Mthunzi Tribe Member

Though you might have only recently arrived in civilized lands, you are no stranger to the values of cooperation and group effort when striving for supremacy. You learned these principles, and much more, as a member of a nomadic Mthunzi tribe.

Your people have always tried to hold to the old ways. Tradition and taboo have kept the Mthunzi tribes strong, despite being subjugated by the Ashmiri for centuries. But for the last few generations, some of the tribes were tempted to settle, make peace, trade, and even to build permanent settlements. This has created a divide among your tribemates: remain true to your heritage, or adapt to changing times to achieve prosperity.

You might have grown up in one of the tribes that had decided to settle down, or you might come from a segment of the Mthunzi that still adheres to tradition. Which ideology do you adhere to? Does that oppose the creed of your birth tribe? What made you leave your tribe for an adventuring life? Maybe you seek the answers to these questions by exploring the world, or perhaps you want to bring glory to your tribe by achieving great things.

Skill Proficiencies: Survival, plus one from among Acrobatics, Athletics or Nature.

Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument or artisan’s tools

Languages: Mthunzi

Equipment: A hunting trap, a totemic token or set of tattoos marking your loyalty to your nation and your tribal totem, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp

Suggested Characteristics

Use the tables for the outlander background below as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity as a member of a Mthunzi tribe.

Even if you have left your tribe behind (at least for now), you hold to the traditions of your people. Choose a tribal tradition that you must adhere to and oppose those who act in defiance of that tradition. The Mthunzi ancestral mounds—great savannas where the totem spirits were defeated by Beory and where the heroes of the tribes are interred—are sacred to you.

Your bond is undoubtedly associated with your tribe or some aspect of Mthunzi philosophy or culture (perhaps even Beory herself). Your ideal is a personal choice that probably hews closely to the ethos of your people and certainly doesn’t contradict or compromise what being a Mthunzi stands for.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I’m driven by a wanderlust that led me away from home.
2	I watch over my friends as if they were a litter of newborn pups.
3	I once ran twenty-five miles without stopping to warn to my clan of an approaching orc horde. I’d do it again if I had to.
4	I have a lesson for every situation, drawn from observing nature.
5	I place no stock in wealthy or well-mannered folk. Money and manners won’t save you from a hungry owlbear.
6	I’m always picking things up, absently fiddling with them, and sometimes accidentally breaking them.
7	I feel far more comfortable around animals than people.
8	I was, in fact, raised by wolves.

d6	Ideal
1	Change. Life is like the seasons, in constant change, and we must change with it. (Chaotic)
2	Greater Good. It is each person’s responsibility to make the most happiness for the whole tribe. (Good)
3	Honor. If I dishonor myself, I dishonor my whole clan. (Lawful)
4	Might. The strongest are meant to rule. (Evil)
5	Nature. The natural world is more important than all the constructs of civilization. (Neutral)
6	Glory. I must earn glory in battle, for myself and my clan. (Any)

d6	Bond
1	My family, clan, or tribe is the most important thing in my life, even when they are far from me.
2	An injury to the unspoiled wilderness of my home is an injury to me.
3	I will bring terrible wrath down on the evildoers who destroyed my homeland.
4	I am the last of my tribe, and it is up to me to ensure their names enter legend.
5	I suffer awful visions of a coming disaster and will do anything to prevent it.
6	It is my duty to provide children to sustain my tribe.

d6	Flaw
1	I am too enamored of ale, wine, and other intoxicants.
2	There’s no room for caution in a life lived to the fullest.
3	I remember every insult I’ve received and nurse a silent resentment toward anyone who’s ever wronged me.
4	I am slow to trust members of other races, tribes, and societies.
5	Violence is my answer to almost any challenge.
6	Don’t expect me to save those who can’t save themselves. It is nature’s way that the strong thrive and the weak perish.