#kestra starcaller

[rhodebot-the-fruit]

8 for avon

jk, jk, how about 31 and 32 for avon and 24 and 25 for kestra?

24: How quick is [Kestra] to trust someone else? -> Depends how useful they would seem to be to her. Finding herself isekai'd to a strange, hostile land with a group of people who seem capable of defending themselves? Probably pretty quick to trust (and if it was misplaced it probably won't be her problem very soon). Paired with a stranger on an art assignment? She'd rather do the whole thing and throw the partner under the bus unless they beat her to it.

25: How quick is [Kestra] to suspect someone else? Does this change if she is close with that person? -> Kestra is not an inherently suspicious person. She feels like she knows how to suss out shady situations and people (she's wrong), and she's (arrogantly) confident in her skills to handle messy situations. It definitely takes something being off to rouse her suspicions, though.

31: Describe a scenario in which [Avon] feels most comfortable. -> Honestly, there's not much anymore. I guess the closest thing would be focusing on the task at hand, so in his current situation that's out drawing maps and exploring wilderness. Most other activities he enjoys tend to carry some kind of baggage, now. That might be getting better, though. He did just create a new gun.

32. Describe a scenario in which [Avon] feels most uncomfortable. -> Haha, imagine if you got whisked away to a party for the regent of the country you work for, in a strange, faraway city you left months ago, when suddenly from across the ballroom you see your (ex-?) wife with a party member's family. That would be pretty uncomfortable, right? But what are the odds of that happening?

[rhodebot-the-fruit]

🌌🌳 for kestra

🤝 for avon

🥪 for tifanie

🌌 If [Kestra] has a nightmare, what’s it most likely about? -> If Kestra had a nightmare it would probably be one of 3 things: 1: Dying alone, penniless and unknown, having failed at her endeavors. 2: Her patron withdrawing his support, leaving her with her twisted mind and nothing to show for it. 3: Less of a nightmare for her, but she probably has dreams about her patron consuming the world.

🌳 Would [Kestra] survive for a week on her own in the wilderness? -> Probably? She isn't the greatest at hunting but she could probably find enough to survive. She wouldn't necessarily be comfortable, but she would probably enjoy the novelty of the experience if nothing else.

🤝 Does [Avon] have someone he wants at his side when he is scared? Who? -> I think it really depends on the kind of scare. In a physical altercation, Avon trusts his party to have his back; he thinks he works very well with his compatriots. On a more existential level... the person he would want most with him would probably be his (ex-?)wife, Kelah... if she'd have him.

🥪 On a scale from ‘burns water’ to ‘5 course menu’ how well can your OC cook? -> Probably somewhere on the level of "hamburger helper". Definitely not as competent in the kitchen as her wife. Growing up somewhat wealthy, she didn't have much need for learning how to cook, but she's tried to be at least somewhat self-sufficient since leaving home. She tries to help out where she can.

[rhodebot-the-fruit]

Kestra:

6, 7, 8, 18, 20, 26

6. Who will she take advice from, no matter what it is? Who won't she take advice from, no matter what it is? Well, of course, Kestra will take advice from Hadar (or, what she thinks is advice from Hadar). Among her party, Foundation seems to have a good head on his shoulders. As for who she would never take advice from, currently Strahd. She doesn't really have animosity toward anyone else in Barovia (that she hasn't already killed at the moment). In general, she can be a bit paranoid, very suspicious of anyone she considers a rival.

7. Describe her in 3 words. Now let her describe herself in 3 words. Left of normal. She would describe herself as, "aspiring world's best"

8. Do complex puzzles intrigue or frustrate her? Kestra can appreciate a good puzzle. That said, if it can be circumvented with a Blast or two, that's her preferred solution.

18. Kissing: tongue or no tongue? Kestra's not sure, she's never kissed before. Definitely tongue though, I imagine she would be a freak if she knew what sex was.

20. What does she like that nobody else does? Hadar. More serious answer, she's morbidly fascinated by death sometimes, or at least was before being isekai'd to a land full of undead creatures.

