Olio Leigh'O

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Olio Leigh'O Background Story Role in Party Psychology Alignment Religion Current Events Relationships Quotes

 

NOTE: Please be aware that the information in this character bio is not known by every character in the campaign. Exercise judgement in differentiating between what YOU know and what YOUR CHARACTER knows.

 

ALSO NOTE: This is the LONGEST ARTICLE in the entire Wiki. Don't feel obligated to be nearly as in-depth as I was.

 

Background

Olio Leigh'O (formerly Loren O'Tanner) is a Bard who also heals and supports the party, engaging in combat when necessary. She is outspoken, and flamboyant, though forgetful at times and somewhat impulsive. She frequents the city of Juno, but is easily bored and prefers the open road and a life of adventure.

• Age: 23
• Birthdate: April 1
• Sign: Aries
• Height: 5'9", curvish-athletic build
• Weight: 135 lbs
• Sex: Female (since age 13)
• Race: Human
• Hair: Red
• Eyes: Green
• Alignment: Chaotic Good
• Deity: Sune
• Instruments: Lute
• Primary Weapon(s): Magic, shortbow, longsword
• Other Weapons: Whip, darts, instrument
• Armor: Buckler, magic
• Role in Party: Combat supporter and buffer, diplomat, counter-mage, Jill-of-all-trades, person who makes everyone else feel smarter/wiser/stronger
• Outlook: The world is full of evil, and much is where it's least expected. It's now my duty to protect those who would otherwise be taken advantage of and bring cheer their hearts.
• Family:
  • Seamus O'Tanner (father, deceased)
  • Leigh O'Tanner (mother, deceased)
  • Seamus O'Tanner (brother, elder by 4 yrs, deceased)
  • Shae O'Tanner (sister, elder by 2 yrs, deceased)
  • Sherry O'Tanner (sister, younger by 1 yr, possibly deceased)
  • Jon O'Tanner (brother, younger by 8 yr, possibly deceased)

 

 

Story

Early Life

Olio Leigh-O was born Loren O'Tanner, a boy, to Seamus and Leigh O'Tanner, a pair of traveling musicians and performers in the Western Isles. He was a pale and skinny child with flaming red hair and an introverted personality. From an early age his parents tried to teach him how to dance, juggle and tumble, but he was always too clumsy and gangly for this, so he learned to play stringed instruments instead. When not helping with performances, he explored with his three siblings or helped care for his infant brother. He was happy with his life, unknowing of the tragedy that waited for him just around the corner.

 

Tragedy

While camping on a certain baron's land, the family was discovered by the patrol, who informed the family that they were breaking the law by trespassing. Seamus told the patrolmen that they'd been forced to camp, due to little Jon falling ill. They said it didn't matter, and he tried to bargain by offering them money in exchange for safe passage through. The police laughed, told him he was making a bribe, and placed Seamus under arrest. Their father, reassuring the family that all would be alright, was tied up and taken away. Young Seamus protested immediately, shouting at the police and saying that they had no choice; should they let the child die? The police captain told Seamus, with a smirk on his face, that they could have easily chosen to do that instead of camping on the baron's lands. Seamus, enraged, attacked the captain, but was quickly overpowered and killed. Loren looked at his older brother's lifeless corpse with tears in his eyes and wanted nothing more at that moment than to kill the baron and all the police and rescue his father. He picked up his sword and ran, but something hit him on the back of the head, and all went dark.

 

He awoke in a cold, dank dungeon cell. He was overjoyed when he found that his sister, Shae, was in the cell next to him. They talked by knocking through the walls, and he found out that Leigh, their mother, was in the same dungeon. Seamus, Sherry and Jon were nowhere to be seen or heard. Over the next few days Loren, his sister, and his mother wasted in the dungeon, starving and cold in the winter. All Loren had to drive him on was hope and the occasional sound of his mother's quarter-elven voice echoing through the halls as she sang to herself.

 

Eventually, the boredom came to an end when his sister was raped by the soldiers. "The right of criminal scum ," said the soldiers as they dragged her off to a torture room. Through the humilation, Loren's hatred for these soldiers multiplied, and he hated these soldiers who used that as an excuse for their inhumanity.

 

As the law would have it, eventually his mother and sister were hung. He survived only by escaping through the sewers.

 

Upon leaving the town he didn't know what to do, but he vowed to return someday and have his vengeance. To avoid the patrols, Loren entered the woods and traveled alone north. He survived by gathering fruit and vegetables and avoiding wild beasts. He was by no means a ranger, though, and spent most of his time hungry, cold, and ragged with fear and exhaustion. Nightmares of his family being killed, and of their corpses accusing him of being the "only one alive" haunted him. The only thing driving him at this point was the animalistic urge to stay alive and have his prey: the baron and all his thrice-damned soldiers.

