Hest
Hest is a human sorcerer from Udarich. Born with the cursed gift of Wild Magic, she was raised as an acolyte in the Six Tenet Monastery in the south of th Sintar Farm Tribelands. During her travels with The Big HELP, her Wild Magic triggered following a near-death experience and resulted in her reincarnating as a tiefling .
Personality
Hest is still trying to figure out who she is. Life in the monastery has left her very trusting of others to the point of gullibility. She has inherited her mentor's perspective that magic is neither good nor evil. She fears that she will not live up to Ravenna's expectations. To make up for this, Hest tries to project confidence she doesn't necessarily have in the hopes that others will believe it. In truth, she is still very naive and feels she has a lot to learn about the world.History
Youth
Hest was born in the year 3183. When she was 10, she was involved in a magical accident that released Wild Magic. Her parents, fearing for her life, took her to the Six Tenant Monastery to hide her Wild Magic. The leader of the Wind God's Sect, a dwarf wizard named Ravenna, took Hest under her wing.The Story of the Big HELP
11 years after joining the monastery, Hest was attempting to master magic that Ravenna warned was beyond her current ability. Hest, unable to control the magic, was unprepared when she unleashed a Wild Magic Surge. The magic ripped the older woman's soul from her body and bound it to Hest's necklace. The other monastery leaders banished Hest from the temple, stating she could only return if she figured out a way of returning Ravenna's spirit to her body. Hest heard that King Hespiro of the Rusha Kingdom was gathering territory leaders on a flying ship called the Raziel. Believing they would know what to do, Hest traveled to the Varda Shiphaven to meet with them. She found herself mistaken for one of the cooking crew and was onboard the ship when it took off. Confused by her situation, Hest had her amulet stolen by Bigwig and Petrichor. She was thrown together with them and Larka when the ship was sabotaged, later escaping in King Hespiro's escape pod. Petrichor gave the amulet back after landing. The next day, Hest explored a mysterious underground cavern having never experienced a cave before and was burned like her fellow adventurers by a salamander. After exploring the cave, Hest and her friends found themselves in Popoki Village. They were put up for the night in the local inn by the village leader. Before Hest fell asleep, screams from outside revealed undead skeletons marching on the town. Hest was knocked unconcsious in the battle. The next day, she joined the rest of the party in following Zinnia's Platoon to the Raziel crash site. When the group was ambushed, Hest stayed behind to help care for Sera and Felgo. She was too worried to stay behind, though, and eventually joined her friends at the necromancer's mansion. While exploring the mansion, Hest helped fight several zombies and freed Zinnia and Kilgrid. Hest's Wild Magic surges were becoming more frequent, prompting Ravenna to use some of her magic to help Hest keep control. The party soon came upon the Raziel crash site where they found no survivors and decided to join Zinnia and her group on their return to Ghispar. One night on the journey, Hest was on watch when an air genasi named Oten appeared in their camp. He revealed to Hest that he had watched over her since childhood per her parents' wish. Oten offered to help Hest restore Ravenna and control her Wild Magic on the condition that she travel north to locate his lost tome, to which she agreed even though she was disturbed by him. Hest arrived with the rest of the party in Ghispar and accepted a job from Catchief Urthpaw to further investigate the Necromancer. The HELP spoke with Advisor Lemore Mondicrell about the job despite Hest's suspicions of him. While in Ghispar, the party met Amroth again, this time being harrased by cultists]. Hest learned that he had a similar problem to her. His wife, frozen in the moment before her death, was trapped in his necklace and he was journeying Udarich to find a way to free and save her. He seemed to think Hest would already have a solution and was dejected when she said she did not. The HELP also visited the bookshop, Whitepaw's, and Hest immediately struck up a rapport with Niamina Whitepaw, the owner. Hest was distraught when the tabaxi revealed herself to be a mage of dubious intent. Hest and the Big HELP traveled west to Firelda Outpost to track down information on the mysterious necromancer. While reconnoitering, they accidentally hampered an impending attack from the neighboring Pascatia territory. Hest was the one who reported plans to attack the Outpost from underground when the HELP reported back to Kilgrid, who had been put in charge. The party went to cool down with a drink for the night and Hest ended up offending Petrichor for drinking her milk from a saucer. Late that night, an explosion rocked the outpost. Hest and the HELP ran deep into the foundations and found that the Pascatians had accidentally disturbed an underground river that carried them below Firelda. Hest had some difficulty traversing the caves, falling victim to a Darkmantle's ambush and losing her rope in a failed attempt to ford the river, but proved invaluable in fighting off both Pascatians and undead. The party soon found a portal leading to the necromancer's lair, alongside an invitation to join them. Beyond the portal, the necromancer hid behind a puzzle door. Hest's knowledge of magic and the elements helped her retrieve one of the keys needed to open the door. Together, they defeated the necromancer, Lemore Mondicrell, and returned him to Ghispar to face justice. When deciding where to travel to next, Hest spoke with Amroth regarding their mutual necklace-bound loved ones. Amroth had heard of an enchanter visiting Valadris who was working on a method for moving souls between bodies. Ravenna confirmed that this enchanter, Nascour Varna, was