Derpo

Alder "Derpo" Potam is a halfling rogue who has been a member of the party since the beginning. He uses his stealth abilities to weave through combat and strike at enemies unnoticed, and is also usually the one to go on reconnaissance missions for the party.

His curiosity and sense of humor often support his roguish acts against those who would harm or mistreat him, his friends, or those who are less fortunate. Despite his preference for independence, he has chosen to ally himself with his party and the Sun/Iron Kingdom's rulers for the time being. Initially drawn to their cause(s) by his curiosity and sense of opportunity, he now lends his skills to them in order to help put an end to the acts of Lamont of the Sun Kingdom, who Derpo believes is wrongly taking advantage of his own people and oppressing innocent folks along with them. However, his recent death and subsequent resurrection has made him question whether or not he should continue to aid his party for his own sake.

He shows little hesitation in drawing his blade, so long as his conscience tells him it is the right thing to do, and takes pleasure in sneaking up on enemies to try and gain the upper hand in battle.

He is of Chaotic Good alignment, meaning he "believes in goodness and right but has little use for laws and regulations. He hates it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do. He follows his own moral compass, which, although good, may not agree with that of society."

Early Life
Derpo was raised in a small but lively village of Halflings, which was not far from a larger town populated primarily by Humans. While mostly accepted by the others, Derpo was teased as a child by some of the other Halflings who mocked his name and called him "Derpo," and as a result he became a bit of a loner. However, as he matured so did his sense of humor, and in time he adopted the name "Derpo" and made it his own.

For the most part the Humans and Halflings coexisted peacefully, but when Derpo was an adolescent he and his community were often harassed by Human citizens from the large town nearby. Derpo and his family were often mocked when they traveled to the Human town for trade or pleasure, and a few times Derpo and his friends had been threatened or even mugged.

Derpo tried to avoid these people at first, encouraged to remain neutral by his fellow Halflings, but in time he grew irritated and vengeful. Not of the Humans, but of their community, which did almost nothing to punish or seriously prevent such harassment. According to their laws, it was not necessarily illegal, and so the mistreatment of Derpo and his community was allowed to continue as the Human town's governing powers seemed to avert their gaze.

These experiences with inequality and what he deemed to be prejudice drove Derpo to acts of mischief and thievery once he became a young adult, breaking into the homes of the Humans who wronged him to steal their valuables or make their lives miserable by sabotaging the cooking equipment. He never murdered or tortured anyone, but he became a keen swordsman and knife-wielder in order to defend himself. This led him quite naturally into the lifestyle of a Rogue.

Unfortunately, while Derpo temporarily halted the harassment of his community, eventually he was found out. Both the Human and Halfling communities condemned his actions; the Humans wanted to prosecute him, the Halflings wanted him to cease his behavior and commit to staying at the village. The Human city council decided to move ahead with Derpo's prosecution, and word travel led to him that they would come for him within days if he did not give himself up.

Having no desire to be punished for doing what he felt was right, and having now developed a growing wanderlust, Derpo left his parents a note explaining his intentions and stole away into the night, out in search of adventure.

Current Life
A few years later, Derpo is a fairly seasoned Rogue and traveler, having been caught in quite a few scrapes and battles. He does not let the troubles of his past weigh him down, however, as demonstrated by his general sense of humor and his adventurous approach to situations good or bad.

While his curiosity and opportunistic nature sometimes lead him into tricky or disadvantageous situations, he is always confident he can turn things around, and can do so almost half the time. He tends to treat these moments like "notches on his belt," or like accolades; showing his merit as a Rogue and adventurer, according to his own sense of judgement.

Eventually he made it to the Sun Kingdom, where he met his current Party. Normally he would prefer to go it alone, but his current party seems to give him freedom to act as he pleases, and they regularly do what they can to help those who are less fortunate, which Derpo likes. Through a series of events, he is now committed to helping them stop Lamont of the Sun Kingdom, who Derpo believes is guilty of oppressing many people, including his own.

However, Derpo is currently conflicted after a recent bout with Death. Having actually died once, Derpo suddenly wonders if he should be putting concern for his own life higher up on his list of priorities. Having always been a loner of sorts, traveling with a group has been an exciting new experience, but also a dangerous one. He is also starting to doubt whether they will truly be able to stop Lamont, who is very powerful. Though he was once (and for now, still is) committed to helping his party in their quest, he now asks himself if it would not be better if he left and left this fight to those more capable than himself.