Dave V!rtuoso

"**Dave V!rtuoso**" is the stage name of the Human Bard and self-appointed leader of Lute Crate. He is played by Tyler Boyce.

## **History**

### **Childhood**

David Murphy was born and raised in Westruun. When he was only five years old, his parents abandoned him. Dave fended for himself, alternating between street performing and thievery to survive. At the age of nineteen, he managed to get accepted into the College of the Savvy: the prestigious school of the arts, founded by the White Duke himself. However, before he could begin his first semester, Dave was headhunted by a Bard named Alphonse. With Alphonse as his manager and a new stage name ("The Mad Professional"), Dave began his career as an entertainer.

### **The Great Game**

Over the next fifteen years, the Mad Professional became a household name among nobles and commoners alike. Eventually, Alphonse revealed himself as a member of the Golden Grin and Dave was inducted as a member. Dave was wealthy and famous, and he was living the dream...until two years ago, when Alphonse tried to kill him. After a concert in Emon, Alphonse led Dave into the Grinner hideout known as the "Temple of Dragons" (so named because it was below the Cathedral to the Platinum Dragon in the Temple District). Dave suddenly found himself attacked by never-before-seen dark magic, cornered and alone. Though Dave found himself terrifyingly unable to use his Bardic magic, Dave just barely escaped the Temple of Dragons. Unable to convince the Emon Guard to help, Dave fled Emon.

### **Exile**

Dave spent some time traveling east through Tal'Dorei before crossing to Wildemount. On his way to Wildemount, Dave encountered a herd of centaurs. Dave was able to impress the centaurs with his music, and was introduced to the Archeart. Moved by the god of the arts, Dave wholeheartedly embraced the Elven god and was welcomed as an honorary member of the Herd of the Flowers. The herd helped escort Dave across the Divided Plains to the Shearing Channel, where Dave was able to hire a ship to take him to Port Damali. From there, Dave made his way to the Dwendalian Empire in Western Wynandir.

Dave spent most of his two years in exile in a tavern called "The Grumpy Lily" in Deastok, spending what little gold he earned performing on getting drunk.

### **The Comeback Tour**

Not long after word reached the Dwendalian Empire that the Cinder King had been slain by Vax'ildan and Vox Machina, Dave encountered a Gnome Bard by the name of Scanlan Shorthalt. Dave was very impressed by Scanlan's musical prowess, and Scanlan even taught him how to play the flute. Inspired by his encounter, Dave decided to stage a comeback tour. Taking on his second-ever stage name ("Dave V!rtuoso"), Dave returned to Emon to perform for the crowds again, as well as investigate why Alphonse tried to have him killed.

### **Lute Crate: Origins**

Dave's first "gig" was by convincing the owner of The Drunken Dragon's Rest to let him perform for the tavern's patrons. However, Dave was rusty after two years of being out of practice, and the owner threw him out. Desperate to make his comeback tour a success, Dave enlisted the help of an adventuring party he met at the tavern: the future members of Lute Crate. Kilthor suggested that Dave could help them on a job (hauling Gilgamesh's copper hoard back to his new room at the Alabaster Lyceum), and the others reluctantly agreed.

Within the Lair of the Cinder King, Gilgamesh briefly revealed his true form in order to save the party from dark mantles. A panicked Dave started to run away to warn the city of Emon, but Gilgamesh intimidated Dave into keeping his secret.

Dave later tried to convince Captain Eilmorel to investigate the Temple of Dragons, but she refused to do so without more context. She persuaded Dave to tell his whole story, and Dave reluctantly (and rapidly) recounted his entire life story up until that point. Upon hearing about a secret Grinner hideout (the Emon Guard had already been investigating the Grinner "nuisance"), Eilmorel agreed to look into it. However, upon investigating, Dave and the party realized that the hideout was gone: magically sealed and caved in. With their only lead literally buried, Dave became convinced that Alphonse was no longer immediate threat and put his mind back towards his comeback tour. After Kilthor suggested Whitestone, Dave decided that would be his next tour destination...stopping to play in all the major towns and cities along the way, of course. Though the rest of the party was less than enthusiastic about being part of this "tour", they decided to tag along to get work and gold. Thus the "band" of adventurers known as "Lute Crate" was born.

