Slave

Your earlier life was spent as a slave, working for the benefit of others. You may have been sold into slavery, condemned for a crime, or born into a situation from which few escape. Nevertheless, you are now free to travel and adventure, having earned or bought your freedom.

Skill Proficiencies

Survival, Insight

Tool Proficiencies

One set of artisan's tools related to your former slave profession.

Languages

One language used by your former owners.

Equipment

A set of common clothes, an artisan toolset of your choice, a pair of manacles, and a small bag containing 10gp worth of assorted coins.

Customization

Choose or roll on the following table to determine your former role as a slave.

1. Miner.

2. House servant.

3. Land worker.

4. Coach driver and groom.

5. Personal servant.

6. Guardsman.

Feature

Fitting In. As a former slave, you know the workings and ways of great households, castles, temples, and other institutions and locations. You can always immediately locate the "worker's" entrance to such a building or compound and, as long as your companions do not give the game away, can often talk your way inside. You can generally move about within such a location without notice, following the patterns and demeanours of working staff.

Suggested Characteristics

A slave, or former slave, usually has a downcast, subservient aura even after being freed. A former slave will tend to obey authority, fear those of high station, and avoid authority figures where possible.

Personality Trait

1. I am fearful of others, with downcast eyes and placating words. It takes a lot to make me stand up for myself or others.

2. My experiences as a slave have made me angry towards authority; I will stubbornly disobey instructions whenever I can.

3. I only knew life institutionalized as a slave. I am uncomfortable and awkward in public, and secretly desire a return to the orderly life that I knew.

4. I earned my freedom, and I am joyous. I take delight and cheer in every step I make now that I am free. Every tree, every rock, is a wonder to behold.

5. Now that I am able to own property, I hoard it greedily, afraid that it will be taken from me.

6. Years of placating those above me have made me diplomatic, always seeking to talk my way out of situations.

Ideal

1. Vengeance. Those who enslave others make me angry; I am hostile and vengeful in the face of such people. (Chaos)

2. Order. Although I am free, I do not regret my life. Its order and regulation were a comfort, and rules are something I welcome. (Law)

3. Freedom. I truly believe that all beings should be free, and seek to bring about that ideal. (Chaos)

4. Power. I envied my owner's power, and secretly desire the same for myself. (Evil)

5. Exultation. Free, I can now enjoy life's pleasures - and I do, with joy and delight. (Any)

6. Hierarchy. My life effectively brainwashed me; I believe to the core of my being that social rankings are deserved and divinely given.

Bond

1. My family was killed or died in slavery. I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.

2. My memories of my home are dim and distant, but I will return there.

3. My freedom cost me dearly, and I owe a life or monetary debt which must be repaid.

4. I was not freed; I escaped. For the rest of my life, I will be looking over my shoulder, waiting to be recaptured.

5. I do not know who my family was, but I yearn to find out and reunite myself with them.

6. My former owners treated me well; I feel a strong sense of gratitude towards them for that.

Flaw

1. I am unable to meet the eye of anybody of higher social rank than myself.

2. My greed often overcomes me, especially when it comes to food - years of being deprived make me a glutton and a hoarder now that I am free.

3. I was able to gain my freedom, and so can anybody else. I cannot respect those who accept their lot in life.

4. I can't help it; now that I am not a slave, I treat slaves poorly. Perhaps I always longed for power.

5. I am a coward, conditioned to flee from the whip.

6. I am so used to lying my way out of situations which would displease my former owner that it often comes naturally to me even when it is not necessary. I will tend to deceive others about my activities out of habit.

Read more: http://www.enworld.org/forum/5ebackgrounds/showentry.php?e=10&catid=1#ixzz3eyidqB1G