You carry the weight of a tragedy so vast it reshaped you. Whether through ignorance, duty, or manipulation, your actions led to the deaths of thousands. Their final thoughts did not fade — they bound themselves to you, becoming a constant presence in your mind and soul.
You do not hear them as voices, but as instincts, emotions, and memories that are not your own. They guide your hand away from disaster and toward those in need. You walk not as a chosen champion, but as a living reliquary of grief, resolve, and borrowed hope.
- Ability Scores: Your experiences have sharpened your awareness of others and hardened your resolve. Consider increasing your Wisdom or Charisma to reflect your connection to lingering souls and your sense of duty.
- Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from among Insight, Religion, Perception, or Survival.
- Tool Proficiencies: Choose one from among Calligrapher’s supplies, Herbalism kit, or Alchemist’s supplies.
- Languages: Choose one: Abyssal, Celestial, Deep Speech, Infernal, or Sylvan.
- Equipment: A [Tooltip Not Found], a broken or cracked holy symbol, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp.
The tragedy that binds the dead to you takes many forms. Choose an echo that haunts you, or roll on the table below to determine the nature of the memory that follows you.
| d10 | Echoes of the Slain |
|---|---|
| 1 | You were responsible for the destruction of a village, city, or enclave, and the memory of their final moments never leaves you. |
| 2 | Thousands died performing a ritual meant to stop something far worse, and their sacrifice now binds itself to your fate. |
| 3 | You broke a seal, ward, or ancient law, unleashing a disaster that claimed countless innocent lives. |
| 4 | You followed orders you should have questioned, and the consequences were catastrophic. |
| 5 | You were the only survivor of a mass death event that should have killed you as well. |
| 6 | You tried to save everyone, and failed — the dead linger around you because you were their last hope. |
| 7 | You were manipulated, deceived, or magically compelled into causing a great tragedy. |
| 8 | A being beyond your understanding used you as a conduit for destruction, and the echoes still cling to your soul. |
| 9 | You were part of a group or organization responsible for a massacre, and you alone remained to carry the weight. |
| 10 | You made a choice that saved the world but doomed thousands, and you will never know if it was worth it. |
You can sense when you are near the site of a major tragedy, mass death, or spiritual disturbance, feeling an emotional pressure or heaviness in the air.
In addition, common folk who recognize the weight you carry are more inclined to offer you shelter, information, or aid, even if they fear you. Unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them, people touched by loss tend to trust you to understand their suffering.
Suggested Characteristics
You are quiet, observant, and slow to judge. You often place yourself between danger and others without thinking. You may struggle with guilt, overprotectiveness, or a belief that your own life is worth less than those you protect.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I speak softly and deliberately, even when others are afraid or angry. |
| 2 | I instinctively place myself between danger and anyone who seems vulnerable. |
| 3 | I listen more than I talk, and I remember things others forget. |
| 4 | I treat even enemies with a strange, solemn respect. |
| 5 | I rarely laugh, but when I do it surprises even me. |
| 6 | I keep small personal rituals to honor the dead, even in unsafe places. |
| 7 | I feel uneasy in crowds but calm in places touched by tragedy. |
| 8 | I often seem distracted, as though listening to something no one else can hear. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | No mistake is beyond the power of meaningful atonement. (Good) |
| 2 | The innocent must never be abandoned again. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Power exists to prevent suffering, not to excuse it. (Neutral) |
| 4 | Lies create disasters as surely as monsters do. (Neutral) |
| 5 | Some burdens must be carried so others don’t have to. (Any) |
| 6 | The dead deserve to be remembered, not forgotten. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I carry a journal containing names, faces, or symbols of those I failed. |
| 2 | I feel compelled to protect children, villages, and small communities above all else. |
| 3 | I seek out sites of tragedy, hoping to prevent history from repeating itself. |
| 4 | I owe my life and purpose to those who died because of me. |
| 5 | Someone from my past knows the truth of what I did — and still believes in me. |
| 6 | I will not allow anyone under my watch to suffer the way they did. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I believe my life is worth less than the lives of others. |
| 2 | I struggle to forgive myself, even when others have. |
| 3 | I take on too much responsibility and refuse help even when I need it. |
| 4 | I hesitate to make decisions, afraid of causing harm again. |
| 5 | I am drawn to danger as a form of punishment. |
| 6 | I sometimes act recklessly when I think someone might die because of me. |
Comments