Let the games begin!
Good luck, guys!
Good luck to all. :-)
::Slips the dice gods a extra candle to light in their honor::
Not asking, just saying oh mighty dice gods. ;P
But really good luck to all, hard choices and great work by my counting. ;)
Although not a religious man myself, there exists an interesting quote in the bible that states "Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last. So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."
I find this quote interesting because while many are called to this recruitment thread, only a few can be chosen.
However, what I don't agree with is the first part. Because sometimes the first is first, and the last is last.
Quarick Frezhal, the first character to be submitted to the game, has been chosen to set forth into Absalom, and apply his blade swiftly to the enemies and dangers that would threaten Golarion.
From a GM side, I love the idea of a gnomish melee based character. It throws itself in the face of the popular tropes of fantasy gaming and dares to be challenged. The race itself is more suitable for spellcasting, yet rarely a soul will step forward and do something different! I also liked the background a lot, and the idea of a clever and witty swashbuckling gnome really appealed to me.
So welcome Quarick to the campaign! I'm looking forward to seeing what the little guy has in store for us!
You can report to the discussion thread at your leisure and introduce yourself :)
The first has been named, rejoice and despair. Now there remain but five. xD
I shall try my best to actually be clever and witty....
I shall try my best to actually be clever and witty....
Failing that remember to duck...Oh. Carry on then good sir, and hopefully we won't have to patch you up too often.
Since our first selection was a character that flew in the face of gaming stereotypes, I thought it only appropriate that the second selection embrace those same common concepts.
Since I was a younger man I've loved reading fantasy novels. A select few can claim to be as influential to the early roots of tabletop gaming as the works of Tolkien and Fritz Leiber. I remember opening the original Deities and Demigods book as a kid and scouring through it for hours on end, fascinated with the characters and stories contained within it. One character in particular that I really loved was the Grey Mouser. I would later go on to read many of the novels of Fritz Leiber and really enjoyed how real his characters seemed to be.
So, embracing the trope of the atypical rogue, and even going so far as to almost emulate those magical abilities of the Mouser, we have our second selection.
Jonas Crow, the second character to be selected, has been chosen to work his craft in the service of those who seek to prevent foul things from happening to Absalom. With a dagger in one hand, a lockpick in the other, and hopefully no bolts in his rump, he bravely casts off the wealthy lifestyle of a Taldan noble and takes to the streets.
Jonas had a fantastic background and I really enjoyed the plight of the man who was to be a mage. I've played my fair share of rogues, but his take on the development of the character was interesting and unique, while sticking to old school RPG roots. I will have to say that the thought of a player posting from the other side of the globe has me worried about time sync, I'm going to throw caution to the wind and see what he has in store for us.
So, welcome Jonas to the campaign! May his hands stay free of any guarded pockets and his dagger remain sharp.
You can report to the discussion thread at your leisure and introduce yourself!
Ooooooooh the suspense is killing me! Congrats to the first two!
AlsoI'vebeenreadingbackstoriesnowthatIhavesomefreetimeandJonasandHanz'sstor iescouldbewoventogetherinreallyinterestingandcoolways...justsayn :P
Good luck again, everyone! I'll check in again later today...
I've played dozens and dozens of characters in my way too many years of gaming, and have pretty much tried it all at one point or another. However, my most memorable character was a ranger/druid that I played in a campaign that spanned the 4 years I was stationed in Germany. It was epic in scope, awesome in content, and the most memorable gaming experience I have had to this day.
The thing that made that character so unique for me? It was my first time playing a character of the opposite sex. Thayla Blackraven was created on a lark, I wanted to try something different. But what I found out was that there was nothing wrong with playing "outside of your wheelhouse" so to speak. She actually had an affair with a nobleman in game, and it forced me to work through the awkwardness of such an encounter from the opposite side of the whole gender thing. If anything, the experience of playing her helped me expand my gaming horizons, and allowed me to feel comfortable in thinking outside of the box.
All good adventuring groups need a female influence. From being the one to keep the rowdy boys in line, to being the charming one to turn the head of that one troublesome noble who holds the key to the next objective. It doesn't matter if the player is male or female, as long as they can embrace the role!
