The terrible, Eldritch forces plaguing Anterra have touched you deeper than those around you, and has left its mark upon your soul. Whether you had a close encounter with an unspeakable monstrosity, were cursed by Eldritch Magic, or have been visited by an Elder God or Great Old One in your dreams, this encounter has shaped who you are in no small way. These scars, whether or not they are visible on your person, influence those around you and lend a strange charisma to your presence. The average person will be wary of you, sensing danger from the lingering Eldritch influence, while occultists and fanatics may be drawn to you, sensing a kindred spirit within. You must either embrace the changes wrought upon you, or find a way to overcome them.
- Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from among Arcana, Intimidation, Insight, or Persuasion,
- Languages: Choose two, one of which must be Abyssal, Deep Speech, Infernal, Primordial, or Undercommon
- Equipment: A monster hunter’s pack (containing a chest, a crowbar, a hammer, three wooden stakes, a holy symbol, a flask of holy water, a set of manacles, a steel mirror, a flask of oil, a tinderbox, and 3 torches), one trinket of special significance (choose one or roll on the Horror Trinkets table after this background), a set of common clothes, and 1 sp.
Prior to becoming an adventurer, your path in life was derailed by one fateful encounter, vision, or disaster. Now you feel an otherworldly, maddening presence at the back of your mind, threatening to drive you mad, and you fear you may never escape what lurks within your own mind. Choose a harrowing event that haunts you, or roll one on the Harrowing Events table.
| d10 | Eldritch Visitation |
|---|---|
| 1 | An Eldritch ritual you were partaking in went wrong; terribly, terribly wrong. You don't know what happened, only that you awoke in the center of the ritual circle, surrounded by dead cultists. |
| 2 | The shadows whisper constantly to you about how the people around you will meet their end. They tell you of tragedy, mystery and intrigue. You do not know if they prophesize, or merely speculate |
| 3 | An unknowable entity visits you in your dreams. You do not remember what it looks like, what it calls itself, or even what wisdom it imparts to you. But you do know it leaves things behind in your mind. |
| 4 | You awoke from slumber one day to discover a strange artifact laying next to your pillow. What is it? Have you always had it? You must have, for it is precious. But does it do anything? |
| 5 | You witnessed something truly inexplicable, beyond even what miracles magic can muster, and a sight that is beyond cognition of the mind. Perhaps you saw an event that is even beyond the means of the Outer Gods, and incomprehensibly alien. This event has marked you forever more. Whatever you have seen, you must learn more. |
| 6 | Somehow, probably through sheer luck, fortune or fate, you survived a first hand encounter with… something. A creature that cannot or should not exist even in this world of wild magic; an aberration in the truest sense of the word. Was it a regular animal corrupted beyond all recognition, or perhaps a creature alien to the core of life itself? You have no business being alive right now, and you know it. |
| 7 | Your hometown drew the unfortunate attention of a Great Old One, who visited misery and death upon your community. The land is forever scarred and corrupted, and the people mostly died horrible, tragic deaths. Those who survived like you are irrevocably changed; haunted by nightmares, or perhaps lingering curses or maladictions. |
| 8 | An Eldritch being has taken a liking to you; it lingers in your shadow- or is it your shadow? You see it in the corner of your eye, hear it at the edges of your hearing, sense it with each breath you take. You are never truly alone. Are you being hunted, or merely toyed with? |
| 9 | You read a book. A wonderful, mysterious, impossible book. Why can no one else read it? Why has no one else heard of it- and why is there no record of it existing in the whole of academia? There was such knowledge within; it could revolutionize…. everything? |
| 10 | Something is inside you. You don't know how it got there. You feel it's heart beat with yours, you can feel it slithering in your mind. It's quiet, but you can't help but wonder if it isn't influencing or changing you somehow. Or have you always been this way? |
Those who encounter you can tell instinctually that you have endured something which no mortal should have been able to survive. Common folk will be wary of you, though Occultists and Fanatics might be drawn to you; seeing a kindred spirit within. Regardless, commoners and occultists alike will be more likely to believe you on topics of the Eldritch, Occult or Impossible, believing you to have firsthand experience with these matters. They will be more willing to help you find the information you seek, and may even extend greater assistance if it is within their means.
You get Advantage on CHA checks when interacting with cultists, fanatics, or other occult survivors
Suggested Characteristics
Your life since the visitation that set you on your current path has been far from easy, but you’re nothing if not determined. You are a survivor through and through, and can be very protective of those that aid you in your quest or otherwise bring joy or companionship into your troubled existence.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I must stave off the madness of what I have experienced and persevere. |
| 2 | Reading and tinkering calms me. Keeping my hands and mind full distracts me from reality. |
| 3 | What I have seen defies comprehension, and I strive to understand it, least I go mad from questioning my reality |
| 4 | I live to destroy those who have hurt me. I will have my vengeance. |
| 5 | I keep quiet about my experiences. I do not wish for anyone to think that I am insane. |
| 6 | I sense danger everywhere: over my shoulder, in my dreams, in the silence of the night. The whispers in my mind tell me I’m next. |
| 7 | I will not let what I have experienced define me. I am a survivor; nothing and no one will stop me. |
| 8 | No god or spirit will save me or help me. It is up to myself and other mortals to define our own path. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | I must help those who have suffered, no matter the personal cost to myself (Good) |
| 2 | I’ll stop the dreams that haunt me, or die trying (Any) |
| 3 | I kill Eldritch horrors and those that have allegiance with them in order to restore Anterra to what it once was. (Good) |
| 4 | What I have experienced puts me above the laws of nations and tribes (Chaotic) |
| 5 | I seek to know what I am up against before I go into a situation. (Lawful) |
| 6 | The ways of civilization are over. It is time to give in to unfiltered debauchery and madness (Evil) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I keep my thoughts, discoveries, and theorems in an encoded terminal. I must protect this research at all costs. |
| 2 | I would sacrifice my life, my mind, and my soul to protect others from the horrors I’ve witnessed. |
| 3 | I left the people I love behind, to protect them from what I fear I am becoming. I must confront my fears so that I can return to them safely. |
| 4 | I have committed something unspeakable. I hope that I can find redemption through my actions. |
| 5 | There’s evil in me, I can feel it inside, yearning to be unleashed. I must not give into what it desires. |
| 6 | I have someone to protect. I must make this world safe for them. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | My rituals keep me from losing my mind. I must do them daily or else I risk succumbing to madness. |
| 2 | Everyone is out to hurt me or take advantage of my state. No one is trustworthy. |
| 3 | I feel no compassion for those who are killed or dead. They are lucky. Being alive is the true insanity. |
| 4 | I turned to vices to help me cope with my experiences, and now I have become addicted to that coping mechanism. |
| 5 | In this world without hope, what is the point of it all? |
| 6 | I talk to the whispers in my head and the shadows that follow me. |
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