Greta Starling, Stir-crazy Peddler Dilettante

[Mourning Star]

I have the numbers done. I'll flesh out the character's details and personality in the next day or two.

Here's what I have so far. I included explanations of where the stats and skills come from, so you can make sure I didn't mess up. (It's been ages since I've created a SWN character!)

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Greta Starling, halfling merchant and would-be adventurer
Greta is a local and affable Jill-of-all-trades who tires easily of routine. She's spent her whole life in this town, where she settled on scraping a living together by peddling various finds and self-made crafts, along with the occasional street performance. She’s well-known, well-liked, and she has no problem with anyone or anything in particular here. She’s just grown bored. Greta will jump at any opportunity to turn her dreary world upside-down, especially if it allows her to put to use some of the foreign languages she's accumulated from her profession.

Attributes:
Strength: 11
Dexterity: 10 (+1 to this  Attribute’s modifier, from halfling Focus)
Constitution: 8
Intelligence: 14 (changed from 12 to 14 at level 1, using the 2 Growth rolls)
Wisdom: 14
Charisma: 16 (changed to 5 to 14 at level 1, boosted +1 at levels 2 and 3)

Background: Merchant
Class: Expert
HP: 10
Equipment (if applicable): Gentry Wayfarer Package

Skills:
Trade-2 (0 from Merchant background, upgraded to 1 with Polymath Focus at level 1, upgraded to 2 at level 3)
Craft-0 (0 from Learn roll at level 1)
Sneak-0 (from halfling Focus at level 1)
Convince-1 (0 from from the “any” Skill pick at level 1, upgraded to 1 at level 2)
Connect-0 (from Cultured Focus at level 2)

Foci:
Halfling (from the “any” Focus pick at level 1)
Polymath Level 1 (from the Expert class non-combat Focus pick, level 1)
Cultured Level 1 (from level 2 advancement Focus)

Skill Point Expenditures:

Level 2: 4 skill points (3 from Advancement, 1 from Quick Learner Class Ability)
- Charisma +1 (from 14 to 15) (1 point)
- Convince-0 to Convince-1 (2 points)
- 1 point left over

Level 3: 5 skill points (3 from Advancement, 1 from Quick Learner, 1 left over from level 2)
- Charisma +1 (15 to 16) (2 points)
- Upgrade Trade-1 to Trade-2 (3 points)

Edited July 19, 2023 by Mourning Star (see edit history)

[Mourning Star]

Name: Greta Starling   Race: Halfling Background: Merchant Class & Alignment: Level 3 Expert, Neutral Good XP: -- -----Attributes----- Strength: 11 (0) Dexterity: 10 (+1) Constitution: 8 (0) Intelligence: 14 (+1) Wisdom: 14 (+1) Charisma: 16 (+1) Movement Speed: 30 -----Vitals----- Attack Bonus: +1 Armor Class: 11 Hit Points: 10 Wounds: 0 System Strain: 0/8 HD: 3 -----Saving Throws----- Physical Saving Throw: 13 Evasion Saving Throw: 12 Mental Saving Throw: 12 Luck Saving Throw: 13   -----Skills----- Trade (2) Craft (0) Sneak (0) Convince (1) Connect (0) -----Languages----- Northern Halfling (Native) Common Drow Orcish Unused Skill Points: 0 -----Foci----- Halfling Polymath Level 1 Cultured Level 1

-----Gear----- Weapons: None Armor: None Personal Items: - a tiny collection of books - a few well-worn and faded maps - a hand-drawn map of the halfling enclave in LLaisy Woods - a sheaf of papers making up a hand-written Common translation dictionary - a well-stocked sewing kit - a very limited leatherworking kit - a writer's kit - 20 sheets of clean paper - a misshapen 4-hole whistle, carved from a large reed 20 silver coins in cash

 

Background:

Greta is a local and affable Jill-of-all-trades who tires easily of routine. She's spent her whole life in this town, where she settled on scraping a living together by peddling various finds and self-made crafts, along with the occasional street performance. She’s well-known, well-liked, and she has no problem with anyone or anything in particular here. She’s just grown bored. Greta will jump at any opportunity to turn her dreary world upside-down, especially if it allows her to put to use some of the foreign languages she's accumulated from her profession.

