Sooooo excited!
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Yeah, that's definitely one of the advantages of the Ten Minute Background, even though in practice it takes a LOT more than ten minutes to write! XD
Alrighty! Here's the new and improved Berenice Bluethistle, ready to bark tactical orders and loose arrows! Reposting her background from the sheet for ease of access (it follows the Ten Minute Background model).
Character Concept and Background: 1. Berenice is a wiry and sharp-eyed halfling, skilled at archery and talented at barking orders to her allies.
2. Born to a family of halfling slaves in Westcrown, Berenice was separated from her family as a child as they were split up and sold to different owners. 3. After escaping her owner and gaining her freedom, Berenice learned of the Bellflower Network and hopes to use their resources to find and free the rest of the Bluethistles. 4. Berenice came to Kintargo shortly after failing to free her older sister from captivity, partly out of a sense of self-loathing at her failure and partly because since slavery wasn't present in Kintargo it was an opportunity for her to start anew. 5. Berenice is attending the protest at Aria Park to make her voice heard. She believes that with a Thrune in the position of Lord-Mayor, slavery may be reintroduced to Kintargo, and nothing would anger Berenice more. Goals: 1. Eager to bloody the nose of House Thrune, Berenice seeks allies to form into a group capable of taking a stand against them.
2. Berenice continues to search for her parents and remaining siblings, whom she's been separated from since she was a child. Secrets: 1. Berenice still feels deeply guilty that she could not save her older sister from death, and part of her feels the only way she can make up for it is to martyr herself against House Thrune.
2. Berenice's family is not only alive, but has been mostly reunited and freed. The only reason Berenice hasn't received word of this is because they're in Westcrown trying to find her. Contacts: 1. Despite parting on bad terms a year or two ago, the halfling Jacopone tries to keep in touch with Berenice. Berenice has since apologized for blaming Jacopone for the death of Marioza, Berenice's older sister, in a mining accident that resulted in Jacopone's freedom along with the other surviving miners, but tries to avoid calling him a friend. Jacopone, for his part, has been understanding and doesn't hold a grudge, offering Berenice a cot in his new Kintargo tenement whenever she may need it.
2. Berenice's former owner hasn't forgotten the injury she inflicted on his son before escaping, nearly killing the arrogant boy with a thrown rock. As Berenice becomes more famous, he may learn of her and come to Kintargo seeking revenge. 3. One of the first friends Berenice made after arriving in Kintargo was Laria Longroad, the halfling proprietress of Longroads Coffeehouse. As the former head of the Bellflower Network in Kintargo, Laria was aware of Berenice's exploits and had been hoping to smooth over the bad blood between Berenice and the Network to bring Berenice into the fold as a full member. Memories: 1. The memory that has perhaps defined Berenice's life more than any other was when the Bluethistle family was cruelly split by their owner. She remembers bawling as she was yanked away from her older sister who was screaming at the injustice of it, while harsh human voices yelled at both of them to shut up. She remembers her younger brothers starting to cry too as others came to take them, and her parents just staring at them helplessly. She still has nightmares about this horrific event, and doesn't want any other child, halfling or otherwise, to have to go through it.
2. When she was a teenager, Berenice managed to free herself from the Chelish noble who'd bought her from her patience. She was a domestic slave on the noble's estate, and had made something of a reputation for herself clambering along the rooftops of his manor, throwing stones at the various pigeons and crows that would nest in hard-to-reach places up there. When her master's son took to abusing one of the other halflings in the house, anger filled Berenice and for the first time she threw a stone at a person, nearly killing the boy. Partly seizing her chance at escape and partly out of fear for her life, she fled into the forest on the estate and never returned. 3. Another traumatic memory that haunts Berenice is that of the death of her older sister, Marioza. Not long after her escape, Berenice had gotten the attention of the Bellflower Network. Learning there was a group dedicated to freeing halflings from slavery gave Berenice a sense of purpose, and she attempted to use their resources to find her family. The only lead they had was on her sister, owned by a lord in Ravounel. The lord had a large mine on his land and Marioza was one of the slaves who worked in it. After infiltrating the mine, Berenice tried to persuade Marioza to run away with her, but Marioza refused, stating she was not abandoning Jacopone, a young halfling man she'd met in the mine and fallen in love with. Unfortunately, there was a collapse in the mine and Marioza was buried under it. Berenice was angry and heartbroken, lashing out at her sister's boyfriend before running off and making her way to Kintargo. She's since been ambivalent about the Bellflower Network, feeling her sister's death could have been prevented if they'd been more aggressive. Fears: 1. More than anything, Berenice fears for her family still in chains. She has placed inquiries wherever she can, but as they are spread through many masters throughout Cheliax, information hasn't been forthcoming. Threatening their safety or lives, or even threatening to withhold information about their whereabouts, is one of the few things that can rattle Berenice.
