Ultimate Character Background Questionnaire - Mao Manji
I decided to do something different for a change. Here’s my answers for Mao, the Catfolk Dervish Dancer Bard from our Lamantia campaign. Why was the character given the name he has?
猫 - Mao means ‘cat’ in Chinese. (Souzan, the region where Mao hails from, is inspired by Asia.) Every person in Mao’s family is named after the theme of cats, according to tradition. Her mother decided on a common and simple name because she didn’t want her to grow too attached to her name. It is basically a placeholder for a real name.
Does the character have a nickname?
Some fellow adventurers have taken to the habit of endearingly calling her Maomao.
What is the source of the nickname?
It’s just her name twice, a common way to endearingly call someone with a short name in Chinese / Japanese.
Is it flattering or not?
It can be demeaning in a belittling way. As a woman of noble birth she generally dislikes people who don’t address her properly.
What is the character’s hometown?
Onibihotori, the capital of Souzan.
How long has she lived there?
For about fifteen years.
Does she like it or want to get away or already miss it?
She does not remember her hometown. When Mao was forced to flee from her homeland her feelings towards the nation and it’s inhabitants were bitter. She used to be fond of the local cuisine and celebrations. Mao still unconsciously prefers her native style of dress over any other clothes.
Has she traveled much?
Unusual for a lady of noble birth at such young age, she has been to many places.
Where & Why?
Through the vast, unforgiving desert of Hal’ehk, across the raging sea that lies between two continents, and finally into the wilderness of the mysterious island of Lamantia. Mao has mostly breezed through these regions with no intention of stopping to enjoy her journey.
Her travels have had only one purpose, and it isn’t wanderlust. She was forced to abandon her home after a political coup. During the coup her whole family was assassinated and her deity’s cult outlawed. Mao has been searching for the murderer ever since.
Has she lived for a long period in another town? Which town(s)? Why?
No, she used to always be on the move. Only now that she’s seemingly permanently stuck on Lamantia, Mao has settled down with the rest of the party into Annor, a city they’ve built on the ruins of an ancient civilization.
Has she lived in any unusual/harsh environments?
She’s traveled a long journey through a desert which was memorably harsh due to Mao’s pitch black fur. Her current residence in Annor is relatively safe, but Lamantia is a hazardous frontier teeming with the beasts of legends, Dragons, and full of unknown threats.
How does she react to it?
She’s learned to adapt to the dangers in her own way, either by going against all odds and making friends with her enemies, or relying on stealth and acrobatics to avoid the risks.
Despite being capable of holding her own in the face of danger, she vehemently dislikes fighting due to the perverse delight it seems to instill in her.
How old is your character?
Around 16-17 years, she can’t be sure of her exact age due to her amnesia.
What would somebody see at first glance (i.e. height, weight, skin color, eye color, hair color, physique, race, and visible equipment)?
Her build may seem petite but she’s actually taller than the average catfolk female. Easily notable features are her black sleek fur and feline ears poking out of her short bobbed haircut, piercing yellow eyes with slit pupils, her toned hind legs (imagine Chun Li but as a cat), and a long catlike tail. She’s dressed in oriental fashions and carries around a scimitar made of Orichalcum.
What additional attributes would be noticed upon meeting the character (i.e. Speech, mannerisms)?
Mao changes her tone and level of politeness depending on her conversation partner. With common folk she’s quite informal and casual, but when she’s in the company of a noble her speech becomes softer and more proper. When flirting she uses her fan to hide her bashfulness in order to seem more coquettish. Her ears and tail are very emotive as are her catlike pupils. She has feline elegance and poise in her movements, befitting of a dancer with perfect balance.
Does your character have any personality quirks (i.e. antisocial, arrogant, optimistic, paranoid)?
Positives: Curious, persistent, appreciates the finer things in life, loves to perform, sociable, enjoys gardening
Negatives: Lazy, stubborn, obsessed with shiny and expensive things, judgemental, vain, selfish and self-centered, treats common folk with less respect than the nobility, has a phobia of death
Does your character have any distinguishing marks (birthmarks, scars, deformities)?
What distinguishes Mao from other catfolk is her fully black fur and the complete lack of any ‘marks of harsher life’.
(At this point the questions seem to be in in-character format so I will answer them accordingly. Since Mao doesn’t remember anything before her arrival to Lamantia I answered them as pre-amnesia Mao would have. Their personalities differ a bit, sorry if this is confusing.)
Are your parents still alive?