26. Talent or effort? Effort, for sure. Nobody is born the best. They claim it through blood, sweat, and tears. Ideally of others, but she'll shed her own if she has to.

[rhodebot-the-fruit]

2, 6, and 29 for Kyra

9, 14, and 30 for Kestra

Kyra Stavish: 2. Can they take care of a plant? What about a pet? What about a child? Kyra has a few plants at home in the tower that she cares for, so she can definitely take care of a plant. She never had any pets growing up due to allergies (hooray for low constitution!), but she could definitely take care of one. As for her thoughts around children... Well, she has plans.

6. Who will they take advice from, no matter what it is? Who won’t they take advice from, no matter what it is? The obvious answer is she'll take advice from Declan, and generally won't take advice from her parents unprompted. A less obvious answer is that she's pretty open to advice from Aia: a fellow young noblewoman who doesn't really seem interested in the trappings of courtly life.

29. What recurring dreams do they have? I've think I've alluded to Kyra being afflicted by nightmares since getting shot in the head, so that's the predominant one. On the rare occasion she gets a normal dream, she usually dreams of a quaint farm life with Declan.

Kestra Starcaller: 9. Do they empathize with non-sentient things (dolls, plants, books…)? Hmm... I think Kestra has a hard time empathizing with sentient people out of anything other than pragmatism as it is. She spends too much time focusing on painting and adventuring to think about how other people (or inanimate objects) might be feeling unless it directly benefits her painting or adventuring.

14. Would they agree with the term ‘guilty pleasure’? Do they have any? I think it takes a lot for Kestra to feel guilty about anything. Murder in cold blood might get her feeling guilty, but that's not something she really finds a pleasure, so... Not really. Besides, striving to be the best in her chosen fields eats up a lot of her time, she doesn't really do 'leisure'.

30. What would they do if they knew it would be forgiven? I want to say "murder all of her rivals", but I think that would take the challenge out of being the best. She would probably do something like painting murals of Hadar on the sides of all the churches in the city or some other form of vandalism that both spreads the word of Hadar and showcases her skills.

[rhodebot-the-fruit]

Kestra: 11, 20, 27, 37

Day 7!

Kestra Starcaller: 11: How do they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend they understand, etc)? -> Generally, Kestra seeks clarification. After all, trying to fulfill a commission based on incomplete information wouldn't go very well for her. If she's in the middle of deceiving someone, though, she would make a call on whether it would be more beneficial to seek clarification or act as though she understands.

20: If they were asked to explain the difference between romantic and platonic or familial love, how would they do so? -> "Familial love is what draws you home for the holidays. Romantic love is... what gets people to you to settle down with someone?" Kestra's not really sure she'll ever want to settle down, though. She has aspirations that she needs to achieve.

27: What causes them to feel dread? -> Kestra has an absolutely crippling fear of failure, on the level of her lifetime. Setbacks or failure on any particular task, she can deal with them. The idea that she could fail on a level that leaves her with no mark on the world, that terrifies her. She's aiming for the stars. Dying penniless, or even comfortable, with few knowing the name Kestra Starcaller, is something that would happen to her in a nightmare.

37: Do they have a system for remembering names, long lists of numbers, things that need to go in a certain order (like anagrams, putting things to melodies, etc)?  -> Kestra definitely has some level of photographic memory. She doesn't have too much issue assigning names to faces, but for more abstract things she imagines them as images in some way, whether that's just written in order or arranged in some more artistic fashion.

The end!

[rhodebot-the-fruit]

23, 35, 41, and A for Kestra

2, 31, 42, and D for Avon

Kestra: 23: How does envy manifest itself in them (they take what they want, they become resentful, etc)?  -> Envy is one of those factors that would drive Kestra. She would offer her services, try to get a commission. After all, if someone so successful commissions her, that proves her worth. Envy of another's status just pushes her to exceed them, exceed them. Kestra won't be satisfied until there is no one left to envy.

