Appearance

Physical Description

Riblix is a young, scawny goblin. Weighing 30 lbs and reaching only 3'-6" in height, he composes a truly unintimidating figure.

Body Features

Typical goblin genetics; sickly green skin, beady yellow eyes and unkempt, greasy black hair.

Facial Features

Nothing in particular of note, other than a look of naievete and curiosity.

Apparel & Accessories

Ribilix is never without his lute on his back, and Terrance the colorful poison frog at his side. He also carries his deceased master's eyeball (in a jar) and book of dirty limmericks with him.

Special abilities

Songs, Spells, Insults, Limericks, Tricks.

Mentality

Personal history

Riblix the goblin was sold by his parents at a very young age at the behest of a travelling wizard. His opportunistic parents already had a dozen other offspring, so they sold Riblix for a petty sum to the wizard who wanted him for a pet. This one selfish act by his parents would be the very point in time that altered the destiny Riblix was born into and set him on a path to something much greater.
 
The wizard’s name was Adbar, and he was a sour old man living in Waterdeep, with a crude and often dirty sense of humor. Much more often than not, dirty jokes and off-color jibs could be heard throughout his tower – always to his own comical delight, but typically not shared by most of his guests. The crude man even had a prized book of dirty limericks that he often loved to read aloud, laughing at the raunchy sense of humor all the while. Young and impressionable, Riblix eagerly picked up on and emulated the wizard’s sense of humor, remembering ever so faintly the similar manner of rude speech from his goblin home.
 
Riblix spent his earliest years in the shadow of the wizard, as nothing but a plaything and experiment to his new master. Adbar wanted more than a paltry goblin in his repertoire of curiosities, so he spent laborious time and effort trying to imbue Riblix’s very body itself with magical essence. He wanted something that could not only entertain him with music and tricks, but also assist him with delicate magical rituals and research. The result after just a couple years of experimentation was a very young goblinoid who had the essence of magic coursing within it, which could be tapped to aid and perform the wizard’s every request.
 
For the next several years, young Riblix was indeed an immense source of entertainment and assistance to Adbar. The magic inside him was able to course through his racially nimble fingers to play the most intricate and masterful notes on several of the wizard’s favorite instruments, providing hours upon hours of beautiful musical enjoyment to anyone who heard. He was also able to focus the magic within to perform several spells taught to him by the wizard. Most of these spells were simple cantrips useful in assisting Adbar with all manner of requests. One in particular that Riblix absolutely loved to use would manifest an ethereal hand out of thin air that he could mentally control to do whatever he imagined, though Adbar mostly commanded him to use it to pick up things he was too lazy to himself. As time passed in the wizard’s employ, Riblix was able to learn to control his magic simply by seeing how both his and the wizard’s magic interacts with the world around them. He learned that he could also focus some of this magic while playing an instrument, sometimes aiding Adbar with a more rejuvenating rest or rousing him with bolstering inspiration.
 
One of Adbar’s most interesting experiments to Riblix came one day, when Adbar had procured a rare poisonous frog through a trader from a far-off exotic marshland. This bright blue and black-spotted frog’s poison was deadly to the touch, and the wizard spent many hours trying to replicate the exotic toxin in hopes of selling it as a new type of poison. Though Adbar was unsuccessful in replicating the toxin, he was however, able to render it inert to both he and Riblix so they wouldn’t have any deadly mishaps while handling the creature during their research. He was also successfully able to magically prolong the frog’s life so that he could keep it around indefinitely for possible further experiments. Ultimately, both the fruitless research and the frog were set aside when Adbar found another new project to occupy his time. He kept the frog in a marvelous terrarium in his study, showing it off proudly to guests of the tower. Always intrigued by the creature, Riblix would spend time every day keeping company with and talking to the frog (though it could not talk back), as it was the only other living creature he saw in the tower, and both had been subjects of Adbar’s many whims and experiments. Their bond grew over time, and though never reciprocated, Riblix’s affection for his new best (and only) friend grew stronger. Riblix had secretly named him Terrance.
 
