1. Choose Class.
Fighter or Thief. See "character classes" for more information.

If randomly determining your character, roll a die. Even is a fighter, odd is a thief.

2. Roll for Attributes.
Roll 4d6 and drop the lowest die. Repeat five times, and apply the results to the attributes of your choice.

3. Choose Dominant Hand.
You gain certain bonuses based on whether your character is left handed or right handed. As a result, losing your primary hand is more devastating than losing your secondary hand.

If randomly generating your character, roll a d10. You are left-handed only on a result of 10.

4. Choose Background.
What economic class your character belongs to. If randomly determining your character, roll a d6 to determine backgrund.

5. Choose a Specialty.
Everyone gains a specialty at level 1, a unique skill or special quality that can add +3 to specific checks or grant special abilities.

6. Choose Relationships.
All characters get two Relationships at level 1. You can choose to forgo your second Relationship to instead receive special training from your first Relationship, but all characters must start with at least one Relationship.

7. Buy Equipment.
Roll for starting wealth (as determined by your Background) and buy equipment.

8. Add Nationality and Faith.
These have no in-game impact, but for those randomly determining characters:

Nationality
Roll a d10.
1 - Aventaine
2 - Krastavo Commonwealth
3 - Bornyivkin Tsardom
4 - Baboti Khanate
5 - Pavarea
6 - Avaholm
7 - Onnen
8 - Mahuak
9 - Other Outlying Isle
10 - Golinlund

Religion
Roll a d20.
1-6   - Masonite
7-11  - Makerite
12-16 - Alchemist
17    - Atheist/Agnostic
18    - Cultist
19    - Polytheist (Pantheon)
20    - Polytheist (Devotee of one god)
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:27, Tue 24 Dec 2019.

Attributes and Modifiers
We'll be using the same stat spread and modifiers from Labyrinth Lord. Namely:

3     | -3
4-5   | -2
6-8   | -1
9-12  |  0
13-15 | +1
16-17 | +2
18    | +3

Roll for stats by using the 4d6, drop the lowest method. You can assign results to the attributes of your choice.

Strength
- Adds to checks involving running, climbing, swimming, or physical feats of strength.
- Adds to attack and damage rolls for most melee weapons and thrown light weapons.
- Determines your personal encumbrance. You can carry 30 lbs. plus your Strength score x 5, while horses can typically carry 200 lbs. total.

Dexterity
- Adds to checks involving finesse or fine coordination.
- Adds to attack and damage rolls for all ranged attacks and some melee attacks.
- Adds to initiative.
- Modifies your AC, with positive Dexterity modifiers reducing it and negative Dexterity modifiers increasing it.

Constitution
- Adds to some checks involving endurance and patience.
- Adds to starting hitpoints, and hitpoints gained per level.

Intelligence
- Adds to checks involving research, academia, or most checks involving daemonology.
- A positive modifier adds to languages known. A +1 means you know a spoken language of your choice. A +2 means you know both a spoken language and a secret language of your choice. A +3 means you know a spoken language, a secret language, and a third language of your choice.
- Determines the number of imbued items (sigils and talismans) you can have personally created at one time. This is your caster level and Intelligence attribute combined.

Wisdom
- Adds to checks involving harvesting reagents, spotting fine details or hidden objects or enemies.

Charisma
- Adds to checks involving commerce or persuasion of any kind, or checks for bargaining with daemons.
- Determines number of hirelings you can have under your command at one. You can have a number of hirelings equal to your Charisma attribute in your employ at one time.

Dominant Hand
While it is possible to be or become Ambidextrous through the appropriate specialty, most people have a tendency to favor either their left or their right hand a little bit. Attacking with a weapon wielded in your off-hand inflicts a -2 penalty to the attack roll if the weapon is dagger or light weapon, and a -4 penalty if it is anything else.

It is possible to lose a hand over the course of play to misadventure or injury, or as part of a daemonic contract. Two-handed weapons can still be used: roughly effective prosthetics designed for holding a weapon (and nothing else) can allow you to fire a bow, crossbow, musket, carbine, blunderbuss, or a standard two-handed weapon. Such devices will allow you to make attack rolls with your chosen weapon, but at a -1 penalty. One-handed weapons can be wielded with a prosthetic hand, but take a -2 penalty to attack rolls.

If randomly rolling characters, players will need to roll a 10 on a 1d10 to play a left-handed character. Left-handed players enjoy +1 to melee attack rolls, as most combatants aren't prepared for a left-handed stance. For unknown reasons, an individual's dominant hand also has subtle effects on their personal magical receptivity and abilities. Right-handed individuals gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws versus magic, and permanently increase their maximum Valor by 1. Left-handed individuals gain a +1 bonus to their starting caster level. All bonuses are lost if the dominant hand is ever severed, though they can restored along with the hand with a Regenerate spell. Using a magical, articulated prosthetic arm will also restore dominant hand bonuses to a player who has lost them.

