The Murderer

I know they say what I done was wrong, but I'd do it again, I would. An' I'd look into 'is eyes while doin' it too.

The covenants established and managed by magi of the Order seem to suspend some of the normal rules of the world around them. Whether by negotiated charter or the power to impose their will, covenants manage their own affairs within their own walls. And this de facto sanctuary attracts those that the outside world might dispose of, those like thieves and murderers.

This grog is an unrepentant murderer. He sought sanctuary in the covenant having heard of a place where secrets stay secret, and where a man's worth is measured by what he does today, and not the crimes of yesterday. Whatever the reason for his past crimes, a crime of passion, an argument that turned to violence, or an act of vengeance, deep down he knows that he would do it again in the same situation. And this prevents his true repentance. He has had to flee those he once knew, unable to return for fear of being caught and punished for what he has done. The covenant is his only hope.

The Murderer works hard to make himself useful in the covenant, taking on every job and chore that he can, trying to secure a position for that fateful day when his secret is finally discovered.

These notes will help in creating a Murderer character.

A man may be driven to murder at any age, and any man may be driven to it. Because of this, there is no particular age or set of characteristics that define him. However, a man looking to extend his sanctuary will find a way to make himself useful around the covenant, probably taking on any menial tasks that present themselves. So he'll probably have a high Dexterity so that he's good with his hands, and at least a positive Strength and Stamina, representing his determination to work hard.

While the Murderer has found a place for himself within the covenant, he is still damned for the crimes that drove him there, and a reputation has followed him. The Virtues and Flaws that follow are appropriate for a Murderer working as a jack-of-all-trades at the covenant: Covenfolk, Good Teacher, Puissant Brawl, Tough; Manifest Sin*, Infamous, Master of None*

A Murderer character is sure to cause trouble wherever he goes.

A local knight comes to the covenant looking for a man fleeing justice for a murder. The man has been spotted and the knight demands that he is handed over. The Murderer, who by this time has become a useful and popular member of the covenfolk, pleads for sanctuary. The magi and their deputies must balance external politics against the opinion of their own people.

After all these long years, a sin thought forgotten is revisited upon the covenant. The victim's son comes looking for the man who did him such wrong. And he brings allies. The allies he rides with are rivals to the covenant, looking to use the situation to force a minor victory over the covenant. Do the magi turn the killer over to his accuser, or risk further political problems at the hands of their enemies?

A magus has reached a plateau in his study of the Art of Mentem, or the knowledge of Philosophiae. To push his work onwards, he has decided he needs to examine a damaged mind, and he has heard of a murderer given sanctuary in a nearby covenant. Can the magus gain access to the murderer? And how does the season of study affect both the magus and his subject?

A guild master in the nearby town seems to know too much about the magical crafting of the covenant's magus of House Verditius and is bringing unwanted attention to the covenant. As fortune would have it, there is a man living in the covenant who has the dark streak necessary for the job. The magus' venditor has planned the hit, and the Murderer must carry it out. But have the magi really ordered this, or is there something else influencing the venditor?

The Murderer contracts a disease that rapidly delivers him at death's door. With so little time left to him, the unrepentant killer must now find a way to cleanse his soul. With all the power at their disposal, will the magi help him? If all the ministrations of the Church cannot save the man, can they attract the attention of a higher power?

* See Chapter 6, New Virtues and Flaws

This suggests a character with a dark crime in his past, not made for a martial life, but who nonetheless knows how to take care of himself.

A killer on the run may come from any background, but a grog is most often of a lowly status. As such, he may have any Abilities his Virtues allow, but his reputation and confinement to the covenant may limit the Abilities he can advance. In later years, he makes a good teacher, passing on his numerous skills to a younger generation.

The following packages are appropriate for hard-working covenfolk with particular trade: Brawler, Covenfolk, Craftsman, Laborer, Local, Servant, Tinker.

