(Narrator reading Varis’s backstory as if from a book, reading to a child in bed.

Ah, a fitting tale for a night’s read. Tale of adventure and intrigue. It all started in the city of Waterdeep.
There lived a young bastard child named Varis Trisarik and his family. All but he and his twin sister, Alara,
were properly noble, and he the spawn of a common whore, and so, shunned for his birth. He grew
amongst the nobles sharp and calculating despite their prejudice. In the dwindling hours of his evenings
he would roam amongst the courtyards and parks of Waterdeep. One night as he roamed, he stumbled
upon a young woman. By a moonlit fountain, she sat and cried. He hid from her and spied on her from
afar, for she was a noblewoman of pedigree, and he was a whore-son. But as he watched her he could
not suppress the great feeling of pity that swelled in him. He decided to approach her and comfort her.
Estaria Belabranta was her name and there started a great friendship that planted the seeds of love.

(The Belabranta family is well known for their tradition of breeding and training griffons. Around 1370 DR
the Belebranta family found that Lord Huld Belebranta was having an affair with a courtesan named
Elinaera, who later turned out to be a fiendish succubus. eventually the two had a falling out and after
being dealt a mortal blow by the succubus, Lord Huld banished her from Toril. this left a mighty stain on
the family's reputation. During the events of Descent into Avernus: year 1492 DR, Estaria lives with her
family, including her sister Savra Belabranta.)

Years past and their love was in full bloom. They knew that neither of their families would approve of
such a joining, so they planned an escape. They were not the only ones privy to this information,
however, as they were being watched all the while. Varis’s father found out about the young couples
plans and called in his son to confront him. Varis was terrified, and rightfully so, for his father had the
power to take away the one he loved most. But, to his surprise, he allowed it. His father saw in this
relationship, a way to bridge the gap between the noble families. He also saw this as a way to rid his
sight of an awful eyesore. So, he met with the men of Belabranta and came to a marriage agreement.

Varis and Estaria were happy that their love was no longer impeded by their family’s petty concerns and
that they would finally be able to be open about the relationship. But this was not to last. Days before
the marriage was to begin, Varis had gotten into a confrontation with her drunken older brother,
Bartullo. A fight broke out between the two, but the people knew that Varis was justified in defence of
himself. However later that night, the brother was found dead with his throat slit. All fingers pointed to
Varis. He had used the love of the noble daughter to enter the confidence of other noble men and kill
their families, or so everyone believed. He and his family became hunted, the countryside scoured by
vicious men who sought revenge for their lord’s murdered son. Varis had been framed!

He woke in the night to the screams of his family and the bright burning of torches. Confused and
drowsy he roamed until he could get a hold of his senses. As he realized what was happening, he rushed
through the corridors of his home to find his sister, Alana. A man had entered his home and was dragging
her out of her room by her hair, kicking and screaming. Varis charged the man and gave him a good
punch to the jaw, but his strength was feeble in comparison. The man then let go of Alana and
proceeded to beat Varis. Alana wasted no time and grabbed a letter opener from the nightstand in her
room and stabbed the man in the neck. He fell over dead. They took this opportunity to flee as fast as
they could.

As morning came, they found a safe place outside of the city to rest. Varis asked Alana to stay there
while he tried to go and rescue anyone he could. He traveled quickly and quietly. He donned a deep
hood and dark clothes and blended with the crowded streets of the city. The people were gathered in
the square to witness an execution. The execution of his father, mother and eldest brother. There on the
platform stood Estaria standing stoic and with a scowl. She took the ring, given to her by Varis, from her
hand with fury and cast it into the mud, announcing that Varis had used her and she would hunt him
down to the ends of Toril to make him pay. The executioner was then ordered to drop the platforms.
Varis watched in quiet horror as the love of his life replaced her love with hate and killed his family.
There was no one left to save.

He returned to his sister and told her the bad news. In sorrow, they left their homes in search of
something new. They journeyed to Baldur's Gate and took a chance at new life there. At first, they took
whatever work they could find, but eventually Alara settled into gardening and selling flowers and she
also worked nights at the Elfsong Tavern. Varis, however, could not find steady work and so had to resort
to theft. He never wanted his sister to know this, so he would lie about where he got his money and
where he would spend his time. He eventually got very good at swindling and was able to take care of his
sisters every need. One day while he was making his rounds, he witnessed a messenger who looked
preoccupied with his delivery. He followed the messenger to a noble’s manor in the capitol. There he
planned his first robbery.

