Vicar to the Lord of Light
First Name: ThomasLast Name: Marlowe
Appearance
Race: Human
Age: 25-30
Height Average (5'8"-5'10")
Weight: Average (160-200 lbs)
Eyes: Green
Hair: Black
Skin: Fair
Handedness: Right
Build: Fit, active, healthy
Posture: Relaxed, occasionally slouching
Hygiene: Well-groomed and clean-shaven, with healthy teeth, skin, and hair
Scent: Thomas smells of warm sandalwood and sun-dried clothing, with a hint of temple incense if he's recently been in service
Personality Profile
Deity: Lathander
Alignment: Neutral Good
Profession: Priest, Magician, Counselor, Scribe
Base Class & Proposed Development: Wizard/Cleric/Arcane Scholar/Morninglord of Lathander
Habits/Hobbies:
Thomas has a number of habits that quickly become known to those who associate with him: He is one of those rare individuals who can always find something to smile about, and this overflowing optimism and positivity can be incredibly heartening -- or extremely annoying. He is given to humorous interjection, proverbial storytelling, and rural colloquialisms like "if she had a ham under both arms she'd cry 'cause she had no bread." (Used for people who are never satisfied, or always complaining).
Thomas is warm and free with his emotions and speaks truly and honestly with people. It quickly becomes apparent that he is no friend to "polite speech," and he abhors formality. He invariably corrects people who are too "respectful" with him, and encourages others to forego titles and ranks when they're in his presence. After all, such things are only made to separate people, to make one person seem more important than the other. Thomas fervently believes all beings, from the lowliest beggar to the highest high king, are equally worthy of love and respect.
In regards to his hobbies, Thomas has more hobbies than he can reasonably maintain. Perhaps in relation to his eternal spring of optimism, he is always eagerly learning new skills and picking up new pasttimes. Some of his mainstays include reading, prayer, debate, magic, and poetry. But he's also known to fish, farm, ride, fence, dance, sing, sew, and, recently, herd sheep. He's spoken occasionally of his desire to start an apiary, but the high priest has made it clear that he doesn't want a bunch of bees flying around the temple grounds, scaring folks away.
Languages: Arcane, Common, Draconic, Elven
Weapon of Choice: Diplomacy, Friendship, Hug-Attack (+3 bonus against grumpy grumps)
Background:
There's not a whole lot to Thomas's background, and most of what's there can be uncovered by simply talking to a few of the long-term citizens of Beregost. After all, Thomas was born and raised in Beregost.
His father, Richard, was a bookseller there and his mother, Jocelyn, helped Richard maintain his shop -- catering to the travelers and caravans that so regularly came through the well-placed town. Church records maintain Thomas's actual date of birth, but it's not widely known.
Thomas received an eclectic, but generally good, education growing up in a bookstore, and he studied magic and the arcane arts with his father. Occasionally, Thomas also won tutorship from Thalantyr the Conjurer -- when said conjurer was actually around and prepared to put up with an overly optimistic young mageling.
Thomas's father died suddenly and unexpectedly about ten or eleven years ago. The healers claim his cause of death was "bleeding on the brain."
After Thomas's father's death, the family had to close the bookstore, and Thomas's mother took a job waiting tables at Feldepost's Inn. In 1347 DR, the Marlowe family fled Beregost with many other refugees to escape the fighting between Amn and Baldur's Gate -- relocating from the Friendly Arm Inn to Baldur's Gate before chartering passage to Waterdeep.
In Waterdeep, Thomas joined the Spires of the Morning temple as an aspiring priest, becoming one of the "Awakened" (which is the name for an acolyte dedicated to Lathander). He studied hard and worked even harder, and Thomas was well-liked by his peers and by his superiors alike. According to temple records, Thomas never had the martial prowess or physical skills of other would-be Morninglords, but he was so very agile in mind and so very devout in spirit that he regularly shone as someone special among his peers.
After completing his studies and serving the local community for a couple of years, Thomas put in for a reassignment to Beregost, which he was granted. Thomas is believed to have left his mother and a younger brother named William behind in Waterdeep.
On arriving in Beregost, Thomas was appointed to act as the Song of the Morning temple's vicar, and he has taken to that task with the same positive fervor with which he approaches all challenges. Will he be able to turn the town around, with his heart, and his love, and his smile? Or will the world come crashing down hard on such a vibrant and innocent soul? Only time will tell.
Goals:
Thomas has numerous goals, most of which are pretty selfless:
- First, he would like to work to restore Beregost to the way it was before the war: A safe and happy town, where trade and agriculture flourish.
- After stabilizing things in Beregost, he would like to invite his mother and his brother back to the town, where they might once more live in peace.
- Thomas would like to see the Song of the Morning temple expand, and become well-known across the Realms.
- He would like to make the Morninglord proud of him, and as such he tries to embody the teachings of his god (as he understands them and to the best of his abilities).
- And he would like to see all those around him flourish and succeed. He would like to protect and inspire the members of his faith, the friends he calls his own, and the sundry peoples of Beregost.
Anything related to Beregost or the Church of Lathander naturally hooks into Thomas and his storyline. His family are NPCs that the DMs may feel welcome to utilize, and Thomas writes to them regularly (in his journal thread). Finally, given his devotion to his friends, anything affecting their plots will likewise impact him, for better or for worse.
In fact, in the spirit of Thomas, I would personally ask the DMs to develop the people around Thomas, rather than work on Thomas's storyline directly. Thomas will always be there to help them succeed, and both he and I will derive the greatest possible pleasure from simply seeing their characters evolve!