[Orsino]

My wife and I have recently joined a Forgotten Realms campaign in IRC. I've ducked into it briefly before to guest-star as significant NPCs, but we've now got full-fledged original characters--first level, which presents...challenges...in a party that's otherwise 6th-9th. Knowing that I'm not going to contribute much in firepower anyway, I generated a jester/minstrel, loaded for bear with interaction and performance skills, but with no combat or magical abilities. Magnifico (yes, check your Foundation trilogy) is a former court jester full of witty observations and songs...and very little else. He brings to the party some new resources, however, being equipped with (in the fantasy-fied Alternity rules we use) the Renown, Well-Traveled and Networked Perks). I wrote a smattering of background story, just a bit of dialogue that became Scene II of what follows.

Yesterday morning it occurred to me that if he's really a Shakespearean archetype, it would be possible to translate his back-story into the language of the Bard. Magnifico, then, found himself serving a Princess Regent following the death of his master, King Azoun IV of Cormyr. The Princess had grown to love a young knight, but the council of lords prevented her from marrying him. Magnifico the clown, caught acting as a go-between, was hustled out of town, and has stayed away from Cormyr in the years since.

If the full story were ever to be told upon a stage, here's what part of it might sound like. I have no earthly idea what it's good for, but it's certainly atmospheric.
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Act III

Scene I. Outside an inn in Arabel.

[Enter GODFREY, a BRIGAND and accomplices]

GODFREY
The fool is like to pass this way upon the striking of the hour. Secret yourselves here, look you, and be resolved that he be ta’en quietly.

BRIGAND
Depend upon it, sir. Silver had I from you, and I’ll return you this clown, will he or no.

GODFREY
Harm him not, and my purse shall requite you further. That is my order, and the will of my master. I’ll await you at the docks.

[Exit GODFREY]

BRIGAND
‘Harm him not,’ says he. This will I do, for the clown is known to me and much beloved of my mistress. For her sake I’ll don this mask and speak to him as a stranger. He’ll not have so much fight in him as a newborn kitten; we’ll deal gently enough with him. Softly now; here comes the fool, i’ faith.

[Enter CLOWN]

CLOWN
News do I hear that my lady and her love are parted against their wills. The gods do play at dice with her heart, which I know to be pure. Here doth her very hand tell me that she, a prisoner in a cage of gilt, may wed none but a lord of the land. ‘Speed you, good fool,’ writ she, ‘and save yourself, for I am lost. Queen may I be in all but name, so long as I do keep all suitors from my door. Neither shall song nor wit be heard within my cloister, for gentle Magnifico is torn from me. Nay, for seven times seven years shall I veiled walk, crying unto the red Lady Knight for succor.’ Her words beneath are sodden, though now twice-drowned by my own tears. She concludes not with her name, but with her very quintessence. ‘I bid you take your leave of me quickly, signed: The Unhappy Fortunate.’

BRIGAND
Stand!

CLOWN
What’s this? Murder!

BRIGAND
Nay, not so. Yet bound you shall be, sir.

CLOWN
I know you, sir!

BRIGAND
Nay, not so. I swear it.

CLOWN
By this hand, I know you, though now you speak with borrow’d voice. An the tavern wall had tongue, it would call you by familiar name, missing your support.

BRIGAND
Peace, rogue. Carry him to the appointed place, and gag him.

[Exeunt]


Scene II. A Manor House in Arabel

[Enter GODFREY and a LORD]

LORD
It is done, then?

GODFREY
Aye, my lord. An Her lady-in-waiting can be believed, the Princess is well resigned to your terms, and I saw the hunchback onto the ship myself. I might have saved the coin and had him pushed into the river, but Your Lordship was pleased to have it otherwise.

LORD
No, Godfrey. It amuses me to be merciful to this clown, though never shall he know of my influence in the affair.

GODFREY
Certainly not, my lord.

LORD
He was possessed of a mellifluous voice quite out of all proportion to his twisted form. I mind me that of an evening you yourself were seen in stitches at the fool's antics. He had a most easy nature, and even I took him into my confidence half before I knew it. It is no wonder--nay, it is fitting--that he should serve the Princess in the matter of an inconvenient romance, but his continued presence at court simply will not do. No, a lesser wit might have been disposed of, but I fancy that he has earned a touch of mercy. Where'er he next sees port, I'll wager the fool will land upon what we will jokingly call his feet. I'll think no more on this, then, but oh, to hear him sing again one of those country ballads I loved so well.

GODFREY
My lord?

LORD
No matter. Should you hear news of this clown from time to time, it might amuse me to share in it.

[Exeunt]

[Spike]

LOL that's so cool!

I tried something similar once, but it involved writing bits of an online RPG out in the style of a Hollywood screenplay complete with camera direction and such.

[Orsino]

Aw, wouldn't that be kewl--especially for an action hero? I'd like to see it, Spike.

By calling my little script "Act III," I hope I'm nudging my GM toward bringing some of my background into the game to haunt me. The little matter of a royal romance is still unresolved.

I wonder what other syles and formats could be useful or fun in conveying character backgrounds? Hmmmm.

[Spike]

Well, whenever Steve is writing a story, he likes to frame his ideas in the form of an old-fashioned storyboard, like when an artist draws skteches of scenes to help with camera and CG direction. He's weird that way.