Tsura Vhiski , the third character to be selected, is also our first female character to join the campaign. Fighting her way up from the streets of Absalom, and a dark and heavy past, she shines anew with Sarenrae's light, a beacon for others to follow and a proper role-model for many paladins.
I very much enjoyed reading about Tsura's sorted past, and the involvement of a potential criminal element looking to get revenge really fits well into the actual storyline, even if the player wasn't aware of it at all! The idea of a mind blade being the representation of Sarenrae's chosen weapon was a very cool take on the class, and one I can totally get behind. Soulknives form their weapons from sheer will, and as many know, if you believe in something strongly enough, anything is possible.
So please welcome Tsura to the campaign. May she keep these the charming swashbucker and the rough-edged rogue in check, guiding them towards the light of the Dawnflower.
You can report to the discussion thread at your leisure and introduce yourself!
And now I have to take a break, for afternoon meetings threaten all of my gaming fun. :/
Yayyyyyy!
So half their number are chosen. The wicked goblin rest with sweet thoughts of our anguish, soothing him to sleep. xD
As we pass the halfway point, this gets harder and harder for me as a GM. I know many of you won't be chosen, and it sucks. I've been on the opposite side of the selection process more times than I care to recall, and its no fun when you don't make the final cut. Take heart that each of you are totally worthy, you wouldn't have made my list at all if you weren't. There was just something about the applicants that did get picked that struck a personal chord with me.
With that, it's time to move on to the next character. This one was actually a struggle for me. I had all of my plans for how the selection process would go, how I would select a party, and what it would look like in the end. I had plans. I had a vision. And then it got all mucked up.
I love characters with flaws. I love it even more when they can be properly played. It's fine in concept to have a dwarf that loves orcs, or a gnome that hates magic, but to truly be able to bring a flawed character to life is a rare gift. I'm taking a gamble that the player behind this character can pull it off. I think they can, but we shall see.
Elxurian is my fourth selection, and our second female character. A paladin who is running from a dark past, one that might not be done with her just yet. She stands in the face of evil, ready to drive it from the face of Golarion. But isn't it true that to understand evil you need to have experienced it yourself?
I gushed over this background. It was damn near poetry to me in terms of character backgrounds, and I loved every word. It was this haunted past and potential future that set Elxurian apart from other applicants. Not everyone is perfect, and to really embrace those imperfections will be a challenge. It was this that made me decide to break from my plans, and add a third melee applicant. That of course means that something somewhere else has to give unfortunately. One role is going to be up to the gods to fill.
So please welcome Elxurian to the campaign. May her past be a foundation of growth for her, and may she continue to strive to follow the light of the Inheritor.
You can report to the discussion thread at your leisure and introduce yourself!
This.... Is.... Intense!
Who announces character selections like this ever? I feel like those selected are winning awards!
Fingers so crossed, I think I've permanently braided them.
If you're this descriptive with the announcements, this game is going to be epic!
He is doing a fantastic job of making tension for us. Ugh, if picked it seems like it is only gonna make the honor sweeter.
This is so suspenseful, I love that you take the time to go over a tittle bit of why you pick each character.
also, pleaspickmepleaspickmepleaspickme
Suddenly, Vincent, I feel a bit more hope at your redacted statement, because I'm Divine and Range!
Eh, I didn't feel right about dropping that in there. But yea, I feel your pain though I am more of a skill/ranged. With the ability for melee help if ranged isn't super possible or useful in the situation >.<. I am not sure how anyone else is handling the suspense. BLAAAAAAAAARGHHHHh Think happy thoughts >.<. If the Gm wanted that out there then he would've put it out there was why I pulled it. Though anyone who took a minute or two to check out the recruitment so far would know.
What started as me working through applications one group at a time to determine who was going to be going on to join the game seems to have turned into a suspense novel. Rest assured that was never my intention. If this would have been as easy as 1, 2, 3, then I would have had it over and done from the beginning. But, this has been a very tough set of calls to make.
