Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Pivotal 07-26-06, 03:45 PM	Background: We are 8 orphans that have grown up together in Lhazaar Principalities (eberron). We one day find a large cove that we figure we can use as our hideout for piratry and we decide to borrow money and buy a ship. The campaign will largley be naval. My character is a Halfling swashbuckler. So I basicly want some feedback on my background story. I want the main points to stay the same but perhaps some tips on how to improve certain parts or add things that add to the overall belivability and personality. Personalitywise he is stubborn, determined, rivalistic, competitive, tactic/strategic but very much a follower, not a leader. The parts that are in <> will be filled in later as Im waiting for more other people to finish their background stories as we are interweaving them into eachother as we have grown up together. Edit: Im such a moron :p I forgot to post my background that I wanted responce on. here it is: Vin is built even more slenderly and more seemingly agile then most haflings. He is however small for a hafling he looks thin and in good shape. He has blonde hair, which because of his carefree nature and lack of a barber flows down to his shoulders. Even though he lives in tropical enviroments he enjoys the shade and therefor have a much lighter skin then most people in the area. No real tan regonizable. His face is a bit long and he has got bright blue eyes, however he certainly doesnt look attractive, mostly because his face is full of small scars that come from smaller fights on the streets, and he for some reason seem to be prone for accidents and tends to once in a while be unlucky and cut himself slightly with his chain. As for clothing he prefers loose clothes that doesnt hamper his movement but he especially enjoys wide-brimmed hats and the one is wearing now is heavily teared but you wont see him without it. Background / History Childhood: Vin's parents came from Sharn, where they as far as he knows lived as small time merchants. He doesnt know why or how they got all the way to Lhazaar Principalities and dont rememeber much from the journey except that it happend over the open sea. When he was 5 years old Ikan siezed control over Lorghalan Isle and in the disturbances following the takeover of the city both his parents got killed. He doesnt really know the circumstances around their deaths but he doesnt blame Prince Ikan directly. However as a result of the incident he has a general distrust of authorities in Ikanport, something wich often gets him in trouble. After his parents death there wasnt really anyone around to take care of him as he had no relatives on Lorghalan so he started living on the streets. This harsh enviroment made him a fast learner and even tough he seemed haunted by bad luck he somehow managed to make things go around by doing small favours for people around the city, stealing some food here and there and sleeping mostly in boat town or in the hill on the right side of town. Youth/adolescence: When he was 6 years old he got in a fight with a couple of older kids that wanted to make him steal stuff for them. Vin saw a chain lying coiled on the ground near to him and picked it up and managed to fend of the older kids and by a stroke of luck (something thats extremly unsual for him) he managed to knock one of the kids down and sent the other one running away. From that day he decided to hone his skills with the chain and he become sort of like his lucky charm. A little while after this he met <insert name> and <insert name> and they became friends. <insert more story about how he became friends with all the others> Vin used the rest of his youth training and living with the rest of his newly aquired friends and he trusts all of them with his life. He continued using his chain and and trained his agility very much by climbing onto rooftops and trees in the vincinity. When he was relxing he enjoyed haning out by the ocean where he could feel the wind. He didnt like the tropical heat much however and preffered to sit in the shadows. Noteable events: At 9 years old he and <insert name> got an opportunity from <insert bartender name> to travel with some nobles to Everwind Plateau. This was mostly just for cheap labour to carry things and make things a bit more comfortable for the nobles that were on sightseing. (Setting up camp, helping out with random chores, etc). For Vin this turned out to be an important event however. During the trip he got to see a lot of strange woodland animals he had never seen before and he also got to be on the sea for a little while, experiencing the joys of sailing for his first time. When they arrived at the plateau he became really exited. He had never been to a place with such strong and good winds before and this really boosted his love of the wind. At age 12 he got his first job aboard a fishing boat and he enjoyed beeing out to sea and he did a very good job for his age because of his exelent physiqe. He continiued to take small jobs like this whenever he could and he saved as much money as he could only using a little bit for food and basic nessecities. On one of theese trips he asked to get the fishermans hat instead of the normal money wich he got as the hat was very well used, but it had a nice redish color that Vin liked. During one of his trips on onboard a fishing boat there was another kid that was also hired to go along as they were beeing out on the sea slightly longer then usual. They chatted a bit and Vin learned that his name was Caido. They worked well together beause of Vins agility and Caidos strength. However, one time when there was quite rough sea Vin