"We run what others won’t, where others won’t."
— Motto stenciled under the airlock of the Dust Runner

In this two-part post, I want to do a full walkthrough of troupe-style character creation in QuestWorlds, using a crew of smugglers flying across the brutal frontier world of Perseverance. Think less Millennium Falcon, more low-altitude skimmer patched together from stolen parts and grit, weaving through canyon storms and ducking Commonwealth patrols.

This is the crew of the Dust Runner, a group of desperate but capable outlaws who make a living smuggling restricted cargo across Perseverance’s dangerous landscapes. Instead of crossing galaxies, they thread through red canyons, salt flats, and frozen wastes.

The Dust Runner: A Smuggler's Skiff

She's not fast enough for orbit and not quiet enough for comfort. But she's ours.

The Dust Runner is a low-altitude smuggling skiff, a boxy, patchworked flyer built from salvaged parts, illegal upgrades, and a lot of hopeful welding. She hugs the terrain as she flies, skimming over salt flats and ice fields, ducking into canyons to avoid detection. In Perseverance’s vast and law-stretched wilderness, she’s just fast and quiet enough to get a crew and their illicit cargo from one sketchy landing zone to another—provided they know the trails and keep the Commonwealth off their back.

She’s not elegant. Not safe. And certainly not legal. But she’s survived more than a few close calls, and every dent tells a story the crew would rather not repeat.

• Type: Atmospheric smuggling craft
• Capabilities:
  • Silent Running Mode: Low heat sig, low visibility
  • Hover Lift + Terrain Skimming: Perfect for rugged landings
  • Hidden Compartments: Fool most scans
  • Boosted Engines: Fast enough to escape, if you're lucky
• Weaknesses:
  • Short range; fuel-hungry
  • Unshielded; fragile at speed
  • Stealth breaks at full throttle

The Dust Runner doesn’t leave the atmosphere, but it doesn’t need to. It’s built to ferry black market cargo from mining towns to icebound ports, slipping through gaps in Commonwealth control.

Meet the Crew

The Dust Runner wouldn’t survive a single smuggling run without the four outlaws who call her home:

• Sandra “Lark” Vance – The charismatic captain and dealmaker. Lark makes the calls, finds the jobs, and talks them out of the worst ones (most of the time).
• Jace “Burn” Halloran – The hotshot pilot with nerves of steel and terrible impulse control. Burn flies fast, bets faster, and always owes someone something.
• Mira Vos – The ex-corporate tech turned rogue engineer. Mira keeps the ship running and knows every trick in the Commonwealth’s playbook—because she helped write them.
• “Grim” Navarro – The muscle. A former bounty hunter with a quiet demeanor and a deadly reputation. Grim knows the land better than most maps.

Let’s start with Lark and Burn.

✨ Sandra “Lark” Vance – Character Creation

🧱 Step 1: Prose Description

Sandra “Lark” Vance learned to fly as a free trader captain, running sketchy courier jobs before she ever owned a ship. She made her name navigating the dust routes of Perseverance, dodging patrols and landing where no licensed trader dared. On the ground, she’s a bluffing cardsharp, flashing a grin and a false manifest with equal ease. She’s burned bridges, ditched partners, and walked away from more than one wreck—but she’s still flying. If a job sounds risky and the payout’s stupid high, Lark’s already halfway out the hatch.

🧹 Step 2: Extracted Keywords and Breakout Abilities

Keywords

1. Free Trader Captain
   • Running sketchy courier jobs (+5)
   • Dodging patrols (+5)
   • Landing where no licensed trader dared (+5)
2. Bluffing Cardsharp
   • Flashing a grin and a false manifest (+5)
3. Navigating the Dust Routes of Perseverance

⚠️ Step 3: Flaws

1. Can’t Say No to a Risky Job – She jumps into dangerous opportunities before thinking them through.
2. Burned Bridges and Ditched Partners – She’s left behind broken deals and betrayed allies.

🎲 Step 4: Assign Ratings (Before Improvement)

• Free Trader Captain: 15 (primary keyword)
• Bluffing Cardsharp: 15 (distinguishing keyword)
• Navigating the Dust Routes of Perseverance: 10
• Breakouts: +5
• Flaws: 15 / 10

🛠️ Step 5: Spend 20 Improvement Points

✅ Final Character Sheet: Sandra “Lark” Vance

Keywords & Abilities

• Free Trader Captain (5M)
  • Running sketchy courier jobs (+5)
  • Dodging patrols (+5)
  • Landing where no licensed trader dared (+5)
• Bluffing Cardsharp (20)
  • Flashing a grin and a false manifest (+5)
• Navigating the Dust Routes of Perseverance (15)

Flaws

• Can’t Say No to a Risky Job (15)
• Burned Bridges and Ditched Partners (10)

✨ Jace “Burn” Halloran – Character Creation

🧱 Step 1: Prose Description

Jace “Burn” Halloran flies like the ship’s on fire and he’s got credits riding on the explosion. He made a name as a reckless skiff pilot, flying low over the tundras and weaving through canyon storms where sane traders wouldn’t risk a glider. He’s Perseverance-born, raised in backwater fuel camps where speed and risk were the only currency. Burn’s got debts in every trading post and bets on every race he can find. He swears he flies better with a hangover, and he’s usually proving it. No one pushes a skiff harder or faster—and no one pulls out of a dive later.

🧹 Step 2: Extracted Keywords and Breakout Abilities

Keywords

1. Reckless Skiff Pilot
   • Flying low over the tundras (+5)
   • Weaving through canyon storms (+5)
   • Flies better with a hangover (+5)
   • No one pulls out of a dive later (+5)
   • No one pushes a skiff harder or faster (+5)
2. Perseverance-Born
   • Raised in backwater fuel camps (+5)
   • Speed and risk were the only currency (+5)

Stand-alone Ability

• Bets on every race (20)

⚠️ Step 3: Flaws

1. Reckless Skiff Pilot (15) – His skill is real, but so is his recklessness. He pushes too far, too often.
2. Debts in Every Trading Post (10) – He owes favors and credits across the map.

🎲 Step 4: Assign Ratings (Before Improvement)

• Reckless Skiff Pilot: 15 (primary keyword and flaw)
• Perseverance-Born: 10
• Bets on every race: 15 (stand-alone ability)
• Breakouts: +5
• Flaws: 15 / 10

🛠️ Step 5: Spend 20 Improvement Points

✅ Final Character Sheet: Jace “Burn” Halloran

Keywords & Abilities

• Reckless Skiff Pilot (5M)
  • Flying low over the tundras (+5)
  • Weaving through canyon storms (+5)
  • Flies better with a hangover (+5)
  • No one pulls out of a dive later (+5)
  • No one pushes a skiff harder or faster (+5)
• Perseverance-Born (15)
  • Raised in backwater fuel camps (+5)
  • Speed and risk were the only currency (+5)
• Bets on every race (20) (stand-alone ability)

Flaws

• Reckless Skiff Pilot (15) (also serves as a flaw)
• Debts in Every Trading Post (10)

What’s Next?

In Part 2, we’ll finish the crew with:

• Mira Vos, the tech expert with classified firmware in her implants
• Grim Navarro, the silent ex-bounty hunter who tracks like a ghost

We’ll also wrap up with ideas for using a prebuilt crew like this in your QuestWorlds game, whether as protagonists, allies, or rivals.

See you next post, and don’t forget your dust goggles.