Join the ranks of an expedition on their quest to recover the history of their land and to recover the artifact which saved it in times of yore. A home made Play-by-Post Campaign.
Battle Results Round 2
22- Leylyn attempts to swipe at the swarm with her lit torch but finds that aiming at moving vermin in the hundreds is harder than it appears!
21- As Tim and Ithriel all move at the same time (and because Aldus seemed ready to take care of Endrian), Koldir will take out his vermin repellent and manages to pass it perfectly to Endrian.
21- Tim attempts to punch through a spider but finds it harder than it looks and misses.
21- Ithriel makes a tough decision and decides to heal Baster for 3 points of health with cure light wounds.
18- Endrian manages to shrug off the spider's venom and maneuvers away from the swarm, drawing it further away from the group.
17- As the webs are difficult to move in and Endrian's been moving farther and farther away, you move as close to him as possible and restore 5 points of health to him with your healing hex.
16- Jevon's eyes bulge as he enters into a mighty rage and his bullet finds its target like a snake through the grass. The Giant Spider on the right is hewn open for 9 points of damage!
12- Giant Spider (Left): In tremendous pain and barely standing, the spider attempts to web Leylyn.
web:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
Needless to say it misses. Probably due to the cackling.
8- Giant Spider (Right): Dead
6- Spider Swarm: Moves a square towards Endrian once again and swarms him.
swarming:1d6 ⇒ 2
No fortitude save will be required as I say you've shrugged it off once before.
4- Baster comes in with a flurry of whip slices and sword slashings once again, after having shrugged off the venom to successfully hew the last giant spider open for a massive 11 points of damage!
0- Leon trades his pack for the Leylyn's torch and manages to inflict a single point of fire damage to it!
Results
Giant Spider (Right): Dead
Giant Spider (Left): Dead
Spider Swarm: 1 Damage
Koldir shouts to Endrian "Just splash some of that on yer armor, it should help keep some of 'em off!
He then casts Create Water a decent height above the densest part of the swarm, sending 16 pounds of water crashing down on their little crushable spider bodies.
hp 26 | AC 17 | T 12 | FF 15 | CMD 16 | F +3 | R +5 | W +3 | Init +4 | Per +4
Round 3Init 22 Location Next To Leon Self Buffs (+1 moral hit, +1 moral vs fear, 8r) (+1 Competence to hit & Damage, +1 moral vs fear, 3r)
"Gah, Webs!"Leylyn yells as she tries to sidestep the sticky projectile.
Regardless if she is covered in webs or not, Leylyn digs into the backpack and pulls out an old piece of cloth. "What is this, a flag? Where is the oil at?!"
Leylyn continues to dig as she starts to sing...
"The Itsy Bitsy spiders climbed up the waterspout~♪
Down came the rain and washed the spiders out~♬
Out came the torches that dried up all the rain~♪
Now the Itsy Bitsy spiders won't bother us again!♬"
Inspire Courage +1 +1 competence bonus to attack and dmage checks. +1 moral bonus to fear checks.
Leon, what gear do you have? I can't find anything on your sheet!
Urban Barbarian 1/Musket Master 2 (HP 31 | AC 20 | T 14 | FF 16 | CMD 18 | F +7 | R +5 | W +1 | Init +3 | Per +7
Round 3
Init 16
Since no one else appears to have torches, and oil is already being handled...
Jevon seeing no one rush to hand him a torch, and unsure of what else to do begins to sprint back towards the camp while screaming, "TORCHES, OIL, BRING ME A FIRE!" over and over again.
End my rage. Double move for two rounds (while fatigued), then flat out run 120' a round towards the camp, hoping someone will meet me partway with something on fire.
male human cavalier 3 [hp 26/26] [AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+5 armor, +2 Dex)] [Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +1 ] [Init +2] [Perception +2 ] [CMD 18]
Round 3
Initiative 4
Location: at the opposite side to the swarm (now probably the rear-guard of the party)
Confident that his allies will manage to crush or burn the pesky swarm, Baster slashes his whip once menacingly in the general direction of the remaining spiders' nests.
"I'll cover you !" he shouts to his comrades in battle.
Baster Readies an action to strike with whip and longsword at any spider which would venture forth from the nests to attack his group.