Background
1-3 Working Class: If either your Strength or Wisdom is below 14, you may raise one to 14. Your character is illiterate, unless they gain literacy through their specialties or relationships. You begin play with a free draft horse and 1d4 x 50 GP for equipment.
4-5 - Middle Class: If either your Dexterity or Constitution is below 14, you may raise one to 14. Your character may choose to be either literate or illiterate. You begin play with your choice of either a free riding horse or free draft horse. You start with 1d4 x 100 GP for equipment.
6 - Upper Class: If either your Intelligence or Charisma is below 14, you may raise one to 14. Your character is literate. You begin play with a free riding horse and 2d4 x 100 GP for equipment.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:57, Tue 24 Dec 2019.

Recommended Party Starts

Mercenary Company

Lancers and Rangers

The Hopeful

Royal Cartographers
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:48, Fri 04 June 2021.

Placeholder
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:59, Mon 01 July 2019.

Specialties
Every character can select a specialty at level 1. Specialties are focused and powerful, the skills and traits that define your character. They can provide a +3 bonus to relevant saves or checks, or grant you new abilities.

Specialties never stack if providing a bonus to a roll, but other benefits of specialties are cumulative. For example, a character with both the Mithraditism specialty and the Poisoner specialty would add only +3 to saving throws versus non-magical poisons, not +6. Someone who takes both Cryptographer and Ceremonial Combat would learn a total of 4 secret languages; since that benefit doesn't affect rolls of any kind, they "stack".

Skills and Training
1 - Mithraditism: Adds to saving throws versus poisons and the Cloudkill spell. Eliminates the penalty inflicted by inhibiting poisons.
2 - Linguist: Learn three living languages of your choice. Adds to Charisma-based skill checks when speaking to someone in their native tongue.
3 - Cryptographer: Learn literacy. Learn three secret languages of your choice. Adds to checks involving puzzles, codes, riddles, ciphers, or any checks for detecting secret, hidden or encoded writing. Adds to checks for decoding daemonic seals.
4 - Pickpocket: Adds to checks for stealing, palming or planting items, sneaking and hiding in man-made settings, and general sleight of hand.
5 - Survivalist: Reduces penalties from non-magical weather. Adds to checks for hunting and tracking, or for sneaking or hiding in natural terrain. Adds to saves versus the spell Lightning Bolt.
6 - Silver Tongue: Adds to checks involving deception, intimidation or persuasion. Also adds to checks involving bargaining, including with daemons.
7 - Infiltration: Adds to checks for hiding, sneaking, climbing, or detecting hidden enemies.
8 - Athletics: Adds to checks for running, jumping, swimming, climbing, breaking bonds or bars, or other feats of physical strength. Add 3 to your maximum hitpoints.
9 - Occult Initiation: +1 to caster level. Learn a secret language of your choice. Learn daemonology. Adds to checks for summoning daemonic lords.
10 - Architect: Adds to damage rolls versus structures with petards or powder kegs. Adds to damage rolls versus constructs. Adds to checks involving stonework, masonry, knowledge of building design, or detecting secret doors. Either adds or subtracts from the cave-in risk when explosives are used indoors (player's choice on use).
11 - Endurance Training: Adds to all Health saves and Constitution-based checks.  Add 3 to your maximum hitpoints.
12 - Formal Education: Learn a language of your choice. Lean daemonology. Learn literacy. Adds to checks to identify non-magical creatures or objects, or to research any non-magical topic. Adds to saves versus the Feeblemind, Symbol and Charm Person spells.

Crafts and Professions
1 - Ordained Priest: Learn daemonology. Learn literacy. Learn a language of your choice.  Adds to checks to persuade, deceive or intimidate anyone sharing your faith, or to research anything related to your faith. Adds to checks to banish daemons. Adds to saves versus curses and magical diseases.
2 - Trapper: Adds to checks for tracking, or for disarming, spotting or setting traps of any kind. Adds to checks for sneaking or hiding in natural settings.
3 - Hunter: Adds to checks for hunting and tracking, or for sneaking or hiding in natural settings. Adds to damage rolls versus natural and dire animals made with bows, crossbows, melee weapons and firearms.
4 - Daemonologist: +1 to caster level. Learn a secret language of your choice. Learn daemonology. Adds to checks to identify, banish, research or summon daemons.
5 - Physician: Adds to checks to treat diseases of any type. Adds to saves versus non-magical diseases. As a task action, you  can make a threshold 7 Intelligence check to restore 1d6 hitpoints to an injured human ally.
6 -Blacksmith: As a task action, you can make a threshold 7 Intelligence check to create up to 3 GP worth melee weapons and armor. With GM approval, you can also create tools or other items made wholly or entirely out of metal, such caltrops, iron pitons, or the like. Adds to saves versus explosions and non-magical fire, including a dragon's firebreath.
7 - Alchemist: +1 to caster level. Learn daemonology. Learn literacy. As a task action, you can make a threshold 7 Intelligence check to create up to 3 GP worth of non-magical chemicals such as oil or acid.
8 - Horse Trainer: Adds to saves versus being unhorsed. Adds to checks involving horses. As a task action, you can make a threshold 7 Intelligence check to restore 1d6 hitpoints to an injured horse. Your mount never fails Morale checks.
9 - Locksmith: Adds to checks to unlock locks of all types, or to set or disarm traps attached to doors or containers.
10 - Apothecary: Adds to checks for treating diseases of any kind. Adds to saves versus disease. As a task action, you can make a threshold 7 Intelligence check to create up to 3 GP worth of folk medicine, good medicine, common drugs and rare drugs.
11 - Gunsmith: Adds to saves versus explosions and firearm misfire. As a task action, you can make a threshold 7 Intelligence check to create up to 3 GP worth of gunpowder weapons and ammunition for firearms.
12 - Merchant: Learn any living language. Adds to checks involving bartering, including with daemons. Adds to rarity checks.

