ToD Solo, Part 1: Creating Heroes

A new beginning for the Reign of the Tiamat

This is an account of my playthrough of Wizards of the Coasts campaign "Tyranny of Dragons"

I have attempted to run this campaign solo before. This is attempt two. 

Rolling new Characters, using Xanathar's Guide to Everything's This is Your Life Tables (Chapter1, page 61-73):
🎲 Character 1: Race: (4) Human | Class: (51) Fighter | Occupation: (78) Merchant
🎲 Character 2: Race: (94) Tiefling | Class: (64) Paladin | Occupation: (46) Farmer or Herder
🎲 Character 3: Race: (24) Human | Class: (40) Fighter | Occupation: (35) Entertainer
🎲 Character 4: Race: (8) Human | Class: (45) Fighter | Occupation: (92) Sailor

Making Sense of the rolls: This party consists of three Human Fighters and a Tiefling Paladin. The Fighters have different backgrounds that would rely heavily on travel. Merchants, Entertainers and Sailors tend to get around quite a bit. Perhaps they met in a Port Town where they also encountered the Paladin, who is a Farmer or Herder, which in itself is a curious combination. 
The Farmer or Herder does not directly correspondent with a background. I'll use the Folk Hero background for the Tiefling.

Rolling up names for each character using the tables from Xanathar's Guide to Everything, Appendix B:

🎲Character 1: Human Fighter, Merchant Background
Gender: Homebrew Table: [d10: 1-4 male, 5-8 female, 9 nonbinary, 10 DM's choice]: (4) male
Origin: [rolling 1d20, rerolling 17 or higher, cross-referencing the roll with the corresponding origin]: (9) Indian
Name: (48) Kashi

🎲Character 2: Tiefling Paladin, Folk Hero Background 
Gender: (2) male
Virtue name, yes or no?: (coin flip) Yes
Name: (48) Ignominy (means: public shame or disgrace)

🎲Character 3: Human Fighter, Entertainer Background
Gender: (10) female
Origin: (4) Egyptian
Name: (77) Pypuy

🎲Character 4: Human Fighter, Sailor Background
Gender: (1) male
Origin: (11) Mesoamerican
Name: (17) Cuauhtémoc

So our party consists of: 

• Kashi, the male human Fighter with the Merchant Background
• Ignominy, the male tiefling Paladin with the Folk Hero Background
• Pypuy, the female human Fighter with the Entertainer Background
• Cuauhtémoc, the male human Fighter with the Sailor Background

Given the fact that we have three fighters, we will need three different subclasses to keep it interesting. Because Tyranny was released early in the 5e-timeline I will limit myself to the Player Handbook when it comes to creating characters. The Player Handbook offers us three possible Archetypes: The Champion, the Battle Master and the Eldritch Knight so we'll be able to make use of all three. Or, if things get too boring, there is always multiclassing. But for action economy, three fighters are going to be interesting to say the least. 

I am printing out character sheets physically, because that will enable me to keep better track of turns and other goings on. I will also use a party inventory sheet to keep track of loot, which I will assume is always with the person who needs it at the moment unless that is not logical. 

Now we'll create the individual backstories, which will result in threads that I will need to keep track of during the campaign and try to fit into the module wherever I can. 

Character Backgrounds

Kashi

[Rolls with Xanathar's Guide to Everythings 'This is your life' Tables]
🎲Parents: (80) Kashi knows who his parents are or were

🎲Birthplace: (100) On an outer plane of my choice

🎲Siblings: (7)-(1) 3
🎲Birth Order: (9) Younger 
🎲Family: (19) Paternal or Maternal Grandparents
🎲Absent Parents: (2) His parents were imprisoned, enslaved or otherwise taken away

🎲Family Lifestyle: (6) Poor
🎲Childhood home: (53) Small house
🎲Became a Guild Merchant because: (3) One of his family members who belonged to the 

guild made a place for him
🎲Became a Fighter because: (6) He could always pick up just about any weapon and know how to use it effectively

🎲Age: (82) 42 years
🎲Life Events: (3) 3:

• 🎲(84)-(4) Kashi was ensorcelled by a fey and enslaved for ld6 (3) years before he escaped
• 🎲(36)-(6) Kashi made an enemy of an adventurer, though he was blameless for the rift. 
• 🎲(96) (52) (10) (10) The enemy is a Neutral Elf Wizard who is still alive and well
• 🎲(94)-(1) Kashi was rightfully accused of murder, but the authorities found him not guilty 

So this background makes a few things clear and also starts a few threads that will need to be fleshed out. Some of them will be easier to tie into this campaign than others. Now I will need one final roll, a plothook to connect Kashi to the campaign before I can start to make sense out of this character. I will roll on the table provided by the module itself: 

Plothook: 🎲(1) Leosin Erlanthar, a wandering monk, once saved your life. He's sent urgent word for you to meet him in a small town called Greenest. Looks like it's time to pay off that debt. 

