Backgrounds

Upon Character Creation, a player must select one Origin Background feat and one Culture Background feat. Background feats confer small but significant gameplay changes. These reflect your character's nation of origin racial heritage, or personal background before enrolling as a Magistocrat. There are other Background feats not available to the player that are used by various NPC's.

### Scholar

A lifetime of scholarly pursuits has granted the Scholar +10 Intelligence, Willpower, and Id, but not enough playing outside has resulted in a loss of -20 Conditioning. This feat is incompatible with Barbarian, and is required for the Bard class. If Bard is selected upon character creation, a further 15 Id is granted.

### Athlete

The Athlete's love of sports and games allows for +10 Conditioning, Prowess, and Accuracy, but with no time for studies, the athlete suffers from -20 Intelligence.

### Thief

The first lesson of any skilled thief is how not to get caught, the Thief receives +10 to Wit, Perception, and Reflexes, but their larcenous ways cause them to lose -10 Willpower and Resolve.

### Farmer

Hard work and sacrifice grant the gentle farmer +10 Faith, Focus, and Resolve, but the farmer's pacifist upbringing results in a loss of -10 Ferocity and Prowess. This background cannot be selected at the same time as Noble.

### Noble

The ruling class's life of leisure amongst other members of high society has blessed the Noble with +10 Charisma and +10 Vitality. This background cannot be selected at the same time as Farmer, and is required for players who wish to become Paladins. If Paladin is selected upon character creation, Nobles gain an additional 10 Prowess.

### Void-Touched

Claimed by shadow before birth, a Void-Touched player does 15% increased damage with any spell or attack that deals shadow damage, but takes 10% increased damage from all sources of Holy damage.

### Elf-Blooded

An Elf-Blooded player descends, however distantly, from the long-extinct Elven nations of the West, who many centuries ago walked, and bred, freely among humans. Elf-Blooded individuals may cast spells of up to Level 3 without the need for a magical focus, and slowly regenerate Mana naturally. However, their natural aptitude for magic has led them to neglect the studious habits necessary to memorize many spells, and Elf-Blooded players may only learn one spell of each level.

### Freeholder

Hailing from the scattered Freeholds among the hills and sandy beaches of the North, clad in the everlasting mist of an eternal, pale morning sun, the natives of the Freeholds are tall and olive skinned, often styling their tightly curled hair into a riot of shapes and colors, in contrast to the grey ceramic buildings that make up their homes. The Freeholds are home to people of all types but most Freeholders tend to be devout worshippers of the Star-Goddess, who guides them through the mist, firm champions of fairness and democracy, and while neither scholarly nor particularly skilled in feats of arms, the finest crafstmen in the world. While wearing medium armor, Freeholders gain a bonus of +10 Faith and +10 Focus and ignore 5% of armor mana penalty. They also begin the game with a ceramic weapon and ceramic armor. Freeholder cannot be selected at the same time as Forester or sun people, players must begin the game as a Cleric, Bard, or Ranger, and may not ever become a Battlemage or Necromancer.

### Forester

The Magistocracy of Meridian itself is made up primarily of individuals from the nearby Faelight forest, as a lifetime of exposure to magical energies and beings presents many opportunities for acquiring aptitude in the arcane arts. The human natives are pale and stocky, with large eyes and copious blonde, red, or brown hair. Many Foresters have nothing to do with the Magistocrats, and live in small settlements throughout the woods southeast of Meridian. Foresters begin the game with the Arcane feat **Enchant Weapon** and gain +10 Intelligence and Id. Forester cannot be selected at the same time as Barbarian, Freeholder or Sun People, and players must begin the game as a Druid or Mage, and may not ever become a Knight or Monk.

### Sun people lmao

Far to the east of Meridian, past where the Faelight gives way to a jungle of goliath trees and enormous mushrooms devoid of animal life, and the sun beats down with relentless, nightless heat, rise the terraced mountain kingdom of unnamed. By far the largest and most populous of the human nations, this strictly regimented society of large, dark skinned sun-worshippers lives entirely in the eternal, life-enabling shade of the leeward side of a long mountain range, with buildings hewn into the very stone faces of the mountains. On the sunward side, in neverending mid-morning swelter, serfs tend to massive, terraced gardens and farms that produce vast quantities of food, required to maintain an enormous standing army that endlessly patrols the inhospitable plains below, for across the plains lies a truly hostile desert, home to an ancient enemy. Sun People are generally distrustful of wizards, and must begin the game as a Paladin or Fighter, and may not ever become a Bard, Mage, or Druid. In return, Sun People gain +10 Ferocity, +10 Prowess, and +10 Accuracy. This background feat is incompatable with Barbarian, Freeholder and Forester.

### Barbarian

You do not hail from any of the three large human civilizations, but instead come from the frozen or desert wastes, lawless pirate island chains, or any of the other marginalized and wild places of the world. What your lack in formal learning and social graces you more than make up for in savage ferocity. You may not wear heavy armor or become a Paladin, Cleric, or Mage, but you gain +20 Vitality and a chance to become Enraged whenever you are struck, granting you damage reduction and increased Ferocity.

### Spark-Touched\*

One with raw, sizzling power, a Spark-Touched player does 15% increased damage with any spell or attack that deals electricity damage, but takes 10% increased damage from all sources of fire damage. This background feat is meant for the NPC Human Bard.

### Cold-Touched\*

One with the frozen wastes, a Cold-Touched player does 15% increased damage with any spell or attack that deals cold damage, but takes 10% increased damage from all sources of electricity damage. This background feat is meant for the NPC Elf Samurai.

### Flame-Touched\*

One with the burning roil, a Flame-Touched player does 15% increased damage with any spell or attack that deals fire damage, but takes 10% increased damage from all sources of cold damage. This background feat is meant for the NPC Human Fighter/Cleric.

### Elven\*

An Elven character regenerates mana quickly, may cast spells without a focus, and ignores 10% of armor mana cost penalty. This background feat is meant for the NPC Elf Samurai.

### Mutant\*

The beast people of the Faelight naturally regenerate health over time and enjoy damage reduction versus physical and magical sources, but despite being altered by generations of bombardment by magical energies, are unable to use magic at all. This feat is meant for the NPC Gnoll Assassin.

\*denotes not available for story mode, the main character is "earth-touched"