Saga of the Taighean Dubha - a Reign of Winter PbP (Inactive)

Game Master Mark Sweetman


201 to 250 of 457 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | next > last >>

I think you broke it again Meowzebub ;)

Magnus Donarson:
  • Is the breastplate originally his or taken from the chief's son? - if so, were the decorations of stags and such of his own making?
  • What weapons does he bear specifically? - and are they named?
  • Is he now estranged from his father?

HengistSaxon:
  • Was there a tangible way that the gods refused to answer your clan's cries? If so, which gods refused the call - and was there a reason?
  • He has ink stains on his fingers and nose... what from?
  • Is the art he appreciates functional? - like a well forged hammer, or is it ethereal? - like a well spoken verse?

stormraven:
  • What brought Rikka from the Ironbound Isles to where the PbP will start?
  • Do you have a tangible reason for the gold dragon ancestry and why Zarzanna raised her with a purpose?
  • Could you roleplay the fox emerging and turning back into a tattoo?

Willow Earthsong:
  • Does Willow distinguish in her worship between the two aspects of Gozreh? Does she favour one over the other, or is she balanced?
  • Does Willow tend to stick to her own kind (gnomes) or has she made friends across into Ulfen or Dwarven communities?
  • What animal does Willow most closely identify?

wakedown:
  • Have you considered Magrim as a deity?
  • Given his tendency to be a homebody... what would it take to get him out of the house and traipsing all over Golarion?... death of a family member?
  • Has Kelgar swung his hammer in anger? - in what circumstance?

That'll do for tonight... Josh Shrader is next up for the magnifying glass :)


Answers:
1. What do you mean by tangible refusal? The Clan does not know why the Gods abandoned them. All they know is Baba Yaga came with Giants and a Linnorm, and drove them out of their homes and Men abandoned their alliance in what is now Irrisen. And the Gods were silent. As for what gods they worshiped, I'd say most of the typical surface Dwarf Patheon with special emphasis on Torag, Magrim,and Angradd. 2. He appreciates both functional art and ephemeral art. The ink-stains are from his writings. He's better at wielding a hammer than a quill, but while his written hand leaves something to be desired, his verses are solid and he is Rune-wise, like the Dwarves in the Sagas.

Grand Lodge

Updates:

The witch was mostly a hermit, but would visit wih the giants and offer poultices and remedies. She would not, however, visit towns with him, though she seemed to have decent knowledge of these places.

She herself was human, but tended not to teach him of the ancient feuds of his kin. But rather, she focused on teaching him more about his crafts, skills, and good for the sake of good.

The moon whispers teach him more about the wisdom of the world, they help to keep him grounded. They also teach him that darkness is his ally, and a tool to be used often. He considers it his mother, of sorts, now that the witch has passed on. He is a very spiritual person, but knows little about the pantheon of the outside world.


Thank you for the feedback! Get back to me if there are any more questions or comments. And once again, thank you for the consideration!


DM, is Kellyn complete?


1 person marked this as a favorite.

I'm not applying, but I just wanted to say that I love the way you've set up motivation for character submissions. Very nice indeed.


DM Voice:

Does Willow distinguish in her worship between the two aspects of Gozreh? Does she favour one over the other, or is she balanced?

Willow tends to favour Gozreh's aspect as god of the storm and sky over the goddess of the waves and surf aspect, though she does try to pay homage to both so as not to cause offense. However, she has a bit of a hard time affording the same respect to the aspect that has never really affected her daily life since she has never lived near an ocean or even a large body of water.

Does Willow tend to stick to her own kind (gnomes) or has she made friends across into Ulfen or Dwarven communities?

It took her a little while to warm up to the other races, but she has managed to make a few friends among the other communities, mostly those who either share her worship of Gozreh or her love of animals. She is still most comfortable around her own kind, followed by the dwarves and is still the least comfortable among Ulfen. In fact, it seems that her level of comfort is directly related to the height of the individual she is dealing with. She tends to feel intimidated by those who tower over her and has a bit of a fear of being stepped on.

What animal does Willow most closely identify?

Ermine.


Like Meow I'm in danger of overloading the spoilers so have broken my submission up;

Skapleikr (Personality):

”Í the Norður við segja there ert lausaleiksbarn við fæðing og lausaleiksbarn við náttúran. ÉG er báðir.”

In the North we say there are bastards by birth and bastards by nature. I am both.

Skane’s personality has been crudely hammered like a lump of pig iron in the forge of Gorum. As one of the many bastard sons of Ingvâr Sharptunga - an infamous skald of the Bildt, Skäne's youth was a series of blood feuds, holmgangs and ultimately exile - all caused by his father’s questionable honour, ill repute and treacherous words.

Growing up in that has made the boy a hard-bitten youth, as cold as the land that spawned him. Marked as a dishonoured outlaw and forced to leave kith and kin made the youth a man bitter as The Steaming Sea’s howling winds that he left at his back.

Unlike most Ulfen who will war and laugh in equal measure, Skane is a scowling, sour tempered, melancholy soul. For here is a man who trades in red handed deeds, yet has no love of killing. Gruff and sullen yet simple in tastes, vices and desires; Skane is no hero in the making with lofty ideas of Jarldoms or a name recorded in the Sagas. He simply wishes to return to his once homeland to recover lost honour, face the fates and find peace in life or death. Here is a man for whom the North means everything and nothing in equal measure...

Hagr: hvárr Vel und Illr (Character: both Good & Bad):

Taken the liberty to suggest how/why these warrent ability increases/penalties oh Jarl of the Voiceless :)

To those that knew them both Skane’s force of personality is one inherent from his skald father Ingvâr Sharptunga. He has a talent for word play and as a mercenary and duellist the gruff Vikingr is well versed in the art of flyting and intimidation and savours indulging in both. (Charisma +)

Though without the honour of the North, Skane does have his own code. The exiled Ulfen has learned the value of convention and reputation whilst campaigning in Taldor. As such he is perhaps more measured and principled than many Ulfen, particularly warriors, folk may have encountered. (Wisdom +)

Skane disdains the written word. He cares little for those that peddle in letters and words, and while he begrudgingly recognises their value in the world, he distrusts their use, seeing the treachery and damage wrought by his father’s poisoned prose in all scripts and learning. (Intelligence -)

Although only 23 winters old Skane has fought, battle and scrapped for well over a decade. As such he wears life like a heavy cloak and carries himself like a much older man physically. He routinely rubs gnomish linament into his aching body and the constant pain only adds to his bad temper. (Treat as Middle Aged/One Age category higher)

Lérept gera der Norðanmann (Clothes make the Northman):

Skäne as I see him

Skäne Ingvârssonn appears to be the archetypal Viking; Tall and brawny who bears a number of scars, wears his wild reddish-blond hair braided and sports an unkempt beard which frames his slate blue eyes. He bears with him a strong smell of liniment and a grim countenance.

About his person he wears a battered leather coat reinforced with iron plates and overlayed with a fur cloak that has seen better days. Skane's waist and thighs are further protected by armoured kilt of Easterner design. The inside of his coat clinks with a due of throwing axes, and at his hip sits a traditional blade of the shieldwall butcher; the Scramaseax. In his gnarled hands Skäne holds a bearded battleaxe whose sharp blade is bitten with use and the signature wooden shield of the Viking reaver - upon its face a faded white lion of Taldor.

By his fur trimmed boot is propped a weather-beaten pack. Stuffed within lie a blanket of a similar flea bitten fur as upon his cloak, outdoorsman gear and some basic rations. Other more mundane items decorate a wide belt; 2 horns – one for drinking and one for signalling nestle beside belt pouches holding treasure and items treasured (see Afi’s Pīpa below)

Afi’s Pīpa (Grandfather’s Pipe):

Skäne carries little from his past life in the North, save enduring aching limbs and numerous scars. One item though he does treasure; the Pīpa (pipe) of his grandfather. The long Darkwood pipe represents more than a keepsake of a loved relative – it is a taste and smell of home, of times by the langhus fire as a carefree child, before the dark days and darker deeds. To Skäne it represents honour and family, things lost but never forgotten whenever smoked.

Whether real or just a figment of childish imagination, whenever smoked the pipe (regardless of tobacco or location) seems to take Skäne back to a happier time and brings on a much more relaxed state of mind (until snapped back to reality) – would make him reminisce of halcyon days whilst puffing on Afi’s Pīpa


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I am going to try to repeat it here to keep it together, might go to two posts, because it might be a post limit and not a spoiler limit I am up against. I blame you VoV as you my muse for this.

Story:

Cearb entered the mead hall, a fortnight custom to hear the word of the town, to barter his scrimshaw, and see those who cast an understanding eye his way. Never wary of scaling the ale barrel, he brandishes his horn and prepares to lean in and dip at the low level of liquid available. But as often the case, a concerned, but friendly offer, is made to fill his horn and save the risk of his falling in, never crossing his mind the hall's occupants sharing a fear he might fall in, thus skunking the beer. This time Uten and his son, Utur, woodmen and on familiar terms with Cearb and his forest wandering. They fill his horn and pick out the stray dried leaves that had fallen into the barrel.

Climbing a chair, Cearb makes his way up to walk the long table. He pulls a jagged knife, one of many from his belt or boot, he seldom keeps track of these things. Having cut a chunk of roasted joint and bread he makes his way toward a stoneware vessel of preserves mixed with honey.

Before reaching his goal, a recent arrival to LostHome, drunk on his recent woes, reels into the table, knocking the bread from Cearb's hand. The bread slowly falls, to catch first on the table edge, before gravity pulls it down spinning to the ground. ”Look out Little Man. A warrior's appetite will wait for no little boot to trod upon its dinner.”

Cearb looked at the man, not comprehending.... why such a person....and here he looks down over the table edge to the bread slice being ripped apart by two quarreling hounds, who had been poised for just such a lucky event.....would knock away his bread.... He then looked to the jar, its bounty spilled about its mouth, ...when he was so close to the sweet spread... He looks from his empty hand ...to his knife....a light seems to gleam from his eyes and the sound of heavily-booted running feet are heard throughout the hall...getting closer...bringing their steel...and their fury.

A skald familiar in the hall smoothly moves between the two, his furs a flash of color before Cearb's eyes. Disapproving calls ring out from those about the hall, But the Skald laughs and states that as a newcomer, Yver had likely never heard the tale of the Battle at ShieldBridge. The skald pulled the man back and pushed him into a wooden chair. Through the hall, the disappointment of a postponed fight was replaced by the expectation of a favorite tale.

