Amethyst Mountainbender
Amethyst Mountainbender (a.k.a. Amber)
Amethyst Mountainbender is a half-dwarf earth genasi ranger. She is aligned with a dwarven clan from Mirabar known as the Blackhammers.
Campaign Recap
Helping the Blackhammers in Neverwinter (Greengrass-2 Mirtul)
On Day 18 of the campaign (Greengrass), Amethyst received a message from Gubenhest Engen, the leader of the Blackhammers in Mirabar. Gubenhest told her that he had been in contact with Telaros Engen in Neverwinter, and they needed her help.
On Day 20 (2 Mirtul), Amethyst arrived in Neverwinter. She met with Telaros and learned that Val Thollo, the lawmaster of Neverwinter, had ordered their friend Quinner Knox (the current manager of Goat Lips) to pay the city 50% of all past income from any materials mined at Mount Hotenow.
This was a surprising order, as the Blackhammers' mining operation - which was originally set up by Berrian Venhorn, but Berrian disappeared on 14 Tarsakh - had previously operated without being detected by city officials or anyone else, to their knowledge. Also, Val Thollo was a well-known public figure, and it was out of character for her to involve herself in these kinds of affairs.
Tracking Val Thollo to Leilon (2-5 Mirtul)
On Day 21 (3 Mirtul), Amethyst began tracking and observing Val Thollo in her every movement around Neverwinter. Although she wasn't able to infiltrate any government offices, she was able to track Val from her home to work and any other locations.
On Day 22 (4 Mirtul), Val began traveling south on the High Road with several guards from the Neverwinter Town Guard, eventually staying overnight at the Wayside Inn. Amethyst tracked them there, and she followed them again the following morning as they left and headed toward Leilon.
Leilon Town Council Meeting (5 Mirtul)
On Day 23 (5 Mirtul), Val Thollo and her guards from the Neverwinter Town Guard arrived in Leilon in the evening, and Amethyst followed them the whole way. After getting settled at the Knight's Goblet Inn, Val and her guards attended a meeting of the Leilon Town Council at the Town Hall, and Amethyst followed and observed the meeting from the back of the room.
During the town council meeting, Amethyst saw Collateral Damage for the first time, as they were presenting information to the town council about the Cult of Talos. For more details about the meeting, visit the Leilon Town Council page.
Meeting Collateral Damage (5 Mirtul)
As Collateral Damage left the meeting of the Leilon Town Council, Amethyst approached them. She said "My name is Amethyst. If you want to know more about the Cult of Talos, we should talk."
Rayphlárd offered to go back to the House of Razaycrynth where they could meet privately, and he led the group there. While there, Amethyst told the following information to the group:
- The headquarters of the Cult of Talos was previously a placed called the Sunless Citadel in Thundertree.
- The cult had statues showing a blackguard, a kobold, a raven and a boar.
- They also had a different statue that gave someone the power to cast lightning bolt.
- After the Gulthias Tree grew at their ritual site, Talos commanded his followers to leave and go someplace called the Circle of Thunder. Some stayed and worshipped the tree instead.
- In 1451, she witnessed a Talassan cultist named Izoneus Stormsworn releasing Maegera in Gauntlgrym, which caused Mount Hotenow to erupt.
After some conversation, Amethyst also told the group some of what she was doing now. She explained that:
- Her clan of dwarves (the Blackhammers) had been working for someone in Neverwinter. That person (Berrian Venhorn) went missing, then all sorts of chaos happened.
- The Neverwinter lawmaster (Val Thollo) threatened to shut them down if they didn't pay a huge amount to the city for something they were working on that was outside the city walls. They thought that was strange and out of character for Val Thollo, a well-known public figure who wasn't known to involve herself in those kinds of affairs.
- Amethyst agreed to use her bounty hunting skills to track Val and learn more about her. She figured out that Val was traveling to Leilon, so she tracked her and her guards here to Leilon.
The group continued talking, and Amethyst said that after the town council meeting, she became interested in Raphaella Umber. Amethyst explained that Raphaella reminded her of someone from her past named Kairos, so she thought she may stay in Leilon for a while to learn more about her. Amethyst wished the group luck, then they parted ways.
Meeting Raphaella (5 Mirtul)
After saying bye to Collateral Damage, Amethyst walked to the Umber Hulk's Shell Inn, the establishment owned and managed by Raphaella Umber. Before entering, she used her disguise self ability to change her form into a dwarf. She then spent time in the tavern area observing the staff and customers, paying close attention to the bartender Alion Malwyn.
After some time, the members of Collateral Damage also came inside the tavern. Conor McGregor had just finished competing in a solo fight in the Leilon Fight Club, and he looked the part. The group sat at a table, and Amethyst joined them. She whispered to them, saying "It’s me, Amethyst. Don't worry, I just don’t want to risk anyone knowing who I am here, so that's why I disguised myself. I figured I'd come here to see if I could learn any more about that Raphaella Umber person."
A few minutes later, Raphaella exited her office and went into the tavern area. After speaking briefly with her bartender Alio, she walked over to the table occupied by Collateral Damage and their new friend Amethyst.