Innate Traits
1 - Ascetic Lifestyle: Adds to saves versus privation and curses. Eliminates the penalties for privation: you can still die from extreme privation, but you do not take skill or attack penalties.
2- Ambidextrous: Reduces the penalty for attacking with an off-hand weapon, eliminating the penalty entirely in the case of daggers and light weapons.
3 - Second Sight: Adds to checks to detect hidden doors, hidden treasure, ambushes, hidden enemies, or hidden traps. Adds to saves versus the Phantasmal Force spell.
4 - Deceiver: Adds to checks for deception or unfettering pacts.
5 - Danger Sense: Adds to initiative rolls and checks to notice traps, ambushes, or hidden monsters. Adds to saves versus explosions.
6 - Steady Hand: Adds to checks for disarming traps. Eliminates the penalty for firing from horseback with pistols, dragons, riding crossbows and carbines. Carbines still automatically miss if fired from the back of a moving horse.
7 - Honed Reflexes: Adds to initiative rolls and Dodge saves versus non-magical threats.
8 - Iron Liver: Adds to saves versus drugs and ingested poisons. Eliminates the penalties from inebriation.
9 - Animal Empathy: Adds to Charisma-based checks involving natural animals of any kind, including dragons and gryphons. Adds to saves versus being unhorsed. Your mount never fails Morale checks.
10 - Mettle: Applies to skill checks to detect hidden creatures, adds to saving throws versus privation. Eliminates attack penalties from missing an eye (but not blindness) and prosthetic limbs.
11 - Steadfast: Adds to Aura saves that would influence your mind or behavior, and saves versus drugs and privation.
12 - Strong Back: Applies to skill checks involving swimming, climbing, or breaking bonds or bars. Adds an additional 30 pounds to maximum encumbrance.

Combat Talents
1 - Blindfighter: Reduces the penalties for making melee attacks while blinded, in darkness or against invisible targets by 3 (from -5 to -2).
2 - Backstabber: Adds to damage rolls with daggers or light weapons during a surprise round.
3 - Bow Sniper: Eliminates the penalties for using shortbows and bows at long range. Adds to damage rolls for bows during surprise rounds.
4 - Rifle Sniper: Eliminates the penalties for using carbines and muskets at long range. Adds to damage rolls for carbines and muskets during surprise rounds.
5 - Skilled Horseman: Adds to damage rolls for melee weapon attacks made from horseback and saving throws versus being unhorsed.
6 - Horse Archer: Eliminates the attack penalties for firing using any ranged weapon from horseback. Adds to saving throws versus being unhorsed.
7 - Grenadier: Adds to damage rolls made with grenades. Adds to saving throws versus explosions and the Fireball spell.
8 - Martial Artist: Adds to damage rolls with unarmed attacks. Adds to skill checks for running, jumping, swimming or climbing.
9 - Fire from the Hip: Adds to initiative. Adds to damage rolls with firearms during a surprise round.
10 - Ceremonial Combat: +1 to caster level. Learn a secret language of your choice. You can use silvered weapons at their full Pierce die. Adds to banishing checks.
11 - Poisoner: Adds to damage rolls made with any poison you've applied. Applies to saving throws versus non-magical poisons.
12 - Aerial Combat: Eliminates attack penalties for attacking while flying, or attacking from a flying a mount.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:03, Fri 17 Jan 2020.

Relationships

Any time you would gain a new Relationship, you can forgo selecting a new one to instead receive special training benefits from one of your pre-existing Relationships.

Special Training Benefits (Choose One)
- Learn literacy.
- Learn daemonology.
- Learn a language.
- +1 caster level
- Increase an Attribute. If your Attribute is below its baseline, add 1d4 (up to your baseline). If your Attribute is at your baseline or higher, increase it by 1.
- Increase your weapon expertise with a broad class of weapon, increasing the Pierce die.

The special training selected must be relevant to the Relationship you're learning it from. For example, you are unlikely to learn the Druidic language due to your association with the Eternal Guard; the GM might require you to select Imperial or Plainsman as your language instead.

Military Regiments and Religious Orders
Organizations known for fighting, offering largely martial bonuses in combat situations. It is extremely rare for a hero to earn membership in more than one of these organizations, as they each have a tendency to hunt down and kill deserters.

