You are a result of extremely rare occurence, when a Daedra elopes with a Mortal. Like none other, you have a strong bond with the demonic denizens of Oblivion (+10 to conjuration and enchanting), and when returned to Nirn, your otherworldly parent have left you an heirloom worthy of a daedric demiprince (a random daedric piece of armor or weapon). However, being half-daedra has it's drawbacks. You are extremely susceptible to magic (100% weakness to Magic, Fire, Lightning and Frost, -10 to Willpower), and you have a lot of trouble trying to connect and sympathise with other people, since their earthly concerns are quite alien to someone who mingled with the gods of Oblivion (-5 to personality).
Madman
At one point in your life, you were touched by Sheogorath. Since then, you have been barely holding on to your sanity. You have psychotic episodes, and sudden moodswings (temporary buffs and debuffs to random attributes, applied at random), hallucinations (a random creature spawns for a few seconds and despawns), and you hear voices in your head. However, sometimes these voices give you uncanny insight to how the world works (+10 to mysticism), and help you find some nice shinies (pernament detect keys and enchantment). The Madgod also took a special liking to you. Or he just wants to take your intestines and make balloon animals out of them. Either way he allows you to summon one of his Aurean servants once per day. Other people however see you as a nuisance, if not outright a threat (pernament 0 personality, NPCs refuse services, and may even attack).
Geriatric:
To put it bluntly, you are OLD. Very old. With your advanced age come some huge disadvantages. You're no longer as strong and spry as you were in youth (-10 to strength, agility and speed), your sight is not what it used to be (pernament 20 points of Blind), and you tend to forget some things you have learned throughout your long life (temporary -20 to a random skill, applied at random). However, with age comes experience. Wether you are a hardened veteran, a wisened old sage, or a sneaky silver fox, you became a true master of your craft (+30 to chosen specialization skills). Perhaps someday you could finally retire the adventurer's life, and impart your wisdom onto the next generation.
Runaway Slave:
Morrowind is running on enslaved labor. You were one of those unfortunate indentured people, made into a propriety of some Dunmer plantation owner, deprived of your humanity, and forced to do backbreaking work. However, you somehow managed to escape. You still have a manacle on your wrist, a grim remainder of your enslavement (you have a slave bracer that can't be unequiped, untill you join the Thieves Guild or Twin Lamps, OR, your security skill is over 60). The hard labor made you strong and hardy (+10 to Strength and Endurance), but the beatings and the repetitive menial tasks you were ordered to do broke your resolve and dumbed you down (-10 to Intelligence and Willpower). Now, you are hiding, keeping away from larger cities and plantations in fear of slavers and bounty hunters (new NPC types that spawn in the aformentioned locations and attack you on sight untill you get rid of the slave bracer). Maybe you could find some help amongst other slaves in return of breaking them free as well?
I've got another collection of backgrounds with a Daedric theme partially finished, so I might use some of your ideas there if you don't mind! A background indicating that you're an elderly person is something I considered actually, but ultimately rejected because I had named the mod "wretched and weird" and thought it was a little unfair to characterize getting old as one of those things. Merlord's original mod already has an escaped slave background with similar slave-hunter mechanics, so I probably won't do one like that.
I don't mind at all! on the contrary, I would be honored! Other than that, here are some other ideas:
Gray Fox:
You start as a master thief (+50 to Sneak, Security, Acrobatics, Mercantile, Marksman, illusion and Shortblade skills), that through some uncertain and bizzare circumstances, became the latest owner of Nocturnal's infamous cowl (you start with unenchanted Gray Cowl of Nocturnal). Whenever you show up wearing the cowl, the merchants and some trainers refuse to talk to you, and the city guards are after your blood (you start with 10000 bounty). When you take it off, you're only known as the Stranger (Your name is automatically changed to Stranger), literal nobody, instantly forgetable, an unperson, your self erased from everyone's memory (-20 to personality, your faction reknown, reputation and bounty are reset to 0 everytime you remove the cowl). The only people who you can speak with are beggars (optional intergation with MCA) and members of Thieves Guild, as long as you say the password "Shadows Hide You". They may help you on a quest to remove the curse and restore your identity, or you could try to restore the Cowl's full potential (it gets replaced with an enchanted version, that gives +50 to agility, Sneak, Illusion and Speechcraft).
Idiot Savant:
You're not the sharpest tool in the shed, in fact you're really, really stupid (Intelligence pernamently reduced to 0). However, despite your lack of any intelectual aspirations, you have a knack for learning new things (All Skills increase twice as fast). After all, a completely empty head, with no prejudice, or experience is just waiting to be filled with knowledge. Plus, your unique worldview and almost adorable, child like naivety makes you a real charmer (+25 to Personality). However those of academic upbringing don't seem to appreciate your disregard of logic and common sense, and see you as nothing more than a silly bumpkin (NPCs with magic specialization class have a -25 to relation with you, also, you can't join Mages Guild).
