Lots of Grogs

Games Discussion Post a Day
41

Grog 40 : Eudes/Odette, the Wondrous Shoemaker
Age: 25

Story:
Eudes/Odette had a strange childhood, after the death of their shoemaker parents to a fever epidemic, they were taken in by the gnomes which had watched over the workshop for generations. The gnomes had always been placated and dealt with fairly and so they in turn raised Eudes/Odette to follow their rules and make shoes. Until their 16th birthday they lived in the small cramped spaces of the gnomes, stunting their growth and leaving them permanently hunched over. They did once in a while see people and help as the gnomes would, even learning to haggle on behalf of the gnomes.
Once returned to the company of humans, they opened a small workshop where they made shoes and trained local orphans to their craft. The location was not random, on the edge of the village in a strange clearing where the gnomes themselves would occasionally congregate and meet other faeries.
They worked tirelessly, trying to infuse powers into the shoes they made. The local priest still to this day wears a pair of sandals that were just perfect for him.
Unfortunately, as the village prospered, they rebuild the church tower and put a bigger bell. This led to the faery aura being suppressed most of the time as the bells could be heard from their workshop.
Unable to pursue their craft to its full, they left their empty workshop behind. Following the advice of the gnomes, they packed their tools and brought both young apprentices with them to the party's Covenant where they asked for the right to settle and build a workshop within their aura, or in a faerie aura near their Covenant if there is one such.

Appearance:
Small and hunched over Eudes/Odette does not cut much of a figure. Their hair is thin, dark and held back in a pony tail. They look like a scrunched up version of the local folk. But what they lack in looks they try to make up for in demeanour being often cheery. Years of living with gnomes have left them ill at ease in normal social circumstances, but they integrated the rules of dealing with Nobles so at least they know when to bow and say m'lord.

Why are they in the covenant?
While of poor social standing and limited social skills, they are able to craft wondrous items, and this alone is reason enough to want them in a covenant. They know how to teach, and they can teach young magi interested in Faerie Lore as well as coaching young sociable grgos in Etiquette. While they do not advertise it, they have been taught to sneak around like the gnomes who reward kind crafts folk.

Note: they could easily be of any craft with just a small tweak away frm shoe making to any other dex based craft.

Stats:

Attribute Score
Str -1
Sta 0
Dex 2
Qik 0
Com 1
Pre 1
Int 0
Per 2

Virtues: Touched by Faery (C&G p71), Crafts(wo)man

Flaws: Faery Upbringing, Hunchback, Small frame

Abilities:

Area Lore (Covenant region) (Legends) 3
Bargain (Shoes) 4
Craft (Leather) (Shoes) 5
Etiquette (Nobles) 3
Faerie Lore (Appeasing faeries) 4
Folk Ken (Farmers) 3
Leadership (In a Workshop) 2
Local Language (Covenant region) 5
Stealth (Sneaking) 4
Teaching (Apprentices) 2

42

Grog 41 : Simon/Simone, the Boneworker
Age: 25

Story:
Some people have happy childhoods and some people like Simon(e) grew up to a camp follower mother, having to scrape by picking the battlefields clean after the Lords' glorious business of disemboweling each other is done. Growing up as the lowest of the low, this litteral bonepicker had to survive however they could, eating rodents when the pickings were meagre. along the way they learned a lot about the human anatomy as it was strewn all over their work space, sometimes they'd heal a wounded warrior and hope that their gratitude would earn them a pretty penny, sometimes they'd slit the throats of the wounded to make looting easier...

Things got better when as a teen they were noticed by a Verditius magi's recruiter. This Verditius was an old and unsavoury Necromancer, to whom the willingness to rob the dead and handle dead bodies was the key qualification. For the following decade Simon(e) learned the craft of bones and leather with great zeal as they had suddenly found a purpose and shelter, someone who treated them with even a shred of humanity. They will not speak of the items they might have constructed, but their skills are undeniable in the matter. As a necromancer's assistant they did a little grave robbing, but quickly were elevated to treating and processing the unsavoury fruit of these harvests.