### **The Road to Kymal**

About a day's ride outside Emon, he group was forced to take refuge in a cave by a fierce storm. They encountered a dire wolf within and, though Dave was reluctant, the party decided to follow it deeper inside. At the end of the cave, they found a dark shrine, guarded by a group of kobolds. The party slew the kobolds and destroyed the idol. With the idol gone, the dire wolf was able to speak again and revealed that it was Wolfbane. Wolfbane delivered a message to Dave from his "one true God", and Dave was very moved. Seeing his comeback tour as "a mission from God", Dave had a renewed vigor and passion for life.

Not long after the cave, the group heard some singing. They encountered a young Human girl alone by herself. She revealed she was Sarah Fremont: a young Emon heiress on the run after her family tried to force her to marry. Dave was charmed by the girl, so he took it upon himself to become her singing instructor and help her find her "real" true love.

### **Return to Westruun**

The first thing Dave did upon returning to Westruun was to drop by the College of the Savvy and see if they had any record of Alphonse (and a handsome young singer to be Sarah's date).

The next day, Dave accompanied Soren to the Cobalt Reserve. While Soren studied the spellbooks, Dave investigated the City Archives. Dave found no records of Alphonse or even the Mad Professional (Dave's old stage name). Instead, Dave looked up the birth and death records of his parents: Irving and Corinna Murphy. Not only did Dave learn that they died during Umbrasyl's attack, but Dave was not an only child as he had once thought. Dave had brothers and sisters born before and after him...all abandoned.

Disgusted, Dave visited the Survivors' Legacy: the memorial wall to the victims of Umbrasyl and the Herd of Storms. There, he finds the names of his parents. Dave prays to his god that "if they have crossed the Veil...please keep them there. Keep them on the other side."

Later, Dave tried to perform at The Margrave's Court, but had to be put in a choke-hold and dragged out by Qamar before he got into a fight with the house band. After discovering that the Clasp was also after Sarah, the party made their way to another tavern: The Prancing Pony. There, Dave performed at the seedy inn to cover room and board, and to great applause by the crowd (as one audience member put it, "He's cocky, but pretty good."). Some shifty men in hoods arrived, and Dave was able to discern that they were Clasp. With incredible charm and misdirection, Dave loosened them up with drinks to learn more about the Shadebarrow. Then, as Darryl, Jr. provided a distraction, Dave stole a message from the Clasp member's pocket. Dave then passed the note to Kilthor and, despite the presence of the Clasp, decided the best place to lie low would be right under their noses.

### **Corruption in the Shadebarrow**

Dave accompanied the rest of Lute Crate (reluctantly) to the Shadebarrow. It was only the reminder of Baron Howthess's unclaimed riches (millions in gold) that convinced Dave to help recover the artifact. Inside the Shadebarrow, the party encountered a ghostly feast haunted by the spirits of long-dead Druids. Knowing Druids shun anything bearing the "corruption" of modern civilization, Qamar realized that they could only safely cross by removing their metal weapons and armor. Unwilling to part with Set List, Dave refused to cross the room and instead stayed behind...locking himself in a nearby workshop.

When the party returned, a panicked Dave cast Invisibility and used Thunderwave on the unsuspecting party. Rather than apologize for his mistake, Dave angrily accused the others of abandoning him. Dave sulked and pouted as the party left the Shadebarrow and made camp after another day of travel. During the night, Qamar kicked him in the head as payback for his outburst.