Round 3 In condensed battle form as many actions were taken before the spider swarm's turn. As well, some GM Creative License was used.
As the Giant Spiders fall to the ground dead, the skittering above intensifies and then becomes still. Either you slayed some pretty important spiders or something nasty is about to happen. Meanwhile, the spider swarm, after having endured flame and drenching, seems to lose all taste in pursuing its prey and separates itself back into clumps of spiders as they crawl away into the underbrush. With a mixture of stomping and swatting the swarm is dissipated.
While Jevon sprints back towards the main camp, a soldier comes rushing in under the torrential downpour carrying a few hastily gathered torches and a pint of oil, obviously wondering what's going on. "Are... are we burning down the forest sir?" he manages to stammer out.
At the same time, Baster takes a definite offensive pose, prepared for any other spiders to descend.
I just need to know how you are proceeding from here. Are you burning down the webs? Are you retreating? Also, be prepared to think of your next level advancements my friends.
male human cavalier 3 [hp 26/26] [AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+5 armor, +2 Dex)] [Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +1 ] [Init +2] [Perception +2 ] [CMD 18]
"We could burn all these webs down..." says Baster slowly.
"That would surely make for some impressive illuminations" he grins.
Then he shoots a glance at Ithriel, without lowering his guard.
"Or we could get the Hell away from here, like sir Deamon said. I'm not sure these spiders would chase us. To be fair, I think they wouldn't have bothered us if we hadn't bothered them in the first place."
Baster shakes his head.
"But things being what they are, I can't help but remember Delsyn the Righteous Thorn, an ancestor of mine, who said: "Don't make an enemy of some...thing, if you're not prepared to thoroughly butcher that thing - mercy is not a winning strategy." "
Nodding his agreement with the elf's words, Leon takes a deep breath and looks down at the disarray Leylyn had made of his gear. He chuckled to himself.
Reminds me of Hope.
Picking up the folded and rolled cloth he nodded to her as he packed it away. "Indeed. An old one. When I left I did not have much so it was easy to add to what I carried. Not really sure what I am going to do with it though.
Koldir happily retreats from the spider-infested area, he had no quarrel with them in the first place, and certainly doesn't intend to try to set a forrest fire, even during rain.
"Endrian, if ye don't mind I'll take that repellent back now. Glad you were alright without it, those swarms can be nasty."
As for advancement, Koldir will be staying a cleric for the foreseeable future. We didn't happen to find any extremely valuable magical items in the spider webs, did we? Because if we're hitting second level soon we're going to be departing from the WBL guidelines in a dramatic fashion. Maybe the expedition leaders reward us for our awesomeness...
Fear not intrepid adventurers, I said earlier that I wished the early levels to go by quickly. Gear will be awarded sufficiently do not fear, though it might feel a little deus ex machina
Urban Barbarian 1/Musket Master 2 (HP 31 | AC 20 | T 14 | FF 16 | CMD 18 | F +7 | R +5 | W +1 | Init +3 | Per +7
"Maaaaaybe. Come with me!" Jevon replies to the young soldier. He sprints back to the webbing in time to see everyone backing off. "I GOT SOME TOR...."he begins, then seeing that the fight is over, finishes quietly with "typical...Sorry to wake you boy-o. Guess we're late to the show." He will release the soldier back to his post, and give everyone a torch just in case.
Male Elf Oracle 2 / Fighter 1 (HP 17 | AC 15 | T 12 | FF 13 | CMD 14 | F +2 | R +2 | W +5 | Init +2 | Per +7)
Has a puzzled look on his face after Baster's statement. As he turns around, Ithriel nearly runs into Jevon, who is trying to hand him a torch.
"Thank you for offering me on Jevon, but as you can see," shows the barbarian his still lit staff, "I do not need a torch to illuminate the darkness." Politely declines the torch, and continues on to camp.
When he gets to camp, he dismisses light, if it hasn't gone out on it's own by then.
Aldus walks over to one of the fallen giant spiders, taking his knife he slices off the tip of one of it's limbs. Sniffing at the severed limb he takes a lick before nodding and placing it into his pouch. He then returns to the formation.
