The Brand

The Brand is a magical tattoo, chosen and inked when someone on Ankaluun comes of age. Coming of age varies but it generally refers to when a person becomes an adult of their race. The Brand is inked on the neck, with incredibly rare exceptions. The traditional position on the neck varies depending on the culture.
While the symbols of the Brand are very important in signifying who a person is, the inks chosen are what gives the wearers true power. The color and properties imbue the person with special power and the more expensive the ink the more power is generally gained. Those who attempt to hide their Brands are looked upon with suspicion and are generally unable to function in society. Even those with less than savory reputations are unlikely to be accepted by their peers if they attempt to hide the Brand as it indicates a lack of trustworthiness that even the most hardened criminal cannot abide.
Those who wish to acknowledge a public affiliation with one of the many factions of Ankaluun will often add another, more subtle, symbol to their Brand. This piece of flare has no magical properties as it would conflict with the properties of the other inks. It is rumored that there are two exceptionally powerful inks that allow a fourth to be added to a Brand.

Black market application or modification of brands is illegal and considered a high crime by all governments on Ankaluun. Nevertheless, major cities generally have an underbelly that can accommodate such needs. The Muddled Brand got its name from this very practice.

Execution

The base tattoo is a design with 3 components, representing…

• The deity they worship
• Those with no deity symbol are called Godless
• Their family
• Those with no family symbol are called Orphans
• Their empire, free-city, or region
• Those with no specified nationality are known as Nomads

Components and tools

The ink’s color and properties give a person’s Brand power. The boons provided by the Brand can be found in the table below.

Basic Inks*

Color	Benefit
Red	+1 Strength
Blue	+1 Intelligence
Purple	+1 Charisma
Green	+1 Dexterity
Black	+1 Constitution
Orange	+1 Wisdom

*Each component has its own ink, even if that ink is the same color as another component.  E.g. If you have a red symbols for deity, family, and empire you would get +3 strength. More powerful inks are available for future achievements.

Brand from a Tiefling Monk from the Freelands

Primary Related Location

Ankaluun