Writing characters' backstory

[Pterry]

Obviously, one should not say anything in one's characters' backstories that directly contravenes the official history of Illarion as laid out on the website or in the histories in the Trollsbane library. But what if the official story is silent on the history of some area of the mainland? Are we free to make up history in writing backstories for our characters? Should we consult with the GMs first?

On a related matter, what, if anything, is the story of Shir-Ann-Assiri and the area around the Starwater Sea?

[Pellandria]

You should actually use the History given of Illarion to create some logical backstory, for example creating certaint behavior patterns or experiences, what kind of upbringing one has normally determs his view of life and his way to react to something, however you should not try to impersonate someone written in trollsbanes cronic, unless its your char.

Other than that you are free to do whatever you please, you can play some kind of blue blood, a peasant what ever, but obviously you should not play some headmaster of any big town and think people will immedeatly believe you, furthermore you can simply come out of a small vilalge from region X, noone will rip your head of for doing such a thing, it even encourages and extends your story, if you think a whole village around our char, than jsut taking a "normal" blank village.
Oh and something else, you can turn the upbringing into the opposit, so a society that might supress certaint races or females, can invoke your Char to be some kind of "freedom" figther, but you must think of the consequences, he would be an outlaw in his town, in his kingdome, an outsider, who could only live if he depends on himself..all such things and thougths actually make an interresting Char.

Maybe this should go to the newbie section..

[Llama]

If you want to put in major events (village destroyed by raiders, some large war ect...) just invent a name of a town, pick a good position for it and you're pretty much done. But don't touch the major towns, so no Albar being destroyed by Salkmaerian assassins or something.

[Dalgis]

Information on Shir-Ann-Assiri and the other gnomish cities is in the wiki, but only in German. I found Google translate worked well enough to get the gist of it.

http://illarion.org/community/wiki/inde ... _Gnomes/de

[Pterry]

Thanks to all for the advice.

~Pterry