Description of the personal characteristics of Rodan.
Personality Traits
I’m driven by a lust to explore that led me away from home.
I watch over my friends and family as if they were a litter of newborn pups.
Ideals
Greater Good. It is each person’s responsibility to make the most happiness for the whole group/clan.
Bonds
My family, clan, or friends are the most important thing in my life, even when they are far from me.
Flaws
I am too enamored of ale, wine, and other intoxicants.
Rodan grew up in the dwarven village of the Thundershield clan, high in the Orsraun Mountains far from any other civilization. There he helped his father brewing beer, and helped protecting the village. He liked exploring the mountains, and sometimes he was away for days or weeks because he enjoyed the solitude of being the only thinking creature for miles in any direction. Or just because he was lost, but Rodan would call it 'discovering new places'.
When he reached his adulthood he started to travel in the mountains more and more. Searching for new undiscovered places, and remnants of forgotten places. The mountains are in his blood, and he will always find a way to survive. He never stays in cities for long, and loves travelling in and under the mountains.
Every now and then he makes friends in his travels. When he was 85, he met a group of Gnomes that were searching for an ancient artifact located far beneath the mountains in an old and forgotten gnome kingdom. Rodan joined and helped them during a period of about 2 years. In that time he learned the Gnomish language and also learned a lot about magic and its powers from the 2 wizards in the group. Magic interested him more and more. With a lot of practice and help he also learned to use magic himself. But he committed them to memory instead of keeping them in a spellbook. The Verbal components of his spells are always in Gnomish, because that's the language he learned it in.
Rodan has already travelled to many places and has seen a lot of mountains in the realm. He has a lot of interest in learning about the history of forgotten places. The village where his parents live he only visits once every couple of years.
Recently he found an Ancient map showing the location of a forgotten dwarf stronghold beneath the Sumber Hills. That's where he is travelling now...
“That definitely was one of my most successful game of Traitor’s Heads”, you muse to yourself as you walk to your room in the Underdark Inn in Waterdeep. Although your gnomish competitor didn’t have any substantial coin to wager, the map he put up as compensation and which you subsequently won off of him looks almost as promising as gold to you.
The map details an ancient dwarven stronghold beneath the Sumber Hills, just a tendays travel to the north of here. Keen on setting off exploring this stronghold in the morning, you almost overlook a small note attached to the inside of your door:
“Caravan from Mirabar to Summit Hall disappeared in Dessarin Valley. Dwarf named Bruldenthar carrying manuscripts of importance to our organisation. Other agents will be dispatched for this purpose as well. Please investigate together. May our lady Storm protect you. H.”
You grin. Combining the useful with the profitable is always convenient and you decide to set off to the north the next day.
Your journey into the Dessarin Valley leads you to the town of Red Larch first. Upon arriving in Red Larch, you find a busy trading town located at the foot of the Sumber Hills. The town is not that large, and you quickly spot an inn located just across the road from a tavern to your right. Located just before the inn on your left hand side you walk past a small shrine.
Even at this midday hour the tavern, a ramshackle two story building with a sign saying “The Helm at Highsun”, appears to be pretty busy already. You decide to settle first and head for the inn opposite. It is called the Swinging Sword inn, and it’s friendly proprietor named Kaylessa Irkel bids you a warm welcome when you step inside. Rooms are nicely priced and available so you are in luck.
While unpacking you hear that the locals have already picked up on the missing delegation. This is not that strange, seeing as it was a large, well-armed party and there were no reasons to assume something should have gone wrong. However, nearly everyone agrees that this is the latest in a string of misfortune that seems to have befallen the area in the last few months.
You barely sit down to order your first drink when two robed figures enter the tavern. They look around and you feel their eyes meeting yours from the dark of their capes. Without any formal invitation they join your table. Just when you are about to draw your weapon, you recognize one of their faces beneath the cape. Although you cannot for the love of Moradin remember his name, you are sure he is a Harper, just like you. They must be two of the other agents the note spoke about.