Homestead
An Open Sky and a Dusty Road
"Got a lot of time to think out here on the Frontier. Time to watch. Time to listen. You can learn all kinds of things for yourself if you’re willing to pay attention"
~ Yaro Blight, Tradewinds Rancher
Outside of the jurisdiction of the Four Great Nations, life on the Frontierland requires rugged individualism, a keen survival instinct, and sharp wits. They typically live in small farms or settlements in remote areas all over Salt, except their central hub, Tradewinds.
Homesteaders are from everywhere that isn’t anywhere.
Rural occupants of the wild Frontierland that is unclaimed and untamed, Homesteaders are accustomed to outdoor living. They can survive off the land and the creatures that inhabit it. Homesteaders live outside of the law's protections, instead choosing to practice a personal code of honor derived from their experiences in the world and encounters with outsiders.
Attribute Changes
The Homestead Birthrite grants a +2 Skill Attribute Bonus.
Homesteaders live simple lives with a great deal of expendable time. Everyone that grows up in a Homestead has had the time to work on their aim, practice piloting a vehicle, or learn to hunt.
The Homestead Birthrite grants a -1 Focus Attribute Penalty.
Growing up on a Homestead means you have to figure things out for yourself. While savvy enough to survive the wilds, Homesteaders lack any formal training or education. As a result, they often view more cerebral pursuits as frivolous.
The Homestead Birthrite grants a choice:
+1 Grit Attribute Bonus
-or-
+1 Will Attribute Bonus
Homesteaders have to be one(1) of two(2) things to make it in the Frontierland: Hard or Sharp. Homesteaders know how to tough it out when things get rough, keep their wits under pressure, and learn to pay attention to their surroundings.
The Homestead Birthrite grants a choice:
-1 Power Attribute Bonus
-or-
-1 Charm Attribute Bonus
In the Frontierland, an injury could mean certain death without access to adequate medical care. As a result, many Homesteaders know it’s probably best to stay out of a fight, with some avoiding confrontation altogether.
Class Abilities
The Homestead Birthrite grants a choice:
Drive
-or-
Nature
Your choice applies as an additional selection to your Studious Tenderfoot Class Feature.
Access to Resources
On a Homestead, resources are scarce. You eat what you can farm or hunt and may only have a handful of specialists to satisfy critical needs within a wide range of territory. As a result, deaths that would typically be considered preventable with proper care are frequent in the remote isolation of the Frontierland.
Beliefs
Homesteaders believe in the merits of rugged individualism, with their idea of a successful individual being one who can walk into the wilds and live off the land using only their brawn and wits. They are fond of Tall-Tales of larger-than-life heroes single-handedly taming the wilderness. Homesteaders usually operate on a system of mutual disinterest. As long as you don’t bother them, they will not bother you. Getting involved in other travelers’ business is a quick way to get yourself shot. Homesteaders are accustomed to the freedom of consequences afforded by the isolation of the wilderness. When wronged, a Homesteader won’t think twice about resorting to extreme measures to solve their problems. Dead men bear no witness.
Climate
The Frontierland is the name given to any disputed or unclaimed territory. The wild frontier spans the entirety of Salt throughout all of its biomes and regions. A Homestead could be established in any type of climate, anywhere in the world.
Education
Homesteaders have severely limited access to the type of infrastructure required to facilitate formal education. Children that grow up on Homesteads will know what the few others that live with them can teach them when they are not busy contributing to the survival efforts of the household.
Fashion
On a Homestead, you don’t have the luxury to pay mind to the latest fashion trends. Instead, homesteaders dress for survival and to protect themselves from exposure to the elements. Clothing on a Homestead is composed of thick, durable fabrics, often accompanied by furs, spurs, and wide-brimmed hats. The most fashionable accessory carried being the tools relied upon for one’s survival.
Geographical Origin
Homesteads are typically founded far from other settlements, out in the isolated wilderness of the Frontierland. That’s not to say that Homesteads can’t be well-traveled or long-standing features of cultural, spiritual, or economic import. A prime example would be the city of Tradewinds. Centrally located in the Dust, Tradewinds is the renowned home of the Great Salt Raceway. The Great Salt Race has been a time-tested tradition enjoyed by people from all over the world.
Goals
A Homesteader’s goals would often align with efforts to restore peace to the land. They can be motivated by their once-peaceful homes being upended in chaos, a desire to forge a new homestead for themselves, or on a journey to see everything the world has to offer before settling down permanently.