Let's make a list of questions that need answering first: 

1. What plane was Kashi born on and how did he come to the material plane?
2. Why, by whom and where-to where his parents taken away? 
3. What Guild Does he belong to? 
4. Who is Kashi's enemy? 
   
5. Why did Kashi commit a murder and why did he get away with it?
6. From what fate did Leosin save Kashi? 

So, for question one and two let's look at the given information. One of Kashi's life events was that he was ensorcelled by a fey. This could mean that Kashi was born in the feywild. Perhaps his parents are still there?

The problem here is that the feywild has absolutely no connection to the campaign. Now, not every part of his background needs to be integrated into the module, so we can just decide that this part of his life is over and has left him with perhaps a minor feat and nothing else. The Fey Touched feat comes to mind immediately, however that is a feat that only came out in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything and I wanted to stick to DMG for this campaign at least. The closest I can come with that material would be the Magic Initiate feat, choosing the Druid background. This might also give him a possibility for multiclassing later on if we so wish it to be. 

The creativity has sparked, a story begins: 

Kashi's parents were druids that had made a life in the ever shifting lands of the fair fey. They were all under the spell of a fey ruler, serving them, enchanted in eternal bliss. When Kashi was born he was just a normal child, taking the strange quirkiness of his surroundings for granted. But when he grew up he realized that his family was in servitude and wanted to escape. His first attempt to escape was prevented and he was put under the same spell as his family for another three years. 

But one night, when a fey portal opened and the lord of his family stepped into the material plane with most of his court to dance beneath the light of Selûne, Kashi managed to break the spell and run, aided by a sympathetic Satyr. A traveling monk took him into his cart and hid him from the eyes of the pursuing satyrs and sprites that would otherwise have used force and magic to ensure he would never flee again. For this, Kashi is eternally grateful to the half-elf who also brought him to the closest town and helped him to find friends. 

Kashi sometimes thinks of his family, his mother and father and his siblings. But he knows they are living a timeless life of bliss with no desire to leave like he did. If they ever would call for his aid, he would come, but he has little hope. All he has kept after the time in the feywild is some minor druidic magic and a deep disdain against any form of forced dominance. 

Now, with three of the questions answered, we have three more to solve, but his druidic background would push him in the direction of someone dabbling in herbalism or alchemy perhaps, but he could also go into a total different direction. Given the fact that fey are vulnerable to iron, he might also have chosen to become an iron worker, an armorer or weaponsmith. This actually sounds like the logical choice for someone wanting to prevent any fey from reclaiming him. It's also a very valuable asset to any settlement. There is always work for a metalworker - if there is any metal to work with that is. 

Now, I feel like the murder and the enemy should be connected. Perhaps Kashi killed someone who was dear to his enemy. Given the fact that the enemy is an elf wizard, this might point towards another connection to the feywild. Perhaps the wizard had summoned a fey creature, who had become a more permanent servant or even companion. There is an elf wizard in the campaign. He is not true neutral but he might have been at one point...

Several years later we find Kashi in Waterdeep, working as a metal smith. Many years ago his parents lived here, before they departed to the Feywild. Some of his family still lives here and a cousin helped him with an apprenticeship at his families smithy, where Kashi excelled over the years to come. Because he is reliable and quick-working and has a specific skill with elven script and fine detailing he is hired by an elf named Dralmorrer Borngray, a supremacist who wants his shield and sword detailed with fey-inspired art. After - very reluctantly and disdainfully - admitting that despite Kashi's humanity he is probably the most skilled person to the job Borngray does not see Kashi again. Instead he sends his 'servant', a bound satyr to keep tabs on the progress. To Kashi's deep shock this satyr is the very same who helped him escape. Having been banished for the misdeed he had no choice but to find other employment. 

