Backgrounds for Early Modern Cairn, Part 2

More backgrounds for a Cairn campaign set, like Beyond the Pale, in something very much like early modern Europe. We are now two-thirds of the way to the full set of 20, and I promise the next and last bunch won't take another half a year! As before, the object here is fun and a bit of verisimilitude, not any kind of balance. Some of these are definitely more powerful than others, but maybe the weaker ones will be more entertaining, who knows. None of these characters is going to last more than a few sessions before they get possessed by a dybbuk or drowned by a bukavac anyway.

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Background 3:

Chiliast

You belong to a millenarian sect like the Khlysty, Skoptsy, Dukhobors, Molokans, Kartanoists, Frankists, or Sabbateans—or maybe some group even more obscure than those. You have, or at least your leader has, inside knowledge of God's plans for this misbegotten universe, and an inside track on getting into Heaven, surviving the apocalypse, or whatever it is you people believe in. Or believed in, at any rate—you seem to have strayed from your flock.

Starting Gear

• 3d6 Groschen
• Rations (3 uses)
• Torch (3 uses)
• Quarterstaff (d8, bulky)
• Sackcloth Robes
• Gourd

d6: What are you doing on the road?

1. Hunting for an apostate. You don't seem to be trying very hard.
2. Seeking a holy relic to bring back to the leader of your sect. Maybe you already found it. Maybe you should keep it for yourself?
3. Given a task so vague and obscure by the leader of your sect that you wonder whether they just wanted to get you out of their hair.
4. Looking to slay a demon, or chastise an unbeliever, or accomplish some other heroic deed of that nature.
5. Sneaked away to visit family, friends, or a lover outside the sect. It's probably past time you returned. Or is it?
6. Absent without leave. Having second thoughts about the whole “end of the world” thing.

d6: What eccentric beliefs does your sect hold to?

1. Iconoclasm. Take a Mallet (d6) and be sure to smash any ungodly icons you see.
2. Polygamy. Take a Wedding Ring (petty). Take several!
3. Strict celibacy. Take a Leather Scourge (d6) with which to mortify your sinful flesh.
4. Vegetarianism. Take a Wheel of Unusually Tasty Cheese.
5. Feminism. Take a Pamphlet on the Rights of Woman (petty).
6. Abolition of private property. Take only your unshakeable Confidence in the Perfectibility of the World (intangible).

Background 5:

Dragoman

You are, or were, a translator, interpreter, and mediator. You have a gift for tongues; you speak the languages of the great empires (German, Russian, Turkish, Persian) at least passably, and are perfectly fluent in French and two others, in addition to your unfortunately totally irrelevant native dialect.

Starting Gear

• 3d6 Groschen
• Rations (3 uses)
• Lantern
• Oil Can (6 uses)
• Dagger (d6)
• Book of Court Etiquette
• Quill & Ink
• Sheaf of Paper

d6: Why aren't you in the employ of a baron or a government minister or some other bigwig?

1. Your employer died of dysentery while on a tour of the provinces.
2. You were outmaneuvered by rivals at court and sacked unceremoniously.
3. You were chronically insubordinate and were sacked unceremoniously.
4. You took a leave of absence to come study an obscure local dialect.
5. You undertook a wildly inappropriate tryst and are waiting for the outrage to die down.
6. You learned of opportunities more lucrative than any minor court could offer.

d6: What exotic gift did you receive in the course of your service?

1. A Pouch of Spices (petty) from the Indies, which enlivens your food.
2. A Silk Scarf (petty) from Cathay, which keeps your neck warm and looks rather dashing.
3. A Hamsa Pendant (petty) from the Holy Land, which wards off the evil eye.
4. An Anatolian Meerschaum Pipe (petty), with which one might smoke tobacco or the like. (You have no tobacco.)
5. Leather Moccasins (petty) from the Americas, in which you can walk quietly and comfortably.
6. An elaborately carved Walrus Ivory Comb (petty) from the Arctic, the better to comb your hair.

 

Background 7:

Estafette

You are a courier, probably in some official capacity (a military messenger or a postal relay courier), although you may be a freelance rider. You've come out here to the hinterlands to deliver or receive letters; maybe your work is done already, or maybe you're dawdling. Perhaps something out of your control has gotten in the way—the post you're meant to pick up hasn't been penned yet, or a bridge is out, or there's bandit activity in the region. Why not look for a little extra work on the side?

