Guide: The Blessed

In the Central Continents and beyond, certain individuals are born Blessed. While they are still technically human, they vary drastically in their appearance, their physical and mental attributes, and their history. Below will be an explanation of their history, as well as the ramifications of playing a Blessed adventurer.

History
A few of the more prominent Blessed clans can trace their lineage back to the dawn of the Second Era. In that time, man and god-spirit commingled, leading to a wide variety of relationships: some ended in conflict and strife, while others entered into a mutually beneficial arrangement. God-spirits became the patrons of certain villages and people, and in a few cases, the god-spirits would confer a Blessing upon an individual or their people. This manifested in different ways depending on the patron spirit - heightened intelligence, increased strength or agility, a strange foresight - but it was always accompanied by physical changes. The Blessed would take on the appearance of the spirit who blessed them, becoming hybrids of man and beast. While this change in appearance was often unnerving or even terrifying, the Blessed would come to carve out a niche for themselves in society, as liaisons and attendants to their respective god-spirit.

When the Second Era passed and the god-spirits were slain, their Blessings remained. By this time the Blessed had proliferated across the world, forming families, clans, even cities in some cases. However, the resentment and open hatred of god-spirits bled into the interactions between humans and the Blessed, leading to strained relations and even hostility. The new kingdoms that arose in the aftermath of those terrible wars had differing opinions on the Blessed; some exiled the Blessed, while others accepted them as fellow man. Still, they faced discrimination and oppression across the Central Continents, an unfortunate fact that follows them to this day.

Blessed Traits
The Blessed are as varied as the natural world, taking the forms of a thousand different animals and insects. For this the distillation of a Blessed's traits is a difficult feat, but it can still be achieved.

Ability Score Increase: The Blessed receive a boon to a few of their attributes, depending on the form they have. For instance, larger beasts such as buffalo, bears or elephants can expect to receive boosts to their Strength scores or Constitution scores, while smaller more agile beasts such as wolves or cats receive boosts to their Dexterity scores. Traditional associations to their animal forms also factor in: the wise owl can expect a boon to their Wisdom, while a cunning fox can expect an increase to their Intelligence. Finally, an especially cute or handsome animal form - a rabbit, squirrel or other small woodland creatures can serve as examples - can receive boons to their Charisma.

Age: Blessed live for roughly the same time as humans - an average of 80 years. They mature at the same rate as well.

Alignment: While the alignments of their original patron spirits varied wildly, the Blessed were granted free will. As such, their alignment varies from region to region and from individual to individual.

Size: Almost all Blessed are of Medium size, though in a few extreme cases, depending on their animal form, this can vary from Large to Small.

Speed: As with size, the speed of the Blessed is almost always 30 feet, though in certain cases this can change to upwards of 10 or even 15 feet, depending on the presence of wings, for example.

Additional Traits: Depending on the animal form, the Blessed could also receive a number of different boons: a resistance to a particular kind of damage, a proficiency in a skill or ability, or something entirely unique. In a few rare cases this could also manifest as a proficiency in magic. These traits would be chosen through agreement by the DM and the player.