The satyr resents Kashi and threatens to inform their former master of his whereabouts. They struggle and in the fight Kashi kills him. He is arrested for it, coming clean about his crime. Borngray spews with rage at the quick trial, but Kashi finds a sympathetic council willing to listen to his story. Instead of death or incarceration he is sent to do hard labor for some years and banished from Waterdeep for life. 

On the day his punishment is over he receives a letter from his old friend Leosin, calling him to meet up at the small town of Greenest. Working as a blacksmith on the way and saving up for new armor and a simple weapon Kashi travels to the Greenfields, to meet up with his old friend. 

With this life behind Kashi we can determine the final details. I'll set his alignment at chaotic neutral. His morals would be confused and he has a strong sense of self-protection that is stronger than the law, but he does not appear to be evil. His by no way or form out for anarchy, but has a hard time fitting in with any organized civilization, especially if it involves a dominance. 

Personality traits: 

• I like to be appreciated for my talents and I am proud of them but I value my freedom and independence more than any amount of coin. 
• I am honest to a fault and I dislike deception and illusion. What you see is what you get with me and I expect the same from others. 

Ideal: Freedom. Everyone should be free to pursue his or her own livelihood. 

Bond: I owe Leosin my life. He has proven himself a loyal friend and I will do what I can to aid him

Flaw: I distrust anyone who uses enchantment magic or disguises and I reject using it myself, even if it would be in my benefit. 

This concludes the construction of Kashi's background. Now we need to fill in a few data, roll for attributes and decide on his gear, his feat and other details. 

🎲 Rolled Stats: 9, 12, 13, 13, 13, 14

Given that his focus would be on creating heavy metal armor, we'll go with a strength build fighter for Kashi. Making him a variant human allows us to increase two ability scores by 1. Let's go for constitution and strength in this case. His weakest ability would probably be intelligence because he'd have honed at least his insight and perception. So I'll go for:  

STRENGHT: 15 (+2) | DEXTERITY: 12 (+1) | CONSTITUTION: 14 (+2)
INTELLIGENCE: 9 (-1) | WISDOM: 13 (+1) | CHARISMA: 13 (+1)

As his second language Sylvan makes the most sense. 

From his background he is proficient in Persuasion and Insight as well as another language (Elvish) and a set of artisan's tools (Smith's tools). I'll forgo the starting equipment and roll for gold to buy equipment with instead.

🎲 Starting Wealth (5d4x10gp): 120gp

💰 Starting Equipment: Chain Mail, Shield, Battleaxe, Smith's Tools, Bagpack, Bedroll, Mess Kit, Waterskin, Tinderbox, 10 Torches, 2 Rations 
Total worth: Exactly 120gp, so Kashi is broke. I'll grant him a free set of common clothes because chainmail chafes on bare skin. 

At level 1 of the fighter class we get to choose a fighting style. I think that, because Kashi is or was somewhat paranoid about being pursued, and his main work revolves around armor, he'd go with defense, giving him a starting AC of 19 with his shield. 

As proficient skills I'll go with Athletics, because he has to be able to swing the hammer over a long period of time and with Perception because he is used to looking over his shoulder and carefully taking in his surroundings and the people in it. 

Of course he also gets the ability to use his second wind once per short rest to regain some health. 

Finally we need to incorporate his feat. With the Magic Initiate Feat Kashi gets two cantrips and a first level spell from the druid list. I'll go for two cantrips that would be of use to him in his daily work: Produce flame and Mending. His spell will be faerie fire, something to defend himself with. I'd guess he'd have learned it as a child to be able to counter the many creatures of the feywild capable of turning invisible. 

Finally, we need a portrait of our hero. I use heroforge and tokenstamp to create one:

Ignomini

[Rolls with Xanathar's Guide to Everythings 'This is your life' Tables]
🎲Parents: (16) Ignomini knows who his parents are or were.
🎲Tiefling Parents: (2) Both parents were humans, their infernal heritage dormant until Ignomini came along

🎲Birthplace: (12) Home

🎲Number of siblings: (1) none

🎲Family: (6) Guardian

    🎲(12)(67)(12)(8) Ignomini's guardian is a neutral halfling artisan or guild member who is still alive and well

🎲Absent Parent: (3) Ignomini's parents abandoned him

🎲Family lifestyle: (18) Aristocratic 

🎲Childhood home: (109) Mansion

🎲Became a folk hero because: (1) I learned what was right and wrong from my family

🎲Became a paladin because: (2) One of my ancestors left a holy quest unfulfilled so I intend to finish that work.

