Marigold Tigerlily, Halfling Necromancer (Patreon)

I had a lot of fun drawing this, and Marigold’s player wrote a pretty awesome and detailed bio!

Character: Marigold Tigerlily, Halfling Necromancer

Marigold Tigerlily started her magical career under the tutelage of the amethyst mage Jeldro Anvogast at the Whitemere Arcane Academy. Shy to a fault, Marigold would often avoid socializing with her fellow students in favor of studying. Eventually, Marigold began to find herself being drawn towards the study of necromantic magic. Jeldro did nothing to discourage this interest in his student, believing that knowledge was the best protection against arts. For her part, Marigold was of a mind that if handled responsibly, necromancy could be potentially used for the greater good.

At the start of her fifth and final year at the Academy, Marigold signed up to accompany Jeldro on a research expedition to Icewind Dale. Setting sail aboard a merchant ship called 'The Dandy Dragon,' carrying supplies to Ten Towns. Although the initial stages of the voyage were relatively peaceful (baring some sea sickness from Marigold), things took a turn for the worst once they entered the waters north of the Dale.

Whilst normally in summer, the coastal waters of Icewind Dale are calm, this was not the case this time. Unbeknownst to the crew of The Dandy Dragon, Auril the Frostmaiden, had cast her spell to bring about an eternal winter in the Dale. What should have been calm, tranquil waters became an impassable field of moving sheet ice. Despite the valiant actions of Captain Josef Skar, The Dandy Dragon struck an iceberg and became entrapped in the ice.

Forced to abandon the stricken vessel, the crew decided to attempt to take what few supplies they could carry and make their way to Lonelywood, the nearest settlement. It should have only taken a few weeks of travel.

Maps proved useless to the crew as thy made their way South. Blizzards would appear as if from nowhere and bury the party those not chilled to death found themselves turned around and hopelessly lost in the featureless tundra. Icy water and frostbite claimed more still. It was all Marigold and Jedro could do to use their magic to prevent the men from instantly freezing. Eventually food supplies began to run low and drastic measures had to be taken. But the worst was yet to come.

At night it came. One night while the few survivors huddled around the campfire, they heard cries for help from the first mate, a man who had succumbed to the cold two days previously Warily, Captain Josef and two men went out into the night. By the flicking light of the flames, Marigold watched as something tall and slender darted out from the shadows and dragged the Captain screaming off into the night. Arrows and bolts of arcane energy sailed after the creature but to no avail.

Shocked into action, the survivors tried to double time it to Lonelywood. Over the next few nights, the creature would pick them off piecemeal, each time taunting Marigold and the others with the voices of their fallen comrades before striking out like a lightning bolt and rending a man to shreds before melting into the night. No defense, be it blade or spell, could harm or even slowed the beast.

By the time they had finally reached the forest north of Lonelywood, only Marigold and Jeldro remained. Off in the distance, they could hear the howling call of the monster. Pushing his student onwards, Jeldro told Marigold that he would buy time for the Halfling to make the final sprint to the town. Distraught, she tried to stay with him, to fight but was shoved back. Without a distraction, Jeldro knew the monster, no longer wishing to toy with them, would overrun them. Tears filling her eyes, Marigold ran into the forest to the sounds of magical blasts and roars dying on the wind.

Exhausted, starving and dehydrated, Marigold stumbled through the forest, kept on only by the sounds of crunching snow growing closer to her by the second. Her master's screams, fresh yet distorted by another voice, echoed in her ears. She could feel two burning eyes boring into the back of her skull. With a final effort, the Halfling threw herself through the gates of Lonelywood. Glancing behind her, Marigold saw a tall shadow stop a few hundred yards behind her. Its eyes glared at her through the gloom. Then it disappeared, merging once more with the shadows. Then and only then did Marigold allow herself the luxury of passing out to exhaustion as someone rushed over to investigate and hurry her inside to warmth.

What do you think? :)