The thing that convinced you to abandon your backg

* The thing that convinced you to adandon your background

YOUR CALLING IS WHAT MAKES YOU TICK. IT’S THE thing that gets you up and out of the bedroll in the morning, convinces you to charge headlong into Deepland halls filled with endrori, and inspires you to do it all again the next day. It is fundamental to who you are and why you’re an adventurer.

For many characters, your calling is why you abandoned your trade. After years of study, you tossed it all away to
try something that is objectively crazy. You likely shocked your friends and community, disappointed your parents, and left your teachers shaking their heads saying,"They had so much potential." Only a powerful calling will convince someone to do that.

Of course, how and when you found your calling remains up to you, as are the reactions of the people close to you. And you might not perfectly match the description of the calling you choose. Every character and every characer’s story are different. What is important is this: the moment your character embraced their calling was the beginning of their new life.

A Reason to Say Yes
Your calling also serves a meta-game purpose. A well-writ- ten adventure has plenty of hooks to lure your character into participating. It’s up to you to come up with a good story about why you’re taking part in this particular quest.

During the game use your calling to help you create reasonable stories about why your character will agree to whatever adventure the gamemaster has planned for you. It’s no fun if, when the gamemaster presents the adventure, a player says,"My character wouldn’t do that."You can use your calling to come up with creative reasons for your character to say,"I’m in!" to any cool story the gamemaster brings to the table.

Callings List
In game terms, callings are similar to backgrounds. Each calling adds features, proficiencies, and equipment appropriate for someone with your passions and goals.

The callings found below are:
• Burglar You thrill to the challenge of liberating valu- ables from those less deserving than yourself.
• Explorer You need to know what lies through the next door, over the next hill, or beyond the horizon.
• Guardian Your world is in danger. You are the wall that stands between the people and the darkness.
• Liberator Retaking the Deeplands from the forces of evil is both your duty and your destiny.
• Mercenary All you want is good, honest work bashing people in the head for a fair wage.
• Monster Hunter Everyone has a talent. Yours just happens to be hunting monsters, and you love it.
• Purifier The world must be cleansed. Nothing else matters while darkness remains.
• Scholar The world is a book with infinite undiscovered stories, and you want to read them all.
• Treasure Hunter Nothing beats the thrill of rediscovering long lost ancient artifacts—except maybe selling them.

Burglar
A burglar believes if someone has more than they need, why shouldn’t the burglar have a bit of it? Using stealth, cunning, and skill the burglar pads their pockets at the expense of those wealthier than themselves. Unlike robbers, thieves, and bandits, who are known to steal from just about anyone, the burglar follows a strict code of honor that governs who they target.

History
As long as there has been wealth in the world, there have been thieves: unscrupulous individuals who would take what they want rather than work for it. Unfortunately, thievery requires a victim and for the moral pilferer this creates a dilemma. How is one to pursue the thieving arts without causing undue harm to those who are undeserving of such pain? Enter the burglar.

Burglars are thieves (although most burglars detest the moniker of thief ) that steal according to a strict code of honor. This allows them to pursue their larcenous lifestyle while avoiding the troublesome guilt that comes from inflicting serious injury—physical or financial—on others. As a burglar, one is expected to steal only from those who can easily afford the loss of wealth and to always avoid causing serious injury or death over the course of executing their occupation.

Burglars are so dedicated to this moral code that follow- ing the lead of legitimate trade organizations, many of them have formed secretive burglars’ guilds. The most famous of these is the Black Diamond Guild of Selenthea. It was originally formed to regulate the practice of the burglars’ trade in the city: resolving professional disagreements, ensuring their code is followed by all practitioners, and helping to train future members of their organization.



Origins
Most burglars grow up in poverty, constantly wanting but never having. Life gave them little hope of bettering their financial condition through legal means. At the same time, these weren’t bad people. They didn’t want to hurt anyone. They just wished for a better life—specifically, one with more money in it.

