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Oooo. Oooo. Me. Me.!

Ox's former tribe overwinters at various villages that mark the edge of civilisations foray into the steppes. The one he was born in is only one of several that the tribe camped outside of with their herds to corral them and protect them from the wild winter predators. They turned to the nearest village when the weather grew cold. By the first snow it was as well to be camped. The big tents would be pitched and prepared against the cold.

The snow sets in, and the grass is no longer available for the herds to graze, so they bring them closer to where there is more forage that can be collected to feed them, and where they can be more easily guarded.

Ox is partially accepted by the villagers because he spent some time there after his mother was forced to stay behind when the tribe left. (Ox was a big baby, did I say? and made her last months and the delivery of him difficult.) He is therefore thought of by both sides as partly of them, and partly not of them.

Because of a stupid misunderstanding, over the terms of protecting the villagers one particularly harsh winter, the tribe and the villagers were practically at each other's throats. Ox attempted to intervene to calm things down, and found himself rejected by both sides. Cast out, disowned by his mother and his father, he made his way, not out into the steppes, but toward the civilisation he knew practically nothing about.

After wandering alone for some time, learning that much of what he knew was increasingly useless in a city, he happened to meet a nice young lady in a bar. At the time, he was feeling very sorry for himself, and perhaps a little vulnerable. A small amount of ale that was possibly slightly stronger than he was used to had him 'half in his cups' as the saying goes.

However, whether aided by Ox's fogged mind, or by her pure charm, the nice young lady and he became firm friends. He would be her bodyguard. They had something in common. She too was estranged from her family, which Ox understood was very similar to tribe. In a moment of deep significance for hiw, he adopted her. They were a new tribe. A very small one. Since she holds such an important position in his life, and effectively takes the position of tribal council, she has perhaps undue influence on decisions the new tribe makes.

He does not follow her like some love-lorn puppy. He follows her like a mastiff. Possibly accidentally scaring off even people she might like to be with at times. Perhaps if the tribe grows a little larger it will become easier.

Ox has a very simple philosophy. Every thing and every one can be placed on one of several categories.

• There is tribe.

The young lady, who I am sure will introduce herself in her own way, is now 'Tribe'. Ox would die to protect the tribe.

• There is Herd.

There are things and possibly people who count as 'herd'. The way Ox was brought up, a stranger alone on the steppe might be protected just as though they were tribe, but if a band friendly of strangers were met, they might only be protected at if they were herd. Ox would fight damned hard to protect the herd, but his own life, and those of the tribe would not be forfeit to protect the herd. The herd will be expected to help fight wolves.

• There are wolves.

These threaten the herd, and also the tribe given a chance. These are killed on sight, without question. Not all wolves are actually wolves, and there are bands of green-skins who roam the steppes, and count as wolves.

• There are rocks.

Most things are rocks. Even rabbits are rocks. They do not threaten the herd, or the tribe, and unless they are needed for food, they are best left to live in peace.

Len

Well as I said in the other thread:
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Anyway he is looking set be a fighter.

I don't have a lot in mind for his backstory at present but here is what I do have:

He was a member of a mercenary company - Skolan's Heavy Infantry Troop (As Skolan was often heard to say, "We are the shit... well we spend most of our time in it1" Hammer Guy Who Needs A Real Name (HGWNARN) lost his taste for war and the merc lifestyle after a run in with "bad employer" and almost all of his company was wiped out at the battle of Brag Pass. (No character name but would you just look at me making up geographic features, mercenary companies and significant military events... tsk)

Now HGWNARN does what he can for those who need martial skill most because at least you know they are on your side.

Its a fantasy world which probably means he should worship a god of some sort, but I figured on him being smart enough to worship a weather god 'cos that is something he cannot affect - gods of war and strength are all well and good but even a strong and veteran warrior can still benefit massively from fair or foul weather. And that is kind of why I had Araf make up a weather god to my likings so I didn't have to be worshipping some namby pamby tree hugging jolly green thing.
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So anyone who was in the City at Brag Pass around the time might have encountered him there, or he would have been doing the merc gig for a reasonable while before then so anyone of a military bent might have encountered him in that capacity before then.

