BACKGROUND

1) Where is your character from?

2) Does your character have a family?

3) Does your character have an ethnic background?

APPEARANCE

4) What does your character look like?

5) What does your character dress like?

6) Does your character have physical quirks?

SKILLS, ATTRIBUTES, AND RESOURCES

7) Where did your character learn their Active Skills?

8 ) Where did your character learn their Knowledge Skills?

9) Where did your character get his goodies?

10) Where does your character live?

11) Who are your character's contacts?

12) Who are your character's enemies?

13) How did your character learn magic?

PERSONALITY

14) What are your character's likes and dislikes?

15) What is your character's moral code?

16) Does your character have goals?

17) Does your character have personal beliefs?

18) Does your character have personality quirks?

RUNNING THE SHADOWS

19) Why does your character run the shadows?

20) How does your character view his/her role as a shadowrunner?

Note: For mundane characters, I usually replace question 13) with "What is your character's attitude towards Magic?"

Name: Afrika
Race: Pixie
Gender: Male


Background



BREAKDOWN (600BP)

=Attributes=

=Qualities=

=Active Skills=

=Knowledge Skills=

=Tradition=


=Initiation=


=Spells=

=Foci=

=Gear=


=Lifestyle=



=Contacts=



=Ally Spirit=

Yazata - BACKGROUND

1) Where is your character from?
[NOTE: Origin questions are based on the character's belief, as he has the Amnesia (-10) Quality. Whether his belief is the truth or not is up to the GM.]

Yazata is fallen from the hosts that serve Ahura Mazda, the one true God. He appeared on this Earthly plane, in the Middle East, some three years ago, with no memory of how he got here. He believes that for some reason he has fallen from favour in the eyes of Ahura Mazda, and must earn his way back into his real life.

His name here is Yazata, which in the ancient Avestan language of Persia means 'angel'.

2) Does your character have a family?
Yes, the hosts of angels are his siblings. Ahura Mazda is his Creator and Father.

3) Does your character have an ethnic background?
The nearest modern Earthly equivalent is Persian.

APPEARANCE

4) What does your character look like?
Typical dwarf stature, dark Caucasian skin colour, black hair that curls naturally, a goatee of black, curly hair. Dark, mysterious eyes. Approximately 30 years old.

5) What does your character dress like?
He tends to wear natural fibres, wool, silk, or linen, and some cotton. He looks sort of outdoorsy, with lots of pockets.

6) Does your character have physical quirks?
Yazata has extremely intense eyes. Many people, especially women, have trouble enduring his gaze.

SKILLS, ATTRIBUTES, AND RESOURCES

7) Where did your character learn their Active Skills?
Most were a gift from time immemorial from Ahura Mazda. Others he gained during his travels on Earth, following an inner call to travel westwards. So for example, Survival (desert) came to him this way.

8 ) Where did your character learn their Knowledge Skills?
Some were present when he appeared on Earth. Others, such as many of the languages, etc. were gained as he traveled westwards from his place of appearance.

9) Where did your character get his goodies?
Three magical items were in his possession at the time of his appearance. Each is inscribed with its own name in Avestan, the ancient language of Persia. The Word of Dāmōish is an amulet that is a F6 Banishing Focus, divided F2 for Shedim, F2 for Nomads and F2 for Yama Kings, all wild spirit forms found in Asia and considered by Yazata's Tradition to be Demons. The Will of Mithra is a F3 Centering Focus ring. Anathema is a F1 Weapon Focus knife.

The rest of his possessions have been acquired mostly from the proceeds of work he has done in the last three years. Evil exists everywhere, and many good people call for a saviour. At first Yazata was hesitant to take payment for destroying evil, but this realm has different requirements from that whence he came, and he must survive here until he finds his way home.

10) Where does your character live?
Yazata is itinerant, following a vague feeling that he has to travel westwards. Currently he resides in Lagos, a hell-hole full of things and people requiring smiting. Yazata is happy to oblige.

11) Who are your character's contacts?
One fixer in Lagos is the only current contact. [details to follow]

12) Who are your character's enemies?
All members of the Demonic host. In particular, during his travels Yazata has discovered that Shedim have a severe hatred for him personally, and attack him first and with great élan. Yazata is pleased by this. They know! Otherwise, all those who prey on the good and decent are his sworn enemies, whether they know it yet or not. They shall learn.

13) How did your character learn magic?
God created him complete with magical power. His form here on Earth appears to be a reduced form of his true self. Sometimes he believes he may be an avatar of Dāmōish Upamana, an archangel of Ahura Mazda, but Yazata fears this may be hubris, perhaps the very thing that got him banished form his true realm.

In any case, the function of Dāmōish Upamana, to ride at the side of Mithra and speak anathema on the demonic enemies of all that is good is the role Yazata feels is right for him here on Earth. Banishing, Attacks of Will, speaking words of power when using magic, these are the trademarks of Yazata's magical practice.

