Matthew Dunn

Matthew and his familiar, Peter

Matthew is a Half-Moon Elf Pain Cleric who is part of Cher Amies.

## Description

Matthew is a "nice young man" according to Sumiki. He's around 5'10", lanky, and unhealthily thin. He's sickly pale with large eyebags and gaunt cheekbones. He has short, kinda greasy black hair that refuses to behave and goes where it wants. He has desaturated brown eyes and eyelashes that curl downwards. The relaxed position for his ears is straight out (they move slightly with his emotions). Pre-demon they used to be upturned, but being in pain most of the time has effected their natural position.

He doesn't really care much for his outward appearance. He's currently wearing a turtleneck, a scalemail shirt, a gorget, vambraces, scale gauntlets, ripped pants, tall leather boots, a ratty long vest, and an equally ratty loincloth (all varying shades of black). He has pierced ears, 5 piercings on each side.

Matthew has a lot of scars that cover him, most are centred around his torso. The ones the party knows about are as follows:

* The long scar on his face - caused by his father just after the dark ritual. It was carved into his face with a dagger and necrotic magic.
* The scar on his mouth - a warning from his father to be quiet and stop crying.
* The demon scar on his chest - where Nessana entered and resides. It used to look like an "x" and had a similar appearance to the long scar on his face. It looks much worse now that Nessana has popped out, but no one (including Matthew) has seen it since.

Matthew is gentle and a little awkward, and tends to be rather quiet. He apologizes frequently and often seems downcast. As he has not had a lot of experience in the world outside of where he grew up, he can seem naive at times, and often needs guidance from friends.

At his core, Matthew just wants to help and heal people. He hates fighting and killing, but understands that sometimes it is necessary. He has a tendency to neglect himself in favour of others.

Matthew is currently possessed by Nessana.

## History

### Pre-Campaign

Lucien's father, Charles DeRoche

[describe parents - his father is a big believer in falina and was born into the settlement - hes a warlock and has a demon inside him (probably a pride one?) hes one of the deputies. mother was stolen as a child, she was old enough to remember her life before but was still very young. she silently rejects falina their marriage was arranged and she was forced to bare his children to help increase the population. there was no love between them, however she loved her children dearly say smth about the fact that she loved alaine (wife of jean luke, the other deputy smth smth Caswar smth smth Cult Veritas)]

Lucien was born about a year after the marriage, and much to Charles' disappointment he was not a fallen aasimar. He then forced Lena into producing another child not long after. Thus Olivia was born about a year later, also not a fallen aasimar.

Young Lucien was bright eyed and curious. He loved hearing his mothers stories of lands beyond their home.

Lena loved both of her children dearly and wanted them both to have a better life. Charles, however, thought they were nuisances and wanted nothing to do with them. This changed when Lucien approached the age at which children in this branch of the cult underwent the Dark Ritual. He saw it as a blessing, and a way for Lucien to redeem himself for not being born as an aasimar. Lena wanted to protect her children from this fate and decided to escape with both Lucien and Olivia.

When Lucien turned 6 Lena took her children and left in the middle of the night, but Lena's plans were soon discovered by Yvette, the wife of the Veritas branch leader, Armand. They were captured and taken back to the cult. Lucien's Dark Ritual was moved to that night and Lena was forced to hear his screams before they killed her for disobeying.

[describe ritual...]

Charles was already furious about the events of earlier than night, but he was even moreso after Lucien's new demon chose his chest as her resting place rather than his face. So, Charles decided to take that into his own hands and create his own "demon scar" on his child's face. He didn't stop there though, he wanted to teach Lucien a lesson in staying quiet and cut his mouth too.

Lucien changed after that. He became more reclusive and sullen. He blamed himself for his mothers murder despite being a child and unable to have done anything to stop it. He locked himself away from Charles and cry, because he knew that action would only cause him more pain. For a time, Olivia was the only one he'd talk to.

Alaine became something like a surrogate mother

[when Matthew was 12 he was forced to watch a dark ritual that ended up going wrong. he watched as the demon took complete control; distorting her body in ways that weren't normal. no one... did anything for her. sure there were clerics but she was passed the point of healing. her death was slow, and agonizing.

when he was 15 they started making him act as a background cleric. some went well (by their standards) and a few died relatively quickly. when he was 20 he was made a secondary cleric and he saw the signs again. the distortion of the child's body as the demon painfully rejected him. Matthew, not wanting to see this child suffer like he knew he would, ended his pain he got in big trouble with the cult, his dad, and nessana, he left soon after this,]

we gonna summarize badly in point form

* Lucien was arranged to be wed to Vera, he didnt want this, neither did she tbh
* Olivia, Arrin, Alaine, Pierre and himself plotted to let Pierre and himself escape
* They managed to actually do it but Pierres demon killed him leaving Lucien alone to grieve and escape further by himself
* Lucien ended up in Illuren and found refuge in the forest and mountains and remained there for about a year

### Campaign

* Received the first good dream he's had in.... well lets just say a long time. A snowy owl was guiding him north.... he decided to follow it
* Ran into a town known as Dragonsmaw and helped them find some lost children (i know what happened dont worry)
* Ended up in Feypass and met 4/5ths of the party
* hhghghh stuff that sure does happen

## Relationships

Matthew can have trouble developing relationships of any kind, and most of them have been made through the other party persistently sticking by him.

