Mumīt
Quote: “Death is the only reward for threatening Alīm, if you do not step back, I will bestow riches upon you.”
Description: You are larger than a human; even the largest gladiator does not reach your height. Your scales are a dull yellow streaked with grey and black, and to show your civilized nature you daily burnish them with oil and sand until they nearly glow. As a D’Kala you have a reptilian body complete with clawed toes, a thick tail, long snout, and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Your eyes are small and red, and have an extra eyelid allowing you to cover them to keep out sand. Likewise you nostrils can close airtight, allowing you to hold your breath in sandstorms or under water.
Lacking any external genitals, you have no need for modesty, but do wear a bleached white loin cloth for the comfort of the humans you deal with. That and a weapon harness are your only clothes, as you need no protection from the sun and heat. Besides this, you own a fine scimitar and a round leather shield called an adaba. Other possession are meaningless to you, though when away from the caravan you do carry a gourd of water and some dried meat.
Story
Like all D’Kala your first sight after breaking through the shell of your egg was a human. Your race is one that they say once ruled all the Madras River Valley, and most of the land that is now the Caliphate. You know not if that is true, all you know is that when a D’Kala is born, he must love the first being he sees. In your case it was the young scholar Alīm ibn Bārí. You love him in a way that no human could understand, for he is your father, brother, and friend. Although just a small creature when you were born, you have spent every waking moment by his side, and you sleep near him as well. It is he who fed you, helped train you, played with you, and taught you many things. It is right that you should serve him; it is the way of your people and a driving force in your soul. By law you are not a slave, but also not a citizen, as only humans can be citizens in the Caliphate. This is not right, as you know that your heart is more pure and your soul more free than any scum dwelling freeman. As well, you know that by tradition you may leave your bound master’s service at any time. The mere thought of being separated from him fills your heart with dread, so this is one thing you would never do. When it comes to protecting Alīm, there is nothing you wouldn’t do.
Your training is as a warrior in order for you to better guard your bound master. A bound D’Kala warrior is an expensive and near priceless thing for a human to have, and you have had the best training that money could buy. Since you bound master is a scholar and apt to expound at length on a variety of topics, you have also had some formal academic education. This places you above most other D’Kala who are only good for fighting. Additionally, your bound master knows your value and does not pester you with the petty things that so many brave D’Kala warriors are forced to do. It is your hope that one day you will be chosen to stud a new generation, and that one of these may serve your master and his hatchlings.
After three years preparing to travel south of the Great Erg, you are at last on your way to Tibuk in Far Shonga, also, Alīm has packed more than enough supplies and tools to collect specimens and explore anything he comes across. You have fought many strange beasts and savage tribesman at your bound master’s side, and know that he is competent in battle, though somewhat clumsy.
The caravan you are traveling in is one owned by Alīm’s father’s trading house, and thus one you do not have to worry much about. It has been twelve long and boring days on the back of a camel crossing the sands of the Great Erg, and you still have at least thirty days ahead before you reach the first oasis at Mem-Kabur. As you prepared to mount your camel for another day of watching the endless sands, a scout ran into camp announcing that he has spotted something in the sands, a city uncovered by last night’s sandstorm. No doubt Alīm will want to risk exploring these ruins. You had best keep your scimitar handy.
About the Setting:
The Caliphate is a vast empire stretching from the Great Escarpment in the north to the Great Erg in the south. It is the center of trade for the continent of Alateff. The empire is rules by a hereditary monarch, currently Kahfir XI, of the house of Amara. The climate is warm with cool nights and little rain. Social structure is based around class, and the various classes (slave, freedman, freeman, noble) are forbidden to marry. Most citizens are human, though the D’Kala (lizardmen) and Sha’ir (Halflings) are often found in their own quarters of the cities. Outside the cities, the terrain ranges from tropical savanna in the north to arid plains and hills in the south. Tribes of nomads wander these areas, most notably the Hatari (wild elves).
Magic is rare and usually used for evil, thus most people fear any who use it. That said, most nobles employ a wizard or two for various purposes. People are also wary of any non-humans, especially hatari. Magic rarely can be bought or sold, but alchemy is very common, for the right price.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Character Background #5
Kassar the Hatari
Qoute: “I don’t know who did this, but I know who would and could.”
Description:
Short and slight of build, your lack of facial hair, fine features, and pointed ears make you stand out in a crowd. You have very dark olive skin, black eyes, and blond hair. You dress as any other citizen, wearing cotton undergarments and a light cotton bishat (cloak).
Story:
You are not really an elf, but are the closest most will ever get to seeing a real elf. Your mother was the daughter of a goat herd in the eastern hills. One day she surprised a hatari raiding party, and was captured. Although a captive, she was treated very well, and eventually fell in love with one of the raiders, a love that seemed to be returned. After traveling with them for a year, she was dropped off back with her goatherd and left behind. You are the result of that dalliance, and have no idea where your real father is, save that his name is Kelvanirv.
Shamed by her capture and subsequent pregnancy, your mother fled the simple rural village she grew up in to seek anonymity in Buhtan, the capital city. Working as a washer woman (and occasional prostitute) for the wealthy, she eked out a meager existence for you and the brood of illegitimate half-siblings she produced. You grew up on the streets, learning the ways of the city and its dark underbelly. As the years lengthened for everyone else, you seemed to never age, and eventually saw your mother buried and your siblings grown with families of their own.
You have turned your hard earned knowledge of the streets to good use, becoming a finder of lost things and a fixer of problems. People of all sorts come to you, and pay you, to solve their problems. This is a life you greatly enjoy, one that allows you to move from the gleaming halls of the nobility to the dankest brothel in the slums. In these adventures, you have worked with many people, but especially the huge Malik Sudani and the foppish Faoud ibn Samir. Last night Faoud came to you with a problem of his own, and a great weight of despair pressing down his usually vibrant soul. His latest infatuation has been kidnapped, and he has no idea where to find her. You, Malik, and Faoud went out to have a few drinks and formulate a plan. That was several hours, and much wine ago, and now you stumble back to Malik’s apartment to sober up and search for the missing girl.
