Reborn are among the rarest and most unsettling of the cursed peoples. Unlike the god-touched peoples, no one is born a Reborn. A Reborn is created only through death and an impossible return from it.
Whatever a Reborn once was no longer matters in a biological sense. A Human, dwarf, elf, or orc may become a Reborn, but after their transformation they are simply a Reborn. The condition is permanent and, according to all known scholarship, cannot be reversed by any means short of direct divine intervention.
The circumstances of a Reborn's return vary enormously. Some were resurrected by magic that went terribly wrong. Others awoke in graves, laboratories, or forgotten tombs with little memory of who they once were. A few bear obvious signs of death, while others can pass for ordinary folk with little effort.
Yet all Reborn share one undeniable truth:
They have died.
Most Reborn no longer require food, drink, or sleep, and many possess fragmentary memories that seem to belong to another life—or, in some cases, to several lives at once. Some remember their deaths with perfect clarity. Others cannot remember their former lives at all.
No scholar has satisfactorily explained why certain individuals return while so many others remain dead.
Because of this mystery, Reborn are often regarded with a mixture of fascination and unease. Their very existence challenges accepted beliefs about life, death, and the soul itself.
Unlike the Dhampir and Hexblood, however, Reborn are generally afforded a greater measure of trust and sympathy by ordinary folk.
Perhaps it is because they possess no unnatural hunger and no reputation for curses or dark bargains. Perhaps it is because most people look upon a Reborn and see not a monster, but someone who has endured a terrible tragedy.
Even so, few are entirely comfortable around those who have crossed the threshold of death and returned.
Many people find themselves asking questions they would never dare speak aloud.
Did the gods send them back?
Are they truly the same person who died?
Should they still be here?
History records heroes and villains among the Reborn in equal measure. Their condition does not determine their character.
It merely ensures that every Reborn lives with a question that no living person can fully answer:
"Why was I allowed to return?"
Sub-Cultures¶
Reborn possess no nations, settlements, or true sub-cultures of their own.
Most retain the customs and traditions of the people they once belonged to, though death and rebirth often leave them feeling separated from the communities they once called home.
Some awaken to find decades have passed and everyone they knew is gone. Others discover that their families have already mourned them, buried them, and learned to continue without them. Still others cannot remember enough of their former lives to know where they truly belong.
As a result, many Reborn develop a strong sense of detachment from ordinary concerns. Having already experienced death, they often possess unusual perspectives on time, ambition, and the importance of worldly troubles.
When two Reborn meet, they frequently discover an immediate sense of understanding. Few others can comprehend what it means to awaken after death and continue living in a world that has already said farewell to you.
Nevertheless, Reborn rarely form lasting communities. Their numbers are simply too small, and the circumstances of their returns are often so different that no shared culture has ever emerged.
Among the Reborn, there is an old saying:
"The dead understand patience."
Another, less comforting proverb is also common:
"Everyone asks how you came back. Very few ask what it was like to die."
Optional Player Origins (Out of World)¶
A character might have become Reborn in any number of ways, including:
- You were magically resurrected, but something went wrong.
- Stitches bind your body's mismatched pieces, and your memories come from multiple different lives.
- After clawing free from your grave, you realized you have no memories except for a single name.
- You were a necromancer's undead servant for years. One day, your consciousness returned.
- You awoke in an abandoned laboratory alongside complex designs for clockwork organs.
- You were released after being petrified for generations. Your memories have faded, though, and your body isn't what it once was.
- Your body hosts a possessing spirit that shares its memories and replaces your missing appendages with phantasmal limbs.
- In public, you pass as an unremarkable individual, but you can feel the itchy straw stuffing inside you.
Naming Traditions¶
Reborn possess no naming traditions of their own.
Most retain the names they bore before their deaths and continue to use the naming customs of the people they once belonged to.
For some Reborn, however, death has stolen more than life.
Many awaken with fragmented memories or no memory of their former identities at all. Such individuals often adopt new names for themselves, choosing names that fit the culture in which they find themselves or names that simply feel right, even if they cannot explain why.
Some select names inspired by the circumstances of their return, while others take names given to them by the people who discovered them.
A few spend their entire existence searching for the names they once carried.
Among the Reborn, there is an old saying:
"A borrowed life deserves a chosen name."
Beauty Ideals¶
Reborn generally retain the standards of beauty held by the cultures from which they came.
Unfortunately, the opinions of others are often more complicated.
Even those Reborn who appear entirely ordinary possess a certain quality that many people find unsettling. They may move too quietly, blink too infrequently, possess an unusual stillness, or simply carry the knowledge that they have already died.
Others bear obvious signs of their condition: pale skin, visible scars, mismatched features, lifeless eyes, or bodies that never seem entirely alive.
As a result, Reborn are seldom described as beautiful in a conventional sense. More often, they are considered striking, solemn, or haunting.
Yet because they are generally regarded with greater sympathy than the other cursed peoples, ordinary folk are often willing to look beyond their unsettling qualities once trust has been established.
Among the Reborn themselves, beauty is frequently associated with vitality. A warm smile, genuine laughter, a good meal shared with friends, or the simple joy of a sunrise may be treasured in ways that many living people never consider.
Those who have lost life often learn to appreciate it most deeply.
Gender Ideals¶
Reborn possess no common views regarding gender roles or expectations. They generally retain the beliefs and customs of the societies from which they came.