Cearb sat himself on the edge of the table, sinking his knife into the scored table surface beside him. He wonders how the tale might end this time, and whether his father might be mentioned. The skald took and drained Yver's horn and started his tale.

Poem The Battle of ShieldBridge:

Winter-wrenched leaves yet writhed, under marched the Witch army
Village burn bright, hoar cask beer blight

Forest forces gather, Moonchaser called her best
Fair and fell alike, the Fey did answer

Spear and shield brethren, southward join the fray
hearth hardened blades, hearts of equal metal.

River riven rivals, two camps rapids kept apart
Mal magics marked the one shore, Fey and Men the other

Eddy's edge offered sleep-death, at witches' eager beckon
Fighting fervor frozen, frost-painted spear tips

Tempers trod among the tents, no trellis on which to cross
The Fey seemed foe-forgotten, freeman chaffed to fight

Caullyn the Red Cap, called for his morning bread.
Elfar of the Ulfen offered insults, casting bread aflight

Slice-spun but snatched, Caullyn saved his snack
Asked for angry-answers, received arrow stares

“So Caullyn not to cut his hunger, cast upon this lot?
I will forage on farthen shore, and raid upon their fodder.”

“The river rises”, the men roared in jest
“How to cross the crest, no carrach or paddle?”

“You bear my boats, on brazen arms
Wooden wheels shall wing, this warrior across.”

Thrown shields skipped the surface, shoes never wet
Jotun-sized steps, as if on dragon ships

Denied the day's fresh butter, his hunger raised a din
With curved blade he did churn, battle-butter topped with cream

Barren breasts with their bitter milk
A withered table wrap, whiter than his bread

Maple red ran their ruin, riven from their veins
Dried leaves drank in color, for the day alive again

From afar the Men fretted, too far from the fight
Was the fey red fighter, to flash alone in the sun.

Racing back for the river, red cap in arrears
As a jar of mournful jostles, aflow with the morning's jam.

Spells sped to the shore, sealing the river's lip
Boot nails nixed, the ice's near death grip

Deigned to dance as a seal, dodging on a flow
Issen icicles spread their icor, inches beneath his toes

River's roiling rapids, paled before their rage
Sorceress spittle-curses, silenced the Thundering's call

Sealed foul witches fate, as Caullyn's foot-fell ashore
the path now paved across, frost petal bridge of snow

Beast roared and raced, oh the battle rang
Men cheered and charged, how the death knell clang

Bearing bread denied, Caullyn buttered slow
Witches can go waiting, vine withered in the snow

Icy claws still clutched, amidst the steel clatter
Baited breath from Boreal depths, froze man and bear alike

Sighing at the site, his bread aside in setting
Frost blistered booted feet beat tattoo, back down the icy pike

Sleet scriven flesh, scoured the scarlet field
Hunting Winter's harangued heart, a harbinger of the Melt

When pointed at the prize, poised at death's cusp
Death rimed the risen blade, arrested in its fall

Steel-cracked in the cold, ringing like fallen crystal
Elfar of the Ulfen, raised the only remaining blade

Cracked from his crusted boots, Caullyn lived again
Rang down a ragged rain, iron rusted with tears

Frozen fingers never slip, never forgetting their purpose
Only slightly slipping Death's grip, and for the moment sharing.

Men fell with fey that fateful day, foe-allied not for the first time
And witches bear-brace in fear, for bread in want of butter.


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

End of Story:
”And witches bear-brace in fear....for bread in want of butter!”
The hall rings out in chorus. Horns rise and are drained. Dagger hilts are rapped on tables. Some eyes are moist at the memory of their own fallen friends at the hands of the Ice Witches.

The Skald watches as Yver's enjoyment of the tale turns to realization and a moment of perceived fright. He quickly gets to feet and crosses to the table. He cuts two slices from the dark loaf and offers one to the small warrior still seated on the table. Cearb looks at the slice seeming so big in his small grubby hands, his feet slowly rocking back and forth, kicking the air slowly, ”Twas my Da in that tale. He liked his bread and Jams...I can understand. All I have left of him now is his boots. He never did get to finish his brad, but he did get the last slice...Elfar cut the Witch General down, wielding my frozen Da as a sickle, just as she froze him too.”

Yver's nods his understanding and a bit of awe. Everyone in this hall is here from the same reason.”Let me refill your horn and we can raise ours together to the fallen but not forgotten.”

Cearb nods and hops down. The thud of his boots are solitary from the earlier din of rushing feet, for now quieted. He joins Yver's table and the two spend the night cursing the Winter, chased by warm beer.

[ooc]The sound of feet running, is his Ghost Sound that seems to go off when violence is eminent. It is specifically the sound of a Redcap with booted feet running on frost-crunchy ground

It was the post limit.

Shadow Lodge

DM Voice of the Voiceless:

Have you considered Magrim as a deity?

Magrim, the Taskmaster and the dwarven god of the underworld, felt a bit dark and dour to me. Kelgar's a considerate, friendly fellow - he just doesn't get out much around strangers, yet. I considered Kols "the Oathkeeper" as the likely best minor dwarven deity to follow, as the Frostbeards have been maintaining the oath sword by Kelnir over a millennium ago. I also gave some thought to Grundinnar, the dwarven deity of friendship and loyalty.

Ultimately, I figured Kelgar's main selection as Torag is really the same as a human choosing Odin, but still also revering, respecting and uttering a prayer to Frigg (for example) when the circumstance calls.

As such, he would invoke the name of the proper dwarven deity depending on the circumstance. For example, he may utter a prayer to Kols regarding his oath, or Grundinnar asking for guidance about new companions, or Folgrit to watch over his family in his absence.

I truly enjoyed the tone of the original recruitment post, and my hope is a dwarf allows exploration of the closest-to-Norse pantheon I could find in Golarion (unless this AP comes with some new, obscure Ulfen deities). It also just felt right - with a dwarf having the ability to choose giants as a racial foe and their resistance to magic and compulsions (and witchcraft).

Given his tendency to be a homebody... what would it take to get him out of the house and traipsing all over Golarion?... death of a family member?

The idea here was interesting roleplay, someone called away from the comforts of their home by an ancient duty. I just have the foreshadowing from the player's guide and broad knowledge of the campaign, but it hints at being "very far from home", which I thought would be great for someone who would desperately miss the comforts of home. Kel will step up against any threat to the broader Lands of the Linnorn Kings, worried that it could eventually make its way to Jol and his family.

While he is interested in retiring and passing the "Oath" along to his eldest son, he will step up and put himself in harm's way to protect his son's years to come. To him, ancestral duty reigns supreme, and his duty is effectively a guardian of the north against a "Second Winter War" (or whatever the campaign may actually hint at). If I understood the hint at the starting adventure, there's something about an unnaturally cold winter, and that's what Kelgar would take a sign, and consider his duty to investigate. No family death required - he does it because it must be done, and his bloodline was chosen as one of the guardians against such dangers (and who else would make such a fine guardian - dwarves live long lives and are known to be steadfast, resistance to cold, loyal, and hardy against magical threats!)

Has Kelgar swung his hammer in anger? - in what circumstance?

Interesting question.

Kelgar is extremely well-tempered, but being over a hundred years old, I'm certain he hasn't always been able to keep his composure at all times. I'd think in his youth, before he "Took the Oath" and his direct father was the Frostbeard ensuring a smooth ascent of Queen Elvanna, he may have been less disciplined and gotten into some sort of trouble. At this point, I'd say he hasn't swung his hammer in anger in almost a century and that role-playing him continuing to keep this amazing composure in light of extreme circumstance could be enjoyable.

Thanks for the questions, I'm always happy to get any that help me ponder the personality of a prospective PC prior to play.


Skäne Part II The "in character" story will be forthcoming when I find the time...

Kennar a ævi (Life Story):

As previously mentioned as a boy Skäne fought against the constant allegations of dishonour against his father and family name. He and his brothers scrapped, feuded and defended the virtue of all despite their own doubts. Blod is blod his elder brother Gudmundr was fond of saying. Skäne learned to ignore the honeyed words of his father, shutting his heart and head to emotional weakness;

Trait: Cold Heart (Regional)

The youth that fled the crimson stained snows of his homeland as an outlaw quickly learned to fight for his place, both at the oars of the langship bound for the South, and the lands beyond when the Haar Witch was wrecked by fell magicks upon the Cheliax coastline.

With enemies both home and abroad Skäne has learned the value of his shield – an ever present comrade and symbol of his culture and trade;

Trait: Shield Bearer (Racial)

If afforded the option of the Additional Traits feat I foresee Skäne’s hardbitten experience of warfare and death in Taldor as being reflected in the Jaded [Combat] trait. Would also consider a trait to reflect his outlaw status – perhaps concocted with your goodself?

Sharptungasonn:

My stab at prose Edda:

The sharp words of the father,
stab like a cruel knife.
Honey tongue drips with treacherous poison.
Sons like shields defend their father,
bulwarks of name and ancestor
With each season bruises heal and wounds mend.
Yet the tongue that is sharpest deals a final cruel cut,
uttering murderous whispers gifted by witches.
A Jarl to his barrow sent.
Outlawed and exiled
no golden coffer will honour restore.
Cold stares and colder hearths they meet.
Those left by the hearth; the wife, the sons
all bleed as bond ties are severed.
None save one breath the morrow's wind.
Breeches of yellow betray fear,
as running the boy once of the North goes
Now a storm of reckoning heralds a red handed return...


wakedown wrote:

And, another submission to the pile... (and copious amounts of additional reading for poor Mark)

*drum roll*

Kelgar Frostbeard, dwarven family-man and warden against "all bad things that may happen in Irrisen for the next year or so before he retires".

Bahaha, Kelgar sounds really fun. I've been scouring the thread for Dwarves wondering if I should have chosen the same. (I'm a little spooked that me and Meowzebub managed to submit a gnome rogue within an hour of each other). It's good to see they're in such capable hands!

DM - Voice of the Voiceless wrote:
Next batch... note that I'm reviewing from where the full information is posted - so SurplusRaine and Willow's full review aren't done yet.

Don't forget me! I can post here with a complete alias once I finish my equipment.


DMVoV:

Is he happy being his own orc? – or is he in the market for a new master?

Freedom is a strange concept. He was happy being 'owned' as life was pretty simple. He knew his place and his job, he didn't have to think to hard nor fend for himself. In many ways he was better off being a thrall than living amongst the Orc where it would have had all the same downsides and few of the advantages.

