Caliban (HB)

Zamanori find comfort in separating the Real from the Hidden, giving names to spirits, painting its laws in cautionary tales shared around the hearthfire, and generally setting boundaries in the belief that distance means safety. But the reality could not be further from the truth. These two worlds overlap and mingle in quiet, unseen ways. Spirits visit the world of mortals in mortal guises as spooks, others develop kinship with fascinating individuals, and some even opt to live amongst them. At the same time, those who often peer behind the Veil and interact with its denizens are forever scarred by that contact (see Chapter II: Veilmark). The result of the Hidden's touch finding its way into lineage takes the form of a Caliban, a child who belongs to both worlds and to neither.

Many tales that surround the Caliban tell of babes stolen in the night and replaced with "witch-children" or infants found in the woods, left behind by spiteful spirits. The truth is rarely so fantastical. Most Caliban are the offspring of people scarred by Veilmark, often Wise Ones, spellcasters, witches, or seekers who peer too far into forbidden truths. Others are born from unions of spirit and mortal, inheriting some of their characteristics, telltale behaviors, and other traits both wondrous and unsettling. At first, Caliban appear as any other child, until a sharp-eyed neighbor or weary parent notices that something feels off. A shadow that moves half a beat too late, a reflection which blinks when they do not; these small echoes of a Veilmark grow more apparent with age, until the truth is undeniable. The Zamanori often treat such children with caution, for to live beside the Hidden is to invite calamity. Some communities shun them outright, while others might revere them as blessings from the spirits or even holy emissaries of the unseen.

Caliban spend their early years in the form inherited from their parents, growing up much like any other child. For a time, they may believe themselves ordinary, until the day they learn the truth. Their soul is not attached to one specific shape; instead it is malleable and can flow into new forms according to their wishes. As terrifying as it is liberating, the discovery of their shapeshifting abilities marks a turning point in every Caliban's life. With it comes freedom and the burden of choice. They usually embark on long journeys, slipping unnoticed through unfamiliar towns, evading the suspicious and trying on countless lives in search of one that fits. Eventually, most Caliban choose a specific "normal" form and stick with it, once they feel the need for permanency in their lives. For some, this is the form they came into the world in, before they discovered their innate talents, if they still remember it by the time they finish their journey. Others choose one that better reflects who they have become at the end of their journey.

Because of their affinity to it, the Hidden whispers to Caliban in ways mortals cannot perceive. They feel the weight of cursed ground beneath their feet, hear voices carried on winds that should be silent, and sense the pressure of an unseen presence. To spirits, they carry the scent of one of their own, though not fully. Half kin, half stranger, they are at once intriguing and unsettling. While some spirits might find this fractured essence wrong, others are drawn closer, curious to see what they are or even eager to interact with a mortal who shares kinship with them. This liminal nature makes Caliban natural mediators between the mortals and spirits, able to parley, placate, or even hunt what others cannot. Yet this gift can also be a burden, for they belong wholly to neither side. Never left unbothered for long by either party, many Caliban adopt the life of the wayfarer. They wander, seeking places where they may belong, always torn between the safety of settling and the fear of being discovered.

Humanoid (Spirit)

Medium (4-7 feet tall) or Small (2-4 feet tall)

As a Magic Action, you shapeshift, altering your appearance. You decide what you look like, including your height, weight, facial features, sound of your voice, hair length, coloration, and other distinguishing characteristics. You can make yourself appear as a member of another species, though none of your statistics change. You can't appear as a creature of a different size, and your basic shape stays the same; if you're bipedal, you can't use this trait to become quadrupedal, for instance. Your clothing and equipment aren't changed by this transformation. You stay in the new form until you use a Magic Action to revert to another form or until you die. No matter the form you take, your innate Veilmark echo afflicts it as well. A shadow that is larger than your frame, eyes that glimmer in the candlelight, and similar details grant Advantage to Study Actions made to discern your identity or see through your deception.

Throughout your journeys, you've spent significant amounts of time in multiple roles and guises, granting you glimpses of countless skills. When you make a D20 Test using a skill you are not proficient in, you can add your Proficiency Bonus to the roll. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Otherworldly. You have Advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the Charmed and Frightened conditions, when imposed by a creature of the Spirit subtype.

Due to your attunement with the spirit world, you start with a Veilmark Score of 25 (if you are using the Veilmark optional ruleset). If not using the Veilmark ruleset, you instead gain access to the Detect Spirit and Incorporeal Reach abilities, each usable once, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Detect Spirit. You cast the spell Spirit Sense, without expending a spell slot.

Incorporeal Reach. As a Bonus Action, your attacks harm the very essence of spirits for the next minute. For the duration, once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 Force damage to a target you hit with an attack or spell.