Urban Barbarian 1/Musket Master 2 (HP 31 | AC 20 | T 14 | FF 16 | CMD 18 | F +7 | R +5 | W +1 | Init +3 | Per +7
After returning to the camp Jevon will again seek out the company of Koldir. "I'm thrilled you chose to follow me tonight. I'd 'ave been b*llocksed without you and the others. Thanks..." He says reaching out his hand to shake and leaning in close to whisper, "..Koldir." After straitening back up he will inquire, "How's about we finds us a nice warm tent outta this piss? Have us a big fat smoke, it'll slip down an absolute treat. Man needs a smoke after a night like tonight, eh?"At least I finally have some torches now. All it took was some screaming...I shoulda tried that earlier. I wonder if people will give me other things if I run around screaming them? Probably not, if it was that easy everyone would do it.
Male Human 3rd Paladin |HP 25/25|AC 15|CMD 16|Fort +7|R: +4|W: +4|Init: +0|Perc: -2|
Endrian, feeling a little glum from the poor weather and the spider bites that still remain on his body, trudges back to the camp through the forest.
Not wanting to show his poor sense of direction, he makes sure to follow the others as they move back towards camp, with the slight fear of getting lost in the woods slightly evident on his face.
As he arrives back in camp, he picks up a rag and, changing into his clerics vestments, begins cleaning his armour of the muck and grime that had built up throughout the day.
When he is finished, he will seek out Baster, asking "Do you mind if we have a word?"
Koldir, still in a fairly cheery mood, accepts Jevon's offer of a smoke. "Aye, you'd have been trussed up 'n eaten if not for that noble n' I. You know anything about him? Baster? He's a strange one... though aren't we all..."
Baster wasn't wrong about following Jevon though, I'm glad he had the idea, I doubt I'd have gone otherwise. Whatever else he may be, he's helped this expedition.
Male Elf Oracle 2 / Fighter 1 (HP 17 | AC 15 | T 12 | FF 13 | CMD 14 | F +2 | R +2 | W +5 | Init +2 | Per +7)
Once at the camp, Ithriel goes to where he placed his gear. Despite the rain, his gear is dry, due to the well made, makeshift canopy he made.
Taking off his armor, a thought comes to him.
I should probably check on Endrian.
Takes up his staff and heads towards Endrian's tent. Upon reaching it, not knowing that the Paladin left, he sticks his head inside and says, "Endrian, how are you feeling?"
I have a very busy schedule tonight so I'll let you RP a little more back at camp.
The camp seems to have calmed down while you cleared out the spiders. Warning the forward guard to not advance any further into the forest, a campsite is constructed hastily on the forest edge.
The storm nevertheless continues to pour for hours on end before finally coming to a drizzle around four in the morning. The men are visibly downtrodden during this final torrent, but this does not prevent them from setting out card games and small fires to roast wild game caught in the woods.
With guards posted to make sure the spiders advance no further, Captain Pelemynn salutes each of you grandly for your help and for your initiative in this matter and offers each of you a masterwork weapon of your choice as a reward, as well as 100 gp as an advance reward with promise of shares in any treasure unearthed in the ruins.
As well, you all advance to 2nd level. I know this is quick, but 5th level is really the level where this campaign kicks off.
Koldir, after enjoying a pleasant smoke with Jevon, takes some time to wander among the men by himself, seeing if he catches anything important from the snippets of conversation around campfires and within tents.
Perception:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26
When he meets Pelemynn he thanks the captain heartily, and chooses a fine new looking hammer from the 'armory'. Pleased with his new toy, he sets off to wreak havoc on unsuspecting shrubbery in order to break it in.
EDIT: If, by any chance, Pelemynn has a masterwork breastplate lying about, Koldir would take that over a warhammer, but assuming weapons he likes the smasher.
Male Human 3rd Paladin |HP 25/25|AC 15|CMD 16|Fort +7|R: +4|W: +4|Init: +0|Perc: -2|
"Baster," Endrian begins, "how do you cope with things happening that go completely against everything that you had thought. I know a Lordly knight such as yourself must be very far removed from what you had imagined, adventuring with a group such as the Seekers. It seems that something would have forced you away from the grand estates that one such as yourself would normally enjoy. How did you adjust to such circumstances? Being caught in a situation where you find that fate has turned the tables against what you had envisioned?"
