Most Interesting Planescape NPC Writing Contest

Seeing as how the entries for this contest are still rather sparse and I had a few minutes to spare, I have decided to offer up my own NPC for evaluation. Since I already have a *.pdf version of Hellbound, this submission is more of a whim than anything else, and I would much prefer if that be taken into account by the judges. I'm not playing to win here, just to play.

Name
Whistle

Appearance
A lithe wisp of a girl walks confidently and lightheartedly through the refuse strewn streets of the Hive, surrounded by a small flock of young orphans and street urchins. She is of that indeterminate age that is still regarded as a child by adults and yet looked up to as an authority figure by younger children. Her bright gray eyes shine from beneath a mane of tangled black hair, and her otherwise attractive face is barely discernable beneath the layer of grime that covers her from head to tattered sandals. Her baggy clothes, many sizes too large for her thin frame, are equally dirty, but the thin sundress that she wears over them is a defiantly bright lemon-lime. She pauses from an ongoing conversation with her young charges to give you a inquisitive look that seems wise beyond her years, but seeing that you pose no threat, she quickly breaks into a puckish grin and continues on with her discussion and her way.

History
Whistle was first noticed around the Hive about a year ago, wearing that same bohemian outfit that so stands out amid the squalor. She earned her name from her habit of whistling random merry tunes when not otherwise engaged, and she gladly accepted it as her own. Indeed, Whistle has hitherto refrained from revealing anything about her past, including her real name, saying that it is the future that she is more concerned with. For a long while, the only attention she received from the older Hivers was the occasional bemused glance, but she promptly befriended the local guttersnipes and assumed the guiding maternal role in the group.

While hardly the first teenager to form such a gang of neglected Hiver kids, Whistle uses her authority for a nobler purpose than petty crime. In fact, she attempts to instill a self-respecting morality in her charges, teaching them of the potential rewards of honest work and guiding them to improve their own lots by helping others rather than taking advantage of them. For instance, she has worked out a deal with the eponymous proprietor of Allesha's Bakery to provide her pack with daily food in exchange for their help with various tasks around the establishment.

Slowly, Whistle's charges have grown more likely to help deliver food to the starving old lady on Shatterbone Street than to throw rocks through her windows like they would have before. Because of this change, the group has begun to earn a sort of admiration, bordering on trust, from the surrounding Hivers. Some of the other ragamuffin gangs are even trying to follow their example, albeit with varying amounts of success. The area where Whisper's pack makes kip, a few blocks from Allesha's Pantry, has begun to acquire a friendlier, almost neighborhood-like, atmosphere. While the Hive is still very much the Hive, young Whistle has managed to brighten it just a bit, bringing hope to the hopeless.

The Dark
Even though Whistle appears as a young human or tiefling girl, she is actually Vevila O Failbhe, a Ghaele Eladrin from Arborea. She escaped to Sigil from a particularly unsuccessful incursion into the Abyss, but when she saw the depressing bleakness of Hiver life, she vowed to help the unfortunate and often misguided souls to improve their lot. Assuming the disguise of a young Hiver girl, she teaches the next generation of Hivers to act above their upbringing. Occasionally, Vevila leaves her adopted kids in the care of her new friend Allesha and, resuming her Eladrin form, goes adventuring in the name of Good. Any income she earns from such forays is donated to the Pantry in recompense for the extra food required to feed her adopted kids and the Hiver elderly to whom they now deliver.

Hook
While passing through the Hive for whatever reason, the PC's run into an unusually well-behaved street urchin trying to escape from an older bully. After presumably rescuing him, the heroes are told of Whistle and invited to the Pantry. There, Allesha quietly tells them that Whistle is actually Vevila and has gone missing on her latest excursion to the Lower Planes. She pleads with them to find the Ghaele and deliver her safely back to the worried children.

Vevila 'Whistle' O Failbhe (Pl/F Ghaele/T3/Free League/CG)

Here's my little contribution...