The fame gained from helping destroy the Cult of Tsagotha has been very bad for business. Yes, more clients flock to your door hoping you can solve their problems, yet you are recognized wherever you go. With Jumba’s recent victory over the Thieves’ and Slayer’s guilds, Buhtan has become too hot for you. Since Malik and faoud have decided to join a caravan heading south across the Great Erg, you have chosen to accompany them across the sands…
Contacts:
The Thieves’ Guild
Royal City Watchmen, the dreaded Scarlet Lions
The Beggar’s guild, they’re everywhere and see everything
About the Setting:
The Caliphate is a vast empire stretching from the Great Escarpment in the north to the Great Erg in the south. It is the center of trade for the continent of Alateff. The empire is rules by a hereditary monarch, currently Kahfir XI, of the house of Amara. The climate is warm with cool nights and little rain. Social structure is based around class, and the various classes (slave, freedman, freeman, noble) are forbidden to marry. Most citizens are human, though the D’Kala (lizardmen) and Sha’ir (Halflings) are often found in their own quarters of the cities. Outside the cities, the terrain ranges from tropical savanna in the north to arid plains and hills in the south. Tribes of nomads wander these areas, most notably the Hatari (wild elves).
Magic is rare and usually used for evil, thus most people fear any who use it. That said, most nobles employ a wizard or two for various purposes. People are also wary of any non-humans, especially hatari. Magic rarely can be bought or sold, but alchemy is very common, for the right price.
Qoute: “I don’t know who did this, but I know who would and could.”
Description:
Short and slight of build, your lack of facial hair, fine features, and pointed ears make you stand out in a crowd. You have very dark olive skin, black eyes, and blond hair. You dress as any other citizen, wearing cotton undergarments and a light cotton bishat (cloak).
Story:
You are not really an elf, but are the closest most will ever get to seeing a real elf. Your mother was the daughter of a goat herd in the eastern hills. One day she surprised a hatari raiding party, and was captured. Although a captive, she was treated very well, and eventually fell in love with one of the raiders, a love that seemed to be returned. After traveling with them for a year, she was dropped off back with her goatherd and left behind. You are the result of that dalliance, and have no idea where your real father is, save that his name is Kelvanirv.
Shamed by her capture and subsequent pregnancy, your mother fled the simple rural village she grew up in to seek anonymity in Buhtan, the capital city. Working as a washer woman (and occasional prostitute) for the wealthy, she eked out a meager existence for you and the brood of illegitimate half-siblings she produced. You grew up on the streets, learning the ways of the city and its dark underbelly. As the years lengthened for everyone else, you seemed to never age, and eventually saw your mother buried and your siblings grown with families of their own.
You have turned your hard earned knowledge of the streets to good use, becoming a finder of lost things and a fixer of problems. People of all sorts come to you, and pay you, to solve their problems. This is a life you greatly enjoy, one that allows you to move from the gleaming halls of the nobility to the dankest brothel in the slums. In these adventures, you have worked with many people, but especially the huge Malik Sudani and the foppish Faoud ibn Samir. Last night Faoud came to you with a problem of his own, and a great weight of despair pressing down his usually vibrant soul. His latest infatuation has been kidnapped, and he has no idea where to find her. You, Malik, and Faoud went out to have a few drinks and formulate a plan. That was several hours, and much wine ago, and now you stumble back to Malik’s apartment to sober up and search for the missing girl.
The fame gained from helping destroy the Cult of Tsagotha has been very bad for business. Yes, more clients flock to your door hoping you can solve their problems, yet you are recognized wherever you go. With Jumba’s recent victory over the Thieves’ and Slayer’s guilds, Buhtan has become too hot for you. Since Malik and faoud have decided to join a caravan heading south across the Great Erg, you have chosen to accompany them across the sands…
Contacts:
The Thieves’ Guild
Royal City Watchmen, the dreaded Scarlet Lions
The Beggar’s guild, they’re everywhere and see everything
About the Setting:
The Caliphate is a vast empire stretching from the Great Escarpment in the north to the Great Erg in the south. It is the center of trade for the continent of Alateff. The empire is rules by a hereditary monarch, currently Kahfir XI, of the house of Amara. The climate is warm with cool nights and little rain. Social structure is based around class, and the various classes (slave, freedman, freeman, noble) are forbidden to marry. Most citizens are human, though the D’Kala (lizardmen) and Sha’ir (Halflings) are often found in their own quarters of the cities. Outside the cities, the terrain ranges from tropical savanna in the north to arid plains and hills in the south. Tribes of nomads wander these areas, most notably the Hatari (wild elves).
Magic is rare and usually used for evil, thus most people fear any who use it. That said, most nobles employ a wizard or two for various purposes. People are also wary of any non-humans, especially hatari. Magic rarely can be bought or sold, but alchemy is very common, for the right price.
Character Background #4
Alīm ibn Bārí
Quote: “Now that is interesting, if I lean over this ledge, I may get a better view.”
Description: You are a slender man in his early thirties, somewhat bookish but still weathered by years spent traveling. Like most citizens of the Caliphate, you have olive skin and dark eyes. For comfort in the heat you shave your head and face, and dress in a loose white cotton dishdasha (long robe-shirt) over silk undergarments. In the desert you wear a cotton shimagh (head scarf) and sandals. At your side is your trusty kopesh, a sword you found in an ancient pre-conquest tomb, as well as a notebook and writing set.
Story:
Shabu University in Buhtan is the greatest center of learning in the world. Here knowledge from all corners of the globe is brought, cataloged, and analyzed. Most of the scholars there are bookish types who spend their days reading ancient text beneath oil lamps or debating the meaning of this find or that with their fellows. A few have even been known to teach a class or two. You are not one of these, though you have spent your time amongst the thousands of books and scrolls in the library. Instead you prefer to spend your life searching for new discoveries, cataloging new finds, and exploring the barbarous lands beyond the Caliphate.
