In chapter 5 of Harrow: The Blighted Plane, each of the three character types—Blightslinger, Rover, and Shriker—comes with a table of twenty background connections that you can choose from to help tie your character directly into the lore of the setting. But what if your character’s type isn’t the most important aspect of who they are as a character? Those type-provided connections still work, but maybe tying them to where they came from before they started their journey feels more relevant.
If that’s the case for your character, you can select from the following tables of expanded background connections at character creation.
Iceia Background Connections
Roll a d20 or choose from the following list to determine a specific fact about your background that provides a connection to the nation of Iceia.
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Your mother worked at Niallis Sculptorium when you were growing up, and you often bring back trade and materials to sell to Asinta Niallis.
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Although you try to keep it a secret, you have a close relative who’s a member of the Council of Thirty-Six and made sure your family had every luxury growing up.
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You were caught falsifying records in the port archive and were banished from the nation for twenty years.
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You learned to sail and fight at the naval academy on Risein, and you still meet up with friends from your service days during every Aurora Dance.
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Your childhood friend owns a small gambling establishment in the Canals, and you hold court there every time you visit.
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You’ve been secretly gathering information for Councilor Lachlan Ualtar for years. He provides you with a stipend in exchange for your work.
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You were meant to take over your mother’s ferry business in the Canals, but against her wishes, you left to become a gatherer instead.
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You were raised among the artisans of Abalinus, and when you set off to explore the world, you left a brokenhearted sculptor behind.
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You were sent to the academies in higher Iceia at an abnormally young age, and your accomplishments—and lack thereof—are under constant scrutiny from your mentor.
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Your family worked as servants in the Iceian court. You never found your place there, but you did gain access to contacts you still use today.
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Sauromi took you in as his apprentice at Old World Curiosities after your parents died. You learned the fine art of peddling uncovered artifacts and secrets at his side.
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A few years ago, you learned that your father is a hidden agent of the Crystal Sect. You haven’t revealed to him that you know what he’s actually doing during his supply runs.
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You left your home among the processing yards at Verinis when you found out a visiting sandship was looking for a new crew member. You’ve never gone back, but you sometimes think of the family you still have there.
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You failed to save the life of a noble who was attacked by a visiting gatherer, but you still have the map and book she placed in your hands with her dying breath.
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You inherited your parents’ scrap house after they retired, as well as the rivals constantly trying to get the council to shut it down.
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You used to bootleg wine from shipments out of Silina, but after a job went sideways, you left your old crew behind and started a new life. They’re still out there looking for you.
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You were found wandering alone in the Bay as a child and taken in by an old woman. After she passed, you uncovered the name of the ship that left you behind.
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While working as an assistant in the archives, you discovered something you were never meant to see. When you left, you took that secret with you, terrified of what revealing the information might bring.
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Years ago, you lost your sibling in a gathering challenge with a Lekaine crew that went wrong. You’re still counting down the days until you can get your revenge.
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After a tragic accident in the mines of Tragerus, your family took the settlement they received and left Iciea behind forever. You used your portion to buy your first sandship.
Appendix
Asinta Niallis, HtBP page 116
Council of Thirty-Six, HtBP page 109
Risein, HtBP page 111
the Canals, HtBP page 108
Councilor Lachlan Ualtar, HtBP page 118
Abalinus, HtBP page 111
Iceian court, HtBP page 109
Sauromi, HtBP page 124
Crystal Sect, HtBP page 110
Verinis, HtBP page 111
Silina, HtBP page 111
the Bay, HtBP page 108
Gathering challenge (Gatherer’s Code), HtBP page 91
Tragerus, HtBP page 111
For characters with the newly sapient heritage, life is brand-new. Or at least, this type of life.
One moment, they were a something—unaware and perhaps even unsentient and unmoving. Then suddenly, they found themselves to be a someone—filled with thoughts and emotions that they were never really meant to experience before some quirk of the universe intervened.
Since the bonds that newly sapient beings share rely on miraculous happenstance rather than a single origin, no real social connection exists between a newly sapient character and their equally rare ilk. They may have been the familiar of a grand wizard granted consciousness as a final gift for your years of faithful service. They might have been a statue sitting in a church courtyard, given the spark of life in exchange for their assistance in completing some divine task. Or they could have simply opened their eyes one day to find themselves aware and alone, with no indication of how or why they’ve found themselves in their new circumstances.
This lack of true community can make newly sapient characters feel alone in their singularness, even while surrounded by a family or group that once doted on them. And as such, most are driven to a life of travel and adventure. You may have set out to find that missing connection, searching for anyone who might have knowledge regarding your anomalous situation. Alternatively, the call of a world of new experiences and opportunities waiting over the horizon might have been too much for you to resist. No matter your reason, you’ve set out on a path of self-discovery that will last a lifetime.
New Mind. Your mind is fresh and malleable, making it easier for you to learn new things than it is for others. When training, it takes you half as long to learn a new language, gain proficiency with a skill, weapon, tool, or armor, or gain a new talent (provided you meet the prerequisites).
Strange Fate. Who knows what the universe has planned for you? You can have a maximum of 6 Luck at one time.
Languages. You know Common and one additional language of your choice. Typical newly sapient characters choose a language they would have heard most often before their awakening.
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