Name: Asharon
Race: Fire Genasi
Gender: Male
Alignment: Neutral Good
Class: Fighter 5
Faction: None

Appearance.
Old, tall, slightly muscled and standing at six and a half foot tall, the fire genasi Asharon sticks out like a sore thumb and his red tinged skin doesnt help. A charcoal grey top knot adons his head though as he moves it shakes with a slight reddish tinge that fades and reappears. He wears a suit of scale mail that shimmers like his hair and has a longsword sheathed at his waist, the scabbard plain and unassuming. The striking feature of Asharon is however the bandage that runs across his eyes as Asharon is in fact blind.

Personality.
For a fire genasi Asharon is very quiet, possible from the many wounds he has suffered over his long years both physically and mentally. He is however a hospitable person when approached kindly and will often share a cup of bub or two. His blindness he doesnt see as a curse however and if asked will brush it off depending on the question or tell some old story of his other wounds though never of his blindness. He is sometimes prone to the inner fire that burns in all fire genasi and if provoked into attack he will not walk away.

History.
Asharon was born in the City of Brass to unknown parents. He grew up in a Djinn palace as an errand boy, until in his teens he was caught practicing with a sword and caught the eye of one of the guards. After a thourough discipline he was sent to the guard quarters to be trained as a bodyguard. Several years passed as Asharon trained and was sent out on various missions to protect his masters goods until he was sold off to a mercenary company passing through the city. Asharon served well as a mercenary fighting in numerous battles across several planes before the band he was in were enlisted into a Baatezu army. This is where many believe Asharon was dealt the wound that caused his blindness. Asharon was the only survivor of his band and after a few years of wandering he wound up in Sigil.

Motivations.
Asherons motivations are fleeting things, on the outside he is stoic but on the inside he is brimming with emotions, revenge crosses his mind from time to time. More often then not Asheron will practice his sword techniques trying to perfect them even with his blindness.

Where likely encountered.
Sigil. Most likely in a inn close to the gymnasium where he practices his sword.

Other important facts.
Asheron if provoked and or attacked will most likely choose to fight indoors. Using his control flame ability he sucks the light out of torches or lanterns inside buildings engulfing the area in darkness and using his combat techniques he has learnt to use with his blindness he cuts his adversaries to pieces. Asheron will more then likely make a fighting retreat if caught outdoors and provoked to fight. The sword at his hip is a +1 Flaming Longsword though the flame it emites mirrors Asherons mood, when encountered and unprovoked the flame is slight and black in colour, when provoked it spurs into the usual bright red/yellow flame.

Plot Hook.
As an experienced mercanary Asheron is sometimes called on for techniques or information on various forces he has been known to have fought against. Another reason many approach him is to learn how to fight blind as Asheron has learnt. Or maybe just the dark on how he lost his eyesite.

Name: Shirketh ib Narru, The Apostate
Race: Yugoloth Caste: Arcanoloth
Gender: N/A, generally thought of as male.
Age: Millenia
Class: Sorcerer 2/ Archmage 3

I watched the fiend closely. He seemed rather at ease, as though used to the surroundings, though surely he couldn't have been here before. But... he was yugoloth, and an arcanoloth at that. With all the whispered rumours about them across the planes you could almost think anything was possible if they were involved. "So..." he said, taking a sip of the Gehannian Fire Wine I had gone to so much effort to procure. "You wish to learn of my history. There is certainly much I can tell you. I have, after all, lived for what could seem to a meer half-breed as yourself an eternity.I could tell you of when I first scrabbled from the bare colourless earth of the Wastes in the shadow of Khin-Oin, a lowly, mewling mezzoloth, and looked up at the tower that lay before me, knowing it for what it was, a depicition of the superiority of the Yugoloth race. I could tell you of my time as a hydroloth, swimming the lengths of the Styx finding locations of Tanari and Baatzu encampments and reporting them back to my commanders and all the while learning what it was to truly be yugoloth. Perhaps you would like to learn of my time as a Marraenoloth, one of the Styx boatmen, ferrying passengers along the dark river and all the while watching and learning. I might tell you of the battles I presided over as a Nycoloth, or my ascent to the noble caste of which I am now a member. He paused here, and sighed, as if recalling fond memories, before continuing; "But no, you do not wish to learn of these things. I expect you, like so many others, wish to know of what came after my time in the Tower Arcane, after I decided to end my servitude to the dark general and his shadowy masters. I nodded my assent. He sighed again. I thought as much. That's the trouble with ones such as yourself. You fail to learn the values of patience. That you can discover more by listening to the story of a "hero"..."he pronounced this word with a dripping sarcasm"...before his rise to fame than you can of what came next. But I have said I will tell you what you wish to know and so I will. Now what shall I speak of? Perhaps I shall tell you of my journey to the four cardinal points of the Great Wheel in search of "The Light of Truth", or maybe of the time I aided the Great Khan of the Dao in repelling a small, though significant, force of Djinn assassins."

