A character's background is something the player and GM should work on together, as it offers insight into ways to play the character and the character's role in the campaign. A character's species is often a critical part of background development, followed by homeworld. The species and planetary culture can create an interesting path toward developing a fully realized Seeker. However, for characters like these who are defined by their movement beyond society's boundaries, such details make up only a small facet of their full story. Even among a group of Seekers all from the same species and planet, it is likely that the characters' various journeys have shaped them differently.
Innumerable paths lead to the fringes and hidden places a Seeker favors, and each should influence how that character behaves in all sorts of circumstances. A scion of Core World nobility undergoing a self-imposed exile would approach a situation much differntly than a loner who has spent many years dwelling among the tress of Kashyyyk, whether that situation is a battle with an Imperial Inquisitor, the exploration of a ruined Jedi Temple, or a negotation with unfriendly locals. What follows are a number of background possibilities and suggestions for how thos backgrounds might be incorporated in the construction of a Seeker character.
These backgrounds are by no means meant as the only choices players can take, but are rather a starting point from which players and Game Masters can collectively construct specific backgrounds unique to their characters. Players can flesh out their characters' backgrounds further with complimentary Moralities and Motivations. These three elements should work together to paint a picture that is as unique or archetypal as desired - and many characters are likely to be a bit of both.
While many Seekers choose their paths, some are set upon them by events beyond their control. Whether they are cast adrift by the will of the Force or just cruel chance is difficult to say, but these new circumstances demand that Seekers adapt quickly. They might be constantly on the run from the past they left behind, dodging bounty hunters, Imperials, or even their own family and former friends. Alternatively, these characters might simply be cut off from what was once their home, unable to return because of the events that precipitated their departure.
Although most exiles long for their past life to some degree, this longing is rarely more than bittersweet. By leaving the past behind, they have freed themselves from what once was and have plunged into a crucible of new adventures that call with an intensity their old life rarely offered. Anyone might have to reluctantly leave their home, but the best Seekers are those who leave and never look back.
Characters exiled from their home onto the path of the Ataru Striker may have been forced to leave after some violent act or conflict made them unwelcome or even feared by those around them. Although Ataru Strikers understand that decisive action is often necessary, those around them can be less accepting, especially if evidence of their Force use came to light in the conflict. Alternatively, they may have had to flee from Imperial forces after showing too much open interest in Jedi techniques and lightsaber forms.
Dealing with dangerous beasts is not something that typically offends others, so exiles that Hunters undergo are often self-imposed. While they might have crossed somone by poaching or harming a protected animal, it could easily be that their lives left them isolated from others around them who didn't understand or appreciate the danger or the thrill of the hunt. In this case, it is their own disdain for their past that keeps them moving through the galaxy.
Executioners are most likely to be exiles for one of two reasons, having killed targets whome others did not wish to see die, or in pursuit of targets whom they cannot tolerate to live. In the former case, Executioners might have fled retribution or the reach of the law; or they might have quietly left before their handiwork came to light. In the latter instance, their targets could be anyone from an elusive personal nemesis to a threat to the home they left behind.
The knowledge and skills of Navigators are valuable enough that few would be interested in driving them away. However, that same knowledge might actually be the source of their exile. Their knack for finding new routes and hidden places could have lead to their being considered a security threat by anyone from skulking criminals to customs officials. They might have even actually stumbled upon a secret hyperlane or installation that drew Imperial attention. Fortunately for Navigators, their special talents are just the thing to keep them one step ahead of their pursuers.
Hermits in exile have not left their past lives behind so much as traded them out for new ones. Their past circumstances still shape their future, but new refuges offer them a sanctuary most other exiles lack. Nevertheless, they may still need to maintain a low profile or to avoid notice from those they once knew. The need to lie low might have even led to the initial foray into the wilderness that made them who they are now.
Like their Navigator compatriots, Pathfinders could have easily found themselves in trouble after their wandering led them into someone else's territory. Alternatively, Pathfinders could have become scapegoats for the misdeeds of other wilderness wanderers, finding themselves pursued for crimes they did not commit while perpetrators escaped scot free. However their wanderings brought them their now dangerous situations, these Pathfinders must continue to seek routes that take them far from home.
