First

(a.k.a. Thunder, The Pyre, Harbinger of the Storm, Chosen of Kishike, Healer of Angels)

"Chaotic, and powerful beyond comprehension, and unbelievably, dangerously stubborn—"

"Like a storm. Yeah. That's First."

Lord Galway Karsus and Prince Rimardo Fairfell

First of the Storm Clan was an archcleric and Kindler of Kishike known for her membership in the Light Brigade.

Early Life

First was raised in a very large family in the clan Storming Sky of western Kiritchati and began as an acolyte in the clan's temple to Brell at the age of 14. She felt something was missing, enjoying her studies well enough but feeling they didn't suit her. Her given name was Rumbling Thunder, or "Thunder," but one of her brothers in her mother's sixth litter was given the name "Distant Thunder" and the nickname "Thunder" when her parents and the clan elders forgot that she had already been given this name. In defiance, she began calling herself "First Thunder," soon shortening it to "First."
This incident contributed to her decision to leave home the year following her initiation as an acolyte of Brell to join the crew of the Tradewind, an Averan trade ship. After two years, the ship was attacked and captured by pirates, but she and a fellow sailor named Rilios fell into the ocean and were gifted a cockboat by a well-timed lightning strike which allowed them to escape. Though they almost died at sea, they eventually landed in Talazic, specifically Jeltir. For two years they traveled around, learning the language and culture and trying to find a place for themselves. In 985, they answered an adventuring contract put out by a woman identifying herself as Decla Menfiri, who lured them into a mine just outside the village of Canterfail Shallows on the shores of Paper Fern Lake as a sacrifice to the fiery fey that resided there. Rilios was immolated, with First narrowly escaping into the lake. There were other fey living underwater, nixies who saw her physical and mental trauma and began to sing to her, healing and enchanting her.
She remained in this state for about a year, before one night, a violent storm hit, and a lightning strike just at the shore frightened the nixies out of their endless song for the first time, startling First to lucidity. As the fey magic was no longer active to let her breathe underwater, she nearly drowned as she fought her way to the surface, but the effects of the nixies' song lingered, locking away all her memories of Rilios and creating a three-year gap in her memory. She began to travel west until she found a road, which took her to the city of Prestir. Here, she quickly heard about the great temple to Kishike, and was instantly taken with their teachings, finding a home there in this strange land. She began as an acolyte at the temple almost immediately, and after a year of earnest study, she began going on adventures every few months between her classes, seeing much of Jeltir and gaining quite a bit of renown in this time. This came to a head when she protected the Caimrellan town of Freminster from feuding air elementals, in the process becoming seriously injured. Though when she came home she found that her flail seemed to have become imbued with Auran energy by the fiasco, she decided to hang up her adventuring gear and rest for a while.
After doing some discerning with her fellow clerics, First felt the pull of teaching, and decided she wanted to tutor the next generation of royalty, or at least nobility. She briefly helped to tutor the son of Archduke Gatlin Bronzehelm before being invited by the Hemejdd-based Duke Caspar Hint, with whom she'd connected during her adventuring days, to tutor his four youngest children. With permission from her order, she happily relocated to Hemejdd and did this for about two years, continuing to build her reputation in the city through her activities at the local Kishikean temples and appearances at many high society functions. In 990, she was recommended as a replacement for the recently retired tutor of the Fairfell family themselves, and moved to the palace to become the primary tutor of Prince Rimardo, Princess Kemma, and Princess Emiri, aged 10, 7, and 5 at the time. During this time she continued to travel, in the later years taking her students on many field trips across the kingdom to familiarize them firsthand with the culture of the country their father, and, later, their brother, ruled.