Unfortunately, while necromancers can delay their deaths, death is inexorable. And with the Verditius magus/maga gone, the other magi and covenfolk wasted no time in ridding themselves of such a disturbing member. Officially, they were reassigned to help a new Covenant, but it was made clear to them that they only escaped being lynched because of the soft heart of one of the Magi.

Appearance:
Short, dirty and unkept, Simon/Simone cuts a rather unpleasant figure, adding to that the stink of death that follows them and their profession, it is no surprise that few will have anything to do with them. They are actively repulsive and lack any manners, leading them to be downcast and often speaking of inevitable doom or death. Lank oily and dirty hair frame their thin face, their eyes are bagged from the night labourt they perform. Nothing about them inspires trust. Desperation is a stinky cologne, and they wear too much of it.

Why are they in the covenant?

While repulsive, they are very talented at what they do. The tanner's guild would not countenance such a member and neither would any kind of sculptors guild. But a necromancer needs materials to work with, and people to refine these materials for them. Simon/Simone has a rare talent but for the few Magi which are interested, they are invaluable.

It is hard to imagine a Covenant without a necromancer wanting such a member, but in addition to their craft, they are also a decent chirurgeon, which would be appreciated by any grog who does not want to become a posthumous part of their Master's work.

Stats:

Attribute Score
Str 0
Sta 2
Dex 2
Qik 0
Com 0
Pre -2
Int 1
Per 2

Virtues:Forge-Companion (Mystery cults p135), Puissant Craft (bone), Puissant Craft (Leather)

Flaws: Depressed (or Nocturnal), Social handicap, Tainted with Evil

Abilities:

Animal Handling (Dogs) 1
Area Lore (Picardie) (Geography) 2
Athletics (Walking) 2
Bargain (Looted things) 3
Brawl (Dagger) 3
Chirurgy (Cauterisation) 4
Craft (Bones) (Human Bones) 5 +2
Craft (Leather) (Human Leather) 5 +2
French (Picard) 5
Hunt (Rodents) 3
Stealth (Sneaking) 4
Survival (Plains) 2
Swim (Rivers) 1

2 Likes
43

Grog 42 : Herve/Gervaise, the Herald
Age: 30

Story:
Herve/Gervaise was the last child of the steward of a Baron of Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher's castle near Blois. They benefited from the best education that their father could afford, schooling them in the manners of the court, letters and riding. Growing up with the noble children, they were very aware of the social distance between them but also learned to integrate themselves to these games. Knowing almost that all one could know about being a noble without being one, they found themselves in a strange position. At first they were sent to represent their father and later the baron on missions, but being always reminded of their lower class, they grew to resent this. Striking friendship at the ducal court with a Jerbiton mage, they were invited to the Covenant where their refinement was greatly appreciated. They spent a while participating in the Jerbiton circuit, being trotted out as an example of elegant living, not settling down in any Covenant but instead being invited or sent from one Normandy Covenant to another. Having assisted in a tribunal, they were offered to settle down permanently in a Covenant and become a valued member. That they continue being a mere messenger top those more powerful than them is much more palatable because they had the chance to chose.
While they do not know too much of the workings of the Order, they are now gladly representing their Covenant, and feast very well whether in their home or at the table of the magnates they are sent to, which has led them to develop a mild case of gout which leaves them sometimes unable to ride.

Appearance:

Herve/Gervaise dresses almost like a noble and behaves similarly. They are eloquent, friendly with impeccable manners. Their light brown hair is kept to the fashion of their gender, and they always wear refined hats made of fine materials. They have developed a very slight paunch, a mark of their healthy eating. And brown-green eyes sparkle as they talk, not hesitating to make eye contact, so long as doing so would not upset proper etiquette that is.

Why are they in the covenant?

Herve/Gervaise is a social creature, highly adapted to formal circumstances, which is not a usual skill found amongst the Order (except maybe for Redcaps and Jerbitons). They will make a very pleasant companion for Magi and excellent envoys. All they expect in return is to live an easy life of feasting and to not be treated as an inferior. As they age and their lifestyle takes a toll, they might become Covenant bound where a second career as a teacher might suit them better.