1 - The Aventinian Royal Lancers: The elite heavy cavalry unit of Aventaine, Royal Lancers were early adopters of gunpowder weapons. They still live up to their name, however, with cavalry charges to rival the Krastavan Hussars.

2 - The Aventinian Mounted Rangers: A volunteer force of irregulars guarding the northern borders of Aventaine against draugr incursion, the mounted rangers are seen by some as folk heroes, keeping the high martial tradition of the bow alive in Aventaine. All have special dispensation from the King to practice daemonology, though not every individual Ranger uses it.

3 - The Gilded Hussars:  The elite heavy cavalry force of the Grand Continent, the feared Gilded Hussars of Krastavo are largely noble-born warriors who pledge their service to the state, forgoing gold for glory. With the Golish Reiters eradicated, the Hussars are indisputably the preeminent heavy cavalry unit in the Five Nations. They are known for their elaborate and terrifying full battle dress (replete with decorative "wings") and use of imbued items in combat.

4 - The Anointed Armada: The only thing standing between Aventaine and uncontested dominance of the seas, the Pavarean navy is called "Anointed" due to their practice of slathering the hulls of their ships with flame-retardant chemicals.

5 - The Golish Reiter Remnant: Feared enforcers of the will of the Crown of Golinlund, the Reiters were known for their blend of gunpowder and heavy armor, and their skill on horseback in the rugged terrain of their native Golinlund. A largely noble-born order similar to the Royal Lancers or the Gilded Hussars, the Reiters were lost in the Fall of their homeland. Players with this relationship may have studied their techniques through lost manuals or studied under former Reiter refugees, but if any of the old Reiters still live, they are lost deep within the interior of Fallen Golinlund.

6 - The Hopeful: Also sometimes translated from Borys as "The Reliable," their name is a cruel joke. They are hopeful because they are the forlorn hope of many a siege. They are reliable because they are prisoners, unable to refuse orders. A feared Borys penal unit, those rare few who survive their tenure among The Hopeful may earn great esteem in the court of the Iron Tsar. And of course those that merely die also serve the Tsar, in their own way...

7 - The Holy Order of Rizan Hospitaliers: An esteemed and ancient holy order rooted in Riza, the Hospitaliers have grown to become a major military and economic player within the sprawling politics of the Grand Continent. Specifically, the Hospitaliers have earned a fortune for themselves securing trade routes, providing banking services, and operating inns and clinics in some of the most inhospitable and war-torn regions of the Grand Continent. Their influence is concentrated in the holy city of Riza.

8 - Mercenary Officer: A majority of the Krastavo Commonwealth's standing military are actually mercenary forces, and the Krastavans themselves have a long tradition of fighting for gold. Characters with this relationship might be commanding a small squad or a large company, but they are used to leading diverse mercenary forces.

9 - The Sacred Rib Sangha: A previously sleepy religious community in western Baboti lands that devoted its religious life to the ceremonial disposal of the dead, the Sacred Rib Sangha found a new purpose with the Fall of Golinlund. Electing to expand their holy cause to include the undead monsters plaguing the northern border, the Sangha have become the preeminent undead hunting organization of the Grand Continent. They are welcome even in lands unfriendly to Baboti foreigners due to the vital services they perform (namely, free funeral services for the poor and extermination of dangerous undead), and readily accept converts to their cause. Their name derives from a vow they take to treat even a single rib with sanctity and respect.

10 - The Eternal Guard: The personal bodyguards and enforcers of the Great Khan, the Eternal Guard accepts (exceptional) foreigners into its service, but rarely operates outside of the southern provinces of the Khanate. It is assumed that anyone west of the Khanate claiming to be a part of the Eternal Guard is either a highly trained spy or (far more likely) a particularly ambitious liar. Their signature weapon is the repeating crossbow; considered a martial curiosity by most, they wield it with deadly efficiency. The Great Khan's personal guards are considered "Eternal" because if one is slain in combat, a dozen fresh fighters stand ready to claim the honor for themselves.

11 - The Hands of the Tsar: Hand-picked enforcers of the Iron Tsar's personal will, the Hands are personal knights supposedly devoted to the Iron Crown. The Borynivkin patriarch is capricious with both his power and attention, however, often bestowing this honor with little oversight. Traditionally, as a symbol of their authority, the new knight would amputate a hand and have it replaced with a magical-mechanical replacement. Due to shortages of parts, new Hands have been allowed to "indefinitely delay" this rite of initiation if they so choose. Considered to be invested with the personal authority of the Iron Tsar (at least until the Iron Tsar himself says otherwise), the Hands are feared throughout the Tsardom. Most are petty tyrants, but some well-meaning Hands attempt to use their newfound authority to undermine or sabotage the Tsardom from within. These vigilantes can sometimes do some real good for the common folk of the Tsardom, at least until they end up on a pike.

12 - The Aventinian Royal Navy: Once the backbone of the old Aventaine Empire,  the Royal Navy of King Jacob the Dragon-Eater is the most feared and respected naval force in existence. Their sailors specialize in boarding actions and using the natural environment to their advantage.

