Backgrounds

When you choose your Backgrounds, consider how or where you character came across this advantage. How did she meet her Mentor, and who is he? Who are his Allies, besides dots on a sheet? Where did she get her Magic Item. Likewise Storytellers should feel free to make up things about the Background that even the player doesn't know. If you want to raise a background after character creation, you should justify it through roleplaying, and with Storyteller guidance.

Allies

Allies are powerful friends you made (not your party) in the past that are still loyal to you. Their loyalty is limited only by your loyalty to them. While they will help you in time of need, you are expected to return the favor if necessary.

  One Ally, of moderate influence and power.
  Two Allies, both of them of moderate power.
  Three Allies, one of them quite influential.
  Four Allies, one of them very influential.
  Five Allies, one of them extremely influential.

Clan

You have family members that love you no matter what. When you are in need, they are there for you against all odds. They are not usually in positions of power (those people are instead considered Allies). For your part, you need to be there for them too.

  Two relatives.
  Five relatives.
  Ten relatives.
  Twenty relatives.
  Fifty relatives.

Destiny

The Patrons have called upon you to fill a role in their designs. The knowledge of this gives you an extra Willpower boost when things get bad. When faced with ignominious death, you may roll your Destiny (Difficulty 8) and regain one spent Willpower point per success to avert this bad end. Remember, though, that one day, the Storyteller will bring this Destiny to bear.

  One day, you will break a twig that will lead to the fall of an empire years later.
  An event looms on your horizon. It haunts your dreams.
  You will play an important role in the events to come, even if it means your death.
  You are destined for great achievements, and nothing can stop you.
  A tool tied by the strands of fate by the Patrons.

Familiar

The Familiar Background represents how powerful your Familiar is. Be careful. Level 5 Familiars tend to assert domanance over the Chosen it serves, though this is done out of love. Having a Familiar is based on need. If the Patrons see your need for one, one will come to you. If you need a more powerful Familiar, your Familiar will advance by the same token. A Familiar of any particular level automatically has the abilities of lower levels.

  Familiar can share up to half (round down) of its Aura with you. Only empathy communication passes between Chosen and Familiar.
  Familiar lowers the Difficulty of Spells and Raw Magic you cast by –1. Limited telepathic communication is now possible.
  Familiar can share up to half (round down) of its Willpower with you. Telepathy over thousands of miles is possible. One of the five senses may be shared at a time.
  Familiar lowers the Difficulty of Spells and Raw Magic you cast by and additional –1. Familiar and Chosen can easily share memories and all five senses.
  Familiar is more powerful than you and can cast its own effects. Chosen and Familiar will be often confused about which is Chosen and which is Familiar.

Holdings

You control an area of land with peasants who work it. These peasants give you labor in exchange for food, housing, and protection. This responsibility shoud never be taken lightly. With this often comes a title that may, or may not, be meaningless to those outside of your protectorate.

  Master of a house with one family of peasants.
  Baron of a small village.
  Lord of a town.
  Duke of a county with many villages.
  King of a nation.

Magic Item

You possess an item with permanent magical enhancements. Because of the powerful Spells required to make it, it is a rare and highly valuable object. You should at least try to explain how and why you have Magic Item. Thieves are often fond of lifting powerful objects for their own uses, so beware. It is not necessary to meet an item's Resource requirement if it is a Magic Item, but it may be very suspicious to some if your clothes are ragged and you carry an expensive sword.

  You possess one level 1 Magic Item.
  You possess one level 2 Magic Item or two level 1 Magic Items.
  You possess one or more items with a total of three Magic Levels.
  You possess one or more items with a total of four Magic Levels.
  You possess one or more items with a total of five Magic Levels.

Sample Magic Items

Amulet of Protection (level 2) — This simple charm worn around the neck provides an equally simple service in protecting you from harm. It was made with the Spells Armor Enhancement and Permanency.
Powers: Gives one automatic success when soaking damage.

Assassin Blade (level 3) — This dagger is well used by those seeking to kill quickly and quietly. There are ornate runes on its blade, showing clearly that it is magical. It was made with the Spells Deadly Blow, Transcribe, Weapon Enhancement, and Permanency (twice).
Powers: Difficulty to hit is 4. Damage is Str + 1, Aggravated. Once per strike, the Chosen may spend a point of Aura to double the successes on the damage roll.

Bear Hide Armor (level 3) — This rune-marked leather armor is made from the tough hide of a bear. Not only is it good armor, but it also has the power to heal minor injuries. It was made with the Spells Armor Enhancement, Lesser Healing, Transcribe, and Permanency (twice).
Powers: Soak Bonus is 3, with no Dexterity Penalty. One non-aggravated wound level may be healed per success when activated with an Aura roll (Difficulty 7). Aura points may be spent for automatic successes on this roll at a ratio of one for one.

Bracers of Resilience (level 1) — These bracers can be activated to make you more resilient to harm. Runes from the magic can be seen clearly. The pair count as one item, and one will not function without the other. In essence, these bracers are little more than a Spell Stone. They were made with the Spells Fortitude, Transcribe, and Permanency.
Powers: Gain one dot in Stamina per success when activated with an Aura roll (Difficulty 7). Aura points may be spent for automatic successes on this roll at a ratio of one for one. This power has the same limitations and duration as the Spell Fortitude. Also, you may attempt to block bladed weapons with the brawl maneuver.

