*A naive stranger arrives from afar*

[Su Chan]

Hi, one of your regulars has been pestering me for some time now (a year or more, perhaps) to join you. I've fobbed him off, and avoided D&D online as I miss the entire kino/aural interaction that you get around the table.

To my mind computer games should be games, and roleplay should stay where it shines - in the game room. I've always thought in my very limited experience that online roleplaying combines the worst of both mediums. Perhaps I will be persuaded otherwise? *wink and a wry grin*

We are regular long-time tabletop players, with an emphasis on heavy roleplay, low reward, low magic, high-stakes gritty games. Sundren sounds perfect for such this play style. Sadly, our RL gaming has dwindled to just a few sessions a year due to other over-riding commitments.

I've read through the introductory wiki articles and forum posts and one thing isn't made clear. Backstory, profile creation, etc is encouraged, but it all appears to be public. Should I create a public profile and a private DM copy?

From the way I read it, it is up to the players to be mature about shared IC/OOC content, and I'm happy with that if that's the case, however I feel happier as a player not knowing information my character does not have access to - my behaviour is always IC then and I have no need to question myself "Is this OOC?"

I have a very basic story and writeup for my Sundren character, which I will post soon, to RP Central appears to be the right forum, although it seems as though perhaps I should wiki it also?

I do have a few items in the backstory I would refer not to reveal. Nothing earthshaking, but depending how they turn out, quite dramatic indeed for the character. I'd prefer IC reactions to them to remain as natural as possible. *smiles slowly, as if relishing a particularly poignant memory*

Technically, I'm pretty new to NWN and don't type very fast, or accurately, so please be patient if I appear to be doddering.

I look forwards to a rich RP experience with you all, and a lot of fun!

[Jhickey]

Welcome and enjoy. I hope to see you in game soon.

[FoogooFish]

Welcome to Sundren!

Post whatever you feel comfortable sharing in the public forums and Wiki. If you have details that you want only staff to know, then post your private biography in the Character Requests section.

I look forward to having you with us!

[ManUtd4Ever]

Welcome... and don't be surprised if you get hooked playing on Sundren. Cheers!

[Masaryk]

Welcome to Sundren! Hope to see you in game

[Shedboy]

welcome at long last.

see you on soon

[Su Chan]

Thanks for your warm greetings and words of advice. I am looking forwards to seeing you all in Sundren.

Profile will be up momentarily.

[Su Chan]

Hmm... didn't find and appropriate forum for an external-viewpoint OOC character profile. I will look into a more subjective post to /Roleplaying, will have to think about it.

Meanwhile I will leave the profile here. While roleplaying will bring out the details, consider this an initial snapshot to fix her in your mind.

Susaan Rosebough; her name is pronounced "Su-zahn Rohs-bow" (not "Sooz-aan Rozzi-boag" or the like) and it is a commoner's name of no real distinction, the kind you might expect from any average villager. Particular long-term friends or siblings may be invited to call her by her childhood nickname'Suro'

Appearance
Susaan is a woman approaching middle age, and homely, rather than beautiful in appearance. She has a square face dominated by a strong nose, her pale blue eyes are a little small and set a little too close together for true beauty. This is offset by her lovely mouth, generous and full lipped. When she smiles or laughs, this makes her look very different to her habitual tight-lipped, constrained demeanour. Of average height, she has a graceful neck, but is stolidly built for her height, her short legs could not be called elegant - "workmanlike" is the most polite adjective that could be used. Wide-shouldered, with well-muscled arms (for a woman) she looks like someone who has seen a lot of manual work.

She does not wear make-up or other artifice. Her pale white skin is covered with freckles, especially around her cheeks and shoulders. Her cheeks are ruddy in the cold wind that rushes from the coast land to the mountains of the Spine.

She has a vigorous head of russet-red hair in need of brushing, which she unsuccessfully keeps tied back with a leather thong - unruly bangs continually escape and spring out, giving her a slightly mis-barbered look. The ends of the thong are weighted with some kind of small green stones, and from time to time when she turns her head they make a small clacking noise as they are tossed back and forth.

She wears a ivory-coloured plain linen dress and a dark grey woollen hand-made shawl, both worn, travel stained, and completely unsuitable for travel in this region. In inclement weather she wears a thin leather poncho of the style that covers her torso, but little else.

Her left wrist and hand is wrapped in a cat's cradle of red string, with a small dark engraved bead or stone centred in the palm. On her right hand ring finger she wears a brass ring that is obviously far too large for her - it keeps slipping down and then she reflexively pushes it back up again. Belieing her otherwise workmanlike appearance, her fingers are soft and uncalloused by hilt or haft.

She carries an unusual wooden staff covered in some kind of bas-relief or carvings of a foreign make. It is ornamental, rather than warlike in appearance, and she leans on it often, as though to help bear her weight. The foot appears to be a gnarled root ball, it it not metal-shod. From a natural knot-hole in the head is tied an arrangement of shells, bones and feathers woven together.

Over her shoulder she caries a woven lidded basket, of the simple variety used to carry fruits and vegetables or other simple wares to market. Her waist is cinched with a simple rope belt and from this depends an ordinary leather pouch and the sheath for a small wide-bladed knife.

Asides from her staff, which looks too fragile for combat, she carries no obvious weapons.

Oddly, her shoes are not traveller's gear, being simple canvas slip-ons with a thin leather sole more suitable to the garden or walking to the markets than travelling the wilderness. They are extremely hard-worn and falling apart at the seams. These are the kind of shoes that if discarded by the side of the road, penniless vagrants wouldn't bother to collect.


Speech
Susaan's inflection has a noticable (though not obtrusive) provincial burr, along with her 'down country' mannerisms it is obvious she is of the country, not the city. While she may appear simple to the casual observer, experience shows that she is not simple herself - her conversation is full of 'active listening' and she is an excellent counseller. While she may not take an active or controlling role in the conversation, people soon find themselves persuaded by her charming nature and entrusting her with their confidences and minor secrets.

Otherwise, she has a good voice, filled with animation and (when joyful) a playful lilt. When she is unhappy or overwhelmed with responsibility, it has a more sullen, brittle, monotonal quality.

Habits
She has a very direct, man-like stride that is all business and intended to get her from A to B as quickly as possible, as befits her occupation. None of this shilly-shallying and swaying hips about like a young girl making eyes at every cute young man in sight for her.

In conversation, her body language is open and inclusive, engaging those about her and increasing the empathy they feel from her. Subtle cues indicate her involvement with her peers, and it's importance to her, even if the subject appears trivial.
Not given to large, expressive movement, Susaan contents herself with simple hand and finger gestures that subtly convey her point or mood. Given that generally this can only be seen by the person(s) she is speaking to, this also has the side effect of increasing the intimacy of the communication, her listeners feel as though she is speaking to them personally and directly.

When worried, her eyes become larger as she conceantrates on the issue at hand, her body language becomes much more suppressed and introspective. Conversely, her voice is unaffected, being calm and measured.

When scared, she tends to hunch over a little and clasp her hands together, or firnmly grasp something solid as if to ground herself. She will not back down or cringe though, unless terrified.

When angry, she spreads her feet, and rises up on her toes to make herself a little taller, she also balls her fists and raises her chin defiantly, almost as though about to engage in fisticuffs. Her voice becomes more coldy formal and drops the country twang as she starts to over-enunciate and speak precisely and 'properly', but with measured force.

[supersuperlative]

Welcome! Hope to see you in game soon.