Nova Belis



 Nova Belis 

 Short Description 

Nova Belis is a conglomerate of three souls melted into one body. It consists of Charlotta a Yuan'ti Oracle, Dushegub a Tabaxi Wizard and Novamber a Kalashtar rogue. They fled from a destroyed world to Rathnier together with their named family the "pact bound" and others who escaped the slaughter of the "monsters" in the last city of new Avalon by opening dimensional rifts. Today they are the trade lord of Night Water Port, head of the house Belis, trade princess of the Vulpes Mecatores Cartel, Grand advisor of the Simulami empire, Elder of the Greed Ghoul blood line and loyal servants of their sovereign.

Biography
(the following happened in three different west marshes d&d campaigns)

25 years before the arrival in Rathnier

Novamber

Novamber was born to Peter Beloliss and his wife Anastasia Alohwos in order to prevent war between the houses. She never knew her mother as she died early in her life. Anastasias brother took this opportunity to destroy the house that he hated most. Novamber travelled with her father from place to place until her uncle found them. He staged an accident in which the Beloliss summer estate coat fire what should have killed every soul within it. Novamber however managed to survive and was found by a band of mouroders from the Vulpes Cartel.

Charlotta

Charlotta was born and raised as a sacrifice to the serpent gods of her people. When the time finally came to fulfill this honor a group of adventurers cowardly slew the three great serpents and desecrated the Yuan'ti holy sites. Without a purpose Charlotta travelled the lands of the humans being exposed to the injustice the "monstrous" races encountered in their day to day lives. In the north eastern lands Charlotta was caught by slavers from the Vulpes Cartel. Soon they sold her to the mountain Oracles as an assistant.

17 years before the arrival in Rathnier

Dushegub

A arch wizard of the white bone order once came back with a young Tabaxi boy by his side from an expedition into the southern "Deadlands" who showed promise as a pupil. In just a few years he earned himself a name by rediscovering long lost soul sorcery spells. He became one of the youngest professors of his order and soon after, was sending own expeditions into the "Deadlands". There his men found an ancient tomb of the first empress of one of the most prominent empires of antiquity. He personally went inside where he found the immortal woman who thought him the secrets of soul binding for the poetry summ of the few dozen souls of his expedition members.

Charlotta

In her years as the assistant of the head Oracle, Charlotta learned the art of manipulation of the uncertaint and desperate who came to the mountain. Eventually her mistress sow a future replacement for herself in the small serpentine girl and decided to teach her. Charlotta was forced to rip her left eye off as per tradition. She received education and was learned of the sacred foreseeing rites of the Oracles.

Novamber

Novamber was raised by the mouroders, she quickly learned the art of sword fighting and even managed to start a small gang of her own within the Cartel. After a few successful assassinations and power grabs she climbed the ladder and become the first figure in the drug business of the Cartel. Trying to grab the whole organisation for herself she employed adventurers to kill some of her rivals, what was a fatal mistake. The Adventurers fed her false information and secretly worked with the head of the Cartel. When the time came for a coup half of her gang betrayed her. Outnumbered ten to one she was forced into submission and became a test subject for a secret project lead by a white bone order wizard.

15 years before the arrival in Rathnier

Charlotta

After the sudden death of her mistress and teacher Charlotta became the new Oracle of her temple. In the next few years she guided the mighty and powerful with her prophesies. Her customers were kings, popes and even leaders of illegal organisations. Her prophesies always were true, partly due to her powers and partly her spy network. Perhaps she was too good as the head of the Vulpes Cartel found her worthy to "participate" in his soul binding project.

Novamber

At first Nova tried to escape the underground facilities of the Cartel, however after each of her failed attempts she and her friends were punished harshly. After the first year of imprisonment and experimentation her mind was nearly broken, after the second her sanity started to dwindle, however she still waited for the opportunity for revenge.

Dushegub

The knowledge the wizard has obtained was ground breaking and could have helped thousands if he would find someone to sponsor his research. After his order denied him he decided to leave them in favour of the Vulpes Cartel who happily gave him everything he needed, from resources to test subject all in order to create a spell that could melt a person's soul and a artificial body.