Raphaella said "I wanted to personally thank you for your service to our town and against those cultists. Anyone who worships a god of destruction should be wiped from this planet. You all are truly doing good for this region."
Raphaella then addressed Amethyst, saying "I don’t believe you were with these fellows at tonight’s meeting. My name is Raphaella Umber, who might you be?" Amethyst answered, saying "My name is Amber. I’m with them." Raphaella turned to the rest of the group, warmly saying "Anyone who is friends with this group is certainly welcome here."
Raphaella then changed the subject, saying "So, I trust that you heard my plea to the council tonight. Well, it didn’t seem like they thought much of my idea, of going after Old Gnawbone herself. In a previous life, I would hire individuals like yourselves to go and do a thing like that. Tell me, do you all have any experience with dragons? I have some wealthy friends who would certainly be willing to reward any individuals who are up to that task."
The group was vague in their answers, saying they've seen a few dragons, a white and a green one. Raphaella asked where they had seen a green one, and they told her about Venomfang in Thundertree. They continued talking about dragons in general, but the group didn't commit to helping Raphaella.
Raphaella then stood up, saying "If you're ever interested in taking me up on my offer, again, I have very wealthy friends." She then turned to Herb Stoner, winked and said "We should talk." To the rest of the table she said "Enjoy your stay. And again, thank you." Raphaella then returned to her office.
After Raphaella left, Amethyst told Collateral Damage she thought she used to work for the mercenary group Raphaella referred to. She explained that the guild was run by someone named Raphaella, but she never met her. She only worked with someone named Kairos. Amethyst then told the group that she was going to stay in Leilon for a little while longer to see if she could find more clues that might lead her to Kairos. Since her disguise self magic was about to fade away, she stood up, paid for a room, and went to bed for the night.
Spying on Raphaella (6-7 Mirtul)
On Day 24 (6 Mirtul), Amethyst spent a day in Leilon tracking the movements of both Val Thollo and Raphaella Umber. She witnessed Val meeting with members of the Leilon Town Guard and overheard them talking about Collateral Damage going to Wayside Inn for an unknown reason. She also spent more time at the Umber Hulk's Shell Inn, studying the staff's patterns and looking for opportunities to get into Raphaella's private office.
On Day 25 (7 Mirtul), Amethyst saw Val and her guards leaving town, but she decided to stay in Leilon. She was concerned that the Blackhammers in Neverwinter may be in some kind of danger, and she was suspicious of Val and what she had planned, but she felt like following Raphaella may finally lead her to finding Kairos or Taris Greenshadow. She went with her gut and stayed in Leilon.
That evening, Amethyst used what she learned about the staff at the Umber Hulk's Shell Inn and snuck into Raphaella's office. Visit the Umber Hulk's Shell Inn page for more details.
Looking for Friends in Phandalin (8-10 Mirtul)
Amethyst began traveling to Phandalin by foot on the morning of 8 Mirtul. She camped in the wilderness overnight, and she arrived at the town midday on 9 Mirtul.
She discovered the town to be mostly abandoned. Many buildings were broken into and apparently robbed. She saw a few members of the Phandalin Town Guard on patrol, but she managed to avoid being detected.
In the evening, while pondering what to do next, she saw Collateral Damage riding into town with three other individuals. She followed the group first to Barthen's Provisions, and then to Tresendar Manor, where they stayed for the night. She hoped to speak with them privately, but she wasn't able to until she saw Shinzon Greenshadow awake and outside the manor in the early morning of 10 Mirtul.
Physical Description
Body Features
Amethyst has dark purplish gray skin with geode-like streaks and embedded gems.
She is spellscarred from an experience in Neverwinter when she was a part of a team that fought aberrations while trying to seal a chasm above the plaguelands below.
She also has a tattoo that gives her the ability to absorb and lessen poison damage.
Special abilities
Specialized Equipment
Amethyst typically wears adamantine half plate armor, which lessens some of the stealth abilities she gains from her Boots of Elvenkind.
She possesses many weapons, but she most often uses her dwarven thrower warhammer and her battleaxe.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Growing Up in Mirabar (1396-1449)
Amethyst was born in 1396, one year after the cosmic disaster known as the Spellplague. As an infant, she was found in an abandoned mine near Mirabar by a dwarven clan known as the Blackhammers. The dwarves took her in as one of their own and named her "Amethyst." She appeared to be half-dwarf, so they assumed that she was either abandoned out of fear or her mother died during childbirth. Nevertheless, they raised her, gave her a job and taught her to fight. She had a loving adoptive family and a few friends who weren't too afraid of her.
As a child, Amethyst learned to worship Dumathoin, the dwarven god of mining, but throughout her formative years she also heard references to Geb, a god of earth and mining from a foreign land called Mulhorand. She eventually learned that Geb ruled a place called the Cavern Under the Stars in the Elemental Plane of Earth, and the descriptions she read reminded her of herself. She became fascinated by the idea of a place that looks like her.