Soft-spoken and kind, she mostly keeps to herself, at least when it comes to her own people. When she engages with strangers, however, something seems to wake within her, some yearning, some sense of discovery.

Greta has seen very little violence in her life. There's a simple innocence to her, and it borders on naïveté: she carries no weapons, wears no armor, and conducts herself unguardedly, aside from her aloofness with her own people. A new life as an adventurer would surely change all that, for better or for worse.

Edited July 21, 2023 by Mourning Star (see edit history)

[Powderhorn]

OK, so this is where you get to peer behind the curtain some!

A few things to integrate in, but I would ask that you do it in private text for me. Greta is currently in the Llaisy Woods, part of an enclave of Halflings that are refugees from an ancient war. The conflict goes back to time immemorial, but, your people have managed to survive. The town is built on the ruins of an ancient city, but those ruins have mostly been mined to create what currently stands.

Your people themselves were not from the Llaisy Woods, having originally hailed from the Five Cities of Galonde. The name is still spoken, but the location has been lost to history.

The conflict still simmers - dark elves are known to rove in groups from time to time from places far distant, however the halflings have managed to keep their location a secret by eradicating any patrols quickly and silently.

About ten years ago, Fennel Greenwhistle arrived to your community aboard a tiny vessel - he had sailed north from Kelmar as a scientist, convinced your continent must exist. He was proven correct, but unable to return home. Instead, he has become a prominent member of the community, and is currently greeting the other players. Ideally, you will have learned common from Fennel Greenwhistle, and will be able to act as a sort of guide / explorer to the players as well, though knowing well that outside of the forest, there is little you have exposure to.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask them (again, private block :D) but also feel free to incorporate what I have here, and the secret stuff - keep that in a private block too 🙂 

[Mourning Star]

Okay, so here are a few suggestions for details with her backstory, as it relates to the regional information and Fennel:

Greta lost her parents at a young age, like at 14 or so. Her dad died while he was away, “on a trip." Afterwards, her mom secluded the two of them away in their home for nearly a year until she, herself, died of consumption. Perhaps her dad was a soldier who patrolled the woods, and was slain by dark elves? Whatever the cause, Greta has no idea why her dad died. After her mom passed, Greta was taken in by a local widow, but she also died, two years later. Consequently, Greta is instinctually reluctant to get close to anyone.

Greta has a reputation in the halfling enclave of being a kind, innocent person, albeit slightly touched due to her sudden losses. She’s somewhat aware of this reputation, but she doesn’t have a problem with it. It keeps people at a slight distance, and most everyone is very nice to her. If people want to think she's a disconnected idiot, then so be it.



However, when Fennel Greenwhistle met her (six years ago, when Greta was 19) he likely became instantly aware of her potential. She might have caught his attention while he was purchasing some trivial trinket from her, after he muttered something to himself in Common. Greta would have immediately sparked to life at hearing a new language, and dropped the guise of of simple peddler in order to learn more about this mysterious new language. As it turned out, Fennel learned, this sweet town simpleton turned out to have a knack for people after all, and she had an uncanny grasp of foreign languages (as well as nearly any trade or art she set her mind to try.)

After that, Fennel probably visited Greta quite often, perhaps under the pretense of shopping, just to make conversation and to try to get to know her; or perhaps more explicitly, to chat and share his language with someone who was not only quick to learn, but who was genuinely and deeply interested in his experiences and in Kelmar. Theirs is a very cool relationship, primarily because Greta is reluctant to share anything of her own past. But Fennel gets to see a vibrant side of her that nobody else does, and he's likely deduced a lot from that fact, alone.