Endrian seems to be seeking advice while trying to hide exactly why he needs such advice.
male human cavalier 3 [hp 26/26] [AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+5 armor, +2 Dex)] [Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +1 ] [Init +2] [Perception +2 ] [CMD 18]
"If Fate denies me, I rebel against it, and strive mightily until I am spent or triumphant."
He pauses to reflect.
"Once I believed in many things. But I was betrayed and now have faith in few things - but these sparse tenets of my belief will not leave me soon !"
He draws a long breath and unconsciously straightens himself:
"I believe in myself, in my word and in my destiny. And in Eveldine."
He looks at Endrian.
"But if it is wisdom you seek, Endrian, I can tell you what my wise Elven tutor once taught me about these matters."
He takes a learned tone.
"If it happens that the Wheels of Fortune turns against you and grinds mercilessly what you believe in, you may be in one of three situations."
"The first one : you were mistaken all along. What you believed in was erroneous. Abandon your false ideals, and live anew."
"The second one: you are mistaken now. The situation is not as it appears to you. See things through and you might salvage your ideals. Endure and live."
"The third one: the devices of the Gods and of the Kosmos are more vast than your limited mortal mind can grasp. Learn from your sufferings. Let your faith grows mature and more complex. Be humbled. And live."
Baster chuckles unexpectedly.
"I always thought that the "Be humbled" part was tailored specifically for me. So I doubt that it applies to you, Endrian. You look humble enough to me."
"Anyway, those are my thoughts and words of advice, comrade in arms. No matter how inadequate they may seem, I hope they will suffice."
A pause. Baster looks serenely at Endrian.
"At least until you trust me enough to tell me what's really bothering you."
Baster makes a gesture of farewell and begins to walk away.
"Better not to be too swift in awarding your trust, though, paladin. I always felt that having the trust of another thrust upon me was a heavy burden to bear."
Male Human 3rd Paladin |HP 25/25|AC 15|CMD 16|Fort +7|R: +4|W: +4|Init: +0|Perc: -2|
"So you say that sometimes it is just a matter of being foolish, having expectations that don't seem to be met in life?" Endrian asks out loud, half asking Baster, half mulling it over in his head.
"I apologize for burdening you with my thoughts, you just seem to be very content with your station in life and I had hoped that you could impart some wisdom upon me. I do treat you as friend, though I fear my problem is one that comes from a childish dream..." Endrian drifts off in thought.
He then quickly returns to the moment and says, "Thank you for your advice Baster, I hope that I can call you friend."
Campaign Background A thousand years ago, Eveldine of Goldhollow, the capital city of Avelone, fought back the Society of the End with the aid of hundreds of questing knights and templars. Her battles against this dark tide lasted well over three decades and when her end was near, she sacrificed herself to empower an ancient artifact: The Grail of Gods. With the aid of this legendary relic, now renewed to full strength, the war was won and the Society destroyed. Eveldine was beatified into a Saint and entombed within Goldhollow's Catacombs to forever be remembered as a savior. With the war ended, the Grail was also interred beside Saint Eveldine to be retrieved in times of peril.
Centuries passed throughout Arcavelon, with nations rising, changing and falling, the past slowly receding into memory and then into myth. From the remains of great Avelone grew two nations: Keddenmark to the west and Nivmadas to the east. Ruled by the descendants of that great land, King Alevander of Keddenmark and Queen Gwenehart of Nivmadas, these two nations have stood side by side throughout the last couple centuries as a proud and valiant empire.
Then, three months ago, a borderland scout team discovered the ruins of an old watchtower. There, they found the skeletal remains and ruined armaments of guards which seemed to date back to the vestiges of Avelone itself. The rulers of both nations sent out missives to both their province's seeking to find willing citizens to join in a larger expedition to return to the watchtower and unearth any and all potential discoveries that could by chance lead to the remains of old Avelone and, maybe, just maybe, to the Tomb of Saint Eveldine and the Grail of Gods
Rules, Regulations, Etc
Spoiler:
- This will be a Play-by-Post Campaign set in the lands of Arcavelon, a homemade campaign setting.