Now, on to the next decision. Who makes number five? We had a bunch of great arcane applicants, and I firmly believe that any good group has a solid arcane caster in their back ranks. But who would be the best fit? I also had to take into consideration the previous four characters that were chosen. Who would compliment them the best? The arcane applicants were all so good, with some of the most complicated concepts submitted.
In the end this one came down to a bit of a GM greed type of decision more than anything. Of all the groups this was the hardest to select from, because I knew I could only have one. My reason for this selection was twofold. One, I am familiar with the player, and greatly enjoy their antics in a different game that I run. That might not be totally fair, but there's something to be said for having a somewhat familiar face in the crowd. Second, they suggested a character concept that is totally new to me, and I've seen just about all of them. As much as I think it might overload the group in a specific area, I feel that can be dealt with. I want to see how it comes together.
Penka "Prebleached" Bashment makes our fifth character to join the campaign. With her stalwart companion "Tree", she strides into Absalom, completely out of her element. Yet she brings the voice of nature to the group, a bit of the natural in a city full of unnatural things.
Penka was submitted as a concept that is currently not legal for Pathfinder, an archtype released prior to Unchained, but made to work with Unchained. I enjoy the challenge of working with new character concepts, and this one is being handled by a player that knows it best. Penka was more a choice about the player, and less about the character, as I mentioned earlier. His goblin Gretcha in my Rise of the Greenskins PbP game is a riot, and I knew that with another gnome already in the group, this was a good marriage of situations. Do I have reservations about a summoner in a group with four melee combatants? Absolutely! But I also tend to look at things more from a character perspective, and less from a "does this all make sense" perspective. And in this case, I see lots of potential. And who knows, maybe I can talk him into taking a few levels of bard. :)
So please, welcome Penka "Prebleached" Bashment to the campaign. May Tree stand tall in the face of unrelenting evil, and shelter the poor gnome from all danger. And, may he be decorated festively in the winter, as is his lot in life!
You can report to the discussion thread at your leisure and introduce yourself!
That leaves us the final selection. The hardest pick I will have to make, since it means that anyone else is unfortunately unable to join. I wish I had the time to run two games, because I could make a killer second group...
ah well, I tried; too bad, this one sounded like a lot of fun
All good things must end. And so this recruitment thread comes to a close. Once again, I want to offer my sincerest thanks to everyone that applied. You all had awesome concepts and I really hate to turn any of you away. One thing to note, if we do have any drops in the future I will be turning to the applicants here for replacements. Hopefully we won't have that issue, but I'll keep in touch if we do.
So we get to the last character. This position was all but wrapped up and in the bag until this morning. I had my pick, and someone ruined it.
As I mentioned in the first selection, I love characters that are not your typical trope. Interesting takes on stereotypical races and classes really catch my eye. To me it says you are creative, can think outside the box, and are willing to be different and strange at the risk of someone thinking your idea is crazy. So many characters come from Varisia, or Taldor, or Cheliax. Very rare is it to see one come from one of the most inhospitable and strange locations on Golarion. Even rarer is it when they are a completely unexpected mix of race and class.
Hanz Deadshield makes our final character to join the campaign. With the might of the Arcanamirium behind him, and fierce desire pushing him along, he stands as a newcomer in Absalom, but one with a powerful backing.
Hanz almost didn't make the cut, coming in at the very heels of recruitment. However, what his player had put together was absolutely awesome in terms of a character background. A dwarf from the mana wastes? Totally new and interesting, and he was an Inquisitor to boot! I personally love Brigh as a deity, and was stoked to see that as his selection. I get a really interesting "Van Helsing" vibe from the character, and that to me is very cool. And he's a dwarf, I love dwarves! I'm running a Giantslayer game with not a single dwarf and it makes me so damn sad. He also brings with him some interesting baggage, and a pair of enemies that completely fit into the storyline. I love it when players help write the game, and enemies can sometimes help shape what was already cooking in your head.
So please, welcome Hanz Deadshield to the campaign. In a city that is filled with ancient magic and strange powers, the witch hunter will find no lack of quarry to hunt. Now to convince him that a repeating crossbow is where it's at!
You can report to the discussion thread at your leisure and introduce yourself!