### Current:

#### Neva Umbrazi

While it was a seemingly unlikely friendship, Neva somehow befriended Matthew through persistence. Matthew now considers her his best friend and often comes up to her with random questions about things he doesn't understand (ex. "Whats a sugar daddy, Neva?").

Neva is slowly teaching him that touch is okay and can be comforting. He likes when she pets his hair, but hugs are still a no go.

He appreciates that she's trying to look out for him but doesn't understand why he shouldn't drink bacon tea.

#### Raevynn Eldrogin

Matthew and Raevynn got off on the wrong foot, as Matthew discovered early on that she kills demons, and wasn't sure if she would include him in that bracket. He was terrified of her for awhile because of that. After Matthew told the party about Nessana and the cult while Raevynn was weakened, and after she recovered they had a conversation (after... some avoidance). Since then Raevynn has been offering her own form of advice to Matthew and riling up Nessana in the process. Though he can't always respond, Matthew is grateful for it and wishes to thank her for giving him some courage to face Nessana.

He never wants to touch Raevynns tits ever again (thanks Katya).

#### Katya Uminska

Katya is like super duper the best, and we are best friends. -Katya

#### Nessana

Matthews relationship with Nessana is very complicated. She rules over him via fear and pain, trying to torture him into doing things she wants. Their survival is co-dependent - Nessana needs Matthew as a host in order to exist on the prime material plane and to satisfy her desires, while Matthew needs her to use magic and help others and feel... useful. While he does hate her, he's discovered that when she's not there he feels hollow. She's always been there, ever since he was little, and as such has become a part of him. He's not quite sure where his essence ends and where hers begins.

Nessana is part of the reason Matthew is adverse to touch, and especially hugs from behind, as this is what she usually does in his dreams with her. However, pain usually comes after in her case.

Matthew, with the help of his newfound friends (especially Raevynn), has grown more defiant of Nessana - which she of course does not approve of and has taken to threatening his friends rather than him. He would much rather he be in pain than anyone else.

Since she made an appearance in the material world she's been able to talk to him even while he's awake, prior to this she was only able to speak to him through dreams. This has led to him batting at his ears and muttering in Infernal.

#### Peter

Peter is Matthews familiar and was created with the help of Neva. He is a small black cat with golden eyes and has the creature type of Fey. Peter was created with Matthews own magic without the aid of Nessana, and as such, Matthew cherishes him deeply.

Peter is affectionately known as the group therapy animal as he curls up near or on people who are stressed or hurt.

#### Rose Alexander

Matthew understands Rose's situation and relates to her heavily. He tries to comfort her in his own way, though he's not sure if he's actually helping. He wants her to be safe and happy one day, even if he knows that its exceedingly difficult to find happiness when you're considered a monster.

#### Ceruna

Ceruna is the one that inadvertently, or perhaps on purpose, led him to the party. She came to him in a dream as a snowy owl.

When Nessana threatened to kill the party if Matthew did not leave, he felt lost and conflicted. He has nowhere to turn to. So he decided to pray to Ceruna on the off-chance she would give him guidance like she did once before. She did reply, though it was cryptic and Matthew wasn't sure what to think.

Hm this has turned more into a description of events

#### Tahari Aethana

Matthew was at first extremely fearful of Tahari. She is the high priest of Ennera and he is a demonic host, and he was correct in assuming she would see right through him. What surprised him was that she was *kind* and offered him help and solace. She is the one who convinced him to tell the party the truth and he is thankful to her for giving him the courage, even if it came out as a blubbering mess.

### Past:

#### Charles DeRoche

double ew

also here

## Character Information

### Feats

Magic Initiate (Wizard)

Taught to him by Neva.

You learn two cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn one 1st-level spell from that same list and can cast it at its lowest level once per long rest.

* Message (cantrip)
* Prestidigitation (cantrip)
* Find Familiar (1st)

### Notable Items

* Longsword of Life Stealing
* Bag of Holding (contains dirt)
* Cloak of Protection
* Pocket of Holding (contains bacon)
* Ring of Jumping
* Ring of Mind Shielding
* Shield +1
* Potion of Hill Giant Strength
* Potion of Water Breathing
* More bacon
* Feathers
* Bloody sheets, magically made black with a hole badly cut into it. "formal wear"
* Actual formal wear that Viggo and Neva helped with
* 2 lockets, one with a picture of Pierre, and one with a picture of Lena and Olivia
* A bib that says "Barlows Bacon"
* A... horn.... from Osnan.....

### Favoured Spells

* Message (cantrip)
* Prestidigitation (cantrip)
* Cure Wounds (1st)
* Revivify (3rd)

## Trivia

* He has a really fucking long playlist [1]
* Matthew is hesitant when he uses a sword. He knows how to use it but doesn't want to hurt others. His magic isn't comforting, while most healing magic is warm and comforting, his feels cold, followed by intense heat, not unlike it's being cauterized.
* His hands feel cold and boney. They're scarred and unkempt. He bites his nails and the skin around it.
* He has the shittiest posture known to man and tends to hunch over to appear smaller than he is. He also perches on things instead of sitting normally (this is known in game, no one has told him not to).
* He tries so hard not to have any metaphorical space but he's so out of place that people tend to notice him on that fact alone.
* His mom used to sing the song "Au Clair de la Lune" to him.
* His love of bacon and meat is directly related to being a demonic host.
* The fact "Matthew is really good at accents" is false. I'm just really bad at French accents.

## Gallery

I simply do not feel like uploading all of this [2]