An empath who sometimes struggles to contain the fire within their soul. A friend of wild creatures who can be as mischievous as the slyest of them. A master martial artist who nevertheless is devoted to peace, but has a little problem when it comes to risk assessment. Meet the Party strives to create ready-to-play characters for a variety of systems and settings, both for your use and to inspire you in making characters of your own. Savage Worlds might have won the Twitter poll a while back, but there was quite a bit of enthusiasm to see characters for Fate Accelerated Edition as well. To pay off that enthusiasm, why not revisit something from The Independents? Keep an eye on the dragon and get ready to fly as we meet Pilgrims from Do: Fate of the Flying Temple!

There are some differences in language between Do and your standard FAE game, particularly about the aspects. The Avatar aspect is what determines the second half of a Pilgrim’s name, and is equivalent to a High Concept in that it defines what the Pilgrim is best at. The Banner Aspect, like the Trouble aspect, defines what tends to get the Pilgrim into difficult situations, and determines the first part of a Pilgrim’s name. It’s also less definitively negative than a Trouble; bravery can often be a good thing, but can also get a Pilgrim over their head, for one example. In addition, every Pilgrim possess a Dragon aspect, a trait of the dragon they found instead of the now-missing Flying Temple who now accompanies them on their journeys. Speaking of the dragon, get ready to follow it through the sky and across the Many Worlds as we meet the party and see what our young Pilgrims can do!

Ardent Thought

Aspects

Avatar: Fire Magic Empath

Banner: The Fire Burns Hot!

Dragon: Getting to Know People

Other Aspects: Chaos Amidst the Calm, Calm Amidst the Chaos

Approaches

Careful  +1           Clever +1              Flashy +3

Forceful  +2          Quick +2               Sneaky +0

Stunts

– Sensitive to Emotions: Because I am Sensitive to Emotions I get a +2 when Cleverly creating an advantage by discovering another character’s aspect.

– Born in Fire: Because I am Born in Fire, once per session I can pass through or be struck by flames or other extreme heat without being harmed.

Refresh: 3

Ardent Thought is a Pilgrim quite talented with the gift of fire magic, who can sense the emotions of others by ‘seeing’ the flames that burn within them, making her a Fire Magic Empath. Of course fire can be as dangerous as it is useful; The Fire Burns Hot! means that Ardent Thought is a passionate girl, but sometimes her emotions get the better of her. Through her the dragon is Getting to Know People, a valuable goal for any Pilgrim traveling the Many Worlds. Finally, Ardent Thought is Chaos Amidst the Calm, Calm Amidst the Chaos: she has a habit of unsettling the status quo, acting as a soothing voice when tempers are flaring or a passionate one where apathy has set in.

Sly Shepherd

Aspects

Avatar: Beast Speaker

Banner: Crazy Like a Fox!

Dragon: Like Nothing Ever Seen Before

Other Aspects: Charitable Mischievousness

Approaches

Careful  +2           Clever +3              Flashy +1

Forceful  +0          Quick  +2              Sneaky +1

Stunts

– Mouse-Like Tread – Because I have Mouse-Like Tread I gain a +2 when Sneakily getting into places I don’t belong.

– Friend to All Living Things – Because I am a Friend to All Living Things, once per session I can summon any animal of my choosing to my side, including the Dragon!

Refresh: 3

Sly Shepherd is often surrounded by animals, conversing with them in their own languages; they are, after all, a Beast Speaker. Sly Shepherd is most often seen speaking with animals who value cleverness and speed over brute strength, and some of that has rubbed off on the Pilgrim, as they are Crazy Like A Fox! Sometimes cleverness can make things more difficult, however. The dragon is Like Nothing Ever Seen Before, potentially leaving others wonderstruck. Finally, Sly Shepherd is often found engaging in Charitable Mischievousness. Even the craziest of their pranks seem to have a kind thought behind them.

Brave Leapfrog

Aspects

Avatar: Mad About Martial Arts

Banner: Leaped Before I Looked

Dragon: Doesn’t Know Its Own Strength

Other Aspects: Wisdom in Meditation

Approaches

Careful +0            Clever +1         Flashy +1

Forceful +3           Quick +2         Sneaky +2

Stunts

–  Fists of Fury: Because I have Fists of Fury, I get a +2 whenever I Flashily use martial arts to intimidate someone.

– Guardian Pilgrim: Because I am a Guardian Pilgrim, once per session I can Forcefully attempt to make an Elegant Defense for another character.

Refresh: 3

Brave Leapfrog is quite Mad About Martial Arts, having excelled at the training that the monks provided him. It makes him quite physically adept and confident in himself, but more than once he’s had to confess that he “Leaped Before I Looked.” The dragon Doesn’t Know Its Own Strength, which can be a good thing as often as a bad thing. Finally, Brave Leapfrog did not only pay attention to the physical aspects of his martial arts training, and thus has attainted some measure of Wisdom in Meditation.

Who They Are

Ardent Thought impressed the monks with her fiery passion for everything she set her mind to, and worried them thanks to the same. She almost always stands out, whether she’s the loudest one in the room or the only one who is remaining quiet and listening. She genuinely loves being a Pilgrim and traveling the Many Worlds because it means she gets to keep meeting new people.

Sly Shepherd has always seemed more comfortable in the presence of animals than they have other people. Compared to their fellow Pilgrims they tend to be quiet and work in the background, but more than one monk or Pilgrim discovered that they have a (benign) mischievous streak a mile wide. Benign or not, though, they often surprise others by how much trouble they can get into (and out of)!

Brave Leapfrog took to the martial arts practiced by the monks to a degree that would have worried them if he wasn’t equally dedicated to his meditations. As things stand he is an extremely confident and self-assured young man who is devoted to the tenets of non-violence preached by the monks. The only problems he ever runs into seems to be when he lets that confidence get the better of him.

How They Interact

Ardent Thought tends to describe the people she meets as different types of fires. Sly Shepherd is a small one with strange and interesting colors, a flame you enjoy watching to see what it might do next. Brave Leapfrog is a roaring bonfire to keep away the darkness and provide warmth and comfort – but it’s always wise to keep a bucket of water on hand to control the errant sparks.

Sly Shepherd has some common ground with Ardent Thought: they both hear things that nobody else can, she the emotions of others and they the words and thoughts of animals. Their only worry is on behalf of some of their animal friends; fire can be scary! Brave Leapfrog is a lot of fun to play tricks on, especially when he’s meditating, and his good-natured reactions quickly marked him as a friend.

Brave Leapfrog, when he remembers to, looks to Ardent Thought whenever he needs a clue as to how to proceed. If she’s agitated it usually means he should start leaping into action, while if she’s being quiet it’s likely a moment to wait and see what happens. Sly Shepherd is an excellent traveling companion: they’re always challenging him while he’s meditating, helping him to become more disciplined.

The Future

What happened to the Flying Temple? What secrets does the dragon hold? Can Ardent Thought, Sly Shepherd, and Brave Leapfrog answer the letters from people across the Many Worlds and succeed in helping them with their problems? That’s for you (and your Fate dice) to determine!

Like what Meet the Party has to offer? Want to see ready-to-play characters for a system and/or setting of your choice? Let us know @HungryHalfling, at cannibalhalflinggaming@gmail.com, or here in the comments! And remember, Patreon supporters get first dibs!