ooc - 100 questions character map
(ooc - again, actually completed some time ago for my own satisfaction. Though some of the answers may be interesting to those who thought they knew Geddoe...)
Part 1: the Basics
1. What is your full name?
Geddoe. Just that. I have no surname.
2. Where and when were you born?
I know the year was 364, because I know exactly how old I was when my home was destroyed. As such, I no longer speak the name of it because it’s now part of Harmonia.
3. Who are/were your parents? Did/do they have occupations?
I barely remember my parents. They’ve been dead for almost a century.
4. Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like?
I didn’t.
5. Where do you live now, and with whom?
I’ve taken up residence at Budehuc castle, in the Grasslands. I share my living quarters with my lifemate, Sigurd.
6. What is your occupation?
Freelance mercenary.
7. Write a full physical description of the character. (Third Person)
Geddoe is a tall, powerful man, with the broad chest and shoulders and muscled arms of a swordsman, though lean and tough. He isn’t thick and brawny like some, rather hard and wiry - he has almost no body fat on him. He has a square jaw and high cheekbones, heavy brow, and an almost perpetual frown. His right eye is covered by a plain black leather eyepatch, as it was put out long ago and there is nothing but a scar beneath there. His good eye is dark gray, almost black, and his long, shaggy hair is also black. His hands are not over-large for a man his size and proportion, but a little gnarled from the ravages of time. He appears to be in his mid-thirties, but a little weathered from wear. He usually wears mostly black - black shirt and pants, black leather armor with gray accents. He almost always wears gloves while in public, and rarely goes about unarmed. His short sword hangs at his left side.
8. To which social class do you belong?
None. Mercenaries generally live outside the class system. Some make enough to pass for wealthier citizens, some have a more honorable code of conduct like knights. Some…not so much. I don’t really belong to any of these groups.
9. Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses?
No, I do not. The Rune I bear makes me immune to most diseases. If I am weak in any area, it is my agility. I’m fast but not always agile.
Oh…right. I’m blind on my right side. My right eye was put out in battle. I forget it’s an infirmity.
10. Are you right- or left-handed?
Right-handed.
11. What does your voice sound like?
Deep, but not baritone. Masculine, I would think. Not rough, but not…uh, musical in any way.
12. What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently?
I don’t really have any habits like that. People notice my lack of speech more often.
13. What do you have in your pockets?
A few extra potch for food and ale. It’s hard to reach my pockets so I tend not to keep things in them.
14. Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics?
Strange or annoying? I don’t think so. You may have to ask Sigurd - as far as I know I don’t even snore. I have caught myself fidgeting with the ring on my left hand, only because I’m still getting used to it - I generally haven’t worn jewelry before.
Part 2: Growing Up
15. How would you describe your childhood in general?
Forgettable. I have lived a very long life, so much of it has disappeared from my memory if I couldn’t find anything worthy about it to remember.
16. What is your earliest memory?
Of a clear event…fleeing my village when the Harmonian troops came over the hill in formation. I was eighteen. Prior to that, my memories are mere jumbles and flashes. Vague impressions of having been, at some point, a child or an adolescent, living in a familiar house.
17. How much schooling have you had?
Not a considerable amount. Much was informal. Most of the skills I have and use now were learned by doing, as I spent many years living as a nomadic bandit and mercenary.
18. Did you enjoy school?
If I had gone to one, I doubt I would have. It sounds like a stifling confinement.
19. Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities?
On the road - upon fleeing my homeland, I became a bandit to survive, and fell in with other bandits to form highway gangs. Everything from sword technique to rune lore to reading the stars and weather, I learned in the field. A fair amount of training was to be had as one of the Fire Bringer, leading an army against Harmonia.
20. While growing up, did you have any role models? If so, describe them.
There was a highwayman I learned much of my early sword training from. He took an impressionable young man under his wing, and taught me that there is such a thing as honor among thieves. While most of my contemporary moral code I owe to my time with Kaiden and Wyatt, as a youth I did look up to this bandit-leader as much as anyone could look up to another. He wasn’t noble and moral by any stretch, but he was charismatic and powerful. One of few bandits who actually retired wealthy before he could be killed like a dog.
21. While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family?
In the vague flashes of memory I have, there are occasional shouting matches. But I don’t recall actually hating my parents.
22. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I don’t know. I don’t remember.
23. As a child, what were your favorite activities?
Many of my disjointed memory fragments are set outside, so I gather I liked to run around outdoors.
24. As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display?
Your guess is as good as mine.
25. As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like?
I don’t remember anyone. The faces in my distant memories are as strange to me as the passersby on the street today.
26. When and with whom was your first kiss?
Now, that…I sort of remember. I was not yet eighteen, but it was not long before I fled home. Some girl, I don’t recall her name, but she cornered me behind the blacksmith after a…hmm. A festival of some kind. Harvest? I was young and stupid and went along for fun.
27. Are you a virgin? If not, when and with whom did you lose your virginity?
Certainly not. I don’t recall the exact age, place, or person, because it was underwhelming, but it was after I fled home, after becoming a bandit. Some wench who liked dangerous men in some village somewhere. I’m pretty sure the rest of the gang got me drunk and convinced some girl I needed deflowering.
