First (real) character burning

[Tommi Brander]

With only one player.
The character concept started as elven merchant. Citadel born, wanderer, lead to wilds, gatherer and chandler. Are there no elven merchants in the citadel?
Beliefs were done so as to include the three components: ideology, goal and action. Or supposed to.
They were not formatted and I am translating them with accuracy in mind.

Wealth is happiness. I will get rich by selling stuff. [Goal is a bit vague here.]
Knowledge gives power. Secrets must be revealed [to the char in question, at least; not to everyone]. I will break into houses to accomplish this [this part seems weak or inappropriate].
Debt is not a good thing to have. Others will be indebted to me, because I will loan to others. [Goal and action are exactl the same.]

The merchant has 1 resources. Nonnoble elves aren't exactly rich.

Instincts: Never kill. Never betray. Have a few spare coins hidden for bad times.

Traits: Elven common and nimble (c-o for lockpicking).

The elf has his female cousin as a relationship (hateful). She leads a group of elven bandits who do raids on the nearby human settlements. Affiliation and reputation among the group, too.
We talked about this, and the current notion is that the PC sells stuff the bandits steal. He is not very liked for not being very good at selling that stuff for good price.


Here are my vile plans: The cousin's a dark elf. Wants to enlighten all the bandits and destroy those petty humans (who she assumes to have killed/enslaved her family) by causing a war between the mankind and the elves.
How much should I tell to the player?

The game will start when the merchant (I only have the worksheet, so no name available) is in an elven city selling some chickens (taken from humans, presumably).
I figured that a merchant might want to sell those birdies. This is a good time to introduce rules.
First planned conflict: To get attention of a potential customer. Elf has conspicuous and chant of offering, so skill tests. Maybe a FoRK die from streetwise (or linked test?). I think this'll be an opposed check. Stakes I am going to propose: You win and get a nice opportunity, you fail and a guard will come asking nasty questions. Are these too vague?
If he wins, an old elf ready to sail away (but not yet taken by grief) will offer a deal: give him the birds so he can feast with the few friends he has. His dwelling will be empty for around a week, so using that will be the reward. With possibility to haggle, which I will explicitly mention. Is there any way to involve resources here?
The house itself will have some more-or-less subtle hints about dark elves and some lockpicking (a chest). I think this would be ideal for the elf taking his time with the lock and having guards appear, all stated before rolling. Basically: Are you ready to get in troubles with the authority to find out what the chest holds?

Well, that was incoherent. More info on demand.

[Judd]

I like the beliefs, like 'em a whole lot. 

Maybe it is because I have been reading some Dashiel Hammet lately but this guy seems primed and ready to uncover some citadel corruption.

An instict that is Never kill, that almost seems like a dare.

Have fun.

[Tommi Brander]

No combat skills there.
Yet.

[Judd]

I think you and this player are going to get a whole lot of mileage out of Duels of Wits and Circles tests.

I'd like a situation where his evil cousin calls on him to represent her in court and he has to sort through a sordid underbelly of elven corruption and decide which evidence to call on.  She's guilty...but not of the crime she is accused of and the trail leads to someone honorable and good, but they'd get the death penalty if accused of such a crime.

NEver kill...even NOW, motherfucker!