Sydney Diem – Bard 6 / College of Eloquence (TCoE) Stoat (Gnome) (he/him)
2024 PHB + Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
A fast-talking stoat who claims to be the 13th Prophet of Verimoss, a minor scribe in the court of the Titans. He carries a fiddle, a patchwork cloak, and a journal of dubious divine wisdom.
Trinket (d100: 34): A vest with one hundred tiny pockets.
Species / Appearance: Stoat (Rock Gnome). Small, lean, russet-furred, cream underbelly. Patchwork cloak, fiddle on his back, battered journal. Nervous energy when himself; theatrical gravitas when performing.
Place of Origin: Verdant Forest region — specifics open for the DM.
Motivation: Tyranny creates silenced people and endangered children. Syd can’t walk away from either. “No Kings, No Tyrants” isn’t far from “Nobody should need a fake prophet to be heard.”
Skills & Role: Spy disguised as a spectacle. Plays taverns, reads crowds, gathers intelligence, delivers coded messages wrapped in divine theater. Silver Tongue ensures the con almost never fails.
Connections:
- His mentor — missing, unresolved
- The authorities who nearly killed him — unresolved
- Children he’s helped across Myrador — some might be old enough to fight now
Quirks & Personality Hooks:
- The Veri/very wordplay (“I tell you this is Veri important…“)
- Consults his proverb journal mid-conversation, squinting at his own handwriting
- Kids always gather around him for stories and fiddle music
- Practices dramatic prophetic gestures when he thinks no one is watching
- Each patch on the cloak has a story
- Deeply uncomfortable with genuine gratitude
Secret or Conflict: The entire prophet lineage is a fraud. If exposed, everyone he’s helped might feel betrayed. Worse: sometimes the prophecies land too well, and he can’t explain why.
Long-Term Goal: Build something that doesn’t need him. A world where street rats get heard without a fake prophet. If the rebellion wins, there should never need to be a 14th Prophet.