"No, I never had parents myself. I was raised in Groebel's Orphanage on West Street. Old Groebel had a heavy hand, and liked to drink - a bad combination. Eventually, the woods and weirds of the land became my true family."

-The Witch, Lydia of the Wollenwood

Orphaned Upbringing

Orphanages in Adra are a necessary way to deal with the large numbers of abandoned children to be found in a medieval world. War, famine, poverty, disease, and bad luck can constantly lead children without parents or homes. Such children, particularly when they live in large cities, often have only orphanages to turn to, when they have no extended family members willing to take them in. Orphanages vary widely in quality and treatment, from monasterial orphanages run by religious organizations, to secular orphanages run in large cities, to the workhouses where orphans are forced to put in hard labor for their daily bread. Sometimes, orphaned children can't even turn to an orphanage, and have to live on the streets or in the wilds.

          Children raised in orphanages are divorced from the kind of stability, security, and familial love to be found in traditional homes. They instead have to look towards official caretakers, and hope that they were lucky enough to get one that actually cares about them. It is also common for orphaned children to look to their peers for support - often extended families of adopted brothers and sisters will bind together to take care of each other, and older children can become like parents to younger ones. Orphaned children often keep ties to these folk later in life, but can also harbor deep resentments of the orphanage and broader system that left them with the childhood they had. Those who didn't even have an orphanage to turn to often become incredibly tough, if not mistrusting, adults.

          Characters from an Orphaned Upbringing have a strange token from their childhood: a Returning Silver Piece. This magical item (requires attunment) was either given out of pity or stolen out of desperation at some point in the character's childhood. The piece in every way resembles a silver piece, since it is in fact a silver piece. However, upon leaving the possession of the owner, it will return to them magically within 1 hour. If any magical measures are taken to prevent its return after an hour, then the coin will cease to be 'owned' by the character. Using the piece to pay for items is usually easy enough, but some very perceptive merchants may roll against your deception. Furthermore, the consequences for being discovered as using such a fraud after the fact can vary in severity.

If you choose the Orphaned Upbringing, you gain the following:

~A +1 to your Dexterity score~

~Either a -1 to your Constitution score or a -1 to your Intelligence score~

~A language of your choice, one taught to you by a parent, guardian, or mentor from your upbringing~

~A Sub-Discipline in every social skill on checks dealing with other members of Orphaned Upbringing~

~A Returning Silver Piece from more desperate times~

Back to Upbringing

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