Clawhammer

Clawhammer (a.k.a. Fluffy Cat)

"Hey now, I happen to be very fluffy and with nice fur!"

-Clawhammer, responding to Elishet the Blue Dragonborn

Description

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Personality

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Abilities

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Possessions

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After exploring the Defiled Temple and discovering a sarcophagus within a burial chamber, Clawhammer and his companions discovered an obsidian chest inlaid with gold. The chest itself was filled to the top with an abundance of coins, several pieces of jewerly, a Ruby of the War Mage and a Spell Scroll. Clawhammer was kind enough to relinquish the magical Ruby as he felt it wouldn't serve him any good but instead chose to keep the Spell Scroll while his companions divided up the treasure amongst themselves.
Following the encounter with the fellow Tabaxi, Nebamun, Clawhammer came into the possession of a magical whistle. A Whistle of Summoning, that would allow him or anyone that used it to summon a Giant Scorpion once per day.

History

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Clawhammer was born in the middle of a large litter of Tabaxi, somewhere among the outskirts of Nicodranas, a port city in the Menagerie Coast region of Wildemount. Born into a family of Rogues, his parents influences of his siblings would have them take up dangerous jobs as thieves and assassins; although the later was taken rarely and only as a last resort.
However, Clawhammer unfortunately did not share the agile predilections or the stealthy predisposition like that of his kin, and found himself often on the more clumsy or accident-prone side of the coin.
It was during his childhood games of "Hide and Seek", that Clawhammer found it more in his nature to offer up a safe place for his brothers and sisters to rest, or as he would like to say "Have a Cat Nap". It was these games that inspired Clawhammer to seek out a different influence from that of his parents, and he was able to find it within Holy Books. He became studious, devoting his time to learning the divine teachings and in-turn, was blessed with the Divine Magic of his faith to cast the simplest of cantrips.
As his litter mates grew, the uncoordinated Tabaxi came to notice that they would often return home after days away; more often than not with a few exciting stories to speak of and more than their fair share of wounds that needed tending to.
It was on one fateful evening, when Clawhammer's faith was tested. Two of his older siblings; Bonzo and Fiona; had a lead on a job that promised a sizable payout. It was dangerous, but nothing they couldn't handle of course, after all--it was their livelihood. It was to be expected of course, that this would be the most opportune time to train Clawhammer's favorite little sister; Minerva, in the family trade. Except that things rarely go as planned, and cockiness can lead to many bad decisions.
It was a long and worrisome night for Clawhammer, when Bonzo and Fiona returned without Minerva; their expressions filled with horror and their bodies riddled with wounds that oozed and festered with a black viscous ichor that fought against Clawhammer's limited access to Divine Healing. Despite his best efforts, the Divine Magic only appeared to slow the spread of the ichor as it turned to poison within their veins.
With a quick plea for help from his parents, Clawhammer rushed from their home, running as hard as his clumsy feet could carry him to any temple within the city of Nicodranas. After what had to been hours of endless searching, Clawhammer stumbled on a small temple hidden away within the many side streets and alleyways of the port city.
It was in this small ramshackle temple, that Clawhammer met Celeste, a Cleric and Champion of the Raven Queen. Despite his exhaustion, he was able to describe what was happening to his older siblings, without revealing too many details that might implicate them in something beyond imagination. It was thanks to his incredible attention to detail that Celeste was able to narrow down the source of wounds, they were infused with Necrotic Magic.
Celeste was willing to share her knowledge with the Tabaxi, in the hope that he may return to the small temple in time. Perhaps he would find a calling to serve her Patron Deity in much the same way she had.
Upon his return to his home, Clawhammer was overcome with relief that Minerva had made it back safely shortly before himself; though it was clear that she was in a frightful state, she was unharmed. Clawhammer enlisted her help though as he set about using his newfound knowledge to contain the spreading necrotic damage; listening intently as she filled in the details that Bonzo and Fiona missed.
They had encountered an enemy that was dead but wasn't dead; an creature of the undead. This was something Bonzo nor Fiona had ever seen before, and as such, were woefully unprepared for. Minerva had made the incredibly brave and yet still foolhardy decision to stay behind, to learn as much as she could about this new foe. It was under constant assurance that she remained safe and hidden, that kept Clawhammer from demanding she never venture back.
He could see that it would have been for naught anyways, as the gleam in her eye was more than apparent she spoke in excited hushed whispers about the information she gathered. Minerva continued to insist that the trio of Tabaxi Thieves return to the site of the encounter, so they could 'finish the job'. This unnerved Clawhammer, Bonzo & Fiona, as they asked that she wait.
This did not sit well with Minerva and on the rise of the sun the next morning, the entire den found that her bed was empty and her pack missing. Minerva had undoubtedly snuck out during the night, intending to return to the site of the encounter. It was Bonzo and Fiona's responsibility to set out after the Tabaxi Thief-in-Training; however after a full days search, they lost her trail. Minerva was nowhere to be found.
After a week of searching, Minerva was yet to be found.
Clawhammer once more ventured into the port city of Nicodranas, through alley way and side street, until he located the small temple tucked away out of sight. He met with Celeste once more, and after some not so sightly begging for her assistance, the Cleric of the Raven Queen along with Clawhammer, prayed to the ambiguous Deity of the Shadowfell.
After many hours in prayer; the Raven Queen responded, and Clawhammer knew that his favorite little sister was not yet a victim of the undead. But if he was to help her, to rescue her from a fate worse than death; Clawhammer would need to pledge his loyalty to the Raven Queen, and become one of her Clerics.