28. If you are a supernatural being (i.e. mage, werewolf, vampire), tell the story of how you became what you are or first learned of your own abilities. If you are just a normal human, describe any influences in your past that led you to do the things you do today.
The defining feature of my power and my life is the True Lightning Rune. It came to me by accident, sort of, when I was thirty-six. In short, I stole the Rune orb from a temple at the fringes of Harmonian-controlled lands, but instead of selling it or holding it for ransom like I intended, the damn thing attached itself to me. Because of it, I fell in with the bearers of True Fire and True Water, became Fire Bringer, resisted Harmonia, and have both suffered and been driven every day of my life since.
Part 3: Past Influences
29. What do you consider the most important event of your life so far?
Receiving the True Lightning Rune. Followed by the end of the first war and the division between myself and my two best friends.
30. Who has had the most influence on you?
My friend Kaiden, the Flame Champion. He gave me something to believe in, and helped me to see that I wasn’t as morally bankrupt as I thought…and he also broke my heart. Uh…not in that way, mind you.
31. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Preventing Luc from destroying the world via the Five Elements.
32. What is your greatest regret?
Resenting my friend for fifty years because he made what I considered to be a poor choice.
33. What is the most evil thing you have ever done?
I turned my back on civilians who begged for mercy, simply because they were Harmonian.
34. Do you have a criminal record of any kind?
That depends. I was never arrested for any of the crimes I’ve committed, but I spent a good twenty or so years as a bandit, stealing and occasionally killing, to say nothing of the shady dealings I’ve had as a mercenary. So you could say I am a criminal, but there is no record of it.
35. When was the time you were the most frightened?
The night after True Lightning was taken from me, and I faced the reality of death for the first time in fifty years.
36. What is the most embarrassing thing ever to happen to you?
I tend to block out memories like that. And I’ve never let the other members of the 12th get me in any pranks, so if anything…it was probably in my youth. Being left out in the cold without my clothes after a drunken revelry or something similar. I’m sure it’s happened.
37. If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why?
Despite my failures and my regrets, I would not change anything. My life is as fate has made it.
38. What is your best memory?
A very recent one…Sigurd’s wordless admission that he loved me, while wearing the scarf I made him.
39. What is your worst memory?
The battle in which True Fire went out of control. It was a horrid thing to witness, even if it did essentially turn the tide of war and lead to a truce.
Part 4: Beliefs And Opinions
40. Are you basically optimistic or pessimistic?
I would like to consider myself a realist. But that often comes across pessimistic.
41. What is your greatest fear?
It used to be losing the Rune. Now…well. I fear that someone coming to get me and/or the Rune will kill Sigurd to get to me. I fear losing him tragically more than anything.
42. What are your religious views?
I have none. I carry a True Rune, its power is that of a god to many in this world. Whether or not it was born as the legend says, I don’t know and I don’t care. All I know is, there are no “gods,” no saints or devils, no spirits. Mysteries can be attributed to Runes, but I’d hardly call them gods since I can bear one and control it, resist its will of my own choosing. If there is an afterlife, I should expect that bearing a True Rune will give me automatic passage into it, but I don’t live hoping or thinking of one. If I expect anything, it’s Darkness beyond, and that’s why I fear dying.
43. What are your political views?
I have no political affiliation. Even as a Fire Bringer leading the Grasslands against Harmonia, I couldn’t claim to hold any views like that. My only ethic is for freedom; I believe in the basic right for all living beings to be free of tyranny, regardless of the oppressor nation or system. Elected officials or kings, councils or clerics, I don’t care. Some systems work, some don’t, but it isn’t my place to dictate which one should be used for any given people or culture. So long as the people are free from oppression, and there is no slavery, they can do whatever else they want.
44. What are your views on sex?
It is something people do. I’ve lived a long time, I’ve learned that people (including demi-humans of all races) are driven by their biological needs to rub their parts together. Whether it’s just for fun or for procreation, it doesn’t matter to me. Any two people can interlock their parts any way they want anytime. When you’ve lived as long as I have, you realize after a bit that it doesn’t even matter if they’re the same gender - sex is just sex. Of course…now that I’ve taken a partner, I’m inclined toward monogamy, but that doesn’t change the way I view the act for those who aren’t married or paired off. I honestly don’t care what people do behind closed doors with each other.
45. Are you able to kill? Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable?
Certainly. Killing is a part of my job. The only time I won’t do it is if the other party is unarmed and unable to defend themselves from me in any way - if the act of killing is unjustified. I don’t do it for the thrill. I only kill out of necessity to keep myself from being killed.
This is regarding battle, mind you. Civilians who have no reason to engage me in battle are perfectly safe, I don’t kill indiscriminately. And I do it a lot less as a mercenary than I did as a bandit - bandits are far more concerned about witnesses and raising alarms.
46. In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do?
Enslave another. Particularly when they believe it is their right to do so.
47. Do you believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love?
Not in a general sense. Though, the man I have given my heart to seems like a soulmate to me.
48. What do you believe makes a successful life?
Being content with who you are, what you have, and what you do. Not settling, but finding contentment.
