Tag: Fiction

  • Alleway Lives

    Alleway Lives

    That petty gang that hangs in The Drop is up to something. The other day they cut a lift that Piyu was working. The trader from Qin, by way of Telse, lost a crate of dry goods, and the front of their boat needed repairs. It seems that riverboats don’t take well to cargo falling from several dozen feet up near the lower level of Ooshar Bridge.

    Plus, that poor trader lost one of his crew’s monkeys. I sent Alleway after the cut-boy. The little halfling scampered up a stair on Uphill side and then slipped through the crowds to Sheljar side. Alleway got stuck at the top of a down pole. Couple minutes later I’d found the little guy, at least he got quiet. It only took one time commanding him and now Teegan didn’t mind him around. It only took three years for her to accept the dude.

    Picking him up and scratching behind that left ear as the pup looked down the hole it was clear the cut-boy was in The Drop. The odor was there too. The Drop is where all the waste and feces collects from the Ooshar Bridge chutes. Then it falls into the river. North River is clearly marked and the gate only opens every few hours, but The Drop always reeks.

    I imagine that none can see us. A gasp behind me let’s me know that I’m gone, but noticed. I’m invisible and down the pole.

    Some meat goliath (Tlipa?) is there with the cut-boy Aron, little Pip, that human girl Rista and Willan that crusty, old halfling that they all looked up to. I scratch Alleway’s ear again. I can feel his tail wag, but he’s quiet.

    There’s a little nook behind Tlipa, yeah, it’s Tlipa. I slip off that direction. I can make that shadow and listen.

    “Aron, excellent, I needed that jade. It was an outsider, right?” Willan asks.

    “Of, course,” Aron responds. “She should be leaving tonight, came on a flatship.”

    “Perfect.” Willan tosses a few silver to Aron. The boy gets a huge grin. He pockets three of them, one just twirls across his fingers. Then he tosses it right at me.

    Obscon! I cannot move fast enough. My right hand drops to my dagger. My left hand drops Alleway. He yips as he hits the ground. He’s visible. I’m not. We’re down-pole. There’s a stair through a couple passages and doggie doors in the Drop, but Alle isn’t down here enough to know how to get home. Home for him is up. He can’t get up. He can’t get up!

    Willan, Tlipa, Rista, Pipa and Aron… where are their companions?

    I throw that dagger at Aron. Now I’m visible. Aron’s down. Whoa, got him in the neck. He’s down. A whelp and whimper comes from behind a set of crates.

    I look quickly. Tlipa’s duck just flies out through one of the holes. A little retriever follows after a whistle from Pipa. It’s two v. six. That’s not good. I’m alone. Estrella is expecting me back this evening.

    Can I dive that hole? No. It’s over a hundred feet down. There might be a boat there. Can’t wait.

    I cast my missiles – four of them. Pipa, Rista and Tlipa twice. Smack, smack, smack-smack. Willan opens a chest and tosses the jade in there. There are two books in there. I’ll review that memory if I survive. Alleway screams. There’s a Obs-worshiping rat biting him.

    Tlipa charges me. I duck, but that’s like a dozen halflings landing on top. I can’t pull a blade, plus I’m down to one. It probably wasn’t a good idea to merely wound a goliath. Bastards are huge.

    It’s been a few seconds now. Pipa collapses. I shouldn’t laugh, but the idiot sent her dog out the hole. Alleway growls, tosses the rat against a wall and chases it as it scurries away.

    I try to slip through Tlipa’s legs. Willan is staring at me and then I see horns. Oh, my, he has horns. I can’t do this I can’t escape. I’m out numbered and Willan is possessed with some kind of forsaken curse.

    Rista let’s out a blood curdling scream. I try not to laugh. Alleway’s a terrier. A rat is easy for him to deal with. He killed it. Crazy woman bonded with a rat. Still that’s two healthy against me, and one dude has horns. The other is nearly ten feet tall.

