The Player Character Worktable

**The House of Ainsley** · Subject: Re: The Player Character Worktable Wed Aug 26, 2009 2:44 pm

Aw, I don't really have any Instant Messanger accounts. I had some years ago, but I haven't really used them since the City of Heroes days. I'll have to go digging through my hard drive and see what I can find.

As for honorable Ainsley warriors, surely you remember Sir Ashton Ainsley (played by Gaia). He was the honorable warrior sort--think Teutonic knight or Transylvanian knight and you'll get a good idea about what Ashton was. As for being a cousin to lordship, I never fully expanded Iridia Ainsley's descending bloodline; you might recall that Iridia was the youngest sister to Corwin's mother Gwenlyn--as well as his uncles Borogon and Wardner--and Iridia ran away from the House of Ainsley in light of all the nasty things that Borogon and Wardner were doing back at home before and--doubly so--after their father's death (as opposed to Gwenlyn, who didn't have a choice in leaving and apparently got kicked out of the House after getting framed for dark witchcraft, but Corwin's just going to have to figure out the details of that mess for himself...).

So it could be that Tain's forthcoming warrior is descended from Iridia, whose descendants have been serving the Duchy of Konegheim (where Iridia moved and ended up marrying into the reigning Eowuld family in order to protect herself from her wicked brothers...not that Iridia didn't have any skeletons in her own closet, of course...) and otherwise keeping to themselves for the last fifty-odd years.

Like Sir Ashton did, Tain's character might have even been initiated into knighthood and played a role in the Imperial Civil War as well. But I wouldn't want to simply rehash Ashton's prologue; sure, Karkova was one of the nations that rebelled--and the most major of the rebel nations at that--but the Nordic kingdom of Hrothjurgan actually split in half during a whole mess of infighting and political divides among the jarls and their tribes leading up to the war, and I was thinking of exploring that development a little more.

Ask Tain how he would feel about being an honorable Germanic-style knight trudging through two feet of ice and snow to chop up a bunch of Vikings, just as a general idea. Better yet, tell him to get back in here. Very Happy

**The House of Ainsley** · Subject: A Quick Aside for Karnoz Sun Aug 30, 2009 3:18 pm

Did you ever decide on Karnoz's bonus languages, GD? One thing that Yorgo neglected to mention was that Anyaska wasn't (or, if she's still alive, isn't) human, her ring was a gift from Hennbauer and he had the ring's inscription scribed in Anyaska's native language; whether or not Karnoz can comprehend the inscription depends on his language fluencies, of course.

With his Intelligence, Karnoz may speak and comprehend up to three extra languages.

EDIT: Oops, I just checked Page 1 of this topic while I was hunting down that Languages table. Goblin, Orcish and Abyssal. Got it. I just forgot to write 'em down while I was carrying on about Innuendo, I guess....

Quite an interesting history Karnoz must have, to have picked up fluencies in those languages. Maybe he learned Abyssal from a succubus who used to lollygag around with him. You know, I think I still have Panacleothass' old character sheet lying around somewhere.... Twisted Evil

**GoldenDrakon** · Subject: Re: The Player Character Worktable Wed Sep 02, 2009 10:52 am

The House of Ainsley wrote:

Quite an interesting history Karnoz must have, to have picked up fluencies in those languages. Maybe he learned Abyssal from a succubus who used to lollygag around with him. You know, I think I still have Panacleothass' old character sheet lying around somewhere.... Twisted Evil

Sheesh! How many times do i have to kill that particular villian? Razz

Anyway, since I had a moment, I figured I'd get around to filling in some blanks with Karnoz:

1) What were Karnoz's origin, founding years and upbringing like? Was he an impoverished street urchin who couldn't hack making an honest living, so he tried his hand at a dishonest living instead? Or was he a spoiled brat from a well-to-do family, instilling in him the notions that greed is good and that such concerns as morality, property rights and the sanctity of life simply do not apply to him?

