// This file contains game-defined background descriptions
// Must start at 1000
{1000}{No significant background
Nothing of any consequence has ever happened to the character.}
{1001}{Raised by Snake Handlers
You receive a 20% increase in your resistance to poison, but suffer a penalty to your Beauty (-1) due to the large numbers of bite scars on your arms and legs.}
{1002}{Apprenticed to a Blacksmith
Your master is a hard man. You gain a bonus to Strength (+1) and a significant bonus to your Repair skill (+2), but you suffer a penalty to Dexterity (-2) due to the strenuous and repetitive hard labor.}
{1003}{Raised by Elves
You start with a wonderful suit of magickal elven chain mail, but suffer a penalty to all Tech skills (-1).}
{1004}{Raised by Monks
Piety has its advantages and disadvantages. You gain a bonus to Perception (+1) but renouncing the material world leaves you with only one quarter of the normal starting wealth.}
{1005}{Child of a Hero
You start with your father's +1 sword and are known throughout the land as a child of a Hero. Therefore you will incur terrible negative reaction for any evil act.}
{1006}{Inheritance
You were orphaned as a young child and inherited a lot of money. The easy life has cost you a penalty to Willpower (-1). Most of the money has been spent by now, but you begin with twice the normal starting wealth.}
{1007}{Foppish Elf
Raised in the city, you lose the elven bonus to dexterity but gains a significant bonus to Persuasion.}
{1008}{Clanless Dwarf
Your parents did not belong to a clan, and would not discuss the reasons why. You gain no dwarven bonus to Tech skills, but you do start with an excellent dwarven war hammer.}
{1009}{Disenfranchised Gnome
You are not part of the gnomish capitalist bourgeoisie and instead grew up as a day laborer. You suffer a significant penalty to Haggle (-2), but gain a bonus to Strength (+1).}
{1010}{Halfling Orphan
Abandoned in a large city as a child, you survived by stealing and never received any education. You gain a significant bonus to Pick Pocket, but lose a point to Intelligence (-1).}
{1011}{Special Person
You have suffered congenital brain damage. You lack Intelligence (-2), but you receive more praise when you do good deeds (resulting in a better reaction from people).}
{1012}{Professional Knife Tosser
You used to work as a knife thrower in a circus, until losing an eye in a freak accident. Sadly, you lose a point to Perception (-1), but you gain a bonus to your Throwing skill (+3).}
{1013}{Apprenticed to a Shopkeeper
Spending your whole childhood inside a shop, you gain a bonus to Haggle (+3), but you suffer a penalty to Dexterity (-1).}
{1014}{Sent To Charm School
Instead of a general education, you were sent to charm school. You gain bonuses to both Beauty (+1) and Charisma (+2), but you lose points in both Intelligence (-1) and Strength (-2).}
{1015}{Born Under a Sign
You were born during an astronomical event. As a result, you experience fewer critical hits and critical misses, but when you do get them, their results tend to be spectacular.}
{1016}{Extreme Personality
You possess an extreme personality. People react more strongly to your presence, and tend to grow to either love or hate you.}
{1017}{Factory Escapee
You were a slave in a factory until a recent escape. You have little money, but you gain a bonus to Strength (+1).}
{1018}{Freed Bodyguard
Your gnomish master recently died, and in his will you were freed from servitude, as well as being left a small monetary gift. However, you are not very bright, and suffer a penalty to your Intelligence (-1).}
{1019}{Bookworm
You have spent most of your life reading. You gain a bonus to Intelligence (+1). Unfortunately, myopia has set in, and you lose a point to Perception (-1).}
{1020}{Bully
You were the class bully, big and dumb. Extortion and intimidation have afforded you a bonus to Strength (+1), but getting people to do your homework for you leaves you with a deficiency in Intelligence (-1).}
{1021}{Wild Half-Ogre
You were born to an ogre mother and lived with an ogre clan until very recently. Compared to your more civilized brethren, you gain a bonus to Willpower (+1) but you suffer a penalty to your Charisma (-1).}
{1022}{Rare Half-Ogre Birth
You were born to a human mother, who miraculously survived your birth. Having been raised in the city, you gain a considerable bonus to Intelligence (+2). City life has also lessened your ferocity, and you lose points in both Strength (-1) and Constitution (-1).}
{1023}{Suppressed Orcish Looks
You do not really look very orcish, but you are exceptionally surly. You have a bonus to Beauty (+2), but suffer a penalty to your Charisma (-2).}
{1024}{Elven Blood
Your father's great-grandmother was an elf. The character gains an increase in Magickal Aptitude (5%), but suffers a penalty to all Tech skills (-1).}
{1025}{Hyperactive
