Your character's past will help define her future, so you should have some idea of what her life was like when she was still in the good graces of the Fatimas. There is no need to go into every last detail of her life, but you should give some thought to her immediate family, her position in the Tribe, and her relationship with the Fatima.

First of all, we need to know which Tribe you were from.

The Child Questioning and growing, the followers of Agnes are disturbing to many of the other Tribes. Formerly ruled by children and teenagers, the Tribe have put aside their whimsical ways as their Fatima begins to grow up. This Tribe is in flux and none quite know what it will look like when it settles down - if ever it does. Agnites are explorers, sating their endless curiosity by pushing out boundaries of the known world. Agnites hold Eminence over Inspiration and Recognition.

The Crone Mistresses of death and spirit, the followers of Baba Yaga are dark crones who govern the final rites for all the tribes. The other Tribes respect them for their wisdom, but try to keep them at a distance because of their unsettling aura. Yagans hold Eminence over Fate and Death.

The Trickster Devious, beautiful and entertaining, the followers of Dahlia travel about in large caravans, bringing shows and wonders to all the tribal settlements. Many are entertainers, thieves and explorers, taking their caravans into uncharted territories. Dahlians hold Eminence over Illusion and Motion.

The Mother The followers of Eva the Mother are known as farmers, midwives and healers. Eva treats Her tribe as children and watches their every move; many Evans relate to others in the same way. Their powerful contact with nature allows them to survive in the wilds, but their maternal natures can be grating. Evans hold Eminence over Life and Empathy.

The Warrior Warriors without parallel, the followers of Joan are steadfast guardians of the Seven Tribes. Constantly prepared for battle, they are taught to follow orders, and many other Tribes view them as lackeys to the Terashebans. Joanites hold Eminence over Devotion and Fury.

The Lover Magdalites are renowned as seductive, beautiful and self-absorbed. Mistresses of pleasure, they are dedicated to the exploration of the physical self and the discovery of enlightenment through that quest. Magdalites are concubines and lovers, but also diplomats and experts of the body. Magdalites hold Eminence over Sensuality and Conflict.

The Judge Stern judges, the followers of Tera Sheba are guardians of the laws and traditions of the Seven Tribes. They are respected for their ability to ferret out the truth, but scorned for their inability to compromise. Terashebans hold Eminence over Truth and Wisdom.

Each character should start with up to three Secrets. These are things they keep hidden from everyone else, whether due to shame, fear, or the desire to protect a loved one or ally. Whatever their reasons for concealing the truth about themselves, these Secrets are important enough to keep. The Secrets you choose for your character are likely to come under risk of exposure during the course of the game, putting characters in difficult situations where they must work hard to avoid revealing the truth and potentially making themselves vulnerable.

You do not have to nominate any Secrets if you don't want to, but we strongly encourage you to do so!

Whether it was what eventually led to their Fall or it was entirely unrelated, every single character has a weakness that defines them above all else. They will have to wrestle with it on a consistent basis as they grow into their role as heroes. It may prevent them from succeeding, or serve as the cause of a tragic mistake. It could be something like addiction, ambition, cowardice, cruelty, envy, gluttony, greed, hubris, hypocrisy, lust, perfectionism, pettiness, selfishness, self-sacrifice, vindictiveness, or a tendency to wrath. When you choose your character's Fatal Flaw, you are really choosing the focus of their internal struggle. You don't need to choose from the list above - you could come up with something else entirely! But every character has to have a Fatal Flaw.

The last question in this section attempts to establish your character's boundaries. In order to answer it, you simply need to complete the following two sentences on behalf of your character:

• I would never ……… , because ………
• I will always ……… , because ………

It's important to understand when you complete these sentences that you should expect your character's moral compass to be challenged. Whether your character is able to stick to their beliefs in the face of hardship and struggle is decided by their actions. Many a hero has faltered upon discovering that they are not truly the person they thought they were.

Photo by Tom Garnett