10 years before the arrival in Rathnier

Dushegub

The research went smoothly but the wizard started to ask questions like "where the test subjects where coming from?" or "why a organisation like this would sponsor such a project?". Once it was nearly completed he found the "vehicles" that should have been piloted by the souls of the dead. It were people and not machines like he was told. When he got back he smuggled some of his own lines into the soul melting spell in anticipation of becoming a test subject himself.

Charlotta

The years in the Vulpes facilities were rough for Charlotta. Her powers were abused for the Cartel and her body broken. She could not do anything when the thugs brought her into a bright room with a Kalashtar woman and a Tabaxi man standing in it.

Novamber

Novamber had no idea what would happen to her when she was lead to a bright empty room. This was the first time anything different happened apart of endless tests and experiments. Some time past when a Tabaxi was thrown into the room. He was dressed well, more like one of doctors she saw in this place and not a lab rat like her. She didn't have a lot of time to think about it as another person with snake like features was lead into the room. She was obviously tortured for a long time here, if not for the fact she was walking someone could mistake her for a corpse.

Some time passed in complete silence apart of the nervous rhythmic claps by the Tabaxi. At some moment the lights became even brighter and a voice of the Cartel leader all three knew, enhanced by magical speakers began a prepared speech about loyalty, the importance of innovation and individual abilities. He thanked Dushegub for his hard work and said that he would have the honour of "piloting" the "new" body of a Kalashtar in front of him with the famous Oracle of the Eulenstein mountain as the connector. As he finished, invisible hands restrained them and the process Dushegub invented began. It should have erased the "vessels" mind and sacrificed the "connectors" soul to the first empress so the "mind" could manifest in the new body. However Dushegub altered the spell so when the process finished he, Novamber and Charlotta found them selves in the same body with all there`s abilities combined. (Sidenote: temporarily I had a level 11 rogue, 10 wizard and 10 sorcerer all in one character. That was fun. (Ultimate arcane trixter!)) With there power they freed all the innocent people trapped in the facility and beheaded the Cartel in an epic battle with tons of nuance and important details.

5 years before the arrival in Rathnier

The last five years the three souls went on adventures with many different groups under the pen name of Nova, since it still was Novambers body they found it only fair. They managed to make a fortune together after killing off what was left of the Cartel and taking it over, thus fulfilling Novambers dream of becoming the trade princess of the Vulpes Cartel. On a flight between the two main continents, aboard their personal zeppelin they were caught up in a storm that destroyed the craft and severely wounded Nova. (Sidenote: thus ends the characters story as a d&d character and begins its life on endless minecraft roleplay servers. (Für die Deutschen da drausen das was weiter passiert Kommt aus "minecraft society" ein project das ihr sich auf YouTube euch anschauen könnt!))

Once they woke up, a faceless black demon faced them. Dressed as a doctor memories of pain overwhelmed them as they broke out in tears and in a frenzy nearly killed the man and his assistant.

With the help of the city guards and a few drugs they managed to bring Nova to her senses. They explained that like all of them she was found on the shore of the biggest of the Shiffsbruch islands. The next day they introduced the folk of the Town Avalon to Nova and showed them around.

Penny less they had to take every part job they could, magic was different in this place, it was much less potent than anywhere and apart of a few party tricks useless.

They travelled quite a bit between the city states on the islands met future friends like the cursed bunny girl Sena and the Kajit Sagiri. Nova learned the history of the people, the wars they waged, the mutual hate between ghouls and demons and the economic situation on the islands. They somewhat revived their Cartel by selling real estate by day and dealing with drugs and arranging assassinations by Night. The days where routine apart of a few party's and contests the Avalonians arranged. Nova learned the art of building and made themselves a tower at the edge of the city with a beautiful view on the sea.

3 years before the arrival in Rathnier

An Apocalypse surprised the denizens of the islands. It shook the very earth, horrific creatures descended from the skies. Avalon burned, marauders roamed the streets, looting empty houses. Island dwellers from every city state came with dire news of destruction to the city. Nova took what they could carry and fought through the hordes of monsters to the Port where the rest of the people were constructing barricades to protect them selves.

