There are those who are born into comfort and those who claw their way through hardship—but you have seen the truth that binds them both: a world built on long-gone crisis, broken promises, and hollow crowns. Whether through personal tragedy, slow disillusionment, or a single moment of undeniable clarity, you realized the foundations of society are cracked. You chose not to look away.
You are a Dissenter—one who refuses to accept the world as it is. Some call you a revolutionary, a rebel, a criminal. Others call you a hero. Whether your cause is righteous, bloody, desperate, or misguided, you are part of a group wanting change. You may not know what the future holds, but you wish to have a hand in it.
- Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools, or gaming set of your choice
- Languages: One of your choice
- Equipment: A set of artisan’s tools (one of your choice), a letter containing the basic teachings of the kingdom's history, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gp
You have a known and trusted contact within a rebellious or radical faction seeking to change the kingdom or social status quo. Choose (or roll) from the list below. Your contact can provide safe shelter, information, or introductions to others in the movement. They cannot offer great material support but will risk much to aid you when truly needed
| d12 | Dissenting Contact |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Sect: Secret guardians of justice, ensuring no king, council, or noble stands above the law. |
| 2 | The Resurgence of Draconic Dominion: Zealots devoted to reviving the ancient dominion of dragons over mortal races. |
| 3 | Ashen Accord: An alliance of 'Monsterous' races—goblins, orcs, kobolds—seeking a new order of equality, by blade or by word. |
| 4 | The Verdant Coil: Druids and rangers who believe civilization itself has passed it's fair balance and seek to return the world to wildness. |
| 5 | The Shattered Sword: Disillusioned former knights and nobles who seek to shatter the disposal nature of Soldiers and Militiamen |
| 6 | The Breathless Choir: A small foundation of Black-marked Bards, Silenced Ridiculers, and Widows of Jesters against the wrong Nobility |
| 7 | The Crimson Reform: Wealthy merchants and scholars who believe the true path forward is to overthrow inherited nobility and replace it with elected power. |
| 8 | The Howling Tide: Pirates and raiders who see the destruction of land-based rule as the key to true enlightment |
| 9 | The Forged Brotherhood: A collusion of craftsman who Worship Thavros, believing he should be allowed to be worshipped in open. |
| 10 | The Undead Council: A cult of followers of Orcus, who seek to re-open the tear he made, and bring him to the material plane; believing to become immortals if they succeed |
| 11 | Jeering Jacobs: a Collection of tribesman, all pointing towards one common goal; The sovereign right to govern themselves |
| 12 | The Quiet Council: A collection of monks, Sages, and Acolytes that have visited the underdark, a rarely known world, that wish to keep it's beauty unspoiled. |
Through study, firsthand experience, or teachings passed down in secret, you possess knowledge of Azk'shire's true history— at least a part of it, Such as erased stories, Appealed Laws, old court documents of important precedence.
When interacting with nobles, officials, scholars, or institutions that have any ties to the kingdom’s or Republic's past (such as churches, courts, noble houses, or city governments), you can subtly invoke ancient charters, forgotten laws, or historical precedents to demand access to records, safe passage, or respectful treatment. Your knowledge may not always compel absolute obedience, but those aware of the old ways will hesitate to ignore you outright—if only out of fear that you can expose truths they'd rather stay buried.
In addition, you can often identify historical inconsistencies, forgeries, and lies in official records, monuments, and decrees with ease (usually no check required unless the deception is sophisticated).
Suggested Characteristics
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I see conspiracies and secret motives everywhere, and I’m usually right. |
| 2 | My loyalty is to ideas, not rulers, councils or flags. |
| 3 | I act friendly even to my enemies; you catch more flies with honey. |
| 4 | I am blunt, confrontational, and unafraid to speak uncomfortable truths. |
| 5 | I trust my instincts more than any orders or traditions. |
| 6 | I always seek nonviolent solutions first—change can't be born of blood. |
| 7 | I write poems and songs mocking the powerful in my spare time. |
| 8 | I am endlessly curious about different peoples' hopes and dreams. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Justice. Everyone must live under fair and just laws—or no one should. (Lawful) |
| 2 | Hope. There’s a better future worth fighting for. (Good) |
| 3 | Rebellion. All empires fall. I want to see it happen with my own eyes. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Dominance. Only the strong deserve to rule. (Evil) |
| 5 | Freedom. No being should be chained to a tyrant’s will. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Vengeance. They wronged me, and now I'll tear their world down. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I owe my life to the faction that saved me from oppression. |
| 2 | A loved one was lost to the cruelty of the old order. I fight for their memory. |
| 3 | I will destroy one specific figure of authority who represents everything wrong with the world. |
| 4 | My people—however I define them—must survive and thrive, no matter the cost. |
| 5 | I carry a sacred relic or message that could change everything if revealed. |
| 6 | The person who recruited me into this life betrayed me; someday, they’ll answer for it. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I take foolish risks when I think it might help the cause. |
| 2 | I hold grudges longer than is wise, and it blinds me. |
| 3 | I secretly doubt the cause I fight for, but I’m too deep to back out now. |
| 4 | I talk too much about my plans, trusting the wrong people. |
| 5 | I am merciless to those I label as "the enemy," even if they could change. |
| 6 | I refuse to compromise, even when it would be the smarter choice. |
Contacts
When you chose the Dissenter background, you gained the favor or recognition of a hidden agent working toward the world's unseen revolutions.
These contacts are cautious and secretive; they offer no open allegiance and rarely reveal their true loyalty unless absolutely necessary.
| d6 | Contact |
|---|---|
| 1 | A city watchman with too many scars and too few illusions about the law he serves. |
| 2 | A masked performer whose music carries dangerous truths hidden beneath sweet melodies. |
| 3 | A weary priest of the desperate and lost, who listens for prayers never meant for gods. |
| 4 | A gruff mercenary leader with no allegiance but a deep hatred for the wealthy elite. |
| 5 | A ragged traveler who speaks of ancient dragons and forgotten empires, preaching at lonely crossroads. |
| 6 | A quiet figure hidden among the dusty archives, always reading but never speaking. |
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