I wrote a backstory for Bella in the 1st person and would love to get feedback/thoughts.
You can view her full character sheet here >>> LINK
Her backstory is under this spoiler button here:
My name is Bella… Bella Cherrycheeks… and I am on a quest to find my happy!
People used to say that I was the life and soul of a party. Yeah I remember the days of making orcs snot everywhere by telling them the crudest of jokes, testing the wrestling skills of a drunken dwarf (savage, she was… who knew a beard could be made in to a weapon!) and also making a Tiefling cry by showing them so much love!
But that’s when I had it. Now I don’t.
Those ogres… they stole my happy! I still remember the moment as clear as day!
The flower festival was in full swing and I had burned all of my energy dancing, pranking and teasing my fellow halflings. To recuperate I grabbed myself a little snooze in the shade under an oak tree a little on the outskirts of my village. With bundles of wool in my little ears I drifted off…
All of a sudden, I was woken up by acorns… in their dozens, landing on my face. Them pesky kiddies. At first I thought it was little Elsie Mooncloud or her friend Archie Firesway as I had played a fair few pranks on them that day. I remember taking my blindfold off with my tickle fingers at the ready: “Alright folks, own up. Who’s getting a tickle! Who threw the… the…”
Then I seen it.
My voice had become a shaky whisper as everything in my sleepy eyes started coming in to focus. A plume of smoke had engulfed my village… so I ran as fast as I could. I remember seeing petals of all colours, carried by the wind, falling from the sky. But then… then I could see bodies in their dozens scattered across the ground. It was horrible. Little puddles of blood everywhere!
I struggled to take it all in until a familiar voice came from a shop window as I got near it.
“Get away from here!” It was my mother’s voice! She was alive and I was so happy. I knew I had to get her to safety.
I called out, “Mommy”. But then the floor began to pulse.
“Run honey! The ogres have atta-” It was then a huge hand reached through the shop window and… and it… *gulps*… squeezed the little life out of my mother with a ‘pop’ that was gut wrenching and a sound I’ll never forget. Those colourful petals falling from the sky? They started to fall as red inky splodges around me. I remember falling to my knees and wailing in absolute dismay as I could only watch.
The traumatic moment didn’t stop there. That hand of which reached in and grabbed my mother… it was the hand of and ogre. This one was merciless and continued to… *weeps and sniffs*… suck out the blood and bones from my mother’s little body. The ogre even had the audacity to keep eyecontact with me and smile whilst doing so.
I was livid. I was fuming. But there was nothing I could do. So I ran.
I ran as far away from the village I once knew and loved. I didn’t care about what direction I was heading, I just knew that I didn’t stand a chance against those ogres. But then they turned their attention to me and started to chase me. I’m not being funny but my little legs against their big stampy stomps… they were catching up! To make it worse it had even started to rain.
I knew death was close. But then, as the ogres started to get only 15-20 skips away from me, the rain started to slow its descent until the rain drops virtually hovered in place. Time had come to a standstill.
This was the moment I heard a voice come from each and every direction: “Why are you running, little one?”
That’s all it said. Then this featureless… humanoid looking… kind of form kept shimmering in and out of existence in front of me. I glanced behind me and even the ogres were moving so slowly. It would take them 30-40 seconds to travel as far as my hand! Then the voice spoke again: “Are you going to let them get away with what they just did to your village? Your mother?” I was so shocked I couldn’t form a reply. “What if I told you that you didn’t need to run? Face your fears little one.” I remember thinking how it would be even possible when the voice spoke again. “Listen. I will tell you all in time.”
I was still angry, upset, hurt and a ball of furious tears. I remember breaking down in front of this figure.
“They stole my ‘happy’ today! How am I gonna be happy again? How am I going to feel anything but this pain, this hurt, this heartache? I want my happy back. I just want my happy back. I want my... raaarrgghhh!!!! I just want my GOD DAMN HAPPY BACK!!!!!”
The figure rested a finger against my mouth. “Let’s get your happy back, hmm?”
I remember my body turning around to face the oncoming ogres as time resumed. I was about to close my eyes as they were within touching distance when that humanoid figure placed a hand on my shoulder.
It was a sensation that can’t be put in to words. My body tingled with a… a power… so freakin’ raw and… just on a scale so astronomical that it left me speechless. Then something really weird happened. I wasn’t injured, none of my clothes were torn but I swear that huge tendrils pierced their way out of my chest and through my clothes, painlessly, towards those ogres! The tendrils grew and wrapped themselves around their bodies and squeezed them tight. All of this was coming out of my little body!
