[OOC] The Great Hunt - a Wheel of Time RP

[solokolos]

I have sent a rough version of my Aes Sedai's cs to you @Joos, via pm, for your feedback~

[Joos]

Wonderful, @solokolos. Have replied with a feedback.

@Eklispe, I found your character just right. Yours is approved. Please repost it here in the OOC tab and then I will put it up on the Characters Tab.

[Eklispe]

Wonderful ^.^

CS

Name: Saloul Anamon
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Nationality: White Tower
Race: Human
Class: Warder

Appearance: Saloul is surpsingly tall, not because of how tall he is, but rather because he doesn't seem tall until you're standing right next to him. It's not that he's one of those people who you don't notice in general, he just doesn't seem to be the slightly over 6 foot that he is. His warder training has given him a substantioul amount of bulk, even wearing his fancloth cloak he's obviously very muscular, even for a Warder given his choice of weaponry. His skin bears the tan of someone who cleary spends much of their life out in the sun. He does not bear the scars of a warrior of countless years, most of his nicks and minimal still visible injuries are from scuffles as a kid. The only one of note being that his nose is slightly bent from being broken early on. It is the only offsetting thing from his otherwise charming appearance. He has welcoming brown eyes and generally gives off the feeling of some sort of oversized teddy bear.

Background: Saloul was born in Tar Valon and was a bit of a misfit growing up. He wasn't quite a vandal growing up but he certainly wasn't a goody-two shoes. It wasn't uncommon to find him getting into trouble one way or another whether it was snatching a pie or pranking some unsuspecting individual, even if they did deserve it. Of course he made friends easily and had an overall easy-going personality, allowing him to weasel out of the consequences far more than a less likable person. At some point it become to much however and his parent's entered him into the Warder academy to straighten him up. Naturally the strict and brutal training he went through made him a little more serious and gave him a lot less time to screw around.

Despite this he took to the training rather well, finding it to be a challenge and giving him a purpose he'd been lacking before. Several years later he was as deadly and skilled as any warder, yet far more personable and friendly than most of his brethren. It was an odd man that both greeted most everyone they saw with a smile and a wave while also analyzing them for danger and how to best neutralize them in the same moment.

His personality seemed to attractive a boyish Aes Sedi of the Gray Ajah named Alyna. Unlike some warders may feel, Saloul was not concerned with being bonded to the Ajah that dealt with more politics than anything else. Afterall, even as a warder, he still enjoyed the complexities of society and was not merely concnered with fighting. He's been with Alyna for about a month, giving the two some time to get used to each other's company.

Desired equipment at the start of the game:
-Claymore
-A remarkable amount of knives
-Standard warder fancloth.
-Caltrops
-Rope
-Deck of cards
-Horse

Skills

(Cost)(Total Cost)
(-3)(-3) Diplomacy - 3 (class)
(-2)(-5) Concentration - 2 (class)
(-2)(-7) Sense Motive - 2 (class)
(-2)(-9) Slight of Hand- 1 (non-class)
(-1)(-10) Ride - 1 (class)
(-1)(-11) Knowledge of Nobility and Royalty - 1 (class)
(-1)(-12) Spot - 1 (class)

[Joos]

@Eklispe - Here are your attributes

Strength - 17 +3 (The muscular power of your character. High due to Warder training.)
Dexterity - 15 +2 (The hand-eye coordination of your character. High due to Warder training.)
Constitution - 15 +2 (The inherent physical well-being. High due to Warder Bond.)
Intelligence - 12 +1 (The intelligence of your character in learning new skills. Slightly high.)
Wisdom - 11 +0 (The measure of common sense and experience of your character. Normal.)
Charisma - 16 +3 (The overall likeability of your character as a personality. High due to Saloul's personality.)

The color-coded numbers next to your attribute points are your modifiers. These determine the outcome of various challenges you may face during the course of your adventure.

Based on your class and constitution, your hitpoints are 10 (base hp for a Warder) + 2 (Your consitution modifier) = 12

You have a total of (2 + intelligence_modifier) x 4 = 12 skill points.

