Post/Author/DateTime	Post
rockman18 11-07-06, 09:09 PM	I am getting ready to start playing in an established campaign with a very detailed history and need some help in creating a suitable background for my barbarian. I will be starting at 9th level and I am horrible at writing. I dont have any ideas really except that he will be somewhat smart, not your typical dumb brute. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Here is the races history that I will be playing. The humans of the Fhaard are themselves descendants of refugees from the ancient city-state of Nord’athaq, who fled to the west shortly before the destruction of the city-state by forces beyond mortal ken. There is a persistent rumor, one that the White Tower has never confirmed nor denied, that the Aes Sedai were responsible for the wildmagic tempest that enveloped the capital and brought its wizards to a horrific end. Perhaps as a result of their collective memories of torture and abuse suffered at the hands of their former masters, the former ‘Athaqi developed a cultural, physical and social resistance to magic and arcane spellcasters and anything that came about as a result of contact with the Pattern. This pattern of resistance ingrained itself in Fhaardian society over time, until it reached its present state - where an arcane caster be they sorcerer, wizard or bard - is shunned and avoided by the majority of nomadic society and institutions. Fhaardfolk humans tend towards black, brown, or lightly reddish-brown hair, are diverse in skin tone - tending generally towards a fair complexion, and generally have brown or hazel eyes. About less than 10% are born with golden irises. Fhaardfolk tend to favor more martial classes - either fighters, barbarians, monks, or rangers; some provide spiritual support in the form of paladins, clerics and monks. Because of their environment, some feel affinity towards druidism and shamanism. Very few cross over to the arcane arts, and usually do so secretly. Once found out, they are cast out of their clans and tribes, and generally wander the land or move on towards areas of civilization or other countries.
Sang-Drax 11-08-06, 02:17 AM	I guess a good start would be to decide at least something regarding your character's personality. Hell, at least the alignment! ;) That would make things a lot easier for us :P
rockman18 11-08-06, 05:05 PM	Oh man I didnt even think about that, He will be chaotic neutral. I was thinking some kind of redemption sort of background. Maybe something bad happened to him and he carries some sort of grudge but at the same time feels the need to atone for what he did in reaction to the situation. I dont know I am horrible at writing so I dont even know if that makes sense or not.
club2bash 11-08-06, 06:41 PM	Perhaps he dabbled in magic he didn't understand, cult style stuff. Perhaps summoning some sort of demon that killed a loved one. He was then found out and expelled from his clan, maybe he got infused with magic and it allows him a large boost of strength an constitution, but it fatigues him (rage).
Sang-Drax 11-08-06, 07:38 PM	Oh man I didnt even think about that, He will be chaotic neutral. I was thinking some kind of redemption sort of background. Maybe something bad happened to him and he carries some sort of grudge but at the same time feels the need to atone for what he did in reaction to the situation. I dont know I am horrible at writing so I dont even know if that makes sense or not. Well, that *is* something ;) Perhaps his rage is actually a mental condition he has... I mean, time and another, he'd simply get really anger and, dunno, break things. Until the day he hurts someone dear to him real bad, letting this person crippled or something, and got expelled from his community. He now wants to get even with his past by using his unbounded strength for good and trying to control it, but sometimes he just can't. That would be an essentially CG character who, sometimes, commits a non-good act.
Tjuk 11-09-06, 04:39 AM	Perhaps some more personal traits of your character is needed to create a fitting background, age, gender, ability's , not to forget about some nice roleplaying features you were thinking about, or things you despise playing, then we could atleast give you a hand. i don't know the clan it comes from, but you can technically write just about anything if your character is really big, and the rest of the clan was small, it might have been a reason to banish you from the clan ,becaus your furious rage and strength, and the length of your character , may have been well intimidating to them and they got scared of you due the time you grew up for being a bully or something like that, and with that spirit you got set out in the world, and it didn't make you feel alot more splended, and just wandered being a self-ish person, that doesn't like to get involved with to many people, and if people cross him in a bad way he just beats them up badly. really theres so many ways to go if we get a bit more info from your side.
rockman18 11-10-06, 09:25 AM	Heres something I came up with from your guys ideas, lemme know what you think. I am thinking that maybe Ragnar (Tentative name) was one of the members of the tribal council, the leader of the tribes warriors and a very respected member of his society due to his very acomplished skills as a problem solver and intermediary between the warring clans. One summer evening there was a large raid which had orcs and trolls that had made a pact to destroy the humans and with the enlisted the help of some hired mercenaries were able to kill the sentries and attack the tribe with out warning. After the tribe was roused and started to mount a counter attack many of the warriors had fallen. Most of the warriors were seperated in small groups surrounded by a sea of enemies. Ragnar was able to gather the groups and fight there way to the mead hall where they had the high ground and were able to gain some advantage over there foes. In the push to the hall quite a few of the tribemembers were lost, The greatest loss to them was the fall of the tribal leader Gorguron. Before he fell he was caught by his men and they bore him into the hall. Ragnar assumed command and led the tribes to a very hard fought battle by singlehandedly bringing down scores of trolls by smearing the flaming pitch from torches on his battleaxe and all the while singing a song of battle to his god. Many of his fellow warriors thought him an avatar of there god that was unstoppable. After the battle was over and the last of the enemy slain or turned away, they began the task of tending the wounded and checking on there loved ones. Too his horror he found his wife and son brutally slain in the fight and flew into an uncontrollable rage. He completey brought down his house upon himslef in the rage and when his brother warriors tried to restrain him and calm him down he turned and killed them. When he was finally brought to control by twenty men he saw what he had done and begged and pleaded for them to kill him in his dishonor and shame. The men could not do that as he had lead them to many victories and treated them more like a brother than anything, they decided to bind him until they decided what to do. As soon as he was left he was able to break his bonds and flee from the encampment where he hunted down and killed any being that escaped. As he wandered the wilderness trying to find an end to his guilt ridden concious he came upon the realization that there would be no way to make up for his past. To counter this he decided that he would use his newly discovered ability to the best use he could, by helping people that were not able to help themselves or needed help to bring about good ends.
Tjuk 11-10-06, 10:19 AM	Sounds like a level 10 - ish character Dwarfish slayer type of character to me, but sure sounds good so far, since i always like the whole slayer act, having to reclaim your honor by dieing in a righteous battle. Nicely done imo, though keep in mind, the if you start at a low level, common peasants can be as strong as you are, so that's the whole problem about your backstory, like having killed alot of his comrads, just sounds a bit over the top to me, better make it a handfull, that would atleast be reason enough to be ashamed, even killing one of your own clan
rockman18 11-10-06, 10:24 PM	I will be starting at 9th level, thats why I added some things like the leaer of warriors and such