Vanden du Argentfort

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Prince Vanden - official character art by Bee

## Additional Info

### Also Known As

Vanden Adrienus Diederik Florian du Argentfort (full name), Ren (the party), Renard de la Mer (alias), Lord Dorian Marquis (alias)

### Profession

Regent Prince of Mirrortail, Commodore of the Mirrortail Navy and the East Caldera Company, Margrave of the Glass Isle, Warden of the Eastern Shore

### Languages

Common, Orcish, Celestial, Goblinoid, Ancient Errani, Undercommon (learning in progress)

### Family

King Gerrit du Argentfort (Father), Queen Petra du Argentfort (Mother), Crown Prince Theun du Argentfort (Older Brother), Regent Prince Mattijn du Argentfort (Older Brother)

### Associations

Mirrortail Royal Family,The Weeping Eye (enemies; took a contract on his family), East Caldera Company (Caldera trade conglomerate), Wardens of Caldera, The Dawnbringers

## Appearances

### First Appearance

1x01 - "Converging Paths"

1x01 to 1x38

Vanden is an aasimar fighter/ranger multiclass, one of the four members of the Dawnbringers, created and played by R on Nyxrising's Life Of The Party.

Currently, as with the other player characters, Vanden is Level 7. He is a Battle Master fighter and an expert swordsman, as well as a recent Ranger multiclass. At the start of the *Origin of the Dawnbringers* series, he sets off from the coastal city of Mirrortail with the rest of the party, pursuing a cartography contract to chart the flooded hills and mangrove swamps en route to the legendary city of Sanskra. Vanden has experience with cartography and takes responsibility for completing the map.

Disguised as "Renard de la Mer" and always covering his face with a mask, Vanden states early on that he is seeking a mercenary company known as the Weeping Eye, although is reluctant to explain why.

**Warning: everything below this point may contain major and minor spoilers for the show!**

## **About Vanden**

#### **Appearance**

Vanden has fair skin and short ginger hair with streaks of white through it that appeared when an arcane brand was removed from his body. It used to be long and wavy, and was kept worn tied in a ponytail, although on a dare he cut the ponytail off when he was drunk.

In his Renard disguise, he kept his face covered at all times with a bronze mask and a neck scarf, and wore a black, hooded leather coat with separate red leather pauldrons crafted to look like feathers. He also had black gloves and black bracers with a red phoenix design.

Under the coat, he wore a shirt, chainmail, and a gambeson, with breeches and knee-length black boots with a tall heel.

In the city of Sanskra, Vanden has an outfit change and later appears without his mask in front of Sariel, Boblem and Astra. He is described by the DM as very handsome, with strong features, to which R adds that he is covered in "more freckles than not freckles." Renard has unnaturally bright blue eyes. His outfit changes when he sends his clothing for laundry at the Water Snakes bathhouse, to a silk shirt and capped sleeve blue doublet with corset ties at each side. From here, he changes between the two outfits frequently, only donning the hooded coat when he wants to keep a low profile, until he burned the disguise outfit on discovering a dark family secret.

After discovering his wings and tearing through his formal ball attire, Vanden realised he would need clothing that accommodated the physical changes. Cassian Thiarin took on the task of altering a new coat for him to have openings at the back that his wings could slide through. His new outfit comprises of a long, dark red coat, a black cloak and the arakhite plate armor he had custom made for his wings in Shadebourne by the blacksmith Phaesta, emblazoned with the golden sun emblem of the Dawnbringers.

Under his clothes, Vanden has small white feathers growing from his shoulder blades. He is heavily scarred across his shoulders and back, with magical damage from fire, acid and lightning. Between his shoulder blades and running all the way down his spine is a now-defunct arcane brand that was used to conceal his aasimar traits and modify his memories. When the magic was dispelled from the brand, it was left looking like an old scar.

#### **Personality**

Vanden is a headstrong, brash leader with a bad temper and an emotional coldness, but over time he has shown himself to be considerate, protective, and openly proud of the rest of the party.

Determined and calculated, Vanden keeps his thoughts to himself and acts how he sees is best, often without consulting others. He is eloquent and flattering when he needs to be, but can be equally scathing. He isn't used to credit for the good things he does, and so does them quietly without expecting anything in return - giving away money, goods, taking on extra work without a word. This kindness doesn't show itself in his personality when others don't make the effort to know him; he often comes across as cold-hearted and straight-laced for his bluntness and lack of sympathy.

