FULL NAME
K’Velarin Au’dayrr
RACE
Elf (Drow)
CLASS
Fighter / Mage / Thief
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
Two-handed Sword ++++
Dagger +
+50% base Magic Resistance
Poison Weapon 1x/day
Faerie Fire 1x/day
Dancing Lights (1st level)
Darkness 15′ Radius (2nd level)
BIOGRAPHY
“When asked about his past, K’VEL tells you there are only three things that you need to know about him – first, that he was born in the drow city of Eryndlyn, second, that he no longer belongs there, and third, that he is now a sellsword making his living on the surface through any means necessary. What more you can tell of him is merely through observation.
Though primarily a swordsman by trade, K’Vel has nonetheless a passing knowledge of arcane magic and thievery that seems more learned by experience rather than study. You have read about the drow in your childhood, and though the drow mercenary is distant and self-reliant, he seems to lack most of the cruelty and arrogance expected of his kin, and approaches every situation with a calm, calculated awareness, as though nothing is ever completely beyond his expectations.”
OVERVIEW
Drow. The most maligned subrace of elves, feared and despised by all who live above the surface, and trusted by none. The shackles of the Spider Queen weigh heavily around every drow in the Underdark, enforcing a society of cruelty, subjugation and betrayal. Perhaps the only thing keeping the rest of the realms safe from the ambitions of the drow is their egocentric natures that cause them to turn their blades against each other as much as they do their actual enemies, reinforcing their endless cycle of self-ruination.
K’Vel is an example of a male drow who has managed, by fortunate circumstance, to live by his own rules. He hails from Eryndlyn, a distant drow city that is not ruled merely by one faith, but instead exists in a never-ending power struggle between followers of Lolth, Ghaunadaur and Vhaeraun, as well as the merchant clans who wield the most power, along with more secretive forces who seek to usurp control over the city. K’Vel, having grown up in such a place of chaos, has instead found strength in solidarity and mutual protection, believing in exchanging power and trust with drow of common interests, which allowed him to survive. Though it was not enough forever as he was forced to escape his former home to make a life on the surface, he has carried this philosophy with him across the seven years he has lived as a mercenary, observing the ways of humans to find the rare trustworthy employer. And, by circumstance, you may become one such person.
K’vel is aloof. He does not speak comfortable lies. He does not trust easily. But he does trust, and had understood the value of giving and receiving trust in the right people, whether they be drow or human. To that end, he will be honest and forthright to you about most things, though not simply because you like it. He prefers to speak when spoken to, and hates wasted time, but that does not mean he will refuse to talk, as there is much to be learned about a person through seemingly meaningless conversation.
Though K’Vel is Lawful Evil, the latter part of his alignment mostly manifests in leaning towards coldly pragmatic and efficient actions. He does not endorse cruelty, nor does he enjoy killing for its own sake. To that end, his positive interactions tend towards lawfully-inclined companions, though his sense of self-preservation also means he will generally avoid antagonizing those he works with. That does not mean he will always be particularly pleasant, especially if he believes there is something he must say that the recipient will not want to hear.
MOD INFORMATION
- For the entirety of his pre-joining sequence, K’Vel will be wearing his full-face helmet in an effort to conceal his identity from bystanders, though it is not meant to be a strong effort to hide it from the player. You can find out of his identity before the eventual joining, but it does not make a large difference. He will lose his helmet shortly before potentially joining.
- Unlike other companions, K’Vel cannot be recruited early, and will only become a potential companion at Chapter 5. However, he and his current employer will make their appearance sooner, potentially as early as the Friendly Arm Inn. The first encounter is optional, but you must speak with them at Nashkel’s tavern after their second encounter to progress their subplot, or else they will not appear later. If you go through their encounters, K’Vel will be recruitable at the Elfsong Tavern.
- To have the option to recruit him at all, you must have at least 15 Reputation or 18 Charisma during the last pre-joining encounter. It may seem strange for an evil-aligned character to have a high reputation requirement, but it makes more sense in context.
- K’Vel requires Siege of Dragonspear. Too much of his character development occurs during that arc, and this will not be changed. To understand him as something more than as your hired sword, you must take him through that story.
- K’Vel does not have reputation or companion conflicts. He does not care for the peoples’ perceptions of you insofar that it does not overly endanger him, and he does not see the practicality on making enemies with those he fights alongside. That does not mean he will be friendly towards all of them, nor does it mean that everyone will be tolerant of him, merely that he will not lash back towards hostility.
- K’Vel does not initiate much conversation over time. He will speak if something provokes his interest, and has certain extended dialogues with the player particularly regarding his past, but you may often need to speak with him, and you may only have certain options if you previously expressed interest in his history.
- Once he joins early in Siege of Dragonspear, you may immediately see something odd gameplay-wise that seems like a bug or oversight. It is not.
- When hunted by the Flaming Fist, try allowing yourself to be arrested and insult Angelo to see what happens. It may surprise you.
- As of right now, K’Vel only has some crossmod banters with my party members in SoD. This will change in the future.