    “I was just watching,” I cower. “It’s just petty theft, and let’s be honest the Sheljar guard likes me less than you. Please, please, get the big ass off me.”

    Willan’s laughter is loud without echoing. He has powers. “Tlipa, up.”

    The command is immediately answered. Tlipa isn’t free. Unlike Piyu, he just found a new controller.

    “Please”

    Extra begging can’t hurt at this point. Willan has a gang behind him. I don’t think Alleway or I killed any, but they aren’t well and that’s our fault.

    Willan’s voice drops deep. It is filled with authority and I am filled with fear. “You are spared. Little Rohan, you are spared. But you are ours now. You do not talk to Piyu. You do not talk to Kellamon. You do not talk to your sister, Teegan. You serve.”

    Alleway is running back. The hole is still open. One of the chutes aimed at it empties a slush of feces, piss and rotten food. Alleway leaps over the chute, landing at my side.

    I nod. I do not talk. I serve.

    “You go now. Do not come to the Drop. You’ll know when you are needed.”

    While I walk away Tlipa kicks me in the ass. His foot is the size of my butt. I stumble a few feet right hand rubbing my butt. Tears pour down my face. I’ve been dominated mentally, Alleway is bleeding from a hind leg and I’m beaten. Fuckin’ Aron stole a few gems and gold. He didn’t even share the gold with Willan.

    Never try to steal from the local gang. I head down river. Estrella’s house is there. She’ll have a salve for All, poor All. He’s limping. One of Sheljar’s guard glares at me. I’ve got blood, but the guard watched me come up from the Drop. I reek. He’s not going to talk to me.

    What would I say?

    Estrella is surrounded by pigeons. It’s so beautiful. Feathers, and wings, and life just surround her. She waves. I smile. Alleway tries to run after one of the birds, but looks back to me, yipping happily.

    ‘Strella makes everyone happy. There is no crowd in the evening. Most are eating, or on the Bridge, or down at River. I run to her, covered in tears. I am bruised, battered. I cannot stop crying.

    She holds me. As always, she is warm and welcoming. I need welcoming. I need warmth. The space in front of her hearth is warmer. That fire is always strong. I settle into blankets leaning away from the boot print. Alleway curls in front of me. He’s so weak. That leg is giving out, and it stinks.

    a day later

    His leg is gone. His belly is disappearing. Alleway is about to die. Willan’s gang, who I cannot talk about, is killing Alleway. He’s fading away.

    My little terrier isn’t breathing. I just wanted a bit of jade to give ‘Strella and Willan’s gang killed Alleway with a rat, A RAT. They took him via disease, but now they’ve angered me.

    Those books were ‘…omicon’ and ‘llusions.’ Jade and a couple books in a chest, and big key in Willans pocket.

    Those bastards killed Alleway for a few gems and a couple of books. They took him from me!

    A sharp bark wakes me from my strife. I look down at my puppy. His body is rot. The bark continues, it’s his happy bark. We’re both wrapped in the blankets, trying to heal from that day. That and hide, we’re trying to hide from life.

    Alleway isn’t alive. But he’s barking he keeps barking. He sounds so happy, but this body is empty. The barking is from my right. There he is off to my right. How? How is my little one there with me.

    He is shadow. He is incorporeal. He is loyal. Beyond death, he is loyal.

    Now, I rise. Willan has a key and two precious books. I have a dog that cannot die and my powers. I need not talk again. Alleway walks through the wall towards the bridge. It is fifteenth night in winter. The Dragon is full, but the other moons are new.

    Alleway is powerfully striding towards the downriver stairs. That’s where Rista preys on the poorest of Fort Ooshar’s visitors. It takes me a bit longer to get to the top. Alleway doesn’t slow down for bushes and trees.

    My little terrier breathes my hate for Willan’s gang and is fueled by my love. We see Rista. He charges at her leaping into her mouth. His ghostly form enters her. She runs to the side of the cliffs and jumps off. Little Alleway jumps back to me.

