You have spent your life in the service of a temple to a specific god or pantheon of gods. You act as an intermediary between the realm of the holy and the mortal world, performing sacred rites and offering sacrifices in order to conduct worshipers into the presence of the divine. You are not necessarily a cleric—performing sacred rites is not the same thing as channeling divine power.
Based off of the Grail Damsel from Age of Sigmar/Warhammer. An edited version of Acolyte.
- Skill Proficiencies: Religion, plus one of your choice from Arcana, History, Insight, and Nature.
- Languages: You can speak, read and write Fae (Sylvan) fluently, and get one additional language of your choice.
- Equipment: A holy symbol (a gift to you when you entered the priesthood), a prayer book or prayer wheel, 5 sticks of incense, vestments, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gp.
Grail Damsels notoriously discover they have strange and mysterious powers at a rather young age before being whisked away to the Otherworld by the Fay Enchantress, or shipped off to the Empire to study, if the child's family is particularly wealthy. These powers can manifest in many different ways. You can choose your favorite manifestation from the table below, roll a d12, or make up your own! This is, of course, optional, as it is entirely possible for your magic to have not manifested strangely, as is the case with many. It could have gone unnoticed for a lengthy amount of time.
| d12 | Gifts Made Manifest |
|---|---|
| 1 | You saw paranormal visions and ghostly apparitions. |
| 2 | Dairy products curdled inexplicably curdled in your presence. |
| 3 | An entire field wilted and died as though it had been salted. |
| 4 | You were born with heterochromia - two differently colored eyes - or were simply born with two of the same, irregular hue. Alternatively, your eyes could have become iridescent in nature when the magic manifested in you. |
| 5 | You would wake up with a thin layer of frost on your skin that would melt rapidly shortly thereafter. |
| 6 | You had odd dreams or visions that informed you of future events. |
| 7 | Candles would flare up or go out entirely when you're around, despite there being no breeze. |
| 8 | Plants perked up when you were within a certain proximity, and seemed to grow better when you were around. |
| 9 | Someone you were angry or upset with was suddenly struck with lightning. Whether they perished or survived is up to you. |
| 10 | A specific type of bird constantly flocked to or around you when you were outside. Perhaps you could even hold conversations with them that no one else could understand. |
| 11 | You spoke up about being able to see colorful winds. |
| 12 | Small, inanimate objects levitated approximately an inch off of the ground when you were nearby. |
- As a Grail Damsel, you command the respect of those who share your faith, and you can perform the religious ceremonies of your deity. You and your adventuring companions can expect to receive free lodging, food, care and whatever other aid they can feasibly manage at the home of any Bretonnian, in or out of the Kingdom. Seen as an advisor, you are held in high regard in the eyes of your people.
Suggested Characteristics
Damsels are shaped by their worldly experiences and honed knowledge of magic and religion. Their study of the history and tenets of their faith affect their mannerisms and ideals. Their flaws might be some hidden hypocrisy or heretical idea, or an ideal or bond taken to an extreme.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I idolize a particular hero of my faith, and constantly refer to that person’s deeds and example. |
| 2 | I can find common ground between the fiercest enemies, empathizing with them and always working toward peace. |
| 3 | I see omens in every event and action. The gods try to speak to us, we just need to listen. |
| 4 | Nothing can shake my optimistic attitude. |
| 5 | I quote (or misquote) sacred texts and proverbs in almost every situation. |
| 6 | I am tolerant (or intolerant) of other faiths and respect (or condemn) the worship of other gods. |
| 7 | I’ve enjoyed fine food, drink, and high society among my temple’s elite. Rough living grates on me. |
| 8 | I’ve spent so long in the temple that I have little practical experience dealing with people in the outside world. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tradition. The ancient traditions of worship and sacrifice must be preserved and upheld. (Lawful) |
| 2 | Charity. I always try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. (Good) |
| 3 | Change. We must help bring about the changes the gods are constantly working in the world. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Power. I hope to one day rise to the top of my faith’s religious hierarchy. (Lawful) |
| 5 | Faith. I trust that my deity will guide my actions. I have faith that if I work hard, things will go well. (Lawful) |
| 6 | Aspiration. I seek to prove myself worthy of my god’s favor by matching my actions against his or her teachings. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I would die to recover an ancient relic of my faith that was lost long ago. |
| 2 | I will someday get revenge on the corrupt temple hierarchy who branded me a heretic. |
| 3 | I owe my life to the priest who took me in when my parents died. |
| 4 | Everything I do is for the common people. |
| 5 | I will do anything to protect the temple where I served. |
| 6 | I seek to preserve a sacred text that my enemies consider heretical and seek to destroy. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I judge others harshly, and myself even more severely. |
| 2 | I put too much trust in those who wield power within my temple’s hierarchy. |
| 3 | My piety sometimes leads me to blindly trust those that profess faith in my god. |
| 4 | I am inflexible in my thinking. |
| 5 | I am suspicious of strangers and expect the worst of them. |
| 6 | Once I pick a goal, I become obsessed with it to the detriment of everything else in my life. |