Taryon Darrington

Appearance
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to gaze upon a true living legend, then look no further. I’ve been described by some as a golden man, which is of course true is it suits both the feathered hair I was born with and the fine armor I purchased. I’ll admit, the armor bears a few scuffs, as does my Rod of Mercurial Form, but this is merely testament to the many thrilling adventures they have seen me through. And should you think you spot a touch of grey anywhere in my hair, I assure you, it’s merely a trick of the light.

I’m a man in the prime of my adventuring years, with a lean figure, a handsome face, deep, piercing blue-green eyes, and a well-groomed goatee to frame my signature dashing smirk.

I often wear my aforementioned golden breastplate, which Doty keeps polished to a gleaming shine. I’ll have as many satchels on me as I can carry, and love to adorn myself with jewelry and medals and like. My silver helmet always nearby, and the precious gems embedded over its surface glimmer and sparkle from every angle. Lastly, there is my Robe of Useful Items, which has lost most of its patches. These have been replaced with new patches which commemorate my many achievements, such as ‘kill a dragon,’ or ‘transport a treasure.’

Powers
Where do I start? There’s so many. As an accomplished Artificer and Battle Smith, I’m trained in the use of alchemical formulas to produce a wide variety of effects as well as cast a number of magical spells. I’m also able to infuse ordinary items with wondrous magic. I can move so quickly I almost become a blur, thanks to my Boots of Speed. Should I pluck a gem from my Helm of Brilliance, it will release magic associated with that stone (the Prismatic Spray is a personal favorite.) My Rod of Mercurial Form can become a crossbow as easily as a flaming sword or anything else I choose with but a thought.

And of course, there’s Doty: Biographer and scribe. Mechanical servant. Loyal companion. My best friend. Now in his 6.0 form, he is always by my side, capable of taking down whatever narration I supply, or defending me from any who would threaten me. His latest model now sports an opposable thumb and can speak, though he is only able to say ‘Tary.’

Talents
As noted above, my vast knowledge of alchemical formulas always comes in handy. There’s also my magic, of course, but just hand me a set of tools and there’s no end to the wonders I can create. I am an accomplished baker and have a knack for giving fantastic nicknames to people. I have also penned numerous bestselling books. Over the years I’ve published such page-turners as:

The Daring Trials and Tribulations of Sir Taryon Darrington (The original and in my opinion, still the best.)

The Turbulent Trials of Taryon Darrington and his Adventurers, Vox Machina

The Man Who Should Be King

The Blonde, The Brave, and The Bold

Taryon Darrington and the Half-Blood Prince

Fifty Shades of Tary

The Blonde Hair of Courage

The Adventures of Huckletary Finn

Cry, Tary, Cry (A self-help book.)

Interests
Ever since I was a young Taryon, I’ve had a great love of books, especially storybooks about great adventures and thrilling acts of bravery. So inspiring were these tales, in fact, that I keep a list of many of the standard quests and the like I myself wish to engage in and, I’m happy to say that at the time of this writing I’ve been able to tick most of them off. Science is also of great interest to me, and I’ve discovered that I really enjoy tinkering around with other like-minded individuals. After taking over the Darrington Estate I also became actively involved in charitable work.

History
For a real, thorough and completely accurate account of my history, I strongly recommend picking up a copy of The Daring Trials and Tribulations of Sir Taryon Darrington, available in all the finest bookstores in Wall. But, if I really must settle for an abbreviated version, I suppose this will have to do. Doty, take this down:

I was born Taryon Gary Darrington, son of Mariya and Howaardt Darrington in the town of Deastock. My upbringing wasn’t anything out of the ordinary: private tutors, classes, the usual. On many a night I would wander through halls of our extensive library and became infatuated with fantasy novels. Inspired, I dreamed of becoming a hero. When my old man discovered that Lawrence, my tutor, had also become my lover, he flew into a range and banished him from my family. Then he cut me from the inheritance, threatening to give everything to my sister, Maryanne, unless I proved myself as a hero. The money. The business. The compound. The villas. My trust fund. All of it. Gone.

Being a self-starter in my own mind, I set off to fulfill my dreams of being an adventurer. After joining a few groups of ne’er-do-wells for a short time, I finally crossed paths with Vox Machina, changing their lives forever.

Together we went on several adventures, from Vesrah to the Nine Hells. We did battle with pirates and rakshasha before settling down for a year in Whitestone. There I helped open a bakery business and became renowned for my delicious blondies.

But this was not to last, for I was kidnapped by a bounty hunter. A drow bounty hunter. A band of drow bounty hunters. They had been hired by my father, who revealed that the Darrington family was on the verge of financial ruin because of a tremendous debt owed to the Myriad, a powerful local crime syndicate. He wanted me to marry Lydia Truscan, heir to the Truscan Trust, so that the family would have control of all her wealth. Of course, I couldn’t go through with such an arrangement, and was able to strike a deal with the Myriad that cleared the debt and permitted my family to keep a small farm next to the Darrington Estate. This upset my father greatly, but I stood my ground and demanded he stop blaming me for his mistakes.

After that I took control of the Estate and converted it into home for the poor and headquarters for the Darrington Family Charity for Wayward Souls, or The Darrington Foundation for short. I started my own band of adventurers, The Darrington Brigade. Lawrence and I were reunited and wed.

Then, one day, shortly after retrieving a meteor from a giant mutated duck, I found myself here in Wall. Fortunately I had plenty of coin in my Bag of Holding, and was able to find a comfortable place in the Terrance.

Within Wall
Since my arrival I have built a new Doty, version 6.0, and just recently founded a games publishing company which I’ve called Darrington Press. Still, the call to adventure still stirs the blood. Who knows? Perhaps someday soon a new Darrington Brigade will assemble and go forth into the world to fight for justice, win battles against evil-doers, and spread the Darrington name around the continent.