GM Aest's Wandering Eye Inquisitives: An Eberron Campaign (Inactive)

Game Master Aest

TMB:
Overview-

1) Dragonmarked member of House Orien, his Mark appears on the center of his chest, around his neckline.
2) Charismatic and outgoing, he is quite knowledgeable about both Sharn and his House.
3) Fought in the Last War as caravan guard, protecting both officers and important shipments of supplies.
4) After the war, took to protecting the streets of Sharn as a sort of masked vigilante, using his skill with the whip and his Mark's minor teleportation powers to keep the innocent safe.
5) Is a bit of an atypical member of Orien, in that while he loves to travel an wander, he is also content keeping the city he was born and raised in(Sharn) safe.

Goals:

1) In game- I would like to better relations with Orien and Lyrandar, hoping to one day forge an alliance between the two House.
2) OOG- It would be awesome if he could help find ways to reconnect the lightning rails in the Mournlands, or at least work to make them safer.

Secrets:

1) He and his sister have developed their own private secret language that involves complex hand gestures. While not impossible to crack, the two have gotten very adept at using it during mundane tasks.
2) The true identity of his sister's mother, who left her with their father shortly after giving birth.

Relations:

1) Sister, a half-elf Dragonmarked member of House Lyrandar. Technically half sister, as they share different mothers. The two are very close. (friendly relationship)
2) Mentor within House Orien. Middle-aged warrior, Blade of Orien. (friendly relationship)
3) Sister's ex-boyfriend, half-orc, total bully. Leader of a small gang. (hostile relationship)
4) Nemesis- unsure atm.

Memories/mannerisms:
1) Day of Mourning. He was traveling from Passage to Flamekeep, and was suppose to go on from there to Metrol.
2) When he is in a heated argument, he will sometimes crack his whip to make a point.
3) He first manifested his mark defending his sister from her bully of a boyfriend, teleporting in front of her as he tried to cut her with his long knife. He has a scar on his arm from wear he took the blow.

You planning on looking at the Vigilante class? I think it is from Ultimate Intrigue. The background seems pretty good for a multi-class between the Swashbuckler class and that class.

Khoravaran Urban Ranger with the Mark of Detection.

Appearance and Personality:
A tall Khoravaran male with brown hair tied in a pony tail, dressed in dark clothes with a two-handed sword usually draped over his back.

Rael is quiet and contemplative, some would say brooding. Growing up he was naturally trusting over others and made friends quickly. The events of the past years have put a bit of a damper on that, and it takes longer to get him to put down his defenses now. Once he has decided someone is a member of "his inner circle" then he is fiercely protective of them and would do anything to help them out in times of need.

Background:
Rael is the only child of Rowan Talevera, a 1/2 elf professor archaeology at Morgrave University. He had no knowledge of his father until he manifested his dragonmark (which comes from the House Medani).

Growing up in the hallways and back alleys of Morgrave University was a dream. He generally had the freedom to roam the campus (and other parts of the University and Ivy Tower districts). His 2 closest friends growing up were Ethan and Jayna Chord - whose parents were both also professors at the University, and life long friends of her mother. Ethan was 4 years older than Rael, and Jayna was a year younger.

Rael wanted to learn more about his father, but his mother always refused to give him too many specifics. Sadly - he never got to ask his mother about the Dragonmark. When Rael 18, his mother was killed. She was on an excursion to Xen'drik and during the journey home, the ship she was traveling on was lost at sea in a storm (at least that's the story Morgrave University tells). In addition, Ethan Chord and his parents were on the same expedition and are presumed dead as well. Jayna and Rael had, in one horrible accident, lost both of their entire families. Upon hearing this news, the trauma caused Rael to manifest the Mark of Detection on his shoulder.

