Sample Character Backgrounds

Humans

Human ranger, Tuluk

Naomi was born in the northlands, daughter of a woodsman who made a living hunting and foraging in the Grey Forest. Although poor, she remembers being happy as a child; her parents were kind and loving, and they always seemed to have enough to just barely get by. She learned much from her father, including how to make a living from the forest without causing it undue harm. Naomi plans to follow in her father's footsteps when she becomes older. However, she also has a strong desire to see the rest of the world, especially the large cities, although she knows that she will eventually make her home in the same rural areas of the northlands where she grew up. Because of her limited experience with the world, she has a naive tendency to trust most everyone, even people she has just met.

Contributed by Dowdc

Human warrior, Allanak

The daughter of an Allanaki soldier, Avira has always felt her path was to become one herself and follow in her mother's footsteps. Devoutly worshipful of the Highlord Tektolnes, and fiercely supportive of His templars and servants, Avira is nonetheless no innocent about the workings of the system, corruption and all. She nurses strong prejudices against magickers, indigents, criminals, foreigners, and anyone not of pure human blood, and a general suspicion of just about everyone she meets. Fierce and hardened, she brooks no nonsense - unless it is unavoidable for attaining her goals and serving the Highlord.

Contributed by Vanth

Human warrior, Tuluk

Tuluk wasn't ever a bad place for Kaziek growing up. He was raised by unassuming merchant woman who took care of his needs and saw to his apprenticeship with retired member of the Sun Legions. He was taught to use a blade while told wild stories of witch hunts for nasty "gickers" and even some old war tales. His devotion to Tuluk is absolute, and his experiences with the old Legionnaire biased his opinions on Allanak. He looks up to tuluki templars with respect, awe, and fear; he wouldn't want to offend a Lirathan and vanish before he can complete his dream of becoming an outstanding member of the Sun Legions.

Contributed by Mazy

Human warrior/woodcrafter, Tuluk

Born and raised in the northlands, Larc has never known much of the outside world. His parents are recently deceased from natural causes. Larc is fiercely protective of the few friends he does make and is known to "throw his weight around". Living near the grey forest he has been working with wood since he was a child, harvesting and shaping it.

Contributed by Godkarma

Human burglar, Tuluk

Draol was born in the northlands and has had a poverty stricken life. His father was a soldier and his mother was a barmaid. His father left before Draol was even born. Draol has always held a hatred towards his father but was always curious what he might have been like. His mother died when he was 15 and he was left not knowing how to care for himself. Draol began to steal from others in order to survive eventually robbing houses and estates. From his many years of theft he has grown a keen eye for good jewelry. Draol has begun to craft small tokens of jewelry in order to cover for his thefts.

Contributed by Godkarma

Human burglar, Tuluk

Amos was born into a family that served a semi-wealthy merchant named Baln. His whole life was spent running errands for the merchant; whether those errands were simple, like delivering an item and collecting pay, or complicated, like sneaking into a rival's shop and taking an item that Baln believed would be better suited in his collection. A lot of days were also spent listening in on other merchants' dealing, so he could inform his employer what items were going to be in stock, and at what price the others were getting them for. His employer did a lot of trade between the two city states, and this turned out to be his downfall. When the great flood hit Tuluk, it destroyed all of his employer's merchandise, putting him out of business. So now Amos sets off in search of new work.

Contributed by Fredd

Human pickpocket, Allanak

Garko grew up living on the streets of Allanak. Parents he doesn't remember abandoned him when he was pretty young and he barely kept himself alive nicking the occasional bit of food or water when someone wasn't looking. This survival skill, foraging in the city, became his general way of getting anything, but lately he's been looking for a bit more, though he isn't sure what that is quite yet.

Contributed by Spawnloser

Human warrior, Allanak

Harkon was just your typical mercenary. Got into it because that's what his parents did. It was dangerous, but it left enough time and money for boozing and wenching. That was until he almost got a spear through the eye. Since then he's been trying to figure out an easier, softer way to make money. He's been watching the merchants and rich people, seeing how they talk, how they dress, how they move. He just wants to stay alive, and to make money.

Contributed by Vanth

Human pickpocket, Labyrinth

Duarte was born to a very poor family who made their living as scavengers. They lived in the poorest sector of Allanak, better known as the Labrynth. His father was caught stealing fruit off of a cart in the Marketplace and was taken to jail. It was his fifth offense, and the templar that jailed him refuses to allow him his freedom. So Duarte was forced to become the provider for his mother, and himself. He lives his life carefully, trying to keep a low profile, yet his dream is to become something, part of a group. So he has sought out the criminal element in the 'Rinth to find employment...

Contributed by Jack

Human assassin, Labyrinth

Dvani grew up in a whorehouse, born to a whore, and was put to work there at a very young age. She had three children by the time she was twenty, giving over two to the management of the whorehouse, while the third (a halfbreed born of rape) got sent to the orphanage. But, all good things must come to an end, so after she was fired for a violent fight with her 'manager' she decided to look for new work. She really enjoyed slicing her pimp's face open with a shard of glass, so she figures maybe she can get some work as hired muscle, or maybe something shadier.

Contributed by Vanth

Dwarves

Dwarf merchant, Tuluk

Alla's goal is to be the best shield-maker in Gol Krathu. She works with a small, family oriented team of armormakers who sell things to different shops, whichever pays best. Her ambition is to sell to the well-reputed House Salarr only, and perhaps be hired on by them to get as few merchanting hassles as possible and be able to focus on the crafting only. She comes from a family of crafters that have a tradition of making armor, she has a brother and a sister who specialize in boots and gauntlets respectively. All their goods are made in the lighter, northern style and she knows and thinks little of anything southern, which she fights off as mostly bizarre and irrelevant. She inherited her skin problem from her father, and rubs her rashes in oil at night to try and ease some of the itching. She speaks with more grunts than words and takes little interest in anything not pertaining to shields. She only interacts with humans when necessary for her work, and her Sirihish is iffy.