He managed to get into the manor that night without issue. But what he found in the noble’s study was
worth more than he could have known. As he looked for coin and treasure, he looked upon a piece of
parchment that laid upon the desk. There he read that about a conflict continuing and power being re-
established, but what caught his eye was the mention of the death of the son of Belabranta. As he read
on, he realized that the people who framed him were more malicious than he thought and that every
move had been planned, including his bar fight with Estaria’s brother. On the parchment he saw a
symbol and thought that it might be a clue to finding out what this organization was. With new resolve,
he found a new purpose. To expose those that framed him and convince Alara that their love was
genuine. Hopefully, she will see the truth and they could be together again, he thought.

He took to studying, finding whatever avenue he could that would translate or explain the symbol he
found. While he was researching in one of the libraries of Baldur's Gate, a man noticed the drawing of
the symbol that Varis used as a reference. He warned him to be careful when studying abyssal runes as
the knowledge they can contain are most usually quite dangerous in nature. Varis asked the man if he
could translate the rune for him. The man said "This doesn't seem to be just a word, I believe it is a
name. Whose name i can't be sure. I have never seen this particular rune before. It's obviously abyssal in
structure, but I do not know the phonetic pronunciation of this rune." Varis asked him "Where would I
look for someone who this rune describes?" The man laughed loudly. "Ha it is a fools errand to descend
into the hells for something this trivial. You must be as idiotic as those hellknights and bleakwalkers."

Bleakwalkers... Varis has heard that term before. He asked around about the bleakwalkers and how they
functioned. Apparently they are helldivers, trained to fight the devils of the nine hells. If Varis was going
to find the one who framed him, he may have to descend into hell to get his retribution. But he wasn't
much of a warrior, and knew little of the plane as well. so he made up his mind to learn all he could
about the nine hells and train his fighting ability to match any devil he would meet.

He spent next few months clumsily training in the small alleyway behind his tiny abode he shared with
his sister. He would then spend the rest of his time studying about the plane of hell and the creatures
within. He did everything he could think of to prepare himself for that terrible place, scoured tomes and
journals, spoke with adventurers, even eavesdropped on some Hellknights he came across. Everything
he found frightened him, but he steeled himself against that fear. He wouldn't live his life without
healing that one wound, that one aggravating cut upon his very soul.

This routine continued for nearly a year. He made many friends during this time. Mentilias Archibold was
a scholar and mage that served the harpers. He was the sole person Varis depended on when it came to
knowledge of the hells. Then there was Advyra Moonsong, an elven musician. The woman took a liking
to Alara and the care she gave to the plants in her care. What she never told Alara is that she was also an
accomplished thief who spent much time in the high courts swindling dark-hearted nobles. She became
reluctant friends with Varis in her futile attempts to woo Alara. And no one could forget the dwarven
paladin Grandohr Sternstout. When one man's drunken night to led to aggressive touching of his sister,
Varis intervened with fury. But when his justified anger would have led to permanent injury of the man,
Varis stopped. The man was apologizing and weeping for mercy and Varis gave it to him. Grandohr saw
this mercy and was moved. He also saw how inefficient Varis's movements were and offered to give him
instruction on how to defend himself and others. Varis readily accepted. He learned how to truly stand
his own in a fight.

But it wasn't enough. The bleakwalkers rejected his recruitment. he was too weak. He needed something
more, something powerful. He remembered from his time studying that many people have acquired
power quickly by making a pact with powerful entities. The thought of making a deal with a fiend
sickened him, it went against everything he stood for. But without this pact he would never realize his
goal, and Estaria wouldn't realize anything either.

He went to Mentilias for his advice. "This is a very serious thing you asking for Varis." he said. "Are you
sure you wish to take this avenue towards power?" Varis affirmed with determination. "Well I have good
news and bad news for you. Pacts are not solely deals with devils. There are a myriad of entities one
could look to as a patron." This relieved Varis. "But each one of them will exact a cost upon you. you
must make sure their price is something that you can afford to pay. To that end I suggest you come with
me." Without saying much else, Archibold led Varis into a secret storehouse for the harpers. He ushered
Varis into a room with many jars, jugs, cups, and other containers. Something there caught Varis's eye
immediately, as if it was calling to him. "I see that a bond with the genie is possible after all. Mudraira
likes to test those he comes into contact with. If the lamp you are so passionately staring at has caught
your attention the way I believe it has, then a pact is something Mudraira finds negotiable."