The Eventide

First was content with her employment at the palace for some time until the last few years before the Eventide, at which point she began requesting to be sent back into the field, though these requests were continually denied. This changed when the Light Brigade, prime challengers of the Supreme Nightbringer Mavislak the Blood-eyed, lost the bard Æshir Þorlássón, their primary healer, in the saving of the refugee camp of Farriston. Though First was rusty, she was known as the most powerful and trusted healer King Talesan knew, she had a personal connection to the next artifact the Brigade was tasked to find, and the Brigade's need was immediate and dire, so she was at last added to their ranks. At the time of her joining, the party consisted of Wivvyrholdalphiax Adrex, Enna Liadon, and Pellen Overvale.
First's very first mission as part of the Brigade was to travel to Siltgreaves Forest to seek the Morningstar of Linnaveria to trade it for the fork attuned to the material plane owned by Baroness Luella di Arabia of Findrick so that they could return from the Elemental Plane of Water, whereto they planned to venture to recover the Eternal Flame of Kishike. It was here that they discovered that the morningstar had long been claimed by an ancient black dragon called Tovirikatch, and First was killed by plant monsters animated by Tovirikatch before even reaching her lair. However, she was immediately revived by the celestial Inimachus, who bade her not to fear water, as she had done for many years without knowing why. After taking some time for her to recover, the party advanced, meeting and temporarily allying themselves with the Wardens of Mabble to try to defeat Tovirikatch. They would have all been wiped out, but Tovirikatch agreed to let them go if they spread word of her greatness and left behind one of the members of the Brigade as a trophy. First very nearly offered herself, but the warlock Kit of Tellmouth disguised himself as her to take her place.
After this, First was determined to save Kit from his imprisonment, eventually deciding the best way to do so would be to acquire a diamond worth at least five thousand gold pieces to use in the casting of a spell of legendary power known as gate. She spent the following weeks obsessively seeking such a diamond as the party continued to adventure. In the midst of the aftermath of their venture to the jungle, Pellen Overvale was captured and executed by Mavislak, and shortly afterwards Zachár Flame-tongue found and was reunited with the party.
The Light Brigade then traveled through a planar portal in Skell Sea to the water plane and began their journey to the Citadel of Ten Thousand Pearls, where they hoped to find information on the coldest place in the plane, which was where they believed the Flame would be found. They had many adventures on the way and, after reaching the Citadel, First discovered that a very valuable diamond was in the possession of the noble marid Ajirab al Naphalik Herdushh, and she began a campaign to indirectly secure an audience with this marid to simply touch this diamond in exchange for several diamonds of her own. Though the marid also demanded a day of hard labor from her, he agreed to her terms, and First cast gate to pull Kit out of the dragon's den after five weeks of solitude, whereupon he joined the party for the remainder of their interplanar adventures.
While in the Citadel, the party made contact with the marid scholar Kashif-Na Varud al Far, who gave them a mysterious wayfinder and sent them to the Frostfell. First, who had quickly taken on the role of the Light Brigade's point person with her ability to cast sending, became the main point of contact between the party and Kashif-Na Varud al Far as well. As they traveled through the plane of ice, her magic kept them warm and safe. Upon their reaching the Mountain of Ultimate Winter and encountering the kraken that guarded the Eternal Flame on behalf of the archomental Cryonax, First saved them from certain death by crying out with ardent faith for Kishike to smite the kraken, whereupon he intervened in their desperation and sent the titan into a vortex on the Elemental Plane of Fire. Immediately First claimed the Flame and used the spell word of recall to return the party to the material plane, where they were received by Enkavma Lashing, Riswynn Tedrektid, and Princess Emiri, among others.