    We continue. Tlipa is next and then Willan. I’ll take his jade, his books and his gang. I will speak again. Willan will suffer, because I can no longer touch my little dog. I can hear him, kind of see him, but no longer will he sit on my lap or snuggle with me. Alleway remains, but he is only a representation of love now.

  • Expeditionary fleet of Airxip Ixkon leaves Kon

    Expeditionary fleet of Airxip Ixkon leaves Kon

    Laurelyn looked over her works. Her funds sending a flight out over the Spires of Xelgar were larger than any other. It is her town that gets to host the final rising of the airxips; her vassals that operate the Ship of the Fleet and its three carrax; her pamphleteers that will write the story of these days. Other families had more money, fame, power, but the Ixkon discovered the anti-sink balloons and taut-line messaging that is needed for such a large expedition.

    There are two other models like her Airxip Ixkon (of course she gave it the family name), one is slightly larger and with an additional two tenders. Gerarldine played the game well, but proximity to the High Mother could not earn her more than the vital discoveries necessary to cross the Spires. The third broadxip, Arx Golmul, comes from the North. With just two carrax helping it over the Spire it is most likely to struggle with the winds. But the northern community harvests the fuel trees for the bellows and they are experimenting in granting mulkon the right to vote. If the High Mother sees Arx Golmul do well major changes could be forced. It is likely that the Mothers Parliament were outmaneuvered when they approved that flight. No matter for Laurelyn, she is focused on earning her family, all of her family, more money.

    Her artists turned out great posters for the launch. Sales are going well and the non-Ixkon living nearby continue to fall under her sway. There was a need for last minute recruits, and the posters helped.

    What a perfect day. The winds are blowing towards the Spires. Normally that’s a problem, but today it’s what they need. Two Feyelfs (weeks) floating to those harsh isles and then the steep rise after extensive fishing. After the rise the ships will cross towards a land unseen for centuries, if the math is right the expedition will float for just a Glibbon (month) before landfall.

    Captain Yerxian walks beside Laurelyn

    “Ma’am, you’ll have to leave or this xip will not float. It is our time, the winds are right and the crew ready.”

    “Certainly Captain. You have the cares and wishes of all of Kon behind you. Bring us something wonderful. This is your fleet now.”

    There are no large speeches. The High Mother’s words were in every gobkon, hobkon and mulkon’s wallets, pockets or hands. That pamphlet is half orders and half inspiration to be as great as Kon can be. Each ship has a press so that new pamphlets can be made, and with the taut-line messaging system those can be more easily coordinated when at altitude.

  • Stumbling towards Sheljar

    Stumbling towards Sheljar

    It’s been a few days since that awful incident at the shack. They’d left some people dead, with just piles of stones on them and then moved on to the west. Crazy Rohan cast his lot with the escaped goliath Piyu. Teegan was not going to abandon her brother and Master Kellamon could be guilty too.

    Estrella thought about leaving, but it would be her and Ashley in this rough wilderness. A glassblower and a messenger pigeon alone in the rough mountains of Western Kirtin would be doomed. She can repair things, but that isn’t useful if you don’t have things. Plus where would she go? How would she find it?

    They’re onGully through mountains tight rations now. Finding forage for Teegan’s ram Ha-Lim isn’t easy. Fani’s finding more than enough fish for the meat eaters, but this is rough land. Moving through it is hard.

    Ha-Lim slows them down. Everyone deals with it. He’s as much one of them as the rest. It’s an odd group. Two dogs, a terrier that never stops barking and a hound without a sent to follow. Ashley is her pigeon. He could find Korlott, Kirtin-in-the-Sky and home no matter where he is. He’s so smart. But if she sends him off to let the family know what’s happened he’s gone. The group is going to keep moving.

    She’d never met a bonded ram before Ha-Lim. Then there’s the heron Fani. What a magnificent creature. It just soars and soars on those huge wings. Can I teach a heron messaging? That might be fun. 