- 20 point buy characters, following all official Paizo published material. Any product, from core to player companion is fine. If you really want to use a 3rd Party product, run it by me first. I'm familiar with a few. I'd also prefer if the material can be found on d20 PF SRD
- RACE RESTRICTIONS: Any Core Rulebook races except Half-Orc. Unfortunately for Half-Orc lovers, Orcs have not lived in Arcavelon for centuries.
- CLASS RESTRICTIONS: As Seekers of the Grail is a more medieval setting, no Ninjas or Samurai and I'd strongly appreciate no Monks. This mostly asian theme is not present in most of the adventure. Nevertheless, if you truly want to play this class, you must find a way to make him fit with the rest of the Campaign Setting.
- PLAYER OPTIONS: 2 Traits, 1 taken from an official Paizo published product and the other from 1 of the choices presented below. (No Hero Points yet.)
- STARTING GOLD: Average for your class.
- ALIGNMENTS: Any. If you wish to play an EVIL character, it is not for murdering or PvP, it is to play your character correctly. Villainous characters or characters of lesser moral worth have their place in this adventure but not lunatic, stark raving mad slaughterhouses.
- BACKGROUND: Each background must be slightly based off the Campaign Trait chosen below. As well, choose whether you are from Keddenmark or Nivmadas. Nothing too expansive is needed, perhaps a paragraph. Minimum requirement is character description.
- OTHER: Try and at least post once a day, and not just a single sentence. Applicants both new and experienced are welcome, but a good understanding of the rules is helpful. If you're not too familiar, try reading through the books a bit if you have the time.
- ALIAS: Please make an alias, this will help me immensely.
Campaign Traits
Spoiler:
Each character must choose one of his or her traits from the following:
- Noble Heritage: You were born into a noble family descended from one of the royal bloodlines. You gain a +1 bonus to Knowledge (nobility) and to Diplomacy as a result of your upbringing.
- Citizen of the Realm: You are a hard working citizen of the provinces and as such you are quite proficient at what you do. You gain a +1 bonus to Profession (any) and to Knowledge (local).
- Borderland Wanderer: You have lived your whole life exploring the boundaries of the realms. You gain a +1 bonus to Survival and to Knowledge (nature) as a result of this.
- Arcane Blood: You were born with the capacity for using arcane magic. You gain a +1 bonus to Spellcraft and to Knowledge (arcana) as you most likely attended one of the sorcerous academies.
- Divine Calling: You were born on a holy day or you have always felt a strong tie to a specific faith. You gain a +1 bonus to Heal and to Knowledge (religion) as a result of your path.
Divine Magic and Domains in Arcavelon
Spoiler:
Unlike many worlds, Arcavelon has no named deities. Instead, when you make a character with access to a domain you must choose any two domains. I know this empowers character creation but this how the world works.
This is a character I recently posted in another recruitment thread, but if he doesn't end up being in that game he could fit nicely in this one (having no deity and two domains). I would swap the Grounded trait for Divine Calling and rework his back story a bit.
This is a character I recently posted in another recruitment thread, but if he doesn't end up being in that game he could fit nicely in this one (having no deity and two domains). I would swap the Grounded trait for Divine Calling and rework his back story a bit.
Your character looks fine. A change to back story to fit location would be all that is necessary. Aside from that, I see nothing wrong with this character and rather relish the choice of Domains.
You can find a quick description of the two regions of Keddenmark and Nivmadas along with some locale names in the Campaign Description.
My apologies, yes, this campaign begins at 1st level.
EDIT: Hoping to reach my 4-6 player mark by Friday. If there are not too many additional hopefuls I will see about adding perhaps up to 8. If I feel your character is top notch and you are sure you wish to play I will add you to the Characters page.
Leon is a fighter originally made for a Kingmaker game. If you don't mind, i'd like to rework his background a bit as follows-
Spoiler:
At some point in the very distant past, one of the countries ruled by those with a direct line to Saint Eveldine was overthrown by a coup. (this assumes that such a country exists. if not, we'll figure something else out) The king's general arranged for a detachment of knights to protect the king's infant son. They fled into the borderlands, planning to live posing as farmers until the fighting stopped. The coup was successful, and though the knights staged a resistance movement, it failed, and over the generations the facade of being farmers eventually became the truth.