Whilst the concept of freedom is good, his 'common sense' (good Wis stat!) is enough to let him know he would struggle by himself and he will need to forge a tight alliance with someone who needs his skills/abilities and is headed for glory and adventure. Perhaps as a bodyguard/manservant to another PC - basically I'm using this as a bit of a link to why he'd be proactively trying to gel with a party.

How does he fight? – is he trained, or is he more from the ‘harder is better’ school of warfare?

He is trained, but as a skirmisher and a hunter.
From a mechanical point of view, he will be a 'switch hitting' Ranger, using a Falchion, notionally he would have accompanied the dogs in rushing into the flanks of an enemy shield wall rather than join his masters in theirs.

Does he walk upright like a normal person – or does his movement have bestial overtones?

He walks upright - I see him very much in the mold of the Uruk Hai.
His attitude and aggression being the bestial aspect; he's not a creature of subtlety.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PSeEuu6pW4

Longer term I'd be shooting for a bear companion, too bad they are size Small and then only grow to Medium!


Spoiler:
Q: How would your character react if called out as a changeling in a crowded room of judgemental Ulfen?

A: Good question. Most likely the pragmatic response of leaving posthaste, unless she thought she stood a serious chance of successfully defending herself. Circumstance might provide a more suitable response, but there's lots of things that could affect that. Of course, she'd probably make a point of not getting into that situation, but life does throw a curveball now and then, no? I'll have to try to have some contingency plans ready for that one.

Spoiler:
Q: How have you lived since leaving your home? – and what brings you to Heldren?

A: Gellwyn has known chores and work all her life. She's likely to have taken on whatever simple employment she can find in whatever town she's allowed. As for what brings her to Heldren? Well, it's bound to be a bigger town than her little hamlet home, and since nobody there is likely to know her, she has a chance to start fresh, find a living for herself, and be hopefully less scrutinized as she communes with her fox and grows in her witchcraft. Anonymity is less of a challenge when you a smaller part of a larger group, no? Also, there's the idea of finding her mother. She doesn't know quite who or what she is, but she's not looking for a heartwarming family reunion, if you catch my drift.

Spoiler:
Q: Was it only the fox that laid your father low enough to be coup de graced?

A: Another good question. I was writing on the flow of the moment at the time, but it is possible that something else intervened. Though with the fox's intelligence (assumed, due to it's mystical nature, most likely) it probably had the cunning to outwit the hunter and score a pretty nasty hit or two. Much as I enjoy wordplay and creative writing, I'm no pro, and I can't claim to have every hole properly covered, heh. Maybe that's a mystery that Gellwyn simply didn't bother to investigate at the time? Free plot hooks! Get yer free plot hooks right here!


A Hunter here in Crane, Missouri, USA was killed here recently by a fox who bit him once on the leg (severing an artery in the Thigh) then it biting his throat and then once he was down it ripped his throat out.

The Fox was saved from being killed because of the fact that the hunter was hunting it in a No Hunting Zone.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Master Of The Games wrote:

A Hunter here in Crane, Missouri, USA was killed here recently by a fox who bit him once on the leg (severing an artery in the Thigh) then it biting his throat and then once he was down it ripped his throat out.

The Fox was saved from being killed because of the fact that the hunter was hunting it in a No Hunting Zone.

Guess nobody told the fox it was a no hunting zone.


Tirion Jörðhár wrote:
Master Of The Games wrote:

A Hunter here in Crane, Missouri, USA was killed here recently by a fox who bit him once on the leg (severing an artery in the Thigh) then it biting his throat and then once he was down it ripped his throat out.

The Fox was saved from being killed because of the fact that the hunter was hunting it in a No Hunting Zone.

Guess nobody told the fox it was a no hunting zone.

I actually was one of the people who came when it was reported. The Foc was simply being a Mother.

Liberty's Edge

Background*:
Like blades of frozen grass across so much broken ice... With a song so rich and full of sorrow that it stirs the hearts of the dead...

...Is how my father used to describe the Windsister's song echoing through the spires of the Stormspears.

Those sorts of tales are the only memories I have of the land of my birth in the far north.

My mother, a Shieldmaiden, died when I was young - slain but a jadwiga curse. My father mourned but did not succumb to despair. Many would have sworn themselves a blood-oath and dedicated their lives to vengeance but not my father. Some called him a coward but he wanted a better life for me, a life away from ice and death. So he abandoned his kin - his ties of blood - and left, and though I was a babe hardly old enough to walk, I left with him. We traveled south to the warm southern lands of Taldor.

The southern lands were good to us. My father found work in service to the Taldan emperor among his elite bodyguards - the Ulfen Guard. The Prince favored my people for our strength and ferocity. In his employ we never suffered for lack of coin and it was in these warm southern lands that my father raised me. He was a stern man with a warrior's heart but not one without compassion. He taught me about honor and glory, truth and justice.

Never raise a blade against an unarmed foe...

Treat a yielding opponent with mercy and humility...

No man is beyond redemption...

Not every lesson was an easy one. I was always large, even as a pup. I often scrapped with the other boys, even the other ulfen children. They would mock my size and strength and I would bloody their noses. My father would chide me after every fight even as he cleaned my bruises. Jotun!, he would laugh. I later learned that was the word for giantkind.

He showed me other things too, skills southern folk often call magic. He taught me to truly see a man for that he's worth, to peer into the heart and see if darkness had taken root. He likened it to how a predator spots sickly prey, those should perhaps be culled from the herd... Greater still he showed me how to turn passion and conviction into strength. I was an eager student but it wasn't until I was a man grown that I learned the value of these gifts.

It was on the eve of my fifteenth summer that my father died but it was not an assassin's blade that claimed his life, nor the breath of a monstrous dragon, or any other form of battle - cruel fate took him from this world. He was struck by an runaway cart on Oppara's gilded streets. He'd lived a life of honor and died a fool's death.

Melancholy and lost I joined the Stalwart Spears, the first mercenary company that would have me, and left Oppara. The Spears took me all across the Avistan. In that time I was tested, both in battle and in spirit. The skills my father had been teaching me since I was old enough to heft his seax were honed for the first time in warfare. The conviction he'd shown me was defined within the bloody work the mercenaries handed me. I lived that way for years, and that's what's brought me here, Sven said as he teased a fiery lock of hair.

The camp whore shifted, enjoying the feeling of the big ulfen's softening manhood still buried deep within her. She smiled and teased the hair on his chest in turn. Even though the tingling aftermath of their joining was lulling her to sleep she wanted to hear more about this hulking warrior's story.

So that's it then?, she cooed. You'll spend your days fighting and killing for the Spears, going wherever they take you?

No, he answered flatly.

The woman leaned back from her position in the bedding to look up into the ulfen's eyes.

What do you mean? Where will you go?

The two laid together in silence a moment longer before the northman answered.

I cannot say for certain but north - to the land of my birth... the lands of ice and death.

This should cover the baseline traits and the bonus trait.

*Warning: Background features mature subjects

Appearnace and Most Prized Possession:
6'7" 330lbs

A great bear of a man with long limbs thick with muscle and a barrel-chest that would put a bull auroch to shame, Sven is gifted with size and strength rare even among the powerfully built northern folk. His hair is a pale flaxen and worn in long braids that drape across his hulking shoulders. His beard, the same color, is similarly dressed. His features are strong and square and though he bears some scars from his time in battle, they largely serve to enhance his muscular good looks.

He's not a graceful man, not likely one to be overlooked or unheard, but he moves with a kind of certain unyielding strength. Each step and each swing of his powerful arms carry a sense of momentum that few would dare challenge. His voice is deep and carrying and richer still when he sings one of the songs of his people, passed down to him by his father.

He is also not a rich man. The few things he does own, his armor, an iron-rimmed wooden buckler, and a deadly-sharp double edged battleaxe are plain but meticulously cared for.

Sven's breastplate is his most prized possession. The Spear's shoanti armorer forged it for him as a favor after the ulfen saved him from having his throat slit by a thief disguised as a camp follower. In thanks, the smith crafted the northman a fine breastplate of proper iron (not the weak pig iron many of the mercenaries wore) fitted to protect the big ulfen's enormous torso while leaving his massive arms free and unbound. The trim was decorated with skaldic runes representing Sven's heritage but in the years that it's been worn, many have been marred by the armor's frequent use. Attached at the bottom, is a kilt of boiled leather reinforced with dark iron studs.

Persona and Positive/Negative Traits:
Although he is a man of simple pleasures, he strives to not be one of excess. One thing his father often emphasized during his weapon training as a boy was the need for control even in the fires of battle. It was a difficult lesson for the naturally hot-blooded young ulfen and one that he continues to struggle with from time to time.

He is not a man of lofty ideals or enormous ambition. He's usually content, or able to quickly make himself content, but he's often felt out of place in the world around him - a feeling that was only truly abated when his father would hold him and share tales of the North. It's this lost heritage that's driven him home.

Positive

Courageous - Faith in his own strength and martial prowess have filled Sven with a courage little can shake.
Quick to Laugh and Love - Despite his massive stature and strength, Sven has never been a bully or cruel and he readily forgives slights.

Negative

Naive - Sven grew up taking many of his father's teachings a bit too literally. His belief that all men are fundamentally good often exposes him to unnecessary danger.
Headstrong - Having lived the better part of adulthood with no council save his own, Sven has developed a bit too much trust in his own judgement. Once he's set his mind on something, he's not likely to change it.

Character Sheet:
Sven Bjornson
Human (Ulfen) Paladin (Oath of Vengeance, Sacred Servant) 1
LG Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +1; Senses Perception -1
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18 (+7 armor, +1 shield, +1 Dex)
hp 15 (1d10+5)
Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +1
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 20 ft.
Melee Battleaxe +5 (1d8+4/x3) and
. . Dagger +5 (1d4+4/19-20/x2)
Special Attacks smite evil (1/day)
Spell-Like Abilities Detect Evil (At will)
Paladin (Oath of Vengeance, Sacred Servant) Spells Prepared (CL 0):
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 18, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 14
Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 16
Feats Fortified Armor Training
Traits Viking Blood (Lands of the Linnorm Kings)
Skills Acrobatics -3 (-7 jump), Climb +0, Diplomacy +6, Escape Artist -3, Fly -3, Intimidate +7, Ride -3, Stealth -3, Swim +0
Languages Common, Skald
SQ aura of good
Other Gear Kilted Breastplate, Buckler, Battleaxe, Dagger, Furs
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Aura of Good (Ex) The paladin has an Aura of Good with power equal to her class level.
Detect Evil (At will) (Sp) You can use detect evil at will (as the spell).
Fortified Armor Training Break armor or shield to turn critical hit into a normal hit
Smite Evil (1/day) (Su) +2 to hit, +1 to damage, +2 deflection bonus to AC when used.
Viking Blood (Lands of the Linnorm Kings) +1 trait bonus on Intimidate checks, and Intimidate is always a class skill for you.
Blood of Giants +1 trait bonus to CMB for Sunder and +1 trait bonus to CMD for Overrun and Bullrush.


