The Unterkin are a reclusive species that reside in Lost Crystal. While good natured, they are secretive to the extreme and rarely interact with outsiders, if it all. However, some Unterkin leave their home to join the ranks of adventurers - in this week’s blog entry, we’ll learn about them.
UNTERKIN
These odd little folk are said to be the architects of Promise, the creator’s realm that was hidden away. They are known throughout Outer World for their unparalleled skill as crafters and their seemingly impacable whimsy.
Physiology: The unterkin are diminutive and somewhat hunched, with long snouts, tufts of colorful hair, and bulging eyes. In spite of this sounding like an unpleasant sight, there is something charming and almost toy-like about them that keeps it from being so.
Typical Demeanor: Unterkin’s inherent ability to create gives them an odd insight into the world around them. They tend to see everything in components, and while they sometimes miss the forest for the trees they do notice things others might ignore.
Outlook: The hearts of the Unterkin are guided by whimsy and tempered by a sense of duty. While secretive, it is out of an abundance of caution rather than total distrust.
The best way to consider the whole is to study all of its parts.
Create joy when you can, share wisdom when you cannot.
Keep your secrets, the folk you can trust all know someone who you can’t.
A hand that destroys taints all that it creates.
Honor a true promise to a friend above all other things.
History: The Unterkin are older than Outer World, perhaps even by a great margin. There is little record of their distant past: what is known is that when the Creator made Promise he awakened the Unterkin to help him do so. Unlike the dwarves, who were formed specifically for the task, they had existed beforehand, created in some place unknown to any native of Outer World.
The two species worked in tandem until the creator’s departure. The Unterkin even resided in the nation of Old Iron in its early years. But eventually they departed, settling in a land beyond the Sea of Tar they would come to call Lost Crystal. They have resided in that place since then with little contact with the rest of Outer World.
Adventurers: It is truly rare for an Unterkin to leave Lost Crystal. There are only so many of them left and the secret to creating more of them is lost. Their home is safe, hiding them from danger and those who would take advantage of their talents.
Yet, there are those who leave Lost Crystal behind to travel back out into the world beyond. This is either because they have some wish that can only be achieved in the outside world or because they have been exiled for breaking some sacred law. In either case their memories are sealed away for the sake of protecting Lost Crystal’s secrets.
As a result, every Unterkin adventurer only remembers their innate skills and recent past. While they can’t help but long for the things they have forgotten, they mostly agree that this is for the best.
Typical Names: Unterkin are wont to choose odd, silly sounding names for things and even themselves. This is partly due to their own preferences but is also something they started doing to spite the tenents that pushed them to leave Old Iron behind.
Unterkin names are combinations of jumbled words connected to their heart’s craft, sounds they find amusing, wishes, and obvious facts.
Examples: Patasy Potables, Bluesy Hugh, Keepin Chinup, Munamina, Henkly Widget
Special Notes on Unterkin Characters
Unterkin are limited in what Callings they can take. Most Unterkin adventurers are Factotums, being natural crafters and all. Many are also Sages and Balladeers, as the magic of whimsy and song come easily to them. A few are Sneaks, thanks to how important secrets are to them.
They are too apprehensive towards violence to become Champions, Raiders, Battle or Murder Princesses and are unable to take up the mantle of Heretic because the Sealed Names refused to commune with them.
Unterkin’s Homeland is always The Buried Kingdoms and they use their own History Table, outlined later in this entry.
Abilities
Species Size
You are squat and hunched, taller than a chib or goblin but shorter than a dwarf.
You are a Small Species
Innate Abilities
You start with two Abilities.
Ageless
While you don’t remember it, you’ve been alive a very long time. While violence can take your life, age cannot weaken or destroy you.
You never age beyond your physical prime, and are immune to effects that force aging.
Heart’s Craft
All Unterkin have a craft they innately understand. This is your Heart’s Craft, one that even the strongest magic of your people could never make you forget.
Select a Crafting Discipline to specialize in: Forging, Gadgeteering, Tailoring, Artificing, Alchemy or Cooking.
You can use either your Insight, Aura, or Deftness for your Crafting Rolls.
You can identify items related to your Heart’s Craft with an Insight Check.
Maturative Ability
Available for selection at Rank 6, or higher, instead of an Advanced Calling Ability.
Masterful Mishap
Your skill in crafting is so great that you manage to have a bit of control in the chaos created by a disastrous mistake.
During a Crafting Mishap, you may choose between an Aborted Attempt or a Flawed Creation rather than roll. In addition, you may choose which Complication, Side Effect, or Curse flawed creations gain rather than roll if those tables come into effect.
Quirks
Unterkin may choose between a Physiology Quirk (1-10) or an Eldritch Quirk (11-20)
Unterkin Histories
(1-5) Red Hand
You can’t remember the exact details but you know two things are true: you were exiled from your home and the reason why was because something you created injured or killed another. This is one of the most important rules of Lost Crystal, and breaking it means you can no longer stay there.
Suggested Heart’s Craft: Forging, Gadgeteering
Purviews:
Tempering your actions with memories of past mistakes
Fixing something you broke
Recognizing regret in all its forms
Bonus Gear (Pick 2)
Thrown Weapon (Bits of a shattered blade)
Light Armor (Patchwork Mail)
Lumi-Slime Lantern (Your last friend from home)
Rations (x10) (Cured Deeproot)
(6-10) Fizzicist (Thanks to Red Cog for the name)
You were a master of making things sizzle, crackle, and pop (in a fun way), creating things that brought joy to those around you. Some stray thoughts pulled your wishes far from home however, and you followed them.
Suggested Heart’s Craft: Cooking, Alchemy
Purviews:
Shaking things up a bit
Having a bubbly disposition
Containing a potential mess
Bonus Gear (Pick 2)
Artisans Outfit (Your favorite coat)
Common Urban Good (Sturdy Old Bottle)
Basic Potion (Broot Beer)
Grenade (Over-Carbonated Broot Beer)
(11-15) Storyteller
Whether it was through oration, song, or pen, you’ve always loved telling stories. But you told them so often, you ran out and knew the only place you could find more would be far away from home.
Suggested Heart’s Craft: Artificing, Tailoring
Purviews:
Knowing what’s narrative appropriate
Finding the story hidden in a mystery
Working out a proper ending
Bonus Gear (Pick 2)
Toodle Flute (Oddities & Luxury Goods)
A Proper Pen (Common Urban Good)
Multi-Colored Cloak (Appealing Outfit)
Treats (x10) (Star Sweets)
(16-20) Wonder Aspirant
The works of the first one were deemed out of reach by the other Unterkin long ago. The way they mastered and melded together every discipline to create miracles is just not something any one else could replicate, and the others were content after accepting that. You were not. You’d give up everything for the chance to match them.
Suggested Heart’s Craft: Any to start, though you should take a second crafting discipline as soon as possible.
Purviews:
Going beyond your means
Mixing things that should be incompatible
Challenging things much greater than yourself
Bonus Gear (Pick 2)
Star Gem (A memento of their greatest work)
Shadow Stone (A reminder that everything can be broken)
Forgotten Lore, Tome (A wonder werk manual)
Compass (Something you always knew you’d need)