You will have to use these skill points to rank up your character in the skills of your choice. Some classes are naturally inclined to some skills. I have already mentioned these skills in Appendix 2 - Classes (See first post of OOC). Apart from these, there are other skills as well. Ranking up in a skill that's not your natural skill will cost more, naturally. Upon leveling up your character, any stored skill points will be lost. So do use up all of them whenever you can.

For instance, as a Warder, Ride (useful for riding war mounts and specialized animals) is one of your core skills. To get 1 rank in Ride, you need to spend just one skill point. But a skill like Disarm Device (useful for detecting traps) is not something the Warder is inherently inclined to. So there, to get 1 rank, you need to spend 2 points.

At level 1, you cannot have more than 4 ranks in any skill.

I will shortly publish the complete list of skills.

[Joos]

Having an attribute score less than 10 is considered below-par. Anything above 15 is great. Starting at 18 in an attribute implies a very high level of expertise.

If any of you have any problems with the numbers you have been assigned, please tell me what they should be and why.

[POOHEAD189]

Yep, I think I'mma make a wolf brother. Hope you don't mind me making him throughout this week.

[Joos]

Not a problem, @POOHEAD189. I hope you remember the effects of being a wolfbrother. Forgive me as I explain some parts of it anyway.

Typically, first contact with the wolves happens around puberty. Wolves don't talk in the same way humans do. Rather, they communicate with images. For them, showing the image of the sun over a particular peak is their way of telling the time. Immediately with first contact comes the golden eyes.

Wolfbrothers are almost as bad as male channelers. Sanity is a constant battle for them. And while not many Aes Sedai consider them inherently evil, they will still want to bundle you back to the White Tower. Since the condition of the Wolfbrother is not very well studied, revealing your golden eyes is not always revealing your secret. Even Aes Sedai may not know what that signifies.

Prolonged control of the wolfbrother condition gives you control over the Wolf Dream, also known as Tel'aran'rhiod. PM me if you want working details of the World of Dreams.

Other effects of being a wolfbrother include an aversion to vegetables and a craving for meat. Naturally, sight, hearing and the sense of smell are all heightened. Wolfbrothers have near-perfect vision in total darkness, and can smell fear in other people.

[Eklispe]

Memes

[solokolos]

CS

Name: Alyna Telle
Age:39
Gender: Female
Nationality: Tanchico
Race: Human
Class: Aes Sedai
Appearance: Alyna's most striking feature is her long curly auburn hair, more specifically how it contrasts her pale skin. Her eyes are a pastel blue, with dark eyebrows that make them easy to distinguish at a distance. Alyna stands at 5' 3" (~157cm) with no bust to speak of; her figure's reminiscent of a prepubescent boy, at least according to her. Her face is similar to most Aes Sedai in the way that she seems almost ageless. Alyna normally wears darker colors, mixing darker greens with reddish purples, though she does mix in greens with royal purple. Her normal attire is dresses, and rarely does she stray from this pattern, unless the climate is unforgiving.

Background: Alyna was born into a family too poor to feed her and, for at least a couple years, too pious to abandon her in the streets. Her first memories were not of her parents, however, but instead of the orphanage she lived in for most of her life. The memory was hazy, she knew she had been injured, but that wasn't what shone through after all those years. What lay in that memory was the yellow hoods of the Aes Sedai who healed her. The stories she heard later, from her peers, could never darken the resplendent image their very name awakened inside her.

Alyna had a fairly repetitive childhood, never being fortunate enough (or, as is mostly the case, pretty enough) to be adopted. It wasn't so bad, she'd tell you, even with her oaths taken. The tales whispered about the White Tower reminded her of aspirations that she was sure most little girls at least considered. To be special, to be able to change the world; who couldn't help but dream?