OK, I'm still working on the story and poem. Not sure if I'll do those or not, I'm going to try. Here's everything else, I think. Please, if anything needs clarification, do ask.

Human Ulfen. Female. Barbarian. CN. 24. Follower of Gorum.

Appearance + First Game Trait (Birthmark):

Annalísa Finnrsdóttir stands at 5’9” and weighs 150 lbs. She has blond hair that is kept in one hundred small braids bundled together into one large braid. When braided, her hair falls just above the curve of her back, but should she unbraid her hair it would fall to just above the curve of her bottom. She is a busty woman, and enjoys accentuating this feature as she has learned it helps quite a bit while negotiating with men. Her eyes are steel blue and deep set beneath her full blond lashes, giving them a rather ominous look. A two inch long scar runs along the jaw bone on the left side of her face. No one dares to ask how she received the scar; it seems to be a sore subject for Annalísa. She commonly wears brown leather leggings with an ankle length leather skirt slit to the thigh on both sides. When she finds herself in a place that is warm enough, she wears her leather vest without the normal accompanying long-sleeved tunic beneath. Her boots are sturdy and rimmed with fur, and a fur mantle is usually draped across her shoulders. She carries her father’s sword strapped to her back and carries a boot knife. Small leather purses decorate her belt which appears to be woven from human hair. Annalisa has a birthmark that bears a striking resemblance to the sign of Gorum, it is located on the right side of her body just under the clavicle next to her shoulder. Her father, Finnr Gýmirsson, always said that it meant one day she would triumph in war, for she was blessed by Gorum. Her mother, Birgitta Rúnarsdóttir, always frowned when he spoke this way.

Personality + Flaws/Traits:
Annalísa is quick with a smile but quicker to anger if she feels she is being challenged, threatened or even worse – ignored or dismissed. She is not one for patience, and has a certain disdain for those who feel the need to discuss every choice in great detail. She is a woman of action, and expects the same of others around her. She is stubborn, and in battle relentless. She does not accept weakness in herself, but will fight to protect those that she sees as to weak to protect themselves. (Temper, Impatient, Woman of Action, Protector of the Weak)

Second Game Trait (Northern Ancestry):
Annalisa’s father was from the North and all of her life she has listened to his stories of his homeland, and of all the places he visited while traveling. When she was a child, they would on occasion travel to visit relatives in the North or old acquaintances of her father’s. As much as Annalisa loved visiting all of the places, she much looked forward to returning to the North.

Inherited Object:
When Annalisa was 15 years of age, her father, told her brothers that whichever of them could defeat the other would gain the right to carry his sword. Annalísa insisted to her father that she should be given the chance to prove herself and fight amongst her brothers as well. After a hearty chuckle, Finnr agreed and she was allowed to face her brothers in battle. Hálfdán, her eldest brother, stuck Annalisa in the face with a stone, splitting open her jaw and causing her blood to spill out onto the snow. Annalisa found herself at first in shock by the sight of the red blood drenching her clothing – and then enraged. She struck out at her brother with all her might, battering him with a flurry of blows he surely had not expected from her. One such blow landed on his temple and rendered Hálfdán unconscious.
Ósvald, seeing his sister loose herself thought to sneak up behind her and take her unawares. This plan went poorly for Ósvald, as Annalisa threw him to the ground and with one solid kick managed to break two of his ribs. Alas, Annalisa was left standing her chest heaving with her fury, her face still dripping blood she turned to see her mother standing nearby with an inexplicable sadness in her eyes, her father’s eyes shown with pride. Finnr took his sword down from its place above the mantle and held it out to Annalisa, she accepted the sword, feeling her own pride in winning the fight. It was hours past before she would allow her mother to tend to her wound properly, even now the scar reminds her only of her moment of weakness.

Buy In:

15 pt
Str – 10+4
Dex – 10+2
Con – 10+2+2 (racial)
Int – 10+2
Wis – 10+2
Cha – 10+3

20 pt
Str – 10+5
Dex – 10+3
Con – 10+3+2(racial)
Int – 10+3
Wis – 10+3
Cha – 10+3

25 pt
Str – 10+6
Dex – 10+3
Con – 10+5+2(racial)
Int – 10+4
Wis – 10+3
Cha – 10+4


Skills:
For 15 pt buy in intelligence modifier:
Climb: 6 (+1 rank +2 Str +3class skill)
Handle Animal: 5 (+1 rank +1 Cha +3class skill)
Intimidate: 7 (+1 rank +1 Cha +2 Str +3 class skill) (??? Is this correct for the change in social skills you mentioned?)
Knowledge (nature): 5 (+1 rank +1 Int +3 class skill)
Perception: 1 (+1 rank +1 Wis +3 class skill)
Survival: 1 (+1 rank +1 Wis +3 class skill)

Feats:

Racial bonus feat: Throw Anything
Level 1 feat: Catch Off-Guard

In Character Story:
Still giving this some thought

Poem:
Still giving this some thought


I have never written skaldic poetry and while I know what kennings are, I don't want to simply string them together. I'd like to post what I have so far to see if you approve my verse. As an aside, I have pulled all names and information possible from the Land of the Linnorm Kings supplement.

To play one tainted by outsider blood – tell me how that came to be, and which outsider was your forebear.

South to the forest he rode,
to Grungir and the never-dark,
the raptor’s battle-dew, Sveinn,
to lay blood-seed in fertile fields.
Beneath the ship of night anew,
the light-alf queen wandered shield-bereft,
so the ring-giver his gift bestowed,
on winter’s blanket cold.

Spoiler:

Hilde’s father is Sveinn Blood-Eagle, King of the Thanelands. Sveinn, wishing to retire to Avalon, has many children, each challenged to slay a linnorm and prove their wisdom to succeed his throne.

Hilde’s mother is a fey noble of the Grungir Forest whom Sveinn caught without her guards. They lay together under the new moon on a bed of snow and this is where Hilde was conceived. Hilde is therefore known as Alfborne.

To play a savage or hag-touched (orc, hobgoblin or changeling) – explain how it is that you are not killed on sight.

To the court of never-dark
a thread-render appeared anew,
the raptor’s-seed that very morn,
her maiden’s-blood now introduced.
No bed-shame would she bear,
nor straw-death for her road to Hel,
no children of battle need she fear,
the shield of hags the ravens feed.

Spoiler:

A norn appeared before the Court of Twilight on the day when Hilde first hit puberty, and foretold her future. She would not die in bed or from disease, but rather, in battle with a servant of the Irissen hags. No one in the Land of the Linnorm Kings is willing to do her harm lest it be implied that they are hag-sworn.

To be more powerful (20 point buy) – tell me of your character’s personality.

A virgin-blade, bow-lady fair,
with words of golden-waves we raise,
ever dry her noble-vault, despite
no bright-way every taken.
The Inheritor’s way she duly treads,
yet Forseti’s favored she truly be,
a river-bone in the weather of weapons,
cat-mannered in times of peace.

Spoiler:

The speaker is toasting Hilda, comparing her to a blade-maiden or Valkyrie. He points out that she has no fear despite never going on raids, an accusation some have made. Instead, she treasures Justice, often through diplomacy but is ready to fight for it. She is a rock during battle, but during times of peace, she has a great deal of curiosity, which she may take to extremes.

To further hone your strength (25 point buy) – describe two positive traits and two negative traits your character bears… and why.

While she shall ride with hounds,
no were-gild will she ever pay,
through metal runs slaughter’s dew,
in tracks of steel she follows.
Her mother’s-kin of never-dark,
their lessons all well taught,
the snow-claws sense of safety,
a southrons sense of rage.

Spoiler:

The speaker points out that as a follower of Iomede, Hilde will track evil to the ends of golarion but is more often merciful despite the wishes of her order. Despite being a paladin of Iomede, she is very stubborn and refuses to change her ways. The speaker then chides her for her curiosity which encourages her risky behavior and her lack of anger in response to insult, blaming this behavior on being raised in the fey Court of Twilight.

This is as far as I've gotten. I would like to play a half-fey paladin of Iomede. If my verse is acceptable, I will continue with the rest of her history. I have posted proposed rules for half-fey here. I used the ARG to design them and list full values for every racial trait. I would also be happy to play a tiefling or aasimar simply fey-skinned. Alternately, I could make her human with just a faint touch of the fey in her nature, but still human enough for those rules.

Please let me know what you think as I continue and thank you for the opportunity to do something I've never done before.


To those that have responded to the questions I've posed - I salute you... I have been reading them and devouring them for pondering; but I want to at least get a first pass through everyone before I start double dipping on a single application.

Kellyn - I haven't waded through the thread to your application yet (I am currently at post number ~136 or so).

Rotolutundro - thanks for the kind words. Clearly they've hit upon a chord as I'm drowning in fine prose and well constructed characters ;)

Twigs - haven't forgotten, just that your updated submission sits a little deeper on in the thread.

Hilde - I'll get to a more detailed read through once I've ploughed through the earlier posts in the thread (your verse looks good at first glance though). However it's a no to the half-fey race. I would suggest using an Aasimar or Tiefling as a provisional base or Human with the Fey Foundling feat? - and you can feel free to modify the fluff around the character to suit your vision of Hilde.


I think Hilde could play a refluffed changeling if they can't be Half-Fey... Though refluffed Half-Elf or even Elf might work.

BTW Valkyries were Odin's Wife's Shield Maidens whom were lent to odin to herald mighty warriors to his Hall of Valhalla. I am of Viking and Celt descent primarily. I always have loved both culture's lore.


questions, answered:

  • I find it difficult to see an orc, let alone a family of them, being adopted as a mascot of an Ulfen town. What was the first act that led to their being accepted?
    this is definitely a tough one. 10 years ago. While a small ulfen hunting party was out to kill an ice troll that strayed too close to the town, one of the young unblooded boys took a savage claw wound and went down. While trying to pull him back out of range of the troll, another of the young boys took a savage clawing.