Sometimes, Seekers are not content to bide their time on the fringes of society or to follow the guidance of the Force to hidden wisdom. They might do those things out of necessity, but more often than not, Seekers set their own goals, establishing new trails for their own reasons. Such Seekers find a reason to go out into the galaxy, whether by wilderness, cityscape, or deep space areas, and track down a new secret, treasure, or target. Then, having found what they were looking for, they set their sights on a new goal. Questing Seekers are always in motion, pushing the boundaries of their lives and the galaxy alike. These Seekers aren't easily defined by their pasts, but rather by the reasons they seek out new challenges and the methods by which they pursue them.
There is always work to be done by capable individuals with the willingness and skills to act. Ruffians might need to be driven from a cantina looking for greater respectability, or pirates removed from a system desiring reliable trade. No strangers to conflict, Ataru Strikers might spend their lives traveling from place to place, resolving strife by combat prowess before moving on to the next town or planet in need of a strong arm backed by a strong will.
Some characters could be enthralled by the thrill of the Hunter's work, which might drive them to seek out new foes and tests of their skills. Even Hunters who prefer to use their talents only when necessary might find themselves traveling to new places in order to learn more of their craft, or to assist in taming the most dangerous lands of the galaxy.
Questing Executioners don't move from goal to goam as much as from target to target. As stories of the latest Imperial atrocity or Hutt excess spread, Executioners can gain motivation to move on to new destinations in which to practice their deadly arts. Such exploits might make others nervous, but the nature of such work means Executioners are rarely in one place long enough for matters to come to a head - except where they bring that about.
Few things match as well as Navigators and new goals. Simply getting form one place to the next, whether driving a caravan of hurghols through a mountain pass or guiding a scout ship down a dangerous hyperlane, can be a destination as well as a journey. Some Navigators might want to visit as many different planets as possible, or to see what life is like across all the sectors of the known galaxy.
Finding new goals in life doesn't always require travel. Hermits in search of wisdom might have dozens of questions on their minds at any moment, but they can usually find answers or flashes of inspiration from within, through the Force, or in their immediate surroundings. Even when they are called beyond their usual environment, Hermits never travel as far on a starship as they might while journeying through their own meditating mind.
Wherever Pathfinders might go, there is always something new waiting over the horizon. Whether climbing mountains or forging safe trails across forsaken bogs, they are always planning the next expedition, moving ever onward toward the next unexplored trail. Staying still might not come easily to these characters, though sometimes even Pathfinders might be glad of the opportunity to rest and plan for their next great challenge.
Not all Seekers avoid the centers of galactic activity because they are pursuing particular goals or need to be on the run. For some, dwelling on the fringes of the galaxy is all they have ever known. Their paths may eventually lead them into contact with wider society, but they bear the indelible imprint of their origins as outsiders. These Seekers may have come from a society largely undiscovered by other species, or they may have simply been born into a remote area that recieves few visitors. In rare cases, they might possibly be the descendants of other Force users who fled the Imperial purge or even earlier calamities, and have grown up deliberately cut off from the outside world.
Far from the security of the Core Worlds, danger thrives. In the remote regions of the galaxy, self-defense can be a way of life. Ataru Strikers have internalized the dangers that surround them, readying themselves to leap into action or a fight for their lives at a moment's notice. Some Ataru Strikers might even have trained with an actual lightsaber or learned to master lightsaber forms in their solitude, away from the Empire's watchful eyes.
Most galactic citizens live lives that are sheltered from the harsher aspects of nature, whatever their other problems may be. They rarely deal with savage beasts, the full brunt of heavy storms, or the need to find a safe haven in an unforgiving landscape. For those brough up in less developed conditions, becoming Hunters is a natural progression, as they are simply working with the skills they have been honing all their lives. This longtime expertise can compensate for a lack of familiarity with more advanced techniques and technologies, or it can complement such tools for those Hunters who take the time to adjust to them.
