Sovereign Scholar

The Three Sovereign Academies have stood for millennia as the foremost institutes of collected knowledge, both magical and mundane. You were raised within one of the three Sovereign Academies. You learned history, arcana, and beautiful calligraphy. Like the other children raised in the care of the Academies you were orphaned at a young age. As a young adult you spent your days helping travelers from near and far in their studies at your academy. You may or may not be magically inclined, but many of those who seek your assistance in searching the vast libraries are.

Skill Proficiencies: History and Arcana. In addition, you receive one of the following based on your chosen academy.

• Fu Xi Academy — Nature
• Nuwa Academy — Athletics
• Shennong Academy — Insight

Tool Proficiencies: Calligrapher’s tools.

Equipment: Calligrapher’s tools, a seal of recognition from your chosen academy, a set of fine clothes, and a bag containing 10 gold coins.

Feature: Sovereign’s Welcome

While civil war pits countryman against countryman and kingdoms eye one another with heavy paranoia, there remain a select few organizations that may travel in relative safety. Such is the honor of the Sovereign Academies’ officials that you are welcome in all of The Five Kingdoms. Nobility and wealthy merchants will be willing to offer you modest to comfortable lodging and food in exchange for your scholarly advice or the tutelage of their children. In addition, guards are more likely to let you talk your way out of minor infractions within the Five Kingdoms.

Suggested Characteristics

Sovereign Scholars are often known for their calm demeanor and slowness to anger. This makes them well-suited to diplomacy and mediation. Though hardly uniformly, the majority of Sovereign Scholars tend toward Lawful Neutral alignment.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I know that I studied at the world’s greatest academies and think little of those who learned elsewhere.
2	I am eager to spread my knowledge and will happily share with those who wish to learn.
3	I rarely travel beyond the walls of my academy and am quite nervous when doing so.
4	I never truly took to life in the academy and wish I were doing something else.
5	I am quite stingy with my knowledge and share it only with those I deem worthy.
6	I prefer the company of books to my fellow scholars.
7	I often share even when my opinion is not welcome.
8	I take poorly to criticism of my calligraphy.

d6	Ideal
1	Power: Some say knowledge is power; I saw knowledge lets me know that power is power. I seek to concentrate as much in my hands as I can.
2	Freedom: For too long the small people of the world have been trampled by those above. I seek to free those who toil below.
3	Unity: Only together can we stand, both as individuals and nations.
4	Sacrifice: Some causes are worth dying for. I would give my life for what I believe.
5	Peace: Conflict only brings ruin with it. Peace is the path to stability.
6	War: History is quite clear, the only way to reunite the Empire is through the blood and sweat of conflict.

d6	Bond
1	My calligraphy set; I never feel complete if I cannot write at the end of a long day.
2	The Academy; it’s home and where I feel I belong.
3	Knowledge is the only company I need.
4	I feel a strong sympathy for urchins and street children, realizing how close I came to being one.
5	There’s a special someone back at the Academy that I can’t wait to see again.
6	I feel a great disconnect from those around me. I do not know what I seek.

d6	Flaw
1	While I was trained in it, I have never been much good at calligraphy, my writing is nearly illegible.
2	I hate reading, yet there always seems to be another scroll that needs copying!
3	I am a coward; I prefer to remain safely in the libraries where I belong.
4	I am quite greedy and have been known to take from the donation crates before they are counted.
5	I will seek knowledge even at great expense to my health and pocketbook.
6	I grow resentful of those who seem to know more than me.