Leaders of Avalon, the new Handelsstadt, Utopia, the Gordoan Ghouls and the Demons of Lost woods proposed an ancient ritual that should bring them as far away as possible. The Demons were able to live in burning wastelands of the islands and therefore had to hold the portal long enough for the rest of the people to escape.

They boarded the ships for their last travel to the ritual site, an enormous tree in the middle of lost woods. Many ships where destroyed on the way there like the one Nova was on. People from different towns forgot about there differences and helped each other. Only a few dozen died on the trip, memorials will be built in there name on both sides of the portal.

1 year before the arrival in Rathnier

Tensions where high in the Town of new Avalon. Hunger, dysentery and monopolisation crumbled the new born giant city. Nova as someone who had skills as a builder was defacto enslaved by the builders guild, forced to work without pay. Without their assets the Cartel shrunk to a simple bar with a few substances sold under the table.

Nova had to rely on her friends and skills as a thief to come by. One night they were rubbing their boss when they nearly got caught red handed by a Ghoul named Vincefal. After a few awkward moments of silence the two started talking. Hours passed by as the alcohol, they became good friends and future brothers.

The Ghoul introduced Nova to his people who welcomed them with open arms. The Ghouls were masters of the underworld, with eyes at every corner and agents in every organisation. The Vulpes Cartel, still lead by Nova once again became a major player with the help of their new friends.

With their support of the Ghouls Nova sealed their faith as an enemy of an other major organisation, the "Gruuns". It was an coalition of the same people who exiled both Ghouls and Demons from old Avalon long before Nova came to the Schiffsbruchs islands. With Demons gone their mission was to kill every single Ghoul and Ghoul sympathiser left.

A few weeks before the arrival in Rathnier

In a raid the Gruuns captured Vincefal and starved him out, not giving him any raw meat the Ghouls had to consume as an alternative to human flesh. Soon he entered a state of frenzy, that is when they let him out in the shop district of new Avalon. They used the massacre as propaganda for their chose and gained the support of the majority of the people.

Everyone who knew Vincefal was enraged, he was the one who proposed the rule of non violence towards the humans and banned human flash for consumption. The populous was bloodthirsty, only a few listened and even fewer decided to step in onto the losing side.

Nova was furious when they found out that one of their few friends was used in this way. They decided like many others to take part in a dangerous ritual to take the curse and boon of being a Ghoul. Burned in blue fire and washed in human blood there skin became even more pale than before, the teeth animal like and eyes changed their colour to red.

The Gruuns smashed down Ghoul shops and raided their warehouses. Fights broke out in the streets, dozens where killed each day the Ghouls descended deeper into their underground city. For every meter the Greens had to pay a dire price.

Nova where in charge of there last stand. No one would pass them until the plan of there king was complete. Mightiest warriors on both sides fell in the tight corridors of the under city. Nova alongside the recovered Vincefal, fierce Sagiri and a war veteran, another Ghoul Sword killed dozens in order to save there named family.

The leader of New Avalon tried to reason with both sides but nothing could stop what was to come. Lupus, the king of Gordoa and all Ghouls sacrificed a woman in order to open a rift to a world between worlds. Endless wastelands of ever changing reality before them. They fled with the elite soldiers covering there retreat.

Nova and there force heard the signal, they fulfilled their duty. All that was left was escaping before the rift collapsed or die trying. Many where lost to frenzy of battle but others managed to escape, the portal collapsing behind them. The plan was to meet up with the first group behind the portal, but they where not there.

Nova, now leading there people reasoned that the first group was stuck in a time trap, as no new rifts to escape the immaterium were created at the place they agreed to reenter reality. They all decided to do it themselves, holding the portal open for their family to arrive after them. The group opened and somewhat stabilised the rift in reality and entered a new world, for them to prosper in.