He has a tendency to be arrogant and brazen without realizing it. When encountering an extreme emotion he will react in an extreme way; he tends to violence, vengeance, and a disregard for personal safety. He hates to be disrespected and has a short fuse when anyone does so, as he does when anyone suggests he is showing weakness or fear.

The closer he grows with the party, the warmer he becomes, although he reserves moments of emotional openness for private conversations and only to encourage and advise others; he rejects advice and counsel on his own situation and emotions. Instead he tackles his own problems with a logical approach and keeps others at arm's length. Despite all of this, Vanden has a playful and somewhat childish side that slips through on occasion, is very competitive, and capable of being fun when he very rarely allows himself to relax. He writes furiously in any spare moment he has, enjoys dancing, sparring, and has a very deep love of history and reading.

He clearly isn't used to a common lifestyle, clothing, or food, although he only complains light-heartedly and puts up with whatever the party have to deal with, be it living on adventurer's rations, sleeping on the ground, or getting filthy when dungeoneering, and is willing to tolerate anything to get ahead.

He has confessed to having a fear of water and has a serious aversion to being touched, which is almost always met with aggression or fear, even towards those who don't know his hatred of physical contact. Despite this, he is tactile with others from time to time, using touch to comfort Astra and Sariel, as long as it is on his terms.

Vanden also has a strange relationship with magic, displaying a deep wariness for it (refusing to let the others heal him or even clean his clothes) whilst possessing some skill in it himself. He admits to the magic manifesting recently, and not knowing its origin.

#### **Religion**

Vanden is deeply religious and is seen on multiple occasions making offerings to his gods or attempting to commune with them. Known gods that he worships are:

* Bahamut, the god of duty, justice and honour and Vanden's primary deity
* Melora, the goddess of nature and the sea
* Avandra, the goddess of change, luck and safe travel

He also has extensive knowledge of the goddess Kord, although he admits she is not one of his personal gods.

#### **Equipment and** **Key Possessions**

Vanden has a navigational compass that he keeps on his person at all times.

He previously fought with a rapier sword, which is revealed to be an important family heirloom - he sends Jocelyn D'Fabron away with the sword in as definitive proof that he is 'dead', exchanging it with hers.

He carried a dagger until leaving it as a good faith offering to Captain Kenrah, and was then gifted another by Pebble, although offered this one to Astra shortly before facing off with the Weeping Eye in the abbey near Bramley's Nook.

He carries a well-read book of philosophical poetry by an Arakhian poet named Rayegan. He also carries a large amount of writing paper, a number of letters and important papers kept in leather binding, at least one of which is proof of his real identity as a royal heir.

## **Vanden's False Identity**

For a long while, Vanden disguised himself as Renard de la Mer, a mercenary.

Renard kept his identity close to his chest for some time, keeping his face covered. He told Astra that he was wanted somewhere and didn't want to be "under scrutiny", and later revealed (falsely) that he is from a military city in the mountains called Shadebourne, though he admitted this is untrue shortly before it is exposed as a cover-up to his true identity.

Despite his desire to maintain anonymity, Renard was quick to offer up his secrets in an attempt to protect the party when a second arrest was threatened by the city guard of Sanskra. In an attempt to resolve the situation, he requested the guard let his friends go and arrest him, but when this doesn't work, he turned their attention to the scroll in his bag that he asked Sariel to protect for him - the contents of the scroll confirmed that Renard was actually the regent prince of the Royal Family of Mirrortail, and his real name is Vanden du Argentfort. This did not work as intended - it became apparent that the city of Sanskra had no problem attacking a foreign monarch, and later, his exposed secret put the party in danger when they were pursued by the assassin Verran Greywood who they'd met in Sanskra and she used his identity to trick them.

He kept his name and place of birth concealed from the rest of the party for as long as possible, revealing his face to them in time, although he kept even this hidden from Cassian for as long as possible, as Cassian was able to instantly recognise him as the prince of his own city when his mask was finally removed.

