Amara Ishu |
Checking in with Amara
Amara Ishu |
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Found myself with some spare time so decided that I'd make a list of the 6 other players within this game and see if I can sort out how deep the connections (if any), that Amara might have (and to a lesser extent, Esha).
If anyone else looks at my character and can find connections with their own that I didn't mention, feel free to let me know, I might have overlooked it, or didn't want to make certain assumptions.
Its highly probable that Amara has had dealings with The Nameless Librarian, and possibly Fist, due to the various nature of both characters having access to a personal information network. Amara's information network largely involves itself with any secrets clients might slip during recreational activities, and then builds itself from there. In contrast, the Reader of Currents, The Nameless Librarian and Fist have a stronghold in the Dock's, likely an area that Amara wouldn't have many information about, due to her primarily being largely focused in the higher society and political clients. It seems perfectly reasonable to assume that if she was looking for a recent arrival, a merchant, or anyone tied to the docks (or someone she lacks information on), The Librarian would be her first point of call.
I suspect that Amara would have had limited dealings with Sakaan and Osik. I'm fairly certain that she would be aware of a business run by lizardfolk, but is unlikely to have had proper interaction with him. In the creation of his business, its possible that Amara could have provided certain business advice relevant to Sakaan's interests, but I suspect most of her interactions would be with Osik, as I imagine Amara might be slightly intimidated in a personal 1 to 1 meeting with the lizardman.
Again, fairly limited dealings, although I'm sure Amara would have made it her business to learn about those who attempt the Starstone, and the results of that attempt. I can easily see Amara appreciating the value of fine art, and its entirely possible that she purchased some works from Turanerra / Maricelli in the decoration of her organisation.
I think Amara and Dolgrin could have had a number of connections. To begin with, both worship deities that have very contrasting views of worship, that, coupled with Amara's interest in the politics of the city, might have indirectly created some of the minor hardships or irritations that Dolgrin might have run into. Set against this, Amara would have certainly been interested in Dolgrin's quest for vengeance, and could have easily supplied information relevant to finding his brothers killer. Its possible that she was one of his allies, but still rather unlikely, since Amara usually dislikes getting her hands dirty in person, and only would consider doing so if she could gain something from it.
Yeah, with Sirith and Amara growing up as "wards" of a Calistrian temple (potentially rival ones), I'm sure they both would have run into each other. Amara is largely indifferent to slavery, but I could easily imagine tricking an owner into taking his slave into Sirith's temple, in an attempt to garner a slaves freedom - but only if such a thing would advantage her. Its also fairly possible she manipulated the owner into doing this, as some form of just punishment or revenge for past transgressions against a client. As far as personal relationships go, I imagine Amara would be polite to Sirith. They might have rival temples, but each of them appreciates all aspects of Calistria, and I think Amara has too much invested to risk offence. The last thing she needs is a feud with another Calistrian temple, which could drag on for years. Maybe I'd best define their relationship as "Wary and Respectful Admiration / Appreciation", of course, this doesn't mean that Sirith feels the same way!
I think there is a little pro/cons thing going on with any connections between Amara and Josephus. One the one hand, Josephus has a reliable information network, which is of great use to her, heck, she might have passed information onto Josephus in the past, or received it from him. On the other hand, Amara considers herself a master at manipulation, and very likely gets involved in a little of the corruption, manipulation or blackmail that Josephus hates so much, so there is an element of conflict there. Furthermore, Josephus seems greatly disposed to cleaning up the city from crime, something Amara might consider necessary from time to time, in order to gain satisfactory revenge. I'm sure both of them know and are aware of each other, they might have even worked together in the past, but Amara would always tread carefully about involving Josephus into any business of her, I think she would worry that she couldn't control the outcomes of a situation that involved the ranger. Its possible that Amara might have exerted some influence in order to 'encourage' Josephus to retire, his purity of heart and investigative zeal would have created an air of unpredictability for her, although I think she would have stopped short of involving herself in the Coran case, from her character, its far more likely that she would assist in finding the socialite Arina (who was part of an influential and wealthy family), than hindering the case against a murderer. I think there are a lot of options here, but its up to Josephus and Benjen into what degree they work with / know about Amara.
Hmm, that took longer than I thought. If I made any incorrect character assumptions, I apologise, and please dont hesitate to let me know so I can fix my mistake. Any advice on anything I have written or said etc is always welcome.
