Backgrounds: Far Traveler

Many of the common people and other folk that one might encounter in Huldain have one thing in common: they live out their lives without ever traveling more than a few miles from where they were born.

You aren't one of those folk.

You are from a distant place, one so remote that few of the common folk in Huldain realize that it exists, and chances are good that even if some people you meet have heard of your homeland, they know merely the name and perhaps a few outrageous stories. You have come to this part of Huldain for your own reasons, which you might or might not choose to share.

Although you will undoubtedly find some of this land's ways to be strange and discomfiting, you can also be sure that some things its people take for granted will be to you new wonders that you've never laid eyes on before. By the same token, you're a person of interest, for good or ill, to those around you almost anywhere you go.

###### Tool Proficiencies

Any one musical instrument or gaming set of your choice, likely something native to your homeland

###### Equipment

One set of traveler's clothes, any one musical instrument or gaming set you are proficient with, poorly wrought maps from your homeland that depict where you are in Huldain, a small piece of jewelry worth 10 gp in the style of your homeland's craftsmanship, and a pouch containing 5 gp

### Feature: Why Are You Here?

A far traveler might have set out on a journey for one of a number of reasons, and the departure from his or her homeland could have been voluntary or involuntary. To determine why you are so far from home, roll on the table below or choose from the options provided. The following section, discussing possible homelands, includes some suggested reasons that are appropriate for each location.

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### Feature: Where Are You From?

The most important decision in creating a far traveler background is determining your homeland. The places discussed here are all sufficiently distant from Huldain to justify the use of this background.

***Ilesef.*** The fabled elven islands far to the east are home to elves who have never been to Huldain. They often find it a harsher place than they expected when they do make the trip. If you are an elf, Ilesef is a logical (though not mandatory) choice for your homeland.

Most of those who emigrate from Ilesef are either exiles, forced out for committing some infraction of elven law, or emissaries who come to Huldain for a purpose that benefits elven culture or society.

***Lavengate.*** Located off the northern shores of Norfvice, and racked with mountains all around, the environment of Lavengate is a bizarre land to most in Huldain who know about it. Many folk have heard that they somehow wield magic without a candle ceremony, and a few know of the tales about the strange skyships the Lavengaters sail.

Lavengaters usually make their journeys into Huldain for personal reasons, since their government has a strict stance against unauthorized involvement with other nations and organizations. You might have been exiled for breaking one of Lavengate's many byzantine laws, or you could be a pilgrim who seeks the shrines of the gods.

***Vuigata.*** The islands of Vuigata, to the west of Farltiff, is home to people whose customs are unfamiliar to the folk of Huldain. If you come from Vuigata, the people of Huldain are likely to refer to you as Vuggin, even if that isn't your true name, because that's the blanket term they use for everyone who shares your origin.

The folk of Vuigata occasionally travel to Huldain as diplomats or to forge trade relations with prosperous merchant cartels. You might have come here as part of some such delegation, then decided to stay when the mission was over.

***Evastyn Desert.*** You likely experienced a sort of culture shock when you left your desert home and traveled to the unfamiliar societies of Huldain. Recent events in your homeland have led to more bouts of violence, and a corresponding increase in the traffic between Evastyn Desert and the distant parts of Huldain.

Those who leave behind Evastyn Desert's sweltering hot sands and ancient structures for a glimpse at a different life do so for many reasons. You might be simply curious and wish to see the strangeness this wet land has to offer, or because you have made too many enemies among the desert communities of your home.

***Frosmer Lakes.*** Few have visited your homeland, but many have questions about it upon seeing you. Humans from the Frosmer Lakes seem crafted from snow, with alabaster skin and white hair, and typically dressed in white.

The Frosmer Lakes exists far to the northwest, with endless snow and ice, and trapped in by hundreds of miles of mountains and frozen lakes. No one from the frozen wastelands makes the effort to cross such colossal barriers without a convincing reason. You must fear something truly terrible or seek something incredibly important.

***Ussqu Trench.*** As the saying goes among those in Huldain who know of the place, "To get to Ussqu Trench, go deep underwater. Then go deeper." Of course, you followed an equally long route when you came up from your place of birth. Though it isn't unusual for Ussqu Trench Dwellers to leave their dark sea floor for trading purposes, few of them stray as far from home as you have.

You might be traveling to discover what wonders are to be found beyond the cold ocean floor and inky black waters of your homeland, or perhaps you are on a pilgrimage to understand the way of life of others, so that you might better appreciate your own.

***Inunda Chasm.*** Though your home is physically closer to Huldain than the other locations discussed here, it is far more unnatural. You hail from one of the settlements in Inunda Chasm, each of which has its own strange customs and laws. If you are a native of one of the great subterranean cities or settlements, you are probably a member of the race that occupies the place but you might also have grown up there after being captured and brought below when you were a child.

If you are a true Inunda Chasm native, you might have come to the surface as an emissary of your people, or perhaps to escape accusations of criminal behavior (whether warranted or not). If you aren't a native, your reason for leaving "home" probably has something to do with getting away from a bad situation.

### Feature: All Eyes on You

Your accent, mannerisms, figures of speech, and perhaps even your appearance all mark you as foreign. Curious glances are directed your way wherever you go, which can be a nuisance, but you also gain the friendly interest of scholars and others intrigued by foreign lands, to say nothing of everyday folk who are eager to hear stories of your homeland.

You can parley this attention into access to people and places you might not otherwise have, for you and your traveling companions. Noble lords, scholars, and merchant princes, to name a few, might be interested in hearing about your distant homeland and people.

### Suggested Characteristics

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