It isn’t easy being as gifted as I am, despite people telling me that I have it easy. Sure, my looks and charm can turn even the most stubborn lass into a companion and sure my wits allowed me to win numerous tinker competitions ever since I was able to carve stone, steel and whittle tools back in my cavern home decades ago. Yet despite my gifts for academics and tools something deeper lurked within me, something of a calling that made me realize I could alter and bend reality without studying a spellbook. My inner power kept getting stronger the older I got and when I was 16 my skin started manifesting what I later learned was a distant draconic bloodline in my family. My skin became scale like and harder than my peers skin, it took on a copper like color and texture. My mother was ashamed and was disgusted, I was the first one in our bloodline in 350 years to have the draconic ancestry manifest and they were not proud at all. I did some digging and paid a few people to research my ancestry and learned that nearly 2 millennia ago that my great, great, great uncle Thoodur Migglepudd once befriended a cooper dragon named Ishyntalla. They were nearly inseparable and best of friends exploring and mapping the countryside, apparently the lady dragon fell in love with my Thoodur and when a deity came touched by their love he offered her the chance to become a Gnome in exchange for losing her dragonhood. She took the deal and within a year she birthed their child and the draconic blood still lingered even though she was shape-changed. I learned that tragically she only survived a few years before being felled by a mighty fire giant, my great uncle fought by her side until the bitter end for both of them.
This story shook me, and rather than be embarrassed by my ancestry I embraced it. I learned that I had a gift for charm, gab, influence and persuasion. Combined with my vast intellect I learned how to get what I wanted and quite often, by the time I was 36 my peers however were tired of me getting my way, arguments, contests, competitions, lawsuits, judgements, the town simply didn’t want me around anymore. Politicians saw me as a threat due to my popularity and husbands grew jealous, even when I had no bad intentions. I left, and decided that dwarves would be a good mark, they weren’t very impressed with gnomes so I thought I could blend in better without having too much influence or causing too much distraction.
I quickly learned that despite my charms and wits, I got into confrontation a lot, but I was always disadvantaged, while my mind and soul were sharp and bright, my muscles were withered compared to most and I was weaker than average. I would tire from just carrying 40 pounds or more for too long, and I was simply not a good climber having lost my strength and fell once breaking an ankle and needing a whole month of bed rest to heal. I learned alchemy and quite well, as well as my magic manifested what you would call cantrips and I specialized in acids, poisons in both magical form and alchemical form. Illusions and charm spells came from my blood, I could literally invent sound, visuals and tell a scene. I could make an entire tavern of patrons fall asleep, or I could make even someone wishing to do me harm reconsider and buy me a drink instead. I didn’t manipulate people for ill intent, though I quickly learned I could take advantage of people. This consideration led me think about how many others take advantage of people in different ways, and I saw how nobles, merchants and high born royals treated commoners and peasants. They took advantage of debts, servitude and when they had so much wealth instead of lifting up others they instead hoarded like misers and looked down on those less fortunate. I therefore decided I would help give back and if not humble those in seats of power and authority, then at least make their pockets a little less heavy.
I used illusions, lock picking, thievery, sleep and charm to distribute thousands of gold from wealthy pig headed patrons, distributing it to farmers in need, orphans and those who had noble intention. I stole enough to fund an entire group of Dwarven midwives with enough tools, trade and supplies so that they could make sure every birth in the further reaches of the city was tended to and cared for. It was while on one of my sessions that I met a kindred soul, a purrfect (get it, he is a Tabaxi) companion you would say. He was graceful, fast, and while I could charm someone or distract them, his paws were so quick he could relieve coinpurses and pockets of gems without them even noticing while he was standing right in front of them. We were a perfect pair and he I learned lost his parents, he loved helping the unfortunate and making the righteous pay. We didn’t start conflict, but if we weren’t successful in our relief efforts by skill alone, we weren’t afraid to get dirty though I rarely if ever got into melee conflict due to my physique. When I was cornered, I used my deft and graceful speed to use my dagger to max efficiency, but I preferred to let my crossbow do the talking if my spells or words didn’t succeed, and I coated my quarrels with poison to help seal the deal when I really wanted to make someone pay.
Am I evil? I don’t think so, or if I am, then I commit evil acts in an effort to right wrongs and do good. I don’t bother with philosophy, but I believe that everyone can use a helping hand. Now, I do keep a share of the profits to help continue my own adventures, but I don’t keep enough to get rich yet. Who shall be my next target, and which sad case is my next beneficiary?
This was a D&D Character background I created for a Gnome Sorcerer who specialized in enchantment and illusion spells. His companion was a Tabaxi Rogue.
