Sir Godfrey Gwilym

"How about this one, you son of a bitch!"Sir Godfrey Gwilym was a former paladin in Argynvost's army turned skeletal revenant, who became a bard in the service of the Shine Thieves during their adventure in Barovia. A skilled spell caster and observer of ancient lore, Godfrey also served as the party's scribe during his time travelling with them.

History
Although not a huge amount is known about Godfrey in life, he served in the Order of the Silver Dragon as a lawfully neutral paladin, and was sworn to watch over Barovia alongside the many foot soldiers who also devoted themselves to Argynvost.

During his service and tenure at Argynvostholt, Godfrey fell in love with his commander, Sir Vladimir Hongaard. This love may or may not have been reciprocated, but at the very least, the two shared a mutual respect, with many a battle being fought side by side.

Godfrey often showed a softer side to himself in contrast to the other knights of the Order, frequently showing a passion for music, books and the natural world. An outsider at his core, Godfrey focused on being the best knight he could be, training to be a paladin despite constantly feeling the nagging urge to pursue the arts.

During Argynvost's war against Strahd Von Zarovich, the Silver Dragon fell, and after his body was hacked to pieces in front of his remaining followers, Godfrey's will was shattered. Unwilling to surrender yet unable to stand and fight, Godfrey lost his life at the hands of the count's forces and his spirit left his body, bound for the great beyond.

However, through sheer strength of will, Sir Vladimir Horngaard was able to rebirth himself as a revenant, bound to walk Barovia forever until justice was delivered for the unholy massacre of Lord Argynvost. This intense will also pulled many other paladins back from the brink of non-existence, with Godfrey among those re-entering a living world.

The transition saw Godfrey become a walking, talking skeleton, with a purpose that seemed unfulfillable once he and the rest of the Order learned of Strahd's newfound immortality as a vampire lord. For many years, he and his fellow knights sat around Argynvostholt, unable to muster the commitment to do much of anything. Godfrey would consistently clash with the others, his ideals not willing to bend to their nihilistic tendencies.

Story
During an exploration into the abandoned mansion, the Shine Thieves came across Godfrey and the Order whilst under the effects of invisibility. Through eavesdropping, the party learned of the knights' unfortunate plight and attempted to reason with Vladimir, asking for his help in opposing Strahd and freeing Barovia of its torment. World-weary, yet not entirely in disagreement with the party, Vladimir offered the services of Godfrey to them, as a token gesture from the Order. It is unknown whether Godfrey's driving motivation was his love for Vladimir or his lust to once again walk the outside world, but the paladin quickly agreed to join the Shine Thieves.

Adjusting to life outside of the Order proved difficult at first for the skeleton, who was at an impasse on who he truly was amidst all this unfamiliarity. Looking for a new path, he turned to his companions, who decided that he should live out his lifelong dream of performing and entertaining. After a quick jog back inside to collect his trusty accordion, Godfrey found a spring in his step. A freshly rejuvenated spirit helped him to settle into the team quickly, and he was very thankful to the Shine Thieves for their acceptance of him.

Godfrey's first experience outside of Argynvostholt was in the swamps of Berez, where the skeleton teamed up with Tarfu to brave the mists and discover more about the area. Though still transitioning his repertoire of spells, Godfrey was able to impress the Half-Orc, who warmed to him quickly through battles with poisonous snakes and crawling claws.

Whilst resting in the swamp, Godfrey used his natural charm to acquire Ezmerelda D'Avenir's Tarokka deck, which he would use as his spellcasting focus.

Godfrey also used the nights around this time to study the ways of a bard, emarking on an open university course to attend the College of Spirits. It was through this learning that Godfrey acquired the skills necessary to tell tales from beyond as well as perform seances.

Disappearance
Following the night of Burgomaster Dimitri Krezkov's 67th Birthday party in Krezk, Godfrey and the Shine Thieves had been staying at the Krezkov's cottage. The skeleton woke up bright and early to fetch the morning paper, and was stopped in his tracks by a Roc as it suddenly attacked the settlement, forcing the townsfolk to take cover in panic.

Godfrey took cover behind a nearby clump of rocks, casting Leomund's Tiny Hut to spare the lives of a merchant and his young daughter, before finding himself pinned down by the gigantic bird. Soon after, the rest of the party arrived, and with Selkirk checking that Godfrey was safe, the Shine Thieves were able to repel and eventually defeat the Roc, though much of Krezk was destroyed.

During the encounter, the bird had set its sights on the local orphanage, set up and operated by Zuleika. Godfrey had done his best to save the little girl who had been pinned inside the building, and once the foe had been killed, he used the Heroism spell to give her the courage to set foot outside of the collapsing building. Godfrey's joy at helping the child was short-lived, as he had moved into the centre of the village square, right in the sight line of another, considerably larger Roc that descended on the area.

Godfrey was picked up and shaken by the beast; his Tarokka cards and signature accordian thrown to the floor. Despite being in clear peril, the skeleton was quick to warn his friends not to risk their own lives, accepting that he would most likely be destroyed by the Roc now that he couldn't escape. A recuse attempt by Selkirk, Tarfu and Shelly almost wrested Godfrey from the bird's grasp, but ultimately served only to dislodge his head from the rest of his body, and he was carried away, telling his comrades not to worry about him as he disappeared.

Personality
Ever the optimist and quick to find the humour in most situations, Godfrey was a joyful presence to have around the party, and he would often play on his skeletal existence for comedic effect.

Capable of much empathy, Godfrey would rarely put himself first, though he was also a proponent of swift justice. Adopting the phrase "you son of a bitch" when casting spells at his enemies, he seemed to enjoy playfully condemning those who opposed the Shine Thieves.

Godfrey did also show jealousy at various points during his tenure in the Shine Thieves party. It was theorised by some that he struggled with individualism and would let his annoyance be known should someone impose upon his skill set or role within the group.

During a stint as "The Talented One" in The Boghoppers, Godfrey showed an arrogance (backed up by formidable accordion-as-saxophone skill), suggesting that he was capable of feeling superior to others.

Role in the Party
In addition to inspiring his allies and casting valuable spells, Godfrey served as the party's scribe, chronicling their adventures and keeping notes of their priorities as they traveled across Barovia. Without fail, he would play music during the party's long rests, aiding them in getting to sleep and restoring hit points.

Godfrey was also skilled in knowledge of lore and magic. He would often be the one the Shine Thieves turned to when needing to learn more information about the ancient and mysterious world around them.