Viventus Aes Follower
You have dedicated yourself to the beliefs of the Viventus Aes and become a Stroga, a priest or emissary. Your beliefs center around the idea that the gods abandonment of our world means that mortals must rise up and take their mantle. That our flesh is what anchors us to mortality and we, as a collective, must find a way to become immortal; eliminating disease, war, famine, and death for all. You don't nessisarily spend your time spreading the word of your belief, but you follow your creed closely and have been recognized for it.
Skill Proficiency: One of your choice.
Tool Proficiency: Tinkerer's Tools and another toolset of your choice.
Equipment: One tool set that you're proficient with, a set of covering clothes, a Vivae Mask, and a pouch containing 10gp
Feature: Vivae Mask
You display your faith through a helmet-like mask you wear in public. This creation is usually your own and is designed to protect and enhance you. You can use spare parts to remake your mask by using tinkerer's tools to craft a new one over 8 hours with 10gp of supplies plus at least another 10gp for every upgrade you recreate. Once you craft a mask upgrade, you always know how to remake it. Subsequent upgrades aren't limited to your mask. You start with one of the following upgrades:
- Magnifying Lenses: You are proficient in investigation and don't have disadvantage on checks due to distance.
- Reinforced Shell: You may choose to ignore the extra damage from being critically hit once per long rest.
- Voice Tuner: You are proficient in deception and have advantage on rolls when trying to mimic any sounds you've heard before.
- Magi-Lit Visor: You are proficient in perception and your sight can't obscured by non-magical fog, smoke, or percipitation, but only to a range of 60 feet.
Feature: Stroga
Your dedication to your beliefs is admirable and those around you can tell through your appearance. As a Stroga, you will find that other Aesists are more willing to help you and trust you, generally treating you as a friendly acquaintance. Additionally, those higher rank than you will know you are capable and doing deeds for them can advance your own standing. They may help you obtain or create more upgrades.
Suggested Characteristics
Viventus Aesism offers many strange prospects, but is altruistic at it's core. Their followers are typically intellectually inclined, as their beliefs are centered around the power of the mind, and can easily fall to the oddities of the mortal mind. Many are seen as odd or even insane to commonfolk, as they go on about matters far beyond the present day and it's challenges.
Aesist Practices & Beliefs
The Aesists believe mortals must create thier way into a utopia using magic and technology. They are responsible for the most advanced creations in Mundus. While they worship no gods, they do follow certain rituals and beliefs:
- Flesh is Weak: Mortal tools were made to enhance our natural forms. We should further this idea and learn to replace our inferior aspects with improved versions. Cutting edge aesist often work on bodily augmentations.
- Craft Greatness: Every great civilization was built on the might of steel and power of magic. They were mared by trivial conflicts. The apocalypse has brought mortals together and we must forget our past grievences. Aesists generally look down on those who dwell on historical fueds and racial pride.
- Create Salvation: Our ability to form metal and weave magic is our key to a perfect future. Naturally, most higher level Aesists are craftsmen or arcanists.
| d8 | Personality Traits |
|---|---|
| 1 | I examine tech and craftsmenship whenever I can. |
| 2 | I find no beauty in creations that have no practical purpose or use. |
| 3 | I'm typically stoic and quiet, never raising my voice. |
| 4 | I never drink or eat anything for it's taste |
| 5 | I often ponder on life and death, and I enjoy philosophical discussions. |
| 6 | When I argue, I will defend my point intensely and refuse to settle or compromise until one side is thoroughly convinced. |
| 7 | I always help those in need, but only if they ask for it. |
| 8 | I am an absolute perfectionist and often expect others to behave the same way. |
| d6 | Ideals |
|---|---|
| 1 | Collective. Civilization founded upon the idea that all creatures must work together for the benefit of the entire group. (Lawful) |
| 2 | Creativity. Individuality is nessisary. Without it, we are no more than beasts. (Chaotic) |
| 3 | Power The strong have the right to rule the weak. (Evil) |
| 4 | Advancement. It is the responsibility of the strongest to guide the weaker and improve them. (Good) |
| 5 | Free Will. Technology is not inherantly good or evil. It's user is to blame for the consequences of it's use. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Destiny. It is our destiny to rise to godhood. The old gods followed the same path we are on now, there is a cycle we all follow and we are nearing the zenith. (Any) |
Images drawn by Evgeny Maloshenkov!
| d6 | Bonds |
|---|---|
| 1 | My parents are Aesists and their parents before that. Our clothing shares certain elements. |
| 2 | I was taken in by a Stroga when I was young, they taught me everything I know. When they died, I encorperated their mask into my own as a sign of respect and progress. |
| 3 | My previous life was destroyed by vice. Aesists took me in and taught me to control myself and how to concentrate on my craft. I'm forever grateful for their help and hope to prevent others from falling like I did. |
| 4 | I found Aesism to further my craftsmenship, I want to meet and work with those on the cutting edge. |
| 5 | An Aesist once saved my life. I repay them by spreading their faith. |
| 6 | Viventus Aesism's beliefs and mine are one and the same, they are dogma to me. |
| d6 | Flaws |
|---|---|
| 1 | Those who don't see the value in Aesism aren't meant for complex work or moral discussions. |
| 2 | I don't care about these beliefs, I joined to hide behind a mask and escape my previous life. |
| 3 | I want to be the best in my field and I don't care how I get there, just that I become the best there is. |
| 4 | I never trust strangers, especially those who hold beliefs that contradict mine. |
| 5 | I never question the motives of others and take what they say at face value. |
| 6 | I don't want to die. Though I try to hide it, I only work so I can find a way to live forever. Deep down, I don't care about anything or anyone else. |
Vivae Masks
The masks that Viventus Aesists wear is a vital symbol for their organization. Not only is it an easy identifier for those who've dedicated to the cause, it's also a way for aesists to express themselves through craft.
These masks are typically designed by the wearer, although that isn't a strict requirement. As the entire idea of Aesism is centered around the superiority of artifical creations, they must have some practicality to them as well, this is besides the installed upgrades. It is a tool, just like the equipment they use to smith the mask. Basing the minor features on your character's background is perfect for creating a fitting mask for them to don. Features can be taken into consideration for custom upgrades and minor abilities for your character. Here are some ideas for you to consider:
| d10 | Mask Designs |
|---|---|
| 1 | A large helmet that shields the neck and collarbone. As it would protect vitals from attack and not prevent a loss of sight, as Mundus is mostly underground tunnels with little need to look up. |
| 2 | A mask designed to be worn with the hood of a heavy cloak for exploring the surface. The eye slit has visor around the glass to protect against snow and enhance visability in poor weather. |
| 3 | A helmet with an intracate set of internal mirrors to give the wearer the ability to see behind them. |
| d10 | Mask Designs |
|---|---|
| 5 | A decorative floral pattern adorning the front plate, both making the mask appropriate for formal occasions and camoflaging the runic inscriptions for a warding spell. |
| 6 | A simple, geomertic chassis that gives the wearer an odd, otherworldly appearence. Used to influence one's perception to be that of a wizened being. |
| 7 | A simple design with a set of telescoping lenses that can swing down over the eyes, like what a jeweller would use to inspect a gem. |
| 8 | A helmet with a thick, short blade running down the center, to be used as a weapon in close quarters. |
| 9 | A large, racing-helmet like design with secret compartments for small tools, notes, valuables, components, and the like. |
| 10 | A mask with internally attached components to cast the message cantrip without the use of your hands. |
