Curse of the Crimson Throne
Part 1: The Edge of Anarchy
Suggested Background Traits
Drug Addict Someone you know has become
addicted to shiver, a drug distilled from the venom of dream spiders. The drug
induces sleep filled with vivid dreams, during which the user’s body often
shakes and shivers, giving the substance its street name. Shiver is particularly
dangerous for the desperate, for its promises of dreams and oblivion are often
viewed as the only alternative apart from suicide for escaping a dreary life.
You’ve always thought of shiver as a problem of the lower class, but then
someone you know overdosed on the stuff. You’ve done a bit of investigating and
have learned that the one who got your friend addicted in the first place was an
agent of the Arkona family named Gaedren. Unfortunately, the guards seem to be
more focused on the bigger dealers. They don’t have time to devote many
resources to what they’ve called, “a bit player in a beggar’s problem.” It would
seem that if his operation is to be stopped, it falls to
you.
Addicted Friend: The
addict is a friend or lover who might or might not have survived the overdose.
Your research into the drug scene and local politics has given you a respectable
education in street knowledge. You gain a +2 bonus on Knowledge (local) checks
or Gather Information checks (choose one when selecting this trait).
Personal Addiction:
You were the addict. You blame Gaedren for your brush with death and hate how
his drugs are causing similar problems among other youths. Fortunately, your
body recovers quickly from toxins, and you have a +1 bonus on Fortitude saving
throws.
Framed Someone you know and love was accused of
murder. A supposed eyewitness account from a local fisherman seemed to be enough
to seal the case, but the accused had enough alibis that sentencing wasn’t
immediate. Someone confronted the fisherman and discovered he was intimidated
into providing false witness and forced into planting the murder weapon by the
actual murderer—a local criminal connected with the Arkona family named Gaedren
Lamm. Lamm’s thugs killed the fisherman before he could recant his testimony.
Although this removed the key witness and resulted in the accused being set
free, the stigma was enough to badly damage his reputation. If you can find
Gaedren, you’re sure you can find evidence that ties him to the murder and can
clear the accused’s name.
Family Honor: The
person framed was a family member, perhaps a father or brother. You managed to
trick the fisherman into revealing the truth with your skilled tongue, and thus
gain a +2 bonus on Bluff checks.
Dropout: You were the
one accused. Although you were eventually freed when a friend confronted the
fisherman and got the truth, the damage had been done. As a result, you were
forced to self-train and survive in prison. You gain a +2 bonus on intimidate
checks.
Love Lost Someone you loved was knifed to death
in a dark alley one night. You were called to the scene by the Darromar Guard to
identify the body, and as rough as that was for you, you also noticed a ring was
missing from the body. Whoever murdered your loved one stole that ring—you’re
convinced of it. You’ve done some investigation on your own and recently found
the ring for sale at a local merchant. Although, to your great frustration, you
can’t afford yet to buy it back, the merchant did tell you from whom he
purchased the ring: a man named Gaedren Lamm. It seems likely this criminal is
the one who killed your loved one, or at the very least knows who did. The only
problem is finding him.
Orphaned: The murder
victim was your only surviving parent. You had to grow up fast to take care of
your siblings or to handle your family’s matters and were forced from an early
age to support yourself. You gain a +2 bonus on one of the following skills:
Craft, Perform, or Profession.
Widowed: The murder
victim was a lover. With your lover’s death, a part of you died as well, leaving
you haunted, grim, and prone to dark musings. You gain a +2 bonus on Intimidate
checks.
Missing Child You suspect that a child
you know has been abducted by Gaedren. Whatever the relationship, you’ve heard
rumors about Gaedren’s “Little Lamms,” and of how the old man uses children as
pickpockets and agents for his crimes. You’ve even heard rumors that the child
you’re looking for has been spotted in the marketplaces in the company of other
known to be cutpurses and pickpockets. Although the Darromar Guard has been
understanding of your plight, yet it has its hands full with “more important”
matters these days, it seems, and has not yet been able to learn anything more
about Gaedren. No one else is interested in bringing Gaedren down and
rescuing his victims—that task falls to you. Yet where could the old scoundrel
be hiding?
Missing Sibling: The missing child is
a brother or sister. Although everyone else has given up hope, you believe your
sibling still lives out there. Your constant search for the missing sibling has
developed into great skill at rumor mongering and finding information from
others. Gather Information and Sense Motive are always class skills for you.
Missing Son or
Daughter: The missing child is your own son or daughter, a niece or nephew, or
the son or daughter of your superior or employer and one you had been charged
with protecting. The child was abducted during a trip to the market or some
other daily event. Long hours spent searching for rumors and your stubborn will
to continue grant you a +1 bonus on Will saves.
Unhappy Childhood You spent a period of
time as one of Gaedren’s enslaved orphans. Maybe you were abducted from your
parent’s home or during a trip to the market. Perhaps the irresponsible matron
who ruled your orphanage traded you to him in return for a desperately needed
loan of money. Or perhaps you, like most of Gaedren’s slaves, were merely a
child of the street who succumbed to his promise of regular meals and a roof in
return for what he said would be “a little light work.” Whatever the case, you
spent several years of your life as one of his “Little Lamms” before escaping.
You’ve nursed a grudge for the old man ever since.
Tortured: Gaedren
tortured you and left you for dead on a garbage heap after you made one too many
errors. Your scars and memories have honed your reaction speed and make you
rather jumpy. You gain a +1 bonus on Reflex saves.
Religious: You found
a holy symbol of the god you worship today while on a job for Gaedren and,
intrigued by it, you snuck off to attend services. When Gaedren found out, he
beat you to within an inch of your life and broke your holy symbol. Your faith
let you block out the pain, and you escaped his control and took shelter in the
church, where you spent the rest of your youth. You gain a +2 bonus on
Concentration checks.