I thought it would be cool to see what kind of character background stories people came up with using the Origin Path system and character creation in general. Here's the one for my Explorator guy, enjoy.

Demus Diometica was born on a forge world, amid large and harsh machinery and the merciless schedule of his masters. Born and raised with a fierce duty to the Ommnisiah, he has sworn his life to uphold the codes of the Cult Mechanicus. One day, Demus had been transfered onto assignment aboard a repair vessel. This ship was to travel to a nearby space station and provide the neccesary blessing to ensure it's functioning.

Demus father, his only living relative, joined him aboard the vessel as a serf to the Mechanicus. All had gone well until the ship came across a rift in space, where daemons poured out from it. Hundred of people aboard the ship were slaughtered in the most horrible ways... but Demus somehow survivied. His tech-priest augmentations allowed his body to live and drift within space, where an imperial guard ship had found his body floating far off in space. He lost his sanity and his father that day, keeping his father's skull and building it into a skull-servitor. Thru this, his father still lives with him, muttering and mummering to him as he searches the galaxy for a weapon powerful enough to end the threat of the daemon once and for all.

Pretty good eh? Didn't take me too much effort either! So what did you guys come up with?

ROGUE TRADER Salis Dorn was born on a FORGE WORLD, but unlike the many children raised in the halls of the Omnissia he found that he took the most joy in life out of his travels to the planet's surface where he could look out into the void and wonder about the machines, and mechanical wonders he may behold. As a CHILD OF THE CREED he was beholded to many of the machine spirit rites, and rituals being able to recite many of them in his sleep. His differing oppinions about the weakness of the human body were what forced him to leave his world in search of his family that had orphaned him into the folds of the Machine cult. He spent many nights working as a tech priest assistant attached to an imperial guard regiment. This is where he learned that the strength of the human body and soul were wonders in their own right. He became DUTY BOUND to humanity, and all its great causes. As the guard regiment passed thru the warp the alarms rang out, and the ship was violently ejected from the warp to collide with a space hulk. The hulk in question was haunted by the dead sailors of a hundered ancient human vessels that had found their final resting place. Among the dead, and nameless horrors Salis came across a cache of ancient Archeotech artifacts. Since they were stranded there until the ship was repaired he got to spend many nights braving the dark learning many secrets these devices would share. Soon after they were able to depart, but the haunted wrecks would not allow our young explored to take such treasures with him. The DARK VOYAGE cost him a part of himself, but he returned with a new understanding of such ancient and powerful technologies, and a drive to find his family and begin his rise past a simple tech priest assistant to reach great heights of PRESTIGE.

Still working on that actually, but thats all I have right now. Tell me what you think.

Wraithblade said:

Cool! I like how you worked in a space hulk... I love the board game meself.

Nice story.

But shouldn't you post the Origin path choices you took as well?

This looks like quite a nice idea that seems to have been overlooked or else ignored. Anyway, I think I might post mine later.

Varnias - don't know if you're being sarcastic for some reason but if not, the path choices were all in capitals.

Serafina Alaric was born into a life of wealth and privilege of a kind only the richest aristocrats in the Imperium of Man can experience. Vorgen Alaric, her uncle, was the holder of an ancient Warrant of Trade known as the “Silver Warrant of House Alaric” and so the family name of Alaric had long been listed among the esteemed noble houses of the Imperium. Serafina spent her early years as a somewhat spoiled child, much like many nobles, roaming the extensive grounds of the family estate and blissfully sheltered from the reality of life for so many other Imperial citizens, not more than a few miles from where she stood. Vorgen Alaric was a always loving man, on the rare occasions that he visited but as both he and Serafina aged she began to be groomed for a potential career as a 'Rogue Trader' , one of the élite individuals holding a Warrant of Trade, for Vorgen remained childless and the terms of the warrant specified that in the absence of direct heirs the rights and responsibilities must pass to the eldest child of the eldest sibling.

Serafina passed a pleasant adolescence as a somewhat spirited and wayward noblewoman slumming it about town when not forced to pay attention to her tutors and her father indulged her more than he perhaps ought to have. Of course, this activity was not entirely without merit as it helped forge the web of friendships, former lovers, acquaintances and enemies that the typical noble relies on for their games of politics and fortune building and Serafina took an athletic and martial bent from an early age, learning to shoot many different firearms and use a sword quite competently. Unfortunately, she also spent rather a lot of time carousing and learnt to enjoy the 'good life' rather a bit too much, at times, much to the mortification of her pious mother.

When Serafina reached her late teens and began to look to the future she found herself with increasing amounts of time on her hands and a dangerously insatiable curiousity about what lies beyond not only the planet of her birth but beyond the very edges of the Imperium itself, this led her to some dangerous research and an enduring fascination with Xenos and their technology.