Training
Some burglars learn as they go, hoping to pick up the tricks of the trade fast enough not to get caught. In other cases, burglars enter into an apprenticeship with a more experienced follower of the calling or member of the local guild. The master is usually a friend, since only a friend would risk allying themselves with a novice whose mistakes could get them caught. There are rumors, however, that some of the larger guilds run burglar schools.

Equipment
Getting into difficult to reach places quickly and quietly are the keys to success in the burglars’ trade. This is reflected
in the gear they carry. Light armor, small weapons, ropes, hooks, and satchels are all standard equipment for burglars. Since most people lock up their valuables, a good set of lockpicks is also a necessity.

Religion
Burglars worship Zevas. To honor him, they’ll sell an item they found particularly challenging to acquire, then donate half the proceeds to one of his temples. Burglars also respect Aelos, since the shadows of her night are one of their best allies.

Philosophy
Burglars will only steal from someone wealthier than they are, and never so much that it leaves the person without the means to survive. To do otherwise is to lower oneself to the level of bandits and common criminals. Burglars also avoid using violence against their targets, or their targets’ servants, unless they have no choice. Even then, they only kill if they cannot incapacitate their opponent.

Call to Adventure
Naturally, any adventure that involves stealing something from someone who can afford to lose it will get a burglar’s attention. They may also join if the money is right, either in the form of payment, a reward, or a lost treasure. After all, it never hurts to build a bit of a nest egg to carry one through the dry spells. Of course, a burglar may choose to join just to test their skills and build their legend.

Unusual Customs, Traditions, and Taboos
Burglars hate cats. The animosity stems from the legend of an infamous burglar named Roland Arilfore, who stole from a wizard that cursed him for his theft. Because of the curse, cats followed Roland everywhere he went. Within a few days, he could no longer ply his trade due to the feline menagerie that shadowed his every step. Some believe this curse was never lifted and it remains on all burglars to this day.

BURGLAR TRAITS
Memberships Burglars’ guild (optional)
Specializations Climbing, Burglar’s Etiquette
Equipment A burglar’s outfit, a collapsible rod, and five calling cards
Wealth Die d8

Explorer
Wandering the open road, cutting through the waves on a mighty ship, or picking one’s way through the ruins of a long forgotten elven city; only in settings such as these is an explorer truly alive. Explorers have an unquenchable need to know what lies beyond the next rise and won’t rest until they’ve found out. Of almost equal importance is returning to tell the tale, for what good is discovery if the discoveries are not shared?

History
Countless catastrophes have plunged much of what was once known into mystery. Libraries burned, great centers of learning were destroyed, and keepers of ancient knowledge have passed on to Lensae. Tantalizing tidbits remain, but many ancient secrets, powerful artifacts, and locations of important places are lost to us.

Over the past century, a class of daring individuals has appeared. These bold souls have set out into the world to find that which was lost. These are the explorers.

Shortly after exploration began in earnest, some explorers formed organizations to support their efforts. These explorers’ leagues established headquarters to serve as bases of operations from which they could mount future expeditions. Over the years, the leagues have become treasure troves of unusual ephemera brought back by the explorers. They are also storehouses of knowledge, as well as a place for retired explorers to swap stories with friends about their past glories.

Origins
Many explorers come from wealthy families, since travel purely for exploration’s sake is a luxury few can afford. Some less privileged explorers do find success, although it is a much more difficult road for them, particularly when they are starting out.

Training
Skill in letters is a must for any explorer, since recording and mapping what they’ve discovered is half of what they do. Other than this, most explorers learn what they need to as they go. The whole point of exploring is finding the unknown, and until one finds it there is no telling what skills may be needed.

Equipment
Besides standard traveling gear, an explorer needs a good supply of writing materials. Ink, parchment, paper, quills, scroll cases, and similar tools allow them to record what they discover so they can share it with the world when they return.

Religion
Larayil, the enaros said to protect travelers, is the patron of explorers. Explorers entreat her to bless their expeditions before they set out, and they make sizable financial donations to either her temple or to a local wayhouse. They also have great respect for Toletren, divinity of knowledge, and will often present copies of their records to the temple libraries as offerings.

