Alert
The feeling of sitting on the edge of your seat, or that itch in the corner of your eye. They sleep lightly, and always seem agitated. Those that keep at it for too long seem paranoid and skittish.
Bigpaw
Mice with this trait have big paws. They’re good at physical tasks requiring sturdy, broad paws like Stonemason or Carpenter or Laborer. They’re a bit clumsy with tasks requiring fine or delicate work.
Bitter
Some guardmice grow bitter in the field. They feel all their efforts are for nothing. This may protect them from the many and varied disappointments of life in the Guard, but it also burdens them. They have trouble taking an optimistic course.
Bodyguard
The bodyguard is trained to protect his charge from harm, danger and exposure. Bodyguards are often a valuable asset, but they can become overprotective and hinder or impede the one they are to protect.
Bold
The bold rush into action without a thought for their own safety. Daring stratagems and reckless abandon are hallmarks of the bold. Forethought and caution are not for these mice.
Brave
The brave never hesitate to step into the unknown. They are susceptible to wild tales of far-off places and dangerous adventures. Brave mice almost universally detest being called cowards. It’s the surest way to earn their ire.
Calm
Calm mice are difficult to anger and are adept at shrugging off any emotion that does manage to burden their heart. However, they risk becoming too sedate and perhaps missing a threat.
Clever
Clever mice are useful in all fields. They are adept at figuring answers to pernicious problems. However, the Territories are rife with tales of clever mice who were too smart for their own good.
Compassionate
Compassionate mice are able to see and understand a problem from their opponent’s viewpoint. This is a great benefit in many situations, but it makes duty difficult when ruthless action is called for.
Cunning
Cunning mice are adept at deceit and plotting traps. They are often either arrogant or, if caught at their games, known as dishonest.
Curious
Curious mice are always eager to learn and on the lookout for new aspects to life in the Territories. But there’s a cautionary saying in Lockhaven, “Curiosity killed the mouse first,” that all mice should keep in mind.
Deep Ear
Mice with the Deep Ear trait have keen hearing, but it does make them susceptible to loud noises and the general din of the big cities.
Defender
During the Winter War of 1149, certain civilian mice were called upon to defend their homes from the invasion. They were civilians without training, support or even proper equipment. These mice now know the value and cost of defending one’s home.
Determined
Determined mice focus their energies on accomplishing their goals. While this is a useful characteristic, it can turn from determination to tunnel vision.
Driven
Driven mice follow their beliefs no matter what the cost. However, if they are not careful, that cost can prove to be very dear.
Early Riser
Early risers are up first in the morning. Awake before the sun, they’re clear-headed and sharp while everyone else is bleary-eyed and sleepy. Of course, they must be early to bed to be so early to rise.
Extrovert
Extroverts are adept at meeting mice or introducing themselves to strangers. However, they often lead public or semipublic lives and are easy to track down, even when they don’t want to be.
Fat
Times are lean in the Territories, but a few mice manage to put on the stones, usually by hanging around the bakery.
Fearful
There was an adage in Walnutpeck, “A fearful mouse is a wise mouse.” In other words, it’s better to flee a potential predator than wait around to be surprised. Of course, this instinct preserves mice who live in dangerous areas, but it hurts them when they come into the more civilized towns and have to deal with polite society.
Fearless
Fearless fighters charge into the face of danger without a thought for their own safety. However, they tend to forget when discretion should come before valor.
Fiery
Fiery mice know how to stir up a crowd, but they are quick to anger.
Generous
Generous mice always seem to have something to give to others, even if it means going without themselves.
Graceful
Some mice possess a poise and grace like unto a stalking cat or wheeling jay. However, these mice must take care not to be injured or hurt, lest they lose their youthful gifts.
Guard’s Honor
Those who live or were raised in Lockhaven have a special relationship with the Guard. They know its inner workings, its needs and travails. Living so closely with the Guard earns these mice a trait called Guard’s Honor. They are more intimately connected to the financial and social body of the Guard and are trusted to a greater degree. Should a mouse ever betray that trust, he is cast out—out of Lockhaven and perhaps even beyond the scent border. (Your parents must have been Guards for this trait)
Hard Worker
The mice of Ivydale are renowned for their work ethic. No mouse works harder or labors longer than an Ivydaler! Of course, these same hard workers rarely take a holiday, and some work themselves right into the grave.
Independent
Some mice are known for their strong independent streak. They prefer to do things on their own, their way. They feel that helping paws just get in the way.
Innocent
Innocent mice have an honesty and simplicity about them that makes their requests difficult to deny. However, they are often naive to the world’s true nature.
Inquisitive
The learned mice of Sprucetuck are renowned for their inquisitive nature. They are always searching for meaning and truth. Which, of course, leads them into all manner of dangerous situations.
Jaded
Life in the Guard hardens some mice and makes them callous. This protects them from the folly of youthful ideals and heroism, but it also makes them stubborn regarding new ideas.
Leader
The Guard is always in need of strong leaders. Such mice have a rare quality that inspires groups of mice to listen to them, even when they speak softly or indirectly. But it is important that these leaders do not abuse their powers and remain capable of following orders themselves.
