So far I've explored the Sword Coast through three ladies, all with vastly different backgrounds. Pictures of all three can be found in this thread:
https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=736520#Post736520 First up is my beloved Shield dwarf wizard Freyja Eldviðri of Mithril Hall. A young noble lady in the court of Queen Dagnabbet, she was an highly gifted and intelligent practitioner of the Arcane., excelling in class and out-performing her peers. A model student even, if not for the fact that she was getting into drunken tavern brawls with her fellow student every bloody chance she'd get, or take said fellow beaten up students back to her quarters to get "patched up with special treatment". When she can find the time between her courtly duties, her studies, owning people in barfights or sleeping with her bloodied victims, she has quite the affinity for surface literature. All of it, whatever she can get her hands on from the people up above. It's exhilarating! Enlightening! And on occasions, quite lewd. Also Drow wine. That shit is worth dying for.
At some occasion, Queen Dagnabbet asked Freyja to accompany her diplomatic envoy to Baldur's Gate, not so much for her diplomatic skills, she's still a child by dwarven standards, but as an opportunity to learn and study from non-dwarven mages. The variation would be good for her magical development. Alas, not a month had pasted since they arrived to Baldur's Gate before captain Squidward showed up and abducted her.
Second time around, allow me to introduce you to Lady Esmeray Mizzrym of Menzoberranzan! 4th daughter of Miz'ri Mizzrym, matron mother of House Mizzrym, Esmeray's life was mired in politics from the day she was born. Thankfully for her, she inherited both her mother's stellar intellect and otherworldly beauty, without picking up her abhorrent fashion sense. With her life path already laid out before her, she served with distinction as one of Lolth's priestesses and earning great prestige for her house. Soon she was even considered to undergo The Ritual, the one that might hopefully produce an Draegloth. Quite unusual for a priestess her age, but not unheard of. To be allowed such glory and honour, to be the one to give birth to a new Draegloth, Esmeray didn't even know which leg to stand on. All she needed to do now was to recover an artifact of Lolth stolen by Duergar, a mission of vital importance and upon completion would erase any doubt she had Lolth favour.
Unfortunately, the Duergar where ready for them. Esmeray's expedition was ambushed and her forces scattered, herself together with one other from the expedition escaped into unknown territory, unable to return to Menzoberranzan without going through the Duergar. Through Lolth's blessing, or maybe the lack thereof, they ended up on the surface, very close to Baldur's Gate. They were able to sneak into the city and find shelter for maybe a day before you-know-what happens. What became of Esmeray's companion after the abduction is unknown. Probably died in the crash.
Finally, the devil of the high seas! Protector of the Northern Pearl! A pirate's worst nightmare! Ladies and gentlemen, and variations thereupon, Nazmiyya!
Nazmiyya grew up in the Tiefling community in Baldur's Gate, her life marked with hardship and poverty but also with the joy of close family. The whole Tiefling community was one big extended family. They had no one else but themselves. Not that the Baldurian were particularly racist to Tiefling, quite the opposite. Most Tieflings who moved to Baldur's Gate found themselves treated much better than other places, but without money and without higher education, you were nothing in Baldur's Gate, and their community was dirt poor.
However, life had other things in store for Nazmiyya. One night, making her way home from her warehouse work at the docks, she came across a few of her people being verbally abused by two drunken Elturian sailor. Immediately jumping to her people's defence, she wiped the floor with the sailors. The very next morning, she was approached by a half-orc, dressed in the same sailor's attire as the drunks from last night. He'd seen the debacle and was impressed enough that he wanted to offer her a spot on the Waterdhavian vessel The Northern Pearl. Having never been given such an opportunity before, she accepted on the spot and set sail the moment she'd said her goodbyes.
Of course, the Cthulhu monsters just had to attack Baldur's Gate when her ship had returned and Nazmiyya was visiting family. Woops.
Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Peace 😄
