Samir Neren

Samir Neren

Character Sheet

Samir Neren (male half-elf Spellthief 5) is an assistant professor of archaeology at Eltorchul Academy, and an inveterate tomb raider and treasure hunter.

Personal History

Childhood

An orphan raised in Waterdeep’s Dock Ward, Samir Neren spent much of his early childhood as part of a gang of street children, petty thieves stealing what they needed to survive. From an early age, he demonstrated an intuitive ability for arcane magic and used this ability to aid him in his trickery. He was also quite intelligent, largely managing to educate himself from the few books he was able to get his hands on in the Dock Ward. In 1357, he was able to obtain a legitimate position as an assistant to a local stonemason. While this provided him with some steady income, Samir still spent much of his time on the streets of the docks.

In 1358, at the age of 15, Samir saw most of his gang killed when Myrkul’s forces tore through Waterdeep during the Time of Troubles. Witnessing firsthand the destruction wrought by the petty feuds of the gods made him realize that fortune helped those who helped themselves. Samir decided that he would take control of his own destiny, from the gods themselves if need be. From that time on, he began studying arcane magic and powerful artifacts.

Training

Following the invasion, stonemasons were in high demand, and Samir was hired to help reconstruct the areas of Dock Ward, South Ward, and Castle Ward that were destroyed during Myrkul’s attack on the city. He invested the money he earned from the reconstruction as well as certain other valuable items “recovered” from the rubble into exploring nearby ruins in the lands surrounding Waterdeep, such as those outside the town of Secomber.

In 1368 Samir applied for admission into Eltorchul Academy. The academy, which had recently fallen into financial difficulty, had begun opening its doors to any student able to pay, regardless of social position. With the funds he had managed to accumulate and his talent for retrieving valuable items from dangerous locations, Samir’s admission to Eltorchul Academy was approved.

Samir took a particular interest in the Crown Wars, and the various artifacts left over from that period. For his graduation, Samir traveled to Secomber, from whence he ventured into the High Moor and discovered the ruins of an ancient Miyeritari temple dedicated to Eilistraee, along with evidence that Illefarn song portals connected the temple to sites in Illefarn, as part of efforts to smuggle Miyeritari refugees into Illefarn before the Dark Disaster.

Campaign

After the earthquake that shook Waterdeep on Midwinter 1373, Samir became one of “the Called,” compelled to enter Undermountain.

The Blackcloak’s Call

In Undermountain, Samir met Faeryl T’sarran, and helped her obtain Yeldoon’s medallion. When the Church demanded the medallion back, Samir staged a daring infiltration of the Promenade. With the visions of the Calling beckoning him forward, Samir encountered Gyudd in Skullport, and the two agreed to descend Belkram’s Fall together. By the time they reached the Citadel, Samir and Gyudd had run into Faeryl once again, but Faeryl had defied the Church by descending the lava tube, and the two decided to join forces.

Timeline

For events in the campaign, see Campaign Timeline.

• 1343 DR – Year of the Boot. Samir Neren born in Waterdeep.
• 1345 DR – Year of the Saddle. Waterdeep erupts in internal religious conflict as the church of Shar battles the combined churches of Selûne, Lathander, and Tempus. Samir’s mother is found dead, leaving Samir an orphan.
• 1357 DR – Year of the Prince. Samir gains his first legitimate job as an apprentice stonemason. In the trade, he learns some of the secrets of the various noble family vaults and dungeons around Waterdeep.
• 1358 DR – Year of Shadows. The Avatar Crisis. Shar and Selûne use Waterdeep for their battleground, and Myrkul’s Legion destroys much of the city. Included in the devastation wrought by the Lord of Bones is the death of nearly all of Samir’s childhood gang. Cyric and Midnight become gods, and Samir is among those who hears Ao from the Market.
• 1368 DR – Year of the Banner. The dream spheres scandal forces Eltorchul Academy to accept less elite students, including Samir Neren. Despite his social status, Samir’s ability to obtain rare and magical items allows him to advance quickly in the Academy. Samir specializes in the Crown Wars, pursuing Vyshaantar weapons, Illefarn artifacts, and Miyeritari temples.
• 1372 DR – Year of Wild Magic. Samir completes his studies with an expedition from Secomber, from whence he explores the ruins of an ancient Miyeritari temple to Eilistraee, with evidence that Illefarn song portals were used there to smuggle Miyeritari refugees out through there before the Dark Disaster.

Personality

Cocky, self-assured and self-confident, Samir trusts in his own skills. He’s seen how fickle and merciless gods take away friends and family, so Samir trusts in nothing but himself. He accumulates stolen magic and pilfered treasure, his greed driven by the empty hope that one day, he’ll gather enough that he’ll never need to fear fickle gods again.

Outlook

The world doesn’t care about you, if it even notices your existence at all. It will brush you off like a horse brushes off a flea, and with even less thought. The only thing that will care about what happens to you, is you. If you want to see justice or peace, then it’s up to you to make it – but first you’ll need to seize the power necessary to do that. No one will give it to you. You need to take it for yourself.

Aspiration

Humanity deserves better than the careless whims of distant gods, but that doesn’t mean we’ll simply be given it. We’ll need to steal that power, from the gods if need be. Samir’s grand vision is to one day steal enough magic and pilfer enough powerful artifacts to one day challenge the gods themselves.

Of course, that’s hardly what Samir thinks about from day-to-day. Usually, his mind is on the current job, the current treasure, and most often, the current deadly trap he’s evading.

Tactics

One clever move is worth a thousand sword swings. Steal your enemy’s power and make it your own. If you can use your enemy’s own power against him, you’ll always have enough power to beat him, no matter how strong he might be. And if nothing else works, a simple knife in the back always does.