Heritage Update

Common Folk (CF): derided as mutts by some, the common bulk of mankind may nonetheless have much to be proud of in their ancestry, as they grow hardy even on famine food and tend to thrive in adversity that weeds out those that think themselves better. Common humans tend to shades of brown in their hair, eyes, and skin, and often live to a ripe old age, many having natural lifespans of 100 years or so.

• Wisdom Born of Sorrow: the life of the common folk builds faith in themselves and their families, often as they have nothing else to rely on. Increase their Faith  score by 3, raising the modifier by 1.
• Trade: the common folk must work for a living, and thus have a journeyman’s level of skill from working as a farmer, shepherd, miller, carpenter, blacksmith, mercer, or such like.

Changeling (CH): some human children are thought to be stolen away by the faeries or otherwise touched by them. While most of these children die shortly thereafter, a fair number live to reach adulthood, and of those some live hundreds of years, although even such long-lived examples tend to be somewhat frail and sickly.. Changelings are always marked by a physical oddity, such as an unnatural pallor, odd coloration of the hair, eyes, or blood, or some other strange feature, and have an general feeling of uncanniness about them. Changelings tend to have very short or very long lifespans, some withering away in their fourth decade and some seemingly youthful at 200.

• Eldritch Lore: changelings learn things without knowing how or why, making them privy to secret lore. Increase their Kenning score by 3, raising the modifier by 1.
• Night Vision: Changelings have unnaturally acute night vision, seeing about twice as far under dim lighting as a normal human.

Giantkin (GK): in some families, particularly among the northmen, still runs the blood of the ancient giants, and a few of their children are born with a touch of the power and stature of that race. These children grow tall and strong, but such a physique can be a strain on the mortal heart, and very few live past their eightieth winter. Giantkin tend to be fair of eye and hair, and their arterial blood is often an unusually bright red.

• Titan’s Power: the powerful build of a giantkin gives them physical strength beyond that of lesser men. Increase their Might score by 3, raising the modifier by 1.
• Strong Back: Giantkin can carry an additional stone of weight with no penalty, easily bearing armor or other burdens that would break lesser men.

Highborn (HB): the old aristocracy of the lost empires in their decadence seeded themselves amongst the common people hither and yon, and many noble families claim descent from them to this day, some with more evidence than others. The recessive traits of the highborn still manifest in inbred noble houses and once in a while suddenly emerge in lowly places, the result of chance dalliance or ancient royal heritage. Most highborn have violet eyes, dark hair, and bluish blood, and they tend to be fairer than most. Pure-blooded highborn may reach old age in good health, but most fail by their eighties.

• Fated to Lead: the founders of the highborn bargained with eldritch powers to ensure that their progeny would be born to rule other men. Increase their Wyrd score by 3, raising the modifier by 1.
• Privilege: highborn characters can begin play with an extra 2d6 silver pennies and either a Rank 0 retainer OR an extra equipment choice.

Wanderers (WA): the fall of empires due to war and disaster left many without a land to call home, doomed to wander the world. Refugees and rejects, the traveling people are looked down upon wherever they go. Some say they are cursed and will be punished by the gods if they settle in one place; others simply use this as an excuse to chase them out of town. Still, they scrabble by, plying trades passed down through generations and living by hard-won wisdom.. Wandering folk have coloration similar to Common Men, and their elders generally reach their eighties.

• Quick-Fingered: despite their reputation few wanderers make their living with quick hands in pockets, but they do tend towards wary reflexes from the harsh life of the road and a familiarity with cast stones. Increase their Nimbleness by 3, raising the modifier by 1.
• Wandering Ways: wandering folk are travelers all, and tend to pick up a useful journeyman skill for life on the sea or road, such as that of a drover, cartwright, shepherd, musician, jester, carpenter, fisherman or sailor from the time they can walk.

Wildlings (WL): beyond the boroughs and villages secured by Law and arms dwell hermits and freeholders that survive on their wits with only the most tenuous support from the society of their fellow men. Whether religious seekers or the chosen guardians of the borderlands, Wildlings form a people apart. Wildlings tend to the same build and coloration as common men, and might live just as long if not taken by injury.

• Rugged Constitution: hard living and adversity in the wilderness have made wildlings a tougher breed. Increase their Health score by 3, raising the modifier by 1.
• Survivor: Wildlings are used to living off of the land and get +1 on foraging results due to their scavenging and hunting experience.