in the town of Llorkh for 100 years, the mines were running dry so the work was backbreaking for little reward. The pit-bosses were gruff and uncompromising. He saw this lifestyle take the lives of his father and mother a century earlier than it should have. When he had no more family, and the bonds of his clan had faded with the ostracizing forces of a capitalist economy, he decided to leave the Greypeak Mountains to find a better way of life.

## The Central Committee & the UFFR

He had made some friends in Llorkh who were similarly displeased with the environment there.

* Leon: a fiery and intelligent human, who was as useful in a fight as he was making plans.
* Joe: an extremely paranoid half-orc, who had been known to be especially brutal to his foes.
* Vlad: a wise old half-elf, who organized a new structure for the society they wanted to build.

The group (who referred to themselves as the Central Committee), began calling him Tovarish (comrade) as a sign of respect, and because it didn’t make sense to call him runt when he was taller than all of them. And after searching and struggling for 10 years, the group established a co-op of sorts on a plot of land they secured in the south side of Forlorn Hills. There, they lived off the land raising sheep, cattle, and more exotic beasts from time to time. They also grew carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms. No one person owned more than the others. All property was shared, and all decisions were made collectively. They named it the United Forlorn Field-Ranch (UFFR).

As time passed, other travelers and lost souls who heard stories of this place came and joined. The promise of equity of pay, peaceful life, and dignity attracted many people to the UFFR. As more people joined it expanded to produce a wider variety of goods too: leather, medicine, even some ironworks when a dwarf barbarian named Aries joined! It’s untrue to say that the collective is entirely nonviolent - bandits in the hills, wyvern, and other evils plague the fields from time to time and members there are equipped to defend themselves when the time calls for it.

It has been 100 years since the founding of the collective, and while Tovarish is the only living member of the CC, there are now over 50 members of various races and backgrounds who are part of the UFFR. They have established trading stands in the nearby crop-mecca Goldenfields, as well as the illustrious city of Waterdeep. Members of the collective will take turns tending those stands and working on the ranch and in the fields - according to their ability.

Some key members of the collective are:

* Leona the Third: Human Grandaughter of the Leon in the Central Committee. Mainly tends to the ranching. Is a fiery fighter like her namesake. Is particularly fond of leatherworking. She’s been part of the collective her entire life.
* Aries: Elderly dwarven barbarian who primarily runs security at the UFFR. He also enjoys playing with the sheep. He moved here 60 years ago from his dwarven clan elsewhere in the mountains.
* Plenti: Young halfling ranger who sells crops in Goldenfields mostly. She loves flowers.
* Skit: A gnome who works the textiles stands in Waterdeep. As a bard, he mostly loves playing his lute and the bustle of the city.
* Rentommen (Tom) Highpike: An adult human who loves books and has lived, worked, and studied at the collective for 6 years. Tovarish doesn’t know a ton about where he’s from yet…

## Departure for Adventure

Tovarish is now an elder in the collective. His dream society has become reality, as he now lives in harmony with nature and beasts - equal with his fellow kin. There are even some firbolg who have joined the collective now. His ideals are of an expanded collective society. He wishes to expand their market from textiles and root crops to also include leatherwork, ironworks, medicine, and even floral arrangements. His bonds are to his fellow workers - across the world. In his spare time he crafts potions and knits wool garments. His flaws are only of being too pushy of his way of life, thinking wool is the superior cloth and that everyone looks cold without it, and even at the age of 300 years old his lifelong self-consciousness about his scrawny-ness (for a firbolg) affects him. He often uses Disguise Self to appear a bit taller when he feels looked “down” on.

As the news of political turmoil in Waterdeep has reached the UFFR, they have been wary of the success of their stands in the city. Most recently, a message from Skit has come saying that the stand was entirely ransacked and destroyed! Though it is assumed this was done as part of the ongoing crime war between the Xanathar Guild and Zhentarim Network, Tovarish suspects it could be even more sinister. Tovarish has only been to Waterdeep on a few occasions, but he is determined to protect his comrade, and secure the collective’s future in Waterdeep. He has set out to investigate and if necessary, fight. Joining him on this mission is a Tom Highpike who has offered his help in uncovering this plot….