Arlo Bilberry

Arlo Bilberry, son of Bertram and Evelyn Bilberry, brother of Gabrielle Bilberry, and nephew of Felix Summerthorn, is a halfling bard and a member of the Wish's Chosen. Arlo was among the original five adventurers chosen by the Wish spell, and is arguably the most significant member of the party given his connection to Death, Lord Loss, and Bertram Bilberry. Despite this, Arlo is often meek and submissive compared to more traditional heroes like Kleitos the Black and Rhogar, but his strengths lie in his strong moral code and helpful bardic magic, which allow him to inspire those around him to the peak of their abilities. Recently, Arlo has become a more assertive member of the party, sometimes vocally disagreeing with other party members or refusing to perform tasks he sees as morally objectionable. Arlo also serves as the party's compass thanks to the magical sensation implanted within him during his time in Lord Loss' realm, which allows him to discern where the Wish's Chosen need to be in order to have the strongest effect against Death. Thanks to his longstanding importance to the campaign, Arlo is considered by some to be the protagonist of the Wish Campaign.

Decription and Personality
Arlo is very short, even by halfling standards, and notably unskilled in physical tasks. He has long, curly, orange-red hair and innocent blue eyes that remind many who see him of a child's. Like all members of the Bilberry family, Arlo makes up for his lack of physical prowess with his talent in magic. Arlo inherited his father's sorcerous abilities as well as his mother's musical talent. As a result, he is only able to harness his innate power by playing music. Fortunately, Arlo's father allowed him to cultivate his musical interests from an early age, and the halfling bard has become one of the most talented currently living musicians. Arlo's musical skill, leaving aside its utility in combat, is evident in his compositional skill. Arlo often composes a song to commemorate key events in his life. After the apparent death of Bertram, Arlo composed his first-ever ballad, Bertram's Lament, and following the party's escape from the Wild Hunt, Arlo's skill was put to work writing the Flight of the Wild Hunt, his first power ballad. In combat, his musical abilities are often used to strengthen the resolve and abilities of his companions, as Arlo himself has thus far refrained from killing his enemies.

His pacifism is a direct result of Arlo's strong moral convictions. Of all the Wish's Chosen save possibly Kleitos the Black, Arlo is most consistent in following a defined code of conduct. Arlo believes very strongly in kindness for kindness' sake, but also places great value on promises, rules, and politeness. He also has great respect for authority, even if he disagrees with its goals. As seen in "Rhogar's Return," Arlo was shocked and horrified when Rhogar, Void, Melthrax, and Isla assaulted the guard captain when he began questioning them about the goblin slaves, despite the fact that the captain was duty-bound to bring the captives in. Despite his convictions, however, Arlo often fails to act decisively in support of his beliefs. When his friends attacked the captain, Arlo's reaction was simply to look to Kleitos the Black to resolve the situation. His indecisiveness stems from his inexperience and lack of confidence. Unlike most of the Wish's Chosen, Arlo had never left his home of Oldstar before becoming involved in the quest to stop Death, and he is keenly aware of his relative lack of practical experience. Despite his natural charisma, Arlo is also introverted and shy, rarely speaking even in social situations where his persuasive abilities could prove useful. More than once, this tendency has cost the party a potential ally and friend, though recently Arlo has begun expressing his views more readily in high-stakes situations.

Despite his weaknesses, however, Arlo also possesses an impressive list of heroic qualities. His compassion is matched only by Isla, and despite his insecurity Arlo is surprisingly brave when called upon. After his departure in "Dionysus' Arena," Arlo spent some time in Lord Loss' realm, confronting all manner of supernatural horrors and even speaking directly with Lord Loss himself. Arlo's time in that realm helped improve his confidence somewhat. This was first evident in his confrontation with Kleitos the Black in "Return to Rivercrest" over Kleitos' role in the death of what appeared to be Arlo's father, Bertram. Before his departure, Arlo had been intimidated by Kleitos' skill, confidence, and experience. After his return, however, Arlo matched the fighter jab for jab in a vicious argument. Subsequently, Arlo's willingness to speak against actions he sees as objectionable has only increased, culminating in his standing up to Riacán mac Murchadh, a demigod, archfey, and Master of the Wild Hunt, when the latter demanded the party bring Balnor to his court. Despite his increased assertiveness, however, Arlo has retained his kind and forgiving nature, making him arguably one of the most heroic members of the party in spite of his his physical limitations. Arlo is also the party member with the most insight into the true scope of the threat posed by Death, and the only one with any real knowledge of Lord Loss, making him arguably the most consequential member of the Wish's Chosen.

Bertram Bilberry
Arlo had a close and loving relationship with his father, Bertram Bilberry. It was Bertram who encouraged his son to begin practicing music when he saw his son's skill with the violin, and Bertram would often come to see Arlo perform with his band at their shows in Oldstar. When Bertram left Oldstar without telling his son why, it hit Arlo hard. Just a few months later, the halfling bard decided to depart his hometown for the first time to find his father. His quest ultimately proved futile, and the apparent death of Bertram at the hands of Kleitos the Black hit Arlo hard. It was not until weeks later, at the Spirit Library, that Arlo was able to accept his father's death, realizing Kleitos had only killed a puppet of Death, not his real father. After speaking with Bertram's spirit, Arlo vowed to free him from his imprisonment in Death's realm, and father and son shared one last embrace before Arlo was pulled back to the material plane.

