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View Full Version : How to anger a mage? (Character background help.)



Kiyona
2009-11-12, 04:28 AM
Hello all,

I am almost done with the background to my mute mage in GURPS, but there i one little detail that I am stuck on. And was hoping on you guys to give me suggestions. :smallbiggrin:

She is not only mute, but cannot make any sounds at all. This is due to a curse from a very, very powerful mage that she somehow angered beyond belief.
This is where I am stuck. I cant come up with anything that would yield such a result. Why not just kill her? Her bigggest dream was to become a bard, and music was her life prior to the curse, so he really struck where it would hurt the most.

I would prefer that it has something to do with her owl familiar. As mages dont automatically get familiars in GURPS. They have to bind the spirits (or demons) themselves. And my mage has no skill that would let her do that.
I was thinking on the lines that she stole "or saved" tha familiar from the mage, and that that particular spririt was important to some ritual or such. But I cant make it sound believable.

Please, fellow playgrounders, help me make a good background. :smallsmile:

This is the background I got so far. Major TLDR warning, you dont have to read it to make suggestions. The above is good enough. But if you want some more flavour, here it is. :smallsmile:

Ten minute background. Selah

Step 1: Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind. 5 is just a minimum... more elements are encouraged!

• The first thing you notice about Selah is that she is very quiet. So quitet that you probably gave a start when she politly tapped on your shoulder. Selah is mute, and constantly carries a small chalkboard and massiv amounts of chalk with her so that she will be able to comunicate. After spending some time with her it will be obvious that her lack of speech is not the only thing off about her. She makes no sound whatsoever. When asked about this oddity, she simply holds up the chalkboard with the words “Never angry a mage” written on it.
• Selah grew up in a small farming comunity, enjoying the simple things of life. Her affinity to magic showed in a very early age but due to lack of competent teachers never amounted to anything more than simple pranks pulled on fellow children.
• Art, and music escpecially, was her biggest interest growing up. There was never a moment when the young Selah woudnt be found singing or dancing, alone or in front of an audience didnt matter. Where Selah was, there was music. This interest was what eventually led her to leave her home and family behind. She had heard stories about bards, traveling entertainers that channeled their magic through song. This, she tought, was her calling. So when she turned 15 she left for the city, hoping to find a bard willing to train her.
• Since she was very young, Selah has had a very bad habit of taking what isnt hers. When she was little, she took almost anything that wasnt nailed down and stacked it in her room. She got scolded about it a few times, but since everyone knew where to look if something disappeared her parents evetnually gave up and let her do what she wanted. Back then, it was the thrill of not getting caught in the act that kept her going, but now it has become a small compulsion. She knows that it is wrong, and she feels awful about it. But if something catches her attention it takes tremendous willpower for her to keep her hands of it.
• The incident....
• Since loosing her voice, Selah has been trying to adjust, and her owl familiar (soon to be named) has been good help in getting her through the first weeks of depression. Slowly, and with (familiars) help, she came to realise that magic also can be considered an artform. And in fact, is a really good way of expressing oneself. Although she still greatly appreciates music and art in all forms she has now completley replaced the music in her life with magic, and travels to learn as much about it as possible.


Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.

• Although Selah has adjusted to the situation and giving up on her childhood dream of becoming a bard, she is still searching for ways to get her voice back.
• She also wants to learn as many spells as possible, and would very much like to find a teacher who can help her.
• And finally, she is also searching for a way to help her familiar to a more permanent body as owls has very limited lifespans.
• I would love to see her get some sort of revenge on the mage (also to be named) who cursed her. Even if the reversal of the curse is not possible, I would like to see her kick his a**.


Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!

• She has no idea of what her familiar really is, and why he was so important to the mage. Even I dont, that is DMs secret.
• She is ashamed of, and tries to hide her kleptomania, so I guess that counts as a secret.
• Selah loves the feeling of power she gets that casting a particularly hard spell gives her and would laugh maniacly if she could.


Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.

• Aidan Hart, her childhood sweetheart. He always adored her and was heartbroken when she left the village. If she ever comes through his parts of the land she can depend on his help, even though he now is married. He owns his own farm and has some cattle and a few workhorses, he has enough money to support his family and live a rather comfortable life.
• Mama Hope, the innkeeper of “the flaming flagon”, where Selah worked when she first came to the city. Selah was a good entertainer, and Mama Hope cared especially for the young girl. Mama Hope can be counted on to help Selah in anything, as long as it doesnt endanger her inn.
• And of course, the Mage (also needs a name).


Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.

Memories:
• Selah still remembers her first kiss fondly, and thinks of Aidan from time to time. Though she dont think he will approve of her chosen lifestyle.
• The first time she channeled magic both scared her and intrigued her to no end.
• The curse, she still has nightmares about it and prefers to not “talk” about it.

Other stuff
• Selah is generally good natured, but has a bad temper that only got worse after loosing her voice. If no one will listen to what she has to “say” she will smack them on the head with her chalkboard.
• Being so quite herself, Selah has developed a small phobia of loud and sudden noices. Nothing she cant handle, but she gets a bit unnerved.
• Another side-effect of making no sound is that animals avoid her, and some are outright afraid of her. This, of course does not apply to animals without hearing.


Oh, and she is basically a good guy. Some anger-management issues, but she would not murder his kids or some other atrocity.

BobVosh
2009-11-12, 04:37 AM
Curiosity led her to his book. (not sure on gurps Bards) Interested she attempted to use a spell. I'm sure you can see where this is going. Done incorrectly, summons/binds a demon/spirit owl to herself. Master didn't want to anger the court the bird comes from, by making the summon worthless. Or something else is in play, so he can't risk angering them. So by taking her joy he will get his revenge, and in time this pleased him more to see her suffer.

Also 10 minute background: TL;DR.

Vizzerdrix
2009-11-12, 04:41 AM
Not familiar with GURPS, but I'll throw out some ideas I guess.

Hmm... Ah ha! Another mage tricked you into singing a song that stole the familiar from the one that cursed you. The familiar is too important to the Curser for him to just kill you outright, so until he finds the mage that tricked you, he just cursed you to be a douchebag.

Cicciograna
2009-11-12, 04:41 AM
She called him Warlock. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0677.html)

Kiyona
2009-11-12, 04:49 AM
BobVosh

That is a good start. Especially since shes got the curious and kleptomania disadvantages. :smallbiggrin: I would have to ask DM about this though, I have no idea where spirits and demons come from. And what really happens when you bind them.

Also, I warned you, didnt I? =) I always write up long backgrounds for my characters, for my own sake, so I wont foorget about them if we dont play for a while. Also, I badly need to practice my English skills. Not my first language.

Vizzerdrix

Also a good suggestion, I really think the mage is a douchebag, so this would also be a possible explanation.

I directed DM to this thread as well, so we will chose a plausible, and fun, explanation together. So keep em coming folks! :smallbiggrin:

Tokiko Mima
2009-11-12, 06:22 AM
Hello all,

I am almost done with the background to my mute mage in GURPS, but there i one little detail that I am stuck on. And was hoping on you guys to give me suggestions. :smallbiggrin:

She is not only mute, but cannot make any sounds at all. This is due to a curse from a very, very powerful mage that she somehow angered beyond belief.
This is where I am stuck. I cant come up with anything that would yield such a result. Why not just kill her? Her bigggest dream was to become a bard, and music was her life prior to the curse, so he really struck where it would hurt the most.

I would prefer that it has something to do with her owl familiar. As mages dont automatically get familiars in GURPS. They have to bind the spirits (or demons) themselves. And my mage has no skill that would let her do that.
I was thinking on the lines that she stole "or saved" tha familiar from the mage, and that that particular spririt was important to some ritual or such. But I cant make it sound believable.

Please, fellow playgrounders, help me make a good background. :smallsmile:

Well, you could give it the air of a fable for some flair. Say the evil mage was passing by when he happened to hear Selah's beautiful singing voice as she practiced. He sought her out and was entranced, for she had a purity and tone that made him nostalgic for his younger days. So, presenting himself before Selah he offered her a wish, anything she would like in exchange for a song.

Selah asks for the owl perched on his shoulder. This angered the mage, to whom the owl was a powerful tool he was not prepared to hand over to some riffraff girl. But his promise being magically binding he had already agreed to whatever she wished, so he gave the owl over to Selah. Then with a wicked smile, he completed the contract, stripping all song (and all sound) from Selah forever and taking it with him. If she would steal from him, then he would steal from her!

BobVosh
2009-11-12, 06:43 AM
I got through with reading background. I shall have revenge with length as well.

