Ridgeborne, Underborne, and Wildborne

Ridgeborne

The mountains and highlands of the Halcyon Domain have proven to be natural fortresses against The Umbra's corruption. Ridgeborne communities have established themselves on cliffsides, in mountain passes, and atop plateaus where the darkness struggles to reach and defensible positions abound.

These settlements often control vital trade routes between lowland communities, extracting tolls and tribute for safe passage. The ridgeborne are known for their endurance, their mastery of difficult terrain, and their ability to survive where others would perish from exposure alone.

• What natural feature protects your community, and what sacrifice must you make to maintain your position there?
• The journey to your home claims lives each season. Who did you lose on your first ascent, and how do you honor their memory?
• What resource does your community control that others desperately need, and how has this power shaped your people?

Underborne

When the gods rained destruction upon the land, many survivors fled underground—into caves, catacombs, and the ruins of subterranean structures from ages past. Underborne communities have made the depths their home, finding safety from The Umbra's corruption in the embrace of stone and earth.

Life underground is harsh but survivable. Underborne settlements cultivate fungal gardens, tap underground water sources, and mine the remnants of Old World structures for materials. They have developed their own traditions around darkness—for while they fear The Umbra, they have also learned that not all shadows are enemies.

• What drove your people underground, and what would it take for them to return to the surface?
• The depths hold secrets from before the Old World. What has your community discovered, and what do they fear to find?
• How does your community mark the passage of time without sun or stars?

Wildborne

Some survivors refused to cower behind walls. The wildborne are nomadic communities who have learned to move with the dangers of the Age of Umbra rather than hiding from them. They travel between Sacred Pyres, trading news and goods, always staying one step ahead of the monsters that stalk the darkness.

Wildborne communities are invaluable to the settled Enduring, serving as messengers, scouts, and early warning systems for approaching threats. They possess unparalleled knowledge of the land and its dangers, reading the signs of The Umbra's corruption like others read books.

• What route does your community travel, and what makes it worth the constant danger?
• What sign tells you that a place has been touched by The Umbra, and when did you learn to read it?
• The wildborne say that home is where your people are. Who did you lose that made you realize this truth?