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This week's COTW installment is actually a set of eight
characters built around a single story idea - seven
travelling performers, and the sadistic demon that toys with
their psyches. The format will differ slightly, the content
in six separate posts. All contents of all segments (c)
copyright 2000 Volker Bach; this is segment two of six.
THE CHARACTERS, CONTINUED
Njala the Dancer; tall, raven-haired and sensuous beauty
Total Points: 57.5 Points
Age about 25; 5'9'; 115 pounds; a golden-skinned,
dark-haired woman with fine features and a very shapely
body, wearing revealing clothes and golden bangle
jewelry.
ST 9 [-10] - thrust 1d-2, swing 1d-1, fatigue
12
DX 14 [45] - basic speed 6.5, move 6, dodge
6
parry
(judo) 9, parry (knife) 7
IQ 10 [-]
HT 12 [20] - hit points 9
WL 12 [-]
ADVANTAGES: Appearance (Beautiful) [15];
Semi-Literate [5]; Strong Will +2 [8]; Very
Fit [10].
DISADVANTAGES: Compulsive Carousing [-5];
Impulsiveness [-10]; Murder Addiction [-60];
Sense of Duty (Mother Soreny) [-5].
QUIRKS: Cares little for the feelings of others; Wears
colorful dresses and lots of jewelry; Enjoys having power
over the men she seduces; Dislikes vulgarity; Easily
impressed by material goods. [-5]
SKILLS: Acrobatics-15 [8]; Acting-10* [0];
Area Knowledge (Vaestar kingdoms)-10 [1];
Climbing-14 [2]; Crossbow-13 [.5];
Dancing-14 [2]; Erotic Art-13 [2]; Fast Draw
(Knife)-14 [1]; Fortune Telling-11 [4];
Garrote-13 [.5]; Holdout-11 [4]; Judo-14
[4]; Karate-12 [1]; Knife-14 [1];
Knife Throwing-14 [1]; Musical Instrument
(Tambourine)-8 [1]; Musical Instrument
(Castanets)-10 [4]; Performance-12 [6];
Riding (Mule)-12 [.5]; Savoir-Faire-10 [1];
Sex Appeal-13** [4]; Stealth-13 [1].
*default from Performance
**skill is +2/+4 (same/opposite sex) used for a
reaction roll
LANGUAGES: Veastar (native)-10 [0].
EQUIPMENT
Njala wears colorful, low-cut dresses at work to attract
attention and draw looks. Privately she also likes to dress
up, but prefers quality and comfort to sexual
provocativeness. She rarely goes armed visibly - some of her
stage costumes include an ornamental dagger - but usually
carries a concealed knife or two (1d-2 imp, 1d-3 cut) to
deter overly ardent admirers. Her jewelry tends towards the
gaudy. Whenever she carries large sums of money, she will be
accompanied by some male member of the troupe.
BIOGRAPHY
Njala is the granddaughter of Mother Soreny, born to her
youngest daughter when she was still the queen of her clan.
She grew up quite pampered, a child renowned for her beauty
and indulged readily by a doting grandmother; to this day,
Mother Soreny is far more forgiving to her than to anyone
else in the troupe. The young girl soon discovered her love
for acrobatics, dancing and turning boys' heads and it was
decided that she should make a profession of it. From the
start she was a success as a dancer and acrobat and quickly
became one of the stars of the show.
After the breakup of the clan, Njala opted to stay with her
grandmother even though this meant the end of her sheltered,
comfortable life. Although she has been known to grumble and
whine more than her share, Njala has adapted well to her new
straightened circumstances and her dancing and acrobatic
skills proved most welcome, especially in the first lean
months after the separation.
By now Njala is one of the stars of the show, though she
does not carry it alone. Her acrobatic tumbling and stage
dances are popular with all audiences, and later at night
she often gives shows of exotic dancing in alien, colorful
and above all skimpy costumes that draw large male
audiences. She enjoys the attention of her admirers and
often flirts shamelessly with men who catch her eye for some
reason. While she is no prostitute, Njala is also happy to
allow herself to be seduced by generous gentlemen. From what
is whispered, the experience seems to be worth the expensive
gifts she requires. However, she has never actually cared
for any man she slept with, and infatuated youths are often
a convenient source of victims.
ENCOUNTERED
Njala is quite stunning, and very well aware of it. Whenever
she meets strangers socially she will turn on the charms
that have men drooling and falling over their feet to be
helpful. Truth be told, she quite enjoys being the center of
attention, and has been known to misjudge the effect on
occasion. Male PCs should get the full benefit of this
attitude and all amorous entanglements, rivalries and
embarrassments to follow. Since Njala is quite the party
animal such a meeting is more likely than not.
Among friends, Njala is far less keen to wear a mask. She is
very attractive even when she isn't making the effort, but
anyone actually trying to have a coherent conversation will
soon find her a relatively shallow and simple person. She is
far from stupid, but flighty and unconcentrated and most
mental pursuits are simply of no interest to her. Unless you
like rehashing tales of life on the road and amorous
adventures, talking to her could prove quite a chore,
especially if you have no untoward interests.
