Escobert

Name: Escobert Ashenforge

Race: Mountain Dwarf

Alignment: ??? Good

Class: Cleric

Domain: War

Deity: Moradin- Lawful Good god of the Forge and Knowledge

Holy Symbol: A flaming anvil pendant.

Background:

Escobert (pronounced ess-coal-bear) Ashenforge, love of Han'shi's life!!! <3 The gorgeous dwarven bartender of Hadley's Hope is an NPC made by the amazing DM Jason and honestly, who knows who seduced whom at this point? ;^3

This dwarven war cleric was once part of a famous adventuring party consisting of Sweep the Half-elf and his twin sister Hadley, the transgender half-orc Bethany (f to m), and Fisteroth the imp. As the cleric he eventually fell into the role of de-facto leader, and the merry band took down dragons and other monsters, growing bolder and more cocky with each success.

Eventually, Han'shi discovered Escobert lost his first love, Hadley, when she sacrificed herself to save their adventuring party from an undead hoard summoned by a powerful lich. They had gotten in way over their head and it had been a Hail Mary run to save the man she loved. Hadley was the elven woman in the picture Han'shi had seen of Escobert's old adventuring party and whom the dwarf had named his tavern after.

Escobert had found it difficult to continue on in life after that but his remaining friends kept him going...until he met Han'shi. Then life finally began to regain some of it's color and happiness returned to his kind heart!

After finding Hadley's body and laying it to rest, Escobert and Han'shi were married on June 2nd, 2019!

However, fate truly loves to tug at heartstrings.

The very next morning a hydra rampaged through the wedding party that had continued on through the night, disrupting the village of Barrel Bottom and sending the party chasing after it. Escobert and his orc friend Bethany split from the main group to try to head the monster off, and after Han'shi and the others managed to slay it he alone reappeared from the woods unharmed.

He asked the party to join hands and assist in a scrying ritual in order to find the individual, Lord Thirstin Thornwood, who had sent the hydra careening through the wedding. But once everyone did they spotted a naked, wounded Escobert dragging an unconscious Bethany come stumbling out of the woods. Before they could react the group was forcibly dragged through the planes of existence and dumped into the Feywild.

Turns out it was Lord Thornwood's son who had taken on the guise of Escobert to trick them, and he shifted back to the Material Plane, laughing in triumph. Han'shi, Sutha, Barakis, Dirk, and Fern were all trapped.

And so began a mad dash through the Feywild including being captured and tortured by centaurs, thwarting a unicorn genocide attempt on said centaur camp, getting captured by slavers after saving a baby from being abandoned in the woods, and fighting a kraken after talking to a sorceress and learning it guarded the portal between worlds.

Finally, after so long in the Feywild, Han'shi and the remainder of his party were finally back on the Material Plane. They appeared in the middle of the ocean and through some clever spell-work managed to get to the surface of the water and walk until they found a passing pirate ship. Upon being pulled aboard the Sanctuary Song, it turned out that their old dwarven friend Arinda and her now-wife and first mate Bonnie captained the ship...and twenty years had passed since they had been forcibly cast into the Feywild.

Time passes differently in the other realms...

Lord Thornwood- or at least, the Rakshasa calling himself Lord Thornwood- now reigns.

During the time they had been gone, Escobert led a berserker assault on the demon soon after the party was transported, blinded by his grief and rage. He barely escaped with his life. After that he went underground and began to plan a rebellion, leading a growing resistance. In order to unite the Dwarven clans however, he required an heir...so he did what he had to do, and bore a son.

Bonnie assured Han'shi that Escobert never forgot him...

With the rebellion growing, Escobert did his best to thwart Thornwood's plans. However, it wasn't until Dirk Dirstley returned alone and spread word of the paladin Anadraste's death at the fiend's hands that stronger allies were mobilized. Brace Fellwynd, her original party member, was furious and called upon the corsair clans to help avenge his friend. Anadraste's order and Dirstley's wizard contacts likewise mobilized to get revenge and neutralize the threat.

Things have not gone well, as Thornwood's plan to align the planes of existence was successful. But her banner is still as symbol of hope and the emblem of the rebellion.

Gathering their forces, the rebellion put a lot of resources into a final push on Thornwood's stronghold to end the alignment and slay the tyrant.