35: How do they treat the things their friends come to them excited about? Are they supportive? -> Despite (or perhaps because of) her charisma, Kestra doesn't really have true friends. Most people she interacts with are nobles (who she is convincing to spend money) or fellow painters (who she is competing with). That said, Kestra is no stranger to being excited about weird shit, so if one of her current compatriots came to her with something odd she'd probably get excited right with them.

41: How do they feel about children?  -> I think Kestra would have no idea what to do with a child who was placed in her care. Probably try to get 'em started young on Hadar. Children of her own? She doesn't really know how to get one, it's not really on her radar.

A: Why are you excited about this character? -> Ever since I first looked at the character options for 5e, I wanted to play a Great Old One Warlock with the Pact of the Tome. Kestra really came together when putting her background, this weird girl with her orb and a desire to experience all life has to offer. There's something profoundly fun about playing the party face while being a bizarre cultist whose mind may or may not be getting warped by the eldritch machinations of a dying star.

Avon: 2: How easy is it for your character to laugh? -> Fairly easy. Avon's sadness is pretty localized, only when he thinks about it. His anxiety is more debilitating in his day to day. He'll gladly laugh at jokes and silly situations.

31: Who are they the most glad to have met?  -> His wife, Kelah. Especially now. Or maybe his son, Djarek. Their absence has weighed on him, and now that he can see a future with them again, he realizes how stupid he was to prioritize tradition over family.

42: How badly do they want to reach their end goal?  -> More than anything in the world, especially now. He's so close to the first step, he can taste it. If he can keep this up, if he can make up with Kelah, he knows to aim higher: he wants to go home.

D: Have they always had the same physical appearance, or have you had to edit how they look? -> He wears a shirt now. That's about it for changes to his appearance. Once I decided, it was pretty much set.

[rhodebot-the-fruit]

need, blood, and idol for kestra, spring, danger, and proof for avon

Okay, here we go…

For Kestra:

has your OC ever experienced desperation? how has it affected them? what do they do when something they need is out of their reach?

Kestra is the kind of person who always reaches higher and higher. Per aspera ad astra, quite literally. I would say that she hasn't really experienced true desperation, and that may have left her a bit overconfident. If something were to put her in that situation… who knows what might happen?

what would your OC would sacrifice everything for? what does “everything” entail—their life, or something else? how far would they go?

Kestra aims to be the best at everything she does. If she thought it would leave her with a legacy among the greats, she would absolutely lay down her life in the most dramatic fashion. If it would make her a better painter… she could give up quite a bit.

has your OC been in a position where a lot of people were looking down on (or up to) them? how do they handle the pressure of fame? of criticism?

Coming up in an artisans' guild, Kestra has absolutely been in positions of being scrutinized. She absolutely revels in the fruits of success, and criticism mostly just inspires her to reach higher and do better next time. She hasn't taken on any real high-stakes projects since acquiring her power though. No guarantees she wouldn't Eldritch Blast a critic.

For Avon:

what does your OC miss most? will they ever be reunited? how would they feel about that?

Ha. He misses his wife, Kelah, and son, Djarek, most. He thought he would never get to see them again, but since a certain someone joined the party it seems almost inevitable. If he's quite honest, he's not too sure how he feels about it. He misses them greatly, but the laws of his village say he needs to stay apart, but she doesn't seem to care (nobody does, really), so he'd love to see them again, but he also doesn't know if he should, after all, he's changed a lot, but what if he hasn't changed in the right way, and is there a right way to change, and besides if SOMEONE doesn't respect the laws, who will, and and and… This is what keeps him up during his turn on watch.

what’s one thing that makes your OC angry? what’s their temper like? how do they respond to people who make them mad?

As a father, seeing children mistreated or in danger really sets Avon off. Really, any kind of abject evil gets him riled up, but especially when children are involved. Luckily, he has this cool new invention that is pretty effective against evil of all types.

what is your OC looking forward to? what best moments in their life are yet to come?

Avon is cautiously looking forward to reuniting with his wife and son. He is also looking forward to shooting the leader of this cult and being able to see more than 60 feet ahead of him. Thirdly, he is looking forward to potentially finding someone to share his invention with, now that it seems to be working (read: not exploding) rather consistently.