It has been said by some sages that the original humans did not just pass through space when they came to Therafim, but also through time, and perhaps even dimensional barriers as well. The truth of this notion is almost impossible to verify, but the occasional and ongoing appearance of offworlder humans on Therafim seems to give the theory some possible validity.
Offworlder humans, or just offworlders, are humans that have been displaced from their home on a world known as "Earth," and brought to Therafim. The method by which humans might be displaced from Earth are varied, ranging from miscast summoning and teleportation spells, deliberate summonings (since they can be used as catalysts in several rituals), scientific (and even magical) mishaps on Earth, the use of naturally-occurring natural portals on Earth (which are usually one-way in nature), and even the call of destiny, to name a paltry few possibilities. The exact time and place from which humans leave Earth is also uncertain, and can be almost any point in Earth's history (though most that have appeared in recent times are from around the late twentieth to early twenty-first century).
Aside from their strange point of origin, offworlders are otherwise like other humans on Therafim. Therafim itself seems to step in to help these displaced souls, and offworlders usually pick up on local skills, languages, and even magical abilities with astonishing rapidity, though this rapid learning rate tends to fade over time. Given enough time, offworlders eventually become indistinguishable from other humans. There are some offworlders that have managed to leave Therafim through a variety of ways, but they are a vast minority. While it is often quite easy to get to Therafim from Earth, it is almost impossible to get back.
Personality
Offworlders tend to be quite varied in personality, like all humans. However, they are often identified by a uniquely clueless state, as though they simply were not "getting" the flow of culture around them. This is because Therafim's cultures are often unique, and while an offworlder might be able to make some adaptation, some cultural elements can only be properly absorbed through daily living, which most offworlders usually lack.
Physical Description
While offworlder humans might look like most other humans on Therafim, they have a few distinguishing features. The most obvious of these features is their fashion sense, which tends to be alien in appearance. They also often have some anachronistic objects and devices, some of which might function for a short while, but most of which will fail over time as the laws of magic come into play. Sometimes offworlder fashions catch on, and so another layer of diversity can be added to the already diverse layers existing in Therafim's human population. Finally, most offworlders display a sense of ''normalcy'' about them that makes them seem even stranger, as though they were plucked out of a world that is far less filled with diversity and magic as Therafim, and placed somewhere totally different.
About Offworlders
Pretty much all that can be said about offworlders as a rule is that they just don't fit in. At least, not at first. Being human, they are able to slip into the cracks of society wherever humans might manage it, which includes a fair amount of the safer parts of Therafim. Many offworlders would prefer not to adventure, but a great many of them are forced into the role just to survive. Other races that might be neutral or unfriendly to humans under normal circumstances might be helpful and even friendly to offworlders simply because of how helpless and lost offworlders can sometimes be. At the same time, however, the more unscrupulous of Therafim's natives will note offworlders as easy marks, and be eager to take advantage of them whenever possible.
Offworlders:
- Human characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
- Medium: Humans are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Normal Speed: Humans have a base speed of 30 feet.
- Bonus Feat: Humans select one extra feat at 1st level.
- Skilled: Humans gain an additional four skill points at first level, and an additional one at every level after.
- Languages: Humans begin play speaking Common. Humans with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).