Philosophy
Explorers are constantly on the move. They grow quickly bored with mundane routine and the familiarity of known lands. Many a hopeful lover has tried to settle an explorer, only to wake some morning to find their gear missing and nothing but an apologetic note to remember their beloved by.



Call to Adventure
The chance to encounter strange creatures, walk among for- gotten ruins, or lay eyes upon sights unseen for centuries? With opportunities such as these, how can an explorer not answer the call to adventure? Expeditions are also expensive, and adventures with the promise of wealth to fund future endeavors are difficult to turn down.

Unusual Customs, Traditions, and Taboos
Explorers mark the places they’ve explored with a personal sigil. This has a dual purpose. First, it identifies a place as explored which lets other explorers know the place is not a new discovery. Second, the sigils are a way of claiming the credit for discovering a place.

EXPLORER TRAITS
Memberships Explorers’ league
Languages Common (L)
Tool Proficiencies Cartographer’s Tools
Specializations Cartography, geography (one region)
Equipment A cartographer’s kit, an explorer’s league ring, and a map (vague, large)
Wealth Die d8

Guardian
The Amethyst Sea basin is a land fraught with danger. Guardians are the self-appointed defenders of the land and its people. Whether hunting down marauding bandits or seeking to thwart the cruel depredations of the endrori, the guardian stands defiantly between these threats and the common people. For a guardian, this isn’t a choice, but rather an imperative responsibility.

History
Traditionally, heroes rise from the ranks of mortals when faced with a specific threat. They become heroes by chance rather than choice and then fade into the background when their work is done. The guardian is a new class of hero: a hero by trade.

Spawned by the recent acceptance of adventurer as a valid profession, guardians consciously choose their path, rather than falling into it when necessity demands. They actively and regularly seek out opportunities to help others. Some wander the countryside, going where they are needed. Others are dedicated protectors of a chosen people or place.

Origins
Guardians come from many economic and social backgrounds. Usually they’ve suffered some manner of injustice or pain in their lives and have taken up the mantle of guardian to protect others from experiencing the same ill fortune. Some are still haunted by these tragedies, but rather than letting the pain destroy them, they’ve honed it into a blade to use against their enemies.

Training
The role of the guardian has more to do with ethos and values than a particular set of skills. No skill is more important than another, and there isn’t any specific training for the calling. The drive must come from within, and no amount of education can provide this inspiration.

Equipment
The gear of a guardian is limited to only what they require. Guardians have little interest in ostentation or ornament. They supply themselves with only what they cannot do without, and the rest is given to those in need.

Religion
Guardians are devout followers of Alantra, the divinity of protection. When going into battle to defend the weak and innocent, the guardian makes an offering of eggs and unshelled nuts, symbols of natural protection.

Philosophy
Guardians live for a single purpose: to aid those in need. Many travel from village to village, following rumors of trouble and waging a continuous war against evil. Battles



are chosen carefully, focusing on conflicts that have a direct benefit to the people most requiring assistance. They are not swayed by gold or power and won’t mire themselves in the petty conflicts of warlords, wizards, or even the holy lyceum.

Guardians give little or no thought to how they will personally benefit from their actions. They rarely accept payment for their aid, and even when they do, they take only what they need to survive. Guardians may acquire treasure during their adventurers, but unless it will aid them in their fight, they are more likely to give it away to some poor village than to keep it for themselves.

Call to Adventure
Is there evil afoot? Are dark creatures stalking the land? Does something vile threaten the good people of the countryside? If so, the guardian is ready to answer the call. Even simple exploration is a form of protection, since who knows what lies in the darkness if one does not shine a light upon it? Wealth, fame reward: none of these things are important to the guardian.

Unusual Customs, Traditions, and Taboos
With the exception of endrori and other creatures of darkness, guardians won’t kill an enemy unless they have no other choice. They believe no one is beyond redemption if given the opportunity to better themselves. That is not to say they don’t believe in punishment for crime, but for guardians, killing a foe ends all hope of future good and is simply not an option.