Elven Chain (level 4) — This chainmail armor is not truly fae, but rather fae-inspired. It is light weight, very tough, and allows for easy movement. It was made with the Spells Armor Enhancement and Permanency.
Powers: Soak Bonus is 7, with no Dexterity Penalty.

Fire Sword (level 2) — This bastard sword will impress your friends and terrify your enemies. When used, the rune-covered blade ignites in eldritch flame. It was made with the Spells Flaming Blade, Transcribe, and Permanency.
Powers: Two-Handed Difficulty to hit is 6, one-handed is 7. Damage is Str + 5. To activate the sword's fire, roll Aura (Difficulty 7). Aura points may be spent for automatic successes on this roll at a ratio of one for one. The first success makes the sword's damage aggravated. Additional successes add to the sword's damage dice at a ratio of one for one. At the end of the scene, the fire goes out, and the sword may be sheathed again.

Glow Stone (level 1) — This rock is infused with the power of eternal light. It comes with its own slip-cover for those times when dark is better. It was made with the Spells Will-O-Wisp and Permanency.
Powers: Quality illumination in the palm of your hand.

Hern's Bow (level 5) — This simple looking combat bow was once used by the a mighty Chosen named Hern. It is frighteningly accurate, and equally deadly. It was made with the Spells Weapon Enhancement and Permanency.
Powers: Difficulty to hit is 3. Damage pool is four dice plus one die per success to hit, all of which is Aggravated.

Short Sword Plus (level 2) — This plain looking short sword, suitable for any soldier, is easy to make and surprisingly effective in combat. It was made with the Spells Weapon Enhancement and Permanency.
Powers: Difficulty to hit is 4. Damage is Str + 3.

Spell Stone (level 1-5) — These rune-carved stones are not always rock. They may appear as wands, coins, staves, etc. Anything that can hold runes can be a Spell Stone. Spell Stones are made with the Spells Transcribe, Permanency, and the Spell to be held in the runes.
Powers: The Magic Level of the stone is equal to the Spell in its runes. That Spell is activated with an Aura roll (Difficulty 7). Aura points may be spent for automatic successes on this roll at a ratio of one for one. The resulting effects are identical to those of the original Spell with the activation's number of successes. Botching an activation roll may cause the Spell Stone to explode.

Strongman's Belt (level 3) — This wide leather belt shows the runes of the magic woven into it. Just wearing it makes you stronger. It was made with a variant of the Spell Force and the Spell Permanency.
Powers: All dice pools involving Strength are increased by three dice.

Mentor

A figure that is important in the lives of many Chosen, the Mentor guides your developement as a Chosen. Your Mentor is there to teach you and intercede on your behalf. The Freebie points mentioned below are used by the Storyteller when constructing the Mentor.

  Unimportant or distant Mentor. Twenty-five extra Freebie points.
  Helpful but eccentric Mentor. Fifty extra Freebie points.
  Good and notable Mentor. One hundred extra Freebie points.
  Wise and respected Mentor. One hundred and fifty extra Freebie points.
  Powerful or influential Mentor. Two hundred extra Freebie points.

Noble

You ancestory is one of nobility and rulership. This is reflected in you. You automatically have one extra die per dot in Noble to roll on all social rolls against humans (Chosen and Kinn).

  You carry yourself well.
  Your distant cousin in the distant past was a king.
  People part to allow your passage.
  The blood of kings flows strongly in your veins.
  You are a true Blue Blood (and dangerously inbred).

Past Life

You still carry the memories of events and relationships of previous lives. Such memories can be traumatic at times, but helpful at others as the experiences of those lives filter into your current one. Once per game session, you may roll your Past Life (Difficulty 8). Each success may be added to an ability, temporarily raising its rating. These dots only last until the end of the scene. A botch is not good, as the memories and pain of the pain come flooding into you, emotionally crippling you for the scene.

  Deja Vu memories of one life.
  Dreamy, vague memories of one life, with deja vu from several lives.
  Vague memories of several lives and one or two well-remembered impressions from one life.
  Several well-remembered impressions from many lives.
  A clear but broken thread of memories going back to the beginning of time, and beyond.

Renown

This is a measure of how well-known you are. When you encounter someone new, you may roll your Renown (Difficulty 8). This may be rolled in addition to any first impression roll you might make. The number of successes determines what, and if, that person has heard of you. Botching this roll is a good way to make enemies.

  People outside of your family and friends have actually heard your name mentioned once or twice.
  For good or ill, you are being noticed.
  Your fame has spread far and wide. Tales of you even reach the ears of those in power.
  There are those you have never met that will recognize you on sight.
  The tales of your deeds are being told and retold. Some find it difficult to believe you are actually "her".

Resources

This background represents not just money, but land, livestock, and inventories. A business transaction is just as likely to be completed with barter as with coinage. This is the most likely of any Background to fluctuate as finances come and go.

  Scant resources: You have just enough to afford the bare neccessities (shoes and clothes when yours wear thin) but little more than that.
  Sufficient resourses: You can meet your basic requirements and still have a little extra left over. You almost never have to miss a meal.
  Comfortable: You might own a small house and have some means of making a comfortable living for yourself and a family.
  Wealthy: You could easily be a money lender or book maker. Yours could be a larger house or a small manor.
  Vast Wealth: You could own a castle and the lands as far as the eye can see. You have enough to buy a throne (or hire the men needed to take one).

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