Reverence

> *"We go to therapy, Mariss!!"* (Reverence, session 9)
>
>

**Reverence** (pronounced /rɛv-ɛr-ɛns/ *REV-err-enss*) is a tiefling monk. She is a Waterdhavian glassblower who, with her friend and roommate Noonan, got involved with the Awning Portal's affairs after meeting Mus Caedus II and Mariss D'Marothek in Durnan's Yawning Portal.

## **Description**

Reverence is a Fierna bloodline Tiefling that stands at 5 foot 5 inches (165 centimeters) tall and weighs 158 pounds (71.6 kilograms). She has a round face with kind facial features and rosy red skin, and long, curving horns sprouting from her skull that fade from red to gold from base to tip. She has sharp fangs and golden eyes with slit, cat-like pupils, and long, wavy violet hair that fades to reddish pink at the tips and sparkles like stars as she moves. She is lithe, but somewhat muscular. She has a pointed devil's tail as well, which is very easy to miss.

Reverence wears simple clothing. Her usual attire is a simple beige or cream work shirt, brown work pants, and thick leather boots. She typically wears a gray headband to keep her hair out of her face. The most notable portion of her attire are a pair of homemade metal horn caps, at the ends of which dangle golden-orange glass beads which Rev made herself.

## **Personality**

Rev tends to have a dirty sense of humor. If something looks suggestive, she's likely to make a joke about it or laugh about it. She refers to her glassblowing forge as a "glory hole", and her crass nature lets her fit in with all of the grumpy old men she works with.

Rev tends to be a lot more level-headed and assertive than her friends Noonan and Mus. She, unlike the rest of her friends, tends to commonly stand up to Mariss, who typically has the social firepower to steamroll the rest of the party. Not Rev, however; she doesn't back down no matter how oppressive her foe.

Rev is outgoing and humorous, and jokes and banters with people she likes. It makes her easy to get along with despite her somewhat abrasive sense of humor. Despite this, she comes off as reserved and cold to people she just meets. Once people warm up to her, this assumption is disproved.

## **Abilities**

### Monk Discipline

Reverence is trained in the martial arts discipline of monkhood, an art she honed while experiencing the serenity of her glassblowing workflow. Her strikes, done with precision, can stun and disorient opponents.

### Magic Initiate

Aside from the innate magical power of her tiefling lineage, Reverence is a budding arcane caster. She is able to cast spells gifted by Fierna, such as the *Friends* cantrip; she also is experimenting in other, more offensive magic, such as *Toll the Dead.* Her magic shows promise of great feats in the future.

## **Possessions**

Reverence considers the glass beads she has blown that she attaches to her horns to be a very valuable personal possession.

Rev owns a fancy glass, a gift that Mus gave her.

## **History**

### Pre-Adventuring Life

Rev was born in 1461 to two tiefling parents in Waterdeep. She had one younger sibling, who she lived a relatively happy early childhood with, playfighting and wrestling. However, as she entered adolescence, she realized that her parents, who were extremely busy with their restaurant jobs, had no time to emotionally connect with her, and as she reconciled with her queer identity, it also become hard to connect with her brother. When she became an adult, she realized she had no reason to stay, and left her family home to seek work.

Rev worked odd trade jobs until she was introduced to Mauve Cleats. Mauve taught her how to glassblow, a trade that would provide her a steady income to live on. Mauve also introduced her to Noonan Lockheed, the kenku that would become her best friend. She allowed Noonan to move into her apartment, and the three would begin a life of tavern hopping and trade work.

### Adventuring, 1492

Rev and Noonan met Mariss D’Marothek, Izora de’Xvim, and Mus C’aedus II in Durnan’s Yawning Portal in the summer of 1492. Rev and this new group were asked by Volothamp Geddarm to find Floon Blagmaar, who went missing alongside Renear Neverember. Rev and company rescued both Floon and Renear, destroying an entire sect of the Hand of Nessus on the way, and were rewarded with several hundred dragons and a piece of property, Trollskull Manor, which would then become the Awning Portal.

During this time, Rev and the party were introduced to Felrekt Lafeen and Krebbyg Masq'il'yr- both of which worked under "J.B. Nevercott" and were instructed to look after Renear Neverember- after the party investigated Renear's home and the latter shot and nearly killed Izora. Additionally, after trapping them in an iron pot, the party was introduced to an imp, who Mus named "Cupcake". Cupcake went on to be Mus's familiar.

After Renear was saved, the party was both rewarded by Nevercott, who provided the party with weaponry and gold, and Mirt, who took interest in the party's abilities and offered to take the party to an opera. Shortly before this opera, the party intended to intercept a discussion of Nevercott's at the dock ward, only to watch in horror as Felrekt was shot and killed, leaving behind a bloody message of warning against intervening in Nevercott's affairs. After the opera was crashed by Loreloth (who Mariss tied up and interrogated), Mirt offered to finance the Awning Portal in exchange for a return on profits. The group agreed to this deal, and Mirt's representative Jethro discussed building plans with the group during this time. Additionally, Loreloth revealed that Nevercott was Jarlaxle Baenre, leader of Bregan D'aerthe, the organization that Felrekt and Krebbyg were members of. The party agreed to keep Loreloth safe in the Awning Portal and allowed him to work there as a barhand for income.

