Jozelle, the Nocturne

[Peacemonger]

Name: Jozelle, the Nocturne
Character Sheet: https://test.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2790350

Race: Imperial Human
Class: Rogue 2, Monk 1
Alignment: TN
 

Appearance: 
"I am but a porcelain thing made of paint above a hollow shell. I am told the paint I have is pretty. Is it? Am I pretty?"

With hair of sun-kissed wheat, eyes soft like a cloud on a lazy day, and a grace with every step like a river dancing around stones, first impressions of Jozelle is her calm beauty. Whether wearing practical clothes akin to a merchant or scholar, or in a beautiful dress, or in any number of outfits she prefers shades of drab and shadow, all the better to stand and watch in the corners. Short, thin, with a light voice full that's of silk and chimes, she may seem at first a delicate thing...

...she's anything but.

On closer look and with keener perception, her eyes are dead like a puppet's. Lost within the hairs that shimmer are a few stark white from stress and sin. Her movements are not from the training on how to be a proper lady, but how to be a true predator, and be faster, swifter, more cunning than those around her. Her voice too is one well practiced, for the best assassins are those whom no one suspects.

 

Personality: "I have never understood the question 'who am I?' I am whoever I must be. No more, no less, no otherwise, no in between."

Jozelle is in many ways broken. At first it seems she's charming and poetic, speaking of the world in ways that paints vibrant pictures. When giving a genuine answer such as 'how are you?' or 'what do you think of the music?' she will respond with things like, "I am caught between a smile and a tear" or "the music makes me yearn to take hold of it, so frustrating that I cannot." In truth, such answers are because she sees the world very differently than others, in some ways holding onto a childlike wonder because a true childhood was denied to her.

Although many of her emotions are comparatively stunted, they are there. She can be moved to feel happiness, anger, sadness, even fear... it simply takes a lot more to bring it out. Otherwise, she is relaxed and unmoved, more an aspect of nature than an individual with agency. She claims to hear fate like a whisper in her ear, but far more likely it is a coping mechanism to accept her bloodied hands. She understands much in concept, knows of things like love and humor, art and politics... she has lacked the initiative to truly internalize them and accept it all into her heart.

She idoes not value herself, which is why though she may prefer the luxuries of life, she's perfectly content to eat week-old, almost-moldy bread. She can sleep with her back to the wall and a hand on the hilt of her blade. She doesn't feel entitled to anything better, only accepts the situation should better arrive.

Of late, she feels a deep unease since her breakdown. What happened? Why? Has she strayed from her path, and what lies in store for her? She feels the beginning embers of something that threatens to turn into a conflagration of personality with all the hopes, dreams, and desires of any other person, and she does not know what will arise or what will become of her when that happens. Jozelle does not know who she is, and is on the precipice of finding out.

Personal History: "The past is like ripples in the water... temporary and distorted by apathy and imagination. What is the past but the specter that guided us to now?"

Jozelle, like many others, was a war orphan, found as but a toddler. She remembers naught but screams, fire, and smoke. Like a few, she disappeared from the orphanage that she was delivered to very early on, perhaps after a week or a month. She only remembers glimpses of other young faces. In her case, she did not run away, but was adopted by a very wealthy patron in need of children. This patron was a mere front to one of the noble houses, and the need was for initiates young enough to break and mold into suitable assassins.

And so it was that Jozelle was taught how to wound and kill, how to cut and poison. Of course, this had to come with the proper philosophy attached to it, a philosophy that she was but a weapon to be swung by the hand of her masters. Complaints, to disagreements, to signs of weakness were punished through lash and through venomous words that were often even worse. It worked, and Jozelle accepted her position. On top of this, she was chosen to be the kind of killer who blends in with her surroundings rather than be an outright savage murderer. She was taught how to engage with people, how to act as noble's daughter, acolyte, or beggar. She was allowed to walk among people, for only experience could teach her. The outside world from the temple felt more like a dream, and so a dream she treated it as.

At age twelve she was finally allowed to observe her first assassination, watching a more veteran member do the deed. But a year later, she took her first life, a noble's servant who had stolen a few jewels to sell them. Nevermind that the nobles hadn't used said jewelry in years, it was the principle of the matter, and for Jozelle even the principle did not matter, only where she was sent to. It was not as if there was an assassination every week, or even every month. Different tasks required different types of expertise, and Jozelle was still learning. So it was that her free time was to pick up new skills, new hobbies, and train.

