D&D Character: Taaka Sipsmith: Half-Elf Ranger

 "Hush, did you hear that?"

Background: Taaka was born in Ballenmouth, the child of a loving couple - a Human man and an Elven woman - who'd eloped because their parents disapproved of their relationship. Settling in the docks area of the city, Taaka's father went to work on the ships as a carpenter, helping build ships in the yards. His mother opened a shop, selling spells and magical items for ships. They often worked together, experimenting with ways to make ships safer through magic and design. Taaka went to a good school but did poorly in his studies.  

When he reached his majority, Taaka decided to see the world and the most obvious way to do that was to become a sailor. Always a dutiful son, he bade goodbye to his parents and then went down to the docks to find a job. Signing on with the Blue Wave as a cabin boy, he left Ballenmouth, sailing to the islands nearby and down the coast. This allowed him to visit many of the cities in the nearby area, learning about them. He quickly became a midshipman and was well-liked by his fellows. Captain Merryweather trusted him and even the dour ship's wizard, Jenkins, got on with him well enough. 

This was before the shipwreck and Taaka's discovery of the sea monster, Guranada. 

That happened in the fall of his third year aboard the Blue Wave when a savage storm blew up tearing the vessel apart even as the captain tried to navigate a safe path through. Jenkins struggled to control the elements, bellowing over the storm that it was as if something else was at work - something unnatural.

As the waves grew rougher and wilder, Taaka was swept over the side by a big wave and crashed into the ocean. As he fought for breath, he saw something in the depths, an immense creature that seemed focused on what was happening on the surface. Its eyes glowed with something that the young Half-Elf understood to be mystical power. Overcome with fear, Taaka broke and began to swim away from the scene, desperate to find safety.

He blacked out and when he woke he was alone on a pebble beach, with no sign of the Blue Wave or the monster. Slowly, he began to explore, trying to accommodate his sore body but also conscious of the need for shelter and food. Quickly realising the need for some sort of weapon to kill prey, he fashioned a sling from part of his clothing and took stones from the beach. It was a wretched, difficult business that took many weeks to perfect, but eventually, he ate on more days than he didn't. By the end of his first month on the island, he had a home and water. He'd had perfected using the sling to catch rabbits and harpoons to fish with. His survival needs were taken care of, leaving him able to consider the bigger problem: escape. 

By this point, he was sure the island was deserted as there was no sign of anything but animals and birds. With no mountains, he was quietly confident no Dwarves made their home there, and the forest - which was unruly and scrub-like thanks to the constant winds. Fortunately, there was also no sign of dragons or other large monsters, he was safe from predators. Time, boredom, and loneliness were his biggest worries. To combat boredom, he used the skills his father taught him in childhood to fashion a bow and crude arrows (lacking metal he could only sharpen the arrows' shafts or lash sharpened stones to act as arrowheads), and taught himself to shoot. When he was proficient in that, he began to work on other skills, trying to master whatever he could. 

All the time, he kept an eye on the sea, looking for rescuers, but to no avail. There were no ships to see. That changed after several months. When he spied a sail on the horizon, Taaka was hunting on the cliffs, stealing eggs from the sea birds' nests. Straightening to wave and shout - overcome with elation at the possibility of rescue - his hopes were dashed as he saw a storm moving in. The sea began to churn, and the monster he'd seen all those months ago made its presence felt. He watched, overcome, as the vessel sank beneath the waves. 

The sole consolation was that in the hours that followed, another person washed up on the shore - a Gnome dressed in dark green Monk robes. Taaka moved him away from the shore and wrapped him in a rabbit skin blanket he'd pieced together. When the Gnome woke, the young Half-Elf gently broke the news. Thankfully, the Monk took the bad tidings stoically. 

Over the next few weeks, Taaka and the Gnome - who he learned was called Zippim - became good friends. They compared stories and agreed that if they ever got off the island, they would continue to support each other's goals. Zippim was on a quest for a relic lost to his faith, and the opportunity to keep exploring and seeing the world appealed to Taaka. 

Slowly, they began to plot an escape - arguing that they could build a raft to sail to shore... provided the sea monster didn't notice them. They debated for hours whether the monster dwelt nearby, and how active it was. If big ships attracted its attention, would it even notice a small raft? 

Eventually, with no other options, they resolved to try and using the resources at hand created a small vessel. It took many weeks, but it wasn't long after completion that they set out, paddling into the bay. Almost immediately, the sea began to change, growing rougher. The further out they got, the worse it became. In a horrifying moment, the men realised that they were more than castaways: they were prisoners.  The monster's head broke the waves and roared, revealing rows of dagger-like teeth. 

Panicking, Taaka strung his bow and began to fire arrow after arrow at the sea monster, peppering its muzzle with them. Most shattered against its scales, or bounced off into the sea without harming the monster. One though, just one, hit true, slamming into the creature's eye. It howled in pain, writhing in the water as the men paddled for all they were worth away from both monster and island. To this day, Taaka is convinced something intervened, because the monster let them go. Perhaps it had never experienced pain before, or perhaps it was so surprised by them fighting back that it simply didn't think to press them. Whatever the truth, the pair managed to get free and were picked up by a ship a week later, just as they'd run out of food and water. 

When they got back to shore - disembarking at a northern town called Carlsburgh - they earned some supper with their story, only then learning that there was a story about the monster. This was the first time either of them heard the name Guranada.

Soon after, Zippim announced he was heading inland, to the university city of Gallanburgh, and Taaka agreed to go with him. Once they arrived, they met with some other adventurers and began working with them as The Bright Blades. 

Appearance: Taaka is a handsome Half-Elf with long hair and piercing eyes. He's tall and lithe, making him a hit with the ladies. 

You can download Taaka's character sheet here.

I hope you enjoyed the character's background and if you decide to play him, have fun.