    This was the first time they had seen whiteskins, but they knew ice trolls were no good. Only a few of the whiteskin group looked like they had fought before, perhaps this was the training hunt for some of the young? Anyway, they would die and that troll would stick in this area even longer. Karrn broke from the trees, orc axe high. His battle cry distracted the beast, and as they met with a thunderous clash, the unblooded were pulled back from the fray. Karrn took a savage claw to the chest and shoulder and head, but kept bringing his axe down, the oversized blade eventually cleaving off an arm and cutting deep into the ribcage of the beast. The wounds kept closing, and Karrn kept hacking, until one of the ulfen smashed a vial into it, setting its wounds aflame.

    The beast down, the ulfen circled Karrn, unsure about the greenskin. His rage ending, the wounds that were slowly healing began to flow with steaming blood once more. Karrn's wife Olbin shouted "NO!" and rushed in, crashing the ulfen circle that parted to admit her to the slumping barbarian. She administered poultices to staunch the flow of blood to his wounds, and then offered some to the ulfen for their boys. The men were unsure, but one of the unblooded boy's brothers accepted and clumsily applied it to the two that went down. Young Gar slowly approached his parents. The ulfen men saw the beastly greenskins for the first time as a family.

    One of the ulfen men sheathed his sword and approached the green man, and handed him a skin full of mead. "Here, Clawchest, drink." Karrn drank deeply, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and belching. "Good!" he exclaimed, one of the few whiteskin words he knew. The ulfen warriors laughed, and tensions eased. Olbin spoke considerably more whiteskin than Karrn, though that wasn't saying much. She asked for a place to rest from the elements, and the warrior of the day and his family were invited to the mead hall to share in the tales of victory. The family was somewhat of a curiosity, but a warrior like Karrn (in his prime, anyway) was a useful curiosity. They were treated somewhat as pets at first, and were allowed to stay in the broken-down house near the outskirts of the town.

    Over time, Karrn learned a little bit more of the ulfen tongue and proved great use on hunts as well as for manual labor around town, and Gar grew up doing a lot of manual labor as well. Olbin died 5 years ago. Karrn spends a great deal of time drinking when he is not at work, and has become considerably (although understandably) less mirthful in the years after Olbin's death.

  • Why would Ulfen seek out Orc made steel?
    Well, his father works at the blacksmith, but i dont imagine him owning it or anything. he makes swords according to the instructions of the owner, but due to his significant strength he is able to make oversized weapons for those who desire them.

  • What would Gar do if a group of visiting Ulfen came into town and drew steel on him?
    he would act according to the laws, but would be seek to diffuse the situation before the law really needed to get involved.

  • A few more - Tirion is next up on the worktable:

    Josh Shrader:
    • Is Kiger a Heldren native? – or does he come from elsewhere in the land?
    • Does he venerate a god? – or the nameless Green Faith?
    • What does his necklace look like? – is it a collection of bones? – or of whittled wooden images of the animals?

    Balodek:
    • What sort of fey were the ones that raised him?
    • Does Katherson distinguish between the two aspects of Gozreh? And if so, does he favour one over the other?
    • What happened to the orb? – and does he bear any long-term signs of the possession (such as a frostburn mark on the hand that doesn’t fade)?

    Twigs:
    • Has Bastarger preyed upon Heldren in the past? – or is he recently arrived?
    • Does he only take food and the needs of sustenance from villages? Or does he take trinkets? – if he takes trinkets, could you describe a few of them and why he chose to take them?
    • Mechanical questions can wait until post selection, but could you justify why he’d seek to be an assassin? – I don’t’ get that vibe from your background.

    Liberty's Edge

    I'm eagerly awaiting my turn!


    It was brought to my attention that I had done the buy in incorrectly and I was given a more clear link (so use to just rolling for stats) to use to determine appropriate numbers so here is the amended buy in:

    Buy In:

    15 pt
    Str – 10+ 3 (3 pts)
    Dex – 10+2 (2 pts)
    Con – 10+2+2 (racial) (2 pts)
    Int – 10+3 (3 pts)
    Wis – 10+2 (2 pts)
    Cha – 10+3 (3 pts)

    20 pt
    Str – 10+4 (5 pts)
    Dex – 10+3 (3 pts)
    Con – 10+3+2(racial) (3 pts)
    Int – 10+3 (3 pts)
    Wis – 10+3 (3 pts)
    Cha – 10+3 (3 pts)

    25 pt
    Str – 10+5 (7 pt)
    Dex – 10+3 (3 pt)
    Con – 10+3+2 (racial) (3 pt)
    Int – 10+4 (5 pt)
    Wis – 10+3 (3 pt)
    Cha – 10+3 (3 pt)

    Also, previously I don't think I mentioned Heldren as her point of origin, if this is acceptable.


    Pathfinder Adventure Subscriber

    DM-VoV

    Spoiler:

    I'm trying to figure out how to use the Rune Magic in The Northlands, and how it works with the Inquisitor. Not real clear...do you understand it, and could you enlighten me? Might be interesting to work it in if doable.


    No, the wait is to weary, a day of delay is death;
    The threat of the thread, be I damned or dead;
    I fear for my faith, my mind will not mend;
    Clearly a case of crime, bring me better time;
    Now shoot to the sun, or nail me a nun;
    Time taps to a trot, I sigh it seems like a sloth;
    The vibration of violence, nears nigh and near;
    Questions to query, answer await with awe.


    I'm going to back out. It turns out my RL GM is very interested in this AP, if certain things happen it will happen next and he doesn't like people having spoilers. I love the way you are setting this up and perhaps if you do a different AP in the future, I would love to join in. Have a great game folks.

    Grand Lodge

    What, my chances keep growing slimmer? I'm still confident in my Witchguard!


    Doomed Hero here-

    Finally getting a chance to pitch a character. Voice, you've outdone yourself this time. I don't think I've ever seen a recruitment thread move this fast. It's averaging about 100 posts a day.

    Ragnar is a Haunted Oracle who will take Barbarian levels (invulnerable rager, Spirit Totem powers) and eventually become a Rage Prophet.

    He's human, but from an older age, so I took Half-Ogre as his race. It was as close as I could come to iron age proto-man.

    His background is a little odd but very much in the vein of the story and old norse legends. Please take a look and tell me what you think. I'll have the mechanics up later tonight.


    Thanks for the reply! And apologies for being impatient! I know you have a small mountain of reading to do, I was just concerned my own response was buried under it. I'm keen to keep developing my submission until the date comes.

    Has Bastagar preyed upon Heldren in the past? – or is he recently arrived?:

    I think the latter would prove more fun, now that I think about it. I'm not certain how the adventure starts, so the severity of his crimes would probably vary depending on that. He might have stolen a tarnished pewter drinking cup from a local, and be dragged by his ear into the town square and sent into the dark woods to fetch it back. (Or be summarily put to the Jarl's justice.) Or he might've attempted to steal a particularly fine ruby (now lost to him) and managed to pick the lock on the holding cells and needs to slip out of town very soon. Alternatively, I could have stolen from another willing PC and sworn my service to them in a panic, begging for my life. The drinking cup seems the most organic choice here, although given the large number of witches, exiles and wild-folk so far, perhaps this isn't the best fit. Although given that you've had every PC come up with a treasured possession this should be easy! One of my better ideas today, I think.

    As for trinkets still in his possession, I've given him the pewter drinking cup mentioned above (stolen for the last dregs of mead from some great warrior or fellow PC), a fine Druman smoking pipe stolen from a merchant (I priced it at 1gp for convenience's sake) and an assortment of keys, missing buttons and coins of different mints.

    Does he only take food and the needs of sustenance from villages? Or does he take trinkets? – if he takes trinkets, could you describe a few of them and why he chose to take them?:

    Bastagar would take all manner of things from the villagers, as his needs of sustenance would be more or less covered by his wand (he hasn't the smarts to know that it's soon to run out). However, what's valuable to a gnome doesn't necessarily coincide with what's valuable to the human mind. Keys, brass buttons, silver cutlery, the last of the buttermilk or the last honey-cake. In short, I envision him as the little gremlin that you blame when you can't find your house keys. Very rarely, he'll manage to snag something of consequence.

    He takes the trinkets hoping to "buy back" his youth from the fey, and rekindle his connection with the First World (or Alfheim, if you prefer). The Eldest, naturally, have little use for it, so I was thinking rather than the gods himself (who probably wouldn't appear to a lowly Gnome), Bastagar has been tricked by some of the forest fey, and is actually collecting trinkets for Mad Jan, The Pixie King from the Linnorm Kings supplement. And if you prefer, his "master" could have already revealed his deception, and instead Bastagar goes on his adventure to find a new master. I chose the Lantern King (a will 'o wisp trickster god) in the first place over one of the more appropriate Fey demigods (Shyka, master of time) because I don't want this pact to actually bring him any closer to defeating the Bleaching. Baba Yaga will do that. I don't want to undermine my very motivation for the AP.

    This also helps mitigate one of my main concerns when applying for these Adventure Path games, having a background that's tied closely to the main plot. I usually try to keep backstory elements to a minimum and just take the plot as it comes, so I'm hesitant to have a background that wouldn't be resolved by the end of the first book, especially with a PC like this. (Also to be clear his current lifestyle of thieving and vagrantry probably won't last long into the game. I don't want to be one of those PCs that doesn't play well with others. I'll be as active a member of the group as any other PC. He'll remember his courtesies and take several steps back toward normality as the game progresses.) I won't ask you what's in the AP yet (after all, how could you know?), but I'm willing to make adjustments that will allow me to fit as best as possible.

    Mechanical questions can wait until post selection, but could you justify why he’d seek to be an assassin?:

    Sure thing. I won't give you one reason. I'll give you three! Admittedly I was a little concerned about this, namely that pesky line in the PrC that says:

    PRD wrote:
    Special: The character must kill someone for no other reason than to become an assassin.

    This seems to predispose some kind of guild of assassins ordering the killing, which doesn't fit at all. Depending on where it falls in the AP I'd love to make this some kind of pact sworn in blood, whether with the fey or with Baba Yaga, or imagined himself, something that shows the other PCs just how far he'll go to undo the Bleaching.

