Somnis
(a.k.a. Somnis)
Planar wanderer, explorer, scholar and preserver of Balance.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Despite his advanced years, Somnis has the body of a young man, while not particularly strong he is very nimble and has a wiry, taught muscular frame. Most of his feats of athleticism are aided by his psionic talents, as opposed to solely his muscles.
Body Features
Very pale skin, as he is almostly completely covered by his robes.
Facial Features
Show spoiler
Slim features with a narrow, high cheekboned face. Beneath his mask and hood his shoulder length hair and circular goatee are both stark white.
Physical quirks
Somnis is right handed. When staying in one localised area he is constantly observing his surroundings more out of fascination than suspicion and he moves with a slow, smooth, almost gliding gait. When on the move however, Somnis strides with the nature of a veteran traveller, and mainly focuses on the path before him.
Special abilities
Somnis is an awakened psionic, naturally gifted with powers such as telekinesis, telepathy, psionic transmutation and restoration.
Apparel & Accessories
Somnis wears wraps around his hands and well made travelling boots, as well as tonal hooded robes of grey, white and black, which represent his commitment to preserving the Balance as well as helping him blend in somewhat in both the bustling settlements and the dark places of the universe. He also wears a mirrored mask, crafted from mithral and gifted to him by the Unseelie court in the Feywilds before he set out to the Shadowfell. It is enchanted so that only its wearer can remove it, and is intended to offer some form of protection, from what in particular, is unknown.
Specialized Equipment
His mask is enchanted so that only its wearer may remove it, and is said to offer protection against some unknown threat. Somnis carries no weapons or armour beyond his psionic abilities.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Show spoiler
"It is raining. Night time. The muddy track attempts to cling to his feet, trying to stop him from running. Looking behind him he sees the black silhouette of his father against the light of the open doorway, casting a shadow that seems to be reaching for him despite his father still standing in the entryway to the small cottage. The old man's bellows echoing through the forest, mocking him, no matter how fast or far he fled, the young boy kept running."
This is the only memory Somnis remembers of where he came from, not that he ever tried particularly hard to keep them in mind. He holds no real feelings towards the man who sired him, perhaps if he had to answer he would say he was grateful, for without whatever caused him to flee that night he might never have experienced the wonders and marvels he had on his journeys. From the night he left home Somnis had continued to journey ever onward, at first out of fear and a refusal to return home, eventually out of wonder, a desire for discovery and a realisation that home was not where he had fled from that night.
Somnis had found that when the purpose of his travels was the journey itself, not the destination, one could travel further in their wanderings than his steps suggested. He had left the forest of his childhood and entered the lands of the Fey, where he befriended pixies and politely declined dinner with hags. His journey through the lands of the Unseelie Court opened his path into the Shadowfell, he traversed this plane with the caution and trepidation he had developed in the Feywilds. He did not fear the dead who wandered that dark realm, but the starless sky above kept his eyes looking forward.
Somnis journeyed across the Astral Sea, stowing away on the pirate vessels of the Githyanki and visiting the floating cities of the Githzerai. Here he met with all manner of travellers and learned many things, it was also here that he started to develop his mastery of psionics. He found that while matter submitted to thought more easily in the Astral plane, the same command over reality could be won in other worlds with enough effort and focus.
By the time he was 20 years of age (as best he could measure having journeyed through worlds both far quicker and more sluggish than the one on which he was born) Somnis had ridden the winds in the plane of Air, explored the caverns of the plane of Earth, sailed the sea in the plane of Water and navigated the Brass City of Djinn in the plane of Fire. Around this time, the world grew larger.
Literally.
Worlds had appeared that had never been there before, at first Somnis thought maybe it was just that the way was open to him now whereas it hadn't been before, but he soon found in his travels that these planes were indeed new, and while some residents of the Inner Planes didn't bat an eye at the sudden existence of the Outer Planes, others revealed that, indeed, the worlds had not been there previously.
Along with these new planes came a host of new creatures, and Somnis journeyed onwards to learn all that he could about where these worlds had come from. By the age of 70, Somnis had searched the harrowing corners of Limbo, consulted the modrons of Mechanus, braved the depths of the Abyss and the Dukedoms of Hell, and climbed the peaks of the mountains of Heaven. On these travels Somnis learned of the many disparate forces of the multiverse, all constantly trying to tip the cosmic scales in their favour, and he realised the devastation this would cause if any of them were to succeed. Regardless of whether the victor were chaotic or lawful, evil or good, a world run by extremeists was not desireable. So Somnis made a pledge to do what he could to hold the scales in place, preserving the Balance, and he both aided and routed forces belonging to all sides where necessary to keep them in check.
In all his wanderings, he found all the clues toward the origin of these new planes lay in an event that had happened 50 years ago, on the Material Plane. In order to find the answer to his questions, he would have to return to the world that he had left so very long ago.