Although she saw the Aes Sedai once or twice more over the years, on the streets when she was begging and the such, it wasn't until Alyna was 17 that she again gained ones attention. The woman, or girl, Alyna never could tell, informed her that she was able to channel. Having no idea of her own potential, Alyna was floored. After the Aes Sedai explained what it would mean, Alyna begged her to take her to the white tower to be trained.

The journey from Tanchico to Tar Valon would always be an amazing milestone in Alyna's life; it was on par with one of her first memories in terms of stark contrast to her earlier monotonous life.

Alyna trained for 20 years, not in any way exceptional in her studies. The only thing that could be considered remotely impressive was the way she was raised to Accepted. She was promoted without seeming to be affected, though that may have been a front. The Test for the Shawl went similarly, and she passed on her first attempt. Besides this she was not an exceptional student, she just seemed to work well under pressure. To the surprise of the few friends she made while at the Tower, Alyna did not choose the Yellow Ajah but instead the Gray Ajah. This was mostly surprising because of how dedicated Alyna was to studying healing weaves.

Alyna had decided on the Grey Ajah as opposed to the Yellow Ajah for good reason. One, she felt she could heal the wounded and preform such altruistic activities without being a part of the Ajah seemingly designated for the task. Two, Alyna noticed how populated the Grey Ajah was, in stark contrast to the Yellow Ajah, and felt any mistakes made would be a lot less noticeable in a larger community of Aes Sedai. The third and final reason for her choice of Ajah had to do with her childhood. A lifetime of being looked down upon summoned spite and contempt for those born into nobility. The darker side of wanting to be great lead her to envy those who had more than enough and couldn't bother to spare a single copper. A large part of her felt that becoming a Grey Ajah would let her rub shoulders with these high borns, and force them to respect a low born such as herself. This is quite toxic, as she still regards those who she normally is assigned to deal with as above her, and seems to show a permanently compromised self esteem. This isn't oft expressed in the presence of these lords, and ladies, but is often apparent when she lets down her guard.

After taking the oaths and choosing her Ajah, Alyna was not assigned a job outside the tower for a month, but once she was she decided to choose a Warder. Saloul was her first choice, not only for how friendly he seemed. Before bonding with Saloul, Alyna spent many a evening watching him and his peers train, before eventually deciding he would be the best option. She traveled with Saloul for a week before deciding to bond with him. After bonding, she was assigned small tasks by the Head Clerk, leading the two to travel together for a month. Saloul and Alyna are currently staying at an inn inside of Illian.

Desired equipment at the start of the game:
Flint
Change of clothes
Horse
Saddle
Saddlebags
Hand axe
Water skin
Salted deer jerkey
Bedroll

-edit: That was a mess, and if anyone saw that I deeply apologize.

[Joos]

Accepted, @solokolos. Very nice. Our first Aes Sedai is truly an interesting character.

Your attributes:
Strength - 9 -1 (Low due to Alyna's weak physique and early life of poverty.)
Dexterity - 10 +0 (Normal.)
Constitution - 10 +0 (Normal.)
Intelligence - 16 +3 (High due to Aes Sedai training.)
Wisdom - 18 +4 (Very high due to Aes Sedai training and an early life spent on the streets, ravaged by fate.)
Charisma - 15 +2 (High due to Grey Ajah.)

Your total hitpoints = 4 (for being Aes Sedai) + 0 (Your constitution modifier) = 4
You have a total of (2 + intelligence_modifier) x 4 = 20 skill points

[solokolos]

Your total hitpoints = 4

@Joos

Please protect me @Eklispe, I am actually softer than a stuffed bear ;-;

[Eklispe]

Don't worry we both have high charisma ^.^

[Joos]

Perhaps I can arm you better, @solokolos. Here is the list of weaves that you are aware as a level 1 Grey Ajah.

Lvl 0 weaves
Remove Fatigue - Removes fatigue from a target temporarily, at the cost of exhaustion later. Very useful in the heat of battle. (Uses Water, Air and Spirit.)