Just a few days later, Zachár was contacted by his Hexblade patron and instructed to travel to Paper Fern Lake for a special task. His party accompanied him with trepidation, in First's case because she had not returned to the lake since she had woken up with amnesia on its shores fifteen years prior. While in the town of Tensby, in the midst of a maelstrom of flashbacks, she met Lord Paisley and Lady Celeste Lannigan, the latter of whom she eventually recognized. Through a series of half-truths and outright lies, Celeste convinced First to accompany her back to Canterfail Mine, and may have successfully offered her to the fey there if the rest of the Brigade had not pursued them and been there to help defend First and slay the fey. Though they could not immediately try and convict Celeste properly, they reported what had happened to Lord Paisley and the guard force and left forthwith. Also during this venture, First at last regained her memories of Rilios, and found his ghost still haunting the mine. She spoke with him and was at last able to convince him to move on, promising that she would never forget him.
When traveling to Bluehaven to attempt to find Failani Anseld, as they had been tasked to do by Kashif-Na Varud al Far, the party was approached and shortly attacked by Mavislak and many drow and fiends. First and Enna were both cursed by the powers of his staff, though with some research and powerful magic First was able to cure them both. Following the battle, Prince Rimardo came to Bluehaven to work on security detail, a task that was enthusiastically supported by First.
Shortly afterwards, in quick succession, First met Æshir Þorlássón and Strimien Half-light in the midst of being sent by Vetrano the Illustrious to search the Gamirian College of Necromancy for the research that had imprisoned him in a gem over a thousand years prior, for the purpose of using similar magic to ensure Mavislak's demise. First accompanied the party on this venture and greatly assisted them in scouting out the college via use of the spell etherealness, which made it possible to ambush and destroy the forces of the lich Lydredd the Living. While exploring the college, First came upon the long-imprisoned soul of the ancient dwarven cleric Gwrandäwr of Clan Iledwfn, who, after being informed of the looming threat, took her on a journey to Mount Celestia to learn about the source of all magic so her power would not wane as the cosmic threads receded on the day of the final assault.
First and Gwrandäwr spent many days traveling the winding paths of Mount Celestia and encountered a great many celestials along the way. Once they reached the peak, Evendur began speaking in their minds, tasking Gwrandäwr with standing guard and ensuring First not be disturbed as she absorbed wisdom from the World Weaver over many, many hours. First later wrote several tomes attempting to attempt to describe what He shared with her. In the end, He named her Champion of Kishike, and presently Kishike himself appeared to her to present to her the very Flame she had helped recover from the Mountain of Ultimate Winter. She took the time to reattune to it, and Evendur's final words to her were "So long as your faith does not waver, you will be victorious."
First and Gwrandäwr stepped through the portal conjured for them and appeared in the sky over the Battle of Geldereth not long after it had begun. She was later described by many witnesses as having been "refulgent" and her voice "like the crackling of a great pyre." During the battle, she harnessed her power to create a devastating earthquake which created many rifts that swallowed up a great number of nightbringers, summon a fire elemental and many blasts of flame, and saved the life of Kit of Tellmouth with powerful healing magic. She fell back with the Light Brigade to confront Mavislak and his elite forces in the heart of the Miranellic temple, healing the party all at once with powerful magic and resurrecting Zachár when he was struck down. This allowed him to strike down Mavislak in turn, and First was present when Adrex used the Twilight Blade to kill the Supreme Nightbringer at last, and when Miranelle herself manifested in the wake of their victory and at last unveiled the stars after six months of darkness.