    Secondly, I wanted him to be a killer. Not necessarily a contract killer, but someone who kills through trickery rather than valor and brawn. To fit with the darker tone you were gunning for I feel like the fey (and Bastagar with them) should have a ruthless streak behind all the charm and whimsy. His knowledge (nature) should allow him the knowledge of natural poisons, and the death attack is just an extension of his (underwhelming) melee sneak attacks. Its DC scales with the assassin level, and I'm giving up evasion and a combat feat (rogue talent) for it, so it shouldn't be too overpowering (But I've never been able to play an arcane trickster before, nor seen one at my table, so I couldn't tell you).

    My final reason is a mechanical one, but hear me out. I don't necessarily want to be an assassin, but I want to be a sorcerer. The fey bloodline is full of flavour as opposed to the droll old wizard, but the PRC isn't very sorcerer friendly. I need 2d6 sneak attack and 2nd level spells to enter the Arcane Trickster class, and were I to go rogue 3/sorcerer 4 I'd only be able to enter the class at 8th level, meaning that at 9th level, when other characters are getting some of their most powerful spells, feats and abilities, I'd have the sneak attack of a 5th level rogue, the spells of a 5th level wizard at 9th level, and be even worse off before that. I'm happy to sacrifice for my class, but I don't want to be dead weight for my team. The assassin level lets me enter the class at a same level a wizard would. I still get my spell levels a level later than a wizard trickster would, and 3 levels behind a full-classed wizard, but I get to be a sorcerer!

    But I'm happy to progress as a straight rogue, as well. Or a bard. Or a wizard-trickster. I'd like to base that decision on the party makeup, though. This is my game-plan if I'm going sorcerer... and if I prattle any longer this will be longer than my submission, so I'm going to cut myself off here.

    Edit: Hilde, you did your whole submission in verse and managed to cover everything in the OP? I'm impressed.


    1 person marked this as a favorite.

    A couple more - which hopefully means that I've caught up to the end of the third page of the thread. SurplusRaine, Restless Cherry Blossom and Luke_Parry still pending for their full review.

    Tirion:
    • What were the garuda doing in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings to start with?
    • Reading the background, it reads more like a high level character finishing up a campaign rather than starting one. How do you reconcile her extensive abilities and history with the power level of a first level character?
    • How fiery is the fiery temper? – would a single comment be enough to driver her out of her calm state? Or would it need physical action combined with words?
    • How do you characterise the fiery temper with the stereotypically controlled fighting manner of a Monk?

    Serolt:
    • Reading the character he seems much closer to a Ranger than a Druid. Why have you chosen to go for a Fighter dip then Druid rather than Ranger?
    • The traits Gentle Wisdom and The Fool do seem a little contradictory. Though I’m assuming you mean more that he trusts easily for the Fool portion. How does he react when he has been taken advantage of or shown to be a fool?
    • For the future druidic bent – which god or gods does he venerate? Or is he a follower of the Green Faith?

    Twilight - no problem with Heldren as the start location, and don't sweat the mechanics too much. I'll be working with whoever gets selected to tidy things up later anyway.

    scranford - I don't have the time right now, but I'll put something up later tonight.
    For all - the runic magic system is from Open Design's most excellent The Northlands supplement and is something I'd be happy to include in the PbP.

    Oterisk - understood and wish you well in your RL game.


    Excellent :)


    DM VoV:

    What were the garuda doing in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings to start with?
    The Garuda are known to dwell in the mountains of the Belkzen fighting orcs and the hills and mountains of Varisia. This group, knowing that the changing of the queen of Irissen was imminent, travelled north to help defend the people of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings from the expected attacks from ice trolls, winter wolves and other cold horrors. They had heard the howls of the wolves and the roars of the trolls from the hilltop where they had made camp for the night. Unfortunately they arrived too late to save all the villagers.

    Reading the background, it reads more like a high level character finishing up a campaign rather than starting one. How do you reconcile her extensive abilities and history with the power level of a first level character?
    The ever popular, your character is 100 years old, what did he/she do for the whole time.

    Training as a Monk is one of the longest training regiments there is. For one with angels blood this training can be as short as ten years, or as long as fifty. For Köttur this training took nearly thirty years. Years of being beaten in battles, and of then meditating and recollecting on what must be done to keep the beating from happening a second time. More importantly for her was learning to control her temper. To keep a level head when faced with an insult that would have caused her to lose her temper, and likely drop her guard, earlier. This is why she is NG, not LG and has the Enlightened Warrior trait.

    While she fought in many battles, these were not in the large arenas of Katapesh and Katheer, but smaller combats. Her success made her owner a fair amount of coin, but both her trainer and owner knew that if she were placed in competitions against deadly monsters, ogres, minotaurs, etc. or against highly experienced professional gladiators where death of the opponent was the objective, then she would likely be lost. Being a female gladiator is not common, and, thus, even fighting on the "B" card, she helped to draw large crowds.

    Her final fight was in a competition where her freedom was the award, but also her owner made much coin as the odds of a woman winning such a competition in a male dominated society such as Qadira was unthinkable to many. This was not the only such competition and frequently owners would not enter their best gladiators in such a competition as who would want to lose a trained gladiator unless the payoff was sufficient. The odds on Köttur were good enough that her owner was willing to take the bet.

    How fiery is the fiery temper? – would a single comment be enough to driver her out of her calm state? Or would it need physical action combined with words?
    Being a woman fighting in a mans world, she has heard many insulting comments and with her master's training, she has learned to ignore most insults. However, if one incapable of defending is being insulted or injured or attacked, she is likely to get more than a little annoyed. Whether she would lose her temper would depend on the nature of the injury. If she saw a half-orc or half-elf or an elderly person or a child or a disabled person being harassed and bullied, this is the type of insult which could easily cause her to take physical action to intervene. Her ability to switch between lethal and non-lethal damage has kept her from getting into serious trouble when she does take action.

    How do you characterise the fiery temper with the stereotypically controlled fighting manner of a Monk?
    This leads to the Enlightened Warrior trait she has. Her training with the master has taught her to focus her away from her usually more chaotic nature, and concentrate on her monk training. Both her Ulfen and Garuda heritage are more chaotic and frequently hotheaded. This is what caused her to kill the youth that was attacking her father so many years ago. Likewise, one does not join the crew of a Linnorm longship and raid the coast for years if one is lawful and focused. Master Gond saw in her raw talent that needed to be carefully molded and crafted. The result of many years of training is a monk with the ability to close her chaotic heritage off and focus on the task, including combat, at hand.


    1 person marked this as a favorite.

    Nobody has done a list in a while, so here is what I see so far.

    Melee:
    Tyrnvald Olafson, son of Olaf - Ashe - Paladin - Assimar(Angel-Blooded - Ulfen) - Male - LG
    Randvér Icemarked - Byden - Paladin - Human - Male - LG
    Gaandik Fatebound - Chainmail - Paladin(Holy Tactician) - Human(Ulfen) - Male - LG
    Cailleach Cosantóir - CromoftheBloodhammer - Ranger - Half-orc - Male - CG
    Vidak Njellsson - Cuàn - Fighter(Viking) - Human(Shoanti/Ulfen) - Male - ??
    Sven Bjornson - Feral - Paladin - Human(Ulfen) - Male - LG
    Nyi Motsognir - HengistSaxon - Fighter - Dwarf - Male - CN
    Garak Ivarson - Kagehiro - Barbarian(Invulnerable Rager) - Human(Ulfen) - Male - NG
    Serolt - Euan - Fighter - Human - Male - NG
    Elghund - Shifty - Ranger - Orc - Male - ??
    Köttur Refurinndóttir - Tirion - Monk(possible Master of Many Styles) - Aasimar(Garuda-Blooded) - Male - NG(N tendencies)
    Annalisa - Twilightrose - Barbarian - Human(Ulfen) - Female - CN
    Kellyn Thistleblood - vonklinen - Cavalier(Beastrider) - Halfling - Male - CG

    Skill:
    Olaf Erikson - Luke_Perry - Bard(Savage Skald) - Human(Ulfen) - Male - CG
    Cearb - Meowzebub - Rogue(knife master) - Gnome - Male - ??
    Vakri - scranford - Inquisitor(Witch Hunter) - Human(Ulfen) - Male
    Bastagar Swiftthicket - Twigs - Rogue - Gnome - Male - ??
    Kelgar Frostbeard - wakedown - Inquisitor(Witchhunter) - Dwarf - Male - CG

    Arcane:
    Gaer - Daniel Stewart - Sorcerer(Wildblooded ??) - Gnome - Male - NG
    Gellwyn Finnisdottr - Dayden - Witch - Changeling(sea hag) - Female - N
    Restless Cherry Blossom - Irnk, Dead-Eye's Prodigal - Witch(white haired) - Elf(Jinin) - Female - CG
    Norðrljós - Lloyd Jackson - Witch - Slyph - Female - ??
    Rikka - stormraven - Sorcerer(tattooed - Draconic Bloodline) - Human(Ulfen) - Female - LN
    Markus Septimus Hape - SurplusRaine - Wizard - Human(Chelaxian) - Male - ??

    Divine
    Katherson - Balodek - Oracle(Seeker) of Winter - Human(Ulfen) - Male - N
    Ragnar Deathspeaker - Doomed Hero - Oracle of Bones - 1/2 Ogre - Male - ??
    Kiger - Josh Shrader - Druid - Human(Ulfen) - Male - NG
    Willow Earthsong - Joy - Cleric(Gozreh) - Gnome - Female - NG
    Sigurd, son of Sigmund - Lucent - Oracle of ?? - Human(Ulfen) - Male - CG
    Hinrik Vanniksson - WesternWolf777 - Druid(Wolf Shaman) - Human(Ulfen) - Male - N

    Unknown/Interest:
    Skäne Ingvârssonn - Black Dow - ?? - Male - ??
    ?? - einroy - Snowcaster - elf - ??
    Magnus Donarson - Jubal Breakbottle - ?? - Human(Ulfen) - Male - ??
    Hilde Alfborne - MPCampell - ?? - ?? - ??
    ?? - Namtarou - Oracle(Ertaki) - ?? - ??
    ?? - Tenro - Monk(tetori) - orc - ??

