Excellent. So far we have:<br/><br/>Bri, a young Guardmouse<br/>Cyd, a veteran Patrol Guard<br/>Noreen, a tenderpaw, friend of George<br/>Lucretzia, a tenderpaw<br/>George, a Guardmouse and apprentice Armorer, friend of Noreen<br/>Lucien, their dedicated Patrol Leader<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u">Mouse Nature</span><br/>All animals in MG act according to their Nature, including mice. Nature is arguably the most important aspect of a MG character. Mice can “tap” their Nature in order to boost their ability to do things mice naturally do, including<em>Escaping, Climbing, Hiding, and Foraging</em>. Keep these aspects in mind. If your mouse is doing one of these activities, they can use their Nature to give them a free boost.<br/><br/>Nature can also be used to add bonuses to accomplish tasks that are<em>against</em>Mouse Nature. If you do this, you risk losing some of your Nature, but it can be recovered. Your Nature will be a score between 0 and 7. A mouse with a Nature of 0 is no longer a mouse. It has no instinct to survive, is contemplative, and hampered by emotions and ideals. A mouse with a Nature of 7 is too wild to be a member of the Guard. They are too cautious and skittish. This is a mouse that can no longer live in civilization. Striking a balance is crucial. All mice start with a Base Nature of 3, which is modified by the answers to these questions:<br/><br/>1.   Do you save for winter even if it means going without something now, or do you use what you have when you need it?<br/>2.   When confronted, do you stand your ground and fight, or do you run and hide?<br/>3.   Do you fear owls, weasels and wolves?<br/><br/><em>Gorlan’s been around the Territories a few times, and he knows just how important it is to be prepared for that hard winter. When confronted, Gorlan stands his ground and protects others. Despite this courage, Gorlan is not without fear. He is afraid of owls, weasels, and especially wolves. <br/><br/>The answers to these questions will modify Gorlan’s Nature stat accordingly, and will also limit some other choices as we go on.</em><br/><br/><span class="bbc_u">Where were you born?</span><br/>The vast majority of Guardmice come from one of eight settlements within the Territories. Even if they were born in the wilderness, they visited one of these locations frequently. Each settlement has its own culture, tinting the cultural shade of the mice from that area. When choosing a hometown for your mouse, you’ll also choose one Skill and one Trait inherent to your character from coming from that settlement.<br/><br/>Barkstone, a busy, working-class town<br/>Skills: Carpenter, Potter, Glazier<br/>Traits: Steady Paw<br/><br/>Copperwood, one of the oldest cities and home to one of the two mines in the Territories<br/>Skills: Smith, Haggler<br/>Traits: Independent<br/><br/>Elmoss, a once prosperous city known for its medicinal moss<br/>Skills: Carpenter, Harvester<br/>Traits: Alert<br/><br/>Ivydale, renowned for its bakers and bread<br/>Skills: Harvester, Baker<br/>Traits: Hard Worker<br/><br/>Lockhaven, home of the Mouseguard<br/>Skills: Weaver, Armorer<br/>Traits: Generous, Guard’s Honor<br/><br/>Port Sumac, a busy little port town between Darkwater and Rustleaf<br/>Skills: Boatcrafter, Weather Watcher<br/>Traits: Tough, Weather Sense<br/><br/>Shaleburrow, a simple town known for its delicious drinks<br/>Skills: Mason, Harvester, Miller<br/>Traits: Open-Minded<br/><br/>Sprucetuck, known for its scientists, medicine, and scent concoctions<br/>Skills: Scientist, Loremouse<br/>Traits: Inquisitive, Rational<br/><br/><em>Gorlan is the son of two bakers from Ivydale. He takes the Baker skill and Hard Worker trait.</em><br/><br/>In your next post, answer the questions regarding your character’s Nature, and choose a Hometown for them, selecting one skill and one trait to go along with your choice.