Jayna's Aunt helped watch after them afterwards, but Rael and Jayna descended into deep depression and the natural rebellion of youth was only intensified. Rael tried multiple times to join the military, but was rebuffed each time. He attempted once to try to approach House Medani to find out who his father is. Sadly, even though he was able to talk to a few people within House Medani, for some reason, they couldn't (or wouldn't) help him with his quest. Embittered, he eventually returned to Morgrave University to continue his education. He was also committed to discover exactly what happened to his mother's ship on the way back from Xen'drik, as it had remained shrouded in mystery.

He made it through Morgrave by the skin of his teeth (and also by the good graces of a few of the professors there who knew his mother). During his 2 years there, he spent more time in the bowels of Lower Menthis than he did in halls of Morgrave in Upper Menthis. He knows bartenders in taverns across Downstairs (a district in Lower Menthis), can talk his way into clubs and shows throughout Torchfire and has more than his fair share of even more tawdry contacts in Firelight.

After graduation, Rael still had a small amount of his inheritance left from his Mother. For the last 2 years, he's bounced around odd jobs all over Sharn (generally in the Menthis Plateau area, but occasionally elsewhere) while still searching for more information about his father as well as trying to figure out more about the events surrounding his mother's death. Rapidly running out of coin, he jumped when his friends began talking of leasing an old inquisitive firm and opening up a business.

Motivations: To discover twin truths - 1) who inside of House Medani is his father, and why does he want nothing to do with Rael? and 2 - what really happened to his mother's expedition?

Contacts:
Jayna Chord - life long friend and as close as a sister to Rael. Jayna currently helps to manage her Aunt's dinner theater in Smoky Towers.

Professor Aldan Lake - A Ranger and close friend of Rowan and the Chords, Aldan was also a professor of archaeology at Morgrave, but was not on the expedition to Xen'drik that claimed Rael's mother's life. Professor Lake shepherded Rael through Morgrave and helped him survive the devastating death of his mother. In addition, Rael received his initial Ranger training from Aldan and also learned from him how to use the two-handed sword he favors to this day.

Ragnar - dwarven bartender at the Singing Pixies Tavern in Downstairs

Dominique - a courtesan in Firelight.

Justin d'Medani - the one person that would actually talk to Rael when he inquired about his father. Sadly - Justin was no older than Rael and also was unable to get anyone to give him any information on Rael's history. However - Justin won over Rael's trust, given that he was the only member of House Medani that seemed to take him seriously. The slightest spark of a real friendship seems to be emerging between the two - and Justin is the only person in House Medani that Rael feeling anything but Contempt for at the moment.

Solid background. I'm usually a bit iffy on the "parents are dead" trope, but you've given me a solid out there, and you have plenty of NPCs for me to use as well. Questions and Comments incoming:

To answer your question, first, I'd say a level of a section would be reasonable. Instead of having, say, all of Menthis Plateau or just Ivy Towers, you could take "Upper Menthis" or "Middle Dura" as a favored community. That would allow the population to be roughly the size of, say, Korvosa in Golarion and to cover roughly the same number of districts within Sharn as Korvosa has.

It seems you'd likely be a "Bookworm as far as trait goes. Is this correct? If so, cool concept for the trait.

Good motivations. Very useful to me!

Finally, what role do you see Rael playing in the party, both in and out of combat?

Bookworm trait is indeed what I was going for.

In combat, Rael is more or less a front line fighter. He doesn't necessarily go looking for fights, but if a fight presents itself, he'll jump into the midst of the fray with greatsword swinging (or barstool swinging as the case may be).

Out of combat, Rael has the street skills to Get Things Done for the agency. He's spent much of the last 5 years learning his way around most of the less savory parts of Sharn, but he also had a relatively upper class upbringing, which allows himself to slip between both worlds with relative ease. Add into that his finely tuned perception and street-smarts, and, while he won't be the face of the organization, he can be a heavy lifting part of the team.

