### **Linzi – The Voice of Rivermarch, Chronicler of Heroes and Fools** ![[DALL·E 2025-02-20 09.28.36 - A vibrant and cheerful halfling bard with short, curly red hair and bright green eyes. She wears a stylish and colorful outfit with a leather vest ove.webp]] #### **Basic Information** - **Name:** Linzi Fairwind - **Race/Species:** Halfling _(A storyteller, a dreamer, a force of relentless optimism.)_ - **Class/Profession:** Bard, Treasurer of Rivermarch, Chronicler of its Rise (and Potential Fall) - **Alignment/Morality:** Chaotic Good _(Believes in the power of stories, of people, and of hope—even when hope is foolish.)_ - **Age:** Mid-20s _(Young enough to dream, old enough to see the cracks forming.)_ - **Gender & Pronouns:** She/Her _(Small but mighty, a voice that carries farther than her stature suggests.)_ - **Appearance:** - **Petite even by halfling standards**, but **radiates an energy that fills any room.** - **Curly brown hair, often wind-tousled and barely contained by an attempted braid.** - **Wide, expressive eyes full of curiosity, mischief, and just a hint of stubborn defiance.** - **Always carrying at least three journals—one for facts, one for embellishments, and one she'll never let anyone read.** - **Dresses practically, but with flair—bright scarves, mismatched buttons, small touches of individuality that make her stand out.** --- #### **Personality & Traits** - **Personality Summary:** Linzi is **a whirlwind of enthusiasm, wit, and relentless determination**. She **sees the world as a story waiting to be told**, and she **refuses to let that story be boring.** She is **loyal, sharp-tongued, and endlessly optimistic—but beneath that optimism is a mind that never stops questioning, never stops writing, never stops wondering if she's recording the rise of something great… or a tragedy in the making.** - **Believes in people more than they believe in themselves.** - **Will absolutely write about your mistakes. But she'll make them sound heroic.** - **Cannot be intimidated.** She **has seen warlords and nobles alike falter under the weight of their own egos—why should she be afraid of them?** - **Talks too much, but somehow always says something worth hearing.** - **Sees Rivermarch not just as a kingdom, but as a legend in progress.** - **Strengths & Skills:** - **Unmatched Charisma:** **Can talk her way out of anything—or into even worse trouble.** - **Keen Observer of People:** **Knows when someone is lying, when someone is afraid, when someone is hiding something.** - **A Master of Words:** **Stories shape reality. And Linzi is very, very good at shaping stories.** - **Treasurer of Rivermarch:** **She knows where the gold is, and she makes sure it goes where it's needed.** - **Infectious Optimism:** **She lifts people up, even when she herself is crumbling inside.** - **Weaknesses & Flaws:** - **Naïve About Power:** **Believes in heroes, even when she shouldn't. Believes in villains being redeemed, even when they won't be.** - **Speaks Before Thinking:** **Has absolutely put her foot in her mouth more than once.** - **Hates Being Ignored:** **Will push, prod, and provoke until someone acknowledges her.** - **Too Emotionally Invested in Rivermarch:** **If it falls, she will break with it.** - **Tries to See the Best in People, Even When They Show Her the Worst.** - **Traumatized by Betrayal:** **Now struggles with paranoia and trust issues after Grigori's assassination attempt.** - **Mannerisms & Speech Patterns:** - **Talks fast when excited.** Which is often. - **Frequently jots things down mid-conversation, even when it makes people uncomfortable.** - **Has a habit of adding dramatic flourishes to normal conversations.** - **Laughs at the worst possible moments, especially when she's nervous.** - **Uses humor as a defense mechanism. A very obvious one.** - **Startles easily at sudden movements or sounds**, an instinctive response to the trauma she experienced. - **Often falls silent mid-sentence**, losing herself in dark thoughts before forcibly brightening again. --- #### **Recent Developments – The Assassination and Return** - **Grigori's Betrayal:** Grigori (Tartuccio) attempted to assassinate Linzi in her tent under the cover of night, stabbing her in the stomach with a dagger while taunting her about her storytelling. - **Divine Intervention:** As Linzi was losing consciousness, a warm golden light surrounded her, weaving into a luminous cocoon. She was mysteriously transported to a shrine of Shelyn, landing on the altar. - **The Shelyn Sanctuary:** An elderly priestess found Linzi at the shrine and tended to her wounds. The bleeding had already slowed by the time she arrived, suggesting divine intervention in her healing as well as her escape. - **Brinnard's Midnight Summons:** A last-minute order from Brinnard Whitewood, based on a letter from Tybalt Rattigan, had guards stationed outside her tent, but they arrived too late to stop the attack. When they entered, Linzi's bedroll was drenched in blood—but her body was gone. - **Tartuccio's Shock:** Tartuccio, found at the scene with a bloody dagger in hand, appeared genuinely confused and shaken. He had expected a corpse, not a vanishing act. - **Secret Return:** After recovering enough to travel, Linzi has secretly returned to Stromhaven and is currently hiding in Brinn's tent. She hasn't yet revealed her presence to the wider community, unsure who she can trust. - **Current Status:** Officially presumed dead or missing to most of Rivermarch, though Brinn now knows the truth. --- #### **Background & Story Role** - **Backstory Summary:** Linzi **was born to tell stories.** - She grew up **hearing tales of heroes, of kingdoms rising, of great deeds and great failures.** - But she always noticed that **history is written by those who survive**—and **truth is what people choose to believe.