The ogres started to beg for mercy. Their faces. Oh I was angry, but I wouldn’t wish to stoop to their level. I tried to turn around and pull those tendrils in when my body suddenly just become some kind of vessel. This deep booming voice came from within; the words booming so loud that they were vibrating the leaves off the surrounding trees.
“Mercy? Tell me, did you have mercy for the soul of this young halfling’s mother as you devoured her? Did you not destroy everything that matters to this child of light? You killed the joy and you extinguished the spark and glow of this beautiful innocent soul!”
I’m not gonna lie, I may have let out a little smile cause there they were scared of a little girlie halfling! The voice from within started speaking again. “You will pay… with your lives… to bring back… her joy!”
With one... just one squeeze... those ogres were squished to a pulp of bones, blood and dusty dollops of flesh. It was horrible. But for the briefest of a single moment… I was happy!
Then it faded again.
The figure stood in front of me and told me it knew I was happy watching those evil ogres be obliterated. It then said one more thing to me…
“My little halfling, I go by many names. The most common one seems to be “The Great Old One”… and I… I would like to bestow a gift unto you. A little of my power to help you find your happy… However, for this, I will ask a favour of you in time. But would you care to accept my blessing?”
I nodded and offered out my hand… but the figure just shimmered out of existence with nothing but a mere smile. I had to laugh. Then I started to feel this odd soft, warm feeling in my hands. It was weird. I looked at my hands and I swear I could see a faint glow. I instinctively pointed towards a tree… when this beam of sparkly-crackly energy just carved out a chunk of the trunk!
I knew that I must learn more about this power! Thus I made a promise that day to myself…
You see I know that death comes for everyone, but I promised myself that with this new power inside me, I will stop at nothing when it comes to helping those dealing with others who bring unhappiness and sadness to others... and I will be merciless.
I will only stop when I get my god damn happy back!
Nice, thx for sharing. Just one thing: "The Great old One" applies to a group/multiple (of) entities, so i don't know if one of them would introduce themselves like that. (Cthulhu could be "The Great Dreamer" or "The Sleeper of R'lyeh", if he refrains from using his name, for example.) If you don't mind that, no need to fix it. ;)
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I wrote a backstory for Bella in the 1st person and would love to get feedback/thoughts.
You can view her full character sheet here >>> LINK
Her backstory is under this spoiler button here:
My name is Bella… Bella Cherrycheeks… and I am on a quest to find my happy!
People used to say that I was the life and soul of a party. Yeah I remember the days of making orcs snot everywhere by telling them the crudest of jokes, testing the wrestling skills of a drunken dwarf (savage, she was… who knew a beard could be made in to a weapon!) and also making a Tiefling cry by showing them so much love!
But that’s when I had it. Now I don’t.
Those ogres… they stole my happy! I still remember the moment as clear as day!
The flower festival was in full swing and I had burned all of my energy dancing, pranking and teasing my fellow halflings. To recuperate I grabbed myself a little snooze in the shade under an oak tree a little on the outskirts of my village. With bundles of wool in my little ears I drifted off…
All of a sudden, I was woken up by acorns… in their dozens, landing on my face. Them pesky kiddies. At first I thought it was little Elsie Mooncloud or her friend Archie Firesway as I had played a fair few pranks on them that day. I remember taking my blindfold off with my tickle fingers at the ready: “Alright folks, own up. Who’s getting a tickle! Who threw the… the…”
Then I seen it.
My voice had become a shaky whisper as everything in my sleepy eyes started coming in to focus. A plume of smoke had engulfed my village… so I ran as fast as I could. I remember seeing petals of all colours, carried by the wind, falling from the sky. But then… then I could see bodies in their dozens scattered across the ground. It was horrible. Little puddles of blood everywhere!
I struggled to take it all in until a familiar voice came from a shop window as I got near it.
“Get away from here!” It was my mother’s voice! She was alive and I was so happy. I knew I had to get her to safety.
I called out, “Mommy”. But then the floor began to pulse.
“Run honey! The ogres have atta-” It was then a huge hand reached through the shop window and… and it… *gulps*… squeezed the little life out of my mother with a ‘pop’ that was gut wrenching and a sound I’ll never forget. Those colourful petals falling from the sky? They started to fall as red inky splodges around me. I remember falling to my knees and wailing in absolute dismay as I could only watch.