Rel’sys, or Rels to her friends, was born and raised in the Cliffside quarter where her father ran a blacksmith shop specializing in arms and armor. As a result, Rels learned to fight young and became rather proficient in reading people and gathering information as she skulked around the docks and shops listening for tales of adventure. She would run home to her younger brothers and regale them with the tales she’d heard throughout the day. Though her family was fortunate enough to live in the Middle-City, her desire to hear stories and learn led her to take more and more daring trips through the city, scaling up walls and running over roofs to get to the upper levels of the quarter where she would hear the best stories.

When the war started she and her middle brother Ven were recruited and both sent to Thrane to observe troop and supplies movement and send back any information you could gather. At the end of the war Rels and Ven were caught snooping around a lightrail yard and Ven was killed in action. The war ended days later and Rels has held onto the bitterness she felt when she realized that the information her brother gave her life for was for nothing.

Returning to Cliffside Middle-City was a definite adjustment. Her father’s business had thrived during her years in the war, the demand for weapons and armor boosting the family’s wealth. Her father and youngest brother Daven had moved to a smaller house in the Upper City but her father allowed her to move into her childhood home above his shop. Daven’s new posting in the city guard had kept her out of a cell the few times she’d gone out drinking to try to forget the sight of Ven dying in her arms, or the times she’d been caught cheating at cards. Her father, her brother and a few childhood friends were all that were keeping her in Sharn, and without some sense of purpose or at least a well paying job, even family and friends weren’t enough to keep her here.

Initiative+2, Senses Perception+6, Low-light Vision

AC 14, Touch 12, Flat-Footed 12

Hp 16

Fort+0, Ref+5, Will+1

Speed 30ft

Melee +4 Mstwrk Scorpion Whip [1d4+1/x2]

Ranged +4 Light crossbow [1d8/19-20x2]

Special Attacks

Base Attack+2, CMB+3, CMD 15

Feats Deceitful(b), Favored in House(b), Least Dragonmark(Passage).

Traits Blood of Dragons(low-light vision)

Skills Acrobatics+7, Bluff+10, Diplomacy+8, Disguise+10, Knowledge(Local)+7, Lore(Dragonmarks)+7, Perception+6, Sense Motive+6.

TMB:
Overview-

1) Dragonmarked member of House Orien, his Mark appears on the center of his chest, around his neckline.
2) Charismatic and outgoing, he is quite knowledgeable about both Sharn and his House.
3) Fought in the Last War as caravan guard, protecting both officers and important shipments of supplies.
4) After the war, took to protecting the streets of Sharn as a sort of masked vigilante, using his skill with the whip and his Mark's minor teleportation powers to keep the innocent safe.
5) Is a bit of an atypical member of Orien, in that while he loves to travel and wander, he is also content keeping the city he was born and raised in(Sharn) safe.

Goals:

1) In game- I would like to better relations with Orien and Lyrandar, hoping to one day forge an alliance between the two House.
2) OOG- It would be awesome if he could help find ways to reconnect the lightning rails in the Mournlands, or at least work to make them safer.

Secrets:

1) He and his sister have developed their own private secret language that involves complex hand gestures. While not impossible to crack, the two have gotten very adept at using it during mundane tasks.
2) The true identity of his sister's mother, who left her with their father shortly after giving birth.

Relations:

1) Sister(Riki), a half-elf Dragonmarked member of House Lyrandar. Technically half sister, as they share different mothers. The two are very close. (friendly relationship)
2) Mentor within House Orien. Middle-aged warrior, Blade of Orien. (friendly relationship)
3) Sister's ex-boyfriend, half-orc(Thog), total bully. Leader of a small gang. (hostile relationship)
4) Nemesis- unsure atm.

Memories/mannerisms:
1) Day of Mourning. He was traveling from Passage to Flamekeep, and was suppose to go on from there to Metrol.
2) When he is in a heated argument, he will sometimes crack his whip to make a point.
3) He first manifested his mark defending his sister from her bully of a boyfriend, teleporting in front of her as he tried to cut her with his long knife. He has a scar on his arm from wear he took the blow.

