Source: Curse of Strahd: Optional Backgrounds
The taking of Phlan by Vorgansharax is a clear memory in your mind. You were going about your everyday business when the green dragon's forces spilled out of the sewers and assailed your home. Many of Phlan's citizens, young and old alike, were captured, killed, or offered as tribute to the Maimed Virulence. You, yourself, were one of those captured. But, either with the help of adventurers or through your own wits and sheer determination, you escaped.
Rather than flee the region, you've chosen to stay and fight. Finding refuge outside the town and the deadly thicket surrounding it, you strike out against the Tears of the Virulence and their monstrous allies. You've learned to survive in dire and desperate circumstances, with supplies running low and the arrival of reinforcements uncertain. You've grown accustomed to acting under the cover of night, dealing what blows you can to avenge the friends and family you lost within the currently occupied Phlan. You will drive Vorgansharax out, or you die trying.
Skill Proficiencies:
Stealth, Survival
Tool Proficiencies:
One type of artisan's tools, vehicles (land)
Equipment:
A
bag of 20 caltrops
Value:1gp Weight:2lbs
, a small trinket that connects you to the life you once had before the occupation of Phlan, a
healer's kit
Value:5gp Weight:3lbs
, a set of dark
common clothes
Value:5sp Weight:3lbs
that includes a cloak and hood, and a
pouch
Value:5sp Weight:1lb
containing 5gp
Removed from your life as a townsperson, you’ve adapted to rough life in the wilds surrounding Phlan. The trade you practiced still influences your outlook, the manner in which you approach situations, and the way you contribute to the resistance movement against the Maimed Virulence. You can roll on the following table to determine what your occupation was before the fall, or choose one that best fits your character (select from either the general column or the specific column, but not both).
| d8 | Origin (General | Origin (Specific) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fisher | Stojanow River worker |
| 2 | Hunter | Twilight Marsh worker |
| 3 | Craftsperson | Mantor’s Library scribe |
| 4 | Priest/Priestess | Clergy of Ilmater |
| 5 | Cook | Laughing Goblin server |
| 6 | City Watch | Black Fist guard |
| 7 | Servant | House Sokol retainer |
| 8 | Unskilled Laborer | Bay of Phlan dockworker |
You’ve come to know the surrounding forests, streams, caves, and other natural features in which you can take refuge — or set up ambushes. You can quickly survey your environment for advantageous features. Additionally, you can scavenge around your natural surroundings to cobble together simple supplies (such as improvised torches, rope, patches of fabric, etc.) that are consumed after use.
You have given up the life you knew as a citizen of Phlan. However, the Maimed Virulence’s invasion resonates deep inside you. Perhaps you have a few friends or family members who were able to escape with you. Or, perhaps, everyone you held dear either perished or went missing during the fall. You may know of someone who is, against all odds, surviving within the thicket and you long to liberate them from a life of peril within the town.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | My patience knows no bounds, so long as my goal is in sight. |
| 2 | In life and in struggle, the ends justify my actions. |
| 3 | If you aren’t helping me, you’d best at least stay out of my way. |
| 4 | I long for the life that was taken away from me. |
| 5 | Friends and family perished, tragically, before my eyes. I hope never to undergo that again. |
| 6 | Making the right choices in life is important to me. The choices I make might save not just my life, but the lives of others as well. |
| 7 | I can never allow my foes to get the drop on me. |
| 8 | Time is a precious resource that I must spend wisely. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Leadership. The oppressed need someone to inspire them to courageous acts. (Good) |
| 2 | Unpredictability. Keeping the enemy guessing and off-balance is my tactical strength. (Chaos) |
| 3 | Determination. Threats to my home must be eliminated at all costs. (Any) |
| 4 | Freedom. Those who are enslaved and unjustly imprisoned deserve my aid. (Good) |
| 5 | Resourcefulness. Our wits are our most valuable resource in troubled times. (Any) |
| 6 | Unity. Working together, we can overcome all obstacles, even the most seemingly insurmountable ones. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I’ll never let my fellow insurgents down. They are my only remaining friends. |
| 2 | I was separated from a loved one during my escape from town. I will find them. |
| 3 | One of the Tears of the Virulence was a trusted friend, until the day they betrayed the city. They will pay harshly for their transgressions. |
| 4 | An item I hold close is my last remaining connection to the family I lost during the fall. |
| 5 | The dragon who took my past life away from me will feel the full extent of my vengeance. |
| 6 | The knowledge in Mantor’s Library is an irreplaceable treasure that must be protected. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I have no respect for those who flee. I harbor a deep grudge against the citizens who abandoned Phlan. |
| 2 | Ale is the only way I can escape the desperation of my circumstances. |
| 3 | It doesn’t take much to get me into a fight. |
| 4 | Being an insurgent means doing things that aren’t always ethical. I’m still learning to live with that. |
| 5 | My desire to liberate Phlan oftentimes clouds my judgment, despite my best efforts. |
| 6 | I relentlessly despise the Maimed Virulence and his allies. I’d abandon other goals in order to strike out at them. |