GUARDIAN TRAITS
Tool Proficiencies Healer’s Kit
Specializations Heroes of the Amethyst Sea
Equipment A potion of healing, a holy symbol of Alantra, and a set of shackles and chain (medium)
Wealth Die d4

Liberator
Liberators devote their lives to retaking the Deeplands from the endrori. They are filled with a righteous passion and revel in the seemingly impossible nature of their task. Armed with whatever weapons they can carry and an indomitable will, they plunge into the very heart of terror to regain what is rightfully theirs.



History
Throughout the Age of Darkness, the dwarves of the Donarzheis Mountains fought to retain control of their Deepland homes. At the end of the Great War, when the Warders sealed the Deeplands to imprison the endrori, the Donarzheis dwarves refused to leave.

Of the handful of Donarzheis dwarves caught outside, the most driven vowed to fight their way back in and help their imprisoned brethren retake their homes, no matter the cost. This band of determined survivors became the first 97 dwarven Liberators. Today, Liberators are found throughout the Amethyst Sea basin, but the majority still live around, on, and under the Donarzheis Mountains.

Origins
Anyone may join the Liberators, but only a dwarf may earn the formal title. To do so, a dwarf must show complete dedication to the Liberators’ cause and prove their worth in battle against the endrori. The initiate’s background is unimportant to the Liberators. Upon gaining the title of Liberator, the dwarf is given a new name, and anything the dwarf was or did in the past is erased and never spoken of again.

Training
All Liberator training is done in the field. They learn fighting skills by battling endrori, how to navigate by exploring Deepland halls, and how to survive by living day-to-day on the battlefield. Surviving long enough to earn the Liberator title is its own test of an initiate’s worth.

Equipment
A Liberator requires tunneling tools, climbing gear, and a variety of light sources. Liberators may purchase their



own equipment, but as highly respected members of the dwarven community they are frequently outfitted through donations from wealthy dwarven merchants and nobles.

Religion
Most dwarves dislike the gods, but Liberators have a deep-seated hatred of them. Every time a Liberator finds the bones of a dwarf who fell fighting endrori in the Deeplands, it strengthens this animosity. They are scornful of those who worship the Enaros and will refuse direct aid from clerics—even if in desperate need.

Philosophy
The Liberators believe it is their destiny to retake the Deepland halls, and they have a number of prophecies that foretell this triumph. Most of the prophecies involve the return of the High King of the Donarzheis, a heroic figure who they believe will lead the Liberators to victory.

Despite the love they hold for their people and home- land, the Liberators are often frustrated by their own kind. While Liberators recognize the need for a surface support system to provide food and supplies, they believe that many dwarves have turned their backs on their heritage. They see these dwarves as having cravenly accepted the loss of their homeland. For this reason, when not fighting endrori, Liberators preach to the masses about the need to take up arms and return to the Deepland halls.

Call to Adventure
Obviously any adventure involving the Deeplands will catch the interest of a Liberator. Another reason Liberators join adventures is to acquire wealth they can use to pur- chase supplies for their brothers and sisters fighting in the Deeplands. The hunt for magical devices that will aid in the Liberators’ fight is another reason to adventure. Some Liberators may even use adventuring as a means of honing their skills in preparation for some particularly difficult foray into an overrun Deepland hall.

Unusual Customs, Traditions, and Taboos
One of the first things the dwarves do when setting up a new Deepland colony is to establish a brewhead. This is a small brewery where they brew Deepland ale, a beverage that hovers somewhere between beer and stew. This beverage is the mainstay of the Liberators’ diet.

LIBERATOR TRAITS
Memberships Liberators
Languages Dwarven (Deep), Endrori
Tool Proficiencies Mining Tools
Specializations Deeplands
Equipment A rundlet of Deepland ale, five miner’s rations, three torches, and a set of mining tools
Wealth Die d4

Mercenary
Pay a mercenary an honest wage and they’ll fight to their last breath for you. Lie to them or try to cheat them out of their gold and you’ll quickly find yourself at the other end of their sword. Mercenaries are in the business of war and they fight for coin. As long as the money keeps coming, they’ll keep fighting.