    Withdrawn:
    Amyric “Wander Tuskryn - JTM93 - Ranger(Guide) - Human(Varki) - Male - N


    In character story told in Kennings:

    ”In the time of the first-light of the world
    When there were no men to walk these lands
    When the claws of Golarion were first rising
    In conquest of the dwelling of the gods above
    The oceans sang the song of Awakening
    With the knowledge of a seer
    Of all things to come
    And all things that ever were

    With men comes the song of steel
    Battle-sweat fed the swans of blood and filled the seas
    And the song of the whales-road could be heard no more

    As the flesh of the sea feeds the heavens
    The tears of the heavens quench the thirst of the lands
    And the winter’s-shed flows back into the oceans
    So does the dew of slaughter feed the heavens and the lands
    Before traveling to the seas
    But for those who have open ears
    The ocean’s song can still be heard
    Thrumming in the life-blood of men”

    Annalísa stifles a yawn as she finishes her telling.
    ”And so these are the words that were spoken to me by my father, and by his father to him, and his father before that.”
    ”Are they true, you ask?” She pauses in thought for a moment before raising her shoulder in a careless shrug.
    ”Well how should I know? I did not live in the time before man, but I dare say I hear the song of the seas in my veins. “


    Tirion Jörðhár wrote:

    Nobody has done a list in a while, so here is what I see so far.

    ?? - Tenro - Monk(tetori) - orc - ??

    Should be Gar Karrnson, no profile yet (too many profiles i have made that ended up never getting used, and i dont want to delete them once i make them) and he will be LN and under the melee category.


    Skane is a Ulfen Fighter (Viking) - profile is a placeholder right now


    Vidak will be Chaotic Neutral with a preference for Good over Evil, just not enough to warrant a CG alignment. Mainly because his "good" is limited to his own group/friends/clan and tends to not include anyone else. Basically he won't risk the safety of himself or his group for the safety of those outside of it.

    I'm still very much open to making him a Skirnir Magus as that's also very fitting for what I have in mind.

    Shadow Lodge

    Hi DM Voice.
    I would like to applay for this game also. I am curremtly a little jammed with work but I will post a character tonight.


    DM - Voice of the Voiceless wrote:

    1) Which spell did you choose for Magical Lineage?

    2) How do you reconcile an 18 in strength, 16 in dexterity and only a 10 in constitution? – the write up doesn’t suggest any frailty of body.
    3) How does your oracle’s curse play into the character?

    DM-VoV:

    1) Oversight on my part. Magical lineage was from an earlier build and I forgot to replace it. The trait should be Gifted Adept (Divine Favor)

    2) A 10 Con doesn't represent any fragility of body. 10 is ordinary. Of all the things Sigmund has, his endurance is not extraordinary. He is remarkably strong and agile, but he is no more durable than any other man. He is the bright candle that will burn out the fastest.

    3) That he attracts the spirits of the dead is seen as a sign to him. As described in his background, he claimed to be able to see his dead mother as a boy. He is touched by the spirits of his ancestors, some beneficial and others (in the case of his curse) more difficult to deal with. Sigurd feels that the spirits that try to disrupt him may either be his father, or beinfluenced by his father, who is still angry and restless over Hrist's death. He believes their disquieted nature will cease when he fulfills his family's destiny.

    In progressing in the future, Sigurd will take the Rage Prophet class, giving him a "spirit guide" which will be the apparition of his mother, the strongest voice among his ancestors.


    Looooong day at work today and an early night for an eight hour meeting tomorrow...

    Randvér Icemarked:
    • Looks like it’s still a work in progress? – I’ve looked just at the poem for now.
    • How did his family become starving? – was there a reason they could not appeal to clan and village for aid?
    • I see you’ve taken Fey Foundling as sign of his heritage, and beardlessness. Is there any other sign of his heritage?
    • Does Randver live with or apart from his siblings?

    Dark Archive

    updates:

    •Is Kiger a Heldren native? – or does he come from elsewhere in the land?

    I'm going to say he is Not a Heldren native, But his Clan/tribe does Live close by. Perhaps he was sent to the Town for some indgridents for the elder shaman.

    •Does he venerate a god? – or the nameless Green Faith?

    Kiger Is mainly a Green faith Follower, but he does pay tribute to certain gods depending on his activities; Erastil, for hunting game, Gorum to keep his Spear arm strong, Cadilean to keep the Brew fresh.

    •What does his necklace look like? – is it a collection of bones? – or of whittled wooden images of the animals?

    At first I was thinking it was just teeth or bones on a leather cord, but I like the idea of him carving them with to the likeness of animals, or with runes or Prayers to Honor them.


    Magnus Donarson, version 2.0 – more Viking, less farming

    Magnus Donarson, the build:
    Strength 16+2
    Dexterity 14
    Constitution 15
    Intelligence 14
    Wisdom 12
    Charisma 7
    Male Ulfen Fighter (Unbreakable)
    Human Heart of the Fields: Profession (sailor)
    Feats Endurance, Die Hard, Combat Expertise, Power Attack
    Traits Threatening Defender, Carefully Hidden
    Skills Climb, Profession (sailor), Survival, Swim
    Languages Common, Skald, Giant, Varki

    In character story:
    The longship gently swayed in the slight breeze filling the sail. Sven gazed at the bright stars in the clear sky. He had stopped shaking an hour ago, and the stink of wetting himself before the battle was almost gone. Being the last on the deck of the Chelish merchant, he received watch tonight while the crew slept in a celebratory, drunken stupor. Except for Magnus.

    Magnus sat at the stern with the tiller under his huge, right arm nursing a flagon of mead. While he had been the first on the merchant’s deck, he volunteered to pilot. While Magnus was a bit shorter than Mast who was the tallest of the crew, he was undeniably the strongest. Challenged and proved, many times over. Sven wondered why he didn’t sleep like the rest of them, so he stepped lightly through the mass of bodies and plunder to sit next to Magnus who acknowledged him with a slight nod. Sven cleared his throat and bravely asked, ”Why are you piloting tonight? You were the first one to fight.”

    The lapping of waves and flapping of the sail returned to the interrupted silence. Magnus watched something off the port bow for a minute before responding, “Sigurd s’been my captain for nine summ’rs. My vigil tonight honors‘im.” Sven didn’t see Sigurd take the ballista to the gut, but he saw him stain the deck crimson.

    Sven studied Magnus. They shared bright blonde braided hair and steel blue eyes, but that’s where the likeness ended. Magnus was battle-scarred; Sven was unmarked. While Sven was big for his fourteen winters, he was smaller than Magnus in every dimension. ”Will you take command then?” Sven asked surprising himself.

    Magnus shook his head and replied. ”Time to head home.” He took a mouthful of mead.

    Sven couldn’t imagine Magnus as a child or anywhere but a longship. While much of the crew would follow Magnus to hell, a dozen grizzled veterans wouldn’t. ”Where’s that? Broken Bay? Thanelands?”

    Magnus didn’t speak of his past often, and the kid was young. ”Southm’r. Sigurd ‘cruited me in Jol.”

    ”That’s nowhere near a coast.” Sven sputtered. “How old were you?”

    Magnus nodded. ”Twelve winters, and big for my age.” He told his usual lie for he had only been ten. ”That wint’r, Sigurd traveled to Jol in search of crew, because he knew the coastal villages would be empty. He’s always clev’r like that.” After a pause that could have been a prayer, he continued, ”A couple weeks before, a pack of trolls came out of the Grung’r and killed my family. My ma’s last words were for me to run, so I did… and didn’t stop.” Magnus squinted hard reliving the last moments with his mother and father. His mother screamed at him as she was lifted on to a troll’s back. His father fought two trolls with his back against their burning home. Trolls and screaming were everywhere. The memory passed with a deep breath.

    Sven was surprised. He hadn’t heard this many words from Magnus, ever, so he kept scraping. ”Doesn’t sound like much of a home to return to.” Sven expected his words to finish the conversation, but evidently Magnus was talkative.

    Magnus shrugged. ”Sigurd took me in and restocked my confidence. He taught me how and when to fight, run, and hide. But the sea has nev’r been my home,” he said staring again over the port bow. ”I’m ready to see if any of my cousins survived and kill those trolls.” Sven understood that was the end of the conversation and didn’t press his luck.

    Trophy story:
    At dawn many hours earlier, the lookout had spotted the becalmed Chelish merchant ship bobbing in the sea. Its yards of sail hung, fluttered, and luffed. Sigurd had had them laying low in this area fishing for merchants and hiding from warships. He had everyone awake and rowing in a couple of minutes. They pulled for two hours before resting outside ballista range. They worked the plan: sprint to merchant; keep the silhouette small with shield-bearers on the prow; Magnus leads the shield-bearers up first; the interior rowers grapple it fast and over second; and finally the exterior rowers secure the oars and over last. Besides a ballista bolt killing Oleg, the raid started as planned.

    The instant after the longship crashed into the Chelish, Magnus left his favorite boarding axe buried in the hull after hauling himself and his heavy steel shield over the rail. Although he was totally defensive and making room for his brothers behind him, a boarding pike slipped between his guard, chain shirt, and ribs. The next two shield-bearers cleared the rail, so he finally loosed Feyswatter from its scabbard and removed a Chelish sailor’s forearm with it. The next minute was hot work being horribly out-numbered, but Sigurd’s mantra of ‘fight smart’ echoed with every swing back and forth.

    Then, a natural lull in the melee occurred. The Chelish sailors still mobile retreated on the main deck behind a half-dozen Chelish marines with breastplate and halberds. Sigurd started to rally his crew facing the marines with a fierce cry of “Gor’m!”, when a ballista bolt sprouted from his gut. The Chelish had managed to wheel one around in the distraction. No one was more surprised than Sigurd, who was dead before his body slid to the deck, and the battle almost turned.

    The vision of Magnus reduced to a single marine who he charged with a blood-curdling scream of “S’gurd!” He savagely revenged Sigurd’s death on that poor marine ignoring his own wounds. The rest of the marines gave as a good as they got until the numbers finally pulled them down, not asking nor receiving quarter. The sailors surrendered when the last marine hit the deck. Magnus claimed the Chelish breastplate and halberd for his own to remind him how Sigurd lived and died.

