NAME: Hanan ben Asher
TRIBE: Tribe of Benjamin
PROFESSION: Scribe
AGE: 32
GENDER: Male
APPEARANCE: Hanan has short, dark curls, a well-groomed beard, and wears a simple linen tunic with a brown belt. He carries a small, worn satchel for his scrolls and writing tools.
PERSONALITY: Hanan is meticulous and detail-oriented, often lost in thought. He is helpful but cautious, preferring to analyze a situation before acting. His deep respect for the law often leads him to be overly serious in social gatherings.
BACKGROUND: Born into a family of scribes in the town of Gibeah, Hanan has always been surrounded by scrolls and ink. He trained under a master scribe from a young age, learning to read and write in Hebrew, Aramaic, and some Phoenician. With the rise of the monarchy, he feels the weight of his profession as he documents the laws and decrees of the land, especially those laid out in Deuteronomy.
MOTIVATION: Hanan seeks to ensure the accurate preservation and dissemination of the laws within Israel. He believes that adhering to these laws can protect his people from divine judgment and guide their lives toward justice and righteousness.
SKILLS:
– Calligraphy (+2): Adds a bonus to checks when crafting important documents or scrolls.
– Legal Knowledge (+3): Advantage on checks related to understanding and interpreting laws and regulations.
– Historiography (+1): Adds a bonus when determining the validity and authenticity of documents.
– Negotiation (+1): Adds a small bonus when interacting or bargaining with merchants or public officials.
PITFALLS:
– Social Skills (-2): Disadvantage on checks for persuasion or charm in social situations due to his serious demeanor.
– Fieldwork (-1): Disadvantage on checks related to physical labor or outdoor survival skills, as he is more accustomed to working indoors.
– Combat (-2): Disadvantage on checks when engaging in physical confrontations, as he has little training in self-defense or weaponry.
INVENTORY:
– A set of small reed pens: +1 to calligraphy skill checks due to their precision.
– An ink pot filled with black ink from gall nuts: Represents his status as a scribe, essential for his profession.
– A collection of parchment scrolls: Used for recording laws, histories, and transactions; his main resource for work.
– A small wooden ruler: +1 to legal knowledge checks, aiding in the precise measurements of documents.
STATS:
Strength: -1
Dexterity: +1
Constitution: 0
Intelligence: +3
Wisdom: +2
Charisma: -2
SPECIAL ABILITY: Documentarian's Insight: Hanan can spend extra time analyzing any document to gain a clear understanding of its context and implications, allowing him to roll twice and take the higher result on any legal knowledge checks related to written texts.
ADVENTURE HOOK: Hanan discovers a hidden scroll in the archives, containing ancient laws that contradict current ones, putting him in a moral dilemma about whether to reveal its contents and risk challenging the authority of the king or keeping it secret to preserve order.
