Watch

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## General Character Traits

* Race: Tabaxi
* Class: Warlock
* Subclass: Pact of the Stone (Tome)
* Full Name: Watch

## Backstory

Watch is a tabaxi, a rare cat-like species from the southeastern jungles of the far continent Ulthemar. Unfortunately, they have for generations been enslaved by the massive Drakhari dragonborn empire that rules the west of the continent. Watch never knew freedom, instead growing up in captivity toiling away as a laborer. His kind are skilled with scaling trees and moving quickly, and as such he was one of many that harvested fruit from jungle trees. Always close to nature, Watch hated how the empire abused the resources of the land, slashing and burning to make way for new settlements or mines.

There were times he had the opportunity to attempt escape, but his loved ones and fellow tabaxi would be punished if he did so, and so he looked for ways to rebel within the system. One fateful day he was approached by a representative of a secret resistance organization among the tabaxi, and he eagerly joined. They conducted nighttime operations, where they slipped away from their masters and spied, sabotaged, and stole anything the organization thought would help. Watch slowly rose in their ranks, being capable and willing to do what was needed, regardless of the moral implications. Then his cell leader brought him a unique opportunity - they had “found” a magic stone said to contain a powerful spirit of the land, and they wanted to give it to Watch as one of his top agents - for a price.

Watch was hesitant, for why would the leader not want such power for himself? He thought the debt was the reason - in exchange for this gift Watch would have to leave the region and take on even more dangerous missions in the heart of the empire. His family would be disciplined, perhaps even killed for his disappearance, but Watch accepted for the greater good of his people. Bonding with the spirit in the stone, Watch found it communicated not with words but with imagery and intention, and all it seemed to want was to see the civilization destroying the land brought to heel. Over the next few years Watch traveled to the west of the continent and used his new powers, including being able to disguise his appearance at will, to conduct even more impactful missions.

## Campaign Hook

Watch had learned to seize opportunity when it presented itself, and when the empire began amassing a large army to begin an invasion across the seas, he agreed to be assigned to go with them. The resistance had no real plan for once he and many other operatives reached the far continent of Valdemar; however, they were to disrupt the empire however they could. With his special skills, one of the missions Watch was assigned was to attempt to discover what the empire was truly after embarking on such a massive endeavor. There were whispers that the agenda was not as clear cut as the dragonborn made it sound - trying to bring their order and dominance to the chaotic land. And so, he traveled as one of the countless tabaxi slaves on one of the five hundred ships across the Sea of Storms.

Their forces landed at a city called Windhaven, and quickly overwhelmed the city's meager defenses gaining an easy foothold. Soon after, a majority of the ships and forces including Watch, sailed south to the largest city in the eastern province known as Ironbay. This attack was much fiercer and bloody for both sides, but the empire again overwhelmed the defenders of the city. It was still during the initial scouring of the streets that Watch seized a chance to escape his masters altogether. Using his magic he disguised himself as a human and slipped away outside the walls and joined the last haphazard caravan fleeing south from the city. He knew there were plenty of other operatives working on the inside who could discover secrets, and he thought learning what the natives knew was the best use of his skills. He also momentarily thought he could instead have true freedom.

But the thought of duty continued to prevail in Watch, although he knew not what he was going to do. When the massive caravan reached the large coastal city of Black Landing to the south, he was shocked at how crowded it was. Never in the empire had Watch seen so much despair and actually started to think the dragonborn may be right about this land. It was not long until he neared starvation, unable to forage as he did during the caravan, and so he began stealing food as his skills allowed. However, he was caught by a large patrol of Red Sun guardsmen after a theft when he changed his appearance in front of them by accident, having just turned a corner. Still appearing as a human, he was thrown into the stockades beneath the city in a special cell where spellcasters were being gathered. Little did he know fate was about to present him another opportunity to follow his mission.