Fast forward to now.
Leon didn't care much about his grandfather's crazy stories of ancient royalty and lost kingdoms. He was just a farmer. They were stories.
Then, when news of the grail spread across the land, armed men with dreams moved through in it's wake. They said they were out to reclaim lost treasures, but really they were men with swords who were willing to take what they wanted.
Leon's grandfather survived long enough to give him a very old key and instructions to dig int he doorway of the barn.
He dug up a chest. In it was a book that showed his family's lineage and history, a signet ring with a crest that had not been seen since a time of legends, and a perfectly preserved flag.
With nothing else to lose, Leon rode to join the expedition, determined to make sure that part of the recovery of the Grail included an affirmation of all the things the Grail was supposed to represent.
It was no enough that it be found. People needed to be reminded of why.
Tell me what you think, help me work out the details.
Leon is a fighter originally made for a Kingmaker game. If you don't mind, i'd like to rework his background a bit as follows-
** spoiler omitted **
Tell me what you think, help me work out the details.
I love this idea and definitely, this is a great idea that I'd welcome to the game.
Spoiler:
We can definitely work together to fit in a "lost" royal branch, that's what history is for. Would you be living in Keddenmark or Nivmadas at the present moment?
Your character sounds great. So far that makes Cleric and Fighter which is perfect.
Whatever works best for you. Not knowing much about them makes it hard for me to pick. I'd be inclined to go with whichever one has had the most political upheaval (anywhere prone to banditry and really needing an old-school hero to come in, clean house, and put a strong ruler on the throne).
I know I haven't put much up yet. Both nations are definitely united for now but a coup-fallen kingdom would probably have come from Keddenmark. I recommend Montcalme as a starting hometown. It's far and in between the northern mountains known as the Frostfangs and the Relven Deepwoods... about as remote as you'll find.
Just a heads up, your back story fits in perfectly with the Grail quest as you'll soon see. It isn't Kingmaker per say, but a throne may not be too far off.
I am interested and will make a char by tomorrow(Im about to go to bed) but I thought Id mention that clerics can already do what said for them so that's not empowered at all(only one gm has ever asked me to pick a deity)
I would like to make a sorc/mnk, not as the asian type mnk, but rather as one who studies unarmed combat (is a caravan guard/bounty hunter by profession) will randomize race for fun later.
I am interested and will make a char by tomorrow(Im about to go to bed) but I thought Id mention that clerics can already do what said for them so that's not empowered at all(only one gm has ever asked me to pick a deity)
I would like to make a sorc/mnk, not as the asian type mnk, but rather as one who studies unarmed combat (is a caravan guard/bounty hunter by profession) will randomize race for fun later.
Sounds great. I was pretty sure though that Paizo wanted Clerics to follow a deity and not just be "follow a way of life". In any case, we're filling out the positions nicely.
Will you be taking a level of Sorcerer or Monk first?
Hmm, I'd like a chance to play a barbarian that I made, but there is already a paladin and a fighter... Hmm. I'll either rework my barbarian or make a bard or something.
What would Symbol of Eveldine look like? Endrian has a massive one in the form of a birthmark on his back.
Eveldine is always represented with a golden stylized chalice. The shape and form varies from province and town.
jlord wrote:
Hmm, I'd like a chance to play a barbarian that I made, but there is already a paladin and a fighter... Hmm. I'll either rework my barbarian or make a bard or something.
We do have a combat heavy group but I don't think a barbarian is too bad. We'll just be missing more subtler approaches. Let me know when you choose and if there's anything I can help you with.
Baster Thorn was born to a noble, respected and preeminent family. He always knew he was destined to accomplish great deeds.
Alas, he was the last child in a family of seven, and the fourth male child to boot.
His four brothers, all able and worthy men, excelled at what they set their mind to accomplish: the eldest, Branwan, became a great general in service of the kingdom of Nivmadas. The second, Bradley, became a priest and his devotion was a wonder to behold. The third, Bergond, went to study at eldritch academies, and was known thereafter as a wizard of great prowess. The fourth, Brendan, was a weaver of tales unsurpassed, a bard who made men fell in love with his words and women fell in love with him.
