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View Full Version : Pathfinder What alignment is this character and how can I make the backstory better?



Zhentarim
2016-02-17, 09:40 PM
Angus Aleman is a dwarf born to two wine enthusiast. Growing up in southern Taldor, Angus's parents--Helga and Harsk Aleman--were skilled vineyard keepers. Angus travelled all over southern Taldor as his parents marketed their wine. Made from only the finest home grown grapes, the wine was praised by many. Angus learned from his parents to respect good, honest work, and he also inherited a slight predjudice against all casters, since they are avoiding all the hard work and character-building of actually going out and manipulating the real world with their own hands and tools. One day, the Aleman family sold some wine to a witch coven which rumors had suggested would appreciate some fine wine. After all, the Aleman philosophy was a coin is a coin, no matter who had it last. For some reason, however, one member of the coven didn't like the wine. One night, Angus, only a 30 year old dwarven child at the time, awoke to a hideous cackle and a whisper which said, "I'll show those charlatans what happens when they cheat a witch with cheap wine", only to feel compelled to drift back to sleep moments later. Angus awoke sometime later gasping for air. His father came in to wake him after his father had a dream about drowning and felt the need to check in on his son. Angus told his father about what he thought was a dream, to which his father responded "I have some nails I'm going to give you. The witches won't hurt you, now." From then on, Angus was especially weary of all arcane casters, though he learned to tolerate them in his magic-filled world so long as they weren't overtly hurting anybody or stepping on the freedoms of others. He became quite fond of the saying "I'll take care of my business and stay I'll out of yours, so long as you stay out of mine." That said, he only keeps enough gold to meet his needs and gives the rest to orphanages and the poor. He is simple and doesn't have much luxury in his life. He is shy, and doesn't say much, and though he doesn't own his own vineyard as his parents did, since a drought years ago destroyed it, he often stinks since he works the fields of others. When he speaks to arcane casters, he always grabs for the nails. It is a bit of a phobia for him. As of this past year, he joined the Spellkiller Inquisition within the church of Cayden Caliean, because while he mostly desired to be left alone, his fear of witches and timidity meant he was ready to build up his defenses against what he considered the "dark arts" by trying to learn the divine magic of Cayden Caliean and by ensuring he could ingratiate himself enough with the owner of the vineyard that he might get it one day, as the owner had no heir. Angus finally got the owner of the vineyard to agree to sign over the land in his will. It was then that the freeze came. Angus swallowed his fear and forced himself to seek out the one responsible. Angus remembered an old proverb which said "Bravery isn't the lack of fear. Bravery is overcoming your fear." Knowing the grape market would be ruined so long as there was this frost, Angus showed his bravery by fighting down his anxiety, and finding others who wanted to fix the problem. Despite his fear, he decided he would hide it by saying as little as possible.

Geddy2112
2016-02-17, 09:58 PM
Lawful good, maybe neutral good.

He has a lot of honor and respect for people, even if he disagrees. He is altruistic, and even with people he is afraid of/disagrees with, he respects as people and out of politeness. He also tries to keep his emotions bottled in-that does not really have an alignment, but is more common in lawful types(with plenty of exception on both sides of law and chaos).

I figure you have Cayden Caliean for the winemaking aspect, but remember Torag also likes making some fine brews, and Erastil is down with making booze, doubly so if it strengthens community. A small community of winemakers that lives simply and supports their family while working hard? Erastil is all about that.

Zhentarim
2016-02-17, 10:08 PM
Lawful good, maybe neutral good.

He has a lot of honor and respect for people, even if he disagrees. He is altruistic, and even with people he is afraid of/disagrees with, he respects as people and out of politeness. He also tries to keep his emotions bottled in-that does not really have an alignment, but is more common in lawful types(with plenty of exception on both sides of law and chaos).

I had neutral good in mind, but I'll take lawful good.