as talented as the rumors suggested. Nascour would only be staying in Valadris for a short time, Hest convinced the others to help guide her and Amroth, fearing he would not arrive in time if he traveled alone. Along they way, the Big HELP came face to face with Windtooth, the undead former friend of Petrichor and Bigwig. Before fleeing, he summoned corrupted plant monsters that swallowed Hest while the HELP fought to save her. The party tracked down Windtooth on their way to Valadris. Hest found her magic blocked and that she couldn't talk to Ravenna when close to him. After killing Windtooth once more, Hest suggested that they use her Speak with Dead scroll to talk to him. A rumbling caught her attention and she realized a final attack from Windtooth had caused a rockfall. Running for her life, Hest led the others out and used the scroll in relative safety. Having finally made it to Valadris, Petrichor and Bigwig suggested they should stay with their friend, Verga Stonehammer. The HELP arrived at her home and, while the former thieves greeted their friend, it was Hest and Larka that noticed the mysterious figure Demensaix smile at them from across the street before disappearing. After a long and tiring journey, Hest happily accepted when Verga offered the Big HELP tickets to the Hissing Stones Spa. She kept her eyes out for Demensaix the entire walk there. Hest first checked out the illusory relaxation center, but was unnerved by the illusion magic and went to investigate. Petrichor followed her to keep an eye on her and the two ended up in a Wild Magic Speakeasy. Hest accepted a Wild Magic pipe to avoid suspicion and ended up being transformed into a wooden girl. She was unable to be cured of this before the HELP's introductory meeting with Nascour. Initially uninterested in helping Hest, Amroth's plight caught Nascour's attention. He agreed to help both of them in return for enchanted gemstones that could power his Ring of Soul Storing. Hest convinced him to allow Ravenna to use the ring to return to her body once it was completed. Following this meeting, the HELP went for ice cream. Hest was really excited for her dessert, only to be frustrated once more when the ice cream man dropped their illusion and turned out to be Demensaix. Hest unloaded her frustration on the witch, asking why she was being followed by Demensaix and why she had to deal with her Wild Magic. Demensaix hinted that she knew the answer to the latter question, suggesting that Hest's father was responsible. To find the gemstones for Nascour, the HELP searched for them in the Morda Crystal Mine. Hest stayed behind to recover from the shock of transforming into a wooden girl. She celebrated upon their return with the crystals. Both her and Amroth were swept up in the emotion of finding what they needed to save their loved ones and tried to comfort the other as they both started to cry. The HELP brought the crystals to Nascour who confirmed they were what he needed. He asked that they return the gemstones to Verga to be prepared for setting and then bring them to the Cerisan Opera House. He also asked that Amroth stay behind for a moment. Hest eavesdropped on their conversation and learned that Nascour wanted Amroth to stay in Valadris so he could study his necklace and find a way to free Caerda. The next morning, Amroth offered Hest a present for helping him, his Everfull Flask. Hest sought out a dress to wear to the opera. Unable to pay for one, the store owner offered to loan it to her on the condition she advertise who made it and how fashionable it was. When the party arrived at the opera house, Hest made quick friends with Nascour's daughter, Ania. She asked Ania what to do at the opera and Ania filled her in. Hest was familiar with the singer, Madame Seid, from her lessons with Ravenna. Ravenna had taught her Madame Seid was an ancient air genasi, perhaps the first, who had long ago merged with an enormous tree when she became the fey queen of Nirania. At intermission, Ania asked Hest to deliver a rose to the star of the show. Madame Seid greeted Hest warmly, more warmly than Hest expected, when accepting the rose. Hest and the others were unable to stay and see the second act. Bigwig and Petrichor had been informed by Zinnia of an assassination attempt on Nascour. Hest guided Nascour and Ania to safety while the others found and neutralized the assassin. The assassin they had found turned out to be a fake-out and the HELP were attacked on their way back to Verga's by an Arazid cultist and her minions. The cultist started to transform during the fight. Hest attacked her and interrupted the transformation, causing the her to mutate and forcfully transform her minions into flameskulls. Hest nimbly dodged many of the transformed cultist's attacks only triggering a single Wild Magic Surge with no obvious effect. When Larka landed the killing blow, Hest wanted to claim some of the cultist's flaming blood in her Everfull Flask. She slipped and ended up face first in the blood, her wooden body catching fire and burning to ash. The HELP watched in horror until the effect of Hest's Wild Magic Surge triggered. Radiant light cascaded down where Hest fell. From her ashes, a red hand emerged. Hest pulled herself out of the ashes of her former body, now a red-skinned tiefling, taller and much more muscular. Despite her trauma, Hest was focused on keeping some of the blood that had killed her, only to learn the Everfull flask can only duplicate liquid, not magic. Once Nascour and Ania returned home, Zinnia revealed herself, intending to talk to Larka. It came out in this conversation that Zinnia had changed sides and now fought for Hespiro. Larka convinced Hest and the others that they needed to accept Hespiro's invitation, either to talk with or challenge him. While celebrating a job well done in Valadris, Ravenna offered Hest her deepest gratitude, assuring Hest that she had become a talented sorceror. Hest traveled southwest with the rest of the Big HELP, passing