Focusing mostly on background, as with the previous submissions.

Are you planning on taking your secret hand language as a language? I know it's not much of a language for communicating with anyone else, but you you're planning on teaching it to anyone else, it'll have to be one.

I'd consider a different name than Thog for your sister's ex-boyfriend. Just a suggestion.

Does his near-trip to Cyre during an exceptionally bad time to be there color his worldview at all? Does he feel more mortal because of his near death, or does he feel invincible because of it?

Cool goal regarding the Lightning Rail. I'm not sure we'll focus too heavily outside Sharn, but the city does connect to the rail system, so anything's possible.

Finally, what role do you see Erix playing in the party, both in and out of combat?

No real comments on the crunch, since at this stage I'm much more interested in Fluff. Glad the crunch is there, though.

Can I call him Taz in the future?

I actually really like your backstory. It's short but sweet and quite functional.

To-Do List: I kind of agree with the potential for a name change. That being said, reusing aliases is also nice. Up to you.

If I select your character, I'll almost certainly be using your Maguffin. I had a plotline set up involving a thingie from Xen'drik way before I opened recruitment.

Finally, what role do you see Taz playing in the party, both in and out of combat?

I was thinking of taking Linguistics as my other background so yea, it will be a language known.

Haha, that's funny. No big deal, I have plenty of other names to choose from.

I'm not sure just yet, but I was thinking he never even left Flamekeep. So while I'm sure the Day of Mourning shook him, it clearly didn't affect him nearly as those within Cyre.

Thanks! I realize its likely outside the scope of the game, but it is something he cares about, to a degree. I'll probably come up with another goal as well.

In combat, he's a mobile fighter, using his whip to strike foes from a distance. If he needs to close, he will, but mostly for a hit and run attack.

Out of combat, he's somewhat of a face, with his high social skills, but he's also rather knowledgeable about Sharn(local) and the dragonmaked houses (lore). Plus, he can serve as a translator/ambassador thanks to knowing a couple of languages. Finally, with his connections to Orien and Lyrandar, he can help with any travel the group does end up needing.

Jynn
Male Changeling Bard (Flame Dancer) 2
CG humanoid (Changeling)
Init +3; Senses Dark Vision; Perception -1
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Defense
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AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +3 Dex,+1 natural armor)
hp 13 (2d8+0)
Fort +0, Ref +6, Will +2
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee claw +1 1d4
Ranged MWK Shortbow +5 1d6
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Statistics
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Str 10, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 9, Cha 17
Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 14/11Fl
Feats Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot
Traits Caretaker, Intense Artist Perform (String, Sing)
Skills: Acrobatics +1, Appraise +2, Bluff +9, Climb -2, Diplomacy +9, Disguise (Rank 2) +8, Heal (Rank 2) +5, Know Arcana +3, Know Dungeon +3, Know Eng +3, Know Geography +3, Know History +3, Know Local (Rank 1) +7, Know Nature (Rank 1) +7, Know Nobles (Rank 1) +7, Know Planes +3, Know Religion (Rank 1) +7, Linguistics (Rank 2) +7, Perception -1, Perform Dance (Rank 2) +8, Perform Sing (Rank 2) +9, Perform Strings (Rank 2) +9, Sense Motive -1, Spellcraft (Rank 2) +7, Stealth (Rank 2) +6, Swim -2, UMD (Rank 2) +8
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Orc, Sylvan
Combat Gear: Mwk Shortbow, Chain Shirt
Other Gear Explorer's outfit
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Special Abilities
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Bardic Knowledge +1
Bardic Performance 9 rounds/day
Bardic Performances: Distraction, Fascinate, Fire Dance, Inspire Courage +1
Darkvision 60ft
Green Widow +2 to Bluff vs those Sexually attracted to you
Intense Artist (Perform String, Sing)
Naive -2 to AC vs improvised weapons
Point-Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Versatile Performance (String Instruments) +9 Sub for Bluff or Diplomacy
Well Versed
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Spells
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Lvl 0: Detect Magic, Open/Close, Prestidigitation, Scrivener's Chant, Spark
Lvl 1 3/day: Charm Person, Cure Light Wounds, Unnatural Lust