49. How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings (i.e. do you hide your true self from others, and in what way)?
I do hide much of myself from others. I don’t volunteer tales of my past and I don’t talk about my feelings. I may share my thoughts on situations if the person I speak to could use my advice, or as a means of gaining information from them, but I don’t sit around and spill my deep dark secrets for just anyone. Only my closest swordbrothers are privy to that sort of…intimacy of mind, with me.
50. Do you have any biases or prejudices?
I suppose I could be accused of being slightly biased against Harmonia, but considering I worked for them for fourteen years, it’s a very selective bias.
51. Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? Why do you refuse to do it?
Return to a life of banditry. There have been some orders given through the Defense Force that I refused to obey because I thought they were stupid, would get my team killed, or were simply spiteful and of no greater value, but for the most part, I was not often asked to do anything particularly revolting. But now that I’m on my own, I prefer the jobs of a mercenary to being a bandit. I have had a long time to mend my ways, and I look back on that stage of my life with some regret. It’s petty and foolish, and beneath me, to waylay and rob people just to get by.
52. Who or what, if anything, would you die for (or otherwise go to extremes for)?
There are a select handful of friends I would die for, if the situation warranted. I used to not think that way, and some part of me still believes it’s foolish to sacrifice yourself and die for any other person when you can live and find another solution. But if it were a case of throwing yourself in front of a sword to protect another, I can count on my fingers the number of people I would protect that way. Sigurd being foremost. But I have too much to live for, so I would go to any extreme of sacrifice short of death before actually dying for anyone.
Part 5: Relationships With Others
53. In general, how do you treat others (politely, rudely, by keeping them at a distance, etc.)? Does your treatment of them change depending on how well you know them, and if so, how?
Generally, I don’t like people. I don’t try to interact with them. But the castle is small and close-knit, so I find myself being forced to talk to some I might ordinarily avoid. If anything, I treat people with indifference until I get to know them, or until there is some reason I need to speak with them. I have been a solitary man for a long time, that hasn’t really gone away. My closest friends, however, are allowed to see my sense of humor and can get more out of me when we sit and drink and talk.
54. Who is the most important person in your life, and why?
Sigurd, my beloved. He essentially changed my life. I considered myself unable to love, and claimed to be better off without love. But I found myself falling for him, and when he returned my feelings, I discovered that love is an extension of friendship and loyalty that I could live with. I could have gone on living another hundred years as a cold, lonely man, but I’m glad that because of him, I don’t have to.
55. Who is the person you respect the most, and why?
I suppose, Kyle. I don’t have a knight’s code, so to see him lose his way and then find it again, and choose to live up to his code, earns my respect. And he knocked me on my backside, that earns it as well. He doesn’t take his station for granted, he fought a hard battle to regain it.
56. Who are your friends? Do you have a best friend? Describe these people.
Aside from Sigurd, my best friend is Wyatt Lightfellow. He is my closest swordbrother, and is rather an opposite to me - friendly, outgoing, jovial. Laughs a lot. Kaiden is also my good friend, but the falling-out we had over his decision fifty years ago lingers still, putting more distance between us than I would like. I consider Queen, Aila, Kyle, and Belcoot my close friends as well. I am acquainted with more people around the castle but I’m not as close to them as those already named.
57. Do you have a spouse or significant other?
Sigurd.
58. Have you ever been in love?
I am now. I think it’s the first time.
59. What do you look for in a potential lover?
I never did before. I don’t know. Prior to Sigurd, I was only interested in sex for the sake of release and enjoyment. In that, I looked for someone who didn’t bother me too much. Some years ago, I switched from women to men just to experiment, and I find myself slightly more compatible with men. A strong-willed woman could have broken that habit, though.
60. How close are you to your family?
They’re all dead.
61. Have you started your own family? If so, describe them. If not, do you want to? Why or why not?
No. I am not interested in a family. I am…very disinterested in children.
62. Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help?
Wyatt or Kyle, assuming the help was beyond something Sigurd himself could provide.
63. Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who, and why?
I trust my life to my swordbrothers: Sigurd, Wyatt, Kaiden, Kyle, and Belcoot. Not that I don’t trust Queen, or a few others, but they have other needs and interests that I would allow them to put ahead of me.
64. If you died or went missing, who would miss you?
Sigurd, Wyatt, Kaiden, Kyle, Queen…hm, maybe Roy. Aila. I would like to think there are more, if only because I was not a low-profile figure in the war. More people knew me or looked up to me than I understood at the time.
65. Who is the person you despise the most, and why?
Right now, Luca Blight, because he dared to attempt to destroy the people and things I hold most dear. Most of my other enemies are dead. I don’t actively despise anyone, though - even Blight has been neutered so I generally don’t spare a thought for him on any given day.
Now that he’s shown up at Budehuc…Yuber.
66. Do you tend to argue with people, or avoid conflict?
Neither. If someone wants to start something with me, I will stand up for my position, but I don’t seek trouble, nor do I flee from it.
67. Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations?
Socially? No. In a conflict, yes.
68. Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not?
Not particularly. I am simply a solitary man by nature, and I prefer smaller groups of intimate friends.