SAMPLE BANTERS
Coran: Ah, K’Vel, my dark-hearted cousin. Were I to present your countenance to any elven maiden to whom I share acquaintance, they would assuredly label you as the least pleasing drow to have ever lived.
K’Vel: Then it is fortunate for me that the affections of darthiir hold little importance in my heart.
Coran: I haven’t finished! I’ll excuse the vulgar diction, as I have understood you well enough to know that it is your way to irritate me into silence, but—
K’Vel: Enough… is what I would say if I did not know better. Get it over with.
Coran: *But* it is also true that from my long journeys in the human lands, I have known many dames with keen eyes that appreciate a larger, rougher sort of appeal, brimming with masculinity, and you certainly have that.
K’Vel: Your point?
Coran: All I want to suggest is, why not embrace what you were blessed with? You already have broken the perception many hold towards the drow… do you realize how much farther you could take it, were you to use your rare charms to the potential that they have?
K’Vel: And become a promiscuous, hedonistic layabout utterly barren of self-respect, such as yourself?
Coran: There’s the insults again! Little wonder it is that my kin and all else have so little fondness for the drow, when you yourself are so fond of responding to even a helping hand with an ungrateful slap.
K’Vel: I know not what life you must have lived, but I have no doubt it has been an extreme of either gratification of emptiness.
Coran: My life certainly has been blessed with no lack of luck and beauty.
K’Vel: For the bare minimum of respect I have for your inept efforts at a peace offering, I will simply tell you that my own experience is that laying beside one whose intentions are unknown is a sure path to certain death.
K’Vel: Consider that my indifferent advice that may keep you from death one day.
Imoen: Haa! “En garde”!
K’Vel: …
Imoen: Hey, I said, “en garde”! Draw your sword, scallywag, and settle this once and for all!
K’Vel: It may be a waste to ask, but what is this?
Imoen: I wanna spar, of course! I’m your apprentice in swordsmanship!
K’Vel: I do not remember making this arrangement.
Imoen: That’s because I made the decision! I’m going to Imoen the Blademistress from now on, and you’ll teach me how to fight properly!
K’Vel: And what became of your usual fascination with magic?
Imoen: I can learn how to use a sword and magic at the same time!
K’Vel: …
K’Vel: *sigh* If you do intend to learn, though I doubt there is a point, start by brandishing a proper sword. That is a tuber you’re holding, not even a branch.
Imoen: What? It is? Oh… you’re right, it’s kinda bendy. This is no good, it’d break as soon as it hit something.
K’Vel: Wait. Don’t toss it.
Imoen: Huh?
K’Vel: Give it to me—I have use for it. When skinned and boiled, this makes for a nutritious addition to a stew.
Imoen: Oh. Right, that’s why I got it for you. Definitely the reason all along. Ha ha! Aren’t you grateful?
Xzar: You are a most fascinating specimen, drow, to have such a thickset musculature. Almost human-like. Is it a random mutation? Experimentation from your infamous priestesses? Or…
K’Vel: Observe as long as you like, you will have no answers.
Xzar: Correct, of course. The only way to understand more is to *really* get into the skin and bones. I mean that… figuratively, of course. Though I would not object you to spending a little time on the operating table…
K’Vel: If you can drag me on top of one by force, then you may cut as you wish. Though I am not optimistic, considering you are practically a walking skeleton yourself.
Xzar: Right! First priority would be to sew that mouth shut with some strong thread. Monty! Be a good chap and help our subject on the table, would you?
Montaron: Shove yer twisted implements up yer arse and turn ’em, wizard.
Xzar: Hmph! Fine, a fleshy construct would do the same work, and with less lip! I’ll just have to find some… material.
K’Vel: Good luck.
K’Vel: The battle against the shield dwarves of the Halls of the Hammer and House Xzarthel? No. That was none of my affair.
Yeslick: Ye’re certain? I’ve only some estimate o’ the age of elves by face, but ye seem to be the right age. And from yer response, ye seem to have some recollection o’ the whole thing.
K’Vel: I recall the countless bodies that littered the passage between the High Moor and the Upperdark. I was only relieved that I did not join them by some terrible accident. Both the dwarves and the drow were possessed by madness on that black day.
Yeslick: ‘Tis good if ye haven’t, drow… I’ve lost my share o’ distant relatives in that terrible battle… I’d hate fer knowledge of that to be an obstacle in our path.
K’Vel: If the possibility is so concerning to you, then you should not have asked.
Yeslick: Perhaps. But ’tis preferable to act honestly when one has misgivins’. Had ye taken part in the war…
K’Vel: You would act against me?
Yeslick: *sigh* I’ve no quarrel with ye, dark elf. But I be an old dwarf, an’ past wounds don’t fade away some easily. I haven’t forgotten the bloody wars fought between dwarfkin an’ the dark ones o’er the centuries, much as I’d like to.
Yeslick: Lookin’ upon ye brings up old, dark memories. Ones I had hoped ter never think of again.
K’Vel: From my experience, the simplest cure for seeing something you would prefer not to is to look away.
Yeslick: Nay… nay. Perhaps the best path forwards be to look back an’ accept what’s done is done. Then, I may fairly consider how to deal with the here an’ now.