## **Hidden Form**

After Verran Greywood attempted to assassinate him and threw him from the balcony terrace at Valentinian's estate, Vanden's aasimar form was revealed - his whole body giving off a glow of light, his hair gold, and two huge, copper feathered wings sprouting from his back. Unlike other protector aasimar, his wings are corporeal instead of made of light, for reasons the party have yet to uncover although it is suggested during research on celestial creatures that his celestial ancestor is a Solar, rather than the more common Deva. 22ft in wingspan, they are described as heavy, and when first using them he struggled to remain upright under the weight of them when they went slack after a minute of use. He has since learned to use them for longer periods under duress, and can fly for a few minutes without running out of energy.

The wings emerged protruding from two huge wounds at his shoulders where they had physically pushed from his skin. Where they ripped his shirt, the rest of the party were able to identify burn scars across his back, both 'heat and chemical', and three arcane sigils down his spine, branded into his skin. The sigils are for the schools of transmutation, enchantment and illusion, supressing his memories of what he is and his ability to be reached via dreams by his celestial guide, the arcane abilities of his true form, and disguising the physical traits that would identify him as non-human.

After the party were able to dispel the magic from these sigils, the scars remained but Vanden's true aasimar appearance showed at last. His freckles glow whilst his wings are active, his eyes taking on an even brighter shade of blue, and a scattering of feathers protrude from the skin of his upper back and shoulders at all times. Following the ritual they undertake to dispel the magic, Vanden's hair gains a few streaks of white in it. R has commented that this is due to stress, part of a real condition known as Marie Antoinette syndrome.

## **Relationships**

#### **The Dawnbringers**

Cassian

When they first met, Cassian was extremely antagonistic towards Vanden, and Vanden clearly didn't approve of his attitude. Cassian was the first to learn Vanden hated to be touched, after deliberately antagonising him by grabbing his shoulder. However Vanden could be seen running to aid and protecting Cassian when he was in danger on multiple occasions, some before they'd ever shared a pleasant word. Despite this, whilst travelling in the Mangrove Swamps, Vanden told Cassian he was the one person who didn't belong in the party, and refused to shake his hand when offered it. This dismissiveness was directly contradicted by his attitude when discussing the consequences of their arrest in Sanskra, when Vanden told Cassian quite firmly that he wouldn't let anything happen to him or Astra. Whilst still in Sanskra, Cassian told Sariel he got a thrill out of riling Vanden up.

Their butting of heads continued beyond Sanskra, culminating in an argument after Cassian found out Vanden was a prince in which Cassian told him he was "sick of sucking up to rich people" and left him stranded in the dark alone in a dangerous part of the woods. This argument was an unexpected turning point for their relationship; Cassian admitted to Sariel he'd made the wrong choice, and the next day Vanden acted more comfortably and playfully around Cassian without discussing their fight. They fought well together in the pyramid, with Cassian taking orders from Vanden for the first time, and being the first to check on him after he was cursed. Cassian told Vanden, "I've got your back" to which Vanden was quite perplexed and dismissive.

The following night, he opened up to Cassian for the first time and asked him some questions about magic, admitting some things about his own apparent abilities. He still rejected Cassian's offer to comfort him with physical touch, but their relationship seemed pleasant for a while after. Before they arrived in Lakeside, Cassian sought Vanden's assistance in shopping for a sword, and Vanden ended up paying for it for him, requesting only a favour in return, which he has yet to call in.

Their ceasefire did not last, and in the climax of a violent argument regarding his social status and his parents, Cassian kissed Vanden unexpectantly. Vanden kissed him back but quickly retreated and began to ignore him, especially as his real identity was revealed the very next day as Cassian's prince. The two of them somewhat resolved the situation a few days later with a sparring session and a brief conversation in which Vanden asked Cassian why he kissed him, and Cassian admitted that he wanted to, and that he wasn't angry Vanden got aggressive with him (in fact, he liked it, and he liked flustering Vanden now he could see his face at last.) Cassian again told Vanden he had his back, and this time Vanden responded "I've got yours."

Whilst their relationship remains up and down, with Cassian still seeming to rile Vanden up without much effort, the two have shared moments of vulnerability and Vanden has seemed to take some solace in Cassian's company. Cassian has shown an increasing level of care for Vanden's well-being, whilst Vanden largely remains aloof.