Across many untamed worlds and remote backwaters, life is cheap. The Force may be present in all living beings, but if they cannot defend themselves against the dangers around them, they won't be living beings for long. The harshness of these environments usually means living by a simple code: kill or be killed. Seekers born to such a life often become Executioners, adapting their prowess with the Force to the lifestyle their upbringing taught them. They might user their skills to protect others, trying to end the need for their continued intervention by slaying once and for all the threats that drove them to take up their path. However, such altruism might not come easily to them; they could settle for simply being the deadliest being around, daring anyone else to challenge them.
Navigators can be lifelines between isolated regions or worlds and more populous ones. With their knack for mastering difficult planetary routes or hyperlane passages, Navigators have the potential to transform lives for the better, delivering needed supplies or assisting in conversation between beings who might otherwise never trade or communicate. Not all Navigators take to this role with the neutrality or altruism that might be hoped for, however. Some use their knowledge of exclusive routes to smuggle illicit goods or even extort high fees from those seeking to use these passages to maintain contact with the wider galaxy.
While all Hermits are familiar with remote reaches of the wilderness, some take it further than others. For those who dwell in the most secluded regions, the distant wilds are their true home, and the busy hubbub of galactic civilization is the true mystery. It is perhaps for this reason that such Hermits might eventually leave their solitude and join society at last. They might seek to solve the mystery of the unfamiliar and trade their knowledge for other secrets, much as Seekers from more populated worlds might travel beyond their homes in their own quests for understanding.
While some Seekers may hail from distant and uncharted regions of the galaxy, if they have the skills of Pathfinders, those areas are not going to be considered undiscovered for long. Pathfinders from remote regions take the handiness and gumption that their upbringing results in them and use them to establish new trails across planetary surfaces and interstellar nebulae others would consider impassible. Whether they open up their homeworlds to the wider galaxy or delve even farther into the unknown, they are sure to make an impact with their talents.
The lives of Seekers can be about more than just establishing their own path. Some Seekers find themselves directly in the paths of others, whether caught up in galactic turmoil, hunted by deadly predators, or always being in the wrong place at the wrong time. For these intrepid souls, their path is about taking everything the galaxy can throw their way, and moving onward in spite of it.
These natural survivors might view themselves as unlucky, or they might be too stubborn to admit any alternative route. A rare few even seek out increasingly difficult challenges through which to prove themselves. Whatever the reason for their trials, their journey forges them into some of the toughest and most determined individuals in the galaxy.
Ataru Strikers aren't strangers to conflict and struggle, but some fight tougher battles than most. Whether too headstrong to stop and pick their fights, or too determined to give up against tough odds, these warriors are used to being underdogs - and used to finding a way to win anyway. Even so, they rarely last long in the galaxy without learning restraint, even if they never master the art of concession, at least not with the Empire keeping an eye out for such figures.
The craft of Hunters can take them into conflict with some of the most dangerous life forms in the galaxy. Sometimes this is by choice, as they seek ever greater challenges to use in perfecting their skills. In other cases, Hunters face these threats because they must protect their homes of friends on particuarly deadly worlds. And of course, some Hunters just have a knack for flushing out trouble. Whatever the reason for their confrontations, these Hunters share a common experience of testing themselves in deadly conflict, sharpening their skills to maintain the edge that they have learned is necessary for survival.
Like all sentients, Force users can have extreme reactions to life and death struggles. Some hide, some flee, and some confront the threat head-on. Seekers who become accustomed to treading the last of these paths sometimes take a mroe proactive approach as Executioners; adopting a kill or be-killed attitude toward the threats that come their way. These Seekers must be careful not to misjudge a threat, or they risk falling to the dark side through indiscriminate violence. Those who wish to stay on the right side of the line between avenger and murderer must learn discipline and prudence along with their more lethal skills.
Navigators with troubled lives often find that the trouble is of their own making. With their talent for discovering the best route between any two points, sometimes they find themselves rushing headlong into previously unknown dangers. Whether they have a habit of straining their hyperdrives with huntested jumps, or pushing just a little too far into a hostile wilderness before turning back; these Navigators must become self-reliant in order to find the way back to safety from all manner of circumstance. Those who cannot learn to help-themselves extremely rarely last long enough to make a habit of getting out of such scrapes.