So Hanz fills the final slot, and actually makes an appropriate selection. One part divine, one part ranged, with a smattering of skills, he helps fill several gaps without really taking too much spotlight.
What does this mean for the group? Well, they are very melee oriented, but this could be an advantage given the nature of the campaign. They'll have two divine capable characters, a strong skilled character with several skilled supporting characters, and a summoner who could really prove to be an interesting addition from an arcane perspective.
All in all, I am happy with how it turned out. I think everyone will have a wonderfully good time.
To everyone else, it was truly a pleasure. I wish you all only the best!
Thanks for the opportunity to be considered - sounds like this will be one of those all time great games. Congrats and enjoy!!!
Damn...wicked method of selection, Trips. I will definitely make use of it in the future.
Job job everyone who made it. I hope the game is long and prosperous.
Often is the case, in being left at the wayside after the end of a recruitment, that I find myself with a sour embittered feeling. This time, I'm genuinely happy for the successful recruits, and it's directly related to your narration of thoughts regarding your selection process.
Have fun you guys! I'll be watching to see the game play!
I have no words to describe how great the selection was. Some guys would certainly have a heart attack if you took 1 day to announce each selected character, me included ^_^
Well done everyone!
As always congrats to those that made it. Good luck to those that did not. Really can't say much else really. ;)
Hooray! Thank you so much, Captain Trips! I can't wait to play--and thanks to everyone who came out for the recruitment!
And yes, Walter, I would definitely have had a stress-related conniption. :P
have fun all seams like it's going to be a grate game
For those interested, I'm re-opening recruitment to fill 1-2 open spots.
I'll be taking submissions for the next few days or until such time as I find a good fit for the party.
If you are a returning applicant from the initial recruitment, just post here that you are still interested.
If you are a new applicant, please see my first post for requirements and guidelines. The only difference is you would be starting at level 2 and would get an additional 500gp to spend as you see fit.
I'll make this very clear, I'm looking for daily posters with a strong history of activity on the boards. Good roleplay is a must. All other notes and suggestions are in my original recruitment post.
Thanks!
An interesting plot, still in the beginning! It was very weird to have such a well selected group experience problems with posting frequency...
Anyway, we still have a lot to learn and could use other people that interact a lot, be it with players, NPCs or the scenario.
Dotting interest, however I don't have any PbP Campaign experience (I.e. I have yet to join a game on these boards)..... Yet.
Very interested, considering a Magus for submission. Might need a day or two to perfect his/her backstory though before full submission.
well if i can i would like to jump in with my goblin that i had earlier ^_^
I would still be interested if you would consider me still. My character was Darnarian Irithyl Elven Slayer, last post on page 2.
He would pick up in the skills section Swim, Know Local, and Heal. All other skills would increase except Climb, Disguise, and Know Geography would all stay at rank 1.
A healer would be nice...
*awkward wink*
Correct me if I am wrong but don't you have a Warpriest and a Paladin that are capable of healing? Or are you finding that the healing they provide is still not enough?
That warpriest who is on the "character" list just dotted the tread this week to follow it, and is not part of the game (as far as I know, unless the gm has plans which his post in the gameplay thread indicated. He was one of the applicants for the game after all), so all we have is 3 Lay on Hands a day, since I'm not a very charismatic paladin... Those were spent in the first battle of the day already, so you can imagine how bad is the situation...
I think I'll wait for the GM to drop by and confirm whether you have a Warpriest or not. I'll mull over playing a cleric or Life Oracle, although healbot characters generally get boring. Thanks for letting us know you are struggling with healing, the GMs character creation rules outline that you can start off with a 1st level wand with 25 charges, so that might be worth looking into. Hmmmmm.
I'm Still interested.
The party in character might not know it yet, but yes, there is a warpriest waiting in the wings.
The party composition is pretty solid, so almost any class will fit. A more offensively oriented arcane class would be a benefit, as would someone with melee skills. Two of our players are currently gravitating towards ranged attacks, so any more in that area would be a bit redundant.
@Ruik, Nathan, and Vincent - Noted that you are still interested. Thanks :)
A more offensively oriented arcane class would be a benefit, as would someone with melee skills.