You are constantly busy. Your Speed is higher than normal (+1), but most people find you annoying, and your Charisma suffers (-1).}
{1026}{Army Training
You received some army training during your youth, but were discharged for having flat feet. You gain bonuses to Strength (+1), as well as to your Bow (+1) and Melee (+1), but you have a penalty to Dexterity (-1).}
{1027}{Tough Hide
You were born with thick, brutish skin. Although you resist damage more than the average bloke does (10%), you unfortunately take a penalty to Beauty (-1).}
{1028}{Sheltered Childhood
Your were cooed and coddled incessantly as a child. As a result of overprotective parenting, you take a severe penalty to strength (-6), but, being more sensitive, you have bonuses to Intelligence (+2), Willpower (+2), and Perception (+1).}
{1029}{Troll Offspring
The gods frowned upon you when you were born. Cursed with both trollish looks and mannerisms, you receive severe penalties to Beauty (-4) and Charisma (-4). As everyone seems to think that you are spawned from monsters or worse, you often find yourself fending off hunters and holy men, and gain bonuses to Strength (+2), Constitution (+2), and Dexterity (+1).}
{1030}{Ran Away with the Circus
Having run away with a local troupe of circus performers, you have gained considerable physical Strength (+6), but has serious deficiencies in Intelligence (-2), Willpower (-3), and Perception (-1) due to all of the schooling that you missed.}
{1031}{Raised in the Pits
Being a veteran in the local pit fights, your gain a bonus to Strength (+2), Dexterity (+2) and an increase in all Combat Skills. The vicious combat has also taken a toll. Head trauma gives you a severe penalty to Intelligence (-6).}
{1032}{Feral Child
As an infant, your parents abandoned you in the middle of the forest. Having been raised by a pack of wolves gives you a considerable bonus to Dexterity (+3) as well as increases in the Thieving Skills of Prowling (+1) and Pickpocket (+1). But, oblivious of table manners and the rules of good society, you receive a severe penalty to Intelligence (-6) as well as decreases in the Social Skills of Persuasion (-1) and Haggle (-1). You begin with half the normal starting wealth.}
{1033}{Sickly
Mother Nature can be a harsh mistress. Having been born with an extremely weak immune system, you have penalties to Strength (-2) Constitution (-4), and Dexterity (-1). But all is not lost. Afternoons spent with a fever and a good book have afforded you unnaturally high Intelligence (+6).}
{1034}{Beat with an Ugly Stick
You are ugly. There is just no other word for it, unless you consider hideous a better word. Children flee from you in terror and even the kindest of souls finds it difficult to stand your presence for long. As a result of your countenance, you take an extreme penalty to Beauty (-6), but, because you have had to defend yourself from frequent attacks, you gain a bonus to Strength (+2), Dexterity (+2) and all of your Combat Skills (+1).}
{1035}{Lady's Man
Women swoon whenever they are near you. Being unusually good-looking, you gain a large bonus to Beauty (+6). Unfortunately, all that primping and powdering has you lacking in the more manly virtues...you lose points in Constitution (-2), Strength (-2) and Dexterity (-2).}
{1036}{DΘbutante
Your family is one of the most influential in all of Arcanum. As a young debutante, you have bonuses to Beauty (+3) and Charisma (+3). Of course, the easy life has made you soft in mind and body. You have penalties in Strength (-1), Dexterity (-1), and all of your Combat Skills (-2).}
{1037}{Raised by Orcs
You were a runaway orphan, homeless and starving, when an orcish family in the wilderness took you in and raised you. Their brutish ways have left you with increased Strength (+2), Perception (+2), as well as a bonus to all Combat Skills (+1). Unfortunately, your upbringing has also taken its toll on your personality, and you have a severe penalty to Charisma (-6).}
{1038}{Charlatan's ProtΘgΘ
Having been convinced by a travelling salesman to become his apprentice, you've given up your life in the military academy you were enrolled in. You gain a major bonus to Charisma (+6), but lose some physical Strength (-2), Constitution (-2) as well as taking a penalty to all your Combat Skills (-1).}
{1039}{Merwin Tumblebrook
Merwin Tumblebrook was raised in a small halfling town, where he showed a proficiency in various technological disciplines, but was also prone to random acts of theft and pilfery. Although not an evil child, his dresser was often full of the ill-gotten possessions of his friends and neighbors, as well as the occasional gold-leafed religious relic from a temple in the nearby human village. When young Merwin's tastes began drifting to explosives and the contents of the local treasury, his parents thought it time to take action.
