Character Backstory Novels

It's been a while since I've been able to say that I'm a player in a serious roleplaying campaign, and yet, I can now. A few months ago, the player who portrayed Beor in the mystery campaign started a new homebrew campaign, and I am lucky enough to get to participate. I decided to use a character design I've been wanting to play for years--a con artist rogue. 

The result of this process was Asp Liraz, a halfling rogue with specialties in Persuasion, Deception, Insight, and Stealth. Asp's strengths are not in combat but in interaction--almost any social interaction she experiences has a healthy bonus to them (+9 through +11 for all the skills named above at 6th level). The most exciting feature for me is that she has developed alternate personas for completing jobs and protecting herself. Here's a brief profile on her three identities. 

Delia Violet

Delia is a freelance reporter. She takes a special interest in human interest and sociological articles (because they allow Asp to manipulate the public opinion of people and situations). She is especially useful for reconnaissance (since people talk to reporters) and for changing the way the public feels. Delia has moved from hand-written her articles to using a rudimentary portable printing press. 

Delia Violet: freelance reporter at large. 

Lady Penelope Jasmine 

Lady Penelope is a diplomat from an obscure halfling land. She often mediates disputes between wealthy and powerful people (allowing Asp the ability to be involved in such deals). Lady Penelope is especially useful for establishing connections with the upper crust of society, while Delia is more useful for common people. 

Lady Penelope Jasmine: diplomat for the people.

Gilbert Hardlaurel-Timberline

Gilbert is a gnomish inventor with a flair of the strange. While there are reports that his inventions are shams, he always finds new investors (his inventions are in fact fakes, but an inventor needs financing). One advantage of Gilbert is that Asp can sometimes only make it so far with people as a halfling or a woman, but Gilbert can allow her to play those roles as well. 

Gilbert Hardlaurel-Timberline, gnomish inventor. 

Asp has been thrust into a story in which she is, unexpectedly, serving as a serious diplomat in a way between elves and orcs. Due to her role and her party, she has had to begin restricting how her actions affect people. This is leading her to become less selfish and more group-oriented, but there are many bumps, and there are also setbacks. 

As part of developing Asp, I have written a few stories a novel two novels about her and plan to write a few more and will write about the campaign in a third. 

Read chapter one of Nobody Knows Me, the first book in the series, here!

Read chapter one of Two Different Things Can Just Be Different, the prequel to Nobody Knows Me, here!

Read chapter one of You Changed Too, the sequel to Nobody Knows Me, here!

Or go to check out the short stories that fill in spaces between chapters in the novels here!

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