    They’re also kind of lost – again. It’s easy to think “head west” and know that Sheljar is that way. The Land of Two Rivers is always fascinating, but constantly embroiled in internal strife. Sheljar never offered to help Kirtin, and only one trade family from Qin responded to requests for aid. Estrella doesn’t hate Sheljar for this, but she certainly isn’t excited about the Empire with its guilds, families, companies all competing for power.

    “‘Strella, come here!” It’s Rohan. The boy is fascinating. He keeps learning how to apply these funky powers. She runs across the camp.

    “What?”

    “Look, look” and a he makes a flower unbloom. “Now watch” and it blooms again. He plucks it and puts it behind her ear.

    “Get ready to move children,” Master Kellamon says with a smile. A tiny moment of pleasure is necessary. These kids have been away from home for about a week. “Fani indicates to Piyu that the Norther River Everflow is just over that rise and downslope. There’s a town there. We’ll be in the Sheljar Empire tonight. Once we get there we have the protection of the Emperor, but will need to find a guild or family to take us as members.”

    Teegan asks, “Which guild is going to take us?”

    “I do not know. There are guilds and families based on craft, or trade, or faith, or location. Piyu’s skills with Fani will likely get him attention. Sheljar City has need for birds. He’ll try to connect with a goliath family that raises waterfowl.”

    Estrella is happy. Any decent village of Kin needs a messenger. She’s seen dogs do this, but really, nothing is better than a pigeon. She’d find a place, then she’d tell her parents where she was. Maybe Rohan would be in the same town.

    The youngsters strike camp. Piyu returns with the weather above his head, another dry day with light clouds. It’s like that massive storm emptied all the waters from the skies. Kell likes that. They should be in that town tonight.

  • Encounter above River Crinth

    Encounter above River Crinth

    It’s been eight days judging by the cycle of Feylf. Somehow Teegan and Rohan aren’t at Kirtin-in-the-Sky. They also aren’t on the road they expected to be on, some kind of rockfall blocked it and somehow Rohan convinced her that they should go on a path a bit to the west and across a valley. Prior to that rockfall they’d picked up a glassblower also on her way to Kirtin-in-the-Sky for the same service.

    Now, they’d missed their reporting date. Runoffs power raging streams and rivers as they try to pick their way north. Little Estrella’s pigeon could get a message back to either her tiny village, EVEN SMALLER THAN KORLOTT, or to Kirtin-in-the-Sky, but the glassblower is scared. They aren’t along known routes, no pigeons or coursehounds have been seen in days.

    Burning Cascades by Ryan HealyTeegan isn’t willing to admit that she’s lost. Rohan insists that he knows if they “just find headwaters of Crinth they’ll be fine.” She doesn’t know to believe that he actually knows or if he’s adopted a war story as truth. The River Crinth divides the Confederation from Azsel. It rips through the edge of the Keltann Slope. If he’s right, and over that ridge or the next one, or the next one? they could catch up to the rest of their Year and Serve.

    She doesn’t have any ideas. That pigeon, Chechu, will not be leaving Estrella’s shoulder. Ha-Lim is a better scout in this terrain than stupid little Alleway. Being 11 months older than these two is turning into a curse. Young enough she serves in the same year, but old enough she’s “in charge” of a glassblower and a goatherd.

    Rough rocks and scrub pine are their other companions. Food continues to run low. They find some berries once-in-a-while, but something has to happen.

    Now there are dark clouds in the sky and they’ll be three to the one leaky tent. It’s been a miserable trip and why would she listen to Rohan again, about anything?

    Another cold damp night, but she has Ha-Lim. He is warm, even while wet. She lays against him, because his soul is warm. She needs the comfort of a partner, rather than dependents.

    In the morning they have plenty of water, but little food.

    Trudging through the mud will not be fun. They crest a ridge and see the River Crinth, the whole valley. They also see a sky of green and hail with winds and some sickening funnel cloud down on the plains of Crinth.