Fennel has probably figured out that a lot of what keeps her so guarded is a fear and uneasiness with her own kind, and the fact that she’s utterly bored with life cloistered away in the enclave. That would explain why he recommends her to the party as a guide. He might ask her to do it as a favor to him and/or the community; he might try to convince her to do it for herself; or he might just tell the party to seek her out and ask her, themselves. Any of those would work to get her to accompany them.

Greta, on the other hand, would consider Fennel the closest she has to family. While she’s hesitant to rely on him for day-to-day needs, he’s her one source of spiritual and intellectual food: language and culture which isn’t that of the Llaisy Woods haflling. She's likely spent many an hour pestering Fennel for information about his scientific studies, his culture, and his politics; and just as much time listening patiently and eagerly to his stories of adventure and discovery.

To make her eligible to be a skillful guide, let’s also say that Greta also has a fondness for maps and geography. Whenever a map or a book about another land comes her way, she’s loathe to resell it. She likely has a small collection stashed away with the rest of her personal belongings, and she often pores over it, dreaming of exploring these faraway places.

A few questions I have so far:

One of Greta’s themes is language. She loves it, and it’s why she chose to settle on a life as a Merchant. That said, we’ve established how she knows Common. So what’s her native language? And how might she have learned other languages, if the enclave in Llaisy Woods is so cloistered away from the rest of the world? Would she have encountered much in the way of spoken languages, or would it all have had to come from books and whatnot?

On a related note, her Cultured perk says she can speak all the common languages of her native region. What languages would those be?

[Powderhorn]

In no particular order: Let's call the native language Northern Halfling, then there's also Drow and Orcish. (So I don't have to make up too many names on the fly.) Those would be the languages Greta would be familiar with, and I think learning from books and maps and trying to approximate pronunciation. As starting kit, I'd even include a few rare books, which I've created a section in the Setting Information for you. At some point, I'll want to do a map of somewhere as well, but I don't have that handy.

Thinking on languages more, I'd add that her current pronunciation of orcish and drow are rough. If you should come across them, it might bring about some mockery, but still know enough to actually communicate.

Backstory I think is fine - as far as kit, just equip yourself with whatever kit is appropriate for the character, leaning more heavily on natural materials where possible.

[Mourning Star]

So can I add to her inventory:

- a tiny collection of well-loved books
- a few well-worn maps of the region around Llaisy Woods, and a hand-drawn map of the halfling enclave (made by Greta, and surprisingly well)
- a sheaf of papers making up a hand-written Common translation dictionary. (Greta has been this putting together, for her own reference, since she met Fennel.)
- a robust sewing kit and some scrap fabric (for garment-making, and repairing merchandise before resale)
- a very limited leatherworking kit (for repairing leather merchandise before resale)
- a misshapen and slightly out of tune, hand-crafted, 4-hole whistle, carved from a large reed (by Greta, of course)

[Powderhorn]

I would just change the maps to be maps of unknown places which is narratively far more interesting. Otherwise, it's good 🙂 

[Mourning Star]

Okay, thank you.

I added the items. I didn't include the details, as it would have been a verbose gear list. I noted them, and we can RP the details from these private message blocks, should those items ever come into use. 🙂

Unless you have any other suggestions or requirements, I think my application is ready for final review.

[Mourning Star]

Hi, Powderhorn. I came to this post to refer to the halfling background info you had posted in here, but for some reason the post is empty for me now. Could you somehow bring it back for me? :-) (Maybe one of the letters of my username got deleted or something on the edit?)

Meanwhile, I'll wing Greta's response with what I remember. Fennel can correct her, or add to it, as needed.

[Powderhorn]

Was it the one right after your post? I think adding a semicolon for Ozymandias might have borked it. Check now!

- there might have been a post that was hidden from you that shouldn't've been - check now :)

[Mourning Star]

There it is! Thank you! :-)