One of Nine Lives

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The Defiled Temple

Clawhammer awoke slowly from a pleasant dream of freshly caught fish, to the sweet but slightly nauseating smoke of burning incense and the gentle rocking motion of a wagon. He was surrounded by strangers in a comfortably warm, brightly decorated room while an elderly Human male sat before him at a small wooden table. As he took his surroundings in, he noticed that the inside of the wagon doubled as a home, with a wood burning iron stove against the opposite wall with a shelf of hanging herbs and bottled spices above it. On top of the stove was a single metal kettle that began to whistle as the strangers around him joined him in his wakened state. Clawhammer kept quiet as he observed the elderly man stand from the chair and move to the stove, reaching for a variety of herbs and spices before he turned and offered Clawhammer and company mugs of steaming fragrant liquid, of which Clawhammer helped himself courtesly. He found the drink to be pleasant and calming to taste, though it did tickle his nose.
After a few moments, it felt as if the soft sway of the room came to a halt, and shortly thereafter a door opposite of a bed was pulled open from the outside. The wagon shifted ever so slightly as a robust Human woman stepped up through the doorway, and Clawhammer watched silently with intrigue as she took the elderly man's place at the stove, opening up cupboards before joining the human male at the table with a plate full of salted pork and cheeses. The woman did not speak immediately, only pointing at the direction of the door, which Clawhammer instinctively knew was a sign that his welcome had come to and end.
The Tabaxi collected himself before making a swift, albeit slightly clumsy exit through the opened doorway and stepped out into the cooling twilight of a bustling camp. The sight before him was amazing to say the least; more than a dozen wagons, each decorated and covered in barrels and crates surrounded even more tightly grouped tents and makeshift stalls, where people shouted out about their wares. It appeared the camp doubled as an improptu market of sorts. The smell of spices and herbs, cookfires and spits of roasting meat, carried through the loud din of voices to Clawhammer, and without waiting, he quickly made his way through the hubbub of activity, the strangers with him momentarily forgotten. He didn't have much beyond the clothes on his back, a weapon at his hip and a amulet of a fish around his neck; but Clawhammer did have a pouch of gold coins and he set about quickly procurring himself essentials.
After some time browsing the various stalls, he stumbled on a trio sitting at a table; two female Humans and a male Dragonborn that introduced himself only as 'Set'. The two females were arguing between themselves, clearly trying to get each one to concede to the other. Clawhammer noticed that they were joined by a male Harengon, a female Dragonborn, and a male Triton; with the Harengon whom introduced himself as 'Joe Cool' offering a cheeky remark and roping him into traveling with the trio. This did not seem to strike the Tabaxi as odd, as he quickly agreed to join along, if only for the sole fact that he was not sure where he was or who anyone around him was.
While the strangers conversed with the trio, a shiny object caught Clawhammer's attention from the corner of his eye. As he turned to take a better look at the display of jewelry, his natural clumsiness combined with his heavy... er.. fluffy stature, was all it took to set off a domino effect of neighboring stalls and tents to topple over, spilling their wares all over the warm sand underfoot. With each new mess adding to the chaos, Clawhammer couldn't help but flinch comically at what he had just done, all the way to the final tent, which just so happen to catch aflame from a lit lantern that was knocked against the canvas material. Within seconds, the chaos was joined with an explosion of color overhead; which sent many of the small children that had previously ran around and played with wooden swords and silly words into a frenzy as they hid from their mothers.
Clawhammer wasn't sure who suggested a quick retreat from the scene, but he was more than happy to join the new addition to the impromptu party out from the safety of watch fires and into the darkness of a desert landscape. He wasn't certain how long he ran before it became more than clear that he needed to slow down or else lose his balance in the shifting soft sand. Taking another chance to take in his immediate surroundings, Clawhammer and company found themselves at the crest of a large windswept sand dune and surrounded by even more, awash with the glow of the moon directly overhead.