You just know someone's eventually going to try a challenge with the Wretch background...probably Just Background Noise, since he's the only one who does Morrowind challenges as far as I know.
8 comments
Demiprince:
You are a result of extremely rare occurence, when a Daedra elopes with a Mortal. Like none other, you have a strong bond with the demonic denizens of Oblivion (+10 to conjuration and enchanting), and when returned to Nirn, your otherworldly parent have left you an heirloom worthy of a daedric demiprince (a random daedric piece of armor or weapon). However, being half-daedra has it's drawbacks. You are extremely susceptible to magic (100% weakness to Magic, Fire, Lightning and Frost, -10 to Willpower), and you have a lot of trouble trying to connect and sympathise with other people, since their earthly concerns are quite alien to someone who mingled with the gods of Oblivion (-5 to personality).
Madman
At one point in your life, you were touched by Sheogorath. Since then, you have been barely holding on to your sanity. You have psychotic episodes, and sudden moodswings (temporary buffs and debuffs to random attributes, applied at random), hallucinations (a random creature spawns for a few seconds and despawns), and you hear voices in your head. However, sometimes these voices give you uncanny insight to how the world works (+10 to mysticism), and help you find some nice shinies (pernament detect keys and enchantment). The Madgod also took a special liking to you. Or he just wants to take your intestines and make balloon animals out of them. Either way he allows you to summon one of his Aurean servants once per day. Other people however see you as a nuisance, if not outright a threat (pernament 0 personality, NPCs refuse services, and may even attack).
Geriatric:
To put it bluntly, you are OLD. Very old. With your advanced age come some huge disadvantages. You're no longer as strong and spry as you were in youth (-10 to strength, agility and speed), your sight is not what it used to be (pernament 20 points of Blind), and you tend to forget some things you have learned throughout your long life (temporary -20 to a random skill, applied at random). However, with age comes experience. Wether you are a hardened veteran, a wisened old sage, or a sneaky silver fox, you became a true master of your craft (+30 to chosen specialization skills). Perhaps someday you could finally retire the adventurer's life, and impart your wisdom onto the next generation.
Runaway Slave:
Morrowind is running on enslaved labor. You were one of those unfortunate indentured people, made into a propriety of some Dunmer plantation owner, deprived of your humanity, and forced to do backbreaking work. However, you somehow managed to escape. You still have a manacle on your wrist, a grim remainder of your enslavement (you have a slave bracer that can't be unequiped, untill you join the Thieves Guild or Twin Lamps, OR, your security skill is over 60). The hard labor made you strong and hardy (+10 to Strength and Endurance), but the beatings and the repetitive menial tasks you were ordered to do broke your resolve and dumbed you down (-10 to Intelligence and Willpower). Now, you are hiding, keeping away from larger cities and plantations in fear of slavers and bounty hunters (new NPC types that spawn in the aformentioned locations and attack you on sight untill you get rid of the slave bracer). Maybe you could find some help amongst other slaves in return of breaking them free as well?
Gray Fox:
You start as a master thief (+50 to Sneak, Security, Acrobatics, Mercantile, Marksman, illusion and Shortblade skills), that through some uncertain and bizzare circumstances, became the latest owner of Nocturnal's infamous cowl (you start with unenchanted Gray Cowl of Nocturnal). Whenever you show up wearing the cowl, the merchants and some trainers refuse to talk to you, and the city guards are after your blood (you start with 10000 bounty). When you take it off, you're only known as the Stranger (Your name is automatically changed to Stranger), literal nobody, instantly forgetable, an unperson, your self erased from everyone's memory (-20 to personality, your faction reknown, reputation and bounty are reset to 0 everytime you remove the cowl). The only people who you can speak with are beggars (optional intergation with MCA) and members of Thieves Guild, as long as you say the password "Shadows Hide You". They may help you on a quest to remove the curse and restore your identity, or you could try to restore the Cowl's full potential (it gets replaced with an enchanted version, that gives +50 to agility, Sneak, Illusion and Speechcraft).
Idiot Savant:
You're not the sharpest tool in the shed, in fact you're really, really stupid (Intelligence pernamently reduced to 0). However, despite your lack of any intelectual aspirations, you have a knack for learning new things (All Skills increase twice as fast). After all, a completely empty head, with no prejudice, or experience is just waiting to be filled with knowledge. Plus, your unique worldview and almost adorable, child like naivety makes you a real charmer (+25 to Personality). However those of academic upbringing don't seem to appreciate your disregard of logic and common sense, and see you as nothing more than a silly bumpkin (NPCs with magic specialization class have a -25 to relation with you, also, you can't join Mages Guild).