Merwin has boarded the IFS Zephyr en route to Tarant, where he is enrolled in the spring semester at the Westrel Military Academy for Promising Young Men. Needless to say, he is less than exuberant over the whole affair.}
{1040}{Godfrey Castleburger
Godfrey Castleburger grew up on the rolling hills of his family's estate. The son of a wealthy and influential businessman, Godfrey was tutored daily by the best teachers, and excelled in economics and the dialectic method. In his free time, he was trained by a master in the technological discipline of Gunsmithy, and is well trained in the making of firearms and hopes to become an expert marksman.
Having finished his compulsory education, young Godfrey is being sent to Tarant on the IFS Zephyr to broaden his experience in the new world, as well as to sow any of his proverbial wild oats before he returns to assume control of the family business.}
{1041}{Horace McGinley
Horace McGinley was born under a bad sign. An orphan from birth, he found himself in a daily battle with life and its peculiar quandaries. After running away from various homes and institutions, Horace found himself on the streets, homeless and hungry. Carving a niche for oneself in such an environment is difficult, but Horace was anything if not determined. After falling in with a group of local street toughs, Horace began to learn the ways of combat and thievery, and even began dabbling in the ways of magick.
With the money from a few successful heists, Horace has booked passage on the IFS Zephyr to Tarant. It's not that life won't give you anything, he thinks, it's just all in the way that you ask.}
{1042}{Muck Evil Eye
Muck Evil Eye was born in a remote ogre village, the offspring of an unusual union between a human male and Histreg Wide Thighs, an ogre female whose appetites tended toward the exotic. Muck grew up an outcast, scorned by his fellow ogre because of his human heritage. He frequently found himself fighting because of aspersions cast at his family and his character; in time, he became the most feared, if not the most despised, warrior in his village.
Muck, because of his human blood, is a tad smarter than the common ogre. Upon hearing of employment opportunities in the new world for half-ogre bodyguards, he's taken a job in the boiler room of the IFS Zephyr in exchange for passage to Tarant.}
{1043}{D'ren Le'lor
D'ren Le'lor is a dreamer. The son of an elven hunter, D'ren found himself more interested in the history of Arcanum than he did in bowmanship, although he was quite proficient in the latter as well, and was often found in the library, poring over the ancient texts and manuscripts. Magick came easily to him, and he spent much time studying the ancient runes while his friends were off engaging in contests of physical skill and horseplay.
To D'ren the world is a large and wonderful place. So tonight, after leaving a heartfelt note to his parents saying he would return soon, he has stolen away to the nearest town, where he's booked passage on the IFS Zephyr, bound for Tarant at first light.}
{1044}{Solomon Doone
Solomon Doone was born the 13th son of Derzin Doone, the most evil necromancer in a long line of evil necromancers. It was the night of the full moon, and Solomon's mother, a frightful witch whose body was covered in strange birthmarks of the most evil shapes and configurations, died in childbirth at the stroke of midnight. Bezzle Gerts, the twisted, one-armed midwife who delivered the child, remarked that Fergel, the Doone's black housecat, had crossed the threshold into the room just as Solomon uttered his first cry.