69. Do you care what others think of you?
Not particularly, unless that person is very close to my heart. It matters to me if a trusted swordbrother thinks I am in the wrong on something.
Part 6: Likes And Dislikes
70. What is/are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?
I knit, though not really for enjoyment. It passes the time. If I enjoy anything, it’s sparring. Drinking.
71. What is your most treasured possession?
The knife Sigurd gave me. One of his own, which I foolishly tried to use as a spare weapon once. Now he’s encouraging me, so that the knife will become a part of me.
72. What is your favorite color?
I don’t have one. People think it is black, but I don’t particularly prefer it.
73. What is your favorite food?
Anything with meat in it. Mamie makes a good peppered steak that I like.
74. What, if anything, do you like to read?
I don’t read much, not for entertainment. But I prefer informational books when they’re not dry.
75. What is your idea of good entertainment (consider music, movies, art, etc.)?
I don’t mind a little music while I’m in the tavern having a drink. But I’m a spectator, not a participant. I prefer watching someone else play, sing, dance, or play a game.
76. Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If so, why? Do you want to quit?
Nothing like that. I drink but not to excess - drinking ale or beer is to me as commonplace as drinking tea.
77. How do you spend a typical Saturday night?
Having a drink in the tavern, or spending it quietly in the room with Sigurd. I honestly don’t mind sitting with him while he reads or sews.
78. What makes you laugh?
A well-placed witty remark. Gentle, playful teasing from my lover.
79. What, if anything, shocks or offends you?
Very little, actually. I find it to be wasted energy to get upset about insults, and there’s very little outrageous public behavior that I haven’t seen at some point in my life.
80. What would you do if you had insomnia and had to find something to do to amuse yourself?
Knit. Or wake Sigurd up and make love to him.
81. How do you deal with stress?
Work it off with a little sparring. Or close myself away to avoid it.
82. Are you spontaneous, or do you always need to have a plan?
I am not very spontaneous, no.
83. What are your pet peeves?
Childish behavior, be it from youngsters or adults who should know better.
Part 7: Self Images And Etc.
84. Describe the routine of a normal day for you.
I wake somewhat after dawn, discuss the day’s plans with Sigurd, and go about my business. I don’t eat breakfast but I may have tea with him; I have lunch and dinner at regular points, the latter usually with Sigurd. I fill my time in between simply roaming the castle, possibly sparring, knitting, or in other similar pursuits. I may or may not have a drink, in the evening, and retire before midnight. Sigurd and I usually relax together, talk or make love, and fall asleep together. This is assuming we’re not out on a job - then there is no such thing as a routine.
85. What is your greatest strength as a person?
To those whom I give my loyalty, it is given completely and forever. I don’t turn my back on those who trust me.
86. What is your greatest weakness?
My inability to trust easily, or to open up and allow people close to me.
87. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Nothing. I am content with myself, even knowing my flaws.
88. Are you generally introverted or extroverted?
Given the polar extremes, I would say introverted.
89. Are you generally organized or messy?
I think Sigurd would call me messy, but I don’t have a lot of possessions to clutter up our space.
90. Name three things you consider yourself to be very good at, and three things you consider yourself to be very bad at.
Good: the sword, intelligence-gathering, keeping a secret
Bad: making friends, taking a joke, artistic pursuits
91. Do you like yourself?
I suppose so.
92. What are your reasons for being an adventurer (or doing the strange and heroic things that RPG characters do)? Are your real reasons for doing this different than the ones you tell people in public? (If so, detail both sets of reasons...)
It is simply what I do. Because I carry a True Rune, I can’t exactly settle down and have a normal job and life. The Rune has made me a nomad for most of my life, and even though I now have a safe place to lay my head and a spouse to share my life with, my lifestyle is deeply ingrained. I do enjoy traveling, the thrill of the hunt, the accomplishment of my tasks, and the occasional scoring of treasures and potch, so I see no reason to stop living as a mercenary just because of Budehuc.
93. What goal do you most want to accomplish in your lifetime?
I have none. I simply need to live…to keep True Lightning out of Harmonia’s hands.
94. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
So long as nothing happens to Sigurd in that time…I will likely still be roaming the Grasslands with him, while residing at Budehuc.
95. If you could choose, how would you want to die?
It would be…as a means of passing True Lightning on to another worthy bearer of it. Most likely in battle, doing one final act of bravery. I don’t want to die by losing a battle, but if the result is to pass the Rune on so I can end my otherwise endless life, so be it.
96. If you knew you were going to die in 24 hours, name three things you would do in the time you had left.
Make love to Sigurd.
Enjoy a beer with my friends.
……I don’t know if I could do any of it. I would rather not know that my time had come.
97. What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death?
Because the Rune would have to be removed in order for me to die…I assume I will be remembered as True Lightning’s bearer. I am already spoken of by generations of Grasslanders as Fire Bringer, the Lightning General, so on and so forth. But…I wouldn’t be opposed to them remembering that I was a decent man, on top of the whole Rune-bearing thing.
98. What three words best describe your personality?
Stoic, pensive, hard-nosed.
99. What three words would others probably use to describe you?
The same. Maybe even less flattering synonyms.