Starting Gear

• 3d6 Groschen
• Rations (3 uses)
• Lantern
• Oil Can (6 uses)
• Overcoat Pistol (d8)
• Bullet Pouch (with 12 rounds)
• Theodolite
• Letter-Case

d6: What was your proudest professional accomplishment?

1. Braved the worst storm of the winter to bring a plea for aid from an avalanche-devastated village.
2. Dashed through enemy lines to deliver orders to the general commanding a besieged city's defense.
3. Bluffed your way past mercenaries sent to intercept you and seize the maps you carried.
4. Galloped all the way from Sambor to Mährisch-Ostrau in just two days. You changed horses a dozen times!
5. Chosen to deliver engagement announcements on the occasion of the imperial heir's betrothal.
6. Rode all night through mud and thunder to warn the crown of the revolutionary army's approach. Or was it to warn the revolutionaries the imperial army was on the march?

d6: What breed of horse do you ride?

1. A dainty Arab, swift as lightning.
2. A doughty Turkoman, famed for its endurance.
3. A lively Holsteiner, strong and agile.
4. A beautiful Mérens from the faraway Pyrenees, bred for mountain service.
5. A hardy Vyatka, fast and sure-footed in wintry conditions.
6. A refined Trakehner, with a hearty constitution and a cool head.

 Note: All firearms require a full round to reload, unless noted otherwise.

 

Background 10:

Hayduk

You are the moon to the armatole's sun, or the sun to their moon—a member, or ex-member, of an armed band who operate just outside the reach of the tsar's, kaiser's, or sultan's law. You may be called batiar, klepht, or opryshok. You may be hailed as a hero or rebel; you may be derided as a bandit, brigand, or outlaw. It's all a matter of perspective.

Starting Gear

• 3d6 Groschen
• Rations (3 uses)
• Torch (3 uses)
• Flintlock Musket (d12, bulky)
• Cartridge Box with 20 Rounds
• Stylish Cape

d6: Which of your very heroic and not at all exaggerated deeds is most celebrated in song?

1. Robbed a tax collector in broad daylight. Returned the money to the local peasants. Well, most of the money.
2. Challenged the captain of the guard to a drinking contest. Put him under the table.
3. Evaded an effort at capture by plastering on a fake mustache and offering to join the hunt for yourself.
4. Eluded a month-long campaign to root you out from the hills, using your knowledge of the terrain to humiliate your pursuers.
5. Caught in bed with the local lord's heir. Made a spectacular leap from the balcony to effect your escape.
6. Used to be an armatole; betrayed the empire rather than massacre innocent villagers.

d6: What treasured loot do you still carry with you?

1. A gorgeous Illuminated Manuscript. You can't make heads or tails of the peculiar writing inside, but it sure looks nice.
2. Romantic Letters (petty) from your highborn lover. They keep you warm on lonely nights, and also make valuable blackmail material.
3. A random Spellbook, liberated from the clutches of a wicked sorcerer. Or a book collector, maybe—a wicked book collector!
4. A Bejeweled Pendant (petty) that you're certain protects you from harm. Sure, it didn't protect the previous owner very well, but he was using it wrong.
5. The Fingerbone of a Saint (petty) encased in an elaborate little reliquary. Only apostates (or infidels) venerate this particular saint, so you don't feel guilty about toting it around as a good luck charm.
6. A Flask of Perfume just waiting for the right occasion. Which will hopefully be immediately preceded by an opportunity to take a bath.

 

Background 11:

Lectour

You may have been born into a society in which few can read at all, in which case your literacy alone is a blessing, or one where lettered people are more common, but either way, you were blessed with unusual fluency, and a pleasant voice besides. You might be a meddah, performing morality plays for coffeehouse audiences; a maggid, lecturing on the Torah; a storyteller hired by business owners to entertain their employees while they work; or an itinerant poet reciting your own work and others' for a little coin.

Starting Gear

• 3d6 Groschen
• Rations (3 uses)
• Lantern
• Oil Can (6 uses)
• Quarterstaff (d8, bulky)
• Leather Haversack (stuffed with books)

d6: What great personage once heard you speak?