For as long as there has been civilization, there have been those who have scorned it as decadent and soft. The wild places of harsh planets can make those who survive them strong, even as they winnow out those too weak or fearful to remain. Many Hermits live by some validation on this philosophy, whether one as ruthless as the environments they seek to master, or a more noble ascetic discipline that seeks to build true inner strength.
Delving into the unknown spaces on planetary maps and star charts is a dangerous practice, and so it should be no surprise that many Pathfinders regularly court danger and conflict. To some extent, all Pathfinders must be survivors, as they never know what they might encounter while they forge onward into uncharted territory. However, some among them are tested more regularly than others, as they seek out or stumble upon new and unknown dangers. Each time they survive such an encounter, the next becomes less fearsome to them, and they grow to master their path.
Seeking isn't always about finding. Some3times, a Seeker's path is more about the journey than the destination. The guidance of the Force and their own inherent wanderlust leads these Seekers ever onward, not in search of any particular goal, but to gather wisdom and experience.
This is not to say that these ever journeying souls are useless or lack purpose. Rather, Seekers of this sort simply refuse to be pinned down. They feel the need to stay mobing, following the Force through the galaxy. They may stop to learn from a wise mentor or fight a necessary battle, but afterward, they are always ready to move on.
No matter where Seekers go in the galaxy, there is never a shortage of bullies, toughs, or villains. Because of this, Seekers who travel the galaxy often develop the skills of Ataru Strikers, whether to defend themselves against those who see newcomers as easy meat, or to bring justice and protection to each new locale they visit. Even though they don't remain in one place for long, the memory of their deeds tend to linger in the minds of those who see Ataru Strikers in action, shaping the galaxy for good or ill years after they have moved on.
Some Hunters feel an urge to move across the galaxy as irrepressible as the migratory insects of the beasts or other targets they pursue. Others simply reason that they can't practice their craft by staying in one place when their targets are in motion. Whether driven by some spiritual bond with their targets, or by the need to outmaneuver or outwit them, Hunters often find themselves on the prowl for new prey against which they can prove themselves.
Some Executioners are troubled by their talent for killing whether out of guilt, or simply because they don't have the patience for the aftermath. They may travel the galaxy in hopes of evading any unforeseen consequences of their actions, or to stay ahead of their conscience. Unfortunately, their skills have ways of finding uses, and their path across the galaxy may rapidly beomce a trail of bodies. Whether the dead are justly slain or simply victims varies from Seeker to Seeker, but many such journeys end up leading to the dark side.
It isn't hard for Navigators to live their lives on the move. In fact, for many of them, it may be that staying in one place for long is the issue. Between their natural affinity for travel and the interest their skills command, Navigators may have difficulty settling down, even for a little while. Some see this as a problem, or at least an inconvenience, while others embrace a rootless lifestyle, tied to nothing but a ship, caravan, or other means of conveyance.
The lives of Hermits are typically thought of as being sedentary, but that isn't necesssarily the case. While many Hermits make a residence out in the wilderness, others abandon the notion of a singular home altogether. Some such individuals take this extra step to further toughen themselves, seeing even a crude hut or cave as enough shelter to be a sign of weakness or excess. Others view their attitude as a step toward enlightenment, regarding the whole of the galaxy as their home instead of limiting themselves to a single system, world, nation, or settlement. Some Hermits might not even consider the issue, being too preoccupied with the mysteries of the Force and philosophical quandaries to spend time worrying about such mundane matters.
Pathfinders are masters of life on the move, but not all of them choose to use their skills constantly. Some Pathfinders prefer to work only as necessary, and stay at home - or at least in the same general area - when the situation doesn't demand travel. Those who stay more mobile are able to hone their skills to the utmost, until eventually they can be as comfortable bunking down on rocky clifffs or ice caverns as they would be upon sheets of Corellian nanosilk.