You understand wealth, power and privilege you just never had any of it yourself. Those with noble titles, merchant empires, and large castles need people to take care of their day-to-day affairs, and you know that life well.
You lived or live your life in service to a family of middle or higher class. You are more familiar then most with ins, outs and back roads of the upper crust of society. Interacting with the rich and powerful has taught you much about their world and given you some keen and humble insights into human nature.
- Equipment: A set of common clothes, a gaming set (your choice), a token of your service (e.g. embroidered napkin, contract of service, stolen silverware), and a belt pouch containing 10 gp.
The serving duties of most households are in a hierarchy based on merit and years served.
| d10 | Profession |
|---|---|
| 1 | Butler |
| 2 | Housekeeper |
| 3 | Cook |
| 4 | Groundskeeper |
| 5 | Field Hand |
| 6 | Chauffer |
| 7 | Child Rearer |
| 8 | Bodyguard |
| 9 | Menial Laborer |
| 10 | Sex Worker |
Interacting with upper classes takes a certain amount of tact, understanding, and deft side-stepping. It also fuels a special kind of camaraderie with the serving class, no matter who they serve. If you interact with nobility, then you know how to give them shows of deference and respect that they expect from those of lower status. If you interact with the serving class, you can use your similar experience to ingratiate yourself to them and cause them to interact with you more favorably.
Suggested Characteristics
Life as a servant shapes you some find a good place in their service, some are broken by it, and some chafe against that time in their lives.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I’ve scraped shit from a wooden floor and eaten food that was unfit for my master’s table. I’m not afraid to stoop down a bit to get things done. |
| 2 | Service to something greater than myself allows me a place and purpose in the world. |
| 3 | I placed myself in service to a noble because I find the world of finery, status, and extravagance to be thrilling and I wanted to be closer to it. |
| 4 | I know that nobles are no different than the common folk, because I’ve changed noble diapers and seen great men die to common illness. |
| 5 | As a rule, I enjoy serving others and allowing my assistance to guide them in their pursuits. |
| 6 | I’d been in service to one family for most of my life, and now that I am free I will make the most of my new life. |
| 7 | No matter the company I keep or the situation I find myself in, I will hold myself to the laws of propriety. |
| 8 | When something needs to be done, hard work and diligence are better than doing a sloppy job. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Respect. Respect is due because all people, regardless of station, deserve to be treated with honor. (Good) |
| 2 | Dignity. More than anything else, I will not abide a stain on my character or a question about my moral standing. (Any) |
| 3 | Loyalty. I do not give my word, service, or friendship easily, but when I do it is for life. (Lawful) |
| 4 | Excellence. In all things, I take a certain pride in a job well done and mastery of one’s work. (Neutral) |
| 5 | Independence. I know that those I served are no better than those serving, and I seek to break down those barriers of thought and act. (Chaotic) |
| 6 | Power. By being a cunning counselor and firm servant, I can gain power through those that I serve – by any means necessary. (Evil) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | Nothing is more important than service to my master’s family. |
| 2 | I am the last remaining person that knows my master´s secret, and I must act upon it. |
| 3 | I am in love with a noble from a house that I served in, and I would do anything to keep their safety. |
| 4 | I will get revenge on the evil forces that destroyed my master’s family line. |
| 5 | No one in my family ever had their names inscribed in legend – it is up to me to start a tradition of greatness. |
| 6 | I have a responsibility to support and fight for the common folk, not the nobles. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | Because of my years of service to difficult masters, I behave as though I am inferior to others around me. |
| 2 | I hear veiled references to my inferior status in every word offered by nobles, and I am quick to anger towards them. |
| 3 | Unless it is really important to me, I tend to allow others to make my decisions for me. |
| 4 | I can’t help myself – sometimes I steal small, expensive items that I believe no one will miss. |
| 5 | I expect others to hold themselves to high standards of code and propriety, and look down on those that fall short of my expectations. |
| 6 | Most of the time, I want to only do the bare minimum to avoid the displeasure or ire of those more powerful than me. |
You spent your labor working at much the same job as any other servant, but you were not paid for your labor and your very body was owned by another. Most institutions of slavery allow for other debasements to be visited upon its slaves. If you are currently a slave, you have a master which the legal system dictates you must answer to. If you are free, you start with documents proving your freedom as your token of service. In any case, you start with only 2 gp.
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