He paused for a moment, deep in thought, before raising his head and grinning at me. It was, I must say, a slightly disturbing sight as, for a brief moment, he almost looked as you would expect of an arcanoloth, ready to bring a scheme to culmination. "I know"he said, a note of triumph on his voice. I'll tell you of my time in Sigil, the heart of the planes, and the place where I foiled that wonderful little scheme of Shemeska. He sighed again. Ah, dear Shemeska. That little plot of hers would have gained her a significant amount of wealth you know. Along with quite a large portion of Arborea. But it's easy to stop the plot of a Yugoloth. Their schemes are grand, and always well thought out but, sadly, it's a problem with the race overall that makes it so easy to foil them. They're so overcome with their own superiority that they can't ever believe that anything can go wrong with their plans. And so, if you find the lynch-pin and remove it, you can watch as the entire scheme crumbles around their ears, as they finally comprehend what it is to be imperfect."He chuckled, rather merrily, at this thought though I suppose it's no suprise given some of the rumours. He finally stopped and raised his glass "But before I begin this little tale, a toast, "To the unravelling of yugoloth schemes" I turned to pick up my glass and felt a small sharp pain in the side of my neck. Reaching up to it I found and pulled out a small feathered dart. I gaped in horror at my grinning guest as my vision began to blur, and as the darkness closed in taking me to oblivion I thought I heard a voice, just a few words. "To the unravelling of Yugoloth schemes"

Physical Description:
When deigning to appear before mortals in his true form, Shirketh is approximately seven feet in height and thin enough that, were he disrobed, you could almost count the bones in his body. His eyes are dark, almost black, and have a piercing quality that could make you think he were staring into the very depths of your soul, and counting the sins before you would be truly damned. His fur is a light tan colour, and is extremely well kept. Slightly longer than that of most arcanoloths, you could almost say that it's rather fluffy. His right ear is covvered with earings, golden twists and spirals that form a pattern no mere mortal eye could follow. Some speculate that this is to draw attention away from his mangled and torn left ear. If asked about how this happened he will generally give the questioner a rather pointed look before changing the topic to something completely different. (Rumor says that it happened when he was escaping from a group of Bladeling assassins on Ocanthus) He typically dresses in flamboyant azure robes trimmed with gold, and studded with enough gemstones that you could not just ransom a king for it, but an entire kingdom. He also usually carries around with him a long white staff*.

Personality Description:
Charming and witty, polite and well-spoken, after all, these are part of the yugoloth stock-in-trade. It's difficult to convince a blood that you and only you can help him with his problem if you're foaming at the mouth half the time. Shirketh is happy to lie and just as happy to tell the truth if he thinks it will further his interests. One thing, and probably the only thing, that's certain about him is that he's not necessarily trustworthy... Unless he wants to appear so. He is generally friendly to people when speaking to them, and has learned over the passage of the centuries to keep his temper in check. He is also careful to give an impression of genuinely wanting to be a good person, and will frequently deplore the actions of his fellow yugoloths, though in truth he is a violent and sadistic as any other ‘loth.