🎲Age: (81) 41 years

🎲Life Events: (2) 2

• 🎲(29) Ignomini fell in love or got married
• 🎲(9)(69)(74)(6)Ignomini's love interest is a neutral halfling laborer who is still alive but doing poorly due to injury, financial trouble, or relationship difficulties
• 🎲(46) Ignomini made  a friend of an adventurer
• 🎲 (5)(11)(36)(10) Ignomini's friend is a neutral evil human entertainer who is still alive and well

🎲Plot hook: (1) Leosin Erlanthar, a wandering monk, once saved your life. He's sent urgent word for you to meet him in a small town called Greenest. Looks like it's time to pay off that debt. 

Now this backstory practically writes itself. Not much thought needed. As I was rolling, the peaces just sortof fell into place. 

Before there was Ignomini, there was Balthazar, a young tiefling born to human parents. Abandoned after birth as an abomination he was taken in by the elderly leader of the glassblowers guild, a halfling named Xanni Undervale. She became his guardian and mentor, teaching him the art of glassblowing and giving him a name. His infernal heritage made him well suited to handling the hot glass and spending a lot of time nearby the blazing furnaces. The House of Crystal in Waterdeep was his home for many years. Xanni taught him about his blood's origin but also instilled within him the knowledge that he had a choice to act according to his blood or against it. Eventually she took him to a temple of Lathander, where he was to help install new stained glass windows and it was here that he fell in love with Linser, a simple groundskeeper and lamp-cleaner of the temple grounds. 

However, it was not to be. Despite the deep connection the two felt, Linser's family opposed the relationship and eventually forced the two apart, which broke both of their hearts. Balthazar fell unto hard times and spend too much time in the darker districts of the town, making friends with all kinds of unsavory types that eventually were to bring about his downfall. 

However, during his time at the temple of Lathander he had impressed a young half-elf who was spending some time in town, a man named Leosin Erlanthar. It was him who connected the tiefling's origin story and the birthmark he bore with a bloodline of humans who descended from a great seer of truths. This oracle had foretold that his descendants would one day halt a great evil that would rise from the Nine Hells of Baator. Wary of that prophecy his bloodline was later corrupted by devils from the very same hells, to prevent sufficient good from growing strong enough to foil any plan of the Archdevils. 

And now this bloodline had led to him. Clutching at these teachings, Balthazar joined the temple to learn about Lathander, choosing the virtue name Ignomini - disgrace - to always remind himself of who he was and what he wanted to ascend from. 

A part of his training was spending time doing menial work. Ignomini soon learned that he enjoyed spending time in the fields, tending the animals or helping out with working the fields. But he often ran into ignorance and intolerance at the sight of his red skin and horns. That saddened him but it also taught him the humility he needed to keep resisting the lure of his darker years. Even if one of his former friends several times attempted to convert him back to mischief and crime, Ignomini treated him with kindness but declined all offers. Eventually they lost contact. Because Ignomini also used the knowledge of good and evil to help others around him who had shared his darker years he became a beacon, a folk hero for the downtrodden who saw him as a sign of hope for those who wanted to better themselves. This filled him with pride and joy, he was on the right. 

Several years later Ignomini now has left the temple, only to be called to Greenest by Leosin Erlanthar. Apparently there is something going on there that might be the start of the tiefling's journey to fulfill the sacred quest bestowed upon his tainted bloodline. He said his farewell to Xanni and his brothers and sisters at the temple, donned his armor and made way to Greenest.  

With the background done, all I need to do is settle the details and make a sheet. Let's do that right away: 

Personality traits:

• No matter how much you insult me, you won't break my calm. I know what I am an and I know where I'm going.
• I feel comfortable making friends, but I won't let anyone get really close again. I don't want to get hurt again. 

Ideal: I want to fulfil my ancestor's prophecy to prove that I am worthy of a new name. 

Bond: Lathander has my faith and my loyalty. No matter how dark the night, the sun will rise in the end. 

Flaw: I am so convinced that I have a divine mission that I am blind in my faith and sometimes fail to see the mistakes and bad judgement calls I make. 