Sounds like a magus is needed ;)
Working on it ^_^
I finished! Took forever to write up, but it was definitely well worth it, and very exciting.
Electra Nimue
Female half-elf magus (hexcrafter) 2 (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 9, 48)
CG Medium humanoid (elf, human)
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +4
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Defense
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AC 14, touch 10, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor)
hp 16 (2d8+2)
Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +3; +2 vs. enchantments
Immune sleep
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee mwk katana +4 (1d8+2/18-20)
Special Attacks arcane pool (+1, 5 points), spell combat, spellstrike
Magus (Hexcrafter) Spells Prepared (CL 2nd; concentration +6)
1st—shield, shocking grasp (2)
0 (at will)—dancing lights, detect magic, prestidigitation, read magic
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Statistics
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Str 14, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 19, Wis 10, Cha 10
Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 13
Feats Intensified Spell[APG]
Traits elven reflexes, magical lineage
Skills Bluff +2, Craft (calligraphy) +9, Craft (painting) +9, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (planes) +9, Perception +4, Spellcraft +9; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception
Languages Common, Elven, Polyglot, Sylvan, Thassilonian, Varisian
SQ arcane training, elf blood, hex arcana
Other Gear chain shirt, mwk katana, 100 gp
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Special Abilities
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Arcane Pool +1 (5/day) (Su) Infuse own power into a held weapon, granting enhancement bonus or selected item powers.
Arcane Training +1 CL for spell trigger/completion items for favored class, or use them as if 1st level.
Elf Blood Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects.
Hex Arcana You can substitute Hexes for Magus Arcana.
Intensified Spell You can cast a spell that can exceed its normal damage die cap by 5 (if you have the caster level to reach beyond that cap).
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Magical Lineage (Shocking Grasp) A chosen spell counts as 1 level lower when metamagic feats are applied to it.
Spell Combat (Ex) Use a weapon with one hand at -2 and cast a spell with the other.
Spellstrike (Su) Deliver touch spells as part of a melee attack.
Electra Nimue was born into an elf tribe living around the edge of the Mwangi Expanse. The result of a casual relationship between her elven mother and human father, Electra never really got to know her father, with her mother departing when she fell pregnant. The split was a source of endless discussion when Electra was a young girl, with some of the tribe’s elders wondering if she could handle the pressures of living with a race that had a much longer lifespan than she would. Such discussions were hard on Electra’s mother as well, Tamarie, but she always rejected suggestions that it might be kinder to send the child to live with her father.
In order to counter speculations that she might be more ‘flawed’ that a pure elf, Electra sought to prove she was equal to any task an elf would set her. Skilled in both the sword and in arcane arts, Electra was particularly fortunate to inherit an appreciation of art and culture. Often, her tutors would be forced to remark with grudging respect that her sketches or paintings where the equal of anyone else, a remarkable achievement given her tender age.
Unfortunately for Electra, no matter how skilful her magic was, how swift her blade danced, or how beautifully she could paint, such accomplishments never truly won her friends among the other elves that might have been closer (relatively speaking), to her own age. Ironically, in an attempt to prove that her half human heritage was no barrier, she ended up alienating others with her achievements, isolating herself. Electra would often feel frustrated about this, reflecting that she felt unable to please both parties, or as her father apparently would often say “A good compromise leaves everyone unhappy”.
Due to her difficulty to form lasting friendships among people within the tribe, Electra would often spend large amounts of time outdoors, alternating between practising magic on her own, or sketching the wonderful mysteries of nature. It was during the latter, roaming the edges of the Expanse, when Electra accidently ran right into a cluster of humans. Curious, she picked her way forward to meet them, but only too late did she realises that these humans were not on a humble scouting trip, they were pirates, prowling the outskirts in search of slaves.
Electra did not go down easily, slashing with her blade, while blasting away with lightning, but unfortunately it was never enough. Bound, and dragged to the ship, Electra spent three weeks on board that ship, in cramped conditions shared with twenty five other slaves. There was no privacy, very little hygiene, and several crew members bore ill will toward Electra, who had wounded some of them. The confinement alone, for someone who had spent her whole life running through large open spaces almost drew Electra into madness, until she almost wept with happiness upon learning they had finally docked in Port Peril.