Sariel

Vanden and Sariel did not initially get along. In early episodes he twice made comments or asked questions that she shut him down over and after Sariel showed signs of stress in Sanskra and Vanden grabbed her, this seemed to create further animosity between them. However, their opinion of each other has been seen to change over time. After facing the Weeping Eye for the first time in the ruined abbey, Vanden confesses to Sariel that her attitude towards helping him with his urgent quest has changed his opinion on her and that he could see her as a powerful military figure one day, perhaps even his second in command. He notes that she could do with more restraint as a fighter, and she agrees. Sariel admits that she misjudged him in the beginning and has come to realise she was wrong about the kind of person he is. They joke that they better not talk for too long before they let anyone think that they're friends.

After reaching Shadebourne, Vanden confides in Sariel that he is looking forward to going home to Mirrortail after retrieving the information to clear his name, and she admits that they'll miss him. He asks her advice on what to do about Kahnym. He becomes the second person to see her scarred skin, and is kind to her about it, later giving her his enchanted signet ring on several occasions to disguise her scars when she has no choice but to show her skin.

Over time, the two of them have come to be extremely close in ways that the other party members are not - Sariel is the only person Vanden is comfortable with constant physical contact from, and in return she regularly allows him to touch and hug her, finding solace in their mutual fear of being touched. The two have shared a bed for the physical closeness on multiple occasions. He is quick to support her physically and emotionally, and she is always there to support him in return. He is also shown to be very protective of her, leaping into action to defend her against anyone who harms her in battle despite the fact he knows she is capable of protecting herself.

Astra

Vanden has shown kindness to Astra, giving Astra his leather coat for protection early on, and telling him he respects his choice not to fight. Vanden reassures Astra that it was not his fault what happened with the dryad, and later when Cassian calls Astra naive Vanden defends him.

Astra is the first person Vanden chooses to have physical contact with, hugging him and telling him he's proud of him after his tactics play a large hand in the party beating the undead Yuan-ti in the pyramid, a fight in which Vanden had to hang back due to being struck with an undead curse.

In Lakeside Astra asks him if he can undo the armour he bought in Sanskra, as he doesn't know how to take it off and has been stuck in it for several days. Astra gives him advice that he shouldn't keep his feelings to himself, which Vanden later turns around on Astra when the tiefling isn't willing to talk about how he's feeling. They seem to share a mutual respect and friendship that doesn't need to be labelled to be accepted.

Over the time they've travelled together, Vanden has been shown to take interest in Astra's vastly different opinions on the world, both guiding him and enjoying teasing him over things he doesn't know, such as how to use a bank. He has offered advice on matters of moral uncertainty, explaining how he can justify raising a weapon against other people - because for people, being cruel and violent is always a choice, and Vanden will protect what is his - and being patient with Astra's lack of understanding of religion, encouraging him to accept his purpose as Melora's Green Knight. In return, Astra is a constant source of support for Vanden in matters of emotional uncertainty, using his unique perspective to give Vanden clarity on things he struggles with due to the heavy expectations he's been burdened with by society. The two are very close, with Vanden considering Astra a close friend and the first person in the party he grew attached to.

#### **Key Characters**

Jocelyn D'Fabron

Captain Jocelyn D'Fabron is the commander of Vanden's family's royal guard and is the one who taught Vanden a lot of what he knows about fighting with a blade. He alludes to her in the previous episode as being someone he used to share his thoughts and feelings with, before coming to believe she was dead. Vanden collapses to his knees when he realizes that Jocelyn is alive, and enters a fugue state in shock. Jocelyn has known Vanden since he was a child and exhibits a deep connection with him, although he refers to her formally most of the time. On a few occasions and when parting ways, Vanden calls her 'Joss', and he hugs her despite his hatred of physical contact.

Aerenthias Van Wymarck

Although they haven't met before, Aerenthias Van Wymarck appears to somewhat recognise Vanden even with his mask on, and Vanden recognises Aerenthias as a privateer based on his uniform. The two share obvious military respect, with Aerenthias giving him a naval salute and addressing him by rank when asked to. At first, Vanden appears wary for Aerenthias' reasons for helping them but is easily satisfied by the answer that Aerenthias is doing it for Jocelyn's sake.

Aerenthias admits to having sailed under Vanden's family colours in the past, but not anymore. When saying goodbye, Aerenthias teases that he is not going to kiss Vanden's signet ring and that Vanden is not his prince anymore.

