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If you
could pick any other time period to live in - including the future -
which would it be, and why? While there are periods in
the past I’d love to visit and see, I’d rather stay in the here and
now. Failing that, the mid-1990s, prior to the tech bubble bursting. We
had money then and were doing pretty well for ourselves.
You've
just purchased a small island off the coast of any continent of your
choosing, and you are preparing to start your own country there. What
does your flag look like? Probably a quartering of mine
and The Missus’ SCA heraldry. Mine: Per pale argent and gules, a Cross
of Toulouse upon a sun counterchanged. Hers: Gules, a lion’s jamb
within a bordure embattled or.
Or maybe a black field
with a pair of worn d20s. Pink and white, like those hideous ones that
came in the old TSR Box Sets. I’ve still got a couple that are almost
worn round from the years they spend in my jeans pocket in high school.
What is
one thing that you regret that you would go back and change if you
could? In 1984, I voted for Ronald Reagan for President.
Tell us
about your favorite RPG character that you've ever played.
That would be Troubadour, for Champions (HERO System 4th and 5th
editions)
Background/History:
Many would say his business card puts it best:
TROUBADOUR
Warrior, Poet, Lover
While Troubadour
certainly cultivates a mysterious image, it's hard to consider someone
who lives his life in the glare of the limelight truly secretive.
Troubadour has been active on the superheroic scene for over a dozen
years. While little actual information is publicly bandied about
regarding Troubadour's past, it's all there if someone wants to look at
it.
Born Geoffrey Larrocque,
of the Usher Heights Larrocques, Geoffrey was raised in the lap of
luxury. As a second son, there were fewer expectations placed on him
that his older brother, Andrew, leaving Geoffrey to pursue whatever
interests struck his fancy.
Fascinated by his
family's history of piracy and derring-do, Geoffrey developed an early
flair for the dramatic and flamboyant, a flair that served him well
when he was cast as D'Artagnan Junior., in the hit TV series "Young
Musketeers". The series ran for four seasons, giving Geoffrey free rein
to indulge all of his swashbuckling fantasies. In his years on the
show, he became a capable gymnast, fencer, and martial artist.
At the end of the show's
run, Geoffrey went off to college, where he majored in liberal arts and
gaining his passion for jazz. One year short of graduation, he left
school to travel the world. This trip, however, was cut short by the
tragic death of his parents in a plane crash, leaving Andrew in charge
of the family fortune.
Andrew, unlike Geoffrey,
saw little of value in Geoffrey's interests, the family history or, in
fact, anything he deemed "old fashioned". Determined to take the
Larrocque name to new heights in business, he decided to sell the
family estate and use the funds for start-up venture capital. Horrified
at the thought of losing his home, Geoffrey used the remainder of the
money from his television days and a goodly portion of his trust fund
to buy out his brother's half. Andrew agreed, with the agreement that
Geoffrey keep his distance from Andrew's business interests and do
nothing to besmirch the family name.
At the age of twenty
one, Geoffrey Larrocque found himself the sole proprietor of a forty
five room mansion and an incredible case of boredom. His brother's
stipulation limited his social calendar; he missed basking in the
limelight; and even the mansion itself seemed less alive. Apart from
furtive forays to local jazz clubs, he became more and more reclusive.
Until he had his first
taste of superheroics.
One night, as he left
his favorite club, Geoffrey found himself in the middle of a
superpowered firefight. Blue Beacon was taking on Dumpster Diver and
the self-proclaimed "genius of junk" was getting the better of the
Sapphire Sentinel. Seeing an opening, he caught Dumpster Diver
unawares, knocking the piece of trash out cold. At that moment, a new
world opened up for Geoffrey. It was exciting! No, it was exhilarating!
Actually, it was all
over the papers. "Geoffrey Larrocque, millionaire and former TV star
defeats noted supervillain".
Andrew was livid. He
threatened legal action. He threatened to cut off Geoffrey's
inheritance. He threatened physical violence.