With the war going on, legend spread up from battlefield to battlefield. Soldiers returning home to spend one last night with their family, only for their bodies to have been found on the battlefield dead for days longer then the last sighting of the person. Healers showing up and helping to tend to the wounded only to be found out they have died the day before on the battlefield. More and more of these stories keep cropping up throughout the war and though the war finished, still the legend grows to provide comfort and closure to the families or lovers of those who had gone missing in battle.
Jynn is the changeling behind the legend. Growing up at the bedside of a sick mother, he spent most of his early life at the healer's clinic. He saw what the world had to offer and the grim reality of what could happen in life...but he also saw the miracles that could happen and what just one more day with someone could do for other people. His curiosity pulled at him and began impersonating people's relatives often in the clinic. Sometimes it was to ease the heart of the patient but most of the time it was so he could learn. Learn the ways of a healer first hand.
He stole books to help him learn more and when his mother had passed and his reason for staying had left with her, he began to roam. The war had it's victims and he did what he could to help them, be it to pretend to be a soldier coming home to his family for one last night or slipping into the camp and healing others while impersonating a Military Healer. He was not infallible, he got caught once or twice in his life but with a bit of magic and with the kindness he had shown he always managed to make an escape before he could be imprisoned for his 'con'.

Jynn tends to rarely stay as his own personal self. He varies from day to day and situation to situation, not shying away from being elderly, youthful, female, male, other...whatever it took to do what he could to ease the pain of others.
That said, his true form he has shown to only a few. He had seen the way it unnerved people and it was hard to relax around others unless he was disguised. The few times he is, his skin is much like most of his race pale almost to the point of translucent and very lacking in features. His hair a long main of platinum, though he is only average in height and build.
His typical disguise is of one of his childhood friends from his youth. Young, well fit. Black hair, a little on the shaggy side with a beard to match. Fair complexion and rather tall, just a little over six feet tall. Though when he goes to purchase anything or to perform at a tavern he prefers the lithe features of a dainty fiery redheaded young lady with a modest figure and a soft voice that beckons to all.
When he is traveling he is typically wearing the attire of one of the poor soldiers that he had impersonated over the years, counting on the kindness of strangers to not look to closely out of respect and bandits to not target him out of fear of not being an easy mark.

He is extremely empathetic but at the same time very naive. He can't have a good time if someone else around him is upset or in their sorrows. He will do almost anything to help another person but balks at the idea fighting. He does most everything he can to avoid fighting and will very rarely engage in combat unless he knows it's unavoidable and even then he's unlikely to act quickly.
Because of his empathetic nature, he tends to avoid interacting with anyone if there is a funeral around or if there is a solemn holiday. But he is the first in line, and possible the second, and maybe the last in line to jump on any holiday that comes with a festival or celebration.

Male Halfling Dathamir: One of the first to catch him in the act. He is a military physician that noticed his deception but instead of ousting him or running him off, he taught him military code and conduct so that he could better personify in the future. Jynn sends him letters from time to time and even goes to visit his outpost now that the war is over though he does his best not to let him know it's actually him in disguise for the first few days.
Female Human Angelica: He once spend an evening disguised as her lover who had gone off to war and been killed in one of the earlier battles. He never got caught but you could say in a manner it was love at first sight. The picture he had found on the man was of a rather attractive woman and her personality could only expand upon her outer beauty. When the war was starting to see it's end, he found himself in her town again and again and balked up the courage to show her the real him once she had shown interest in him in disguise. He's never told her that he was the person who came to give her one last night with her beloved and it still eats him up inside but there are so few that changelings feel they can every truly trust and she was that for him.