Gender Identity
Male
Sexuality
Asexual and aromantic
Education
Beyond the basic education his father gave him before he ran away, Somnis experienced the teachings of the Fey, both wise and foolish. On his journeys he was mostly self taught but also studied under a few different learned tutors from different backgrounds, most notably the Githzerai, where he unlocked his psionic talents.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Has wandered each of the planes of Yarradon without dying.
Mental Trauma
Show spoiler
Ecophobia, both definitions. Though, without having thought about it or having been back there, Somnis doesn't realise he is still running from the small cottage in the woods. His worst nightmare is to be contained in one place without his freedom to travel and explore.
Intellectual Characteristics
Somnis is pragmatic and logical. Seeking solutions based on evidence and for the greatest benefit above all.
Morality & Philosophy
Somnis does not judge others merely because their nature is different to his own, and appreciates the unique qualities of all the beings throughout the planes, whether good or evil, lawful or chaotic. The singular rule he abides by is the Balance must be preserved between all the forces of the multiverse, for extremes of good are just as fanatical and destructive as extremes of evil.
Taboos
Somnis always wears his mask, taking it off only when absolutely necessary. He also only speaks telepathically, seemingly incapable of verbal communication.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Somnis' purpose in life is to find and explore as many worlds as he can, to see all the sights, meet all the beings and learn and experience everything he comes across. He has also dedicated himself to ensuring no force becomes too powerful
Savvies & Ineptitudes
A skilled chess player and generally knowledgeable about most things, especially the otherworldly. He is rather out of touch with the mundane however, but hopes to quickly adapt to the material plane which he sees as yet one more world out of many.
Likes & Dislikes
Lives to learn new things, dislikes conflict but understands its necessity at times.
Virtues & Personality perks
Serene and patient, Somnis is never flustered and doesn't jump to conclusions
Vices & Personality flaws
Somnis will always put the Balance first, even if it includes commiseratingly betraying loyalties.
Personality Quirks
Since his facial expressions are unreadable, Somnis will often exaggerate body language so others will know what he is thinking.
Hygiene
Somnis cleans himself and his belongings when convenient but isn't overly concerned about such things, which can sometimes be a problem in social situations.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Friends among the Fey and the Githzerai, though many friends and enemies made across the planes on his travels.
Family Ties
None that he is aware of.
Religious Views
Is aware of the factual existence of deities and other beings which derive power from belief and worship, but is not dedicated to any.
Social Aptitude
Is often polite and follows local social etiquette when aware of it, but never shirks from the truth. Prefers diplomatic solutions over conflict.
Hobbies & Pets
Has no pets or familiar but is good with animals. Skilled at chess
Speech
Speaks solely through telepathy. His psychic voice is soft and well spoken.
Wealth & Financial state
Keeps enough gold on him to meet his needs while travelling but has no need to hoard vast amounts of wealth, nor anywhere to put it. His speech and polite demeanour often result in his good treatment by most folk. Combined with his appearance he is mostly seen as a wise yet quirky travelling scholar or mystic from distant exotic lands. His titles are not given by any material plane court but by those he has met on his travels, particularly well known amongst the Fey.
Species
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Somnis, Dreamer, Preserver of Balance
Year of Birth
1058
70 Years old
Birthplace
Yarradon
Children
Current Residence
Nomadic
Gender
Male
Eyes
Show spoiler
Light grey
Hair
Show spoiler
White, straight, shoulder length
Height
6'0"
Weight
120 lbs
Character Prototype
Patrick Stewart as a voice actor
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A Group of Supposed Adventurers
9th Hermday of Mistir 1128
The first day of my return to Yarradon was quite eventful, no sooner had I stepped through from the Feywilds than I came across a camp just as it was being attacked.
The attackers clearly mistook me for one of the camp dwellers and despite my attempts to calm them or explain the situation, they decided to turn their blades against myself as well. Some of the folk from the camp were skilled combatants and mages and the attackers were quickly routed, those that hadn't fallen, fleeing the field. There were many injured and I found myself tending to some of the wounded alongside a young priest who introduced himself as Anand, a cleric of Diteus. I asked him about the attackers form earlier and he told me they were seemingly barbarians, and that they often made attempts to raid the civilised folks of this region.
After I had exhausted my reserves healing those around me, I went to the edge of the camp, where it met the border of the forest, and meditated to collect my thoughts and decide where to head next.
Some hours later, Anand came over to me with a small group of people following him. The one closest to him was a tall human and from her features, clearly related to the cleric. She was well armed with a warhammer and presumably had arrived to give support to the young man and his people as on her way over she and a few of the others had made a show of healing those still injured, Anand introduced her to me as Kail, his sister.
