A few grogs!
The Brothers of Crete
the easy three grogs
birth name: John, Jon, & Jan
born: 1187
gender: male
race: Cretan
origin: Crete
religion: Orthodox
Personality Traits:
Protection of Brothers +3, Trusting of Others -1, Brave +2
Characteristics:
Int 0, Per +1 (watchful), Str +1 (solid grip), Sta +1 (sturdy),
Pre -1 (big heads), Com -1 (twin talk), Dex +2 (sure footed), Qui +2 (darting)
Virtues:
Death Prophecy m, S
Unaging m,G
Warrior m, G
Flaws:
Death Curse M, S
The Death Prophecy and Curse are one in the same, "In the hour that one brother dies, all brothers will perish." They will live forever as long as all of them live. If one of them dies, then all of them will die within a hour of the first brother's death. How this death plays out is up to the story. They could simply fall over dead, or in the fine Greek tradition each other them will die but various means all at the same time.
Abilities:
Animal Hand (birds) 2, Athletics (nimble) 3, Awareness (guard duty) 2, Brawl (daggers) 4, Carouse (games of chance) 2, Chirugy (set bones) 1, Folk Ken (town-folk) 3, Intrigue (gossip) 1, Stealth (sneak) 2, Lang. Greek 5
At this point you can choose to use them as sailors or as soldiers. We chose sailors but I made the list for both.
Sailors: Etiquette (sailors) 1, Hunt (seashores) 3, Survival (seashores) 3, Swim (long distances) 2, Prof. Sailor (rigging and sails) 4, Craft: Sailmaking (uneven repairs) 2, Craft: Shipwright (carving repairs) 1, Language Lingua Franca (nautical terms) 3, Area Lore Crete (towns) 2, A.L. Aegean Sea (ports) 3, A.L. Empire of Nicaea (port towns) 2, Bow (short) 4, Single Weapon (axes) 2
Soldiers: Etiquette (soldiers) 1, Hunt (hillsides) 3, Survival (forests) 3, Ride (long distances) 2, Prof Soldier (care for armor) 3, Craft: Leatherwork (repairs) 4, Language Freinc, Venetato, or Genosian (slang) 3, Languages Latin (commands) 2, Area Lore Thessalonika (towns) 1, A.L. Abydos (hilside) 1, Single Weapon (shields) 5, Great Weapons (spears) 2
Story: The brothers grew up in the town of Abydos. Being born three at once and each looking exactly the same, caused quite a stir in their town and the brothers soon became known as Brothers Crete. People forgot their personal names and even family names instead simply calling the Brothers Crete, and even the brothers themselves only call each other "brother". They are quite protective of each other, however they tend towards Bravery in general and in absolute Courage when one of the brothers is in trouble. This is not out of fear of their curse, but of their loyalty and passion for the life of their brother.
Note: All three brothers use ONE character sheet. All of their skills, traits, and abilities are exactly matching.
Xantes the Unbroken
The Weapons Master of Polyaigos
birth name: Xantes Galea
born: 1156
gender: male
race: Greek / Morean
origin: Cyclades
religion: lip service to Orthodox
Personality Traits:
Quiet +2, Single Minded +2, Fearless +4, Timid -3
Characteristics:
Int (insightful) +1, Per -1 (single-minded), Str 0, Sta +1 (indefatigable),
Pre -1 (forgettable), Com +2 (plain spoken), Dex +1 (precise/controlled), Qui +2 (whip cord)
Virtues:
Good Teacher m,G
Affinity: Single Weapon m,G
Puissant: Single Weapon m,G
Affinity: Great Weapon m,G
Affinity: Brawl m,G
Warrior m,G
Famous: The Weapons Master of Polyaigos Hermetic Reputation +4 m,G
Flaws:
Ability Block (cannot read) m,G
Arthritis m,G
Low Self-esteem (no Confidence, cannot use Confidence points) M,G
Reclusive m,P
Afflicted Tongue (teeth are broken and worn, tongue is scared and thick) m,G
Disfigured (scars and such) m,G
Intolerant of Meat (cannot digest meat, fish okay) m,G
Abilities:
Athletics (falling in armor) 3, Awareness (keeping watch) 4, Brawl (daggers) 7, Carouse (singing while drunk) 3, Chirugy (cauterization) 4, Etiquette (magi) 1, Folk Ken (soldiers) 2, Guile (lying by omission) 1, Hunt (hills) 1, Leadership (intimidation) 3, Ride (battle) 4, Survival (hills) 1, Teach (soldiers) 6
Prof. Soldier (repair weapons) 4, Language Greek (commands) 5, Area Lore Morea (valleys) 2, A.L. Epirius (covenants) 1, A.L. Polyaigos (terrain) 3
Single Weapon (short sword) 10(+2), Great Weapon (pelekys, Varangian axe) 8, Bow (Scythian composite bow) 7
Story: The Weapons Master and martial abilities teacher for the military focused covenant of Polyaigos, is oddly enough a mortal. Xantes lives a secluded life far up on the cliffs of a very forbidding terrain, venturing down into the covenant only long enough to see to his duties of training hoplites and mundane soldiers alike, and then retreats back to his hermit hovel. He speaks rarely using one or two words only to express his thoughts. He is not a cruel man, nor a man of arrogance. In truth he feels he does not deserve any honorifics for being a soldier of such great renounce, commenting once that being good at murdering men is not something one wants to be known for. He is very thin and even on the warmest days wears heavy gray and dark red robes, pulling them around him as if in winter. His hard eyes are constantly moving, seeking, and assessing, however he can only contemplate one thing at a time. He is marked by some Warping, as many times he has been healed by magic, this takes the form of people becoming annoyed and aggressive around him unless protected by Parma. (they gain Personality Trait: Angry +1, around him).