History
The calling of the mercenary is as old as war. Most are wandering warriors who travel alone, following rumors of battle from one kingdom to the next. Some join organized mercenary companies and train to fight as a single unit, selling the group’s services as a whole. Mercenary armies of this variety form the bulk of the armies in small kingdoms. The most famous of all mercenaries are the orogs from the time of the Alliance, an entire race whose society was based on the mercenary life.

Origins
Mercenaries come from all levels of society. Some are peas- ants with a natural knack for fighting, while others are the half-children of noble lords with a fighter’s training but no hope of inheritance. There are some mercenaries, like the Knights of Selenthea, who are scrupulous and honorable, only joining a fight if they feel it is just. There are others who are little more than bands of criminals who profit from the horrors of war.



Training
Some mercenary companies, such as the Knights of Selenthea, recruit and train their members. The recruits receive excellent equipment, the best training, and a regular wage. For the average mercenary, however, their training is on the battlefield. Those that survive earn their skills through blood and trial. Some already have experience when they join the profession. These are warriors who served in town guards, city militias, or defunct military units. With few skills useful in peacetime, the move to a mercenary’s life is almost inevitable.

Equipment
The gear mercenaries carry depends on their specialty. If they are an archer, the mercenary will carry a longbow, arrows, and the tools needed to maintain their equipment. If they are a wizard, their weapons consist of their spellbook and staff. Normally, mercenaries are expected to provide everything they need, including the equipment to sustain them between battles. Tents, cooking equipment, and even medical supplies are the mercenary’s personal responsibility.

Religion
War is the life and livelihood of the mercenary. This makes Droth the natural focus of their religious beliefs. When asking for Droth’s blessings, a mercenary will leave a gold coin dipped in an enemy’s blood on Droth’s altar as an offering.

Philosophy
Whether filled with righteous passion for a cause, or simply the desire to get paid, one thing is true among mercenaries; when they commit to fight for an employer, they fulfill that commitment no matter what it takes. To do any less under- mines their credibility and all but eliminates their chances of finding work in the future.

Call to Adventure
The lure of gold will easily convince a mercenary to join an adventure. When there isn’t a promise of pay, past oaths and personal honor are driving factors. Perhaps they owe a debt to another member of the party or they made a promise to a dead friend. If nothing else, acquiring a few notable achievements lets the mercenary raise their price in negotiations with future employers.

Unusual Customs, Traditions, and Taboos
Although mercenaries don’t have any grand governing body, any mercenary that breaks an oath to an employer draws the combined ire of all others in their profession. A transgression by one mercenary undermines the legitimacy of all mercenaries, so lapses of duty are not tolerated. The guilty person or group is considered marked, and any mercenary that encounters them is honor bound to do everything in their power to take down the marked individual or organization.

MERCENARY TRAITS
Membership Mercenary company (optional)
Specializations Heraldry, military etiquette
Equipment A tin mess kit, a potion of healing, a trophy 99 from your greatest battle, and five rations
Wealth Die d4

Monster Hunter
Everyone needs to make a living, and the monster hunter discovered they could make a good one by killing monsters. The monster hunter’s actions might help the locals or work to the political advantage of a region’s leaders, but then again, they might not. As long as they get paid for their kills, they don’t care.

History
In 411 AC, at the Declaration of Talimane, Lord Drakewyn of Agthor announced bounties on the heads of endrori and other monsters. Any person who presents a pair of endrori ears or similar evidence of a monstrous kill at an Agthorian military outpost is awarded the appropriate bounty in coin of the realm. The practice proved so successful in helping to curb local populations of monstrous creatures that other nations, including Selenthea, the Free Kingdoms, the Halfling Dalelands, and the city-states of Callios, soon followed suit.



Origins
Monster hunters come from all walks of life. Some just wanted to do something more exciting than working on the family farm, while others seemed drawn to the calling by fate. For those trained in combat and little else, such as ex-soldiers or retired guardsmen, it is a logical choice. After all, their skill set isn’t exactly suited to civilized society.

