The Relevant Party

Sometimes, the world needs to be saved. Sometimes, the people doing the saving are less a tight-knit band of heroes and more an eclectic mix of runaways, criminals and hellraisers.

The Tomb of Fury

When the shadows grow long in Waterdeep and the fireplace in the taproom of the Yawning Portal dims to a deep crimson glow, adventurers from across the Forgotten Realms spin tales of dark dungeons and spread rumours of lost treasures.

Ashtoreth, tiefling bard and scholar, is one of those adventurers.

Murder on the Airship (Eleanora Vespertine)

Eleanora Vespertine does not exist. If you asked the faculty of the College she claims to be a member of, they wouldn't know her at all - though given a description, they might recognise a disgraced student expelled from the College years ago.

The disreputable young tiefling known only as Ashtoreth was thrown out of the College after she was caught sneaking into the most secure regions of its library to read some of its most forbidden books. It seems that her curiosity to learn more than her tutors would offer was her downfall.

Barred from the College and without the hope of finding academic success elsewhere, Ashtoreth spent several years studying magic in much less official ways, picking up tricks here and there where she could, and poring over any magical tomes she could get her hands on. She had always had a talent for divination, and turned this ability to good use - reading fortunes and interpreting dreams to make a living. But she would never be happy with a life of scraping by, and began to form a grand plan - if no college would accept her, she would invent a whole new identity.

The creation of a life from paper and ink was surprisingly easy. The steady hand and gift for copying letters that aided her in transcribing spells served her well for the forging of documents. Eleanora Vespertine took shape bit by bit - essays on obscure aspects of magic published in her name, letters sent to certain prominent mages claiming an acquaintanceship that didn't actually exist, and, finally, a pass of membership - before ever actually appearing in public. Ashtoreth found she rather liked playing out the persona of the confident, charismatic wizard.

She was initially very cautious - careful never to appear at any event one of her claimed acquaintances might be at, in case their lack of recognition would shatter the illusion - but as years went by without her con being revealed, she grew more confident. When the news of the Selene's launch reached her ears, she couldn't resist - despite the number of ears and eyes she'd be trapped in a confined space with, despite the presence of the Archmage himself, the thrill outweighed the risk.

So, through a string of not-entirely-fabricated favours and promises, Eleanora Vespertine found herself with a ticket to fly.