🎲 Rolled stats: 9, 10, 10, 12, 13, 14

As a classical paladin of the morninglord, Ignomini would try to fit the stereotype as much as possible, choosing gear that would work well with his god's preferred imagery and equipment. So like Kashi, he will favor heavy armor and use a shield and mace combination. So he needs high Strength to go with his higher charisma, that is once again boosted by his tiefling origin (+1 INT, +2 CHA). He does however probably see himself as a people person more than a studied man so he'd slightly favor wisdom over intelligence. Being in heavy armor most of the time and not being used to employing stealth, slight of hand or acrobatics, Dexterity will be his lowest attribute, leading to the following stats: 

STRENGTH: 14 (+2) | DEXTERITY: 9 (-1) | CONSTITUTION: 10 (0)
INTELLIGENCE: 11 (0) | WISDOM 12 (+1) | CHARISMA: 15 (+2)

Ignomini's background gives him proficiencies in Animal Handling, Survival and Land Vehicles which makes sense for someone who spend a lot of time as a shepherd and farmer. As tools he'll know how to use glassblowers' tools. Other proficiencies he'll choose would be Religion and Medicine. 

🎲 Starting Wealth (5d4x10gp): 130g
💰 Starting Equipment: Chain Mail, Shield, Morningstar, 4 Javelins, Backpack, Tent, Bedroll, Blanket, Lamp, 5 flasks of Oil, Mess Kit, Tinderbox, Waterskin, Hempen Rope, 10 rations, Soap, Traveler's clothes, Holy Symbol
Remaining funds: 7 gold, 5 silver and 9 copper

That's it, pretty straightforward. We don't get any spells except for the tiefling's Thaumaturgy. We'll add Divine Sense and Lay on Hands and create a suitable portrait for this neutral good Paladin. 

Pypui

[Rolls with Xanathar's Guide to Everythings 'This is your life' Tables]
🎲Parents: (23) Pypui knows her parents 

🎲Birthplace: (73) In a forest

🎲Number of siblings: (8-7) 7 siblings

🎲Birth order: 5 Younger Siblings, 2 Older Siblings

🎲Family: (16) Paternal or maternal grandparent(s)

🎲Absent Parents: (3) Pypui's parents abandoned her

🎲Family lifestyle: (9) Modest

🎲Childhood Home: (87) Large House

🎲Pypui became an entertainer because: (4) She saw a bard perform once, and she knew from that moment on what she was born to do

🎲Pypui became a fighter because: (6) She could always pick up just about any weapon and know how to use it effectively. 

🎲Age: (35) 25 years

🎲Life Events: (2) 2

• 🎲(18) Pypui gained a bit of good fortune
• 🎲(4) Pypui found some money, she has 🎲(18) 18gp in addition to her regular starting funds
• 🎲(42) Pypui made a friend of an adventurerer
• 🎲(13)(100)(88)(11)Pypui's friend is a neutral good human sorcerer who is still alive and well

🎲Plot Hook: (9) You and your family were members of the Cult of the Dragon, until your rivals in the cult arranged to wipe you out. Though they slaughtered your kin, you survived, but they think you're dead. Now is your chance for vengeance! Your hit list consists of three names: a human cultist named Frulam Mondath, a half-orc named Bog Luck, and a half-dragon named Rezmir. You have arrived in Greenest, knowing it's next on the cult's list of targets. 

So this background is a bit more complicated to make sense of. We got a few discrepancies and things we need to address:

• Pypui was abandoned by her parents and grew up in a large house with her grandparents, but she and her family were members of the Cult of the Dragon. How does that make sense?
• Always knew she would become an entertainer, but also always has a knack for weapons. 
• Who is the sorcerer who became Pypui's friend? 

So, we need to choose, which part of Pypui's family was part of the Cult? I think what would make the most sense would be that her parents were Cult Members, who left their child with her grandparents to protect her against whatever was happening on the inside at the time. 

Perhaps the siblings at her grandparents house weren't biologically her brothers and sisters, but other abandoned children. Perhaps one of them grew up to be a sorcerer. 
Then, at a later point in life, there is a return to the Dragon Cult and then the big plot. I think this leads to a logical story.

The big house on the outside of Waterdeep was known all around for its many children. The older couple who lived there had been taking care of orphans and other urchins for so long that no one knew any better. The children were half wild but polite, if noisy. One of them was Pypui. Her parents had left her with the older couple when she was a mere babe. She and another girl of the same age, Madeleine grew up together in the big house. 