Also just a side note, I think I'll call my temple: The Temple of Unquenchable Desire as a placeholder name for now. Its better than it not having a name, and I'll use this unless I can find something better. I actually don't mind any advice / input on naming my organisation, since its not coming naturally to me (for once), so a second, third etc opinion would be most welcome!
Sirith the bard |
Actually I like that idea for Sirith. Sirith would feel the same way, and may even assist her 'rival' from time to time. Maybe they have a friendly rivalry going on.
And Sirith would indeed feel the same way towards Amara. Now Prakar on the other hand, would be very wary of Amara, having only recently become a priest of Calistria. And he would also be suspicious of her because unlike Sirith, he's only met her a few times.
The idea of tricking a slave owner into bringing his slave into the Heart of the Ocean's Passion would be quite ironic humor in Sirith's opinion and she may even set up a system with Amara into luring slavers into bringing their slaves to her temple. Of course this would make them targets by slavers and their financial backers (Cheliax and Katapesh anyone?), but would earn them allies among the Eagle Knights of Andoran.
Amara Ishu |
That's very true Sirith, but again, its potentially something Amara would only due rarely, and (unfortunately) only if she can twist the situation to her advantage. Amara can sympathise with slaves, after all, she could have easily been one had circumstances not turned out differently, but it is legal, it is a business, and heck, some people actually want to be slaves, simply to play off any debts they might have. This 50/50 is why she's largely indifferent to it, although like with many things, its always something Amara is looking to twist to her advantage.
Still, on the subject of potentially working together / assistance, it wouldn't be hard to swing a sort of occasional tariff. Perhaps Amara needs dirt on someone and asks Sirith for assistance, in return, she tricks a slaver into bringing his slave along into the Heart of the Ocean's Passion. Something like that I could easily see working, and it does open up rp and story options with Katapesh traders (or some similarly pissed off NPC) possibly dragging Amara into any feud with Sirith.
The Nameless Librarian |
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Going with the trend Amara started, I think I'll post some possible connections as well.
I like what Amara put here, and I think that relationship between Amara and the Librarian would work swimmingly, especially if they set to trading information. Funny aside, I had actually set up my business at the docks because I figured it would be a great place for a broker to keep their finger on the pulse of Absalom, with so many coming and going each day, all bringing new secrets to share. I also like the dichotomy of Amara getting her secrets by people coming to her, and The Librarian going out to get the secrets himself. /end ramble
Seeing how they both operate at the docks, I think The Librarian would probably have interacted with Sakaan, either on a professional level by sending business his way in return for favors or any information Sakaan finds on the ships he repairs, or on a personal level such as them getting drinks after a long day or chatting at eachother's respective storefronts. I leave it to you to decide which is more probable for Sakaan.
Other than possibly helping to keep "friends" from Oppara off her trail in exchange for what information she can offer, I don't really know that The Librarian would have interacted much with Turanerra. He'd know of her and her cult, of course, but other than that I'm not certain the two would know eachother.
As with Turanerra, I don't think Dolgrin and The Librarian would have interacted much, if at all. Definitely would know of Dolgrin's smithy, but other than that I don't know if there'd be a connection (especially if Dolgrin was trying to stay completely above-board)
Though The Librarian has no qualms with slavery, he is more than happy to provide information for Sirith about whichever slaver or slave she may ask about, for the right price. I also have no doubt that Sirith and The Librarian have crossed paths on occasion on their way to or from Amara's temple, so they may even have a cordial acquaintanceship.
Always good to have an Investigator! The Librarian will have doubtlessly requested the aid of Josephus and Benjen, for both of their unique skillsets, in exchange for information on whatever mark Josephus happens to be chasing at the time. Alternatively, Josephus and The Librarian could have come in direct conflict, with The Librarian withholding or actively hiding information about one of Josephus's marks, causing a tension between the two. Or both things could have happened at different points in time!
Definitely excited for when we get everything up and running, this is going to be a very different game than most!
Sirith the bard |
Might do something like this later this weekend. I'm just waking up but I'll think about what to write up by this weekend.
I'm liking these ideas too by the way.
Dolgrin Girndmar |
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Here are some quick ideas that popped into my head regarding various connections for the characters presented. However, I do want to say that also on top of all this, it should be mentioned that given Dolgrin's current profession as a weapon and armorsmith, that it is also entirely likely that our connection could be purely based on him having made gear for your characters. But what I list below is likely a bit more creative than just that.