Lvl 1 weaves
Solidify Air - solidify the air around a target, rendering it immobile. (Uses Air.)
Fork of Lightning - channel a bolt of lightning at your enemies. (Uses Air, Fire and Water)
Fireball - channel a ball of Fire. (Uses Fire.)
Thunder - produce a loud clap of Thunder to disorient your enemies. (Uses Air and Fire.)
Shielding - channel a shield to block an enemy channeler from the One Power. (Uses all five elements.)
Bonding - bond the target as your Warder. (Uses all five elements.)

Ajah-specific weaves Lvl 1 weaves
Aura of Power - Channel an aura of intimidating presence around you. People with weak minds (low intelligence) will be more pliable to negotiation and settlement. (Uses Air, Fire and Spirit.)

As a level 1 Aes Sedai, you have enough ability to perform 3 lvl 0 weaves and 1 lvl 1 weave every day. With intelligent roleplaying, you might gain one more weave in a day. Some weaves can be tied off, and will last as long as your level and the complexity of the weave permit.

Note: Channeling Air, Fire, Water or Earth assumes the presence of these elements in the environment. There is always humidity in the air, there is always heat in objects, and there is always the earth. But there are specific contexts when weaves of a particular element may fail or not perform well. Weaves of Water in a desert are bound to be harder than weaves of Fire there.

EDIT: Removed Healing from the list of weaves you can do.

[Joos]

Apart from the weaves listed above, some other weaves are known to all Aes Sedai. These include Levitating an object with Air, setting an object aflame with Fire, drying a wet object with Water, wetting a dry object, producing a floating ball of light et cetera. These require such a small trickle of power that they can be performed as many times as long as you don't exceed your daily weave limit. However, doing these weaves in combat will count against your daily limit.

EDIT: I have updated the first post of the OOC with some Magic Gameplay rules that I will continue to update.

[POOHEAD189]

@JoosAre W.I.P. allowed to be posted on the thread?

[Joos]

@POOHEAD189 Sure. But be warned - as the ever-helpful GM, I might butt in even before you've finished, nitpicking this and that. :)

[Eklispe]

How's the complete list of skills coming along :?

[Joos]

Appendix 6 - Skills

Skill represents your character's ability to do certain challenging actions. For instance, you don't need any physical skill or strength to climb a ladder. But you do need a high rank in the Climb skill if you wish to scale a rocky wall. Certain classes are naturally inclined to certain skills. It is easy for a Ranger to Handle Animal and learn quicker in that skill, but not so easy for her to disable a trap or unlock doors.

Each skill also has a key ability. This refers to one of the six attributes your character has: str(ength), dex(terity), con(stitution), int(elligence), wis(dom), cha(risma). What this means is that you may have a high rank in the Climb skill, but if you are a weakling with low strength, it will be really hard for you since strength is the key ability of Climb.

Skills are also split into Trained and Untrained. Your character can attempt any skill that is marked Untrained even if he/she does not have any rank in it. Skills like Climb and Jump are examples of such Untrained skills. Whereas disabling a trap, entertaining a crowd and deciphering a foreign script are all skills that cannot be attempted without at least a single rank in the corresponding skill.

You spend your skill points to gain rank in a skill. Spending skill points on a class-skill is more efficient than spending it on a non-class skill. For a class-skill, 1 skill point will gain you 1 rank. For a non-class skill, 1 skill point will gain you 1/2 rank. At level 1, you cannot spend more than 4 points in any class-skill, and not more than 2 points in any non-class skill.

Now, on to the list of skills.

Appraise (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Rogue
Key ability: Int
Your ability to appraise an object for its value will make the difference between buying a lame horse versus a healthy one. Appraise skill is used when gauging any object for its worth.

Balance (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Rogue
Key ability: Dex
Balance is an indication of how sure-footed you are. When standing on a rooftop to observe your quarry, the Balance skill will determine whether you fall off or not.

Bluff (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Rogue
Key ability: Cha
How good you are at bluffing. This will give an indication of whether someone believes your lie or not.