The next day, Dave tried to get out his anger and frustration by having a melee combat lesson with Kilthor. Dave couldn't land a blow, but kept attacking the Dragonborn, forcing Kilthor to throw Dave to the ground. Dave broke down into tears and confessed how helpless and useless he had felt in the Shadebarrow. He also confessed why Set List was so important to him. Kilthor gave him a pep talk, and Dave realized that he needed to earn his position as a leader. Dave also revealed to Kilthor and the rest of the group who his god was, after Kilthor had revealed that he had attempted to pray to Dave's god last night.

### **It's A Trap!**

After arriving in Turst Fields, the party re-encountered the Fremont mercenaries from Westruun. Deciding to take the opportunity to eliminate these repulsive individuals, the party began to plan an ambush to kill them.

Once the rest of the party was at the ambush site just south of town, Dave (disguised as a Turst Fields farmer named "Cyrus") "tipped off" the Fremont mercenaries that Kilthor and Qamar had been seen taking Sarah to Stillben. Hoping to catch their quarry before they got too far out of town, the mercenaries ran right into the trap.

After Sebastian threatened to have some "fun" with Sarah, Kilthor leapt up and threw his axe at Sebastian. It missed, so Dave followed up with a Vicious Mockery. However, Sebastian was able to shake it off. The battle began!

John tried to attack Dave, using Unwavering Mark. Dave moved away, taking some damage. Dave spent the rest of the battle healing and inspiring the other party members. Dave tried repeatedly to cast Hold Person on Sebastian, but the Paladin was surprisingly willful. Fortunately, Kilthor was able to grapple Sebastian and hold him over a magical bonfire created by Sarah. The other two mercs were slain, and Futhark delivered the final blow with a Searing Smite.

After the party gathered the loot and dragged the bodies off the road, they debated what to do with them. Dave and Qamar wanted to make sure the bodies were never found, so people would be unsure whether they were dead or alive. The rest of the party agreed, and the bodies were burned and buried in the woods off the road. Sarah wanted to recover the Fremont signet ring she had sold in Turst Fields, so she took off, with Kilthor in pursuit. Soren and Futhark followed the two, with Dave and Qamar insisting not to be seen back in town and going around Turst Fields to meet the rest of the party on the north road. As they rode, Dave and Qamar bonded by telling each other dirty jokes.

### **The Price of Vice**

When the party reunited, the others told Dave and Qamar about the werewolf attacks. Dave, though worried about the suude he carried potentially being cursed, did not mention he possessed the drugs. Dave prayed to the Archeart, but they did not answer.

The party then rode north to Whitestone, arriving very late in the evening. Kilthor led them to an inn he knew in Dawnfather Square: the Golden Touch. The next day, Dave decided to seek out the Temple of the Dawnfather while Kilthor ran errands. Dave conferred with Priestess Shalon, the Human working to restore the destroyed temple to the sun god, and confessed that he had suude and shared his fears about the curse. Shalon used her divine magic to confirm that the suude only passes the curse when used, and that Dave was not cursed. She then took the suude to be destroyed and promised not to inform the Pale Guard. Dave, relieved, prayed to both the Dawnfather and the Archeart. Though the Dawnfather expressed gratitude for Dave's honesty, the Archeart still did not respond.

Though a little worried, Dave decided to focus on putting together his concert. He got a "spa day" at the local bathhouse and gave a performance at the Golden Touch.

### **A Betrayal of Trust**

When the party began to debate leaving Whitestone to investigate the contaminated suude from Stilben, Dave wanted to stay in Whitestone and organize his planned concert for the De Rolo family at Castle Whitestone. When it became clear that the party was determined to continue on, Dave decided to put his quest for fame and musical success first.

He started to part ways amicably with the party, but then after asking for his Ioun Stone ring back, he was shocked to learn that Soren had traded it away. An irritated Dave demanded the other ring as compensation, but Soren refused. When Dave tried to grab Soren's spellbook to force him to return the Ioun Stone, Qamar cast Command on him, mind-controlling Dave and forcing him to stop. Dave, horrified that Qamar would go to such extremes (and having traumatic recollections of a similar mind-controlling spell Alphonse had used on Dave), angrily parted ways with Lute Crate...turning what had been intended as a heartfelt farewell into a bitter parting-of-ways. Whether Dave ever intends to reunite with his fellow adventurers is unknown.