Gerrit du Argentfort

Gerrit du Argentfort was the late King of Mirrortail and Vanden's father. He reigned as monarch of the Glass Isle and all of Mirrortail's territories. Little is known about him, other than that he was killed by the Weeping Eye during the siege on the palace four months prior to the series starting. This information is revealed to Vanden by Varhys the Pup, who gleefully tells the party that the king "made many bellies fat" when he was fed to the mercenary company's hyenas to transform them into gnolls.

Petra du Argentfort

Petra du Argentfort was the Queen of Mirrortail and Vanden's mother. Not much is known about her other than the way she died, her neck "snapped like a twig" by Kahnym Whitehide of the Weeping Eye. When Vanden was found alive in the castle after the siege, he was accused of orchestrating the attack and of killing Queen Petra, and for a time couldn't remember enough about the event to deny that it could have been him that delivered the killing blow. Petra's name hasn't been said in the series but has been confirmed in the official Discord server by R.

Theun du Argentfort

Theun is the Crown Prince of Mirrortail and Vanden's oldest brother. He is heir to the throne following their father's death, but his whereabouts are currently unknown, as he has been missing since the siege on the palace. Considering the fate of his father, there is a possibility Theun was also killed during the attack, and that Vanden simply didn't know. However when questioned about him, Varhys the Pup confesses that he doesn't know who Vanden is talking about despite having direct information about the King.

Mattijn du Argentfort

Mattijn is the middle son of Gerrit and Petra, and current ruling Regent monarch of Mirrortail in the absence of the Crown Prince. Not much is known about him other than that he was heading to Arakhis on a diplomatic trip ahead of the siege on the palace, having taken a third of the Royal Guard with him, and was attacked at sea by the Weeping Eye. When raiding the Weeping Eye's base in Shadebourne, the party acquire the contact ordering the siege on the palace and find Mattijn's name signed at the bottom, with a smear of blood.

**Lockwood**

When he is reunited with Jocelyn, Vanden asks after someone by the name of Lockwood, who Jocelyn confirms has been seen around the palace in Mirrortail following the attack. Lockwood is mentioned again in a memory as someone Vanden trusted and went to for help with his fear of open water, before later being seen by the whole party in a vision in Velathra. The vision supposedly showed a deep-seated desire of Vanden's, which involved Lockwood joining them and bending the knee to Vanden before the prince set his brother Mattijn alight. R has specified in a Q&A that Lockwood is a Lord and a member of Vanden's father's court, as well as a close friend to the princes.

**The Privateer**

Still unnamed, Vanden's vision in Velathra showed a figure from his past that he was intimate with. The man is described simply as 'a tall, dark figure in clothing less formal than the other guests [at the ball in the vision], expression shadowed by the wide brim of his cavalier hat, warm brown hair falling to his shoulders'. The two slip through the palace and share a kiss on a private terrace. Vanden confirms this to be a past lover of his, who he has not seen in quite some time even before the seige on the palace of Mirrortail. The vision created some tension between Vanden and Cassian, but this was quickly overshadowed by the events of Velathra as a whole.

#### **Mentioned Characters**

Vanden has distant relatives in the city of Riven and visited there as a child. He later names one of these relatives as Lord Dorian Marques, whose name he adopts as a disguise when arriving in Shadebourne. Marques seems to have some association to a Goliath man who Vanden requests Cassian disguise himself as in an unsuccessful attempt to pass through the gates to the fifth tier of the city without documentation.

## **History**

#### **Background**

Vanden the third born son of King Gerrit of Mirrortail, and is commodore to Mirrortail's navy and the trade conglomerate and privateering company, the East Caldera Company, as well as Margrave to the Glass Isle and Warden of the Eastern Shore. He has two older brothers - Theun is the oldest, and therefore heir to the throne.

It is revealed in the Shadebourne arc that Vanden's body was transmutated by some form of arcane seal when he was 8. He is aware of this, and keeps the scars hidden with an enchanted signet ring that hides any scars on his skin. After the party find out about it, they learn from him that it was his father who did it to him, and that the different arcane seals stand for enchantment, transmutation and illusion, to hide and restrict the physical attributes of his race, and hide the knowledge of it from his mind, as far as to eliminate any memories of what he is and of other aasimar after he learns of them.