through Singor Forest. When Bigwig and Larka started hallucinating in the forest, Hest began to worry that something was influencing them. Her suspicions turned out to be correct when they encountered a myconid dying of a mysterious corruptive force. Hest spoke with the myconid, learning that their cheiftain had been contaminated and escaped above ground. Other myconids followed to find a cure. They had either become lost or corrupted as well. The myconid died and Hest vowed to fulfill his last wish. While traversing the forest, the HELP came upon on old temple decorated with art depicting Gorthag and Sindara. Hest found some magic items, an altar and an amulet, and worked with Ravenna to identify them as an Identification Altar and an Amulet of Speak with Dead. Deeper in the forest, the HELP came upon the corrupted myconid chieftain. Bigwig launched into battle. Hest was forced to use magic to defend her, triggering a Wild Magic Surge that left her unable to become intoxicated and with the word SOBER emblazoned on her forehead. Hest's Blight magic proved invaluable in taking down the cheiftain and other corrupted plantlife. The HELP dragged him back to the temple once they realized it held the corruption at bay and learned of pure water springs that could be used in a purification spell. They decided to rest for the night. Hest was less than thrilled by the return of her self-proclaimed guardian anger, Oten. Genuinely concerned, Oten offered his sincerest apologies for not being there when she was killed by the transformed Arazid cultist's blood, though he suggested he had at least made sure the Reincarnation spell gave her a new body she would like. Hest distrusted Oten and was outwardly hostile even when Oten mentioned that her parents had asked him to be her guardian on the night of her birth. Oten commended Hest on the control of her Wild Magic but worried that it was growing more and more out of control. He offered her a chance to control the storm within her and silence her Wild Magic. Hest was intrigued and let Oten continue. Oten told Hest about a charm he had placed in her house. It took the form of a shield with a gemstone set in the middle. This charm had helped hide her Wild Magic until it got to powerful. Now, it contained a message for her from her father and would unlock a path to controlling her Wild Magic. When Hest asked why her father couldn't just tell her the message, Oten explained that her father had asked for the memory to be wiped. He wanted to offer more help, but said he wasn't allowed to interfere further and that he was being watched. A thunderclap rocked the temple, distracting everyone while Oten disappeared. The next day, Hest and the others located the pure springs and retrieved vials of water from each to help purify the chieftain. Along the way, Hest found the myconids that had gotten lost and assured them that their chieftain was in good hands. The HELP decided to relax in the temple for the rest of the evening after purifying the cheiftain. It wasn't long into the next day when they stumbled into danger. Petrichor realized a group of strangers were moving in their direction. Hest tried to hide with the others but failed. The group leader caught her trying to hide and speared her to a tree. Hest returned fire with a Hellish Rebuke, impressing the tiefling who had speared her. The tiefling introduced himself as Zorvin, a cleric of Gorthag, on a recruitment mission. Hest took a quick disliking to Zorvin and did not want to journey with him, but realized that he might be too strong to fight or escape. The HELP followed Zorvin to the city of Cathedra. Along the way, Zorvin and Hest picked up a petty rivalry, picking on and making fun of each other. The HELP also realized they were travelling with their friend Zinnia, who kept up a disguise. They soon arrived in Cathedra where Zorvin presented his recruits to Archbishop Darvus. Darvus told the recruits that they would have to prove their mettle against monsters in the arena, but also offered them a chance to fight in a tourney of champions beforehand. Hest eagerly agreed when she realized she'd have a chance to fight Zorvin. During some downtime before the tourney, Hest decided to purchase some armor and food. During the downtime, Hest made fast friends with an energetic tiefling named Punch, particularly when she realized Punch had almost dethroned Zorvin as the Cathedra Arena champion. When the time for the tourney approached, Hest fell to Zorvin in the first round but cheered his defeat by Punch in the finals. She went drinking with Punch and the others to celebrate the victory. During the celebrations, Hest caught sight of Larka vomiting and running into the restrooms. Hest checked in on her, learning that Hespiro was preparing to march on Cathedra and Zinnia had asked Larka to help lower the defenses. They called it an early night to discuss what to do. While Larka meditated on this, Hest found a magic cape on her bed with a note saying that she deserved a gift, too, for fighting so well in the arena. She thought Punch may have given it to her and went to thank her. She ended up interrupting her and Bigwig in Punch's room. Punch admitted she was illiterate and could not have written the note, to which Hest gave Punch a hug to show her support. With Larka deciding to aid Hespiro, the HELP awoke early the next morning to dispell a series of magic wards in the forbidden section of the Library of Ages. The forbidden section was an enormous hallway with a series of magically locked doors. Hest took the opportunity to use her new cloak and teleported through one. She managed to dispell the ward behind the door, but realized she was stuck with no way out. Her cloak could only be used once per day. Petrichor, with some luck, managed to dispell the lock and free Hest. Overcoming assassins, puzzle doors, and dehydration, Hest and the others managed to dispell all of the wards as Zinnia had asked.
Children
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