Stats:

Attribute Score
Str -1
Sta 0
Dex 0
Qik 0
Com 2
Pre 2
Int 1
Per 1

Virtues: Covenfolk, Educated, Puissant (Etiquette)
Flaws: Arthritis, Optimistic (minor)

Abilities:

Animal Handling (Horses) 2
Area Lore (Kingdom of France) (Personalities) 4
Artes Liberales (Rhetoric) 4
Brawl (Knife) 2
Charm (First Impressions) 5
Etiquette (Nobility) 5 + 2
French (Storytelling) 5
Carouse (Wine) 3
Intrigue (Plotting) 4
Latin (Formalities) 4
Nobility Lore (Genealogy) 3
Ride (Long distances) 3

1 Like
44

Grog 43 : Louarn, the Career Criminal
Age: 30

Story:

Louarn means fox in Breton, and it is the only name by which they will answer. Louarn has committed almost every crime one can imagine, so long as there is money to be made from it. They ran a bordello (until it got busted by local churchmen and some zealots), both cock and dog fighting rings, fixed fights in other people's cock and dog fighting rings, worked as a highway(wo)man, robbed people while they slept in inns, the list goes on and they do not shy away from recounting story of their misdeeds around the fire, once beer and cider are running. They have stories about the various parts of Brittany where they worked, often funny ones, sometimes full of pathos. The number of authority figures willing to take a quarter cut to look away, if Louarn is to be believed, is simply staggering.
They admit to never being good at cards, because it's too fiddly, prefering to con or rob their mark rather than cheating at games. Working as a fence was lucrative and safe, which they very much enjoyed until recently, when the competition managed to outbribe the local authority and got Louarn apprehended and branded.*
With an ermine burned on their cheek, it became much harder to find marks and much riskier as they would be a reoffender. Instead, using their contact network, they managed to find someone in the Order of Hermes who would need such an agent.

*:alternatively, cutting off the hand would work, depending on if the character should remain able to act as a cat burglar or focus on con-artistry

Appearance:
Louarn dresses in undyed linen or wool depending on the seasons, opting for unassuming and ostentatious outfits. They were a few rings or necklaces when flush with cash, but repeated run in with the law, fines etc will lead to a seizing of such items. They have dark hair which they keep in a matter usual to a peasant of their gender: As a Louarn (M) keeps his dark hair short cropped and has a thin van Dyke goatee, whereas Louarn (F) has longer hair, braided down to below her shoulder blades. Both will prefer to wear a tight fighting skull cap made of wool, linen or leather depending on the season or if they expect a fight to break out.
But Louarn is charming, always smiling, making people feel comfortable around them. Even knowing their checkered past, they are so disarmingly honest and willing to explain the various schemes that one gets taken in.
The ermine mark on their cheek is a bright red reminder of their failure, which among honnest society they try to conceal. An effort that they do not make among criminals, rather wearing it as a badge.

Why are they in the covenant?

With their main career suddenly become harder to practice, Louarn found working for the Order a much more attractive venture. With bread and board assured, they could afford to take smaller risks and to remain in the shadows until the best moment. They know a lot of shady people through their extensive career and act as a fixer for the Covenant, putting cutpurses and cat burglars in touch with Covenant members when they are needed. So long as their brand is hidden, they can still act as an unusual face, and to those unfazed by the sight of such punishment, they are an ideal gobetween.

Stats:

Attribute Score
Str 0
Sta 0
Dex 0
Qik 0
Com 2
Pre 2
Int 0
Per 1

Virtues: Social Contacts (Criminals), Well traveled
Flaws: Branded Criminal, Greedy (note, "missing hand" and "Wander" might replace the Brand, which would them result from a different punishment for being caught)

Abilities:

Area Lore (Brittany) (Cities) 3
Athletics (Climbing) 3
Awareness (Alertness) 3
Brawl (Dagger) 3
Breton (Slang) 5
Charm (Being Witty) 4
Folk Ken (Cityfolk) 3
Guile (Fast talk) 5
Intrigue (Plotting) 5
Leadership (Criminals) 2
Profession (Criminal) (Petty Crimes) 4
Stealth (Sneaking) 4
Swim (Sea) 1

45

Grog 44 : Gisele, the burly milkmaid
Age: 16

Story:

Gisele was born to an unremarkable serf family in the Vexin region close to Gisors (after which her parents named her). While she had to guard the cows from her young age with her older brother, she would also help gathering kindling from a young age and once given her first hatchet she practiced with it relentlessly. Her brother often tricked her into chopping wood in his place, until she took over this responsibility from the whole family. Naive and easily deceived by her brother and neighbouring children she grew up with, she'd end up doing the hardest jobs, carrying the heaviest loads... All this only build up her strength and not her common sense.