Your family is an important one, but not of the nobility, and as such considered little different in status than any other freemen. Of course the wealth your father and brothers have accumulated through trade (and the many foreign contacts) has benefited you greatly. It is this wealth that enabled them to send you to the University, and it’s those contacts that first thrilled your heart with thoughts of the exotic and foreign. You grew up in a household where tales of far off lands, strange peoples, and bizarre events were commonplace. At every opportunity you slipped away to the Caravan Square to marvel at the weird and exciting things brought there. Seeing your interest, and knowing that your five elder brothers would divide the family business amongst themselves, your father provided the best education one not of noble birth could have, and in many ways far better.
After three years in the lands north of the Great Erg, you are at last journeying to the ancient libraries of Tibuk in Far Shonga. With you are two camel loads of casks, boxes, and other items to be used in collecting and preserving specimens. Also, you have a load of excavation tools and a sextant for surveying. Accompanying you, as always, is the gift your father bestowed upon you when you graduated from the University, a bound D’Kala warrior named Mumīt. At great expense your father paid a D’Kala breeder for the right to have you present at the hatching, and thus your bodyguard first opened his eyes and saw your face, thus imprinting him on you. You two have been together for five years, and in that time he has grown from the size of a two year old human to larger than a full grown man. A friendship has also grown, as you find his mind alien, yet fascinating, and his loyalty unquestionable.
The caravan you are traveling in is one owned by your father’s trading house, and thus one you do not have to pay for out of your travel funds. It has been twelve long and boring days on the back of a camel crossing the sands of the Great Erg, and you still have at least thirty days ahead before you reach the first oasis at Mem-Kabur. As you prepared to mount your camel for another day of watching the endless sands, a scout ran into camp announcing that he has spotted something in the sands, a city uncovered by last night’s sandstorm. Perhaps you can convince some fellow travelers to go with you and inspect i
About the Setting
The Caliphate is a vast empire stretching from the Great Escarpment in the north to the Great Erg in the south. It is the center of trade for the continent of Alateff. The empire is rules by a hereditary monarch, currently Kahfir XI, of the house of Amara. The climate is warm with cool nights and little rain. Social structure is based around class, and the various classes (slave, freedman, freeman, noble) are forbidden to marry. Most citizens are human, though the D’Kala (lizardmen) and Sha’ir (Halflings) are often found in their own quarters of the cities. Outside the cities, the terrain ranges from tropical savanna in the north to arid plains and hills in the south. Tribes of nomads wander these areas, most notably the Hatari (wild elves).
Magic is rare and usually used for evil, thus most people fear any who use it. That said, most nobles employ a wizard or two for various purposes. People are also wary of any non-humans, especially hatari. Magic rarely can be bought or sold, but alchemy is very common, for the right price.
Quote: “Now that is interesting, if I lean over this ledge, I may get a better view.”
Description: You are a slender man in his early thirties, somewhat bookish but still weathered by years spent traveling. Like most citizens of the Caliphate, you have olive skin and dark eyes. For comfort in the heat you shave your head and face, and dress in a loose white cotton dishdasha (long robe-shirt) over silk undergarments. In the desert you wear a cotton shimagh (head scarf) and sandals. At your side is your trusty kopesh, a sword you found in an ancient pre-conquest tomb, as well as a notebook and writing set.
Story:
Shabu University in Buhtan is the greatest center of learning in the world. Here knowledge from all corners of the globe is brought, cataloged, and analyzed. Most of the scholars there are bookish types who spend their days reading ancient text beneath oil lamps or debating the meaning of this find or that with their fellows. A few have even been known to teach a class or two. You are not one of these, though you have spent your time amongst the thousands of books and scrolls in the library. Instead you prefer to spend your life searching for new discoveries, cataloging new finds, and exploring the barbarous lands beyond the Caliphate.
Your family is an important one, but not of the nobility, and as such considered little different in status than any other freemen. Of course the wealth your father and brothers have accumulated through trade (and the many foreign contacts) has benefited you greatly. It is this wealth that enabled them to send you to the University, and it’s those contacts that first thrilled your heart with thoughts of the exotic and foreign. You grew up in a household where tales of far off lands, strange peoples, and bizarre events were commonplace. At every opportunity you slipped away to the Caravan Square to marvel at the weird and exciting things brought there. Seeing your interest, and knowing that your five elder brothers would divide the family business amongst themselves, your father provided the best education one not of noble birth could have, and in many ways far better.
After three years in the lands north of the Great Erg, you are at last journeying to the ancient libraries of Tibuk in Far Shonga. With you are two camel loads of casks, boxes, and other items to be used in collecting and preserving specimens. Also, you have a load of excavation tools and a sextant for surveying. Accompanying you, as always, is the gift your father bestowed upon you when you graduated from the University, a bound D’Kala warrior named Mumīt. At great expense your father paid a D’Kala breeder for the right to have you present at the hatching, and thus your bodyguard first opened his eyes and saw your face, thus imprinting him on you. You two have been together for five years, and in that time he has grown from the size of a two year old human to larger than a full grown man. A friendship has also grown, as you find his mind alien, yet fascinating, and his loyalty unquestionable.
The caravan you are traveling in is one owned by your father’s trading house, and thus one you do not have to pay for out of your travel funds. It has been twelve long and boring days on the back of a camel crossing the sands of the Great Erg, and you still have at least thirty days ahead before you reach the first oasis at Mem-Kabur. As you prepared to mount your camel for another day of watching the endless sands, a scout ran into camp announcing that he has spotted something in the sands, a city uncovered by last night’s sandstorm. Perhaps you can convince some fellow travelers to go with you and inspect i
About the Setting
The Caliphate is a vast empire stretching from the Great Escarpment in the north to the Great Erg in the south. It is the center of trade for the continent of Alateff. The empire is rules by a hereditary monarch, currently Kahfir XI, of the house of Amara. The climate is warm with cool nights and little rain. Social structure is based around class, and the various classes (slave, freedman, freeman, noble) are forbidden to marry. Most citizens are human, though the D’Kala (lizardmen) and Sha’ir (Halflings) are often found in their own quarters of the cities. Outside the cities, the terrain ranges from tropical savanna in the north to arid plains and hills in the south. Tribes of nomads wander these areas, most notably the Hatari (wild elves).