He is on the run from Mirrortail after escaping imprisonment by his older brother Mattijn, who accused him of treason after the palace of Mirrortail (known as the 'Silver Fortress') was sieged by hired mercenaries the Weeping Eye. Vanden claims to have broken memories of the attack, and at the time of explaining this to the party, he wrongly believed that he may well have murdered his own mother. He later learns that her execution was carried out by the leader of the Weeping Eye, a white-furred gnoll called Kahnym. He was imprisoned for 3 months under the palace, until his escape was aided by a number of his loyal staff. Their fates remain unknown.

Jocelyn and Vanden have much contradictory information about the siege to share between them, with him believing his brother and father are missing, and Jocelyn having been lead to believe they were resting at the palace to recover from injuries. He learns in Dawnbringers Origins - 1x26 when interrogating a Fang of the Weeping Eye that his father was instead killed in the attack, and fed to the Weeping Eye's hyenas. The Fang appeared not to have heard anything about his older brother Theun, heir to the throne.

Vanden and Jocelyn have a parental relationship, and he admits that she played a hand in raising him and taught him much of what he knows with a sword. She tells the party that when he was 8 he had an interest in pirates, and the two of them played make-believe where Vanden would dress as a pirate hunter, and Jocelyn as a pirate called 'Calico Joss'.

Much of Vanden's life appears to consist of patchy memories, as he explains he has had a memory problem for as long as he can remember.

He mentions that he has extended family in the city of Riven, one of whom is a cousin called Lord Dorian Marques.

When Vanden was 14, he had a mapmaking apprenticeship (he states that he was considered a man at 14 where he is from) and enjoys mapmaking now for the nostalgia.

#### **Dreams**

Two nights after leaving the pyramid when staying in Wilson's Landing, Vanden began experiencing dreams and nightmares that appear to be memories. Some of these are whilst sleeping, others are waking nightmares and visions that prevent him from getting rest.

Although these dreams and visions are unclear, most seem to share a common theme of agony and hurt, and another person who has not yet been fully described beyond wearing robes and having ice blue eyes. These often leave him with a lingering burning feeling in his back even after waking.

Vanden tells the rest of the party that he has no memory of ever dreaming in his life before these began.

His dreams become more intense in the days following Velathra, leading to visions that seem somewhat prophetic whilst in Farrelstadt. Vanden mentions that what he's seen gives him the impression 'something big is coming' in the days ahead.

#### **Pre-Series**

Vanden met Astra, Boblem and Elyse on the docks in Farrelstadt, where they were caught up in a scheme by pirates to blow up the city's black powder reserves and subsequently stopped it and saved the city. They later met Cassian and Sariel outside the Giggling Squid Tavern.

In Farrelstadt, Vanden received information from Captain Elio Kolz on another mercenary company he is tracking down, called the Weeping Eye.

After aiding the defence of Farrelstadt from a pirate attack, Vanden traveled across the sea with Astra, Boblem, Cassian and Sariel to Mirrortail, where he parted ways with Cassian, Sariel and Boblem, and he and Astra were reunited with Elyse. The three of them met with the Cartographer's Guild in order to take a contract to map an uncharted part of the continent of Caldera, between Jennicks Village and the city of Sanskra. Following this, they freed a Guard Drake that had been captured by a local nobleman in Mirrortail, Lord Komo, causing the city guard of Mirrortail to pursue them.

#### **The Story So Far**

From the opening of the first episode of The Rising Dawn: The Lost City of Velathra -

“My name is Prince Vanden Adrienus du Argentfort, Commodore to the East Caldera Company, Warden of the Eastern Shore, and third son of King Gerrit of Mirrortail. Six months ago, the palace of Mirrortail was besieged by a company of mercenaries known as the Weeping Eye. The king and queen were killed and the crown prince vanished, and with no one else alive, my older brother turned the blame on me. Escaping the palace and disguising myself as the mercenary Renard, finding my memories of the siege fading from my grasp, it was chance that led me to the people who I now travel with:

Verdant Astra, a tiefling musician from the Riveni forest in the far west who won’t bring harm to any living creature. Since chosen as a champion by the Wildmother Melora, Astra seems in search of something, although we do not yet know what.