Motivations:
Who can say what motivates a yugoloth. Greed? Certainly. Self interest? Probably. The dark is that most of what a yugoloth does is done to further the cause of Evil. Not mere evil, but Evil with a capital E. Course, Shirketh has left all that behind him now, or so he claims, though there are always those that say that a leopard can't change his spots. Admittedly he does tend to involve himself more with the affairs off others if he thinks he can make a nice profit out of it, but sometimes he'll involve himself when he apparantly gains no benefit whatsoever. What's suspected is that, in some of these cases he's working against the schemes of his bretheren in Gehanna and the Wastes, working to halt Yugoloth plans at crucial points. But these, like almost everything about yugoloths, are just rumours. But then, just because it's a rumour, doesn't mean it's not true...
Probably one of the only things that is known for certain about Shirketh, is that he shares a small, friendly rivalry with Shemeska the Marauder, King of the Crosstrade in Sigil. It’s to known precisely when this started, though it’s believed that the two were lovers at one time long ago. Whatever caused it, Shirketh is known to go to almost any level to thwart one of the Marauder’s schemes if he thinks he can get away with it. The Marauder, in turn, frequently has small bands of assassins sent after The Apostate, most of which are generally avoided by the Arcanoloth, though there have been some close calls on occasion.
The truth about Shirketh, is that he does what he does at the behest of Hekenelaith, Keeper of the Tower Arcane, in an effort to steer the Yugoloths into actions that would benefit the Yugoloth race as a whole. Any action which he would deem too risky to the position of the Yugoloths in the planes he will take steps to interfere with, wither causing it to stop completely, or guiding it along safer lines.

Where Likely Encountered:
Shirketh can be found on any plane, from the Grey Wastes to Elysium. Though he tends to avoid Gehanna, he will occasionally visit to confer with colleagues in the Tower Arcane about matters of particular consequence to the future of the Yugoloth race. He also generally stays out of Sigil, only rarely visiting when he feels it necessary to personally supervise something.

Plot Hooks:
1. A powerful artifact of good has been stolen from the Order of the Planes Militant headquarters on Celestia. Shirketh believes that the theft is the result of the machinations of a particular group of Yugoloths from Gehanna. He, or more likely one of his agents, hires to party to investigate the theft. While in most circumstances Shirketh would allow the theft to pass, he fears that it may, if left unchecked, bring the Celestials’ attention to another, more subtle plot involving the leadership of the Order itself.

2. It is election time in Sigil once again, and the Marauder is once again up for a position on the Sigil Advisory Committee. The problem is that this time she’s winning by a landslide, polls showing her to be far ahead of all opposition. Needless to say, Shirketh isn’t happy about that as it would allow the Marauder to interfere with his work in Sigil on a level far greater than before. He suspects that there’s trickery afoot (a fair presumption when there are ‘loths about) and wants to hire the party to investigate the matter.

*Tysedeous
His creator described him as "A colourful and useful travelling companion." Shirketh tends to describe Tysedeous as "A piking annoyance." This aside, he won't deny Tysedeous's usefulness, which is probably the intention of the person who gave him to the Apostate. Tysedeous was given to Shirketh after a rather interesting adventure on Mechanus involving a group of rogue modrons. The sender was unknown, though Shirketh has his suspicions that one of his enemies was behind it. You see, Tysedeous is a joke. A prank of sorts. By giving Shirketh an object as useful as Tysedeous, it ensured that he would be likely to get rid of it any time soon. Unfortunately, Tysedeous has an obsession. Mephits. Those pesky little annoyances from the inner planes. Given half the chance, Tysedeous will embark on lectures about the nature of these beings- where they come from, how they live, notable mephits of ages past and more. He can't get enough information about them. When he desides to embark on one of his tirades about the wonders of mephits, it can be very difficult to get him to stop again and despite numorous threats against the staff, Shirketh has yet to dispose of him.

Name: Ravanasti Swordsteward, a.k.a. Duana the Ashen
Race: Tiefling (normally disguised as an aasimar)
Gender: Female
Alignment: Lawful good, formerly neutral evil
Class: Rogue 6, Wizard 11
Faction: Unaffiliated, formerly a Fated Factor

Appearance:
Ravanasti Swordsteward is a short (5’1”) tiefling with jet black skin, pointed ears, and jagged teeth. Her smooth skin has no body hair and her white eyes have no pupils (although her vision is normal for a tiefling). However, she almost always uses magic and mundane disguises to hide her true appearance and typically chooses to appear as an aasimar. She typically wears wizardly robes or a modestly cut dress of exquisite tailoring. However, she will wear clothing appropriate to wherever she might travel. She does not have any personal items that keeps with her at all times, save for her wedding band.

