Passion/Strife

Art by Xichu

A tiefling illusionist performer from the Toril country of Thay. Passion is 23 years old, 5’6” tall, and weighs 164 lbs. He has crimson red colored skin, icy white eyes, and jet black hair cut to shoulder length. He has two horns that spiral back like an antelopes. His skin is marked by many scars from his time spent in the prison, he has one particularly noticeable scar going from his left cheek just under his eye to his jaw.

## Pre-rebel Backstory

Passion and his family grew up moving frequently from town to town in Thay, poor fishermen and crafters that were often distrusted for their fiendish blood. At one of these towns a travelling circus stopped by. There were animal tamers, acrobats, a transforming druid, and a magician. Passion watched them all with interest from the circus stands, but when the magician performed he was entranced by the illusions being cast.

After the show, he snuck into the circus performer’s camp to try to find the magician and ask him how he learned to do tricks like in the show. The magician was instantly annoyed at the tiefling kid for bothering him, but realising that the kid had been through much, took pity on him and trained Passion as an apprentice for the week that they were in town. The two became close friends; at the end of that time period, the magician gave Passion an empty spellbook, telling him to practice and learn to write his own spells.

Over time Passion learned the spells in the spell book, and practiced them constantly. When it came time for him to leave home and forge a path of his own, Passion decided to follow in his mentor’s footsteps and became a magician, travelling from town to town, slowly making his way to the capital. He took the virtue name “Passion” for his love of performance and magic. Passion did decently enough as a magician, learning to become charming and charismatic enough so that people did not fear him due to his fiendish heritage.

Eventually Passion found himself in the city of Alar in Thay. He came into the capital with high hopes of fame and glory, but they were dashed almost immediately. The Red Wizards and guards of this city were outright aggressive towards him and other monster-like races, and anyone deemed lesser than them. There was a constant tension between the Red Wizards and common folk due to the squalor and abuse going on.

## Joining the Rebellion

One day, after a performance Passion was stopped by a human woman going by the name of Arizima. She told him about a group that was working to bring equality to the city. Curious, he joined her and attended one of the group’s meetings. There he learned that they were plotting to overthrow the Red Wizards and establish a democracy, in which all citizens would have equal rights despite their social status or race. Though he joined the group at first just out of curiosity, things soon became more serious. He fell in love with the human woman, and became close friends with the other rebels. Over the city monstrous races were being treated worse and worse, it became apparent that they needed to put a stop to things before it escalated any further. Over the next several months they plotted and waited for the perfect moment to strike.

Their battle was with a particular Tharchion, civil ruler of a tharch of the nation of Thay. Thessaloni Canos, the tharchion of the island tharch of Alar in Thay. She was known as a tall woman, even by their standards. Handsome with a pleasant face, hooded green eyes, and weather-beaten skin. She usually wore scale armor and ornaments of coral, pearl, and scrimshaw. Her skin was also tattooed in an aquatic motif. She carried with her a trident, which could strike down her enemies without question. She was considered one of the most capable commanders in Thay.

## Infiltration and Imprisonment

When Passion and the rebels attempted to strike at Thessaloni and infiltrate a meeting place she was scheduled to be at, they discovered that they had walked into an ambush. Thessaloni and her guards were waiting for them. A fight broke out. When it was clear that there was no chance that the rebels were going to be able to fight their way out of this, Passion cast an illusion to distract the guards and Thessaloni long enough to allow his friends to flee. He was attacked before he could follow them, and knocked unconscious.

Kept in the depths of the city’s prison, the tiefling was interrogated and tortured by the guards to reveal the location and members of the rebel group. He managed to remain silent and loyal to the rebels, refusing to give up any information. He was kept at the prison for three years before he had a chance to escape.

## Escape

One day, during one of the interrogations he passed out. When Passion came to his senses again, he found that the guards that had been torturing him were lying unconscious, he was now broken free of his bonds, and his items that had long been taken from him were lying on the floor of the interrogation room. He grabbed everything and snuck through the prison corridors, eventually managing to make his way out into the city again. Passion immediately cast a spell to disguise himself and escaped the city as quickly as he could, not even daring to look back.

Now free, Passion fled Thay. He travelled as far away as he possibly could. Now cold and pessimistic, he changed his name to “Strife”. He slowly began building a life again as he travelled from town to town, taking odd jobs. Eventually he began using his name Passion again as he tried to get back into his performances. He now switches between the two names depending on his mood, using Passion when feeling optimistic or Strife otherwise.

He worked as an adventurer for a time before a rift opened, tearing him from his home world and dropping him into Daleos.