However, the Murderer, with his Master-Of-None Flaw, must apply his experience points to a different Ability each season of the year. This means that the packages must be adjusted so that they each put experience into four different Abilities rather than the more usual three.

The Abilities listed later are appropriate for a menial jack-of-all-trades trying to prove his value to the covenant any way he can.

ABILITIES AT AGE 20: Animal Handling 2 (sheep), Athletics 2 (running), Awareness 2 (alertness), Bargain 1 (food), Brawl 2 (bludgeon), Carouse 1 (staying sober), Charm 2 (first impressions), Climb 2 (hills), Concentration 1, Craft: Cooperage 1 (oak barrels), Craft: Furniture Maker 1 (chairs), Craft: Masonry 1 (repairs), Craft: Woodworking 2 (treating wood), Fishing 1 (rivers), Folk Ken 2 (peasants), Guile 2 (concealing his past), Hunt 2 (rabbits), Intrigue 1 (people interested in him), Living Language 5, Organization Lore: Covenant 1 (jobs that need doing), Profession: Farmer 1 (harvest), Profession: Laborer 1 (digging), Profession: Tinker 2 (tin), Stealth 2 (hiding), Survival 2 (on the road), Swim 2 (rivers), Teaching 1 (Craft: Woodworking)

ABILITIES AT AGE 40: Animal Handling 2 (sheep), Athletics 2 (running), Awareness 2 (alertness), Bargain 3 (food), Brawl 5 (bludgeon), Carouse 3 (staying sober), Charm 2 (first impressions), Climb 2 (hills), Concentration 2, Craft: Cooperage 2 (oak barrels), Fishing 2 (rivers), Folk Ken 3 (peasants), Craft: Furniture Maker 2 (chairs), Guile 3 (concealing his past), Hunt 2 (rabbits), Intrigue 2 (people interested in him), Living Language 5, Organization Lore: Covenant 2 (jobs that need doing), Profession: Brewer 2 (saving materials), Profession: Laborer 3 (digging), Profession: Farmer 2 (harvest), Profession: Tinker 3 (tin), Craft: Masonry 2 (repairs), Stealth 2 (hiding), Survival 2 (on the road), Swim 2 (rivers), Teaching 2 (Carpentry), Craft: Woodworking 3 (treating wood)

ABILITIES AT AGE 60: Animal Handling 3 (sheep), Athletics 2 (running), Awareness 2 (alertness), Bargain 3 (food), Brawl 5 (bludgeon), Carouse 4 (staying sober), Charm 2 (first impressions), Climb 2 (hills), Concentration 2, Craft: Cooperage 3 (oak barrels), Craft: Furniture Maker 3 (chairs), Craft: Masonry 4 (repairs), Craft: Woodworking 3 (treating wood), Fishing 3 (rivers), Folk Ken 4 (peasants), Guile 4 (concealing his past), Hunt 2 (rabbits), Intrigue 2 (people interested in him), Living Language 5, Organization Lore: Covenant 2 (jobs that need doing), Profession: Brewer 4 (saving materials), Profession: Farmer 4 (harvest), Profession: Laborer 4 (digging), Profession: Tinker 4 (tin), Stealth 2 (hiding), Survival 2 (on the road), Swim 2 (rivers), Teaching 4 (Carpentry)

PERSONALITY TRAITS & REPUTATIONS

The Murderer may be conflicted, feeling Guilty and Unrepentant in equal measure, but a character fleeing his crime to the safety of a covenant is likely to have overcome his guilt and be more Self-Preserving. He may be Brave, but not the extent that he will face up to his crimes.

He also has a Local Reputation as a murderer. If the Infamous Flaw has also been taken, this starts with a score of 4.

A grog created using this archetype does not have access to the Dark Secret Story Flaw, so his crime(s) are known from the outset. A Companion character has the option to hide his crime and have the secret revealed over the course of play. There is also more scope for Companions to take other Flaws that represent the mundane and supernatural repercussions of his crimes, such as the Enemies Story Flaw.