Clawhammer attempted to make conversation with the female Dragonborn, but something he said did not come out right and although she did not snap at him the way she did at the male Triton, it was enough to put him a little on the defensive before even conversation came to a grinding halt. Across the way from them, on the crest of a neighboring dune was a monstrous creature made of bone that moved along much like that of a snake. Clawhammer wasn't sure if it was because of how far away they were, or if they weren't considered to be worth the effort from the creature, but he watched as it's elongated skeletal head disappeared over the opposite side of the dune it was on, and soon enough out of sight completely. He was finally able to catch his breath before he tried to question the trio from the traveling market as to what that creature could possibly be, but the answered provided by 'Set' gave no further clues beyond it's nocturnal nature and that it was clearly a predator. This point seemed to be emphasized at that moment as a scream off in the distance was carried on the wind and sent a chill through his fluffy coat of fur.
After a couple more hours of travel, Clawhammer and company encountered a trio of Hyena that were pre-occupied with chasing after a small lion cub at the base of the dune they had walked along. He felt a pang in his heart for the small feral feline as it fled, and as he stepped forward, he watched as an arrow flew past his shoulder and landed just short of the lead hyena. Clawhammer immediately withdrew his weapon from his belt as he watched the Hyena change direction and began charging up the sandy hill towards the party. But as he readied himself, he watched a second and than third arrow fly from behind him; the second burying into sand while the third was true and dropped the lead hyena in its tracks. A clean shot between the eyes, let loose from the bow of the Harengon. Clawhammer wasn't sure which spectacle to focus on though: the fact that the Harengon had been so incredibly on target with his third arrow or the female Dragonborn as she held her arms over her head and attempted to scare the creatures away. He wasn't sure which did it, but the two remaining Hyena once more changed direction and fled in opposite directions.
It was at this time that the Triton began to make his displeasure of the situation known, and the previously gentle wind began to pick up; a wall of sand fast approaching from the direction they had been coming from. He knew they needed to take shelter immediately and after a little searching from eveyone, a small natural cave was spotted, with enough of an opening that everyone could crawl in to get away from turbulent weather.
Clawhammer found himself a spot against the wall towards the back of the darkened cave, and with his holy fish shaped amulet in hand, he offered a prayer to his Patron Diety, the Raven Queen, in order to cast a Light spell on his shield, but was dismayed as the effect did not happen as he imagine it would. When he was about to question aloud what had gone wrong, one of the female Humans offered him a simplistic response:

"You tried to cast a spell? Magic is unstable in the Sahra' Al Mawt Llaanhayiyi. Sometimes what you want to happen doesn't, and instead something else does."

Nonplussed that his spell had not performed the way it was meant to, Clawhammer opted to withdraw a purchased torch from within his pack and strike it aflame so that at least there would be a modicum of light to fill the small natural cave. Shortly thereafter, with his holy symbol in hand, Clawhammer began to drift asleep.
He along with everyone else was awakened what only felt like moments later when a scuffle at the front of the cave alerted him to the danger; three grotesque creatures were swiping at the female Dragonborn with their boney claws, their flesh rotted and bloated where it still hung from their bodies. He wasn't as quick to react as Joe Cool, as once more he watched as an arrow flew true and punched through the sternum of the undead creature in front, managing to just barely impale on its companion behind it. Across the small cave, Clawhammer watched as the Triton began an incantation for an arcane spell, only for it to fail and instead of the desired result, a small rock stood in front of the Triton.
Clawhammer grasped at his holy symbol once again and offered a prayer before extending out his paw forward as a blue divine light began to coalesce before erupting forward. Except, the spell that he was expecting, a divine Radiant Flame did not happen as it should, and instead a loud feline roar filled the cave. It felt as if time slowed to a standstill as the remaining small undead draconic creature that had been approaching him dropped to the ground and remained motionless.

