Adventure Title
Backstory for Karl Petersham

Session Length (Hours)

XP Gained

Date Assigned
2018-03-06 04:14

Notes
They say I’ve been a grouch since the midwife gave me a smack and I just harrumphed. Unsurprising. My mother, Kynthia, named me Rosalind first after her great grandmother, the original Lady Elversham. She named me Karl after her uncle second, but I am called Magister Petersham by most, and “Child” by my father, though I am now 54 years old. Only a few of the house staff and faculty, and of course the Duchess, remember I was nicknamed “Thorny” as a child. (A rose with a prickly personality. It’s supposed to be endearing or something. I don’t get it.) I was happy early in childhood, but Mother died when I was 9. This meant I was largely cared for and raised by the faculty and serving staff at the school, which is a large Manor home and boarding school in the countryside, and that of Lady Elversham’s Sorcerous Finishing School. It is just on the other hill, not but a blink away, but still a completely segregated entity because my great-grandfather was somehow more obstinate and obstreperous than even my father and would not employ Lady Elversham or her daughters. I had a few friends, but they were mostly the adults at the schools or their children, because the students didn’t have much opportunity for play, or when they did, they didn’t much want to associate with the faculty and staff children. And so, a age 9, I ceased childhood as I became an obligation to Headmaster Eustace Petersham, a now-single father whose priority focus was always on his role as the 4th headmaster at the Petersham School for Magical Boys, a preparatory academy for young nobles, sons of influential merchants, and aspiring wizards. A prodigy who demonstrated mastery of the arcane arts at an early age, I’d sat in all of the courses so often that I could fill in for sick instructors in many of the subjects before I was old enough to be accepted as a student at the academy of magic. I graduated from the school at 13 (5 years early) and began a series of apprenticeships to each of the instructors, well, all except father, who reserved his lessons for the “truly gifted.” That was an excuse to avoid the fractious arguments that invariably occurred whenever I sought to apply to a University or Academy like the Blackstaff’s, and Father insisted the free education I received was sufficient for “your talent levels with any substantial magical arts.” These days, I am Assistant Headmaster, Instructor in Astronomy in the school of knowledge, and head of Abjuration in the Academy Of Magic. I tend to “come out of retirement just this one last time” for an adventure with close friends about once a year just to get away from my overbearing family and grading assignments. 8 Life Events 99 arcane matter - You saw a creature being conjured by magic. This is not uncommon, but I mention it because it happened when I was three and seeing modrons coalesce in that circle is my first memory. 5 tragedy - Mother died, killed in a battle with a summoned demon. No one said this school is safe. 100 weird stuff - A powerful being granted you a wish, but you squandered it by wishing my father would put me on the faculty. He did so, but relegated me to “remedial Magics and academics of little import” 57 - You spent time working in a job related to your background. Start the game with an extra 8 (2d6) gp. 42 - befriended Lady Mary Icesun (Neutral Noble), the daughter of our then Duke, while she was faculty at Elversham. She is a practitioner of some skill, though it was quickly apparent her powers are eldritch and granted by her Faerie godmother, a good deal less academic than my approach. Sound theories, though. She now holds the Duchy herself, and is doing well. 86 - Fought in a small conflict as the school staff and students were besieged by an expelled student’s summoned creatures as he attempted revenge and a coup of the Duchy. I escaped the battle unscathed, though many friends were injured. A few, including the Duke, were lost. 77 - Went on an adventure with the Duchess. I was poisoned by a trap or a monster. I recovered, but the next time you must make a saving throw against poison, you make the saving throw with disadvantage. 79 - 8 years later, I left adventuring retirement again at the Duchess’ insistence. While away, I contracted a disease while clearing a filthy warren. I recovered from the disease with the care of Chef Shadereaver, the wise woman that is in charge Elversham’s herbology, culinary, and medical curriculum, but a persistent, nagging cough remains to this day.