Climb (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Wolfbrother, Bard, Ranger, Rogue
Key ability: Str
Self explanatory. A high Climb rank will let you scale steep cliff faces or fort walls.

Concentration (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Wilder, Noble, Warder, Aes Sedai
Key ability: Con
This is more like a basic skill. Several moments in your adventure, especially in the heat of battle or when channeling a weave, your concentration is paramount. If it wavers, your weave may not work properly. Or your blade may not find skin.

Craft (Untrained)
Class bonus for: all classes
Key ability: Int
The ability to craft items, from simple waterskins to sturdy axes and swords. Naturally, you cannot craft without the required materials.

Decipher Script (Trained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Rogue, Scholar, Aes Sedai
Key ability: Int
Your ability in deciphering foreign scripts, like the Old Tongue, or the Trolloc's harsh script.

Diplomacy (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Noble, Warder, Aes Sedai, Scholar
Key ability: Cha
When trying to calm a potential aggressor, or when trying to negotiate a settlement between opposing parties, this skill comes into play. Also useful when trying to bribe a guard to look the other way.

Disable Device (Trained)
Class bonus for: Rogue
Key ability: Int
The ability to disable traps.

Disguise (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Rogue
Key ability: Cha
How good you are in impersonating someone else. It can be a simple claim of being a lord when you are in fact a commoner, or it can be an elaborate disguise mimicking someone else - this skill will determine whether you pull it off.

Escape Artist (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Rogue
Key ability: Dex
Your ability in extricating yourself from physical constraints like ropes, chains, or cages.

Forgery (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Rogue
Key ability: Int
Your ability in making one thing look like another.

Gather Information (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Rogue, Bard
Key ability: Cha
Your ability in sifting through rumors heard in an inn to find a fact that you can act upon.

Handle Animal (Trained)
Class bonus for: Wolfbrother, Wilder, Warder, Ranger
Key ability: Cha
Your ability in handling an animal, domestic or wild.

Hide (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Ranger, Rogue
Key ability: Dex
Your ability in finding places of cover, either to hide from an attacker, or to observe without being observed.

Heal (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Wilder, Warder, Ranger
Key ability: Wis
Your knowledge of the fauna and flora enables you to try healing minor to major injuries. Naturally, herbs or potions must be carried before attempting healing.

Intimidate (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Rogue, Wolfbrother
Key ability: Cha
How good you are in intimidating someone.

Jump (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Wolfbrother, Bard, Ranger, Rogue
Key ability: Str
Self explanatory. This makes the difference between making the jump across the steep mountain gap or tumbling down to your death.

Listen (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Ranger, Rogue, Noble
Key ability: Wis
Be it listening at doors or eavesdropping behind curtains or being able to hear your ally's cry for help - this skill determines the outcome of those type of situations.

Move Silently (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Wolfbrother, Bard, Ranger, Rogue
Key ability: Dex
Self explanatory. Increase this skill if you want to be a stealthy character.

Open Lock (Trained)
Class bonus for: Rogue
Key ability: Dex
Again, self-explanatory.

Entertain (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Rogue
Key ability: Cha
Your ability to entertain and enthrall people. Be it with a simple story or a complicated juggling move, you can captivate your audience and hold their attention - either to simply please them, or to keep them away from more important things.

Ride (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Wolfbrother, Noble, Warder, Ranger
Key ability: Dex
Your ability in riding any mount. A higher skill in this lets you gallop faster, or to execute complicated cavalry maneuvers in battle.

Search (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Ranger, Rogue
Key ability: Int
This skill determines how thorough and productive you are in searching - either a pile of trash or the various rooms of a palace.

Sense Motive (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Wolfbrother, Warder, Rogue, Bard
Key ability: Wis
This skill determines whether you are able to sense the motive of another character. Is that sly fellow simply ingratiating, or does he have an ulterior motive? Is the next blow from the trolloc going to come from the left or the right? These are situations where this skill comes into play.