The party then gets into legal trouble as Noonan and Izora talk casually about looting graves, and while Mariss runs off to do damage control, the group has a beach party. Izora also then reveals that she has plans to build a temple to Bane inside the Awning Portal. After following more leads and discussing poltergeist rights, the party returns to the Awning Portal, where Krebbyg appears and asks to talk to Mus in private. Krebbyg shoots Mus in a misguided attempt to avenge the death of Felrekt, causing the rest of the party (excluding Noonan, who is discussing construction at the carpenter's guild at this time) to burst in and intervene. Rev and Mus are chased out of the room by a volatile Mariss, and leave Krebbyg to Mariss’s whims.

Mus flees and hides under their bed, and Rev discovers a very distraught Mus crying there. Rev comforts Mus while Izora guards the door, then goes down to inform Loreloth, Krentz and Pog of Krebbyg’s actions and presence. During this time, Izora sneaks up to Mariss’s room, and does not return until later, chased out. Arguments continue as the following morning has Noonan climbing up the wall of the building and eavesdropping through the window, which Krebbyg catches immediately. When Noonan leaves, Mariss pulls his Rope of Climbing through the window, holding it hostage, forcing Noonan to try to disguise himself as Mus and persuade Mariss to give it back. Mariss refuses, and the real Mus, Izora, Reverence and Noonan come upstairs, and Izora casts Zone of Truth on everyone in the room. Mariss resists the Zone of Truth, and Izora tells everyone.

Mus reveals to Krebbyg that they are innocent and did not kill Felrekt. Krebbyg, aware that it is a Zone of Truth, is forced to accept the truth that Jarlaxle deceived him and tried to blame the murder of his best friend on a completely innocent and uninvolved person. Mariss appeals to Krebbyg and claims that Jarlaxle's breach of trust, not only to the party but also to Krebbyg himself, warrants his assistance. Krebbyg concedes and gives three names; Soluun Xibrindas, Llorath Pharn and Tylan Ilueph, top recruits of Jarlaxle that need to be taken out before Jarlaxle is challenged. Krebbyg also hypothesizes that Soluun likely is Felrekt's real killer, as Soluun has had a history of killing non-drow elves for fun.

Mariss begins to make preparations for the opening of the Awning Portal, setting up for a grand opening party. During this time, Noonan and Rev go to the Godcatcher Inn to reconcile with Pidge, the library ghost, and provide her with more books. They meet a strange cultist that informs them that Izora has made a deal with Asmodeus. Izora, Mus, Reverence and Noonan then have a slumber party, leaving Mariss alone at the Awning Portal.

During this slumber party, guardsmen arrive at the house, seeking Izora. Noonan lies to the guardsmen and claim Izora is not present, while Izora makes a mad dash for the window. However, Izora is spotted and the guard quickly realizes Noonan has lied about Izora’s whereabouts. Noonan is quickly arrested for obstructing justice, and Izora leaps out the window, killing a guard upon landing. She takes off, and the rest of the guard goes after her, leaving a confused Rev and Mus behind. The pair follow the incarcerated Noonan to the station, and Mus manages to get Noonan acquitted. Izora remains on the run. They later discover Izora has been arrested for the murder of a guard, as she resisted arrest and killed a guard by jumping down on him from the roof wearing full plate armor. Thanks to Mus’s intervention, she is not executed, but will spend the rest of her life in jail.

The next two days, just before the party, see the celebration of Mus's 300th birthday. Their sister, Auxi, supplies Rev and the C'aedus family's butler, Tumbleworth, with the task of lugging a 200-lb cake several blocks to the Awning Portal, taking them over an hour. The cake, being several feet wide and tall, could barely fit through the door, and even though the Awning Portal housed 8 people, they could not eat it all. However, they happily celebrate Mus’s birthday, even with all of the leftovers, which Mariss takes care of.

## **Relationships**

### Noonan Lockheed

Noonan and Reverence have lived together for around a decade, ever since Mauve introduced them. Noonan and Reverence are best friends, inseparable, and go where the other goes no matter what happens. They have been together through the best and worst of times, and nothing will shake their friendship.

### Mauve Cleats

Mauve, like in the case of Noonan, also helped Rev get situated in Waterdeep and helped her get settled in her trade. Not only did Mauve provide that for Reverence, but she also provided Noonan the opportunities he needed as well, which Reverence is grateful for. Additionally, it is by Mauve's influence that Noonan and Rev met and got close, due to the three's frequent trips to night clubs in the city. Reverence has those good deeds to thank Mauve for, and also finds Mauve to be "a bit milfy".

### Mus C'aedus II

Reverence considers Mus to be an utter sweetheart and a second best friend, and a perfect addition to the Reverence-Noonan dynamic. Mus is a truly kind, sweet person and Rev values that, and truly values Mus as a friend. Noonan, Reverence and Mus are a stable and close trio that often act in tandem and easily banter and socialize with one another.

### Mariss D'Marothek

Rev is the only one in the group who stands up to Mariss and his almost oppressive personality. Her feelings border on the concept of a love-hate relationship, and she considers him to be a pain in the ass, in an affectionate way. Begrudgingly, she finds him to be her friend, but she still is irritated by his antics and would prefer that he be less abrasive.

### Cupcake the Imp

Rev thinks Cupcake is a little freak, but enjoys their company and only means the best for them.

### Izora de'Xvim

Despite Izora's crimes, Reverence thinks she's fun and genuinely likes her. Unlike Noonan, however, she was not so willing to go along with her plans. Reverence felt no reason to intervene for her behalf or against her, but did not participate and did not receive the negative consequences of her criminal activity. She was still distraught when Izora was imprisoned, however.

## **Appendixes**

### **Gallery**

Reverence (first headshot)Mus and Mariss bickering.