Shortly after her twenty-first birthday the news of Vorgen Alaric's death, at the hands of the rival Rogue Trader Zelle of House Maxim, reached Serafina. This was a grievous and unexpected turn of events; Serafina had expected at least another decade of preparation, ideally accompanying her uncle on several of his expeditions before taking over the reins proper but it was not to be and she knew her destiny was calling to her. Leaving behind her father, a man broken by the death of his beloved brother, she took passage on a void ship whose eventual destination was to be Port Wander .

All did not go well on this voyage, however, so it was that more than a year later and with a much darker soul, having witnessed events she mostly refused to recount, Serafina Alaric set foot on Port Wander, took charge of her deceased uncle's blessed Warrant of Trade, Lord-Captain's baton and his treasured heirloom: an Archaeotech Laspistol rumoured to be even older than the Warrant, a document touched by the very hand of the God-Emperor.

Noble Born -> Vaunted -> Chosen by Destiny -> Dark Voyage -> Pride

Etiquette, Legacy of Wealth, Supremely Connected (Nobility & Military) , Vendetta, Decadence, Xenophile, Things Man Was Not Meant to Know (Forbidden Lore: Xenos), Marked by Darkness, Heirloom (Archaeotech Laspistol).

Well, here's my Seneschal. It ends vaguely a few years before actually meeting the Rogue Trader, as I wasn't sure who he'd be at the time of writing.
Hive world > Savant > Destiny (greatness) > Press-ganged (Free row) > Renown > Seneschal

Born of the Hive world of Cartogenis, Ceile was barely outside the underhive. Her parents were factory workers who lived a typical hive life, which is to say they died young, choking on pollutants. Ceile was named after one of the few words her parents could read, Ceileoprene, one of the chemicals that the factory produced.

Ceile was left to fend for herself, and ended up working for a pawnbroker. He had her work the front desk, saying with a twisted grin that people argue less with a pretty girl. The owner would make her do all the work, watching on with a bottle of rotgut or some kind of stimm. By midday, he would be passed out in the back room and Ceile was free to work properly. The pawnbroker was convinced that she didn't work as hard when he wasn't watching, when actually she was pocketing some of the takings.

One customer sold the shop a poor data slate, and though it cost most of her embezzled funds Ceile bought it and began teaching herself how to read, write and count. She was a natural, quickly realising that the pawnbroker could barely count and by editing his books while he slept, she was able to take much more. One day, the pawnbroker's stimm of choice was contaminated with Ceileoprene and he died in a nightmare. A few bribes to the right administrators, and Ceile owned the store.

At this rate, Ceile would likely have bought her way out of the hive. However fate intervened in the form of the Blue Sixteen. This rising hive gang were collecting protection money and stubled upon Ceile's store. hey liked the place so much, they were back almost every day selling 'treasure' from the forgotten domes, and demanding discounts on all the goods. Ceile was not going to be put off, and instead came up with a plan.

She used her last thrones on acquiring a gift for the gang leader, a boltgun. With his attention gained, she convinced him that she could do much more for the gang if they let her work properly. She also gave him a plan, written in hive mediaglyphs, on the best way to hurt the rival gang Cobrahawks. The next day, the gang leader and fourteen other gangers were waiting outside the store. They were carrying genuinely useful items to sell, and paying full price for their goods. The leader informed her of the sad death of one of their members and offered her the vacant position.

With a gang on her side, Ceile's ascent to greatness seemed assured. To her, it confirmed what she always suspected, she was destined for something wonderful. With Ceile as the eminence grise, the Blue Sixteen conducted more daring raids and claiming even more glory. Although the leader took credit, the gangers knew who was really responsible. The gang leader died tragically, he lost his footing raiding a chemical plant. Ceile tried to save him, and for a few moments he was supported by the strap on his weapon, but he lost his grip and fell into a vat of Ceileoprene. There was no need for a vote in the gang, Ceile was their new leader.

Ceile's ego was at an all time high, and once in direct command the Blue Sixteen she used them in combination with her business acumen to take over most of the underhive. Her plans were cut short when Free Trader Petriam Jonstonne decided to re-stock his crew at the hive. Bounty hunters and skimmers with gas bombs combed the underhive. Anyone caught in it was captured.

Ceile woke up chained to a machine and ordered to turn a crank. All her posessions, even her clothes, were gone. The crank was so massive it took three people to work it, and dozens of cranks lined the wall. Her chain was released long enough to sleep and eat, and then she was back to work. After several months like this, she was allowed to pick which crank she worked at and her chains were opened for longer. As soon as her chains were released, she escaped into the ship's maze of passageways. With a little luck, she managed to track down a Tech-Priest's station. There she found plans to the ship, confirming her suspicions as to where she was. She also stole some clothes and a weapon, and made a plan.

Later, a malfunctioning power source exploded, killing a tech-priest. It was the beginning of a series of misfortunes for the captain. Machines began breaking, often killing senior officers. Crews were becoming restless, working slowly or not at all. With fewer and fewer trusted officers, and captured slaves escaping it was becoming impossible to keep order.