While keeping cows she confronted a vagrant and as the situation got out of hand, she put her axe in the man's skull, killing him in a single blow. While the villagers never reported this to higher authority she found herself ostracised. When the bishop of Beauvais' men came looking for his lost messenger, she was given a pouch of money, what she could carry and a tearful farewell from her family.

Appearance:

Gisele is a big burly teenage girl, most men only reach her shoulder when she stands upright. She is still ill at ease, having reached this height only a year ago. Her Norman heritage is fully apparent, she has a high forehead, a strong jaw and strawberry-blond hair which she keeps in two chest length braids, which poke down from her white woolen coiffe. She wears loose long dresses, which allow her to stride and move about as she works outdoors. She rarely goes out without a her iron shod woodman's axe, which doubles as her walking stick.

Why are they in the covenant?

The story of a huge girl using an axe as a walking stick travels fast, and this caught the interest of a passing redcap. She was found injured and bleeding by a farmer family, with the bodies of two highwaymen lying before her. The redcap paid for a doctor to heal her, but in exchange demanded that she come work for them in a Covenant. Given the chance to settle down, guard cows and chop wood, she made an oath to the Redcap there and then. The Redcap brought her to the party's Covenant, where she happily guards cows and practices her axe work.

She can easily be a dangerous shield grog, but also help feed the Covenant when not needed on the field of battle.

Stats:

Attribute Score
Str 2
Sta 2
Dex 1
Qik 0
Com 0
Pre 0
Int -1
Per 1

Virtues: Large, Puissant (single weapon), Warrior
Flaws: Ability Block(social skills), Naive (minor), Poor student

Abilities:

Animal Handling (Cows) 3
Area Lore (Vexin) (farms) 2
Athletics (Running) 3
Awareness (Mounting Guard) 3
Brawl (Kicks) 2
French (Norman) 5
Profession (Cowherd) (Guarding the cows) 4
Single Weapon (Axe) 5+2
Swim (Rivers) 2

2 Likes
46

Grog 45 : Gwenaƫlle, Vivanne's Handmaiden
Age: 25

Story:

Gwenaƫlle spent almost her entire life living under lake Comper at the court of the Lady of the Lake. She was one of Viviane's handmaidens, serving her every need.
Unfortunately, she was seduced by a faery knight who courted her, and was exiled by Lady Vivianne for this transgression.

The day of her exile was a the vernal equinox. A visiting merinita magus (or maga) was on the shore of the lake, having come to use the aura to travel into Arcadia, found her sodden shivering and confused. They interrupted their plan and instead took the curious arrivant back to their campsite and spent the next days listening to her stories of life in Viviane's court.

Appearance:

Well dressed, in a slightly out of fashion courtly dress, Gwenaƫlle cuts a strong figure. She is soft spoken, elegant and minds her manners to perfection. She has long, braided, fair hair and freckles.She likes shades of blue and silver jewelry above others.

Why are they in the covenant?
She is unable to survive by herself, having the education of a lady of the court but no pedigree to justify her invitation to such a court. After explaining her story to the Merinita, she was sent to the party's Tribunal where her expertise in the matters of of Faery are very appreciated. her courtesy makes her a valued envoy, although with her head full of stories of Chivalry and the Round Table, it is sometimes very jarring for her, when she sees the actual behaviour of human nobles.