    There are sparks and lights flying across the river. It’s bewildering.

    by RLEVANS at https://flic.kr/p/6NZYBj
    by RLEVANS at https://flic.kr/p/6NZYBj

    A pack of dogs circle a hut. These are warhounds, not service dogs. Getting a count is improbable. There are also three halflings with them, again around the hut. The idiots aren’t going in, and there is a hail, in Summer. This isn’t a storm for anything but hunkering down.

    “Hey, can we get in there?,” Rohan shouts, “It’s chilly and we can all share.”

    A sharp whistle and two of those huge hounds flank a grizzly old halfling, probably the leader.

    “The hut and everything in it is ours. Go away children. Go away, now.”

    Teegan snickers. This old halfling is trying to boss Rohan and that’s never worked. Except the man hears the laugh, and a different sharp whistle sends those two dogs towards Teegan. Ha-Lim prepares to charge them.

    “Are you blind? We’ll die out here in this crazy weather,” Rohan is livid. “There’s lightning and hail and a tornado. We need shelter.”

    A dazzling spray of light showers from Rohan’s hands. The dogs stop moving, bewildered and unable to see. Their companion is also blinded.

    “Kill them, or capture. I don’t care. Get Piyu too,” the leader shouts with his hands rubbing his eyes.

    Ha-Lim rams right through one of those warhounds. It is knocked cold.

    As the other dogs and halflings turn to face the kids the door to the hut collapses. A large boot sticking out into it for a moment. A club smashes down onto an unfortunate hound. A grey dog bursts out from the door as well. It pounces onto one of the black and brown beasts.

    Estrella ducks behind some scrub. This is exactly why she didn’t want to go to war.

    Three of the six opposing dogs are down and out. Two more are blinded. One of the halflings is blind as well. The other two point their drawn short swords at the three children of Kirtin.

    “Do you surrender?” Master Kellamon Scoques Lady Harsop steps from the hut. A whip and Bastos at his side. That whip disarms one of the hunters.

    Estrella shouts yes. The leader of these hunters screams “No.”

    Original by Ian Sane at https://flic.kr/p/aAvcFL
    Original by Ian Sane at https://flic.kr/p/aAvcFL

    A bit drunk on this unknown power Rohan screams “then die.” Three missiles of light and force shoot from his hands. The blinded dogs both take one, the leader the other. Rohan’s pike is lying on the ground now. This arcane power shooting forth is intoxicating. And the human child disappears.

    Piyu clubs one of those swordsman with that board from the floor of the hut. It splits in half over the woman’s head. Rohan throws her hammer at a dog trying to take out Ha-Lim. The children, the escaped slave and the Master are dominant.

    “Now?” Master Scoques asks.

    “Yes.” Two swords drop, with a soft whistle that calls the remaining dog back to the hunters.

    “Then leave. Leave forever. Piyu is free. Tell the Ranch that you never found us. Because if I return and point out that you were trying to take me, you are dead. You have no shelter from the storm. You do not deserve it.”

    As they walk away Piyu calls to his heron, who swoops down and plucks the eyes from the leader. Piyu follows that up with a giant rock into the little halfling’s back. That leader is crushed under the weight of a stone that a nine-plus foot mammoth of a kin can hurl.

    The other sprints off towards a tornado and a war fought between things that can control fire and lightning, kind of like what Rohan just did. Rohan is still gone.

    Master Scoques takes charge. “Find that boy.” He points to Teegan. “Behind the bush, get over here so we know everyone is safe. And Piyu, you’ve just made our future. It’s not one I wanted, but it’s one I’m willing to take.”

    Teegan is confused. How can she find Rohan. He did that thing and poof. Stupid little Alleway is sitting, as he does when he wants a treat. But the terrier looks up and then sniffs in circles, and then looks up at the same spot and then circles. This act is repeated a few more times.

    “Alleway come!” He does not. He stares at a space about 5 feet up in the air, and then leaps up. Rohan pops into sight, right there, with his damn dog in his hands.