100. If you could, what advice would you, the player, give to your character?
Being friendly isn’t the end of the world - don’t wait for someone to almost die for you before you open up to them next time.
Part 1: the Basics
1. What is your full name?
Geddoe. Just that. I have no surname.
2. Where and when were you born?
I know the year was 364, because I know exactly how old I was when my home was destroyed. As such, I no longer speak the name of it because it’s now part of Harmonia.
3. Who are/were your parents? Did/do they have occupations?
I barely remember my parents. They’ve been dead for almost a century.
4. Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like?
I didn’t.
5. Where do you live now, and with whom?
I’ve taken up residence at Budehuc castle, in the Grasslands. I share my living quarters with my lifemate, Sigurd.
6. What is your occupation?
Freelance mercenary.
7. Write a full physical description of the character. (Third Person)
Geddoe is a tall, powerful man, with the broad chest and shoulders and muscled arms of a swordsman, though lean and tough. He isn’t thick and brawny like some, rather hard and wiry - he has almost no body fat on him. He has a square jaw and high cheekbones, heavy brow, and an almost perpetual frown. His right eye is covered by a plain black leather eyepatch, as it was put out long ago and there is nothing but a scar beneath there. His good eye is dark gray, almost black, and his long, shaggy hair is also black. His hands are not over-large for a man his size and proportion, but a little gnarled from the ravages of time. He appears to be in his mid-thirties, but a little weathered from wear. He usually wears mostly black - black shirt and pants, black leather armor with gray accents. He almost always wears gloves while in public, and rarely goes about unarmed. His short sword hangs at his left side.
8. To which social class do you belong?
None. Mercenaries generally live outside the class system. Some make enough to pass for wealthier citizens, some have a more honorable code of conduct like knights. Some…not so much. I don’t really belong to any of these groups.
9. Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses?
No, I do not. The Rune I bear makes me immune to most diseases. If I am weak in any area, it is my agility. I’m fast but not always agile.
Oh…right. I’m blind on my right side. My right eye was put out in battle. I forget it’s an infirmity.
10. Are you right- or left-handed?
Right-handed.
11. What does your voice sound like?
Deep, but not baritone. Masculine, I would think. Not rough, but not…uh, musical in any way.
12. What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently?
I don’t really have any habits like that. People notice my lack of speech more often.
13. What do you have in your pockets?
A few extra potch for food and ale. It’s hard to reach my pockets so I tend not to keep things in them.
14. Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics?
Strange or annoying? I don’t think so. You may have to ask Sigurd - as far as I know I don’t even snore. I have caught myself fidgeting with the ring on my left hand, only because I’m still getting used to it - I generally haven’t worn jewelry before.
Part 2: Growing Up
15. How would you describe your childhood in general?
Forgettable. I have lived a very long life, so much of it has disappeared from my memory if I couldn’t find anything worthy about it to remember.
16. What is your earliest memory?
Of a clear event…fleeing my village when the Harmonian troops came over the hill in formation. I was eighteen. Prior to that, my memories are mere jumbles and flashes. Vague impressions of having been, at some point, a child or an adolescent, living in a familiar house.
17. How much schooling have you had?
Not a considerable amount. Much was informal. Most of the skills I have and use now were learned by doing, as I spent many years living as a nomadic bandit and mercenary.
18. Did you enjoy school?
If I had gone to one, I doubt I would have. It sounds like a stifling confinement.
19. Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities?
On the road - upon fleeing my homeland, I became a bandit to survive, and fell in with other bandits to form highway gangs. Everything from sword technique to rune lore to reading the stars and weather, I learned in the field. A fair amount of training was to be had as one of the Fire Bringer, leading an army against Harmonia.
20. While growing up, did you have any role models? If so, describe them.
There was a highwayman I learned much of my early sword training from. He took an impressionable young man under his wing, and taught me that there is such a thing as honor among thieves. While most of my contemporary moral code I owe to my time with Kaiden and Wyatt, as a youth I did look up to this bandit-leader as much as anyone could look up to another. He wasn’t noble and moral by any stretch, but he was charismatic and powerful. One of few bandits who actually retired wealthy before he could be killed like a dog.
21. While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family?
In the vague flashes of memory I have, there are occasional shouting matches. But I don’t recall actually hating my parents.
22. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I don’t know. I don’t remember.
23. As a child, what were your favorite activities?
Many of my disjointed memory fragments are set outside, so I gather I liked to run around outdoors.
24. As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display?
Your guess is as good as mine.
25. As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like?
I don’t remember anyone. The faces in my distant memories are as strange to me as the passersby on the street today.
26. When and with whom was your first kiss?
Now, that…I sort of remember. I was not yet eighteen, but it was not long before I fled home. Some girl, I don’t recall her name, but she cornered me behind the blacksmith after a…hmm. A festival of some kind. Harvest? I was young and stupid and went along for fun.
27. Are you a virgin? If not, when and with whom did you lose your virginity?
Certainly not. I don’t recall the exact age, place, or person, because it was underwhelming, but it was after I fled home, after becoming a bandit. Some wench who liked dangerous men in some village somewhere. I’m pretty sure the rest of the gang got me drunk and convinced some girl I needed deflowering.
