Constellation Cards
Constellation Cards
CardsRules

Character (Upbringing)

Cosmopolitan

//"The clear skies, the lure of the open road, it's perfect!" -- Tana

You've lived your life among people from all over. Maybe you lived in a bustling city, or maybe you traveled the world. You listened to their stories and saw their ways of living.

You've learned to approach situations by understanding many perspectives.

  • Recall a story that inspires people to new ways of thinking
  • Bring a fresh perspective to a situation
  • Unite people by finding the common threads between them

Flip to get a hit.

Cosmopolitan

//"Do these wagon wheels fall off often?" -- Emory

It's possible to mistake your breadth of experience for depth, and fail to hear wiser voices. Similarly, you can make false assumptions about a culture based on experience with a few of its individuals. There's always more to learn. There's always a new perspective.

  • Overestimate your own wisdom or experience
  • Lose focus of people as individuals
  • Treat one person as representative of a whole group

Flip when a prompt is narrated by anyone.

Industrious

//"Take a deep breath of that farm air!" -- Tana

You grew up among farmers, trappers, city laborers, or other folk who made their way by the sweat of their brow. Others expected you to carry your own weight. Life could be routine, and you learned ways to pass the time.

You've learned to approach situations with direct, hard work.

  • Be sensitive to the rhythms around you--cycles of nature, or people's routines
  • Make do with what's on hand
  • Coordinate with others to get hard work done

Flip to get a hit.

Industrious

//"Smells like cow breakfast" -- Basler

Not everyone appreciates the necessity of hard work. But sometimes, just plowing through isn't the right answer either. You're used to getting down in the mud, but it's important to reach for the stars as well.

  • Work harder, not smarter
  • Sacrifice tomorrow's hopes for today's needs
  • Lay a heavy burden on light shoulders

Flip when a prompt is narrated by anyone.

Insular

//"This is all very different from the cloister" -- Emory

You grew up secluded from the rest of the world. Whether you lived on a lonely mountain village, a religious retreat, or in an enclave within a city, the ways of the outside world are a mystery.

You've learned to approach situations through curiosity.

  • Solve a problem using your peoples' ways
  • Ask naive but insightful questions
  • Reveal hidden knowledge or exclusive experience

Flip to get a hit.

Insular

//"Everything's different out here. That's why it's called a cloister" -- Basler

Your early life didn't prepare you for the sheer variey of people and things the world has to offer. You might make a basic blunder, or ask a troubling question. When in doubt, there might be someone you rely on for answers, or you may rely on your upbringing's incomplete picture of things.

  • Violate unspoken rules or cultural taboos
  • Cause conflict through misunderstanding
  • Fall back on a trusted authority

Flip when a prompt is narrated by anyone.

Mercantile

//"Welcome to the Labri Market! You can find anything here." -- Basler

You grew up among those who made their living through trade. This could be the busy markets of a city, an oceanic trade route, or the corridors of power in an embassy or castle. You understand that some people have wants or needs, that others can satisfy them, and the power that comes from mediating between the two.

You've learned to approach situations through canny negotiation.

  • Make a deal or haggle over details
  • Navigate a complex or ambiguous situation
  • Gauge someone's wants or needs

Flip to get a hit.

Mercantile

//"...For the right price." -- Basler

Not everything can be reduced to a simple transaction, but some people can't see any other way. It becomes easy to ignore pain and devalue life when money or power becomes a cocoon against existence.

  • Compromise a principle or ideal for expedience
  • Overcomplicate a plan or solution
  • Value people as commodities rather than individuals with thoughts and feelings

Flip when a prompt is narrated by anyone.

Solitary

//"I got this, leave me alone" -- Woody

For much of your life, you've been on your own. You might have been orphaned or abandoned or kidnapped. You might have run away from home, or home might no longer exist.

You've learned to approach situations through isolation.

  • Shut out distractions
  • Present a reassuring facade
  • Keep moving even when hope is lost

Flip to get a hit.

Solitary

//"You've left yourself alone too long" -- Tana

Without experiencing what other people in your life can do, you may fear what you need most from them: an outlet. When you act distant, others will reciprocate.

  • Accumulate emotional debt
  • Keep your reservations unspoken
  • Leave others behind to fend for themselves

Flip when a prompt is narrated by anyone.

Strict

//"Knights should be glorious champions of honor!" -- Emory

You knew from a young age that there's a right and wrong way to do things. You might be from a noble family where things are done just so, or your parents might have lived in constant fear of something, and their caution rubbed off on you.

You've learned to approach situations through protocol.

  • Uphold a code of behavior in the face of doubt or weakness
  • Use the training or skills that led to your code's adoption
  • Inspire or counsel others using your code

Flip to get a hit.

Strict

//"As opposed to ironclad thugs lording it over the peasants?" -- Basler

While committing to a way of life gives you strength to press on, it can make people inflexible or stubborn. Some will reject anything outside their experience, while others will actively fight against it.

  • Refuse to adapt your code to new or difficult situations
  • See the world through a narrow lens
  • Disdain or punish those who don't conform to your expectations

Flip when a prompt is narrated by anyone.

Underclass

//"Nobody fights for people like us. So we fight for ourselves." -- Basler

You grew up among people who were neglected or rejected by a surrounding society. Your family or neighbors could have been criminals, migrants, members of a disliked minority or species, or anything else.

You've learned to approach situations via pride.

  • Stand up for yourself and those like you
  • Rally those who question themselves
  • Obtain your needs through a social network

Flip to get a hit.

Underclass

//"When everyone hates you, it's hard not to hate them back." -- Basler

Sometimes, circumstances push people to a breaking point. Other times, doing the right thing becomes impossible, and you're left with doing the necessary thing.

  • Lash out at threats to your ego
  • Build yourself up in the eyes of the impressionable
  • Run afoul of those in power

Flip when a prompt is narrated by anyone.

Unfettered

//"As a princess, I had power. As a ranger, I have freedom." -- Woody

Whether you were a scion of privilege, a child wandering the halls of an artisan's guild, or a free spirit roaming a mystic forest, you were accustomed to going where you wished and doing whatever seemed best.

You've learned to approach situations through force of will.

  • Force an issue or break a deadlock through action
  • Reject restrictions and break chains
  • Drag others along your unique path

Flip to get a hit.

Unfettered

//"Those who go their own way often find the path lonely." -- Emory

Rules aren't always made to be broken. You can offend others, or even hurt them or yourself when you go where you don't belong or do what you ought not do.

  • Sabotage a subtle effort
  • Trample on a cherished tradition
  • Disappoint or frustrate a more cautious ally

Flip when a prompt is narrated by anyone.