Overview

Name of Heritage Group:

Scintelkin

The Scintelkin are a small, radiant people whose bodies carry glyph-veins—living photonic tattoos that constantly shift with their emotional state.
Born from the convergence of Runed Flesh artisans and Gleamwright light-crafters, they embody living illumination. Their existence revolves around experimentation, humor, creative accidents, and reinvention.

To the Scintelkin:

• Invention is play
• Mistakes are sacred
• Laughter is a form of purification
• Stillgleam is a living color-spirit, not a “resource”

Their caravans appear as moving carnivals of light, noise, and tinkered machines.

Species:

Race:

Culture:

Predominant society is Errant Bloom Commune

Indigenous Regions:

Areas near Fizzlefair in the Ainaria region on the western coast of Keotura

Attribute Shifts:

Dexterity +1, Intellect +1, Charisma +1, Endurance -1

Total IP Cost:

(Playable with GM Permission)

Physical Traits

Frame

Average Frame Value (Male):

4 (Light)

Frame Min./Max. Values (Male):

Average Frame Value (Female):

Frame Min./Max. Values (Female):

Frame Variation (both sexes):

Height

Average Height Value (Male):

4-6 (3'10" - 4'10")

Height Min./Max. Values (Male):

Average Height Value (Female):

Height Min./Max. Values (Female):

Height Variation (both sexes):

Physique

Average Physique Value (Male):

2 (Frail) or 3 (Thin)

Physique Min./Max. Values (Male):

Average Physique Value (Female):

Physique Min./Max. Values (Female):

Physique Variation (both sexes):

Resilience

Resilience:

Age

Average Lifespan:

~120 years

Age Breakdown Table:

adjust table based on average lifespan

Interactive Points

IP Gained per interval:

(Avg. Lifespan/70 = Interval in yrs.):

Gender Ratio

% Male:

% Female:

Appearance

Appearance:

• Translucent skin with shifting inner glow
• Eyes are faceted prisms scattering light

Inherent Physical Aspects

Inherent Physical Aspects:

Runebloom Flesh Rank 2-3

Your glyph-veins can be manually reshaped once per day, granting:

• +1 to one Skill Trait (player chooses) for 1 hour
• Glow reveals emotional state (-1 to Stealth in dim light)

Psychological Traits

Inherent Aspects:

Mental & Spiritual Traits

Inherent MS Aspects:

Flash of Inspiration Rank 1-2

When failing a Craft, Improvisation, or creative Lore Trial:

• Roll 1d4. On a 4, the failure becomes a functional but flawed prototype (GM chooses humorous or chaotic side effects)

Gleam Reservoir Rank 1-2

Stores a tiny Stillgleam charge internally.

Once per rest you may:

• Emit light (torch-bright)
• Power a tiny device/rune
• Offset a minor magical cost (1-2 Stillgleam equivalency)

Festival Kin Rank 1-3

Among Scintelkin caravans:

• Gain +2 Influence when bartering, storytelling, or negotiating
• Are offered hospitality, materials, and shared workshops

Overexposure Rank 2

Strong emotions cause uncontrolled bioluminescent flares:

• -2 Stealth
• -1 to subtle social efforts
• On Critical Failure, temporary sensory dazzlement (GM: -1 to Awareness)

Recommended MS Aspects:

Common Traits include:

• Enthusiastic
• Emotionally transparent
• Fearless inventors
• Prone to distraction
• Treat problems as puzzles rather than threats

Typical Motivations (Rank 6-7):

• Seek New Sparks: Discover or create something surprising.
• Honor the Cosmic Joke: Reduce tension, uplift others.
• Celebrate Failure: Every mistake is sacred.

Typical Suppresions:

• Struggles with rigid hierarchy
• Poor at solemnity or secrecy

Development Considerations

Inherent Expertises:

Recommended Expertises:

Craft (Lightcraft, Tinkering, Alchemy) Rank 5-7

Improvisation Rank 4-6

Performance (Glow-Choreography, Storytelling) Rank 4-6

Guile (Misdirection via illusion-light) Rank 3-4

Awareness Rank 4

Special Abilities

Ephemeral Glyphs (Minor Magic/Psuedomancy)

Once per session, inscribe a glowing rune on:

• Any surface
• A willing creature
• Your own skin

Duration: 10 minutes

Effects: one simple effect (choose one)

• Light beacon
• Chime or rhythmic sound pulse
• Warmth/harmless heat
• Short-range light signal
• Artistic Illusion (minor)

Can be used for calling signals, jokes, misdirection, or improvised tools.

Emotional Bloom

If the Scintelkin succeeds a social Performance Trial by +3 degrees:

• Audience receives +1 Morale (temporary)
• Allies gain +1 to next Influence Trail

Cultural Features

Environmental Adaptation

Principle Environment:

Adaptability:

Heritage Orientation

Orientation:

Knowledge (Active)

Orientation Description:

They pursue understanding through chaos, creative accidents, humor, and improvisation.

Orientation Aspects:

• Revelation Through Error
• Living Artifice (inventions as living jokes)
• Celebratory Epistemology (festivals = philosophy)

Customs & Lifestyle

Status & Family

Scintelkin do not form stable lineages. Instead, they organize into:

Caravans / Bloom-Bands

• Mixed clans, guilds, and wandering artists
• Leadership determined during festivals (“Brilliant”: whoever’s light display outlasts others)

Festival Communes

• Temporary settlements where caravans merge
• Site of the annual Festival of Errors

Gleamscribe Circles

• Semi-mystical groups that track glyph-lore and Stillgleam omens

Kinship is chosen, not inherited—defined by shared laughter, inventions, and color resonance.

Symbols & Art

Clothing & Decoration

Typical gear includes:

• Glow-ink vials
• Reactive dyes
• Light-tools (snap prisms, tiny rune-lights)
• Wearable carnival rigs
• Collapsible instruments and tinkered toys
• Scribe-plates for temporary tattoos

Armor is rare; clothing is chosen for glow-display surfaces.

Religion & Magic

Language

Language Family:

Dialect:

Historical Notes