Tale-Lost

Source: Wysteria's Journey through Faerie

Once, you belonged to a story. Perhaps you were meant to be the brave knight who slew the dragon, the faithful companion who stood beside a hero, the witch who tempted traveled from the road, or the prince destined to awaken a sleeping kingdom. Whatever your role, it should have defined the course of your life. Instead, something went wrong. Perhaps the hero died. Perhaps the monster wond. Perhaps the lovers never met. Perhaps the tale was forgotten, abandoned, or changed. Maybe you simply refused the role the Faerie expected you to play.
Now you walk without a story. Most people never realize how much of their lives are shaped by the narratives surrounding them, but you do. You've seen what lies beyond those invisible threads and understand that fate is less certain than others believe. Some tale-lost individuals desperately seek anew purpose and meaning, while others cherish freedom and refuse to become bound to another story. Many find themselves drawn to adventuring because adventure offers something they lack: the possibility to write their own story.

Suggested Lost Tales

d8	Lost Tale
1	You were meant to be the hero, but another claimed your destiny.
2	You were the villain of a story that never reached its conclusion.
3	You were destined to marry someone who never appeared.
4	You survived a tale in which you were supposed to die.
5	The story you belonged to was forgotten by the world.
6	Your role was replaced by someone else entirely.
7	You abandoned your story before it could be completed.
8	You do not remember your tale, only that you once had one.

Suggested Characteristics

Tale-lost individuals rarely see the world the same way as everyone else. Some become cynical, believing fate to be a lie. Others become obsessed with finding meaning in every event. Many struggle with identity, uncertain whether they are who they were meant to be or something entirely different.

Personality Traits

d8	Personality Trait
1	I constantly compare current events to stories I've heard.
2	I have difficulty believing in coincidence.
3	I always wonder what role each person plays in the larger tale.
4	I am fascinated by prophecies, legends, and omens.
5	I often feel detached from events, as though watching someone else's story unfold.
6	I question assumptions that others accept without hesitation.
7	I enjoy disrupting traditions simply to see what happens.
8	I desperately seek a purpose to replace the one I lost.

Ideals

d6	Ideal
1	Freedom. No destiny should dictate how someone lives. (Chaotic)
2	Purpose. Every life should have meaning. (Lawful)
3	Truth. I want to understand what really happened to my tale. (Neutral)
4	Hope. A broken story can still have a happy ending. (Good)
5	Ambition. If fate abandoned me, I will write my own legend. (Any)
6	Control. Stories shape reality, and I intend to master them. (Evil)

Bonds

d6	Bond
1	I seek the ending my story was denied.
2	Someone else inherited the role that should have been mine.
3	A companion from my old tale still searches for me.
4	I possess the last surviving remnant of a forgotten story.
5	I am determined to prevent others from suffering the fate I did.
6	I believe my lost tale is somehow connected to my future.

Flaws

d6	Flaw
1	I obsess over signs and patterns that may not exist.
2	I struggle to commit to anything for fear of becoming trapped in another story.
3	I resent those who seem chosen by destiny.
4	I constantly second-guess my decisions, wondering if they are truly my own.
5	I become reckless when presented with an opportunity to uncover the truth of my past.
6	I fear that without a story, I have no real identity.

This is a rare option

This option requires special permission to take. In the case of spells, psionic powers, and similar options, this option must be found in the world and cannot be taken upon level-up.

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Skill Proficiencies

Choose two from among Culture, History, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Performance, Religion

Tool Proficiencies

One of your choice

Languages

One of your choice

Equipment

A journal containing fragmented notes about your lost tale, a keepsake from the story you once belonged to, a map marked with places significant to your former tale, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp.

Ability Score Adjustment

Your choice of your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma scores increase by 1.

Narrative Awareness

You possess an unusual understanding of stories, symbolism, and recurring patterns. You can often recognize when events, locations, people, or circumstances resemble common narrative motifs. You can usually identify the likely role a person occupied within a local legend, prophecy, or unfolding tale, and storytellers, bards, and chroniclers often find your observations strangely insightful.