Sydney Diem – Bard [Subclass TBD] Stoat (Gnome) Lvl 5 (he/him)
[Edition TBD] PHB + [Source TBD]
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: 96): A black pirate flag adorned with a dragon’s skull and crossbones.
Backstory
Syd’s parents died when he was young — one of many families broken during Myrador’s years of upheaval. He survived as a street kid in the Verdant Forest region, learning quickly that nobody listens to orphans.
A wandering performer took him in — someone calling themselves the 12th Prophet of Verimoss, keeper of dreams unspoken. The Prophet wore a patchwork cloak, played music, and spoke in strange mangled proverbs that somehow made people listen. Syd believed every word. He thought he’d been saved by a genuine holy person.
As a teenager, Syd witnessed something dangerous — a crime, a conspiracy, something that would get people killed. He reported it. The authorities arrested him instead. A street rat pointing fingers at his betters. He was sentenced to hang.
His mentor arrived and delivered a “divine vision” of Syd’s innocence. The crowd believed. They released him.
That night, the Prophet confessed everything. There was no Verimoss. No lineage of prophets. The whole thing was an elaborate, well-meaning fraud — a costume that made people listen to someone they’d otherwise ignore.
The truth Syd spoke hadn’t saved him. The lie had.
Syd took the mantle. He calls himself the 13th Prophet, though the “12th” may have been the first. His mentor vanished shortly after, leaving only the cloak, the journal, and the question of whether any of it was ever real.
Now he travels Myrador delivering “prophecies” that give voice to those being silenced — especially children. Because he remembers being the kid nobody would listen to.
NPC Connection: The Prophet Before Him — Syd’s mentor. Name, species, and current status left open. Disappeared roughly two years ago.
Open Questions for the DM
- Which Titan does Verimoss belong to? Virelan (shared knowledge) and Iboraen (dreams) both fit. Does Verimoss actually exist somewhere in the lore, or is it purely fabricated?
- Where exactly did Syd grow up? Somewhere in or near the Verdant Forest.
- What did Syd witness? The crime that got him arrested — does it connect to a current faction or tyrant?
- Who arrested him? Are they still around? Part of the rebellion, or aligned with a tyrant?
- Where is the mentor? Alive, dead, or something else?
- The prophecies that work too well — Is a Titan actually paying attention?
- The numbering — Syd believes in 12 prophets before him. The real number might be much smaller. How deep does the fraud go?
Character Creation Answers
Species / Appearance: Stoat (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.
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.