Xantes prefers his solitude, but lives for his duty.
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Jarvis Crooked Jaw
the problem grog
birth name: Jarvis Oakolus
born: 1191
gender: male
race: Greek
origin: covenant town
religion: pagan ancestor worship (or religion of your covenant)
Personality Traits:
Opportunist Bully +3, Brave +3, Stubborn +2, Vengeful (of a specific magus, you decide which one)
Characteristics:
Int (ignorant) -1, Per -1 (aloof), Str +1 (muscular), Sta +2 (tireless),
Pre -1 (oily), Com 0, Dex +2 (deft), Qui +2 (reflexive)
Virtues:
Tough m,G
Warrior m,G
Lighting Reflexes (+9 to initiative and ect.) m,G
Flaws:
Vengeful (of a magus that embarrassed him in a fight) m,P
Weakness (cares for small mammals) m,P
Lost Love (his departed mother, unhealthy) m,G
While he is disfigured, it is not part of his flaws because the other aspects are more important and interesting.
Abilities:
Athletics (tumbling) 2, Awareness (paranoia alertness) 2, Brawl (knife) 5, Carouse (gambling) 3, Folk Ken (spot weakness) 3, Guile (quick lies) 2, Hunt (fishing) 1, Leadership (intimidation) 1, Stealth (shadowing) 2, Survival (coasts) 1, Legerdemain (palming) 4
Prof. Soldier (armor) 1, Language Greek (sarcasm) 5, Area Lore covenant region (allies and enemies) 3, Order of Hermes Lore (covenant rules and bureaucracy) 2
Single Weapon (shield) 2, Thrown Weapon (knife) 3
Story: At some point in the past, Jarvis was in more control of the lowly grogs than he is now. He was born either in the covenant or the town nearest to the covenant. He grew up a very aggressive boy, and was the oldest amongst his generation, and so dominated all of the children through bullying and threats. Jarvis always gathers a gang around him, weaker opportunist who seem to support his brand of ruling. At some point a magus in the covenant decides to deal with Jarvis and the incident ends badly for the grog, his jaw is broken, his teeth destroyed, and he is permanently left with a clicking jaw. This incident frees the covenant, even the lowest of members, from Jarvis' control, and for that he hates the magus. While he is embarrassed, angry, and seeks vengeance, he refuses to leave the covenant, because he is a big fish in a small pong there. Jarvis is actually afraid of trying to make it out there alone, because since his mother died when he was just a boy, he has been nothing but alone. Jarvis is a short but strongly built man of about thirty. He has thick black hair and beard that smells of sweat and oil, and is covered all over his body with coarse oily hair. Wild eyes stare out, always seeking, always calculating, always looking to see if someone is getting something he is not.