Almost.
Electra was sold shortly after, still utterly disorientated from the sights and smells of a large city. Her master was a cruel man, who owned several slaves and treated them all harshly. On arrival, Electra was branded on her upper right shoulder, with the letter S, a mark that would always remind her of what she was and who she belonged to. By day, Electra toiled at whatever tasks her master wanted her to do, by night, she slept in what was little more than a cage, suitable for a wild animal. For Electra, it was like being back on the ship again, but instead of her mind breaking, she began to think up a plan. Knowing that being locked up every night would never grant her eventual freedom, Electra worked towards her goal of becoming a bed slave, hoping the greater freedom in the night would open up new avenues for escape. She made herself indispensable to her master, hiding her true feelings behind a mask of pure obedience and faked happiness. Her time quickly arrived when her master drunk too much one night, and Electra simply used the only thing she had ready, a pillow, and ended his hold over here.
Despite carrying out the goal that had sustained her for her time as a slave, Electra was disappointed to learn that her situation did not actually change. Her master was dead, but she was still unable to escape, and if she was caught, it would be a simple matter to either return her, or kill her. Therefore she stayed right within her effective prison, waiting for someone to discover the body, and promptly acted hysterical. All of her former masters slaves were packed off to the nearest slave market, sold to clear any debts he might have incurred, and so Electra passed from one master to the next.
This time, Electra was slightly more fortunate. Her new owners were much nicer, a high society couple that lived in Absalom. The couple, Lord Belhorn Arroway and Lady Eilora Carter lived together, but kept separate affairs under their agreed relationship. There, Electra largely worked in the guardian, or rather more simple tasks such as arranging flower displays or the like. Electra was still rather anxious of being in the middle of a city again; the large crowds stressed her out, and as a result, spent much of her time on the estate. Her lodgings were much better however, with three meals a day, and a proper bed of her own, with a window set into a wall that would catch the sun and allow her to gaze across the city. With her free time, Electra would spend as much time as she could looking out the window, drawing what she could see and hiding her sketches under the bed should she hear anyone come knocking.
Life continued for Electra, but in due course a maid discovered her drawings, and showed them to her owners. Appreciators of art, they recognised the talent Electra had, and realised that she could earn a tidy profit for them. Still bound to her owner’s will, Electra reluctantly agreed to draw and paint, on the condition that her work would be displayed in its own miniature gallery, which was accepted by Lady Eilora. As Electra continued to create remarkable artwork, interest began trickling in from interested parties, including one gentleman that only seemed to exclusively buy the half-elf’s work. Lord Belhorn, keen to expand this money making venture, managed to use his connections to grant the art far more visability than an unknown artist would normally get, and indeed, as interest grew, several high society folk prearranged to buy a collection of Electra’s latest work, art that Electra had not yet started. It was at precisely this moment that Electra had enough. She was worried that her owners would bleed her of all the money she could possibly make and then sell her off at a profit, and she could end up with someone much worse. She claimed that she no longer had that interest to continue her sketching or painting, something that immediately triggered alarm from Lord Belhorn, worried he would miss out on this latest advance. After a week of threats, punishments and bribes, Electra finally relented, promising to paint her best work, provided she was left alone while she worked. Many more negotiations immediately followed this but eventually Electra was granted her request, and she disappeared into her room, effectively vanishing from sight.
Electra worked tirelessly, not rushing her craft, preferring to take the time to ensure that it would live up to her vow that the finished product would be a true masterpiece. By the time Electra had finished, one painting had turned into an entire collection, with accompanying material. At long last, Electra finally unveiled her creation to her owners and waited for the response. There was a long silence…and then Lord Belhorn began to laugh.
