My first GURPS Traveller Character in the challenge, Professor Ivar Bjornson Sundelin, PhD. He's a Sword Worlder Philologist, who speaks most human languages in the Spinward Marches, and several dead ones as well. A native of Anduril/Sword Worlds, he had a fairly standard education until his youthful talent for languages was discovered. At that point, he attended the University of Graahavne for extensive instruction in modern languages and many of their immediate predecessors. Shortly after this, he served four undistinguished years in the Anduril System Defense Squadron as a communications officer and interpreter, adding Zhodani and Darrian to his existing linguistic catalog of Sagamal, Anglic, Modern Vilani, Icelandic, English, and Old High Vilani. He returned to the University as a graduate student, studying the literatures and development of his academic languages until age 30, when he was recruited to the Linguistics faculty of the Greven Henrik II Universitet, as a Reader in Modern languages. He continued his work a GH-II-U until age 45, when he lost out the Chair. The next year, he was recruited by the Imperial University of Mora, initially as a Visiting Professor. For the past decade, he has been working in the Imperium as an authority in Sword Worlds literature and languages. He recently retired, and may be encountered in almost any campaign in the Imperium. If he is used as a non-player character, he is an older man who is almost indestructible no matter what goes on, while running around looking for obscure documents. It is even possible he is on Terra, reading of ancient authors like Tolkien, Howard, Anderson, de Camp, Dusany, and Zelazny. Physically, he's a shorter man, having a narrow face with bright blue eyes, and close-cropped white hair.
From other blogs participating in this event:
Ivar Bjornson Sundelin
Human (Sword Worlder) Age 55, 5'8" (1.75m), 145 lb (66 kg)
ST 9 [-10] DX 10 [0] IQ 15 [60] HT 12 [20]
Basic Speed 5.5 Move 5
Advantages: Language Talent-3 [6]; Luck [15], Reputation (Philologist) [5]; Status-2 [10] ; Versatile [5], Voice [10], Wealth [10]
Disadvantages: Age [-15], Absent Minded [-15]
Quirks: Careful, Chauvinistic, Congenial, Never speaks about military service [-4]
Skills: Bard^-18 [4] Computer Operation-15 [1], Electronics Operation (Comm)-13 [.5], Free Fall-9 [.5], First Aid-14 [.5], Guns (Pistol)#-11 [.5], Linguistics-18 [20], Literature-18 [10], Reserach-15 [2], Savior-Faire ^-16 [.5], Speed Reading-15 [2], Teaching-16 [4], Vacc Suit-13 [.5]
Languages: Anglic*-18 [2], Sagamal*-18[Native], Modern Vilani*-17 [1], Darrian*-17 [1], Zhodani*-17 [1], Icelandic-*-17 [1], English*-17 [1], Old High Vilani*-17 [1]
* Includes +3 for Language Talent
# Includes +2 for IQ
^ Includes +2 for Voice
This is great blog to visit for this challenge.
ReplyDeleteI suffer from something I call "Traveller Envy" (I explain it on my blog) and this is going to let me see what all the options for Traveller that are out there. Can't wait to read them all.
Looking back, especially at the old GDW games, their background as wargamers and historians, you get the idea that by having a shared universe for Space Opera, they could fold, spindle, and mutilate it for a variety of levels. Rocky Mountain Navy on my blogroll, has written a fair amount on Traveller wargames.
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