Training
To date, there aren’t any monster hunter schools or academies. Most monster hunters acquired their skills through their background or by learning as they go. One might apprentice under an experienced monster hunter, but even this is fairly uncommon since an apprentice just cuts into a monster hunter’s profits.

Equipment
Anything that kills monsters or keeps the monster hunter alive has a place in their pack. When it comes to weapons, monster hunters don’t waste good money on anything not designed to kill. As long as it leaves enough evidence behind to collect the bounty, any weapon will work. Steel traps are fairly popular since they can hold a monster until the monster hunter can come around to kill it.

Religion
Monster hunters call on Zevas or Vale to bless their hunts. They do so by sacrificing an endrori ear or another valuable monster part. If they are near a temple, they’ll burn them in the temple’s sacred fire while praying silently to themselves. If away from a temple, the ceremony is the same except the sacrifice is burned in a small bronze bowl.

Philosophy
Monster hunters primarily kill monsters to make money. If it keeps villagers in the area safe or helps further some organization’s cause, that’s fine. Most monster hunters won’t hang around when the supply of monsters is gone. That said, monster hunters do enjoy the thrill of the hunt. Some monster hunters are known to undertake hunts just for the challenge of it, even if they know there is little chance of a bounty.

Call to Adventure
If you offer a monster hunter the opportunity to kill some monsters, they’ll join the adventure. Of course, they’ll negotiate for parts of anything you kill as part of their share of the treasure in order to claim its bounty, but that’s to be expected. Monster hunters are also lured by the prospect of fighting monsters they’ve never encountered or powerful or unusual specimens.

Unusual Customs, Traditions, and Taboos
Monster hunters are highly territorial. If control of an area is disputed, those involved in the disagreement arrange a hunt that starts at sunrise and goes until sunrise the next day. At the end of that period, whichever hunter has managed to assemble the most valuable collection of kills gets to stay and the other must leave.

MONSTER HUNTER TRAITS
Languages Endroric
Specializations Endrori, Monstrosities
Equipment A leghold trap (medium), an ear stringer, and a bronze bowl (small)
Wealth Die d4

Purifier
To a purifier, the endrori are more than a physical threat to the people of Aetaltis. Purifiers believe they are an infestation of pure evil corrupting the very fabric of the universe. Their goal is to destroy all the creations of Endroren—no matter the cost.

History
The first purifiers appeared in the Amethyst Sea basin around 300 AC in response to the first reports of the failing Deepland wards. The founders of the movement believed both the failing wards and the Cataclysm were signs of the Enaros’s displeasure. Purifier interpretation of religious texts from the Age of Shadow convinced them the people of Aetaltis were being punished for failing to aggressively pursue the complete destruction of Endroren’s creations.

There is no formal purifier organization, but one of the first purifiers wrote a book outlining what it means to be a purifier. The book is entitled the Tome of Purification. Scholars and scribes that joined the movement copied the book and distributed it throughout the Amethyst Sea basin. Today, thousands of devoted followers of the book’s teachings stalk the region, hunting and eliminating the forces of Endroren wherever they are found.

Origins
Some purifiers are ex-members of religious orders. These individuals were unhappy with the orders’ refusal to actively support a proactive war against the endrori. Other purifiers are simply people who felt a call to arms against the creatures of darkness. Perhaps their family was killed during an endrori raid or they suffered in some similar manner at the hands of the Dark Hordes. Whatever the motivation, the drive to destroy the endrori is deeply rooted in the purifier’s psyche.

Training
A purifier’s skills depend on their original occupation. Warriors, clerics, priests, farmers, and people of any other class or background may pursue the purifier’s goals. Neophyte purifiers will often partner with a more experienced purifier who can teach them the skills they need to fight and survive in their war against the Dark Hordes, but self-taught purifiers are just as common.

Equipment
Most purifiers carry a holy symbol of their patron enaros, a portable shrine, and a copy of the Tome of Purification. The Tome is a religious text written by the now famous (or infamous depending on who you ask) purifier, Darinon Threll. The book is the guiding force in every purifier’s life. It contains everything from prayers of purification and tips for wilderness survival, to dubious techniques for identifying a person who is suffering from a corrupted spirit.