In the end, Geoffrey
apologized. It seemed the best thing to do. After all, he hadn't
intended to make a public splash. If it weren't for those mask-wearing
weirdoes, none of this would have happened. Wait a minute – masks! Of
course! He could don a mask himself. After all, he'd already defeated a
supervillain, how hard could superheroics be?
Taking inspiration from
his swashbuckling heroes and fashioning himself a costume from old bits
and pieces culled from the show's library, he set forth to fight crime
as The Bard. Using a limited knowledge of pyrotechnics culled from the
stage, he crafted skull-shaped bombs to aid him against particularly
difficult opponents.
It may have been a silly
concept and a sillier costume, but it gave him the freedom he craved.
As The Bard, Geoffrey could go forth and conquer, without bringing down
the wrath of Andrew. He served a short stint with the Sentinels, (as do
many fledgling heroes in the Vanguard Universe), but left over
"personality differences". Realizing that The Bard identity was just
ridiculous, he disappeared from the scene for a few weeks, only to
re-emerge as Troubadour. A year later, he had his name legally changed
to Troubadour, in order to appease Andrew, whose business flourishes in
Empire City. Since that time, he has been a constant, if not
particularly diligent, thorn in the side of evil.
Five years ago purchased
a jazz club in downtown Fair City, and named it (appropriately enough)
Troubadour's. He makes the scene there a couple of times a week, unless
he's off saving the world. Troubadour's is one of the top jazz clubs in
the nation, attracting every major act and a host of rising stars.
While he's matched wits
(and crossed blades, so to speak) with many supercriminals, there are a
few that stand out in his rogues gallery. Cap'n Skulldugger has been a
perennial thorn in his side (their chosen motifs do seem to attract one
another don't you think?). Secondly (and more dangerous) is the
Troubadour Revenge Squad. This is a group of women who, having been
spurned by Troubadour at one time or another, acquired superpowers and
banded together with the intent of making his life miserable, or at
least enlightening him to their feminist agenda. The TRS membership
currently includes Large Marge (leader with growth powers), The Shrew,
Dollface, Digitalice, and Fury (as in Hell hath no...) due to
Troubadour's romantic nature, the group is always recruiting new
members.
Personality/Motivation:
Anyone with a business card like that can't possibly have low-self
esteem problems. And he doesn't. Troubadour believes in living life in
CAPITAL LETTERS. If there are multiple ways to accomplish a task, he
will inevitably choose the one that shows his abilities off in the best
possible manner.
Still, it's important to
note that Troubadour has a strong altruistic streak and a sense of
noblesse oblige. He comes from the old-money liberal school of politics
and has no problem devoting his time, energy, and money to worthy
causes. In some cases, this makes him seem like less a superhero and
more a garden variety celebrity since he does spend so much time making
appearances. In other cases, his strong liberal politics fairly boil to
the surface; he excels at asking other superheroes the sort of hard
questions the costumed set confronted in the "relevancy" period of the
late '60s and early '70s.
Quote:
"Forgive me, my dear, I just have to polish of this ruffian and then
we'll get back to this delicious...conversation."
Powers/Tactics:
Troubadour is a straightforward comic book martial artist. He uses his
Find Weakness against slower opponents before leaping into battle and
uses his high DCV to avoid damage. If he does get hit, he'll probably
go down rather quickly and knows it.
History:
In the Fair City campaign, Troubadour started out as a bit of a hero in
need of redemption. He was somewhat caught up in his own celebrity and
had gotten away from what brought him into the game in the first place,
namely the thrill of the chase and the chance to deal with Society's
ills head-on. As a member of Vanguard, he slowly moved into a
leadership role, and along the way found what appears to be lasting
love with his team-mate Gorgon. After her secret identity was revealed
and her career as District Attorney ruined, the two of them set out to
"Find America, the Real America."
Appearance:
Troubadour stands 6'1" tall and weighs around 185 lbs. He has wavy
blond hair, a mustache, and goatee. His costume consists of a gold
singlet, with a black stylized "T" on the right breast. His boots and
gloves are black, along with his mask, which he wears in all public
appearances, even though he makes no effort to hide his identity.
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