The Swordsmen are a notorious seafaring people whose name strikes fear into merchant vessels across the known seas. They are bronze-skinned human seafarers, an ethnic people of humankind, not a separate lineage. Their bronze skin bears faint scale patterns, but it's their eyes that truly unnerve—beady and dark like a shark's, constantly calculating weakness and opportunity. These eyes can shift from appearing almost human to utterly predatory in an instant, betraying the cold ruthlessness that lurks beneath even the friendliest smile.
Born to the blade and raised on the deck, Swordsmen possess an almost supernatural ability to fight in the chaotic environment of ship-to-ship combat. They treat sword fighting not as an art but as a brutal necessity, incorporating dirty tricks and psychological warfare that would make honorable duelists blanch. Their techniques involve using the ship itself as a weapon—rigging, railings, and rolling decks all become extensions of their blade work.
The Drifting Isles that spawned them are a lawless collection of hidden ports and treacherous passages where might makes right and cunning makes rich. Young Swordsmen learn to scheme before they can properly walk, playing elaborate games of betrayal and alliance that prepare them for the cutthroat world of piracy. Even those who leave the criminal life behind carry these instincts, seeing every interaction as a negotiation and every friendship as a potential betrayal.
Aspects
- Born to the blade and the betrayal
- Dead eyes hide living schemes
Vitals
- Size: Medium
- Height: 5.5-6.5 feet
- Weight: 140-200 pounds
- Age: 50-70 years
Game mechanics
Cutthroat's Edge
Minor ability.
Your blade work targets the gaps and weaknesses that armor cannot protect. When you make an attack with a sword, you may activate this ability to completely ignore the target's defense bonus from armor and shields. Your blade finds the joints, straps, and vital points with murderous precision.
Scheming Eyes
Major ability.
You have an uncanny ability to spot opportunity and weakness. Once per day, after observing someone for at least one minute, you can ask the GM one of the following questions about them, which must be answered truthfully:
- What is this person's greatest fear?
- What would this person kill for?
- What is this person trying to hide?
- Who does this person answer to?