Copyright (C) 1995 by Mike Dalton [This was my first GURPS character, before we realized what Eidetic Memory could do. Sorry if the background is too long - believe it or not, this is a heavily abridged version (from the 4000-5000 word background I have) (Obsessive-compulsive? Me?).] Taressar Foro'n [that's a diacritical mark, pal, not an apostrophe], was born in Twocross, Zareba [Zareba being vaguely similar culturally to Moorish Spain], the third and last son of Majellar Foro'n. His father spent his life making a respectable living as a merchant; however, when Taressar was four years old, Majellar made a very baroque series of business deals which are still thriving today. He made a killing. For the past eighteen years, the Foro'n family has been extremely well-off; and, as many who make their fortunes, Majellar wanted to buy respectability - he bought his eldest son a commission in the military, his middle son a clerical position (he is now a not-particularly-devout bishop) and himself a lesser peerage (which, contrary to his wishes, *completely* ostracized the family from "those who matter." Live and learn). Taressar was of course given the finest private tutelage available, and it was his tutors who discovered the most remarkable thing about the boy - his memory is flawless (Majellar held the cloudy opinion that the boy's memory was due to his newly-quasi-noble blood, and delighted in making the him recite pages of verse for guests). Because of his remarkable mental faculty, Taressar has never worked very hard at anything at all. He has always found the world unbearably dull and repetitive, and in his childhood often spent hours devising complex stories inside his mind. Furthermore, since he was, like most children, mischievous, he always found himself in need of a good alibi; he discovered quite early that an alibi will be more readily believed if it is consistent. This discovery, together with his fantastic stories and perfect memory, has turned Taressar into an uncontrollable liar. He lies primarily to impress others or to amuse himself, however, and rarely if ever lies out of malice (this does not mean that others are not frequently hurt by his "stories" . . .). Meanwhile, Majellar saw in his son a supreme opportunity to grab respectability - Taressar was an ideal candidate to become a mage. Therefore, at the tender age of fourteen, he was sent off to the Incantator's Colony at Eastport, where the initial tests showed that he did possess some magical aptitude; he was accepted (along with a generous endowment) and began his course of study. The Colony was not Taressar's cup o' tea, however - never in his life had he encountered a mental challenge that he could not conquer easily. In addition (because nothing is more bourgeois than contempt for the bourgeois) he disliked the "thunder and smoke" of most magic - he found it ostentatious and flashy. More than once he walked out of the Student Sorcery Recitals, to the great consternation of the faculty. He left the Colony after only a little over a year, receiving his License of Apprenticeship (the lowest grade possible), which he promptly sold to a vagrant goblin [this bit of background, thrown in on a whim, incidentally, ended up figuring prominently in his later life. Sigh]. For a few years after that, Taressar remained in Twocross, "working" for his father or his father's business associates - the only way his father would give him his allowance. For Taressar, "working" meant hanging out in the stores, chatting with friends and bossing around Master Merchants. At eighteen, he left Twocross and his father's merchant house (just as well, considering his creative accouting). He decided, on a lark, to hook up with a mercenary company (!), not because of any real aptitude, but because he thought it would be "just too very clever." He had spent his time hobnobbing among the Zareban "Smart Set" [yes, think Evelyn Waugh novels - _Vile Bodies_, etc.], and considered fortune hunter to be an interesting role to assume, at least for a little while. It's an important distinction: Taressar is not an adventurer, but he *is* an "adventurer." Such a role, after all, would get him invited to all the best parties. . . . His father didn't mind this development at all; actually, he thought that what Taressar needed most was a good, solid trouncing, and that this "mercenary" (hah!) phase might be just the thing to make the damn boy grow up. His mother and his Nana, however, do worry quite a bit about their "baby." ... That's his background. In the past few game-years, he's gone on to do many annoying, devious and amusing things, both with and to his companions; he's even committed a couple of selfless acts (or more, if you count his not selling his friends into slavery), which he denies (as acknowledging them would mean admitting that he likes these people). Mostly, however, his companions tend to put up with a lot - his mind makes him an incredible information-gatherer and his social skills help him access circles they can't. The accuracy of what he *reports* to them, however . . . He's a lazy, cheeky dilettante with a penchant for the barely-legal. And lies. Huge, whopping, yet decidedly credible, lies. Game notes: Taressar started as a 100 point character, and now is probably ~180 after well over a year of frequent play and some infrequent play since (I don't know exactly how many points, as I'm translating him from some house rules). Appearance: Somewhat short, with an average build (5'8", 160#). Dark hair in a bad haircut, dusky olive skin. ST 10 DX 13 IQ 13 HT 10 Advantages: Eidetic Memory 2, Magery 2, Literacy, Average Wealth (his allowance!), Average appearance. Disadvatages: Compulsive Lying, Overconfidence, Minor Delusion ("Dad is powerful enough and willing to get me out of any trouble."), Reputation (untrustworthy), Impulsiveness Quirks: Squeamish; somewhat snobbish around the "uncivilized"; slightly paranoid; denies he's a mage; dislikes "thunder and smoke" magic. (Other personality traits: Lazy; will "get even" no matter the cost; skewed values system; dilettante; mildly greedy; oddly charitable, when no one's looking) Skills: Accounting - 13, Acting - 15, Administration - 15, AK (several) - 14, Artist - 14, Detect Lies - 14, Diplomacy - 13, Economics - 14, Fast-Talk - 18, First Aid - 14, Heraldry - 15, Law - 13, Merchant - 16, Occultism - 13, Performance - 14, Politics - 16, Savoir-Faire - 17, Streetwise - 14, Tactics - 12, Teaching - 14, Languages (native and 4 other) - ~13-14, Carousing - 11, Riding - 14, Swimming - 13, Brawling - 15, Knife - 16, Knife-Throwing - 15, Spear - 15, Spear Thrower - 11, Spear Throwing - 11. Spells (all at 15): Itch, Spasm, Clumsiness, Dexterity, Hinder, Pain, Resist Pain, Iron Arm, Might, Foolishness, Daze, Mass Daze, Sleep, Lend Strength, Recover Strength, Sense Foes.