'Compass' Rose Philips You don't talk about your life before you became a governess. "I've been here for seven years," you say. "Before that I was with the Fairfaxes, and before that I was with the Westons. And before that? Never you mind, dearie. Now, open up your history book. Just a few more readings and then we'll practice your harp." It's true that the sea stories you can be induced to tell occasionally border on the thrilling, and Elizabeth has never let you live down the time you skewered a rat from across the kitchen with a paring knife. All the same, you keep your past a sealed book. Like your diary. You made the last entry when your father died thirty years ago on Ash Island. You swore you'd give up the sea, and so far you've managed. A fortune in gold stayed behind on the island along with the curse that supposedly went with it. Sometimes you still think about the island, though. Even without using the map you know you could find your way back. You've always been able to find your way back anywhere -- that's why the pirates called you Compass Rose. Governess - Superb (+3) [5] Knife - Great (+2) [4] Bargaining - Great (+2) [4] Noticing - Great (+2) [4] Veterinarian - Good (+1) [3] Sailor - Good (+1) [3] Cook - Good (+1) [3] Athletics - Fair (0) [2] Fortune Telling - Fair (0) [2] Gifts: Perfect Navigator Faults: Getting Old, Trying to Lead a Respectable Life ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Joseph Bradby "I used to be the greatest swordsman on the high seas!" That's what you tell anyone who'll listen. And it was true. Or at least the greatest in the country. Or the city. Not that it matters, now that you've changed your focus to being the greatest drunk. Much easier. It didn't use to be this way. It seems like you just lost your way -- funny, it was when Compass Rose went out of your life, and she could always find her way. Sometimes you even think they're connected. It's true that it wasn't so long after her dad got killed on Ash Island and you killed the man who did it, and she said she was going to give up the pirating life, that you started losing fights. *You*. You never lost fights. First it was just losing your edge a bit -- then you couldn't even take on the damned landlubbers. So you starting having a drink or two in the taverns as you waited for your skills to come back, and you waited, and waited, and next thing you know you were -- well, it all gets a bit hazy. Then one day you found yourself more sober than you had been in a while and sitting in an abandoned house someplace on the outskirts of town. The kid who was watching you said his name was Ned O'Hara, said you'd been passed out in a gutter. Totally ridiculous, of course, but you had to humor him, since he was bringing you meals and all. And a few coins to drink with. Not enough to get really drunk like you wanted, but oh well. In your spare time you started showing him a few of your old moves, just to make the time go by. It's almost enough to make you think you could still get back into the game, if only your hands weren't so shaky. Fencing - Superb (+3) [5] Fighting in Unusual Conditions - Great (+2) [4] Drunkard - Great (+2) [4] Pirate - Great (+2) [4] Entertaining - Good (+1) [3] Being Sneaky - Good (+1) [3] Athletics - Fair (0) [2] Gifts: Knows Folks Everywhere Faults: Getting Old, Out of Shape, Drinking Problem, Lost His Nerve ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Elizabeth Hurst You know what's annoying? Philosophy. You know what's worse? Playing the d---'d harp. And you know what's worst of all? Dressing up for afternoon tea with the vicar's wife. Sometimes you think you are going to scream if you don't get out. Just because Daddy is out of town attending to his business all the time, that doesn't mean you need a governess! Honestly. At least this one is better than the last one. Mrs. Philips makes you study philosophy and posture and decorum and the harp just like the last one, but Mrs. Philips also knows Other Subjects. She knows the most amazing sea stories, and will even tell them if you give her a glass or two of Daddy's best brandy. Mrs. Philips can *throw knives*. Mrs. Philips, after some judicious persuasion about the knife-throwing thing, found somebody who would give you occasional fencing lessons. You have to sneak out in disguise to get there and it's in quite a low part of town! Your number-one goal in life is still to run away and become a Pirate Queen, but finding out Mrs. Philips' secret history is right up there too. Knife - Great (+2) [4] Being Sneaky - Great (+2) [4] Athletics - Great (+2) [4] Acting - Great (+2) [4] Local News - Good (+1) [3] Fencing - Good (+1) [3] Gentlewoman - Good (+1) [3] Riding - Good (+1) [3] Dancing - Fair (0) [2] Gifts: Lucky Faults: Headstrong, Adventurous, Hates to be Ladylike ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Edward 'Ned' O'Hara It's not easy making ends meet. Not when the damned nobs have all the money and you're left with only what you can swipe or scrounge. On the streets it's every man for himself -- well, more or less. It's true that a few years ago when your gang was going to roll a drunk they found in the alley, you were the one who told Tommy and the rest to back off, that he was an old guy and they should leave him alone. You got in a scrap, of course, but that's nothing unusual. You took the old guy to this place you'd found outside of town -- it's a place to get out of the rain, anyway, and nobody comes around except the caretaker. Anyway, turns out Old Joe used to be some kinda famous pirate -- or at least that's what he tells you. At least his stories are good. One thing you do know, he must have been some swordsman, because he's still pretty good now. And he's teaching you some stuff too, now that you have a sword. The nob's son you took it from couldn't hardly use it anyway. Fencing - Superb (+3) [5] Athletics - Great (+2) [4] Street Kid - Great (+2) [4] Messenger - Good (+1) [3] Singing - Good (+1) [3] Petty Criminal - Good (+1) [3] Carpenter - Fair (0) [2] Fighting in Unusual Conditions - Fair (0) [2] Being Sneaky - Fair (0) [2] Knife - Fair (0) [2] Gifts: Pet Monkey Faults: Overconfident, Hot-tempered, Soft-hearted, Can't Swim