"What are you?"

- Elishet the Dragonborn to Clawhammer in astonishment.

Clawhammer was filled with an unfamiliar divine feeling, as if it wasn't the Raven Queen that had answered his prayer, but something else entirely. Something that was more aligned with him on a deep unexplainable level. He was not aware that the two Human females immediately recognized the divine feeling, as neither shared their thoughts on the matter, and instead were overshadowed by the party making an attempt to close the small hole at the entrance of the cave to prevent any more instrusions.
After several hours of unrest, Clawhammer started to have trouble breathing, and as he awoke, he was immediately aware of the female Dragonborn desperately attempting to force her way out of the small cave and into fresh air. As Clawhammer followed suit, he found that he could breath naturally again, although the female Dragonborn was still shaking as if she had just been through something truly frightening.
Slightly blinded by the morning sun overhead, it was clear that they had slept the early hours away and the hottest part of the day was fast approaching. Clawhammer and company began to move eastward, as they had done the previous night, while he attempted to make conversation with the female Dragonborn to distract her from whatever it was that continued to weigh on her mind.
After several hours of slow travel, growing exhausted from the heat and the constant complaints from the Triton; the party soon came to rougher stone rather than fine sand as they began to ascend into a natural ridge of stone and sandstone. It wasn't long before they stood in front of an entrance, carved from the stone itself flanked by two incredibly tall pillars that were as wide as he was tall; covered in a myriad of runes and symbols. Clawhammer thought he was able to recognize some of them as Elvish in nature, but the more he attempted to study the carvings within the sandstone of the pillars, the less sure he was about the translations as several runic symbols could be translated into several common words. None of which made any sense to him or anyone else in the party.
Clawhammer was naturally more inquisitive to what was beyond the stone pillars but hung back ever so slightly as the Triton was the first to cross the threshold, and two skeletons rose from the sandstone tiled floor in the center of the large main lobby of the temple within. One rose a long bow and pulled back on the string before letting a crooked arrow fly off above the party's head as a warning shot, while the second skeleton rose its bronze short sword up into the air and started to move forward.
Once again, Joe Cool was quick to react although his arrow rebounded off a scrap of armor the skeleton archer wore over its left shoulder. Thankfully this was the perfect distraction, as the female Dragonborn lifted her own crossbow and took aim. With a pfthwip, her bolt launched and collided against the skeleton's skull with enough force to dislodge it and send it to ricochet off the carved sandstone wall behind it. This unfortunately was not enough to drop the skeleton archer but instead gave Joe Cool enough time to loose another arrow from his bow and strike a cracking blow against the skeleton's sternum.
Meanwhile the second skeleton was beginning to approach and as Clawhammer had not made his presense known to the enemy, it completely moved past him undisturbed. It was clearly targetting Joe Cool. This was all Clawhammer needed, as he took hold of his holy symbol once more and offered a resolute prayer to the Raven Queen. Yet, once again it was not her that answered, but a raw and primal Divine that resonated deep within Clawhammer's spirit.
The sound a ferocious roar filled the lobby and echoed outwards, as the remaining skeleton came to an abrupt stop and fell apart, the bones scattering across the sandstone tile.

"Seriously! What are you!?"

