Maenad

You have spent many years as part of a Dionysian troupe, called a thiasos. You have indulged in the dizzying, wine-fueled divine mania of the god of wine, performing sacred orgiastic rites and dances while in divine ecstacy, and bizarre, violent hunts driven by the wild frenzy often inspired by the god. You have intimate knowledge of the magical power locked in pure wine. You have led unsuspecting folk into wild revels of Dionysos and ensured their safe passage from civilization to wild abandon and then back again. You are something between a fanatic and a lay priest of Dionysos.

You are not always susceptible to Dionysos frenzy, as maintaining the perfect balance between mania and rationality is where Maenads glimpse and approach the divine. Why did you leave the troupe? Did you choose to bring Dionysos revels to the people? Was there a sudden calling from the god of wine to serve a different purpose? Perhaps you felt the nomadic and frenzied lifestyle taking a toll on your physical health and decided to allow yourself respite from the revels through travelling.

Skill Proficiencies: Survival, Religion

Equipment: A thyrsus of Dionysus (a walking staff decorated with vine leaves and topped with a pinecone that you use in your frenzied dances and ceremonies), a theatrical mask, an amphora full of common wine, a set of common clothes, brewer's supplies, a leopard's pelp and a pouch containing 10 gp.

Suggested Characteristics

The lifestyle of the maenad is not one for the faint of heart. The physical and psychological demands on the mortal body can be intense, shaping your personality from the onset. The ideologies of Dionysos and the individual troupe can affect mannerisms and beliefs. Their flaws may be a mild addiction to the wild abandon of the divine mania, or a growing aversion to the rites of the god.

d7	Personality Trait
1	I enjoy knocking people off their high horses and pedestals.
2	There's no need to fret or become sullen! Dionysos' blessings will ensure success.
3	My moods shift like the wind -- or depending on how much wine's in my cup.
4	I dance with wild abandon even when in gravest danger.
5	Laughter is its own spell and I am a master of this magic.
6	My wrath is unwavering and cruel; my enemies will fear my divine frenzy!
7	No matter how drunk I get, I stil seem to keep my wits about me -- mostly.

d6	Ideal
1	Enlightenment. The truth of the world is an unending series of silken veils which I must pull back. (Any)
2	His Bidding. I believe my actions are directed by Dionysus, so they are infallible and right. (Lawful)
3	Madness. Erratic behavior and esoteric pronouncements destabilize the convictions of others, allowing their minds to be free. (Chaotic)
4	Euphoria. The state of mind provided by Dionysos' blessed wine is all I need to see the truth. (Any)
5	Frenzy. I live for the moment where the wine strips away reason and leaves but ecstatic fury and power in its place. (Chaotic)
6	Hedonism. I'm only here for the drinks, the dancing, the food, the partying and all the partners I can bed!

d6	Bond
1	I have friends in many troupes -- every thiasos I run into has familiar faces.
2	Someday I'm going to prove to all those prudes who call us heretics how wrong they were.
3	My life was at a dead end before I joined the troupe. In a way, they saved my life.
4	I'm more in touch with the farmers and workers in the fields and wilderness than the city folk.
5	I can vaguely recall meeting someone special at a revel but drink has clouded my memory badly. I long to meet them again.
6	I lost favor with the troupes due to my behavior and was sent away. I'm desperate to return to the fold.

d6	Flaw
1	My belief in Dionysos, and his signs and portents sometimes leads me astray.
2	Even when stone cold sober, my behavior is erratic and off-putting to others.
3	I am haunted by nightmares of things I've done in mania and sometimes I cannot sleep.
4	Having been rejected as an eccentric and an outsider, I am slow to trust and warm up to others.
5	I am suspicious of strangers and expect the worst of them.
6	I'm an embarrassing lightweight -- one stiff drink and I'm close to useless.