On one holy day, at some sacred massacre, His sword fell upon you and in that moment you were mankind no more. You were the changed thing. You were fleshtoken. You were pawnkind. You are the fingertips of Moon Slave, His ear in the world, existing only to hear Him shouting his rage at it. You are not evil. You are not wrong. Moon Slave is a volcano. Moon Slave is the murderer who keeps you safe. Moon Slave is just also the murderer who changes His Mind. He has changed Your mind.
When you choose this background, first of all, your alignment is Chaotic, whatever it is. Secondly, understand that you're worshiping the god of what you picture when you listen to Iron Maiden while super drunk. This means, thirdly, that any time anyone else says Moon Slave, you must scream His name like a power chord.
Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Athletics
Vehicle Proficiency: Longships, War Kites, Chariots
Tool Proficiency: Leatherworker Tools, Smith Tools (for restraints, interrogations, fun)
Equipment: Battlehorn, chains (30'), torches (6), 1d5 trophies, 1d2 cloaks, 1 enormous sack
Swordtouch
You shew yourself to be Moon Slave's creature in the following way.
1. Your eyes (d6: 1- catlike, 2- green, 3- red, 4- white as if you were blind, 5- never blink, 6- constantly weep blood)
2. Your voice (d4: 1- is accompanied by distant thunder, 2- can be heard in a loud room at a whisper, 3- slurs your sibilants like a motherfucker, 4- echoes in normal conversation)
3. Your hair (d6: 1- has fallen out, 2- is missing large clumps, 3- has begun to grow at an alarming rate, 4- has gone all white, 5- has a big red lightning bolt pattern in it, 6- is always filled with bugs, not like fleas or lice but big ones.)
4. Your scar in the shape of (1d4: 1- sword, 2- skull, 3- crescent moon, 4- screamprayer to Moon Slave)
Feature: You Were There.
It was the deciding battle of the war. It was a sudden and horrible natural disaster. It was the slaughter that moved the kingdom to action. So recent yet already so legendary.
You Were There.
Most people you meet will have heard of it, and be impressed if you can convince them of this. The specific parties involved (including instances of Speak With Dead) know what you did. The military authorities, regents, and magicians of these lands know you and your deeds by name. The churches know you to be servant of Moon Slave.
This helps cut through the bullshit a lot of times. For better or for worse. If nothing else it's a good way to get any attention in an area snapped toward you: just start talking about it. You'd be surprised at what you can accomplish with this badge of honor.
Suggested Characteristics
You are not uncontrollable, but you are not subtle. You are not simple, but you are direct. You are not berserk, but you do glory in the right people being murdered. You may not be brave, but you are terrifying. You may not be evil but you have no comfortable hole in modern society. Remember Moon Slave prizes no piety or ascetics: the only form of worship Moon Slave rewards is getting out there and doing the most metal thing possible. "Turning off" is a sin.
d8 Personality Trait
1. You are always a little too interested when a victim recounts their story.
2. You are hard to separate from your torches. You may light small fires and scream into them in your down time.
3. To know Moon Slave is to fear Him, so you sleep little, and can be easily confused.
4. You are much more relaxed at night and in dungeons than during the day, in cities.
5. Your mode of dress is...unconventional.
6. Your livelihood is/was fairly prosaic, but you have elected to bring Moon Slave's touch to that part of the world. You may own a metal-as-fuck farm. You may own a murder library.
7. You listen longer than you should to the exhortations of the mad and the cruel and the butcherous. They have a point, after all.
8. Mmm...dogs...
d6 Ideal
1. Action. Never talk when you can do.
2. Fear. Never talk when you can yell curses and bellow animalistically.
3. Surprise. Never be anticipated.
4. Magic. Never use a sword when you can use a cursed burning sword that eats souls.
5. Choice. All dichotomies are false dichotomies.
6. Beauty. Blood is life. Fire is life.
d6 Bond
1. There are others like you, Unspeakables, and you must find them. There is work to do.
2. There is another like you, a survivor, not Swordtouched, and you must avenge yourself upon them.
3. You hear her calling in your sleep, a great witch. She has need of you. She will not let you rest.
4. There is a creature who has defied Moon Slave, awesome in his terror, and you must seek him out and smote him for the glory of smoke.
5. You must raise a beacon to Him and His, an enormous bonfire, visible for miles, on darkmoon-before-Harvest Night.
6. Your charge, and your trade, is secretly that of Jack Ketch.
d6 Flaw
1. You attract a lot of attention. Obviously. A lot.
2. You always reek of smoke and meat.
3. Your pyromania has a tendency to interfere with your other aspirations, as you burn whatever you can get away with, including important things like maps, including magic things like cloaks.
4. You sleepwalk. You sleepfight.
5. You will not deliver the killing blow to any creature who hails Moon Slave in scream song.
6. You've got red on you.