2. Something else Berenice has a deep fear of is the insidious magics some people, especially Asmodeans, use to get in the heads of their victims. Taking control of her own mind and body away from her is possibly the worst kind of slavery in Berenice's eyes, even worse than raising the dead, because at least there there's no mind being subverted.
Thank you for letting us know. We'll miss you! :( (Like Motteditor, I'm not really up for taking the game over, but if we do find a new GM for it, Berenice will be there with bow in hand!)
Berenice strokes her chin for a moment, then goes "of course!" As they return to the back room, she rummages around for an apron and some other items to assemble a barista disguise. ;
"If it wanted to talk it would have just walked up and said something, Cary! You know "Hi, I'm a giant raven man and I just heard fighting and screaming out here, what's goin' on?" that kind of thing?!" Berenice grouses.
Take your time, Chubbleston! You're gonna need rest to recover from that! Get well soon!
"Godsdammit!" Berenice curses as battle is joined once more. "Aldy, stay back! You're not dying today if I can help it! And you too, Cary!" She snaps off a shot with her bow at the big crow-man. ;
Berenice gives Aldren a strong hug. "Don't you EVER scare me like that again!" she cries. After letting him go, she gives Rex the same kind of hug. "Aldy doesn't give genuine compliments lightly. You've impressed him." Calming down a bit, she glowers and begins storming towards the stairs. "I'm going to have a word with Laria."
Seeing the crocodile let go, Berenice runs over to the pier and tries to grab Aldren and pull him out of the water.
Berenice shouts in surprise as the beast snaps Aldren up, taking a shot at the creature hoping to get it to let him go. ;
"Welcome to my life," Berenice comments. She nods at the statue. "At least your goddess favors us here, Aldy." "Helloooooo! We're looking for Nam." she calls out into the darkness.
I wasn't too mean to Laurent, was I? Berenice has strong feelings about nobles and privilege.
Berenice frowns. "Easy for you to say, Laurie. There are lots of kings who don't worship devils that don't bat an eyelash at using halfling slaves. I'd love to live in Andoran. There halflings can live free and make their own lives, be their own people. You don't get that anywhere else outside of wild frontiers like Varisia." She walks towards the stairs to the basement and then turns back to him. "It may seem like a fantasy to you, cloistered in your fancy manor polished and scrubbed by halflings you barely know, but down here? To people like us? It's real. It's so real I'd die for it.
She turns and heads down the stairs.
Berenice rubs the back of her neck. "Well, let's get down there. Better to have these conversations where the tallfolk outside can't here." She looks at Laurent. "Also, while we're puttin' cards on the table, Laurie? Your man Beppe and me aren't actually related. We're both in with the Bellflower Network, and he didn't wanna blow his cover at the protest." She gives an awkward, embarrassed grin.
Berenice gapes a little at Laria's directness. "Little early to be name-dropping the s-e-c-r-e-t h-a-l-f-l-i-n-g l-i-b-e-r-a-t-i-o-n f-r-o-n-t, ennit Laria?" she says uneasily. She figures the cat's out of the bag now, but she felt there should have been SOME attempt at secrecy.
What, the grumpy halfling can't be your straight man, Aldren? :P
"Cari, I would NOT call that treacherous pipsqueak a friend!" Berenice adds, scowling at the memory of Stellx.
I'm not being too mean with my assessments, am I? Berenice is trying to compliment you, but her compliments get filtered through her bitterness a bit...
"THERE'S the Laria I know!" Berenice replies. She takes a sip of her drink and sits down. She comments on each person as they're introduced: "Cary's a bit of a weirdo, but she's a team player and handy with magic," she says when Carawyn is introduced. "Laury may be a noble pup, but his skills are similar to mine, and I respect that. Plus, we already know his buddy, Beppe," she says as Laurent enters with Beppe in tow. "Aldy's a handsome, ornery fella, and in times like these, he's just what we need. We went to the protest this morning together," she says as Aldren saunters in. "Liri's softer than Aldy, but still plenty pretty and a damn good healer. We'd probably have died several times tonight if not for her!" she says when Lirana enters. "Septy's a copper, but he's as p!ssed off at the new Lord-Mayor and his CCG hellhounds as we are, and I think he'd rather eat his armor than break a promise, even to smallfolk like us," she concludes as Septimus brings up the rear.