Mentilias spent the next few hours preparing to summon Mudraira from the lamp. He set seals and
other magical runes in complex and confusing patterns. When he finished he looked to Varis with a
worried look and asked, "I will ask you one last time, are you sure this is a choice you agree with?" Varis
gave him a stern look and then a nod. The harper placed the lamp in the center of the runes. he began
speaking words that Varis could not understand. Suddenly, Smoke wafted slowly from the lamp. The
smoke started to bellow furiously until it coalesced into the form of a brown skinned genie. Mudraira
floated lazily within the circle created by Archibold. The genie looked upon the two men and sighed.
"And who is it that disturbs my rest within this eternal prison?" Varis stepped forward. He began to
explain to the genie all of the wrongs against him and the false accusation leveled at him. He asked
Mudraira to lend him his power and to make a pact with him. "You wish to cleans the stain from your
name and open the eyes of lost love. Such a romantic. But why should I care? What is it that lending my
power to you would gain me?" Varis thought to himself. He knew very little of the desires of genies. He
asked the genie what it was that he desired. "I desire mountains of gems. More gold than could be
fathomed by mortals such as yourself. An endless river made of stones that glitter and glow. I doubt that
is something you could give me, human. But I will be curt. I wish to return to my home so i may pursue
these desires of mine. If i give you this boon human, you must make a pact to release back to the
elemental plane of earth upon the pacts completion. Is that agreeable?" Varis readily accepted. The next
few moments were filled with repeated phrases, and magic writing. the pact was made.

Varis returned home exhausted. Alara asked him what had transpired during the day to make him so
tired. He gave her one of his ready tales of how the merchant he works for had him running all over the
city to fulfill orders. She accepted the tall tale and wished him a blessed night. He quickly fell asleep and
started to dream. This night was unusual, however. This night he dreamed of a small, plush, pillow
covered room. Mudraira sat on one side breathing in smoke from some sort of container. He explained
that a the genie's vessel has been bestowed upon him and that the genies power would flow into him
through it.

He awoke the next morning, feeling a weird feeling on his finger. There he found a ring upon his left ring
finger. He then heard a whisper in his mind "Until you can replace it with the ring you truly wish to wear,
I shall reside in this ring. Do take care of it..."

Varis spent the next few months learning to harness and control the powers of the pact. Occasionally
destroying a vase or a shelf with haphazard eldritch bolt. After a bit of training he finally got the hang of
it, thankfully without killing himself or anyone else in the process.

Months later, on a dreary, rainy day in the spring, Varis walked along the main road of Baldur's Gate in
search for ingredients for his sisters dinner recipe. During that trip however, Varis quickly dipped into an
alleyway near the main road. he then took a side glance at a woman surrounded by four intimidating
bodyguards. Estaria was in the city. He couldn't let her see him, not until he had what he needed to
convince her of those falsehoods. He scrambled to the Elfsong tavern where Alara was and sat in silence.
Eventually Advyra walked in, as she always does, and Varis asked her to come and sit with him. Advyra
was a trustworthy confidant to Varis, and knew of his struggles. Varis told her of his current predicament
and asked Advyra to watch over Alara so he can leave the city for a few weeks to avoid detection. Advyra
agrees saying, "This is not something you even need to ask for, protecting MY Alara comes first and
foremost anyway. Go, and be safe Varis. I would not see your sister mourning if i could help it."

And so Varis fled Baldur's Gate. He rushed to Elturel, Where he stayed at the Inn for a few weeks. He
recieved a later in that time that stated Estaria had left Baldur's Gate. And so he journeyed back to the
city. On his way there, a caravan of carriages headed for Baldur's Gate passed him. These men and
women were on there way to join the bleak war as hellriders. A perfect coincidence as that was his
intention as well. He asked to join the caravan, and accepted aboard. He spoke with many of the people
there... (Start of the campaign.)