If you don't mind a different direction, but same feel, for what I said earlier:

While perusing through the local bookstore she noticed something unusual. Unfortunately she got the urge, one she resists frequently, but couldn't this time. She needed it, must take it. Just a small bauble, no one is likely to even notice. However it is moments like this when it is best to leave, quickly.

Softly singing as she inspects her new acquisition she leaves town on her quest to the next town in hopes to find a master to train her in the ways of the bards. On the way she hears some chanting, very rhythmical, and decided to get closer to find out what is going on. Stumbling upon a strange man in the midst of a strange ritual, she originally intended to leave; no need to involve herself in such things, many a horror story has started this way.

However she was compelled to watch, feeling the magic and the music was too much. She was quickly able to figure a way to join in, and made it into a duet. Even the dance seemed instinctual to her, from years of practice.

The mage was angered beyond reason, he was attempting to bind a very specific spirit. This random woman has ruined everything, and the spirit would be bound to whomever it liked the most from the ritual. Unfortunately he couldn't interrupt this ritual, or the blasted owl would get away...again. Time was too much of an element.

Of course between the two there, the owl had an easy choice. Selah had just made a new lifelong friend. However in order to balance this, she has also made her first real enemy. The mage starts to stop her, worried that she is a spellcaster he stops her from making a noise ever again. Selah thinks quick and throws whatever is in her hands at him...turns out the bauble was a protection for the store owner. It stunned the mage long enough for her to flee quickly.

Once she learns it is permanent she sets a new goal: to learn magic to overcome the curse, and eventually get revenge against the man who took her joy.

Kiyona
2009-11-12, 07:45 AM
Oh. My. God!

BobVosh that is amazing!

Thank you so much, it fits perfectly. And thank you for reading my very lengthy background. A dragon's hoard of freshly baked internetcookies for you! :smallbiggrin:

wormwood
2009-11-12, 08:20 AM
Hello all,

I am almost done with the background to my mute mage in GURPS, but there i one little detail that I am stuck on. And was hoping on you guys to give me suggestions. :smallbiggrin:

She is not only mute, but cannot make any sounds at all. This is due to a curse from a very, very powerful mage that she somehow angered beyond belief.
This is where I am stuck. I cant come up with anything that would yield such a result. Why not just kill her? Her bigggest dream was to become a bard, and music was her life prior to the curse, so he really struck where it would hurt the most.

I would prefer that it has something to do with her owl familiar. As mages dont automatically get familiars in GURPS. They have to bind the spirits (or demons) themselves. And my mage has no skill that would let her do that.
I was thinking on the lines that she stole "or saved" tha familiar from the mage, and that that particular spririt was important to some ritual or such. But I cant make it sound believable.

Please, fellow playgrounders, help me make a good background. :smallsmile:

This is the background I got so far. Major TLDR warning, you dont have to read it to make suggestions. The above is good enough. But if you want some more flavour, here it is. :smallsmile:

Ten minute background. Selah

Step 1: Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind. 5 is just a minimum... more elements are encouraged!

• The first thing you notice about Selah is that she is very quiet. So quitet that you probably gave a start when she politly tapped on your shoulder. Selah is mute, and constantly carries a small chalkboard and massiv amounts of chalk with her so that she will be able to comunicate. After spending some time with her it will be obvious that her lack of speech is not the only thing off about her. She makes no sound whatsoever. When asked about this oddity, she simply holds up the chalkboard with the words “Never angry a mage” written on it.
• Selah grew up in a small farming comunity, enjoying the simple things of life. Her affinity to magic showed in a very early age but due to lack of competent teachers never amounted to anything more than simple pranks pulled on fellow children.
• Art, and music escpecially, was her biggest interest growing up. There was never a moment when the young Selah woudnt be found singing or dancing, alone or in front of an audience didnt matter. Where Selah was, there was music. This interest was what eventually led her to leave her home and family behind. She had heard stories about bards, traveling entertainers that channeled their magic through song. This, she tought, was her calling. So when she turned 15 she left for the city, hoping to find a bard willing to train her.
• Since she was very young, Selah has had a very bad habit of taking what isnt hers. When she was little, she took almost anything that wasnt nailed down and stacked it in her room. She got scolded about it a few times, but since everyone knew where to look if something disappeared her parents evetnually gave up and let her do what she wanted. Back then, it was the thrill of not getting caught in the act that kept her going, but now it has become a small compulsion. She knows that it is wrong, and she feels awful about it. But if something catches her attention it takes tremendous willpower for her to keep her hands of it.
• The incident....
• Since loosing her voice, Selah has been trying to adjust, and her owl familiar (soon to be named) has been good help in getting her through the first weeks of depression. Slowly, and with (familiars) help, she came to realise that magic also can be considered an artform. And in fact, is a really good way of expressing oneself. Although she still greatly appreciates music and art in all forms she has now completley replaced the music in her life with magic, and travels to learn as much about it as possible.


Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.

• Although Selah has adjusted to the situation and giving up on her childhood dream of becoming a bard, she is still searching for ways to get her voice back.
• She also wants to learn as many spells as possible, and would very much like to find a teacher who can help her.
• And finally, she is also searching for a way to help her familiar to a more permanent body as owls has very limited lifespans.
• I would love to see her get some sort of revenge on the mage (also to be named) who cursed her. Even if the reversal of the curse is not possible, I would like to see her kick his a**.


Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!

• She has no idea of what her familiar really is, and why he was so important to the mage. Even I dont, that is DMs secret.
• She is ashamed of, and tries to hide her kleptomania, so I guess that counts as a secret.
• Selah loves the feeling of power she gets that casting a particularly hard spell gives her and would laugh maniacly if she could.


Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.

• Aidan Hart, her childhood sweetheart. He always adored her and was heartbroken when she left the village. If she ever comes through his parts of the land she can depend on his help, even though he now is married. He owns his own farm and has some cattle and a few workhorses, he has enough money to support his family and live a rather comfortable life.
• Mama Hope, the innkeeper of “the flaming flagon”, where Selah worked when she first came to the city. Selah was a good entertainer, and Mama Hope cared especially for the young girl. Mama Hope can be counted on to help Selah in anything, as long as it doesnt endanger her inn.
• And of course, the Mage (also needs a name).


Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.

Memories:
• Selah still remembers her first kiss fondly, and thinks of Aidan from time to time. Though she dont think he will approve of her chosen lifestyle.
• The first time she channeled magic both scared her and intrigued her to no end.
• The curse, she still has nightmares about it and prefers to not “talk” about it.

Other stuff
• Selah is generally good natured, but has a bad temper that only got worse after loosing her voice. If no one will listen to what she has to “say” she will smack them on the head with her chalkboard.
• Being so quite herself, Selah has developed a small phobia of loud and sudden noices. Nothing she cant handle, but she gets a bit unnerved.
• Another side-effect of making no sound is that animals avoid her, and some are outright afraid of her. This, of course does not apply to animals without hearing.


Oh, and she is basically a good guy. Some anger-management issues, but she would not murder his kids or some other atrocity.

You didn't happen to read SilverClawShift's Crystal Cantrips thread, did ya? :)

Kiyona
2009-11-12, 09:00 AM
Oh my, that must be were I got it from. I had honestly forgotten where I had read it. :smallredface:

I actually read a webcomic about a mute character, and thought it would be a fun roleplaying challenge. And then I rememberd hearing about a cursed character that could not make any sound at all and thought, "that would be even more amusing". So, yeah now that you mention it, thats probably were I heard it. :smallredface:

Random NPC
2009-11-12, 09:17 AM
How to piss off a wizard?

Tolkien put it best: Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.

Optimystik
2009-11-12, 10:09 AM
How to piss off a wizard?

Tolkien put it best: Do not meddle in the affairs of Solars, for they are subtle and quick to anger.

Fixed for Gandalf accuracy :smalltongue:

Quincunx
2009-11-12, 10:24 AM
She sang the birds out of the sky and down to her hand with nothing but her voice. He woo'd her to find out what flavor of magic had left no supernatural trace. She had none, no secret to teach, but a power he couldn't steal. . .well, not without destroying it in the process. (If your GM needs to power down the mage for early level BBEG balance, he speaks birdsong and not words of power, a legacy of the thievery gone wrong.)

Keshay
2009-11-12, 11:02 AM
Quick question. When you say she can make no sounds at all, do you mean no vocal sounds: no speech, grunts, whistles, coughs or clicks? Is it even more encompasing: no breath sounds, no heartbeat, no... intestinal noises (interior or escaping)? Beyond that, is it extended to sounds she could make in her environment: No noise from footfalls, clapping her hands, garment rustling or sound from musical instruments?

Kiyona
2009-11-12, 11:26 AM
Keshay

No sound what so ever. If she picks up a guitar and plays, there is no sound.