Berenice gives a nod. Wanting to look like she belongs there more readily, she orders a drink and then turns to the others. "You know, she keeps the best stuff in the back room. Hard to fit back there, though. It's best to go as an individual."
Me and my Wisdom penalty. *facepalm*
"Just mucking out a barn, you know?" Berenice replies.
She's so glad to be among friends that she fails to notice the CCG goons hanging out at the shop. "I can't believe you never introduced me to Rex here! We have so much in common!"
Berenice waves as they step in. "Laria, good evening!" she calls.
Rex says "She and my parents were involved in several enterprises. What is your relationship with her?" Berenice scratches the back of her head. "Well, I'm a regular at Long Roads. Laria was one of the first halflings I met when I moved to the city, so naturally I started frequenting her establishment. We halflings have to stick together. Kintargo may be nicer than the rest of Cheliax, but only if we make an effort to keep it that way." She gives a weak smile, hoping that was sufficiently vague.
Berenice joins Laurent in destroying the runes with the silvery dagger she has. "Anyone else want this? Otherwise, I might keep it. It's a dagger for you tallfolk, but it's a good-sized shortsword for me," she asks idly.
Yeah, probably best to move on. Berenice is probably going to hold onto this grudge for a while.
Berenice stows her arrow and stomps up to the hole. "Devils take you, Stellx!" she snaps, sticking her arm in the hole with her middle finger extended. She rejoins the others with a grouchy expression on her face. "The traitorous little wretch is staying in his hidey-hole," she informs them. She listens for a moment, then her face lightens up at Rexus' mention of the Long Roads Coffeehouse. "You're a friend of Laria's, Rex? Me too!"
Berenice glares at Aldren until she realizes what he's indicating and gives a curt, but understanding nod as she gets into position and readies to nock an arrow.
"You're just f$#@ing with me, aren't you?" Berenice says indignantly. She turns back to the others. "Anyone else wanna help me give this @$$hat what he deserves?" she bellows to the others.
You don't think I'm a bad person for turning Stellx into a pincushion? I kind of feel bad for the little wretch.
"This is what you get for breaking a g!%%#~n promise." Berenice takes another shot into the hole. ;
I love him! Platonically, anyway! :P From our first conversation I imagined him and Berenice to have a Vitriolic Best Buds thing going.
Happy Independence Day, Bastille Day and Canada Day, everyone! :D
@Berenice- Stellx quickly goes back into one of the hiding holes. and taunts you from inside " You might be a small ugly one to bad your not small enough, hahahhahaha..." "Don't need to be," Berenice says sternly as she nocks an arrow and attempts to shoot into the hole. ;
Berenice looks for Stellx.
EDIT: Noice! Favored Class Bonus: +1 Skill Point
Berenice gains Tactician 1/day, as well as Coordinated Shot as a bonus feat. I think that's everything. Lemme know if my math's off, please.
Berenice tears after Stellx in a fury. "GET BACK HERE YA PRETTY FEY!"
"WE SHOOK HANDS ON IT!" Berenice yowls as she fights. "When we're done here I'm gonna wring your scrawny little neck!" She attempts to stab the lemure, frustrated that it seems to lack obvious spots that will hurt when appropriately stabbed. [dice="Gladius" Attack]1d20+5[/dice]; [dice="Gladius" Damage]1d4+3[/dice] She curses even more loudly as the creature seems to ooze out of the way just as she tries to strike.
I'm not being too bossy with Berenice's "sergeant/tactician" bit, am I? And I'm sorry I took so long. Everyone at work decided to use their PTO at the same time so I was left to pick up the slack!
Berenice's eyes widen when she hears Stellx's taunt. "Aldy! Toss me that silver knife you found in the cache! I can use it as a sword against these things!" Then she notices Laurent get swarmed by the rats. "$#@%! LIRI! You got some kind of healing spell that can help Laurie? The rats are gonna nom him to death!"
Same here, sorry!
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