In the dim silence of an ancient forest, a cavern, or a long-forgotten dungeon, the geleton wandered. Driven by instinct—or perhaps fate—it stumbled upon the remains of a long-dead skeleton, its bones cold but restless. Drawn by an inexplicable pull, the geleton merged with the remains.

As the Geleton slowly dissolves the remains from the skeleton and takes hold; a sharp flood of broken memories from the skeleton’s past rush in. Broken and sharp; memories of pain and haunting emotions that seem to burn through the marrow."

Now two souls—one of essence and one of memory—are bound together. The past is fragmented, veiled in shadow. The skeleton’s tragedy is uncertain: perhaps a betrayal by kin, or a loss too great to bear. What remains is a whisper in the bones—a need for closure, a hunger for truth, and the faint echo of vengeance that refuses to die.

How long ago this happened, none can say. The line between life and death, flesh and spirit, is gone. You walk the realms now not merely as a construct of bone, but as the vessel of an unfinished story.

Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from among Arcana, Investigation, Insight, or Survival

Languages: Choose two, one of your choice and one the DM may think the skeleton may have known; can be a surprise to you.

Equipment:

You begin with the following items, remnants of the skeleton you bonded with and a few tokens of its former life or the grave itself:

• Tattered Remains: A collection of worn, rotted, or rusted scraps — bits of armor plating, a corroded buckle, a cracked ring, and a threadbare cloak or burial shroud barely holding together.

• Bone Fragment Keepsake: A small, polished piece of bone carved with faint runes or a name now worn away. When held, you feel a pulse of emotion or memory.

• Rust-Pitted Weapon or Tool: A broken shortsword, dented mace, or rusted dagger—still functional, but scarred by time.

• Grave Dust Pouch: A small cloth pouch of dark soil, ash, or grave dust taken from the site where you merged with the skeleton.

• 1d3 Trinkets of the Dead (roll on the list below).

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Trinkets of the Dead (Roll 1d100 or choose)

Below is a focused d100 table designed for this background — they’re eerie, sentimental, or symbolic, tied to forgotten lives and lingering souls. You can roll 1–3 items at character creation to give your Geleton flavor and history.

d100	Trinket
01	A cracked monocle with faint etching of initials that no longer mean anything.
02	A single gold tooth engraved with a rune of warding.
03	A finger bone carved into a whistle that makes no sound.
04	A tarnished locket containing a faded painting of two figures—one blurred beyond recognition.
05	A ring that always feels slightly warm, no matter how cold the air.
06	A handful of grave moss that never dries out.
07	A key made of bone that opens nothing you’ve yet found.
08	A coin minted in a kingdom that no longer exists.
09	A child’s wooden toy, cracked in half but lovingly polished.
10	A fragment of a mirror that shows another face when you stare too long.
11	A scrap of parchment with a half-finished love letter.
12	A black feather that refuses to decay.
13	A piece of amber containing a trapped spider, still twitching faintly.
14	A rosary made from small vertebrae.
15	A broken arrowhead lodged in a rib bone.
16	A tiny vial of tears that never evaporate.
17	A copper bell that rings softly in moonlight only.
18	A skeletal finger joint that vibrates when danger is near.
19	A small leather pouch containing ashes and a lock of hair.
20	A rusted brooch with the symbol of a forgotten house.
21–25	A cracked jawbone etched with tally marks—perhaps days, or victims.
26–30	A smooth stone that hums faintly when placed near graves.
31–35	A dried flower that still carries a faint scent of mourning.
36–40	A candle that cannot be lit by flame, only by touch.
41–45	A ring carved from a single bone, shaped to resemble two hands clasped.
46–50	A scroll fragment written in a language you cannot read but feel you should.
51–55	A blackened coin with the image of a skeletal king.
56–60	A cracked holy symbol—its god long since forgotten.
61–65	A broken arrow fletched with raven feathers.
66–70	A pendant shaped like an eye, which sometimes seems to blink.
71–75	A shard of glass that glows faintly when blood is near.
76–80	A small brass music box that plays a melody you can almost recall.
81–85	A knotted cord bracelet; every knot is carved with a name.
86–90	A tiny skull carved from ivory, missing one eye socket.
91–95	A rusted dagger etched with “To the end.”
96–100	A broken timepiece—its hands frozen at the moment of your awakening.

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Optional Narrative Flavor

You may describe how these items fuse or hang from your skeletal form—chains woven through bones, rings bound to fingers, or relics tied to your ribcage with leather cord. They serve not only as remnants of a body long gone, but as anchors for the memories still whispering in your mind.

Suggested Characteristics

d8	Personality Trait
1	I speak in hushed tones, as if afraid to wake something that still listens.
2	I collect trinkets and remains, hoping they might unlock another fragment of memory.
3	I am eerily calm, even in chaos—death has already claimed me once.
4	I hum old songs without knowing where I learned them.
5	I avoid mirrors and reflections; I do not know who I will see.
6	My curiosity for the living is both fascination and envy.
7	I sometimes drift into silence, lost in visions of lives not my own.
8	I believe fate stitched my existence together for a reason I have yet to understand.

d6	Ideal
1	Redemption. I will uncover the wrongs that led to my death and seek peace. (Good)
2	Vengeance. I am the hand of justice for the one who wronged me. (Evil)
3	Truth. The past must be remembered, no matter how painful. (Neutral)
4	Balance. Death and life must coexist; I am both. (Neutral)
5	Freedom. Neither fate nor death will bind me again. (Chaotic)
6	Duty. I owe the skeleton whose bones I wear the completion of their purpose. (Lawful)

d6	Bond
1	The one who caused my death—or theirs—still walks this world.
2	I seek the place where I first awoke, hoping for answers.
3	Someone once loved the skeleton I inhabit. I must find them.
4	I guard the bones of the forgotten as if they were kin.
5	A single name echoes in my mind; I must discover its meaning.
6	My memories belong to two souls—I must learn which one is truly mine.

d6	Flaw
1	I am haunted by whispers that drive me to distrust everyone.
2	I cling to rage and sorrow as if they are all that defines me.
3	I struggle to tell dream from memory.
4	I hesitate before violence, uncertain if I kill for myself or another.
5	I sometimes feel the skeleton’s will overpowering my own.
6	I fear remembering everything—that truth may break what’s left of me.