One fateful day, Adbar was working on a rather flammable and volatile concoction of dark powder that he was hoping to market as a sort of fireball spell to those who could not use magic. Currently the powder was much too dangerous for common plebians to handle, but he was certainly getting closer to the right mix of stability and immolation. Riblix had been sent to the study that adjoined the primary laboratory to fetch a book for the wizard, and upon entering, stopped to converse with Terrance for a minute as he could not help but spend time with his best pal. As Riblix was chattering on about his morning’s breakfast, an ear shattering “BOOM!” resounded from the laboratory, shaking the entire tower down to its foundations. Riblix ran into the lab only to find the whole room utterly destroyed, charred and blackened - by what he could only assume came from the dark powder’s doing - and no sign of his master. As he looked around more fervently, he was finally able to see a sign of Adbar… many signs in fact. Pieces of the crude old man were scattered all about the lab, covering the walls, ceiling, and floor all about. Riblix sank to the ground, truly saddened by the loss of the man. Though he knew that he was no more than a pet possession of the wizard’s, he was never treated poorly by Adbar, and the old human was the only family that Riblix ever knew.
 
Riblix spent the next two days cleaning up the mess in the lab, mostly from a subconscious habit of his duty in the tower, but also out of a sense of respect and sorrow for Adbar. While cleaning up the mess, he came across one of Adbar’s eyes, still intact, and placed it in a glass vial of liquid, as a macabre memento of Adbar so he could always keep watch over Riblix. He contemplated what he should do now that he had no one to care for him – and no one to keep him there. He decided that he simply could not survive alone in the tower, so he grabbed a large glass bottle that wasn’t destroyed from the explosion and put Terrance in it, knowing he could not move on without his best friend. He also grabbed the lute that Adbar had bought for him to play music, as well as the book of dirty limericks from the old man’s desk to remember him by. After collecting what meager things he could, he stepped out of the tower for the very first time. He was only 12 years old.
 
He was also soon to find out that goblins, even a goblin child, were not an eagerly accepted sight in the city of Waterdeep.
 
Shunned and often mistreated from anyone he approached, and having nowhere to go, Riblix had no other options but to try and stay alive in the streets and alleys on his own. Several tendays went by barely eking out survival before he met someone who did not turn away at the sight of a goblin. A youthful and handsome looking man with a spark in his eye and a devious smile met the young goblin with acceptance and maybe even a hint of sympathy. Montolio was his name, and Riblix soon found out that he too was an apt musician – a “Bard” as he called himself. However, Montolio was not like the many jovial and illustrious bards that most know of. Living life in the secret shadows and dark corners of the city, Montolio used his ample charm and talents to deceive, steal and coerce the people around him for monetary and personal gain. Talents that he happily shared and taught Riblix to master as well, affectionately calling his tutelage a sort of “College of Whispers”.
 
Montolio also had a bit of magic in him, and he taught Riblix many new tricks he could use to get things he wanted though the use of magic, his instrumental music, or both. Montolio witnessed very early the impeccable skill Riblix had in playing music, but when he asked the goblin to sing in accompaniment of his playing, he was quickly overcome with laughter. Riblix had only ever played the music alone for Adbar, and Montolio immediately knew why – Riblix was utterly and horribly tone deaf. And if that weren’t bad enough, his gratey and shrill goblin voice sounded truly more like a dying frog than any reputable singer. From that day, Montolio affectionately called Riblix “Ribbit” on account of both his singing voice as well as his pet frog that never, ever, left his side. Montolio once asked to hold Terrance the frog, but Riblix pointed out that doing so would certainly lead to an early and untimely death.
 
So, the duo (or trio if you will) went on as close friends over the next 3 years, performing at taverns and inns all over as both a musical act and sideshow. Often times, Montolio would play on stage while “Ribbit” would sneak through the crowd stealing and pilfering pockets and handbags of the wealthy patrons. Most of the time they were successful in their schemes, but let’s just say there are several establishments they are no longer welcome in! There were many close calls from patrons or tavern owners who caught on to their ploy and sought to dispose of the conniving duo for their devious tricks.
 
As you would have it, that is precisely what spelled the doom of Montolio one fateful night.
 