Soon the captain had a full mutiny on his hands. The shipboard arbitors had no hope of keeping control. The captain had no choice but to surrender, but even in defeat he had a plan. Each of the leaders of the mutiny was offered a large sum of money, which they would recieve in a room without their subordinates. However there was not enough money to go around, and after they fought between themselves, the captain would finish off the survivors. In order to seem genuine, the captain prepared several landing craft with supplies, and moved the ship back to Cartogenis. The trap set, the captain waitied for the right moment, and ordered the supplies moved.

The day of the handover, the mutiny leaders went to the transfer room. The captain waited for twenty minutes, readied his shotgun and went to the room. There was no money, no ringleaders. Only a canister from the cargo hold attached to a detonator.

Ceile and the Blue Sixteen met up at one of the few guncutters not earmarked for the mutineers. Along the way they took as many objects of value as they could find. They took the ship back to the hive, and set about reclaiming their lost territory.

A criminal mastermind Seneschal? Hmm. I shall have to watch my own Seneschal more closely... ;¬)

Zanus Brach Hieronymus is a Navigator from a an ancient, Magisterial House/Line. Noble born, vaunted, duty bound, dark voyage, endurance.

Zan's lineage is ancient, with links to the AdMech stretching back beyond record. House Hieronymus are well-known for their astrography. Their expert charts and maps greatly aid in swift passage. Being an ancient House, and a magisterial one at that, Noble born made sense. Rather than go the route of savant, like so many of his brothers, Zan wasted his days with the typical noble intrigues of dueling, partying and the like. He was a good swordsman and a decent shot, saving his brother's life on one occasion. Despite his natural ability in dueling and brawling, he didn't really apply himself. (vaunted)

He was proud of his family and everything, wanting to help somehow, but he wasn't particularly interested in astrography. He did get caught up in some intrigues trying to win contracts, for bettter or worse. (duty bound dynasty)

Hoping to force him into adulthood, he was sent with his brothers onto a Rogue Trader's ship. Zan was a junior Navigator on The Last Word, our Rogue Trader's family ship during a mutiny. His older brother Jeron was the Navigator Primaris or whatever, with Zan and several others apprenticing. Some things went down, and there was mutiny. The crew fell to Chaos, warp horrors prowled the ship, slaughtering many. Zan saw his brothers torn to pieces in front of him. (dark voyage)

Now, Zan seeks to honor his brother and get his **** together. He wants to make himself better, stronger, wiser to honor his brother. Zan viewed Jeron as the best, so he seeks to remake himself in his brother's way. He doesn't want to become lost on the path of vengeance, but rahter to use the memories to endure the horrors of the warp. He survived the mutiny, in a steel between hammer and anvil sort of way. Every trial is a test, every voyage a measure of his growth. (endurance)

Harlow's led an interesting life thus far. born during the worst storm in the history of Burnscour, Harlow has been plagued with twisted victory since birth. As a child, he lost his father to one of the many horrors on the Planet, but he slew the beast in a fit of rage and grief. whatever it was, it was many times Harlow's size, and could have eaten him on the spot, had the child not taken his father's axe and, with all of his might, buried it in the thing's skull. the Elders of his village saw this as a portent of endless violence and bloodshed in Harlow's life, and they refused to let him bring it down on their already poorly defended homestead. Banished at the age of 9, Harlow leaned the hard the hard way how to survive on his own in the wasteland he called home. living off of the scraps left behind from the killings of larger beasts, Harlow eventually wandered a little too close to the Imperial enclave near his makeshift hut. he was 15 at the time, and stood a full head and shoulders taller than most of the indiginous population. covered in countless battle and storm scars, as well as the tattoos that marked him as outcast, Harlow caught the attention of a crime lord who had stopped to sell some illegal cargo. the Baron knew a survivor when he saw one, and had lost a prize fighter in his gladitorial stables in the sandpits of Mordian just recently. the Baron captured the young Harlow and set about turning him into a pliable killing machine who would win him many thrones in the arenas until, inevitably, he would die too. Killing and warfare came naturally to Harlow, but the he refused to bow down to anyone save himself. this angered the baron, as he felt all small minded and primitive individuals should naturally show deferance to an obviously superior being. Harlow took many a whipping, and spent as much time in the torture chambers as in the arenas, but Harlow had survived alone and hated on Burnscour. with every whipping, Harlow became stronger. with every fight, Harlow became wiser to the ways of battle. Harlow kept a mental checklist of every guard and crewmember he saw on the Baron's ship. He watched the pilot servitors as they clicked and clattered at the helm of the landing craft that took him to the arenas. he memorized the shift changes of the guards who kept watch over his cell. then, finally after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Harlow saw his chance. Killing the weakest guard who came to feed him, Harlow snatched up the man's chainsword and carved his way through the underdecks of the Baron's ship, then crawled into a landing craft that was as of yet empty. Harlow dismantled the servitors at the helm, commandeered the ship, and took it down to the nearest planet. when at last he reached the surface of the planet, a rogue trader who had watched him gave him a place on his ship as the master of arms. harlow couldn't be happier.