True to her word, Electra had painted her best work yet, but the work itself was unsellable. Her artwork depicted where she had lived, her mother, prominent members of the tribe where she had lived, with some of her favourite natural scenes, artwork depicting the boat trip back to the Shackles, the slave market, her lodgings with her old master, and many more. The paintings themselves were almost priceless because they were entirely Electra’s experiences, and only she could appreciate them for what they were. The artwork was uncompromising on its stance and depiction of slavery, as well as its reflection upon Electra herself, as an illegally obtained slave. The couple had laughed because they had realised Electra had manipulated them from the start, her refusal to paint had been a falsehood, merely to build up expectations, to find buyers for artwork merely to be finished, only to create a gallery of unsellable artwork. Reflecting upon Electra’s condition, as well as the money she had already made them from prior works, the couple promptly granted Electra her freedom, the dream she had been building towards for years.
Freedom however, as Electra discovered, was almost a bittersweet notion. She was adrift in a strange city, yet it was a city she felt she knew, after having spent time painting it from her window. She contacted her mother, shielding her from the details but informing her that she was in good health, but otherwise Electra did nothing for several weeks after her granted freedom, feeling rudderless. Eventually, she came to the conclusion that she did not want to go home, not back to a life where she was largely isolated. She decided she would do her part at limiting the spread of slavery, and she decided that Absalom would be a good place to start. Making contact with the Eagle Knights was her first step, and she used some of the money Lord Belhorn Arroway and Lady Eilora Carter gave her, to own a blade again, as well as replace her old spellbook. To begin with, Electra participated on relatively smaller missions with the Eagle Knights, but continued to paint in her spare time, using the money from sold works to go towards a small fund for buying and immediately freeing slaves. In time however, Electra reasoned, she would look forward to taking a more direct role on the slavers (and pirates) that had destroyed her life, and relish her revenge.
I thought long and hard about this and decided that due to Electra effectively being uprooted and being transplanted in Absalom, her circle of friends is exceptionally small. Therefore, I consider Lady Eilora to be a close friend to Electra. Despite being her old master, Electra still feels gratitude toward her, for treating her well when she was under the Lady’s care, as well as obviously freeing her. The relationship is a complex one; since Electra makes no secret that she dislikes slavery, but prefers to focus that anger toward the actual slaver, rather than those that buy into slavery. Lady Eilora strongly councils Electra to go a diplomatic route rather than charging headfirst into battle, hair flying and sword swinging, and up until now, Electra has done as she has suggested. She is still relatively new to the city, how it works, the movers and the shakers, and Lady Eilora is a casual teacher of this to Electra. In exchange, Electra freely donates her artwork to Eilora, and, if a slave should fall into Electra’s care, a slave that actually wants to work (say, to pay off a debt), then Electra will grudgingly recommend this person to Lady Eilora, someone she knows is a fair master.
I’m going to preface this by saying that I generally don’t feel too comfortable going into detail about things my character shouldn’t know. Besides, I feel that the GM himself is best qualified to decide how something can fit into the game, what can be twisted or spun and what couldn’t. That said, I did slip a mention of an Unknown Friend into her backstory, it’s the unknown benefactor that insisted on solely buying so much of Electra’s art. This person is rich, he (I subconsciously wrote this person up as a him but it could easily be a she) thinks long term, and financed the artwork because he believed raising Electra’s profile would aid her in eventually being released, either by having the income to claim freedom, or by having a public profile high enough that she could claim it under her own merit. This makes this Unknown friend, someone that is either very anti-slavery, or just someone that really didn’t want Electra running around as a slave. This is the person, who moved behind the scenes and somehow allowed Electra to avoid being fingered for killing her old master. He put her in touch with the Eagle Knights (being innocent of the city, Electra would have asked someone for aid in making contact with them inside Absalom), and feeds information to Lady Eilora who he knows is a close friend of Electra, and predicts that such information will gradually filter down to her. I can flesh this person out a little more if requested, but again, as I said above, prefer it if I knew as little as possible about this friend.
Xander Moore, the elf Pirate captain that had her captured in the first place, is an excellent example of a skilled enemy for Electra. Xander Moore disliked her from the start, ever since she put up that fight just outside the beach. She was one little half elf, again a team of experienced pirates, and while he eventually succeeded in capturing her, the wounds suffered made him and his crew look unprepared, it was a loss of purely professional pride.
