Your first character in Death Mesa will be a Consideration from Inworld Maht. What that means is your character is accustomed to the perpetual sun overhead and can speak conversational Goblin. The world of Maht is a huge expanse. Players should feel free to describe what their character's home was like based on their Heritage and Skills as well as their chosen Attributes. The available options are primers for the party to come up with a deeper narrative. Skill suggestions are just that—suggestions. Work with your GM if you have something else in mind, but remember the Skill List is very long and may be overwhelming for new players.
I don’t want to make my own character, I want to play the game NOW!
Keep in mind that the world outside Death Mesa has an extremely diverse array of genetic and cultural heritages. There are megacities that have tens of millions of people, as well as tiny forest communities that were largely undiscovered until very recently. Your character is sent to Death Mesa because they crossed a powerful entity, or because a new law was passed that they found themselves on the wrong side of. Whoever sent you here, they did it to get rid of you and did not want to kill you to do it.
The powers in Death Mesa have the expectation that newcomers will work for the comfort and safety of some corporate manufacturing, mining, or entertainment position. Those powers are hidden from the public but are represented by several entities in Death Mesa—the primary of whom is Xborgnio. Xborgnio expends almost no effort or resources to make people work in a corporate position. The harsh environment and aggressive local population ensure there is no need of active forced labor practices. In fact, Xborgnio gives every newcomer a coin with twenty-five hours of work credit—just enough for a day of food and shelter, or a cheap firearm, if that’s how you want to roll.
Players arrive at Sugar Skull Station with nothing but a set of enviro-undies, canvas coveralls, and their skills. You will have to find a way to attain anything you need to perform your character’s abilities and get some clothing that does not let people pick you out as a newcomer. This character is very likely to die in the first 5 sessions. Don’t freak out—the growth points you earn with a Consideration character can be passed into the next one.
Let’s find out who your Consideration was before they arrived in Death Mesa. Get a pencil and paper to start recording your character’s information. Don’t use the character sheet yet! You will likely make a bunch of changes and adjustments before you’re done. Take notes on what the process is presenting as you roll, and jot down your ideas about how the rolls and choices you make play into your character’s personality and background. When you are satisfied with what you have, only then will you fill out the character sheet.
Cultural Heritages are defined in the broadest terms below. These are primers to encourage players to start thinking about their character’s personality and a skill they developed due to the pressures of that society.
Think about what it was like for your character growing up in that environment. Did they grow up with money? Were their parents supportive—did they even know their parents? Were their people passive or aggressive to outsiders? To each other? Was there class structure? Were their day-to-day needs provided for, or did they have to strive just to survive?
Did they learn to drive, talk shit, shoot a gun, lie, cheat, and/or steal? Was charity work common? Did the community share possessions, if the concept of ownership even existed?
This will affect your character’s personality and worldview.
Remember that the common skill is a suggestion. You may find later that the combination of skills you roll for does not come with a weapon or other essential skill—your Cultural Heritage is the easiest to justify changing.
Players may also want to have two cultural skills or two genetic skills. You get two heritage skills; it doesn’t matter where they come from.
Roll 3d6 to determine your character's cultural heritage. (Record Results from Red Highlighted Items)
| Roll Value | Cultural Heritage | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | ‣ | You grew up surrounded by advanced tech, cybernetics, and digital dependence. You may be more fluent in machine code than your native tongue. **Technomancy** is a common skill for Teknos. |
| 5-6 | ‣ | Raised in a rigid, top-down society that values order, discipline, and obedience. Propaganda and hierarchy were omnipresent. Monologue/Rhetoric is a common skill for Authos. |
| 7-8 | ‣ | Raised near oceans, rivers, or ports. You’re familiar with travel, weather, trade, and aquatic survival. Hydromancy is a common skill for Costas. |
| 9-10 | ‣ | Your people are agricultural and community-focused. Life revolves around seasons, soil, and cooperation. Theriomancy is a common skill for Agros. |
| 11-12 | ‣ | You grew up in a dense, urban environment, full of opportunity and oppression. Street smarts and social layers define your outlook. Language is a common skill for Metros. |
| 13-14 | ‣ | Constant movement shaped your worldview. Ties to the land are replaced by strong kin networks and knowledge of routes and customs. Manipulate Function is a common skill for Nomads. |
| 15-16 | ‣ | Growing up in a forest or jungle with a nature-based community, you are at home the wilds. You may distrust civilization and hold spiritual ties to the land. Floramancy is a common skill for Naturs. |
| 17-18 | ‣ | Brought up in a corporate-controlled environment. Your values revolve around brand loyalty, capital, and legal exploitation. Agenda is a common skill for Corpos. |
Your character’s Genetic Heritage is the set of traits their parents and grandparents passed down to them. These traits determine your character’s size, skin type, physical appendages, or innate connection to Ix forms. These are the things characters can’t change—they can only choose to enhance them or let them atrophy.
The Genetic Heritages on this list represent the six most common people groups that get exiled to Death Mesa, ranked by how likely they are to be preyed upon, as well as two very rare heritages that are unlikely to appear. There are many more Genetic Heritages born of Inworld Maht, but this list is tailored specifically for Considerations.
The most common people sent into Death Mesa are the Ashmodi, because Inworld Maht has one universal law: being born Ashmodi is a crime. Anyone caught helping an Ashmodi to avoid exile is also sent to Death Mesa.