Personality:
Ravanasti is outwardly friendly and is kind to a fault. She strangely alternates between an air of extreme confidence and groveling humility. She is generous to the poor but a terror to those who would abuse power or miscarry justice. In any case, when asked too many personal questions, she becomes very guarded. She tries to hide this guardedness by skillfully redirecting a conversation.

History:
To all outward appearances, Ravanasti is a mild mannered aasimar wizard who is married to Elandroth Swordsteward (aasimar, male, LG, paladin 14) and lives in Yetsirah on Jovar on Mount Celestia. She is a close friend of Faith, current Factol of the Harmonium. While her marriage and her friendship with Faith and other are definitely real, Ravanasti’s entire life has been built to hide a dangerous past.

Dark:
Ravanasti Swordsteward used to be Duana the Ashen and is wanted by no less than the General of Gehenna.

In the year leading up to the Faction War, Duana the Ashen had a meteoric rise from being a common Namer in the Fated to becoming a Factor. This rise to power was due in large part to her work as a cold-blooded advocate who represented other Takers in legal proceedings involving other Factions. She also helped fellow Takers litigate disputes over trade contracts with Baatezu, Yugoloths, and other lower planar denizens who commonly use legal contracts. Of course, through all of this legal work, Duana gained an excellent reputation as an advocate, earned a considerable bit of personal wealth, and eventually claimed a nice office in the Hall of Records.

During this time, she also was tapped into a regular stream of rumors and adventuring opportunities. She and her adventuring companions (who had very little interest in Faction politics) went on many dangerous adventures (mainly to the Lower Planes and including some distasteful mercenary work in the Blood War). As a result of her lengthy dealings with fiends, she has an extensive knowledge about them.

At the time of the start of the Faction War, Duana the Ashen was a hard-nosed Factor with a reputation for ruthlessness and cut-throat tactics. Many of the details of her personal involvement in the Faction War are confused. However, it is known that she personally assassinated at least one Harmonium Factor.

What is far less known is that during the final moments of the Faction War, the General of Gehenna attempted to depose the Lady of Pain while she was occupied with other matters. It is unclear as to how the General of Gehenna gained entry to Sigil but in appears that the Yugoloth Master must have slipped inside the city before the start of the Faction War. Again, it is unclear as to what she exactly did, but somehow Duana was personally responsible for stopping the General of Gehenna’s plans for Sigil.

In some fiendish circles it is said that in exchange for her service to the city, the Lady of Pain imparted an unheard-of gift on Duana to make it impossible to learn anything about Duana through any form of divination. While this may or may not be true, the General of Gehenna has placed an astounding price on Duana’s head and no one has yet been able to claim the reward.

Since the end of the Faction War, Duana the Ashen has undergone a radical change in personal philosophy. After realizing that the example led by Rowan Darkwood would bring her in to direct conflict with the primal forces of the multiverse, she recognized her many crimes and moral failings, repented, and sought forgiveness. She is now a champion of righteousness where she once had been the epitome of evil.

She no longer holds on to personal possessions for too long because on a recent trip to Sigil Shemeshka the Marauder appeared to recognize her magical staff and rapier. After that trip, she panicked and discarded most of her personal belongings in Pandemonium where the maddening winds have destroyed them utterly. When she needs a specific magic item for a specific purpose, she will acquire it, use it, and then give it to a hero in need.

Motivation:
Ravanasti has one true motivation: to stay out of the prison that has been built for her in Gehenna. However, knowing that she has so many personal wrongs to right, she often takes great personal risks to fight evil and injustice throughout the multiverse. Where she cannot intervene directly, Ravanasti will often hire adventurers to perform certain tasks for her. She pays well but always insists on a moral code of conduct from cutters under contract.

