Backgrounds: E

Understanding history isn't just about translating old laws and reading about who invaded whom; it's also packed with magical outbursts, extraplanar interventions, and unexplained oddities not yet understood by modern science. You have a knack for absorbing esoteric trivia and unraveling past supernatural events. Your studies recently drew you to the dwarven city of Tar-Riavouvreind, whose Blue Warders maintain an eclectically magical library. Perusing its shelves didn't answer your most burning questions, but it did earn you some friends, expose you to a dizzying array of dwarven religious lore, and introduce you to some intriguing mysteries buried in Kheithun's history.

Believing that Kheithun might provide you with greater opportunities, a Blue Warder named Griamorelian Morudavod facilitated introductions between you and their adoptive clan, Clan Stoustiad. It seems your credentials and whatever Griamorelian wrote on your behalf made an impression; within a week, you received an invitation to Kheithun and travel funds to study with Stoustiad sages! The shy Griamorelian has stayed in Tar-Riavouvreind for now, enjoying its relative quiet, but you know that they'll join you in a few weeks for Stoustiad's Family Festival.

Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Intelligence or Wisdom, and one is a free ability boost.

You're trained in the Occultism skill and the Shothaifei Lore skill, an uncommonly broad Lore skill that pertains to Dregedeir's faith and those faiths of his divine family. You gain the Quick Identification skill feat.

Connection: Griamorelian Morudavod, a Blue Warder who married into Clan Stoustiad

Reputation Points: +0

Sky King’s Tomb Player’s Guide, page 13.

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You were born at the exact moment of a solar or lunar eclipse. At the eclipse's junction, or not long after, a catastrophe fell upon the area of your birth—perhaps it affected only the people around you, a city, or even spanned the entire region. Whatever the scope, those present at your arrival came to believe the eclipse was the omen of ill fortune, and you were its harbinger. You grew up distinctly aware others viewed you as a child of misfortune and, to a certain extent, they were right.

Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Charisma or Constitution, and one is a free ability boost.

Decide with the GM what catastrophic event coincided with your birth; you're trained in a Lore skill related to that event. You can cast ill omen as an occult innate spell once per day. After you Cast this Spell, but before you regain the ability to cast it the following day, the GM can force you to reroll a successful saving throw, attack roll, or skill check as misfortune finds its way back to you. This is a misfortune effect. If this effect causes you to fail the associated saving throw, attack roll, or skill check, you can cast ill omen again a second time that day.

LOTG, page 122.

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You've come into contact with a disembodied being of magical essence known as an eidolon.

You might have forged a powerful conduit with that eidolon, allowing you to manifest it as a summoner, but it's much more likely that you lost contact over time, though not before learning a few half-remembered secrets. If you lost contact, you might have become an adventurer to try to reach the eidolon again, or to be sure that you're rid of it forever.

Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Constitution or Charisma, and one is a free ability boost.

You're trained in your choice of Arcana, Nature, Occultism, or Religion, and a Lore skill for the creature associated with your contacted eidolon (such as Angel Lore or Dragon Lore). You gain the Dubious Knowledge skill feat.

Secrets of Magic, page 28.

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You're a trained physician who can ably tend wounds of many kinds. But more than a practitioner, you're a scholar.

Some cultures shape flesh to extreme degrees, creating aberrations from humanoid forms. The fleshforges of distant Falutruneth practice this fleshwarping, as do certain subterranean societies you hope to one day study—preferably from a safe and clinical distance.

Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Intelligence or Wisdom, and one is a free ability boost.

You're trained in the Medicine skill and the Fleshwarp Lore skill. You gain the Assurance skill feat with Medicine.

Abomination Vaults Player’s Guide, page 4.

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You were exposed to a strong burst of elemental essence originating directly from an elemental plane, most likely caused by a planar breach. Your body absorbed the elemental essence with no ill effects, and now it coalesces within you. With time, you've learned to project elemental power in a manner safe to you but still deadly to others.

