“You have walked in places in places most fear to tread — between worlds, between lives. Something lingers behind your eyes, something… watching.”
You were touched by a force beyond the mortal realm — a shadow in the dark, a whisper from the grave, or a vision that never quite faded. Whether it was a brush with death, a failed summoning, or a cursed birth, you carry the mark of that moment. People sense the otherness about you, and many instinctively avoid your gaze.
- Skill Proficiencies: Stealth, Arcana
- Tool Proficiencies: Thieves’ tools, Disguise kit, or Calligrapher’s supplies
- Languages: One exotic language of your choice (such as Deep Speech, Abyssal, Infernal, or Sylvan)
- Equipment: A trinket bearing a symbol from your haunting vision or past, a set of common clothes with a dark cloak or hood, a small notebook filled with strange sketches or dream-logs, and a pouch containing 10 gp
The force that touched you left an imprint — you sometimes receive eerie impressions or fleeting whispers from beyond. When you make an Intelligence (Arcana), Wisdom (Insight), or Charisma (Deception) check related to supernatural, secret, or forbidden knowledge, you can roll with advantage once per long rest.
Additionally, people familiar with occult or secret traditions (like cultists, ghost-hunters, or certain sages) may recognise your aura or mark and treat you with wary respect — or suspicion.
Suggested Characteristics
Personality Traits
- I find omens and signs in everything — from falling leaves to flickering flames.
- I speak softly and often pause as if listening to something far away.
- I’m never truly alone, and I take comfort in that.
- I avoid eye contact; too much can let things in.
- I am intensely curious about the supernatural.
- I sleep lightly and always with one eye open.
- I write down my dreams obsessively.
- I secretly enjoy the fear others feel around me.
Ideals
- Balance. The boundary between life and death must be respected. (Neutral)
- Power. Knowledge from beyond grants me strength. (Evil)
- Truth. I must uncover what truly lies in the dark. (Any)
- Sanctity. I protect others from what I’ve seen. (Good)
- Freedom. No force, living or dead, controls me. (Chaotic)
- Destiny. I was chosen for something greater. (Any)
Bonds
- A spirit or voice guides me; I owe it everything.
- Someone I love disappeared into the darkness, and I will find them.
- I carry an artefact that should never be found again.
- My mark is the same as one in a forbidden prophecy.
- I once escaped death — but not for free.
- I seek the one who gave me this shadow.
Flaws
- I sometimes talk to things no one else sees.
- I distrust the living more than the dead.
- I’ll risk everything for forbidden knowledge.
- I’m haunted by the things I’ve seen in dreams.
- I believe I’m destined to die — soon.
- I secretly believe I’m already dead.
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