Location:
Ravanasti Swordsteward is most likely to be met on Mount Celestia or on Arcadia. However, since she has so many previous wrongs to right, she can be met nearly anywhere in the Outer Planes.

General uses for the DM:
Ravanasti can be worked in an existing campaign in a number of ways. A DM can introduce her as patroness to the PCs or as a patroness to a rival group of adventurers. She can also be sought out by PCs who need tumble to some dark about fiends.

A better hook:
Recently, the General of Gehenna, through countless intermediaries, reminded a pit fiend general about a certain resourceful tiefling mercenary who has another year of service through a “reactivation clause” in her contract which was signed with the pit fiend’s immediate predecessor. Since the general is new to his position and because his predecessor demoted to a barbazu and shipped to the front lines of the Blood War, he is eager to undo any of his predecessor’s mistakes. He has sent a number of erinyes to Sigil to track down the missing mercenary. The erinyes, in turn, have been unsuccessful in finding the deserter. Knowing that the price of failure will likely be demotion, one of the erinyes has decided to find a group of adventurers to do her job for her. If successful, she hopes to corrupt additional souls while tracking down the deserter. Of course, the missing mercenary is Duana the Ashen, now Ravanasti Swordsteward, and she does not want to be found. While she has been very careful about hiding her old identity, a group of canny cutters may be able to piece together the clues left behind at the end of the Faction War. A paper trail that starts in the Hall of Records may eventually lead to Mount Celestia.

Standard Statistics: Allorian Moonsmile, aka “Jezzira Darksilver.” Female Air Genasi. Rogue 14. Alignment: Chaotic-Neutral (Evil) but detects as Chaotic Good.

Description: “Angles and freckles stretched over pale blue skin.” Allorian is lanky and slight, measuring just over six feet tall. She has light blue skin with violet freckles, and black hair worn just past her ears in a stylish bob. Her hair is naturally white with blue stripes, but it is currently dyed black as part of her attempt to disguise herself. She usually wears a violet leather jacket and black breeches tucked into high leather boots. She carries many daggers about herself and moves with a languid gracefulness.

Personality: “Oh let’s not talk about me. My life is boring. But you seem to be someone…important.” A born flirt, Allorian will speak with anyone, anywhere--for at least a minute or two. She spends most of her time lounging around public gathering places hoping to collect information relating to her quest (see below). Typically, Allorian will act bored or sigh loud enough to be overheard. If spoken to, she will respond with “I am simply waiting for something interesting. Are you interesting?” Whatever the PC’s reply, she’ll act interested for approximately twenty seconds before interrupting with “Tell me something interesting about yourself. What are you like?” She is seemingly interested in everything, fascinated by exotic sensations and experiences. However, she vehemently despises the Sensate faction and takes momentary offense at being labeled a Sensate herself.

When pressed about herself, Allorian is dismissive and mysterious. “I’m just another lonely cager—nothing interesting about me.” In a prolonged conversation, she is extremely mercurial, switching from being intensely interested in the PC’s and their visible items/clothing/gear, to being bored and rude. “I need to be entertained,” she says, exasperated, “not talked to death. But I like you, so I’ll give you another chance.”

Short History: “I do whatever I need to get by…and I’m very good at whatever I do.” Allorian is an agent of Sung Chiang, the Chinese god of Thieves. She grew up in the Hive and quickly became a successful thief due to a combination of skill, luck, and reckless daring. She established solid connections with every known thieves guild and managed to survive the guild wars when the Oddsblood Guild slew nearly every member of the Lightfingers and the Octopus guilds. Completely independent, Allorian felt no desire to seek vengeance on the thieves; instead, her survival instincts, usefulness, and ability to endear herself to high-level cutters (such as Joox Catseye, a High Priest of Loki in the Lower Ward, and Meera the Grasper, a Namer in the Fated and Administrator in the Hall of Records) brought her to the attention of Sung Chiang’s proxy Yasmeen Webwalker. Recruited in Hopeless, she quickly displayed a willingness to go anywhere and try anything that enabled her to re-affirm her superiority complex and support her independent lifestyle.