These four men were faithful to the crown, and men of honor and moderation. So when Baster came of age he decided to be someone his brothers never could have been.
He left the ancestral castle Thorn of his family to go to the marches of Nivmadas. There, he allied with men of ill repute - destitute knights and bandits really - and began scouring the countryside to carve a new fief for himself. Soon, his depredations became too much for the kingdom to ignore, and a detachment of knights lead by Branwan was sent to stop him.
Battle was joined. In the midst of combat, Branwan and Baster dueled, and Baster lost. He was brought back in chains to the queen to be judged. He would surely have been executed if all his brothers had not implored the queen for mercy.
And so mercy was shown, in acknowledgement of the all good deeds his brothers had accomplished for the kingdom, and Baster was absolved of his crimes on the conditions that he would never rise against the rule of his queen and kingdom again. This he swore by the gods, prostrating himself before the throne.
Then his brothers and sisters asked him to come back to the Castle of Thorns, home of the family, where they could surely heal the rift which had grown in their midst.
Upon hearing their kind words, Baster was overcome with a great rage terrible to behold. He grabbed his trusty shield, which arbored the crest of the Thorn family, and smashed it apart against the cobblestones of the royal castle.
"There brothers ! I am a Thorn at your side no more !"
"But what could you be without us, Baster ?" asked the youngest of his sisters in an imploring voice.
"I will be myself ! I will race you - my hated brothers - to great deeds and destiny ! I will be my own counsel and I will make my own steadfast friends and good fortune. And I shall be magnificent, like the peacock strutting proudly around, untouched by the dirt and the company of those lesser than itself."
He paused. And added to the sister who just spoke: "And I will always love you, dear sister, for you care for me."
Then he left to reclaim his destiny.
My character would be a Cavalier of the Order of the Peacock (which would be identical in all but name to the Order of the Cockatrice), honorable, very true to his word and somewhat cruel (but not wantonly so).
I can assure you, Matt, that I get along well with my fellow players, and can play in a team - although my character is obviously (?) evil, it won't hinder the game if you choose him for your game. He will enhance it (I hope :-), selfishness of his chosen order notwithstanding
I will work on the crunch, but will be able to post it only tomorrow.
Jlord here
Here is my barbarian. All I need to do is work on the back ground and swap out the courageous trait or rich parents trait. I might still make a bard though, since the group is really fighter heavy.
Dotting my interest. This is an alias for the character, will work on getting the crunch up later tonight. He will be taking the Citizen of the Realm trait. Probably a rogue, possibly urban ranger then rogue.
Explorer and all around nice guy, Aldus Cottontail is a minor magician who uses his skills and hand for magic to perform a plethora of odd jobs required of a traveling merchant. Up until recently he has been serving a number of roles with an old friend who helped him when he was down on his luck. After this last trip he'd paid off his debts and heard of this expedition. Though not quite happy about leaving so soon after returning to the city he leaps at the chance for a change to do something exciting.
Well, I see that a night's rest has brought upon us quite a group. If my counting is correct we are already 9 capable hands. Now I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth so I say all are welcome to embark upon this quest!
I've read over each of your characters and so far nothing seems to be amiss. Backstories as mentioned previously need not be extensive for those of you currently missing one. A simple "who I am" is fine, but strong backstories a la Baster of the Peacock do give me plenty opportunity to add on to the history, lore and campaign setting.
Though 9 players is a tremendous amount for sure, the campaign is plenty functional as we will all see.
Now, as I said, we will officially begin on Friday the 27th but in the meantime feel free to mingle. I will put up the Expedition Recruitment Missive in a local Nivmadian tavern in the town of Ariellons. Feel free to talk and, for those inclined, make a show of your intent on joining the Seekers of the Grail.
I hereby close down recruitment slots to new players.
In the meantime, don't forget to finish your characters and simply include where you are from.
I would be very interested in joining, if there is still room.
My character sheet lacks numbers at the moment and I need to tailor the background to the campain, but the basic framework will not change.
I'm already at a high number of 9 players at the moment and I mentioned this previously in the post. Nevertheless, if you're still interested I can put you down as backup crew in case of potential drop outs. I'm surprised at how fast this group filled up.
