As promised.. here are the other characters that the players will be able to choose from tomorrow..
character sheets are, of course, already prepared.. these are merely background 'ideas' for them..
it is up to the players whether or not they want to use the pre-written histories
Aerron O'Donegal
Inish Sailor
Aerron was never a good boy, he was born under a bad sign.. and that sign said 'Kendra's House of Leisure'. Aerron grew up fast, he had to. He didn't have a chance to simply be a kid. He had numerous scrapes with the law and finally decided to set his sights on something more than just the isles of Inismore.
Aerron is not an idealist..
He cares that his belly is full, his wallet is bulging, and his bed is not empty.. in that order. Throw in some random violence and liquor.. and he is a happy man.
He has made fast friends with the equally volitile Inishman, Paedraeg, the first mate of the ship. The pair are under orders to never go ashore together into a port of call since the last time the two went off the captain awoke to the cries of a town burning.
Aerron isn't evil.. or 'bad'.. he just seeks the shortest route to what he wants. He won't break the rules aboard ship though, those are almost sacred, nor will he abandon a friend. He has few enough of them, and he doesn't want those few to disappear on him.
Andre Flaubert du Dore
Montaigne Sailor
Andre is a Montaigne, he is fiercly proud of his nation and people. He grew up to be an honest, thoughtful, and caring noble. He was raised to think of his people first, his land second, himself last. Andre is clearly an idealist.
It didn't surprise his family when he joined the Musketeers, nor did it surprise them that he rose quickly in their ranks. He worked hard to keep the streets safe and the people he worked with grew to like him.
Then came the war..
then came the starvation..
then came the drafts..
the death..
the waste..
the disgusting oppulence of the other nobles..
When his unit was called to the front, Andre gritted his teeth and did his duty. He led his men into the fray. His unit won glory and reknown, honors were heeped on all of them, then they were pulled back to the rear for some rest. He was ordered to set his up in a small Castillian town. Andre could tell it's people had been brutalized and were on the verge of starvation so he tried to take it easy on them. He did not simply raid their stores for his use, he and his men paid. He did not simply take over a set of houses for his and his men use, they paid rent.
The people were understandbly sullen, but tollerant of this batch of Montaigne, then another unit arrived fresh from the front lines. They did not hold to the honor and integrety that Andre ran his unit, and the people revolted. The commanding officer of the new unit outranked him, and ordered Andre to fire on the people as his men set fire to the town.
Andre refused, the man called him a cowerd and a worthless sow. he heaped insult upon insult onto Andre but didn't raise to the taunts till the man brought up Montaigne and Andre's family. Andre snapped.
In an instant the other officer was dead at his feet and the men were all standing.. staring in stunned silence. He opened up to them..
They were Montaigne.. they were all better than this.
They were the greatest nation and it was their duty to refuse orders such as these. Killing the innocent was beneath them as Montaigne.. this war was beneath them.
The true war was back in the homes against the monarchy that led them into this folly..
Months and years of bottled rage flooded free in that instance, then he noticed that while his own men remained stunned, the other Montaigne soldiers were not so swayed and moved to either arrest him or simply kill him for slaying their leader. He killed the first two that stepped near and ripped off his Musketeer cloak vowing that he would not wear such a symbol of rightiousness till Montaigne was free from its current madness.
In that instance the locals rose up and attacked the Montaigne, giving Andre a chance to escape. He rode hard and fast for a port.. any port and hopped onto the first ship he could. As soon as he convinced the first mate not to kill him, he had a job and has been aboard ever since as one of the few men of fighting ability.
Kraig Mac Lawlson
Avalonian Knight
Kraig is a shining example of what it means to be a Avalonian from the Highland Marches. He grew up on the stories of valor and honor, while practicing with his peoples claymore. Kraig would have been quite at home on the back of a horse and clad in armor as he rode into battle.
However, just because these are not times of gleaming plate mail does not mean he can't live his life as if he were a knight of old. He found his chance to live his dream in Elaines court and was made a knight by her very hand. It was one of his proudest moments.
His most recent mission was to accompany the Lady Cassandra Lewis as she set up trade and peace negotiations with the Castillians. Kraig will do anything to see to her safety, and knows no fear.
Lady Allison Bedegrane
Avalonian Adventurer
Allison was not easily stifled. She yearned for more than just to be a simple Lady of the House. She was too headstrong for such a simple life, and needed to do more. She could do so much more and with the Montaigne leaving Avalonian shores and Elaine taking the throne, she had the opportunity.