Religion
To a purifier, religion is life and life is religion. Everything they do is to honor the Enaros. Any affront to their religious beliefs is met with pious fury.





Philosophy
Purifiers fight the endrori by any means necessary. If the purifier travels through a village in pursuit of a dark creature and their supplies are running low, they think nothing of requisitioning supplies from the local storehouses. They try to avoid any actions that harm innocents, but they’re not afraid to do whatever is necessary to ensure evil is destroyed."Better safe than sorry," is a way of life for purifiers.

Call to Adventure
Evil is everywhere. Every call to adventure is an opportunity to root it out and eliminate Endroren’s corruption. If no evil is found, it is a blessing, but the roots of corruption run deep. It is always better to join the adventure and find nothing than to ignore the call and risk allowing the darkness to spread.

Unusual Customs, Traditions, and Taboos
Purifiers refuse to drink alcohol. To dull one’s senses is to give an advantage to the endrori. To give the endrori an advantage is as good as being in league with them. To place oneself in league with the endrori is the ultimate sin against the Enaros and is punishable in only one way.

PURIFIER TRAITS
Languages Enooric (L)
Specializations Endrori, Tome of Purification
Equipment A travel-sized copy of the Tome of Purification, a holy symbol, and a portable altar
Wealth Die d4

Scholar
Like a predator stalking its prey, the scholar hunts knowledge with single-minded determination. Their curiosity knows no bounds and they will risk life and limb to acquire new information. Everything they learn is carefully record- ed in thick tomes before they set out once again in search of their illusive quarry.

History
The adventuring scholar came into their own in the years following the Declaration of Talimane. When Lord Drakewyn declared adventuring as a respectable occupation, many reputable folk joined the ranks of adventurers. With this influx of honorable heroes, scholars saw an opportunity to partner with trustworthy companions to uncover the lost knowledge of the past. Those scholars with the courage and desire traded their quills for swords and set out in search of hidden lore.

Origins
All scholars have a formal education, either from a college of letters, private tutors, or through a similar institution of higher learning. This sort of education doesn’t come cheap, and the majority of scholars are from wealthy families who had the means to fund their instruction. Either that, or they’re dead broke from paying for their schooling.

Training
Scholars need training in some sort of academics. They typically specialize in a particular field, such as the study of plants or the history of a specific region. Of equal value to the adventuring scholar are practical skills, such as hunting, self-defense, and riding. After all, adventuring scholars don’t hunt the shelves of dusty libraries for knowledge; they delve into long forgotten Deepland halls, explore the essence saturated ruins of the old Alliance cities, and set off for other equally dangerous destinations. Without practical survival skills the scholar won’t make it very far.

Equipment
Scholars carry all the gear a well-outfitted traveler requires. They also carry a supply of quills, paper, ink, and other implements of their trade. These tools make up the majority of the scholar’s equipment, and they carry many extras of each. These supplies are vital, since even if they find a settlement in the uncharted regions they explore, it is unlikely those backwater communities will have the scholarly utensils they require.



Religion
Scholars worship Toletren, Lord of Knowledge. When entreating him for aid, they will spend hours, days, or sometimes weeks, hand copying a text. This ritually-prepared text is then taken to the temple of Toletren or set in a bronze bowl before a personal altar if no temple is available, and burned while intoning the entreaty. Scholars also value the guidance of Larayil, divinity of travel.

Philosophy
To a scholar, knowledge is more valuable than all the gold in the Amethyst Sea basin. They will go to extreme lengths to secure knowledge. For particularly rare or important pieces of information, they will give up almost anything to acquire it.

While they dislike ignorance, scholars do not attempt to force their knowledge on others, but they never hesitate to share what they know if asked. In fact, they relish any opportunity to educate.

Call to Adventure
The world is filled with wonders and mysteries unsolved. Almost any call to adventure is an opportunity to study and learn. True, some adventures offer more opportunities than others, but one never knows where the greatest treasures lie. Every adventure is a doorway for those of a curious mind.