Sleight of Hand (Trained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Rogue
Key ability: Dex
Your ability in using your hands and fingers deftly, either to cheat in a game of cards, or to juggle, or to throw three knives in two seconds.

Speak Language (Trained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Scholar, Aes Sedai
Key ability: none
Your ability in communicating in a foreign tongue.

Channeling (Trained)
Class bonus for: Wilder, Aes Sedai
Key ability: Int
Note: Skill not available for any other class.
Ranks in Channeling will determine how strong your weaves are. And also in determining whether you can weave at all. All Aes Sedai and Wilder characters compulsorily need to spend at least one point in this skill.

Spot (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Wilder, Ranger, Warder, Rogue
Key ability: Wis
Your ability to spot things in your surroundings, like a hidden door or a stalking Grey Man.

Survival (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Wolfbrother, Wilder, Ranger
Key ability: Wis
Your ability to use the environment to survive, especially out in the wild.

Swim (Untrained)
Class bonus for: Wolfbrother, Bard, Ranger, Rogue, Warder
Key ability: Dex
Self explanatory.

Knowledge Skills: The following set of skills are together the knowledge skills. This can be anything from knowing the lay of the land to knowing what a phrase in the Karaethon Cycle means. These skills will determine how right your judgments turn out to be when faced with a puzzle.

Arcane Knowledge (Trained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Scholar, Aes Sedai
Key ability: Int

Dungeoneering Knowledge (Trained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Ranger, Aes Sedai
Key ability: Int

Geographical Knowledge (Trained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Ranger, Scholar, Aes Sedai
Key ability: Int

Historical Knowledge (Trained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Scholar, Aes Sedai
Key ability: Int

Knowledge of Nature (Trained)
Class bonus for: Wilder, Ranger, Aes Sedai
Key ability: Int

Knowledge of Nobility and Royalty (Trained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Scholar, Noble, Warder, Aes Sedai
Key ability: Int

Knowledge of the Karaethon Cycle (Trained)
Class bonus for: Bard, Scholar, Noble, Warder, Aes Sedai
Key ability: Int

Knowledge of Tel'aran'rhiod (Trained)
Class bonus for: Wolfbrother, Aes Sedai
Key ability: Int

[Vor]

Ok, here's what I've got right now. Might do some minor tweaks, but that's about it.

CS

Name: Torin Somares
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Nationality: Tairen
Race: Human
Class: Noble

Appearance: Torin stands at about 5’9’’ with a straight-backed and confident composure, which seems to add a few inches to his height and immediately marks him as a man of gentle birth. He has olive skin, black hair and brown eyes of similar dark hues. While not exactly handsome, his oblong face is pleasant to look at and bears no scars or markings, save for a small mole to the right of his lip. Like most Tairen nobility, he keeps his hair short and his beard well-groomed and drawn to a point, but lacking the oily lustre commonly seen among the rich.

Though lithe rather than muscular, Torin’s physique is defined and signifies he leads an active life; further proof of this are his calloused hands, ones belonging to a swordsman, not a pampered dandy. As befits a man of his standing, he dresses in a dark red silk doublet, worn over a white linen shirt, black breeches tucked into a pair of knee-high riding boots polished to a shine and an embroidered cloak to ward off the rain.

Background:
Torin is a scion of House Somares, an old and respected family, best known for their olive plantations along the coast near the city of Godan in southeast Tear. While lacking the power and wealth to be counted amongst Tear’s High Lords, they had significant land and the oil they produced was carried by their ships to markets in Tear and beyond, filling the House’s coffers. As a result, the Somares enjoyed an easy life and spared no expense in the education of their children. Torin was no exception and was taught all that a young man of gentle birth needed to know; he spent his days being tutored in riding and swordsmanship, history and geography, statecraft and strategy, manners and dancing.

