Jernwerks

                Vanaheim is full of opportunity for those who look for it and Baghatur can come from all walks of life. A hunting party might include a corporate public relations professional, an anarchist hacker, and a traditional monster slayer; all working together to seek fame and glory among the frozen wastes. While these origins are strictly based on lore and have no mechanical effect on the gameplay, they can provide a base for players to build their unique personas on. These charts are optional and are only suggestions for players seeking help with immersing themselves in the game world. The included charts provide an Origin for both the player’s Jern and their Baghatur, a Motivation for their Baghatur, and a RIG for their Baghatur. All of these charts may also be rolled against with a single D6. This can add a fun sense of randomness to character creation if desired. As with all things, the first thing to consider is the Origin.

                A Baghatur may come from any walk of life. Whether they are born into privilege or operate in the cracks of society the desire to be a hero of legend is a powerful one. To become a Baghatur offers a way out for some and a method of advancement for others but the one thing all have in common is that when they enter a Jern they stand apart. As such even wildly different characters might find themselves working together in a single party. Below is a chart of Origins.

1. Chaff. “He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork.” With the rise of Theo Corporations and the mingling of religion and business, poverty itself became a moral failing in the eyes of the elite. In the labyrinth of Asgard the poor and the downtrodden are considered beneath notice, souls lost to the darkness of back alleys and crowded bars. With few economic opportunities and derision from the more socially mobile the so-called Chaff have developed their own society in the underground. They tend to operate in gray or black markets due to the ostracization from the TC operators but provide much of the skilled labor in the city. A strong sense of community and helping the less fortunate permeates the general population, only matched by the resentment of those who look down on them. Becoming a Baghatur offers a way out of the lower levels of Asgard and many dream of proving the TCs wrong, though a fraction of a percent ever fulfill this aspiration. The Chaff are resilient but under constant assault for what they do not have.
2. TC. “Cattle die, Kinsmen die, all men are mortal; but words of praise will never perish, nor a noble name.” A Theo Corporation is equal parts interstellar business venture and religious organization, a fact its constituents will not let you forget. The corporate elite, even the lowest earner of a TC makes more in a quarter than any other worker on Vanaheim makes in a year , save a Baghatur. Coming from elite families and rich schools, a TC is generally very well educated. They flaunt their wealth and privilege, ensuring their names are entered in the annals of history through whatever means necessary. They tend to be arrogant, looking down on the lower classes while focusing on their own need for immortality, whether through faith or fame. The only thing that matters to a TC clan is the name they inherit and the profits they provide. Like the nobles of ancient history however, it is difficult for a fifth child to achieve anything within a TC family. Therefore, it is not uncommon for those with a particularly adventurous or mean streak to seek out a Jern of their own. Ostentatious and detached from reality, many of these thrill seekers do not live to see a second hunt, but those who do are some of the most educated and well-funded of their kind.
3. Townie. “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor.” Growing up in a smaller town on the Wastes, very few have ever seen the world beyond their walls. Most Townies work as contractors for the TCs, making product or refining raw materials for export off world. The only time they are likely to have traveled is if the Ancient below their feet awoke and force a migration. Hardy and knowledgeable about the harsh environments they live in, very few have access to education beyond the most basic level. They do, however, have access to the Yggdrasil network and are able to live a comfortable if dull life for the most part. A Townie will be far more familiar with Jotnar than anyone from Asgard and understand the dangers that come with them. While most would go their whole lives without being subject to a Jotnar attack, the facts of town life mean they would engage with them regularly. Every Townie remembers seeing their local Domovoy during a field trip. Some may wish to become Baghatur to protect their homes, others might see it as a way to escape the doldrums of their limited experience.
4. Traveler. “A man without a home can’t be lost.” Traveling merchants, troupes of entertainers, and refugees from failed migrations all end up with the same problem. With no place to tie them down Travelers are forced to move from town to town, plying their wares or skills for a night’s rest. The number of Travelers wandering Vanaheim is functionally unknown as many of them are unregistered with the Board’s census. This means they are both much more free to find their own fates, and much less likely to gain any help from those they engage with. Many are seen as at best odd and at worst as untrustworthy due to not being registered as citizens with Asgard. A Traveler will however have some of the most useful knowledge of anyone on the planet. They keep an ear to the ground anywhere they travel and are likely to be skilled in engineering and survival. As they travel the most of anyone except TCs and do not use the relatively safe airways Travelers also have vast stores of knowledge in regards to the dangers of the wastes. They may choose to become a Baghatur as a natural evolution of their life on the move dealing with Jotnar, or as a way to gain citizenship of a major city. A Traveler grows up with danger but also with a group teaching them how to survive, a useful combination for any job.
5. Legacy. “Lo, they do call to me. And bid me take my place among them.” Many Baghatur inherited their skills and their Jern from their parents. A Baghatur raised this way generally has no patience for any of those outside the profession. Raised either by their parents or by the grand hunting guilds they are always kept separate from others of their age. They are trained from young ages to be pilots, learning the art of the hunt even as they first learn to read. Powerful and incredibly well trained they likely grew up with a degree of privilege. Baghatur can be socially awkward as blunt communication takes precedence in their dangerous lives. They do not care for the frivolities of high society but are used to the rewards provided by their exceptional occupation. They are artists when fighting Jotnar. They have legacies of their own to uphold, legendary parents and guilds to live up to. This gives each Legacy Baghatur a chip on their shoulder as heavy as Mjolnir. Generally well-traveled, they have expensive tastes but can also work within any conditions they find themselves. They may be gruff but are welcome in all levels of society, a breed apart but welcome at every table.
6. Stick. “Bury me standing, for I have lived my life on my knees.” Where there is pain there is also the possibility of profit. The remains of great battles or industrial disasters gather a unique kind of explorer. Unable to support themselves any other way the extremely poor search the most dangerous environments looking for whatever they can salvage or sell. Their gear is almost always a hodgepodge of obsolete equipment held together with ingenuity and prayers. They explore the most dangerous locations on the planet with nothing but their wits and whatever they can smack into functioning. Exposed to intense radiation, poor nutrition, and all manner of hazard these individuals acquire an instantly recognizable appearance. They are known as Sticks, after both the location and their thin forms. A Stick may be poor and live a difficult life but they also sometimes discover incredibly powerful or lost technology. Salvaging broken technology or items of interest provides enough for them to live on. The extremely lucky or perhaps those who Fate smiles on, however, will sometimes find an intact Jern, allowing them to become Baghatur in their own right. Becoming a Baghatur opens a whole new life to them. They take their extensive knowledge of the dangers that haunt the wastes and their knack for maintenance and salvage with them into their new jobs. This means while their Jern may be ancient and possibly obsolete, a Stick will be able to keep it running forever, in any environment.