Grooming
When it comes to grooming, Homesteaders do their best with what is available. Frequently, hygiene falls by the wayside, with some Homesteaders only bathing when it rains, or they find a river. Long journeys on the open frontier can leave a Homesteader looking haggard, but they will always make an effort to clean up before heading into town.
Habits
Homesteaders enjoy the open sky and fresh air. Too much time spent in a filthy city, underground cavern, or dusty ruin could cause one to long for the great outdoors and the starry night sky. Homesteaders admire the hardened determination of rugged survivalism. They aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty and do what it takes to reach their goals. Homesteaders believe that they can accomplish anything with hard work. Homesteaders can take care of themselves without the resources of a city center. They typically have a wide variety of skills they rely on to survive, including animal handling, smithing, tailoring, tanning, horticulture, and apothicine.
History
The lands outside of the dominion of the powerful Nations are wild and untamed. The Frontierland is an unforgiving, harsh environment sparsely populated by those that can survive on their own merits. Homesteaders that make their living pass along what they know through oral traditions. With institutions that have any lasting potential in the Frontierland being few and far between, much of the Homesteader history often dies with its bloodline, being lost to the ravages of time. The one thing that does persist in Homestead culture is the prevalence of Tall-Tales. Larger-than-life stories of mythically powerful and unique adventurers meant to inspire and entertain are spun by the campfire under, a hardy meal, and a starry night sky. Children that grow up on a Homestead dream of meeting one of these legendary mythical folk heroes. And for the talented few, one day they could grow up to be one.
Language
Homesteaders will often speak a mixture of the most common language in the nearest population center with shorthand terms and phrases borrowed from other languages, picked up in their interactions with passersby. Homesteaders understand the importance of posturing and body language when it comes to non-verbal communication. They are incredibly skilled at getting their point across without speaking. Naming conventions for Homesteaders largely depend on the personal interactions of those that live on the Homestead. Most Homesteaders will choose a name for their children based on locally famous but will often name their offspring after their closest friends and comrades, often as a show of love and respect.
Politics
Homesteads will operate on the terms of the few people that live there. Life in the Frontierland is hard enough without getting involved in someone else’s affairs. A person that grew up on a Homestead won’t bother you if you don’t bother them. Where words falter, guns resolve any disputes between Homesteads without any outside interference.
Profession
Homesteads are most often farms, ranches, or orchards with a plot of land used for subsistence farming. Many Homesteaders are skilled as smiths, tailors, farriers, and other crafts and could typically make a living in a town or city. Many Homesteaders earn their keep as adventurers, ranchers, and Broncos, driving long distances over harsh terrains surviving on their wits and steel alone. More unscrupulous residents of the Frontierland make a living as bandits, thieves, or mercenaries. The wilds are a frequent choice of residence for people that are running From retribution.
Relationships
Homesteads are typically comprised of a single-family or small collective of families that maintain a single plot. Familial bonds and romantic relationships are critical and respected between Homesteaders. Harming one relationship could mean harm to the entire community, sometimes with deadly consequences.
Religion
A Traveler of the Path may operate the occasional Homestead. The proximity to the wild nature of the Frontierland makes a Homestead the ideal home of a Verdant Traveler, while the open field of stars at night is everything the Divine Eyes would want in a home.
Social Caste
A Homestead only has two(2) social groups. The Quick & The Dead.
Traditions
Homesteads have a rich oral tradition, relying on stories and teachings handed down from generation to generation. This penchant for stories gave birth to the Tall-Tales, a mythos of legendary adventurers and heroes used to illustrate practical survival knowledge to children. In addition, homesteads have a special appreciation for a communal fire. The ability to maintain a fire is paramount to survival in the Frontierland. Bonfires, roasts, and campfires are also the primary areas for entertainment, socializing, and rest.
Values
A Homesteader values independence above all else. The freedom and autonomy to make their own decisions and live by their code is the driving motivation for a Homesteader. Homesteaders are impressed by displays of endurance. They can’t help but smile when seeing someone take a heavy hit without staggering, shaking off a snake bite, or drinking half their weight in Shine without losing their wits.
Vices
Homesteaders are no stranger to the consumption of recreational substances; however, limited access to resources can make the extended stint of sobriety a relatively common occurrence. Homesteaders will often brew Shine in homemade stills from any crop or food waste. This is typically used for fuel but can also give a reliable buzz when ingested.
Wealth
Most Homesteads are small plots toiled on by poor families that scrape by to make a living. However, some wealthy individuals have wielded their resources to carve out idyllic Plantations in remote wilderness locations where they live out isolated fantasies in absolute luxury.