Stats:

Attribute Score
Str 0
Sta 0
Dex 0
Qik 1
Com 1
Pre 2
Int 1
Per 1

Virtues: Familiarity With the fae (ROP:F), Student of Faery
Flaws: Faery Upbringing, Ability block (outdoor skills)

Abilities:

Awareness (Alertness) 3
Breton (Storytelling) 5
Charm (First Impressions) 4
Etiquette (Faeries) 5
Faerie Lore (The Arthurian Myths) 5+2
Folk Ken (The opposite sex) 3
Guile (Lying to Authority) 1
Intrigue (Gossip) 4
Music (Singing) 3

1 Like
47

Grog 46 : Lady Sybile, the cursed Noblewoman
Age: 30

Story:

There are many stories in the East of France of a mill that was haunted, where no man could spend the night without dying. This one is such story.

The lord of a small village had a mill, but the miller died eaten by bears/wolves, and every time a new miller would move in, they would be killed and eaten, along with their families. Offering to any man who could live a month in the mill to become the new miller free of tax, many tried their chance and died. Until a brave woodsman spent the night with his axe on hand. When the first animal tried to come through he swung it as hard as he could and cut off the paw of the bear/wolf as it came through. No further disturbance occurs that night. The next day, the woodsman went to the lord's manor to present the trophy and instead he found the household in upheaval, for the lady of the manor had lost her left hand. Worse still, the colour of the fur on the freshly cut paw matched perfectly the hair of the lady. Faced with such proof, she was ousted from the demesne, riding as hard as she could with nothing but her clothes on her back.

Leaving her three daughters behind was a terrible shock for Lady Sybile, but at least her lycanthropy had been cured. Her family had been cursed many generations ago and once in a while, a woman in her family would suffer from lycanthropy turning into a bear/wolf. Instead, through her ordeal, she had gained control of her powers, and by placing the now dried paw on her stump, she can turn into her bear/wolf form. She survived as a beats in the woods for weeks until she managed to return to her father's manor. While she was not immediately turned away, the news of her curse had reached her home as well. She was only fed and clothed long enough to be bundled away by her aging father's new confessor, a confessor who had grown up in a Covenant in the Provencal tribunal. She was brought to the nearest Covenant but her haughty bearing quickly irked the local magus, who instead bundled her off to the party's Covenant as a way off riding themselves of her, without angering her family.

Appearance:
Sybile stands tall and upright, she has perfected her manners through years of interactions with local nobles. She is charming and her wit and intellect is easy to sense from even a short conversation.
She has a thin jaw and fine traits that mark her as one well bred. She still follows the fashion of her youths and preferes greens for her dresses, which she periodically receives fabric for from her family. Her light brown eyes while fully human still carry a sense of wilderness and danger, often darting around looking for a prey. Her hair is a mid brown, much akin to that of local bears/wolves, though the first streak of grey is appearing at the nape of her neck. She forms her two braids into buns around her ears and wears tall conical hats.

Why are they in the covenant?

Unable to return home to her family, despite having ruled her household for years, she is caught between two worlds. She is a fine diplomat and has educated her daughters, giving her experience as a teacher. She is a leader, expecting to be obeyed and most comfortable interacting with her peers, as years of politiquing with and against her fellow nobles has given her a sense of how to play them.

Stats:

Attribute Score
Str -1
Sta 1
Dex 0
Qik 1
Com 1
Pre 2
Int 1
Per 1

Virtues: Gentlewoman, Skinchanger (bear or wolf, as ST prefers)
Flaws: Missing Hand, Proud (minor)

Abilities:

Animal Handling (Horse) 1
Area Lore (Burgundy) (Nobles) 3
Awareness (Alertness) 3
Charm (Witty) 4
Etiquette (Nobility) 5
Folk Ken (Nobility) 4
French (Bourguignon) 5
Guile (Intimidation) 2
Intrigue (Plotting) 4
Leadership (Inspiration) 4
Nobility Lore (Heraldry) 3
Ride (Long distances) 2
Swim (Rivers) 1
Teaching (Women) 2

When in bear/wolf form, use the skills/stats for the animal (Mundane animals) instead.

1 Like
48

Grog 47 : Celestin(e), Master debater Redcap
Age: 30

Story:

Character created for this challenge, and is horribly min maxed...

