dauntless/content/Backgrounds/Cult Escapee.md
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source: Labyrinth Worldbook
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You were once a member of a cult but have since escaped from its clutches and become free of its influence—at least for now. The cult could be one of the major villainous factions described in the Labyrinth Worldbook, a lesser void cult, or a sect dedicated to an arch-devil, demon lord, celestial, or other powerful entity. 
You may have joined the cult voluntarily without quite realising what you were getting yourself into, or you might have been indoctrinated by a charismatic cult leader. Perhaps your parents were fanatical cult members and brought you into the fold at an early age, or maybe you mistakenly believed the cults doctrine would help you make sense of the world.
Whatever your reason for joining the cult, after a time you realised that you needed to get out—either because its beliefs and rituals had become repellent or worthless to you, or because belonging to the cult was stopping you doing what you wanted with your life. The cults leaders and members didnt want you to leave, so escaping may have involved slipping away in the dead of night, or perhaps you needed to use force. You may still have friends or relatives in the cult who tried to persuade you to stay, or they may also have wanted to leave and remained trapped. Regardless, you are on the run from the cult. If they find out where you are, you will surely be punished for your betrayal. 
# Skill Proficiencies
Choose two from Arcana, Deception, History, or Religion.
# Additional Proficiencies
Learn an additional language of your choice and gain proficiency with a tool or a musical instrument.
# Equipment
Hooded robes, a curved knife, a block of incense, five candles, a cult tattoo hidden somewhere on your body, and a pouch containing 10 gp.
# Talent
Attending cult rituals has taught you several useful skills, including the importance of keeping a low profile and remaining calm in the face of strange creatures or happenings. Choose a talent from this list to represent your experience: Covert, Mental Fortitude, or Ritualist. 
# Cult
**GM Note**: This assumes youre from the Labyrinth, but you can make up any backstory cult you want. Lets collaborate!
Choose or roll on the Labyrinth Cult table to determine which cult you escaped from. Alternatively, roll on the Void Cult Name table in the Labyrinth Worldbook.
| LABYRINTH CULT | |
| -------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| d10 | Cult Name |
| 1 | Blessed Disciples of the Shining Host (archangels) |
| 2 | Children of the Golden Duke (Mammon) |
| 3 | Cult of the Black Goat |
| 4 | Followers of the Unsated God (Vardesain) |
| 5 | Great Chantry of the Voidmother |
| 6 | Harbingers of the Yawning Void |
| 7 | Last Cathedral |
| 8 | Learned Circle of Enlightenment (Parzelon) |
| 9 | Servants of Nidhogg |
| 10 | Wings of Alquam |
# Adventuring Motivation
Most cultists remain with their sect for life, either because they are fanatically devoted to its beliefs or because they are too scared to leave. Consider what made your character escape the cult and take up adventuring.
| ADVENTURING MOTIVATION | |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| d8 | Adventuring Motivation |
| 1 | I was forced to take part in a vile ritual and became an adventurer so that I never have to do anything like that again. |
| 2 | Adventuring allows me to put many miles between me and the cult I belonged to. |
| 3 | After a while, I began to find the cults rituals pointless. Adventuring offers me the excitement I crave. |
| 4 | Adventuring means I can fight against the evils of the cult I once belonged to and others like it. |
| 5 | I saw something terrifying in my last cult ceremony that still gives me nightmares. Adventuring will allow me to forget. |
| 6 | I hope to amass enough magic and power during my adventures that I can return and free my parents from the cults clutches. |
| 7 | I could feel the corruption of the Void beginning to take hold of my mind and change my body. I will find how to reverse this through adventuring. |
| 8 | I can discover more forbidden knowledge on my adventures than I ever learned as a cultist. |