13 - Wardens of St. Edwin: The Wardens are a previously minor order of mercenary-monks devoted to a national Aventaine saint. Saint Edwin was martyred in a long-forgotten war against the Golish, and would have been of limited appeal to anyone outside of Aventaine if it weren't for the Fall. The Wardens of St. Edwin were always comfortable with magic as a concept, with ancestral roots to the Druids of Avaholm and ceremonial magic used as part of their initiation rites. With actual magic now possible on Zardow, the Wardens of St. Edwin have received de facto dispensation from the king of Aventaine to practice daemonology. They use their knowledge of magic to fight fire with fire, as it were, and protect clients and innocents from magical threats along the Golish border. The order has spread from its native Aventaine to Krastavo and even parts of the Borynivkin Tsardom.

14 - Peacekeepers of St. Adas: Mage-hunters like the Wardens, but with a zealous aversion to even minor magic-use themselves, the Peacekeepers only agree to protect those who disavow magic themselves, or at the very least give the Peacekeepers free reign to put down any warlock they see fit on either side of the battle. They are considered extremists by most, but have found patronage in the Borynivkin Tsardom and have a mercenary company-like presence in Krastavo as well.
Sample Special Training: Learn Empyrean or Golish. Learn literacy. Learn a tradition.
Sample Situational Bonuses: Adds to magic saving throws caused by a human caster. Adds to damage rolls with melee weapons if the target cast a spell on the previous round. Adds to intimidating a daemonologist or warlock, or researching magical threats.

15 - The Lion Riders: The elite cavalry forces of Pavarea, despite their name the Lion Riders have never actually ridden lions into combat... yet. They have ridden nearly everything else, however, from dromedaries and elephants in their campaigns against Onnen, to every imaginable breed of horse on the rare occasions they saw fit to engage their neighbors on the Grand Continent. They are famously the only military unit to ever successfully field gryphon-riders prior to the Fall of Golinlund, relying on entirely non-magical means of hatchling gryphon chicks imprinting on experienced Pavarean dragoons.

16 - Baboti Rider: Less a rank or position than a way of life, the northern tribesmen of the Baboti Khanate famously learn to ride and shoot before they can even walk. Foreigners very rarely reach this level of culturally-ingrained, inborn skill, but for player characters it may be within grasp. This relationship denotes skill at horse archery even a Baboti tribesmen can respect, whether that is earned by virtue of being a native-born Baboti or through years of punishing, rigorous training as an adult.

17 - The Militia of the Blessed Sword and Compass: One of the few major military organizations to draw most of its membership from the peasantry, the Militia was initially a religious organization but has since grown into a very pragmatic-minded mercenary order with major operations centered in Krastavo, though they have expanded to neighboring nations and even fallen Golinlund. Battle engineers tasked with erecting fortifications or even repairing them mid-siege, the Militia is often hired more for their technical know-how than their modestly-equipped soldiers. Most sieges in the northern parts of the continent begin with a fevered bidding war between both sides to win the services (or at least a vow of non-intervention) of the Militia.

18 - The Manikin Men: While the Esteemed Alumni of the University at Rivai are responsible for the creation and design of the initial prototype golems, the corps of elite engineers that currently maintains Krastavo's fleet of autonomous war-machines are known colloquially as Manikin Men. Equipped only with daggers and pistols for self-defense, the Manikin Men are not known for personal skill-at-arms, but they are widely feared for their ability to repair and maintain war-constructs in the field. Most civilians believe they are mad scientists in uniform, if one of their charges trampled a man underfoot they would be more concerned about the leg-gearings falling out of alignment or blood getting on their brass chassis than the actual loss of life. Those who fall out of this unnerving esprit de corps can fetch a high price for their skills on the mercenary market.

19 - The Flux Knights: Probably the most highly trained infiltration unit on the Grand Continent, Pavarea's legendary Flux Knights are known for flexible thinking on the battle field and intemperate use of poisons, drugs, and chemicals to achieve their goals. Everyone knows the Flux Knights are the Consensus' assassins of choice, but no one is ever able to pin a specific murder on the Knights. They are one of the few military organizations in Pavarea that are wholly loyal to the state, with no religious dimension to their oaths.

20 - Cavalry Commander: This relationship designates you a non-specific officer of some type of formal military organization. Whether that is a Krastavan mercenary company or a branch of some nation's military other than those outlined above is up to you. Regardless, you are skilled at leading men personally from horseback and comfortable with the top brass and common soldier alike.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:23, Sun 25 Oct 2020.

Factions and Organizations
1 - The Esteemed Alumni: Faculty and highly regarded former students of the University at Rivai are collectively referred to as the Esteemed Alumni. Some have formal positions with the University and its various satellite organizations, but this is not a requirement. This relationship indicates intimate contact or at least a good working relationship with the administration, faculty and former students, as well as familiarity with the University itself and its traditions.

