Thrall, indentured servant, slave, serf... it all means you did as you were told, when you were told, or the consequences were immediate and painful. Depending upon the culture in which you were property, you might have been born into slavery, bought and sold in a flesh-market, taken as a raid-prize, or legally bound to a business, master or land. You might also have been a prisoner of war or convicted criminal, treated as property of the state. But whether you were freed, escaped or your period of servitude ended, that past is behind you now... or, at least, it is to be hoped.

Skill Proficiencies: A thrall's ability to survive their circumstance relies as much upon awareness (and manipulation) of their masters' moods as upon their physical stamina and profitability. A thrall knows two of the following skills: Animal Handling, Deception, Insight, Performance, Persuasion.

Tool Proficiencies: Thralls are usually used as labor for the hardest and least desirable tasks, though some are trained in lucrative crafts... without a share of the profits, of course. Whether as oar-slaves, drovers of beasts, bound apprentices, or house-servants a thrall is required to learn their duties well.

You know how to use two of: Artisan's Tools (if you were a crafter), a musical instrument (if you were expected to entertain your owners), vehicles such as carts, wagons (if you were a laborer), or boats (if you were a galley-slave or were shanghaied), or a combination of these.

Equipment: Thralls, whether freed or escaped, begin with the following equipment:

• One set of artisan's tools in which you are skilled OR one musical instrument in which you are skilled
• A tattered set of common clothing
• An official document proclaiming your freedom OR one set of manacles with a short length of chain
• A pouch with 5 gold pieces

Suggested Characteristics

Thralls have learned to bide their time and to deflect unwanted attention. Their time as the property of others has granted them a perspective on society that others cannot truly understand. Theirs is the most humble of beginnings, and when a former thrall rises to legend their story is all the more inspirational.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I have learned to stoically endure hardship that would have broken others.
2	Resentment of those in any position of power runs in my blood.
3	Only my body can be enslaved. My spirit will always rise above it all.
4	I sometimes wonder if I deserved to be where I was.
5	I will not debase myself in anger; I will be a better, more noble person than those who call others "property".
6	Even among slaves there is a hierarchy, and it is always better to be on top than at the bottom.
7	Nobody lifted a finger to free me, so why do I owe others anything other than indifference?
8	For many years I was lower than dirt. Now I will live the grand life, no matter the cost.

d6	Ideal
1	Freedom: I will drive slavery from the face of the world.
2	Equality: There can be no peace as long as there are "haves" and "have-nots".
3	Retribution: I will turn the tables on those who dared call themselves my masters; they will taste the very whip that once fell upon me.
4	Reconciliation: I could forgive my former masters under the right circumstances.
5	Faith: My gods gave me the strength to withstand my chains, and I will use my freedom furthering their cause and their names.
6	Power: I can change the society that called me property, but to do so I must become powerful.

d6	Bond
1	My family was torn asunder by my masters. I will find and free my kin.
2	There was one among my masters who treated me well and who helped me on my path to freedom. For this I am forever grateful.
3	I do not remember a time when I wasn't property. I will discover where I came from and why I became a slave.
4	I was liberated by a clandestine organization devoted to freeing those like me. I will fight and die at their side.
5	I was lowly and beneath notice, but I swear all will know my name.
6	My masters thought they had taken everything from me, but I bear a precious token that gave me hope.

d8	Flaw
1	I have great difficulty controlling my wrath around the rich and powerful, and I do not always keep my temper.
2	I have an indelible mark of a slave on my flesh which prevents me from denying my past.
3	I killed someone while gaining my freedom, and now there is a price on my head.
4	I never learned how to make choices for myself, and now I am sometimes crippled by indecision.
5	I collaborated with my masters to curry their favor. I am certain that this has earned me a traitor's fate that no good deed can prevent.
6	Some of the cruelty I endured causes me constant pain, even now.
7	There are those among my masters whom I love, and for this weakness I despise myself.
8	I try to drown memories of my past in strong drink and illicit substances. It doesn't work.