    Raucous laughter comes from the teen. “I did that! I did that! I think I can do it again!”

    “Boy, you will not. We’re all in quite a bit of trouble now,” Kellamon is used to leadership. “As soon as this storm passes we need to go. Two hunters died at our hands. I won’t be accepted in Crinth. Piyu cannot go back to Azsel and our Ranch. You three are clearly not where you are supposed to be, so you’re coming.”

    This slaver’s speech is correct, yet disturbing. While Kirtin and Azsel are at war, there is little that can help the three teens away from their society. Rohan is partially to blame, and if Azsel demands him there are those in Kirtin that would turn him over rather than start a hot war.

    “We shall, but where,” she decides for all three.

    At the same time Rohan chuckles, “I go where I want.”

    Estrella is calm, cowardly and absolutely fascinated by what Rohan has done. It is beyond the powers she’s seen in her little village. This thing can be used to hold the Slope, or free slaves, or whatever. She’ll follow Rohan, because he has power, if not authority.

    “If you come with us, boy, you will be a free man. If not, you will be at the whim of those hunters’ family. We’re going to Sheljar. It does not allow recapture. Piyu will be free. You will be free. The girls will be free. And I’ll be able tell my family I’m alive, but gone.”

    “How far?”

    “Young lady, it should be about two weeks journey through these mountains to the west. Fani and Piyu can find us fish. It will be hard, but we’ll live.”

    Piyu nods his head and enters the shed. “Come, come. This storm will be over soon.” A small cloud above his head disappears and three of the moons appear in their phases. The Dragon is hinted by a dark splotch.

    When the teens enter the hut, it is quite crowded. A ram, a terrier, a pigeon, a heron, a warhound, a goliath, a halfling and the human teens isn’t much space in this outbuilding. But it is warm. Kellamon has food. There are introductions broken up by thunder and the scream of fierce winds, maybe even screams from the battle down along Crinth. It doesn’t stop with the storm, but accelerates and worsens.

  • Estrella was as Common as they come

    Estrella was as Common as they come

    “Here, fix this,” Estrella’s brother hands her an axe. It takes a few moments and the large chip is gone. “Done.” Others have these big powers, they can do things. Baboli can predict the weather and make flowers bloom. That’s so useful. Femmo does fun little things with fire. He helped clear a new field. It’s so handy.

    She repaired a broken jar and the little ornament she blew for her Journeywork to reveal on Service Day. Chechu, her little pigeon, returns from Kirtin-in-the-Sky. The letter is simple. No exception is granted. She will serve, as all do. A common glassblower, with a messenger pigeon and the ability to mend will serve on the Keltann Slope where Azsel continues to raid. She isn’t a hero. She’s as common as can be. Simple, and ineffective at war, but she will serve.

    Commoners are the foundation of the land. They aren’t adventurers and heroes. They blow glass. They tend bar. They farm. It’s not often that a GM needs a stat block for a Commoner, unless they are routine. At this point Estrella is young, with attributes that don’t seem like they should develop into a fighter, but she’s an experienced glassworker. Below you will find a rules hack to quickly throw together a Commoner who has an uncommon role within your DnD campaign.

    Commoners start with the following attributes and skills.

    Class Features
    HD: 1d4 at 1st and 2nd levels
    HP at 1st: 4+CON
    HP at higher levels: CON + HD if appropriate
    Must have 12 in Apprentice Attribute and 11 in Journeyman
    Array: 12,11,11,10,9,8
    If dice roll: 3d4+3

    Proficiencies
    Padded Armor
    Two simple weapons, 1 must be melee
    Saving Throws: Apprentice attribute at 1st level, Journeyman at 2nd
    Skills/Tools by profession and level

    Estrella’s array is STR: 8, DEX 12 13, CON 9, INT 10 11, WIS 12, CHA 13 with a woeful 3 HP. Her humanness added 3 points. Estrella is a bit of a leaders and wise, for a Commoner. She knows how to use darts and a light hammer.