Death, however, has a tendency to alter one's perspective.
Many Reborn become less concerned with social expectations and more interested in questions of purpose, identity, and the meaning of their second existence.
Those who awaken with fractured memories occasionally find that even their understanding of themselves has changed. Some remember only pieces of their former lives, while others feel strangely disconnected from the person they once were.
As a result, many Reborn place greater importance on who they choose to be now than on who they were before their deaths.
Among the Reborn, there is an old saying:
"The grave keeps many secrets, including some about ourselves."
Relationships and Courtship¶
For many Reborn, matters of love and companionship are complicated by the nature of their existence.
Though they are not undead, neither are they entirely alive in the way they once were. Most Reborn do not age normally, have little need for the comforts of mortal life, and are incapable of producing children.
As a result, many view romance and marriage differently than they did before their deaths.
Some fear becoming attached to others, uncertain whether they themselves have truly changed or worried that they will once again outlive the people they love. Others simply struggle to imagine a future that includes family and children when such things are no longer possible for them.
Consequently, Reborn rarely marry and seldom seek to begin romantic relationships.
This does not mean that they are incapable of love.
Many form deep and enduring friendships, and some find companionship of remarkable tenderness and devotion. Such relationships are simply less common than among other peoples and are often built upon emotional connection and shared experience rather than expectations of family or legacy.
Relationships between two Reborn are exceedingly rare, owing simply to the scarcity of their kind. Nevertheless, when such bonds do occur, they are often marked by a profound understanding that few others can provide.
Among the Reborn, there is an old saying:
"The dead plant no family trees."
Another, gentler proverb is also common:
"A second life is too precious to spend entirely alone."
As a result, many Reborn eventually learn to treasure companionship for its own sake. Having already lost one life, they often become keenly aware that love need not lead to marriage or children to possess meaning.
To many Reborn, the simple act of sharing one's second chance with another person is miracle enough.
Common Etiquette¶
Reborn generally retain the etiquette and social customs of the peoples they once belonged to. In practice, however, their unusual condition often shapes the way they interact with others.
Many Reborn possess a quiet, deliberate manner and are often regarded as patient listeners. Having already experienced death, many find little value in needless arguments, hurried decisions, or petty grievances.
At the same time, ordinary people frequently find themselves asking deeply personal questions of the Reborn.
What was it like to die?
Did you see the afterlife?
Why did you come back?
Though such questions are usually born from curiosity rather than malice, many Reborn find them tiresome or painful.
As a result, it is generally considered impolite to inquire about the circumstances of a Reborn's death unless they volunteer the information themselves.
Likewise, many people become uncomfortable when a Reborn speaks too casually about death or burial customs, forgetting that such matters are often personal memories rather than abstract ideas.
Common Dress¶
Reborn generally dress according to the customs of the cultures from which they came.
Those who bear obvious signs of their deaths often favor clothing that conceals scars, damaged flesh, or other unsettling features. High collars, gloves, long sleeves, and hooded cloaks are particularly common.
Others make little effort to hide their condition, believing that their second life is nothing to be ashamed of.
Because many Reborn no longer require warmth, food, or sleep in the same way as ordinary folk, their clothing choices are often guided more by comfort, practicality, or sentiment than necessity.
Some continue to wear garments from their former lives long after such fashions have passed from memory, giving them an oddly timeless appearance.
Among tailors, it is sometimes said:
"A Reborn is always dressed for yesterday."
Customs and Traditions¶
Reborn possess no true shared culture, but certain habits and traditions appear repeatedly among them.
Many keep journals, not because they fear forgetting the present, but because so many have already lost portions of their past.
Likewise, many preserve personal possessions of great sentimental value. A ring, a letter, a worn pair of boots, or a faded portrait may become treasured reminders that their first life truly happened.
Birthdays are often of little importance to the Reborn. Instead, many quietly observe the anniversary of their return, though opinions differ on whether this date should be celebrated, mourned, or simply acknowledged.
Some call this day their Second Birthday, while others refer to it as their Returning.
Many Reborn also possess an unusual appreciation for simple experiences. The warmth of a fire, the taste of tea, the sound of rain, or the laughter of friends are often cherished with an intensity that others find difficult to understand.
Those who have lost life frequently learn to value it most.
Common Taboos¶
Among the Reborn, one of the greatest discourtesies is to suggest that they are merely undead or that they should have remained dead.
Most Reborn are painfully aware that their existence is unusual and often wrestle with such questions themselves.
Likewise, many dislike being treated as curiosities, prophets, or authorities on death and the afterlife. Having died does not necessarily grant wisdom regarding what lies beyond.
Another common taboo is disturbing graves or treating the dead without respect. While opinions vary, many Reborn possess a profound appreciation for the sanctity of burial and remembrance.
Finally, many Reborn consider it improper to squander a second life through cruelty, selfishness, or purposelessness.
Among the Reborn, there is an old saying:
"The first life is given. The second is borrowed."
Another is spoken more quietly:
"If death released you and asked nothing in return, the least you can do is live well."
Historical Figures¶
Stats¶
Scientific Name
Homo renatus immortalis
Lifespan
Unknown
Average Height
Same as original race.
Average Weight
Same as original race.
Average Physique
Same as original race.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Varies depending on the origin of the Reborn