Ritual Survivor (5e Background)

Ritual Survivor

Sacrifice by KateMaxpaint on DeviantArt. Art credit: https://www.deviantart.com/katemaxpaint/art/Sacrifice-410103334

Dark cultists, evil priests, and their wicked thralls often use unwilling innocents in order to perform rituals or ceremonies in the name of whatever depraved figure they venerate. You were a victim of the horrible rites involved in the execution of one of these dark rituals. You may have been targeted for your beauty, chastity, ethnicity, magical potency, or as punishment, whether or not you were conscious of whatever slight you made against your abductors. Perhaps you were simply one of many unfortunate souls dragged into a mass rite to open a portal to the Lower Planes or appease a gluttonous god. However, in a twist of fate, you survived; maybe unexpected circumstances forced the ritual to halt and you took the chance to escape, or it didn't go as planned and you were one of few survivors, or worse, the only survivor, of whatever horror the ritual unleashed. No matter how or why, the event permanently scarred you, both in body and soul, and the trauma you experienced has haunted you since.

Skill Proficiencies: Religion, Survival

Tool Proficiencies: One tool kit or musical instrument, of your choice.

Languages: Any one of your choice, usually one related to the cult that abducted you.

Equipment: A Trinket from before you were abducted, an article used to hide wounds (such as an eyepatch or wrappings), a dark cloak, a set of common clothes, a tool or musical instrument you are proficient in, and a leather pouch countaining 10 gp.

Ritual Scars

Your physical and spiritual scars first existed as a loathsome reminder of the horrors you experienced. Now, or perhaps in the future, they stand as proof of your survival against all odds. Roll on the table below to determine what permanent scars the ritual left you with, or you may choose one that best suits your character. You may also invent one of your own with the consent of the DM, using the ones listed below as reference.

d12	Scar
1	You have a long slash across your face from when a cultist tried to maim you.
2	One of your eyes was removed in an unimaginably painful procedure.
3	You have permanent burns across your body from when you were thrown into a bonfire.
4	Holes penetrate your limbs from where you were nailed to a wall or crucifix.
5	You are missing one or more fingers, with only gnarly stubs where they once were.
6	There is a massive slash on your abdomen from when a cultist tried to gore your belly open.
7	Shadows swirl in your eyes, and they leak into your tears, turning them inky black.
8	Black etchings in an ancient, forgotten language periodically appear on your skin, bringing you significant discomfort.
9	Many parts of your flesh are ashy, rubbing off like dust.
10	Your feet and calves have an unnatural and grotesque pigmentation.
11	Your cheeks have partially or entirely rotten away, making the inside of your mouth visible.
12	You are covered in stitches from when cultists tried to haphazardly graft your body with others.

Feature: Occult Past

Your past with the cult that abducted you has drawn you closer to the world of the occult, whether you wish to be or not. You generally have a knack for finding out information regarding cult activity and practices and even have a degree of talent for performing occult rites yourself. Your first-hand experience with cult practices has also given you a strong "gut feeling" about the nature of the occult, which you may be able to use to help you and your friends evade the fate you were forced to endure. You can look at an object and have an unusually accurate instinct about whether or not it is or was involved in the practices of a cult and how it might've been used if it was, even ones you have no previous experience with. Lastly, some people and entities may become uneasy, aggressive, or inquisitive around you, as they can sense the faint stains of dark magicks etched into your very being.

Suggested Characteristics

d8	Personality Trait
1	I become extremely uneasy when around anything involving the occult.
2	I tend to give minimal responses except when forced to engage socially.
3	I habitually hide my body from others.
4	I refuse to let anyone touch me without my permission.
5	I have a habit of gazing into the void, ignoring others around me for multiple seconds at a time.
6	I get very defensive and closed-off when discussing matters of my past.
7	I distrust all religious institutes.
8	I come across as very cautious and concerned, especially toward those who tend to act before thinking.

d6	Ideal
1	Sanctuary. I try to protect others from those who would seek to cause pain and suffering. (Good)
2	Code. I have committed myself to a code of conduct in order to keep myself sane. (Lawful)
3	Unshackled. My time in fear of suffering has brought me to appreciate personal freedom. (Chaotic)
4	Hoarding. My near-death experience has taught me to keep everything for myself. (Evil)
5	Live. I just want to live a normal life despite my experiences. (Any)
6	Preservation. After everything that's happened to me, I've learned to always put myself first. (Neutral)

d6	Bond
1	I survived my abduction with one other person. I would do anything to protect them.
2	I can't forgive my abductors for the loved ones they killed.
3	A close friend was transformed by the same ritual I survived. I've made it my goal to change them back, no matter what.
4	I will do to my abductors exactly what they did to me and much, much more.
5	Somebody I care about went missing after I got abducted. I've been searching for them since.
6	I desperately cling to religion to find meaning after everything I went through.

d6	Flaw
1	I am wildly vulgar and sharp-tongued.
2	I assume everyone has unspoken, ulterior motives.
3	My traumatic episodes can take me out for hours at a time.
4	I do not eat nearly as much as I should.
5	Everywhere I go, I see the faces of my abductors, and I can hear them murmur and sneer at me.
6	I am prone to emotional outbursts, even in otherwise tame situations.

5.00

(one vote)

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