- Elishet the Dragonborn, bewildered with Clawhammer

With the encounter over as quickly as it began, the party began to explore the large lobby of the temple, speculating on the pattern of the floor and the handcarved patterns on the sandstone walls that reached from floor to ceiling. As each member of the party moved around the lobby and explored, something drew them towards the eastern hallway.
The eastern hallway was shrouded in some form of darkness, that not the light of a torch could penetrate, as several members tried to understand what exactly it meant. One thing was for certain though, whatever was lurking within that abyss, was enough to cause a feral reaction from Clawhammer as his flight or fight response kicked in and an overwhelming fear filled his entire body. Whatever it was, it was pure malice and hunger. Clawhammer eventually stepped away from it and watched as the Triton made noises that reminded him of smashing two heavy rocks together and grinding them against each other, directed at the small rock that had been dutifully following the Triton since the cave. Clawhammer got a small chuckle at watching the rock walk as far as the ledge of the abyss before stopping and turning back around as if it refused to go any further.
With that, the party started to push deeper into the temple, lighting the way with torches that Clawhammer provided, so that everyone could see exactly where they were going. After several long minutes of silence with the occasional noise coming from 'Set', the party came to juction in the hallway. They debated on which direction they should go first, but the Triton took it on himself to push towards the front of the group and follow the wall on his left.
This led the party to a room that appeared to have at one time or another, housed whoever worshipped and maintained this ancient temple. There were the remnants of bolts of linen scattered around that were truly beyond age itself, and with a little investigation, the party discovered a special piece of linen that was stretched between a wooden frame and clearly dyed in Draconic Script.
Clawhammer watched as the two Dragonborns looked over the linen, as it was clearly written in a language they both understand, but was amused when the Triton decided to grab the linen and make an attempt to translate. It sounded awkward and several times it sounded like he might have read a word wrong. But with some final clarification from both 'Set' and the female Dragonborn, the male Triton was able to make out that the stretched linen spoke of some kind of battle between a "Sapphire Serpent of the Sky" and something known as "The Beauty".
This seemed to have a negative impact on 'Set' as he began to repeat the same words to himself, mumbling just under his breath as he scribbled notes in the leather tome he carried with him at all times.
The party decided to press even further and see what the other direction held, with the female dragonborn leading. As they retraced their steps, they came to another room, this one slightly smaller and with shelves lining the opposite wall, filled from floor to ceiling with ancient scrolls of parchment and linen. As the female Dragonborn kept to the wall, she stepped down on a sandstone tile and heard an audible click.
Clawhammer wasn't certain what happened exactly, only that the female Dragonborn let out an audible exclamation of pain and though the narrow hallway didn't allow for much wiggle room for someone of his size and stature, he was able to get into the room behind her to see her pulling an inch long needle from the side of her neck. Somehow she had managed to trigger a trap of some sort. With some quick thinking, the Tabaxi was able to deduce that the floor had several false tiles that were slightly raised above the rest, acting as pressure plates for a trap from within the walls. He was kind enough to share the information with the rest of the party and with a well thought out plan of action, and some help from the sentient rock, Clawhammer and the rest of the party were able to avoid triggering anymore traps.
In the corner of the room was a woven tapestry and despite its age, it showed two colossal draconic figures fighting, with a group of humanoids in between them. It wasn't clear though whether the titants were fighting each other, or fighting the group in the middle of them. But as they inspected the tapestry, a slight breeze from behind was enough to show a not quite so hidden passage behind it.
Once more the party pushed forward, with the Triton again taking the lead as the kept the wall to their left. After descending a short set of stairs that took them down 5 feet, they came to another junction. Would they go forward or go right? With no idea what was down the right hallway, the party continued forward until they came to a small room of only twenty feet by twenty feet.
The room was damp, and the smell of death was heavy in the air as the crunch underfoot was revealed to be the gnawed on bones of prey. Within the room, 4 ghastly undead hyeana lazed around, chewing on the bones of their victims, as an larger undead creature lazily gave watch from the north-west corner on a raised platform. As the Triton stepped into the room, the undead were immediately aware of the party's presence, and two of the Hyena immediately rushed in for an attack.
With quick thinking and swift precision, the party was able to dispatch two of the hyena while two more fled through a natural break within the sandstone wall. All that was left was a menacing large undead beast, as its breath filled the room with the stench of decay.
Clawhammer held his holy symbol within his paw once again, praying to the Raven Queen to deliver a bolt of Radiant Flame on the large undead lion, as his companions took their own shots at bringing the beast down. But once more, Clawhammer's prayers were not answered by the Raven Queen, but by something else instead. The feral roar filled the room as spectral claws shredded the bloated tissue and ragged flesh of the zombied lion, but it did not seem to stop the creature from advancing and pinning Clawhammer with its massive jaw.
The Triton was quick to think and whispered an arcane incantation, and the cacophy of funeral bells tore through the room, piercing several of the companion's ears. Thankfully this was enough and the lion let Clawhammer go, if only to turn its attention onto the Triton. Clawhammer was quick to react though, as he knew that there was no way the dainty Triton would last against an assault from the undead creature.
So with one final grasp of his holy symbol, Clawhammer prayed with everything he had to the Raven Queen and at the last possible moment, he could no longer feel her presence. Instead something else was filling him with a righteous and primal Divine energy, as he struck out his paw towards the Zombie Dire Lion and unleased a Radiant Flame at it. The Divine Roar once again thundered within the tiny room and the undead creature was struck with the radiant energy of the divine magick. The companions were astounded to watch as the hulking undead beast crumpled where it stood, its necrotic energy leaving its body.
Clawhammer and the traveling companions eventually made their way deeper into the Temple to discover a very large room, with a ceiling supported by a dozen pillars that extended up into darkness. The pillars themselves were made from the same sandstone as the rest of the temple and they were covered in many of the same runes that Clawhammer had noticed on the pillars outside the entrance of the temple. In the middle of the room was a shallow pool of sickly murky water, that bubbled and let out noxious fumes.
As the party took precaution by scoping out the room before entering it in-case of anymore enemies, the pile-up behind Clawhammer was enough to push the Blue Dragorn into the room where she accidentally triggered another trap. The result left the poor Dragonborn Paralyzed, but thankfully she was tended to by the two female Human's and 'Set' as Clawhammer and the companions started to further explore the room. After about 15 minutes or so, Clawhammer, along with the Triton, made his way beyond the pool and to a room containing a decorated sarcophagus. Inside the room itself, Clawhammer and the Triton discovered an obsidian chest with gold filigree.
Inside the chest was a plethora of coins and treasure, but what drew Clawhammer's attention the most was two scrolls. One was magically perserved and had a prayer written on it, asking the devine to grant the one speaking the prayer the ability to calm the emotions of anyone within distance who can hear speaker. The second scroll was much more brittle and contained more writin in the Draconic Language. Clawhammer offered the scroll to 'Set', whom translated it to be some form of a prophesy. Was this a prophecy that has already come to pass, or has it not happened yet? No one could be certain, but the companions felt it was probably for the best that they do not dwell on it at the moment, as they had more immediate concerns.
The companions decided that they had best use the opportunity granted them to enjoy a long rest, as the two female Humans sat in Prayer, reconsecrating the burial chamber and preventing it the necrotic abominations from gaining access to the room. In doing so, the pool in the center of the room returned to its pristine condition and the water became clear. Inside the middle of the pool lay a statue but who it depicted was not clear.

