; Meryelle "Mery" Keryndon
Level 2 Half-Elf Sage College of Lore Bard
AC: 13 (Leather Armor) | HP: 17/17 | Speed: 30 ft.
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft; Passive Perception 11, Passive Insight 11, Passive Investigation 14
Str:Save: -1
Athletics: +0
Carrying Capacity: 120 lb.
Lift/Push/Drag: 240 lb. 8 (-1) | Dex:Initiative: +2
Save: +4
Acrobatics: +2
Slight-of-Hand: +2
Stealth: +2
. 14 (+4) | Con:Save: +2 14 (+2) | Int:Save: +2
Arcana: +4
History: +4
Investigation: +4
Nature: +3
Religion: +3 14 (+2) | Wis:Save: +0
Animal Handling: +1
Insight: +1
Medicine: +1
Perception: +1
Survival: +1 11 (+0) | Cha:Save: +5
Deception: +5
Intimidation: +5
Performance: +5
Persuasion: +5 16 (+5)
Languages: Common, Elven, Solamnic, Kharolian, and Draconic
Spell-casting: +5 or DC 13 | 1st 2/2
“My words,” | ‘My thoughts,’ | My actions
Mery tells Darrett, "Yes, safety arrows were exactly what I was wondering about, and since it sounds like I can get some, I'll join in with the archers for the re-enactment. Thank you."
She then tells her companions, "I'm going to take a round or two supporting the musicians, then I'm going to teach them a little dance we do in Palanthas." She pulls out her pan flute as she walks over to the musicians' stage, playing an experimental scale as she walks to make sure the instrument sounds as expected. Sure enough, it does, and as she nears the stage, she recognizes the song being played. Raising the pipes to her lips, she begins a spritely harmony. The lutenist seems to be in charge of the group, and his twinkling eyes seem to offer a clear invitation to join. Grinning widely, she steps up onto the temporary stage and joins in the playing until this group of musicians makes to swap out for a new group.
As the groups are changing, she tells the new leader, a human man in his mid-30s with warm brown eyes, "Let me teach them a little dance step, then when I signal you, start playing My Kalaman Girl. Or, if you don't know that one, anything in 4/4 time with a catchy rhythm will do."
When the musicians indicate that they do know My Kalaman Girl, she nods and steps off of the stage, calling out, "Hey Vogler, how would all of you like to learn a little dance step we do in the big city of Palanthas? You don't need a partner, you just need yourself, and this is one even your kids can do. So come on kids, it's time to show your parents how it's done!" When a group of people of all ages comes running up, she holds out her arms to her side in a 'T' shape and says, "Stand this far apart - you can touch your neighbors' fingertips, but no more than that." Putting her arms down again, she continues, "And if you run out of room, just start a new row behind the full one. What we're going to do is called a line dance, and the more people who join in, the more fun we'll have."
After taking a few minutes to both make sure the dancers are appropriately spaced and give stragglers a chance to join in, she returns to the front of the stage and faces her dancers again. "Now you just do what I do, in the direction I'm doing it, and if I move forward or backward, you move forward or backward. It may help you to count out beats of four as you move. We start with a grapevine-right. That's step right with your right foot, cross behind your right foot with your left, step right again with your right foot, and close left by bringing your left foot next to your right, and keep your weight on that right foot. You can either tap your left foot to the ground or clap your hands to add some extra flair once you get the hang of it. Now repeat that - step right, step behind left, step right, and close left." Mery demonstrates the step as she instructs. "Now we do 2 grapevine lefts - that's step left, step behind right, step left, and close right, and step left, step behind right, step left, and close right."
"Now we step back 3 steps, starting with your right foot. That's 1-and-2-and-3, now tap the ground with that left foot. You can also kick or knee left instead of tapping, just keep your weight on that right foot. Now step forward left, tap your right toe to the ground behind your left heel. Now step backward right and tap your left toe in front of your right foot." She demonstrates. "Now you lift your right leg and pivot to your left on your left foot. I like to use kind of a skipping step to propel me into that turn, but whatever gets you there in time is fine." She demonstrates the pivot step a few times. "And our right foot needs to be up so we can immediate start over with our grapevine-right. A full Kalaman slide takes us through all 4 different directions."
"So let's do a full Kalaman slide before we ask the musicians to play." She leads the group through the steps, calling out the steps in cadence.
Then turning to the musicians, she calls, "OK guys, HIT IT!" and leads the dancers through the dance, calling out encouragement and praise all the while. At the end of the dance, she says, "OK dancers, let's give some thanks to our musicians here for their fine support because everyone knows that dancing is a lot less fun without music!" And she turns up to the stage and applauds the musicians heartily, encouraging the dancers to follow suit.
Feeling like she's done her part to support the festival, Mery then disappears into the crowd, trying not to think about the dancing. 'It would be fun to dance, but...' She then shakes her head, remembering how every single time she'd ever asked someone to dance with her either got her either a curt refusal or else some man who was too handsy by far and left her feeling violated. 'No, Mery, you have a 100% failure rate at getting someone you can actually feel safe and have fun with to dance with you. Dancing isn't something that life is going to let you have fun at, except things like line dances that you can do without a partner. That's just the way it is - now don't whine about what you can't change and find something else to focus on. Surely there are other interesting things you can find to occupy your attention at this Festival.'
She wanders through the stalls, hoping to find anything related to drawing or sketching. 'If I can get use of some charcoal and an easel, I could make a sketch of Ispin at the Festival to show the others!'
Actions & Resources
Actions:
Shortbow (simple, ranged, ammunition, two-handed). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 80/320 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Dagger (light, ranged or melee). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 20/80 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d4+2) piercing damage.
Bonus Actions:
Healing Word
A creature of your choice that you can see within range regains hit points equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st.
Bardic Inspiration (3 per long rest, for 1d6)
As a bonus action, a creature (other than yourself) within 60 ft. that can hear you gains an inspiration die (1d6). For 10 minutes, the creature can add it to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. This can be added after seeing the roll, but before knowing the outcome.
Ammunition:
20 arrows in quiver, 3 arrow bundles in backpack.
Spellcasting:
Mery is a 1st-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following bards available for spontaneous casting from her first level slots:
- Cantrips (2/2 slots): prestidigitation, vicious mockery
- 1st level (3/3 slots): healing word, hideous laughter, cure wounds
Class Features:
- 3/3 Bardic Inspiration
- Song of Rest (Use on any short rest - anyone who hears her performance and chooses to regain a hit die gains an extra 1d6 of HP.)
- Jack of All Trades (add 1/2 proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.)