(Mechanically she still has to make stealthchecks, since she can still accidently trip a bucket over or something like that. But she gets a hefty bonus to stealth when she can not be seen.)

BobVosh
2009-11-13, 12:44 AM
Oh my, that must be were I got it from. I had honestly forgotten where I had read it. :smallredface:

I actually read a webcomic about a mute character, and thought it would be a fun roleplaying challenge. And then I rememberd hearing about a cursed character that could not make any sound at all and thought, "that would be even more amusing". So, yeah now that you mention it, thats probably were I heard it. :smallredface:

Hah! I just read about this. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptomnesia
Cryptomnesia, or inadvertent plagiarism, is a memory bias whereby a person falsely recalls generating a thought, an idea, a song, or a joke, when the thought was actually generated by someone else.[1] In these cases, the person is not deliberately engaging in plagiarism, but is rather experiencing a memory as if it were a new inspiration.

Also: glad you like the background.

taltamir
2009-11-13, 07:29 AM
i played a mute character once... the group dissolved due to infighting over what I could or couldn't say. (not only me, but others were upset too, for example when I came up with a good idea but some people thought I shouldn't have been able to convey it properly in the current light / time, and thus party cannot follow on that idea without metagaming)...

Even when we agreed on what I can and cannot do it was utterly unfun. Since I was excluded from many role playing parts...

The problem with mute is that it debilitates your ability to communicate with your teammates, and thus, to roleplay.

boomwolf
2009-11-13, 07:49 AM
Dexter's laboratory.

I bet you saw it sometime, didn't you?

dsmiles
2009-11-13, 07:51 AM
I don't think I would use an angry mage, personally. I would use a vengeful gypsy (see Thinner), they are more easily angered and less concerned with killing their foes and more concerned with dispensing what they see as justice.

Kiyona
2009-11-14, 06:33 AM
taltamir

Well, I have a familiar that can read my mind and convey it to the other players in case of elaborate plans. I will try and not use it so often, because I wanted to play a mute character, but in case of any such troubles I have an easy solution.

Also, if it is really boring, and I am missing out on to much, I will suggest to the other players that we all spend 1 point in sign language. So I think it will be ok. :smallbiggrin:

dsmiles

Well, I just didnt think about it. ^^ Also I dont know if there are any Gypsies in this universe.

Me and DM have decided to run with BobVosg's suggestion, as it was so very awesome, so I dont need an more suggestions as of now.

But feel free to use the thread to discuss mute characters in general, or anything you feel is even remotly connected to it. =)

Rasman
2009-11-14, 07:51 AM
you can either make this very simple or very complicated

I tend to prefer very simple in this case, so my explanation would be, she claimed, to his face, that he wasn't powerful enough to do something like that

taunting someone it one of the best ways to provoke them into doing things you'll regret later...like causing you to be a mute that can't make sound

Set
2009-11-14, 11:33 AM
She was working for the mage, who was *attempting* to bind the owl familiar in question, for a specific use (it was a status thing. The most famous wizard in the lands had bound an owl familiar recently, and everybody was scrambling to not just bind owls, but to bind even more spectacular and magnificent owls, to show up their peers at court and conclaves), but found it recalcitrant since the spirit that was to inhabit the owl had to be persuaded to accept the pact that he was offering (and he wasn't much of a negotiator, being more of a 'do this or else!' petulant sort...).

Cleaning his chambers, she found the crystal containing the spirit, hanging on a chain below the owl, and while dusting it off (and, maybe, just a little, handling it and wistfully admiring how sparkly it was...), the spirit manifested in front of her. It was annoyed at the constant bartering between itself and the wizard, and when she stammered at it's sudden appearance, it insulted her for being clumsy and inarticulate, 'like her master.' Puffed up, she challenged it to a vocal contest, and combining lyrics and song, so impressed it that it chose to enter the owl and bind with *her* instead of the wizard whose tower she was cleaning...

The Wizard was *furious* that, despite all of his pleading and bargaining and imperious demands, this stripling of a girl had just sung a pretty song and stolen his familiar away from him! Once bound to another, the spirit was 'tainted' in his eyes, and obviously not good enough for him anyway, since it had bonded to this cleaning-servant, so he punished her by stripping her voice away and locking it in an iron chest, so that she could never use her 'honeyed words' to steal away secrets of magic that she did not deserve.

He still has the iron key on a chain around his neck, and plays with it idly when his angry eyes fall upon his new familiar, a toad or serpent that better reflects his inner nature.