Dalvo's a midget dwarf who hits harder than most hill giants. When he's not fighting (a rarity in and of itself) he's gorging on as much food as he can get into his mouth, possibly his biggest physical feature except for his hands. When trouble comes looking, Dalvo starts swinging his magical double-bladed axe, lovingly named "Whack!", singing bawdy ballads at the top of his lungs. (Subtlety is not one of Dalvo's strong points...)

I was there at ground zero when this teenaged wizard cast his first spell, burning the hair of his master's beard. All through his steady rise in knowledge and power, til he at an advanced age reached the rank of Archmage, master and teacher of his own pupils (but not before he casts a spell of fire-proofing on his beard first!). My original character, and still my favorite.

Dawn was born with an early disposition towards magic, but a magical accident rendered her permanently deaf. Hiding from her shame in the forest, she discovered that the natural world actually accepted her more deaf than her hearing elven cousins. Plus, the lack of outside distractions made her accuracy with all types of bows unparalleled! While tracking down a ruthless criminal, she discovered he (Strider) was acting against his will and helped Fritz to set him free, in the process falling madly in love with the noble ranger. Now they're settled in a forest glenn and expecting twins in the summer...

One of my two original characters (Fritz is older by about a day), Strider did his elven best to emulate his role model Robin Hood by giving away his wealth to strangers in need. No good deed goes unpunished, though, as he once became possessed by a malevolent spirit and committed heinous crimes against his will. Finally able to fight free with the help of his old friend Fritz, he's settled down into a private life with only his animal companions and his wife, Dawn, to keep him company.

Farsi was the child of a warrior father and a wizard mother, though both were killed adventuring shortly after his birth. Adopted by his farmer uncle, he was given his parent's possessions when he reached manhood. He studied diligently, trying to be a good son to both of his parents. His farming background had made his body strong, while his uncle (no mage, but not stupid, either) had challenged his mind while growing up, so Farsi was well prepared for either profession. Instead, he chose to blend the two into one formidable whole. Now he adventures to bring honor to the memory of the parents he never knew.

This gentle giant had a pure heart, was as strong as an ox, and about as graceful as one, too. He was so clumsy that he dared not use a sword as most paladins, lest he injure either himself or an innocent bystander. Instead he turned to his childhood learning under the village blacksmith and forged himself a mighty sledgehammer, which he could swing with all his might at the evils of this world. And if he missed, the momentum of the hammer would simply swing him 360 degrees for another swipe!

Cuchillo's a bard, but not a musical performer. No, he's a master of the sword, the knife, the whip, the chain...or so he claims. His displays of skill make just about everybody else believe his claims, too. However, Cuchillo's actual experience in combat is quite limited, and his special flair for flashing weapons in circles around his body won't help much vs an experienced mercenary. But hey, it sure impresses the ladies!

Zahn was a small, nondescript boy trying to stay out of the way of the neighborhood bullies. Generally very quiet and reserved, his desire to help others caused him to take in a diseased stranger in town, giving him rest and food when nobody else would. In gratitude, the stranger stayed for five years, teaching this small youth everything he knew about unarmed combat. When his illness finally claimed his master's life, Zahn set out to stop all bullies he could find and teach others how to stick up for themselves, regardless their size and stature.

Sonja wasn't athletically gifted, couldn't wield magic, wasn't very dextrous and had little faith in anybody but herself. But she did have a mind, and what a mind! Solving problems came easily to her, until one special problem evolved--she could hear other people's thoughts, and she couldn't shut them up! Day and night, night and day, they were starting to drive her crazy, til one night in a dream-trance she was visited by a demon who promised to teach her to control her power if she would serve him. A promise made, a promise broken: the demon indeed taught Sonja control, but only so he could attempt to control her! She proved the stronger, and now equipped with mental control she's able to face the world again.

Eben is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. A little bit thief, a little romantic, a good wizard and a lousy poet. But his magical skills have allowed him to travel to distant planes of existence, to the bottom of the ocean, even into outer space. Buy him a pint, sit down by the fire, and get ready for some wild tales spanning to infinity and beyond! (Most of "his" stories are ones he actually took part in...)

Noghri is just a little cuss whose brain got a trifle scrambled while learning to cast illusions and other enchantments affecting the brain. Indeed, Noghri incorrectly believes himself to be a powerful sorceror, when at best he's a low-level amusement to his magical peers. But his lovable personality has endeared him to his companions, who try to watch out for his welfare. Often will they shake their heads when Noghri loudly proclaims in a squeaky voice that his magic wrought a desired effect, when actually it was a teammate who worked the "wonder" on his behalf.

Raised on the streets by one of the local gangs, little halfling Jem was too small to take part in any of the frequent gangwars, a fact which probably saved her life when the rest of her gang was decimated in one particularly bloody riot. Eeking out enough food to survive from wherever she could find it, she mysteriously always found enough to stave off starvation lying on the steps of an old wizard's house every night. Through his windows she learned by mimicry how to cast simple illusions, a skill she found useful in her new profession as a catburglar. Nobody can shimmy up a drainpipe to an open 3rd story window like Jem can!

Aurora the character lived a very short life, being consumed by a man-eating tree less than 15 minutes into her first adventure away from the sanctity of her sacred grove. Kinda ironic for a druid... But she hopes to live a bit longer playing Bloodball. Any bets on how many games before she finds yet another innovative way to expire?