The group also consisted of 4 others;
Alda, a human of advanced years who exists in a state of undeath, from the shield on her back and her magical talents she is apparently a cleric of Jetyhan, though whether this conflicts with her nature is unclear.
Felix, a skilled unarmed combatant, he appears to be another human, but influencing celestial force has clearly marked him as their own. He even exhibited the ability to exhume radiant energy from his body. He is currently searching from his quarry, a prisoner escaped on his watch from a demi-plana prison to the East. He seeks an artifact called the Omnishackles, left behind by one of the 8, to aid him.
Gao, a half-elf, apparent master of swordsmanship, the others seem to look to him most readily for guidance. From an argument he had later, I can surmise he is or was some kind of teacher of martial arts, whose school suffered some form of disaster.
Lincoln, a halfling mage who appears to be the group's negotiator, very skilled at deception and persuasion, his silver tongue is what enables him to control magic. Lincoln claims to be a figure of renown in this world and confided in me that he had deceived his companions about his (apparently unseemly) connection to the gnome they were seeking. He also contacts with what appeared to be a criminal organisation. Does it suggest something that Lincoln felt more at ease confiding in a stranger than in their companions? Unclear
Once we got past introductions, somewhat hindered by the fact that it appears telepathic communication is not common on this world, we discussed a note that one of the barbarians had on them. The note had the names of several artifacts over 8 symbols, the paper was titled "The Gifts of the 8", we all shared what little knowledge we had relating to the note's contents, before we detected an intruder in the wooded area beside us. Felix immediately ran after this figure and Alda went after him, a few seconds later a spear flew from the forest and imbedded itself in her shoulder, the wound was quite serious and Anand took her away to mend her wound.
Scanning the forest I saw the aura of 9 creatures. 3 of these belonged to Felix, Alda and the figure they had chased who had scaled a tree. The other six were apparently the source of the offending spear. I alerted my new acquaintance to the location of these figures and proceeded towards them through the foliage, requesting that they reveal themselves for parley. Two descended from the trees and went to attack me with swords, I ejected one from the forest and the figure that Alda and Felix had chased after, appeared and slew the second. The other attackers, more of the barbarians from earlier also attacked and the group made short work of them. I had contained one of them to question but this new stranger ignored my words and killed this one also. I removed the barbarian from his sight and revived him.
While the stranger, revealed to be Jinsu, an ex-student of Gao's, was distracted arguing with his old sensai, I questioned the barbarian and learned more about their reason for attacking. The barbarian's known as the Huk'yaak, worship several beasts, this ones tribe worshipped something called the Thunderbeast. His people believe that the 'city-dwellers' are evil and hate the trees, seeking to do them harm. I let him go and placed a trace on his amulet, which later showed he had fled to a place known locally as The Thunderbeast's Tomb, where I could sense over 200 of his brethren.
We rested for the night and in the morning, Felix showed his skill as a herbalist and brewed us tea. I realised that this group of supposed adventurers had already proven their capability in combat and didn't seem the type to try to kill me when my back was turned, I decided to journey with them for at least a while longer and see how things turned out, they agreed to my presence and so it shall be nice to have company on the path. After a short discussion we headed for the nearby settlement of Tinst, truly a place of wonder, or perhaps it is a common example of a city on this world. There were domesticated animals in the streets, known simply as "dogs", perhaps these dogs are the basic template for other canine species I have found on other planes?
We followed Lincoln into an establishment for washing clothes and producing false currency, which was run by a criminal organisation known as the Gutter Golddiggers, Lincoln gained us access to their local leader and deceived him into revealing what knowledge he had of these Gifts of the 8. After we left their headquarters, Lincoln revealed to the rest of the group about her connection to Kano Jiro which she had earlier kept form them, apparently this gnome had the Omnishackles Felix required and so we decided to travel to a place called New Rousanage together, to find this Kano Jiro, despite Lincoln's requests to go alone.
We travelled in a vehicle owned by Lincoln called a Tuk-Tuk, a wondrous carriage seemingly self-propelled. I had thought Tinst to be wondrous but it was a small town compared with New Rousanage, a huge metropolis with an artifical sky. Upon arrival Alda went with me to their city hall, the main centre of bureaucracy within the city and assisted me in purchasing a device called a Pea Envy, required for holding currency, contacting allies and identifying oneself to the local authorities, at the very least it will be a useful medium for recording my travels. I discovered they have no form of material currency, and that the people of this plane instead trade in promises stored as information on these Pea Envies. My likeness was taken and appeared as a three dimensional illusion on my personal Pea Envy and I had to step through an archway which determined that I would make a "good citizen". This world certainly has some strange ways, but then all worlds have their own wondrous uniqueness, it is not for me to judge! Having acquired myself this Pea Envy and some local currency from the others, we decided to rest from our travels.
I look forward to seeing what else Yarradon has to offer and whether my new companions will be of any help in my investigation.
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