Kendrik the Juggler; Njala's twin, youthful and handsome
acrobat
Total Points: 71.5 Points
Age about 25; 5'11"; 150 pounds; a lean, sinewy youth with a
fine-featured and gentle face, unruly dark hair, and a
mischievous twinkle in his large, brown eyes.
ST 11 [10] - thrust 1d-1, swing 1d+1, fatigue 12
DX 14 [45] - basic speed 6.5, move 7*, dodge 7**
parry
(staff) 9**, parry (karate) 10**
IQ 10 [-]
HT 12 [20] - hit points 11
WL 10 [-] - fright check 12
*includes Running bonus
**includes +1 from Combat Reflexes
ADVANTAGES: Appearance (Attractive) [5]; Combat
Reflexes [15]; Semi-Literate [5]; Very Fit
[10].
DISADVANTAGES: Odious Personal Habit (Steals from anyone he
can) [-5]; Murder Addiction [-60]; Selfish
[-5]; Trickster [-15].
QUIRKS: Protective of his sister; Believes intellectual
achievements are inferior to physical ones; Tasteless
practical joker; Shirks chores; Enjoys being cruel to girls
who are in love with him. [-5]
SKILLS: Acrobatics-15 [8]; Acting-9* [0];
Area Knowledge (Vaestar kingdoms)-10 [1]; Artist-8
[1]; Axe Throwing-15 [2]; Broadsword Art-13
[1]; Broadsword-11** [0]; Climbing-14
[2]; Crossbow-14 [1]; Escape-13 [2];
Fast Draw (Knife)-14*** [.5]; Fast Draw (Throwing
Axe)-14*** [.5]; Fast Talk-10 [2]; Filch-13
[1]; Gambling-10 [2]; Holdout-11
[4]; Juggling-15 [2]; Karate-14 [4];
Knife-14 [1]; Knife Throwing-16 [4];
Packing-10 [2]; Performance-11 [4]; Riding
(Mule)-13 [1]; Running-10 [.5];
Savoir-Faire-10 [1]; Shield-14 [1]; Staff-13
[2]; Teamster-9 [1].
*default from Performance
**default from Broadsword Art
***includes +1 from Combat Reflexes
LANGUAGES: Vaestar (native)-10 [0].
EQUIPMENT
Kendrik likes to dress stylishly and show off his lean,
muscular figure. He has no favorite color or cut, but
usually has taste enough not to be blatant. The only thing
he will never leave home without is a knife or two. He isn't
looking for trouble, but he likes to be ready for it.
BIOGRAPHY
Kendrik is Njala's twin brother, born to gypsy gentry as
grandson of a clan king and queen, and spoiled rotten as a
child. Nonetheless his childhood was not happy, spent as it
was in the shadow of his radiantly beautiful sister and the
many youths closer to the royal succession. He sought refuge
in a haughty and sulky attitude, keeping his distance from
all but Njala and seeking to upstage all his perceived
rivals. His dexterity, appearance and readiness to train
obsessively made him a fine acrobat and decent actor. His
combat skills - though rarely used - were also honed to a
fine edge and he made it known that he would accept any
challenge. He played a big part in generating the tensions
that tore apart the clan - in fact, he thinks he was
responsible by himself, though that claim is patently
ridiculous - and after the parting went with Njala out of
loyalty, and because all his rivals were on the other
side.
Now Kendrik travels with the Mummers, as one of the show
attractions. He does a knife- and axe-throwing act with
Njala as the target, plays a major part in the acrobatic
performances, juggles and plays the role of 'young lover' on
stage. However, in spite of his considerable skill, his
antisocial behavior, arrogance and his habit of pranks and
petty theft make him a liability for the troupe. If Mother
Soreny did not so love her grandson he would probably have
been expelled long ago. As it is he has lost all hope of
succeeding his grandmother, and the knowledge rankles. He is
currently content to take out his frustrations on local boys
stupid enough to accept his challenges to bouts of
singlestick and girls who fall for his charms. He does not
flirt aggressively, but happily encourages girlish
infatuations and never hesitates to take advantage of them
in an almost sadistic fashion.
ENCOUNTERED
Kendrik is an unpleasant person to meet most of the time. He
lacks his sister's stunning charm and looks, making his
arrogance and uncaring selfishness stand out painfully. He
loves to mock people and play cruel tricks for no other
reason than to savor the sense of power it gives him. Anyone
who looks vulnerable is likely to become a target of his
mockery, though Mother Soreny keeps him in check inside the
troupe. He hates being upstaged and resents anyone being
better at anything than himself or getting more attention,
with the exception of his sister whom he adores and protects
with fierce sibling loyalty.
If not actually likable, Kendrik can at times be quite
intriguing and a pleasure to be with. For one thing he is
quite graceful and attractive, in a slender, boyish kind of
way. He is also quite capable, skilled in a wide variety of
things and more than happy to show them off. Those who share
his sense of humor will be taken in by the elaborate
practical jokes he loves to play on everyone, and especially
those who treat him with arrogance or superior
condescension. Nobody could ever say he lacked in courage or
defiant cheek.
- written by Volker Bach
(volker_bach@public.uni-hamburg.de)
- editted and formatted by andi jones
(andi@angelwerks.com)
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