Rochelle Volkan

Backstory

 Rochelle is a Fire Genasi who was born in a volcano called The Smokespire. She's the daughter of a Dwarven fighter named Gunnvaldr and a fire elemental, or Efreeti, named Magmis. Rochelle lived her first years in Mount Hotenow, with Magmis banishing Gunnvalr while Ro was very young over a minsunderstanding. Magmis intended for Rochelle to stay with her and learn magic, but when Rochelle displayed no magical prowess but instead a knack for fighting (using the weapons her father had made while living there), Magmis realized that Gunnvaldr had been right. He had tried to convince Magmis to let Rochelle live in a city or town with other humanoids, but Magmis took this as him leaving with their daughter as Magmis would not leave her domain in Smokespire. As a result, she only then decided to follow his wishes and tasked a traveller with taking her to the nearest town.

 Neither Rochelle nor Magmis would know where her father was (and Magmis specifically kept all information about him from Rochelle), Rochelle was instead sent to live in an orphanage in Iriaebor. When she was about 11 years old she'd already garnered a bad reputation in Iriaebor, so she took a chance and stowed away in a merchant caravan to Elturel, staying there for the next decade. She grew up poor, discriminated against, feared, and pitied. All of these factors shaped her chaotic and selfish attitude. She only cares about herself and the people who actually support her.

Elturel and Baldur's Gate

 Around age 21, Rochelle met Olymper, a female tiefling ranger, and Vorkin, a male brass dragonborn bard, while she was a petty criminal in Elturel. Her bad reputation followed her here, and Vorkin the investigator was asked to find and arrest her. Instead, he tried to help her turn over a new leaf, making her very fond of the goofy dragonborn and considering him a friend. Her other new friend, Oly, wore a cursed tiara that tempted her with evil thoughts, and she only helped push Rochelle into more chaotic behavior. It was only once the three together committed arson on a noble's house (for reasons of retribution and justice, of course) that they all decided to stick together.

 They traveled together to Baldur's Gate where Rochelle became a member of the Flaming Fist. She relunctantly served an authority figure, partly because of Vorkin's influence, but mostly due to needing to pay rent. She was still chaotic and sassy with her employers, and ultimately used her position as a way to get what she wanted, both in fighting the government and pleasing her own vices. The party still needed more income however, even with their three jobs combined. After their last tenant left, they met with Gilrendir, a male elven wizard, and he would inspire the group to look more into demons, devils, and what had happened to their old home town of Elturel.

Descent Into Avernus

 Rochelle was 22 when this all started- Shortly after Gilrendir joined the party, they became aware that Elturel, Rochelle and the other's old home, was suddenly missing. This being in line with Gil's studies, and an order from Ro's superiors to investigate, Rochelle was actually interested to know what happened. . . . (TBD DETAILS)

 Rochelle and her team traveled into the first of the nine hells to save as many people in Elturel as they could, and find a way to bring it back to the moral plane. (TBD DETAILS)

  Rochelle and Gilrendir took on the devils that were in the fray while Vorkin, Oly, and Lulu headed straight for Zariel in order to save Princeps Kovik, all of Elturel, and Zariel herself. In the end, they redeemed her, and she ascended back to her place, helping to raise Elturel back to where it belonged. Rochelle, being tempered by the fires of Avernus, had a new found appreciation for the city. She didn't like the look of it being burned, despite how it once treated her. She could protect people now, she could hurt them too. She didn't need to be afraid of judgement- she finally loved herself. With the help of her party, they stayed in Elturel for a few months, fixing as much as they could to make it liveable again.

Epilogue

 Rochelle was staying with Oly in Candlekeep for at least a year before her feelings started bubbling back. Rochelle had not yet forgiven her mother for sending her away, but she'd also been under the impression from her mother that her father abandoned them both. "Betrayal" was the word most used. After seeing Oly meet her own father in Avernus, Rochelle realized that's what she'd need- either to tell this man off to his face, or to genuinely reunite with him. But she didn't know where to start, and it stayed that way for almost another year. She was 24 when she ran into someone very important to her search. A dark skinned half elf by the name Alistair came to Candlekeep one day with no shortage of self-published material to offer as payment to enter. Rochelle couldn't help but admire how much of a "nerd" he was, to which Alistair corrected that they are actually non-binary. Without realizing it, Rochelle and Alistair had a long conversation about gender, social roles, and freedom of personal expression- and Rochelle LOVED it. Ro quickly showed Alistair off to Oly, and gave them a place to stay for their first days in town. Alistair and Rochelle swapped their stories over the next few days, with Alistair describing Lizardfolk villages, run-ins with Silver Dragons, and various jungle fey, and Rochelle recounting the heroism of her and her friends as they plunged into Avernus to save Elturel. All at once the puzzle pieces clicked for Alistair, as they asked again what Ro's name was. At the mention of "Volkan" being her last name, they discovered that the Vetles and Volkans were family friends. Alistair's father, Gilroy, and mother, Kanae, were party members with a "Gunnvaldr Volkan" several decades back before retiring. Rochelle made several realizations that day- 1. Her last name wasn't "Volkan" because of the volcano, it was actually her father's last name! 2. Magmis didn't have a surname, but kept Ro's father's name because she must have still cared for him, even after he left. And 3. Alistair, this random nerd she met, KNEW about her father! Recruiting Oly to help, they started scouring at much information as they could to locate the man. The first thing she discovered from Alistair was that her father was, in fact, a dwarf. It explained a lot, really. The big hammer, the stocky stature, the ability to drink a LOT. And the second thing they discovered together was that he wasn't that far away. Thankfully, the merchants of the Etlurgard and Amn regions were well connected, and the name Volkan was known among the smiths. The three were directed to the city of Eshpurta, where they found a blacksmith running the "Volkan Forge". There, a dwarven man only in his late 70's, with orange-red hair and eyes, finally ruinited with the daughter he had to leave behind. The truth of everything was finally revealed to Rochelle- Her mother and fathers loved each other so much, but in truth- Magmis was still a being of evil. Gunnvaldr thought that them being a family might change her, but the suggestion of allowing Rochelle to live with other people caused her to be violently upset. It was seen as a ploy to get Magmis to leave her domain, or worse, to take Rochelle away from her. As a result, he was then cast out. But he didn't stay far- he'd been in Eshpurta for the past two decades, hoping that he could travel back to see them. However, by the time he worked up the nerve, both Rochelle and Magmis were gone. He'd come to the terms over the years that he'd lost them both, not realizing this whole time that the Blazing Barbarian that helped to save Elturel was actually his daughter. Rochelle learned that the weapons she'd been using all this time were actually made FOR her by her father, using some volcanic rock from the Smokespire to forge them. Rochelle was always keeping a part of her home and family with her, even to the fiery pits of the nine hells. After all Rochelle had endured, she finally got to bond with her father. Not to say they didn't butt heads- they were both as stubborn as dwarves could be! But a hole that Rochelle had held since she was young was finally being filled. Why she was alone, and why she didn't have to be now. All this said, she didn't stay in Eshpurta, and Gunnvaldr couldn't leave his work behind either. She wouldn't ask him too, but knowing just how close they were all along, they could make the visits over the next few years to see each other. Rochelle had her place in Candlekeep now, but her family, both found and blood, were always around her. ...Though. She hasn't yet gone back to Smokespire.