PERSONALITY

14) What are your character's likes and dislikes?
Yazata likes juicy, sloppy fruit. He can never get enough of it. Of course, natural fruit is expensive, but it is a luxury he allows himself whenever he can. He likes to learn about this world, as his purpose here may yet reveal itself to him. He likes to spend time with little children. Somehow, they like him, too. Perhaps they can see some glimmer of his true nature. He likes to think so.

Rudeness, crudeness, and insensitivity are behaviours that particularly bother Yazata. He has come to accommodate such behaviour among runners, as long as their goals are in line with his: smite evil. Nevertheless, he tries to gently turn his accomplices to a more genteel habit. This has not always worked out for him.

He likes the Napalm spell. He calls it the Fire of God. It cleanses as well as destroys evil. Excellent economy of effort, that.

15) What is your character's moral code?
Destroy evil in all its forms. Good must be promoted and protected, at any cost. The sanctity of a human life is qualified by the choice that human has made between good and evil.

16) Does your character have goals?
Get back into the heavenly realm. Whatever it takes.

17) Does your character have personal beliefs?
Yazata believes completely in the Zoroastrian religion. He believes himself to be an Earthly manifestation of an integral part of that religion.

18) Does your character have personality quirks?
Yazata deals with spirits a lot. These spirits speak to him as agents of the heavenly conflict. Sometimes they encourage him in his quest. Other times they subtly and vilely try to pervert Yazata from his course. Yazata wishes he could control the source of the spirits he summons, but he cannot. He must continually be on his guard when dealing with spirits. His very soul depends on it. He usually speaks to these beings in ancient Avestan, sometimes in places where it is inappropriate.

RUNNING THE SHADOWS

19) Why does your character run the shadows?
To find the way home. To survive while here on Earth. To destroy evil and protect good.

20) How does your character view his/her role as a shadowrunner?
Spirit hunter, general magician, healer, protector, generator of spirit allies.
Hammer of God.

BACKGROUND

1) Where is your character from?

Used to be Nigeria when he was born. Area belongs to the Yoruba kingdom now.

2) Does your character have a family?

No, he thinks this can wait till he's older (about 80 or 90...or 120 when he can afford leonization- he's 59 by now).

3) Does your character have an ethnic background?

As a Yoruba, he's part of the most populous ethnic group in this setting, though he's used to being part of a minority as a black dwarf who spent a lot of time in Europe (family fled the VITAS pandemic, he returned after he finished college).

APPEARANCE

4) What does your character look like?

Average size for a dwarf, sharply cut features, bald head, well-trimmed white beard with bushy sideburns, very obvious gilded cyberarm with bulky armor and snake fingers.

5) What does your character dress like?

Usually fatigues and sometimes a lab coat, plus protective glasses. As he's always involved in some kind of project, he rarely dresses in anything but his workclothes, though he owns some nicely tailored suits as well as some clothing for combat missions in the wilderness.

6) Does your character have physical quirks?

Twirling things between the fingers of his cyberhand in a way that is blatantly impossible for nonaugmented metahumans.

SKILLS, ATTRIBUTES, AND RESOURCES

7) Where did your character learn their Active Skills?

Studying, practical application, tinkering, learning by doing...he's had enough time to be exposed to a wide range of different occupations and learn a diverse skill set.

8 ) Where did your character learn their Knowledge Skills?

College, involvement with various criminal enterprises.

9) Where did your character get his goodies?

Interwoven network of drug traffickers, warlords and clandestine corporate interests.

10) Where does your character live?

In his lab at the edge of Lagos Island district.

11) Who are your character's contacts?

Local drug cartell, council elder Olabode Lekan, Primeira Varga-associated fixer

12) Who are your character's enemies?

He has so far managed to keep a low profile, but everybody who crosses the path of his organization would also qualify as his enemy.

13) What is your character's attitude towards magic?

An invaluable tool. Does not share the widespread believe that magic is a divine force. Curious about parabiology, astral space and plant spirits.
Attitude towards magic mostly influenced by the view of Chaos Magicians (though he is only halfway aware of that- it's simply the awakened group he has talked to most about such matters).

PERSONALITY

14) What are your character's likes and dislikes?

His favorite pastime is bioassaying (read : indulging in) a newly developed psychoactive compound.
Generally fascinated by progress and technology.
Dislikes the megacorp presence in West Africa, BTLs (not "the real deal" in his opinion) and the messed-up traffic and sanitary conditions in Lagos (though he has developed a certain degree of stoicism towards all of that).
Easily falls for trolling attempts on the matrix.

15) What is your character's moral code?

While not overly cruel, he is a hard-headed pragmatist. His decisions are usually focussed on surviving and possibly coming out on top of the trouble he frequently finds himself in.

16) Does your character have goals?

Invent a new type of nanites that constantly rewrites the brain's "addiction memory", thereby negating the habituating potential of any kind of drug.

17) Does your character have personal beliefs?

Generally indecisive on religious matters. Slight tendency towards pantheism.
Politically best described as Macchiavellian.

18) Does your character have personality quirks?

Curious, prone to take risks, excentric.
Absent-minded when focussing on a new project.