What Lurks Beneath the Desert Sands

Clawhammer; Joe Cool; the male Triton; the female Blue Dragonborn; 'Set'; and the two female Humans, made their way safely out of the Defiled Temple, careful to give the eastern hallway from the Lobby of the temple, a wide berth. With no clear direction in which they should go, the companions decided that perhaps it was best to return to @The. After several hours worth of travel, the companions stopped to rest within the small natural cave they had encountered the small undead creatures. The Blue Dragonborn refused to venture into the cave itself, and opted to sit at the entrance and talk to 'Set' and the two female Humans about what life was like and where they came from.
As the sun began its descent, the companions decided to pack up and start on their travels towards The Wandering Ghreshe. Not long into their journey across the desert sands, Clawhammer was the first to spot a group of jackals, fighting amonst themselves over a body. It wasn't clear from the distance whether the body was alive or dead, but he instintively knew that whoever it was needed some assistance. Clawhammer urged his companions to assist him as he made his way down the embankment of the sand dune and approached the Jackals, drawing his weapon in preparation. Over his shoulder, an arrow narroly avoided his ear as it hit the lead jackal just under its collarbone. This was followed up by a second arrow that landed pinpoint between the Jackals eyes.
As clawhammer turned back to look at Joe Cool he witnessed a third and then a fourth arrow let loose by the Harengon, both of which successfully down the fleeing jackals. Clawhammer was impressed with the marksman of the learn bi-pedal Rabbit as it went about collecting the arrows from the freshly defeated Jackals, while he searched the body they had been fighting over. Clawhammer felt a pang of remose to find that the individual was already dead, and offered up a prayer to the divine that he could feel touching his spirit. After a couple minutes, Clawhammer discovered a handwritten love letter and a crudely drawn map of an oasis; a place called Khemcaris. The letter mentioned a lover and an unborn child, which tugged on Clawhammer's heartstrings and made him choke up a small hairball. He stowed the letter into his pack and wondered if the author of the letter would ever discover what happened to the man that lay dead at his bottom paws. With nothing more they could do for the small dead halfling, the companions continued on towards The Wandering Ghreshe, as the glow of fires were just on the horizon.
By the time Clawhammer and the companions had reached the border watchfires of The Wandering Ghreshe, the sun had set and they were surrounded by several armed men. The party was instructed to follow and brought before a grizzled Loxodon that introduced himself as 'Rhumol'. It was clear from the scars across his face and thick arms, as well as the massive battleaxe strapped to his back, that this grizzled veteran was no stranger to combat.