28. If you are a supernatural being (i.e. mage, werewolf, vampire), tell the story of how you became what you are or first learned of your own abilities. If you are just a normal human, describe any influences in your past that led you to do the things you do today.
The defining feature of my power and my life is the True Lightning Rune. It came to me by accident, sort of, when I was thirty-six. In short, I stole the Rune orb from a temple at the fringes of Harmonian-controlled lands, but instead of selling it or holding it for ransom like I intended, the damn thing attached itself to me. Because of it, I fell in with the bearers of True Fire and True Water, became Fire Bringer, resisted Harmonia, and have both suffered and been driven every day of my life since.
Part 3: Past Influences
29. What do you consider the most important event of your life so far?
Receiving the True Lightning Rune. Followed by the end of the first war and the division between myself and my two best friends.
30. Who has had the most influence on you?
My friend Kaiden, the Flame Champion. He gave me something to believe in, and helped me to see that I wasn’t as morally bankrupt as I thought…and he also broke my heart. Uh…not in that way, mind you.
31. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Preventing Luc from destroying the world via the Five Elements.
32. What is your greatest regret?
Resenting my friend for fifty years because he made what I considered to be a poor choice.
33. What is the most evil thing you have ever done?
I turned my back on civilians who begged for mercy, simply because they were Harmonian.
34. Do you have a criminal record of any kind?
That depends. I was never arrested for any of the crimes I’ve committed, but I spent a good twenty or so years as a bandit, stealing and occasionally killing, to say nothing of the shady dealings I’ve had as a mercenary. So you could say I am a criminal, but there is no record of it.
35. When was the time you were the most frightened?
The night after True Lightning was taken from me, and I faced the reality of death for the first time in fifty years.
36. What is the most embarrassing thing ever to happen to you?
I tend to block out memories like that. And I’ve never let the other members of the 12th get me in any pranks, so if anything…it was probably in my youth. Being left out in the cold without my clothes after a drunken revelry or something similar. I’m sure it’s happened.
37. If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why?
Despite my failures and my regrets, I would not change anything. My life is as fate has made it.
38. What is your best memory?
A very recent one…Sigurd’s wordless admission that he loved me, while wearing the scarf I made him.
39. What is your worst memory?
The battle in which True Fire went out of control. It was a horrid thing to witness, even if it did essentially turn the tide of war and lead to a truce.
Part 4: Beliefs And Opinions
40. Are you basically optimistic or pessimistic?
I would like to consider myself a realist. But that often comes across pessimistic.
41. What is your greatest fear?
It used to be losing the Rune. Now…well. I fear that someone coming to get me and/or the Rune will kill Sigurd to get to me. I fear losing him tragically more than anything.
42. What are your religious views?
I have none. I carry a True Rune, its power is that of a god to many in this world. Whether or not it was born as the legend says, I don’t know and I don’t care. All I know is, there are no “gods,” no saints or devils, no spirits. Mysteries can be attributed to Runes, but I’d hardly call them gods since I can bear one and control it, resist its will of my own choosing. If there is an afterlife, I should expect that bearing a True Rune will give me automatic passage into it, but I don’t live hoping or thinking of one. If I expect anything, it’s Darkness beyond, and that’s why I fear dying.
43. What are your political views?
I have no political affiliation. Even as a Fire Bringer leading the Grasslands against Harmonia, I couldn’t claim to hold any views like that. My only ethic is for freedom; I believe in the basic right for all living beings to be free of tyranny, regardless of the oppressor nation or system. Elected officials or kings, councils or clerics, I don’t care. Some systems work, some don’t, but it isn’t my place to dictate which one should be used for any given people or culture. So long as the people are free from oppression, and there is no slavery, they can do whatever else they want.
44. What are your views on sex?
It is something people do. I’ve lived a long time, I’ve learned that people (including demi-humans of all races) are driven by their biological needs to rub their parts together. Whether it’s just for fun or for procreation, it doesn’t matter to me. Any two people can interlock their parts any way they want anytime. When you’ve lived as long as I have, you realize after a bit that it doesn’t even matter if they’re the same gender - sex is just sex. Of course…now that I’ve taken a partner, I’m inclined toward monogamy, but that doesn’t change the way I view the act for those who aren’t married or paired off. I honestly don’t care what people do behind closed doors with each other.
45. Are you able to kill? Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable?
Certainly. Killing is a part of my job. The only time I won’t do it is if the other party is unarmed and unable to defend themselves from me in any way - if the act of killing is unjustified. I don’t do it for the thrill. I only kill out of necessity to keep myself from being killed.
This is regarding battle, mind you. Civilians who have no reason to engage me in battle are perfectly safe, I don’t kill indiscriminately. And I do it a lot less as a mercenary than I did as a bandit - bandits are far more concerned about witnesses and raising alarms.
46. In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do?
Enslave another. Particularly when they believe it is their right to do so.
47. Do you believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love?
Not in a general sense. Though, the man I have given my heart to seems like a soulmate to me.
48. What do you believe makes a successful life?
Being content with who you are, what you have, and what you do. Not settling, but finding contentment.
49. How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings (i.e. do you hide your true self from others, and in what way)?