1. The Man of Destiny! Yes, the Emperor Napoleon himself. Or was it Napoleon III? Or Louis? One of those Bonapartes, certainly.
2. The Kaiser! Well, it was before his coronation. He was a young cavalry officer at the time, quite incognito.
3. The Tsarina! She was in disguise, naturally, but you recognized her—she looked right at you and winked!
4. The Sovereign of the Sublime House of Osman, the Sultan of Sultans! Well, his carriage rolled by while you were speaking, anyway.
5. Lord Byron, the infamous poet! He was rather rude, truth be told.
6. One of those notorious socialist rabble-rousers…Blanqui, was it? Or maybe it was Blanc. Or Buonarroti. Something with a B, surely. Or maybe Lassalle…

d6: What props or accoutrements do you carry with you?

1. Puppets to act out parts of your storytelling.
2. A foldable Painted Backdrop (bulky) to transport your audience into another world.
3. A Small Drum to add a little rhythm to the proceedings.
4. A handsome pleated Hand Fan (petty) with which to cool yourself. Some of these places get quite hot!
5. Spectacles (petty), the better to see what you're reading.
6. A Tin of Ground Coffee—this newfangled brew gives you tremendous energy.

Background 16:

Shaman

You are a conduit between the mundane human world and the realm of spirits. If you live among Christians, Jews, or Muslims, you might incorporate their faith into your practices, or pass yourself off as a humble healer, a znakhar, one of the “clever folk.” In pagan lands, you might be recognized for your power and called noaidi, gonagas, volve, vluxvu, or bakshi. As long as you treat the spirits with respect, the rest is your own business.

Starting Gear

• 3d6 Groschen
• Rations (3 uses)
• Torch (3 uses) 
• Ritual Knife (d6)
• Staff (d8, bulky)
• Drum

d6: What magical practice do you most confidently command?

1. The healing arts. As Cure Wounds in the Warden's Guide.
2. Shapeshifting. As Beast Form in the Warden's Guide (but specifically into your totem animal; see next table).
3. Laying curses upon your foes. As Befuddle in the Warden's Guide.
4. Seeing the true nature of things. As Detect Magic in the Warden's Guide.
5. Enchanting the weak-minded. As Vision in the Warden's Guide.
6. Protecting yourself and your people from harm. As Ward in the Warden's Guide.

d6: What animal spirit shares the strongest connection with you?

1. The Bear.
2. The Eagle.
3. The Raven.
4. The Snake.
5. The Swan.
6. The Wolf.

Background 17:

Surveyor

You're an educated person, wise in all manner of natural philosophy, from geometry and trigonometry to physics and engineering. You were surely sent here by an employer or patron—a nobleman, a private company, the crown itself. Perhaps you have encountered intractable obstacles in your work, or perhaps your work went smoothly, but you see other opportunities.

Starting Gear

• 3d6 Groschen
• Rations (3 uses)
• Lantern
• Oil Can (6 uses)
• Overcoat Pistol (d8)
• Bullet Pouch (with 12 rounds).
• Theodolite

d6: What youthful foolishness did you indulge in during your university days?

1. Dueling. Take a Rapier (d8) and some impressive facial scars.
2. Seduction. Take a Vial of Mercury (petty) and a nasty rash.
3. Freemasonry. Take a whole repertoire of Secret Handshakes (intangible). Who knows what doors they might unlock?
4. Radicalism. Take an Urgent Missive (petty) intended for a local republican thinker.
5. Literature. Take three Dog-Eared Volumes of Poetry. Memorize a few of your favorites.
6. Occultism. Take a random Spellbook and some arcane tattoos, and keep them well hidden.

d6: What business opportunities does your highly trained mind detect in this godforsaken hinterland?

1. Timber. It doesn't take a genius to see it, but your genius might smooth out the logistics.
2. Mining. There's iron here. There's salt. Maybe there's gold!
3. Furs. Ships go all the way to Hudson's Bay in Canada for beaver pelts, and here there are beavers in droves, so much closer to home.
4. Cattle. Once some enterprising lumbermen knock all the trees down, this could be prime grazeland.
5. Textiles. Some of these rivers could support enormous mills.
6. Railroads. Whatever goods other businesses wring from this landscape, they'll need a way to move them back to civilization.