 

Transformation

After a few weeks running, Loren awoke one morning in bed in an inn, in the body of a woman. This was befuddling and terrifying, and she ran out of the inn. The town was unfamiliar; when she desperately asked locals which way it was to Ryndon-Derry, she found out that she was no longer in the Western Isles; she'd been transported overseas. Based on the weather, she estimated she'd been "out" for several weeks. Gradually she came to her senses, gained an idea of the town's layout, and returned to the inn room. Upon close inspection of her own body, the only noticeable physical change (besides lady bits, breasts, and softer features) was a long scar running along the underside of her right upper arm. She believes this is indicative of the kind of process that had caused her transformation, but she can't be sure.

 

Loren went downstairs and asked the innkeeper who'd given her the room, and the keeper said that she'd arrived unconscious on the doorstep with a package and a letter instructing to give her a good, comfortable room with some gold contained in the package. When the innkeeper asked Loren her name, Loren decided to adopt a new name which wouldn't identify her as a guilty trespasser and fugitive: Olio Leigh'O, after Olio, the ancient god of song in the Western Isles, and Leigh'O, an abridged version of her mother's name.

 

The package for Olio contained clothing, a sack of gold, a small silver pendant in the shape of an entwined snake, and a letter that read, "Dear child, Thank you for the opportunity. You've helped us very much. Enjoy your new life, pity to you if it wasn't what you were intending." No one could identify either the pendant, nor the handwriting on the letter. Unsatisfied with her progress, she purchased a rusty longsword and knife from the local weapon shop, stole a mandolin, and set off through the land.

 

Searching for Life

Olio's thirst for revenge still simmered in her, catalyzed by the nightmares of her family, but she had no idea how to go about quenching it. She was just a fourteen-year-old girl, what did she know about bringing down tyrants? Nonetheless, she practiced in the woods every day with her sword and lived by stealing food and supplies from storehouses, and spent the rest of her time traveling or playing on her instrument. Eventually she made her way to a port town with several ships going to the Western Isles, but she knew she didn't stand a chance against the baron and his soldiers, so she decided to travel further eastward and gain the knowledge, skill, and alliances necessary to get what she wanted.

 

She didn't have enough gold to buy full passage, so she took a job as a deckhand on the ship. She was leery of the crude, harsh, uncompromising crew at first, but after having her life saved several times by crewmembers she learned to value and trust them. Every so often they'd sing to entertain themselves, and Olio took a chance and played for them. She liked the attention, and it was in this way she learned to enjoy the company of other people again. She enjoyed being with her crew and seeing life throughout the world while traveling from port to port, but Olio's revenge still seethed and prevented her from believing that pleasure would last.

 

And still, the dead visited her at night in her dreams.

 

At Last, a Master

Upon reaching the mainland she left the ship. Nearly a year working at sea had strengthened her body and made her more in tune with her surroundings, and she joined a traveling performing band. She enjoyed their company and the playing, but her mind still wandered to her homeland and brought feelings boiling from deep within her. One of the members of the band, however, was different. His name was Devis Rivers, a half-elf who played the flute (often alone in the woods) and was highly skilled in the use of the longsword, rapier and longbow. When she was around him she felt calm and serene, her urge to avenge herself soothed temporarily. She spent every free moment with him, though he always seemed uncaring.

 

When he announced that he'd be going off on his own again, the party simply nodded, except for Olio, who begged to go, believing that somehow her path to happiness lay with him. He casually agreed to let her travel alongside him, and for this she was infinitely grateful. For the first few months he was rather distant with her, showing her only tricks with weapons and certain basic skills. As they undertook dangerous adventures together, however, her care and concern for him eventually shone through, and he opened up a bit.

 

The Music of the Bard

Here he told her a secret: it wasn't his own personality that made her feel better, it was his magic. Over the course of several years he trained her in the use of magic, especially the unique magic of song that only true Bards can create.

 

Music is the language of the soul. Understanding of sound is ingrained in the very psyche of every living being, and all are more or less capable of perceiving and being affected by melody, harmony, and rythm. Music is a distillation and refinement of these sounds. A Bard's quest is to understand the fine subtleties of this art so they can directly access the inner selves of those around them. Far above a mere performer or troubadour, a Bard can bring hope to the most downtrodden peasants or melt the hearts of even the most cruel creatures. Through the training and exercise of this art, Olio finally found her passion and center, and learned to soothe the vengeance through positive action.

 

But more importantly, the nightmares stopped. Perhaps she was finally coming into her own? With this she said farewell to the phantoms of her past, and here started anew, full of hope and looking forward to a new day and horizon.

 

Arrival in Juno

Eventually they came to the capital city of Juno. She'd heard of Juno in stories, and wished to see this bustling metropolis, full of life and people from all walks of the world. This was a place where her music could flourish and she could develop it to its fullest. Devis, who had no interest in leaving his wild life, wished her well and departed.

