Page 151 - D&D - Player's Handbook

stance against unauthorized involvement with other but you might also have grown up there after being cap-
nations and organizations. You might have been exiled tured and brought below when you were a child.
for breaking one of Halruaa's many byzantine laws, If you are a true Underdark native, you might have
or you could be a pilgrim who seeks the shrines of the come to the surface as an emissary of your people, or
gods of magic. perhaps to escape accusations of criminal behavior
Kara-Tur. The continent of Kara-Tur, far to the east of (whether warranted or not). If you aren't a native, your
Faen1n, is home to people whose customs are unfamiliar reason for leaving "home" probably has something to do
to the folk of the Sword Coast. If you come from Kara-Tur, with getting away from a bad situation.
the people of Faerfin likely refer to you as Shou, even if
that isn't your true ethnicity, because that's the blanket FEATURE: ALL EYES ON You
term they use for everyone who shares your origin. Your accent, mannerisms, figures of speech, and per-
The folk of Kara-Tur occasionally travel to Faerfin as haps even your appearance all mark you as foreign.
diplomats or to forge trade relations with prosperous Curious glances are directed your way wherever you go,
merchant cartels. You might have come here as part of which can be a nuisance, but you also gain the friendly
some such delegation, then decided to stay when the interest of scholars and others intrigued by far-off lands,
mission was over. to say nothing of everyday folk who are eager to hear
Mulhorand. From the terrain to the architecture to stories of your homeland.
the god-kings who rule over these lands, nearly every- You can parley this attention into access to people
thing about Mulhorand is alien to someone from the and places you might not otherwise have, for you and
Sword Coast. You likely experienced the same sort of your traveling companions. Noble lords, scholars, and
culture shock when you left your desert home and trav- merchant princes, to name a few, might be interested in
eled to the unfamiliar climes of northern Faerfin. Recent hearing about your distant homeland and people.
events in your homeland have led to the abolition of slav-
SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
ery, and a corresponding increase in the traffic between
Mulhorand and the distant parts of Faerfin.
Those who leave behind Mulhorand's sweltering des- PERSONALITY TRAIT
erts and ancient pyramids for a glimpse at a different d6 Personality Trait
life do so for many reasons. You might be in the North I have different assumptions from those around
simply to see the strangeness this wet land has to offer, me concerning personal space, blithely invading
or because you have made too many enemies among the
others' space in innocence, or reacting to ignorant
desert communities of your home.
invasion of my own.
Sossal. Few have heard of your homeland, but many
2 I have my own ideas about what is and is not food,
have questions about it upon seeing you. Humans from
and I find the eating habits of those around me
Sossal seem crafted from snow, with alabaster skin and
fascinating, confusing, or revolting.
white hair, and typically dressed in white.
Sossal exists far to the northeast, hard up against 3 I have a strong code of honor or sense of propriety
the endless ice to the north and bounded on its other that others don't comprehend.
sides by hundreds of miles of the Great Glacier and the 4 I express affection or contempt in ways that are
Great Ice Sea. No one from your nation makes the effort unfamiliar to others.
to cross such colossal barriers without a convincing 5 I honor my deities through practices that are
reason. You must fear something truly terrible or seek foreign to this land.
something incredibly important.
6 I begin or end my day with small traditional rituals
Zakhara. As the saying goes among those in Faerfin
that are unfamiliar to those around me.
who know of the place, "To get to Zakhara, go south.
Then go south some more." Of course, you followed an
equally long route when you came north from your place IDEALS
of birth. Though it isn't unusual for Zakharans to visit d6 Ideal
the southern extremes of Faerfin for trading purposes, Open. I have much to learn from the kind ly folk I
few of them stray as far from home as you have. meet along my way. (Good)
You might be traveling to discover what wonders are 2 Reserved. As someone new to these strange lands, I
to be found outside the deserts and sword-like moun- am cautious and respectful in my dealings. (Lawful)
tains of your homeland, or perhaps you are on a pilgrim- 3 Adventure. I'm far from home, and everything is
age to understand the gods that others worship, so that strange and wonderful! (Chaotic)
you might better appreciate your own deities.
4 Cunning. Though I may not know their ways,
The Underdark. Though your home is physically
neither do they know mine, which can be to my
closer to the Sword Coast than the other locations dis-
cussed here, it is far more unnatural. You hail from one advantage. (Evil)
of the settlements in the Underdark, each of which has its 5 Inquisitive. Everything is new, but I have a thirst to
own strange customs and laws. If you are a native of one learn. (Neutral)
of the great subterranean cities or settlements, you are 6 Suspicious. I must be careful, for I have no way of
probably a member of the race that occupies the place- telling friend from foe here. (Any)

CHA PTER 5 I BACKGRO UNDS