She earned the moniker 'nocturne' from her singing voice, one that understandably sang sad, haunting melodies. Although lacking the initiative others hadd, there were few to match her instincts and loyalty... until her latest kill. He was a young noble, son to one of Council, handsome, brave, believed by many to be proper lord material. By day he practiced with sword, shield, and steed, by evening he read up on history and poetry. He made for good company at the gathering, someone with an abundance of confidence and ambition that was refined by care and consideration. He, as planned, took to Jozelle for she'd been given the lines, the names of works that would catch his attention. They danced, he called her beautiful and that he wished to see her again if she allowed. She said 'yes' as she slipped the Midnight Tears into his cup. The local apothecary had been bribed to claim he died from a head injury from his training, so know one knew that a rising star in the kingdom was tragically slain by petty rivals.

It was a month later as Jozelle was on a bridge watching a sunset that a couple standing nearby held each other close and the man claimed it was 'beautiful'. When his partner agreed that the sunset was indeed beautiful, the man clarified that he meant her. In that moment something broke inside Jozelle. Or perhaps something opened up finally. Years of her heart being molded to stone finally chipped away and she could not escape the moment her latest kill called her beautiful. Why had she snuffed the life of someone who was kind to her? Why had he been kind to her, had treated her as if anything an equal that night? She found a quiet, cold, alone place as the tears rushed down, as she coughed and vomited, and the facade of the woman never phased was shattered.

She is very much still under the thumb of her noble house. Jozelle needs something though, something to do on her own to take her mind off her internal troubles and so is taking the job to find a lost amulet. It's a simple enough thing that shouldn't involve murder or lies, where she can simply be a capable adventurer doing a good deed for coin. Afterwards... she doesn't know. For now, it's simply trying to figure out what to do in the moment.  

Relationships: "I act the merchant's daughter this day, and tomorrow I will be a traveling acolyte to the Longwalker, and by next week I will be an aspiring musician. Does this not mean I have more friends than those who act as but one person?"

Dedderick Flints: An old tanner is fromer employer to the same noble house as Jozelle, returning to Hethton, his home of birth. In truth, on top of his skills with leather he also was an expect in poisons and one of Jozelle's tutors as she received her more specialized instruction. Dedderick is the one who designed her backpack, expertly made to conceal many small things from prying eyes. 

Initial Build

(Point Buy) Str: 10 Dex: 16 Con: 12 Int: 12 Wis: 16 Cha: 12

AC: 16 HP: 26 HD: 3d8

Anticipated Archetype: Assassin (maybe Way of Shadow if the game lasts longer)

Background: Spy - Deception, Stealth, Lyre (replacing Gaming Set), Forgery Kit (replacing Thieves' Tools)

Racial Proficiencies: History, Alert Feat, Elvish language

Proficiencies (Class): 

• Armor, Weapons: Light Armor, Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
• Saving Throws: Dex, Int
• Skills and Tools: Acrobatics, Intimidation, Performance, Sleight of Hand, Thieves' Tools
• Rogue Feats: Sneak Attack (1d6), Thieves' Cant, Cunning Action
• Expertise: TBD based on party
• Monk Feats: Unarmored Defense, Martial Arts

Equipment (TBD):

Initial Thoughts:

• Weapons: Rapier, Daggers
• Armor: None. The idea of taking the level in Monk is so Jozelle can be dangerous even if she's unarmed and unarmored. 
• Mundane Equipment: 3-4 outfits TBD, items she's proficient in such as Thieves' Tools, Forgery Kit, Lyre, Poisoner's Kit & Disguised Kit (will be proficient with at next level). Holy symbol to Kavaltaa the Betrayer that doubles as her insignia to the assassin's guild. History book. Potentially different poisons depending on what's ultimately allowed and not.
• Magic Item(s): Big TBD. On the short list of potential options could potentially go Bracers of Defense (be harder to hit), Bag of Holding (better hide all her questionable items), something to do with disguises/stealth/etc., and/or a +1 weapon or weapon with poison damage. Don't expect all these, just one or a couple of them. 

Extra Notes:

• I went pretty vague about the assassin's guild so it can be more easily tweaked/fit into the game world, not feel out of place
• I expect a lot of growth from Jozelle, more of someone discovering her true self than someone already with clear goals and values
• Mechanically plan to level up in Rogue for the foreseeable future, maybe for the rest of the game depending on how far it's supposed to go. 

Edited May 9, 2023 by Peacemonger (see edit history)

[Whitleyrr]

Thank you, Jozelle looks complete!

[Peacemonger]

TEMPLATE

 

 

Jozelle - Human (Rogue/Monk)

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AC: 16 | HP: 33/33 | Initiative: +8 | Passive Perception: 13

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Mechanics Main Hand: - (Rapier at hip) Off Hand: - Action: - Bonus Action: - Move: - Manipulate: - HD: 4/4d8

 

 

Edited August 16, 2023 by Peacemonger (see edit history)