How we all encountered each other and decided to stay together as a group well that could somewhat depend on the excellent question of what it is we want to do. But I do quite like the idea of some sort of genesis event with just a little bit of hollywood cheese such as we all ended up in some random coach house in the dark end of the wilds somewhere on a night when a band of meanies attacked - orcs or beastmen or whatever the preferred flavor of bad news for the common folk is. We independently do what we can to help out and discover each other along the way (some probably already knew each other) and that together we are stronger and work pretty well together helping fending off the nasties. Think the initial defence of pig sty ally in the film Kung Fu Hustle if you will.

Now as for what we do I'm easy on that front, what I've got in mind at present for my character is someone who wants to do good, not feel like he is some expendable pawn - he wants to be able to trust in anyone he agrees to help and anything else is bonus prizes. But that is 'cos I assumed you lot would probably shoot for pretty clean heroics, if you fancy booze soaked, whoring hard ass treasure hunter I can reconsider . All that said I will put forward one idea, blatently stolen from the Dark Heresy play book. We work the equivalent to an Inquisitor, tasked with routing out morally dubious materials, nest of infidels, secret cults, hunting down artefacts that should not be left in the hands of evil etc etc. Since folks seem to pretty keen on playing with creating gods etc it makes some sense to me to use that stuff. And boshing cultists on the head is always fun until they summon something big and nasty.

Len - Just how big is Ox? And do you have a suitable mini for him yet?

He is not a half-giant or anything, just a big lad. Probably 6'2" or so. I have a mini that will do as a place marker, but nothing more. He exists mostly inside my head. He probably wears more clothes than this.

But you get the idea. He was born big, and then grew up. He is more likely to wear clothing that is weather appropriate, such as a woolen or linen thobe or even furs in the harshest winter. So he may not appear to be the oiled-up barbarian you see here. More like a beefy Lawrence of Arabia or Maghreb.

Len

Alaitryn Anansi

::
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Female Half Elf Bard

Grew up in a large city where 45% of the population are elves, they worship (insert god of art, literature and beauty) and 45% of the population are human, they worship (Varna?), god of prophecy?

This leads to racial tensions in the city,

I have created a game page
see here

Beaten to it, been meaning to do that for a while...

Nice charismas.

Meanwhile, my mini is bent back into shape and cleaned up ready for painting. So I've not been totally idle. Honest.

Marvellous, thanks for that. Once you guys have decided on some kind of theme or occupation for your group, I'll put up some blurb about the story so far and provide a little run-up pitch into the game so that we all know where we're starting.

Occupation? Wassat?

Ox now has no herd to protect, no tribe to fight for, and no wolves to drive off. So he is up for whatever the new tribe want to do. He is not a leader, and when he tried to be a negotiator it all fell apart. This world is full of rocks it seems. Lets find how far they stretch. Ox will gladly protect the tribe against wolves in all their guises along the way.

Len

In short I let my city and my education after growing tired of the constant fighting between the two races. While both appeared to accept me their constant fighting with each other did not make either part of me feel welcome. So I left to head across the mountains seeking an answer to whether all people were not accepting of other races, or if this is just these people.

While crossing the mountains I met with a tribe of rangers who were seemingly part beast. Not only were they accepting of on another but they were offering protection and assistance to those wandering the pass. They existed in two tribes one either side and "traded" members while they escorted travellers through. They didnt seem to mind that they were different from one another or care who the travellers were they all got assistance. A breath of fresh air! I stayed with one side for a month or so, before travelling through the pass and staying with the other side for a little while.

There I met a ranger....

(you need to take over Ben with why the pair of us left)

(we could meet up with Ox and wizard???)

Are those the mountains the other side of the desert? or are there more mountains? If they are the mountains the other side of the desert, then you will also have either had to skirt the desert or there must be a way across that Ox is unaware of. If there is another way, I wanna go see the mountains close up, 'cos no one I know of has seen them except in the far distance after walking in the desert for a week and not getting to the far side or even so the mountains look nearer. (See other thread.)

