“I knew the system was broken because I had once benefited from it. I spoke of peace, but what I stirred was fire"
You once agitated for reform. You were sensitive to the injustices meted out by those who called you peer and you were inflamed to rectify them, caution be damned. Filled with heady visions of the march of history, with you at its forefront, you stirred the populace to passion and then to fury. Building burned and institutions tumbled. Reaction, when it came, was harsh and final. The blow fell heavily on the common folk and many died or rotted in prison. Your own status shielded you, though it consumed your standing with your peers. Now, some time later, your cause has been trampled, your role forgotten, and even your connection to it has been lost to nearly all ... but the ramifications echo on.
You once moved crowds with words alone, stirring hearts with a promise of justice. In any civilized settlement, you can find those who remember your speeches, writings, or actions—even if their feelings are mixed. Common folk may offer hospitality, information, or warnings of danger, while those in power may regard you with suspicion, nostalgia, or grudging respect.
You can secure an audience with a local authority (noble, guildmaster, preacher, etc.) if you present yourself as the person you once were—though doing so may stir up memories or consequences you’d rather leave buried.
Suggested Characteristics
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I speak in measured tones, always watching the ripples my words may cause. |
| 2 | I still instinctively analyze power structures in any room I enter. |
| 3 | I seek solitude, but I’m often drawn to the fire of causes I can no longer lead. |
| 4 | I’m fascinated by dialectics and debate—but I rarely raise my voice anymore. |
| 5 | I write down thoughts I dare not speak aloud. |
| 6 | I make myself small in crowds. I’ve seen what large presences can do. |
| 7 | I strive for honesty, especially when it would once have served me to lie. |
| 8 | I sometimes quote my own old writings without realizing it. |
| d5 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Responsibility. I owe it to those I misled to do no more harm. (Lawful) |
| 2 | Redemption. I may not be able to undo the past, but I can walk more gently now. (Good) |
| 3 | Balance. Justice is not vengeance, and peace is not silence. (Neutral) |
| 4 | Humility. The world moves without me. That is how it should be. (Any) |
| 5 | Truth. I was once a liar who called himself a truth-teller. Never again. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I keep a letter from someone whose life I ruined—unsigned, but true. |
| 2 | A mentor once told me to seek the quiet within. I still search for it. |
| 3 | I walk the long road not to run from my past, but to outlast it. |
| 4 | There is one I love who still believes I was right. I dread the day we meet again. |
| 5 | My family believes I died in the riots I helped start. I let them. |
| 6 | I cannot forget the first time I heard someone chant my words in hatred. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | A part of me still longs to stand on the dais and command attention. |
| 2 | I secretly believe I could fix things—if I broke my vows just once. |
| 3 | I sometimes sabotage good movements, fearing they will follow my old path. |
| 4 | I’m terrified I was never right to begin with. |
| 5 | I crave atonement but fear I don’t deserve it. |
| 6 | I talk of peace, but I’ve never truly forgiven myself. |
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