Call Them Brothers - Regina Spektor feat. Only Son

Biography

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A tale of Shadows and Candles

Shadow in the Light and their twin sibling Candle in the Dark aren't really sure where they're from, and wouldn't really have who to ask for, as they grew up by themselves. Their parent or parents must've left them - either by choice or death - pretty early on after their birth, as neither of the twins have any clear memory of who that person or people may have been. The fact they grew up orphaned made both Shadow and Candle be very close to each other, as they were really all the other one had.

One day, when they were kittens, a thief named Null found them, took them in, and started raising the twins as her own children. While at first wary of this strange adult, eventually Shadow warmed up to Null and, more so, took an interest in her line of work. To Null's pleasure, Shadow proved to be a really quick study, and soon was able to start putting their new skills to work. While Shadow dedicated their time and effort to learning how to be a thief, Candle, on the other hand, spent hours and hours studying stories as they trained, hoping to one day become a bard. Life continued in that same routine until Shadow and Candle reached 10 years of age. Null was out on a job, which, according to Shadow was supposed to be a relatively simple affair. Until it wasn't. Null got captured and executed in public for her crimes, and it would be some days later when the twins would find her already rotting body in the gallows. They ran from that city with no intention of ever coming back.

Since then, Shadow and Candle have wandered, together, all over the world. They get by through taking odd jobs where they can, and, when they can't, they've developed an act which involves Candle creting elaborate distractions with their stage presence and bardic arts, while Shadow picks the unsuspecting audience's pockets.

Took a wrong turn into the mist

On what seemed to be a regular day of travel, Shadow, Candle, and a couple of other travelers took a wagon to their next destination, but soon found themselves surrounded by way too much mist, and then finally managed to cross it and find themselves at possibly the creepiest gate either of them had ever seen in their lives. While looking for someone to talk to, the group met a young man named Ismark, who told them they were now in Barovia, and of some troubles that had been plaguing the land. Including its ruler, Countess Strahd. And how obsessed she'd recently been with Ismark's sister, Ireena.

Some prodding around the village left Shadow and Candle to explore a church, where they found a basement and, more importantly, that said basement held something they didn't really know how to describe other than a really fucked up thing that lunged at them. Thankfully, Shadow hadn't made it too far into the room before they signalled Candle to run away, so the pair managed to escape unscathed. Physically, at least. Shadow then reconvened with the rest of the group, which agreed to go to Ismark and Ireena's house, and use it as a safe place to spend the night. They were attacked by wolves on the way, but nothing else happened and they arrived safely, and met Ireena. She wasn't thrilled at first when she saw new people, but soon realized that the group was there to help her, not to hand her over to Strahd.

The following morning found Shadow preparing to leave, alongside Candle and the others, with Ireena. Thankfully, their wagon had survived the night and was in travel shape, so they left soon. Not much happened on the road, besides Shadow and Candle spotting and disabling a trap that had been laid out for the wagon. The only true thing of note was that, at a crossroads, the twins both looked back after they'd passed it and saw Null as they'd last seen her.

The last known sighting of Shadow was when they were having their fortune read by Ezmeralda d'Avenir, but not much is known about them after that point. Some say that Shadow is still in Barovia, trying to escape... while others whisper that they may have met with a far, far worse fate.

Design

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Combat

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Abilities

Sneak Attack

Once per turn, you can deal extra 2d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon. You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll. The amount of extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class

Uncanny Dodge

When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack's damage against you.

Spellcasting

You can learn three cantrips: Mage Hand and two other cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You have three 1st level spell slots. You know 4 wizard spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be an enchantment or illusion spells of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells.

Mage Hand Legerdemain

When you cast mage hand, you can make the spectral hand invisible, and you can perform the following additional tasks with it:.

You can stow one object the hand is holding in a container worn or carried by you or another creature You can retrieve an object in a container worn or carried by another creature You can use thieves' tools to pick locks and disarm traps at range
You can perform one of these tasks without being noticed by a creature if you succeed on a Sleight of Hand check contested by the creature's Perception check

In additon, you can use the bonus action granted by your Cunning Action to control the hand

Thieves' Cant

During your rogue training you learned thieves' cant, a secret mix of dialect, jargon, and code that allows you to hide messages in seemingly normal conversation. Only another creature that knows thieves' cant understands such messages. It takes four times longer to convey such a message than it does to speak the same idea plainly.

In addition, you understand a set of secret signs and symbols used to convey short, simple messages, such as whether an area is dangerous or the territory of a thieves’ guild, whether loot is nearby, or whether the people in an area are easy marks or will provide a safe house for thieves on the run

Feline Agility

Your reflexes and agility allow you to move with a burst of speed. When you move on your turn in combat, you can double your speed until the end of the turn. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you move 0 feet on one of your turns.

Cat's Claws

Because of your claws, you have a climbing speed of 20 feet. In addition, your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Darkvision (60 ft.)

You have a cat's keen senses, especially in the dark. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in ddarkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.

Lucky

You have inexplicable luck that seems to kick in at just the right moment.

You have 3 luck points. Whenever you make an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can spend one luck point to roll an additional d20. You can choose to spend one of your luck points after you roll the die, but before the outcome is determined. You choose which of the d20 is used for the attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.

You can also spend one luck point when an attack roll is made against you. Roll a d20, and then choose whether the attack uses the attacker's roll or yours.

If more than one creature spends a luck point to influence the outcome of a roll, the points cancel each other out: no additional dice are rolled.

You regain your expended luck points when you finish a long rest

Weaknesses

Is literally stuck in Barovia still, I think that counts as a weakness at this point /j

Relations

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Trivia

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Likes

• Card and dice games
• Doing sleight of hand tricks for kids

Dislikes

• Nobility in general
• When it rains when they're on the road and their fur gets all soggy

Other

• Is mute and communicates in sign language
• Has a lucky die they won at a festival long ago. Has always kept it with them since