Celestin(e) was born in a Covenant in the normandy Tribunal. They have spent their life molded by the order. Growing up with Tytalus apprentices and listening to their master debate each other, bamboozle each other with word tricks, they followed in these footsteps. Seeing promise in the child, one of the magus suggested to their local Redcap that they would be a worthy member of the Order, despite their lack of Gift. The child was precociously loquacious impressed the Redcap, who took them on the road with them.
They have begun aging prematurely with their joints already stiff and hands shaking. They suspect that the same happened to their father, a member of the Turb who died young after a skirmish with some bandits.

Appearance:

Why are they in the covenant?

They are the local Redcap. While they have little interest in delivering mail, leading to them being estranged from the rest of the House, they are one of the finest debaters in the Tribunal, well paid to represent Covenants when it comes to debates.

Stats:

Attribute Score
Str -2
Sta -2
Dex -2
Qik -2
Com 3
Pre 3
Int 3
Per 1

Virtues: Lone redcap, Strong Willed, Puissant (Artes Liberales), Well travelled (free)
Flaws: Arthritis, Covenant Upbringing, Palsied hands, Poor Reputation (House Mercere)(free)

Abilities:

Ability Specialisation Type XP Score
French (Storytelling) 0 5
Artes Liberales (Rhetoric) 75 5+2
Folk Ken (Debates) 75 5
Charm (Debates) 75 5
Leadership (Debates) 75 5
Guile (Debates) 75 5
Latin (Hermetic usage) 75 5
Order of Hermes Lore (Famous debaters) 30 3
Area Lore (France) (Geography) 30 3
Ride (Long distances) 30 3
Swim (Rivers) 5 1
50

Grog 48 : Olaus Wormius, the translator of the Necronomicon
Age: 42 in 1220

Story:

Olaus Wormius is the son of a fur merchant from Skania who grew up travelling to Miklagard and back. He was sent to the cathedral school in Bremen to learn latin by his father once he was old enough, before settling down permanently in Constantinople. He was able to escape the chaos of the 4th crusade and maintained a very successful business, but it left him shaken. He decided to concentrate himself on nobler pursuits of the spirits, using his education to learn Philosophy and Medecine, using his wealth to buy or rent books. When the 5th crusade was called, he abandonned totally his worldly puruits, sold off all his possessions but his books and signed up as a medicus.

He took part in the siege of Damiette and made the aquaintance of the count Simon III of SaarbrĆ¼cken, as he healed wounded knights of his entourage. While not an ordained clergyman, the count offered to sponsor him with a metaphorical sinecure in the Bishopric of Worms (thereby aquiring the moniquer Wormius), where Olaus is to translate his Greek books into Latin. By 1228 he will finish translating the Greek version of the Necronomicon into Latin.

Appearance:
Olaus has light blond hair that is turning white, a neat beard of the same colour surrounding a square face. His skinned is wrinkled and tanned for a scholar, due to his long years under the Greek sun. He suffers from arthritis leading to a which has begun to sap his strength.

Why are they in the covenant?

He isn't, he is in Worms, working in one of the sciptioriums of the Bishopric. He might be contacted as a travelled scholar, who has a small academic repuation, but one which will grow as his translations start circulating.

Stats:

Attribute Score
Str -2
Sta 0
Dex 0
Qik 0
Com 2
Pre 1
Int 2
Per 0

Virtues: Baccalaureus, Educated, Well travelled (free)
Flaws: Arthritis, Pious (minor), Weak characteristics

Abilities:

Ability Specialisation Type XP Score
West Norse Danish Language 0 5
Area Lore: Byzantium Geography 30 3
Latin Scholastic vocabulary 75 5
Greek (Romaic) Prose 75 5
Artes Liberales Grammar 30 3
Profession (Merchant) Furs 50 4
Philosophiae Metaphysics 50 4
Theology Heresies 30 3
Bargain Furs 75 5
Etiquette Court 50 4
Charm First Impressions 75 5
Medecine Physician 75 5
Folk Ken Merchants 50 4
Area lore: Volga trade routes Geography 30 3
Civil and Canon Law Byzantium 30 3
French Normand 15 2