This is one of the eight Character Backgrounds in The Age of Decadence.
Lore
Preserving and understanding pre-war knowledge and technology is a lucrative business. An increasing number of people see their salvation in the ashes of the past and thus the market is becoming saturated with icons and objects from the old empire, most without any real value. Always on the lookout for something of real worth, cataloging and appraising items, loremasters remain at the front line of this trade.
Character Creation
Loremasters may seek employment with (and protection under) powerful patrons, or be itinerant investigators of whatever ruins or artifacts cross their path, or practically withdraw from society to experiment and study. As Act I begins, you are informally apprenticed to Feng, a relatively independent scholar who settled in Teron some years back.
Default Stats
Strength 5 Dexterity 5 Constitution 7 Perception 8 Intelligence 9 Charisma 6
Preferred Skills
Lore is, of course, the obvious front-runner for the authentic professional, while Streetwise is both an alternative for the crafty charlatan (or lazy researcher) and a supplement for the serious scholar (who has learned not to trust just anyone with the ancient mysteries). Crafting and Alchemy also a favorites for those who embrace function and practical application (over or alongside the theory and "book-smarts" of Lore); somewhat related are Lockpick and Traps, especially for those who chance upon protected artifacts and ruins long undisturbed. Peripherally but crucially, Throwing is handy for those emergency practical applications of those Crafting and Alchemy products. And Persuasion is especially helpful in cases where one needs permission (legitimate or otherwise) to access restricted areas, or seeks an investor for a resource-intensive project.
Initial Faction Rep
| Charisma --> | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| House Aurelian | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| House Crassus | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| House Daratan | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Boatmen of Styx | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Commercium | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Imperial Guards | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Forty Thieves | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Starting Equipment
- 96g
- Bronze Sefet
- Bronze Hasta
- Iron Khanjar
- 2 lbs Bronze
- 1 lb Iron
- Buckler (unless Dodge Skill is higher than Block Skill)
- 1 portion Cassava Root
- 1 portion Sulfur
- Loremaster's Garments
Starting Location
The back room of Feng's House
Loremaster Quests
Teron
- Guildless
- Vignette (Loremaster)
- Prospector Amulet (if you had talked to the prospector after visiting Gracius
- The Map
- Loremasters' Rivalry