    Description:
    Magnus towers over most men at six-feet, six-inches with huge broad-shoulders. His bright blonde braided hair and battle-scarred face can easily be seen above a crowd. When wearing his traveling furs and Chelish breastplate, he appears not unlike a grizzly bear: large, furry, quick, and dangerous. Unlike typical Ulfen, he does not decorate himself in jewelry. He equips a plain heavy steel shield and many weapons to honor Gorum and Torag. Among them are Feyswatter his cold iron broadsword that he inherited from a dead veteran, his favorite boarding axe, and a Chelish halberd with which he has only practiced.
    Campaign hook:
    When the campaign begins, Magnus is hunting trolls in the Northeast of Southmoor just on the fringe of the Grungir Forest just south of Delmon’s Glen. After retiring from the longship, Magnus found the homestead of his birth within the eaves of Grungir Forest in Southmoor. He discovered some shards of memorabilia in the burned out homes but no bodies. His father’s blacksmith tools were gone but the anvil remained. Someone had cleaned out the charcoal that their homestead used to produce, but there were no traces of any new batches.
    Personality:
    Magnus remembers his parents’ two favorite lessons: keep his own counsel observing and learning and respect Erastil’s ways of civilization and Torag’s gifts of steel. He understands that without them, man becomes the hunted. He also remembers his lessons from Sigurd from whom he learned how and when to run, hide, and fight. And when he fought, ‘fight smart’ making the most of his enemies’ mistakes.
    Personality traits:
    Positive 1 = Magnus is curious and desires to learn of the world
    Positive 2 = He is relentless in purpose when he decides
    Negative 1 = He actively detests ambition and politics of civilization
    Negative 2 = He does not suffer fools who endanger him and his crew
    Magnus Donarson, the beginning:
    Magnus Donarson, the great Linnorm King, was a man
    Born under the eaves of Grundir
    In a homestead bound to Erastil
    Not forged from iron by Torag
    But survived battle by Gorum

    His father taught him to respect the Elder Three
    His mother taught him to focus and learn
    His brothers and sisters taught him to survive
    Since they did not, one and all
    The trolls who orphaned him taught him to remember

    Called to sea by the Lord In Iron, his captain
    Showed him how and when to run, hide, and fight
    When the iron and salt made him a man
    The sea spat him on shore
    To hunt trolls

    To be continued…


    sorry no reply for a bit. Was away this weekend.

    Answer to DM:
    Tyr would be stated with high Str, and cha. I would be taking Fey foundling as 1st feat. I would be taking the alternate race trait giving up the casting for a bonus to STR, or CHA. you said no rolling so I assume we can pick, or are we not using that at all? No big deal either way. Yes Tyr god of law is correct, so golorian deity would be Torag, Tyr would focus on protection and strategy teachings trying to become the man and chief his father knows he can be.

    15Pt: Str 18, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 15
    if alternate trait allowed Cha 17

    20pt: Str 18, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 16
    alternate trait Cha 18

    25pt: Str 18, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 17
    alternate trait cha 19


    DM - Voice of the Voiceless:

    Reading the character he seems much closer to a Ranger than a Druid. Why have you chosen to go for a Fighter dip then Druid rather than Ranger?
    Honestly most of it was mechanical - I wanted the extra feat so he could get the rapid shot in before 4th level. His tracking skills are OK, but not great. He managed to track a wolf, in fresh snow, with 4 weanlings and didn't notice the babies? Clearly he's not great at this. :)

    He was born with the bow fixed in his mind. The druidical bent is one that has been placed on him by the circumstances of his life - but one that he embraces as something that simply must be. It has been foretold that he will be a druid, and so shall it come to pass. It's already written in the skein of his life.

    The traits Gentle Wisdom and The Fool do seem a little contradictory. Though I’m assuming you mean more that he trusts easily for the Fool portion. How does he react when he has been taken advantage of or shown to be a fool?
    They are a little contradictory, and I look forward to developing that more in character. He's a fool with 'civilized' people. He may believe someone is lying - even know it in his heart - but he'll accept their statements as truth because that's the way he has chosen to live. He feels that everyone, given a chance, will tell the truth eventually. People are basically good in his mind, it's circumstance that bends their will - well that and witches.

    When taken advantage of he makes the best of the situation and moves on. He does not fault the lier, nor does he fault himself - it is how it must be. Instead he tries to find some advantage in the outcome and improve on it. In his story of the wolf, he took one of the babies and raised it as his own pup - a wolf that he hopes will eventually become his druidical animal companion.

    For the future druidic bent – which god or gods does he venerate? Or is he a follower of the Green Faith?
    He comes from a strong background in Erastil and in crisis it is Erastils name that crosses his lips first. At this stage in his life he's fascinated by the Green Faith and sees the raw natural power there - and it scares him a little. He's something of a simple man - he tries to keep things in his life uncomplicated. Spells, and the power of nature, have him in awe. He'll be a pensive druid at first while he learns how to harness that power.

    Poem (bad I know, but I tried…)
    Her breath's a hoar-frost in the air
    Her nipples tight against the cold
    The warm younglings suckle the heat

    A shudder

    Blood mixed with milk in the babies maw
    rough handling as the white earth drops away
    face to face with a new mother - pink

    So cold


    VoV (Answers):
    Do you have a tangible reason for the gold dragon ancestry and why Zarzanna raised her with a purpose?

    I left Zarzanna's reasons and hints vague on purpose. I thought it might make for a nice loose plothook for you to take in any particular direction that would fit well in the campaign. I'm not a fan of players trying to dictate their character's 'destiny'. But given that a number of OE/Norse/German 'classics' have a pervading sense of fate and destiny, I thought it felt right to include some bit of those elements. I was trying to shoot for a middle ground. If you'd prefer I detail the particulars, I can certainly do that. In that case, it would be great if you could give me some guidance on where I should and shouldn't take things to dovetail best with the campaign. My basic idea is that Zarzanna knows that Rikka is destined for some grand and dangerous adventure, possibly against the Winter Witches and their allies. She believes Rikka was put into her hands to ready her to meet that destiny - and who better than a witch to teach a sorceress how to fight other witches?

    Regarding Gold Dragons... that's an interesting question. That was a bit of a player preference, a bit of storyline, a bit of Norse 'splash', and a bit of the 'hero with a destiny' trope. First, I like the draconic bloodline and tempering it with Tattooed Sorcerer really takes the overtly 'dragony' edge out of it - by stripping away some of the most iconic dragon elements - claws (at 1st) and breath weapon (at 9th). I went with Gold Dragon for a couple of reasons. It is a noble and good dragon but still retains the capability of fearless draconic savagery. I wanted to play up those elements in Rikka's personality. She is fearless, noble, and basically good but quite capable of a norse ruthlessness when needed. I was trying to demonstrate a bit of that in her 'Tale' spoiler with the ale-maid. I also went Gold as opposed to one of the more Winter-aligned dragons (Silver or White) to draw a clear antithesis between Rikka and the Winter Witches. They overcome cold by adapting to it. Rikka overcomes cold by countering it. The odds of her being related to a Silver or White dragon in the Linnorm Lands is greater certainly since Golds are 'warm plains' dragons. But, given her muted Dragon abilities (courtesy of Tattooed Sorcerer), I'm thinking her dragonic tie is plausibly many generations back. Later generations of her family migrated northward from whereever they started. I think the fact that she had to 'train' to endure the harsh winter conditions (how I explained her getting Northern Ancestry) is something of a nod to the fact that she wasn't born 100% comfortable in the colder clime. So while I think statistically being kin to a Gold dragon would be rarer in the Linnorm Lands, it doesn't seem utterly outlandish to me.
    In addition, given the existing norse iconography - a dragon makes a rocking, iconic, and very plausible tattoo. :) I intend to play the dragon as a totem of sorts for Rikka - she tries to embody its strength and power. A lot of the other bloodlines just don't have the right 'viking' feel for that in my opinion.

    What brought Rikka from the Ironbound Isles to where the PbP will start?

    Rikka got booted out by Zarzanna at 19. She is now 21. In the intervening years she has been exploring the Linnorm Lands working on her sorcerous studies while trying to gain some understanding of where she came from. Her only tangible clues to her past are Zarzanna's vague hints, the missing rune on her torc, the torc itself, and her mystically-received first tattoo - the dragon. She has been wandering, mostly aimlessly, studying the elements of those mysteries that she can - learning the runes of power (Spellcraft), the art of tattooing (Craft:Tattooing), and dragon-kind (K:Arcana). Depending on how much you feel that a dragon-blooded girl would have a sense of where she needs to be to meet her destiny, she could have felt 'drawn' to Hedren. Again, I hate players overstepping in the DM's territory so I've underplayed how she would get to Hedren from the Isles. I'm happy to either say 'serendipity' or a 'sense of fate', at your preference.

    Could you roleplay the fox emerging and turning back into a tattoo?

    Rikka sighs as the group agree they need an inconspicuous scout to search the valley ahead. She dreads what comes next. The sorceress shrugs out of her furred jacket, and pulls the back of her woolen shirt up to her neck, exposing her pale skin to the winter wind that howls up the valley. It is the last moment of cold she knows as the fox tattoo - more like a brand - suddenly gains heat. The crisp black lines of the stylized animal glow red.

    Rikka's knees hit the ground and she closes her eyes against the mounting pain. The skin of her back stretches as if caught on hooks, as something tries to claw its way free. The lupine head of the suddenly distorted two-dimensional tattoo suddenly gains a chillingly realistic three-dimensional quality as the snarling head presses out from the skin of her back. The fox howls silently whereas Rikka's howl of pain is all too real. The fox leaps from her back, the human skin that forms it quickly transforming into white fur before it hits the ground. There is an audible snap as the sorceress' now unmarked but reddened skin snaps back into place against her ribs. Steam rises from her back, as Rikka rolls over and jams her burning back into a snow drift to cool it. Sweat pours off her brow.

    ------

    The reverse of the process would have the fox leaping onto her back and trying to claw its way into her back. Where their flesh meets the fox fur takes on the appearance of skin and sort of sinks into her as if it were sinking into mud.

    ------

    FWIW, I'm debating giving Rikka Improved Familiar as a higher level feat and then she'll switch the Fox for a Mephit of some sort. I'm tentatively thinking an Ice Mephit.


    DM - Voice of the Voiceless wrote:

    Looks like it’s still a work in progress? – I’ve looked just at the poem for now.

    How did his family become starving? – was there a reason they could not appeal to clan and village for aid?
    I see you’ve taken Fey Foundling as sign of his heritage, and beardlessness. Is there any other sign of his heritage?
    Does Randver live with or apart from his siblings?

    Yes very much a work in progress, he should be completed tomorrow. He has cold resistance from the Northern Ancestry trait, which I'm also attributing to his fey blood, and is far fairer than his siblings with hair like bronze silk instead of their red bristles. He did live with his siblings until recently, but has left Whiterook for Heldren.

    201 to 250 of 457 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | next > last >>
    Community / Forums / Online Campaigns / Recruitment / 'An axe-age, a sword-age, shields shall be cloven' - Reign of Winter Recruitment All Messageboards

    Want to post a reply? Sign in.