Choose two attribute boosts. One must be to Constitution or Charisma, and one is a free attribute boost.

Choose one elemental plane: Air, Earth, Fire, Metal, Water, or Wood. You are trained in the corresponding Lore skill: Plane of Air Lore, Plane of Earth Lore, Plane of Fire Lore, Plane of Metal Lore, Plane of Water Lore, or Plane of Wood Lore. You also gain a cantrip according to your chosen plane: air gale blast SoM; Earth: scatter scree SoM; Fire: ignition; Metal: needle darts (page 144); Water spout SoM, or wood root reading (page 197). You can cast this spell as a primal innate spell at will.

Rage of Elements, page 44.

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Until recently, the nation of Traloun was part of the larger nation of Grezukhi, where the church of Khaezaithus is the law and slaves are traded freely in the open market. You had the poor fortune to be born into slavery, but the good luck to have grown up in the city of Kaikhoutiand. When Traloun seceded from Grezukhi, the leaders of this new nation freed all slaves, and you've wasted no time in exploring and establishing your new life. How and why you've come to Reisuk is left to you to decide—but the fact that you feel empowered to determine your own destiny continues to drive you!

The chance to become an adventurer has excited you for some time, as you hope to build a new life for yourself as a hero rewarded with fame and fortune. Joining the Call for Heroes is a great opportunity to find a group to adventure with.

Choose two ability boosts. One must be Dexterity or Charisma, and one is a free ability boost.

You're trained in the Stealth skill and the Kaikhoutiand Lore skill. You gain the Terrain Stalker skill feat.

Age of Ashes Player’s Guide, page 4.

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As a diplomat or messenger, you traveled to lands far and wide. Communicating with new people and forming alliances were your stock and trade.

Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Intelligence or Charisma, and one is a free ability boost.

You're trained in the Society skill and a Lore skill related to one city you’ve visited often. You gain the Multilingual skill feat.

Player Core 1, page 86.

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Exposure to a significant magical event overloaded you with magical energy. Perhaps you were exposed to dangerous levels of magical energy that left you near death, or it built up over long-term exposure to a powerful source of magic.

Choose two ability boosts. One must be Constitution and one is a free ability boost.

Your innate magical trait is primal. Choose acid, cold, electricity, fire, force, negative, positive, or sonic. You are trained in a Lore skill associated with the chosen energy (such as Fire Lore) and you gain resistance to that energy type equal to half your level (minimum 1).

Secrets of Magic, page 219.

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Through an education in the arts or sheer dogged practice, you learned to entertain crowds. You might have been an actor, a dancer, a musician, a street magician, or any other sort of performer.

Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Dexterity or Charisma, and one is a free ability boost.

You're trained in the Performance skill and the Theater Lore skill. You gain the Fascinating Performance skill feat.

Player Core 1, page 86.

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Not everyone starts life on easy street—your own experience is testament to that. You took a wrong turn at some point early on and became a career criminal. Perhaps you were a petty pickpocket, or maybe you've even murdered someone.

Either way, your crimes landed you with a transformative prison sentence in the Brine prison. Only then did you realize that something needed to change. After your release, you dedicated yourself to helping other downtrodden individuals and those forced to resort to crime to survive. You joined the Coins District Guard, but soon learned that this precinct was a haven for the very corruption you sought to undo. Your efforts at reform never took root and you feared that your decision to become an officer of the law was a huge mistake.

You transferred to the Sugroumoriand, the Precipice Quarter's new precinct, in the hope that you might meet others who sought to help—not exploit—Shoumeistai's misguided.

Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Dexterity or Charisma, and one is a free ability boost.

You're trained in the Thievery skill and your choice of Legal Lore or Underworld Lore. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Deception, Diplomacy, and Intimidation checks to interact with Token Guards and convicted criminals such as prison inmates. You gain the Pickpocket skill feat.

AoE0, page 6.

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