Oftentimes Fate is not subtle. After a family dispute that left most of the Doone clan unrecognizable or immobilized, Solomon has purchased a ticket for Tarant on the IFS Zephyr. He doesn't bother looking at the seat number.}
{1045}{Merik Luggerton
The story of Merik Luggerton is not an unfamiliar one. Born into abject poverty, Merik lived with his family in a one-room shanty, working at odd jobs in the factory district of the city in which he lived. Orcish wages being what they were, the family had a lot of trouble putting food on the table.
As in many orcish ghettos, there was a great demand for pugilists, and many were the men who placed bets on the outcome of a brawl between two strapping young half-orcs. Merik found himself in the ring one night, and, upon winning, had more than a month's wages.
Merik fought, and Merik won. Having taken care of his family, he's purchased a ticket for the IFS Zephyr, in hopes of finding a new and better life in the great city of Tarant.}
{1046}{Lugard Bloodstone
Lugard Bloodstone is a miner's son, and over the front door of his home is a plaque that reads: Any Work Not Done With Your Hands Is No Such Thing. Unfortunately, as a child Lugard seemed to excel at what his father dubbed 'senseless tinkering', and a young Lugard's birthday gift to his father of a steam-powered shovel went over like stone shoes at the swimming hole. Still, regardless of his father, Lugard studied long and hard, and looked to the day when he might study among the great inventors and scientists of Tarant.
Lugard's father is old-fashioned, but he is also wise. Upon completing the dwarven rights of adulthood, Lugard has been permitted to enroll at Tarant University, and he's booked passage on the IFS Zephyr, bound for the greatest industrial city in all of Arcanum.}
{1047}{Victoria Warrington
Victoria Warrington was the daughter of nobility, one of the lesser families who lost both land and power in the aftermath of the great wars. As the years have passed, the Warrington name has come to mean less and less, but the family has survived, and holds on to as much of its past glory as society will permit. Victoria is the youngest of three daughters, beautiful and quick-witted. Having been educated in the finest schools of knowledge and magick, she is the model of strong character and good breeding.
But Victoria craves adventure. Many nights, she frequents the local taverns in disguise, hungry for stories, a strong glass of ale, and a game of dice. Tonight she's been lucky, and the poor soul across from her has lost his last remaining possession...a ticket on the IFS Zephyr to Tarant...}
{1048}{Bel'an T'Seraa
The T'Seraa family name is an old one, and Bel'an has been raised with one standard: elven honor above all. She has been taught the true elven ways from birth, and holds them in her heart like a gemstone. Magick and warcraft are as familiar to her as the sun through the leaves of her treetop home, and she feels a strong kinship with Nature and Her mysteries...
But all is not right in Arcanum, and Bel'an has been chosen by her people to go out into the world, and see what is to be seen. And although her heart breaks to leave the deep elven forests she has always known, there is a peculiar excitement she feels at boarding this...airship?...the IFS Zephyr, and traveling to someplace called Tarant...}
{1049}{Clarisse Vorak
Until a little while ago, Clarisse Vorak had a bright future. Having recently moved to the city from a small town, she had apprenticed herself to a well-respected doctor and was well on her way to earning advanced degrees in the Anatomical and Therapeutic disciplines. She was a gifted student, and a quick learner.
That all changed when it was discovered that the small town she was from was actually an orcish tribe. Times and attitudes being what they are, she has been asked to leave her apprenticeship. All of her friends have abandoned her, and her landlord has evicted her on "social" grounds.\n In the hopes that the new world has shed such prejudices, she has purchased a ticket on the IFS Zephyr, bound for Tarant...}
{1050}{Ke'ree Melange
Ke'ree Melange has always lived in two worlds. Her father was a human politician, and her mother an elven sorceress, and she has learned to be a little like them both. Having grown up in both elven villages and bustling cities, she has come to appreciate the powers of adaptation and persuasion. She has always excelled in everything she has done.
Ke'ree also remembers arguments between her mother and father concerning the nature of magick and technology, and why one was better than the other. After studying them both, she has concluded that both have merit, and that each has its place. After all, she thinks, if you can't live in two worlds, then you're obviously trapped in one...