If you prefer to go with the "Dolgrin made some of my gear," route though, that is totally fine with me. A note about his style of crafting:
What makes Dolgrin's wares somewhat unique is the style in which he smelts and forges the metal goods he crafts, which causes them to result in a darker tone than usual, hence the name of his forge, the Darksteel Smithy. His wares usually come out with a dark grey coloration, similar to the armor worn by the avatar of this alias. He gladly works in whatever sort of ornamentation the purchaser desires. However, should the customer request it, he is capable of making items of their usual metallic sheen, but he considers the dark steel to be his calling card so to speak.
Prakar |
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I like that. Prakar would actually be more friendly to Dolgrin than he is to Amara as the dwarf forged his falchion blade, which would have the darker sheen your character is famous for. Although the dwarf, much like Sirith, would try in vain to convince the half orc to wear more clothes! He parades around almost completely naked save for a loincloth. But Dolgrin's skill would have impressed Prakar so much that he would tell clients about the dwarf's mastery as a smith, insuring that the dwarf gets a lot of business via word of mouth.
And for the legal roadblocks, Sirith would most likely blush. She did a few 'favors' for a couple of politicians and in addition, she was able to convince others that having a temple of Calistria on the docks would help to reduce crime as sailors would be able to take their frustrations out in a...healthier manner than getting into brawls. Whether or not this works only time will tell.
Sirith the bard |
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While getting ready for work, I came up with some ideas for Sakaan and Ossik and their relationship with the Ocean's Passion.
Sirith would be quite comfortable dealing with the lizardfolk, and knowing his history of being a slave, might feel pity towards him. Because of their strong hatred towards slavery, the undine bard would offer Sakaan and Ossik and their followers as well as any workers of the Lizard's Pier a 25% discount on services provided by the Heart of the Ocean's Passion, which includes healing, magical item identification, etc, as well as more...intimate services. Prakar would see Sakaan as a kindred spirit as the two are former slaves who upon gaining their freedoms were able to forge new destinies for themselves. The half-orc would be most impressed that he would the lizardfolk a 50% discount on the above mentioned services! However, there's a catch: Prakar would only offer such a hefty discount to Sakaan only and him alone.
There is another benefit that could be useful towards them both: the freedom of slaves. Since some slaves would be worried if their former masters decided to reacquire their former 'servants', these slaves would want to get out of Absalom as quick as possible. Luckily, Sirith has some friends and contacts she adventured with who are members of the Eagle Knights and Gray Corsairs, one of whom is scheduled to arrive in port real soon. If Sirith and Saakan form a pact with the Gray Corsair, they could in fact establish a system to both legally help former slaves leave the island city and secretly smuggle runaway slaves out of Absalom as well! The Gray Corsairs would also be pleased if both the Lizard's Pier and the Ocean's Passion were to also pass on some information to slave ships leaving port as well. This would provide all three organizations a strong alliance as well as aid others.
Several notes though: both Sirith and Prakar are bisexual as well as the abbot, but intimate services includes not just having sex (like most temples of the Savored Sting, the Ocean's Passion is a brothel as well as a temple), but also includes performing music, baths, and massage. Yes massage. So yeah it's more than just a brothel.
Sakaan |
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Turanerra Kalidoksis |
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Dang, that took a while. Following Amara's format, here's what I came up with:
First, some timeline stuff:
Maricelli came to Absalom 12 years ago (at the age of 20) -- if alive today she would be 32. She painted the whole time, with an incresing reputation, but the gallery was started 5 years ago. Turanerra is 28 years old and has been in Absalom for 6 years, the first of which she spent pretty much in isolation. Kvallen has been in Absalom for 9 years, and involved with Maricelli for the last 8. He is currently 35 years old.
The Nameless Librarian |
Turanerra: You know, I actually like that idea for The Librarian and Turanerra's relationship. The Librarian would be more than happy to gather some objects for found art projects in addition to keeping her "friends" from Oppara of her trail, in exchange for some of her seascapes or sunsets, though he probably would hold on to them for their sentimental value... or to hang backwards in the window on especially dreary days :-P
Dolgrin: I think that's a reasonable thought, Fist would probably have sought you out for the darkened metal, partially because of the intimidation factor of it.