Unusual Customs, Traditions, and Taboos
Breaking a quill is considered a bad omen to scholars. If a quill breaks while writing, they search the text they were working on for clues regarding the nature of the omen. They may even take the page to a temple and have a priest examine it to determine the reason for the sign.

SCHOLAR TRAITS
Memberships Academic
Languages One ancient or dead language (L)
Specializations One scholarly area of study (history, nature, beasts, etc.), academia etiquette, research
Equipment A traveling writing kit, a blank book, and a travel-sized reference book of common lore related to your area of study
Wealth Die d4

Treasure Hunter
Over the centuries, disasters of every kind have rocked the Amethyst Sea basin. Too often, the victims of these disasters were forced to flee with little or no notice, leaving behind everything they owned. Treasure hunters are adventurers that track down this abandoned wealth for fortune, glory, or the sheer challenge of the hunt. They’ll take wild risks on the mere chance that they’ll uncover a forgotten horde of ancient treasure.

History
For years, the dangers of treasure hunting in the Amethyst Sea basin outweighed the potential returns. With the rise of adventuring as a respected occupation, however, trained and well-armed warriors are making regular delves into the Deeplands and other ruins. Today, all a potential treasure hunter must do is attach themselves to one of these adventuring parties and they gain the means to pursue their goals with a level of (relative) safety never available before. In exchange for the physical protection the party provides, the treasure hunter brings knowledge of little-known legends, expertise in identifying artifacts, and a plethora of other scholarly skills necessary in their trade and useful to adventurers.

Origins
If they hope for success, a treasure hunter needs a quality education in history, appraisal, languages, cartography, and similar areas of scholarly knowledge. Good schooling is expensive, however, so the majority of treasure hunters come from wealthy backgrounds (or are deep in debt). It’s not impossible to learn in the field, but it is far more difficult than gaining one’s knowledge through a formal education.

Training
In addition to their scholarly education, treasure hunters must learn a variety of physical skills. A single quest might require trekking for miles through the wilderness, swim- ming across raging rivers, and then climbing the sheer walls of a half-collapsed tower. If the treasure hunter cannot overcome these challenges, they’ll never reach the prize, making all their vaunted knowledge little more than extra baggage.

Equipment
Treasure hunters are habitual collectors. At any one time they are likely carrying three or four old maps, a fist-full of scrolls describing legends about ancient kingdoms, an old book in an undeciphered language, and a variety of other trinkets picked up and pocketed along the way.

Religion
Larayil, divinity of physical beauty and travel, is the patron of treasure hunters. When entreating her for aid, a treasure hunter offers a miniature chest made of solid gold at one of her temples. The size of the chest varies according to how badly the treasure hunter wishes her to hear their plea and on the extravagance of the request. Zevas, as the divinity of commerce, is also important to treasure hunters due to his dominion over financial transactions.

Philiosophy
Despite their love of wealth, treasure hunters have great respect for the items they recover. They wax poetic when thinking about who might have created the object, how it was put to use, and the events it may have witnessed. They also have an eye for beauty, finding artistry even in their most mundane discoveries.



Call to Adventure
If an adventure involves exploring ruins or clambering about in long-sealed Deepland halls, treasure hunters are quick to answer the call to adventure. More mundane adventures are also likely to catch their eye. Due to the long and complicated history of the region, even an adventure
in a heavily populated, well-known land has the potential to uncover ancient secrets and forgotten artifacts. It never hurts to take a look!

Unusual Customs, Traditions, and Taboos
Treasure hunters may refuse to sell their finds if they don’t think the buyer appreciates the object. They’ll even go so far as to sell the item for far less money rather than give it to someone who sees it as nothing more than a showpiece or a means of generating more income. There is even a well- known fable about a treasure hunter who died of hunger in a room filled with treasures that "no one but he could appreciate."

TREASURE HUNTER TRAITS
Specializations Antiquities, treasure legends
Languages Coomon (L)
Equipment A magnifying glass, three treasure maps, and a lesser orb of Aelos
Wealth Die d10