No.
What do they do for a living?
My mother served as the high priestess of the goddess Izayo and my father was a celebrated war hero.
If one or both of your parents are dead when and how did they die?
They were murdered by a passing mercenary. My family was the most poweful ally of the ruling Emperor, and during a power struggle the usurpers arranged for the massacre of my family.
Who raised you after your parents died?
Keh. I was old enough to take care of myself at that point. What do they do for a living?
I almost gave up something irreplaceable in order to keep going. But that experience granted me the resolve to take what I want. I seduce men, promising them the time of their life, but instead I take that life away from them.
Do you have any siblings? Have any of them died?
I had an identical twin sister, Miu. She was my light, and my sole connection to the world beyond my gilded cage. Now she too is gone. I never met them, but I hear that I have many younger sisters as well. They used to live in the Emperor’s palace after they got married off to the nobles living there. Like my parents, they’re all dead.
If any siblings have died how did they die?
The same way my parents died - they were murdered in cold blood.
What do your siblings do?
Miu, my twin sister acted as my body double and impersonated the firstborn heiress of the Manji family, me. The firstborn is regarded as the incarnation of the goddess Izayo, and she is tasked with the responsibilities of the highest ranking temple dancer and the title of the high priestess. As the cult of Izayo was the most influencial in Souzan, she was to become the religious leader of the whole nation. My younger sisters were considered to be tools for upholding close political ties with the ruling forces of Souzan. They got married off to influencial nobles belonging to the Emperor’s court.
Is your character married?
As a sacred maiden and the vessel for the goddess Izayo, it was Mao’s duty to consencrate her body and stay abstinent. But in the case that Miu perished, Mao would have taken her place. (Miu had an arranged political marriage that was yet to be consummated when she died.)
Does your character have children?
No.
What social class is your character from?
Nobility.
How has their upbringing affected their world view?
Mao has lived a pampered and sheltered life, so coming into contact with the ‘real world’ and seeing the lives of the common people was quite a shock for her. Souzan’s lower classes didn’t give a damn about their rulers. Their attitudes towards the cult of Izayo turned in flash when the usurpers launched a smear campaign in order to paint a new image of the goddess as a deceitful evil in disguise, and outlawed the worship of Izayo. The peasants were dirty, crude, and wanton. It was nothing like what Mao was used to, and she hated every moment she had to spend among them. Lately she’s been humbled by her experiences in Lamantia and has developed a new understanding of the hardships that lower classes face, and thus Mao has grown kinder towards them.
What is your character’s moral code?
She believes in justice, but her morality is very self-centered. Salacious people and murderers are equally unredeemably evil. Stealing is hardly a crime for her. Religious and class authority should always be respected in Mao’s opinion. Chastity is a high virtue for her. She also values familial ties and alliances like arranged marriages. And last but not least, vengeance is a justified action in Mao’s mind.
Is your character religious?
Very. Mao’s lineage has served as priestesses to the goddess Izayo for generations. Their firstborn is always a female, and the incarnation of the goddess.
What are your character’s personal beliefs?
She believes that the goddess punishes those who meddle with death. Thus she has qualms about using resurrection magic.
How did your character get started in their chosen class?
Even though her family call themselves priestesses, they’re actually all just Bards putting on a good show as their way of revering their goddess. Mao was naive enough not to ask any questions.
Later she incorporated a sword into her sacred dance ceremony routines in order to develop an unique fighting style, becoming a Dervish Dancer Bard.
Where did your character learn or train their skills?
Her whole youth was training to become a temple dancer. While her family was still alive, she lived hidden from the people in a summer villa overtaken by an overgrown garden. With so much nature surrounding her, Mao grew to appreciate plants and got into gardening. Her fighting ability stems from the time she spent as an assassin pretending to be a courtesan.
Why does your character adventure?
She started on her adventure in order to avenge her family, but after arriving to Lamantia she’s lost all her memories. Now her reasons for adventuring are gaining back her lost memories and protecting the friends she’s gathered along the way.
How does your character view his/her role as an adventurer?
Neccessary evil in order to survive. Mao hates the dangers and fighting, but she enjoys discovering new things and meeting new people. Being a hero to the citizens of their city is a welcome thing as well.
Does your character have any heroes or inspirational figures?
Her first close friend after the amnesia, the party’s Cleric, Vivien de Monet has been Mao’s ideal as a woman. Vivien’s cousin Vidal is her ideal kind of a nobleman. Before the memory loss she admired her twin sister Miu the most, and revered the goddess Izayo as her guiding light.