Sirith the bard |
Indeed I like Sakaan's suggestions as well. Sirith would be very open to the idea of using her powers to assist and her Gray Corsair connections would be useful as well, in fact, if possible the Gray Corsair that's supposed to arrive might be persuaded to recommend other captains from Andoran to use the Lizard Pier.
As for Turanerra and her organization, Sirith might commission Turanerra to sculpt several statues for her temple along with several paintings. It might establish a connection between the two of them as well as your suggestion as well. In addition, Sirith or her abbot would be more than happy to model for your artists and art students.
Also for Lithandra, Dolgrin's cohort, Sirith does some performances so the two probably have met during a concert. Prakar is curious about high society although Sirith would die of embarrassment if he went a high society event as all he wears is a loincloth! Lol! Ahem, anyhow Sirith plans on adding a dance hall to her temple which could be used for high society event.
Sirith the bard |
Cool! I got to think about everyone else. It's been a busy day at work so my brain is fried a bit,
Sirith the bard |
Yep. Although being busy has its advantages: one of which is not being bored when things slow down!
Amara Ishu |
Turanerra, I quite like the idea that Esha and Kvallen could at least be aware of each other. Esha was generally involved in petty theft, usually going for things that are easily transported on a single person. Maybe art frames might be out of her league, but any smaller, art pieces could definitely have been something she could have taken. Esha since graduated to trying to steal actual magic however, so any art related crime would have been at the start of her career.
Sakaan |
Still composing the other relationships
Sakaan has been in place at the docks operating thr lizard pier for about a year now. He has also done several adventurer jobs as another possible avenue for contact.
Sakaan goes out of his way to make friends and he is very diplomatic.
Sakaan |
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and Sakaan needs to know what it is all about.
requests to Dolgrin, trying to use his vast diplomatic skills to get the Dwarf talking in the hopes of future increased business dealings.
Amara Ishu |
Just realised that with Amara's change shape ability, and realistic likeness there could be a decent chance that Amara's seen some of you, and you just haven't realised it was her!
IDK if it would even impact on anything, but it might be something for me to consider.
The Nameless Librarian |
Actually, The Librarian is always wearing a hat of disguise and is fond of meeting people in different guises, so Amara and The Librarian could have both seen each other while transformed and not realized, or even more humorously could have had meetings disguised as representatives of themselves :-P
Turanerra Kalidoksis |
(I'm trying very hard to keep Turanerra insulated from all the areas of intrigue, as I see her as being very naive about that world. There's a lot of things there that Kvallen does for her, without her knowing.)
You would probably have some smaller, older paintings too, but the big one that I can see having been the main payment would have been one titled Pulled Under. It's a view of the Absalom Harbor, and the main focus of attention will be a ship that is in the process of sinking in the Graveyard. However, in the foreground, in the right side of the painting will be the side of your shop, including part of the sign -- "UNDER", solidly establishing the vantage point for this painting.
The Nameless Librarian |
Ok, I REALLY like that. That painting would definitely be prominently hung in the shop for all to see, and the arrangement sounds like something The Librarian would be amicable to. I'll have to be sure to remember that Turanerra isn't in the loop though :-)
Dolgrin Girndmar |
More info regarding Dolgrin:
He has been in Absalom for several years, though the bulk of that time was spent trying to find his brother Kordin's killer. During this time, those of you with information and espionage backgrounds likely did most of your interactions with him then.
After he got his vengeance, he spent the past year getting his smithy off the ground. I would say it has only been within the past 6-8 months that his works have really started to gain some attention in the city.
Sirith the bard |
Still working on how Sirith has relations with the rest of you. Busy days of work. Should be done by tomorrow evening.
Amara Ishu |
Did anyone else do a double take when they saw Sirith's double entendre just now :/
Sirith the bard |
Did anyone else do a double take when they saw Sirith's double entendre just now :/
Wait...what? Oh yeah that. Sorry about that y'all.
Sirith the bard |
After looking over everything it seems y'all have said basically the same stuff I was planning to, so I guess we got our bases covered. Also I've been busy with work and all. So who else is looking forward to starting this?
Amara Ishu |
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Very excited, I'm sure the GM will be back soonish from his busy week and we can get rolling.
Amara Ishu |
Sirith has that effect on people...
Amara Ishu |
Noooo :(
Best of luck tho