Later Years

Following the end of the Eventide, First called upon Inimachus to take the Flame from her and sequester it somewhere safe. She then returned to the palace in Hemejdd to reconnect with the royal family. As Prince Rimardo was still in Bluehaven for the foreseeable future, and Princess Emiri presently made the decision to go nurture her emergent prophetic powers at the Mt. Prophet Temple of La, only Princess Kemma was left from among First's students. First took up her tutor's mantle again to finish out Kemma's lessons, and took a few years off after the princess turned 20.
During these years, between her clerical work and frequent appearances before crowds to answer questions and pontificate on the grandeur of Kishike and Evendur, First worked on producing a play, which she intended to fulfill her promise to ensure Rilios would be remembered. Amends premiered in late 1006 and quickly rose to great fame.
In mid-1008, First began tutoring the newest generation of royals: Princess Annika, Prince Jovanni, Princess Clara, and Prince Nyctinus. Around 1018, after a full decade of saving, she hired a wizard to travel to Kiritchati and create a permanent teleportation circle there. First kept the sigil sequence of this circle secret while she was alive, as the tabaxi of Kiritchati preferred, and simply kept it for personal use.
Though First personally desired to be finished with adventuring, her order and her king occasionally called on her to assist when there was a need. During one such venture, First made the acquaintance of a group of three half-orc brothers, Dolg, Holg, and Tolg. She became very close to all of them, but after traveling with them for some weeks, they were confronted by the adult red dragon Kokkaimiva. Though they had planned to offer the dragon riches and part without bloodshed, First verbally antagonized Kokkaimiva, to the point where he incinerated both Holg and Tolg, beyond any chance of resurrection. Dolg barely survived, and blamed First for the incident, swearing to have his revenge on her after taking it on Kokkaimiva. The two did not meet again, but the incident mellowed First considerably, and for some time after she prayed for Kishike to kill Kokkaimiva, until he told her, "You know that is not how I work." Afterwards, First withdrew to meditate in solitude for about a year in the Elder Mountains of Vundkrag.
Dolg was far from the only enemy First made; with her standing as such a prominent and powerful proponent of good, she drew the attention of many challengers. Most of them were rebuked or defeated with ease, with the notable exception of the cleric Tove the Depraved, who was first apprehended by First in 1019 and finally slain by her in 1021.
In EL 1027, upon the death of Enkavma Lashing, First was unanimously elected to be the next Kindler, at the age of 61. With her new post, she officially retired from tutoring, which she had continued to do on and off for many years, and moved to the Kishikean temple in Prestir. Her Kindlerhood was marked by a heavy focus on education and outreach, and she spent a great deal of time evangelizing and establishing new temples outside of Talazic, particularly in Kiritchati but also in certain regions of Avera and even Tresstyria. She came to Avera in the midst of the War of the Telvak, and prayed for guidance on how to intervene, but discerned that no direct intervention of an outsider would achieve long-term peace. So instead, First intervened indirectly, teaching secretly. After two years she caught the attention of the warlord Benbrod Thrice-cursed, whose forces hunted her mercilessly as she continued to hide in the outlands of Yegrynd. During this time she came to believe that one of her students, the young Thorn, whom she renamed Kafsoksyla Coastborn, would be the one to end the war and drive the Telvak back. She fought among his forces and was present when he struck down Benbrod at last. The war ended when First was 73, marking the end of her adventuring days.
As First grew old, she traveled less, except between Kiritchati and Prestir, and, less frequently, Hemejdd. She grew especially frail in her final few years, and passed away peacefully in her bed in Kiritchati in the late summer of 1056.

Species

Tabaxi

Date of Birth

31 May 966

Date of Death

18 August 1056

Life

966 EL 1056 EL 90 years old

Circumstances of Birth

Born in a litter of three, the fourth child of a family just getting started growing

Circumstances of Death

Passed peacefully, warm in her bed in her home clan

Birthplace

Kiritchati

Place of Death

Kiritchati

Belief/Deity

Kishike

Aligned Organization

Clerical Order of Kishike

Other Affiliations

• The Light Brigade

Family

Green Sapling "Sapling" (mother)

Dripping Cove "Cove" (father)

Empty Cloud "Cloud" (brother)

Shrieking Gale "Gale" (brother)

Tide that Laps "Tide" (sister) †

Approaching Squall "Squall" (sister)

Raining Day "Rain" (sister)

Swirling Sleet "Sleet" (sister)

Red Tempest "Tempest"(brother)

Pouring Rain "Pour" (brother) †

Misty Tail "Mist" (brother)

Seventh Gust "Gust"(sister)

Breeze in Evening "Breeze" (brother)

Wafting Air "Waft" (brother) †

Endless Deluge "Deluge"(sister)

Drizzling Fog "Drizzle" (brother)

Rushing Torrent "Torrent"(sister)

Droplet of Wine "Drop" (sister)

Distant Thunder "Thunder" (brother)

Hailed Hero "Hail" (brother)

Jade Wave "Wave"(brother)

Spray of Sea "Spray"(brother)

Quicker Current "Current"(sister)

Swell of Dark Water "Swell" (brother) †

Thinning Streamlet "Stream"(sister)

Showered Land "Shower" (brother)

Rumbling Skies "Rumble" (sister) †

Flooded World "Flood" (brother) †

Lightning Snake "Lightning"(brother)

Light Sprinkle "Sprinkle"(sister)

Fading Dew "Dew" (sister) †

PC Information

Level 20 cleric

—Tempest domain

^{Painting of Rilios and First commissioned by the latter in 1006}

^{First while adventuring in the 980s}