Magic is rare and usually used for evil, thus most people fear any who use it. That said, most nobles employ a wizard or two for various purposes. People are also wary of any non-humans, especially hatari. Magic rarely can be bought or sold, but alchemy is very common, for the right price.
Character Background #3
Faoud ibn Samir
Qoute: “Why should we fight, when we can drink, gamble, and whore?”
Description:
You are of moderate build, rather handsome, and present a fine figure. Your hair is black, oiled and curly, your eyes are blue, and your sport a finely groomed mustache and goatee. You dress in the best possible, given your situation, wearing silk underclothes, bisht (cloak), and a very fancy keffiyeh (hand scarf).
Story:
You were born a freeman, though one of very low status. Your mother was a dancer in an acting troupe in the capital city of Buhtan, and your father could be anyone. Growing up in the Actors Quarter, you learned how to sing, dance, and play the oud at an early age. Seeking a better life, you also learned how to read, write, and speak as a gentleman. After your mother died, you wandered the Caliphate seeking fame and fortune before returning to the city of your birth. Your skills and silver tongue helped you find a place performing for nobility and even for the Caliph himself in the palace. Sadly, your penchant for romantic intrigue (and especially young, wealthy women) has landed you in trouble many times. One of the people you often adventure with, and a good friend as well, is Malik Sudani, a big barbarian and former gladiator turned freelance thief and hired muscle. Another good friend is the bounty hunter Kassar the Elf, though his non-humanness is a bit upsetting.
Recently you have been pursuing the young and beautiful daughter of Emir Tariq of Ghaloum. The radiant Mirriam had nearly succumbed to your charms when your tryst was revealed and you lost your place at court. Forced to scrape to survive, you now live in a rat infested apartment in the filthy Backwaters area. Yesterday afternoon you were to meet sweet Mirriam in the Gardens of Bashir. You showed up early to make sure things were safe, but shortly before she was to arrive, you heard her scream out, followed by sounds of a struggle. You ran to were you heard her, only to find no Mirriam and only a dropped handkerchief bearing her initials. Reeling with despair, you sought out your friends Malik Sudani and Kassar the Elf. You are returning to Malik’s apartment after drinking long into the night at The Sign of the Happy Manticore.
After rescuing the beautiful (as well as young and rich) Mirriam from the clutches of the Cult of Tsagotha, you have found your situation unchanged. She, who was your love, is now under the protection of the Caliph and resides in his harem. Her father, the Emir, rewarded you greatly with a golden cup filled with Lions, plus a ruby ring made of twisted platinum wire. Sadly, you have spent the coin on drink and women (to forget your lost love, of course) and hawked the cup to make rent. Seeking better fortunes, and hoping to avoid Jumba’s assassins, you have decided to accompany Malik across the sands…
Contacts:
Siraj ibn Nuri, gatekeeper at the palace and old friend
The Yellow Dove acting troupe
Mahdi of the Single Eye, a reclusive and fearsome wizard
About the Setting:
The Caliphate is a vast empire stretching from the Great Escarpment in the north to the Great Erg in the south. It is the center of trade for the continent of Alateff. The empire is rules by a hereditary monarch, currently Kahfir XI, of the house of Amara. The climate is warm with cool nights and little rain. Social structure is based around class, and the various classes (slave, freedman, freeman, noble) are forbidden to marry. Most citizens are human, though the D’Kala (lizardmen) and Sha’ir (Halflings) are often found in their own quarters of the cities. Outside the cities, the terrain ranges from tropical savanna in the north to arid plains and hills in the south. Tribes of nomads wander these areas, most notably the Hatari (wild elves).
Magic is rare and usually used for evil, thus most people fear any who use it. That said, most nobles employ a wizard or two for various purposes. People are also wary of any non-humans, especially hatari. Magic rarely can be bought or sold, but alchemy is very common, for the right price.
Qoute: “Why should we fight, when we can drink, gamble, and whore?”
Description:
You are of moderate build, rather handsome, and present a fine figure. Your hair is black, oiled and curly, your eyes are blue, and your sport a finely groomed mustache and goatee. You dress in the best possible, given your situation, wearing silk underclothes, bisht (cloak), and a very fancy keffiyeh (hand scarf).
Story:
You were born a freeman, though one of very low status. Your mother was a dancer in an acting troupe in the capital city of Buhtan, and your father could be anyone. Growing up in the Actors Quarter, you learned how to sing, dance, and play the oud at an early age. Seeking a better life, you also learned how to read, write, and speak as a gentleman. After your mother died, you wandered the Caliphate seeking fame and fortune before returning to the city of your birth. Your skills and silver tongue helped you find a place performing for nobility and even for the Caliph himself in the palace. Sadly, your penchant for romantic intrigue (and especially young, wealthy women) has landed you in trouble many times. One of the people you often adventure with, and a good friend as well, is Malik Sudani, a big barbarian and former gladiator turned freelance thief and hired muscle. Another good friend is the bounty hunter Kassar the Elf, though his non-humanness is a bit upsetting.