Karnoz’s mother died in childbirth but his father was an alchemist and tutor for a wealthy family but lost everything after the fall of the Empire. Karnoz and his father were suddenly on the run in a land where order and stability disinigrated around them. Karnoz’ father, Dietrich, managed to provide services to the many gangs, packs, factions and thugs that rose and fell in the anarchy that followed to include manufacturing poisons and providing translations. It was Dietrich who educated Karnoz teaching him alchemy and languages among other skills. Life was hard in that time as money was as fickle as the people they were working with. Karnoz learned his street ways during this time also to help provide. He also learned a few ‘rules’ to govern his life by; ‘Trust no one’ and ‘Do what it takes to survive’ being two key ones.
Dietrich was eventually killed, leaving Karnoz on his own to find his own way. Constantly moving from place to place, Karnoz also learned another, very important rule; morals, ethics and laws were just self imposed barriers. Once these social chains were discarded, one could discover great opportunities. He also learned that all life has value, and that one could cash in on that value.

2) Surely there's an origin to his "street name". While it's unlikely that he earned it from killing a king or other similarly powerful and well-defended figure, whom and how many has he killed in his history? Were the killings driven by greed, by sadism, by bloodthirsty madness or by some other vice? And were they performed with all the zeal and passionate fury of a madman, with the cold, emotionless dispassion of an executioner (my guess), or with the fearful trembling and stinging remorse of a compelled sociopath who knows that what he is doing is wrong but cannot turn away from it? Or perhaps in truth he has committed no murders at all, his nickname self-fabricated and insubstantial until he can prove himself with the death of Hennbauer or someone else?

In his time, Karnoz occasionally joined with or opposed other groups and guilds. He learned that such guilds were not worth joining unless he were on top and thusly avoided them for the most part. He did however pick up on the advantage of a good persona or reputation. Thus ‘Raven Murder’ was born. While secretly admitting there is a touch of theater to the name, Raven Murder is not just an act. Raven is a hunter, a killer and a stalker. In his history, he has stolen, broken bones, terrorized and killed without regard or remorse. While defiantly a sociopath, Raven does not kill for pleasure. Everything he does is a means to an end; a part in a grand scheme that drives him.

3) Where does he see himself in the future? Is there a single driving ideal spurring him onward, and what will become of Karnoz if that driving goal is ever achieved? Or are his long-term ambitions vague or nonexistent, leaving him driven only by his momentary wants and cravings?

His greatest driving goal is to succeed in his chosen endeavors. Those endeavors are often to be the one on top of the rat race in one form or another. Of course being on top is just half of the competition. The other half is staying there.

4) Your character is evil, true. But, just as every good person may possess damning vices, so may an evil person possess redeeming virtues. Everyone alive has the potential for good and evil alike; what determines morality amounts to nothing more than which of the two ideals is stronger in any given person. Pure snow-white heroes and jet-black villains are far more bland and uninteresting than those characters who must grapple with both angels and demons, so which vices and virtues best define your character? And are those subdued virtues yet strong enough to carry the hope--however great or small--of eventual redemption? Or is your character truly damned, with what dwindling goodness in his or her heart doomed to be forever imprisoned beneath the crushing weight of selfish desires and accumulating sins?

An excerpt from Karnoz:

"Good? Evil? What’s the difference? What makes one good or evil except the false, pre-conceived ideals and morals I learned to abandon long ago? If I am evil, then I am a necessary evil. Love me or hate me but you All need me. You want what I provide and keep your little hands and conscious’s clean. Who else are you going to turn to? Warriors? Feh! Overrated, over priced and often stupid. Mages? Flashy yes, but hardly as subtle or reliable as the quick flick of a knife. Priests? What’s a priest going to do, pray? You think their Gods are going to give a damn about you? You’re a bug if even that. I am so much more …terrestrial. I am a thief and a stone-cold killer, and I sleep very well at night. I strive to be the very best that I can be at what I do, your own sensibilities be damned."

_________________
"I can fire your blood with passion or leave you sick with bile and revulsion. I raise heroes from the masses and send them to lay low kings and warlords. I will take you to exotic, far-away places, only to leave you in darkness and dispair. I can show you wonderous treasures beyond your wildest dreams, and terrors to freeze your soul."

"Who am I? I'm your StoryTeller."

**The House of Ainsley** · Subject: Re: The Player Character Worktable Wed Sep 09, 2009 2:55 pm

Ah, good answers all around, GD. But I've pretty much come to expect that from you. Kudos. Very Happy