Here’s the back-story for my first BitD character. It’s a rough draft, so pardon any grammar mistakes. What do ya’ll think?
History
Scrim was born in the year 824 into a clan of miners living in the Thorite Mountains (South of Duskwall). His father was considered a ne’re-do-well by the clan elders and was in and out of jail all of Scrim’s life. His mother died of the plague when he was 12 and Scrim had to look after himself from then on. Scrim worked in the mines at a young age but even though he worked hard the supervisors treated him like dirt. Scrim’s grandfather was a talented locksmith who took him as an apprentice for a couple years before he died under mysterious conditions. The authorities suspected that Scrim had something to do with it but had no proof. They refused to give him his job in the mines back, and they would not allow him to take over his grandfather’s business, so Scrim was forced to a life of crime. He found that he had a knack for it, and his talent for stealth combined with his knowledge of locks served him well. Unfortunately, the close-knit enclave proved too small a pond for a big fish like him, and he chose to leave before he was hooked and gutted. He made his way to Duskwall in the year 845, after doing some hard time in Wintercliff. Scrim is bitter about his youth and how his clan treated him, and this makes him more serious than most folks his age. He is prone to a brooding silence, except when has had enough drink, when he likes to tell lies and pull pranks. Scrim is ambitious, and looks out for his own best interests in all matters, but he is not overly cruel, or totally without morals. He will not harm women or children generally, and won’t steal from those that are crippled or starving.
Cool! But don’t forget you can call for a flashback in play to establish this sort of neat setting detail during the game. ‘Play to find out’ can mean in the past too.
One of our favourite scene framing techniques is to question motive or ethic in a current action, and elucidate with a throwback to the past.
OK, I’ll keep that in mind. Sounds interesting. I can’t wait to actually play this guy.
That is a great tip, one which I will be using Nathan.