So Xander beats her, and generally makes her life miserable while she is on his ship. He watches gleefully as she gets sold off to someone he knows abuses his slaves, and takes glee in stopping by, just so he can remind Electra of her place in the world, a slave, someone worth only licking his boots. Therefore, imagine his anger when he finds out Electra slew her master, escaped punishment, and somehow ended up as a slave to a high society couple, sure, she might have still been a slave, but he wanted more than that, he wants her to suffer.
Electra on the other hand, wants exactly the same thing. Indeed, one of the first things she did after gaining her freedom was attempt to locate Xander, keen to clear up some unfinished business. Of course, she ultimately failed in this endeavour, and Xander fast slips from her mind, never truly forgotten, but always pushed to one side as she deals with my urgent matters. Xander himself still views Electra as a slave, except it’s become more person since they last met. Electra has graduated from merely a slave to “Xander’s” slave, and Xander plans to teach Electra some respect. The issue is further complicated by Xander’s status as a pure elf, where Electra is effectively a half breed bastard. The clash between the two of them is both on a personal and racial level, going back to Electra’s childhood she believed herself the equal of any elf, something that was obviously disputed. Xander fully intends to rectify this as soon as he can.
I don’t want to step too far ahead, but when reflecting on Electra I realised that it was entirely possible that her original capture could be orchestrated. She was the only half elf in that tribe, and it was common knowledge that she was a loner. In addition, Electra hasn’t really made a lot of friends, in contrast to the people she pissed off, ranging from some of the elves she might have shown up, to the pirates she wounded defending herself, to any acquaintance, family or otherwise, to her original master, to the powerful slavery lobby in Absalom. Again, I don’t want to go into too much detail on this, because it’s always nice being surprised by some BBEG that’s been toying with you for years, but I really do feel that it should be someone that really loathes Electra, someone that has been attempting to pull her strings for quite some time now, but really enjoys tormenting her. Typically, I’d prefer it if this person was consistently two steps ahead of Electra, he succeeded (after all), to drag her away her tribe, he succeeded in fixing her up with an owner that could have easily eventually killed Electra herself, he succeeded in Electra ending up in an unfamiliar city, and he did all of this without her realising exactly who is yanking her chain. In short, everything has so far gone according to plan, all that remains, is the next move…
In an earlier draft of Electra's backstory, she and her family were complete and together. I realised however, that there was a really good opportunity for her father to show up later, as either an enemy or a friend. The nature of the relationship is up in the air, Electra doesn't know what he looks like, but she was taken away from her father as a child, so there is equal opportunity for hate or love in there. Of course, he might not show up at all, maybe he becomes a pressure point later on, or anything really, but I just wanted to mention that the dynamic there is something I wouldn't mind exploring if it cropped up. I think he works better as an unknown, mostly because Electra doesn't even know what he looks like, and I avoided directly putting him in my unknown friend/enemy list as explained earlier, I feel its better to maintain a surprise.
Electra barely joined the Eagle Knights, and has really only been on basic missions, mostly to observe and learn how things are done. Her superior is a man called Riley, and while he recognises Electra's enthusiasm and personal interest, he is being particularly careful that it doesn't turn into a reckless revenging rampage. Hence the rather small, low key missions. Hence the observing role, so Electra learns the correct approach to sensitive matters, ideally before she gets herself into trouble.
I'm pretty experienced with PbP, but full disclosure, I live in New Zealand, which might have the worst time zone in the world for online events. I'm generally pretty active throughout the day, and could manage 2 posts a day without that much trouble. I like roleplay, mostly because its exceptionally fun, you spend time building a character full of backstory, then you go out there and really use it with positive interaction. On any occasion where I am sick, or might have limited access, I'm always warn anyone first, although I don't recall anything there being any significant drop. I'm mostly active Monday to Friday, with weekends being a little more complicated but activity shouldn't be a problem there either.
Electra is an arcane melee warrior. She feels perfectly happy in the thick of combat, although she would prefer dancing around the edges of melee, as opposed to charging into the middle of the fray on her own, as she is a little frail. In later levels, she can get access to some of the more powerful hexes which give her a little more battlefield control, and even later she can get a little more utility from them, such as picking up a Major Healing hex.
