Background: 20 Answers (Alison)

Alison gave me permission to post her character background and the 20 answers she wrote to the 20 questions I wrote. If anyone else in the group wants me to post their answers, let me know and I will be happy to do that.

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Ok, my character is a human cleric, devotee of the Skaven nest mother goddess. Her name is Nida Endicott (she changed it from her given name, Isabella, to Nida - from the Latin for 'nest'), and she was born and raised in Boston by a fairly wealthy, old family, pretty upper crust. She lived a privileged life and went to a good college (though she didn't get into Massachusetts Bay Colony Institute of Technological and Arcane Arts--didn't have the grades for it--she's not very good at arcane spellcasting, and she's certainly no natural sorcerer; what little magic she has comes only from the goddess). She wasn't raised by Skaven, didn't suffer some life-changing, traumatic event that caused her to reject her own upbringing and seek other society or a different faith. Her upper-class life was perfectly comfortable; but being in Boston, she was regularly exposed to Skaven culture and religion, and something about it just spoke to her, felt right.

She doesn't strike me as much of an adventurer; like the Skaven, she's curious, but essentially a homebody--always stay within range of the nest!--so I'm not quite sure how she's going to wind up on this campaign. Maybe a Skaven colony has been threatened?

She's not particularly exceptional--capable and educated, but not brilliant; active, fit, but no warrior; only a fair-to-middling cleric. I imagine her employing her most rat-like characteristics to help the party--short-range recon, securing our 'nest' whenever we make camp, charming new acquaintances, stashing potentially helpful items for later use, caring for the ill/injured in the party. Of course, she's not Skaven, but these are the the characteristics she loves about them (considering her emotionally distant upbringing, she especially loves how affectionate and demonstrative they are, always touching, hugging), so she's worked hard to develop these characteristics in herself and to utilize the goddess's magic for these purposes.

CONJECTURE--hopefully none of this violates what we already know about this world:

Among humans, even those in Boston where the Skaven originated, the idea of a human living among the Skaven is only just tolerated, certainly raises some eyebrows; elsewhere (especially in CSA and even more so in Deseret), it's looked on with disdain or outright disgust. Her own family is, of course, bitterly disappointed that she has 'thrown away' her education and opportunities to live a life of service and obscurity among 'those creatures'. The one exception is her eccentric, free-spirited Aunt Eliza Gardner, who paid for her seminary training. Even most Skaven--other than those who really know her, those with whom she trained as a novitiate and the congregants she serves--are skeptical about her allegiance; they tend to see her as a dilettante and assume her interest is fleeting, that she doesn't really serve the Skaven and will go run back to her privileged life at the slightest challenge. People of the 500 Nations are most tolerant of her unusual lifestyle; with their culture steeped in spirituality, a shaman in every community, they readily accept the idea that a deity called her into its service.

01)  Where is your character from?

Boston

02)  Where did they get their training or learn their skills?

Went to college on her parents' dime, then decided to devote her life to serving the Skaven nest mother goddess, probably spent a few years as a novitiate at some kind of Eight Paths seminary? I imagine it's like med school--a few years of general study, then a few years of 'residency' to a particular god/dess?

03)  What is / was their family background?

Wealthy, white, privileged. WASP-y.

04)  What is their view of magic use and magic users?

A little envious, actually--never had the natural skill of a sorcerer or the focus/smarts of an alchemist. She's a cleric but not really much of one--the power of the goddess may be less accessible to her because she's not Skaven?

05)  What is their view of the six major powers occupying the continental United States (the USA, the CSA, the 500 Nations, Peachtree, La Republica de Tejas and Deseret?)

USA - good, but not quite progressive enough

CSA - backward, ignorant

Peachtree - cool

Tejas - cool, though she wouldn't want to live there, except in a major city (she was raised in luxury, after all)

Deseret - monstrous a-holes (bounty on Skaven pelts?!?)

500 Nations - cool

06)  Have they been to another planet yet? Do they want to go some day?

Nope - she's curious, but essentially a homebody.

