Place of Origin
Every character begs the question: Where do they come from? While there are many places of origin, we will be focusing on the kind of place you are from, rather than exactly where, for now. The Quirks and Professions you get from these will provide a bonus when relevant in a given situation.
Go ahead and pick a home from the list of places below:
- The Garden - People of the Garden are from the idyllic, lap of luxury that consists of the very heart of the Valta Empire. Dressing in fine clothes and speaking in eloquent tones, many Imperials from the Garden put strong emphasis on appearances and flash over substance. They are used to an opulent life of abundant food, water, and fine quality goods. But don’t be fooled, Garden politics and courts are deadly places where many a less skilled imperial has been executed or banished. As such, Garden dwellers are shrewd, cunning and two-faced to survive; the ones who have been exiled, even moreso. More info can be found here.
- Pick a Quirk - Superficial, Classy, Eloquent, Arrogant, Cold
- Pick a profession - Emissary, Doctor, Courtier, Spy, or other with approval from the Judge
- The Iron Cities - The Iron Cities are a place of heavy bureacracy and heavier machinery. Soot and red tape cover everything in the cities that surround The Garden. The manufacturing bed of the Valta Empire, they process all the raw materials from the outer towns to make guns, ships and anything else The Valta Empire needs. Trade inspectors document everything in and out of the city and City Barons punished to watch over the mess of the Iron cities, are “honored” to serve the empire in such an esteemed capacity. Usually in leathers and work clothes, Iron folk don’t have clothing for recreation. Aside from bars, there is little to do in the city that isn’t working on a factory line, so comfortable canvas clothes and thick leather jackets are the norm. More info can be found here.
- Pick a Quirk - Dirty, Meticulous, Seedy, Resourceful, Curious
- Pick a profession - Bureaucrat, Thief, Mechanic, Dockworker, or other with approval from the Judge
- The Howlers - North of The Garden are The Howlers, a treacherous mountain range that blunts any attack that passes through them to the imperial heart. Named for its brutal wind conditions and weather, folk eke out a life of simple prosperity amidst the snow and goats. Howlers, as the people there are confusingly called, are reverent of the old ways. Wearing intricate facial markings that show their tribe and heavy cloaks to protect them from the high winds of the north, they tend to stand out anywhere they go. They frequently find older technology, but lack the means to fix any of it. Other than some steel weapons and scavenging, they dabble little in trade with other cultures unless specific supplies are required by the tribe. More info can be found here.
- Pick a Quirk - Primitive, Superstitious, Barbaric, Stoic, Gullible
- Pick a profession - Scout, Swordsman, Shaman, Scavenger, or other with approval from the Judge
- The Wastes - The sun-beaten, dusty wastes breeds a specific kind of folk. The kind that keeps what civilization they can but aren't afraid to fire a few shots for the sake of it either. Far from the Iron Cities and The Garden, civilization tends to get frayed on the edges and Waste Folk are there keeping it together. The Wastes are metal rich, and while there are many mining settlements and railways run by the Outer Barons, the danger is still very present and deadly. Even the average person knows a thing or two about survival, and tends to adorn common attire with feathers and animal bones as minor decoration. More info can be found here.
- Pick a Quirk - Suspicious, Hayseed, Shrewd, Grizzled, Unflappable
- Pick a Profession - Merchant, Miner, Bounty Hunter, Hustler, or other with approval from the Judge
- The Sea of Crisis - A place of tumultuous peril, the Sea of Crisis is a place of deadly weather, but one of the few other places where food and water can be regularly acquired. Isolated and dangerous to get lost in, the people from this place are called Riggers, known for their lives on the ancient rigs. Originally used for drawing oil, the old rigs serve as places for crowded squatter towns and fishermen. Riggers tend to be dressed in salt-stained leathers and oiled canvas coats, with little (if any) consideration for colors or fashion. More info can be found here.
- Pick a Quirk - Humorless, Grim, Brutally Honest, Stubborn, Cynical
- Pick a Profession - Navigator, Fisherman, Airship Pilot, Smuggler, or other with approval from the Judge
Example:
Kristin is thinking about a rough survivalist. She sees that being from the Howlers could help with that, but wants a more socially savvy character and selects The Wastes as her home. She picks Grizzled as her Quirk and Gambler with permission of the judge.
Next, Pick your first Power