Recently you have been pursuing the young and beautiful daughter of Emir Tariq of Ghaloum. The radiant Mirriam had nearly succumbed to your charms when your tryst was revealed and you lost your place at court. Forced to scrape to survive, you now live in a rat infested apartment in the filthy Backwaters area. Yesterday afternoon you were to meet sweet Mirriam in the Gardens of Bashir. You showed up early to make sure things were safe, but shortly before she was to arrive, you heard her scream out, followed by sounds of a struggle. You ran to were you heard her, only to find no Mirriam and only a dropped handkerchief bearing her initials. Reeling with despair, you sought out your friends Malik Sudani and Kassar the Elf. You are returning to Malik’s apartment after drinking long into the night at The Sign of the Happy Manticore.
After rescuing the beautiful (as well as young and rich) Mirriam from the clutches of the Cult of Tsagotha, you have found your situation unchanged. She, who was your love, is now under the protection of the Caliph and resides in his harem. Her father, the Emir, rewarded you greatly with a golden cup filled with Lions, plus a ruby ring made of twisted platinum wire. Sadly, you have spent the coin on drink and women (to forget your lost love, of course) and hawked the cup to make rent. Seeking better fortunes, and hoping to avoid Jumba’s assassins, you have decided to accompany Malik across the sands…
Contacts:
Siraj ibn Nuri, gatekeeper at the palace and old friend
The Yellow Dove acting troupe
Mahdi of the Single Eye, a reclusive and fearsome wizard
About the Setting:
The Caliphate is a vast empire stretching from the Great Escarpment in the north to the Great Erg in the south. It is the center of trade for the continent of Alateff. The empire is rules by a hereditary monarch, currently Kahfir XI, of the house of Amara. The climate is warm with cool nights and little rain. Social structure is based around class, and the various classes (slave, freedman, freeman, noble) are forbidden to marry. Most citizens are human, though the D’Kala (lizardmen) and Sha’ir (Halflings) are often found in their own quarters of the cities. Outside the cities, the terrain ranges from tropical savanna in the north to arid plains and hills in the south. Tribes of nomads wander these areas, most notably the Hatari (wild elves).
Magic is rare and usually used for evil, thus most people fear any who use it. That said, most nobles employ a wizard or two for various purposes. People are also wary of any non-humans, especially hatari. Magic rarely can be bought or sold, but alchemy is very common, for the right price.
Character Background #2
Abduhādi Mem- Kabur
Quote: “We will find water over this next dune, if the gods will it.”
Description: You are a tall, wiry man in his early twenties, with grey-black skin, blue eyes and very fine features. Your hair is wavy and black and you keep it cropped short for comfort. There is no doubt that like most of the Sha’ir you have some elven blood. As befits a man of the Sha’ir you wear a long blue cotton shesh (robe) over white cotton pants and shirt. Like all Sha’ir men, you wrap a long cloth called an alasho around your head, throat, and face. It is considered bad luck to reveal one’s face to strangers, and thus you are covered by a veil-like edge of the alasho most of the time. A consummate warrior as well as a guide, you carry a scimitar, ajaba dagger, buckler, and compound bow where ever you go. Always accompanying you is your horse Baqu,.
Story: You were born amongst the Mem-Kabur tribe of the Sha’ir, a desert people who roam the lands from the Caliphate to Far Shonga. Your family is one that has for generations guided caravans across the Great Erg, and as soon as you were old enough you began accompanying your father on the long ride south from the Oasis of Mem-Kabur and back. The ways of the shifting sands and open wastes are well known to you, and you feel more at home in the deep deserts than in the oasis with your mother, sisters, daughters, and three wives. Sometimes it is so good to be away.
The Mem-Kabur tribe owns the oasis named after them as well as the rights to use the western route across the Great Erg (and also all the lesser oases and waterholes along it). This brings great wealth to the tribe, as all caravans crossing the sands must use either your tribe’s route or that of your rivals, the Mem-Habib. It is your duty to not only guide caravans, but to keep the route free of bandits and other dangers. Also, you are to drive off any and all interlopers who seek to poach the route from your tribe, especially those rogues the Mem-Habib.
Like many Sha’ir you have turned away from the old religion and follow that of the Prophet of the gods, Ibrahim. The Prophet teaches that all gods are one, and that it is the duty of all life to worship and obey them. As such, you do not fall prey to the petty superstitions of the city folk, but instead adhere to a pure way of fasting, prayer, and charity.
You have been hired as a guide for a caravan out of the capital, Buhtan, that is heading to Far Shonga carrying a load of glass, wine, olive oil, and other goods of the city. The caravan is owned by the ibn Bārí family, a wealthy merchant house that has dealt with your tribe for generations. You have been in the saddle for twelve days and are making good time. This morning you were saying your morning prayers when a scout rode into camp to report that a city was uncovered in the sands near the western route. Since it is only a few hours journey to the next water hole and the caravan is well guarded, perhaps this city needs to be checked out.
About the Setting:
The Caliphate is a vast empire stretching from the Great Escarpment in the north to the Great Erg in the south. It is the center of trade for the continent of Alateff. The empire is rules by a hereditary monarch, currently Kahfir XI, of the house of Amara. The climate is warm with cool nights and little rain. Social structure is based around class, and the various classes (slave, freedman, freeman, noble) are forbidden to marry. Most citizens are human, though the D’Kala (lizardmen) and Sha’ir (Halflings) are often found in their own quarters of the cities. Outside the cities, the terrain ranges from tropical savanna in the north to arid plains and hills in the south. Tribes of nomads wander these areas, most notably the Hatari (wild elves).
Magic is rare and usually used for evil, thus most people fear any who use it. That said, most nobles employ a wizard or two for various purposes. People are also wary of any non-humans, especially hatari. Magic rarely can be bought or sold, but alchemy is very common, for the right price.
Quote: “We will find water over this next dune, if the gods will it.”
Description: You are a tall, wiry man in his early twenties, with grey-black skin, blue eyes and very fine features. Your hair is wavy and black and you keep it cropped short for comfort. There is no doubt that like most of the Sha’ir you have some elven blood. As befits a man of the Sha’ir you wear a long blue cotton shesh (robe) over white cotton pants and shirt. Like all Sha’ir men, you wrap a long cloth called an alasho around your head, throat, and face. It is considered bad luck to reveal one’s face to strangers, and thus you are covered by a veil-like edge of the alasho most of the time. A consummate warrior as well as a guide, you carry a scimitar, ajaba dagger, buckler, and compound bow where ever you go. Always accompanying you is your horse Baqu,.