The traumatic moment didn’t stop there. That hand of which reached in and grabbed my mother… it was the hand of and ogre. This one was merciless and continued to… *weeps and sniffs*… suck out the blood and bones from my mother’s little body. The ogre even had the audacity to keep eyecontact with me and smile whilst doing so.
I was livid. I was fuming. But there was nothing I could do. So I ran.
I ran as far away from the village I once knew and loved. I didn’t care about what direction I was heading, I just knew that I didn’t stand a chance against those ogres. But then they turned their attention to me and started to chase me. I’m not being funny but my little legs against their big stampy stomps… they were catching up! To make it worse it had even started to rain.
I knew death was close. But then, as the ogres started to get only 15-20 skips away from me, the rain started to slow its descent until the rain drops virtually hovered in place. Time had come to a standstill.
This was the moment I heard a voice come from each and every direction: “Why are you running, little one?”
That’s all it said. Then this featureless… humanoid looking… kind of form kept shimmering in and out of existence in front of me. I glanced behind me and even the ogres were moving so slowly. It would take them 30-40 seconds to travel as far as my hand! Then the voice spoke again: “Are you going to let them get away with what they just did to your village? Your mother?” I was so shocked I couldn’t form a reply. “What if I told you that you didn’t need to run? Face your fears little one.” I remember thinking how it would be even possible when the voice spoke again. “Listen. I will tell you all in time.”
I was still angry, upset, hurt and a ball of furious tears. I remember breaking down in front of this figure.
“They stole my ‘happy’ today! How am I gonna be happy again? How am I going to feel anything but this pain, this hurt, this heartache? I want my happy back. I just want my happy back. I want my... raaarrgghhh!!!! I just want my GOD DAMN HAPPY BACK!!!!!”
The figure rested a finger against my mouth. “Let’s get your happy back, hmm?”
I remember my body turning around to face the oncoming ogres as time resumed. I was about to close my eyes as they were within touching distance when that humanoid figure placed a hand on my shoulder.
It was a sensation that can’t be put in to words. My body tingled with a… a power… so freakin’ raw and… just on a scale so astronomical that it left me speechless. Then something really weird happened. I wasn’t injured, none of my clothes were torn but I swear that huge tendrils pierced their way out of my chest and through my clothes, painlessly, towards those ogres! The tendrils grew and wrapped themselves around their bodies and squeezed them tight. All of this was coming out of my little body!
The ogres started to beg for mercy. Their faces. Oh I was angry, but I wouldn’t wish to stoop to their level. I tried to turn around and pull those tendrils in when my body suddenly just become some kind of vessel. This deep booming voice came from within; the words booming so loud that they were vibrating the leaves off the surrounding trees.
“Mercy? Tell me, did you have mercy for the soul of this young halfling’s mother as you devoured her? Did you not destroy everything that matters to this child of light? You killed the joy and you extinguished the spark and glow of this beautiful innocent soul!”
I’m not gonna lie, I may have let out a little smile cause there they were scared of a little girlie halfling! The voice from within started speaking again. “You will pay… with your lives… to bring back… her joy!”
With one... just one squeeze... those ogres were squished to a pulp of bones, blood and dusty dollops of flesh. It was horrible. But for the briefest of a single moment… I was happy!
Then it faded again.
The figure stood in front of me and told me it knew I was happy watching those evil ogres be obliterated. It then said one more thing to me…
“My little halfling, I go by many names. The most common one seems to be “The Great Old One”… and I… I would like to bestow a gift unto you. A little of my power to help you find your happy… However, for this, I will ask a favour of you in time. But would you care to accept my blessing?”
I nodded and offered out my hand… but the figure just shimmered out of existence with nothing but a mere smile. I had to laugh. Then I started to feel this odd soft, warm feeling in my hands. It was weird. I looked at my hands and I swear I could see a faint glow. I instinctively pointed towards a tree… when this beam of sparkly-crackly energy just carved out a chunk of the trunk!
I knew that I must learn more about this power! Thus I made a promise that day to myself…
You see I know that death comes for everyone, but I promised myself that with this new power inside me, I will stop at nothing when it comes to helping those dealing with others who bring unhappiness and sadness to others... and I will be merciless.
I will only stop when I get my god damn happy back!
- Jay -
Nice, thx for sharing. Just one thing: "The Great old One" applies to a group/multiple (of) entities, so i don't know if one of them would introduce themselves like that. (Cthulhu could be "The Great Dreamer" or "The Sleeper of R'lyeh", if he refrains from using his name, for example.) If you don't mind that, no need to fix it. ;)