RUNNING THE SHADOWS

19) Why does your character run the shadows?

It's part of the greater game of squeezing as much as possible out of the miserable hellhole that is Lagos.
He soon learned that if you're not part of a criminal elite, you either have the choice to leave for a first-world country or die miserably.

20) How does your character view his/her role as a shadowrunner?

The most logical response to the current state of Western Africa, though the undeniable fact that he's also part of the problem is nagging him more and more.

BACKGROUND

1) Where is your character from?

Afrika's tribe of tiny mahogany skinned fey hail from the jungle shrouded shores of Lake Victoria in The Kobikela.

2) Does your character have a family?

Afrika is unmarried but his extended family still lives in the tribe's traditional jungle haunts.

3) Does your character have an ethnic background?

Not as such. The form of the Kobikela Pixies mirrors the form of the surrounding human tribes to some extent.

APPEARANCE

4) What does your character look like?

In his native form Afrika is a one foot tall mahogany skinned elfin creature with irridescent dragonfly wings.

5) What does your character dress like?

A simple loincloth is usually all he bothers with in his native form. If he has taken a human form using Shapechange he attempts to dress appropriately to social circumstances. Not often particularly successfully.

6) Does your character have physical quirks?

Apart from wings?

His face and body have been ritually scarified in patterns that have cultural and arcane significance in his tradition.

SKILLS, ATTRIBUTES, AND RESOURCES

7) Where did your character learn their Active Skills?

Decades of study in the depths of the jungle and the metaplanes. Afrika has only very recently ventured out into the human world and knows virtually nothing about the modern world.

8 ) Where did your character learn their Knowledge Skills?

Afrika has no knowledge skills other than languages. His natural talent for communication has allowed him to soak up the primitive dialects of almost every human group he has had any contact with but his sheltered upbringing has left him almost completely ignorant of every subject normal people take for granted.

9) Where did your character get his goodies?

He has very little in the way of possesions that he did not create himself or create with the help of his anscestor spirits. He has managed to acquire a few human made objects from a Lagos fixer and has learned enough about money to open an account with a Hawala.

10) Where does your character live?

In the trunks and root systems of a grove of massive Baobabs in the forest of northern Ifako-ijaya. He has used his magics to carve a home in the living wood of the ancient trees and into the living earth beneath them.

11) Who are your character's contacts?

Two-face, a Yoruba fixer, allied to the Daughters of Yemaja, who operates out of the Amulet Market.

12) Who are your character's enemies?

Anyone who would despoil the jungle for short term gain.

13) How did your character learn magic?

From the elders of his tribe and his ancestor spirits. He has spent much time deep in the metaplanes.

PERSONALITY

14) What are your character's likes and dislikes?

Afrika likes words. They are the original Artifice of the sentient mind. They are crafted into poetry and song, the written word recording the thoughts and experiences of those long dead.

He also loves manufactured objects, tools and machines. The more elegant and efficient the better. He has little understanding of how or why most devices work but they fascinate him nonetheless.

Afrika hates inefficiency, pollution and entropy. Clumsy, selfish or just outright stupid waste of natural resources angers him beyond belief.

15) What is your character's moral code?

An' it harm none, do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.

When he sees others causing harm he is relentless and unforgiving in preventing re-offending. Everything dies, it's just a question of when. For those doing deliberate harm to others the answer would be now.

16) Does your character have goals?

Afrika wants to learn about humanity and all of their words and inventions. His curiosity could not be satisfied in the jungle so he came to Kinshasa where he learned a great many words but discovered that if he wanted to see much of humanities invention he would have to go somewhere less insular.

Lagos, unfortunately, was his best choice.

While a festering cesspool of hatred and suffering it is also the gateway to Africa and full of the fruits of human ingenuity. Afrika loves taking such devices apart to find out how they work.

Maybe one day he might start to comprehend enough to start putting them back together.

17) Does your character have personal beliefs?

He believes in a form of Karma. What goes around comes around.

He is strongly of the opinion that if humanity all had the ability to perceive the Astral they would be a lot more carefull about the way that they behaved. If they could see the ebb and flow of mana and the way that hatred and suffering polluted it they would be a lot nicer to each other.

18) Does your character have personality quirks?

Someone that is possessed by spirits much of the time is by his very nature a bit quirky.

He is very naive. In his first few weeks in Lagos he got into all sorts of trouble, found himself borrowing large quantities of a metaphor called 'money' but which looked remarkably like sea shells from a variety of what turned out to be untrustworthy people.

He eventually made more trustworthy friends who are helping him trade his unique skills for more of this metaphor.

RUNNING THE SHADOWS

19) Why does your character run the shadows?

He has to. Trying to fit in with human society in a place as corrupt as Lagos swiftly left him massively in debt to many unpleasant people.

He sells his services as a mage, talismonger and mystic healer through Two-face to service those debts.

20) How does your character view his/her role as a shadowrunner?

He views himself as very much in a support role. He prefers to remain quietly in the background providing healing and spell-defence to humans who know what they are doing.