Longtail
Occasionally, a mouse is born with an abnormally long tail. With a little practice, he can train himself to do all manner of tricks with it. Of course, it’s forever getting caught in doors, wrapped in wheels, trodden upon and yanked.
Lost
Some mice have no sense of direction. They’re useless at Pathfinding, but conversely, their wandering treks make them difficult to track down.
Natural Bearings
Quite the opposite of Lost mice, those with natural bearings always seem to know where they are. They also tend to have a wanderlust that makes them uncomfortable when in cities or towns for too long.
Nimble
A nimble mouse is adept at leaping and climbing. When out of the spotlight, though, they can be just as clumsy as everyone else, if not more so.
Nocturnal
Certain mice retain nocturnal habits. When others are asleep, they’re awake and prowling about, clear-headed and sharp-eyed. Of course, come noontime the next day, you’ll find them fast asleep.
Oldfur
An oldfur is a mouse who’s past his prime physically. Even so, oldfurs hold the collected wisdom of generations who have gone before.
Open-Minded
The culture of Shaleburrow is very liberal and forward-thinking. They are an open-minded people. This is reflected in their democratic government and proliferation of many different types of schools.
Quick-Witted
A quick-witted mouse acts on instinct, without need for thought or consideration. While this attribute is clearly useful, it can lead to difficulties when patience and planning are required.
Quiet
Mice are quiet by nature, but these mice are even more so. They’re quiet in everything they do— the way they speak, the way they work and the way they walk. Some sink so far into quietude, they have difficulty coming out of their shells.
Rational
Mice can be persuasive when using their logic and reason. But they lose their veneer of education if they let emotion get the better of them.
Scarred
Mice in the Guard who lived through the Weasel Wars are often scarred by their experiences. They’re tough, and not easily flustered by injury or fear, but they are also maimed or psychologically scarred by their experiences.
Sharp-Eyed
A sharp-eyed mouse is always welcome on patrol. He makes a good scout or hunter. Sometimes, after staring at the brush for days on end, the sharp-eyed mouse can get a little jumpy.
Sharptooth
Certain mice have naturally sharp teeth, and they’re not above using them in a fight or another close situation. These mice also have problems with bruxing—grinding their teeth. They can keep their fellow patrol mice up all night when they grind their teeth in their sleep!
Short
Some mice are shorter than others. They are particularly adept at slipping through cracks and getting into hard-to-reach places. Of course, they have a difficult time getting the plates and jars out of the cupboard.
Skeptical
Skeptical mice are always watching for lies and deceit, a good quality. It can go too far when the skeptic thinks even the truthful are liars.
Skinny
It’s always good to keep a slim build, but it’s important for mice to stay healthy, too.
Steady Paws
The steady paws of Barkstone come from a tradition of skilled labor in the city, specifically smiths. Some smiths value their hands so highly, they’ve taken out insurance policies with local banks!
Stoic
A stoic mouse never complains about the hardships of life in the Guard. He accepts them and soldiers on. However, this same quality makes him emotionally remote and difficult to reach in matters of empathy, love and compassion.
Stubborn
It is good to stand for what you believe in, just be careful of taking too hard a stance. Other mice may dismiss you as being intractable and unhelpful.
Suspicious
Life among the mice of the Territories is not one of complete harmony. There are schemes and plots hatched. The suspicious mouse is always on the watch for such plots. Of course, he’s also much more prone to seeing a plot even when there is none.
Tall
Most mice in the Territories are about the same height. Every so often, a proud mother bears forth a strapping young mouse who sprouts up taller than the rest. Certainly a useful attribute for helping mum get the jam down from the cupboard or bossing around brothers and sisters. Not so useful when it’s time to duck into that tiny little bolt hole.
Thoughtful
A thoughtful mouse will ponder all of his options and all possible courses of action before making a decision. This is very useful when there’s time to plan or ponder, but useless when it’s time to act with haste.
Tough
Some mice are built tougher than others. They’re better at coping with injury and sickness, but this quality also leads to a certain hubris. They’re vulnerable to another mouse who plays into their strength.
Weather Sense
Some mice are born with an innate sense of the weather, others learn it through experience— they feel it in their bones. Of course, when you can accurately predict the weather, everyone blames the rain on you.
Wise
Wisdom is a rare thing in this day and age. Many mice are quick to judge and don’t remember the lessons of the past. This mouse carries wisdom with him that helps him see truth and the right path to action. But he must constantly fight his own inner demons lest that wisdom turn to arrogance and pride.
Wolf’s Snout
Some mice have an extremely keen sense of smell. These mice are said to have the “wolf’s snout,” a reference to the mouse’s most feared enemy and the most dangerous predator. The trait is useful when hunting, but a mouse with this gift must take care not to be overloaded by multiple scents.
Young
This mouse, no matter his actual age, is vigorous and youthful. He’s healthy and rarely gets tired or sick. The youthful exuberance often comes with a youthful impatience.
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