We start on Friday and if players haven't started within the following week, I will make appropriate party replacements. I generally encourage posting at least once a day, if not once ever two days at the most.
Thank you for your interest, it's been duly noted.
I am interested and will make a char by tomorrow(Im about to go to bed) but I thought Id mention that clerics can already do what said for them so that's not empowered at all(only one gm has ever asked me to pick a deity)
I would like to make a sorc/mnk, not as the asian type mnk, but rather as one who studies unarmed combat (is a caravan guard/bounty hunter by profession) will randomize race for fun later.
Sounds great. I was pretty sure though that Paizo wanted Clerics to follow a deity and not just be "follow a way of life". In any case, we're filling out the positions nicely.
Will you be taking a level of Sorcerer or Monk first?
That happens a lot to my players, there is only one line in clr desc that says so.
I'll start with mnk, the job often gets in the way of studies
(note mnk will be every third lvl)
I'm interested in putting my hat in the ring. Been a year since I've played in a Pbp, so I am little rusty.
Leaning towards either end of the spectrum - either a Sorceror or Ranger. Maybe what whatever works better for party composition, if there are any preferences.
Will try to post some character suggestions later today. Thank you.
I'm interested in putting my hat in the ring. Been a year since I've played in a Pbp, so I am little rusty.
Leaning towards either end of the spectrum - either a Sorceror or Ranger. Maybe what whatever works better for party composition, if there are any preferences.
Will try to post some character suggestions later today. Thank you.
Hi there Alex, we're currently already at 9 (potentially 10 players). For the moment I'd like to leave it like this but like I told Israfel earlier, I'm fine with putting your name down in the potential reinforcements in case of a player dropping out for example.
Gallops up to the tavern on his desrier and skids to a stop.
"Did someone say "Grail"?
Raises his visor and reads the "Closed to Recruitment" sign.
"Well... shoot."
All languages are equally important. I would recommend the languages of the races (dwarf, elf, etc) first and then all the others. Draconic is still a fine choice though you probably won't cross a Dragon for a while.
Gallops up to the tavern on his desrier and skids to a stop.
"Did someone say "Grail"?
Raises his visor and reads the "Closed to Recruitment" sign.
"Well... shoot."
I must apologize, for we are already at 9-10 players. Nevertheless, if you wish I may add you to our growing potential recruitment list. I'm really sorry as you seem to really have been into this quest.
I'm thinking about a Two-Weapon Fighting build, with Longsword and Scorpion Whip.
If I take the Exotic Weapon Proficiency:Whip will I be able to fight proficiently with the Scorpion Whip ?
Or, conversely, if I take the Exotic Weapon Proficiency:Scorpion Whip will I be able to use my Scorpion Whip as a simple Whip (that is, to Trip & Disarm with those respective weapon qualities ?)
Or must I take the Exotic Weapon Proficiency:Scorpion Whip and use that weapon as any other weapon, that is without the Trip & Disarm weapon qualities affixed to the normal whip ?
Hum, I guess basically my question is: must I take Exotic Weapon Proficiency:WhipandExotic Weapon Proficiency:Scorpion Whip to use the Scorpion Whip as itself and as a plain whip ?
From rereading both weapons I am guessing that yes, you'd normally have to first become proficient with the whip before being able to use a Scorpion Whip's abilities. Nevertheless, I am going to allow that you a single Exotic Weapon Proficiency be suitable for both weapons. In my head, a whip is a whip.
Btw I hope you don't mind if I added your Traits to my Hero Lab for possible later use in my P&P Campaign. They are really well written.
On his way to the local tavern, Ithriel wonders, I wonder if it's possible to find any information of my father?
Ithriel:
Nope, no problem at all. Glad to have been able to add on for your PbP. As for your second point, I seem to recall you not having been told anything about your father at birth. Would you like me to come up with his backstory or would you like to? Seeing as you have no knowledge of him I'd make it a part of the quest as I'm already adding bits to suit everyone's background.
Weeellll, seeing is how my masters are more than likely........ oh wait, wrong media (cookie if you guess what that is from). Seriously, if you are already in the process of adding bits from backgrounds, go right ahead. It should be a surprise to the character. Oh and I meant Pen & Paper, not Play by Post.