In her teenage years, Amethyst started working in the mines with the Blackhammers. The Blackhammers were indebted to a powerful dwarven clan in Mirabar, and she helped them work to pay the debt. Over time, the mines became more and more threatened by dangerous beasts in the surrounding wilderness. The Blackhammers hired a mercenary guild to take care of the threat, but the mercenaries needed a local to show them the way; Amethyst filled that role. She helped the mercenaries fight off the beasts, and the mercenaries, impressed by Amethyst's abilities, offered her a position with the guild. Recognizing that the life of a mercenary may result in better pay, Amethyst accepted the offer.
Neverwinter Mercenary Guild (1450-1451)
In 1450, after some time working for a mercenary guild in Mirabar, Amethyst decided to move to Neverwinter where the jobs would be more interesting and better paying. She accepted a position with a guild, and she started working for an individual named Kairos.
In 1451, after completing only a few jobs, Kairos led a team of Amethyst and fellow new recruits Azrael, Knismizo and Thimble on a job to the Sunless Citadel in Thundertree. The job ended when Kairos led the group to Gauntlgrym, but they were followed by Izoneus Stormsworn, a Talassan cultist. Izoneus surprised the group, pulled a lever and released the fire primordial Maegera. Maegera's outburst caused Mount Hotenow to erupt, destroying much of Neverwinter and the Neverwinter Wood. For more details, visit the Sunless Citadel page.
Amethyst, Azrael, Knismizo and Thimble escaped just before the eruption, traveling through a portal to Mithral Hall. Amethyst stayed in Mithral Hall for a short time, talking with the city's dwarven leaders and pledging to find Kairos and make him pay for his actions. She returned to Neverwinter, hoping to find clues leading to Kairos' location, but the city - including the headquarters for the mercenary guild - was in ruins.
Amethyst, feeling defeated, returned to Mirabar to be closer to the Blackhammers. Rather than returning to a life as a miner, she decided to use her mercenary skills to be a bounty hunter, and she started taking jobs throughout Northwest Faerûn.
Returning to Neverwinter (1469-1488)
In 1469, Dagult Neverember, a wealthy noble claiming to be the rightful heir to Neverwinter, started investing his personal fortune into rebuilding the city to be better than it was before the eruption of Mount Hotenow in 1451. Neverember began hiring builders and mercenaries from throughout the Sword Coast. Amethyst and some of the Blackhammers decide to move from Mirabar to Neverwinter to work and continue paying off their debt.
While in Neverwinter, Amethyst worked for a team attempting to seal a large chasm that opened during the earthquakes caused by the eruption of Mount Hotenow. The opening of the chasm had exposed a part of the city to monsters that had previously been trapped underground since the Spellplague. Amethyst and her team fought the aberrations in the underground plaguelands, but after coming into contact with them she became "spellscarred," resulting in strange new abilities and constant nightmares.
During her free time, Amethyst continued to search for clues about Kairos in Neverwinter, but every lead she found was a dead end. She eventually began spending time in the Neverwinter Wood, sometimes venturing close to Mount Hotenow and even looking for caves that connect with the ruins of Gauntlgrym. One day she stumbled upon a tunnel that seemed promising at first, but eerie, crawling mists scared her enough to turn around and never return.
Berrian and the Mount Hotenow Mining Team (1489-present)
In 1489, while Amethyst was on one of her travels near Mount Hotenow, she spotted a suspicious half-elf investigating a rocky area that was mostly hidden by a thick section of forest. She used her earth genasi ability to merge into the stone and observe the half-elf, and she saw him uncover a glowing vein of seemingly-magic ore. The ore had a distinct look and reminded her of the primordial Maegera that caused Mount Hotenow to erupt.
She followed the half-elf back to his home in Neverwinter, eventually discovering that he was Berrian Venhorn, the owner of a tavern called Goat Lips. Amethyst quickly consulted with Telaros Engen, the leader of the Blackhammers in Neverwinter, and Telaros came up with a plan to visit Goat Lips and casually tell Berrian that she and her dwarven mining friends were looking for work.
The plan worked, and Telaros and the rest of the Blackhammers in Neverwinter began working for Berrian by mining the hidden source of magic ore at Mount Hotenow. They did their best to keep the mining operation secret, and Berrian sold the ore to a wealthy merchant named Zanlan Yasandoral. Zanlan hired several talented blacksmiths and artificers, and he opened a magic shop named the Purple Blade, not far from Goat Lips, the tavern and secret headquarters for Berrian's mining business.
Gender Identity
Employment
In recent years, Amethyst has made as a living as a bounty hunter throughout Northwest Faerûn.
Mental Trauma
Amethyst witnessed the events that led to the eruption of Mount Hotenow in 1451, which destroyed much of Neverwinter and the surrounding area. When thinking back on what happened at the Sunless Citadel and Gauntlgrym, she blames Kairos, the leader of the mercenary group, and Taris Greenshadow, the individual who hired them.
Intellectual Characteristics
As a ranger, Amethyst specializes in facing her favored enemies: giants and elementals.
She is also an expert explorer in mountain terrain, as well as the Underdark.
Social
Family Ties
Mentor: Gubenhest Engen
Family: The Blackhammers
Common, Dwarvish, Giant, Primordial, Undercommon
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