Low Estate/Characters/Aernoud
Skills
- Great: Nature, Stealth
- Good: Reflexes, Riding
- Fair: Fingersmithy, Weapons (staves and blunt weapons)
- Average: Brawn, Athletics
Aspects
Primary aspects
Strange Pet: Aernoud has had some small pet creature on his person for most of his life - in a pocket, under his coat, or flying along behind him. He has a knack for finding and befriending unusual creatures, and in the past has trained pets to do specific tasks for him. Lately, though, he's kept his newest pet out of sight whenever possible, and no one's quite recognized what it is when they do get a glimpse. Some kind of bird? It's got wings, anyway.
Unlocked techniques:
- Blink bird: His pet can teleport past closed doors, locks, etc to fetch small items.
- Tracker: Aernoud's pet has been taught to track other creatures or people, following them from the air and flying back and forth from the target to Aernoud.
Possible techniques:
- Winged serpent: The pet can attack on command with a paralyzing bite, and generally slither about.
- Taming: Given a bit of time, Aernoud can tame a normally wild animal. He can also temporarily pacify one if things are more urgent.
- Guard dog: Aernoud's pet has keen, superhuman senses and will make a distinctive warning sound if something physically threatening is near.
Forest Wanderer: Aernoud has grown up finding solace in nature. He is much more comfortable with trees, rocks, and animals than he is with his peers. He has spent a lifetime roaming the woods around and in the city, as well as avoiding people who wanted to take him back inside.
Unlocked techniques:
- Hunter: unlocks advanced successes for Stealth rolls when trying to track or follow someone without being detected.
Possible techniques:
- Folk knowledge: While Aernoud may not know the Latin name for a local plant or animal species, he almost certainly knows the common name and any folk remedies, knowledge, or uses for them.
- "Where'd that horse go?" : When outdoors, Aernoud is able to use his stealth skill to hide other companions from sight. (This has come mostly from his dealing with animals, but once you know how to hide a horse from view, hiding a few people is easy.)
- Nature's balance : Aernoud has learned to defend himself in the wild with whatever means are available, as he did not grow up learning to use a blade. He can use poorly balanced weapons such as sticks, stumps, and other odd-shaped blunt things just as effectively as a properly crafted staff.
Secondary aspects
Animal Liberation Front: Aernoud doesn't usually set out to steal things, but when he sees an animal being treated poorly, it tends to end up in his possession (or released to safety if possible). As such he's gotten particularly good at finding the right moment to liberate horses, dogs, etc from uncaring masters.
Barn chores: Having grown up working on a farm, Aernoud gained a lot of experience on small repairs, knotwork used for securing animals, and other similar tasks.
Background
Aernoud van Nevel grew up outside the city, working with his father on their rented farmland and exploring the nearby woods and fields. However, when he was eight his parents both died in a fire that consumed their farmyard home - Aernoud only survived because he had snuck out late to wander the forest for the evening. With no other known living relatives, he's been raised at Sister Marianne's ever since.
Aernoud is still restless inside city walls, and keeps his spirits up only by regularly sneaking off to explore nearby woods, fields, or finding animals within the city to take care of. In his younger years, he caused the sisters no small amount of worry, as he'd disappear from under their watchful eye for days, and then weeks. He continued to return, though, as the sisters' care reminded him of his beloved parents. Now that he has reached the age of seventeen, the sisters learned to worry less as Aernoud goes on his wanderings, though they still chide him for it.