07)  Your character finds $500 on the ground (a windfall equal to a three months' wages for a working class laborer). There's no way to tell who it belongs to. What do they do with the money? Does this answer change if they find it by themselves or in the group?

If she's with others, use it to help the party. Buy everyone dinner? Stock up on supplies?

If she's alone when she finds it, probably uses it to buy some silk underthings and a bottle of really excellent wine (see answer #9). But then she'd feel terrible for not using it to help the party or donating it to the Eight Paths seminary where she trained.(Bostonians are big into philanthropy.) 

08)  What religion (if any) does your character follow, and how fervently?

She's a devotee of the Skaven nest mother goddess.

09)  What's one of their bad habits? How about a good habit?

Bad: She secretly misses the luxury in which she was raised--jumps at any opportunity for fine clothes, good food.

Good: Always fussing over everyone, making sure they're comfortable--refilling drinks and plates before they run out, overstocking on food and supplies.

10)  What does your character do with their leisure time?

Continuously redecorate her little apartment.

11)  What would your character order at a restaurant? Does this answer change if someone else is paying for the meal? 

If she or someone else in the party is paying, she'd stick with fresh fruits and veggies, nothing fancy.

If someone outside the party is paying, she'd get the lobster.

12)  Does your character have any bias against the Skaven, the Red or Green Lizardmen, against Tripod Martians (or against humans, if they're a nonhuman character)? Does your character have any prejudices against other humans if they are a human?

She despises people from Deseret.

Finds the Martians off-puttingly bizarre but hates herself for that reaction so she tamps down pretty hard on it.

13)  Where do they live when not adventuring? Is it just a rented room somewhere or an actual home?

Rented apartment in Boston; would love to own her own place but can't afford it.

14)  How does your character tend to dress when out in the field having adventures? Are their "town clothes" different from this?

Practical--fitted, comfortable clothes, nothing flowy or restrictive or revealing.

She probably has some fancy items left from her younger years, maybe busts out an actual gown if the occasion calls for it, cleans up quite well.

I'm guessing in her role as cleric she probably has some simple, ascetic robes or something?

15)  How does your character pack for travel or for going out into the field for adventuring?

Overpacks, hates the idea of anyone being hungry/uncomfortable because she ran out of something. Probably has a hidden vial of truffle oil or nice perfume hiding somewhere in her gear.

16)  What is your character's education level? (It is presumed that all PCs will be literate in English without a reason for that in the back story.)

Went to a good college, then trained at seminary. 

17)  What is your character afraid of?

Finds the tripod Martians creepy but tries not to show it. Winding up in Deseret is about the worst thing she can think of--they'd probably kill her.

18)  Does your character owe a significant favor to anyone? Does anyone owe them a significant favor?

She feels hugely indebted to her aunt Eliza, who paid for her seminary training after her parents cut her off, and the seminary itself. But Eliza has refused all attempts at repayment.

In her role as cleric, I'm sure she's done some healing, so there may be random folks who feel indebted to her, but she wouldn't consider them to be or even necessarily remember helping them. It's all just part of the job.

19)  What does your character want to get out of adventuring? What to they expect to get out if it? What are they afraid could happen while out on adventures?

Not a natural adventurer, she must be in it to help somebody, protect the Skaven somehow? She's terrified something will happen to her apartment, her...church? while she's not there. Hates being so far from her own 'nest'. Can't wait for this adventure to be over so she can go home.

20)  What, if anything, does your character consider to be a cause worth dying for? What would they see as a good death?

She'd be willing to die in defense of her own 'colony' (the party), the Skaven, Aunt Eliza. She should be willing to die for the nest mother goddess, but in all honesty, she feels more loyalty to real, living beings than to the deity.

21)  If your character was old enough to serve in the Civil War (1861-1874; game takes place 25 years after), what did they do and which army were they in? 

Born too late to participate in the war.

22)  Does your character prefer to keep their personal money as paper or coin (both are available and accepted everywhere)? 

Coins - paper is too easily damaged (especially by toothy rodents).

Bonus question:  What advice would you give your character if you could?

Don't be so trusting--be friendly, but embrace the Skaven trait of cautiousness, too.