Having come to that conclusion, this very afternoon she has purchased a ticket on the IFS Zephyr, bound for Tarant. If there is a new world, she wants to be in it...}
{1051}{Educator
You are a natural teacher. As you learn skill training, you can teach your followers the previous training step. So as an Expert, you can teach your followers as Apprentices, if they qualify. However, since you spend extra time with each follower, you cannot have as many as usual (-1 to maximum followers).}
{1052}{Super Model
You are a stunningly gorgeous woman, and you have been pampered and coddled all of your life. You gain a tremendous bonus to Beauty (+6) at the cost of Willpower (-1), Strength (-2) and most of all Intelligence (-3).}
{1053}{Escaped Lunatic
You have escaped from an insane asylum and stowed away aboard the IFS Zephyr. You are extremely resistant to damage (+25% to normal, fire, electrical, and poison resistance) but you have no money, you have stolen some cheap clothing, and most people are frightened or repulsed by you (-25 reaction).}
{1054}{Idiot Savant
You were institutionalized at a young age and believed to be mentally handicapped. After several years, the institute lost funding and you were turned out onto the street with nothing more than the clothes on your back. You are brilliant with a keen grasp of numbers and mathematics, but you are barely able to talk. You gain +6 points of Intelligence and +3 to Gambling, but years of being locked away makes you suffer physically and emotionally. You talk as if you had a much lower Intelligence and you suffer -1 to Strength and Constitution, and -2 to Dexterity and Willpower.}
{1055}{Tomboy
As a little girl, you were always playing games with the boys. As a woman, you can hold your own against any man, and you have avoided the stereotypical female role in society. This background negates the gender effect by increasing Strength (+1) while decreasing Constitution (-1).}
{1056}{Barbarian
You were raised among a wild barbarian tribe in a far land. No one knows how or why you came to be a passenger aboard to IFS Zephyr, but given your ferocious demeanor, no one tried to find out. You gain +2 Strength and +1 Constitution and a +1 to Melee, while suffering -1 Intelligence, -2 Charisma, and a -2 to Haggle. You also possess barbarian armor but less money than other characters.}
{1057}{Nietzsche Poster Child
Nietzsche once said "That which does not kill me makes me stronger", and he may have been referring to you. All your life you have been making mistakes, but you always seem to come out better afterwards. In other words, you critically fail more than normal but you have a 10% experience point bonus.}
{1058}{Dark Elf Follower
You believe in the philosophy of the dark elves, that technology must be brought down at any cost. This faith has strengthened your resolve (+2 Willpower), but the recent rise of technology has made you bitter (-2 Charisma).}
{1059}{Sold Your Soul
You have made a pact with a demon. In exchange for more magickal power, you have dedicated your life to the pursuit of evil. You gain +20% to Magickal Aptitude, but suffer -20 reaction from others and a -20 alignment (and your alignment can NEVER go higher).}
{1060}{Day Mage
You were born with a magickal aptitude that has affinity for the sun. During the day (between the hours of 6 AM and 6 PM), you possess a +20% bonus to your Magickal Aptitude, but at night you suffer a -20% to your Magickal Aptitude.}
{1061}{Night Mage
You were born with a magickal aptitude that has affinity for the night. At night (between the hours of 6 PM and 6 AM), you possess a +20% bonus to your Magickal Aptitude, but during the day you suffer a -20% to your Magickal Aptitude.}
{1062}{Sky Mage
You were born with a magickal aptitude that has affinity for the open sky. While outside and in clear view of the sky, you possess a +20% bonus to Magickal Aptitude. But while underground, indoors, or even under a heavy forest canopy, you suffer a -20% to your Magickal Aptitude.}
{1063}{Nature Mage
You were born with a magickal aptitude that has affinity for nature. While standing on a natural surface, you possess a +20% bonus to Magickal Aptitude. But on a man-made surface, you suffer a -20% to your Magickal Aptitude.}
{1064}{Agoraphobic
You are terrified of open spaces. As a child, you rarely went outdoors and spent your time reading and studying, gaining a +2 Intelligence. You are fine if you are indoors or even in a thickly forested area, but if you go into an outdoor open area, you suffer a panic attack, losing your Intelligence bonus and leading to -2 to Dexterity, Intelligence and Willpower, but you do gain +2 to Strength from the fear.}
