Numenera Numenera Character Sheet: Rough Buskin

Timeline

-9 months: started with the company

405 after Truth

Home

Rough Buskin's story begins in the world of Numenera, born in the tranquil city of Serene. As a young child, he enjoyed the comforting embrace of his family, basking in the warmth of his parents' love. His father Jorek was a skilled tool and vehicle repairman, while his mother Malina worked diligently at a local grocery store. Their lives were content until circumstances beyond their control forced them to uproot and relocate to a new city, Finlai.

The move was not a welcomed change for Rough. He felt a deep attachment to Serene, and the disruption left a mark on his spirit. Despite the challenging transition, he adapted, moving back into low-quality accommodation with minimal space and finding work as a delve for a company specialising in organising "rich people experience tours" to explore the ruins of the red woods within the Frontier Forest. His determination to provide for his ageing parents became the driving force behind his dedication to this unconventional occupation.

Work

Rough's companions on these ventures became his extended family. He formed bonds with fellow tour guides like Roan, Penster, Frankel, and Bubo, each bringing their own unique quirks to the group. Delvers like Jared, Prom, and Sliver share the perils of exploration alongside him, while Petterson, his superior, observes his efforts with a watchful eye. A chance absence due to visiting his ailing parents placed him on Petterson's radar.

Mala, the witty and congenial accountant responsible for payouts, provides a respite from the challenges of Rough's work. Beyond the camp, he knows Stout, who manages one of the camps on the outskirts of the Frontier Forest and who understands the financial pressures that weighed heavily on Rough's shoulders. Yet it is Bengal, Rough's mentor, who holds a special place in his heart. Bengal's mysterious disappearance during a delve left Rough with questions and a lingering sense of loss.

In the shadows of his life as a delve, Rough maintains connections with a different side of his past. Harol, a well-travelled acquaintance, offers him opportunities to deliver his earned money to his parents. And then there is Porky, a fence with an appetite for numenera artefacts, creating a secret source of income for Rough through discreet sales.

Friends

Rough's history is intertwined with the lives of Tessa and Jono, his childhood friends from Serene. Tessa, now employed in an "office job", remains a steadfast confidante. Jono, on the other hand, puts his culinary skills to the service of the rich visitors to Serene. Together, they form an unbreakable trio, with loyalty and camaraderie forged in the fires of their shared past.

Rivals

However, not all connections are friendly. Kling, a rival from his past, continues to cross Rough's path, engaging in rivalries that spark with old flames but never escalate beyond taunts and teasing.

Earnings

Growing things in his cabin for a little bit of side money.

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<b>MENTOR</b>
You grew up in service to another Delve from whom you learned to train your stamina, patience, and love for the weird. You were taught not to fear things that would make most people weak, sick, or outright dead. Instead, you cherish them as part of a life steeped in discovery. Your mentor taught you to love the wilderness, the unknown, and places of ancient power, in particular — exactly the opposite of how most are raised in the Ninth World. After a time, you and your mentor parted ways—perhaps due to a philosophical disagreement, a scarcity of resources, a rare opportunity requiring travel, or some kind of tragedy. Sometimes you wonder, as you gaze at some new amazing, impossible edifice: what would your mentor think of this?
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<b>Advancement:</b> To advance, you explore. Without your mentor to guide you, it’s just you and the world. That said, a part of you will never stop yearning to reunite with the one who taught you so much. If you do, maybe they will unlock an entirely new chapter in your advancement. And who knows? Maybe the things you’ve learned since you parted will have a similarly important effect on them.
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<b>DELVE PLAYER INTRUSIONS</b>
When playing a Delve, you can spend 1 XP to use one of the following player intrusions, provided the situation is appropriate and the GM agrees.
<b>Fortuitous Malfunction:</b> A trap or a dangerous device malfunctions before it can affect you.
<b>Serendipitous Landmark:</b> Just when it seems like the path is lost, or you are, a trail marker, landmark, or simply the way the terrain or corridor bends, rises, or falls away suggests to you the best path forward, at least from this point.
<b>Weak Strain:</b> The poison or disease turns out not to be as debilitating or deadly as it first
seemed, and inflicts only half the damage that it would have otherwise.
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