Backstory

Skrel was not raised in the brutal traditions of most bugbears. He was left as an infant at the doorstep of the Monastery of the Silent Anchor, a secluded hermitage located in the mountains overlooking the Ghamia region. The monks, a small order dedicated to monitoring the planar stability of Coia, took him in. They raised Skrel in their quiet ways, teaching him to control his formidable strength and to feel the flow of ki not just within himself, but in the world around him. He grew to be large and strong, yet his spirit was gentle and his mind, imaginative. The monks taught him that true strength was in stillness, and true sight was in understanding. For years, he knew only the silent halls and the endless, whispering wind.

His peace was shattered when the Bukhara Spire Gateways reactivated. The event sent a violent tremor through the world's ki, a chaotic energy that felt like a scream to the psychically-attuned monks. The monastery's elders, fearing the forgotten history of Ghamia's own secret gateway, sent their most resilient student, Skrel, into the world. His mission was to go to Candlekeep, the heart of knowledge, and learn anything he could about the gateways, the Void, and the nature of the new chaotic energies. To fund his research and create a base of operations, he used his surprising skill in brewing and cooking—a hobby learned in the monastery's kitchens—to open a small inn within the great library's walls: The House of Rest. Now, he serves patrons with a warm smile, but his mind is always working, listening for whispers of lore that might help him understand the growing darkness he feels thrumming just beneath the surface of the world.