    As a glassblower she has some skills. As most in Kin she learns some History on the Day of Glight. She knows how to use Glassblower’s Tools, because well, that’s what she does. There’s also a bonus to her DEX or INT, because those are the attributes she uses the most. Since she’s already finished her journeywork we know that she’s actually already reached that second tier as a commoner, a Journeyman. She could set up her own shop now. Her work is decent.

    That has game benefits too. Glassblowers pickup Arcana as their vials and bubbles are often used by various scholars, alchemists and sages. She again gets a bonus to DEX or INT. This time it goes to INT to represent her fascination with book learning. That’s still a pretty poor array. If she continues on her path she’ll become a Master Glassworker with expertise in those tools.

    She could also learn a new profession.

    Obviously she could have been some other profession with other skills and familiarity with tools, but then she would not be Estrella. She’d be a different commoner. Here are a few of those.

    Professions Apprentice Attribute Apprentice Skill Apprentice Tools Journeyman Skill Journeyman Attribute Master Ability Prerequisites
    Artist CHA History Artist Tools Religion DEX Expertise: Artist Tools
    Barber CHA Medicine Insight WIS Dagger
    Blacksmith STR History Smith tools 1 other tool CON Any 1 weapon
    Brewer/Vintner INT Arcana Brewer’s Tools Herbalism Kit WIS Cook or Herbalist
    Butcher STR Animal Handling INT Any 1 slashing weapon
    Carpenter STR History Carpenter’s Tools CON Expertise: Carpenter’s Tools
    Clerk INT History Calligrapher’s Supplies Religion WIS 3 Languages

    A GM could throw together a list of professions or slap them together as needed. They should be skeletons of a class, not an actual class. They shouldn’t even match a background in potency, until their fourth tier as a Commoner when they possibly become heroes, or they are just extraordinary artisans, craftspeople, etc.

    Here are those tiers of play. The first three can be played by PCs if a player wants to have that feeling as the farmboy that becomes something (or the glassblower).

    At 1st level (Apprentice)
    Plus 1 to Apprentice attribute or Journeyman attribute
    Proficiency in Apprentice skill and tool (if only one can take any single skill, language, tool)
    If in Kin gain Bonded Companion
    If in Kin gain single Cantrip

    At 1.1 (Journeyman) – 50 xp
    Proficiency in Journeyman skill. If none listed or already known can take any single skill, language, or tool
    Plus 1 to Apprentice attribute or Journeyman attribute

    At 1.2 (Master) – 100 xp to advance
    Proficiency bonus grows to +2
    Plus 1 to Apprentice attribute

    At 2.1 level (Expert) – 300 xp
    Gain expert ability
    Plus 1 to Journeyman attribute
    Gain HD

    At 2.2 (Adept) – 600 xp
    Learns 1 new skill/tool/kit of choice
    Can take 1 Feat
    Gains +1 to any two attributes related to profession(s)
    Learns proficiency in shield or leather armor and 1 additional simple weapon

    MULTI PROFESSION RULES
    At 3rd level rather than Master can become Journeyman in either profession. Gain those abilities at new 1st level
    At 4th level can advance a tier in either profession gaining those benefits
    At 5th level must advance highest tier one more tier. They would not get a feat, nor the martial profs if multi-professions.

    BECOMING A HERO
    At 300 or 900 xp a Commoner can become a hero and multiclass
    Pick a background and gain all skills, features yet unlearned

    This makes a Commoner, a bit less common. It’s a waste of time for an NPC that won’t regularly interact with characters and is most useful if that NPC is going to partake in some kind of action or encounter with the PCs. For a PC the slow start is difficult. But advancement should be rapid. During a session zero a one-on-one session could take that PC through a couple minor encounters. This type of PC doesn’t need a backstory because they play that backstory.

    Don’t let your regular Commoners remain common.

    We’ll dive back into Estrella’s heroic rise from glassworker to frustrated peace as she meets Teegan and Rohan in their Summer of Service.