Like their siblings they spend a lot of time on the streets of Waterdeep, playing war with other children, exploring abandoned houses and getting into all kinds of trouble. But at the end the day they had a save place to return to, which was much more than could be said of many of the poor souls they spend their time with. 

Early on, Pypui and Madeleine were drawn to the carnivals and markets. Pypui especially enjoyed the performances of bards and acrobats. 

"I'll be like that one day", she told her friend. 

"How? You can't carry a tune to save your life.", teased the other girl and then she turned and ran away from her annoyed friend, giggling frantically as Pypui chased her. 

But Madeleine had been right, Pypui had no musical talent. She was however extremely gifted with all kinds of tools and the improvised weapons the children used and their pretend fights. 

When it was time to learn a trade, Pypui's foster parents put her under the care of a horsegroom, where she learned to tend to the animals, keep the stables clean and maintain all equipment. Immediately she developed a fascination for whips, especially the cracking sound one could create with them. Over the years she saved up enough money to buy whips of her own, to crack and practice with and one day she started to perform her arts on a market and found that people liked it. Whirling, cracking and hitting targets with the subtle lengths of leather became a passion.

Meanwhile, Madeleine had discovered strange talents of her own. She was able to perform small sorceries and used those to great effect with the performances, creating smoke, sparks and thunder at a whim. 

But time had not stood still and one day the foster parents called Pypui into their room and told her the truth. Not only were they her foster parents, they were in fact her grandparents. Their own daughter had brought Pypui to stay with them. Of course the girl wanted to know more, to learn how and most of all why her parents had made this choice. The answer was a tough one to stomach. 

As her grandparents told her, Pypui's parents were part of a religious group, a sect or cult centered around the creation of undead dragons. They had not wanted their daughter in danger and had instead brought her to the safest place they knew. 

At first, Pypui was so mad at those unknown parents for abandoning her that she did not want anything to with them. But eventually, curiosity grew into longing. She left Waterdeep in search of her parents, bidding Madeleine farewell, making promises that one day they would see each other again. 

It would be a long and arduous journey and when she found them it was more through sheer chance than skill. The Cult of the Dragon had changed course rapidly and Pypui's parents had become recruiters for their cause. They were very persuasive and although she held some apprehension, Pypui agreed she would join up with the cult. Living Dragons seemed much more glamorous than undead ones to her and the idea of ruling over others appealed to a base desire she had not known she had before. 

Doubts and apprehensions did not disappear as Pypui became a member of the cult. She liked however that her skill with the whips - that she now also used in combat - was appreciated by all. Excerpting dominance over others was something she had known from the turf wars of her childhood but this was no pretend. It was brutal reality. Perhaps she would have lost those apprehensions in the end, were it not for a plot that had been brewing for a long time and came to conclusion mere months after her joining of the Cult. Her parents had been rising in rank and gaining important friends. A group of opposed, jealous cult members executed an assassination, killing her parents and their friends. Pypui escaped, wounded and orphaned after only having been reunited with the family she had never known she had. 

It is now a few weeks later and the wounds have healed. Pypui knows that the cult has a camp somewhere in the Greenfield and that at least one of the people responsible for her parent's deaths has been sent here. She has traveled to Greenest, rented a room in the local inn. And now, she waits. 

I am quite pleased with this story. Pypui is a nice, darker flavor of fighter. Let's create her details accordingly:

Personality Traits:

• I expect other to respect and if possible follow my opinions. I don't take "no" easily
• I love attention and being the center of it.

Ideal: I want to become famous, to be someone who matters. And I want to take down my parent's murderers while I'm reaching that goal.

Bond: My grandparents and siblings were key to me blossoming as a person. I protect children and elderly at all cost. 

Flaw: I have trouble accepting the guidance of others, or taking a step back to have others shine. 

🎲 Rolled Stats: 9, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16

Her background already states that Pypui is a whip-user. I want her to dual wield them, so she needs to be a variant human with the dual-wielder feat to make it possible, because whips are not light weapons. 

She'll use Dexterity as her main stat with Constitution as a second, because some extra HP might balance the lack of heavy armor. Social interaction would be her main fallback option, so Charisma will get a boost as well. The mixed experiences lead me to believe that she would be chaotic neutral, the lust for revenge tipping her ever so slightly into an evil direction. 