He was the middle child, having an older brother and a younger sister. Torin’s father, the Lord Somares, was an irritable man and a drunk, known for his foul moods, constant criticism of those around him and a tendency for squandering the family wealth in taverns and gambling dens. The estate was mainly managed by Torin’s mother, Lady Ilira Somares, who ruled the family business and household with an iron fist. Since Torin’s brother was often away negotiating trade deals or parlaying with other nobles in Tear and his sister was busy with the family’s books, it fell to Torin to watch over the family lands, which were growing increasingly neglected by his father.

Such tasks came easily to Torin, who had proven himself to be quick and energetic, a capable rider and a natural with a sword from a young age. Though he lacked his sister’s head for numbers and his brother’s way with people, he was confident and driven, a quality which made him popular among the commoners. Even before he could grow a beard, he began accompanying his father’s captains on their patrols throughout the olive groves. As he grew into a man, he even managed to make a bit of a name for himself in nearby Godan after winning a number of duels in defence of his family’s name.

When the Aiel War began, Torin’s father and thousands of other Tairens left to join the war effort, under High Lord Astoril Damara. He raised the majority of the Somares troops and, to Torin’s dismay, ordered him to stay behind and look after his mother and sister, seeing as his brother could not afford to return home from his business in Tear. Around this time, he was trying to raise the family’s standing with a High Lord, a task of the utmost importance in the eyes of Lady and Lord Somares. And so, disgruntled and sullen, Torin saw to the concerns of the peasantry and toured the family holdings, while his brother and father were away winning prestige.

One day, relatively early on in the war, a letter from Cairhien announced that the Lord Somares had died during the fighting, pierced by an Aiel’s spear. They grieved and then they awaited his brother’s return from Tear so that he could formally assume his role as head of the House. Unfortunately, that never happened. A few weeks before the war’s end, Torin’s brother was implicated in a plot against a High Lord, along with a number of lesser nobles and, worst of all, an agent of the Illianer king. The penalty for such a transgression was death, thus Torin lost two family members before the war finally ended.

The shadow of treason fell on the Somares household, their friends dwindled and many profitable contracts were lost. Their bad fortunes would not end here, however, as the man his brother had crossed turned out to be particularly vindictive. He used his influence to have the council of High Lords issue an edict, which saw Torin exiled from Tear. His mother and sister were spared the indignity, but Torin had no choice.

It should be noted that, for a man such as Torin, exile was the greatest blow of all. He grieved for his dead relatives, but for him, standing and pride was above all. As such, not only was the family name blemished by his brother’s betrayal, his own exile meant that the Somares household would have no one to restore their honour!

While Torin was making preparations to leave his home forever, word reached them that a Great Hunt had been called in Illian. Desperate, broken and thoroughly soaked in booze, he told his mother and sister that he would embark on the Hunt, seeing this as his only chance of redeeming himself and ending his unjust exile.

Desired equipment at the start of the game:

• Sword
• Warmount
• Saddle & saddlebags
• Deck of cards
• Bedroll
• Shaving kit
• A trunk full of clothes
• A smaller trunk containing books and a number of maps

A question, can my guy have a small retinue, two NPC's, to be precise? Something like a valet and a bodyguard, that sort of stuff, a gentleman can't be expected to bother himself with mundane stuff after all! I don't know how that will be treated in terms of gameplay mechanics though, might unbalance fights.

[Joos]

Very, very nice, @Vor. You are accepted. I couldn't find any nits to pick!

Yes, you can have those two NPCs. Definitely yes for a manservant. And I suppose a bodyguard as well. He will be considered a 10 in all attributes except one, which he will have 13 (giving him a +1 modifier for that attribute). You can choose which one.

And here are your character's attributes

Strength - 16 +3 (High due to sword training.)
Dexterity - 16 +3 (High due to sword training.)
Constitution - 13 +1 (Slightly high due to a comfortable noble life.)
Intelligence - 13 +1 (Slightly high due to noble education and a life of managing the estate.)
Wisdom - 11 +0 (Normal.)
Charisma - 11 +0 (Normal.)

Your hitpoints = 10 (for being a noble) + 1 (Your constitution modifier) = 11
You have (4 + intelligence modifier) x 4 = 20 skill points