"T-t-the total that you you you owe comes to three t-t-thousand gold gold gold pieces."

-Portly Halflinf Records Keeper of The Ghreshe, addressing the party

'Rhumol' was not entirely pleased to see the companions returning to his traveling caravan, and after confronting the companions, listening to the pompous attitude of the dainty Triton; informed the party that there had already been a trial in their absence. The companions were found guilty of destroying property and causing mayhem within The Wandering Ghreshe. Their punishment was decided by a council of merchants, and the decision was made to send them away on a quest to protect a small caravan that was to travel to the town of Canneroc. 'Rhumol' introduced the companions to his apprentice, a Khenra woman named 'Nefertiti' who was about to make her first expedition as a Khabir.
Clawhammer and the companions were given the opportunity to browse the traveling bazaar and refill whatever nessecities they would require for the twenty day journey across the vast desert of Sahra' Al Mawt Llaanhayiyi, but the expedition would start its long jorney in only a few short hours.
The First Day of travel was incredibly boring for Clawhammer, but after resting through the hottest part of the day, he found that didn't quite need as much sleep during the night. Instead he opted to take the first watch while the caravan slept, keeping his eyes focused on the Horizon for any threats. It wasn't until it was the Triton's turn to take watch, that the caravan was adbruptly woken up to shouting as the Triton raised an alarm as a Giant Scorpion approached the caravan from beneath the sand. Thankfully, the commotion was enough to scare the Giant Scorpion, and as the caravan only had a couple hours before they would need to depart--everyone made appropriate preparations to get underway.
The Second Day much of the same, as the Caravan only travelled for four hours before setting up camp during the hottest part of the day, and Clawhammer was able to find a shaded spot beneath a wagon to close his eyes. On the Second Night, once more his watch was uneventful, but rather than join the rest of the Caravan in slumber, Clawhammer stayed awake. It was a good thing he did because just as like the previous night, during the third watch of the night--there was a comotion. This time however, a Giant Scorpion was joined by four swarms of tiny scorpions beneath its legs. While Clawhammer busied himself with the swarms, he witnessed Joe Cool loose an arrow that punched clearly through the Giant Scorpion's tough plates of natural armor.
As Clawhammer was inspecting the carapase, he was approached silently by another male Tabaxi, one whom he hadn't had a clue had been traveling with them. The Tabaxi introduced himself as Nebamun, and with a hushed whisper; offered Clawhammer a deal.

"I know someone in Canneroc, someone whom would be very interested in the Claws and Stinger. I'll make you a deal. For every Giant Scorpion Carapse that you can deliver, you can make 25 Gold Pieces. It's up to you whether you want to share those coins with your companions,"

