Lands of Intrigue NPC Preview
Lands of Intrigue will feature several new, joinable NPCs. Here are a few previews.
Jaina (LG Female Human Cavalier of Milil)
Jaina Harpson grew up in the city of Crimmor, the "Caravan Capital" of Amn. Her parents were devout followers of Milil, and so she and her two brothers grew up steeped in the lore of the Lord of Song. During the Time of Troubles, the young family (Jaina was only five) just happened to be visiting Arbalest's House in Athkatla when their god took refuge there. Her brothers (the singer Tahrun Harpson and the poet Shyrros Harpson) have since become the joint leaders of Milil's faithful in Crimmor, but from a very early age Jaina chose a more militant path.
Jaina goes on to say that she's currently a junior member of the Harmonius Order, a knightly order of fighters, paladins and bards whose members guard temples and holy sites of Milil. They also frequently pursue quests and do good deeds in their god's name, and Jaina grins when she explains she'd much rather be out helping others than doing "boring ol' guard duty". She also briefly mentions that the Order apparently has loose ties with the Harpers, though they're not quite as involved with that group as the followers of certain other deities are.
Kivan (CG Male Wood Elf Tracker)
Alternatively you can choose to have him be a regular Ranger or Archer instead
Kivan reveals that he hails from the forest of Shilmista, though he has not visited his homeland for quite some time. Until recently he has instead been traveling the world driven by the darkest of obsessions: revenge. Kivan and his mate Deheriana were apparently on a romantic sojourn years ago when they were waylaid by a group of Brigands. They were captured and tortured for the amusement of Tazok, the half-ogre that led the attack. Kivan eventually escaped, but Deheriana did not survive the encounter.
With his hated enemy dead, Kivan moved on to a new obsession - punishing the wicked. He describes his present line of work as being "bounty hunting with morals", and since you last saw him he's apparently been traveling the Sword Coast, tracking down evil-doers in the numerous woods and forests of the land. Although he does not say it, Kivan seems relieved to have joined up with the one who defeated his wife's killer, but at the same time the anger that once fueled him seems to have been replaced with an immense sense of sadness and loss. Kivan is a man of few words, and obviously does not make friends easily.
Tahlemar (TN Male Half-Moon Elf Eldritch Knight)
Tahlemar Ael'reth (or Tahl for short) was born to an Elven mother and Human father in the Moonwood, a forest near Silverymoon, far to the north of Amn. His mother's family was rare among the tribes of the wood, for they were especially skilled in the ways of magic. Tahl was particularly gifted, and from a young age he was trained to be a defender of the forest. He mentions that had he been a full Elf he would have no doubt been taught in the ways of the Bladesinger, but his "tainted" blood meant that wasn't possible.
Instead, Tahl was apprenticed to an odd sect of Humans and Half-Elves that his father had ties with. Known as Eldritch Knights, they had originally been formed by a group of dissatisfied Paladins who wished to carry on doing good deeds without the hindrance of being tied to a church (though the group has apparently since drifted to a more neutral outlook). Through an intense period of study and training, the sect manages to channel the Arcane to closely emulate the abilities of a deity-blessed Paladin. Tahl took to the unique craft quickly, and only a decade later he was sent out to explore the wider world to gain the one thing no tutor can provide - experience.