Now I imagine that she has weak strength and only average Intelligence, but Wisdom would be slightly higher, mainly based on the need for a bit of insight in a household with that many children. I'll put the bonuses in Intelligence and Wisdom.

STRENGTH: 9 (-1) | DEXTERITY: 16 (+3) | CONSTITUTION: 14 (+2)
INTELLIGENCE: 10 (0) | WISDOM 12 (+1) | CHARISMA: 13 (+1)

As fighting style I'll go with Two Weapon Fighting to maximize the effectiveness of the whips. As for skills, Pypui gets Acrobatics and Performance from her background, I'll add Stealth to that has her variant human Feat. From her class she'll take the Intimidation and Athletics skill. 

Having been with the Cult for some time, she speaks Draconic as a second language. 

🎲Starting Wealth (5d4x10gp): 80gp + 18gp from Life Events: 98gp

💰Starting Inventory: Studded Leather, 2 Whips, Dagger, Shortbow, Quiver, 20 Arrows, Backpack, Bedroll, Blanket, Mess Kit, Tinderbox, Waterskin, Ball Bearings, Hempen Rope, 10 Rations, 10 Torches, Drum. Common Clothes

Remaining funds: 2 gold

That's it for Pypui. She is a very different kind of fighter than Kashi. And of course, we need a nice portrait to go with this feisty lady: 

Cuauhtémoc

[Rolls with Xanathar's Guide to Everythings 'This is your life' Tables]
🎲Parents: (91) Cuauhtémoc knows who his parents are or were

🎲Birthplace: (33) Home

🎲Number of Siblings: (1) None

🎲Family: (8) Paternal or maternal aunt, uncle, or both, or extended family such as a tribe or clan

🎲Absent Parents: (2) Cuauhtémoc's parents were imprisoned, enslaved, or otherwise taken away

🎲Family Lifestyle: (9) Modest

🎲Childhood Home: (22) No permanent residence, Cuauhtémoc moved around a lot

🎲Cuauhtéloc became a sailor because: (1) he was press-ganged by pirates and forced to serve on their ship until I finally escaped. 

🎲Cuauhtéloc became a fighter because: (3) Horrible monsters descended on his community, killing someone he loved. He took arms to destroy those creatures and others of a similar nature. 

🎲Age: (2) 12 years

🎲Life event: (31) Cuauhtéloc made an enemy of an adventurer without his guilt. 

• 🎲Cuauhteloc's enemy is a (6) Neutral Evil (87) Half-Orc (92) Sailor who is now (4) missing or unknown

🎲Plot Hook: (2) When an orc raid drove your family from your home, the people of Greenest took you in. Anyone who threatens Greenest is your sworn enemy. 

So, this backstory is almost as easy to concoct as Ignomini's. It writes itself, more or less. 

Far away from the Swordcoast, on the continent of Maztica, Cuauhtémoc was born into his tribe of fishermen and sheepherders. It was a quiet, peaceful life in tune with nature and the spirits of the ancestors. That all changed, when a band of orc pirates plundered the village, killed many and led the survivors, amongst which the young Cuauhtémoc into slavery. 

However, the first mate of the ship, a half-orc, took a liking to the young boy. He saw a spark of magic in him and started to educate him. He wanted to instill the lad with loyalty and therefor gave him special privileges, food and a comfortable place to stay. However, Cuauhtémoc was a child of his tribe and remembered all deaths, and every family member that was sold into slavery. He saw his parents go and did not cry, vowing to survive and free them. 

He grew and learned more than a bit of magic, he also learned how to move on the deck of a ship and how to use the weapons of a pirate. He feigned loyalty, but instead his bright mind kept working on a plan. 

He was only ten when he managed to execute it, when the ship was anchored only a few yards off the coast of Faerûn. A dagger to the throat kills quickly, even if the victim is a weathered pirate captain and the killer a scrawny teenage boy. 

Cuauhtémoc set the ship aflame by throwing a torch into the oil-barrel of the cook and jumped over board, swimming from the soon ensuing inferno to safety. 

The shore was rocky, and when he managed to climb it he found himself in unknown lands. He walked until he found a road. He followed that until - parched from the heat and exhausted - he reached a little village called Greenest, where he collapsed. 

