Origins – Asthalia Wyrldica

Table of Contents

Select one Origin for each of the three periods of your life: Childhood, Youth, and Juvenal. Combined, the three choices will help tell the story of your character’s life and the path of their family.

Abandoned/Orphaned

When you were young, your family disappeared. You grew up as an orphan, or perhaps were abandoned to the place you are most familiar with. You’ve always been alone and have done things your way.

You may have been in foster care, or perhaps a small orphanage, or you may simply have survived on the streets. You tend to see the world with a greater degree of mistrust and cynicism.

Ability Score

You gain a +1 to two scores of your choice, and a -1 to your Sanity, Charisma, or Mana.

Skills

You pick up one out of the following: Sleight o’ Hand, Survival (Urban), Survival (Settlement), Persuasion, Deception.

Tools

You can select any one of the following: Thieves’ tools, Scullery Kit.

Equipment

You have some trinket, a small thing, that you have to remind you of your family – for good, bad, or indifferent reasons.

Benevolence

Those older than you will often have a caregiver mindset on getting to know you. You will often receive free food and clothes from them. Adults with a good alignment will usually show some consideration for your care and well-being out of a paternal/maternal nature.

Acolyte

You were given over to a Temple or Shrine at this age and spent your time as an acolyte of the Power in service to the Temple. Acolytes are taught that they should strive to live within their means, be frugal, and forward the causes of the Powers That Be.

Ability Score

You gain a +1 to your WISdom, a +1 to your PERception, and a -1 to your KNOwledge.

Skills

You gain the Theology skill.

Tools

You gain a written language slot.

Equipment

You start out with a Holy Symbol and your wealth bonus is 5 sp.

Shelter of the Faithful

As an acolyte, you command the respect of those who share your faith, and you can support in and know the religious ceremonies of your deity. You and your adventuring companions can expect to receive free healing and care at a temple, shrine, or other established presence of your faith, though you must provide any material components needed for rituals. Those who share your religion will support you (but only you) at a Poor or Peasant lifestyle.

You also have ties to a specific temple dedicated to your chosen deity or pantheon, and you have a residence there. This means that your Homeland’s temples or shrines will be the ones to your power, and you must match it to your Homeland. This will be the temple where you used to serve, and you may or may not remain on good terms with it. While near your temple, you can call upon the priests for assistance, provided the assistance you ask for is not hazardous and you remain in good standing with your temple.

Artisan

You are an Artist of some sort – Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Music, Song, Oration, Acting, Dancing, and so forth. Entertainment and inspiration are a part of your character.

Ability Score

You gain a +1 to your CHArisma, a +1 to either your PERception or WISdom, and a -1 to a score of your choice.

Skills

You gain 1 skill in one of the following:

Acrobatics, Dance, Performance, Juggling, or Tumbling.

Tools

You gain one Tool or Kit from: Artisan’s, Carver’s, Painter’s, or Sculptor’s.

Equipment

Your Wealth Bonus is 20. If you have Artisan for both your Youth and Juvenal, you can take the bonus twice.

Making Do

You can create artwork between adventures sufficient to maintain a Peasant lifestyle.

Innworker

During this period, you were part of an Inn, Tavern, Public House, Café, Saloon, or similar establishment. You understand the nature of serving guests and the way people can be in such circumstances.

This would have been in a City, Town, or Village, or a non-guild one located along a road and without any local settlement closer than a day away. While you won’t have an understanding of Vintners and Distillers, you will have knowledge of the mercantile aspects of them.

Ability Score

You gain a +1 to your CHArisma, a +1 to your choice of Ability Score, and a -1 to your choice of Ability score.

Skills

You have the brewing and cooking skills.

Tools

You can choose either a Cook’s Kit or a Brewer’s Kit.

Equipment

Your Wealth Bonus is 20.

Plastered Persuasion

After spending years tending to the regular drunkards and new faces in the establishment you work in, you have become an expert at getting what you want from the inebriated, and can remember faces and voices with great accuracy.

Beggar/Urchin

During this period, you were homeless and surviving on the streets as an urchin or beggar. Your family may or may not have known this, you could have been a runaway or cast out from your family, but the result is still the same – you are on the streets now.

This will be in a town or a city, not a village or smaller settlement.

Ability Score

You gain a +1 to an ability score of your choice for each time you have this Origin.

Skills

You gain Sleight of Hand and Urban Survival

Tools

You do not gain any tools.

Equipment

Your Wealth Bonus is 5. If you have Urchin for Youth and Beggar for Juvenal, your bonus is 55.

City Secrets

You know the secret patterns and flow to cities and can find passages through the urban sprawl that others would miss. When you are not in combat, you (and companions you lead) can travel between any two locations in the city twice as fast as your speed would normally allow.

Courtesan/Courtier

These are not the nobles you are looking for. From the Circle of the Lanterns to Syndicates of Durango, the control and influence of the Courtesans and Courtiers of Wyrlde is broad, deep, and often dark. This background is sex work, plain and simple. Sex Work is not considered shameful or dishonorable or even bad by the people of Wyrlde, although it is treated as undesired in Sibola, where it has the deepest and most secure roots.

Courtesans and Courtiers come in different kinds:

Independent (CHA): Individuals who work for themselves, unaffiliated with a Circle or Syndicate.

Cloistered (WIS): An individual who is kept as a willing partner, either with others or alone.

Guild (KNO): An individual who works within a Circle or Syndicate.

Companion (PER): An individual who provides companionship and entertainment, conversation and status.

This background may be disallowed at some tables as a result of the Zero Session.

Ability Score

You gain a +1 to the Ability score associated with your kind of Courtesan or Courtier, a +1 to any ability score other than Strength or Constitution, and a -1 to either Strength or Constitution.

Skills

You gain a Handiwork skill, and your choice of 1 from Persuasion, Musical Instrument, Gaming, or Disguise Kit.

Tools

Handiwork Kit or Gaming Kit

Equipment

Your Wealth Bonus is 40. If you have Artisan for both your Youth and Juvenal, you can take the bonus twice.

Wiles

During your work, you’ve seen things, and so you tend to remain relatively calm and rational even during trying periods and in dire circumstances – but you will have one thing that breaks your cool and calm demeanor. You also have the ability to attract notice and draw attention through suggestive actions, lowering people’s guard and reducing their resistance to persuasion, deception, and similar actions.

Craftsfolk

During this period, you or your family were involve with the Guilds, paying dues and creating things. Thiis is the most common background. You were among the ordinary people until you took up an adventuring career. You understand the value of hard work and the importance of community. There are several types of Crafter.

Armory