-Nebamun, whispering to Clawhammer over the body of a Giant Scorpion

Clawhammer was unsure of this strange Tabaxi, and something about his peculiar excitement over the appearance of the Giant Scorpions worried him enough to approach his companions and divulge the conversation he just had. Joe Cool and the Triton decided that it was worth keeping an observant eye on the new Tabaxi, in the event he was planning something, they could prepare to intervene. In the meantime however, Nefertiti began to grow unsure of herself, and her own abilities to lead the caravan safetly through the vast desert to its destination of Canneroc. She expressed concern to the companions that it was unlike the Giant Scorpions to be so close in regards to their own domains, as the caravan had easily traveled eighteen miles in a single day. Just like the night before however, the caravan decided that it wasn't worth the few minutes of extra sleep and bagan to prepare for the departure in a couple hours to make way for the morning hours of travel.
The Third Day was just an uneventful, but it was on the Third Night that the companions came face against the Giant Scorpion again, only this time it was joined by a second one. The companions were prepared, despite the encounter beginning during the second watch--thankfully Joe Cool was prepared, and as one of the Giant Scorpions dug its way up from beneath the desert sand, the Harengon Ranger unleashed an arrow right through a weakspot of the natural armor plating. With one Scorpion down, Clawhammer joined in and prayed to the Divine he could now identify as Hashmal - The Keeper of Order. Clawhammer's prayer was granted as he held his holy symbol in one hand and thrust his other paw forward, as he unleashed a Radiant Flame in the shape of a Lion's Paw against the head of the Scorpion. The Tabaxi followed this up with a smash of his mace and the Giant Scorpion was brought down by one of Joe Cool's arrows.
After the battle was won, Clawhammer was joined by Joe Cool and Nefertiti. The Khenra Khabir was on the verge of a complete emotional and possible mental breakdown, as the companions remembered that this was her first real expedition she was in charge of. The female Khenra confided in Clawhammer, as she felt a kinship to the Tabaxi based not only on their shared Patron Deity, but on the shared ancestroy of their races. It was with kind words that Clawhammer was able to convince Nefertiti that she made the right choices. Thankfully this was able to reaffirm her decision to become a Khabir, as Clawhammer made a promise that the Caravan would make it to Canneroc safe.
Clawhammer found himself joined once more by Nebamun, who congragulated Clawhammer on his decisive victory. He expressed a need for five more Giant Scorpions, but the conversation between the two Tabaxi was almost immediately interupted by the male Triton. While Nebamun answered evasively to any question that was asked of him, it only served to make Clawhammer more suspicious of the tawny colored Tabaxi. Eventually, it was clear that Nebamun was hiding something, possibly something nefarious. The companions decided to take action, and so Clawhammer and the Triton kept watch as Joe Hammer used stealth and sleight of hand to retrieve a silver whistle.
With evidence in hand, the companions took what they found to Nefertiti, prepared to accuse Nebamun of his treachery and underhanded trick. The whistle was a marvelous item, used to summon a Giant Scorpion to attack the caravan, or rather--to draw it in to be fought so that it mae be slain and the carapse harvested. It was revealed that the Caracal Tabaxi was in fact a member of the Cult of the Scorpion, and although Nefertiti was unable to bring herself to educate the companions on the vile cult, it was enough to convince the companions that it was worth an investigation once they reached Canneroc. At the end of the discussion, visibly torn over the morality of her decision, Nefertiti was able to justify the punishment of exile. She demanded that Nebamun leave the Caravan, she did not care in which direction, but that he was gone from her sight; as he had betrayed her friendship and ultimately her feelings.
And so after Seven Days of uneventful travel, the Caravan of Merchants arrived on the outskirts of a village that sits on the back of an oasis.

What Lurks in the Oasis

Relationships

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Appendix

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Played By: Anthony

Clawhammer

Basic Information

Alternate Spelling(s):

Titles:

Aliases: Fluffy Cat

Home:

Former Home(s): Outskirts of Nicodranas, Menagerie Coast, Wildemount

Sex: Male

Race: Tabaxi

Patron Deity:

Formally: The Raven Queen

Currently: Hashmal

Known Language(s):

1. Common
2. Elvish
3. Undercommon
4. Abyssal

Dates

Born: 802 PD, 33 Years Old

Family

Parent(s):

Sibling(s): Bonzo, Fiona, Minerva

5th Edition Satistics

Allignment:

Neutral Good

Class:

Cleric (2) - Domain of the Grave

Current Status

Arrived to a small village on the banks of an Oasis; escorting a caravan of Merchants to Canneroc.

Pronouns

He/Him/His

Eyes

Charcoal Grey & Black

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Black Fur with a White Undercoat and Grey & Black Skin

Height

6'6" or 1.98 Meters

Weight

350 Lbs. or 158.75 Kg