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Gaius Galentae
the doctor with a past
birth name: Gaius Galentae Komnenos
born: 1151
gender: male
race: Greek
origin: Athens
religion: vaguely orthodox / agnostic
Personality Traits:
Sardonic +2, Sadistic +1, Good Listener +3, Loyal +2
Characteristics:
Int +3 (analyzing), Per +2 (discerning), Str +1 (firm grip), Sta 0,
Pre 0, Com 0, Dex +1 (precise control), Qui 0
Virtues:
Cautious with Chirugy m,G
Affinity: Medicine m,G
Affinity: Profession Doctor m,G
Educated m,G
Baccalaureus m,Social
Flaws:
Branded Criminal m,S (the mark is on the cheek and is hidden poorly by a thin white beard)
Buysbody m,P
Small Frame m,G
Abilities:
Artes Liberales (medicine) 6, Athletics (running) 2, Awareness (details) 3, Bargain (hard sell) 2, Brawl (punches) 2, Carouse (singing) 2, Etiquette (magi) 2, Folk Ken (men) 4, Guile (plain face lies) 3, Intrigue (gossip) 3, Leadership (intimidation) 1, Stealth (sneaking) 2, Teaching (chirugy) 3
Prof. Doctor (therapies) 8, Chirugy (diagnosis) 7, Medicine (apothecary) 9, Philosophea (natural philosophy) 7
Language Greek (witty quips) 5, L. Ionic Greek (terminology) 5, L. Latin (terminology) 4, L. Arabic (vocabulary) 4, Area Lore Nisyros (people and families) 4, A.L. Crete (taverns) 2, A.L. Aegean Sea (festivals) 3, Order of Hermes Lore (correspondences) 2
Story: The people of the covenant and the villagers below, are often confronted with the sight of a old man, white beard whipping about him, his thin white hair pulled up and knotted at the top of his head, and barely wearing anything but a loin clothe, running around the walls of the covenant and between the buildings. Though old and aging, Gaius is a very fit older man, and a excellent, if somewhat unorthodox doctor. He focuses on the humors and in preventing diseases, challenging his patients to eat correctly and to exercise daily; he has even managed to create a liniment oil that relieves the affects of arthritis, if but for a day. The doctor is always chastising the cook, as well as most of the guards, stating that they need to be focused more on their health. He busies himself throughout the day, checking up on people, both in the covenant, and the village below, and can be seen running up and down the steps on his way to thwart himself and his opinion of the people around him with a very vocal concern for their health and happiness.
The good doctor has not always been so good. Though hidden by a beard, a beard which is growing thinner and thinner every year, Gaius is marked with a Byzantine brand of some sort for a crime, which he never speaks of. In a sense, the covenant is his refuge every bit as much as it is his home.
While the doctor is skilled and of excellent wisdom and knowledge, he does tend towards being somewhat cantankerous when people don't follow his instructions, and down right sadistic when some injuries themselves through some foolishness. Injuries are treated with a keen eye towards perfect, but always with a hint of torture in the application of the skill, often checking multiple times to see just where the pain is, and grinning all the while. And yet, even with such bedside manner, many feel comfortable around him, telling him their feelings and thoughts. Often telling him more than they should, but luckily, then doctor never repeats what he has learned.
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Aischrion the Odious
the steersman with a vocabulary so vulgar, sailors blush
birth name: Aischrion
born:
gender: male
race: Greek / Athenian
origin: Attica
religion: Orthodox
Personality Traits:
Vulgar +3, Sadistic +2, Critical +3, Loyal +4
Characteristics:
Int 0, Per +1 (intuitive), Str +1(wiry), Sta +2 (indefatigable),
Pre -1 (old salty dog), Com +1 (eloquent), Dex +1 (steady footing), Qui +1 (intuitive)
Virtues:
Well Traveled m,G
Puissant: Sailor m,G
Long Winded m,G
Flaws:
Afflicted Tongue m,S
Reclusive m,P (stays up on the steering deck and refuses to leave it, ever)
Disfigured m,G
Abilities:
Awareness (intuitive) 3, Bargain (agitating) 1, Brawl (trips) 3, Carouse (sea chanties) 3, Folk Ken (sailors) 3, Guile (elaborate stories) 2, Intrigue (gossip) 1, Leadership (intimidation) 3, Stealth (remaining still) 1
Prof. Sailor (maneuvering) 6(+2), Language Greek (inventive vulgarity) 5, L. Lingua Franca (nautical commands) 5, Area Lore Aegean Sea (weather) 4, A.L. Ionian Sea (ports) 4, A.L. Sea of Crete (currents) 4, A.L. Middle Sea, Mediterranean Sea (ports) 4
Story: Fuck you, you (&^%^&$ (^#@#!# and for another thing &%$$@@ and &%$(& and your father @#!$#@#.
Aischrion is about the best steerman and navigator any captain could want, but the vulgarities that issue from his mouth would shame a demon back to hell and make a angel flee back to heaven.
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These are some of my favorite. I also like the Scythian dog master, who wears a hairshirt, has his mother's ghost following around, and has charm and etiquette and intrigue all specialized to dogs. There is my Sarmatian woman soldier who has the compulsion to force men to pleasure her; and then there is the wife of a magus and ninth daughter of a Learned Magician in Smyrna, who knows Classic Greek, can read it, as well as write Greek, and yet is beautiful, charming, and pretends towards shallow and bubbly personality, all the while spying, at first for her father, and then later her husband.
Making grogs is such a endless source of fun, even if a pointless endeavour. 