Vashmi

(Image by Anastasia Ovchinnikova)

 

Vashmi have no true home, and no place where they are truly welcome. Rather, they are wandering folk who only stay in one place for a few days at a time, setting up a temporary encampment. They never truly fit in anywhere, and thus never outstay their welcome in any one place. However, any time they do visit somewhere, they are very welcoming to others throwing parties, hosting performances, and other joyful activities. They are usually very high of spirit.

The Vashmi, being a wandering people, also have a reputation for petty thievery and worse. Many people keep a hand on their coin purses when Vashmi arrive, and store their most valuable items in strongboxes until they leave. While not all Vashmi are criminals, enough of them are that even they understand the reason for the prejudice. A Vashmi’s tricks might range from pick pocketing to conning to kidnapping, sometimes, when a group of Vashmi leave, a missing child goes with them, to be raised as one of their own.

Thus, Vashmi face a healthy dose of rudeness and prejudice, if something is stolen, people are quick to blame a Vashmi. If a child is rowdy, a spouse drunken or slothful, or a cow dry, it is usually blamed on the Vashmi if they are around.

The Vashmi also weave curses, ranging from mild annoyances to debilitating hexes rivaling a hag’s might. Many fear a group of Vashmi, and thus will only allow a Vashmi encampment to stay near their village for a short while. It also makes those same people afraid to press an accusation of thievery against a Vashmi, no matter how strongly they feel that the Vashmi were at fault. However, a lone Vashmi, cut off from the encampment, could easily be accused and imprisoned, with the commoners confident in their numbers.

The oldest and wisest Vashmi similarly have premonitory magic that allows them to briefly glimpse into the future. This can be done by reading bones, entrails, or using tarot cards.

 

Vashmi Traits

Vashmi generally have slightly darker olive skin, along dark hair and eyes. They also share these following characteristics:

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and another ability score of your choice increases by 1.

Age. Vashmi reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.

Alignment. Given their free roaming and penchant for thievery, Vashmi tend towards chaos and either neutrality or evil.

Size. Vashmi vary as widely in height and width as other humans, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Vashmi Curses. You know the Thaumaturgy cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Hex spell once per day. When you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Bestow Curse spell once per day. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Family Knowledge. Based on your heritage you gain traits associated with your families tradition.

 

d8          Tribe               Cause of Beauty

1             Vatat               Arcana

2             Karvaska        Forgery kit and thieves’ tools

3             Castovauti      Animal Handling

4             Yarzena          Your choice of 2 artisan’s tools

5             Lovashi          Performance

6             Bericos           Medicine

7             Sorvago          Perception

8             Ashkani          History           

 

Life on the Road. You have proficiency in Survival, and gain advantage on all navigation (survival) checks (even to navigate magical terrain) and traveling is considered light activity for the purposes of a short rest. Leading or navigating a wagon for 8 hours counts as a long rest for you. You do not suffer the effects of exhaustion from prolonged travel.

Language. You can speak, read, and write Common, Vashmi, and two extra language of your choice. Vashmi typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on.

 

Vashmi Quirks

Living the life of an outcast traveler, you have gained some quirks in your behavior. A Vashmi player must roll or select twice from the chart below.

d12        Personality Trait

1             I look down on non-Vashmi, and take great pride in the Vashmi and my family. I can’t speak to a non-Vashmi without a condescending tone.                                                                     

2             The first time I enter a place I always note objects of value and inconspicuous entrances and exits.

3             I get restless when I stay in the same town for more than a few nights in a row. I am happiest on the open road.

4             I am highly superstitious and carry many charms to ward off bad luck, evil spirits, and nightmares.

5             I take promises seriously. I only offer a promise when I mean it and I expect the same of others.

6             I do not take slights against me well. At all. I never let a challenge go unanswered.

7             Tomorrow I may die so today I sate every hunger and slake every thirst. I never say no to something I want. When I am offered a chance to partake of a vice I can rarely say no.

8             I am fascinated by cursed items and haunted places.

9             I would rather tell a pretty lie than an ugly truth.

10          I will never bend a knee to a master or take orders from another.

11          I maintain a collection of personal trinkets from every residence I enter.

12           Roll again, twice.