 

Two years later he has proven him self to the village. He is appreciated as a hunter and hard worker, despite his minute stature and his young age. He is more of a man than many others. From caravans and trades he coaxed all the information he could about slavetrade and pirates, which was very little. He made a few friends, mostly older people who took to the early wise boy and the captain of the guard, who sees him as a welcome addition to the militia. 

Never again has he heard about his parents, his tribe, his captors. He has considered leaving, but he has friends here, a new kind of tribe, where he is valued and where he feels at home. Unless evil comes here, Cuauhtémoc will remain at Greenest, where violence is far away. 

At first I hesitated adding a teenage boy to the equation. But this is medieval fantasy, and sometimes young boys can grow into men very early in their lives. His coming of age will go hand in hand with the progression of the campaign, and will make for interesting dynamics. 

Personality Traits:

• Despite my young age, I behave more like a stern, disciplined grown up. I seldom smile and appreciate game only as a reward after a hard day's work
• I do not find lying a bad thing. Pretending to be someone I am not is easy, and if it helps me do what needs to be done, it's the best choice. 

Ideal: I want to find my parents and my tribe again and free them from any evil that has befallen them. 

Bond: My loyalty is with the people of Greenest, who took me in and gave me a second home. 

Flaw: I am deeply mistrustful of half-orcs due to my past and sometimes I lie compulsively. 

🎲Rolled attributes: 9, 11, 12, 14, 14, 15

Since Cuauhtémoc is only a teenager, I imagine him being a dexterity based fighter rather than a strength based fighter. I want him to become the Eldritch Knight later on, so I'll also give him decent Intelligence and Constitution of course, but he'll be less strong. His weakest skill will be Wisdom, with Strength a close second. He is not an extremely charismatic person, but he lies a lot, so Charisma will be third. 

With the stats being what they are, I'll boost his Dexterity and Intelligence using his racial bonuses. 

STRENGTH: 11 (0) | DEXTERITY: 16 (+3) | CONSTITUTION: 14 (+2)
INTELLIGENCE: 15 (+2) | WISDOM 9 (-1) | CHARISMA: 12 (+1)

Cuauhtémoc's background gives him proficiency with Athletics and Perception, I'll use his Variant Human Race to give him proficiency in Deception and as a fighter he gains proficiency in History and Acrobatics. His preferred style of fighting would be Dueling, using a single cutlass/scimitar in combination with a shield to make up for his lack of heavy armor. 

As second language, I of course choose Orc. 

I also want his feat to already give him some magical abilities to foreshadow his later development as an Eldritch Knight. I will therefor give him the Ritual Caster Feat, granting him a book of Rituals that at Level One Enables him to cast Find Familiar and Identify. 

🎲Starting Wealth (5d4x10gp): 110gp

💰Starting Equipment: Leather Armor, Shield, Scimitar, Dagger, Light Crossbow, Quiver, 20 Bolts, Sack, Hammock (Bedroll), Blanket, Hempen Rope, Hooded Lantern, 3 flasks of Oil, Mess Kit, Tinderbox, Waterskin, Fishing Tackle, Materials to cast "Find Familiar" twice, Common clothes

Remaining funds: 16 gold, 2 silver and 9 copper 

Cuauhtémoc starts with ten silver less and his familiar, the grey rat Buddy already summoned. 

Threads:

At the end of each post, I will try to include a list of Threads that we are currently working on and their current state. 

• Free Kashi's family from the feywild. 
• Solve the hostility between Kashi and Dralmorrer Borngray. 
• End Kashi's Banishment from Waterdeep.
  
  
• Reconnect with Xanni Undervale, Ignomini's mentor, the guildmaster at Waterdeep's House of Crystal.
• Reconnect with Linser, Ignomini's former love interest in Waterdeep. 
• Attone for Ignomini's former past and - if possible - turn their friend away from crime. 
• Fulfil the prophecy of Ignomini's ancestors.
  
  
• Reconnect with Pypui's grandparents in Waterdeep.
• Reconnect wiht Pypui's childhood friend Madeline, who is now a sorcerer. 
• Punish the people who betrayed Pypui and killed her family (Frulam Mondath, Bog Luck and Rezmir).
  
  
• Free Cuauhtéloc's tribemembers and family from slavery.
• Resolve the conflict with Cuauhtéloc's enemy, the first mate of his former ship. 
• Protect the people of Greenest, who took Cuauhtéloc in.