Does your character have any significant personal items?
Her unreadable diary is her only tie to her forgotten past.
Is your character guided by a prophecy?
Nope.
What is your character’s view on magic?
She used to regard all magic as divine power, but now she knows better. She’s distrusting and vary towards all who command vast magical knowledge.
Has your character ever served in the military?
No.
Has your character ever been arrested?
No.
How did your character meet his current adventuring companions?
On the ship that took them to Lamantia, and the rest she’s met while there.
Has your character ever crossed anyone?
Yes, she used to fool men into believing that she was a prostitute to get their guard down. She’s quite used to lying and deception. Her amnesia made Mao forget about this vile habit, but it’s slowly making it’s way back along with the memories of her past. Last man she betrayed and disposed of was a wizard that had murderered Vivien’s lover.
Does your character have any enemies?
The evil tyrant Minerva and her companions. And the man who’s responsible for the murder of Mao’s family.
What are your character’s goals in life?
To gain back her memories and enjoy life. / To gain her revenge.
How important is the accumulation of wealth?
Very, Mao is used to living in the lap of luxury and craves for it. And she covets precious stones for their beauty.
How does your character get along with others?
She’s good at making a lasting impression and is generally well-liked by her peers. Mao is however a dramatic person who’s quick temper has caused many clashes of wills and she is known for holding grudges. Despite this, she’ll easily forgive a slight if the other person is sincere. She wants to get along. Before her memory loss she was more antisocial and aloof, maintaining a calculated distance to others.
Is there anything that your character hates?
Dirt, lewdness and general lack of etiquette, injustice, physical labour.
Is there anything that your character fears?
Death, losing her loved ones, weakness, loss of control, becoming a ‘bad’ person, physical intimacy.
Does the character have a mentor? What is she like?
She used to, during her time crossing the Hal’ehk desert. She was a talkative, brooding older lizardfolk lady with a taste for greasy foods. Together they traveled with a caravan, protecting it from robbers. She showed Mao how to best utilize her sword.
Does the character have a best friend? What is she like?
Vivien de Monet, the party’s Aasimar Cleric. She’s a proper young lady, also a noble but a somewhat more of a free spirit than Mao. Motherly and caring, but a bit fussy and an airhead. They both share a passion for nature, but have very different views regarding the people belonging to the lower classes. Vivien had a troubled past with her cousin Vidal, who had followed Vivien to Lamantia. Vivien turning into a man thanks to weird magical effects has made their friendship strained.
If your character died tomorrow what would they be remembered for?
Her divine dancing skills, defying the might of Minerva, her deeds in maintaining close diplomatic ties with the Kingdom of Mnemosyne, for reuniting a Dragon mother with their young, for standing up for a dryad no-one else believed in, and notoriously for her greed and vanity.
Does the character have someone she wishes to impress? Why?
Vidal de Monet, her big-time crush and ideal man. He was the first to note Mao’s noble posture, and thus helped Mao reclaim an important part of her past life. They grew close because they both shared a connection with Vivien, but thanks to those bonds they’ve now become separated. Mao wants to become a woman worth his love, someone who can protect him and console him in his worries.
Does the character have someone/something to avenge? Why?
The man responsible for the murder of her family is among the party’s companions. When she regains her lost memories, she’ll have her revenge.
Does the character have an enemy? What caused the issue between the two?
The murderer she’s been looking for. And Minerva the tyrant, who is looking to enslave everyone on Lamantia.
Does the character know other members of the party? What does she think of them?
Mao is close with Vivien the Cleric. She’s ambivalent towards the mysterious party leader, Battle Herald Hadi. Mao is distrusting towards the Sorcerer Tobias. She feels respect for the Paladin Delenor. And is indifferent towards the party’s newest addition, Archer Fighter Victor, since they haven’t spent much time together yet.
Did the character have any schooling?
She was privately taught all she needed to know in order to serve as Izayo’s high priestess. Various party members and allies have tutored her after her amnesia in order to teach her useful information of the world.
Does the character have any non-game related special skills? (For example, is he a good cook?)
She has a green thumb, and good taste when it comes to luxury items.
Was there something unusual about his childhood? (Enslaved, given a kiss by the queen for some good deed, etc.)
Mao grew isolated from the society, and her existence was kept secret by her family. This made Mao’s childhood quite lonely and caused her to be more naive than most kids. I got this questionnaire from here.