HEROES   ⟩   ORIGINS

The Zordin, Out of Chaos

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The Zordin are a mysterious people who hail from beyond the borders of Tel-Kanan, where Lord Adod’s cyclone devolves into the formless Chaos. Zordin who find their way to Tel-Kanan may be infiltrators, exiles, or castaways from this deadly and unfathomable realm of monsters. 

Few Kananites have encountered the Zordin before. Fewer still know that Zordin raiders somehow succeeded in destroying the Mazrian empire. Mazrians, however, are now aware of this fact. Consequently, most Mazrians will try to capture or kill any Zordin they encounter. 

Ask the Guide:

Playing a Zordin

You are dreamtouched by the Chaos: you have vividly unusual physical features, such as color-shifting skin, eyes with W-shaped pupils, green blood, a distinct smell, or others. (See the table in the next section for a full list). Most of these features are cosmetic, but some offer special advantages. 

Some Zordin look monstrous and alien, at least to Kananite and Mazrian observers. Others have an otherworldly beauty and elegance, like fae beings from ancient legends.

Choose two of the following four abilities: ✪ Camouflage, ✪ Gills, ✪ Sideways Sight, or ✪ Suction Skin. Each ability reflects your mastery over one of your physical traits.

✪ Camouflage  

Your skin shifts colors and textures. When you Hide, roll with a d6 advantage die. You can only use this ability if the following conditions are met:
  • You aren’t wearing heavy armor or a helmet.
  • You aren’t holding or carrying a large weapon or shield (that is, any item that must be stowed on your back). 

✪ Gills  

You can breathe underwater.

✪ Sideways Sight  

You’ve learned to sense the presence of light magic, which is detailed in the Sorcerer calling. You can see the Rephaim that mediate magical effects as a faint shimmering presence, subverting light magic illusions. 

✪ Suction Skin  

Parts of your skin are tessellated with small, shallow suction cups. When you Climb or Grapple a foe you’ve taken hold of, roll with a d6 advantage die. This ability doesn’t work if you wear gloves or use some other tool to take hold of a foe.

Zordin Names

Pick one: Alfonsu, Denya, Ekwesh, Furio, Lukka, Pelset, Teresh, Tjeker. 

Or invent your own. Many Zordin take the name of whispered words or phrases they hear from the Skysea’s turbulence, which can take the form of random dictionary words or encyclopedia article titles. 

Zordin Keepsakes

Through their nomadic peregrinations, the Zordin are the inheritors of much of the ancient Earth’s surviving material culture: mostly plastic objects and other weird knicknacks the Rephaim has inexplicably accreted upon and preserved. 

Choose or roll one or two times from the following table, or invent your own.

Dreamtouched Traits

The Chaos has physically changed the bodies of many Zordin. Choose one or two physical traits from the table, or invent your own. 

Zordin Abilities

You can learn this ability with XP. 

✪ Second Skin

You can shapeshift into a new humanoid form. Make a new character sheet for this second form. The new form must be Zordin and share your calling, ideals, equipment, and lore, as well as your Will and Intellect scores. It can have different Strength and Agility scores, however, with its defenses changed accordingly. The new form is still recognizable as Zordin, but can have a completely different appearance and voice. You can also choose different Zordin starting abilities for your Second Skin. As a rest activity, you can switch between your two forms. When you switch, your current Life and Defense values carry over to the other form (but can’t exceed the other form’s maximum values). When you spend XP on Strength- or Agility-based abilities, choose which form “knows” them. You can only increase one form’s Strength or Agility at a time. Any increases to Life, Will, Intellect, or abilities based on Will and Intellect carry over to your other form. 

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