After a distant relation opened a University bearing her families name she enrolled and was soon drawn to the secret group called the Invisible College. Allison threw herself into the endeavor. She sought out old books in the libraries around her, but soon exhausted them. Her only recourse was to set sail for lands and adventures unknown.
Yes, she was a bit naive to the entire affair. She saw it as a simple matter in which everyone around her would aid her in any way that they could and was surprised when they didn't. She couldn't exactly tell them what was going on, or why they should help, but the servants she had grown up with had always done as she wished and these people were no better than the servents.. so they should act the same.
It has not been an easy education for her, but she is slowly learning. She is a trusted member of a ship, is usually among the hunting party when they make landfall on some island or unoccupied area of the mainland, and is still building up her personal data files on life around her. She had heard that others of the Invisible College traveled in such a manner, and when they came across one another they share what ever stories and knowledge that they can.
Lady Cassandra Lewis
Avalonian Ambassador
Cassandra is a noble, and strives to live up to all that entails. Many see her as simply being pompous, condescending, or arrogant, and that is technically true. But, she was raised to be better than the under-classes and to know that she was better than the under-classes.
She has had a superior education to them, allowing her to make decisions that they could not. Her superior breeding has blessed her natural abilities that far outshine the peasantry around her. Cassandra will be more than glad to point out how much better she is than those not of noble blood. If she wasn't better than the everyone else.. then why would Elaine herself, Queen of all Avalon, have chosen her to be an ambassador to Castille?
Cassandra was taught that the best way to lead was not only by example, but also from the front so that those with 'lesser' mental capacities could easily follow.
Osric Volfgulingson
Vesten Sailor
Osric has watched his culture crumble while his father, once a proud warrior, fell into a drunken stupor. All he knew, and all he wanted to know was called 'archaic' and 'backwards'. Thus it was easy for him to seek glory and fortune abroad.
It is no secret that Osric loathes his Vendel cousins, nor is it a secret that he is search of something he could use to tip the scales back in his homeland in favor of the Vesten. He is one of the larger members of the crew, and is often sent ashore when dealing with the less reputable 'merchants' that they deliver to on occasion.
He would love to be in command of a longship, to feel the salt water spary over him as he leads men into raids. That will have to wait though as he builds up the funds to buy a ship of his own.
Ansgar Von Fruuland
Eisen Vagabond
Ansgar grew up on the streets of whatever city he could find food in. His hometown was burned in the war, his parents were killed, and his other family scattered. Scrounging on the edge of what was left of society was all he knew.
It wasn't a great leap to becoming a criminal, he just wasn't a very good criminal. Due to his size he easily found work as an enforcer for a small gang, and his skills with a long sword grew at this time. With Ansgar's help, the gang flourished. In fact it grew too well and they drew the attention of the local police after the local police were paid to care by a rival gang.
The police swooped in without mercy slaughtering any and all they could, they had been paid.. and paid well.. to make sure that the gang Ansgar was in no longer proved troublesome. The few survivors were offered three choices: join the monster hunters in the forests, leave, or die.
Ansgar thought about this for a moment and figured that joining the creature hunters was tantamont to suicide anyway, he opted to simply leave. Thus his career on the high seas of Theah began. Where he is going, he doesn't know. He just knows that he won't be going back to Eisen anytime soon, not that he had much of anything to return to. As of now, his life isn't bad. He works the sails, fights when he has to, and there is always food at the end of the day.
Ansgar has had it worse..
There is also a Montaigne failed priest that I have to type up.. I thought about making an Ussuran.. but.. just didn't feel like making one
the story I will be running is a pretty simple one..
the ship that the players are aboard is attacked by pirates, unfortunately, the ship they are on is in no way made for combat. What it is built to do.. is run. So that's what they did, they ran. Sadly, they didn't run well enough and the ship took severe damage. They were able to lose the pirates in a fog bank and found a small island with a decent harbor in which they could attempt repairs.
Most of the officers were either killed or incapacitated during the brief battle, and this includes the captain of the ship. One small party has already gone ashore to look for a new mast, the most critical part they need, and have not returned. It was clear from the attack that ship was specifically targeted for either their cargo or their passengers, so it won't be long till the pirates find their small haven and finish their previous attack..
Now, the players must not only find the timber to fix the ship.. but find their missing crewmates.
Once they find the crew.. they discover that all is not well on the island..
I mean.. come on.. did they really think it would be easy?
They're big shiney heroes!!
of course there was going to be some big ugly meanies!!
they just won't be walking two by two with hands of blue
Nix