First, Do No Harm

★ Character Information ★

Character Name: Rhys Dryden
Character Age: 128. Appears to be in his mid-30s.
Character Species: Dhampir
Current Health: Healthy
Outfit: An "explorer's outfit" -- sturdy boots, leather breeches, a linen shirt with vest that has a mithril chain shirt layered over them. He also has a cloak with many pockets, a doctor's cloth mask, an amulet, and a wide-brimmed hat. He prefers to wear the hat during the day to shade his delicate eyes. His cloak and amulet are lightly enchanted to help him be a little sturdier in potentially unsafe situations. (Cloak of Resistance +2, Amulet of Natural Armor +1).

Character Canon:
Link to History: Rhys moved fairly frequently throughout the lands of
Avistan, never staying more than a few years in one place. As a dhampir, his kind were not welcome and hardly tolerated; so, whenever he had begun to be noticed, it would be time to leave. He knew little of his own personal history beyond that affliction and how others viewed it. His mother died in childbirth. His father, he was told, must have been a vampire. And thus, he was born hated through no fault of his own. The latest city he’d settled in had been Korvosa, where he’d set about opening a small clinic in the poorest district. It was there that he could go relatively unnoticed while still providing medical services to those in need. A devout Sarenite, despite everything, he would try to visit the temple when he could but the reflected sunlight during the day often hurt his eyes. Otherwise, he usually kept to himself while working, meditating on the precepts of Sarenrae and Irori, or (rarely) taking company with those ”sacred” to Calistria. But when the slums became increasingly dangerous and ever more mysterious deaths began happening, Rhys turned his knowledge to an investigative bent.

Marus’ player has written a relatively complete summary of the campaign here. When the group found themselves in the ruined temple of Gozreh, Rhys offered a prayer to the namesake deity requesting aid in exchange for the promise that Rhys would build new shrines to the forgotten god. During the course of the battle, Rhys was killed – but his soul was not able to pass on, even while Marus and the others scrambled to revivify him. From the void, he could hear the gods arguing over their claims to him – Sarenrae, Irori, and newly Gozreh for Rhys’ latest pledge. Before the dispute could be settled, Rhys was yanked back to life by the grace of Abadar to the tune of 5000 gold sails, potentially adding the god of merchants to the mix whenever Rhys should die again.

At the end of it all, Rhys had made some true friends, become deeply devoted to Marus, and had agreed to leave Korvosa with the exiled tiefling. Wherever Marus would go, Rhys would be there – and would be building a shrine to Gozreh. Effectively adopting Robin, Rhys fully intends to give the girl a proper education to become a doctor herself. However, lessons now include multiple types of self-defense.

Canon Point: Not long after the House on Hook Street Pathfinder campaign.
Canon Iteration: Original Canon / House on Hook Street Pathfinder module
Canon Iteration Explanation: n/a

★ Folkmore Roles & Attributes ★

Skills:
- Well-versed in the making, identification, and use of poisons. He cannot accidentally poison himself while crafting, studying, or applying a poison to a weapon/object.
- A practiced doctor, he can quickly identify diseases and illness as well as swiftly treat them and disinfect an area/body. He will quickly notice any tampering with medical evidence or tools.
- Special focus on studying blood – for creatures he’s familiar with, he can identify the race, age, and gender of an injured creature just from blood evidence left behind. May take the form of him tasting it…
- Able to use alchemy to craft elixirs that can give him spell-like abilities if he has the right recipe, i.e., flying, climbing on walls/ceiling, invisibility, breathing underwater. He has a limited set he can craft and he needs adequate time and correct components.
- Skilled with one-handed blades. Usually relies on his cane sword for subtlety, but has adequately used a rapier as well as a sickle. Combined with his medical knowledge, he can study an opponent in order to make an especially precise vital strike and/or leave his opponent feeling ill.
- Voracious reader. He’s developed a wide range of knowledge in history, biology, and various other random subjects, as well as a keen memory. While the medical field is his expertise, he has a decent grasp of a variety of concepts that can help him to make comparisons and adapt to unfamiliar situations.
- Taught himself 4 foreign languages – probably none of which he’ll ever effectively get to use in Folkmore

Canon Abilities:
- Can see perfectly in the dark, just without being unable to distinguish colors. Can see twice as far as a normal human in low-light.
- As a dhampir, can sense the nearby presence of other “undead” creatures. Has a natural resistance to disease, poison effects, and mind-altering effects.
- Increased dexterity, allowing him to make swift melee attacks as a reflex reaction and dodge more effectively.
- “Negative Energy Affinity” – Healing “positive” magic harms him, while “negative” offensive magic is what heals him.
- Suffers from light sensitivity. Bright sunlight or a sunlight spell overstimulates his eyes, leaving him half-blinded until he can return to the darkness or otherwise shield his sight.
- Has an unnatural charm and ability to bluff or seduce others. Sharper perception of his surroundings.