Felix Summerthorn
Felix Summerthorn is Arlo's uncle, and the two have a strange but close relationship. Arlo's preference for following the rules and treating people with kindness is a sharp contrast to Felix's brasher, more aggressive demeanor. Differences aside, however, the bond between the two has been shown time and again to be a strong one. When Arlo disappeared into Lord Loss' realm in "Dionysus' Arena," for instance, Felix became despondent and uncharacteristically silent until his nephew's return in "Wizard's Tower." Due to their physical as well as personal similarities, Arlo often reminds Felix of his brother Bertram, and the close relationship between the brothers has prompted Felix to take Arlo's safety very seriously.

Void
Void and Arlo are the last remaining members of the original group chosen by the Wish spell on Maclilcan. As such, the two share a bond forged in mutual experiences the rest of the current party was not involved in. Despite their mutual shyness, Void and Arlo are close friends; it's rare to see them have an outright disagreement. That said, Void's occasional ruthlessness, as when he appeared to be threatening Felix or when he joined the attack on the guard captain, though rare, always surprises Arlo when it emerges. He and Void remain close despite these occasional conflicts, and since learning of Void's Voidwalker heritage, Arlo has supported his friend in his quest to reclaim that long-lost part of himself.

Kleitos the Black
Arlo was initially in awe of Kleitos' skill in battle and physical prowess, but was also wary of the warrior's secretive, brooding tendencies. After Arlo's return to the material plane, one of the first things he saw was Kleitos killing what appeared to be his father. Despite Kleitos' subsequent rescue of Arlo and his uncle Felix from Bertram's earthquake, Arlo was furious with him, nearly attacking Kleitos while his back was turned before being stopped by Void. Arlo remained angry with Kleitos, however, eventually declaring that he would leave the party if Kleitos remained with them. Arlo was surprised by Kleitos' decision to leave instead, and even more so when the Headsman claimed he did so so that Arlo's magical sense could be of use to the party and the world. This, together with Kleitos' attempt to distract the Akura so Arlo and the others could pass and the warrior's subsequent apology for the death of his father, eventually led Arlo to forgive him, and the two developed a mutual respect for one another, often aligning on issues of decision-making within the party.

Rhogar
Arlo and Rhogar have a friendly, professional relationship. Though the two have avoided most major disagreements, Rhogar's increasing tendency to break with established codes of conduct in pursuit of what he believes is right has unnerved Arlo somewhat. Nevertheless, the halfling respects his judgment, and acknowledges Rhogar in his role as de-facto leader of the Wish's Chosen.

Isla Clearstone
As with Rhogar, Isla and Arlo's relationship is friendly and professional, though not as close as Isla's bond with Rhogar or Arlo's with Void. Though initially attracted to Arlo on a purely physical level, Isla's initial impression of the halfling was soured by his conflict with Kleitos the Black. Their eventual rapprochement did much to improve her overall perception of Arlo, and the two are now on friendly, though not close, terms.

Thagnos
Arlo's initial impression of Thagnos Firebrand was colored by the latter's obliviously patronizing treatment of him in their first meeting, when Thagnos called him "little one" and patted him on the head. Since then, despite Thagnos' blundering, Arlo has become somewhat more comfortable with the wizard's presence. They are not yet on close terms, but Arlo has begun to respect Thagnos' magical prowess, seeing him as a valuable ally and leading him to forgive the dragonborn's earlier transgressions.

Tharçival
Arlo and Tharçival had a friendly relationship during their time together. Being two of the original five heroes chosen by the Wish spell, Arlo and Tharçival had a number of adventures together in shortly after his leaving Oldstar that helped win Arlo the confidence he needed to become the hero he needed to be. Though Tharçival has since left the party, Arlo still thinks of him as a friend.

Melthrax
Arlo and Melthrax rarely interact, but the warforged seems to have a protective instinct towards the small, physically weak halfling, often putting himself at great risk to protect Arlo from harm, as he did during the party's escape from the Wild Hunt.

Rowan
Arlo and Rowan shared a close relationship before Arlo's disappearance into Lord Loss' realm. Despite their mutual shyness, the two shared similar goals and often approached situations in a more passive, diplomatic manner than some of their other companions. Rowan's general introversion also forced Arlo out of his shell to some degree, helping turn him into the leader and hero he would one day need to become.

Zow
Arlo and Zow had few interactions before the latter's departure from the party. Like Rowan, Zow's shyness forced Arlo to take on the mantle of leader in the early days of the Wish's Chosen. However, unlike Rowan, Zow and Arlo never developed any real bond beyond that of shared hardship. As a result, though Arlo was saddened to see Zow go, he was soon able to get over his grief.

Equipment

 * Evelyn Bilberry's violin
 * A flute
 * A maroon cloak
 * A purple sword blessed by Dionysus
 * Purple armor blessed by Dionysus

Trivia

 * Arlo, along with Void, is one of only two members of the current party to have been summoned by the original Wish spell.
 * Arlo so closely resembles his father, Bertram, that he is often mistaken for a younger version of his father by those who knew Bertram in his younger days.
 * Despite the innate magic inherited from his father, Arlo is only able to cast spells by through song, a direct inheritance from his mother.
 * Before setting off to find his father, Arlo had never left his hometown of Oldstar before.
 * Arlo is the only member of the Wish's Chosen to have never killed an enemy directly. His pacifism makes him unique in the group, though Isla and Void typically avoid killing unless all other options are exhausted.
 * Arlo is the only one of the original five chosen by the Wish spell to depart from the party and later return. The others who left have since never returned.
 * Arlo is the only party member to have thus far visited Lord Loss' realm.
 * Arlo, along with Isla, is the only party member known to have a living sibling, though Gabrielle is currently trapped in the realm of Lord Loss.