Motivations: “Don’t mess with my business and I won’t utterly ruin yours.” Fiercely protective of her independence, Allorian believes herself superior to everyone she meets. She wants nothing more than to be free to go where she wants and do whatever she wishes at all times. Yasmeen pays her a monthly stipend for information and provides her with a high-paying fence for her more notable stolen items. Allorian does not seek fame or glory, content to demonstrate to herself alone her ability to take other people’s prized possessions. If someone values something highly enough, Allorian will eventually try to steal it.

She is currently seeking any and all information leading to discovering the current whereabouts of the legendary Sapphire of Shattered Memory (or any relevant powerful item from your campaign).

Where Likely Encountered: “Come here often? Me neither.” In any pub, inn’s common room, or public gathering place such as the Great Bazaar. Allorian isn’t shy. She often studies people openly and makes comments on their appearance loud enough for them to hear. Allorian is always protected by a Mind Blank spell and an enhanced Ring of Non-Detection to make her seem Chaotic Good. Therefore, it is impossible to find her when she doesn’t want to be found. However, she always turns up eventually.

One Adventure Tie In or Plot Hook: “We have mutual friends, and perhaps we could help each other out someday.” Due to her excellent connections, Allorian knows something about the PC’s that they don’t want someone else to know. Example: a fight in an alley that the Harmonium are curious about. She smirks and approaches the PC’s at their table in a pub, pointing out that they look “terribly familiar—as in ‘terrible’ if the Harmonium find them out.” She isn’t looking for a payoff or a bribe; she’s just making conversation and, hopefully, future connections.

Bardic Knowledge or Knowledge (Local) reveals Allorian’s friends in high places, (hopefully) dissuading the PC’s from strong-arming her into silence. Instead, she offers to help the PC’s find what they’re seeking, simply because she is intrigued and bored. Allorian is a good source of odd information for PC’s, but her words come at a steep price. “Tell me a secret, and I’ll tell you where to find the Hag you seek.” She accepts no coin for sharing her knowledge; instead, she wants to know your deep, dark mysteries—the more shameful and embarrassing, the more they are worth to her.

Allorian knows almost everyone in Sigil, although she calls no one her friend.

Author's Note: My mind is a very strange place.

Jack Hammer McStoneface, Private Eye
Male Stone Genasi, CN Barbarian 8

If you turn left at Dead Berk Boulevard, step backwards into the first alleyway you see, and successfully whistle any well-known tune in reverse, you might just end up in The Tiefling's Tale, Sigil's premier fiction bookshop. Here you'll find every series imaginable--from the bloodsoaked stories of Drizzle Durden, the dual katana wielding half-demon half-dark-elf (with wings!) tortured by a mysterious past, to Doctor Von Grimskull's tales of two-fisted justice and steam-powered zombies (to quote the titular character: "The Doctor is in... vincible!")

But you won't find a single copy of one of the most popular series, Jack Hammer McStoneface. In fact--if you even ask--you'll probably be lead straight out the door.

No one there wants to talk about how all the McStoneface books recently disappeared. They don't want to discuss the black cloud that's been floating over block after block of the Hive. They certainly don't want to speak about the constant rain, or the way that everything under the cloud is temporarily drained of color, or the people who are reportedly disappearing and reappearing as completely barmy, convinced they're characters from the McStoneface books. And there is no way in the Nine Hells that they will even approach the subject of who may lie at the center of that cloud--Jack Hammer McStoneface himself, acting out the last chapters of the unfinished finale.

The Dark of It: A block-wide rain-cloud is sweeping over the Hive, draining anything under it of color and temporarily turning people and objects into characters and props from the last unfinished Jack Hammer McStoneface novel. Anyone caught beneath the perpetual rain immediately becomes a black-and-white caricture from a hard-boiled detective novel (think Sin City or Max Payne). Armor turns into pin-stripe suits, bows and arows into guns and bullets, cross-bows into shotguns, and swords into clubs, lead-pipes, and pipe-wrenches. This change is purely cosmetic; all objects and related feats function exactly the same under the cloud. Characters must make a Will save (DC: 20) or be caught up in their new role, acting out their part in the novel for as long as they remain underneath the cloud. Groups of muggers turn into hired goons sent by Benito (the villain of the novel), merchants turn into club-owners, and adventurers into beat cops or hard-bitten detectives on the killer's trail.