Taken from an NPC background

Dwarf warrior, Tuluk

A demented dwarf, Khalin wanders around the streets looking for a better mop of hair. Typically this means he finds somebody with a nice set of hair and does whatever he can to harvest some of it though typically he doesn't go to the extent of attacking that individual. While crazed, his right leg was injured in a brawl over hair at one point and he can no longer barrel after his prey as easily as he once could.

Taken from an NPC background

Dwarf merchant, Allanak

Kijza's focus is to create as many new innovative weapons as possible. Kijza has been turned several times when applying to work for House Salarr, as his language is generally very offensive, and few can stand to be around his verbal tirades. He can become very passionate about making weapons, and has been in many an argument with him telling others that he produces the best in the last three King's Ages.

Taken from an NPC background

Dwarf ranger, Allanak

Deklahn's focus is to mentally catalogue the various martial uses of animal parts. Originally from the North, Deklahn grew up a hunter. Despite his handicap in using a bow due to the loss of one eye, he is a fairly competent hunter. He has taken to hunting animals of a region, and supplying nearby merchants with those part he can get from their carcasses. Part of his payment is to be able to watch what the merchants do with the various parts he brings them.

Taken from an NPC background

Half Elves

Half-elf ranger, Allanak

The son of an unknown father and a poor human merchant woman from Allanak, Durklin grew up to be a hunter in the Southlands. He spends most of his time outside the city, but rents a very small space in a building in Allanak to stay at when he is in town, and to store the fruits of his hunts before he negotiates a price. He is getting older and slower, which is starting to worry him, as he doesn't have a lot saved up for when he can no longer hunt. He would be willing to take a permanent position in the city if it provided for him when he got that old.

Taken from an NPC background

Half-elf pickpocket, Tuluk

The offspring of a human woman, Grig's mother had a torrid affair with a city elf and abandoned him once her husband kicked her from his home. He spent a life on the streets and grew up fending for himself, developing his skills at swindelling into an art. He is paranoid and filled with distrust and malcontent, wanting nothing more than to see everyone else suffer as he has spent his entire life suffering.

Taken from an NPC background

Half-elf burglar, Red Storm Village

Meira was born in a farming village south of Allanak, the daughter of human parents who barely tolerated her. The father, knowing the child was not his, took every chance he had to abuse and berate her. Throughout her life, Meira was taught to keep her elven heritage a secret, and for a time she seemed like a normal child, and was accepted by the community. She learned to bandage wounds during this time in the village. She saved her father's life once when an obsidian tool broke, and gained his acceptance for the first time. It was a moment she cherished, but also would strongly regret as later the beatings occasionally still came. When her elven side was discovered, she left her family and village, going to Red Storm. Rebuilding was just starting there, and jobs were plentiful. At night, she would slink about the construction sites, playing with the locks or memorizing layouts of half-built buildings. She plans to steal to support herself eventually, hoping to take as much as possible from the humans who have mistreated her. Yet, strangely, she also desires to fit in with humans more than anything else.

Contributed by Dowdc

City Elves

City-elf warrior, Tuluk

Orphaned at a young age, Jazzy has spent her entire life scrounging out a living on the streets. She is a delightful girl, though given to the fancies that are inherent in her elven nature, and often deals with bouts of depression and loathing in her attempts to overcome her loneliness. She is awed and mystified by the tribal elves that come to visit the city and sees in them something she is lacking in herself.

Taken from an NPC background

City-elf pickpocket, Labyrinth

Jemsel is a greedy, avaricious elf, though he manages to keep these tendencies only in his behavior towards those outside his tribe, the Sandas of the 'rinth. He has quick hands, and will not stop if there's a way in which he can steal or swindle an outsider out of something.

Taken from an NPC background

City-elf assassin, Labyrinth

Lisnal is plagued by bad health a lot of the time, and is thus in a very irritable manner, usually. He does not like to talk very much, preferring to slink away and sulk. The only time he really opens up is during meal times with his fellow Sandas tribe members.

Taken from an NPC background

City-elf pickpocket, Tuluk

Living in a city state where the remaining three of your family members suddenly vanish might make someone anxious. That someone is Tel'Varia. She is paranoid and extremely wary of everyone, especially figures of authority. Holding true to the traditions of theft that run strong in her family, she is a pickpocket, and despite her anxieties, she retains a strong sense of pride in her abilities. If someone ever did get close enough to known her, they'd find out she is generous, soft-spoken, and loyal to the death for her loved ones. Ironic to her general disposition, she goes by the name of Wild Tongue (not an innuendo); when she was young, her family gave her the title after she got sloppy drunk on ginka wine and began cursing humans on the street. She hated the name at first, yet she began to treasure the memory after their disappearance.

Contributed by Mazy

Half-Giants

Male Half-Giant, Red Storm Village

Growing up near the outskirts of Red Storm, Tzat doesn't remember much of his childhood at all. For as long as he knows, he's been wandering the sands living off the land and taking on small jobs for a few of the Sand Lord's minions. Often working at the gates of storm, he tends to mimic the soldiers and village guards but has no formal ties to the militia at all.

Tzat did manage to save a few soldiers one evening as a silt horror surprised a patrol around the gates. In gratitude, he made some friends from the experience that taught him some of their warrior/guard traits. Tzat is infamous for having a poor short-term memory. Being terrible with names, directions, and his landmarks, it's not uncommon for him to be lost for a few hours in the sand right by the gates.

Loyalty is another problem with Tzat. He seems to be easily influenced and it has lead to quite a few problems for him and him being employed for long terms.

Contributed by Lotus