### **A Solo Act**

After the rest of the party departed Whitestone, Dave encountered Taryon Darrington.  Tary was very impressed with Dave's music and the two quickly became friends: swapping stories and fight songs.  Around the time that the party had reached Drynna, Dave had been invited to have dinner with Tary and his roommate: Lady Vex'ahlia, Baroness of the Third House of Whitestone and Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt.

### **An Unexpected Encore**

During one of her trips to Syngorn as Whitestone's ambassador, Vex invited Tary and Dave to accompany her. On the way back to Whitestone, Tary requested a detour to Stilben, so he could see where Vox Machina first adventured together. Little did Dave realize as Vex's ship pulled up to the docks, that his entire former adventuring party would be there at that same dock.

### **In The Heavenly Choir**

With Soren badly weakened and the knowledge that his father would soon arrive to attack the party, Gilgamesh decided to use his Cubic Gate to transport the party to another plane of existence. Dave hastily suggested whichever plane was the exact opposite of the Nine Hells, which Gilgamesh supposed would be Elysium. Though Blackbird wanted to go to the Feywild and Dave wondered if maybe Arborea (the Archeart's home) might be preferable, the Gate spell was finished and the entire party (along with Gilgamesh and Murrzur) was teleported to Elysium.

## **Biography**

### **Notable Items**

* V!rtuostaff
* Set List
* Grinner Mask
* Ruby of the War Mage
* ~~Ring with Ioun Stone of Protection~~ (given to Soren to be re-enchanted, traded for Ring of Three Wishes)
* brass signet ring of the White Duke
* ~~a small leather pouch with three bumps of suude~~ (destroyed by Priestess Shalon in Whitestone)
* Fremont family uniform (taken from Franklin)
* 4 flasks of holy water
* ~~Ioun Stone of Protection~~ (from the previous timeline)
* ~~Ring of Earth Elemental Command~~ (from the previous timeline)
* ~~Medallion of Thoughts~~ (from the previous timeline)
* Ioun Stone of Reserve
* Cape of the Mountebank
* Heward's Handy Haversack

### **Class Features**

Bard

* Spellcasting
* Bardic Inspiration
* Jack Of All Trades
* Song of Rest
* Expertise (Arcana and Performance)
* Font of Inspiration

College of the Maestro (Bard College)

* Hymn of Harmony (Armonia)
* Majestic Anthem (Maestoso)

Feats

* War Caster

### **Bard Spells**

Cantrips

* Vicious Mockery
* Minor Illusion
* Mage Hand

Level 1

* Healing Word
* Thunderwave
* Unseen Servant (named "Darryl, Jr.")

Level 2

* Blindness/Deafness
* Hold Person
* Invisibility
* Shatter

Level 3

* Major Image

## **Trivia**

* Dave's character is inspired by Scanlan Shorthalt from Critical Role, as well as Leliana and Z!ther from Dragon Age.
* Dave's alignment is Chaotic Good.
* During Qamar's Augury, Dave's card was "The Charlatan". It is unknown if he is also The Charlatan predicted in Qamar's first Augury reading.
* His theme song, "The Ballad of Dave V!rtuoso" is a parody of the real-life "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" by Walt Disney Records.
* The main reason the Emon Guard didn't believe Dave the first time he reported Alphonse's attempted assassination was because Dave and Alphonse were well-known for playing pranks on each other.
* Dave's false identity of "Jerry Reed" is the name of a real-life country music singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is best known for his role as Cledus Snow ("Snowman") in the 1977 film "Smokey and the Bandit", in which he co-starred with Burt Reynolds.