2 - The Corbelite Church: While the Masonite faith is endlessly fractious, splintering into separate sects, monastic orders and churches, the Corbelites have the distinction of being the largest, most organized and consequently most dangerous faction in the Masonite faith. Armed with particularly evangelical and power-hungry interpretations of the Fire-Tried Testament, the Corbelites are the de facto ruling power of the holy city of Riza, and have expanded their influence throughout Krastavo, Aventaine, and the western frontier of the Borynivkin Tsardom.

3 - The Goldenhead Fraternity: Originally founded in Krastavo as a military alliance of unlanded, unmarried merchants pooling their resources together for protection, the Goldenhead Fraternity has over the centuries evolved into a primarily social order. Though still stubbornly called a "Fraternity," the society has admitted female members for over a century, ever since a Borynivkin duchess eavesdropped on their secret initiation ceremony and blackmailed her way into membership. Functioning partly like a debauched social club and partly like a thuggish merchant guild, individual members are regarded as ineffectual libertines and fops, even as the Fraternity as an organization is feared for its combined wealth and power.

4 - The Reformed Order of Royal Cartographers: The original "Order of Royal Cartographers" was a collaborative effort between the kingdoms of Aventaine, Golinlund and the (at the time) fledgling Borynivkin dynasty to chart the countless Outlying Isles dotting the high seas. The Order was notorious for infighting and petty political grandstanding, with Aven mappers depicting Aventaine-held islands as far larger than they actually were, Golish cartographers transliterating names as subtle insults, and the like. After the fall of Golinlund, the remnants of this society decided to turn their attention toward mapping and exploring the magic-wracked Golish interior. Referring to themselves as "Reformed," they have spent the last several years funding expeditions into Golinlund in the hopes of taming the suddenly wild continent. Adventurers prize their maps, as they are the only organization even attempting to survey Fallen Golinlund in any serious capacity. While the "Reformed" cartographers claim they have set aside their old, nationalistic rivalries, disagreements and even outright sabotage between rival expeditions does occur.

5 - The Rubedo Heresy: The Pavarean Consensus has banned the use of daemonology, and any daemonologist among the Alchemists is branded a herectic. The Rubedo Heresy was founded in secret shortly after the Pavaraean magic ban came into effect, a loose coalition between self-interested warlocks and earnest Alchemists who believed magic needed to be studied and incorporated into the Grand Science. The ragtag heresy has survived despite a decade of crushing opposition from the Consensus only through the personal ingenuity of its sorcerous adherents. Their greatest weapon is probably the Rubedo Cipher, a method of coded writing so secure it is considered functionally unbreakable.

6 - The Goetic Hand: The Holy City of Riza was one of many places to ban the practice of daemonology as soon as the depredations of Golinlund were widely known. Like a smaller and more cynical version of the Rubedo Heresy, the Goetic Hand consisted of those priests and officials in Riza who were previously experimenting with daemonology prior to its excommunication, and used their wealth or prestige to continue their studies in secrecy and relative safety. They seek personal wealth and power, with a secondary objective of eroding the laws that banned magic in the Holy City.

7 - The Golish Royal Mail: While few prior to the Fall would consider mailmen "heroic", the vocation has somewhat changed since Golinlund erupted in ice, magic and madness. The Royal Mail survived largely due to the fact that most of its members were messengers and couriers, well outside the borders of Golinlund itself when disaster struck. Those who served with the Mail prior to the Fall are living legends, and those who joined after them are considered either heroes or suicides. Those who join the Mail swear an oath to always deliver their missives, even if it means striking into the heart of magic-wracked Golinlund. Though not a military order, their signature weapon is the blunderbuss, used well before the Fall to single-handedly defend cargo-wagons from spies and bandits.

8 - The Pavarean Consensus: Part academic order and part ecumenical synod, the Consensus is a religious and scientific that leads the Alchemist faith. Whereas the Masonites seem to endless splinter off into separate sects, cults and churches, the Consensus has maintained uneasy control over the national Pavarean faith, leveraging their wealth of alchemical knowledge and scientific expertise into nearly unstoppable political and cultural catchet, their reach extending far beyond the borders of Pavarea. Though they present a serene and saint-like front to the outside world, the court of the Consensus itself rife with infighting and clandestine backstabbing, usually centered around matters of royal succession or the nomination of Alchemical saints.

9 - The Doves of Athos: Organized crime has not had much opportunity to develop on the still largely feudal Grand Continent. With local laws more or less existing at the whim of the local baron or magistrate, there is no meaningful distinction between crime families and noble dynasties. That said, if any one has a particularly keen reputation for secrecy, intimidation and thuggery, it is likely House Athos of Riza. This ancient and feared family is most interested in expanding its personal wealth, but also invested in maintaining the independence of the Holy City. They are particularly famous for their spies, which they euphemistically call "doves," ambassadors abroad dedicated to maintaining the profitable peace back home in Riza.

10 - The Mystic Order of Esoteric Astrologers: This "secret society" was well-known throughout the Grand Continent before the Fall of Golinlund as self-professed masters of the occult. Claiming to have special knowledge from secret masters beyond the veil of perceivable reality, the Mystic Order gave the rich and indolent an outlet for their delusions of grandeur. When Golinlund fell and magic was proved to be terrifyingly real, many naturally looked to the Mystic Order for their "expertise" in the nascent field of daemonology. The Mystic Order has been quietly sending expeditions into Golish ruins and snapping up grimoires on the black market in an effort to actually become the magical experts they spent centuries pretending to be.