Story: You were born amongst the Mem-Kabur tribe of the Sha’ir, a desert people who roam the lands from the Caliphate to Far Shonga. Your family is one that has for generations guided caravans across the Great Erg, and as soon as you were old enough you began accompanying your father on the long ride south from the Oasis of Mem-Kabur and back. The ways of the shifting sands and open wastes are well known to you, and you feel more at home in the deep deserts than in the oasis with your mother, sisters, daughters, and three wives. Sometimes it is so good to be away.
The Mem-Kabur tribe owns the oasis named after them as well as the rights to use the western route across the Great Erg (and also all the lesser oases and waterholes along it). This brings great wealth to the tribe, as all caravans crossing the sands must use either your tribe’s route or that of your rivals, the Mem-Habib. It is your duty to not only guide caravans, but to keep the route free of bandits and other dangers. Also, you are to drive off any and all interlopers who seek to poach the route from your tribe, especially those rogues the Mem-Habib.
Like many Sha’ir you have turned away from the old religion and follow that of the Prophet of the gods, Ibrahim. The Prophet teaches that all gods are one, and that it is the duty of all life to worship and obey them. As such, you do not fall prey to the petty superstitions of the city folk, but instead adhere to a pure way of fasting, prayer, and charity.
You have been hired as a guide for a caravan out of the capital, Buhtan, that is heading to Far Shonga carrying a load of glass, wine, olive oil, and other goods of the city. The caravan is owned by the ibn Bārí family, a wealthy merchant house that has dealt with your tribe for generations. You have been in the saddle for twelve days and are making good time. This morning you were saying your morning prayers when a scout rode into camp to report that a city was uncovered in the sands near the western route. Since it is only a few hours journey to the next water hole and the caravan is well guarded, perhaps this city needs to be checked out.
About the Setting:
The Caliphate is a vast empire stretching from the Great Escarpment in the north to the Great Erg in the south. It is the center of trade for the continent of Alateff. The empire is rules by a hereditary monarch, currently Kahfir XI, of the house of Amara. The climate is warm with cool nights and little rain. Social structure is based around class, and the various classes (slave, freedman, freeman, noble) are forbidden to marry. Most citizens are human, though the D’Kala (lizardmen) and Sha’ir (Halflings) are often found in their own quarters of the cities. Outside the cities, the terrain ranges from tropical savanna in the north to arid plains and hills in the south. Tribes of nomads wander these areas, most notably the Hatari (wild elves).
Magic is rare and usually used for evil, thus most people fear any who use it. That said, most nobles employ a wizard or two for various purposes. People are also wary of any non-humans, especially hatari. Magic rarely can be bought or sold, but alchemy is very common, for the right price.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
A Character Background
Malik Sudani
Description:
You are a large man, with a broad chest and thick arms covered in scars. Your skin is black, almost blue in its darkness, and you have black eyes. Your head is shaven, and across your brow are the four branded stars that signify you are a warrior of your tribe. In dress, you prefer to wear a light silk sirwal (pants), sandals, a hippopotamus leather baldric, and a silk sash, in the evenings you throw on a heavy wool bisht (cloak) against the cold. Whenever possible, you leave your massive chest exposed to frighten and intimidate.
Story:
You were born amongst the Dembe people from the land across the Great Erg. Shortly after you became a man, your village was raided by slavers and you were captured. Many died on the march across the burning sands of the Great Erg, and you are now the last of your village. Sold into the arena, you fought as a gladiator for ten years before winning your freedom.
Today you work as hired muscle, sometimes a body guard, sometimes a thug. Over the past few years you have been involved in several misadventures with other freelance individuals such as yourself, sometimes even defying the Black Hand to carry out freelance burglaries. One of the people you often work with, and a good friend as well, is Faoud ibn Samir, a jack of all trades and foppish dandy. He may be irritating, but he is loyal and good in a fight, plus he has picked up some useful tricks.
Although lost forever from your homeland, you maintain many of the beliefs of your tribe. Very superstitious, you fear and distrust magic, even the minor tricks that Faoud performs. You don’t worship any gods other than the ancestor orisha of your people. But also do not anger any gods either.
Last night Faoud came to your apartment very distressed, it seems that whichever courtly lady he was trying to seduce has disappeared, and he has no idea what happened to her. You both stayed up late into the night at the Sign of the Happy Manticore, and are now returning to your apartment to sleep it off. Hopefully your woman, a free woman named Leena, won’t be too angry.
After the incident of the Cult of Tsagotha, you have found yourself out of work, your woman has left you and is now under protection in the palace, and you have spent most of your savings rescuing her. After helping Hiram root out the cultists in his household, you discovered that Jumba survived the gang war and came out as the leading underworld figure in Buhtan. With Jumba’s assassins closing in, you have decided to heed the call of your homeland, a call that will lead you across the sands…
Contacts:
Hiram ibn Abubakkar, your former owner. You don’t bear him any ill will, and he may aid you if he can.
The Slayer’s Guild, you have worked for them in the past as extra muscle
The Thieves’ Guild, you have worked for them in the past as extra muscle
Abdul-Bari ibn Umar, owner of The Prancing Ape
Jumba, a former gladiator and now underworld figure
About the Setting:
The Caliphate is a vast empire stretching from the Great Escarpment in the north to the Great Erg in the south. It is the center of trade for the continent of Alateff. The empire is rules by a hereditary monarch, currently Kahfir XI, of the house of Amara. The climate is warm with cool nights and little rain. Social structure is based around class, and the various classes (slave, freedman, freeman, noble) are forbidden to marry. Most citizens are human, though the D’Kala (lizardmen) and Sha’ir (Halflings) are often found in their own quarters of the cities. Outside the cities, the terrain ranges from tropical savanna in the north to arid plains and hills in the south. Tribes of nomads wander these areas, most notably the Hatari (wild elves).