{1065}{Hydrophobic
You are deathly afraid of water and of drowning. As a child, you constantly made up reasons to avoid entering even shallow water, gaining +2 to Persuasion. If you do find yourself in water, you suffer a panic attack, leading to -2 to Dexterity, Intelligence and Willpower, but you do gain +2 to Strength from the fear.}
{1066}{Afraid of the Dark
You cannot stand to be in the dark. You stay constantly aware of your surroundings, peering into dim corners and dark shadows to see if something is there. While this has raised your Perception by 2, you will suffer a panic attack if you are in too dark an area, leading to -2 to Dexterity, Intelligence and Willpower, but you do gain +2 to Strength from the fear.}
{1067}{Magick Allergy
You are severely allergic to magickal items, such that touching them causes you pain. Therefore, you have been devoted to technology since a young age and have developed a knack for it. You gain a +10% bonus to Technological Aptitude, but you cannot wield ANY magickal items.}
{1068}{Arsonist
You like fire. No, you LOVE fire! Fire fire fire! You were always picked on as a kid for being scrawny (-1 Strength and -1 Constitution) but you showed them! You studied explosives (+20 Expertise) and you burned their homes! Burned them to the ground! Ha ha! Then you ran away from home and snuck aboard the IFS Zephyr, which seemed highly flammable and an excellent target. You probably would have torched the zeppelin if it hadn't been shot down.}
{1069}{Bandit
You are a gun-toting bandit. You ran afoul of the law and reached the IFS Zephyr just one step ahead of the authorities. You have your gun and some ammo, but you don't have any money.}
{1070}{Technophobia
You were raised on a potato farm in the rustic backwaters of a distant land. You worked hard (+1 Strength and +1 Constitution), but you never experienced any technology of any kind. Subsequently, you are afraid of technological items and cannot bring yourself to even pick one up.}
{1071}{Only Child
You grew up as the only child of very permissive parents, and you basically always got your own way. As an adult, you expect nothing less than total obedience of those around you (Willpower +6), but your temperament reduces your Charisma by 4 and your Persuasion and Haggle skills by 2 each.}
{1072}{Frankenstein Monster
You were reanimated by a mad scientist from various body parts he found at gravesites, but somehow you escaped from the laboratory. You are very well constructed (Strength +4, Constitution +4, Electrical Resistance +30%, Poison Resistance +20%), but very slow (Dexterity -6) with a damaged brain-larynx connection (you use dumb dialog options) and a susceptibility to fire (Fire Resistance -20%). You also start out with no money whatsoever.}
{1073}{Bride of Frankenstein
You were reanimated by a mad scientist to be the bride of his other creation, but somehow you managed to escape before the wedding. You are very well constructed (Beauty +4, Constitution +4, Electrical Resistance +20%, Poison Resistance +10%), but slow (Dexterity -4) with a damaged brain-larynx connection (you use dumb dialog options) and a susceptibility to fire (Fire Resistance -10%). You also start out with no money whatsoever.}
{1074}{Mad Doctor
You have performed numerous untested and dangerous medical experiments upon yourself but suffer from the adverse effects. You have gained +2 to Intelligence and Perception, a +20% to Poison and Electrical Resistance, and a +4 to Healing skill, but you suffer -1 to Beauty and Charisma, -2 to Dexterity and -3 to Constitution.}
{1075}{Miracle Operation
Though born to a wealthy family as a young child, you mysteriously lost your sight. It was discovered that you had contracted a degenerative and always fatal disease. As a blind child, your early development favored indoor activities and development befitting the wealthiest of society. You gained +3 to Intelligence and Charisma. Your senses of touch, hearing and smell increased to compensate for your blindness, resulting in a +5 Perception. However, you suffered physically, leading to -3 Strength, -3 Dexterity and -5 Constitution. As a young adult, your parents, out of desperation, paid for the services of a renown, if unorthodox physician, who miraculously restored your sight. The operation cost your family its fortune, so you set out to make your own.}
{1076}{Dark Sight
Your eyes are overly sensitive to light. You are nearly blind in daylight, but you can see perfectly in darkness. Therefore, all skill lighting penalties are reversed for you.}
