(2min. Read time)
It is a dark and lonely road through the Darkest Age, and sustenance is hard to come by, but a character can find comfort and aid in their own experience and wisdom. The experience plays out in rolling a character’s origin and “Powers”, giving each Class unique backgrounds, skills and flaws. Portents serve as an agent of Fate in this darkened world, while Prayer Books and Hex Books find both the knightly and the wicked.
Both Powers and Origins are unique to each Class, and your rolls (or choices) will determine what your character brings to the party. Was the Mystic a Prophet or an escaped sacrifice? Was the Grizzled Mercenary a Fallen Knight or a herdsman? These rolls can determine if you’ve started with a couple of ponies or if you have already survived the Plague once and have a certain resistance. Powers tell of the skills and habits you may have picked up along the way. Was the Surgeon a skilled Bone Crafter or just a drug addict? The Broken Crusader could be hell in the saddle in battle or determined defender no matter where he stands.
Some rolls are a boon, some are a shackle, so it is in the Darkest Age!
Dreary as it may be, there is a place for luck and even hope in the Darkest Age. That luck comes in the form of Portents. They are the sidelong glance that allows your character to duck just in time or the flash of insight that allows them to find just the right chink in the armor. How lucky you are is determined by the starting Portent roll given in your Class Description. These Portents can reduce damage, help your sword find the sweet spot, or even aid your concentration on skill check. Players can freely choose the effect of the Portents. They may be repeated and the number available refreshes at dawn.
Old gods and new make their presence known on the battlefield and in the dreams of those lost in the Darkest Age. Prayers give your character additional powers to withstand the Darkest Age. They are found in the form of Prayer Books and Hex Books. Some Classes start with one of these books, others must find them along the way. Blessings bestow advantages to you and your allies. Curses lay pain and dismay upon your enemies. Will you send a voice to the Heavens that you might be healed or will you kindle your enemies to flame?
In the dismal world of the Darkest Age, these Powers, Portents, and Prayers are the torchlight that might help your character live to see another day.