Magic is rare and usually used for evil, thus most people fear any who use it. That said, most nobles employ a wizard or two for various purposes. People are also wary of any non-humans, especially hatari. Magic rarely can be bought or sold, but alchemy is very common, for the right price.
Description:
You are a large man, with a broad chest and thick arms covered in scars. Your skin is black, almost blue in its darkness, and you have black eyes. Your head is shaven, and across your brow are the four branded stars that signify you are a warrior of your tribe. In dress, you prefer to wear a light silk sirwal (pants), sandals, a hippopotamus leather baldric, and a silk sash, in the evenings you throw on a heavy wool bisht (cloak) against the cold. Whenever possible, you leave your massive chest exposed to frighten and intimidate.
Story:
You were born amongst the Dembe people from the land across the Great Erg. Shortly after you became a man, your village was raided by slavers and you were captured. Many died on the march across the burning sands of the Great Erg, and you are now the last of your village. Sold into the arena, you fought as a gladiator for ten years before winning your freedom.
Today you work as hired muscle, sometimes a body guard, sometimes a thug. Over the past few years you have been involved in several misadventures with other freelance individuals such as yourself, sometimes even defying the Black Hand to carry out freelance burglaries. One of the people you often work with, and a good friend as well, is Faoud ibn Samir, a jack of all trades and foppish dandy. He may be irritating, but he is loyal and good in a fight, plus he has picked up some useful tricks.
Although lost forever from your homeland, you maintain many of the beliefs of your tribe. Very superstitious, you fear and distrust magic, even the minor tricks that Faoud performs. You don’t worship any gods other than the ancestor orisha of your people. But also do not anger any gods either.
Last night Faoud came to your apartment very distressed, it seems that whichever courtly lady he was trying to seduce has disappeared, and he has no idea what happened to her. You both stayed up late into the night at the Sign of the Happy Manticore, and are now returning to your apartment to sleep it off. Hopefully your woman, a free woman named Leena, won’t be too angry.
After the incident of the Cult of Tsagotha, you have found yourself out of work, your woman has left you and is now under protection in the palace, and you have spent most of your savings rescuing her. After helping Hiram root out the cultists in his household, you discovered that Jumba survived the gang war and came out as the leading underworld figure in Buhtan. With Jumba’s assassins closing in, you have decided to heed the call of your homeland, a call that will lead you across the sands…
Contacts:
Hiram ibn Abubakkar, your former owner. You don’t bear him any ill will, and he may aid you if he can.
The Slayer’s Guild, you have worked for them in the past as extra muscle
The Thieves’ Guild, you have worked for them in the past as extra muscle
Abdul-Bari ibn Umar, owner of The Prancing Ape
Jumba, a former gladiator and now underworld figure
About the Setting:
The Caliphate is a vast empire stretching from the Great Escarpment in the north to the Great Erg in the south. It is the center of trade for the continent of Alateff. The empire is rules by a hereditary monarch, currently Kahfir XI, of the house of Amara. The climate is warm with cool nights and little rain. Social structure is based around class, and the various classes (slave, freedman, freeman, noble) are forbidden to marry. Most citizens are human, though the D’Kala (lizardmen) and Sha’ir (Halflings) are often found in their own quarters of the cities. Outside the cities, the terrain ranges from tropical savanna in the north to arid plains and hills in the south. Tribes of nomads wander these areas, most notably the Hatari (wild elves).
Magic is rare and usually used for evil, thus most people fear any who use it. That said, most nobles employ a wizard or two for various purposes. People are also wary of any non-humans, especially hatari. Magic rarely can be bought or sold, but alchemy is very common, for the right price.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Poetry in Gaming
There should be more poetry in roleplaying, and not just from the party's bard. Looking back over the years, I can think of only one campaign I was in that regularly featured poetry of any kind. Back in 1999, I ran a Legends of the Five Rings campaign. I awarded extra experience points for various out of game and in game actions. You could earn bonus xp for bringing Asian food to the game, showing up early to watch chanbara movies, wearing appropriate costume (we had a lot of ex-martial artists with a gi or two), or writing a haiku from your character's perspective. There was a lot of haiku (and egg rolls) and some of it was pretty good.
Going beyond that, I have been pondering the role of prose in game books. Every one I have come across explains the system and setting in prose, some of it narrative, some of it very dry and technical. Why not try verse instead? Imagine a game system entirely laid out in verse, and thus open to wild interpretation. This would not be for everybody, especially rules lawyers and strict simulationists. However, it would present a very interesting take on the standard in game design, knowing that the readers (and thus the players) of a game will be free to take things in wild new directions.
I'll leave you with a little gaming haiku:
The moment of fate
Let the dice fall as they may
Natural twenty plea
Going beyond that, I have been pondering the role of prose in game books. Every one I have come across explains the system and setting in prose, some of it narrative, some of it very dry and technical. Why not try verse instead? Imagine a game system entirely laid out in verse, and thus open to wild interpretation. This would not be for everybody, especially rules lawyers and strict simulationists. However, it would present a very interesting take on the standard in game design, knowing that the readers (and thus the players) of a game will be free to take things in wild new directions.
I'll leave you with a little gaming haiku:
The moment of fate
Let the dice fall as they may
Natural twenty plea
Thursday, December 10, 2009
A Look at Twenty-Five Years of Gaming
This past October marked twenty-five years of roleplaying for me. It all started in a small town in Maryland where a nine year old Ken Spencer found no friends and a lot of free time. Saving up my allowance, I purchased the red boxed set of Dungeons and Dragons at a kay-be toy store. Little did I know that it would change my life forever.