 

Olio spent about a year performing, having fun, and honing her musical abilities and knowledge of the art. Her curious and outgoing nature found its place in this city, and while in town she collected quite a bit of knowledge about Juno, its locales, inhabitants, and nobles, and the history of the world. Towards the end of this year she felt she was making real progress in researching and practicing her craft, and she decided to put her skills to the test by joining the Adventurer's Guild.

 

The Heroes of Juno

Eventually Olio found a group who would tolerate her annoying (and, at times, beneficial) presence. For several years she adventured with them, becoming stronger along with them to heights she had never imagined possible. Eventually she and her friends gained much honor in their land, becoming known as the "Heroes of Juno", despite their well-deserved scoundrelous reputation.

 

In time, they came to combat their strongest enemy, the ancient lich Victor von Pfthonkenhausen, under the aegis of the so-called "archmagi." They battled him and his forces, eventually coming out victorious with the aid of Juno, the Temple of Heironeous, and Frederick Meyer himself.

 

The Chapter's End..?

During this battle, they came to understand that the world they had been living in was synthetic, and that the real world was, indeed, far more dangerous and dark than they had guessed. After being dumped back into the real world, the party split off and went their separate ways. Olio decided to continue doing what she did best: wandering the land and fighting evil where it lay, all while having a rowdy good time.

 

 

Role in Party

As a Bard, Olio's primary role in the party in combat is support. She uses her music to boost the party's stats and bolster them against harmful magical effects. Besides her music she also casts healing and transmutation spells and fights with her trusty sword and bow. However, she's long since been surpassed in terms of her abilities as both a healer and a warrior, and she therefore focuses even more on support, something she's surpassed all others in. In addition, she serves as a sort of "counter-mage", working to cancel out potentially harmful or lethal magic used by the enemy.

 

Outside of combat, Olio is first and foremost a diplomat and information gatherer. She gets along well with most people and is thankfully good at hiding her true intentions from the wrong sort. She is also willing to use sex appeal, which has its advantages.

 

In absence of Searil's strong guidance, Olio has also served as the de facto party leader on occasion. Her people skills, broad knowledge, and wide range of abilities make her well-suited for the job, but she dislikes bossing others around and usually takes a backseat when someone else seems to have a strong idea of what's to be done.

 

 

Psychology

Olio has a good heart and believes in the righteousness of others, but she has always been self-centered in that she wishes to achieve virtue and greatness, and all the fame and influence that come with it. However, she wants to do the right thing and puts the lives and wellbeing of others as her first priority. Nonetheless she is easily tempted to do things merely for the "thrill" of it.

 

 

Olio loves using her music and ability to inspire positive feelings, help people overcome their differences, and have a good time together. From a courtly ball to a tavern bacchanalia, she loves making a good performance for a receptive and participating audience (along with the money from an appreciative crowd). It's for this reason she wishes to gain fame; the more people who know about her, the more she can reach. In her mind, if all the world could sing, then all its troubles would end.

 

Olio is ditzy and forgetful while at the same time skilled, outgoing, knowledgeable, and courageous.

 

Olio also has an unrelated phobia of cockroaches which she mysteriously gained after the procedure that turned her female.

 

 

Alignment

 

Olio is Chaotic Good. Though self-centered and sly, she is a loving and truthful person by nature and has a sense of duty toward her friends and decent people in general. She enjoys society and civilization, but she's seen enough of what government and laws can do and has little interest in following them other than to stay out of trouble. She can't stand those who use intimidation, extortion, and lies to gain control of others, but it's a-okay for her to use the very same methods because she's doing it for a good cause.

 

 

Religion

Olio reveres Sune, the goddess of love and beauty, above all others. After a run of quasi-deism ("Yeah, the gods are cool, but none of them really agree with me that much"), Olio encountered a devout worshipper of the goddess, which helped draw her attention. According to legends and tales Olio picked up, Sune preached that love was the strongest force in the world, and could overcome any obstacle, and that physical beauty in all its forms reflects the beauty of the spirit.

 

This rang true with everything Olio believed. This, and the uncanny resemblance to herself (Sune is usually represented as a stunningly beautiful human woman with long red hair and green eyes) sealed the deal. Since that day Olio has worshipped Sune, though not necessarily with the piety of a dedicated subject, thanks to her strong individualism and loose lifestyle.

 

 

Current Events

So it's over. Victor is gone, wiped from this earth, and it turns out the entire world was created by him to imprison others and make them bend to his experiments. I feel deeply regretful for causing so much pain to so many, but it was for the better, and I'd rather die on my feet in the real world than live life blissfully in a dream with events far beyond my control.

 

Now that we're here, what a dark place it is! But in this world, what light there is shines all the brighter. First thing tomorrow I'm going to set about giving these people hope and helping lead them to a better tomorrow. I spent nigh two years breaking the old world... I may as well devote a few years to fixing the new one!

 

 

Relationships

Olio likes to form strong relationships with most people, though when she really fancies someone she becomes infatuated and almost obsessed with them. She relates to other characters as such:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quotes