# Character Origin Stories # These are saved to the character and referenced by the AI DM throughout the game # to create personalized narrative experiences and quest hooks. origins: soul_revenant: id: soul_revenant name: Soul Revenant description: | You died centuries ago, but death was not the end. Through dark magic, divine intervention, or a cosmic mistake, you have been returned to the world of the living. Your memories are fragmented—flashes of a life long past, faces you once knew now turned to dust, and deeds both noble and terrible that weigh upon your soul. The world has changed beyond recognition. The kingdom you served no longer exists, the people you loved are gone, and the wrongs you committed—or suffered—can never be undone. Yet here you stand, given a second chance you never asked for. You awaken in an ancient crypt, your body restored but your purpose unclear. Are you here to atone? To finish unfinished business? Or simply to understand why you were brought back? starting_location: id: forgotten_crypt name: The Forgotten Crypt region: Shadowmere Necropolis description: Ancient burial grounds beneath twisted trees, where the veil between life and death grows thin narrative_hooks: - Past lives and forgotten memories that surface during gameplay - NPCs or descendants related to your previous life - Unfinished business from centuries ago - Haunted by spectral visions or voices from the past - Divine or dark entities interested in your return - Questions about identity and purpose across lifetimes starting_bonus: trait: Deathless Resolve description: You have walked through death itself. Fear holds less power over you. effect: +2 WIS, resistance to fear effects memory_thief: id: memory_thief name: Memory Thief description: | You opened your eyes in an open field with no memory of who you are, where you came from, or how you got here. Your mind is a blank slate—no name, no past, no identity. Even your own face in a reflection seems like a stranger's. The only thing you possess is an overwhelming sense that something was taken from you. Your memories weren't simply lost—they were stolen. By whom? Why? You don't know. But deep in your gut, you feel that discovering the truth might be more terrifying than living in ignorance. As you wander the world, fragments occasionally surface—a fleeting image, a half-remembered name, a skill you didn't know you had. Are these clues to your real identity, or false memories planted by whoever stole your past? One thing is certain: you must piece together who you were, even if you discover you were someone you'd rather not remember. starting_location: id: thornfield_plains name: Thornfield Plains region: The Midlands description: Vast open grasslands where merchant roads cross, a place of new beginnings for the lost narrative_hooks: - Gradual memory fragments revealed during key story moments - NPCs who seem to recognize you but you don't remember them - Clues to your stolen past hidden in the world - A mysterious organization or individual who took your memories - Skills or knowledge you possess without knowing why - Identity crisis as you discover who you might have been starting_bonus: trait: Blank Slate description: Without a past to define you, you adapt quickly to new situations. effect: +1 to all stats, faster skill learning shadow_apprentice: id: shadow_apprentice name: Shadow Apprentice description: | You were raised in darkness—literally and figuratively. From childhood, you were trained by a mysterious master who taught you the arts of stealth, deception, and survival in the underworld. You learned to move unseen, to read people's secrets in their eyes, and to trust no one. Your master never revealed why they chose you, only that you had "potential." For years, you honed your skills in the shadows, taking on jobs that required discretion and ruthlessness. You became a weapon in your master's hands. But recently, everything changed. Your master disappeared without a word, leaving you with only your training and a single cryptic message: "Trust no one. Not even me." Now you walk alone, unsure if your master abandoned you, was captured, or is testing you one final time. The underworld you once navigated so confidently suddenly feels hostile and full of eyes watching from the darkness. starting_location: id: shadowfen name: Shadowfen region: The Murkvale description: A misty swamp settlement where outlaws and exiles gather, hidden from the world's judging eyes narrative_hooks: - The mysterious master and their true motivations - Dark organizations or guilds from your past - Moral dilemmas between loyalty and self-preservation - Rivals or enemies from your apprenticeship - Secrets your master never told you - The true reason you were chosen and trained starting_bonus: trait: Trained in Shadows description: Your master taught you well. The darkness is your ally. effect: +2 DEX, +1 CHA, advantage on stealth checks in darkness escaped_captive: id: escaped_captive name: The Escaped Captive description: | You were a prisoner at Ironpeak Pass, one of the most notorious holding facilities in the realm. How you ended up there, you remember all too well—whether you were guilty or innocent, the iron bars didn't care. Days blurred into weeks, weeks into months, and you felt yourself becoming just another forgotten soul. But you refused to accept that fate. Through cunning, luck, or sheer desperation, you escaped. Now you stand on the other side of those mountain walls, breathing free air for the first time in what feels like forever. Freedom tastes sweet, but it comes with a price. The authorities will be searching for you. Your face might be on wanted posters. Anyone who learns of your past might turn you in for a reward. You must build a new life while constantly looking over your shoulder. Can you truly start fresh, or will your past always define you? That depends on the choices you make from here. starting_location: id: ironpeak_pass name: Ironpeak Pass region: The Frost Peaks description: A treacherous mountain passage near the prison you escaped, where few travelers venture narrative_hooks: - Bounty hunters or guards searching for you - NPCs who recognize you from your past - The crime you were imprisoned for (guilty or framed) - Fellow prisoners or guards from Ironpeak - Building a new identity while hiding your past - Redemption arc or embracing your criminal nature starting_bonus: trait: Hardened Survivor description: Prison taught you to endure hardship and seize opportunities. effect: +2 CON, +1 STR, bonus to survival and escape checks