** - She came to the Stolen Lands **not to rule, not to conquer, but to witness. To write. To make sure that whatever happens here, it is remembered.** - And now, **she is part of the story in ways she never expected.** She just **hopes it has a happy ending, though her faith in such outcomes has been severely tested.** - **Current Motivations:** - **To survive and understand who wanted her dead and why.** - **To discover the nature of the mysterious power that saved her life.** - **To determine who she can truly trust in Rivermarch.** - **To ensure that Rivermarch's story is one worth telling, despite the darkness she has witnessed.** - **To protect the kingdom—not with swords, but with words.** - **To remind those in power that history will judge them.** - **To rebuild her shattered sense of safety and trust.** - **Connections & Relationships:** - **[[Brinn Whitewood]] (Her Protector and Confidant):** **Currently hiding in his tent, Brinn is one of the few she still trusts. She wonders if her faith in him is wise, but has nowhere else to turn.** - **[[Tybalt Rattigan]] (The One Whose Letter Saved Her Life):** **His letter to Brinnard brought guards to her tent, though too late. She wonders how he knew of the threat.** - **[[Brinnard Whitewood]] (The War That Walks Like a Man):** **She doesn't trust him. He thinks stories are for fools. But he acted to protect her, however belatedly.** - **[[Gideon]] (The Scholar Who Might See Through Deception):** **His analytical mind might help uncover who orchestrated her attempted murder, if she dares to reveal herself to him.** - **[[Maximus]] (The Machine That Might Stand Guard):** **His loyalty is programmed, perhaps making him one of the few she could trust without reservation.** - **[[Borion Nightshade]] (The Magus With Shadows in His Eyes):** **He doubts himself. She now doubts everyone. They might understand each other better now.** - **[[Tartuk]]/Grigori (The Betrayer):** **The face of her nightmares, the hand that held the blade. His genuine confusion at her disappearance suggests possible manipulation.** - **The Elderly Priestess of Shelyn (Her Savior):** **The woman who tended her wounds and offered sanctuary when she needed it most.** - **Factions or Allegiances:** - **Rivermarch (The Story She's Still Devoted To):** **Despite everything, she cannot abandon the kingdom she has chronicled.** - **The Temple of Shelyn (Her Sanctuary):** **The place that offered her safety when she needed it most.** - **History Itself (The Only True Judge):** **She continues to record, though now with a more critical eye and in secret.** - **Notable Items & Equipment:** - **The Journal of Rivermarch:** **A chronicle of everything that has happened, written with both brutal honesty and just enough flair to make it legendary. Her recent entries are darker, more questioning.** - **The Quill That Writes in Gold:** **A gift from an old friend, said to never run out of ink.** - **A Small, Folded Letter in Her Pocket:** **Unopened. Unsent. Written to someone she lost.** - **Shelyn's Embrace:** **A ring given to her by her mother. After recent events, she wonders if this trinket might have played a role in her miraculous escape.** - **A Small Dagger:** **Something she never carried before, now kept close at all times.** - **A Poem Written in the Shelyn Temple:** **A haunting verse written during her sleepless nights at the temple, expressing her fears and doubts.** --- #### **Current Situation & Psychological State** Linzi currently exists in a state of limbo—officially presumed dead or missing, but secretly back in Stromhaven, hiding in Brinn Whitewood's tent. She is physically recovering from her wounds, but the psychological trauma runs deep. Her once boundless optimism has been severely tested. She struggles with constant anxiety, jumping at shadows and unable to sleep without reliving the moment of Grigori's betrayal. The feeling of the blade twisting in her gut haunts her waking moments as much as her dreams. Her writing has taken on a darker, more introspective quality. She questions everything she once believed about Rivermarch and its people. The near-death experience has forced her to confront her own mortality and the fragility of the story she's been crafting. Yet, beneath the trauma, the core of Linzi remains intact. She still believes in the power of stories. She still clings to hope that Rivermarch can be something great. And most importantly, she is determined to uncover the truth—about who wanted her dead, about the mysterious power that saved her, and about what the future holds for the kingdom she has given so much to chronicle. In Brinn's tent, she writes by candlelight, her quill scratching softly against parchment, recording a story that has become far more personal and perilous than she ever imagined. --- ### **Recurring Themes & Story Hooks:** - **"History is written by the survivors. And I intend to survive."** - **"Trust is a luxury I can no longer afford."** - **"I thought I was recording a hero's journey. I didn't realize I'd become part of it."** - **"Shelyn saved me for a reason. I need to understand why."** - **"Who pulls Grigori's strings? And how many other puppets dance to the same tune?"** - **"Brinn, don't let me down. I really don't want to have to write a tragedy."** - **"If this place falls, I don't know if I'll be able to get back up."** --- Linzi **once believed in Rivermarch without question. She believed in its people. She believed in its future.** Now, **her faith is shaken but not broken. Her chronicle continues, written in shadow and secret, the ink sometimes mingling with tears.** The bard who sang of heroes now finds herself in her own dark tale, uncertain if it ends in triumph or tragedy.