Len/Ox

I don't quite know what is going on with Ben's background but we seem to have:

Me/Pryce - whose family got dead, he started up with mercs and they got dead. So not much family life going on there.
Len/Ox - who got booted/left his tribe/s behind
Ash/Alaitryn who left behind what family and friends she had with good reason
Becky/? who if I recall correctly may be on a non option extended leave of her home and family.

Something of a theme going on there.... and it more or less puts us a wandering / nomadic group of listless badasses.

It also seems the buddy system has left me a little stranded.

Leaves us two questions to answer:

1) How do we all end up together?

2) What do we do together?

I want to throw around some suggestions but I'm short on time, so that'll have to wait.

Well, before Becky's wizard put him under her spell so to speak, Ox was wondering aimlessly in the city. It was all a bit much for him, as the city is more than just a big village, and villages were all the civilisation he had ever seen before. So wonder is the perfect word for what he was doing. He could easily have fallen prey to rogues without someone to point him in the right direction.

So if you were also wondering around the city, you may have inadvertently been the influence that led him to the tavern, where he met Becky's character while not in full possession of all his faculties due to the unexpected strength of the beer. Not drunk, just a bit too relaxed to be making life changing decisions like adopting a new tribe. A conversation with you under these circumstances might well lead Ox to invite you into the fledgeling new tribe. Adopting two tribal elders that he can help protect, he would easily see you as the tribal leader.

On the plus side, the wizard gets two bodyguards instead of one. Weigh that against you getting a 'buddy' who knows more about scaring off wolves than fighting actual people who use weapons.

Len

How about you three then wondered through the mountains where Ben (or his character) offers to escort you through the mountains.

Now sufficient plot hook for us all to band together over something...

If three people are effectively "protecty" types, one is a spoilt brat and the other is trying to find experience of acceptance I am guessing we need to be doing something potentially dangerous, which involves the Wiz.

That will mean it all hangs on Becky having a 'Mission' that involves her wanting to cross the mountains. - No pressure Ma'am.

Len

okay on the group 'what we do' I've another idea. Since we seem like a fairly outdoorsy away from society kind of a group how a bout good old fashioned explorers? Looking for the edge of the map, finding out what lies under the note "here there be monsters", mapping out mountain ranges, forests, swamps and the likes looking for routes and things other people haven't found yet. And maybe one day finding a place we can all comfortably call home.

And Len - I can easily have had business in a city, officially dissolving a mercenary group for example. Pryce is certainly the sort of chap who would see a wide eyed man such as Ox and take a couple of minutes to send him somewhere nice where he wouldn't be taken advantage of as might happen in a seedier part of town and meet him there after his own business was taken care of. If Ox happened to find himself in cups there and making friends in the meantime so much the better.

Me likey.

To explore new lands. To seek out new friends and new civilisations. To map places no one has mapped before. To boldly go ...

The music that came to mind though, was Red Dwarf.

Len

I'm not sure, but I wondered if this might help any of us get together. Feel free to add revisions or additions to the tale

If any of you happened to be in a small bar about twenty miles outside of the big city about a month ago, you might have glanced over to the stained and peeling walls and see this pristine handwritten note stuck there. The bartender might, laughingly, tell you it was put there earlier that day... but would any of you have been curious enough to have gone along?

A month ago I might have been up to going along for a look see. But that was a month ago. One can become very disillusioned in a month. Or even more excited? What I might have seen there might have made me want to do that sort of thing, but with people I could actually trust not to rob me blind as I slept?

Its all very good joining a well knit group of adventurers, but to get together with a rat-tag group of misfits strikes me as being tantamount to suicide. If you lot were up for it I would adventure with you, but some of those looked very shifty indeed.

Ox. (Damn it. Can Ox actually read and write? )

Len

If possible, I'd like Bethla and Ox to have already met... you were going to be the 'trial' that Bethla had in mind