Bio

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19713850/The_Ten-Minute_Background—Post_your_characters!

The Ten-Minute Background

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!

• Tin was orphaned at a young age; his parents were part of a traveling band of gypsy minstrels that went missing after a show.
• He grew up in the wretched city of Luskan, living on the rooftops, eating out of garbage cans and begging for a living.
  • His friends called him “Tin” for his ability to beg for coins and curry favors from some of the more savory folk of Luskan
  • The leader of his childhood band was another halfing by the name of Reggie who formed a group of errand-boys/favor runners in the Mirabar and Harbor district
    • Favors mostly involved drugs, but sometimes involved spying and reporting on rival gangs.
• Eventually, Tin & Reggie managed to escape Luskan by stowing away on a slaving ship and made their way down the Sword Coast
• They picked up whatever skills they needed to survive along the way, hitching rides, hiking through the wilds, occasionally “acquiring” the minimal provisions they needed from the locals
• Five years later, they arrived in Waterdeep and started a new band to run a set of long-cons
  • They would run errands for busy lesser nobles and befriend their older parents, find out about valuables in the home and then clean them out
  • However, after several successes, they were caught by a nobleman, Rayniere McWands, and his servitor golem/warforged
  • They were put in a basement and tortured alongside other halflings and goblins for “magical experiments”
  • After 2 weeks, Tin managed to escape but left Reggie behind.
• He became embroiled in Waterdeep politics for a few months when he outed Rayniere and showed proof of McWands’ magical misdeeds
  • Tin spent some time in jail afterward as well, but a rival noble named Jules Amcathra had his sentence reduced to 6 months.
• Newly released from prison, he is starting up a solo city-guide company called “Waterdhavian Travails,” with little success.

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.

• He is burned out from crime and wants to stay on the clean path from here on out
  • He wants to avoid drugs/scandals/petty larceny
  • He is still haunted by the fact that he had to leave Reggie behind in order to escape
  • He sees his new Guide company “Waterdhavian Travails” as an opportunity to dabble in adventuring (a new source of loot?)
• His preoccupation with loot and items stems from his childhood and the thought of returning to an impoverished life terrifies him, but he has to learn that riches lie in more than just money.

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!

• He still has a part of his nobles’ valuables stash (about 7500GP worth of gems and jewelry) buried in a graveyard in the North Ward; ironically it is on House Amcathra grounds.
• During his period in captivity by McWands, he was exposed to various parts of the Spellplague and resisted most of the effects; unfortunately, Reggie did not manage to do the same.
  • Is Reggie still alive? What happened to him?
  • What exactly is the Spellplague and what effect was Wands trying to extract and inflict?

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.

• Reginald “Reggie” Waxwicker, Tin’s childhood friend and fellow rogue, is MIA after the McWands fiasco.
• Jules Amcathra, a nobleman he has run many “errands” (both lawful and larcenous) for in the past,
• Rayniere McWands: arcane artificer now spends his time brooding in a remote magical prison, plotting his revenge against the puny halfling that undid him

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.

• Curt, professional, business-like; but warms up whenever there is food/drink around.
• Sayings
  • Uses animal references often e.g. “That dude is so badger,” “I’ll cut a fork in your tongue to match your talk,” “More ravenous than a raven (pronounced so it sounds the same.)”
  • Loves axes. “There’s no problem that a hatchet can’t solve.” “It beats a Gnomish Army Knife.”
• When he gets bored, he’ll whistle a druid tune and whittle.