 Rathnier 

On the other side they found themselves in a giant cave, many panicked thinking that somehow came back. It couldn't and wasn't the case, the cave was filled with water and wild plants, mushrooms and insects, without a way on to the surface. It truly felt like a new beginning, a similar cave with enough food and resources to build a new home.

As the Mayor, Nova named the Town Hollows' reach. The Town developed slowly as many parts of the cave had to be stabilised before building. On one of these missions the mining crue discovered a passageway leading to the surface above the city.

Search crews were sent out to find out more about the environment around Hollows reach. A week of anticipation passed, with all citizens on edge. This wasn't only a risky but also a costly expedition. An airship had to be constructed in order to traverse the endless sea above the city underground. It was powered by dried sea pickles, which were surprisingly, a rather good fuel source.

Sword, the expedition leader, reported of ruined fortresses to the south, a left citadel north, wars waged in the west and people freely living eastwards in their walled settlements among dense forests and marshes.

Nova decided to create a Town on top of the tiny island where the cave entrance was set. With massive platforms filled out of their hardest stone, as the foundation for the shops that would be built for their future visitors.

With the first steps done and more information gained about their neighbour's it was decided to contact Cade the leader of the Floramii people. A delegation was sent out to greet them, however a ship filled with gold, gemstones, sea pickles and a block of a precious metal called netherite was lost to the sea. People say it fell out of the world but these sayings are dismissed as rumours.

The following month Nova and their people were weary of the people outside, they didn't know them personally nor even their races. Nobody was accepted until the walls of the surface city were constructed. And afterwards the mistrust only grew, as a great imperialistic power to the west took city after city, state after state under their control.

A series of new projects was issued: obsidian should be placed inside the city platforms, more zeppelin's will fly above the city, a underground railway, connecting to the nearest Floramian Town and with the help of ancient rituals, chunk after chunk of land was raised by Nova around the city to create agricultural and foresting industries on newly emerged artificial islands.

Cade the Floramii leader visited Nova in the surface Town that needed a name of her own. They discussed important matters like the tensions between the order Müviel with the Emirate of Najer and the prospect of war or the high upkeep costs of such a big city. The talks went for hours until the moon came out and the beautiful coral reefs surrounding the city started to shine through the water. It is said that this Night the town's more common name was created, Night Water Port.

A few weeks later the city grew, both in size and in population. Nova was more involved in Floramia and the lands surrounding it. They came to the conclusion that both the over-populated order Müviel and the mostly unsettled Floramia would benefit greatly from a unification under two sovereign leaders. They presented this plan to Cade and were surprised to hear not only approval but that he had the same idea. Just a few weeks later the two states United into a greater one, the Simulami Empire.

Nova invited the Müviel people with their leader Zeno Maestro to visit Night Water and Hollows reach, the guests expecting a small backwater Town at the far edge of the Empire were caught by surprise to see massive platforms and giant caverns. Zeno said that he was glad to have such a person like Nova in the young Empire and offered help in the construction of the city.

Sailors discovered a new large landmass quickly named Eldham. Old Empires took the land by storm, creating hundreds of colonies, among them Simulami ones. Nova took the opportunity and one of their zeppelin's, Flying over the sea to new lands, helping the Mörgöd colony and exploring the new lands.

Upon their return back to Night Water they were greeted by cultists who led them to a large temple in Hollow's reach. It was magnificent, platforms built with granite, statues of nude women and Sena standing in the middle of a shimmering circle holding a netherite hoe, surrounded by her flock. Sena spoke how once she made the hoe in her hand it spoke to her. It was telling her tales of what was and will be, a God shattered into millions of peases, who created all other gods. She was told to spread the knowledge of the holy hoe, so she and her growing flock built the underground temple to honour Nova was weary of the new power in the city. They closed themselves in their room to debate about what to do with it between their subconscious. Novamber proposed to heavily restrict the cult in favour of the more common faith of Solean, the state religion of the Empire and its surrounding countries. Dushegub didn't care about the cult itself but it's main artefact, he wanted to see whether it actually had any supernatural effects and what they were. Charlotte agreed to that but was against the restrictions, in the future she saw how it only would strengthen the movement.