Origins

• Your place of birth was a town or small city, a fairly civilized place. You were raised by your birth parents, who were part of a major trade guild. All of them met with misfortune, a crippling addiction to drugs, alcohol, gambling, or something else.

Siblings

• A younger sister that still lives with your childhood caretakers.
• An adopted younger brother that suffered grave misfortune, taken by kidnappers, slavers, or raiders, and presumed lost or enslaved.
  • His name was Etrick, a sparrow orphan taken in by Alba's family, cheerful and entirely too trusting despite his difficult past.
• A younger sister that is dead, killed in an accident.
• An older sister that is dead, murdered by someone. You know who did it.
• An older sister that hates you for some past transgression.
  • Her name is Tressa, and she's still mad that I stole all of her feather dye to turn my whole self purple the day before she was going to use it to dress up for a dance. She blames me for not catching her target's eye. But please, why would he? Pfft.

Appearance

• You favor clothing that blends with the local styles, changing at need. You have short, braided hair. You routinely wear body paints, makeup or other decorations that set you apart.

Important Events

• You became addicted to gambling.
• You suffered a major financial loss, losing almost everything.
• You made an enemy, people in positions of power, the authorities. They make you shouty-angry. They have military connections. Your rivalry grew into something stronger.
• Imprisoned for a crime I committed
  • Cleaned out by a bad run at the gambling tables, in desperation you attempted a robbery of a money-changer's coffers, but were caught and jailed by haughty Avoirdupois knights. They've had it out for you ever since.
• A serious relationship ended when your partner died, dying under mysterious circumstances.
• Imprisoned for a crime I didn't commit
  • When the Cathedrale de Temoin was robbed a few years ago, those armor-plated Avoirdupois thugs threw you back in the gaol, demanding information on “your accomplices.” It took entirely too long for them to grudgingly admit you knew nothing about it and let you go.
• You made a friend, a teacher, religious advisor or mentor. They are part of a tribe or other small group and can call on other members in need.
  • This is Élan de Gauss. He's a member of a little klatsch of mages called the Tarot Club, who play cards and gossip and swap minutiae of arcane lore.