-Fall, 1284-
-Fiefdom of Lord Havels, The County of Reinton, The Duchy of Akor, Kingdom of of Rothential-
As nature turns from a vibrant green to a palette of softer browns and greens, you decide to take up the Ackers Brothers proposition to go on the annual fall hunt. Before setting off, you check their claims with Habel. You find him resting outside of his home after a long day's work. "Yes, the hunt is a long-time tradition. I used to do it myself, when I was a younger man." You notice a woman tending to a pot inside Habel's home; she shows signs of age and fat, but her muscles still remain present, visible in her arms as she cooks as stew. "Ah yes, that's my wife Grendal. We've been together for over 20 years now, how things fly..."
You gather round with a dozen or so other young men at the edge of the forest, some armed with broadaxes, others with crude spears. You briefly ask what your role will be, as you have nothing but a hand-axe for a hunting weapon. "After the beast is wounded, you will serve to make the finishing blow." Great, you're tasked with actually killing the animal of the hunt. What is the animal anyways? "It is the great boar, shaped like a pig, but it has the rage and horns of an oxen. Beware it's power."
The group of hunters marches through the woods, you plod on through the mass of leaves and dead flora on the forest floor, listening carefully to any telltale signs of the boar. Eventually, the lot of you come across a single boar grunting along the ground as it feasts on some mushrooms. One of the men, throws his spear at it, only managing to get his weapon lodged in a nearby tree. The boar roars, facing the party. The hunters charge it en masse, hoping to take it down with brute force. The beast tries to run, when one of its hinds leg is slashed apart by a broadaxe. Taking the opportunity, you charge the animal, and hit in directly on the back of its neck with your axe, causing it to slump over and die immediately. The men cheer as the beast has been slain, and you are celebrated as having performed the finishing blow. As a reward, you get to keep the entire head for yourself.
[Traits Gained:
Hunter - You are known to hunt animals in the wilderness, an illegal but also practical and respectable title.]
With the boar's head, you are able to have a bit of a feast for the next few weeks, though you continue working for normal food, as not to raise the suspicion of the supply caravans. During this time, you think about keeping excess wood to sell off in order to achieve funds, but you make just enough to trade for food and supplies with the caravan. In addition, the only place you know where to sell excess wood would be the annual Spring Trades Faire, which is a great hassle to get through, requiring one to trek through the half-arsed roads to the inner-village before the Faire was concluded.
One night, as you come home, you step through a pile of leaves and other natural debris when you feel something heavy and warm. Clearing the area, you find it to be a man, and not just any peasant, but Father Julius, preacher of the community's Holy Chapel. Besides him you notice a flask filled with blood-red liquid, the Blood of Christ, otherwise known as wine. You help the man to his feet, as he blubbers unintelligibly. After making sure he can walk back home, you wonder how many people know of the Father in this state.
[Trait Identified -
Father Julius:
Drunkard - This character is quite attached to their drink, and will consume alcohol frequently, possibly to a dependent level.]
After working in the fields with Havel, you grow closer with him, and learn that while he is more comfortable in the woods than yourself, his past experiences, particularly with vicious wild beasts, has made him skeptical of what lies beyond the trees as well.
[Trait Identified -
Habel AshweilSkeptical of the Forest - This character doesn't trust the deeds of Mother Nature, and doesn't like to venture deep into the forest.]
You both head home tired after work, where you notice that some of Havel's children are working out in the yard. Havel, having lived here for many decades, has managed to obtain a few goats, a sign of relative prosperity and stability in Woodcutting life. There is one freckled teenage girl feeding the goats, her orange hair tied up beneath her simple cap. You spend a few moments staring at her when she suddenly looks up, causing you to dart away back to your home. What was that about?
One day, the air turns quite chilly and crisp, the leaves having long since parted from the trees. In a break between sessions of wood-cutting, you see a few flakes fall from the clouds above. Havel bellows in his signature deep voice, "We must prepare, for Winter is coming."
Name: Oslaf Hruomcarl.
Gender: Male
Age: 18 [Born Summer, 1266]
Brief Biography: Oslaf is an orphan and a survivor of a major plague outbreak. He has traveled an above average amount of time for a man of his age and social status, though not by choice. Upon his arrival in the new land Oslaf has chosen to become a Woodcutter.
Traits:
Agreeable: Overall, you are a pleasant person and willing to agree to others.
Fear of the Forest: Those awful weeks you spent alone in the forests have scarred you, making it hard for you to venture far into the woods.
Mellow: You are affable and slow to anger or excitement.
Muscular: Years of labor have made you a strong, able to exert more physical force than the average person.
Unlucky: For some reason, bad fortunate seems to follow you around.
Hunter - You are known to hunt animals in the wilderness, an illegal but also practical and respectable title
Inventory:
Rusty Woodcutting Axe: This Axe has seen better days, as rust bites at its handle. It was given to you upon you swearing of fealty.
Relationships:
Habel Ashweil - Woodcutting Partner
Built: This character is loaded with muscle, and could probably wrestle a bear, punch through a wall, or empty a bottle of Ketchup in one squeeze, if that had been invented.
Veteran Woodcuter: This character has spent many years working in a Woodcutting occupation, and has achieved proficiency in the field.
Wroth: A sudden terrible rage can overcome this character out of nowhere, seizing them into a fury of emotions which seeks to steamroll any opposition in its path.
Skeptical of the Forest - This character doesn't trust the deeds of Mother Nature, and doesn't like to venture deep into the forest.
Father Julius - Chapel Preacher
Drunkard - This character is quite attached to their drink, and will consume alcohol frequently, possibly to a dependent level.
Lord Havels - Lord
Adulterer: You get the impression that this character doesn't remain devoted to their spouse, and if they do, then they keep their extramarital activities quiet.
Materialist: This character loves possessing lavish objects, and those of the highest quality.
Despicable: You can tell quite quickly that this character is an all-around awful person. If they have any positive traits, they're hard to find.