Quicken

## Quicken of the Imperium

The Quicken are often refered to by others as half men because of their stature. They are also sometimes called Swiftlings due to their incredible natural speed and agility. Their stature also makes it difficult to master larger weapon styles. Their reach is overcome by their ability to work together in combat in an almost synchronistic fashion to deliver devastating results.

## It sure is quick, but it's gotta be Quicken

The Swiftlings are an old and resourceful origin of beings though their life spans are short lived. They had once journeyed beneath the surface of their homeland, from there they learned of the advantages of the natural resources and dug in. They learned to tap into the world's thermal energies and learned to make glass, pulley systems, and to harness the sun’s warmth. Within these last three lifetimes they have begun to raise themselves to new heights, literally building up into their surroundings. Always the Quicken are connected to one another and their birthplace. A city built into the side of hills and mountains, one where every wall to every building has stood for a hundred milestones or more, a land where no one goes hungry, cold, or ever alone into the night.

## The Awe-Inspiring Role

The constant buzzing in your head, the innate knows, and your mum's ability to always know you were up to no good all leads to a unique dynamic that you and the others of your kind share. Though small in stature, at your tallest just reaching over five feet, you’ve noticed your people are genuine, always concerned, yet always carefree, and ready to go in any direction at a moment’s notice. It’s easy enough for you to keep up however, and as you grow you learn from all those who fill your life. The constant presence in your mind is an ever-constant experience and never seems to be a drain, but instead lifts you, as if the whole inspires you to greater heights. Everyone within the city, Trinton, deals with their own problems in their own ways, and through a communion everyone from the point of birth plays a role within your community. Even those of you who make it beyond the mountains and desert, you still feel that hand on your shoulder, a constant presence telling you help is never too far away.

## Advantages and Disadvantages

**Advantages**- Quicken, due to their being extremely light on their feet and, well, quick, are immune to Slow Effects. Being as nimble as they are, they seem to have a natural ability to Dodge an attack. Being naturally dexterous, some of them are also ambidextrous and may follow any Agility based special attack with their main fighting hand with the same attack using their off-handed weapon provided they have the skill in that style.

**Disadvantages**- The Quicken, being mostly isolated compared to the other islanders, also have to deal with their size limitations. Beyond the struggles which come with a short stature, there are also the times where you must deal with the internal brood-ologue while simultaneously attempting to speak plainly to outsiders. A bugging headache it can all get to be at times, but don’t lose hope and always know that our greatest disadvantages are also our greatest strengths.

## Common Knowledge

Growing up as a Swiftling you are raised to know what you need to know about these lands your people occupy as well as the skills you’ll need to survive and help the whole flourish. By your twelfth milestone you will have tried many different vocations in order to learn what you are most naturally gifted at. Whether it is farming or building or some other craft, that will eventually be your career for the benefit of the whole. Your people are nigh magical to watch when completing a task in unison, and the more of you gathered the more of a spectacle you all usually make. There even seems to be a gentle jaunty hymning at the back of your thoughts, always in tempo with the action on the ground. Just one of the whimsical advantages of having such a strong bond with your peers especially in an age that has seen the closest thing Imperium has ever seen to peace in a long time.

## Theology

The Null is the place we all return to in the end, and at times will return from, and until that day you finally go though, everything you do is for the whole. You have a short life ahead of you compared to some of the other origins, with your elders only reaching 65-75 milestones. Thus, you must make decisions quickly, learn your role early and carry it out efficiently. The Wrake Household is, for lack of a better term, the leading family among your origin and they may have the final decision when it comes to roles. They also make decisions on how to deal with the fellow islanders of Imperium. The Swiftlings take many opportunities to celebrate the little things in life, but two of their largest well-known holidays are The Harvesting and Honors Day. The Harvesting falls sometimes towards the end of Crux or during Ascension, where instead of saying our goodbyes to those who have passed before us into the null like we do during Spirit's Farewell, we honor their memories and contributions to the whole. This day we feast and celebrate the earlier season’s harvests and we prepare for the next season. This day is reckoned by a full moon which appears nearly the same time each night. Honors day, the 15th of Apex, is a celebration of those who serve the whole, not only for humans but the Swiftlings as well. We drink in their honor as well as the honor of our own warriors still braving the bold.

## Thoughts on the other origins of Imperium

It’s not often the other origins of Imperium come knocking, but your kind have been experiencing warfare and trade with all of them since the dawning. You yourself aren’t entirely sure of what your friends and family try to push on to you about outsiders, but like all stereotypes, they do exist for a reason.

The Humans are an odd origin of beings whose height and numbers have given them a slight advantage over the whole. They make fine traders, and their King has vowed to unite the island of Imperium. Still, offer them food and they will take it, offer them shelter and they may run you out in the night. They have nothing on your people’s collaboration and have taken little interest in your homeland. For those reasons and several others, like their strange superstitions, you have made an attempt to slow down and talk to the slower talkers out there.

The Dwarves are simple enough; gold miners, forgers, and hired swords, the Dwarves are typically easy to pin. The biggest problem dealing with the Dwarves is listening to their higher clans gloat for hours about their riches. They have forgotten their ward to the land, but you do all you can to remind them. Unlike the other origins of Imperium the Dwarves are the closest you’ve seen erect a hierarchy following close to the Swiftlings’ own objectives. It is heartwarming to see but shouldn’t be a basis on how you do business with these master merchants and sell swords.

Lastly, we have the Striders, the tallest of the tall, these healing naturalists want little to do with you and that’s fine. They could learn better by the Swiftlings’ examples, but it’s hard to convince beings so big that you only wish to see them achieve new heights. They are eager to aid travelers and the weak but are rare enough in these lands that not much is truly known about them. They do share your respect for the lands though and seem to have more patience than the Humans.

*Origin Story By: Nathaniel Baker*