After a very lucrative night where the duo had collected a great wealth of ill-gotten gold, jewelry, and trinkets, Montolio had caught the eye of a beautiful woman during one of his masterful sonnets. The woman was instantly smitten (either by the perfection of the music, or one of Montolio’s tricks or spells we’ll never know) and she hung around flirting with the handsome bard all night and even after his performance was over. This was not uncommon for the pair, so as Montolio went upstairs with the woman, Riblix waited knowingly and patiently downstairs at a table in a dark corner drinking ale and chatting with Terrance. After an hour or so, Riblix witnessed a very angry group of armed men come in through the main entrance and proceed to interrogate the bartender, who immediately pointed upstairs. This, too was not uncommon, so Riblix grabbed Terrance and silently and stealthily followed the group up the stairs, staying hidden and out of sight. He was usually able to intercept the angered patrons and trick or talk his way out of any serious trouble, or at the very least, able to warn Montolio of the coming trouble. This time, however, the angry group seemed beyond any form of reasoning and he could not manage to sneak past them to Montolio’s room, as there were too many of them. Riblix could only wait and hope Montolio could take care of himself as he usually did. Sadly, this night did not pan out that way for poor Montolio. As the group of men kicked down the door and poured into the room, all Riblix could hear next was the unmistakable sounds of a truly horrific beating, and a woman’s screams that were prematurely cut short. After the noise had died off, Riblix heard one of the men say, “Wait, didnit ‘e had a pet goblin wit ‘im? Where’s that litt’l monsta?”
 
Never a courageous or valorous race, his goblin instincts overtook any sense of loyalty or aid to his friend, and he ran from the building as fast as his little legs would carry him, hearing heavy footsteps close behind. Back out into the dark night, he was easily able to evade any sort of pursuit as he slipped away into the shadows of the streets and alleys he recently came to know so well. He did hear rumors around of the events of that night, and he actually went back a couple days later to see if he could find any signs of Montolio, but had no luck. Some rumors favored the infamous bard saying he had made a daring escape from the evil brigands that were jealous of his accolades, while others rumored a very grisly and unbecoming death at the hands of scorned lovers and victims of his crimes. Having heard what happened in that room, Riblix knew in his heart it was most likely the latter.
 
Either way, now it was just he and Terrance on their own trying to make it alone in a harsh world that does not accept them. At least he has learned many necessary skills he can put to use to help him survive - and maybe even prosper…

Education

No formal education, but is uncharictaristically smart and quick whitted for a goblin. Likely because he was magically infused with arcane talents and abilities at a very young age in order to assist his wizard patron.

Employment

Sold as a baby, he worked for the crazy wizard Adbar for 10 years as an indentured servant. After a mishap with black powder leaving Riblix homeless and masterless, he worked side by side with a devious bard named Montolio as an entertaining, thieving duo.

Mental Trauma

Sold by his real parents as a baby, though he doesn't remember much of anything about them. His wizard captor/mentor was blown into tiny pieces by an explosion and Ribix had to clean it up. Later, his second mentor/friend was beaten to death by scorned lovers and victims.

I'm sure none of that would stick with anyone to haunt them, right?

Morality & Philosophy

Young and impressionable, his morals tend to mirror those he holds close and looks up to.
 
He pockets anything he sees that might have some value.
 
He has a joke for every occasion, especially occasions where humor is inappropriate.
 
His instrument is his most treasured possession, and it reminds him of someone he loved. His tools are symbols of his past life, and he carries them so that he will never forget where he's been.

Known Languages

Common, Goblin

Personality

Motivation

Riblix helps people who help him - that's what keeps us alive.

Quotes & Catchphrases

Riblix constantly spouts dirty poems & limmericks, typically at very inappropriate times.

Vices & Personality flaws

He is easily distracted by the promise of treasure, information, or a good story.
 
He can’t help but pocket loose coins and other trinkets he comes across.

Social

Family Ties

Riblix has no ties to his birth parents who sold him as a baby. He was raised by a wizard who died during an experiment. He was later taken under the wing of a devious bard, who also met a grisley end himself. Those 2 unlikely people were the only "family" Riblix ever knew.

Religious Views

No religious views.

Hobbies & Pets

Riblix's only true friend is a poisonous colorful frog nammed Terrance.
 
Playing the Lute, Flute and Lyre.

Speech

Shrill, high pitched and gratey. Truly an assault on your ears.