Alyssa Portyr
Knight-scout of the Order of the Unicorn
Alyssa Portyr, 98 years old, heigth is 167cm, small build, brown-reddish long hair, loosely tied together. Notable tattoo on her right forearm depicting a unicorn with below it the insigna of Kight-scout in the Order. Her movements agile and graceful, her attitude happy and positive. Alyssa won’t avoid a good (bar)fight but prefers to sneak in and get the loot without a trace if she can.
When only a little, Alyssa was found on the steps of the castle of Duke Portyr, who is one of the Dukes in Baldurs Gate. She had a medaillon on her with a strange inscription on it, in the basket in which she lay was a handsome sum of gold, emeralds and rubies along with a note. “This is Alyssa, it is foreseen that she’ll dance and run in the forests, please accept this gift and raise her as your own”. It was in her favour that at this time the Duke and his wife had their first daughter and they decided that they would raise the two girls together. She was named Portyr and her youth was unburdened and luxurious.
She indeed was gifted with a graceful way of walking, almost as if dancing. But when she actually danced, people usually came to be entranced by her movement. This also showed during the hunting parties in the vast forests. She could sneak up to prey like no other and the bow was like the extension of her arm. As said, she knew nothing of her past except for the note and the medaillon which she never took of her neck. After her early childhood, her teens in de castle were more eventful with lots of mischief, sneaking out of the castle and party all night. This behaviour eventually got out of hand with small time larceny and she was reprimanded and was sent to military boarding school for a few years.
In the present day her sister Liara is now head of the guard in Baldurs Gate and hopes one day to become the Archduke of Baldur’s Gate. Although not from the same parents, Alyssa and Liara share the same temperament and are action-driven and aren’t shy of male attention. Allegedly she and her sister once shared the bed with Mermar Gloryhorns after a party of sorts. Nowadays Mermar is her fiancee. Funny how things go as they go, the medaillon on her neck depicts a unicorn running in a forest. So when Alyssa came of age and was allowed to enter an apprenticeship she asked her father to introduce her in to one of the Knights of de Unicorn. She was accepted and her mentor within the order was Gregory Lundt. And after many years of training with Gregory she was knigthed in the Order. All knights receive a custom made armorpiece: the breastplate of the order, so made that it could be easily transformed to a dancing gown, it allows for all freedom of movement.
About the Knights of the Unicorn:
The Knights of the Unicorn began as a fad of romantically minded sons and daughters of patriar families in Baldur’s Gate. On a lark, they took the unicorn goddess Lurue as their mascot and went on various adventures for fun. The reality of the dangers they faced eventually sank in, as did Lurue’s tenets. At first a small mercenary unit, but over time the small group grew and spread, gaining a following in places as far as Cormyr. The Knights of the Unicorn are chivalric adventurers who follow romantic ideals: life is to be relished and lived with laughter, quests should be taken on a dare, impossible dreams should be pursued for the sheer wonder of their completion, and everyone should be praised for their strengths and comforted in their weaknesses.
She had already met Mermar during that time and served under his command as a scout on many missions. Most notably in the Goblin wars. She became a favored scout in the Order for her astonishing stealth and information gathering skills, but also able to handle herself exceptionally with ranged weapons and in dueling competitions in the fort. She also served in the Black company, a mercenary group also active in the regions in Westgate. Most notably under a commander named Crooker.
With her horse Sugar, a sweet ride, Alyssa is now on her way to Westgate to meet a contact named Jamal, a bard who is supposed to know more of a local shrine of the lady Lurue. On her way there she stops in Redwater to visit the local inn.
- The long-term “what-keeps-me-going-thingy”: chaotic good, be happy, live more. Write epic love letters to Mermar about the adventures and have epic adventures. Never say no to adventure. Learn and teach about herbal medicine, woodland survival and sneaking around.
- Long-term goals: find out what her origins are, find trace of parents, possible origin in Cormanthor forests, meaning of medaillon of the unicorn? Eventually she wants to marry Mermar and start a family.
- Short-term goals: investigate rumours of nearby shrines and temple of Lurue (possibly in the Dalelands and Westgate). In said temple there is supposed to be a ring of Lurue with unknown magical properties that would make the perfect wedding ring for Mermar.
- Short-term goals: find a party willing to investigate such ruins. One shrine which is supposed to hold a fragment of the map to the temple of Lurue is most likely located somewhere in the Westgate region. Her mentor and scribe of the Order Gregory Lundt found a lead that said as much. She has two leads and is first supposed to meet a old time friend of his in Redwater the major Bizir Naste. And second travel to Westgate, and meet a female bard named Jamal.
- After meeting Bizir Naste, the major of Redwater, you learn about a shrine on the way to Westgate.
- Short term goals: find a lot of interesting treasure for the Order of the Unicorn.