accidently stepped on a fish and was hurled towards the side of the boat but just at the last moment Caido managed to grab ahold of Vins jacket. His hat flew off but he caught it with his hands just before it was taken by the powerfull winds. After this event Vin got a deep respect for Caido and they continiued theire friendship when they arrived back at Ikanport. At age 16 he decided that he didnt want to wait any longer and he took all the money he had saved up and went to the weapons shop in the adventurers district. Proudly presenting almost 100 silver pieces to the man behind the counter he said he wanted to buy an spiked chain. The gnome behind the counter looked at Vin a moment before he told him that it wasnt enough money. He was told that spiked chain was a rather unweildy weapon for most people so its price was a bit high. The gnome feeling sorry for obviously dissapointing the orphan child told him that he had a older spiked chain in the back, but it was a bit rusty here and there and some of the spikes were missing, but if he worked for him for a month he could let him have it for 100 silver pieces. Vin accepted gladly and when the month was over he and the shopkeeper had become good friends and he got to buy the chain as he had said. This was one of the happiest moments of Vins life. Recent: The last 4 years Vin has been haning out with his friends and also doing small jobs for both the local fishermen and also working extra for the shopkeeper at the weaponry shop, even taking care of the shop days when the shopkeeper was sick. He has starting to get a more and more comfortable life as well even saving up a bit more money wich he used for a leather armour because over the years he have become more and more determined to be able to live freely on the sea, perhaps as a pirate. His love for the freedom of the sea and the winds have just grown with him and and he wants to leave his past behind him and be able to be on a ship for longer then small fishing trips. He was very happy when the group found the secret cave because it made his prospect of becoming an pirate much more realistic and he was the one that suggested that they could loan money and buy a boat, altough Caido quickly took control over the idea. <more coming> Religion / Affiliations Not really interested in any religions and he isnt affiliated with anything. His only contacts outside of the group is the weapon shopkeeper. He is well known amongst most of the shopkeepers, bartenders and fishermen in the lower parts of the city tough as he done a lot of small tasks for most of them. Personality Traits Vin is a very introverted but active person. He isnt too good with strangers and people often get a bit odd first impression from him. However, when he is around his friends he is much more open and active because he knows they dont care about all his scars and odd behaviour. His friends has also gotten used to his chain wich tends to make most people a bit unnerving, especially when he uses them. Because of his rather unlucky nature he loves things that he thinks means luck to him, kind of like lucky charms. This especially applies to chains and widebrimmed hats. He has one personality trait that shows better then any other tough and its the one thing that automaticly makes him forget his introverted nature, and thats his love of duels and his extreme competitiveness. He loves challenges and he loves to best others at things. He alwyas pushes for the group to do things and he enjoys fighting duels as well. He also dreams to be pirate and to do that he is relentless in pursuing that dream and would do almost anything to achive it. His competitivness also comes from his rather unspectactular childhood wich he wants to get back for. Vin is simply a very driven character in everything he does. Goals and dreams: Becoming a pirate, becoming famous, getting a magic chain and a magic widebrimmed hat. Taking over Ikanport and eventually all of Lhazaar Principalities. Fears and Nightmares: Beeing taken away from the sea, all wind in the world dissapearing.
Sisyfos 07-26-06, 04:21 PM	Please check the character development board for some ideas on this kind of a question.
Wyrmul 07-26-06, 06:45 PM	Well the personality traits would fit perfectly. He has issues withn his size, especially if he grew up with non-halflings. Because of that he had to push himself farther and harder than his peers. He likes to competete with the leader of the group but respects his authority. He does not want the responsability fro keeping everyone in your group safe/sane/fed/etc. If you can find it the anime GetBackers has some great examples of characters you can draw on. Don't be afraid to go overboard, be flamboyant, stand out. That is all I can come with.
Pivotal 07-26-06, 06:47 PM	Sorry for the late edit of the first post :p Wyrmul: Thanks, those were the lines of where was I was going with him but yeah I have the whole getbackers anime and that could be good inspiration :)
JulesCARV 07-27-06, 03:21 AM	I like it! One question I wonder about -- does he have any surviving relatives back in Sharn, who might know who he is, and more about him and his parents? Seems like a possibility (or are you leaving that to the DM as a potential plot hook?). Does everyone who might have known about him in Sharn presume him dead?
Pivotal 07-27-06, 03:44 AM	Hmm.. Havent really tought about that.. I guess he probably might have some relatives there if they are not already dead. But most likley they have pretty much forgotten about him and in any case they would be to poor to leave sharn and we are not going to sharn any time soon, we are on the other side of the continent :p We'll take over one country at a time ;)