I do hide much of myself from others. I don’t volunteer tales of my past and I don’t talk about my feelings. I may share my thoughts on situations if the person I speak to could use my advice, or as a means of gaining information from them, but I don’t sit around and spill my deep dark secrets for just anyone. Only my closest swordbrothers are privy to that sort of…intimacy of mind, with me.
50. Do you have any biases or prejudices?
I suppose I could be accused of being slightly biased against Harmonia, but considering I worked for them for fourteen years, it’s a very selective bias.
51. Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? Why do you refuse to do it?
Return to a life of banditry. There have been some orders given through the Defense Force that I refused to obey because I thought they were stupid, would get my team killed, or were simply spiteful and of no greater value, but for the most part, I was not often asked to do anything particularly revolting. But now that I’m on my own, I prefer the jobs of a mercenary to being a bandit. I have had a long time to mend my ways, and I look back on that stage of my life with some regret. It’s petty and foolish, and beneath me, to waylay and rob people just to get by.
52. Who or what, if anything, would you die for (or otherwise go to extremes for)?
There are a select handful of friends I would die for, if the situation warranted. I used to not think that way, and some part of me still believes it’s foolish to sacrifice yourself and die for any other person when you can live and find another solution. But if it were a case of throwing yourself in front of a sword to protect another, I can count on my fingers the number of people I would protect that way. Sigurd being foremost. But I have too much to live for, so I would go to any extreme of sacrifice short of death before actually dying for anyone.
Part 5: Relationships With Others
53. In general, how do you treat others (politely, rudely, by keeping them at a distance, etc.)? Does your treatment of them change depending on how well you know them, and if so, how?
Generally, I don’t like people. I don’t try to interact with them. But the castle is small and close-knit, so I find myself being forced to talk to some I might ordinarily avoid. If anything, I treat people with indifference until I get to know them, or until there is some reason I need to speak with them. I have been a solitary man for a long time, that hasn’t really gone away. My closest friends, however, are allowed to see my sense of humor and can get more out of me when we sit and drink and talk.
54. Who is the most important person in your life, and why?
Sigurd, my beloved. He essentially changed my life. I considered myself unable to love, and claimed to be better off without love. But I found myself falling for him, and when he returned my feelings, I discovered that love is an extension of friendship and loyalty that I could live with. I could have gone on living another hundred years as a cold, lonely man, but I’m glad that because of him, I don’t have to.
55. Who is the person you respect the most, and why?
I suppose, Kyle. I don’t have a knight’s code, so to see him lose his way and then find it again, and choose to live up to his code, earns my respect. And he knocked me on my backside, that earns it as well. He doesn’t take his station for granted, he fought a hard battle to regain it.
56. Who are your friends? Do you have a best friend? Describe these people.
Aside from Sigurd, my best friend is Wyatt Lightfellow. He is my closest swordbrother, and is rather an opposite to me - friendly, outgoing, jovial. Laughs a lot. Kaiden is also my good friend, but the falling-out we had over his decision fifty years ago lingers still, putting more distance between us than I would like. I consider Queen, Aila, Kyle, and Belcoot my close friends as well. I am acquainted with more people around the castle but I’m not as close to them as those already named.
57. Do you have a spouse or significant other?
Sigurd.
58. Have you ever been in love?
I am now. I think it’s the first time.
59. What do you look for in a potential lover?
I never did before. I don’t know. Prior to Sigurd, I was only interested in sex for the sake of release and enjoyment. In that, I looked for someone who didn’t bother me too much. Some years ago, I switched from women to men just to experiment, and I find myself slightly more compatible with men. A strong-willed woman could have broken that habit, though.
60. How close are you to your family?
They’re all dead.
61. Have you started your own family? If so, describe them. If not, do you want to? Why or why not?
No. I am not interested in a family. I am…very disinterested in children.
62. Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help?
Wyatt or Kyle, assuming the help was beyond something Sigurd himself could provide.
63. Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who, and why?
I trust my life to my swordbrothers: Sigurd, Wyatt, Kaiden, Kyle, and Belcoot. Not that I don’t trust Queen, or a few others, but they have other needs and interests that I would allow them to put ahead of me.
64. If you died or went missing, who would miss you?
Sigurd, Wyatt, Kaiden, Kyle, Queen…hm, maybe Roy. Aila. I would like to think there are more, if only because I was not a low-profile figure in the war. More people knew me or looked up to me than I understood at the time.
65. Who is the person you despise the most, and why?
Right now, Luca Blight, because he dared to attempt to destroy the people and things I hold most dear. Most of my other enemies are dead. I don’t actively despise anyone, though - even Blight has been neutered so I generally don’t spare a thought for him on any given day.
Now that he’s shown up at Budehuc…Yuber.
66. Do you tend to argue with people, or avoid conflict?
Neither. If someone wants to start something with me, I will stand up for my position, but I don’t seek trouble, nor do I flee from it.
67. Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations?
Socially? No. In a conflict, yes.
68. Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not?
Not particularly. I am simply a solitary man by nature, and I prefer smaller groups of intimate friends.
69. Do you care what others think of you?
Not particularly, unless that person is very close to my heart. It matters to me if a trusted swordbrother thinks I am in the wrong on something.
