barrel sharp, the wit on you!
indie rp blog for bg3 tav
symon | bard half-orc | crossover and oc friendly
written by arthur
biography
Basics
In a small network of villages on the banks of a tributary of the Chionthar, lives a family: a highly trained group of fighters, tight-knit and loyal to a fault.
That’s where I come in. Sy'munuk (call me Symon, if you please), born 1460 DR, fourth child in the latest generation of half-orcs to run with my grandfather’s full-tusked blood.
I ran to Baldur’s Gate the second I could rub two coins together.
NAME Sy'munuk (Sigh-muh-NOOK) - though for all but his family he goes by the name Symon.
AGE 32 (1492 DR)
RACE Half-orc (parents both half-orc)
SEXUALITY He's a bard
ALIGNMENT Chaotic Neutral
HOMETOWN & RESIDENCE Born in the small village of Wyborough; currently a resident of Baldur's Gate
APPEARANCE
Baldurian’s take one look at me and point towards the docklands whenever I enquire about hiring. If it were a matter of impression, and they’re seeing anything past the tusks, I suppose I wouldn’t blame them - I’ve the visage of a strapping young orc, a good view of the top of most local’s heads, and a set of shoulders that a barn door would be proud to be compared to. Only I’m quite specific about the sort of gig I’m looking for, so the kindest I can be is to presume they’re thicker than worg-swill and not worth the breath it’d take to explain myself.
FRAME & BODY A little over six foot and broad in the shoulder, but lacking any actual strength. He’s easy to mistake as muscular when fully clothes but most of the bulk on his skeleton is superficial muscle or fat - he has the healthy beginnings of a paunch. He has a light-smattering of black body hair on his chest,down the centre of his torso; on his legs, arms and a little on the backs of his hands and feet. His hands are notably delicate, though more in the way they move and the care given to the nails rather than any thinness. FACE & HAIR Symon has brown eyes, with a long scar that crosses his right eye (though luckily missed the socket); a short, freckly nose and a permanent furrow between his eyebrows. He’s got two pairs of tusks and a white tattoo over his lower lip that extends over his chin - one he shares with the rest of his family. The lower part of the tattoo is a little obscured by a scruffy beard growing just at his chin. His skin is slate grey with a ruddy undertone that makes his ears, nose and cheeks notably redder. His ears are about average for an orc - pointy with a wider and curvier shape than an elven ear - and he wears double-hoops in both at the helix and lobe. His hair is trimmed in a simple, short mop - straight, black and greying at the temples. It’s usually mussed from his hat.
TYPICAL CLOTHING [Blazer of Benevolence - Faewild Green & Dun] [Cap of Curing - Muddy Red]
Personality & Testimonials
Charming - Sardonic - Self & Circle Before Others - Smooth Liar - Persuasive - Quick To Judge - Avoids Intimidation
IVAN BOULDERSHOULDER ("Valued" Patron) "Hired this bard to perform at my daughter's wedding. He was certainly a bard who did that. 5/10"
TONSURE BELLAGIO (Baldurian)"The half-orc was very tall. Very large. Intimidating I would say, especially for someone like me, but I was very fond of his hat. He was kind enough to give me the time of day for a quick chat, charming one might even say, even with his strange mix of companions, but I did see him sneaking to a basement in town. Many basements. Hmm. Suspicious."
OB'RAG (Oldest brother, professional arsehole) "Maybe if he spent more time with his mouth shut and a sword in his hand, he might be bearable. 3/10"
DURZ (Second oldest brother, cleric of few words) "....He's fine."
Symon is a man of many faces - ingratiating and charming when it suits his goals; scathing and capricious when his patience runs thin; a tease; a flirt; a foot put down. What he is not is perhaps more telling. He struggles with sincerity, vulnerability, introspection - it's evident in his arrogance that he fails to reflect upon himself. There's a time in his life where he started running from his problems. He has yet to stop.
Having faced cruelty and pain in his early life, Symon walks a hypocritical line between scorn towards those who stomp down the weak and not being above a kick or two of his own. His firmest line in this respects is he abhors directly threating violence and intimidating behaviour, preferring inference, cutting insults, or manipulation. If he's resorting to threats, something has gone horribly wrong. If you wave about your weapon whilst demanding answers, you rapidly become lesser in his eyes.
Get close to him and he begins to flounder. Emotional openness is difficult for him, and will come with considerable irritability and avoidance on his part. In a way, all of his relationships get worse before they get better - though in his life there's been precious few who stayed through the worst.