That I got into gaming was not mere happenstance, but fate. My father was an avid Avalon Hill boardgamer and occasional miniature wargamer, I had several cousins who played D&D, and unbeknownst to me at the time my sister was also a roleplayer. Both my parents were (and still are) voracious readers and very imaginative people. Naturally I would gravitate to a hobby that played off these factors.
Opening that big red box, coloring the numbers on the dice, and flipping through the pages opened a whole new world (or worlds) to me. From gaming I learned how to write, to tell a story, to see the world through another’s eyes. Critical thinking and decision making skills were taught without me even knowing it, plus lots of lessons about math and probability. I am told by those in athletics that sports teach important lessons about teamwork and integrity. Well, so does taking down an ancient red dragon, saving the princess, stopping the alien hordes, and all those things we gamers do vicariously on a regular basis.
My gaming has evolved since those first nights sitting alone at the kitchen table and wandering through every solo adventure I could find. When I look back at all the games I have played, it is a road map of this hobby and industry. D&D, AD&D, the White Wolf revolution, BRP, Call of Cthulhu, GRUPS, MERP, Star Frontiers, Gamma World, Boothill, Pendragon, Star Trek, Star Wars, d6, d20, d100, 7th Sea, L5R, and I could name a hundred more.
Now that hobby has become a career (and a paying one at that), and to think my folks thought it was a passing fad. Best of all, I have made lifelong friends with those I met around the gaming table; one even introduced me to my wife. So here’s a big thank you to all those I shared some dice and bad pizza with (in no particular order): Ted Snider (the Godfather), Jeff Gilbert (and our newest player, Kelly), Bill and Briony Yocum, Dan and Peter Carlin (my first follower), Jeff Luzadas (teach your kids to play), Ralph, Ashley D’Cruz, Marco Silva, Dave Joiner, Tad and Suzanne Wesley, Jeremy Hedge, Jordan Criss, Kyle Hopkins, Eric Decker, Snapp (no hard feelings), Kent, Mullis, Twitch (may you be rolling dice in the afterlife), Lori Tankersly, Krisit Kinnamen, Autumn Knicely, Ben, Kevin Mulloy (wherever you are), Ty and Nick Brewer, Tod Pultz, Big Mark, Art, Cody Wilkenson, Puerto Rico Jim, Dave Seneff, Mondo, Chris Fitzpatrick, Carlos Fernandez (did my order come in?), Tim Hume, Anjie Hillman Richhart, Andy Wilson, Jack Stutzman, Hawk, Keldon Salyer, Crazy Ivan, Amy, Dawn (Big Sis) Spencer, Kari and Chris DeWitt (first of first cousins), and allo the others who have passed through our imaginations.
That I got into gaming was not mere happenstance, but fate. My father was an avid Avalon Hill boardgamer and occasional miniature wargamer, I had several cousins who played D&D, and unbeknownst to me at the time my sister was also a roleplayer. Both my parents were (and still are) voracious readers and very imaginative people. Naturally I would gravitate to a hobby that played off these factors.
Opening that big red box, coloring the numbers on the dice, and flipping through the pages opened a whole new world (or worlds) to me. From gaming I learned how to write, to tell a story, to see the world through another’s eyes. Critical thinking and decision making skills were taught without me even knowing it, plus lots of lessons about math and probability. I am told by those in athletics that sports teach important lessons about teamwork and integrity. Well, so does taking down an ancient red dragon, saving the princess, stopping the alien hordes, and all those things we gamers do vicariously on a regular basis.
My gaming has evolved since those first nights sitting alone at the kitchen table and wandering through every solo adventure I could find. When I look back at all the games I have played, it is a road map of this hobby and industry. D&D, AD&D, the White Wolf revolution, BRP, Call of Cthulhu, GRUPS, MERP, Star Frontiers, Gamma World, Boothill, Pendragon, Star Trek, Star Wars, d6, d20, d100, 7th Sea, L5R, and I could name a hundred more.
Now that hobby has become a career (and a paying one at that), and to think my folks thought it was a passing fad. Best of all, I have made lifelong friends with those I met around the gaming table; one even introduced me to my wife. So here’s a big thank you to all those I shared some dice and bad pizza with (in no particular order): Ted Snider (the Godfather), Jeff Gilbert (and our newest player, Kelly), Bill and Briony Yocum, Dan and Peter Carlin (my first follower), Jeff Luzadas (teach your kids to play), Ralph, Ashley D’Cruz, Marco Silva, Dave Joiner, Tad and Suzanne Wesley, Jeremy Hedge, Jordan Criss, Kyle Hopkins, Eric Decker, Snapp (no hard feelings), Kent, Mullis, Twitch (may you be rolling dice in the afterlife), Lori Tankersly, Krisit Kinnamen, Autumn Knicely, Ben, Kevin Mulloy (wherever you are), Ty and Nick Brewer, Tod Pultz, Big Mark, Art, Cody Wilkenson, Puerto Rico Jim, Dave Seneff, Mondo, Chris Fitzpatrick, Carlos Fernandez (did my order come in?), Tim Hume, Anjie Hillman Richhart, Andy Wilson, Jack Stutzman, Hawk, Keldon Salyer, Crazy Ivan, Amy, Dawn (Big Sis) Spencer, Kari and Chris DeWitt (first of first cousins), and allo the others who have passed through our imaginations.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Man, Its Windy Today
I mean super windy, things are blowing around, the trees are a' dancin'. Which leads me to think, why does weather seem to play a back seat in rolepalying? Despite the hordes of weather tables or the climate sections of campaign guides, weather often only appears when it is dramatically important. It is as if our adventurers wander through days of eternal sunshine and summer, only to be tipped off that bad things are coming when the clouds roll in. I propose we all work weather into our next game. If you are a GM, make some reference to today's forecast, or at least give them something besides a warm cheery day. If you are a player, bring up the weather, ask the GM if it looks like rain, comment on fine a day it is, or just keep pestering your GM by making weather sense rolls.
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