11 - The Dragon's Paw: Piracy is rampant on the high seas, particularly between the endless archipelagos of the Outlying Isles. Most of these crews are highly disorganized, with most pirate captains only successfully seizing a vessel or two during the course of their career before retirement, capture or death. The Dragon's Paw is something else, a loose confederation of highly feared and unusually long-lived pirates dedicated to defending a secret pirate haven somewhere in the Isles, as well as fighting against Continental influence in their area.

12- The Bureau of Special Investigations: Bory was until recent history a land wracked with infighting, with the Bory "king" being whichever boyar could personally control the most territory. Over the last two centuries, the Borynivkin dynasty has solidified its long-term control over these feuding ducal states. Necessary as part of this process is an organization to root out dissent among the vassals, largely using the fledgling royal bureaucracy controlled by the dynasty and staffed with loyal family. The Bureau of Special Investigations has become the premier spy organization in Bory lands, charged with ending but also increasingly entangled with and compromised by the Eight Thousand Strong Rebellion.

13- The Eight Thousand Strong Rebellion: Borynivkin rule is relatively recent phenomenon in the long and violent history of the Bory people. Most peasants and some of the boyars loathe serving the Iron Tsar, and have joined together in an "Eight Thousand Strong Rebellion," staging attacks against the central authority of the state when opportunities present. The name is a metaphorical one, stemming from a quote by the early leaders: "Show me a town of ten thousand men, and I will show you a rebellion eight thousand strong against the Tsar."

14- The Royal Academy of Surgeons: Surgery and medicine are nascent fields on the Grand Continent, and the Royal Academy was founded with the goal of separating the wheat of real medicine from the chaff of centuries of superstition. The institution predates the Fall, but has been consumed with debate over the use of magic in medicine ever since. It has representation in all the great Nations save for the Baboti Khanate, and membership can greatly elevate a physician's esteem in the eyes of a community... or disguise a dangerous quack.

15- The Relic Cutters: Very few merchants from the Grand Continent are permitted to operate on the Isle of Onnen, with most powerful mercantile organization long banned by a king afraid of spies or further colonization attempts from the Bory. Those few merchants allowed to ply their wares in Onnen ports are usually those dealing in (usually stolen) Masonite texts, relics, and other religious artifacts, which the ruling families on Onnen have an endless hunger for. These sacrilegious smugglers are nicknamed "Cutters" both for their signature vessels and the grim rumors that they sometimes cut relics "fresh" from still-living saints to satisfy their quota. They are frequent prey and occasional rivals of the Dragon's Paw alliance of pirates.

16 - Reed and Coats Intercontinental Shipping Company: A still-living vestige of the old Aventaine Empire, Reed and Coats was Aventaine crown's weapon of choice for suppressing revolts and extracting wealth from the few Outlying Isles it managed to colonize. While most soldiers and other official presence have returned home to deal with the slow-burning magical catastrophe that is the border with Golinlund, many "company men" loyal to profit only have remained to keep the cold apparatus of commerce running. Reed and Coats has over the past couple decades transformed from a tool of state-sponsored mercantilism into a beast of pure capitalism.

17 - Member of a Daemon Cult: The advent of magic shook the faith of many on the Grand Continent, and more than a few desperate and deranged minds looked to these new daemonic forces as god-like entities to be worshiped or emulated. Other examples of these cults include secret societies disseminating knowledge of particular daemons as a means to earthly power.

18 - Member of a Personality Cult: The concept of sainthood has always had a powerful grip on the Continental psyche. It didn't take long for enterprising warlocks to claim their magic was divine, and it likewise didn't take long for the peasantry to believe them. You may have lead the cult, or left once you wised up to the truth of the claims made by your "sacred leader."

19 - The Circle of Druids: Druids are at once both the political-religious class ruling Avaholm, and the many nobles and dilettantes in Aventaine claiming membership in their order. The only thing that truly unites them is knowledge of the sacred Druidic tongue. The "true druids" of the Isle tolerate their "cousins" in Aventaine in order to prevent further spread of the language.

20 - Master of a Craft: You are considered (perhaps incorrectly) to be the master of some mundane craft. Whether a blacksmith, locksmith, apothecary, or something else, you are usually surrounded by messengers, would-be apprentices and customers.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:49, Tue 24 Dec 2019.

Wilderness and Frontier
1 - Lone Wolf: Your travels have instilled in you a sense of self-sufficiency. You have a reputation for striking out on your own, even when it may be dangerous or unwise to do so.

2 - Former Hermit: You lived in utter isolation for a period of a time, whether willingly or not. Some associate this lifestyle with wisdom and serenity. Others view it skeptically, as a symptom of madness.