COLLEGE OF LORE BARD
I've burnt through so many candles these past weeks it's starting to imperil my budget - I've mind to teach myself a light cantrip, as much of a waste of time as that seems, to ensure I won't spend all my wine money on wax. Regrettably, academia demands it be so. I am so dangerously behind my peers that they practically cease to be such. There's a human girl - she's twenty or so - who is a published novelist. A half-elf who never busks for they’re too sought out to have the time. I, a half-orc of no renown and even less regard, have partnered with a gang of pickpockets because I belt loudly enough to be distracting.
FAVOURED SPELLS Cutting words; Vicious mockery; Healing word; Scorching ray
FAVOURED WEAPONS Dual crossbows; Rapiers
SPELLCASTING Symon feels the Weave when casting primarily in his tongue and throat, his voicebox is a particular focus for channelling. When nearing his limits it will affect this area - his voice will be hoarse and his ennunciation suffers.
INSTRUMENTS Primarily hand-drums, which he uses as part of the somatics of his spells; also skilled with a lute
CHARISMA Skilled liar, charming and quick-witted. Symon prefers to manipulate without obvious confrontation. If everyone is happy at the end of a conversation, it's less likely to bite you in the arse later.
LUCKY A follower of Tymora, Symon is a believer in the value of a bit of cosmic luck. He relies on his skill rather than expecting fortune to favour him however - after all, if luck was a guarantee then it would cease to be luck.
rules
MUN
arthur - nearly 30 - he/him
i'm a bit "shy" with people i don't know, by which i mean i'm too autistic to remember how to talk to strangers. sorry if i'm slow or awkward to begin with - i'll match enthusiasm quickly, mind!
going to keep these brief so as not to overwhelm but please also assume standard roleplay rules! RULES
most importantly: please do not interact if you ship adult/minor, incest, or defend enjoyment of these things. i’d be grateful if you block me actually! this is a boundary, im not here for an argument.
• 18+ muns only, sorry
• doubles welcome, ocs so so so welcome, give me your tavs and durges and dnd characters
• pre-est relationships very encouraged. if anything in his bio/headcanons sparks inspiration, let me know!
• mutuals and non-mutuals welcome
• i don’t expect reblog karma, feel free to reblog memes from me directly
• i won’t roleplay the following: noncon, suicide/SH (these being part of a backstory or mentioned in a thread don’t bother me, just the present actions in a thread do) THREAD TYPES
i’m happy to do off-the-cuff and plotted threads; prose and “script”; long or short replies. i'm not currently interested in roleplaying smut. i'm not actively seeking ships but i do enjoy them, so let's chat about it!! symon may still flirt regardless, but that's mostly because he's an incorrigible bastard.
Symon has little to share with his companions early in their journey (Oh, a hard time growing up? Family troubles? That could describe me - or half of Faerun.) As far as he's concerned they'll all be digging out their brain-worms and heading home - they don't need his life story, though he'll happily take theirs if it'll help him compose a compelling song or two about this whole misadventure. It's been a long time since he last saw his family; it's entirely possible he'll never see them again. What little he's willing to share is light: positive or petty, whether from genuine levity or a layer of blasé to disguise something more affecting.
(You know, my father gave me this drum.)
(No judgement on the Shar worship - I've two clerics in my family and our whole pantheon is evil gods.)
(I wish I could introduce Lae'zel to my oldest brother. Give him a taste of his own medicine...)
This becomes suddenly and painfully impossible shortly after entering the Shadowlands. A drider convey, a Harper ambush and a frantic but successful fight later, Symon and his party are picking over the bodies for spoils to drag back to Last Light when they find one of the drider's escorts still breathing. A half-orc, a familiar one. It's Ikkath - Symon's younger brother, the only family he ever regretted leaving, and with their magic spent and the shadows closing in around them there's nothing they can do to help. Ikkath has enough strength in him to reveal the whole family is at Moonrise or camped with the armies between them and Baldur's Gate, and then... nothing. All that's left is to take him back to the inn - so at least the shadows won't claim his body.
Fraught, grieving, and the Absolute on their doorstep - suddenly Symon is unable to ignore the scale of the threat the Absolute represents, just as it becomes clear how uniquely poised their party is to combat it. Moonrise comes with good and bad news. Hogarth, the youngest, reveals they were practically press-ganged by a wave of the Absolute's forces sweeping their village and is convinced to help in breaking the prisoners out of the cells he's guarding and absconding to Moonrise. Durz - previously a cleric of Gruumsh - is less lucky. He's a true soul - and until they return with backup, there's little they can do to extract him.(This section is a WIP!)