Part 6: Likes And Dislikes
70. What is/are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?
I knit, though not really for enjoyment. It passes the time. If I enjoy anything, it’s sparring. Drinking.
71. What is your most treasured possession?
The knife Sigurd gave me. One of his own, which I foolishly tried to use as a spare weapon once. Now he’s encouraging me, so that the knife will become a part of me.
72. What is your favorite color?
I don’t have one. People think it is black, but I don’t particularly prefer it.
73. What is your favorite food?
Anything with meat in it. Mamie makes a good peppered steak that I like.
74. What, if anything, do you like to read?
I don’t read much, not for entertainment. But I prefer informational books when they’re not dry.
75. What is your idea of good entertainment (consider music, movies, art, etc.)?
I don’t mind a little music while I’m in the tavern having a drink. But I’m a spectator, not a participant. I prefer watching someone else play, sing, dance, or play a game.
76. Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If so, why? Do you want to quit?
Nothing like that. I drink but not to excess - drinking ale or beer is to me as commonplace as drinking tea.
77. How do you spend a typical Saturday night?
Having a drink in the tavern, or spending it quietly in the room with Sigurd. I honestly don’t mind sitting with him while he reads or sews.
78. What makes you laugh?
A well-placed witty remark. Gentle, playful teasing from my lover.
79. What, if anything, shocks or offends you?
Very little, actually. I find it to be wasted energy to get upset about insults, and there’s very little outrageous public behavior that I haven’t seen at some point in my life.
80. What would you do if you had insomnia and had to find something to do to amuse yourself?
Knit. Or wake Sigurd up and make love to him.
81. How do you deal with stress?
Work it off with a little sparring. Or close myself away to avoid it.
82. Are you spontaneous, or do you always need to have a plan?
I am not very spontaneous, no.
83. What are your pet peeves?
Childish behavior, be it from youngsters or adults who should know better.
Part 7: Self Images And Etc.
84. Describe the routine of a normal day for you.
I wake somewhat after dawn, discuss the day’s plans with Sigurd, and go about my business. I don’t eat breakfast but I may have tea with him; I have lunch and dinner at regular points, the latter usually with Sigurd. I fill my time in between simply roaming the castle, possibly sparring, knitting, or in other similar pursuits. I may or may not have a drink, in the evening, and retire before midnight. Sigurd and I usually relax together, talk or make love, and fall asleep together. This is assuming we’re not out on a job - then there is no such thing as a routine.
85. What is your greatest strength as a person?
To those whom I give my loyalty, it is given completely and forever. I don’t turn my back on those who trust me.
86. What is your greatest weakness?
My inability to trust easily, or to open up and allow people close to me.
87. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Nothing. I am content with myself, even knowing my flaws.
88. Are you generally introverted or extroverted?
Given the polar extremes, I would say introverted.
89. Are you generally organized or messy?
I think Sigurd would call me messy, but I don’t have a lot of possessions to clutter up our space.
90. Name three things you consider yourself to be very good at, and three things you consider yourself to be very bad at.
Good: the sword, intelligence-gathering, keeping a secret
Bad: making friends, taking a joke, artistic pursuits
91. Do you like yourself?
I suppose so.
92. What are your reasons for being an adventurer (or doing the strange and heroic things that RPG characters do)? Are your real reasons for doing this different than the ones you tell people in public? (If so, detail both sets of reasons...)
It is simply what I do. Because I carry a True Rune, I can’t exactly settle down and have a normal job and life. The Rune has made me a nomad for most of my life, and even though I now have a safe place to lay my head and a spouse to share my life with, my lifestyle is deeply ingrained. I do enjoy traveling, the thrill of the hunt, the accomplishment of my tasks, and the occasional scoring of treasures and potch, so I see no reason to stop living as a mercenary just because of Budehuc.
93. What goal do you most want to accomplish in your lifetime?
I have none. I simply need to live…to keep True Lightning out of Harmonia’s hands.
94. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
So long as nothing happens to Sigurd in that time…I will likely still be roaming the Grasslands with him, while residing at Budehuc.
95. If you could choose, how would you want to die?
It would be…as a means of passing True Lightning on to another worthy bearer of it. Most likely in battle, doing one final act of bravery. I don’t want to die by losing a battle, but if the result is to pass the Rune on so I can end my otherwise endless life, so be it.
96. If you knew you were going to die in 24 hours, name three things you would do in the time you had left.
Make love to Sigurd.
Enjoy a beer with my friends.
……I don’t know if I could do any of it. I would rather not know that my time had come.
97. What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death?
Because the Rune would have to be removed in order for me to die…I assume I will be remembered as True Lightning’s bearer. I am already spoken of by generations of Grasslanders as Fire Bringer, the Lightning General, so on and so forth. But…I wouldn’t be opposed to them remembering that I was a decent man, on top of the whole Rune-bearing thing.
98. What three words best describe your personality?
Stoic, pensive, hard-nosed.
99. What three words would others probably use to describe you?
The same. Maybe even less flattering synonyms.
100. If you could, what advice would you, the player, give to your character?
Being friendly isn’t the end of the world - don’t wait for someone to almost die for you before you open up to them next time.