3 - Friend of Trolls: You have had friendly contact with a tribe of trolls somewhere in Golinlund, and are familiar with their ways. You may have knowledge of their strange, babbling language, or a knack for using their strange, wondrous crafts.

4 - Friend of Kobolds: You have either summoned kobolds, commanded them, or simply traded honorably with a tribe long enough to earn a modicum of trust.

5 - Samodiva Contact: You have had some contact with the powerful witches known as the samodiva. This "contact" was probably not friendly, but you may exhibit some minor resistance to their magic or some ability to negotiate with them due to your prior experience.

6 - Wanted Fugitive: You have been branded a criminal by a nation, city-state or a ruler. The charges against you may be falsified, but the people hunting you don't care about that...

7 - Bounty Hunter: You may be a bounty hunter chasing bounties for profit, or you may have been charged by an important leader to track down a single, notorious individual. You are skilled at hunting and taking down human targets.

8 - Reagent Monger: Reagents are big business, always in high demand in lands where use of magic is sanctioned. And, of course, those willing to indulge in a little smuggling can make a tidy profit even in those places where use of magic is banned.

9 - Magic Witness: You have witnessed one of the stranger magical sights Zardow has to offer, like the False Moon rising over northern Golinlund, a particularly devastating wigstorm, or one of the powerful immanences warping the Golish interior.

10 - Hedge Witch: You have some knowledge of self-taught magic, or else gleaned the basics of magic through folklore and superstition. The daemonologists of Rivai might scoff, but you know your methods work... even if they don't.

11 - Smuggler: You are skilled at transporting certain goods through tightly controlled borders. Whether you specialize in reagents, drugs, people, or other goods is up to you.

12 - Sole Survivor: You are the sole survivor of some notorious battle or calamity. The superstitious tend to give you a wide berth.

13 - Member of a Peasant Militia: Fighting was once the purview of career soldiers and the nobility, but with the draugr stalking the Golish borders, humble farmers and shepherds have been forced to take up arms to defend their homes.

14 - River Guide: You have an almost mystic connection to a specific area of wetlands or riverways, the exact size of which determined by the GM. You also have a strange affinity for river spirits nesting there, like the wodkin and any rusalka.

15 - Dragon Poacher: Dragons are endangered, and most nations have laws against hunting them. Some defy these laws, while other dragon hunters receive special exemptions from local rulers to ply their craft. Dragon hearts, dragon oil, and dragon flank steak are still in high demand, even as the great beasts' numbers dwindle.

16 - Refugee: You were forced to flee your home in the face of war or disaster. Most refugees are from Golinlund, escaping the Fall that occurred fifteen years ago.

17 - Tainted Hunter: You are known to have spilled the blood of a unicorn, golden stag, or other cursed or magically taboo game. This achievement inspires both revulsion and envy in your fellow hunters.

18 - Bandit King: In the chaos that accompanied the advent of magic, some have chosen to rise up and claim a territory for themselves. Your authority is tenuous, entirely dependent on your personal strength and influence, but it seems to be working for now...

19 - Former Colonist: You were formerly a citizen of one of the vassal islands of the old Aventaine Empire. You may have retained some knowledge of Islander, and in general are more familiar with maritime travel and the cultures of the Outlying Isles than the average continental.

20 - Island Hopper: Whether a traveling merchant, missionary, pirate or explorer, you're familiar with the Outlying Isles as anybody can be.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:20, Tue 31 Dec 2019.

Achievements and Titles
1 - Antiquarian: You have a reputation (whether earned or merely rumored) for finding, possessing, and sometimes selling rare and mysterious objects.

2 - Learned Scholar: You are believed (rightly or wrongly) to be an authority on some academic subject, or else have a general reputation as an autodidact dedicated to learning and knowledge.

3 - Cursed Lineage: Your ancestors, family or mentors are from a family with a sinister reputation. Whether they were Golish warlocks, bloodthirsty conquerors or unhinged cultists, you can sometimes lean on their dark reputation to intimidate others, regardless of whether or not you yourself still engage in the "family tradition".

4 - Folk Hero: You are considered the hero and protector of a small and particular region, such as a city-state, village or town. You are a household name in that area, an unofficial warden who is perceived as a champion of the poor and downtrodden. This makes you popular with the lower classes, but has likely also made you some enemies.

5 - Local Infamy: The opposite side of the folk hero coin, you are regarded as a villain by some specific community, class or group. People have heard of you and your exploits, though this fame is often tainted with fear, revulsion or both.

6 - Socialite: Among the party animals, you are an apex predator. You are the life of the party, whether that be an elegant courtly ball or a raucous evening at a roadside tavern. Your native habitat is anywhere drink, drugs and good times flow.

7 - State-Sponsored Artist:

8 - Anointed Knight:

9 - Foreign Emissary:

10 - Special Dispensation from the King:

11 - Academy Graduate:

12 - Appointed Warden:

13 - Owed a Favor:

14 - Saved a Noble

15 - Covert Operative

16 -Favored Consort

17 - King Maker

18 - Landed Gentry

19 - Village Hetman

20 - Caravan Master
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:44, Thu 15 Oct 2020.