Les Ombres d'Esteren - Forum officiel

Hello everyone!

Many of us here are Gamemasters, and we like to invent things, to populate our universe with new elements like terrible beasts, dastardly villains, adorable innocents, and nice guys; it's part of how we shape a universe to take it further than just a few places an event: we strive to make it as life-like and colorful as possible. And of course, all role-players, whether Players or Leaders, like to tell other role-players about the adventures they've had, the enemies they've fought, and of course, the Characters they've created.

So here's the thing: how about we share such Characters between us? A crafty bandit lord, a naive knight, a wise Demorthèn, a boisterous Ansailéir, etc. I'm sure all of you have plenty of ideas to share, which Leaders could make use of and which Players could appreciate. So how about we do just that? This is the aim of this new discussion thread, which is meant as a kind of... I don't know, all of fame? For all these memorable Characters we've created, or simply have an rough outline of, and would like other people to know about.

The idea would be to present them in the same way as the signature Characters from Book 1 and Book 0: stats, background, personality, physical description, and potentially rumors and secrets. To keep things short and retain the same format, it would be best to restrict such character sheets to a maximum of 5000 characters, in order to stick to what is essential.

So what do you think? I know I would like to let people know about the ideas running in my head, and would be delighted to see other Leaders make use of a Character I have devised... and likewise, I would like to see what sort of Characters the universe of Esteren can inspire you to create.

Are you game?

Of course, since the French community is bound to be no less productive as the English one, there was no reason not to suggest the same idea in the French section of the forum. Don't hesitate to check it out and give your opinion!

Your faithful translator,

Clovis

I was going to suggest that you make a thread similar to this, so those experienced in the game could share some interesting stories and show what's possible in Esteren.

We haven't started playing yet, but here's a character that I devised early on while reading Book 1:

Moroz, Nomadic Sage (pronounced like "ma-ROSE")
Age: Age: 25 (+1 to Erudition [Magientist Principles Disc.] +1 Setback [Violence])
Ethnicity: Osag
Ways: Reason (5), Empathy (3), Combativeness (4), Conviction (1), Creativity (2)
Skills: Erudition (10) [Discipline: Magientist Principles (11)]; Natural Environment (8); Shooting and Throwing (7) (+1 bonus); Perception (8) (+1 bonus); Science (7) [+2 bonus]; Travel (5); Feats (6); Close Combat (5)
Advantages: Brilliant: +2 bonus to Magience, Occultism, and Science; Good Sight: +1 Bonus to Perception and Shooting/Throwing (Moroz is always the first to notice the details in everything)
Disadvantages: Curmudgeonly Hermit (opposite of Magnetic): -2 penalty to Performance, Relation; Trauma x 3.
Sanity: Mental Resistance 6. Orientation: Rational. Trauma: 4
Combat: Attack: 8 (Bow Damage: 2). Defense: 13. Speed: 7. Potential: 2.
Survival Points: 3

Moroz is an unconventional Osag clansman trapped within a very traditional clan in the remotest parts inhabited by these traditional people. When he was a boy, he encountered a traveling Reizhite anthropologist who taught him all about Reizh and the far-off land of the Continent, where people rode through the skies in ships that floated on air like water. Instantly enthralled, Moroz insisted that the man teach him how to read, which he did, delighted by the boy's curiosity. Before long, the clan ran out the anthropologist's research team, but Moroz continued to be fascinated by other cultures and grew increasingly dissatisfied with his own. The clan's Demorthen insistently tried to instill the boy with the clan's traditional values, but Moroz was defiant. His obstinacy nearly got him killed by his clansmen, who considered him a traitor, but the clan chief stayed their hands and declared that the boy would be allowed to pursue his studies and would eventually be sent out into the world to study the cultures and technology of the peninsula's people so that the clansmen could better defend themselves from external threats (including Feondas) and strengthen their position amidst the other clans. Moroz was given privileged status while at the same time being considered largely a persona non grata by the majority of his clansmen. While he did learn how to hunt and other survival skills, he spent most of his time cloistered away, reading the books his Reizhite friend had left him and others that the clan acquired by bartering with clans who had more access to the settled lands. Now, many years since his first encounter with a person from the settled lands, Moroz travels the peninsula in search of knowledge both old and new, mundane and arcane.

Personality:
Traits: Logical-minded, Surly
Latent Disorder: Obsession. Moroz is obsessed with discovering and recording the most minute details of everything.
Personality: Unlike most Osag, Moroz views the world through a skeptical, rational lens. He is not satisfied with easy answers and is insistent on digging up the entire truth about every subject. However, he still retains many mannerisms and values characteristic of the nomadic people, making him come across as surly and taciturn to most people. His oftentimes brutal treatment at the hands of his clansmen has left him not only extremely combative, but also jaded, hence his lack of conviction. Whenever he comes across something unusual or interesting, he is instantly fascinated.

Equipment: Moroz owns few material possessions, owing to his nomadic lifestyle. He wears traditional Osag clothing, but no armor. His most prized possession is a thick notebook in which he records interesting knowledge and observations. In addition, he carries around several books on various topics, though in the interest of traveling light he left most of his books with the clan. Other than that, he carries only the essentials for self-sufficiency over long-distance travel. He carries a bow and full complement of arrows for hunting, as well as a knife for close combat and various survival purposes.

I must say this is some nice work: you managed to draw a Character who is unconventional while avoiding the classic tormented-because-he-is-not-like-the-rest-of-his-kind pitfall. However, there are just a few little things that I noticed:

- Since Moroz has 5 in Occultism, I guess that means he has no point in the Domain, correct? I can see you included the Domain nonetheless because of the "Brilliant" Advantage, but the way I see it, he would not be able to make an Occultism roll since he has no point in the skill. Ergo, it's not necessary to list it among his skills.

- The "Brilliant" bonus doesn't apply to Erudition, but it does apply to Science!

- I'm kinda wondering why the anthropologist went through the trouble of teaching an Osag boy how to read. Maybe you could develop that part of the story?

- Also, I think it would be better to detail why exactly Moroz is so logical-minded and knowledge-seeking, as opposed to his more down-to-earth peers.

- Finally, it would also make sense to introduce a trigger for Moroz's departure: what made him decide to leave his clan and travel the peninsula?


Of course, in the end, most of these remarks are just my personal opinion. As I said, it does not make the Character any less interesting!

However, do take note that this thread is intended not only for basic Characters, who have just been created. Feel free to present Characters as experienced as you like, and to go wild on their background and abilities... as long as it makes sense in the context of Esteren, of course!

Thanks for the feedback. I'll revise those rules-oriented points when I have a chance. I might give Moroz a point in Occultism just to represent the fact that he would at least have come across the field at some point in his studies and is more knowledgeable about it than the average person.

Ah well, as I said, it's just my personal opinion. I hope you don't feel like you've made a flawed Character or something, because as I said, he was nice to read about. It's just that I'm very nitpicky when you get me started.

Not at all! I'm a writer, myself, so I welcome constructive criticism such as what you provided. The rules-oriented details were oversights on my part, and your other questions are good things to think about if I want to flesh out the character more.

Your turn to post a character!