Role: Familiar
Role Qualities/Attributes: Rhys will retain his dhampir/undead characteristics of pallor, sharper canines/fangs, and slightly pointed ears -- not to mention his dark vision, enhanced reflexes, and ability to sense other undead nearby -- which may make him appear almost Myth-like. But the attribute he'll gain truly from his Role will be the animal transformation. When he transforms, his eyes will change from silver to gold as he loses his light sensitivity and becomes better able to see during the daylight while in animal form. When he becomes especially agitated, he may manifest a tail or ears; but with practiced concentration and calming methods, he'll be able to also hide them. Eventually, the goal is for him to Dedicate himself to the Legend Marus and develop those advanced traits of psychic bond.
Role Reasoning: Rhys has primarily been focused on serving others for the majority of his lifetime. The idea of succumbing to the “evil” nature of his blood, as he’s been taught, has instilled in him a great anxiety and likewise fuels his devotion to his gods – Sarenrae, as the compassionate redeemer, and Irori as the god of enlightenment and self-perfection. Rhys throws his energy into good works and service of others, both for its own merit but also to ensure he keeps himself from falling to dark temptations. Maintaining rationality, calm, and pure thoughts to balance from darker urges leads to a neutrality befitting the Familiar, not to mention his focus on supporting others. Since he has a canon-mate who is a Legend, it seemed like a good opportunity to lean into him “reaching his potential” as a sidekick. Rhys isn’t particularly strong on his own, physically, but his skills/abilities were designed to provide utility supports to the party outside of combat. I also enjoy the idea of his canon abilities/traits giving unfamiliar characters the impression that he’s a different role than he is. I find it amusing that the creepy vampire-looking guy could easily be assumed to be “bad” because he looks scary, and all his acts of service would be “good,” but he’s really just trying to succeed at being normal.

★ Personality ★

Option 1. Rhys takes the precept of “do no harm” incredibly seriously – both as a doctor, and as a dhampir trying to fight what he’s been taught is his “fate.” That said, he wouldn’t fall completely in the “lawful” camp of the moral spectrum. He can’t abide by others’ suffering and inequality where the laws fall short, such as every city’s slums and the ever-present realities of racism wherever one goes. Sometimes, what he chooses to do as the “right” or “good” thing is not always the “legal” option. He’s taken no vows and therefore has none of the restrictions of a paladin or priest, so he has no problem engaging in lying, stealing, or bribery if there is a greater good to be gained by it. Of course, he tries not to do “bad” things, but sometimes prayer for forgiveness is easier after the fact. The most important thing is that no one gets hurt, or that a “bad” act would prevent greater harm.

Much of Rhys’ self-control comes from daily meditations and self-reflection. Becoming too emotional could potentially trigger him to make rash decisions, which could lead to a spiritual “fall.” He can’t allow himself to become too angry, too jealous, even too hungry because of his fears that it will erode his control and eventually he’ll become the monster people expect him to be. There are some small things he will allow himself to manage his urges. Rather than take coin as payment from his clients most in need, he may take a small bit of blood. Marus’ adoptive parents are well aware of his tastes and will prepare his meals on the rare side for family dinners. He knows that there is no real physical benefit or need for him to consume blood, but he still feels drawn to it. Managing it in a regulated way allows him to sate the psychosomatic need safely. On the other side, considering his “negative energy affinity” (or rather affliction), seeking pain from a shrine of Calistria provides him a great sense of internal peace in a masochistic way, which allows him to both heal physically and feel like he is atoning. (Of course, talking about that is embarrassing.)

A lot of Rhys’ life revolves around control and serving others, but it’s not to be a paragon of virtue. His goal really is to achieve a “normal” life like everyone else; he just feels like he has to work harder for it, especially when faced with others’ prejudices and fears. Reaching his true potential as a Familiar and as a man would be to feel completely confident in himself and his abilities, without any fear of becoming someone he doesn’t want to be. It would mean he finally conquered not only himself, but society’s expectations of him and his “fate.” If he weren’t afraid of his future, he would be able to better enjoy his present. Rhys is very much willing to make sacrifices, as he already has been in his attempts to just live a quiet life. If he becomes aware of new options to reach that potential, he’ll be willing to examine them for viability, no matter how foreign or silly they might seem. Otherwise, he really just tries to be friendly and approachable in the hopes of fitting in.