Winter Child
Every soul blossoms anew in the garden of Polurn. For many, this growth is adorned with countless rebirths, each time a new beginning. However, you stand apart. As a child, you were confronted with a disquieting reality: this life is your last in the cycle of reincarnation. Growing up people treated you with a mix of melancholy and reserve, their interactions tinged with a touch of sadness, their gaze marked by a hesitant distance.
Whether marked by a tiefling's curse or shaped by some other power, you bear the weight of knowing your time on Dromaria is over. This awareness, though burdensome, can bestow upon you a sense of freedom, igniting a drive to savor every drop of life, whether bitter or sweet.
You forge connections with those who carry similar burdens or can peer into fragments of your past lives. Despite the self-doubt and existential dread that occasionally cast shadows on your thoughts, you have come to embrace your destiny. Driven by a determination to infuse each moment with purpose, you strive to make your mark on the annals of time, ensuring that you're remembered long after your story ends.
Skill Proficiencies: Your choice of two from Arcana, Investigation, Religion, or Survival
Languages: Your choice of two, one of which must be Abyssal, Celestial, or Sylvan
Equipment: A small knife, a steel mirror, a winter blanket, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp
Feature: Not Ready to Go
Your will to survive as a Winter Child can defy even the natural cycle of life and death. Once in your character's lifetime, when facing a death saving throw that could end your life, you can draw upon your inner resilience and automatically score a natural 20.
Suggested Characteristics
Learning of your fate at a young age likely shaped parts of your personality in ways that you didn't even realize. The way people have treated you and how you handled those situations could lead to many of your personality traits, ideals, and flaws.
Skill Proficiencies: Your choice of two from Arcana, Investigation, Religion, or Survival
Languages: Your choice of two, one of which must be Abyssal, Celestial, or Sylvan
Equipment: A small knife, a steel mirror, a winter blanket, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp
Feature: Not Ready to Go
Your will to survive as a Winter Child can defy even the natural cycle of life and death. Once in your character's lifetime, when facing a death saving throw that could end your life, you can draw upon your inner resilience and automatically score a natural 20.
Suggested Characteristics
Learning of your fate at a young age likely shaped parts of your personality in ways that you didn't even realize. The way people have treated you and how you handled those situations could lead to many of your personality traits, ideals, and flaws.
The Cycle of Rebirth
The goddess of death, Polurn, willingly gave up her mortal existence to create the cycle of reincarnation on Dromaria. Despite varying beliefs, the majority acknowledge this spiritual journey as a reality; entire civilizations have woven the pursuit of past life memories into the very fabric of their cultures.
Yet, Polurn's noble sacrifice was not without consequence. A demon tainted her, casting a blight upon the garden of rebirth. Now, on occasion, an individual starts to manifest demonic characteristics, becoming marked by the tiefling's curse. This ominous sign symbolizes their final bloom in Polurn's garden.
Most tieflings start to exhibit signs around the onset of puberty, though some may manifest later in life. If you are a tiefling who has chosen the Winter Child background, it is likely that these signs made themselves known far earlier, denying you a typical childhood. Reflect on how this unique journey shaped you as a person. Discuss any questions or uncertainties you may have regarding your circumstances with your GM.