Meryelle "Mery" Keryndon
Level 3 Half-Elf Sage College of Lore Bard
AC: 13 (Leather Armor) | HP: 25/25 | Speed: 30 ft.
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft; Passive Perception 11, Passive Insight 11, Passive Investigation 14
Str: 8 (-1) | Dex: 14 (+4) | Con: 14 (+2) | Int: 14 (+2) | Wis: 11 (+0) | Cha: 16 (+5)
Languages: Common, Elven, Solamnic, Kharolian, and Draconic
Spell-casting: +5 or DC 13 | 1st 4/4 2nd 1/2 | Bardic Inspiration: 1/3
“My words,” | ‘My thoughts,’ | My actions
Before the Army's Arrival
Mery waits until there's a lull in all the activities and then pulls Ser Becklin to the side, well away from anyone associated with the Ironclad Regiment. "I believe Jeyev is the source of the threat. I don't have a lot to go on, it was just a very strong gut feeling, but I trust that instinct, and I'll explain why here in a minute."
"I want you to understand that under more ordinary circumstances and if I'd had more time, I would have first attempted to gather some hard evidence of what Jeyev may be up to before coming to you, but I only got that read on him this morning when we were introduced. I tried to warn Cudgel, that failed abysmally, but the points she made weren't unreasonable, and given how long she's known him, I can understand why it would be easier for her to trust him than me. Immediately after that, I went up to the bluff with my companions to deal with the soldiers and lieutenant, and now one of the times I'm worried Jeyev might be inclined to act is upon us. I felt it better to bring the matter to you even without any hard evidence because I didn't want to carry that worry alone and also because I don't know whether you're coming with the rest of the village to Kalaman or not - you don't need the same protection the villagers do and with us accompanying them, you wouldn't necessarily be needed to protect them. Given that I believe you are a particular target of Jeyev, I felt it a matter of conscience to at least warn you, because I think there's a course of action you can take without acting unjustly toward Jeyev."
"About my gut instinct - I don't get clear reads on people like I did with Jeyev all that often, but when my read is very clear and it tells me a person is trouble despite their being well-regarded by others, it hasn't yet been wrong. That's not to say it couldn't one day fail me, but it's been reliable thus far. And there's another thing: My birth father abandoned my mother when he learned she was pregnant with me, and when I was 3, she married a parchment maker in Palanthas. I lived in that home for the next 15 years. My step-father is what I call three-faced; he has a way he acts in public, a way he acts in private when my mother and half-sister are around, and a way he would act when alone with me. (I currently no longer allow myself to be alone with him.) His public persona makes him seem like a good person, his family persona is similar in a number of ways to how Lord Bakaris acts, and his persona when he was alone with me is kind of a devil who, when I was a maturing child, took delight in verbally ripping my sense of confidence and self-worth to shreds and then finding ways to avoid any responsibility for the hurt he caused when I would try to tell my mother what was happening. As a result of this, I can have difficulty trusting my instincts when they tell me a male is a good man, but given my 15 years of living around a three-faced father figure, I think something in me recognizes that particular pattern when I see it, at least some of the time. I lived with it long enough to be able to recognize it, even if only subconsciously."
"It's an admittedly dubious thing to be able to pick up on, and it's not something I would have ever freely chosen for myself, because it involves seeing something bad in people who are considered good. That makes it challenging to use in a positive way and I'm honestly still figuring out how to do that. It can be used for negative things like rumor-mongering, but in this case, I'm hoping it can give you enough of an edge to save your life. It would also be wonderful to finally have something unabashedly good come out of the pain and suffering I endured living in the same house as my step-father. While I can name a fairly small number of positive things I learned from what I suffered, they tend to fall into the good example of what NOT to do and painful/difficult but still profitable categories."
"I have one other thought, too. Jeyev is a mercenary, and while knights and mercenaries both fight, mercs do it for the money. That's not to say every merc on Krynn would switch loyalties if offered the right payment, or even that every knight could resist that particular temptation, but it does seem to me that if a person wanted to find people who would switch loyalties, it would probably be easier to figure out the sell-out price for a respected merc's loyalty than a respected knight's."
As she finally arrives at the request she wants to make of Ser Becklin, a flood of affection for the woman much like what she felt for Ispin washes over Mery. She finds it surprising that she would feel like that toward someone she's known for such a short period of time, but she allows some of that warmth of feeling to fill her face as she says, "I just lost Ispin and I really don't want to lose you, too. Obviously, I can't ask you to take Jeyev into custody given the lack of hard evidence, but could I ask you just to take some extra precautions when you're around him, for as long as this Dragon Army thing is going on? You know, try not to be alone with him or limit the amount of time you spend alone with him if you can't avoid it, sleep with a weapon under your pillow or near your bed, maybe carry a hidden weapon on your person somewhere? With as long as you've been a Knight, you may well have better ideas than I do about some good precautions to take. That way, if I'm wrong, it was just a little wasted extra effort and Jeyev's reputation as a good man can remain intact, but if I'm right, you'll have an extra edge when he finally shows his true colors."
After the Army's Arrival
Mery is quick to speak; after all, persuading people comes naturally to her even if she doesn't always succeed at it. She pulls out every persuasion trick she knows: standing tall, speaking calmly but authoritatively, projecting her voice, and using what she refers to as her "on" speaking voice, which she'd been told had a pleasant timbre. "Everyone, please remain calm. We have had you getting down your boats and dusting them off as well as disassembling the ferry system because we knew something like this might happen. It's also why the Ironclad Regiment is here - to help buy us the time needed to get into the boats safely and on the way to Kalaman. My friends and I are also here to help you get to safety, and we will fight for and aid you in whatever way we can."
"However, you must do your part - we can't do this without you. Your job is to remain calm, help your fellow villagers into boats, and watch out for each other as we travel. If you know how to operate a boat, your job is to help people board, then keep the boat moving toward Kalaman once it is full."
"Many of you, like Mayor Raven, are descendants of the original heroes of High Hill, and their same spirit is present in this place. I tell you, this is the High Hill of YOUR time. This army wants to use YOUR boats to travel to Kalaman and presumably assault it. Every boat we get on the river is a boat they can't use to accomplish that goal. Every boat we get on the river says to this army, 'We are Solamnians and Voglerites. We might not be soldiers, and you might be able to force us to flee our homes, but even in our fleeing, we will STILL find a way to keep you from achieving your goal.'"
"It is said that only the dead feel no fear. It is also said that courage is not the absence of fear; it's just fear that's said its prayers. So, say your prayers, remember we are all in this together, and let's create an experience that YOUR descendants may one day wish to re-enact in honor of YOUR courage this day!"
She then meets the eyes of each of her companions in turn. Even with her aptitude in persuading people, this was going to take all of them to pull off.
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.
Heat Metal
Until the spell ends (up to 1 minute), you can use a bonus action on each of your subsequent turns to cause this damage (1d8 fire damage for each level the spell is cast at, minimum 2nd level) again.
Ammunition:
17 arrows in quiver, 1 arrow bundles in backpack.
Spellcasting:
Mery is a 2nd-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following bard spells available for spontaneous casting:
- Cantrips (2/2 slots): prestidigitation, vicious mockery
- 1st level (4/4 slots): healing word, hideous laughter, cure wounds, unseen servant
- 2nd (2/2 slots): invisibility, heat metal
Class Features:
- 3/3 Bardic Inspiration, recovered after a long rest
- 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.)
- Bardic College = College of Lore. Gain expertise in 2 skills you already have proficiency in, and proficiency in 3 new skills. (Choosing Persuasion and Deception for Expertise, adding Nature, Stealth, and Religion for Proficiency.)