At the center of this cloud is Jack Hammer McStoneface himself--the titular character of the McStoneface novels. Unaware of the fact that he's a fictitious character, he now acts out the sordid tale contained in the last unfinished McStoneface book, It Always Rains, pursuing the crime-lord Benito and his accomplice, the Dame-Killer.

Killing Jack is nigh-impossible; he has tons of DR and an outrageous sack of hitpoints. To beat him without violence, players must either convince the original author (a drunken dust mephit) to finish the series or end the story themselves and act it out with Jack. Benito needs to be beaten, the killer found, and the dame (whoever she may be) saved. Jack will usually die at the completion of the story in a blaze of glory. So long as Jack either dies or ties up the loose-ends, the rain-cloud dissolves and the effect ends.

Wherever Jack goes, a cheesy narrator (Jack himself) can be heard, narrating the action in standard noir-style. Only creatures who made their initial save can hear it; those wrapped up in the story can't.

The Lady of Pain and the Dabus ignore Jack. They are immune to the effects of the rain-cloud, and his activities do not threaten the city as a whole.

Appearance: Jack isn't built like a brickhouse--brickhouses are built like Jack. A slab of rock roughly fashioned into the semblance of a 7 foot tall man, with fists like sledgehammers and a lit stogie always clutched between his clenched teeth. He wears a black trench-coat and matching hat, and is always accompanied by Sally and her sister, Mary--his pet-names for a colt .45 and pipe-wrench (sling with pouch of of +1 stones and +1 club).

Personality: Jack is a consummate detective novel hard-ass anti-hero; dark, vicious, brutal, but ultimately out to beat the killer into a bloody pulp and save the day. Killing Benito and catching the dame-killer (and saving the dame) are the only concerns he has; he is completely unaware that he's a fictional character, and any attempt to explain this to him is probably just going to result in a lot of confusion (and eventually some fists). He'll accept help in his quest, but only begrudgingly.

Adventure Hook: People in the Hive are throwing a *fit*. Some stormy raincloud keeps sweeping by and disrupting everybody's day, turning everything topsy turvy; by the time the cloud leaves, no one remembers what happened or why they're missing teeth and sporting fresh bruises (or how they ended up in this ditch). The people in the Hive want an end put to this madness, and some of them may be willing to pay.

* With apologies to Max Payne.

Will the lucky five be revealed?

Yeah, after reading some of the submissions, I do not envy you having to narrow it down, Hymneth. May I just extend a hefty congratulations to the five nominees and a great job to everyone who participated.

Congrats, you five. I know among you I have a preference, but it seems mildly unfair to mention it right now. Anyway, good luck to all of you.

That is close indeed considering the wide scope of the ladder. However, I'd like to claim that I already know, who is going to win both prize and fame. And its not me of you think I'm that bloated. ; )

I seriously cannot believe you people let someone with the name "Jack Hammer McStoneface" win.

HOW.

Still, I immensely appreciated this opportunity. I'd like to take this chance to thank everyone responsible; PW for hosting the contest, Hymneth for shanking some poor old librarian for the cheap Hellbound set (I WOULD HAVE SHANKED HER TWICE), everyone for submitting their own interesting characters, the various voices in my head (they wanted me to call him "Jackhammer McPeck Hammerslab", but I managed to talk them down), and all the judges who scored the pieces.

Except the one who gave me a four.

I've got my eye on you, mystery-judge #1.

Congrats Hippo!!!
Oh well back to Ebay for me then

Yop, it was clear from the beginning that he would be "everyone's favourite". He was mine, to be sure. With a good DM and a bit of creativity he would make a great adventure hook. It's something I really want to do if I ever (in my life) get to run a PS campaign.

Oh, no, mr. efreeti. You are mistaken, over-the-top is not good.