Sariel of Sehanine, a elven druid devoted to the Moon Mother with an unspoken past that has marked its pain on her mind and skin alike. Her running led her into our company, and now she spends her waking hours training in the art of foresight, divining our future paths.

And Cassian Thiarin, a merchant tailor from Mirrortail with a penchant for the ocean and a sharp and judging tongue. He wields a mysterious magic that makes me wary but in battle, there is no one else I’d want beside me more.

Together with a farmer named Boblem and the arcane researcher Elyse, we made our way through the flooded hills and mangrove swamps of the eastern shore and north to the mountain city of Shadebourne, tracking the Weeping Eye back to their base there. In the depths of their archives, we discovered a copy of the contract taken against my family - signed by none other than my brother Mattijn.

The following days only wrought more devastation. The lowest tiers of Shadebourne were under attack by a shapeshifting murderer and we found evidence of the Weeping Eye working with the governor to attack the cities of the Underdark beneath the mountain. Then, at the annual ball of Haitius Valentinian, an assassin from the city of Sanskra caught up with us seeking revenge. Verran Greywood brought me to the point of death and threw me from the terrace, two hundred foot towards my doom. By some innate gift of divinity, I survived, and so emerged another Argentfort secret: I discovered my heritage as an aasimar, subjected to cruel experimentation through my youth to repress my knowledge of it and change what I was. Our party completed a tentative ritual to undo the magic that kept me trapped inside my own body and together, we brought the murderers to justice and liberate Shadebourne from their corrupted government. We were named then The Dawnbringers of Shadebourne, and henceforth set off in pursuit of a mad mage on the frozen eastern shore, inspired by what we had been able to achieve as a group.

More than twenty dawns have passed since then, and our numbers have dwindled as Boblem and Elyse each went their own ways, leaving our party uncertain of where the future would take us, or if we would even remain together. We find ourselves now setting up camp in a forest just south of the Frozen Plains known locally as the Watcher’s Woods. With the guard of Watcher’s Respite seeking aid, we have agreed to travel together one last time.”

## **Trivia**

Trivia about the characters has been shared via public Q&As viewable on the shows instagram. The following facts have been shared about Vanden:

* His favourite food is chocolate dipped madeleine cake and dolmades from Erran.
* He largely learned to sword fight on his own with a carefully selected sparring partner
* He was not a rebellious teenager and believes working at 14 instilled good discipline.
* At home, his hobbies were reading history and mythology books and poetry, and riding.
* He takes care of his hair with rosemary, coconut oil and cold water.
* He has played the piano for 12 years.
* Several summers growing up were spent in Erran at the Argentfort summer home, where he had a very close hobgoblin friend who later disappeared without a trace. This hobgoblin's name is Vanon Zorkan and features in the work-in-progress backstory novella *The Prince & the Lionheart.*
* He kept a room at the Mirrortail docks away from the palace.
* If he could change his appearance, he would be taller with no freckles.
* His nickname for Mattijn is 'Matti'.
* His fondest memories of his brothers are sitting on Theun's bed as a child and practising reading to him, and a time Mattijn came to Vanden's defense at a party and put them down in an impressive display of wit and words.
* He used to follow Mattijn around trying to imitate him.
* He really enjoys romance novels, the more unrealistic and sappy the better.
* Both his brothers are proficient spellcasters.
* Lockwood is a couple of years older than Mattijn and has been with his family since Vanden was a child.

## **Technical Information**

#### **Known Proficiencies**

* Tool Proficiencies: Water Vehicles, Cartography Tools
* Simple and Martial Weapons (from Fighter)
* Darkvision (as of Dawnbringers Origins - 1x26)

#### **Fighter Abilities**

* Action Surge
* Second Wind
* Battle Master Maneuvers
	+ Commander's Strike
	+ Distracting Strike
	+ Feinting Attack
	+ Precision Attack
	+ Restraining Strike

#### **Other Abilities**

* Aasimar
	+ Healing Hands
	+ Light
	+ Radiant Soul
* Magic of Unknown Origin
	+ Chaos Bolt
	+ Green-Flame Blade
	+ Fire Bolt
* Ranger Spells
	+ Hunter's Mark
	+ Zephyr Strike
	+ Alarm
	+ Goodberry