About Doreen Makgree.
Backstory:
To House Makgree, the Thrune Ascendancy marks more than the beginning of the diabolical rule of Abrogail I: it is also a family milestone. Originally a wealthy merchant family that made its fortune exploring the colony of Sargava, the Makgree sided with the Thrune and offered them ships and financial support throughout the Chelish Civil War. The investment paid off: after Abrogail I seized the throne, the Makgree were granted titles of nobility and lands in Kintargo. They didn’t seem to mind adhering to the church of Asmodeus in return. The family’s patriarch at the time, Tomer, became the first Baron Makgree, and had three sons. The first-born was Izaro Makgree, who married Lady Lauretta and, in turn, had two daugthers, the first being Doreen Makgree, current heiress to the title. Doreen grew up in the courts of Kintargo, surrounded by luxury. As a child, she was very fond of the halfling nursemaids who cared for her, at a time when she was too young to realize that they were actually slaves. Reality slowly creeped into her life as she started spending time with other noble children and receiving formal education. Cheliax was nothing like the happy, fairy-tale worlds in her nursemaids’ stories; it seemed to be quite the opposite, in fact. She quickly found that speaking against the state of things only got her in trouble, and learned to conform. She behaved as her parents would expect, paying lip service to the Asmodean Church and to House Thrune. Her transition from thought to action started when an old halfling woman named Helga, who had nursed Doreen in her childhood, made a harmless mistake that somehow infuriated Lady Lauretta. Doreen was a teenager when she watched the poor slave brutally whipped to unconsciousness. After the episode, she sneaked to the slave quarters to check on Helga, only to find the woman seriously ill and without any medical attention. She took Helga to her room and asked how she could help her. Helga asked her to take her somewhere she would be safe, and pointed to a place in the outskirts of Kintargo. The following morning, Doreen hid Helga in a clothes chest, put the chest on a wagon, and rode off alone to “buy fabrics for new dresses”. She met Helga’s contact, freed her, and suddenly found herself being part of the Bellflower Network. To avoid getting caught, Doreen set up a disguise to work with the Network, and created a new identity called “Burrows”. She’s been a rebel agent for years now, having even received combat training from some of the more skillful members of the network. Despite her efforts to the cause, she is ashamed of her inability to end slavery in her own house; still, she keeps trying. On the social front, she has managed to dodge marriage so far, but six months ago a young man of House Tanessen expressed interest in wedding her. Her father Izaro eagerly jumped at the opportunity to bind House Makgree to one of the major Houses; besides, at 24, Doreen is not getting any younger. The wedding was quickly arranged, the dowry paid, and the engagement announced in a lavish dinner for the whole aristocracy of Kintargo. The day of the wedding ceremony is fast approaching, much to Doreen’s dismay; still, she thinks this may be an opportunity to delve deeper into the political web of the Chelish nobility—a position that may very well prove to be useful for her other, less public, activities.
Personalities:
Doreen models her social behavior after what she perceives to be the standard in court: self-centered, frivolous, and disconnected from the people. She knows how to speak and is well-versed in the gossip and scheming that goes on in her circle. She makes it a point to be always exquisitely dressed, her hair impeccably braided, and in perfect makeup, in order to make her appearance even more contrasting should someone ever spot her as “Burrows”—her abolitionist alter-ego. Doreen loves music and has received formal education. She usually plays the harp or lyre, a choice made in part to justify to her family and friends the string marks and calluses on her fingers that come, in fact, from a secret routine of archery training. Outside the courts, Doreen favors the lute or mandolin, which she thinks produce more accessible and popular tunes well-liked by her revolutionary friends (in their rare moments of leisure, that is). When acting as Burrows, Doreen feels she can be her true self. She acts selflessly, out of a sense of freedom and justice, but is at the same time careful and pragmatic. Sometimes, it’s impossible to save everyone. Doreen is willing to sacrifice some of her beliefs and compromise if she thinks the end result is for the greater good, but there are lines she will not cross.
Family:
Doreen has a distant relationship with her father and mother—Izaro and Lauretta Makgree. However, being the first-born, she is usually the focus of her parents’ efforts and concerns, a situation that unwittingly makes her younger sister Dinah very jealous of her. Dinah is already married to an unimportant nobleman and is furious that her sister will get to marry into House Tanessen. Doreen, on the other hand, sees in Dinah everything she despises in the nobility. Doreen and Dinah cannot really stand each other, and there’s an intense rivalry between them. Doreen also has two uncles, her father’s brothers, a pair of greedy men who always try to get money out of Izaro.
Notes:
skill ranks Acrobatics 1, Bluff 1, Diplomacy 1, Favored class Vigiliante 1st: 1 hp Planned feat progression (ranged build)
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