Only to fail...

Many were slain during that fateful night the hammer fell...and no one truly knows what happened in that throne room.

Exhausted, downtrodden, and heartsick, after hearing this tale Han'shi burned his only remaining spell slot (a 7th level) to try and contact Escobert via a sending spell...and received only silence in return.

Unknown to him just yet, Escobert was slain in one on one combat with Thornwood that night, and the other generals Fellwynd and Dirstley were imprisoned. But Escobert's son, known to the party only as the rebel Ashenforge, believes these survivors have information to end all of this and set things right.

Han'shi and his friends successfully extracted the generals from an island prison...and learned that Escobert had named his son Drakeglade, after the husband he had lost. After a tearful reunion with this boy who looked so much like his father, the party got to work on a plan to take down the fiend calling himself Lord Thornwood...and put the world back on the path it should have taken!

Gathering their forces, bringing in allies from their past, the party led an aerial and naval assault on Thornwood's fortress, the Sanctuary Moon airship attempting to bring them as close as it possibly could until it was attacked and destroyed by a shadow dragon.

Concentrating all his power, Dirk Dirstley managed to teleport the party into the tower, unfortunately leaving Bethany and the other crew members behind as they tried to buy the group time to complete their mission.

In the throne room, Han'shi was shocked to see what appeared to be Escobert, chained and suffering, before an altar with the shattered pieces of his warhammer. Dirk however, having cast Truesight, saw that this was an Incubus attempting to trick them. Disappointed that her disguise hadn't worked, the Incubus ceded the floor to Lord Thornwood, the Rakshasa laughing as he began the fight.

It seemed that the Incubus was his wife, and he was hesitant to let her go into battle herself. Unfortunately for him, she wished to defend her love, and died at Barakas' hand as she attempted to stop them.

What followed was a fairly difficult battle, psychic damage radiating out from Thornwood in painful waves as he utilized every trick he knew to try and wipe them out. To prevent them from opening the twin portals in the room and ending the convergence of the realms.

But it was all for naught. Rallied by the effects of last night's Heroe's Feast and with burning rage in their hearts, the party completed their mission. The portal to the material plane was opened by Dirk, while a heavily injured Brace managed to uncover the portal to the Feywild. If ever there was a time to defeat this Rakshasa, it was now.

They fought on until, bruised and bloodied and on his last leg, Thornwood attempted to flee.

Unfortunately for him, Dirk was faster and landed the killing blow.

Before they could be trapped in this terrible universe, the party had to choose which portal...and thus which world...they wished to return to. Brace and Dirk leapt into the Feywild, two friends looking for new adventures.

And the others...with their heart's in their throats...were swept into the material plane...

And spat back out on a familiar city street, with long gone faces at their sides again.

Anadraste the paladin was again looking for a tavern and a drink. Shortround the little urchin boy was again attempting to steal Mitchell the bard's coin purse.

Dumbfounded, Han'shi, Arinda, and Sutha raced ahead and saw Hadley's Hope Tavern...exactly as they had first seen it oh so long ago. Bethany the half-orc had his usual place as bouncer in the front, and when Sutha threw herself at him in joy and insisted they get a room, the party even saw Sweep the elf come to take his place. Bonnie was again a barmaid weaving expertly between the crowded tables, eager for some help.

They were back on the material plane, yes...but at the beginning of their adventure.

And Escobert was again there, behind the bar...just as he had been the first time he and Han'shi had met.

And as their eyes locked, a curious gaze meeting his shocked one, everything began anew.

Struck by memories and longing and with an ache in his chest that had more to do now with joy than the grief that had clouded it for so long, Han'shi stepped forward at last as the dwarf's eyes took in his engraved armor...and the ring on his finger.

"You don't know me...at least, not in this life," the firbolg had whispered softly. "But we knew each other in another...I'd love to get to know you again in this one, if that's alright?"

The dwarf had laughed and stated that it must be a hell of a story.

Han'shi had agreed, saying that he could tell him about it now, if he wished.

And with that grin that had so long ago stolen Han'shi's heart...Escobert looked up at him with a familiar twinkle in his eye and replied, "I don't think I need you to."

And finally, after what seemed like forever, everything was right in the world.


Faceclaim: This is the image Jason provided for him. What a MAN <3 Unf.

---